Everyone wants that someone who will always be there. Just someone to talk to, laugh with, and to turn to for any reason. We’ve all heard the quote “friends come and go, but family is forever,” and freshmen Mario and Mercedes Bajric get the advantage by being fraternal twins.

Born in 1998, the twins grew up with two older sisters and one younger sister. As little kids, they always had each other to kick a soccer ball around or extra help with school work.

Spending most of their time together, they’re comfortable being themselves and goofing around. They joke around when they’re together, whether it’s about Mercedes beating her brother in Fifa or what to watch on the T.V. Everything turns into a fun little competition between the Bajric twins with rewards like being the better twin or bragging rights.

“We’re pretty close. We don’t know what it’s like to not have a twin,” said Mario.

Walking down the halls of Lincoln Hall, the Bajric twins weren’t allowed to have the same classes, but saw each other often because of their same group of friends. Their close friends can tell the twins are super close brother and sister.

“All of their friends are in the same group. When they’re together, they seem like best friends,” says freshman Jane Kim.

The Bajric twins are two different people with their own opinions. However, they can’t avoid the fact that they share similar interests like playing soccer, making new friends, and the obvious factor: they look alike. They even admitted that twin telepathy works.

Whether it’s through eye contact or facial expression, the Bajric twins claim to both know what the other twin is thinking or feeling. They even had an incident where they both threw up within minutes from each other, even though one of them wasn’t even sick.

A lot of crazy experiences come with being a twin, so much that it’s hard to handle. However, being a twin is like having a best friend; they stick together.

Born six minutes earlier, Mario looks out for his “little” sister.

“[Not being a twin] would be a lot harder. He’s there for me through everything- with guys and school,” Mercedes said.

Still a long way to go, college doesn’t seem to be much of a bother yet. If it came down to it, they both agreed they would want to be close but maybe not exactly at the same school. Spending most of their lives together, it would be different not having each other close by.

“It would be weird not seeing each other since we talk every day,” the Bajric twins agreed on.

Junior Breana Brill says goodbye to Mr. Bennett

The moment you step into Troy Bennett’s social studies room on the third floor, you already sense the type of teacher he is. From the giant wolf greeting you on the right side of the wall to the dozens of student hand prints around the perimeter of the ceiling, Bennett decorates his room with his school pride and dedication to his students.

“I’m a huge believer in that… one should have a classroom and that they should not make it look like a hospital. It seems that the prevailing thoughts these days are to whitewash everything. In fact, they actually painted over my wolf one year and it just floored me so I actually contacted the girl who painted it and got her back in to put it on the wall,” Bennett said.

The painted wolf on Mr. Bennett’s wall.

Although he holds a huge amount of pride for his room, he will soon have to leave it behind after 20 long and memorable years. District 219 made its usual teacher switches, and as a result, Bennett is relinquishing his Wolf status to become a Viking.

“It’s weird, to be quite honest with you,” he said. “They’ve always kind of been the other school, kind of like the red headed step-child that no one in your family wants to talk about. I know some of the few individuals in the social studies department, a few, not many and my boss is also going to be over there, so it’s going to be weird. I’ve got red shirts, I don’t have many purple.”

Even though Bennett is leaving West for North, he’ll always be welcomed back with open arms. If you ever had the joy of being enrolled in Bennett’s class for Western Civ or US History, there’s no doubt when you look back on the time spent in his class consisting of the game teams, Bennett’s stories and physical/mental challenges, those memories put a big smile on your face.

“I loved his class and will really miss him. His physical challenges for extra points made my days and made me sore,” said junior, Esteban Gavilanez. 

The walls of his room hold more then just paintings and hand prints, but happy memories of Bennett’s unique teaching style. Even though he’s not retiring as a teacher, and just leaving us for a new school, his teaching style will surely be missed.

“The Game” that has been mentioned throughout this article is something Bennett created a few years back with his AP US History class to make classmates more active. The class is divided into teams of four or five, where they come up with a team name and work together on projects, physical/mental challenges, studying for tests and anything else to get each other through the rough course of history. It helps students become a lot more engaged and competitive because each challenge, project and test counts for points, and the team with the highest amount of points gets an extra 3% added to their final grade.

“I think that competition plays an interesting role in education or should play an interesting role in education,” he said. “Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t. And some groups work, and some groups don’t. But I also think that the idea of working in a group all semester long it gives you kind of a model of what it would be like in the business world and hopefully you are able to gain some characteristics of managing people that you’ll hopefully be able to use in the business world.”

“Having the group challenges and stuff during class makes the class fun and unique from other classes,” said junior, Lis Bowden.

Even though Bennett is only going to be a 10-minute drive away from Niles West, he will be missed throughout Niles West by colleagues and students alike. From his spaghetti challenges, marshmallow straw challenges and ‘picking up a paper bag with your mouth while balancing on one foot’ challenge, it’s safe to say that no student will experience another fun, productive history teacher like Bennett, and that’s the main reason why even though there are hundreds of teachers throughout Niles West, Bennett has made such a difference.

“He’s made my time in history the best by keeping me interested in the world as a whole,” said junior, Kris Trivedi. 

“I tease my students all the time that if I were walking down the hallway next year, they’d forget who I was, or they wouldn’t say hi,” said Bennett.

So I’d like you all to do me a favor. Whether an alum student of Bennett or current, don’t forget to give him a quick greeting, send-off message or even a nice, baked “Flaming Alaska” would do the trick to make his last few days of his twenty years of being a wolf, the best days.

Bennett, Niles West will miss you but always remember: once a wolf, always a wolf.

Editor’s note: This is co-valedictorian Patrick Liscio‘s commencement speech from last Thursday’s graduation at Northwestern University. This will be the second of three speeches that will published this week. 

Good evening,

My name is Patrick Liscio, and it is my honor to be able to congratulate the Niles West class of 2013 on making it through an incredible four years.  On behalf of the class, I would like to offer my thanks to all of the parents (mine in particular), family, friends, classmates, teachers, administrators, and staff members who made this moment possible for all of us.  Finally, thanks again to Ms. Miller for doing more for all of us than any of us truly know.

Abraham Lincoln once said, “whatever you are, be a good one.”

This is certainly good advice; it seems only logical that people should want to do as well as they can at whatever they choose to do.  However, I’m sure that we all know from experience that this is easier said than done.  We are leaving a place in which some of our highest achievements can be indicated by a letter of the alphabet on a report card.  In fact, I’m standing before you today because those letters apparently indicated that I was capable of giving a speech.  Once we reach a point at which we no longer have grades to constantly tell us how we’re doing, what can we do to stay motivated to achieve success in life?  After all, hard work is almost never a goal, but rather a means to reach one.  Those who end up being proud of their work must first set a tangible goal that they can work to achieve.

