Huntley HS Voice, Feb. 17, 2022 by Huntley Voice

V the O I C E

February 17, Volume 25, Issue 9 Huntley High School

Addressing Parent Union Euphoria Season Two Black History Month

CONTENTS

table of

Editor in Chief Amelia Pozniak Managing Editor Grace Helzer Floating Editors Ava Brancato, Jessy Gone, Lindsay Hunter, Arianna Joob, Rayne Zilch Photo Editor Alexis Cobb Marketing Editor Zoe Hurmi Social Media Manager Sean Kovach

EDITORIAL POLICY

EDITORIAL BOARD

STAFF

Staff Writers Breanna Burak, Connor Considine, Sophia Coronado, Brooke Hamann, Lael Malibiran, Shane McGuine, Calvin McFalls, Matt O’Connell, Dylan Palcynski, Karolina Perkowsli, Avery Robertson, Amanda Sarrol, Jacey Sola Photographers Leyla Arroyo, Amanda Hoglind, Katie Walsh Adviser Dennis Brown

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NEWS

FEATURES

SPECIAL

OPINION

A&E

SPORTS

EDITORIAL

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 | valentine

Leo’s Club sell flower grams to spread love By Sophia Coronado

hree girls sit at the sales table decorated with a pink banner advertising flower grams. A group of students curiously walk up, and the Leo’s Club’s co-president kindly asks “Would you like to buy a gram? Awesome!” She explains the prices, $2 to pick up a flower for hand delivering to a friend or crush, and $3 for it to be delivered on Valentine’s Day. The Leo’s club is a service group similar to Silver Cord and the National Honor Society, except the club does not log hours. The group is constantly coming up with different fundraisers or volunteer opportunities in a group setting. According to Laura Jenkins, sponsor for the Leo’s Club, the club advocates for different areas of concern, such as vision, youth, humanitarian efforts, childhood center, hunger,

A. Cobb

Leo’s Club lets love grow at HHS

environment, and diabetes. All though overseen by Jenkins, the club is mostly led by the leadership team, consisting of Daniela Arriola and Isabella Gorny as co-presidents, Paige Olszewski in charge of membership applications, and co-vice presidents Taylor Trent and Nataly Rodriguez. According to Arriola, the club meets about two times per month to discuss upcoming events. “We present to everyone the roles of the fundraiser, like for [the flower grams] we have sellers, people picking up the flowers and people delivering flowers on February 14. And then we just go over what we are doing for the rest of the month, sometimes we plan activities just to get to know people” Arriola said. But leading the club takes more time than it may seem like. As co-president, Arriola, with the help of her secretary, keeps track of attendance, who comes to volunteer at events, and makes sure that everyone does what they sign up for. “I usually spend my time with Bella, the other vice president, working on ideas to come up with for different

things. We usually take our time outside of school and go to Starbucks to talk about ideas for each month. It’s a lot of communication” Arriola said. The flower grams event is not the only fundraiser the Leo’s Club has held. They also had volunteers apple-pick for the Algonquin food pantry, as well as helping with road clean up for the upper Leo’s Club for adults, known as the Lion’s Club. As of now, the group is focused on its flower grams fundraiser. They plan to sell the grams up until Thursday, Feb. 3, and to deliver the flowers on Valentine’s Day. Selling the flower grams was originally Arriola’s idea, and the money earned from the flower grams would contribute to a great cause. Jenkins was quick to support because she had the same in her school. According to Arriola, the club is selling flower grams for an epilepsy foundation. “My mom actually has epilepsy so it is something that is very special to me, she’s had it for such a long time," Arriola said. "The money is really going towards a good cause and it really means something to me.”

Three Leo's Club members sit in the cafeteria waiting for students to approach them and buy flower grams.

A. Cobb FEBRUARY 17 ISSUE 2022

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NEWS | yearbook

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NEWS | yearbook

Preserving memories for the Class of ‘22 Students submit their senior quotes and vote for superlatives By Lael Malibiran

s you enter your last first day of high school, a flood of reminiscence goes through your brain as you walk through the halls of what has been your home for the past four years. You see your group of friends sitting at the table that has been your designated “meet up spot” every morning since your freshman year, and you are all filled with elatedness as the final year of high school approaches. You make it your goal to end the year with the best high school experience ever. Going to all the football games, dressing up for your last ever homecoming, and even experiencing a case of “senioritis” with your easy schedule. Taking any opportunity you can get and making it worthwhile will make the most of your senior year. But as each day passes, you begin to think about how every day is a day closer to walking that stage and getting that diploma. Time really does fly, but where will all these memories go? Thankfully, HHS Harmony Yearbook captures it all. But, most importantly, they are giving a traditional opportunity for the Class of 2022 to submit their votes for senior superlatives and write their personal senior quote that will be put in our yearbook. Out of all the seniors in our school, only 22 individuals have the opportunity to win a superlative that best fits them, with each category being open to all genders, the options to vote are endless. According to the Editor in Chief of Yearbook, Kylie Phommasack, the whole yearbook staff came up with the senior superlatives, and chose which ones were most relevant today. FEBRUARY 17 ISSUE 2022

A. Hoglind

Some categories include best dressed, most likely to win an oscar, highschool sweethearts, cutest forehead, and many other entertaining categories.

You get to reflect on yourself as a person with your quote and then you get to really connect with your peers with the superlatives.

Olivia Al Shayeb

Harmony Yearbook had sent out a Google Form for seniors to fill out in which they submitted their votes for senior superlatives. At first the voting was looking scarce, but as word got around they received over 500 responses before the deadline of the form, which was on Jan. 28. Within the window between when the form first opened and when it closed, there were many candidates running for at least one of the categories. The anticipation for who is in the winning is intense, but the excitement of this opportunity in general is definitely worthwhile. “There’s a lot of people in the running. And it’s actually exciting because I’m the only person that can see who’s winning,” Olivia Tatone, social media and marketing manager, said. “But it’s actually kind of cool. Just like to look forward to all of the categories and just see everyone’s excitement about it.” Now along with having the opportunity to run for a senior superlative, the time to make your senior year as memorable does not end there.

Yearbook student sorts through senior quotes and senior superlative responses. Another section of the Google Form that was sent was the opportunity for people to also submit their senior quotes. “You get the best of both worlds and you get to reflect on yourself as a person with your quote and then you get to really connect with your peers with the superlatives,” senior Olivia Alshayeb said. With quotes, they can be really anything you want. Whether it be an inspirational saying that helped you persevere through the toughest moments or something iconic that you and your friends live by, all school appropriate obviously, it will be a joy or a big laugh to look back on in the future. “My favorite is when students come up with quotes…that are unique and say something profound that will age well,” Lauren Teeter, advisor of Harmony Yearbook, said. As it nears the time to finally walk that stage and get that diploma, we will be able to open a book that holds all our highschool memories. A first look into our senior year on print. The winners of the superlatives pictured with the biggest smile on their faces, everybody’s senior quotes personal to them, and many more memories just in the palm of our hands. HUNTLEYVOICE.COM

NEWS | Prom

Juniors and seniors await updates By Karolina Perkowski

eniors and juniors, the information that you have all been waiting for is finally here, we are having a Prom. That is right, juniors and seniors will be allowed to attend Prom this year. Prom is officially set for April 30, so start looking for those stunning dresses and dashing tuxedos to wear on this unforgettable night. Last year’s Prom was a Senior Soirée, which took place at Huntley High School, but because things are starting to ease regarding COVID-19 regulations, it will be different this year. “Our contract with Prom is to be at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare, there’s only

S. Laput

What is going on with Prom? a few hotels in the area that can house a Prom our size,” principal Marcus Belin said. The school district is planning on running a regular Prom like in past years, with a space for dinner and a ballroom. The hotel is in Cook County, and as most people are aware, Cook County requires vaccinations and proof of vaccination to enter public places such as restaurants. “The Cook County health department also has exemptions for specific events. Prom, which is a school event, does fall under those exemptions. So students would not have to show proof of vaccination to attend Prom,” Belin said. Masks are another main concern, but it is only the beginning of February, and many things can change in the next few months. “Now if it comes down to whether masks are going to be a thing or not, it will just depend on timing. We’re here at the beginning of February… the end of April is when Prom is, and that’s 3 months [away], so who knows,” Belin said. Many things can and will change due to the rules and regulations in Illinois

regarding masks. As the date gets closer, more information regarding Prom will be sent out with exact details. That being said, some students may be wondering, what can potentially hold back a student from going to Prom? “What I would encourage and what I would say, is that sitting and racking up detention hours, missing class, and your attendance [being] completely crazy could be an inhibitor,” Belin said. Exact behavior expectations have not been set yet, but as Belin is aware, they will be similar expectations as for Homecoming, so make sure you and your friends are well-behaved. Prom is a privilege. Theme ideas have still not been decided, as that will be up to Student Council to figure out and decide. If you want to be involved in planning Prom, consider joining the Prom Committee. As far as transportation, the school district has still not decided as to how all students will get to the hotel. In previous years, the district was provided coach buses to take all of the students to the Prom’s location. “Our plan right now, on Jan. 31, is to have a normal Prom,” Belin said.

2021 seniors enjoy the Senior Soirée due to the pandemic. Current juniors and seniors hope for normalcy for their own Prom. S. Laput

FEBRUARY 17 ISSUE 2022

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NEWS | Prom

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NEWS | dual degree program

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Addison Raistrick and Maddie Hanson are accepted into the Dual Degree Program.

