27 minute read
haunt 31 spooks all A&E
To scare or be scared at Haunt 31
Toby Wrolson turns his home into a scare
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By Cam Molbeck
It is a seemingly peaceful weekend night on South Annandale Drive during the spooky season of Halloween. But down the street, shrieks of fright and the clicking of animatronics activating fill the cold air.
The popular homemade haunted house, Haunt 31, is a hopping place and an attraction for both locals and people from out of state. At the heart of it all is Toby Wrolson and his family. It all started back in 2000. The family had moved in in 1999 and then started building. The Halloween attraction began gaining attention in 2002.
“The first couple props were button-powered, and when I saw my wife crawling across the floors that she could hit the button and scare people I’m like ‘we’re hooked,’” Wrolson said.
Over the past 21 years, Wrolson has spent around $90,000, as well as the additional yearly costs of storage, prop building, repairs, shipping, and food for volunteers. Every year, anywhere from $3,000 to $8,000 is spent, which means donations are a big part of keeping Haunt 31 alive.
Wrolson also makes the animatronics and helps to build the haunted house at Goebbert’s Farm, as well as Haunt 31 and his job. While some of the props are static, the biggest features are the animatronics. Even some of the headstones rock or leak blood. One has a ghoulish creature leaping out from behind it. Using donated scrap material or even garbage, Wrolson has managed to create a haunted wonderland.
Some of the biggest animatronics include Fluffy, the large were-dog that leaps out at you when you pass him, as if the “beware of dog” signs are not enough. One of the newer features of the year include a largerthan-life size skeleton that looms over the entire yard, with animated eyes that blink and shift.
The garage also turns into a spooky experience, enveloped in green swamp lighting and a dungeon side of horror. Not scary enough? Volunteers dress up as spooky creatures such as clowns and walk around, scaring the unsuspecting passersby. They hide in the garage, feigning to be a statue, as well as the exit box as a mummy, so watch your back! From the beginning of September through November, the bustle of Haunt 31 is constant.
“So September, almost from the first day, is bringing stuff home and setting up and then October is a show every single night whether it’s ‘why isn’t this working’ or ‘we’re setting up,’” Wrolson said.
At the peak of Halloween, hundreds of people are floating around the area. Some nights, local police officers will stop by just to keep watch and enjoy the environment. Many of the people who live in the neighborhood are also big fans of Wrolson’s work.
The volunteers are all individuals whom Wrolson knows or lives close by. One of them includes a girl living across the street and even some high school students looking for something fun to get into the Halloween spirit.
“I think it’s just seeing it all come together and how it fits.” Wrolson said.
November is the time where Wrolson needs the most help. Just coming down on a Saturday to help rake leaves is just as good as anything else. So even after the spooky buzz has died down, if you wish to support this local haunted attraction, November is the best time to do so.
If haunts and spooks are your things, then Haunt 31 is definitely the place for you. Be sure to catch it before the Halloween season is over. Wrolson works very hard to make this haunted house the best it can be; all visitors are welcomed by the family who make this attraction their life for a few months.
The Wrolson’s have a cauldron that is topped by a giant spider. A skeleton located in the Wrolson’s front yard.
October reignites passions for real-life horror
By Sandra Skiba
With Halloween right around the corner, people are preparing to spend this weekend’s nights with some true crime. The best ways to get into true crime time are everywhere.
True Crime Articles
Reading true crime articles is a great way to learn something new.
These articles contain a lot of detail on crime cases that are currently happening or have happened, but most of the articles contain details of the events itself and not what happened before or after.
Reading articles about the St. Valentine’s Day Massacre can spark some imagination as to what could have happened that day. In 1929, seven gang
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True crime time
members were dead. Al Capone planned the massacre, but no one was ever convicted.
Articles are written in a specific order to make it easy for readers to understand. With the descriptive details and routes to other articles or stories, it is definitely a loved true crime style among many.
True Crime Netflix Documentaries
Netflix offers a large amount of true crime media. These films are produced in a way to keep people watching and entertained, and they are one of the best forms of true crime series.
