The bell rings after seventh period and a cloud of joyful hymns and songs burst out of the Masters Choir room as they walk together as one. At six years old senior Victoria Ogunro recognized the pure joy she had for singing during an event through her church.

“During a church carol night I was asked to sing, ‘Joyful, joyful’. I felt a burst of freedom and that’s when I decided to join choir through school and church,” she said.

She started to take singing seriously her freshman year when choir teacher, Amy Branahl introduced the logistics of singing through scales, sight reading, and music theory. As she continued to sing and understand the passion she had, her involvement with choir at Niles West and outside of school increased.

“I’m in Masters Choir, I was Vice President of Gospel Choir last year and have been honored with being the President of Gospel Choir this year. At my church, I am Praise Worship leader and I enjoy every moment of it,” Ogunro explained.

Ogunro  describes where her inspiration comes from.

“In all honesty, The Lord is my inspiration to sing and continue with whatever I am doing in life. Gospel Choir was an opportunity to worship and minster freely and it’s been a great experience,” she said.

The enjoyment of singing for Ogunro  is unbearable. It’s her voice, her passion, and freedom that has also changed her as a person.

“There’s a lot of people that can sing, and it’s such a humbling moment when you look back and see their gifts. I’m so blessed to be surrounded by a group of people with lovely abilities. It’s like we’re all a huge a family with an amazing support system for one another. A moment I’ll never forget was when Mrs. Branahl wasn’t in class and we all posted a video of us singing for her, because we missed her. Choir has definitely changed me for the best,” she described.

Ogunro has been involved in a life changing experience and additionally made great achievements in Choir that she never thought would happen.

“Making IMEA felt crazy. I didn’t think I’d get far. This year was my second time trying after the first attempt my Freshmen year and it was amazing. There was a mass Choir that sang beautifully, it was such an honor,” Ogunro added.

While there are unforgettable moments in High School, Ogunro  plans to make more in college. She strives to follow her sister’s footsteps who was the President of gospel Choir at Depaul University. She hopes to tryout for acapella groups where ever she ends us attending and wants to continue to push herself. With her hope in Christ and a determination for success, the road is ahead for this singing sensation.

Every Tuesday the expressions club meet to discuss writing and artwork. It’s a small group of people that share a common interest: Expression through their creations.

“It’s a place for people with creative ideas to express themselves through art and writing, and be able to share it with everyone in the school,” said senior club member Riya Kamat.

Many benefits come with being in a club like this including acquisition of great writing skills. Types of writing practiced in the club range from a wide variety of genres, the most popular being fantasy.

Other activities that Expressions takes place in include organizing contests. They just recently finished up the six word memoir which consisted of students submitting six words that describe them or their life adequately. Plans for a club-run magazine are also taking place.

According to Michele Lewis, club sponsor and English teacher here at West, this club has been here for as long as she can remember. “It’s my 21st year teaching and it’s been here forever,” she said.

Lewis decided to take over the club because she wanted to encourage the arts and young people to express themselves artistically. Before Lewis, English teacher Lisa Denapoli was the sponsor, and before her fellow it was run by English teacher Christy Koulouris.

Ever since the age of five, senior star and Bosnian sensation Hilma Mededovic had aspirations of excelling in the sport she loves today: basketball. After moving here from Europe in February of this year, Mededovic strives for greatness in America.

“My father is my number one fan and the best coach I’ve ever had. He’s always been there for me on and off the court,” Mededovic said. With huge expectations both academically and athletically, Mededovic’s parents push her past her limits as they see great potential in their daughter.

With basketball consuming her every hour, Mededovic shared her story on how basketball has changed her life.

“I’ve been playing basketball for about 11 years now. My whole family plays basketball. Basketball is my history,” Mededovic explained.

For Mededovic, time management is a necessity in juggling her strict hoops schedule with her academic work.

“I’m an average student in school but my parents always want me to do well,” Mededovic said. Elaborating on her experiences in the classroom, she explains how it really isn’t easy to excel in both areas.

“Basketball is my life. Because it takes up so much time, I never seem to have a break, but that’s okay. I like it.”

Before she ever brought her talents over to Niles West, Mededovic had a wonderful career in Bosnia playing for a top ranked travel team in the capitol city of Sarajevo and for the Bosnian national team.

“Playing for such a big team is difficult. We used to practice for like five hours a day. It was hard both physically and mentally,” Mededovic stated.

Though her career in Bosnia was one in a million, the consumption of her time in basketball called for a sacrifice in other areas of life.

“The national team kind of helped me with my move to America. We would be apart from our families for months and sometimes longer. We traveled a lot to places like Romania. It’s hard to be away from family for such long periods of time,” Mededovic.

Mededovic and her sister moved out here in February of this year, leaving behind all loved ones in Bosnia. Here, Mededovic lives with her Aunt and Uncle, only to make matters more difficult as the two most important people in her life aren’t with her, her parents.

“I honestly could not see myself living in America. Maybe somewhere in Europe, maybe I’ll live in Europe. But I can’t go back to the Balkin’s, life over there is difficult,” Mededovic shares.

Through all matters, killing it on the court as a highschool basketball is definitely not enough of an accomplishment for Mededovic.

“I know everyone always says that they want to win regionals and move on to sectionals, but this year I really think we could, that’s my goal,” she shared, but that’s only the beginning of what she wants to accomplish. Because she left so much behind and came over to America in hopes to make something of her career, Mededovic will not settle for anything. “I want to play Division 1 basketball at Northern Illinois University or at Stony Brook University at least. When I’m in college, though, I want to study business management.”

