21 minute read
TWO TAKES ON FOOD
Review and photos by Christine Leung
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Fourteen Sixteen RATING: 8.4/10
I thought the chicken was a super interesting take and the ἀavors surprisingly worked well together. The potatoes were a little too mushy and lemony for my tasting, but the ἀatbread was very good. Overall, I’d say the food was a tad overpriced but a decent meal. I’d go back, but not very regularly.
LOVE THIS PLACE. Tensuke is in Elk Grove, so it is a bit of a hike. It’s also not that well known around these parts so don’t go telling everyone (it’s a gem.) And boy, is it worth it. Tensuke is the highest quality sushi I’ve had in a semi local area that also does not break the bank. A set of around 8 california rolls and 5 pieces of nigiri (sushi grade seafood on top of rice) goes for about $15. Given the price, the sushi is high quality. This is also because Tensuke is actually a grocery store with a food court in the back. Everything is made in house and it’s extremely fresh and very authentic. While getting sushi you can also get a bunch of fun snacks like Pocky sticks, mochi, and fresh baked bread. A classic. You really can’t go wrong. The atmosphere is welcoming and warm, and there’s usually a decent crowd of people and chatter that makes for a nice environment. The portions are generous and there’s a pretty big assortment of dishes to choose from. While on the pricier side (a salad was ~$18), the portion size and taste makes up for it. I got the parfait once for breakfast and it was decent, but nothing notable. The steak sandwich was great. Filling, warm, and crunchy bread. But nothing beats the THAI CRUNCH SALAD. As an absolute edamame fanatic, this salad had everything I absolutely love. I took out the bell peppers and was obsessed with the crunchy wonton pieces and peanut sauce. I added chicken for some extra protein and will definitely be coming back for this.
Tensuke RATING: 9.5/10 Standard Market Grill RATING: 9.2/10
portrait of a taco bell at at 12:00
by Max Pohlenz
Idrive. I do not know where I am coming from. Only where I am going. When I left that house, there was pizza and pop, and cackling voices I did not know. Now on the road, the only voice is mine, though it does not speak. I drive. Drive past my house, where mother awaits my return anxiously. Past the Chipotle on Ogden. At night, you can see into the building as you pass. The tables are empty, but they insist on being open. I feel that if I went in there, some mobster would exit the restrooms with a gun and end my life. And then I drive some more, until I cross three lanes of traffic to pull into the parking lot of the Taco Bell on Ogden. I pull up right to the door, placing my car perpendicular to no less than three handicapped spots. It is just me, and a white car with the engine on. I look inside. The building looks abandoned at first glance. I see the table where me and my friends sat at during the day. The rose seats are now dim. Silhouettes.
From the kitchen, I think I can make out a light. I am unsure however. I set my car to drive, and begin to circle around. I can’t help but feel the slightest bit like a criminal. As if my very being here constitutes my introduction to a shrouded underworld. As I drive around, I see a singular guy working. He is tall, lanky. Wears a black baseball cap. Dirty blonde. I remember him wearing earmuffs, though logic eludes me as to why he would do such a thing in an indoor building. In a kitchen no less. Perhaps I imagined it. I think he is the only one, as I drive slowly around, peering through the drive through window as the guy organizes things. I don’t know what the things are. They look like cups, but they cannot be. They are dripping with grease. Or so my memory tells me, though I am constantly paranoid that it is lying to me.
I am at the front now. Through the ghastly tables, I make out a second man. I say man here, because he is definitely older than me. My mind though, thinks him a man of monstrous proportions, prepared to assault me, kick my teeth against the curb, stirring up snow as he does. For some reason, I decide to risk a second loop around, to see if I can get a look at the white car. Its engine is still running, and it has a silhouette of a person inside. I cannot tell what they look like, what they are doing. Perhaps they are eating a number one meal. Three Crunchy Tacos Supreme, fountain drink included. Or the number seven meal. Chicken Quesadilla, with one Crunchy Taco Supreme and fountain drink on the side. I do not know.
As I drive past the car, I am mesmerized by the white sedan with its lights on. There is a person in there. A person whose life I will never know, never meet. They do not know that I have spent a considerable amount of time thinking about who they are. They don’t even know of my existence. I am just a Mercedes-Benz with the lights on. As I pass the white car with the lights on, I realize that I have not gotten the brand of the car. Was it Acura? Hyundai? For some reason, the detail drives me mad. If I cannot have anything else, I will have the make of the car. And so thus, not even halfway through my second lap around the establishment, I am already planning my third and final voyage. As I pass the drive through window again, I begin to grow paranoid. What does the guy and the man think of the MercedesBenz with the lights on. Do they think I am some sort of criminal, staking out the place? A local weirdo, the type you get when you’re working the midnight shift? (In a way, I suppose I am). Or maybe they don’t notice me at all. I’m just another part of the set-piece they neglect, like the dead bush that separates this place from that cash for gold place.
