Huntley hs voice jan 2017

bi-gendered • cross-dresser • drag king • drag queen • femme queen • female-to-male • FTM • ge der bender • genderqueer • male-to-female • MTF • non-op • hijra • pangender • transexual/trans ual • trans person • woman • man • butch • two-spirit • trans • agender • third sex • gender fluid non-binary transgender • androgyne • gender gifted • gender blender • femme • person of transgen experience • androgynous • bi-gendered • cross-dresser • drag king • drag queen • femme queen female-to-male • FTM • gender bender • genderqueer • male-to-female • MTF • non-op • hijra • pa gender • transexual/transsexual • trans person • woman • man • butch • two-spirit • trans • agen • third sex • gender fluid • non-binary transgender • androgyne • gender gifted • gender blender • femme • person of transgender experience • androgynous • bi-gendered • cross-dresser • drag kin drag queen • femme queen • female-to-male • FTM • gender bender • genderqueer • male-to-fema • MTF • non-op • hijra • pangender • transexual/transsexual • trans person • woman • man • bu THE•VOICE • two-spirit • trans agender • third sex • gender fluid • non-binary transgender • androgyne • gen der gifted • gender blender • femme • person of transgender experience • androgynous • bi-gende January 2017 • Volume Issuequeen 4 • cross-dresser • drag king20••drag • femme queen • female-to-male • FTM • gender bender genderqueer • male-to-female • MTF • non-op • hijra • pangender • transexual/transsexual • trans person • woman • man • butch • two-spirit • trans • agender • third sex • gender fluid • non-bina transgender • androgyne • gender gifted • gender blender • femme • person of transgender experi ence • androgynous • bi-gendered • cross-dresser • drag king • drag queen • femme queen • fem to-male • FTM • gender bender • genderqueer • male-to-female • MTF • non-op • hijra • pangende • transexual/transsexual • trans person • woman • man • butch • two-spirit • trans • agender • th sex • gender fluid • non-binary transgender • androgyne • gender gifted • gender blender • femme • person of transgender experience • androgynous • bi-gendered • cross-dresser • drag king • drag queen • femme queen • female-to-male • FTM • gender bender • genderqueer • male-to-female • MTF • non-op • hijra • pangender • transexual/transsexual • trans person • woman • man • butch two-spirit • trans • agender • third sex • gender fluid • non-binary transgender • androgyne • gend gifted • gender blender • femme • person of transgender experience • androgynous • bi-gendered cross-dresser • drag king • drag queen • femme queen • female-to-male • FTM • gender bender • genderqueer • male-to-female • MTF • non-op • hijra • pangender • transexual/transsexual • trans person • woman • man • butch • two-spirit • trans • agender • third sex • gender fluid • non-bina transgender • androgyne • gender gifted • gender blender • femme • person of transgender experi ence • androgynous • bi-gendered • cross-dresser • drag king • drag queen • femme queen • fem to-male • FTM • gender bender • genderqueer • male-to-female • MTF • non-op • hijra • pangende • transexual/transsexual • trans person • woman • man • butch • two-spirit • trans • agender • th sex • gender fluid • non-binary transgender • androgyne • gender gifted • gender blender • femme • person of transgender experience • androgynous • bi-gendered • cross-dresser • drag king • drag queen • femme queen • female-to-male • FTM • gender bender • genderqueer • male-to-female • MTF • non-op • hijra • pangender • transexual/transsexual • trans person • woman • man • butch two-spirit • trans • agender • third sex • gender fluid • non-binary transgender • androgyne • gend gifted • gender blender • femme • person of transgender experience • androgynous • bi-gendered cross-dresser • drag king • drag queen • femme queen • female-to-male • FTM • gender bender • genderqueer • male-to-female • MTF • non-op • hijra • pangender • transexual/transsexual • trans person • woman • man • butch • two-spirit • trans • agender • third sex • gender fluid • non-bina transgender • androgyne • gender gifted • gender blender • femme • person of transgender experi ence • androgynous • bi-gendered • cross-dresser • drag king • drag queen • femme queen • fem

V

the

issue

In this issue...

12

No transgender facility policy

15

Huntley’s very own model

25

‘Split’ proves different

Huntley High School lacks a specific policy regarding transgender facility use throughout the high school.

Senior Natalie Brown signs with Ford Models and pursues her passion for modeling by moving cross-country to Los Angeles.

16

12

The newest psychological thriller, “Split,” leaves fans wanting more information about the Dissociative Identity Disorder.

27

HHS wrestling legend

32

What makes an athlete?

Senior Josh Stenger took fourth at IHSA State Finals last year, and is planning come out on top this year.

27

The Voice asked atlethes and coaches from four different sports what it takes to be the best, and what makes the best athletes.

Our Editorial Policy...

HHS Media are the official student-produced media of news and information published/produced by HHS Media students. HHS Media have been established as designated public forums for student editors to inform and educate their readers as well as for the discussion of issues of concern to their audience. It will not be reviewed or restrained by school officials prior to publication or distribution. Advisors may- and should coach and discuss content- during the writing process.

Because school officials do not engage in prior review, and the content of HHS Media 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 responsible student staff emmbers assume complete legal and financial liability for the content of the publication.

Meet Our Staff...

Courtney Thomas • Editor-in-Chief • Maddy Moffett • Print Editor • Camille Paddock • Online Editor • Bri Governale • Doubletruck Editor • Mawa Iqbal • News Editor • Maggie McGee • Opinion Editor • Natalie Trzeciak • Features Editor • Alex Landman • Sports Editor • Lucas Modzelewski • A&E Editor • Ryan O’Sullivan • Photo Editor • Staff writers • Madison Barr • Alejandra Favila • Nicholas Fleege • Emily Kindl • Emma Kubelka • Faith Losbanes • Peyton Moore • Michael Panzarella • Noah Simmons • Bry Walker • Sarah Biernat • Tyler Lopez • Austin Zeis • Photographers • Jacob Barker • Alex Downing • Bill Hollatz • Sehba Faheem • Dennis Brown • Adviser

2 • THE VOICE • January 2017

NEWS

Gym classes get bulked up Physical education dept. offers variety of gym classes maddy moffett • print editor

J

unior Autumn Kasal roamed the Central Gym during her lunch period, floating from table to table as her friends gabbed about what classes they want.

She stopped by the English table and picked up a few flyers about English IV and electives. The next table was one that intrigued her; the physical education table was adorned with exercise balls and jump ropes and signs that enticed students to ask about changes coming next year.

As course selection for the 2017-2018 school year approaches, the HHS physical education department introduced three new options to their curriculum to entice students into enjoying fitness and being active.

“When in PE class, nine times out of ten it seems like you’re sitting out,” physical education department chair, Jennifer Heuck, said. “[PE teachers] want to change that.”

Students will still have the ability to enroll in the typical “gym classes” that have been offered before “There’s still normal PE for the people who like to come in every day, change, and do what we have always done,” physical education teacher Kristine DeBolt said.

However, the addition of classes offers more blended options, as well as competitive

and recreational styles. While freshmen choices remain the same, all other grade levels have the opportunity to mix and match classes.

Sophomores are now eligible to enroll in Dance I and II, with the opportunity to join Group Fitness. Blended is not open to sophomores, but the traditional style class will include exercises and workouts that, according to the 2017-2018 Course Catalog, would include step aerobics, Pilates, yoga, circuit training, kickboxing, and “other trending workouts.”

Juniors and seniors have the most flexibility in their course selection. In addition to previously offered courses, upperclassmen can choose Group Fitness blended or traditional, Team Sports blended, or Recreational Sports blended.

Team Sports blended is the class for students who enjoy “high energy activities” like flag football, floor hockey, soccer, basketball, softball, volleyball, and handball.

Likewise, Recreational Sports blended will be structured in the same manner, but feature sports like badminton, pickleball, archery, bocce ball, bowling, cricket, and trail running. Though the complete guidelines have not been set, Heuck predicts students will be required to attend class two or three times a week, which will include two days of their chosen class and one

day of a group fitness style workout.

Taking a blended gym class, however, does not get students off the hook a couple days a week. According to Heuck, there will be online components assigned to students when class does not meet.

“It’s nice because we can give kids more info on heart rate and other things we don’t get to in class because we don’t have enough time,” Heuck said.

Each class is offered as semester-long, which enables students to mix and match their courses to maintain interest.

“If you want to try something one semester, then do something else the next semester, that is encouraged,” Heuck said.

The Leader’s Prep class may also see changes in its structure. Upperclassmen are eligible with recommendation from a physical education teacher and another teacher

Physical education teacher Jennifer Heuck talks to senior Iva Vucic about gym classes (S. Faheem).

from around the building just as before. Each class will continue to have a student leader, but given that some classes are blended may impact Leader’s Gym. According to Heuck, no decisions have been made regarding whether or not Leader’s Gym may become blended, but there is a possibility.

With more options, the PE department hopes this will get people excited about exercising and getting active.

Many students, including Kasal, feel the new classes are already making a difference in how they look at physical education class.

“The other options were pretty boring,” Kasal said.

“But now that they have fun blended classes, I dread gym a little less.”

“We have the facilities to do it, so why not?” Heuck said. “We just want students to enjoy PE class.” • January 2017 • THE VOICE •3

NEWS

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4 • THE VOICE • January 2017

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NEWS

HHS is going back to Haiku

Administration feels Haiku was the right choice after all

A

emily kindl • staff writer

t a school as big as ours, an easyto-use, adaptable learning management system is much needed.

But with a world changing as fast as ours, Associate Principal Shelly Kish believes we need to keep a constant lookout for a learning management system suitable to our current needs.

According Kish, HHS first implemented Haiku as a part of its learning system in the 2010-2011 or 2011-2012 school year. Haiku played a big part in the blended program when it was introduced in 2011, and Kish believes we would not have the blended program we have now without it.

Haiku has been a huge asset to District 158. However, the district office always aims to keep an open mind about the several other learning management systems that are student uses Canvas Learning System on her chromebook (M. Iqbal).

present.

Last spring, the district made the decision to implement Canvas.

Prior to this, the people at the district office were researching different platforms that could benefit the schools more than Haiku would. They discovered Canvas and presented it to the other schools.

“It’s good to evaluate what you have and see if there are better products out there,” Kish said. “Sometimes there are, and if there are, you really need to evaluate what that will look like if you did want to transition.”

The newly-discovered Canvas was planned to be fully-implemented in the schools in the 2017-2018 school year.

Initially, though, the teachers were recommended to get training in order to feel comfortable with the program.

The teachers who went under training, had voiced mixed opinions about the learning system. Many saw the value in Canvas. How-

ever, according to Kish, the majority of teachers who gave her feedback felt that the amount of work it would take to get comfortable with it and develop a course in a decent amount of time was all overwhelming to them.

