Ever since I started at the Beacon, I have been drawn to the architecture of the school buildings. They have a beautiful classic look to them that makes you feel like your stepping back in time. I'm sure the current tenants of these buildings resent the fact that they lack some modern conveniences, but from a purely visual standpoint they are superb.
This in mind, I found myself at Bardwell Elementary the other day photographing the installation of a new climbing wall.
I had some time to kill prior to the wall arriving, so I explored the inside of the building a bit...

It's not uncommon for some of my favorite photos to often relate very little or not at all to the story at hand.
Take this morning for example, I was at Sacred Heart Church's Living Stations of the Cross march on the east side.
While I liked what I shot of the march, my favorite image came when I saw a little girl playing with a patch of grass through a fence.
The overcast sky, her blue coat and the green grass all made the image feel very "Spring-y" to me.
Because the photo has no ties to the march, i.e. you don't see the cross, people marching, or anything that would let you know what is going on at the event, it couldn't be used with the story, but I thought I would share it here with you.

Every year, Park Districts perform controlled burns of prairies and other natural habitat to help support native plant growth.
A few weeks ago I was searching for stories when I saw a huge plume of smoke on the horizon. My journalism curiosities led me to the source of the smoke at the Springbrook Prairie in Naperville.
After getting the OK from all the workers I hung out for a bit as they proceeded to burn the prairie just as nature would do, but in a more controlled atmosphere.
When they had finished, what looked like a thriving prairie now was a black and gray field of soot which would in turn become fuel for natural plant growth.

I was sent out to cover a dress rehearsal for Naperville Central's "DrumShow" this morning for area elementary school students.
The show was amazing, these kids have some serious skill and make some great tunes on items that you would never expect to sound good. Things like a garbage bin, food trays, and basketballs.
Backstage, I was drawn to the lights they had soaking the stage in color. Sadly, no drums= not running in print, but I liked them non-the-less.

While I was out in the western regions of Oswego the other day a storm started brewing as the sun set. I noticed some horses on top of a hill and pulled over to grab a few shots on may way back into the office.

Robert Guerrero, right, punches Michael Katsidis, of Australia, during a lightweight boxing match Saturday, April 9, 2011, in Las Vegas. Guerrero won by unanmous decision. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)

Wayne Johnson of Philadelphia waits for costumers to buy his balloons on a rainy Friday, April 8, 2011, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

A Pakistani religious student takes his second term examinations at the Islamic seminary, Jamia Binoria, in Karachi, Pakistan Saturday, April 9, 2011. More than 2,000 religious students took the examination at one of the model Islamic seminaries. (AP Photo/Fareed Khan)

A couple walks in the Red Square in Moscow, Russia, early Saturday, April 9, 2011. Heavy snowfall hit Moscow late Friday. (AP Photo/ Alexander Zemlianichenko Jr)

A worker smokes a cigar while rolling cigars at the at the Scandinavian Tobacco Group cigar factory in Esteli, Nicaragua, Friday April 8, 2011. The factory was part of a tour for cigar aficionados attending the second annual Nicaraguan Cigar Festival: Sensations of My Country, hosted by the Nicaraguan Cigar Association (ANP). Experts and businessmen attended the four-day festival that included visits to the Nicaraguan tobacco fields which produce some of the best cigars in the world. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

Kashmiri women comfort the sister of Sajjad Ahmed, a top militant commander of Hezb-ul Mujahedeen, during his funeral in Pinglish, some 56 Kilometers (35 miles) south of Srinagar, India, Wednesday, April 6, 2011. Thousands attended the funeral of a suspected rebel commander in Indian Kashmir Wednesday, a day after he was killed in a gunbattle with government forces in the restive region. An Indian Army soldier and a police officer were also killed in the fighting, according to the police. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)

Japanese police, wearing suits to protect them from radiation, search for victims inside the deserted evacuation zone, established for the 20 kilometer radius around the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear reactors, in Minami Soma, Fukushima prefecture, Japan, Thursday, April 7, 2011. Hundreds of Japanese police and soldiers were mobilized Thursday to begin their first major search operation inside the evacuation zone. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)

A fire victim watches others sifting through the debris in Malabon, north of Manila, Philippines, Thursday, April 7, 2011. A pre-dawn fire that gutted more than a hundred homes, mostly on stilts. No casualties were reported but the fire left more than a thousand people homeless. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

