Huntley High School Voice Newsmagazine Nov 22 2019

November 2019, Volume 23, Issue 3

THE VAPING EPIDEMIC DISTRICT IMPLEMENTS NEW SNOW DAY POLICY

JACOB RICHARDSON FLIES SOLO

CONTENTS 04 12 14 31 40 50 58

Featured on

huntleyvoice.com

NEWS

New e-learning snow day policy to be implemented in District 158.

OPINION

Why should deans be the ones to get a bad reputation?

HUMANS OF HUNTLEY

“Last Christmas” is predictable but with a twist Sarahi Barceanas

Hear from senior Tommy Taylor and sophpmore Elle Bellantuono.

FEATURE

Junior Jacob Richardson takes flight.

A&E

“Disney +” raises questions and controversy.

Chess season is in, stay rooked Hailey Pohl

SPORTS

Senior Josh Guyer describes what it felt like to score the winning goal.

EDITORIAL

Administration and students must band together to combat the vaping epidemic.

Editorial Board Editor in Chief Riley Murphy

Managing Editor

Staff

Staff Writers

Photo Editor

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

Marketing Editor

Sara Vanegas

Ayman Mirkhan

Section Editors

Tanpreet Bhathal, Brooke Hamann, Maddie Meucci, Amelia Pozniak, Skylar Sharkey Lilly Landoch Ryan Sroka

EDITORIAL POLICY

An intriguing new class begins with stitches Sara Gebka

Social Media Manager

Kenzie Weinberg & Riy Walker

Photographers Adviser

Dennis Brown

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

News College

College season is here seniors

W

By Kate Rogala When it’s time to take a look into the future, the idea of college and its different applications can be a universal stressor. But when it all comes down to it, navigating your way through the transition from high school into college can be really simple and organized, especially if you’re a Huntley High School student.

Here at HHS, there is an endless amount of support that is available to students offered by the guidance counselors, teachers, and college and careers counselors.

Although the guidance counselors and college and careers counselors may seem like they have similar jobs, there is a difference between the two.

Guidance counselors are more emotions-based and seek to give advice or tools that may be needed while in school or out of school.

The College and Careers Pod is an official pod this year, and along with the pod, we have a new College and Careers Counselor, Laura Martens.

Her goal is to assist and answer any questions students may have.

Whomever students decide to see, the counselors all have the same goal: to help the students of HHS. There are a few important dates that students should keep a lookout for including Nov. 1, Nov. 15, and any time between Dec. 15 through March 15. These are the different deadlines for college decisions, admissions, and applications.

Early decision is a binding choice.

Although there may be a 1-2% chance of being accepted faster, once a student has committed to the school, they are

[Insert caption here]

A. Harper Some of the common college advertisements seniors recieve

in. That date was Nov. 1.

The next choice is early action. This is typically one of the more preferred choices because it is non-binding and students may apply to several different colleges. The deadline for early action is typically Nov. 1 or Nov. 15.

Of course, there is also a regular decision, which is another favorite choice from students. The dates for this are Dec. 15 through March 15.

Lastly, there is rolling admission which allows students to send in their application once they’re ready, and within a few weeks, they’ll know if they have been accepted or not.

Before all of these admission and application dates, students should browse different schools that they think might be the best fit for them.

There are many factors that are involved when thinking about all the choices, such as location, interests, population, and more.

Although this may seem like a difficult and challenging place to start, there is a program that can simplify the college hunt: Naviance.

“This is a big help to students and it narrows down what schools you may be looking for,” Martens said.

Martens is looking to lock in a possi-

ble Naviance presentation to juniors and seniors in order to help guide them through the program and show them how it works. Along with this presentation, she would also love to talk to students about how to find a school of best fit.

After students have selected schools that they feel are right for them, it is important to do more digging about those schools.

“You can start by visiting the schools you are interested in. And I highly recommend an official tour,” Martens said.

Visiting can really help students work out their feelings about the school and even eliminate some options right away. It is important to think about comfort in the present and future.

“Do not base college of the dorm rooms!” Martens said “You wouldn’t believe the number of kids who chose their college based on dorm rooms.”

Once students think they’ve found their school(s) of best fit, it is time to seek out the admissions and application process. This process is very straight forward but depends on where you are applying to.

see COLLEGES page 5 HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 3

News Weather Policy

New delayed start policy implemented throughout District 158 New Weather policy calls for the abolishment of snow days, as e-learning days replace them

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By Kenzie Weinberg

Zoe Ratner awoke from a deep sleep to get ready for school at 5:30 a.m, as she did every morning. She began to pick out her outfit and apply her makeup, and it wasn’t long before every cell phone in her house was blowing up with notifications from District 158. School had been canceled due to severe weather. Little did Zoe know it would be one of the last snow days she would experience during her time at Huntley High School.

As of July, the Board of Education has implemented a delayed start policy that will serve as an option when faced with inclement weather conditions.

The new policy will delay school transportation and start times by two hours, and all schools will run on a modified schedule. This option was recognized by the district following instances where school was canceled, but time was needed to clear the roads and create safe driving conditions.

Potentially, the delayed start option will eliminate the unnecessary snow days that will need to be made up at the end of the year.

“Just this last year I think we had probably two or three situations where we either didn’t cancel school and worked our way through it, and by 9 4 THE VOICE NOVEMBER 22 2019

D. Brown The new weather policy sets in place 30 minute periods, with a later starting time

a.m the roads were clear and the sun was shining, or we did cancel school and that’s the worst when you cancel school and by 10 a.m it’s beautiful outside and the roads are clear,” Superintendent Scott Rowe said.

The BOE explored this option after a survey was sent out this past June, and 77% of those who responded were in favor of the delayed start option.

“We sent out a community survey and got a really great responding rate.

I think we had almost 3,000 families that responded,” Rowe said.

The support that the district received from the families and faculty regarding the decision was overwhelming. Being a very progressive school district, many thought the decision was made in good time.

“I think it’s a wonderful thing that we’re doing this. I think it’s about time we’re doing it,” English teacher Rochelle Hewlett said.

Although the district landed on the delayed start option, it was one they took into high consideration.

“We didn’t take the decision lightly.

We could have certainly just taken it to the school board and said we think this is important so let’s do it, but the impact on the community is one that

can’t be taken for granted,” Rowe said.

The majority outcome was in favor of the new policy, but it was crucial to take into consideration the other portion of the community that was unsure of it.

“We really did analyze those responses in great detail, and a decision like that you can’t make everyone happy, but I feel good about the decision because there was so supportive, and then when mining through all the comments, although not perfect, I don’t believe that it was going to be overly detrimental to families,” Rowe said.

Snow day alternatives go far beyond the delayed start policy. The district will continue to explore their options, as they are with e-learning days.

E-learning days will serve as a virtual school day, whether it is through a packet, or online coursework. Many hope e-learning is in the near future.

“I do hope they investigate the e-Learning, because I believe, again, in today’s day in age we are on the forefront of technology and all of these things, so why wouldn’t we use it as an advantage,” Hewlett said.

see POLICY page 13

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COLLEGES page 3 In 1975, the Common App was introduced to students all over which allows students to apply to over 800 colleges online. Even though there are many schools listed on the app, some would say that it isn’t enough.

“The Common App is convenient, but there are not enough schools on there to help everyone,” senior Brendan Schoneberg said.

Although this app may not fit everyone, many students have easier access to applications and even less stress and it can be a useful tool.

Because of the Common App, the majority of applications are now online and can be found within a school’s website. It should take students through a step-by-step of what they might need to include (letter of recommendation, essay, etc.).

The Common App is definitely an option, but it may be in a student’s best interest to check out the school’s website first.

“I feel it’s more beneficial to look on the school’s website to fill out an application than using the Common App, because of the later deadlines and because it is direct,” Schoneberg said.

Even though the time for college is close, there is help here at the school and outside of school and staff are more than willing to assist you in figuring out the next step for your future.

It’s college season HHS Raiders good luck!

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 5

News Student Teaching

Student teachers making a change New student teachers bring innovation to Huntley High School

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By Erin Richardson

The day you graduate high school can be one of the best days of your life. It’s exciting to start a new chapter, find out who you want to be, meet new people; it can all be very overwhelming. However, it can be very rewarding.

Knowledge is power and returning to high school with knowledge to give to future generations, is what student teachers do.

Huntley High School has been welcoming student teachers to the campus for many years, but as the blended learning program developed starting in 2011, student teachers are crawling to Huntley to get a taste of what the district has to offer.

Ryan Immordino is a student at Northern Illinois University and student teacher to physical education teacher Collin Kalamatas.

“You have to start off saying you want to get in the program and then pick it as your major. Then they take you through all of your courses. I took courses like Adventure Education, Sport Education, and others, to get up to student teaching. Student teaching is pretty much the last step,” Immordino said.

“You also go through different clinicals. I’ve been through elementary clinicals and secondary clinicals and those are a little more relaxed. So, when you get to student teaching, you have everything that you need.”

He gets to explore the district for his 16-week teaching requirement and gives insight into the steps on how to become a student teacher.

“There are phases. The beginning

phase is [Immordino] observing and seeing the structure of the class and he’s at the point now where he’s getting a little more hands on. Kalamatas said. “He’s taking attendance, observing one introduction of an activity to a class and then running it for the next couple of periods.”

It’s not just walking into a gym and jumping into solo teaching; it involves a high amount of observation and understanding to be able to teach the class.

“I realized my sophomore year that I get along very well with kids

lenge. Teaching students everyday, I’ve become very comfortable with it and now I have an opportunity to mentor someone, so it’s a completely different role than what I’m doing on a daily basis,” Kalamatas said.

Due to teaching for 10 years, Kalamatas has been accustomed to a very repetitive and comfortable career. However, becoming a mentor to someone has changed the way he sees teaching.

Another addition to the building is Ally Morton who is an Illinois State University student. From Lake in the Hills to the big city of Normal, Illinois, she is finishing off this semester as a student teacher to English IV Alienation and Perception, Engineering, and AP Language and Composition teacher, with Melinda Chamberlain.

“You have to take a few different tests. One of them is a content area test. For English teachers there’s a writing portion, a reading portion, speaking, listening, and grammar. You also have to have 100 clinical hours,” Morton said.

As a result of a three and a half year process, Morton is excited to almost be done with the student teaching program and continue on with her career.

“From what it sounds like, EdTPA is a very serious and intense part of the student teaching process. I just had to do reflections online. I never had to go through the hoops that this program is having the student teachers go through now,” Chamberlain said.

EdTPA is a teaching portfolio that

[ ]

6 THE VOICE NOVEMBER 22 2019

“When it comes down to it, it doesn’t matter how much money you make. It matters what you’re going to love doing for the rest of your life,”

Ryan Immordino

and I’m very relatable. I just want to shape the future. I want to teach kids not only sports and physical activity, but I also want to teach them life skills and responsibility,” Immordino said.

Choosing a career can be very difficult, but for Immordino, he knew he wanted to work with kids and spark interest in future generations.

“It gives me a different chal-

K. Weinberg Student teacher Ally Morton teachers in her class

you submit to Pearson and there are three different tasks to complete. One task is a nine page commentary about the analysis of teaching plans.

The second task is to film the class for three days and find small clips demonstrating all of the qualities wanted as a teacher, including a 12 page analysis about what is happening in the videos. The last step is to submit completed assessments that students have done and analyze the way the teacher has provided feedback, all in 10 pages.

From observing and getting to know the revised student teaching program at Illinois State University, Chamberlain realizes that student teaching nowadays in much more difficult and time-consuming than her days as a student in the university program. ”Sometimes I can be uptight about certain things. I think this semester, figuring out what I can control and

what I can’t control in the classroom and realizing some things students need to learn on their own,” Morton said.

All teachers are different and have different ways of teaching. So, one of the most rewarding parks of student teaching is getting to see how different teaching styles play out in the classroom.

“You get to meet a lot of people.

You get to always learn. This whole semester, I’ve learned so much and reviewed so much content, either I haven’t seen before or haven’t looked at in a long time,” Morton said.

Based on her experiences at Huntley, Morton seems to love what she does because she can always learn new things. ”I think blended learning can be a really helpful structure especially for students who need more support,

so having those days where if there ia a student struggling in class, they can come in on the blended days and get the one on one support. I also like that it prepares students for college,” Morton said.

Growing up in a high school that didn’t even have an open campus, Morton is impressed and excited about the blended learning program that Huntley has to offer.

Student teaching is a lot more than walking into a school and giving students information. It’s about what they learn along the way and what they can get out of their experiences with students and other teachers.

“When it comes down to it, it doesn’t matter how much money you make. It matters what you’re going to love doing for the rest of your life” Immordino said.

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 7

News Driving

Cautious drivers prepare for winter The safety of students in the school parking lot during icy conditions is important

A

By Kyle Abruzzo As the snow and ice begin to overtake our roads, students from Huntley are driving to school in very harsh weather conditions.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, you are 36% more likely to be in a car accident in January than July.

There are around 800 parking passes sold every year. Driving a car and being able to park at school is a huge privilege for students; however, unfortunately, high school students must do it during the brutal winters that Huntley entails.

Along with the cold conditions, the roads are never safe after snowfall.

Snow can turn into ice on the road which is how cars skid and slide. Just because you do not see the ice, does not mean it is not there. Black ice can be anywhere, as it is difficult to spot.

The school parking lot is a very dangerous place to be driving if you are not paying attention at all times.

This is how it is in general so when the pavement is slippery, it makes it worse.

Ella Derro, a senior at Huntley High School, explained circumstances that she has seen here in the school parking lot.

“I feel that driving in the winter makes everything more stressful.

Although I would like to say I am good at driving in the snow, I know that some accidents will happen out of my control,” Derro said. “When there is ice on the roads, cars skid and slide all of the time. The ice makes it 100% 8 THE VOICE NOVEMBER 22 2019

L. Landoch Harsh weather conditions resulting in cautious drivers

scarier and really makes you open your eyes. I know to always be paying attention to the road at all times which does help me a lot throughout the winter.”

Derro also explained how she felt about driving in the school parking lot during the winter.

“Now that is scary. People zoom through that parking lot at 40 miles per hour every day no matter if there is ice or not.” Derro said. “I mean it snowed like a couple weeks ago and we already had like six accidents in the parking lot. It is very dangerous and frightening to drive in [the parking lot] with ice but everyone has to do it.”

