Volume 17, issue 7

voice

May 2, 2014

the

Volume 17, Issue 7

Daurer Dives In

“A Haunted House 2� proves to be a giant flop

(14)

Counselor Angie Daurer explores the deep

(2)

A&E

Opinion Does high school prepare students for real life? (7)

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May 2, 2014 Community

Daurer dives in

Counselor Angie Daurer’s journey from small-town girl to globe-trotting scuba diver

By Holly Baldacci

I

Editor-in-Chief

t’s May, and despite the spring weather, the water is freezing. In the murky depths, visibility is only about five feet, and all Angie Daurer can see ahead of her is the cloudy blur of lake water. Later, when she emerges from this arctic lake in South Beloit, she’ll have earned her scuba diving certification. The dark bruises from bending her elbows in a thick, 10 millimeter wetsuit meant to keep out the cold are proof of this. After classroom learning, pool practice dives, and this lake experience, she was ready to take on a whole new level of diving.

This would be her first and only dive into a lake. From that point on, she would utilize her new certification from Crystal Lake’s Sea Level Diving course to explore the wonders of tropical diving.

Rewind to Daurer’s childhood, however, and you’d find a small-town girl originally unsure if she would even go to college, let alone become a certified scuba diver.

Daurer grew up in Batavia, and spent her teenage years as a proud Batavia Bulldogs fan at Batavia High School.

“I had a great experience in high school; I loved it,” said Daurer. “We used to go to every single football game, home and away.

There was a pep bus, we’d pay our dollar and ride the pep bus to the away football games, and we’d go to the away basketball games and had a great time.”

In addition to supporting her school in the Raider Nation-esque “Dog Pound,” Daurer herself was an athlete, and played basketball and softball. Her most influential activity, though, was getting involved in Operation Snowball.

“It’s drug and alcohol prevention and leadership training,” said Daurer. “It may have been one of those life-changing organizations where I was, my freshman year, kind of getting into some trouble, and then my counselor actually told me, ‘Hey, there’s this camp, and it’s free, and I’d like to nominate you to go.’”

For the Operation Snowball camp, Daurer headed out to Lorado Taft Field Campus in Oregon, Ill., where she met a variety of funny and interesting people, and where drugs and alcohol were nonexistent. After returning from the camp, she migrated to a new group of friends who would change her life forever.

“Honestly, I believe that by getting involved with Snowball and changing my group of friends in high school… They all had parents who had been to college, and so it kind of became the expectation that I would go to college. I think that if I had left it up to just my family, I’m not sure I would have made it there,” said Daurer.

Daurer explored colleges in the area by tagging along with her friends on their visits, and tackled the college application process all on her own. Since email was nonexistent and owning a computer was rare, the entire application process was done on paper.

Daurer would head to the guidance counselor’s office at her school and sift through

drawers and drawers of scholarship applications, selecting any that she might vaguely qualify for. At home, she’d spread the plethora of papers out on her dining table, and then slowly type out each and every essay on her electric typewriter.

Though her dream school was Illinois Wesleyan University, the cost was too much, and Daurer ended up deciding on Northern Illinois University, where she was awarded a full tuition scholarship for her freshman year. She also managed to cover the cost of her room and board with several additional smaller scholarships.

Once her college destination was set, Daurer decided that she wanted to pursue a career in special education. Just for the fun of it, she also decided to take a sign language class, and was surprised to find out that signing came easy to her. At the urging of her sign language teacher, she decided to go into deaf education.

Daurer graduated with a bachelor’s degree in special education with an emphasis on deaf education, and taught mostly second and third grade deaf students for almost 15 years.

“My classroom was kind of a small classroom, and I would only have somewhere between four and twelve kids in my class at once, and taught reading, science, math, everything, had recess duty and bus duty, and all that stuff,” said Daurer.

One December, however, Daurer was looking at her class list for the next school year and found out that she wouldn’t have any students to teach- there weren’t any deaf students registered for that year. Panic

set in as she realized she would be out of a job.

Her frazzled mind immediately leapt to becoming a nurse, but thanks to some calming and rational advice from her husband, she decided to stick with a career in education. At the urging of a friend, she looked into taking on an administrative role, but decided she didn’t want a career with that much conflict. After looking into NIU’s counseling program, she decided that it was a perfect fit for her.

“I was like, ‘That’s it, that’s what I want to do.’ The classes sounded so interesting to me,” said Daurer. “This is where I should have been years ago. I loved teaching, but I believe I’m a much better counselor. I think that it was where I was meant to be.”

Now, Daurer spends her busy school days making arrangements for upcoming AP testing, making schedule changes, and meeting with students and parents. Despite her full workload, she always wishes she could do more, like meet with each and every one of her juniors before the ACT to discuss what colleges they should send their scores to. According to Daurer, next year’s increased number of counselors and smaller caseloads may allow her to achieve that goal.

Despite her busy schedule, Daurer still finds time to spend with her family. Her son Jack is currently a freshman in the Genoa school system, and she spends many afternoons watching his baseball games.

She’s been married to her husband Jeff since 1992, and the family also has a puppy named Casey.

It is physically impossible for pigs to look up into the sky.

Daurer met Jeff at NIU, where they both happened to be resident assistants in Grant Towers. They started talking in August of 1990, were engaged the next June, and married the following May. Both lived in dorms their undergraduate four years, then for two more years as Jeff worked on his graduate degree, and then for even longer after Jeff was hired as a full time hall director for a set of the residence halls. In all, Daurer and her husband lived in the residence halls at NIU for 11 years. Since the couple didn’t have to pay room and board, they found that they had extra income to embark on their own adventures.

After graduating, some of their friends invited them to go on a trip to Hawaii. Since their friends would be scuba diving and Daurer and her husband were strong swimmers (she’d been a lifeguard in high school), they decided to get diving certified as well.

That was the trip that started it all.

Daurer and her family have since ventured to a variety of locales including St. Thomas, Mexico, Belize, Cozumel, and Little Cayman. Jack got his scuba diving certification through Boy Scouts, and had a passport by age 11, so the family often spends time together exploring the world beneath the waves.

