Samaira Sandil & Jodell Smith 11/22/2021
Over the past month, the Chronicle staff has been working to compile thankful messages in as many languages as we could find spoken at Central. In the spirit of Thanksgiving being just around the corner, we have collected thank you messages from our multilingual peers so that we can all appreciate the diversity at our school. We’ve gotten responses from 13 different languages: How many might you be able to understand?
Je remercie dieu pour la vie, mes amis et la nourriture que nous mangeons chaque jour.
French - Elizabeth Ngo
Feliz por poder aprender mas los idiomas que no sabía hablar.
Spanish - Juan Hobed
എന്റെ കുടുംബവും സുഹൃത്തുക്കളും എന്നോട് കാണിച്ച സ്നേഹത്തിനും കരുതലിനും ഞാൻ നന്ദി പറയുന്നു
Malayalam - Susan Philip
Estoy agradecido por la salud de mi familia.
Spanish - Ivan Ledezma
Ik wil mijn familie en vrienden bedanken omdat ze me altijd steunen. Ze zijn het belangrijkste en beste deel van mijn leven.
Dutch - Maaike Niekerk
Feliz porque voy aprendiendo otro idioma como inglés.
Spanish - Domingo Diego Juan
La clase de Ms. Stone es la mejor de todo.
Q’anjob’al - David Sebastian Juan
வாழ்க்கையில் எனக்கு மிகப்பெரிய ஆதரவாக இருக்கும் என் பெற்றோருக்கு நன்றி
Tamil - Janani Pattabi
Hola le s agradezco por todo la comida a los maestros de la escuela por la educación que nos dan especialmente a la Ms. Stone.
Q'anjob'al - Ramon Francisco
ఈ సంపతృరం సూఖలౌకీ వసూనందూకూ ఆ బగవంతునీకీ చౌలౌ కృతఔృతూలూ
Telugu - Samaira Sandil
Estoy agradecido por todos los maestros que me enseñan y por la escuela que cada dia esta limpia y les agradesco mucho. Atentamente Ernesto.
Q’anjob’al - Ernesto Adrian Lopez Pedro
Sou grata por minha família, por minha melhor amiga Lívia, meu melhor Gatz, por fazer amizade com Giovanna, por todos ao meu redor, por me receber de braços abertos nos Estados Unidos, pela minha vida.
Portuguese - Ana Carolina Brisque
Les agradezco a todos por la educación que nos dan los maestros.
Q’anjob’al - Sebastian Mateo Tomas
La vie est belle mais les humains la rendent difficile.
French - Rinidie Nkosi
Chinsaloji yui chin kuywi.
Q’anjob’al - Magdalena Juan Lorenzo
Le doy gracias a dios por mi vida y por mi familia.
Quiche - Yeferson Perpuac
Chi wa' yuj diosal b'ay wikan
Q’anjob’al - Antonia Cristobal
Yo estoy agradecido por mi salud y la de mi familia y por las cosas que tengo.
Spanish - Cristian Alexander
Chi waj yuj diosal yuj k'uj k'al yuj nab'
Q’anjob’al - Jorge Andres
Я благодарный для мои жизнь, мою семью, для друзья, и просто для этот шанс жить.
Russian - Pavel Yurivich Didenko
Chi hua' yuj Diosal yuj chin cuywi
Q’anjob’al - Diego Antonio
Estoy agradecido con mi mamá y también conmigo mismo porque intento hacer mi propia música.
Spanish - Brayan Ramos
Chi hua' yuj diosal yuj chin cuywi
Q’anjob’al - Saymen Mateo Gaspar
Chi waq yuj diosal bay ix in mama y qax bay na'q in papa yuj chi je walon inglis
Maya - Laura
Yo estoy agradecida por mi familia y mis amigos porque ellos me han ayudado en muchas cosas y estoy bien agradecida por todo.
Spanish - Slomara
شة اشححغ فخ سحثشن شقشلاهؤ شىي فخ لاث ةعسمهة
Arabic - Kaleb Mcshane
Estoy agradecida por otro año de vida con mi familia.
Spanish - Dayanara Mayen
I'm thankful for the ability to have freedom of speech, family and a place to call home.
English - Abreeya Moore
Yo estoy agradecido con mis padres por darme el privilegio de hablar espanol
Spanish - Juan Martinez
Je suis reconnaissant d'être en Amérique. Je suis reconnaissant d'être en bonne santé.
French - Isaac Akilimali
Sarah Mizzen 11/22/2021
Central’s long history of excellence in music education actively changes lives. New students join the music program each year, and no student is ever turned away. Some of the groups regularly get the chance to travel across the state, and even the country to perform. The funding from just the school district alone would never be able to provide these excellent opportunities for our students.
So, each year, the music boosters organize a fruit sale, something the entire community looks forward to as a way to show their love, support, and pride for our music program. For the fundraiser, students are tasked with going around the community and asking anyone who is willing to support the program. That could mean purchasing one of the fruit boxes (oranges and grapefruit), donating bags of apples to charity organizations, or even just making a monetary donation towards the program.
The money that is raised supports a chorus, two orchestras, marching band, three concert bands, three jazz bands, and a few jazz combos. Many of these groups distinguish themselves at the state and national levels. Having the funding to keep these programs fueled is very important to all those involved. Not only does this money support the individual groups themselves, but also the program as a whole. The money is also used to aid overhead costs toward borrowing certain instruments each year, instrument repairs and marching band uniforms, new music, and so much more.
The Curreys, the students, and Central are grateful for all the support the program receives from the community every year, and aim to keep music at Central strong and involved for many years to come. “I think it is super important that this fundraiser does well because there are a lot of parts of the music program that need the monetary support in order to continue to run the way they do,” said Junior Norah Kopolow. The fruit sale is one of the largest sources of revenue for the program, and it has allowed the directors and music boosters many important purchases. “The big marching band trailer that carries all the drums and percussion instruments cost like $6,000, and pretty much all of that money was collected from the fruit sale. So this fundraiser is super helpful to the Curreys and the students,” stated Junior Layla Khan.
If you’d like to show your support, reach out to a student in the music program before November 17th, when all fruit sales will end. Your fruit will be delivered on December 4th.
Mariclare O’Gorman 11/22/2021
Personally, I despise fall. It becomes so cold that you don't want to go outside (or even get out of bed), it rains way too much, it gets dark at 4:30 p.m., and don’t even get me started on flu season. I know everyone says they love the leaves changing colors, and I agree with you, but once those leaves fall you are left with boring, bare trees, and wet leaves packed onto the ground that gets mud all over you when you finally get the motivation to rake them up. Although there is one good thing about fall, THE FOOD (especially the desserts). Apple and pumpkin pie, ham (turkey is overrated), gravy, cinnamon rolls, pumpkin bread, hot apple cider, and especially my cupcakes. The Best of Fall cupcakes will make you forget about all the worst parts of fall. These are moist, cinnamon cupcakes, with a caramelized apple filling, and a cream cheese frosting that is amazing. Bring these to Thanksgiving and everyone will love you.
