It seems that sometimes, people — especially teenagers — forget the importance of the environment and are blind to the harm that they might cause to it. This is not the case for junior Nicole Cardona, who is huge on protecting the environment and keeping everything eco-friendly.

Cardona goes out of her way to have a positive impact on the environment, making sure to take short showers and even taking time to pick up other people’s garbage.

“I take really short showers and I ride my bike as much as I can. I recycle a lot, especially at home,” Cardona said. “Over the summer, my sisters and I sometimes go around and pick up trash. We have a bike path close to our house and a lot of people litter there, so we just go there and pick it all up.”

Although Cardona is very passionate about protecting the Earth and keeping it safe, in the past she wasn’t very aware of her part in the ecosystem.

“The older I got, the more my eyes opened up to how the world actually is. I watched a lot of documentaries about the environment and why we’re all so connected to the Earth,” Cardona said. “I feel that our connection to the Earth is due to the law of attraction.”

The law of attraction is the name given to the saying “like attracts like.” The law of attraction, a part of New Thought philosophy, is the belief that the energy that is being put out is the energy that will be returned.

“The law of attraction is that if you think positively and of good things, good things will come to you,” Cardona explained. “But if you think negatively and believe that bad things will happen to you, then they will. Basically, it’s that you attract the energy you’re giving off.”

It seems that the law of attraction actually works, especially since Cardona’s passions have also transferred positively to her peers and close friends.

“Nicole really has influenced me to be more careful towards the environment,” junior Simone Perrin said. “My showers are still long, but when she tells me this kind of thing, it makes me more appreciative towards the Earth.”

Cardona’s interests aren’t limited to the environment. At West, she’s a part of French club, Science Olympiad, Orchesis, and FEMclub. Last year, Cardona participated in protests for the Coalition for the Homeless at the Governor’s mansion.

She is also a member of Expanding Lives, a non-profit that provides young women from West Africa with education and leadership experiences.

“Nicole is really friendly and outgoing,” executive director Leslie Natzke said. “The girls engage with her and she’s actually been with us for so long that she knows the program really well. Whenever the girls are super shy, she knows how to push past that and get them to engage more.”

When Cardona grows up, she dreams of becoming either an executive chef or joining the Peace Corps.

“I love cooking almost anything. I was a vegetarian, but at the moment I’m vegan,” Cardona said. “I try making my own recipes to have less of a negative impact on the environment. I think that’s one of my biggest things right now. I really care for the environment and my priority is to put the Earth first, because you don’t want to bite the hand that’s feeding you.”

By becoming an executive chef, Cardona believes that she’ll still be able to help the environment and continue her social activism.

“I’m really passionate about helping others and putting others before myself, because I know I’m privileged and that I have the opportunity of doing things that many kids and adults don’t,” Cardona said. “I think it’s really important for me to keep up with that because it’s really sad to have an idea and then just give up on it because it’s too hard to keep going. Hopefully through me being a vegan chef, I’ll be able to educate other people, which will help them be better people themselves and be able to work with the Earth instead of just being on it.” 

Most teens at this age do not find their passion until after high school, let alone multiple interests. However, junior Jenni Balliu found her passions pretty early in her life, some of them being ceramics, art, politics, and soccer.

Since she is the first generation in her family to be born in the United States, Balliu makes sure she is well informed about what is going on in the world so that she can be the best version of herself, not only for herself, but her family as well. Balliu enjoys going to history class during school because she likes to be informed about what is going on in the political world. 

“My parents are both Albanian immigrants, and they’ve been here for 17 years. My favorite subject in school now would probably be history because I really like to educate myself about current and past events in the world,” Balliu said.

Balliu plans on going to college, and although she does not know what she wants to major in, she has decided she will minor in Spanish.

“I have thought about child education, criminology, or even majoring in Women’s Studies so I can work for an organization aimed at helping women and children around the world,” Balliu said.  

Her love for soccer is strong because it’s an outlet for her to release the competitive side of herself. Balliu discovered she loved soccer when she was very young, ever since the first time she felt the adrenaline rush while playing with the kids on her block. 

“It was freeing, and definitely something that let me relax,” Balliu said.

Balliu is not just passionate about soccer, she is also good at playing it. Balliu played on the Niles West feeder soccer team Sting for a few years to perfect her strengths in the game.

“Jenni has a lot of skill with the ball, she understands the game very well, and most of all, she is fearless,” Vasilios Papaioannou said.

The secret that Balliu has mastered while playing soccer is that when you’re in the game, you can’t win alone — you need to be able to succeed as a whole. Knowing this, Balliu motivates every one of her teammates to be the best version of themselves on the field as well as of the field.

“She also motivates her teammates and wants to succeed as well. She brings that attitude that we all need on the field,” Papaioannou said.

Balliu also has a very strong passion for ceramics art. She always loved the idea of “creating art out of a mound of mud.” Balliu started to get serious about ceramics her second year of high school, as a sophomore. She says she does not think she will ever stop stop loving ceramics,

“I hope to continue to take some classes in college and maybe continue after as a hobby,” Ballui said.

In her ceramics classroom, Ballui is a very loved student by her art teachers. She works very hard to create good quality work in a short amount of time,

“Jenni is an extremely hard-working young lady,” fine arts teacher Barbara Wismer said. “She works really fast, and she has a lot of her own ideas. Jenni is a student who is functioning definitely at a higher level because I do not have to give her projects, I do not have to give her ideas, I do not have to provide a lot of feedback. Jenny comes prepared, she works hard, [and] she can get a lot done in a very short period of time.” 

Balliu has mastered the art of having a deep passion, and says she will continue to do art and soccer throughout high school and hopefully in college. Balliu wants to try for a spot on a college soccer team, and definitely take a few art courses as she studies to be someone in college.

