Huntley High School Voice October 11, 2019

OCTOBER 2019, Volume 23, Issue 1

the voi ce est.1997

SAFETY

SECURITY

STUDENTS A NEW WAY FOR STUDENTS TO PAY THE RAIDER WAY?

WILLIS SPIKES HER WAY TO THE TOP

CONTENTS 04 10 13 34 39 48 55

Featured on

huntleyvoice.com

NEWS

Three new restaurants become popular attractions for Huntley.

HUMANS OF HUNTLEY

Local business owner Manny Stier shares his drive for success.

OPINION

Varsity volleyball v. Barrington Ellie Armstrong

Why Huntley HS should consider investing in ATMs for students.

FEATURES

Senior Grace Gato pursues her passion for music education.

A&E

A recap and review of Apple’s release of the new iPhone 11.

Huntley Express: Jared Bussone Kyle Abruzzo & Mark Vandy

SPORTS

Freshman Emily Willis takes on the volleyball court as part of the JV team.

EDITORIAL

Administration needs to do more concerning student parking lot safety.

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

Huntley’s dining dilemma Sara Hursey

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 Travel Club

Connections worldwide The Travel Program presents their exciting plans for the future

T

By Jimmie Soriano This year marks the 10th anniversary of the HHS Traveling Program as its staff promotes an inaugural trip, returning to both Rome and Athens for the first time in an entire decade.

10 years ago, Brad Aney, social studies teacher and founder of the program, found inspiration for this after going through his own high school career without the opportunity to travel, rekindling his wanderlust after being first being exposed to the program at Crystal Lake Central during his years of student teaching.

As time goes on, however, Aney is trying to broaden the opportunities to students by expanding the locations his program visits outside of the traditional European trips.

The program has already journeyed in South America and is currently promoting its Latin American trip through Peru. He feels that traveling offers life lessons that cannot be taught in the classroom: “It allows kids to become greater self advocates and really grow individually and experience things that they’ll take with them for the rest of their lives,” Aney said.

Aney goes on to explain how traveling allows people to see life outside of the United States, or to see how different and yet how similar cultures are around the world, broadening perspectives in a globalized view.

Besides this, other merits of traveling are often overlooked, and there are a lot of things that hold students back from seeing them, most prominently being the price of a single trip.

According to Aney, the average trip

[Insert caption here]

Photo provided by B. Aney Traveling Program on their trip to Iceland in 2019

is about $3,500, and this fact alone is what discourages most students.

The price is expected by many, but what these students do not realize is that there are ways to circumvent the issue.

According to Aney, his travel program works with Education-First Tours. Established in 1965, EF Tours has worked with various institutes of education across the world and has been working with Huntley to help students.

Of course, there are various programs ready to help students. Aney explains that a GoFundMe fundraiser is tied to your account, so you can send different invitations for others to sponsor a part of your trip, whether this be through a straight sponsor or selling products for a business.

With this, students are able to greatly reduce the expense of their trip.

“We’ve had people that are very passionate about it not only be able to afford this because of it, but we’ve actually had people pay their entire trip off because they took it so seriously,” says Aney.

Although it may seem like a lot for the students, working towards something they are passionate about only

teaches them another life lesson that, while applicable in a classroom, is difficult to learn with the subjects in school that may not interest everyone.

Still, many may see past the lessons to be learned and abuse this opportunity, which may even ruin the program for students actually interested in more than just the fact they get to travel with their friends. As such, participating students are required to sign behavioral contracts to abide by.

Furthermore, those on staff working behind the scenes for the program speak from experience on how much traveling means to them. Clayton Henrickson, a social studies teacher who helps out with the travel program, explains how traveling helped to lead him where he is now as a teacher, helping other students share those same experiences: “I strongly believe that experience led me to where I am now as a teacher and helping other students share those same experiences,” Henrickson says.

To Henrickson, the experiences between travelers are each unique. For instance, another staff member behind the scenes is Anne Sharkey, a social studies teacher who runs her own

see TRAVEL page 38

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 3

News Testing

SAT scores suffer substantial drop Huntley High School works to address decrease in testing scores

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By Riley Murphy

As college preparation, standardized testing, and college applications come closer and closer for students, many are reflecting on whether they have done enough in order to get into their dream school. For some, standardized testing has been the biggest hurdle in their academic success. After months of preparation and built up anxiety, some are shocked to see that their scores actually stayed the same, or worse decreased.

According to Assistant Principal Shelly Kish, Huntley High School has had a small drop in SAT scores. The graduating class of 2018 had an average score of 1104, the class of 2019 a 1092, and the class of 2020 a 1070.

While these statistics might be alarming at first, what is truly shocking is that the entire state of Illinois has dropped by about 10%.

As seen in the Illinois Report Card, in 2017 the average score for the math portion of the SAT was about 504.4, and for English and language arts it was around 511.5. However, in 2018 the math score average was about 501.4, and for English and language arts it dropped to a measly 505.7. Overall, this results in an average decrease of about 4.4 in both sections.

While these average scores vary from case to case, it is obvious that scores are beginning to slowly decrease over time. Yet despite these 4 THE VOICE OCT 11 2019

facts, there may still be some hope for Huntley.

“When you start looking at the statistics behind it all and how they do the norming process, we really need to have several years to get a good baseline to say,” Kish said. “I don’t go out thinking that there’s something wrong with the juniors who took it last year or that that’s a

previous test scores, zones in on what could be improved upon, and creates goals for students and teachers.

For example, one of the math goals outlined for the school to improve upon is solving problems using systems of linear equations; for English and language arts, one of the goals is to master common writing terminology.

These goals do a great job constructing a plan that allows administration “I think our and teachers to specify focus on the SAT target areas and not get overwhelmed with the vast and ACT is such amount of content that the SAT covers. a constraining Not only is Huntley conthing for tinuing to create target goals, but they are also familiarizstudents...” ing students with the exam format. Last year, students in all grade levels were given a multiple choice pre-test in order to gauge what their average score would be in a more casual setting. This year on Sept. 13 students were negative. We really do want about again given a pre-test in order to five years of data to figure out where continue practicing and familiarizing our average could be.” themselves.

So while these statistics may sound The plan is to then give students a alarming, Huntley is still looking to post-test in order to measure their find what their average score will growth and see if the studies they did be and are finding new ways to help in class were at all beneficial. By doing students prepare for the exam. this, administration and teachers hope Currently, students and teachers to prepare all grade levels and not just are using Strategic Improvement juniors.

Plan goals, which are outlined in Not only is Huntley incorporating the school’s Professional DevelopSIP goals and familiarizing students ment Plan. This plan uses data from with test formatting, but there are

[ ] - Sam Breen

also a couple of classes offered by the school in order to help students prepare.

Math teacher Cynthia Schneider offers a five week class in order to help students practice for the exam. This course not only provides students with materials, such as practice tests and vocabulary cards they can take home with them, but it also allows them to work in structured group settings to help each other to improve their scores.

Class registration for the upcoming 2020 SAT prep class opens on Nov. 15 and costs $125 per student.

So the question still remains, why are SAT scores decreasing? Is it simply because the SAT is a difficult test or is it due to a more mentally complex issue?

“I think our focus on the SAT and

ACT is just such a constraining thing for students and also puts a lot of pressure on students and I think that might be part of it, putting so much pressure now on students,” senior Sam Breen said. “That three or four digit number does not define who a student is and for us to be putting so much pressure on it, at the end of the day it’s going to make students collapse and maybe do poor on it.”

So while the SAT is an important test that students should definitely try their best on, maybe the cause of these declining test scores lies in the culture surrounding the infamous test. Due to the pressure of the exam, students not only believe that their score will ultimately determine what college or university they will get into, but that it will forever determine their value.

Yet this could not be further from the truth. Some colleges are going so far as to say they do not care or even want your test scores.

“Many schools are going test optional,” College and Careers counselor Laura Martens said. “What that means is that it will open up the door for someone who has a good GPA and is a well-rounded individual who is involved and passionate about a lot of activities and the college is like ‘I don’t want to miss out on that student because of a test score.”’

With all of these opportunities, students should never feel as if those four numbers have the power to determine their worth and potential. With all of the preparation and support offered in Huntley High School, scores will hopefully begin to rise once again.

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 5

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News Parking

Parking pass money goes toward district

I

By Mark Vandy

It is 8 a.m. on May 1. Every parent of a junior or senior is anxiously waiting on the district page, ready to buy a parking pass when they go on sale. With every junior and senior being allowed to buy one, it is on a first-come, first-serve basis.

With only 828 student parking spots, many people are put on a waiting list because they purchased it an hour too late. With not a lot of parking passes being turned back in, people are left on the waiting list for long periods of time.

Even with the cost being $100 per parking pass, students are still lining up to purchase them. This is not the case at most schools around us, as Crystal Lake South High School sells their parking passes at a rate of $75 for both semesters.

Some students may think that the price of $100 to park at their high school for two semesters is too much. Students should remember that it is an investment that they are making. While other schools nearby may offer cheaper parking, most schools do not offer the amount of available parking spots that Huntley High School does.

There are a total of 855 parking passes sold each year, but due to the expansion of the fine arts wing, the high school only sold 828 this year.

With all of the parking passes being sold this year, the high school has collected about $80,000 thus far. The high school lost out on $2,700 this year due to the loss of parking spots due to construction.

What the money is used for is a

A. Harper

mystery to the students at Huntley High School. When students were asked if they know, every student responded with a resounding no.

Guesses were thrown up in the air such as it was used for construction, salaries, and maintenance on the parking lot.

“My guess is that the money is used for the expansions, like the fine arts expansion that is currently going on,” senior Gianna Nardulli said.

As of now the district has collected roughly $82,800 in high school student parking pass fees.

“The money is not used for one specific thing every year, [it] will go to the needs of District 158 at the time,” Chief Financial Officer Mark Altmayer said. “A portion of the money is used for making sure the parking lot is in good condition, whether that’s redoing the asphalt, snow removal, or even repainting the lines.”

Not all the money is put towards this, as the money is also used for other needs of the district such as “repairs in buildings and adding the best technology for the students, in order to create a much more improved learning environment,”

Altmayer said.

The parking passes are so in demand at Huntley High School that some people choose to resell them on the black market.

“I sold my parking pass for $300 to a sophomore who had just gotten their license. However, this is against the school policy,” an anonymous senior said.

Daniel Farlik believes that Huntley High School’s parking is not a right.

“It’s a privilege, not a right to park here,” Farlik said. “I wish we could make accommodations for everyone with a car and a licence to be able to drive to school.”

With only limited parking spots, the high school is limited to selling that amount of parking passes.

“If there is ever a problem, or a need to drive to school, we will always work with the kids,” Farlik said.

When adding up the total amount of parking pass money, it may seem overwhelming, but students should remember that all this money is being funneled directly back into our district to improve it. This money is necessary for the operational needs of District 158.

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 7

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News Extracurriculars

Buddies Club meets Best Buddies International Best Buddies’ action plan

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By Kenzie Weinberg

On July 19, Shannon Vanek and Reilley Curtiss walked the earthy campus of Indiana University where they were heading to the 30th annual Best Buddies Leadership Conference.

As they entered the doors of the Indiana University Auditorium for the opening ceremony, t-shirts of every color and foam glow sticks took over the room. The projector screen read “Inclusion Lives Here” and caught their eyes. For the very first time, they were getting the taste of Best Buddies International.

As of the 2019-2020 school year, Huntley High School’s Buddies Club has become a part of Best Buddies International, a nonprofit organization with the mission to create friendships between the average person and people with intellectual, developmental disabilities. Initially, Buddies Club was a way for students at the high school to interact with students in the special education program and promote social awareness. Now, it has grown into so much more.

Best Buddies has four pillars that focus on one to one friendships, employment opportunities, leadership development, and inclusive living for people with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD). Although the purpose of Buddies Club was similar to Best Buddies, the international organization has more opportunities to offer the members of the club.

“We found out about Best Buddies International, and we looked into

R. Murphy Buddies and their partners circle together and collaborate new, fun ideas

what the differences were between what we were doing and what they were doing,” Kristy Brown, special education teacher and co-sponsor of the club said. “It was very minimal change, and the pieces that we could adapt, the one to one piece, the part where we pair up students and promote that relationship intensely was what we were wanting to do.”

The transition from a school club to becoming apart of a well known organization was a no brainer at that point.

Not only was the organization going to support the new one on one friendship piece, which asks members to interact with other IDD members twice a month, but it was going to help the overall function of the club as well.

“It gives some training opportunities to members and how we can make our club more supportive, and it will evolve and change our club for the better, they even provide us some support,” Shannon Vanek, special education teacher and sponsor of the club said.

Even though HHS students are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to be apart of such a life changing organization, Best Buddies International goes far beyond the four walls of the high school.

“The Chicago area offers a citizen-

ship program, so anybody can be a buddy,” Anya Naumovski, Illinois State University’s Best Buddies chapter president said.

Best Buddies is composed of nine programs that change the lives of over one million people in each of the 50 states, and also 54 other countries.

“It is honestly one of the best organizations that you can be involved in,” Naumovski said.

Best Buddies International will continue to thrive at HHS as the club builds on what it has been given.

