Halloween is a holiday in which people dress up as goblins, ghosts, professions they strive for, light clothed females, and random characters. I am not a huge Halloween guy; I was much more motivated in the past with trick or treating and candy. But it was an awesome night, not only because this is the first time in years that it has been held on a weekend, but also it was awesome seeing a lot of my friend’s creative ideas for costumes.

After Halloween ended my mom picked up me and my friends and we headed down to the University of Illinois to see the football game vs. Iowa. It was my first Division 1 football game and it was a blast. We sat in the student section and we were about 20 rows up from the field. After the game we went to my favorite restaurant Za’s and then back to my friend’s house. It was an awesome Saturday down there and I came back Sunday afternoon.

This weekend I’ll be working the football game vs. Augustana. Hopefully it will be a nice day out and we win once again. If you did not know this we are ranked 2^nd nationally through the NCAA Division III. Also I will be going to the musical here at North Central called “She Loves Me” this Saturday.

Quote:

“We grow great by dreams. All big men are dreamers. They see things in the soft haze of a spring day, or in the red fire of a long winter’s evening. Some of us let these great dreams die, but others nourish and protect them; nurse them through the bad days till they bring them to the sunshine and light which comes always to those who sincerely hope that their dreams will come true.” — Woodrow Wilson

I was “Where’s Waldo” this year fr Halloween, one of the most creative ideas I have ever had

This Thursday was the opening show of Anne Frank in the Madden Black Box Theatre. This was also the first show ever to take place in the brand new black box theatre. It was a great show full of incredible acting and dramatics. It was my second show ever seen in a black box theatre and I would recommend seeing a show in one if I were you. Anne Frank was one of the few books I did read in high school and I enjoyed it tremendously because of the entwinement with World War II. It was cool knowing that I saw the first show ever within the theatre.

After Thursday Homecoming weekend really started up. A pep rally was held in Merner Field house on Friday night after the women’s soccer team crushed their opponent 8-0. The pep rally consisted of tug of war between the all four classes of students. Also the homecoming king and queen were chosen. I would like to send a congrats to Alex Mersman and Kate Schmidt for becoming crowned 2008 Homecoming King and Queen.

Saturday we had a early morning championship series between the 3 teams of fall baseball. My team (2) and team 1 faced off at 8AM. We unfortunately lost, but it was an awesome fall for me and I enjoyed it a lot. After our championship fall ball game the Alumni game took place. It was great seeing all the old faces come back and see what they were up to and how they were doing.

Senior Baseball Class of 2008

Me and my roommates then took an adventure to Olive Garden with our dates and had an excellent dinner. But that wasn’t the best part of it; we then danced the night away in a tent outside of Merner Field house. They had big screen TV’s, wooden floor tiles, food and many other assortments. It was an awesome time even better than last year, which is hard to top. Next year when I graduate I hope to come back to North Central as an Alum and have as much fun as I did this weekend.

Quote of the Week

“Live life fully while you’re here. Experience everything. Take care of yourself and your friends. Have fun, be crazy, be weird. Go out and screw up! You’re going to anyway, so you might as well enjoy the process. Take the opportunity to learn from your mistakes: find the cause of your problem and eliminate it. Don’t try to be perfect; just be an excellent example of being human.” - Anthony Robbins

The Coolest Girls to Ever Grace the Hall of Stud Ville Class of 2008

My week started off on a very random note of getting figured printed at the Naperville Police Station. No it’s not what you think; I am not a criminal or have ever even committed a felony. I am student teaching Winter Term at Madison Jr. High here in Naperville. Part of the criteria to student teach in District 203 is to get finger printed, criminal background checked, and TB tested. This was a little task to be done in the long run because I cannot wait to student teach and finally get into the profession I have been waiting so long for.

About 3 months ago I received an e-mail containing the events around North Central’s campus and the shows that would be playing during the year. I purchased two tickets to a show I had heard so much about, Cirque D’Or. Cirque D’Or was presented by Golden Dragon Acrobats direct from Cangzhou, Hebei province in China. The show was on Saturday and let me tell you I couldn’t close my mouth during the whole show. The 2007-08 tour will mark the 29th year of continuous touring in the United States for the Golden Dragon Acrobats. The Golden Dragons are known internationally as the premiere Chinese acrobatic touring company of today. It was such a great experience and I was left eyes wide open and flabbergasted.

Saturday 3 of my best friends came to visit me. They have tried to for 4 years now and finally made it out. They stayed over the night and it’s was like old times. We played our usual game loaded questions and laughed and reminisced about the “good old days.” Seeing them brought back so many memories and stories.

Then came Sunday, where I was invited to my friends Pasta Party at her house. She treated us all to a sit down mostacholi, bread, meatballs, sausages, and an array of desserts. It was an awesome occasion filled with good friends and new memories to spice it up.

