CULTURAL DIVERSITY The Student Newspaper of Northside College Prep HS May 2011, Volume 12, Number 8 Online at thehoofbeat.com 2 NCP News • May 2011 • The Hoof BeatEVENTS EVENTS Spring Orchestra Concert School and city wide talent Northside hosts the annual spring Battle of the Bands hosted at NCP NEWS concert Northside Junior prom fails to meet some students’ expectations by Andriana Mitrakos though some portions of the dance, like the Ending promptly at 10:30 p.m., some food and DJ, were undesirable. would say the dance closed weakly with the What is supposed to be one of the most “It was a lot better than I thought and the DJ’s unusual choice of a memorable closing important days of a high school student’s venue was really nice,” Gabriela Roman, Adv. song, Train’s “Hey Soul Sister.” As the lights junior year turned out to be less of a special 204, said. “The DJ was kind of boring, and turned on and students scattered out of the night than expected. Junior Prom was host- there were plenty of drinks but the food was banquet room and into the hallway lounge to ed on April 1, and although the venue, Hotel bad and there was really little of it.” pick up their belongings, they were quickly Allegro in Downtown Chicago could be con- Even though a formal photographer was ushered down to the main lobby and out of sidered desirable, it seemed like less than half not present like at some of the other school the hotel by chaperones and hotel employees. of the Northside junior class attended. hosted dances, many students could be spot- By the end of the night, many students had Shortly after the prom tickets began to ted taking pictures with friends during the made plans to go out and eat or hang out with sell, rumors circulated within the junior class event. From the multiple large windows of friends downtown. However they spent their that because of the small number of students the banquet hall, students had a view of the night, junior prom was an event that, for that had purchased tickets and the general above ground railway tracks that run through many students, will not be forgotten. lack of interest students showed for prom, downtown Chicago. the 2011 junior prom would be cancelled. “Those rumors were out there but they weren’t really real,” Mrs. Elizabeth Runkel, math department and junior prom coordina- tor, said. “People were saying that but we were pretty sure we were going to have enough people by [prom].” Facebook events were created to ad- vertise the prom and get students ready to purchase tickets but still, most students re- mained hesitant. It soon became evident that the reason students had not been purchasing tickets was not because of the lack of interest in the event but the inability of students to purchase prom tickets if unpaid debts to the Ellis Srubas-Giammanco, Adv. 206, and Tressa Ellett, school were present under their names. Adv. 105, dance |PHOTO COURTESY OF EAMON MCINERNEY After purchasing tickets, approximately As the night carried on, students danced 120 students showed up to the event. Some freely to the music until some received a play- students were surprised that the event was ful warning from Principal Barry Rodgers and not going to include a sit down dinner. In- some of the faculty chaperones who went by stead, appetizers and desserts were served the name, “Juke Police.” As the music changed, throughout the night to open time for more students walked on and off the dance-floor dancing. and sat with friends at the small four-person The event began at 7:00 p.m. and stu- tables draped in white table cloths that were dents were expected to arrive and check in scattered around the dance floor or enjoyed by 8:00 p.m., when the doors closed. The DJ small appetizers. The appetizers, which in- played music as the carpeted room filled up cluded pizza, nachos, eggrolls and burritos but many students hit the chairs instead of and dessert options of cookies, cupcakes and the dance floor. The music was relatively new brownies were arranged at three buffet tables and mainstream, but did not seem to include around the edges of the room, each comple- much of the more appealing dancing music mented with white plates and napkins and an and for a short period of time during the array of appetizer sauces and sodas. Shannon Cairns, Adv. 204, Maia Rodriguez, Adv. 203, Gina Heimsoth, Adv. 207, and Nina Clark, 203 strike a night, there were less than twenty students Some students liked the venue and felt pose |PHOTO COURTESY OF GINA HEIMSOTH on the dance floor. the experience was better than expected even One man’s clothes are