December Issue

[the krier

DECEMBER 15, 2011

the student newspaper of Kaneland High School

Meet Erin

Founder of Erin Regina Photography

A 365 Photo Project

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE p. 8

SYNTHETIC DRUGS BANNED p. 10

ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIPS p. 15

MAKE YOUR OWN WHOOPIE PIES p. 17

NEWS

Parking problem drives a change

BY MORGAN BUERKE, Editor Accidents occurring throughout the student parking lot have led administrators to change the way drivers can exit the area.

“We implemented the change in an effort to reduce car accidents,” Officer Keith Gardner said. “Hopefully these traffic changes will reduce the number of accidents at or around the school.”

This sudden change in rules was decided mostly by those in charge of the school’s security said Dean Renee Grisch. These included Assistant Superintendant Dr. JulieAnn Fuchs, Principal Chip Hickman and Gardner.

“They looked at the big picture,” Grisch said.

Factors that played into the decision included the reduction of accidents, pedestrians, speed, buses and even merging. Grisch said that the administration’s main goal was to make sure the lot is safe.

“Speed is the biggest problem, and we’re trying to correct that by obviously taking away parking passes and so forth,” Gardner said.

A lot of students thought that the change was going to slow them down. “[I thought] it wasn’t going to work,” senior Airynn Woodill said.

“The students who sped before are going to speed again, and it’s the same thing for reckless driving.”

But in the long run, Woodill said that she actually gets out faster than she did before.

“It still takes a while to get out, but the change was effective,” Woodill said.

2

Another source of problems was merging; Gardner said some licensed students don’t know how to wait to let another car in, or if they do, students aren’t willing to let another car get in front of them.

“I think that most people who get their driver’s license should already know how to do that,” Woodill said.

The problem with merging has caused numerous accidents and some close calls.

Gardner said that so far, he’s heard of about four or five accidents this year, but they were all located in different spots throughout the lot.

The area of highest risk, he said, was where the parking lot road exits at Keslinger because buses entering the lot blocked drivers’ visibility. Administrators have now changed the policy so no one can go out using Keslinger Road; therefore avoiding the buses altogether.

Grisch said that the reason administrators had to factor in buses is that they “have higher priority” over cars.

She also said that, with accidents occurring in the parking lot, “no injuries have occurred so far,” and only one accident resulted in “major damage to both cars involved.”

The problem was mostly with near-accidents; a large amount of cars that don’t actually hit each other came really close. The change has helped with that.

“I think they’re coming to realize it’s not slowing them down as much as they thought,” Gardner said.

News / December 15, 2011 / KANELAND KRIER

Contributions by Heather Shelton and Richard Williams

Photo by Murphy Garcia

Security guard Christopher Butler supervises the parking lot on Oct. 31, the first day with the new rules.

7

1

3

1

5

DANGER ZONES AND NEW SAFETY CHECKS 1

2

3 4

Security guards Christopher Butler and Brandon Staker stand at intersections to watch the traffic flow.

Accidents occurred between a moving car and a parked car. According to Officer Keith Gardner, many accidents were caused because some students were intent on making a mad dash for the exit at the end of the day.

A speed bump helps to regulate students’ speed as they exit the parking lot.

A serious collision occurred at this spot between two moving cars. No injuries occurred.

5

Buses exit the parking lot through both of these exits, causing problems for people trying to turn out because of the low visibility around the bus.

6

Place with highest risk of accidents.

Because of low visibility around turning buses, cars trying to turn onto Keslinger can’t be seen by cars speeding along the road, causing multiple close calls.

7

Due to safety concerns, the administration changed the rules in the parking lot, and per the new rules, students must exit onto Meredith Rd.

Compiled by Richard Williams

Student Council sponsors holiday drive for Toys for Tots

Geometry teacher Cheryl Clayton is one of the many teachers at Kaneland that has a fuller class room this year.

Photo by Kaprice Sanchez

Building nearing capacity

BY LANIE CALLAGHAN AND MCKINZIE MANGER, Editors The high school is within short distance of hitting maximum capacity, data presented to the school board showed.

The building is currently at 84 percent capacity, and space is expected to become tighter since incoming classes are larger than outgoing ones.

Though the building technically has 16 percent capacity remaining, in order to reach full capacity, every classroom in the building would have to be full eight periods a day. Since many electives, honors classes and special education classes contain fewer than 30 students, space will become tight before full capacity is reached.

“There are a number of issues,” Principal Chip Hickman said. “The class sizes and the materials for the classes [are a challenge].”

KHS is up to 1,346 students this year, with

roughly 337 students per grade level. These numbers are expected to continue to increase because the average class size in the middle school is 367; in the elementary school, it’s 387.

In this year’s eighth and seventh grade classes, there are 87 more students than in the curent junior and senior classes. By the 2014-2015 school year, the high school will have a approximately 1,433 students.

Business teacher Andrew Igras said he did not know the building was nearing capacity.

“I am shocked,” Igras said.

But senior John Lacey wasn’t surprised.

“I’m not shocked,” Lacey said. “The population is growing everyday.”

In 2003 and 2008, the high school saw its highest population growth with an increase of about 8.4 percent. Since the housing market declined in 2008, there has not been as steep of a population increase. This year, the high school population increased by 1.2 percent.

Children all over the Fox Valley area are having a merrier Christmas, thanks to Student Council members who worked hard to make children smile.

This week, Student Council finished a toy drive that collected around 300-400 toys that benefitted Toys for Tots, a military charity that helps area families, Student Council sponsor Javier Martinez said.

Senior Kelsey Gould, the Executive Board director, said that on average, each child receives two toys.

“The purpose of helping out with toy drives is to not think about ourselves for a little bit,” Gould said. “I’ve always been impressed with the amount of toys donated.”

As an incentive, Student Council buys pizza for the third block class that collects the most toys. The winning class will be announced this week.

“The best part about helping out with toy drives is knowing that one more kid could have a happy Christmas and just making another kid smile,” Gould said.

Martinez said that the Fire Science classes do a tremendous job helping Student Council deliver the toys and a large amount of the toys come from them.

Fire Science students have been helping out with the toy drives for the past four years and are planning to surpass the record for last year, 165 toys, Fire Science teacher Gary Baum said.

“We like to help out with the toy drives because we like to help Mr. Martinez and because it’s the right thing to do. There’s nothing worse than a kid not getting a toy for Christmas,” Baum said.

-Katie Hill, reporter

News / December 15, 2011 / KANELAND KRIER

3

Redbox hikes rental rates Movie giant follows Netflix; raises prices 20 percent

BY HANNAH WALLACE, Reporter New regulations intended for the banking industry may be partially responsible for the DVD rental giant Redbox raising prices by Photo rendering courtesy of Village of Sugar Grove twenty cents.

Instead of daily rentals being $1.00 for norThis elevation drawing of the building Jimmy John’s will be located in shows what the store and building will look like. mal DVDs, they will now be $1.20. There is no increase in price for Blu-ray discs or video games where available.

Redbox said that the Dodd-Frank financial regulation bill, also known as the Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, deserves part of the blame.

BY SABRINA SIVERT, Reporter The Dodd-Frank legislation was signed into law Sugar Grove will soon be one of the many on July 21, 2010, and gives towns to receive “freaky fast delivery,” when its the government more newest restaurant, Jimmy John’s, opens. control of the banking The sandwich chain will be built in the end industry. unit of “The Shops of the Landings,” located at Third quarter earning 472 N. Route 47, a building with a total of 1,450 announcements stated square feet, and will be opening March 1 of next that the change was mostyear. ly due to increased operAccording to Mike Ferencak, Sugar Grove –Paul Mayer, accounting teacher village planner, the building was originally con- Ferencak said the village hoped that the new ating costs, including an structed in 2007 and was finally approved. They businesses would attract more businesses to the increase in debit card fees as a result of the Durbin amendment. built it with a drive-thru, planning for it to be a town.

“I believe the recent Redbox price is necrestaurant, but the village wasn’t sure what was “It will potentially cause more business to going to be there. Jimmy John’s came to Sugar come to [Sugar Grove],” Ferencak said. “It has essary to keep businesses afloat,” accounting Grove asking to use that space. been said that McDonald’s did that because teacher Paul Mayer said.

Prices have been raised by the suppliers of Jimmy John’s is a nationwide franchise. The right after it was built, Jimmy John’s popped up.”

Redbox’s movies, which is likely a contributing Sugar Grove location will join others nearby in A typical build-out can take up to 90 days to Sycamore, Geneva, Aurora and South Elgin. complete, depending on many variables such as factor.

“I don’t think the reasons Redbox stated that “It’s never entirely clear what [Sugar Grove] the structure and location of the building, and did to get [Jimmy John’s] here—they make their Jimmy John’s estimates that it costs between they increased their prices are the real reasons, own decision, but we have to keep our standards $305,000 and $485,000 to start up a new loca- I think they were planning on increasing prices anyways,” economics teacher Tammi Conn said. up to get more businesses to continue to come,” tion.

