The Charger, Features

Elian Gonzales
A student's viewpoint
By Michele B.

Elian Gonzales is a six-year-old boy whose custody battle has enthralled America. He was on a small boat with fourteen other people escaping from communist Cuba when the boat sank.
His mother drowned but Elian drifted and eventually was rescued by Donto Dalrymple, two miles off the coast of Fort Lauderdale. At that time Elian's dad was alive and well in Cuba, and Elian also had relatives in Miami.
While everything was on its way to being settled, Elian was sent to live with his relatives in Miami.
When Elian's father requested his return to Cuba, his relatives didn't want to give up custody.
Now the swarms of protestors came in with two basic opinions: a) send him back, or b) let him stay.
After several weeks Attorney General Janet Reno decided to take drastic measures to get Elian back to his father, Juan Miguel Gonzales, who arrived in America April 9, 2000.
Ms. Reno planned for his father to meet with Elian for nine days before making a final custody decision, but Elian's great Uncle, Lazaro Gonzales, again refused to give up Elian.
Juan Gonzales and Janet Reno grew tired of waiting and on April 22, Reno made plans for the boy to be taken by force.
At 4 A.M. on Saturday, April 23, federal agents were positioned in a mile wide ring around the Miami home of Lazaro Gonzales, waiting for the green light.
Reno and her advisors finally reached a unanimous decision at 4:15, "Send 'em in."
By 5:15 everyone was gathered around watching CNN as agents rushed into the house.
Mr. Dalrymple had grabbed Elian and proceeded to run into the back room, but was followed closely by an Agent.
Within three minutes of entering, the house was cleared and Elian was on his way to see his father.
In come the protestors, then the police and finally the general public all crammed as close as possible to the house.
Meanwhile, Elian was being put on a jet to Washington D.C.
An hour after reuniting with his father, the US government released a picture of a seemingly happy Elian with his dad, stepmother, and half brother; broad smiles all around.

Some of the facts in the Elian Gonzales case
Compiled by Michele B.

Most of this information was found in the Chicago Tribune and then compared to information from the Sun Times and the Daily Herald. Information had to be stated in at least two of the three sources to be in here.
1) The week of April 9th several psychologists informed Janet Reno that if Elian was not reunited with his father soon he would suffer emotional sickness.
2) The Federal Agent in the photograph (left) activated the safety lock on his gun before entering the house and it was stated that he avoided aiming the gun at anyone.
3) The woman who carried the boy into the van used a fuzzy blanket, recommended by specialists, as a comfort tool. She also spoke fluent Spanish and kept whispering, "It's O.K., we're taking you to see your Papa."
4) On the jet towards Washington D.C. Elian was given an activity kit containing Play-Doh, crayons and a coloring book.
5) On April 29th www.ebay.com was selling "Elian Artifacts" listed as:
$200 for a picture he colored with clouds and a squirrel,
$11,000 for a jar of air from his home in Havana,
$16,000 for the raft he was rescued from and
$10 million dollars for the boy himself.

Bands Boogie into the night
By Carl L.

Each year, the jazz, varsity, and concert bands all come together and share some of the most popular melodies and songs that bring joy and excitement to their audience.
This year's Pops Concert on Tuesday, May 1, was, in the opinion of the many members of the audience and most of the band, the best performance in recent memory.
The evening started out with a bang as the jazz band played a piece of music that depicts a section of New York City called Harlem. The piece had two very different styles of music, Latin and Jazz, with terrific solos by Lisa M. on alto sax and Andrew S. on trumpet.
Next came a romantic balled from the late 1960's, "If," which featured solos by Adam S. on piano and once again, Lisa M. on the alto sax.
The highlight of this part of the program followed "Dr. Rockenstein's Laboratory." The name says it all, doesn't it? Mike G. led the ensemble as he played what he described as the "greatest drum solo ever written."
The varsity band followed the jazz band on stage, with a nice rhythmic tune, "One O' Clock Rock."
Next, the varsity band played another piece by Ed Huckeby, "Rising Star" that started with a very unusual wind-like sound by the trumpets.
For the final touch they ended with the masterwork, "Imperium." Everyone thought "Imperium" was extremely interesting because the whole piece was derived from just three notes with completely different ideas.
The Concert Band then can-canned their way on stage with everyone's favorite Orpheus.
Next came "Chorale No. 2," a traditional Welsh melody with a very pleasant feel.
A highlight of the evening was an original composition, "Percussion Concussion," written by band members Mike G. and David S. using Finale, a music notation program.
During a short intermission, the graduating band members were honored.
On behalf of the bands, Mr. Loest received a generous donation from the Junior Woman's Association of $500. This money will be distributed among band members as scholarships for summer band camps.
Fittingly, the show's grand finale was the performance of one of Mr. Loest's first published compositions, "Calypso Bay."

