The proceedings of the Supreme Court have been intentionally covered in secrecy. The direct video taping of Supreme Court oral arguments has been barred since the invention of video recorders, blocking any and all cameras from entering the Court during a hearing.

This rule has long prevented full transparency in Supreme Court practices. Although oral arguments are made available to the public in the form of audiotapes, legislators have prevented courtroom video recorders largely out of fear of corrupting the judicial process with encouraged showmanship. Additionally, opponents have suggested that courtroom videotaping could reveal personal, private information about key witnesses not meant for mass broadcasting, discouraging witnesses from participating (Congressional Research Service Report RL33706). Increased death threats against members of the judicial branch have also caused concerned among some Supreme Court justices, including Justice Clarence Thomas, who argues that “members of the court who now have some degree of anonymity would lose their anonymity,” resulting in increased security concerns (New York Times).

Proponents argue that televising the Supreme Court would produce more open, transparent proceedings. Every state currently offers some kind of taping, and potential broadcasters, including C-SPAN and Court TV, have suggested that they would be highly interesting in bringing that to the federal level. Senator Arlen Specter proclaimed that, “television coverage of the Supreme Court is long overdue. The Supreme Court makes pronouncements on Constitutional and federal law that have direct impacts on the rights of Americans. Those rights would be substantially enhanced by televising the oral arguments of the Court so that the public can see and hear the issues presented” (specter.senate.gov/). Once a justice is confirmed, it is very rare for the public to see how a justice behaves sand acts. Cameras in the court would give the public access to justices thereby “holding presidents accountable for the quality of justices they nominate” (New York Times).

In November 2009, Senator Specter, along with cosponsors Senators John Cornyn, Russell Feingold, Ted Kaufman, Dick Durbin, Charles Schumer, Amy Klobuchar, and Sheldon Whitehouse, proposed a bill that would require open sessions of the Supreme Court proceedings to be televised unless five Supreme Court members vote to against the filming (specter.senate.gov/). The full text of the bill reads:

“It is the sense of the Senate that the Supreme Court should permit live television coverage of all open sessions of the Court unless the Court decides, by a vote of the majority of justices, that allowing such coverage in a particular case would constitute a violation of the due process rights of 1 or more of the parties before the Court.” (Bill S.339)

The legislation would allow for the filming of Supreme Court cases, but it avoids the problems of privacy. By allowing the judges to determine whether or not a hearing can be filmed on a case-by-case basis via a majority vote, the bill avoids concerns of threatening the safety and privacy of witnesses and justices in the most controversial cases. This balance allows for the increased transparency desired by supports while also providing for the concerns of the bill’s critics.

The Supreme Court should not continue to function in such mystery. Allowing television cameras in during proceedings would unlock the largely misunderstood process for many Americans, certainly a goal worth pursuing.

Although safety concerns are legitimate, they are not a strong enough reason to avoid videotaping. Personal information and photos of justices are already readily available, and recording proceedings would not likely make attacks on justices any easier. If ever there is a case where the justices may be in danger as a result of their proceeding, the Supreme Court can opt to not allow that specific case to be taped.

The cameras would not only expose the proceedings, arguments, and legal issues, but it would also expose the justices themselves to newfound (peaceful) scrutiny. The cameras would allow Americans to better understand the actions of the justices and the court by revealing what actually happens. Justices should be better known by Americans.

Making videotapes of proceedings available could inspire Americans to become more interested and invested in judicial duties. A more mindful America can and should be created by allowing journalists to record Supreme Court proceedings.

From over 50 clubs and almost 20 sports to choose from at Northside, how can one not find something they want to participate in during high school? Aside from how well a student does academically, leadership positions and extracurricular activities are the most important thing to build up while in school.

You can be a straight A student, but if you are not a part of any clubs, do not hold any leadership positions, or do not have at least a job, then your grades do not really mean anything. You can have the highest test scores in your entire class, but if you cannot prove yourself by earning leadership positions throughout your time in high school, then what is it really worth?

Joining clubs and participating in sports not only adds more prestige to your college application, but it builds character. It allows you to build up communication and social skills. Joining clubs at an early point in high school is the best thing to do, especially if your grades are not the best.

Traditional activities such as theatre, journalism, and student government, are the ones that one should try to get involved with the most, because of the amount of doors they open. Colleges will look at traditional activities with more respect than they would towards clubs that are about popular movies or television shows.

