Huntley High School's Voice Newsmagazine: February 2020 Issue

February 2020, Volume 23, Issue 6

the voi ce est.1997

THE TEACHER WAGE CRISIS HUNTLEY LIBRARY BEGINS REMODELING

STUDENTS NEGLECTING RESOURCES

CONTENTS 05 08 18 22 27 39 42

Featured on

huntleyvoice.com

NEWS

Huntley Area Public Library begins remodeling construction

OPINION

Huntley offers many student aid resources, why aren’t they using them?

FEATURES

Theme of the Month: road trip Braden Turk

Junior Amber Anderson shares her passion for writing

HUMANS OF HUNTLEY

Courtney King explains how she discovered her synesthesia

A&E

A recap on football’s most famous game: the Puppy Bowl

Book to Big Screen Skylar Sharkey

SPORTS

Senior Matt Burba reflects on his journey as a Red Raider

EDITORIAL

Exploring the dilemma of low teacher wage and how to solve it

Editorial Board Editor in Chief Riley Murphy

Managing Editor Ayman Mirkhan

Section Editors

Tanpreet Bathal, Brooke Hamann, Madelines Meucci, Amelia Pozniak, Skylar Sharkey

Photo Editor Lilly Landoch

Marketing Editor Brooke Hamann

EDITORIAL POLICY

Social Media Manager

Speech Team strives for success

Kate Alvarado

Staff

Staff Writers

Kyle Abruzzo, Amanda Brooks, Delaney Cairns, Ruhi Gulati, Annaliese Harper, Alex Hartleb, Ally Jorgensen, Bailey Lim, Sydney Novak, Alex O’Connell, Sarah Reilly, Erin Richardson, Ryder Shepardson, Jimmie Soriano, Kayla Sweeney, Gabby Terez, Mark Vandy, Rayne Zilch

Photographers Lilly Landoch

Adviser

Dennis Brown

Riyana Walker

The Voice is an official student-produced medium of news and information published and produced by Huntley High School News Media Production students. The Voice has been established as designated public forum for student writers and editors to inform and educate their readers and to discuss issues of concern to their audience. It will not be reviewed or restrained by school officials prior to publication or distribution. Because school officials do not engage in prior review, and the content of The Voice is determined by and reflects only the views of the student staff and not school officials or the school itself; its student editorial board and staff members assume complete legal and financial liability for the content of the publication.

News Technology

Virtual anatomy table coming to HHS Gerry Marchand receives grant for impressive new equipment

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By Ryder Shepardson

For years, students in Human Anatomy have been participating in a lab where they take a look at different muscles located all throughout the body. In class, they take the time to cut out these muscles while locating their insertion and origin points.

Some students found it difficult to properly picture the location of specific muscles due to certain areas of the body being heavily concentrated with smaller individual muscles.

“From my experience while doing the lab, I found it difficult to differentiate between two muscles located on the radial side of the lower arm,” senior Reilley Curtiss said. “I would have found it easier and more useful if there was a way to properly see the muscle groups instead of just using Google Images.”

Soon, there will be good news for students participating in this lab, as well as many others.

The science department will be purchasing and receiving a brand new, touchscreen virtual anatomy table for students enrolled in Human Anatomy, Biology, Animal Science, and even Project Lead The Way Medical Academy courses. It is similar to the TV in the INCubator room, but students will be able to use it for dissections and other experiments.

The three-dimensional feature of the table will allow students to see precise incision points, clear locations in different layers of the body, and new angles to give them advantages over normal 2D printouts.

According to Gerry Marchand, a Human Anatomy and Biology teacher, the actual screen is 79 inches long, 47 inches wide, and weighs a whopping 272 pounds.

“It’s kind of like an Anatomage Table, but like a fraction of the cost,” Marchand said. “I’ll be putting the screen onto

S. Laput Marchand assists student in science class

a rotating table with wheels too, so we can move it around as needed.”

Anatomage Tables range up to around $72,000. Obviously, that is outside any practical budget for a school district.

Marchand was given a grant for around $7,500 to finish the project. The district is able to give these grants out as well as a few others from the proceeds of fundraisers like the Hootenanny. Recently.

The screen was priced at $6,000, but that sale has ended.

“I’m hoping that once we get in contact with the company, they can still give us some sort of a discount since we are a school district,” Marchand said.

“I’ve been pushing to get this ordered as soon as possible so my students this year will get the most out of it with the time we have left.”

Students seem to be pretty excited too.

Marchand teaches one Biology class and four Blended Human Anatomy classes, so lots of students will benefit from this.

Not to mention the other Biology, Animal Science, and PLTW Medical Academy classes taught by other teachers. One senior in one of Marchand’s Anatomy classes, Ashley Konecki, is eager to try out the new device before it is too late.

“I hope that we can get the table ordered soon. I can’t wait to see it and be able to use it hands on, even if it’s only for a few experiments before I graduate,” Konecki said.

As for how long it will take until it is in our school’s hands, Marchand estimated the table will be in about two weeks after ordering. The problem is, it still has not ordered it yet.

“My guess is probably a little over a month until it is actually ordered, shipped, and ready to use,” Marchand said.

Luckily for Konecki, a month is not that long of a wait. She will still have plenty of time to use it for the remainder of this year. As for the future, we might even see some curriculum changes coming up.

Human Anatomy, Biology, and many other classes will be incorporating this table into their classrooms. This could open the gate for new projects and experiments for students next year and in the future.

Who knows? Maybe the muscle identification lab will even become at least a little more bearable for students like Curtiss and Konecki.

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 3

News Interviews

To become something more Global Academy start their second year of interviews

A

By Delaney Cairns As time goes on, students all over the country begin to lose knowledge and understanding of the rest of the world around them. Technology has been advancing and the ability to learn about and meet people all around the world has been increasing for years.

But students at Huntley High School, and high schools all over the country, accept being uneducated instead of reaching out and caring about the world and issues all around them.

The Global Academy at HHS, only in its second year, has managed to create a space for students to learn about the rest of the world and really make a change in issues a lot bigger than them and their lives.

The interviews for the next group of Global Academy students will commence on March 5, but students need to begin preparing now. The application process for the Global Academy is fairly simple and very worthwhile for students interested.

According to Anne Sharkey, the creator of the Global Academy, there are about 35 students eligible to apply this year. All the students need to do to get into the academy is to have a parent fill out the Global Academy Parent Acknowledgement Form, receive two teacher recommendations, fill out an application, and sign up for an interview.

In the interviews, students will be asked what they are interested in about the world, how they think the Global Academy will fit into their 4 THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2020

Courtesy of Anne Sharkey Global Academy come together and display unity as an academy

future, and what the main ideas they want to get out of it and learn are.

These interviews will decide whether or not they are the right fit for the Global Academy path.

A Global Academy student is someone who is interested in what is going on around the world, is interested in working with other people, wants to learn more about how to make a difference and take action.

Sophomore Abby Rice began her journey through the Global Academy program in January 2019 when she enrolled in the Global Citizenship course. “[In the Global Academy], I am given the opportunity to spread my voice and take action on all sorts of issues around the world,” Rice said.

“I also get to meet and learn more about people from different parts of the world.”

The Global Academy is very different than other academies in the sense that it is not focused on one single career path, and the skills students learn in the Global Academy can apply to any one.

“No matter what career you go into there’s that idea of getting involved, learning more about the world, understanding the news, and under-

standing the issues in the community,” Sharkey said.

The Global Academy is unique and to any one interested or on the fence about starting the process, make sure you know the Global Academy is great for students who are interested in learning more about the world.

It is also effective for students who are interested in taking action to get informed and involved to really see what’s out there beyond just their immediate interests. It is a good way for students to be able to really see everything available to them in high school and all around the world.

The Global Academy, because of its small size, also has a close and inviting environment for all students.

“It is smaller and more intimate so everybody knows everyone and that builds bonds throughout the classroom and the academy,” Rice said. “It is also a fun class that goes more into depth than a normal history or social studies class.”

As the Global Academy grows more and more over the years, so does the amount of educated and worldly students at HHS, making a difference, and taking progressive steps toward a more involved and helpful generation.

News Construction

Expanding the minds of Huntley at our local library The Huntley Library begins expansion process

L

By Amanda Brooks Libraries are a place where everyone comes together, no matter a person’s age. They are quiet and peaceful places where no one feels judged. In 1999, the Huntley Public Library opened and has made minor renovations over the last 21 years. Now, it’s reaching for the stars. Out with the old and in with the new.

From Oct. 16 through Oct. 22, the Huntley Public Library closed its doors in order for the staff to begin removing materials in preparation for the newest addition to the building. Frank Novak, the director of the library, has been working there since April 21, 2014. Novak has seen the progression of the library and can not wait to start renovating.

“We shut down the library for a period of two weeks. The reason for that was that we were moving everything out of our trailers since that has been what we have been operating out of,” Novak said. “The children’s area, our program room, and our children’s staff were all located in the trailers.”

In prior years, the library had tried many times to hold a referendum, but they were all refused. Therefore, to accommodate everyone, they used trailers.

On April 2 of 2019, the Huntley Public Library held a new referendum.

“A referendum is when people vote on the issue that is being presented.

We took it to the citizens of our district and they approved it,” Novak said.

“The vote was 67% in favor which is

CourtesyL.ofLandoch Netflix Huntley Library undergoes construction

actually very good. I was anticipating that we would come out ahead at maybe 50.9%.”

Construction is a tricky process; it’s not just a fast and simple thing. There are so many people involved in the planning and process of construction.

The library had a citizen task force and a core planning group. The people involved in these teams were mostly people from the community. The library had to get the city’s approval to start construction, and had to involve the community. It’s a huge project.

“Our library is very small for the size of the community that we serve.

As you know, the Huntley community has been growing for a long time,” Novak said. The last decade, or even the past 15 years in Huntley, we’ve had a boom.”

When Sun City was built, the library wasn’t ready for the huge increase of people moving into the community.

This was a big part of why the library decided to renovate.

“The bond that we got approval for was set at the par value of $12.9 million. I was actually able to increase our value. The total cost is going to be about $14.1M when all is said and done,” Novak said.

Novak was able to increase the budget by $1.2 million. This was able to help add even more resources to the Hunley Public Library.

“We are going to have more technology in the building. We are going to have a sound studio,” Novak said.

“It’ll be like a digital creation area, but we are going to have a soundproof area. We can actually do recording and sound engineering and podcasting.”

However, that is not all. There will also be room for a greenscreen. The library also wanted to connect to the college students by putting in a makerspace.

“We will have everything from the traditional 3D printers to metal cutters and even to sewing machines,” Novak said.

There are way more enhancements being added to the Huntley Public Library, but the thing that students are most excited for is the community hub that will be added. The hub will have private study rooms which will help students continue their school work at their local library.

“As far as my vision goes for the library, I think that we need to be split between two different worlds,” Novak said. “I think we need to be in the digital world and and the print world. My vision is to make sure we can accommodate both to the best of our ability.”

All ages will be accommodated in Huntley’s new and improved Huntley Public Library. It’s time to reach for the stars. Construction is set to start in the spring of 2020. Get ready Huntley.

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 5

News Travel

Pack your bags Huntley High School HHS students are going to Peru for a week during Spring Break of 2021

H

By Alex Hartleb

Have you ever wanted to travel to Peru and experience all the culture and amazing historical landmarks?

Well now’s your chance to take advantage of this once in a lifetime trip offered by Education First and social studies teacher Bradley Aney.