After Netflix increased prices, its stock Ferencak said.

Freshman Kelsey Lancaster, a resident of dropped 73 percent. Redbox’s comparatively Dan Leuer, the owner of the new Jimmy Sugar Grove, said she is very excited to have ansmall rate increase may not affect consumers John’s franchise, said he is happy to be in Sugar other nice place to eat and deliver food.

Grove.

“With another place besides pizza places drastically to the point where they stop using it “We are super excited for our company to that deliver, Jimmy John’s will have a good busi- or find another place to get their movies.

“People who find this form of renting congrow,” Leuer said. ness,” Lancaster said. “I like it because it gives The village is growing as well. more places and things to do and eat at in Sugar venient will still continue to rent,” Mayer said.

Freshman AJ Ayala said that the rate hike Currently, Sugar Grove has three pizza plac- Grove. With the community growing, it is bees, Subway, McDonald’s, All-American BBQ, coming a great convenience for the people that would not affect his DVD rentals.

“It’s still a good price,” he said. and The Fireside Grille, to name but a few. live in Sugar Grove.”

Contributions by Courtney Reiss

SG gets freaky fast subs Jimmy John’s expands to Sugar Grove

“People who find this form of renting convenient will still continue to rent.”

4

Real World / December 15, 2011 / KANELAND KRIER

KRIER

OURVIEW

Kaneland’s Student Newsmagazine

Kaneland High School 47W326 Keslinger Rd. Maple Park, IL 60151 (630) 365-5100 ext. 236 www.kaneland.org/krier/

“Slow down!

You’re about to pass up that turtle.”

Member ISHSPA, Quill & Scroll, NSPA, NISPA NSPA First Place 2010 Quill and Scroll First Place 2010 NISPA Golden Eagle 2011 Subscription rates: Nine monthly issues, two supplements School-delivered, $15; Home-delivered, $28 EXECUTIVE STAFF Kylie Siebert Editor-in-Chief Circulation Back Page

Diana Nuno Print Production Visual and Design Editorial

Rachael Clinton Digital Production Cover Design

Julia Angelotti Advertising & Business Head Copyeditor

PRINT EDITORIAL STAFF

Let’s try to communicate

Artwork by Austin Paulson

The complaints were ranted and raved about during Handing students a piece of paper after the assemthe assembly—and barely anybody truly took the parkbly with a little diagram didn’t get anyone’s attention. ing policy into consideration.

Yes, arrows and lines are all good, but let’s be realisIt’s not a secret: students have encountered a few tic: we’re teenagers. There’s some of us that will suck it accidents this year. Some were minor and unreported, up, there’s some of us that don’t care, and there’s some others put forth serious damage and some will even be of us that will “fight the power.” taken to court.

We deserved an explanation, thorough reasonings The accidents are the first for many KHS students, (like saying we might be flattened by a huge yellow bus) and many jumped to the conclusion that the accidents and a warning. were the reason that the parking lot policy changed.

Here’s a suggestion: when the administration went “The main reason was safety,” Dean Renee Grisch to every classroom to explain STEP to students last said. “There were just too many close calls, and we had year, a small group setting was more effective than to change the policy.” dragging us all into the gym or the auditorium. It was Many students complained and asked questions to carefully explained, and we were able to ask questions one another, but because few had the courage to ask because it was a small group. It reached us, and it was a administrators, most of us didn’t get the answers. We better idea than the assembly. did, and we’re here to inform the Although the school could’ve EDITORIAL BOARD VOTE student body about it. communicated the policy better, So, why change the policy this we students also need to realize our AGREE DISAGREE year, and why in the middle of it? faults.

“We did it later in the year What we could’ve done differbecause of the changing-of-theently was understand the concern guards,” Grisch said. and the duty the school has to enWe have new administrators force strict safety rules to keep evand security personnel, as well as a new school resource eryone safe. They are looking out for our best interests. officer. It’s unreasonable to expect them to identify the We’re not saying that everyone complained. “I like problem on the first day. the parking lot [policy] because it’s a lot faster and efWhy didn’t they warn us before starting to revoke ficient,” senior Samantha Heinle said. parking passes for speeding?

We’re merely suggesting to those students who had Actually, they covered warning part, but some of so much to say: just give change a chance. Yes, certain us didn’t realize it. There is actually a statement in the things are hard to adjust to, but not all things are altered handbook saying we could have our parking passes to ruin our lives. revoked, with no distinct amount of time listed. We We had trouble finding fault with the new parking signed sheets saying we’d read the policies. policy after the administration explained it. They wantWhy did they tell us in a giant assembly, where there ed to save us from accidents and close-calls. What’s so was no opportunity for us to ask questions? bad about that? They wanted to get us out quicker too.

“Our estimations were off. We had no idea that so “You guys are getting out well before the second many people were going to show up. If we had known, wave of buses even comes through,” Grisch said. we would’ve used a different method,” Grisch said.

That’s all they really had to do: take the time to exWe agree that a different method would have been plain and treat us like adults. We just had to be adult more effective. enough to listen.

27 0

News Morgan Buerke Kaprice Sanchez

Real World Matt Wahlgren

Opinion Sam Bower John Pruett

Features Lexi Roach Delaney Stryczek

Lifestyle & How-To McKinzie Mangers

Sports Feature Brandon Bishop

Centerspread Emily Gulanczyk Alex Vickery Pulse Ryan Noel Kaleb Schuppner

Depth Lanie Callaghan Casey Jacobson Sports Photography Shane Fergus Heather Shelton Jacob Razo

Asst. Copyeditor & Flex Page Brianne Strobel

DIGITAL EDITORIAL STAFF News Sara Laurie

Features Gina Jarvis

Photography Tyler Keenum

Sports Nick Philips

Technology Manager Marshall Farthing

GENERAL STAFF

Nick Albano, Matt Alfrey, Nina Burns, Jaemee Cordero, Murphy Garcia, George Graefen, McKayla Helm, Kati Hill, Maria Lassandro, Tatiana Lee, Kaley Martens, Amelia Likeum, Rachel Mathys, Michelle McCracken, Evan Ortiz, Samantha Payton, Courtney Reiss, Eddie Rodriguez, Sabrina Sivert, Taylor Spooner, Kristin Staub, Bryanna Stoiber, Ellie Strang, Claudia Tovar, Lourinda Triplett, Hannah Wallace, Richard Williams

ADVISERS Cheryl Borrowdale Krier adviser

Nicole Larsen Graphics adviser

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: Julia Angelotti, Rachael Clinton, Diana Nuno, Kylie Siebert, Brandon Bishop, Sam Bower, Morgan Buerke, Lanie Callaghan, Shane Fergus, Emily Gulanczyk, Gina Jarvis, Casey Jacobson, Tyler Keenum, Ryan Noel, Nick Phillips, John Pruett, Jake Razo, Lexi Roach, Kaprice Sanchez, Kaleb Schuppner, Heather Shelton, Brianne Strobel, Delaney Stryczek, Alex Vickery, and Matt Wahlgren. 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 edit letters for clarity and length. Any material that is potentially libelous, obscene or disruptive will not be published, at the discretion of the editorial board. 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 / December 15, 2011 / KANELAND KRIER

5

Greedy sports stars lead to lockouts Is more money really the key to happiness? The nine months NBA players and owners spent debating over it say otherwise

RYAN NOEL Editor With the holidays just around the corner, we stress the importance that it’s about giving, not receiving.

Unless you’re a professional athlete.

Whether it’s baseball, basketball, football, or squash, athletes have thought of themselves as kings (see King James a.k.a LeBron James).

For all of you that don’t know, Barack Obama makes $400,000 a year. Kobe Bryant just raked in a big fat paycheck of over $25,000,000.

I’m sensing a problem with how America has chosen to spend its money.

The leader of our nation currently makes less than 1/25 of a basketball player who only plays 82 games.

Let’s quickly take a step back in time when basketball had no slam

dunks or three point lines and it was uncommon for a football player to only play one position.

These were the days when being an athlete was right along the lines of being a ditch digger. Salaries were fractions of what they are now, with a $20,000 dollar contract being a blockbuster signing.

We all remember George Herman Ruth right? The Great Bambino. Well, in his hay day, Babe Ruth racked in a whopping $50,000 dollars.

Now yes, inflation has played a part in contract signings and blow-ups. However, when you look at the grand scheme of things, athlete salaries have continued going up, and everyone else’s salaries have been hovering right around the same dollar amount they were at five years ago.

We haven’t even touched on the fact that this calendar year, we’ve experienced two lockouts by professional athletes and their respective leagues.

Would you like to take a guess

on what they were arguing about? It may have been about having cooler uniforms or maybe along the lines of getting rid of trash talk, but I’m going to have to bet my bottom dollar that they were arguing about money.

The NFL lockout lasted 135 days.

