Mr. Mather`s - Northside College Prep High School

Northside College Preparatory High School
Vol. 6 No. 9
The
May 2005
HoofBeat
Page 15
News
pages 2-4
• Northside Bleeds Again
• Acadec’s New Recruits
Features
pages 6-7
• Fight Club Debuts
•AP Tests Around the
Corner
• Northsiders Excel at PSAE
Centerfold
pages 8-9
• Environmentally Friendly
Volunteer Opportunities
• CASE Club Update
Editorial
pages 10-11
•The Good Life: Illini Lost
Arts & Entertainment pages 12-13
•Portable Playstation
Debuts
Sports
pages 14-16
• Chicago Bulls: A Magical
Transformation Back to the
Jordan Days
• Women’s Varsity Starts
New Season
Page 16
Cheerful
Chicks
Winter
Sports
Banquet
Cubby Walk in a Non-AP Week
New Cubby Walk Prizes Hope to Draw More Students
by Navidur Rahim
On May 27th, Northside students will walk five miles to Wrigley
Field to watch the Cubs take on the
Colorado Rockies for Northside’s
annual Cubby Walk fundraiser.
In previous years, funds from the
Cubby Walk have been used to purchase the soccer field bleachers, fine
arts supplies, print audit programs,
and other helpful accessories for
the school. This year’s Cubby Walk
promises to bring more fun and
more expensive prizes.
Mr. Neil Koreman, Physics teacher, and Mr. Christopher
Pagani, Special Education teacher,
are in charge of this year’s Cubby
Walk while Dr. Kathleen Kennedy,
parent, is in charge of the pledges.
They have been working hard together to make this the best Cubby
Walk in the history of Northside.
The ticket prices for the Cubby
Walk have been raised from $10 to
$20, but any students who pay $50
will get a ticket. When the tickets
cost ten dollars each, the school
almost fell short of their goal. So,
it was changed this year in order
to comply with the goal of raising $25,000 for the school. The
administration highly recommends
that students turn in $ 50 to get a
free ticket rather than just pay $ 20.
Unlike last year, students who pay
$ 20 will not be guaranteed a ticket.
They also recommend that students
turn in pledge sheets and permission slips as fast as possible since
there are only 630 tickets available
for students, and they are selling
very fast.
“I think that Cubby Walk is a
good way to raise money and have
fun at the same time,” said Gilberto
Fuentes, Adv. 501.
One of the major changes this
Northside students cheer enthusiastically for Mr. Koreman during the Cubby Walk pep rally.
Photo by Katie Schuering
year is the publicity. Northside
never had much publicity for its
biggest student fundraiser event.
This year, Mr. Koreman decided
to have two pep rallies instead of
only one. Mr. Koreman and Mr.
Pagani posted signs, such as “I
want mine” and “I got mine,” that
raised many questions among the
students. Unlike last year, most of
the information about the Cubby
Walk is already posted up on the
Web leaving the advisory teachers worry free. Students also will
not have to bother their advisory
teacher with any permission slips or
the money since they will have to
be submitted in the main office. The
biggest change is that the prizes are
more attractive and will play a big
role in compelling students to bring
in more money.
The organizers decided to make
the Cubby Walk memorable for the
seniors with an array of different
prizes. The senior who raises the
most money will win a $295 value
first prize. The first prize includes
Mr. Mather’s “Road Less
Traveled”
Mr. Mather Leaves Northside to
Become Principal at Lindblom
by Aliy Markowski
After six years of hard
work and dedication at
Northside, former assistant
principal Alan Mather has
now taken the role of Principal at Chicago’s newest
selective enrollment high
school, Lindblom Math
and Science Academy, set
to open next year.
“I came on with Dr.
Lalley in hopes that I
could learn how to be
a principal,” said Mr.
Mather. “It is thrilling to
take over a new school.”
Mr. Mather was asked
to apply for the position
in December 2004. After
submitting his resume and Mr. Alan Mather packs and checks a few last details before
departing from Northside.
cover letter, completing
Photo by
two interviews before a
nine-member commit“It was really difficult to leave Northside because
tee, and taking part in a community forum with
it is such a wonderful place, but this will be my
three other selected finalists, Mr. Mather got the
own ‘road less traveled.’”
job. As the first and only person hired thus far
Principal Dr. Lalley has worked with Mr.
at Lindblom, Mr. Mather has kept busy with
Mather since the school opened. Without Mr.
crucial preparations for the school’s opening in
Mather as Assistant Principal at Northside,
five months.
changes will undoubtedly occur in the school’s
“First, I am recruiting students, and after
administration.
that, I will hire faculties and staffs,” said Mather.
“One of the neat pieces of bringing in some“It’s exciting because I’m on the move every
one new is that person brings in his or her gifts,”
minute!”
said Mr. Mather. “I hope there are changes, not
While eager to be a leader once again in
that things are wrong, but it is good to bring in
establishing another CPS selective enrollment
people with a fresh perspective.”
high school, Mr. Mather is also saddened to say
Continued as “Mr. Mather”
goodbye to the Northside community.
pg.3
“I have very mixed emotions,” said Mather.
two prom tickets reimbursement
and a tuxedo rental from Black
Tie. The senior who raises the
second highest amount of money
will win a free tuxedo rental. Third
prize is a prom floral package that
includes a corsage and boutoniere.
Other packages seniors can choose
from include nail packages and the
honor of becoming Northside’s first
intercom “super disc jockey” and
selecting what music to play during
Continued as “Cubby Walk”
pg.4
Acadec Team
Second at
State
by Priyanka Bhagat
The Northside College Preparatory High
School Academic Decathlon Team battled it
out with archrival Whitney Young at the Illinois
State Finals on March 12, at Malcolm X College.
In a hard-fought contest, Northside’s Decathletes lost by a slim margin; the final score
was 46,280 to 42,640 in favor of Whitney Young
High School. Though the team placed second at
state, Northside’s score was amongst the highest
ranks in the nation recorded around the country,
with only ten teams around the country scoring
over 40,000 points. Northside’s achievement is
especially notable considering the team consisted
of only seven members, as opposed to the usual
nine. Northside even beat the powerhouse team
at Acton-Boxborough High School in Massachusetts, which scored 41,723 points.
“State was kind of hectic,” said Rebekah
Kim, Adv. 600. “We’d take a bunch of tests, then
rush back to the table to get some studying done.
And it didn’t help that the B-and C-team rooms
were running late.”
Despite the hectic pace, every member of
Northside’s team medaled in multiple events.
Andrew Miller, Adv. 505, and Katie Adams,
Adv. 602, placed third highest in their divisions
overall. Andrew Miller received gold medals in
Interview and Art, silver medals in Language
and Literature, Economics, Social Science, Math,
and Super Quiz, and bronze medals in Social Science and Overall Honor Division Bronze Medal.
Katie Cobb, Adv. 503, received a gold medal
in interview and silver medals in Speech, Art,
and Super Quiz. Aidan Roche, Adv. 501, scored
bronze medals in Speech and Mathematics.
Rebekah Kim took home silver medals in Essay
and Super Quiz, while receiving Bronze medals
in Art and Mathematics. Geoffrey Kriston, Adv.
Continued as “Acadec”
pg. 4
Page News
Northside’s Math Team’s
Computing Their Way to Victory
by Anisa Isap and Amania Wahid
in the Illinois Council of Teachers of
Team because there is such a great sense
With the addition of more talented
Mathematics Competition (ICTM) at
of accomplishment after completing
students, extensive drilling and practice,
the University of Illinois at Urbanaa problem. I’m also able to strengthen
Northside’s Math Team has consistently
Champaign on Saturday, April 30.
weaknesses that are not addressed in
proven their aptitude, in countless math“We have drastically improved as a
class.”
ematics competitions from the national
team this year, especially with the many
However, the team is not without
American Mathematics Contest (AMC)
talented freshmen that have joined,”
faults and continues to practice dilito the Citywide Chicago Mathematic
said Candice Gant, Adv. 602, who is the
gently in order to improve teamwork
League (CCML) competition. Mitchell
co-president of the Math Team along
and scores, meeting every Thursday
Isoda, Adv. 607, showing continual
after school. Teamwork is, on the whole,
development as a competitor for the past with Andrew Miller. “This is the first
more important this time
three years, set a record
around because Northside
for the highest score at
will be competing in an adNorthside, 130 points, in
ditional event, the relay races.
the AMC.
During a relay race, each of
After a challenging
the four team members is
sixth round where Angiven a question, which if
drew Miller, Adv. 505;
answered correctly, aids in the
John Mussman, Adv.
completion of another team806; and Adam Swiatmate’s question. Thus, the
lowski, Adv. 809, were
joint effort of each individual
among the high scorers,
in the team is a significant
Northside qualified for
factor in the overall placement
the CCML finals at the
of the team.
Illinois Institute of Tech“I think we have improved
nology, which took place
this year because people have
on Saturday, April 16.
dedicated more time and efThe results were
fort to the team,” said Paula
illustrious of their excelDaniliuc. “Expectations have
lent season. Northside
(From left to right) Max Swiatlowski, Adv. 603, Ilya Chalik, Adv.
been raised for the Algebra II
placed fourth in the
603, and Paul Koukouvanis practice for the relay portion of
team in particular because we
overall team standings.
the competition, hoping to achieve maximum points by
have had some trouble in preThe eight-person freshen cutting their time down to three minutes.
vious competitions. It’s hard
and sophomore team
Photo by Anisa Isap
because everyone is involved
established a first place
year that we have qualified as a team for
in so many other extracurricular activistanding, with a commanding lead of
the ICTM.”
ties, but members have been good about
25 points over their nearest opponents,
Although placing high in competiattending practices and that has really
Whitney Young and Lincoln Park High
tions is something the team is looking
helped us overall.”
School. The junior senior team faired
forward to, it’s not their main goal.
The Math Team will continue to
almost as well, tying for second place
Improving individual weaknesses is just
compete in regional, state, and national
with Lincoln Park.
as, if not more, important.
competitions throughout the year. HowScores at the final meet also
“My goal is to give them the opporever, the team expects results from the
determined the city champion in each
tunity to learn and explore mathematICTM finals to be especially rewarding
individual area of competition and Harics,” said Mrs. Elizabeth Tomasiewicz,
and it is currently their main focus.
old Jaffe, Adv. 802, was selected as the
“I think we are going to do really
Algebra 1 in Progress champion. He and the sponsor and mentor for the Math
Team. “Meeting students from other
well,” said Paul Koukouvanis, Adv. 600.
Adam Swiatlowski also placed first and
schools and continuing to expand their
“In fact, we can win first place. We work
second, respectively, in the Algebra 1
better as a team and there are only a few
Accelerated contests while Khanh Than, mathematics skills are important.”
“I am really excited about the finals
teams that have beaten us in previous
Adv. 701, placed second in the Algebra 2
in Urbana,” said Paula Daniliuc, Adv.
competitions. We’re ready for them
Accelerated contest.
701. “I enjoy being a part of the Math
now.”
The team will also be competing
Anonymous Heroes
Northside’s Second Blood Drive 2005 a Success
by Anisa Isap and Amania
Wahid
Almost 100 students aided
Northside’s commitment to
replenish the community’s
blood supply by queuing up
to donate blood on Thursday,
March 17. This was Student
Council’s second blood drive
this school year and was as
equally successful as the first
drive in December, yielding
only a few pints less. The blood
was donated to Life Source,
an organization that services
counties in Illinois.
“Our goal was to keep people interested in giving back to
the community,” said Andres
Torres, Adv. 504, who along
with the rest of the senior class
student council was instrumental in overseeing the successful
organization and operation of
the blood drive. “A lot more
people signed up than were
actually able to donate because
some had low iron. The sign up (From front to back) Riscarte Bayon, Adv. 606, and Maya Ripecky, Adv. 506, try to
process went quicker this time relax as they donate blood.
too because the students were Photo by Anisa Isap
needles, donated blood for the first time in March.
very enthusiastic. It was nice
“I donated blood in December, but was rejected this time
to see the growth of support and enthusiasm in the past few
because I had an iron level that was .52 less than before,” said
months.”
Sophie Cohen, Adv. 507, referencing the mini-physical given
Out of the 60% of the population that is medically eligible
to potential donors where temperature, pulse, blood pressure,
to donate blood, only 5% actually do so. As a result, the
and iron-levels are checked. “More people were interested in
community is always in need of healthy donors to ensure a
the second drive because the first time is scary, but after that
sustained blood supply. Considering that high school and colit’s a lot easier.”
lege students provide over 15 percent of all blood donated in
This year, because Northside hosted two blood drives,
this region, Northside and other high schools that host blood
Northside is eligible to win valuable scholarship money in the
drives are vital in making the community blood program a
annual LifeSource High School Scholarship Program. The
success. When the 2003-2004 school year came to a close, all
program aims to introduce and educate future blood donors
of the high schools that held blood drives provided 12,381
in the community about the regional blood programs. Last
total units of blood that benefited, among others, cancer and
year, fifteen high schools within three different divisions won
leukemia patients and trauma and burn victims.
scholarship prizes totaling $12,000. Whether or not Northside
“Seeing that one unit of blood can save the lives of three
will continue to run two annual blood drives, however, is up to
people, it’s definitely worth the moment of discomfort,” said
the current junior class because, traditionally, the senior class
Riscarte Bayon, Adv. 606, who, although apprehensive about
The Hoof Beat
Northside College
Prep High School
5501 N. Kedzie
Chicago, IL 60625
Tel: (773) 534-3954
Fax: (773) 534-3964
Principal: Dr. James Lalley
Assistant Principal: Mr. Alan Mather
Advisor: Mr. Chester Tylinski
Editors-In-Chief: Gathi Abraham,
Habib Bilfaqi, Michael Good
Editors
Managing Editor: Saad Ahsan
News Editors: Navidur Rahim, Alan Vuong
Features Editors: Ilya Chalik, Zainab Sozzer
Centerfold Editors: Anisa Isap, Monica
Wojcik
Arts and Entertainment Editors:
Leo Bassett, Priyanka Bhagat
Sports Editors: Asrar Khan, Idrees Mohiuddin
Image Editors: Shoaib Khan, Sasha Letchinger, Katie Schuering
Commentary: Michael Good
Satire: Sasha Letchinger, Navidur Rahim
Artist: Anthe Mitrakos
Web Page Staff
Editors-In-Chief: Mark Spreitzer, Sonam
Velani
Assistant Editor-In-Chief: Kirby Inlong
Web Layout and Photo Editor: Tanya
Kachentawa
Web Managing Editors: Gabrielle Emanuel,
Sana Khan
News Editor: Polina Dekhtyar
Features and Specials Editor: Gabrielle
Emanuel
Arts and Entertainment Editor: Sarah
Sharief
Sports Editor: Kesha Marie Butler
Copy Editor: Lorena Espino
Staff:
Business Manager: Syyeda Ali
Reporters: Ashraf Abbas, Geethi Abraham,
Neha Alam, Sanja Bajgoric, Damon Beres,
Rodje Estrada, Zenobia Gonsalves, Muamera
Hadzic, Aimee Hoffman, Farihah Khandaker, My-Phuong Ly, Alex Markowski, Anthe
Mitrakos, Ajla Sunje, Micah Tepora, Aisha
Wahid, Amania Wahid
Junior Reporters: Natalia Emanuel and
Sarah Hanif
The Hoof Beat is a monthly publication produced by the Northside Journalism Class. As
a student-run newspaper, your opinions are
important to us. If you have any comments,
corrections, critiques, or questions, please
e-mail Mr. Chester Tylinski at ctylinski@nort
hsideprep.org.
receives the responsibility of managing the blood drives.
“Obviously we had more blood with two drives,” said Andres Torres. “However, the greatest success was the emphasis
placed on the importance of donating blood and support and
enthusiasm that the two drives instilled in people.”
Northside acquired approximately 12 gallons of blood
when about three gallons of blood supports the entire nation’s
blood needs for only a minute. Without life saving blood transfusions, 4.5 million Americans would die each year and it is
estimated that every three seconds an individual needs blood.
Accordingly, officials strongly encourage everyone to continually donate blood at donor centers throughout the year.
May 2005
News
Page He’s Just that Good!
Mr. Tylinski Wins the “Illinois Latin Teacher of the Year” Award
by Ashraf Abbas
Teaching high school students is tough, but teaching
Latin students is joyful for
Mr. Chester Tylinski, Latin
teacher at Northside, whose
love for Latin was greeted
with the “Illinois Latin
Teacher of the Year” award.
