Huntley High School's Voice Student Newsmagazine: Oct. 30, 2020

NON-PROFIT NON-PROFIT ORG ORG U.S. U.S. POSTAGE POSTAGE PAID PAID PERMIT PERMIT NO. NO. 138 138 ALGONQUIN, ALGONQUIN, IL IL

THE

VOICE October 30 2020, Volume 24, Issue 2

Marlowe counselor Kylie Phommasack plans sailing trip swings into action Hybrid learning: consistency is key

CONTENTS NEWS 03 OPINION 08 A&E 14 HUMANS OF HUNTLEY 15 FEATURES 24 SPORTS 33 EDITORIAL 35

featured on

huntleyvoice.com

Huntley High School paints a memorial for military personnel at front entrance

New block schedule offers students some academic relief and flexibility

“Love and Monsters” review Ally Jorgensen

Netflix’s documentary “American Murder: The Family Next Door” leaves viewers on edge

Alumna Tanpreet Bhatal shares her experience at Carroll University Hot Off The Dress Amelia Pozniak

Senior Donna Fondjo stresses the importance of youth activism in combating racism

Junior Mira Terranova dances through ankle pains to follow her passion

Exploring the constant changes and concerns for the district’s back to school hybrid plan

Ghost Stories: Photo Galleries Sydney Laput

Editorial Board Editor in Chief Ellie Armstrong

Managing Editor Kate Alvarado

Section Editors

Zoe Emerson, Alex Hartleb, Ally Panzloff, Kaitlyn Ziebell, Rayne Zilch

Photo Editor Sarah Baczewski

Marketing Editor Natalie VonderHeide

EDITORIAL POLICY

Social Media Manager

Staff

Staff Writers

Megan Curry, Sara Gebka, Annaliese Harper, Izzi Kellas, Bailey Lim, Shannon Magura, Emma Meier, Zaina Mohammed, Abby Panier, Lexi Radzinski, Steven Schumacher, Kayla Sweeney, Riy Walker, Melina Wsol, Austin Zenaty

Photographers Syed Hashmi

Adviser

Dennis Brown

Molly Baker

THE VOICE is an official student-produced medium of news and information published and produced every three weeks starting in October by Huntley High School News Media Production students (ADDRESS: 13719 Harmony Rd. Huntley, IL 60142). The Voice has been established as a 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 military wall

Appreciation wall for alumni Military personnel receive recognition

W

By Abby Panier

ith a click, the door shuts behind Laura Martens, the College and Careers Counselor. A swirl of colors catches her eye as she enters the building through door 1 on Friday, Sept.

25. The example online did the mural no justice, Martens thinks.

She stops and stares at the painting, now covering a stretch of the entrance hall, that reads “Huntley High School would like to thank all of those who are serving and have served our country!”

In awe, she studies the saluting silhouette of a soldier, their back to the hilly landscape. The sun rising at the militarian’s feet, its golden beams lighting up the silhoette. Clouds streaking across the horizon as the gradient sky melts cobalt to topaz and daffodil to bright marigold.

The wall of honor presenting the seals of every military branch for all to see.

The United States Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Navy, and Marine Corps.

Just as the sun shines on the soldier, the mural itself brings to light the countless Huntley men and women who have sacrificed so much for our country. Although Huntley High School did contain a wall of pictures down by the Performing Arts Center prior to the mural, it did not have the effect many wished for.

“There was no means to make sure we got everybody from a graduating class or make sure that everybody’s picture was up there,” said Tom Kempf, associate principal of operations. “It just kind of happened without any order to it.”

Wanting a more systematic approach, Kempf and Principal Marcus Belin discussed a possible military appreciation wall. A mural complete with a touchscreen that would contain the headshot and information of every Huntley graduate that enlisted.

“We really wanted to take that opportunity to memorize these people that are putting their lives on the line for us

S. Baczewski The memorial wall by main entrance shows a saluting soldier every day in a more prominent location,” Kempf said.

Originally, the mural design was assigned to the art teachers at the high school, but then Kempf connected to a company that offered both designs and the means to install it. The company, FastSigns, is based in Crystal Lake and possesses a sophisticated printer. The design is created online and printed onto a large, vinyl strip.

“Then they put an adhesive on it and they come in with a torch to heat it up and stick it to the brick,” Kempf said. “They have a fancy squeegee that smooths it all out into the cracks and the grout.”

The process took three hours and was completed on Sept. 24. If a section of the wall ever gets scratched or scraped, an installation team is able to seamlessly patch the damaged area without redoing the entire piece.

“We went with a company that could help us keep it updated and when technology changed [they] wouldn’t charge us an exorbitant amount of money,” Martens said.

Because new graduates enlist every year, an organization that would continuously revise the touchscreen’s software without a fee was a must. The complete project cost $16,000. It was fundraised from the last four Senior Classes by the Student Council.

According to Kempf, a mini-dedication day has been planned for November, but with COVID-19 messing up timelines, it is going to be hard to hit. The pandemic

has also altered the future availability of the touchscreen, since it would need to be cleaned after each use. As a result, the decision to prohibit usage for an indefinite amount of time has been made.

The hardware for the touchscreen has been ordered, the only problem left is the information. It is near impossible to collect every single name and photo, but Kempf and Martens are determined.

“As of right now, I probably have less than a hundred pictures and pieces of information to work with,” Kempf said.

“I’m definitely in need of more.”

With Kempf digging up names via social media and word of mouth, Martens is in charge of keeping up with the new graduates and uploading the latest information. They are committed to making sure everyone is honored, no matter the branch or rank.

If you or someone you know is a Huntley alum that serves or has served in the military, email Kempf or Martens and they will help you submit the information needed and a headshot.

“I’m really happy that we’re doing something so extraordinary because we all, counselors, teachers, administration, are very proud of our service people,” Martens said.

“There are very few people, in terms of the grand scheme of things, that put their lives on the line for us and freedom,” Kempf said. “ And I think they deserve some recognition by putting a picture up on the wall and letting people know that they are doing that. There can’t be a bigger step.” huntleyvoice.com • 3

HoursMon-Fri: 8 a.m to 5 p.m Sat: 8 a.m to 3 p.m Sun: Closed

Main Phone #: 815-459-8600 Fax #: 815-459-8602

10685 Wolf Drive, Huntley IL 60142

4 • the voice october 30 2020

Shift to hybrid learning

news hybrid plan

The district’s plan to return to in-person

A

By Megan Curry s soon as it turns 7:30 on Tuesday morning, you can hear the Zoom “ba’ding” on every student’s Chromebook as they enter their first hour Zoom class. Due to COVID-19 and the restrictions placed because of social distancing, District 158 has had no students in the buildings attending classes since March.

However that never stopped the district from planning to go back to school.

Principal Marcus Belin, Superintendent Scott Rowe, and their team has been working diligently to ensure that we go back safely, and here’s the plan.

The main plan is to give students the choice between going hybrid or remaining remote. By going hybrid, students will be able to take classes inside of the school alongside their Zoom classmates.

“Those kids that are sitting here, will still be able to hear and see [them], but [they] may be looking at a computer screen and talking and not necessarily looking at those who are in [their] classroom. That does not mean that the interaction is not going to happen,” Belin said.

‘Once [teachers] figure out how to operate with this they will become more confident, they just have to find their groove. ‘I got these kids here so I have to structure my time differently. First 30 minutes have a big presentation and then maybe next 30 minutes focus on the kids that are here.’ They have the flexibility to do that,” Belin said.

The hybrid model grants more flexibility with the students and the teacher, as well as allowing students to have a better connection with their teachers face to face, or better, mask to mask. Through the hybrid plan, there will be full days in person every other week for students, going by last names, and families to stay together.

In class, precautions will be taken seriously to ensure that all students will be safe. Every classroom will only be al-

S. Hashmi Desks will be distanced in classrooms. lowed about 15 desks in their room with no extra furniture and every desk will have dividers along with being 6ft apart.

Every classroom will have disinfectant spray, hand sanitizer, and other cleaning supplies to ensure no germs are being spread.

Every student will be required to wear a mask at all times. If caught without a mask properly on the face, then that student will be required to switch back to

Along with the deans, the campus security will be keeping a close eye on students to make sure social distancing rules are being followed, so no student congregations and no lockers will be allowed. When students arrive for school early in the morning, they will also be standing 6 feet apart in a room until 7:15am and then being released to their first class.

Although the school will be taking new precautions, the remote schedule will “[This] does not mean that still be the same. With there being one day with all classes being fully hybrid, interaction is not going to and students only attending four classes happen.” a day. However, the lunch will be in three blocks, of either lunch then class, class Marcus Belin lunch class, or class then lunch.

If students opt for the Hybrid model, remote learning. The deans will be taking they will be able to attend Zoom meetthis rule seriously, and will make sure ings if necessary and they will be able to that nothing goes past them, switch back to remote if needed.

“In terms of a mask break we do not Howev-er, remote students will most have a designated time or space right likely not be able to switch to hybrid if now in order for students to go have a they desire to. mask break, only because when students As our district and school prepares to are in the building it is not like ‘hey we take these precautions, we must be get to sit in the commons, the courtyard, aware that there might be some bumps or whatever. We have to maintain that on the road, however we are a strong social distancing. When students go to Raider Nation and we will learn how to lunch, their masks will have to be off in get through this together. order for them to eat.’” Belin said. huntleyvoice.com • 5

news colleges

College application season Everything that you need to know about the college application process

I

By Melina Wsol

t is 9 p.m., and senior Maria Mirkhan is finally home after work. After 6 hours of work and the majority of her day spent in classes, she is exhausted, but knows she has to get some assignments done before the cycle repeats the next day.

