Recently, President Barack Obama nominated Merrick Garland to the United States Supreme Court. At a talk at the University of Chicago, he made a comment about Garland and how much his hometown of Skokie, IL shaped the type of man that he is today. With his comment, he made Skokie a trending topic on Twitter. Merrick Garland is a judge in Lincolnwood, Illinois. While he did attend the worse of the two high schools in Skokie (Niles North will always be a better school in my book, sorry), he still lived in what is, in my opinion, one of the best towns in the country. Here is why:

Our Snapchat Geo-Filters are so cool:

Skokie’s claim to fame is that it is the “World’s Largest Village”. We are considered a “village” because of our incorporated municipal government. The population of the village 64,000 people. So already, we are set apart from everyone else out there. With this cool fact, comes with a lot of cool geo-filters on Snapchat that the “villagers” use on the daily. The next time you are in Skokie, check your filters, you will be very pleased.

The Mall:

In Skokie, we have a large outdoor mall, “Westfield Old Orchard”, and in that mall, you will find stores like Francesca’s, Michael Kors, Nordstrom, and Macy’s. With restaurants like Potbelly’s Sandwiches and Subs, Blaze Pizza, Shake Shack, and Noodles and Company. We have two movie theaters which complete the perfect night spent with family and or friends. There have been many days spent going to the mall after school and grabbing a quick bite to eat or seeing movies with friends. It is also super fun in the winter when all the Christmas trees are up and decorated.

The Schools:

I think a lot of the kids who still go to school in Skokie will not appreciate this until they leave Skokie, but it is true. District 219 is one of the best districts out there. You may complain about a few issues but they always deliver when it comes to the students. They make sure their students are fed breakfast and lunch, have the most up-to-date technology, good facilities and have great teachers. Administrators work with their staff to make sure their staff is taken care of and that the students are taken care of. I don’t know what this district did, but they hit the jackpot when it comes to teachers. They are knowledgeable about the material that they teach. They are passionate about what they are teaching, and they work well with their peers. Almost every teacher at my high school was involved in a club or activity. And when I say involved, I mean, they didn’t just sit there and let the students do what they want. These teachers got in and worked during their lunches, before and after school to make sure that the club got done what they needed to get done. After spending a day at my high school, you can tell how much the teachers love being there and not a lot of schools can say that. If you go to a sporting event you will see a large fan base if you go to a play or musical, every seat will be packed. The school supports each other and the students that go there.

The People:

A lot of people reading this right now are probably wondering why I saved this for my last point, but do not fret, I did it for a good reason. After living in Skokie for a little while, one thing that will stick out to you is the people. Skokie, Illinois is a very, very, diverse place. We have people from all different walks of life. Indian, Pakistani, Chinese, Japanese, Iranian, Bosnian, and so, so much more. We have people who have been in America for weeks, months, and years. We have diverse home lives, diverse incomes, and diverse restaurants. Every person in Skokie is different. It changes from house to house, and that is what makes us so special. We aren’t a cookie-cutter town, we aren’t a group of one race. We are living proof that people of different religions, backgrounds, skin colors and sexual preferences can live together relatively peacefully.

Now don’t get me wrong, it is not all rainbows and butterflies in the Village; we do have crime and we do go through rough times, but we come together and go through it together as a strong community. The people who live in Skokie are people who are accepting of others and where they come from. No matter where people end up going in life, they seem to always remember their roots. They keep Skokie close to their hearts no matter how rich and famous they get. Whether it’s sharing a friends new video, or sharing a friend’s article, or keeping in touch with an old teacher, whatever the case may be, even if you leave Skokie, it stays in your heart forever and you always come back.

I am so eternally grateful for all of the people I have met in Skokie, and I am grateful to my parents for raising me in such a unique town. Looking back on the past eighteen years, I could not imagine where I would be without the World’s Largest Village. I am grateful that even the President can recognize that Skokie is a great place with even greater people. So cheers, to the World’s Largest Village! And no matter where you are from remember your roots because they are what built and shaped you to the person you are today.