Obama vs. Romney
The Costume Effect
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The Diller Street Journal Friday, November 2nd, 2012
310 Green Bay Road, Winnetka, IL, 60093
Our Halloween parade: a North Shore tradition Katherine Chandler ‘13
Vol. 1 #2
The annual Halloween Parade is surely a highlight of many students’ Octobers, for it is an event filled with wild costumes and rich North Shore tradition. We were fortunate with the weather this year that the parade was able to take place outside on the field. Although it was quite cold, the sunshine allowed for the parade to go on. Students arranged themselves in a double line along the perimeter of the hockey field and children walked through the tunnel, parading their costumes. Annie Murnighan ’13 said, “It is a very nice tradition. I have done it for the past 14 years, and it was fun to finally do it with my buddy this year.” The highlight of the parade for me, as it was for most seniors, was dressing up with my buddy and walking through the tunnel together. Seniors customarily match their Halloween costumes with their kindergarten buddies’, and the kindergarteners are always excited to match with their senior buddies. “I think the parade was really beneficial in developing the relationships between the seniors and their buddies,” said Addie Ball ’13. Jump to 2
2012 Election: An inside look at all the races Nick David ‘15
In less than a week, the election for our 57th President of the United States will take place. Millions of people from Alaska to Florida will turn out to have their voices heard in this election. Across the nation, senators, governors, representatives, mayors and state government officials will be elected; however, the biggest election is between Republican Willard Mitt Romney and current President and Democrat, Barack Hussein Obama. While the candidates agree on some issues, such as their stances on the death penalty and offshore drilling, they disagree on the vast majority of issues, including gay marriage, the economy, health care, and abortion. If you would like to read more about these issues, I recommend that you visit ISideWith. com and read the opinion pieces in this issue of The Diller Street Journal. Current poll numbers vary depending on the source, but a vast majority of them show Barack Obama with a slight lead over Mitt Romney. According to Intrade, a prediction stock market where users can buy “stock” in candidates, Obama has a 66.6% chance of winning the 2012 election as of November 1st. There is not a race for Governor or Senator happening in Illinois this year, but there are 18 Representatives elections being held. Due to the 2010 census, Illinois lost one Congress Representative, reduced from 19 to 18. This change caused a reshuffling of the 18 districts throughout Illinois. Here in Winnetka, our
representative changed from Republican Robert Dold to Democrat Jan Schakowsky. To the right is a map showing the new districts after the 2010 census. Schakowsky has held the IL-9 seat since the 1998 election. She grew up in the Chicago area and attended the University of Illinois ChampaignUrbana. Republican candidate Tim Wolfe grew up in Bloomington and is a tax accountant. Very few polls have been released in the district because many analysts do not consider this a close race, with Schakowsky being the favorite. Winnetka’s former district, IL-10, has a much closer race. This race is between the current Republican representative Robert Dold and Democrat Brad Schneider. Schneider is a graduate of Northwestern University and a small business owner. According to his website, IL-10 is the most Democratic district currently controlled by a Republican. According to a recent poll, the race is even, with each candidate having a 46% chance of winning the election. A major issue of controversy in this race is the issue of tax returns. Candidate Brad Schneider, like Mitt Romney, has refused to release his tax returns. Dold has released several attack ads regarding this issue, but Brad Schneider has refused to release his taxes. This race is very close and will come down to the wire. In the 18th Congressional District, which includes Winnetka, Northfield, and some areas of Kenilworth, Wilmette, Evanston, and Northbrook, candidates
Robyn Gabel and Eric Lieberman are battling for the seat. Democrat and current seat holder Gabel is seeking re-election. In 2010, she won this district with flying colors, receiving 99.6% of all votes cast. Before her career in politics, Robyn was the Executive Director of the Illinois Maternal and Child Health Coalition for 20 years. Lieberman, who is looking to defeat her, is a graduate of Carleton College. On his Jump to 2
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Our Halloween parade: a North Shore tradition Katherine Chandler ‘13
Cont. from 1 Lizzy Gendell ’13 agreed. “Although it was super duper cold, I still had tons of fun walking with my buddy!” The fun spirit and enjoyment of the Halloween Parade is not only felt by the seniors and their kindergarten buddies; it is spread throughout the entire school. Whether or not students choose to dress up for the parade, seeing everyone’s costumes is always entertaining. This year’s collection of costumes included several bananas, some Mario characters, and quite a few superheroes. Many students took advantage of the freedom that comes with Halloween and dressed in creative and crazy ways. The annual Halloween Parade is surely one of North Shore’s finest traditions. Everyone enjoys the event, and it provides students and faculty with a fun opportunity to show off their creative costumes.