This is the life of many seniors here at Huntley High School. The cycle of school, study, work, and sleep leaves little time for extracurricular activities, such as college applications.

“I think the hardest part is just trying to plan everything out and trying to work around it in your daily life,” Mirkhan said. “Depending on the person, what you do on a daily basis affects the process greatly.”

The college application season typically starts with the opening of the common application on Aug. 1 and ends around Dec. 1, the due date for most regular decision applications.

However, Laura Martens, the college and careers advisor here at Huntley, believes students should start earlier.

“I think that they should really start during the spring of their junior year, at least the beginning of the research, finding those 20 schools that they’re interested in, and then being able to narrow that down,” Martens said. “When they do get into the summer, they’ve got a list of five schools that they might really want to apply to.”

The “Common App” consists of a general application that applies to any of the colleges and universities on the website. From there, most universities will have you fill out information

6 • the voice october 30 2020

S. Hashmi A student fills out their college application forms specific to their school, as well as any additional essay prompts that students may have to answer.

From there, students and their parents are required to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid starting Oct. 1. The FAFSA will estimate how much aid a student will receive from the government and how much money their family is expected to put forward.

“Cost, I think is a huge factor, because you got to think, ‘I can’t just simply go into any school I want to if I’m going to be paying for this by myself,’” Mirkhan said.

Another important piece of the puzzle for college applications are letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation are required by most colleges, whether it is from a counselor, teacher, mentor, or coach.

Carolyn Frasor, an academic counselor in the P-Z pod, believes that students should ask for these letters as soon as possible.

“The earlier, the better. With the

beginning of the school year, we ask for a minimum of two weeks to write those letters,” Frasor said. “It becomes hard on everyone at that early action deadline of Nov. 1. It does become difficult to write that many great letters in that window of time when we still need to do other things to support students. I would encourage students when they know who they would like a letter from, that they’ve started the application process. Don’t wait for that two weeks.”

With all these important due dates and applications to fill out, the college application season is a stressful time for most seniors. This is why it is important to start early and take your time.

“When school starts, it really starts to feel like crunch time, and it starts to feel like a lot of pressure,” Martens said. “So even though they don’t start applying until after Aug. 1, seniors’ goals are typically to have it done by Nov. 1 so they can be considered for their early action, or for any scholarships the college might provide.”

We offer a big variety of cakes • mini pastry • special occasion cakes • fresh daily baked muffins • danish • strudels • pies • cookies • cupcakes and much more

*Free cookie with $10 purchase

Visit Us Today!

9531 Ackman Rd. 815-526-3947 Lake in the Hills, IL 60156 www.KonradsBakery.com e-mail: KonradsBakery@yahoo.com

Store Hours: Mon: CLOSED | Tue-Fri: 8-6 pm Sat: 8-3 pm | Sun: 8-12 pm

Contact Janet Reich at PH: 888.793.4744 Direct: 847.519.7211 Fax: 847.594.6155 2300 N. Barrington Rd. Suite #400 Hoffman Estates

Your retirement planning and insurance resource!

Develop the skills to stand tall against peer pressure, have the courage to make eye contact, and speak with a clear voice to stand up for your beliefs.

2785 W. Algonquin Rd. , LITH 224 • 209 • 8991 huntleyvoice.com • 7

opinion school schedule

Block schedule is better The block schedule allows more freedom with workload for students

I

By Zoe Emerson

n these unprecedented times, it is important for students to have minimal stress. With the Coronavirus pandemic waging war on the world and the country’s economy struggling, it is no wonder that the start of a new school year could add even more stress to our country’s youth.

When all District 158 schools abruptly shifted to remote learning in the spring, a structured schedule was non-existent.

The majority of teachers posted assignments on Haiku pages and left students to do the work on their own.

With the feedback from the community, the district worked tirelessly to create a structured remote learning schedule that would work for everyone. The end result was a block schedule.

The block schedule has students only visiting four of their classes a day, with the exception of delayed start days.

Those four classes are an hour and a half in length, allowing students more time to digest the material.

“Ninety minutes is an appropriate time to spend in class because it is enough time to do your work,” senior Ryan Besch said.

With more time to complete schoolwork, students have more flexibility as to when they get their assignments done.

With some sports continuing play this fall, student athletes have less pressure regarding their schoolwork.

In addition to extra time to complete classwork, students have extra breaks throughout the day. The passing periods,

S. Gebka extended to 10 minutes, allow students more time to relax, get tasks done around the house, or grab some food.

Furthermore, some classes may not have a lot of work and as a result. They may wrap up early.

Lunch periods and study halls also allow students to have some extra downtime.

“I have study hall fourth hour and that’s extended an hour and a half due to the schedule, so I have more time to get things done,” junior Cade Dees said.

Not only do students have more time to complete their assigned work, the amount of work is noticeably less as well.

With only four classes a day instead of eight, students have less work to focus on during the day.

“I’ve had a lot less schoolwork than during the regular schedule. I feel like there isn’t really a change in each individual class’s work, though,” sophomore Kylie Beam said.

However, this is not to say that the block schedule is perfect. 90 minutes in a class can be a bit much for some students, especially for students who are unable to focus for extended periods.

Some classes may not be able to jam enough content into a 90 minute block, which, consequently, results in the class

Zoe Emerson is a first year staff writer for The Voice. She is a punk music fan and can often be found listening to her favorite band, Good Charlotte. In her free time, Zoe likes to watch WWE, keep up with the NHL, and cheer for her favorite soccer team, Atlanta United FC. 8 • the voice october 30 2020

ending early. For those classes that do not give a lot of work, 90 minutes can be too much time in class.

“Some of the classes I’m in are full of content, so ninety minutes is fine. Some classes, like [physical education], you can’t really stretch out,” Dees said.

There is always room for improvement along with feedback for the district. The appropriate amount of time for a block is dependent on individual preference.

“Not everybody can pay attention and work for that long. I think a reduction to sixty minutes should be sufficient enough,” Beam said.

With students slowly starting to be integrated into a hybrid learning model, the block schedule remains in affect.

Until the pandemic is under control, students will likely have to follow this schedule until district schools are able to safely be at 100% capacity.

With the block schedule working better for some students than the traditional schedule, those students have an argument for whether the traditional schedule should be scrapped and replaced with the block schedule.

“I think the normal schedule is better when we are in school because I like seeing all of my teachers and friends every day,” Besch said.

Until it is fully safe to return to school again, we will likely be using the block schedule.

The block schedule allows students to have more freedom regarding their education and therefore keeps students’ stress levels under control during these tumultuous times.

opinion voting

A day of great importance With the election coming up, is it beneficial to have a day off of school?

E

By Annaliese Harper

lections are a keystone to keeping the will of the people within the government, but are held on the most inconvenient day of the week. Most government jobs, including education, have weekends off, working Monday through Friday, while the general election is held on the first Tuesday of November every four years.

Schools should have election day off for the general election every year so students and teachers can participate.

While the majority of students are unable to vote, they can participate by becoming election judges, joining campaigns, and volunteering.

“Being politically active at our age is sometimes tough, but it is good in the long run, because one day we will be able to vote, and knowing what happened when we were kids can definitely help influence our decisions as adults,” said Micheal King, student election judge and member of Raiders United Making a Difference.

As it stands, all current students of HHS will be voting in the next general election, and there is no time like the present to start forming opinions and getting involved in the world around them. Most young voters do not turn out to the polls.

According to The New York Times, fewer than half of Americans 18 to 29 voted in the 2016 presidential election This could be for a variety of reasons, but one reason could be that it’s just another Tuesday. Teachers still assign homework and tests, and students go to school like every other day of the year, maybe seeing something when they turn on the news after school. Having the day off of school could set it apart from other days of the year as early as preschool.

“This is the Presidential Race, where a lot of people care. This is the one where

if any people that don’t usually vote, they’ll vote in this presidential election.

So, I don’t think it would be a bad idea if we got the day off of school, or some format where a symbol of importance was put on election days, but I think the general election is definitely one we should have off of school,” King said.

The break in normalcy marks the election at least at the importance of state holidays, such as the day officially named Columbus Day, a day celebrating a murderous colonizer who only brought death and disease to the people of the Americas.

While having that random Monday in October off has no educational or political benefits, having election day off provides an understanding of importance for students and more opportunity for teachers to vote.

“I would either have to go to the voting polls really early, like 6 a.m., before I went to work, and then I’d be fine. But if I couldn’t do that, I would take my kids with me after school to the polls,” said Lisa Downing, Huntley High School teacher and mother of two.

While getting up early is feasible for some, some teachers may have before school duties or may have to get their kids to school in the morning, leaving them to go after school. Preteens and teenagers may be able to wait patiently for their parents to vote, going in with young children who may not understand can lead to even more difficult situations.

In addition, should the children have after school clubs or sports, the parents would have to get them home, fed, and out the door, back home to do homework, and still have time to go vote within the hours of the polls.

“But I’m not going to complain that I’m getting a day off on voting day, but also I can make everything work out if I have

S. Gebka to work on election day, like I did in the past, and fit it in,” Downing said.

It is true that people can work around to get to the polls and that there are teachers without kids, but those struggling the most should be priority voters. As teaching in a public school is a government job, elected officials play a key role in how the job is run, the salary, and major decisions about work days.

Teachers who are struggling in their jobs should get their voices heard by the people in power, and giving them the day off gives them more of a chance to share their side of things.

The day off, while implying importance on the election, could easily just be a vacation day for the students, but students can take the opportunity to volunteer, either in campaigns or in polling places.

If students don’t take advantage of the opportunity, they lose nothing, while the ones who do gain knowledge, volunteer hours, awareness, and opinions on the world around them.