We all have talents that make us unique, and that separate us from others. These talents might include being a good basketball player, an outstanding artist, or a great singer. For sophomore Deborah Bodansky, it’s that she can speak backwards.

“When I was little, like around three years old, I use to say sentences backwards in Russian, since it was my first language, and then when I learned English I just adapted it. Now I can do it in both languages,” Bodansky said.

Ever since Bodansky was a child, she has known to read and speak backwards in English or in Russian. She learned how to speak backwards in Russian first because it seemed easier for her to pronounce things. Then, when she learned to speak English, she read books and soon learned to speak backwards in English as well.

After learning to read at a very young age, Bodansky quickly got bored of reading the same books, and decided to try reading in a new, different way.

”I would read my favorite book so many times that it would not be interesting anymore, so one day I decided to read it backwards for fun because I had nothing better to do,” Bodansky said.

Ever since then, she has know to read and speak backwards. Her talent is something that is both hard to do and rare to find.

”I am the only one in my family that knows how to speak backwards. I believe its because I learned how to read so quickly,” Bodansky said.

Bodansky has a talent that is unique only to her. Since none of her family members know how to speak backwards, Bodansky’s cool, raw talent distinguishes her from others. Bodansky’s  talent comes naturally to her, and she has acquired it from reading an abundance of books.

“You can give her almost any word and she’ll say the word backwards within seconds. It’s a really unique gift that I wish I had,” sophomore Sophia Izquierdo said.

Running onto the field in hot, heavy pads, 6’6″ senior and three-year varsity starter Josh Weichel knew that football was meant for him.

Weichel has been playing football for seven years, and played with the Niles West Feeder Football league. He’s always enjoyed the sport, and hopes to continue it after high school ends.

“I want to maintain my 3.1 GPA, and raise it if I can, in order to open up more doors for college. Football-wise, I want to help my team make the playoffs and be an all-conference athlete,” said Weichel.

Football can be a very strenuous sport, but to Weichel, it’s definitely worth every second of it.

“Football can be very hard at times, but I enjoy making plays for my team and winning games because it’s a great feeling to know we accomplished something together as a team. We wouldn’t be a team if every member didn’t contribute,” said Weichel.

Football is a very physical sport, and playing for these past seven years have been a huge stepping-stone to where he wants to go.

“I love football because it is a great way to release anger in a positive way. It also taught me a lot about myself, and it’s a great opportunity for me in my life,” said Weichel. “I started because I had a dream of going to the NFL, and it led me to where I am now.”

Although it’s Weichel’s senior year and his final year of playing with all of his teammates, Weichel will continue to play hard.

“Senior year is scary because all nine games of my senior season could be the last games I ever play with these people, it’s a huge milestone for my future, but I’ll play every game with all the effort that my team deserves,” Weichel said.

Best friend and teammate, senior Chris Adams, is happy to have met Weichel and to have been able to play and grow with him.

“Josh is a great teammate, he constantly picks you up when you are down, not only emotionally, but physically,” Adams said. “I played next to him last year as a guard, and we built good chemistry together. He taught me everything he has learned, and it has helped me with my craft. Being one of the team captains, I still look up to Josh because of how much emotion he puts into the game of football.” 

Junior Andrew Mykulyanych has known Weichel for a long time and has watched him develop as a person and a player.

“I’ve known him since I was in sixth grade; we do a lot for each other. He is one of the biggest and best football players I have ever witnessed in person. He is also very motivational and hardworking,” Mykulyanych said.

Walking through the hallways at West, it’s not difficult to spot senior Subbi “Charlotte” Namakula strutting down the halls, wearing her usual patterned clothing in an array of bright colors. Along with the vibrant colors, Namakula always has a goofy expression on her face

When Namakula was twelve years old, she moved to America from East African Kingdom, Buganda. Due to her young age, the switch overseas wasn’t initially a big deal to her, however, the difference between the two countries was very distinct from the start.

“It’s not as big a deal as people think it is. I mean, in Buganda we have Facebook and all the other things we might have here,” she said. “When I came here, it was big culture shock for me, considering I was very young. There was a lot of difference around me. Buganda and America are very different. In Bugunda, people are very sheltered and stay within their own communities. But here, there are so many different forces of culture attacking you all the time.”

“Charlotte” is the name that her parents gave her when they moved to the United States. Subbi accepted the name Charlotte until she realized that she didn’t care about what other people thought about her and proudly introduced herself by her birth name.

Namakula takes part on debate team, poetry slam, H2O club, GSA, as well as many other clubs she had joined in her four years at West.

“I’ve always been really involved in school,” Namakula said. “My freshman year, I would just fly into every club after school because I didn’t want to go home.”

Despite her obvious enjoyment in everything that she does, Namakula’s favorite thing is A Tribe Called West, the poetry slam team that she works with.

“Poetry slam is definitely my favorite,” she said. “I feel that I’m a very expressive person, and nothing gives me more freedom of expression than poetry. Art gives me that too, but you have to do it a certain way, otherwise it looks horrible.”

She first joined the team her sophomore year of high school, after the poetry slam coach Paul Bellwoar found some of her work in one of his classes.

“Mr. B found me when I was a freshman, and then I joined when I was a sophomore,” Subbi said. “I was in his creative writing class, and then, at the very end of second semester, I wrote this piece about bullying, and he came up to me and said, ‘We need you on the team!'”

Other members of a Tribe Called West see Namakula as an essential member of their team.

“I think that she’s kind of the glue of the team; she holds everyone together,” junior Phong Lai said. “At the same time, she always gives really good advice on how to improve a poem. Overall, she’s just a great person.”

According to Bellwoar, Namakula has contributed many different things and has been a valuable asset to their team.

“She’s brought in a voice like nobody else we’ve ever had. And by that, I mean from her experience as an immigrant and her experiences living in Africa, her exceptional intelligence and her willingness to work hard, and her desire to get involved in the spoken word community as much as she can,” Bellwoar said. “She’s been a valuable part [of the team] and it’s been my pleasure to watch her grow in the past three years.”

