Kaneland Krier Volume 50 Issue 3 by Kaneland Krier

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KANELAND

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Reflecting on the impact of time and how it influences and connects us

Volume 50 • Issue 3 • Kaneland High School January 18, 2024 • Cover by Sarah Slattery

TABLE OF CONTENTS 3

School News

World News

Lifestyle

Review

Feature

Centerspread

Editorial

Opinion

Photos

LETTER FROM THE EXECS Time will always be an inevitable factor that will forever shape our lives. As time may seem like a controlling force, the urgency can push us to quickly take action before it’s too late. As the clock ticks, we change as individuals. By becoming more aware of the passing of time, nostalgia can force us to reflect on our past and compare our former selves with where we are now. The balance of time, urgency and nostalgia allows us to recognize each moment as an important one that ultimately can shape the person we become. Katie Pfotenhauer

Kisella Valignota

Lizzy Sidman

Elliot Krippelz

Rafika Khan

Jackson Kottmeyer

School News | January 18, 2024

NEW COURSES FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR BY KATIE PFOTENHAUER & SELA VALIGNOTA Co-Editors-in-Chief of Print

ew courses will be offered in the 2024-25 school year, including multiple Advanced Placement (AP) and dual credit classes. Like AP classes, dual credit courses will be weighed on a 5.00 scale but differ in terms of credit you can earn. Some classes include AP Psychology, AP Calculus AB (dual credit integrated), Transitions to Quantitative Literacy, Dual Credit College Algebra and Food Science. Although many students may wish these classes were offered earlier, Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction Nathan Schroll explains the different variables that go into determining the course offerings for an upcoming school year. “Students will go, ‘Well, I just want to take this class.’ I’d love to be able to say yes to all of that, but that’s not how it [goes] because of staff qualifications, size of enrollment in the whole building, number of classes involved and the number of classes in a room,” Schroll said. “All of that plays into deciding what is offered to some degree.” Establishing new courses depends on the availability and qualifications of teachers. The option to take a class like Food Science alternates each year depending on the instructor’s schedule. “We only have one certified staff member for [the foods classes], and she can only teach five sections of a [class],” Schroll said. “The result of that thinking becomes trying to alternate available courses so we can get students to have access during their high school career while also being able to teach it in a responsible manner.” While Kaneland wants to give students more class options, it depends on whether teachers have the proper certification. The classwork and curriculum of courses under dual enrollment are based on what is provided by the community college. Since the Kaneland dual credit courses are developed by Waubonsee Community College (WCC), their implementation is dependent on the staff members being qualified to teach the course. “Dual credit is controlled by the community college. [It] is their curriculum and their instructor. In a dual credit

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situation, we have to use their syllabus. We must fit what we are doing into their curriculum, topics and objectives. [It] is almost like you are an instructor for WCC,” Schroll said. “In dual enrollment, you must have enough qualifications to be an instructor from the community college, which is a minimum of 18 hours in a certain content area, depending on the subject, or an actual graduate degree in a content area.” With the new addition of dual credit courses in the math department, there is the added prerequisite of Transitions to Quantitative Literacy for College Algebra. “The course will serve as a prerequisite for dual credit College Algebra,” Schroll said. “Students receiving a C or better guarantees placement into a credit-bearing general education mathematics course at any Illinois community college.” While this course simulates a college-level math course, students stay on the high school campus. “Students get exposed to the level of rigor of a college course, which only prepares them for the future,” Director of Educational Services 6-12 Patrick RaSchool counselor Cynthia Violett is one of the seven counselors who helps students pick courses each year. Violett specifically works with students with the last names S-Z. Photo by Katie Pfotenhauer

leigh said. “They get a sneak peek at the types of language, assessment and testing expectations [and] pacing all from a familiar environment of the high school.” Out of the 38 AP classes that are developed by the College Board, Kaneland will now offer 18 AP courses with the new addition of AP Psychology. Kaneland currently offers a semester-long psychology course. AP Psychology will be a year-long course that social studies teacher Nathan Schmitt recommends, as he taught the class previously in another district. “It is a great opportunity for students to have another AP class, but in addition to that, AP Psychology is widely regarded as one of the more manageable AP classes,” Schmitt said. With a college-level course, there can be additional costs. There is no mandatory fee for an AP class, but there is an optional test from the College Board that students can take for $98 to show learning proficiency in the class, but students are not guaranteed to pass and receive college credit. The cost of the dual enrollment courses is determined by WCC. “From a student experience, our staff will work with students who need to fill out some paperwork to register themselves as a WCC student. They then get a WCC ID number and pay the necessary fees,” Raleigh said. “Colleges typically charge a fee per credit hour. For WCC, it is $12 per credit hour or $36 for the dual credit course we offer. Students are also required to rent or purchase the textbook that the WCC math department selects.” With these new courses providing different opportunities for students to further their academic careers, the goal is to keep expanding. “These are only tentative ideas, but we would like to be able to offer more and more dual credit courses in different departments. The most likely next steps will be some English courses with dual credit to WCC,” Raleigh said. “We are excited to offer some new pathway opportunities through our Career and Technical Education department that have strong connections to college and career readiness.”

School News

Community News | January 18, 2024

DEALING WITH CRASHES IN KANELAND BY JAY PAULSON

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steps. It’s the continuous driving that helps the anxieties dissipate,” guidance counselor and driver’s education instructor Andrew Franklin said. Despite practicing and following the laws, accidents still happen. It’s important, then, to know what to do after one occurs. “Make sure that you are safe. If you are in danger, you have to make sure you are safe and not getting into more harm,” Claesson said. After ensuring personal safety, you can move on with the process. “Call 911, and be very careful when exiting your car. Traffic could still be traveling quickly around you,” Kane County Sheriff Ron Hain said. These are suggestions for the safety of the drivers and to make sure that police understand what happened. “It will definitely be nerve-wracking, but it’s important you are honest with the officers,” Franklin said. It is crucial to know what to do after a car crash, in addition to understanding the consequences that may follow. “If the driver is intoxicated in any way and the crash is severe, they will be subjected to a blood draw by law,” Hain said. “If the blood results show any amount of [intoxication], they’ll lose their license for a long pe-

ccording to the National Institutes of Health, “Adolescents are more prone to believing they are invincible due to the immatureness of their brains.” The invincibility complex in teens affects how they view dangers in the world. However, Kaneland has many places near the school that drivers have to be careful of. Examples include the main entrance to the building, the intersection at Dauberman and Keslinger Roads, the train tracks on Francis Rd. and drivers turning out of the school parking lot onto Meredith Rd. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicate drivers ages 16 through 19 are three times more likely to get into fatal crashes than drivers ages 20 and up. A reason for this, according to Kaneland driver’s education instructor Brian Claesson, is the amount of distractions a young driver can have. “Regarding kids that newly have their license, distractions are probably the biggest causes of crashes,” Claesson said. There are many laws in place to combat distracted driving. For example, “The first 12 months of licensing, or until the driver turns 18, the number of passengers is limited to one person under age 20, unless the passenger(s) is a sibling, stepsibling, child or stepchild of the driver,” according to the Illinois Secretary of State. Another law that protects you reads, “Any wireless/cellphone use while driving, including a hands-free device, is prohibited for a driver under age 19.” This, in theory, gets rid of phone use for those in the prime age range of crashes. The laws are in place to limit the amount of crashes for new drivers. However, the idea of getting into a car crash can cause anxiety in itself. “Put yourself in a situation where you are familiar with driving,” Claesson said. “The more and more you drive in areas that you’re familiar with, the more it will help with anxiety.” If you can get more familiar with the act of driving itself, driving in newer areas may not seem as scary. “New drivers, practice. Keep getting out on the road, and take baby

riod of time decided by a judge and face felony charges. If the driver is not at all intoxicated, they’ll face a citation or two and will have to appear in court and pay fines.” After three or more citations within a year, your license could get taken away. Not only will the legal aspects stick with you, mental obstacles may remain for awhile too. The anxiety and feeling of that crash could follow you into your classes and home life. “The counselors here at school are here for you. We’ve been through a multitude of crashes and know how that affects people,” Franklin said. Because the risk of crashes in teenagers is so high, the school prepares for fatal accidents as well. Kaneland has had crashes in which students have died before. “We have a whole set of counselors one phone call away,” Franklin said. “We bring in a third party because if it’s a student, we as counselors may be affected as well. We want to make sure that everyone gets the help they need.” Crashes at Kaneland have happened and will continue to happen. That is why there are police officers on Dauberman near the school entrance. There, students tend to get impatient and there have been times when drivers have sped past other cars without realizing who they’re passing. “If we notice who is passing us at dangerous speeds, we can find their plates and find out where they park at the school,” Franklin said. “We’ve tracked down kids who have been speeding before. It’s not because we want to see them in trouble. It’s because we want them to know that they can’t do that without consequences. It’s important that they learn now before they end up getting into a dangerous situation.” Being careful and focusing when you’re driving is of utmost importance, especially at a young age. “Don’t overestimate your abilities as a new driver. Driving is a skill that can take years, if not decades, to master,” Hain said. “Be humble, be aware and take it slow. The more practice a new driver can get - even on a go-cart, golf cart, lawn mower - anything behind a wheel makes them better.”