Students are concerned about driving to school during the winter which is understandable. Here are some tips when driving during these upcoming winter months.

• Make sure to always keep extra blankets and winter gear in your car in case of emergency.

• Always make sure your tires are properly inflated • Know your car. If your tires are not that good, you probably should take things a little easier on the roads.

• Increase your following distance between you and the car in front of you. With slippery roads, it will take longer for you to slow down.

• Drive slow. It is okay to be going the speed limit or even under

during these months.

Everyone needs to stay under 20 miles per hour in the school parking lot. You are not only putting yourself at risk, but others too.

The administration at Huntley High School is fully aware of the students safety when driving in the lot. Many students have received tickets for going too fast.

Huntley is doing a great job at enforcing the speed limit, as well as keeping security guards in the parking lot to make sure everything is going well.

“I have seen security in the parking lot almost every period I have gone out there this year. Some people will think it is annoying, but they do not know how much those guards are actually doing,” Derro said.

Not only in the parking lot, but anywhere on the roads, people need to be careful. No one expects to get in an accident. Things happen out of control all the time even if you are paying attention.

Accidents will happen even if you are paying full attention to the road, however the chance for you to be in one is lowered by a landslide. If you are not paying attention, something that you might want to avoid becomes a greater possibility.

Everyone, please be safe and careful when driving during these upcoming months.

•

News Silver Cord

The future of volunteering at Huntley High School

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By Gabby Terez One of Huntley High School’s programs, Silver Cord, has undergone some changes in the recent school years. Silver Cord is a program where a student can earn recognition at graduation for completing a certain number of volunteering hours. According to Silver Cord sponsor Lindsay Sara, a silver cord can be earned by completing 100 hours before graduation. Hours can be achieved through various forms of volunteering, as long as they fall under an organization. They can also be earned by opportunities found in Silver Cord’s Haiku page, the website Innerview, and Sign Up Genius links.

One of the changes to Silver Cord includes the hours that are required for underclassmen, which differs from the seniors. Underclassmen need to complete 100 hours before graduation, while seniors need to complete 50. Sara decided to increase the hours for the underclassmen, as she’s noticed the large number of students taking part in Silver Cord. She also wanted to increase expectations and enhance the experiences of the students.

“I spoke with the administration, Mr. Kempf, who is in charge of activities, and Mr. Belin and we decided that we would increase the number of hours required to 100 for all students,” Sara said.

“So we’ve slowly rolled that out over the years and this graduating senior class is the last class that can log just 50 hours.

So now, going forward, everyone will log 100.”

Another change made to the program is the time students need to sign up for Silver Cord. From this school year going forward, students will now sign up during their freshman year and are

[Insert caption here]

L. Landoch A student looks over their Innerview account

required to achieve 25 hours per year in order to continue in the program. This new change now makes Silver Cord a four year program.

The program has also changed the way volunteer hours are logged.

According to senior Ricardo Herrera, students had to type in their hours into Google forms before the 2018-2019 school year. Now, they can use a website called Innerview, where volunteer hours can be seen collectively in one place. For Herrera, this change has been beneficial.

“For me personally, I can keep track of hours versus submitting it into a Google Form and not really seeing them again,” Herrera said.

Lastly, Sara has made participation an important factor regarding a student’s status in Silver Cord.

“If students sign up for an Innerview, like an event that I send out in Innerview opportunity or that is posted on Innerview and they don’t show up, I am keeping track of that,” Sara said. “So, if you miss three times, then you’re gonna be basically kicked off of Innerview and not be able to log hours anymore because those people setting up those events really count on us to be there and help them run their event. So, if we’re not showing up on a regular basis, it’s kind of like a three strikes and you’re

out rule.”

While dealing with all the changes, students were still driven to get their hours due to the opportunity they saw in Silver Cord.

“I wanted to try and give back to the community, but found I had trouble finding ways to find resources out there to take up volunteering. But I felt like I wanted to find ways to kind of help around,” Herrera said.

According to Herrera, he’s been able to take part in community service activities that he never knew about because of Silver Cord. He has participated in volunteering for Del Webb, soup kitchens, and community activities that lack support. Herrera has also learned from his experience in Silver Cord, as he has gained an appreciation for Huntley’s community and people who have made it what it is today.

“I would recommend Silver Cord because it’s a fun way to give back to the community. While we don’t really meet as a club, it’s just a resource we provide in order to know where to volunteer.

It’s really helpful to find ways to give back to the community,” Herrera said.

“It’s also kind of a fun way to hang out with friends too. You’re not only just hanging out together, but giving something back and doing something together as well.”

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Opinion Cell Phones

Students’ productivity in classrooms faces a threat Cell phones in class are not responsible for students’ lack of desire to learn

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By Jaryd Dixon

Nowadays, technology is a major part of our lives, with new advancements in tech nearly every week.

Many have their own beliefs on how it has affected our generation, but overall, technology has been extremely helpful to society.

Every day I find new ways to use my phone in beneficial ways within the classroom. I used to have some trouble keeping track of my homework, but this year I downloaded an app that helps me keep track of all my assignments.

Music is a great way to help keep yourself focused and concentrated on your work. Whenever I find myself to have extra time in class to get homework done, I always put my headphones in, turn on my favorite playlist, and jam out while finishing my work.

“I think we should be allowed to use them after a lesson or test, in order to help us concentrate and focus on our work,” senior Sean Meyer said.

Of course there are some negatives with having your phone in the classrooms, but the positives truly outweigh the negatives.

English teacher Kayrn Meyer believes that phones do not belong any where near a classroom. “[Honestly,] ... they are not paying attention and to me, they are showing a lack of respect. It is just one more distraction that they don’t need

K. Rogala

during my 48 minute period,” Meyer said.

On the other hand, you are able to use your phone for resources found outside of the classroom, whether you are looking up answers for a research question or watching videos to help you understand a lesson more.

“We should have our phones because it can be used in a variety of helpful ways such as, googling questions to help us if we are confused. Also it helps the time go back and keep us on track,” junior Lucas Marotta said.

Many believe that phones can be

Jaryd Dixon is a first year staffer on The Voice. Check out his work on huntleyvoice.com.

perceived as disrespectful.

“If your parents invited me over for dinner and we were dining at your table and I was sitting on my phone your parents would see that as being extremely rude. So just transfer that over to the classroom, I am in the middle of a lesson we are discussing and you are completely disregarding what is being said and you are not contributing,” Meyer said. You are missing the point of being in the classroom.”

“One of the biggest complaints that I hear from students is that they don’t have enough time to get their work done, yet if I ask them what their screen time looks like it’s an average of nearly 6 hours a day. So I don’t think it’s a matter that they don’t have time, it’s a matter of managing and using your time wisely to do what you need to get done,” Meyer said.

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 11

Opinion Authority

It’s just common courtesy If you don’t like them doing their job, you might be doing something wrong

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By Annaliese Harper No matter the situation, if you feel unsafe, the deans and security aides will be there. However, they will also be there if you have your ID off for even a couple seconds.

The point of this article is not to demonstrate why you should love the deans unconditionally, nor is it to imply that you should hate them for a small incident. The point of this article is to convince you to treat them with respect as long as they return the favor. Everyone is this building is human, after all.

“I think, to a certain subset of kids, probably the ones in the deans’ office, they get a bad rap, but for the most part, I think people really know we care, we love the kids, that’s why we’re doing what we’re doing, we’re here to keep them safe and support them, no matter what they’re doing,” former dean and current Assistant Principal Thomas Kempf said.

This sentiment is shared across the board. No one would willingly work for years in a disciplinary position without seeing the best in people and seeing them succeed.

“And there are a few students that may make negative comments, but I think it’s not intended to be hurtful or mean, and I think they just do it to show off to their peers,” Deans’ Assistant Kathleen Henn said.

Sometimes, students don’t want to change. They don’t see why what they’re doing is so bad, that it can harm people, or that they need to change.

“People make mistakes and blame others for their errors,” Deans’ Assistant John Szatkowski said, when asked if he feels that the school’s authority figures get a bad reputation.

S. Reilly

Admitting to a mistake can be hard.

It is often much easier to set the blame on others, namely the deans and their assistants.

That is not to say that a student should be 100% okay with any action taken.

Sometimes, things may be taken too far.

“One of my friends said a swear word at one point, a dean pulled him away and said that swear word three times, to him, while explaining for him not to say it,” an anonymous student said.

While this is not a significant event, it shows lack of respect on the dean’s part. One cannot expect students, all of whom are teenagers, to follow rules that are disregarded by authority figures, and punish them for breaking said rules.

On the other side of the equation, students should be following rules put in place to keep them safe and “read the Philosophy posters in the school, short

Annaliese Harper is a first year member. Check out her Bake it Yourself blog on huntleyvoice. com.

12 THE VOICE NOVEMBER 22 2019

phrases that speak volumes,” Szatkowski said.

Students shouldn’t fear retribution, but the world is a better place when everybody is doing what’s right for the sake of it. While some of the sayings are cheesy, they do contain important and helpful information that people should keep in mind.

Many students have complaints about the way things are run, but “when you’re dealing with student discipline, you know, students are at their worst, and it’s usually not an accurate reflection of who they really are. They’re just at a bad point in their life,” Kempf said.

The deans and deans’ assistants work hard to keep students safe. They may make mistakes, but are working their hardest. You are welcome to have problems with them as you are allowed to have with anybody. However, you must keep in mind what they keep in mind: “The best part [of my job] is when I have a student that is making poor choices, and if I can give them helpful direction to make better choices. That, I guess, is the ultimate reward,” Henn said.

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POLICY page 4 Despite the push for e-learning days, the district wants to ensure that students are provided with high quality education, and implementing e-learning days this year could have compromised that.

Faculty, families, and students are optimistic as to what the future holds for the new policy.

“I would just say that the district is concerned about every student’s safety as the parents are, and so I think as long as they make conscious decisions, I think that it will benefit the kids by getting them out and eliminating the risks,” District 158 parent Stephanie Ratner said.

As for the BOE, it all comes down to safety. “The most important thing to know is there’s no perfect science to calling a snow day or a delayed start. It’s one that’s taken with great consideration, and it’s taken very seriously. It’s always about safety,” Rowe said.

With winter in the works, we can expect to experience our first delayed wstart at some point, but we can’t rule out a snow day.

“It’s a tool in our tool belt. It’s 100% what it is. This is not something that was designed to be used every time it snows, every time there’s bad weather in the morning,” Rowe said.

The district will continue to follow their winter weather standards as we get further into the school year.

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Humans of HUNTLEY

“You become what you think about. When I received that advice it simply made my life easier and for the better.”

- Tommy Taylor interviewed/ photographed by Sydney Novak 14 THE VOICE NOVEMBER 22 2019

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interviewed/ photographed by Riy Walker HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 15

Opinion Social Media

Twitter surpases all social media Twitter is the best way to connect with your peers and stay updated

I

By Ryan Sroka

I unlock my phone and see the white bird over the blue icon on my home screen. I click and see two notifications.

One new person followed me and someone liked my tweet. I then scroll through the timeline to see what is going on for about 10 minutes now. Afterwards, I go on the explore page and see what is trending and see #nationals, #astros. Memes containing Kawhi Leonard’s famously used “Hey, Hey, Hey” are all over the timeline and now I am laughing hysterically. Therefore, I send it to my friends through direct messaging.

Twitter differs from other social media like Instagram and Snapchat because it is every social media platform combined into one app. Just a few to list: you can observe videos, pictures, songs, memes, and what is trending in the world. You can talk and connect to people by direct messaging and tweeting at somebody using their profile username.

You can’t get all aspects on a single app except Twitter.

The most important standout feature about Twitter is news. It is undervalued and critical to society. Honestly, I would have no idea about what is going on in the world without it. I check the explore page and see a mass shooting in California. Without Twitter I would have zero clue on events going on and knowledge about politics. So much of the younger generation lacks time and effort to put on the TV news. In fact about 12% of the United States population gets its news directly from Twitter.

According to Pew, 71% of people download Twitter for the soul purpose of news.

Devin Bowker is a senior at Huntley High who uses Twitter.

“You have news at your access way faster than the others,” Bowker said.

“Not just pictures or videos but it can be a source for score updates and injury updates as well as any news in general.

I like to look up news related stuff to search for things more in detail.”

In that aspect, news attracts people of all ages, which is why Twitter is so special. It’s revolutionary to think people don’t have to look at newspapers any more because there is an app that has everything.

In this day and age, our generation is most proactive in speaking what is on our mind. Being able to say what you want by tweeting is powerful. You’re having a bad day, tweet about it. You’re having a good day: tweet why. Some-

Ryan Sroka is a first year member and current marketing manager.

Check out his Spongebob Drawing blog on huntleyvoice.com.

16 THE VOICE NOVEMBER 22 2019

thing in the world is bothering you, tweet about it. There is so much power you have with just a push of a button.

You can say whatever you want and have the chance for a tweet to blow up and get famous.

Twitter has been huge in my recruiting process. Every single coach in the NCAA is on it. It is the easiest and cheapest way to get your highlights out there. The amount of highlight tapes I see from athletes is mind-blowing. By posting it on Twitter, people can help support you by retweeting it, therefore some coach is going to be able to see it.

One Friday night I had to go to a college visit while Huntley football had the biggest game of the year against Cary Grove. By following McHenry County Sports, I was able to get live updates from the game so I can stay updated on the scoring plays while I was in the car.

Overall, Twitter is the best source of entertainment than any other social media app out there.

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Opinion Mental Illness

“Oh, I am so depressed” Depression becoming so normal that it is nearly a joke to some

M

By Sarah Reilly Mental illness is something that affects everyone. It affects many people at our school. Depression is a serious subject that should be treated as such, but it has become romanticized and a trend in recent years. This has caused a loss of seriousness on the topic. Allowing depression to lose the status of a real illness by some.

“I definitely think that it’s romanticised. The way I hear people talk about it... I definitely think its cool to be depressed,” sophomore Jeremy Berggren said.

Depression has turned up as a subject to hear about in the halls. People saying that their homework is so hard it makes them depressed. Stress can make people depressed. The stress of school has made people depressed, but depression isn’t something to joke about.