Mediators were called, and grown men whined. This time though, it wasn’t only the athletes—the old and senile owners were complaining that they weren’t making enough money.

The owners wanted more money, as if they need another yacht.

However, a national crisis was averted, and Americans were spared the torturous idea of having a year without football.

The NBA lockout though, is a completely different story. The NBA’s lockout lasted longer than the NFL’s and for the longest time it seemed as if a season would cease to exist.

Thankfully, however, the NBA and it’s player association were able to strike a deal tbat would have them playing by Christmas Day. The NBA’s also had to deal with

“The owners

wanted more money, as if they needed another yacht.”

a slightly different predicament with player’s leaving to play overseas. That’s how desperate these million-dollar athletes crave money—they’re willing to go to foreign nations for a fat paycheck.

And now finally, lets look at the average American household. Both parents are usually working and working hard at that, and they can bring home a little under $85,000.

They don’t hold out at the end of the year demanding money, and surely wouldn’t even dream about complaining about their lack of funds to their bosses.

What about the sacrifices the common parent makes?

You don’t see them buying some new “bling” every other week, and you don’t see them driving a different foreign car everyday.

You see that they are wearing a pair of jeans they bought three years ago, or maybe using that same old cell-phone that flips up and down and doesn’t feature a full keyboard.

Money doesn’t always mean happiness to people. Money doesn’t make or break who you are, But money does show the selflessness of some people, and the greed of others. Just make sure this holiday season, you don’t do the latter.

The best gift is the gift of kindness

KAPRICE SANCHEZ Editor He was sitting all by himself, with no one to talk to, when a table during my lunch period noticed.

Immediately, I felt sad. I wouldn’t want to be treated like that.

Then I saw that table do a small act of kindness: they invited him to their lunch table. It didn’t take three weeks or months, it only took one day to do a selfless act to make someone feel included.

6

Why doesn’t that happen every day?

“To some people it’s hard because it’s not the most fun to do, and if it goes against the social norm, it can be nerve racking,” sophomore Blake Schultz said.

Instead of being afraid of what people might say, why doesn’t everyone at Kaneland, including myself, take a stand and treat people like they should be treated?

Most of us grew up having our mothers tell us that expression, but many of us don’t follow it anymore.

Maybe it’s an idea that didn’t stick because we’re so obsessed with being cool now.

Teenagers aren’t the only ones— most people at some point in their lives have done it. I’ve done it. I’m not proud of it, but I’m changing my ways to be kind to everyone.

Opinion / December 15, 2011/ KANELAND KRIER

Even when we don’t do the right thing all the time, it doesn’t make us bad people. It can be hard to do something out of our comfort zone,and peer pressure keeps us from doing what we know is good.

The fact that it might not be “cool” to someone else keeps us from stepping outside of the box.

Who says that giving back and being kind isn’t cool?

In the real world, not everything is set in stone. The word “cool” to you and “cool” to me might mean two entirely different things.

“Cool” to me is not being defined by social norms and not being afraid to do the right thing, no matter what our peers might think or say.

Doing an act of kindness does not have to be a big ordeal and it doesn’t require a parade. It can be

something simple as inviting someone to sit with you or giving back to the community.

Schultz is among those who gives back by volunteering at a food pantry.

“I believe if you do something good for someone else, it can turn into a chain reaction,” Schultz said.

That chain reaction is exactly what we need to get started at Kaneland because the simplest things can mean the world to someone else. It can be as easy as opening the door when someone’s hands are full, asking someone to sit at lunch with us, joining Charity Club or participating in Feed My Starving Children.

We just need to show that we care—and we don’t need presents.

We need the total opposite of that.

The best gift is the gift of kindness.

MYVIEW

Make the choice to make a difference

RACHAEL CLINTON Executive Editor The holidays bring something special. It’s the warmth of a fireplace and hot chocolate, the enlightening holiday spirit from Christmas lights and music, the reassuring love from our family and friends through presents, cards and extra time spent together. This is also the comfort a large number of us take for granted, something we have never imagined living without.

America has made it so easy to get consumed by buying presents, seeing he latest Christmas movie or planning your next ski trip that we are too concerned about what we “need” then to even consider the desperate needs of others.

These are needs far more important than us receiving the latest electronic. It’s the need of someone receiving a single meal, just simply nourishing food.

As we feast and splurge, especially during this time of the season, third-world countries are left in the dust, starving and pleading for help.

It is easy to walk right past the bell ringers in front of Jewel, trying to collect money to give to organizations that will help the needy. It does takes less time and effort to just turn down the opportunity to volunteer at an organization such as Feed My Starving Children or the opportunity to support a child in a foreign country.

But we are also turning down an opportunity to help save someone’s life, be the start to a changed generation or being a part of an impact to bring the world hunger crisis under control.

There are over 925 million malnourished humans in the world. In Ethiopia alone, there are over 13.4 million children under the age of five who are in critical condition due to the lack of food, according to the UNICEF. This is a huge problem.

That’s not to say our nation doesn’t have its own problems; we

just happen to have the exact opposite. On this side of the world, we struggle to lose weight, the extra couple pounds from Thanksgiving, or maybe the winter blues.

The epidemic here is being overweight, and over 1 trillion humans are suffering from being overweight, according to USA Right Now. On the other side of the world, too many struggle to scrounge up enough food to keep them living another day. Over 14,000 people die from hunger daily.

This epidemic is something too many look past, are unaware of or simply chose not to participate to help with.

I have been raised in a family where giving back to those in need is just as important as an education. My parents’ beliefs on passing blessings on has greatly impacted my life, as well as the receivers’ lives of whom we got to bless.

My parents have made it a goal to make sure my siblings and I are well aware of the world beyond our comfort zone, a world where many are not nearly as fortunate as we are, a world where pain and misery is reality.

Starting out a young age I got to experience the humbleness it takes and joy you receive from giving first hand. On a vacation over Christmas, my parents had decided that instead of our family receiving more gifts we were going to bless a family that didn’t have the means to do so.

I will remember this change in tradition forever, a change that made a difference.

The teaching of giving back, and joyfully blessing others did not stop there.

My parents always encouraged the idea of a mission trip to widen our world views and get the unique experience to serve and that is when I got the opportunity to go to Aldama, Mexico, where I was placed in the middle of poverty and almost in shock.

As my brother earlier traveled to Haiti and my mother later traveled to Africa, third-world hunger and poverty was definitely brought to my family’s attention. The need to help wasn’t just an idea but was put into action.

I do thank my parents for raising me to have such an awareness

Adama Amadu, a child from Sierra Leone in Africa

of other less fortunate than I, as well as being exposed to the world hunger epidemic.

I also now want to make it my goal to inform and open the minds of all who are innocently oblivious to such rapid needs, needs that can be tamed.

It is hard to wrap our minds around the pain and misery that so many go through their lives feeling, just do to the simple lack of food, something most of us take for granted daily. But you can make an impact. It really doesn’t take much.

Feed My Starving Children is a great organization where individuals get involved to help package meals that are sent out to different places in the world directly.

This is an easy fun way to make a difference, as junior Brooke Harner discovered when she began volunterring.

“I like how everyone gets the opportunity to work together and take time out of their day to help the less fortunate,” Harner said.

“It’s a cool place to be, you get to have fun while serving others.

Another simple way to be a part of something that makes a huge impact is sponsoring a child in a thirdworld country through an organization called Compassion.

For a little over $30 a month, you feed a child that you personally are directly sponsoring and get to bless them by providing food and even an education. I have seen what this minimal amount of investment

on a child’s life can do, as my family corresponds with our sponsor child, 11-year-old Adama. It’s amazing how even though we’re thousands of miles apart, the impact we have on her life is as if we are right next to her every step of the way.

Junior Tanner Andrews takes part on stopping world-hunger by promoting the One Meal One Day campaign, where teenagers are challenged to give up one meal out of their day, once a year to donate the money, which they would have spent on food to send to Africa to feed the children there.

“You don’t even get close to the feeling of starvation so many feel, but just a glimpse of what an empty stomach can be like,” Andrews said. “The small amount of money you donate goes so much farther in a third-world country than it would on your ice cream for lunch.”

Sure it is easy to go about our day, the rest of the year, or maybe even the rest of our lives without thinking twice about those dying from something we over indulge in multiple times a day.

But just remember it is just as easy to make a difference, even if it is just giving up a weekly Gingerbread latte from Starbucks that usually ends up adding to the difficulty of getting your jeans on in the morning anyway, and instead saving up and sending that money off to those whom it will save.

Opinion / December 15, 2011 / KANELAND KRIER

7

FEATURES

Bathrooms: the most germ-infested place at Kaneland? Think again Tests by biology classes reveal the surprising places that bacteria hides

BY BRYANNA STOIBER, Reporter Sophomore Brin Wilk doesn’t consider herself a germophobe, however small gestures some people make during lunch can really set her off.