Laura Devlin had gone through training for Canvas, and began to use it in her English IV Blended class for first semester of this school year.

Devlin saw the value in Canvas and enjoyed using it in her English class. She appreciated that the calendar within the system integrated assignments and due dates from all courses, and not just one separate calendar for each class. The speedgrader function, the ability to give and receive feedback.

“At first, I hated Canvas because it’s very hard to create a course in there,” Devlin said.

“But once I understood all of the features by playing around with it, I realized that it really was a superior product.”

Like the teachers getting trained to use Canvas, Devlin’s students gave mixed responses. Some disliked it because they were familiar with Haiku and Canvas had confused them.

Senior Jack Bessey took two courses that utilized Canvas in the classroom: English IV Blended and Youth Residency Blended.

“Once I was used to it, I didn’t mind it,” Bessey said.

“I didn’t like [Canvas], but I

didn’t hate it.”

When he first started using it, he was completely lost. The navigation was so different compared to Haiku, and the way the modules were set up were inconvenient. Though, he liked Canvas’ integrated calendar better.

According to Bessey, Canvas was beneficial to the blended courses he was in, however, he believed that they would have gotten along fine just using Haiku.

The decision to switch over to Canvas was going to have to be reevaluated. PowerSchool had ended up purchasing Haiku, and as a result, updates will be made with the learning management system.

With potential beneficial updates to look forward to, it was decided that continuing with Haiku before switching over was best.

It was Dec. 9 when this decision was set in stone.

“It gets back to looking forward to the improvements that are going to be made in Haiku,” Kish said. “And the ease of use for both teachers and students was very important.”

Kish emphasized that the big question in the decisions made over the course of the year, in terms of a learning management system, was: is it worth it? In the end, the staff believed that it was the right choice for the sake of HHS and its students’ learning. •

January 2017 • THE VOICE •5

NEWS

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Cornfields to the Capital

NEWS

Students travel to Washington D.C for Trump’s Inauguration

O

peyton moore•staff writer

and the National Archives, the group had very easy access to those historical landmarks due to a lack of people before the weekend.

“We got such a unique experience,” history teacher Nathan Schmitt said. “As many people as were there for the Inauguration and the Women’s March, we got to do things that nobody ever gets to do.”

With as much security as there was, there were still protests that broke out during and after the Inauguration, with many people yelling and saying harsh things.

“Once we got out of the initial Inauguration area, we were walking by an area that shortly there after, a protest broke out.” Schmitt said. “We weren’t exposed to violence, but we could see the protests.

It was some eye-opening experiences for the students.”

The Inauguration was filled with many Trump supporters and some who were there just for the experience.

“It felt like this part of history mattered, but not for good reasons,” Stolpe said.

“We waited amongst people who I know did not agree with our political views, did not agree with what we had to say. It was a weird feeling, and it’s something I don’t want America to feel like ever again.”

President Trump’s speech was very well written and inspired a majority of the au-

n Jan. 20, President-Elect Donald J. Trump began his trip from the White House to Capitol Hill to be sworn into office as our 45th President. The Inauguration had Washington D.C. under tight security from the Army, Secret Service and police, contributing to a tense atmosphere.

Entire sections of people were booing the Obamas, the Clintons, with one man salutHHS students pose in front of the dience who were watching. ing Trump with a ‘heil Hitler’ Monument building in Washington “Every four years, we salute and women saying that D.C (Courtesy of P. Moore). gather on these steps to carry Michelle Obama and Hillary what they thought about ‘the out the orderly and peaceful Clinton were “disgusting.” people’ being able to have a transfer of power, ” President But there were supporters say in most decisions.

Trump said.

“We are grateful celebrating the Inauguration A few of the girls on the to President Obama and First of Trump in a very positive trip wanted to march in the Lady Michelle Obama for manner.

Women’s March on Washingtheir gracious aid throughout “I felt as though there was ton to protest as well. Some this transition. ” a lack of respect from both girls came together to make Trump mentioned that the sides,” junior Sarah Stolpe protest posters the night power belongs to not only said. “I never felt so segregatbefore in hopes to actually be him and his administration, ed amongst people who are able to march and eventually but to the people. from my country of my genwere able to.

“What truly matters is der, or my race, or anything “We weren’t in the fornot which party controls our like that.” mal march with the rallies, government, but whether Many of the students on since we had other activities our government is controlled the trip did not expect the planned, ” senior Shamika Patil by the people, ” Trump said. outcome of the election to be said.

“However, before dinner, “January 20, 2017 will be what it was since they signed we had the opportunity to remembered as the day the up for the trip before the walk the streets.

We walked people became the rulers of primaries. around with the signs, and this nation again. The forgot“I decided to come on this overall it was a very positive ten men and women of our trip before I knew who won,” experience.” country will be forgotten no senior Andrew London said.

The Women’s March was a longer. ” “[Trump] was the first person huge turnaround compared to Many Americans, speto win an election who has the day before with the Inaucifically women, peacefully never held public office or guration.

Even for the people protested the day after the served in the military before.”

Inauguration to show Trump From going to Mount Versee D.C. page 30 non, to the Lincoln Memorial

January 2017 • THE VOICE •7

OPINION

Goodbye, training wheels!

Students are babied by high school’s immature policies camille paddock•online editor than most schools across the nation, the Blended Learning Program.

“Our school district has been known as a progressive school district, mainly our high school, for a very long time,” Principal Scott Rowe said.

The Blended Learning Program enables students to take t’s the first day of senior control of their own learning year. After parking my while teaching them importcar, I take a moment to collect myself; it’s my last ant life skills such as responsibility and time management. first day of high school. Deep in thoughts of nostalgia, I pull It also allows students to have breaks during the day down the mirror to fix my lip and even leave during those gloss before I am rudely inperiods. terrupted by a security guard “The concept of blendknocking on my window. ed attacking the structure Apparently, taking more than of the school day and how five minutes to fix your lip gloss in your car is against the classes operate even blew our progressive system up,” Rowe school policy. Note taken. said. “It was a game changer High school is a period of for us.” transition for students, the However, this format point in time where they realseems to be quite a contraly begin to grow up and start diction to how students are taking on more responsibility treated in school. In fact, it in both academics and life. was not until second quarter So, why is it that high school of this school year that stustudents have to have their dents were given free rein of hands held the entire way the school; this includes tables through school? Aren’t teachand workspaces outside of the ers and faculty preaching the commons area. This new poliimportance of independence cy was initiated by students in every chance they get? There the Student Culture Summit, is nothing more confusing which sparked Rowe’s attenfor a student to be told that tion and made him realize he must act like an adult and take responsibility for himself that a change needed to be made. while he is still treated like a “Student voice brought kid along the way. about this change,” Rowe Now don’t get me wrong, said. “That has been one of I don’t mean to come off as my goals in the last couple of a spoiled brat. Huntley High years to really increase stuSchool offers a program that allows students more freedom dent voice and student own-

I

8 • THE VOICE • January 2017

G. Bryczek

ership, and give [students] an avenue to share things that they like and things that they don’t like, so they can be considered.”

Yet this change still appears to not have been accepted among all supervisors in the school; some teachers have been apprehensive about letting students freely roam the building and continue to stop and question them.

“We have teachers who have been teaching for 15 years where when they see a student in the hallway without a pass, they’ve been trained to question you, ” Rowe said.

“That doesn’t change overnight.”

Raider Way videos are another prime example of the school treating us students like kids. The idea is great; they are meant to inform and educate students about certain topics not commonly brought up in class. However, the way

in which these videos are made appear to be condescending and come across as immature for a teenage audience.

For example, the recent video on Plagiarism and Academic Dishonesty was nothing more than cartoon, seemingly made for kids, preaching to students something we already know or should already know: cheating is bad.

“I was really surprised at how dumbed down the video was,” senior Mia Recchia said.

“It was ineffective because they were treating us like elementary schoolers. It was demeaning.”

Assuming there is a problem with cheating that needs to be addressed to the entire student body, could the administration really not come up with a more effective way to distribute this information?

see BABYING page 30

FEATURES

The voice behind the game

Steven Wilt uses radio experience in high school setting faith losbanes • staff writer East High School in Indiana. A friend signed him up to cover a Friday night football game.

Although a mere school assignment, by the end of the night he had thoroughly impressed the TV Productions teacher, and earned himself a job for the next two years.

After the school year was over, Wilt visited a few local radio stations in his area to try and land a job. Soon, he was delivering news to the locals of his town, about 40,000 people in southern Indiana.

“I was hired to do news, so I would go during the summer and cover events,” Wilt said.

“Then, I was eventually able to do some of the Wilt annoucing at a HHS basketball game (Courtesy of S. Wilt ). sporting broadcasts.”

In college, Wilt was able teven Wilt sits excitedly in the to find another way to stay in the radio press box preparing to call a world. game on national television. He He became the sports director at Wawas preparing to call the biggest bash College in Crawfordsville, Indiana game of the year: Wabash College and for three years. Wabash was where he rival DePauw University. had some of his best experiences in radio.

He looks out the window with his “It’s not like millions of people saw it, headset on, his notes laid out in front of but tens of thousands of alumni around him. On them are details on each player the country saw the game,” Wilt said. out on the field. He studied them, ready “The preparation I had to do to get ready to deliver what was sure to be a great for that took not only knowing my team, game to thousands of people all over the but also the opponent’s team.” country.

During this experience, he was able to, Thirty plus years later, Wilt is still “get a feel for what the guys on TV do” sharing his talent for radio broadcasting. which allowed him to jump into experiHe got his start in a small high school ences most sports fans would only dream television studio as a junior at Columbus of.

S

Wilt spent a year commentating baseball games for a minor league team in Iowa, and spent six years doing TV broadcast for SIU-Edwardsville basketball games.

Wilt has called games at famous arenas including the Hinkle Fieldhouse and the RCA Dome, previously home to the Indianapolis Colts for 24 seasons.

“It’s given me the chance to see some pretty neat places,” Wilt said. “I got to rub elbows with some people that I wouldn’t of had the chance to do otherwise.”

Despite his impressive resume of radio broadcasting, Wilt never thought about making it into a full-blown career.

“Even though that was always something to think about, I could always find a place where I could sort of plug in, and do it in places where I had a full-time job.”

This has helped him learn vital skills that he is able to apply to his everyday life, especially in his teaching career.

“The presentation skills I learned: the ability to talk to different types of people with different backgrounds, the ability to get my message across,” Wilt said. “It’s a skill I’ve found very helpful in teaching high schoolers.”

Wilt now does all the PA announcing at Huntley High School where he has been able to see many of his students in a new light.

“It’s allowed me to get to know students outside of the classroom,” Wilt said.

“I think it has helped my relationships with them.”