All these goals could never be possible without the help of others in Hilma’s life.

“Magic Johnson is my favorite basketball player and my motivation, but my parent’s are my favorite people. They are always helping me when I need it,” said Mededovic.

Not only does Mededovic have high hopes for herself but believes in her teammates and coaching staff. She wants to leave behind her own great legacy, but also the legacy of her team: the 2014-2015 varsity girls basketball team. Mededovic wishes to take her game to the next level and accomplish a few great goals along the way with the help of her teammates. Mededovic shares, “I love the team. They’re great girls off the court and on the court they do their job. They give a lot of effort and the team is very organized.”

Senior captain Julia Easter agrees with Mededovic’s opinion on this years team with the addition of great things to say about the transfer from Europe.

“The team this year is a group of hardworking individuals and Hilma is a great addition. She is a hard worker and pushes everyone to get better. She always brings great energy and is always awesome to be around,” said Easter.

Following her family’s footsteps and proving people wrong as she does it, Mededovic still gets jittery on game day even after 11 solid years of competitive basketball.

“I love to encourage myself. Set myself goals. Tell myself I can do anything because I know I can. I want to excel, I want to go beyond my own limits,” Mededovic said in the very confident way she lives her everyday life.

Sophomore Grant Killian has been involved in a variety of shows even though he’s only been at Niles West for a year and a half. However, he’d been acting in plays and musicals long before he started high school.

“I started when I was five at a theatre in my neighborhood called Edge of the Wood Theatre in the basement of a church. A kid on my block did theatre, and I thought it was so cool so I’m still doing it, and I’ve been doing it for eleven years,” he said.

He started doing shows when he was very young, and it didn’t come naturally to him in the beginning.

“I was in ‘Charlotte’s Web’. It was a 20-minute show, and I was Fern’s Father,” he said. “I had three lines and a lisp, and I was speeding through my lines.”

He started to slowly get better at theatre, and in seventh grade, he got his first lead role.

“I got the lead in ‘How to Succeed in a Business Without Really Trying’,” he said. “I was Finch. I had been in eleven shows through that time.”

Killian never had to take voice lessons as he was growing up.

“I was raised in musical theatre. I didn’t do my first play without singing until freshman year,” he said. “But I did take singing lessons freshman year. When I was cast as  the lead in ‘Avenue Q’, I pissed off all the seniors.”

Killian found out he was cast as the lead, Princeton, minutes before he acted in another play.

“I was in another show, and I found out I was Princeton two minutes before the show,” Killian said.

Although it was a big step up from the small plays he had done previously, he was excited to be a part of the play.

“I wasn’t nervous — I was excited. I had never been on a stage that big before. ‘Avenue Q’ was a huge first for me,” Killian said. “It was my first play that I had a puppet.”

His friends from theatre appreciate having him around.

“There’s never a dull moment when he’s around. Sometimes he’s too much to handle, but but he brings life to any situation,” junior Elisabeth Schapmann said.

Even though being ‘fresh meat’ isn’t easy, freshman Marianne Reyes doesn’t let that get her down.

“Usually freshman are treated with no respect and considered newbies. We’re the lower class and that gets hard sometimes because upperclassmen don’t take us seriously,” said Reyes.

Despite being a freshman, Reyes continues to explore her boundaries and push herself to the limit; in sports and academics.

“The finals were actually pretty easy and I did really well, even though we were told the finals this year would be hard,” said Reyes.

Reyes, a three sport athlete, pushes herself to do better than she did before. She admits that sometimes, you just have to take it easy because after all, you are only human.

“I’m in gymnastics, cross country, and track and field. Sports take up a lot of my times and I get very tired and sore after practices,” said Reyes.

Reyes plans on being a three sport athlete throughout her high school career, but out of all the sports, gymnastics has been her favorite.

“I’ve been doing gymnastics since the seventh grade. I have a friend in Chicago who has been taking gymnastics since she was really little and I’ve always wanted to try it. She really pushed me to join and I’m glad I did,” said Reyes.

Disappearing for the whole summer to a little city called Imperial, Missouri, senior Bobby Brownlow decided it was time for a drastic life change. Brownlow told no one except for his parents that he was leaving for Camp Jump Start, a weight-loss camp.

“I wasn’t feeling good about myself and decided that I needed to make a drastic lifestyle change,” Brownlow said. “I didn’t want to tell anyone that I was going to camp because I felt ashamed and thought that people would judge me. I was mostly worried that if I told people that I was going to camp and came back not losing any weight, people would make fun of me. When I eventually got back from camp everyone was surprised of the new me!”

Going into camp, Brownlow was 355 pounds and knew that losing all that weight would not be easy.

At the beginning of camp, Brownlow had to do fitness testing. His worst nightmare was running the mile and that was the first test. With the hot sun beating down, Brownlow dragged himself to complete a 17:51-minute mile.

The first session was terrible. Being out of shape, Brownlow felt overwhelmed and activities felt extra hard, but knowing that there was a light at the end of the tunnel, he kept pushing himself.

“I knew that things could have only gotten better,” he said. “I kept thinking to myself how easier life would be being in better shape and having a healthier lifestyle, that motivated me a lot.”

Before(left) and after(right) the weight loss from Camp Jump Start.

At camp, Brownlow went through a schedule that consisted of waking up every day at 7 a.m. To start off the day, campers would wake up, get ready, and head up “The Hill,” a hill made so campers could get extra exercise.

“The Hill was where announcements were made and meetings were held, but going up that thing was terrible, and having to do it every day was even worse,” Brownlow said.

