Diller Street Journal Vol. 2 #1

The Carl of the Wild

New Arts Center

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The Diller Street Journal Thursday, September 26, 2013

310 Green Bay Road, Winnetka, IL, 60093

Vol. 2 #1

To Bodacious, Beautiful Beginnings Cooper Ochsenhirt ‘16

(Cue Welcome to the Jungle by Guns N’ Roses).

Picture me walking through an arch in a massive arena (for the purpose of my paper dream, let’s say it’s the United Center). I’m walking with intensity, flames burning in my eyes, in a forward direction. As I make the walk of power, an essential ‘40s boxing announcer yells in an overly energetic way, “He’s back!!! It’s…the Oceanslice!!!” With each step, my stare appears darker and darker. Eventually, I reach my post. (mind-flip: no longer in an arena, but rather performing at the White House Correspondent’s Dinner. It’s inevitable).

Well, enough of that useless hoopla. There are more important things to talk about. Like the beginning of fall. Fall is a happy time, a time of sports and Thanksgiving and merriment. A time where you can get a pumpkin spice drink at your local coffee shop and not look strange. A time that plays host to a day where you can stuff yourself like a hippo and play it all off, by saying “It’s Thanksgiving!!” A time when we dress up like weird beings and give the people of our neighborhoods an ultimatum: give me candy or you’re gonna get pranked (that’s Halloween in a nutshell).

However, fall has always meant something a little bit more to me, more than just the normal-until-youlook-at-it-from-an-outside-perspective traditions. To me it means two words: school and football.

Beginning school can be a bit rough. You’ve just

Photo by Connor Watrous ‘17

settled in to your summer vacation. You’re lying around, without a care in the world. You don’t care what the time is, what the day is, or what month it is, because it’s summer! That stuff doesn’t matter! Then, the inevitable work that summer has protected you from instantly materializes. Your life comes crashing down…I’m just kidding. I’m just exaggerating the truth. Or am I? Yes I am. School can be fun. Especially at a high quality institution like the North Shore Country Day School. You’ve got all those clubs to choose from. And, if you fail to find something that you enjoy, create your own club!

That’s the joy of the system!! Advice to freshmen:

Ms. Gallaga’s Sabbatical Lily Neulib-Madden ‘16 This past year Ms. Gallaga, Upper School English teacher and Service Learning Director was on sabbatical, which is a paid leave given to a teacher who is going for study or travel.

Ms. Gallaga stayed in the Chicago area during this adventure away from school. This journey, however was an inward one; she focused on reconnecting to her roots as a teacher and a person.

Ms. Gallaga had never really considered a sabbatical until this year, when the offer was issued and she read through the possibilities.

Part of her inspiration came from a philosophy in Judeo-Christian religions in which the number special is seven; the word sabbatical also comes from the sabbath, the seventh day.

The number seven was also important to Ms. Gallaga because last year was Ms. Gallaga’s fourteenth year at North Shore. This helped Ms. Gallaga feel that this was just the right time, and began the application process.

Part of the application included an open-ended pagelong essay about why she wanted to take a sabbatical, and the committee accepted her proposal. The planning process took about a year, and then she could begin her journey.

When explaining her purpose in this sabbatical, Ms. Gallaga described, “The original purpose that I wrote about was to try to get back to my own roots as an educator...I felt like I had lost touch with, not why I’m a teacher, but some of the deeper aspects of what I thought about it and what I thought about education.” Part of the theme included getting back to her roots, so she decided to spend time at Quaker schools, where she spent

join clubs (especially the DSJ – shameless plug). It looks great on college apps to be involved, and you get to meet some pretty cool cats (the 1980s called – they want their colloquialisms back).

Football. My oh my, what a topic. Headed by Coach Kevin Darling, and backed by assistant coaches Jason Giffen, Zeke Markshausen, Jim Deuble ’76, and Cy Oelerich ’89, it’s poised to be a great year. It was pretty crystal clear during two a days that we were going to have to work for our success, but that it would come nonetheless (rhyme unintended).

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much of her education growing up. She also spent time “studying and reading Quaker philosophies of education” with the theme of social justice in mind, an important part of the Quaker faith. All of this was aimed at helping her “reconnect with [her] grounding in education.”

Ms. Gallaga began her sabbatical by spending a lot of time in nature, even in the beginning when it was very cold. She started with a small ritual of going to the lake every day and taking a picture and journaling.

This ritual started as a grounding technique in the freedom of the sabbatical, but became an important meditation. The practice evolved so that Ms. Gallaga wrote a Haiku every day. She also spent a lot of the day meditating, describing that she would “Spend a lot of time writing and then just sitting and being... just not being busy, and of being more aware. That became really important, and it’s hard to describe because it’s so alien to the way we operate normally.”

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News

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Ms. Gallaga’s Sabbatical iLove iPads Lily Neulib-Madden ‘16 Cont. from 1 Her newfound awareness and resulted in some wonderful poetry, writing, photography, which can be found at cowbird.com/dpg.

Ms. Gallaga also spent her time volunteering with Chicago Friends School, which is a very small and new Quaker elementary school in Edgewater.

