Cubby Walk Ends In A Bang “Don't Touch That Dial” Reunion ...

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Editorial page 10

Centerfold pages 8-9

Arts & Entertainment page 12-13

Sports pages 14-16

• Mr. and Mrs. Smith A Hit?• Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith

• Goodbye, Class of 05• Northside’s Counseling Department: What They Do• International Night

• I Spy Northside: Northside Cameras and More

• What up, Freshmen• Vending Machines: Good or Bad?

• Ahsan: Ohare Expansion• Summer Vacation Destinations

• Fall Sports Preview• Are the Monsters of the Midway back? • AsRoar: Hatred of Things

Cubby Walk Ends In A BangNorthside Raises Record Amount of Money, Cubs Win

William T. Hagen, Adv. 604, and Stella Martin, Adv. 607, cheer on the Cubs.Photo by Asrar Khan

“Don’t Touch That Dial”International Night Revisits Northside

Continued as “Cubby Walk” On pg. 2

Continued “International Night” On Pg. 2

by My-Phuong LyIn March, former assistant

principal Mr. Alan Mather became principal of newly built Lindblom Math & Science Academy. After Mr. Mather applied for this posi-tion, he went through three rounds of interviews before receiving it.

“I was obviously pleased that I had this opportunity to start a new school,” said Mr. Mather. “Heck, how often do people get this chance?”

Mr. Mather improved Northside since the beginning of its life and will continue his legacy at Lindb-lom Academy.

“To create a rich college prep curriculum focused on math, sci-ence and service to the Englewood community,” Mr. Mather says his goal is.

Northside received the news of Mr. Mather’s promotion over the intercom one morning that Mr. Mather was leaving the school. The teachers, staff, and student body were happy about Mr. Mather’s pro-motion, but were also going to miss the outgoing vice-principal. Shortly after, Mrs. Lisa Moreno, the former Launch principal, was promoted to the new assistant principal position.

To honor Mr. Mather’s ac-complishments and to bid a proper good-bye, the Northside Parent Network planned a reception on May 16, 2005. The informally planned event started at 7:00 p.m. with teachers, faculty members, and students attending.

Reunion to say Good-Bye

Continued as “Mr. Mather” On pg. 3

Jackie Mac, Alumnus, participates in the Chinese Dance.Photo by Katie Schuering

Mustang Water Polo

Teacher Leavings

by Neha Alam & Zenobia Gonsalves A fusion of performances and hilarious

skits from 18 different cultures entertained an auditorium filled with spectators at this year’s International Night showcase. The title of this year’s performance, which took place on May 27, was dubbed as “Don’t Touch That Dial,” with the highlight of the show being skits from reality TV. The reality shows included in the program were Survivor, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, The Newlyweds, Fear Factor, The Simple Life, American Idol, and The Apprentice.

“International Night was done well,” said Kavinda Wewegama, Adv. 707. “I was surprised, but was glad, by the amount of people who came to watch it.”

International Night began with a dedica-tion to Mr. Cedric Hampton, who had been a major contributor to International Night since Northside was established. It was followed by the National Anthem, which was performed by Emmanuel Garcia, Adv. 504, and Lauren Akain-yah, Adv. 601. Afterwards, Marisa Buchheit, Adv. 701, and Rhianna Jones, Adv. 810, who were imitating heiresses Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie from The Simple Life, hosted a fashion show, which showcased the beautiful costumes from each culture.

The International Night Committee com-posed of Randy Yang, Adv. 507; Phillip Ozaki, Adv. 500; Krystle Fertig, Adv. 506; and Ki-yomi Tran, Adv. 502, planned the events of the evening. The hilarious skits in between perfor-mances spiced up the dances while the color and music decorated Northside’s auditorium. TV Guide posters featuring Northside performers plastered the walls of the auditorium.

“The most amusing parts of the night were the skits,” said Pablo Anaya, Adv. 600. “The I-Night committee did a great job with coming up with this year’s theme. The showcase truly

included something for everyone.”Three contestants were competing to keep

their country’s dance in the show. Alumnus Moustafa Kharouta, Adv. 505, played Jeff Probst, the host of Survivor. Carleen Amarillo, Adv. 505; Carol Khou, Adv. 502; and Kirby Inlong, Adv. 505, played contestants from Puerto Rico, China, and India. The dancers of Bomba/Plena, directed by alumna Priscilla Mercado, Adv. 508, performed after Carleen claimed that this Puerto Rican dance was the best. However, Carol disagreed and introduced the next dance,

Yu Guo Tian Qing from China, which was directed by alumna Tina Chui, Adv. 505. Finally, Kirby claimed that it would be unfair if the audience were deprived of watching a perfor-mance from her motherland, India. Desi Fusion, choreographed by alumna Fareeha Hussaini, Adv. 504, and Aisha Sozzer, Adv. 603, featured a blend of Indian and Pakistani pop music and American hip hop.

“I loved the first Chinese dance and the Desi Club dances especially,” said Tom Skawski, Adv.

by Asrar Khan and Muamera HadzicOn a beautiful day on May 27,

2005, Northside held its annual Cubby Walk to raise money for various expenses throughout the school. The day began in regular advisory for all, followed by a short session of colloquium until about 9:20. After this short session was complete, students who had paid for their tickets headed off to the gym for a kickoff pep rally, while stu-dents who did not wish to partici-

pate on the walk headed off to the auditorium to wait for dismissal. At the kickoff rally, Mr. Kore-man, the teacher who coordinated the entire Cubby Walk effort, intro-duced awards for those freshmen,

sophomores, juniors, and seniors who had given the most to the school. After the winners were an-nounced to a cheering crowd, the walk began. This walk marked the first year that there was not a significant amount of rain to affect the event.

“I’ve gone to all of the walks, since my freshman year, and I think the weather was probably the nicest

at this cubby walk.” said departing senior, Mark Spreitzer, Adv. 507. “I mean, it was the first year that it did not rain a lot and the Cubs did really well, and on top of that the turn out was a lot better than I had

expected.” This year, unlike the previous, a

“complimentary” ticket for students required $50 rather than the usual $10. However, the increase did little to diminish the resulting profits be-cause Northside raised more money than in the previously inexpensive years.

“I actually had thought that participation would definitely de-crease this year, just because of the

amount that needed to be raised,” said Wade Killman, Adv. 702, “but there were a lot of people there to participate, and it was nice to see that so much money would be raised for our school.”

This particular Cubby Walk was also special or memorable because it was the first one not facilitated by Dr. James Lalley and Mr. Alan Mather. Instead, Mrs. Lisa Moreno took over the highly spirited role that Mr. Mather played in staying at school with the students who did not raise money or want to participate.

“Being my first year, I thought that this was a worthwhile activity and the money raised was definite-ly an increase from last year’s,” said Mrs. Lisa Moreno, “and there has been a letter sent out to the parents, but as far I am aware, we raised about $31,000.” The game itself was significant

not because of the way the Cubs exploded offensively against the Colorado Rockies, but because of Mark Prior’s injury. The Rockies struck first, scoring on a sacrifice fly in the second inning. The Cubs battled back, however, as they

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Northside College Prep High School5501 N. KedzieChicago, IL 60625Tel: (773) 534-3954Fax: (773) 534-3964Principal: Dr. James LalleyAssistant Principal: Ms. Lisa MorenoAdvisor: Mr. Chester TylinskiEditors-In-Chief: Ilya Chalik, Asrar KhanEditorsManaging Editor: Priyanka BhagatNews Editors: Saad Ahsan, Priyanka BhagatFeatures Editors: Zainab Sozzer, Aisha Wa-hidEditorial Editor: Aliy MarkowskiCenterfold Editors: Sanja Bajgoric, Anthe Mitrakos Arts and Entertainment Editors: Damon BeresSports Editors: Geethi Abraham, Idrees Mo-hiuddin Image Editors: Neha Alam, Zenobia Gon-salves, Shoaib KhanSatire: Ashraf Abbas, Idrees MohiuddinArtist: Anthe Mitrakos

Web Page StaffEditors-In-Chief: Anisa Isap, Monica WojcikWeb Managing Editors: Ajla SunjeNews Editor: Ashraf Abbas, Natalia EmanuelSpecials Editor: Amania WahidArts and Entertainment Editor: Micah TeporaSports Editor: Muamera Hadzic

Staff:Business Manager: Syyeda AliReporters: Rodje Estrada, Aimee Hoffman, Farihah Khandaker, My-Phuong Ly, Micah Tepora,Junior Reporters: Elizabeth Jose, and Sarah Hanif

The Hoof Beat is a monthly publication produced by the Northside Prep Journal-ism Class. As a student-run newspaper, your opinions are important to us. If you have any comments, corrections, critiques, or ques-tions, please e-mail Mr. Chester Tylinski at [email protected]. Also, if you have any interest of joining the Hoof Beat, please come speak with Mr. Tylinski in Room 204.

Page 2 News The Hoof Beat

“International Night”Continued from pg.1

Paul Koukouvanis, Adv. 600 participates in the Martial Arts PerformancePhoto by Katie Schuering

“Cubby Walk”Continued from pg.1

James Smith Gretten, Adv. 706, prepares to catch a foul ball.Photo by Muamera Hadzic

805.Daniel Pellikan, alumnus,

played Regis Philbin from Who Wants to be a Millionaire. Carleen, Carol, and Kirby played the contestants com-peting for the grand prize of a million dollars. Carol incor-rectly answered a question regarding the origin of Jewish Dances. Zodiak/Yoya, which was choreographed by alumna Abby Michaelson, Adv. 508, exhibited a string of Israeli dances.

“International Night was diverse and very amazing,” said Jan Rizal, Adv. 705. “It was truly a fusion of all the different cultures.”

An assortment of Asian performances was then presented. Serng Katibkao, directed by Monica Sirichoti-ratana, Adv. 602, provided a taste of music and dance from Thailand. The next perfor-mance was the dramatic Ku San Ku Kata, directed by Ryan Mitacek, Adv. 601. Finally, Ada Li, a Chinese exchange student, directed and performed the graceful Peacock Dance from China.

Amusing skits continued with alumni Jason Tran and Krystle Fertig, playing Nick Lachey and Jessica Simpson from MTV’s popular show The Newlyweds. Jessica’s brainless behavior was highlighted as they introduced Taiko, Japanese drumming, which was directed and performed by Kiyomi Tran and Hiroyuki Joho, Adv. 800. Afterwards, Samba, a dance of Brazilian origin, charmed the audience. Chhalka Chhalka Re, choreographed by Chris Jose, Adv. 601, displayed traditional music, dance, and colorful costumes from India. The final performance under The Newlyweds was the Korean Fan Dance/K-Pop, directed by alumna Grace Ahn, Adv. 500, which started out with a traditional colorful fan dance, but later incorporated modern Korean music and dance.

Mike Orosa, Adv. 800, brought fear to the audience as he played the host Joe Rogan from Fear Factor. The first stunt was a Philippine dance named Bangko, which was choreo-graphed by Gephine Fernandez, Adv. 504, and Nicole Tud, Adv. 505. Performers had to rapidly dance on wooden benches while trying their best to stay on. The next stunt was Folk-loric Mexican, directed by Syra Guzman, Adv. 502. Wushu Daoshu/Furitsuke was the final stunt, which displayed a suspenseful combination of martial arts and sword fighting.

“Being in the show was a rush,” said De’Monicka Burton, Adv. 806. “Watching the show was even better. The ‘Cumbia’ dance was the best. I felt like getting up and dancing, but I didn’t want to look like a fool. The show was great.”

Marisa Buchheit and Rhianna Jones soon returned to comment on the performances from their show, The Simple Life. Dhoom, choreographed by Neha Alam, Adv. 704, and Zenobia Gonsalves, Adv. 704, entertained the audience with music and dance from Bollywood – the Indian film industry. Cumbia, directed by Johanna Gutierrez, Adv. 602, and Cesilia Esquivel, Adv. 602, gave another taste of dance from Mexico. The Hawaiian Dance was the first performance of the show from the U.S. Performers danced in colorful bikini tops and

grass skirts. “I-Night was the bomb,” said Delilah Santiago, Adv. 704.

“All the dances were great, especially Cumbia, Dhoom, the Korean Fan Dance, and Latino Club always throws down.”

Zillertalerhochzitstanz, directed by Ms. Virginia Apel, featured a traditional German dance and entertained the audience with the Chicken Dance. San Juanero, a traditional dance from Colombia, was directed by alumna Ainslie Car-mona, Adv. 501. The International Night showcase represent-ed the Vietnamese community in the Vietnamese Umbrella Dance, directed by Nancy Nguyen, Adv. 710, and My-Phuong Ly, Adv. 702.

Philip Ozaki, Randy Yang, Patricia Nguyen, Adv. 606, and Paul Smith, Adv. 708, played Ryan Seacrest, Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, and Randy Jackson from American Idol. Manny Garcia left the audience in awe after he stunningly sang “A Moment Like This.” African Drumming, directed by the African American Club, filled the auditorium with some rhythmic beats from Africa. The final performance in American Idol was Egyptian Cabaret Belly Dancing, choreographed by alumna Leela Laxpati, Adv. 503, which showed a very differ-ent perspective of African dance.

“I thought that the International Night performances were all entertaining,” said Alicia Marshall, Adv. 704. “I loved them all. I thought that the African American Club performance was interesting. I want to congratulate all of the performers because they all did a good job.”

Daniel Pellikan presented another entertaining skit as he played Donald Trump from The Apprentice. Trump’s first task was Mezcla Tropical, which charmed the audience with an assortment of dances from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. The crowd was there to witness Northside’s annual grand finale of International Night, which was the final task of The Apprentice. Tinikling brought the audience to a standing ovation after its performers intricately danced through banging bamboo sticks.

“The belly dancers and Tinikling were great,” said Nicole Rivera, Adv. 707. “Everyone was so entertaining.”

scored one in the third to tie the game. The scariest, and perhaps most unlucky play this season also occurred during the fourth inning, as Mark Prior was struck on his right elbow by a 117 line drive hit off the bat of Brad Hawpe. Prior went directly to Northwestern Memorial Hospital for precautionary X-rays, which were nega-tive, but an MRI reportedly showed a small fracture. This fracture will reportedly keep Prior out for 4-6 weeks. “That was a really scary moment,” said Kenny Stalkfleet, Adv. 604. “He was rolling around on the mound out there; the entire Cub season hung on his fragile arm anyway.” Todd Wellemeyer (1-0) replaced Prior with one out in the fourth and made for a strong fill-in for the Cubs right-handed ace. Wellemeyer shut out the Rockies for 3 2/3 innings while striking out two and walking three. Neifi Perez, Derrek Lee, and Jason Dubois each had RBI doubles in the fourth inning as the Cubs quickly built up a 5-1 lead. The Cubs would go on to have homers by

Neifi Perez, Derrek Lee, and Corey Patterson in the sixth and seventh innings. By the seventh inning, the Cubs had a 9-1 lead. “The Cubs were absolutely dominating the game,” said Mohammad

Khaleelullah, Adv. 804. “In fact, they were winning by so much by the seventh inning that the game was getting boring.” Boring or not, this of-fensive explosion was just what the doctor ordered for

the Cubs, as they had double digit hits (11) for the first time since April 26. Though the Cubs played really well, most of the post game con-cerns were focused on Mark Prior’s injury. Dusty Baker had a hard time

comprehending the injury at first. “The first thing that goes through your mind is ‘Oh no, I hope it's not as serious as it looks,’” Baker said. “It kind of makes you sick to your stomach actually. We knew he was in pain and just knock on wood, hope nothing is seriously wrong.” As Prior was an obvi-ously instrumental part of the team, the Cubs realize that they have to pick themselves up and push themselves into playoff contention. The divi-sion is still in reach “You just have to pick yourself up,” Wellemeyer said after witnessing Prior's injury. “I think everybody kind of stepped up.