Certainly, success is not just as easy as setting a goal.  If you’ve seen me try to swim, for example, you’ll know that not all goals can be achieved by all people.  It is important, then, to consider what goals to set in order to ensure success.  In almost all cases, the goals that are worth pursuing are the ones in whichever areas we can truly see passion.  Many of us have found this already at Niles West.  For me, this has always been math, which is why I’ve primarily been involved in things like the math team and the Lit Center during my time here.  For others, this may have been athletics, business, broadcasting, fine arts, or one of a slew of other things that I would never have time to mention in full.  Niles West has given us so many opportunities to find a passion, but the scary thing is that the list of opportunities at West pales in comparison to the opportunities given to us in life as a whole.  Whether you’re looking for a college major, a job, or just a hobby to do on the side, I can guarantee that every person here can find something that inspires him to get up in the morning, and finding that passion is the first step to success.

Once we have that one thing that can inspire us to keep working, there may be one foolproof way to ensure that we get the results that we want, and that is the desire to improve ourselves and become the best that we can at whatever we choose to do.  If we can become our own motivation, then we’re already on our way to success, and if we’re doing something we’re passionate about, then the desire to improve shouldn’t be a difficulty.  As Rachel, my fellow valedictorian, said so eloquently before me, success is not necessarily about the end result, but about the work that goes in to reaching that point.  Because of that, if you can find a way to motivate yourself to put in that work, then time is the only thing separating you from success.  So whatever you decide to do with your life, make sure that it is something that you enjoy enough so that you’re willing to put in the time to do it, and it will be almost impossible to fail.

 Thank you.

Students of Niles West usually walk down the dark hallways by the dean’s office for a number of reasons, but most likely for the attendance office. Whether a student is locked out from missing nine periods or even one, they can walk into the attendance office and be sure to see Bob Vujovich sitting at his desk, accompanied by the “click” his computer mouse makes.

Vujovich, father of the senior triplets, has been head of the attendance office since 1998. Before West, Vujovich worked at the Chicago Board of Trade but decided to leave for a new start. A friend, who was the superintendent during that time, told him about the job opportunity. Soon, Vujovich began to call the home of the Wolves his second home.

“I didn’t really know him well but he was a nice and understanding guy. And people easily loved him because of that quality,” said junior Cyril Onate.

Working at West for 15 years, Vujovich became the face of the attendance office. All problems dealing with lock outs or tardies were handled after talking with him. For Vujovich, it wasn’t only about clearing and keeping track of the attendance of Niles West students. He loves talking and meeting students each year. Even though he doesn’t know every single student, there’s always a handful of kids who make it a regular habit to go down to the attendance office.

“There’s always five percent of people always here, but those [students] are my guys,” Vujovich said laughing.

Vujovich got the chance to work at West in an office, but he was more active throughout the school. He made close relationships with teachers and students, and will miss them terribly as he leaves at the end of the school year.

Niles West was a time of joy and happiness for Vujovich, but there were rough times that are unforgettable. In 1999, a former student, who was very close with him, was involved with a gang shooting. Vujovich received the news the morning after at work and was in shock. He still visits this student in prison today.

“We became pretty close friends. He was a smart kid,” said Vujovich.

Right when school ends, Vujovich will say goodbye to Niles West as he walks back to his first love, his job at the Chicago Board of Trade.

“I’m going back to what I started at 1981,” said Vujovich.

Editor’s note: This is senior class president Justin Sia‘s commencement speech from last Thursday’s graduation at Northwestern University. This will be the last of three speeches that will published this week. 

Good evening administration, parents, and the graduating class of 2013.

Well seniors, our time together has finally come to an end. In just a few moments, we will be walking this very stage before you witnessed by over 3,000 of your family and friends. Our title that we have kept a year ago will be relinquished and we will take on the predominant title of “young adults” instead of “seniors.” Graduating from high school is the biggest accomplishment all of us have come across at this point in our young lives. You should all be very proud of what is about to happen in this sacred ceremony of celebration.

A wise man once told me that high school, like life, is what you make of it. How did you make the most of your high school experience? What will all of you take from your time at Niles West High School?

I want to you all to stop for a moment, and take a look back to August 25, 2009, our first day of high school. Today is May 30, 2013. Within that time period, we have been in school roughly 744 days. From learning how to graph the sine function with Mrs. Moscovitch to understanding the causes of WWI with Mr. Pistorius, we have learned an astounding amount of material in the course of four years. The top-notch education at Niles West has surely prepared us to lead successful, fulfilling lives with the precious gifts of knowledge and experience.

At the same time, the learning experience at Niles West went beyond academics. Our faculty is full of admirable people who inspire students daily by serving as amazing role models. Their work is what makes the sometimes difficult high school journey more bearable for everyone involved. Whether it be Mr. Wack opening the eyes of students by incorporating world issues into the classroom or Mrs. Pauley relating her previous experiences to the material at hand, we have all experienced the extraordinary talents of phenomenal teachers who inspire us to achieve greatness. We always end up learning even when we don’t know it.

There are countless memories beyond the classroom that each one of us has made in high school. Team practices in preparation for regionals, chatting with your friend about typical high school drama over the phone, late night study sessions at Starbucks, watching The Ring in your basement with a bunch of friends, singing karaoke, enjoying Prom night with your friends, having dinner with a close friend at Epic Burger, standing in front of all your friends, your team, the class of 2013, giving a graduation speech. All of these things and more, though simple, are the memories that will truly last us a lifetime.

Seniors, I want you to look around and remember all of the memories you have with the people in this arena. Statistics say that the average high school student will only keep 7% of his or her friends after graduating. However, rather than lament over the daunting reality of leaving behind your closest friends, you can take comfort in the memories you made with them. Odds are, in fifty years you probably won’t remember how to say the word “bittersweet” in Spanish nor how to apply the mean value theorem to a real life problem, but what you will remember are the bonds you built with your friends and acquaintances you have met at Niles West High School.

I will end my speech tonight with a quote from Mr. William Koch, the former West band director and a strong father-figure who has changed my life and the lives of many students present. On his last day before retirement, he passed on a message that still echoes in my head today. He said, “In whatever endeavor you come across in your long life ahead of you, just remember to never settle for less than your best!” Fellow seniors, I pass on this advice to all of you tonight as we take the next step into the rest of our promising lives.

Speaking personally, it has been a huge honor, fellow graduates. I look forward to coming together with all of you again in ten years and seeing how the Niles West alumni have taken the world by storm. Thank you, congratulations, and may God bless the graduating class of 2013!

Many of us have seen Mr. Billy Oline floating around the school. Whether he’s a sub for gym class, taking over the attendance office, or filling in for any other teacher, it’s guaranteed to see his face somewhere around the school at any given time.

Oline isn’t new to the halls of Niles West, though. He graduated as a wolf back in 2006 with experience in football and track and field under his belt.

Soon after, he went on to play 5 years of football as a Bulldog at Truman State University in Missouri where he studied exercise science and business administration.

Though Oline didn’t necessarily study education in college, he knew that it was his calling.

“I knew when I was in high school that I wanted to be a teacher,” he said.

Ms. Jennifer Sipiera, Oline’s high school biology and homeroom teacher, saw positive traits in him from an early age.

“I remember [that] he was a really good student. He was very conscientious about his work. He actually asked some really good questions when it came to material. He was also a really good lab partner to kids who sometimes didn’t understand everything. So, I remember him being a pretty well rounded kid,” Sipiera said.