“It just opened up a few more possibilities for us and a few more ways they could guide our group because we were getting so large, and being affiliated with them was a very positive move for our group,” Brown said.

Anyone within the high school and community is encouraged to join.

“If you know how to be a friend, then Best Buddies is the place for you. You don’t need to be a special education major, or even interested in special education. You don’t need to have experience with someone who has a disability. As long as you know how to be a friend then this is the club for you and anybody can join it,” Naumovski said.

“Inclusion lives here” is on the rise at HHS. HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 9

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Opinion ATM

Students left without a way to pay Students at Huntley High School are left cashless without a form of deposit

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By Alex O’Connell “You’re negative. Please be sure to put money in your account for tomorrow,” says the lunch lady as I scan my ID to buy lunch. These are the famous words spoken by cafeteria staff to students who have fallen below $0 in their lunch account.

Like many students in the high school, I often forget to submit additional funds into my account when I go negative. With so many things going on at school and in life in general, adding more money online is an easy thing to forget.

Some days, I carry cash and can refill my balance right on the spot, but this is not always the case. Those students who don’t believe in the “cash is king” way of life often have no choice but to skip a meal for the day.

Cash is the only form of payment the high school accepts for things like immediate lunch balance reloads,“gold out” t-shirts, P.E. uniform rentals, new IDs, etc. With many students carrying their money exclusively on debit cards, making these purchases can be near impossible.

Huntley High School needs a way to guarantee all students the opportunity to pay for their needs no matter how they carry their money. In fact, an ATM in the school could solve these issues.

HHS should have implemented an ATM onto school grounds years

ago; seeing as so much of the school’s funding goes toward expensive projects like building add-ons and departments, surely there is enough to set up and manage a universal ATM, right? Kane County Teachers Credit Union, a banking branch in Kane County, has already set up multiple ATMs in high schools like Elgin High School, South Elgin High School, Bartlett High School, and Streamwood High School. In fact, when I was at Niles West High School for a robotics tournament, I paid for my lunch using the ATM they had set up outside the cafeteria. It appears that so many other schools in the area have jumped aboard the ATM train why hasn’t HHS? “I have not thought about putting an ATM, I have thought about the vending machines, and allowing people to use debit cards and so forth,” Belin said. “Have I seen ATMs

Alex O’Connell is a senior and first year staff writer for The Voice. Make sure to check out his video ‘The Alex O’Connell Experience” on huntleyvoice.com.

at schools? Yes, typically near the athletic facilities, especially when they have events that go on. For example, we still take cash at all of our sporting events.

HHS students also face similar dilemmas when it comes to not having money readily available.

“Often times, the lunch ladies don’t tell you when you’re low [on money] until you’re already too low. So [if we had an ATM], I’d go get cash and go put it in my account,” junior Gina St. Marie said. “I would just use it in school instead of outside school.”

For some students, not having cash means having to skip out on meals.

“It has prevented me from getting lunch some days because I have no cash on me,” junior Anna Niemiec said.

While HHS continues to utilize cash as its primary method of payment, many students cannot help but to skip out on purchases that they may need immediately. Having an ATM installed in the school is an idea not many have thought of, but it is an idea that many would benefit from.

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 13

Opinion Homecoming

Homecoming music: fun or flop Students wonder how last year’s music will compare to this years

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By Rayne Zilch

That song that you have been eager to hear all night has finally come on.

The excitement of being able to dance to each beat, and sing at the top of your lungs to every lyric, magnifies the hype of the night. But did that wonderful feeling occur at last year’s homecoming? Probably not, for most!

While walking through the school entrance, all she heard “were songs that were older and no one knew,” sophomore Gillian Dobiecki said. 2018 had a Homecoming that will hopefully be forgotten. Being a part of Homecoming last year, many noticed that “Last year, needless to say, had its hiccups,” Jaclynn Avner said. Many students are eager to see if better music is chosen this year.

Music is a big part of many peoples’ lives. When the car starts, the first thing that is turned on is usually the radio. In school, students wear headphones and AirPods in their ears listening to their favorite songs. It is how most of us get through the day.

Homecoming should contain an eclectic variety of music so that everyone can enjoy it, but the overall theme should be teenager. Different music can cause or contain certain emotions, so not everyone is going to like the same exact songs and that is why everyone should come together and pick what we listen to. It should be our decision to what vibes we want. But the high school has many rules.

Whether the adults and administration like it or not, many trending songs are full of inappropriate language

and hidden innuendos. Who are we kidding? Most of our parents and adults listen to the same vulgar music that we do. It is just the generation. So why is it such a big deal if we listen to the songs ourselves or all together, for one night?

We should pick what music we listen to during homecoming. That way, better music and songs we know are being played throughout the night. The school wants to provide us with more freedom so that we can learn to become more independent, so why not just use the actual song requests we have provided?

Since we are on school property, the songs that are played have to be chosen carefully, because nothing too offensive can be played over the loud, vibrating speakers.

“The DJ has requested the song list so that he can ensure he has the song list ahead of time,” Jaclynn Avner said.

We are still considered immature to most adults and they still need to advise what we do, and watch out for what can make us lash out. Certain genres of music can create a different emotion in the room. For example, if a loud punk song is played, it is thought to make a big, crazy impact on everyone listening to it, and the crowd may lose control. That is

Rayne Zilch is a sophomore and it is her first year as a staff writer for The Voice.

Make sure to check out her “What to Wear, Who to Scare?” blog on huntleyvoice.com.

14 THE VOICE OCTOBER 11 2019

why the administration is here to help keep us safe and under control during homecoming. We get it, but come on, let’s play what’s current. Even if that means listening to vulgar music.

While the clean versions may not be as much fun to sing to, I’d be willing to bet most of the expletives would be better muffled than replaced by music our parents used to listen to back in the stone age, or the songs should just be left alone.

Students have to pay for the ticket to get into the homecoming dance. Girls pay unspeakable amounts of money on hair, nails, makeup, shoes, jewelry, and most importantly, dresses. Guys have to spend extra time on their hair, ironing their shirts, and buying a clean new pair of dress shoes to impress their dates. All of this time is spent over one dance. So how disappointing is it when everyone gets to the dance and they don’t end up enjoying the music to the fullest? I would say very much.

“It is the one time a year I feel that the whole student body comes together and celebrates something,” Avner said.

The most memorable part of this school event is that it’s one night out of the whole year that many students come together to dance their feet off to their favorite songs. Hopefully this year, if things change, we can choose most of our own songs and have a much more memorable, enjoyable, and fun experience than last year’s homecoming.

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Opinion Wi-Fi

What’s up with the Wi-Fi? Student Wi-Fi fails to address students’ technological needs

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By Bailey Lim

Wi-Fi. Something we use on a daily basis. Our daily connection can go by names such as ‘Student’, ‘Raidernet’, etc.

Wi-Fi is used for the most important part of our school days.

PowerSchool, social media, YouTube, everything we use requires a sufficient connection to the school Wi-Fi. During the day, students run into countless problems involving that connection.

The problems include a range of slow processing speeds, to not working in general.

Of course there are simple solutions such as downloading a secondary app, such as a Virtual Private Network to increase processing speed, but there are multiple issues with that too.

There are more than just connection speed problems. Sometimes the Wi-Fi can disconnect from your phone after a certain time period of your phone being disabled.

Another problem students encounter is logging into the Wi-Fi. In order to have full access to the internet, you need to go through a login that may take several minutes to pop up.

“Based on these sporadic, random, unpredictable reports we’ve had, we’re not going to be replacing everything just on that basis,” network technician Daniel Kuehling said.

Logging into the network can also be a problem because while arriving the next day, you will not be able to log in until the time passes by the 24 hours you logged into it previously.

The connection issues can branch off

S. Vanegas

onto our school programs and classes.

It can affect things such as Powerschool, Haiku, Drive, etc. This can clearly have a major problem with students’ work.

In-class days can have things such as a Google Quiz, Haiku quiz, etc., but what is the point if we can not load up our tabs?

There needs to be some sort of fix to the problem of connecting to the Wi-Fi each time we alternate locations in the building.

Loading speed is a major element to turning in our work in class. You can have a complete assignment in front of you, ready to turn it but the connection is just not fast enough to let you turn it in before that bell rings. This can lead to assignments counted against your grade, overall affecting you and your peers.

Of course there are positives of having our school Wi-Fi. Students have a secure network to use during class instead of the slower alternative of using cellular data.

With this connection, we have some-

Bailey Lim is a staffer. Check out his Trades, Make or Break? blog on huntleyvoice.com.

thing to assist for sending texts and overall using social media. The Wi-Fi should be appreciated since it is being connected to a school with over 3,000 students.

When, and if used with a VPN, the connection should have no residual problems if the virtual private network is applied and used correctly.

If someone resides in the same general area of the school, there will be no problems with reconnection with Chromebooks or any device.

The Wi-Fi is even more important to the adults present in the building.

Recently, the Hero System used in the building has been slow and has been experiencing delays.

Staff in the building also experience connection problems and it is not only exclusive to the students. One solution they use is to just use cellular data instead of the popular student solution.

There is mostly no residual problems in the computers used for class and teaching, but that does not mean it still can not reside later throughout the school year.

Freshman Dean Duncan experiences delays in his personal device connection too. Some connection problems are not

see WIFI page 41 16 THE VOICE OCTOBER 11 2019

Opinion Culture

‘Too cool to care’ mentality at HHS Huntley students are conflicted on whether school is worth caring about

H

By Ayman Mirkhan

HHS has lost its will. Its will to be the best you can be, its will to excel beyond any obstacles that may come your way, its will to actually be happy in school. There’s a plague that’s taking away this will from all of us, yet no one wants to admit what it is.

Huntley High School used to be a school where kids were engaged, where kids cared about what they are learning. Many teachers have seen this transition and slowly witnessed the loss of determination in students.

“They would volunteer and participate and I could get almost everybody to speak… And then maybe 10, 11 years ago, that stopped,” Psychology teacher Shannon Phillips said.

The cause to this issue may be slightly ambiguous, but there are many speculations teachers have had. Some have said the introduction of phones has made kids disconnected while others thought students didn’t want to be seen as stupid in front of their peers.

However, simply blaming a device we use to play eight ball and look at memes is not the root of this dilemma.

Though, even if the cause of this transition is unclear, the problems that keep this issue going are evident and consist of two major struggles: education’s structure and the loss of teacher-to-student relationships.

Students are sick of jumping through hoops. worksheet after worksheet, assessment after assessment. Students have dealt with this static system of

R. Murphy

education since their beginning years at the district and they’re sick of it.

As a high school, the administration has tried to combat this through programs such as blended, but enforcing this idea of student ownership has led to much success and much failure as well.

Some may view blended as a way to get ahead, while most just find it another way to escape this system. The classroom is not appealing to students any more and this program gives them an avenue to get out. However, shouldn’t resources be used to fix an issue and not just make it more tolerable?

Regardless, this is not about blended.

It’s about the students. And with the students of HHS, the teacher-to-student relationships are diminishing slowly.

“If you can’t reach the student, you can’t teach the student,” Vanguard

This is Ayman Mirkhan’s second year on staff and he is the co-managing editor. Check out his new podcast “Our Disturbed World” on huntleyvoice.com.

teacher Erik Lachel said.

We overlook the purpose of a classroom too often nowadays. It’s not to be lectured by someone who is older than you or has a piece of paper that proves their competency and it’s not to complete busy work that only serves the purpose to pass the time. Its purpose is to learn about all aspects of knowledge and more importantly, learn about ourselves.

Teachers get too carried away in the organization of the lesson and goal of getting students to understand the content they are passionate about, that they lose sight of the human aspect of teaching.

Teaching is more than what’s in a book. Many students need a strong relationship with their teachers because to be frank, school is the least of their concerns. Balancing work and school, dealing with their parents’ divorce, or just having a somber feeling of loneliness are few of the many problems students face on a day-to-day basis.

Kids are at a point where it is all just too much and they don’t know what to do.

“We live our lives, we plan our parties, we decorate our houses, we

see CARE page 38

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 17

Opinion School Culture

What it means to be a Red Raider HHS has lost sight on what it means to be a part of Raider Nation

W

By Kate Rogala

When thinking of all the different sports in our high school the most common is football. Our Raider Nation student section is normally packed for Friday Night Lights, whereas a golf tournament may not even have a fraction of that support. Take a step back and think about the variety of sports within our school and who supports them.

Ask yourself what it means to be a part of the Raider Nation student section.

When speaking to the Raider Nation leaders about what it means to them to lead, there were a few different responses that shared a common theme: the importance of support.

“Support means something. It doesn’t mean nothing,” Taylor Wentz, Raider Nation leader and senior said. “So many of the smaller sports often don’t receive as much enthusiasm or appreciation from our student body. Even if you come to one event it would mean something.”

It is important to show that we are united as a school and note other athletes’ hard work. This message should also be applied to any other activities, clubs, and extracurriculars here at HHS. “It’s nice to see a reflection of their [athletes’] work. It doesn’t go unnoticed.

It’s nice to let them know by showing up,” Daryn Davis, Raider Nation leader and senior said.

Having that support from even just a few people can change a team’s attitude when they are competing. Players can take that positive energy from supporters and power it into their work.