Quaker education, as described by Ms. Gallaga, is “Based really explicitly on principles of peace and diversity and justice and equality and taking care of the Earth.” She also said that Chicago Friends School was different from her experience with Quaker schools growing up because it was so small and has only been running for a year. Yet, she said that all of the schools she’s experienced still hold true to those same principles.

The only employees at the Chicago Friends School are their teachers, so Ms. Gallaga spent a lot of her time on the committees that run the things an administration typically would. Ms. Gallaga got to teach kindergarten and first grade, which she said was hilarious; she was also assistant teaching, which is very different from her role at North Shore, and anything she’s ever done as a teacher before. Weekly, she taught music to kindergarteners and first graders, which she said was also hilarious, and was a lot of singing songs and dancing.

During her time away, Ms. Gallaga missed her students the most, but it also made her appreciate them more. Although she does think that her sabbatical turned out great, and she feels like part of it isn’t over yet. After the fact, she’s found that there was “a great measure of peace” which she had during the sabbatical, and that she “wasn’t sure how temporary it would be.” However, she expressed that this sabbatical has helped her to find that peacefulness again when she’s experiencing times of stress. She plans to bring aspects of things which she learned during her sabbatical back to North Shore to enhance both the teaching and learning experience. We’re certainly glad to have her back here at North Shore!

10 Facts About Ms. Hsieh Kate Roever ‘15 By now, most have you have probably met one of the new art teachers, Ms. Hsieh, around school. She teaches Foundations, Ceramics, and Sculpture in the second floor art studio and in the brand new Arts Center. A very interesting person with an array of experiences under her belt, she promises to bring fresh new ideas and change up the arts department. Here are ten fun facts to help you get to know her better!

Emily George ‘17

In an effort to integrate technology into school activity, North Shore has implemented an iPad program. This year, 8th and 9th graders have received iPads from the school to use in and out of classes. iPads will give the students opportunities they haven’t had before.

Students have already connected to websites and programs that have specific uses in their classes. ALEKS is a math program that allows students to work on their weaknesses individually. The English department plans uses the iPads to annotate short stories, write essays, and take notes.

The Language department have connected to online textbooks with reading and speaking exercises. Science students have access to a learning site where they can connect to their specific class to stay up to date. History has already been using the iPads for daily exercises.

All the students’ devices have certain, essential apps for their classes.

Notability is a note taking app that allows students to type, write or draw notes for classes. Other apps, such as Haiku and Google Drive’s mobile sites, are extremely helpful for keeping track of assignments. The iPads have already helped students become more organized.

Many freshman expressed excitement when asked about their opinions on the iPads “Oh, I love it! It makes it easier to do everything,” one freshman said.

Others students aren’t so sure. “I think that the iPad program was both successful, but also unsuccessful. The iPads will let us students be able to use websites for our classes so we can have quick access to our online textbooks and assignments; however, iPads also let us become distracted, mostly because of the decision to let students have games on their iPads.,” said another student.

Despite some drawbacks, many students can see the larger benefits of introducing iPads, with one commenting, “I am glad that we can save paper and not be as wasteful while still learning to our full potential. We also now have the ability to have different items available without a carrying a large bag that will break down our spines and make us unable to learn all together.”

The iPad program will add a lot to the coming school year. The farther we go into the year the more integrated the iPads will be. We know this advance in technology will create new educational opportunities. These will help North Shore improve it’s academics and give students more opportunities to learn and grow.

1. Her favorite subjects as a student were Art and English.

2. Her favorite art museum is the Addison Gallery of American Art at Phillips Academy Andover, in Andover, Massachusetts. When she was a student at Andover, she would go through the archives in her free time.

3. She is a graduate of Hamilton College in Clinton, New York.

4. Her favorite medium is slip-cast ceramics.

5. She was attracted to North Shore for the student body, because it is evident that the students actually want to be here.

6. In her spare time, she coaches “Pony Rules” baseball.

7. She played four years of softball at Phillips Academy Andover and four years at Hamilton College, where she was the team captain.

8. Her favorite artists are Xu Bing and Adrienne Piper.

9. Many of her works are inspired by community, particularly what defines it.

10. She was inspired to be an art teacher by her first grade art teacher who showed her that “houses don’t have to have pointy roofs, and windows don’t have to be square.”

Photo by Brent Rolfex ‘16

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News

9/26/13

What You Need To The Carl of the Wild Know About Syria Justin Savin ‘15

Rachel York ‘15 Syria has been in the news for quite a few years now, especially in the past few weeks. It seems to be the topic on everybody’s mind. But, for those of us who maybe don’t follow the news as closely as we should, it can feel like we’re being left in the dust when the topic of Syria comes up. Where is Syria? Who is Assad?

What the heck is going on, what is the controversy, and how might the United States get involved?

First, a little history. Bashar Al-Assad’s family had been running the country for the past four decades until the Spring of 2011, famously known as “The Arab Spring.” When protests in Egypt and Tunisia successfully toppled dictators, many other Middle Eastern countries followed suit. Syria was no different, until things took a turn for the worse. Peaceful protests were quelled with violence by the Assad government, killing thousands of civilians. At this point, over 100,000 are dead, and millions have been forced to seek refuge in Jordan, Lebanon, and Turkey.

