It has been more than a week since Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines. Many people are still mourning for their lost loved ones; around 35,000 people have asked for assistance in looking for their family members, while more than 4,000 have been killed by this horrific typhoon.

“Many people have been affected in my homeland. I’m just glad that my family was lucky enough to live in the city, where the typhoon did not hit,” senior Marko Dacpano says.

Niles North High school’s student body has a high Filipino ethnic background; North’s Filipino club is very well known since it is active within our school, community and through out the Chicago-land area at large.

Knowing that their homeland has bits and pieces destroyed completely devastates Filipino club. “It’s like saying a tornado hit Springfield, but it didn’t hit Chicago. Although it didn’t wreck your home, you still feel like your life is in danger because it was only miles away” senior Ashley Jose says.

This typhoon was the call to action for many students. A group of students have been working for the past week on a way to give back to their home country: “Battle for the Philippines.”

“Battle for the Philippines”  is a dance battle in honor of the Philippines. Students from all over Illinois and beyond are invited to attend to simply watch or perform. The event will take place on Friday, Nov. 22, at Niles North in the cafeteria at 4 p.m. There is a $3 entrance fee for those who just want to watch and a $5 fee for those who want to compete. All proceeds will go to Direct Relief International.

Don’t miss out on this wonderful event!