Advice

BY SAMANTHA DUNNE

Editor

Trying to find the perfect gift for a family member or friend and hoping it won’t end up in the trash is a prime example of pre-holiday anxiety. With holidays right around the corner, friends and family members are usually scrambling to find last-minute gifts at the busiest time. But as you can imagine, the pandemic has presented some unique and ongoing challenges with a significant shortage of products in some of your favorite stores, which could make it hard to find that perfect gift. Sometimes gift-giving can be difficult, but it’s the thought that counts, right?

A truly thoughtful gift will mean more than the most expensive one. Sophomore Lauren Andrews enjoys Black Friday because it’s the perfect time to find gifts for her friends, and the feeling she gets after their reaction makes it worth it.

“I love shopping at Target and Barnes & Noble because they have a wide variety of options, and they have decent prices. I always try to find something [my friends] will love and remember for many years to come,” Andrews said. “The feeling of giving someone the gift is better than the gift itself because I know they’ll love it as much as I do.” As we all know, social media has a big impact on today’s society, and that includes affecting the way we shop for gifts. Many businesses can keep their customers updated on any special offers or exclusive deals that are only available online. Rather than shopping through the big rush and crowds, a better idea is to stay where you are and shop from the comfort of your home. It is more convenient to shop online because you can usually find more options and exactly what you need without having to travel all over the place. It is not worth waiting in long lines at stores for the same deals - or better ones - that you can find on your computer.

Math teacher Kristin Massey typically shops on the internet for gifts for her two kids rather than in stores. “I like shopping online for my kids’ gifts during Black Friday because I don’t have to worry about the big crowds, and I don’t have to worry about the risk of things being out of stock or someone taking the last item in the store,” Massey said. While shopping online and spending less money may be frowned upon, it still has the potential to lead to a good gift. All that matters is that the gift means something special and you put in the effort.

LISTENING FOR IDEAS PRESENTING WITH THOUGHT GIFTING ADVENTURE

During this eventful month, Thanksgiving is arriving soon, and then the calendar will turn to Black Friday. If you know you tend to struggle with gift-giving during the holiday season but want to make sure you find ones that will put smiles on your loved ones’ faces, then pay attention to the smallest details while you hang out during the upcoming weeks. It is important to pick up on key things they bring up in conversations that could relate to any gift concept. More often than you might think, people will tell you exactly what they want during the course of a conversation without even realizing it. Listening carefully to these hints can be very helpful when planning what to get for someone. The earlier you start thinking about the gift you’re going to buy, the more time you have to listen closely. Listening for phrases like, “I wish I had...” or, “I really like…” can lead you straight down the path to a great gift idea. Without listening carefully, generic gift ideas can lead to generic reactions. When it comes down to the time you need to buy your gift and you still don’t have a good idea, the worst thing to do is ask the gift recipient directly what they want. Finding a good idea by listening can lead to unique reactions and great surprises. A personal, thoughtful gift is not as hard to find as it seems. All it takes is attentive listening. 14 Advice

Another important step on how to give the perfect gift is presentation. A gift can still look good and not be complicated at all. You should consider all of the possibilities of how to put it together. Depending on the gift, you can add a bit of creativity by using something like a mason jar or a fun basket instead of just a bag or box. If you still choose to put your present in a traditional bag or box, there are many ways to make it look and feel more special. You could try and wrap the gift in their favorite color or use a bag with a unique design. Another thing you could possibly do after you finalize your gift is write a note. It can be one sentence or a full letter. It will lead to an emotional and thoughtful gesture either way. Spanish teacher Michelle Jurcenko is a wife and a mom and understands the importance of the presentation of a gift. She always makes the extra effort to make sure the presentation of the gift is special. “Part of giving a good gift is the presentation, so if you can find some wrapping paper that is specific to them that is great. I always try to tie something to the outside of the gift, like a big and pretty bow or some ribbons to serve as an appetizer to the gift,” Jurcenko said. Giving a gift with thoughtful presentation shows that you put in more effort and can only improve the quality of your gift. Finding a thoughtful gift is a great way to show your gratitude, but it does not always have to be an object. Instead of finding something on a store shelf, you can get someone you care about tickets to a special event or something to do in a unique location. This is a great gift because they will be going somewhere they enjoy rather than being given an object that they may or may not care about, and a trip to somewhere fun tends to lead to a great experience. Local spots where people would enjoy going are places like Color Me Mine in Geneva and iFly Indoor Skydiving in Naperville. Also, if they would rather do something in an outdoor environment, good options are either Six Flags Great America or a local outdoor concert. Another option instead of giving them gift cards or tickets to some place is taking them to the place yourself. When you take them there yourself, not only do they get to experience what you had planned for them but they get to do it with someone else, which always makes the experience better. The perfect adventure gift has no limits. It does not have to be a local visit, so you can go downtown Chicago as well. You can venture through the city by going to restaurants unlike any we have nearby, internationally renowned museums and a variety of places near Lake Michigan such as Navy Pier or the Shedd Aquarium.

Cartoon by Dane Coyne Celebrating our minimum wage workers and acknowledging the work they do is not something we do enough. Using basic manners, being patient and sympathetic and even leaving a tip if possible is all that is needed to display our appreciation.

Cartoon by Dane Coyne According to the Mental Health Foundation, “An act of kindness can boost feelings of confidence, being in control, happiness and optimism.” Especially as students in high school, it can be hard to stay positive, but there are endless benefits to being a kind person.

