The Hoof Beat - February 2012

NCP Robotics: Programming the win Robotics Team hopeful for future success

Th The Student Newspaper of Northside College Prep HS February 2012, Volume 12, Number 5 Online at thehoofbeat.com

Blocks one to eight plus Y Northside holds a public forum for students to discuss CPS’ new plan

by Andrew Hague Northside students gathered after school in the cafeteria on Tuesday, Jan. 17, to participate in the first student public forum that concerned Chicago Public School’s (CPS) plan to lengthen the school day this upcoming school year. The student forum was hosted by Student Council and the Local School Council student representative. Dr. Peggy Murphy, Assistant Principal, was present to display the tentative schedule that both the faculty and administration has worked on for next year.

“The question we need to answer is how do we use this additional time wisely and to allow you guys to keep moving forward,” Dr. Murphy said.

Most students were not happy with the new decision and chose to voice their opinions in front of the administration at the forum.

“I don’t know why CPS is doing this to Northside,” James Ozaki, Adv. 408, said.

“Clearly we have proved to have better test scores than all other schools and it’s not necessary.”

The new schedule featured several major changes. In the tentative schedule, the entry time for school is 7:55 A.M. to 8:00 A.M., cutting advisory by five minutes. Eight minutes will be added to each block and school will end at 3:37 P.M. Students were relieved to see that colloquium still existed on the schedule but there were changes made to that schedule as well. The new plan adds a 30-minute block of advisory, and due to required time limit spent on instructional teaching that CPS sets, colloquium will be extended to end at 3:21. Colloquium courses will end at 1:55 and the addition of two separate “Y” blocks will be added after, with the first block ending at 2:40 P.M. and the last at 3:21 P.M. The majority of the discussion centered on what students could do in these “Y1” and “Y2” blocks. Students suggested that instead of two bigger blocks, split the two again into four micro blocks where they can go to club meetings, sports practices, tutoring sessions, drama performances, art class, or simply work on their homework. Students wanted the freedom to choose what they want to do every day during these blocks as a way to either catch up on work or explore their other interests in a manner that not many other high schools offer.

On Jan. 18, Northside had a parent forum to discuss the changes that CPS’ new plan will bring.

by Timothy Suh Up until recently, high above the green room among scattered tiles from the Celestial Garden, the Northside Robotics Team has been meeting and honing its programming skills in relative anonymity. However, with big wins at the 2011 FIRST Tech Robotic Qualifying Tournament at Malcolm X College on Nov. 12, the team moved into the spotlight. The two teams from Northside, The Dignitas and The Cohors Eruca, qualified for state with impressive accomplishments. The Dignitas was rewarded for its design with the Rockwell Collins Innovate Award while The Cohors Eruca won the FIRST Tech Finalist Trophy for being one half of the winning alliance.

The team has been meeting since the beginning of the year. Many club meetings consist of planning designs and testing them out.

“A lot of what we learn is from trialand-error,” Jayce Feiger, Adv. 204, said. “At the root of it all, we built the robot from the ground up. We learned how the tools worked.

We figured out what each piece of metal was for. We programmed the robot with what time we had left before the competition and we spent hours doing it.”

With little to no engineering experience, the two teams were still able to create robots for competition. Team alliances are determined at random in Bowled Over!, the most anticipated competition. In this competition, students are required to design robots that can move, pick up objects, and place them in designated areas for points. The competition has plenty of ways to score points from anything to parking the robot in a “parking area” to carefully maneuvering a bowling ball into a small slot. There is a 30-second period where robots must operate on their own pre-

Jayce Feiger, Adv. 204, Loren Piedrasanta, Adv. 209, Alberto Flores, Adv. 407, work on a machine. | CHRIS CEISEL

programmed commands, followed by a twominute period where operators may remotely control the robots. Winners of each round move onto to the next up until the finals.

Both Northside teams made it to the Illinois FIRST Tech Challenge State Championships where they did not qualify for the National Championships. However, the team is still proud of exceeding its own expectations.

“We went to the competition and realized we were outclassed and outgunned in every way,” Feiger said. “But we made it past regionals, qualifying for the state competition, where we competed to the best of our ability.

Although we did not qualify for nationals, as we were one out of almost fifty, with just two making the cut, we have not stopped.”

The club is hopeful that their wins will spark more interest in the relatively small club, especially when seven out of 16 members are seniors who will graduate in the spring. With continued support of sponsor Mr. Jeffrey Solin, computer science department, the teams intend to compete at the competitions of states nearby, not only for the chance to win but to further their own discoveries in science and engineering.

Lisa Volesky receives 2011 NABT Award

by Brendali Rios “In AP Enviro, students learn that humans are the most significant agent of environmental change. If we each do one thing, together we can have a positive impact,” Ms. Lisa Volesky, science department, says about what she hopes the student take away from her class.

Thanks to Ms. Volesky, Northside’s Science Department is now proud to add the Ecology/Environmental Science Teacher of the Year Award by the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT) to its trophy case.

Ms. Volesky was recognized as “a secondary school teacher who has successfully developed

Portrait of Lisa Volesky. | Photo courtesy of Lisa Volesky

and demonstrated an innovative approach in the teaching of ecology/environmental science and has carried his/her commitment to the environment into the community.”

The NABT award was received by Ms. Volesky on Oct. 15, 2011 at the NABT conference in Anaheim California. The award, sponsored by Vernier Software and Technology, a company that puts easy-to-use data loggers, sensors, experiments and graphing/analysis software into the hands of students, helping educators develop the next generation of scientists and engineers.

The NABT board gets its nominees from members who either nominate others who stand out in the field or nominate themselves. The nominees must submit proof of achievements within the field. The winner is chosen by the NABT Board. The winner of the Ecology/Environmental Science Teacher of the Year award receives $1,000 toward travel to the professional development conference and $500 of Vernier equipment as well as a one year complimentary NABT membership.

Ms.Volesky, who teaches Honors Biology and AP Environmental Science at Northside, and has done so since 2006, does more than just teach during the regular school day; she makes her students more aware of their surroundings and how everything affects the world of tomorrow.

“I hope to make urban students more knowledgeable and active participants in the world around them by using the outdoors as a classroom,” Ms. Volesky said. “Bringing nature into the classroom, and creating con-

nections to the larger environmental community.”

Both her AP and Honors classes can be seen throughout the school year, helping to clear the prairie and collecting samples from the river to later have them analyzed and determine the health of these natural wonders.

“Ms. Volesky is very passionate about what she teaches us so that’s what made her class great for me,” Samuel Ruiz, NCP alumni, Class of 2011, said. “I became a lot more aware of how our actions affect the environment.”

Aside from teaching in the science department, Ms. Volesky also engages in a handful of extracurricular activities such as Student Council, for which she is an overseer and Knitting Club, which she sponsors. Her colloquium, which is a partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency, provides a unique experience for students interested in careers as environmental scientists, biologists or environmental engineers giving them the opportunity to listen to a series of guest speakers from the EPA bring their jobs to life.

“I am proud of my college education. My family always emphasized the importance of education, and my parents did not go to college,” Ms. Volesky said. “I feel very blessed that they wanted me to have that opportunity and did everything they could to make it possible.”

Whether it is in the classroom during a lecture, or outdoors doing work, Ms. Volesky is a sure example of perseverance and success through hard work.

ONLINE

NCP NEWS

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Photos: Northsiders show off their school spirit during Homecoming week

The poms team ends their dance with a 12 to represent the new year. | BRENDALI RIOS

Local School Council (LSC) Report

Michael McMannon, Adv. 200, makes a shot in the game against St. Gregory. |JAMILAH ALSHARIF

So, where does my recycled trash end up anyway?

Tracking trash from Northside to the Allied Waste recycling center

by Carly Jackson Recyclable trash is often thought to be out of sight and out of mind after it reaches the blue recycling bin, but an extensive process allows these products to be re-purposed.

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) recycle paper, broken down cardboard, plastic, steel, aluminum cans and milk cartons as long as they are not contaminated with food. Items such as textbooks and electronics are also resold, donated or recycled through CPS. “The recycling team is divided into teams based on lunch periods,” Rosalie Abbey, Adv. 200, said. “Each team has a designated area to collect from. You have probably seen people rolling those big gray bins around; that’s recycling.”

Two days a week, students go to the loading dock to separate the recycling into three different bins. Two days a week, the Allied Waste Company collects both the regular trash and the recyclables. A worker from Allied Waste then marks down the volume of waste in the dumpster, to be posted on the CPS website.

“There are two basic ways we look at how

well school recycles,” Steve Clark, the CPS Environmental Outreach Coordinator, said.

“One is recycling score. This is where we compare a weekly recycling average to an expected target based on student population. We also consider the pure volume of recycling.”

From September through December of 2011, the five schools that have recycled the most are Saucedo Elementary Scholastic Academy, Juarez Community Academy High School, Edwin G. Foreman High School, Parker Community Academy, and Haugan Elementary School. Since the beginning of the 2011-2012 school year, the Northside Recycling Club has facilitated the recycling of 127 cubic yards of material. However, at the end of last school year Northside’s recycling score dropped below 100 percent. Each school’s recycling score and pure volume of recycled material is posted weekly at www.cps.edu/gogreen under the School Environmental Scorecard. Each week, the school that has recycled the most receives extra materials like office paper and notebooks.

The CPS Department of Environmental Affairs is expanding its composting program, which allows schools to decompose some food waste for fertilizer instead of sending it to the landfill.

Northside’s Recycling Club hopes to create a lunchroom waste-composting program after the school’s recycling score rises to 100 percent.

by Zobia Chunara Meeting: January 10 Present: John Ceisel, Kathleen Andrade, Vicki McMannon, Barry Rodgers, Cathy Quigley, Robert Albritton, Nicole Flores, Vicky Andrews, Gail Myers Jaffe, Diane Monnich, Zobia Chunara Principal’s Report: -Approval of requests by Mr. Rodgers from Friends of Northside for $5000 for professional development: unanimous Discussion about extending the school day: the administration has met with the leadership team, student council, and faculty.

