10/20 … It was arguably the most productive blended period in the history of blended learning. You might be wondering, what could have been so great? How many college essays or pieces of homework could he have completed in a short 50-minute period?
I proudly say that the number is 0. No essays were written, no MVC problems were attempted, and, admittedly, the AP Lit daily agenda was not opened. But something beautiful was created. Together with Hindo Allie and Aayush Modi, we embarked on our weekly 2-period lunch, thanks to blended 4th. This day just happened to be a “caniac run”. For context, a caniac run is usually where one rushes to Raising Canes and back, all in the duration of 1 lunch period. However, with our 2 periods free with blended AP Lit, it was more of a “caniac jog”. Nevertheless, these trips are always filled with car karaoke, heated debates, and intensive planning. This particular trip saw the inception of Northside FC.
For those of you who do not know, Northside FC is an up-and-coming top-tier indoor recreational soccer club playing in Toca’s Winter 2 session – at least that is the plan. While indulging in our chicken fingers, we took on the roles of recruiters building a top-tier roster with top prospects from around the ville (Naperville). Group chats were assembled, starting lineups were created, and multiple name suggestions were tossed around. Just about finished with lunch and at the peak of our productivity, Hindo uttered an idea that would enhance our journey 10 fold. “Why don’t we stop by Toca?” (the place where the league was held). This was truly one of those if you’re down, I’m down moments, so as you could assume we were all down. Keep in mind this was at 11:30 am on a Friday, where just an hour prior, I had been learning about si clauses in Spanish. We couldn’t help but laugh at how this simple lunch had evolved into a full quest.
As we began this second part of our journey, we had 3 goals in mind, scout out our future competition grounds, ask how much it cost to register our team, and just make the most out of our blended period. This is where we saw some challenges and setbacks, however, as we learned in AP Lit, some form of struggle is essential to fulfilling the “quest”. Upon entering the building, their league manager was not present and therefore we could not clarify the exact price to register, but adamant about making the most out of our trip before returning to school we added a third stop; Starbucks. Here we designed our logo, voted on our team name, and created the official Instagram page; make sure to follow it → @n0rthside_fc.
At the conclusion of our blended period, we drove back to the horrid parking situation of Naperville North High School, content about what had been accomplished in the span of 100 minutes. Yes, there is still work to be done, such as paying the fee and picking jersey colors, please drop any color suggestions in the comments, but we have set something amazing into motion.
In retrospect, I not only admire what was completed on that blended day but also use it as a precedent for the rest of my senior year. It is this idea of taking the first step to do something at the realization that soon we will be out of high school, which embodies senior year. I quit soccer a few years ago and have been wanting to play on a competitive level since. I like to think about this league, this team, as my redemption as I step on the field once again, as if I do not do it now, I may not be able to do it later.
Although it was only a blended day, it serves as a reminder that we are in the heart of senior year and that time is precious, so why not spend it on things we truly want to do? The essence of this principle lies within a simple question “Why not?” Seizing each moment, we are able to find unexpected joys that could be a defining moment in our chapter of senior year. It expands beyond completing assignments for class or even drafting college essays because let’s be honest, we should not be sacrificing our 4 years towards only academics.
Whether you find yourself wanting to play sports, spend more time exploring restaurants in Naperville, or just take more time for yourself, DO IT, even if it is only during a blended period.
P.S.
Follow Northside Fc on Instagram @n0rthside_fc and come watch our games starting in January of 2024.