Currently, Mr. Oline is a cadre here at West, meaning that he is a full time substitute. Though he’s still in grad school at National Louis University working to get his masters in education, next year he hopes to be accepted to be a physical education paraprofessional.

“When I get my masters, I’ll have my teaching certificate in physical education and special education,” he said.

“I think he’d be a really great assett to the teaching field here,” said Sipiera. “Especially if he’s willing to work in the special education realm and work with the physical wellness with students to be able to get them to have that experience that a lot of times they don’t get. I think he would be fantastic at it because he has a very relaxed, very calming personality.”

“It’s a rewarding experience, ” he said.

One of the things that draws Mr. Oline to education is being able see students grow.

“I just think that working with students in general, especially young adults, is rewarding.”

Oline has had the motivation to achieve his dreams since his days as a Wolf. He specifically remembers physical education teacher Chris Vivone having a strong impact on him.

“He instills in people work ethic and the amount of work it takes to succeed,” Oline said.

According to Sipiera, Oline had that work ethic at a young age.

“I would say the years that I had him, I had a really, really great homeroom, and he was kind of a spearhead in that homeroom. Back then there was a big competition with the NHS canned food drive, and my homeroom won all four years. In their senior year I believe my homeroom collected over 2,600 cans just by themselves, and [Oline] was a big proponent of getting money together from all the kids in my homeroom. He came and he helped me unload boxes and boxes of cans, so he was already willing to put forth that type of commitment back when he was even in high school,” she said.

Speaking from experience, Oline has a few words of advice to anyone wishing to achieve a big goal.

“The end result is definitely worth all the hard work that you have to go through.”

Hundreds of students from first grade to senior year in high school had an experience they’ll never forget on Jun. 29 & 30: they got to pal around with Chicago Bulls forward Taj Gibson as they learned from some of the Chicagoland area’s best basketball coaches.

The fan-favorite big-man hosted his “Citi Taj Gibson Basketball ProCamp” at Niles West high school, though it was open to far more than just West students. Those who signed up for the camp flocked in from various locations, some traveling as much as 1200 miles to hone their skills with one of the game’s best defensive players.

Loved in Chicago for his hard work, hustle, and relentless effort on the boards, Gibson gave the secret formula for campers that have the same kind of success he has had in the NBA.

Gibson, the Team USA Olympic Mini-Camp invitee said, “I have energy when I play on the court. I go up for a lot of dunks and stuff like that. So, playing with [the campers], they just do the same thing involved with having fun.”

Camp participants started off their day at various drill stations that incorporated ball-handling, defensive footwork, shooting, and rebounding in order to acquire the most well-rounded basketball instruction they could. Gibson himself was on hand, and willingly gave campers pointers to improve their game while laughing with and playfully teasing them. After they warmed up with these drills, the competitive campers took part in basketball tournaments, in hopes of coming in first place and having the opportunity to face Taj in a game of “knockout”.

Winning team member of his division’s tournament championship and incoming junior Alize Mercado was on hand for the event, and he said he had a blast.

“The camp was fun and I feel like it really helped a lot with the fundamentals. What I liked about it [was] well, everything, but I especially liked how the coaches were all positive and how Taj was being active throughout all the groups all the time,” he said.

Though campers worked hard on their basketball skills, Gibson felt that there were more important benefits than just raw skills to walk away from his camp with.

“Believe in themselves and have fun.  It’s all about having fun,” Gibson said to the campers.

Team USA Paralympian wheelchair basketball player Matt Scott practices at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Monday, July 22. Photo by Vinny Kabat

In the winter of 2012, I decided to join the Niles West News as a sports writer — I knew I had a love for watching sports and decided that writing about them would be a good hobby and a potential career path for me. I covered the boys’ basketball team’s home games and gradually improved my skills as a writer.

At the end of the year, the sports editor position on the NWN staff was open; I interviewed and got the position. While I was thrilled with this opportunity, I had little experience as a journalist — I had never formally taken a journalism class, so I would have to learn on the fly.

I was strongly encouraged to take a trip up to the land of cheese and take a leadership course, where I would learn how to be an effective editor, at the KEMPA (Kettle Moraine Press Association) Summer Journalism Workshop hosted at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.

The college experience was nothing short of the way I had imagined it to be — hot, sticky dorms, unsatisfying cafeteria food and enthusiastic, energy-packed students. The classes I took taught me how to be a leader to those whose work I will be editing this year, and also gave me the opportunity to improve as a writer.

Inspiring speakers, most notably the Chicago Tribune’s Pulitzer-Prize winning photographer Scott Strazzante, gave lectures on how to effectively and artfully tell a story, and NWN Adviser Evelyn Lauer and I walked away from the scene filled with ideas to enhance our online paper here at West.

The event that I will remember the best from this workshop occurred outside of the lecture halls, however. I took a walk with the photography class over to the campus basketball court to get some shots of training basketball players — only this wasn’t the type of basketball I was used to covering at Niles West; it was wheelchair basketball, and team USA Paralympian Wheelchair ballers, including Matt Scott, who famously starred in Nike’s “No Excuses” commercial, were amidst an intense training session right  before my very eyes.

I was in awe as I watched the chair-bound athletes with absolutely massive upper body strength swiftly wheel up and down the court, display eye-opening ball handling skills and shoot the ball remarkably well from all spots on the court.

Team USA Paralympian wheelchair basketball player Matt Scott practices at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Monday, July 22. Photo by Vinny Kabat

Scott, who plays professionally in Turkey, came right up to the camp photographers, interacted with them and was an extremely personable guy as well as a pleasure to interview. He talked about how he’s yet to attain a gold medal in the Olympics. The hunger to have a gold medal hung around his neck, recognizing his team as the best wheelchair basketball squad in the world, is what motivates him to give all he has on a daily basis at the intense training sessions hosted at Whitewater.

What I admired most about Matt, however, was his mindset: he neither felt sorry for himself because of the physical condition that confines him to a wheelchair nor is he overly proud for being unique. He views himself as a completely normal athlete who wants to be the best player he can be despite the physical obstacle in his life

“A lot of people might think that playing professional basketball, for a person in a wheelchair, would be a long shot,” Scott said, “and I just never thought that being in a wheelchair would stop me from doing what I was gonna do.”

“My advice to anybody that has a goal or has a dream is just follow it out,” Matt added, “and do the best they can to make it happen.”

After being in dance camp at the Best Western Timber Creek Inn and Suites in Sandwhich, Illinois for four days, the Niles West JV and varsity pommers won first place and qualified for the national dance competition for their home routines today.

By winning first place, varsity locked their spots in making it to the national dance competition in Disney World for the third time in a row.

Team captain and senior Emily Topp said everything went as planned.

“We worked really hard on the home routine and performed a classic pom routine. It ended up really well for us.” she said.

Varsity pommer and senior Joerlyn Manalang concurs.

“After all the hard work, I’m super happy we placed first,” she said.

