Storytelling for Reader Understanding 2023.3.pdf

STORYTELLING
READER
UNDERSTANDING
for
Logan Aimone, MJE //
University of Chicago Laboratory High School Fall 2023

STORYTELLING FOR
READER UNDERSTANDING
Serve the reader.
Start with the
reader in mind.

STORYTELLING FOR
The work you
produce is for
readers, not just
to produce work.

STORYTELLING FOR
WHAT DOES
THE READER
WANT TO KNOW?
1Readers want a diverse mix
of consequential, relevant
topics presented each edition.

STORYTELLING FOR
WHAT DOES THE READER WANT TO KNOW?
•News stories should reflect the interests of the
audience as well as the decisions of editors.
Sometimes you serve broccoli. Sometimes you
eat dessert first.
•Provide a mix of general and special interest
features. THURSDAY, FEB. 23, 2023
uhighmidway.com • University of Chicago Laboratory High School
features
16
by LOUIS AUXENFANS
News Editor
Stacked upon grocery store
shelves in plastic packaging, in-
stant ramen has become a staple
in American culture. The allure
of a tasty, flavorful bowl of noodle
soup that can be cooked in three
minutes has led to dozens of in-
stant ramen varieties. Yet, those
quick bowls do not taste quite the
same as those freshly prepared in
a restaurant.
Ramen is a traditional Japa-
nese noodle soup dish consisting
of wheat noodles with toppings
of nori (dried seaweed), menma
(bamboo shoots), scallions, corn
and a hard-boiled egg served in a
broth.
Four categories of ramen are
each distinguished by their broth.
Shoyu ramen features chicken
and vegetable broth flavored with
soy sauce, resulting in a translu-
cent brown broth that is tangy and
light. Shio ramen contains a thin-
ner chicken broth that gives the
soup a clearer appearance. Mi-
so ramen consists of a thick and
hearty miso broth that gives the
dish a nutty flavor. Tonkotsu ra-
men is made from simmering pork
bone on high heat for many hours
that results in a creamy and fatty
translucent white broth.
The type of noodles also dis-
tinguish the type of ramen. Noo-
dles are made from wheat flour,
salt, water and kansui, an alkaline
mineral water of sodium carbon-
ate and potassium carbonate that
gives ramen noodles their char-
acteristic yellow color and chewy
elasticity. The noodles range from
thick and straight to thin and curly.
the thicker noodles are
s.
Gold: Kyuramen
Warm noodle dish
provides winter
weather delight
Kyuramen has an energetic and
bustling atmosphere in down-
town. Recently opened in January,
the restaurant is the first in Chica-
go for the chain with 14 locations
across America. Their chicken ra-
men has a tangy, sweet broth that
has just the right balance of fla-
vor and sodium, with straight noo-
dles providing a firm bite to com-
plement the light broth. The best
part is the toppings which bring
different and distinct flavors to the
bowl. The bamboo shoots add a
nice pungent taste to the aromatic
broth and the uber delicious mar-
inated egg provides rich cream-
iness to the dish. Additionally,
nori and wakame (algae) sprin-
kle in a taste of the sea. The slic-
es of grilled chicken in the dish
are strangely served cold, but they
help cool the palate against the
warm broth. While it’s certain-
ly not cheap, Kyuramen delivers a
tasty meal – just make sure to book
a reservation as seats fill up fast.
Silver: Strings
Bronze: Ramen San
With fresh noodles made dai-
ly in house, you cannot go wrong
ordering at Strings Ramen Shop.
Strings uses specially import-
ed dough from Japan for its noo-
dles and offers all four different
types of ramen in its Chinatown,
Lakeview and Hyde Park loca-
tions. Their vegetarian Shoyu ra-
men bowl has a light, earthy broth
with just the right amount of so-
dium. Wood ear mushrooms and
seaweed help accentuate the soy
sauce-based broth, and the ad-
dition of pickled ginger gives a
pungent aftertaste. The straight,
doughy noodles taste similar to
Chinese egg noodles, adding com-
fort to the bowl. The texture com-
bination of the tender bamboo
shoots and soft bean sprouts com-
plement the chewy noodles to give
the bowl a satisfying feeling. Addi-
tionally, the sprinkles of corn adds
a much needed crunch. The differ-
ent ingredients work well to pro-
vide a tangy, earthy and healthy
bowl of ramen.
Ramen San has an relaxed and
chill atmosphere that is perfect for
a weekend night out. It has loca-
tions in Lincoln Park, River North,
Fulton Market and Streeterville,
with a wide variety of tasty Japa-
nese dishes on its menu besides
amen. Their Tonkotsu ramen
rty but excessive-
ater
lardy broth combined with the soft
Tokyo wavy noodles makes for a
filling meal. The thin-cut pork bel-
ly tastes succulent and butter-like,
providing an extra richness. In
addition, other elements such
as molten egg, bamboo shoots,
wakame seaweed and fresh garlic
come together well to make a ful-
filling dish. The only downside to
rty, fragrant bowl of ramen
h.
Midway illustration by Dalin Dohrn
Midway photos by Louis Auxenfans
Price: $16.99
Chicken Ramen
Price: $13.95
Shoyu Vegetarian Ramen
Price: $16.00
Tonkotsu Ramen

STORYTELLING FOR
•Think also about leisure, recreation and
non-athletic pursuits like video games, apps
and social media.

STORYTELLING FOR
•Give readers 1,500-2,000 well-written words
on an important topic.
•But don’t run long on every story.

STORYTELLING FOR
WHAT DOES
THE READER
NEED TO KNOW?
2Help the reader see what matters.

STORYTELLING FOR
WHAT DOES THE READER NEED TO KNOW?
•The focus should be squarely on issues that
matter to teens at your school.

STORYTELLING FOR
•Provide strong coverage of routine matters
of school, showcasing a sense of place and
providing context. And, not the same old
coverage each year.

STORYTELLING FOR
•The staff should not not shy away from
sensitive, challenging and uncomfortable
topics.

