First, a house in Naperville catches fire
A Naperville home was struck by lighting Sunday evening, causing it to catch fire.
The Naperville Fire Department received a call just before 11 p.m. from residents at the 4600 block of Cork Tree Drive stating that their house had caught fire.
Flames were coming through the roof when the fire department arrived. All four residents had safely evacuated the home before the firefighters began work on the roof and interior of the home.
The fire was deemed under control at 11:13 p.m., but the department remained on the scene to ensure the fire was fully extinguished. There were no reported injuries, however estimates suggest $30,000 worth of damage. The house was deemed habitable by the Naperville Transportation, Engineering, and Development Team.
Weekend Update: Your one-stop guide to a great weekend
- Need help with school work, or college applications? Check out the Merry Tutor at Nichol’s Library from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
- Interested in Naperville’s History? Check out the Celebrate Naperville event this Sunday, Sept. 25 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Naper Settlement to learn more about the history of Naperville. Admission is free for museum members and Naperville Residents with proof of residency.
- Looking to find some fresh and local produce or try some new foods? Check out the Naperville Farmer’s Market on Saturday from 7 a.m. until 12 p.m. near Naperville’s 5th Avenue Train Station.
In NNHS news
- Girls swimming lost against Naperville Central on Tuesday, Sept. 20. Read the story here.
- Want to improve your school lunches? Read this writer’s advice for quick, easy, elevated lunches here.
- Naperville North’s College and Career center is continuing to host college visits from next week. Be sure to register via Schoolinks to meet with admissions representatives and students of your possible schools as soon as possible!
18 Naperville North students have been named National Merit Scholar semi-finalists
18 Naperville North students were recognized as National Merit Scholarship Semi-finalists at the District 203 Board of Education meeting on Monday.
More than 16,000 students across the country qualify as semifinalists. Once recognized, students complete a rigorous application process in the hopes of qualifying for $2,500 scholarships, corporate sponsorships or college-specific scholarships.
Students recognized at Monday’s meeting took the PSAT-NMSQT last Oct., which is the first step of the selection process for a scholarship. The selection criteria varies from state to state.
All juniors at NNHS will take the PSAT-NMSQT on Oct. 12, 2022, and undergo the same process to be considered for a merit scholarship.
Spotlight: Mr. NNHS
Naperville North is home to a variety of clubs, classes, students and teachers. Polaris will be featuring one of these activities, individuals or events that make North unique. This week: NNHS’s Homecoming competition, Mr. NNHS.
One of Naperville North's most beloved Homecoming week traditions, Mr NNHS, features senior students as they show off their talents in hopes of being crowned “Mr. NNHS” at the end of the night. This pageant-like show provides a unique opportunity to bring school spirit to NNHS, as well as celebrate and acknowledge the seniors who lead the student body throughout the school year.
In years prior, Mr. NNHS was limited to only aspiring male students, this year, however, North opened up the competition to all senior students. Dean of Student Activities Jennifer Baumgartner explains that Student Activities and Student Government are looking to change the name and adjust the competition to be more open to all students.
“What we want it to become is something that anybody can be in… We’re gonna keep the name but make it clear it’s open to anyone,” Baumgartner said.
While these changes are in the works, Mr. NNHS was just as exciting and entertaining as past years. The talent acts included Megan Colburn’s rendition of “The Ballad of Sara Berry,” Tyler Bresnick’s version of the Turkish Waltz with seven different instruments, Preston Pratali’s dance to hits by Michael Jackson, Justin Bach’s heartfelt ballad of “Fly Love,” Nate Gonzalez’s cover of “The Best is Yet to Come,” Charlie Nguyen’s short film “Chi Chi and Char: Saving Private Ryan (Konrad)” and Joe Hinsberger’s slideshow presentation recounting his “life of swag.”
This year, Joe Hinsberger was crowned Mr. NNHS, Preston Pratali was the runner-up and Charlie Nguyen was Audience Choice. The night was filled with standing ovations, laughs and cheers for all contestants. Joe Hinsberger explains why he loved being a part of Mr. NNHS.
“Everyone did a really great job, everyone put a lot of hard work into it... I think that everyone had a bunch of fun and that’s all that really matters,” Hinsberger said.
Here's what's going on nationally:
President Joe Biden announces a new labor deal
In an attempt to prevent a labor standoff against railroad companies, President Joe Biden announced the negotiation of a deal between rail workers and labor unions. The deal made last week aims to provide wage increases and other improvements for railroad workers across the industry.
The deal includes a 24% gradual increase in wages by 2024, with a 14.1% immediate increase in wages, along with several annual $1,000 payments.
Additionally, there were several changes to attendance policies, including additional emergency days for medical care without penalties.
Several rail workers have expressed discontent with the new deal, claiming that it fails to fully address issues that were exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and labor shortages. The situation remains tentative as a labor strike may still occur in spite of the new deal.
This week's Polaris was written by Kayla, Ian, Avery, and Ryan
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Suggestions? Email: geainger@stu.naperville203.org
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