Spring Break of 2021 is your chance to experience the culture of Latin America first hand and there is a lot that you will be able to see and take part in.

One of the biggest locations they’ll be hitting is Machu Picchu, which is a 15th century Incan citadel set way up high in the Andes Mountains that is supposed to have amazing views as well as architecture. There you will be able to explore the citadel with an expert local guide and see this ancient location for yourself.

You will also get to see some of the major cities in Peru, such as Lima and Cusco, which is where the biggest cultural aspect of the trip comes into play. You will get to see the city life as well as try exotic Peru foods, such as the delicacy of fried Guinea Pig on a stick, while also engaging in dancing lessons and the chance to cook food for yourself.

Lastly, you will get to see the straw villages of Lake Titicaca. In between the border of Peru and Bolivia rests Lake Titicaca where the Uro people have built their islands entirely out of water reeds. It is a sight that you won’t want to miss.

Before the trip students will get the oppportunity to raise money for their trip.

“Not only have we had students pay off their trip by using this fundraiser, but we have had people that have

6 THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2020

Courtesy of BBC

been able to have quite a bit of spending money on the trips because they really dedicated themselves to trying to alleviate the cost for their parents,” Aney said.

The cost for this trip is around $3500 which includes airfare, hotel, transportation, access to all the locations, breakfast, and dinners that you will have as a group. While this might seem like a lot, there are numerous ways to lower the cost and plans to choose from and it is also a much lower price compared to if you went on your own without the help of EF. One of these cost reducing options is a fundraiser where you will ask different organizations and family members to sponsor specific parts of your trip.

“Every single time, it doesn’t even matter if you’re an 8th grader coming into freshman year or a senior, when we get on these tours, age becomes meaningless. Even with the chaperones we all become a close-knit family,” Aney said.

On the trip you will also get to become more of a global citizen by venturing out of the U.S., gain a sense of independence from your parents, and also gain a lot of friendships and relationships with people you might not normally. While the experience of everything is amazing, it takes a backseat to the rest of those things while on the trip.

Usually this semester’s deadline for enrollment is two weeks from Feb. 5, but for anyone who was not made aware of this and is still looking to go can contact Aney for more information and he will give you until the end of February. to enroll. If you aren’t able to do so, don’t worry because enrollment will open back up sometime in the fall.

Now there is a limited amount of people who are allowed to go on these trips, that number being 48, so make sure that you contact Aney about enrollment if you are interested so that you don’t miss out on this once in a lifetime opportunity.

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Opinion Aid

Student aid resources are here for a reason Administration provides the support, but it’s up to students to take it

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By Maddie Meucci

“F.” It’s the letter that some students dread to see on their paper or in the gradebook. However, for other students, it’s the letter they can’t help or don’t know how to fix.

Huntley High School offers a vast variety of opportunities, clubs, and sports to students. Along with extracurriculars, they also provide endless support for students who need help with just about anything and everything.

Whether you are struggling with mental health, friends, or failing grades, the high school has specific people to help you out.

So many students misconceive asking for help as being weak or being stupid, but that is not the case. The reason the high school has so many support lines for students is because they want them to ask questions, provide support, and be here for all students in any way that they can.

Freshman year can be very overwhelming. The new setting commonly causes a lot of stress and anxiety to students. Classwork, tests, and homework are all at a much higher level than students were used to in middle school.

Freshman Grace Helzer expressed that high school was a hard adjustment in the beginning, but it became easier once she got the hang of it.

“The school work and curriculum was harder and it [was] more intimidating because it’s high school, but

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it was easy to adjust once you get the hang of it,” Helzer said.

Many students go through the same thing while adjusting to the new environment, but with the help of administration at the high school, there is no need to worry.

Freshman Counselor Karen Miller explained how the counselors check in with students one on one if they are struggling academically or need help with something.

“Mrs. Skubak and I personally check in on students. When we meet with students who are struggling academically we go over the following support, Raider Aid and contacting the teacher,” Miller said.

Raider Aid is a program that stu-

Maddie Meucci is a first year member and a current floating editor.

Check out her, “Hot off the Dress,” blog on huntleyvoice.com.

dents can use during the day and after school. Teachers are in the Raider Aid room at certain periods of the day. Students can check in with their teachers and find out when they will be in there to help them.

Miller explained that the counselors encourage students to take advantage of Raider Aid during the day or after school if they are struggling in a class and or need extra help.

“We encourage students to use Raider aid during the day if they have time or after school,” Miller said.

If students cannot find the time for Raider Aid or it is simply not helping them, there are other options for students struggling. Miller expressed that these other options are also helpful to students who need assistance in time management or staying organized.

“If they’re struggling in a class because they are struggling with keeping themselves organized or not being able to manage their time, Mr. Stotz

see AID page 11 8 THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2020

Opinion Academies

The Academy monopoly HHS academies may prevent students from gaining well-rounded education

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By Ayman Mirkhan

S. Reilly

Huntley High School from day one has always been about opportunity.

From sports, to clubs, to the plethora of academies, giving students a vast amount of options to explore has always been the administration’s goal.

But everything has its limits; the question for HHS is have we gone too far?

As of 2019, HHS has roughly 250 courses, a fifth of the courses being distributed among the academies: Medical Academy, Engineering Academy, Global Academy, and the Fine Arts Academy.

The academies at Huntley have grown since the Medical Academy was introduced to the school in 2011 and marked a significant time in HHS’s history.

Renae St. Clair was the driving force behind the start of the Medical Academy and wanted to give students those extra opportunities to not only get their foot in the door for medical careers, but also give students the opportunity to see if the medical field is right for them.

This is the philosophy for all the academies and allows students to better explore their career choice for the future.

However, with four academies already being implemented into the school, the purpose behind what an academy is really about starts to fade away slowly.

“Why do we need those [academies]?

Why is that important to the United States? Why is that important to McHenry County?” St. Clair said. “And why is that important to our high school kids?

And if there’s a need for them, then by all means [we should implement them].”

With academies as fluid as the Fine Arts and Global Academy, that need seems to take many forms and makes it more difficult to determine if they’re academies we actually should have.

“I think our need for the Fine Arts Academy is actually more selfish...having this academy is creating an even stronger safe home for all of those kids to be in,” Leah Novak, department chair of the Fine Arts Academy, said.

Not every academy necessarily needs the purpose to better society, as shown by the efforts of the Fine Arts Academy to create a safe space for passionate students, but an academy to create that atmosphere seems somewhat unnecessary.

“The truth is that it [the academy] doesn’t really affect me that much,” sophomore Charlotte Sveen said. “I could definitely just be taking the classes like regular courses.”

When looking at the comparison between academy students and students just taking the courses, it can be quite

Ayman Mirkhan is current Managing Editor. Check out his Our Disturbed World podcast on huntleyvoice.com.

difficult to find any significant differences between the two and brings upon the question of if we actually need a full-fledged academy in the first place.

Beyond the actual need for certain academies, the pressure it can bring upon students is a troubling issue as well.

“I know a lot of the people who are joining academies are either dropping their lunches, doing summer school or just panicking… I don’t think that’s particularly an art academy thing [but rather] an academy thing [in general],” sophomore Elizabeth Ingrassia said.

Students depending on resources such as summer school (which is limiting as it is) and dropping lunches is not the most ideal path for our students.

Even though you do have some time to take other courses before apply-ing to be in an academy, the sad truth is that if you don’t start your freshman year, you could potentially be falling behind and have to sacrifice certain classes to meet the requirements for the transcript.

see ADADEMIES Page 11

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 9

Opinion Prom

Dancing the night away comes with a price Students concerned about raised prices on Prom tickets

D

By Sydney Novak During this time of the year, many teens are preparing for the night of nights...Prom. While figuring out what to wear, picture plans, and what to do after Prom, the first thing on everyone’s list is tickets.

This year’s prom theme will be the roaring twenties, taking place at the Hyatt Regency at O’Hare on April 25 while tickets go on sale on March 20.

What is different this year compared to years before is the price increase for prom tickets. I am not thrilled about the idea of tickets increasing this year but I do have a better understanding of why it is happening.

The issue many students are complaining and questioning about is why the ticket prices are going from $100 to about $125. The price is not set in stone yet because tickets don’t go on sale till March. During an interview with Student Council representative Jacclyn Anver, details on why the increase happens in the first place are shared.

“It is going to increase and that is because of inflation,” Anver said.

This is due to the fact that all the fees are going up such as location, bus fees, food, party favors, chaperones, and extra expenses. They had to increase the price because the Student Council cannot afford to pay the rest of the money for all of the extra details for Prom.

Our size also has a big impact on prom as well because since it is a mixed junior and senior Prom, there are a lot of preparations making sure that the location we pick can accommodate a large amount of people.

The Student Council was also getting extra money from Homecoming tickets for a while.

“We want your Prom to be great, and not thrown together, and unfortunately we lost money from last year. By us I mean the Student Council and the people that put it on last year because we haven’t raised prices,” Avner said.

“Now that being said, we get a profit from Homecoming, but now that people are complaining about Homecoming being too expensive. So we lowered the cost of Homecoming so now we don’t have the extra money,” Avner said.

Now that the Student Council lost that source of income from homecoming tough decisions had to be made by adding $25 onto $100 which doesn’t seem

Sydney Novak is a first year member of The Voice. Check out her “Art of Eating” vlog on huntleyvoice.com.

10 THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2020

like a big deal to some.

Many have gone as far as to say they are not going to go because of the price changes which is probably not true as I think people will get over the price to enjoy the experience of Prom.

“I would hate to think that raising the cost would prevent someone from going but I get it, money is money and it’s precious and people can only afford so much,” Avner said. “Unfortunately the Student Council can only afford so much and because of our size we are limited to where we can go and what we can do. We have to make the best of it.”

You may not agree with the decision that has been made of increasing the tickets but it gives us a better understanding of why this is happening. There is nothing the student body can really do about the price increase.

The Prom Committee is trying their best to prepare the best Prom as possible for the budget they have and circumstances they are in to make decisions for everyone else so we can all have a night to remember.

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works with students one on one for executive functioning skills,” Miller said.

There are 719 students in the Class of 2023 and only 66 students are failing; so less than 1% of students. Although it is a very low number, it is still 66 students.

A student can be academically struggling, but some students are failing because of pure carelessness. “ If we’re given extra time to do homework, some people just go on their phones and say they will do it later,” Helzer said.

Huntley High School has so many outlets for students to receive help. Whether it is Raider Aid, meeting with your counselor, or working one on one with a teacher.

When a teacher offers you help, take it.

If you don’t understand something completely, ask questions. If you are struggling in a class, go to Raider Aid. If you are failing a class, make an appointment with your counselor.

Administration can only go so far in providing the resources for you and making you aware of the options for help. The high school is here for you no matter the circumstance. But you are the only one who can make the next step in change.

ACADEMIES page 9 The problem that can arise with all the academies growing as much as they are is that they can delude a student of one of the most important parts of high school: finding their identity.

Though planning ahead for our future as students is significant for success, taking time to explore new things and understand ourselves is even more important for our development as individuals.

Students should be taking this time to understand themselves and not have to worry that what they take in high school reflects their career in life.

If the academies grow too much and take over different electives, we may ironically start to limit the actual choices we give to students.

Students need to find themselves before they find their lifelong careers, and balancing the amount of academies and free lance electives HHS offers will give students the freedom to explore who they are and who they want to become.