Recipe
Ingredients:
Cupcake
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp kosher salt
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cloves
½ tsp allspice
1 cup buttermilk
½ cup butter
2 eggs
¼ cup canola oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
Caramelized Apple Filling
2 Apples
½ cup brown sugar
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp heavy cream
2 tsp cinnamon
Cream Cheese Frosting
2 packages of cream cheese (8oz each)
8 tbsp butter
½ tsp vanilla
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, and prepare your cupcake pans.
Combine all the dry ingredients in a medium-sized bowl, and set aside.
Mix together the wet ingredients, until fully combined.
Slowly add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients, and stir until fully combined.
Pour the cupcake mixture into the pan and put it in the oven.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until fully cooked.
While the cupcakes are baking, cut up your apples into small to medium-sized chunks.
Add the apples, butter, sugar, cream, and cinnamon to a pot and cook over medium to low heat until the sugar is fully dissolved and the apples are soft.
Once fully cooked, set aside.
Next add the softened butter, cream cheese, and vanilla to the mixer and mix on medium speed until smooth.
Then slowly add in your powdered sugar.
Mix on medium speed until smooth.
Set aside.
When you take your cupcakes out of the oven let them fully cool before assembling.
Once cool, cut a small hole in the center of your cupcake, and add your apple filling.
Then frost your cupcakes.
Eat. (you should really try them they are amazing)
Here’s proof from Central student taste testers:
Hannah Su: RATING 9/10
“I would make it if I liked to bake, but I would definitely eat if someone made it for me. The cream cheese frosting makes it a ten out of ten. My favorite part is the apple filling.”
Sarah Su: RATING 10/10
“I like it a lot and it's not too sweet. The apples compliment it very well.”
Will O’Gorman: RATING 8/10
“I would eat it again. The apple filling is good. It was a good, sweet treat.”
Fatima Mohamed: RATING 9/10
“It’s really good! It tastes like spices, apples, and cream, it’s really good.” When asked, would you make it yourself? Fatima said, “Yes! I like the cream and cinnamon, they complement each other very well, and I like the inner filling.”
Lilith Wedig 11/22/2021
A true monument to American capitalism, Black Friday is a widely anticipated day for shoppers. Along with its sibling Cyber Monday, it is characterized by frantic crowds, near-death trampling, and incredible deals. The history of Black Friday, however, dates back farther than the use for stores to get “in the black” and profit financially. An entrancing tale of market crashes, football games, and unintentional murder make up the most lucrative unofficial holiday.
Back in 1869, the gold market was the place to make money. Millions of Americans relied on the worth of gold for trading, investing millions of dollars into the stock market. Whether the stock market is truly fair or not is up for speculation, but the actions of two men in that year were clearly out of bounds. According to Britannica.com, Jay Gould and Jim Fisk, two Wall Street financiers, decided they would artificially increase the price of gold by buying up as much as they could, intending to make a massive profit. The president at the time, Ulysses S. Grant, was wise to the pair’s scheme and put a stop to their market mischief. Unfortunately, the gold market plummeted, as a result, taking the stock market with it. Many Americans lost it all that day, coining that Friday on the 24th of September “Black Friday”.
Nearly a hundred years later, Black Friday was finally given a different spin, although it was for equally unhappy reasons. Philadelphia, throughout history, has been no stranger to riots due to sports. A recent memorable occurrence was the riots after their home team had won the Superbowl back in 2018. 1960’s Philly was faced with a similar problem after the Army-Navy football game caused major traffic congestion, as is noted on History.com. Shoplifting, riots, and trampling of other people kept the police on their toes. The dismal rate of workers to shoppers was an egregious factor as well, as many employees took the day off after Thanksgiving break to get an extended period of rest. However, this was an opportune moment for the shopping districts. Along with people came their wallets, and stores took advantage of a deal-hungry crowd to make immense profits. The people who had traveled to the game and had stayed for the price cuts and post-Thanksgiving deals resulted in so much money for the local economy, it unintentionally created a truly American phenomenon. “Black Friday” had been reincarnated into the most iconic nationwide day of shopping.
Although a joy for money-making business owners, the ugly face of hasty consumerism was to show up not long after. People soon became their own worst enemy, pushing and pulling, crowding door frames, dunning over each other, and fighting over LED TVs. Some even resulted in unintentional deaths. Shoppers being stabbed, shot, or worse over half-priced objects is not uncommon. In the frenzy to get a deal, many people seem to forget basic compassion. There is, however, hope from a seemingly unlikely source. COVID-19, in all of its fire and brimstone, has forced us to utilize our online space more than ever. Instead of busting through doors and causing bodily harm to our fellow citizens, nabbing a deal on Amazon.com or other online retailers might just be the antidote for the abundance of inconsiderate shoppers in the post-Thanksgiving craze. Hopefully, with this in mind, this year’s Black Friday will be a tad easier for everyone involved.
Janani Pattabi 11/22/2021
The autumn sky deepened to cerulean as I sat leaning over the icy sidewalk. Color stained my hand as I filled in the intricate mural my neighbor had painted in front of her house. “Back in India,” my neighbor explained, “I would go to the Aunties’ houses in my neighborhood and color in their rangolis for Diwali.” The cool air nipped at my ears as I paused to listen to her. “My mother would never let me paint the ones in front of our house because she knew I would ruin them,” she joked, making me let out a laugh. We worked together side by side as the sky got darker and the flowers and lamps on the concrete bloomed and flickered to life. The two of us stood back, admiring our work. “Thanks for letting me help out Auntie.” She smiled. “Of course. We’ll burst firecrackers when it gets darker out. I’ll text your mother when we plan on starting.” I ran back to my house excited to celebrate my first Diwali in years.
Diwali is considered to be a festival of lights and is one of the major festivals celebrated by Hindus, Jains, Sikhs, and some Buddhists. The celebration symbolizes the victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance and is widely associated with Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity. In some regions, Diwali is connected to Hindu hero Rama returning to his kingdom with his wife and brother after serving 14 years of exile.
Diwali is celebrated in a variety of ways. Some people fully clean their house while others buy their friends and family new clothes and even more exciting, new jewelry. Celebrators create rangolis, intricate patterns made of colored powder or paint in front of their homes and spend the day baking sweets to distribute to their loved ones. Ceremonial worship or puja is often performed throughout the day as well. The main events, of course, are lighting oil candles called diyas and bursting firecrackers (oftentimes in their driveway or backyard).