At first the country was split into two major groups: government forces led by Assad, and ‘rebel’ forces (as they are commonly referred to) who organized the Free Syrian Army. Currently, rebel forces have split into even more groups, with more radicalized groups in the north and east of Damascus (the capital city of Syria) and more secular groups in the southern areas.

As the fighting has escalated, the Assad government has crossed a ‘red line’ by launching chemical weapons against their own citizens. One of the norms in the international community, set in the first World War, is that chemical weapons are not to be used at all, and it is actually against International law to use chemical weapons.

Initially there was no solid evidence to support the claim that chemical weapons had been used; however, the use of chemical weapons has now been confirmed.

When the information that the Assad government has used chemical weapons first came out, there was quite some controversy in the international community as to what action should be taken. The US government took the stance that in order to properly punish the Assad regime, limited military strikes should be taken against the Syrian government. On the other hand, the Russian government, one of Syria’s closest allies, stated that they did not believe that the Syrian government used chemical weapons and that the United States should not take military action.

Russia has repeatedly been vetoing United Nations Security Council decisions to take action against Syria, a “failure by the United Nations” according to Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

Instead of taking unilateral action, President Obama decided to put the decision of limited military strikes to a vote in congress. It met much opposition both in congress and from the American people, with a majority polled saying that they did not want to get involved in Syria. After a few weeks of debate, the vote was postponed and the United States struck a deal with the Russian government. This agreement was reached overnight on Friday September 13th, calling for removal of all chemical weapons from Syria by mid-2014. United Nations officials will be used to inspect and remove all chemical weapons and materials. Concerns have been raised as to how this will be done during a civil war. Additionally, there is disagreement between Russia and the United States as to how many chemical weapons sites there actually are in Syria. If the Assad government fails to comply, the issue would be taken to the United Nations Security Council. Punitive action is allowed under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, but Russia has said it will veto any move for action.

One of the great opportunities North Shore presents is the opportunity to spend a semester away. Last year, Carl Anderson ‘14 chose to spend his second semester at the High Mountain Institute in Leadville, Colorado.

The High Mountain Institute is a program that promotes personal growth through interaction with nature and participation in a strong community.

Anderson said that his first activity of a typical day was “morning exercise” followed by classes all morning. After classes, Carl would have lunch served by the “Cooking Crew.” Each student spends a week on Cooking Crew helping prepare and serve meals. Following lunch, students took more classes, ate dinner, and enjoyed a study hall, returning to a “rustic” cabin at the end of the day that Carl said included, “nothing but beds and a wooden stove for heat.”

Anderson’s favorite aspect of his semester away was the multiple field trips he took with his peers. These field trips tested students on their ability to interact with nature.

His favorite trip was the winter camping trip. Anderson says he “skied into the mountains” and “hiked up a mountain with a peak elevation of 13,800 feet.” Once at the camping site, Anderson built “giant snow forts called quigloos and lived in them for four days at a time.” In the quigloos, Anderson built “kitchens in the snow, cabinets in the snow, [and] chairs in the snow.”

Anderson says he learned the importance of a sense of community during his semester away and hopes to bring some aspects to the North Shore. “It was a tight knit group and everybody had the intention of having a really great experience. Everyone was invested in everything which made it a lot of fun, and you make a lot of really good friends along the way.”

The DSJ welcomes back our wilderness man and all the other students who embarked on semester away programs.

Photo by Carl Anderson ‘13

Photo by Carl Anderson ‘13

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Opinion

9/26/13

Homecoming Nostalgia Matt Griffin ‘14

Homecoming 2013 is fastly approaching and, being a senior, I realize that I will soon be on the other side of the fence. It won’t be long before I am at a Homecoming event not as a student, but as an alumnus. And personally, I can’t wait to see how I’ll remember the annual weekend; because what’s more memorable than a high school dance?

I remember all the buzz about who asked whom and who wore what to Homecoming 2013. Who could forget the kid who thought the theme was Space Jam and showed up dressed like Bugs Bunny? Man, everybody laughed a lot about that. He was so embarrassed. And we still talk about it to this day! I mean, I think we do. Most likely we still talk about it.

And that football game! The sweltering heat, the packed stands, the big finish under the lights. That other team tried, but we really dominated that game.

Ended up winning by two points in the last minute!

Yeah, I think that was it. Maybe it was one point in the last two minutes. No, no, it was definitely two points. Wait, no, was that year the blowout victory? I don’t think my nostalgia’s working very well right now.

Okay, the drama though. I’m sure I remember all the drama. I was so

happy when the girl I asked said she would go with me. I had such a big crush on- Stacy? It was Stacy, right? Whatever, it was awesome that she went with me. He? It was awesome that he went with me?

And on the dance floor, I got in trouble for forgetting that I had to work the concession stand. I’ll never forget when one of the teachers came up to me and said, “…” Um, I’ll never forget when they said, “………” I don’t know. It was something like “You have to work tonight!” They were really mad is the point.

Was it “You have to work tonight?” Work tonight… “You have to lurk the night?” No, that’s not right either… “You really twerk all right?” Okay it definitely wasn’t that one. Man, do I remember anything?

Well at least I had fun at the time. I think I had fun. Did I have fun? I probably worked that in somewhere. I mean I do remember worrying about how it would go, and that’s kind of like having fun, right?