Leadership skills will get you a lot farther than grades will. It may sound cliché, but there is more to life than what is on paper. Sometimes the world’s most successful people were not the smartest kids in the class. They were people with skills that went beyond math and science. They were people with non-traditional ways of thinking and acting; innovators.

Just because you are not the best at memorizing facts from history class that you will most likely never use again (because let’s face it, who needs to know about the AroostookWar when you want to major in Art?), it does not mean you will not go far in life.

Having leadership experience is more valuable, because it provides more than learning how to solve quadratics ever will. It will open doors for you that some classes you take in high school never will.

The Lake Shore Symphony Orchestra is known for their well delivered performances, and it is no doubt that their concert performance at Northside on Sunday, June 4, 2010 was the same as well.

Directed by Russell Vinick, the concert performance was titled Voyage. Unlike any other concert held by the Lake Shore Symphony Orchestra, this particular Voyage concert was comprised of a multimedia presentation of the planets by an astronomer and visual artist from the Adler Planetarium in Chicago. Along with the multimedia presentation, there were also self-guided interactive stations in the lobby near the auditorium that involved the planets, in which one was able to interactively learn and enjoy the theme of the concert performance.

The concert itself included the following pieces during the performance: Voyage by John Corigliano, Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage by Felix Mendelssohn, and The Planets by Gustav Holst.  As always, the Lake Shore Symphony Orchestra never fails to deliver a spectacular performance. Russell Vinick, who was awarded the 2010 Small Orchestra Conductor of the Year recognition by the Illinois Council of Orchestras, definitely proves to be a great musical director.

It was interesting to discover that the violinists were perfectly in sync with their boy movements. Some players even seemed to have similar body movements as well. The violinists could have been compared to robots, and indeed looked like robots because of their in sync playing. They also moved their bodies with the music. The string performers’ movements displayed their profound passion for playing and interacting with music, and their enjoyment shined through as well.

Listening to The Planets composed by Gustav Holst was quite enjoyable. This piece was definitely the highlight of the entire concert performance aside from the creative use of visual artistic graphics that accompanied the performance. Although Holst’s The Planets was quite a lengthy piece and performance, the piece was by far the best in the concert’s totality because of its intensity. At times, it may have felt like one was either listening to a Star Wars soundtrack or some sort of scientific fiction movie, which involved some sort of battle between universal forces, which is pretty cool if an orchestra has the ability to suck their audience in mentally. It was especially awing to watch the string musicians endure this piece because of the fact that The Planets is noticeably intense and extensive.

The piece Voyage by John Corigliano was drastically different than the piece mentioned above. The mood was much calmer and lacked intensity. However, it was beautifully and fluidly executed and delivered to the audience. Nevertheless, at some points, the lengthy sounds of a single note made the piece a bit tedious and tiresome. If it were not for the visuals, just listening to the piece would be uninteresting. It would also unfortunately, put one to sleep. Even someone who is always energetic may be affected by the slow and dreary sleep machine.

Overall, through out the performance, I believe that the musicians played tremendously well. Their fingers moved with such grace and flawlessness that watching them play could have caused someone to envy their agility. Furthermore, the Orchestra’s added special bonus of the planetary visual aid made the concert more appealing. The Lake Shore Symphony Orchestra surely knows how to put on a good show. I would absolutely recommend others to get the chance to see such a time worthy performance.

The small town of Hanover, New Hampshire, ranked as the second best place to live in America by CNN several years ago, is home to Dartmouth College, the smallest member of the Ivy League and one of the oldest schools in the country, opening in 1769. Dartmouth has approximately 6,000 enrolled students, and one of them includes Kaitlin Renkosiak, Northside Class of 2008, who is now a rising junior at Dartmouth. Having first applied to the school on a whim, she fell in love with it, and could not be happier with her choice.

What were your feelings before school began?
“I felt completely ready for school academically. However, I was a little nervous about traveling over 1,000 miles to go to a school where I knew no one. Once I arrived on campus though, the little bit of anxiety I was feeling immediately went away. Through a pre-orientation program, Dartmouth did a great job of making me feel welcomed.”