Taking election day off for schools can provide opportunities for students to become involved, learn about politics, and gain an understanding of the importance of voting, and provide teachers with more time to vote.

Annaliese Harper is a second year staff writer for The Voice. She has purple hair and green eyes. Annaliese likes to do art projects and write in her free time.

huntleyvoice.com • 9

opinion halloween

Halloween during a crisis The Covid-19 pandemic may ruin traditional Halloween festivities

A

By Riy Walker

s we all know, Halloween is quickly approaching and there is not much we can do about the Coronavirus.

There are many questions, such as, “are people comfortable with letting random children come up to their doors during a time like this? Is it even safe? Is it possible? Is it going to happen?”

What do we tell the children of the neighborhood when the world has changed so much? There is not much we can allow and accept because even the smallest unknowns can be dangerous to everyone.

The neighborhood is no longer a place where people and children can mingle with neighbors and friends. Everything has become a safety hazard.

This is probably younger kids’ last year to go trick-or-treating because after eighth grade, kids think they are too old to go out to get candy. This is the first of many changes.

Many people havem’t researched government mandates about trick-ortreating. So how dangerous is trick-ortreating?

There is seemingly no happy ending to this crazy virus. The answer to how dangerous trick or treating this year would be was very.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, traveling to a seasonal locale for trick-or-treating or any sort of local event tied to Halloween is among the riskiest things you can do this year.

S. Gebka There is no happy way to tell your 6-year-old son that he cannot go out and be the neighborhood Spider-Man. The more this world goes crazy, the more normal life is stripped away.

If all neighborhoods are thinking differently about trick or treating and there is a limit to how many kids can go and at what times, there would definitely still be some worries about allowing a small child so close to other people during this pandemic.

Over the course of eight months, the world has been in survival mode. In the midst of everyone trying to survive, we have not paid much attention to the youth who live in our homes, neighborhoods, and communities.

The pandemic is hard and scary for everyone, but imagine not being able to go to school and learn with your teachers and friends. In just the second grade, it is not normal or easy, especially when you

Riy Walker is a staff writer in her fourth year at The Voice. Check out her car blog “Car Talks with Riy” on huntleyvoice.com

10 • the voice october 30 2020

are 7 years old and you do not understand how a virus works and how it got here, as well as when it is leaving.

It is October. Candy is being sold in stores, Halloween movies are being played, and life is seemingly going back to how it was.

There are so many everyday risks we are taking and we are simply unaware of what is safe and what is not. Nothing makes sense anymore and nothing will for a while. What seems to be the most important thing for parents and grandparents is staying safe and keeping their families safe.

So, it looks like Halloween will be yet another thing we will have to cancel this year, along with the rest of the end-ofyear traditions.

One thing that always brings joy during this time of year is seeing children excited about Halloween and who they are going to be. There is truly nothing more joyous than watching the little things matter most. This year, and everything that comes with it, is truly one for the history books. Sorry Huntley, Halloween will be a little different this year.

opinion zoom workouts

Zoom workouts in gym class Should we continue to have to do live workouts on zoom?

my workout space is so small. However, teachers do not seem to trust students with actually doing their assigned exercise off camera. Many students would simply not do it and pretend that they did, which would be missing the entire

By Steven Schumacher point of gym class and the workout S. Gebka hen the 2020-2021 assigned. school year started, Students disabling their webcams is not students and staff alike just a problem in gym class. In multiple were skeptical on how other classes, students are turning their classes, mainly gym, would be conducted cameras off so the teachers can’t see if over Zoom. The plan for gym was for stu- they are doing their work or not. dents to balance online assignments and “A lot of people in my classes have their in-class workouts alike. Students were re- webcams off, but my teachers are chill quired to have cameras on during work- and don’t seem to care,” White siad. outs, which issued a lot of complaints and if we are paying attention or not. If Though Kyle’s teachers are laid back and confusion, as some students did not about the camera policy, many aren’t. our cameras are on, teachers will have feel comfortable with the arrangement. an easier time trying to keep us engaged My teachers, save a select few, really “Yes, I feel comfortable working out on don’t like it when me or my classmates and focused on the material we need to camera, but it depends on the exercise,” have our webcams off. They say they like learn. If our cameras are off, teachers senior Drew Lauer said. “I think it’s fair have no way of telling when they lost for students to be required to have their our attention and thus continue teaching “It is awkward having to while students aren’t grasping the full webcams on during gym.”

Lauer, like many of the students in his try and fit in frame, and material. gym class, do not care if they have their the teachers are strict about Although students may be more comcameras on or not, so the issue is not as fortable when their webcams are turned watching you do the excer- off, they may not be learning as much. big in his class. Although Lauer’s classmates are fine with the arrangement, not cise.”

The same goes for gym class: if students everybody is. Kyle White, a senior in a do nothave their cameras on, they may Kyle White typical physical education class, does not not do the full workout or even exercise like the way the class works online. at all. However, when their cameras are “Working out on camera is not someon, teachers can make sure their stuus having our cameras on because they thing I like doing,” White said. “It is awk- like to see our faces, but I suspect that is dents are doing what they need to be ward having to try and fit in frame, and doing. not the whole truth. the teachers are strict about watching We may not like it and it may put us Block schedule periods last an hour you do the exercise.” in a sour mood. But at the end of the and a half, and that is a long time for us In order for students to earn all of their students to be paying attention. After a day, our teachers are just trying to help participation points for that day, the us, and the only way they can do that certain amount of time, we lose focus teachers must observe them doing their and try to find something more enteris if our cameras are turned on and see assigned workout. This can be a little if we are still there, both physically and taining while still trying to look like we unnerving for students and it pushes are paying attention. That is, if we don’t mentally. E-learning is not best for all of them to constantly be looking at the have our cameras off so our teachers can us, but our teachers are only trying to screen to see if they are in frame. Doing not see what we are doing. make it better. If that starts with having this makes the workout less effective Teachers need us to have our cameras our webcams on during gym, then we because students have to constantly are one step closer to working out our on so they can see what we are doing take little breaks to look at the screen. problems.

Many students think it would be better Steven Schumacher is a first year staff writer. He is a mix to record themselves doing the workout of many different backgrounds, including (but possibly rather than doing it live in front of all of not limited to) being Dutch, Danish, and Italian. If he their classmates. ever has free time, Steven likes to read, play “too many” I would prefer to not have my camera video games, and hang out with his friends. on during workouts, but that is because it is difficult for me to fit in frame because

W

huntleyvoice.com • 11

SUBURBAN BORN. CITY INSPIRED. 11805 MAIN ST. - DOWNTOWN HUNTLEY (Next to Morkes Chocolates)

224-858-4220

www.streetslicepizzacafe.com

SLICE DEAL

PIZZA DEAL

GET $1 OFF ANY ONE SLICE

GET $2 OFF ONE 16” PIZZA

MUST PRESENT COUPON AT TIME OF PURCHASE.

GET $3 OFF ONE SQUARE PIZZA

OFFER NOT VALID ON FRIDAYS 4PM – 9PM. NOT VALID WITH OTHER COUPONS. ONE COUPON PER CUSTOMER. -- COUPON IS REUSABLE --

CODE: 1 O F F

EXPIRES 12/31/2020

OR MUST PRESENT COUPON AT TIME OF PURCHASE. OFFER NOT VALID ON FRIDAYS 4PM – 9PM. NOT VALID WITH OTHER COUPONS.

CODE: 2 O F F

ONE COUPON PER CUSTOMER. EXPIRES 12/31/2020

CODE: 3 O F F

STORE HOURS: SUN 12-8PM, MON CLOSED TUES-THURS 11-8PM, FRI & SAT 11-9PM

Tetyana Torzhevska piano and voice teacher 11413 Douglas Ave. Unit D Huntley, IL 60142 T_Torzhevska@hotmail.com 608-658-4745 cell 847-669-0233

Serving the Chicagoland area

Give us a call to remove junk from your: Apartment • Attic • Basement Garage • House • Rooms Storage Area • Warehouse

Mariusz 773-983-1489 12 • the voice october 30 2020

Arthur 773-936-4985

a&e miley cyrus

Miley Cyrus: life and legacy Miley Cyrus drops a new cover of “Heart of Glass” for fans to enjoy in the safety of their homes.

Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

O

By Lexi Radzinski

riginally performed live at the iHeartRadio Music Festival, Miley Cyrus’ cover of Blondie’s “Heart of Glass” went viral. After millions of views, Cyrus dropped it on all streaming platforms for her fans to enjoy many times over again.

The festival took place virtually, therefore people were able to hear her sing this cover for the first time in the comfort of their own homes. They were able to listen to the music without the distractions of a crowd and enjoy Cyrus’ voice after months of being dormant.

Dressed in a sheer sparkly bodysuit decked out in jewels, Cyrus looked like a disco queen, and showed complete comfort being back on a stage again after dealing with the quarantine. There have been several months to prepare new projects, and her fans are eager to see what she has in store.

Constantly connecting with her 45.2 million Twitter followers and 116 million Instagram followers, she knew what her fans wanted. She knew they wanted a new feel for music, and after months of isolation due to COVID-19, her “Heart of Glass” cover touched the hearts of millions of people.

“Being famous is like a dream come true, but it’s really difficult because you lose your freedom. I don’t want to lose being a kid,” Cyrus said in an interview with Hello Magazine.

Miley Cyrus grew up with our generation, from “Hannah Montana” to a singing career, from self conscious to overly confident. She is a role model for people who feel the need to break out of a shell.

“Hannah Montana” aired on Disney

Channel from 2006 to 2011, launching Cyrus’ career and introducing the world to her exquisite mind and kind demeanor. She gives viewers a sense of happiness with her upbeat melodies and catchy lyrics along with subtabley hinting at situations related to her own life.