A. Cobb

First group accepted into the Dual Degree Program Class of 2024 has the chance to earn an HHS and college degree

By Amanda Sarrol

n Jan. 7. the Dual Degree Program application window was closed. In total, 31 students applied for the program and 25 applicants were accepted a week later on Jan. 14. Addison Raistrick, one of the accepted students of the Dual Degree Program, walked down to the College and Career Center to pick up her acceptance letter after receiving an email. “It was a Friday, I remember it so distinctly. I had it on my calendar. FEBRUARY 17 ISSUE 2022

I had my Chromebook opened with the inbox, and my teacher was talking, and suddenly I have the little [notification in my] inbox come in, and it’s an email from Mrs. Martens,” Raistrick said. Laura Martens, Huntley High School’s college and career counselor, sent out emails and letters to all 31 students who applied for the Dual Degree Program. “This was the [best] part. I sent an email saying their letter was ready and I had letters here [in the office], and I had students come to the College and Career Center to pick up their letter,” Martens said. “However, I did the students who the program wasn’t right for first, so they didn’t

overlap because I thought that would be really cruel.” There were many factors that were taken into consideration, when deciding the acceptances for the applicants. “[The applicant had to be in their] sophomore year, [and provide their] GPA and letters of recommendation so that we could hear from teachers that the student is successful in class, because you can’t just go off GPA. [Also,] the student applications talked about why they were interested, which I thought was important. Then, of course, the parent’s [signature], so we knew that the family was on board to find out more information,” Martens said. HUNTLEYVOICE.COM

NEWS | dual degree program Now that 25 students have been accepted into the program, many of them are planning and preparing for the next steps of the program. “The next steps will be to develop a schedule, to do an orientation on [Mchenry County College’s] campus, a visit [at MCC], and also to do an orientation meeting here [at HHS] with families,” Martens said. Currently, Martens is meeting with the students who were accepted into the program to discuss their schedules. Every student has a different background going into the program, so they will have different schedules depending on the classes they took as freshmen and sophomores. Beyond schedules for next year, there are still many plans that are being made. One of the factors that Martens and assistant principal Shelly Kish are going to be working on is transportation. “We had decided early on that transportation shouldn’t be a reason someone couldn’t take it. We are working with the district office to make sure we have that setup. As

far as the time for the commute, we already run some classes at MCC. We have the PCCS, [also known as] MCC Partnership for College and Career Success classes, and as part of that, transportation or commuting back is incorporated in that time frame. So yes, all of that will be worked into the schedule.” In addition to transportation, arrangements for the new dual credit classes are going to be planned as well. Next year, Dual Credit Physical Education and Dual Credit Intro to Chemistry will be added. These classes went to the school board for approval in November, so meetings will be set up with MCC to see how the classes run, in order to get the teachers at Huntley High School prepared for those courses. “We haven’t finalized all of the teachers yet, especially for the PE class. Typically for dual credit classes, teachers have to have their masters as well as a number of hours in the subject area at the graduate level. The one exception is the PE class, [teachers] actually don’t have to have hours in their subject area, [and] they

Students received a letter from Laura Martens, College and Career counselor, letting students know whether or not they were accepted into the program.

A. Cobb FEBRUARY 17 ISSUE 2022

do have to have work experience hours, that leaves PE wide open for who’s going to be teaching it.” On the other hand, as far as classes go at MCC, the students in the program might be in classes where there are students from other schools in Mchenry County. “They will be in the same classes at MCC. So we are predicting that we will have plenty of students so there won’t be anybody except for high school students. So you might be taking an art class with students from Woodstock or Harvard,” Martens said. So, in addition to dual credit classes offered at HHS and the classes at MCC, students a part of the Dual Degree Program will have to earn 60 credits worth of dual credit classes in order to receive an Associate of Arts degree by the time they graduate. Although this may be a lot of pressure, Martens will be meeting consis-

An associate’s degree for $2,000 is a really good experience.

Addison Raistrick

tently with every student. “I know [Laura Martens] is going to have weekly check-ins. She will definitely be the person meeting with everyone and finding out how it’s going [and doing] grade checks, just any support we can offer here as well. Obviously, we don’t teach all the courses there, but even if it’s getting people set up with support at MCC or whatever students need, she is going to be the direct contact for that support,” Kish said. Overall, the program will be a new experience for the students accepted into the program and for Huntley High School. “Obviously, an associate’s degree for $2,000 is a really good experience, but also having the experience of getting to take college classes at an actual college, while still in high school, will be good in preparing me for actual college,” Raistrick said. “I think that is going to be the most important part.” HUNTLEYVOICE.COM

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NEWS | dual degree program

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Gather around a Young Authors tale

aput

L. Arroyo Awards still hold their value years after success.

NEWS | young authors

Huntley elementary and middle schools welcome back Young Authors for the new year. By Dylan Palczynski

untley’s Young Authors return to writing this year to spread their imagination and stories to all of Huntley. Young Authors is an elementary and middle school program that allows students in Huntley to exhibit their talents in storytelling. The program also engages students with the help of judges. Volunteers with previous experience in mainly writing and teaching act as judges for the young authors. They strive to bring improvement and help to writers as they write with both mind and heart. “Young authors are kids who might want to do writing for a career or really have a love for it, where they will go out of their way for it. They don’t have to do it, and they don’t get a grade for it, but [it’s] because these writers want to,” Tammy Carpenter, coordinator of Young Authors at Marlowe and Heineman middle schools said. Young Authors is able to provide an outlet for students who wish to share and improve their writing talents with those who are experienced in writing. Unfortunately, along with the pandemic came minor setbacks. With the COVID-19 surge came multiple judges becoming unavailable. Many students unfortunately ended up not volunteering which sadly left the program lacking the full force of Young Authors’ guidance in previous years. On the bright side, members are starting to return to bring back the magic of writing. Young Authors has also left its impact on high school students today. A program that was able to give students an outlet for their creativity shows how students now in high school can take great steps through small tales. “Young Authors definitely taught me that working on a book required me to follow deadlines and put a lot of effort into a project that I was passionate about,” sophomore Rebekah FEBRUARY 17 ISSUE 2022

L. Arroyo Old tales bring back memories for past young author Rebekah Reeves. Reeves said. “I definitely try to carry that with me now even though I don’t write poems as much, but rather I write songs now.” Just as middle school gave us all a gateway into high school and exploring who we are, Young Authors seeks to bring out one’s talent through writing. From short stories, to poems, to full books, Young Authors boosted writers to higher levels of success and dedication even before high school. And it all paid off at some point. Dedication and growth is what the Young Authors program seeks out from students, and once those goals are met students turn into authors and flourish in their imaginations. “Young Authors was a really fun experience, especially when I ever submitted a new story and got excited for what came next. It is very empowering, especially after I was able to go to a state conference where I even meet a professional author,” sophomore Faith Rasmussen said. With a new return, more students can finally have an outlet to find who they are and experience what drives them to keep going. It stands as a student’s way to grow from writing an English essay to an entire story. “When I worked on my best story, I remember that the deadline was coming up and part of me said, ‘Ugh, I don’t want to finish this,’ while the other part of me was like, ‘No. I put my heart and soul into this. I really want to be able to share this with

people.’ It ended up teaching me a lot on how to persevere and follow through with something I said I would do,” Reeves said. Finding that key to who you are is all someone needs, and now Young Authors searches with students for that key. Many authors may move on from writing to different interests in life, but they all learned how to find and empower themselves to that interest.

It ended up teaching me a lot on how to persevere and follow through with something I said I would do.

Rebekah Reeves

With Young Authors returning to full strength, not only do new and returning authors find their form of progression in life, but they are guided once more. Take their return as a moment to realize how much one can grow from their life and experiences, and most importantly, take a look at the importance of what makes you, you. HUNTLEYVOICE.COM

SPECIAL | black history month

Black History Month

“Every great dream begins with a dreamer.”

“It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

“If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”

“Freedom is never given; it is won.”

Harriet Tubman

Nelson Mandela

Frederick Douglass

A. Philip Randolph

“My humanity is bound up in yours, for we can only be human together.”

“It isn’t where you came from; it’s where you’re going that counts.”

“In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute.”

“A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.”

Desmond Tutu

Ella Fitzgerald

Thurgood Marshall

Jackie Robinson

Martin Luther King Jr. “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

SPECIAL | black history month

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for.”

Barack Obama

“The cost of liberty is less than the price of repression.”

W.E.B. Du Bois

“History has shown us that courage can be contagious, and hope can take on a life of its own.”

“You can’t separate peace from freedom because no one can be at peace unless he has his freedom.”

Michelle Obama

Malcom X

Every February, Black History Month highlights the contributions of Black leaders, activists, artists, athletes, and many others who make our society better in their pursuit of equality and expression. On these pages, we would like to feature history makers alongside inspiring students and local displays of pride and power as seen in the June 5, 2020, Black Lives Matter protest in downtown Huntley. To all members of the Black community, we as a student paper celebrate you not only in February but every month of the year and hope to serve you always.

phot

Protest photos by E. Armstrong All other images under Public Domain / Creative Commons

Working in service of others

FEATURE | nursing home

A. Hoglind

Junior Meenakshi Swaminathan spends her time at nursing homes By Jacey Sola

a king up at the crack of dawn, Meenakshi Swaminathan jumps out of bed and starts her long drive. Arriving at Valley Hi, she eagerly walks into the building, excited for the day ahead of her. Walking in, she sees all the familiar faces of the residents and immediately feels at home. During school breaks and some days off, Swaminathan works at McHenry County Valley Hi Nursing Home in Woodstock. As a junior here at HHS, she is involved in many extracurricular activities, such as the National Honors Society, HOSA, Leo’s Club, Speech Team, and the Medical Academy. Swaminathan started working at McHenry County Valley Hi Nursing Home late June of last year. She saw the job as an opportunity to learn more about the medical field, a career path that she is currently interested in. At the nursing home, she’s gained more exposure into the field by working with registered nurses, certified nursing assistants, and physical therapists. Doctors also make occasional visits to the nursing home. She was able to witness the treatment of the patients and residents who lived there, and what it was like for some of them to go through rehabilitation. “I guess nursing homes gave me more exposure to what I want to do when I’m older,” Swaminathan said. Medical academy advisor Renae St. Clair supports Swaminathan in her job and acknowledges the benefits of working with patients at the nursing home. “Some students find it hard to connect with others, so the patient experience she is getting will be invaluable to her as she continues down her own FEBRUARY 17 ISSUE 2022

Meenakshi Swaminathan devotes time to helping others while working at McHenry County Valley Hi Nursing Home. healthcare journey to work in medicine,” St. Clair said. Swaminathan works in the activities unit of the facility. This involves helping out with activities such as bingo, daily word searches, and daily trivia for the residents. She has also helped out with seasonal activities, such as Christmas card writing, Christmas treats and coffee, and calendar decorating. She also moves around and helps in other departments by providing services for the residents, such as bringing them food and transporting residents. Activities Assistant Karsen Gilmore worked with Meenakshi within the activities department and had nothing but positive comments regarding Swaminathan’s role. “Meenakshi was always very helpful, very positive, took initiative, and interacted well with the residents,” Gilmore said. Swaminathan enjoys being able to work with the residents. She goes out of her way to make bonds and relationships with them. Many of these senior citizens are unable to see their friends and family regularly, so the little time spent with them goes a long way. “I feel thankful that I get to be working there and I get to meet so many

new people, and it’s really exciting sometimes especially when new residents come,” Swaminathan said. Luckily, working there has been easy for Swaminathan since her schedule is pretty flexible. She does not have any stress or worries of having to balance school and work since she is able to work during breaks such as Thanksgiving and Christmas break. This allows her to focus more on school and extracurricular activities. While Swaminathan’s job is relatively easy and enjoyable for her, the hardest part is going through the loss of a resident close to her. All though it is a very emotional and heartbreaking event, she has learned to cope with loss and move on in her life with positivity. “I did have some residents that I was pretty close to pass away, which was sad, but you know, it teaches me about the circle of life and to treasure the time you have with your loved ones,” Swaminathan said. Despite this, Swaminathan deeply enjoys her job and being able to just spend time away from school and with the company of the residents. Working there has taught her so many valuable lessons and has brought her closer to achieving her career goals. HUNTLEYVOICE.COM

FEATURE | nursing home

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Welcome to HHS Officer Choklad By Kate Pozniak ArmstrongMari se publis videatiam. Also another sentence would improve the horizontalness of it all.