When speaking to Teagan Dobis, a

L. Landoch

former golfer, and current bowler, she expressed just how enthusiastic she was to play when she saw just three students come out to one of her golf tournaments.

“I think we went into it and weren’t expecting much, but when they did show up it was a nice surprise,” Dobis said.

During one of her bowling games, Teagan and her teammates had heard that students from Raider Nation would be there. She expressed how she and the team already liked to hype each other up, but how much more exciting it would be now that Raider Nation would be there.

Sports such as cross country, bowling, or girls basketball often don’t see many students in their corner. It may be because students are busy or uninterested, the sport may not be promoted or talked about, or there is just no prime time.

Kate Rogala is a first year staff writer on the Voice. Check out her “Head in Horror” blog on Nov. 1 at huntleyvoice.com.

18 THE VOICE OCTOBER 11 2019

When talking with the Raider Nation leaders about how they support sports, they expressed that they can only do so much. This included talking to friends and posting on social media to spread the word about an event. But when it is all said and done it all comes down to our student body.

“If different people went to different events, then every sport and every game could be just as hyped if people made the trip,” Ally Galante, Raider Nation leader and senior said.

For a school that supposedly has the best student support, we don’t show it.

Showing support for different activities and events in our school doesn’t just mean participating in spirit days or showing up to a single event, it means to be actively involved in supporting and showing kindness to all activities and sports. Or to at least show an inkling of respect for it.

It is not just the staff ’s job or the Raider Nation leader’s job to get our student body to promote and participate in other activities within the school.

Getting more attention to underappreciated sports is a work in progress, but it starts with you.

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Opinion Construction

All good things take time Construction to add theater, band space will be done before we know it

I

By Amanda Brooks

It’s a typical day at the high school, birds quietly chirping, sun brightly beaming, and cars humming loudly.

As students walk down the hallway listening to their music, they hear a sound. At first it’s a crash and then it’s a bang. As they take out their headphones, they come to realize they are hearing the “wonderful” sound of construction.

On Thursday, Aug. 22, construction began yet again at Huntley High School. A few years back, HHS had built a fieldhouse and a new math and science hall in the west wing. Due to the leftover money, we were able to add onto the PAC. “So long story short, we did the big $35 million expansion on the fieldhouse. There was a little bit of money that was left over and that money can only be spent for the grant from the city. It can only be spent on construction,” Principal Marcus Belin said.

When students first heard about the construction, many were upset that it started just after school did. They had all summer to do the construction, why start now and mess up the flow of the high school? What most students don’t know is construction doesn’t just take time to do; it also takes time to plan.

“It’s a process, it all depends upon when you start. There’s a lot of things that can make stuff move faster or slower. The biggest part of that is the bid process,” Belin said.

The bid process is where the school

Lily Landoch Construction on the black box theater has overtaken the eastern part HHS.

sends out their ideas and plans for the school’s renovations and in return, they get contractors to put a price on what the school is asking for. Sometimes the bids are too high so they have to send their wants and needs back out again. The expansion of the PAC was in progress last year and took everyone’s perspective into account.

“We had tons of meetings last year that included students, teachers, administration, parents, and architects.

We met probably once a month and had two to three hour meetings to talk about the floor plans and everything that’s needed,” Belin said.

Construction is a process. It has taken more than a year to even start building. The planning that goes into the construction is extremely interesting. Being able to see the change from day to day brings the community of

Amanda Brooks is a first-year member of the Voice staff. Catch her blog on huntleyvoice.com “Afternoon Tune.”

20 THE VOICE OCTOBER 11 2019

HHS together.

“We have construction meetings every Wednesday and I go out there literally for an hour. Mr. Kempf and I sit with our district Operation and Management guys, all of our contractors, and others, and they just give updates,” Belin said.

“So the goal is by October is at least to have the structure or the beginning of the structure, the beams and the supports up,” Belin said Progress is moving along slowly but once they get the structure up, the project will start moving faster and construction will be over before we know it.

Even though the construction disturbed the traffic flow there is good news: construction workers will continue working through the winter. This means that it won’t take as long due to the consistent work rate.

“So right now the project should be done in July of next year. They will probably be doing some minor finishings in August,” Belin said.

see WORK page 41

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Features Link Crew

What Link Crew is really about Link Crew works to create welcoming community at Huntley High School

A

By Erin Richardson

A new school. A new year. As she walked down the lengthy hallways, colored with bulletin boards and pinkish brown lockers, freshman Hannah Price didn’t know what to expect from her first days in high school.

The smells of wooden pencils and perfume lingered in the air as she took her seat in her advisory classroom in the upstairs circle. With no expectations of the next minutes to come, she patiently awaits the group of Link Crew leaders assigned to her advisory class. Nervous for who would be walking in through the metal door frame into the classroom, full of cream colored desks, clumped together in vertical rows, she waited.

Then they came, smiling brighter than the sun, ready to help her and her fellow classmates begin their journey into high school.

In 2006, health teacher and Snow Raider’s advisor, Angela Zaleksi teamed up with art curator, Valerie Lindquist to venture out to other highschools that had an advisory program, in search for ways to begin the Freshman Academy.

Link Crew was originally created by an organization, the Boomerang Project, for the sole purpose of welcoming freshman into a new school and to have an outlet for schools to connect with their students.

Before the advisory program and Freshman Academy were put into motion, Lindquist had come to the

realization that the school did not have enough unity and community surrounding its borders. She knew that there needed to be a way to bring people together and stop the division that tainted the school.

“When we first started, the goal was to have students buy into the high school experience. We felt like there wasn’t enough community at the time. We’d switched mascots and there were some kids who were starting freshman year and doing

success in their future high school careers and future endeavours.

“I think that what Link Crew does for this school is overwhelming and it sometimes gets pushed under the rug with how important it is. But, allowing these freshman to come and make that transition from middle school to high school, gives those kids confidence that there are individuals outside of teachers that they can go to as mentors and as support,” Global Studies teacher and Link Crew coordinator Brad Aney said. “We’re here to develop the entire student, not just the “I just love academic student.” welcoming peoAs for the Link Crew commissioners, second-year Link ple in no matter Crew leaders, chosen by the if it’s coordinators, they strive to help the freshmen feel safe faculty or and comfortable in the new school, whether it is teaching students.” lessons about bullying, the Valerie Lindquist future, stress, or playing games to keep the freshmen involved and having fun. really bad academically. “[We]build relationships We just wanted people to be like ‘I’m with the freshmen, build friendships in high school its awesome, and look with them and make them trust us it’s Huntley,’” Lindquist said. “I just and make them like us so that they love welcoming people in no matter are more comfortable in class,” Link if it’s faculty or students. I just want Crew commissioner and senior Sam everyone to be proud to be a RaidBreen said. er.”

As a first-year leader, junior Luke Hoping to create a transition Bucaro has quickly come to realize program for freshman coming that Link Crew is more than just a from middle school to high school, program, but a plan of action that Zaleski and Lindquist set a goal for really makes an impact on the freshthemselves to create a strong foun- men he teaches. dation for the freshman to ensure “The most beneficial thing about

[ ]

22 THE VOICE OCTOBER 11 2019

A. Reilly Link Crew leader interacts with students

Link Crew is that you’re not their teacher. You’re this happy medium so that if they need something, they can come to you,” Bucaro said.

Along with the academic improvements that Link Crew can bring to the freshmen, the program was meant to be an outlet for more than just academics. It was created to ensure success in all aspects of life, in and outside of school.

“We try to treat the students very holistically, not only academically but emotionally, mentally, and socially.

Link Crew and advisory fits the need that students have that doesn’t work in other segments of the classroom,” Zaleski said.

Getting much of his inspiration to become a leader from his sister, Sam Breen hopes to inspire freshmen to

be successful, not because of a grade or to look good on his college applications, but because he wants to be a shoulder to lean on for the freshmen in the hard times that high school can bring.

“Last year, I had a student come to me and talk about his experience with bullying aside after class and I’m so grateful that [bullying] lesson prompted that student to come to me and talk to me about it,” Breen said.

Though the program is in place to help the freshmen assimilate to changes from middle school to high school, it affects the Link Crew leaders just as much. The program shows the junior and senior leaders how to become teachers and how to accommodate to others.

“It’s not just about the freshman. I do believe that there is a really good impact, but I also believe our senior and junior Link Crewers have such an improvement on their leadership skills by the end of the year,” Lindquist said.

“I think it’s a very rewarding program for freshmen and link crew leaders, there’s a benefit to both,” Breen said.

Everything in life changes. However, always having people there to help makes the changes and inconsistencies worthwhile.

“I would say we are the constant of Huntley High School,” Aney said.

“Kids are going to change, unfortunately teachers are going to come and go but the program and the culture that we have built is something that’s going to be everlasting.”

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 23

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Feature Raider Nation

One team, six leaders Raider Nation leaders express their “hype” for this years sporting events

I

By Tanpreet Bhathal “I believe that we will win! I believe that we will win!”

The stands of Huntley’s student section roared back to senior Evan Tocmo, as he stood before the crowd on a chilly fall night. Raider Nation is the student section at Huntley High School, also known as the best student section according to the Friday Night Drive.

The leaders of Raider Nation help bring the students together in a positive environment, while cheering on our peers here at HHS. This year’s Raider Nation leaders include seniors Ali Galante, Emily Uthe, Evan Tocmo, Daryn Davis, Rafael De La Paz, and Taylor Wentz.

“It’s a lot of fun but it’s also a lot of responsibility because you have to try to figure out how to get everyone involved, how to keep everyone involved, how to do the right thing, how often to do chants, and promoting other events,” De La Paz said.

Being the best nation in the area comes with a lot of pressure and anxiety. There is much more to being a leader for Raider Nation than just standing in front of everyone and keeping the student section involved.

“It’s not just showing up to games and cheering the team on. We have to make the themes, sponsor events, make all the signs, all the prep, promoting everything, which is really hard,” Davis said. “You have to say it in a way to make people want to go to events. It’s a lot of underground work that people don’t see.”

When asked about what was going to be different this year, they expressed their support for all of the sports. This year the leaders want all sports to get

Photo by L. Landoch Raider Nation unifies student body at game against Crystal Lake South

the same amount of recognition as sports such as football.

“Our main goal is to get people out to every sport and overall have a big cohesive group supporting, and cheering on our student athletes at Huntley,” Uthe said.

The leaders have been incorporating all sporting events within their busy schedules, making sure that at least a few of the leaders make it to at least one event for every sport each month.

“We really want to improve our involvement with other sports. We’ve been to a lot of the fall sports and we are working on going to more,” Tocmo said.

“We have sponsor events this year, which we have done in the past. Raider Nation sponsors specific days for each sport,” Wentz said.

This year the leaders are encouraging smaller events by having them sponsored. These sponsor events are advertised throughout all of the social media platforms that the leaders use.

The leaders struggle with getting everyone involved during games. Not only do they want people to come out to smaller events, but even at football games they want everyone to be engaged.

“It’s not just us that has the power, like we can say cheers and no one can do it. But if you guys are the ones

performing cheers, that’s what will encourage everyone else to do it, not us,” Wentz said.

The leaders want everyone getting involved during the game to support our peers, even when the score is not in our favor.

“When the team is losing, everybody gets mad at us for not keeping the student section hype, but if the score is not in our favor everyone is automatically down. It’s harder to bring everyone up,” Davis said.

No matter what the score is, the leaders need the support of the student section to keep not only the student section in a good mood, but to help encourage the players.

The leaders are just average students who also stood in the stands last year alongside all of their peers. This year they stand at the bottom of the stands and look up and see our students chanting with them to cheer on our team.

“It’s just awesome when everyone’s cheering, and upbeat, and together.

It’s just a great feeling to spread a great vibe, especially since it’s our last year of everyone being together,” Uthe said.

The feeling and the adrenaline of leading the group is surreal to them.

They are proud to be leading one of the best nations in the area and their job

see RAIDER page 53 HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 25

Features Personal

Driven by the art of dance Diving deeper into Strupek’s love of dance for herself and others

I

By Gabrielle Terez In a big beige gymnasium with rolling mirrors on the opposite side of the bleachers, Samantha Strupek teaches her dance class moves specific to the genre of jazz. With a sweatshirt tied around her waist, she explains each move count by count while her students follow and repeat what she does.

Sometimes, when rehearsing a combination of moves, she’ll blend in with the sea of students and dance with them, as she is excited to do so.

Other times, she’ll watch her students dance without her guidance, paying close attention to how each of them execute a move and what they have taken away from her lessons.

Teaching students about dance had been a goal in Strupek’s mind for a long time. It was the main reason why she decided to take the job as the new dance teacher for Huntley High School.

Strupek started dancing when she was 12, which was an older age to start dance compared to most professional dancers. Although, her experience with it struck out to her.

“I had some really great instructors who taught me that dance was not about perfecting each move and having this perfect look. And performing, it was about a lot more. It was about the art form and about creating and about expressing yourself and I wanted to expose public school students to dance if they’ve never experienced it before,” Strupek said. “So, a lot of kids don’t get a chance to go to a studio cause they can’t afford it or they, like

me, didn’t start dancing until later on in life, so they were kind of intimidated by it. So, I wanted to be able to expose students to the art form in the least intimidating way as possible.”

The road to dance, however, wasn’t easy. There were a lot of lessons to be learned and moments to take lightly.