BYE
By Christa M.,
Features Editor

Good-bye, so long,
Farewell, toodleloo,
To my fellow Peacockians,
I must bid adieu.
It's been a slice,
It's been surreal,
Since this is edited,
I can't tell how I feel.
Oh don't get me wrong,
There are some things I'll miss,
Like the miniscule lockers,
And when teachers call me "Chris,"
Or the big front doors
With their synchronized clicks,
Or the chairs in the music room
That have never been fixed.
Truly I'll miss some events
and some staff,
Like lunchtime and musicals
And Mr. Travis's laugh.
I'd like to thank those
Who have helped me, too.
Some teachers and friends,
Especially you know who.
So au revoir, adios,
And auf wiedersehen,
It's been three long years,
And I'm still not sane.

Summer
By Nancy M.

Summer
fun, sun
relaxing, swimming, playing
summer is fun
vacation

Joe and the bug; or, a day at the mall
By Michele B.

Once there was a man named Joe. He went to the mall to get some dental floss. He pulled his silver truck into the back of the parking lot at 3 m.p.h.
Three minutes later, as his hair was fixed and he was considering getting, Joe spotted an odd colored bug on the dashboard. He was going to squash it, but later decided to go into the mall and get a book on exotic flies.
Joe carefully got out of his truck and went into the mall. He entered through Carson's and asked a person in black and white striped clothing where the exotic fly books were.
The man Joe asked kind of motioned behind him, stuffed something under his shirt, and quickly walked away.
Meanwhile, Joe busied himself with searching the section behind him, women's clothing, for fly books. He couldn't find any, so he turned to the customer service center. They told him the pet shop was on the tenth floor, next to the pool.
Joe went to the elevator and looked at the buttons:

This confused Joe. But then, he had an idea: push 3,2,1 to make six; and 2,1,1 to make ten! So Joe pushed 3,2,1,2,1,1.
When the doors opened, Joe walked out to see a big 3. So he took his handy dandy big black marker out and changed it to a 10. He then went to find the pool.
Joe didn't find a pool, but he did find a book on exotic flies in Welders Bookstore, entitled Barney and the Big Bug. Joe bought the book and got back in the elevator. He pushed one and when he got out the sign he had changed was right.
While he was retracing his step through Carson's, Joe saw a policeman hanging a huge poster of the man in striped clothes who had so kindly helped him earlier. Only, on the top it said "Wanted."
Joe got out his big black marker and changed "Wanted" to "Best Salesman," figuring that the printer had made a mistake. He continued on and climbed into his car, being careful not to let the fly out.
Joe opened Barney and the Big Bug as he looked around for his fly. His bug was resting on the passenger seat. He leaned over to get a closer look. Yep, it was purple with green spots, just like the one in the book! Now he tried to catch it, EW! FLY GERMS!!!!
Joe got out and quickly set off for Bath and Body Works. He went though the mall so quickly he didn't even see the store. Good thing the store's canopy was bright red.
Once Joe was in, he went straight to the testers. A little of this and a little of that, there he was ready. After a final touch of glitter, and he was on his way back to his truck.
As he passed a pet shop, Joe realized that he needed a cage. He found one in the hamster section that was perfect in every way. Then he bought some Trail Mix.
Joe walked out and was all the way in Carson's again, when he noticed that he had forgotten his book in the pet store.
Back to the store. The sales people were really picky. They asked him to show a receipt or a driver's license. Joe's driver's license was in the truck, and he didn't have a receipt either. (He must have forgotten that too.) So he paid for his stuff all over again!
When he was finally back in his truck, Joe opened the box and found a duplex plastic cage, some assembly required. Joe put it together. It was pretty big. Joe convinced the bug to crawl in by putting in some trail mix.
Then he thought that maybe the hard bottom of the cage hurt the bugs' legs, so he went into the mall again to get some paper towels and a new god.
To make a long story short, he went into the mall seven other times in a space of three hours to purchase a total of six items: a roll of paper towels, McDonalds take-out, pens, Post-it notes, a smelly candle, and a birdbath (don't ask).
Joe was finally all settled in his truck, he started it up and S L O W L Y drove out of the parking lot. He was a mile away from the mall when he realized something. He'd forgotten the dental floss.

Matt has hair on the brain
A how-to-guide
By Matt C.

