​North Star News October 10, 2019
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Issue 4Â
Journalism Class, Fall 2019
Conflict intensifies between Syria and Turkey By Olivia Frey October 10, 2019
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đ&#x;”şPhoto Credit to Sgt. Andrew GoegelÂ
On October 9, Turkey launched its military offensives in Syria, specifically targeting the Kurds. The plan is meant to push back the Kurds away from the Turkish border.  Targeted villages such as Misharrafa, Sikarkah, and eastern Qamshli were put under fire as Turkey attacked Syrian soil with airstrikes and artillery fire. Under the circumstances, people fled to safety under the chaotic situation, with roads being blocked by hundreds of families. While Trump was the one who pulled the last straw on the camel’s back, he said he did not “endorseâ€? Turkey’s plans. "From the first day I entered the political arena, I made it clear that I did not want to fight these endless, senseless wars -- especially those that don't benefit the United States ... We expect Turkey to abide by all of its commitments, and we continue to monitor the situation closely.â€? This offense was caused by Trump issuing a statement that the US will be withdrawing troops from the Syrian-Turkish border, allowing Turkish officials to carry on with their established military plans, which hasn’t been received well back in the US. For instance, the statement has made him lose support amongst fellow Republican senators. For instance, Lindsey Graham, who described the situation as an “impulsive decision by the presidentâ€? that was “shortsighted and irresponsible.â€? The statement indicates that the president approves of Turkey’s plan. The statement also clarifies that “The United States Armed Forces will not support or be involved in the operation, and United States forces, having defeated the ISIS territorial ‘Caliphate’, will no longer be in the immediate area.â€? The targets for Turkey’s plans include Tal Abayad and Ras al Ayn. Ironically, back in 2014-15, Abayad was the primary supply route for ISIS because of Turkey’s open border.  Unfortunately for Trump, the statement has made him lose support amongst fellow Republican senators. For instance, Lindsey Graham, who described the situation as an “impulsive decision by the presidentâ€? that was “shortsighted and irresponsible.â€? ​ (continued on page 2)  Because of the backlash, Trump took to Twitter to defend his stance: "We may be in the process of leaving Syria, but in no way have we Abandoned the Kurds, who are special people and wonderful fighters," he said. ​ (continued on page 2)Â
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 Trump also claims that since relations with Turkey have been “very goodâ€?, and that there is a large number of Kurdish people already living in Turkey, the plan will help the Kurds financially. “Turkey already has a large Kurdish population and fully understands that while we only had 50 soldiers remaining in that section of Syria, and they have been removed, any unforced or unnecessary fighting by Turkey will be devastating to their economy and to their very fragile currency.â€? Â
Students are invited to celebrate Sukkot Lauren Sonnier October 10, 2019Â
đ&#x;”ź Photo courtesy of JCP DowntownÂ
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The Association of Jewish Students will be constructing a Sukkah in the Cafeteria Courtyard on October 17 to celebrate the festival of Sukkot. A Sukkah is a temporary hut constructed for use during the week-long Jewish festival of Sukkot. It is often well decorated with autumnal, harvest or Judaic themes, and topped with branches. As it is a tradition to eat in the Sukkah, it will be open during all lunch periods.  “Please feel free to come and eat in the Sukkah and see what it is all about!â€? Special Education teacher and club sponsor Anne Zavell said. The Association of Jewish Students is set on educating fellow students about holidays, traditions and history, and welcome students of all backgrounds.  Â
Join Filipino club for Halo Halloween By Darlene Sese October 10, 2019 Â
đ&#x;”˝Photo credit by @vegasdining ​
Filipino club is hosting their annual “Halo Haloween� by eating the most well known filipino dessert- halo halo while watching a Halloween movie on October 30 in the commons from 3:40 to 6:15pm with an admission of $5.  Though there are multiple variations, halo halo’s main ingredients are shaved ice and evaporated milk, with optional ingredients such as the ube ice cream, gelatins, coconut strings, sweetened beans, and much more making it the perfect summer dessert to enjoy with friends.  “It’s a great way to come together and enjoy a party with your friends. Some people make new friends whenever they go to a club. It’s not just for Filipinos, anyone from a different race can go there to eat halo-halo with their friends and watch movies with them,� Niles North Senior Guillani Cataring said. Halo Haloween is a great event for students to come together, try a Filipino delicacy, and socialize with others under one culture. If you want to get even more involved, Filipino Club meets every Thursday after school in room 2400E.