“I love it because it is so colorful and peaceful,” said Daurer. “The first time we ever went diving, I put my mask on and I put my face in the water and I was like, ‘It’s a fish tank!’ There’s blue and orange and yellow and all of these cool fish right there in knee-deep water.”

Daurer’s favorite trip was when they went

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May 2, 2014 Community to Little Cayman, where sloping white sand beaches lead the way to an underwater flurry of excitement, which makes for amazing diving. Turtles, reef sharks, eels, and colorful fish are everywhere. However, with the beauty comes an element of danger. Where Daurer dove, the sand quickly gave way to a 6,000 foot deep drop-off. Common sense and constant awareness are key for a successful dive.

When Daurer isn’t with her family, she also loves to spend time with her work friends.

“I think that for me, one of the best things is that I have been so, so fortunate that in every place I have worked, I have loved the people that I’ve worked with,” said Daurer.

From running marathons with fellow Huntley staff to Wisconsin weekend trips with her former deaf education colleagues, Daurer loves spending time with her strong, supportive friend group. Even at lunchtime, Daurer has a policy to avoid talking about work with her coworkers and instead focuses on what they’ve been up to. She values her connections with others, and believes it’s important and rewarding to not only have a job you can love, but an entire support group as well.

“I treasure my husband and my son, and I think that I am who I am because of my friends, because of my friends from high

school who got me into college, my friends from college who made me become the kind of friend that I am now, and then my friends from work who I still see to this day,” said Daurer.

That person so molded by personal connections values the success of all students, not just high achievers. Some of Daurer’s proudest moments as a counselor have been when students who were close to giving up told her that her advice was the only reason they graduated. Every student that receives their diploma on graduation day has come full circle.

“I love seeing everyone, where everyone is going to end up and what they’re going to do and become contributing members of society in whatever capacity they’re going to do that.”

Photos courtesy of A. Daurer

From the tropics to the Arctic Senior Mackenzie Vossen moves to Huntley from the tropical island of Oahu

By Jackie Polit

T

Staff Writer

he air is crisp and clean, not a cloud can be seen and the sun shines. A light frost dusts the growing grass. Small puffs of breath hover over the students waiting for their rides home. Despite the chilly spring atmosphere, kids are dressed in light sweaters, even shorts. Most kids, except the particularly tall senior with hair that sweeps upwards and a face splashed with light freckles: Mackenzie Vossen huddles in a thick warm jacket and jeans.

“In Hawaii it was always sunny and warm,” said Vossen. “The cold is torture here.”

Vossen shivers as he recalls the tropical weather of his homeland, the island of Oahu, located northeast off the mainland of Hawaii. He clasps his hands together not only for warmth, but also at the amazement of how Huntley, Illinois contrasts so greatly with the bright island of Oahu. One vast difference is the education. Vossen moved in with his aunt and uncle in the summer of 2012. He had hoped to find a better education because his previous school was not the best. He was in luck.

“Huntley is so much more challenging than my old school,” said Vossen. “It has a great system and the education is rigorous.”

Vossen’s old school was not accelerated enough except, perhaps, the language courses. In Hawaii, elementary students are taught to read, write, and speak the Hawaiian language and may choose to continue after elementary. Vossen did not continue for middle or high school and took summer classes instead.

Moving to a new school not only meant different courses but different people as well. Huntley does not have many people, though. According to Vossen, the population is much smaller here compared to Oahu’s. His home was a developing community with people constantly moving in.

The biggest shock for Vossen, though, when seeing Huntley’s people, was seeing so many caucasians. He grew up surrounded

by Hawaiians, Filipinos, Japanese, Samoan, Portuguese, and Vietnamese people.

“The diversity of the school was really surprising, along with the attitude,” said Vossen. “People are so rude here. Hawaii is much friendlier. You would be greeted with a handshake or a kiss on the cheek.”

With so many changes it was a wonder Vossen was able to cope. Upon arrival he had no friends and was bitter, keeping mostly to himself. He often read and studied hard on schoolwork, ignoring most school activities and socializing. As time progressed he opened up, joined a club here, attended a pep rally there. He eventually gained confidence in making friends and balancing school work. With so much going on he had much more to tell his mother, who calls him almost every day.

“I keep in contact with my family,” said Vossen. “My father, mother, and older brother visit us here for the winter holidays and I travel to Hawaii during the summer.”

Vossen wraps his arms around himself in an attempt to block out the breeze. He sighs as the wind brushes his face and creeps down his neck. Despite the extreme weather, harsh citizens, and demanding education, he would not trade it.

A shrimp’s heart is in its head.

(M. Urban)

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May 2, 2014 Community

Science Olympiad state glory Huntley competes at the state competition for the first time in four years

By Kevin Klar

A

Staff Writer

s the Huntley High School Science Olympiad team shuffles to prep for departure, they share light chuckles among each other, as bags upon bags of knick-knacks and assorted snacks are brought upon the bus and plopped in piles. With a perfect daytime breeze, they lift catapults and heavy boxes, stacks of paper, and even printers; they stay calm, always smiling and ready to face their challenge.

The challenge: the team’s first trip to state in four years.

With blankets and pillows at hand for the three hour ride and friends side by side, the bus rumbles and the team is off. Every bump and rumble of the bus signals a closer step to their destination, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, with its scattered buildings and array of shops and restaurants, everyone is star-struck by the monster campus before them.

“All right, you guys get two hours to explore, be back on time,” said Allison Larson, one of the team’s three coaches.

Like children in a candy shop, everyone scattered and vanished into the vast college grounds, curiously exploring the numerous and interesting features the college had in store. From tightrope walkers and acrobats to martial artists and drummer circles, the whole place was nothing short of a circus.

But Huntley was not the only team on the campus; 47 other schools, some new and others old, were enjoying the warm sun and

creamy blue sky.

“For once, people are actually afraid of Huntley,” said senior Jordan Francisco.