Photos taken by A.Laput Cobb S.

FEATURE | resources officer closely with the deans who aid in supervising the school as well. “[He] has shown a willingness of engagement and relationship development that can positively impact a school climate that we want at HHS,” Chris Duncan, Freshman Dean of Students, said.

Student resources officer takes on new job at Huntley By Breanna Burak

s you walk through the halls of Huntley High School, you are surrounded by busy students, teachers, and eagle-eyed campus supervisors- all who help the school function. Among these people is Officer Kevin Choklad, Huntley’s new school resources officer. Choklad is in charge of the safety and crime prevention at the school, while also working with the Huntley Police Department. Choklad originally grew up in the area and moved after college to start his police career. After working for the Nashville Police Department for about 6 years, Choklad moved back to Huntley to work for their police department, where he has been since 2017. In November, he started shadowing previous school resources officer, Ryan Gregorio, who was promoted to a sergeant for the Huntley Police Department in January. Choklad is enjoying his new position and is excited to have a positive influence on students. “It’s my first time [and] it’s a whole new job for me. It’s an exciting change. It’s been a fun experience. So far, I really enjoy working with this demographic [at] this age,” Choklad said. This new experience is unique for him, because his job now involves multiple locations instead of just the police department. Choklad is gladly welcoming the challenges that come with his job. “I have the police department that I work for [and] I have the school administration that I’m trying to work with. It’s a whole different set of challenges than what I’ve been used to for the last 10 years, but it’s a welcome change. It’s been an adjustment, but I think I’m enjoying it,” Choklad said. He is a great fit for HHS, and principal Marcus Belin, who has worked closely with him during the hiring process, is confident in his abilities. “His skillset is something that will FEBRUARY 17 ISSUE 2022

It’s a whole different set of challenges than what I’ve been used to for the last 10 years, but it’s a welcome change.

Kevin Choklad

Officer Choklad started at the high school in January. help move us forward in terms of safety within our building, and [he is] someone who just has a passion for doing this work,” Belin said. Having a school resources officer positively impacts the school in many ways, and Choklad’s role in the school is an important one to students and staff in the building. “My biggest concern here is just making sure everybody in the school feels safe […] and [that] they’re in a nice, safe environment where they can succeed,” Choklad said. In addition to working closely with the principals, Choklad also works

Having a positive and safe school environment is important to Choklad, and he is enjoying his new job as a resources officer so far. “My favorite thing is just getting to interact with everybody and having positive interactions with kids,” Choklad said. “[I want them to] know that I’m not just here to hand down [a] punishment.” HHS is in good hands for years to come, and Choklad also appreciates the new environment he is in. “So far, it’s been a very good working relationship with all the school administration. They’ve been very welcoming, very helpful, and I have no complaints,” Choklad said. “I couldn’t ask for a better start to a new job.”

Officer Choklad started shadowing Officer Gregorio back in November before he was promoted to a sergeant.

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FEATURE | RNN

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Sophomore Logan Young sets up the lighting and sound for filming.

K. Walsh

Learning new angles in TV Production and podcasts Sophomore Logan Young devotes his time and energy to RNN By Zoe Hurmi

ights! Camera! Action! While you watch an episode of RNN or listen to the new episode of The Photo Editors Suck podcast, behind camera equipment, audio boards, and monitors, there is Logan Young. Young is a sophomore who is currently involved with many after school activities here at Huntley High School, but this is not his first time FEBRUARY 17 ISSUE 2022

being so involved. Young has been involved since middle school. He was very involved in the music department then. He was active in school musicals, choir, band, jazz band, and he had even helped make a music department promotional video that they still use to this day. Young even helped with the recruitment of 5th graders into the music program. “Young is just one of those students who is a go-getter, selfless, hardworking, creative, and awesome. We are so proud of the legacy he has left at Heineman [Middle School] and we feel so lucky to have been his teacher.” said Emily Moore, Heineman Middle School

choir teacher. With such a big shift from middle school to high school, especially though a pandemic, Logan Young has taken any opportunity he could to be more involved in video production. Young was involved last year with Raider Nation News over Zoom, but this year has taken on a leadership position. Yet, after only one year of being involved with Raider Nation News, it was apparent to TV production advisor, Lauren Teeter, that Young had the determination to go above and beyond. “To see him put forth such effort and create pretty amazing projects while at home was pretty remarkable, ” Teeter said. HUNTLEYVOICE.COM

FEATURE | RNN Most students in the TV Production class use it as a springboard, and use what is taught to dive into the deep end. When Young is in the process of capturing the best moments, he knows just what to do and how to do it. Senior Andrew Spaid, friend and teammate of Young’s, has been able to work with him and truly see his process. Once invited to help film an episode of the Photo Editors Suck podcast, you could tell that Young had a routine to get the best results. “He’s in his zone. When I was there, running the camera, he was communicating with me what to do. I knew what to do, but he was telling me what to do to get the perfect shot,” Spaid said. If not in the TV production studio, he is setting up camera equipment for

the Photo Editors Suck podcast. While Raider Nation New lets Young showcase most of his talents, the Photo Editors Suck podcast lets him really be in his element. The podcast gives Young another outlet that lets him become better at what he does. “I think that he’s tapping into [the] talent’s that he doesn’t always get to showcase in the TV production class, which I think is amazing,” Teeter said. The nickname “baby goat” gets passed around a lot when talking about Young, a nickname that is frequently used during the filming of the Photo Editors Suck podcast. This nickname has developed from just a few people, to Young’s teacher and even peers. Young truly has a special talent that his teachers and peers can see espe-

While filming, Young edits and overlooks all of the cameras, mixers, and settings. His editing skills help create a great final product. K. Walsh

Logan Young sets up the equipment provided by TV Production for filming. Young specializes in working behind the scenes for RNN. K. Walsh cially when he is working on Raider Nation News or the Photo Editors Suck podcast. “He has a special talent. I mean, some of that stuff I don’t even understand,” Spaid said. With the opportunity of getting more experience, Young is able to flourish in both the classroom and the studio. He is surrounded by plenty of support

Young is just one of those students who is a go-getter, selfless, hardworking, creative, and awesome. We are so proud of the legacy he has left at Heineman.

Emily Moore from his teachers and friends who are surprised by how fantastic Young is in this area of work. “They call him “baby goat,” [and] I think he’s gonna be a big goat soon, if not already,” Teeter said. FEBRUARY 17 ISSUE 2022

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FEATURE | RNN

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FEATURE | mental health

L. Arroyo

A battle worth fighting Ella Clements overcomes hardship during hospitalization for her mental health. By Amelia Pozniak FEBRUARY 17 ISSUE 2022

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FEATURE | mental health feel helpless. I was the morning of Dec. 18, 2019. Her parents gently lifted her covers. She was unrespon-

sive. The following day, she found herself awake in a hospital bed, recovering from the 80 milligrams of Ambien that intoxicated her blood stream. She knew she had made a mistake; she had overdosed. Dazed, confused, and still exhausted from that battle she fought on the night of Dec. 17, current senior Ella Clements was transported to an inpatient facility for mental health two days after her sedative overdose. Clements would further be treated for anxiety and bipolar disorder. What am I going to tell my friends? The happy fish tank at the entrance of the Linden Oaks Behavioral Health facility seemed unfitting for the circumstances. Her parents followed behind, hauling clothing and toiletries that fit the safety rules and regulations: no leggings, no laces, no sweatpants with strings. The cries of an unwell patient down the hall sent a shiver down her spine. “He would scream all the time,” Clements said. “Every single day he would just scream. I felt so anxious hearing that.” Clements was taken in for examination shortly after arrival. After stripping down her clothing, she was checked for injuries and marks. Any impressions of harm were written up on her body with a marker. I feel embarrassed. She then continued down the hall to her assigned room. Every appliance was built with safety accommodations. She opened the velcro, foam door to uncover two twin beds, solid white walls, and a bathroom with a shower. But this did not exactly ensure privacy. “When [the doctors] believe you’re at risk of harming yourself, they’ll put you “on watch” and watch you use the bathroom,” Clements said. “I was on watch several times.” I feel alone. After a night of tossing and turning, Clements expected breakfast at her first wakeup call- but the first thing in her room at 7 a.m. was a thermometer and a blood pressure monitor. “[The nurse] had to prick my arm FEBRUARY 17 ISSUE 2022

and take my blood,” Clements said. “But after your vitals were taken [every morning], you got to have your morning calls with your parents, and at 7:30 you’d eat and fill out your menu for the rest of the day.” Following her meal and an emotional call, Clements attended her morning process group. She was surrounded by kids of all ages, some as young as 13. “You’d go in and talk about how you were feeling. If something was bothering you, you could share it. Then there was a group for anxiety, music therapy, art therapy, and even gym,” Clements said. “You were expected to attend all of these.” Am I going to get better? Although these sessions would ease her anxiety, there were certain moments followed by distress. “There was a patient in my group that was homicidal. He would get so mad, and he would laugh. He would laugh so loud, and would threaten to kill his mom over the phone. He once wrote me a letter that said, ‘I love the way you wake up.’ He would sit by my door and watch me [in the morning],” Clements said. Despite some unsettling circumstances, there were certainly people and moments that did bring Clements joy. She also understood that all of these patients were going through something similar: they all simply wanted to get well. “I met this one, amazing patient. He showed me the song ‘Crystal Blue Persuasion,’ a song that my friends and I now listen to all the time,” Clements said. “He was really good at art, and he asked his parents if they could buy me another word search because I had finished mine. They gave it to me during visitation.” Clements also received an overwhelming amount of support from her parents. Although admitting Clements to inpatient was mandated by the hospital, her parents knew it was necessary. “Nobody should ever have to go through that. No adult should ever have to go through that, much less at 15 years old,” Clements’ dad said. “As a parent [of a child with mental illness,] don’t resist giving them help. Do the best you can. Don’t lose faith, and find somebody to talk to. It doesn’t just affect the child, it affects