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 11

Opinion Food Policy

Students without lunch go hungry The no food policy upstairs and in classrooms is becoming an issue

By Ally Jorgensen It is simply infrastructure, but somehow teachers are able to beat the system.

They are allowed to make their As sophomore Andrew Cantrell own decisions walked out of the cafeteria and regarding the back to class, he was stopped by food policy. a hallway supervisor. He was told Most teachers that he was not allowed to take will let stufood out of the cafeteria. He tried dents without his best to explain that he didn’t lunch periods have a lunch period and that his eat during teacher let him eat in class. He was class, or they ultimately told to either throw his let kids eat food away or eat in the cafeteria. during their This was the first of many instanclunch periods. es he’s had over the school year.

“It is kind of confusing when “Multiple times, after my teachers you have a policy that says food already allowed me to grab lunch, isn’t supposed to leave the cafeteria a staff member will stop me in the [and] teachers are being allowed hallway and not let me get to class,” to make those calls up here,” said Cantrell said. “Complicated.”

Kathleen Henn, dean’s assistant.

That is the best word to describe It seems like there is a lack of the food policy here at Huntley communication between the staff, High School. students, and administration on “You shouldn’t be eating outside this policy. It is hard to make the of the cafeteria space in any caright call when people are telling pacity, but obviously teachers are you two different things. empowered to manage their space,” That miscommunication gets Thomas Kempf, dean of students students like Cantrell into tough said. situations.

According to Kempf, the build“I follow up with [the policy] by ing was not designed for food to approaching the student politely be taken out of the cafeteria space.

A

12 THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2020

S. Reilly

and saying that food’s not allowed up here. They need to go downstairs with it. Back to the cafeteria,” Henn said.

It is very clear that there will be no changes to the policy in the future, and teachers will always be given the right to make their own decisions about food in their classrooms.

“It is not meant to be ‘screw the kids’ we don’t want them to be able to eat. It is just the design of the building, and what our maintenance and custodial organization is for food to be consumed in the central part of the building,” Kempf said.

The privilege to eat around the

school has been taken away in re- have to eat during my classes most trouble for essentially nothing. cent years due to the lack of respect of the time. This becomes very If the policy states that students in those spaces. This may be one of difficult when there are students are allowed to eat in their classthe main reasons why the policy is who don’t respect the policy and room if the teacher allows it, why unclear in the first are students still place. being yelled at for “For lunch ladoing what they dies, we have to go were told was ok.

“Multiple times, after my around and collect Another issue that teachers already allowed all the trays, so when I observed was me to grab lunch, a staff they get outside of the fact that only this perimeter that is school lunches member will stop me in the just more work. We cause problems. hallway and not let me get find kids [throwing] As long as to class.” their trays out,” said students pack Julie Kearns, cook. their own food, Trays being they will most thrown out and left likely not get into around the school trouble. is just the tip of the “I went through iceberg. their space. a whole period of packing my own Students leave trash all over the It indirectly gets me in trouble food because the [enforcement] got floor and tables, some even spread for trying to get through my long so bad that I ended up not being their food around to purposely day of classes with food. able to eat during the day. No one create a mess.

“I always make sure to throw my cares when you bring your own Other students go far enough to trash away and any trash that isn’t food. It’s only a problem when you borderline vandalize the hallways mine that I can throw away. Perbuy food from the school,” Cantrell and bathrooms. You can’t blame sonally, it’s a pet peeve to see trash said. administration for taking away from eaten food left unattended According to Kempf, they are not privileges when you caused the at tables,” sophomore Guiliana going to go around and enforce the problem in the first place.

Ramires said. policy in every classroom. In their Kearns and a lot of the other staff Ramires also does not have lunch eyes, the big problems are bigger members can’t understand why period, but she respects the policy meals. Especially the ones from the students would destroy this facili- and keeps her spaces clean. cafeteria. ty. Students wouldn’t do it at home, As students, we need to respect The most important thing we can so why are they doing it at school? our school in order to get what we all do, is spread awareness to all of In the words of our principal, want. It is our job to show that we the people around us.

Marcus Belin, “This is our house,” can handle certain privileges.

From what I’ve heard, the stuso we need to keep it clean.

On the other hand, it is also im- dents would appreciate a more acUnfortunately, the students that portant for staff members to have cepting and open minded approach disobey the rules and cause prob- an open mind and listen to what is from the staff. lems ruin it for the kids who are going on with certain students.

The staff members want us to redoing the right thing.

For the small percentage of spect our school and keep it clean.

As a student who does not have a students who do not have a lunch We are all in this together. lunch period or blended classes, I period, it is very easy to get into

[ ] Andrew Cantrell

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 13

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Opinion Bathroom Doors

Plunging into the truth HHS students question lack of bathroom doors in East Gym locker room

By Skylar Sharkey At Huntley High School, this is our house, our home. Students can walk these halls, and for the most part, expect to feel respected and heard by faculty and peers. We pride ourselves on our academic and athletic rigor and an environment of equality and acceptance. But to some students, it may seem that privacy isn’t very high on the priority list.

Bathroom locker room doors are missing in the East Gym boys locker room. If boys feel the need to use the restroom before or after their gym period, they must either brave the stall-less doors or wait until later in the day.

Faculty at HHS make students’ safety a top priority, and go to extreme efforts to make sure that students are able to learn in a secure environment. But if students aren’t able to use the restroom in privacy, how safe do they really feel? “[Faculty] should respect privacy,” senior Alvin Albano said. “They talk about how [HHS] is our home and it should feel safe but then again there’s things like this that make people feel uncomfortable.”

Athletic Director Greg Wilson similarly holds our school in high regard, and prides HHS students on their dedication to school and sports. There are still instances where students vandalize property and require the school to order replacements.

“We have a great school at HHS, students are awesome and are very motivated athletically and in terms of sports and activities. From time to time there are some instances where there might be some sort of small damage to

the building,” Wilson said.

With damage to school bathrooms, it is no easy fix. Replacing bathroom doors takes time.

“In those instances, if we’re speaking of a locker room door, unfortunately we don’t stock bathroom doors so it takes a bit of time to order the exact size ours are and to get them here and to get them installed,” Wilson said. “In my estimation, not a common occurrence, it’s more the outlier.”

According to Wilson, the locker room bathroom doors are in the process of being replaced, and faculty appreciates students’ patience during this process.

When students are left unsupervised in the locker rooms after school, physical education teachers like Collin Kalamatas have trouble preventing further damage to school property.

“There’s physical damage to the doors from after school activities, kids in here when they’re not supervised,” Kalamatas said. “After 3 p.m, teachers aren’t here anymore and if there’s not coaches supervising the locker rooms, you have people in here doing who knows what.”

From Kalamatas’ point of view, it

Skylar Sharkey is a floating editor and this is her third year on staff.

Check out her “Book to Big Screen” personality on huntleyvoice.com

seems as if students’ disrespect towards school property is particularly focused towards the athletic facilities at HHS. “Unfortunately there’s a lack of respect for some of the property, especially in the athletics and P.E. realm. It feels like there’s a little bit more of that here than anywhere else in the building,” Kalamatas said.

If students want the environment at HHS to remain comfortable and safe, we have to respect the spaces we utilize throughout the school day. Negligent behavior does nothing to benefit the student body.

Damage to the locker rooms goes beyond just bathroom doors. Lockers suffer damage due to reckless behavior as well.

“We have less and less lockers available because kids literally rip doors off of lockers. If you want things in our school to be acceptable and nice then we have to keep it that way,” Kalamatas said. “I don’t know what it is that 17-year-old boys get out of destroying things but it definitely takes a toll on the school.”

As students, we are fortunate enough to attend a school that takes students’ safety and privacy seriously. Let’s make sure we return the favor.

“You live in this world,” Kalamatas said. “You use these facilities, why would you not want them to be in a respectable shape?”

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 15

Feature Teacher

The True Intentions of a Physical Education Teacher: Michael Slattery Slattery describes the details of his arrival here at Huntley

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By Rayne Zilch Why is physical education so important? Physical education helps develop skills that students may not realize they are enhancing: motor skills, hand-eye coordination, reflexes, are all great aspects of physical health.

“You only get one body for the rest of your life. I want my students to understand that there are multiple different ways to keep your body in shape. Once you leave the freedom of being at home, for a typical student, with mom and dad, you have to go carve your own time out to take care of yourself physically,” Physical education and Drivers ED teacher, Michael Slattery said. ‘That is what I try and have them figure out and since each kid is different, I introduce them to as many different varieties of activities.”

Slattery has been teaching in the Huntley school district since 1990.

Every morning he drives to the high school all the way from Lake Geneva. Even though that drive seems unbearable to most people, Slattery has the same routine every morning to be able to teach at the school, which he says is awarding to be a part of.

Slattery explains when he realized that he wanted to go into this department in teaching high school students.

“I had some great coaches in high school. I had some guys that I really respected who helped me out and taught me, so when I got to a certain point in my life I thought, you know what, I want to go give back because people like that were great to me 16 THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2020

S. Novak Michael Slattery poses for a photo near the East Gym

growing up,” Slattery said.

30 years is a long time to work in the same position and not get sick or tired of it. But Slattery’s eagerness to get to know all of his students and help them grow, keeps him going each year.

Despite the growing number of students and the difficulty of getting to know them all, he keeps that motivation to do his best.

Slattery has been doing this for a long time. His style of teaching does not have the same intentions they did when he first started at Huntley.

“As a young teacher I was ‘you have to do it this way rah rah rah.’ I believe in what I teach. I have grown,” Slattery said. “I have gotten better as a teacher to realize how to present what I teach better. I take what I teach seriously and I try to teach proper techniques, but I hope I present it in a way that is fun and enjoyable because that is the most important thing I want kids to, after they leave my class,

I want them to still have enjoyed an aspect of it.”

To Slattery, physical education is not just a way to keep yourself healthy. There are always long term techniques that stick with students until they become parents.

“Each class is different. Like sophomore physical education is a lot of game play, like badmitten, pickle-ball, and basketball, etc. Are these kids going to be professional basketball players? No. Do they have to be great at basketball? No. Should they learn something about the game? I believe that they should because most kids end up growing up to be parents at some point in time and these are just some basic things to understand,” Slattery said.

Slattery does not teach physical education in a way that pushes students to the peak of their physical ability, but rather teaches them how to properly take care of themselves, hopefully to stick with them in the future.

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Feature Passion

Beyond the margins Leader of Creative Writing Club finds her passion in storytelling

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By Jimmie Soriano As students, sometimes we groan or whine at the readings assigned for homework without ever taking the time to think further than what’s on the Haiku calendar. Maybe to some, stories depicting a world of fairies and dragons or an extravagant, alternate reality just aren’t interesting. But to others, those worlds are their realities. Beyond the pages of a book, beyond the words that sit so neatly in a page, there is an author just waiting to publish her own story. Her name is Amber Andersen.

This year, she is a co-leader for the Creative Writing Club here at Huntley, where she works alongside her fellow leader, Meghan Bentley, to oversee the weekly activities and general management of the club under the advisory of Lisa Downing, an English teacher who has taken over the club just last year.

With their efforts, they have created a sacred place where all kinds of students can share their most personal works without fear of judgement.

Even still, they say that anything worthwhile takes time, and this story is no different.

Any creative influencer can agree that sometimes the hardest critic is yourself.