While opening and closing countless pages on his laptop, he filed different kinds of rocks and metals for his event. This is the norm for many competitors, choosing a topic that could range from astronomy, physics, compound machines, entomology, as well as studying vigorously for a test that could ask anything.

Some competitors did not even sleep the night before, spending hours on end in their hotel rooms, tirelessly tinkering and perfecting their machines with victory being their only thought, but that is what makes Science Olympiad so worthwhile to some.

The teamwork is vital in succeeding and making the success so much sweeter.

As the competition approaches, the day is still unclouded, and the breeze still calm.

The team prepares to find their homeroom for the competition. Most would expect a nice little classroom; however, what was given to the group was a questionable, rundown, under-construction building, with an umbrella holding up the only window in the hot little room with gum-stuck desks scattered everywhere.

One by one, the teams leave their rooms.

All the hours and nights spent working and studying are on the line. The old bell on

(K. Klar)

campus rings, signaling each passing hour, each competition for the teams as they finish up. Tired and hungry, everyone slowly assembles. But just as fast as they returned, everyone is gone once again, some celebrating with ice cream, others exploring the grounds further.

Over. It is all over and the stress is gone, until the final awards are given and the winners are decided.

But as the day passes, the anticipated moment approaches. The time for awards is now. A huge theatre housed all the competitors, all hours, all the stress, and all the wide, eager eyes ready for victory.

For every award a team would scream in joy, but Huntley remained silent for the

first four award sections, still hoping for their chance. Then it happened, for fourth place juniors Brian Gavilan and Brittany O’Connor were awarded for entomology, and the screams of Huntley echoed and covered the room in tremendous excitement. Again it happened when senior Hiam Hafizuddin and junior Sarah Schirmacher won fourth place for water quality, and again Huntley roared to life.

By the end of the night, the bumpy ride back was a quiet gift allowing everyone to finally rest after months of hard work.

Though only two medals were won, Huntley is ready for next year.

Thank you, Huntley High H ave you ever had a dream? Sure, everyone did. I am not an exception. I have got a chance to become an exchange student and my life has totally turned upside down.

I have been living in the U.S. for 10 months, full of completely new things for me: family, culture, food, activities.

But when someone asks me what is the best part of my experience here I always proudly say: Huntley High School.

I remember my very first days, when the school year had just begun. I felt like a tourist with a huge map, walking in the

hallways, looking for the classes, like in a tangled maze. Moreover, I had to rush and run, because the passing periods are only five minutes long, instead of the usual 15 back home.

The music playing as a two minute reminder?

Why not?

American school was pleasantly shocking me... The locker was a huge problem, too. It took me a couple weeks before I stopped asking everyone to help me to open it. (Probably all girls in my gym class knew my combination). The biggest challenge was my homework. Before I even did it, I had to translate each sentence in order

to understand what teacher wanted from me...

But the time was flying, things were getting easier and everything around got to seem like it was always a part of my life. HHS is not just a school for me, it is my second home, where I met unbelievable people always ready to help and support.

First of all, I want to say thank you to the principal, counselor, and administration of this school who agreed to host an exchange student and did all possible for me to get education here. Thanks to all my teachers, from whom I have learned incredibly interesting and important things this year. Also it was a big pleasure to be a part of Orchesis club and to be able to perform a dancing show on a stage, even though I have never danced before. I am grateful to all students, who never let me give up, suggested help and always believed in me.

My American adventure is going to be finished in a week. My plane will take off and I am going to be back in Ukraine again.

But a huge piece of my heart I left here, in the best school of the United States, Huntley High School, which I will never forget.

If you sneeze too hard, you can fracture a rib.

Photos courtesy of A. Devyatko

~Anna Devyatko

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May 2, 2014

the

voice

Editor in Chief..........Holly Baldacci Content Editor....Kyle Sommerfield Design Editor...........Kierra Renwick Community Editor....Megan Wilson Opinion Editor.....Angelica Cataldo Entertainment Editor...Kat Gorospe

Sports Editor.........Adam Reckamp Photo Editor............Katie Gallegos Business Manager....Tamara Funke Staff...... Rachel Brands, Trisha Fritz, Mawa Iqbal, Kevin Klar, Shravan Panchal, Jaclyn Polit, Danielle Rivera, Kanchan Sachchidanand, Chris Sawalski, Cullen Walsh, Jenny Bednarczyk, Alvin Wong, Menley Urban, Emily Vitacco

Adviser..................Dennis Brown

T

he HHS Media Editorial Policy pertains to all HHS media, including the newspaper, The Voice; the yearbook, Chieftain; and the website, huntleyvoice.com. The full editorial policy is available on huntleyvoice.com.

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

Advisers may – and should coach and discuss content – during the writing process.

Because school officials do not engage in prior review, and the content of HHS Media is determined by and reflects only the views of the student staff and not school officials or the school itself; its student editorial board and responsible student staff members assume complete legal and financial liability for the content of the publication.

Editorial

The future of education

Huntley High School appears to be breaking academic barriers with the implementation of blended classes.

And with the new reliance on technology in the district’s lower grade levels, it appears that Huntley’s new brand of education will continue to change.

While this is a sign that future generations will have an advanced education, it is also a cause for concern.

Across the country, schools are adopting new policies that attempt to take advantage of the era of technology.

The success of these policies relies on the infrastructure behind them.

Without the necessary backbone, a technology-based curriculum provides little value to the students it is meant to help.

Perhaps the most essential component of a student’s education is the presence of a teacher or some other supervisor. This is why the blended program has the potential to be successful. It offers more freedom to students while still allowing them to spend time with their teachers.

However, should classes become completely online someday, the lack of an authoritative figure could become an obstacle to students receiving a proper education. Many students would be capable of facing this challenge, but unfortunately, many students would take these classes and not be able to handle themselves without a teacher.

With this issue, it will be imperative that schools offer a variety of classes to accommodate for the different ways students learn. That means offering traditional classes, blended classes, and online classes.