STORYTELLING FOR
•Maintain the watchdog function. It’s
important.
•Credibility will be strong — readers
(and sources) know and trust the news staff.
•You must be accountable to your audience.
•Your actions should be transparent and
defensible.

STORYTELLING FOR
HOW CAN DESIGN
FACILITATE READER
UNDERSTANDING?
3Don’t assume readers will read
story text. Assume they won’t.
How will you communicate the
essential information?

STORYTELLING FOR
HOW CAN DESIGN FACILITATE READER UNDERSTANDING?
•Appeal to scanners.
•Use story layering. Utilize alternate story forms
like charts, maps, bio boxes, listicles, timelines.
•Think about the best way to present
information the reader needs and wants.
When you need 1,000 words to tell a narrative
story, the reader understands it’ll be worth the
read.

STORYTELLING FOR

STORYTELLING FOR
•Design effectively using white space,
photography, art and typography to entice the
reader and lead eyes throughout the page.
•Provide frequent entry points: drop caps,
mugs, captions and illustrations.
•Add context captions to mugshots, so
secondary information is presented while
providing visual interest and an entry point.

STORYTELLING FOR
Context captions
(secondary information)

STORYTELLING FOR
PROVIDE A PORTAL FOR
FURTHER EXPLORATION.
4Your website is a portal for the
reader to discover additional
information.

STORYTELLING FOR
PROVIDE A PORTAL FOR FURTHER EXPLORATION.
•Link to source material (PDFs, images),
organizational websites, Wikipedia pages for
deeper understanding.
•Utilize interactive elements to harness the
power of the Web, presenting dynamic content
for readers — even a custom experience. Free:
Flourish, ThingLink, Prezi, Spark, Canva,
Piktochart, Infogram.

STORYTELLING FOR
•Embed more
photos, video and
audio.

STORYTELLING FOR
•Embed more photos, video and audio.

STORYTELLING FOR
•Surface related content that is relevant to the
story: past coverage, similar stories, others in
the section, others by that author.
•Help the readers place this story in context,
while facilitating enrichment.
•Help readers discover content they
hadn’t sought. We used to call this “editing;”
now we call it “curation.”

STORYTELLING FOR
BRING CONTENT
TO NEW PLATFORMS.
5The new journalism paradigm
requires promoting content to a
wide audience beyond campus.

STORYTELLING FOR
BRING CONTENT TO NEW PLATFORMS.
•Find an audience on established social media
like Facebook (parents, faculty, alumni),
Twitter/X, Instagram, Snapchat, Reddit.

STORYTELLING FOR
•Tell stories within the platform

STORYTELLING FOR
•Explore emerging platforms such as TikTok,
Discord, Twitch.
•Capture the zeitgeist — discover the
journalistic use for platforms your peers are
already using.

STORYTELLING FOR
•Ask your audience for story ideas, tips,
sources, submissions and feedback.
It’s a two-way conversation.
•Develop and encourage a robust conversation
with the audience.

STORYTELLING FOR
CREATE AN EXCEPTIONAL
EXPERIENCE.
6Always strive for excellence.

STORYTELLING FOR
•Focus on great content.
•Use a responsive website for mobile and
tablets.
•Approach content and presentation at the
same time and from a reader perspective.
•What is the experience a reader has when
engaging with your publication/site?

STORYTELLING FOR
Bold type accents

STORYTELLING FOR
Bullets

STORYTELLING FOR
Lists

STORYTELLING FOR
List (story stream)

STORYTELLING FOR
List (related)

STORYTELLING FOR
“Listicle”

STORYTELLING FOR
Charts

STORYTELLING FOR
Map (locator)

STORYTELLING FOR
Map (data)