By Feb. 13, the school must present a draft proposal to CPS; any decision ultimately made in May will also be subject to the collective bargaining agreement between CPS and staff (especially with regard to funding issues).

CPS parameters: Students will be in school for 450 minutes (7 ½ hours) per day: -368 minutes of instruction -46 minutes of lunch -36 minutes of passing and entry Teachers will be on site for 7 hours and 40 minutes per day -46 minutes of duty free lunch and 92 minutes of planning time (46 of these minutes will be principal-directed) -36 minutes supervision of student passing and entry -CPS has enlisted support from the National Center on Time and Learning (www. timeandlearning.org) to help schools creatively and constructively plan the day.

-Mr. Rodgers distributed a draft schedule which includes 108 minute blocks, a longer colloquium, and professional development for teachers on Wednesday mornings. Advisory will be only on Wednesdays for 30 minutes. After colloquium, there are extra periods after for academic teams, clubs, exercise, math tables and science labs, etc. The idea is to bring activities that occur outside of the school day into the school day.

-Considerations include keeping track of students’ whereabouts on Wednesdays and what teachers’ responsibilities are after colloquium (whether or not they are supervising

students). This will be affected or determined by the collective bargaining agreement.

-Parent opinion: this is a bad idea for Northside. Extracurricular activities will suffer because there will be not enough time for students to keep up with the homework load and get enough rest. Brizard’s arguments for the need for a longer school day (low graduation rates, low college readiness, low ACT scores) do not apply to Northside.

-Northside’s current school day is 439 minutes, only 11 minutes short of the new requirement; colloquium is the only reason why significant time has to be added. Mr. Rodgers commented that this is a politically charged issue; parent voices are extremely important and need to be sent to CPS. The CPS website includes a link on the front page to provide feedback about extending the school day.

-The length of the school day cannot be collectively bargained, but related issues can, including funding and compensation and concerns about students’ and teachers’ workloads: can Northside sustain performance levels with added time and responsibilities?

Teacher Report: -Union communications: the first round of discussions begins in January. The union has formed committees to address specific issues, including the longer school day, new performance evaluation requirements, and health care costs.

Friends of Northside: -Friends of Northside is only $5000 short of annual goal, and money will continue to come in for the next 6 months.

-The date for Cubby Walk was confirmed for Wednesday, May 30 against San Diego.

Principal Selection and Evaluation committee: -Principal Selection and Evaluation committee schedule was discussed and amended; forms were distributed at the end of the January.

-Approval to further amend the schedule of meetings of the Principal Selection and Evaluation Committee: unanimous Upcoming meeting dates: Principal Selection and Evaluation: February 16th LSC: February 21st

The Hoof Beat • February 2012 • NCP News

Steve Arnam moves on to travel the world Chemistry and Aquatics teacher resigns from Northside

by Minna Khan After being a Chicago Public School teacher for 25 years, Steve Arnam has decided that he wants to do something completely different with his life and career. Not only has he taught at Northside, but he has also taught at Edison Regional Gifted Center, Roosevelt High School, Calumet College, and Northeastern Illinois University. Mr. Arnam experienced teaching at several levels of education, whether it was elementary or college level, and at the age of 52, he decided to use his bachelor’s degree in Marine Biology to explore different realms of the aquatic world.

For the first two weeks of February, Mr. Arnam will be traveling to the Bahamas, and is pursuing a career in professional scuba diving. His master’s certification in scuba diving training will allow him to be underwater with sharks ranging from hammerheads to lemon sharks.

“Northside was the culmination of my high school teaching career,” Mr. Arnam said.

“I got to end my Chicago Public School teaching career at the number one school in the state! Just like my 17 years of swim coaching, I [ended] out on top.”

Mr. Arnam was the first head coach for Northside’s girls’ swim team in 1999 to 2002.

Coaching the girl’s swim team, and winning the city champion is one of his fondest mem-

“The Great Debaters”

by Maria Flores

Northside’s Debate Team shows off skills better than politicians Almost every Tuesday and Thursday you find students typing away on their laptops in Mr. Berry’s room. The students on Northside’s Debate Team are updating and analyzing endless amounts of research, preparing

ories at Northside.

“In 1999, there was just a hole in the ground where the pool is today,” Mr. Arnam said. The girl’s had a plan, and that was to take the city championship. We did it in 2000 with the sophomore city competition and in 2002 with the varsity city competition.”

With his new line of work, Mr. Arnam will be underwater, diving with Bill Fischer, documentary maker and shark conservationist. Mr. Arnam and Mr. Fischer will be diving on a shark expedition with scientists from the University of Miami, and they will be focusing on the behaviors of tiger and hammerhead sharks.

In terms of Arnam’s replacement, the Northside administration is happy to announce that they have found someone who fits the requirements of teaching chemistry and aquatics: Kristen Turgeon. Mr. Arnam officially resigned on Jan. 7, 2012. However, he took a few weeks off before winter break began, and during this time, the science department found someone to take over the position.

“We are really excited about Ms. Turgeon working with us, and I think she is going to do a great job,” Dr. Murphy, Northside’s Assistant Principal, said.

Mr. Arnam is proud of his work and contribution to the education of students that he has taught, and he still has ties with the Friends of the Chicago River, Great Lakes Alliance, the Chicago Conservation Corps, the Sierra Club, and many other aquatics programs.

rebuttals and practicing speeches. They have been preparing since before the school year started to answer the question: Should the United States substantively increase developments/exploration of space beyond Earth’s mesosphere?

On Jan. 13, 14 Northside students went to Lane Tech to compete in an area tournament. Debate teams were divided into two levels: novice and varsity. The novice level comprised of Lizbeth Pantoja, Adv. 401, and Kyrah Washington, Adv. 404. Varsity was made up of the teams of Mitchell Caminer, Adv. 203, and Nick White, Adv. 306, as well as

Tom Trieu, Adv. 203, and Sam Roth, Adv. 500, discuss their debate topic. | MARIA FLORES

3

Korean Connections Northsiders host Korean Exchange Students

by Jamilah Alsharif German, Japanese, Spanish, and French students entered Northside and gained a cultural understanding through Foreign Student Exchange programs. This year, five Northsiders hosted Korean students from Jan. 7 to Jan. 18. Students of the Korean Science Academy in Bussan, Korea, had to adapt to Chicago’s winter climate as they traveled through the city.

Mr. Milbert, social science department, was in charge of the first Korean Exchange program hosted by Northside. However, prior to coming to Northside, Milbert lived in Japan for three years and participated in several exchange programs. Mr. Milbert also helped manage the Germany and Japan trips with Northside students.

“I enjoy learning about world cultures,” Milbert said. “There are so many places I want to visit. I hope the students that take part in exchange programs are curious about the world.”

Spencer Parts, Adv. 306, hosted Sungdong Lee. Sungdong Lee not only learned about the American culture, he got a real taste of it.

“Sungdong Lee and I had a thanksgiving dinner with my cousins and uncle,” Parts said.

“Thanksgiving is one of our favorite aspects of American culture, so we decided to share

Sam Roth, Adv. 500, and Tom Trieu, Adv. 203.

Upon arrival, students do not know what side of the argument they will be on; this is decided for them. Therefore, students need to be prepared to tackle all sides of the topic.

The debates were centered on the main question of space exploration, but many different subject matters were also discussed. The economic setbacks and potential benefits were favorite platforms of discussion as a result of the hard economic times currently.

Debates can be very intense and stressful, but this particular tournament posed a challenge because many of the members of the Northside team were unable to attend.

Many schools in the area were also unable to send teams. As a result, both of Northside’s varsity teams had to debate with each other for a spot in the quarterfinals.

“It is a lot of work,” said Sam Roth. “But it really pays off when you break or you get a speaking award.”

The key to winning a round is to have the most impact. The judge has to feel that if they do not vote for the proposal the student is presenting then “bad things will happen.”

The most common catastrophes are nuclear war causing the extinction of the human race and political or economical collapse. The goal is to make it through the three preliminary rounds (also known as breaking) and onto the elimination rounds which then qualify the students to the State and then City tournament in May. Skills like memorization that are improved with debate can be used in a wide range of disciplines. Debate is a great way for a student to perfect their speech and critical thinking skills. It teaches participants how to think on their feet and be as persuasive as possible.

“There’s something in it for everybody,” White said. “Even if you don’t feel that policy

that with Sungdong Lee even though it wasn’t Thanksgiving. We had a turkey and all the traditional thanksgiving food.”

The Korean students spent two days shadowing Northside students before they went on their own trips to places like the Museum of Contemporary Art, Navy Pier, and the Field Museum.

Although the Korean students came to Chicago to learn about the American culture, the hosts were also curious to learn about the Korean culture.

“I have learned a bit about the Korean culture through practicing Korean percussion and fan dance,” Alexandra Radzin, Adv. 302, who hosted Jiwon Kim, said. “The culture is very interesting to me and I wanted to learn more through the exchange.”

Radzin shared aspects of the American culture with her student by exposing her to the vast cultural diversity of Chicago through its many ethnic neighborhoods. The students visited Pilsen and Chinatown among other neighborhoods.

During spring break, Radzin will be one of seven students travelling to Korea.

“Hosting a foreign student is not as daunting as it might seem,” Parts said. “It’s a great chance to step back and take a look at your life and your city like you can only do when showing those things to someone else.”

Tom Trieu, Adv. 203, debates. | MARIA FLORES

and all this weird stuff is your thing, I can guarantee you that there’s something in there that’ll be interesting.”

Hopefully, these young debating minds will keep us away from the nuclear meltdowns and economical collapses in the future.

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EDITORIALS

EDITORIAL

Connections around the world

Taking a look back in time Should Norhsiders reserach their ancestry?

Does technology hinder relationships with our family and friends?