your family dynamics. If you carry it all inside, it will crush you. I think we did the best we could. If I live to be 100, I will still never forget [the morning of her overdose.]” Her parents knew that inpatient hospitalization was not an easy journey. Their hearts were heavy, but they knew their child needed help: Clement’s strength is forever evident to them. “She’s brave for all she went through. She’s brave for what she’s doing now. She [now] has goals for the future, where before, she didn’t,” Clements’ mom said. “She told me the other day that [at one point] she didn’t think she would graduate. There were times where she told me she didn’t think she’d make it to 18.” After a week of examination, group therapy, vital checks, and countless crossword puzzles, Clements was stable and released from treatment. “If you are thinking about hurting yourself or others, I [highly recommend inpatient hospitalization.] If you want to move on to a new chapter, it helps to see other people going through the same thing,” Clements said. “It’s kind of like school. You have to get an education on things like English and math, right? You also have to become educated on yourself and your emotions. Since being hospitalized, I have learned how to take better care of myself. The stigma around mental health is really sad. I’m a normal person, I live a normal life, I do normal things. Being hospitalized only made me stronger.” Although it was a week of hardship, self-doubt, and recovery, there she stood: at the exit of Linden Oaks, next to that happy fish tank. I am alive.

Clements celebrating her mental health recovery. HUNTLEYVOICE.COM

halls

IF THESE They would say... Grade Senior

Activities HOSA board member, Medical Academy, Youth Residency, assisted living facility server

Favorite TV Show

“Avatar: The Last Airbender”

Star Sign Aries

But they would not know... It looks like I have everything figured out because I’m in all of these clubs. I have always taken the hardest and most challenging classes offered at the high school. I have always prioritized school before everything. I’m finally taking the steps to take care of my mental health and that’s been really important to me. I just started therapy and putting myself first.

- Megan Martinez FEBRUARY 17 ISSUE 2022

photos by Katie Walsh interviewed by Lindsay Hunter

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COULD They would say...

talk

Grade Senior

Activities Science Olympiad, Eagle Scout, works at local veterinary office

Favorite book

“Jurassic Park” by Micheal Crichton

Star Sign Asparagus (Aquarius)

But they would not know... I don’t really know where I am going or what I want to do. I am still in between colleges and careers, I don’t know if I want to be a veterinarian or do more ocean science. Most people see me as a hardworking, dedicated individual. They think I know what I’m doing or [that] I’ve got everything figured out. But I really don’t. I just need to find where my passions lie.

FEBRUARY 17 ISSUE 2022

- Zach Adams

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OPINION | deans

Erratic behavior of students reflects dean enforcement

N. Darnall

Students’ acts increase dean intervention By Calvin McFalls

t is something that almost everyone has done, skipping class, getting “lost” with your friends, or getting heated up from a debate, but it is not something that everyone wants. Over the course of the last semester, both students and faculty have been stressed out over these actions. For two whole grade levels who have never actually been in the building, aside from hybrid learning when it was available, many wanted a break from the quarantined environment that we all knew for a year and a half. The issue was what they defined as a “break.” Seeing friends you might not have seen for a year might have been relaxing, there were also those who would bend the rules. Justin Stroh, a dean for the P - Z pod, was willing to share his opinion on how he viewed going back to in-person would feel. “I think that last year most of our students being remote and having just a small number of students that want to be in-person kind of set the tone for this year, knowing that all students would be back [we wanted] kids to recognize the rules and expectations of the building and try

Calvin McFalls

to reinforce those after not being in the building,” Stroh said. “Trying to set the expectations for attendance and masks, just regular school behaviors since many students have not been back [at Huntley.] Especially those that were freshmen last year, or eighth-graders last year, it’s also their first time being in high school.” A lot of kids had similar expectations, only maybe a bit more “independence” with how some may remember the “opening nights” at Huntley with how the speakers

Myers Brigg: INFP-A | One Word: bright

Calvin Mcfalls is a sophomore at HHS, he was virtual during the 2020 lockdown, (fully) and began working full time on writing creativity and trying not to go crazy. He also likes to learn about science fiction, and knows a lot more than a typical “star wars fan.” FEBRUARY 17 ISSUE 2022

would make it sound as if they could really not care about high school and it would only be them. A big message some of the students have gotten was “it’s your time, make it or break it,” to which most would break it. Within the first few months of first semester, there already were a lot of altercations and interactions that had made the school’s safety become a concern. For the students, they would at first take it lightly, but for the supervisors and the student service officers/supporters, it would become a struggle to maintain. James Stotz, the dean in the H-O pod, also had a few thoughts to add as to why the supervisors have “ramped up” the enforcements, the security, and the overall setting in school. “We try to be proactive about things,” Stotz said. “We do get together, we do talk HUNTLEYVOICE.COM

OPINION | deans and we do try and strategize positive plans to put in place. We don’t like to be [negatively] reactive, we try not to be reactive, but it’s hard when you have constant damage in the bathrooms, and as such it’s hard to [not] be reactive [with the damages done].” Another thing to keep in mind for students primarily is the affects of our actions are being felt throughout the school.

We try to be proactive about things. We do get together, we do talk and we do try and strategize positive plans to put in place.

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James Stotz

“There was the culmination of many events that have continued to happen and are not seeing any improvements,” Stotz said. “When we say that we try to do things to help kids out, there’s still that resistance. In this case, it’s fights and vandalism and then we have to put other things in play in order to ensure that [the school] is a safe place.” To explain why the deans have become more strict to the student power, the students need to understand what they did to create that strictness. The idea of having restrictions is not something that was done for fun, it was done out of the constant and stable influx of negative actions that were caused by the students. When students begin to understand that they are causing these actions and that when they begin to take into consideration that if they had followed the rules from the start none of this would happen, the school would become a happier and friendlier place. FEBRUARY 17 ISSUE 2022

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OPINION | Mr. HHS

Huntley says goodbye to a long lasting student tradition Mr. HHS is cancelled after lack of participation and enthusiasm from boys By Rayne Zilch

r. HHS is a pageant at Huntley High School for junior and senior boys. The event presents many different categories of events and skills for participants to show off and win the title. They perform their talents, make people laugh, and even show bold fashion statements. The high school has a set date for these boys to perform for their classmates and determine a winner. This year, it would have been the 12th annual Mr. HHS performance. Students really look forward to Mr. HHS because the guys that participate are always very enthusiastic and can really put on a show. “I never exactly wanted to be a part of the pageant but it is always

Unfortunately, it is too late to try and run the show this year.

Rebecca Davison

entertaining to watch the performances and guess who will win,” senior Jackson Celosky said. “Not having it this year does not really affect me that much, but I know a lot of people look forward to it, so it sucks it can not happen for their senior year.” The guys involved in the event do not always participate for the title alone. There is so much fun involved on top of the fact that becoming Mr. HHS would contain a lot of pride. The advisors mentioned that they always love being a part of the pageant because there are so many boys with so many different and unexpected talents. “Honestly, I think the contestants really love putting themselves out there for others to see new sides of them,” advisor of Mr. HHS, RebecFEBRUARY 17 ISSUE 2022

N. Darnall ca Davison, said. “They especially seem to love the talent portion because they can often do things no one would have ever thought they could do.” Unfortunately, there was very minimal participation this year and the event could not be held. Many of the students are very disappointed and confused with the lack of participation because it has always been a highlight event of the school year. According to Davison, they have done the same amount of advertising and encouragement for participating like every other year. They made announcements on the daily intercom and made social media posts, but the boys just were not as drawn as usual. Everyone is really discouraged that they are not hosting the event. “I am hoping that the disappointment of not having it this year will help motivate more boys to apply

Rayne Zilch

next year to help bring it back. It is seriously one of my most favorite events that the Student Council does. I am extremely sad that we had to cancel it this year,” Davison said. There is not much more they can do to try and draw in participants since it is all voluntary, but they will follow their traditional steps of applications and hope for better luck in the following years. “Like I said, I am definitely sad and disappointed this year,” Davison said. “I have had a few boys reach out to me in the past couple of weeks to see if they could still participate, but unfortunately, it is too late to try and run the show this year. Again, I am hopeful that we can have a better interest level next year. If I could say anything to this year’s junior and sophomore boys it is to please apply next year and help bring Mr. HHS back to life.”

Myers Brigg: ESFJ-T | One Word: fun

Rayne Zilch is a Floating Editor of the Voice, it is her 3rd year on the staff. Rayne likes to listen to music and hang out with her friends and family. She loves the Twilight series and her favorite season is fall. Check out her vlog “Coffee Review with the Crew” on huntleyvoice.com!

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM

OPINION | plowing

Bad plowing or bad driving? Worries about the parking lot during adverse weather By Shane McGuine

t is 7:15 a.m. and Frankie Scarpelli is pulling into the parking lot here at the high school when his car starts to slide due to the ice. Thankfully he recovers. This past year there have been several accidents due to the weather and students will commonly see an accident that has happened near campus. This could be due to the fact that most people that drive to school in the morning are teenagers that have only been driving for a few years, or it could be that the snow plowing is not adequate here at the school. The school has a closed bid contract with Tovar

Snow Professionals. “The school had a closed bid, meaning that anyone interested in wanting to do the service would put in an estimate of cost and the school chose who they thought would do the best job,” dean James Stotz said. They reopen the contract for snow plowing every few years so new offers can come in and review the contract. “Tovar, they do all of the plowing in the parking lots and access roads,” Stotz said. The school does the plowing on the sidewalks. According to Stotz, Tovar comes out to plow depending on what is happening with the weather and they try to be as diligent as possible. A little while back there were complaints from students about how part of the parking lot was not plowed. “They plowed all the lanes but couldn’t get parts of the parking lot

S. Coronado

Shane McGuine

Myers Brigg: ESTP-A | One Word: funny

Shane McGuine is a writer for the Voice, it is his first year on staff as a sophomore. In his free time, Shane spends time with friends and likes to play paintball on occasion. He is a wrestler for Huntley High School and was varsity at the 113-pound weight class last year.