STORYTELLING FOR
Cartogram

STORYTELLING FOR
Explainer

STORYTELLING FOR
Quiz

STORYTELLING FOR
FRIDAY, SEPT. 9, 2022
news
2
“I can be very supportive and I can be extremely capable
of finding ways to solve an issue that maybe I don’t know
of. I’m a very resourceful type of person that even if I don’t
know the answer to something I work together with ev-
erybody to make sure we like find a solution to a problem.
And I’m pretty laid-back. If people come in with interests
I get excited about whatever you have interest in and then
through that excitement we together just build something
fun, new or repeat something that was already fun.”
“I just hope that they continue to do the things that we
practiced in class at home, with friends, after they all go
to college or wherever you go. Just kind of keep referring
back to problem solving and remembering how to solve
things on your own.”
“I like it to be student centered. We are a community of
learners who are constructing our knowledge together,
and so what does that look like in a class — well you might
sit in a circle that I am part of, engaging in conversation
that I don’t want to go through me where I have to call on
people. I like conversations that happen among students
that I can just listen to, so I like a lot of collaborative work,
and in classes I like to give students choice.”
“To me, there’s something really beautiful about being able
to foster empathy and relationships among members of
a community in the English class. You know, it’s the first
year of high school for all the students I’m teaching and so
I guess by the end of the year, I want them to feel that the
class contributed to their feeling of community here.”
“I’m all about making mistakes. I’m all about taking risks. I
am all about putting our errors and the process of learn-
ing, I’m all about making that visible and transparent and
showing and really celebrating our failures and, you know,
things like that, like really enjoying the process of learning.
I want them to know that I’m gonna be the guy that’s gon-
na tell them like, ‘Hey you get this wrong, you know what’s
gonna happen, nothing. We’re learning, it’s great.’”
“I would hope that at the end of the year they found me to
be a kind person and human being, and I would hope that
they found the content challenging. So somehow a balance
of ‘what a nice guy, but what a hard teacher.’ Something to
that effect would be my dream.”
“I appreciate student input, and I value student input and
I value fun, and I think all that is key to the learning expe-
rience. I want to be present in more ways like beyond the
classroom — I don’t really put on like a teacher coat when
I come to the classroom, I’m very me — so if students ever
want to take classes, like, I would encourage them to be
just themselves and grow along through like the process
and experience.”
“I think there’s two things: either it’d be I generally care
about something I didn’t know I cared about, or I can
engage and communicate in something I care a lot about
and now I have the tools to do so. I know it sounds like
music, especially the class I’m teaching — orchestra — are
performance classes, but I can’t think of any other class in
the school where you’re actively listening to one another
and you’re in a giant team and you’re working with some-
one and a conductor and the people around you to create a
large experience.”
“I’m a little blunt, and I am a partner with you in your
post-secondary planning. So I might make suggestions, but
it’s always up to you, the student, to tell me what you want
and to steer me in your direction. It’s your path, and I’m
merely waving to you from the sidelines.”
“While the goal is certainly to get students into colleges
and give them plenty of options in terms of whatever
post-secondary plans they want, it’s also about thinking
about who you are and how you want to represent yourself
in college applications. It’s about helping students find
their authentic selves and presenting that to colleges in
a way that students can look back and say, ‘I did the best
job I could. I represented myself in the best manner that I
could and I feel proud of the way I represented myself to
the colleges.’”
“I think teaching is collaborative. I think especially math,
the way that you get good at math is through getting your
hands messy, right — like getting in there trying things out,
failing, getting it wrong, going back, double checking your
work, figuring out where you lost that negative, figuring
out what misconception you’re having about whatever top-
ics in front of you — but I think that idea of that collabora-
tion and that conversation I think is really important.”
“Ideally, I want them to come out feeling like they learned
a lot of math, but also have a lot of joy in the math class-
room. It’s gonna be work, right, like it’s gonna be work.
Again, like that idea of ‘You’ve got to get your hands dirty,’
so it’s gonna require students to do quite a bit of work at
home and in class as well, but I think at the end of the day,
I want that to be like a joyous place and a place of discov-
ery.”
“I try to keep my students relaxed ’cause I think that’s
when they do their best work. I’m also very, very commit-
ted to making sure my students feel seen and heard for
who they are in my classroom and I also think one of my
philosophies as a teacher is to get students thinking about
big issues and big problems as early as possible. I think
you all are capable and ready to think about and to try to
tackle some of the world’s biggest problems, and I want to
give students a chance to think through those things.”
“I hope students will say firstly that they had fun. But I
also hope that every one of my students is able to accom-
plish something that they didn’t think they could. A lot of
that is goal setting, so I really work hard with kids to help
them set goals for themselves and when I am lucky enough
to see a kid achieve one of those goals, that’s my favorite
part of teaching.”
“I think that the relationships and the rapport are really
important. Especially for someone in my position because
I’ll be taking over for Ms. Himmelfarb, and I think it’s
really natural and understandable in that position that stu-
dents want to feel reassured that their substitute teacher
for a few months, me, is really qualified and really invested
and is absolutely there for them, is not just kind of signing
in and out of for a couple of months.”
“I’m hoping that they would say that I was really support-
ive of them intellectually and academically and personally.
I hope they would say that my class was fun. I want stu-
dents to have a good time. There’s a famous line by Maya
Angelou, who’s a famous poet and memoirist, but the
quote is, ‘People might not remember what you said, they
will remember how you made them feel.’ And so hopefully
students will remember the instruction that they got in my
class and can make a lot of connections with their classes
in other disciplines, like history and science, et cetera.”
“Very discursive, right? So it’s student-centered, stu-
dent-led. I’m less interested in form and function of art
than I am in sort of its real-world use value, if that makes
sense. Sort of like how we might approach problems and
use our creative capacities to propose solutions, and I tend
to have a baseline overview of some of the things we could
accomplish, but try and have students co-create that as
much as possible.”
“I would hope that they would say that they had the agen-
cy and the freedom to explore ideas, but also the support
and love to accomplish those goals in a realistic way. Yeah,
I think that would be the mark of success.”
Makerspace
Previously:
Carl Schurz High
School and After
School Matters
English
Previously:
English teacher
at the Latin
School
History
Previously:
History teacher
at Carl Schurz
High School
Music
Previously:
Substitute
teacher at the
Laboratory
Schools
College
counseling
substitute
Previously:
College
counselor at New
Trier Township
High School
Mathematics
Previously:
Taught at UIC
College Prep
P.E.
Previously:
Teacher at
GEMS World
Academy
Chicago
English
substitute
Previously:
Teaching at
boarding school
in the Swiss Alps
Fine Arts
Previously:
Director of
public practice
at the Smart
Museum of Art
What should students know about your style
of teaching?
What do you hope your students will say about
you and your class at the end of the year?
vox
pop.
In Cruise Lickerman’s
first week of high school,
Cruise was most excited
for taking harder classes
and having more freedom
within the school day. To
prepare for ninth grade,
Cruise spent the summer
resting and relaxing.
Daniel Wu is most
looking forward to
everything in high school
and, a few days into
Daniel’s ninth grade year,
are enjoying it so far.
Leon Dhal is most
excited to meet new
people and anticipates
the “great experience”
of ninth grade. Going
into high school, Leon
improved organizational
skills, mainly through
gaining homework
experience.
In the first week,
Cecilia Siegel is looking
forward to meeting
new people and having
new experiences in high
school. To prepare for
the year, Cecilia read and
talked to a lot of people
over the summer.
Like Cecilia, Evelyn
Halbach is enjoying
having more freedom in
high school. Evelyn feels
“like there’s no way in
middle school that you
would ever have free
periods because teachers
would never trust you
with that.” To get ready
for the start of high
school, Cecilia prepared
binders and supplies for
classes.
Zuri Cosey Gay is looking
forward to the social
aspects of high school,
specifically “the sports
games and the dances.”
Starting the school year,
Zuri is trying not to
cram or wait too long to
complete assignments.
Frankie Bishop is looking
forward to meeting new
people and joining the
high school’s athlethic
teams and clubs. To
maintain organization,
Frankie has been using
a planner, which he says
helps.
Grace LaBelle is most
excited for English and
thinks “there’s a lot of
good opportunities in
English.” For ninth grade,
Grace has practiced
organizational skills and
signed up for tutors.
Dennis Asher is
anticipating more
challenging classes than
what was available in
middle school. “My dad
made me read some of
the high school material,”
Dennis said, “like the
math book and the
science book, and that
prepared me for what
we’re doing right now.”
Fresh Faces:
With the new school year comes the regular tide
of new students, schedules and lockers, but also
new teachers. This year, U-High welcomes nine
new faculty in part or full-time roles, from college
counseling to the makerspace.
High school welcomes 9 new faculty
By LOUIS AUXENFANS
and TÉA TAMBURO
Aaron Arreguin
Shannon Barker
Issac Berrueta
Cody Boukather
Deb Donely
Matthew Insalaco
Quinn Menchetti
Fiona Murphy
Jason Pallas
For rising ninth graders
at U-High, the first year
of high school can have
both its worries and its
rewards. Eight ninth
graders shared what
they are most excited for
about high school, as well
as how they’ve prepared
for their first year.