Anyway, I’m sure that I’ll just get to reminisce about these events in the years to come. Cause I mean, of course I’ll remember them. It’s not like anything else noteworthy happens after high school.

Steroids and Baseball Will Lawler ‘16

Have steroids saved the game of baseball? After the 1994 MLB lockout, fans lost interest in baseball. It was the likes of Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa that arguably saved the game of baseball by using steroids.

Since 1994, the fans have nicknamed this day and age of baseball the “steroid era”. There has been an abundance of guilty players. Even some of our once called idols. Big shots like Mark McGuire, Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, A-Rod, Andy Petite, Manny Ramirez, Roger Clemens, Eric Gagne, Jose Canseco, and many more have all been connected with steroid use. However, was it these players that actually helped baseball?

The immediate answer that pops in your head is “No, how could steroid use help baseball? All it does is make the MLB look bad.” However, if you take a more in depth look at the past 19 years or better known as the “steroid era”, steroids actually might have saved the MLB. After the MLB lockout in 1994, the average attendance for the league tumbled.

In 1994, the average attendance was 31,612 a game. Just a year later, which was also a year after the lockout, the average attendance was just 25,260. Which is a 20% drop. The fans clearly lost interest in attending games. The big question is why was there a 20% decrease in attendance? Yes, there were fans still angry about the lockout. However, the main reason was the fans didn’t feel excited while attending a game. Why spend money when you can watch it on T.V. or listen to it on the radio?

Since 1995, the league’s average attendance has only gone up, so has the amount of players using steroids. Coincidence? Not a chance. It is simple. Without steroids, fans don’t find the game of baseball exciting. Fans want to see home runs and high scoring games and that is exactly what steroids provide. In 2007, the league leaders in average runs per game were the Yankees with 5.91. In 2012, when steroids were not as prominent, the league leaders in average runs per game were the Boston Red Sox with 4.96 (teamrankings.com). Steroids almost counted for at least a run more per game.

Steroids have brought fans to the ballpark. Eric Gagne recorded 84 consecutive saves in a two-season span, a record that may never be broken. Baseball fan or not, witnessing history would intrigue to attend that game. However, it was steroids that allowed Gagne to achieve this incredible feat. Without steroids, fans would have never witnessed Gagne make history.

It is simple; steroids have made fans interested in baseball because players are doing things they would not have been able to do without steroids. Barry Bonds hit 73 home runs in the 2001 season, setting a record for most home runs in a season.

However, he was also using steroids. Also, the MLB profited off this because fans wanted to see Barry Bonds. Not only did they want to watch Bonds in 2001, but also in the years after 2001.

Steroids are a big reason the average attendance in the MLB has continued to rise since 1995. This also means the teams continue to make more money each year simply because of the renewed interest in the game from the fans.

MLB has a tough decision on their hands. They are currently trying to eliminate steroids as a whole from the game. However, will fans lose excitement from the game and will the average attendance drop without steroids? Should the MLB just say they are legal? Managers would say, “my best juiced up player against your best juiced up player”. Players would consistently be hitting the ball 450 feet and throwing it 100 M.PH. Steroids have created interest from fans, so why stop that?

The MLB does not seem to be taking that stand however. They just suspended several players for 50 games and handed A-Rod a 211 game suspension. Is this the right penalty? With players having been found guilty for using steroids more than once, how many chances do they get? I believe every player should get three strikes. If a player is found guilty for steroids three times, then he is out forever. Three strikes and you’re out; it is baseball isn’t it? If the MLB truly wants steroids out of the game, then they can’t let consistent users of steroids to hang around.

I am not going to say I believe in steroids. However, I also am not going to say I do not enjoy watching the 100 M.P.H flamethrowers, or the home run hitters, or the high scoring games. Steroids have made such an impact on the game and have drawn attention from fans that previously would not have cared about baseball that they will be hard to eliminate them from the game.

Steroids have made the MLB a “dirty” league. If you think about it, cheating is what brought baseball back.

Bodacious, Beautiful Beginnings Cooper Ochenshirt ‘16

Cont. from 1

Furthermore, it’s got to be a great year, because we really do have tough practices. Let me shed some light on a practice: for conditioning, we had to sprint 10 yards, fall into a pushup position, do a pushup, then repeat.

Think that’s bad? We did that for two football field lengths. Frankly, I’m surprised that I was capable of walking, as my legs were jiggling like Jello after such rigorous work. To build upon this idea of rigorousness, we have lifts at 7am. 7 hours into the day, I’m walking like a zombie; I’ve eaten a microscopic amount of food, yet I’m already lifting. I need my beauty sleep at that hour. To those considering football, and who may not be now due to my statements, don’t worry bout a thing. The coaches are great. The enjoyment of the rigorousness that comes from football is really a person-to-person thing.

In conclusion, I think that this year is poised to be a great one. Not just academically, or football-ly (is this a word? Remember to ask Jeeves), but rather soccer-y, field hockey-y, tennis-y, and golf-y as well. From what I’ve seen of these teams, I think we’re going to have these trophies by the dumpster-full. We’ve got some solid athletics here at the Day School

Sports

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Soccer Team Anticipates Winning Season

Gus Murray ‘15

The North Shore boys’ soccer season is underway, and after winning an early season tournament, the future looks bright for these Raiders. On defense, Captain Cameron Macpherson ‘15 leads a veteran defensive line including, Will Curren ‘15, and Cam Chung ‘14.