Netflix documentaries always contain interviews and real images to gain interest. The films show the investigation chronoligically, often through the eyes of the police.
When watching the series about the notorious murderer, Ted Bundy, it is clear that months, maybe even years, were dedicated to this production. Interviews were made with as many people as possible, videos or photos were shared as often as possible, and unknown details were shared throughout the series.
Although Netflix films are based on fact, they still make an effort to show criminals as real people. Explaining the way Ted Bundy spoke and how others felt about him gave the audience the ability to see him as a little more than just a killer.
Netflix definitely has a handful of great documentaries to watch for Halloween.
Murder Mystery and Makeup Monday
YouTube is filled with amazing creators who talk about true crime. Bailey Sarian has been hosting weekly videos on her channel for years of her doing makeup while talking about both solved and unsolved cases.
The research Sarian does for her videos is in depth and detailed. It is a fantastic way to listen into a criminal’s background story along with their offenses.
The video Sarian made about Belle Gunness involves detail, humor, pictures, and background facts. Gunness was an active serial killer in Indiana and Illinois for many years. Bailey’s video describes her journey and details of what was happening in her life before, during, and after these murders were committed.
The Murder Mystery series on YouTube is perfect to listen to when relaxing or even have on as background noise. Obvious effort is shown in these videos, and they always keep the listeners entertained and engaged.
Fall is the peak of true crime time. Documentaries, articles, podcasts, videos, and many more forms of true crime are great ways to immerse yourself into the world of mystery and criminals for anyone looking to start their Halloween weekend on a chilling note.
Physical evidence like fingerprints and photographs are some of the most important things for investigators to collect.
Therapeutic, honest, and hilarious podcast
By Lauren Schmit
Staring at a bright, blazing screen for hours, bouncing back and forth between the social media apps just to keep our attention span obtained. At moments wishing to throw the cell phone across the room to let your eyes have a moment to readjust. Trying to stay focused and productive while staying away from your cell phone, but wanting something to entertain you with discussion or even just noise. An hour long podcast to let the stress from reality dissolve is something that everyone needs.
“I would hope that young girls could relate to me and see that the lives of people on the internet are not as perfect as they seem,” YouTube content creator Emma Chamberlain said on your YouTube channel.
If being relatable was a person, it would be Chamberlain. She talks about relationships, anxiety, and has deep discussions that many listeners do not have an outlet for. She also speaks on a few of her interests such as fashion, art, and spirituality.
As these topics are very popular in the media, she gains the fascination of many people. On TikTok
and social media many listeners have felt like Chamberlain has helped them through many tough situations in their life, by having a podcast to listen and relate to.
Chamberlain’s career boosted in 2017 as she was thriving within her YouTube career by uploading videos and content. Chamberlain was only 16 years old when she started her podcast,“Stupid Genius,” later changing the name to “Anything Goes.” “I feel like I kind of outgrew it in a sense. So I’m going to be starting a new podcast with a different name,” Chamberlain said.
In “Stupid Genius” she asked a question, and it was the focus for the entirety of the episode. She also included guest stars like Rhett and Link and Josh Peck.
However, “Anything Goes” is quite different. It stars only Chamberlain and no guests. She picks a topic to talk about and it is not scripted.
Chamberlain has a 4.8 star rating and 15 million followers from “Anything Goes” and still gains publicity from her YouTube channel and coffee company “Chamberlain Coffee.”
Listeners of Chamberlain’s podcast have noted that it feels as though there is a bond between the audience and Chamberlain. She talks about her own personal experiences making it easier for people to not feel alone.
Within her podcasts she wraps up a thought by saying “right?” as if the audience is almost having a conversation.
Chamberlain accomplishes the task of being the friend that is willing to have these conversations and she makes it personal to the audience by showing compassion and comfort.
“Seeing someone I look up to facing and talking about the same issues I deal with on a regular basis is really eye-opening. It can be really easy to go on social media and see famous influencers and forget that they are human beings just like we are,” said Racquel Williams, Greyhound review writer.