Namakula’s heritage is very evident through her poetry and many of her stories center around things that she did back in Buganda.

“I feel like my life in America has been super boring,” Namakula said. “There are just more things to write about [from Buganda] because it’s such an earthy, green country. People would just sit around a campfire and tell stories.”

Upon her graduation from West, she plans on attending the University of Iowa and majoring in creative writing.

“I thought I wanted to be a lawyer. I spent so much time looking at these good law schools, but then I realized that I don’t have the attention span to be a lawyer,” she said. “So, I decided that I really liked writing. I always figured that if I became a writer, I wouldn’t have a job and I’d end up becoming a starving artist. But over the summer, I meet a bunch of people who made a career in writing, and were actually doing really well for themselves.”

Most people focus on the merits of student athletes, cheering for every touchdown, goal, spike, and record broken. Little do they realize that the people behind the scenes are working just as hard in order for the athletes to perform their best. Sophomore Emily Mendieta, a student athletic trainer, knows about this first hand.

“It’s a lot of fun. You get to learn about different types of common injuries and how to deal with them,” Mendieta said. “When someone comes in, the trainers teach you all about anatomy and everything else we need to know. I feel like it’s a great learning experience.”

While the occasional injury happens during a game, the majority of students come during the first 10 minutes after school ends.

“All of a sudden when the bell rings, kids start flooding in. It’s definitely the busiest time for all of us. We’re basically all over the place trying to help everyone before their practice or game starts. It’s mostly just wrapping and dealing with the little things. After that, the people that are left are those with more serious injuries that have to go through physical therapy. They’ll do their exercises and we help them get better,” Mendieta said.

Not only is Mendieta actively dedicated to helping out our fellow Wolves, but she is trying to get more people involved. Not many kids know that they can be a part of the student trainers, even if you participate in sports or other activities.

“I would say that it’s more than just a club. You meet three days a week, depending on which ones you choose. You usually stay until 5 or 5:30 p.m. If you are involved in a sport you can still be a trainer; You would just have to come during your off-season,” Mendieta said.

Other students have started to become interested in what being a student trainer is like.

“Emily helped spark my interest in becoming a trainer. I didn’t even know the club existed,” sophomore Julia Matuszek said. “She knew that I want to go to SLU for their six-year physical therapy program, so she encouraged me to join.”

Fellow trainer Nina Gillespie had only kind words to say about Mendieta.

“We don’t really have any classes together, so it’s nice to be able to hang out with her while doing something we’re both interested in. We work together to learn new things about sports medicine,” Gillespie said. “Emily is also super hardworking. She has been currently focused on becoming certified in the three different types of wraps.”

For those interested in joining, Mendieta has words of advice.

“While it is really fun, you have to take it seriously. Don’t just do it for the friends, you have to be committed to whatever you’re doing,” Mendieta said.

Mendieta will be a part of the sports medicine club during the rest of the fall and winter seasons. She is looking forward to helping get athletes back on their feet and onto the field.

Most people are lucky to have one special talent, but sophomore Angel Thomas has two. Whether it’s running for miles on the cross country field or singing her heart out on stage, Thomas is always impressing people. 

“Being involved in both cross country and a cappella has been one of the best decisions I’ve made in high school. The family that I’ve made in both activities, as well as the unforgettable memories and experiences, are priceless. Running and singing were just activities I did for fun before high school. I never thought I could be good at them,” Thomas said.

Thomas does her best to manage both her extra curricular activities and her rigorous course load. It can be challenging to juggle everything, but she does her best to stay grounded and organized.

“Within my first year of high school I was able to get on the varsity cross country team and make the all-girls a cappella group High Fidelity,” Thomas said. “Since then, my coaches and my choir directors have fostered my love for both hobbies in my life. Being a part of these activities has been difficult. In addition to them, I am involved in dance marathon and have been taking all honors and AP classes.”

Thomas’s good friend and teammate Merima Mackic is proud of Angel’s accomplishments and hopes to see her continue to succeed.

“Angel’s times have gone down, which is a good thing for running, and she has been running and competing with more of the top varsity girls as well,” Mackic said. “I would say her best quality is her ability to keep going. She has hurt her ankle more than a few times and has suffered from it, but she pushes through it all. She is able to handle everything that gets thrown at her and is so tough mentally. It is really inspiring.”

High Fidelity member sophomore Jana Marquez loves how Thomas works hard at everything she does.

“She’s great at running, schoolwork, all of her extracurricular activities, and overall being a good friend. She’s an amazing singer as well as a great addition to our group,” Marquez said.

Contributions made by Abigail Davis

If you’ve gone to any of the football games at Niles West, then you are probably already familiar with senior Bobby Lochner. He’s the kid you see at the bottom of the stands who leads everyone in the football chants. Without him, let’s just say the football games probably wouldn’t be as fun as they are.

It’s such a bittersweet feeling when everyone in the student section gets up on their feet and yells out the chants as a whole. Lochner didn’t decide on his own to lead the student section in their chants, he got a little help from sophomore Samantha Galanopoulos.

“The first home game was getting super boring and she yelled to me to start something, so I started doing the chants and it felt so right that I kept on doing it,” said Lochner.

His liveliness and enthusiasm gave him the confidence he needs to lead the student section and have other students look up to him as a leader.

“I think Bobby is a huge ball of energy. He is definitely the most spirited senior at west. He’s an athlete, so he gets the competitive aspects of cheering and a strong fan group, and it comes natural to him,” said Galanopoulos.

Leading everyone in the chants during football games isn’t always super easy, because not everyone likes to participate. But when Lochner gets down on the stands and does what he knows best, everything goes as planned.