An anti-government protestor holding his national flag shouts slogans during a demonstration demanding the resignation of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, in Sanaa, Yemen, Saturday, April 9, 2011. Yemen, angry over Qatar's suggestion that its leader resign, recalled its ambassador to the fellow Arabian Peninsula nation on Saturday as hundreds of thousands of Yemeni protesters rallied for a second straight day to demand the ouster of President Ali Abdullah Saleh. Arabic reads on the flag, " One Yemen" and on the headband, " We die for Yemen". (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)

In this Wednesday, April 6, 2011 photo, a mother and her children who recently fled heavy fighting stand inside a schoolroom that has been transformed into a makeshift camp for displaced persons in the town of Khorfulus, Jonglei state, Southern Sudan. Lt. Gen. George Athor defected from his position in the southern army earlier this year in order to run for governor in Jonglei state, the largest and most volatile of the south's 10 states. After losing the April vote, Athor launched a revolt against the southern government along with an unknown number of his troops. Communities living in the swampy territory within the "no-go areas" where the southern military is pursuing the rebel forces largely lack access to basic services such as health care and clean water. (AP Photo/Pete Muller)

A male stork prepares the nest on the chimney of an old distillery as he waits for his partner to arrive at sunrise in Nauen-Ribbeck near Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, April 5, 2011. The male storks arrive some days earlier to the summer quarter than their partner to prepare the nest for raising their chicks in the marsh area that is rich in food for them. (AP Photo/Ferdinand Ostrop)

Opening Day: Southside from Brian Powers on Vimeo.

White Sox fans sold out U.S. Cellular Field for their teams home opener on April 7, 2011 when they beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-1 behind 13 strikeouts from starter Edwin Jackson.

The City of Naperville will be beginning its renovation project at its downtown station this month. The plans call for the stations platforms to be completely renovated, and by the looks of that curb, I can't say they don't need it.
Check out the full story in your paper or online Friday!

...of Naperville Mayor George Pradel.

A woman votes during the Kazakh presidential election at a polling station at the Russian leased Baikonur cosmodrome, Kazakhstan, Sunday, April 3, 2011. Polls have opened in Kazakhstan for an election that is expected to overwhelmingly reconfirm the leadership of long-serving President Nursultan Nazarbayev. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)

People take to Broad Street in downtown Richmond after VCU's loss to Butler in the NCAA semifinal on Saturday, April 2, 2011. (AP Photo/Richmond Times-Dispatch, Eva Russo)

Butler's Khyle Marshall and Virginia Commonwealth's Jamie Skeen grab for a ball during the first half of a men's NCAA Final Four semifinal college basketball game Saturday, April 2, 2011, in Houston. (AP Photo/Chris Steppig/NCAA Photos, Pool)

Connecticut's Alex Oriakhi loses the ball as Kentucky's Josh Harrellson defends during the first half of a men's NCAA Final Four semifinal college basketball game Saturday, April 2, 2011, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Indian cricket fans ride on an Ambassador car as they celebrate their team's win over Sri Lanka in the Cricket World Cup in Kolkata, India, Saturday, April 2, 2011. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)

Boys jump into the wather on the first sunny spring day, in Malmo, Sweden, Saturday, April 2, 2011. The temperature in Malmo reached 17 degrees Celsius (63 degrees Fahrenheit), signalling the end of an unusually long and hard winter. (AP Photo/Johan Nilsson, Scanpix Sweden)

Children wave a Libyan pre-Gadhafi flag as they ride a pickup truck in Benghazi, Libya, Wednesday, March 30, 2011. Rebels retreated Wednesday from the key Libyan oil port of Ras Lanouf along the coastal road leading to the capital Tripoli after they came under heavy shelling from ground forces loyal to leader Moammar Gadhafi. (AP Photo / Altaf Qadri)

A female anti-government protestor, bottom left, shelters her son from the sun under an umbrella, while others pray during a demonstration demanding the resignation of Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, in Sanaa, Yemen, Sunday, April 3, 2011. Yemen's political opposition on Saturday presented the most detailed outline of how it hopes to see power change hands after nearly two months of protests that have weakened the longtime president but failed to drive him from office. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)