What is the Mikva Challenge? Mackenzie Nolan ‘15 With the presidential election right around the corner, debates are heating up and speeches are being perfected. Votes are swaying as candidates fight for their opinions across America. The Mikva Challenge, a club implemented this year at North Shore, has been in full gear with the purpose of supporting and discussing the election. The end goal of their club is to challenge high school students to be active participants in the political process through elections, activism, and policy-making programs. They want students to question their opinions, think about how the debates have influenced them, and examine how they are involved in the current election. Whether you are a freshman, senior, or faculty member, Mikva Challenge will take anyone willing to share and help add to the discussion. As Ilhana Redzovic ‘13 shared, “Mikva Challenge has been a great opportunity for North Shore students to get involved in the political process. I like it because it complements what we learn in school while also providing hands-on real world experience in political campaigns.” Recently, Mikva has brought in various activists for campaigns, to discuss their ways of advertising and winning votes. In order to fulfill the Mikva Challenge, the students in US Government and Mrs. McHugh’s English class must participate in a series of election events. They must volunteer for campaigns at least three different times outside of school. This is implemented in order to get the students at North Shore directly involved.
2012 Election:
An inside look at all the races Nick David ‘15
Cont. from 1 website, http://liebermanforillinois.com/personal, he throws an insult at President Obama by questioning his place of birth: “I was born in Chicago at Norwegian American Hospital on October 29, 1950. I have a birth certificate somewhere to prove it.” In the Illinois Senate race, Winnetka, Kenilworth, Northfield, Wilmette, Evanston, Glenview, Glencoe, and Northbrook all reside in the 9th Senate District. The Democratic candidate is Daniel Biss. He is the current Illinois State Representative for the 17th District and a graduate of Harvard University. He serves on the Evanston Environment board and was previously the leader of the Democratic Party of Evanston. Biss chose to seek election in the Illinois Senate after current senator, Democrat Jeffrey Schoenberg, announced that he would not be seeking re-election. On the Republican side is candidate Glenn Farkas, who works in wealth management. He grew up in Cleveland and played football for the University of Cincinnati Bearcats, where he led his team to a 1-19-1 record in his two years as starting quarterback. He currently lives in Glenview with his wife and two children. There are many races going on in this election, from presidential races to congressional races to state senate and congress races. While many people are focusing solely on the presidential race, there are other races that are important to pay attention to and learn about.
Calling all female writers! Did you know that more than 80% of all
newspaper opinion pieces are written by men? Write for the DSJ to make your voice heard. Stop by our lunch meetings: Tuesday/Thursday, Room 024.
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North Shore Halloween
Photographs by Brent Rolfes ‘16
11/2/12
Election 2012
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The Case for Barack Obama The Case for Mitt Romney Ilhana Redzovic ‘13
Cooper Ochsenhirt ‘16
Economy Mitt Romney, like most other Republicans, is good at winning debates with this topic. He pretty much owned Obama in the first debate. Romney’s plan is to rebuild the foundations of our crumbling economy (Obama’s doing) by focusing on three key elements: hard work, innovation, and free enterprise. While he’s building up a strong foundation, he’s also decreasing several irritations of American society: taxes, spending, regulation, and government programs. At the same time, he’s His role in combating increasing trade, energy production, unemployment has been and will human capital, and labor flexibility. It continue to be successful. According is for these reasons that I believe Mitt to Barack Obama’s website, “Before His stance on the economy and the Romney to be the best candidate for President Obama took office, the deficit will help America in the long the job, why I’ve held that belief since economy was losing 800,000 jobs a run. Barack Obama plans on repealing month. Now, we’ve seen 31 consecutive election season began. Bush tax cuts for households earning Romney has flaws. No one is perfect. more than $250,000 a year and also plans months of job growth and 5.2 million However, even with this in mind, I can’t on lowering taxes on the manufacturing new private sector jobs.” Obama also think of many positives for Barack industry. What we need to keep in mind passed reform on Wall Street to make Obama. First of all, in terms of economic is this: the middle class is the true engine sure big banks would avoid having to of the American economy. Barack Obama need bailouts, worked to bring jobs back progression in his first 2.5 years, he’s the worst president to govern our country in to America, and was a virtual savior will work to make sure that engine is the last 60 years (Forbes). As if that’s not to the auto industry. In contrast, Mitt running as efficiently as possible by bad enough, his speeches suggest that he implementing higher taxes on the wealthy Romney said that we should have let doesn’t recognize his errors that botched Detroit “go bankrupt.” to