This award came to him as
he was cheering on his Latin
students at the Illinois Junior
Classical League Convention,
which took place in March.
Northside students
had already dominated the
convention in many of the
events, as they have for the
past four years. So when it
came time to announce the
winner of the award, Mr.
Tylinski was not surprised
at all.
“I was just working with
my Latin students,” said Mr.
Tylinski, “[but winning the
award] wasn’t surprising,
giving that [Northside’s] won
the state championship four
straight years.”
It is true that Northside
has, for the last four years,
left its mark on most of the
Convention’s events. This
year, unlike the others, came
a great award, one that not
only gives the teacher confidence, but the entire school
as well.
“[The award] certainly
reflects an excellent Latin
program and all that comes
with it,” said Mr. Tylinski.
And this is not an exaggeration. Mr. Tylinski has
kept his Latin students in
tip-top shape all through-
out the year in many ways,
one of them being through
Northside’s Latin Club. The
Club boasts a membership of
many of Northside’s Latin
students who are more than
eager to go farther in Latin.
As expected, most of the
time spent in the club goes
toward practicing for upcoming competitions, whether it
is through testing or lecture.
The club also has board
meetings and democratically
elects their leaders. All of this
is run under the sponsorship
and supervision of Mr. Tylinski—which so far has proved
nothing short of successful.
“He is incredibly dedicated to his students,” said
Kavinda Wewegama, Adv
707, “He stays after-school
a lot to help us prepare for
competitions. That’s why
we perform well at most of
them.”
Coming from the state,
this award reflects the outstanding teaching practice
that Mr. Tylinski has turned
into a habit. As an afterthought it also shows many
of his students that they are
lucky to have him as a teacher. Furthermore, it shows to
the entire student body how
deserving he is.
“I really like his teaching of Latin,” said David
Velasco, Adv. 700. , “I’ve
never learned in the way that
Mr. Tylinski teaches—it’s a
nice break from what I am
used to.”
When it comes down to
it, all Mr. Tylinski wishes of his
students is that they
enjoy Latin. The
process of learning
Latin is a little bit
different from the
process one goes
through to learn other languages. Along
with the language,
one can come out
with an understanding of the history,
the theology, and
the mythology that
ties into Roman history and culture—all
of which make the
language much
more satisfying for
the student. It’s the
fruits of this that the
teacher enjoys.
“I want my
students to develop
an appreciation
of learning and
an appreciation of
learning a bit of
An award as prestigious as the Latin Teacher of the Year Award deserves more than one read
everything,” said
over, as Mr.Tylinski is happy to allow.
Mr. Tylinski.
Photo by Ashraf Abbas
Such great
passion for the
Latin as his course of study.
ognized for all the hard work
competitions and won high
language and what it had in
This led him to where he is
and dedication he puts in for
awards and distinguished
store did not take long for
today, a distinguished teacher his students.”
placements in both city and
Mr. Tylinski to discover. In
of Latin at a distinguished
Mr. Tylinski also teaches
state categories.
fact, it all started in his high
high school.
Journalism to a good number
It is without question
school years. He noticed
“I cannot imagine a
of Northside students. Every
that Mr. Tylinski deserves the
that his friend was receiving
teacher more deserving of
Monday and Thursday after
award. He has worked hard
a wonderful literal educathis award than Mr. Tylinschool he assists students
to come to where he is now,
tion—of which most credit
ski,” said Gathi Abraham,
in their writing and comand it seems as if the award
was due to his knowledge of
Adv. 500. “He’s been an
pletes the final edits for the
is his proof. Not only is he
Latin. So, when it came time
extraordinary mentor for me
article. Under his superviNorthside’s only Latin teachfor college, Mr. Tylinski did
the past four years, and I am
sion, Northside’s Journalism
er, but he is also the state’s
not even hesitate to choose
glad that he was finally recstudents have gone to many
best, and that says a lot.
Mr. Mather
Continued from page 1
Mr. Mather holds a sculpture given to him by one of the art classes as a gift.
Photo by Katie Schuering
As soon as Mr. Mather was
appointed Principal at Lindblom,
the Northside advertised for a new
assistant principal. The school received over sixty applications for the
position. After close consideration
of all of the applicants and interviews with six finalists, Dr. Lalley
made the decision to appoint Lisa
Moreno, who has been LAUNCH
Principal at Northside since August
2004, to Assistant Principal.
Dr. Lalley is confident that Lisa
Moreno be a positive addition to
Northside’s administration.
“I have been impressed with her
energy, enthusiasm, and expertise,”
said Dr. Lalley. “It is my hope that
the new assistant principal [Lisa
Moreno] will help continue the
ongoing striving for excellence that
has characterized this school since
its inception.”
Students will certainly experi-
ence the loss of Mr. Mather’s presence at Northside in the future.
“It is sad that the morning announcements won’t be as enthusiastic,” said Natalie Bennett, Adv.
702. “And who will ride around on
a unicycle on Halloween?”
The swiftness of Mr. Mather’s
departure surprised many Northside students who were surprised to
see him go.
“I never expected Mr. Mather to
have to leave so soon,” said Jenna
Witkowski, Adv. 705. “He was
gone only a few weeks after the announcement was made.”
Many underclassmen felt their
time with Mr. Mather may have
been cut short.
“As a freshman, I felt I really
didn’t get a chance to know Mr.
Mather,” said Maggie O’Connell,
Adv. 807. “That disappoints me, but
I’m hoping I’ll have the opportunity
with the new Assistant Principal.”
Although disappointed with the
loss, most Northsiders are supportive of Mr. Mather’s decision to
move to Lindblom.
“We’ll miss Mr. Mather here at
Northside,” said Rachel Wenzel,
Adv. 505. “But I’m sure he’ll be
a great leader at Lindblom Academy.”
As Principal, Mr. Mather
intends to introduce to Lindblom
the lessons he has learned from his
experience at Northside.
“The most important thing I
think I bring from Northside is a
sense of personalism that exists
between adults and students in
the building,” said Mather. “I love
the feel of the place. Relationships
here among people are rare, truly
special.”
Mr. Mather started his work
with the Chicago Public Schools
nineteen years ago as a teacher at
Farragut High School. At the time,
principals were not even able to hire
their own teachers.
“I was told by someone at central office that I could start the second Monday after school started,”
said Mather. “I had never met with
or talked to anyone at the school. It
was a strange way to steer a ship.”
The CPS has gone through
many changes since then, including
the advent of the selective enrollment high schools. The selective
schools, among them Walter
Payton, Whitney Young, Jones,
and Northside College Prep, have
proven largely successful, as demonstrated through college admissions
and enormous student interest.
“I am so pleased that there are
so many options for students with
selective enrollment schools being
just one of the choices, and having
choices within the selective enrollment schools,” said Mather. “We
should have schools that teach to
different learners’ strengths.”
Mr. Mather has high hopes for
Lindblom as the only math and science academy among the selective
enrollment high schools.
“I am not sure how or if Lindblom will compare to Northside, and
in what way,” said Mather. “I think
we do too much comparing and
contrasting of schools.”
Mr. Mather would prefer that
the school stand apart as a unique
addition to the Chicago Public
School system, rather than a duplicate of other CPS schools that
already exist.
“Students should find a school
that fits him or her best and go
there,” said Mr. Mather. “We
should not be ‘like’ Northside or
Young or Brooks or any other
school. We should be our own
based on the interests and talents of
those who are here.”
Despite the fervent efforts that
Mr. Mather is making to lead Lindblom in a strong start, he is now
encountering many of the inevitable
obstacles that come with opening a new school. Before Mather
was appointed Principal on March
11th, no efforts had been made to
begin recruiting students to attend
Lindblom next fall. Lindblom was
listed on the selective enrollment
application, but few students were
aware of the new school. Now, Mr.
Mather has had several forums for
prospective students and parents, at
locations such as Kellogg, Haines,
and Simeon elementary schools.
“I am recruiting… and recruiting hard,” said Mr. Mather.
At this point, however, only
twenty-five students are currently
enrolled for next year’s freshman
class at Lindblom, which is far less
than the 150-student goal. Mather
also faces the issue of locating a
selective enrollment school in West
Englewood, a neighborhood which
has been stained by violence for
over twenty years. This concern has
sparked much controversy as critics
believe the risks of locating a new
school in one of Chicago’s tougher
neighborhoods may outweigh the
school’s purpose. Mather believes,
however, that students will come to
Lindblom despite the location.
“If you build a great school,
they will come,” said Mr. Mather.
“There are any number of schools
that are in rough neighborhoods
and that thrive.”
Mr. Mather intends to focus on
integrating the school into the community as a valuable addition rather
than a secluded institution.
“The real need is that the neighborhood is included in some way in
the school,” said Mr. Mather. “We
do not want to be a walled oasis.
We want to be part of the community.”
As Lindblom Math and Science
Academy’s opening quickly approaches in the coming months, Mr.
Mather will continue to toil with
his new responsibilities as Principal. Meanwhile, Northside will say
farewell to an integral part of the
Northside community.
Page News
Northside’s New Acadec Makeover
The Hoof Beat
The Changing Faces of The Northside Academic Decathlon Team
New Acadec recruits (from left to right) Aubrey Cunat, Adv. 706, Alexandra Kriston, Adv. 807, Minhal
Baig, Adv. 807, and Mary Ellen Matthews, Adv. 805, try to solve their first economics problem.
Photo by Neha Alam
by Priyanka Bhagat
Northside’s Academic Decathlon has already begun to rebuild
and gear up for the next season.
Next year’s team will face the
difficult challenge of re-building.
Andrew Miller, Adv. 505, Katie
Cobb, Adv. 503, Gathi Abraham,
Adv. 500, Aidan Roche, 501, along
with Varsity member Katie Adams,
Adv. 602, will be graduating.
“Acadec was the defining experience of my high school years,”
said veteran Andrew Miller.
Also new to the team will be
Coaches Mr. Johan Tabora and Ms.
Martha Mulligan. They will replace
Mr. John Hahm, who will take a
pause from coaching to prepare for
his National Board Certification.
“No one leaves a fourteen-year
coaching experience without great
sadness,” said Coach Hahm. “The
jewel in the crown of all fourteen
years has been coaching the Northside team for the past six years.
Each year has been a miracle in its
own way.”
In 2000, Mr. Hahm led an all-
freshmen team to State. In 2001,
that same team leaped from eighth
place to fourth at State. In 2002,
the largely freshmen Acadec team
leaped from fourth to second place
at State. The crescendo came in
2003, when the Acadec team not
only won the State Championship
but the Division III National Championship in Erie, Pennsylvania.
“Northside will rise and repeat
this achievement,” said Coach
Hahm.
Ironically, the 2004 team actu-
Acadec
Cubby Walk
501, received a gold medal in Music and silver
medals in Mathematics. Cassandra Boykin,
Adv. 603, received a gold medal in Interview,
silver medal in Super Quiz, and bronze medals in Art and Language and Literature. Katie
Adams was awarded with gold medals in the
Essay and Interview. She also received bronze
medals in Music and Art, and was awarded
with the Bronze Overall Varsity Medal.
“Around the country, scores reported in
the Mathematics and Social Science events
took a plunge from previous years, indicating
that this year’s competition was more difficult
than in previous years,” said Coach Hahm.
“These factors, coupled with the team’s most
difficult rebuilding season ever, make it understandable that our 2005 final score was our
lowest since 2001.”
Northside’s Acadec Team faced crucial
recruiting difficulties in the re-building year.
Every Acadec team consists of three divisions: the Honor team, comprised of three
A-average students, the Scholastic, comprised
of three B-average students, and the Varsity
team, also known as the “C” team. The
Acadec team started the year with only 1/3 of
its B team and lost its entire C team after the
2004 Commencement. Usually, the highest
two scores from each division count towards
the team score, with the third player becoming an alternate. But Northside only had two
members on its B and C team.
“We couldn’t be prouder and happier with
our team score, and in particular with the
outstanding contributions of first-timers Cassandra Boykin and Katie Adams, who really
gave us their all,” said Coach Hahm. “They
were our entire Varsity Division, and they had
no back-up because of the unfilled position in
that division.”
First time Scholastic player Geoffrey
Kriston, who was re-positioned from the
Varsity to the Scholastic Division, amply
supported practiced Scholastic competitor
Rebekah Kim. Acadec’s stalwart Honor team
of co-captains Andrew Miller and Katie Cobb
and co-reservists Gathi Abraham, Adv. 500,
and Aidan Roche turned in some of their
finest performances of their long careers with
the team.
“It was the perfect end to four years of
great fun and great friendship,” said Veteran
Andrew Miller, Adv. 505.
the passing periods for a week.
Although the juniors will not be getting
any prom deals, one will receive something
that he or she can use for all of senior year.
The junior who raises the most money will
get his or her own reserved parking space. He
or she will still have to pay for the parking
permit, but the person can get the closest
parking spot to the school.
The current juniors will also have to
spend a lot of time in the counseling office
dealing with colleges when they are seniors,
so the counseling office decided to offer
prizes for the incoming seniors to make their
life a little easier. For the second highest moneymaking junior, the counseling department
will provide a senior year survival guide,
which includes a standardized test preparation package. The third highest money-raising
junior will get his or her print audit package
tripled so that they can print all of their college applications for free. The fourth prize
may seem like a joke to many juniors, but it
is a front row ticket to Physics teacher Mr.
Nathan Harada’s concert recital. Most of
the other prizes for the juniors are still being
decided upon.
The current sophomores are getting
variety of different deals. Since Northside
students will not have off-campus lunch next
year, their first prize will include a line-jumping pass for lunch line. The winner will not
have to wait in line at all, but will be able to
cut other students and get the food while it is
still hot. The second prize is an elevator pass,
which the sophomore can use in any way
he or she wants. The third-prize winner will
receive double the normal value in his or her
print audit account. Finally, the fourth prize
is a surprise from the counseling department.
Of all the classes, the freshmen are getting
some of the best deals in the school. The topearning freshmen will have his or her reserved
locker. He or she will be able to choose any
locker location and not have to share it with
anybody. The freshmen who collects the
second most amount of money will receive a
“Super-Summer Survival Kit.”
“It [the survival kit] will make you the
most popular kids on the block,” said Mr.
Koreman. “It will also make you the hottest
sophomore in school.”
The third-prize freshman winner will
get an outstanding wardrobe improvement
Continued from page 1
ally out-performed its 2003 counterpart by a huge margin but placed
second in the State Competition.
This year, even after being hobbled
by the strains of re-building, the
Acadec team racked up one of the
highest scores in the nation and
received an honorable second-place
finish at state.
“I could not be prouder of the
team,” said Mr. Hahm. “It has been
an honor to coach this team. I want
to thank Dr. Lalley for allowing me
to coach this team and the brilliant and generous teachers who’ve
helped us over the years.”
Those that have helped school’s
Acadec team include Ms. Horn,
Ms. Runkel, and Ms. Tomasiewicz
for helping the team with math,
Mrs. Cobb, Mrs. Beris, and Mrs.
Treger for speech instruction, and
Mr. Devine for ancient engineers.
Northside’s Academic Decathlon team not only values winning,
but also moral values such as sportsmanship.
“If I can point to any personal
contribution I’ve made to the team,
let it be that I’ve tried to instill a
much needed humility and sportsmanship into a competition which
often lacked those qualities when
I started coaching,” said Coach
Hahm. “I’ve tried to inculcate a
new leadership style of genuine
consensus building and shared
decision-making, along with the
expected intensity of training and
serious competitiveness that go
along with any game.”
Mr. Hahm will be working with
training the new prospects, and
preparing the team through the end
of the school year. The end of the
year marks a smooth transition with
Mr. Tabora and Ms. Mulligan as
coaches.
Next year’s Acadec team faces
the challenges that this year’s team
successfully tackled.
“The transition period will have
a few challenges but none too big
to conquer and master,” said Mr.
Tabora. “The biggest challenge is
recruiting, recruiting and recruiting.
We need motivated and intellectually curious students who want to
explore a wide variety of academic
and non-academic areas.”
The team also faces the challenge of forming a cohesive team
who genuinely likes each other.
“It is going to be difficult to find
people who can replace the seniors
because they were really amazing,”
said Ms. Mulligan. “And at Northside, it is really hard to find B-and
C-teamers because almost everyone
does well in their classes.”
The aim is to complete the
recruiting and team building by
the end of the year, so the team
members can put all their energy
into training over the summer and
throughout the school-year.