The players are just as

stumped as the fans as to why the injury bug will not leave the Cubs. “It's hard to explain,” catcher Henry Blanco. “This is the way it is. You have to pick up your head. I think we're going to be fine.” In the end, though the game ended in a Cubs 10-3 victory, injury concerns over Mark Prior darkened the mood at Wrigley.

“Hopefully, the Cubs will be able to respond from this unlucky event,” said depart-ing senior Anya Hayden, Adv. 503. “I have faith in the Cubs to put this all behind them and finally end the curse that began 97 years ago.”

“I am really glad I went,” said John Dickson, Adv. 700.

September 2005 News Page 3

by Aliy MarkowskiThe Counseling Department has been an integral part

of Northside since the school’s opening six years ago. At a school where 99% of graduates go on to college, the Counsel-ing Department handles a large number of college counseling responsibilities, which include guiding students through the application and admissions process.

However, the role of the counsel-ing department goes beyond the col-lege application checklist. Northside’s Counselors, Marina Medina, Angela Lekkas, Patrick Tassoni, and Monica Kazmier, focus not only on academ-ics, but provide a wide range of services to serve Northside students emotionally as well as academically. Mr. Tassoni describes the role of the Counseling Department as a “dance.”

“We do a lot of concrete things,” said Mr. Tassoni. “But we are always stepping to the social, emotional, aca-demic, and future career expectations of each individual student.”

The counselors work with parents, teachers, colleges, and the commu-nity to provide the best support and opportunities possible for Northside students.

“We work with all components of the school,” said Ms. Lekkas. “A lot of our work is behind scenes serving as advocates, collaborators, liaisons, and resources for students.”

Northside’s counselors are highly qualified for their positions. Training to be a counselor in the department requires a Master’s Degree and train-ing in education, psychology, educa-tional testing, school law and ethics. In their positions, Northside’s counselors focus largely on counseling according to the needs of individual students.

“We don’t have a formula,” said Ms. Medina. “We work with individual student needs, interests, goals, family, strengths, weaknesses, and college plans.”

Students utilize the Counseling Department not only for college counseling, but also for guidance on high school aca-demics and decision-making.

Avi-Yona Israel, Adv. 605, utilized the Counseling Depart-ment when she decided to move directly from freshman to junior year because of the number of credits she had from classes taken in her seventh and eight grade years.

“They were really helpful in my transition from freshman to junior,” said Avi-Yona Israel. “They made a transition that could’ve been very difficult relatively easy for me.”

The Counseling Department is concerned with recent ru-mors that counselors encourage students to take on numerous Advanced Placement (AP) courses at the expense of electives in the Fine Arts and Language departments. They say that the academic advice given to any student is always based on what will best serve that particular student in achieving their own goals.

“What we recommend for a student is shaped entirely by that student himself,” said Ms. Medina. “We’re looking for how to help students meet their goals.”

The counselors also maintain, however, that if a student plans to apply for admission to a college or university that will look for academically rigorous core courses, in the process of preparing the student for success, it is their job to guide students in taking these courses.

Many students visit the counseling department with inter-ests in specific departments. Based on the student’s goals, their counselor advises them on which classes they should consider to have the best opportunities in any subject they wish to pursue.

“Ethically, I can’t tell a student planning to apply to a small liberal arts school where they’ll be judged largely on the rigor of their core courses that it’s a good idea for that student to take five or six arts classes,” said Ms. Kazmier. “Now if that student is planning to apply to the Art Institute, which is only concerned with Fine Arts courses, then that’s a different story.”

In addition, Northside’s counselors insist that they are not there to make the decisions for the students, and ultimately it is in the students’ hands to choose which courses they take as long as they fulfill their standard require graduation require-ments.

“What we make are recommendations,” said Mr. Tas-soni. “Ultimately we’re guiding students and families to make choices for themselves.”

“Our recommendations are often based on college feed-back,” said Ms. Kazmier. “We see what they’re looking for and that helps us guide our students so that they are in the best position they can be to get into a school where they can pursue their interests.”

In fact, Northside’s counselors have previously proposed limiting the number of AP courses that students are allowed to take concurrently.

“The last thing we want is students who are over-whelmed,” said Mr. Tassoni. “And furthermore, colleges are not looking for kids to load up on AP courses just to be taking AP classes. Colleges are looking for students to challenge themselves, and it is very possible for students to challenge themselves in honors classes.”

Northside’s Counseling Department has never set an AP

Northside’s Counseling Department Tailors To The Individual

course limit because of how different each Northside student is. While some students can handle the workload that comes along with a large number of AP classes, other students are bet-ter off limiting the number of AP courses they take.

“We’ve realized you can never really generalize it for all students,” said Ms. Medina. “It’s about understanding the par-ticular student and how much that student can handle.”

“We help the student realize their potential,” said Mr. Tas-soni. “We make sure they think about what else they’re doing, how they’re going to feel during the middle of the year, and the deadlines they have for getting out of classes.”

In terms of college admissions, Northside students have benefited greatly from the superior college counseling depart-ment. Seniors this year were accepted at a wide range of colleg-es and universities including five at Harvard, three at Yale, and acceptances at Stanford, Dartmouth, Brown, Reed, Amherst, Oberlin, and the Savannah College of Art and Design, among many other selective schools.

“The high school I was at before Northside had very little in the counseling department compared to Northside,” said Assistant Principal Lisa Moreno. “Our counselors are great and make a concentrated effort to provide a huge amount of information to students.”

Many students are familiar with receiving daily e-mails from Erin Kato, receptionist in the Counseling Department, detailing scholarships, summer programs, College Bridge, and community opportunities available to students.

“There are a lot of opportunities provided through the e-mails, with websites where you can usually get even more information if you’re interested,” said Trevor Woodland, Adv. 706. “I was interested in spending time at a college over the summer, and through one of those e-mails I learned about Summer Quest and ended up applying for that.”

However, many of these e-mails are either never read or received by Northsiders who either don’t check their student e-mail or whose mailboxes are full.

“Unfortunately, I’m not sure if all students are really taking advantage of the information we try to provide,” said Mrs. Kato. “A large number of e-mails I send out every day bounce back.”

“So many of the e-mails are about the same things that a lot of students aren’t interested in,” said Max Brown, Adv. 706. “It takes less time to just delete them than read them in the rare chance you’d be interested.”

Besides college counseling, the Counseling Department ad-dresses all aspects of students’ well-being.

“We’re always working on how to help the students with everything that may come up,” said Ms. Medina. “Whether it’s family issues, tardies, or personal things, students open up on issues in and out of school. To do well academically you must feel well and be handling all the other parts of your life.”

Many students come into the counseling department on their own accord. Others are recommended by their teachers, when they notice a change or need for a counselor’s guidance.

“If students don’t come on their own, we often begin to see that academics or attendance are slipping,” said Ms. Medina. “We look at progress reports and attendance records, and then we contact the student to figure out how we can help.”

Occasionally parents call their child’s counselor to alert the counselor of an issue they think their son or daughter may be having.

“When a parent calls, we want to get the whole story and keep the parents involved,” said Mr. Tassoni. “We start off with questions that are usually academic, and that leads us to questioning further until we get to the bigger issue.”

“We try to address the source of the problem so we can determine what we can do for the student,” said Ms. Lekkas.

Counselors also focus on helping students be prepared for

life after high school socially. They give advice and practice on meeting deadlines, talking to teachers, and handling problems that may arise.

“We use our skills to help students use their skills,” said

Ms. Lekkas. “In college if a student is having a problem, he needs to talk to his professor on his own.”

Counselors would like to dispel the assumption that every time a student is called down to the office he is in trouble.

“We’re not disciplinarians,” said Ms. Kazmier. “You may not want to discuss what it is we want to talk about, but ultimately we’re trying to help you benefit from what-ever problem you may be having, whether it’s attendance or grades, there’s usually some underlying issue.”

Students are not aware of many of the tasks the Counseling Department is responsible for. The Counseling Department is the point of origin for public information about Northside, and the department is held accountable for all statistics and record keeping.

The department is also responsible for all testing coordi-nation, with AP exams as well as the standardized tests that Northside students take.

Counselors also sit in on Individualized Planning meet-ings for students with special needs, and also coordinate assistance for homebound students. The department works with all student needs related to scholarships, jobs, summer programs, and special education as well.

“A lot of what we do is a process,” said Ms. Kazmier. “It’s not black and white. Basically, we’re trying to be there to help students be as successful as possible.”

“We’d like students to see us as a huge resource in the community, other programs, and personal exploration,” said Ms. Medina.

Ms. Kato continues to contribute tremendously to Northside’s Counseling Department. Photo by Neha Alam

“[The surroundings] were similar. I was pleased to see so many familiar faces, so many who had done so much for Northside,” said Mr. Mather.

It was an enjoyable evening with refreshments, small talk, mingling, and dancing. There were also speeches by Principal Dr. James Lalley, Mr. Mather and parents wishing to express their feelings to Mr. Mather.

“Dr. Lalley said a few words that touched me,” said Mr. Mather. “It was just so nice to hear the lovely things that people had to say. You know, there are some really nice people at NCP!”

“I thought it was a nice intimate gathering and it was a good opportunity for some parents to say goodbye,” said Mrs. Moreno.

“After the reception I felt like crying, just kidding,” said Mr. Mather. “Well, since I don’t feel as if any time is truly good-bye, it wasn’t that hard. It was touching, however, that they would hold a reception for me. I felt honored.”

Some parents were there to say a farewell to the new principal. For those students who missed Mr. Mather very much since he went over to Lindblom, he also visits the school every once in awhile. Some good news for the graduating seniors was that he attended the senior prom and that he read off the names at graduation.

Even though Mr. Mather is at the new school, he still keeps in contact with Northside’s staff.

“I talk to Ms. Moreno often,” said Mr. Mather. “I talk to Dr. Lalley almost every day.”

“Mr. Mather”Continued from Front Page

Page 4 News The Hoof Beat

by Geethi Abraham and Ilya Chalik

With diplomas in hand, yet another group of beloved Northside Mustangs was released into the world at the 2005 Senior Class gradua-

tion on June 7, 2005, ready to stampede over future obstacles and, as Valedicto-rian Andrew Miller boldly declared –define their own decade.

From the beauti-ful rendition of the Star Spangled Banner at the beginning of the ceremony to the turning of the tassels at the end, the night served as a very memorable and significant occasion for each of the 194 graduates and their many proud parents and families who had adoringly lined nearly every inch of the North-side gymnasium.

“I can’t wait to see what our class will achieve in the future,” said Saluta-torian Randy Yang. “I real-ize that we have already achieved greatness, though we have yet to reach our potential.”

At the start of the night the graduates in their maroon caps and gowns slowly processed into the gym to the school band’s performance of Edward Elgar’s melody, “Pomp and Circumstance.” They were

followed by their teachers who were dressed in black gowns. Graduates that were members of Northside’s National Honors Society also wore a gold cord around

Caps, Gowns, and DiplomasClass of 2005 Graduation

Northside Loses a Priceless PossessionTeachers from Previous Years Leave

by Syyeda Afreen AliMany changes will be seen in the 2005-2006 school year

at Northside. One of them, perhaps a very important one for students as well as the staff, is the absence of many teachers that have taught in the previous years.

The departing teachers at Northside are Ms. Sandra Beris, Ms. Antoinette Geraghty, Mr. James Lynn, Ms. Katie Michell, and Mr. David Vanoni.

One of the teachers who has taught in the previous years is Ms. Beris, the AP US History teacher. Ms. Beris left teaching at Northside because her husband took a new job at Edward Hospital, located in Naperville. She will continue teaching, but her son, Zander, at home. Ms. Beris has been teaching for the past 9 years, and 5 of those years have been at Northside. Her first 4 years she taught at 2 different all-girls schools. Ms. Beris felt that she would miss Northside, especially the students and staff.

“My experience at Northside was amazing,” said Ms. Beris. “I enjoyed coming to work everyday, and I will miss the students and my colleagues.”

Her students also felt that they will miss her dedication to teaching and helping them in doing well in class.

“Ms. Beris was a great teacher,” said Hamida Patel, Adv. 708. “She left for quite some time when she was doing ‘the baby thing’, but she jumped right back into teaching when she returned. We laughed, we whined, but her class was great.”

Ms. Geraghty, one of the AP and Honors Biology teach-ers, has left her teaching position at Northside, after having taught there for five years, because she has moved to the suburbs. According to the residency restrictions of CPS, the Board of Education requires that teachers that were hired after the year of 1996 live within the boundaries of the city. Ms. Geraghty was hired after 1996.

“It was a phenomenal experience and I made lifelong friends,” said Ms. Geraghty. “I had a rewarding and unique experience with the students in the past five years, and I will miss Northside very dearly.”

Her students feel that having her as a teacher was a great advantage for their education.

Other students also found Ms. Geraghty to be a very good teacher who truly loved teaching and was great at it. Next year, she will be teaching at New Trier High School.

“Although it was an AP [Biology] class, she prepared us well without loading us with a lot of homework,” said Mari-ben Escalona, Adv. 605. “She also had a really good sense of humor.”

Mr. Lynn, one of the AP Statistics and IMP teachers, has taught at Northside for the past six years, since Northside was first built. Mr. Lynn now has an administrative position in CPS, and will be working for the Office of Math and Science. According to him, moving away from teaching will be quite a challenge because it was one of the things that he had enjoyed greatly.

“It was a very hard decision because I love teaching,” said Mr. Lynn, “So it’s hard to leave the classroom, especially here because of the wonderful students.”

Not only will Mr. Lynn be missing the school, many of his students will be missing him. Many felt that he was a great teacher, and his dedication to teaching allowed him to be very successful.

“I think that Mr. Lynn was a great teacher,” said Carla Albert, Adv. 606. “He loves to teach and his passion for math is obvious to all of his students.”

Aside from the fact that Mr. Lynn was a very good teacher, he was able to teach his material clearly, which helped stu-dents prepare for their AP Statistics exam.

“I came into Mr. Lynn’s class at the beginning of second semester,” said Temidayo Adebiyi, Adv. 605. “His way of teaching allowed me to be well-prepared for the AP exam.”

Mr. Lynn hopes to someday become a principal. He feels that not only will this opportunity allow him to embark upon a leading role in a school, but also to teach a few classes.

Another teacher that left Northside last year is Ms. Katie Michell, one of the Survey Literature and Multicultural Literature teachers in the English Department. Ms. Michell is not teaching at Northside anymore because she is teaching at a high school in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

“I’ll miss Northside more than Northside will miss me,” said Ms. Michell. “It’s the best place, and it’s comfortable, sup-portive, challenging, and exciting. I mean that in the best way.”

Many of Ms. Michell’s students will feel her absence because she was a wonderful, inspiring teacher.

“I had her freshman year,” said Daniel Corridor, Adv. 607. “It was a good experience having her as a teacher because she was very interactive with her students.”

Some students also felt that her way of teaching played a vital role in their education.

“She has inspired us to be great individuals and writers,” said Jasmine Lukose, Adv. 804. “I want to wish her good luck in the future. Memories of her will be etched in our hearts.”

Mr. David Vanoni, one of the Physical Education teachers at Northside, has also left the school. Mr. Vanoni moved to Denver, Colorado after recently getting married.

These teachers have left an imprint on Northside and will be remembered by the staff and students of Northside for their love, care, and support. Though Northside is welcoming the replacement teachers with open arms, the skills and dedication that each individual former teacher possessed will be irreplace-able and unforgettable.

their collars, symbolizing the great deal of service that they had provided the school.