reduce our deficit and become a our economy, and he instead plans to stronger America. “double down” on the policies that got There are a lot of reasons aside from our great country into the bad recession His opinions on gay rights will work these that lead me to know that Barack we are in today. to grant justices to those in the LGBTQ Obama truly is the best choice for our nation. His work on health care reform, community who have fought so hard The Deficit rights for women, and the way he has for equality. The question of allowing This is a great topic for Republicans gays to marry has been a hot-button issue been able to end the war in Iraq have convinced me that the change I believed and it’s a not-so-good one for Barack. on both sides of the argument. Barack Barack Obama kept absolutely zero of his Obama had a huge victory when Congress in in 2008 will continue to be the promises concerning our national debt. change I believe in in 2012 onward. Primarily, when Obama was running for President four years ago against John McCain, he made the promise that he would cut our deficit in half. Our deficit Matthew Griffin ‘14 has not shrunk at all, and if anything, The presidential election is almost upon us. We are now on the eve of our voting it’s growing. At the time of the Bush day. And like the eves of most holidays, we Americans can barely contain our Administration, the deficit was 2% of the excitement. We want to know today what the Democracy Fairy got us so we don’t GDP. When Obama took over, the deficit have to wait until morning, because that’s so far away and seems like it won’t skyrocketed to 10%. From this, one can ever come. tell Obama is not the greatest guy to have So, like any excited child, we try to figure out what we’re going to get. Every With the elections fast approaching, Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are neck and neck in the polls. The debates are over, and despite a lackluster performance by Obama in the first of the three, the President was able to pull through and bring out the big guns in the final two, attacking Romney with full force on issues like Libya and the auto industry bailout. Despite Obama’s turnaround, it’s still anyone’s game. These last remaining days will be absolutely crucial for both candidates in making a final effort to win swing voters. Here’s my case for Obama:
repealed the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” act, which now makes it possible for gays to openly serve in the military. Although in the 2008 election Obama said that he was an advocate for civil unions and gay couples having the same rights as straight couples, he revised his stance in May 2012 to openly support gay marriage. Obama’s stance on gay marriage has the potential to be a huge determining factor in the battle for gay rights in the future.
The Costume Effect
kid knows how to do this; shake the box and listen to see if it’s the LEGO set you wanted. Believe it or not, there are some political equivalents to this. People compile data on the winners of elections and traits they have in common, in hope that it can be used as a method of prediction. For example, people have observed that taller candidates more often than not win the election. This is also true for candidates with longer last names. However, given the current season, I think one of these predictors is superior to all others: Halloween mask sales. Starting with Reagan’s election in 1980, the candidate whose Halloween mask has sold most has always won the presidential election. That’s eight elections of predictions. Thirty-two years of perfect, one might even say spooky, accuracy. Now, I know you might be saying, “There’s no way that’s true,” or “Wow!” or even “Gee Willikers!” And to that I would say (after telling you the 1950s called and they want their slang back) this actually makes perfect sense. Why wouldn’t people want to look like the person they support? It’s the same reason people
control over our national debt. This is where Romney comes in to save us. He plans to work to balance our budget, saving us $1 trillion. Gay Rights Unfortunately, this is a good topic for Democrats and it’s a not-so-great one for Republicans. Mitt takes the standard Republican stance here, saying that marriage should be defined as between a man and a woman, and every child deserves to have both a mother and father figure in their lives. However, just because it looks bad for Republicans doesn’t mean there’s nothing wrong with Obama’s stance. For example, Obama doesn’t seem to be able to stick with his opinions. In 2008, during his election bid, he made it clear that he was for the traditional institution of marriage. Now, he’s saying that gay marriage should be legalized. If this occurs with one topic, I wouldn’t be surprised if he suddenly became a Green Party guy. To Obama: Pick a side! Unemployment Here’s yet another debate topic to pile on to the mountain we call “Topics That Are Bad For the Democrats.” There are many things Obama has done to hurt our chances of unemployment decrease. The fact that during the past 41 months of his presidency, our unemployment rate has remained above 8% (our longest stretch ever) easily takes the cake. And if that weren’t enough, our economy has suffered the loss of 2.5 million jobs since Obama took office. On the brighter end, we have good old Mitt. Mitt’s plan is to change taxes, regulation, trade, energy, labor, human capital, and fiscal policy in favor of creating new jobs. It’s what we’ve needed all along, but Obama couldn’t deliver it. However, Romney can, and if elected, he will.