Due to school and later the pandemic, I haven’t been able to celebrate Diwali for a few years. My family has never done anything grand for the holiday, but we usually prepare food, buy a new dress, light a few candles, and see if there are any firework shows nearby. This year on November 4th, as I was delivering sweets to my neighbors I was invited to help them paint their rangolis and burst fireworks on their driveway with my parents. After 6:00, we joined them in front of their house and had our own little light show. I even got to light a few fireworks myself, which was slightly nerve wracking, but my neighbors helped steady my hand so I could light the fuse. It was a wonderful experience getting to relive some of the festivities of my earlier years and it was a great way for me to get my mind off of school and celebrate my faith and culture with friends and family.
Diwali was especially important this year because Washington D.C celebrated with us. In an official statement from President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, they thank those who celebrate the holiday here in America for “making the traditions part of America’s story” and wished everyone a Happy Diwali before lighting a diya in solidarity. Along with that, New York Congresswoman Carolyn B Maloney has introduced a bill called the Deepavali Day Act to make Diwali a nationally recognized holiday in the United States. Maloney stated that she understood the importance of the festival in the Indian American community, but also that the festival was important for Americans. Maloney explained, “It is truly appropriate that Diwali this year symbolises our nation’s continuing journey out of the darkness of Covid-19 and the terrible effects of the pandemic on our people of our nation.”
So whether you’re a long-time celebrator of Diwali or someone who is just now learning about the holiday I hope you’ll join us next year in celebrations. In my opinion, Diwali, more than anything, is a time to spend with people you care about. Happy Diwali!
Stormi Cook 11/22/2021
Shaffer Bauer is a Senior at Champaign Central high school with many accomplishments. One of these is being an All-State Tenor Saxophone player for Jazz Band. Jazz Band is only one of his many extracurricular activities. He also plays soccer and does ACES. Shaffer enjoys soccer the most because of the friends he’s made and because he’s been playing his whole life.
His plans for the future are going to the U of I to study Nuclear Engineering and pursue clean and renewable energy. In 10 years, he sees himself out of college with a good job. His favorite memories at Central High School are the online year and all the sports in PE. The thing he will miss the most about Central is the social construct of the school through everyone being intertwined with each other through sports and classes. Shaffer said that if he had the opportunity to travel anywhere in the world he would go Sapora, Japan because of the snow and culture. The class he enjoyed most at Central is Marching Band because of socializing with friends.
Three words he thinks would describe him best are “strategic, philosophical and intuitive.” He wants to be remembered as “someone who was involved in many activities, despite the tough classes he took”. Three things that he must do in his lifetime are: visit Japan, skydive, and have 2 houses.
These are all very interesting and exciting goals, and I have high confidence that Shaffer is going to reach them. As a Freshman, I myself am excited to finish high school, but not excited for the journey that comes along with the success. It scares me knowing how much frustration you might feel and how much determination you must work up in order to not just quit. I myself do not plan on dropping out, but I know there are a lot of students everywhere who are. Many choose to leave school simply because it's hard; and I get that it's hard, even though I’m just a Freshman I get that feeling: that overwhelming, annoyed, and angry feeling. That annoyance you feel toward the teacher or your peers, or the assignment that was due last week. That painful feeling you feel from dodgeball in gym class or the headache you got after listening to a 35 minute lecture the teachers expect you to learn in a day. I get that, probably not in the same way you do. Students like Shaffer show how we can push through these daily challenges and persevere to really accomplish something special. Maybe I’ll reconsider my opinion on dropping out in a few years. I don’t know, but I’m going to find out.
Anne Godlin 10/29/2021
After 3 years of balancing school and soccer, senior and varsity soccer player Kyle Johnson is looking forward to having fun at sporting events and playing with his team this year. Recently, Johnson has been voted the #1 player in the sectional, meaning he has also made All-State and All-Midwest. Additionally, community has meant a lot to Johnson while in high school. After having one of his soccer seasons cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Johnson had to navigate many challenges, and in doing so, he recognized the value of his team. Having people who help you not only grow individually, but also lead others has shaped the person Kyle Johnson has become. With the help of his teammates, Kyle’s confidence has grown and now instead of just being a part of his team, he has become one of its leaders as well. Johnson says his team has meant a lot to him and his leadership has evolved from “seeing how the upperclassmen treated me as an underclassmen and being able to show that to the underclassmen.”
Academically, Johnson has always had an interest in science. He says that his favorite courses at Central have been the science courses, and that he hopes to study biology in college. Johnson hopes to use his interest in science and biology to one day work in the medical field.
Stormi Cook 10/29/2021
Seniors are a big deal, so it seems appropriate to get their point of view right? Right. For this spotlight I interviewed Lily Weaver, a senior who enjoys Cross Country & Track. Lily is hoping to study Bioengineering in college. Her favorite class at Central is AP physics. Her favorite memory is practicing for the pole vault, an event in track. 10 years from now she sees herself in the medical career or school. One thing she will miss after graduating college is her teachers. One place she would like to visit is China, because half of her family is from there. She wants to be remembered as a good friend. Three words to describe her are: hardworking, friendly & loyal. Three things she wants to do in her lifetime are: travel, meet new people, and help the world. Lily’s advice to freshmen is: take extracurriculars, have fun, and don’t underestimate yourself!
As a freshman, I think the Senior Spotlights are a great idea because people, including myself, tend to think that seniors have it easy. When they don’t! They still have classes to ace, universities to apply for, and on top of that they are still humans who need to sleep, eat and stay healthy. It is not easy being a senior. I’m a freshman and am stressed out with schoolwork. I can’t imagine what it’s like to have to juggle school, applications, work, personal and social life. I’ve seen so many TV shows over the years, and trust me, NONE of them are completely accurate, as far as I know. It is not that easy. It’s hard for me to imagine what someone’s life is actually like, especially when they aren’t in a book, or from a TV show/movie. Anyway what I’m trying to say is Seniors do not have it easy, no high schooler does, and it's good to get in on their interest. It's always good to get their advice. You never know when you might need it.
Kerr Tu 10/29/2021
In the United States, most kids get their own cell phones by around 12 years old. But how do middle and high school students handle phone usage? In high school, students have been using cell phones all over the place, causing concerns about how phone usage affects their education. Therefore, in middle school, students are strongly encouraged to leave their cell phones in lockers, except during lunch and sports practices.
Here at Central High School, there have been a lot of students using cell phones because they like to chat with their friends on how they do in school and how they get together.
“I use my phone in high school a lot because it helps me finish assignments on time.” said senior Lucy Moss, the host of the Chronicle. “I even have Google Classroom on my phone.”
Some students often use their phones less in high school than they did in middle school because they have a lot of homework to do.
“I used my phone a lot during 6th-8th grade. Now, I only use my phone when I have nothing else to do.” said sophomore Tom Costello.
Some students don’t use their phones very often because they have lots of work to do in both middle and high school and they don’t want to get distracted.