Chung is back on the team after taking a break from soccer last season.

Solidifying the defense is goalie, Alex Karmin ‘15.

Karmin, a Co-Captain along with Macpherson, is back for his third year starting on varsity in the goal. When asked what he was most excited for this season, Karmin replied, “We have a solid group of players, and I’m really excited to show everyone what we can do and what we can be.”

Not only is this group great on paper, but they they have great camaraderie.

“We play to win, but these years are also about building relationships for the future, and that’s what we are doing,” Macpherson said.

The Raider’s offense excites as well. Lead by the electrifying duo of Ben Potter ‘16 and Will Lawler ‘16, the offensive charge for North Shore is fun to watch. Lawler is back after a serious ACL injury early last season.

Potter and Lawler, started as freshman and immediately made an impact. In his second season, Potter looks forward to making a deep run in the playoffs.

“Our goal is to make it back to the sectional finals, all our work in the offseason was for that goal,” said Potter. Potter scored four goals in the first three games.

All the talent and dedication is there for this squad, the only thing missing is the support of the fans. “We know what we have on this team,” said Karmin, “now we just need the support from the students.”

Photo By Art Jessen

Running Raiders: XC ‘13

Kayla Robinson ‘15

North Shore Cross Country, also known as NSXC to those more familiar with it, is one of the many North Shore athletic teams that has blossomed into a great team with rich tradition. Members of the North Shore XC team are motivated and true models of the North Shore mantra: live and serve. Although North Shore XC is one of the more underappreciated teams at North Shore, they still compete with the same fire and devotion as other North Shore teams.

Similar to any other sport, prepping for a XC meet can be a lengthy and stressful process. That is why North Shore XC team member James Robinson ‘15 gets ready for meets with meditation, because in his words cross country is all about “mental preparedness.” With that in mind, mental strength must be an attribute all of the cross country runners has because according to Robinson “[they] have a pretty solid team.”

Other than being mentally prepared it is important in running, as it is in all sports, to have fan support, which has been lacking. When asked, team member Robinson says, “[they] get no student fans.” So pick it up North Shore! Get out there and support your fellow Raiders on the cross country team. You won’t regret it. Their next meet is the Whitney Young Cross Country Invite at Washington Park.

Volleyball 2013

Sara Hondmann ‘14

The volleyball girls have hit the ground running with the 2013 season. Their first game against Chiagoland Jewish High School was a phenomenal win for both the Varsity and JV teams. This gives the team high hopes for the season.

Their goal for this coming season is not to dwell on past years but to start fresh with the current team. According to Kaityln Johnson a senior and captain of the Volleyball team, “the team this year is looking really good with a lot of new talent.” The volleyball team is ready for the season to come and looking forward to many more victories and growing as a team. With strength and perseverance, the 2013 Volleyball season is off to a great start with a strong season to come.

Photo By Art Jessen

Football Fresh Start Ike Pratt ‘17

Improvement is the aim for the North Shore Country Day Football team this season. They haven’t won very many games yet, but are fully confident that they can compete more successfully going forward.

As head coach Kevin Darling put it, “Our first game didn’t go too well, but there are some positives to be taken from the it. All the players got in game experience, we played hard, and all our mistakes are correctable.”

Senior captains Carl Anderson ‘14, Kemani Hunter ‘14 and Manny Gonzalez are serving as mentors on the team, and newcomers are getting better each practice. The upperclassmen continue to aid the freshmen, helping work out any kinks, repetitive mistakes and misconceptions.

Right now, the Raiders are fully focused on rebuilding themselves this year while systematically focusing on one game at a time. When asked to comment on what it will take to call this season a success, coach Darling said, “Our guys just need to know each play, line up, and give it 100%. Hiawatha’s going to be a tough opponent, but we’ll be ready for the challenge.”

Their first games behind them, the Raiders stride forward with their heads as high as their morale.

The Arts

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9/26/13

American Invasion: England Interim Lille Van der Zaden ‘16 For several years, Wycliffe College and North Shore Country Day School have had an ongoing relationship. Last year, Wycliffe and North Shore alternate hosting a group of students. This year, during interim week in November, North Shore will send students overseas to Wycliffe to tour the fall play.

Two years ago, Wycliffe’s drama director, Mr. Andrew Golightly, visited North Shore and worked with some theater classes. He helped Ms. Macholl with that year’s spring musical, The Gondoliers. During that time, Mr. Dachille discussed the idea of having visiting groups perform as well as shadow students.

This discussion evolved into this year’s interim trip to England.

With the North Shore theater renovations occurring, this opportunity could not have come at a better time. “We basically decided that it’s going to be a smaller group and we’re going to have that set cast be in two shows that we can easily tour over there,” said Ms. Macholl, the Upper School theater teacher.

“It’s a minimal set, minimal props. We don’t have to worry about completely remounting a production.”

North Shore students will be staying with host families during their time in England and will shadow Wycliffe students during the school day. Students will also spend a full day in London and see productions in the West End. When

Photo by Connor Watrous ‘17

asked what she is looking forward to on the trip, Lily Neuleib-Madden ’16 said, “I’m really excited to go to England because I’ve never been, but I know a lot about it. I’m excited to see the school, to be in a show there, and meet new people.”