What about college was like you expected it to be? What surprised you?
“What surprised me most about college was how it was a completely separate entity from high school. After the first week of school, freshman stopped talking about where they went to high school because it just did not matter anymore. It wasn’t a negative thing in my opinion. It was nice to not hear people annoyingly ask one another AP, SAT, and ACT scores. People recognized the fact that everyone was here because they were smart.

I expected college to be both a social and academic experiment. I had friends from other schools who had talked about taking a basket weaving class or a class on martial arts fiction, so I was looking forward to taking obscure classes at Dartmouth. I knew I was going to be a biology major long before I even applied to college, but I have taken the time to take entirely random classes that have nothing to do with my major. For instance, this term I took a class on the role of religion during the Civil Rights struggle. It was refreshing to take a non-science course, and it was also an incredibly interesting topic.”

What were your greatest challenges the first year?
“My greatest challenge the first year was trying not [to] overbook myself. I joined the crew team, a D1 sports team at Dartmouth, and it took up a majority of my time. I only ended up rowing my freshman year though. There were so many other things I wanted to do and I just did not have the time while rowing. The academics proved to be challenging as well. I figured that because I came from Northside, … I would be fine, but things turned out a little differently. As cliché as it might sound, I went from being the big fish in the little pond at Northside to being a very small fish in the pond at Dartmouth. I struggled to be the same perfectionist I was in high school and I realized very early on that my Dartmouth classmates were the some of the brightest students my age. Being in class with them made my classes that much harder, especially when everything is graded on a curve.”

What was your favorite aspect of freshman year?
“My favorite aspect of freshman year was my freshman floor. We were a notoriously close floor and some of us still are very good friends today. It was such a relief to have an inviting floor, especially because I knew no one else in my freshman class. We hung out as a floor, got meals as a floor, and formed study groups as a floor. Through each other, we met other people as well. Interestingly enough, through one of my freshman floor residents, I met the people who are now my closest friends.”

What changes have you seen in yourself, if any?
“I spent my high school experience being constantly stressed. I stressed about, quite literally, everything. Although I did extracurricular activities, my main focus was school and obsessing over getting straight As. Once I realized how getting straight As at Dartmouth would require me to do nothing but school, I quickly changed the way I approached a lot of situations. It was not a sign of defeat, but rather a realization that there are more important things than grades. I became involved in things I had a personal interest in. For instance, after 15 years of Irish dancing prior to college, I now teach an Irish dance group on campus.”

Kaitlin Renkosiak, Northside Class of 2008, spends time with friends on Dartmouth’s campus. Photo courtesy of Kaitlin Renkosiak.

In what ways do you feel your Northside experience has affected your college experience thus far?
“My experiences in college differ vastly from those in high school. I have found that college is more about pursuing your passions and things that actually mean something to you, rather than attempting to do as many things as possible. I have found that being well-rounded in college is not the same thing as being well-rounded in high school. It is not about how many clubs you are the president of, how many honors level classes you take, and class ranking. It is about finding meaningful experiences and making them your own. College is about finding your own niche and forming your own sense of belonging. Northside taught me a little about focusing my passions, but it was so easy to get caught up in the résumé padding that all high schools in America perpetuate. However, the rigorous academics of Northside definitely made my transition into college academics significantly easier.”

What do you have to say about your school?
“I love Dartmouth. I actually applied only on a whim because there was no supplement on the Common Application. I had received a viewbook the summer prior to my senior year of high school and thought the school looked “pretty.” After I was accepted, I visited campus and immediately fell in love. Granted Dartmouth is in the middle of nowhere, … I love being able to escape from the big city lifestyle I was accustomed to. My peers are engaging and come from so many different cultural, racial, and socio-economic backgrounds. My time at Dartmouth has taught me a lot about myself. There is something for everyone at Dartmouth, whether you focus on the social aspect of college or the academic aspect. The professors here focus on making sure the undergraduate population gets the most out of their education. I could not have asked for a better-fit college for myself.”

What are your current plans for the future?
“I am a biology major, with a concentration in cell biology. I am also a Chinese language and literature minor. I will be studying abroad this fall in Beijing with about 20 other Dartmouth students. Although I did not think I was going to study abroad during college, I became really interested in the Beijing foreign study program. I am following a pre-med track and plan to apply to medical school after Dartmouth, but I do plan to take a year off in order to do research in a lab. In terms of a possible career path, I am interested in being a pediatric oncologist and working with kids who have cancer.”