Page design by Casper Suehs

World News | January 18, 2024

UPDATES ON ISRAEL-PALESTINE CONFLICT BY CARLI FILEK

Editor and Co-Social Media Manager

n Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas, a political and military organization operating the Gaza Strip, launched a surprise attack on Israel, leaving thousands of civilians dead and injured. Though it was unexpected, this attack is part of a larger conflict that began over a century ago. After the fall of the Ottoman Empire, Britain took control of the state of Mandatory Palestine, which is now known as the state of Israel. In 1917, the British government created the Balfour Declaration. In a letter by British foreign secretary Arthur James Balfour, he asked that the state of Palestine become a “national home for the Jewish people.” At the time, the majority of the state’s population were native Palestinian Arabs. According to Al Jazeera, by the Balfour Declaration’s approval in 1922, thousands of Jews immigrated from Europe in search of a permanent home. Tensions began to rise between the Palestinians and Jews, who were fighting to live on the same land. In 1947, the United Nations (UN) asked for the mandate to end. As shown in the Partition Plan, it was asked that the state of Palestine be divided into two separate Jewish and Arab states, with Jerusalem as an international area. Jews accepted the plan, but Arabs rejected it. The following year, when the mandate ended, the land was declared as the state of Israel, at which point a civil war broke out, with Jews, backed by European powers, winning and taking the majority of Palestinian territory. This war also gave control of the West Bank to Jordan and control of the Gaza Strip to Egypt. Many Palestinians fled to the two areas, which continue to be where the majority of the Palestinian population lives. In 1987, the Six-Day War took place between Israel and a coalition of Arab states consisting of Egypt, Syria and Jordan. Israel seized control of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, including East Jerusalem. Two major Palestinian uprisings took place after the control switch, leading to the formation of Hamas. According to the Council of Foreign Relations, Hamas is an acronym for Harakat al-Muqawama al-Islamiya, which in Arabic means Islamic Resis-

Page design by Sophie Ponce de Leon

tance Movement. The group has sometimes resorted to using violence as a means to free occupied Palestinian territories. In 2005, Israel ceded control of the Gaza Strip after five years of conflict, and in 2006, Hamas won the Gaza parliamentary election and rose to power. While Israel withdrew from Gaza in 2005, Israel still maintained control over its borders. In 2007, Israel created a land, air and sea blockade around Gaza, aiming to prevent attacks and control the border. This disabled civilians from traveling in and out of Gaza and is a major cause of poverty. Gaza is one of the most densely populated places in the world, with extremely high poverty and unemployment rates. During the Oct. 7 attack, Hamas broke the blockade by forcefully entering homes, killing Israeli civilians and taking hostages. Following the attacks, Israel declared war on Gaza and began retaliating. According to Global Conflict Tracker, an interactive guide to ongoing conflicts around the world, Israel ordered a complete siege, cutting all electricity, food, fuel and access to humanitarian aid from Gaza. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) began their ground operations in northwest Gaza and then northeast Gaza near Gaza City, where they faced resistance from Hamas. Israel warned civilians to evacuate parts of northern Gaza and Gaza City, which caused many to flee toward southern Gaza. The UN says the population density is currently more than 12,000 people per square kilometers (approximately 31,000 people per square mile) in Rafah, a city in southern Gaza. Although exact numbers cannot be determined, over 20,000 in Gaza have been killed and nearly 2 million have been displaced since the Oct. 7 attack, according to various news sources. “I have never in my humanitarian career seen the level of suffering, desperation and deprivation that the people who are across that checkpoint are suffering,” said Gemma Connell, Gaza team leader for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Israel has also exchanged rocket fire with Lebanon and Syria as part of an ongoing effort of opposing armed forc-

es in the Middle East. On a Jan. 2 attack in Beirut, Lebanon’s largest city, Hamas leader Saleh al-Arouri was killed. Israel, however, has not confirmed or denied the death. A student of Muslim faith who attends a nearby high school and asked for her name to not be disclosed cares deeply about the situation in Gaza. “Today’s situation is not a new sensation, as innocent lives have been threatened within Palestine for so long. The only difference now is that more people are being exposed to the conflict through social media,” she said. She also described that seeing a predominantly Muslim country be overwhelmed with violence has caused her great pain as a Muslim herself. “It hurts to see videos of other Muslims reciting passages from the same holy book I read, asking God for help, ease and survival,” she said. Israel has been allies with the U.S. since the creation of the country. They have similar values and interests, but the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has complicated their relationship. On Nov. 24, 2023, a two-day ceasefire began in Gaza as part of an agreement brokered by Qatar, the U.S. and Egypt. The ceasefire was then extended twice, but it ended on Dec. 1. As part of the deal, there was a halt in hostilities, prisoners were freed and increased shipments of fuel and supplies were sent into Gaza. However, violence resumed within minutes of the truce ending. As of early January, according to Al Jazeera, Israel says it has started pulling thousands of troops out of northern Gaza as they will be focusing its operations in southern Gaza. “I pray every day it ends as soon as possible…a temporary pause is not the answer. A permanent ceasefire needs to be called upon,” the anonymous source said. Around the world, protestors have demanded a permanent ceasefire to be called. This is in hopes of ending the attacks by all parties, bringing aid to Gaza and freeing hostages. According to the UN, “A definitive cease-fire is usually the result of a successful political process, in which the parties have reached an accord on all aspects of the peace negotiations.”

World News

Sports and Activities | January 18, 2024

SUPERSTITIONS IN HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS BY NATE SAND

Editor

n sports, superstitions are extremely common and mostly go unnoticed by everybody besides the athletes. Although these routines might occur behind the scenes, they can have a crucial impact on athletic performance. For the most part, superstitions within sports are referred to as set routines or actions athletes feel they must do to perform at their best. For athletes, this can range anywhere from a particular song they listen to before a game to a specific order they put their uniform on. Superstitions can seem extremely random and sometimes even ridiculous, but they likely start because of past positive experiences that an athlete has had in their sport that they believe happened because of performing these odd tasks. “There was a game where I scored a touchdown, and after that, I did everything the exact same to try to get another,” senior offensive lineman Brett Larson said. According to Medical News Today, an outlet for medical information, superstitions may seem to work because they can relieve anxiety and give athletes a sense of control over their performance. The positive impact on athletes’ performance that they attribute to superstitions can likely come from the placebo effect. The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), which specializes in complementary and alternative medicine, defines the placebo effect as “a beneficial health outcome resulting from a person’s anticipation that an intervention will help.” In sports, the placebo effect and superstitions are very similar. Photo courtesy of Grace Collins

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“Your superstition has this placebo effect, so it could make you perform better because the mental aspect of sports is really important, especially in running,” senior cross country and track runner Devon Kowalczyk said. “So if you don’t do your superstition, you’re going to perform badly because you already have negative thoughts.” Despite how seemingly pointless and ineffective to actual athletic performance superstitions may seem, in sports, they are generally viewed as positive. “I would say [superstitions] are positive,” said head baseball coach and social studies teacher Brian Aversa. “[It is about] whatever you need to do to get your mind right and feel good to play good. If you’re doing things that are helping you succeed, whether consciously or subconsciously, then go ahead and do it.” Baseball is an extremely common sport for superstitions to occur. According to Aversa, they are a very important part of the game. “[In baseball], it’s really important because guys have the same approach at the plate. They will tap the plate twice and take a couple of practice swings, but it’s the same thing every time they go up to the plate,” Aversa said. These superstitions don’t just come in certain situations, though, as they may occur numerous times throughout the game. “Some guys won’t step on the foul line before going on the field, or they have to wear a specific wristband, so there are a lot of superstitions. They’re creatures of habit,” Aversa said. Aversa also explains that athletes can form these superstitions at the high

school level and not just in the pros because they have always been part of the game’s history. “I think superstitions in baseball start because of the culture,” Aversa said. “For example, if you say, ‘This guy has a no-hitter going,’ as soon as you speak it into existence, it ends. A lot of that stuff is just unwritten rules that you know not to do, so a lot of that taboo stuff is probably how it started.” While baseball may seem to be the sport involving the most superstitions, they are still prevalent in every sport. Larson, for example, likes to dress a cerain way before each game. “I like to get some accessories to look good, and I feel like I play better,” Larson said. These superstitions don’t stop at players. Coaches and even other staff members can have them as well. “I like to wear the same exact stuff every game. I’ll wash my clothes after each game, but I have this Under Armour cold gear shirt, and no matter how hot it is, I’ll always wear that, just because I’m superstitious,” Aversa said. Aversa also explained that superstitions don’t have to always apply to just individuals, but entire teams as well, as the baseball team has a superstition collectively. “When we’re tied or behind in a conference or playoff game, we have something called rally bullseyes, and we always bring them out in the sixth inning,” Aversa said. “It’s basically a caramel candy that we’ll give to them before they go out to play again. It’s worked more times than it hasn’t. The kids believe in it, and we believe in it, and we’ve been doing it for the last 18 years.”

Head varsity baseball coach Brian Aversa addresses his team. Like many other coaches and athletes, members of the baseball team have a variety of sports-related superstitions.