All fun facts courtesy of bootstrike.com.

“I think that everyone should be given the opportunity to have blended or online, but I don’t think it should be forced,” said senior Katie Zornow.

“Personally, [traditional school] is how I learn best, so I think people still should definitely have that option instead of having to be forced into a system that doesn’t work well for them.”

In addition to a variety of class choices, schools need to focus on the applications of the subjects they teach more than they do now.

Right now, students rationalize a lack of interest in education by claiming that what they are learning will not apply to their careers. If schools begin adding classes that specifically focus on real-world skills or even if teachers explain why the class important, students will have a better understanding of why they need school.

But one of the most important aspects of the education of the future will be the ability to take classes that pertain to what the student is interested in. Right now, students are often required to take classes that they don’t actually need.

Maximizing the amount of classes that actually help prepare students for careers will only better prepare people for the workforce. A student aspiring to be a doctor will only benefit from taking more science classes and fewer English classes.

While the future of education remains uncertain, it appears that Huntley is on the right track. Blended classes are a nice change of pace and new classes allow students to prepare for the real world. Only time will tell if that trend will continue.

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May 2, 2014 Opinion

Ready or not, here we come

Is high school really preparing its students for the future?

By Trisha Fritz

Staff Writer

A

cademics- great, just what you wanted to read about, right? Some kids like going to school, others, not so much. But each of us wakes up every morning at early hours of the day to take on the same schedule.

Much of schooling revolves around this eight-hour day of mathematics, science, history and English. Honestly, I think this school system falls short of what we all actually need.

I am not saying that we should not learn how to read, write, do equations, or other valuable skills, but too often the focus of curriculum is just on content, and not about how it can relate to our lives. More so, only 14 percent of students say that high school will actually help them in the real world compared to the 84 percent who think school does not help us at all.

Supposedly getting an education increases your options in the future, but I think it does the exact opposite with the limited number of subjects that you can study. We are stuck choosing whatever gets us into college instead of what can actually benefit us in the future.

Many times we are caught up in a stuffy room listening to long lectures or taking notes. All of this is simply for memorization, and then later forgotten after a test or homework assignment. Actually, according

to Scientific American it can take as little as a month for your brain to replace old curriculum that is no longer in use.

“In high school, they say we have more freedom, but they still hold your hand and guide you. Not many people in the real world will do that when it comes down to it, like getting a job or buying a house,” says freshman Julia Kourkoumelis.

Could you imagine if school taught us helpful life skills? I do not know how to manage my banking, do taxes, or maintain a household, but I am picking colleges next year and figuring out what career I want to pursue the rest of my life at the age of 17, so that’s pretty cool.

Yet, I still do not know how to change a tire, or even check the oil for that matter. I do not even know how to be a good parent and raise a family that will one day help build the economy.

Good thing I spent years in the classroom learning about how rocks are formed and the slope of a triangle, though, right?

Many professions do not even use this information, unless of course you want to become a teacher or a geologist, then good for you. If you don’t, you have just wasted years on something that you could have replaced with classes that actually teach you to be self-reliant and timely.

“I feel like students are relying on a lot of the safety nets we put in place (remediation among them) instead of just preparing as they should,” said teacher Amanda Robles.

C. Walsh

“People put more value in consistent hard work than our current grading system values.”

This is exactly what the main problem is. At this point in high school we are so excited to move on to bigger things like college and careers, but we are allowed to rely so much on remediation. It is great that they give us the opportunity and all, but we will not have this to fall back on later in life.

I think many of us have the same ques-

tion: “How are these courses relevant to my life?” This is what really needs to be fixed.

Fewer and fewer students are buying into spending years in a specific study. There needs to be a much better system in helping students identify their passions in life because it is a shame that people leaving high school have no near idea what they might want to pursue or how to pursue it.

Talking about my generation What has our generation come to and where are we headed?

By Mawa Iqbal

Staff Writer

“I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots.” I now have reason to believe that Albert Einstein had the power to predict the future. And it turns out that I’m not the only one that thinks Einstein was talking about our generation.

I watched “Wall-E” when I was 11 years old, and I remember being more interested in how adorable Wall-E and Eva’s relationship was, missing the entire point of the movie. I later realized that it is possible that our generation may become too lazy to clean up our trash and we’ll eventually be forced to live in a giant spaceship, floating around in the universe.

It may sound far-fetched, but I’ve been noticing more kids playing Temple Run on their parent’s iPhones rather than running around outside with the other neighborhood kids. According to the CEO of HeartMath, Sara Childre, children and teens between ages eight and 18 spend an average of seven hours and 38 minutes daily playing video games, going online, and watching TV. So what do you do on the internet for seven hours? With all of the social media

sites that have been popping up recently, it is easy to get sucked into the randomly strange, mind-numbing, never ending vortex known as the Internet; it’s almost like you’re in your own little world.

“Students live in a ‘me’ world in regards to education, materialistic things, and communication,” said English Honors teacher Rochelle Hewlett. “My fear is what kind of an impact that will have in the future.”

Being in your own little la la land feels nice for a little while, but it seems as if some teenagers can’t tell the difference between fiction and reality. And it can be scary, especially if you think about all of the mass shootings that have taken place recently.

And it seems as if the shooters are all the same age. Teenagers to young adults, or the youth of our generation. The man behind the shooting at a movie in Colorado and the man behind the Sandy Hook shooting in Connecticut were 24 and 20 years old when they committed said crimes.

According to CBS News correspondent Bob Orr, law enforcement reportedly discovered a “trove” of violent video games from the Sandy Hook shooter’s basement, where he would spend hours alone, playing

with windows blacked out, honing his computer shooting skills.

Now I’m not saying that every teenage boy that plays violent video games will go around shooting people after having a bad day. Obviously, if you’re alone in a dark basement for 16-22 hours a day without any contact from the outside world then we may have a slight problem.

So what happens after the parents finally get their kids and/or teens to go outside?

They bring the technology with them, basically doing the exact same thing that they were doing inside but in a more “outdoorsy” surrounding.