After “The Hill” campers would then participate in physical activities every day, whether it was swimming, playing capture the flag, or even martial arts.

“There was never standing around,” he said. “Everything we did was exercise, but they were fun activities so it didn’t really feel like exercise.”

Even though most of Brownlow’s day was spent exercising, there were small time slots for lunch breaks. Food was something that the camp was very strict about. No one was allowed to bring in food, when campers first arrived they were stripped search for trying to sneak in food and snacks into camp. Campers were only allowed to eat the portions that were given, but they could have unlimited salad, but with a limited amount of dressing. Campers weren’t allowed to have juice either. They were only allowed water, and it was not always cold.

“At the beginning the meal plans were rough for me,” he said. “I wasn’t really prepared for a small sandwich for lunch, and a little piece of chicken breast with some vegetables for dinner, and when they said the salad bar was unlimited, that sounded pretty good, until I knew that the dressings were limited.”

As the summer went by, and the first session of camp was coming to an end, Brownlow knew that he had made positive improvements. He felt better about himself, and knew that his weight was slowly decreasing.

“I knew that I was going on the right path,” he said. “My body felt better and I just felt better as a person. When they weighed me after first session it felt great. I had lost 41 pounds doing activities that I enjoyed. The food eventually tasted a lot better knowing that they were helping improve my health and well being.”

By the end of the summer, Brownlow had shed off 70 pounds, which helped him perform better during football season.

“I felt that Bobby’s decision to go to a weight loss camp was very cool. He was able to do more on the field and seemed more athletic. As a person with weight challenges myself, I thought it was a great step forward for him. Learning how to eat right and take better care of yourself is important,” varsity football coach Anthony Petrosonis said.

Even though Brownlow is back from camp, he still finds time to workout and exercise as much as possible. He also maintains a healthier daily eating schedule.

“ I used to buy lunch and eat out a lot during my junior year, but that has changed,” he said. “I avoid eating out as much as possible and I have brought lunch to school every day ever since being back from camp.”

“I try to eat a sandwich with pretzels and some sort of fruit for lunch everyday. Sometime I also bring raisins or granola bar for a snack.”

Brownlow’s friends and teammate, such as senior George Tripkos, said they were surprised by brownlow’s new eating habits and his overall personality and physical change.

“It’s great to see how much it’s changed him, not just physically,” Tripkos said. “He’s a much happier guy and his confidence has returned. We didn’t know if he was going to come out for football this year, and when he returned we were all amazed. He was a great asset to the team both on and off the field, and we owe it to his weight loss.”

Brownlow said he’s learned that having a healthy lifestyle is important — and he plans on maintaining it.

“My goal going into camp was to put myself in a healthier lifestyle and to lose weight,” he said. “I want to be able to live longer and maintain a healthy lifestyle and I feel that I am on the road towards that.”

Ever since she was young, junior Elizabeth Witt has enjoyed music and has been inspired to create her own. With her family coming from a musical background, she aspired to make her own music.

“My dad had been in a band and is very musical, so naturally all of my siblings followed that and played music,” she said. “It was very important to him and I’ve been interested in music as long as I can remember.”

After seeing the older students at the school play, she hoped to be in concerts and performances like them.

“The older students who were in band when we were in elementary school had played concerts, and I thought that was so cool,” she said.

As a child, she learned to play a few instruments before getting involved in band.

“I played piano and guitar first, but I don’t play them as often as I play flute now,” Witt explained. “I thought it was the most interesting of all the woodwinds and it just sounded so pretty. As I continued to play it, I realized how much I could do with it.”

She intends on pursuing a career involving music, although she isn’t sure of what she wants to do.

“I have considered it. I visited University of Illinois’ music institution and it’s a possibility for me. I plan on continuing to play music in the future and want to learn more instruments,” she said. “I definitely still have much to learn about music, even though I’ve been playing nearly all my life. There’s so much to learn, so I don’t plan on stopping.”

Many of her friends believe that she would be very successful pursuing a career in music.

“She has grown so much as a musician, and being in band with her is the best. I think that she could be successful if she pursued music because whenever she puts her mind to something, she does it,” junior Josie O’Shaughnessy said.

Her friends believe that no matter what she chooses to do, she’ll be able to do it successfully.

“Elizabeth has so much potential in her career in music. I see her grow every day and try her hardest,” junior Hannah Tinder said. “If she pursued music, I definitely think she’d be successful. She continues to be a better musician everyday and has a passion for it. She never gives up on anything in life and that’s why she has so much success in everything she does.”

Junior Andy Gonzalez has been involved in fashion and singing since he was very young. His love of fashion started many years ago, when he was in elementary school.

“I always knew I had an interest but I knew I loved it when I went on Style.com and watched their fashion show archives. After that I fell in love with it and how happy it made me,” Gonzalez said.

He hopes to pursue fashion beyond high school and hopefully make it into a career.

“I like to design, but I also want to do more than that,” Gonzalez said. “I got an e-mail earlier this week that I met the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising’s requirements, and I’m eligible to apply as a junior. So that’s exciting.”

Many of his friends believe that his fashion career will be successful in the future.

“His career got started this summer when he looked into schools and creating his own designs. The last time we talked I knew he was interested in FIDM and I support him all the way,” junior Sara Dym said. “He also did the school’s fashion show with this amazing dress his grandmother helped him with. I won’t be shocked to see his work thriving throughout the fashion industry.”

He has also looked into many other colleges to go further with fashion.

“My dream school is definitely the Fashion Institute of Technology or Parsons. They’re both competitive schools, but I love a little competition!” he said.