Being a singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer, there are no dull moments for Cyrus. She has starred in many movies such as “The Last Song”, “Bolt”, and “So Undercover.” She was

streamed by thousands of people every day.

Her biggest hits include songs from “Hannah Montana” such as her classics “The Best of Both Worlds” and “Nobody’s Perfect.” The show was based on a girl named Miley Stewart who lived a double life as a normal high school girl by day, and a famous pop star singing sensation by night.

After Cyrus’ Disney Channel days, she dove into the music industry. On Aug. 25, 2013, her hit single “Wrecking Ball” was released by Radio Corporation of Amer“Dressed in a sheer spark- ica Records. It was a pop genre song ly bodysuit decked out in in her album, “Bangerz.” Many awards jewels, Cyrus looked like were granted due to “Wrecking Ball” such as the Music Television Video Music a disco queen, an showed Award for Video of The Year, World complete comfort being Music Award for World’s Best Video, and back on stage after dealing iHeartRadio Music Award for Best Lyrics.

Cyrus has reached tremendous success with the quarntine.” in her career, constantly climbing the charts and keeping us on our toes for what is next. “Plastic Hearts” will soon also on “The Voice,” which is a competi- be the next upcoming studio album by her, and it is said to be released on tive singing show.

Her strong singing along with her talstreaming platforms by RCA Records on ented songwriting has made her quite an Nov. 27. “Plastic Hearts” is currently on idol to younger generations. Her music sale for pre-order, and her social media has always been of great obsession to is becoming more and more active as the younger viewers, and continues to be days get closer to the album’s release. huntleyvoice.com • 13

feature true crime

American Murder Mystery Neflix’s new documentary about the family next door

W

By Rayne Zilch alking up to the front door with the ring doorbell recording her after coming home from a weekend business trip, 34-yearold Shanann Watts had no idea that was going to be the last thing she ever did.

“American Murder: The Family Next Door” is a documentary film that is an hour and 22 minutes long produced by Knickerbockerglory TV. Director Jenny Popplewell used raw police footage, social media, text messages, Facebook videos, and news hits to tell the story.

Popplewell is a film producer who is known for her film “Big Fat Gypsy Weddings” which became the most watched documentary on Channel 4.

During the film, Popplewell captured so much footage, it gives intel on every emotion that was portrayed.

It was fascinating to watch these cops and detectives trail their way through Shanann’s life and piece together a clear puzzle on what she did every minute before she was last seen.

Shanann and her two daughters live a happy life in Frederick, Colorado.

Of course her and her husband, Chris Watts, have the normal couple fights and deal with family disputes but they seem to have shared a happy and healthy life together, at least according to the constant Facebook posts on their life.

Shanann needed to get away from the drama she has been having with her husband and that is exactly what she got to do. She spent the weekend

14 • the voice october 30 2020

Courtesy of netflix.com working while hanging out with her neighbor, Nickole Atkinson. They were good friends and Shanann was able to relieve some of her stress during the weekend by talking to her.

Shannan and Nickole returned home late from their trip so the next day the neighbor, just being a good friend, checked up on her. She did start to get

“New things are constantly discovered and more truths unravel as the questioning gets deeper.

This film will leave viewers with shock, horror, disgust, and some trust issues.”

Rayne Zilch

worried when she noticed there were no signs of life coming from the house and she was not getting any text or call responses from Shanann.

After a couple hours the neighbor called the cops along with Shanann’s

husband. Chris seemed to have no idea where Shanann had taken her and her two daughters.

When the cops were able to get consent from Chris to enter the house to investigate, there were some strange things lying around, such as Shannan’s wedding ring. This made everybody come to a conclusion that Shanann was probably just upset with Chris and just needed some space and time to get away with her kids.

Something else does not add up.

Why would she take a little space but not tell anybody where or why she just decided to disappear? Why would she not respond to Nickole, who is clearly worried, if she just needed some time with her kids? Just knowing the cops are involved, should be reason enough to give a location or a tip that she and the kids are okay.

This mystery documentary will have you on your toes every minute. New things are constantly discovered and more truths unravel as the questioning gets deeper.

This film will leave viewers with shock, horror, disgust, and some trust issues after witnessing the true story of the Watts family.

Stay safe and bring your event, gala, wedding, or meeting online!

11809 Main St. Huntley

Contact Eric @ AV3 for more info on live streaming, virtual, or live events.

(847) 515-2030 huntleyeyecare.com facebook.com/huntleyeyecare

847-308-5354 • eric@av3productions.com

Z’s Martial Arts

Diane Tanke REALTOR®

K A R A T E

Starck Real Estate 13300 IL Rte 47 Huntley, IL 60142 O: 847.515.1200 C: 847.609.9093

dianetanke@comcast.net DianeTanke.com • StarckRE.com

11320 Kiley Dr. Huntley, IL (847)-669-7833 www.teamzs.com

B O X I N G

KICKBOXING, MMA

Good driver?

Prove it.

Happy Halloween!

Get Drivewise.®

Daniel Hickey 847-960-1740

Drivewise optional. Savings based on driving behavior and may vary by state. Smartphone and download of Allstate Mobile with activation of Drivewise required. Subject to terms, conditions and availability. Allstate Fire and Casualty Insurance Co. © 2019 Allstate Insurance Co.

11417021

allstate.com/dan.hickey

huntleyvoice.com • 15

*This is good only for the student or teacher’s meal.

One meal per visit. Kids meals not included.

Cabinets, Custom Woodworking, and Millwork 911 Rail Drive, Unit C Woodstock, IL

Call 847-977-9187

Email: estimates@deltamillworkllc.com

BEYER PIANO STUDIO • Piano lessons in your home & online • Classical, pop, jazz, music theory • Studied at the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago • Student recitals every year

CALL 815-236-9252 FOR INFORMATION 16 • the voice october 30 2020

For more news, sports, and features, visit huntleyvoice.com today!

Delta Millwork, LLC

V

a&e spooky movies

2020 best Halloween movies The best movies to watch during “spooktober” are both new and old

C

By Emma Meier

oming in at number one is the 2003 film, “House of 1000 Corpses,” which was written and directed by Rob Zombie, who is known for his horror films.

This movie is about four friends who go on a road trip the day before Halloween and stop at roadside attractions so that they are able to write about them.

They all find a place called Captain Spauldings Museum of Monsters and Madmen, and everything goes downhill from here.

This movie portrays suspense, fear, thrill, and adrenaline. It is available to watch on Netflix.

Another Horror movie is “The Lodge,” directed by Severin Fiala and Veronika Franze. It was written by Sergio Casci with Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz.

This movie is about a girlfriend and her fiance’s two kids when they get snowed into a holiday village.

The children, Mia and Aidan, have no choice but to get away and defend themselves from their dad’s girlfriend and soon to be wife, Grace. These strange events that have been occurring brought Grace’s dark past to light.

She claimed to have gone insane but it was just her religious past creeping out of her. Grace tried to hurt the children herself, and later, kills their father.

“The Lodge” does not have the typical gruesome aspect of horror movies, it is one that leaves the suspense trickling.

Go watch it on Hulu!

Adding to the list of best horror movies comes “Underwater,” starring Kristen Stewart. This movie was directed by

Courtesy of insidethemagic Zombies are a scary part of Halloween.

William Eubank and can be bought on VUDU Movies and TV. This movie is about a crew of seven underwater researchers who have to find safety after a massive earthquake.

The earthquake destroyed parts of their lab forcing them to go out into the open water and walk to the next safe lab.

While moving locations along the ocean floor they find an alien-like creature that starts to attack the crew.

With nothing but water surrounding them in the pitch black, they get seperated and have to find their way to another part of the lab for safety and more oxygen As the creatures slowly try to pick off the crew, Norah is trying her best to help everyone survive and get to the surface.

Watch this movie and enjoy the more suspenseful aspect rather than the gruesomeness.

One the more classic horror movies to watch is “Alien,” starring Sigourney Weaver. This classic is directed by Ridley Scott, James Cameron, David Fincher, and Jean-Pierre Jeunet.

As the main character, Ellen Ripley, and her crew of seven are on their way home from a trip in space. They end up landing on the moon where Kane, Dallas, and Lambert went out to investigate.

Kane stumbles upon a huge open area filled with eggs when one hatches in front of him. The creature inside, called the face hugger, jumps out and attaches to his face. Dallas and Lambert carry him back to the ship where the whole crew does everything they can to help get it off his face.

The blood of the face hugger is acidic so it eventually dies and detaches itself from Kane’s face. Little did they know, it planted an egg in his chest.

This led up to a dinner when Kane started to choke and a chest burster, a baby alien, came out of his chest and ran away. With a growing alien running around the ship, it starts to pick off the crew one by one.

Now it’s up to Ripley to get herself out safely. This movie is a suspenseful thrill the whole way through. This movie can be watched on Amazon Prime Video and HBO Max. huntleyvoice.com • 17

humans of

Tanpreet Bathal • college freshman “I love being at Carroll [University] because I have nursing students all around me, which is really cool because nursing is a really hard program to be in. I feel like I’m at home, it kind of reminds me of Huntley in a sense.”

interviewed by Amelia Pozniak| photo courtesy of Tanpreet Bathal 18 • the voice october 30 2020

HUNTLEY “[My dad] has always taught me to look at things a different way and to always find the good in things. He’s taught me respect, trust, and how to distinguish that and have it with another person. The bond that I’ve built with him has probably been my biggest thing.”

Ashley Crisci • freshman

photographed by Sarah Baczewski| interviewed by Allyson Panzloff huntleyvoice.com • 19

a&e among us

The revival of “Among Us”

A look into the hit game that everyone is playing

Y

By Bailey Lim

ou are with a group of people you trust… or thought you could trust. There are two imposters among us and we need to identify who is innocent and who is murdering the rest of the crewmates.