This year’s performance includes a number of fast-paced short comedies. The first comedy depicts an attempt at the ideal date, ultimately flawed by moments of regrettable actions. The underlying message of the comedy is that people are imperfect and make mistakes. Secondly, they will perform a comedy called Hard Candy. This play consists of scenes depicting job interviews that go horribly wrong. The cast will also perform Action News, which involves quick scenes and fast character changes. Ms. Macholl goes so far as to compare this play to watching an episode of Family Guy. Lastly, the cast will perform It’s Not You, It’s Me, which include a number of break up situations that go horribly wrong.

Though the North Shore community will not be able to see the interim cast perform, there will be another cast performing these comedies in the new theater room in the Arts Center on the 11th and 12th of October. The cast and crew would appreciate support from the Upper School community.

Art Nouveau: New Arts Center

Photo by Brent Rolfes ‘16

Andrew Case ‘15

From renovating the science center to the upper school, North Shore has made many great renovations. Currently, there is a new change that is sparking excitement and interest into students grades SK through 12: the new Arts Center.

In 2008, Mr. Doar and the Board of Trustees initiated a master plan to help identify facility needs for the campus. After the Upper School was built, the next item on the list was the auditorium. As Ms. Hooper, Director of Operations at North Shore, says “To modernize just the auditorium did not make sense.” So the Board of Trustees approved the renovation of the Arts Center as well. The goal for the new Arts Center is to make the building more functional for the visual and performing arts departments.

The new Arts Center groups the various arts together. This means that each section of the performing arts departments--music, dance, and theater--have their

classroom spaces adjacent to each other. It also includes a new “hub,” a place where the school can gather for social events like dances and the Benefit Board Auction.

Both the Drama Studio and Band Room have moveable glass walls that can be opened into a space of 4,000 square feet. “We will now be able to open that entire space and have some great events in that area,” Hooper said.

When asked about what message she wants the new arts center to send to everyone, Hooper said, “The need for creativity, design thinking, and selfexpression is an important part of the educational program here at North Shore.”

The arts center is central to the school and provides great spaces for our teachers and students to “do art.” The new Arts Center is going to be an exciting new place for students to learn and express their artistic talents.

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The Arts

9/26/13

The Student Art Experience Tonya Piergies ‘15 Fostering creative thought is one of the core elements included in the philosophy statement of North Shore. The visual and performing arts welcomes and encourages the participation of all students in the school. Throughout the school year, students are given the opportunity to experience the different forms of arts that are offered at North Shore. This allows students to build a foundation and develop skills inside the classroom while showcasing them to the community outside of the classroom.

The performing arts department gives students the opportunity to participate in vocal and instrumental music, and acting and technical theater.

In the classroom, students are able to build and develop their skills in the various areas. Classes offered include chorus, instrumental ensemble, and various theater classes. Outside of the classroom, students can participate in on-stage productions.

The chorus and instrumental ensemble have Winter and Spring concerts, while the theater department has productions all year around. Theater productions include the fall and winter play, spring musical, and ten-minute play festival. Participating in these productions enhance the student experience at North Shore. Students are able to come together to create showcase of their hard work. Even if a student isn’t interested in participating in an onstage production, they are still able to be involved in the arts by participating in various clubs at North Shore.

Participating in clubs allows students to be involved in the arts in a more casual setting. One of the most popular clubs for the performing arts is Poetry In the Literary Lives of Worldly Students (P.I.L.L.O.W.S). At P.I.L.L.O.W.S., students meet once a month in the V to perform pieces that they want to share with other members of the student body. Students can perform poetry, a monologue, a song, or any other form of art.

Becca Slotkin ‘14, One of this year’s leaders of P.I.L.L.O.W.S., describes how she got involved in the club, “I first heard about it at the clubs fair my freshman year and I thought it sounded like something I would like since I like performing.” said Slotkin. Students can go even if they do not have the intention of performing to watch others perform. “I went to the first one and really liked it. So I kept

Fall Play Breaking Tradition Pelle Melio ‘16 The fall play, an annual and well respected tradition at North Shore, is coming back this year, but it may seem different than years past. Many changes are afoot.

Firstly, instead of one play there will be four short comedic plays. When asked about the change of pace with the fall play, Julia Macholl, drama teacher and Theater Director at North Shore replied, “It’s nice to vary our Fall Play and the type of production we put up.” The four comedies include It’s Not You, It’s Me, Hard Candy, Action News: Now with 10% More Action!, and Sure Thing.

Another change with the fall play this year is that two of the four productions will be going to Wycliffe College in England during interim week to perform.

“I am very excited and fortunate for this rare opportunity to perform overseas and ‘tour’ a production! They are going to be great” Ms. Macholl said. This is the first North Shore production to go on tour overseas, and there is much anticipation for the cast leading up to interim week this year.

In keeping with the changing arts department, the plays will also be held in a different place this year. Typically preformed on the stage of the Diller Street Theater, this year they will be in the middle of the Arts Center, in the Drama Studio. The new setting will make for some challenges with seating, but will also offer a fresh change of pace for the shows. It will also be a great showcase for the new and improving Arts Center.