dress up as superheroes for Halloween. People will gravitate towards who they like, and even dress like them. I call this idea the Costume Effect. However, being the dogged, intrepid reporter that I am, I had to test this for myself, so I decided to conduct an experiment. My idea was simple: Show kids two different types of sports uniforms, one of a popular American sport and one of a less popular sport, and then see if the kids would rather dress up as the popular sport’s uniform. It was foolproof. I went to my local costume store to purchase the outfits. Originally, I intended to buy a basketball jersey for my “popular” sport and a rugby jersey for my “less popular” sport. I easily found and purchased a Michael Jordan outfit, but I could not find any rugby jerseys. However, for whatever reason, they had plenty of hockey costumes, so I decided this would do, as more Americans watch and play basketball than hockey. Now, I don’t watch the NHL. I’m not Canadian. But apparently there’s some
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News
11/2/12
Mr. Curren Talks Politics Justin Savin ‘15
In your opinion, what are the most important topics that pertain to the election? I think it’s pretty clear that the candidates have opposing views on the role of government. Romney’s been pretty clear that he thinks government is an impediment to growth. And, in the last debate, he said he thinks that too much regulation provides roadblocks to the economy and that it slows economic growth. Obama is of the opinion that you can use government to try and give lower-economic-class people some help trying to make ends meet. So, as the voter, you have to decide what role you think government should play, not only in the economy but in all sorts of different issues involving choices you make socially. Like for example, New York City passing bans on soda. Some people see that as an absurd intrusion of government on individual choice. What ideal qualities regarding ethics do you believe a president should have? I remember the ‘90s and Bill Clinton, and I’m still angry with Bill Clinton about his behavior as president. Some people feel like a president’s personal decisions in his personal life shouldn’t matter; it’s the decisions he makes as president [that matter]. I have a problem with that, personally. When I see somebody betray his family and betray his wife, and then lie about it, that’s pretty bad. One thing that I think is nice about this election is that everything I’ve read [shows] both men, Obama and Romney, are men of character, they’re family men. I think they follow their convictions. They just have different viewpoints. Speaking of what you read, what have you read that’s kept you up to date and informed about the individuals? I try to read the paper every day. I have a subscription to The New York Times, and I have my US Government students... part of their book fee was to have a subscription to The New York Times for the term. So we use articles from the Times a lot. But personally, I also have a subscription to The Atlantic Magazine, which is a magazine of political commentary. I’ll read The Wall Street Journal. I just try to read as many publications as I can to stay informed. Sometimes I like to watch the news shows on cable, but I think those can get silly at times. They’re so partisan, it seems all they do is shout and name-call. Substantively, it can be annoying to listen to, like watching MSNBC on the liberal side or Fox news on the Republican side. What would you suggest for people like high school students who are not yet eligible to vote? It’s interesting you [ask] that because, teaching US Government this year, I realized there are eight seniors who are eligible to vote in this election. So Ayo Okesanya, who is in the US Government class, helped spearhead a movement to get those seniors registered. So now all those seniors are registered, plus Ayo worked to get some adults at North Shore registered. Step one is to get them all registered, but step two is to become an informed voter. We’ve been talking a lot in US Government, that, perhaps too many Americans make their decisions based on factors that really aren’t that big of a deal. Like the way a candidate looks physically, maybe. Or making a decision based on some silly misstep a candidate made in his speech that really isn’t that big of a deal. So I would encourage eligible voters, but also young people at North Shore who aren’t yet eligible to vote, to stay as informed as possible, because most of the messages that are on the TV or the radio are aimed at the [lowest] common denominator. They don’t really challenge us to think. They mostly challenge us to react. And I don’t think you should make decisions based on those factors when you are voting. Final question. No matter who wins after this upcoming term has been finished, how would you like to describe America? I would hope first of all, that whoever wins, some of the issues America faces are tackled. One of the things I respect about Mitt Romney is that he has made the centerpiece of his campaign debt. I think President Obama has made that an issue as well. I’m hoping that we tackle our nation’s debt in a responsible way. I look at what is happening in Europe, countries like Greece and Spain that are just
suffering tremendous economic hardships because of the debt they face, and I’m hoping we can see that as an example, and tackle our national debt. I also think it is important that whoever is president makes sure that they govern with the well being of all Americans at heart, not just a select few. I am personally a strong believer [that] the Occupy Wall Street movement that happened last year was somewhat of a sideshow. But I think substantively, the argument that the Occupy Wall Street movement was trying to make was a sound one. That is, are the interests of the vast majority of Americans being paid attention to in Washington D.C? So I hope whoever wins the election, whether it’s Romney or Obama, that they don’t just listen to the loudest voices, but they actually pay attention to what is best for the majority of the country. Awesome. Thank you so much.