Two years after getting into dance, 14-year-old Samantha Strupek auditioned for her high school’s poms team and got rejected.

“Obviously I’m no Michael Jordan, but I compare that to Michael Jordan not making his basketball team freshman year. I didn’t really

Throughout all of the trials and tribulations, Strupek always had the support of her family when studying dance. This was especially true for her father, since he wasn’t able to pursue his dream in the arts and wanted his daughter to be able to do so.

“They were really supportive of me in high school whenever I was competing, you know, it costs a lot of money to compete in a studio and my parents were very supportive of that.

And when I decided I wanted to go to college for dance, they were all for it. I am very lucky in that sense,” Strupek said.

Overall, dance has had a great impact on Strupek’s life, as it became her passion and gave her a clear career path in college.

“It’s kind of continuing to lead my career for the rest of my life, even if 15 years from now, I’m more on the admin side. I’m at least supporting the arts and supporting dance.

But, I can’t ever see myself not doing it. I mean, I need it in some way, shape, or form,” Strupek said.

“In terms of dance, I think my words of advice are ‘do not give up’ and ‘don’t let other people’s words discourage you’ and ‘continue to try and dance no matter what other people say’ because I was never the best and nobody has to be the best, but here I am doing something that I love.”

[ ]

26 THE VOICE OCTOBER 11 2019

“It was about the art form and about creating and about expressing yourself...”

- Strupek

let that get me down and I get really proud now to return back to my high school and them to see where I’ve come.” Strupek said. “But, I look at that now as one of the most positive and growing experiences that I had and dance can be a negative thing for some people when they don’t make something, but I kind of make the best out of that situation.”

A. Harper

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 27

Features Teachers

What it means to be a family Spanish teacher Mrs. Hacker shares her children’s adoption journey

A

By Maddie Meucci Adoption is a long, tiring, and emotional process that families spend countless hours going through while waiting eagerly for a child to match with them. According to the Adoption Network, there are over 400,000 children in foster care in the U.S. and 114,556 cannot be returned to their families and are waiting to be adopted. Those children wait for days on end in hope for a loving family, but sadly some wait years in foster care. Eventually, when they turn 18 years old, they graduate out of foster care and are still left without a family.

There are many people and families that look to support these children in short term foster programs. Valerie Hacker and her husband John were those people.

Hacker is a Spanish teacher at Huntley High School and has always known she wanted to be a teacher.

She taught at Crystal Lake Central High School for nine years and this year will be her second year at Huntley High School. It wasn’t until a trip to Spain when she fell in love with the people, culture, and language, that she decided that teaching Spanish was her calling.

Hacker is very open about her adoption experience and enjoys sharing her and her family’s story with others. She and her husband had three biological kids, Caitlin, Caleb, and Cameron, and they decided they wanted to expand their family. Hacker expressed that she had her heart set on adopting children from Ethiopia, but her husband wasn’t ready at the time; however, 28 THE VOICE OCTOBER 11 2019

eventually he came to terms with the idea.

The two of them had fostered children for two and a half years and they also tried to adopt children out of the fostering system in the U.S., but they were not successful.

“We looked at the profiles of over 200 children in two and a half years and we were never matched. We were kind of frustrated about it,” Hacker said.

When it seemed as if all hope of adopting a child was lost, they received the news that they had won a $5,000 scholarship that they had applied for months ago and forgot about.

Coincidentally, in the same week, one of Valerie’s friends asked her if they could use $8,000 to adopt because her friend was going to adopt the girls they were fostering and they didn’t need the money. They also received an anonymous check in the mail for $1,000. After this, all they needed was a match and they could proceed with the adoption process.

After a lot of paperwork, a home study, personal interviews, and personal suggestions of what she and her husband were looking for in a child, they were matched. They told the agency that they wanted a pair of siblings, either two boys or a boy and a girl, so that way they would always have each other. They were matched with a boy, Cayden Ayuana, who was 6 years old and a girl, Cara Siqare, who was 3 years old at the time.

When the time came to meet them and bring them back home, the entire Hacker family went with. The trip was long and exhausting. Once

they picked them up, the trip home took them over 30 hours to get back to the United States and to their house.

“Everybody was overwhelmed and super tired,” Hacker said. “The children were in a culture shock. They knew no English.”

Communicating with them was difficult before they learned English. However, they adjusted to the U.S. and to the Hacker’s home very quickly and so well because they were young and resilient.

Hacker connected with them instantly because she was their comfort and food source, so they had no other option but to connect with her and rely on her. This was very beneficial because in some cases it takes weeks or even months for children to connect with their adopted parents.

She tried to make them feel as welcome as possible by having accessible mangos, bananas, and corn in their house, the most common food in Ethiopia. She also ordered authentic injera, which is their native bread.

Since the children quickly adapted, the family did not face any problems with getting along.

Yet the most difficult part for the Hacker family was dealing with their children’s grief and answering their questions.

“Dealing with their grief over losing everything that they knew before” and “Knowing that I couldn’t answer their unanswered questions,” Hacker said.

Hacker is forever grateful that they are a part of her family and a part of their lives. As they got more comfortable, their personalities began to

photo by Kenzie Weinberg Spanish teacher Valerie Hacker with a picture of her family

show more and more.

“Cara is just very outgoing and compassionate,” Hacker said. “Cayen is just really outgoing, he’s great with people, he’s like a people magnet, people absolutely love being around him.”

She has been able to take a walk in their shoes and experience and learn what it is like to be in their position.

Walking in someone else’s shoes exposes you to things you never knew before and experiences, good and bad, that you’d never dream would happen to you.

“Having a transracial family has helped me be more sensitive to people because they walk through the world differently than I do,” Hacker said.

This year will mark 10 years since

Cayen and Cara have been adopted.

As more and more families looking to adopt, Hacker shares a little bit of advice on how to navigate this difficult process.

“Talk to other adopted families, read as much as you can, and realize that these children have been through a lot already and you have to recognize that there is going to be grief and even trauma, sometimes, depending on their stories and you just need to be prepared emotionally for that, but it’s worth it,” Hacker said.

Cayden is now 16 years old and Cara is now 13. Hacker and her family are very grateful and blessed to have added them to their family.

Adoption takes a lot of heart and hope, which is exactly what the

Hackers had and what thousands of other families have that go through adoption.

“I’m grateful that they are a part of my family and a part of our lives,” Hacker said.

Adopting is worth every sheet of paperwork, all of the personal interviews, home inspections, and the very, very long waiting time. Patience is key in the adoption process, but the final outcome is far more important than the long waiting process.

Through adoption, the Hackers were able to welcome two outgoing, sweet, and personable children into their loving family. Adjusting may have been hard for Cayden and Cara, but the love from their new family came instantly.

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Feature Advanced Art

The artistic journey of Gyorke Huntley High’s first junior to take Advanced Art

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By Annaliese Harper An artist can create worlds in ways never thought of before. However, people aren’t born holding a paintbrush. Any aspiring artist must practice and work hard, even when there are challenges. Junior Valerie Gyorke did just that, pursuing Advanced Art while being the first junior to join this distinguished class.

“I’ve always wanted to join Advanced Art,” Gyorke said.

Advanced Art, one of the many classes offered at Huntley High School, is the final art class a student can take when following the visual arts path. It incorporates types, or mediums, of art found throughout the previous classes, as well as combining multiple mediums of art.

One piece credited to the advanced art class could be considered one of the most known pieces within Huntley High School, the mural in the front of the building that everyone walks by at some point.

The class also presents great challenges in the application process, which means it is not usually achieved until a student’s senior year if achieved at all, filtering out students until the class contains the best and most dedicated to art. Out of all the years of Advanced Art being run at HHS, Gyorke is the first junior to get in.

Ever since middle school, Gyorke has been set on a career in art. When she heard about the Advanced Art class, it became her personal goal to take this prestigious class.

She drew inspiration from other students of the time and of many great

Photo by K. Weinberg Gyorke presents her artistic abilities in her classroom

artists.

“I saw I could actually make things that were a lot cooler than [cartoon stick figures], and I saw these artists doing all these things, and I’m like, ‘Oh! I could actually do that, that could actually be me,” Gyorke said She realized she was capable of pursuing so much more.

In order to get as far as she could, Gyorke took every art class offered at the middle school.

“I wasn’t able to take a study hall during my years, and I wasn’t able to take an academy at first,” Gyorke said.

When finally able to walk through the art room’s door at the high school, she shoved her way in, again taking as many classes as she could fit into her schedule. She even dropped lunch and had to take some required classes in summer school, trying to get to the final class and try all the styles she could.

“She’s always looking into ‘what else is interesting to me, and what can I play with, media wise,’” Jillian Corapi, teacher of the Advanced Art class, said.

While her favorite medium may be watercolors, she has done many projects in various mediums and even mixed mediums in Advanced art.

For example, the class painted and

sketched cherry trees from Anderson Japanese Gardens.

She wouldn’t have gotten this far without all of her hard work. Her tireless dedication drives her to keep going after achieving each of her goals.

Then she reflects and aims higher. She keeps going after higher and more lofty goals.

She has taken an interest in scenic design, and has made that her choice of career. She has made progress already, talking and working with Nathan Knapke, the school’s Performing Arts Center technician and the main designer for sets and stage assets in theater programs.

Any audience, cast, or crew member of the thespian show can credit the natural set on stage to Gyorke’s hard work.

When starting with an art piece, one stares at the blank canvas, the unshappen clay, the unmarked beginning, knowing there is so much potential, but so much intimidation at the same time. Picking up the paintbrush, pencil, or chalk is the second hardest choice to make. Halfway through, it may still look unimpressive, mediocre, average.

Finishing the piece is the hardest choice to make. It all comes together,

see ART page 41 HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 31

Features Theatre

The curtains open one last time

Josh Zerkel finishes his journey of HHS theatre in his senior year

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By Sarah Reilly The bright lights shining down lit up the set perfectly. Specks of dust floating in the air. The moment he steps out, he can feel every pair of eyes fall onto him. Standing there in front of the entire crowd, along with his other cast members, he realised he had brought a cup on too early.

Seven years ago Josh Zerkel was a highland man in the Marlowe Middle School production of “Macaroon.” The first show that led him down the path of performing in 23 shows and built a new love for acting.

In his first show, Zerkel was cast as a background character, just a little boy part of a group of others.

“I was so happy. I’m finally doing something different for once. And once I got on stage I’m like ‘there are hundreds of eyes looking at me’,” Zerkel said.

He knew he wasn’t a lead, but he could still feel those few eyes looking at him.

“It’s actually really funny because one of my first shows I messed up, because I brought a cup on too early…. So what I did I just put it behind my back with my arms,” Zerkel said.

After that incident, he realized that he had a small talent for being able to improvise something on the spot. A very useful skill, especially when something goes wrong on stage.

According to Zerkel, patience is a very important skill to have when it comes to something going wrong in theatre. Theatre helps teach patience

and trust in others. If you can’t trust someone to use a sword correctly in a fight, then you can’t do that fight with them.

“It’s super scary in the beginning because you just see this beast of a show, and you worry about it,” Zerkel said.

The scripts are long and confusing.

Scenes don’t match together yet, the cast hasn’t gotten comfortable, and everything is a mess. These are only a few of the stress factors of a show, and it only gets worse from there.

“It’s really frustrating in the middle of the show. And then the end where it’s even more just anger and

the end, when you get off the stage, the tears flow, and the stress melts away.

Despite all of this stress, Zerkel plans on continuing acting as a career.

“It’s really cool to see other people and the way they grow. Like seeing other people start from where they start and then moving up slowly,” Zerkel said.

Theatre is a competition that thrives off of growth. Without growth there is no reason to do anything.

“I get this strange sense of confidence… but it’s like a different side of confidence that just commands the presence of the room and knowing that you have the attention of everyone in the room,” Zerkel said.

Zerkel has also gotten to see the theatre community here at Huntley High School grow.

“So there are just some people that have to learn. And that’s okay like I had to do the same thing too,” Zerkel said.

He has seen many actors come a go from our community here and has learned something from every one of them.

This includes a lot of things people don’t tend to see about theatre kids.

“Well a lot of theatre kids are more athletic than people think,” Zerkel said.

Stamina and energy are very important in theatre. You need the energy to run around stage, memorize lines, and become your character.

Without that energy the show does

[]

32 THE VOICE OCTOBER 11 2019

“To close out the show is always like a weird feeling.”

-Josh Zerkel

frustration because you want to get everything down but you just can’t or something isn’t working right,” Zerkel said.

All of this planning is worth it at

A. Harper Josh Zerkel prepares his lines as he gets ready for the show

not go well and no one has fun.

“Especially when we did “Macbeth” a few years ago. It was a good show but it was very hard to keep up with it. Even though I was a smaller part in it, it was definitely difficult. It was definitely difficult to really keep my body like in a state of fit,” Zerkel said.

In the middle of a show you have to keep your stamina up. You have to continue working on that physical aspect of theatre so you don’t lose it.

Keeping up with the physical aspect of theatre and school work can also be very hard.

“For people who want to do theatre and who want to balance it with school you have to understand that there will be free periods during rehearsal where you can do your schoolwork and take advantage of

that,” Zerkel said.