According to MedicineNet, about 20% of adolescents will be affected by depression by the time they are adults.

That is a lot of people, but there is still a larger number of people who are not affected directly by depression. It is a serious topic that should not be joked about or romanticized. There is nothing romantic about depression and the pain that it brings.

“There’s this one girl that I’m friends with that always talks about being bipolar and I learned the other day that she’s self diagnosed,” Berggren said.

Having symptoms and being diagnosed are two different things. People

can have symptoms of depression and anxiety, but they may have something else instead. Self diagnostics are hard because you are not able to look at the symptoms from an outside and professional view.

“I do think also that part of why we are trying to do so much education around that, is so that people really have a clear understanding of what depression is. We all have times where we are feeling isolated or just down, and have to of work through that and figure out how we manage through the day,” said Carolyn Frasor, a counselor at Huntley High School.

The counselors do their best to teach kids what depression is. Not everyone has a clear understanding. Not everyone understands what they are actually saying when they talk about depression, and they need that knowledge.

“You know having a hard time being motivated to even come to school, or to focus in class. We might see students or other individuals pulling back from

Sarah Reilly is a first-year staff writer for The Voice. She loves to draw and act. Check out her “Thank You For The Music” blog on huntleyvoice.com.

activities that they used to be involved in or enjoy,” Frasor said.

Most diagnostics need about 5 out of 7 symptoms. Just because you are not motivated to focus or are pulling back, doesn’t mean you have depression. If you are feeling like this or having trouble with this, try talking to a counselor.

You may not be depressed, but you can still talk to someone.

“One of my favorite quotations is from Gandhi and its be the change in the world that you want to see… We can look around at the world around us and were not always the best at trying to see things from someone else’s point of view,” Frasor said.

It is important to look out for others.

If you see a problem try to change it.

Depression is becoming more widely known, some believing it is a trend and romanticized while others see the confusion.

No matter if you believe it is a trend, there is still a problem; depression is becoming a joke to some people.

Go out and help friends who may be suffering from depression, or educate those who don’t fully understand it.

Be the change you want to see in the world.

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 19

Opinion Bathrooms

Administration is not the problem The culpirt behind closed bathrooms is no one but the students

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By Maddie Meucci

Recently, at Huntley High School, bathrooms have been closed due to vaping and smoking, or so we thought that was the case.

Vaping has been an issue for many years at the high school, starting predominantly around four to five years ago. It is a relatively new issue that administration is constantly battling.

When vaping first became popular, administration had no idea how to handle it and what consequences to give out to students.

“We had no response for it, we had no idea what to do to combat it, how to combat it,” Associate Principal of operations, Tom Kempf said.

Vaping has become such an issue for teachers and deans to stand up to because the devices are becoming smaller and smaller, to the point where they are invisible to teachers and staff.

Students are able to hit their devices discreetly because of their small size.

Some students don’t exhale either, making it even harder for anyone to catch them in class or throughout the school.

“It looks like a flash drive, there is no visible exhale. People use it in the classroom and you’d never even know,” Kempf said.

Vaping in the bathroom has become a problem too. Students go into the stalls to get their fix and then they leave. It is much harder to catch a student in the bathroom because administration cannot stand in the stall with them.

However, they can stand outside the bathrooms and try and catch suspicious students, but that is tedious work

K.Rogala

because not all students are causing trouble.

Lately students such as Kaylee Adam, sophomore at Huntley High School, have found themselves late to class because of the closed off bathrooms.

“I have been late because my math class is in that hallway and I have to walk all the way around to the main bathroom,” Adam said .

How is it fair to innocent students that they have to walk all the way around the school to use the bathroom and risk being tardy to class? It isn’t fair, but it is not the administration’s fault for closing the bathrooms throughout the school.

Vaping is not the only factor in closing of the bathrooms. Vandalism has been the biggest reason in closing them.

“9 out of 10 times if you come upon a bathroom here that is out of order, it’s a vandalism thing,” Kempf said.

Students have been continuously

Maddie Meucci is a first year member and is a current floating editor. Check out her Hot Off the Dress blog on huntleyvoice.com.

20 THE VOICE NOVEMBER 22 2019

disrespectful towards school property by damaging the school bathrooms.

Whether it’s writing on the stalls, drawing inappropriate pictures, or putting wet toilet paper onto the mirrors, it’s all a nuisance.

“They keep knocking the darn soap dispensers off the wall,” Kempf said.

So, disrespectful students are causing respectful students to be late to class, not able to use the bathroom that is closest to them, and forcing them to walk all around the school to find the second closest bathroom. Why should other students be allowed to disrupt innocent students’ schooldays because they are immature and cannot respect school property?

Most students disagree with the bathrooms being closed because it is inconvenient and unfair. Some believe that it is not fair to punish everyone when not all students vape or cause destruction to school property.

“Not everyone vapes and not everyone chooses to do that, so closing the bathrooms affects everyone and not just the people who vape,” Adam said.

Inevitably, if students discontinued to make poor choices in the bathrooms, stopped vaping, and ceased their acts of see BATHROOMS page 21

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Bathrooms page 20 vandalism, administration would have no need to close any of the bathrooms. Then the problem of angry students and unreasonable tardies would be solved.

If students want the bathrooms to be open all of the time, they need to stand up and report to administration when they see vandalism or vaping occuring in the bathrooms. The report can be anonymous. Anonymous or not, it is extremely helpful towards staff in order to catch students in the act and stop them from continuing their poor choices.

“There’s six of us working on this stuff at any point in time and there’s 3,000 of you...If you guys see something, share it with us, so we can do something about it to make it better for you,” Kempf said.

If you want to see a change in the closing of the bathrooms, stand up to the students vandalizing them.

Whether it’s telling them politely to respect school property or anonymously reporting it to the deans.

Any kind of action you take against this issue will help administration seize the disrespectful students who are causing the damage.

Problems aren’t solved easily, they take time and effort, and any effort you put in is one step closer to solving the problem. Don’t blame administration for closing the bathrooms, blame the student who is continuously causing damage to them, and if you are someone who is vandalising the bathrooms, take responsibility and be thankful for the school that you go to and put a stop to the disregard you have towards school property.

“So many of you guys make great decisions every day and unfortunately we get a little bit of a black eye because of five kids,” Kempf said.

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 21

Opinion Air Conditioning

Enough of erratic air conditioning Students face major changes in temperature throughout the building

I

By Ryder Shepardson

It’s the end of November and we are already experiencing record-breaking cold temperatures. Students layer up for the trip to school, even if they’re only outside for a few minutes. They expect to walk indoors into a nice, warm school, but are firmly greeted with more frigid air.

After taking off their winter jackets for school, most have them back on after just a few periods. The classrooms have such variation in temperature, some classrooms are freezing, where as students are sweating in others.

Another terrible factor is that the air conditioning unit cannot be controlled by the teachers in the classroom.

“Going from Biology to English is the worst. It’s super hot followed by freezing cold. I always need to grab a jacket or hoodie,” sophomore Jake Gehl said.

The loud vents in the ceiling also disrupt classrooms. Students are often unable to hear their directions when sitting under the vents, much less be heard by their teachers.

“The issue I have with the ventilation is that sometimes it’s hard to hear students when the blower is at full power”, English teacher Kate Mennenoh said.

Students’ and staff ’s comfort should be taken into consideration with regard to the temperature around the building. The extreme differentiation is not only annoying, but also very distracting in classrooms. With no way for teachers to control this issue

S. Reilly

other than to open a window, which is obviously not an option in the winter.

The only current option is to buy and install new units.

However, one of the biggest obstacles that comes with solving this problem is in the financial department. To be able to adjust the temperature in each individual classroom, the school would need to put a thermostat in all the classrooms around the building, which would cost a fortune. This would be a large sum of money on its own, not to mention the fact that doing so would only solve half of the problem. In order to reduce the noise levels and other problems with the AC, the units would likely have to be

Ryder Shepardson is a first year staff writer for The Voice. Check out his podcast, ‘Gett’n Real Riy & Ryder” on huntleyvoice.com.

22 THE VOICE NOVEMBER 22 2019

replaced. Each unit would cost several hundred dollars, if not more. Multiply that by the number of classrooms in the school and it’s easy to see why this problem hasn’t been addressed yet.

All in all, I think it would be a great idea for the school to invest in new and upgraded air conditioning. But given the financial circumstances, it would be unrealistic to expect anything soon. It would require the school to cut funding elsewhere, which might take a while to mull over.

Also, by cutting funds in other areas of the school, it could potentially cause more problems and complaints elsewhere. The school is on a very tight budget, and there most likely isn’t much room for new additional costs.

Another hurdle that could interfere with this plan is the timing. With all the students still having school in session, there wouldn’t be a good time

see AC page 47

Features Art

To create your own world Artist Emalee Mitsven uses art to bring her unique character to life

S

By Olivia Mack She looks out the window and notices the gloomy night sky. She slowly walks up the stairs to go to her safe space, her bedroom, and grab her iPad. “Lemon Boy” by Cavetown starts to play, and she lies down on the bed.

Pulling up IBIS Paint, a digital drawing app, she begins to work on “Ørdinary Life,” her series of characters and drawings that she’s been working on for six years.

Huntley High School’s 16 year-old Emalee Mitsven has been creating art for as long as she can remember. She creates different series in order to help cope with her depression. After having personal issues with her father, she noticed her depression progressing over time.

She gives each character different qualities that she has, and combines it with qualities that she wishes to have.

“They’re apart of me, it would be a crime to not do anything with them,” Mitsven said. “I want to have my voice be heard in an entertainment format.”

Creating stories has always been in her blood. Her mother’s side is filled with generations of storytellers and animators. Mitsven makes it a priority that she fulfills this role.

Mitsven acknowledges that in the beginning she wasn’t always good at art, and even began to get bullied for her pieces. She kept working on her art daily, and proved those people wrong.

Coming out with life like sketches and anime esque digital drawings, she is full of talent and life.

Starting freshman year she took the Basic Art classes, and this year she attends 3D Design and Digital Art.

B. Hamann Traveling Program on their trip to Iceland in 2019

Within previous years, Mitsven has had art teacher Jill Corapi who has helped her become the artist she is today.

“I remember being an artist who has her own style and Em is already well underway as she’s working on developing it [her style],” Corapi said.

Mitsven starts a majority of her projects with a vision, then works her way on with it. She then figures out the main key points and sticks with it as she figures out everything in between.

“In an art class, she asks all the right questions. How to use materials, and how to make her work better,” Corapi said. “I enjoy having her around and I enjoy hearing about her ideas because she definitely has her opinions on them.” “Ørdinary Life” consists of multiple characters that all have some similarities to her. They all live within three realms: the Typi Realm, Creature Realm, and Magi Realm. This series essentially started on the side of a sheet of notebook paper, with Mitsven creating sketches of potential characters. She took the idea and decided to run with it.

“The thing I like so much about this series is that [each character is]

in their individual groups and then by the end they all come together,” Mitsven said.

This specific series, out of the many others Mitsven has, holds a special place in her heart. Creating this series has helped her feel more like herself and has aided her in figuring out who she is as a person. Authenticity of her work and being a voice for others are the top two concerns she makes sure she fulfills with each and every piece.

She started her Instagram account in 2018, @phantom.sushi, and uses it as a platform to show off her pieces of art. It contains colored as well as black and white sketches, information about her characters and her series, and even witty comments about her day to day life.

“I love revealing the truth [and] I want to uncover more truths and ideas with my art,” Mitsven said.

Her depression has been getting better over time and Mitsven thanks her art for that. She uses it as her creative outlet to distract her from the struggles she deals with. Mitsven makes it a priority to never censor her art as she believes if she does, people might feel left out. see ART page 47 HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 23

Feature Cafeteria

It’s always been about the kids Step into the day in the life of the HHS cafeteria staff

E

By Ayman Mirkhan Everyone has a drive in their life.

From fame to societal acceptance, there’s always a flame lit that ignites one’s passion. However, that drive does not always have to be the best or most expensive things. Sometimes, it can just be the ones you care about the most.

All of the members of the HHS cafeteria can agree that the students are their motivation. Whether their work is praised or not, caring for students and making priceless connections is what keeps them going each and every day.

“I started being a lunch lady 15 years ago when my son went to kindergarten...it was a great job for working mom as I could be there before school and after school [for him],” cook Gail Kaster said.

Kaster has been pretty much everywhere in the district. From the grade schools to HHS, she’s been a part of it all. However, the process of getting everything students expect out of a lunch room ready is far more complex than what meets the eye.

Each lunch lady has their own specialty area in which organize every day. Some will prepare all the hot food while others strictly maintain the cleanliness of all the dishes.

Regardless of what they’re doing, the only way anything can get done is through teamwork. Though it may sound cliche, the amount of duties this staff has can only be achieved by each person having each other’s back.

24 THE VOICE NOVEMBER 22 2019

S. Vanegas The cafeteria staff prepares food for upcoming lunch periods

“A lot of times you’ll get people who may complain and say ‘that’s not my job’ or ‘they never told me to do that.’

But here, everyone is always willing to help out,” cook Lisa Prokuski said.

Prokuski has been working for the district for about 12 years but was not always the light-hearted, hard-working cafeteria lady we love and know.

“Well, I started out substituting...I really enjoyed it because it gave me the opportunity to go to all our schools around the district. From grade school to the middle schools, I loved it, especially spending time with the little kids and things of that nature,” Prokuski said.

However, something was different about the high school. From the relationship she had with the students to the entire atmosphere of Huntley, there was something special about this place.

“But personally, I enjoyed the high school too much because you could really joke around and make a connection with these kids. We have a blast here,” Prokuski said.

As many have already suspected though, the job isn’t always sunshine and rainbows.

Preparing food for 3,000 students is no joke and the maintenance that it required outside the lunchroom is too often overlooked. The thousands of dishes these ladies clean on a daily basis in addition to the restocking they have to do can really suck the life out of you.

Unfortunately, that’s not the unpleasant part. The fact that after all the hard work these ladies exert to satisfy our student needs, we still leave them grotesque presents all over the cafeteria.

“They just leave their garbage all over the tables, and I feel that’s a lot of disrespect...I know there’s the throwing of food. I wouldn’t mind a mashed potato fight every once in a while, but there’s common respect,” Prokuski said.