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New movie, Joker, stirs controversy for viewers
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By Nicole Nantz October 10, 2019
Photo credit to Warner Bros. ⊳
On October 4, Joker, was released to theatres, directed by Todd Phillips, known for The Hangover and War Dogs, and stars Joaquin Phoenix as the title role. The movie is about Arthur Fleck, played by Joaquin Phoenix, who is brought down by the crime ridden society of Gotham city, and how he transforms into the Joker, one of comic’s most memorable and cruel villains. Joker w as certainly a success financially. It raised around $93.5 million this weekend just in the USA alone, and broke the record for highest-grossing opening in the history of October. The film goes into darker themes that other films based on comics try not to delve into. For that reason, it is rated R. Though the movie has only been in theaters for a short amount of time, it has already stirred controversy. It has been reported that the FBI and Department of Homeland Security warned local law enforcement around the USA about threats made by people online on opening day. And, the film itself goes into certain depictions of violence that have unsettled people. A statement from Warner Bros., the studio in charge of Joker, gave this statement last month, "Warner Bros. believes that one of the functions of storytelling is to provoke difficult conversations around complex issues. It is not the intention of the film, the filmmakers or the studio to hold this character up as a hero." Another controversy following the film, is the inclusion of the song Rock and Roll Part 2 by Gary Glitter, a former glam rock singer who is a convicted sex offender. The scene with this song goes for around two minutes, which only made people angrier. Glitter is reported saying that he is expected to receive a large sum of money for his song being in Joker, and also in music royalties. There is no formal statement from Warner Bros., the staff, or cast yet on this. The student body has also had its reactions to the movie. Because of the movie’s R-rating, not a lot of underclassmen have seen the film, but the upperclassmen have had a reaction. One of those upperclassmen is Danielle Lehrer, a senior who has seen the film, “Well, I am a fan of American Horror Story, and that is very gruesome, so compared to American Horror Story this pretty mild,” Lehrer said. But, I guess if you are not used to gory scenes it would be a pretty scary movie. But, it wasn’t that extreme in my eyes.” Joker c ontinues to the topics of conversation, and it isn’t planning on leaving anytime soon.
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Who is Victor Viking? Lauren Sonnier October 10, 2019 Â
đ&#x;”˝ Pictured: Victor Viking suitÂ
Photo Courtesy of the Niles North websiteÂ
The presence of Victor Viking at varsity sports events and pep assemblies is a custom at Niles North: Though the Scandinavian seafaring pirate may seem like an immortal entity, there is, indeed, a student behind the beloved mascot.  “Victor Viking has been a tradition at Niles North for at least 50 years. The suit is replaced periodically, of course,â€? Director of Student Activities Caroline Benjamin said. “The students play a huge role in the future of this tradition.â€? Understanding the significance of wearing the Viking suit, its details are kept secret by students and staff alike. As the identity of the student behind the mascot must remain anonymous, the following interview will not reveal the name or grade of the student. “Assuming the role of Victor Viking wasn’t a hard decision for me,â€? the Niles North student inside the costume said. “I always wanted to be involved in school spirit, so I began acting as Victor my freshman year. Going to sports games and hyping everyone up is exciting! It’s cool knowing that the mascot has such a long history; a history that I get to add to.â€? Victor will be cheering on the Varsity football team at the Homecoming game against Maine East on October 18. Â
KFC made a finger-licking good dating simulator By Misha Raykhlin October 10, 2019Â
đ&#x;”şPhoto credit to SteamÂ
On September 24, 2019 KFC Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC), in collaboration with Psyop, created the game "I Love You, Colonel Sanderâ€? on Steam.  This new dating simulator about KFC isn’t their first time using video games as promotion for the fast food chain. In the past they made a VR game and a 8-bit style game to promote the fast food chain. But this time, the game has a huge positive reception. On Steam it received a 9/10 with over 4000 reviews. To metacritic with a 50% but with much fewer reviews with only 4 reviews.  But in this game you play as a new student going to a prestigious cooking school. In the school game not only find the Colonel himself but a wide range of supporting characters. From the character's life long friend Miriam, to the player protagonis rival Aeshlleigh, to a Corgi named Sprinkles ,or as he likes to be called Professor Dog, who is the main teacher.  Once you get near the end of the game there are multiple endings to the game which I will not spoil you. If you want to find all the endings you can find “I Love You, Colonel Sanders!â€? ​on Steam for free.Â
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A Little Late w ​ ith Lilly Singh breaks late night TV norms By Juliana PeĂąa October 10, 2019  ​Photo Courtesy of Lilly Singh Â