“I don’t like the idea of someone else’s saliva touching my food,” Wilk said.

But the areas with the highest levels of bacteria at Kaneland are not the bathrooms, as many would expect.

According to science teacher Jennifer O’Hara, some of the most germ-infested places at Kaneland include wrestling mats and cell phones.

Biology students conduct tests every year to determine which areas have the most bacteria. O’Hara said that some of the places students swab are bathrooms, door-

We Asked

knobs, lockers, drinking fountains, railings and keyboards.

“The surprisingly clean areas at the school are the bathrooms and drinking fountains, because they are cleaned daily,” O’Hara said.

Yet O’Hara cautioned that the bacteria aren’t necessarily dangerous.

“Just because there’s a lot of bacteria on something doesn’t mean that it can be harmful bacteria,” O’Hara said.

Nationwide, the places with the most germs are also often unexpected places, a new study by the Kimberly Clark Healthy Workplace Project showed.

A team of hygienists swabbed hundreds of surfaces around six U.S. cities to see what everyday objects are breeding grounds for bacteria.

The most germ-infested places

Photo illustration by Delaney Stryczek

Amber Winquist-Baily demonstrates what Biology students do when they swab for bacteria.

nationwide included gas pumps, mailbox handles, escalator rails and ATM buttons.

“It comes down to the fact that nobody cleans the things that you’re going to touch on a daily basis,” Dr. Kelly Arehart, program leader of Kimberly-Clark’s Healthy Workplace Project, said.

Other highly contaminated areas around the U.S. include parking meters, kiosks, cross-walk buttons and vending machine buttons.

Bathrooms didn’t even make the list.

The testers evaluated the swabs of the surfaces for levels or adenosine triphosphate, which indicates what kind of bacteria it is.

The results released by Kimberly-Clark Study show that more

than 60 percent of gas pumps and mailbox handles and more than 40 percent of escalator rails and ATM machine buttons can be highly contaminated, potentially exposing people to illness-causing bacteria.

“People do not realize the amount of contamination they are exposed when going to work each day and doing everyday things like filling their gas tank or riding on an escalator,” Dr. Charles Gerba, Professor of Microbiology at the University of Arizona, said.

Between five percent and 20 percent of the U.S. population catches influenza each year.

Experts recommend frequent handwashing with soap and warm water as one of the best ways to avoid becoming ill.

What is the most germ-infested place at Kaneland?

“The garbage cans.”

–Rachel Benson, freshman

“Door knob to guys’ bathroom.”

–Mickensey Dixon, sophomore

“The walls, because everyone rubs their hands up against them.”

–Jaumaureo Phillips, sophmore

“East Gym boys’ locker room.”

– Kyle Ocasio, junior Compiled by Rachel Mathys

Like to write or take photos?

Join the KRIER! Come to B109 during STEP.

8

Feature / December 15, 2011/ KANELAND KRIER

Holiday gift guide done right

2

BY ALEXIS ROACH, Editor AND KRISTIN STAUB, Reporter

3 5

This Mr. Coffee Steam espresso machine is $39.99 at Target and will make all kinds of espressos, cappucinos, lattes and mochas. It would make the perfect gift for a coffee -loving mom and dad.

2

Victoria’s Secret Pink sweet and flirty perfume can be found at Victoria’s Secret for $18.00.

The strong but sweet smell it gives off is perfect for every girl, especially a sibling or a gift for a friend.

3

This Zoom Tweet Bar striped beanie from Rue 21 is retailed at $7.99.

This beanie makes a great stocking stuffer or grab bag item for any guy, and keeps ears warm during the cold season.

4 6

4

This red Nike K.O. Boys Training Hoodie is $40.00 and makes the perfect gift for guys of any age. It can be found online or in stores at any Dick’s Sporting Goods location.

5

One of the hottest gifts this Christmas season is the Babycakes Cake pop maker; It can be found at thebabycakesshop.com or Kohl’s for $24.99. A great gift for mom or grandma’s kitchen.

6

The Bed Head nano-ceramic pink straightener is available at Target for $69.99. It can also be found in many salons, along with other Bed Head products for the straightest straight look.

Follow us on

Twitter!

www.twitter.com/kanelandkrier

The Krier We’re FBO! Feature /December 15, 2011/ KANELAND KRIER

9

WARNING: Not for human consumption

BY DIANA NUNO, Executive Editor AND KAPRICE SANCHEZ, Editor

A

T SPEEDS UP TO 100MPH, a Chrysler Cirrus blew through a stop sign and flew above a retention wall, eventually landing in a two-year-old’s bedroom and killing Max Dobner, the teenage driver.

The 19-year-old Aurora teen was strung out on a legal high at the time from synthetic marijuana, which he had purchased as “potpourri” from a Fox Valley Mall tobacco shop.

The family that occupied the house was lucky.

An hour earlier, the baby was taking a nap and, if the crash had occurred then, the baby would’ve been crushed just like the crib.

Max Dobner and his family were not as lucky.

The teen’s death was the driving force behind his mother, Karen Dobner’s, creation of the To the Maximus Foundation, which is dedicated to raising awareness about synthetic drugs and getting them banned.

“Our basic mission is to inform everybody about the dangers of synthetic drugs,” Karen Dobner said.

Karen Dobner wants to make sure that such drugs are not attainable in the first place. Her campaign led the city of Chicago to ban synthetic drugs last month, and other towns all over Illinois have been banning them too.

THE NEW LAWS Schools and towns are taking initiative to make sure no one else has to experience what the Dobner family did.

It’s difficult to stay ahead of synthetics because the chemical makeup is constantly changing, and it’s difficult to ban a substance when another one is created days later, Officer Keith Gardner of the Kane County Sheriff ’s office said.

The state of Illinois has already voted to make the synthetics illegal everywhere statewide starting Jan. 1.

Many local towns weren’t willing to wait that long. Sugar Grove, Batavia, Aurora, Oswego and Yorkville are among the most recent towns to enforce an immediate ban synthetic drugs. St. Charles voted to ban them on Nov. 21.

“Banning drugs in towns is a great idea,” health teacher Cindy Miller said. “Get Maple Park and Elburn on the train.”

Yorkville Police Chief Richard Hart said that his town had banned them because the drugs were dangerous and that he hoped the ban would be a deterrent.

“The biggest problem is that synthetic drugs are unregulated,” Hart said. “If you get caught in Yorkville, it’s a $500 fine. If stores sell it, then they will get their liquor license taken away,” Hart said.

Although Maple Park has not officially banned synthetics yet, Kaneland is taking the issue seriously, Dean Renee Grisch said.

Grisch said that any student caught with K2 or other synthetics on the premises would be disciplined according to the school’s existing drug policies.

“Kaneland is calling [synthetic drugs] a lookalike, and look-alike falls under the drug policy,” Grisch said.

Students caught with synthetics receive an immediate suspension, a recommendation for expulsion and a police referral, Grisch said.

WHAT’S STILL NOT COVERED The bans on synthetic drugs don’t cover everything, which is why at the Orchard Stop con-

MOLECULAR TWINS

What’s the difference between marijuana and synthetic marijuana? Not much, as these compounds show:

CH3

CH3

OH

10

OH

Marijuana

H3C H3C

venience store on Orchard Rd. and Rt. 30, Lazy Larry’s—formerly known as Lazy Cakes—are on display for customers over the age of 18.

The logo? It’s a personified brownie with a face, eyes and serene smile which gives the impression of being high. According to the packaging, Lazy Larry likes day dreaming, fresh waves, mellow beats and extreme vegging. Sound familiar?

Lazy Larry’s brownies aren’t a synthetic drug—technically, they’re a dietary supplement, which is why the brownies haven’t been taken off the shelves yet.

The brownies are pumped with melatonin, a sleep aid that isn’t illegal and isn’t related to marijuana. Melatonin doesn’t make people high; it just makes them relaxed and tired.

How credible are the distributors of the brownies? The official website of the company spells melatonin incorrectly and none of the claims made on the website or by their advertisers have been evaluated by the FDA. How safe are they? Though it’s a supplement regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, it isn’t intended to be eaten as food, and the FDA warns that consuming the quantities in a brownie like Lazy Larry may not be safe.

The brownies are still on shelves because the creators are using loopholes in existing laws to help keep them there, but the FDA is challenging the company’s right to sell the brownies.

The sweet treat claims to be a dietary supplement that’s not intended to be eaten as food, a claim the FDA is challenging. Earlier this year, the agency issued a warning about the brownies, saying that “the appearance and packaging of the product as a brownie” goes against FDA regulations. Because the packaging states it as a supple

O

CH3

H3C

CH3

H3C

Graphic by Casey Jacobson

O CH3

Focus / December 15, 2011 / KANELAND KRIER

Synthetic Marijuana CH3

Photo courtesy the Kane County Sheriff’s Department

The accident that killed Max Dobner occurred near the intersection of Rt. 31 and Mooseheart Rd. on June 14.

ment, it can’t look like “conventional” food.