While right now he wants to go into fashion, he also still has a huge passion for singing.

“I would love to continue with music, but probably independently,” he said. “I don’t see myself going to school for it or pursuing it as a career. Making music and singing will always be a passion of mine.”

During the summer of 2014, Gonzalez took to Twitter to reveal that he was gay.

“I did it through Twitter because it was the only way I could let all the people I know to know. I wanted everyone to find out at once than just being asked many times,” he said. “It’s tiresome to tell people all day long about your sexual orientation. You don’t ask people if they’re straight, do you?”

Dym was very supportive of him coming out.

“I wasn’t surprised when he came out. He told me after our summer break. I was so excited to hear about it and how he finally got to show off his fun side with the rest of the world,” Dym said.

However, his parents approached him about being gay instead of him coming to his parents first.

“I was just asked by them randomly, and I said yes! I was very lucky to have such supportive and accepting parents,” Gonzalez said. “I know a lot of LGBT+ kids don’t have the same support.”

Dym has been friends with Gonzalez for many years since elementary school, and since then, they have become best friends.

“I have to be honest — in the second grade I had a crush on Andy. Ever since then we were like brother and sister,” she said. “He’s a very bright and brilliant person to be around.”

Video by Katrina Nickell.

Niles West offers a lot of wonderful music programs, but while students usually dedicate their musical talents to only one or two activities, senior Matthew Small finds more time in his day for music than most.

In fourth grade, Small learned his first instrument, the trumpet, for the Park View school band. Freshman year, Small taught himself how to play the harmonica as a hobby. Just the next year, he picked up another instrument in the form of the upright bass. Just this year, Small officially joined chorus, his voice becoming his fourth instrument.

“I think music is one of the hardest fields you can get yourself into,” Small said, “it isn’t just making music, but also learning how to express yourself, learning how to play instruments, learning music theory, or just in any situation how to feel. But something that, especially with me, that I really cherish about music is the fact that it teaches me a lot of life lessons: I’m not gonna win all the time, I’m not the best at everything, and there’s some things that you just can’t do. Music is just a great tool to have.”

With his wide variety of music abilities, Small participates in plenty of the music programs at Niles West. HE is in symphonic wind ensemble, philharmonic orchestra, marching band, guys & dolls, and jazz ensemble. He also is in men’s choir three days a week and helps choir teacher Amy Branahl with the music appreciation class. Outside of school, he has an on-and-off quintet group, and is the lead singer for a rock band called, The Flying Penguins. Every once in a while, he also tries his hand at writing his own music. Altogether, Matthew dedicates almost seven hours a day to music.

“Music is just fun,” he said. “One thing that I learned is how awesome it is to play for people. I like entertaining people, making them happy. Not to be famous or for money, but cherishing when other people smile.”

While he says it isn’t an easy thing to get into, Matthew loves the music program at Niles West, and thinks joining it is the most fulfilling experience you can have at this school.

“It makes you feel things, but you are going to find a lot of people with the same interests as you,” he said. “One thing I enjoy about music is the fact that people who you would never expect to see yourself hanging out with will become your best friend. and you will quickly gain a group of fast friends if you are in a musical ensemble.”

While Small said he plans on becoming a social studies teacher and later a sound engineer, he wants to continue playing his instruments as a hobby, and wants to play rock, jazz, or hopefully both in a professional group.

Joining the Niles West community back in the fall of 2014 after being home schooled for two years, sophomore Muhammed Javed thought his best way to meet people was joining Niles West Theatre.

 “I’m new at Niles West, so I had to get to know people. [I felt that the] best way to get to know people is do stuff that other people are doing. I was thinking maybe cross, basketball, you know, everything,” Javed said, “The worse case scenario is that I get a no and realize theatre isn’t for me. So it helped me grow as a person.”

 Becoming an actor has been one of the greatest learning experiences for Javed.

 “One of the biggest things I’ve learned is to not care sometimes. Take chances. If you look stupid sometimes, it’s okay because everyone is looking stupid,” he said.

 Javed has taken part in Niles West’s production of She Kills Monsters and Director’s Studio, always playing a character with similar attributes.

 “I’ve realized I always play an idiot, never someone smart. I just always play myself,” he said.

 Reflecting on the the beginning of the year until now, Javed is happy with his choice in getting involved with theatre.

 “Joining Niles West Theatre has made it easier to talk to people, and be more outgoing.”

 But Javed’s impact on the Theatre program goes beyond his own experience. Many fellow members think Javed’s addition has been very positive.

 “Muhammed is one of the most effervescent, exuberantly enthusiastic actors I have worked with. For better or for worse, he will always have the most energy of anyone in the room. Whether he’s about to kick you in the face, or teach you a handshake, or do a British accent, he will always give the performance everything he has,” sophomore Grant Killian said.

You can be expecting Javed’s next performance in Niles West’s upcoming play, On the Razzle, where he will be playing his familiar character as the Coachman.

The bell rings and all students are ready to begin editing their photographs in Adobe Photoshop or begin creating new pieces. Junior Kate Silber is sitting at the computer, tapping her feet, while trying to decide which way to edit her photograph. Click. Click. Click. “Does this look okay?” she asks her peers in the AP/Advanced 2-D Design class. They all refuse to peel their eyes off the screen as they nod “yes.”

“Since elementary and middle school, I was always interested in art. I would take “photoshoots” of random people and things, especially while on vacation,” Silber explained. “Once I got to high school, I signed up for Digital Design and Photography classes and learned so much about myself and the impact art can have.”