While keeping grades up is very important, Zerkel chooses to focus more on theatre than school, even as a senior.

Many people think being a senior is sad, but Zerkel isn’t very bothered by it.

“You know, I’m not really that sad you know. It’s kinda like losing a pet…. Just one of those short period things that you know that one day you’re gonna leave,” Zerkel said.

He knows that he will be back to help, and he knows that he will never stop acting.

This isn’t his last time acting at all, but he did have his last line in his last Thespian show on Sept. 21.

“To close out the show is always like a weird feeling,” Zerkel said.

Zerkel has closed many shows before, but has had the opportunity to say the very last line in the Thespian show “As You Like It” this year.

He stood out on the center of the stage, on the corner of the platform.

He said his line and then the music played.

“I’m gonna say it’s my final night that’s going to be my last like Shakespeare line at Huntley High School.

That’s a scary and sad thought but, you know, what am I gonna do I can’t change that fact. I’m just gonna have to keep moving forward,” Zerkel said.

As the pop music plays, the cast dances, and confetti cannons go off.

Josh finishes his last line of the show, and the curtains close.

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 33

Features Personal

Marching to her own beat Senior Grace Gato leaves her mark on Huntley’s band program

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By Ally Jorgensen

As senior Grace Gato dampens her reed and fiddles with the keys on her alto saxophone, she waits for the tuning note to be played. With a full, deep breath, she plays a few notes and begins to tune her instrument.

Yet another daily rehearsal has begun.

Gatto is the first chair alto saxophone player in the Huntley High School’s Wind Ensemble. This is her fourth year playing in the band, and in that time she has become a big part of the school’s music department.

Considering the fact that her mother is a music educator, Gatto began to find her love for music at an early age. She also knew that she wanted to follow in the footsteps of her mother and become a teacher.

“I always knew that I wanted to be a teacher, [but] I think I wanted to be a music teacher [in] sixth or seventh grade,” said Gato.

At just 5 years old, Gato’s parents knew that she might be interested in music when she attended one of her mother’s band concerts. After the concert, she walked up to the stage, stood on the podium, and started conducting.

In third grade, Gato started taking piano lessons. Her parents encouraged her to practice at home, and she did so with very little protest.

Soon enough, she started to practice on her own. According to Gato’s mother, she was very faithful and dedicated to her music.

She also decided that she was going to play the saxophone in third grade.

She was so determined to play. She even had a saxophone shirt that she would wear all of the time. At first, she 34 THE VOICE OCTOBER 11 2019

was instructed to start on an easier instrument to learn the basics, so she started on clarinet at the end of fourth grade.

She played on the clarinet until the summer before sixth grade and transitioned over to the alto saxophone in her middle school years.

In seventh grade, Gato started to get very serious with her playing. That year, she auditioned for the Illinois Music Education Association Junior Band Festival and was accepted in on her clarinet. She auditioned again in eighth grade, but this time she was playing the alto saxophone. She was very pleased to find out that she was chosen to be the first chair in her section. Ever since then, her love for music has only grown stronger.

The summer before freshman year, she got the news that she was going to be in the highest band at the high school, Wind Ensemble A. She also joined the Marching Band that year and later became a drum major her junior year.

Last year, Gato was also awarded a scholarship from the Sun City Concert Band. She submitted a recording of her playing and a small written autobiography about herself. The scholarship committee was very impressed with her musicianship, and she was able to use the money to attend a summer band camp that year.

“There was no question . . . that she would be one of the winners,” said Sun City Concert Band President, Rose Kundich.

Gato was also a part of the Huntley High School’s saxophone quartet. In 2018, the group was invited to perform at the Music For All National Chamber Music Festival in Indianapolis.

Throughout her high school band experience, one of Gato’s favorite memories was attending the Illinois Superstate Concert Band Festival her junior and senior year with the other musicians in Wind Ensemble. One of her favorite things about band is how close everyone gets over the four years that they play together.

“Wind ensemble [is a] really tightknit group,” Gato said.

She is widely known among the band students at Huntley, and she is always there to help if anyone needs it.

In class, Gato is often called on to critique the band, and add her input as needed.

“She knows what sounds good and what doesn’t. She knows what to do in order to make things better,” band director Kevin Krivosik said.

So far, Gato has been successful this year in the marching band. She is using a lot of what she learned her previous year and is applying it to this year. “[She] is going the extra mile to [make] sure that she is leading by example and showing everyone what that leadership role is like,” Krivosik said.

In the future, Gato plans on continuing her education in music. She is also going to continue to march in college.

“I believe that it would be a great experience for me to be at a university level,” Gato said.

For someone going into the music field, you can never settle for the bare minimum. It is important to strive to be a better musician and a better person.

“Grace fits all of that criteria, and she will do great things if she continues on [the] path of the fine arts,” Krivosik said.

photo by Lily Landoch

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 35

A&E Comparison

Clown of everyone’s nightmares returns “It” reboot brings justice to Stephen King’s terrifying masterpiece

S

By Skylar Sharkey Stephen King. The King of Horror. The Master of Fear. One of the most prominent horror authors of the 21st century has struck gold with his most terrifying creation yet. King released his 22nd horror novel, “It,” in 1981, and it is still considered a modern masterpiece of the horror genre.

Stephen King’s “It” may contain 1,153 pages worth of horrifying gore and blood-curdling monsters, but what keeps readers coming back to the terrifying world of Pennywise the Dancing Clown is the deeply rooted bond that exists amongst the Losers Club, a band of misfit kids who are forced to confront their deepest, darkest fears. As we follow the seven Losers from a pre-pubescent nightmare to angst-ridden adulthood, audiences are treated to an optimistic horror story about a group of outcasts who triumph over evil through the power of friendship.

“It” follows the lives of seven kids, a.k.a the Losers, who are being tormented by Pennywise, a multidimensional monster that feeds on fear. Over the course of one horrifying summer, the Losers come together to battle the murderous clown known as Pennywise. The Losers later make a blood oath to return to their home town of Derry, Maine, to defeat Pennywise in case It ever returns.

The Losers’ steadfast leader Bill 36 THE VOICE OCTOBER 11 2019

Courtest of It official website

Denbrough, whose brother was murdered by Pennywise, is haunted by guilt, which manifests itself into a verbal stutter that sets him apart from the rest of his classmates.

Bill’s love interest, Beverly Marsh, is a victim of parental abuse, and finds herself gravitating towards unhealthy relationships throughout the majority of adulthood. The Good Samaritan of the group, Ben Hanscom, is insecure about his weight and finds himself victim to the town bully, Henry Bowers. Class clown, Richie Tozier, provides a majority of the comic relief throughout the novel, and his humor plays a key role in defeating Pennywise.

Eddie Kaspbrak, the hypochondriac, is the most cautious member of the group and, like Richie, is a large source of comic relief. Stanley Uris’ logic and skepticism leads him to

have a difficult time believing that It actually exists. Finally, Mike Hanlon is the last to join the Losers, and is a victim of racial discrimmination in the ethnocentric town of Derry.

King’s novel was first adapted into a miniseries released in 1990, directed by Tommy Wallace. This two part, three hour television event follows a near identical plot to the novel, but lacks the correct pacing and production to really be considered a substantial success.

The book was later adapted into a blockbuster movie in 2017, directed by Andy Muschietti. “It” (2017) brought in $700 million worldwide, and was considered a wild success by the horror community. Unlike the book, where the timeline shifts between the Losers as adults and the losers as kids, “It” only focuses on the adolescent Losers as they at-

Courtesy of It official website

tempt to solve the mytery of Derry’s violent past while preventing any further murders by Pennywise the Clown.

“It” (2017) is a strange combination of heartwarming childhood nostalgia and pure terror that oddly works for the production. The movie features a cast of young, talented performers who perfectly capture that coming-of-age sentimentality that results in a perfectly balanced ratio of humor and heart. Each actor brings a natural charisma and charm to their individual roles, and it feels as if the chemistry from the novel has jumped off the page right into Muschietti’s horror masterpiece.

Bill Skarsgård steals the show with his childlike portrayal of Pennywise the Dancing Clown. At first, audiences feel sympathetic towards the creature, with its squeaky voice

and beckoning smile, but later learn they were extremely mistaken. Pennywise’s screen time is filled with grisly acts of violence and enough blood to put “Carrie” to shame.

The sequel, “It: Chapter 2” was released Sept. 6, and it is the perfect latter half to the awe-inspiring epic that is Stephen King’s “It.” The runtime is ambitious, but ultimately pays off with an equal amount of character study as well as jolty frights that will leave you trembling in your seat. 27 years following the first movie’s events, the film opens with a disturbing recount of what first appears to be a homophobic hate crime, but is later revealed to be the work of Pennywise the Clown. Mike, the only remaining Loser in Derry, calls up the rest of the gang, begging them to return to their hometown to defeat Pennywise once and for all.

Barely 20 minutes into the film it is clear that Bill Hader (from Saturday Night Live), who plays the aged up Richie Tozier, is the one who has stolen the show. His perfectly timed wise cracks may keep viewers laughing, but he brings the heart as well, and his triumph comes when he finally learns to accept his deepest and darkest fear: himself.

The rest of the cast does an incredible job of demonstrating the long-lasting effect Pennywise has had on their adult lives. Each of the Losers is haunted by the trauma they endured during their childhood: the trauma that bonded them together in the first place.

Whether you read the book, binge the miniseries, or marathon the movies, “It” will challenge you to come to terms with what you really, truly fear. Now that is horrifying.

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 37

CARE page 17 put things on Pinterest, and maybe it’s because it hurts too much too care about all our problems,” Phillips said.

America is in a crisis of apathy. We can’t deal with the pain so we decide to numb it away. If that’s through drugs owr food or music or alcohol or pretty much anything we can get addicted to, we’ll use it to ease our wounds. But that doesn’t solve the problem.

Students need their teachers to be there for them as it’s not easy to deal with these problems alone. Now, this is not to say every teacher disregards the issues of students, however, everyone

TRAVEL page 3 travel program for the Global Academy, and she describes her experience with students as nothing short of incredible: ¨[Traveling] was just that moment of half the time being like awestruck of what I’m seeing, and then half the

does tend to forget that we all live complex lives and how that may influence our performance in school or work for others.

Though America might be in crisis, this school is in one too. The purpose of even coming to school is diminishing but there’s still time to fix it. Start seeing your potential.

Start understanding you don’t have to be afraid to care. You are the pillars of society and never forget it.

[ ]

time with the students, turning around to see their expression of looking back and watching them in awe of things.”

As far as how the staff behind the program feels, they feel that, regardless of the path that students will travel after graduation, according to Aney, the bottom line remains: “We have kids that come back five

America is in a crisis of apathy. We can’t deal with the pain so we decide to numb it.

or six years later and talking about how they’re still best friends they talk about stories, [which is] the best thing that there is about this program. It’s not the site seeing, and it’s not the travel component of it. It’s the relationships in the friendships that you make.”

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A&E Technology

New iPhone 11 draws criticsm and praise Apple reveals new products

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By Kyle Abruzzo

This is what everyone has been talking about right? Just after Apple released the new iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max in October of last year, they came out with more new products. The iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and the iPhone 11 Pro Max were released on Sept. 20.

According to Apple, the iPhone 11 will retail for $699, the iPhone 11 Pro will retail for $999, and the 11 Pro Max will retail for $1,099. Apple is accepting trade-ins to help the consumer pay for these phones. For example, a trade in is when a customer would give back their iPhone X to get $300 off the new phone. The price would depend on the condition of the customer’s phone and how old or new it is.

The iPhone 11 possesses many features that no other iPhone has ever had before. First off, this phone comes in six different colors: black, white, red, purple, green, and yellow. This may be shocking to many people and bring back those iPhone 5c vibes. This phone also has wide and ultra-wide lenses for its camera, meaning when a picture or video is being taken, a lot more of what you are looking at will show up on your phone.

Another spectacular feature of the iPhone 11 is that it is water resistant up to two meters and can stay there for 30 seconds or less. That is double the depth of what the iPhone XR is able to withstand.

There is always worry about the battery life of the phone in any customer’s hand. Well, thankfully, the iPhone 11 is powered by Apple’s new A13 bionic chip. Apple says this chip will be the fastest processor that they have ever

Antonio De Rosa is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0

made. This forms a cause and effect relationship with battery life. The battery life on the iPhone 11 is supposed to be one full hour longer than any other previous phones.

The camera on the iPhone 11 has drastically improved. Apple upgraded their front camera with a 12-megapixel sensor. This means that pictures and videos will be even more clear and look more like how it looked in real life. Apple has also given the front camera accessibility to be able to take a slow-mo video for the first time and a bigger frame for selfies. The back camera is way wider, so now you can also fit more of a landscape into your photo.

Although this iPhone has a lot of upsides, there are also some downsides. A huge con of the iPhone 11 is that it is not 5G compatible. 5G is the fifth generation mobile network which is widely believed to be smarter, faster, and more efficient than 4G. So basically the iPhone 11 does not have access to the fastest network.

“The iPhone has always been one of the most innovative pieces of technology for this century. It pains me to say that the iPhone 11 was a major disappointment in my eyes,” senior Kush Patel said. “Credit is due where credit is deserved, but other than another camera and a slightly faster chip, the iPhone 11 does not deserve much credit.”