Even if she didn’t believe in her own work, her family has always been there to support her. Andersen considers herself to be very family-oriented, drawing inspiration from her four older siblings and domestic life as a whole. She also agrees that her parents have always been supportive of her hobbies.

“I would say I’m very friendly,” Andersen said. “Family-oriented, too, because I come from a larger family, I think. I’m the youngest out of five.”

Beyond the pages of her stories, Andersen enjoys spending time with the people around her. Whether it’s by 18 THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2020

J. Soriano Amber Anderson instructs Creative Writing Club

playing Super Smash Bros, with her siblings, or spending time with her friends after school. Besides that, Andersen also enjoys listening to K-pop, and likes to put those songs into dances.

There’s nothing more suffocating for an author than being diagnosed with a bad case of writer’s block. Rather, any artist— whether it be dancing, singing or something else—may find themselves without inspiration, halting their creative flow.

For Andersen, however, the best cure for a case like that is some quality time with close friends and family. According to Andersen, the people she surrounds herself with are her biggest inspirations.

“Sixth grade I would say when it really started,” Andersen said. “But when I was even younger than that, I would write a lot of really terrible songs that didn’t even rhyme, or they were like a minute long… it was sad.”

As time goes on, however, so does Andersen’s writing. She first started getting serious about her writing at the beginning of middle school, and she still continues to hone her literary style, further defining what makes her writing flow.

Then, in her freshman year, she joined Huntley’s Creative Writing Club. And it’s here where her story really begins.

The Creative Writing Club had originally been under the advisory of a different teacher where the club, like any, became a sacred place for those involved.

Meghan Bentley, co-leader of the club

with Amber Andersen, describes the rough transition.

“Some people really enjoyed his club and some people really didn’t. [The former teacher] left the high school, so Mrs. Downing got put into the Creative Writing Club position,” Bentley said.

“And, because it was only her first year doing it, a lot of people actually ended up leaving the club just because they didn’t trust another teacher.”

With this in mind, the two leaders, along with help from others in the club, poured their souls into promoting the activity as a whole. From handing out personal invitations to putting up custom posters, their efforts eventually resulted in more than 20 members coming in regularly for the weekly meetings, which sometimes even pushes to 30, according to Andersen.

“Amber is, by far, an amazing co-leader,” Bentley said. “There are so many things in the club that I could not do without her. She does a lot of behind the scenes work that I don’t think a lot of people realize. She is always there for the club.”

Today, Amber Andersen and Meghan Bentley still operate the Creative Writing Club together. Even though they have a lot planned for the future, such as authors coming in as guest speakers or general gatherings for bonding, it’s best not to spoil the ending! Even if the page ends here, her story is far from over.

Features Vanguard

Leading a new path for education Sarah Boldog successfully finds her way in Huntley’s Vanguard Program

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By Brooke Hamann

The prolonging ring of the first bell puts a jump in her step. It’s resonance, triggering the thoughts of classes, tests, and the to-dos of the present day. With a welcoming smile and neighborly attitude, Sarah Boldog walks into her first hour Vanguard class, eager to return to her studies from the day before.

Sarah Boldog is a sophomore and a second year returnee student to the Vanguard program here at Huntley High School. She also is part of the varsity Speech Team who most recently made it to sectionals.

Being one of the top-successors of the Vanguard program, Sarah finds this contemporary way of learning suitable and beneficial being that it so much differentiates from the traditional setting of a school day.

“Vanguard is competency based, meaning that you’re kind of working at your own pace. So, the teachers are there to give you the information but not necessarily tell you how to present it,” Boldog said.

“You have to take the information and interpret it and create something from it, whether that be a test or just a performance assessment we usually have. But, it’s your way of taking control of your learning, so it’s how you wanna learn.”

Because the program is newer, there are lots of conspiring rumors and fallacies.

With these, it becomes questionable if the program is truly constructive to students, like Sarah, who took a leap of faith when entering HHS, and whether it’ll show true value in these students’ futures.

“So that’s one of the biggest struggles, overcoming the misconception of it and what people kinda say,” Boldog said. “A lot of people who don’t know the program and say bad stuff about it, or just don’t exactly have a full understanding of it, just spread misinformation.”

Despite the misunderstandings, Sarah has full confidence in the program’s purpose and ability to keep students engaged in any manner they wish to learn in. Not only that, but Boldog holds the teachers with high regard who have contributed to her growth as an individual.

B. Hamann Boldog focuses on her coursework as she continues to be a success story

“My teachers are possibly the hardest working people I know. They spend every extra moment they have on Vanguard,” Boldog said. “Whether that is to get those kids that are struggling in credit recovery to get back on track or just getting ahead and trying to create something new for the students, they’re always working on the program. They’re just really intelligent so they always use their gifts, skills, and talents to the best of their abilities.”

In taking a substantially new direction in her learning, Sarah confronted her parents about the decision to join Vanguard to get their input in whether it’d be the right step in terms of her learning technique.

“So, when I actually went to the meeting in eighth grade, I was in the car with my mom on the way home and she just said, ‘all those characteristics that they described, were you.’ I think they’re the most supportive. They don’t question the program because they know that the main goal is just making you a better student and improving certain characteristics of who you are,” Boldog said.

“They love the fact that I’m able to work at my own pace and that not only can I communicate my work to my teacher but also able communicate my work to my parents. I think, through Vanguard, they’ve been able to see the most growth

in not only who I am but also my work,” Boldog said.

Through her exemplary work with Vanguard, Sarah has grown close with her studies and even learned to become a better version of herself through this experimental way of learning. Through this journey, those closest to her have noticed this prodigious shift in character.

“We feel Sarah is thriving in the Vanguard program. The program has allowed her to exercise her organizational and self discipline skills as well as allowing her to self advocate and collaborate with fellow students and teachers on projects,” Wendy Boldog, Sarah’s mom said. “We have also seen her grow in self confidence. Being in the Vanguard program has allowed her unique characteristics to shine and given her the confidence to even branch out and try news things like the speech and debate team.”

Fellow confidants have also identified Sarah’s work ethic and have been inspired by her intent to give 110% in and out of class to develop that solid understanding of the content.

“Sarah is an amazing addition to Vanguard because of the amount of effort she puts in. Every night, even on weekends,

see VANGUARD page 26 HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 19

Features People

The King of the “vibe check” Junior Tyler Junious radiates positivity in multiple ways

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By Amelia Pozniak

As he walks in the halls, mesmerized by the music blasting in his headphones, he silently mouths the words to the song “Smuckers” by Tyler the Creator, one of his favorite artists. Although he is distracted by the sounds that fill his head, he looks up to see a group of his friends huddled in a cafeteria booth. His eyes light up.

“Hi everyone,” junior Tyler Junious smiles through his words. He excitedly embraces each one of them, as he always does.

Although Junious takes the place for Huntley High School’s ultimate social butterfly, the reasons behind his constant grin may take one by surprise.

Junious is constantly finding himself to be surrounded by positivity. He only lives with his mom as his older brothers, Jeff and Deandre, continue to pursue careers outside of home.

“I’m the youngest child. We [brothers] all have different dads, but the same mom. I don’t know all of our dads. My oldest brother’s dad died before he was born and Deandre’s dad was never there,” Junious said. “I never got to meet them. I know my dad who’s in Chicago, and he’s cool. He’s doing pretty good right now.”

Despite Junious’s mom taking on the role of both parents, she has always continued to be an incredible role model for her kids, especially while considering how overwhelming the responsibility of three teenage boys can be.

“My mom is a really loving, caring, down-to-earth, honest person. She is such a hard worker and I respect her so much. My parents got divorced

20 THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2020

when I was about 8, so it’s been a few years since she’s been on her own, taking care of three boys all by herself,” Junious said.

“She’s influenced my fashion, she really just lets me shine and be myself when it comes to that. I remember one time in Kindergarten I wanted to wear a Spider-Man outfit, and she let me wear it.”

Junious’s outlook on fashion hasn’t always been as trendy as it is now.

As he currently walks in the halls, you can immediately identify him, wearing his thrifty shirts and perfectly cuffed jeans. Although most high school students can also relate, Junious claims that his middle school attire was simply a learning experience.

“My fashion really changed. In middle school, I really did not know what the heck I was doing,” Junious said.

“But at the same time, I was really going through it with experimenting and figuring out what pieces went with each other.”

Despite Junious’s lavish-looking accessories, you can find him scavenging through the isles of your nearest thrift store.

“I just thrift. Goodwill and Savers, that’s it,” Junious said. “If you thrift, you’re going to find some super cool stuff that no one else will get and no one else will wear. It’s unique to you.”

Although thrifting takes up a significant amount of Junious’s free time, music also plays a crucial role in his daily routine.

Junious began making music his freshman year with friends. He’d often perform with former student Nick

Ibon during late start live, or steal some spotlight on stage at Lake in the Hills annual Sunset Fest.

“Ever since he [Ibon] moved freshman or sophomore year, I haven’t really had a partner to make music with,” Junious said. “I haven’t been singing as much at all, and a lot of people who know I sing want me to sing more. I have stage fright. It’s weird for me to do it by myself.”

Junious’s most recent work can mainly be found on online platforms, such as Soundcloud and Spotify, which he mainly creates with friends.

One of Junious’s closest friends, junior Danny Mannarino, also helped introduce Junious to the incredible world of R&B. Not only did this help Junious further unravel his passion for singing, but it also initiated a valuable friendship.

“I got close with Danny and realized that he and I had the same taste in music. He does a lot of stuff with music. We became really close with that, and then over time it was just me and Danny hanging out more and more.”

Becoming friends with Junious is not difficult. His optimistic energy welcomes every type of person with open arms. He strongly believes in the idea that every person deserves a friend to lean on.

“People get lonely during school, and really only need just one friend.

I feel like I’m that friend for a good amount of people, and I feel like it definitely helps them a lot,” Junious said.

As negative energy at school often sources from stress, Junious is determined to radiate his excited energy to

the kids that need it most.

Junious’s closest friends can also confirm that seeing Junious in a state other than radiant is an extremely rare sight.

“Something that I’ve noticed about Tyler is that he’s always happy, I’ve never seen him genuinely mad at anyone or anything,” junior Fiker Endalcachew said.

Mannarino also continues to express his gratitude for Junious. Although they helped each other immensely with their creativity and music, Junious also helped Mannarino understand the importance of a good friend.

“I love chilling with Ty because he is the most outgoing, amazing human being that I’ve ever met,” Mannarino said. “He will walk up to anybody in a crowd and become best friends with them within 5 minutes of talking. If you’re feeling down, start talking to Ty, because he will positively change your whole vibe.”

Although Junious receives an endless amount of love and support from his family and friends, he will not hesitate to offer this kindliness to the classmates who seem to need a companion.

“Everyone needs a chance. Everyone needs an outlet,” Junious said. “For people who have trouble with social interaction, I want to be the one who’s there for them.”

S. Laput

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 21

HUMANS of HUNTLEY

“For me, synesthesia is when colors, numbers, words, songs, days of the week, months, everything has a color to it and that’s just kind of like in my brain. It’s something to do with like having extra grey matter in your brain...I don’t really know what that means but…It’s like when the senses mix together so I don’t actually see the colors like in front of me but in my mind the letter A is red and letter B is yellow and letter C is blue. I didn’t realize until like three years ago that that’s not a normal thing, like I thought everyone had that. So I never talked about it because I thought that it was normal.”