With summertime coming you won't want to keep that boring old hairstyle the way it is. You want to be a trendsetter, a shining example of a god of hair.
If you want the shag on the top of your head to get you noticed, I have you covered. Here are some new styles.
You might be thinking, hmm, Matt C. giving me hair advice. Yes I am, so just follow along.
First of all, you will need hair gel, hair spray, Kool-Aid (any color except pink lemonade and regular lemonade), a comb, hair conditioner, shampoo, a hair dryer, large beads, and lots of rubber bands.
Note: this hairstyle will not look good on everybody, but it will get everybody's attention. You have to have fairly long hair for this to work.
Another note: This one is for the guys.
First, wash your hair out really well with shampoo. If it's dirty, people will notice, so make absolutely sure it's washed out well.
After that, take about three packages of Kool-Aid and pour them into a bottle.
Then, take some conditioner put three drops into the Kool-Aid, and mix it around. It should become a kind of a gel.
When you are done with that, cover it with plastic wrap and put it away for a while.
Next, find your rubber bands, get your hair wet again and start taking small parts of hair, (small enough to put the beads over which is really small) and put the rubber bands on tight right at your head.
If they are not tight, make them tight and close to your head. If your hair is long enough it should fall over.
Take some hair gel and make those locks of hair stand on end. Make sure it is going straight up and down.
If you made the locks of hair small enough you will be able to bead your hair, only put one or two beads in because if you put more, your hair will fall over.
For a special effect you can get neon green black light reactive beads and then you will glow.
After you have your hair beaded, take that hair dye you made before, and heat it up in the microwave.
Then just apply the dye to your beaded rubber banded spikes.
Leave the dye in for about half an hour. Then take a tissue and wipe that hair color out.
If you did it right the color should stay in, but the gel shouldn't.
If you are really thrifty, you can drain the excess hair dye into a container for future use.
Next, just use a hair dryer and dry those road spikes off.
Then go to a crowded place and watch the odd looks roll. I am Matt C. and I'm glad I could make your hair fun again.

Summer at last
By Nancy M.

School is out
Uniting with television
More fun then ever
Meeting with friends
Enjoying your free time
Relaxing with an ice cream

Where will you be in twenty years or so?
By Brittany B.,
Entertainment Editor
and Abby W.