I exit my second orbit, preparing for my third and final orbit. This time, I drive slow enough to get the car brand. It is indeed an Acura. I do not even look or think about the man and guy inside, feeling guilty. I need to get out of here now. I take off, completing my third and final orbit with haste, turning right onto Ogden once more. I ἀy away. Away from that man and the guy. Away from that white Acura with the lights on and the silhouette. I ἀy past the police car that has pulled a man over. I ἀy past the pet store that supplied me all of my dead fish when I was a fifth grader. I ἀy towards a green light, trying to reach for it, trying to grasp it. If only I was a bit closer, I could bask in the green glow, bask in the Gatsby sunshine.
But it turns red.
photospread.................
Section Editor Grace Myall photographs a March 4 LGBT+ workshop on allyship in DuPage county
battleground.................
In the past several months, the concept of “court packing” has surfaced as a possible move for the Democratic party to overcome the conservative 6-3 majority in the Supreme Court. Since 1869, SCOTUS has had 9 Justices, but this new measure would adjust the size of the body, likely to a larger number.
Danyal Jawed
On February 5, 1937, P resident Franklin D. Roosevelt announced the Judicial Procedures Reform Bill of 1937, which would allow him to add six voting members to the Supreme Court. Many, both Democrats and Republicans, criticized the “court-packing plan,” seeing it as the progressive president’s way of filling the court with individuals who would vote in his favor as he pushed his numerous New Deal reforms. Way of defying checks and balances. As President Biden himself put it during a Senate Judiciary Committee in 1983, it was a “bonehead idea” and a “terrible, terrible mistake.”
But despite seeing the large backlash FDR faced for his endeavors, on April 15, 2021, Democrats introduced the Judiciary Act of 2021, seeking to expand the court to 13 justices. A bill that according to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, “should be considered.”
But it shouldn’t be considered, let alone be signed by President Biden. According to the Congress Research Service, the Democratic Party already has a majority in Congress. With Democrats controlling both the Executive and Legislative branches, approving this bill and artificially creating a Democrat majority in the Supreme Court would be completely betraying the ideas of bipartisanship and checks and balances. ἀe Supreme Court having a conservative majority today doesn’t justify changing the entire system or mean that it is flawed in any way, because there will always be a majority. And if this bill were to be approved, it would set a precedent for generations to come that if that majority misaligns with Congress and the President, no big deal. ἀey can just add more seats and turn the imbalance in their favor, creating an endless back and forth of Supreme Court expansions by both Republicans and Democrats. ἀere’s a reason FDR’s bill wasn’t approved. And there’s a reason the Supreme Court has stood strong with nine justices since 1869. According to the Pew Research Center, President Biden’s approval rating was 41% as of January 2022. With his poor and declining approval rating, it is hard to believe that challenging a construct of over 150 years and giving himself more power in the process would be in his best interest. In my opinion, packing the courts would be a terrible, terrible mistake.
Katie Parkins ἀis idea of packing the court, or increasing the number of Justices in the Supreme Court, isn’t new. FDR introduced the Judicial Procedures Reform Bill of 1937, granting him legal access to adding members. ἀe House furthered this posture with the Judiciary Act of 2021, introducing legislation that would create space for a total of 13 Justices. In tandem with Congress, President Biden should pack the court to decrease partisanship. Firstly, there is a strong historical precedent for altering the number of Justices to reflect the changing population. ἀe Constitution does not outline the proper count for Justice, allocating that power to Congress. As a result, the number of Justices has oscillated with the times, starting at 6, moving to 5, and subsequently altering the number until nine Justices sat in 1869. While the fewest tally of Justices appropriately lies at the beginning of the Justice Stephen Breyer is retiring from the Supreme Court, and President Biden should replace him with multiple justices. nation, the record number of Justices was set in 1863 at 10 Justices. Presidents and Congress realized that the highest court in the land must grow with the country. ἀis judicial plasticity has, of course, led to political manipulation.
President Biden and Congress should pack the court to eliminate the dominating, partisan slant. Republican presidents have appointed 15 of the last 19 SCOTUS Justices, resulting in the current 6-3 divide. Many pointed out the hypocrisy of inducting Justice Barrett 35 days before the election after the same party prevented President Obama from appointing Merrick Garland 237 days before the election. ἀe Conservative Supreme Court has taken many divisive cases, including abortion bans and LGBTQ+ rights. Given the scope of impact with these cases, it is crucial to restore bipartisanship and equal representation within the Marble Palace. ἀe only constitutional method of reinstating this balance is expanding the court to ensure judicial equity for all citizens, regardless of political belief.
staff editorial...............