“There’s too much technology,” said freshman Morgan O’Connor. “People don’t know how to communicate and have fun outside of their house.”

I’m pretty sure that by now we’ve all seen it before, the lack of communication even between people who are really close to each other. Whether it be a long-time couple on an intimate date or just two best friends sitting on a long bus ride, they’d rather beat their Flappy Bird high scores or check their Twitter feeds than actually spend time with each other, and it’s been happening a lot

more recently. “[There’s] a lack of personal communication,” said freshman Matt Gsell.

“Electronics have become too much of people’s lives,” said sophomore Tori Padal.

But there’s some good in technology too, I guess it just depends on how people use it.

Because of this generation’s technological advances, the children of today are smarter and have an easier access to a wider variety of information than the children of 20 years ago.

“The youth is very intelligent, very smart, and well educated,” said girls track and field coach Brad Gallaugher. “I still think your generation is spoon-fed though.”

He does have a good point on that one.

We are so used to having everything we need right at our fingertips with total accessibility. Sometimes it’s as if we are entitled to things without having to earn them.

So where is our generation really headed?

Are we all just going to end up in a giant spacecraft because we’re too fat and lazy to take care of our planet, or will we have a medical breakthrough to find the cure for cancer and HIV/AIDS? I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

Wearing headphones for just an hour will increase the bacteria in your ear by 700 times.

8

May 2, 2014 Opinion

Slam the breaks on texting and driving

The dangers of driving while “intexticated” and why it needs to stop

By Sarah Henderson Staff Writer About two weeks ago, I was sitting at a stoplight at Algonquin Road, waiting for the light to turn green. I looked out my left window and noticed the woman in the car next to me rapidly texting. Her hands were not on the steering wheel, she was not paying attention to the stoplight, and she had two kids in the back seats. It seemed she was more worried about sending that text than she was about the safety of herself and her own children.

Imagine: you are in the car with a friend, and they are driving. You are on Main Street, headed to school. A phone buzzes and your friend instinctively grabs their phone anticipating the message. They unlock their phone and read the message, and glance up quickly to check for approaching cars. Using one hand, they reply to the message. You notice the car is starting to move into the opposite lane, a truck is approaching, and your friend is still looking at their phone.

What do you do?

It is certainly frightening to think that in modern society, people value the human social experience more than their lives and the lives of others.

With an increasing number of tragic car

accidents being reported this year, it seems important to address this matter and to talk about auto accident prevention.

Motor vehicle accidents can be caused by a variety of factors, for instance: car malfunction, weather, speeding, driving under the influence, and attention-grasping distractions. The most prevalent cause is the use of cell phones while driving.

According to the Association for Safe International Road Travel, 37,000 people die in car accidents each year, and 2.35 million are injured or disabled as a result. Of those numbers, over 1,600 children under 15 and nearly 8,000 16 to 20 year olds are killed in car accidents each year.

In 2011, 23 percent of auto collisions involved cell phones, coming to a total of 1.3 million accidents.

Texting while driving takes a driver’s attention off the road for a minimum of five seconds. If someone was driving at 55 miles per hour, they would drive the length of a football field without even glancing at the road.

Texting while driving makes an accident 23 times more likely to occur; even reaching for a device increases a person’s chances by 1.4.

The “texting phenomenon” affects drivers of all ages, but new and young adult drivers, ages 16 to 21 years old, are more likely to take the risk.

According to the infographic DWI (Driving While “Intexticated”), 82 percent of 16 to 17 year olds own a cell phone. That age group covers anyone from their sophomore to senior year in high school.

Thirty-four percent of 16 to 17 year olds that have cell phones have admitted to texting while driving. Imagine how much higher the percent would be if every driver were honest. It is guaranteed that many people reading this can consciously admit their guilt in this growing epidemic.

Eleven teen deaths occur every day as a result of texting and driving. That’s 11 families destroyed by loss, 11 fewer diplomas, and 11 fewer smiles. Human life is abruptly taken every day by one person’s decision to text and drive.

Texting and driving is not the only use of cell phones that distracts drivers from the road. In an online survey, one in five drivers admitted to surfing the web while driving.

The media attempts to influence teenagers’ invincibility mentality with raw and shocking images.

Everyone has seen the commercial showing the final text message sent that sacrificed a life. Even more so than ever, the media is pressing the idea into our minds that texting and driving kills.

Put down your phone, the tweet can wait.

Yet people continue to text and drive, telling themselves that it will never happen to them. The chances seem slim, and they have reassured themselves that they are a great driver and would never allow that to happen.

People who text while driving try to justify their actions, saying they only text at a stoplight or stop sign or hold their cell phones near the windshield, attempting to use their peripheral vision to guide them safely down the road. Others have even proposed that it is much safer to read a text than to send one.

Even reading a text message takes a driver’s eyes off the road, it does not matter how much time a driver is distracted. It only takes a second for a sudden change to occur and cause an accident.

If you remember one thing from this article, when you’re texting, you’re not driving.

Not one text is as valuable as your life.

1 in 5 drivers admit to surfing the web while driving 23 percent of all auto collisions involve cell phones

In every episode of “Seinfeld” there is a Superman somewhere.

hhs. new and growing clubs of hhs: ~fashion ~reptile ~radio ~anglophilia

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hhs. fashion club followers: 6 Samantha Trippi

we do a lot of DIY projects like shorts with lace on the

bottom and make-up brush holders. We also talk about the industry.

[i have] always been interested in fashion, and there was

nothing here, so I justed started this.

personally I’m into the soft grunge, hipster style, but the

other girls seem to dress more girly.

we are aiming to get at least 10 members by next year and

expand our activities.

reptile club Dakotah Henn

followers: 9

[our main focus is] to educate others on the care of

reptiles and amphibians, and how they live in the wild.