Former Vice-Principal

Alan Mather returned for his last Northside gradua-tion and announced each

graduate’s name. Mean-while the new Assistant Principal Ms. Lisa Moreno, who was attending her first Northside graduation and

Principal Dr. Lalley pre-sented the diplomas. With a slight variation to last year’s class who each handed Dr. Lalley a penny after receiv-ing their diploma, this year’s

Alumni Dan Rico, Maya Ripecky, Justin Rivera, Kandace Roberson, and Gavin Robinson, anticipate receiving their diplomas.Photo by Ilya Chalik

graduates handed Dr. Lalley a small exercise ball as their traditional way of keeping his hands filled.

Earlier at the Senior

Luncheon, students that exceptionally excelled in each department were presented

with Excellence Awards. They were again named at graduation with Thomas Graham for Math, Michael Good for Social Sciences,

Mari Gordon for English, Jacqueline Mac for Foreign Languages, Alex Zook for Science, Zack Estrada for Computer Science, Russell Dietrich for Art, Sylvia Lee

Senior Class Valedictorian, Andrew Miller, delivers final speech.Photo by Ilya Chalik

Seniors begin to reflect over their time spent at Northside, while listening to Dr. Lalley speak.Photo by Ilya Chalik

for Music, Emily Matthews for Service Learning and the Patrick J. O’Connor Award, and Sam Chaman for Special Spirit.

The night was filled with many wise words. Salutatorian Randy Yang started off the night’s events with a speech reflecting on the gradu-ates’ previous four years at Northside.

He mentioned the class’s many successes and the great deal of potential he saw in each and every graduate. Dr. Lalley then continued with a highly poetic speech remarking on the class.

“There is so much more for you to do,” said Dr. Lalley. “There is so much more for you to became. Your future lies before you.”

Later Valedictorian Andrew Miller spoke about the many hopes and aspirations that he

had for his fellow class-men in their future after Northside.

“What’s our era? What do we have? We the Graduates of this still unde-

fined decade?” asked Andrew. “Our time at Northside presented new, exciting op-portunities to get involved, to change things, to live life fully and with purpose.”

However the class of 2005 did not depart from North-side without leaving behind a legacy.

The class had acceptances in over 140 colleges including all eight Ivy League members: Brown University, Columbia University, Cornell Univer-sity, Dartmouth College, Har-vard University, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton Uni-versity, and Yale University. They also received numerous other prestigious acceptances at Stanford University, North-western University, University of Chicago, Georgetown University, and Wahington University.With spirits high the graduates led my Social Science teacher Ms. Wood-ard, sealed their graduation from Northside College Prep High School by turning their tassels and a combined throw of their caps into the air. The magical night had closed the night on the chapter of one of Northside’s legendary classes and opened up new room for yet another.

September 2005 News Page 5

by Neha Alam and Zenobia Gonsalves

The Future Leaders Colloqui-um’s efforts to help eliminate land mines in Cambodia and Bosnia-Herzegovina and to raise awareness of the devastation caused by the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s were a success during the 2004-2005 school year. The colloquium organized a number of different fundraisers aimed at Northsiders, other stu-dents, and adults.

In the fall of 2004, the students of the colloquium, led by Ms. Christine Olsen, were motivated to help the efforts for the removal of landmines after they researched the threat and destruction the mines cause. They found that at least 70 percent of reported landmine victims are civilians. There are also an estimated 45 to 70 million landmines throughout the world. The cost of producing a landmine is as little as $3, while the cost of removing a landmine can be around $1,000. It is estimated that a person is injured or killed by a landmine at least once every hour and as often as every 22 minutes.

“It is a pleasure to be part of the Future Leaders colloquium,” said Ms. Olsen. “Here is a class where everyone learns from each other (including the teacher) and works together for the common good.”

The colloquium chose to assist the Adopt-A-Minefield Foundation with their annual Night of a Thou-sand Dinners program. This foun-dation is a non-profit agency, which saves lives by raising support for landmine elimination and survival assistance. The dinner program is a worldwide effort to bring people together for a meal to support the removal of landmines. The Future Leaders hosted a benefit dinner to aid the Adopt-A-Minefield Founda-

Making a Difference a Half-A-World Away

tion on May 14th. The Northside lunchroom was transformed into an elegant banquet hall. Round tables with stylish white tablecloths and flowered centerpieces, as well as streamers and balloons, filled the room. Dinner and donation tickets were sold for $15 each for adults and $10 each for students.

“It was a very informative event,” said Felix Lukose, Adv. 600. “It’s nice to know that the money is going to a place that truly deserves it.”

The Future Leaders introduced the curriculum they developed to raise public awareness concerning genocide. With the help of Mr. Tim Devine, students were able to

compile material for a one week unit on genocide. The main purpose of the curriculum was to educate junior high and high school teach-ers and students about the Khmer Rouge regime in the 1970s. Students compiled an in-depth view of geno-cide, to take steps to help prevent genocide in the future.

“I believe that the Night of A Thousand dinners was a great way for both students, faculty, and adults to come together and discuss the fu-ture of some developing countries,” said Matt Cohen, Adv. 710. “We would be living in a much better world if only more people could take the initiative to rid the world of such terrors as landmines and try to

educate the world about genocide.”Other speeches were presented

during the dinner. Ms. Olsen read a letter from Representative Rahm Emanuel.

“It is so important that leaders like [the Future Leaders] identify the many issues affecting our com-munities and people around the world,” said Representative Rahm Emanuel. “I would like to take this opportunity to commemorate [them] on designing a curriculum addressing devastating conse-quences of genocide. It has been a pleasure to hear about the project.”

The colloquium’s efforts have been acknowledged by the Illinois government. State Representa-

tive John A. Fritchey wrote to the colloquium to inform them about the legislation of a very important piece of legislation. House Bill 312 is a bill requiring schools to study the cases of genocide in Ukraine, Cambodia, Bosnia, Rwanda, and Sudan. Both the Illinois House of Representatives and Senate have passed this bill. The Future Leaders were invited to attend the event of the bill being officially signed into law later this year.

“Programs such as the cur-riculum [the Future Leaders] have designed will help us ensure that students learn of the devastating role genocide has played around the world throughout history, and unfortunately, in current times,” said State Representative John A. Fritchey. “I applaud [their] com-mitment to this very important issue and look forward to seeing the future of [their] hard work.”

A $100 raffle was held for two weeks in April. Northsiders were able to buy raffle tickets for one dollar each. The winning ticket was bought by alumna Katie Cobb, Adv. 503.

The Future Leaders raised a total of $1,200, which will be evenly split to benefit both Cambodia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

“It is exhilarating to work with such talented, thoughtful students,” said Ms. Olsen. “How many teach-ers can say that their students are working on a genocide curriculum and put on a fundraiser to eliminate landmines in Bosnia and Cambo-dia? I challenge anyone to say that teens in this country are apathetic and self-centered. Given a chance, all will rise to the occasion and in this case the Future Leaders have shown just that.”

Guests observe photos displyaing mass genocide.Photo by Shoaib Khan

by Sanja BajgoricMick Bradey and Gerard Mcguane are Northside’s only two

engineers. Their hard work deserves appreciation and recogni-tion. Chief Engineer Mick Bradey has been part of the North-side staff before Northside even existed, which was during the construction of the school. Engineer Gerard Mcguane has been part of the Northside community for the past five and a half years.

Some of Mick Bradey and Gerard Mcguane’s duties consist of taking care of mechanical equipment, overseeing the clean-ing crew, special event set-ups, heating and cooling, overseeing construction projects and deliveries to the dock. Mick Bradey and Gerard Mcguane are also licensed to treat the pool with chemicals, which has to be done twice a day.

“It’s a lot dif-ferent working at Northside, because we usually don’t work for schools since we are private contrac-tors,” said engineer Gerard Mcguane. “I enjoy working here because there is always a lot of work and it keeps me busy.”

The engineers also work over weekends because people usually rent out the auditorium and someone is needed to take care of the heating and cooling. Summers for the engineers are not a time of relaxation since Northside is open, which only means that Mr. Brady and Mr. Mcguane are on call for duty. Since they are the only two engineers in the entire school, they take their work very seriously, working hard from six in the morning until six in the evening.

Gerard Mcguane states that he enjoys his job and does feel appreciated by the Northside community. Fellow faculty mem-bers say that they could not ask for better co-workers or friends.

“To the dynamic duo, I’ll be internally grateful for Mick, who has been letting me in the building every morning at six. Without him I would be stuck freezing outside with the students,” said security guard Andre Mayer. “He’s my knight in shining armor. Without him I don’t know what I would do. Oh, and Gerard’s ok.”

“They are always on time and very dependable,” said secu-rity guard Edwin Munoz. “They always respond when they are needed and are cool with the staff and the students.”

Students at Northside have also had the pleasure of both meeting and working with the engineers.

“I worked with them over the summer at the café,” said Da-vid Velasco, Adv. 700. “They were very patient and nice about lending us the dock and helping us with the critical parts of our construction.”

Chief Engineer Mick Bradey and Engineer Gerard Mcguane are two very hardworking individuals who have done nothing less than provide services for the Northside community. They are greatly appreciated by all the faculty and students who with-out them would not spend their day in comfort.

by Saad AhsanWelcome back to school everyone. I’m going to be

replacing Ilya as the official Chicago columnist. Ilya was a hardcore Chicagoan that would refuse to bow down to the citizens of any other major city, and I shall try hard to emulate his Chi-town pride. Chicago is a wonderful city, and we have a lot that cannot be found anywhere else. From the serene shores of Lake Michigan to the snaking “L”, this is the place to be.

First on my long list of rants is O’Hare International Airport. Our airport had been the busiest in the world for over three decades. Today, it is in second place. In 1998, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport took over as the busiest. It seems to me that as of late we have been losing a lot of records. The Taipei 101 is the tallest build-ing in the world and Houston is coming ever closer to robbing us of our number three spot for having the largest population in the country.

The airline industry is expanding. As the population of the city grows, so does the demand for just about everything else. The number of air travelers has been understand-ably increasing around the world and Chicago needs to bite a bigger chunk of the traffic. O’Hare is be-ing restricted by flight caps imposed by the Federal Avia-tion Adminis-tration (FAA) and let’s face it, anyone that has any experience with O’Hare, be it picking up an aunt or flying to Paris, knows how terrible the delays are. O’Hare needs to enlarge.

The suburbs surrounding the airport are major obstacles to the expansion. Elk Grove Village and Bensenville in par-ticular are nuisances. There is no denying that the land must come from the residents of these communities. Additionally, business will be affected, which means some jobs will be tak-en away from people. Every action has its pros and its cons. If there weren’t any cons, then we’d be living in a utopia. In this case, the pros are well worth any temporary losses.

The residents that currently inhabit that sought after property will be fairly compensated and money will be reinvested elsewhere. A bigger O’Hare will bring more jobs to the area; hotels for travelers to reside in, restaurants to eat in, and taxis for transportation. An area with a large con-centration of people is a natural attraction for commercial

Not Saad in Chi-TownLet O’Hare Grow!

activities. It’s a viable market for many goods and services and it will get exploited. Some business or another will fill the need to fulfill the growing demands, as the potential profits are an effective incentive.

A proposal has also come up to build a third airport in Peotne. Does anyone even remotely know where this suburb is located?

“Peotone is located approximately 40 miles from downtown Chicago,” states the first sentence on the village’s website: www.peotone.com.

Forty miles is a long distance. Without getting into the details of highway traffic and congestion, it’s obvious that it is way too inconvenient for businesspeople running on tight schedules. It would be at least an hour each way. O’Hare happens to be only 17 miles from downtown and connected to the city’s heart via the Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA)

Blue Line. And what if some-body has to change airports – from Peotone to O’Hare – you might as well tack on an extra 30 min-utes. Addition-ally, it rules out any possibility of passengers stopping over. If there is enough free time to kill between flights, sightseeing usually en-sues. How-ever, passengers stranded forty miles from the popular tourists spots would probably not venture out too far unless they had a lot of

time to kill. Ultimately, we are the losers as the money that could have been generated from potential tourism has gone to waste.

The benefits of expanding O’Hare are well worth the costs. The airport itself will have a direct economic impact on its immediate vicinity and, in the long run, on the entire Chicagoland area. More air traffic would lead to more tourism. More tourism will lead to more jobs and eventu-ally more money. Tourists spend, not sell. That money can improve just about anything. Maybe we will even be able to build a skyscraper that will triumph those planned for Shanghai and Jakarta. Any improvements the city makes will only further attract tourists, putting more momentum into the cycle.

The sooner construction begins, the sooner we will reap the benefits. So why wait?

Travellers walking to thier gates on a typical busy day at the domestic terminal in O’Hare.Photo courtesy of www.danielpozzi.de

Engineer RecognitionWhat Would Northside Do Without Them?

by Ilya ChalikOne fine Saturday the members

of the National Honor Society got together and staged a Carnival and Car Wash. This day was May 21, and the event was the Day of Work, part of Operation Day’s Work. This was to be the graduating seniors’ final project in NHS, an event they had been preparing for all year.

All the proceeds from the day went to the ODW fund toward Heifer International, a charity that has targeted a region in Vietnam to assist and develop. The car wash and carnival were part of a series of fundraising projects that NHS held that week and were planned by a special ODW Committee.

The Committee consisted of alumni Randy Yang, Andrew Miller, Carol Khou and Michael Good, with the help of former sponsor and social sciences teacher Ms. Sandra Beris. Most NHS mem-bers participated during the day on either event, and a few worked on both. The students who worked on the car wash were kept busy the whole day.

“The car wash was a success,”

Steering Kids, Bathing Cars, and Raising MoneyNHS’s Car Wash and Carnival

said NHS President Nancy Cheng, Adv. 601.

Drawing in cars from Kedzie Avenue and from the Northside parking lot, where the car wash was held, the NHS members scrubbed their mightiest, and skill-fully washed each car that came to them. There was no set charge for each wash, for the drivers could donate any amount they wanted to. Some drivers were so gener-ous as to donate $15 or $20, but it wasn’t the amount each donated that ended up making the differ-ence, it was the sheer quantity of cars that eventually came to the car wash. The members of NHS were kept busy the whole day, and cars sometimes had to wait in line to receive their wash.

“The cooperation was there,” said Aileen Cordero, Adv. 604. “Everyone was helping out. We had a good time.”

Although most of the profits of the day came from the car wash, the “Cow Carnival” was also an important part of the day. The carnival drew a few kids from the

neighborhood, who could purchase tickets for 25 cents apiece, or five for $1. A few Northside teachers brought their kids to the carnival, contributing to the effort. There were various games at the carnival such as Bozo Buckets and Basketball, as well as face-painting and popcorn for purchase. Each game cost a certain number of tickets and dispensed tickets upon winning. The second set of tickets could then be exchanged for prizes at the prize table.

“Last year we didn’t have the carnival,” said Bonnie Vu, Adv. 606. “We had a yard sale. I think the idea of a carnival is a lot better because it includes the community.”

Some students worked for as long as six hours, helping out with the project. After a hard day’s work, a group of NHS members went to an Indian restaurant to celebrate their success. The proceeds from Opera-tion Day’s Work ended up totaling over $1100. NHS plans to continue to do the project in the years to come, with the help of their new sponsors, Ms. Anna Searcy and Ms. Lydia Ortiz.

Alumnus Elena Yoshimura washes a car during the National Honors Society’s Operation Day’s Work event. The benefits will be given towards Heifer International.Photo by Ilya Chalik

Gerard Mcguane, an engineer at Northside, is busy at work. Photo by Sanja Bajgoric

Page 6 Features The Hoof Beat

by Zainab SozzerSummer’s over, so where did you travel?

Some of the most amazing places to visit require lots of time in order to discover the beauties hidden behind them. Many North-siders travel through programs at school, for classes over the summer, or just for fun to discover the world that lies just past their vi-sion. There are many places here in the U.S that can prove to be attractive and filled with action-packed adventures.