EXPLOITING THE LOOPHOLES Lazy Larry’s distributors get away with selling the brownies because the relaxed feeling is achieved legally. But K2 and other look-alike drugs use two legal loopholes to get away with continuing to sell synthetic drugs in some areas.

Chemists carefully design a product to have only slight molecular differences from the “real” thing, so that the new synthetic isn’t covered by existing drug laws.

Most drug laws ban specific compounds, and by continuously changing the compounds in the drugs, the creators make it difficult for governments to keep up.

The packaging also includes a microscopic warning, “not for human consumption,” that solely blames the users for ingesting it. Many products are labeled as “potpourri” or some other item. So far, that’s kept K2 at tobacco stores and easily attainable.

But the intent is clear, the experts say: they’re sold in gram packages, go by aliases like “spice,” and are sold in flavors like pineapple and strawberry that is meant to appeal to teen tastebuds.

Q &A WITH OFFICER GARDNER

THE DANGERS OF SYNTHETICS K2’s ingredients weren’t created for what they’re used for today—like most abused substances. The experiment that created K2 found that there were no medical benefits, according to chemist John W. Huffman. But the synthetic has become popular among teens and young adults since 2010.

“Any high school student can choose to use the drugs because they know where to get them,” Miller said.

Last May, the U.S. Department of Justice issued an alert about the substances.

“Law enforcement officials in many areas of the country are reporting increasing use of synthetic cannabinoid products by teens and young adults as these products are widely available,” the agency warned. “Often hyped as a legal alternative to marijuana, individuals subject to scheduled or random drug screening tests allegedly also have used synthetic cannabinoid products to avoid a positive test for cannabis and the resulting consequences.”

It’s been a growing concern for parents, teachers and law officials alike because synthetics are dangerous—often more dangerous than the origi-

nal drug that they mimic.

Last year, 3,200 people nationwide called Poison Control centers after taking synthetic drugs, but the numbers escalated this year. In just the month of January, 2,700 people became ill or have been hospitalized after taking synthetic drugs, and more than 5,700 calls to Poison Control due to synthetic drugs have been documented so far.

That’s less than half of all estimated cases.

“That’s only a fraction of the cases because a majority go unreported. Most people don’t want to get in trouble for having the drugs,” Dobner said.

The $500 fine may seem steep, but the hospital bills that many users have racked up make that amount seem like a penny.

“They can cause the appendix to burst, headaches and more severe side effects we don’t even know about yet,” Dean Renee Grisch said, “They’re just too new to know for sure.”

The problem is that because K2 is essentially just chemicals sprayed on ground-up leaves, there’s no way to know exactly what’s been sprayed on it or how strong it is. One package might be five times as strong as another package.

Officer Gardner warned that the effects can be unpredictable and dangerous.

“No two packages are made with the same ingredients,” Gardner said. “That means that each can cause different effects.”

Hospitals don’t know how to handle patients that have taken the drugs, because they are “mystery packages” and the chemicals can’t be identified after the fact.

“When people have negative reactions, hospitals don’t know how to treat it. They don’t know what chemicals are in the drugs,” Hart said.

State Senator Chris Lauzen, who voted to ban synthetics in Illinois, wondered why anyone would take the risk.

“Why would anyone who’s been given so much [as a student] attempt self-destruction by taking poisons into their body?” Lauzen asked.

“THE WORST EXPERIENCE” Dobner is determined to keep other teens from the fate of her son, Max, by educating students. Synthetic drugs are too new and too dangerous to take lightly, she said.

“Even if you have smoked this stuff in the past, every package is different and you don’t know what kind of extreme high you are going to get,” Dobner said. “So many people have told me it has been the worst experience of their life.”

Contributions by Gina Jarvis, Nick Phillips, Casey Jacobson and Tatiana Lee

How is a synthetic drug different than other drugs?

What are the biggest dangers of synthetic drugs?

Why haven’t they been made illegal nationwide?

What advice would you give students using these drugs?

“Synthetic drugs are produced in laboratories and are specifically designed to produce similar effects as the drugs they mimic. They are designed to not contain the banned substances.”

“There are medical dangers, such as heart problems, paranoid hallucinations, seizures and possible death.”

“The chemical makeup is always changing. They have to ban the substance, not just the product name.”

“To stop. Just because they are sold legally in shops, it does not mean that they won’t harm you.”

Compiled by Tatiana Lee

Focus / December 15, 2011 / KANELAND KRIER

11

Erin Arndt

PHOTOGRAPHY AT ITS FINEST:

The Kaneland senior has started the challenge to take and post one photo every day on Flickr. 365 days. 365 photos. Project: 365.

BY SARA LAURIE, BRIANNE STROBEL AND MATT WAHLGREN, Editors

S

ENIOR Erin Arndt already had her photography equipment unloaded from the car and ready to go for a day of photos. By the time her friends and models had all arrived, it was closing on three in the afternoon at Leroy Oakes Forest Preserve in St. Charles.

In no time at all, they were already searching for a suitable fall background against which to pose the model, Kaneland graduate Chloe Bluml. Luckily, an old rustic barn fit the bill perfectly.

As Arndt’s camera clicked, Bluml tried different poses as directed. Like most photographers, Arndt takes huge numbers of pictures from new perspectives and keeps only the ones she likes most.

She gave Bluml directions to alter the pose to find one that worked the best, including tilting her head different ways, facing different directions, looking off into the distance and standing different ways.

Arndt is currently working on the 365 project for Flickr, a challenge where she posts a new photo every day for a year.

On the day at Leroy Oakes, while looking around for a new place to photograph after finishing with the barn, Arndt’s friends enthusiastically led her into the forest. She went out in search of an interesting place to photograph.

There were a few photo opportunities that Arndt took advantage off.

p e t S y Step b

1 12

Arndt and all the models in her photoshoot arrive at Leroy Oakes Forest Preserve in St. Charles.

Centerspread / December 15, 2011 / KANELAND KRIER

“Does anyone want to take their shoes off ?”

Arndt asked, trying to find a model willing to lay barefoot under a fallen tree. Senior Taylor Buri, one of the models and a self proclaimed best friend of Arndt since they were three, volunteered to ditch her shoes for the photograph.

Arndt took plenty of shots from various angles to try to find the one that worked best.

Later, Arndt wanted to try having Buri balance on a tree branch. A lot of work had to go into capturing this. Buri had to try very hard not to fall and maintain the facial expression she was seeking at the same time.

Although this day was a group photo shoot with many models, group photo shoots are no longer the norm for Arndt anymore, as she has moved more towards artistic photographs.

Arndt said that most of her shoots for the 365 project are spontaneous, some being planned only ten or 20 minutes in advance. When she suddenly gets an idea that she wants to try, she’ll sometimes try it right away.

Flickr’s 365 project encourages people to use their creativity and meet deadlines, which are not actually enforced. A lot of the pictures Arndt posts are of herself, but she also uses several different friends as models, including Bluml, Buri, senior Shannon Wallace, senior Jake Rosko and junior Jack Grimes.

Arndt wants the photos to have a certain story or a message behind them, as opposed to being merely shots of people sitting there, posing and smiling.

Although she started out photographing

2

Arndt directs and tells the model where to stand and look to get the best picture possible.

pictures that were or resembled senior photos, Arndt said that is not what she wants to do. Her new photos carry out a purpose other than capturing a moment in time. They are creatively designed to have a specific meaning or to represent an idea.

She spends an hour or two every day editing the photos so she can post them. Her editing process involves using Adobe Photoshop to modify the color of the raw photographs.

“I use different Photoshop actions to give it a vintage or summery look,” Arndt said.

By using Photoshop, Arndt said she can make as many changes as she pleases to make the masterpiece she envisions. She can also change the brightness of the photo to make it more or less visible as she likes.

Arndt intends on keeping her business running as a hobby in the future after high school, even if she gets another job.

Buri said it’s amazing that a 17 year old has her own business. She said that Arndt has always been creative and comes up with cool ideas that turn into amazing pictures.

Grimes, who models for Arndt only every once in a while, said that her photos are different and unique.

Arndt said that a lot more people know of her Photography business, Erin Regina Photography, since the 365 project started. Founded in 2009 under the name Bits & Stirrups, her business has grown in the last two years. She changed the name after moving on from equine photography.

3

Arndt takes many pictures of her models and varies the angles and poses to have a variety of pictures.

This photo is not part of Arndt’s 365 project. It was taken during summer 2011 of Rosko.

In this vintage photo senior Taylor This self portrait of Arndt is number 12 out of 365.

Arndt takes out the tripod for a continuous shoot of her models.

5

Arndt reviews the photos to see which poses worked and which ones didn’t.

the woods

This self portrait is the first photo in the 365 project.

This self portrait, titled “Cosmic Love”, is number 42 out of 365. It was ranked number 17 as Flickr’s most interesting photo of the day and is Arndt’s most popular online photo.