Another con is that the iPhone 11’s

storage starts at 64GB, which is relatively small for people who store a lot of photos, music, videos, etc.

“I feel like it lacks the major innovation jump other iPhones have had.

Sure, the cameras and wide angles are cool, but other than that I do not feel like it’s enough to justify a whole new phone,” senior Brandon Ary said. “If I am going to spend $700 on a new phone, I would want it to be worth my money. What makes it so different than my iPhone X?” Sometimes things like this will make or break a decision to buy a new iPhone.

“Of course I would want to buy it, but considering I have only had my current phone for about six months, probably not,’’ Ary said.

This could make people think that Apple had too early of a release date for the new line of iPhones. If a customer just bought a new Apple phone 10 months ago, why would they feel the need to spend so much money for a new one, considering their current phone is still in good condition?

Overall, the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and the iPhone 11 Pro Max are all very high quality phones and have many positive reviews. The iPhone 11 is definitely an upgrade from previous phones in the majority of its features.

But if cost is so high, and it just leaves us with the question: is this iPhone worth the money?

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 39

A&E Music

Post Malone drops new album Post Malone’s “Hollywood’s Bleeding” does meet fans expectations

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By Kayla Sweeney Post Malone has yet again topped the charts with his new album “Hollywood’s Bleeding,” in the first week of being released Post Malone’s album is number one on the Billboard 200.

Post’s real name is Austin Richard Post. He was born on July 4, 1995 in Syracuse, New York. He was raised by Rich Post and Nicole Frazier.

The album may have been a great success, but all that work was not out of pure luck.

Before the American rapper became famous, he worked as a wedding DJ in New York, promoting his love for music. At 18, he moved to Los Angeles with Jason Probst, a long time friend. He has had many successes, from getting his first big break from the song “White Iverson,” which peaked in the top 20 on the US Billboard Hot 100 to performing at the Grammys.

He also had large success with his song “Rockstar” featuring 21 Savage. That was Post’s first song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100. In the first week, it had over 25 million streams on Apple Music, breaking the single-week streaming record. Students here at Huntley High School enjoy Post’s music.

“I like Post but, I did not like his new album because he didn’t have catchy songs and his second album is better,” junior Fiker Endalcachew said.

He has also won many awards: the Billboard Music Award for Top Rap Song in 2018, MTV Video Music

Award for Song of the Year 2018, American Music Award for Favorite Male Artist Pop/Rock, and many more. Post’s career is not slowing down as he continues to have many more hits.

The song that really topped off the album was “Die For Me,” featuring Future and Halsey. It is very catchy, but it is not the most popular song on the album. However, the lyrics and beat add that extra bit of pop.

The song “Take What You Want,” featuring Travis Scott

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40 THE VOICE OCTOBER 11 2019

“I like Post but I did not like his new album.”

- Fiker Endalcachew

and Ozzy Osbourne is a perfect example of how Post’s career does not have a set path. “Take What You Want” does not sound like any other songs on his album, as it has a more rap/rock feeling.

Speaking of which, one interesting aspect of Post’s career is the fact that he does not stick to one genre of music. When you listen to Post’s music, you can experience different moods varying from good to chill to party emotions.

Post is passionate about his singing

From Post Malones’ Twitter Courtesy of Netflix

and his music, with sad songs like “I Fall Apart,” “Broken Whiskey Glass,” and “Stay.” The emotions are real and raw, which is why so many people of all different backgrounds enjoy his music.

While most artists write about what’s popular, Post chooses to take his own path. It may be unconventional from the way that he looks to how he chooses to express himself. He chooses not to look like all celebrities but that’s what makes him unique.

One of the most popular songs on his album, “Enemies” featuring DaBaby, is a very catchy, hip-hop style song. This gives the album a fun twist.

Post’s album is the first album of the year to be on the Billboard 200 chart for three consecutive weeks.

In the future, Post will most likely create more albums and top hits.

His career will grow as he continues to become a bigger artist while his songs will contain deeper messages as he continues to go through life with heartbreak. Even if Posts music changes, his fans will remain loyal.

He is currently on the “Run Away Tour” after the success of his album.

WORK page 20

WI-FI page 16

If everything goes according to plan, HHS won’t have to deal with construction the year of 2020-2021.

By the beginning of next school year HHS will have a new black box, scene shop, and band storage. It’s good that Huntley is starting to expand other parts of the school instead of just focusing on sports.

We are finally branching out and offering our support to other areas of the school.

The construction is a good thing for HHS. It’s better to do it sooner rather than later.

limited to students, but have an impact on the school staff too.

“Service is highly important to us,” Duncan said.

The network in the school is more in-depth than people realize. In response to Chromebook problems, if there is any trouble with logging into a website, there is most likely just a problem with that particular site.

If there is a detectable and reproducible problem, network technicians will take action immediately.

There is said to be no major key problem with the priority district

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devices we own.

There is a regular replacement cycle throughout the devices and Wi-Fi hardware.

“I believe this building is due for a replacement this summer,” Kuehling said.

Student Wi-Fi it is offered as a convenience, and when it comes to the district devices, they take priority over personal devices.

Technicians are more concerned with improving the connection for ‘Raidernet’ over any noticeable problems with the ‘Student’ connection.

“Our biggest problem is that the Wi-Fi is not strong enough to hold up so many devices at once,” sophomore Sean Myhre said.

There are minor issues that pop up here and there with students complaining about connection speed on their personal devices.

One solution to fix that is to download a secondary app such as a VPN to stabilize processing speed on phones used in school.

Another solution if there are problems with district owned devices is to wait for either freshman or junior year for a new Chromebook.

Kuehling proves no reproducible problems in the Wi-Fi that can be fixed.

“We’re on a regular replacement cycle for our Wi-Fi hardware,” Kuehling said.

If there are no additional things you can do, there will always be the building hardware update over the summer to look forward to next year.

ART page 31 unique, admirable, and accomplished.

None of which would happen without hard work, without picking it up again and again, without dedication.

With the hard work and dedication she has put into the arts already, it would not be surprising if Valerie succeed in whatever she puts her mind to.

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A&E Social Media

Huntley’s very own celebrity Senior Bree Huston explains how she started on her road to stardom

W

By Jaryd Dixon We all remember Vine, the six second clips you and your friends would create just to have some fun. Vine was the most popular social media app of its time. According to the co-founder of Vine Colin Kroll, the app was founded in June of 2012 but launched Jan. 24, 2013. By December 2015, Vine had acquired nearly 200 million active users daily, with this immense come up the app was bound to blow up.

Vine created a platform for anyone and everyone to be themselves and create their own unique videos that made people laugh. There is a handful of social media public figures who acquired their fanbase purely due to Vine.

For instance, Andrew King Bachelor who started Vine in 2013, gained around 15 millions followers throughout the duration of the app. Now he is a successful actor who has been in a handful of popular shows and films such as: “House of Lies,” MTV2’s “Wild ‘N Out,” and “The Mindy Project.”

Before the death of Vine on Oct. 27, 2016, according to Craig Smith, Director of Marketing at ENGIE, Vine had more than 500 million users globally and more than 39 million Vine were uploaded entirely.

With the downfall of Vine people were eager to find a new app just like it. Enter: Musical.ly. Musical.ly was launched in April of 2014, the app was

R. Murphy Senior Bree Huston’s Tik Tok profile

popularized until Japanese cooperation ByteDance bought out Musical.ly in November of 2017.

After ByteDance bought out Musical.ly, the app started to blow up at an exponential rate. Now, Tik Tok had become the new Vine and the craze was unreal. The difference is that Tik Tok enables you to create a video that is up to one minute long, as well as the fact that you are able to add your own sounds or songs in order to put some creativity into it.

In fact, many Huntley High School students have created a name for themselves on Tik Tok. Senior Bree Huston has been one of the many students and Huntley to acquire an immense fan base on Tik Tok. Most people just started to use Tik Tok as a joke, and thought it was funny but stupid. But for some they found it truly inspirational.

“My sister used to make them and I thought they were really stupid but really funny at the same time, so I decided to make an account,” Huston said. “Until one of my friends told me to make my account public just to see what happens, for a while I said no

because I didn’t want people to know that I make them. But one day I took it off private and right as I took my account off private one of my videos started to get likes and ended up getting thousands of likes.”

When you’re making a Tik Tok your hopes are that you are going to get on the For You Page and blow up, hopefully be able to gain a fan base.

“I posted a video and it got over 200 thousand likes and it kept going from there, then I posted another video that got around 200 thousand likes.

So basically the more likes the videos got the more followers I was getting,” Huston said.

One thing we all love about Tik Tok is the variety of content on the app, there is the funny and goofy ones and then there are the serious and cool ones. Everyone has their own creative touch.

“Anything that I find funny or that is going on in my life I feel like other people will enjoy as well,” Huston said.

I can bet that a majority of the students here at Huntley were users or at least knew about Vine, with the switch to Musical.ly then Tik Tok. “I used Vine but not Musical.ly, I loved Vine I thought it was so funny and then I thought Musical.ly was horrible,” Huston said.

With social media being one of the most popular things in society right now, Tik Tok has the potential and power to create and influence social media trends.

“It’s stupid, I think that it’s mindless and most social media apps you are trying your best to look god but with Tik Tok you can just have fun and it really doens’t matter what you post,” Huston said.

Social media has had an enormous impact on teen’s lives, and definitely has on others as well. It gives kids a great way to form bonds and gain connections with people they thought they would never talk to.

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 43

A&E Video Games

NBA2K20 steps onto the court Game improves on others

W

By Alex Hartleb

When it comes to sports video games, the “NBA 2K” franchise is one of the most popular and best selling sports franchises of all time. The franchise, run by 2K Sports has sold over 90 million copies over all 20 of their NBA games so far, and continues to rise.

“NBA 2K20,” featuring cover athletes Anthony Davis and Dwayne Wade, is the newest game to be featured in the “NBA 2K” series, being the 21st game to be released since 1999. It was released on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Windows PC, and the Nintendo Switch on Sep. 6.

One of the most dominant new features added into the game this year is the inclusion of the Women’s National Basketball Association. Up until this year, the WNBA has yet to be included into the game, despite the league having been around since 1996.

Players can play with their favorite WNBA stars, from Candace Parker to Sue Bird.

The addition of these teams brings a new task to the game which forces players to come up with new strategies to play with and adjust to the different tempo and speed that the WNBA plays with. Players will get to play with an all new set of line-ups that they have never had the opportunity to experience yet, and not just the typical NBA line-ups.

Despite the WNBA being added into local play, players will not have the opportunity to play with these teams online against other players since they were not added into that aspect of the game. They did create an all new season mode for the WNBA 44 THE VOICE OCTOBER 11 2019

courtesy of NBA.2K.com

where you can choose a team and run it like the head office, being able to trade players and create the best team possible, while still having to manage your team’s budget, which helps make up for its online absence.

One of the more prominent and well known features of the 2K series, MyCareer, is returning and in a big way. The MyCareer mode is when you get to create your own NBA player and work yourself from the bottom up and rise up in the league. You get to become an NBA superstar while also facing many challenges along the way.

This year they added all new player archetypes which allows you to create your player however you want, whether it’s creating a shooter, defensive star, driver, playmaker, or a combination of the four.

This year’s story, “When The Lights Are the Brightest,” starts your player off at the end of your fourth year of college. Your player chose to stay and play all four years of college and not enter the NBA draft right away, despite being projected to be drafted very early in the first round. Your player is just about to start the National Collegiate Athletic Association college tournament when one of your teammates receives a season ending injury, and as a result, his scholarship is revoked.

Your player, having seen this as an unfair decision, decides to take a stand for your fallen teammate, and chooses

to sit out of the first round of the tournament, resulting in your team losing and being eliminated.

NBA teams and scouts then start to question your commitment to the game, and your draft stock (projection for where you will be picked by a team) starts to plummet, and your player must rise back up to the top.

Along the way, there are plenty of ups, downs, and twists for your player that adds to the excitement of the story.

This year’s story is an excellent representation of taking a stand and the manipulation of college athletes, all enhanced by performances by actors Idris Elba, Thomas Middleditch, and Rosario Dawson. For those not interested in the story aspect and more interested in just playing in the NBA, the story can be easily skipped, and does not take long. But for those who want to play the story this year, you will not be disappointed.

The popular mode, MyTeam, is back for another year with minor changes being added. The MyTeam mode is where you collect different player cards, all ranging in different overalls, with the goal of creating the best team possible to beat your online opponents. This year they added a reward system for playing daily, which has a wide variety of prizes. They also added a slot machine that can be used in

see NBA2K page 45

NBA2K page 44

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between games, and the jackspot prizes change every couple of weeks.

However, as seen in recent years and continuing into this year, the MyTeam mode still relies heavily on microtransactions, which can make it hard for some people to play. In order to get the cards you want for your team, you will either have to use the MyTeam Points specific to the mode itself, which players have to play a lot to get and are not purchasable, or use the games VC, which can be earned in other modes as well.

With that currency you must then either use the points to buy players off what is called the Auction House, where players around the world can sell their cards to other players, or buy packs of cards, each containing a player card or two. The problem is that it is very hard to earn the new cards that come out weekly in packs, since the odds are not in the players favor, and if you go to buy them from the Auction House, you will most likely not have the sufficient MyTeam Points to buy them.