Time Well Spent — Modified Grading Scales at Hinsdale Central
by Vandana Sivakumar by Hali Dib
Time Well Spent
7 hours. 420 minutes. ἀe length of an average school day at Hinsdale Central. Now, let’s say that the average student has 7 passing periods, and the student spends only around 2 of the 5 minutes socializing with their peers or relaxing in their classroom, added to a 25-minute lunch break which brings us to a cumulative 39 minutes of break during the entire school day. ἀat means that around 91% of a student’s day is allocated to learning. But how much time is actually being spent? A study published at the University of Connecticut found “students spend about a quarter of class time distracted and unable to focus” (Godwin). ἀe study found that teaching was more effective in smaller, more frequent, 20-minute lessons as opposed to a longer, 40-minute lesson without any breaks. This compared to 50 minute class periods usually involving sedentary work which lends itself to loss of concentration. Simply having 5-minute breaks for every 20 minutes of learning can benefit students and teachers by allowing time to redirect focus and optimize instruction time. Seems easy, right? So why aren’t all our teachers doing it? One common concern for teachers regarding classroom breaks is the time constraint on their lesson plans; however, implementing breaks into the class period will actually optimize student learning by allowing students to refocus, reflect, and possibly catch up, in order to better absorb the rest of the lesson. A survey taken of Hinsdale Central students found that 30% of the class period is used to redirect students and get them to focus. ἀat’s 15 minutes out of 50 that is being used inefficiently by teachers and students. By incorporating two 5-minute breaks for every 20 minutes, teachers can save time dedicated towards instruction and students are more prepared to absorb the information during class time. In other words, breaks can be used to turn unproductive class time productive. Some teachers are also concerned about allowing distractions and spending time re-grouping after set breaks. However, ἀe University College in London expresses that a break in class for just a few minutes, anything from a small stretch, to socializing with friends or to simply getting up and walking around, can have long-lasting effects on a student and help with memory retention and lower stress levels. “It’s like sometimes you doze off in class,” one student writes, “a break allows me to kind of snap back into reality and helps me focus more and actively listen to what is being taught”. Both teachers and students want to optimize class time. ἀe introduction of scheduled breaks in lesson plans allows for students to absorb the content better and for teachers to maximize their lesson plans. So I implore teachers to do this for their students. A break could range from a yoga pose to a quick game of rock-paper-scissors. Just taking that pause helps both students and teachers to re-energize and get through the day. And that’s all we can hope for.
Modified Grading Scales at
Hinsdale Central
For our entire lives we have been following the classic 90-80-70-60 grading scale in school. Now that we have the option to take honors and AP classes, especially science courses, we became aware of modified grading scales that accommodate for course rigor. However, per district guidelines for this school year, all classes are required to have the same standard grading scale, which is problematic as students are earning letter grades which do not reflect their knowledge on the material. ἀis is especially a major issue for the many at Hinsdale Central who are taking numerous honors and advanced courses. A student taking AP Physics 1 in prior years would be graded using the class’s usual 80-65-55-45 scale because of the class’s intensity, but this year’s students were met with the news that the new district policy requires all classes to keep the traditional grading scale. As a result, teachers provide the students with modifications on tests to compensate for the difficulty of the course, such as allowing multiple attempts per question for partial credit and a large class curve. Despite seeming like a good solution, this does not teach students how to work efficiently to earn their deserving grade, and instead creates reliance on curves. As per the Collegeboard score distribution from 2020, only 51.6% of students get a 3 or above on the AP Physics test. Collegeboard has an adjusted scoring scale for AP tests to “standardize student performance across years and subjects’’, so wouldn’t it make sense for the class’s grading scale to correspond with that of the national exam taken at the end of the year? Why are we forcing a grading system that does not reflect our true effort and understanding of the subject? According to Matt Townsley and Tom Buckmiller, both well-decorated professors and authors, “grading experts agree teachers should update their grading practices to better align with the realities of how and what students are learning in schools.” Teachers in content areas know what their class needs to succeed and should be the ones deciding their class’s grading scale. And no, it is not too late for change. Even Yale, “the institution that started this history of grading more than 200 yr ago, is today still considering changes to its grading system,” said the Life Sciences Education. Students should be earning letter grades that match the intensity of the course and average grade distribution, meaning that more challenging and advanced classes should not necessarily be following the same exact traditional grading system. ἀis would help students learn how to study efficiently as they are earning their rightful grade for the effort they put in. Even in college, many professors have their own grading scales and policies, so giving teachers the freedom to use the most fitting grading scale for their own curriculum would be beneficial in the long run as well. It’s time to give credit where it’s due and bring back adjusted grading scales for advanced courses at Hinsdale Central.
dear devil...............