“Although my experience with
Acadec has only started, I must
say that it is thoroughly exciting,”
said prospective A-team member
Minhal Baig, Adv. 807. “Acadec
definitely opens your mind to new
things. Some people may call it
nerdy, but it is amazing to be able to
learn things you may not learn in a
classroom. The Acadec experience
is definitely an enlightening one.”
The team is planning some fun
team-building activities to do over
the summer as well.
“We will be studying and
preparing for the upcoming year’s
competitions, but we will also do
some activities so that the new team
members will get to know each
other,” said Ms. Mulligan.
Continued from page 1
Mr. David Vanoni discusses the great opportunities that students can enjoy for
participating in the Cubby Walk.
Photo by Katie Schuering
kit, which can be used even in college. The
wardrobe package will include some brand
new, high- quality, functional, practical attire
for the freshmen to use. The fourth prize
Northside’s Field Day package will include
free tickets, a T-shirt, free lunch, a line jumping pass and much more.
There are many other prizes available to
give out. The top ten money-raising students
will have their seat at the Cubs game reserved.
Other students will have a chance to win
other prizes, such as gift cards, jerseys, and
movie passes, in the early bird bonus raffle.
New this year are the faculty-sponsored
prizes. Winners of these can get a free fishing
lesson from Mr. Tylinski, Latin and Journalism teacher, free bike tour from Mr. Tabora,
Science teacher, a rock song written specially
for the winner from Ms. Michell, English
teacher, a free home-cooked breakfast from
Ms. Malueg, English teacher, or a gourmet
lunch in the cafeteria.
This year, students who decide not to
participate in the Cubby Walk will not have
as much fun as they did in the previous years.
Those students will have to sit quietly in the
auditorium where they are not allowed to eat
or drink. They will not be allowed to sit next
to their friends or listen to music. They will
not even be able to wonder around the school,
as the whole school will be shutdown. They
will have to wait in line to use the bathroom
because bathroom passes will be issued one at
a time by gender. Still, there are students who
would stay in school rather than enjoy an outof-school field trip.
“I am a Sox fan,” said Juan Rodriguez,
Adv. 808. “Fifty dollars is way too expensive
for a game. I would rather stay here and
enjoy.”
Some students would do anything to get
out of school.
“The other alternative to the Cubby Walk
is pretty undesirable,” said Andrew Costello,
Adv. 508. “Beside, it’s the Cubs. How can I
not go?”
“I want to hang out with friends,” said
Ona Wang, Adv. 811. “I also want to have fun
and raise money for the school.”
The Cubby walk fundraiser is just not
about the money. It’s about having fun with
best friends on a sunny day. It’s about being
part of the history when the Cubs fight to
make it to the World Series. The Cubby Walk
is the only chance for many students to get
out of homework and school, and it’s the only
legal way to ditch school for one day and get
rewarded.
Page Features
a CHIlly, CApricious
GOlem
April Showers Turn City Sour
by Ilya Chalik
Having finally settled upon a column title, I was inspired
to write something grand about this city. Just so you know, a
golem is a man-made mythical creature that was supernaturally given the forces of life. Oh well, I thought it was fitting,
for the spirited city that is Chicago. And the something
grand that I wanted to write about was Harold Washington,
the legendary mayor of this city from April 12, 1983 until
his untimely death on November 25, 1987.
Any Chicagoan can tell you that Harold Washington
was the first black mayor of the city and that the city’s
central library is named after him. Yet few can tell you who
the man was, and how he became mayor in a city that is still
very much racially divided.
A true Chicagoan, Washington was born in 1922, fittingly in Cook County Hospital. After being engaged in the
Pacific Theater in World War II, he attended Roosevelt College, and then law school at Northwestern University. Before
becoming mayor, he rose through the ranks of political
offices, which included Illinois
State Representative, Senator, and U.S. Congressman.
After running unsuccessfully for mayor in 1977, after
the death of Mayor Richard
J. Daley, Washington ran
again in 1983. He was able to
win the Democratic primary
elections with 36 percent of
the vote because the white vote
was divided between Jane Byrne
and Richard M. Daley and other
candidates, while he received
nearly all of the black vote, as well
as the vote of the liberal lakefront
wards. After a very nasty and racially
discordant campaign on the opposing
Republican side, Washington managed
to win the mayoral election with 52 percent of the vote. Throughout his campaign
and terms in office Washington strived for
major reforms and a policy of racial integration and cooperation.
“In our ethnic and racial diversity, we
are all brothers and sisters in a quest for
greatness,” said Harold Washington in his
first inaugural address. “Our creativity and
energy are unequaled by any city anywhere in
the world. We will not rest until the renewal of our City is
done.”
As the chief executive of Chicago, Washington believed
in the city and wanted to make it better. Yet, from the start,
his administration was bogged down in budget issues, as
well as great opposition in the City Council lead by Edward
Vrdolyak; this resulted in much of his progressive agenda
being blocked in a period dubbed as the “Council Wars.”
However, he did manage to increase racial diversity in the
city government and end city patronage. He did this by
creating the Ethics Commission and an executive order to
by Zenobia Gonsalves
increase minority business contracts. He tried to decrease
corruption in city, opening the city government and budget
to greater input from its citizens especially the Freedom of
Information Executive Order. Ward redistricting helped
minorities gain more representation in the City Council and
helped reduce some of the opposition against him. He also
worked to bring development to the neighborhoods outside
of the downtown area. On another note, he was active in
the fight for a Martin Luther King Holiday in Illinois.
Although reelected in 1987, his second term was cut
short. Washington died of a heart attack in his City Hall
office and was buried in Oak Woods Cemetery on the South
Side. Thousands turned out to pay last respects to him
in City Hall and weep for the celebrated mayor who had
finally emerged out of the din of racial strife.
One of the most important things Washington left
behind was his legacy. Although nowadays there is a Harold
Washington Library, College, Park, and other facilities, Harold Washington brought the city a
hope for a popular and progressive
government that was multiracial
and against discrimination. He
helped pave the way for politicians like Barrack Obama and
other minority candidates for
political office. The dreams
he had for Chicago and the
practical methods he tried to
enact should serve to remind
Chicagoans that corruption
should not be looked at as a
fact of life, but something to be
tackled.
Now I’m not claiming that
the current city government
(which includes the mayor, City
Council, and various city agencies)
is corrupt, but a little look at the
status quo of the city reveals some
grisly realities: both the transportation
and the education systems have a dire
lack of funds. These hold the backbone
of our city and deserve the millions
of dollars of local taxpayers’ money
– however not at the cost of oiling a corrupt and extensive bureaucracy.
We, as a city, need to reexamine how we
spend money – budget deficits should not face our vital systems, as investments are necessary if Chicago is to remain a
world-class city. We need to appeal en masse to the government in Springfield and remind them how vital Chicago
is to the state of Illinois. I mean, without this city, Illinois
would just be another Iowa or Indiana. For the sake of the
standard of living in this state, and this city, we as Chicagoans need to do something about it. We need to fight the
Great Battle of corruption and bureaucratic inefficiency! In
the spirit of Harold Washington, let’s not take these budget
crises sitting down!
The Hoof Beat
A Taste of
College Without
the Expense
College Bridge
Program Draws Crowd
by Shoaib Khan
College Bridge is one of the ways Northside students can
get ahead in their college careers, while still in high school.
Over the years many students from Northside have participated in College Bridge classes to gain access to advanced or
college-level classes or just to experience college life.
College Bridge is a program, offered by many prominent
colleges in the Chicagoland area, in which students participate
in real college classes. The students in this program have the
opportunity to experience the college atmosphere.
The program consists of students applying to certain colleges via a straightforward application process. Some colleges
require a teacher and/or counselor recommendation and
sometimes an essay from students addressing their interests in
the College Bridge program.
One of the best advantages is students will either receive
college credit, or sometimes even high school credit, for taking
the summer class.
“I would recommend that students who are interested
in taking College Bridge to start applying early,” said Nancy
Cheng, Adv. 601. “College Bridge is a great experience that no
one should be missing out on.”
Another benefit from College Bridge is that students do
not have to pay for attending classes. The cost for classes varies for each college depending on their standards. Moreover,
the program offers refunds for the books necessary for the
class.
“College Bridge was a great way to get the college experience at no cost towards me,” said Arman Butt, Adv. 501.
Some of the many colleges that offer the College Bridge
program are Loyola University, Northeastern Illinois University, Northwestern University, Roosevelt University, University
of Illinois at Chicago, and the University of Chicago. Each
college has a unique set of procedures to be followed from
placement tests to interviews.
“I personally had a great experience at Northwestern
University,” said Alan Vuong, Adv. 503. “I felt that I was able
to accelerate my studies in Northside while staying ahead of
the game in college.”
Many of the Summer Semester College Bridge offerings
have either passed the application deadline or are close to
the deadline. Fall Semester class postings and information is
always available in the Counseling Office.
The earliest any CPS student could apply to the College
Bridge Program is during the summer of the end of sophomore year. Some colleges have made restrictions that ongoing juniors or seniors can only apply to their College Bridge
programs.
“I think that starting College Bridge early is a great way
to get ahead in your classes,” said Sebastian Arias, Adv. 505.
“College Bridge is free and no one should be denyied the college experience.”
Usually class scheduling is available with the listing of
classes. Depending on the class, the Summer Session classes
can last anywhere from three to eight weeks. Meanwhile the
spring and fall semesters usually will meet less frequently but
timings and campuses vary according to each class and college.
Fight Club Makes Its Mark
“We should not be so proud that we fail
rules, which they follow to maintain control
Fight Club, a recent addition to Northto reach our destination, the truth,” said Mr.
during their meetings. One of the rules allows
side’s horde of clubs, does not involve any
Plencner. “So we encourage people, who are
Mr. Plencner to give a member authority to
physical violence. Rather, it is a forum for deable to cope with occasionally being wrong,
lead a debate.
bate and discussion. The club was founded by
or at least, out-argued, to join.”
The members also have an online version
Farihah Khandaker, Adv. 703, who proposed
Fight club has also implemented eight
of the Fight Club, which is available seven
the club, and sponsor Mr. Scott Plencner, a
Social Sciences teacher. Fight Club’s major
function is to dissect and dispute any topic
brought up by the members of the club.
Members have friendly argumentation over
significant issues that promote the growth of
an educated public.
The idea for the club emerged when
Farihah would go to Mr.Plencner’s office.
They would discuss classroom issues, which
eventually ended up in debates varying
from “What was the best rock band ever?”
to “What good can the World Bank do for
third world economies?”
“Our discussions always reminded me
of the times when I was running the college
newspaper and we would sit around the
office table with our NEIU Pizza Hut breadsticks and shoot the breeze with friendly
debates,” said Mr. Plencner.
The purpose of Fight Club is to motivate members to be open-minded, to admit
when their opinions change, and to become
dynamic thinkers. The club is also a place
for students to interact with other students
whom they might not have met.
“We want all types of people to know
that they are welcome to come and join and
Andrew Mark, Adv. 710, and Mr. Scott Plencner battle it out in Fight Club.
[that] their unique opinions will be acceptPhoto by Zenobia Gonsalves
ed,” said Farihah Khandaker.
days a week, 24 hours a day. Their website
has online polls and a chat room for live
discussions. The site is maintained by Mr.
Plencner and Farihah.
Participants discussed medical marijuana
in the club’s first meeting. In the future, members are planning to hold a discussion about
Stem Cell Research.
Mr. Plencner hopes that the club grows
to become a vibrant aspect of student life
in school. In the long run, he hopes it helps
participants prepare themselves against
extremist arguments. He wishes that the club
will incorporate cross-cultural understanding
and promote friendship. Mr. Plencner hopes
the online aspect of Fight Club will grow in
order for the club to get more recognition.
“[The ‘fighting’] feels great and is a lot
of fun,” said Farihah Khandaker.
The name for the club was formed
when Farihah compared their natural and
healthy debates to the movie Fight Club. But
since the title Fight Club drove away some
students by giving out the wrong message,
the official name of the club is the Socratic
Circle Society.
“You see, there’s a type of person, and
I’m one of them, who when they meet controversy and disagreement jump for joy for
the opportunity it provides for us to wake up
from our everyday blah and find some real
truth,” said Mr. Plencner. “That is what it
means to be a student. A student is a seeker
of truth and often it can be found in healthy,
natural, and boundless debate.”
May 2005
Where Does Your Teacher
Stand?
Features
Page Incoming Mustang
Stampede
by Farihah Khandaker
by Saad Ahsan
When it comes to finding out what one can expect
all. However, it does ensure that no one account rates a
from upcoming teachers in new classes, peers can be
teacher more than once.
one of the more direct and authentic sources of inforAt Northside, the students have varying opinions
mation. However, the number of students that can give
about the site.
such advice is limited. Only so many people could pos“I think it’s a good educational tool that allows our
sibly have gone through the different classes taught by
teachers to gauge how well they’re teaching us,” said
different teachers. Most of the alumni have graduated
Tonatiu Rodriguez, Adv. 710.
and moved on, taking their own valuable experiences
While some think it to be a positive development,
with them.
others disagree.
Ratemyteachers.com has been the website that has
“I understand it’s a way for students to resolve anger
allowed students to give anonymous feedback about the
against a teacher in a non-violent manner; however, I
teachers in their school for the past four years. Users
hesitate to say it’s a good thing,” said Geoff Gawne,
can create accounts on the site
and, after registering, start filling out the feedback forms for
their teachers.
When rating a teacher, the
user is presented with three
categories that include easiness, helpfulness, and clarity.
These categories range from
a scale of one to five with
five representing “very easy”,
“very helpful”, and “very
clear”. In addition, there is another optional category named
popularity and users can mark
either “cool” or “not cool”.
Lastly, the site provides a text
box where students can type
up any additional comments.
The site is not limited to
students, as just about anyone
with access to the Internet can
create an account and rate
teachers. On top of that, registered users can give feedback
RateMyTeacher.com offers a variety of services from teacher feedback
for any teacher in any school
to forums.
listed on the site. While the
Image Courtesy of RateMyTeachers.com
website is a good medium for
posting praises, comments, and
criticisms, it lacks validity. There is no plausible method Adv. 507. “Some students may rate their teachers in the
heat of the moment, as opposed to after careful delibof verifying whether students that are using the site are
eration. Thus the ratings may be skewed.”
from that school or whether they are even students at
“We are looking at higher
The new freshmen class has
scores this year, but every year it
been selected for the upcoming
changes,” said Ms. Darlene Ruiz,
2006 school year. The eighth graddirector of Admissions.
ers will go through the same rite
That means that the incomof passage that all Mustangs have
ing freshmen will, on average,
gone through at some point. Northhave been better students in the
side can sound pretty intimidating,
elementary school years than the
with rumors spreading about excess
current Northsiders. That does
amounts of homework.
not mean, though, that they will
“I was so worried when I was
do better in Northside than the
coming in,” said Christina Khou,
preceding years.
Adv. 703. “People kept telling me
Northside is a growing
how hard it would
family, constantly adding
be and how the
members. It makes the
work load was
environment here generunbearable, but
ally stronger and more
soon I realized
solid. Northside has a lot
that it was just
of equipment to offer its
them. The work
students: a functioning
load isn’t that hard
pool, a sufficient number of
as long as you
computers, colloquium and
are proactive and
block scheduling, relatively
participate.”
new textbooks, among other
Christina is
not alone - many Freshmen, watch out things.
Another feature of
for pennies!
other Northside
Photo by Ilya Chalik Northside’s positive reputastudents feel the
tion dictates that this school,
same way.
in general, does not really abuse
“The incoming freshmen need
the freshmen. On average, most
to know that there’s nothing to
high schools in the Chicago Pubworry about – they just have to try
lic Schools system have “Freshie
and they’ll do fine,” said Caitlin
Friday.” Northside does, to some
Cronin, Adv. 709. “Unlike what
extent, participate in the “fun”
most people think, the teachers here
but for the most part, the freshdo not suck your blood.”
men go home unharmed and
According to Mrs. Margaret M.
untouched.
Pouska, director of Students and
With any luck, this growth
Community Services at Northside,
will continue and the freshmen
there will be about 277 freshmen
will be able to adapt without
next year. Each year the size of the
any consequences, at least with
freshmen class grew until this year.
strength. The freshmen have a
Also, another change is that
few orientations in front of them,
now the Selective Enrollment Exbut should be official Mustangs
ams was looked at more strictly for
by next fall.
each applicant.