The Solution for Politics Chris Healey ‘16
Independent parties are overlooked by almost all Americans. When a person thinks about politics in the United States, the Republican-Democrat rivalry is often what comes to mind. In my opinion, the condition of U.S. politics is in jeopardy and needs some help. Nowadays people would rather watch Bill O’Reilly explode at a lefty, or Bill Maher embarrass a righty, than focus on solving problems. In a perfect world, Congress would be run by independents. And while I could go on and on about this, I would like to focus on the upcoming election. Controversy surrounds this election like never before, and it could really be close. As for me, I socially and politically remain on the left side of everything, and I am disappointed in some aspects of the Republican Party. My friend and fellow classmate Cooper states in “The Case for Mitt Romney” that Obama is the worst economic president in the last 60 years. And to this I say, MALARKY. Not to be offensive, but that is just ridiculous. The Bush administration left America in the greatest deficit since the Great Depression! The GDP (Growth Domestic Product, representing the strength of the economy) was at a pathetic -8.9%. With Barack as president, the GDP has increased to 1.3%, and while this isn’t fantastic for the capability of Americans, it is incredible considering what we had to come through. And to say that -8.9% is better than 1.3% is crazy! While one can point fingers at the unemployment rate or the deficit, it takes DECADES to even come close to a full recovery. It’s basic economics, people. The money being spent right now is part of deficit stimulus packages that will level out the deficit and get the country on its feet. And as long as the GDP continues to increase (like it is), then the deficit will decrease. Common sense. It’s too easy to point blame at people. That’s the very reason I’m an independent. I am economically and socially on the left side, but I think the only way to proceed is to have bi-partisan cooperation. Most people don’t understand this, but the unemployment rate is hardly on the president’s shoulders. He simply provides a job bill, like an infrastructure bill, and from there it goes to Congress. What bothers me greatly is that Republicans in Congress OPENLY ADMITTED to an intentional filibuster (stalls Congress so they don’t pass the bill, takes at least 60 votes to overturn) of any bill introduced JUST BECAUSE THEY DON’T LIKE OBAMA. Bi-partisanship is essential. In the end, I think Mitt Romney is a flippity-floppity politician who is incapable of running a country, while Barack is an exceptionally intelligent man who has set a bright future for our beloved country, the United States of America.
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North Shore Photography
11/2/12
Bikes and City by Lizzy Gendell ‘13
Sports photography by Brent Rolfes ‘16
Sports State Champions, Twice 7
Nick David ‘15
On October 15th, 2011, the boys’ varsity golf team made North Shore history. On a windy Saturday at Prairie Vista Golf Club in Bloomington, Nick McCall ‘13, Andrew Blechman ’15, David Blechman ‘13, Andrew Bedford ‘13, Ben Goren ’12, and Will Skinner ’14 participated in the Illinois Class 1A boys’ golf state championship. At the end of the first day, North Shore had a two-stroke lead over BismarkHenning High School. After an even windier day two, North Shore extended the lead and won the state championship by three strokes. North Shore had won its first state championship ever. They were honored at a Morning Ex and a playoff football game. Fast forward 10 months to the first day of tryouts. Five of the six varsity starters returned, and there was one varsity spot open. After three days of tryouts, Sam Reatugui ’15 made the sixth starting spot on varsity. Over the next two months, North Shore was undefeated in Independent School League conference play for the fifth season in a row. After winning regionals, North Shore made their way to the class 1A boys state golf championship for the second year in a row. After an amazing first day at state on October 12th, the team was 25 over par, with the next closest team being El Paso Gridley with a total of 36 over par. McCall shot a team and state best of 70, two under par. Bedford shot a 78, six over par. Following Bedford was Andrew Blechman, shooting an 80, eight over par, followed by his brother David and Will Skinner who both shot an 85, 13 over
Photo courtesy of the Bedford family
par. Reatugui shot an 88, 16 over par. Saturday’s play was called off due to rain, making North Shore state champions for the second year in a row. “As a team we were nervous going into state, because we looked into the other scores that the other teams shot at sectionals,” said David Blechman. “Then we realized that we could hang with them.” “The experience as a senior in high school could not have been any better,” said Bedford. “We exceeded our expectations going into the year, with each player contributing to this success. We knew the road getting down to state was going to be a challenge, yet it was just another bump in the road. We accomplished something that we never thought would be possible, we are all impressed with our season.” Eleven days after the win, North Shore golf was honored at Morning Ex. The six varsity players were called up on stage, and the second state championship trophy in North Shore history was presented.