Chamberlain has recently gained more publicity on social media and is moving onto bigger things in her career such as being an ambassador for Louis Vuiton, having her own coffee company, and public speaking in social events.
Chamberlain posing while advertising for “Chamberlain Coffee,” the coffee business she pursued after making a living through youtube.
John Park/ CC BY 3.0 John Park/ CC BY 3.0
Fans dress up in Harry Styles inspired outfits
By Lael Malibiran
The rush of the crowd, the bright outfits, the scent of excitement, and the audible tones of squealing from every different clique all filled up the United Center Arena during Harry Styles’ “Love On Tour” concert.
Going to a music concert is mostly centered around the artist and the music, not to mention the fan crazed stadiums. But, for a Harry Styles con-
Courtesy of F. Brady
Lovclyhes/CC BY-SA 4.0
All the Styles at “Love on Tour” gig
cert, fashion seems to be the cherry on top to the whole experience.
“Knowing that I’ve waited for so long was so exciting and I literally had butterflies in my stomach the entire week leading up to it...and just being there was so cool because people go all out for fashion and stuff,” senior Marissa Mikutis said.
Many showgoers all enter the venue drowned in creative items like sequins, feathers, boas, and a whole variety of jewelry. But it does not stop there; the accessories are what ties the whole ensemble together. From tiny bags, to watermelon earrings, to even having the face of Styles printed on your dress; the whole venue is a fashion show.
“I wore these green Zara jeans there...and then I wore this white, sort of puffy sleeved top...and then I actually wore a frog hat...there was a picture of Harry wearing the hat that I was wearing. And I was like, Okay, I love Harry, I love frogs. I obviously have to get it,” Mikutis said.
Renditions of Styles’ “Love on Tour” concert were worn by many of his fans radiating confidence. There is clearly no judgement within the venue as fans flood the arena representing their all time favorite British artist with attire referencing his music.
“I saw someone wearing a whole ballerina getup and people were dressed as bananas...people were dressed up as fruit...people were dressed like ghosts, because there’s a song called Two Ghosts,” junior Braidy Connell said.
The importance of fashion does not only appear in his concerts, but in his fandom’s real lives as well. It is evident that Styles definitely has a prominent influence on the fashion industry, which is clearly reflected through his fans.
To his fandom, fashion truly means something to them, which is basically his mantra.
“I feel like with his fashion he just wants to be vibrant and open, and I feel like that’s how he wants us to be. To love yourself and be who you are,” senior Chloe Grenda said.
His hippie-style flamboyant-wearing, feminine-but-not-feminine-wardrobe appears to be the reason why his fashion is so well-recognized. His confidence always seems to outshine those who oppose his unique style, but nonetheless Styles continues to throw on an eccentric outfit that is reflected onto his fans. As Styles perseveres with his eye-catching attire, fans continue to be inspired to throw on something just as flamboyant, unique, and uplifting into their wardrobe to then showcase it at his concerts and sometimes in their everyday lives.
Knowing that I’ve waited for so long... it made being [at the concert] cool because people go all out for fashion and stuff. Marissa Mikutis
Check out more articles on concerts on huntleyvoice.com!
Courtesy of R. Stary
Stary positions himself in the box and anticipates the throw.
Spirit in the stands
Senior catcher is a leader on & off the field
By Chase Keller
No matter the intimidation level of the upcoming batter, senior Ryan Stary stays calm and collected, going through his typical strategy as a baseball catcher.
He positions himself in the box, reading the pitcher by his varying attributes. He holds up signs to the pitcher to signal which pitch he should throw. Former teammate Adam Guazzo is familiar with how well Stary does his job.
“Ryan is a great guy, and even though he has some weird teams he likes, Ryan’s a stud,” Guazzwo said.
These two train with each other through their travel programs, as Guazzo is a pitcher.
“We've definitely done stuff outside of high school in our travel programs to help each other out,” Stary said. “I know that he's kind of off doing his separate thing right now with his travel program, and I'm doing the same, but we've definitely, you know, stayed in contact for a long time.”