- Nikki A. finished high school and attended a police academy in Russia and became a Russian undercover spy. Her code name is. Maria.
-Dena A. received a basketball scholarship to college, and became a sports columnist for an international newspaper company.
-Vanessa A. went to college on a softball scholarship. She then fought for women's sporting rights, and started a women's national pro-softball league.
-Angelica A. became a very dedicated lawyer. She rented out a small building in downtown Las Vegas and started her own successful firm.
-Jamie A., while still in high school, invented clear rubber padding for the body to protect people against injuries. Her invention has been widely produced and is considered a life-saver.
-Tony B. is a stand-up comic, with gigs across the country.
- Brittany B.majored in theatre and graduated from New York University. While working in New York, she met her husband, Jimmy Fallon. She turned her best-selling first novel into an award winning screenplay. She is also well-known for her many charitable endeavors.
-Rory B., went to college on a basketball scholarship, but suffered a major knee injury. After college, he went to a medical school to learn how to help other players with their injuries.
-Joe B. changed his ways, from his middle school days. He graduated with flying colors from college and medical school, and is now a cardiologist.
-Juribel C. went to college and minored in History. After her first year, she switched her major and became a fifth grade teacher. She now works in California at one of the best schools possible.
-Tiffany C. became a beautician and married a famous fashion designer. She then started her own line of cosmetics, "Cardonia."
-Brianna C. recently started coaching the Lakers for the NBA. They haven't lost a game yet!
-Ryan C. always loved sports. After years of trying, he made it to the NBA, and was recently featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.
-Ann C., was always known for her love of children and her sympathy for the sick. She has put her compassion to good work as a pediatrician and surgeon at the Hoffman Estates Hospital.
-Marisa C. always dreamed of becoming a lawyer. She fulfilled her dream, and now practices law out in LasVegas with her Peacock classmate, Angelica.
-Susan C., a well-known pediatrician, has led the way in children's medical charities. At a fund-raising event in Hollywood, she met the actor, Jonathan Jackson. They were married just three weeks later.
-Mike C. always hoped to own his own restaurant. Now his dream has come true. The food is exquisite. He owns five restaurants so far, but he plans to set up more.
-Mike D. followed his musical dreams to hard rock stardom.
-Chester D. is the chair of the mathematics department at the University of Chicago.
-Todd D. Jr. majored in business, and eventually took over his father's company. He now makes more money than he knows what to do with.
-Scott D. opened a successful construction company with his brother Ryan. He choose to do this after his pleasant experience in Mr. C's seventh grade industrial technology class.
-Bobby E. attended college on a hockey scholarship. He now practices law with a small firm in Itasca, and sits on the board of directors of the Chicago Blackhawks.
-Tracy F. took ballet for a number of years. Yet NO one knew just how good she was! She is now a prima ballerina who tours throughout Europe and the world.
-Randi F. has always had a unique fashion sense. Now she designs and creates her own clothing line.
- Liz F. has always been fascinated by dolphins. In college, she majored in journalism and zoology. Now, she works to save endangered marine life. In her free time, Liz writes anything that pops into her head.
-Jimmy G. played hockey in high school and throughout college. He was recruited by the Detroit Red Wings, and is now one of their best young players.
-Natalie G. is a successful Broadway actress, and her friends and family often fly out to see her perform.
-Chris G's garage band made it big. They've just signed a record deal, and are widely compared to the recently broken up band of aging musicians, KoRn!
-Mike G. became an accountant. He also began an AC/DC collection. He made millions on his collection!
-Hosea H. was recruited by all the leading football colleges. He finally choose Notre Dame. He was selected in the first round of the pro-draft by the Denver Broncos.
-Kristy H. attended Stanford for her undergraduate education, and moved on to Harvard for graduate school. She is working on her masters in politics, and is considering a career in public service and international relations.
-Chris I. studied computer engineering at Harvard. He is now a valuable and highly paid software engineer at Microsoft, and is rumored to be Bill Gate's right-hand man.
-Scott J. excelled in mathematics and science. He works on top-secret projects for the Defense Department.
-Barry J. pursued a career in finance, and is rumored to be under consideration to become the next head of the Federal Reserve Board.
- Alex J. combined his love of sports and computers to design the next big wave in gaming software and virtual reality.
- Tim J. became a committed and successful marine biologist.
-Julie K. used her people skills and persistence to become a marketing wizard. She owns several car dealerships and hosts seminars for aspiring salesmen.
-Garret K. opened his own software firm, and is reputedly one of the wealthiest men in the country.
-Joe K. used his excellent people skills to become a very successful show biz agent. All the stars want Joe on their side.
-Kristin K. was discovered by a Broadway director while she was starring in Lake Park's production of Show Boat. She is a star of both stage and screen, and an inspiration to young actresses everywhere.
-Anthony L. put his debating skills to good use. He represents Illinois in the Senate, and is rumored as a potential vice-presidential nominee.
-Allyson L. left for California at eighteen. After law school, she set-up a firm in LA, and is working hard to build up a practice.
-Jeff L., at sixteen, went to college. He quickly moved on to his PhD, and is now a respected chemistry professor.
-Patrycja M. took up the cause of wild horses, and convinced the government to preserve land for these beautiful animals. Together, she and her husband began a worldwide charity, "Making Mammal Miracles," to further the good work.
-Christa M. gathered a group of talented musicians, including ex Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker (also her ex-boyfriend). Together, they're breaking the barriers of punk rock. Rolling Stone described their music as "the ultimate fusion of amazing guitar riffs," and noted M's "ground-breaking catchy lyrics."
-Eric M. runs a successful advertisement firm in Chicago, with many well-known clients.
-Mike M. has always been a hot shot in basketball. He always hits his three pointers, and now plays for the Utah Jazz.