What glass slipper? Raiders basketball David Blechman ‘13
From the outside looking in, the spring 2012 state championship run for the Raiders boys’ basketball team may have seemed like a Cinderella story, but the guys on the team would beg to differ. This year, they are setting out to play even better. With the Raiders returning four of their five starters and five of their top six players, they are looking to improve on the greatness they achieved last March. Riley Hall ’13 said, “We were getting disrespected by a lot of teams [last year], and that just added fuel to our fire and made us want to prove what we could do on the court.” In sports, momentum is something that is often emphasized, and this was never more evident than during the last part of the 2011-2012 campaign. After winning their first ever ISL Championship, the boys were able to get through regionals and win the School’s first ever sectional and super-sectional titles. “I am really looking forward to this season,” said point guard Jamie Swimmer ’13. “I think we have a very experienced team and we have taken no steps back during the offseason.”
Guard Tim Morette ‘13 will likely see himself in a starting role after providing strong energy and shooting off the bench last season. This year will also likely see tremendous leaps forward from Floris Hondmann ’13, who was a newcomer to the Raiders squad in 2011 at the forward position. “It was a seamless transition in this new system and I had a great group of guys around me last year to show me the ropes,” said Hondmann. Experienced upperclassmen Swimmer, Hall, and Austin Curren ’13 want to ride the wave of good play that they exemplified during the state finals last season. The Raiders have a state finals berth in their sights. The team now carries an intimidation factor and a level of experience that they did not have in prior years, giving them an advantage in every game they play.
11/2/12
Fantasy Football Surprises and Busts
Jackson Gray ‘16 and Will Lawler Fall is always a fun time of year because it means it’s fantasy football time. Time to prepare for the draft, the draft we have been waiting for all year. The most exciting part is drafting potential surprises and trying not to draft potential busts. Now that we are about halfway through, we can tell who those surprises and busts are. The surprises this season were Alfred Morris, Robert Griffin III, Josh Freeman, Mike Williams, Adrian Peterson, James Jones, Peyton Manning, Ahmad Bradshaw, the Bears’ defense, A.J Green, Matt Ryan, and Vincent Jackson. The consensus pick for surprise player of the year was Robert Griffin III. Griffin was a star coming out of Baylor. He was a dual sport college athlete. He not only succeeded on the gridiron — he was also a track star. He even made it to the semi-finals in the Olympic trials in the 400 meter hurdles, and he graduated from the University of Baylor in three years with an impressive 3.67 GPA. Griffin played as a freshman and sophomore but mainly in a backup role. He then started as a junior and recorded a solid season statistically. It was his senior campaign that helped him made a name for himself. He racked up almost 4,293 passing yards and ran for 699 yards. He accounted for nearly 5,000 yards of offense. He also accounted for 37 passing touchdowns and 10 rushing touchdowns. He scored 47 touchdowns, which is equivalent to 282 points in his senior season alone. Robert Griffin III went on to win the Heisman Trophy, which is the most prestigious award in college football. He was also named the Associate Press College Football Player of the Year and given the Davey O’Brien as well as the Manning Award. It is fair to say he was one of the greatest college football players on and off the field before being drafted by the Redskins. There have also been many busts this year: Cam Newton, Lesean McCoy, Andre Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, Darren McFadden, Calvin Johnson, Matthew Stafford, Jimmy Graham, and Hakeem Nicks. A majority of these players were top picks in the draft. They were all expected to be be major players and have big seasons. They might not be having the worst seasons right now, but given their typical play they are having a bad year. They were all expected to be leading scorers for their teams but have failed to do so. The second half of the fantasy football season is here and it is bound to have an exciting end.