Broadcasting is his way of keeping in touch with the games he’s always loved.

“Growing up as a kid, I can remember calling games in my house, listening to my favorite broadcasters on the radio,” Wilt said. “To be sort of doing the same thing as them, it’s a neat thing.” • January 2017 • THE VOICE • 9

NEWS

Representation for all

Students express concern over wording of sex equity policy mawa iqbal• news editor

S

ophomore Eli Tatosian hesitantly stuck their* head through the doorway, scanning the area to make sure the coast truly was clear, before discretely slipping into one of the nearest stalls. There really isn’t anybody around, so what’s there to be worried about?

A couple minutes passed before they* came out of the stall and stood in front of the sink, still nobody around. As Tatosian lathered up their hands in soapy foam, they realized that they no longer had a red stall door to hide their face behind. Now, they were worried.

What if someone walks in and says “Hey! What’s a girl doing in here?” or reports me to someone? Or what if someone tries to hurt me?

Not that anyone at Huntley would be guilty of that, but they didn’t really know for sure. *Editor’s note: for the purpose of this article we have used the gender neutral they and their pronouns

After quickly drying off their hands, they walked out into the hallway to meet with their friends. Though Tatosian had done it a few times before, this trip to the boys bathroom was still pretty nerve-wracking.

Tatosian identifies as genderfluid, a gender identity used to describe those who don’t define themselves as having the fixed gender of boy or girl. Feeling particularly masculine on that day, Tatosian chose to use the men’s bathroom instead of the women’s despite her biological sex.

“As a gender nonconforming student, I feel that it is within my rights to use the bathroom which I am most comfortable,” Tatosian said.

And their rights are protected. According to district policy, “no student shall, on the basis of...gender identity be limited in the exercise of any right, privilege, advantage, or be denied equal access to educational and extracurricular programs and activities.”

Although the usage of

nicate with a trusted adult, so that we can be a part of that process with them.”

According to Rowe, the administration is “confident with how things are going.”

Even so, some students have expressed concerns with regard to the wording of the policy, or lack thereof.

“It’s very vague and will save trips to the counselor if specified,” Tatosian said.

“It doesn’t tell you what is and isn’t allowed, in terms of which bathroom or which locker room you are allowed to go to or who you should talk to in that situation.”

Apart from creating confusion, Tatosian believes that the broad language has the potential to perpetuate a dangerous cycle that some transgender students are all too familiar with. As President of the Gay Straight Alliance Club, Tatosian has met students who use facilities of their biological sex “as a sign of resignation.”

“A lot of these kids think the district won’t allow them to use the bathroom of

see POLICY page 30

Group of students and parents in Palatine sues U.S. Dept. of Education and D211 for allowing a transgender female student to use girls’ locker room U.S. Dept. of Education under Obama U.S. Court of Appeals rules in administration tells all U.S. public school Gavin Grimm’s favor, who fought districts to allow students to use reGloucester County, Virginia strooms and locker rooms “consistent school board for not letting him with their gender identity.” use the boys’ bathroom

N.C. issues law requiring transgender people to use public restrooms that correspond with their biological sex.

March 23

facilities is not explicitly outlined within the policy, HHS has taken a case-by-case approach to meet students’ individual needs. It is encouraged that any student who does not feel comfortable with their current bathroom or locker situation report to their counselor.

“It’s all about figuring out where they’re comfortable with within their identity,” Tami Broskow, social worker, said. “Some students change in private stalls because that’s what they’re comfortable with and some use the nurse’s restroom.”

Recognizing that each student is different, Principal Scott Rowe and Associate Principal Danyce Letkewicz believe that handling each student’s needs both opens a dialogue about their different options and ensures their overall safety.

“We have a responsibility to create a safe environment for all students,” Scott said.

“That’s why we want to make sure that the students who do identify with a gender different from their sex do commu-

10 • THE VOICE •January 2017

April 19

May 13

May 4

Student survey results

“Transgender students are no different than other students and deserve to feel safe and comfortable while going the the restroom at Huntley high school.”

NEWS

“My parents are a lot more strict on their religious beliefs than I am, and this is one issue which they would stand completely against”

“Any boy or girl can say they identify as the other gender and go to the other locker room even though they actually don’t identify as the other gender.”

Results taken from a survey of 573 students at Huntley High School (177 freshmen, 137 sophomores, 162 juniors, and 97 seniors) between Jan. 11- 17

Texas judge, backed by 12 other states, issues nationwide injunction temporarily blocking the Obama admin.’s rules on transgender facilities

Aug. 22

Oct. 18

Supreme Court agrees to hear Grimm’s case. District 211 thinks this will set a precedent for their case

U.S. Magistrate rules against group of parents and students in D211, siding with the transgender student.

Oct. 28

2016

January 2017 • THE VOICE •11

FEATURES

The reflection in the mirror Transgender female student embraces new identity

mawa iqbal • news editor

H

e stood there in front of his friend’s mirror, barely able to recognize the surprised face staring back at him.

He saw a dress. A pink and gray-striped one with a triangular hole cut in the back, which had made putting it on a few minutes ago a bit of a hassle. It hugged his figure snugly, with the hem reaching just above his knees.

He saw makeup. Cosmetics that highlighted and accentuated his facial features in a way that was new to him. It felt foreign on his skin, but looked so right in the mirror’s crystal-clear reflection.

But he did not see a boy playing dress-up. He began to feel 12 • THE VOICE • January 2017

(S. Faheem)

the flutter of a thousand tiny butterfly wings in his stomach.

It was a feeling of pure elation that tugged the corners of his mouth upwards towards his ears.

He saw her, smiling back at him. The puzzle pieces of femininity that had been floating aimlessly inside him for the past couple of months had finally connected to form the image of a typical, teenage girl.

“Oh! I look great,” she said.

Her friend jumped up and pulled her in for a hug. She was happy, she was happy. They were simply two happy girls.

It was December of last year when **Charles’ friend suggested that he try on one of her cutest dresses and dabble in some

of her makeup. Having questioned his own sexual and gender identity at that point, Charles decided to take his friend up on that offer.

And the answers to those questions had materialized in that mirror as **Charlotte.

“Yes! This is me,” Charlotte said.

It would take some time, however, before Charlotte was able to make her debut appearance to the world outside of her friend's bedroom. Fear of unrelenting judgement from other middle schoolers prompted her to cover up much of her femininity.

Much, but not all. There was still her walk, her talk, her slight mannerisms that would go unnoticed to a stranger passing by in the hallway.

“I didn’t realize that I did those things because that’s just who I am,” Charlotte said.

It is who she is. Why pretend to be something she was not?

Towards the end of eighth grade, Charlotte in a dress, painted nails, and light makeup was brought out of her friend’s mirror and into the middle school sphere.

A bold move. A routine that would prove to be an unexpected, day-by-day challenge for her.

“I got upset more easily when I started putting Charlotte out there more,” she said. “I hadn’t experienced people’s negativity yet, so it hurt a lot.”

Jeers, taunts, stares, and jaw-dropped gasps.

She was fully engaged in conversation with her friends, exchanging gossip surrounding fellow classmates and heated drama between other friends. The sparkle of a white blouse caught her eye, but the boy’s body underneath it was what made them widen.

Their conversation was met with an abrupt pause, followed by her hand covering her agape mouth, and a gaze that followed Charlotte until she disappeared from their line of sight.

“Oh my gosh!” Charlotte’s classmates said. They didn’t really know much about her, just the “gay one” of the grade.

Words shouldn’t hurt this much. They were not even hurtful.

It was a common phrase of exclamation that people threw around for everyday situations.

But this was not a normal, everyday situation. Their stares hurt. Their gasps hurt. Their looks of shock specked with hints of disgust hurt. A lot.

And yet, this had become an everyday occurrence for Charlotte.

“Some of the negativity I’ve received as being Charlotte made me question whether I really am trans-female or not,” Charlotte said. “I sometimes feel like giving in, and telling them I’m cis-gendered just so it would stop.”

Giving in would mean reverting back to a time of confusion.

She would be stuck in a sort of limbo, not exactly the boyish Charlie who wore blue jeans and donned a yellow and red zip-up sweatshirt nearly every day. And yet, not quite the more feminine Charlotte who was fearless in a dress.

FEATURES The more feminine Charlotte who could’ve caused a glare in her friend’s mirror just from her smile.

The more feminine Charlotte who also served as a source of inspiration for others. Her middle school counselor applauded her for having the self-confidence to walk the halls of a public school with a dress on her back and paint on her nails.

“I feel like I’m more empowering as Charlotte,” she said.

“She doesn’t care about anyone’s negative opinions because she’s happy with who she is.”

And so came the transition from a school of 1,400 pre-teens, to a school of 3,000 teenagers and young adults. Charlotte was no longer worried about other people’s negative reactions. In fact, they ceased to even faze her.

“Last summer I came here for freshmen orientation and someone yelled at me, ‘Oh look, it’s the fag!” Charlotte said. “I didn’t say anything, I wasn’t that surprised. I was used to it by then.”

It wasn’t the best way to kick off any high school career, but it wasn’t long before Charlotte had found herself a group that would make her experience worthwhile.

It was in one of the art rooms where she first saw posters attached to the walls, promoting new members to join this club.

It was in one of these rooms where she first met sophomore Eli Tatosian, who just so happened to be the president of this club.

“Oh, and by the way, Gay Straight Alliance meets on Wednesday every week,” Tatosian said.

She doesn’t exactly remember what they talked about at their first meeting. It may have had something to do with partaking in a gay movie night, or maybe not. She can’t recall the specifics.

But there was one thing ingrained deep in her memory from that GSA meeting: she felt free.

So on Wednesdays, Charlotte wears pink. Or more specifically, her pink and gray-striped dress. Having GSA after school gives her the reassurance and confidence to face the school day head-on as a more feminine Charlotte.

“Even though it’s only after school, I know that there’s a guaranteed place for me to be 100 percent supported no matter what,” Charlotte said.

She is not out to her parents and siblings yet. She is not comfortable enough with using the girls’ bathroom yet. She is not even entirely sure if she wants the transition surgery, solidifying her as a woman in every respect. Not yet.

But that is okay. She does not need all the answers right now.

For now she will walk down the halls of HHS with confidence, wearing that sparkly white blouse, that pink and gray-striped dress, or even that red and yellow zip-up jacket if she so wished.

And everyone can stare, with their jaws-dropped and eyes opened. Because she know she looks just as good as the girl standing in front of her friend’s bedroom mirror. •

**name changed to Charles before transition, and Charlotte after January 2017 • THE VOICE • 13

FEATURES

14 • THE VOICE • January 2017 (Courtesy of N. Brown)

Becoming a familiar face

FEATURES

Senior Natalie Brown makes a career out of modeling

T

natalie trzeciak • features editor he nervous chatter was the only audible sound in the room. Fingers drumming against her thigh nervously, she watched as the agent approached every anxious girl one by one. 24 hours until they found out.