And that’s just it. Common respect.

If the student body can’t act like adults then there should be no expectation to be treated as such.

Despite all these obstacles, those struggles are not the hardest part of the job.

“Probably at the end of the year seeing some the seniors leave. Because as

see CAFETERIA page 54

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Playing for something bigger than yourself

By Ayman Z. Mirkhan Photograph by Sam Jonas Children in need. A scenario no one wants to happen but an issue everyone will step out of their way to fix. As the world knows, there are chilren all over the globe who are in exigent circumstances and require dire assistance from well-established countries such as the U.S. So, HHS for the past couple years, has established a charitable event with UNICEF to allow Huntley to contribute to the noble cause.

The UNICEF volleyball tournament soon became an uproaring event in the Huntley community once being introduced anually the day before Halloween. In this event, students would create their own volleyball teams in which they would compete in an intense tournament to be named volleyball champions.

This year, like the ones before, had an amazing turn out with school spirit filling the air. All entry fees to enter the tournament were donated to the UNICEF cause and helped give this proud organization the ability to help more and more children. The UNICEF volleyball tournament is part of Huntley tradition and serves as an example of how this school will take the steps needed to be innovating leaders of change and progression.

Features Culture

A journey from around the world From Qatar to America: Olivia Al-Shayeb’s 7,000 mile journey

A

By Ruhi Gulati

At 5:30 a.m., the sirens of her alarm scream in her ear as she jolts out of bed and slams her hand onto the snooze button on her phone. She trudges to her bathroom, turns on the sink, and splashes ice-cold water onto her face. Now she is wide awake.

40 minutes later, she gradually climbs onto the stairs of a yellow school-bus and watches as the doors slam shut behind her, blocking out the icy wind of the gloomy morning.

Trying to avoid eye contact with the other students, she finds the last empty seat and places herself next to her older sister.

The view from outside her window is a blur and she can only focus on the brewing pot deep in her stomach of anger, fear, a pinch of excitement, and a lot of anxiety.

In a matter of what feels like seconds, she is standing right in front of the doors of Huntley, her new school.

As she breaths in a final gasp of frosty air, she pushes open the doors and follows the crowd of students to the freshmen wing.

Feeling overwhelmed and nauseous, with beads of sweat forming on her hairline, she rushes over to her locker, crashing into another student a whole foot shorter than her.

The student realizes that this strange, tall girl is new to Huntley, but she does not know that her first day of school is unlike no other.

First, it is the middle of winter.

Second, her white gold necklace is spelled in a language foreign to most students of HHS. Her fingers trace the outer edges of the Arabic letters of the sparkling necklace, which spell out her 28 THE VOICE NOVEMBER 22 2019

name.

“Hi, my name is Olivia and I’m from Qatar.”

Today, Jan. 7, 2018, is her first day of school in America.

Born in 2004, in Wauconda, Illinois, Olivia Al-Shayeb’s journey to Qatar started with her father, a Palestinian immigrant.

“My dad is the definition of the American Dream. He came here with no English and no money. He worked himself up from the bottom. He started as a dishwasher [and eventually] became a manager for Olive Garden,” Al-Shayeb said.

At the age of 30, he decided to become a pilot for Ryan Airlines, which later shut down throwing an obstacle in the path of the Al-Shayeb family.

He later accepted a job at Qatar Airways, located in the Middle East, but it required the whole family to move to another country more than 7,000 miles away from their home in America.

“I didn’t really understand what was happening. I just remember being on an airplane and just loading somewhere else all of a sudden,” Olvia Al-Shayeb said.

Compared to America, Qatar was a whole new world for the little girl; its beauty was remarkable. The fiery light from the sunrise would reflect onto the dark-tinted windows of her beige, box-like apartment until the whole sky of the city of Doha, Qatar lit up like a candle.

Every single apartment, called a compound, in her villa was identical, adding to the polished look of Doha.

Even her school, Doha British School,

was proper and sophisticated with identical uniforms, elegant accents of the teachers, and rules restricting chewing gum. Although the majority of students were British, there were some Jordans, Palestinians, and South Americans, but only one American: Olivia Al-Shayeb.

Sometimes, she felt as if she didn’t belong in Qatar. Whenever she visited America to escape from the dry, 120-degree summers of Qatar, she felt free at last. America was her first home and she did not believe that Qatar could ever provide her with that same sense of importance.

However, after three years of waiting on a list, she was finally accepted by her dream high school, American School Doha. There, she found the sense of belonging that she had yearned for.

With glass walls portraying views of grassy pathways that lined the beautiful campus, Doha American School was like a fantasy. Every student was extraordinarily smart and took an acceptance test to prove it.

People from all over the world attended this international school. Although students came from different backgrounds, everyone shared a connection. In each person’s heart, there was a feeling of family and friendship.

“Everyone was friends. No one was rude or unkind or thought they were better than anyone, kind of like here [at Huntley],” Al-Shayeb said.

Along with her friends, she spent most of her time playing high school volleyball, a sport Doha British School did not provide.

Over the weekends, she would walk

Courtesy of O. Al-Shayeb Olivia Al-Shayeb and her family travel across the warm sand in Qatar

with her friends along the floors of the Pearl, an island surrounding a perfectly circular body of water.

She would gaze at the bright roofs of stores and restaurants with street lights that reflected splashes of yellow onto the dark blue ocean, illuminating the water as if it were the sky.

Upon moving to her new school, the pieces of Al-Shayeb’s life were finally coming together and the beautiful city of Doha belonged to her. It was her home, but not for much longer.

On a Wednesday, in October, she found herself sitting silently on the couch in her living room, frozen in shock upon hearing the news that she was permanently moving to America. Less than three months later, she was saying her final goodbyes to her loving teachers and friends with tears rolling down her face. She had always dreamt about living in America, but

now that her dream came true, she did not know what to expect.

“It definitely made me realize to be more grateful about what you have at the moment because you don’t know what it’s like for it to be gone,” AlShayeb said.

Everything was gone. Her friends, her house, and her home vanished like the sun at night. Her whole life changed again, forcing her to adapt to new curriculums, cultures, and especially people. They were less accepting and she missed the people of Qatar.

“It is not necessarily the place that made it home; it was the people,” AlShayeb said.

No one at Huntley understood her situation. The only person she could rely on was her older sister, Sophia, a junior at the time.

“When either of us had an issue, we would talk about it with each other

and then tried to give each other the best advice that we could because both of us had no idea what we were doing,” Sophia Al-Shayeb said.

After five months in Huntley, Olivia had survived her first year of school in America. It was the last day and Olivia sat patiently on the bus, her head filled with memories of her past. As she gazed out the window, the grass outside transformed into the sandy beaches of Qatar. The tall, deciduous trees became palm trees swaying slightly in the summer breeze.

Just as the bus came to an abrupt stop, the image of Qatar shattered in her mind. As she wandered down the steps onto the sidewalk, she heard birds chirping and noticed her Arabic necklace glisten in the sunlight. Just like her necklace, Qatar will always be a part of her life, but America is AlShayeb’s home now.

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 29

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Feature Passion

Flying Solo Jacob Richardson speaks about flying on his own

A

By Amanda Brooks As the plane accelerated faster and faster, he increased the power to full capacity. The grass looked like green streaks as if someone had thrown green paint on a canvas. As the tail came up, Jacob Richardson could see the ground slanted in front of him.

Sitting straight up in his chair, he felt a bump and suddenly he was in the air.

17-year-old Jacob Richardson is a certified student pilot. He’s been flying consistently for the past four months, however, he’s been interested in planes ever since he could remember.

“As a kid, my dad always brought me to the airport. We’d always watch airplanes take off and land. It’s like watching backhoes move dirt, it’s weirdly interesting for kids,” Richardson said.

According to Richardson, the process to fly alone is fairly similar to the process of being able to drive alone. In the beginning, Richardson had to log a certain amount of hours in order to fly by himself.

“Officially, I soloed at about 12 hours of flight time in my log book. I have a student certificate. It’s official.

I have to have my student certificate in the plane when I fly solo because I’m technically under my instructor’s license,” Richardson said.

The log time to get your pilot’s license is a minimum of 40 flight hours, at least 20 of which must be with an instructor and 10 solo hours.

The expectations are much higher for an actual pilot. Richardson still needs at least 28 hours of flight time in order to be able to take the checkride, like a driving test to get your license.

There are three exams a student pilot must pass in order to become an actual pilot. First there is the knowl-

L. Landoch Jacobs gets ready to take flight in his plane

edge test which focuses on aerodynamic theory and the procedures of flying. Next is the checkride which consists of two parts, an oral exam, and a skills test. The oral exam focuses on how well you can communicate your actions to an instructor. The skills test focuses on all the basic maneuvers of flying while you are in the plane.

Richardson is hoping to soon qualify to take these tests.

“Where I am taking lessons, you have to pay for both the plane and the instructor. Where I go, the plane is $95 per hour and the instructor is $50 per hour. It’s not cheap. It definitely puts a hole in your bank account. It’s an investment of $145 per hour,” Richardson said.

While some people’s parents pay for lessons of any kind, Richardson actually pays for flight lessons out of his own pocket. He is currently working at BBQ King Smokehouse on the weekends to pay for his lessons.

Lessons are normally an hour long to keep things short and more manageable in terms of money.

Richardson flies at Poplar Grove Airport and his instructors name is Cody. Richardson says that forming a relationship with your instructor is a

major part of flying because it makes lessons much more fun.

“For me, it’s just a hobby. I’m looking forward to being able to take friends up and just fly. My favorite part is definitely the freedom. You can sort of fly whenever you want, as long as you stay a certain amount of miles away from the airport,” Richardson said.

Flying is Richardson’s main hobby.

He loves the thrill of being in the air, where all his cares and worries disappear “I’m really looking forward to bringing my friends up into the air and grabbing a meal,” Richardson said.

The thing that excites Richardson the most is the $100 burger. This is where a pilot flies from one airport to another to grab a burger. The meal itself is only $5, but the plane is $95 to rent.

Flying has given Richardson the ability to spread his wings and explore a completely different world.

“Believe it or not, flying is actually accessible to everyone. While it is an investment, and it may cost a lot up front, the rewards gained from flying are definitely worth every penny spent,” Richardson said.

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 31

Features Pets

The story of a Huntley icon How the @riverdogjenny Instagram account came to be

A

By Riley Murphy As James Allen and Aubrey Hanning walked down the busy streets of Chicago, they could not help but think of what they were potentially getting themselves into. Would she be well-behaved? Would she be too scared? Was she going to like living at their house?

As they eagerly opened the doors to Paws Chicago, an animal shelter based in Chicago, they attempted to ease their nerves before they stepped into the tiny room where they would meet their furry playmate. After meeting and playing with a couple of other dogs, they were finally introduced to a little yellow lab mix: Celia.

There was an instant connection.

As she sniffed and snuggled with them, they instantly knew that this dog was for them, and so began the adventures of River Dog Jenny.

Allen and Hanning first decided they wanted to adopt a dog about five years ago, during spring break of 2015, however they had mulled over the decision for quite some time.

Hanning has been a dog person ever since eighth grade when she and her family adopted a black lab named Emma. “[Emma] had the greatest personality, she was so sweet, so friendly, super loyal, and just a great dog,” Hanning said.

The memories and great experiences that both Hanning and Allen had with Emma, motivated them to look into lab mixes that were up for adoption in the local area. After

32 THE VOICE NOVEMBER 22 2019

looking on several websites and visiting some shelters, they found two lab mixes that were up for adoption at the Paws Chicago shelter.

After deciding to visit the two sisters, they hopped in the car and arrived at the shelter where they requested to meet and play with them.

“I think as a puppy you know it’s hard to tell what their personality is going to be like and all puppies are so cute,” Hanning said.

As they stepped into the tiny play room at the shelter, they were greeted by a fuzzy face and a wet nose: Celia’s sister. While she was surely a cute puppy, Allen and Henning didn’t feel a connection with her and asked to play with Celia.

When Celia walked into the room, she was instantly curious and couldn’t keep herself from investigating her new friends. As she climbed into their laps and snuggled up with them, Allen and Henning knew this would be the dog for them and they didn’t even need to think twice about it. As they verified vaccinations, signed the adoption papers, and walked Celia, now known as Jenny, to the car they became increasingly more excited for this new chapter of life. “[Signing the adoption papers] was honestly exciting. It felt like ‘Oh man this is real. This is really happening,’” Allen said. “So overall, just an exciting feeling, a new chapter.”

As a puppy, Jenny was surpris-

ingly well-behaved, except for a few accidents and the loss of a wakeboard insole. As she got older, she started to conquer some of her fears and became more adventurous.

From figuring out how to use the stairs, to riding on a boat, to even paddleboarding and kayaking, Jenny was having the time of her life with her new family.

“She’s always just been thriving with like being active,” Hanning said.

As Jenny took on the world in her own backyard, Allen’s sister suggested that he create an Instagram account for Jenny in order for people to keep up with her and her busy life. In fact, Allen’s sister had her own account for her cats Mikita and Dahlia - @chicagoblackcat.

While Allen and Hanning thought about the idea, they never got around to creating one until they were on a spring break vacation and began to miss Jenny. So they created the famous account @riverdogjenny and suddenly she became a Huntley icon.

“The motivation was just to be a fun place to post almost like a highlight reel because if you look at most dog owner’s camera reals, they are mostly pictures of their dogs,” Allen said. “Obviously fame and fortune were on the table as well.” @riverdogjenny initially started out as a fun place to store memories, but now she’s become a part of the Huntley High School community.

Now most, if not all students, know

J. Allen Jenny yawns while sitting beside the Fox River

the famous dog and follow her along on her river dog adventures.

“One thing that I didn’t think about when doing this just as a teacher, both of us as teachers, was kind of the impact it would have on student and teacher relationships,” Allen said. “Kids got to know a little different side of myself or Aubrey and just kind of see what we do in

our lives through the eyes of our dog.”

Some of her most famous posts include videos of her chasing squirrels, her relaxing on the boat, and playing with her doggie friends.

Allen and Hanning often like to stay active and they enjoy the outdoors, so bringing Jenny along with them just seemed right. On any given day,

J. Allen

one can catch up on Jenny’s journey and see what the family is up to.