- Courtney King interviewed by Riley Murphy | photographed by Riley Murphy 22 THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2020

“There’s a sense of camaraderie [at Huntley], we all know each other despite [it being] so big. Everyone supports each other’s sports.”

- Devin Bower

photographed by Ryan Sroka| interviewed by Ryan Sroka HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 23

Feature Theater

Student by day, thespian by night Ethan Hajek finds passion through theater at HHS

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By Alex O’Connell

“Theater kids are weird. Why would anyone waste their time doing this?”

The echoes of Ethan Hajek’s past sifted through his mind as he nervously followed his sister, Delaney, through the long hallway into the play-rehearsal room. Once he had set his eyes on the small crowd of kids waiting to try out for the newest Heineman Middle School play, he knew there was no going back - his sister would not allow it, anyway.

Since nailing his first role as Edgar in his first 6th-grade play, “Apostrophes”, Ethan Hajek has had a hard time staying away from the world of acting. Play after play, Hajek fulfills each of his roles with a passion unlike anyone has ever seen. Six years later, he continues to pour devotion into, more professional works. Hajek’s success in comic relief begs the question: how did someone so narrow-minded within the world of theater change the way comedic roles are portrayed?

Afterall, becoming a thespian was not his idea.

He was begged by his sister to come observe and try out for “Apostrophes” with her. Delaney, two years older than Ethan but already blossoming within the field of acting, wanted him to step out and try something different - to see how “theater kids” were among the coolest in school. This is his introduction.

To his surprise, Hajek found far more amusement from acting than he

ever thought he would. Being able to portray someone else in a fashion that makes people laugh is what keeps him returning to this day.

“I feel like I’m pretty good at it. It’s fun,” Hajek said. “I like being a character. I’m pretty out there and I’m weird. I do weird things, and I feel theater allows you to be weird.”

It is always assumed who will play the part of the nerd, or the dork, or the one with the taped-together glasses. Although rare in most cases, Ethan found what he was best a from day one. Being able to express part of

be in there, make everyone laugh, and leave.”

It could be hard to believe that after six years of playing the “funny guy” in some of the school’s biggest productions, Hajek still gets stage fright. The reality is that it’s true, and he continues to battle the ongoing nervousness that builds up before a play. It is difficult for him to get on stage in his own mindset, so he needs to clear his mind to play the part efficiently.

Before each play, he calls back to “method acting,” a technique in which he mentally becomes his character and escapes his field of reality. In order to properly play a character, Hajek “I like being a character. has to compare his I’m pretty out there and I’m character to himself and write his weird. I do weird things, own backstory and I feel theater allows backstories known but to him. This is you to be weird.” his devotion.

It is important for actors and actresses to become familiar with the characters they’re portraying, but himself through the role of a usualEthan takes it to the next level by fanly-fictitious being is what makes him tasizing about his character’s past and a staple in school theater. how it leads him to where he is at the It would be debatable to say that time of the play. Story is vital.

Ethan is averse to change, but rather In fact, he has even taken to other he is simply trying to perfect what he aspects of the play-creating process. is already good at. This is his talent.

In the “One Acts,” small plays directed “I like being a side-character. by upperclassmen, Hajek put together Studying for [big roles] would stress one of the program’s most ambitious me out so bad. I could never- it projects. terrifies me,” Hajek said. “I’d rather “It was one of the best experiences

[ ]

24 THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2020

Ethan Hajek

Hajek performs under the spotlight at HHS S. Laput Hajek performs under the spotlight at HHS

of my entire life,” Hajek said. “I had all of these weird people… and it just turned out to be amazing.”

Despite low attendance at the school’s smaller shows, Ethan and his peers put out some of the most impressive productions with only the resources they have available to them.

Even at the improv shows, which are not advertised nearly as much as they rightfully should be, Hajek spills his imagination and takes acting to unseen heights. This is his creativity.

The bigger one’s imagination, the more vast his mind. Some of the finest stories come out of the school’s smaller shows and are done so with such care in order to respect the constraints given by the program’s primary instructors. But without enough marketing to get the word out, a lot of this art goes unappreciated by many.

Through the eyes of most who attend school with Ethan Hajek, the students committed to the theater

program are too “odd” to be worth their time. But none of the talented thespians ever care about the negativity to come out of those who do not support them. Instead, they embrace the love received from the countless attendees at the nearly-sold-out shows, and Hajek is no different from the rest in that matter.

“There are some things that are true about the stereotypes. We’re all really weird. But I do feel like we’re overlooked,” Hajek said.

Moderate attendance has never truly bothered Ethan, though a lack of validation from those with whom he attends school with could be discouraging. But with the construction of the new black box theater (unfortunately set to open after Hajek’s graduation in May), he feels as if it is more an act of recognition toward the school’s thespian group than anything.

The future of the Huntley High School acting community is set to be

in great hands with this new add-on, and Hajek is thrilled to see his craft recognized by his peers and is optimistic for what comes next. This is his validation. “[Theater] is getting big now. When I [first started], that was the peak. We had sold-out shows, and it was insane,” Hajek said. “Our stuff has been strong ever since, and it’s been growing.

There are a lot of freshmen and a lot of sophomores who are here to keep things going when the other seniors and I graduate.”

As for Hajek’s post-high school life, he plans on focusing his attention on a teaching career. He is unsure if he could handle the responsibility of managing full-on plays as a director, but does not see himself veering away from the world of acting anytime soon (if at all). After years of talent, devotion, creativity, and validation, the future just is not ready for him. This is Ethan Hajek.

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 25

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she spends her time doing worksheets and chipping away at performance assessments.

Without a doubt, Sarah is the best student role model that I’ve ever met and she inspires me to do my absolute best,” sophomore Lauren Courtney said.

From the countless achievements to the exemplary status she earns on the majority of her submissions, Sarah continues to work for her future and maintains a humble attitude in her classes each and every day.

Additionally, she has been nicknamed the “star-student” of Vanguard by her peers for her sole dedication.

“I think it’s wrong to say that there’s one star student because there’s not a certain attribute that defines the best Vanguard student. The one thing that might make someone stand out is their work ethic and how determined they are, and their willingness to keep trying,” Boldog said.

Although she is recognized to be an extraordinary student within the program, Sarah ultimately believes that failure will never run its bounds if your determination to succeed is strong enough.

“I’m definitely not the most successful.

I still struggle. I still have to go back and fix my stuff and try to progress in my learning.

To be honest, I’m just a workaholic,” Boldog said. “I love to keep going and just try to do the best I can. I’m very honored that people think that. I just wouldn’t consider myself that. I would just say, like other students, I just display more of that motivational and determined characteristic. I don’t think I’d be able to accelerate as much as I have in a traditional setting than I have in Vanguard.”

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A&E Puppy Bowl

“Puppy Bowl” is paw-some Game show provides adorable entertainment for non-football fans

T

By Annaliese Harper The audience is on the edge of their seats, unsure of which team will win. Both teams feature talented players who have trained specifically for this game. All players hope to win the grand prize: a forever family.

“The Puppy Bowl” is a tradition 15 years in the running. What started as a small, televised adoptathon now features “The Dog Bowl” the day before and a full day of pregame hype.

On Saturday, Feb. 1, the “Dog Bowl” kicked off the action-packed puppy-marathon.

Clad in light blue and orange, the Oldies faced off against the Goldies in a ears-andtails tussle of the ages. Aged dogs, to be exact.

While the “Puppy Bowl” is full of young and energetic pups, “The Dog Bowl” is about the seniors who still have not found their forever home.

Among those featured are a group of dogs who have a couple more challenges in their lives.

Bear is blind and audibly impaired, Tia is missing a leg, Daisy has a prosthetic leg, Janey has limited vision and hearing, and Mack is a blind cocker spaniel.

Lulu is deaf, but that does not stop her from being a candidate for the Most Valuable Pup Award with four touchdowns, the most of any dog in the game.

Although Hunter, a pitbull mix from Los Angeles, won the MVP title, many other talented dogs faced off in other aspects, such as the Super Senior Award.

With 12-year-old Ethel, 14-year-old Princess, and 11-year-old Wendy, the Super Senior is a tough decision for the judges, but goes to Princess in the end.

“The Dawdle of the Day” is a close tie between dogs, but goes to Buddy, an 11-year-old mixed hound.

The overall game was tough, with Goldies pulling ahead to a 31-28 win.

There were plenty of solo plays and team

Courtesy of @PuppyBowlXVI’s Twitter 2020’s “Puppy Bowl” players pose for the camera

scores, and the show featured much more than just the game. Among the features are many dog shelters and people dedicated to helping shelter dogs as well as updates on where previous pups had settled down.

The next day, after a full build up to the grand spectacle, only minutes are left as the Good Morning Football Team of Kay Adams, Maurice Jones-Drew, Peter Schrager, and Kyle Brandt give their predictions and observations before setting pups out to choose who they think the victor will be.

They predict team Ruff.

This year, the teams, Fluff and Ruff, sport new colors: Bark Blue and Tail Mary Tangerine, respectively.

They did, however, keep their cheer groups, team Fluff ’s pygmy goats and Ruff ’s armadillos.

Also staying this year was Surge the Hamster powering the scoreboard and the Temptations Skybox.

Despite this, some familiar faces were missing this year. Meep the Bird, the professional Tweeter for the “Puppy Bowl” since “Puppy Bowl VII,” was missing from the line up this year and has not updated his Twitter since last year. We can only hope that he has just found a good home.

Along with him, the show was missing the hamster blimp and the tailgate party. These groups will be missed and we can only hope the best for the animals involved.

However, present in the show was multiple adoptable dogs who trained and played very hard to make sure the game would be entertaining to the whole audience.

Very early in the game, Cafecito and Pip, both team Ruff, face off before working together to evade team Fluff ’s Theodore and score for their team.

In spite of this early lead, Brody, also of team Ruff, abandons the game to hoard a toy for chewing, earning his team a 15yard penalty. Team Fluff ’s Bert used this opportunity to score his team a touchdown.

The game continues with tensions and touchdowns for a while until the second quarter ends and it’s time for the Kitty Halftime Show.

This year, the show features Jennipurr Lopez and Catira in a special show of “Catnips don’t lie.”

The game keeps going until less than a minute is left, with team Fluff in the lead, 56-52.

Crumpet (of team Ruff) and Rocky Road (of team Fluff) face off as the clock counts down before Rocky Road secures the toy.

While Rocky Road is recovering, Crumpet seizes the last few seconds to grab another toy and score a touchdown, pulling team Ruff into the lead for only a few seconds before Rocky Road scores his own touchdown, pulling team Fluff to a 63-59 victory.

Although there is a defined winner every game, the true winners are the viewers, who get a fun, low stakes recording of puppies playing with heartwarming stories intertwined. Overall, the “Puppy Bowl” is an enjoyable tradition to engage in and should run for many years to come.

For more information or adoption information, check out animalplanet.com.

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 27

A&E Movie

“Birds of Prey” excites and engages fans New DC movie shows a different side of Gotham with female villans

O

By Sarah Reilly

On Feb. 7 the new “Birds Of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn)” directed by Cathy Yan was released. The movie is set after “Suicide Squad.” The Joker has broken up with Harley Quinn and now she has a giant target over her head. The immunity that the Joker gave her is gone and everyone who has had a grievance against her is out for her. The biggest person out for Harley is the Black Mask, whose real name is Roman Sionis.

Roman Sionis is also after Renee Montoya, played by Rosie Perez.