STORYTELLING FOR
Community addresses complex Israel-Hamas war
Noted author Sandra Cisneros shares writing is powerful
by MIA LIPSON
News Editor
In a visit to U-High on Oct. 23,
renowned writer Sandra Cisne-
ros explained that writing is es-
sential to heal, connect with oth-
ers and express oneself. She spoke
to an audience that included ninth
graders who had just finished “The
House on Mango Street” as well as
students in Latinx history and ad-
vanced Spanish classes, many of
whom were excited to meet an au-
thor whose work they read in class.
Ms. Cisneros’ 1984 novel, “The
House on Mango Street,” tells the
coming-of-age story of a young girl,
Esperanza, growing up in Chicago
through a series of vignettes. The
story has become a core part of
U-High’s English 1 curriculum and
was recently read by ninth graders.
When describing the writing
process for the novel, Ms. Cisne-
ros, a Chicago native and former
teacher, said she wrote it because
she loved her students.
“Whenever you create some-
thing with pure love, amor puro,
on behalf of those you love, will
always turn out well, if you do it
from the heart,” she said. “I didn’t
expect to get a dime. I didn’t ex-
pect anyone to read it.
Ms. Cisneros gave further insight
into her own writing process, shar-
ing a draft of an unpublished essay.
Later, Aris Mendoza, the screen-
writer for a proposed adaptation of
the novel, joined Ms. Cisneros and
spoke on her work to authentically
adapt the original work. Ms. Cisne-
ros advised students to constantly
write to express themselves.
“The most important writing
you will do is the writing you can’t
share. Even if you can’t keep it or
complete it, you still don’t have to
hold the emotions that are trig-
gering in the past. You can pro-
cess it by writing,” Ms. Cisneros
said. “The biggest censor you have
is yourself. The way I get past it
is I give myself permission not to
share. I can write it. I can think it,
but I don’t have to share. What I
need to do is process it. I need to
let it go in whatever art form I’m
comfortable with, whether it’s
words or dance, song or sculpture,
whatever it is, but you don’t have
to hold onto it.”
A handful of students were able
to ask questions, including sopho-
more Maya Livni, who asked Ms.
Cisneros how she struck a balance
between beauty and pain in her
writing.
After the hourlong event, Ma-
ya and a large group of students
spoke to Ms. Cisneros one-on-one
to share the impact of her work.
“The book was just so power-
ful to me,” Maya said in an inter-
view with the Midway. “I didn’t
read it the first time in school. My
mom read it to me as a little girl,
and then I reread it and reread and
reread it — and then I read it in
school. So meeting somebody who
is such a big part of my life and has
been a huge part of growing up
was just so powerful.”
by AUDREY PARK
& SAHANA UNNI
After recent developments in
the Israel-Hamas war, Christine
Fojtik, AT Comparative Politics &
Global Relations teacher, began to
include informed class discussions
about the conflict — assigning stu-
dents to read about the complex
history of the region before giving
them guiding questions to address
in the conversation.
“I think most of us are really
upset and affected by what we’re
seeing,” Dr. Fojtik said, “and I’m so
impressed by the amount of curi-
osity and empathy I’ve seen from
students, which has honestly been
more impressive than I’ve seen
from many adults this past week.”
The ongoing Israel-Hamas war
has prompted questions about
how to address the complex and
multifaceted conflict both in and
out of the classroom, while ensur-
ing not to generalize and stereo-
type identities, and recognizing
the recent surge of Islamophobia
and antisemitism.
While some classes, like those
taught by Dr. Fojtik, have sought
to address the crisis in the Mid-
dle East, ninth grader Rania Khan
said she wishes her classes talked
about current events and the Isra-
el-Hamas war more.
“A lot of people shy away from it
because it can be seen as too con-
troversial,” Rania said. “I do not
think it has been brought up a lot
in class, and I understand why, but
I think it is valuable to hear differ-
ent peoples’ perspectives because
on social media it can just feed one
side of the story.”
Sophomore Maya Livni, who
has family in Israel, said history
teachers should discuss the con-
flict in classrooms because of how
historically rooted it is.
“It is really important for histo-
ry teachers to address the topic in
an unbiased way, giving the con-
tent as straight facts and then let-
ting students form their opinions
rather than leaving it to social me-
dia,” Maya said.
Maya said equating the conflict
with religion creates a space that
allows for antisemitism and Islam-
ophobia.
The Shoulder to Shoulder Cam-
paign is a multifaith coalition
committed to addressing, coun-
tering and preventing Islamopho-
bia in the United States. Execu-
tive Director Nina Fernando said
in an interview with the Midway
that addressing current events in
the classroom, especially those in-
volving the potential implication
of stereotypes should be handled
with care and sensitivity.
“We have to point out the nu-
ances, and we cannot equate the
government of Israel with all Jew-
ish people,” Ms. Fernando said.
“We cannot equate the horri-
ble acts that Hamas has commit-
ted last week with all Muslims. It
is a ridiculous thing to do, to con-
flate the two. To point out the re-
al diversity that no community is a
monolith is extremely important.”
Ms. Fernando said educators are
responsible to facilitate and guide
students in a way that allows them
to ask questions but does not con-
flate groups of people with the
acts of violence committed.
“We have to protect one anoth-
er and not ask a minority student
to speak on behalf of their entire
community,” Ms. Fernando said.
“That is very dangerous and total-
ly unfair. We have to point to nar-
ratives that are humanizing.”
U-High science teacher Sharon
Housinger has tried in the past
to form a Jewish faculty affinity
group, adding that the increase of
antisemetic incidents in the last
couple of years at Lab has caused
fear and isolation among Jewish
community members. She said
they had difficulty finding a time
to meet, but the Israel-Hamas war
pushed them to finally come to-
gether.
Ms. Housinger said, “I want this
to just be a place of peace where
people can say, ‘We’re all upset to-
gether.’”
Ms. Fernando said with the on-
going conflict, Islamophobia and
antisemitism will be on the rise,
and the murder of the 6-year-old
Muslim and Palestinian American
boy in suburban Plainfield exem-
plifies this.
“Our heads are spinning, our
hearts are just breaking because of
the violence abroad and the rising
violence we are seeing in the Unit-
ed States,” Ms. Fernando said. “If
we are perpetuating narratives that
dehumanize, it is what allows us to
justify violence and it will continue
with the horrible events that hap-
pened with the 6-year-old boy.”
Laboratory Schools Director
Tori Jueds said she is heartened by
the ways students have stepped up
to support each other and leaned
into learning about such a com-
plex and troubling situation.
“What people are looking for in
such a fearful and uncertain time
are assurances that they belong at
Lab, that they are seen and heard
and valued and that they are safe,”
Ms. Jueds said. “These are ongoing
priorities and aspirations for our
entire community that feel partic-
ularly acute at this time.”
u-high
University of Chicago Laboratory High School
midway
PAGE 3 • CITY LIFE
To commemorate the
memory of Emmett Till, a
14-year-old boy kidnapped
in Money, Mississippi, and his
mother, Mamie Till-Mobley,
his house will be converted
into a museum by 2025.
PAGE 6-7 • IN-DEPTH
From classrooms to careers,
artificial intelligence has
made an undeniable impact
on life today. Students are
learning about AI’s benefits
and harms as they try this
influential technology.
PAGE 10 • ARTS
Senior Emma Ciesla is taking
on numerous roles in the
fall play, “Our Town.” For
Emma, theater provides a
platform to express herself
and explore her passions
from stage to crew.
1362 East 59th Street
Chicago, Illinois 60637
uhighmidway.com
OCTOBER 26, 2023
Volume 99, Number 3
Midway photo by Delaney Connell
MEETING A HERO. Sophomore Camila Bravo and Sandra Cisneros hug
after Ms. Cisneros’ talk. “I grew up reading her work,” Camila said. “She
inspired me to write my poems, so meeting her felt so good.”
To stay informed about
the Israel-Hamas war, the
Midway encourages the use
of reputable and trustworthy
sources to get and stay
informed and to avoid the
spread of misinformation
and disinformation. From
live updates to quick reads,
the Midway has compiled a
list of news articles which
have covered the war and
the complex history and
background of the ongoing
conflict. Scan
the QR code
below to view
the resources
and learn more.
resources at a glance
Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division
“
We have to protect one
another and not ask a
minority student to speak
on behalf of their entire
community.
Nina Fernando, executive director,
Shoulder to Shoulder Campaign
”
“
The most important writing
you will do is the writing you
can’t share.
Sandra Cisneros
”