Quote of the Week:

“College is an awesome part of life, but sometimes people get caught up in it and forget where the roots stem from.” – Chris Toy

My 3 Friends from home Saturday

VACH (Vicky, Ashley, Chris, Heather) 06′

ACH minus (V) 8th Grade (60’s Theme) 01′

This week was an exuberant week. With action in baseball, school, and everyday life. Last Sunday I was given 4 Chicago White Sox tickets by my buddy. They were Box seats and it was a do or die game for the Sox. They ended up beating the Cleveland Indians 5-1. We then went back to my house and ate some of my favorite pizza, Lou Malnati’s. It was a day to cap the great weekend.

Further down in the week I went to the two Jr. High School s that I tutor at and had a blast once again. I love helping out the kids with any and all the questions they have. I tutor math over at Madison Jr. High and help out with the homework program at Washington Jr. High. It’s a great experience and I would highly recommended to others thinking about majoring in education.

Other than that I’ve had a lot of school work to keep me going and ohh yea the SOX won their division. Yes I am a loyal SOX fan and was ecstatic when they beat the Minnesota Twins for the tie breaker for the division.

Well loyal readers until next time “Keep Rockin in the Free World”

“Life is good, without it we’d all be dead.” – Hannah

My Senior Year Roomates!!

Once again I started the school year off to the right step. Class went really well for the first week. I have two classes and two directed studies. I do not have class Tuesday or Thursday, which is awesome because I have baseball conditioning at 6:00AM every Tuesday and Thursday, and 8:00AM Monday, Wednesday, and Friday is not bad. I myself am much more of a fan of 9:20, but my teachers seem awesome and very energetic, like all teachers here at North Central.

Baseball conditioning this week was a little rough, but like they say “what doesn’t kill ya only makes ya stronger.” But we start real baseball practices this Tuesday and we shall see what we got going on this year. I’m really excited about the season because of the large recruited transfer and freshman class.

Overall this last week went real smoothly and I’m glad to be back here again for one more year. I have volunteered Monday and Wednesday’s at Madison and Washington Jr. high here in Naperville as a tutor for the homework club and after school math program. I am trying to get my foot in the door and have a great time teaching and aiding kids in learning.

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.” – Buddha

(I found this quote on a poster at the annual poster sale outside of Seger hall)

The 2008 Senior Orientation Leaders

About 5 months ago me and my friends applied for a competition known as Flugtag. It was located in Chicago on Sept 6^th. The competition is based on creativity, showmanship, and distance of the craft that is pushed off the platform of 3 stories. The main team consisted of 5 team members, 4 pushers and 1 pilot. There was also the pit crew which adds up to 12 all together. Our theme was Mario Kart. I was Luigi, my friends were Princess Peach, Toad, Yoshi, and Mario. It was an awesome experience building the entire kart in my buddy’s garage. The kart needs to be man powered and it took us about 3 weeks to assemble. We transported it to North Ave. beach with my buddies pick up and trailer. We then attached our glider which you will see in the photo and flew 42 ft. the farthest distance was 112 ft. we took 5^th in distance. But we won the best award I feel, the “Peoples choice award”, with 30% of the votes. It was an awesome experience and I will never forget the camaraderie and team work that was present in building the craft.

Aside from that I’m back at North Central being the Orientation Leader I’ve been for the past 2 years. We welcomed the incoming new students this week and what a huge class it was. Every year gets bigger and bigger.

Welcome week, which is the week before school starts where new students move in and participate in a variety of activities. For example casino night, boat dance, block party, academic sessions, and seminars dealing with sex and drugs. It was an awesome week and I’m totally looking forward to starting this year off on the right foot.

Quote of the Week:

“When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.” - G. K. Chesterton

Our Team was Team 8 “The USHE” as is in the Usuals

With summer ending just around the bend, just like every year most of my friends go back to their state schools and start 3 weeks before we do here at North Central. Where some people may look down on that, I do not. I believe it all works out in the end. Yes we get out in June, but our D-Term (December Term) is 6 weeks. I use this time before schools starts to work out, clean the house (room, basement, and garage). With most of my friends gone there is not much to do so I pass the time with those activities.

There still are my North Central friends who live around me. My friend came over yesterday we went to the driving range and “dropped some bombs” I like to call it. Although I do not hit the ball very straight or far I still like to think I do.

After the driving range we went back to my house and played some bags, pool, and ping pong. I could play these 3 things all day long with anyone. We then watched the movie “Accepted”. Very unrealistic but I got the message it was trying to convey. Everyone has different interests and everyone can learn from each other.

Future Plans:

Welcome Week North Central Orientation

Brewers Game with a fellow OL (Orientation Leader)

Visit little brother at U of I

Quote of the Week:

May the wind always be at our backs and the sun upon our faces, and may the wings of destiny carry us aloft to dance with the stars. – Blow

My fearless campers that were troopers the whole summer

Some of the details in which I left out last time were

·        I was a camp counselor for my 5th straight year for my park district

·        I umpired baseball games for my 3rd year for kids 3rd-9th grade

·        I ran a triathlon with my little brother

Once again this year I was able to return to my yearly summer job of being a Camp counselor. I ride my Huffy bike to work everyday. I have been a camp counselor now for 5 years and have loved it since the beginning. I work with kids 5-14 years old. We go to the pool4-5 days a week and a field trip on Wednesdays. I love working with the kids because it shows me a glimpse into what teaching will be like.