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Sports and Activities | January 18, 2024

BENEFITS OF INFLUENTIAL MENTORING

BY ISA ALBA & KATIE PFOTENHAUER

Editor & Co-Editor-in-Chief of Print and Co-Copy Editor

articipating in sports and activities is something that most students take advantage of during their time in high school. Their experiences, though, can vary due to several factors. A positive coach and adviser can make all the difference in terms of a student’s time with a team or club. “An adviser can be someone who is just there to oversee, basically just following the mindset of only being here because an adult needs to be. I would compare that to [a boss],” social studies teacher and Student Council sponsor James Fuller said. “A positive adviser is someone I work with and talk with. Positive advisers are more actively involved, and you can tell they truly care about it.” Senior and Student Council President Madeline Claeson has been an active Student Council member since her freshman year. While Claeson might be the one leading Student Council meetings, she feels supported by her advisers and recognizes the work they do to help students get involved. “Our sponsors put a lot of time into all of the events Student Council puts on. I know how much they work on all the behind-the-scenes stuff to make everything we do possible,” Claeson said. “While I cannot think of a specific example, they always make time to help us with whatever we need, even if they are busy teaching or have to go coach a practice. They try to make time for everything, which is really nice.” Coaches and advisers can be role models for students, as they may get to know students better than a typical classroom relationship would allow. While this is only Fuller’s second year as an adviser, he is enjoying his active role working with students. When I got involved, I liked how students played an active role in events, fundraisers and competitions. They plan the fun stuff around the school, and I liked that they are the heart of it. It’s not so

much the sponsors telling people what to do,” Fuller said. “It’s leadership roles within the student body. They are in charge of raising school [spirit]. I like that part of it, and I like the leadership that I saw in the students. I think it is fun to help them.” The impact of positive leadership from adults in coaching or advising positions can be felt directly by the students they work with. An important part of any adult’s responsibilities when working in one of those roles is to invite open communication. “One of the benefits of having a good adviser is we never feel afraid to speak up. If we have an idea, the advisers try their best to help us execute our plans,” Claeson said. “In my experience with planning Relay for Life, I never felt alone because I knew the advisers were always willing to help.” Similar to Fuller’s beliefs on how positive adult influences can impact students, social studies teacher and boys bowling coach Sarah Ray believes that a good coach is someone who is involved but also someone a student can look up to. “A coach to me is somebody very knowledgeable about the sport they’re working with but also a role model to young athletes,” Ray said. “They’re somebody who can help an athlete hone their craft while teaching them how to be a leader and mentor to others.” Besides the students participating in a club or sport, the person leading the students is essential, as they can help the participants learn more about themselves and understand their roles within the group. Sophomore and level eight gymnast Grace Moreno has loved the sport since she was little. She tried many other sports, but gymnastics stuck with her. With the many different gyms she has tried throughout her time training and competing, she has experienced many different coaching styles and can recognize the differences from one coach to another. “I worked with a coach at one of my old gyms who pushed me far over my limits and often made me cry. He pushed me because I couldn’t focus or do things properly,

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though my mom noticed the unprofessionalism and immediately took me out of class,” Moreno said. “This was when I was about seven years old. We never returned.” Some coaches are strict with their athletes, and depending on the level of the players with whom they are working, a coach can be stern while still wanting the best for the athlete. However, that approach is not always beneficial, as each person involved in a sport is different. Athletes like Moreno may feel that a harsh approach can be too negative, especially at a young age. Ray knows how much a positive coach can influence an athlete, as she once participated on a bowling team. She loved the sport, so she decided to get involved with it at Kaneland. “With negative coaching, athletes tend to lose interest in the sport they once loved. They can begin to feel defeated and believe their efforts aren’t worthwhile anymore,” Ray said. “On the other hand, positive coaching can make students look forward to improving their techniques. Positive coaching makes the overall experience of a sport more fun.” Positive advising and coaching can impact performance and success, as they can foster a supportive learning environment for continuous growth. Not only is it beneficial for the students but also for the leaders involved. “A lot of teachers [who coach or advise] will say that they get to see the different side of students. Not that you necessarily always get to know the kids more, but you get to see them be more than just a student,” Fuller said.

Sports and Activities

Lifestyle | January 18, 2024

NOSTALGIA KEPT ALIVE IN THE MODERN DAY BY PAIGE WHITESIDE

Advisor’s Assistant

ntique shops, vintage stores and archived collections are often considered gateways to the past, accessible in the modern day. By selling, buying and preserving old items, people from different generations can experience nostalgia and gratitude for times gone by. Today, having an appreciation for older items can help keep nostalgia and history alive. Items like old clothes, furniture, music and art are sought after not just because of appearances but because of the emotions they can evoke in people. In our fast-paced world, shops and markets that display and sell older items may help slow the world down and bring back the past. Antique shops are one example of places to visit that allow for the appreciation of the past. They are not just physical displays of old collectible items but a haven for history and cultural heritage. Each item on display in antique shops tells a story, and as you walk through the halls, you can see the worndown fabric of a rug or the softened corners of a bedside table and imagine the lives these pieces lived long before they came to be sold at the shops. Owner of Elburn’s Amazing Grace Antiques Barb Jeske finds

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value in the history of antiques as well as the different people she meets while working, which she accredited to her experiences as an antique shop owner. “It’s unbelievable: the age of [antiques] and how long they last. Antiques tell a story. Everyone has a story. Good or bad, it’s still a story,” Jeske said. “I also love the people who love antiques. They have a great sense of

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memory and appreciation for the past.” Antique shops are not the only places to go to purchase valuable older items. Vintage stores and markets also help keep nostalgia alive through the reselling of clothes and accessories. Senior Olivia Wegner recently found her love for vintage wear and appreciates the friendliness she has experienced from the vintage community. “I went to a vintage fest for the first time during the summer and found it [interesting] to see how each vendor has a unique and different style,” Wegner said. “I like the way [vintage fests] feel like a community. Everybody there is very supportive.” Wegner also reflected on a time she was able to connect with her grandmother because of one of her vintage purchases. “My grandmother came to visit us,

and I was wearing a vintage sweatshirt from the University of Wisconsin-Madison,” Wegner said. “It [brought] back memories for her, and she told me the stories from when she was younger and went to that school. It was sweet to see how my old sweatshirt was able to take her back in time.” According to an article on connecting with older generations by Psychology Today, “...young people and even middle-aged adults today have less contact with older adults than ever be-

fore in human history.” Shared love of antiques and vintage items by people of all ages is one way to bridge the gap between old and young. Record stores that preserve music in physical formats are examples of establishments that keep the past alive. Steve Warrenfeltz, owner of Kiss The Sky Records in Batavia, reflected on times in his life when music was able to connect him with others and attributed it as one of the reasons he decided to open a record store in the first place. “When I was younger, music was always a part of what my family did when we got together, so [from a] young age, I knew I wanted to do something in the music business,” Warrenfeltz said. “Music is a universal lan-

guage. It breaks down barriers and it brings people together.” Establishments like Kiss The Sky that house physical music formats allow individuals t o discover a new appreciation for music and the different stories that each record tells, rather than simply listening to music through a streaming source. Seeing and feeling music in record form is a unique opportunity in the modern world, and the preservation of this form of music helps keep the history of it alive. Preserving items from the past is a way to create feelings of nostalgia while keeping history in different forms. The existence of antique and vintage shops as well as archived collections lets us take a look into the past, and as time passes, collections will only grow, leaving future generations with more to learn from and appreciate.

Page design by Audrey Walker

Voices | January 18, 2024

What is something you would tell your younger self? By Olivia King and Carmella Rio

"Things are always changing, and you need to change with them." - Librarian Jessica Parker

"Drive safely, never speed, always do my homework and keep up with my studies." - Junior Zachary McNamara

"You should not worry about what other people think because you cannot make everyone else happy. You have to make yourself happy." - Security Guard Katie Huggins

"When life gets tough, you need to keep on pushing through because it will get better." - Senior Mallory Nitsche Page design by Katie Pfotenhauer

Voices

Review | January 18, 2024

Top Songs BY CASPER SUEHS

FROM THE PAST FIVE DECADES

Editor

rowing up, I listened to songs of all kinds of genres. My dad enjoys 80s rock and punk songs, and my mom is the opposite, as she prefers country music. Long car rides with my family always led to arguments over whose music to play, which usually ended up with us listening to Disney music. Personally, I will listen to any song at least once to see if I enjoy it. When I listen to older music, I wonder what songs were topping the charts in past decades. I listened to those songs and rated them based on how they made me feel. A list compiled on Billboard, a global music website and entertainment magazine featuring today’s best songs, reports the top songs of the past six decades, serving as the basis of which songs I chose to review. The 1960s boasts The Twist by Chubby Checker as their top song. I enjoyed the different, almost glottal-like sound that Checker makes as he sings. The Twist has a rock and roll feel, which just made me want to swing along with the song. The song created the Twist dance craze, which is still a popular dance move now, used by both older and younger generations. Older generations watching younger people doing the same dance moves that they did when they were growing up takes those generations back in time, making the song feel timeless and more enjoyable by the minute. The music video even shows the viewer how to do the Twist, which I thought was a very cool addition. The lyrics in this song are very repetitive, with a few lines in between, making this song easy to learn and sing along with. Overall, I really enjoyed this song. The mix between the beat and Checker’s voice makes me listen to the song over and over again and want to dance along to it. When I think of popular songs in the 1970s, I think of songs like Dancing Queen, Bohemian Rhapsody, Dreams and American Pie. The top song, according to Billboard, however, is a song I hadn’t heard of before looking at the list. You Light Up My Life by Debby Boone is the number one song of