Come watch Northside’s Jazz Band on September 5 at the 2010 Chicago Jazz Festival. The festival will be held in Grant Park, with the Northside Jazz Band playing on the Chicago Community Trust Young Jazz Lions Stage in Grant Park from 12:00 – 12:30 pm. Admission is free.

What
2010 Chicago Jazz Festival

Who
Northside’s Jazz Band Combo

Where
Grant Park, Chicago Community Trust Young Jazz Lions Stage

When
Sunday, September 5, 2010
12:00 – 12:30 pm

Admission is free

*Please continue to visit the Hoof Beat for updates in case locations and times change

For more information, visit  Explore Chicago

Second semester of junior year is unsurprisingly one of the most stressful times in high school, especially for college-bound students. Juniors hold the responsibility of maintaining or raising the grades that colleges scrutinize the most, preparing for grueling AP exams (possibly for the first time), and, of course, taking standardized admissions exams such as the ACT and the SAT.

As students prepare for the ACT and/or SAT, a lot of advice will be spread around. They will be told when and what to study, how much sleep to get before test day, what to eat, what to wear, what to bring, and so forth. Perhaps the best advice that can be given to them, however, is also the simplest: relax.

According to the American Psychological Association, stress is one of the most common psychological conditions and is most prevalent among teenagers and young adults. Constant stress can weaken the immune system, cause insomnia, and reduce reaction times: factors which unsurprisingly lead to lower scores on the ACT or the SAT. Constantly worrying about the tests is by far the easiest way to perform worse on them. The solution recommended by the College Board is to begin studying for the test in advance, avoid cramming the night of the test, and get an uninterrupted eight to ten hours of sleep and eat a complete breakfast before taking the exam.

However, this does not always help to stop the raging worries and questions in test-taker’s minds. Often, the chief question is whether or not one should take both the ACT and SAT (the ACT is required by Illinois state law, and is taken in April by all Northside juniors).

There are theoretical differences in the ways the ACT and SAT are written. According to ACT and College Board, the two companies that publish the ACT and the SAT respectively, the ACT is an aptitude test, which attempts to gauge how students will perform in college, whereas the SAT is an achievement test, which attempts to gauge how much students have learned in high school. Ask any student who took both exams, though, and you’ll generally find a common verdict — most people who score high (or low) on one test do about the same on the other. The real questions flying around at this time are more than just “how will I do?” however. With the emphasis placed on standardized testing being more extreme than any other single aspect of college admissions, the weight they actually hold in the eyes of the admissions offices around the country can be unclear. The honest truth is that it is unclear. Each college treats different aspects of the admissions procedure differently — some colleges, especially larger ones, tend to be formulaic and go by numbers (i.e. GPA, test scores) alone, while others do not even require test scores to be submitted.

School counselors say that grades are the most important things submitted, and this does tend to be the case. Grades show how a student has performed in various classes of various difficulties over an entire three-year period. Of course, a huge discrepancy between a student’s grades and test scores never look good, but a bright student with low test scores and high grades has a stronger chance of being accepted to a college then one with low grades but high test scores.

But what does the test score say about the test taker? This year, Northside ranked second, dropping below Walter Payton, in the Chicago Tribune rankings of high schools in the Chicago area. These rankings, primarily based on Prairie State Achievement Exam (PSAE) scores, which is the Illinois mandated standardized test that includes the ACT, might suggest that test scores are a strong measure of a student’s performance, worth, or intelligence; they are not. In fact, they are not even necessarily an accurate gauge of school performance; they do provide the easiest method for comparison, though. For a student, all a test measures is how well one preformed answering those particular questions on that particular day.

Though these tests are considered standardized, a lot of possible factors that could change the score are not included under the ’standardized’ banner. Students who have difficulty focusing, perform poorly under time pressures, or who read or write better in a foreign language than they do in English will almost certainly score worse than other students. Concerns about focus have lead to some students resorting to immoral or even illegal practices.

According to the New York Times, the practice of using certain psychostimulants generally reserved for patients diagnosed with ADD or ADHD to improve focus has been gaining ground on college campuses and among standardized test takers. Despite being weaker variations, stimulants like Adderall are in the same category of drugs as methamphetamine and can be extremely hazardous, not to mention illegal, to use. According to Eric Heilingenstein, director of psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin, these drugs also cause a reduction in impulsiveness and creativity, something which is equally necessary on tests as focus.