All the way on the southeast coast, Florida provides exceptional summery weather yearlong: a comfort from the thought of the cold winter nights in Chicago. Florida also features some of the best animated/attraction parks and amuse-ment parks: Walt Disney World, Universal Studio Orlando, Busch Gardens and many more.

Then, of course, there are the water parks! To enjoy a nice long vacation from stress and schooling, Florida provides one with comfort and relaxation.

“Orlando, Florida is the ideal vacation place,” said Paula Daniliuc, Adv.701. “From the propinquity to the beautiful beaches to the Disney World resorts/parks there is something for everyone.”

There’s also California; situated at the west end of the U.S. Due to its proximity to the Pacific Ocean, one can enjoy spending time at the beaches, which are warmed by a bright shining sun. Disney World’s counterpart, Disneyland, is also found in the Golden State. Also, the famous Hollywood entertains the population with its numerous celebrities and studios. Another en-lightening aspect of visiting California is the state’s close proximity to Las Vegas, which is within driving distance. It’s like visiting two states in one trip!

“San Fransico has the best weather - it’s always beautiful,” said Nuhamin Woldemar-iam, Adv. 709. “One day I would like to live

there, but it’s too expensive.” “Hollywood looks like it does on T.V,

except dirtier,” Lauran Akainyah, Adv. 601.Near the very tip of the northwestern area

of U.S., the state of New York shines with its Big Apple. New York City happens to be one of the world’s most populous cities, filled with many people and places that will keep

you on your feet.One can also visit nearby states such as

Michigan and Wisconsin. Both of these states are within driving distance: Michi-

gan is within six to seven hours and Wisconsin is

approximately two to three hours away from Chicago. Many perceive Michigan to be a dull state, but in reality it is filled with many hidden tourist attractions.

Not only does Michigan have amusement parks and water parks, but it simultaneously manages to display both city life and rural life: with a loud and obnoxious side of the

Relaxing the Summer Away in the United Statesworld combined with a quite small town farm like area. On the other hand, Wisconsin is known primarily for Wisconsin Dells, and it contains America’s largest outdoor and indoor waterparks, jet boats, bungee jumping, and rollercoasters.

“It [Wisconsin] looked like it was made for tourists, but that was just around Wiscon-sin Dells,” said Lauran Akainyah, Adv. 601.

“Wisconsin Dells. Its lots of fun,” said Adiba Khan, Adv. 701. “Make sure you go to Noah’s Ark Waterpark.”

If you’re looking to have some summer fun, Texas may be the place to be.

“Texas is a really nice place to go because everyone there is really easy-going. Plus it’s always sunny and the sunset is gorgeous,” said Meghan Doherty, Adv. 702.

There’s always Washington D.C. and Bos-ton for the avid Northsider interested in our nation’s history.

“The streets in D.C are so confusing because they are not set up on a grid. So it’s hard trying to find your way to the beautiful monuments. The Smithsonian is beautiful,” said Tess Banaszkiewicz, Adv. 700.

“Boston was a very historical place,” said Elizabeth Kivel, Adv. 706.

For a change in environment Okalahoma, Colorado and Indiana await visitors.

“Oklahoma is the perfect mix of the South and the West without being southwest-ern,” said Elisabeth Graham, Adv. 704. “The people have southern courtesy and hospitality and the scenery is like the open west. I love the small town charm.”

“When you go into Indiana, it’s like walking into a different world because in Chicago everyone is diverse and accepting of others, whereas in Indiana there are confed-erate flags everywhere, and all you see are

rednecks,” said Jane Fidman, Adv. 705. “And then Colorado is not a very good place for city people. But for outdoorsy people it is the epitome of nature and its beauty.”

So wherever you stayed for vacation, in Chicago or not, hopefully the summer was spent relaxing, because as classes swing into action, the thought of resting is just that: a thought, and a faraway one at that.

by Anthe MitrakosCloser to heaven than ever,

students enjoyably danced away their last night as a class together at the class of 2005’s Senior Prom. This year’s Senior Prom was held on Thursday, June 2nd, on the 99th floor of the majestic Sears Tower. Elevators took them to their high destination as seniors and their dates made their entrance dressed in fancy attire, predominately in shades of black and silver to harmo-nize with the theme Dancing in the Moonlight.

Decorations for the night consisted of a theme of purple silk tablecloths, chair covers and tiny lights, which added to the rich at-mosphere. Lit candles adorned the tables where students enjoyed their dinner. The take-home party favors for the night were glasses which read Dancing in The Moonlight, Northside College Prep Senior

Prom 2005, containing glass pebbles and a single water lily.

Dinner was served promptly at seven. The menu offered a choice of delicious chicken, mouth-watering fillet minion, or delectable pasta. The guests were satisfied with the open sweets table, which consisted of a variety of cookies, cheesecakes, and fruits. A bar with unlimited drinks was accessible at all times throughout the night.

Most couples and friends took professional pictures with down-town Chicago in the sunset as a background. The view of twinkling lights of what appeared to be minis-cule buildings and cars surrounded the 99th floor. The city seemed to be under an enchanted spell as it was lit up by the moonlight and was a breathtaking sight to behold.

“Seeing my soon to be former classmates dancing above the clouds

was absolutely breathless,” said alumnus Kevin Moss.

As clouds surrounded the 99th floor, it was as if the students were dancing on air, definitely one of the most pleasing scenes ever. Some students stood speechless at this remarkable scene.

“I was high…..,” said Nelson Mandrel, “…..99th floor, babe!”

Teachers and staff watched with amusement and wonder as students made their way to the smallest dance floor they had ever encountered at a prom.

“It was a wonderful night,” said Dr. Lalley, “I did not know so many of our students were such talented dancers.”

A variety of slow, fast, and silly songs were played. A song request sheet was located near the DJ, but, unfortunately, not enough of the requested songs were played and

students were dis-appointed as their favorite songs were never heard on their prom night.

Then it was time to announce the honored Roy-als of the night. This year’s Prom King and Queen were the hand-some Thomas Graham and the lovely Sergut Dejene.

“I was very surprised to win the title of King,” said Thomas Graham, “Prom was a blast.”

The lack in taste of music was

Dancing In the Moonlight and Saying FarewellSenior Prom 2005 at the Sears Tower

not the only nuisance of the night. The tiny dance floor and the weird architecture of the room also left many annoyed.

“I didn’t like how isolated the dance floor was from the tables,” said Michael Good.

“Maybe if they had spread out the tables more, and the dance floor was a little bigger it may have been better,” said Thomas Rodriguez.

Still, most people did not mind the less attractive details and fo-cused instead on having fun.

“I have always been embar-rassed to dance, but I set my fears aside and sweated like a pig,” said Robert Eschmann.

At the end of the night, students compared their experiences of past proms to this one. Some thought that last year’s prom was a little

more interesting. “It lacked the light-up dance

floor (Sears Tower), but the view made up for that,” said alumnus Michael Keenan.

Others thought that this year’s prom was definitely one of the best.

“It was a good time,” said Chris Keenan. “The Sears Tower was great, the steak was amazing, the view was spectacular….it was really hot, but still so much fun.”

“It was the best prom I’ve been to yet,” said Russell Dietrich, “and I’ve been to four.”

“It was too much fun,” said Andrew Targos. “I wish it never ended.”

There is always an end to every party, however, and this memorable event turned out to be a success for all who attended.

Alumni Lauren Elmer and Rob Eschmann dance the night away as prom night comes to an end. Photo by Anthe Mitrakos

Seniors enjoy their last moments together as they slow dance at their last high school prom. Photo by Anthe Mitrakos

September 2005 Features Page 7

Page 8 Centerfold The Hoof Beat

by Sanja Bajgoric and Anthe Mitrakos As of the 2005-2006 school year, North-

side will be implementing stricter rules on the clothing that students at Northside wear. Some students believe that this dress code is not fair.

“People should be able to wear whatever they want at Northside,” said Van Lee Adv. 811. “I don’t understand why they are trying to fix something that is not broken.”

Like every other Chi-cago public school, North-side has a dress code. It may not be uniforms, but a dress code does exist, but many students just seem to ignore it. In the student handbook on pg. 11 it states:

“Students at all times should be dressed in a manner that is conducive to and appropriate for a scholastic environment. Per Board of Educa-tion Policy, the wearing of hats, caps, or clothing with obscene or sugges-tive lettering or pictures is prohibited. Additionally, excessively short skirts and short pants are not permitted.”

The uniform code, however, neglects specifying how short is too short and what may be considered suggestive lettering. It is therefore up to the individual schools to enforce these rules.

Last year, for example, the seniors were allowed to wear their controversial Senior High Life T-shirts, which were imitations of a slogan of the beer Miller. Furthermore, there

by Aisha WahidWhile incoming freshman

might wonder what their new high school has got in store for them, there’s always a surprising new look for returning students as well. As new teachers, faces, fur-niture, and technology appear, it’s important to recognize the unique characteristics that distinguish Northside from other high schools in the city. It’s not only the aca-demic or the sports achievements which give Northside a good reputation; the school possesses certain unique features that other CPS high schools do not.

The first unique aspect that students come across is block scheduling, which allows for a half day almost every Wednesday, usually occupied by Colloquium.

Having classes only twice a week allows students to do home-work more thoroughly and with greater effort. The hundred min-ute class blocks provide a larger amount of time for instruction in the classroom. In addition, the time after school on Wednesdays allows for extra time on group projects and club meetings.

This becomes a benefit for those who have a hard time stay-ing in school after regular school hours.

“How many other schools have a three hour class to relax?” said Jordon Garcia, Adv. 800. “Colloquium is my favorite; I got really upset when everyone said they might get rid of it due to budget cuts.”

While examining the advanta-geous half day on Wednesday, Northsiders are given a class day open to their interest of learning. With a variety of colloquia to choose from, students can enjoy the less tiring and stressful day, while also learning about a subject that appeals to them.

The newly opened ‘Pig in the Sidewalk’ Café is another unique

What’s Northside Got?Northside’s Qualities and Uniqueness

aspect of the school. It is a place for students to relax

and hang with friends before, after, or during school, while sipping on coffee, tea, or even ice cream, students can enjoy quality time. In addition, it allows for students to manage and run the café, providing jobs for those who are willing to work.

Along with the café, comes the

hole in the wall, the vending area near the school cafeteria, which car-ries a variety of cakes, drinks, and munchies for students and faculty to enjoy.

While the vending machines do not serve any junk food, students are able to purchase their favorites in the hole in the wall.

“I don’t know any other school that has a café to chill,” said Sejla Dizdarevic, Adv. 802. “Northside is just awesome; it has no disadvan-tages that I could think of.”

Furthermore, the computer labs provide a great place for students to

get work done without having to worry about Internet or computer problems at home. The library also is a good place to hang out and read, talk with friends, and get work done for class. In addition, the NEIU Ronald Williams Li-brary is at walking distance allow-ing students access to research and information and lets Northsiders check out books. These locations

are made available to keep students busy in a healthy and educational environment. A major plus at Northside is the river-walk behind the school. It is a great place to enjoy the weather and nature.

One might add that the music filled passing periods and artwork lined halls are also exceptional qualities possessed by the school.

The atriums provide a cozy room with pillows and couches, not only as a place for leisure, but also to enjoy Northside’s architec-ture.

“Our school is also very

cultured,” said Amanda Kell, Adv. 710. “The many artwork displays make it a nice place to be everyday.”

Northside Mustangs also have many other advantages, such as a new Honors curriculum for band classes, as well as most other classes except gym. This allows for stu-dents to not worry about

GPA when taking formerly non-honors classes.

At Northside, students get more attention from teachers and faculty due to a small and selective number of students. There is more security as well as a close knit and friendly environment.

All of Northside’s notable factors and unique qualities add up and allow it to be a high regarded and reputable school in Illinois.

Kevin Kinnebrew Adv. 709, Stella Martin Adv. 607, and Mindy Cruz Adv. 701 are pleased with the cameras safeguarding the Pig in the Sidewalk Cafe. Photo by Shoaib Khan

New Dress CodeIs It Really Fair?

were plenty of girls strutting down the halls with ultra low waist jeans and questionably tiny skirts.

Northside is therefore including in the 2005-2006 student hand-book examples of what is not appropriate to wear, elucidating the matter for students.

The general Chicago Public School Dress Code is briefly mentioned in the Uniform Discipline Code Book. The 2004-2005 edition states the following about the dress code in the section titled Dress and Grooming:

“Observe basic standards of cleanli-ness, modesty, and good grooming.

Dress in a manner that neither disrupts the educational program, nor poses a safety hazard.”

“No one really cares about the way people at Northside dress,” said Malikat Rufai Adv. 705. “I don’t think that it is a distraction to learning

like the teachers say. It should be regulated to some extent but nothing drastic.”

Northside has always been different from other public schools and that is why stu-dents like it here. Many students believe that today’s dress in schools should not be com-pared to that of the past and should therefore not be deemed inappropriate.

“I don’t think that what we wear as a school is near inappropriate,” said Charlie Pham, Adv. “Some clothing is more reveal-

ing than others, but it’s not as bad as teachers make it sound.”

Like many public schools, Northside con-sists of a great ethnic variety of students and staff of which some think that the way certain people dress is disrespectful.

“Revealing stuff should not be allowed. Students should be able to dress more decently so there should not be a need for a dress code,” said Geoffrey Wang, Adv. 700. “Girls should be able to make a proper and respectful decision about their attire.”

Teachers and head staff at Northside believes this to be true. Northside has not en-

forced a strict dress code because they believe that the students are smart enough to be able to figure out what is and what is not appropri-ate for a learning environment.

Also, Assistant Principal Moreno stated that some people have felt uncomfortable enforcing the dress code because of course it is easier for female faculty to tell female students that they are dressed inappropriately than it is for male faculty.

Furthermore, Northside’s Leadership Team, which consists of department chair faculty, has discussed the dress code.

There are some students who take public transportation, and if they dress in an inap-propriate manner it might provoke crude comments, which the students would not be able to be protected from off the school grounds.

“The dress code is something we should not have to enforce,” said Assistant Principal Moreno. “I just hope that students will be a year smarter and more mature and will be able to judge for themselves what is respectful to wear and what is not.”

Faculty members state that this stricter dress code is not at all a punishment for the student body, and that it only exists to protect the student’s best interests.

Assistant Principal Lisa Moreno believes that it is the school’s duty to prepare students for life. One thing is certain though: the dress code will be more enforced this year.

Natalie Bennett, Adv. 702, Anthe Mitrakos Adv. 602, Gena Grospe, Adv. 803 find nothing wrong in the way they dress. Photo by Sanja Bajgoric

Aisha Taylor Adv. 708 , Jessica Park Adv. 705, and Hena Ali Adv. 701 are good examples of the acceptable dress code. Photo by Sanja Bajgoric

September 2005 Centerfold Page 9

by Shoaib KhanWhen Colloquium was

threatened by the budget cuts, it almost was eliminated, but now Northside’s Colloquium program will at least remain in existence for the year to come.

With a variety of courses to choose from, it has engaged North-side’s students at all levels. Collo-quium has mostly been scheduled on Wednesdays, with the exception of some weeks when readjustments take place. Many students have taken advantage of colloquium and made the best of it over the past few years.

“Colloquium has been a great asset to my growth,” said Rouan Mendoza, Adv. 606. “Colloquium is a time where we can catch up with missing work, or just have fun. I usually end up taking a break from studies by playing basketball with friends or by studying for that big upcoming test.”

Many of Northside’s former students remember their Collo-quium classes as some of their most memorable experiences of North-side.

“I absolutely loved Colloquium

by Sanja BajgoricNorthside College Prep has finally

improved its security by replacing its circuit board. The Security now has access to sixty cameras to observe and safeguard the North-side premises. For the past year, though the cameras were functioning properly, the security guards were unable to access what was being recorded due to a burnt out circuit board.