This has created a gambling affect, in which you could spend hundreds of dollars, and still not receive the player you want for your team, which can very easily ruin the game mode for some, especially if you want to play competitively, which should not be necessary in a sports game.

But while there are many new pros for the game, such as new and enhanced dribble moves and more realistic movements, the game still has many cons that come along with it.

The game still does have many online server and bug related issues that while some do end up getting fixed, not all of them can be. There is always the constant threat of the servers crashing and ruining where you are in the game, which can sometimes mess up the progress you have made.

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46 THE VOICE OCTOBER 11 2019

Sports Leadership

Bruno Bosman leads varsity football team Junior leads HHS to victory

J

By Riy Walker

Junior Bruno Bosman closes his eyes and asks himself what needs to happen in order to win the game. As Bosman steps onto the field with a mind full of thoughts about what is to come, he takes a deep breath and prepares for the game.

Looking up at the stands filled with hundreds of cheering friends, family members, and peers is merely motivation for Huntley High School’s young quarterback.

At just a young age, Bosman’s love for the game grew stronger and stronger due to the relationship he and his father have. To know the game and how to play it goes a long way.

“When I was younger, just playing flag football, my dad taught me how to read the defense. Imagine a fourth grader knowing how to read the field correctly,” Bosman said.

Bosman seems to think that his father plays a major role in the player that he is today.

“He takes care of his family, that is the respect I have for him as a man. As a player I truly look up to him because he’s taught me everything I know,” Bosman said.

It is bigger than football, it is more about being shaped into a respectable individual and dealing with pressure.

The lead role of a team can be a very harsh pill to swallow.

“I don’t feel pressure because my attitude is too important to show everyone that something is bothering me,” Bosman said.

Bosman believes there are many important qualities a quarterback needs to be successful.

“Being able to be cool in the heat of the fire, in other words when everything is blowing up, you have to have a level head,” Bosman said.

L. Landoch Bosman prepares to make a long pass

Making for an exceptional team leader and ensuring success goes a long way.

“Bruno is willing to work at overcoming stressful situations. He always has a positive outlook,” Bruno’s mother, Julia Bosman said.

Work ethic and technique is key, being able to rise to the challenge and keep the energy up in the face of adversity is truly remarkable.

“I work hard because I know the outcome will be beneficial,” Bosman said.

With effort and dedication, in every aspect of life there is almost always guaranteed success. Combining hard work, dedication and an actual love for the task at hand brings success, accomplishments and a great work ethic.

Being the center of attention at all times, dictating every play, being the deciding factor, and still staying levelheaded is the very stressful job of the quarterback.

Feeling like there are no right moves to make, and having to choose the best option can be quite frightening.

“The most difficult part about being the quarterback is having all eyes on you and being conscious of every decision that you make,” Bosman said.

Playing with a team and moving as one unit can very difficult, but having one common goal in mind is what makes the teamwork work efficiently.

Gaining respect from peers is not always an easy job.

But in reality, all teams have one goal in mind.

“We want to win out the rest of the season, have fun with the rest of the games, leave the season with no regrets,” Bosman said.

If the whole team performs as one and works to put the best effort in, this goal will be achievable.

Bosman works on keeping his focus on and off the field; he is a hard worker who is dedicated to school and football, someone who cares about his future and stands behind his morals.

What sets Bosman apart is the fact that he values not only being an athlete but he always puts his education first.

“Bruno is driven to excel, both in school and sports, he is focused and consistent. He understands what’s important and works hard to achieve his goals,” Julia Bosman said.

Julia Bosman is extremely proud of her son’s accomplishments.

“Putting others’ emotions and thoughts before his own is what makes him a leader, Bruno has always been a leader,” Julia Bosman said. “A selfless player always encouraging to his teammates and opponents. He worked extremely hard to become the starting QB and doesn’t take it for granted that he continues to work extremely hard every day.”

A person who rises to the challenge, who answers the call, and who puts in the work is always the right guy for the job.

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 47

Sports Volleyball

Eat, sleep, breathe, play volleyball Freshman Emily Willis dominates her way to HHS varsity volleyball

F

By Ruhi Gulati

Feeling exhausted, the adrenaline coursing through her veins is the only source of energy keeping her moving.

Large drops of sweat slowly roll down her face, blurring her vision. Little pieces of blonde, frizzy baby hair escape from her tight ponytail and stick to the side of her face like glue.

However, nothing can break her flow of intensity, not even the roaring crowd chanting her name or the squeaky sound of white Nikes skidding across the gym floor. She places all of her focus on one white, round object in the large humid gym room: the volleyball.

She observes as the ball is bumped and set. Then, she launches herself into the air and slams her arm on top of the ball, smashing it onto the other side of the net. After her positional training is over, she meets her mom in the parking lot with the school lights glowing like stars against the dark, blue sky.

“This was the best practice ever.

I worked my butt off. I was able to do it and I can’t wait till next Monday.”

Emily Willis did not always feel this excitement towards volleyball. In fact, when she first played at a Huntley volleyball camp in fourth grade, she absolutely despised the sport and decided she would never play volleyball again. Little did she know, she would eventually become one out of the six freshmen on the Huntley JV volleyball team.

Unlike most of her teammates, Willis has only played volleyball for two years. Before seventh grade, she played numerous sports including basketball, dance, ice-skating, and tennis. Her

only experience with volleyball was watching her younger sister, Sara, play for her club team.

A month before Heineman Middle School volleyball tryouts, Willis, along with her mother and sister, was playing volleyball against two strangers at North Avenue Beach, Chicago. Because the net was low and saggy, Willis started to smash the ball. In that very moment, a seed of passion for volleyball was planted and with every spike,

play for the Airforce basketball team.

Willis also played basketball. In fact, basketball was her main sport from first grade all the way to eighth grade until she underwent an experience that would eventually change her life forever.

Her heart was pumping and her head was ringing. It was eighth grade basketball season, and Willis was frozen in mid-air, jumping for a rebound, and the tips of her fingers were inches away from the basketball. Before she could reach the ball, her opponent suddenly rammed into her “We’re all body, shoving her onto the floor and causing her ankle to break relying on in the process. In just a matter of seconds, Willis was in immense each other pain and she could hardly move. to become However, Willis learned a valuable lesson from that accident. better as “It helped me as a person and a volleyball player because it defione,” -Emily nitely showed me to take advantage [of practice],” Willis said.

Willis.

After that accident, she could not play basketball or volleyball.

“Her fun sport was gonna ruin the seed slowly grew inside of her and her love sport,” Willis’s mother, Anitra, turned into a strong love for volleyball. said.

In her first year on the middle school Suddenly, it flipped in her head and team, Willis started on the B-team but Willis decided she no longer wanted to was moved up to the A-team. By the play basketball. Instead, she wanted to end of the year, she was playing allpursue her love of volleyball. around.

During club season, Willis was Part of the reason her skills develfinally able to reach her full potenoped so quickly was due to her famtial. She made 14 Black, Club Fusion’s ily influence. Athleticism was in her national team, after her seventh-grade blood. Her mother and father both season. Since then, she practices for played volleyball in high school. In two and a half hours three days a week, addition to volleyball, her parents play takes privates, and plays for almost the entire year. Her volleyball life never numerous sports, specifically basketrests. ball. Her mom was even recruited to

[ ]

48 THE VOICE OCTOBER 11 2019

S. Reilly Emily Willis eyes the ball as she’s ready to set the anticipated spike.

“She’s setting in the house and always asking us to play with her,” Anitra said.

Her hard work and determination lead to her recent success. While on Club Fusion’s 15 Black team, she helped her team take third in nationals. However, her journey has not always been smooth-sailing.

In her first year of club season, Willis was bullied by an unwelcoming girl, who was later kicked off the team for shoving other teammates. Some nights, Willis would come home from practice and cry to her parents, but she never complained. She wanted to do what was best for her team. “[She’d] let it roll off her back and she didn’t let it bother her,” Anitra said.

Emily Willis’s strong attitude is a huge part of her fast improvement.

“She does have a good mental game.

She does not get down on herself. She just goes on to the next point,” Anitra said.

She never complains about playing volleyball and brings all of her energy

and determination with her on the court during every practice and every game. Her attitude towards the sport causes her to stand out from most volleyball players.

“She’s only been playing volleyball for two years but she’s already caught up to a lot of the girls that have been playing for a lot longer,” Willis’s father said.

Willis’s quick journey to success has not gone unrecognized. Willis’s biggest supporter, Sara, who has been recording video highlights of Willis for the past year now, watches almost every one of her games. “[I love] to see how much she has improved from when she first started,” Sara said.

Currently, Willis is a middle on Huntley High School’s JV volleyball team. Her favorite part of high school season so far is her welcoming team.

All of the upperclassmen have brought her into the team and treated her, along with the other freshmen, as

siblings. “[They] take us to things they would do with their friends,” Willis said.

“They aren’t treating us like freshmen.”

Their attitude towards her is very important since team chemistry is a necessary component of a successful volleyball team.

“We’re all relying on each other to become better as one,” Willis said.

Her main goal for this season is to help her team improve so they can qualify for state. By treating every day like her one positional practice with sticky hair, roaring crowds, skidding shoes, high adrenaline, and extreme focus, she believes she can reach that level of intensity again to accomplish her goal.

“I just want to work as hard as I can to become the best athlete that I can be.”

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 49

Sports Cross Country

Kaplan’s run for success Cross country coach Kaplan shows what it means to be apart of the team

I

By Ryan Sroka It’s 6 a.m. on a dark, cold Wednesday morning; eight cross country runners dressed in Red Raider sweatpants, jackets, and winter hats. They gather around and begin running their typical five miles through the streets of Del Webb and along the Harmony Road Campus.

Alongside the group is Coach Matthew Kaplan. Kaplan is 35-years-old running along 16-year-olds at 6 a.m. twice a week.

Coach Kaplan has an impressive background in cross country. He was a cross country runner for Schaumburg High School and later ran at Illinois State University. He began his coaching career as a volunteer coach at the local middle school in Bloomington Normal, IL. Later, he was assigned a job at West Aurora for a year before he took the head coaching and teaching job at Huntley High School. Fast forward 13 years, he leads an impressive program that has around 70 co-ed runners.

Coach Kaplan has only known success; senior year he led Schaumburg High School to the state meet, ran at a Division I university, and rallied a Huntley program with very little to a 3A powerhouse. He made a deal back in 2009 with the prior athletic director. “In 5 years we will have a state contender,” Kaplan said.

On Nov. 1, 2014, he describes his best coaching moment when they qualified for the 3A state meet for the first time in school history.

The best part of coaching for him isn’t those types of moments. It’s the little things that produce success.

“Helping [the boys and girls] see their true potential, having them see what they are truly capable of is why I love my job,” Kaplan said.

He describes the best part of his job as

50 THE VOICE OCTOBER 11 2019

S. Laput Coach Kaplan training his athletes on the football field

seeing the student athlete grow.

“As a coach the best part is the excitement of getting better each and every day and seeing those improvements that stem from hard work,” Kaplan said.

Jimmy Ozzauto is a senior and number two runner for the varsity cross country team. He has run for Coach Kaplan all four years of his high school career.

Ozzauto praises Kaplan’s effort to be alongside the team every step of the way. “[Kaplan] is probably the most invested coach I’ve ever known.” Ozzauto said. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday’s Kaplan runs seven miles with the team after school. Tuesday and Thursdays he is inside doing speed training workouts.

On top of that, twice a week he runs alongside the boys and girls at 6 am. Ozzauto likes how he knows when to be his goofy personality and turn on the serious button during practice and meets.

Just recently, Kaplan has a new member on his team. Over the summer, Kaplan’s wife, Megan, gave birth to their first child. Just like any dad, he feels incredibly blessed and overjoyed to be a father. However, it was a difficult adjustment for him to balance his commitment to the team and his family.

“In the past, I would be able to be solely committed to the boys and girls, but now there are times when I have to leave early or be somewhere because I need to

be a father first,” Kaplan remarked.

For example, there was a meet in Peoria for the whole weekend, where he had to leave his kids behind. He continues to figure out the balance to help him be that committed coach and be a great father to his daughter.

Why would anyone want to run so much as a sport; it is the most frequent question for non cross country athletes.

According to Kaplan, he stresses that people need to give it a try first. Every sport is hard at the start. People have this misconception that you have to be fast in order to be on the team, which is completely false according to Kaplan.

He had a kid start out with a nine minute mile that eventually lead to him breaking a five minute mile by senior year. By stringing daily efforts, he helps each individual achieve their full potential.

According to Kaplan, cross country is the most rewarding; in the end, all the miles in the intense heat to the bitter winters through the snow has a reward.

The highest reward is when you see the improvements you are making.

It’s important to reflect on how much coaches sacrifice for their players. Kaplan is a prime example of a coach who puts a lot of sacrifice and commitment for the benefit of the cross country program as a whole.

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HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 51

Sports Cross Country

A leader in the making

B

By Brooke Hamann Beads of condensed sweat formed around her hairline as she prepared herself for the race. Hair tied back effortlessly, bumps at the base, concealed by the volume of her hair. The smell of humid rain fills the air as she begins the slow tread to the starting line; her anxiety finally exposed in the form of sweat as the boxes lined at the start come into view.