Taking a look back at your ancestry

Know where you come from to know where you are going

As we look ahead at February and celebrate the diversity that America has to offer, it is also possibly the time to start looking back. Museums, newspapers, and libraries all have something in common. They document the lives of current generations, affecting those to come. But is it really important to know our pasts and our family lineage?

Knowing your ancestry can only enhance your self-identity. We all are extensions of our ancestors, connected in some way, and it may be interesting to find the traits that you have in common. However, it takes time to develop an interest and actually care about your family’s past.

Growing up, it is easy to accept the world simply as it is. Soon, there comes a time of curiosity, and some teens may tap into the opportunity and begin to wonder about their families, where they came from, and who they are. This curiosity can come from experience, like it did for Sony Kassam, Class of 2012, who was inspired to learn more about her background when she took a semester long class about documentaries in college.

One of the documentaries she saw was called “Nobody’s Business,” which is about the filmmaker, Alan Berliner, and his father.

“In the film, Alan basically questions his father about his family line and his grandparents, and their family tree basically. So after

watching that, I realized I didn’t know much about my family history and my past family members, and it sparked an interest in me,” Kassam said.

Discovering one’s past can define one’s beliefs, values, morals, and perspective of the world. Of course, it depends entirely on what one finds. If someone studies his personal history, he will have a sense of empowerment, being able to better understand who his parents’ parents are and how that has led them to where they are today. For example, a Northside drama student looking back may uncover that there were other actors in his past, and this may motivate him to pursue that hobby until he is bound for Broadway.

“Even though people might think ‘who cares about the past?,’ it’s still a part of who you are,” Kassam said. “It gives you a better idea of where you come from. I do think that it could change who you are. For instance, you might be a hot-shot rich kid. Then later you might learn that in your past family history, your great great great grandparents or whatever had to go through so much hardship to get the family where they are today. So that could change the way you look at life.”

Some students may never have that spark that makes them wonder about their ancestry. It could not be important to them, or they might not have the resources to learn.

After all, there is a limit to how connected one can feel to an immigrant ancestor who lived hundreds or thousands of years ago, in a different society and cultural era. One may better invest their time on the people around them now.

“It’s important to at least know your heritage to have some way of defining yourself and establishing an identity,” Miranda Lepek, Adv. 203, said, “but I don’t really think it’s necessary to know everything about your ancestry.”

It may be more useful for teens now to focus on who they are, defined by their own perspectives and own actions. However, where you come from is also part of that. If you decide to embrace you heritage, than the key is to learn about your ancestry. If you decide to be different than your family and change your way to have a different identity, it would not be possible without knowing your past; you need to be able to define what your family values and beliefs are in order to change them.

Trying to find out more about one’s family does not even have to be a hobby. It can begin as a simple question to your grandparents about their parents or by perusing old family albums. In fact, Tess Thompson, Adv. 203, has learned that her family sailed to America in the Mayflower and has lived here ever since, which makes learning about her heritage a little less interesting for her than if she could trace her lineage back to different part of the world.

“All I really know is who I am and what I hope to accomplish in the future, and I am more comfortable with that being how I am defined than my ancestry.” Thompson said.

“I totally accept that for a lot of people [their identities] are based on where they came from, but for me it has not been an integral part of my identity.”

Connections from halfway around the world How technology can be an integral part of understanding family One memorable episode of the sci-fi TV series “The Outer Limits” involved a family who hires a robot butler to help take care of familial duties. Although the robot is initially very respectful, he quickly becomes sinister, aiming to replace the father as the head of the family. Despite resistance from the father, the episode concludes with the robot taking the top seat at dinner and leading the family in prayer as the camera pans out to show identical scenes in all the neighboring homes.

Like this extreme situation, the growth of technology has sometimes been perceived as an affront to traditional familial values. Instead of wholesome trips to the city or board game nights, family members are cooped up in their rooms, each chatting on Facebook or scrolling through blogs, only stopping to yell through the walls at each other.

People complain that allowing technology to permeate family life will endanger it in the near future. Similar claims were made when automobiles first became commercialized, and people saw it as a means for teens to sneak away from parents and party with friends. Yet, like the automobile, technology these days can coincide, and in fact benefit, family life.

A great technological innovation I have seen benefit my own family, as well as many other families, is the connection of separated family members. In the past, the only comfort family members could have was a phone call, kept short as distance charges started racking up. Now, family members can call each other limitlessly through free services like Skype or Google Chat. All one needs is Internet, speakers, and a microphone. Throw in a camera and families can even see each others’ faces, get a grand tour of the house, or catch a baby’s first steps. Halfway around the world does not seem as far when loved ones can see wish each other a good morning/night. With careful teaching, even grandparents can check up on grandchildren in the time between extended family reunions. Distance no longer becomes a factor in establishing deep family relationships.

The Internet also opens up a wealth of opportunity for people to connect to their families and heritage. An amazing breakthrough is the availability of immigration records online. People are able to trace their family history back through generations thanks to free and easily accessible information online. Ancestry.com allows users to search ancestors by name, birth year, estimated place lived, and other options, as well as to build their own family tree through the website. On Ellisisland.org, people can search passenger records which are released after a certain umber of years.

The Internet can be more than just a dis-

traction from family time; it can be a tool for people to discover more about their family and culture.

Technology has also provided tools for the current generations to pass on their memories, experiences, and values to posterity.

Countless home videos or photos have been lost because of improper preservation or unforeseeable accidents. Recent developments in digital media, like tape to DVD conversion, have almost eliminated the possibility of losing such memories. Future descendants will be amazed by the stories shared thanks to recorded videos with quality just as crisp as the day they were recorded.

Technology has handed us all these things not just for our own ease and convenience, but for the benefit of those before and after us. Above all else, it is important that we seize these opportunities. Keep in touch and share memories with those distant family members through video chat and file sharing.

Look up that custom that your grandfather loves to talk about.

Learn about it so the next time he brings it up, you can add your input and gain a clearer picture of what he wants to share.

Start saving memories now, record plenty of home videos, take as many pictures of vacations and gatherings, so that you can hand your children the values and lessons that you received from your ancestors. Who knows?

Maybe one day, your kids will giggle over your embarrassing moments caught on camera but also learn from your values.

MASTHEAD Northside College Prep H.S. 5501 N. Kedzie, Chicago, IL 60625 Tel: (773) 534-3954 Principal Mr. Barry Rodgers Assistant Principal Dr. Margaret Murphy Advisor Ms. Dianne Malueg Print Editor-In-Chief Zobia Chunara Web Editor-in-Chief Timothy Suh NCP News Editor Jamilah Alsharif Special Features Editor Andriana Mitrakos Sports Editors Carly Jackson Arts and Entertainment Editor Nelson Ogbuagu Staff Reporters Jamilah Alsharif Calum Blackshaw Regine Sarah Capungan Chris Ceisel Zobia Chunara Maria Flores Sharon Flores Andrew Hague Carly Jackson Minna Khan Andriana Mitrakos Nelson Ogbuagu Brendali Rios Miranda Roberts Timothy Suh Diego Vela Sylvia Wtorkowski SUBMISSIONS The Hoof Beat welcomes opinion editorials from its readers. Letters to the Editor and Op-ed submissions may be sent to hoofbeat.editorials@gmail.com. Submissions should not exceed two pages.

CONTACT 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, or questions, please e-mail Ms. Dianne Malueg at hoofbeat. malueg@gmail.com or the Editor in Chief of the Hoof Beat at hoofbeat.drafts@gmail.com.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Exploring Who We Are

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Special Features • February 2012 • The Hoof Beat

Culture shock and the mastering of chop sticks A Northside teacher tells stories about his experiences overseas

by Andrew Hague Northside’s faculty and student body is colored with students from different cultures and backgrounds. Some students identify with one culture, while others can trace their ancestry through several different cultures. Even for those who identify with one specific culture, the ability to study or travel to another country, opens the door to experiencing something new for those individuals to follow, something cultural. Mr. Charles Milbert, social science department, was willing to share some of his traveling experiences as examples to others who would like to expand their international culture knowledge through traveling .

Mr. Milbert grew up in Lincoln Park.

From a young age, his parents helped him expand his knowledge of different cultures by introducing him to new ideas and cultural traditions. His parents’ “obsession” with Chinatown and the Chinese culture is what initially pushed Mr. Milbert toward experiencing different cultures. Mastering the use of chopsticks, by the age of three, was one of the first steps toward expanding Mr. Milbert’s interest in culture. Having a mother who was an artist and a father who was a writer did not offer Mr. Milbert many chances to travel overseas. A trip to France and Germany, when he was young, inspired his interest to travel after high school graduation.

Mr. Milbert’s travelling experiences began in college when he studied abroad in France for about a year. He left early in the year and stayed late, taking a French literature class and a French language class in addition to his core college classes. He had been taking French

since he was in preschool, but he had not really learned how to speak the language until spending time in the country.

“The opportunity to really learn the language comes when you are hearing it and reading it each and every day,” Mr. Milbert said.

culture. His personal experiences serve as an example of culture shock to him as well as his students, with whom he may share his stories. One of the most culturally shocking experiences Mr. Milbert has had was during the first year of his three year stay in Japan. Mr. Milbert

was recommended by his career-planning advisor to teach in Japan, so he flew out to a suburb near Kyoto, Japan to teach English at a Japanese public junior high school. There he realized how difficult it was to pick up the language and experienced a terrible first few weeks alone in another continent.

“The culture shock was horrific,” Mr. Milbert said. “I hated Japan, but I real-

ized that I had bigger dreams than in Chicago and had too much pride to tell my parents that I was unhappy.”

When the flowers bloomed and spring came forth, Mr. Milbert’s experience began to flourish for the better. For every three bad days he had, there were two good days until every day started looking better than the last. It took time for Mr. Milbert to get used to his new environment, but he soon realized what an opportunity he had to travel from Japan to Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, and China. From there Mr. Milbert even went as far as New Zealand to surf, hitchhike, and mountain climb.

