Profile

from Kaneland Krier Volume 48 Issue 1

Lifestyle

BY ANNA OLP

Design Executive and Photography Executive

If you’ve had lunch in the cafeteria at Kaneland High School or Harter Middle School, the chance you’ve run into Mario Arindaeng is pretty high. If you, like myself prior to writing this story, have little to no idea who he really is, you’re not alone. Many students at KHS recognize Arindaeng in the hallways or during their lunch hour, but their knowledge of him doesn’t go much further. Arindaeng doesn’t shy away from meeting new people, and everyone who does know Arindaeng knows him as somebody they can turn to. With even my first question, he expressed how much he cares about what he does for the Kaneland community. “I want to be here to really support and encourage kids. I love Kaneland students. It doesn’t matter who they are. I just really care about them,” Arindaeng said. Many students at both KHS and KHMS recognize Arindaeng for the time he spends in the lunchroom, hopping from table to table. Sitting down and interacting with students is as simple of a role as it sounds, but it can mean a lot to the students. Playing card games and having small conversations about the upcoming weekend are just some of the ways he interacts with students during lunch hours. “Mario came and played the game Exploding Kittens with my lunch table every day he was at the school. He’s a great person and is super fun to be around,” senior Evelyn Taylor said. By spending time with students, Arindaeng has been able to form a unique connection with many people, something that some students aren’t able to find in many other places. Some students may know Arindaeng better than others when he makes his way around the lunchroom, but he is ready and willing to stop at any table regardless of his level of familiarity. Many times this results in first-time conversations where Arindaeng is sure to learn the names of the students he interacts with. Some conversations are short and simple, but they tend to be memorable to students nonetheless. “A lot of [my interactions with students] isn’t me talking to them, as much as listening to them,” Arindaeng said. “I find a lot of students just want to have an adult who cares and is able to just listen to them, and I genuinely care about the kids and what’s going on with them.” Arindaeng has been unofficially doing work with Kaneland since 2003, before many of the students currently at Kaneland were even born. The reason for his involvement with Kaneland is not a happy backstory, but it goes to show the sincerity of the work he does today. “There have been a lot of student deaths at Kaneland over the years, and the first one [that involved me with the district] was Andrew and Jarrett Burkholder, who were involved in a car accident in 2003,” Arindaeng said. It was a student in his youth group who reached out to Arindaeng and asked him to come to the school to help counsel a few students. When he arrived, he realized a “few students” was an understatement. Arindaeng was handed a microphone and spoke in front of both the freshmen and senior classes separately, as they both had a classmate pass away in the crash. Standing in front of hundreds of students, Arindaeng shared words of encouragement with the students who were mourning the loss of a friend and fellow classmate. Following this initial involvement with

our district, there were similar tragic occurrences that prompted the school to ask Arindaeng for assistance. Because he wanted to continue helping and start checking on kids regularly, Arindaeng began attending student lunch hours. “I asked the administration if I could come to continue to be a support for the students, and from 2013 until now I have been going to lunches pretty consistently,” Arindaeng said. Another one of Arindaeng’s main roles at KHS is serving as the assistant director of Student Impact. Student Impact is a student-led, student-initiated Christian club here at school where everybody is welcome. Student Impact is overseen by Arindaeng and Kaneland band director Aaron Puckett, and they meet on Tuesday mornings before school. “Our goal [in Student Impact] is really to live out our mission of ‘prayer, share, care,’” Arindaeng said. Throughout my interview with Arindaeng, one of his main areas of focus was how much of an important role Jesus has played in his life. His love for sharing this passion with young people also comes into play during multiple aspects of his life. Along with the work he does for Student Impact, Arindaeng works as a youth pastor at the Village Bible Church in Sugar Grove. Senior Jonathan Pilkington has known Arindaeng almost his whole life through his involvement with the church. “Mario has been my youth pastor since I was in 6th grade, so he has really helped me grow my relationship with Jesus,” Pilkington said. Walking the line between religion and public school can be a tough thing to do, but Arindaeng assured me that he would never want to put a student in an uncomfortable situation. He says that he believes sharing the message of the Bible is the role of the Christian students and those involved in Student Impact. “I know my guidelines being in the school. I’m all about the need to tell people about Jesus, but when I’m in the lunchroom I don’t go and ask people about their faith,” Arindaeng said. Arindaeng is also able to share his faith during prayer meetings that are held for Kaneland teachers. The group meets once a week before school and welcomes any teachers wanting to join. Arindaeng has made close connections with the teachers involved in this group, including Kaneland choir director Bryan Kunstman. “I’ve known him for a long time, and even in his first couple years of being in the building, every time I would see him, he was very friendly and always said hi,” Kunstman said. Much like Kunstman, students and staff throughout the district recognize Arindaeng for the kindness he has shown to the Kaneland community. After having met with him, I can now say the same. “One thing I will always remember about Mario is I never see him get angry with people. No matter the situation, he always knows what to say. He is somebody I think many people can trust,” Pilkington said. If you’re ever looking for someone to talk to or verse you in Exploding Kittens at lunch, Mario Arindaeng is your guy. I’m sure you will come to find him as someone you look forward to seeing just as I have.

I want to be here to really support and encourage kids. I love

Kaneland students. It doesn’t matter who they are. I just really care about them. - Mario Arindaeng “

Senior Charlotte Herst as Piglet “This was my favorite costume be-cause it was the cutest.”

Sophomore Samantha Joy as Scooby Doo

“It was my favorite because Scooby Doo was one of my favorite shows, and I loved Scooby Doo in general.“ Junior Amelia Marsan as a witch “This has to be my favorite childhood costume because I think it was quite the look and really resembles Hallloween.”

KANELAND STUDENTS’ MOST MEMORABLE HALLOWEEN COSTUMES

Freshman Sophie Thill as Hermione Granger

“It was my favorite costume because it was really fun to be able to dress up in a group costume with my brothers. I also think we pulled off the characters really well.” Junior Audrey Smith as a horse “It was super random! I am not completely sure why I wanted to be a horse so badly. It didn’t match any of my friends’ costumes.” Senior Payton Micka as a Day of The Dead skeleton “I was a character from the hit movie Coco.”

Freshman Clara Paulson as a shrimp “It was the most memorable for my mom and me because my whole family was matching. I also won a bunch of costume awards, which was fun.” Sophomore Matthew Falk & freshman Benjamin Falk as hunters “We chose these because we both really liked hunting.”

Freshman Olivia King as a peacock “It was my favorite because I loved how extra it was, and at the time peacocks were my favorite animal.”

KANELAND STUDENTS’ MOST MEMORABLE HALLOWEEN COSTUMES

Senior Kelsey Taylor as Winnie the Pooh “This was my favorite costume because my family loved it. It also just felt like I was wearing a blanket the whole night, so that was a plus.”

Senior Amanda Mederich as a Minecraft creeper

“I wore this costume when I was in fourth grade. This was my favorite costume because it was unique and homemade.” Senior Rebecca Miller as a cow “This was my favorite costume because I love cows.”