Perez has also played Chel in “The Road To El Dorado.” Montoya is a cop at the Gotham Police Department. She has been building a case on him for six months. She has managed to stay off of his radar until she is forced to interfere directly. No one at the police force believes her.

Dinah Lance, also known as Black Canary, is the singer at Roman Sionis’s club. Dinah is played by Jurnee Smollet-Bell. She also played Denise Frazer on Full House. Dinah has worked for Sionis for years. She then gets promoted to being his personal driver after he learns she can fight.

After driving him for a couple days she learns of his chase for the Bertinelli Diamond. She knows who has it and knows she has to protect them.

Helena Bertinelli, played by Mary Elizabeth Winstead, has taken it apon herself to avenge those who took part in her families murder.

She has taken on the persona of Huntress; a killer who uses a crossbow as her main weapon. Roman Sionis wants her to work for him. He believes anything good in the city

28 THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2020

Courtesy of Birds of Prey Twitter Harley Quinn leads the group of women

is his. She does not follow him and instead fights against him.

Victor Zsasz, played by Chis Messina, is Sionis’s best friend.

Victor is his personal assassin. He helps track down whoever Sionsis needs and makes sure that his job is complete. He will tourture anyone no matter their age, gender, or the grievance. Sionis orders Victor to get the Bertinelli Diamond, which holds the codes to the Bertinelli Fortune.

Victor somehow manages to lose the diamond though.

Cassandra Cain, played by Ella Joy Bosco, is a young girl who has grown up on the streets of Gotham.

Her foster parents treat her like a mistake so she spends most of her days in the city, pickpocketing everyone she comes across. She ends up pickpocketing the diamond from Victor Zsasz. They find out everyone under Roman Sionis is after her, including Harley Quinn and the entirety of Gotham.

Harley Quinn, Black Canary, Huntress, and Renee Montoya all

join to protect Cassandra Cain from Roman Sionis and Victor Zsasz, as well as everyone else after them. The only thing on any of their minds is protecting Cassandra Cain.

Margot Robbie has returned as Harley Quinn and is also producing the new “Birds Of Prey.” The Black Mask was played by Ewan McGregor, who has also played Obi-Wan Kenobi in the “Star Wars” series and Danny Torrance in “Doctor Sleep.” They both do amazing jobs at portraying their characters and their mental states. The movie was directed by Cathy Yan who has also directed “According To My Mother.”

The movie shows amazing cinematography in the action shots. The entire story flows beautifully while adding comedy and fight scenes.

The sound track showcases amazing artists like Normani, Doja Cat, and Baby Goth. The whole movie shows that no matter what, those who fight for the right cause will always rise, no matter their past.

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A&E Music

The journey of Justin Bieber’s music career Bieber’s anticipated album sparks reflection over his previous work

J

By Mark Vandy

Justin Bieber walks out on stage, to the screams of thousands and thousands of teenagers. The light shines brightly on Bieber, as he begins to sing a tune. There are thousands of people in attendance, and millions more wishing they could be in attendance. Back in 2009 Justin Bieber was at the top of the entertainment world.

The biggest teenage male icon at the time, Bieber was just getting started.

He released his first album in 2009, “My World.” Bieber would become the first artist to have seven songs on their debut album reaching the Billboard Top 100. These songs would bring Bieber into the spotlight.

However, Bieber’s life was not always bright lights and fame. Bieber grew up in a small town in Ontario, Canada.

Bieber loved to sing while he was growing up, but never took vocal lessons.

Bieber taught himself how to play the drums, guitar, and piano.

Bieber would not have his first taste of fame until Scooter Braun had gotten a hold of Bieber. Bruan would eventually become Bieber’s manager, and Bieber would sign with Island Def Jam Records. Bieber then began producing music, putting out very famous albums such as “My World,” and “My World 2.0” in 2010.

Bieber quickly shot to one of the more recognizable faces in the world.

Bieber was selling out venues all over the country. Bieber’s music was also racking up downloads after downloads.

The fans wanted more of Bieber and could not get enough of him.

Bieber gave the public a surprise in February of 2011, with the release of his documentary, “Never say Never.”

The documentary touched on a side of Bieber that the public has never seen.

Learning about his younger life, and love for music.

30 THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2020

Courtesy of Justin Bieber’s Twitter

Bieber was on a tear of success, releasing a very famous Christmas album in 2011, along with one of the more notable albums “Believe” in 2012.

Bieber continued to put out popular music, album after album.

Bieber continued to break musical records, and in 2015 when he would release a new song titled “What Do You Mean.” Bieber’s song became the most streamed song on Spotify ever in a week, reaching 30,723,708 streams in seven days.

Bieber would continue his familiar route of success, and released a very successful album “Changes”, later that year, in 2015. There were few people who did not know Bieber’s name at this time.

But soon after the release of his new album, Bieber took a hiatus from the music community. He got into some legal trouble, and tattood his entire body during this time. Bieber remained relatively silent on social media throughout this time.

The only taste of Bieber that fans got was when he was featured in the hit single “Despacito” released in 2017.

This would be Beiber’s fifth song to

reach number one on the Billboards Top 100.

Bieber seems to break records, on any piece of music that he touches. This is why many fans were excited when he announced that new music will be coming in 2020.

Bieber recently released a new single “Yummy” on Jan. 2. This song has not met the level of fame that his prior work has. It has sat differently with different crowds.

The anticipation for Bieber’s new album only grows, with the release of “Changes” coming up on Feb. 14.

However, the recently released single could foreshadow a different style of music for Bieber. Bieber has spent some time finding his purpose in life while he has not been making music.

Many fans are expecting this to be reflected in his new album, creating a different Bieber than what we are used to.

Bieber has proven one thing throughout his career; that he can constantly get back to the top after taking time off. Bieber will start a worldwide tour promoting “Changes” over the course of the next six months.

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A&E Music

The Jonas Brothers are back on the rise The pop band that makes an exciting comeback into the music industry

A

Christmas Party.”

While Nick began to gain atA couple of years ago, back in the tention, Joe felt envious of his little good old days, we would hear the brother and decided to follow in his sweet, bouncy tune of the Jonas footsteps.

After performing in his first Brothers’ song “Lovebug” playing all show, an off-Broadway production the time, whether we were in the car on the way to school or after watching called “Oliver,” Joe began to take the first steps in becoming a performer. an episode of “Wizards of Waverly As Nick and Joe started to expand Place” on Disney Channel. If you were really lucky, maybe you attended their their career, Kevin faced struggles with finding his own place to belong. He concert or heard their last perforwas constantly bullied and called gay mance on the KDWB Radio Station since he was not interested in the same before announcing their devastating extracurriculars as other boys and breakup in 2013. Maybe you rememdressed differently because his parents ber listening to the brothers’ peaceful could not afford anything more. As a harmonies, Kevin’s crazy guitar solo, and Nick’s raspy voice as he softly sang result, he started auditioning for comthe last few lyrics: “Now I’m hopeless, mercials and found great success.

Although each brother was rising head over heels in the moment; I never in the entertainment industry individthought that I’d get hit by this love bug ually, they still had not reached their again.” full potential, until a ten-minute jam Now, seven years after the breaksession in the basement changed their up, young fans all over the world have lives forever. caught a love bug again for the Jonas While fooling around with a guitar, Brothers as they continue to release ideas started to flow between the boys. music, breaking new records and These ideas turned into lyrics, which spreading love to people’s hearts along transformed into a melody, and soon the way.

However, the Jonas Brothers were the boys wrote an entire song called “Please Be Mine.” Amazed by their not just born successful; in fact, their chemistry, Massey decided to sign the story starts in a little brick house in other two brothers and on that very Wyckoff, New Jersey. day in 2005, the Jonas Brothers were Unlike most boy bands, the born. brothers grew up together in a lowFrom the doors that Columbia Reclass, tight-knit family surrounded cords opened, the Jonas Brothers were by parents obsessed with music. At a young age, all three boys began to sing slowly transforming into the popular and play multiple instruments, but one boy band they are today, yet it was only just the beginning of a long, bumpy boy’s talent outshined the others.

Nick, the youngest out of the three, road. In early 2007, Sony decided to drop the Jonas Brothers, causing the started his career in broadway shows eventually signing with David Massey family to lose their main source of at Sony’s Columbia Records at the age income and forcing them to move to a of 10 for his song, “Joy to the World: A tiny house in Little Falls, New Jersey.

With no savings left and four boys

By Ruhi Gulati

32 THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2020

crammed into one bedroom, the Jonas family was struggling to provide.

From the pain and challenges they faced, the brothers wrote the entire “Jonas Brothers” album and signed a record deal with Disney in late 2007, changing everything.

Through Disney’s Hollywood Records label, the Jonas Brothers released their albums, “Jonas Brothers,” “A Little Bit Longer,” and “Lines, Vines and Trying Times.” With both “A Little Bit Longer” and “Lines, Vines and Trying Times” reaching #1 on Billboard’s Top 200 and songs like “Burnin’ Up” reaching #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100, the Jonas Brothers’ fan base began to burst and soon hundreds of fans turned into hundreds of thousands of fans from all over the world.

With each concert, each episode of the Jonas Brothers, and each movie of Camp Rock, the Jonas Brothers became an international sensation.

“I think that fans fell in love with the brothers because they represented something to them. I think that they meant more than the music. I think that they meant more than the concert.

They were such a positive force. People really appreciated that,” manager Phil McIntyre said in the “Chasing Happiness” documentary.

The wave of fame took the brothers by surprise. No longer were they touring in a little van or worrying about their next paycheck. They began riding to concerts in a helicopter and performing at huge, sold-out venues.

“I remember getting into the helicopter and looking down and seeing the stage and thinking, “Wow this must be someone else’s stage,”” Joe Jonas said in the “Chasing Happiness” documentary.

The success was intoxicating, but

Courtesy of the Jonas Brother’s Twitter

they could only handle so much. Their reputation with Disney began to make them appear childish. As a result, they were constantly made fun of, forming a crack in the bond holding them together.

Due to the newfound feeling of insecurity, they chose to experiment on their own until Nick finally decided that the Jonas Brothers should no longer be a band on Oct. 29, 2013.

For six years, the boys went their own separate ways. Nick found a lot of success with his hit singles “Jealous” and “Chains”, while Kevin left music and raised a family with his wife. After experimenting and failing, Joe finally found his way with his band DNCE. “DNCE allowed me to be as wild and as free as I could possibly be. I was able to dress in crazy outfits and change my hair color every week and really live it.

I became more confident. I was revert-

ing back to that young me and really finding that space where I could evolve as an artist and people accepted it,” Joe Jonas said in the “Chasing Happiness” documentary.

Although each boy was living life to their fullest, they still felt that a piece of a puzzle was missing. They longed for their connection, their brotherhood, so Nick proposed the idea of reuniting and on March 1, 2019, they released their upbeat, catchy single, “Sucker” debuting at #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100. Then, on June 7, they released their album “Happiness Begins” debuting at #1 on Billboard’s 200 Chart.

The fresh, laid-back songs on the album captured the hearts of many young fans, and their hard work did not go unrecognized.

During the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards on Jan. 26, the Jonas Brothers were nominated for Best Pop Duo/

Group Performance for “Sucker” and even performed their new single “What A Man Gotta Do” along with a quick preview of their upcoming song, “Five More Minutes.”