For every different location around the world Mr. Milbert visited, he found various social norms and interesting aspects of the different cultures. Most surfers in New Zealand seemed nice to tourists, unlike most other places, and it was traditional etiquette in Japan to yell out “excuse me” in order to get a waiter’s attention. After observing mannerisms, Mr. Milbert grew accustomed to pointing out stereotypical tourists from different countries. To him, this was like “getting to know stereotypes as nations, not so much as people.”

Mr. Milbert’s interesting experiences and the his knowledge of various cultures and countries has leaked into his class lectures and presentations as well as his methods of teaching at Northside. Plenty of his students are bior multicultural students who identify themselves as American first and their respective cultures second, or vice versa.

Though this is the case, these students do not hold back in representing most, if not all, of their respective cultures. This, Mr. Milbert says, is the basis of building an accepting and functioning school.

“It’s fascinating how all the different perspectives that students bring to Northside interact,” Mr. Milbert said.

spent singing and dancing in the aisles.

The parishioners participated eagerly, and not only stood up to stare at their hymnals while the choir sang, but they also sang out and danced along with the choir. Some stepped side to side, letting their whole body move to the music while some of the younger members incorporated more modern dances of their generation into the celebration. A drum set accompanied the choir, and at times the reverend even took out an African drum of his own and played along.

In this particular service, the focus was on prayer in the new year. This was paired with a gospel about a parable about a widow pestering a man who did not respect man or fear God. This was the only scripture reading followed by a seven to ten minute sermon. In Our Lady of Mercy, a reading from the Old Testament and the New Testament would precede the next Gospel chosen from the period church year.

At this mass there was no Eucharist, a consecration of bread and wine to representing the body and blood of Jesus Christ. It is tradition for Our Lady

of Mercy to offer Eucharist every week, while at Mount Zion, Eucharist is only served once a month and for special occasions.

One thing that both churches had in common was a collection of funds to benefit the church. Mount Zion Church collected funds in order to work towards buying a larger place of worship. A few children walked up the center aisle with baskets in order to collect the envelopes of donations. Once collected, they brought the baskets up to the front, swaying to the rhythm in the music. The congregation followed them, and everyone blessed the money and prayed that it would help the church reach its goal.

Community was very strong in this church, and part of the sermon spoke to how one of the members had survived a car crash and was able to be present in the service. He and his family were brought to the front of the room. Thereafter, the reverend blessed them, and they all had their hands shaken by the congregation.

“The car is gone,” said reverend Olugbenga Akinbola “but the man is here.”

Chilean dancers perfom a traditional dance on Christmas Eve | COURTESY OF CHARLES MILBERT

During his time abroad, Mr. Milbert toured France and visited ski slopes and festivals around the country and spent Christmas at the Vatican in the Vatican city.

As a current psychology and world studies teacher, Mr. Milbert knows a lot about culture shock, or the anxiety and strong emotional feelings that occur when someone is introduced to a new

Keeping rhythm, tradition, faith Roman Catholic versus Nigerian Anglican

by Miranda Roberts A parish is an administrative part of a diocese that has its own church in the Anglican, Roman Catholic, and some other religions. For many people their parish is their family, and going to a different church for the first time can be a nerve-racking experience. To non-parishioners, aspects differentiate a church from their own are immediate, but they also see familiar quirks that they can relate to in their own parish family. Having a background in Roman Catholicism and being a parishioner at Our Lady of Mercy, the Mount Zion Anglican Church, I saw a different way of practice in comparison.

The Mount Zion Anglican Church congregation holds mass in at 4554 N. Broadway #219. The room was about the size of a classroom, and there were rows of foldable chairs in place of pews. At 10 a.m. the congregation of about 50 Nige-

rian and Ghanaian members filled it to capacity.

There was a balance between age groups and the manner of dress varied between them. The older generation wore traditional Nigerian attire. The men wore agbadas, wide-sleeved shirts that are usually embroidered, which come down just above the knee with matching loose pants called skotos.

Their traditional caps are called filas, and the colors were brilliant shades of blues, greens, and other bright colors paired with white or gold. Women wore matching bubbas or kabbas, a loose flowing long blouse or dress. This dress was worn along with a gele, a head wrap that covered the top of the head and stuck out like rose petals in full bloom.

Those who chose not to wear traditional clothing wore suits or conservative dress clothes. Some of the younger children were dressed in traditional clothing as well. This wide range of traditional ethnic and conservative western styles can be seen at Our Lady of Mercy as well.

The mass went on from 10 a.m. to 12 noon, but a majority of that time was

7

The Hoof Beat • February 2012 • Special Features

Undocumented: a student’s story of undocumented citizenship A Northside student opens up about living with undocumented parents

by Regine Sarah Capungan A Northside student, who will be referred to as Miguel under the circumstances of this article, has decided to speak about some of the struggles that come with being a child of undocumented parents.

Although both of Miguel’s parents are from Mexico, they come from two very different backgrounds. His father comes from a middle class family near Mexico City and has a college degree in criminal justice while his mother grew up in a small pueblo and could not afford to receive more than a sixth grade education. To earn a living, his mother and her siblings worked in the fields.

“Once they [his aunts and uncles] started having kids, they realized that ‘to do a lot better we’ll go to the United States,’” Miguel said. “My eldest aunt migrated first, and then my oldest uncle migrated a year later and my mom followed. Then eventually everybody just started coming over here.”

The journey into the United States was both difficult and expensive, especially for the student’s mother and her family. They had to save up two to three thousand dollars to pay a coyote, someone who smuggles immigrants through the border to help them get into the United States.

“He has a trailer, and he will hide you all the way behind whatever fruit he is carrying or clothes,” Miguel said. “[Coyotes] put so much stuff because they want to make it look legitimate.

[The smuggled immigrants] really do not have a lot of air and you have to be crossing the desert.”

Once the student’s family members crossed the border, they stayed in “safe

2.7 1.6

houses” for undocumented immigrants before moving to California. In California, they held jobs that were common to undocumented workers, such as picking strawberries and other crops. The working conditions were difficult, the salaries were low, and the rent was difficult to afford.

Drugs were often transported across the border with the immigrants.

Thus, many of the safe houses and neighborhoods that are populated with undocumented immigrants also contained drugs. The crime rate was especially high in California, but the family temporarily settled in Los Angeles. A few years later, they decided to move to Chicago and have lived there ever since.

Because his parents are undocumented, neither the student nor any member of his family has been able to visit a country outside of the United States. The family has not even visited Mexico since they crossed the border to the United States. If they do want to visit their homeland, they would have to take a trip that was similar to the one they had to take when they immigrated years ago.

“Neither one of my brothers has gone back to their homeland because of the trip,” Miguel said. “Even if you ask them if they would ever want to go to Mexico, they would be like, ‘why would I want to do that? That trip is hell.’”

Aside from travel, the lack of legal paperwork has had a negative effect on Miguel’s family’s attempts to find a job because most well-paying factory jobs require a proof of residency. Since her arrival in America, the jobs that were held by Miguel’s mother have ranged from factory work to fast food restaurants to hotel housekeeping.

“All her [mother’s] years of experience account for nothing,” Miguel said.

“This has resulted in seasonal and dead end jobs becoming the only jobs available during this recession.”

Miguel’s family has also encoun-

Legal status of United States population (millions) 10.3

Naturalized Citizens Legal immigrants Undocumented Legal nonimmigrants

9.3

Refugees

10.5 This chart shows the U.S population distribution of citizenship status as of 2010 | CENSUS.GOV

Results of citizenship petitions 1,200,000 1,000,000 800,000 2008

600,000

2009

400,000

2010

200,000 0 Petitions filed

Total perosns naturalized

Petitions denied

This chart shows the number of citizenship petitions filed, total persons naturalized and citizenship petitions denied between 2008 and 2010 | CENSUS.GOV

tered difficulties when purchasing a place of residence. Undocumented workers must find loopholes in the system in order to obtain full ownership of a home.

“In my mother’s case, she found a documented family member to buy the home and take out loans,” Miguel said.

“After that, she had to pay off debts, fees, and file papers downtown to transfer ownership from co-signer to owner.

The process is long and time consuming.”

Aside from the previous obstacles, the constant paranoia of deportation is a fear that most undocumented immigrants have to live with. Any encounter with law enforcement authorities can be a nerve-wracking experience for these immigrants.

“Raids in flea markets and factories reported on the news have scared family members,” Miguel said. “One of my uncles was deported and returned [to the United States] to support his family.

He fears any traffic stop because deportation will be mandatory at this point.”

The family’s troubles have not ended, especially with regard to their children’s education. Without legal documentation, some members of the family have not been eligible for federal aid from the government, which is necessary to attend college with as little debt possible.

Fortunately for the student, he was born in the United States and is an official citizen. He has the documentation that is needed to apply for federal grants and loans, which he needs in order to attend college. However, other members of his family have not been as fortunate.

“I’m able to apply for scholarships and be eligible for them, but my cousin had to take out a bunch of student loans, and now she’s in debt,” the student said. “It’s hard to climb out of that, and it affects you.”

Many members of his family have

Photos on the front cover left to right, from top to bottom:

not been able to attend college at all. At the moment, the student is the third of his entire extended family to be attending college next fall.

“My brother, he was in academic competitions and winning them,” the student said. “He was really good at math, but he ended up not going to college because he couldn’t get scholarships. That is how it’s been for most of my cousins because their parents are undocumented. So it [the lack of citizenship status] really handicapped us in holding careers.”

The DREAM (Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors) Act is a piece of legislation that allows the children of undocumented workers to be eligible for college financial aid from the government and eventually reach a citizenship status. Students must apply to be a part of the DREAM Act, and only those with the most potential for success will be able to receive its benefits.

Like many children of undocumented immigrants, Miguel stated that he was in support of the DREAM Act. “Just because their parents are undocumented workers does not mean that undocumented citizens should not be eligible for something that clearly states they’re eligible for,” the student said. “So why should you strip them of something like that and make them pay an extra 80 thousand or 60 thousand dollars over blood?”