As an emergency meeting is called, you discover a corpse in electrical as the player color, red, attempts to hide it.

You try and explain to your crew that he committed a murder but their final decision is to throw you off ship, only to find out that you are not the imposter.

“Among Us” is a video game that has grown substantially in the past few months that nobody can get enough of.

Popular youtubers, streamers, families, and friends are all playing this together.

The game consists of lobbies with a maximum of 10 people and roles are selected at random. You can be chosen to be a crewmate who works with your unknown teammates to complete your tasks or vote away the killers to win.

You can also become the more desired role as imposter where you hide among the crewmates, killing them one by one while remaining undetected.

The maps consist of The Skeld, a spaceship the crewmates are inhabiting while traveling into the unknown. Another map is MiraHQ, a homebase type map which is more secure and more likely to be somewhere the crewmates can be living.

The final map is Polus, a purple planet that seems futuristic but abandoned.

Crewmates are required to learn their way around the maps while completing tedious tasks such as downloading files or rewiring a circuit box.

As bodies are reported dead or emergency meetings are called, everyone is allowed to communicate with each other 20 • the voice october 30 2020

Courtesy of innersloth.com the communications which will prevent the crewmates from seeing what their tasks are.

The people who are selected as crewmates need to be their own personal detectives. They need to watch other’s movements and keep track of who is with who.

They need to be smart on who they want to decide to vote for because if they accidentally kick a crewmate, their chances of winning will become thin.

The initial release date of “Among Us” “You are with a group was June 15, 2018, but the game has of people you trust… or significantly changed and improved.

A recent update caught the attention thought you could trust.” of many people and the game has blown up in popularity as a party game you can play on all kinds of devices. eliminating enough crew members that This is an incredibly enjoyable game there are not enough players to vote the that anyone can play with each other at imposters away. any time.

There are plenty of creative strategies the imposter can use their sabotage It offers many types of customizable character settings that will allow people ability for.

They can shut doors in front of people to change the way they play. to isolate them, they can turn off the With the free access on mobile devices, “Among Us” is exciting and thrilling to lights so everyone has a very small and limited vision, and they can also sabotage play with friends and family. to discuss if there is any suspicion among the crew that they can potentially vote off.

The crewmates gain victory by either eliminating the imposters by voting or the crew completing all the tasks assigned to them, even after death while free roaming as a ghost. The imposters win by sabotaging oxygen or reactor but the crew mates need to be prevented from fixing it. They can also win by

Present this ad for $10 off an oil change Jane E. Stimac, DVM Joseph J. Seng, DVM Hillary M. Weinstein, DVM Andrea R. Benson, DVM Ashley M. Ainsworth, DVM

Huntley Veterinary Hospital 10289 N. Vine St. Huntley, IL 60142

- Piano Lessons -

847-669-5888 Fax: 847-669-5911 www.huntleyvet.com

MARTINEZ MUSIC STUDIO Euri A. Martinez Music Educator/Executive Director 6648 Majestic Way, Carpentersville email: martinezmusicstudio@yahoo.com

773.213.7104

Heating and Air Conditioning Service and Installation

FREE Ecobee Pro Wifi Touchscreen Thermostat with purchase of new Furnace or AC system when you mention Huntley High School

847/818-4300 Fax 847/818-4302 3733 N. Ventura Drive Arlington Heights, IL 60004-7952 www.atomatic.com

huntleyvoice.com • 21

feature new drivers

Online and on the road Struggles escalate with students learning the rules of the road

T

By Sara Gebka

he sun rose slowly, illuminating an empty parking lot dotted with a handful of cars. The once bustling roads nearby were quiet and still, like a ghost town. As sophomore Brooklynn Garcia makes her way down the street, the thought of young drivers edging towards school was a distant thought. As she steps out of her car, she’s greeted by her partner and driving instructor.

Drivers Ed, like many hands-on classes, has changed greatly through the course of quarantine and the beginning of the new school year. For one thing, teachers had to figure out a way for their students to do their behind the wheel and observations.

“Depending on whether a student has class Tuesday and Thursday or Wednesday and Friday, a group of six students will come to school to do their observing and driving,” said Chris Maxedon, Drivers Ed teacher.

According to Cliff Pawlack, one of the Drivers Ed teachers, if a student has the Tuesday, Thursday schedule, they would be on Zoom on Tuesday and then come to school on Thursday to drive or observe. Usually this student is paired up, with one driving for an hour while the other observes and vice versa.

“Behind the wheel [has been easy] for me. We [drive there] for the class when the period starts and we leave a little before the period ends to make it to our next online class at home. While driving or observing, we all wear our masks but it isn’t a distraction at all, even when driving,” Garcia said.

The atmosphere created during the

22 • the voice october 30 2020

S. Hashmi Students have to learn to drive manually without contact help. behind the wheel course is welcoming to new students, especially with the stresses that come with remote learning and driving.

“Mr. Maxedon, my driving instructor, stays completely calm, never raises his voice, or gets frustrated with us. I know that when I first started driving I was scared he would get angry or mad if I messed up, but he stays calm and asks what we think we did before explaining how we could correct it the next time,” sophomore Cynthia Weiglein said.

As for the work portion of Drivers Ed, students log onto Zoom and learn topics that they would usually do in a regular classroom.

According to Weiglein, the workload is manageable and easy to understand thanks to the use of pictures, videos, and personal experiences that the teachers reflect on when explaining a specific lesson.

“The teachers help just as much as in person and its been even easier to complete my work on time,” Garcia said.

With remote learning becoming the norm for the past month and a half, there are plans of a hybrid schedule occurring some time in the future.

When it does happen, Drivers Ed will continue the schedule it was working with; an hour to focus on class work and an hour to work on driving or observing. The only key difference would be where the students are during class, with some being in school while others being online.

According to Pawlack, the school isn’t

“The teachers help just as much as in person and its been even easier to complete my work on time.”

Brooklynn Garcia

too keen on changing the behind the wheel schedule since students would be losing approximately one day of driving and observing, which would mess up the 12 hours that students need to pass the class.

As of now, Drivers Ed will focus on its regular schedule. A routine set in place that allows students to arrive at school, welcomed by their partners and instructors, and embrace their soon-tobe freedom when traveling.

Sailing into retirement

feature teachers

Former counselor John Brummer and his wife set sail

T

By Alex Hartleb

he wind flaps lightly on the sails as the 38-foot sailboat glides across the water and pushes west on Lake Michigan towards Chicago. There sits the 54-year-old couple, deep in conversation, without a care for the outside world around them.

Their only concern is checking on the sails and wondering what snack they are going to eat next. The water ripples along the boat as they take their straight shot back home, and that is how it will peacefully remain for the next seven hours.

“It is just the perfect escape,” Laura Brummer said.

Former guidance counselor John Brummer and his wife Laura have been pursuing their passion of sailing for the last two years. With John retiring this past school year, their plans and ambitions have only grown stronger.

The Brummers had no experience with sailing prior to when they took their sailing classes with the American Sailing Association. They had to learn everything from scratch during a three day period.

During those lessons, John was immediately loving and enjoying it. Since then, they have been able to purchase their own boat, a 38 foot Catalina 380, and taking inspiration from Alice Cooper’s popular song, call it “Schools Out.” “With both of us being educators and the boat being something long term that we both plan to do during retirement, we thought we would be like students where schools are out for the summer,” John said. “The song metaphorically fits our attitude. When we really plan to cruise more and pursue this full time, we have the attitude that we are out of school.”

John and Laura have sailed on both lake and sea, from Lake Michigan to the Spanish Virgin Islands in the Caribbean, and created wonderful memories for the

courtesy of L. Brummer Brummer on his boat in Lake Michigan. two of them to share for the rest of their lives. One of their favorites was around the island of Culebrita where they experienced something they could only describe as surreal.

“We got this great day of light winds and we were able to go into this bay.

It was the most beautiful thing. We anchored in the sand and there were sea turtles swimming all over the place,” John said.

“We got to swim with sea turtles just right off our boat. We then swam into the beach and walked along the sand.”

“There were other places where you could see little tidepools of little fish. It was just a really cool walk. People were diving off the rocks,” Laura said.

“You just don’t get the chance to see stuff like this unless you get there by boat. That is something we really like, being able to go to these places that you couldn’t get to otherwise.”

The Brummers have also been able to meet all different kinds of people along their adventures, which is another reason that sailing is so enjoyable for them, the comradery that everyone shows when you pull up to a new location.

“It’s been really nice, just meeting all kinds of people from everywhere. Everyone is always willing to lend a hand,” Laura said.

“When you pull into a dock all kinds of people will come from their boats and ask if you need any help to pull in.”

“The sailing is fun, it’s a blast,” John said. “But meeting people and just the social fun is probably our favorite part.”

In the future, John has multiple trips mentally planned out for him and Laura to embark on taking everything that they have done so far to the next level.

First, he wants to travel to Alaska by way of the Panama Canal, where he hopes that he will encounter dolphins and have them swim alongside the boat, a common occurrence for sailors.

Next, he has ambitions to sail all the way across the Atlantic Ocean and sail throughout Europe.

“I think it would be a fun challenge. I want to take the northern route where you leave from the Massachusetts area and sail across the north Atlantic,” John said. �I want to go to the Baltic Sea and visit Finland, Russia, the Netherlands, and the surrounding countries. I would then like to go south down the coast to the Mediterranean and sail around there.”