another man’s treasure their own. gear. This made me think of the Northside participate in the drive. Black Student Union “We really want to make Gratis a per- community and its commitment to recycling. “Teachers and students have been bring- hosts Northside’s first manent establishment at Northside,” Eghe We talk of recycling and conserving paper, ing in clothes to Gratis since February,” Mr. Obaseki, Adv. 202, said. “We stress that it is energy, etcetera, but what about clothes? Snow said. “So, that cool shirt you take from clothing exchange an exchange, not drive, so we request new or Everyone has something in the back of her Gratis may have been worn once by your math gently worn items.” closet that has never been worn, or that he teacher or the suit you grab may have been by Timothy Suh BSU, sponsored by Mr. Randy Snow, Eng- can no longer fit into, or that was a really bad worn by the principal—you never know.” lish department, thought of the idea at the gift choice.” Even if one is not the type to look for “Swap, not shop.” A large sign reminding beginning of the year as a twist to traditional Since it began, the clothing exchange has clothing, there are other opportunities in to swap lies on top of racks of jewelry, vintage environmental-friendly ideas. Mr. Snow was seen a variety of interesting clothes and ac- connection to the exchange. BSU is now offer- t-shirts, jeans, and even shoes that people inspired to develop a clothing exchange here cessories ranging from rollerblades to fedo- ing service hours for any volunteers available have donated. This is the Northside clothing at Northside after his six-week tenure at Yale ras. Part of the clothing exchange’s appeal is to manage the exchange from time to time. exchange, which is first of its kind at North- University this summer as a scholar with the the potential to find unique or stylish items The clothing exchange began the second side and potentially of many more to come. National Endowment for the Humanities in exchange for one’s own clothing. week of March and will continue until the end Also known as Gratis, which means “without (NEH). Having accumulated several excess “For example, we received a fake fur coat of the school year. BSU plans to donate any charge or payment,” the clothing exchange is clothing items, he had planned to leave the that the general student body seemed to be remaining clothes to a women’s or homeless hosted by Northside’s Black Student Union items in his suite until he discovered a cloth- infatuated with,” Obaseki said. “The overall re- shelter. Meanwhile, teachers and students (BSU) and is currently located on the north ing exchange hosted in the lower levels of his sponse has been great. We really do get some should stay on the lookout for anything they end of the English wing, but may be moved residential building. nice items but [those items] go fairly quickly, might want to add to their closets. as the exchange becomes more popular. The “I was surprised at the high quality of the within two hours of their drop off time.” “I do check Gratis for clothing items that students are welcome to peruse the items on clothing items in the clothing exchange,” Mr. Another important aspect of the drive might evolve my great sense of style,” Mr. the racks but are encouraged to participate Snow said. “Everything was there from de- is the connection that is forged between the Snow said. “However, I haven’t found any- by swapping an article of clothing for one of signer threads to trendy dressed-down hipster students and faculty who all are invited to thing yet.” The Hoof Beat • May 2011 • NCP News 3 Battle of the Bands reveals school- and city-wide music talent by Evan Rogers chalant, and made sure to preface their per- formance by stating that they are not just a Justice Reed, Adv. 206, rocked out at hipster band, despite how “hipster-esque” the front of the Cedric L. Hampton Center their arrangements and band name may have for Performing Arts stage as he played the sounded. electric guitar solo in a cover of Third Eye In addition to “Jumper,” Nonchalant Blind’s “Jumper” during the night of Battle performed a cover of Phoenix’s “1901” and of the Bands. Reed was backed by the three an original song by Reed titled “Worth the other band members on the stage – keyboard Shot.” player Kyle Sebastian, Adv. 204, acoustic gui- “I found the entire experience extremely tar player and vocalist Laura Krumwiede, a entertaining,” Reed said, “and the opportu- student at Lane, and drummer Christopher nity to simply be around such a multitude of Birnbaum of Niles North.