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Lilly Singh is the first woman of color to ever host a late night show on NBC, an impressive feat for someone who started off by recording videos on Youtube. Singh who identifies as Indian brings a new diverse voice to late night. Singh joked in her opening monologue by saying, “The media has mentioned I’m a bisexual woman of color so much I feel like I need to change my name.â€? Senior Mayha Syed in regards to learning about Singh’s new talk show said, “Personally, it was really inspiring to see a brown woman being on TV for her own comedy show. I feel that it’s almost the consequence of many brown people being the butt of the joke in comedy and it’s especially nice to see that she’s a brown woman. There are few women in comedy, specifically women of color so it’s truly very inspiring to see her doing what she does.â€?  The show has already been met with controversy after Singh made a discriminatory comment about turbans on her show. Singh issued an apology on Twitter by saying “But in hindsight I recognize that was a disrespectful and problematic joke to make that has a lot of painful history behind it. And I’m very sorry.â€? Senior Elezabeth Abraham stayed hopeful for future growth in representation by saying, “For the future, my hope is that even more Indians like myself become influencers and or make changes in the world that they care for and are passionate about.â€? Abraham said, “But in addition to this, giving a platform for all other races and minorities is the ultimate goal; to live in a society where each person is given the same opportunities and respect in order to grow and make a change according to their passions.â€?Â
North students encouraged to get creative with costumes Lauren Sonnier October 10, 2019Â
 While the phrase “Trick or Treat!â€? may appear throughout the building during decorative festivities, Niles North is taking no tricks with student attire this Halloween.  According to the Niles North student handbook, the costume expectations are as follows: there are no masks or full face paint allowed so students may be properly identified, no props that are meant to simulate a weapon, no costumes that represent drugs or alcohol, no “revealingâ€? clothing, no costumes misappropriating other races, religions, cultures, or genders, and hats are only permitted if they are a part of a student’s costume. ​(Continued on Page 6) ​ Photo credit to PinterestÂ
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As Dean of Students, Erika Bougdonas has seen her fair share of costumes that have failed to adhere to the Niles North policy. She does, however, have fond memories of appropriate and clever costumes students have worn in previous years.  “While costumes that imitate another gender in an offensive manner are prohibited, students may dress as the opposite gender. One year, a kid when as Jon and Kate Plus 8, and it was hilarious,â€? Dean of Students Erika Bougdonas said. In addition to the stated guidelines, staff are permitted to modify student’s costumes or ask them to change if they feel that the costume is a distraction to the learning environment. “I wouldn’t say that students get super creative with their costumes,â€? Bougdonas added. “I would like to see people be more creative! High school kids are at an age where students seem to be not as into Halloween as they were in middle school.â€? This Halloween, Thursday, October 31, students will be permitted to wear costumes in celebration of the holiday. If students have any questions regarding the appropriateness of their attire, they may stop by the Deans’ office for feedback. Â
Swim and dive team wins against Maine West By Nicole Nantz October 10 2019 ​
đ&#x;”˝Photo Credit to WTIÂ
On October 3, the Niles North JV swim team and Niles North diving team won against Maine West at an away meet. The JV swim team won 138 to 46, the Varsity team had a close game but were defeated, and both JV and Varsity divers took first place in their diving competition.  The swimmers had their own highlights from the game, and how they are looking towards the future. Mia Savani, JV swimmer and captain of the swim team, thought that the meet went really well. “​My highlight is when I got third in the 200 Free right behind Katie and Kate,â€? said Savani. “I have noticed that both of those girls are faster than me and the fact that I kept up with them the entire race made me really happy.â€? She also sees that the team is getting constantly better throughout the season. Even though the team is happy for the win, they still have to work on some things. Kate Kanda, JV swimmer, believes that the team needs to start using practise time better. “I guess we can work on understanding what our practices are like since we use different pools for each level.â€? The NN Diving team coach Joe Wilson stated how this season is going well for the divers, and they stepped up for their competition against Maine West. “​I feel the season for diving is going well,â€? Wilson said. “The girls are focused on doing well for themself which in turn helps the team.â€? He also commented that the team is very supportive of each other.  The next swim meet will be an away game against Deerfield High School’s Warriors this Friday. Â
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HOSA Competitions are just around the corner‌