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the 1970s, winning Best Song at the Grammys in 1978. I was not expecting this song to be as slow as it was, but it was understandable because it’s a love ballad. Boone has a very strong and powerful voice, and you can very clearly hear her emotions coming from her heart, through her voice and into her song. When Boone sings, “It can’t be so wrong, when it feels so right, ‘cause you, you light up my life,” you can tell that she truly means those words. Although the song gets slower, her voice becomes louder and more moving. This song wasn’t my favorite because of the small amount of lyrics and how slow it was. I did, however, enjoy her voice and how genuine she sounded when singing. When you think of a workout song, do you think of songs like Eye of the Tiger? Pump Up the Jam? Chop Suey? Well, how about the number one song of the 1980s, Olivia Newton-John’s Physical? This song has always been a classic, and it is constantly played in my household. The chorus is repetitive with some suggestive lyrics in between. It’s catchy, and I have found myself singing the chorus multiple times after getting it stuck in my head. Physical won Olivia Newton-John one of her four Grammys, under the Video of the Year category. The music video itself is interesting, showing men that are unfit and working out, until they are toned and chiseled. I genuinely enjoy this song. How Do I Live by LeAnn Rimes steals the number one spot for the 1990s. Personally, I do not enjoy slow songs and need them to somehow catch my attention, and this song does not do that. Her vocals are to die for, as she can hit both extremely high and low notes. The lyrics show the heartbreak of a woman who can’t imagine life without her significant other and needs someone there. For many, that’s their unfortunate reality, which could be why this song has resonated with millions of people. It’s a very slow and heart-wrenching song that many enjoy, but I don’t. I don’t relate to the lyrics, and the song itself is very slow. It made

me lose all interest that I had originally. Mariah Carey has seemingly become most popular for her Christmas songs, but she has many others that show her talent. The number one song of the 2000s is We Belong Together by Mariah Carey. It’s another slow song, so it quickly lost my attention. The lyrics of We Belong Together tell the story of someone who told their significant other that she didn’t love them. After an argument, the significant other leaves, and the speaker realizes how much she truly loves them. This story is shown through the music video, where we see Carey on her wedding day rethinking who she wants to be married to. During the ceremony, Carey’s ex is shown at the wedding. Carey sees him and decides that she doesn’t actually want to be married to the person she is about to wed and is still in love with her ex. Carey has amazing vocals in the song, but again, the song lost my attention because of its slow pace. The 2010s were a decade of upbeat music, including songs like Tik Tok, Call Me Maybe and California Gurls. The hype song that takes first place, though, is Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO. This song brings me back to elementary school, when my brother, dad and I would go to breakfast, and my dad would let us choose a song to play. The go-to for all of us was Party Rock Anthem, and we would get up and start dancing. This is a very fast-paced hype song, which just makes you want to get up and move. The music video shows a post-apocalyptic world, where everyone becomes shuffling zombies. They might not be the best singers, as they can’t hit high or low notes, but for their style of song, it works. Listening to these songs made me realize that throughout every generation, we all have something in common. We all enjoy listening to music and feel nostalgic listening back to songs from our childhoods. Though many of us feel the gaps between generations, knowing that we have at least one thing in common makes it clear that we aren’t entirely different from each other.

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Entertainment | January 18, 2024

SENTIMENTAL CHILDHOOD YOUTUBE STARS BY SARAH SLATTERY Editor

he feeling of getting into bed, saying goodnight to your parents and hearing the click of the light switch are things most of us can remember. The excitement of sneakily grabbing your iPad from under your pillow and starting to watch your favorite YouTuber while the light glows in your eyes is something else many people our age might recall as well. Growing up online, stuck to a screen, is a unique aspect of Gen Z. The need to constantly be on a device still exists today and may be even worse than it was when we were growing up. YouTube was created in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley and Jawed Karim. The site allows creators to post homemade videos and get paid a certain amount based on their advertisements and number of views. Certain creators can make this their livelihood and use it as their main source of income. There is a variety of content to watch on the site, including gaming, baking, vlogging and teaching subjects. The more creative or entertaining the video, the more views it may gain. As children, we watched influential YouTubers and grew up with them. As their platforms grew in numbers, we grew in age. “I feel like YouTubers, in a way, have raised us,” junior Sydney Pflipsen said. “They helped shape our generation into what it is now because a lot of us grew up on the internet or watching YouTube videos, especially if people watched as much as I did.” Consuming certain content can shape people into who they are. Watching specific television shows or movies or listening to certain music helps people grow and mature. “I was definitely influenced by YouTube. I feel a lot of my humor and references have and still do relate to YouTube,” Pflipsen said. Without certain technology growing up, many people would not be who they are today. According to Statista, an online platform that specializes in data gathering and visualization, around five

hundred hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute as of 2022. There are many kinds of videos that end up on this site, and there’s always a chance of negatively impactful videos being watched by children. “Now, most kids have access to the internet whenever they want, so they are more likely to be influenced by it. It also has a different influence than our generation because YouTube has evolved and changed over the years,”

Cartoon by Teaghan Hardy

Pflipsen said. As children, we may have watched a variety of videos that impact us differently. However, the videos we tend to remember are the ones that brought us joy, laughter and happiness. “The YouTube channel that I’ve watched and still watch to this day is Smosh,” sophomore Ty Vojcihoski said. “I feel like they give me a boost of energy when I watch them. Their videos always make me laugh even though they don’t post the same content as they did in the early part of their career.” According to YouTube, Smosh is a channel created in 2005 that has 26.5 million subscribers. Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox created the channel to

spread their sketch comedy and sense of humor. Padilla eventually broke off from the company. They have recently returned as a group and have gone back to posting comedy sketches on their channel. Other groups have stayed together, like Rhett McLaughlin and Link Neal’s Good Mythical Morning, which is a channel created in 2008 that has 18.5 million subscribers. They do challenges and create comedy in a broadcast-like setting. Markiplier is a gaming YouTuber who created his channel in 2012, and he has 35.7 million subscribers. He creates funny videos where he plays new or viral video games. “I really enjoy [many of] Markiplier’s series because he creates a fun, action-packed [video] that is super creative for his viewers,” Pflipsen said. Many YouTubers have not been so lucky when it comes to fans sticking around, or they may have simply lost the motivation to continue creating content. Examples of these situations would be DanTDM and Jenna Marbles. DanTDM is a well-known gaming YouTuber who still produces videos. He created his channel in 2012 and has 28.3 million subscribers. The majority of his fan base has grown up and moved on, causing his views to dwindle. Jenna Marbles was a YouTuber who created her channel in 2010 and gained 19.7 million subscribers. She created vlog-like content. She lost motivation for content creation and posted her last video on June 17, 2020, ultimately calling it quits. Many channels have come and gone as we’ve grown up. YouTubers and their channels have also moved in different directions. Without these creators helping to shape us, many people would not be who they are today. “[YouTube] has shaped me [into who I am] by making me laugh when I need to. If I’m in a bad mood, [I can always] watch [and count on] them to bring my spirits up,” Vojcihoski said.

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Entertainment

Feature | January 18, 2024

EMOTIONS EVOKED DUE TO NOSTALGIA

BY PRESLEE SUTHERLAND

T Editor

he passage of time can feel erratic. The present might feel too slow, the future can seem too far away and the past appears as though it is slipping between your fingers like fast-falling sand. People often try to catch the sand by holding on to their memories through nostalgia. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines nostalgia as “a wistful sentimental yearning for something past or irrecoverable.” The word nostalgia comes from the Greek words “nostos,” which means return, and “algos,’’ which means pain. The British Psychological Society wrote, “The literal meaning of nostalgia, then, is the suffering evoked by the desire to return to one’s place of origin.” To learn more about the emotion of nostalgia, the British Psychological Society asked people to provide detailed descriptions of the circumstances under which they become nostalgic. One person responded that they think of nostalgic experiences when they’re sad because those experiences make them feel better. Another person responded that they think people turn to nostalgia in unhappy, sad or lonely situations to make themselves smile. Nostalgic experiences become blankets and safe places for people when they feel sad. Junior Charlie Krupka defines nostalgia as “something that brings back a memory that is happy or sad that has made an impact on your life.” One of Krupka’s most vivid memories is from the day he got his dog, Duncan. “I can remember everything about that day,” Krupka recalled. “My aunt and brother stumbled upon what looked like a baby store, but it was all dogs. In there was a playpen where my brother played with Duncan. My aunt then paid for the dog and brought him home to see us… I can remember being on my front lawn [that day] playing with him. He was so excited to meet me.” This memory especially creates a sense of nostalgia because Krupka lost his dog in November. It’s been something that has remained on his mind a lot more recently, which is making him feel sad. Because nostalgia evokes strong emotions in people, brands sometimes