[my favorite part of being in the club is]

bringing in the numerous different reptiles every other week and teaching others about them.

i got into the subject of reptiles and amphibians because I

own a lot of them and it would be cool to share them with others.

radio club Emily Barron

followers: 10

[It is about] giving people an introduction to radio in

general. Everyone has a different role (tech, hosts, music, etc).

this is the third attempt at creating a radio club and this is the

only time that it actually worked.

right now we are taking baby steps. next year we are going to have an FM station.

anglophilia club

followers: 8

Charlotte Skala

well, I kept meeting a bunch fans of “Doctor Who” [and] “Sherlock.” I went to Duncan kept pushing for it.

so it’s just a group of like eight people and we meet every Tuesday to discuss things in our fandom.

really any fandom is welcome, but we mostly talk about

“Sherlock” and “Doctor Who.”

12

May 2, 2014 Advertisements

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Tea is said to have been discovered in 2737 BC by a Chinese emperor when some tea leaves accidentally blew into a pot of boiling water.

May 2, 2014 A&E

14

A horrifying failure

“A Haunted House 2” proves that scary parodies are not cut out for the big screen

By Kyle Sommerfield

T

Content Editor

he Wayans brothers captured lightning in a bottle when they came up with the idea for “Scary Movie.” It was new, it was edgy, and although it was really stupid, it was funny.

But when “Scary Movie 2” came out as a flop, it made sense for them to leave the franchise.

New directors and producers were quick to take up where the Wayans brothers left off and 14 years after the release of the original “Scary Movie,” new films continue to be released. And with each new release, the series’ off-brand comedy style feels more and more stale.

Now, Marlon Wayans has been away from the “Scary Movie” franchise for 13 years, but evidently hasn’t been able to come up with a new brand of comedy.

Wayans’ newest production, “A Haunted House 2,” was faced with atrocious critical reception after being released on April 18. And while many comedies are unfairly given low ratings, “A Haunted House 2” deserves it.

The film picks up after the events of “A Haunted House.” Malcolm Johnson (Wayans) moves into a house with his new girlfriend, Meagan (Jaime Pressly), and her two kids, Wyatt (Steele Stebbins) and Becky (Ashley Rickards). Although he has a bad feeling about the house, Megan talks him into giving it a chance. As Malcolm begins noticing strange occurrences, he is tormented by a clingy wooden doll, an invisible figure has a bad influence on Wyatt, and Becky carries around an obviously haunted box.

While upon first glance, the film is hilarious, it systematically repeats the same jokes and has little humor that actually makes the viewer think. Perhaps the most drawn-out and disturbing joke is Wayans’ romantic encounters with the doll Megan finds when moving into the house.

Most of the film’s humor is based on racial jokes, a majority of which are bland and unoriginal. This dynamic is most noticeable in Malcolm’s interactions with his Mexican neighbor, portrayed by stand-up comedian Gabriel Iglesias. The two repeatedly participate in conversations that consist solely of firing racial stereotypes back and forth.

But perhaps the worst part of the film is the awkward camera angles. In an attempt to mimic the filming style of the “Paranormal Activity” movies, the movie is shot as if the cameramen were using home cameras. It is incredibly painful to watch and takes away from the few good moments in the film.

As for the plot, it’s surprisingly put-together for a parody of horror movies. Typically, these films are just a string of jokes that come together in a shallow storyline. While “A Haunted House 2” certainly doesn’t have a developed, or even comprehensive, plot, it does outdo other films of the same category.

Another positive from the movie was Cedric the Entertainer’s performance as Father Doug Williams, the not-so-priestly priest.

Malcolm seeks Williams’ help to fight off the demon in his home, which leads to quite a bit of immoral behavior. This is a nice break from Wayans’ monotonous comedic style.

But despite a few hilarious moments, “A Haunted House 2” simply falls flat. It is just as plain as the first film and worse than any of the “Scary Movie” installments. There’s no question about it; these horror-spoofs need to stop.

(Images courtesy of IMDB)

Horror Movie Fun Facts The barf used in “The Exorcist” is actually pea soup.

Tom Cruise was offered the role of Edward Scissorhands.

The original title for “Halloween” was “The Babysitter Murders.”

“Final Destination” was based on a rejected “X Files” episode.

“Saw” was filmed in 18 days.

The cacoons in “Silence of Lambs” were made out of Tootsie Rolls and gummy bears.

Joseph Niepce developed the world's first photographic image in 1827.

15

May 2, 2014 A&E

The five say goodbye

“How I Met Your Mother” is still a hit regardless of the finale

By Adam Reckamp

A

Sports Editor

fter nine incredible seasons, “How I Met Your Mother” ended last month with a finale described by many as controversial.

As upset as many fans were with the finale, one episode should not change the fact that “HIMYM” was one of the best sitcoms of the past decade, a perfect blend of comedy and character development.

The show takes place in New York City and centers around the lives of five friends, Robin Scherbatsky, Barney Stinson, Lily Aldrin, Marshall Eriksen, and Ted Mosby. It revolves around main character, Mosby, as he tries to find love. Future Mosby is telling the story of how he met their mother to his kids 30 years in the future in the frame story.

During its 208 episode run, “How I Met Your Mother” was nominated for 29 Emmy awards, bringing home nine. Both Neil Patrick Harris and Alyson Hannigan have received awards for their work on the show.

For starters, the show has amazing acting.

None of the show’s main actors were big names before the show and watching the

cast grow up together during the nine seasons is incredible.

The acting itself is also great, as the stars all quickly develop great chemistry and running jokes. Two of the funniest running gags are the Slap Bet and Robin Sparkles.

The funniest moments in the series are when Stinson tries to pick up women with strange “plays” from his playbook. In one of his plays, Stinson tricks women into believing he is a billionaire by creating a fake identity.

Harris’s character, the womanizing playboy

Stinson, has been exceptionally popular.

Fans of the show can buy The Bro Code and the Playbook, which are based on books that Stinson uses in the show.

The Bro Code, credited to Stinson himself, was actually written by one of the shows writers Matt Kuhn, and is very popular. The book discusses the 150 rules of a bro, a common topic during the show.