FEBRUARY 17 ISSUE 2022

because cars were already there,” Stotz said. Since then, there has not been an issue with the plowing, but there also has not been as much snow compared to previous years. “I would say [the plowing of the parking lot is] overall, probably pretty good,” Stotz said. “I think that when we get into some of the weather where we get a lot of slush, I don’t really know if that is done as well as if it was the snow or ice.” “I believe a lot of the newer drivers lack the experience required to drive on potentially dangerous roads,” sophomore Leonard Scarpelli said. “People also rush into and out of school. A mix of these factors creates conditions that are not ideal.” He, like many others, is very mixed about what the issue is. Every day he rides to school with his older brother Frankie. “My brother slid off the road one time while driving to school due to the conditions,” Scarpelli said. Here at the high school, there have been several accidents with driving daily, whether it comes to one car rear-ending another or cars sliding into ditches. “Teenagers are not mature drivers and with the addition of dangerous driving conditions, it makes everyone’s driving worse,” Spanish teacher Jillian Pizzo said. “The expectations for driving and parking need to be more closely followed.” In the morning, everyone is rushing to get into the building to make it to their first-hour class. Our school is not very functional. According to Pizzo, the plow should come earlier if there is an anticipation of snow. Ideally, there would be more entrances into the school, and we need to keep the parents out of the student parking lot, especially during the crazy mornings. So, it is not about whether our snow plowing is bad or that we have bad drivers, it is a mix of most drivers not being exposed to the elements and only learn to drive during good conditions. HUNTLEYVOICE.COM

OPINION | parking

Picking up bad behavior Parents need to stop using student parking at the end of the day By Ava Brancato

t is a sunny tuesday afternoon and you are making the long trek to your car after a day full of classes. You speed out of door one and go down the sidewalk while the crisp, cold air blows in your face. You pull your jacket tighter on your body in hopes to keep warm. As you cross over into the parking lot, you look to your right and see a grown man on his phone speeding towards you. He stops just before he comes into contact with you, smiles, and lets you pass. Heart racing, you finally make it to your car just to be cut off by another adult on their way to pick up their child. In the past month, there has been a heavy overflow of parents parking in

the student lot to pick up their children. Instead of using the parent pick-up line that is designated for them, they park in front of door four and in actual parking spots that are reserved for students. The extra cars add to the long lines of traffic after school. This additional traffic can be detrimental for students as they have jobs, sports, and other responsibilities they must tend to. “It bothers me because parents block in other students when we’re trying to leave. Students have jobs and after school activities to get to and it’s hard when a parent is blocking your car,” senior Ava Nielsen said. Juniors and seniors are also frustrated as they are unable to find decent parking near the school because of entitled parents. Instead, after leaving for lunch or blended classes, students are pushed to park near the fieldhouse and make the hike to door one in the freezing cold. Instead of taking up parking that is

S. Coronado

Ava Brancato

Myers Brigg: ENFP-T | One Word: passionate

Ava Brancato is a floating editor for The Voice. She is in the medical academy and silver cord at the high school. In her free time, she likes listening to music, hanging out with friends, watching movies, and reading. She loves all things vintage, especially when it comes to clothes and music.

FEBRUARY 17 ISSUE 2022

meant for students, parents should be responsible and pull up to door one to pick up or drop off their children. This is not only annoying for students but also dangerous. Parents have been driving recklessly in the parking lot by cutting students off, riding close behind them, or texting while driving. You would think that those teaching our generation to drive would be more mindful in a parking lot filled with children. Dangerous and inconsiderate driving becomes an even bigger issue when we take into account the slush that has been covering the parking lot every week. Although there have been no accidents with parents and students, that seems very possible with the weather conditions lately. Prior to this issue, the high school had a system to check if people were coming into the student lot when they should not be. “We would have a campus supervisor, that would be out in the north lot by that stop sign. So when you’re coming up the drive, [the campus supervisor] would stop people that are trying to come in to pick up kids,” Jim Stotz, H-O dean, said. However, do we really need to make one of our few campus supervisors stand outside in the freezing cold just so parents follow the rules? Stotz thinks that this might be the best way to solve the issue. However, many students have different opinions. “I think the school should make the buses wait a little longer so parents have more time to get their kids before the buses start leaving. This also allows students to not have to rush out to beat the buses which could also reduce the traffic,” Nielsen said. “The parents in the student parking lot cannot be prevented unless there is better control of the traffic situation,” junior Sophya Anbar said. Whether we ask a supervisor to help, or we try to better control the traffic situation, the result needs to be the same: parents need to stay in their lane. HUNTLEYVOICE.COM

OPINION | parking

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HBO.com

Season 2 of Euphoria leaves viewers wanting more HBO hit show explodes with new season By Matt O’Connell

eason 2 of HBO’s hit show “Euphoria” is now through its fifth episode and viewers are not disappointed. Last season, viewers were introduced to many characters:

• Rue, a teen drug addict who is recovering after overdosing. • Jules, a transgender girl who is in a relationship with Rue. • Nate, a jock who hides many family FEBRUARY 17 ISSUE 2022

secrets from those around him. • Maddy, Nate’s girlfriend, who puts him in horrible situations. • Cassie, a troubled girl who strikes everyone with her beauty. • Fez, a teen drug dealer who has to take care of his family. • Cal, Nate’s dad, who struggles with his sexuality and sanity. • And finally Kat, a teen who struggles with her body image and confidence and yet has an inappropriate business exposing her body to grown men. The season began with an in-depth look at the life of Fezco, a caring

and personable character who is involved with some shady business. Episode one develops his character by explaining his backstory, his family situation, and how he got involved with his drug business. Before he was even a teen, Fez was forced to take over his grandmother’s drug ring along with his little “brother,” Ash. Although he has faced many hardships throughout his young life, Fez has managed to take care of his family and fly under the radar of police and other threats. Episode two begins with Nate Jacobs, a character portrayed as an abusive jock who suffered a major HUNTLEYVOICE.COM

A&E | euphoria

beating at the hands of Fezco, being taken to the hospital, and an inside look into his mind. Nate fantasizes about his girlfriend’s best friend, Cassie, and a potential future with her. This episode gave viewers an easy to follow record of Nate’s thoughts and struggles. He sees good in Cassie, who to him, is as pure as a diamond. Along with Maddy, Nate’s father, Cal, proves to invoke harsh thoughts into Nate’s head that ultimately cause his poor decision-making. Simultaneously, Nate struggles to confront his father about his mysterious double life. As the episode concludes, Nate finally musters up the courage to confront his disturbed father and looks to find peace with the horrible situation he has found himself in. Episode three gives viewers a deeper look into the life of Cal, Nate’s dad. It begins with a flashback from Cal’s highschool days, where he gets a girlfriend but kisses his best friend. The morning after, he gets a call from his girlfriend who tells him that she is pregnant, crushing him. Episode three establishes a few things. For one, Rue, the main character of the show, comes up with a plan to obtain more drugs than she knows what to do with. She is given $10,000 worth of drugs that she has to sell within one month. At the same time, Cassie has made it her mission to be noticed by Nate Jacobs. She wakes up at 4 a.m every day in order to make sure that every aspect of her appearance is perfect. All the while, she is still sneaking around with him every Friday night. Towards the end of the episode, Cal seeks revenge on Fez after the beating he gave his son, and is met by the barrel of Ash’s shotgun. Fez tells Cal that he doesn’t want to be involved with him and that the two should just stay out of each other’s business. Episode four begins with Jules, Rue’s girlfriend, and Elliot, Rue’s new friend, talk about sexual encounters which ultimately leads to them kissing. Rue walks in, nearly catching the two in the act, but is surprised when Elliot kissed her as well. The episode then switches to Maddy’s birthday party, where all of the FEBRUARY 17ISSUE 2022

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A&E | euphoria

the girls begin drinking and dancing the night away. Nate arrives and is greeted by Cassie, who is excited to see him. After seeing Nate, she joins the rest of the group in the hot tub, where she throws up on herself and everyone else. Her emotions are let out all at once as she loses complete control in front of Nate. At the same time, Rue is endangering herself to overdose. When Jules points this out, Rue says some hurtful things to her, demanding to be let out of the car so that she can go home. Things take a turn when the episode switches to Cal, who goes back to the bar where he and Derek kissed. After causing a scene, he gets removed from the bar and drives home. Nate and his brother, Aaron, come out of their rooms to see their drunken dad. Cal then leaves the house, leaving his family at a loss for words. Episode five masterfully displays the effects of addiction. Rue wakes up to find that her front of drugs has been taken from her by her mom, which causes her to spiral out of control. She

blames her family for her addiction and physically attacks them. Not long after her tantrum begins, Rue finds out that it was Jules who told her mom about the drugs. Rue confronts Jules and tells her that they are over and that she sucks the life out of everyone around her. She runs to Cassie’s house in pursuit of some sort of prescription drug that she can steal. Rue then tells Maddy that Cassie has been fooling around with Nate, which causes a huge argument between the two. As things get heated, Rue uses the opportunity to slip away and find another route to her drugs. Running is becoming more and more difficult, and she is getting angry. Rue makes her way to Fez’s house, when he tells her that he does not keep anything at his house anymore. He physically removes her from his house and tells her to get lost. Rue’s body is slowly collapsing, and the urge to vomit becomes stronger and stronger. The police see Rue, who vomits in front of them. After a tireless chase,

Rue loses the cops and continues her hunt. After breaking into a house, nearly getting shot, and almost passing out, she finds herself at Laurie’s, or the woman who she owes $10,000. After displaying her evident symptoms of withdrawal, Laurie gives Rue morphine, putting her in a trance. When she snaps back to reality, she escapes Laurie’s house through a window and starts to head home. On Feb. 4, HBO announced that Euphoria is coming back for a third season, leaving fans with high hopes that Rue survives the season. Although her addiction is peaking, because she is the main character, it is likely that she lives on to see another season. So far, there has been no word of any new characters like Dominic Fike’s character Elliot who was introduced in season 2. Overall, season 2 has shown viewers the complexity of lust, love, self love, and addiction. Everyone is on the edge of their seat waiting for what will happen next.