12 Feature

like to target their audience based on the consumer’s feelings and memories. The strong, nostalgic feelings that are attached to products can be a reason for them being sold more. Brands use this approach to create promotions and ads aiming to appeal to those emotions. Career and Technology Education (CTE) teacher Renee Grisch said, “[Companies] pick out [target] demographics based on who bought what in store. They would then play off those demographics for a marketing strategy.” The website DoYouRemember? is a community of “nostalgia enthusiasts” who wish to remember items or concepts with memories attached to them from the twentieth century. They focus on the people and pop culture that have shaped generations. The website also has social media accounts that post similar things. Grisch said, “[The Instagram account] posts products, and it kind of gets [consumers] thinking, ‘Maybe I should try that again.’” It’s beneficial for companies to use nostalgia marketing as a strategy to sell their products because of people who have positive memories attached to them. According to the Branding Bosses, an agency that focuses on making companies stand out, The Coca-Cola Company is very skilled at using iconic imagery that resonates with past experiences. Branding Bosses wrote, “Coca-Cola often releases limited-edition retro packaging, triggering memories of the past. This not only fosters nostalgia but also makes the product feel unique and collectible.” Glass Coke bottles have been around since the early twentieth century. In the late twentieth century, Coca-Cola switched to using plastic bottles to eliminate the glass waste they were producing. Many consumers seemed to favor the switch because the new material was recyclable, weighed less, wasn’t breakable and was resealable. However, Coca-Cola’s image has stayed the same in many people’s minds. The glass bottle, being around for many years, became a symbol of

the past, and its absence made people miss what they didn’t have. “That was the first way pop came out,” Grisch said. “People really look forward to popping that top and hearing that sound.” The effect isn’t the same now with people just unscrewing plastic from another piece of plastic. Some people also argue that the taste is different in the glass versus the plastic bottles. Many people have memories of drinking Coca-Cola in the glass bottle when they were younger. The nostalgic feeling of that bottle can bring back good times from consumers’ past and give them something tangible through which they can relive those memories. Companies like Coca-Cola pull on the nostalgic memories of generations to encourage buying their products. Without realizing it, people try to hold on to the past so much that they will grab, read and listen to anything that somewhat fixes that homesick feeling. By using nostalgic marketing, Coca-Cola and a variety of other corporations increase their demand as well as bring back good memories to their consumers. Photo by Riley Merdzan

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Feature | January 18, 2024

HOW CHILDHOOD MEMORIES SHAPE US BY SOPHIE THILL

M Editor

ost of us have that moment that to fall,” McCrea said. “I just had this feel- Haleigh Kames experienced this when lives with us forever. A moment ing that something was going to hap- she was just a little girl. “When I was little, I was an only that we learned from or that we pen, so I turned the bike towards the look back on with nostalgia. A memory. grass so I didn’t risk falling in the grav- child for [five or six years], and I reMemories are the little things in life that el driveway. The second member going [to] downtown Chicago t we hold onto, whether they are good or I turned the dirt bike, it [where] I saw this homeless girl, maya th ory bad. These memories not only fell and landed on top be the age I am now,” Kames said. “She m e m ve a you? live with us forever, but of me. The spoke of had nothing but a blanket and a pillow. a h you hapes they also have the power the back wheel cut a I saw this old couple walk by, and they Do s to shape who we are. V shape into my right gave the little girl a coat and a leftover Out of the 126 Kaneheel.” cheeseburger. The coat was ripped and Aside from dirty, but she was so happy.” land students who voluntarilearning to Ordinarily, a person might think ly responded to a poll , 111 listen to nothing of this event. They might smile students stated that they have safety in- and move on, but being a child, it made a memory that shapes who they are today. structions, an impact on Kames. “This taught me to Just like the memories in PixMcCrea came be grateful for everything I get, no mataway with another les- ter what, because when I was youngar’s 2015 film Inside Out, our memories typically have taken shape from son. er, and even now, I usually [get what I a multitude of emotions. The film “It opened my eyes to the fact that want]. Sometimes I can be greedy, but starts in childhood, where the memo- if something bad [has] happened in the [since then] I try not to be because of ries mainly consist of one emotion, but past and you try it again later, it doesn’t how happy she was, and that made me as the main character reaches her teen- matter how [long it has been]. The fact melt.” Memories can teach us a multitude age years, she experiences more com- that you’re willing to try again, espeplex feelings. Teens and adults may be cially if it is something you were afraid of lessons, but two specific types of lesable to control their emotions more of, proves just how strong you are,” she sons seem to stand out. One is through than they once could, but they likely said. growth after a bad experience, and the have much more complex emotions Formative memories come other is through appreciating things than children, which could explain why in all shapes and sizes, whetharound us. When was y some of our most nostalgic and forma- er they are traumatic, nosSo, how can o forma tive m ur first memories really tive memories take place in childhood. talgic or just something you emor y? shape us? McCrea Sometimes, childhood memo- saw that impacted you. learned that falling We all have those mories are something we look back on requires you to get and smile at, but other times, they are ments where someone back up, and Kames negative experiences that shaped us we don’t even know is reminded that other into who we are today and most likely changes how we think. people have it worse. taught us a lesson. It could be a compliWe all have that Junior Alana McCrea described ment we receive or moment, or series of her most formative memory from when something we see moments, that shape us. she was seven. During her yearly family that makes us realize Whether we learn a diffivacation to Missouri, her father brought how lucky we are. Freshman dirt bikes and asked if she wanted to cult lesson or look back and ride one, to which a young McCrea smile, our experiences can eagerly agreed. She retrieved her g i v e us stories. Every person is a safety gear and sat down to listen collection of their past experiences, to the safety lecture, but she and those experienctllec stopped listening by the es can shape us as o c y is ar lunt data nd end when her father characters in our This om a vo Kanela r ed f y of 126 talked about the own story. Our e v sur nts. throttle. While varying experie d stu she did not ences may live fully listen, with us as she does memories, remember reminding the conseus of what is truly imquences. “I knew portant in I was going our lives.

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Feature

Centerspread | January 18, 2024

THE

5 STAGES OF

ne of the greatest pains a teenager can face is understanding that their childhood is fading away. All the times when you would create a fort underneath the kitchen table, roll down a grassy hill with your friends, watch movies and dream of becoming a princess or a superhero while not having any sense of responsibility tend to drift away as you get older. These

moments can slip between your fingers until you are slapped in the face with the inevitability of adulthood. Those moments become exactly what they are: Memories. When a teenager realizes their past only exists as glimpses into what life used to be, they may feel a sense of grief due to the absence of their childhood. We might start to desire that old

The first stage that a teen can experience is often denial. When you get older, you tend to not realize the true meaning of growing up. We were told to enjoy our childhood while we could. However, we tend to ignore this and wish for adulthood to come fast. “When I was younger, I was excited about growing up and getting to do more things. [For example], going out on my own with friends and sort of being able to escape my parents for a bit,” sophomore Bianca Garcia said. “Only later, of course, when I got closer to 13, did I start panicking like, ‘Whoa, no, take it back.’” Garcia shares the sentiment that you tend to ignore your childhood. She felt this sense of denial by not believing that her childhood would ever come to an end. It wasn’t until she realized that she only had a few years left before high school graduation that she finally understood her childhood days were limited. “I totally shoved that to the back of my head because I didn’t want to entertain the idea that I was running out of time to be a kid,” Garcia said. “It was scary because that’s really what it felt like. Just racing against time, and you know it’s in vain because you obviously can’t change time, but you just refuse to accept it.” A lot of teenagers tend to face this denial when they first step into high school. Throughout middle school, we often gain this type of perception of life that is entirely false. We think that we can just get away with escaping responsibility without any repercussions. However, we learn the hard way that we can’t survive without learning responsibility. All that denial and doubt that your childhood is coming to an end finally changes into reality.

After confronting reality and understanding the nature of what is happening, teens can gain this anger that burns brighter than they expected. Why is this happening? Why is my childhood slipping away between my fingers without any apology? It’s like it was just waiting for the day when it could leave without looking back. Anger is how many teens, and people in general, deal with something they can’t control. It’s a natural response to the fear of the unknown. We may wonder what life will be like once we can no longer rely on who we once were. But when it comes to that point in life where we can’t wonder anymore due to it becoming reality instead of imagination, a natural response is to get angry. That anger can lead to a commonly asked question: Why is this happening? According to verywellmind.com, a psychology-based research website, “Anger is manifested as a control-seeking behavior and allows us to seek temporary control of our environment by asserting aggression to avoid feelings of helplessness.” The anger you are probably thinking about is of someone lashing out and seeing nothing but red. However, a lot of the time, this feeling can come out as just simple frustration or irritation. You feel this loss of control that you just can’t seem to handle. To understand this stage, you need to reflect on what is truly happening. Yes, your childhood is slipping away. But it’s not your fault. Your childhood was something that was meant to prepare you for real life. You gained imagination and so many memories that will forever remain with you. Once you are able to have control of that manifested anger, then you can finally move on to the next stage.

1 DENIAL

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2 ANGER

life even though we know it’s gone. Teens can feel denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. Sometimes not in that order, and sometimes not at all. These stages, though, are often something we experience at least once. In cases like these, we are not losing a living person. Instead, we are losing something that felt like an old friend we once cherished dearly.

3 BARGAINING

Bargaining is oftentimes the next thing a teen can experience. You try to make deals with yourself or whatever higher power you think is listening. If you do this one thing, could that change how your life is right now? If you try to keep a childhood friend, would that slow the process to adulthood, even if you are losing touch with them? “I would often find myself bargaining with myself due to the fact that I thought I had some sort of control over my childhood,” senior Franny Ramirez said. “I would often ask myself ‘what if’ questions, wishing I could go back and change things in the hope of a different outcome.” Coming to terms with the fact that you can’t create a new outcome is incredibly difficult, especially when it involves the people you love. There are patches of both optimism and despair as you navigate the feeling that you just might be successful or that things won’t go the way you had hoped or planned. You can wish however many times you want, but it can seem like nothing will change. Our childhoods were never meant to stay. It’s a sad but real fact that we all eventually have to come to terms with. But once we can understand that bargaining with ourselves won’t do anything to help, then we are one step closer to acceptance. Plus, even if you could go back and try to change an inevitable outcome, you might not have the same memories and relationships. A lot of the time, those past relationships are everything. “It sucks not talking to your childhood friends and simply passing by them through the hallways. It feels painful and awkward. But I will never forget them and how meaningful they were to me,” Ramirez said.