Silber has been put into the Scholastics Art Competition for many of her photographs and posters that she has designed. She won a Silver Key in Scholastics for a sculpture that she created her freshman year of high school in Art Foundations. Additionally, one of her pieces that she created in Graphic Design was put into a CSL art show in her sophomore year.

“I’ve had Kate as a student for about a year. She came into Photo 1 with an amazing work ethic. What she has improved on the most is risk-taking in her art work. Kate continues to take an idea and manipulate and try it so many different ways until she is finally happy with the end result,” 2-D Design teacher Deanna Sortino said. “Some of Kate’s qualities that should be valued are her positive attitude and drive. Many students view critique as a negative thing, but Kate views it as a way to become a stronger artist.”

However, photography and design are not the only thing that Silber excels in. She maintains an unweighted 4.0 GPA and has been taking difficult classes her entire school career.

“Academics have always been my main focus. In my middle school, I was named the Top Female Scholar of my eighth grade graduating class. I can’t remember the last time I got a B as my final grade in a class, if ever. My unweighted GPA is still a 4.0 and I hope to keep it that way. Currently, I am taking a few honors classes in addition to AP Physics 1, AP GAW, AP US History, and AP Calc BC. I have five more AP classes scheduled for next year,” Silber said.

When not doing homework or studying, Silber likes to hang out with family and friends, as well as work for a photo-journalism company called Varsity Views and play soccer.

“I play soccer for Niles West and for Illinois Sting F.C. I started playing soccer when I was around six years old. My dad was the coach of our team; he played soccer since he was young and still plays today. Since then, I started playing travel soccer in middle school and have played on the Varsity team since I was a freshman,” she added.

Maintaining excellent grades, working for photo-journalism company, soccer, and more is very difficult to manage and isn’t as simple as it seems.

“Some people assume that since I get straight A’s, everything is easy for me; however, that is not always the case. It is difficult to balance extracurricular activities with homework and studying. It definitely requires a lot of hard work and focus, and I have found that I sometimes need to prioritize which difficult classes I sign up for so that I don’t end up spread too thin,” she said. “I am constantly thankful that I have such supportive parents that don’t add to my existing stress like some other people’s parents do. I guess they realize that I push myself enough to get the grades I want. Instead of forcing me to load up on hard classes, they have encouraged me not to spend summer or lunch time on extra classes so that I can enjoy my time in high school.”

Although there are many paths for Silber to take to steer her future, she is unsure of which path to take.

“I continue to take such advanced classes in all subject areas because I can’t decide which subject I like the best. I have no idea what sort of major or career I would like to pursue after graduation, so I am determined to keep my options open. I must admit that I am a little bit jealous of the people who have a specific dream to be a doctor or a lawyer or something like that; I would love to be able to focus my studies on one subject area. All I know is that I want to do something meaningful with my life, and I hope to have some kind of impact on the world. I know that sounds far-fetched for just some girl from Lincolnwood, Illinois, but I am determined to work as hard as I can.”

Senior Andre Eramia has been involved with theatre since he was in junior high, and an accident led him to starting theatre in high school.

“I did plays in junior high and it was much more relaxed there,” he said. “I was going to play football in high school, but I broke my arm and I didn’t want to not to do anything. My junior high teacher pushed me to do it.”

He auditioned for his first high school play the summer before his freshman year.

“Before school started, there were auditions for the show and I made the first show,” Eramia said.

Eramia also participates in more than just the acting side of theatre.

“Usually I’m in the shows, but I do drop in crew and work with costumes and lighting and just go in and out,” he explained.

Theatre can get stressful and at times be overwhelming, but Eramia is glad he decided to be a part of it.

“It takes the most time because you’re there every day until six, and our biggest break is a week. It gets frustrating but I knew it was what I wanted to do. I’m happy I stayed because I’m president of the thespian society and I’m glad I decided to do it because it all worked out,” he said.

While he doesn’t want to pursue acting outside of high school, he hopes it is something he can continue.

“I’ve thought about it, but I’m going into business. But I still want to do it on the side if I have time,” he added. “It’s something that will always be with me and that I’ll never forget.”

The friends he has made through theatre appreciate him and the positivity he contributes to it.

“He is always so positive and so energetic that you cannot help having fun when you’re around him,” senior Scott Albaum said. “He is our president, so he has a lot to do for the department. He is always a vocal member of the department and always shares his ideas which help make the department better.”

Eramia has become like a brother and mentor to some of the younger members of theatre as well.

“It’s always fun working with Andre — he’s like a big brother to me. He is always energetic to come to rehearsals and makes me want to work and appreciate what we’re doing,” sophomore Alana Knobel said. “We have so many inside jokes and whenever those jokes come up in theatre or anywhere is my favorite memory with him.”

Knobel also appreciates his qualities that help him in being president of the thespian society.

“Andre brings a certain energy to theatre which no one else has and he always goes into something with a positive outlook. He also has a really great leader quality, which makes him a good president. I’m really going to miss him when he leaves — I don’t have a relationship with anyone else like my relationship with Andre,” she said.

Senior Rebecca Harbeck was fifteen months old when she was adopted from a southern province in China. After having immigrated at such a young age, she spent her childhood in the Chicagoland area where she endured her own journey of coming to terms with her adoption. As many can only imagine, it has undoubtedly had an enormous impact on who she is today, as well as how she sees both the world and herself. Rather than acting as an unsurpassable obstacle, she has managed to utilize the true implications of her adoption to further form her identity and perspective in life.

“I think it’s an ever-evolving process. You don’t understand it when you’re little, or its true implications,” Harbeck explained. “It’s difficult because people notice you don’t look like your parents, especially at the age where you’re already self conscious.”