She shifted uncomfortably in her spot as all the chairs in the room were slowly becoming empty, leaving her to face whatever news would come next.

Senior Natalie Brown, like any little girl, had always dreamed of becoming a model.

As she grew older, Natalie began to stray from the idea of pursuing a career in modeling.

“It was never that I stopped wanting to be [a model],” Natalie said. “I just began to look at jobs that seemed more realistic.”

As Natalie set her sights on being an animal rights lawyer, Natalie’s mother Mandy kept her eye out on upcoming castings with local agencies.

“I reminded her that she could accomplish anything she wanted to,” Mandy said. “She didn’t have to settle because I knew she could accomplish anything.”

A few months later, she proposed her plan to Natalie. They would start with the most reputable agencies in Chicago and work their way down.

“At first, I didn’t really want to go because I was scared and the idea of getting noticed seemed almost impossible,” Natalie said. “Then my mom told me that I could quit my job if I got signed so I decided to give it a shot.”

With high hopes, the mother and daughter took a trip to downtown Chicago, where the late March breeze welcomed them as they entered the Ford Models building. The room was occupied by other hopefuls watching in disbelief as others were turned away for not meeting the height requirement of 5-feet 8-inches.

After filling out the required paperwork, Natalie was sent to take test shots. Then, she was sent back to the room. As she nervously watched the clock, she realized that all the chairs had been emptied of their occupants. It was just her, her mother, and the soft hum of the air conditioner.

“All of the people who come to casting are told that they’ll be notified within 24 hours if they made it,” Natalie said. “At that point, I was so nervous that I figured that they left me last to let me down more gently because I was younger.”

However, Natalie’s worst fears had not come true as a man soon approached her with good news. The agency was interested in her, and they wanted her to come back the next day with a bathing suit and her hair styled differently so that they could take more test shots.

The next day was a repeat of the previous, as Natalie spent more time in front of the camera and was once again put in the position of waiting. The agents in the back had been deliberating for five minutes, and five minutes was beginning to feel more like an hour.

“In order for somebody to be signed, every [agent] has to say ‘yes’ to signing you,” Natalie said. “That alone made it even more nerve wracking. Especially since I had already come so far.”

Just five minutes later, all of Natalie’s dreams had come true. She was promptly offered a contract with Ford Models Chicago under Chris Rucker after having only been to one casting.

Natalie’s life was set into motion. With no other mother agency, Ford became her home.

“At that point, I was sent to take more test shoots with certain photographers,” Natalie said. “I didn’t have any experience at that point so they helped me become more comfortable.”

Test shoots were followed by runway classes and eventually turned into jobs.

Natalie began to model for smaller companies and had worked her way up to clothing companies like Akira. Most notably, Natalie was featured on Chicago’s Patric Chauvez’s fashion blog twomuchstyle.com in a photoshoot for Saks Fifth Avenue.

Natalie hopes to continue to pursue her passion in a future that is looking bright after her recent signing with Ford Los Angeles. After graduation, Natalie will be moving west for three to six months to continue to work.

“As a single mom, it’s so great to have a daughter like Natalie,” Mandy said. “Ideally, she said she’d like to work in L.A. for as long as possible to help me pay for her college tuition.”

For now, Natalie will be continuing to improve on her modeling, but will be taking less jobs in order to focus on school.

“I just want to make sure that I do well my senior year,” Brown said.

More than anything, Natalie wants to bring down the stereotypes set about modeling. According to Natalie, agents are very caring and work hard to make sure all of their models are healthy.

“Modeling isn’t about people constantly bringing you down and telling you to starve yourself,” Natalie said. “It’s something that a lot of people are genuinely passionate about and I hope people start to see that.” • January 2017 • THE VOICE • 15

FEATURES

Healing through experience Marissa Vasquez uses injury to help student athletes emma kubelka • staff writer

A

nervous sweat breaks upon JV dancer Marissa Vasquez’s face as she joins the rest of her team in the center of the gym floor.

Lights beaming down, the music starts, and the girls feel the energizing, familiar tune.

Going through the motions, dancing every move as if it was fresh in their heads, the dancers almost finish their perfected routine.

Parents, athletes, fans, everyone has their eyes on them.

With little hesitation, one move goes wrong, and Vasquez collides with her teammate Curran Rooney.

They continue to finish the now stressful dance, barely breaking their smiles.

The music stops and Vasquez hobbles off the court with the rest of her team.

Automatically feeling pain, she slowly moves to the athletic trainer’s room for ice.

Waking up the next morning, Vasquez can barely get out of bed. She has trouble walking and constantly needs assistance with the simplest everyday tasks.

One grueling day at a time, she puts herself through

school and practice for the sake of her team.

“When Marissa was injured, it negatively affected the team, we needed her,” JV coach, Kristin Maggiore said. “She is a very, very talented dancer.

She always brings it all to the

table.”

Later that month, Vasquez finally made it into the doctor’s office. After multiple exams she was diagnosed with Degenerative Disc Disease in her thoracic area, with two bulging discs in her lombard, along with a series of pinched nerves in her back.

Vasquez and her parents face the heartbreaking news head on when the doctor says she will never dance again.

She shatters, breaking into

16 • THE VOICE • January 2017

an overwhelming, unhealthy state both physically and mentally.

Dancing was Vasquez’s one escape from reality. Dancing cleared her head and allowed her to fill her life with control and grace.

whole time.

This news started her physical therapy journey.

After weeks of exercises and positive, encouraging words, her self esteem slowly grew to what it used to be.

Vasquez’s physical therapists built up her physical strength and her mindset.

The therapists created a love for healing in her.

Helping others became her passion.

During her injury, the only real positive medical attention she was given was from her therapists.

She began helping other kids like her in the athletic trainer’s room here at Huntley.

“I know a lot of athletes who have been misdiagnosed and lost hope,” Vasquez Vasquez practices with her teammates (S. Faheem).

Practice said. “So I just wantwas the place ed to help people believe in themselves again.” she allowed herself to just be Today, Vasquez continues with her teammates and to do to help other students on her the thing she loved: feel the Poms team and in the trainer’s music.

She went months feeling lost room when they are in need of assistance. and like she had lost control.

From being injured for so Vasquez trailed to a follow long, she has picked up on up appointment with a new basic trainer’s skills like propdoctor’s office searching for erly bandaging an ankle or any other answer. wrist, wrapping ice, and other Finally, she got the answer helpful tasks. she was looking for. She had “After practice and compean extreme muscle tear the

see VASQUEZ page 30

FEATURES

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January 2017 • THE VOICE • 17

DOUBLE TRUCK

Super bowl staples

‘85 Chicago Bears

T

tyler lopez • staff writer he Chicago Bears, headed by legendary tight end turned coach, fought through the 1985 season and came out with 15-1 record, losing only to the San Francisco 49ers.

From that, the Bears would play the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XX. The score was 46-10, the Bears killed the Patriots by 36 points.

This would be the last time the Bears would win a Super Bowl, but the second time they would play in one, the next being 22 years later in 2007. The Bears would lose to the Indianapolis Colts 29-17.

“Compared the 2007 game, the Bears killed their opponent in 1985. It was the best game played by the best team of that era” senior Mitch Johnson said.

Back in 1985, the Bears were unstoppable. The “Monsters of the Midway”, they were called. Losing only to the San Francisco 49ers, the Bears posted a 15-1 record for the 1985 season.

The defensive line was revolutionary; stopping every team from moving down field.

Coach Mike Ditka crafted the Bears into true Monsters, that went on to win Super Bowl XX. Legendary players such as Jim McMahon, William “The Refrigerator” Perry and Mike Singletary all played against the Patriots.

However, one of the most famous football players in history, Walter Payton, never scored a single point.

The aforementioned William Perry overshadowed the 1985 Bears in popularity. He was the huge, funny guy that

D. Brown

stole Payton’s chance at Super Bowl glory.

Coach Mike Ditka had then quarterback Jim McMahon throw the ball to Perry, in which he scored a touchdown.

The original play was for Payton. Years later Ditka expressed his regret for making the call.

Despite Ditka’s own admission, Payton never questioned his call. As for the matchup; not a single sportscaster favored the underdogs that were the 1985 New England Patriots.

D. Brown

The Patriots were pegged as a Cinderella team for their division, meaning they performed better than normal circumstances. The matchup was legendary, but improbable.

The 1985 Chicago Bears will go down as one of the best teams in football history, containing famous players a famous coach and unforgettable danced, dubbed the “Super Bowl Shuffle.” To witness the game must have been extraordinary, a stark contrast to today’s Bears. •

Commercials of the Super Bowl michael panzerella • staff writer After getting hurt in the big game, a little boy gives from the stands gives Pittsburgh Steelers player, Joe Greene, a Coca-Cola to cheer him up. After finally getting convinced to drink it, Greene feels good and gives the boy his jersey. •

18 • THE VOICE • January 2017

DOUBLE TRUCK

Half-time performance

C

sarah biernat • staff writer

oming out on a metallic lion, the crowd roared. The University of Phoenix Stadium stands shook with excitement as Katy Perry opened up for the 49th annual Super Bowl. From his living room senior Steele Dehmlow was apart of the crowd.

“I’ve only seen a few [games],” Dehmlow said. “I really liked her [performance] because of all the props and choreography.”

With Left Shark killing the show but not the dance moves, the California beaches were brought to the stage.

Perry was living her teenage dream in her new beach ball swimsuit, prancing around

with her swinging palm trees and background shark dancers.

Within the following weeks internet memes spiraled out of control. While Perry’s showmanship was excellent, one thing that passed up her vocals and hits was Left Shark.

According to Dehmlow he watched “not just because of Left Shark,” but did thoroughly enjoy watching the hot mess of his performance.

It seemed his lack of rhythm was the highlight of the show.

“Maybe [he] could’ve been a substitute,” Dehmlow said.

“Or came in late.” The world may never know, but at least right shark knew his choreo.

Katy Perry with the infamous Left and Right Sharks.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Back to the night, with the hype of Perry’s high energy performance continuing on, seconds after the duration of “California Gurls,” the stage went black. Confused, Dehmlow waited for what was going to happen next.

With copious amounts of black and white figures popping out, Missy Elliott appeared. What was once a summer-pop song became a darker rap tune. Elliott broke into the first verse of “Get Ur Freak On” instantaneously.

The abrupt start was not to Dehmlow’s liking.

“I didn’t know who she was,” he said. “[Her performance] came out of nowhere.”

As the performance finished off, the stadium literally blew up. “Firework” was the finale and Perry belted the hit track as fireworks filled the arena.