“They love having that person or those people in their lives, so it’s nice to gear your life towards making them happy as well,” Allen said.

Make sure to check out @chicagoblackcat and @riverdogjenny on Instagram!

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 33

Feature Teacher

HHS substitute battles cancer with support from community Michelle Ferrante greatful for support from students and staff at HHS

O

By Skylar Sharkey

families volunteered to drop off meals On April 5, 2018, Michelle Ferrante fighter.”

Michelle has been a substitute in so Michelle wouldn’t have to worry waited patiently in her hospital bed District 158 since 2007. For more about feeding her husband and three at Northwestern Medicine Hospital, than 10 years, Michelle has been sons. her husband John by her side. After adored by students and faculty at “The level of compassion from the undergoing emergency surgery on community was completely overher intestine, she was told by the doc- Huntley High School, as well as the whelming. I’m very blessed. All the tor that following the procedure, her Marlowe and Heineman Middle Schools. support and the love that poured out health would return to normal. She “I just love the kids so much. Kids from everybody would go back to at the high being a substitute school, that was teacher at District just a miracle,” 158. She would “You can tell me I have cancer.

Michelle said. be able to see her That’s fine.

But I am not going “Where can you beloved students go to work and again. down without a fight. So you everyone cares “Your wife has better be ready to get your about you and stage 3B Gist Canboxing gloves on. Because you care about cer,” the oncologist you’ve got a patient who’s a everybody said. reciprocally?”

From this mofighter.”

Michelle’s ment, Michelle’s - Michelle Ferrante son, David, a world forever senior at HHS, changed. She witnessed couldn’t cry, she the support was completely know me now and they’re always so first-hand. His wrestling coach, BJ frozen. Worry and panic enveloped Bertelsman, played a large part in her as she stared blankly at the doctor. concerned about me and they ask about me,” Michelle said. “They know organizing donations. Despite impos“What’s going to happen to my sible circumstances, the support from three boys and my family?” she won- how much I care about them.”

Michelle was diagnosed with stage the community showed the Ferrante dered to herself.w three Gist Cancer, a type of cancer family that they weren’t alone in their Despite the fear she felt, Michelle that is usually found in the stomach fight. looked the doctor dead in the eye.

“The next couple of months were “I’m going to tell you what. You can and small intestine. Following the tough, but they would’ve been a lot tell me I have cancer. That’s just fine,” diagnosis, the Ferrante family was overwhelmed with the support they tougher without the support of the Michelle said. “But I am not going received from McHenry County. community. My wrestling coach down without a fight. So you better be ready to get your boxing gloves on. Members of the community donated and some other people in the wresfood items and cleaning supplies, and tling community organized meal Because you’ve got a patient who’s a

[

34 THE VOICE NOVEMBER 22 2019

]

J. Soriano Michelle and David Ferrante stand arm-in-arm

trains. People basically from all over McHenry County were helping my family, giving us food, different groceries so we didn’t have to worry about it as much,” David said. “That support was honestly huge and it helped us get through it a lot better.

We knew we weren’t alone. That was really important for us.”

Michelle’s fight with cancer led her to realize the impact she’d made on so many at HHS. The support from the community made a huge difference in her battle and allowed her to realize the relationships she’d built throughout her career.

“I guess you don’t realize the lives you touch until you realize you need someone,” Michelle said. “I do think there are still really good people in the world, and I think a lot of them are teachers at that high school.”

Though Bertelsman played a large part in organizing support for the Ferrante family, he remains humble about his actions. Part of being in the community of Huntley High School is stepping up to support fellow peers

and faculty.

“We weren’t asking to change their daily life or their fortune. Bring in paper towels, make a meal,” Bertelsman said. “We do that a lot of times with different people. You’ve got to look out for your own. Especially a person like Michelle who’s been in the community forever, is part of the school culture. The subs are the lifeline for our school. They’re part of the staff basically.”

Even though she felt the support from everyone within the community, Michelle still struggled with the news of her diagnosis. She was left question why it was her who had to receive the diagnosis, but she came to understand that this was a situation she would grow from.

“The whole thing about cancer is that it doesn’t discriminate. I think about myself pre-cancer and now.

I’m so different,” Michelle said. “You think you’re going to be around forever and you’ve got this idea that you’re 50 but you’re going to live a really long time.”

Despite the initial shock and denial that came with the diagnosis, Michelle’s faith in God encouraged her to keep fighting.

“Of course you go through the whole ‘why me?’ phase. Then when you finally get over that,” Michelle said. “God’s got a journey for me. I’ve just got to be willing to accept it, not fight it, and put myself in His hands.”

The Ferrante family feels gratitude towards the Huntley community for the support they had received following Michelle’s diagnosis.

“I definitely want to thank Huntley High School, thank all the teachers.

Thank all the students for being supportive of my mom and supportive of my family,” David said. “Thank the whole wrestling community for the help they gave me in that time.”

Though this experience has taught David and his family many lessons, overall he has learned the value of generosity.

“Compassion has a way of coming full circle: the more you give the more others give in return,” David said.

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 35

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A&E Pokemon

“Sword and Shield” impresses fans worldwide

P

By Drew Lauer “Pokemon Sword and Shield,” which was released on Nov. 22, has been anticipated since the Nintendo Switches’ release back in 2017. In November of last year, switch owners got to experience “Let’s Go Eevee” and “Let’s Go Pikachu,” but were fairly disappointed with the first Pokemon game on the newest console. Intended to expand on what the Pokemon Company and GameFreak created with “Pokemon Go,” the game broke away from tradition in an attempt to emerge the player into the world of Pokemon.

Pokemon swept the world in 1996 with the release of “Red and Blue” for the GameBoy. The game introduced a world of imaginary creatures, and a 10-year-old determined to be the best. 23 years later, the company has released 30 mainline games in the United States with an average review score of 9/10. With millions of dedicated fans and newcomers alike, the franchise has risen to the second highest grossing, behind only Mario, who is also owned by Nintendo.

Their rapid rise to popularity led to many spin off games, a large market of children’s toys, and a still continuing television series. Their large market and reach has made a name for the company and extended their audience over the years.

Continuing to change up the formula in more recent games, using features like Mega Evolution and Z-Moves, fans are excited for the newest feature: Gigamax and Dynamax allowing one Pokemon to become larger, increasing their stats. Fans and critics alike are thrilled to see how such a feature

Courtesy of Pokemon’s Twitter Advertisement for “Sword and Shield”

could and will affect the game.

Before the game’s release, fans had been theorizing about what the game could be like as well as rumoring about removals of certain features. The most notable feature being removed is the National Pokedex, allowing the player to obtain Pokemon from older regions. GameFreak not including the National Dex would make many fans angry even after release.

Days after the game’s release, however, it holds up to its expectations and in some ways exceeds them. The mild frame drops occasionally do sour some in game moments, but overall don’t ruin the overall effect. As of right now, the game seems to have a problem involving the auto-save feature.

The auto-save feature appears to be glitching itself and deleting save data for not only Pokemon, but every save file for every game on the memory card. The exact cause for what is causing this is not yet known, however and could very well be a glitch in the most recent software patch for the console.

The game’s graphics are new and refreshing despite having resemblance to GameFreaks last games, “Sun and Moon.” The vibrant, crisp colors of the new Galar region hold up in TV mode

or in handheld in a nice 720p resolution.

The gameplay is simple enough for newcomers, yet complicated enough to keep veteran players engaged in the game. It is both known and new at the same time with the usual mechanics being present with additions to gameplay feeling similar to “Pokemon Go.” Raiding strong wild Pokemon generally requires some friends or online to gain rewards to power up your team and the chance to catch the Pokemon beat in the raid.

Borrowing the wild Pokemon mechanics from the recent “Let’s Go” series, the Pokemon appear in a majority of open areas and are only interactable once the player makes contact. This makes hunting for a certain species much easier than in the past as you can pick and choose who to battle and when.

“Pokemon Sword and Shield” turned out to be the game fans hoped that it would be, combining old and new aspects of the game to make their best, most immersive game yet. The minor issues were never too large of a problem, and will most definitely be fixed within the next few updates of the game.

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 37

The path to victory is one for the determined

By Ayman Z. Mirkhan Photograph by Syndney Laput

Huntley’s Red Raiders fought fearlessly to grab the win on Nov. 2 against Chicago Taft.

The season has brought nothing but truimph for Huntley, but that doesn’t mean the process in getting there is easy. Merciless practices every day is no joke and all these guys invested every bit of blood, sweat, and tears to get to where they are.

The game was a massacre. From the start to the finish, the Red Raiders stripped away any dignity the opposition thought they had.

With a blowout of 48-6, the amount of work that was put in to perfect this Huntley team is clear to see by all.

However, despite the passionate drive and dedication of all these players, sometimes training just doesn’t cut it. The second game of the playoffs, Huntley versus Marist, unfortunately puts an end to the successful run the Red Raiders had.

The game was close with the score ending 14-7 and Huntley fighting to the last second.

This season proved what hard work can achieve with results the team is producing, they can only get better and better.

A&E Streaming

Disney’s new “Disney+” only adds controversy Fans stand unsure of the benefits of Disney’s new streaming service

By Jimmie Soriano

R

Courtesy of Netflix Disney+ offers a variety of genres for all Disney lovers

Rabid fans and young newcomers couldn’t wait for what was to come on Nov. 11. Many were excited to satisfy their childhood nostalgia while others looked to finally catch productions they couldn’t in theatres, for this day met the launch of yet another streaming service, one that would definitely find itself in the already increasing digital library for families around the globe: Disney+.

With the rise of Disney+ came a multitude of questions from the company’s massive audience around the globe. With varying launch dates worldwide, Disney+ surprised many when Disney had originally teased the idea a few months prior, recently coming to fruition in North America on Nov. 11, 2019.

Complete with a countdown and further information, the service’s official website stated its earnest 40 THE VOICE NOVEMBER 22 2019

pricing of $7.99 a month, boasting a price that halves the majority of its competition. Even still, Disney+ is complete with fan-favorite franchises that Disney already owns.

These include the entirety of Marvel as well as other loved television classics such as “The Simpsons.”

Recently, Disney has found itself tight in a bit of controversy. A sizable part of their audience responded poorly to the company’s most recent productions such as the “live-action” versions of many of Disney’s classics like the recent rendition of “The Lion King” or the plethora of sequels being produced to Disney originals. This was easily seen with the reduced profits of such movies like “Wreckit-Ralph 2” or the negativity imposed on by fans in response to another sequel soon to be released, “Frozen 2.”

With these productions, tension

has risen among the Disney community as people stand confused as to why so many entertainment production companies have started their own streaming services.

At the base of it, having a personalized streaming service is a strong source of income for a production company.

Despite recent events, Disney is still able to provide benefits to its customers. With this, Disney has included Disney+ free with Verizon users. To go further, Disney+ offers their content in 4K Ultra HD, which is considered a premium for other streaming services, meaning that it would only be offered at a higher price.

While Disney+ may seem like a magical ticket straight back to your childhood, the community has spoken that the “magic” won’t last forever. See, Netflix had originally started in a similar manner, having a lower price than it currently does. As it grew, however, the company began to produce originals and bid for licensing, so they could stream a wider library.

As such, the same is predicted for Disney+ and other streaming services that have started to sprout up.

Regardless, Disney+ is something that so many have been looking forward to, for good reason at that. Even though the animated stories we all grew up may not have the same spark they had so long ago, they’re back now, and they’re here to stay.

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HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 41

A&E Music

The genre that defined music A brief history of rock & roll spanning from the 1950s to now

G

By Alex O’Connell George Harrison, John Lennon, and Paul McCartney rocked the studio with their rare three-way guitar solo while Ringo shook the room with the pounding of his drum set. The squealing of the bends to the fast-paced notes would be concluded with the band’s final poetic lyrics “And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.”

After almost a decade of controlling the charts with their music, the Beatles signaled the end of their reign with their final studio song, “The End.” Even the album’s artwork gave hint to the idea that the Beatles were moving on, with the iconic image of the group walking away from the studio symbolizing the end for good.

The Beatles’ final studio record, “Abbey Road,” turned 50 years old this past month. Regarded as one of the best records in music history, “Abbey Road” paved the way for music of all genres. It’s safe to say that some of today’s most popular sounds stemmed from rock in some way.

Most of rock-and-roll’s most notable feats have reached the 50 year mark recently, and it seems as if people have forgotten about rock, especially with all that is happening in the music industry today. 50 years later, it only seems appropriate to briefly break it all down and remember the history of rock and roll, the genre that defined music.

The transition from doo-wop to rock-and-roll as America’s most popular music style was led by who other than the “King of Rock-and-

42 THE VOICE NOVEMBER 22 2019

Roll” Elvis Presley. Presley’s fusion of dance-style music and harder rhythms sparked the fire that was rock. Along with other artists, like Buddy Holly, Elvis kickstarted the revolution of American music and was making a drastic turn toward a harder, louder sound.

The British Invasion of the 1960s refers to the spread of British music popularity in America. Born out of Liverpool, the Beatles were easily the biggest musical influence to ever come out of the UK. When they first entered the scene in 1962, the Beatles started a musical journey unlike any other. Record-after-record and single-after-single, the group put together a flawless blend of blues and rock ballads that gave them their unique, defining sound. The craze was so massive that the band had to stop live performances in 1966 because the screaming from girls would drown out the music. Hits like “Rubber Soul”, “Revolver”, and “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” helped make music what it is today, demonstrating the band’s ability to nail any style of music they chose. Almost every other band after the Beatles cites them as an influence in some way.

In the late ‘60s, the Jimi Hendrix Experience joined the scene and would set the stage for the 1970s, with Jimi Hendrix’s guitar playing being “far ahead of his time.” Unlike anyone else in the 1960s, Jimi played long, electrifying solos over beautifully written lyrics. Together with Mitch Mitchell’s hard drumming,

Jimi Hendrix essentially outlined the future of rock-and-roll for decades to come and is still regarded as the greatest guitar player to ever live (even though his career spanned only four years before his death by overdose in 1970).

After the Yardbirds, a rock supergroup, split up in the late ‘60s, lead guitarist Jimmy Page was left with no choice but to start his new project.

He began reuniting with musicians he temporarily played with and met other mutual acquaintances. This is when rock would take a hard turn.