One of her most profound moments during her journey of acceptance and growth, came from watching the documentary “Somewhere Between” at Northwestern University.

“Seeing that experience was beautiful. I hadn’t been exposed to those kinds of films,” Harbeck explained. “It showed me that it’s not weird to feel this way, it’s normal, it’s ok. Overall it helped me accept my identity.”

Although she has had a strong community around her as she’s grown up, it hasn’t always been easy.

“Being a Chinese-American, you try to assimilate to be like others so you don’t stand out, I think that’s just the way society has forced people of color to act in the U.S.,” she said.

Her experience as an adoptee has inspired her to pursue a career as either a lawyer or a professor. Harbeck hopes to intertwine her first-hand experience and knowledge into whatever she goes into in the future.

“One of the reasons I do want to go into academia, to become a professor, is because I think that nobody is going to know about it if we keep silent,” she explained. “I’m really into [academia] and there’s a lot to be said and taught.”

Between debate, National Honor Society, yearbook, and the lit center, Harbeck has managed to go above and beyond in each activity she’s pursued. This impassioned, dedicated involvement in her extracurricular activities has led her to her most recent success: admission into the University of Chicago. In the fall after she accepts her admission, she hopes to pursue a degree in sociology, political science, and possibly Chinese or Eastern Asian studies.

Harbeck’s debate career has provided her with much more than a few awards and recognitions.

“School has gotten exponentially easier, because you’re used to supporting claims, finding evidence, etc. Also, it teaches you self confidence, because you speak in front of strangers all the time,” she said.  “It made me realize how much education means. It was a wake up call that I’d be a senior in a few years and not some professional athlete. It’s taught me to have responsibility to my team, partners, and opponents.”

Harbeck’s peers believe she is an asset to all her extracurricular activities and classes.

“She always manages to stay on top of everything he takes on, and as co-captain of our team, she makes early morning drives to tournaments, just a little more enjoyable,” friend and fellow debater, senior Nina Saro said.

Her hard work and persistence has not gone unnoticed during the past four years.

“She’s always working on school work, even during class she’s always doing work for another class. Becca’s just a very genuine, hard-working person,” friend and senior, Maya Caballero said.

If you were to walk into the cafeteria after school, you would find a group of girls dancing and giving it all they’ve got. Then your eye would land on a particular girl with bright auburn hair. She’s tall, lean, and freckled, dancing with a little more passion than the others.

Ever since she was little, sophomore Allison Fair loved to dance. When she was just six years old, she began to take dance classes ranging from jazz to hip hop.

“I’ve always liked to dance. I danced when I was younger and in eighth grade I did cheer-leading, but I realized I liked the halftime portions more,” Fair said.

As Fair transitioned into high school, she discovered there was a way for her to do something similar to cheerleading, but not exactly like it.

“My mom saw a flyer for poms and tryouts were coming up in a couple of days, so I just decided to try out because I didn’t know what other option there were at the time and I loved to dance so I just chose poms. And I’m glad I did,” Fair said.

But looks can be deceiving. Poms isn’t as easy as it looks. It’s all about hard work and requires a lot of commitment.

“It’s much more work and a lot of practices so I definitely have to work on my time management. I like to get some of my work done at school when I have free periods and if not, I usually start my homework as soon as I get home. Since we’re in competition season, my coach has been adding practices on Saturdays,” Fair said.

But the hard work always pays off when she performs in front of her peers. As the music thumps through her body and the cheers become louder, Fair gets to show off her moves that take a very long time to perfect.

“I like memorizing dance moves and I think it’s really fun to learn. I get to show people what we’ve been working on. With dance, we spend so much time practicing and we only get to perform for a couple of minutes and show people what we’ve been working on,” Fair said.

Fair feels that she can express herself through dance and plans on continuing poms all the way to senior year.

“I think it’s fun. After a whole day of work you can get loose and learn your dance moves, like I can express and really be myself,” Fair said, laughing.

Editors Note: This is the First Installment of the NWN’s International Week Series.

Ever since freshman Sam Paloma was a little boy, his Mexican heritage has been a part of him.

“It’s nice because my mom has never once let either me, or my siblings forget where we come from. Usually, at least three nights a week, she’ll make a home cooked meal of traditional Mexican food,” Paloma said.

His mother makes a bunch of different foods to mix it up every week.

“My favorite is when she makes ‘rajas’ which are just spicy peppers,” he said. “She makes so many different dishes though. Like ‘fideo’ which is basically pasta with broth, ‘caldo de res’ which is a steak soup, ‘sopa’ which is just a type of Mexican rice, and of course you can never go wrong with tacos.”

But Mexican food isn’t the only thing that makes his family cultural.

“It’s really nice because every year usually around this time, my Tia (aunt) bakes a type of bread called ‘La Rosca’. My entire family comes over and we cut it up so that everybody gets a piece. Baked into the bread is a mini plastic figure of baby Jesus. The person who gets the piece with the figure in it is known to hold the next party which is Levantada des Nino Dios. This year, my sister got the figure so my family and I will be hosting that party.”

Paloma is proud to talk about his family’s traditions and his Mexican heritage.

“Not to mention more traditions around this time of year but every Christmas my Tia and my mom make almost 300 tamales just for all of us to enjoy. We don’t get tamales often so it’s always something to look forward too.”

Also, Paloma and his family often take summer trips to Mexico.

“This past summer, I went to Mexico with my family and we visited an old Mayan civilization. We learned about how the Mayans created the calendar and figured out how to tell what day of the year it was. It was interesting to learn that time telling came from my cultural background.”