STORYTELLING FOR
THURSDAY, OCT. 26, 2023
features
12
vox
pop.
“My favorite snack from the
Mexico that is available in
the U.S. is definitely, I think,
either mazapan or duvalin. It’s
a very sweet candy. It’s from
Mexico, and it’s
very available
over here in the
U.S., and it’s very
sweet, you know,
tons of different
flavors here that
are so available. It’s definitely
something I used to eat for my
childhood a lot when I was in
Mexico.”
— Adrian Chaides, sophomore
“One cultural snack from my
Ghanaian culture is called
‘Bofrot,’ pronounced ‘buff-
root’; it’s made out of yeast
dough, and it’s typically sweet.
I usually eat these
at parties or family
gatherings. The
importance of
them to me is just
the reminder of
my family. Every
time I eat these, I’m reminded
of the good times I have with
those I care about.”
— George Ofori-Mante, junior
“My favorite snack is thattai.
It’s a south Indian crunchy
snack that’s made with rice
flour, ‘urad dal’
and spices. I don’t
speak an Indian
language so food
is really the thing
that has helped
me feel most
connected to my culture.”
— Kaavya Shriram, senior
“My family is Russian, and my
favorite snack would probably
be Sushki (also called boubliki)
and anything with tea. They’re
kind of like crackers and we dip
them in tea. I usually buy them
at Ann’s Bakery in
Ukrainian Village,
that’s where we
get all of our food.
We don’t have
snacks like this
in the U.S. and
it’s important for me to stay
connected to the culture.”
— Ilana Umanskiy, junior
— compiled by Taariq Ahmed,
Edward Park and Victoria
Washington
What is your favorite snack
from your culture that you can
get in the United States? How
is that important to you?
Snacks around the globe
International snack stores have seen a boom in popularity
in the United States, Chicago especially, giving many people
the option to purchase their own favorite cultural treats that
come from thousands of miles away. From old classics of non-
American cultures to new twists on American snacks, these
six treats reflect the range of flavors now available in the U.S.
by SKYE FREEMAN, Audience Engagement Manager
INDIA
Almond and cardamom
dairy beverage
Sweet chili puffs, from the
Flaminco Snack Manufacturing
Co., are a staple in Egyptian stores.
The company, founded in 1977, fo-
cuses on creating preservative
and trans fat-free vegan corn puffs
that still reflect the popular Egyp-
tian snack. This snack has a really
nice kick of spice, while remaining
sweet and tangy, creating a perfect
balance of flavor. They are pleas-
antly puffy with a crisp crunch.
Flaminco Snack Manufacturing
Co. has countless other flavors for
their puffs – cheese, peanut and
meaty grill. Still, perfection comes
at a cost: the chips go for rough-
ly $9 in snack stores, which is a bit
too pricey for me.
Dulces de la Rosa, a handmade
candy brand founded in 1942, has
turned into a major manufacturer
of iconic Mexican artisanal sweets.
Known for their mazapán and pul-
parindots candies, the brand can
be found in many Mexican fami-
ly-owned stores. Pulparindots, a
candy made from the pulp of the
tamarind fruit, flavored with sugar,
salt and chili peppers, is a sweet,
tangy and spicy treat. The water-
melon-flavored pularindots lacked
a distinctive watermelon flavor.
Nevertheless, the green candies,
with a gummy interior, were deli-
cious and slightly spicy. The treat
offers a unique flavor to switch up
your sweet cravings. You can pur-
chase them on Amazon, a 12-pack
for $7.20, or in stores around Chi-
cago. The price point is reason-
able, and I definitely recommend
it if you want a unique candy.
Bacon wheat puffs, from the
Polish Lapsy Company, are a part
of their selection of natural puff
chips. The company has spent 30
years in the market, selling snacks
that are free of artificial additives.
Many chip varieties and corn puff
snacks can be found in Polish gro-
cery stores. The chips’ subtle ba-
con flavor and smooth-yet-puffy
texture make them almost addic-
tive. Their products are popular
in most of Europe, and while they
are not well known in the United
States, they are truly game chang-
ing. They’re located in interna-
tional stores around the country
and are relatively inexpensive, a
4-ounce bag selling for roughly
$4.99.
Founded as a restaurant in Ban-
galore, India, in 1924, and lat-
er as a global convenience prod-
uct manufacturer, MTR foods
has been a staple for efficient and
heritage-rich meals in India. The
company’s goal to be a world-
class brand supplying ready-to-
eat meals has brought their prod-
ucts to stores in the United States.
Their badam (almond) and car-
damom dairy beverage is sweet
and refreshing, a healthy drink for
those looking to expand their fla-
vor profile. The flavor of badam,
also known as almond kernel, is
subtle yet sweet. Mixed with bits
of almond and spiced with car-
damom, the drink is reminiscent
of ginger, tangy and earthy, with
a slightly sweet kick. The almond
pieces in the drink weren’t my fa-
vorite. They added a unique yet
off-putting texture. Priced at $3.99
at Lincoln Park’s “Exotic Snack
Guys” international snack store,
the drink is a bit expensive but
worth a try.
Price:
$3.99
Where to buy:
Lincoln Park’s “Exotic Snack
Guys” international snack store
Price:
$4.99
Where to buy:
Price:
$3.00
Where to buy:
Amazon
Price:
$9.00
Where to buy:
Price:
$7.20
Where to buy:
Amazon/many Mexican candy
stores
Pejoy cheesecake cookie bis-
cuit sticks, a product from Glico,
is a scrumptious Taiwanese snack.
The makers wanted to create the
cookie, known as the “inside-out
pocky,” with the filling on the in-
side, in hopes that they wouldn’t
melt as easily as Pocky does. The
cookie definitely tastes like pocky,
a deliciously sweet cookie with
filling. Yet the cheesecake fill-
ing felt more neutral and vanil-
la-like than I had imagined. While
these cookie sticks lack the strong
cheesecake flavor as I had hoped,
countless other flavors provide an
array of versions of the treat. The
packaging is a cute vibrant yellow,
and the sticks are perfectly shaped
and tasty. Classic chocolate Pe-
joy can be purchased on Amazon
for roughly $3 a pack or in small-
er international stores if you seek
a wider range of flavors.
Alenka chocolate, an iconic Rus-
sian chocolate known for a child’s
picture on the wrapper, has been a
staple since 1966. First made in the
Soviet Union in 1965, the treat is
described by some as the symbol
of a happy Russian childhood. Un-
like American chocolate, which is
meant to be eaten relatively quick-
ly, this rich and sweet chocolate
is meant to be savored. It is rich-
er than most other milk chocolate,
and the chunks of hazelnut inside
offer a nice and surprising tex-
ture. Priced at $4.50 on Amazon
for 100-gram chocolate bars, and
available in smaller international
stores, these treats will please any
chocolate lover.
Price:
$4.50
Where to buy:
Amazon/international snack
stores
for more
Scan this
QR code to
watch the
video version
with first
impressions.
POLAND
Bacon Chips
TAIWAN
Cheesecake pejoy
candy
EGYPT
Sweet chili puffs
MEXICO
De la rosa pulparindots
watermelon candy
RUSSIA
Alenka chocolate with
hazelnuts