“It makes me feel weird, but a good weird. I have a lot of control over what goes on, and when my chants work as planned and everyone in the student section joins in, it sounds and feels amazing,” said Lochner.

Bobby’s uplifting personality radiates off to others and helps everyone else get into the spirit of the football games as well.

“He’s and enthusiastic person that radiates energy and he brings his energy and positive attitude to the games,” senior Juliana Gil said.

Make sure you attend the West vs North game tomorrow at 7:00 p.m. to catch Lochner in action as he leads the chants of the student section and cheers on our varsity boys.

When most people think of the track and field season, pole vaulting rarely is one of the first things that comes to mind, but sophomore Alba Note couldn’t disagree more.

Initially, Note was unsure about joining the pole vault team due to her fear of getting injured, as well as not knowing whether or not it was an interest of hers.

“At first I didn’t want to pole vault because I was really scared that I was going to get hurt,” Note said. “During track season, the coach came up to me and asked my friend and I if we wanted to pole vault. Once I tried it, I instantly loved it and knew that this would be my main event.”

As the season went on, Note’s love for pole vaulting grew, as well as her skill, resulting in her setting the record for freshman girls pole vault last year.

“I would have never thought to set the freshman girls pole vault record in our school. It definitely took me by surprise that I was a good pole vaulter, but once I started performing better, it motivated me to keep jumping higher, which led to me setting the record of 8′ 6″,” Note said.

Note’s ambition and drive has not gone unnoticed by her teammates and friends.

“I think the goals Alba has set for herself are attainable and manageable because she’s improved and grown so much that this shouldn’t be a challenge for her,” sophomore Tiffany Chin said. “She’s so dedicated and wants to be the best she can be.”

Friend and supporter sophomore Jana Marquez also praises Note on her dedication and drive to do her best.

“She’s so driven, hardworking, and determined to always do better,” Marquez said. “She never gives up and always stays focused on improving.”

With the support of her friends, family, and teammates, Note has high hopes for the season.

“I’m really looking forward to this season, and I hope to set the sophomore girls record as well,” Note said. “My ultimate goal is to state qualify and just keep jumping higher.”

Editor’s note: Matias uses the pronouns “they/them” when referring to themselves. 

It’s not difficult to spot junior Francis Matias out and about in the hallways — especially considering they’re almost always wearing their bright, rainbow-striped hat. Although shy at first, given some time, Matias easily becomes the most extravagant and outspoken person in many of their classes. Even when they’re performing along with their a capella team, while mixed along with the voices of their fellow members, it’s almost as if Matias’ voice is audible through the rest.

When Matias was in sixth grade, they first began questioning their sexuality. It wasn’t until four years later when Matias was finally capable of figuring themselves completely out; Matias identifies themselves as an agender lesbian.

“I figured out I liked girls when I was in sixth grade, and then when I started questioning my gender, I was in eighth grade,” Matias said. “I figured everything out sophomore year. Last year, I kind of solidified it.”

Despite looking at Matias, a person who is obviously confident and comfortable in their own skin, it wasn’t always this way for them; it took a long time to come to terms and fully understand themselves.

“It was a long process. I went through a lot of inner turmoil,” Matias said. “When I was in eighth grade, I had super long hair. One day I took a hat, and just tucked my hair into the hat and put on some masculine clothing. I looked into the mirror and I was like, ‘Damn, I look good.'”

Matias was born with the birth name of Miranda, but when they began to get comfortable in their skin, they changed their name. The initial change was from Miranda to Mir and overtime, they got to the name Francis. Many of Matias’ friends agree that the name change was something they had seen coming for quite some time, and the switch to Francis was very natural for them.

“It wasn’t like meeting a new person. I kind of saw it already, and we’ve been friends for the longest time,” junior Angeline Lariosa said.

Though Matias is very proud of their origin, there are also a lot of other unique qualities about them. Matias is very talented; they are dabbling in drawing, writing, and singing. At West, they’re involved in a cappella, poetry slam, and have had work published in the literary magazine.

“Ever since I was in middle school, I’ve loved to sing,” Matias said. “I don’t know about a career, but I know I want to write a song when I’m older so I can have to something to express my love for singing and creating, kind of like how I am with my writing and poetry.”

Through their years at West, Matias has formed tight bonds with faculty members.

“Frankie is a very talented writer in my eyes. We have candid conversations of the philosophical, socratical type about life and everything,” academic advocate Michael Blair said. “Frankie’s grown a lot [over the past few years].  Now they’re solely in their head, and are more capable to let all of those thoughts out.”

Not only has Matias’s confidence boost aided them positively, but has also influenced others around them. Just recently, a close relative of Matias’s came out to them.

“It was my eighth-grade cousin who I used to be really close with. When I had just come out, she was my closest confidant, and she actually just came out to me and asked me a bunch of questions,” Matias said. “I’m really glad she came to me, especially because I know how scary it can be as an eighth grader. I feel like, if anyone, I’m glad I can be someone she can look up to.”

A hush goes over the crowd as the music starts to swell in the black box theater. The lights shine on the actors’ faces as they begin the first scene. Throughout the whole play, the lights have a magical effect on the atmosphere. At the end of the performance, the audience gives a standing ovation to the cast, but there are some people who are not recognized for their work.

Sophomore Lily Gussis, the ‘Master Electrician’ for Almost, Maine, considers herself to be a theater geek. Her passion for theater has been growing since she was young, and was first sparked by her love of Disney Princesses.

“When I was little, the Disney princesses inspired me to love singing, but my friends ultimately helped me to join theater when I was in third grade,” Gussis said. “Now, one of my favorite Broadway actresses is Sierra Boggess. She didn’t come from a big city or anything, and she made it because of her talent.”

While most people struggle to keep their grades up, Gussis manages both her grades and extracurriculars. Theater is known as one of the most time-consuming activities at Niles West, and it sometimes ends as late as nine o’clock. She has a rigorous course-load which can be a burden itself, along with the long school days.