Replacing the malfunctioning circuit board cost between $5,000 and $10,000. However, now that the circuit board is replaced, students are wondering if this is either an invasion of their privacy or if it is in fact a greater secu-rity measure.

“ I like the new cameras, especially the one in the atrium that keeps an eye over the Café,” said manager of the Pig in the Side Walk Café, Kevin Kinnebrew, Adv. 709. “We have had some incidents with people stealing items from the café and hopefully with the cameras now working we won’t have any more problems.”

There have been numerous complaints by students that their money has been stolen and they believe that these cameras will indeed help.

But are the cameras necessary or should students just be more cautious by actu-ally doing things like locking up their things in the locker rooms during gym class? There is no answer, but the installation of these cameras remains a controversial matter for the student body.

“I think that that many cameras are just a waste of money,” said Michelle Zachery, Adv. 704. “Students will find a way to get around the cameras; it just might be a little more difficult with sixty cameras.”

Some students, however, support the school’s use of cameras to watch over the students.

“Cameras add a sense of security to our school’s environment,” said Rouan Men-doza, Adv. 606. “With cameras, we can be sure that Northside always has a safe atmo-sphere for all its students.”

The level of difficulty does indeed in-

You Are Being WatchedThe Cameras Are Working

crease because besides the bathrooms, locker rooms, and classrooms (except the computer labs) cameras cover every corner of the Northside’s property.

Northside is also hoping to get another camera situated across the river by the park in order to get a better view of the back of the school, including the river walk, which currently is out of sight through the cameras. However, security guards state that they do random walks by the river to make sure no one is making trouble by violating any CPS or

school policies.“We have been catching a lot of kids

trying to ditch class or doing something that they are not supposed to,” said security guard Teo Gonzalez. “For example, I just recently caught a couple of guys in the gymnasium playing a game that consisted of throwing balls at each other. I had warned them twice to stop but they weren’t listening to what I had told them. I sent a security to the gym and the lookout guy ran in to warn them. When the se-curity came in they were just

Security guard Arthur Billingsley observes students at the front desk camera monitor.Photo by Sanja Bajgoric

and all it had to offer,” said Anya Hayden, Adv. 503. “It was a very enriching experience that was fun and educational at the same time.”

Over the past year, the variety of colloquiums offered have ex-tended from ones like Ride!, where students learn proper facts about nutrition and basic bike repairs, to Motorcycle Maintenance, in which the students learn the basic parts to a motorcycle and have the opportu-nity to build one.

Colloquium at the same time is a great way to fulfill some of the graduation requirements.

Consumer Education is a requirement for graduation, and Northside gives the opportunity to students to fulfill this requirement by taking one semester of Consum-er Education.

If time allows, some of the service learning requirement is com-pleted with this class through the Service Learning Project.

“Consumer Education through colloquium was a great way to fulfill the graduation requirement,” said An Ngyuen, Adv. 600. “I hear that the tests are really hard, and we

may be better off taking the class. Moreover, with Consumer Educa-tion our service learning require-ments could be partially fulfilled, depending on what semester you choose.”

Cedric Hampton, colloquium director, passed away earlier this year in January and left his position vacant. The colloquium coordinator position is a full time position, and Northside will eventually choose a new direc-tor to work with the colloquium program.

Colloquium is a place where both students and teachers could interact at different levels. Stu-dents such as Elyse Kakacek, Adv. 601, have been involved in teach-ing colloquium as Sign Language.

“Colloquium is an opportunity for students and teachers to explore side by side,” said Ms. Lisa Moreno, the Assistant Principal. “Together, the students and teachers are able to create harmony outside the class-room and dive deeper into different areas of interest.”

Moreover, colloquium came under a threat this year when the

sitting down acting like they had been doing nothing wrong. When they were told I had seen everything on camera, one of the guys panicked and ran. I thought it was hilarious! Students should know by now that we are able to see their every move.”

However, are these actions going way beyond the needed security measures and becoming an invasion of privacy? Some stu-dents seem to think so.

“Students at Northside are given a lot of privileges that students at other schools don’t

receive,” said Annakaren Morelos, Adv. 710. “I think that these cameras are restraining the students from the freedom that they have be-come accustomed to. It’s becoming a matter of invasion of privacy.”

Nonetheless, Northside is a Chicago Pub-lic School, and it has a right to use cameras for security measures. Security officials at Northside claim this is for the protection of the students and is not intended to serve as a method to invade student privacy.

Colloquium Hooks StudentsThe Different Benefits of Colloquium

CPS budget cuts took place. With CPS already eliminating $49 million in the Central Office non-classroom positions, there have been many reductions in programs that can be offered at CPS.

Northside had to face the pos-sibility that it may face cutbacks on programs like colloquium.

Ms. Lisa Moreno, Northside’s new assistant principal, assures that

Northside will have colloquium for the coming year.

Even though Northside is under a tight budget, the budget is capable of providing for colloquium. Col-loquium will be funded, according to Ms. Moreno, not by the Cubby Walk or any other new programs that wll be installed this year. Col-loquium will instead be funded in other alternate ways.

Page 10 Editorial The Hoof Beat

by Idrees Mohiuddin

The last time I checked, the school had the right to inter-fere in many aspects of our lives, some understandably so, but why does the school, or anyone for that matter, need to take away our ability to enjoy junk food? This call for a ban on junk food for teens is absurd!

After all, we are young people and our metabolism is high, so should we not take advantage of our youth and en-joy the delights of food for as long as possible? Obesity is a big problem for our nation. We probably are one of the most obese countries in the world. But how much of a factor is the junk food that students eat from vending machines compared to other foods that they eat? If you want to blame something as the cause for all the obesity problems, blame the fast food places like McDonalds and Burger King!

If you’re looking for a healthy meal, check out the school cafeteria. There are always salads and fruits available, and they are much cheaper than vending machine food. So save those students who want a nice snack after a hard day of academics some trouble, let them enjoy something that is chocolaty, sugar-rich, or caffeine-filled. Give people choices. No one should be restricting people from tasty food and drinks. It’s inhumane and absurd!And what is wrong with being overweight? Most people with health issues from food don’t have major health issues until they are older anyways. There is always time to change our habits once we’re older, say 30, so why all the fussing and worrying over junk food at this age? And if the extra weight is causing some prob-lems, there is no need to worry. Clothing companies have got you covered – they make the same outfits in larger sizes. I assume that for the majority of young people, clothing is still purchased by parents, which means, you won’t have to worry about the cost of buying new clothes because your par-ents have got that covered. So you can save all of your own money and spend it on the things you love like junk food!

My strategy saves you money. Think of all the possible things you could spend that money on once you’re on your own. You could buy a treadmill or even a gym membership. If you see where I’m going with this, all the junk food that we consume can now help us live healthier lives in the future. Most people probably won’t even exercise unless they feel fat, and that is not a healthy habit. So the way I see it, junk food is preparing us to be more health conscious in the future. That is a lesson that we can all afford to learn!

by Aliy Markowski

Over the past two years, I have come to realize that Northside truly is defined by the students. To an outsider, the most obvious difference between students at Northside and students elsewhere is our extraordinarily high test scores. However, after spending time in many a Northside classroom and after school amidst the many students who participate in after school activities, it has become glaringly obvious that the distinguishing characteristics of Northside students go beyond natural testing ability. Northsiders ambitiously work for suc-cess in the future, which for most seems to begin with getting into a good college. However, it seems that too often this pre-occupation with getting into a competitive college generates the overcommitted Northsider stretched too thin between after school clubs, sports, community work, and piles of homework from their numerous AP courses.

During their four years, college-bound Northsiders strive to be in the lead of the national, and even worldwide, race to get into some of the most competitive colleges in the United States. Too many Northsiders, staying at the forefront in this race to academia means joining several clubs or organizations, snatching coveted leadership positions, joining multiple sports teams, and following the most rigorous academic paths. When this “contest” concludes, students will be at the mercy of the college judges. They’ll be judged on a comprehensive list of their grades, classes, and extra-curricular activites during their time at Northside. Their ultimate victory will be acceptance into their first choice colleges and universities.

From the very first extended advisory at Northside, we are asked as freshmen to begin thinking about our goals - goals for the semester, goals for the year, goals for the rest of high school, and goals for life after high school. That final category, “life after high school”, seems far more daunting than the rest. To think that our actions now affect how we ultimately spend the next fifty or sixty years after high school is intimidating. As a fourteen year old overwhelmed with the excitement of just beginning high school, being an upperclassman feels distant, four years until graduation can seem like a lifetime, and the whole rest of your life may be almost unfathomable. Freshmen in high school are largely unsure of what their future holds. Sure, some may have a vague idea of their own talents, but most have yet to discover a passion that will define their future career. In the midst of such unpredictability, most Northsiders, even from the beginning of freshmen year, aim to go to college someday. College becomes the future plan for security. No matter what a student’s future interests, a college education will provide preparation for pursuing these interests. Getting into college becomes the key to the future; only with this key will a student be able to open the door to the rest of his life.

As idea becomes instilled that college acceptance carries such momentous weight on a student’s chances for post-high school success, many Northsiders seem to decide that they must do whatever is necessary to get them in the doors of the colleges of their choice. Since most freshmen have no idea of their future college choices, their determination, or more ac-curately fixation, on getting into a “good” school drives them to begin stacking their resume with clubs, sports, and challeng-ing classes to ensure that their future application stands out amidst the thousands of applicants. All too often, however, it seems that this attempt to become an attractive college applicant drives Northsiders to join clubs, organizations, and sports that they have neither the time nor the energy to handle. Consequently, an overcommitted student may end up unable to dedicate himself or herself to any one organization. In-stead, the overcommitted student can play only a minimal role as spectator, rarely making significant contributions simply because time is booked and energy exhausted from never-end-ing obligations.

In too many cases, what looks good for colleges warps our own sense of what feels right and how much we are realistical-ly capable of doing. These pressures can begin to take a toll. Sometimes this toll may be a serious breakdown, but more often overcommittment more subtly causes a student to miss out on the social and fun aspects of high school.

With so much time taken by endless obligations, the overcommitted Northsider’s grades are likely to suffer as well. The overcommitted student is the one most likely to load his schedule with Advanced Placement (AP) classes, and at a school like Northside, where so many of these AP classes are offered, that can mean up to six or seven college level classes. These courses generally assign a large volume of challenging and time consuming work. With students taking so many AP classes, the line between high school and college becomes unclear.

This is not to say that high school students are unfit to handle serious responsibilities, but rather that it should be a sign of maturity when students are smart enough to recognize their own limits. In truth, colleges aren’t looking for a long list of after school activities and are unlikely to be impressed by C’s and D’s in AP Classes. Instead, Northsiders should get involved in small number of activities that are the best fit for them. Students should steer clear of too many obligations that may wind up forcing them to sacrifice their social life and personal well-being. In academics, students should take courses that require the time and effort that is realistically available. Northside is full of ambitious talented students who are eagerly determined to make the most of their high school careers, but when this ambition leads to an overcommitted and stressed out student, the smartest Northsiders will be the ones who re-evaluate their obligations to determine what they are reasonably capable of handling.

by Saad Ahsan

I’d like to give a shout to all those avid Hoof Beat fans that actually care about our school paper. Thanks guys! I’m here to replace Navid Rahim and Sasha Letchinger. Well, one of them. I don’t know; let me first see how this one goes. I’d rather be doing something else right now, but since I care so much about people, I will give you guys some free advice. I wonder how Navid and Sasha used to pull one of these off.

As for my first article, I am going to talk about why our new vending machines are better than the old ones. Unhealthy foods should be banned to all teenagers. Obesity is a big problem in our country. I hope that one day the earth doesn’t fall out of its orbit because it’s too heavy. Obesity also means horrible death. Heart disease is the number one cause of death in this country and to save tomorrow’s adults we must start now to save ourselves later.

At this point in life, we don’t have time to care about ourselves. I don’t know about you guys, but I am a pretty busy guy. I’ve got no time to cook myself some healthy food, so I’ve

got to depend on those vending machines. I agree that the new foods they have are not as tasty as the older ones, but the new food is going to help us in the future. Are you tired of those Jenny Craig weight loss commercials? I know I am. If we work hard to keep the obesity down, then those ads are history. Come on and take one for the team.

To convince you, I’m going to have to aim this argument to where it hurts: image.

That old food makes us FAT. That’s right, I dropped the f-bomb. I said fat! In case you missed it, the old food makes you fat. Why on earth would you want to eat anything that makes you fat?

The taste is never worth the pounds. I have always dreamed about the day where I am riding by Ferraris faster than any thing else. If you are too fat, then the car will go slow. There’s no point in throwing three hundred grand on a car in which you can’t even break the speed limit two times over. If I’m fat, then I’ll also be using more gas. By the time I’m old, a gallon of gas is going to be more expensive than a gallon of cough syrup.

Each and every second of our lives is priceless. I want to live long. I certainly don’t want the earth to lose its orbit. I want to be free and I am certainly getting tired of those Sub-way Jared commercials. Less food means a lot of other things. We are saving money, and more money means a better life.

Healthy Food All the Way

Liberty, Justice, and Junk Food for All…

by Ilya ChalikBefore you read this, take a minute and contemplate

about life. Contemplate about school, mostly, because a new school year means a fresh start, especially for the freshmen (no pun intended). Contemplate about my new column and ponder if “Chalik on the Sidewalk” relates in any way to the Pig in the Sidewalk Café. It doesn’t.

For those of you who haven’t gotten it yet – yes, fresh-men, I’m talking to you – replace my last name with the word “chalk” (pun intended). And for my premier column, I have for you a friendly guide to make the 2005-2006 school year a little more exciting and a little less difficult for all of us. My first piece of advice is meant for the freshmen and it reads “Don’t be fresh!” Ask any upperclassman if anything is more annoying than a freshman who does not appreci-ate proper manners and the answer will be no. Now don’t get me wrong, I like freshmen and I loved freshman year. It is an impressionable time – wondering at the beauty of the school, rushing to your next class because you don’t know the building by heart, and trying to make a good impression on all your teachers and fellow classmates. Yet while doing all that, don’t forget that there are hundreds of non-freshmen (who are above you) in this school who deserve only respect and admiration. I’m not saying, however, that you have to be as courteous as an English butler, but please do mind your manners.

Speaking of England, it’s a nice place to visit. Go there when you get the chance.

Speaking of chances, there are an infinite number of them at this school. It’s never too late to join that sport you’ve been dreaming of playing since you were little. Odds are, unless it is football, Northside will accommodate you. From lacrosse to bowling, tennis to cross-country (running, not skiing), swimming to basketball, there is something for virtually anyone. Sports are meant to take your mind off the strenuous brainwork your teachers make you do every day. Although I encourage freshmen to join at least one sport, even if they are not that athletically-inclined, no one ever said that seniors cannot join a sports team. Don’t put off for next year what you can do today, for you never know when that golf stroke, or breaststroke, or half-nelson might come in handy.

Sports, of course, are great to keep you and your list of extracurricular activities in shape. However, teams at North-side aren’t just athletic. The Math Team, the Academic De-cathlon Team, and the Latin Cartamen Team are a few of the numerous academic endeavors that freshmen are welcome

Chalik on the SidewalkDon’t be Fresh, Freshmen

to join. These award-winning teams, suffering from a drain of experienced seniors, are eagerly waiting for newcomers, so come on down! Also, join a cool club, or best of all, join The Hoof Beat and see the world!