Students Cram for AP Exams
by Syyeda Afreen Ali
Whether they have one, two, three, or even seven AP
classes, many Northside students await the May 2005 AP Exams. College-level AP courses enable students to enter a world
of knowledge that may remain unexplored in high school.
Through AP exams, students have the opportunity to earn
college credit or advanced standing at most of the nation’s colleges and universities.
AP offers 34 courses and exams across 19 subject areas.
There are many reasons in signing up for AP, including getting
a head start on college-level work, improving writing skills
and sharpening problem-solving techniques, and developing
the study habits necessary for tackling rigorous course work.
Aside from an edge in college preparation, AP helps students
to stand out in the college admissions process. Taking AP
classes shows a willingness to push oneself to the limit and
emphasizes commitment to academic excellence.
A great thing about AP is that it is not required for one to
take the AP course in order to take the AP exam. The College
Board commits itself to provide access to the AP exams to
home-schooled students and to students whose schools do not
offer AP.
College credit or placement is earned at most colleges
and universities in the U.S., as well as in 28 other countries
through qualifying AP Exam grades. For many of these institutions, a student can earn up to a full year of college credit.
However, because course credit and placement granting is
varied from school to school, students should see a college’s
AP policy individually.
Each AP Exam grade is a weighted combination of the
score the student received on the multiple-choice section
and the free-response section. The final grade is reported on
a 5-point scale, with 5 being “extremely well qualified” and
1 being “no recommendation.” Subscores are not available,
except for Calculus BC and Music Theory, nor are the scores
analyzed to determine strengths and weaknesses of the student. AP Grade Reports are sent in July to the student, as well
as the colleges the student designated on his or her answer
sheet, and the student’s high school. Each AP Grade Report
is cumulative and includes all the AP Exams the student has
ever taken, unless the student had requested for a grade to
be withheld from a college or cancelled. Grades can also
be available over the phone starting July 1, with a fee of
$8 per call.
Many students at Northside feel as if they are too
stressed from AP classes and their exams. Preparing for
the AP Exam usually takes the entire month of April and
still students feel as if they are not fully prepared to take
the exams.
“One thing that I still need to do is buy the AP study
books,” said Geoffrey Wang, Adv. 700. “AP Exams are
getting closer by the minute, and I feel as if I am not prepared to take the exam for A.P. U.S. History.”
Some students even feel that the pressure is just too
much to take.
“There are things in life that people are willing to risk
their lives for,” said Maruja Yoshimura, Adv. 605. “AP
tests shouldn’t, but they feel like one of those things.”
Aside from studying and preparing for AP Exams,
juniors also have to worry about taking their ACT tests in
preparation for college admissions.
“I feel relaxed,” said Patricia Nguyen, Adv. 606. “I’m just
trying to study for each of my 3 AP’s slowly, while worrying
about ACT more.”
Taking the AP Exams is one of the most stressful events
of a student during the school year. The main factor involved
with AP Exams is the entire month of April reviewing and
preparing for the exam. Taking the exam and getting over it is
quite a relief for many Northside students.
Time for Northside to Place #1 Again!
Mustangs Excel in Prairie State Achievement Examination
by Zainab Sozzer
The Prairie State Achievement Exam is
an Illinois state achievement test for juniors in
all public high schools that Northsiders will
take on April 27th and 28th. The main goal
of the examination is to test an individual
student’s ability to meet the Illinois Learning
Standards as well as the high school’s standards. While most students take these tests
on the fourth Wednesday and Thursday of
April, students who need to make up the test
can do so no later than May 11th and 12th.
Students goig into twelfth grade who hope for
a better score may opt to retake the PSAE in
late October.
“I’m kinda nervous because I’m not really
sure what’s going to be on the test,” said Jennifer Noinja, Adv 600.
The first day of testing begins with ACT
Assessment ®. This test includes English,
mathematics, reading and science tests. The
following day, the pupils take a science test
developed by the State Board of Education
and two ACT-developed WorkKeys® tests,
Reading for Information and Applied Mathematics.
“I’m not really nervous, because my sister
told me about the test,” said Asma Ahmad,
Adv. 601. “She said that people put their pencils down and fell asleep. Hence, I am looking
forward to catching up on my sleep.”
Once the exams are graded, students
receive three PSAE scores, one for each of
the subject tested: reading, mathematics, and
science. They also receive scores for each of
the individual tests that constitute the PSAE,
as well as the ACT Assessment results. The
scores for each of the three subjects and
any other indicated subjects are recorded on
transcripts as part of the student’s permanent
record. The individual tests and WorksKey
® scores may be recorded on the student’s
temporary record, but not the permanent
record. Scores like the ACT can only be
recorded with the student’s permission. Since
the PSAE was implemented, Northside has
proved to be the highest scoring school in the
state.
“At Northside it’s [PSAE] really strenuous because people get upset when they don’t
get over 30 [on the ACT], even though the
average is 17-23,” said Jeannette Sanitos Adv.
600. “The school creates this mentality where
you have to score really high to compete with
your peers.”
For those of the students who performed
excellently on the exam, they receive a Prairie
State Achievement Award. A student can
earn an award in all three subjects tested
since there is no overall award for the PSAE.
Award winners receive a certificate during
senior year.
“The PSAE wasn’t very constructive,”
Dan Rico, Adv. 500. “It didn’t seem to challenge us or test anything we’ve learned in
school since fourth grade.”
A test-preparation booklet for students
that includes questions and answers about
the PSAE and well as sample test questions is
posted on the Illinois State Board of Education web site at: www.isbe.net/assessment/
psae.htm.
Page Centerfold
Protect Your Environment
How Students Can Contribute
by Sanja Bajgoric
“We all moan and
groan about the loss of the
quality of life through
the destruction of our
ecology, and yet each
one of us, in our
own little comfortable ways,
contributes
daily to that
destruction,”
said actor and
environmental supporter, Ed Asner.
“It's time now to
awaken in each one
of us the respect
and attention our
beloved mother
deserves.”
Industrialization
and technology have
greatly impacted the
environment. Issues
such as global
warming have
hit the world hard.
The increase in the
Earth’s temperature causes
changes in the climate,
rainfall patterns, leads to a
rise in the sea level, and a
wide range of problems for
plants, wildlife, and humans.
Scientists have tried to figure
out the cause of this temperature increase and it has led
many people to believe that
global warming is the result
of human activities.
“Students and people in
general are unaware of how
their daily routines might in
fact be hurting the environment,” said Matt Nosek
Adv. 702. “People need to
be aware. Being aware of the
issues is the first step to the
solution.”
Fuel-burning vehicles
contribute to the pollution
which harms the planet.
Every two weeks, Americans
wear out nearly 50 million
pounds of rubber off their
tires. To help prevent this
problem, tires should be
inflated to preserve the life of
the tires and save gas.
“Students should not
drive cars; instead, they
should ride bicycles,” said Diana Maties, Adv. 607. “You
are saving money on gas and
even parking while helping
the environment. But if it
is completely necessary to
own a car, buy a hybrid car.
It cuts down the amount of
dangerous fumes released in
the environment.”
People can also contribute through recycling.
Students use great amounts of
paper for school and instead
of just throwing it out in the
garbage, its better to recycle.
“Trees are cut down and
our forests are damaged for the
purpose of heat and paper,”
said Tess Banaszkiecz Adv. 700.
“It is important to remember
that trees not only look pretty,
but they provide oxygen for us
and other living things.”
Go beyond just recycling,
precycle. Make the effort to buy
products with recyclable packages and recycled contents.
Many students harm the
environment and they do not
even know it. For example, how
harmful can it be to listen to
music? Well, using batteries
that are non-rechargeable
hurts the environment. Batteries contain heavy metals,
such as mercury and cadmium, which have become a
major source of contamination in dumpsites.
Taking showers frequently is good for ones hygiene,
but not for the environment.
If a four person family showers each day for 5-minutes,
in one week they would use
700 gallons of water. This is
enough water for a person to
live off of for three years. It is
not recommended to go without showering, but there is
something one can do about
it. People can buy either an
aerated or a non-aerated
showerhead which cuts water
output by 50%.
Everyone does have a bad
hair day once in a while and
many males and females both
use hairsprays to help with
the crisis. But hairspray can
in fact damage the environment because of the toxic
chemicals it contains.
“Don’t use hairspray!”
said Mr. Tabora, the environmental science teacher.
Everybody contributes to
the damages in our environment one way or another
because no one is perfect
and people are tempted by
technology that usually does
harm to the environment.
“If you don’t have time to
contribute to beach clean ups
and other activities that help
the environment, another
way to contribute is to just
carefully look at your daily
routines and cut down on
the things you know are bad
for the environment,” said
Sharon Neely Adv. 700. “You
just have to care about the
environment.”
The Hoof Beat
A World o
Environmental Crisis
by Farihah Khandaker
the creatures. Poachers continue to kill the animals
Humans have been imposing their will on the
in order to harvest ivory, fur, and other “luxuries.”
environment for many generations. As people
However, not all of the problems in the
turned away from organic material during the Inenvironment are human related. For example, the
dustrial Revolution, the environment suffered, and
recent tsunami in the Indian Ocean killed tens of
it continues to do so.
thousands of people. Tsunamis arise from earthAmong the many problems is global warming.
quakes and in the situation in the Banda Sea, there
The evidence for global warming is all around. The was an extremely strong earthquake, which shifted
greenhouse effect is said to cause global warming.
plates in the Earth about 90 feet.
Emissions from vehicles burning fossil fuels waft
The shift released a wave, which demolished
up to the ozone layer. The ozone layer, thus, now
homes from Indonesia to coastal countries in Afhas a hole in it, allowing harmful ultraviolet rays
rica and in the end more than 250,000 people were
from the sun through the Earth’s atmosphere. This
dead and millions more had their lives and homes
danger becomes amplified as the ozone layer grows
destroyed. Along with people, many animals died
larger. This is not healthy for people because the
too. Fish washed ashore and other creatures were
UV rays, though they cannot be seen, will continue
swept away with the water.
to reach the
The wreckage has left
earth’s surface
millions without food and
as the hole in
electricity and no way to
the ozone layer
communicate with the world.
grows larger.
Although they have received
Humans
help, a system has not yet
have also been
been developed that can
responsible
predict earthquakes, and so
for the mass
tsunamis, to stop such devasdestruction
tation in the future.
of indigenous
Yet another problem the
creatures. People
world faces is the continuhave destroyed
ing drain on resources. The
and endangered
world continually consumes
many species.
things that take years to
As there is no
develop, such as natural gas
scientific way to
and gasoline. After milThe sun’s rays hitting Earth’s atmosphere.
bring back any
lions of years of developing
of these species, Image courtesy of [website here]
deep under the Earth, there
the loss of these
is barely enough of these
species is irreparable. Currently endangered aniresources left to survive a few generations.
mals include the Royal Bengal Tigers of South Asia
Another troubling, yet discreet issue is fresh
region and the Giant Pandas of China. Most of
water. Of all the available water in the world, only
these species have problems with land availability.
2.8% is fresh water, and a majority of that is in the
The creatures do not have adequate space to grow
Great Lakes. There are innumerable problems in
and increase, and human seizure of the land does
the world, and they all need to be dealt with. Sciennot help.
tists and environmentalists have answered most
There are a few organizations that try to preof the questions surrounding these environmental
serve the well-being of animals, but even as they
problems. The question remaining is who will deal
attempt to do so, there are other factors killing off
with them.
Help the World and Get
Environment Friendly Volunteer O
by Aisha Wahid
Whether one’s looking for something
productive to do in their spare time, in
need of service learning hours, or determined to work toward saving the environment, there are many volunteer opportunities available around the community.
“I feel volunteering to help the community and environment really shows
good character and citizenship,” said
Amanda Kell, Adv. 710.
A major upcoming event toward the
promotion of a healthy environment is
the Chicago Earth Day Park Clean Up on
Saturday, April 23. Friends of the Parks,
a designated park advocacy organization,
dedicated to preserving, protecting, and
improving Chicago's parks and forests,
and other volunteers throughout Chicago
are encouraged to participate in the 16th
annual park clean up by “cleaning” and
“greening” their neighborhood parks and
forest preserve groves. The aim is to help
protect, preserve, and improve the natural
areas for future generations. The event
should run from 9:00 a.m. through noon,
although the city encourages the cleanups at any time. For more information,
volunteers may contact Mary Eileen Sullivan via email at [email protected].
Chicago Cares, a volunteer organization that provides businesses and
individuals with opportunities to improve
the community, will also be sponsoring
another event on April 23 from 10:00
a.m. to 12:00 p.m. Chicago Cares invites
volunteers to celebrate Earth Day by
attending Jackson Park, which is located
on 6401 S. Stony Island Ave, to help
improve the Nature Oasis Habitat. Volunteers
will help pull white sweet clovers in Bobolink
Meadow, remove burdock on Wooded Island,
remove invasive saplings, plant hazelnut
shrubs, wrap trees for beaver protection, and
assist with the lagoon rehabilitation project.
For more information on this project, visit
www.chicagocares.org/calendar.asp.
An additional project is available on
Sunday, April 10, from 10:00
a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Ginkgo
Organic Gardens in Uptown.
Ginkgo provides non-profit
organizations with fresh produce,
which volunteers aid by planting and harvesting crops. The
volunteers will need to help build
and maintain plant beds, work
on seeding, and create a pathway
from the front perennial garden
to the back vegetable garden. For
more information on orientation
days and the event one may visit
www.chicagocares.org.
For those looking for an
opportunity during the summer
time, another major event is the
12th Annual Serve-a-thon on Saturday, June 11. The event will begin at 8:00 a.m. at Soldier Field.
Volunteers will board buses for
group projects and the event will
conclude at 5:30 p.m. after a post
event celebration. Thousands
of volunteers will join to paint,
Marilyn R
plant, and clean up Chicago’s
conserva
schools, parks, and social service
Photo by
agencies. The volunteers also raise
May 2005
of Concern
CASE Club Raising Money for Solar Panels
by Ashraf Abbas
Recently a few of North603. “Then we can move on
“The representatives
do find the necessary materiside’s students have come
to helping the city, then the
said they would talk to the
als, then funding the panels
together as the Colloquium
state, then the country, then
politicians,” said William
would be no problem, and
for Alternative Sources of
the continent, and then the
T. Hagen, Adv. 604. “This
the fundraiser money could
Energy (CASE) to work for
world.”
means we can hopefully get
go to future plans instead.
a better environment. With
Of course, accomplishsome funding—like grants
“During the summer, if
Mr. Coy as their initial sponing such a task without help
or something—from the city,
we generate enough electricsor, CASE is the product of
would be unreasonable. But,
or maybe even the federal
ity from the solar panels, we
many changes. Originally,
CASE has planned ahead
government, for our collocan reinsert it into the electriCASE stood for Club for
to get valuable premium
quium.”
cal city grid and bring money
Alternative Sources of Enassistance. The colloquium
This, of course, would be
our way,” said Michael Burt,
ergy, but soon, the members
has called on ComEd worker
a huge gain for the colloAdv. 700.
saw that it
Eventually, if
was best to
this plan were to
pump-up the
follow through,
appearance
CASE would acand become
complish a sort of
an actual colindirect effect as
loquium.
well: it could teach
Keeping
the energy comthe tradition
panies a thing or
of embracing
two. Many memthe surbers of CASE see
vival of the
this as a somewhat
environment
secret goal.
first, CASE
“If a group of
has taken to
school kids can get
pointing out
this energy conand assessservation on the
ing ways
road, then it will
of solving
convey a message
environmento those greedy
tal problems
corporation leadat Northside
ers,” said Michael
(but soon, the
Burt, Adv. 700.
world).
“They’ll learn
Currently
that their actions
in progress is
are not without
CASE’s plan
environmental
to introduce William T. Hagen, Adv. 604, looks at the CASE shirt that Katy Hintzen, Adv. 603, consequence.”
solar panels is advertising.
In essence, CASE
to Northside. Photo by Ashraf Abbas
is looking out for the
The hope
environment that is
Paul Wallace, representaquium. However, to prevent
is that the introduction will
ignored by many, while also
tives of Rahm Emanuel, and
reliance on just that, the
help to conserve the energy.
looking for ways that give it
representatives of Mayor
colloquium plans to run
This would not only lower
meaning to those around it.