Stary, who is currently not committed, recently played JV baseball for Huntley High School and currently plays travel baseball for Citius Illinois.
Throughout his journey, he has worked with many coaches and he cannot thank them enough.
“Coach J is a great coach, and his organizational skills are off the charts. He's a Hall of Fame coach for a reason,” Stary said, also specifying his JV coaches Cliff Pawlak and Adam Reed.
Stary and his family are hopeful that he may continue his journey into college, looking into and visiting Division II and Division III schools. These universities would be gaining an amazing character, as his dedication and devotion is unseen in most athletes.
“He has gone to several catching camps over the years,” Ryan’s mother Erin Stary said. “He's worked with private catching coaches from various clinics, colleges, different facilities. He's also done private hitting lessons with coaches, and since his fall season just ended, they’re doing agility training twice a week.”
Stary isn’t just a star on the field. Off the field, he’s a leader. Specifically, a Raider Nation leader.
Something about standing in front of a crowd of thousands brings Stary confidence. Putting himself out there is a practice that he takes pride in, as the constant cheering and chaotic moments bring him pleasure.
“I just love losing my voice, getting hyped at the games. It's so cool leading a whole section of students, and I love going out there,” Stary said.
His habits of dedication are one thing he transfers to his leadership in the student section. He is made for the job. Not many people understand the hard work and commitment that goes on behind the scenes.
That goes without mentioning the outstanding friendships that Stary has made with the group. He has his longtime friends, like Adam Guazzo, Jake and Luke Loveisky, and the growing friendships with the rest of the group.
“There's 11 of us, and I love working with all of them.” Stary said. “I'm obviously really close friends with the Loveisky twins. I've known them for a long time. We've had a lot of fun. And then all the girls. They put a lot of hard work in, especially on social media to promote Raider Nation.”
Being a part of the largest Raider Nation group in recent memory is a huge deal, but those circumstances are not what drew Stary in. According to Stary, the Loveisky twins got him into the idea of being a leader.
“I think after my 8th grade year, one of the twins, he kind of got me into it and I've wanted to be a Raider Nation leader ever since,” Stary said.
Stary can’t thank the twins enough for the years, and the twins feel the same way back.
“He’s a great guy,” senior Jake Loveisky said. “You know, you learn so many new things with your friends. You grow together, you come to become a better person with your friends.”
All of the positive characteristics that Stary holds help to form him into a great person. As Stary puts it,
“You're not here for a long time, you’re here for a good time and you just gotta enjoy it.”
Through “Anything Goes” and her YouTube channel, she has become even more authentic by being her own editor and creating an image that she wants to portray for her viewers. Over time this makes her audiences feel recognized as she is willing to show her honest self for millions of people she does not know personally.
“For me personally, I just don’t have anything to prove any more. I know exactly who I am, I know that I’m intelligent,” Chamberlain said.
According to Chamberlain, she wants to show the world that she is just a person, struggling through the same life experiences as most people. She has battled the backlash of people believing that everything has been luckily handed to her from the start.
However, she discusses how hard it has been for her when being perceived by such a huge audience.
With this day and age it is so easy for trends to arise of disliking influencers due to rumors and false narratives.
Chamberlain stays above the controversy by staying true to herself and her viewers.
Overall, “Anything Goes” has played a role in many listeners’ mental health by creating a safe space for everyone to relax and relate to Chamberlain’s experiences.
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On this day:
Oct. 29, 1969
The U.S. Supreme Court orders immediate desegregation in the case of Alexander v. Holmes County BOE
Saxophone is his forte
Senior sax player Ryan Osberg excels in his final year in band
By Olivia Archer
With crisp mornings and warm afternoons that accompany fall, it is no surprise that the Huntley High School marching band is rehearsing early on Saturday mornings. Despite the weather, for senior Ryan Osberg, it is a day of preparation and excitement.
Osberg has played tenor saxophone throughout his high school career. His senior year, he had the opportunity to perform a solo during the second movement in the marching band’s show, Mastermind.
To Osberg, the show is simply another performance. Throughout his childhood, Osberg has also performed piano, guitar, and tenor sax.