Also I returned to umpiring this summer for the baseball league. It a lot of fun seeing the  kids out of a school context and playing a sport. I love baseball and love working with kids. A lot of umpires are in it for the money, but I’m in it to teach kids the proper techniques and basic skills to succeed in baseball. I hope to next year to umpire once again.

Last but not least, my little brother and I signed up for a sprint triathlon right next to North Central on the river walk and around Naperville. My little brother had heard about it and I thought it would be a good idea to sign up. I trained at the pool and ran a lot with my dog Riley. I biked when I could and all that training made it so much easier when the actual triathlon came. It was a 400 meter swim, 13 mile bike ride, and 3 mile run. It was a ton of fun and I hopefully will be able to do it again next year.

So if I forget something between those dates and events I apologize and will clue in when I remember them.

Quote of the Week: this quote was said to me by one of my favorite coaches on my summer baseball team 2 years ago.

“Self Confidence and Belief in Yourself Goes A Long Way”

You Need to Have 3 Things in Life

1. Family

2. Religion : Something to Believe In

3. Team : Companionship and Friends

–        Len Diforte « The Godfather of Glen Ellyn

 my summer team Glen Ellyn Jam 2nd PLace AAABA Tournament Johnstown Penn.

Len is on the far left

 My little brother, my mom, and me

Let me start off by stating that this summer has been one of the best summers I have ever had. I feel that every year of college that ends the summers keep getting better and better. I will not be able to jot down all of the awesome and fantastic adventures I have went through this summer, but I will touch down on the highlights.

The summer all started off with a very random and amazing opportunity that arose at my local hair cuttery and salon. I was asked 3 months prior to the last day of school if I was interested in helping them out with advertising gig they were doing. I replied with yes and they told me to grow my hair out. I came back home after school ended and they spiffed me up for the Fashion/Modeling advertising show they were putting on. It was an awesome experience because I got to model 350$ blue jeans and a 200$ suit jacket. They also gave me blue extensions and gave me a crazy hip new haircut. The food and drink were free and my family also joined in on the festivities.

From there I attended 4 concerts. I saw Matisyahu and the Beach Boys at the Ravinia in Highland Park. Also I saw Neil Diamond with my family and OAR.

I went to the first ever minor league between the Kane County Cougars and the Peoria Chiefs at Wrigley Field. The game got rained out but it was still cool to have great seats in bleachers (my 1^st time) at Wrigley.

From Wrigley I settled down to a relaxing game of whirly ball. Just kidding whirly ball is far from relaxing. It’s a mix of bumper cars and basketball. An awesome game I played with my friends in Chicago.

There are so many other adventures I endeavored in. I will clue you in on those adventures later in this month and the school year. Until then my loyal readers I leave with this quote of a book I have been reading (yes I read). It is an awesome book and I highly recommend it.

“The challenge is to always do what is right and good and true, even if others don’t appreciate it. Making the world a better place can’t depend on applause. You have to keep striving, no matter what, because if you don’t, many of the things that need to be in our world will never get done” - “Anyway, The Paradoxical Commandments” by: Kent M Keith

Whirly Ball in Chicago

Friends are what make summers great!!!

Once again I would like to state that anything can happen during a period of time here at North Central. This week was another exciting adventure. I went to see Iron Man on Saturday. Thrilling and action packed overall great movie, and I’ll give it 2 thumbs up. I love Marvel Comics and have loved all the Marvel movies that have come out. I’ll give it the Toy recommendation to go and see this one.

Sunday I went to the 1^st Annual (Cardinal Dance Company: Showcase). It was an awesome show, and it was great to see my friends dancing on stage and strutting their stuff. When I was in high school a lot of my friends were involved in Orchesis, which is just like a dance recital with more of pop dancing. This recital went very smoothly and I’ll give a shout out to a fellow Blogger Nick Guido on a great job of MC’ing.

Monday I went home for Memorial Day to see my family and friends. I went to the usual park we play ultimate Frisbee at. It was nice to see my friends again and catch up with them. After ultimate I went back to my house and played some bags and Bachi ball. My Dad and mom barbequed some hot dogs and hamburgers and we all feasted. As a loyal reader I will tell you that “Family” is the number one thing in my life. Without them I would not be the person I am today. North Central is a great and wonderful place, but I would have never made it here if it were not for them.
Quote of the Week:

The family. We were a strange little band of characters trudging through life sharing diseases and toothpaste, coveting one another’s desserts, hiding shampoo, borrowing money, locking each other out of our rooms, inflicting pain and kissing to heal it in the same instant, loving, laughing, defending, and trying to figure out the common thread that bound us all together. ~Erma Bombeck

The Simpsons : A Family Among Families