And with that, the camera cuts to outside the arena, smoke filling the atmosphere.

It was a memorable night. •

A little boy dressed as Darth Vader thinks he can do it all, but when his dad’s new Volkswagen Passat comes he stops everything to look at it. When his dad starts the car the same time he tries to move it, the lights turn on. This commercial took the world by storm, in a good way.•

Back in 2009, E-Trade was headlined as the best Super Bowl commercial after having a baby explain the company.

The baby explains trading and investing before retirement in a funny and weird way. •

January 2017• THE VOICE • 19

A&E

A fortunate new series

Netflix brings back ‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ nicholas fleege • staff writer

I

would advise all our viewers to watch something more pleasant,” warns Lemony Snicket (Patrick Warburton) in the opening scene of Netflix’s “A Series of Unfortunate Events.” His warning is rather shocking to an unknowing audience, but to a reader of the original 13 books the deterrent is all too familiar and should best be ignored.

After what many called a failed movie adaption in 2004, which had starred actors such as Jim Carrey and Meryl Streep, many book fans were cautiously optimistic when Netflix announced the new series back in November of 2014.

However, their fears were put to rest as Netflix has done a wonderful job at bringing

the books to life on screen.

Familiar quotes and jokes come to make the new series a fantastic watch.

The first thing you notice is the art and set design. Gothic and cheerful settings contrast to give the series a unique and elegant feel. The cartoony roads and homes help to lighten the mood in the midst of the frightening and villainous Count Olaf (Neil Patrick Harris).

The series has done a truly remarkable job of recreating what I remember when I read the books, though only the first two.

For what Netflix got right in art and design, the overall story is rather boring and unappealing for an adult audience.

The story begins with the Baudelaire children, Klaus (Louis Hynes), Violet (Ma-

Courtesy of https://www.facebook.com/UnfortunateEventsNetflix/

20 • THE VOICE • January 2017

rina Weissman), and Sunny (Presley Smith), whose parents perished in a fire which destroyed their mansion.

After their parents’ untimely death, the orphans are continually passed around to various caretakers, everyone of which seems to be a little weirder than the last, all the while Count Olaf constantly pursues them and their fortune.

The story is perfect for young adults, and it is clear it was written for them, but for people unable to suspend their disbelief the story starts to become repetitive and rather dumb overall.

Though with an unfortunate story and script, “A Series of Unfortunate Events” is still able to grasp its audience with its cast. Harris is incredible as Count Olaf, being truly evil and villainous. His dry, dead-

pan humor is really well done and adds a strong comedic element to the story.

The child actors playing the Baudelaire children also find their place in the series.

Each plays their part convincingly and really shine in the spotlight.

Overall, “A Series of Unfortunate Events” has been a great success for Netflix. The eight part series suffers from a dull story, but the production behind the series has succeeded in making a masterpiece for Netflix.

There is very much to love about “A Series of Unfortunate Events,” and if you are able to step into the world of weirdness, the series will become one of your favorites.

Lemony Snicket is wrong in his advice, as “A Series of Unfortunate Events” is one of the most pleasent shows I have seen recently. •

Top Five Albums of 2016

A&E

One of the worst years turns out some of the best music

2

lucas modzelewski • a&e editor 016 has been quite the controversial year. Many have declared it to be the worst year of all time.

Many heralded starlets and celebrities died such as Carrie Fisher, David Bowie, and the much beloved Harambe, many hyped up movies ended up crashing and burning for many fans (I’m looking at you, “Suicide Squad”), terrible shootings and terrorist attacks occurred all around the world and, of course, there was the presidential election where we were forced to choose between an incredibly rude misogynist who almost never has any idea what he was talking about, and an awkward potential criminal who tried her best to capitalize on whatever was popular at the time, but ended up looking like an idiot at every turn.

Seriously, my eyes will never heal from her dab on the Ellen Degeneres Show.

That was just disgusting. I still shudder thinking about it now.

Anyway, despite all that, I believe 2016 was not the worst year in recent memory.

Why? Well for one, this was one of the most exciting years for sports that I can remember, but more importantly, 2016 was an outstanding year for music.

David Bowie released one of his most talked about albums of all time, “Blackstar,” newcomer Anderson .Paak debuted with one of the most exciting albums of the year, “Malibu,” which contained “Come Down,” an instantly catchy tune that turned out to be one of my favorites of the year. I could really go on about all the great music that came out in 2016, but I want to present the five absolute best albums of the year.

Before I get to the actual list, I just want to throw in some albums that I thought were worth mentioning. Radiohead’s new album, “A Moon Shaped Pool,” was a calming and sometimes

terrifying journey that blew me away.

“Telefone,” from Chicago rapper, Noname, contained some of the best production I had heard all year with its somewhat simple, yet lovable jazzy beats.

Lastly, there’s Kanye’s much talked about record, “The Life of Pablo,” which was a clunky and inconsistent album, but also contained the absolute best track of the year, “Ultralight Beam.” Anderson .Paak’s album, “Malibu,” as mentioned above, was another favorite of mine that just narrowly managed to not crack the top five. Now, here are the lucky few that did.

5. “Ultimate Care II” Matmos

and mix every sound they can get out of that washing machine and they end up getting a pretty cool experimental electronic album, that can be soothing and calming at some times, to becoming a blood-pumping dance beat that will make you want to jump out of your seat.

“Ultimate Care II” manages to stay engaging throughout, and you never know what you are going to hear next. Well, aside from sounds of a washing machine.

While, sonically, albums like “Anti” by Rihanna or The 1975’s latest record may be more appealing and easier to listen to, “Ultimate Care II” is a rewarding experience that will satisfy any electronic fan or open-minded music fan, in general, as long as you are willing to step outside your usual genre.

Best Songs: The whole album is one song, but the best sections are “Excerpt Six” and “Excerpt Nine.”

4. “Coloring Book” Chance the Rapper Courtesy of https://www.facebook.com/chancetherapper/

Courtesy of https://thrilljockey. com/products/ultimate-care-ii

This is the strangest, yet most intriguing album I have heard in a very long time. Matmos, an electronic duo based out of San Francisco, decided that for their newest project they would make a 38-minute long album, consisting of one song, and the entirety of it would be made using samples of a wash cycle of a Whirlpool Ultimate Care II washing machine.

Now, I know you may be thinking, “How in the world do legends like Kanye West, David Bowie, and Green Day get beaten out by washing machine sounds?”

Honestly, it’s a little hard to explain, but Matmos do their best to manipulate,

This album was my personal favorite of the year, and while I had considered myself a Chance fan since I heard his second mixtape, “Acid Rap,” this was the one that made me a mega fan of his, and I have been trying to keep track of everything he has released since.

The hype for this record began back January 2017 • THE VOICE • 21

A&E when Kanye released his much anticipated album, “The Life of Pablo,” and everyone could not help but notice Chance’s standout verse on “Ultralight Beam.”

The day this album came out, the second I woke up I listened to the whole album, and then continued to listen to it over and over for the next few weeks.

I was worried that what was known as “Chance 3” would not be as good as I was hoping after hearing a leaked version of “No Problem” and not really being that impressed. However, the newly dubbed “Coloring Book” did not disappoint.

The first two tracks were pretty decent, but the point in which I really fell in love with this LP was on the third song, “Summer Friends.” It combined elements of relaxing vocals from Francis and the Lights and purely nostalgic lyrics coming from Chance.

The entirety of the album takes hiphop and smashes it together with gospel, and does it oh so perfectly.

The final song of the album is where Chance really shines as an artist.

In “Blessings (Reprise),” Chance manages to convey beautiful imagery, remind the listener of childhood memories, mention inspirations like Nat King Cole, Kanye West, and Michael Jackson, and even reference old classic stories like “The Odyssey,” as well as modern classics like “The Lion King,” with perfect flow all in less than a minute and a half. After blowing everyone away with that verse, Chance begins to croon, “are you ready?” as the final moments of the album begin.

A choir soon enters the picture and for the rest of the song, they sing a magical melody as they ask the same question over and over.

Chance has made it as easy as possible to listen to “Coloring Book,” as you can currently download it from DatPiff for free or get it from any streaming services.

There’s no reason to not take a Chance on this LP. This is the type of music that makes you feel good. The only thing you need to ask yourself before listening is, “Are you ready?”

Best Songs: “Blessings (Reprise),” “Finish Line,” and “How Great.”

22 • THE VOICE • January 2017

3. “A Sailor’s Guide to Earth” - Sturgill Simpson

Courtesy of http://store. sturgillsimpson.com/a-sailor-s-guide-to-earth-cd.html

A good country album in 2016?

What!? Have I gone crazy?

Surprisingly, no. I have always considered myself someone who despises modern country music. I just could not take acts like Jason Aldean, Blake Shelton, and especially the brutally abysmal Florida Georgia Line seriously. However, just because the most popular country songs are bad does not mean all country songs are bad.

Take “A Sailor’s Guide to Earth,” for example. You will not find any traditional “beer, trucks, and girls”-type lyrics in this record. Sturgill Simpson displays absolute class for the entire 39 minute length.

The album is a sort of welcome-tothe-world letter to his newborn child, and it includes some of the best instrumentation of any album this year.

“A Sailor’s Guide to Earth” takes classic country, blues, and rock-and-roll and mixes it all in a blender to create one remarkable southern smoothie.

For those who, like me, consider themselves someone who just cannot stand country, do yourself a favor and give this album a listen. I would highly recommend listening to the opening track as you might find a little more Chicago and a little less Brad Paisley than you might expect. It also bears a strong resemblance to Styx’s smash hit song, “Come Sail Away,” with its slow piano-based start, and then completing

flipping into a more upbeat and fun jam that you can really groove to.

Simpson’s album also contains a fantastic cover of Nirvana’s “In Bloom,” but giving the lyrics a whole new meaning with its more blues and country feel.

There is also “Breakers Roar,” a personal favorite of mine, a heartbreaking and beautiful song that comes near the beginning of the album.

There was no other music in 2016 that took me by surprise more than “A Sailor’s Guide to Earth,” and with its recent Grammy nomination for Album of the Year, this 9 song tracklist is just begging to be listened to Best Songs: “Breakers Roar,” “Welcome to Earth (Pollywog)”

2. “A Seat at the Table” -

Courtesy of https://www. facebook.com/solange/

Solange

“And do you belong?”

“I do.”

Solange confidently states this about her place in the world, in “Weary.”

“A Seat at the Table” is Beyoncé’s sister Solange Knowles’ latest foray into the pop world, but this time she takes a more political turn.

Solange cleverly interweaves interludes containing political beliefs, and seemingly straightforward statements with empowering songs about her own life and the life of a black woman.