“I probably turn my phone on less because I have homework and more important things to do.” said freshman Drew Iddings.
Cell phones have been a common mode of communication in the 21st century as they become more popular among middle and high school and college/university students.
Ororo Taylor 10/29/2021
Difference is an act, while assimilation is a reaction, to the faces, comments, and names called to many minorities in school. But, Rameen Asif, a Central student, uses her experience and culture to overcome it all and find love for a culture that was once used to degrade her with her story “Lost & Found”.
When asked “What Would be the desired outcome of Lost & Found?”, the author Rameen Asif responds with “to reflect that you don’t change so much of yourself to fit in with others”, after speaking with the teacher who assigned the project Carolyn Kodes and asking “What was your initial reaction when you first read the piece?” She responds “[Rameen] was so open and so brave”, showing us that bravery comes in many forms and we can all learn how to be our truest selves no matter the opinions of others.
The Lost and Found
“What happened?”, “Why did it happen?”, “Why did we let it happen”, were the questions that were constantly at the tip of our tongue. It was never that easy trying to fit in society with its norms, and standards. We both tried so hard to “find ourselves” that we lost ourselves on the way.
It was bright and early, mid-October, the air was cold and crisp. High wind could be heard whooshing as the windows were creaked open. The sounds of hums, murmurs, and sighs in the background as we paid no attention to the show we were dying to watch. Just lost in our own thoughts, too busy to hear the front door open. “Girls”, my dad called from the doorway. Instantly I and Menahil got up to help my dad out with the groceries. And the caramel ice coffee and bagels we have every morning. Walking towards the smell of warm rice and mixed spices, biryani from last night. It was coming from the kitchen as if it was freshly baked, with the bags and cups not murmuring a single word. “Thanks, baba,” I say as my sisters trail along beside me grabbing their bagels and drinks. As we walked back to get lost in our thoughts again.
From food to clothing. The style we eat or the style we talk. There are parts of the desi culture that are the most popular and remembered. And those parts that aren’t remembered, often forgotten. Or even forcefully forgotten. It takes courage to accept a culture you hated and wanted nothing more to do than forget about it.
“Finally,” My best friend Ulaya says to me.
“Finally,” I say as we continue to walk down the cracked stairs of school. Sitting at the gray lunch table with friends. Hating every aspect of myself. From my skin to my background. Looking around wishing I was somebody rather than myself. Enough of these thoughts I said to myself as I got up to get in the line. To get the unpleasantly cold food I was never gonna touch.
Such beautiful clothing, handmade designs, and patterns. I thought to myself as I wore my Eid clothes. The charcoal color kameez that reminded me of the suit my mom wore at my uncles’ wedding. The charcoal-colored shalwar seemed as if it was made for me. I walked towards the mirror admiring how beautiful it is. The length, the fighting, the colors, all of it I said to myself. “Rameen come on breakfast is ready” my mom yells from the kitchen. I take one last glance in the mirror. Opening my door and welcoming in the smell of spice, and the mint that’s always on top of every desi dish. “Naan channay,” I said out loud. “Yes, now come on and make chai also tell baba to come and eat,” my mother says. “okay,” I say back.
Culture, Background, Me is the only way I see myself. The only right way I see myself. Sitting at the dinner table ready to eat with, family. Family that I wished I wasn’t a part of. Family that I wished didn’t have a certain background. Hating myself for every horrible thought I used to have.
Getting away from that environment and those people was the best thing that ever happened. I had to repeat to myself as if it was a pill I had to bite and not swallow. It was for the best it was for the best.
It was for the best that I wasn’t born the way I wanted to be born, to fit into a society that I wanted to fit into so badly. To be born without culture or background. From food, clothing, to morals. I love and cherish where I come from.
I like to believe everything happens for a reason. You get put in certain situations, you meet certain people all for a reason. My situation was hating myself, and my culture. And of course, there are still parts of me I’m not comfortable with yet. But developing physically and mentally is what you get out of these situations. The only way I was ever going to be comfortable was by accepting the aspects of myself that I hated. Over the time of quarantine, when we all were locked in our houses. I had felt more connected and comfortable with my background than ever. If I wasn’t I wouldn’t be writing this. The only way I did was by taking the smallest of smallest aspects of myself, accepting them, and cherishing them. From food to clothing. Ask me anything now and I’ll answer it with joy. There is still a lot that I have to learn about my culture and myself, but where I’m at right now is way better than I was before.
Glossary:
Shalwar Kameez: The official dress of Pakistan. The kameez is is a long shirt or tunic and shalwars are trousers that are pleated at the west, wide at the legs and narrow to a cuffed bottom. The shalwar kameez is worn with a long scarf or shawl called a dupatta in some regions.
Naan Channay: One of the official breakfast of Pakistan. Consists of naan bread served with a gravy made of chickpea
Chai: The national tea of Pakistan
Samaira Sandil and Karina Josephitis 10/29/2021
The upperclassmen at Central have had the privilege of leaving school premises during their 6th hour lunches, and having a public park at such a close proximity to the building, there is no doubt that many students spend their 50 minutes of freedom there.
The 11th and 12th graders shared the importance of space and peace away from their chaotic and busy school schedules. Junior Erin Patton described West Side Park as a “safe-space” for students to hangout, and similarly Junior Rohan Pluta described the positives of having a “big public space” nearby, where kids can get some fresh air and be out of their seats.
“It’s something I look forward to,” said Junior Brianna Freeburg. “I don’t have a car so I can’t really go anywhere. Just having a place to go that’s nearby…is nice.”
Some students find themselves at the park looking for alone time, while others use it as a place to interact with friends. Rohan Pluta explained, “I just hang by myself and walk the perimeter of the park,” while many others bring their friends along to sit under the trees or on the benches.
Brianna Freeburg recounted an interesting confrontation with a squirrel during one of her past lunch periods. “It was almost coming towards me…I was freaking out and almost running away,” she explained.
Despite this, these students rarely miss the opportunity to connect with nature. All of the upperclassmen that talked about their experiences revealed that they visit West Side “almost every day,” and only stay in for reasons such as inhibiting weather or due assignments.
While the juniors and seniors have such moments to convey, lowerclassmen do not. As open-lunches are reserved for the older group of students, the younger group has relied on their PE classes or even others to take them to the park or outside in general. However, this year at a board meeting it was unofficially instituted that teachers will no longer be permitted to bring their classes to the park, forcing freshmen and sophomores inside the building for around seven and a half hours straight.
Sophomore Fatima Mohamed commented, “I understand that letting the older kids out is a better decision…but with COVID I was expecting for them to let us out more.” Sophomore Aislyn Frye like-mindedly said, “Being inside all day with a mask on is really annoying. It feels suffocating at times…we would usually go to the park during PE since it gives us a chance to be outside.”