Once Laura retires from her job at Mackeben Elementary School, those plans can be kicked into action, and even more loving and amazing sailing memories between the two can be created. huntleyvoice.com • 23

feature activism

Senior activist spreads love Donna Fondjo uses social media to raise awareness of racial issues

N

By Kate Alvarado

ine-year-old Donna Fondjo happily sat in class, excited by the new hairstyle she was wearing. Two afro-puffs sat on the top of her head, finally making her believe that her hair could be beautiful among the sea of girls with long, straight hair.

That is until the boy sitting behind her tapped her shoulder.

“Donna, your hair is so big and ugly that I can’t see what’s in front of me,” he said.

Mortified, Fondjo experienced one of her first instances of racism at Huntley.

Situations like these would only continue to happen throughout her years in the district. That day, Fondjo ran home crying, asking her mom to straighten her hair like all the other girls in her class.

“I remember sitting on my bathroom floor, crying and wishing that I was white. It’s something I’m so ashamed of saying now, but when I was younger I was so disgusted by being black because no one here was black,” Fondjo said.

S. Baczweski Donna Fondjo, Huntley senior

biggest advocates for minority youth in the Huntley community.

“Looking back, it’s so gross knowing that’s what I thought about myself. I would never want any child to think about themselves that way,” Fondjo said.

Fondjo regularly posts about human rights issues on her Instagram story, spreading information about worldwide crises some may know nothing about.

By simply clicking ‘share post to your “I remember sitting on my story’ Fondjo has helped change viewbathroom floor, crying and points for many in Huntley.

“I definitely know more now, espewishing I was white.” cially over the summer during the Black Lives Matter movement. Hearing her Donna Fondjo story and how it affects her personally It took years of exploring other com- is definitely a huge way to make an munities and educating herself on black impact” junior Lauren Schmit said.

Fondjo’s main goal was to inform peohistory for Fondjo to come to terms ple about the real issues behind all of with her identity. these movements to give them a better Now a senior, Fondjo is one of the 24 • the voice october 20 2020

understanding of why they should care.

Whether it is about women, LGBTQIA+, or minority rights, Fondjo has posted resources surrounding those issues.

“The information that she puts out on social media is always very educational.

From her point of view, she has a better [understanding] of it than most people” Schmit said.

Previously, Fondjo had always been a bit subtle when it came to her beliefs because of the conservative tendencies of the community. However, after George Floyd’s murder caused the rise of interest in the Black Lives Matter movement, Fondjo knew it was time for her to do her part.

“It’s just not fair, and it’s not going to be fair unless people speak out about it. I know I’m just one voice, and I can’t even vote yet, but that doesn’t mean I can’t talk about what I’m passionate about” Fondjo said.

feature activism

S. Baczweski Fondjo runs activist social media @youthagainstequality Because of this, Fondjo co-founded @ youthagainstinequality with her friends from Homewood. Over the summer, they raised enough money to give out scholarships and donate to memorial services, gay pride organizations, and Black Lives Matter organization.

They managed to do this by hosting gay pride garage sales and selling transgender lives matter t-shirts in honor of Marsha. On top of that, they hosted vigils commemorating the many black lives lost due to racial aggression.

“We did as much as we could, and although we didn’t make a nation-wide impact, we made a community impact” Fondjo said.

Being one of the many teens leading these political movements, Fondjo hopes to set an example for others.

While there is no taking back the past, everyone has the power to be the change they want to see in the future.

“If you want to change your history, what you need to do is help other people and advocate for that. Not advocate against them,” Fondjo said.

While the environment at Huntley

High School is mostly progressive, there are still instances of racism and microaggressions that happen every day. This may not seem like a big deal for some, but these acts carry huge weight for those who it offends.

“There are so many people who throw around the n-word, the f-word, and other slurs. People don’t care

and incredibly rude.

“I don’t hate my peers, but what I do hate is ignorance. I’ve had to grow up around it and I still put up with a lot of it” Fondjo said.

Despite this, Fondjo still has Huntley pride. However, she recognizes the harm these racist encounters have caused her growing up, leading her to feel isolated within her own community.

“I’m very privileged to have grown up “There are so many in Huntley because this school has given people who throw around me a very good education,” Fondjo said, the n-word and the f-word “but the lack of diversity definitely took a toll on me growing up. I think if I had and other slurs. ” grown up in a more diverse community, Donna Fondjo I would have been happier.”

Through all this, Fondjo recognizes about others and use derogatory terms her hardships as life experiences given in their everyday vocabulary and don’t to her to make her stronger. And with seem to understand how hurtful it is,” that strength, she will fight for the day Fondjo said. when little black girls never go home As harmful as this is, slurs are not the crying because of the ignorance of others. only thing Fondjo has had to put up with. She recalls the many times people “There is a clear line of privilege that us minorities have not yet reached, so have reached over to touch her hair we just need to work,” Fondjo said. without her permission. While this is not physically harmful, it is degrading huntleyvoice.com •25

feature horseback riding

5 second flight over the X Junior Ryan Antemann and her horse take on the next jump

H

By Ellie Armstrong

eels pressed behind the girth. Pinky fingers tucked under the brown leather of the rein. Ankles crooked with the tips of her boots pointed towards the blue sky. The ball of each foot rested on iron stirrups on either side of the 1,200 pound animal below her.

Torso bent at the hip, leaning into twopoint position and lining up with the angle of his outside shoulder-blade. The word ‘focus’ written across her eyes.

Four more strides passed by with sharp wind picking up his mane and her ponytail. Homeschooled junior Ryan Antemann and her horse “Gunny” were ready to jump.

“It kind of feels like time slows when you’re in there. Like we did it, we timed it right, we went together as a team.

We did this,” Antemann said. “It’s 5 seconds. [Then] all over again.”

Pale hooves struck the hay-covered ground of the arena. Sunlight shimmered onto specks of kicked-up dust. “‘Atta girl!” equestrian trainer and police officer Mary Anne Dalton said.

This was a great first jump for Antemann’s Tuesday riding session, which she had gone to for five years after missing her childhood interactions with the animals.

Each session began approximately half an hour prior in the stables of 19807 Lembcke Road in Harvard, Illinois, with her friend Clare Fu “Ping” Qingping Downing riding and learning alongside her.

“She’s definitely more adventurous [now] with the horses she rides. I think when she first started riding here she 26 • the voice october 30 2020

was pretty nervous,” Ping said.

Those nerves were nowhere to be found as Antemann’s black boots clicked along the wood floor of FireCreek Barn, passing Ping hooking up her horse. A metal gate swung open, revealing a large muddy, fenced-in area. This was Horse World as Antemann called it.

Here, she could learn skills she would not anywhere else. Here, she found her Paint and Quarter-Horse gelding socializing around a haystack.

After leading him in, she began the long process of preparing him for a ride.

Everything she did following securing his position in the stable had a distinct purpose. Gunner’s stomach was brushed with a curry comb to loosen the dirt; mud-soaked hooves got an ultimate pedicure with a pick; and 21-yearold ankles were wrapped for compression and support.

Then came the placement of the bridal, square and fur pads, light-weight English saddle, and girth - all for comfort or control. Antemann was careful with the last part; the high-circuit-jumping show horse was abused by a former owner, so his girth had to be put on backwards to coax him into it.

“Every horse is different: their feel, what they need to work on for you, [and] what they teach you,” Antemann said. “You should always treat them with respect and patience. I’m not good at patience, so [Gunner is] definitely helping me.”

Reading Gunner’s mood, she tapped him with a riding crop on his side as his ears went back in annoyance of the girth. Antemann had to convince him every ride of her contrasting gentleness, and they had to work hard to develop mutual understanding.

“If you have a problem, you can’t just stop and walk away,” Dalton said.

“You have to continue until somebody learns.”

Measuring 16 hands and 1 inch tall,

E. Armstrong Antemann canters with Gunner.

Gunner had not been her first choice four years ago, but the rocky start has become a successful partnership.

“I’m giving him my life every time [I] ride, and that’s really scary at first. We didn’t listen to each other,” Antemann said. “Then over the years, we kept being with each other. We started to learn, learn about each other, and get nicer to each other.”

Clicking her tongue and patting his side lovingly, Antemann ushered the stubborn horse into the outdoor arena and next to the mounting box. She planted her left foot and swung her right leg around.

With relaxed hands and a quick press of her heels, Antemann began to warm Gunner up with trotting before her favorite exercise: jumps.

Dalton, the owner of the farm, stood in the center to yell directions. Antemann credited her trainer for her growth over the years and love of the sport, but that did not mean Dalton took it easy on her.

“Place your horse’s feet!”

“Outside rein! Nice and easy!”

“Take the X!” Gunner’s neck bobbed, his mane flopping dramatically. Antemann’s hips rose and lowered onto the saddle to relieve pressure as he cantered in sync. Her steady movement and pacing echoed Dalton’s goals for her.

“I love seeing [riders] get that confidence because I think it helps [them] in life,” Dalton said.

Having driven her to and watched weekly practices and annual shows, her parents saw her progression first hand too.

“She needed direction for everything, and now she does more than I know,” said her father Neal Antemann. “I like watching her ride, but I hate the jumps.

It’s terrifying.”

That feeling was shared by his daughter when she started.

“I used to be terrified of trying new things because I was afraid of getting hurt,” Antemann said. “But I think [after] doing it more, I’m really not afraid because… I know that even if I do fall off, he’s not going to kill me. I trust him.”

Placing at English-style competitions helped her to further connect with Gunner. In two shows, she won reserve champion of the Illinois Short Circuit.

At a Tievoli Farms show, she won grand champion in equitation, a competition focused on the rider, while Gunner won grand champion of the hunter jumper category in the two shows before. According to Dalton, Antemann has a way

Scan here for videos of Antemann riding with Gunny.

feature horseback riding

E. Armstrong Ryan Antemann takes a jump. of catching the judges’ eyes.

“She just is a happy, confident human being who enjoys coming,” Dalton said. “[Antemann is] intelligent. She listens well, and she’s also a good communicator.”