The meaningbehind the words are not the only things that make this album great, though. The melodies and production on here are absolutely stellar.

The song mentioned earlier, “Weary,” is a standout that contains some beautiful

A&E still say that “Formation” is an unfortukeyboards and synths in the chorus that nate stain on this album’s perfect memogive off a kind of Brian Eno-esque vibe. ry. Anyways, I had convinced myself that However, these basic synth patterns “Lemonade” was yet another overrated soon turn to magical glissandos, soundalbum that everyone purely loved for the ing like a hand sweeping across some themes of women empowerment, but sort of futuristic synth piano, but not at I finally gave “Lemonade” a good hard random. It’s to a point where every single listen, and I watched the visual album note sounds exactly placed to perfection. that came with it.

In a way, “Weary” is a perfect example I had never been more wrong about of the entire album because of that exact anything in my life. reason. The album sounds so soulful and “Lemonade” absolutely blew me away. inspired, while also sounding perfectly It was unlike anything I had heard before. choreographed and organized.

It defies and transcends genre, while There are only a couple of features on creating an intensely interesting story the track listing, but each one is as good about adultery, betrayal, and love. A big as the last. Even Lil Wayne, one of the question on a lot of listeners’ minds is most divisive figures in rap, gives a great where or not the story is based on Beverse to “Mad.” He manages to stay on yoncé’s own life. No one seems to really topic and with the song’s theme, an issue know, as there has been no confirmation he tends to have on a large amount of his on it, despite the intense amount of hate guest appearances. and slander that gets thrown Jay-Z’s way “A Seat at the Table” is a great listening from fans who do not know any better. choice for anyone who likes music at all.

One of the record’s highlights is Unlike “Ultimate Care II,” where I could “Don’t Hurt Yourself,” a sort of gasee someone disliking it for a multitude rage-rock/reggae mix, which features a of reasons, unless you absolutely hate any unique reggae style production, yet also type of soul music or are one of those contains garage-rock-like percussion and people who only listens to one genre, a filter on Beyoncé’s voice that reminds there’s no way you can hate on this alme of a slightly more subtle version of bum.

Julian Casablancas’s signature tinny filter Best Songs: “Weary,” “Cranes in the from The Strokes classic albums, “Is This Sky,” “Mad,” “Don’t Wish Me Well.”

It” and “Room on Fire.”

“Lemonade” also has one of the best 1. “Lemonade” - Beyoncé country songs of the year, “Daddy Lessons,” a terrific ballad that is better than any Adele song you will hear any time soon, “Sandcastles,” and a light, fluttery, and smooth psychedelic-type song in “Love Drought,” among other things.

And of course, I could not forget “Freedom,” possibly the best song of the year after “Ultralight Beam,” which features Kendrick Lamar in a unique mix of ‘70s blues-rock and a modern, Courtesy of https://www.facebook. empowering Beyoncé song. It is a perfect com/beyonce/ mix of old and new, much like “Lemonade,” itself.

I really wanted to not like “LemonThe saying goes: when life gives you ade.” lemons, you make lemonade. However, I had heard a lot about how good it for Beyoncé, when life gave her lemons, was, but I had never really been a BeA. Landman she made the album of the decade. yoncé fan, and the only song I had heard Best Songs: “Freedom,” “Sandcastles,” from the album was “Formation,” which “Love Drought” • I did not like at all. Even after listening, I

January 2017 • THE VOICE • 23

This month in

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT: SHOWS:

59th Annual Grammy Awards- Feb. 12 The Walking DeadFeb. 12 Bates Motel- Feb. 20 89th Annual Academy Awards- Feb. 26 The Voice premiereFeb. 27

MOVIES:

American ViolenceFeb. 3 The Space Between Us- Feb. 3 Fifty Shades DarkerFeb. 10 Disney’s Newsies: The Broadway Musical- Feb. 16 Fist Fight- Feb. 17

A&E

Courtesy of https://www.facebook.com/ HiddenFigures/

‘Hidden Figures’ soars

The boundary-breaking story comes to the big screen

H

madison barr• staff writer

idden Figures” is a true story based on the incredible stories of African-American women and their roles in the Space Race, which is considered to be one of America’s greatest achievements.

This film is originally based on the recently-released, non-fiction book by Margot Lee Shetterly, “Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race.”

The movie focuses on the lives of three women: Katherine Johnson, portrayed

by Taraji P. Henson, Dorothy Vaughan, portrayed by Octavia Spencer, and Mary Jackson, portrayed by Janelle Monáe.

Johnson is given the opportunity to work in the Space Task Group and aid in preparing for America’s first orbital mission with John Glenn, an aviator, engineer astronaut who would later become the United States Senator from Ohio.

At this time, the entire Space Task Group is filled with white males, making Johnson’s presence even more revolutionary as she soars above them with her expertise in analytic geometry.

Dorothy Vaughan is the unofficial supervisor of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics’ West Computing 24• THE VOICE • January 2017

Unit and quickly becomes an expert FORTRAN programmer.

FORTRAN is a programming language originally developed by International Business Machines which is used for numeric and scientific computation.

Through her hard work, she finally earns her well-deserved title of supervisor and is able to work outside of the segregated computing unit she once worked in.

Mary Jackson receives an offer to work for engineer Karl Zielinski, portrayed by Aleksander Krupa.

With this opportunity, Jackson is able to work in the 4-foot by 4-foot Supersonic Pressure Tunnel and Zielinski suggests that she takes a training program that would be able to promote her to the title of engineer.

Jackson later becomes NASA’s first African American engineer in 1958.

These three incredibly intelligent women have a point of view from an important part of history that is often overlooked, and this movie allows that story to truly shine through.

While on the surface, this movie is about the Space Race, the underlying story is about representation and success on a large-scale platform during times of difficulty and segregation.

“Hidden Figures” is able to successfully project an important message to those watching. That message being that it is important to break down barriers and push for what you want no matter your race or gender, because someday you might even create history.

This message is exactly what a multitude of women very much so needed to hear with what is currently happening and certain comments a specific person has said about women; that message being that they can do anything if they put their minds to any objective.

Not to mention that the amount of African American actors and actresses is astonishing. With movies such as “Ghost in the Shell” and “Aloha” whitewashing characters of color, it is incredibly refreshing to see these actual people be played by those of their race.

The power of women should not be underestimated, for they are up to any task you put in front of them, no matter the circumstances, and will not hesitate to prove anyone wrong.

If you are looking for a movie packed full with revolutionary events, a star-studded cast, and a phenomenal soundtrack, “Hidden Figures” is the way to go. •

‘Split’ is a compelling thrill

A&E

M. Night Shyamalan returns to form with his latest film courtney thomas • editor-in-chief greater purpose: to help bring out “The

Courtesy of https://www.facebook.com/SplitMovie/

D

issociative Identity Disorder is one of the most disputed psychiatric disorders.

Characterized by at least two recurring identities, this disorder has no clear cause, diagnosis, or treatment. It is one of the most puzzling disorders ever studied, and can only be studied on a case-by-case basis.

Director M. Night Shyamalan captures the disturbing wonders of this disorder in his latest thriller, “Split.” The movie starts as teenager Claire Benoit’s (Haley Lu Richardson) birthday party ends, and Claire and two of her friends, Casey (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Marcia (Jessica Sula) are kidnapped by Kevin (James McAvoy), a man diagnosed with Dissociative Identity Disorder, who has 24 different identities.

Throughout the movie, the girls are introduced to three of Kevin’s 24 different identities: Dennis, a man with OCD, Miss Patricia, the girls’ main caretaker, and Hedwig, a nine-year-old boy who wants the other personalities to stop making fun of him. Through counseling sessions shown throughout the movie, Barry, a gay designer, is also met.

As the movie progresses, we learn that the girls were kidnapped to serve a

Beast,” Kevin’s 24th and final identity.

Each personality who interacts with the girls reminds them that they are there for that reason and that they are “helping the human race,” by allowing Kevin to unleash this identity.

McAvoy does a brilliant job playing his many different roles; there is a clear distinction between each one, and it is obvious that McAvoy put a lot of time into each individual role.

Hedwig’s role was the most compelling personality we saw. From his voice, which was laced with a speech impediment, to his childlike demeanor, McAvoy really stepped into this identity. Hedwig definitely kept the audience wanting more, from the background of his character, to just his mere presence.

Out of all of the fascinating scenes and intriguing thoughts that this movie brings to the table, the most interesting ones were with Kevin’s psychologist, Dr. Karen Fletcher (Betty Buckley). Dr. Fletcher allows the audience to explore deeper into the world of Dissociative Identity Disorder.

From her, we learn just how the disorder works in Kevin’s mind: each identity sits in a chair until it is given time in the “light,” which means that that identity is allowed to inhabit Kevin’s body. But some identities are not allowed time in the light, and have been labeled undesirable, meaning that, in the past, they have done something bad and have been banished in order to keep Kevin safe.

Kevin’s character is based on real life Dissociative Identity Disorder sufferer Billy Milligan, who raped three Ohio State University students in the 1970s. He also had 24 known identities.

Shyamalan had been developing the story for a few years before producers got wind of the story. After string of poorly created movies, “Split” puts him back on

the map, and mark his return. Shyamalan has directed the ever popular horror movie, “The Sixth Sense,” and the drama/ mystery “Unbreakable” to name a few.

One of his signature moves as a director is to add a twist at the end of his movies, one that no one could see coming. The twist in “Split” does not fall short of his other twists, but it does not live up to the one in “The Village,” his 2004 thriller, which had one of the most creative endings I have ever seen.

“Split” effectively showcased the mysteries surrounding Dissociative Identity Disorder, while still creating an entertaining and captivating thriller. Shyamalan’s newest movie is sure to put him back on the map, and will leave audiences wanting more of Kevin and his multiple personalities. • Courtesy of https://www.facebook.com/SplitMovie/

January 2017 • THE VOICE • 25

BRIEFS

Stunting their way to state

E. Pilat

W

maggie mcgee • opinion editor ith competition season coming to an end, Huntley cheer reflects on an impressive season.

Varsity made their debut at their first competition of the season with a first place finish at Crystal Lake South.

Most recently they ended with a second place win in conference, and are now preparing for sectionals and hoping to come out with a bid to state.

Huntley must place in the top five in order to go to state, however head coach Renee Fowler is confident in her team.

“We are going to try our best and perform at our highest level to make it through sectionals,” Fowler said. “Once we make it to state its just about that one day and those 3 minutes on the floor and how they perform that day.”

For seniors Ashlyn Budnick and Chloe Olszewski, their last month of cheering has quickly approached.

“It’s bittersweet because you put so much work into it and you realize that this is your last year cheering so you’re trying to make the most of everything,” Olszewski said.

“As much as you want it to be over somedays, then you realize it’s over in less than a month,” Budnick said.