Senior Nikki Higgens takes her place at the start of all the such dreaded course: Veterans Acres. She remains relieved at the thought of her never running the course again, yet fearful, anxiety through the roof knowing the first meet of the year is about to begin. Looking straight at the tree, her target, her beginning, Higgens steps up to the line. This, is where her triumphs begin, it’s go time.

Nicolette Higgens began running cross country in sixth grade at Heineman Middle School, but her introduction to cross country was unlike any other. It was as though it called to her; it was her new beginning.

“We actually went to my sisters open house, I think she was in 4th grade, and I saw two of my old gym teachers there, Mr. Labarr and Mr. Nordeen,” Higgens said.

“So we walked past Mr. Nordeen and he was like, ‘You’re doing cross country right?’ and I was like, ‘What’s that?’. So, I don’t even remember how it happened. I just signed up and started on the first day.”

Although Higgens may not be classified as the most successful and state-worthy athlete, she proves to be a successful member of the team by putting in the effort in order to see the positive results she wishes for.

“You have to put in the effort and the coaches say that all the time and everybody including my myself sometimes is like, ‘yeah, yeah whatever,’ but the effort is a huge part because if you don’t put that in your just not gonna see results,” Higgens said.

Jason Monson, the JV coach for Huntley, has coached Higgens for the four years she’s been playing for us.

52 THE VOICE OCTOBER 11 2019

“I think some of our girls look to Nikki as a model for perseverance, being able to stick with something even when you’re not at the top of the list of star athletes,” Monson said. “A lot of kids quit when they don’t see the success that they have or they don’t feel like their a part of the elite running group and I think our girls and boys can look to Nikki as, ‘hey, here’s somebody whos putting the ax to the grind and working hard and does a really good job with that.’”

Not only has Higgens showed exemplary leadership qualities but also emphasizes the idea of inclusivity between the upper and lower classmen allowing for the team to display more of a family-like nature.

“I feel like everyone on the team, it sounds kinda cheesy but, is a family more than anything,” Higgens said.

Being shy in her youth, Higgens feels obligated to be a leader and of assistance to the underclassmen.

“I try to lead the stretches and I try to do what I can to help the underclassmen,” Higgens said.

Despite the desperate time commitment that goes along with the sport, her parents are behind her in the love she devotes to it.

“I’m so fortunate that they come to all of my races and sometimes when my sister has a doctors appointment or some-

thing, like my dad will take her, but there’s always one of my parents there. They’ve always supported me no matter what.

So I think they contribute a lot to how I perform,” Higgens said.

Although Higgens classifies as more of an extrovert, there was a point in her life where being shy was all she knew.

“Like I said, I was kinda going into it blind, I didn’t really know what to expect,” Higgens said.

This experience could be said to have been her breaking point, what she needed to break-through her shy state and portray the leader hidden within.

Nikki proves to be one of Huntley High School’s extraordinary athletes as she portrays an exceptional example of a leader with perseverance who wishes to inspire those with the desire to join a sport or even to push themselves past their comfort zone.

“I would tell them [runners] that the work is definitely more but you have to put in the effort to see your outcome…

When it comes to being shy, it’s so hard but you just kinda gotta put yourself out there,” Higgens said. “Like I said, I’ve grown so much as a person. I was so shy my freshman year on the team and now I’d probably say I’m one of the more vocal kids on the team. Definitely branch out, whether that’s just one person or its a few, just start there.”

S. Vanegas Senior Nikki Higgens leads warm ups and prepares for run

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Another issue in “2K20” is that there are a lot of bugs and glitches that can ruin your experience playing. The game can sometimes freeze up, which is a short term problem easily fixed by restarting your console.

Other issues, especially those involving your MyCareer player, are not as easy of a fix, and could require you to restart your career and lose all your progress and VC you have spent in your career so far.

Overall, “NBA 2K20” has a lot of new features, including more enhanced gameplay and the current updated rosters. While the game still does have its downsides, such as crashing servers and glitches, it still has enough improvements and enhancements from last years installment “NBA 2K19” that make it a game worth buying.

The addition of the WNBA and the new MyCareer story definitely helps you get past the errors in the game, making it extremely enjoyable and fun to play.

RAIDER page 25 wouldn’t be as amazing if it weren’t for the students that make up the section.

“I’m honestly just appreciative that I got this opportunity to lead the student section. I’m not saying I’m perfect at it but I really do enjoy doing it. If it weren’t for all the kids who came to the games there would be no Raider Nation leaders,” Galante said.

Follow Raider Nation to stay updated on what’s going on!

Twitter: @RaiderNationHHS Instagram: @hhsraidernation Snapchat: @hhsraidernation HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 53

Sports Golf

All fore the best Senior Katie Matusik stands out as a member of the girls varsity golf team

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By Sydney Novak Rain from the night before left the course soaked. Water within the sandtraps and mud underneath her shoes. Senior Katie Matusik was wearing a black skirt, burgundy mesh polo with the Red Raiders logo, and grey shoes. The audience was watching within the tree lines out of sight. She took a practice swing once, then contact she made with the ball was, it was smooth,controlled, and powerful.

Since freshman year Matusik has been on the varsity golf team. She was the seventh spot on varsity her freshman year, which is the last position on the team. Later on within the years she was second out of seventh. Junior and senior year she evolved into being first position for two years.

“There is a lot more to golf than people think,” Matusik said. “It is a lot harder because it’s a mental sport.” She prevailed over the years and became the player she is today.

Matusik started playing when she was 4 years old; she started competing when she was 14. Her parents encouraged her and all of her siblings to play.

Her parents did not start playing golf until they were in their 20s and they wanted her and her siblings to have a game they could play for the rest of their lives.

Her best round of golf was last year when she shot a 73 (18 holes) at a match for the Illinois Junior Golf League at Redtail Golf Course July 11.

“It was the best overall score and just a great round in general, and everything finally came together,” Matusik said.

Her score did not just happen overnight. There was a lot of preparation and hard work behind it. Matusik has a swing coach who helps her to perfect her swing. He also helps her rotate her 54 THE VOICE OCTOBER 11 2019

S. Laput Senior Katie Matusik watches her shot go down the fairway

hands in the right space and her speed set. She is also involved with Amateur Athletic Union, which is in Downers Grove and works with her swing coach.

On Sept. 17 at the Boone Creek Tournament, Matusik shot a 48 which is not her best. Huntley was playing against Jacobs which is the main competition within the conference.

Matusik reflected later that night and started to think positive thoughts and what needed to be improved. Bourne Creek tournament came around the next day and they won first place.

Since Katie started playing golf for the high school freshman year. She began playing with her sister Maggie.

They were both on the varsity team and Maggie helped Katie throughout her first season. Whenever Katie would get upset about a shot, her sister would just ignore it; she gave Katie the time to work through it herself.

Because her sister is no longer on the

team, Matusik gained a new partner.

Junior Nina Shaffer. They play together during matches, working together and giving each other advice and pushing each other to be the best they can be.

“She’s a very supportive teammate and always helps me with my shot and keeps me positive,” Shaffer said.

“Even though the competition seems to be dying out we still need to improve and continue to work,” Matusik said. She wants the team to motivate each other and continue to improve their overall scores to make the team better.

Senior night at Pinecrest celebrating the seniors having that night together. against Hampshire. was one of the last farewell to all of the seniors. )??)

Knowing it would be the last time they would all be together in that moment.

The air started to become cool with the wind blowing in the trees. The sun was beginning to set. At the end of

Editorial

Make parking lot cameras a top priority

T

The night of Sept.13, Senior Grace Carpenter walked to her car during halftime of the Huntley v. Prairie Ridge football game. Worried about the ACT she was taking the next morning, Carpenter was already full of anxiety.

As she stepped closer to her car she could tell something was wrong.

She noticed that the entire passenger side of her white Volkswagen Jetta was caved in; someone had hit her car and left.

The accident that ended up costing Carpenter $1,500 was completely caught on video by the school security cameras.

Despite being within the frame of the camera, the license plate was illegible due to the video’s poor quality.

“After the accident, I filed a report with the Huntley Police Department,” Carpenter said. “I went to Officer Gregorio’s office on Monday to look at the tapes. I saw the car that hit me, but we couldn’t figure out the license plate. After that I called the Huntley Police Department because the tapes were sent to them. Nothing happened.”

Carpenter is not the only driver at Huntley High School to fall victim to the low quality security footage.

Senior Ryan Crosby left school one day and, when he got to his car, noticed a small scratch.

Thinking it was minor, he drove home. There he found more scratches and a large dent in the back bumper. The following day Crosby contacted Dean of Students Dan Farlik to report the incident. Farlik then took the necessary next step and checked the security footage.

“The cameras couldn’t see from a distance and the video showed the occurrence being blurry,” Crosby said.

The driver that struck Crosby’s car was not identified, leaving Crosby to pay almost $1,000 in damages on his own.

These are just two examples of student accidents that were caught on camera but left unsolved.

“Our involvement is that if we have camera access and can see it, we will pull a tape if people need it for court cases and that kind of stuff, but it doesn’t happen very often,” Assistant Principal Tom Kempf said. “Unfortunately, our cameras are kind of far away and our views aren’t ideal, so we don’t often get enough detail to even help.”

Accidents in the parking lot have always been common, but as more students are able to get away with it, fewer students are motivated to report the mistakes they make. The student body is aware of the unlikelihood of getting caught when hitting an empty car.

The victims of these crashes can file an incident report, reach out to insurance, talk to the deans and Student Resource Officer Ryan Gregorio, but it all could come down to the ability of the security cameras to identify the perpetrator.

“We have distant views of [the new lot],” Associate Principal of Operations Thomas Kempf said. “I would say that is one of the areas that is with the least amount of detailed coverage. We can see the big picture things, like the cars that are in and out, but I could not get a license plate. It’s just big picture.”

With the similarity of modern cars, the driver in this scenario would not be identified and the victim, much like Carpenter and Crosby, would be left to pay for the damages done to their own car.

Administration is aware of and recognizes that the lack of efficient security footage in the parking lot is an issue, now the question is: what is the administration doing to solve this problem and ensure student safety?

“We need some advancements in our exterior cameras. Adam Dean, the chief security officer at the district is working on trying to get us more cameras out there,” Gregorio said. “It comes down to budget.”

That’s the one thing that is holding any camera improvements back: money.

“With unlimited budgets it would be great to have two or three people that are always out there patrolling cars on carts,” Kempf said. “With unlimited budgets it would be great to have a camera at every pole and every corner where you could see that kind of stuff. It’s unrealistic, cost wise. That could be millions of dollars and that would obviously not sit very well with the taxpayers.”

According to Principal Marcus Belin, as construction on the East Wing of the school progresses, he and other administrators have discussed new camera locations. But again, budgetary barriers are present.

“It’s expensive to get the type of cameras that we want,” Belin said. “You’re looking at more of a higher end, more of a 180 view to be able to see a wide range, but also those that you can zoom in pretty far.”

Not only will the physical cameras cost a lot, but the networking would also contribute to the cost.

“The problem is our cameras are all networked,” Kempf said.

“They’re plugged into an internet cable at every point, but we obviously don’t have that in the parking lot. People have said ‘let’s put them on the poles,’ and that might work to get them power, but now we’re hoping maybe our Wi-Fi broadcast would be far enough.”

We repeatedly tried to talk to Adam Dean, District 158’s chief security officer, about the security cameras, but in an email he told us that he “[would] not be able to be interviewed at this time.”

Despite the budgetary difficulties, we at The Voice hope that improving parking lot security cameras is the administration’s top priority. The discussion of new cameras needs to move from a conversation into action. Improving the cameras in the parking lot would result in students driving more cautiously, reporting accidents immediately, and holding them accountable for their actions.

Thus far, parking lot accidents have only resulted in minor injuries and some costly damage. We can only hope that things don’t get worse before they get better.

So administrators, please make student safety the top priority and fix the cameras before it’s too late.

HUNTLEYVOICE.COM 55

One last

voice

Jamie Kruse PE Teacher Bold Fighter against Multiple Sclerosis Passionate Educator Name someone in your life who is significant. How have you learned and grown from them?

Selma Blair. She was in a lot of movies from back in my day. I have multiple sclerosis and she has MS too. Of course, there are other celebrities that have it too, but Selma has been very public about it. She shares a lot about how it affects her and how it’s different for everyone. I’ve learned so much from her courage and how she chooses to be up-front about her illness.

What motivates you to work hard?

The outcomes. It all depends on the situation, but I like getting something out of it.

I like the feeling of accomplishment. Even with relating to P.E., I know that I’m not necessarily the most physically fit person, but when I started lifting weights I went from using the smallest weight to eventually being able to increase the amount to what I use now. I really enjoy being able to see what I can improve on. And then I feel amazing once I do.

Do you live by any specific piece of advice?

When you feel frustrated or upset by a person or situation, remember that your reactions are not the truth about the person or situation. They are just your feelings about them, but all you have to do is change your perception and you are free. Everybody has bad days, I absolutely understand that. But the next day is a new day, so I try not to be upset. Some things hurt a lot more than others, but you have to try to see the other side of it.