Clubs are the most student-based organizations at North-side. Students and not teachers start these clubs, which rely on constant support from their members. It is not easy to start a club – you have to get people to join and then keep them there – but founding a long-lasting club is one of the most rewarding experiences available at Northside. Of course, one can always join a club and there are many to choose from. From the all-popular Asian Club and Drama Club to the smaller Beatles Club or the environmentally friendly CASE Club and Animal Rights Club, the list goes on and on. If you want to join a service organization, join Key Club or the National Honor Society. NHS accepts members once a year – freshmen are ineligible to apply – and although it is exclusive, it does not only engage in projects to help outside charities, but is also an integral part of the school. So join a club or two, but always do so earnestly, and with dedication.

Seriously enough, even freshmen have to think about college and what they are doing to get in to their dream school. These colleges really care about extracurricular activi-ties, which distinguish a straight-A student from a dynamic student. What I am trying to dissuade students from doing is packing their resume with activities they have no interest or commitment in. However, what I do want to encourage students to do is to make the most of their high school experi-ence and derive as much enjoyment from these four years as possible.

Ah freshmen, you have four glorious years ahead of you. Take my advice: don’t waste them. Although you can get involved in extracurriculars as a sophomore, junior, or even senior, the earlier you start, the more valuable the activity will be to you. As long as it does not hurt your performance at school, pack your week with as much school involvement as you can handle. Every minute counts, even during those late nights and early mornings you’ll have as juniors, typing away frantically at multiple procrastinated assignments.

Make new friends and get involved in this school, for it needs you now more than ever. Ask not what Northside can do for you, but what you can do for Northside. Always remember that it is a reciprocated relationship – the energy you put into the system, equals to the energy you get out of it. Now that is something neither AP Biology nor AP Physics will teach you.

Mark My WordsNorthsiders Stretched Too Thin

by Ashraf AbbasIn a once-in-a-lifetime move, Squaresoft

and Disney have come together to produce one of the most memorable games ever to be played on anyone’s PS2.

With Utada Hikaru’s “Simple and Clean,” which is now the theme song for Kingdom Hearts and other forms of delightful introduc-tory advertisements, the game was sure to be a complete success—and I am proud to announce that it was that and more.

Following the Good vs. Evil, Ying vs. Yang template, the game puts you in the body of one boy named Sora. Sora knows nothing beyond his island home. It just so happens that in the distance are many other worlds, worlds belonging to various Disney characters ranging from Mickey’s Kingdom to Ariel’s underwater community.

As the game would have it, there is a dark and dangerous power out on the prowl. Its followers are called “Heartless,” and they feed off of the anger and greed of one’s heart. They’ve used this power to destroy many other worlds, including Sora’s.

Later on, Sora is introduced to the “Keyblade,” which is an all-powerful weapon that acts as both a sword and a universal key—which means it can open almost every keyhole you find and, of course, the Door later on. From then on, Sora discovers the new worlds around him and tries to save them all, learning new abilities and making new friends along the way.

After playing through the game, what stands out the most is the battle sequence that the game follows.

One could say that it was based off of Squaresoft’s Final Fantasy series’ battle style, but it is not without a twist.

In Final Fantasy, you are able to pass

Kingdom Hearts—Won My Heart! items to your teammates and execute spells and enchant-ments all from a handy side menu; all these features can be found in Kingdom Hearts. However, unlike Final Fantasy, Kingdom Hearts allows you the ability to move around and dodge the dangerous balls of lightning, the notorious jabs of darkness, and the brute physical force (all of which are continually being hurled at you), then turn back, grab your enemy by surprise, and teach them a les-son or two.

This is not to say that the tech-nique is more sophisticated, but rather that you have more freedom to do what you wish. In fact, you are even allowed to run away from a few battles, no menus, no sidebars, no nothing—the enemies, however, will still be there when you return to the area.

As with every good qual-ity, there is an opposing evil. For one, the game has that unshakeable sense of artifi-cial restriction, which is disap-pointing when you look at the freedom you have in battle. Many of the doors are locked and the crates in the nar-row walkways are like solid rocks—and this is only half the madness. As the game goes on, you’ll realize that Sora isn’t apt to doing what most people call nor-mal. Disregard-ing the fact that

he doesn’t eat or sleep—or even speak in some cases—there is

still the fact that the characters are unbeliev-ably predictable, and in some cases so predict-able that you can foresee the next move.

Most enemies have only one of three choice moves that he/she can execute, and for

a time, so do you. The unique dialogue that is heard throughout the game is nothing like what we would normally say, but it comes close, and to some that is a hideous irritation. Although some of these obstacles are there as part of the game, the purpose of others is nothing more than to spite the friendly gamer.

Still, it is not completely necessary for one to even look at the restrictive elements, seeing that every other game on the shelf exhibits the same, now-unanimous, qualities. The player has much more to look toward to, much more to experience.

Kingdom Hearts is one of those games that was made to open new doors. Just the idea of Disney and Squaresoft “worlds” is beyond some people’s mental capacity, which is what this game feeds off of. To see how these worlds interact with each other is just one of the many experiences you get out of understanding the game.

When all is said and done, it all comes down to the game’s conclusion, which is something that every gamer should discover for himself.

In truth, Kingdom Hearts is a good buy. Squaresoft and Disney have really outdone themselves – just the names offer great promise. With a relatively affordable price, Kingdom Hearts is a good buy for everyone.

The game play is acceptable in some parts, and outstanding in others. And even though the game has its artificially restric-tive environment, it’s good to keep in mind that all other games do, as the good always outweighs the bad.

So, in good faith, Kingdom Hearts is really an outstanding game with an amazing plot and an even more interesting feel for the gamer. It is truly a game worth owning.

Squall from Final Fantasy VIII Cameos in Kingdom HeartsPhoto courtesy of www.northarc.com

by Geethi AbrahamThe genuine chemistry between

stars Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt gave Mr. and Mrs. Smith an attrac-tive romantic appeal. Just seeing the two heartthrob stars in the mov-ie trailers attracted a huge crowd of not only teenagers, but also young adults to the theaters. Although by no means an Oscar winner, the storyline of Mr. and Mrs. Smith was definitely very entertaining and quite humorous.

This Twentieth Century Fox production was directed by Doug Liman and written by Simon Kin-berg. It is rated PG-13 for sequences of violence, intense action, sexual content and brief strong language. The film topped the box office on opening night, June 10.

This success is contributed to its highly popular protagonists, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. The two played a pair of married assassins

Summer’s Action Comedy

by Damon BeresOn May 22, 2005, Northside’s

various choral ensembles held their second and final concert of the 2004-2005 school year. Appropriately entitled, “Melody Loves Company!: An Afternoon of Music and Friends,” family and friends alike poured into the Northside auditorium on the Sunday afternoon to hear one of Northside’s most unique concerts yet.

In addition, Northside’s various chorus ensembles gave assistance to one another: The Beginning Boys Chorus sang with the Beginning Girls Chorus for three songs, entitled “The Water is Wide,” “Ose Shalom,” and the famous, “Blackbird.” Several members of the Concert Choir, Northside’s most advanced chorus class, joined with the Beginning Boys Chorus to perform the song, “Ready.”

“It was nice to have the help,” said Nick Blumberg, adv. 709, “but the guys from Concert Choir kind of forgot their part in ‘Ready,’ and it sounded a bit off. Oh well.”

This concert was filled with surprises. First and foremost, was the wild performance of “In the Still of the Night,” by the Begin-

“An Afternoon of Music and

Friends”ning Boys Chorus.

Ms. Nythia Rivera made certain that the audience was aware that “This was entirely [the boys chorus’] idea,” before they began swinging their bodies to their self-produced choreography. The startling falsetto of the high tenors was matched only by their Elvis-esque hip gyrations. Mi-chael Orosa, Adv. 800, stole the show, however, with his touching aside in which he read aloud a declaration of love to a randomly selected audience member as the chorus sang on.

Continuing the trend of shredding expectations was “Requiem,” which was sung by the Concert Choir. This song startled many with its length with a time span of 25 minutes. Many audience members acknowledged this song as perhaps the most beautiful and touching of the en-tire program. There were simply too many amazing moments in the program to count. Gephine Fernandez, Adv. 504, sung an American Idol-worthy solo at the start of Concert Choir’s “Joy-ful, Joyful.” Beginning Girls Chorus astounded the audience with their elegant introduction to “The Water is Wide.”

who had kept their occupations secret from one another. The movie also stared Vince Vaughn [Eddie]

as Brad Pitt’s [John Smith’s] co-worker/friend and Keith David as the father.

The plot revolves around a couple living a seemingly quiet life in suburbia. The two are under-going counseling after six years of marriage, unable to reconcile certain differences and express their love to one another. However, unbeknownst to each other, they both are very dedicated and skilled assassins, each working for two rival agencies.

When the rival agencies find that the two are wedded, they are sent on the same mission in hopes that they will unknowingly kill one another. After they realize that their respective spouses are also assas-sins, an emotional standout ensues, in which they realize their true love for each other. Thus the duo work together against those sent to murder them.

The movie succeeds due to Pitt’s and Jolie’s obvious chemistry. Jolie beautifully captures the emo-tions of an independent women’s inner struggle, as she has to choose between love and her job. Pitt plays a strong, yet loving husband, who captures the audience’s heart. She identifies love as a weakness, which she must resist, but in the end finally gives in. Although the plot is clever, the logic is a bit shaky. However, when one combines the performances with the special effects, the result is a movie worth watching. I would give the movie a B-minus because even though the storyline wasn’t amazing, it was still very entertaining.

Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt star in blockbuster hit Mr. and Mrs. Smith.Photo Courtesy of Actuacine.net/giantposters/smith.htm

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie fight off rival assassins.Photo Courtesy of Bradfans.net/mrandmrssmith.jpg

Page 12 Arts and Entertainment The Hoof Beat

by Damon BeresSupreme Japanese animation lord Hayao

Miyazaki’s latest film release, Howl’s Mov-ing Castle, is both a solid success and a slight failure. Based upon a novel by Diana Wynne Jones, Howl’s Moving Castle lacks nothing in terms of imagination or strong characters. Despite being adapted from the novel, the film still reeks of the delicious Miyazaki flavor, and fans of his previous work will be right at home. In fact, Howl’s Moving Castle has such a Miyazaki-esque plot that one would never infer that it is based upon a novel.

One would think that being based off of a book would ensure a detailed and nearly perfect plot. The plot, however, is the movie’s greatest shortcoming. While it starts off as intriguing, it eventually deteriorates into a somewhat sloppy, vague mess. The film’s most significant and apparent plot devices seem rushed and lack necessary background info, forcing the audience to fill in many dark areas based upon their own inferences. This would not be problematic if the movie did not have the tendency of merely alluding to the slightest of implications.

For instance, the entire cataclysm for Howl’s plot is the Wicked Witch of the Waste putting a curse on main character Sophie which turns her into an old woman. The witch walks into the girl’s shop after hours for no apparent reason, bullies poor, innocent Sophie, and then sets her curse without a second thought. It is not revealed until much later that the audience can even begin to piece together a strong reason why the witch would do such a thing to Sophie (it seems to me that it has to do with a strong jealousy in regards to the character known as Howl), and

by Damon BeresIt is done. George Lucas’ final

segment of the Star Wars saga, now nearing its 30th year in exis-tence, is undoubtedly the crown-ing jewel of the recent trilogy of prequels to the original saga. In fact, Revenge of the Sith is argu-ably the finest installment in the overall series since Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back. While certain minor flaws are present, they’re overshadowed by the simple fact that Revenge of the Sith is such an immense welcome breath from the drudgery and rigid problems of the previous prequels (The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones).

Perhaps it would be best to first address the issue of the oft-lamented writing and dialogue present in the recent “Star Wars” movies. For the most part, Re-venge of the Sith manages to climb out of the deep hole dug by the previous movies: the love scenes between Anakin and Padme are not nearly as lengthy as in Attack of the Clones, Jar Jar Binks literally does not say a word throughout the entire film (although he is present in two scenes), the irritat-ing voices of the droid soldiers have been changed (though they are still a bit grating), and the whiney tone previously present in Anakin’s voice is mostly gone.

Sure, the strange dialect of the inhabitants of this distant galaxy is still present as is some

Howl’s Moving Castle – A Flawed Delight

Revenge of the Sith – The Magic is Back

even then the audience doesn’t gain much evidence from the movie to support such interpretations. In fact, the entire plotline suffers from similar faulty foundation: the entire war situation is barely developed, the

declared love between the two main characters seems to come out of nowhere (sure, the film has its charming subtleties in this regard – don’t think I missed them – but it seems a bit unrealistic that the two characters would be so settled on their feelings), and the main villain is utterly wasted.

What the movie lacks in terms of plot is more than made up for in almost every other aspect. The animation is perhaps the finest I have ever experienced: I was on the verge of goose bumps the first time I saw Howl’s castle walk across the fog-shrouded landscape. Just as impressive are the sprawling environments that the characters find themselves in. The interior of Howl’s castle is beautiful and unique, particularly Howl’s bedroom. Howl’s “secret garden” is awe-inspiring, and all of the various towns have a very real look to them. The numerous aircraft are also lovingly detailed and are certainly something that Hayao Miyazaki is to take pride in, considering his love for planes and flight sequences.

Howl’s Moving Castle also has some of the most fantastic characters ever conceived in an animated movie. Every single one

of them, no matter how major or understated, is absolutely bursting with personality. Much of this is attributable to Miyazaki’s distinc-tive art style, but the writing and situations

are perhaps most important in developing the characters. Take special note when main characters interact with secondary ones: oftentimes, the underplayed characters are perhaps the most interesting, particularly Sophie’s mother: she’s even more detestable than the main villain, even despite her subtle deviance.

Also worth noting are the movie’s numer-ous and potent messages. While Miyazaki’s pro-nature messages are growing to be a bit pedestrian (and are a lot less pungent here than in Princess Mononoke or Nausicaa of the Valley of the Winds), his thoughts on greed and love are quite different than anything he’s preached before. Indeed, the sheer beauty of this movie’s messages is that they’re so effec-tive because of the wonderful characterization and the glorious art. At one pivotal point in the movie, the Wicked Witch of the Waste is transformed into a most miserable state, which is perhaps the most powerful tool in conveying the sorrowful yet human anti-greed message.

All in all, despite a somewhat frail plot, Howl’s Moving Castle is a resounding success. It’s not creative enough to top Miyazaki’s Spirited Away, nor is it deep or serious enough to be considered on par with his masterpiece Princess Mononoke, but it is a worthy entry to his overall legacy. Fans young and old alike should experience this film, and they should definitely bring a friend. You’ll laugh, and with a bit of luck, maybe shed a tear or two. Maybe. If you haven't seen any of Miyazaki's past works, this is perhaps not the best place to start, as it certainly isn't his best work. If you're hungry for more, however, make no mistake: this is a movie worth seeing.

stiff, unnatural scripting, but it’s time that we acknowledged these traits as “Star Wars,” – the original trilogy was equally pretentious with the spoken word. Rest assured that while the dialogue and writing are still sub-par in many cases, those who cite these flaws as ruining the entire movie are likely nit-picky elit-ists who are determined to dislike Lucas’ work regardless.

Despite some flaws, mostly the fault of George Lucas’ writing and direction, the overall performances were quite good. Ian McDiarmid reprises his role as Palpatine and does an excellent job conveying his intense and swift spiral into the dark side. Concurrently, Ewan McGregor’s role as Obi-Wan Kenobi is absolutely spot-on. Additionally, while Hayden Chris-tensen is simply not an Oscar-worthy actor, his Anakin is worlds more entertaining in Sith than in Attack of the Clones. As he begins his descent into the dark side, he takes on an almost comical melodramatic approach, and his delivery on some lines is simply flawless. Cheesy as it may be, shouting “I hate you,”

at the top of his lungs to Obi-Wan whilst burning to a crisp on the lava planet was simply the highlight of the film.