With the majority of the season being over, all the team can do is reflect on past performances and take that with them to sectionals. Having not placed lower than fifth in any competition this season, Huntley proves to be a consistent competitor in the Fox Valley Conference.

You can cheer on Huntley at sectionals on Jan. 28 at 4:24 p.m. at Belvidere High School. •

26 • THE VOICE • January 2017

SPORTS

SPORTS

E. Pilat

Wrestling his way to the top Senior Josh Stenger prepares to take the state title bri governale• double truck editor

I

t is the do or die moment, the quarterfinal match of the IHSA State Wrestling Championships. Then a junior, Josh Stenger warmed up in the tunnels of the stadium waiting for his name to be called. He pushed another deep breath out of his lungs as he made his way to the mat. Looking out in the crowd, there were hundreds, maybe even thousands, of faces staring

right at him. His heart was racing and the nerves were really starting to get to him.

By the third period of the match, Stenger was winning 8-6. Suddenly, blood began to trickle down his nose and he began to feel like it was all over. The athletic trainer and all his coaches gathered around him in a circle, panic is filling the air.

Stenger’s coach, Rich Tado, looked him straight in the eye. He knew it was not over.

“This is what all the hours of time you have put in, all the hard work, all the blood, sweat, and tears, all of the extra work comes down to now,” Tado said. “I want one more take down, wrestle as hard as you can for one minute, and when it is all over and done with, you’ll be able to walk away on the podium.”

Stenger went back into his match more confident than ever. He is able to take his opponent down and win the match 13-6, giving him an automatic

place at state.

“That’s when I ran into my coach’s arms and we both cried,” Stenger said.

“Afterwards when I wrestled in the semi-finals, I felt a huge relief was taken off my shoulders.”

Stenger ended up walking out of the stadium as the 120-pound Class 3A fourth place state medalist next to some of the best wrestlers in the state.

“It was definitely a special moment when they announced I took fourth,” Stenger said. “It finally hit

January 2017• THE VOICE •27

SPORTS

me, like ‘wow, I actually did this’ and it just felt like everything I had ever done was for a purpose.”

Growing up, Stenger was the normal little boy who wrestled his brother and played games. As he got older, wrestling became more of a sport rather than a game.

“I started to appreciate the sport more and put more time and effort into wrestling to get the results I wanted,” Stenger said.

Stenger starting wrestling in the fifth grade, taking after his older brother, who he saw as a role model. Being around the sport and watching his brother compete for a few years finally made Stenger want to give it a try.

Going into his first practice, Stenger was a natural. His brother had been teaching him moves, making him look like a professional all ready.

“I remember the coaches asking me if I’d ever wrestled before,” Stenger said. “They were shocked

at what I was doing on my first day.”

Stenger had a trend at his tournaments: he would get destroyed by two opponents and beat the very last one. He would normally take third out of four until his very first regional tournament in 2010 when he took second.

Throughout his wrestling career, he has wanted to give up. Not because he did not like the sport, but because he felt as if he was not progressing.

“I felt like at times I was putting in too much time and effort only to get no where,” Stenger said. “It’s tough to keep going when you feel like quitting, but my dad has always been there for me and inspired me to be the best I can be.”

His dad, Steve Stenger, has always been his number one fan. Stenger can always count on his dad to help him get back up on his feet. “[Watching him wrestle] makes me nervous, but it’s exciting and fun at the

same time,” Steve said. “I like to see how he handles himself in defeat and when things don’t go his way to help him learn from his mistakes.”

Stenger has not given up on wrestling and will not anytime soon. On Jan. 16, he committed to wrestle at the University of Wisconsin La-Crosse starting in the fall of 2017.

The school has showed a liking to Stenger for the past year. Over the summer, the coaches visited his home for dinner, telling him he was their number one recruit for the Class of 2021.

“La-Crosse is a good school for wrestling that kind of has a legacy in the sport,” Stenger said. “It was something I wanted and they wanted me to be a part of.”

Wrestling may be a sport, but it is also his way of life. It may be a game to others, but Stenger takes it seriously and also has fun.

“Josh is a little bit of a goof ball, but I love him for

it,” Coach Erik Lachel said.

“In this sport you need that since it is so easy to burnout.”

Stenger has proven himself a threat for years now and is on his way to becoming a state champion this February.

“I know Josh will say anything less than a state championship would be falling short of his goals, but I on the other hand would disagree,” Lachel said. “He has already proved he is a champion in my book with or without the state title.”

Stenger is a two-time sectional champion, hoping for a three-peat, and placed eighth at the 2015 Preseason Nationals.

He is definitely one to look out for, having gone 45-6 last season and 31-4 so far this season. His high school record is 148-28.

“Wrestling has given me confidence in anything I do,” Stenger said. “It’s like a reminder that no matter what is thrown my way, I’ll be able to overcome it.” •

E. Pilat

28• THE VOICE •January 2017

SPORTS

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56 days until Spring Break

29 days until Spring Training Game #1 January 2017 • THE VOICE • 29

SPORTS

POLICY page 10

the gender they identify with, or don’t want to put in the effort to find a loophole plan,” Tatosian said. “They think that reaching out to help will not bring results they hope for, so they stick to what they’ve been doing.”

“I wish it would be more clear on what transgender students are allowed to and not allowed to do,” said Charlotte**, a transgender female student. “I just use the boys locker room and it makes me feel awkward and uncomfortable.”

According to Tatosian, this sentiment that the school is

unable or unwilling to help them stems from an underlying message given off not by the actual words of the policy, but by the actions of the school regarding it.

“It is massively insulting to trans students to keep [the policy] vague,” Tatosian said.

“It sends the message that we kind of know you’re here and we kind of are willing to make a change, but it’s not a top priority for us.”

However, the district’s intentions with the broad language were not to ostracize that specific population, but rather the opposite. According to Letkewicz, the policy was

BABYING page 8 Considering these are high school students being dealt with, they should be at the level of understanding what is right from wrong and really should be held accountable for their actions. That is how it is in the real world, which should be practiced in this environment as well. And while the consequences may not be as serious as it is, say in college, there are still conse-

VASQUEZ page 16

quences that are enforced.

Instead of treating us like children and expecting us to step up, maybe the faculty should treat us like the aspiring young adults they want us to become. While it is understandable that rules and regulations must be set in order to keep peace, the only way to truly teach us how to be adults is to give us the freedom we deserve. •

help in the trainer’s office, she did not walk away yearntitions, Marissa always woring for a career in physical ried about me and my foot, therapy. before herself and her own Now, she continues to feed injury,” teammate Meghan her growing passion for Reed said. helping those who were in a While Vasquez was injured, situation similar to her own. she was asked to be the team’s She provides student athletes manager. As a manager, with mental support as they she continued to impress continue their recoveries. her coach by choreograph“Anyone who knows Marissa ing dances, learning every knows that she is a natural routine, setting aside her leader,” said JV Coach Kristin individual needs to help her Maggiore. “Even when Maristeammates, and help new dancers at tryouts and camps. sa was injured, she spent all of Despite Vasquez’s injury, and tryouts helping everyone else.

She was a huge team player.” • 30 • THE VOICE • January 2017

meant to encompass all the rights and privileges guaranteed to transgender students along with other student populations.

“If we get too specific then we inadvertently exclude certain populations that absolutely need to be covered,” Letkewicz said. “This policy says that they have equal opportunities to their education which includes access to facilities.”

Letkewicz also cites safety as a concern in specifying the rights that transgender students have in using the school’s facilities. Recognizing that a student body of 3000 contains an array of viewpoints, the administration must find a way to “balance the idea that not every person in this building will be fully supportive, with providing [transgender students] with the rights they have.”

“We can’t make every student feel comfortable in every single situation,” Letkewicz said. “We know that not everybody agrees that they deserve equal rights.”

Conversely, Tatosian believes that including more specific terms as to what transgender students are allowed to do can increase their security in these facilities. If given clear wording, students who do not identify as trans-

gender will not be surprised to find a transgender student washing their hands in the sink next to them.

“I’m sure that the students at HHS will read the policy and know that since these are the rules, they have to respect it,” Tatosian said. “If they are aware that a trans-identifying student may be in the stall next to them, then they’ll hopefully know to respect them and their rights.”

“Even if a student or staff member tells that transgender student that they can’t be in that bathroom or locker room, they’ll feel most comfortable knowing that there’s something in the handbook that covers them,” Brandon*** said, a transgender male student.

Tatosian is calling for a change within the school’s policy written in the HHS student handbook: specifically outlining that transgender students are allowed to use the bathroom and the locker room of the gender with which they identify.

“If the safety and comfort of all students is a top concern for HHS, I believe that this is a step they have to take,” said Tatosian. • **Name changed to Charlotte ***Name changed to Brandon

D.C. page 7 who did not particularly march, most everyone had a reason to support the march.

“It seemed like the march was more than just for women, which was awesome to see,” London said. “In today’s American society, all those groups do not have equal

representation. All the groups there had a purpose, they were not just there for any publicity. I give my support to all of them because they were all there marching for something.” •

SPORTS

SPORTS

Courtesy of A. Vitellaro

Twirling to the top together Sisters Emily and Carly Vitellaro share the dance floor

bry walker • staff writer

O

ne-Two-Three, WE LOVE YOU VARSITY! ThreeTwo-One, WE KNOW YOU’RE NUMBER ONE,” JV Poms yells as varsity takes the floor. They all look alike as a team is supposed to, however two of them look almost identical.

Not identical twins, but sisters. Junior Emily Vitellaro and freshman Carly have been dancing together for nearly their entire lives. Both making Huntley High School varsity Poms as freshmen, you could say dancing runs in their blood.

Their mother, Aimee, was also a dancer. She danced her entire life through college on Northern Illinois University’s Cheerleading Dance Team.

“I put the girls in dance because I was a dancer and they would dance a little around the house,” Aimee said. “When they first started, Carly was about 2 and Emily was 3. They’ve always danced together since the very beginning.”

Emily has competed in dance for eight years; five at a private studio and three on the HHS Dance Team. Carly

has also competed for eight years; six at a private studio, one year on a private cheer team, and one year with the HHS Dance Team. The girls have studied a range of dance genres, including ballet, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, hiphop, and tap.

Throughout their dance career, the duo has won many regional and national awards.

Being together nearly 24/7 has strengthened their bond as sisters.

“How most siblings compete with each other, the girls aren’t like that,” Aimee said.

“There is no sibling rivalry, they are very supportive of each other. They have a special bond and it revolves around dance because it’s their life.”

Their strong sister bond is not only noticed by family and friends, but my coaches and teammates as well.

“The girls being sisters definitely have a positive impact on the team,” varsity coach Christine Amling said.