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Features
North Shore Food: Woori Village Korean BBQ
11/2/12
Election season is spooky David Blechman ‘13
David Wilson ‘13 and Michael Jaharis ‘13 Price: $$ (about $25 per person) The anticipation builds as the server Bring someone along who speaks walks towards you with a massive plate, Korean still dripping with succulent marinade. It takes about 3-5 minutes to cook it yourself Twenty minutes away from North on the grill. Shore, near Golf Mill, is an unassuming As you choose what pieces of meat you and excellent restaurant called Woori want with the substantial metal chopsticks, Village. Our friend and piano legend, you have three choices of sauce to dip the Adam Kim, introduced us to it. It is meat in, all teeming with flavor. located in a shopping center just off If you’re bold, you can try the legendary Golf road, which can get a little hectic “ice noodles.” These are seaweed-based sometimes. noodles served in cold broth with an egg When you walk in, you are greeted in for good measure. They are chewy and Korean English and shown to a table. If delicious, despite initial impressions. you are with a big group, you are placed The tale of the time that Adam Kim in a booth resembling a separate room. A ate a whole bowl in one bite has become standard table has one grill on it where the legendary. Ask us for video if you don’t servers drop off whatever you order and believe it. you cook it yourself. Bottom line: This is a great place to We have eaten things there that are so go with friends, pig out, and feel terrible incredible, and so bursting with flavor, afterwards. that we don’t care that we have no clue Just go south on Church until you hit what we are eating. Golf and head west for about 10 minutes. If you’re willing to try new things it is It will be on your right heading west in the a great experience. Once the appetizers strip mall. The sign is large and red, you are done, have your Korean-speaking can’t miss it — nor this amazing food. friend order the marinated beef. This is essential. There is a $25 fixed price per person, and that buys unlimited servings of the highest quality beef.
Donate books to help others
Community Service Club
The Upper School Book Drive runs through November 14th, and the packing party will take place on November 15th. Students are encouraged to bring new or gently used books to donate. Children’s books are preferred, but all books are appreciated. There are book donation bins in each Upper School advisory room. The advisory that donates the most books will win a party. Lower and Middle School families who wish to participate may drop off books at Diane Olson’s office. The books are going to Open Books and the Chicago Friends School. Open Books is an award-winning organization that collects used books, sells them, and puts the money towards literacy programs in Chicago, including literacy programs at inner city schools. Chicago Friends School is a Quaker elementary school that is gathering books for its library. Donating a book is more than simply giving an object to people in need. Books provide kids with inspiration, education and opportunity.
Order this year’s yearbook!
The Mirror Staff
Visit http://www.tinyurl.com/mirror2013 to order a copy of the 2012-2013 Mirror. The cost is $65 for the first book and $55 for each additional copy. Your family’s North Shore account will be billed once you fill out the form. Books will be delivered sometime during the last week of school. If you have any questions, please email the staff at mirror@nscds.org.
Across 1. Outfits we wear on Halloween 6. Place people go to pick pumpkins 10. Things that change color during the fall 12. Current Vice President 13. Republican presidential candidate 15. Process of obtaining candy on Halloween
Down 2. State that Mitt Romney used to govern 3. Religion that treats every day like Halloween 4. Republican vice presidential candidate 5. Right-Wing 7. Season in which Halloween takes place 8. A carved pumpkin 9. Left-Wing 11. Democratic presidential candidate 14. The system America uses to count votes 16. State whose senator is now President
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Halloween
The Costume Effect Matthew Griffin ‘14 Cont. from 4 really famous hockey player named “Jason Vorhees,” and they were selling his hockey mask everywhere. So I decided to buy it. It even came with what I can only assume is a replica of his own very sharp, metal hockey stick. One of the Lower School teachers was kind enough to let me borrow her class for the afternoon. I explained to the kids that I would show them two costumes, and they would tell me which one they were most likely to buy. If the Costume Effect held true, more kids would want to buy the more popular basketball jersey. I put on the Jordan jersey and the kids seemed to like it. About half the class said they would consider wearing it. This made sense to me, as not everyone likes basketball, but a good amount of kids do. My hypothesis was that, when polled, kids would not like the hockey costume as much. The results from the hockey costume were just as I predicted. Immediately after I entered the room, kids reacted negatively. Most gave me mean or almost fearful looks. Some even shrank away to hide behind the teacher, and a good amount started to cry. The one outlier in the group was a young man who yelled, “I love Jason!” and proceeded to chase nearby girls while laughing maniacally, which I imagine is the post-game ritual of this Vorhees guy. The girls, obviously not hockey fans, shrieked in fear and ran away. At this point the teacher, also apparently upset by the sport of hockey, angrily asked me to leave before she informed the authorities. It turns out the Costume Effect provoked even stronger reactions than I originally thought. But I was not yet convinced; I needed more evidence. Maybe the kids were just too nervous about being asked to participate in a scientific study. Science is hard for them to understand, after all. I needed to rid them of their anxiety so I could see a child’s immediate, unfiltered reactions. I decided the best way to do this was to wait outside for an unsuspecting child to walk by, reveal myself in the costume, and note the reaction. At this point, I had had a long day of scientific analysis, and it was getting rather dark. There was also a thunderstorm brewing, so I decided to get it over with quickly. I picked some nearby bushes to protect myself from the rain. From there, I would test the reactions. When I came out of the bushes in my Jordan outfit, the reactions were limited. I recorded occasional aversion or confusion. Overall, kids seemed less attracted to basketball than before. I therefore expected more negative reactions to hockey as well. As I jumped out of the bushes during a thunderstorm at night dressed like Jason Vorhees in order to surprise young children, the kids seemed to be upset. I got many more shrieking reactions and runners. It was so difficult to record observations, even after I implored kids to stay; chasing them down the street while yelling “I’m coming for you!” did not seem to help them understand their scientific value. So it would seem that the Costume Effect holds true for both politics and sports. The more popular sport of basketball clearly won this poll, though only because of the strong negative reactions to hockey. I am proud of my journalistic integrity, and I am happy to say that I came to this conclusion in the most scientific way I could imagine. It seems that to win this election, all the candidates really have to do is avoid playing hockey.