4

Buri reads a book while relaxing in

6

The final product after being edited by Arndt.

Centerspread / December 15, 2011 / KANELAND KRIER

13

Choosing a brand new smart phone

Photo Courtesy of HTC

Photo Courtesy of Motorola

Photo Courtesy of Samsung

HTC came out with a new phone called the Status in February. It has a button on the bottom that lets the user automatically share things on Facebook like photos and videos. In addition, when someone calls users or users make a call, their profile picture and current status pops up. Users won’t have to talk to someone on the phone while simultaneously forgetting their birthday ever again. The main camera is a five mega pixel camera, but there is also a secondary VGA front facing camera. This would be an excellent phone for people who would like to have such easy access to Facebook and be connected to friends all day.

The new Droid Razr from Motorola is so far the thinnest 4G LTE smart phone. Although it is so thin, the back is made with Kevlar fibers and the screen is made of Corning Gorilla glass, intended to make the phone sturdy and strong.

The Droid Razr’s 4G LTE is up to ten times faster than 3G. It also has the 4.3 Amoled Plus display to produce a better image. It has an eight mega pixel camera and 1080p video recording. It uses a dual microphone system so that calls can be heard even in settings that are super noisy.

Although it can’t wirelessly, this phone can connect to a monitor or HDTV with an HDMI cable that needs to be purchased separately.

Even while being one of the thinnest and smallest smart phones out there, the Samsung Galaxy II combines a lot of features all into one convenient phone. The 4.3 Super Amoled Plus screen provides an enhanced level of viewing quality that uses less battery. It has a Readers Hub for viewing newspapers, books and magazines electronically. The Galaxy II also has a Music Hub and a Game Hub for easily accessible entertainment. The phone can link wirelessly to televisions, laptops and audio systems to display files. The main camera is eight mega pixels and the front facing one is two. It records 1080p videos in full Hng By Brianne Strobel, Editor

Become a fan of the Krier on Facebook!

See more pictures from each issue and tag your friends!

14

Flex / December 15, 2011 / KANELAND KRIER

The truth behind athletic scholarships Schools offer more to players with grades

BY BRANDON BISHOP, Editor Senior Katy Dudzinski signed her commitment letter on Nov. 9 to Wichita State University, where she’ll receive a full-ride scholarship to play volleyball.

“In total [the scholarship], is worth about $21,00 a year for all four years,” Dudzinski said.

It’s been in the works for a long time. Dudzinski was offered the scholarship as a junior and accepted it a month later after a visit to the campus.

“When I first committed, I was really relieved to have it all picked out a year ahead of time. It was nice having it picked out before everybody else,” Dudzinski said.

Dudzinski has achieved every high school athlete’s dream to one day play at the higher level and make an impact like all the college stars on TV. But it’s a dream that’s becoming harder to achieve as college coaches have tighter budgets to follow in a tough economy.

Full-ride scholarships are becoming more rare as coaches are given less money to offer scholarships for athletes.

According to the NCAA, schools are spending more money than needed on non-revenue teams when more money could be put into scholarships.

Scholarship dollars are being split between more athletes, which leads to lower scholarship amounts.

“The economy is bad, so the budgets are limited for coaches and coaches will do what they need to do to fill a roster by splitting the money to get kids on the roster,” counselor Andrew Franklin said.

Due to the budgets that coaches are given for sports, student athletes may not be getting as much money as planned.

Who’s getting the most money? Athletes who are also receiving academic scholarship dollars. One way coaches stretch their budgets for athletes is by trying to help students with good grades receive academic scholarships.

According to the NCAA rules, scholarships are regulated to assure the academic commitment of all student-athletes.

Senior Katy Dudzinski signs her letter of intent to attend Wichita State and play volleyball there.

“Coaches at the college level are given a certain amount of money for their athletic scholarship opportunities, so they look at the grades or ACT/SAT scores of candidates and find out other ways to give students more money,” Franklin said.

An example of this is of 2011 Kaneland graduate Andie Strang, who received a scholarship to Saint Joseph’s College in Indiana. She was given $17,000 in academic money and $15,000 to run for the school’s cross-country team.

There are many things that determine how much money an athlete can get in scholarships.

According to Franklin, students trying to get money solely based off of their athletic abilities tend to get less than athletes who perform well in the classroom.

“The athletic ability of the student and the need for a position to be filled determine the amount of money given to a student athlete,” Franklin said.

Coaches can also get extra money from the academic department to help aid with the scholarships.

The number of sports for which a student can receive a scholarship has grown to include a wider variety of athletes. Scholarships are being offered at the NCAA Division I level in sports

Photo by Kylie Siebert

like rowing, swimming and diving and water polo.

In NCAA Division II, scholarships are now being offered in sports such as bowling, badminton, handball, rifle, skiing and squash. The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics also offers scholarship money to athletes in many sports, but not as many as the NCAA. Although students feel like it is harder to receive scholarships, schools are rewarding wellrounded student athletes with money to attend their college.

In order for a student athlete to be eligible for an athletic or academic scholarship, they must meet the required grade point average and standardized test scores. According to the NCAA, the higher a person’s GPA, the lower the test scores can be, or vice versa.

“If you are just athletic and not a strong student, then it will be harder to get money,” Franklin said.

Statistics prove that student athletes tend to out perform fellow student body members, sometimes by several percentage points.

Scholarships may be set out to be something impossible to achieve, but it is possible to receive one, if a student does well in their sport as well as their classroom work.

Have a great winter break and a Happy Have a New Year wonderful winter break!

Sports Feature/ December 15,2011/ KANELAND KRIER

15

16

How-to / December 15, 2011 / KANELAND KRIER

To game or Not to game New research says that video games may cause depression, anxiety BY NICK STOLLARD, Reporter The image of video gamers as young boys with few social skills is a stereotype of popular culture.

Yet for those on the far end of the gaming spectrum—the video game addicts—it might not be that far from the truth, new research suggests.

The latest study, which followed 3,000 students in third, fourth, seventh and eighth grade, shows that heavy gamers, who play more than 31 hours a week, are more likely to show signs of depression, anxiety and social phobias. Of the 3,000 children who were followed, between 7.6 percent and 9.9 percent were classified as pathological gamers.

Douglas Gentile, a professor at Iowa State University and the author of the study, which was published in the journal Pediatrics, found that there are five dimensions that can effect video game players: the amount of play, the content of the game, the context of the game, the structure of the game and the mechanics of game play.

“Parents tend to care about either how much time their kids play or what types of games their kids play. But when I did a study where the effects couldn’t be explained by the amount someone played or the content of the game, it made me realize there’s a lot more going on here.

And puzzling through what that more was, I realized there are at least five dimensions on which games have effects,” Gentile said.

In addition to depression, anxiety and social phobias, once game play-

ers become pathological gamers, they began to get poorer grades and start to have poorer relationships with their parents. The study also shows that teens who begin playing more violent games become more likely to be victims of aggression.

“I think some video games limit the social life in some teens in the fact that they keep teens inside and away from people,” sophomore Alex Brenwall said.

The symptoms go both ways, though. Those teens who are more impulsive, who have lower social competence and empathy and who have poorer emotional regulation skills are more likely to become pathological gamers, according to Gentile.

Teens who tend to be depressed tend to play video games in search of relief, but video games only make the depression worse. When a pathological gamer reduces the amount of time spent playing video games, levels of depression, anxiety and social phobias recede again.

“I think if you play too much, it is all you will think about. It may lead to depression,” junior Joe Kuipers said.

“I think some games are okay, but the violence and shooting games can be bad. Video games in general can keep you from doing other activities, such as going outside,” sophomore Amber Winquist-Bailey said.

KANELAND’S ADDICTION: how often students play video games HOW OFTEN DO YOU PLAY VIDEO GAMES EACH DAY? None

23%

Less than 1 hour

21%

1-1.5 hours

27%

2-2.5 hours

15%

3+ hours

14%

WHAT TYPES OF VIDEO GAMES DO YOU TYPICALLY PLAY? Computer games

First-person shooting games

14%

WHAT GAMING SYSTEM DO YOU USUALLY PLAY? Xbox PS3

33% Sports games

53%

42% 18%

Computer

18%

Wii

16%

Other

5%

Source: A poll of 117 randomly-selected Kaneland High School students by Nick Stollard.

Photo / December 15, 2011 / KANELAND KRIER

17

PULSE

iPhone 4S is sure to impress

Latest iPhone looks familiar on surface, yet differs on inside

BY EVAN ORTIZ, Reporter

Apple, the popular music and cell phone company, lost the man behind it all recently.

However, the death of Steve Jobs has not slowed down this technological giant, as Apple recently released the new iPhone 4S. On the outside, the phone seems the same.

It still has the same brick-like rectangular feel that the iPhone 4 adopted. The phone is comfortable in the hand and feels quite sturdy and strong. However, the iPhone screens do have tendencies to crack easily.