Led Zeppelin is often regarded as the first band to play what is known as “hard rock.” When you put together Jimmy Page’s crying guitar, Robert Plant’s screaming vocals, John Bonham’s untamed drumming, and John Paul Jones’ funky basslines, the result could be considered illegal in some countries. Zeppelin ruled the 1970s in an age when people were still distraught by the split of the Beatles. Together with the rest of the “holy trinity” of the 1970s (Black Sabbath and Deep Purple), Led Zeppelin introduced the world to a new, harder, and heavier sound that still rings today.

By the time the 1980s came around, disco and pop were on the rise, and some took it upon themselves to keep rock-and-roll kicking.

Mötley Crüe was founded in the early ‘80s and established what an “‘80s hair band” was to be. Their outlandish lifestyle, gothic appearance, and dirty sound put them on the map and on the way to stardom. Hits like “Live

Courtesy of Rolling Stone

Wire,” “Looks That Kill,” and “Home Sweet Home” are considered classics today and characterized what it meant to “rock” in the 1980s.

In the 1990s, more and more genres were starting to emerge from the changes that took place to rock.

The Red Hot Chili Peppers were among the first to implement a more prominent bass and defied the stereotype that bass was meant to stay in the background. Jane’s Addiction also delivered unique sounds, blending hard and smooth elements in epics like “Three Days,” “Then She Did,” and “Pigs in Zen.” The lead vocalist of Jane’s Addiction, Perry Farrell, would go on to create Lollapalooza.

The post-9/11 rock scene can be best described as “indie rock” or “garage rock.” In a time when rock was dying out, the Strokes were seen as the genre’s last hope - and they did not disappoint. 2001’s “Is This It” is regarded as one of the best records of all time and sits high on some of the most prestigious leaderboards. The Strokes, along with the White Stripes (the duo of divorced couple Jack and Meg White), changed rock from long songs with lengthy guitar solos to something that could be heard on modern-day radio at any moment.

2000s bands are shaping what is to come, and bands from the past still have their influence.

And it all leads back here, 50 years later. I just barely touched on some of the best bands and artists who transformed music, but after all, this is a brief history of rock-and-roll.

So, is rock-and-roll dead? It’s been about 50 years since rock’s peak and there are still groups contributing to the genre’s success and longevity.

No matter what type of music you listen to, there is no denying that rockand-roll and its continual changes contributed to what music is today.

As we look back at the last half-century, we can only hope that those who rock-and-roll have influenced will continue to pay it forward and give back to the genre that defined music.

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 43

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A&E Music

The season of Christmas is back Holiday jingles hit the billboards from the classics to the new hits

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By Rayne Zilch

Christmas season is approaching and that means many festive songs are going to be played every where; the new covers and old favorites.

Christmas is in the top three highest ranked holidays which shows the high anticipation for the Christmas jingles.

There are so many popular Christmas songs. Songs that have come out within the last 10 years and some that have been played since the 1800s. That is a pretty long time period for music to still be popular.

Especially since the style of music has changed drastically throughout the decades. So why have these songs been continuously played every year? Are they really that popular in this time of year?

The magic of Christmas songs is truly impressive. When else are there people from ages 1 to 92 singing along to the same tunes? From the themes being about fictional characters and being home for the holidays, to ones about celebrating with friends and hoping to find love during the holidays.

The reason older songs are still recognized today is because of how beautifully written they are and how they really capture and show an image of holiday spirit better than any others can today.

In 1940, Irving Berlin wrote today’s most popular Christmas song, “White Christmas.” Although the cover that is most popular today is the rerecording in 1947 sung by Bing Crosby.

When Crosby first heard the song

Courtesy of Mariah Carey’s Twitter Mariah Carey bringing back Christmas classic for the Holidays

played in 1941, he didn’t enjoy it.

He said it hadn’t reached its full potential. After changing up the boring instrumental tone, the song’s popularity flew through the roof.

Crosby performed the song for the first time on his NBC radio show on Christmas Day and the song quickly became the, “best-selling single of all time.” It sold more than 100 million copies around the world.

In 1994 Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” that was also co-composed by Walter Afanasreff, became very popular as well. It took them 15 minutes to write and compose the song. Pretty impressive.

Although it still hasn’t reached the full-on favoritism like “White Christmas,” it became an instant hit.

Carey’s favorite part of the song is the background vocals. She thought it was the most enjoyable part while being in the studio.

It peaked at #1 on the “U.S. Holiday 100” during a 30-week stint. The song is so popular that it

reached #11 on the “Billboard Hot 100” in 2015, 21 years after it was first released. Today, it has sold over 16 million copies.

Joining the top three favorites “O Holy Night” by Josh Groban which is very recognizable. This piece was composed by Adolphe Adam from a poem by a wine merchant in 1847. “O Holy Night” origins are in France where it’s known as “Cantique De Noel.” Josh Groban recorded his version in 2002 which went to #1 on the “Billboard Adult Contemporary Singles” chart.

Notice how those three songs are all very different. The instruments and the song tones contain their own unique sense of style. “White Christmas” and “O Holy Night” are more slow paced relaxed songs, while “All I Want For Christmas Is You” is upbeat and makes people want to sing along. Maybe that is why Christmas songs remain timeless and popular: there is something for everybody in the same genre.

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 45

A&E Hallmark

Hallmark 2019 A look inside Hallmark’s newest Christmas movies

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By Brooke Hamann Decorating for the holidays is serious business for many—but if you’re CEO of Crown Media Networks (aka the Hallmark Channel) the bar is set on an entirely different level.

William J. Abbott, Crown Media’s CEO and president, and Michelle Vicary, the network’s executive Vice President of programming and publicity, are just two of the millions that get tangled up in the joy that is Christmas for the holidays.

Tinsel and trees aside, Abbott, Vicary, and the entire team at Crown Media actually live the business they’re selling. And they’re selling it well.

Vicary says nearly 85 million people lay eyes on the network between Halloween and New Years. If that sounds more like a Christmas miracle than reality, you haven’t been paying attention to the Hallmark Channel or Hallmark Movies & Mysteries the last few years.

The network claims it is “cable’s biggest success story.” This statement, is nothing far from the truth.

This year Hallmark is in the midst of airing 37 original holiday movies for its Countdown to Christmas programming (and planning the 2019 holiday slate).

So, watching these movies is no longer a guilty pleasure; it’s appointment television.

From unofficial drinking games to a user-friendly app, it’s become cool to stay home and watch two people in sweaters fall in love in a town named like a Bath & Body Works lotion.

Abbott says Netflix is partially to thank for changing viewer habits, particularly among millennials but, it is only a small part of Hallmark’s success. Vicary acknowledges the constant, and often depressing, 24/7 news cycle as another factor.

The secret to success doesn’t come without detractors, though. Abbott and Vicary know there are plenty of people who think the content is cheesy, but to them, that doesn’t have to be a negative; predictable doesn’t have to be presumed as a negative connotated word. It’s about

46 THE VOICE NOVEMBER 22 2019

Courtesy of glamour.com A couple from Hallmark’s popular movie “Christmas At Pemberley Manor”

how the characters end up where they do by the end of the film.

So, how did Hallmark go from a brandnew network in the early aughts to a holiday empire?

For one, consistency. Hallmark premieres most of its original movies on Saturdays and Sundays, a time when other networks air sports or reruns. But it’s also investment and creating an experience.

And then there’s the wish-fulfillment aspect, those picturesque, snow-capped towns and leads in color-coordinated holiday attire.

Still, that “environment” has come under more scrutiny in the past few years for being predominantly white, straight, and without much diversity. The network needs to do more to reflect America today—and Abbott says the Hallmark Channel team is aware and working on it.

Where they are is a more diverse slate of programming than years past. It’s not perfect yet, but one example of progress is a recent full-page ad Crown Media took out in The Hollywood Reporter to showcase its holiday slate. Of the 14 actors in the ad, nine were women, seven were people of color, and five were women of color.

But Abbott or Vicary know that’s not enough. The executives are discussing a possible Hanukkah movie to join their holiday lineup.

That progress is important to Abbott and Vicary, who want Hallmark to stay

current and evolving.

Abbott even acknowledges that the network’s older movies were guilty of playing into stereotypes.

“We work very hard to stay out of that stereotypical dialogue and situational behavior because it’s just not reality, and it’s not authentic. We really try to empower women,” he says, according to glamour. “We really work hard to ensure that our women are strong—while they don’t need a man, they’d love to fall in love. But at the end of the day, that is not what they need to be successful or happy or fulfilled or have a good career. That is something that is very important to all of us to portray.” That awareness is one of the reasons Abbott credits the Hallmark Channel’s growth in markets like Chicago, New York, Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia, and D.C. “Everybody likes to feel good. I don’t care what political party you’re part of or where you live, people like to feel positive.” Yes, Hallmark’s content isn’t edgy, “and never will be”, but it’s certainly smarter than it’s ever been.” he said. “And that wins.”

It’s been a stressful year, but at least you can count on Hallmark, Lifetime, and Netflix to come through with the holiday cheer. So decompress with all of our delightful holiday content right here.” Jessica Radloff, west coast editor for Glamour said.

AIR CONDITIONING page 22

to install the new units and

and finish installation over winter break. Given the time it would take to budget, the time it would take to order, and the time it would take to have them delivered, it wouldn’t even be ready to start by then. Plus, it would be nearly impossible to finish the installation over the short break.

With that being said, although this problem is quite bothersome and pestering, we all need to grow up a bit. Being that it is a hefty expense with a l time to complete, we aren’t likely to see any change. It isn’t going to be the end of the world to put on a sweatshirt, or take off a jacket in between classes.

WEIGHTS page 57 thinks would be extremely cool to work towards and would be a major goal of hers as she would continue along that path.

“I would be able to do something I love doing, while being able to share my experiences with others and help to inspire them,” Lee said. “I know even now when I show my friends my progress they’re shocked and some of them have actually started working out and asking me for tips.”

ART page 23 It’s a free society and in this world [nothing is] really censored. Everything is there as much as we want it or not,” Mitsven said.

She keeps it real with her art and ties in real world issues. This ensures that she is truthful for any one and everyone that views her pieces.

Mitsven’s pure sense of passion is what enables her to keep going with art.

“Don’t be afraid of how passionate you are about something and keep doing it no matter what.”

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 47

A&E Youtube

More than a business: Shane Dawson and Jeffree Star Shane Dawson’s new make up collection broke the internet

By Ally Jorgensen “The Beautiful World of Jeffree Star” is a YouTube documentary series created by 31-year-old Youtuber, Shane Dawson. The series features the current 33-year-old CEO of Jeffree Star Cosmetics, Jeffree Star, in the creation of Dawson’s new makeup line from start to finish.

Dawson also focuses on the drama in the beauty community on YouTube. The series currently consists of six episodes, around an hour each. It is currently unclear if any more will be released. Combined, the episodes have about 115 million views.

Despite his label as a YouTuber, Dawson has worked on many film productions in his lifetime and has had over 11 years of experience on YouTube. He currently sits at about 23.1 million subscribers.

Dawson has previously released many documentary-based videos

on YouTube, many involving other largely known media influencers.

Some of his early works featured YouTubers, Bobby Burns in “Confronting My Hater,” Jake Paul in “The Mind of Jake Paul,” Eugenia Cooney in “The Return of Eugenia Cooney,” and even released a series with Jeffree Star in 2018, “The Secret World of Jeffree Star,” focusing on his life as the CEO of a makeup brand. Many of these videos have received over 20 million views on average.

After his first series with Star, Dawson became obsessed with all aspects of the beauty world. He was eager to learn about the business of the makeup industry and was itching to try it out for himself.

He began buying makeup from all different brands and even doing makeup on his friends and family to practice.

Luckily for him, Star is a very wealthy friend who was willing to introduce him to the industry.

Shortly after the first series was finished, Dawson and Star revealed that they would be creating a makeup line together. Dawson also stated that he would be documenting the process.

On September 24, Dawson released the trailer for his series on his YouTube channel. Many viewers became excited about the series and his comment section was painted with enthusiasm. Many of his fans were confident in the success of his line and expressed their excitement to buy his makeup.

Shortly after, Dawson started to release the episodes about a week apart.

In the first episode, Dawson joins Star at one of his meet and greets at a Morphe store to get a feel for

Courtesy of jeffreestarcosmetics.com Jeffree Star and Shane Dawson show off their makeup collaboration

48 THE VOICE NOVEMBER 22 2019

the fame of the beauty world. The experience was very overwhelming for him, but he began to understand what it is like to be a famous beauty influencer.

Dawson is widely known for his conspiracy videos on YouTube. His newest “Conspiracy Theories with Shane Dawson” has over 43 million views. This concept influenced the themes of his makeup products and even became the main focus of the line.

The second episode discusses the liquid lip collection and eyeshadow pallet ideas. Dawson explores colors, pricing, sales, and merchandise.

Not long after, Dawson and Star review the first shade samples from the JSC lab. Dawson is amazed by the progress and expresses his gratitude towards the JSC team. The next episode also goes into a controversy that Dawson was tangled up in that involved his cat. This controversy also inspired Dawson to express his ideas about producing a mini pallet along with the main pallet.

The fourth episode opens with Dawson and his fiancé, Ryland Adams, visiting their old home. It is an emotional episode, focusing on a new chapter of his life.

Dawson and Star are also seen making a very important phone call with a Morphe executive. Star teaches Dawson about selling himself and his brand to outside companies. The team decides that they will be stocking around 500,000 units at Morphe.

The fifth episode sheds light on the failures in the business world.

Through the episode, Dawson rejects many of the packaging ideas that the teams suggest, causing them to get behind on their schedule.

In this shortened period of time, Dawson and Andrew Siwicki, his

cameraman, work hard to get the best possible product that they can get. The pair explores their ideas in photoshop and sends the ending idea to the JSC team. In the end, they produce something that everybody is on board with.

In the final episode of the series, Dawson and Star reveal their makeup collection and include footage from the campaign photoshoot. The series ends with a very emotional segment with Dawson and his family. He reveals his collection to his loved ones and even sheds a few tears.

Dawson’s online merchandise launched October 15, selling out in under 30 minutes and reached over half a million dollars in sales.