By Sabha Fatima  October 10, 2019  HOSA (Health Occupation Students of America) is a national organization of middle school, high school and college students who are interested in pursuing a career in the healthcare field. HOSA gives students the opportunity to learn about health careers from a variety of sources, such as a health careers online EXPO, inviting speakers, and participating in competition. HOSA preliminaries are coming up fast, with the first competitions taking place in December. There are approximately 60 competitive events, which consist of 3 main categories: Knowledge, Skills and Teams. “​To prepare for competition, the person would review the guidelines, follow the recommended study hints in those guidelines, and practice, practice, practice. Students who are familiar with the guidelines that are put out by HOSA can be very successful in the events,â€? explains HOSA sponsor Ingrid Erickson. The preliminary rounds are the first week of December, Illinois competition is in March, and International Competition during June in Houston. H​ere at Niles North, the HOSA club meets Mondays after school. Club members get to know each other, get to know about various health care professions, and prepare for competitions. Come stop by on Mondays and meet this year’s members! Â
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Grab a ticket to see the latest production of ​Ipi Zombi By Darlene Sese October 10, 2019
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The Niles North Theatre Department has an upcoming play titled ​Ipi Zombi​ with performances starting on October 17. The basis of the plot is about “A mysterious and tragic bus accident claimed the lives of twelve local school boys. The town, devastated by this tragedy, seeks justice and and explanation: witchcraft. Truth, rumor, and legend consume the town as they conduct their own “witch huntâ€?. Based on a true story, ​Ipi Zombi​ tells of the haunting reality that befell before a small South African town after tragic chaos shook their moral, political, and social compass.â€? “I am excited to see this play with my friends because I have never heard about an event like this happening so I am eager to see what it is about,â€? Niles North Senior Alyssa Lule said. “I also have never seen any plays about a witch hunt so it makes me even more interested,â€?  There will be a free community performance on October 17 at 10am, then $10 performances on October 17 at 7pm as well as October 18 and 19 at 4pm at the Drama Performance Center. Tickets are sold at the box office and online at ​www.seatyourself.biz/nntheatre​.Â
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NN Cross Country runs into competition By Ian Imhof October 10, 2019 Â
The Niles North Cross country team headed to Niles West on Saturday, October 5. which is one of the biggest meets of the conference, aside from races such as conference or state.  The Pat Savage Invitational is run by many schools, some being the best schools in the state.  The Niles North Varsity Boys team placed 17 out of 24 teams in this meet. One runner, junior Liam Perreault who was the first person to cross the finish line for Niles North, ran a 17:35.39 for the 3 mile run, and achieved 68th place out of the almost 400 runners, that participated from our division. ​ Photo Credit to Runner’s World One other runner who ran for Niles North, was junior Kyle Kenmotsu, and was the second varsity runner to cross the finish line. He ran a time of 17:36.67, and got 69 place, just behind Liam.  Part of the team ran in a 2 mile race, as the frosh/soph team. The freshman team ran a great race this past Saturday, as they placed 14 out of 22 teams. One Freshmen, Matthew Abraham who got 23rd place, and ran a time of 12:07.88. Â
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Fab 5: Where Are They Post Season 4? By Lissett Becerra October 10 2019
Photo credit to Netflix/Antoni Porowski
The Fab 5 have finished their fourth season of Queer Eye. Rather than staying idle, these five men decided to continue their work outside the show. Bobby Berk has recently collabed with AllModern to create a new line called A.R.T Furniture. “The response to my furniture launch has been far and beyond my wildest dreams. I cannot thank you all enough for the comments, messages, and shares.” Fab 5 member Bobby Berk said. “This line has been 15 years in the making and brought to life with my partners.” Karamo Brown has recently devoted his time to Dancing with the Stars. “Omg! Last night was a dream come true! Dancing with Jenna Johnson on Dancing with the Stars. Can’t wait for next week! Thank you for all the support and love from everyone for week 1!” Antoni has just released his cookbook Antoni in the Kitchen. "I want people to look back at recipes that have shaped them,”member of the fab 5, Antoni Porowski, said. “and like food that they had on a first date or whatever it was, and just see what those dishes are for you.” Jonathan Van Ness recently wrote his latest novel Over the Top: A Raw Journey to Self-Love, which is a New York Times Best Seller. “Having Queer Eye b ecome a success and giving me the platform it's given me, the desire for me to want to share about my experiences in those realms became stronger over time. There are so many young people that are struggling with what I struggled with, and my way is not the way or the most gorgeous way, and it's definitely had its down points.” A Fab 5 member, Jonathan Van Ness, said. “But I think the point of the book is that no matter how far off course you have gotten, no matter how messed up you feel, there is a way to get to a life that is fulfilling and sustainable and that you feel good about.” Tan France has recently starred in Dressing Funny, a show about dressing different celebrities like Miranda Sings, Pete Davidson, and more. “Whereas I think for most other comedians, it’s just that fashion isn’t something that they're really thinking of—especially when it comes to men.” Fab 5 member, Tan France, said about Ali Wong. “They’re
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putting on an outfit that isn’t going to detract from what they’re doing. They want it to be relatively nondescript.” Bruley, the Fab 5’s mascot, recently passed away at the age of 10 from heart problems. Rest in peace.