However, the school has strong reasoning behind why this new rule came to be. P.E. instructor and Central Coach Guthrie Hood said, “A number of negative incidents occurring during physical education classes at the park and inability to provide a secure learning environment for our students resulted in the Physical Education Department deciding that the potential for negative experiences outweighed the potential benefits of having PE outside.”
Coach Hood also mentioned that construction of a new athletic facility off of Church Street is in progress, and with that secure location the school will “resume outdoor activities as an option for [their] classes.”
Ultimately, all of these students simply wish for more time spent outdoors, and despite the opportunity coming more easily to certain groups, West Side Park is open and welcoming to those students seeking some fresh air during the day.
Lucy Moss 10/29/2021
The National Merit Scholarship program is a way for high academic achieving students to receive recognition and scholarships. To be entered into the competition students must take the PSAT/SAT and receive a high score.
The program has 5 different levels of recognition: program recognition, commended students, semi finalists, finalits, and winner selection. Students can receive National Merit Scholarships of $2,500, Corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards, or College-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards. Even if you are not a finalist you have a chance at receiving a Special Scholarship.
This year Central had 5 seniors, Lily Weaver, Oskar Hansen, Tanish Khadse, Adele Miller, and Shreya Sachdev, who were recognized by the program.
Lily Weaver said “ I'm really surprised and excited that I qualified to be a National Merit semifinalist. To me, it’s kind of a way that the work I put into school paid off”.
“It is a great honor to be commended in this competition, as I was one of the 50,000 highest scores on the test in the country. I'm very happy that I was commended for my score, and I congratulate the others who were commended, and our one semifinalist especially”, said Oskar Hansen.
But qualifying for this award and eventually being recognized was not easy.
Hansen said, “I studied pretty well for this test, as I had been thinking of this test as an indicator of how I would do on the SAT, so naturally I wanted to do well”.
“The hardest part of the scholarship process was probably writing the essay when I applied to be a National Merit finalist”, said Weaver.
However, help can always be found at Central High School.
Weaver said, “My counselor really helped guide me through the process, especially when I was applying to be a finalist”.
Weaver and Hansen also had advice for underclassmen who are preparing to take the PSAT/SAT and want to receive recognition or scholarships.
Weaver said, “Study for the PSAT!! Find the sections that you struggle most with and practice those. Also, note that there are a lot of steps to the National Merit competition.”
Hansen said, “Treat it like another test, remain relaxed about it”.
If you are someone interested in looking into and qualifying for this scholarship, visit www.nationalmerit.org, to learn more.
Lizzie Johnson 10/29/2021
Students at Central High school have a lot going on! On top of schoolwork, sports, clubs, jobs, and other extracurricular activities, some students run their own businesses. Senior Naveen just started their business LUNIRA, “where tarot, astrology, poetry, and beauty come together.” You can follow LUNIRA on their Instagram page @luniraofficial and visit their website at https://luniraofficial.carrd.co/
Naveen has been interested in poetry since they were young and was inspired by their parents writing poetry. They have published two poetry collections during their freshman and sophomore years respectively entitled Scattered Mind and The Light In Life.
Astrology and spirituality have been a part of Naveen’s childhood since they were a child, but they “came back to it years later with an open mind.” It helps Naveen to “connect with the universe… and with myself.” Naveen hopes to “open people’s minds” with their business. They said in an interview, “I know spirituality is very mainstream these days because of a false understanding of what it truly is, and a lot of young adults stray away from exploring it because of misunderstanding.” One goal they have for their business is to educate people about astrology, tarot, and spirituality, and to get people out of their comfort zone. Naveen says they have “felt the first-hand effects of [their] readings helping others,” and hopes to inspire people to test it out.
Naveen’s favorite part of what they do is “helping [people] understand more about themselves through tarot,” and “building the trust… and seeing the release of others when they open themselves up spiritually and emotionally.” They provide passionate and personal experiences and are welcoming to all. You can support them by following their social media and checking out their website to see the services they offer!
Isabel Curtis 10/29/2021
Outside café Kopi located at the bisection of Walnut and Neil, a little area with a beautiful gazebo awaits. Popular with juniors and senior students at Central, this area is a fun place within walking distance to hang out before or after school, or during lunch. To get there from Central go to Park Avenue and take a right and walk until you get to Elm Street or West Side park. From there, take another right onto University Avenue, and then take a left onto Walnut Street. If you don’t want café food, that's fine as Pizzeria Antica, Esquire Lounge, The Blind Pig Co, Seven Saints, and Suzu’s Bakery are also in that general area.
Charlotte Heads & Jaylee Elsts 10/29/2021
With fall in full swing, the students and staff of Champaign Central are ready to celebrate. Mrs. Pickell, Central’s librarian, shared the mysteries, and spooky-themed books that she's been reading lately. Pickell opens with Tiffany Jackson’s White Smoke. “This is her newest book,” Pickell says in regards to the popular author. “It's perfect for fall.” White Smoke follows the story of a young girl, Marigold, as she hides from the metaphorical ghosts of her past and the flesh-and-bone ghosts that haunt her new life.
Ava is a sophomore who loves a good classic. Right now, she is reading Anne of Green Gables. In the novel, an orphan, Anne, is accidentally sent to live with adoptive parents who are expecting a boy. Anne is far from what they were expecting, as she is spunky and outgoing. She gets into plenty of trouble, but she is a truly loveable and relatable character, known for her famous quote “I am so glad to live in a world where there are Octobers.”
According to Ava, the next book on her list is Emma by Jane Austen. In 19th century England, Emma is a wealthy, well-respected heiress, who takes it upon herself to influence her friends' lives and coerce new people into her world. When people finally stand up to her, Emma realizes exactly how much she’s hurting her loved ones, and changes her ways. Emma’s story is a whimsical staple in the world of classic literature, perfect for a crisp autumn day
Maisey Schmidt, a 9th and 10th grade English teacher, also favors older books. “I’m so stuck in 1920 to [19]60” Schmidt explains. One of her favorite books is the famed Great Gatsby, a story of new money and failed romance. Realistic fiction is a staple in Schmidt’s bookshelf, with the recent addition of Sylvia Plath’s Bell Jar, the story of a young poet in 1953.
You can check out Hoopla, Libby, or audible for audiobooks. There are also even more resources through our own libraries website https:/marroonlibrary.org
Lucy Moss 10/29/2021
With the fall season comes fall flavors, and the cafes around Champaign have lots of yummy seasonal drinks and baked goods to enjoy during these autumn months.
To have the best experience, there are things you should and should not do when visiting your local cafe.
You should wear something seasonal. This can include a turtleneck and a wool trench coat. It’s fall - your outfit should reflect that! I also suggest a pair of four inch leather boots.