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A&E | euphoria

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A&E | movies

“The Requin” fails to reach any expectations Alicia Silverstone stars B-rated thriller cliché By Sean Kovach

sit down on my couch, popcorn in hand, with my cat passed out next to me as I turn on the TV and open up Vudu to search for a movie under the horror genre. After five to six minutes straight of scrolling, I stumbled across a new movie: “The Requin.” Enticed by the plot synopsis and trailer, I curiously press the “play” button and sink further into the couch. As the movie begins, I am introduced to a scene of Jaelyn, “Clueless” actress Alicia Silverstone, hysterically sobbing as she miscarries her baby in a bathtub. Despite the intensity of the scene, it remains to be one of few scenes throughout the entirety of the movie that was genuinely horrific or showed any kind of raw emotion. “The Requin” is a thriller film written and directed by Vietnamese director Le-Van Kiet, and released on Jan. 28, with Silverstone and James Tupper headlining the movie as Jaelyn and Kyle, respectively. The entire premise of the movie revolves around a couple going on a romantic getaway, solely to try and fix their crumbling relationship. Instead, they find themselves stranded at sea after a tropical storm slams the island they are staying on, sweeping their villa out to sea. Stranded, they are forced to face the elements alone as sharks continue to circle them. Jaelyn is a traumatized tourist, who struggles to cope with her grief from her miscarriage. This grief overshadows the majority of her actions in the build-up of the movie, affecting anything and everything from her sleep to her refusal to accept Kyle’s awful attempt to calm her down. The movie’s 89-minute runtime FEBRUARY 17 ISSUE 2021

shows the horror that the struggling couple faces, especially once Kyle is injured and is unable to help Jaelyn make an SOS signal. Instead, the film focuses too heavily on Jaelyn and Kyle’s relationship to make the movie seem like a true thriller. Coupled with the poor dialogue and CGI, these scenes are almost unbearable to watch, if not outright laughable. However, toward the end, there are some action-packed scenes that bump up the quality of the movie. The one redeeming part of the movie was the plot twist in the final minutes of the film. The new shark horror movie tries to follow the suspense held by other movies under the horror trope, such as “Jaws," "47 Meters Down," and “The Shallows” but miserably fails to do so with it’s sub-par acting, horrible CGI, and dreadful and overused plot line. Silverstone does try to make the most out of what she was given, but even so, Silverstone’s performance

Courtesy of VUDU was nothing greater than mediocre, and neither were the rest of the actor’s performances. Not to mention, the highlights for the film seemed to give more thrill than the entirety of the movie did. The lackluster plot, low-budget effects, and cringe-worthy dialogue, truly make this film a tragedy in itself. If you are someone who enjoys cliché B-rated shark thriller movies, this may be the perfect film for you. HUNTLEYVOICE.COM

A&E | canceled influencer

TikTok influencer canceled Body positivity icon, Sienna Mae Gomez, facing sexual assault allegations By Grace Helzer

ody positivity icon, Sienna Mae Gomez, was once a friendly face on TikTok. Her videos, encouraging girls to love themselves, regardless of their figure, were a warm and comforting change that social media needed to see. With nearly 21 million followers on TikTok within six months, Gomez’s platform was growing exponentially. At the age of 17, Gomez was acquiring various brand deals, filming multiple collaborations, and was even featured on a new Netflix series called “Hype House’’-

Gomez was living out her dreams. One of the influencers Gomez was collaborating with was a former high school friend, Jack Wright. Wright, known on the app for his fun dances and “golden retriever” complex, was a popular influencer with nearly 14.5 million followers. Videos made by the two showed them holding each other around the waist, cuddling, and kissingleading fans to believe it was only a matter of time until their status was solidified as a new TikTok power couple. However, as their videos on social media appeared to be heading in the right direction, behind the scenes their relationship was deteriorating. On May 31, the public was made aware of Gomez’s first sexual assault incident towards Wright, the first of, unfortunately, many. A

friend of Wright, TikToker Mason Rizzo, tweeted, “I struggle with seeing a girl getting praised after telling my best friend to kill himself and sexually assaulting him numerous times,” he said. “You guys all deserve to know the truth about her.” This tweet left fans with their jaws dropped. How could such a positive icon possibly do this to her friend? As a result of the allegation, Gomez lost over 600,000 followers on TikTok with hundreds of thousands of comments standing up for Wright. On June 2, Gomez addressed Rizzo’s tweet stating, “I unequivocally deny the allegations that I sexually assaulted Jack Wright,” she said in a YouTube video. “I’m not making an apology video […] I didn’t want to bring this online, but this has got to a point where my name is being dragged in the

Gomez became famous through TikTok, which is now the source of her sexual assault allegations.

FEBRUARY 17 ISSUE 2022

facebook: Sienna Gomez

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A&E | canceled influencer

mud and I’m going to stand up for myself and tell the truth.” Many fans pointed out her fake and monotone voice, claiming she was gaslighting viewers, hoping to make them feel ridiculous for the thought of these allegations spreading on social media. That same day, Wright made a public statement, saying “Sexual assault is a serious matter that has real consequences. I don’t want to tear anyone down and I only wish for healing for everyone involved.” Wright neither confirmed nor denied the statement made by his friend, leaving fans to form their own opinions and decipher among themselves. On June 3, a video of Sienna on top of Jack- kissing and touching him- as he was passed out on a couch, flooded the internet. Viewers of this video had a lot to say for a few weeks, saying Gomez should be locked away, taken off of Tiktok, etc., then somehow the internet forgot about everything that happened within a month. Sienna Mae Gomez was no longer taking heat. In the past weeks, Gomez’s comment section has been filled with loving comments from adoring fans that just so happened to forget the video evidence of Gomez laying on top of an unconscious Jack Wright. On Jan. 20, Wright uploaded a video to Youtube titled, “what sienna mae did to me,” detailing the craziness that was Sienna Mae Gomez. Wright explains that Gomez would allegedly break into his home, using the

FEBRUARY 17 ISSUE 2022

garage code to get in. She would then cry because Wright did not want to kiss her, and she would even park outside of his house at night, watching him from her car. The video, accumulating 19.9 million views in just under two weeks, was a huge step for Wright, and fans were very proud of him for publishing the video. As a fan of Wright, one can only hope that the majority will finally believe him as he has gone through so much trauma because of one person- Ms. Gomez. Sienna Gomez must be canceled for good. The once easy-going body positivity icon now deserves nothing but a restraining order and for her platform to be stripped away for good.

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A&E | gaming

New Release: Netflix Games A New Way to Stream Your Favorite Games

S. Laput

By Connor Considine Back in November, following an Android-only launch in Poland during August, Netflix launched a service made entirely for games within their app, called Netflix Games. This is not the first time Netflix has experimented with games, first going for Minecraft: Story Mode by the then defunct Telltale Games, as well as adapting certain video game series into shows such as Castlevania and League of Legends with Arcane. This service started off with five mobile games when it launched; Stranger Things 3: The Game, which was delisted from all other storefronts, Stranger Things: 1984 , Teeter Up, Shooting Hoops, and Card Blast. Since then it has added nine more games and even deals with other franchises such as the aforementioned League of Legends with Hextech Mayhem. The platform is only getting bigger with every month and will likely house over 50 games before the end of this year. But you may be wondering if Netflix’s games are worth playing, considering some were removed from other storefronts to make up the lineup. So, I decided to play the starting sections of two of the games the service has to offer; Bowling Ballers and Stranger Things: 1984 to see what they offer. Beginning with Bowling Ballers, it is decent for what it is trying to do. It is an endless runner type game, think Subway Surfers or Temple Run, mixed with bowling. The game has four worlds at the time of publishing: Candy, Sports, Movies, and Space. The Candy world is decent but it does not really get harder or try to change the environment with differFEBRUARY 17 ISSUE 2022

CC BY-NC 4.0 ent candies or colors, to the point where it gets repetitive if you play more than three levels at a time. You will only really notice it is a Netflix game when you open it or when the profile picture pops up. The game could definitely benefit from a zone dedicated to Stranger Things to show how it is a Netflix game. Overall, it is a good game to pick up while waiting for a bus or an appointment, but if you want a long and fun experience, play almost anything else. Stranger Things: 1984; however, is a way more entertaining game if it were on other platforms. The game was on mobile for a short price before being delisted in favor of going to Netflix only, which I did not really like. Putting that aside, the game just feels weird to control and could have really benefited from a better control, like a d-pad or actual touchscreen joystick. The movement in the game is wonky. You tap a tile you want your character to go to, and it moves you there. Alternatively, you could manually move your character with your finger, which feels clunky and rough. I have tried connecting a Bluetooth controller to see if it improved my

gameplay or even works, but it does not work. The game only allows the weird control setup. It makes playing the game essentially impossible for people who do not want to spend money on a new controller. The game feels like a beat-em-up, akin to something like Streets of Rage, very old-timed. It does feel slow due to the lack of control scheme. You start off the game as Chief Hopper and eventually get to switch to other characters, traversing through many locations from the show. I cannot comment on the validity of the story in the game or those characters’ names because I have not watched Stranger Things. Overall, the game feels weird and made a lot of decisions I heavily dislike. So, to answer the question of is this a good way to play mobile games or games in general, no, it is not; but it has potential and the reasons it is bad are not entirely its fault. To me the service should try to grow and benefit itself exclusively, no delisting. As a mobile service, it is a decent one but needs to branch out more in order to improve.