Richard Daley for assistance.
fundraisers in the near future.
the amount of money that
Their effort requires much
The information from
These plans include a StarNorthside spends on daily
time and energy indeed.
these individuals was indeed
Craft tournament, a t-shirt
energy use, but it would also
Thankfully, CASE members
valuable to the cause of the
sale, and a popcorn sale.
set up a leadership role for
are up to the challenge.
colloquium. Along with the
Currently, the colloquium
Northside in the field of
“Total independence of
information about energy
and its members are asking
conservation of energy.
the entire world, that is what
and its history that they reenergy companies and even
“We plan to help Northwe really want,” said William
ceived from people such
schools for any leftover or
side first by getting solar panT. Hagen. “It will happen;
as Paul Wallace, they also
undesired solar panels that
els,” said Bobby Ziegler, Adv.
we’re just helping it out.”
learned of a new hope.
Northside could use. If they
Opportunities
Rosales, Adv. 810, helping with
ation efforts by recycling.
Aisha Wahid
Page They’re on the CASE!
Some Service Hours
pledges, which aid Chicago Cares’ yearround service initiatives. A $30 donation
is required for registration, which covers
the cost of the event.
On Saturday, April 16, the Lincoln
Park Conservatory will need help from
9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. The conservatory, which is located next to Lincoln
Park Zoo in Chicago’s largest park, has
Centerfold
Fighting for the Voiceless
Animal Rights Club Continues Efforts
an horticultural collection that includes a
50-foot tall fiddle leaf rubber tree dating
from 1891 and expands into four greenhouses. The volunteers will help with
the greenhouse maintenance and exhibit
installation. The event will also take place
at the same time at Garfield Park Conservatory, which is the country’s second
largest conservatory. For more information or to register one may visit
www.chicagocares.org.
Volunteers are encouraged
to help conserve the environment and its resources, by even
doing something as simple as
recycling on their own time or
even during lunch at school.
For more details and to see if
work is still available, contact
the recycling team, or Dr. Ana
Maria Vites, a science teacher
and the Environmental Club
sponsor at Northside.
“I think conserving the
environment is very important
and students should look for
opportunities that aid these
types of projects for their
service learning hour requirement,” said Andrew Mark,
Adv. 710.
Conservation of the environment, in order for it to be
available for future generations,
is for the whole community.
Volunteers can search the local community for opportunities, as well as the
Internet, and school and work places.
by Neha Alam
Many demonstrations have
taken place around
the world to stop cruelty against animals,
and Northside has
joined in the effort.
Every Thursday,
Northside’s Animal
Rights Club, sponsored by Ms. Lidia
Ortiz, meets after
school in room 300
and attempts to raise
the awareness about
animal welfare.
Last year, the
Animal Rights Club
bombarded Northside with many
posters, stickers, and
fliers to inform the
students about the
KFC cruelty against
chickens. Animal
Rights Club used
propaganda to inform
Northsiders about
the treatment of the
chickens on factory
farms. Chickens on
these farms suffer
from live scalding,
life-long crippling, and
painful debeaking.
The club utilized the
People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals
(PETA) organization to
promote awareness of
KFC cruelty. The club
also held a campaign
last Thanksgiving to
protest the consuming
of turkey. They joined
protests against circus
cruelties and selling fur.
This school year,
they set up a pet supply
drive to help out a small
no-kill animal shelter
that desperately needed
newspapers, blankets,
and towels. The club educated the school about
dietary options such as
tofu and synthetic meat
and soymilk, which can
save the lives of many
animals.
“[The pet supply drive] was pretty
exciting,” said Lauren
Alanis, Adv. 605. “
It was our
first outreach
because before
we put posters
and worked on
school-wide awareness,
but now we actually
tried to reach out and
do something to help
animals in need.”
This year the club
will spread awareness
about the cruelty that
several food companies employ and will
continue to help various
organizations in the
community that are
devoted to help animals. An activist from
Protecting Animals
USA will be joining
the Animal Rights
Club and help them
gain experience from
hand-on activities.
Page 10
Editorial
The Hoof Beat
The Good Life
You Win Some, You Lose Some
by Michael Good
And so it came to an end like this. With four seconds left,
the orange sphere no longer darted from one side of the court
to the other. It stood still, clasped in the grip of the 6’ 9’’ center
from North Carolina. There had been 39 minutes and 56
seconds of playing time prior to this event. During that period,
there always remained the hope that this game would change,
that the winning team would be cloaked in orange rather than
powder blue, that history would be made. That hope was extinguished in those last four seconds. Down by five and the ball in
North Carolina’s possession, there was nothing that could be
done. I watched as the clock made its descent to 0:00. When it
finally reached that point, the buzzer sounded in the same raspy
way that 37 times before had signaled an Illini victory. This time
was different; this time there would be no comeback, no late
scoring drive, no forced overtime. There was just a 6’ 9’’ center
walking off the court with the ball he had held for the last 4
seconds.
The hurt and the sting would come as a season of triumph,
of unprecedented success, would end just short of the finish
line—like a marathon runner who stops at the 25-mile mark.
The score, 75-70, is now engraved in the mind of every Illinois
basketball fan. Along with it is the record 37-2. Included in
those 37 wins are the memories of an amazing overtime victory
over Iowa, a rain of three-pointers at the end of a game to ice
Michigan State, and of course a miraculous 15-point comeback
to upend Arizona. And yet this team that won the Big Ten
championship, defeated Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament,
and tied the NCAA record for most wins in a season fell to the
University of North Carolina in the National Championship
game. Thankfully, Illini fans will no doubt remember this season
for the successes. The reception the players received in Memorial
Stadium following the game paid tribute to the most success-
ful season in the 100-year history of the Illinois basketball
program. But still, deep down there is the lingering sense of
loss, of coming so far only to end up short— a sense of loss
that can only be dispelled when Illinois cuts down the nets in a
National Championship game.
This is the madness of March, and more importantly this
is the beauty of athletic competition. I am aware that not
everyone shares the same passion about sports as I do, but I
will say that there is something very special about watching
a ballgame. Like it or not, it is impossible to disregard sports’
influence on our culture.
I believe that sports provide a great medium for drama and
a display of human emotion that can at times rival any other
experience. The competition provides a beginning, a prominent climax, and a clear resolution. Throughout the sporting
event, the viewer can chart the rise to victory or descent to
defeat of either side. What makes the event so special is that
if we are invested in one of those sides, we join that voyage to
ecstasy or agony as the game progresses. We assume the goals
of the team and we become part of the championship run.
This is the power of the home run, the touchdown, the holein-one, or the three-pointer for each brings us closer to success
upon our path. Conversely, this is the tragedy of a defensive
error, a fumble, a bogey, or an air ball for each is a setback on
this journey. The reaction of a fan living or dying with each
play is, in a sense, a purging of emotions, a special type of
catharsis.
Put all together, this is the force that sports have to make
names like Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan commonplace,
this is what gives me the hope to cheer for the Sox though they
have not won a World Series in 87 years, this is ultimately
what unifies an entire state under an orange and blue banner.
Smut Central
I’d Like to Thank All the Little People
by Sasha Letchinger
Pretty soon I will be gone. Most likely, so
will you. If you are a senior, you will be gone
in the same way I will be gone: For Good.
Sure, we’ll say we’ll visit, and sure, some of
us might, but come June 7, our relationship
to Northside College Prep High School will
change forever. If you are not a senior, you
will be gone in a different way than the way
that I and my fellow soon-to-be graduates
will be gone: you will be returning to school
as students, minds fresh and malleable as
so many bowls of refried beans. When you
arrive, there will be a great emptiness. Most
of that emptiness will be a direct result of my
absence. You will probably miss some of the
other seniors, too. One thing will be more or
less the same, Northside’s great edumacators.
And so I arrive at the natural conclusion to
blah, blah, and blah: a dedication to those
great knowledge funnelers I’ve had here at
Northside over the years.
For non-teachers, bear with me on this
one, as it might give you a moment’s pause to
appreciate the amazing quality of education
that you’ve gotten and will be getting here
at Northside. Also, there will funny things
inserted at random intervals, so you have to
read the whole thing.
For you teachers, though, a few sentences
cannot encompass my appreciation; it will
have to do, because I know you don’t have
very long attention spans. To make it easier
for you, I am doing this in chronological
order, so if you feel the need to skip over your
colleagues, you can find yourself faster.
Ms. Smith, my best advisory teacher.
Four years of Sasha. You should be so proud
to have survived. I mean, that is quite an
achievement. Especially with those extended
advisories that we used to have. Wow. Thank
you.
Ms. Woodward, you were my first great
teacher at Northside. I still remember arriving as a confused freshman and wondering
who this “WOO” character was. I’m glad I
did. You are the perfect person to break in
freshmen to the harsh realities of Northside
Social Science: goofy, yet wise; stern, yet
short. And I don’t know if any teacher at this
school can rival your laugh for sheer infectiousness. We’ve had some good times, be it
in World Studies, Consumer Education, or
our infamous trip to Europe. You were the
coolest, silliest, chaperone ever. Thank you.
Ms. Nielsen, I remember being one of
very few freshmen in English II and at first
feeling very intimidated by all the big, smart
sophomores. Well, you called on me a lot
and made me feel safe to talk in class…and
I haven’t stopped since. You were a great
person to prepare me for Northside’s amazing
English department. Thank you.
Ms. Cirrincione, I can’t imagine what it
must be like to teach a bunch of freshmen
“sex ed”, but it must be traumatizing. You
competition), but I hope that you’ve found the
experience to be rewarding. I know I have.
Thank you.
Mr. Koreman, what can I say? I think
that on some level, you and I are both dorks
cut from the same cloth. We’ve had some
problems, but I keep on coming back for
made health class pretty fun: I still remember
doing a rap song with Esch about the muscles
of the body. So that’s a good sign. Thank
you.
Ms. Ramakrishna: wow, you’ve been
my math teacher for three out of my four
years. And you haven’t gone crazy. Yet. I
know at times I can interrupt and be a little
distracting, but that’s only because you make
teaching look easy and I don’t want the other
teachers to get jealous of your awesomeness. Putting up with me must have been like
running a marathon (or doing the Ironman
more…don’t ask me why. It probably has
something to do with the universal law of
gravitation. I’ll never forget that you were
the first (and only) teacher I had that used
the word poop during class (until I met Mr.
Lucero, at least). For that alone, I thank you.
I’m pretty sure I must have learned something
physics related in our two years together even
though I am a knucklehead. Thank you.
Mr. Park: The Man. Dirty. You introduced me to Kódo, pretty much the only nonhip-hop music I’ve listened to in the past three
years. I hope you continue to add to students’
musical lexicon as much as you did mine
(actually, hopefully more). My most haunting
memory of General Music was spending a
billion hours typing up a 15-page commentary
on over 50 songs that we listened to in class.
It was so fun! Come to think of it, I was
exposed to a lot of artists I never would have
listened to otherwise. I haven’t since, but still
thank you.
Señora Muriel, I still have a good laugh
when I remember you asking Gavin if he
brought his book to class.
“Oh, I forgot it at home,” he said.
“Are you sure,” you asked.
“Yes, positive. I know exactly where it
is,” he responded.
“Where,” you asked.
“On the desk next to my computer,” he
said.
“Then what’s this?” you asked, handing
him his book. Boy, was his face red. That’s
why he went to Ireland. Thank you.
Ms. Maleug, I might as well tell everyone
(although you probably have): Mrs. Maleug
beat me in arm wrestling. All I can say is that
I was a freshman. I must have thought…well,
I don’t really know what I thought. I was just
a silly freshman who held a semblance of reverence for the elderly (zing!). Not anymore.
Still, anytime you want a rematch, I’m game.
Thank you.
Ms. Rownd and Ms. Beris, you both cotaught Diseases Throughout the Ages. I regard
that fondly as the worst colloquium choice
I ever made. Let me qualify that: it wasn’t
you, it was me. I have no idea why I chose
it, because I get depressed just thinking about
people getting a cold. My only defense is that
I was, as they say, a freshman. Thank you.
Mr. Devine, you were one heck of a
teacher. I’m sure you still are, but I can
only assume. I want to thank you for your
unbiased, straightforward, rigorous teaching
style. Honors US History became a badge
of honor to those of us in your class. We
scoffed heartily at the AP kids, knowing full
well that no matter what our GPAs said, we
were working just as hard (dare I say harder).
Thank you.
Ms. Mest, I never liked the movie
Unbreakable until you showed it in class. I
have no idea why or what that has to do with
anything, but it’s true. More than anything,
I remember that you would always let me sit
in the maroon, very comfortable, rolly chair.
To this day I can feel the soft cushioning
supporting me gently, yet firmly whenever
Continued as “I’d Like to Thank” on pg. 11
May 2005
Editorial
I’d Like to Thank
Page 11
Continued from page 10
we watched movies in class. That chair was my throne, and
Greta Honold was nice to me.
I wonder if there is a connection between the chair
and…I’ll stop there. Thank you.
Ms. Mulligan, I have never been able to pin you down. At
times, you were grumpy (not that I blame you, having me in a
math class seems to do that to everyone). At others, you were
quick and witty. At still others, you would pirouette in the
middle of class while humming. Then, a few weeks ago, I saw
how much you care about your Poms girls. And you treated
us to Bakers Square. Amazing. Thank you.
Mr. Devine, you were one heck of a teacher. I’m sure you
still are, but I can only assume. I want to thank you for your
unbiased, straightforward, rigorous teaching style. Honors US
History became a badge of honor to those of us in your class.
We scoffed heartily at the AP kids, knowing full well that no
matter what our GPAs said, we were working just as hard
(dare I say harder). Thank you.
Ms. Mest, I never liked the movie Unbreakable until you
showed it in class. I have no idea why or what that has to do
with anything, but it’s true. More than anything, I remember
that you would always let me sit in the maroon, very comfortable, rolly chair. To this day I can feel the soft cushioning
supporting me gently, yet firmly whenever we watched movies
in class. That chair was my throne, and Greta Honold, who
is way hot, was nice to me. I wonder if there is a connection
between the chair and…I’ll stop there. Thank you.
Ms. Mulligan, I have never been able to pin you down. At
times, you were grumpy (not that I blame you, having me in a
math class seems to do that to everyone). At others, you were
quick and witty. At still others, you would pirouette in the
middle of class while humming. Then, a few weeks ago, I saw
how much you care about your Poms girls. And you treated
us to Bakers Square. Amazing. Thank you.
Mr. DiFrancesco, you speak in more foreign languages
than the Foreign Language department combined. I always
find myself saying “Childrens, come on childrens” at random
times and then laughing maniacally. Nobody knows what I’m
talking about, but that makes it even funnier. Thank you.
Mr. Lucero, you are my mentor, my guide, my friend; you
are the wind beneath my wings, which is a dangerous place to
be. I know it is difficult to handle me sometimes, I know that
I might get on your nerves every once in a while, but I also
know that I have learned and grown much from your influence. Though often I think I know all there is to know about
Mr. Lu, you consistently surprise me with a good poop joke or
by singing along with a Jurassic 5 song. I will sorely miss you
when I’m gone; I will miss your hilarious Luceroisms. I will
miss trying to impress you with my opinions, I will miss vying
for your attention, I will miss the way your head turns bright
red when you laugh. I will miss you as a friend and as a wise
mentor and (usually) positive force on my life. Thank you.
Ms. Torres, I had a great time in your Spanish class. I was
definitely challenged. I think we had some good laughs, as
well. I don’t think anybody who’s had you as a teacher could
say they didn’t learn a lot. You gave a lot of homework, but
we knew how to do it, so it wasn’t that bad. Thank you.
Mr. Tylinski, you have gently guided the Hoof Beat into
one of Chicago’s greatest student papers. I appreciate your
patience with me, especially since I’m not what we journalists
call “timely.” Your devotion to the paper and high expectations have often spurred me forward in my writing and my
understanding of how a newspaper works. Thank you.
Mr. Strack, I never knew who you were until I took the
D-Day to Berlin colloquium. Then, I was pleasantly surprised.
You were funny, smart, and really cool. When we were in
Europe, you were the stern father figure to our group, whereas
Woo was the free-spirited hippie mom. I will never, never,
forget the look on your face when I “accidentally” ordered
that pitcher of wine. Oh man, priceless. Thank you.
Ms. Healy, if you ain’t teaching it, it ain’t AP Psych. It
ain’t worth taking. You are the coolest teacher to ever trick the
entire class into believing that you met a psychic at a bar. The
Why I Am Who I Am packet was a breakthrough for me in
being willing to talk about who I am. And when you squirted
Habib with the squirt gun…priceless. I’ve gained so much
from you, both in AP Psych, and in my Independent Study. In
fact, you were the inspiration for writing this column. Thank
you.