North Star News and Student Government know that high school students have busy lives. So we asked students, how does this affect your sleep schedule and academic performance?
Why do you get this much sleep on average? How does your sleep affect your academic performance? Usually because of homework and the other daily tasks that overwhelm me. There's too much to do in a certain amount of time that I have to take extra time out of my night to complete those tasks, which takes a large amount of sleeping time away.
Most of the times I accidentally fall asleep in classes due to the lack of sleep which would limit the amount of learning I will get and the amount of energy I would put in to actually try to learn the material.
I get less than 4 hours of sleep because I am usually up doing homework for multiple classes, as well as studying for exams and doing college apps. Whenever one thing is accomplished, it feels like there are three more important things added to the 'to-do' list.
When I haven't gotten enough sleep I can't focus as well. Late start days help me get more sleep and do better
Because of how early we have to get up for school and the amount of activities and the amount of homework we get, I'm up pretty late doing work and studying. I get 6.5 on average, but sometimes even less than that. Late starts really help, because it is really the only time I wake up and feel awake, and get through the day not super tired.
I do exponentially worse on days I get less sleep, the amount of work is so excessive. I can't even enjoy my life anymore. All I do is work, get no sleep and repeat. I also go to work and I can't be doing homework because I will fall asleep and get fired. Then I do bad in school. Making my life even worse. I am so disappointed with our education system and how it treats us. I feel like a statistic, not an individual.
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Letters to the Editor are always welcome.
Dear Lisett Becerra, Your viewpoints on the song "Chicken Noodle Soup," are very interesting, and I completely agree with them. I have been listening to BTS for about 2 years now, and I like to listen to Becky G as well. Becky G and J-Hope's collaboration not only brought together their musical differences/similarities but also their cultures, and they sang/rapped little bit about their lives. They remade the song and they made it their own. This made it not only a great song but very diverse and beautiful. The Song brought together their cultures,and made this song be sung in 3 languages. It lets more people think that there is no barrier in music, and the various languages just makes songs more beautiful. Perhaps your thoughts will make people look into things outside their culture. Amreen Lobanwala, Niles North High School ========================================================================================== Dear editor, I really like that topic you choose. It stands out to young reader like me because the app is really popular and well known to us. And I say that because when I saw it I knew what it was going to be about and I could understand it better . Although I haven't heard or seen any of Kim Fernandez's videos by the way you explained it i'm sure others have seen it. Someone going viral isn't that rare, but the fact that she stayed viral is impressive. Also when I found out if was someone from Niles North the school I go to it caught my attention more. Also it makes it more interesting when you included how she's doing now. Like a series that she got hired in might get turned into a graphic novel. Its cool seeing how a normal students from the school I just started going to now is now “famous” on a popular app and also doing big things. Which shows how that can also be us. Lizbeth Jaimes, Skokie ========================================================================================== Dear editor, I have heard about president Trump's process of impeachment, but I don't know every detail about it. I'm glad that this article has helped me understand and learn more of the situation. I, too, can agree with the fact that I (or we) don't know what will happen in the future or how the process will go as Pankaj Sharma has said. I can also agree with the fact that this situation will create a mark in American history because Trump's presidency has been an interesting journey and especially since he is in the process of getting impeached. In my opinion, the part where the article was talking about past impeached presidents wasn't very interesting to me since it wasn't really related to Trump's process of impeachment. It takes away from the main point for making sure that the readers can gain information about the impeachment. But, I'm not saying that it was bad to add that information to the article
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because others may think it is interesting. Overall, this article provides good information about the situation, is interesting, and it is very well made for others to read. Sincerely, Parise San Jose
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