On the inside, the features are abundant, and there are never-ending possibilities to customize the users’ experiences.

The new camera has been bumped up to an eight megapixel. It has the ability to shoot 1080p high-definition movies, which can be directly sent in text message form or uploaded to social networking sites.

With the breathtaking 3.7 inch Retina display, images, web-surfing and games are crystal clear with this high-resolution screen, which offers approximately 326 pixels per square inch.

These features result in brilliant pictures and video quality. The phone runs on a lightning fast dual A5 core processor, which will greatly improve times for launching apps and web browsers and will make navigating the phone much quicker.

iOS 5 is the newest operating system for the phone. The mission of the iOS 5 operating system is to make working and using Apple as easy and seamless as possible. Coming with it are more new apps, such as the Notification Center, iMessage and Twitter Integration. The notification center is one centralized app to let users know everything that is going on in life, such as calendar updates, phone calls, messages and Facebook requests. Possibly the most welcoming of these new apps is the iMessage, which is the equivalent of Blackberry’s instant messaging app.

Current users, however, have reported of battery drainage being a problem with the iOS 5 system. Apple has reported that there will be an update released to address this problem.

Perhaps the most interesting new feature of this phone is Siri, the voice command app, that will literally make the phone do whatever the user says. Feel like creating a reminder? Just tell the phone: “Create reminder: Lunch at five.”

If the voice recognition works as well as Apple says, this app could be a very useful for day-today use.

All new iPhones also have the ability to access iCloud, the spacious storage system that allows the user to backup almost everything on the iPhone into one centrally located internet storage system.

With all these technological breakthroughs

Photo courtesy of Apple

packed into one device, the price is higher than most other phones. The base price for the lowest memory 16 gigabyte phone is $199. This does not include the start up and activation fees, but if users have the money, this phone is worth it.

Ben Cooper delivers deep lyrics in solo effort

BY KALEB SCHUPPNER, Editor

Photo courtesy of Radical Face

Ben Cooper’s newest album, “The Family Tree: The Roots,” features 19th century instruments and gives listeners an old-fashioned feel.

18

Pulse / December 15, 2011 / KANELAND KRIER

Ben Cooper’s steady, pure voice, thought -provoking lyrics and catchy instrumentals make up “Radical Face.”

The indie pop-folk artist’s second album, “The Family Tree: The Roots,” is much more sophisticated than one would expect. Cooper worked for four years to create and grasp the album’s concept.

He has already mapped out a trilogy of albums, “The Roots” being the first. He recorded the album on his own over the course of 15 months and released “The Family Tree:The Roots” on Oct 4.

The trilogy is based on a strange, ficticious 19th century family, while the instruments follow suit (1800s instruments such as piano, acoustic guitar and floor tom).

Heavy lyrics discuss death, love and murder and are complimented nicely by simple instruments and the soft voice of Cooper. The album’s most popular song, “Ghost Towns”, is hauntingly beautiful. That phrase can be said about the entirety of “The Roots”.

After a short intro song, the album jumps right into “Pound of Flesh.” It is an ominous song about a man who just committed a murder,

and then walks home left with nothing to do but think about it. The song is a brilliant introduction to the dark album.

The song that follows, “Family Portrait,” introduces the bizarre family. It explains that the father and mother met at a young age and fell in love. However, things took a turn for the worse when the mother died while giving birth. The father then became extremely abusive, and committed suicide six years later.

Thankfully, following other eerily dark pieces, there are finally warmhearted songs such as “Always Gold” and “Mountains.” These songs follow up-beat rhythms and hopeful lyrics.

“Always Gold” is a potential fan favorite because of its repetition and catchy instrumentals.

Although the song can seem gloomy, the overall message is empowering: “And they said you were the crooked kind, and that you’d never have no worth, but you were always gold to me.”

“Mountains” is placed strategically late in the album because it leaves listeners with a sense of closure.

As Cooper sings, “So goodbye bad thoughts, ‘cause I’m safe under covers.”

“The Family Tree: The Roots” is worth listeners’ time because of its substance, originality and beauty.

Winter Break

4

Fun Winter Break Activities 1 JOHNSON’S MOUND Elburn Close to home, Johnson’s Mound offers a thrill-seeking and adrenaline-pumping experience. This hill is always very popular in winter as it is one of the biggest around.

Johnson’s Mound can get pretty jam-packed, but the high-speed sledding easily tops the crowding. All that’s required to participate is a sled and a good time!

ROBIN AND LINDA

2 WILLIAMS Rockford

Calamity Jane’s offers up multiple choices for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Photo by Eddie Rodriguez

The wild, wild west comes alive at Calamity Jane’s

BY EDDIE RODRIGUEZ, Reporter Calamity Jane’s is anything but a calamity— it’s a delightful new addition to the Sugar Grove area, which needs more options like this.

Part owned by Ron Brummel, the father of senior Austin Brummel, and his sister, Janie Brummel–Alabstro, Calamity Jane’s is a reasonably priced destination for breakfast, lunch or dinner.

The atmosphere is great, giving customers an old western feeling. It feels like walking into a saloon, with pictures of old cowboys, a buffalo head mounted over an old world piano and other decorative items.

Although Calamity Jane’s does have a bar, it’s a full restaurant and is still very family friendly and great for people of all ages.

For breakfast, Calamity Jane’s serves up hearty fare, including a meat lover’s skillet ($8.95), which has tender bacon, old-fashioned ham and slices of sausage served on top of a bed of shredded hash browns and toped with your choice of eggs. Other traditional breakfast items like waffles, pancakes, omelets, breakfast burritos and biscuits and gravy round out the comforting morning menu.

For lunch or dinner, the restaurant serves up a variety of American fare.

The Cowboy Caviar ($5.95) is among the more interesting appetizers on the menu. It’s a three-bean salsa that includes classic southwestern pinto and black beans. It has a subtly sweetspicy taste and is served with crunchy tortilla

chips. It’s the perfect size for up to three people to share.

Other appetizers include popular items like potato skins and buffalo wing dings, as well as more creative ones like onion loaf, pork wild west wings and pepper jack shooters.

The menu features a wide variety of burgers, from traditional beef to pork, chicken and buffalo. The Buffalo Burger is a substantial burger made from buffalo meat and served on a hearty bun. It comes topped with cheese, onions, lettuce and mayo, and the basket includes fries and a pickle. Less adventurous diners can order a more traditional burger like the Cowboy Burger, which is a traditional beef patty topped with cheese and the standard fixin’s.

Sandwich options include the chicken sandwich, which comes grilled with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and a cup of mayo on the side; it’s served with a side of fries. There’s also Italian beef sandwiches and pulled pork, as well as Fili’s Chili, a spicy meat chili or Janie’s Veggie Chili for the vegetarians.

Calamity Jane’s mixes it up with daily specials such as slabs of ribs, homestyle chicken and fried haddock. There’s French Onion soup and a soup of the day as well.

The service is extremely friendly and makes customers feel right at home. Calamity Jane’s is price-friendly, and will make you coming back again and again. Calamity Jane’s is located at the corner of Rt. 47 and Jericho Rd. in Sugar Grove, near the Sugar Grove Fun Center.

See Robin and Linda Williams and Their Fine Group. Their range in music goes from country and Southern Gospel to modern folk, traditional, and bluegrass. See them Dec. 17 at 7:30 p.m. at 414 N. Church St ., Rockford, IL. The cost is $25 at the door or $20 in advance. For more info on their performance, go to charlotteswebofrockford.org.

3 HORSE-DRAWN

CARRIAGE RIDES

Geneva Like horses? Enjoy a great view? Head down to Geneva, where there are horse drawn carriage rides for special couples, tourists, or for anyone who enjoys an older tradition near Christmas. The rides begin and end at the corner of South Third and James streets. The dates are December 3rd-18th from 1:00- 4:00 p.m.

ICE SKATING AT

4 MILLENNIUM PARK Chicago

A classic Chicago Christmas activity is ice skating at Millennium Park in Chicago. Located near the Bean, it’s a fantastic place to skate, with the skyscrapers of Chicago looming over the rink. A pair of skates isn’t even needed, since they provide rental ice skates for $10. The lines tend to be a little longer than desired, so get there earlier if you’re skating in the evening. After skating toward hunger, stop by the Park Grill for a warm, tasty meal.

-McKayla Helm, reporter Pulse / December 15, 2011 / KANELAND KRIER

19

December

2

Chess Club kicks off, art class works on shadow boxes, Judy Fabrizius’s Family Consumer Science class works on pajama pants, baby chicks are hatched in Breanne Kahl’s biology class, and the walls outside of the library are painted.

1 2

20

Photo / December 15, 2011 / KANELAND KRIER

3 5

6

1. Judy Fabrizius’ FCS class works on making pajama pants. “We cook and make pajama pants. We’ve made pillows, and we find a way for dealing with problems in life,” sophomore Kelly Schoenborn said.