Despite the fact that some people may be prejudiced against undocumented immigrants, the situation of Miguel and his family has not impacted their lives socially.

“As long as the jokes don’t have hurtful intentions directed toward a specific individual, I’m okay and will keep my comments to myself,” Miguel said. “I am never offended because ignorance is in all of us. These comments will continue to spread no matter what; the key is just to ignore them.”

Families gather to watch a traditional perfomance | BRENDALI RIOS. Mr. Blackshaw spends time with his brother and friends at a bar in Hong Kong | CALUM BLACKSHAW. Joi Jackson and brother Kip Jackson in a friend’s back yard in East Hampton, New York | CARLY JACKSON. Bernie Olff carrying his brother Carmen Olff on his back on the roof of their apartment in Brooklyn, New York |CARLY JACKSON. Mr. and Mrs. Flores pose for a photo on the night of their wedding | MARIA FLORES. Members of the Rios family return from a day at the beach |BRENDALI RIOS. Mr. Chunara, a manager for Mitsubishi seafood imports and exports, visits the fishing docks | ZOBIA CHUNARA. The Rios family poses for a photo after a day at the pool | BRENDALI RIOS.

LIVE EVENTS COMEDY

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

“How toat Hilarity make its finest it work” Chicago’s annual comedy fest returns for more fun and laughs

LIVE EVENTS

Music, song and dance welcome the “Pirates of Penzance” A classic performance enacted in an unusual manner

by Andriana Mitrakos From the outside, Chopin Theater is almost indistinguishable from its surrounding buildings. To a passerby, the theater is an old white building with blue and yellow accents, but to “The Hypocrites,” the theater’s performing company, the tiny theater is a second home.

For their fifteenth season with the theater, The Hypocrites performed an adaption of Arthur Sullivan and W.S. Gilbert’s “Pirates of Penzance,” a comedic opera. The story follows a young pirate named Frederic who, on his twenty-first birthday, is pardoned from an assembly of pirates and falls in love with a general’s young daughter Mabel. In an interesting twist of events and “paradoxes,” Frederic is bound to the assembly of pirates until the age of 83. Mabel promises to wait for Frederic for what seems to her as “quite a long time,” but a turn in the story leads to a happy ending for Frederic, Mabel, and the rest of the cast.

“Follow the music to the back” I was told when I entered the theater. A quick trip down a flight of stairs and through a small cafe led me to a curtain. As I lifted the curtain, I revealed the performance space. The walls were a dark teal, the ceiling strung with three

Members of the cast playing their roles on stage | COURTESY OF THE HYPROCRITES THEATRE

different styles of lighting, beach balls were stacked high in the corner, two plastic children’s pools stood on tables, and in the center was a long, wooden stage. The audience was everywhere. Some sat on the floor while others were found on the benches or bleachers.

The cast was singing loudly, each member

with their own instrument, played along with the opening number. A quick introduction by one of the cast members began the first act of the show that ran 80 minutes without intermission.

The performance was in “promenade style,” which meant that the audience was

sitting on “the stage” and the actors jumped around, sitting or standing on benches. A quick point in an audience member’s direction or a tap on the shoulder would signal the audience to move so that actors can use their space. “Pardon me, you are sitting in our ship,” some would say as they moved the audience away. Some members of the audience were chosen to help create a “background” by waving flags or opening and closing umbrellas behind the actors.

Six guitars, two violins, a clarinet, a banjo, one flute, a drum, and a trumpet were played by the cast to liven Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Pirates” soundtrack. Alongside the opera’s classic pieces, The Hypocrites added a few musical surprises including George Michael’s “Careless Whisper,” and Kelis’s “Milkshake.” The audience seemed delighted. Some even swayed or sung along with the cast.

The Hypocrites performance of “Pirates of Penzance” seemed unbeatable in creativity, interaction, passion and liveliness. It will be interesting to see how Northside’s theatrical cast will adapt the piece for the school’s upcoming musical.

Though the performance of “Pirates of Penzance” only ran until Jan. 22, the company has already made plans to put on a new production. An adaptation of Felice Romani’s “RomeoJuliet” will run from May 16 thru June 24. Tickets for this upcoming priduction can be purchased at the door or at www. the-hypocrites.com.

MUSIC

Pabst and Jazz: what a very interesting combination Asher Roth’s latest mixtape astounds fans and attracts new ones

by Nelson Ogbuagu Asher Roth made his debut in 2008, separating himself from the rest of the hip-hop scene with his personable lyrics, often lacking gangster undertones and focusing more on youth life of the general public. His style, consisting of quickly recited lyrics, with the attribute of actually correctly pronouncing English wordage rather than the usual hard slang, has made him a popular underground artist, even attaining mainstream notability.

In his latest mix tape, titled “Pabst and Jazz,” Roth returns with his coined flows over jazz like instrumentals, robust with saxophones trumpets, and other popular jazz instruments. And in this mix tape, Roth recruited a team of popular rappers with distinctively different sounds, creating a lyrical diversity in each song, successfully mimicking the combinations of music in jazz bands.

Asher Roth starts the mix tape with a song featuring Hassani Kwess titled “Kenny Keys;” the lyricism displayed in the song is a perfect way to introduce Roth to his audience.

His string of rhyming vowel sounds creates a smooth flow that compliments the synths playing in the background: “I suppose, in the cold without a coat,

it’s so cold, kid is froze to the toes, and the mo’, anything is possible. I’m rocking Massimo like I’m an Aussie bro…”

After few tracks similar in style, Pabst and Jazz throws in a song that introduces a harder and much more street sounding song, titled “Useless.” Asher made sure to emphasize the shift in tone as he started the track with his featured artists, Pac Div, a group that immediately establishes the gangster tone with the first three verses. Their lines are rife with the gangster trinity, lyrics about money, women, and pot. Roth finally follows in the very last verse with his signature style; but he instead speaks to the uselessness of those trying to label him and criticize his flow. Lyrics like “Down for whatever, let’s just go ahead and do it, do it out loud, talk dog, f**** prove it,” emit Asher Roth’s more raunchy side while maintaining his unique delivery.

Pabst and Jazz continues to diversify its sounds with each track, going from smooth, to street, and then to sultry and solemn with a track titled “Ampersand,” featuring the smooth vocals of The O’Mys. Roth raps about various dilemmas with the loves in his life, while The O’Mys complements his lyrics with their vocals in the background: “If I gave you my love, tell you what I’d do. I expect a whole lot of love from you baby.”

Sixteen tracks. In all of them, Roth manages to completely individualize each song, never straying from his signature sound, and unifying them all beautifully with the

Cover art for Asher Roth’s latest mixtape, “Pabst and Jazz.”

help of the jazz instruments playing in the background and featured rap artists. This well rounded mix tape perfectly embodies the sound of this well rounded artist and is

sure to provide a newer sound of hip hop that one generally does not receive in mainstream gangster rap music. The unique sound and strong lyrical prowess is sure to attract fans.

The Hoof Beat • February 2012 • Arts & Entertainment

9

COMEDY

Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival keeps the laughs coming Electric Fantasy performs together for the first time

by Carly Jackson On a cold January 15, Chicagoans laughed and enjoyed the Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival at Stage 773, 1225 West Belmont Avenue. From 3 to 4 p.m. on the last day of the festival, a new group took the stage to loud applause and techno music pounding from the speakers. The members of Electric Fantasy, a comedy group consisting of two women and four men, impersonated Occupy Chicago protestors in their first sketch out of eight, shouting “We will not be silenced!” and “1 percent milk!” One man wore a shirt with a misspelled slogan on the front and one woman wouldn’t stop pacing back and forth quickly while screaming political diatribe.

Techno music blasted from the speakers at the sides of the stage while the members

Official poster for the Chicago Comedy Festival | COURTESY OF AMAZON.COM

of Electric Fantasy danced crazily in darting spotlights, making the crowd laugh roar with laughter. Three comedians then moved to the center of the stage, miming a treadmill workout at the gym. The comedian running in place on the center treadmill tried to turn up the machine’s speed, but ended up falling down. He asked the two women for help

LIVE EVENTS

getting up, but then tried to get their phone numbers and ended up crawling across the stage, begging them for a date.

The next sketch featured two newscasters competing for a spot on a television program. They try to out-do each other and end up pushing each other off their chairs, while shouting, “Tune in tonight to see me at nine!” and “No, tune in to see me!”

Then one of the women on the cast put on a long wig and took on the persona of Wendy Williams, host of the eponymous talk show. She proceeded to interview another comedian impersonating Michele Bachmann.

Wendy Williams asked, “How you doing?” repeatedly and the impersonated Michele Bachmann went crazy because she couldn’t answer any questions, needing to be carried off stage.

Electric Fantasy then acted out an intervention for a man named Gas Prices. The cast members accused Gas Prices of wasting all of their money and ruining the planet. After Gas Prices left the stage in tears, the angry friends vowed to save money by biking and

never contact Gas Prices again, but then realized that had forgotten to fill their cars up with gas before driving to the intervention and regretted it.

Electric Fantasy’s other sketches featured religious leaders emphatically preaching to a class of kindergarteners, a wouldbe kidnapper who gets his car stolen and two men who get into a confrontation after bumping into each other on a Chicago Red Line train.

Other comedy groups that performed at the 2012 Sketch Comedy Festival include “Late Live Show,” which mocks late-night talk shows and “Madre Mia,” a duo distorting common family problems.

The first Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival took place in 2002 and featured 30 groups.

This year, the festival hosted 152 groups; it is now the largest sketch comedy festival in the nation. There are now performances targeted towards kids and teens. Any comedy group can apply in November 2012 to be a part of the 2013 Chicago Sketch Comedy Festival.