Performances are on October 11th and 12th, at 7:30 pm. All twenty-six students involved, whether they will be going to Wycliffe or not, would greatly appreciate the support of a sold out show. Come support your classmates!

going and eventually started performing.” The first P.I.L.L.O.W.S will be Friday September 21st from 8:30-10 in the V. The visual arts department also provides many opportunities for students at North Shore. Whether it be introductory or advanced, students are able to participate in a range of art classes. Mr.Wilcox, an upper school art teacher, describes how he believes being involved in art enhances the student experience, saying, “I think that art offers students two extremely important experiences: creative problem solving and an exploration into representation. Like many subjects and classes, art offers students a chance to find a personal solution to a problem that has infinite solutions.” Classes include ceramics, drawing, new media, painting, darkroom and digital photography, printmaking, sculpture, and woodworking. Students are able to work in the darkroom ,ceramics lab, raku firing pit, 2-D and 3-D art studios as well as use the digital media equipment. Students also have the opportunity to experience art beyond the classroom by getting to visit art museums, communitybased studios, and public galleries around Chicago. Students can even visit a gallery at North Shore, The John Almquist Gallery. At the student visual arts gallery, students are given the opportunity to have their work showcased here and view other art created by members of the community. Even if students are not taking an art class, they can still be involved in art.

Mr.Wilcox explains the various ways students can participate when he says, “Students can join a club that has a creative focus such as Prosody, Lit Club, and Louder than a Bomb, or take a workshop at a local non-profit like the Evanston Art Center, explore one of the world class museums Chicago has to offer such as Museum of Contemporary Art & The Art Institute of Chicago, or pursue creative expression on their own time.”

Whether it’s inside or outside the classroom, there are many ways that students can enjoy the great experience that accompanies participating in the arts.

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9/26/13

Ask Piper An Anonymous Student Answering Other Anonymous Students’ Questions Why do your fingers and toes wrinkle if left in water too long?

Mine don’t, what the heck are wrong with yours?

I miss my friends who graduated. What do I do to cope?

First and foremost, be happy for them because they’re on to bigger and better things (lets face it, college>high school). Now allow a few minutes for moping, crying, complaining, anger, and sadness. Now stop. Think about all the friends you have who are still at home: people at school, your family, that chill librarian that lets the overdue fines slide, or the barista that gives you free coffees sometimes. Hang out with these people, even if that means just studying or eating pizza, because it’s better than being sad and alone.

No friends still at home? Make some new friends. Talk to the people in your classes, on your teams, in your plays. Join a club (DSJ is always a good place to start). Remember that you can always text/call/facebook/AIM/beep/carrier pigeon your graduated friends. After all, they probably miss you too! Don’t dwell on the past, don’t idealize the future, just live in the present, and it will all work out.

Is a bird in the hand worth two in the bush?

Only if the two in the bush are already dead.

Where is the best place to go to the bathroom at North Shore? The location must go all the way down to the specific stall.

Easy. First floor girls bathroom in the Upper School, handicapped stall. Why? Simple. The lovely Tana Hitch keeps the first floor girls room stocked with fancy foaming soaps (currently featuring eucalyptus-mint) and the handicapped stall allows plenty of space for your backpack.

If you see a man in a sketchy van, what do you do?

Check yourself. Are you making unfair assumptions about people based on the kind of car they drive.

If Boris Yeltsin were to be personified as a car, what kind of car would he be?

A Silver Lexus RX 350 with tan leather interior.

The Sky’s the Limit: Jackson Lubin James Robinson ‘15

It’s common for kids to aspire to be astronauts when they grow up, but for Jackson Lubin ’15, that childhood dream is becoming a reality. “I went to the park with my family when I was four or five, and I launched my first rocket. Then I became interested in building my own after that,” Lubin said.

While the thrill of launching a rocket lasts only a couple of minutes, rocketeers must spend hours designing, fabricating parts and finally constructing each rocket. “Most of the time I design it first on the computer, and then once I get all of the parts ready it takes anywhere from a week to a couple of months to build the rocket, get it all together, and then I go out to the launch,” said Lubin.

But the work pays off. Lubin’s rockets range from three to twelve feet tall, and can weigh over 100 pounds. When asked about their performance, Lubin noted that the “highest rocket [he] has shot off went about 27,000 feet” (That’s almost as high as Mount Everest, stands at 29,000 feet). That same rocket reached mach 2.6. That’s 2.6 times the speed of sound, which is nearly 2,000 miles per hour.

Needless to say, the launch required FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) clearance.

Behind Lubin’s passion is an extremely supportive rocket community. When describing the launch, Jackson pointed out that “we all collaborate on ideas.

People take their project to a launch to have someone look at it, and offer suggestions and new ideas...It’s a very positive community.”

When asked about a future in the field of rocketry, Lubin replied, “I want to go onto aerospace engineering in college.” The sky’s the limit from there.

Know an Interesting Student?

Email jrobinson15@nscds.org!

They can be the next Featured Student!

Photo by Jackson Lubin ‘15

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Back to School Mixtape Zak Nelson ‘15

It’s time for the Survival (Muse) through another school year. Here It Goes Again (OK GO). While many are excited to be back on Campus( Vampire Weekend), others worry that the new school year will Drag On Forever(The Cars). Some are probably thinking “it’s Wasting My Time(The White Stripes).” Many won’t be able to stop looking at the Clocks (Coldplay), because they won’t forget Somewhere A Clock Is Ticking (Snow Patrol).