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SPORTS | volleyball

Boeke’s passion for volleyball Club volleyball player gains friendships and connections through the sport By Avery Robertson

Courtesy of Ella Boeke

Ella Boeke, libero on her club volleyball team, prepares for the rest of the game ahead of her.

fter a long, 6-hour-drive with her supportive father, Ella Boeke finally reached Omaha, Nebraska. The nerves and excitement began to fill her body. The day before the tournament is always the hardest to get through, because all you are doing is preparing for the moment you walk onto the court and start the game you have been practicing for. This was one of the most recent tournaments that her team had participated in, and it happened to be the tournament where everyone came together and left a lasting impact on the team. “We did a lot of fun stuff in Nebraska. I also loved getting to know my teammates and getting to know them more during this tournament,” Boeke said. “We recently went to Nebraska, and [it was] our second tournament so it was honestly our favorite tournament because we all got along so well with each other. We had game nights, karaoke, and took pictures,” teammate Alex Strzelecki said. “This tournament was a great way to get away from everything going on in the world and see everyone’s true personalities come alive.” FEBRUARY 17 ISSUE 2022

Out of the many club volleyball facilities, Boeke has been a part of Balance Volleyball, Club Fusion Volleyball, and is currently attending Mission Volleyball club, which is located here in Huntley. This is the first, full club season where Boeke gets to travel and go to other states due to many tournaments being cut out of their schedule due to the pandemic during last year’s season. What started out as an activity in fourth grade for fun has now given her opportunities for growth, friendships, and drive for her everyday life. “Getting to know people, having a team, growing a bond with them, and making a lot of friends, it’s a good life experience in general. You get to know how to work with people and be on a team. You also get to travel a lot,” Boeke said. Boeke has influenced and encouraged many teammates. Strzelecki has been one of Boeke’s teammates for the past 3 years and been on two of her club teams. “She’s really energetic. She really likes bringing energy into people. She likes to bring people up instead of bringing

them down. She’s just a really good person and loves bringing happiness to the team,” Strzelecki said. Boeke’s coach, Julia Smagcz, has a lot of faith and trust in the athlete, as well as encouragement for growth and progress for the team. “Ella is a very positive presence on the court and is definitely one of our leaders. She’ll be the one to lead warmups in practice, and one of the first to speak up in team huddles. She was also voted one of the team captains for this season,” Smagcz said. Boeke advises attending practices, open gyms, camps, or clinics to work on basic skills such as passing, defense, hitting and blocking, and or setting. She also suggests finding a coach who you work well with, and get as many reps in as possible. “I think it’s important because a lot of people just focus on the practices that your club provides, rather than reaching out and exploring different camps and clinics, or even clubs to get the other coaches and athletes advice,” Boeke said. HUNTLEYVOICE.COM

SPORTS | volleyball

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1. Black History Month began in 1926 as Negro History Week; it was started by Carter G. Woodson — an African American historian who graduated from Harvard with a Ph.D. 2. Woodson selected February to honor President Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, who were both born in February. 3. Many civil rights activists and protestors contributed to Black history, including Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, Mary White Ovington, and Martin Luther King Jr. 4. Black History Month is celebrated outside of the USA in countries such as Ireland, the UK, Canada, and the Netherlands.

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SPORTS | on the web

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featured on web

huntleyvoice.com Our staff works together to create an engaging and informational website for and about our community. Publishing daily uploads, staffers write articles about current events in Huntley. In addition, each staffer is given the opportunity to express themsleves through a fun, personal assignment. We hope to keep growing our community engagement during a time when many feel isolated. Check out huntleyvoice.com for a sneak peek of our content featured below.

Photo Gallery

photo taken by M. Vazquez “Varsity Girls Basketball v. Burlington Central 1.29.22” Each cycle, photographers take a series of photos that capture an event around the school. This month, photographer Martiza Vazquez took photos at a girls varsity basketball game against Burlington Central. See photos like this and many more under “Gallery.”

Personality Video

video created by J. Smith “Wellness Begins Within Episode: 3” Every cycle, Jessica Smith creates a video, sitting down and giving advice on how to improve viewers’ wellness from within! During this episode, Jessica talks about the benefits of journaling! See more videos and columns like this under “Blogs.”

Feature Article article written by A. Jorgenson “This is It! Hair World helps people feel beautiful” “Elgin’s Black-owned beauty supply store, This is it! Hair World, is not only serving good looks and high-quality products but also spreading positivity in the community.” FEBRUARY 17 2022

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K. Walsh

She is a very dependable athlete, and I know I can count on her when I need her.

Miranda Hansen

Cheer: not just a sport, but a lifestyle

SPORTS | cheer

A positive influence on the HHS cheer team By Jessy Gone

s the dismissal bell rings at 2:26 p.m., students walk rapidly to their assigned buses and cars to make their way home after a long school day. Rushing to beat the heavy afterschool traffic or trying to get a good seat on the bus, students stampede through the hallways. However, for junior Amanda Oliver, she is pushing against the flow of traffic trying to make it to the other side of the school. Oliver’s day is far from over as she makes her way to the fieldhouse locker room. Once she arrives to the locker room, she is greeted by her other teammates and athletes who are also getting ready for their own practices. After her small break between school and practice, Oliver and her teammates walk into the sticky and hot fieldhouse. Trying to get her last few minutes of socialization in before a long practice, Oliver goes to all the different groups of cheerleaders and makes conversation as they begin stretching and warming up. Oliver discovered her love for cheerleading in kindergarten when she began cheering at Huntley Cheer Association and continued until high school. 12 years later, Oliver is still in love with cheerleading and is now on the JV team at Huntley. She first tried out for the team her freshman year and has stayed on JV since. All though, pursuing cheerleading in college is not something that Oliver has in store for her because of a previous injury. Colleges require a high skill level in tumbling, something Oliver is restricted from doing. “I had an injury when I was 10 and I had to get surgery like three times,” Oliver said. “It ended badly and my doctor said that if I ever tumble again, I will lose feeling in my arm.” However, throughout her three years at Huntley, Oliver has grown immensely as a cheerleader. In her stunt group, she is a backspot, a critical position to keep the flyer up, and her coaches have seen how she has grown over the years. FEBRUARY 17 ISSUE 2022

Photo courtesy of Amanda Oliver Oliver has been on the cheer team since her freshman year. “She has become a great team leader, and she is an amazing backspot. She is a very dependable athlete, and I know I can always count on her when I need her,” JV Coach Miranda Hansen said. Not only has Oliver’s talent grown during her time at Huntley, but she has also become a motivating force and source of positivity for all her teammates. Oliver works hard to encourage all of her teammates to give it their all during practices and competitions. She never lets the negatives outweigh the positives and always pushes everyone to try harder. “If the team isn’t hitting a stunt, she’s the one who stays positive, keeps them on track, and says, ‘let’s do it again, let’s work harder,’” varsity Coach Renee Fowler said. “She’s just an example of what every coach would want their athletes to be like.” Being an upperclassman on JV, Oliver has the chance to spend time with the incoming freshman and sophomores. She serves as a role model for them, always going above and beyond what is expected of her. Oliver is an important and reliable member of the team, and she is always willing to help others. “If there’s a time where I need to take care of another task, I know I can ask Amanda to lead the team, whether it’s to call stretches or lead tumbling warm-ups,” Hansen said. “She dives right into it and does so as any coach would.” The cheer season is divided into two main sections: sideline cheer and

the competition season. This year, Oliver’s team went undefeated during the competition season, placing first and second at the conference and making history at Huntley. Filled with good luck rituals, handshakes, and prayers, the moments before going out onto the mat are the most exciting and nerve-racking of all. Oliver has her routine that she does the morning of competitions and makes sure to energize and motivate all of her teammates. “For our last two home comps, I did a little speech for our senior [on the team] because it’s her last year, which is so sad but so exciting. We got a little sappy at first, but it brought our energy up,” Oliver said. While the moments of anticipation seem to overpower everything else, the moment of stepping onto the mat is all worth it. The crowd cheering and clapping before the team goes on and the sound of her pounding heart ringing in her ears. As teammates rush to their spots for the beginning of the routine and noise in the crowd dies down, Oliver has the sought-after job of calling “5, 6, 7, 8” to mark the start of the routine. All the weeks of long practices come down to the next 3 minutes. Music fills the air and clapping echoes as the routine continues. The sound of the crowd and other teammates screaming as they hit all of their stunts, keep Oliver motivated during the performance. After the adrenaline begins to wear off, awards are the moment when the team finds out if all the hours of practice were enough. “We will all get into a circle and we cross our arms and link our pinkies and so the moments between them calling [the other teams] and squeezing each other pinkies, that energy makes [the competition worth it],” Oliver said. Cheerleading is more than a sport for Oliver, it is a lifestyle. Her love for cheer is clear in everything she does. Always making sure to cheer on anyone in her life and spreading positivity wherever she goes, is what defines Oliver. “I have such a passion for cheer,” Oliver said. “It’s a part of me now.”

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SPORTS | reels

Huntley’s account for highlight reels

@redraiderhighlights: a gallery for HHS sports By Arianna Joob

A student at Huntley High School has countless options when it comes to accounts to follow on Instagram. First advertised to them might be the @huntleyraiders account, run by Dr. Belin, where they can get updates on sports and school in general. After seeing what the account has to offer, the student may make the executive decision to hit the bright blue follow button. Seconds later, suggested Instagram accounts flash through the middle of the screen, with profile pictures all in vibrant red, white, and black, and the name ‘HHS’ in the account username. Whether it is accounts like @huntleyathletics or more humorous ones like @huntleydoors, these platforms, and using Instagram as a form of media for school, are very prevalent here at HHS. Specifically, one of these ac-

counts you might come across while scrolling is @redraiderhighlights. This account was created back in May for what it sounds like- highlight reels for HHS sports. Sophomore Jimmy Doles is the person behind the camera doing the filming, editing, and posting. His videos include a lot of back and forth footage to show what player has possession of the ball. The clips include the major plays that HHS makes during a game; they are sorted and edited together into a single highlight reel of the game. “I get there like 30 minutes before the game starts. I’ll get ready to go to the game, and I’ll get my camera out of my bag. I use the same setup every time. It’s just a monopod [a single-leg stand that supports a camera],” Jimmy said. His monopod and Canon DSLR camera are all he uses to film his videos. His setup is small, which allows him to fit into the gyms or easily fit on the field when he is filming games. When he is done filming the game,

Jimmy setting up a basketball player’s pose, lighting, and props during an after school shoot. a 6-hour editing process is what happens next in preparation for the highlight reels to go onto the account. For Jimmy, this usually happens at night after the games and over the next few days. “I’ll get home around like 9:30 p.m. and then I’ll have to upload all the clips from the camera to the computer. Then, you have to sort through all the clips, edit [everything] down, [and] combine the clips,” Jimmy said. Although it is a timely process, Jimmy likes running the account and finds inspiration from his sister and

Players from the girls basketball team looking at pictures Jimmy took of them.