THEATRE

“Too Much Light” causes too much laughter

Five weeks, thirty-five shows, two stages, one festival

“Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind” starts new year with new plays

Rhino Fest 2012 spotlights Chicago’s theatre artists

by Sharon Flores Before entering the small, antiquated Neo-Futurist theatre, located on 5153 N. Ashland Ave., prepare for craziness and tons of hilarity all wrapped in the comedy show titled “Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind” created by Greg Allen. From their first performance in 1988, Too Much Light is the longest-running show in Chicago to date. The show features the Neo-Futurists, a group of nine actors, as they attempt to perform 30 honestly written plays, based on the personal experiences of a performer, in 60 minutes.

Too Much Light runs for 50 weekends a year, on Friday and Saturday night at 11:30 p.m. and Sunday night at 7 p.m. The cost per ticket depends largely on an audience member’s luck, as each person takes a chance with fate by rolling a six-sided dice to determine the additional amount added to the original nine dollar price. Upon entering, one of the performers greets you by asking your name, but completely ignores your response and writes a ridiculous, random name on a name tag that they hand to you to wear.

Unlike a typical play, Too Much Light is highly interactive with the audience. Its goal is not to deliver a strong message through serious acting. The goal is simple: to make the audience laugh and enjoy themselves. Each play begins with audience members yelling out the number of the play they would like to see. Above the stage runs a clothesline with thirty numbered pieces of paper representing each play hanging by clothespins. The performers rush to be the first to jump in the air and snatch the paper with the number of the first play they hear called out. As you sit in the audience waiting for each play to begin, you really do not know what to expect. One minute you are laughing at a funny sketch, the next minute you are getting hit in the face by a flying tortilla during a sketch called “Night of the Wild Tortilla Throwers.” There is

an enormous variety of topics of plays, where performances can include anything like dancing, eating, screaming, throwing objects, smashing boxes with bats, or telling jokes.

Performers are far from shy; they are willing to go to any ridiculous measure to portray each emotion and scene.

Although some of the plays incorporate very simple topics, they are still clearly effective in making the audience laugh. Two very short and simple plays demonstrated this while complimenting each other. “Literal Music Video #048” consisted of one performer turning toward and away from the audience to literally follow the lyrics of “Total Eclipse of the Heart” by Bonnie Tyler. In a similar play called “Literal Music Video #379” the opposite idea was performed by the actor refusing to turn to face the audience in relation to the lyrics of “Don’t Turn Around” by Tina Turner. Both these plays proved to be effectively funny due to the performer’s facial expressions and body motions.

There is one unique feature about Too Much Light that makes it so successful, attracting audiences each and every year to view their show. Although performers have practiced each play, each night has a different audience and everyone’s actions are unscripted and unpredictable. Every show is a new show because the freedom in acting and improvisation creates a more fun, natural-flowing environment that complements the comedy.

Too Much Light has an ever changing menu of plays, as performers add anywhere from two to fifteen sketches each week.

Too Much Light is open for all ages. However, some plays contain adult themes and content, as performers are willing to completely put themselves out there, literally.

The show targets an adult audience because the mature humor calls for the use profanity, reference to sexual content, and nudity in several plays.

Too Much Light is unlike any other performance you will ever witness with its uniquely ridiculous, high energy humor. The wide variety of plays almost guarantees that an audience member will laugh at least once throughout the hour; if not they might find themselves hit by a prop.

by Timothy Suh The “stage” at Prop Theatre, which hosts Rhino Fest 2012, was only marked by a curtain and a few scattered set pieces. There were no more than 50 seats, pushed up against the brick wall. Everything is only dimly lit and slow; lilting music floats in the background.

It is this intimate and smoky atmosphere that is characteristic of Rhino Fest. The performing arts festival is in its 24th season and proudly emphasizes its purpose to highlight “new work by some of Chicago’s most compelling and original theater artists.” Rhino Fest runs for five weeks every Thursday to Sunday, from Jan. 13 to Feb. 12. There are 35 new shows which range from the peculiar and rowdy “The American Drink Book” to a more familiar “Shakespeare All Stars.” Many of the plays explore human nature through rather eccentric or thoroughly ordinary experiences.

One such play is the Curious Theatre Branch’s “Our Kate Takes a Trip,” written by Beau O’Reilly and directed by Matt Rieger.

Set in Ballyvaughan, Ireland in 2007, the play follows the titular character and her friends as they travel up the Irish coast for Kate’s annual trip to her mother’s house. Though now an elderly lady, Kate remains wild and youthful at heart. She opens the play by dancing on top of a bar while singing “Listen, Listen” by Sandy Denny. After the festivities die down, she meets with Will, her elderly companion who tells her to stay with him and “grow old together.” However, Kate cannot accept this fate, choosing instead to go on her trip and leave Will behind. On her trip, she surrounds herself with similarly eccentric people, like the perpetual drunk Sam, the ethereal Emily, and the argumentative Sluggo. Despite the crazy adventures, Kate finds comfort in the arms of Sluggo and realizes she is ready to finally settle down.

The play seemingly moves very slowly with long conversations, back-and-forth bantering over mundane topics, and few set

changes. However, the true development of the play is revealed through changes in characters’ expressions and tones: how other characters perceive Kate and how she perceives herself. All of Kate’s companions see her as a symbol of eternal youth, someone who will always remain spirited and carefree.

Yet, Kate herself begins to see cracks in this visage until she is forced to accept the reality of her age.

There is a lot of music in the play from Kate’s opening song to a drunken dance party to “Psycho Killer” by The Talking Heads.

Music is often used to express the carefree nature of the travelling party, but the lyrics sometime reveal wistfulness and longing behind their outward visage. Costumes also are used to reveal a lot about characters. Kate, for example, is dressed in a red beanie pinned with a large yellow flower, a purple sweater, a multicolored scarf, and plaid pants, an eyecatching and rather childish looking outfit for an elderly lady. On the other hand, Will wears long gray slacks and a black flat cap, reflecting his own sentiments about his age and “settling down.”

Overall, the production was fairly entertaining. Much of the characters’ interactions were very natural and easy-going; there were no major conflicts or drama. However, the message within the play was clear and relatable. One interesting note was that the play was deemed “child-friendly” yet had vulgar humor, sexual references, and plenty of drinking and smoking. Audience members should definitely leave their kids behind, who will be bored by the content matter and shocked by outright anatomical terms. “Our Kate Takes a Trip” is one of the many plays that will continue to show for the duration of Rhino Fest. Tickets for this show and future productions can be ordered at the theatre’s front desk or online.

For an interview with musical band, Weatherstar visit: www.hoofbeat.com

10

Arts & Entertainment • February 2012 • The Hoof Beat

TELEVISION

The free birds are captured when they fly through Alcatraz “Alcatraz” debuts with classic criminals in a modern setting

by Callum Blackshaw J.J. Abrams, a well-known writer and producer for shows such as Lost and “Fringe,” has helped produce a new story surrounding the famous prison in San Francisco Bay. Alcatraz debuted on January 16, with Abram’s well-known blend of drama and mystery that opens up as time goes on. The show has moved into the Fox Monday line-up for dramatic storytelling at the beginning of the week.

Alcatraz begins with a look at the members of societies deemed so criminal that they were put there. The night the prison was to close in 1963, the 302 men behind its walls, criminals and guards, vanished. A determined San Francisco detective in present time has recently lost her partner, but continues to push herself to work. She finds a homicide with evidence pointing to a man who was one of the residents of Alcatraz as the lead suspect, but she is quickly removed from the case by an enigmatic FBI agent. Unsure of what this means and the mystery behind the

Official poster for Alcatraz Television series | COURTESY OF AMAZON.COM

man’s death, she teams up with a portly historian who is an expert on the occupants of Alcatraz. They learn that the man was to have died decades ago, but that today he is alive and looks the same as he did back on 1963.

From there, the two take a full investigation of the situation and are recruited by the FBI

to look for prisoners Alcatraz who had gone missing 50 years ago, and are now showing up in the present.

The show has a pace similar to many other shows J.J. Abrams has been a part ofthe mystery unfolds as the story is told, with more questions to the viewer as answers are

revealed. With each criminal brought back, there are flashbacks related to their lives in the prison, and some of the reasons they have returned to their old ways; the team uses this knowledge with the same rising intensity as law enforcement shows. The detective (Sarah Jones) also holds family ties to the prison, while the ambitious professor (Jorge Garcia) provides his knowledge to the team and the FBI agent (Sam Neill) leads them, while concealing his own secrets from them. The blend of crime-fighting and science fiction make for an original story to “Alcatraz.”

However, the show does lack in other key components. Although Alcatraz plays with much of the prison’s history and the shows’ characters, both those from the past and the present, the characters in this new series seem to lack residual feeling to the viewer. The show is produced by Abrams, and holds a similar feeling in comparison to his other shows; this leaves twists and points of interests in the story a little too familiar to those that are fans of his previous works. With hundreds of cases to be solved and more mysterious paths being revealed, the show has potential to go on, but only if it catch peoples’ attention with something different.

FILM

FILM

The Interrupters: A beacon among the violence

A picture is worth a thousand words

Film offers a glimpse behind efforts to end violence

by Timothy Suh Not a seat or even spot on the floor was left unfilled in the Evanston Public Library’s conference room where Percolator Films hosted a special screening of the critically acclaimed “The Interrupters,” directed by Steve James of Hoop Dreams fame. The screening was at 6:30 p.m. on January 25, and accommodated the 125-minutes runtime and a post-screening discussion. The film follows the stories of three “violence interrupters” in the Chicago CeaseFire organization who aim to end the violence that threatens their communities.

The film opens with an interview of the CeaseFire members that is interrupted when a violent altercation occurs right outside. The fight is caught on-camera and sets the tone for the rest of the film: violence in Chicago is very real and happening all-too-often. When the CeaseFire organization comes to break up the fight, the audience is introduced to the first “interrupter,” Ameena Matthews, who rebukes a women involved in the fight as Matthews gives her a ride home. The goal of the “interrupters” program is to approach parties involved in violence with more relatable volunteers, particularly people who have histories in violence themselves. Matthews is the daughter of infamous Chicago gang leader, Jeff Fort, who was imprisoned for planning acts of domestic terrorism. Although Matthews was initially a high-ranked gang member, she turned around after a near-death shooting by a rival gang. The other two interrupters, Cobe Williams and Eddie Bocanegra, turned away from lives of violence after serving jail time. All three reach out to specific individuals, alternating between rebuke and encouragement, pushing them to succeed through paths apart from gangs, violence,

drugs, etc.