Some will get back to work and ask themselves “Where is My Mind?”(Pixies).

They’ll be a Scatterbrain(Radiohead) who’s Up All Night (Blink 182), only to find after hours of studying , “I Know But I don’t Know”(Blondie), and they’ll be Taken For a Fool (The Strokes). They’ll be telling that daily quiz “You Really Got Me”(The Kinks), but for the rest “It’s Easy” (Boston). Even if you didn’t do perfect, “Everything Will Be Alright” (The Killers). Just stay “Optimistic” (Radiohead), and soon you’ll be a “Perpetual Motion Machine” (Modest Mouse). And the rest of the year will be one long Shoo-Be-Doo-BeDoo-Da-Day (Stevie Wonder.)

1. “Survival”-Muse 2. “Here it Goes Again”-OK Go 3. “Campus”-Vampire Weekend 4. “Drag on Forever”-The Cars 5. “Wasting My Time”-The White Stripes 6. “Clocks”-Coldplay 7. “Somewhere a Clock is Ticking”-Snow Patrol 8. “Where is My Mind”-Pixies 9. “Scatterbrain (As Dead As Leaves)”-Radiohead 10. “Up All Night”-Blink-182 11. “I Know but I Don’t Know”-Blondie 12. “Taken for a Fool”-The Strokes 13. “You Really Got Me”-The Kinks 14. “It’s Easy”-Boston 15. “Everything Will Be All Right”-The Killers 16.”Optimistic”-Radiohead 17. “Perpetual Motion Machine”-Modest Mouse 18. “Shoo-Bee-Doo-Be-Doo-Da-Day”-Stevie Wonder

Nicky’s Logic Problem Nick David ‘15 Hello DSJ readers! Last year we had an excellent year for logic problems in the Diller Street Journal. This year we are looking to slightly modify our logic problems to make them easier to answer. The problem below will be our first problem of the year.

Two friends are competing for a prize of an amazon gift card. A third friend agrees to referee the contest. They are given a flat paved surface that is 250 yards long. Each person has their own bike assigned to them, and whichever bike crosses the finish line first loses the competition. The goal for each friend is to obtain the Amazon Gift Card. Additionally a rule is set that you must continue moving forward at all times without stopping. As soon as the moderator blows the whistle she expects a very long race; however, to her surprise both bikers take off at full speed heading towards the finish. Why did this happen?

If you think you know the answer email me (ndavid15@nscds.org) with a full explanation of why the race occurred in the way it did. If you are the only one correct you will win a $10 Amazon.com gift card. However if there is more than one person with a correct answer, you will be entered in a drawing for the gift card. Please submit your answers by October 10th, in order to be eligible for the lottery. Previous winners from last year are allowed to win, however any staff members or contributors to the current issue of the DSJ are ineligible to win.

9/26/13

Clubs Meeting Times Club DSJ

Day Place Tuesday and Leadership Thursday Lab (Lunch)

Community Thursday Service (Lunch)

Ms. Gallaga’s Room KaleidesTuesdays Mr. cope (Lunch) Cousineau’s Room Cooking 4th Friday of Upper Club Each Month School French Club Thursdays Mme (Lunch) Mckenna’s Room Shakespeare Tuesdays Drama Club (Lunch) Room Economics Club

Friday Mr. (Lunch 1pm) Posner’s Room Anime Club Monday Room 309 (Lunch) GSA Friday Mr. (Lunch) Cousineau’s Room Math Club

Monday (Lunch)

Leader Rachel York, Justin Savin, and Nick David Xander Mitchell Xander Mitchell Xander Mitchell Evan Kaspi and Claire Gupta Rachel Cantor and Lily Madden Garrett Rasmus Gus Pasin

Stephanie Chandler and Brian Cook Mr. Annie Cousineau’s Kroll, Chris Room McCarren, Veb Anand, Jackson Lubin

If you don’t see your club here, contact Rachel York (ryork15@nscds.org) to have it added

DSJ Editorial Board Justin Savin ‘15, Editor-in-Chief Nick David ‘15, Editor-in-Chief Rachel York ‘15, Execuitive Editor Cooper Ochsenhirt ‘16, Managing Editor Matt Griffin ‘14, Head Copy Editor Editor James Robinson‘15, Editor Valerie Jaharis ‘15, Editor Photographers Connor Watrous ‘17, Chief Photographer Brent Rolfes ‘16, Photography Editor Mr. Art Jessen Staff Writers Andrew Case ‘15 Nick David ‘15 Emily George ‘17 Matt Griffin ‘14 Sara Hondmann ‘14 Will Lawler ‘16 Pelle Melio ‘16 Gus Murray ‘15 Zak Nelson ‘15 Lily Neulib-Madden ‘16 Cooper Ochsenhirt ‘16 Tonya Piergies ‘15 Ike Pratt ‘17 James Robinson ‘15 Kayla Robinson ‘15 Kate Roever ‘15 Justin Savin ‘15 Lille Van der Zaden ‘16 Rachel York ‘15 Sponsors Ms. Irene Kearney Ms. Lou Kinder