Ms. Michell, you were the mommy of Multicultural
Literature. You nurture the gifts of your students, giving
them support and love. I know that you are a great mom to
Hallea…you are already one for your students. I know you
already know this, but your class was the turning point in my
writing. It was the point where I could step up and find my
voice, where I could even believe that I had a voice. There
is nothing that I could say to you that I haven’t already said,
other than that you are an inspiration. Thank you.
Mr. Heavey, Lifetime Activities was actually really fun. I
felt a little odd, being the only non-athlete in the class, but
thankfully most of the games we played allowed me to have
fun, get some exercise, and completely embarrass myself. I’m
not even going to mention rollerblading and my awesome
goaltending, which was due to the fact that I couldn’t actually
‘blade. Thank you.
Ms. Runkel, whenever anybody tells me that they are in
Stats, I ask them if you are their teacher. If you are, I tell
them how awesome you are. “Isn’t she cool?” I ask them.
The answer is invariably “Yes.” I remember when you were
checking Alex Kowalczyk’s homework and you asked him
where he got a certain answer and he answered “I just made
it up.” He didn’t even try to hide it. You said something
completely deadpan and then the whole table started laughing.
That kid had some serious Senioritis. Thank you.
Mr. Ortiz, the only Spanish teacher in the history of the
world to show all three Matrix movies…in English. I actually
think that I learned a lot in your class, mostly on how to get
the ladies…some good it did me. Spanish III was always the
highlight of the week; just waiting to see what crazy homework assignment you would give us. I think that a low stress
classroom environment is much better for the students, which
is why all your students love you. Good luck wherever you
are. Thank you.
Mr. Santiago, when are we gonna jam? We jammed once
on the keyboards, had a great time, and then for some reason
you avoided me for the rest of the year. Crazy craze. Seriously, you are one of the nicest teachers I’ve ever had, even if you
haven’t jammed with me recently. I frequently astonish friends
and family with my photo knowledge, all thanks to your fun,
relaxed teaching style. Stay fresh, homie. Thank you.
Mr. Yanek, I’ve finally found a teacher that has the same
crazy democratic beliefs as me, and his name is Don. Don
Yanek. Even though I should have been in a more advanced
computer class, I’m glad the schedule didn’t work out because
I have found myself pleasantly challenged and thoroughly
enjoying your class. I’d buy that for a dollar. Thank you.
Ms. Lee, even though your colloquium was extremely
depressing, you found a way to cheer us rowdy seniors up.
I’m talking about Pocahontas and Indian in the Cupboard. I
know how much you idolize those movies and support their
contributions to the Native American stereotype. Stickball
rocked. Thank you.
Mr. McRaith, you are last but not least. Sir, you are a
giant among men, your bald head serving as a beacon of
rhetorical light, steering students along the path of intentionality. You are a brilliant mind and you ladle your wisdom
with tenacity and aplomb. As a teacher and educator, you
are unmatched. When it comes to knowing smiles and eye
twinkles, you are without equal. When it comes to supporting
and guiding young minds, you are unrivaled. For being there,
for facilitating and conducting, for helping me along my path,
I am, until my mind withers and flits off into the dark chasm
of time’s eternal grasp, grateful. Thank you.
So, to all you readers, most of you bored out of your
mind, appreciate what your teachers are: people devoted to
your learning, committed to your betterment. Be grateful; do
not take them for granted.
You are lucky to be here, to learn among exceptional peers
and inspired educators, fortunate to be afforded the options
and depth of choices that Northside allows. A great teacher
once told me that she looked for at least one good thing in
each of her students; do the same and you will never be in
want of a great education.
Polling Committee:
Northsiders in Sharp Disagreement Over Intervention in Iran
Page 12
Arts & Entertainment
Dead or Alive
Ultimate Smashes
Competition
by Damon Beres
Dead or Alive Ultimate, the newest incarnation of the
popular fighting game series, lives up to its conceited
namesake. Released on October 26th, 2004 for the Xbox,
DOAU is in actuality a beefed-up compilation encompassing both Dead or Alive 1 and Dead or Alive 2. While DOA 1
is relatively unchanged from its original Playstation glory
(except for some smoothed out graphics), DOA 2 received
a complete facelift. Xbox caliber visuals shine gloriously
in this release, but the real incentives are the additions
of several alternate costumes for the various playable
characters (over 100, a number unheard of in any previous
release) and the Xbox Live supported online play.
While the collection of two titles sounds tempting on paper, gamers will likely find their thirst satiated
only through DOA2. Though perhaps a nice trip down
memory lane, DOA1 simply doesn’t compare to the fighting games of today. In fact, it is almost ridiculous that
Tecmo released this game in the exact same package as its
infinitely superior and more accessible sequel. The characters are blocky and the action moves at a snail’s pace
in comparison to the lightning fast ninja antics of DOA2.
This shows that the progression of the Dead or Alive series
has been revision as opposed to evolution: going back to
DOA1 is a pointless experience, but old entries in several
other fighting series’ often hold up to today’s best (see
Street Fighter II).
Regardless, the aged experience of DOA1 hardly reduces DOA2’s appeal. There is a wide variety of fighters
to choose from, including three who are unlockable. As
per Dead or Alive tradition, most of the characters battling
it out in this game are buxom femme fatales that flaunt
their curvaceous bodies in a variety of selectable costumes, each one more revealing than the last.
While the main repertoire of characters consists of
sexy she-ninjas, there are a select few men who are potential targets for lusty women. Such stereotypical characters
include the Chinese warrior known only as Jann-Lee,
the elderly kung-fu master named Gen Fu, the American
wrestler who goes by the name Bass, the Japanese ninja
master called Ryu Hayabusa, and finally, the angst-ridden,
misunderstood warrior searching for his past: Ein. Of
course, each character has a fully-fleshed out back-story
told through cut-scenes during the title’s story mode. The
actual story content is reminiscent of a ninja soap opera,
but overall, it’s above fighting game standards in terms of
plot-development.
Still, despite a questionable story and characters that
play into every known stereotype, it’s the gameplay that
matters. And in this regard, Dead or Alive: Ultimate excels.
There’s a breadth of gameplay modes to choose from, including survival, time attack, story, tag-team, team mode,
and online play.
Dead or Alive
Photo Courtesy Yahoo.com
The Hoof Beat
Northside Goes “Into the Woods”
by Neha Alam
child. The first half of the play narrates the story of familNorthside students performed the Broadway musical
iar fairy tale characters who try to “live happily ever after.”
Into the Woods directed by choir teacher, Ms. Nythia Rivera,
Cinderella finds her Prince Charming, Rapunzel escapes
on March 10, 11 and 12. The try-outs for the musical
her tower with the aid of a handsome prince, Jack finds the
began in mid-November, and though the casting process
gold and climbs the Beanstalk, and Little Red Riding Hood
lasted for a long time, students earned their roles through
escapes the Wolf. The baker and his wife move through fairy
their own compatibility with the character. Many aspects
tale stories while pursuing their own goal. They discover that
were considered when choosing the cast, such as vocal
the witch who captured Rapunzel is the one who had put a
range and naturalness
spell on their house.
of character.
The witch agrees to
“Our expectaundo the spell if the
tions of the cast were
baker and his wife help
always sky-high,” said
her find ingredients to
Ms. Rivera.
end the curse that her
“This was a very
mother cast on her,
special group of
keeping her ugly and
people - extremely
old.
talented and perfect
In the latter half,
fits for the roles. The
the musical talks about
reason that Mr. [Mithe consequences that
chael] Lill and I were
fairy tales usually
so confident about its
ignore, such as does
outcome was because
marrying a Prince
the students involved
really lead to a happy
could so naturally
and fulfilling life? And
express the essence of
what does one do with
the roles. You could
a dead Giant in the
say they exceeded our
expectations, but we (from left to right) Emmanuel Garcia, Adv. 504, Elly Kakacek, Adv. 601, backyard? The ending
leaves the audience with
never anticipated any Kevin Moss, Adv. 504, Rana Marks, Adv. 810, Avi Israel, 605, Lauren
two messages: lives are
Akainyah, Adv. 601, Marisa Buchheit, Adv. 701, perform in Into the
real limitations.”
inescapably mutuWoods
The rehearsals
ally dependent and that
for the musical took Photo by Katie Schuering
interdependence is their
place every day after
greatest strength. Many enjoyed the concept of the musical,
school from the second week of January until the second
and it was suitable for wide range of age groups. week of March. Students rehearsed the music and dialogue
“The audiences were incredible - huge, appreciative, and
separately for four weeks.
responsive,” said Ms. Rivera. “Everyone seemed as though
Into the Woods is a blend of various fairy tales with an
they thoroughly enjoyed their evening, thanks to these hardoriginal story about a childless baker and his wife, who
working kids.”
attempt to reverse a curse on their family in order to have a
Sony’s PSP Hits Ground Running
by Leo Bassett
With PSP, Sony has
taken a big step forward in
the handheld gaming domain, a field long dominated
by Nintendo. Nintendo’s
formidable regime has ranged
from the giant brick of Game
Boy to the current Nintendo
DS. Priced a $100 extra
though, the PSP will have to
tear apart the DS to make it
worth the average gamer’s
dollar.
With stylish good looks
and a gigantic screen, the
PSP may have just what it
takes to overthrow Nintendo
in the long run. A huge,
color screen with incredible
resolution as compared to the
Nintendo DS, and familiar
Playstation shape based (i.e
triangle, circle, etc…) controls may be able to translate
big business from PS2 users
to Sony’s new mobile base.
What Sony lacked before,
though, was their PS2 users
who had to rely on Nintendo
cartridge based games on-therun. Sony now has both of
its angles covered, and even
with battery life a slight prob-
you are restricted to company
supported games and DVD’s
especially in the beginning,
not independent marketers,”
Matt Nosek, Adv. 702, takes a break from math
with the help of his PS2.
Photo by Micah Tepora
lem, the PSP is still poised to
make a splash.
“It looks good, but its
storage medium sounds like
it has some problems, since
said Ryan Jansen, Adv. 707.
Competition, of course,
is Sony’s driving force, but
the creation of the unit has
other implications as well.
“What’s the point? We already have a new Game Boy
out, so it’s not necessary to
introduce a new system with
limited game and battery
life,” said Mariben Escalona,
Adv. 605.
Some do disagree with
the merits behind the creation of the UMD, Sony’s
Universal Media Disk and
the PSP in general, but it
seems to be a worthwhile
pursuit for Sony.
“Solid but not spectacular,” said P. J. McNealy of
American Technology Research on unit sales thus far.
Approximately 475575,000 units were sold the
first week, and this performance is not up to par with
recently comparable releases
such as the huge bash for PS2
in 2000. As for reviewer lust,
though, the PSP is steeped
in success. But the reviewers
aren’t the ultimate decision
maker, the consumers are.
Resteraunt Review: A Taste of the Orient
by Micah Tepora
China Chef is a wonderful
restaurant that serves authentic
Cantonese food infused with
Filipino cuisine. Located at 5920
W. Lincoln Ave., on the corner of
Lincoln and Mason St. in Morton
Grove, China Chef serves not
only as a regular restaurant where
diners can sit down and enjoy a
fine meal. It also has a banquet
room, is a take-out joint, and
caters for private parties.
The owners of the restaurant,
Joyce and Arthur Fong, opened
the restaurant in 1977 and since
then have been serving FilipinoCantonese cuisine with high
quality freshly prepared ingredients to give the food its authentic
and appetizing taste. Its menu
includes entrees that are less than
$8 on average, making it a wallet-friendly restaurant. However,
some entrees, such as the roast
duck, can go up to $17.50, and
depending on the size or the special family dinners, prices can go
between $4.50 and $13.95. Like
most Chinese restaurants, China
Chef ’s menu includes some rather
traditional entrees such as the various types of fried rice, sweet and
sour dishes, chop suey and egg foo
young, among other dishes.
China Chef also has a diverse
selection of special dishes such as
the Red Hot China Chef, a spicy
dish comprised of diced pork and
shrimp with diced vegetables and
paprika. Other spicy dishes include
Kung Bao Beef or Kung Bao
Chicken, which is diced chicken
sautéed with red peppers and
peanuts. Their menu also includes
Fun Shee, which is a dish with glass
noodles (vermicelli) cooked with
gulf shrimps, barbecued pork, and
fresh Chinese vegetables and Lung
Fung Kow, a dish made with lobster
meat and boneless chicken white
meat sautéed with fresh Chinese
vegetables. Similar to other Chinese
restaurants, China Chef also has
Mongolian Beef on their menu,
which is supposed to be spicy but it
seems a little more salty with some
spiciness to give it a kick.
As for soups, China Chef has a
delicious selection. Some are similar to those served at other Chinese
restaurants such as the Egg Drop
Soup, while others, such as Ho Do
Tai and Seaweed Soup among others, are unique. Vegetarians might
find China Chef appealing because
of dishes such as Vegetable Soup
and Vegetable Kow, which is a dish
of garden fresh Chinese vegetables,
pea pods, bok toy, mushrooms, and
water chestnuts. The restaurant
also provides variations of Chop
Suey to satisfy vegetarian hunger,
such as Vegetable Chop Suey and
Subgum Vegetable Chop Suey.
China Chef also has Egg Foo
Young, Chow Mein and Fried Rice
that are purely meatless.
There is also a great selection
of Filipino-Cantonese food such as
Pancit Guisado, a dish with Cantonese noodles, shrimps, Tenderloin pork, and Chinese vegetables.
Other Filipino-Cantonese dishes
include Sotanghon which is Fun
Shee Noodles, shrimps, barbeque
pork, and Chinese vegetables, and
Lechon, which is roast pork with
skins.
Most of the dishes are served on
top of rather crispy white noodles
as well as some chips for flavor.
China Chef also has a variety of
house specials such as the Chow
Egg (Cantonese Style), Seafood
Kow Chow Tay, and Beef with
Bean Sprout Chow Tay. When dining with the family, China Chef offers the choice of ordering the special family dinner which includes
a particular dish (choices include
dishes such as Egg Foo Young, Beef
Chop Suey, Beef Kow, and Sweet
and Sour Pork), two China Chef
Egg Rolls, four almond cookies,
white rice, and fried noodles.
China Chef is a great restaurant for dining whether it’s a party
of two or a party of thirty. It is
open from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Monday to Thursday., 11:30 a.m.
to 10:00 p.m. on Fridays, noon until
10:00 p.m. on Saturdays, and 12:30
p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Sundays and
holidays. There is certainly ample
parking and for take-outs, requests
for catering, or reservations, China
Chef can be contacted at (847) 9676050.
May 2005
Arts & Entertainment
Page 13
“Millions” of Smiles
A Rock Revolution
by Monica Wojcik
by Aimee Hoffman
on the bed where his wife used to be becomes the “it” kid around school.
A cute little boy, a scary lookHis peculiar head for business is
since he can’t sleep without them.
ing villain, a bag of stolen money,
highly entertaining, as he recites
This intense longing and sense of
and a sweet life lesson at the end
exchange rates and meets with real
being closed in by their grief sparks
is the recipe for a family fun film,
their need for adventure, which then estate representatives, attempting
but Millions is not the first film to
to invest the money as wisely as
literally falls from the sky in a Nike
explore this theme— Blank Check
possible. Damien is different, as he
duffel bag filled with money.
back in 1994 had a similar plot, for
can’t seem to fit in. A bird’s
example. Director Danny Boyle’s
eye view of the playground
comedy/drama/science fictionshowing his confusion and
fantasy, though, is a completely
loneliness while standing
whimsical take on this story, a film
against the wall brutally rethat lets imagination run free and
minds one of the time when
has fun without crude humor or
recess was not the most fun
excessive effort.
time at school.
The surreal cinematography
Damien deals with a
provides a fascinating juxtaposiquiet dignity that is inspiring
tion of whimsy and fleeting reality.
in a character so small. All
It may be the IKEA cabinets in the
he wants to do is help people,
homes with names like Serendipwhich he attempts to do in
ity, or the neighborhood police
a series of overly benevolent
officer who says that someone will
and hilarious donations. But
get burgled so surely that there can
all is not well in this fantasy.
be no comment. But most likely,
The money was stolen in the
it is because of the dreams of a
biggest bank robbery England
little boy and the poignancy of his
has ever known and the bad
story.
guys want it back real bad.