The Conspiracy Collection launched on November 1 on the JSC website and other retailers. The collection included the Conspiracy Pallet, the Mini-Controversy Pallet, various liquid lipstick shades, The Gloss: Shane Glossin’, Diet Shane Lip Balm, hand help pig mirrors,

and other bags and merchandise products. Most of the collection sold out in just over 24 hours. They sold over 1.1 million pallets six days into the launch. Star announced that the collection had broken many records, and stated that it was the biggest e-commerce launch in the history of the internet Following up with the launch, many fans are curious to see what Dawson does next. A lot of people are expressing their frustrations with the series on social media, most saying that Dawson did not include all of the things he promised in the trailer. People wanted to see all of the dirt and drama that Dawson had on other media influencers.

Dawson took this to and Instagram live, expressing his concerns about his continuation, stating that he thought the drama was getting old.

As of now, it is unclear if Dawson will be continuing the series.

More updates can be found on Jeffree Star and Shane Dawson’s YouTube channels.

Courtesy of Jeffree Star Costemics Facebook Jeffrey Star advertises his eyeshadow pallet “Conspiracy”

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 49

Sports Soccer

The biggest goal of his life Josh Guyer and the boys soccer team fight to grab the regional championship

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By Mark Vandy After 80 minutes of play, the final bell had rung. With the score being 0 - 0, the regional championship was headed to overtime. Huntleys season on the line, the boys were putting in everything they could to score a goal in sudden death. After 15 more minutes of play, Josh Guyer drills the ball into the back of the net. The crowd erupts as the boys start to dog pile. Chants break out every where.

“Huntley, Huntley, Huntley.” Never did Guyer think that 12 years of playing soccer would lead up to this moment.

As Josh guyer stepped on the field, he felt the familiar feeling of the squishy astro turf beneath his feet.

The same feeling he felt every day at practice, running drills, and improving team chemistry. Guyer equates his good skills to hours on hours of practicing over the years.

Guyer has been playing soccer since kindergarten, when at that age he fell in love with the sport.

“I don’t remember much from being that age, but I remember being on the yellow team, and scoring a bunch,” Guyer said.

Guyer has continued to play soccer every spring since then, while also competing in other sports such as basketball, track and field, and cross country. Guyer still competes in a plethora of sports but feels a certain connection to the sport of soccer.

“I love the flow of the game, and the challenge of only being able to use your feet,” Guyer said.

Senior year was Guyer’s second year on varsity. This was his final season playing soccer, as he was going to 50 THE VOICE NOVEMBER 22 2019

S. Jonas Varsity team huddle together for the biggest game of the season

college next year. Guyer entered the season with one goal in mind: make this an unforgettable season.

As the season progressed, Guyer was standing out on the team with 11 points on the season. But Guyer still thirsted for more, and knew their season would soon be over.

Huntley’s regular season ended with an overall record of 11-11-1. This is the best record the team has had since 2016.

“A lot of us seniors have been playing together for quite some time now, we have a ton of team chemistry.”

Guyer said As the regular season came to a close, Huntley entered the playoffs as the sixth seed in the Class 3A playoffs.

They faced off against Larkin High School in the first round of regionals and won 3-1 due to the help of player of the game Sam Bellantuono.

“Our team is filled with many great players, and that depth has helped us in many games,” Guyer said.

Huntley was then headed to the regional championship game.

Huntley was the underdog in the regional championship game, facing off against the third seed team, South Elgin. The game was played at Huntley and as the game progressed, no goals were scored.

Huntley fought the first 80 minutes of regulation, but still faced a score of 0 - 0. Heading into the first overtime, Huntley kept up the high intensity.

“We were still very confident at this point, I was exhausted. But I knew that this was crucial and found my second wind,” Guyer said.

In overtime in soccer, the first team to score automatically wins the game, and the other teams season will come to a close.

The first overtime ended up much like regulation. South Elgin with a score of 0, Huntley with a score of 0. The game was headed to a second overtime.

When suddenly, five minutes into the second overtime, midfielders Logan Conery and Josh Guyer pushed the ball downfield. As logan Conery dribbled down field, he saw Guyer open, and passed the ball. The crowd erupts immediately as Guyer drills it into the back of the net.

“I saw Logan pass the ball and I knew Guyer would put the ball in the net,” senior Mitchell Walsh said.

According to Guyer, the only thing that was running through his mind was scoring that crucial goal.

As soon as Guyer scored the goal, screams and cheers broke out everywhere. see SOCCER page 54

Sports Volleyball

One last game Senior Ashley Konecki wraps up her final year of volleyball at HHS.

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By Tanpreet Bhathal

As senior Ashley Konecki stepped onto the gym court for her super sectional game, she observed the largest crowd she’s seen in her four years playing. Little did she know this would be the last game she would ever play for Huntley High School.

“When I first started, I went to a private school in Chicago. I was in 4th grade and that was when you were able to sign up for volleyball. It was very basic. I didn’t even know what volleyball was. So that’s when I first started. Right from there I instantly fell in love with it,” Konecki said. “It wasn’t until 6th grade I started club. That’s when I realized that’s what I want to do from high school on. After 8th grade I moved from the city to Huntley.”

Starting volleyball at a young age Konecki immediately fell in love with the sport. The moment she stepped onto the court, she knew that volleyball was her sport, her love.

“From 6th to 8th grade I played for First Alliance. Freshman year I played on Balance but then I switched to Sky High and I am still there,” Konecki said.

As she continued her volleyball career she explored different club teams to find the best fit for herself.

“I started on the sophomore team my freshman year. It was exciting, but I wanted to improve a lot more especially seeing who was on varsity and how they played and being able to watch how good they were,” Konecki said.

“That’s what I wanted to work towards, so my sophomore year I really focused on timing and getting better. During my sophomore year I worked really hard during my club season and tried out for JV/Varsity and made the team.”

Starting her high school career for

D. Lauer Konecki prepares for the next play

volleyball Konecki was unlike most freshman and began her time on the sophomore team as a freshman. She continued to work hard and eventually made her way to the JV/Varsity team her sophomore year.

“The girls that are on the court right now and who have already graduated are my best friends on and off the court. We all work really well together both JV and Varsity. We push each other everyday to get better at practice,” Konecki said. “Especially this year playing on varsity for the first time its been really nice to lead and push others around me to be the best person because they are going to be the next varsity soon. I get to play with such amazing players. If I didn’t get to play with the people that are on my team now I wouldn’t have gotten better at all.”

The girls on Knoecki’s volleyball team have all become close in the past four years. She considers the girls her best friends. The connection that the team has made helped them come together as a team and play well on the court.

They have worked together to become better players, especially this past year.

“This season has been so good! We won our conference and our regional championship,” Knoecki said. “We have

remained almost undefeated. We have been doing really well and pushing hard at practice.”

This season the girls volleyball finished their season with 32 wins and 6 losses. The girls won their regional game, sectionals, and sadly ended their season at super sectionals against Wheaton.

“It’s so emotional. This has been my life for the past four years. Every single day I am surrounded by volleyball. All the commitment and time I’ve put into this and the relationships I’ve made, I don’t want to let go,” Konecki said. “I am still considering playing in college.

I am talking to coaches and I am still going to play club for my last year. I am just deciding if I want to focus on nursing in college.”

Konecki had an amazing run these past four years at Huntley playing volleyball. Her hard work, commitment, and dedication was shown during her time on the court and in her academics. While making lifelong friendships on the court, she is ready for the next part of her journey.

“I am proud to say Huntley is the school I have played for. The success we’ve had for the past four years, no matter what team I am on, I felt like we were one,” Konecki said.

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 51

Sports Cheer

The freshmen who define ‘squad goals’ Five freshmen cheerleaders who defy the odds of varsity cheer

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By Amelia Pozniak As the bell rings at 2:26 p.m., she walks from the freshman wing to the east end of the high school. She trudges along, carrying the weight of her stress from the school day on her back, along with the bag that holds her clothes for cheer.

She’s had a bad day. She’s exhausted, mentally and physically, and she has that math test tomorrow that she is beyond stressed for. Maybe she’d like to go home. But she can’t.

In fact, she doesn’t even want to.

And as freshman, Lindsey Simmons continues to walk into the field house, she is greeted by the familiar faces of her “cheer family,” including the four other freshmen that have become some of her closest friends: Ashley Zolen, Riley Omara, Krista Eberhardt, and Ella Olszewski.

Although Simmons might feel overwhelmed from school, cheer is her distraction. And so are her other 28 wonderful teammates on the varsity cheerleading squad.

All five freshmen agree that cheer has significantly made them better people. The sport has created unbreakable bonds between the teammates and their coach, Renee Fowler.

“We really are just a big cheer family,” Olszewski said.

Fowler does not hesitate to express her love for the five youngest girls on their team. Their hard work and dedication is constantly appreciated by their loving coach as well as the upperclassmen on the team, 52 THE VOICE NOVEMBER 22 2019

which wouldn’t be expected from most.

You might picture the upperclassmen throwing pennies at the underclassmen, willingly shoving them into their lockers, or taunting them to tears; yet, realistically, the seniors have welcomed the freshmen cheerleaders with open arms.

“I feel like we all get along so well, [practice] is just like hanging out with your friends,” Omara said.

Despite the lighthearted teasing, and the slight intimidation that the upperclassmen may cause the freshmen, their deserved spot on varsity cheer is strictly related to skill.

“Calling us ‘freshies’ is not just a joke on cheer, it’s a joke on everything,” Eberhardt said.

The girls also had previous experience with cheerleading and tumbling before high school. They attended Huntley Cheer Association for several years of their life, which was described as “less competitive” and “more for fun.” Now, these five freshmen have transitioned their typical cheerleading routines into a daily, nearly three hour competitive practice that dictates their spots on the team.

“You didn’t have to worry about being cut, or being an alternate [at HCA]. You didn’t try out, they can’t kick you off,” Zolen said.

The five girls essentially grew up together, attending the same recreational practices when they were toddlers, as well as participating in

middle school cheer.

Although Eberhardt was separated from the other girls, as she attended Heineman and the rest attended Marlowe, they stayed connected through meets and practices outside of school for HCA. “All four of us, except for Ella, have been on the same team since we were like babies, and we did it all throughout our young lives,” Eberhardt said.

All of this voluntary preparation for high school cheer truly paid off, even though the girls were often disappointed to see their friends experience Raider Nation when they couldn’t, and often finding it difficult to study after school with their busy cheerleading schedules.

“You come [to practice] from school and you remember everything from school, but all of that, you just forget about it when you come home from cheer,” Simmons said. “If I didn’t have cheer, [my grades] would probably be better. I care about my spot, but I also care about my school work. It’s a little bit of a struggle.”

Although balancing school and sports can be difficult for nearly every student athlete, the age gap on varsity must create another completely different issue, right? So, how do they all get along?

“I definitely see the upperclassmen setting an example for all the new cheerleaders on the squad this year. We have some great leaders on our team,” Fowler said. “Cheer

B. Hamann Krista Eberhardt does a bow and arrow move

is such a long season and we spend so much time together that it makes bonds between the athletes that don’t usually happen otherwise. We are each other’s support when we have bad days and we celebrate with each other through our successes.”

Simmons also has an older sister on the team, senior Mandi Simmons, who happens to make attending practices and competitions even more enjoyable. The other freshmen love having Simmons as a companion as well, often using her for guidance and support.

“Mandi is kind of an older sister to all of us,” Omara said.

“She’s my flyer and she’s literally the sweetest person,” Zolen said.

In previous years at Huntley High School, having this many freshmen on varsity would be

unusual. Last year, varsity only had three freshmen, and the year before that, the team only had one.

The selection of varsity athletes is solely based on experience. The five freshmen simply happened to have certain standards met earlier than the typical older high school athlete.

“We have the tumbling requirements for the varsity level. A running full, five jumps, a tuck, and then on top of that, you’re good in your stunting position. There’s girls on JV that have the same skills as us, but they’re bad flyers. Everything just has to come in line,” Simmons said.

And although the freshmen are impressive in skill, their vibrant attitudes are truly what keeps the team from losing its motivation. The girls

believe that attitude is everything; if you choose to look forward to practice, you’ll have fun. If you get along with your teammates, you’ll have new friends to look forward to seeing every day.

“The five new freshmen on varsity definitely add some more fun to the squad. They have great personalities and truly support every one of their teammates,” Fowler said.

Despite the stereotypical assumption that freshmen are a nuisance, or that they are essentially taking over the spots on our sports teams, the amount of determination and positivity that the girls contribute to varsity cheerleading is extremely impressive. These five “freshies” deserve every form of respect our student body has to offer.

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 53

CAFETERIA page 24 freshmen they look at us like ‘oh god, I’m going to talk to the lunch lady. No way.’ And we trying kidding around with them and breaking the ice and it takes a while.

But by the time you guys are seniors, we grew a strong friendship with you guys. And it’s really nice, but, you know, it’s kind of sad to see the seniors go,” Prokuski said.

As students, we got so caught up in following the same routine that we forget about the people who make that routine possible. Every single staff member here at HHS works here for one reason: the students.

Take it as you will, but every staff member understands the pricelessness life is as a whole but yet choose to invest

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it into all the students at this school.

Life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but you can only spend it once. The lunch cafeteria staff chose to spend it on us and work their best to contribute to making our high school memories something we can look back at with a smile.

SOCCER page 50 “We all sprinted out on the field and started to dogpile on top of Josh,” Senior Jared Grabs said. Never did Guyer expect to be in this position.

“That could have been my last ever soccer game, after 12 years of playing. But to score a goal in that moment, it is like a perfect ending to a story,” Guyer said.

This was Huntley’s first sectional championship since 2016. Huntley has made history this year with their terrific accomplishments.

“There is nothing better than winning tournaments and crucial games in sports. It calls for the most excitement in sports, these are the moments I live for,” Guyer said.

Unfortunately, Huntley lost in their first sectional against Dundee-Crown. It was a long snowy game, that ended up with a score of 2-1. Huntley’s season had come to a close, but their season was one for the record books.

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54 THE VOICE NOVEMBER 22 2019

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Sports Running

Running through the ranks Sophomore shows impressive talent on track and cross country

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By Bailey Lim

Sophomore Charlie Kucz is running three miles at the Peoria Invitational. With every breath he takes, his footsteps grow heavier and he feels the need to slow down. Yet something inside of him tells him to push forward. As he passes through lanes of competitors, he resets his goal in order to reach and pass the next person.