A purely Red Devil advice column to address your most pressing questions
by Nadia Burt designed by Nadia Burt graphics by Mara Severts
How does one ask out a girl? I really like her but we have been friends for so long I don’t want to ruin things if she doesn’t feel the same way and I really don’t want to hurt her but I want to try you know?
If you really want to try a relationship with this girl, then go for it! In my opinion, long friendships can often lend themselves to something romantic because there is established comfort in the relationship and how you interact with each other. You clearly want to ask out this girl, and I am optimistic that it will go well! First, make sure that you ask her in person - this shows that you are actually interested in her. Asking someone out over text or Snapchat doesn’t appear as confident, and might come off as if you are more indifferent than genuinely interested in hanging out. To actually ask her out, I think that simpler is better. ἀere is no need for a large declaration of affection: this can come off as a little overwhelming. Make it casual, and ask her to go get ice cream (yes even in the winter) at Oberweis or Coldstone, for example. Obviously, this is just one example of something you can do - you can also plan an activity centered around her interests. Taking initiative in planning a date is always a good move, but don’t worry about making detailed plans. Instead, it is best to present an idea, then be flexible to her suggestions as well.
If you have been friends for a long time, wording becomes important so that she doesn’t assume it is a regular hangout. Say “Hey ____, do you want to go out with me and get ice cream this weekend?” From there, be flirty and compliment her outfit, hair, earrings, etc. ἀere is a chance she declines to go on a date with you and that is OK. In the end, what is important is that you tried and were comfortable with that decision. I don’t know your situation perfectly, and there’s always a chance that she could say no. Just remember that your self worth doesn’t hinge on someone else’s affection. You are just as whole and just as loveable, even if she doesn’t feel the same way. If it doesn’t go well- give it a little bit of space and time to quell your feelings. And when you’re ready, feel free to reach out again. If the friendship is true, it will survive bumps like these.
Thoughts on bananas?
Honestly, bananas are great. ἀink about it. A banana is the perfect amount of banana. You never wish you had more, nor less. You never want a second one. One banana is perfectly satisfactory. ἀe perfect quantity. Not to mention it comes with its own protective covering. No need to put it in something else like a bag or container. It comes with its own. God’s wrapping paper some might say.
How do you become more involved with the school?
I think that one of the best things about Central is the sheer number of opportunities we have! It is really important to be involved with the school in some way - not even to feel more connected to the school itself, but to broaden your experiences and interests. One way to fully throw yourself into school activities is to join a sport - for example, outdoor track is a great, no-cut sport that is welcoming to those of all skill levels. Due to the amount of time you spend with your teammates each day, you can and develop strong school meet incredible new friends spirit. If you are looking
to get involved in a less committed way, then join
one of the dozens of clubs we have at Central! Many
of them are informal,which makes it easy to pop in at any
point throughout the year. with you, to avoid possible It can help to bring a friend awkwardness of being in a
new environment. To find a full list of
clubs, sponsors, and meeting dates, look under the Activities tab on the Hinsdale Central website. I know it may sound obvious to just join a club or a sport but trust me - over my past 4 years at Central, I have tried 3 sports, 2 competitive activities, and over 8 different clubs. Did I stick with all of them? No. But I have made some of my best friends along the way, simply because I made an effort to be involved.
At Hinsdale Central, I’m surrounded by great people. Recently, however, I’ve noticed that not everyone is showing a high level of #GRIT. How can I best help people show more #GRIT in their Red Devil lives?
ἀough we may joke about Hinsdale Central’s adoption of the #GRIT motto, in reality we can all work to help others improve their time and experiences at this school. As nearly every high school student knows, the word “tryhard” has become more popular in the past few years. Essentially a tryhard is someone who, well, tries hard! ἀey put in time and effort into their homework, their activities, their sports, etc. And for some reason, it has become something undesirable to make an effort and show #GRIT, and the connotation of tryhard has become increasingly negative. I agree with you - not everyone is showing the highest level of #GRIT in their lives that they could. However, that also falls on us, because we need to better support those who do have a high level of commitment to the things they do. By creating a positive environment, you can make sure that people feel comfortable and encouraged to embrace #GRIT. So the next time you see someone intently studying for a test, spending hours practicing for a swim meet, or absolutely dominating the court in FITS 1 pickleball, don’t call them a tryhard. Instead, let them know that you appreciate their talents and dedication to our Red Devil #GRIT.