While the boots might not be for everyone, having good company is. Bring a friend or good book along with you. I suggest books because they are quiet and you’ll never have to pay for their drink because they “forgot their wallet”, but a friend works too.
You should not be loud in a cafe. People are reading or working, and when people come in loudly, it ruins the atmosphere. Talk with a volume appropriate for the library - I promise you whatever you're talking about isn’t that important anyway.
Not only are disruptions unwanted, but not tipping and not wearing a mask is basically a crime. Independent, small cafes are far better than any Starbucks or Dunkin’ Donuts, and we’d like them to stay in business, so please tip generously - it's common courtesy. Not only is it required by the state of Illinois to wear a mask in public indoor places, but no one wants to contract diseases while standing in line for a coffee. Some cafes, like Avionics, have had to shut down because of positive COVID cases among workers. So do your part to help to help the community and the cafes that help make our town so wonderful.
With this, I’d like to recommend three cafes that are perfect to get fall flavored goods at and to relax in during the fall season. Keep in mind that in the pictures shown, the portions are smaller than what was given. I cut the baked goods so they would fit on the plate and poured small quantities of the drinks into smaller mugs, and I also may have eaten most of it on the way home. Maybe.
The first stop is Pekara, a bakery & bistro located on Prospect and Springfield. Its display case is always full of breads, muffins, cakes, and more. They have both outdoor and indoor dining options. While it's not quite as cozy as some cafes, it's a great environment to work in or have a bite to eat with friends. They have delicious sandwiches and soups, and their fries are to die for. I was hoping to get a fall flavored drink here, but they did not have any. However, not to worry as they had fall flavored treats, like the pumpkin bread! At first it lacked flavor, but the more I ate the better it got. Unlike some pumpkin flavored things, it wasn’t too overpowering or artificial-tasting. It was a tad dry, however this could be because it had been sitting out all morning, and I thought it was a little pricey for the portion. Overall I would give it a 7.5/10.
Next I headed to Hopscotch Bakery & Market, located on John and Pine across from South Side Elementary. They had quite a few options for drinks, but I opted for a classic Golden Pumpkin Spiced Latte. The latte was good, but not extraordinary. They also had an array of pumpkin flavored goods, like pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin cupcakes, and even pumpkin cookies. I chose the sweet potato bread pudding with meringue topping. However, in contrast to the latte, the bread pudding was fabulous. It wasn’t too sweet, but the meringue made up for it. Additionally, the sweet potato was different enough from the pumpkin flavor to be something new, and I was pleasantly surprised. I give the latte a 6/10 and the bread pudding a 10/10.
Last I went to Cafe Kopi on Neil. This is one of my favorite cafes in town: it's so cozy inside. This is a great place to sit for hours and work or read, or to listen to music and just slow down and take in your surroundings. It's located in downtown Champaign, and they have great outdoor seating. It’s the perfect place to people-watch. They had many seasonal lattes, but I decided on a pumpkin spiced hot chocolate and chocolate chip pumpkin bread. The bread was sweeter and more flavorful than Pekara’s, due to the chocolate chips, but like Pekara’s, it wasn’t artificial-tasting or too overwhelming. The hot chocolate was delicious as well, and the chocolate and spice mix went very nicely together. I give the bread a 9.5/10 and the hot chocolate a 9/10.
Local Business Lookout with Janani Pattabi 9/30/2021
Calling all bookworms with a sweet tooth, check out The Literary! This fall, The Literary will be opening in Downtown Champaign along with a second location of Hopscotch Bakery + Market inside of it. The store will open at the location of the former Hank’s Table on 122 North Neil Street. The Literary is an independently owned bookstore and wine bar that has partnered with Hopscotch to serve a variety of pastries, coffees, along with an exclusive menu of small plates that will be offered throughout the day, with an emphasis on the evening.
The owner, Jenny Shima stated that the all-in-one store that is The Literary is based on the concept of the third place. “When you’re at home,” Shima explains, “that’s your first place, work is your second place, and people need a third place, a place where they can belong without having to meet any kind of standards. You can come as you are and feel comfortable and engage with other people and materials in ways that are meaningful to you.” The Literary is meant to be a space where people can come together, share ideas and conversation, and build relationships with their community.
Shima’s dream for The Literary is for it to be something that ‘Chambana’ is proud of and for it to be a place that brings something unique and needed for the people who live here. She hopes that her bookstore will be a compliment to the environment and community that’s been created and for people to feel welcome. “I want [The Literary] to be the physical manifestation of a hug.” Shima joked.
The Literary is filled with a variety of books. The whole left side of the store is dedicated to anyone’s fiction needs, as they offer a range of genres from Mystery/Thriller to Young Adult Romance, while the right side contains nonfiction books such as cookbooks, self help books, and biographies. An interesting thing to note is their promotion of local authors, with their books lining various shelves, and according to Lit’s General Manager, Jenny Kim, The Literary plans to have displays containing local authors’s works. Along with that, they’ve been speaking with a few local authors about doing book readings and signings once they’ve gotten their doors open. “We want to help support local authors by giving them the visibility that can be very hard to get from big-box stores.” Shima explains.
If you’re looking for something that isn’t available in store, don’t worry! The Literary allows book requests which they can have ordered and ready for pickup in up to two days. They also plan to sell online through the site bookshop.org, a website that supports local bookshops. You can also support The Literary through libro.fm where 30 percent of the profits from a book purchase could go to the store. In addition to books and tasty treats, the Literary will sell pins, shirts, tote bags, and pieces of jewelry.
The Literary plans on hosting many exciting events. They want to partner with other niche interest groups in town and have events such as ‘knit nights’ and ‘Astronomy on Tap.’
Down the line, The Literary also plans to host book clubs. A member of their staff has worked at a children’s bookstore and has experience cultivating young adult, middle grade, and children audiences. “Obviously there’s nothing concrete yet because we’re just in the opening stages,” Kim states. “But we are hoping to make it a place where teens who love to read can come in and find new favorites or [have discussions] with other people who also love books.” Shima wants to collaborate and support schools as much as possible, as the Literary plans on giving public school teachers a discount when shopping for books. These all could be further areas of interest for Central students. Shima also would love to connect with teen writers in the u4sd community, through possible writing workshops hosted by local authors and writing showcases. “We would love to be a part of anything that the schools want to collaborate on.” Shima said.
Shima hopes to foster a wide and diverse community. “I want all of it,” Shima says. “I want everybody to feel like they can come here, as they are and belong.” The Literary is intended to create a space for support and a very congenial environment. “I really want us to find things that we have in common, more than the things that divide us… We want to be a place where that can happen.” Shima says.