The movie was very eye-opening and riveting in its portrayal of the three interrupters and the people they reached out to.

In particular, Matthews brings charisma and humor to the screen. She is a friend and mentor to almost all the youth in her community.

In one of her most admirable and memorable actions, she steps into the middle of two feuding parties. She forces to reevaluate what they were doing when she pulls a young boy out of the crowd and says, “Who will be to blame if this boy is killed? Whose fault will it be?” Williams also often uses humor to break down the walls between two enemies as he drives them down the highway. Bocanegra is soft-spoken and focuses more on supporting those who are affected and hurt by the violence.

The film ends on a hopeful but unfinished note. Three teenagers who were under the wings of the interrupters are shown returning to high school for a degree, finding a stable job, and helping out in their community. However, the interrupters cannot stop to celebrate; the last shots of the documentary are the three people on the road again, patrolling through their neighborhoods for their next passengers.

Upon the conclusion of the screening, a representative of Percolator Films thanked the audience for attending and explained the organization’s mission to raise awareness for issues through special film screenings.

Then, the Evanston Mayor Elizabeth Tisdahl praised the organization before introducing Cobe Williams, who attended the screening. Williams went more in-depth about the CeaseFire program and challenged the audience members to not only remember the film as an emotional documentary, but go out and make a difference in their own communities.

For individuals who are interested in viewing this film, PBS’s “The Frontline” will be screening “The Interrupters” on their television station on February 14th, 2012.

“The Artist”, a silent film, continues to be a huge turnout

by Sylvia Wtorkowski Ironically “The Artist,” a silent film by Michel Hazanavicius, illustrates the rising desire for films that can not only be seen, but heard as well, also known as talkies. This film is a romantic comedy that centers around George Valentin, played by Jean Dujardin, who is a triumphant actor best known for his 1927 Hollywood premieres.

Because it is a silent film, The Artist creates an experience for the audience members that most would have never experienced otherwise. All that can be heard is the music streaming from the film and the crunching of popcorn being eaten in the theatre. There are very few scenes in which dialogue is shown because the stars of the film portrayed their characters in such a way that would allow one to intimately sense their emotions as if reading their minds, without a single character uttering one word.

The story of this romance begins when Mr. Valentin is having photos taken of him by paparazzi and bystanders, among which stands Peppy Miller, played by Bérénice Bejo).

She trips and falls onto him and as their eyes meet, the audience sees a clear connection between the two, but they themselves do not seem to notice it. Just days later, as he prepares for a film at Kinograph Studios, he learns that Peppy will be co-starring with him. She is beyond ecstatic to have the opportunity to work with the man she has a crush on, but soon realizes that the man of her dreams in married, and therefore unattainable.

In reality, George partakes in a crumbling marriage where he and his wife cannot even manage to enjoy each others’ company. To

make matters worse for him, his fame and career are deteriorating. As silent cinema is no longer of interest to the public, it is actresses like Peppy Miller who replace him in the filming career by participating in talkies, which are what the public wanted more of.

“Out with the old. In with the new. Make way for the young. That’s life!” Peppy Miller stated. Despite this very true statement, George Valentin refused to give up his faith in silent cinema in order to join those in the talkies. Forgotten by the public and abandoned by his wife, his life continued downwards into professional ruin.

Unfortunately for director Hazanavicius, his bold film, “The Artist” was yet another predictable comedy. A romance began to kindle between the established silent cinema star and a rising actress. When his career plummets due to his stubborn refusal to change and become an actor in talkies, Peppy is there for him and manages to once again bring order to his life.

Although the actors in this film do not speak, the audience knows the actors’ emotions based on their facial expressions, physical actions, and the change of tempo and rhythm of music, as it alludes to possible suspenseful moments in the film when the beat becomes much more rapid. Ultimately, their silence forces each actor to communicate through every movement but that of their lips.

Hazanavicius’s ability to produce such a piece is remarkable. He successfully incorporated the main concepts of cinematography associated with silent movies, while still producing a picture that audiences will enjoy in the 21st century. “The Artist” is highly recommended because it is unlike anything this generation has seen before. The experience of watching the film is worthwhile and most likely, after watching this silent film, audience memebers will be left in the exact same manner that the film began and ended, speechless.

SPORTS

Wrestling

Bowling

Pinning down the win

In the fast lanes

Men’s wrestling team wins scored and exhibition matches

Women’s bowling team advances to sectionals

They fly high, no lie, you know it, bowlin’ Men’s bowling team strolls through exhibition matches

by Nelson Ogbuagu After dominating teams like Frederick Von Steuben Metropolitan Science Center and Taft High School to acquire first place in their conference, Northside’s Men’s Bowling team participated in exhibition matches on Jan. 10. As their “reward” for ranking first place in their conference, the Mustangs were given the opportunity to play against the other lower ranked teams in the tournament bracket. The matches, therefore, had very little weight for the Mustangs; they merely had to wait until the other teams decided who would be granted the chance to challenge the leading team in the tournament.

The members of the Men’s Bowling team are Clint Tres, Adv. 202, Christian Schmuck, Adv. 201, Niko Nodal, Adv. 201, Kyle Sebastian, Adv. 204, Noah Asimow, Adv. 308, and Louie Asimow, Adv. 506. And during this exhibition match, these individuals bowled as a Tres gets ready to release the bowling ball for a strike, much to the delightment of spectators | NELSON OGBUAGU unit for the first time.

“We usually bowl as a team of individu- The Wild Card is the best player of the worst for us.”

The day was scheduled for 15 Baker’s als, each with their own 10 frames,” Roman teams, and it is that player of each team who will have the opportunity to bowl against Matches by all the teams. With the city tourPagan, Coach, said. “But for the first time, we the reigning champions, the Northside Mus- nament a week from its exhibition match, the all are bowling on the same 10 frames.”

This new form of team bowling is known tangs. Until then, the Mustangs were forced team continues its standard practicing methas a “Baker’s Match,” which is used in the to endure this new style of bowling, regard- ods and are confident that they will perform well at the tournament. post-conference tournament and pre-city less of their preferences for competition.

“We are playing the extra bowlers from “We make sure to practice on our individtournament. During this exhibition, matched six teams will bowl it out. Of those six teams, every team here at the tournament,” Nodal ual deficiencies,” Coach Pagan said. “We look three of those teams will advance to the said, “and since we have already won the tour- to win pin by pin, just trying to knockdown as next round. Also, there is one “Wild Card.” nament, this whole thing is really just for fun many as we can.”

Cheer on, Northside Mustangs Northside's cheerleading aims to bring spirit to the student body

by Minna Khan Composed of 16 dedicated members, Northside’s Cheerleading Varsity Team works hard to polish their routines and stunts during practices. When they are not competing at state and city competitions, they deliver their routines to Northside’s student body during Pack the Gym games and pep rallies.

“We perform at basketball games, but we try to go to other sports games to try and show support,” Aliyah Jervier, Adv. 402, said. “As cheerleaders, it’s our job to motivate teams, and give them encouragement as they play. There definitely is a positive difference in their performance when we cheer them on.

We are all one student body, so we should all support one another.”

When it comes to practices, the squad works on perfecting different stunts like basket tosses. A basket toss is a move in which a group of squad members that act as a base throw a flyer into the air and catch the flyer in the cradle of their arms, forming a basket.

Another move that the cheerleaders focus on are extensions. Extensions consist of the base supporting a flyer with only their hands.

Northside cheerleaders perform in front of the whole school at the 2012 Homecoming Pep Rally | BRENDALI RIOS

“During practice, we usually go over our stunts, and we make sure that they go smoothly. We like to practice nonstop until our routines and our stunts are perfect, and it is definitely intense,” Maya Williams, Adv. 302, said. “One of the most intense types of practices that cheerleaders experience are stunt clinics. During stunt clinics, the squad members practice moves and stunts repeatedly, and the cheerleaders usually have these practices when a competition or an important performance rolls around.

The squad makes sure that they perfect everything during practice because not only do they want to cheer on other sports teams, but they also want to succeed at competition.

This year, the squad’s first competition occurred on Jan. 22 at the Illinois Cheerleading

Coaches Association, and they ended up winning first place.

Currently, the team is beginning to choose cheerleaders for its competition squad in early preparation for the city competition in April. In addition, the team is trying to include variation into their stunts sequences and formations.

“For example, if someone is usually a flier, we want to try and change that up, and have them do other stunts,” Williams said.

Overall, the cheerleaders have had a good season so far, especially after placing first at the season’s first competition. The cheerleaders were city champions last year, and so they look forward to this year’s competition in April, which is open to all Chicago Public School students.

A nail-biter

Northside women’s basketball game loses close game

by Diego Vela Most basketball teams show their spirit by wearing the same jerseys and having special chants that they bawl during their team huddles, but the women’s varsity team at Northside takes it to the next level. From matching sneakers and shoelaces to secret codes they shout during games, they had a close match against Lake Forest Academy on January 9th. Ending almost every quarter in a tie, they went into overtime and had a final result of 26 - 32.

Starting at 7 p.m. at Northside’s gym, Lake Forest Academy and Northside Prep went head on. The game began with an exciting start as both teams quickly began scoring.

The crowd was full of friends, parents and the junior varsity, watching with excitement and taking notes.

“As a player, I can say the crowd really helps” JV player Wendy Roldan, Adv. 304, said. “When you feel your friends in the stands cheering you on and feeding you their energy, it makes you want to play even harder, so whenever I’m in the stands cheering for my teams, especially in such a close game, I always try to provide a lot of positive energy.”