STORYTELLING FOR
a mile. “We blast music through
the whole run, so it’s pretty fun.”
To Donna, music is really per-
sonal. “I have some songs that will
really remind me of my passion for
swimming,but it’s also something
that really brings the team togeth-
er on bus rides, parties, practices
According to volleyball play-
er Sydney Rogers, music is an im-
portant method of getting the
crowd engaged.
“Sometimes volleyball can get a
little boring, especially if we’re not
playing well,” Sydney said. “I think
it gets them more involved like
so uses music to discourage and
scare the other team. “It’s always
intimidating when you see a bus
coming in jamming out to ‘One
Kiss’ by Dua Lipa and Mo Bamba
with the whole bus shaking and
the whole team screaming at the
top of their lungs.”
Morgan Park Academy Feb 4.
Acero Soto Feb. 7 39-21
Morgan Park Feb. 4 51-45
Catalyst Maria Jan. 25 44-30
Kelly Jan. 24 43-37
Fencing
Jonathan Liu, a freshman
sabre, placed second at the
Notable: The track and field
teams started their indoor-
season Jan. 14.
DeLaSalle Institute Inv. Feb. 3 Won
Proviso West Inv. Feb. 9 Won
–COMPILED BY NICKY EDWARDS-LEVIN
byKATERINALOPEZ
ASSISTANTEDITOR
T
hough Chicago may have
cold temperatures and
great amounts of snow,
it remains in the second flat-
test state in the country. De-
spite the lack of hills, students
around U-High still find ways
to ski close to home in the win-
ter.
Junior Alex Witkowska skis
at Cascade Mountain for its
prices and the convenience.
“Since none of us in my
family are extreme skiers we
don’t really find it necessary
to go out of the country to big
mountain ranges,” she said,
“so it’s cheaper and just as fun
to go somewhere nearby via
car where we can still get the
experience.”
Staying close to home is op-
timal for people who might
not be the best at skiing, but
still want the experience.
Alpine Valley Resort,
Elkhorn, Wisconsin:
About 64 miles from Chica-
go, AlpineValley is a little over
an hour’s drive from the city.
This trail is perfect for inter-
mediate skiers, with an eleva-
tion of 1,400 feet. This resort
has 20 trails and 7 chair lifts,
along with lodging and food.
Wilmot Mountain Ski
Resort, Wilmot,
Wisconsin:
Wilmot is a little over 67
miles away, making the drive
around an hour and 15 min-
utes. For skiers who are less
advanced,Wilmot mountain
has a 748-foot elevation.Wil-
mot has 16 trails, 11 chair lifts
and lodging.
Cascade Mountain,
Portage, Wisconsin:
Cascade Mountain is 178
miles from Chicago. The drive
is just under three hours, with
the mountain being 1,276 feet
tall, ideal for more advanced
skiers. This location has the
most trails, 33, with 10 chair
lifts. This resort also includes
lodging.
Chestnut Mountain
Resort, Galena,
Illinois:
Chestnut Mountain is 161
miles from Chicago, making
the drive a little over two and
a half hours. The mountain is
1,020 feet tall, perfect for in-
termediate skiers. This resort
has 17 trails with 7 chair lifts.
This resort has lodging.
Chicagoans hit the slopes close to home
MIDWAY PHOTO BY EMERSON WRIGHT
FLYING HIGH. Soaring through the air, Alec Wyers goes over a jump on Senior Retreat.
Some seniors spent Feb. 1 skiing and snowboarding on Chestnut Mountain in Galena.