2. A student in Jennifer O’Hara’s Advanced Biology class brought in chicken eggs, which the biology classes hatched using an incubator.

3. “After we finish the game, it’s customary to shake hands,” sophomore Nicolas Likeum, a member of the chess team, said.

4. Senior Madi Bluml and freshman Taylor Tindall practice improvisation at TINA, a drama club that meets after school.

5. Senior Kayley McPhee adds finishing touches on the mural outside the library. “I like it because I got to paint lots of details on books, and I like books,” she said.

6. Senior Allisan Tate helps paint the walls outside the library. “We’re helping with the mural,” she said.

Photos by Heather Shelton, Kristin Staub, Amelia Likeum, Morgan Buerke and Krysta Knarr Photo / December 15, 2011 / KANELAND KRIER

21

SPORTS

Girls bowling back in action

Senior Liz Barnette looks for an open teammate during a game on Dec. 1.

Photo by Jake Razo

Best start in years for basketball

Knights take first place in Immaculate Conception tourney

BY LEXI ROACH, Editor “Go big, or go home.”

Third-year returning varsity player junior Emma Bradford lives by this motto during the basketball season.

The Knights started off their season big at Immaculate Conception Thanksgiving tournament, going 4-0 in the tournament and finishing in first place.

The team defeated Regina Dominican 35-24, crushed Plainfield South 57-13, and went on to beat Lisle 31-23 and Immaculate Conception 32-28.

Senior Kelly Evers was named MVP of the tournament.

“I was very nervous going into the tournament because I was play-

ing with a new team and didn’t know what to expect. By the end of it, I was extremely happy with the team and our performance,” Evers said.

The Knights faced their first loss to East Aurora, with a final score of 52-33. Junior Alyson O’Herron lead the team with 12 points.

Their record was 4-1 as of press dead, and the team expects DeKalb, last year’s conference champion, to be its toughest competitor.

“Our biggest competition this year will be DeKalb because they don’t have any weak links, and it will be difficult to shut down both their offense and defense,” said Bradford.

Varsity has only two seniors on the team, Evers and Liz Barnette, a transfer from Indian Creek.

“We are a new team. We have

four returning players, so we are still getting to know each other,” Coach Walter Dillivan said.

But many players moved up from last year’s strong sophomore team, which had a 25-1 record, and last year’s freshmen team, which went 24-0. Sophomore Lauren Zick and returning sophomore Marina Schaefer are among the key additions to the team.

“Lauren is really fast, and Marina is growing as a post player and will be a really strong part of our team,” said Bradford.

To prepare for their season, the varsity basketball team is running a lot and focusing on fundamentals.

“Pressure on defense all over the court is one of our main focuses,” Dillivan said.

Contributions by Kylie Siebert

The bowling team started its season with a 0-3 record, playing three matches since Nov. 22.

Key bowlers are seniors Madi Bluml and Seleana Issacs, along with juniors Morgan Wojciechowski, Amanda Strayve and Angela Charhut.

Coach Jim McKnight said that while those five had strong averages last year, the team has several other bowlers with the potential to roll high scores.

The team averaged 132.6 per bowler last year, and the highest individual score was a game of 245 by Holly Thomas, who graduated. “[Holly] had established or broken just about every record in our school’s bowling history,” McKnight said. “She is now bowling at St. Ambrose.”

Despite the loss of Thomas, the team hopes to raise their average scores this year.

Strayve bowled a high 182 in the season opener against DeKalb, and Bluml was close behind with a 179.

Christie Crews surpassed that with a 214 at the game against Marengo on Nov. 28, and then Strayve and Crews both bowled team-high games of 213 against Sterling on Nov. 29.

“We hope to be able to actually improve on our scores from last year. We think this could happen despite the loss of Holly because the girls we have now will continue to improve,” McKnight said.

The team has been bowling daily after school during practice and setting personal goals.

“My goals are the get my average up and get over 200 during a meet,” Morgan Wojciechowski said. “Our team goals are for everyone to get –Claudia Tovar,bowl reporter the best scores they can, and over 100 every meet.”

Love sports?

Become a sports reporter for the Krier!

Come to B109 during STEP.

22

Girls Sports / December 15, 2011 / KANELAND KRIER

Knights fall after lastminute play

by Montini

BY SAM PAYTON, Reporter History repeated itself when the Montini Broncos defeated the Knights for the second year in a row during the 5A semifinal round, when Jordan Westerkamp made a lastminute touchdown grab to snatch the lead and the championship.

The Knights were in the lead for much of the game, leading 31-28 up until the final minutes of the fourth quarter, when Westerkamp’s touchdown changed the game.

“It was probably the best game we played,” running back and linebacker Jesse Balluff said. “We had a really great game, but so did they.

They just ended up making a few more plays than us.”

The Knights defense smothered Westerkamp for the first three quarters, but he was able to make four catches for 69 yards in the fourth quarter to help the Broncos pull out the 35-31 win. It was the 19-yard touchdown pass thrown by Broncos quarterback John Rhode that sent the Knights home.

“He is the best in history of state for a reason, and you can only slow him down for so long,” Snyder said.

The Knights held Westercamp, who holds three IHSA state records for career receiving yards (4,355), touchdowns (66) and receptions (275), to not a single catch in the first

Senior Sean Carter covers Montini wide receiver Jordan Westercamp during the semi-final football game on Nov. 19.

three quarters of the game.

“We knew going in that we couldn’t let him go wild like he did to us last year and, really, like he’s done to everyone else he’s played against for the last three years,” Keith Snyder, one of the Knights’ assistant coaches, said.

Kaneland coaches knew that an adjustment would have to be made to the base defense, so they took a linebacker out and put in Taylor Andrews, an extra defensive back, and had wide receiver and linebacker Sean Carter guard Westerkamp man-to-man.

“You have to give Sean credit because that is a tall order going toeto-toe with the best receiver in state history, and he did tremendously well,” Snyder said.

With the help of wide receiver and defensive back Jake Razo and the Knights defense, Carter was able to shut down Westerkamp until the fourth quarter.

“Hats off to Jake Razo, because we couldn’t just sit in that all night, and when we went to our regular defense, Jake was able to really get after him,” Snyder said.

BIGGEST DREAM?

“To become a ninja.”

For the first game in over a year, wide receiver and defensive back Quinn Buschbacher not only started the game, but played offense and defense for the entire game.

“He really did a great job locking down his side of the field,” Snyder said.

Balluff ’s early 81-yard touchdown ignited the team; he had 12 carries for 135 yards and scored two touchdowns. Quarterback Drew David was 15-for-27 and scored a touchdown and rushing touchdown.

“We executed the game plan we had in place really well, but we couldn’t pull it out in the end,” David said.

Lineman Zach Theis said he was proud of “just how close we got to going to state.”

Montini went on to win the state championship in Champaign for the third year in a row, demolishing Joliet Catholic 70-45.

The Knights had advanced to the playoffs after winning the NIB XII conference championship, defeating Belvidere 51-45 in the first round before St. Francis almost knocked the Knights out of the

YOU IN THE FUTURE?

PLANS FOR WINTER BREAK?

“Wanted: dead or alive.”

“To master the art of puppetry.”

“I made Jesus a happy birthday card and sent it up to heaven in a hot air balloon.”

Photo by Tatiana Lee

playoffs in round two. The Knights squeaked out with a win due to illegal participation on St. Francis’ behalf, when their receiver ran out of bounds, came back, and then was the first to touch the ball.

The Knights played their first away playoff game in Rochelle, where they beat the Hubs by another six points. Their stops on defense late in the game helped them hold Rochelle. The close scores were new for the Knights who, on average, won by 26.6 points in their undefeated regular season.

The Knights ended the season with a final record of 12-1 and a regular season record of 9-0.

Several players were named to the NIB XII all-area team, including seniors Buschbacher, Ryan Noel, Carter, Ben Kovalick and Razo; juniors Nick Sharp, Korey Harner, Ryan Lawrence and Blake Bradford; and sophomores Alex Snyder and David. Buschbacher was named MVP of the NIB XII conference and was the area’s leading receiver with 1,084 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Contributions by Julia Angelotti and Evan Ortiz

BEST GIFT YOU HAVE GIVEN?

Emma Bradford Junior, Basketball

Jordan Wolf

“My biggest dream is to go to college and become a forensic investigator.”

“Going to college and working.”

“My plans for winter break are to go snowboarding and hang out with friends.”

“I gave my mom a watch.”

“To be a chef, and go on a cooking show.”

“College, then cooking or working with sea animals.”

“Hanging out with friends and family, and making cookies with my mom.”

“I made my mom a ceramic plate.”

Junior, Wrestling

Morgan Wojciechowski Junior, Bowling

Contributions by Courtney Reiss Boys Sports / December 15, 2011 / KANELAND KRIER

23

24 Back Page / December 15, 2011 / KANELAND KRIER