“It’s definitely difficult because of how much time theater takes up and the levels of the courses I’m taking,” Gussis said. “The trick for me is keeping my schedule open, not procrastinating, and not getting enough sleep. Just kidding, but not really. I always try to start projects and big assignments early and get other important assignments done during my study hall or lunch. It’s not the best method, but I manage to mostly have A’s even with my limited time to do my homework.”

Sophomore Violet Gilbert, a fellow Niles West Theater member, thinks that Gussis is a valuable part of productions. Gilbert and Gussis have been performing together since elementary school, so they believe they know each other’s strengths pretty well.

“She [Gussis] always has a positive attitude and wants to learn. She’s a very fast learner which makes her helpful, and uses her knowledge to teach new people,” Gilbert said.

Gussis feels that she has a knack for teaching, but she does not want to give up on her dreams of pursuing theater.

“Obviously it is a dream of mine to pursue theater as a full-time career, but I also want to teach theater in high schools, like what Mr. Sinclair does, so that I can teach the next generation of actors,” Gussis said. “My grandma was a teacher, and my mom is, too, so a love of teaching is just in my blood. I figure it’s the best way to do two things I love and have a passion for!”

Longtime friend and sophomore Shannon Berg admires Gussis’s contributions to the stage as well as to loved ones.

“Lily is one of the most responsible and kind people I have ever met. She cares so much about her friends and family,” Berg said. “She has so much passion for theater and she always wants to give her best. Lily is the first person I go to if I’m having a problem because she never judges anyone and has such an open heart.”

Despite all of the sacrifices Gussis has made for theater, she knows that it has changed her life for the better.

“I used to swim, and I still have a huge love and appreciation for swimming and swimmers. I made the difficult decision freshman year to give up swimming to pursue theater. With all the early practices and meets, I wouldn’t be able to put my 100 percent into both swim and theater. I chose what I wanted to have in my future rather than something I do as a hobby to keep me busy,” Gussis said. ” But I truly believe I wouldn’t be the person I am today had I never joined theater. I owe a lot of my confidence to theater, along with other skills I’ve developed along the way, such as easily presenting in class, being able to analyze text, and speaking in front of crowds.”

Lily Gussis has already been involved in five theater productions at Niles West, and plans on being a part of many more in the future.

Somewhere in the mass crowd of cross country runners, junior Jessica Kalathil races with a steadily accelerating pace. The finish line is not far from her, and she can feel her heart rate increasing as she lengthens her stride to finish strong. Hearing the cheers of her fellow members and other West students, Kalathil sprints through the finish line and immediately collapses.

Kalathil has been an avid runner for the Niles West cross country team since her sophomore year. According to Kalathil, cross country provides her with something that can help her take her mind off things and ease any anxiousness she might feel.

“Cross country is definitely my favorite activity, because I love running in my free time,” Kalathil said. “When I run, I’m able to clear my mind of all the problems of the day, and I get an overall pleasant release from all of my issues I might have that day.”

Kalathil was initially reluctant to join cross country. She first became a member because of a nagging friend, but later found pleasure in the sport.

“I had a friend who woke me up at 5:30 a.m. every day in the summer to go on runs to help us get fit for basketball season, and she later convinced me to join cross,” Kalathil said. “When I started racing, I realized that I was actually pretty good at it and it became more and more enjoyable over time.”

Before each race, Kalathil finds herself becoming quiet and residing mainly in her thoughts. She comforts herself while simultaneously reminding herself of the goal that she is attempting to achieve.

“Usually I’m super quiet [before a race]. I don’t like talking and I just listen to music until it’s time to head to the start,” Kalathil said. “I get anxious and super nervous. Right before they shoot the gun, I try to convince myself that it’s just like any other jog I’d go on when I’m at the park.”

The main difficulty many long-distance runners face during a race is the pain of continuing to race at a constant speed for an average of about three miles. However, unlike most runners, Kalathil has rock-solid determination. She is able to constantly push herself until the very end of every single race.

“During a race, I convince myself to get up close to the next runner in front of me and then keep passing up. As I finish, I try to give it my all and I think of breaking my personal record every time. I make a habit of always sprinting at the end, which is helpful in decreasing my time,” Kalathil said.

Kalathil’s coaches believe that her motivation during a race extends to other runners.

“She’s been the eighth or ninth runner, and she pushed herself to become the seventh during this last race,” assistant coach Nicole Reynolds said. “She’s always pushing other members to do better and motivating others as well.”

Kalathil’s determination is also visible in other extracurricular activities that she’s a part of. Kalathil is a member of HOSA, Relay for Life, and Indopak, and she also plays basketball.

Even Kalathil’s friends can agree that the level of determination at which Kalathil strives to achieve her goal is remarkable and admirable.

“I’ve know Jessica since fifth grade. As a friend, she’s always been there for me and is never judgmental,” junior Daisha Etienne said. “I think she always puts 100 percent into everything she does and I admire her devotion and persistence.”

Though Kalathil is unsure about whether she’ll continue with cross country, she’s sure that she’ll always run long distance.

“I don’t know if I’ll continue running competitively, but I’ll always take long runs just for fun,” Kalathil said.

Often seen confidently walking down the hallways, sophomore Maya Cayemitte is dressed to the nines daily. Although she is mostly known at Niles West for being one of the best dressed, Cayemitte is also a proud member of the Black Student Union (BSU).

Cayemitte enjoys spending her Thursdays at BSU, and thinks that it has influenced her in many positive ways.

“It [BSU] is an amazing club. It’s not strict at all and it’s easy to join,” Cayemitte said. “We usually talk about issues that have been going on currently, especially in the black community. A lot of people don’t think that’s fun, but it’s good to be informed about what’s going on in the world. BSU has shown me a ton of different perspectives, and it has exposed me to other cultures besides my own.”