STORYTELLING FOR
THURSDAY, DEC. 13, 2018
U-HIGH MIDWAY • UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL, CHICAGO
12 • ARTS
byPRIYANKASHRIJAY
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
“It’s all a process, steps along a
path. Becoming requires patience
academic rigor at Whitney Young
High School and Princeton
University to using her former
position as the nation’s first lady to
hearing a person’s story in their
own words, wrapped up in what
they learned and how they felt,
especially when it’s someone who
her readers this.
Nostalgia for the Obama family
and their seamless blend of
powerful intelligence and goofy
Seasons Streamings
“Parks and Recreation” follows the life
of Leslie Knope, played by Amy Poehler, an
ambitious employee in the Parks and Recre-
ation department in Pawnee, Indiana. Her
bubbly personality is opposite of her distant
and staunch libertarian boss, Ron Swanson.
The show is a political satire mocking the
public’s inability to elect capable officers.
“Parks and Rec” has included politicians,
such as Joe Biden and Michelle Obama.
Obama’s memoir shows path of a woman to glory
Comedy
“Parks and Recreation”
“The Great British Baking Show” tests 12
amateur bakers on their baking skills in cat-
egories such as making cakes, breads, pas-
tries and desserts. They are judged by a va-
riety of judges including Mary Berry, Paul
Hollywood, Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc.
Set in the countryside of southern England,
the reality show ran from 2010-2013 and is a
source of heartwarming comedy suited for
all audiences.
“Law and Order: Special Victims Unit” is
a chilling show focused on and around sex-
ual assault and rape crimes. Olivia Benson,
played by Mariska Hargitay, is a detective at
the NYPD’s Special Victims Unit task force.
This show is plot driven, with half of the epi-
sodes surrounding the crimes and investiga-
tions themselves, and the other half located
in the courtroom as they follow the prosecu-
tion and conviction of the criminals.
“Black Mirror” a futuristic science-fic-
tion show based in an alternative present or
near future, explores the fear of unexpect-
ed consequences of technological advances.
The episodes are typically set in a dystopian
environment and they are stand alone. Be-
cause of this, there are no main characters,
similarly to “The Twilight Zone,” which in-
spired “Black Mirror” a more recent anthol-
ogy with a similar satirical and dark tone.
“New Girl” is a sitcom featuring Zooey De-
schanel as Jessica Day, a quirky preschool
teacher, who moves into an apartment in
Los Angeles with four roommates, Winston,
Nick, Schmidt and Coach, following a diffi-
cult breakup. She soon become best friends
with them. The sitcom follows their friend-
ships, relationships and work-life. Jess strug-
gles through issues such as relationships,
marriage and careers.
“New Girl”
“Last Chance U” documents the lives of
teens at at two junior colleges as they at-
tempt to make it to Division I football. Play-
ers attend these junior college because they
are either not academically eligible to attend
Division I schools or because they are trans-
ferring schools. When transfering, NCAA re-
quires them to sit out a season unless they
attend one semester of junior college and
maintain a 2.5 grade point average.
“Shameless” follows the lives of a family of
six children living with their intoxicated fa-
ther. Eldest daughter Fiona, played by Em-
my Rossum, has to take up most of the child
rearing responsibilities. The show goes in-
to depth about lives and problems they face
while getting by on the south-side of Chi-
cago. While some of the show has a dismal
tone, the families upbeat and often humor-
ous actions keeps the show lighthearted.
“Dark” is German science-fiction show.
For those who do not speak German, there
are subtitles and a dubbed version on Net-
flix. Eerie music and storyline makes the TV
show similar to “Stranger Things.” Begin-
ning with the aftermath of Erik Obendorf’s
disappearance, it branches into multiple
storylines to include events from 1986 and
1953. As more children disappear, secrets
from the lives of four families are uncovered.
Science fiction
Drama Reality
“The Great British Baking Show”
“Dark”
“Law and Order: SVU” “Black Mirror”
“Last Chance U”
“Shameless”
Would you prefer friends to
more humorous or honest?
Humorous — Honest
Do you prefer reading young
adult or mystery novels?
YA — Mystery
Do you wish you
could time travel?
No — Yes
Do you prefer watching
fiction or non-fiction?
Fiction — Non-fiction
Do you prefer celebrating
Thanksgiving or Halloween?
Thanksgiving — Halloween
Do you think you have a
dry sense of humor?
Yes — No
Do you squirm at the sight
of blood or violence?
Yes — No
Do you prefer spontaneity
or predictability?
Spontaneity — Predictability
Start:
Winter break is the perfect time to catch up on binge-watching. Take
this quiz and find out which genre or show may be your next favorite.
— COMPILED BY ELLA BEISER. GRAPHICS BY GRACE ZHANG