“We’re really excited to go to Disney,” she said. ” I know we will work hard and the trophy will motivate us to do our best,”  she said.

In addition to winning first place, the team won a leadership award and varsity coach Christine Selander won an award for coaching them.

“It’s very nice to be acknowledged by my peers, however, I am most proud of our JV and varsity teams for all that they accomplished at camp this week. To see their hard work pay off is the most rewarding,” Selander said.

According to the Universal Dance Association, the 2014 national dance competition will take place on February 1 and 2.

Ashley Pak and Gretchen Sterba contributed to this story. 

Senior Alyssa Guzman introduces “Lovesick,” a column

I’m back, Wolves!

And so, I return for yet another year of (hopefully) entertaining my peers with columns that are inspired from my personal experiences. As you all can probably tell from last year’s pieces about Valentine’s Day and love in high school, I like to think that I know enough about relationships and love to post my two cents onto the wonderful world wide web.

Yes, I’m only 17, and, yes, I’m still in high school, but I believe that I’ve experienced enough to share my cynicism and/or views on the L-word with all of you. After all, most of us go through similar experiences when it comes to relationships, right? I’m just here to keep you all thinking.

Throughout the year, you can expect columns from me that relate to deeper issues, similar to my ACT and suicide columns from last year, but the main attraction will be everyone’s favorite topic: love and relationships.

Taylor Swift’s outlet is music; mine is writing, so I’ll be pulling a Taylor and channeling what I’ve learned into columns that are posted online for the whole world to see. My hope is that my words are able to enlighten you, make you laugh, or at least make you nod your head in agreement.

Stay posted, Niles West, because my head has been reeling with ideas for most of the summer.

In an effort to secure a safe environment, Niles West has initiated a new ID Card Policy in which students and staff will have to display their ID cards around their necks at all times.

Students were given lanyards with their ID cards hanging from them during textbook pickup. Students and staff must wear their lanyards at all times. Failure to do so can result in consequences such as a verbal warning, detention, etc.

This new rule has been made in order to prevent tragedies similar to the ones at Columbine and Sandy Hook, according to assistant principal of operations Kendall Griffin.

“The new ID policy allows everyone within the school community to properly and safely identify who is or is not a current D219 student, faculty or staff member, or person related to the school,” Griffin said. “The proper identification of everyone in our building is top priority and goes hand in hand with goal of providing a safe educational environment for all our students and staff.”

Some students said they are not phased by the new ID rule.

“They’re not hurting me or anybody around me, so it doesn’t bother me,” senior Lila Gilbert said.

Some staff and students members, however,said they  fail to understand why this new policy was put into effect such as English teacher Sharon Swanson.

“I don’t really understand why this policy was put into effect—and why now?  I would feel a lot better about it if I could understand the rationale behind it,” Swanson said. ”In the kind of school community I envision, there’s no need for everyone to wear an ID around his neck; and really, if someone is intent on creating any kind of negative situation, wearing an ID isn’t going to make much of a difference.”

Junior Maria Nagani isn’t too happy with the lanyards either, but she can understand what the school administration is trying to do.

“Well I don’t like them [the lanyards] but I see where they are trying to go with this, but it’s too Jr. High,” Nagani said. ”To tell you the truth I don’t even think it’s going to stop people from loosing their IDs. I feel like most students aren’t even going to wear them.”

Hello, Niles West! Welcome to the new school year. It’s a new beginning, and while the year is young, delve into the daily grind of school with a positive attitude. Many of us( seniors), are just ready to finish off the year with a blast, while the freshmen are trying to begin…fresh. Whether or not this is your first year of high school, last year of high school, or you’re just enjoying sophomore and junior year, the beginning of a new year is an amazing time to get involved in the many clubs and activities that Niles West has to offer!

There’s a myriad of extracurriculars; so many, that it’s difficult to not find one right for you. There are the academic ones, such as Math Team, Science Olympiad, and Debate. If you want something more artistic, there’s our award-winning Fine Arts department, which includes Choir, Band, Orchestra, and Theatre. These clubs are always welcoming new people, so don’t hesitate to join!

Niles West is also home to numerous cultural clubs. There’s the Indo-Pak Club and Chinese Club, and the religious clubs such as Qur’an Study and H2O. If you’re into philanthropy, check out Relay for Life and Dance Marathon. There’s no shortage of environmental clubs either; N.A.R.W.H.A.L.S club and Go Green Club are quite popular. There are many fun and creative clubs as well, such as the new Cat Juggling Club, HipHop Club, Ski Club, Master Jedi/Sci-Fi club, Cooking Club, and Student Government.

Of course, there are also the media clubs. This involves Expressions, the creative writing club, along with Spectrum, which consists of designing the yearbook. And there’s also our very own NWN, which is news media, both broadcasting and writing. The NWN is always interested in welcoming new writers, broadcasters, and photographers.

Yes, it’s a lot. There are over 90 clubs here at Niles West so there are obviously many genres with many different types of clubs. The numerous amount allows you to choose without frustration — so choose! Get involved, become a part of a club and join in on the fun. Being a part of many extracurricular activities is not only fun and active, but it also will be a great piece of information to put on your resume for college applications. It’s also never too late in high school to make new friends, and just by going to a meeting can introduce you to people you may have never known, but can instantly connect with.

Don’t hesitate. Check out the 10th period club schedule to see when and where your club of interest will be meeting, and go! There’s no harm in trying something out. This goes out to the freshmen especially — don’t be afraid to walk into a club meeting and check it out. There’s always room for more, and everyone is very welcoming. Now is the best time to get started on being involved in your school. Make sure to stay updated on the 10th period section to find out more about these clubs and activities!

Follow 10th Period on Twitter @NWN10thperiod

Senior Alyssa Guzman talks about the game of love.

When it comes to teenage romances, there is a game. No, not that game that you just lost, but a mind game. Male or female, most of us can admit to having participated in the game one time or another. From waiting a certain amount of time to text back in order to maintain the “hard to get” persona, to texting all of your friends and asking them for unnecessary advice, the game can be exhausting. It’s a constant cycle of self induced stress, so why do we all insist on playing it?

Well, we’re teenagers. We live our lives wanting and pretending to be way older than we are, while still acting and getting treated way younger than we are — especially when it comes to relationships.

I’ve come to the conclusion that we play the game because we all second guess ourselves too much. Through playing the game, we suppress our true selves to be sure that the object of our affection remains interested. So girls refuse to send that first text, and completely freak out when the reply comes later than expected. Guys, on the other hand, don’t like to show affection because God forbid they look too “whipped” in front of their friends.

All these rules and unfair gender roles that society has forced us to maintain have done nothing but confuse us and force us to over think even the most simple scenarios, resulting in a game that’s no fun, but that everyone seems to play.

The solution?

Be real.

Don’t get me wrong — the initial period of engaging in a new fling is always fun — you wait for their name to pop up on your phone, and when it finally does, your heart skips a beat. You make plans to hang out and are disappointed when they don’t work out. You’re nervous and excited and anxious about what the future holds, and that’s okay, because you’re still testing the waters, but you can only keep your toes dangling above the edge of the pool for so long.