The president of BSU, Kayla Lawrence, can attest to all of the good that Cayemitte has contributed to the club, as well as how much potential Cayemitte has to become a leader.

“She [Cayemitte] is our secretary, but she is also designing t-shirts for the club. Maya comes up with a lot of ideas for BSU, and is very positive and helpful. I don’t think she has ever missed a meeting for any reason,” Lawrence said. “A couple of months ago, Maya designed a poster that is now displayed outside the cafeteria. She has been a very influential member of BSU.”

Not only is Cayemitte influential inside of the club, but she spreads her impact throughout the school in many ways, including introducing the club’s ideals to those unaware of its existence.

“I had no idea what BSU was until I met Maya,” sophomore Safiyah Rizvi said. “You can obviously see how passionate she is about what she does.”

Cayemitte knows that she can count on all the members to be supportive of her endeavors, no matter what they might be.

“We try to incorporate everyone’s ideas during meetings,” Cayemitte said. “We’re kind of like a family; we all support each other, and everyone is nice. The whole atmosphere is amazing. Everything is really chill. We are close, but open to anyone that is thinking of joining. ”

Cayemitte feels that she has found her place here at Niles West and looks forward to many more Thursdays spent in room 2415.

The crowd holds their breath as the runners hold still at the starting line, getting ready to begin running their three mile race. A long whistle blows and a loud gun goes off behind their heads, and they start running. Even though the race has just begun, senior Merima Mackic can be seen leading the pack.

Mackic holds the position of captain of the varsity cross country team for her final season as a Niles West runner.

“It’s really sad and I can’t believe it’s over. It went by so fast, but I will definitely cherish all the friends and memories I have made here forever,” Mackic said.

Mackic remembers her very first race as a freshman as nerve-wracking, but mostly exciting because she did better than she expected to do and really drove her love for the sport even more.

“I was running with the top group since my first race as a freshman, and because I had all of this excitement and adrenaline, I passed some of the top people on the team,” Mackic said. “That race was so much fun, and it was super exciting.”

Juggling school while running six days a week would have been a struggle on an academic and athletic standpoint for anyone, but Mackic has created a strategy in order to balance both.

“Some times it’s really hard to balance both commitments, but I have learned to get my priorities straight. If I know that I will have work to do, I try and get my work done either during school or right after practice to maintain my grades and my running,” Mackic said.

Mackic is a role model for the whole cross country team, including good friend and teammate Jennifer Oribello. Both athletes depend on each other to push one another to be the best they can be.

“Since Merima and I are around the same speed, we rely on each other to be pushed, and because we are both competitive, we make our running into a friendly competition type of relationship that helps both of us succeed,” Oribello said.

Oribello isn’t the only one that believes Mackic is an encouraging figure on the team. Cross country coach Anne Heselton describes how Mackic reflects a positive figure to the rest of team.

“From Merima’s freshman year, she is not only faster, but she is mentally tougher,” Heselton said. “She is extremely hardworking, she always pushes herself during all of the workouts, and it shows during the races and reflects on the rest of the team as well.”

With track season coming up, coach Heselton holds high expectations for Mackic because she believes that Mackic is fast enough to break records and qualify for state.

“Hopefully we will start back up where we did last year,” Heselton said. “She was a state qualifier, and she had one of the best times in the history of the school, so I would like to see her dominate both the indoor and outdoor 800m and the 400m, and hopefully keep beating her times.”

Mackic appreciates that the Niles West running program left her with great friends and important skills she has learned throughout her four years.

“I will take away the wonderful friendships I have made over the years, the leadership skills, the mental strength, and most importantly, the memories I have made,” Mackic said. “I love running, and I will try to keep it a part of my life for as long as I can.”

From the classroom to the basketball court, sophomore Donya Richter utilizes every second of her day by being involved in many activities. Freshman year was merely starting point, where Richter was involved with volleyball and basketball. However, this year she decided to exit her comfort zone and dive into new activities.

“I pride myself on being involved in uniquely different things, which was a goal of mine. I started out the year by trying tennis, something I’ve never done before” Richter said. “It was pretty cool, especially since I got to play second and third singles throughout the season. I came into it thinking that I would never actually play because I lacked the experience the other girls worked so hard to obtain, but I was met with quite a surprise. After that, I then went on to be Assistant to the Director in the Niles West production of Almost, Maine which also happened to be my very first show.”

With the amount and variety of activities that Richter loads her schedule with, she is pretty experienced with how to cope with stress.

“I’m very well aware of the fact that I’m not the first student to be enrolled in honors and AP classes while participating in extracurriculars, but I think I’ve been getting by decently, though I don’t get more than 5 hours of sleep on an average night,” Richter said. “High school is stressful, and balancing out everything can take its tolls, so taking a moment to breathe is crucial to surviving.”

One of Richter’s classmates, sophomore Iris Glogic, commends Richter for being an inquisitive student.

“Donya is very outgoing and easy to talk to,” Glogic said. “She’s also really smart but humble about it. She’s never shied away from asking questions in class.”

Not only has Richter learned from the classroom, but Richter admits that she has learned quite a few lessons about teamwork and friendship from her extracurriculars.

“So far, Niles West has given me a newfound insight on how the real life works. As unfortunate as it may seem, not everyone will like you, you won’t like everyone, and not everything is going to get handed to you,” Richter said. “But on the upside, I’ve learned a lot about friendships from West, and making new ones was definitely the best thing that happened. I have friends from each activity I do, and they have supported me no matter what and have really helped with my confidence.”

Sophomore Nerina Alic, one of Richter’s basketball teammates, respects her work ethic more than anything else.

“She [Richter] is so hardworking, pushing herself throughout all of our practices, and it really shows in our games,” Alic said. “She not only has talent but the teamwork, contributing to our ‘dream team’ on the court.”