His determination allows him to power through and overtake several people. Charlie knows he possesses the strength to score a breathtaking time. As he crosses the finish line, he feels an overwhelming sense of relief and joy.

Charlie Kucz’s cross country experience started in sixth grade. He started with the intent of just having an after school sport to participate in.

When he reached the end of eighth grade, he became uncertain about continuing cross country and track.

However starting freshman year, Kucz felt the need to be more involved.

“I felt that [Kaplan] would push me further than I thought was possible,” Kucz said.

Looking to achieve a mile under 4 minutes and 40 seconds his sophomore year, Kucz decided to run in both cross country and track. Kucz also enjoys playing tennis but sees it as more of a hobby.

Kucz wishes to continue playing tennis in high school but can’t due to season times. Track season is the same time as tennis season and he needs to decide which sport he wants to participate in.

“I decided to stick with track because running is a better opportunity for me,” Kucz said.

Kucz dedicates a lot of his time to running and making himself faster. He

Courtsey of Kay Kucz Charlie Kucz is shown running during a meet

is determined to break his own goals and to aim higher for greater opportunities in both of his running seasons.

“He spent his summer dedicating himself to have a breakout sophomore season,” head coach Kaplan said.

On Oct. 5, of the 2019 Cross Country season, Charlie Kucz ran a state time of 15 minutes and 45 seconds placing 169th in state times.

He was able to push his way into an astounding record due to his hard work and endurance.

Charlie is more than just a runner on the team, he adds personality and entertainment.

“He will be one of the role models of the group and I’m looking forward to watching him lead the other people on our team because he sets a great example,” Kaplan said.

Charlie is an inspiration to other runners too. He is able to communicate and become friends with others on the team, overall leading to a good connection with everyone. His teammates from cross country and track are uplifted by his kind heart and

funny personality.

“He’s definitely someone that will motivate you,” sophomore Jake Leonard said.

Charlie trains more than enough to push himself to his limits. He has improved from his three mile time of 17 minutes and 19 seconds from freshman year to 15 minutes and 45 seconds his sophomore year. He was able to improve his running time by beating it in almost an astounding two minutes. Over the years, he has trained and prepared himself to place in a good position to be a successful runner.

One reason as to now he has been a successful runner is that he places himself around many people ready to hand him encouragement. Charlie is able to receive and give himself motivation to push himself to become the talented athlete he is.

Charlie overall is a competitive and outstanding athlete that can accomplish what he sets his mind to.

Training and hard work can result in potential and shocking outcomes.

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 55

Sports Lifting

Isabella Rivera (power) lifts her way to the top

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By Delaney Cairns As Isabelle Rivera stepped up to her place behind the bar with 396.8 lbs of weight, she knew she had to leave all of the nerves and anxiety behind. She knew that nothing mattered at that moment except for what was right in front of her. She bent down, and adjusted her hands on the bar until she felt ready. She told herself to perform like she knew that she could do it. Slowly, but steadily, she rose off the ground holding the bar until she was given the command to finish the deadlift that helped her get first for the women’s teen division.

This deadlift was the last of Rivera’s three lifts at the 2019 WPC World Championships Powerlifting Meet, November 7 in Finland. Rivera has been powerlifting since she was 12, and has been working hard for years to get to where she is now.

“It takes a lot of time and effort, but I would not be the same person I am now,” Rivera said.

Rivera started lifting in February 2017 at Crossfit Crystal Lake, her parents’ gym at the time, and fell in love with the sport in addition to her pre-existing participation in soccer.

A sport she had been doing since she was 5 years old.

Since she started in 2017, she has been working non-stop with training 3-4 times a week for 2-2 ½ hours. All of this, leading up to worlds where some of the best powerlifters from around the world go to compete.

Rivera is one of few young girls that compete in powerlifting.

56 THE VOICE NOVEMBER 22 2019

“As I compete, I am always one of the youngest girls or youngest competitors there,” Rivera said. “Like at Worlds this year, I am the youngest person there. Not many girl teenagers compete, but many older women do.”

Rivera earned her spot in the world’s competition by placing first at the state and national meets. As of today, she holds all the records for 13-15 & 16-17-year-old ladies in 90kg for Powerlifting. Rivera plans on doing this sport for a long time.

“I have been doing it for about two years,” she said, “I can’t get enough of it.”

The sport gives Rivera as many opportunities as other sports, and more. Rivera travels to competitions out of state, and sometimes out of the country. This provides her with experiences and memories worth a lifetime.

“Some opportunities this sport has given me are meeting new people and traveling the world,” Rivera said, “Meeting new people is so cool, especially when they are from around the world. it’s like long-distance friends.”

Powerlifting has also helped Rivera with her leadership skills as she helps with the younger kids’ weight lifting classes, helping them learn how to lift correctly, and have fun while doing it.

Powerlifting is not a sport that is talked about often, nor do many people participate, particularly girls.

“A lot of people don’t hear about this sport because some people think it’s pointless, they think it’s just lifting weights,” Rivera said, “It’s a lot more than that and takes training like every other sport to get better at.”

While powerlifting is a lot of hard work and effort, Rivera still finds peace through the sweat and pain of the sport.

“I enjoy lifting, it takes everything off my mind and helps me relax. I love it so much and will never get

Courtesy of Rivera Rivera wins award for power lifting

tired of it,” Rivera said.

Along with her family and self-motivation, many others in the community have heard of who Rivera is and what she does, and have reached out to support her. This is one of the many things that helps Rivera know she can succeed and do well in a competition as large and vigorous as the Worlds meet.

“I have so many people in this community supporting me throughout my whole journey. So many people are there for me and I am forever grateful for it,” Rivera said. “Every time I fail a lift, it enhances me to keep on progressing and reaching my goal.”

She dropped the bar back onto the ground and took a step back, along with a deep breath. She then walked over to shake many hands, with a small and subtle smirk on her face, only to sprint into a hug with her coach, celebrating breaking the record and winning her division.

Rivera has had many successes throughout her powerlifting career so far; the community should only expect more to come from this young and talented girl.

Sports Body Building

A passion for body building Ashley Lee takes body building to the next level

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By Alex Hartleb It’s a simple yet difficult routine. She comes home from school, relaxes and eats a small snack for around 30 minutes, and by 3:30 is downstairs in her at home gym and ready to complete the day’s work. As she gets down there, she L. Landoch has a wide selection of what to begin Lee works on her squats in the weight room her workout with, including a treadmill, jump ropes, dumbbells, bench, seen a lot of improvement. She has People told her that she was going to and kettlebells. seen herself gain a lot more tone and get too big (muscular) and that it might Sophomore Ashley Lee decides to can see a noticeable difference when it not be that attractive. start off with a nice warm-up as she comes to her muscles. She is impressed “Now, I just want to get big to prove approaches with them wrong and show them that I can the jump herself do this,” Lee said. rope. Once and the But every day, Ashley continues to completed “Before, I progress improve not only for herself, but to she decides she has show others that she is able to reach her couldn’t even to move made so many goals that she has set for herself on to some far. along the way. By her senior year, she use the 25 stretches “Bewants to be able to walk down the halls pound dumbin order to fore, I and have people know how big she is help prepare couldn’t just by looking at her. bells, but now, herself for even use “I don’t need to be bodybuilder big, those are easy her workthe 25 I just want people to know how big I out. Then, pound am,” Lee said. for she does dumbWhile she is taking it very seriously, some cardio bells, Ashley sees this more as a hobby at the on her but now, moment, but she does have future plans treadmill those are to possibly turn this into a profession for a good easy for if she decides to go along that path in hour, and me,” Lee life. But currently, Ashley is just trying then depending on what she is in the said. She has seen so much progress to do something that she loves and to mood for that day, she finishes the rest that some of her equipment has started make it easier for herself down the line of her three hour workout with a varia- to become too light for her to continwhen she gets older so that working out tion of weight lifting. ue to keep making progress, and she won’t have to be a hassle, and instead This is a typical afternoon for Ashley is in need of an upgrade. In order for something that she loves and receives as she continues her goal of becoming her to keep progressing, Ashley needs pure joy from doing. a bodybuilder. She started to workout heavier dumbbells, weights, and plates If she does decide to take bodybuildin sixth grade but that was only for fun. for deadlifting. Getting all this is one of ing to the next level, one of Ashley’s Then, around a year ago Ashley came her main goals for the future. possible goals would be to become an across bodybuilding and started to take But Ashley wasn’t always met with Instagram fitness model and to model her workouts more seriously. the same enthusiasm by others that she for popular workout brands such as Since Ashley has started to take had when she first started to workout.

Gymshark. It is something that she working out more seriously, she has see WEIGHTS page 47

[ ] me” - Ashley Lee

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 57

Editorial

Huntley: vaping isn’t just a fad, it’s a problem This vaping epidemic needs to be addressed head on

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When senior Evan Smith was a freshman he walked the side effects will never catch up with them. through the halls of Huntley High School with one “We say if 99% of people who vape will die, that’s not thing on his mind: vaping. The thought of that sweet re- going to change anything because everybody will live in lease that a hit of his vape would provide raced through that 1%,” Principal Marcus Belin said. his mind as he felt the vape calling out for him from his While students may not fall into these horrifying sweatshirt pocket. statistics, there are still many ways that vaping will Now, Smith realizes what he was battling: an addicnegatively impact their lives. Whether this be health-retion. Since the early 2000s, vaping has become the new lated issues, losing parental trust, or facing social concraze and with it has come an array of illnesses, the sequences, every student at one point or another will struggle of addiction, and the creation of vape culture. encounter a negative outcome of vaping.

“It was just around me, so when I was younger I tried “But negatively, [vaping] made me skip class, stop to be the cool kid and try it out,” Smith said. “It got me caring about my grades or my life,” an anonymous stusomewhere with dent said. popularity so I guess What students and that was a good administration often thing, but in the long neglect is that the “We say if 99% run there have been substances found in of people who cons with my athletic vaping devices are career and just in often just as addicvape will die, general. When you’re tive as other drugs. younger you just Now is the time for that’s not going don’t realize.” the student body to change anyWhen looking at and administration the student body, one to band together thing because can see how powerful in order to start everybody will vape culture is and a discussion as to how it consumes and what rehabilitative live in that 1%.” controls the students measures need to be Principal Marcus at Huntley. Students taken for addicted are leaving class mulstudents. This is our Belin said. tiple times to vape house, and we don’t in the bathroom, want it to be ruined spending hundreds by the effects of vape of dollars on vaping culture. products, and risking While administratheir health all for a little buzz. tion is being proactive in their approaches to educate Yes, we could fill this editorial with tons of statistics the student body on the effects of vaping, the focus explaining the health risks that come with vaping, but should be geared more towards rehabilitation. The the reality is that high schoolers will always believe that bottom line is that vaping is an addiction and students

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58 THE VOICE NOVEMBER 22 2019

Editorial

need help. selor, Dawn Nendze, who can put students on the right If caught vaping, students should be encouraged or path to break addiction. even required by administration to see a substance “We also provide substance abuse counseling for free abuse counselor. Consequences and education can only for the students if it is needed. We contract with an outdo so much, but having a conversation with a respected side provider and she comes into the building a couple adult such as an abuse counselor could really benefit the days in the week to see students,” Danyce Letkewicz, student. associate principal for student services said.

Solving this vaping epidemic starts with a conversaWhen struggling with an addiction, it is important tion and how can it begin if students are stuck inside for students to know that admitting they have a probdetention rooms? lem is the first step. Once this is done, the school has Often when students get caught in the potential to help that student possession of a vape or through the process of quitting, using a vape, they feel but this cannot be done if students ashamed and feel as if do not start reporting the issue. “...vaping administration is taking There are many ways in which the wrong approach. students can report friends or made me “All they did was peers they are concerned about skip class, punish me for [vaping] such as talking to a counselor and all I could see was and utilizing the anonymous tip stop caring the bad in their eyes lines on the back of each ID card. about my and pointing fingers at While this may be considered me. It was my fault. I’m snitching or ratting someone out, grades or not saying that it wasn’t, but the goal of these reports is not my life.” but I didn’t get the help to get a friend in trouble but to get from the school,” Smith them the help they need.

-Anonymous said. “I feel like a lot of Students need to start self-rekids could have benefitporting and what they fail to realed if the school would ize is that if they were to approach change [the policy] because it’s less punishment and a staff member and admit they have a problem and they more fixing it.” are seeking help, they will be able to find support in Giving the student an in school suspension provides taking the first step towards recovery. immediate repercussions, but when the student leaves “If students have admitted in confidence that they’ve that room they fall right back into addiction. Students vaped in the past, I’ve been able to help them get away are aware that Huntley High School is making efforts from that and help them make more positive choices to combat this, like locking the bathroom doors and and decisions,” social worker Amanda Minogue said. piloting the Vape Educate program, but these are not “So we are not necessarily in the guidebook of what we solutions in which students are given the opportunity to have to do but we are there for extra support.” seek rehabilitation and support.

Overall, administration has created and laid out In fact, when students are sentenced to an in school protocols in order to help students combat their addicsuspension or given a detention, that are most likely tion, yet the main focus is still perceived as punishment. thinking about the thing they crave the most: their Students: you must start taking the vaping epidemic vape. seriously and realize that you cannot forever live in that On the other hand, what students are unaware of is 1%. You have a responsibility to yourself and to others that District 158 has a certified alcohol and drug coun- to report your concerns.

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HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 59

One last

voice

Chong Woo Campus Supervisor Red Raiders Football Coach Symbol of Benevolence What is something you enjoy about being a coach?

I enjoy coaching for a lot of reasons.

The main reason is watching the kids that I have coached continue to progress and move on, building relationships and seeing them succeed.

What is a quality that you think all people should possess?

Compassion. Being able to feel for someone and actually care about what is going on in their life is something that all people should possess and it is something I value strongly.

What draws you to the sport football? What is the story behind your becoming a coach?

Growing up I was told that I was never going to be a football player, that I was never going to be good enough. That drove my determination to dominate.

Hard work is something that led to the drive I had on the field and now to becoming a coach. I try to help the kids improve their craft not by only playing football but also by helping them become better people as well.