His family strictly follows the rules of the bible and pray periodically.

“Another family thing we do is pray to the rosary. A rosary is a necklace with twelve beads and each bead hold a specific prayer, different from the previous one. It’s something I have been doing for as long as I can remember.”

Paloma and his family also annually celebrate ‘the Day of the Dead.’

“People often misinterpret the Day of the Dead by thinking that it’s gruesome and scary. In reality though, it’s a beautiful ceremony to remember the loved ones who have passed. My grandfather died in 2012 and every year since we have attended a Day of the Dead ritual to honor his life,” Paloma said.

He is very proud to be able to honor his culture the way that he does and wouldn’t consider changing it for anything.

“I love who I am and the cultural background I live with,” he said. “I know that when I have kids I’m going to make sure that their culture stays apart of them just like my mother did to my siblings and me.”

Editors Note: This is the Second Installment of the NWN’s International Week Series.

Roaming the halls of Niles West, invested in the classroom and killing it on the court, this young gentleman carries himself in a certain manner that not many people can relate to. Regardless of what’s going on, family and friends come first.

Embracing his nationality, his family and his Assyrian culture is extremely important to senior basketball captain Odisho Audisho .

“It’s just family, all Assyrians are family. We come in a pact. Everybody knows Assyrians run deep,” Audisho said on how being Assyrian is being a part of something bigger.

Odisho loves being Assyrian, doing Assyrian things, and celebrating his Assyrian heritage with the ones around him. “I can feel a connection with any Assyrian person I meet,” he said.

“I eat Assyrian food, my parents talk to me in Assyrian, I hang out with a lot of other Assyrians, but being Assyrian isn’t any different than being American. It’s like being American while doing Assyrian things,” Audisho shared.

He celebrates Assyrian holiday’s, he practices Assyrian costumes, but his everyday life is as ‘Americanized’ as it gets.

“I do have my own ‘holiday’s’, if you will, but I feel as normal as any other person of a different nationality would as in being Assyrian makes you feel no different, it just gives off a vibe of family first instincts,” Audisho said.

Though Odisho believes in strict family-first customs, sometimes the ‘togetherness’ that Assyrians give off can be perceived the wrong way.

“I believe there are many stereotypes and wrong perceptions of Assyrians these days. I’m a good kid and I’m Assyrian, just because someone is Assyrian does not make them ‘bad’,” Audisho said.

“Just being Assyrian makes me proud. Meeting a new Assyrian, speaking of my cousins or close Assyrian friends, we always outnumber all other nationalities. Everyone’s always so proud of being Assyrian and it’s a great feeling to know you have so many people supporting you,” stated Audisho.

As many nationality come with their own excitement, a proud Assyrian knows the true meaning of family. Audisho feels as American as any one of his friends while he meanwhile enjoys a few minor differences in his way of hife. He loves being Assyrian, though it doesn’t change him in any major way. He lives his life as a normal teenage kid always knowing he has many ‘family members’ to always have his back.

If you’ve never met a person with as much character as senior Michelle Berkovich, then that’s no surprise. With the balance of smarts and toughness, Berkovich can teach you a thing or two in class or in Tae Kwon Do. She has eight years of experience in the martial art and a black-belt to prove it.

“It has made me a lot stronger, not only physically but mentally. It also gives me a lot of confidence. It’s always fun to see people’s reactions when I tell them that I’m a black belt because you usually wouldn’t expect that from someone as small as me. I have mostly sparred with guys because not many girls are as involved as I am, and they’ll tell you that I can kick some butt despite my small size,” she explained.

Her passion and dedication in a match can also be recognized in the classroom. She’s motivated and always challenges herself in order to be better. Even as a senior, she drives to continue to work towards her goals by taking difficult class. Her hard work in academics also placed her in the National Honor Society and in German Honor Society.

“Academics are a huge aspect to my life. My parent’s have really instilled in me that if I work hard now I can succeed now and in the future. By taking my parents wisdom I’ve learned to work hard for myself. It makes me happy when I can see all my hard work that I put into school pay off and when it doesn’t, it only inspires me to work harder,” Berkovich said.

Her hard work isn’t for glory or to boast about. It’s about taking the opportunities given to her and making the best of it for herself and others. Although it may seem like she has a natural sense of knowledge there’s more to it. She puts in the effort and time to understand new concepts whether in Calculus or Biology.

“I don’t really care if other people acknowledge my hard work because what’s important is that I know that I work hard for everything that I want. It does not come easily to me.  I am really hard on myself sometimes but I think it’s good for me.”

Michelle’s self motivation to learn and grow as a person is shown in her selfless activities throughout her time at West and in life. She’s involved in Relay for Life, Israeli Club, Book Club, and enjoys babysitting her two cousins that “are the cutest.”

Senior Sherlina Chauhan, one of her good friends, talked about how Michelle has been there for her throughout their friendship.

“As busy as she gets, she’s always willing to make time for a friend, even if it means staying up the extra half hour to explain something to me. Her sincere work ethic pushes me to perform at her level and beyond; this is how she has unknowingly been there for me,” Chauhan said.

She has grown as a person since she started here at Niles West and has plans for the near future. She plans to attend college and study nursing in addition to pre-medicine.

“I’m going to have a pretty busy schedule in college, but I’m really looking forward to it.” she said. ” My ultimate goal is to go to medical school and become a successful pediatrician, so I can brighten up the lives of cute little kids!”