So yes, play the game. Be flirty. Make the chase fun, but all good things should always be in moderation because eventually, it will get old.

I’m not at all encouraging anyone who’s in the beginning stages of a potential relationship to start talking about marriage, kids, going to college together, or even your anniversary, because that’s weird and you’ll probably scare your lover away, but for some reason unknown to me, teenagers seem to struggle with telling each other how they feel.

Over the summer, my 22-year-old cousin from Minnesota stayed with my family and I for a few weeks. Prior to that, she met a guy at a wedding. They clicked, and both admitted to liking each other and wanting to keep in contact, so they did. There were no games. No taking 2 hours to reply to a text message out of spite. No holding back what they wanted to say to each other. They were into each other; and they showed it by talking on the phone, FaceTiming, making plans to meet again soon, getting to know each other, and being honest about how they felt. It’s that simple.

The thrill of the chase is an exhilarating feeling, but the truth is that after a while, patience on at least one end of the party runs thin. The chaser gets tired of chasing someone who keeps on running 10 steps ahead of them with no intention of slowing down, and the game gets old.

The question is though, when does the game end? Is it after the first date? The first kiss? The problem is that most of us have no idea when the other person is getting serious.

I understand that one may not want to express how they feel about another person because of a fear of scaring them away, but is it better to be confused all the time about where you may stand with someone, or be at peace with a situation, no matter what the outcome is?

The point that I’m trying to get across is this: if you’re in a hardcore flirtationship with someone, and are starting to develop feelings, tell them. Not in a creepy “I think I’m in love with you and I want to run away and get married as soon as possible” way, but in a “hey, we’ve been getting to know each other pretty well lately, and I see this going somewhere” way.

If you’re willing to have that conversation, chances are that some sort of relationship has already been established, so your Romeo or Juliet will be relieved that you were brave enough to bring up the conversation that they’ve probably been dying to have. If you get turned down, however, that might suck for a while, but think of it this way: why would you want to waste your time being with someone who makes you feel special, flirts with you, and gives you all the signs of wanting to be in a relationship with no intention of following through? That’s called being led on, and those of us who have been led on know how confusing and frustrating it is. And to those of us who like to lead people on… well, sorry not sorry, but you guys are the worst.

If a guy or girl doesn’t love the thought of being with you, then he or she is not worth your time, anyways.

The bottom line is that the game is fun to an extent, but there comes a point when the player needs to take a timeout, reevaluate the play that they want to make, and go for the big win.

As simple as all of this is, there is no denying that there are obstacles. Sometimes, when getting to know someone that you think could be a big part of your life, something forces you to realize that you’re suddenly in too deep and you need to get out before it goes any farther.

We’re human and sometimes we can’t control the way that we feel, but I promise you that telling that person that you’re no longer interested — although it may hurt them at the time — will hurt them one million times less than you giving them the cold shoulder and forcing them to rack their brains for something that they did wrong while you ignore them to take the easy way out.

Which goes back to one of my main points: be real.

Play the game until the game gets old.

When you start to develop feelings for someone, tell them, but don’t be too intense.

If you’re losing interest, tell the person, but don’t be a jerk about it.

The game only works if it has its players. Be strong enough within yourself to not succumb to the brief perils of being a teenager.

The Homecoming Dance is scheduled to be held on Saturday, Sept. 21 at 7:30 pm in the contest gym.

According to Homecoming Committee sponsor Kathie Kajmowicz, this year’s dance theme is “Under the Big Top.”

“Students will get the exotic feeling of being at a circus while they are enjoying the dance,” says sophomore and Homecoming Committee member Emily Schmidt.

Sophomore Magali Arellano agrees with Schmidt.

“I think students will feel like they are at a circus,” she said. “I’m sure they will get a feel of the whole theme,” she said.

Members said that the decisions about decorations are still not yet finalized and with the short amount of time, they feel some pressure.

Junior Linda Ahams says planning the event this early in the year is a little difficult.

“I think it’s better to have the dance early this year because it’s going to be warm and girls will be able to wear any dress they want,” she said. “But on the other hand, it’s very hectic to plan.”

Activities director Jessica Pritzker said that students must register before they are allowed to buy a ticket.

“[Tickets] will go on sale on Friday, Sept. 13 until we sell out,” she said, “or through lunch periods on the 20th,” she said.

Tickets will be $21 person or $38 per couple.

Guest forms are due on Friday, Sept. 6, and Homecoming king and queen applications are due on Monday, Sept. 9. 

This year’s freshman class of 2017 received Chrome Books instead of past year’s Netbooks, and there has been nothing but good feedback about advance in technology.

The silver Chrome Books operate off of Google Chrome and are said by Tim Furman to be the next step up.

“Every year, the freshmen laptops have improved a little,” Furman said, “This is just the next step, and along with it came a more cost friendly number.”

Freshmen like Greg Leftakes talk highly of their new laptops, and are eager to use them in their classes.

“I like them because they are very fast, and small,” Leftakes said. “I would be embarrassed to be seen with a Net book the older students have, Chrome Books are so much better looking.”

Upperclassmen also have their opinions on the new laptops.

“I’m very jealous, the new laptops are so nice looking and seem to work really well,” senior Kristina Tabar said. “Maybe if I had one, I would actually use it in school. Our old Net Books just don’t compare.”

Junior Susan Enwia is also unhappy with the Netbooks.

“Our Netbooks always seem to not function, or run out of battery, the Chrome Books look like they don’t have any of those problems.” Enwia said.

Many classes are now only using online books, and encourage their students to create folders in their Google accounts to take notes in.

“It’s great not having to carry around any books,” freshman Alex Rowe said. “Everything I need is on my laptop, as long as I have Internet connection, I have pretty much have access to  all of my school work in one place.”

Senior Gretchen Sterba on the roller coaster ride of high school.

If you’re referring to the time you spend at high school metaphorically, what would you compare it to? A four year sentence in prison? A rat trapped in a cage?

Those are jokes, obviously, but I think most people can agree it’s just like a roller coaster. Not just any old roller coaster, but if you’ve been to Six Flags, Raging Bull is the one that comes to mind when thinking of the high school experience. At the beginning of the ride, the anxiety and trepidation of getting to the top is nerve-wracking; but it also takes a lot of strength and bravery to finally get to the peak. When it drops, it’s the most exhilarating feeling- the wind is blowing in your face, and there’s nothing you can do but smile and enjoy the ride. When it’s over, it’s bittersweet, but in the end, it was worth all the stress because you got to enjoy the marvelous ride.

High School can be just like that, but only if you make the effort. 

Everyone in one point in their life has gone through freshman year, and finally, with sweet victory, reaches that first day of senior year with a big smile on their face. Wiser than ever before, the class of 2014 has advice for the class of 2017 and to all underclassmen that’s essential to getting through that roller coaster ride, so fasten your seat belts.

Senior Robert Ljubic, member of the Varsity Boys Soccer Team for four years and often known as the class clown, had lots of educated and sensible advice about the high school scene outside of the classroom.