Seven-year-old Damien CunSoon, Damien and
ningham (played by Alex Etel) has
Anthony are racing against
lost his mother and moved to a
both the creepiest villain they
spiffy new suburban development
had ever seen and England’s
with his father Ronnie (James
impending switch to the
Nesbit) and nine-year-old brother
Euro-- after which all the
Anthony (Lewis McGibbon).
pounds will be useless unDamien, freckled and adorable, is Photo Courtesy of www.yahoomovies.com
less exchanged. Matters are
a precocious little boy who finds
complicated further when
comfort in his imaginary friends
Damien believes the bag to be
their father meets a pretty young
being St. Clare, St. Joseph, and St.
a gift from God and immediately
charity worker who threatens to get
Peter. Anthony is poised on the bor- wants to help poor people, though
into both Ronnie’s heart and the
der of childhood and pre-teenhood,
there aren’t many around the pricey
boys’ trust.
interested in the latest video games
development complex. Anthony’s
Boyle skillfully blends fear,
and his group of friends, but also
response is far more human: he
family
drama, and the comic relief
hiding an endearing vulnerability.
worries about telling anyone beTheir mother, although mencause the government may tax them of the boys’ antics into a poignant
and touching story. By the time the
tioned far more times in order to get up to 40%.
film comes to an end, the viewers
free candy than for her own sake,
For Anthony, the money
may almost feel like part of Damien
is still very much a part of their
represents a chance to live a kid’s
and Anthony’s little family, but not
lives. Damien asks his saint friends
ultimate fantasy. Strutting around
in the sappy kind of way, just plain
if they know his mother is up in
school in sunglasses and handing
and simply satisfied.
heaven, while Ronnie puts pillows
out tips like Donald Trump, he
Finally, an invasion of true-blue
rock’n’roll, and no, it’s not from
Britain like in the good ol’ days,
but from Philadelphia, the land
of brotherly love. Pepper’s Ghost,
a band reviving classic rock’n’roll
melodies, is led by frontmen
Anthony and Michael Montesano.
Other members include the multiinstrumental Rob Bennett, bassist
and vocalist David Hartley and the
drummer Zil.
The Montesano brothers
worked together to write the
ingenious songs of their soon-tobe famous album, Shake the Hand
that Shook the World. Andy Johns,
famous for having produced the
Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main St.,
Zeppelin’s IV and television’s
Marquee Moon, produced the hybrid
recording.
“I’ve only worked with two
bands this good before, and I don’t
even need to mention who they
are,” said Johns when talking to
Moxie reporters. “This band has
so much to give, especially vocally. With these guys, you set up a
couple of mics, they sing, you do a
few takes, and it’s done! Working
with them was a distinct pleasure.”
It’s no question that the Montesano brothers, born with their musical genius, raised up to the level
and talents of the great rock’n’roll
performers. They effortlessly write
songs for their band of five years,
and it shows in their recently released album.
The work to stardom was no
easy ticket for Pepper’s Ghost. It
took their 2001 independent debut,
Opening Night, and then a follow-up
EP, Bang, to get them rocketing into
a rock’n’roll legend.
Opening Night was truly a
display of raw talent from Rob Bennett, who “just figured it out” on
the books of orchestration and fit a
fourteen-piece orchestra into their
live recording. “Paul McCartney
in a Motown Cabaret, directed by
David Bowie” is how the Philadelphia Inquirer described Ghost that
night. And, indeed, Shake the Hand
that Shook the World, resembles the
Beatles, especially John Lennon.
Bang, a risk to record, since it
was done in drummer Zil’s basement. Zil had no experience in
recording himself and awed the
critics.
“There’s a real breadth and
quality of songwriting across
all four tracks,” commented
Recordoftheday.com.
“[It was] the closest thing to
perfection any unsigned act could
hope to create,” the Origivation
Magazine proclaimed.
The good news just keeps on
coming for this aspiring band,
as their song, You’re In My Heart
(Little Pretty), debuted at #17 on the
billboard charts on March 11 of
this year. There is no doubt that it
deserves all the attention it’s getting,
and Pepper’s Ghost, the generation
of the old plus the new, is going to
jump into the music business with
this rocking album.
The Beatles blew America away,
in effect, causing the British Invasion of the seventies. Led Zeppelin
rocked us all with his fresh brand of
rock’n’roll guitar. The music industry grew, progressing rock’n’roll into
what it is today: many factions, and
eventually some real talent. That’s
Pepper’s Ghost, and they are Shake
the Hand that Shook the World.
This album is the ultimate in
a dying genre: vibrant, classic, full
of soul and musical flair. And it is,
without a doubt, going to launch
this blue-collar band from Philadelphia into the limelight.
Page 14
Sports
by Geethi Abraham
Finally More Thick than Thin
The Hoof Beat
Bulls Continue Recent Surge, Prepare For Playoffs
After the first nine games of the NBA season, few people
expected that the Chicago Bulls would be in the thick of the
playoff hunt. But with only eight games left, it would take a
major collapse for the Bulls not make the playoffs. If the playoffs were to start today, the Bulls would be the fourth seed and
would play the Washington Wizards in the first round.
They are also currently second in the Central Division,
only behind the defending NBA champions the Detroit Pistons. This turnaround from the beginning of the season is due
to good defense, intensity, and excellent coaching.
The Bulls started off the season going a pitiful 0-9, and for
many Bulls fans, this seemed to be yet another long, bitter season. In November, the Bulls went 1-10 and the only win came
against an undermanned Utah Jazz. Rookie point guard Ben
Gordon did not look like the player that led the Connecticut
Huskies team to a NCAA National Champion- ship
last year. However, even with such a slow
start, Bulls fans still had hope.
“Well it did suck when
they were 0-9, but I kind of knew that they would bounce
back,” said Nikki Inniss, Adv. 706.
The Bulls soon began to turn up the intensity, mainly on
the defensive side of the court. They had a 26-game streak in
which they did not let an opponent score over 100 points, a
streak that was only broken in a double overtime game. In that
span, the Bulls went 18-8 and broke over the .500 mark.
The baby Bulls were finally maturing and winning,
something Chicagoans had waited for since the departure of
Michael Jordan.
“It was amazing to watch this team being rebuilt from the
ashes,” said Rouan Mendoza, Adv. 606.
Ben Gordon began heating up late in games, hence earning his infamous title “Mr. Fourth Quarter.” In Gordon, the
Bulls found the first player since Jordan that was not afraid to
shoot during the critical moments of games. “Big Ben” has
scored double digit points in the fourth quarter 21 times, more
than Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, or any
other NBA superstar.
He is a candidate for both the Rookie of the Year and the
6th Man Award, which he would be the youngest player ever
to win.
“In my mind he is a super sub that has shown he can be
as good as a Dwight Howard or Emakea Okafor, and possibly even better,” said Rory Staiger, Adv 710. “Eddy Curry is
also having a contract season and is a restricted free agent this
summer, and it seems as if the Bulls have no intention to let
him go.”
This season, the Bulls have gone on massive runs, having
won six in a row and recently riding a nine-game win streak
that was snapped with their loss to the Miami Heat on April
5th. The Bulls’ key is superb defense, with Tyson Chandler
(standing at 7’1”) anchoring the defense alongside hard-nosed
point guards Chris Duhon and Kirk Hinrich in the backcourt.
In the recent game against Orlando, Chandler scored 15
points and grabbed a career-high-tying 22 rebounds while Kirk
Hinrich’s 25 points led the Bulls to victory.
Coach Scott Skiles emphasizes defense. When a player
does not play good defense, Coach Skiles does not hesitate to
pull that player out, even if he has had an efficient offensive
first half. Teams shoot a mere 42.1% against the Bulls, which
is among the lowest opponent field goal percentages in the
league.
When John Paxson drafted Ben Gordon, Luol Deng, and
Chris Duhon, he knew all three of them came from winning
college basketball programs. When he drafted Kirk Hinrich,
he also knew that he was getting another powerhouse college
basketball player.
One season together, and these four have taken the Bulls
team to another level, something that has not happened since
seven years ago.
The Bulls want to enter the playoffs on a high note, and
may be a team to be reckoned with in the Eastern Conference.
The Bulls look to hold onto the fourth seed and home
court advantage through the playoffs, something no analyst
would have picked up after their crummy start. Chicago has
had its best record and only winning record this late in the
season since 1998.
“Although the Bulls may not be a championship caliber
team, they sure have given us a reason to watch them,” said
Arpit Kuvadia, Adv. 701. “The Baby Bulls look to tear it up in
the playoffs and build off the experiences they got this year.”
Basketball has returned to Chicago after a seven-year
hibernation, and the Chicago Bulls spirit is once again set
high. The Bulls won their first playoff game 103-94 against
the offensive-minded Washington Wizards. Indeed, this team
is capable of beating Washington and advancing to face their
second round opponent, most likely the Miami Heat.
Skills Revealed on the Field
The Northside Track Team Practices for Meets
by Syyeda Afreen Ali
The Track and Field Team at Northside
is awaiting the city championships that will
determine efforts that were put in by the runners during practice.
With practices running everyday for
almost two hours, the team feels as if they are
ready to compete in the City Championships
and Regionals coming up within the next few
weeks.
Their typical workouts include sprints,
endurance practice, throws, and jumps. Sprint
competitions include the 100m, 200m, 400m,
and the sprint hurdle events. For endurance,
there are the 800m, 1500m, 5k, walks and
steeplechase events. Throws include shot,
discus, hammer, and javelin events, and jumps
include the long jump, high jump, triple jump,
and the pole vault events.
The head coach for the Track and Field
Team is Humberto Gutierrez. Coach Gutierrez feels that the team works hard, but they
still need some improvement in their practices.
“Northside has talented athletes. We just
need to focus more in our training,” said
Coach Gutierrez. “Most of the track team
members are very disciplined and dedicated
to the sport. In terms of improvement, everyone knows that time is a very, if not the most
important, factor here. Once our runners
jump in the track, their main goal is to improve their time(s) by seconds. Every runner
has a different goal. Some of our athletes are
in the process of learning and getting to know
the sport. Very few understand completely the
game, especially juniors and seniors.”
Coach Gutierrez feels that his goals
for the year are to make sure that the sport
welcomes every student at Northside. Coach
Gutierrez, at the beginning of the school
year, received a phone call from Mr. Thomas
Smith, the Director of Track and Field. In the
conversation, Northside was mentioned as an
option to host a meet.
“I was extremely happy with the news
and had shared the news to our athletes,” said
Coach Gutierrez. “They were very happy
that finally Northside had the option to host a
meet at Hanson Stadium. As the head coach
here at Northside I believe that we can host
the meet.”
It is said that the team will wait until next
year to organize the event and run it efficiently and very organized.
The Mustang Invitational Meet will take
place at Hanson Stadium, and the date will
be marked in the beginning of next year’s
calendar.
Aside from making sure that every
Northside student feels welcomed on the
team, Coach Gutierrez also feels that the
team needs to improve in some of the most
important meets of the year.
The IHSA final meet will be held on the
20 and 21 of May for the girls’ team and the
27 and 28 of May for the boys’.
“This year’s goal for some of our runners
is to qualify for the IHSA final meet,” said
Coach Gutierrez. “Something that I truly admire as a coach is the presence of the athletes’
parents. It really helps when the mom and
dad come to the meet because the runners are
more excited to compete when their family
members are there.”
“The runners already know our goals, and
they believe in trying their best to achieve the
team and their personal goals,” said Coach
Gutierrez. “Practice is what they do to better
their running talents and reach their times.
Time is our target in order to move on to the
next level. Moving to the next level is the key
to success.”
The two captains of the girls’ team are
Madeline Roche, Adv. 602, and Sylvia Lee,
Adv. 502. They feel as if the only way the
team can improve their skills as runners is by
continuous effort and dedication.
“Everyone says they can’t run, but once
they get past the two-week hard-core training
and practice, they’re in shape and find out
that it’s enjoyable,” said Madeline Roche,
Adv. 602. “That two-week period is a test to
see your mental stamina. As a captain, I feel
responsible for making the girls do their hardest in the practice and making them feel like
a group.”
However, it is believed that the primary
factor that involves success in the team is that
every runner has to dedicate himself to the
Irfan Hussain, Adv. 806, and Harold Jaffe,
Adv. 802, practice for their upcoming
meets.
Photo by Shoaib Khan
sport.
“It’s a lot of individual effort and our
relays have been really good this year,” said
Sylvia Lee, Adv. 502. “If we all try our best
we will be doing well this year.”
Joseph Terdik, Adv. 603, and Daniel Kittaka, Adv. 603, are the captains of the boys’
team. They feel that the many months the
team has practiced in and out of school will
help in the tournaments.
“The team this year has gone through
winter training and with that strong base and
with the completion of indoor season. We
hope that all the athletes will PR during the
outdoor season,” said Joseph Terdik, Adv.
603.
Chicks with Sticks
Women’s Varsity Lacrosse Cradles into a New Season
by Geethi Abraham
Despite a disappointing season
opener, the Varsity Women’s Lacrosse Team has high hopes for the
coming season.
Having lost eight senior varsity
players from last year, the team was
totally rebuilt at this year’s tryouts.
Varsity Coach Devin McCue and
Junior Varsity Coach Jessica Kelley
held tryouts during the week of February 28th.
“I am excited to start this new
season with a totally new team,”
said Coach Devin McCue. “The
team is very young, but the great
strides that we are making within
such a short time really show all the
potential that is present.”
The varsity team consists of two
seniors, six juniors, nine sophomores, and one freshman.
After three weeks of training, the team started its season
on March 31st in a game against
Evanston Township
High School, a team
ranked fifth in the
Illinois High School
Women’s Lacrosse
Association.
The women’s
varsity lost to the
Evanston team 20-0,
although goalie Natalie Bennett, Adv. 702,
made over 16 saves.
“We just were
not ready,” said team
member Hena Ali,
Adv. 701. “It was just
our first game.”
“The game was
hard to watch because
I knew what the
Northside team was
capable of and that
the girls were not
playing to their full
Patrycja Mazur, Adv. 701 and Hena Ali, Adv. 701 run
shuttles during practice in preparation for their big
game against Regina Dominican High School.
Photo by Geethi Abraham
potential,” said Coach
Devin McCue. “But we
were playing a team that
has a very established lacrosse program. Evanston’s girls come in their
freshman year already
possessing a firm lacrosse
background. We are very
young and it was only our
first game as opposed to
their [Evanston’s] third.”
The team was a lot
more successful in their
second game on April 2,
beating Lane Tech High
School, 8-5. The game
was filled with many
highlights, such as Joanna
Zahn’s, Adv. 501, hat
trick.
“In the second game
we regrouped very well,
making all the necessary
adjustments and changes needed,”
said Coach Devin McCue. “What
was hard in both games was the
inconsistency of players. It is very
hard for the girls to play as a team
when the line-up is frequently
changing.”
Left in high spirits after their
win against Lane Tech, the Women’s Varsity Lacrosse Team hopes to
continue having a successful season.
They model their style of play
on the Fighting Illini Basketball
Team, which embodied teamwork
and consistency through its entire
season.
“Ideally by the end of the season we will be able to play like the
Illini, in that we will have a set starting line-up that knows each others’
strengths and weaknesses and will
be able to utilize each other skills to
really play as a team and win,” said
Coach Devin McCue.
May 2005
Sports Page 15
Mustangs Cheer and Poms Spirit Onto City
by Vianna Guillermo
Poms Becomes Second Time City Champs
On April 2, cheerleading and pompon
Young went on to perform their rousquads from all over Chicago gathered at the
tines. Their routines focused on stunts
UIC Pavilion for the annual CPS City-Wide
with less emphasis on dance and though
Spirit Competition.
the judges preferred more dancing, the
Fans, ready to support their high school’s
level of stunt difficulty outweighed the
spirit teams, packed the stadium stands.
lack of choreography.
This year, both Northside’s cheerleaders and
Northside placed fourth in the Large
dancers attended the event to display their
Cheer Division, Morgan Park third,
Mustang pride.
Lane Tech second, and Whitney Young
The Mustang Poms Squad competed
first.
in the Large Poms division, where only
“Whitney Young’s performance was
advanced squads of more than 12 dancers
very strong. They deserved to win first
are eligible.
[place],” said Jill Swanson, Adv. 702.