- Chris M. won a scholarship to Tiger Wood's golf camp, and has never looked back. He is one of the premier golfers on the PGA tour.
-Raymol M. runs her own computer networking firm in Chicago. They recently received several major international contracts.
-Julie M. is a talented movie make-up artist with Universal Studios.
-Kristen W. went to school for dance. For kicks, she tried out as a back up dancer for Britney Spears. She's now the lead dancer in Britney's corps.
-Mike M. graduated from the Police Academy, and was recently named Itasca's police chief.
-Sean N. attended the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he majored in finance. On graduation, he joined a famous Wall Street firm.
-David N. became a very successful master electrician who specializes in wiring skyscrapers throughout the world.
- Jessica N. recently signed a five-picture deal with Paramount. She will reportedly receive $10 million for each picture.
-Katherine O. became a model while still in college and has moved on to high fashion and magazine covers. Katherine moved to Los Angeles to study dance and has appeared in many music videos.
-Melissa O. joined her sister Katherine in modeling. They were the most famous twins in America. Melissa soon moved away, however. She found her calling in the fashion capital of Paris, France, where she also met her husband.
-Jill O. became the restaurant critic for the New York Times. Chefs across New York City know they must do their all to impress Jill.
-Krissten P. left a profitable corporate law practice to set up a legal aid clinic in New York. She has helped many people who could not otherwise afford good legal counsel.
-Amar P., while still in high school, created software for simple online access that took the market by storm. His software was so popular that Amar went on to create a whole line of popular, easy-to-use software for the public.
-Dixit P. became an engineer, and designed a plane much better able to withstand damage during a crash. His design has become the industry standard.
-Mike P. went away to art school in New York City. His talent was quickly noticed. He has had several major shows.
-Ron P. attended theatrical college and majored in directing. He's currently receiving rave reviews for his most recent production, an exciting revival of West Side Story.
-Josh P. moved up through the ranks and was recently made a colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was awarded a metal for bravery.
-Bo P. is a successful guitarist. He can't seem to make up his mind what band to play with at what time. Now this would prove a problem for some people, but not for Bo. He's currently in four separate bands, and each one is climbing the charts.
-David P. recently moved to Hollywood to start filming his own TV pilot for ABC, and to begin producing and directing some independent films.
-Gino P. eventually made it to the NHL. He's famous in Canada now and can't walk down the street without being mobbed and asked for autographs. But Gino always did like the attention.
-Megan P. became a very successful choreographer. She choreographed a few commercials for The GAP dance craze. Thanks to Megan's creativity, their khaki business is still going strong.
-Joe R. had a successful soccer career, and an even more successful career as a manager. He was recently named the best Soccer Manager by Soccer Digest.
- Sergio R. pursued a highly profitable career in international banking. He is also a well-known philanthropist and an advisor to the United Nations development fund.
-Angel R. recently played in the World Cup and was named the MVP. He's adored by millions. Talks are underway for a magazine called Angel, devoted to soccer players just like him.
-Mike R. went into plumbing, and started his own business. Mike's Pipe Service now employs more than thirty people. Franchises in other cities are planned.
-Alex R. was drumming in his garage one afternoon, when some guys passing by his house heard him. They asked him to join their band and the rest is history.
-Jesenia S. pursued a successful diplomatic career with the State Department.
-Scott S. designed a best-selling virtual reality hockey game.
-Matt S. is a successful pro on the PGA tour and a popular coach at the local country club.
-Addison S. developed new software, which is widely distributed. With his profits, he recently purchased a stake in a professional hockey team.
-Chris S. founded a very popular professional wrestling association, the "Backyard Wrestling Federation."
-Emily S. pursued a successful career as a fashion model. She's known everywhere fine clothing is appreciated.
-Scott S. is a successful marathon runner who plans to coach in the future.
-Jarod S. owns several boats, and runs sightseeing expeditions on Lake Michigan.
-Dave S. became an inventor and started his own mechanical engineering firm. He still acts in his spare time.
-Danny S. became a well-known and successful website designer.
-Joe S. studied animation in college and began an underground comic book, popular with other college students. His creation was recently picked up by Marvel Comics.
-Dan S. became a drummer for a hard rock band. Dan is in high spirits about his band's new CD which has made it on to Billboard's Charts.
-Steve S. signed to play hockey for the Blackhawks. He is a fan favorite in Chicago.
-Sal T. joined the biggest architectectual firm in Chicago. He's helping to design the twenty-first century wave of Chicago skyscrapers.
-Debra T. became, just recently, the MVP on the first ever co-ed soccer team. Debra has also donated large sums to children's charities.
-Liz T. did what she did best, and stayed with gymnastics. She went on to win a gold medal in the 2004 Olympics, and became a hero for countless young girls who want to follow in her glory.
-Cynthya T. paints in a studio in the Sierra Nevada mountains. Her works have gained a lot of critical acclaim and are increasing in value.
-Nick T., following in the steps of Stephen King, has published a number of very popular on-line novels.
-Mary W. went from Lake Park to Broadway. She most recently appeared in the still running musical hit, Cats.
-Arthur W. was the star point guard at the University of South Carolina. He left school in his third year and was drafted in the first round by the Chicago Bulls, who are still re-building.
-Abby W. studied biology and became a veterinarian. She has a small but successful practice in Addison. She still plays softball on the weekends with her many friends.
-Jason V. got a job with the Chicago Sun-Times after graduation. After about seven years of solid reporting, he left to cover international affairs for Time magazine.
-Catie W. won an Oscar for best costume design in last year's blockbuster, Ezekiel and Jeremiah's Excellent Adventure.
-Ben Y. is still making people laugh. He is booked solid at comedy clubs throughout the country, and hosts a highly rated comedy hour on MTV.