“People think that high school is a gateway to all these parties and a “YOLO” kind of lifestyle. But I’ve seen it happen to my friends and family my age; it all causes consequences. Drinking and drugs most certainly can screw up a person’s life, and it’s the last thing to joke about, or get involved in.”

Regarding friends and social life, Shpresa Delisi, former member of the soccer team and student government, reflected back from her freshman year and thought about her life as a senior now.

“Going into freshman year, I didn’t really know a lot of people. I was shy, but friendly to everyone. As the years went on, and I’m finally a senior, I’ve realized who my true friends are because they’ve seriously been there through all the stupid drama, boys, and just teenage issues we can all relate to.”

Relating to building relationships and figuring out who you are and/or who you want to hangout with, fellow senior Chrissy Bucior, officer on Orchesis, had rather enlightening advice.

“Have a mind of your own, and don’t follow or try to be like other people,” she said.

As we travel on the roller coaster, and get closer to the peak, senior Ariel Morgan describes a little bit of her ride.

“Make it memorable because as you get older, you don’t want to live in regret and think ‘what if?’”

Now, let’s see, if you’ve followed all the advice, you might just have the exact description I construed in the beginning.

The only thing left I ask is, was it all worth it?

Ashley Pak contributed to the story. 

The NWN recently had the chance to sit down with Boys’ Varsity golf head coach Mitchell Stern to talk about the upcoming season.

NWN: How does your team look this year based on the first week of your season?

Stern: Tryouts were last week, and this week we’ve had [our first] match on Monday (Aug. 19). We shot 308 as a team, which is a really low score. If we can shoot a 308 all season long, we’re going to be one of the best teams around. I was really happy with the way we played. We had four players in the 70′s: (senior)Nate Lee, (sophomore) Skylar Levine, (senior) Brett Pechter and (senior) Roy Slowiak.  All nine varsity players played for us [on Monday]. That shows that we have a little depth and a lot of guys who can shoot good scores– hopefully that can carry over all season long.

NWN: Lee certainly draws a lot of attention, and rightfully so as one of the better golfer’s in the state, but would it be safe to say that your group of guys is more than a one man team?

Stern: Definitely. He is a superstar, no question about it. He’s one of the elite golfers in the state, but the other guys are not that far behind. They’ve all made some nice improvements over the summer and after the end of last season. I’m really pleased with what I’ve seen so far.

NWN: Every sport at Niles West is more than just a season-long committment with off season training. How does the golf team train when not in season?

Stern: It’s a little more difficult [than other school sports] because there aren’t school organized things for golf. A lot of it is done by independent golf tournament association for juniors called the Illinois Junior Golf Association.The kids can play tournaments two to three times a week if they want, or they could play once a month. The have to do all of the busy work to get themselves ready for these tournaments, but the ones who do usually have a lot of success during the course of the season. Practice is the best way to improve in golf.

NWN: In golf, players play for themselves without the teamwork required to excel in other sports. Why do you feel it is called the golf ‘team’?

Stern: [Golf is] one hundred percent an individual sport. But, in golf, you take four of your team’s best scores and those are the scores that count for your team. While you’re the only one that controls it, it counts for the team, not for yourself

NWN: As you’ve mentioned, Lee is one of the best players around and among the top golfers in school history. He clearly has natural talent, but is there something more that separates him from the pack?

Stern: He has a very good demeanor on the golf course. He doesn’t get flustered or rattled by negative or bad things that happen. He’s not perfect, so sometimes he’ll hit a bad shot, but he knows how to recover from adversity.

NWN: Heading into your thirteenth season as head coach, do you have a specific goal you’d like your team to achieve this season?

Stern: We always want to finish in the top three(out of six teams) in the conference. We want to be a sectional qualifier as a team. And then get as many [golfers] to state as we can. If we can get more than Nate there, that’d be amazing. I’d love to bring two or three guys down there. And then every day go out and just try to get better.

The team has high hopes and will look to combine their talent with hard work to achieve their goals. Up next, they’ll tee off at the Addison Trial tournament this afternoon at 4:00 and in the Csl Ryder Cup-Dual golf tournament on Monday, AUg. 26 at Chick Evans golf course.

“My freshman year, I wanted to make varsity so bad,” senior Robert Ljubic said. “I actually made it somehow, and I was so surprised.”

Three years later, he’s leading the boys varsity soccer team as one of their captains side by side with his brother, junior Mario Ljubic, and good friend, senior Hubert Szelag.

The younger Ljubic admits that working with his older brother as a captain feels “swaggin’. It’s a good feeling because you feel important. [Soccer strengthened our bond] a little bit, yeah. Not too noticeably and not in a way that we’re best friends now, but soccer does unite us. I think that if we both did not play soccer we wouldn’t be as close,” Mario said.

Robert agrees.

“It’s entertaining,” he said. “I’m never bored. There’s two of us, so we can do everything together.”

Although Szelag may not have a blood relation to his co captains, that doesn’t hinder their relationship whatsoever.

“We all chill outside of school. We’re all good friends, so I don’t feel like a third wheel,” Szelag said.

EARLY LIFE

The trio have all been active participants in soccer since the young age of just six years old, and their love for the game is what really brings them together.

The Ljubic brothers developed their skills early on at the AYSO soccer club, and then moved on to a Croatian team that their father founded and coached.

“[The Croatian soccer team] made me really involved with soccer. Being involved, I started to like it. Soccer pretty much took over my childhood years and I became a huge soccer fan. I love the sport, and as a kid I always planned on playing professionally,” he said.

Now, the Ljubics are both actively involved in both Niles West soccer and FC Chicago Soccer Club.

Though Szelag’s soccer upbringing was a little different, he shares the same passion for the game.

Similar to his co captains, soccer is also a strong part of Szelag’s Polish culture.

“[Soccer] just comes with the culture I guess. During the world cup you always watch games. Whenever there’s a friendly match, my uncles and everyone just get together and watch the game at somebody’s house. Soccer’s just in my blood basically,” he said.

Unlike the Ljubics who started their soccer careers at AYSO, Szelag’s first memories were at the Niles Park District.

Senior Hubert Szelag

“I played for about two years, and then my coaches and parents saw that I was better than the other kids, so they signed me up for for club. At first I played for Wisla [a Polish soccer club] for about four years, after that, I went to PNA soccer club, and now I play for Chicago Magic.”

EXPECTATIONS

With the constant moving around from soccer club to soccer club, Szelag admits that out of all of his experiences, PNA has impacted him the most, but right now, the boys are focusing on what they currently have going on since their coaches have such high expectations for them, particularly assistant coach Eric Lueder.

“I don’t know where the team is going to end up, but I think those guys, to this point have been phenomenal. Some of the best leadership we’ve had in a long time. I think it starts with how hard they work, and they really have, so im anxious to see how it turns out. It’s been an exciting summer. The guys, their leadership has been, like I said, just fantastic, through their actions and their words,” he said.

As for the boys, they hope not to disappoint the man who Szelag refers to as “the number one motivator you’ll come across.”