Only 3 schools were placed in this
Though the cheerleaders did not win
division: Lane Tech, Whitney Young, and
city, they are very proud of their first
Northside. Lane and Whitney delivered
competition performance.
amazing routines, with high kicks, pom“This year we may have placed last,
passes, and leaps - all signs of difficulty and
but we can only go up from here,” said
skill to the judges. Northside performed last
Co-captain Katie Thomas, Adv. 606.
and instantly set themselves apart from their
The cheerleading squad is already
competition.
thinking about improvements that can
Their dance routine was quick paced,
be made for next year’s city competition.
unified, featured a perfectly executed kick
Though the judges liked their tight choline, and even ended in the entire squad in
reography and visual presentation, they
splits.
must work on improving stunt difficulty,
When the award ceremony arrived, third
jump execution, and tumbling skills.
place was awarded to Lane Tech. With only
“We need to make sure people are
two teams left, it was an emotional moment
more open minded about trying new
for the Mustangs when the award announcer
things, like stunts and gymnastics, and
called the Dolphins to the stage to claim 2nd
keep the Mustang spirit alive,” said Jill
place. The Mustang poms squad had done it The Cheerleading Team performs their complicated stunts in front of a diverse crowd at the
Swanson.
again - they won City.
UIC Pavilion. Northside would go on to place fourth place in the Large Cheer Division.
The poms squad is also looking to
“It all really came together,” said team
Photo by Sasha Letchinger
carry on their first place tradition.
captain, Monica Jun, Adv. 508. “We prac“I wish next year’s team the best
ticed so hard that it came naturally. Whitenough to compete in the Large Division.
basket tosses went flying. However, when the
of luck,” said Monica Jun. “I know they
ney Young has always been an intimidating
Their opponents were Lane Tech, Whitney
chant portion hit, the crowd gasped as one
can do it because they are an awesome team
opponent, but I’m glad we had really great
Young, and Morgan Park.
basket toss collapsed. Though shocking, the
already.”
competition because it showed we can really
The Northside cheerleaders performed
Mustang energy did not dissipate, and they
Both teams are happy with their season’s
compete against the best.”
first, leaving them little time to prep their
continued with their routine. But something
run, which started as early as September for
“I’ve gone to three competitions before,
routine. Their biggest worry was being able
was still amiss because their hardest stunt, the
the cheerleaders and October for the poms
but this time I had high expectations and
to execute their stunts, which were high in
pyramid, failed.
squad. Cheerleading and poms are definitely
knew we would do really well,” said Marilyn
difficulty.
“I think we could have done better, stuck
Northside’s true all-year season sports.
Botero, Adv. 804.
But when the music hit, and the Mustang
our performance and prepared more before“[Poms] is hard, but it’s worth it, espeThis was the cheerleading squad’s first
cheerleaders took the floor, their dance moves
hand,” said Ben Ortiz, Adv. 702.
cially when you win first place,” said Marilyn
ever competition, but they were also skilled
and toe touches were in unison and their
Morgan Park, Lane Tech, and Whitney
Botero, Adv. 804.
Mustangs Fool Bengals on April 1st
Mustangs Win, Up Record to 6-2
by Habib Bilfaqi
Maybe the mysterious flock of
birds hovering over the baseball
field was a sign of things to come
for the Men’s Varsity Baseball Team
(6-2 overall, 0-1 conference).
When starting pitcher Jon
Nisavic, Adv. 504, injured his knee
on a hard ground ball in the third
inning, the Mustangs came together
as a team, toughening its defense
and batting with more patience and
confidence. The team stormed back
for its sixth victory of the season
by slaughtering the St. Benedict
Bengals 11-1.
“I thought things changed when
Jon got hit by the ground ball,” said
Assistant Coach Doc Kusch. “David Mejia [Adv. 606] came in and
the whole defense worked together
to shut their down their offense.
Then the hits started to come in.”
Pitcher David Mejia relieved for
Jon Nisavic and pitched 1 ½ scoreless innings.
“David Mejia had to step up
and pitch for me,” said Jon. “He did
what he needed to and St. Bene-
dict’s is not that good of a team.”
The Mustangs started the game
out nicely. Jon Nisavic allowed only
one hit in the top of the first inning.
Then, in the bottom of the inning,
catcher Gil Fuentes, Adv. 501,
made the Bengals pay for walking
three men by driving in two runs on
a single. Eventually, all the starters
batted in the inning, and the Mustangs took a 3-0 lead.
“Anytime I go up to bat I try to
clear my head and just look for a
good pitch to hit,” said Gil Fuentes, Adv. 501. “It’s pretty much the
same approach for any at bat.”
In the second inning, Jon Nisavic pitched well, retiring all three
hitters on 11 pitches. In the bottom
of the second, Michael Burke, Adv.
601, walked to first, stole second,
and scored on Ben Locke’s, Adv.
501, single to help increase the
Mustangs lead to 4-0.
With the clouds darkening
and drizzle starting to fall in the
top of the third inning, the teams
continued to play. Nisavic walked a
batter, but retired the next three on
groundouts, ending the top of the
inning with only nine pitches.
Then, in the bottom half of the
inning, the team came through with
clutch two-out hitting when Andy
Costello, Adv. 508, hit a double and
stole third, followed by Gil Fuentes’ single, from which he drove in
his third run batted in (RBI) of the
game while increasing the lead to
4-0.
“I was praying to the Gods of
Baseball and running my butt off
when I was stealing third,” said
Andy Costello.
The top of the fourth was the
worst inning for the Mustangs’
pitching staff. With one out and a
runner on third base, the Bengals
hit a ground ball on the fifth pitch
of the inning that scored the team’s
only run of the game, but also
injured Nisavic’s knee.
Coach Chris Pagani decided
to warm up David Mejia in the
bullpen, as Jon ended the day with
three strikeouts, one walk, three
Coach Chris Pagani talks to his team after the big win about strengths and weaknesses of the
Mustang’s performance.
Photo by Habib Bilfaqi
hits, and one earned run on 37
pitches.
“My knee’s fine right now,” said
Nisavic. “It was just a little sore the
next day.”
David Mejia relieved Nisavic
and retired the next two batters with
nine pitches on a fielder’s choice
and a groundout, respectively. In
the bottom of the fourth, Michael
Pomeranz, Adv. 505, hit a triple
with one out, but the Mustangs
failed to score.
“I thought I did pretty well,”
said David Mejia. “There were a
few times when I got into trouble,
but my team backed me up.”
In the top of the fifth inning,
Mejia retired the first hitter on a
groundout, but then hit a roadblock.
He walked the next two hitters on
eight consecutive pitches, but the
team did not lose its confidence.
Mejia struck out the next batter on
five pitches and Gil Fuentes threw
out a runner trying to steal third.
“I knew I was doing badly, but
I focused on getting the next batter
out” said Mejia. “My infield did the
rest. I know we’ll do well in city and
state playoffs, as well as the conference this season.”
The bottom of the fifth inning
ended the game and the horrible
day with a bang. The Bengals allowed the first three hitters to reach
base. Then, with the bases loaded,
the hero of the day, Gil Fuentes,
came to bat. 1-0,
1-1, and finally
the bat hit the
ball, but it ended
up becoming
a sacrifice fly,
finishing his day
with four RBIs
and increasing the
lead to 5-1.
“I definitely
think we have the
potential to go
a long way, but
I think it’s more
important to focus on one game at a
time,” said Fuentes. “If we can play
every game like it’s the city championship and carry that intensity to
the playoffs, we could be very tough
to beat.”
The next batter, David Mejia,
bunt singled and drove in Andrew
Targos, Adv. 503, and first baseman
Tim Walsworth, Adv. 502, to make
the score 7-1.
Then, third baseman Scott
Nelson, Adv. 505, walked to load
the bases. Second baseman Michael
Pomeranz, Adv. 505, hit a triple
with the bases loaded, making the
score 10-1.
The Mustangs needed one more
run to invoke the slaughter rule,
which states that if a team is winning by 10 or more runs after the
bottom of the 5th inning, the game is
called to an end.
Michael Burke slammed a
pop-up far enough to score Michael
Pomeranz from third, increasing the
lead to 10 and finished the game for
the Men’s Varsity Baseball Team.
“These guys are going to do
well if they realize what they are
capable of,” said Coach Kusch.
“We expect to do well in conference
[play]. I am not surprised by our
play, but we have the potential to
do better. We need to improve on
our comebacks. If we are losing, we
don’t know if we are going to come
back [to win].”
Page 16
Sports What the
Bilfaqi Are
You Talking
About?
The Hoof Beat
When Athletes Stuff Their Faces
Another Sports Banquet at Northside
Dark Horses,
errr….
Mustangs?
by Habib Bilfaqi
The air feels crisp,
and the grass is green in a
diamond pattern. Ah yes,
baseball season is back, and
the sheer excitement can be
cut with a knife. Few things
can surpass such an atmosphere, though one of them
is the addition of a championship run. So
grab your peanuts, mitts, and scorecards,
and kickback with the American pastime.
The 2005 Men’s Varsity Baseball Team
brings renewed excitement to their game.
The usual excitement of an upcoming season was hovering about as their newest run
at the city title began.
The team, led by seniors Tim Walsworth, Adv. 502, Scott Nelson, Adv. 505,
Benji Locks and Gil Fuentes, Adv. 501,
looks committed to build upon late season
success from last year.
For the Class of ’05, this is the last
chance to prove their skills on high school
diamonds. With a win over St. Benedict,
the team improved to 6-2 on the current
campaign.
During the game, starting pitcher Jon
Nisavic, Adv. 504, was lifted early due to an
injury suffered when hit by a grounder, but
shrugged it off as minor soreness the next
day. This is it for the seniors and nothing
will keep them out of the game.
Two things stand out on such teams:
the never-say-die mentality that allows for
triumphant rallies when the chips are way
down, and the team attitude that keeps
players humble and together when teamwork can stand as the difference between a
win and a tough loss.
Many professional teams have used
such mottos to put together their dream
seasons, with the Red Sox and the Marlins
being the two most recent examples.
The first step after any season is to ask
oneself where the team can improve, and
how to achieve such a growth. The Mustangs grew as a team last year, finishing the
season strong behind team play.
After starting the season with eight
consecutive defeats, the team ended the
season winning 13 of their last 24 games.
Retaining nine of last year’s 15 players puts
the team a step ahead, bringing familiarity
to the dugout and memories of a season
that ended short of the goal.
Along with those two keys, solid defense, continued pitching dominance, and
putting together some solid wins of different varieties will boost their confidence in
any situation.
Yet, the team does have a couple of
cracks in their armor. They will need to
improve on their suspect defense, which
can potentially cost them as many as 7 or
8 games, and their inability to come back
from a big deficit. In one game, when their
pitching had only allowed four hits, the opponent scored six runs because of multiple
errors. Though the team has many positive
aspects the careless errors will kill their
chemistry and costs them many wins.
Even though their home field isn’t as
good as some of the other teams, the players play hard whatever the situation, except
maybe when a flock of birds starts flying
over the field (I wasn’t able to pay attention
to the game either). They can hurt you with
the long ball, and yet they have the skill to
lay down a bunt to get the game-winning
run or hold a lead against a tough opponent.
Though still a young season, the team
is set to make a big run. Here’s to hoping
that the Northside populace will support
the team and that the seniors’ last day on
the field ends with arms raised above their
heads.
So bring out the Mustang mascot, the
pep rallies, the fans, and let’s go and play
some ball.
Emanuel Rios, Adv. 701, Thomas Dyke, Adv. 705, Munir Ahamed, Adv. 709 from the Men’s Sophomore Basketball Team
chatting over drinks at the Winter Sports Banquet.
Photo by Sasha Letchinger
by Ilya Chalik
On March 29, more than 100 athletes
flocked into the gym for the Sixth Annual
Winter Athletic Awards Assembly. For fifteen
dollars per person, athletes and their parents
could have their fill of mediocre food from
Villa Palermo and listen proudly to speeches
from their coaches, Dr. Lalley, and athletic
director Mr. Michael Heavey. Teams celebrated the victories of the season, while various
athletes from each team were awarded such
achievements as the Outstanding Athletic
Achievement, Mustang, Academic/Athletic,
Sportsmanship and Senior Leadership
Awards.
“It takes courage, determination, energy,
and commitment to be an athlete,” said Dr.
Lalley to the attentive athletes. “Thank you
for all the hope and excitement that you bring
to Northside College Prep.”
Dr. Lalley’s concise speech resonated in
the athletes who have worked hard through-
out the winter. The teams had done very well
at City and Regional Championships and
emerged from the season stronger than ever.
“Quite a few students actively supported
the Basketball team all the way to the end,”
said Mr. Heavey. “Three coaches received
recognition as district coaches of the year:
Tom Horn of the Men’s Basketball Team, Bob
Newton of Women’s Basketball, and Carlos
Ceja, the Coach of the Swimming Team.”
The esteemed coaches gleamed, as they
were proud of their award-winning athletes.
“I think that we got better throughout the
season,” said Women’s Basketball Assistant
Coach Frank Cirone. “We competed on different levels of competition. The team will be
ready for competing next year.”
Many athletes gathered one final time this
season to socialize in a comfortable setting
and discuss the fruits of their victories.
“At Northside, student-athletes aren’t just
fantastic students,” said Mr. Heavey. “They
bring energy to every thing they do.”
After the main portion of the banquet,
the various teams split up and the coaches
awarded the team members with the awards
and letters. Athletes also collected the pictures
of their teams, if they ordered them. Parents
proudly watched as their sons and daughters
received commendation from the coaches.
The Winter Sports Banquet is one of three
annual sports banquets. Although traditionally the Spring Awards Assembly is more
festive, as the Athlete of the Year Award is
given to the best male and female athletes
from the entire year, the Winter Banquet is
just as important.
For the Men’s and Women’s Basketball,
the Men’s Swimming and Diving, Bowling, Cheerleading, and Pom Pon Teams, the
event is a grand culmination of a triumphant
season.
Spike Up The Jam
Men’s Volleyball Season Underway
by Anthe Mitrakos
The Northside Men’s Volleyball Team has made a spectacular
start to what they hope will be a
rewarding season, climbing to an
impressive record of 8-2.
On Tuesday, March 29th,
the varsity team played against
Prosser and won the match easily
25 to 17 in the first set and 25 to
8 in the second.
The team also won its first
home conference match against
Senn on Thursday, March 31st,
by scores of 25 to 16 and 25 to 9.
“I am excited I have a great
team with a bunch of great guys,
and we are looking forward to a
lot of wins,” said varsity coach
Ms. Nicole Flores.
So far, winning matches is a
trustworthy sign that Northside’s
Men’s Volleyball Team will excel
and possibly reach its goal of
winning the 2005 Conference
Championship.
“One of our goals is to gel as
a team and have a conference victory, which we are anticipating,”
said co-captain Justin Rivera,
Adv. 505.
“Things look very promising.
We have a solid team with experienced players,” said co-captain
Ted O’ Reily, Adv. 504.
Players attribute the team’s
quick start to full team effort—
the team’s ability to “gel”.
“We pulled together and
gelled,” said Peter Vroustouris,
Adv. 600. “And [the Senn game]
was exhilarating.”
“It feels good [to win],” said
Felix Lukose, Adv. 600.
On April 13th, the team
played a home game against
Lincoln Park. The first game
started out in favor of the Lincoln Park team, but Northside
caught up quickly and was in
the lead.
It was impossible to
determine which team would
win because both teams were
playing well against each other.
The scores were not more than
two points apart by the end of
the game.
As tension rose, both teams
strived to gut out the tough
win. The Mustangs managed
to win 25 – 24, due to an “out”
made by Lincoln Park In
the next game Lincoln Park
played rough and won 25 – 12.
Both teams had their shares of
mistakes that could have been
avoided, but both played well.
By the last game, the Lincoln Park team overwhelmingly
defeated the Mustang Team
by sixteen points, providing
a disappointing loss for the
Mustangs.
“Lincoln Park played well,
but we could have beaten
them,” said Felix Lukose. “We
lost because, in the 2nd and 3rd
Northside Men’s Volleyball Team congratulates Senn on a good
games, the intensity at which
game.
we played was lowered.”
Photo by Anthe Mitrakos
“They played well considering the absence of two of the
team lost against Lincoln Park,
tangs, and it will be their main
starters, Ted O’Reily and Justin
they
are
still
doing
excellent
in
goal as the season wears on. The
Rivera,” said manager Elyconference games, winning four
Mustangs hope to be one of the
ssa Walthe, Adv. 710. “In the
of
the
five
matches
they
have
top teams in the city all season
second game they got excited—
played so far.
long, and to be a strong threat to
which probably affected their
Winning
the
city
tournament
win the league this year. Indeed,
performance.”
seems reasonable for the Musthis goal is in reach.
Although the Northside