AS A TEEN F E I GR

NIAL

BY SOPHIE PONCE DE LEON

DESIGN BY ELLIOT KRIPPELZ AND SARAH SLATTERY

adulthood is where life-altering decisions are made. In our adulthoods, we can make friendships that last forever. We can fall in love and heal from broken hearts. We can have days where we cry until it feels like our eyes run dry and the days where we laugh until our stomachs hurt. We can excel in our chosen passion and perhaps change lives in the process. We can finally be who we wish to be and not who we are expected to be.

The rollercoaster of grieving your childhood can be a wild one. There are the ups and then there are the downs that can make you feel sick or exhilarated. Knowing that your childhood is gone is something that we may feel worried or even scared about as we look back at our pasts and start to think about our future. However, our teenage lives are only the beginning of what the future holds. While the foundation of our lives are laid out in childhood,

R G AI N I N

EPTANC CC

Finally, acceptance is the last stage of grief. This is what feels like the first intake of fresh air. Any previous sadness or mourning can come off your chest, and you no longer feel this suffocating hurt. Instead, that pain becomes just a whisper that will occasionally resurface when thinking back. But now it might be more tolerable. As you go through high school, your childhood will start to fade until it eventually reaches the beginning of adulthood. It may seem scary, and it truly is. As you go into society, there are so many expectations that are going to be completely new and confusing. However, this is a new chapter in your life. The plot that didn’t make any sense before might start to have a steady incline to the climax of your life. Even though your childhood is fleeting, you have all these new memories to create. College, careers and learning to live on your own while realizing your true passions can be where you gain the friendships that truly make a difference, and you may start to finally understand who you are. “With my final year of being in Kaneland, I am ready for the new chapter in my life. As I have accepted the fact that my childhood can no longer be rekindled, I at least have the opportunity to say goodbye and thank you to my past and current friends as we embark on our individual journeys,” Ramirez said.

Even though you may feel a deep pain from seeing your childhood friends moving on, it might be time for you to move on too. This thought may cause a sense of overwhelming depression to hit you. This is where the true mourning is. This is where a teen has most likely given in to the fact that they are closer to adulthood than they would like. When looking back at pictures of moments in your life, you can long for those feelings again. These feelings are based on nostalgia. You can look at pictures of you and your friends when you would play outside together, at past family events as you all laughed together or at a picture with your pets when they were younger. All of this nostalgia can cause an ache in your heart that makes you wish for that part of your life to return. “Sometimes when I see a video or hear a specific song from my childhood, I remember how much easier life was back then and how happy I really was,” junior Serenity Roberts said. To battle this thought process of looking at how happy you once were, you may have to look at the bigger picture. If your life was always easy, where would the challenges be? The challenges are what make us grow up. “I deal with this by trying to live my life happily and be that person the younger me looked up to years ago,” Roberts said.

4 DEPRESSION 5 ACCEPTANCE

While our childhood is the start of it all, it is truly only the beginning of our lives. In our efforts to grow as individuals as we age, it is crucial to note that an inability to move on from your childhood can hold you back. So, as we step into the world of adulthood, it is important to note that the world is open to infinite possibilities and happily ever afters, emphasizing that we sometimes have to move on from the past in order to reach out our hands and grab our futures.

Centerspread

Advice | January 18, 2024

MAKING THE MOST OUT OF THE PRESENT BY ZOE GANNON

Editor

very moment of your life is important, so making these moments special and enjoying them opens your mind to what is before you. When you live in the moment and look around, you may see all the wonderful things to explore and view. But when you are caught up in the past or looking too far into the future, it can restrict you from living life to the fullest. Some ways to live in the moment are making sure that you are going on spontaneous adventures and keeping yourself occupied. You want to keep your life spirited and not be afraid of embarrassment. You should not have to worry about what other people think, but rather try to make your life the best it can be in every moment. “I think it’s appreciating the moment, appreciating that day, that opportunity and not looking too far ahead,’’ English teacher Michael Cimino said. The keys to living in the here and now are allowing yourself to accept any opportunity that comes your way and appreciating being alive in every moment. This allows you to make memories and to learn and grow from experiences you were able to have, good and bad alike. When you live in the moment, you benefit in many ways. Not living in the moment and focusing too much on other things can be detrimental to your relationships. Relationships are often burdened by one or both of the partners not being able to let go of the past or being too focused on their futures. Being with an unavailable partner who is caught up in other moments can be extremely difficult and frustrating. But when you are present, your relationships will benefit, and your partner will enjoy your confidence and honesty. There are also mental benefits that come from living in the moment. Your stress and worries can fade as you are able to focus on current responsibilities and finish them. “I try to stay busy and get my work done as efficiently as I can at school so I don’t have to worry about it outside [of school] and so I don’t freak out about [responsibilities] after school,” senior Maggie Spallasso said. Being able to focus clearly on tasks

16 Advice

by putting all your attention into the present allows you to get your work done at school, which then lifts more off your plate and helps you to not worry about future responsibilities as much. If you stop waiting for what might happen, you may stop obsessively thinking about the future. Being scared of the future on occasion is okay, but it is important to understand that constantly stressing about possibilities can seriously decrease your mental health. When you worry unhealthily about what could happen, the stress from overthinking can cause mental issues. “Excessive thoughts about the future can be a sign of anticipatory anxiety a fear of unpredictable future events, which is sometimes a symptom of anxiety disorders…If left untreated, severe anxiety can cause trouble sleeping, headaches, chronic pain and depression,” psychotherapist Jenny Maenpaa said in a story from CNBC. Many high schoolers face this situation when it comes to grades, sports and work. We are so focused on what grades we will get and our workload that we lose sight of the present and are overly stressed about our futures. Instead of worrying about what you have to do down the line, you should live in the moment and be content with experiencing life now, and in doing so you will be able to put more effort into your goals and aspirations.

Cartoon by Dane Coyne

“[Living in the moment] helps you accomplish your short-term goals, which can help you with your long-term goals,” Spallasso said. Students should try to focus on their current responsibilities, including homework, practice or a shift at work, while it is currently going on. Being present in your tasks makes the work less stressful and allows you to get things done more efficiently. “People get caught up either in the past or what’s coming next, and they don’t focus on that day or opportunity. I try to do that the best I can,” Cimino said. Making plans and decisions about the future can obviously be beneficial and might help make your life a lot easier. It is also good to reflect at times on your past so you can learn and grow from it. Like anything else in life, though, finding the right balance is important. “Taking the time out of your schedule to set objectives can be extremely beneficial in the long run, as it will allow you to better plan your tasks and find the best and most effective ways to complete them…Reflecting on your progress gives you a sense of purpose, especially once your goal is achieved, as this leads in turn to happiness and productivity,” 4th-year student in Human Resource Management Daniya Gulzar said in an article from the Telfer School of Management. When it gets to the point that you are worrying about something you did in the past that caused embarrassment or you find yourself focusing so much on the future that it controls your life in the present, it becomes unhealthy and a burden that can be difficult to bear. Trying your best to focus on every present moment helps you improve yourself and learn more from your mistakes. It allows you to notice things around you that would normally go unnoticed. Every moment we are alive is a gift, and being able to appreciate that reality opens your mind to your surroundings. Try your best to not worry about the past or future too much, appreciate the moments you are experiencing and fill your life with exciting opportunities that you find valuable.

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Editorial | January 18, 2024 Kaneland High School 47W326 Keslinger Rd. Maple Park, IL 60151 (630) 365-5100 www.kanelandkrier.com

Member of IJEA, Quill & Scroll, NSPA, NISPA IHSA State Finalists 2013-2023 IJEA First Place for Krier Online 2021 IJEA First Place for Best Hybrid Publication 2021-2023 IJEA First Place for Best Overall Publication 2021-2023 Subscription rates: Five issues and three supplements School-delivered: $25; Home-delivered: $35 Katie Pfotenhauer Co-Editor-in-Chief of Print and Co-Copy Editor Lizzy Sidman Production and Ads & Business Executive

EXECUTIVE STAFF Sela Valignota Co-Editor-in-Chief of Print

Rafika Khan Editor-in-Chief of Web and Co-Copy Editor

Elliot Krippelz Design and Photography Executive

Jackson Kottmeyer Sports & Activities Executive

MANAGING EDITOR STAFF

Cartoon by Dane Coyne

PRIORITIZING CRUCIAL ISSUES

ur attention spans are getting shorter and shorter every day. In 2000, an average teenager’s attention span was around twelve seconds. By 2016, it was recorded as around eight seconds - shorter than a goldfish’s. With billions of new social media posts to scroll through every day and all of the information in the world at our fingertips within an instant, it is understandable that we would come to expect everything quickly and to filter out what is uninteresting. On the other hand, with social media, many of us have been exposed to new information, ideas and social movements. No matter what you believe in, someone on social media is fighting to see the change they desire. Social movements on social media are a crucial part of the teenage world that encourages us to become informed on the issues that matter to us and to be active members of our democracy. Hahrie Han, professor of political science at Johns Hopkins University and author of several books covering social change, sat down with the World Economic Forum, a nonprofit public-private cooperation organization, to discuss the complexity of modern social movements. “Right now, we live in an era where it’s easier than ever before for people to get involved. I can send out one tweet or a viral hashtag,” Han said. “I can get hundreds of thousands or even millions of people out into the streets.