Freshman and younger sister Hana Richter is constantly amazed by the level of commitment that her sister puts into every aspect of her life.

“I am extremely proud of Donya and her accomplishments. She is taking all honors classes and AP classes and has managed to handle that with sports,” Richter said. “She has done well and has put a lot of hard work and commitment into doing well in both of those. Donya has shocked me with all of this because she is very dedicated and organized.”

You can find Richter involved in the school at almost any hour. Her plans for the future are huge, as she aspires to become a CIA Clandestine Services Operating Officer someday. Although Richter is involved in many activities, she doesn’t stretch herself thin, and instead puts quality, hard work, and care into every new thing she tries.

While watching a production by the theater team at West, one is likely to spot junior Riley Pranian somewhere among the crowd of actors, or maybe even catch a glimpse of her changing the scenery between certain scenes. During a choir performance, Pranian is almost impossible to miss when she stands with a microphone in her hand, singing her solo almost flawlessly.

Pranian is one of a handful of students who devotes their time and energy into performance arts. She participates as a member of the Masters Choir Program, Choir Board, Thespian Society, and the Thespian Board. If that weren’t enough, she is also member of the Spanish National Honors Society.

Pranian has been involved in the artistic realm, specifically in the music genre, ever since she was a young girl. Though she has been consistently surrounded by art, she finds that she relates more with her grandparents than her parents on the subject.

“I started singing choir when I was seven,” Pranian said. “I also took art classes when I was really young. Both of my parents aren’t artists, which I find really weird. My dad is an athlete and my mom is all brains. My grandpa loves art and my grandmother was a painter, so art has just been in my house forever.”

Elementary school wasn’t when Pranian first began singing. In fact, she belted her favorite songs even before she could strong together comprehensive sentences.

“I started actually singing when I was seven in my elementary school; I sang in a lot of talent shows. In third grade I remember singing ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’,” she said. “My mom would say when I was three years old, I would sing the Lilo and Stitch soundtrack. I would stand on a stool and just scream Elvis Presley.”

On Choir Board, Pranian takes care of all social media-related jobs. Not only does she monitor the field, but she takes initiative and leads on the Board as well.

“Riley has grown in terms of thinking ahead and thinking forward,” vocal coach Matthew Hunter said. “She does our marketing for choir; she’s responsible for posting things on any social media. Before, at the beginning of the year, I had to remind her about it. Now she makes recommendations; she has stepped up to the point where she thinks ahead. She takes initiative and I’ve seen that growth throughout the year.”

Pranian’s passion for art doesn’t stop there; she is also involved in countless theater programs at West. She has become a member of the Thespian Society and the Thespian Board, having started taking part in theater productions in her freshman year.

Pranian originally debuted her theater career as a crew member backstage in the production of ‘She Kills Monsters.’ There, she found that she was intrigued by the activity and began to find a family in the crew and actors.

“I was in crew, but I was just so fascinated by everyone,” she said. “I love being in crew and cast. I find I have a family there and in choir, too.”

Over the last three years, Pranian has taken part in many theater productions. She has an equal amount of experience as a crew member and as a cast member, which is something that she finds essential for every performer.

“I’m literally split down the middle,” Pranian said. “Half the shows I’ve been on crew and half the shows I’ve been on cast. I feel like, as a performer, you need to know both. As a crew member, I know how to build and how to sew, and I know everything that happens on set. As an actor, I know how to perform, and I’m in director’s studio, so I know how to direct now, too.”

Though she definitely doesn’t lack in terms of experience, she especially enjoys being an actor due to the fact that she can mold the characters into realistic people who she connects back to herself.

“It’s just so awesome getting a script and memorizing lines,” she said. “After you memorize the lines, you can create a person. Then, at the very end, you’ve connected to that person and you ‘get’ that person and you can explore that person as a human being, not just a character.”

Pranian finds that, despite being in several productions in the past, she still gets nervous before going onstage. Before every show, she is calmed down by the ‘energy circle’ that the team does and then later transfers her nervous energy into motivation to do her best onstage.

“For theater, we do this thing called an energy circle,” she explained. “We all hold hands while the seniors talk. Then we pass a pulse around the circle and we’ll just say reassuring things like, ‘Hey, I’m here for you.’ Usually I feel like vomiting before I go up, but I transfer that nervous energy into my character.”

Tackling activities that require an enormous amount of devotion can be difficult, especially when paired with schoolwork. However, Pranian does this, and a bit more, almost effortlessly.

“She’s probably one of the most hard-working people I know, especially because she’s really involved in theater,” junior and close friend Francis Matias said. “She’s part of choir board, she’s a thespian, and she takes care of her two brothers, too. She’s the oldest and she has to be very mature and responsible in the way that she has a lot of obligations, and she takes them on with no problem.”

After high school, Pranian is unsure of what she will pursue in her future. However, she is considering the fields of music education, business, and special education.

“Although I’m considering music education, I’m not sure yet,” Pranian said. “I don’t think I could do that for the rest of my life. I know it’s a hobby of mine, but I don’t know if I could sing seven days a week.”

When you think about what “normal” looks like in high school, you would expect to find a sixteen-year-old boy on the football, basketball, or baseball team. But what about a boy on the football team who also wants to major in fashion?

Junior Shawn Campbell is not someone you might call an ‘average high school boy.’ Aside from his athletics achievement and his position on the football team, Campbell’s interests include fashion and clothing design.

“People express themselves in different ways, like poetry, music, or art. My way is fashion because it’s who I am,” Campbell said.

In the near future, Campbell sees himself designing his own clothes, as well as wearing and even manufacturing them. He hopes to major and get a degree in engineering so that he can have enough support and overhead to even profit from his fashion line(s), and also as a backup plan.

