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Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Standardized Tests
By: Emily Casey

 I'm sure you have a favorite day of the school year. Well, so do I. Wanna know what it is? 
Standardized Test Day! Woohoo!
 I really don't think testing periods are as bad as others make them out to be. Think about it:
  • You don't feel like you are missing out on anything by going to sleep an hour or two early
  • If you go to Vanguard, there are freaking bagels and cream cheese awaiting your arrival
  • If you don't go to Vanguard, chances are your big breakfast request made to
    your mom will be granted
  • You have complete silence for around 4 hours
  • You get let out early


I mean, c'mon! This is a win/win here, people!
I do understand, however, that this day can be incredibly stressful for people. Let me tell you, though, studying really helps to calm the nerves. Proper preparation for things like this are key. It is really easy to saunter into the classroom with a ton of confidence- and then completely bomb the whole thing. I've done it, your parents have done it, your teachers have done it. In turn, it is also just as easy to be an anxious mess, receive your scores in the mail a couple weeks later, and be pleasantly surprised. Also, as bad as it seems having to take some kind of exam every year, it truly helps you out in the long run. If college is in the cards for you, you may find it extremely helpful to delve into your past scores and break down your strengths, weaknesses, and improvements. Tutoring is also an option. I know, I know, you're probably thinking, "Why is she giving this advice now? Exams are over!". My answer for you is simple: because I wish I would have better prepared. 
I'm confident in my intelligence and abilities,
but it never hurts to refine and sharpen the skills you already possess. 


I hope you all are satisfied with you performance-
if not, you can always retake it!
Good luck next year, Sophomores,
and "congratulations" to Juniors!

Thursday, April 18, 2013

The Parking Lot is Flooded 
(and I'm Stuck on Compass Learning)
By: Emily Casey


Greetings, Vipers. 
Currently, the situation outside of our cozy school's walls looks a bit like this:

 (Lake Vanguard is awaiting speed boat season)

How this even happened, I am really not sure. Yesterday, I was enjoying a nice Chipotle burrito at lunch while watching the rain lightly drizzle onto the pavement. This morning, I woke up to cracks of thunder and lightning and a puddle several inches deep beneath my car door. I unwillingly made the trek to school in my not suitable-for-this-weather Honda Accord. Upon arrival,  I discovered a parking lot resembling the Great Lakes. Lovely. I quickly weighed my options. "Should I turn around and go home?" "Did my mom not tell me the school called to alert of a closing?" "Should I just drive around the dry parking lot and search for familiar cars?" I decided on my last thought and pulled around Forest View to find Mr. Gustafson looking thrilled to be outside. He ushered me into school where I carried on with a regular school day. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits, though all felt the need to vocally describe the depth and size of the pooled water. Thank you, by the way,  I hadn't noticed it on my half-hour parking adventure. Anyways, being holed up in school with 3 feet of water outside the doors is not very appealing. It seems to be making everyone more tired and irritable than normal, with me included. I have been watching U.S. History II unfold before my eyes via Compass Learning for the past 3 hours. This post is really just me ranting. Sorry. Not like you have anything better to do than read this, anyways. Unless, of course, you get the bright idea to go swimming in the street like I did in 2008. (By the way, you will be at risk for E. Coli. My mom didn't let me out for a week after that.) Enjoy your rainy day and don't drive, please. We already witness how bad Chicago drivers are when it is barely cloudy out, so I'd hate to see the traffic massacre that a flood would cause. Watch Netflix or something, kid. 
Lake Vanguard doesn't look like it will dry up anytime soon. 

P.S. The day already sucks, so why not make it worse?
Here is Chicago's pride and joy, sinking to a murky death:

  

 

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

Filling Your Bucket 
By: Emily Casey

 

In the beginning of the year, a lot of Vanguard students participated in a project of "bucket filling". This came about due to a children's book titled, "Have You Filled a Bucket Today?" by author Carol McCloud. The story instills positive thoughts in young minds. However, the old and young adults at Vanguard were all very inspired. Our own Olivia Gabcova and Sam Schmidt have even been working on a "bucket" wall mural just outside of our library. Great stuff. Now, to get to the real point of this post. Summer is coming up quickly... in fact, at this very moment, we have exactly 41 days until our class of 2013 graduates (not including weekends). "Have You Filled a Bucket Today?" brings tips on how to, figuratively, fill yourself up with happy emotions, thoughts, and a clear mindset. I thought it would be fun to fill a "summer bucket". Everyone always creates the ultimate goal list of things they want to do over vacation, but unfortunately, a lot of their plans are unrealistic and hard to attain. I'm not shutting down your dreams of going on an African Safari in Kenya, but I am going to give you some, well... cheaper and closer-to-home options to make your break off of school worthwhile!

I tried to accumulate events in and around the area, free and with a fee, and even some mid-day boredom crafts, workouts, etc. The goal is to find something safe, fun, and appealing to all interests. So, hopefully you get some ideas from this... let's begin!