Though Antemann tried Western-style horseback riding, she found English was better suited for her because of its calm, quiet, and pretty nature. While Western involves greater speed, English focuses on the appearance of the performance with strict inspections of horse and rider before every show. Both involve extensive training and high-stakes competitions.

Sending a cloud into the icy air with a snort, Gunner slowed to a trot for a millisecond. Blink and you would miss her indicating for him to change his lead foot.

Thoughts buzzing through her helmet-clad head as the elevated, whitechipped beams approached them, she silently counted down.

“Is my range short? Does he know where we’re going next? Am I looking?

Am I going to give him leg with our stride?” Antemann said.

Mere strides later and his hooves were flying into the air, crossing the wood beams held up in the shape of an X. “Turn… now! Left rein, look right!”

In a clockwise direction, they jumped over the left X, then right, and then cut down the middle to cross the mounting box. A tiring course but one she was excited to master.

“You have to be so determined to get it because it’s so much work,” Antemann said.

Upon taking off her helmet and wiping the sweat from her forehead, Antemann led Gunner back into the stables. She laughed as he wolfed down the treats she offered, his giant lips smacking against her palm. He nodded his head at the sight of a special treat (a carrot) before inhaling it.

Antemann swept the floor and set him free to run in the field with a teal blanket buckled to his back. He knew she would be back next Tuesday, and he would be ready to greet her. She knew she never wanted to stop feeling the rush of those 5 seconds of flying. huntleyvoice.com • 27

Now playing...

lauren’s records & reviews w/lauren schmit

hot off the dress w/amelia pozniak

the art of eating 2.0 w/ruhi gulati & sydney laput

check out these video bloggers on

huntleyvoice.com!

28 • the voice october 30 2020

sports tennis

Dominating school and serves Junior Kylie Phommasack excels on and off the court

C

By Izzi Kellas

heering her teammate on after watching her hit an amazing volley giving them the lead in the match, she felt a burst of relief and excitement knowing that she was able to win.

Junior Kylie Phommasack has been playing tennis since she was 6 years old.

Her first memory of tennis is her dad first introducing her to the sport because he played when he was younger.

Tennis was the only sport she played when she was little and she was only playing for fun. When she went to middle

“Kylie is the best teammate I could have had because she loves tennis and it really shows in her work.”

Michi Barnvos

school she started to take it more seriously because of the high school season.

Joining the varsity team as a freshman, she has succeeded and has thoroughly enjoyed every moment.

When she plays she has a rush of all of these emotions. She feels nervous at the beginning of the match, but as the time passes the nerves start disappearing and by the end she enjoys the sport she loves.

She plays doubles with her partner Michi Barnvos. They have a great relationship that shows through their playing.

“Kylie is the best teammate I could have had because she loves tennis and it really shows in her work,” Barnvos said.

Kylie’s most fun memory of Michi is when they would mess around and make each other laugh every game and practice. Kylie’s sister Ashley, who is a freshman, also plays for the JV tennis team.

“I treat her like an opponent. My sister

S. Laput Phommasack jumping to hit the ball and I are super competitive in everything, even in board games,” Phommasack said about playing with her sister.

However at the end of the day they enjoy playing with each other, and it is a nice way to spend time together.

“One of my favorite memories is when my team and I cheer on each other when

one of the teams is still playing. We get so loud and excited and it’s super cool to see everybody so supportive of each other,” Phommasack said.

With everything happening they were still able to play their regular season, win

see TENNIS page 32

huntleyvoice.com • 29

sports dance

Dancing into the spotlight Orchesis dancer battles chronic pain

L

By Kaitlyn Ziebell ights up. The song plays and suddenly, she skips into a leap, poised and delicate. Her expression is focused as she trains her eyes in front of her. She turns, purple skirt following suit, and kicks her leg forward.

Purple lights shine down upon her face as she leans forward into a bow. Everything is in its place, choreographed to a T, flowing effortlessly.

This is nothing new to junior Mira Terranova. For ten years, dancing has been Terranova’s main passion from even as early as the age of 2, she remembers she was dancing. It is something that has grown with her, throughout middle school as well as high school.

“I’ve never done anything other than dance. It’s the only sport I’ve ever done,” Terranova said.

The years of experience have paid off and Terranova is now one of the top dancers on Orchesis, the student dance company, having participated for the past three years. Her dedication and enthusiasm for the sport shines through into the work she puts out as a dancer and choreographer on the team.

But no passion comes without challenge. After having random pains and weakness in her ankles, Terranova decided to visit a doctor. The pain had been present even since her middle school years, but continued to get worse as time went on. In December of 2018, the day after Christmas, she discovered she had tendonitis in both ankles, which put her into a boot multiple times over the past couple of years.

“I’ve been in a boot twice in the past two years, just to kind of stabilize my ankle, especially when I was overusing it a lot,” Terranova said.

The need to support the whole weight of her body on her feet while dancing extensively for long periods of time has taken a toll. It has affected many areas of

30 • the voice october 30 2020

S. Laput Terranova at the Insurgence performance. her life, but dance being the largest one.

The injury has put her behind in many school dance events, some of which include a recital for the team and her sophomore Homecoming pep rally.

“I was in a boot in the weeks before Homecoming week, and I had to perform at the pep rally, and that was the week I got out of the boot, the week where I performed,” Terranova said.

Knowing her limitations with the injury is something that Mira has had to learn to do as a team member, especially when

being a choreographer for some of the dances performed by the team.

“There were times when she was a choreographer and she was injured and she was still trying to teach choreography, and I was like, ‘you still don’t even need to demonstrate that much.’ But because she wanted to be doing it, she was still doing it. I think she learned that she had to kind of limit herself so that she could heal and get back to dancing,” Orchesis coach Samantha Strupek said.

see DANCE page 32

Want to take driver’s ed outside of school?

Now playing...

One Way Driving School educates safe, responsible, and courteous drivers of all ages.

Contact us at (847) 659-9670 or visit onewaydrivingschool.net to schedule your class today! Volunteering opportunities available!

snatched for the season w/ally jorgensen

no baggage with baker w/molly baker

battle of the baked goods w/arianna joob

check out these video bloggers on

huntleyvoice.com! huntleyvoice.com • 31

from TENNIS page 29

the season title, and just won the Fox Valley Conference.

“I think IHSA did a nice job with allowing us to have a season.”

“Even though we missed out on some of the tournaments that we play on the weekends, we still were able to play a lot of matches,” she said.

Kylie does more than just tennis; she is the Media Director of the National Honor Society, an active participant in the Art Club, and also in Snow Raiders.

Even though she participates in these extracurriculars it might seem to stretch her out but, she always finds a way to balance them out.

She has been able to do all things that she is passionate about,these extra curriculars activities have helped her express herself in many different ways.

“I have learned to be tough and bond with others.”

S. Laput from DANCE page 30

4590 Princeton Ln. Lake in the Hills (847) 669-5454 • SAT/ACT test prep • Subject tutoring • Exam prep

• Webinar series • Study skills • Academic skills

Hours: M-Th: 10:00am-8:00pm Sat: 9:00am- 3:00pm | Sun: 8:00am-4:00pm

ONE LINCOLN CENTRE, SUITE 100, OAKBROOK TERRACE

thgfinancial.com Email: aczysz@thgfinancial1.com Phone: 815.814.5723 Fax: 844.869.7354

32 • the voice october 9 2020

Despite her limitations, this injury doesn’t stop Terranova from persevering to better herself. Terranova leads the Huntley Orchesis Dance Team as one of the board members.

She helps to choreograph new dances and welcome new members onto the team, making them feel welcomed and at home, especially during the season being over Zoom.

“Mira was really big on us starting a Big/Little program, so that they would have somebody to connect with. She’s very welcoming to the new members of our team,” Strupek said.

Being a part of Orchesis has given her the opportunity to become a better leader and person. It has also given her an opportunity to have an idea formed about how she can incorporate dance into her future.

“I’m still trying to figure things out, but I really love dance and choreography, so it’s definitely something I’ll consider doing in the future,” Terranova said.

Although she has faced setbacks and challenges, nothing can stop her from moving forward and bettering and strengthening herself.

“I’ve just learned that when things go wrong, I just have to learn how to pick myself back up again,” Terranova said.

sports contact days

Huntley sports contact days Huntley sports adapting to COVID

D

By Shannon Magura uring these unsure times, nothing is guaranteed, and for the sports teams at Huntley High School, that means the possibility of not having a season. Due to COVID-19, the amount of practices sports can have are limited to 20 days of contact. At these contact days, the athletes have to wear a mask from the minute they walk into the school to the minute they walk out, and while near each other, they have to be socially distanced six feet apart.

This pandemic and these adjustments not only affect the students, but the coaches as well. There is a whole other side to how they have to adjust their coaching and tweak their knowledge to adapt to the new rules. Despite all the alterations being made, these contact days have proven to be extremely helpful, and all the athletes and coaches at HHS are using them to their advantage.

Christine Amling and Alex Reyes-Smith coach the girls varsity dance team. This sport is highly interactive and requires a strong connection between the dancers, so this pandemic has had quite the influence on the team aspect of the sport.

“Normally we have our whole summer, we have camp, we can meet the girls, and it feels like the incoming people we have, we don’t know them like we know the rest of the team,” coach Reyes-Smith said. “It’s hindered us in that way, but we definitely try to build team relationships and do little things so they get to know each other.”

The looming question amongst not only dance, but other sports as well, is whether or not there will be a season.

With the circumstances, it would be difficult, but possible to have one.