A passionate, kind-hearted, motivated and hardworking person can sum up Berkovich. She takes what does seriously and makes sure to have fun. Her love for others is an instinct and she’ll continue to be there for others in the future. The road ahead of her is filled with great things to come.

Walking down the hallway, you might see sophomore Bruce Lee Blumenthal, and might not be able to tell he’s from multiple places around the world.

“Usually people guess that I’m either Chinese or Korean. When I tell them I’m Thai, they’re a little surprised. When I tell them I’m also German and Jewish, they don’t even believe me!” said Blumenthal.

His mom’s side is Thai, and his dad’s side is German and Jewish. “I think it’s a cool mix of cultures because I get to eat different food, and am exposed to different culture. Plus who doesn’t think being German and Jewish is cool?”

“My favorite holiday is Hanukkah because my family gathers around from New York, California, and Michigan and we eat a big dinner and catch up. I get to see them once or twice a year, so it’s really special to me. Usually when I tell people i’m Jewish they don’t believe me because of my outer appearance. It’s  hurtful because [being] Jewish is a part of me, and my culture. Why would I lie about something that made me who I am today? Or sometimes I’ll get the “jokes”, such as when people call me “cheap” and such things. Remarks like that are pretty childish to me. In order to stop these stereotypes we need to stop generalizing and making assumptions based on how someone looks,”Blumenthal said.

“Another challenge I face with my mixed race are standardized exams. It’s sometimes difficult and my answers always vary, depending on my mood, some days I’ll put European some days Asian, some days I’ll put other. Once I filled in two bubbles. You can’t limit my options, I am proud of both my ethnicities,” he added, “so why do I only have to choose one?”

“At the end of the day, I’m very proud of my unique mix. Especially because there’s so much history to it,” he said. “How many people do you know can say they’re not only Thai, and not only German, but Jewish too?”

During seventh grade, junior Ray Nguyen started dancing, inspired by an uncle.

“I started dancing around the seventh grade. I was first inspired by my uncle because he was in a Chicago crew called Brick Headz that specialized in break dancing,” he said.

After this, he slowly started becoming interested in other forms of dance.

“I first started off with break dancing, but then I fell in love with hip hop,” he said.

He started dancing more seriously once he entered high school.

“I’ve been in Orchesis since freshman year,” he said. “That was when I met another person who inspired me. He had just graduated when I was a freshman. He was the reason I had auditioned for the group outside of school, C.O.D.A. — he was one of the leading directors.”

The dance group he works with outside of school is much different than Orchesis.

“It’s very different from Orchesis because the speed at which the choreography is taught is at a higher level,” he said. “It’s a competing group, so I can’t really expect anything less.”

While he enjoys dancing, he isn’t sure he wants to continue beyond college.

“I definitely do want to keep dancing in college, but I don’t know about a career. It’s tough,” Nguyen said.

His friends are glad to have him on Orchesis.

“Having Ray in Orchesis is both an inspiration and a blessing,” junior Alex Gruezo said. “His dancing is far beyond Orchesis alone. Whenever he presents a piece, they leave our jaws to the floor.”

He is a great asset to the team because of how advanced his dance skills are.

“He’s one of the people that picks up the choreography the quickest, and whenever we need help, we go straight to him. Once you get to know him, he’s that guy that whenever you joke around, he had you dying in two seconds,” Gruezo said.

His energy is appreciated by everyone on Orchesis.

“He’s really funny and talented and has such an amazing personality,” junior Michael Nguyen said. “It’s fun to have him in Orchesis because he’s so entertaining and always has these random burst of energy.”

Family comes first.

This is a concept many of us were taught as we were growing up, but to a Chinese person, those three words have a deeper meaning.

“Family is very important in the Chinese culture. Almost all Chinese kids are told they have to look after their parents as they grow older. And it’s not just immediate family. We refer to our cousins as brothers and sisters. It’s all very close united,” sophomore Andy Lieu said.

One of the most important celebrations in his heritage is Chinese New Year’s and obviously, it involves family.

“We decorate the house with paper cut outs and paintings. On New Year’s Eve, we have a giant dinner called a reunion dinner. It’s very important and everyone tries their hardest to attend,” Lieu said.

An array of authentic Chinese dishes are served. Ranging from dumplings and sweet rice balls to glutinous rice balls and spring rolls, each food is eaten for its symbolism of prosperity and good fortune.

Afterwards, kids receive red envelopes filled with money. Red is believed to have be a lucky colour and money is believed to bring good luck. This is often called lucky money.

“On the third day of the New Year we go and visit the graves of our loved ones,” Lieu said.

Family isn’t the only important thing. Education is also made a main priority in the Chinese culture. In every Chinese family, education is strongly stressed to make sure the children are set for their future.

“Education is very important to not just my family, but to a majority of Chinese families. Back in China, education is very strict and there’s this big test that essentially determines your future. My parents both took it before they moved here and even though education is different in America, they still want me to succeed,” Lieu said.

This is what usually leads to the stereotypes that Asians are good at math.

“I’m always getting asked if I know a certain math problem or something like and they usually start off with ‘you’re Asian, do you know what this mean?’ I honestly don’t take offense to that. I take it as a compliment,” Lieu said, laughing.

Lieu, who has visited China twice, says it’s very different from the United States.

“My family is from Shandong and it’s a very populated city compared to any city in the United States. The streets are almost always crowded and during the nighttime, the entire city is light up and it’s really cool,” Lieu said.

“I love being Chinese and American because I get to experience two different cultures. It’s like being part of a whole new world because my family has adapted to American culture,” Lieu said, “but still stayed true to their Chinese roots.”