National police used their shields during clashes with protesters demonstrating against Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega's bid to run for reelection in Managua, Nicaragua, Saturday April 2, 2011. Presidential elections in Nicaragua are scheduled for Nov. 6. (AP Photo/Esteban Felix)

A pro Gadhafi supporter wears a green scarf on his face in Tripoli, Libya, Tuesday March 29, 2011. Libyan government tanks and rockets pounded rebel forces into a panicked full retreat Tuesday after an hours long, back-and-forth battle that highlighted the superior might of Col. Moammar Gadhafi's forces, even hobbled by international airstrikes.(AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

New Suzuki vehicles, destroyed by tsunami waters from the March 11 massive earthquake, are piled on the Suzuki company lot, Tuesday, March 29, 2011 in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Much of Japan's auto industry, the second largest supplier of cars in the world, remains idle two weeks after a massive earthquake and tsunami hit the country's northeast coast. Though few plants were seriously damaged by the quake, limited supplies of water and electricity have left many unable to reopen. (AP Photo/Wally Santana)

A Japanese flag is hoisted at the earthquake and tsunami devastated area in Onagawa, Miyagi Prefecture, northern Japan Thursday, March 31, 2011. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko)

Around the country, spectators packed stadiums to watch their favorite Baseball teams play for the first time in the 2011 season. Players fresh off their spring training workouts were back in shape in no time, putting on a show for all to see.

Milwaukee Brewers players jog in the snow at Great American Ball Park, Wednesday, March 30, 2011 in Cincinnati. The Brewers open their 2011 major league baseball season Thursday against the Cincinnati Reds in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)

In this image made with a slow shutter speed, New York Mets' David Wright, right, and teammate Angel Pagan, left, run sprints in the outfield during the seventh inning of a spring training baseball game against the Washington Nationals on Tuesday, March 29, 2011 in Viera, Fla. The Mets won 8-2. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Jerry Sands makes a catch on a fly ball hit by Seattle Mariners' Justin Smoak during the fifth inning of an exhibition baseball game, Wednesday, March 30, 2011, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Kansas City Royals' Chris Getz, back, is tagged out by Los Angeles Angels second baseman Howe Kendrick as he tries to steal second in the third inning of an opening day baseball game, Thursday, March 31, 2011, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

Los Angeles Angels second baseman Maicer Izturis (13) flips the ball to shortstop Erick Aybar for a force out during the eighth inning of an MLB baseball game against the Kansas City Royals in Kansas City, Mo., Saturday, April 2, 2011. The Royals defeated the Angels 5-4. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

Los Angeles Angels' Jeff Mathis (5) is tagged out at home by Kansas City Royals catcher Matt Treanor as Mathis tried to score from second on a Peter Bourjos single in the eighth inning during a baseball game Thursday, March 31, 2011, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

Cincinnati Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips (4) jumps over Milwaukee Brewers' Prince Fielder (28) after forcing Fielder out at second in the seventh inning of a major league baseball game on Saturday, April 2, 2011, in Cincinnati. Phillips threw to first to make the out on Erick Almonte and complete the double play. Cincinnati won 4-2. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)

Tampa Bay Rays' B.J. Upton, right, is tagged out by Baltimore Orioles catcher Matt Wieters while trying to score on a single by Kelly Shoppach in the seventh inning of a baseball game Saturday, April 2, 2011, in St. Petersburg, Fla. The Orioles won 3-1. (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

Chicago Cubs catcher Geovany Soto, right, tags out Pittsburgh Pirates' Jason Jaramillo as Jaramillo tried to score on a fly ball by Jose Tabata during the eighth inning of a baseball game Sunday, April 3, 2011 in Chicago. At rear is home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

As with most kids, I grew up with dreams of sports stardom in my future, but as high school came to a close reality set in and I traded in my bat and glove for camera gear.
Born and bred a White Sox fan, I always loved the rivalry of having two pro baseball teams in the city and would go to a game on either side of town should tickets come my way.
So as Opening Day 2011 came around I was lucky enough to get a hold of a pass to shoot on the Northside Friday.
My Task: Produce a multimedia piece on the Cubbies and the feelings surrounding the game.

Here is a few stills from the piece, but check out this link to the Sun-Times story, gallery with lots of great photos from Sun-Times photographer John J. Kim and video: CLICK HERE