Naturally, performing in front of a crowd does not invoke nerves.
Marching band impacts what kind of person a performer can become, even outside the practice room.
According to Krivosik, although band helps students learn their instruments and work in an ensemble, band also helps build self-accountability, cooperation with others, and patience, among other things.
Osberg is a great example of someone who has talent, skill, and dedication. He is a jack of all trades and can play classical, jazz, pop, and rock.
As a member of the band, he has a lot of opportunities to meet new people and form new friendships. Evan Reincke, a good friend of Osberg’s, is also in the marching band. Originally, they met in Cub Scouts, but they have played together in the band, through multiple programs in high school. In the band, they play stand-tunes and lead their sections towards greatness.
Undoubtedly, Osberg thrives in jazz performances and music, but putting a show on the field takes it to the next level.
According to Reincke, producing a physical product, such as the marching band show, is completing the ultimate goal.
The realization that comes with watching and performing a performance as different as marching band, is strong. Utilizing Osberg’s jazzy flare, the musical heist comes alive and all of the expectations are met.
The marching band, as well as other band programs at the high school, has clear goals towards improving their students’ musicality and other lifelong skills.
Krivosik makes it clear that band is welcoming to all types of students and ready to create powerful leaders and musicians, like Osberg.
For Osberg, he has made great friends, gained leadership opportunities, and has become a dependable musician.
He has truly made an impact on what the meaning of band is today and will continue to inspire others towards the love for music.
Senior Ryan Osberg, dressed in uniform and focused on the music, performs with the HHS marching band in their show, Mastermind.
S. Hashmi S. Hashmi
Dancer jumps back in after ATV accident
Sophomore Avery Peters leaned against the broken pieces of the matte black Gator, stunned. The detached pole pierced the skin on her back and launched a chill down her spine.
She glanced down at her Lululemon leggings, the ones she wore every day and loved dearly, but immediately averted her gaze after seeing them seeping with blood. She began to smell gas in the air and believed the ATV to be on fire, but as she turned to check, she found herself unable to move.
A tingling sensation filled her body and she focused her attention on the sun, searching for some hope up there. Quietly she mumbled, “Please don’t die, please don’t die.”
Peters has always been a strong dancer, it comes naturally to her. She danced for 7 years competitively, and then moved on to be the only freshman of her class to make the Huntley Varsity Dance Team.
Freshman year was her breakout year, she was in the back of the dances, and did not feel quite like a part of the team just yet. Sophomore year was going to be her year, she was going to be put in the front and she was going to become a vital and appreciated member of the team.
That was until June 24, the night before the dancers would learn their hip-hop choreography for the Winter competition season. Peters decided to go to her friend’s house to ride on an ATV, as she had many times before.
There was no adult supervision, which made her nervous to begin with. The girls did not have seatbelts nor helmets on, and Peters had an uneasy feeling in her stomach.
“We were driving and it was fine, but then there was this banked curve. We went up and that was fine, and we came back down and drove for a bit,” Peters said. “Then, as she was turning, she sped up, making it turn sharp, and I fell out, the Gator running over my leg.”
Peters heard a loud crash, as if two cars had collided right next to her. She directed her vision towards the ATV, the windshield was shattered and bars were broken off. She was in complete shock and continued sitting completely still.
Through the ringing in her ears, she could hear the distinct sounds of her friends bickering and yelling at her, but she could not fully comprehend what they were saying.
“I couldn’t stand up, I couldn’t even feel my foot, so I sat with my back against the bar, waiting for the neighbors to come out, and let my head race,” Peters said. “I couldn’t stop thinking, ‘What about dance? What am I gonna do?’ I lost all faith in everything at that moment.”
She finally got on the phone with her dad and he was able to pick her up and drive her to the hospital. She was put into a neck brace in case of a concussion, and then wheeled to a trauma room where her Lululemon leggings and orange Illinois State t-shirt were cut off. Immediately following the removal of the leggings, her bone popped out, and the bleeding rapidly increased.
Those leggings saved her leg.