FEBRUARY 17 ISSUE2022

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM

Photos provided by Jimmy Doles Jimmy taking close up pictures of the varsity boys basketball team. dad. Film has always been important to Jimmy’s family. His dad, Jeff Doles, is the teacher of the TV Production Class at Barrington High School. “When I have days off, I’ll go to his high school and I work with the students [there] to get better at what I do,” Jimmy said. Jimmy’s dad, Jeff Doles, started videography and photography because of his mom. His mom’s use of art to express her creativity inspired him to get into film and take classes at his high school. “I took a photography class back in the ‘90s when I was a student at Palatine High School with a great teacher named Craig Anderson,” Jeff Doles said. Jeff used his photography and videography skills from over the years to teach Jimmy but also Jimmy’s sister, Bella Doles. Bella has taken footage of the football team since her freshman year. She has since graduated from high school after her junior year. S. Laput FEBRUARY 17 ISSUE2022

“I worked with the football coaches so I would send all my footage [taken from the game] to them. So, if they wanted to, they could look it over and rundown plays,” Bella said. Bella used to be in HHS TV Production as well. She was in the class for her entire high school career and she was on the board for her last two years of the program. “It’s nice because my brother took over my position. I was the original Sports Content Creator so now my brother does that. It kind of just goes down the family name,” Bella said. Bella’s main focus in high school was not the account, but she was still involved in sports media. Jimmy ultimately started the account with his own creativity coming to life. More recently, Jimmy has started to post more individual pictures of players with edited backgrounds of the final score or teasers for upcoming games. He is currently going to girls and boys basketball games, but, previous-

ly, he has been known for his football highlight reels. The account’s recent main focus has been football and basketball videos, but Jimmy is hoping to expand. In fact, his most recent shoot was for the girls and boys basketball teams. He did individual and group photos for the varsity basketball teams in a more creative background than just the average basketball court with fluorescent lights. Jimmy plans to do lacrosse and baseball as the spring approaches. He is not sure where he wants the account to go in the future, he just knows that he wants to keep on filming and posting. “I am impressed by the time and effort Jimmy dedicates to the @redraiderhighlights account,” Jeff Doles said. “I think he loves using photos and videos to showcase all of the incredible athletes’ accomplishments and he really enjoys being a part of the athletic community [here] at HHS.” HUNTLEYVOICE.COM

EDITORIAL

n the first Thursday of each month, the District 158 Board of Education holds their monthly regular board meetings. If you choose to attend, you can hear the board engage in numerous discussions on finances, enrollment status, social and emotional learning, etc. Before that, however, the first part of the board meeting is always dedicated to public comments; people from the community come to the meetings to express their concerns to the board. This year, hours of that public comment time has been taken up by the District 158 Parent Union, a group of parents who typically can be seen wearing black t-shirts with white lettering on the back reading “We the Parents.” The Parent Union spends hours at the monthly board meetings, devote time to building their website District158ParentUnion.org, and meeting every third Wednesday of the month at the American Legion in Huntley Square to discuss issues they have noticed within the community. Their website states the following: “Parents around the nation are concerned about biases in education, teaching of controversial methodologies related to race and ethics, and not just teaching, but celebrating and encouraging, alternate lifestyles.” On their website, they list many of their concerns, including (1) “White Fragility” D158 administration training in July 2021; (2) Critical Race Theory concepts being taught in our schools; and (3) District 158’s COVID-19 response, quarantine, and SHIELD testing. In addition, the Parent Union has expressed concern about the district’s approach to gender inclusivity. As a student publication, we admire the Parent Union’s use of freedom of speech, their dedication, and the concern they have regarding their students’ education. We know you want the best for your kids, and we appreciate your efforts; however, we have some thoughts and suggestions that we think will achieve more for the students of the district. FEBRUARY 17 ISSUE 2022

Some of the statements from parents, whether said verbally at a board meeting or posted on the site, have offended students,

With regard to topics of race (“White Fragility” training and Critical Race Theory), we question: Are the topics being focused on really having any impact on student learning, and do students find these same concerns harmful to their education? At an elementary level, students obviously do not have the ability to choose the topics they are taught, how they process the information they hear, or to advocate for their own education. We understand why the parents of a child might have concerns about their learning. But at a high school with young adults, students are comfortable talking about the issues of race, and want to be informed. “I do not feel uncomfortable talking about race or white privilege,” senior Calvin Reckamp said. “Hearing every side to each issue is extremely important.” In July of 2021, a book training on “White Fragility” was completed by district administrators. The book presents the idea of defensiveness on the part of white people when they are confronted by information about racial inequality and injustice. And though controversial, the book merely provided a starting point for discussions on race among administrators. “Equity conversations or conversations about race [are] extremely delicate, and you’re not always good at it,’’ said Scott Rowe, superintendent of District 158. “What [the training] did was provide us opportunities to just talk about some of our vulnerabilities, some of our instances where we may have landed in a negative light with a person of color and not know we did it.” “It made me start thinking about how I present myself, present ideas, and just conduct myself. It opened my mind.” Parents of the union complained that the training was biased and political, as well as costly. “Our group is very diverse. We don’t want that kind of division. We believe, very firmly, that you should not treat people differently or talk to people differently because of the color of their skin,” said Jill Cataldo, spokesperson for the D158 Parent Union and writer for the website. HUNTLEYVOICE.COM

Concerns over Parent Union priorities Are they devoting their time to the wrong issues? however. Some students of color wonder why such a large group of parents in a predominantly white community believe that teaching the administration about ways to further educate about race is controversial. Many students believe that the training was necessary and could greatly benefit white administrators. “I think that it does not matter what their opinion is, because [the majority are] white; they don’t know what it’s like to be Black in America, which means they should not have a say in how it’s being taught in [our] schools,” said junior Alex Johnson, a student of color. “I think that being taught Black issues in school can only help, and I don’t see why anyone would see a problem.” White students also expressed concern over these public parent statements. “The union’s concerns over white fragility and the Critical Race Theory emphasize the denial that these parents are in. They feel targeted by the Critical Race Theory because they don’t want to be viewed as the oppressor,” senior Olivia Al Shayeb said. “In reality, the CRT solely wishes to address the issues with the system being built on foundations that promote racism. The parents see it as an attack on them personally for being racist, which is not the point.”

In addition, the Parent Union seems to be confused about the definition of Critical Race Theory. According to the Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Critical Race Theory “is an academic and legal framework that denotes that systematic racism is a part of an American society. [It] recognizes that racism is more than the result of individual bias and prejudice. It is embedded in laws, policies, and institutions that uphold and reproduce racial inequalities.” Dana Wiley, member of the D158 Parent Union, interprets the definition differently. “Critical Race Theory is the teaching that you know there are certain races that are better or worse than others,” Wiley said. “I’d like to understand better what the district wants to get out of those teachings.” Students feel that these concerns are politically motivated. According to Cataldo, the Union consists of a diverse political group and does not focus on politics. “We want neutrality. We have people in our group of both political persuasions, we have people that are very neutral politically, we don’t [like] politics aside from explaining what different parties believe in different things,” Cataldo said. “There’s some other things curriculum wise [that] turn heads. My freshman brought his geography book home. He flipped over [a page, and was like,] ‘Mom, look at this.’ It was a huge spread. And it’s all [about] Black Lives Matter and how wonderful that is, and again, it’s very political.” One could argue that there is no way to avoid politics when teaching history. In a class like AP Human Geography, not only is the curriculum curated by College Board, but students would be disadvantaged to ignore the Black Lives Matter movement in a unit focused on the effects of ethnic relations. It is no different than watching a documentary on the ethnic conflicts and civil war in former Yugoslavia. Members of the Parent Union have also expressed concern FEBRUARY 17 ISSUE 2022

about the use of gender pronouns in school. “We understand there’s a variety of genders out now that we didn’t have viscerally taught to us when we were younger,” Cataldo said. “I know a lot of us don’t think that really needs to be in school at all.” We disagree. Students at the high school encourage their teachers to address pronoun usage and ask their students what they would prefer to be called. It is widely agreed that addressing the use of pronouns has created a more comfortable environment for students, especially those who are in the process of transitioning, have transitioned, or are suffering from gender dysphoria. This initiative is only helping the students who want to confirm their gender identity to others through pronoun usage, and in no way should negatively impact the learning or environment of a cis-gendered male or female. As far as the district’s COVID-19 response, the Parent Union has not understood one simple thing: the district is simply following guidelines from the local health department and the Governor’s mask mandate. “We’ve consistently heard from them about not wanting [the children] masked, we’ve heard [them disagree about] quarantining students that are not positive and the impact that’s having on them,” Rowe said. “The school board meeting is a public meeting. Public comment is required by law to be a part of every one of those meetings, and

it’s their avenue to share their concerns with their elected officials,” Rowe said. “Some of [the concerns] are completely out of our control. I think that’s contributed to a lot of frustrations - they feel like we can make [some of these changes]. We just can’t if the local health department is passing down information from the Illinois State Department of Health. It’s a requirement if the governor issues the mandate.” The student body is fortunate to have a group of dedicated parents who are constantly advocating for them. We respect the time that they have spent discussing issues they have noticed within the community. But we believe, however, that a more positive environment can be created by the Parent Union if their priorities were shifted. Here are some issues that we think are more worth their time and energy: • Lack of respect in student body • Free lunch portions • Physical altercations • Lack of staff and other shortages • Wi-Fi security • Mental health stigma These issues are far more pressing for high school students than fears about race and gender, or COVID-19 policies that are out of the board and superintendent’s control. Focusing on these issues could indeed make District 158 a better place.

S Gebka

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM

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VOICE American Diversity Current Issues Sociology

What is your favorite documentary?

“I am.” It has this beauty of intelligent discussion and thought about the world around us, our place in it, and our general purpose.

What holds the most importance to you?

In my teaching career, the most important thing to me is what my students take away from my classes. Don’t get me wrong, I love when students say they like my class because they love me, but I designed American Diversity for kids to take away valuable lessons that can help them in life. I want kids to see the value in what I am teaching them in my classes.

Who is your biggest inspiration?

My dad. He passed away 10 years ago, and we became very close as I got older. He was an amazing story teller. He was so committed to his kids and his family. My sister and I never doubted that he loved us. To this day my dad’s friends reach out to me to tell me they think about him every day. What a legacy. photo courtesy of Sydney Laput design by Jake Habel interviewed by Lindsay Hunter

- Shandon Nixon

Huntley HS Voice, Feb. 17, 2022

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