“Sophomore year, regional semi finals against GBS, we were down 2-1 and at half time, Leuder just gave us an inspirational speech that hit us all. We tied the game and went into double overtime,” recalled Szelag.

The team got the penalties in double overtime, but when it came down to making goals, the referee didn’t see the ball go past the line even though there was a video of it. Although the loss was tough for the boys after having such a great comeback, “Lueder made sure we kept out heads up,” Mario said.

“I remember as a player the things I wanted to hear. I read a lot. I study a lot about things that motivate people, and I think a lot of it, too, is getting to know the guys and how to reach them the best. Different teams respond in different ways. I think it’s my own personal experiences, and the relationships I have with the guys. I never played soccer in my life, I just learned it because I was asked by a friend to help coach, and then I really loved it, so I just learned it, watched it and studied it,” Lueder said.

The boys are planning to fully live up to the expectations that their team has for them, with Mario hoping to score 17 goals this year, Robert planning to make all sectionals as an individual, and Szelag aiming for an all conference title as a player. As for their team, they agree that super sectionals and all conference would be two events to which they hope to lead their team.

Head coach Scott Ackman has no doubts that his team will be successful under the leadership of the skilled trio.

“Those three worked the hardest in the off season. They did everything we asked for. They’re the leaders of the team. They got all the team together for camps, for summer games, they’ve just done everything. They’ve also been on varsity the longest. [The Ljubics have been on varsity] since they were freshman. So we expect them to be leaders out there. I expect a ton. It’s a really young team but they played over 30 games this summer, so they’re really experienced, and they should do really well,” he said.

“Ackman is the brain of the team, he’s always coming up with new ways to dissect specific plays and always helps you develop individually as a player,” Szelag said.

INSPIRATIONS

Having such a huge title to fulfill can be a lot of pressure, but the Ljubics and Szelag are able to handle the pressure thanks to their own personal inspirations.

“Any single person that plays soccer in the universe is influenced by Cristiano Ronaldo. That is one hundred thousand percent true,” Mario said, with his brother nodding in agreement.

Szelag, on the other hand, admitted to being team David Beckham.

“He’s like the perfect dude,” Szelag said simply.

On a more serious note, though, family is the heart of it all.

“My family is my inspiration, but most importantly, my dad. He tells me to score a goal for him before every game, and whenever I do score, I point at him, and he points back at me,” Szelag said.

Robert also admitted that when his father comes to his games, he “goes harder. He was there since I was six years old. Without my dad pushing us, we wouldn’t be as good as we are now.”

Mario, on the other hand, looks to former captains for inspiration, such as Niles West alum Michael Tabar, who graduated in 2012.

“He’s a great inspirational speaker. He’s just so inspirational!” Mario said.

Though he graduated two years ago, Tabar remembers Mario and Robert as underclassmen on the team well.

“At first Mario appeared to lack some leadership skills since he was the younger of the two brothers. They both had a very relaxed attitude towards soccer that was good for a game but not a leadership role. With this said, it only took one or two games for them to understand what being a leader meant. They both learned that a leader leads by example first and words second. By mid-season I knew that they would be able to lead this team once I graduated.”

From left to right, junior Mario Ljubic with his brother, senior Robert Ljubic

Now that their titles as leaders have been secured, Tabar, although not technically directly involved with the team anymore, also has high hopes for the team.

“In regards to this season, I feel the team is in good hands because the young, relaxed, and goofy Mario and Robert have both grown up. They both realize that high school soccer is a privilege and it only lasts four years so their attitude significantly changed to fit the leadership role. To be a captain of varsity soccer Mario and Robert need to lead by example both on and off the field,” Tabar said. “Whatever it is they do is magnified because the younger players look up to them. Also they need to be honest and open to their teammates about what they are doing right and wrong, but maintain a cool head when the pressure is on. My advice to them is this, ‘if the captains cannot handle the pressure, who else is expected to?’”

SOCCER IN THE FUTURE

The captains are well aware that the younger players are looking up to them, as Tabar mentioned, and they plan on conveying a simple but effective message to them throughout the season: go hard all day, and stay motivated.

Mario was especially adamant on this, since he will be expected to lead the team next year without the companionship of his brother or good friend, but he has high hopes for sophomores Mario Bajric and Alex Rodrigues being by his side as captains next year.

“I’ve played with Mario for a long time,” Rodrigues said. “I think it would be a good idea, because we work well together.”

Bajric was also excited about the possibilities for next year.

“I think Mario is the best captain we have. He’s a great leader. I think he’ll show me how to run the team next year, and how to be a great captain like him,” he said.

Being captains is a huge achievement for the three boys, and it’s bringing them one step closer to their long term goals.

For any athlete who has a deep seeded passion and love for their respective sport as these boys do with soccer, it’s a given that playing in a professional league is always an appealing idea.

The three admit to always having wanted to play soccer professionally, but reality has gotten in the way.

“Now that [we're] older, we realize more things, like how it’s harder to go pro,” Szelag said. “Maybe it’s not a goal. but it’s definitely a dream. It’s always a dream. We have other obligations in life, and soccer can’t overwhelm us completely, but if the opportunity does present itself, it’s always there. It’s always a dream,” added Mario.

In the high hopes that they do all make it to the professional leagues, Mario is undecided on what team he’d like to play for, but the idea of playing for Manchester United appeals to Szelag. As for Robert, he would love to play for Croatia – his home team.

Although the boys would never deny an opportunity to go pro, they are realistic, and do have backup plans.

“Hopefully, if I could play in college I would want to do that. I’m looking at UIC primarily. I already know what I’m doing. I’m going for physical therapy, a six year program to get my doctorate’s degree, and if soccer doesn’t work out there’s always that. If I can’t make the team in college, then I’ll try out for a club team in college, Szelag said.

Though Robert isn’t quite sure what he wants to study yet, he is looking into both DePaul and UIC for soccer, while Mario, being the youngest, hasn’t begun his college search, but he does intend on starting soon and playing college soccer.

No matter where life takes them later on, all three boys want their children in the future to have the same level of soccer involvement that they were raised with.

“Soccer [will be] a part of my life in the future,” Robert said confidently. “I’m gonnna be like a coach. I’m gonna coach for something. I want two kids, and I want to raise my kids the way my dad raised me in a soccer oriented family.”

Mario agreed, stating that he wants his kids either boxing or playing soccer.

“As soon as my kids can walk, they’re going to learn to kick a soccer ball,” Szelag said.

The co captains don’t plan on having any mini soccer stars until much later in life. Right now, they’re busy working hard in high hopes that they will completely surpass any success that they experienced as a team last year, which means that they hope that Niles West will be there supporting them at every home game, especially any games against our rivals, Niles North.

“We’re going to put on a show this year,” Mario said. “Last year is a complete joke compared to how this year is going to be. We’re going to be sexy.”

Earl Sweatshirt is an eighteen year old rapper from South Los Angeles who is a part of the popular rap collective Odd Future. Known for his raunchy, expletive, dark lyrical content Earl is one of the youngest yet most talented rappers in his group. Although Earl’s lyrics tend to offend certain people due to their graphic nature and the fact that he often paints pictures of rape, murder, and delinquent activity, it’s impossible to deny Earl’s natural talent and the fact that he’s an amazing rapper. His laid back, yet aggressive, monotone flow with a frankly amazing rhyme scheme grabs any true hip hop fan’s attention.