While “How I Met Your Mother” is a comedy, it also blends the perfect amount of plot and touching moments into the show. Mosby’s constant search for his one true love is the main point of the show, but that is not the only source of the plot.

Various subplots develop from season to season but they seem important because of the characters.

That’s what “How I Met Your Mother” does best.

It gets the audience extremely attached to the characters so that every moment matters. From a simple run to the store or to a wedding, everything is interesting due to the amount of love the audience gains for the characters.

Becoming attached to the characters is not a struggle as they all have depth, their own unique personalities, and running gags. All the characters are lovable, even when they are doing despicable things, as is often the case with Harris’s character.

The depth is really evident with Stinson, who looks to just be a shallow womanizer at the beginning of the show, but as the series progresses the audience learns about many other sides of him.

The show’s writers also do a great job. Many of the same gags span the entire length of the show, and they become funnier every time. While avid watchers of the show appreciate running gags, viewers who don't watch all the episodes may not.

“How I Met Your Mother” does not have this problem however, as there are flashbacks and plenty of other funny moments and witty lines in every episode. A viewer who has never watched the show before can enjoy a random episode in season seven without being overwhelmed.

“How I Met Your Mother” has been a great show for nine years and a bad finale should not change that fact.

The first eight seasons of “How I Met Your Mother” are available on Netflix and on DVD with the ninth season soon to be available.

(Images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, IMDB, and MCT Campus)

A person can live without food for about a month, but only about a week without water.

May 2, 2014 A&E

16

It’s the real deal Based on a true story, “Heaven is for Real” makes it from bookshelves to the silver screen

H

By Kat Gorospe

Entertainment Editor

eaven. Whether you’re using it to describe a delicious food, or you’re talking about the place above Earth with sunshine and angels playing harps, we’ve all heard the term before.

But what do we really know about it?

For real-life Nebraskan father and pastor Todd Burpo, that question was put to the test when his son, Colton, took a visit to Heaven after a near-death experience.

Now, before you judge the entire movie just by that last sentence, I know you’re thinking one of two things.

One being that the whole situation is completely impossible and unheard of, or two, you’re doubtful, but you want to know what happens.

Reclined in the red, cushioned seat at the back of the dimlylighted room, I sat there with thought number two in the back of my head. Yes, I do strongly believe in my faith and always have

for as long as I could remember; but there’s a difference between knowing something for a fact, and believing in it.

Nobody knows what heaven looks like for a fact, but this 4-year-old does.

Opening and closing with a simple yet dramatic and unexpected scene that will make your eyes widen with amazement, this film was beautifully portrayed.

Actors Greg Kinnear (Todd Burpo) and Connor Corum (Colton Burpo) were great picks as they showed a perfect father-son relationship throughout the movie.

Although this is Corum’s first time as a main character in a major motion picture, he was a natural and fit the role to a T. Kinnear’s role as a concerned and loving father seemed to come easy and natural to him, as he also played the dad of a young boy in “The Last Song” in 2010.

However, there were two other characters that seemed to add a sour touch to the heart-warming

feel. Actresses Kelly Reilly (Sonja Burpo) and Margo Martindale (Nancy Rawling) gave off such a pessimistic attitude that it annoyed you whenever their faces showed up on the screen.

If there is anything that really dragged the movie down, it would have to be the special effects.

It’s 2014, and the technology available today can create life-like and amazing images that are limitless.

Unfortunately, the creators of “Heaven is for Real” failed to use that to their advantage.

The digital effects were nothing amazing and looked like something that could have been made a few years ago.

Come on, people. If there was enough money in 2009 to make a 3-hour-long movie about blue aliens with dreads, there’s definitely enough money today to give God’s home

some justice.

Overall, this movie was filled with scenes that will make you laugh, smile, and maybe even cry.

Whether you’re 8-years-old, or 78-years-old, “Heaven is for Real” is definitely worth the money.

Walking out of the movie theater, I tend to feel groggy and unaware of the time. After watching “Heaven is for Real” however, I was left feeling inspired.

This film was charismatic and uplifting; even though it personally wasn’t a tear-jerker. It was inspirational in more ways than one, and taught everyone a thing or two about keeping their faith.

(From left to right: Todd and Colton Burpo, Connor Corum as Colton, movie poster. Images courtesy of IMDB)

Outside the USA, Ireland is the largest software producing country in the world.

17

May 2, 2014 Sports

Tough pitch Junior Haley Spannraft pitch-slaps any team that stands in her way

By Megan Wilson

Community Editor

Walking onto the field in her newly pressed uniform, her mind does not wander. She controls the first step in every play. “First pitch, strike” is constantly running through her mind, her own little pep talk that she has taken from one of her second basemen over the years. First pitch. Strike.

Junior Haley Spannraft grips the softball in her hand and gets ready to throw. She lets go. Strike.

Ever since Spannraft was a little girl, she loved the game of baseball. When growing up in her Huntley home, she had older neighbors who would play baseball in the backyard.

One day, they let her join in. Every time she practiced, her skills got better. Her parents noticed. Their daughter was talented, and she needed to put her skills to good use. So, they enrolled their daughter in the park district’s baseball league.

When playing one of her baseball games, Spannraft was hit hard with a baseball in her fifth year playing. She did not want to go back on the field. She refused, but her parents were confident that she could play again.

“My parents said I was too talented not to play a sport,” said Spannraft. “They wanted me to play baseball, but since it was more of a guy sport, they said I would be more comfortable in a girl sport, so they put me in softball. I’ve been in softball ever since.”

Since then, Spannraft’s passion for softball has grown exponentially. For the past nine years, she has been participating in park district softball, the last five years in travel softball, and now pitches for the varsity softball team at Huntley High School. With the number five printed on the back of her jersey, she controls the game, to an extent,

at least.

“It’s important to get ahead in the count to get the advantage,” said Spannraft. “That way the pitcher has the advantage, and gets in the batter’s head right away. They start getting nervous and anxious waiting for the ball to come. That’s why I always try to get first pitch, strike.”