When Campbell first began designing clothes, it was merely for fun and stemmed from boredom, but it soon evolved into a great interest that he now hopes to pursue for the rest of his life.

“Fashion and making clothing was more of a hobby at first, and then it became a lifestyle,” Campbell said.

To Campbell’s parents, the way he dresses isn’t the standard “tucked-in, button up shirt,” which is what they would much rather see him wear. In their eyes, the way he dresses isn’t as respectable as the way they would like him to present himself.

Despite the clash of opinions, Campbell’s teammates and coaches think that he should follow through with fashion because his passion is evident and displays how much he enjoys it. 

“Shawn always finds a way to stand out, from his crazy socks on the field to his “Yeezy” type style everywhere else,” junior and teammate Joseph Park said.

Campbell always tries to incorporate fashion, even when it comes to the football field.

“I have even gotten compliments on my socks on the field, about how they’re the most stylish. I think style matters from the head to the toe,” Campbell said.

Not only on the field but in the classroom and halls, Campbell stands out for his divergent fashion sense.

“If I ever need help with an outfit, Shawn is always the first person I can ask because he always knows how to complete a look,” junior and friend Jonell Moore said.

Campbell has already designed and created pants, sweaters, and much more. His favorite item he designed was a hat. Shawn has received many compliments and recommendations to go into fashion, and he hopes to challenge stereotypes and setbacks to follow his dreams.

After being benched for the entire basketball season during his junior year, senior John Lazar is now one of the biggest threats to every team’s defense. Nicknamed “Lazer Beam,” Lazar is a star both on and off the court and is the main reason for the incredibly powerful Wolves’ offense this year.

Standing at 5’6″ in his freshman year, Lazar remembers his very first tryouts and the dread that washed over him after he received a jersey that indicated his placement on the Freshman B team.

“I could not believe what just happened. It was one of the toughest times in my life because I knew I was better and [the tryouts] did not represent my skill. But once I started playing with my teammates, I started to think, ‘maybe this isn’t so bad,’” Lazar said. “So I kept my head up and as my team began to come together, I felt a newfound sense of pride even though I was not on the A team.”

Rather than stressing about his place on the team, Lazar took his new position with drive and determination, pushing the team to be their very best and becoming the leader that freshman basketball coach Larry English knew he could be.

“From freshman year, he was a fiery young man, and he still is. Riding the bench was tough for him but instead of giving up, he fought through to play on the team. This shows a lot about his character. Younger levels might look at him and see a “B” player but it does not matter if you are on the A or B team because regardless, they can still eventually play as juniors or seniors at the varsity level,” English said. “You see a lot of his personality on the court because that is where he is free to express himself as an athlete, but his personality is similar off the court. Lazar may be the smallest kid out there, but he won’t let you overpower or dictate the game because he is a hard worker. He is a shining example of the boys’ basketball program.”

During Lazar’s first basketball season, his Freshman B team held one of the best records in the CSL conference and it became increasingly clear that his hard work had paid off. Lazar would go on to leave everything he had on the court during his freshman games, but he owes it all to his coach.

“Coach English made the game competitive, but fun at the same time. He didn’t only push me to be my best, but the whole team as a unit. I think that’s why our team had finished so well in the end of the season.” Lazar said. “I still use [the lessons] that he taught me since freshman year and I owe him a lot.”

Now, John Lazar has become a vital part of the varsity basketball team averaging 10.3 PPG, and is one of the leading top scorers on the team. With each game, he surprises the crowd more and more, and nothing but greatness is expected from him. Senior Mirsad Mackic, the captain of the varsity basketball team, credits many of the team’s wins to Lazar’s three-point shots which opened up the floor for the rest to the team to do their jobs.

“John went from playing very little in the beginning of the season to working his way up as being one of key factors. John is one of the best three point shooters in the state. He’s a threat [to other teams] because of his ability to shoot three-pointers, which helps to expand the floor and sets up his teammates for easy shots,” Mackic said. “Personally, it’s been a pleasure to play with John. He is one of my best friends and it is always reassuring to know that he has my back. He is like my brother and I’m always hoping for the best for him both on and off the court.”

Be sure to support the boys over winter break as they prepare for their basketball tournament at Pontiac and keep your eyes open for John “Lazer Beam” Lazar as he continues to dominate the court.

Coming into high school was initially a bit nerve-wracking for freshman Samantha Balourdos, but after joining the girls volleyball team, meeting new people, and being challenged by her teachers, she is continuing her second semester with complete confidence.

At her middle school, Lincoln Hall, Balourdos was one of the star players on the volleyball team, so it came as no surprise when she was chosen as the captain for her freshman A team.

“[Becoming captain] was a great opportunity for me to show my ability and that I can lead a team with my positive actions. Me being the captain made our team finish the season in a very positive way,” Barlourdos said.

Her sister, senior Georgina Balourdos, also attends Niles West. The two girls have what seem to be a incredibly strong relationship with each other. Balourdos believes in her little sister and encourages her to achieve great things.

“We have a very strong relationship, and she comes to me with any kind of problems she has relating to friends, family, school, sports or anything like that,” Balourdos said. “Even though she’s just a freshman and has only gone through one semester of high school, I know that she’s going to grow during her last three years of high school.”

Freshman Pari Shah, one of Barlourdos’s closest friends, says she admires Balourdos’s outgoing personality.

“She’s smart, funny, and has this upbeat personality that puts everyone in a good mood. She’s a friend that I can rely on because she always listens to me when I need help with something,” Shah said.

All in all, Balourdos is currently looking forward to continue to succeed during her second semester of high school.

“My first semester went really well, actually. I thought it would be a lot harder because it was the start of freshman year for me, but it was easier than I thought,” Barlourdos said. “For second semester, I hope to be more involved in school activities like clubs and other sports, so I can really connect with other kids that I do not talk to a lot or have not met before.”