On his new album however it’s clear that Earl has done some growing up since his boarding school days. Earl is more lyrically sharp than ever with the same crazy flow we’ve grown to love. He specifically opened up about his issues about being a parent and how they affected him growing up and brought him to the success he’s achieving today. Earl even produced some of the tracks on the album really going the extra mile to step his music up and putting himself out there in the process.  He really stepped it up this project with his production and overall song making skills.

Pre ft. SK LaFlare: A classic lyrical intro track with a dark melodic beat. SK LaFlare opens up with a fiery verse.

Burgandy: One of my favorite tracks on the album produced by Pharell of The Neptunes on which earl gets unexpectedly personal and introspective. He speaks on balancing life as a famous rapper and trying to maintain himself all the while trying to keep his priorities straight. Earl talks about being so busy making the very album I’m listening to, that he doesn’t have time to see his dying grandmother. An instant classic and favorite on this album.

20 Wave Caps ft. Domo Genesis: An aggressive braggadocious song featuring fellow crew member. An impressive beat with no hook and a lot of bars.  Earl and Domo go in on this one.

Sunday ft. Frank Ocean:  A reflective track with a mellow beat featuring friend of the Odd Future crew r&b crooner Frank Ocean. However Frank raps on this song and along with Earl speaks on failed relationships and drug use positive and negative effects on their lives. “And I don’t know why its difficult to admit that I missed you/  And I don’t know why we argue, and I just hope that you listen/ And if I hurt you I’m sorry, the music makes me dismissive”

Hive ft. Casey Veggies and Vince Staples: Another one of my favorite tracks on the album. Taking a turn away from the personal nature of some of the songs on Doris. This track is really menacing and lyrical with Earl speaking on coming from a rough city like L.A. Vince Staples delivers with a crazy street verse speaking on how tough he and his crew are.

Chum: The first single off of the album, this is really the first song Earl fans heard where he talked about his personal struggles growing up. He speaks on his father leaving him when he was young and being somewhat of a delinquent in his teenage years. “It’s been twelve years since my father left, and left me fatherless/ And I just used to say I hate him in dishonest jest”.

Sasquatch: Featuring Earl’s best friend and most popular collaborator Tyler The Creator. Tyler spits a funny verse talking about Chris Brown, Rihanna, and Gorditas.

Centurion: Another track featuring Vince Staples once again painting a picture of the dangers faced in the city.

523: An instrumental track produced by Earl under the moniker “ Randomblackdude”

Uncle Al: One of the shortest tracks on the album Earl goes in for a quick sixteen bars by himself and kills it.

Guild: Featuring Mac miller, a slow, heavy, calm beat. Both Earl and Mac alter their voices to sound deeper in a chopped and screwed style. They speak on how their daily lives have been affected by drug use.

Molasses: Another one of my favorites off of the album featuring RZA of the Wu Tang Clan. Also produced by the RZA who comes in on the hook for a classic mix of OF and Wu Tang with a 90’s and modern feel.

Whoa: Another funny and lyrical classic Earl track. Featuring Tyler The Creator who introduces the track by announcing that just because Earl made songs like “Chum” that are very personal doesn’t mean he’s going to change the classic raunchy OF style.

Hoarse: Featuring the jazz band BADBADNOTGOOD who has collaborated with OF in the past also featuring Frank Ocean on the hook. Earl raps in a quiet raspy voice over a smooth jazz like beat.

Knight: The final track off the album and another one of my favorites. Featuring Domo Genesis for the second time on the album Domo and Earl talk about achieving success despite not having their fathers in their lives.

Overall I really enjoyed listening to this album in its entirety. Earl has shown that its still possible to make a classic Hip Hop album and I can only hope other artist are inspired by what he did.

4/5 Stars

Gabrielle Abesamis on the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s speech in Washington D.C.

Fifty years ago today, about 300,000 people in this country were dreaming, daring, and doing all that they could so that some day, the United States of America would have racial, religious, and labor equality and justice . These very same group of people exercised their freedom of speech, religion, petition, assembly, and press more than they ever did in their lives because today is the very same day that one African American man dared to make a speech about his dreams in front of Washington Washington Monument.

That man dreamed that one day people would be judged by character, not their race. He dreamed that children of all races would join hands and work together. He dreamed for freedom and equality among the people of American Society.

He was Martin Luther King.

Senior Philippe Delma said today is a day to appreciate what Dr. King has done for the country.

“The anniversary’s purpose is to commemorate a fact that one influential man was able to change the vision of a whole nation over time, the only tragedy was that he was unable to witness it,” Delma said. “We’re living Martin Luther King’s dream the way he envisioned for all of us to, and his dream is forever a lasting part on America for years to come.”

This summer, I was selected to be the Illinois representative to the Al Neuharth Free Spirit journalism conference in Washington D.C. in which I, along with 50 other students ( one student representing one of the 50 states and also the District of Columbia), worked with the faculty of the Newseum, the Freedom Forum,  The House of Representatives, journalists from CNN, USA TODAY, ABC, NBC, Time Magazine, PBS, and the Washington Post,  and Dr. Thomas Marshburn of NASA.

Gabrielle Abesamis with Dr. Thomas Marshburn of NASA.

The program’s mottos were to appreciate the five freedoms from the first amendment and “Dream. Dare. Do.” and indeed, that was what the people who marched to the front of the Washington Monument did.

Without Martin Luther King and the people who fought for what they believed in 50 years ago today, there might not be such an American drive to dream, dare, and do. The press might be limited, people would hesitate to make an assembly and petition, Dr. Thomas Marshburn might not have even dreamed or dare to go to space. More people would have a problem speaking their mind or accepting what they believe in.

U.S. History and Government teacher Joseph Edwards understands the significance of the freedoms.

“Because of our freedoms we are able to work toward correcting some of the problems we have made in the past. African Americans were mistreated and it allows us to correct those wrongs, which I think is unique,” he said.

Although there has been improvement with racial equality and justice, Literacy Center Coordinator John Przekota said he thinks the nation can still do better.

” I think [today is] a great opportunity to look back at that dream and realize that people haven’t made it there yet,” he said.

Students concur.

“It is my belief that much of King’s dream has been fulfilled. The world we live in today is simply nowhere near that of the one just fifty years ago; and I have great admiration for King’s role in making that possible. But the world is still far from ideal,” senior Timothy Chan said.

“There is still racism and discrimination, but it wasn’t as bad as it was before. Thank you, Martin Luther king, for showing us that fighting for what you believe in is always worth it,” senior Justirini Corpus said.

“I’m happy that equality has come such a long way and I’m excited to see how much further equality goes in the next few decades,” senior Lila Gilbert said.

So, I urge you all today to dream, dare, and do, and exercise the five freedoms. I urge you to stand up to injustices and make Dr. Martin Luther King proud.