A major factor of The Literary is their collaboration with Hopscotch Bakery + Market, another local business in the Champaign/Urbana area. Located on 802 W John St, Hopscotch specializes in pastries and other baked goods while offering a variety of caffeinated drinks for guests to enjoy. Hopscotch is also offering an exclusive savory menu of small plates featuring dishes like paninis. This may be a place of interest for Central upperclassmen looking for a new restaurant to dine in during open lunch. “Please come!” Shima said. “We’d love to have you guys here for lunch. This is going to be a great place to come and hang out with your friends and have something to eat.”
Shima explained how she reached out to Kaya Speagle, co-owner of Hopscotch Bakery asking to collaborate for The Literary. After sitting down for coffee, Speagle and Shima agreed to work together. “We clicked immediately. Shima explained. “When she walked into this space I’d already gotten the lease, picked out the furniture and all the designs, and it just flowed so perfectly with her brand already that we didn't have to really try at all. It's been one of the great pleasures for me of this experience.” However, this isn’t simply just a second location for Hopscotch. “We are functioning in this space as two arms both on the same body.” Shima stated. So we're creating that vision together using our specific specialties to bring that about. I mean books without coffee? What is that?”
This isn’t Shima’s first business as she had a software startup for several years before this endeavor, with the aim of helping small businesses grow by creating a small service business focused marketplace. She had this business for several years before realizing that what she truly wanted was to interact with people on a face-to-face personal basis. She loved creating experiences for people that don’t take place online. She appreciates how much she learned from that experience when it came to running businesses, especially what mistakes to not make twice. She decided to start the Literary as a response to the pandemic and how long we’ve needed to be in quarantine. “People are hungry for gathering and community.” Shima explained “I wanted to be able to create a place for that and I really feel like Champaign Urbana is such a cool, intelligent, diverse, and just really awesome place for that. We deserve a bookstore selling new books that belong to us, that reflects who we are.”
The staff of The Literary believe strongly in the relationship between community building and small businesses. Shima believed small businesses are a reflection of their place or people who have come together around specific things that a community has asked for. “Every time you have a small business that opens in town it’s because someone who lived here noticed that it was needed.” Shima explained. “No one needs something that no one else needs, we don’t exist in a vacuum. So that creates the network of people who are engaging with other people who build the community.” Shima went on further to talk about how many mega corporations can’t really foster that same network local businesses can. “I mean good grief, Amazon has never once delivered community to my door, it has never once made me feel loved or like this is a place where I belong.” Shima stated. “But if you go to Circles Boutique, if you go to any of the bars downtown, if you go to any places that are owned, run, and dreamt up by your neighbors, that means something huge. The more small businesses we have, the stronger our community becomes.”
The Literary is important to the people who brought it to life for various reasons. For Shima, it’s the putting down of roots. “I’ve moved around a lot.” Shima explained. “I’ve lived in many different places in the Midwest my whole life [and I don’t think I’ve ever lived anywhere longer than seven years. I want this to be home forever. I want to make lifelong friendships here and I want to use this as a catalyst for creating that sense of home.” For Kim, working at the Literary is her dream job. “It’s important to me because I want to keep doing this forever.” “While I didn’t move around as much I’ve never felt the sense of being part of this community, of being grounded in one place. I come from a restaurant background and I really enjoy the fostering of a certain environment, of an experience, and being able to cultivate that for people. But I feel like in many places, it’s difficult to make that into something special of your own that is meaningful rather than a nice night out. I care about the people in this community and I want to be able to foster this environment and make this vision that Jenny has brought about come to life.”
Die-hard fans of one of Champaign’s other local bookstores, Jane Addams need not fear. The Literary plans to sell new books to create something called “book block,” where customers have both bookstores for all their book buying needs. “[Jane Addams has] a great selection of used books but they don't really sell much by way of new books.” Shima explained. “So when they have customers coming to their store who want to buy new books and want to do it locally, now they can send them to me and people who are trying to find a book that we don't have because we are not an infinite space like Amazon are Barnes & Noble, we can send them over to Jane Addams to source a lot of really high quality wonderful used and rare books.” Along with that, The Literary intends to offer a different shopping experience than Jane Addams. “You go [to Jane Addams] just to see what you find, and it could be incredible; they have great rare books like out of print books, [and] first edition.” Kim said. “But it’s less of a gathering space and more of a cool experience of browsing and finding whereas here is more of a space where you can relax, and [we] have space [for you] to sit down and drink your coffee while reading.” The relationship between The Literary and Jane Addams will definitely be a complimentary one, and a wonderful way to bring more books to the people of Chambana. As Shima said, “Who doesn’t want more books? Everybody does.”
The Literary is primed to open, it’s just waiting for the go from the city. At the moment, they aren’t allowed to sell any of their products. They recently had a book pop-up on Saturday, September 18th, selling books and other merchandise at Hopscotch Bakery on 802 W John Street, Champaign. So if you want to shop local and are looking for fantastic books, scrumptious food, and a place for literature lovers to come together and form a community, keep an eye out for The Literary!
Samaira Sandil and Jodell Smith 9/30/2021
After a year of significantly shorter school days and much more time to binge-watch our favorite Netflix series, the students of Central have many thoughts to share on how they are handling the change of schedule so far for the 2021-2022 school year.
Due to staff vaccination and pressure from the community alike, Unit 4 has brought back students at full capacity and returned to the original 8:05-3:20 timings.
“This year’s a lot more stressful than last year was,” said Darwyn Sly, a sophomore. The sophomore class has only been exposed to shorter days, which is why student Daniel Herzog said, “there wasn’t as much learning last year as there has been this year.” On an opposite perspective, senior Olivia Thompson said, “It was hard to adjust at first but now I’ve gotten back into the swing of things.”
With a new schedule comes ideas for how to change it. “Longer passing periods and shorter class periods,” suggested sophomore Soraya Peirson. Similarly, freshman Kate Hettinger “would probably make classes 45 minutes instead.” And as far as extra school opportunities, Junior Janani Pattabi would want to “have office hours available in the morning.”
Lengthened time in school, of course, leads to shorter time at home. “Nowadays I have a lot of studying,” revealed freshman Fatimah Sallah. On the contrary, Janani Pattabi doesn’t see that her free time has changed “that much.” Darwyn Sly, Daniel Herzog, and Kate Hettinger all contribute their after-school time to both sports and homework, and Olivia Thompson said, “After school I work,” in addition to homework and lastly some free time for friends.
The most valuable information to take from this article may be the tips from your peers to better manage your own busy agendas. “Definitely get a planner… it’s very standard advice, but it helps immensely,” offered Pattabi, as well as Hettinger. Advice from Sallah was “not to procrastinate,” and similarly Sly’s tip of doing your assignments “right when you get home.” Both Herzog and Thompson recommended completing homework straight away as it’s assigned to optimize free time within a “more difficult,” as Herzog worded it, schedule.