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But when you talk to the people who are on the front lines, on the one hand, they feel like it’s easier than ever before to get people involved. But on the other hand, it’s harder than ever to make it feel like their participation actually matters.” Though social media has introduced many of us to important movements, it has also gravely shortened our attention span, which can be a massive obstacle in our quests for change. Whether we genuinely back a movement by spreading awareness or making calls to our legislators or attending protests, our efforts can be futile. When these modern social movements depend on virality and succumb to any setback, it is challenging for young people to treat these as anything other than a trend. “A lot of social movements mistake attention for power. We live in an attention economy. But attention doesn’t necessarily mean that you can actually make the change that you want,” Han said. Han also asserts that we may get millions of people to mobilize for change, but that mobilization means nothing without organization. Only when we young people begin to lengthen our attention spans, focus on what our movement needs and organize effectively will the change we want to see come. We must not move on. We must fight before time runs out and we forget what we were fighting for all along.

Audrey Walker Co-Social Media Manager Sophie Ponce de Leon Sofia Williams Nathan Lapitan Co-Columnist Manager Sports Coverage Manager Lead Meteorologist

Carli Filek Co-Social Media Manager

Barbara Martinez Co-Columnist Manager

Tiffany Johnson Podcasting Manager

Delaney Calabrese Co-Broadcast Manager

Taylor Anello Co-Broadcast Manager

EDITORIAL STAFF News 2 Casper Suehs

News 1 Adrianna Wells

Co-Sports 2 Lucas Fiedler and River Mullins

Sports 1 Olivia King and Carmella Rio Voices Kayli Loonam

Dane Coyne Cartoonist Manager

Review Sophie Thill

Feature 2 Jasper Paulson

Centerspread Sarah Slattery

Photos Barbara Martinez

News 3 Sophie Ponce de Leon Lifestyle Audrey Walker

Entertainment 1 Teaghan Hardy

Opinion 1 Nate Sand

Editorial Elliot Krippelz

Andrew Valentini Co-Broadcast Manager

Feature 1 Riley Merdzan

Advice Preslee Sutherland

Opinion 2 Zoe Gannon

Profile Isa Alba Back Cover Carli Filek

Advertisement Lizzy Sidman

STAFF

Pierce Antia, Payton Bonebrake, Olivia Cotter, Erin Doucette, Benjamin Falk, Anna Gatz, Olivia Krasuski, Charlize Landa, Bobby Leavey, Faith Maschman, Sara Nugara, Clara Saros, Sophia Schroll, Justin Sommers, Hadley Springer, Lily Stevenson, Arielle Tautkus, Hailee VanCura, Emma Weintraub, and Evan Whildin Cartoonist Zoe Gannon

Graphic Designer Natalie Lycan

Print Production

Natalie Lycan Adam Walker

Sara Toman

ADVISORS

Dominic Bruno Nicole Larsen Krier advisor Print advisor

EDITORIAL POLICY

Editorials represent a majority opinion of the Editorial Board and are not necessarily the opinion of Kaneland administration, staff, students or parents. The Krier Editorial Board consists of designated Advanced Journalism students: Isa Alba, Taylor Anello, Delaney Calabrese, Dane Coyne, Sophie Ponce de Leon, Lucas Fiedler, Carli Filek, Zoe Gannon, Teaghan Hardy, Tiffany Johnson, Rafika Khan, Olivia King, Jackson Kottmeyer, Elliot Krippelz, Nathan Lapitan, Kayli Loonam, Natalie Lycan, Barbara Martinez, Riley Merdzan, River Mullins, Jasper Paulson, Katie Pfotenhauer, Carmella Rio, Nate Sand, Lizzy Sidman, Sarah Slattery, Casper Suehs, Preslee Sutherland, Sophie Thill, Andrew Valentini, Sela Valignota, Audrey Walker, Adrianna Wells, and Sofia Williams. Students make all publication decisions. Letters can be sent to the address above or e-mailed to krier@ kaneland.org. Letters must be signed (names may be withheld under extraordinary circumstances as deemed by the editorial staff) and must be under 300 words. The Editorial Board has the right to work with writers to edit for clarity and length. Any material that is potentially libelous, obscene or disruptive will not be published at the discretion of the Editorial Board. All decisions to publish or not publish letters are made by executive editors. The Krier has been an open forum since 1974. As an open forum, we restrict editing to staff members only; prior review and editing are prohibited by people outside the staff.

Editorial

Opinion | January 18, 2024

TAILORING SPANISH TEACHING METHODS BY ADRIANNA WELLS & SELA VALIGNOTA Editor & Co-Editor-in-Chief of Print

any Hispanic students take advantage of Kaneland’s language graduation requirement to better connect with their cultural background or utilize the language they speak at home to earn a better grade. However, the way the curriculum is structured does not make this as accessible because of its formalities dependent on Castilian Spanish and its lack of flexibility in personalization. With disagreements on how to structure a curriculum, one of our specific concerns, as a mixed Mexican-American student, focuses on what is in the best interests of Hispanic students. Growing up in a mixed family and Spanish-and-English-speaking household, I could always understand Spanish but couldn’t start speaking it until these past few years. When I was younger, I always tried to learn to speak the language but ended up giving up when it got difficult. As I got older, I decided to keep trying to learn through different apps, flashcards and even YouTube videos so that I could speak to my non-English-speaking family members. However, I didn’t really retain any of it. Once I got into middle school, I took Spanish in both seventh and eighth grade, and even though I wasn’t fluent, I could still recognize simple sentences and phrases from hearing my Mexican mom speak to me in Spanish. However, I faced difficulties when the curriculum I was learning seemed to prioritize Castilian Spanish, the dialect of Spanish predominantly spoken in northern and central Spain. After continuously trying to learn through the school curriculum, I stopped depending on classes and started to learn and study on my own. The differences in the Spanish in class compared with the language at home would confuse me with their differences in grammar and slang. This was when I first recognized just how much Castilian Spanish, otherwise known as Peninsular Spanish, contrasted with Mexican Spanish. According to writer and professor Melody Li in an article for Rosetta Stone, a division of IXL Learning that focuses on language education, these differences in grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation may seem subtle. “The Spanish spoken across Mex-

18 Opinion

ico, Mexican Spanish and the Spanish spoken in Spain, Peninsular Spanish, are two dialects of the same language,” Li wrote. “Mexican Spanish and Peninsular Spanish are not exactly the same, but are mutually intelligible.” Although these differences don’t prevent the two language users from speaking to one another, it is still important to recognize them as separate dialects. “With all that said, you can still get lost in translation, or even accidentally offend someone, if you’re not aware of some important distinctions between Spanish dialects,” Li continued. “Spanish speakers around the world can understand each other. At the end of the day, they speak the same language just with unique characteristics.” Depending on the school, the Spanish language department may choose to prioritize a specific dialect over another. For many, there is a bias towards the formalities of Castilian Spanish. Kaneland’s Foreign Languages Department Chair Michelle Jurcenko further elaborates on how this slant towards Castilian Spanish applies to the high school and middle school’s curriculum. “Anything academic geared by [the textbooks we use] are oftentimes referring to Castilian Spanish from Spain because that’s kind of like the academic Spanish so to speak,” Jurcenko said. “But even [in those textbooks], they still try to present some of the other dialects to give kids a taste of that.” With one version of Spanish being prioritized over another, it can cause some students to feel left out. However, Jurcenko explains that although the recognition of Castilian Spanish as the standard form of the language influences the academic teachings of it, Kaneland’s Spanish teachers still try to be inclusive of other Hispanic cultures and dialects. “We don’t really pick one dialect to teach,” Jurcenko said. “We try to hit a little bit on every one because we don’t know if the child is maybe going to travel to Spain. We have a lot of families here that are of Mexican descent, so the Mexican dialect would be beneficial to them. We have some that are from South America. So we don’t want

to just pigeonhole and teach one dialect. We try to give a little taste of everything.” Jurcenko and the rest of the foreign languages department recognize the importance of exposing Spanish-learning students to the different dialects of the language, from how it affects their learning experience to their cultural background. However, they also understand how that may be challenging when it comes to underrepresented Hispanic cultures. “But you know, there are 20-some countries who speak Spanish. So it’s impossible for us to teach every single dialect of it, right? But we try to present them in a variety,” Jurcenko said. “It’s hard to just pick one dialect to teach because we have so many different countries that kids could travel to that maybe that is their home language.” This poses some uncertainty relating to how effective these teaching methods are for Hispanic students when they attempt to utilize the school’s Spanish classes as their way of learning their cultural dialect. It’s fair to argue that because of the large diversity of Spanish speakers, it’s difficult to satisfy everyone’s cultures. Curriculum should be based on what is in the student’s best interest, and sometimes the Spanish curriculum does not necessarily fit that preference. Although students are taught Spanish basics, the choice in dialect that is taught can influence how well students are able to use and retain the language.