        Concerts/Festivals:
  •  Zac Brown Band
    Alpine Valley, June 8
  • Black Flag and Good For You
    Reggie's Rock Club, June 8 - 9
  • Spring Awakening Festival
    Soldier Field, June 15 - 16 
  • Wavefront Music Festival
    Montrose Beach, July 5 - 7
  • Justin Bieber
    United Center, July 9
  • One Direction
    FMB Amphitheatre, July 13
  • Bruno Mars and Ellie Goulding
    United Center, July 13
  • Fleetwood Mac
    Allstate Arena, June 14
  • Beyonce

  • NKOTB, Boyz II Men, 98 Degrees
    Allstate Arena, July 18 - 19
  • Pitchfork Festival
    Union Park, July 19 - 21
  • Phish
    Charter One, July 19
  • Vans Warped Tour
    FWB Amphitheatre, July 20
  • Jay-Z and Justin Timberlake
    Soldier Field, July 22
  • Taylor Swift and Ed Sheerhan
    Soldier Field, August 10
  • North Coast Festival
    Union Park, August 30 - September 1

     Upcoming Movie Releases:
  •  The Internship
    Owen Wilson/Vince Vaughn, June 7
  •  This is the End
    Seth Rogen/James Franco, June 12
  • Man of Steel
    Henry Cavill/Amy Adams, June 14
  • World War Z
    Brad Pitt, June 21
  • Monsters University
    John Goodman/Billy Crystal, June 21
  • White House Down
    Channing Tatum, June 28
  • Lone Ranger
    Johnny Depp, July 3
  • Despicable Me 2
    Al Pacino/Steve Carell, July 3
  • Grown Ups 2
    Adam Sandler/Chris Rock, July 12
  • Elysium
    Matt Damon/Jodie Foster, August 9

    No Cost/Cheap
    :


    Free Museum Days:
    Adler Planetarium - June 4, 5, 6, 10, 11, 12
    Art Institute
    - June 5, 12, July 3, 10, August 7, 14
    Chicago Botanic Gardens - Every day, with $25 parking

    Lincoln Park Zoo
    - Every day 

    Museum of Sci. and Industry - June 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
    Field Museum
    - Same as Sci. and Industry


    Navy Pier
    :

    Ferris Wheel, Swings, Mini-Golf, Fun House

    Fireworks - every Wed. and Sat., July to August 
    Shrek: The Musical - July 13 to September 1
    Cirque Shanghai: Dragon's Thunder - May 24 - Sept. 2 

    Random:

    - Lake Arlington Paddle Boats -
    - Community Pools -
    (Big Surf, Meadows, Pioneer, etc)
    - Skateparks -
    (Favorites include: Bolingbrook, Logan Square, Euclid)
    - Ride the train, get out anywhere, explore! -
    - Get crafty or bake something via Pinterest
    -
    - Go to the beach... duh! -
    - Indiana Dunes -
    - Wolff's Flea Market in Allstate Arena parking lot -
    (click here for days/hours/prices)
    - Get a job! Stay busy! Save up for the school year! -
    - Join a gym! -
    (Planet Fitness has locations all over, around $20 per month,
    free pizza 1st Monday of every month... uh, yes please!)
    - Save some money and use nature as your gym! -
    Bike the forest preserves and hike some great campgrounds!
    - Go camping/road tripping! -
    (Make sure you do some research on where is OK to set up camp,
    be prepared for the worst and expect the best!)
    ENJOY SUMMER 2013!



    Thursday, April 4, 2013

    Bi-Annual Blood Drive!


    A huge thanks to everyone that donated this April!
    LifeSource, Vanguard, and bodies around the world are forever grateful!

    Nick Childers
    Krista Grein
    Josh Chevere
    Shae Anders
    Miguel Marin
    Olivia Gabcova
    Jasmine Estrada
    Katlyn Edgar
    Pete Miller
    Anny Vazquez
    Randy Santos
    Kelsey Ramirez
    Brad Henning
    Diana Bahena
    Jackie Simons
    Emily Laxner
    Julia Fogarty
    Ally Bednarak
    Jorge Cervantes
    Sam Schmidt
    Krystal Garver
    Danny Prado
    Mr. Kain
    Mrs. Meister
    Mrs. O'Neill
    Dr. Koralik
    Mrs. Anzalone
    Mr. Gustafson
    Mrs. Garcia
    Mr. Impastato

    Also, thanks to those who brought/encouraged friends!
    An honorable mention to Mrs. DeMeo for recruiting donors :)

    St. Baldrick's 2013- a triumph!
    By: Emily Casey


     
                One of the most talked about events of the year is always the hair-shaving, Cancer-fighting fundraiser known as "St. Baldrick's Day". Most of you know exactly what it's about, so I'll be kind and save you the length of that summary. However, I would like to touch on some feedback about the day's meaning, given to us by our own (Vanguard) students. Everybody who participated seemed to have some kind of backing story for their actions whether it was cutting off inches, receiving a green extension, or donating copious amounts of money to the cause.

                "St. Baldrick's Day has changed the way I look at a lot of things. There are so many generous people in the world and in our school. I started to get pretty emotional when the hair shaving started." - Amelia Ellis

                And then we have students, such as Vanguard alum Sabrina Cuevas, who are personally impacted by the horrors of cancer and the change that donations can make. Sadly, Sabrina was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 of the bones. She engaged in a lengthy visit with Mrs. Meister and was filmed speaking of stories from childhood and shedding positive light on what is such an unfortunate situation. Personally speaking as a friend of Sabrina, she is one of the strongest people I know- a real, self-made woman. When we had first met, I was inspired. She was attending school, working a full-time job, and still had the time and energy to look as beautiful as ever.

                The kindness and many emotions displayed on this day are overwhelming. Speeches are given that express love, loss, and hope. Common individuals donate hundreds of dollars. Students as young as sixteen voluntarily shave their heads to unify with those that lose their hair, not by choice, from the harsh drugs and treatments.

    It really is a beautiful event and I highly recommend being in attendance any chance you get. Please visit www.stbaldricks.org to find an event near you, or information on how to volunteer and even host your own event! Remember, donations are accepted year-round!