STORYTELLING FOR
teams. Unlike some of his peers
looking to stay in shape for their
off season, Zain said he has always
had an interest in staying fit, and
usually exercises here five days a
week.
While Zain said he appreciates
the convenience and familiarity of
the gym, he said he finds himself
is that working out is a great way to
release stress.
“I don’t think about school work
and friends and family, I’m just fo-
cusing on that. If I’m doing some
intense workout, the last thing I
want to think about is what home-
work I’m going to have to do,” she
said.
facility by a friend, said that the so-
cial aspect of exercise also makes
it easier.
“You’re trying to be better than
each other, or at least match each
other, and that can really motivate
you to do well. It doesn’t seem so
intense of a workout when you’re
Zain said over the echo of eager
voices in the stairwell. “When you
say, ‘I like going to the gym be-
cause it’s a social thing and it’s with
my friends,’ it’s really fun. It doesn’t
weigh on you as much.”
Though they have their own rea-
sons for exercising, Zain and Oliv-
one.
“As a piece of advice to kids who
don’t find the motivation to work
out, I would say that it’s open ev-
ery day, it’s free, and there’s a lot of
cool people that go,” Olivia said.“If
you have nothing else to do, then
you might as well.”
Sled
the City
Many people complain about Windy City winters.
This winter break, get off the couch, grab a hat,
some mittens and some friends to explore the best
sledding hills throughout the snowy city of Chicago.
Soldier Field
Located just south
of Soldier Field, the hill
boasts a 33-foot drop and
artificial snow, making for
a wild ride despite Chica-
go’s temperamental win-
ters and disappointing flatness. It is ranked
highly by parenting websites, so watch out
for small children.
After a glorious ride — once dragging the
sled back up gets boring — store it in the
car parked in the nearby South Parking Lot,
and it’s a quick walk to the Field Museum,
Adler Planetarium or Shedd Aquarium for
some reflection after a long day of physical
activity. The 18th Street Metra station and
CTA Red Line L stop at Roosevelt are also
close by, but remember that the Metra usu-
ally only stops at 18th if flagged. From Roo-
sevelt, take a quick ride on the Red Line to
the Cermak station, and warm up in Chi-
natown.
The hill is open from 6 a.m.-11 p.m.
Diversey Harbor
The hill is between Can-
non Drive and Stockton
Drive, about a two-min-
ute walk from Diversey
Harbor in Lincoln Park.
There’s also an Alexan-
der Hamilton statue at the top. The near-
by CTA Fullerton L stop, about five blocks
from Lincoln Park, offers easy access from
the Brown, Red and Purple lines. A 10-min-
ute stroll west on Diversey Parkway will re-
veal various restaurants and shops, includ-
ing Zizi’s Cafe on the corner of Sheffield Av-
enue andWolfram Street.
Palmisano Park
Called “Mount Bridge-
port,” according to a
DNAInfo article, the sled-
ding hill is relatively long,
and not particularly steep.
Palmisano Park is about a
block from the Bridgeport Coffeehouse and
two blocks from the Jackalope Coffee & Tea
House. It’s also right by the Halsted L stop
on the CTA Orange Line, which runs north
to downtown and southwest to Midway Air-
port.
The park stretches across 27 acres and
has 1.7 miles of paths. According to the Chi-
cago Park District website, the hill offers
“dramatic views.” It’s open from 6 a.m.-11
p.m.
Dan Ryan Woods
The Dan RyanWoods,
which has entranc-
es alongWestern Ave-
nue between 83rd and
87th Streets, has a sizable,
well-marked sledding hill
maintained by the Cook County Forest Pre-
serves. The park is next to the 91st-Bever-
ly Hills Metra stop. Signs in the parking area
give directions to the hill.
The immediate area doesn’t offer ma-
ny food options, so remember a Thermos
of home-brewed hot chocolate. The park
is open and staffed Sunday-Thursday, 10
a.m.-7:30 p.m., and Friday-Saturday, 10
a.m-8:30 p.m.
— COMPILED BY JACOB POSNER
MIDWAY ILLUSTRATION BY RISA COHEN

STORYTELLING FOR
Journalism
is a service.

STORYTELLING FOR
Journalism isn’t
about the
journalist.

STORYTELLING FOR
It’s about
the audience.

STORYTELLING FOR
Place the
audience’s
needs first.

STORYTELLING FOR
Every decision
flows from those
initial questions.

STORYTELLING FOR
Go do great
journalism!
👍😀

STORYTELLING FOR
This presentation is
available online at:
slideshare.net/loganaimone
Permission is granted
for classroom use.

Logan Aimone, MJE //
logan.aimone@gmail.com // @loganaimone
QUESTIONS?

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