Released on Jan. 17, “What A Man Gotta Do” follows the cheerful, rhythmic tune of most Jonas Brothers songs, and expresses their love for their wives who are all featured in the music video.

Inspired by the movies “Grease,” “Say Anything,” and “Risky Business,” the music video is the perfect comeback to the entertainment industry.

From the positive vibes of “What A Man Gotta Do,” to the sentimental “Lovebug,” the Jonas Brothers have provided the world with a whole generation of music. Although their songs will always be a part of our past, we are excited to see what the future holds for us and the Jonas Brothers.

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 33

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A&E Netflix Docuseries

New “Cheer” docuseries has an astounding debut The Navarro Cheer squad takes viewers through the ups and downs of their season

W

Courtesy of cinnamon.world

By Tanpreet Bhathal “We can, we will, we must!” As the Navarro cheerleaders sprint on stage in their bedazzled black, red, and white uniforms, they’re full of energy, with big smiles, ready to wow the crowd with the pyramid.

On Jan. 8, Netflix released a new docuseries, Cheer. The athletes take viewers on their journey to the biggest competition at Daytona, Florida. This series is six episodes long, each being about an hour. The show takes place in Corsicana, Texas at a local community college called Navarro. This school is one of the best cheerleading schools in the nation.

The cheerleading squad consists of 14 females and 24 males. Of the 38 cheerleaders, only 20 will make it “on the mat” and compete at Daytona. The head coach, Monica Aldama, has won 14 national championships coaching. The main cheerleaders of the series consist of Gabi Butler, Morgan Simianer, Lexi Brumback, La’Darius Marshall, and Jerry Harris.

The season follows the national winning team during their daily practices preparing for Daytona. While putting in long hours of practice every day, these athletes are also maintaining good grades. Their coach is not only disciplining her cheerleaders on the mat but off the mat too. The team has

The cheer squad poses for a team photo

a tutor who enforces punishment for missing or ditching class, and even tardies.

The cheerleaders are also disciplined by coach Aldama. When a girl is accidentally dropped or stunt isn’t completed correctly the athletes have to do push-ups.

While watching the show, you see how much time, effort, and dedication is put into this team and the sport itself. It physically takes a huge toll on them. They need to be extremely strong and coordinated and there are many injuries they face. Things can go downhill very quickly. They’re constantly being thrown around and putting their body through a lot. It hurt me to sit and watch them get thrown in the air and hear their body land in the arms of others. Watching girls fly up in the air and not being caught and hearing them hit the mat has you internally freaking out and wanting to fall into the screen and help.

Throughout the series we saw a wide variety of injuries: concussions, back problems, rib pain, broken arm, and much more. The series itself changed my whole perspective on cheerleading and how much work is actually put into it. Cheerleading is just as physical as football in terms of injuries and

what you put your body through but, without the equipment and running.

This sport is not easy and cheerleaders deserve more credit for what they do.

This is something viewers can easily pick up on when watching the series.

We also dive into some of the main characters’ stories. Each and every one of them has a really unique story.

Many tears being shed by the team, viewers at home left with tears. Not only is it the stories that’ll make you emotional but, even watching the athletes during practices and seeing the physical toll it takes on them. Many of the athletes faced harsh things such as childhood abuse, legal issues, mental health issues, and family neglect.

As the show progresses viewers start to become close with the athletes and feel as if they know them personally.

Harris who comes from Naperville, Illinois grew up with very little money and had his mom pass away at a young age. Another cheer family actually had to take him in because he had no family. Another popular character, Simianer, had a tough childhood with her mom leaving at a young age and her father not really taking care of her and her brother. Her father went

see CHEER page 41 HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 35

Sports Bowling

Cassandra Lugo leaves with a strike HHS girls bowling captain prepares to say goodbye to beloved sport

I

By Gabrielle Terez

It was one of the first moments senior Cassandra Lugo remembers bowling making an impact on her.

When she was young, Lugo went to state to see the sport happen before her eyes. She felt the incredible energy in the bowling alley and fell in love with bowling even more that day.

Lugo started bowling when she was 5 years old, as her family had participated in the sport for five generations. She was put onto a league along with her cousins, and her family would often bring them to a bowling alley for practice. Due to this, Lugo spent a lot of time in the bowling alley and also improved her bowling skills. Eventually, the family’s tradition would become Lugo’s reason for future bowling opportunities.

During her freshman year, Lugo joined the high school girls bowling team. Currently, she is captain of the team. Along with bowling, Lugo also has leadership roles as a commissioner for Link Crew, and a leader for gym classes.

As a result of joining the team, Lugo has taken away some good memories. One was when girls bowling won regionals Lugo’s sophomore year, which was a first in HHS history.

“Nobody in the school thought that we could do it and we proved everyone wrong,” Lugo said.

However, bowling isn’t always an easy thing to keep up with. Keeping upbeat for the sport has been hard for Lugo, as it’s important to do so in order to bowl well.

“It’s pretty much a struggle every 36 THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2020

K. Ambrogio Lugo watches as the ball flies down the bowling lane

day. Bowling is a very mental sport and if you aren’t doing well and get down on yourself, you’re gonna bowl even worse,” Lugo said.

Being captain of the team also proves to be hard as well. The way a team acts can be influenced by its captain in major ways.

“It’s really stressful because the underclassmen are looking up to you because next year, they’re gonna get the team,” Lugo said.

She also stated that keeping the positive atmosphere for the whole team serves as a challenge as well.

Despite the hardships, Lugo has learned some things along the way that has made bowling easier to deal with.

“I learned that one day doesn’t completely define you. It comes down to how you work with your team and just being yourself and having fun,” she said.

All of these moments, as well as the experiences from being part of the team, will forever impact Lugo.

Because of this, leaving the team after this year is up will be hard for Lugo.

“It really makes me sad because this team specifically has made such an impact on me and has made me such a better person. So, leaving the underclassmen behind is really upsetting,” Lugo said.

In terms of the specific impact being part of the team has had on her, Lugo said that it made her take a step back and realize that bowling isn’t just about individual effort. She realized that her attitude and the way she’s bowling affect other people. By knowing that, it made Lugo a better team player.

“It has made me just a more happy bowler and therefore, my scores are higher,” Lugo said.

Lugo hopes in the future that the team continues to put in hard work and is able to keep winning competitions like they have been before.

In terms of advice for people who would like to start bowling, Lugo stated to just jump into it.

“It’s really never too late and just have fun. Get yourself equipment and just bowl with fun people” Lugo said.

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Sports Dynamic Duo

The major difference between the Majer twins One twin dominates the mat, while the other leads on the stage

T

By Lindsey Leigh

They were born on the same day, with the same, new experiences; yet, with two different passions. Junior twins Natalie and Stephanie Majer have always been very close growing up. They each believe that the other twin is their greatest supporter. This became prominent as they began to find their passions, even though they differed from one another.

Stephanie is the dancer of her family.

She started dancing when she was 3 years old and has overcome the odds to still be dancing today. When she was 16 years old, Stephanie fractured her spine. An injury like this could end a dancer’s career if not properly addressed. Due to her injury, she had to take a break from dance.

“I think my greatest accomplishment in dance is when I fractured my spine, went through five months of sitting out and physical therapy, and then coming back to being a ballerina while being behind physically because of my injury,” Stephanie Majer said. “I got diagnosed with Spondylosis- which is when your spine gets cracks in itmine were in my lower spine. But I came back to how I was and if anything, the fracture made me stronger.”

38 THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2019

S. Novak Natalie attempts a takedown against opponent

Even a fractured spine could not stop her from continuing her passion.

Stephanie was able to fight against the odds and push for greatness. This is why she looks up to dancer Misty Copeland. Copeland did not start dancing until she was older. Most dancers start at a very young age. This put Copeland behind, but that did not stop her from going against the odds and pushing for greatness. She is now known world wide for her talent.

Stephanie loves what she does, and anyone could tell by just listening to the way she describes how she feels when she steps out onto the stage.

“It’s all emotions at once. My air gets knocked out of me, but it is an amazing feeling,” Stephanie Majer said. It’s freedom and you feel like you can do anything. All eyes are on you and it’s scary but amazing at the same time.”

On the other hand, Natalie Majer, Stephanie’s twin sister, is a wrestler.

She experiences a different feeling when she steps out onto her own type of stage, the wrestling mat.

“It feels very calm and quiet and all your energy is focused on you and your opponent standing across from you. Nothing matters at that moment besides wrestling,” Majer said.

Natalie has only been wrestling for two years. Before wrestling she played the piano and participated in choir.

She even tried dance, but it was not her passion. Her brother did a little bit of wrestling, and she decided to give it a try too.

So far in her wrestling career, she considers her greatest accomplishment to be going to Fargo, North Dakota for Freestyle Nationals and surviving the intense training.

“I felt exhausted but being with my friends was fun,” Natalie Majer said.

As Natalie continues to strive for excellence, she looks up to Helen Maroulis, an American female freestyle wrestler. Maroulis won a gold medal in the 2015 Olympic Games and helped to pave the way for female wrestlers.

Natalie looks up to not only her abilities, but also her strong and independent character traits.

The difference between the twins’ passions brings about a sense of individualism, but it does not bring them apart from each other. If anything it keeps them close as they attend each other’s meets and performances. The support they have for each other is undeniably strong.

Sports Football

New beginnings for a forever legend at Huntley Matt Burba makes a path for his future one game at a time

T

By Erin Richardson

They were on their way to Illinois Wesleyan University, awaiting yet another excruciating week of football camp. Sweat, blood, and tears were spilled on the boiling field but there he was, anxious but eager, to show what he had to offer.

As a sophomore, Matt Burba hadn’t had any playing time on the varsity level but the coaches knew that his intensity and rawness was going to show and they had to have him play. If only he knew how successful he would become on and off the field.

Since middle school, senior Matt Burba has played football on teams such as the Huntley Mustangs, Algonquin Argonauts, and even in the Blue-Grey All American bowl in Dallas.

From trying positions like linebacker to finding his home as a defensive tackle, Burba has grown a lot and has decided to further his football career at the University of WisconsinWhitewater.

“They just have a really good football program. The stuff the school puts into the program makes it feel like I’m at Huntley, just on a bigger and better level,” Burba said.

He is very excited to not only become better at football, but also dive into a new world of academics with the hopes of becoming successful in different types of management.

“The reason why it was a better option for me was because of the financial aid package, the distance, and the academics.

I want to major in Logistics Management and minor in Supply Chain Management,” Burba said.

Although he loves the sport, the high demand that football puts not only the body but also the mind has led Burba to create a very strong support system.

“Really anyone who has helped me with anything is a person who has supported me to get to where I am today, even if it was as simple as working out with me or showing me better techniques on an exercise,” Burba said As the years have passed, Burba has created many relationships with different

T. Bhathal Burba shows off his Whitewater gear outside of HHS

coaches and teammates. However, one person stood out to him the most.

“If I had to pick someone to be my role model in high school, it would be my defensive line coach Benjamin Salomon,” Burba said.

English teacher, football coach, and mentor Ben Salomon is Burba’s defensive line coach and has watched him grow tremendously over the past three years.

“Probably what changed the most from the time he was a sophomore till the time he was a senior is that he understands how people internalized the things that he did,” Salomon said. “The example he set, always working so hard and being so coachable is what made the coach-player relationship so fun.”

Due to the fact that he had many decisions to make and things to consider, Salomon was very supportive of Burba’s dreams and loved the idea of him going to Whitewater.