So if you are taking that standardized test relatively soon or even in the distant future, do not get caught up in the test score rush. Do not do anything you might regret later, like trying to cheat or use drugs; in the end, you will be worse off. Instead, in the weeks before the test, study a bit, but sleep and relax. When those scores finally do come back, celebrate and do not worry if they are lower than desired. It is always possible to take the test again, and keep in mind that absolutely nothing on the test can tell a college how creative, brilliant, or dedicated you may be. Remember that no matter what, a test is just a brief moment of a long life.

So good luck, but even better luck in everything that actually matters.

“Fear is that little darkroom where negatives are developed.”

The quote from Michael Pritchard, nationally acclaimed keynote speaker, communicates that fear is just a breeding ground for other negative feelings, and it seems that one of these breeding grounds is set deep within Northside’s borders. As students in a college preparatory high school, Northsiders are expected to go to college, but the idea of college comes with more baggage than one thinks.

“Everything about college scares me and overwhelms me,” Gannon Brzoska, Adv. 107, said.

Specifically, many students are afraid of applying to college and what the process entails.

The college application process is normally seen as the most complicated and overwhelming part of the college experience. During all four years of high school, one must attain top grades in hopes of getting into the college of one’s choice. Even though most of the work must be done all four years, junior and senior year are especially overwhelming because those are the times when one must begin the application process.

During junior year, students must research colleges in order to find the best fit, get the chance to visit those colleges if one is lucky, think of potential teachers who will fill out the college recommendations, and take the ACTs and SATs.

During senior year, students must, among other things, choose which colleges to apply for, ask for recommendations, work on applications, write essays, and plan for financial aid.

For some people, financial aid is high on their list of fears for college. One of the reasons money is such a big fear for students is that they do not know how to go about paying for college.

“My fears have a lot to do with money,” Wendy Roldan, Adv. 304, said. “I want to know how to pay for it.”

Most students rely on financial aid, which can be divided into merit-based and need-based, to help them get the money for college. Financial aid is the funding intended to help students pay educational expenses. This includes tuition and fees, room and board, and books and supplies for college.

Merit-based financial aid consists of scholarships given by individual colleges that are awarded to students for academic performance, while need-based financial aid is given to students based on his family’s financial income.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is used for need-based aid eligibility and is available for students to fill out on January 1 of their senior year.

Other students’ fears come from what will happen after they have applied.

“I’m afraid of not getting into the only college I want to go to,” Kathy Zhang, Adv. 203, said.

Indeed, many other students have that same fear. According to www.usatoday.com, the average overall acceptance rates for Ivy League schools are all under 27 percent with the lowest rate being 7.9 percent for Harvard. With those kinds of rates, these schools are considered extremely selective and hard to get into.

While some students are afraid of paying for college and getting into college, other students are afraid of how college life will be.

“I don’t know if I would be able to survive on my own,” Maria Tello, Adv. 304, said.

For most people, college is seen as the most stressful part of a person’s life. According to www.organizedwisdom.com, 71 percent of college students say that they feel stress. This stress comes from the need to succeed in academics, make new friends and contacts, and having to be responsible for ones own needs, such as clothes and food. This stress could lead to sleepless nights and an annoyed attitude.

Whether it is money, acceptance, or college life, most Northsiders feel some fear for college. However, everyone, in some way, attempts to conquer those fears and lead a good life.

As I write this, I am concurrently trying to de-cramp my hands, as I have been on the computer for the last seven hours straight. Why, you ask? The answer, a simple, three-word response, makes around 300 Northside juniors cringe every spring: Student Self-Assessments. This online survey contains almost 40 questions that each Northside junior must answer as completely as possible in order for the Counseling Department to complete “Counselor Recommendations” for college applications. This completed assessment was due sometime in February.

The idea is a good one, in theory. If the counselor has one document with a student’s achievements, goals, intended major, and some interesting experiences, the counselor should be able to write a decent recommendation. The problem, however, does not lie in the idea, but in the execution.