For the past eight or so years, Spannraft has not stopped. If she is not playing on the varsity team then she is playing travel. If she is not playing travel, she is playing on Huntley’s team. Every month is filled with endless days of softball and some pretty wicked tans. The only time Spannraft takes a break from being on a league is during the month of August, which is when tryouts are for the next season.

“It is pretty time consuming,” said Spannraft. “The only time that it will become overwhelming is when it’s always a choice between homework and softball. I always have to manage my time enough to get all my homework done. There are some nights that I have tons of homework, but I have softball every day, so that’s when it becomes stressful, when you wish you had that day off of practice. Other than that, it doesn’t bother me because I enjoy it, so it doesn’t become that big of a problem.”

During her travel season, the speeds of her pitches were recorded and now she knows that she consistently pitches around 56 miles per hour. Not only does Spannraft pitch, she plays short stop, third base, and sometimes plays in the outfield. Spannraft’s world revolves around the game of softball, and it has helped her develop into the person that she is today.

“I’m a very competitive person, and being able to do competitions like that, have teammates, and make friends when you’re younger [is great],” said Spannraft. “You know when you’re talented, you can’t give up something that you love, and I’ve grown to love softball. I love the competition, the teamwork, and winning. It’s so fun to be able to represent a team. I think it’s fun.”

With her junior year quickly coming to an end, the ongoing search for college has just started.

“I’ve been looking at D3 because I heard that it’s a perfect balance between a social life and a softball life, and that’s what I’m looking for,” said Spannraft. “I want a good college experience, and a good sports in college experience.”

During college she hopes to major in secondary education.

She enjoys teaching people and helping people learn, but that love of softball will always be there.

“Although many people would probably disagree, I think softball is much quicker while baseball is more laid back, and you have more time to do things,” said Spannraft. “I like the challenge on the softball field because everything is smaller and quicker, and you have to develop really good skills to do well in that sport.”

With the little time she has off the pitcher’s mound, she

(Images courtesy of K. Gallegos)

hangs out with her friends and does homework.

“I like to hang out with my friends a lot because they always keep me happy, and being at home becomes really stressful for me because of my home life, so I like to be with my friends all the time.”

Every human spent about half an hour as a single cell.

18

May 2, 2014 Sports

Giving others a chance

Special Olympics started for special education students at HHS

By Shravan Panchal

T

Staff Writer same two events this time around. The

here are always going to be athletes who excel at their sport and win many events and medals. But they aren’t the only ones who deserve the spotlight and all the fame. Huntley High School will be having the first annual Special Olympics for special education students attending HHS. “We really want the kids to be involved,” said Lauren Felde, organizer of the Special Olympics. Felde has seen this idea implemented at other schools and decided that it would be a good idea to try it out at HHS. “We also just want to let them know that they can do sports just like everybody else,” said Felde. “Just a day for them to have fun.”

Felde is organizing this for many reasons.

She has been in the field of special education at HHS and at past schools and has always found it to be a rewarding experience.

“I just hope that the student body finds that any student can do anything if they really put their mind to it,” said Felde.

Each student will be participating in the

school will be very involved in this event with students coming to volunteer and also others coming to cheer on the participants.

The two events this year will be a 50-meter run and a tennis ball throw. Right now all the special education students have adapted physical education and are working with Jamie Meindl in preparation for the event. Felde is hoping to have a practice after school one day to really get them ready.

This will be a great experience for many special education students at HHS. These students usually do not get to play on the football team or the softball team at the high school. The Special Olympics are a great opportunity for them to play sports in a competitive but fun setting.

“Huntley actually won the polar plunge fundraiser,” said Felde. “We raised the most amount of money and the students will be presented a trophy at the beginning of the event, which is pretty cool.”

Felde hopes that many students as well as parents come to the event to cheer the kids on. It will take place May 4 at Lake Zurich High School.

Special Olympics Fast Facts The first games were held in Soldier Field in Chicago in 1968 for all track and field events.

Special Olympics is offered in almost every nation in the world.

32

44,000

Olympic-type sports

805,000

250,000

competitions annually

volunteers worldwide

coaches around the world funtrivia.org and sode.org

Baseball on and off the field

Kiriakopoulos commits to play baseball at Augustana College

By Kanchan Sachchidanand

T

Staff Writer

ommy Kiriakopoulos is the classic all-American teenager, trying to balance school, sports, and friends while also looking into his future. Unlike most, though, his hobby is also what will get him into his college of choice. He was accepted into Augustana College, and not just for his grades. His exceptional baseball talent caught his favorite college’s attention.

“My dad was the one who got me into it.

He got me a wooden bat and some base-

balls and would play with me. Eventually I just fell in love with the sport,” said Kiriakopolous. “Never once have I ever wanted to give up on it. I’ve always wanted to keep going, keep getting better, and getting to the next level. If I had the choice, I would definitely go pro.”

Playing baseball professionally is what Kiriakopoulos is really shooting for. He works hard during the season and the offseason working on his skills and making

himself better. Kiriakopoulos works on his defensive tactics, offensive approaches, conditioning, and hitting mechanics during the offseason. When it comes to the actual baseball season, he focuses all his energy into practice to help him during games.

Staying dedicated was never an issue, as he was always trying to get better and “get to the next level.”

But baseball is not all he does. In his spare time after practice, Kiriakopoulos gets his homework done and makes time for friends and going out, so baseball doesn’t

Sound travels 15 times faster through steel than through the air.

take up all of his time.

“I love how the game plays out. One day you could have three hits, the next day you could have none. It just happens and you just have to accept how diverse the games can be...When I’m not playing, I usually umpire for little league games. I would love to be given an opportunity to coach kids, maybe even my son for a couple of years.”

Photos by M.Urban

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At a jet planeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s speed of 620 miles per hour, the length of the plane becomes one atom shorter than its original length.

SPORTS Tough pitch

17

Junior Haley Spannraft pitch-slaps any team that stands in her way K. Gallegos