During the game, both the ladies from LFA and the Lady Mustangs were trying their hardest and giving it their all. It seemed like whenever one team made one shot, the other team made another in a matter of seconds.

The frustration and eagerness from both coaches was obvious, as cheers of encouragement and tips of advice were given from the sidelines. When Mr. Heavey, women’s varsity head coach, was asked what his opinion of the game was, he said: “I was very frustrated at our lack of defensive stops at the end of quarters.”

At the end of the third quarter, the game got more exciting, as it ended in a tie and both teams were aware that only one quarter was left. Not only was the game exciting for the players, but it was exhilarating for the crowd watching.

“It definitely was so intense sitting in the bleachers watching them play, but I know how hard varsity practices and works to always take home the win, especially in our gym,” Roldan said. “So I was pretty confident we could go it.”

As the fourth quarter ended, the players felt a heavy weight appear on their shoulders. They had a tie and had four minutes to take the win. “I was so excited for overtime.

I felt like that game was ours, like this was our chance for us to shine and own our home court” said Veronica Schwartz, Adv. 203, varsity guard and forward.

More than halfway into overtime, LFA made two 2-pointers and took the game.

When questioned what they would do next time, Schwartz said, “I think we would work a little bit harder to make a better shot selection and be smarter with the ball. The smarter we play and the more time we take, the better results we will acquire.”

The game ended in a friendly handshake and a new lesson on needing better defense and better shooting.

12

Sports • February 2012 • The Hoof Beat

Steady strokes Take downs, escapes, reversals Men’s Swimstangs continue to work hard in their sports and studies despite loss to Whitney Young

by Regine Sarah Capungan January is one of the busiest months of the year for student athletes on Northside’s men’s swim team, as they have swim meets nearly every week. One of their most notable meets was on Jan. 24, when the team competed against Whitney Young at their pool.

“The meet against Whitney was a bit disappointing, especially since we lost before by only three points,” Alex Tran, Team Captain, Adv. 200, said. “But it was finals week, and many of our swimmers were studying, and we have many swimmers whom we have yet to hear from.”

The performance of the team was as strong as it was during previous meets, such as their meet against the University of Chicago Laboratory School (U-High). The meet against U-High took place the week before Jan. 24, where Northside went on to win every event.

“The guys have been swimming exceptionally hard this year,” Patrick Wieckowski, Adv. 208, said. “Each class is loaded with a bunch of talented swimmers, especially the sophomores and freshmen. At this rate, I think that we have a pretty decent shot at winning city this year.”

At the Whitney meet, Marcin Pyrzynski, Adv. 500, won first place in the 50-meter freestyle and 100 meter breast stroke. Eric Tendian, Adv. 308, and Connor Gillespie, Adv. 407, both participated in events that are considered to be exceptionally difficult by swimmers. Tendian swam the 200-meter Individual Medley (IM), and Gillespie swam the 100-meter butterfly.

The 100-meter butterfly was one of the highlights of the meet because of a close race between Gillespie and an opponent. Although the two athletes swam head to head for the entire race, Gillespie was faster in the end.

He beat the opponent by .03 seconds, with a final time of 56.24 seconds to his opponent’s 56.27 seconds.

“In the end, Connor pulled it off and beat Whitney for first place,” Tran said. “It was a similar win to Michael Phelps’ win by .02 seconds at the Beijing Olympics.”

The swim team is coached by Coach Carlos Ceja, who holds three hour practices for the team every day after school. In addition, the team has morning practices before school three days a week.

“We make do with what we have,” Tran said. “We have fewer swimmers than last year, but it didn’t affect the quality of our swims during the last few meets.”

The swim club coach, Coach Ed Stranc, arrives at every swim meet in order to provide the team with additional assistance. He often gives words of encouragement and explanations on how to improve their races. Like Ceja and Stranc, Tran also offers his team words of encouragement during meets.

“My teammates are trying their hardest and swimming their fastest,” Tran said.

“With Northside being an academically rigorous school and the swim team being an extreme time commitment, they make it work out. They have shown everyone time and time again that they are the best of the best.”

Men’s wrestling victorious against UNO High School

by Andriana Mitrakos On Jan. 11 at 4:00 p.m., Northside’s Wrestling Team competed against UNO Charter High School, securing the win with a final score of 52-24.

Before any points are scored, the wrestlers are placed into different groups depending on their weight so that they can easily be matched with an appropriate opponent. An entire match may last well over an hour and consists of several individual player matches composed of three three-minute periods.

The evening’s match had its share of forfeits from both Northside and UNO Charter.

To win by forfeit means that a player wins when his opponent fails to appear for competition. This win is worth six team points.

Northside forfeited three matches, one of which was a double forfeit with UNO, which forfeited a total of six matches, setting the score to 36-18 without match competition.

“We did really well considering both [teams] were giving up a couple of forfeits,” Numan Karim, Team Captain, Adv. 203, said.

“Essentially it came down to head to head matches.”

With the forfeits aside, the match turned to the individual rounds. As the individual matches began, players made their way to the mat and got into position. The first period began with the players in a neutral position, facing each other, followed by the next two periods in which one player begins at a disadvantage.

The first Northside member to take the mat was Kenny DuMez, Adv.505, who wrestled UNO’s Luis Cruz and won the match by four points. Andrew Padilla, Adv. 508, fol-

Diallo and his UNO opponent struggle in a deadlock to score for their respective teams | ANDRIANA MITRAKOS

lowed against UNO’s Josue Alvadro. He was pinned by UNO, awarding the opponent school six points.

Matt Sugai, Adv. 208, took his turn, wrestling UNO’s only female team member. Sugai, however, exited the match unscathed and defeated the opponent by pinning, scoring six points for the team.

“This was my fifth time overall wrestling a girl, and by now it is not awkward because I’ve come to realize that it’s their choice to step up to the mat and compete,” Sugai said.

“I have to honor their choice as an opponent; I wrestle as hard with the girls as with the guys.”

Northside raised the score by 12 points with two consecutive pins against UNO by Victor Perez, Adv. 306, and Joseph Smith, Adv. 202. Ibrahima Diallo, Adv. 308, followed the wins with a pin against Northside, awarding UNO six more points.

Because UNO’s wrestling team was rela-

tively new, and some members of both UNO and Northside’s teams wanted some more experience wrestling in scored matches, the evening’s match included what are called exhibition matches. Exhibition matches do not count toward the overall score and are usually included for members to practice wrestling for the audience’s entertainment. Players Andrew Carrion, Adv. 406, and Jim Rubin, Adv. 308, had a chance put their skills to the test in exhibition matches against members of UNO’s team.

Even though Northside won the match 52-24, the team will use this match to improve their wrestling skills during practice.

Intensity and focus are important to a quick win.

“As a team we have to work on pushing the pace during our matches,” Karim said.

“We’re working to become a team that goes in at 110 percent intensity, and leaves the match with 200 percent.”

Bowling over the competition

by Chris Ceisel Northside’s Varsity Women’s Bowling Team won second place in its match against five other schools last Tuesday Jan. 10 at Habetler Bowl. Taft won the match, but Northside still beat Von Steuben, North Grand, Fenwick, and Wells. The Northside players were calm and confident and seemed to be enjoying themselves as much as they focused on competing.

“I’m really happy I joined bowling,” Sarah Bodenstein, Adv. 204, said. ”I get to be with my friends and have fun bowling and hanging out.”

Bowling is a great sport to join, as you get to be part of a relaxed environment while still allowing yourself to be competitive. It’s a unique sport, and one of the only Varsity sports you can easily continue to play even into the later years of your life after high school, because you are not physically competing against your opponent. This kind of competition led to the team setting a lot of individual and team goals.

“As a team we wanted to win first place in our division,” Bodenstein said. “Unfortunately we only got second, but we’re still happy with that. As individuals, I think we all just wanted to improve from last year, which we all did, and I bowled my highest game this season, which felt great.”

High school bowling has a unique set of rules. Each school picks five players that are

going to be scored before the start of each match. These players all bowl three entire games, so there are 30 frames, as each game has 10 frames. These individual scores then all get added up together, and the school with the highest score at the end of the day is the winner of the match.

“It was pretty easy to get used to how the matches ran,” Christine Kerrigan, Adv. 204, said. “The only thing I had to get used to was that you need to switch lanes every time you bowl; other than that, it’s the same as normal bowling.”

While bowling does have a relaxed environment, it is not for all athletes. It is a sport where you need incredible focus to play.

“Yeah, I mean bowling is super mental,” Rhyan White, Adv. 205, said. “A lot of good bowlers have bad games simply because they over think the actual bowling. They let random things distract them, and it really affects how well they bowl.”

Bowling is a sport where you beat yourself. You are not really directly competing with others like you do in other contact sports. You have to fight against whatever you are telling yourself and bowl your best.

You have to ignore the doubt and uncertainty that you get when you have to think about doing something for a long time. Practicing a lot and gaining confidence have definitely helped Northside perform as well as it has in previous matches.

“Part of the reason we’re doing so well now is because we practice consistently,” White said. “Bowling has become sort of a second nature to us, and we don’t really need to think about bowling while we bowl. It makes it easy to just do what comes naturally and bowl well.”

Some teams like to get rituals going so that they can get in a rhythm. Northside has a rather unique ritual. The entire team always goes to the bathroom before every match.

Every team is allowed practice time before each match, so they can perform their best during the match. The Northside bowlers use this time to focus on their shot and see how their ball reacts to the oil pattern on the floor.

“The practice time is useful for us,” said Kerrigan. “We look at the way our ball reacts to the oil on that particular lane and we try to figure out where we need to stand and throw the ball by the time the match starts.”

They do not just go to matches and compete though. The girls practice once a week on Thursdays; however, a lot of them practice on their own as well. This makes it a very easy to remember schedule, as all their matches are on Tuesdays at Habetler Bowl, 5250 North Northwest Highway, so they know what they are doing depending on what day of the week it is.

Northside went to the City Championship Playoffs on February 1 and sectionals on February 4.