The assessment is introduced every year at the College Planning Night in early February, and this year’s responses were requested by February 12, barely a week after the Night. I’m not going to lie, I finished mine much after that, but who has seven hours to spend filling out a survey during the school year? If the Counseling Office wanted the form that quickly, then they should have given out the assessment in September.

There is also the idea of content. Many of the questions were quite similar, and others were just too vague. Most students do not want to spend the time it takes to answer, “Describe a book, play, film, article, world event, or personal experience that influenced either your thoughts, beliefs, or actions.” Granted, it is usually easier to answer an open-ended question, but this one is so far open that it actually looks closed again. This, in combination with the fact that there were just too many questions in general, made this survey a hassle to fill out.

This assessment is also highly impractical. The chance that a counselor will read every response to every question from each of his/her students is incredibly small; it would make more sense to pare down the number of questions asked and to get full, complete responses to each question. The assessment also assumes something very important: that every college the student applies to will require a counselor recommendation, and that those who do require it may look upon it with great importance. However, many schools do not require the counselor recommendations, and those that do understand that the counselors usually do not know the students very well; colleges will not be fooled by lengthy answers.

Perhaps it is because I am a writer, but each of my responses was a lengthy paragraph (or five), and rather than filling out a survey about myself, this assessment felt like writing a paper, or rather, several papers. The only difference is that I will not receive a higher grade for completing this assessment thoroughly, as I do not receive a grade for it at all. That is probably why so many students have not yet finished theirs, even though the school year is already over. For the Counseling Office’s sake I hope the rest of the student body finishes their assessments; but for the students’ sakes I hope they never do.

“Inception,” “The Last Airbender,” and “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” will be released on July 16, July 2, and June 30, respectively. Images courtesy of Amazon.com

A seat at the movie theater is calling your name this summer as big budget production companies unleash a strong series of films sure to excite the senses. Ranging from innovative thrillers to familiar animations, the films on this list will be powerhouses at the box office. Here is a look at the most anticipated films of the summer and why they will be sure to deliver (or not deliver) the goods.

1. “Inception” – Leonardo DiCaprio stars in this psychological thriller directed by Christopher Nolan whose previous credits include directing the blockbuster smash hit “The Dark Knight.” The film is about Dom Cobb (DiCaprio), a thief who specializes in the art of stealing ideas from a subject’s subconscious. Cobb sets out to right the wrong he has done by going on one more job, except this time he will implant an idea rather than steal one.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, the trailer for “Inception” is worth a billion words. When you add all the factors this film has going for it – incredible special effects, the team that brought audiences “The Dark Knight,” Leonardo DiCaprio, etc. – it is hard to say that any other film tops “Inception” on the anticipation list. Unlike most of the other films below, there is also a certain sense of mystery over the film, which also gives audiences something to look forward to as they pile into the movie theaters. “Inception” will be the biggest blockbuster of the summer. Here is a summary of the other films that will finish strong.

2.“Toy Story 3” – One of many sequels and “triquels” coming out this summer, but is the most anticipated by far. The unforgettable charisma and charm that is the “Toy Story” series is back in full vigor with a new adventure. Buzz, Woody and the rest of the gang meet some new friends when they are brought to a day care center after Andy goes to college.

3.“The Last Airbender” – Based off the acclaimed animated Japanese television series, “The Last Airbender” will theaters on July 2. M. Night Shyamalan directed the summer’s fantasy action movie must-see. As stated by IMDb, the premise of the film is that “Aang, a young successor to a long line of Avatars, learns that he possesses the power to engage the Fire Nation and hopefully end their century-long war against the Water, Earth, and Air nations.”

4. “Salt” – Angelina Jolie stars in this action thriller reminiscent of “Knight and Day” (see below).  According to IMDb, “ CIA officer Evelyn Salt (Jolie) is called a spy by a Russian defector, she goes on the run, using all of her experience and skills to elude capture, learn the truth of her identity, and hopefully clear her name.”

5. “Charlie St. Cloud” – This is a movie most want to see because of Zac Efron, who needs this movie to prove himself a popular actor of the cinema. As stated by IMDb, “… Charlie St. Cloud (Efron) finds a way to deal with his grief by working as caretaker at the cemetery where Sam is buried. Charlie and Sam keep their bond with nightly conversations and playing catch. However, when Tess Carroll enters Charlie’s life, he is caught in between remaining with Sam or pursuing real-world love.”