To be fair, however, Revenge of the Sith is not a movie to see for its performances. What it lacks in this

regard, it more than makes up for in terms of special effects, action, and presentation. The film opens with a sprawling space battle above the

skies of the urban planet of Corus-cant, and it is simply glorious. It’s not as tense as the more famous of space battles in “Star Wars,” history, but it’s a pleasing visceral experi-ence and a great way to kick-start the film. Revenge of the Sith’s claim-

to-fame, however, are its perfect light saber sequences. The actors’ choreography combined with the stunning computer-generated work

make these action sequences work on a level that transcends what was previously thought possible in live-action film. It’s worth the price of admission simply to see the fight between Obi-Wan and Anakin at the film’s climax.

Hardcore fans of the “Star Wars” series will also be pleased to know that Revenge of the Sith is quite successful in bringing back the old “Star Wars” flavor not generally apparent in the previous two movies. The movie proceeds in such a fashion as to allow for multiple storylines, a style vaguely reminiscent of The Empire Strikes Back or Return of the Jedi.

George Lucas is also merci-fully discreet with his little quirks this time around: he never slaps you over the head with important ideas and allusions to his previous works prove to be more charming than distracting this time around (fans are still reeling from his grand idea to make young Anakin the creator of C-3PO in Episode I). The line is almost crossed with the inclusion of Chewbacca in the story, but in the end it’s such an insignificant addition that it can be disregarded entirely.

In the end, Revenge of the Sith was an entirely pleasant movie-going experience. It’s dark, it’s violent, and it is a ton of fun. For the first time in 22 years, we may actually have a title worthy of the “Star Wars” namesake.

by Aimee HoffmanThe music industry has introduced another talented solo

artist by the name of Courtney Jaye. She’s what you would call a brunette Faith Hill, or young Sarah McLaughlin, the sleeper hit who probably wouldn’t rock the mainstream indus-try because of her non-conformist style of music, so similar to Vanessa Carlton and Norah Jones. Jaye’s not original in terms of the “solo artist” role, but her voice makes her a unique “traveling light”, which just so happens to be the name of her album, which hit the shelves on June 7th.

Courtney’s songs overflow with her effervescent vibe, mixed into a style that’s not quite country pop, not quite soft rock. Her songs are smooth, cheery, warm, fun, and heartfelt. Her voice peaks and softens, never really hitting the high notes like Kelly Clarkson or Beyonce Knowles, but certainly show-ing off her personality with her beautifully toned voice. Jaye is the mixture of all the current solo female artists today, singing with soul, heart, and hope, in her light-hearted, lovely and

The Sweet Songstress Next Door: Courtney Jayeconfident way. Her album is like the storybook of a portion of her life, sweet and easy, definitely something you’d hear on 93.1 The Lite or 101.9 The Mix. Hers are the songs people remember and sing along to, even after ten years of hearing it.

“Baby, I’m going mental, so much potential…” Those are some of the lyrics to what could possibly her hit

single, Mental, which couldn’t speak more true to what Court-ney Jaye really is. Other possible hits that could play well with the public include her Maroon 5-like songs Traveling Light, Can You Sleep, This Is The Day, and Love Me. The latter sounds like a Gwen Stefani beat.

Jaye has everything going for her, despite the one-tonal vocals and lack of belting-out-notes-passion. She’s the young, vibrant, all-American girl of this generation, possibly creating the New Age Country music.

Jaye is young, talented, an artists singing of what she knows, so full of life and dreams and hopes. Not to forget,

she is incredibly talented. She’s the blue-jean, white T-shirt, cowgirl sweetheart next door.

Her songs seem more fit for a summer romantic comedy soundtrack than something people would change the station to listen to or rush out to own the album as if there were no tomorrow.

Honestly, I can see the music industry existing without Courtney Jaye. Not to be harsh, but I don’t know many people who’d go around singing her songs this day and age. She has great potential hit singles, but it’s not for sure if she’ll get the public support to pull it off. People are just more interested in singers who belt it out.

Most likely, Jaye will be an underground hit, like Dido, McLaughlan, Jones, and Carlton. A singer, who possesses that quality where her songs hit a chord with that deeper, optimistic part of you, is truly memorable, just not necessarily popular.

Howl’s Moving Castle Ambles Across the HorizonPhoto courtesy of wwww.outnow.ch

Anakin Skywalker battles former mentor Obi-Wan Kenobi.Photo courtesy of www.starwars.com

September 2005 Arts and Entertainment Page 13

by Aisha WahidAlumni Maya Ripeki, Sam Choi, and a

teammate from De La Salle High School, beat out the second place team, the Spankers, consisting of Kim Ables, Adv. 709, Charisse Eschmann, Adv. 700, and Angelica Nizio, Adv. 710, at NHS’s 3 on 3 Volleyball Tourna-ment.

NHS held a volleyball tournament on May 18, 2005 as a part of Operations Day’s Work to raise money for Heifer International.

While thirty-two teams signed up for the event, only twenty-seven competed. The teams consisted of two or three players. Teams registered by submitting a deposit of ten dollars. Students not only enlisted for en-joyment, but also to raise money for charity.

“I just wanted to have a good time and show everyone my mad volleyball skills,” said Mary Shelus, Adv 703. “And I was successful

by Idrees Mohiuddin Chicago Bear’s General Manger, Jerry Angelo, has been quite busy this past off-season. Following a dismal record of five wins and eleven loses, the team needed to improve at a number of positions. Angelo’s prized acquisition has undoubtedly been veteran wide-receiver Muhsin Muhammad. The nine-year veteran is one key component in Angelo and Head Coach Lovie Smith’s plan to return the Chicago Bears to the success the team achieved in the 1980’s, and most recently in the 2001 season. In his second year as head coach, Smith faced much criticism for allowing his former offensive-coordinator, John Shoop, to make very conservative play-calls. In his defense, Shoop did not have a terrific offense to work with.

Awakening From Their Off-Season HibernationThe Chicago Bears are Focused on Success in 2005

In fact, it ranked 32nd in the league, a league worst. Starting quarterback Rex Grossman was injured in the third game of the season and did not play the rest of the season. The team’s wide receivers were mainly inexperienced and were led by David Terrell, who has underachieved ever since being selected with the 8th pick by the Bears in 2001. Nonetheless, Shoop was fired and replaced by Ron Turner, former Head Coach at the University of Illinois, who is expected to spread the field on offense and make the offense a factor throughout the season.

“The Bears will only improve if their play calling becomes better,” said Kenny Stalkfleet, Adv. 606. “They really need to expand their play calling and becoming much more aggressive in play calling.”

If there was any bright spot for the Bears’ last season, it was the defense, which ranked 10th in the league, allowing 20.7 points per game. Led by the improved play of defensive end Alex Brown, cornerback Jerry Azumah, and safety Mike Green, the Bears managed to be among the better half of the league in overall defense. It is quite a phenomenal feat, consid-ering all the injuries the team had on the defensive end. This includes the injuries of star linebacker Brian Urlacher and safety Mike Brown, who were out for most of the season. Perhaps the key on defense this season will be to add an adequate pass rush, which would basically break down of-fensive plays and create havoc on the field. Adewale Ogunleye was acquired last season because he was the top pass rusher in the AFC in 2003, racking up 15 sacks. However, Ogunleye had an injury plagued season that saw him fail to register even five full sacks. A healthy Ogunleye is a must if the Bears plan to pursue a division title this season.

The key to this season will be the offense. For the Bears to be successful, Grossman must be able to stay healthy all-sea-son long. Besides him, there is no other option for the Bears at quarterback. Last year’s backup was primarily Jonathan Quinn, and he was far from being effective. In order to involve the current group of wide receivers into the offensive mix, Grossman must be able to spread the field and Muhammad poses a big-time threat to opposing defenses.

“The way I see it is that the Bears have set themselves up

to be better not this coming season but the season after,” said Ikram Khan, Adv. 800. “I see them as being about a .500 team this year. I see Minnesota as winning the division. The Bears might have a shot at [winning] the wild card. The defense will be good as always, but look for an improvement in the offense.”

The kicking game was also lacking last season, as Paul Edinger converted only 62.5% of his field goals. For this pri-mary reason Doug Brien, an effective kicker for the New York Jets, was brought in to increase competition. Edinger was cut because the Bears were convinced that Brien better suited their needs in field goal accuracy and kickoffs. Last season, the offense was primarily one-dimensional. With the passing game not being a factor for the most part, the team relied heavily on running back Thomas Jones to carry the load for the team. But to his disadvantage, the offensive line had its own share of injuries.

Without enough protection and blocking from the line, Jones was not able to put up the numbers he was expected to because defenses focused on him being the primary offensive threat. This year both rookie running back Cedric Benson and Jones hope that the offensive line can stay healthy all season, and if that is the case, the running back duo should provide the Bears with a powerful running attack. “I think that next year we can expect a .500 record,” said Chris Kolovos, Adv. 606. “Benson will give the team a power running game that it needs. The addition of Muhammad will give them a legitimate deep threat in the passing game. If Gorssman is healthy, they have a chance to improve the offense.”

The Bears look to be much more improved this season, but this definitely does not guarantee a division title, because the NFC North has gotten substantially stronger. Minnesota, keeping its dangerous offense mostly in tack, signed many key defensive free agents that should bolster one of last season’s worst defenses.

Also, Detroit added the explosive Mike Williams, which now gives them three superb receivers, along with a potent running back in Kevin Jones, to make any defenses sweat. Finally, Green Bay has Brett Favre. Enough said.

because I had a ton of fun playing with my friends, although we lost in the first round 24 to 10.”

With a total of thirteen rounds, games were held consecutively with each one lasting ten minutes.

First place winners received trophies with their names engraved on them.

“The tournament was a good time, and I was very thankful to those who helped out, it would have been a mess without them,” said Sarah Reynolds, alumnus. “I hope that the players had a blast, and it was nice to help out the cause with such a fun activity.”

NHS’s 3 on 3 Volleyball Tourna-ment was a part of Operation Day’s Work (ODW), which is a student run organization that evaluates projects proposed by non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

It then selects a project to fund and helps raise money to enact the plan for the work day. The proceeds go to the charity chosen by the students. ODW helps to expose students to the dynamic and diverse world around them while teaching them about the significance of volunteering and community building.

The tournament was a significant contrib-utor to the money gathered from Operation Day’s Work. Of the fourteen hundred dollars raised, two hundred and forty dollars were accumulated from the 3 on 3 Tournament.

This money went toward Heifer Inter-national, which is a global organization that takes the initiative to help build sustainable communities worldwide and spread the mis-sion of ending not only world hunger, but poverty as well.

Serving For Donations NHS’s 3 on 3 Volleyball Tournament Raises Money for Charity

Movin’ On Up Chynna Moerlien’s Track and Field State Meetby Ashraf Abbas

It was in Charleston,

Moving up the Ranks at State ChampionshipsChynna Moerlien’s Track and Field State Meet

The 3 on 3 Vol-leyball Tournament was not only an enter-

taining occasion for students to take part in,

but in effect was a charity event that helped raise money for a global cause.

Illinois, after a three-and-a-

half hour ride, that Chynna

Moerlien, Adv. 702, took

part in the Track and Field

State Championships.

There were

many qualifiers

from a variety

of schools who

were at the same

exact place,

ready to compete

with more or less

the same level

of nervousness as

Chynna.

Chynna was as much

surprised as everyone else

on the team when she was

chosen.

“It was amazing how

she beat out all those serious

Lane high jumpers. It was

also exciting

because

Chynna and

I had been

practicing

along and

teaching ourselves and she

actually got to State,” said

Julie Bujnowski, Adv. 710.

And so, when it

came time for the State

meet, Chynna was ready.

“I was going to be

Chynna Moerlien, Adv. 702, competes in the high jump competition. Photo Courtesy of Humberto Gutierrez

Page 14 Sports The Hoof Beat

by Anisa Isap and Amania WahidWhether you’re a competitive athlete,

amateur thrill seeker, or just want to have a little fun and learn a sport, there’s a place for you in the fall sports lineup that will maintain your interest. Due to the loss of countless talented seniors, many of these teams are in need of more student-athletes in order to be highly competitive in their respective league divisions. Sports that are included in the 2005 fall season are Men’s Soccer, Men’s 16” Softball, Women’s Swimming and Diving, Women’s Tennis, Women’s Volleyball, Golf, and Cross Country.

Soccer, possibly the most popular sport on the planet given how many countries play it obsessively, has the power to be so enjoyable and fascinating that it can become almost addictive. The continuing pleasure of soccer is the challenge of the game: it is not easy to master. The feeling of excitement as the ball hits the back of the net is hard to find elsewhere. As the crowd begins to stand, as the other team members cheer with glee, as one’s surroundings become obscured and only the marvel of kicking in the winning goal remains, it is obvious that all expecta-tions of the amazement of the event are met. The Men’s Soccer Team, which is hoping to have enough players for both a Varsity and Junior Varsity Team this season, actualized their goals last year when they won the Con-ference Championships and ended the season with a record of 14-7 and one tie game.

“We’re younger than we were last year, so it’s a real challenge,” said Coach Michael Keane. “They have been showing up for open gyms and that really shows their dedication and support.”

Success in softball is finding equilibrium, accepting the fact that the game is a game of ups and downs and one learns something with every swing of the bat. The Men’s 16” Softball Team has found this equilibrium. Sometimes the game comes so easily that it is unbelievable, and sometimes it seems so difficult that one wonders whether the effort is worth it.

“We’re only going to get better this sea-son,” said Ryan Powers, Adv. 602. “We lost a few seniors last year, but the word has been spreading, and we are getting more players. We hope to make the playoffs, but for now we

have found their game. Coached formerly by Ms. Janet Ramakrishna, it is a sport that is powerful yet precise, consistent yet exciting, and impervious to pressure yet yielding large doses of fun.

The team has no tryouts and anyone who is a junior or senior will make the varsity team. With the loss of seniors, such as Mea-gan Klein, Adv. 504, and one junior, Caitlin Jonassen, Adv. 607, many of the others are stepping up to the plate. Although the team has many talented swimmers, such as Elli Ka-kacek, Adv. 601, Corey Kasten, Adv. 708, and Sarah Wicklin, Adv. 701, the team welcomes new athletes, specifically versatile swimmers as opposed to those that are experts in one technique.

“Coach Ceja, who works with the new members of the team, is really knowledgeable

recruiting its players in mid-August when players of all different skill levels were encour-aged to come out and play. The players were then placed on the varsity or junior varsity team, depending on their performances dur-ing practice. The team has not given itself a chance to get out of shape practicing daily during the summer and the school year at Eugene Field Park.

Last season the tennis team started out slowly, but improved during the city tourna-ment, ending with an even record. This sea-son the team’s strategy is to win matches to avoid having to make up for them later. Their ultimate goal is to reach the state finals.

“I would encourage anyone to come out and play because we have people of all differ-ent skill levels,” said Coach Woodward. “It doesn’t matter if you’ve played for five years

the small size of Northside’s Golf Team ensures much one-on-one instruction that will surely improve anyone’s game. However, the Golf Team is undoubtedly looking to expand and all are encouraged to join. The feeling of solitude and self-reliance mixed with the solidarity of the team’s morale enhances the game’s attraction that endures throughout the season, witnessed by anyone that has suc-cumbed to the lure of the game.

The team has a new coach this season, Kevin Conway, who teaches at Lane Tech, and their main goal is to continue the tradi-tion of triumphing at the City Championship. For the past four years, the varsity team has won the City Championship, but since most of the players have graduated, the team is in need of more players. There are no tryouts and anyone who wishes to be a part of the team is encouraged to do so.