“We are adaptable to whatever they give to us, we can work in person or we can do it virtually,” Amling said. “We’ve already made plans for both, depending

S. Laput Dance team at pratice. on what they allow us to do, and we can wear masks and we can be six feet apart and social distance in our dance styles.”

Although hopes are held high that there will be a season, the chance that it gets cancelled is always there. It would be a huge hit on the athletes, and a devastation to the varsity dance team.

“It’ll take a huge toll on the girls because they’ve already had so much taken away from them this season, so to do all this work to not have a competition season, I think that would be really impactful on them,” Reyes-Smith said.

On the other side of the gym, Renee Fowler is coaching the varsity cheerleaders, who are struggling with COVID in their own way.

“When we do practice inside, we have to wear masks at all times, even when tumbling and doing our most difficult skills,” Fowler said. “This is something my athletes have to get used to and comfortable with. Also, we are no longer allowed to stunt because we are not allowed to be within 6 feet of each other, which is a huge part of cheerleading.”

With these contact days comes a risk of being together in close quarters. There are several risk factors that go into this, especially with sports that involve a lot of close contact, cheerleading being one of them.

“I think if we follow the safety measures that the health department, IHSA,

and District 158 put in place, we can be six feet distanced, although it is hard,” Fowler said. “I hope we are putting our athletes in a good position, and I think it would be more unsafe to try to have a season without conditioning our athletes. IHSA is thinking of injury risk and other things that could happen without conditioning and preparing the athletes.”

One major piece that has been taken away from HHS is the football season, which will be held back until spring. The cheerleaders are usually at the games, so this has impacted them greatly.

“For the whole school, homecoming is a week that we show our spirit and Red Raider pride, and we don’t get to do that this year, but we are trying to keep positive by making sure we still do stuff that is promoting school spirit,” Fowler said.

“Friday night lights is a huge thing not just for cheerleaders and football players, but for the whole school. I know I miss it, I know our cheerleaders miss it, but we know that we are in this together.”

COVID-19 has taken its toll on HHS, but the sports teams stand together and are doing what they can with what they are given. These contact days give athletes a chance to see their teammates and continue to work on their skills, all while safely practicing social distancing. Even though these practice days are sparse, they are useful and are bettering Huntley’s athletes. huntleyvoice.com • 33

sports senior plans

Senior’s football ambitions Brad Walker chooses a college that will satisfy the football dream

A

By Kayla Sweeney

s senior Brad Walker stands on the field, he reflects back on all his plays and accomplishments from his past four years playing for Huntley and wonders: Where has the time gone?

He has been on the football team at HHS since his freshman year and has played for a total of 10 years.

He is a very respected student at HHS, always having a smile on his face while walking down the hall. Teachers love him and the students respect him.

Walker is a defensive lineman on the varsity football team at HHS. In his football career he has won an all-state award, meaning he is the top defensive lineman for Huntley’s division 8A in 2019.

“Having a great coaching staff and the [dedication] to long hours of training makes me successful,” Walker said.

He has four college offers so far from University of Dayton, Eastern Illinois, Saint Thomas Minnesota, and Concordia University, St. Paul. However, Walker is undecided.

His future plans for college are to play football for all four years while majoring in business. After college his goals are to have a family and live in a beautiful house.

This year’s football season is very different from the others due to COVID-19.

Over the summer and fall, Walker and his teammates have been practicing on and off, but it is not normal football practice all the time because they try to have as little contact due to COVID. 34 • the voice october 30 2020

The kicker here is that football is a contact sport!

Not being able to practice as normal has been difficult but at least there are still practices to go to.

Sometimes there is contact, but they take safety precautions by wiping down the pads after.

Due to COVID-19 the football season is going to be in the spring. Hopefully things go as planned and cases of covid go down so there can be a 2020 football season for HHS. When Brad is not on the football field he enjoys relaxing with his friends and family.

Brad’s family has been an amazing support system for him. Brad lives with his mom, Vernita, his dad, Brad, and little brother, Bryce.

Brad’s cousin, Eddie Wall, is also a senior at HHS and a varsity player on the red raiders football team.

“Playing with Brad is a one time experience because it’s a rare occasion that you get to play with family members and make unforgettable memories,” Wall said.

It is true that not a lot of S. Laput people get to bond with their family as teammates.

Brad Walker practicing to prepare for a “Brad is the kind of teamfootball game. mate that you know is going to get the job done and you don’t along with the rest of the red raiders have to worry about him. He asks questions when needed and never varsity football team. It is his last year playing for HHS and he is going to be a makes mistakes. He’s just a great allplayer to watch. around athlete” Wall said.

Walker will also be choosing a college It is certain Brad is not just an athlete in the spring and that will be very inbut a student athlete. He is a great teresting to see which one he chooses. teammate, student, son, and person.

In the spring it is going to be so excit- Being a great athlete is difficult; however, he has talent on and off the field. ing to watch Walker back on the field

Reconsider hybrid plan

District needs to improve communication and reevaluate effectiveness of current plan

editorial

a lot of stress with having to choose between our health, our families, our careers, and our income.”

Although District 158 revised the plans based on community feedback, the miscommunications and lack of empathy for teachers resulted in unnecessary stress and confusion.

“In-person learning benefits are the daily schedule [and] igh school students expected to enter coming to the building each day. The routine and leaving the their hybrid plan on Nov. 2 at 50% house and being in the school provides an SEL component,” capacity. Then at 25% capacity. Now Superintendent Scott Rowe said.

Nov. 9.

Hybrid does offer benefits… but the social opportunities “The case rate has gone up and the McHenry County Dewill be confined to minimal interactions with teachers six feet partment of Health recommendations,” Board Secretary Paul away in masks, with a handful of peers who happen to be Troy said. “The metrics are higher than what the hybrid plan in the same quarter group and have chosen hybrid (a small recommended.” percentage as estimated from classroom surveys), and with The buildings are prepared for hybrid learning with daily your Chromebook, which you will still rely on for the bulk of cleaning, supplies available in every classroom, and organized the work. desks. However, this does not mean teachers or students are A more general problem that teachers face is addressing ready to be back come Nov. 9. While the fluctuating case rates both at-home and in-person learners. cannot be helped, the lack of communication from admin to Teachers have been encouraged to focus their strategies the families and faculty of District 158 can. on the 75% online over the potentially 25% in-person, which To start, many teachers felt their voices were not heard or makes sense considering they have mere weeks before the considered in the process of designing a hybrid plan (see page plan could start (COVID permitting).

5 for plan details). While some spoke at the open session on “[The] remote instructional model will remain the base Oct. 8, resulting in the 50% to 25% capacity change at a later model, as the majority of students will be remote at any given meeting, the administration did not adjust enough to meet time,” Rowe said at the Board of Education special meeting on their needs.

Oct. 15.

“If I thought that what I was doing wasn’t working, I would In practice this could prove to be a waste of time for stusee the point of making me come back, but I think that what I dents who would get the same education from the comfort of have been doing through E-Learning has been working really their own homes well for my students and for my family,” said social studies If the hybrid plan is put into place within this semester: teacher Shannon Phillips. “I don’t think I’m putting my stumuch can be learned from surrounding districts, including dents at risk of a bad education by staying at home.”

District 211. District 211 started hybrid on Oct. 26 but had a According to Assistant Superintendent for Human Resourc- mock hybrid week from Oct. 12-16 in which they practiced es Adam Zehr, if a member of faculty does not have suitable teaching mock in-person students (assigned teachers) while childcare, they can apply for the Expanded Family and Medical directing lessons online.

Leave Act, which would allow them partial pay to stay home, They analyzed the successes and problems of that week though there is also a childcare supervision service within from Oct. 19-23, reorganizing lessons and adjusting technolothe district. FMLA offers job security to all. According to Zehr, gy to common audio and video issues. The clear communicateachers with medical verification will work from home with tion and preparation made the transition easier on everyone full pay. involved.

Zehr has sent forms and emails to teachers as well as had What we propose: delay the hybrid switch until the second one-on-one conversations with faculty requesting use of the semester starts on Jan. 4, to allow for more preparation for Families First Coronavirus Response Act for medical reasons. teachers and for students to finish the semester in a consisSubstitutes are prepared to stand in for fully online teachers tent setting. A delay will also provide time for administration under these circumstances. to proactively communicate with teachers.

Nonethless, we have found teachers are frustrated by the The district has found sucess in bringing students with spelack of transparency from administration on their options cial needs and accommodations into the school to give them when hybrid starts. more attention. But what students who are adjusting well to “What was communicated to us was you can come back to online learning need is consistency, and a handful of days of the classroom or you can use up all of your sick days and then interaction with teachers before the end of the semester or a take unpaid FMLA,” Sturm said. “I think employees were not couple of groups going in before shutdown will not bring that. given sufficient information about alternatives. We are under huntleyvoice.com • 35

H

one last

VOICE Karen Naymola

Physical Education Teacher Varsity Volleyball Coach Dedicated Funny Why did you want to be a teacher?

I’ve always wanted to be a teacher. I knew growing up it was something I always wanted to do because I enjoyed working with kids. Coaching was a huge factor in my decision. I love coaching. I love being able to help kids learn a sport that I’m passionate about and have them grow up with it as well.

If you could choose your last meal what would it be?

It would probably be Randall Roadhouse’s Chicago style pizza. I think I could also choose the Texas de Brazil Buffet.

It’s so good.

If you could tell your students one thing, what would you tell them?

I know everyone tells you this, but just enjoy every minute of high school and growing up because it goes so fast. I’ve said it to my volleyball players too.

Enjoy every moment and work your hardest at whatever you’re doing because it goes ridiculously fast.

Interviewed by Ally Panzloff Photographed by Sarah Baczewski