“Whitewater, in his conversations with me, is where he felt the most at home and where he felt like he would be able to have the best experiences, not just with football but with school and community where he felt he could be apart of something,” Salomon said.

Since he has been working with Burba throughout his high school career, he realized that Matt did not only improve

himself, but also helped improve others.

“It was always a lot more important to him to help others be just as successful and get as good as he was,” Salomon said.

Senior Rukkus Hunkins, teammate on not only the football team but also wrestling, has worked with Burba for many years and has seen Burba for his true colors.

“Burba is a one of a kind teammate.

He is motivated, hard working, and the most dedicated kid on the field. Among all of that, he is an outstanding guy and a tremendous friend. He will always have my back as I will always have his,” Hunkins said.

Salomon is very hopeful for the future and believes that Burba is one of a kind. He wants Matt to know this: “Don’t change. Just keep being yourself.

I think the most important thing for him, and anybody who goes and plays football is to understand that it won’t always be there but to have an open mind and take advantage of any experiences that being part of a team can afford you,” Salomon said.

As life goes on and Burba changes, one thing will remain true: “He has grit, toughness, and an attitude where there was never anything that would stop him from doing the things he wanted to do,” Salomon said

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 39

Sports Tribute

The legendary legacy of a Laker’s player Kobe Bryant’s tragic death deeply impacts basketball fans

A

By Kyle Abruzzo

As I was on my way home from a church retreat, I picked up my phone to go check my Snapchat. Instead of opening what I wanted to see, I saw around 10 different notifications. I noticed that every single one of them had something in common. They were all mentioning Kobe Bryant. Of course, once I read the alert that Kobe Bryant had died, my face went into complete shock. My jaw dropped, my friend’s eyes filled with tears, and millions of people around the world were immediately in distress.

Kobe Bryant was not just your average man. He was a father, a husband, a fighter, a businessman, an Oscar award winner, and most importantly an NBA legend.

Fresh out of high school, Bryant went straight to the NBA Draft in 1996. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers and spent his whole basketball career of 20 years playing for them.

In this span, he has helped bring the Lakers to five championship titles, been selected to play in the NBA AllStar game 18 times, and he has won the MVP award for this game four times. But it does not stop here. Bryant won the 1997 Slam Dunk contest, he was named MVP of the whole league in 2008, and was awarded MVP in two out of his five finals appearances. I could go on and on about the different accomplishments that Bryant has received, but it would take weeks.

Bryant, his daughter Vanessa, and seven others were all killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.

They were flying through extremely poor weather conditions and ended up hitting the side of a mountain.

Millions of people all over the world were mourning in some way after this 40 THE VOICE FEBRUARY 21 2020

Courtesy of sbnation

devastating news.

“When it comes to the impact of a man like Kobe Bryant, you can’t simply reduce his legacy to the sport of basketball. Anyone who watched Kobe, trained with Kobe, and played with Kobe, knew that [he was] something much beyond his reputation as a star shooting guard-a different breed altogether,” senior Drake Southwell said. “Between his unwavering commitment, tremendous work ethic, and superior performance in his sport, Kobe’s “Mamba Mentality” inspires me to not be scared of being the “try-hard.”

People who knew Bryant knew that he was a man with a mentality that could never be replaced or destroyed.

He was different than any player he has ever played with. Bryant was around when people like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Shaquill O’ Neil were all in the league. Bryant grew up with the game of basketball and it taught him almost everything he knew.

Although basketball was a huge role in Bryant’s life, he was not just a basketball player to your average fan.

“He is something else. He is some-

thing above basketball. It’s one thing to play the game, and it’s another to transcend the game. The Black Mamba changed basketball and that’s why we all feel this connection with him.

When he was on the court, he made it his world. He made it our world. This is coming from a man who won an Oscar, drilled a $500,000 free throw he bet on, and didn’t even flinch when [another basketball player] almost threw the ball at his face,” senior Kush Patel said. “It is hard for someone to create a legacy, but it’s truly something special when Kobe makes you feel that you are part of his legacy too.”

People realize what type of man Bryant really is, and they are shocked.

He has inspired millions of people all around the world to be able to do what he did. His Oscar winning best animated short film that he created called “Dear Basketball” has gone on to show who Bryant really was to the game. This film was based on how Kobe announced he was going to retire from the NBA. To sum it up, Kobe wrote a letter

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the Players Tribune announced his retirement on Nov. 29, 2015.

In 2016, during Bryant’s final game, he scored 60 points. This was not only a statement but a movement.

He showed everyone what he was capable of still doing, even after 20 years of playing.

This was such a special moment in history for the Lakers, Bryant’s close ones, and the public. Almost everything that this man did could go on to be recognized.

He changed the game of basketball for the better the moment he stepped on the court of his first game.

Kobe is an icon and his death is one that will never be forgotten.

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on and started a new family and left Simianer and her brother in an RV to live on their own.

Luckily after awhile, she was taken in by her grandparents after they realized that she was fighting depression and had no purpose in life.

Every single athlete on this team has a story that makes them special and helps you realize that their lives aren’t perfect and they are human just like the rest of us.

Netflix has not announced if there will be a second season of Cheer yet. Due to how successful the first season is I am sure that a second season will occur in the near future.

Check out Cheer on Netflix; you won’t be disappointed.

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Editorial

Tackling an unjust system The Illinois public education structure is failing our teachers

W

When we first sat down on a Tuesday afternoon to Teacher salaries depend on two things: how much write this editorial, we did not realize how truly compli- education and how many years of experience they have cated the teacher wage issue was. As much as we would teaching within District 158. Starting salary begins at a like to think it is as simple as teachers being denied bachelor’s degree level (the typical requirement for any more pay from the district officials who sit in office incoming teacher) with no years of experience. This is chairs behind their big desks, there are more factors that deemed as level “A.” come into play when considering important issues like As the teacher gains more years of experience and these. continues to further their education through graduate After our many interviews with administration, classes or obtaining their master’s degree, they slowly faculty, students, and even our Illinois state senator, we work themselves up the pay scale. realized just how crucial these factors are and how little According to the Huntley Education Association understanding 2019-2020 salary schedule, we had of them. an incoming teacher with However, a no years of experience and “Think about the simple fact reonly a bachelor’s degree mains: at the end earns around $41,777 a year world we live in. of every school including what the district year, Huntley pays into the Teacher ReAnd the school teachers will tirement System. funding leave and be paid As a point of comparimore at other son, the Woodstock School favors the school districts.

Consolidated District 200 is haves over the “I think that paying their teachers about Huntley will con$41,967 with the same entry have nots every tinue to lose realqualifications and with TRS single time” ly good teachers payments included. and continue to When comparing ourScott Rowe be a revolving selves to other high schools door if they don’t in the area, it is important pay their teachto remember that we are a ers what they deserve, and consolidated school district and not a soon,” English teacher Barbara Alvarez said. high school district meaning that we have schools from But what is actually happening behind closed doors? the kindergarten level all the way up to high school.

Our goal for this editorial is not to point fingers or place However, the fact still remains that teachers have largblame, but to promote an understanding of what makes er incentives to move to other school districts regardless this such a sensitive and urgent issue and why we will of whether they are consolidated or not. For example, not stand for it.

Barrington 220 School District teachers at level “A” When we first started discussing the subject of teacher make $52,442 a year. Additionally in the 2018-2019 wage, our first question is one that many have: why do William Fremd School District 211 teacher contract, teachers at Huntley get paid significantly less than those teachers at level “A” are being paid $53,851 annually. in other districts?

Because both Woodstock and Huntley are consolidat-

[ ]

42 THE VOICE FEBRUARY 2020

Editorial

ed school districts, there is a fair comparison between their salaries. However, a fair comparison in salaries does not weigh in on a teacher’s decision to move to a higher paying district.

Currently the teacher contract negotiation team, which is comprised of many Huntley teachers from multiple schools in the district, is in the negotiation process now with the board of education. During this process they gather information from surrounding school districts in the state of Illinois, and use it as a comparison to our school district.

“So it’s not fair for us to bargain [or] compare ourselves with a high school district if we have a [kindergarten] through high school district,” science teacher and member of the contract negotiation team Gerard Marchand said. “Like Crystal Lake for example has a high school only district and those people tend to get paid more and other benefits.”

Another reason as to why high school only districts get paid more is because of the allocation of funds. High school only districts are required to fund the singular school in which they are responsible for, where a consolidated district is required to fund multiple schools within the district. Therefore, teachers who work at a high school district often get paid more.

What further divides school districts in the state of Illinois is the primary use of local property tax as means of funding. This is one of the main reasons as to why we can not compare ourselves to school districts such as Fremd or Barrington.

When looking at the local property taxes of Huntley, we pay significantly less than Barrington or Fremd. This is not because we pay a lower percentage than other areas, but because our property is not worth the same amount.

While Huntley is a relatively wealthy city, the local property tax funding for education in Illinois favors those who can afford more expensive housing. This is apparent in our struggle to match teacher salaries.

“Think about the world we live in. And the school funding favors the haves over the have nots every single time,” Superintendent Scott Rowe said.

The local property tax funding structure creates a di-

vision between the wealthy and non-wealthy schools. To be fair, we are very grateful that Huntley is in the grey area. We are not the most wealthy school as we continue to struggle with our budgetary needs and being able to adequately pay our teachers, but we still get many opportunities such as the district-wide solar panel projects, the dual language learning program in our elementary schools, and the academies in our high school.

Yet we cannot have opportunities like these if we do not have the teachers to lead and guide students to their full potential.

While we understand that these issues are more complicated than we had thought, the bottom line is that change needs to be made. The state of Illinois needs to change from locally funded education to state-funded education for the greater good. But as we all know, change doesn’t happen overnight.

“Local property taxes make up almost 50% of the revenue streamed to local schools...I believe that state needs to be at 50% which would be a 15% reduction in property taxes in the 33rd,” said Don DeWitte, the Illinois state senator who represents this area.

It is clear now more than ever that change is needed.

If students themselves are able to recognize the issues regarding teacher wages, it should be obvious to adults that there is an issue.

“I definitely feel that teachers who are connected with more students and get them to do better academically should definitely get the pay they deserve,” sophomore Blake Presley said.

The Illinois state public education funding system is broken. While we understand that the district cares for our teachers, there is still not enough being done to push for higher teacher wages.

It seems like we have become complacent with how things are run and have accepted the unjust system.

Simply put, change needs to be made at the state level in order for us to provide the support teachers deserve.

Teachers, students, and board of education members, remind yourselves that teachers are the foundation of our school district. If we continue to neglect their needs, we will be losing our most caring, passionate, and valuable assets of the community.

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 43

One last

voice

Jack Towne Instructional Coach Business Visionary Drone Enthusiast Mentor What’s the most rewarding thing about your job?

It’s the interactions with people that are rewarding. I love helping people make connections. At the end of the day, I think that is what my job is all about. Whether it is through content or skill development, if I can help someone make connections that will help me either now or in the future then I feel good about what I’m doing.

If not teaching, then what would you do?

I’d probably be flying a drone somewhere.

It’s a hobby of mine that has developed into a business.

Favorite song and artist?

Artist: Red Hot Chilli Peppers.

Song: “Simple Man” (originally by Lynyrd Skynyrd but the Shinedown cover is better) Three celebrities you would have dinner with?

Will Ferrell, Chris Rock. and Ellen DeGeneres. That would be one entertaining dinner.