The benefits of cross-country are numer-ous, which explains why all of the members are enthusiastic about the upcoming season. A runner who is experienced in cross-coun-try is more robust, more versatile, and less likely to be thrown by a sudden change in the weather. Either at practices at Legion Park with the wind whipping menacingly or on their own on steeper hills that hide their true length, running cross country allows the athletes to stay in shape in the midst of the untarnished beauty of nature.

Despite the fact that the school year does not start until September, the members of the Cross Country Team have been hard at work during the summer, running about 500 miles to prepare for the season. After the first few weeks of the season, long runs which can tally anywhere from two to seven miles a day, feel easier especially with the team’s emphasis on support, even when the members are run-ning too hard to say anything.

“Our team spirit is great,” said Madeline Roche, Adv. 602. “We each have a piece of maroon string that we attach to our shoes. So every time we look down, we know we are running not for ourselves, but for the team.” The team had a phenomenal season last year with the women’s team winning second place in the City Championship and two members competing in the Sectionals. The team has acquired a new coach, Jon Gordon,

Gearing Up For The Fall Sports Season

“They’ll have to do a lot of work to get to where we ended up this year,” said Meagan Klein.

The loss of the seniors and start-ers will require much more effort from the remaining team members

to retain the team’s standing. The team is already making plans to start working even though the sea-son is over.

“They should work on working together,” said Coach Ceja. “They need to work together in the off

season, and keep playing water polo. They need to know how each of them plays.”

The Men’s Water Polo team also had a strong season, greatly improving from the 2004 season.

“We came away last year with one win, and we were shaping up to be one of the top teams this year,” said Co-Captain Tim O’Connor, Adv. 504. “It was a dis-appointment that we weren’t higher in the city tournament, but at least we could compete with every team in the city and beat them once.

This year’s starting lineup for the men included Tim O’Connor, Co-Captain Dan Neely, Adv. 503, Tom Rodriguez, Adv. 507, Max Swiatlowski, Adv. 603, Thor Kahn, Adv. 602, Steven Jerome, Adv. 601, and Max Kakacek, Adv. 803.

The men’s season included some dramatic victories as well as bittersweet losses. The team recalled some tense games, where the outcome was decided only at the last possible moment.

“Senior Day was an incredible game,” said Tim O’Connor. “It came down to the last seconds, and we pulled off a win against Morgan Park. It was a hard-fought win and

really gratifying.”In a similar way, the team

managed to defeat Lane Tech High School.

“With almost zero seconds left, a shot was taken on Tom [Rodri-guez], and it was a tied game,” said Steven Jerome. “Tom blocked the shot and took a desperate shot at the goal. A field player blocked it off the bottom with both hands, and it was a penalty shot for us. Tim [O’Connor] took it up with no sec-onds left and won the game for us.”

Some of the best moments of the season, however, did not even occur in the pool.

Max Swiatlowski recalled an episode when, on the way to a tournament, the team got lost on their bus.

“Everyone had to change in the back of the bus,” he said. “It was a team bonding experience.

The team achieved a great deal this year, especially with the compli-cation of losing their original coach.

“We lost our coach so we had to adjust our playing style with the new coach, Coach Brian Riordan,” said Max Swiatlowski. “It was especially difficult getting used to the vocabu-lary with the new coach, and also

“Men’s and Women’s Water Polo Teams”learning not to rely on the seniors as much.”

In the 2006 season, the team also faces difficulties as they too, like the women, are losing a major portion of their starting lineup, with three of the starters graduating. They remain confident, however, that the younger members of the team will be able to make up for the loss of the seniors.

“I think it will be interesting to see who steps up to the leader-ship role,” said Tim O’Connor. “I think a lot of people have showed that they have the potential to fill the gaps, but it will definitely be difficult.”

Though the next season may still be months away, both the men’s and the women’s teams are excited about what the future holds.

With this season’s experience under their belts, the team is staying motivated even while celebrating the achievements of this season, and they hope to continue this year’s strong legacy.

“We’ve still got a lot of young guys, a solid team core,” said Steven Jerome. “We’re looking forward to a City Championship season next year.”

and helpful,” said Caitlin Jonassen. “Plus the team is like a big family, the support system that it offers is unmatched.”

Yet, there is nothing quite like tennis. Ten-nis is spinning a serve into a corner for an ace, or punching a volley for a clean winner. It is cracking a vigorous overhead smash, or gently floating a drop shot just over the net. Some-times it is maneuvering an opponent off court and then hitting the ball solidly to the op-posite side. And other times all of these shots are executed within the space of minutes.

“Tennis is great exercise and keeps you in shape,” said Anna Ruhland, Adv. 603. “It less pressure than other sports because there are so many other beginners and there are no tryouts to discourage you.”

The Tennis Team, coached by Social Science teacher Catherine Woodward, began

or five minutes.”The thrill of volleyball lies in speed and

endurance. Serve, pass, set, attack, celebrate—within seconds a point. Not many teams are as accustomed to success and personal de-velopment as the Women’s Volleyball Team, which consists of three levels (freshmen, junior varsity, and varsity) of between 12 and 14 players each. Last year the Mustang Vol-leyball Team was at the top in the Red North conference with an undefeated record of 10-0. They also reached the city finals where they eventually lost to Morgan Park and placed second in the city. Overall the team ended with a winning record of 20 wins 12 losses and competed at the Regional Semi-finals.

“I’m just looking for a very exciting and fun season,” said Coach Nicole Flores.

From the novice to the advanced player,

are planning to take it one game at a time.”Northside’s Softball Team has achieved

much success under Coach Doc Kusch, who is a Physical Education teacher at Jamieson Elementary School. Coach Kusch was an assistant coach to Mr. Christopher Pagani two years ago when the team went to the third round of the playoffs where they lost to Von Steuben. Last season was mainly a rebuilding season where newcomers were introduced to the differences between baseball and softball.

“[Coach Kusch] really knows what he is talking about, he knows the game well, and he’s great at getting people into the mindset for the game,” said Michael Florian, Adv. 708.

There’s nothing like stepping up on the blocks to swim a relay and the members of the Women’s Swimming and Diving Team

who is also the coach of the University of Chicago’s Track Team, and the team has high hopes for the season. Namely, they hope to win the City Championship, pushing Lane Tech off their comfortable position on top.

“Our new coach is great and every single person has really improved his times,” said Andrew Hanebutt, Adv. 602.

The benefits of being a part of an ath-letic team go beyond the physical aspects; mentally, sports can allow one to surpass all boundaries and expected limitations of one’s body. Whether joining to gain more experience while fine-tuning techniques or just learning the basics, many will find that they have much to offer the athletic teams at Northside and that these sports have much to offer them in return.

Meagan Klein from the Class of 2005 attempts to pass the ball during a game.Photo Courtesy of Carlos Ceja

Continued from Back Page

September 2005 Sports Page 15

Page 16 Sports The Hoof Beat

by Asrar Khan As the new sports columnist, I will

be looking to inform, delight, and offend readers. So, if you have any comments about what I write, please come talk to me personally or write the Hoof Beat a note. The note will be published, so that should give all you nut jobs incentive to respond. Trust me—seeing your writing in the paper makes you feel like a big man.

As the freshmen begin their four years at this academic joint, I would like to share with them the top eight things (sports relat-ed, of course) that annoy the hell out of me. A lot of these things may be old news, but their annoyance still continues to bug me.

1. I am sick of hearing and seeing Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra ads at baseball parks across America. What the hell is wrong with Mike Ditka? How broke is the guy if he’s talking about, cough cough, “staying in the game.” Ditka, I have no desire to hear about your participation in these games, or the lack thereof. Go get a freakin’ job.

2. Back to this topic for a second, isn’t it kind of embarrassing for American families, who are watching these games with their younger siblings and children, to be asked questions by young kids like “Does Levitra make you happy?” and “Dad, are you still in the game?” It’s sick. I hope this makes other people sick too.

3. I am sick of people labeling North-side as just an academic school (like I did in the previous paragraph) and nothing more. Northside, year in and year out, has some of the top sports programs and teams in the entire city. Our golf, volleyball, swimming, basketball, lacrosse, tennis, baseball, water polo, and softball teams are some of the best in the city. So the next time your friend from Lane or Whitney says Northside is full of Poindexters who carry Ti-83s in their buttoned down shirts, bite their heads off.

4. I am sick of the lack of support for our school teams. Last year, the Women’s Water Polo Team went to the State Fi-nals—and no one knew about this. People, come out and support your school! You should be proud to go to Northside, and should always bash other schools to make us look better.

5. I am sick of Sox and Cubs fans who think their team is always supreme and must unnecessarily create arguments as to which team is better. Though I’m a hardcore Cubs fan, I’m not completely brain dead. Neither team will win a cham-pionship until Dave Chappelle becomes President.

6. I am sick of people always play-ing the race card in sports. Larry Bird, as you may recall, said the following back in 2004: “I think it’s good for a fan base [to have white NBA players] because...it is a black man’s game, and it will be forever.” Oh grow up, Bird. The NBA is whiter than ever, as players such as Peja Stojakovic, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, and even Kirk Hinrich have emerged as star players in the league. Please stop playing the race card. Would Jordon’s last shot as a Bull to win his 6th title have drawn more viewers if he was white? Makes no sense to me.

7. I am sick of not having a football team. You’ve heard the arguments against it (like it costing a crap load of money), but I still think Northside’s school spirit would benefit greatly from an actual football team. We would finally have a real Homecoming game.

8. I am tired of the Cubs TV broadcast-ers. Come on, admit it; they’re terrible. Bob Brenly doesn’t know what he’s saying half the time, and Len Kasper doesn’t bring in any excitement. Also, did anyone notice that while Kasper makes every homer sound like a popup, Chip Carey made every popup sound like a homer? Weird guys.

9. I am sick of Bill Walton. I don’t know what that guy’s talking about half the time. He loves to talk about things that make no sense. It’s a basketball game, Bill. Just be quiet and do your job in talking about the game. It’s not a vocabulary contest.

The Things I Hate

I’m AsRoar: Hear Me Rumble

by Monica WojcikWith adrenaline racing all season, the

Men’s and Women’s Varsity Water Polo teams experienced incredible highs and some disappointments during their dramatic Spring Season.

The Women’s team took the City Cham-pionships by storm, as the Men’s team was ranked fourth overall in the City.

The starting lineup of the Women’s Water Polo team included Co-Captains Nicole La-gesse, Adv. 505, Mari Guttman, Adv. 504, and Leah Cowen, Adv. 508, as well as Meagan Klein, Adv. 504, Caitlin Jonassen, Adv. 607, Harris Grigoropoulos, Adv. 710, and Eliza-beth Granato, Adv. 706. With a final score of 16-4 the team pulled a huge upset over rival Whitney Young High School, clinching the City Championships title.

“As a team we were excited,” said Nicole Lagesse. “We didn’t want to get too cocky, but we knew we had a good chance at win-ning. I think that our second sectional game was more exciting than our city game and I think the audience thought so too. We at least played a close game at our second sectional game. The City Championship game and the first sectional game were not a challenge for us. We slaughtered Whitney in both games.”

With an overall record of 20-11, the wom-en had a satisfying season. Considered one of the most underrated teams in the city, they

Success Under The Sea Men’s and Women’s Water Polo Team Celebrate

Fantastic Season

were the first Chicago Public School team in years to be in the top twenty in the polls.

“Our team got to a point where we were playing at a different level than any other Chi-cago Public School,” said Nicole Lagesse.

The women’s team was also voted most likely to pull an upset at the State Section-als game. Unfortunately that did not occur, as they lost minimally to St. Ignatius High School.

“Our last game of the season, we had a really good chance,” said Nicole Lagesse, “and we just didn’t execute.”

However, the team did manage to do what few Chicago schools have accomplished: win against quality suburban and private school teams.

“Beating Loyola was a highlight,” said Meagan Klein.

“The Loyola game, we won 9-5,” said Nicole Lagesse. “It was an upset because they were ranked higher, and we lost to them the last three years.”

As with many sports teams, the women had to overcome some difficulties with team dynamics as well as limited resources.

“We were forced to get along this year,” said Leah Cowen. “We overcame challenges of not having enough money for proper equipment and pool time.”

“There were some personality differ-

ences this year, and a couple of injuries,” said Coach Carlos Ceja. “But they played well together.”

The team has also come far this year, im-proving throughout the season. This is largely a result of the team members’ dedication and sheer amount of practice time.

“They played year round,” said Coach Ceja. “They got into club teams over the sum-mer, and they got to play together.”

“The greatest improvement is Natalie Klontz,” said Meagan Klein. “She is a beast.”

Team bonding was an integral part of their experience, the women got to know each other better in and out of the pool, as they went dancing and celebrated together after games.

“Staying in a Jacuzzi for four hours at Nicole’s house after the city championships was fun,” said Leah Cowen.

Considering how close the team has become, it is difficult to imagine that they are losing the majority of their starting lineup for the 2006 season.

“We are losing five people out of seven from our starting lineup,” said Nicole La-gesse. “But we had a really good bench this year and we have a lot of kids ready to step up. They have a lot of potential.”

by Aimee HoffmanThe gym was buzzing with cheer on

Friday, May 27th, as students willing to show their pep and spirit tried out for the Mustang’s cheerleading squad. An informational meet-ing was held the Friday before, where nearly thirty-five people showed up, interested to know just what the judges would be looking for. During the tryouts there were also two days of clinics, where potential cheerlead-ers learned everything they needed to know, including a cheer, a stunt, two jumps, and a dance.

The stunt went as follows: two bases hold the flyer’s feet and a backstop holds the flyer’s hips to prep the jump before the flyer goes into a tuck position (where the flyer’s feet are tucked against their chest). Then the flyer shoots up off the bases’ shoulders, and they raise the flyer’s feet at neck level. Well, one relief was that a knack for gymnastics was not required.

During tryouts the potential cheerlead-ers perform two jumps, one a toe-touch, and another stunt of their choice upon which they would be evaluated. . They were also asked to perform a dance, required to be three eight-counts long.

The three judges during try-outs included the French teacher, Ms. Tamara Montgom-ery, and two other teachers with knowledge of cheerleading and/or dance. Students were judged on stiffness in moves, personal-ity, smiles, pep-in-their-step, and whether or not they followed the dance. The judges also looked for quick recoveries that would be un-noticeable to the average person in the event

Cheerleading Blowout

cheerleaders would learn new stunts, dances, techniques, etc. The basic goal of the camp is to improve the all-around performance. Coach Beverly Mendoza, a fifth-grade teacher at Gray Elementary, will lead the Mustang squad.

For incoming freshman or ones who did not make the squad the first time around, they can always try out again this fall. A little advice from the Co-Captain is that you should make sure you’re willing to dedicate your year to the sport and that you have coordination for the jumps, dances and cheers. Cheerlead-ing is a commitment like any other sport, which Northside cheerleaders prove every game or pep rally.

Continued as “Men’s and Women’s Water Polo Teams” pg. 15

of an error. Around

twenty stu-dents tried out, including junior Ephrain Melezio and senior Sandy Guttman, as well was all the cheerleaders from previous years. The only guaran-teed cheerleaders who didn’t have to face the music were the captains selected for next year, Junior Co-Captain, Jill Swanson, Adv. 702, and the two Senior Captains, Katie Thomas and Chelli Zanotti.

“The new people are going to bring a whole new perspective to our squad,” said Jill Swanson.

Accepted cheerleaders were listed the next day in the Main Office, and all previous cheerleaders were again on the squad. Techni-cally, there was never a limit of people wanted on the squad, but the goal was to have around twenty people accepted.

All cheerleaders for next year are required to attend a mandatory cheerleading camp from July 25 to the 29, held by the Universal Cheer Association (UCA). There, the new

The cheerleaders entertain the crowd during an assembly.Photo by Shoaib Khan

Dan Neely (No. 2) from the Class of 2005 attempts to block a pass from an opponent. Photo Courtesy of Carlos Ceja