Throughout this entire process, the black, cotton leggings were compressing the injury so well to the point that they slowed the bleeding, held the bone in, and kept mud out.
“I loved those leggings, they were my go-to pair, I always wore them,” Peters said.
She was given medicine to calm down as they put a cast on her leg and put her through a series of X-rays and an MRI. All the while, Courtney Peters, Avery’s mom, was doing her best to get there.
“I left work and went to Northwestern Hospital in Huntley. When I arrived, Avery was lying in a hospital bed, and it looked awful. Her leg was bandaged and bleeding, her hand looked broken, she had
J.Habel
Peters is almost healed and ready to dance again after catestrophic event. Peters adjusts her leg brace.
Sophomore Avery Peters is eager to get back to dance with teammates
By Delaney Cairns
mud everywhere, it was terrible,” Courtney Peters said. “They just got done with her CT scan and they told us that her leg was completely crushed, and her vascular system was not working.”
Due to inclement weather, the family could not fly in a helicopter to the next destination but instead took the long, dreaded ambulance ride to Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago.
“We were met at Luires by a team of 25 doctors and nurses. It was like being in fog, everyone was asking questions and she was screaming in pain. I don’t think I will ever forget her screaming, it haunts me to this day. We spent the next 6 days there,” Courtney Peters said.
Peters had a 7% chance of keeping her leg, and very low hopes of ever dancing again. On her last day in the hospital, she managed to graduate from physical therapy by moving from her bed to the couch next to it using her crutches. This was a success considering she passed out in one of her earlier attempts.
Peters went home that day with one metal rod and four screws in her leg, but most of all, extreme fatigue. She slept the entire ride home and most of the next couple of days. Her phone was blowing up with caring teammates and thoughtful teachers.
Peters heard from so many people over the next few days including Superintendent Scott Roe and Principal Marcus Belin.
Two weeks after the accident, friends and family gathered outside of the Peters’ house to surprise her with a birthday parade. The rolling cars spotlighted the love and support they had for Peters with decorations and beaming faces.
“I crutched my way outside, saw them, and my energy just lifted up. This is such a good team, and the way they all comforted me made me feel at home. I missed them so much,” Peters said.
Ever since that pivotal day, Peters has felt closer to her team than ever before. She realized that her friends would do anything for her, and they all grew through it together. They have played a huge role in her motivation to continue. Senior SPORTS | dance Jalen Phillips is Peters’ closest friend on the team and has reassured her of her progress since the beginning.
“Whenever she gets off track and frustrated with herself or the progression of the injury, I try my best to reassure her that she is getting better. With such an extensive injury when you are in athletics, it is hard to sit back and watch the season go by. Given the difficulty of the circumstance, she is very positive and motivated,” Phillips said.
Overall perspectives of practice from the dancers have completely shifted since Peters’ last moment on the dance floor. They have realized that they cannot take anything for granted, and must treat every dance like it is their last.
“I still remember the last practice we had with Avery dancing, Avery and I were practicing our duet section of the dance where it’s just us two turning-what we do best.
I would do anything to go back to that day of us two turning side by side, so when I feel down or unmotivated going into practice I think about that day, and what if that day was my last practice too. If it was my last practice, how would I want to spend it?” Phillips said.
Until Peters is recovered, she will continue to workout with the team to the best of her ability, and be a vital member through spirit and support of her teammates.
She has been taking physical therapy every week, and has not seemed to lose any of her previous skills. She hopes that her new perspective from the sidelines will help her come back stronger than ever.
“Avery has and always will be an extremely vital part of the team and our success. Even now when she can not phys ically be on the floor dancing, she is always in the front watching and giving us feedback,” Phillips said. “The feedback is super important in order for us to make our dances better.”
Peters and the dance team have learned a lot from this experience. The dancers have mastered the act of making every practice count, and taking nothing for granted.
Everyone can not wait for Peters to get back out there, and knows she will come back stronger than ever.
“Whatever comes her way we are willing to do anything to help her get back to dance,” Courtney Peters said.
Peters wears a brace to protect her leg while it is healing.