11/2/12
Senior pumpkin picking Annie Murnighan ‘13
Wednesday, October 17th, the seniors and their kindergarten buddies loaded the bus to Didier Farms for the annual pumpkin picking trip. As a lifer, I’ve had the opportunity to experience a plethora of North Shore traditions, from the holiday program to the Homecoming pep rally to Mr. Dachille’s infamous “Test of Doom.” However exciting and/or terrifying these Day School rituals may be, nothing compares to witnessing a tradition come full circle, as I was able to do on pumpkin picking day with my buddy. Darling Kittoe ’13 and I were lucky enough to hop aboard a hayride with Mariah Drake ’26 and search for the perfect pumpkin, just as Alex Moffat ’00 did with me 14 years ago. While minor details of this tradition have changed — such as how this time around we captured moments with iPhones rather than disposable cameras, and how I undoubtedly possessed less sass and charisma than Mariah does — the fundamental nature of these unique bonds remains the same. The day did not disappoint. “It was a fun bonding experience with our young buddies,” said Kendrick Hales ’13. The one complaint came from a senior who would like to remain anonymous. “There wasn’t enough apple juice,” said the source. But overall, it was a wonderful time. As seniors, we are often reminded that our job is to be role models for our buddies. This may seem like an easy task — don’t chat during Morning Ex, don’t stand up on the bus, don’t steal your friend’s juice box — but it becomes remarkably more difficult when faced with the hilarity and undeniable adorableness that is a four-year-old on a pumpkin farm. While I would like to say that I provided mature guidance during Mariah’s (thankfully clean) rendition of Nicki Minaj’s “Beez in the Trap,” or during her desire to pick only the plumpest of “big fat booty pumpkins,” it would be a lie; Darling and I, along with everyone else in our vicinity, were cracking up. Mariah even reminded me at one point that “sharing is caring,” a sentiment I tend to forget in the midst of Goldfish and juice boxes. It’s moments like these that remind me that, even though we have at least 12 years on our buddies, we can learn just as much from their carefree and childlike joy as they can from us. So although times have changed — with the evolution of the holiday program, the mascots of the pep rallies, and the fact that I only quiver with 82% of the fear I used to in Mr. Dachille’s presence — traditions like pumpkin picking continue to serve as a reminder of the little comforts and joys that have remained the same.
DSJ Editorial Board Ilia Labkovsky ‘13, Editor-in-Chief Annie Murnighan ‘13, Managing Editor David Blechman ‘13, Senior Editor Cooper Ochsenhirt ‘16, Editor Justin Savin ‘15, Editor Andrew Bedford ‘13, Assistant Editor Nick David ‘15, Assistant Editor Photographer Brent Rolfes ‘16 Issue Design Annie Murnighan ‘13 Staff Writers David Blechman ‘13 Katherine Chandler ‘13 Nick David ‘15 Jackson Gray ‘16 Matt Griffin ‘14 Chris Healey ‘16 Michael Jaharis ‘13 Will Lawler ‘16 Annie Murnighan ‘13 Mackenzie Nolan ‘15 Cooper Ochsenhirt ‘16 Ilhana Redzovic ‘13 Justin Savin ‘15 David Wilson ‘13 Contributors Community Service Club Lizzy Gendell ‘13 Sponsor Ms. Kat Clark