6. “Knight and Day” – Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz, plus a bunch of stuff exploding is basically everything one needs to know about this movie. Tom Cruise seems like his debutant self, but the question is will it work with the modern audience. “Knight and Day,” as stated by IMDb, “is an action-comedy centered on a fugitive couple (Cruise and Diaz) on a globe-spanning adventure where, amid shifting alliances and unexpected betrayals, nothing is what it seems.” Though the premise sounds like hoopla, it’s almost a guarantee that people will see it.

7. “The Expendables” – This movie is really just a bunch of old guys getting together to make a reprisal movie. Sylvester Stallone, Jet Li and more star as a team of action heroes that travels down to “South America on a mission to overthrow a vivacious dictator,” according to IMDb. While another 80’s premised films, “MacGruber,” failed to reach the hearts of the country, “The Expendables” works because it not only makes fun of the 80’s dramatized action, but gives Stallone the opportunity to make fun of himself.

8. “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” –  As stated by IMDb, “Master sorcerer Balthazar Blake (Nicholas Cage) recruits a seemingly everyday guy in his mission to defend New York City from his arch-nemesis, Maxim Horvath.” This film should receive some fans of Cage’s as well as a those who liked “National Treasure,” as both films have the same producers.

9. “The Other Guys” – Will Ferrell has made another “make-fun-of-this” movie, but this time there is a new face, Mark Wahlberg. IMDb describes this movie as “two mismatched New York City detectives (Ferrell and Wahlberg) seize an opportunity to step up city’s top cops whom they idolize — only things don’t quite go as planned.” The jokes in the trailer aren’t nearly of the same caliber as other Ferrell films, but compared to “Land of the Lost,” “The Other Guys” should be dynamite.

10. “The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” – The factory that seems to produce the “Twilight” movies is out with another product. This time audiences will hopefully get more bang for their buck. Although many anticipate more of the same, the dwindling “Twilight” hype might see a reinvigoration.

The theater seat calls and I would calmly respect its request by purchasing your tickets as soon as possible. Have a fun summer and enjoy the cinema!

Information in the summaries was provided by IMDb, and direct quotations from the website are accredited to the website.

This year, I participated in only one performance. That left me with ample room for observation, so I watched as students frantically changed into their outfits for belly-dancing and tango, and switch to a costume for Pandanggo or Korean Fan dance.

Similarly, I took on the culture of another by performing in a dance from India, a country that could not be farther from my own. Participating in International Night – the frequent practices, bonding, and of course, the last minute hectic panic all leading up to the one night was an experience so different, that there is nothing else like it. International Night at Northside makes such an experience possible; it allows performers and those watching to fully absorb themselves in a unique multi-cultural experience.

International Night, commonly referred to as I-Night, is an annual event sponsored by Asian Club. Talented performers display the culture of the Philippines, India, Vietnam, China, Japan, Ireland, Poland, Ukraine, Latin America, Korea, and many others through dance, music, and song. Students from all backgrounds not only participate in the event, but watch it as well. What follows is a marvelous sharing of cultures, a mixing of music, and creation of a melting pot rarely seen in other schools.

Students participating in multiple performances exemplify the importance of I-Night. One student may take part in any dance ranging from the Irish dance to Indonesian Hand dance, while another may spend her weeks practicing a belly dance, a tango, a bachata, and a modern hip-hop routine simultaneously. I-Night hosts a bounty of performers who are enthusiastic to represent a country, regardless of whether it is their own or not. In a way, International Night is an event run entirely by students intent on representing every culture while also celebrating the achievements of each group. The time and energy needed to put on a show as big as I-Night calls for commendable patience and a genuine interest in a celebration of culture. Planning for performances during I-Night start as early as October and tryouts for the event begin as early as December. On the other hand, The Asian-American Heritage Month festival at Daley Plaza was enjoyable but did not have nearly as many attendees, while I-Night at Northside is praised as having more performances that look well prepared. Many other institutions do not celebrate diversity as well as Northside does. This is because the commitment to a global atmosphere is very high.

Whether it is the performers, the event coordinators, or the audience, everyone who has a hand in I-Night plays a part in making Northside a more diverse environment. I-Night is not just like any other school event: it is an opportunity to take in a little bit of every culture present at Northside and, subsequently, become a person with a more global outlook and a greater cultural appreciation.