Lizzie Johnson 9/30/2021
Students at Central High school have a lot going on! On top of schoolwork, sports, clubs, jobs, and other extracurricular activities, some students run their own businesses. Jasmine O’Connor is a senior at Central and runs her business Jasmine’s Jewelry Co., where she sells beautiful handcrafted jewelry. All of the jewelry that she creates is “tarnish-free, high quality, and affordably priced. We have inclusive sizing ranges and each piece of jewelry is made especially for you!” She says.
Jasmine is very creative and says her love for jewelry making started when she was young. “I received a small jewelry kit for my seventh or eighth birthday and I have loved making jewelry ever since. It is so exciting to me how I can conceptualize a jewelry piece in my mind and in the next moment I can produce a tangible and wearable version of the item that I envisioned in my head, just the way that I imagined it!” She says.
Jasmine’s goals for her company are “creating a culture of encouragement and giving back to our community”. Jasmine not only loves making the jewelry, she loves helping people to “feel encouraged, confident, and powerful,” as they wear her pieces. She also personally writes cards of encouragement with every order. She meets her goal of helping the community by donating fifty percent of every other month’s proceeds to various charities. Even as a small business, last June she was able to donate almost seven hundred dollars to the Champaign County Branch of the Black Lives Matter organization.
You can connect with Jasmine’s Jewelry Co on social media @jasminesjewelryco and purchase jewelry through her website www.jasminesjewelryco.com. She is hoping to release fall and winter collections soon, as well as DIY handmade jewelry kits that she has been working on for the past year!
Images from Jasmine’s Instagram @jasminesjewelryco
Mackenzie Wranovics 9/30/2021
Curtis Orchard is one of the most well known small family run businesses within the community of Champaign-Urbana. It’s not uncommon to see some familiar faces of Central working at the orchard during its busiest season.
Some of the students that you walk the halls with get the hands-on experience of working through the busy days, long lines, and crazy customers that come through the orchard.
With the orchard’s busiest season right around the corner, the lines are starting to pile up, in the orchard and outside. “Whenever I see the busy lines, I think about what I can do in the moment, like opening more registers. I just have to pace myself through it and get everything settled until it calms down a bit,” says Junior Lucia Pritchard. Lucia has been working as a cashier at Curtis since August. She has seen a handful of lines piling up through the doors. “Sometimes it’s stressful, but it’s all worth it in the end because my coworkers make my experience there very memorable and fun.”
Junior David Dommaraju works in the bakery at the orchard. He starts his morning off at 7:30, baking donuts, glazing and sugaring, and packaging them up for the hungry customers. “Whenever I see the lines that go through the doors, I always think, ‘Wow, they must really want those donuts,’” David said, and it’s true! The donuts are so popular that there are days when they sell out. “There are usually people waiting outside the orchard doors before we open waiting to get their hands on the fresh batch.”
There are more positions than just the ones inside the store, there are also people who have to man the outdoor activity stations for the kids. Junior Langston Span is one of the many familiar faces you might see working out there. “I love getting to see all the animals that are walking around. Like the cats; sometimes I even get a few surprises from the horses,” Langston said. The orchard has many cute cats and kittens running around throughout the season, some of which are up for adoption. “It definitely gets stressful working all day from opening to closing but at the same time, it’s worth it because of the people I’m around and all the people and animals I get to meet on a daily basis.”
With fall just coming up, Curtis Orchard seems like the perfect place to be working and visiting. The orchard offers all kinds of positions from working on the pumpkin squad, baking donuts, cashing people out, outdoor activities, and picking apples for cider and donuts. Who knows, you might even work with someone you might know!
Stormi Cook and Charlotte Heads 9/30/2021
The Prairie Research Institute's Paleontology Department, established in 2017, consists of thousands of one-of-a-kind specimens, including the Milton Sanderson Amber Collection, curated by Sam Heads (first photo). Working with Heads, Jake Tamarri (second photo), an alumnus of Central High School, is an undergrad at the U of I. “Working with Sam and Jared has opened so many doors that were previously closed,” Tamarri said. “I feel so lucky to be here; living in the Midwest, there aren't many opportunities for Paleontology”. Tamarri says “I've wanted to be a paleontologist ever since I was a little kid, that love for dinosaurs just never went away”. Tamarri hopes to finish his Master’s degree in Paleontology and is considering a doctorate. His thesis surrounding the Renova Formation of Montana.
Throughout the summers of 2015, 2016, and 2018, a team from the U of I was sent out to Madison County, Montana, where they excavated fossil plants and insects from the Oligocene era shale. Danielle Ruffato (pictured below), who works with graphics and social media for PRI, doesn't work directly with the Paleontology Department, but hopes to continue examining the botanical fossils of the area. “The Montana digs were some of the best times I've ever had,” she said. Ruffato comes from a background in plant biology and if she returns to the Renova formation project, she would be investigating the past flora of the formations. “One of the challenges I face is time management, balancing work projects and daytime hours in terms of what I want to do in professional development, whether web development, research, or a new project,” says Ruffato.
Jared Thomas (above), another member of the Ruby River project, is currently working towards a Master’s at the U of I. When asked about his goals for future research and impact, Thomas said “hopefully it'll inspire people to take another look at this area.” The formation studied in the Ruby River Project has not been worked on since the seventies, and the U of I's team is working to make that data (and eventually more) accessible to the public so that we can learn more about the climate and ecosystem of the area. “A lot of material was collected back then in the fifties and sixties and then nothing was really done with it,” says Thomas. The material collected both previously and that from the current excavations will be shared through museums and research departments across the country, and will be the key to teasing apart the past climate of the area.
Thomas' main focus is running the paleo database and curatorial business. By the end of 2022, the department hopes to form a mini-museum, open to the public by appointment. The collections would be available to schools to go on field trips and researchers from other museums. The Renova formation has a rich fossil record that will eventually teach us about the climate and environment of this area of Montana.
Ororo Taylor 9/30/2021
As the world reopens while still in the midst of the pandemic, the doors of Central High School open as well. While all students are experiencing an unprecedented situation, the freshman class of 2025 is uniquely positioned.
Ororo Taylor interviews a group of Central High Schools freshmen to get their opinions on the ordeal along with their hopes for the upcoming school year.
Babette Bradley and Landon Bodine describe their freshmen year as “different.” Bradley explained that the most challenging thing about freshman year so far was “being with people that I don’t necessarily know.” Eliya Moore jokingly replied that the most challenging thing about Freshman year so far is “going to my locker.”
However, 60% of the interviewed freshmen students reported that they haven’t been affected by COVID personally. They maintain normalcy by continuing to communicate with friends like normal, says Eliya Moore.
Luke Swanson reported that he goes to football practice after school just like life before COVID and the fan turnout has not been affected either.
Overall the Champaign Central High School Freshmen Class Maroons have shown their strength during this time by finding normalcy and laughter during this time.