Cartoon by Adriana Wells

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Opinion | January 18, 2024

SCHOOL PERFORMANCE DOES NOT LIMIT YOU BY BARBARA MARTINEZ

Editor and Co-Columnist Manager

ftentimes, a lot of p e o p l e ’s attention tends to focus on telling high-achieving students that their success or lack thereof in an academic sense doesn’t reflect on them as a person. For instance, a straight-A student may be stressed over a particular course they are struggling with. Of course, this doesn’t mean that the student isn’t diligent or intelligent. That sentiment has been shared with many high school students, particularly those with high academic performance. However, the stress that students on the other end of the spectrum feel is valid too. This includes those with a low cumulative grade point average (CGPA), low SAT or ACT scores or poor performance in other academic areas. Oftentimes, students who tend to show lower academic performance are associated with an image of a careless or laid-back approach to their studies. However, this isn’t necessarily the case. The Journal of Behavioral Science (TJBS) published a study from 2009 that analyzed the differences in mental health issues that were present in low and high-achieving students. The sample of students consisted of 120 undergraduate students from the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM). In this sample, low-achieving students were those with a CGPA of 2.0 or lower, and high-achieving students were those who had a CGPA of 3.5 or higher. According to TJBS, “Low-achieving students reported higher levels of depression, anxiety and stress compared to students with high academic achievement.” The results of this study were found to be significant, according to researchers. This isn’t meant to diminish the struggles of high-achieving students but to show that there is a demographic of students who are experiencing negative effects on their mental health due

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much hope for postsecondary success, as it seems like academic scores determine whether you have a fulfilling career or not. Luckily, this isn’t the case. A local example of this is Tim Larsen, a teacher at Kaneland High School for 25 years. Kaneland students may know him as a fun math teacher, but many may not know that he had what some consider a rocky Cartoon by Zoe Gannon start to his postsecondary career. to their lower academic performance. Larsen’s parents encouraged him Being a high school student comes to attend college after high school, but with the pressure of what happens af- he says that it was his immaturity that ter we graduate. Many students tend led to not having much success acato be working towards a certain stan- demically at that level. “I was happy to dard they would like to obtain for the be out of the house. I was having fun, post-secondary education they wish to I was skipping classes and I was partypursue. They then tend to feel stressed ing,” Larsen said. “Next thing you know, about academic performance, believ- the first semester is over, and I have a ing it determines future opportunities. 0.82 GPA.” Of course, students are perceived This led to Larsen dropping out of for actions that go beyond their grades college and working full-time in retail. or test scores, but the students them- However, Larsen soon realized someselves may not feel that way. When thing. “I [looked] at people who had good grades and test scores are so been there for 20 years and were fullhighly praised, some may feel that their time, and I was like, ‘This isn’t for me,’” other achievements, whether commu- he said. nal or personal ones, are not as recThis is what prompted him to atognized if they don’t meet certain aca- tend a community college and put forth demic standards. true effort. He worked to be a straight-A Elsevier, a major scientific publish- student and then transferred to the Unier and data analytics company, pub- versity of Michigan, where he would lished a study in 2011 that observed graduate with distinction. Inspired by a sample of 100 upperclassmen from some great professors Larsen had, he government secondary schools locat- discovered an interest in teaching. ed in Tehran, Iran, to see the causes Students who are afraid that their of stress and their coping strategies. lower grades or scores might restrict According to Elsevier, the percentage them from being successful after high of distressed secondary students was school can realize that it isn’t hopeless. 26.1%, and of the top 10 indicators of As Larsen did, students have the option stressors among students, the number to attend community colleges, which one stressor was “fear of not getting a can set them up to be in a position to place in tertiary education.” succeed. This isn’t the only possibility While this study doesn’t specify either. Pursuing the trades, enlisting in whether these students were low- or the military and jumping straight into high-achieving, the first study I men- the workforce are possible routes a tioned supports that it’s possible for stu- person can take. The key takeaway here dents who are considered low-achiev- is that the stress that students experiing to be impacted by this stressor. ence is valid, and there are many ways Upperclassmen with lower grades a student can succeed, no matter their or test scores may feel like there isn’t academic background or interests.

Opinion

Profile | January 18, 2024

20 Profile

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Profile | January 18, 2024

FEECE: ONCE A KNIGHT, ALWAYS A KNIGHT BY AUDREY WALKER

Editor and Co-Social Media Manager

areer and Technical Education (CTE) and Multi-Tiered Systems of Supports (MTSS) teacher Brock Feece never planned to be teaching at the school he graduated from. In fact, he actively avoided it. But after a career that twisted and turned, he’s back where he started, and he couldn’t be happier about it. Feece attended the Kaneland school district from kindergarten through senior year and graduated in 2011. His parents and some of his grandparents also attended district schools. While in high school, he was involved in an array of activities, including band, theater, Scholastic Bowl, Eagle Scouts and Student Council, though band took up the majority of his time. While he knew from a young age that he wanted to be a teacher, he bounced between wanting to focus on math or music. He eventually settled on one and went on to get his bachelor’s degree in music education at Millikin University. There, he received a lot of opportunities to intern and shadow, which further solidified his choice of career. His high school and college teachers’ impact and guidance were also contributing factors to his confidence in his chosen profession. “For both music and math, I had a lot of really great teachers that motivated me to go down that path,” Feece said. “I had some professors in college who helped mentor me and confirmed that I wanted to be in education.” After college, he taught high school band outside of the Kaneland district for five years and helped coach the Scholastic Bowl team before quitting teaching altogether. “I was done with teaching. I wanted out completely,” Feece said. So, he started to “piece together something new.” He worked as a travel consultant and the director of sales for a music education travel agency and got his real estate license. He also started a small business with his brother, where they bought and sold whiskey barrels. Although different from teaching, these careers ultimately helped him in his current job. Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, Feece took a temporary substitute

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teacher job at Kaneland Harter Middle School. What was supposed to be a two- to three-week substitute position turned into the whole school year, and it reignited his love for teaching. “That opportunity made me realize that I wanted to get back into education,” Feece said. “It was supposed to be a very short stop, and it has now been four years.” After that substitute position, he started working at KHS. Since working at the high school, he has used his business and financial knowledge from his previous jobs to teach Applications of Technology, Personal Finance and Business. Beginning with the 2022-23 school year, he started working as an MTSS facilitator, which he has enjoyed. “I like MTSS because I feel like this team of teachers up here will do abso-

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I was done with teaching. I wanted out completely. - Teacher Brock Feece

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lutely anything to help students be successful,” he said. “I have seen my coworkers absolutely do whatever it takes to help students get on track for success. I really like our team approach.” In addition to teaching, Feece is also involved in extracurriculars at KHS. He is the varsity Scholastic Bowl coach, assistant band director and assistant Athletic Director for the winter season. These different activities allow him to get to know students better than if he was just their teacher. As the band and Scholastic Bowl were programs that he was involved in while he was in high school, it’s nice for him to come back and see things from a different perspective. “I had really positive experiences in those two things, and so I like the opportunity to connect with students outside of the classroom,” he said. “That was a big part of my high school experience.” One of his former high school teachers who is now a co-worker, math teacher Ken Dentino, touched on this connection.

“He’s using his natural leadership qualities that he’s always had and his unique personality to connect with kids,” Dentino said. One of the ways that these relationships help Feece in the classroom is the large number of students he’s able to talk to. One of his band and Scholastic Bowl students, junior Tom Thill, noted that “he’s got connections everywhere.” Although Feece is easygoing, that doesn’t stop him from getting things done. When it is time to do work, he advocates for productivity. Thill described how he’s always willing to joke around but is strict when needed. “When it’s time to focus and get things done, he gets us on track, and he’s ready to go. [He has] the perfect balance in a coach," Thill said. In addition to academic advising, Thill said Feece also guides students and looks out for their emotional health. Dentino also noted his positive attitude and strong work ethic that he’s displayed since Dentino taught him during his freshman and senior years. Although Feece’s history with the Kaneland school district is special to him, it’s his interest in the activities he’s involved in that influences his dedication the most. “His love for doing whatever makes him happy [makes him dedicated],” Thill said, “whether that be band, Scholastic Bowl or whatever he’s doing this year.” Outside of school, he enjoys traveling, usually to somewhere warm. In addition to travel planning, he’s now begun wedding planning. He incorporated his two dogs into his Sept. 29, 2023, proposal to his now fiance. He lives in Maple Park and feels lucky to live in the community that he works in. As far as the future, he doesn’t know where he’ll end up. With his master’s degree in educational leadership, though, he thinks he might be interested in going into an administrative position in the future. Although his career path was a little unconventional, he doesn’t regret where he ended up. “I definitely never anticipated my career going the way it has gone, but I am very glad for the way that things have turned out,” Feece said.

Profile

Photos | January 18, 2024

RED STRING THEORY You might be wondering what the red string of fate truly means. It is a myth that is similar to the invisible string theory where two people who are connected by a “thread” are meant to be long-lasting lovers or faithful best friends regardless of place or time. This magical cord signifies the strength between two people and how their bond can never be broken.

Kate Fair and Cassidy Krohn are both seniors. They have been going to the same schools their whole academic careers. In elementary school, they found out their parents were good friends. After they realized their parents were close, they knew their friendship was meant to be. Their friendship continues to this day, and they have made so many memories together.

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Photos | January 18, 2024

BY TIFFANY JOHNSON & SAMANTHA DUNNE

Seniors Jessica Wrobel and Linda Ray were always together as kids but never became best friends until later in life. They played on the same softball team at a young age and happened to be in the same friend group. Later on, they became very close and have been best friends ever since.

Abbie Mederich and Zachary Murdock are both juniors. They were on the same cross country team in sixth grade. They continued to run together throughout middle school, which carried on through high school. At the beginning of the ‘23 school year, they started dating and are happy together.

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