“They both come from very strong dance backgrounds. It’s nice to have one that’s older and one that’s younger.”

Both Emily and Carly agree that they are motivated

by each other to be better dancers.

“My sister definitely motivates me to do better because she is typically in the front and seeing her in the front makes me want to be in the front with her,” Carly said.

Even though Emily is the oldest of the two, she still looks up to her little sister.

“Carly motivates me as a dancer because there are things that she can do that I can’t,” she said. “There are things that I can do and she can’t, so that helps us motivate each other individually.”

Arguments definitely are a thing.

“Of course we have fights,

but they’re not real. I mean, all siblings argue,” Carly said.

“They work very well together,” Amling said.

“However, they do have their minor sisterly arguments sometimes.”

Despite their natural sibling disagreements, both girls love being on the team with each other.

“I love being on a team with her because we’ve always danced together,” Carly said.

“I think being a freshman on varsity is fun, I love meeting new people and having friends in different grades.” •

Sisters Emily (left) and Carly (right) Vitellaro after a competition when they were younger (Courtesy of A. Vitellaro).

January 2017 • THE VOICE • 31

SPORTS

What makes an athlete?

Students and coaches share what it takes to be the best

H

noah simmons•staff writer

untley High School has a variety of athletic activities to choose from. Whether someone likes to play baseball, basketball, or football, the choice is theirs.

In fact, Huntley High School is practically known for its athletic programs. The question made its way to many of the Huntley High School coaches and athletes alike; “What makes an athlete?”

Wrestling

Wrestling is one of the few sports at Huntley High School that does not involve more than one person going against another. Point against point, arm ‘gainst arm, mono e mono, one on one; that is what this sport is. At Huntley High School, wrestling is a pretty popular sport, with Benjamin Bertlesman as the head coach. “[An athlete is] a man or woman who goes beyond what their body can handle with speed, quickness, flexibility, strength, and especially mental fortitude to grab victory and hold on for dear life,” Bertlesman said.

His definition of what makes an athlete is very well-rounded in many skills that will help an athlete even outside of the sporting event.

“Being an athlete requires being effective in and out of your sport. Making good grades so you don't let your team down by becoming ineligible is a good example,”Junior Zach Spencer said. “We are student athletes so we have to maintain the student part. We also have to work our hardest in practice to remain competitive, but to advance beyond our competition we must also put in our own work outside of practice.”

Spencer’s own definition of an athlete really focuses on the “student athlete” aspect of it.

“My mentality is that the most important characteristic for an athlete is work ethic, because you can have all of the talent in the world,” he said. “But without work ethic, that talent can amount to nothing against someone who has it.”

Baseball

Baseball: otherwise known as America’s pastime. In the state the nation is currently in, one cannot deny that baseball is a great way to distract a troubled citizen from whatever political cocktail is currently brewing.

Andy Jakubowski, head coach of Huntley High School’s boys baseball team, has his own definition of what makes an athlete.

“An athlete is someone who has talent along with the mental 32 • THE VOICE • January 2017

fortitude to overcome adversity,” he said. “An athlete is someone who is dedicated to his or her craft and will put in the time and effort on their own outside of practice.”

Jakubowski also believes, “an athlete is coachable and is always looking for ways to improve his or her game. An athlete is someone who will put the team first because the team is most important and the player is there is to do his or her job.”

One of Huntley’s own baseball players, senior Jeff Heinrich, put the definition like this: “Three words: spunk, passion, and zest.”

Basketball

Basketball is one of the most competitive sports here at Huntley High School. “Ball is life” as some would say, but that can apply to many other sports.

Girls basketball coach, Clay Henricksen, like the other coaches, not only has a definition for an athlete, but a great athlete.

“A great athlete is made through their dedication and hard work. They are dedicated to improving their craft, in whatever field they compete in, to become better,” he said. “Athletes dedicate themselves to their sport or competition and make great sacrifices in the process. They are driven by competition and are truly made when they face adverse circumstances.”

Henricksen describes in detail the sacrifices and triumphs that separates a good athlete, from a great athlete.

Volleyball

An incredibly underrated sport, and surprisingly exhilarating to watch. With our team going further into the postseason this year than ever before, it is easily one of the most exciting sports to watch.

Karen Naymola, girls volleyball coach, provides her very intricate and precise definition of what she believes makes an athlete.

“According to the dictionary an athlete is a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, and stamina,” she said. “But there is much more than the physical strength and the rest of the physical attributes.

“An athlete is a competitor and every game, match,

series, tournament and practice is an opportunity to compete and get better.”

Naymola’s definition is all about improvement, and getting better. To her, that is what makes an athlete.

“To be an athlete not just requires physical skill and training, but mental training as well, she said. “An athlete's constitution is approximately 60 percent mental and 40 percent physical.

Strength, conviction, desire and the fire to compete are just some of the driving forces behind being a great athlete!”• Varsity volleyball celebrating a regional championship (Courtesy of @HHS_Athletics1 Twitter).

SPORTS

This month in SPORTS: HHS: Girls Basketball vs. Crystal Lake South -Feb. 4 Orchesis Show- Feb. 9,10,11 Girls Basketball vs. Prairie Ridge- Feb. 10 Boys Basketball vs. Hampshire- Feb. 14 Girls Bowling vs. IHSA StateFeb. 18 Boys Track & Field Indoor Invite- Feb. 23 Girls Track & Field Indoor Invite- Feb. 25

PROFESSIONAL: Varsity baseball celebrating a regional championship (Courtesy of @HHS_Athletics1 Twitter).

Superbowl LI- Feb. 5 Chicago Cubs Spring Training begins (full squad)- Feb. 18 NBA Allstar Weekend- Feb. 19 Chicago Cubs vs. Oakland A’s @ Mesa Stadium- Feb. 25 Daytona 500- Feb. 26

A. Landman January 2017 • THE VOICE • 33

EDITORIAL

Embrace transgender students

I

n the last few years, the transgender community exploded in the news and on social media when Bruce Jenner came out as Caitlyn Jenner.

Her transition was so public thanks to the star’s ties to the Kardashian family.

Since then, the transgender community has raised many basic human rights issues. Schools and colleges throughout the country have been forced to answer questions regarding transgender students’ use of bathrooms and locker rooms.

Township High School District 211, for example, allowed a transgender student to use the facilities matching the gender they identified with. They are now involved in a lawsuit with parents objecting to this.

The United States Supreme Court recently decided to take a case regarding the use of school facilities by a transgender student in Virginia. The case will be heard and decided this term.

In the wake of this, The Voice began looking into the rights of the transgender students at Huntley High School, and other schools within our school district.

Currently, the District

158 policy regarding discrimination at HHS says “No student shall be denied equal educational and extracurricular opportunities on the basis of color, race, nationality, religion, sex, sexual orientation, ancestry, age, physical or mental disability, gender identity, status of being homeless, order of protection status, marital or parental status, or pregnancy.”

This policy, however, fails to mention anything specifically about the facilities, namely bathrooms and locker rooms, within the school and their use by transgender students.

Should a girl-turned-boy transgender student change in the boys locker room, the gender with which they

34• THE VOICE • January 2017

identify, or the girls locker room, the gender they were given at birth?

Should a boy who is transitioning into a girl go to the girls bathroom, the gender with which they are transitioning to, or the boys bathroom, the gender they anatomically match?

HHS has adopted a caseby-case solution to develop plans for individual transgender students. These students, who are 14 to 18 years old, are expected to take the initiative and reach out to their counselors to let them know that they need special accommodations.

“Conversations have been had individually to address the problem with students who are comfort-

able to see their counselors, but not all students are going to see their counselors,” Danyce Letkewicz, assistant principal, said.

And there’s the issue: those who don’t feel comfortable talking to their counselors can be left behind. What student, who is so uncomfortable in their own body that they feel the need to change genders, would feel comfortable enough to tell a counselor that they are transgender or transitioning?

The district’s policy regarding discrimination is vague and fails to tell transgender students specifically where to go to get answers.

It is obvious that the school is unsure of how they want to handle facility use; the

G. Bryczek

EDITORIAL case-by-case solution is not written or advertised anywhere for students to access.

Transgender students are left wondering where to go to get the answers they deserve.

“It massively insulting to trans students to keep it vague,” non-binary sophomore Eli Tatosian said. “It’s saying that we don’t trust you enough because we believe the parent’s concerns to have more importance over yours.”

Huntley High School is not alone. Many other schools in the area follow a similar procedure, leaving it up to the students to raise their voice and ask for accommodations.

This case-by-case, take-them-as-they-come strategy is not enough.

We at The Voice believe that HHS administration needs to do more for their transgender students by clearly outlining a policy that specifically tells them what to do and where to go.

“Outlining this policy will send the message that [the administration] recognizes that [transgender students] are here,” Tatosian said. “[It will say] they’re willing to devote time and resources to make [us] comfortable and defend us if we are being harassed or bullied, and take the time to make sure we don’t feel threatened in this school.”

HHS should look to

School District U-46, which includes Bartlett, Larkin, Elgin, South Elgin, and Streamwood High Schools. U-46 has created what they call “Guidelines to Support Transgender Students.” While their policy utilizes the case-by-case method as well, U-46 has made it clear the way they go about helping transgender students.

The guidelines lay out policies and procedures regarding bathrooms and locker rooms, student privacy, name and pronoun discrepancies, and overnight field trips. There is also a list of key terms to be used when referring to transgender students.

The U-46 guidelines say that transgender students are allowed to use the facilities that “correspond with their gender identity consistently asserted at school.”

The administration at Huntley High School has been reluctant to create a policy similar to the one that U-46 has and are concerned about what such a policy would create.

“We have 3,000 students in this building who are all very different and diverse in their views and opinions,” Letkewicz said. “We have to address safety first.”

While the safety of the transgender students is a valid concern, the administration should put a little more faith into its students.

While some students might find sharing the bathroom with someone of a different anatomical sex uncomfortable and strange, transgender students are not going to be targeted if the administration creates a transgender policy.

It would do the exact opposite. It would normalize their existence.

The Voice also understands that parents’ concerns play a part in the administration’s hesitation to create a policy. Even so, Huntley High School should value its students’ rights over the opinions of parents.

“If we have this change in policy, it would mean

something bigger than the students and the bathrooms,” Tatosian said. “It’s the message to students, parents, [and] other districts, that we are accepting of people who don’t fit the definition of normal.

We are accepting of all people and we will take the necessary measure to make sure you feel safe and welcomed.”

Huntley High School likes to think of itself as a leader of education in so many ways.

It is time for the high school to step up and be the leaders they claim they are, and make the accommodations our transgender students deserve. •

To see District U-46’s

“Guidelines to Support Transgender Students” scan the QR code below

January 2017 • THE VOICE • 35

V THE VOICE

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