POSITIVITY IS ALL YOU NEED

In this day and age where everyone is quick to ask, “What’s in it for me,” it can be hard to remember the morals once taught to us as children: Always choose kindness over hate. No matter how nice somebody is, we can all acknowledge that it can be easy to slip up and let the bad take over the good. However, there are absolutely no benefits to spreading pessimism or putting negative energy out into 20 the universe. Instead, releasing positive energy is something we should all be doing more of, and ultimately, this will lead to receiving that positivity back. Spreading positivity means more than just saying “please” and “thank you.” The way that a person carries and presents themselves are big indications of their character. Being able to do this in a way that attracts others and makes you a better, nicer person is the prime goal. When people hear the word energy, they may think of crystals, manifestation or other things of that nature. Energy, though, is not always spiritual; when you think about kind people that you know, you may describe them as having good vibes. That “vibe” is really just energy that they are putting into the universe. Being this way has numerous advantages, while again, being rude and neglecting these values has none in the long run. Believe it or not, being nice actually affects you as much as it does other people. In other words, the behavior you exemplify will eventually be returned. Treating everyone with respect, paying someone a compliment out of the blue and being encouraging to people are all actions that will compel others to reciprocate that kindness. It is a common phrase that “what goes around comes around,” and that could not be more true; it is hard for people to ignore or not want to match that positive energy that you put out.

This idea relates to karma. Karma is defined as “the sum of a person’s actions... viewed as deciding their fate in future existences.” It is like a cause and effect situation. Your behavior to0 wards others is the cause for the eventual effect, which is what you receive back. The feeling of improving someone’s day is something that never gets old. It feels incredible to be a good person. Keeping this concept in mind and putting it into practice will build self-confidence, exercise social skills and promote more positive interactions amongst peers.

Optimism is like a domino effect; this outlook inspires people to act the same. In turn, more people feel content, and the world is a better place. Again, even though most of us are aware of these benefits, being human means making mistakes. In moments of frustration, for example, it is easy to lose sight of your positive energy and snap at someone. The issue arises when people who are fully aware of their rudeness avoid making changes to their attitude.

In these moments, take a step back, and think about a few things: Is what you are doing making you feel good about yourself? Is what you are saying poorly affecting others? Does the way you are acting have any benefits whatsoever? If the honest answer to any of these is no, a change must be made. Letting off some steam may feel relieving, but in the end, there is nothing that validates negativity, and positivity is always the answer.

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 2013-2021 IWPA Silver Pen 2017 NISPA Golden Eagle 2017 IJEA First Place for Krier Online 2021 IJEA First Place for Best Hybrid Publication 2021 IJEA First Place for Best Overall Publication 2021 Subscription rates: Five issues, three supplements

School-delivered, $15; Home-delivered, $25

Sophia Opp Co-Editor-in-Chief of Print

Madeleine Little Editor-in-Chief of Web EXECUTIVE STAFF

Nicholas Mitchinson Co-Editor-in-Chief of Print & Sports/Activities Executive Sarah Janito Production Executive Anna Olp Design Executive & Photography Executive

Gabrielle Parker Ad/Business Executive

MANAGING EDITOR STAFF

Casey Walters Technology Manager

Karmyn Hookham Social Media Manager Ayshe Ali Assistant to the Advisor

EDITORIAL STAFF

Lifestyle Kyra Motyka

News 1 Alan Tapia

News 2 Casey Walters

Voices Samantha Dunne

Sports Braden Babka

Feature 1 Kevin Sigrist

Centerspread Ashley Vanderhoff

Advice Paige Whiteside

Opinion 1 Benjamin Warford Opinion 2 Sarah Janito Feature 2 Zoey Pozen Editorial Sophia Opp

Profile Sarah Janito

Photos Madison Kleivo Advertisements Gabrielle Parker

STAFF Taylor Anello, Ashlyn Becker, Lilliana Bobe, Ethan Bollhoffer, Lilly Boose, Delaney Calabrese, Lyla Christakes, Bernard Clark, Dane Coyne, Chloe Crewse, Arianna Failor, Kira Helm, Tiffany Johnson, Rafika Khan, Jackson Kottmeyer, Elliot Krippelz, Alexander McLean, Bonnie Michelkamp, Abbey Mondi, Cameron Neis, Katherine Pfotenhauer, Sophie Ponce de Leon, Angelina Provenzano, Sarah Schimmel, Mikalah Seward, Elizabeth Sidman, Jordan Theis, Andrew Valentini, Kisella Valignota, Sofia Williams

Ryan Nudo

Cartoonists McKenna Goss & Dane Coyne Print Production

ADVISORS

Nicholas Montalbano

Dominic Bruno Krier advisor Nicole Larsen 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: Ayshe Ali, Braden Babka, Samantha Dunne, Karmyn Hookham, Sarah Janito, Madison Kleivo, Madeleine Little, Nicholas Mitchinson, Kyra Motyka, Anna Olp, Sophia Opp, Gabrielle Parker, Zoey Pozen, Kevin Sigrist, Alan Tapia, Ashley Vanderhoff, Casey Walters, Benjamin Warford and Paige Whiteside. 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.

BY ANNA OLP

Design Executive and Photography Executive

Social media is inescapable. According to an early 2021 phone survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, 69% of U.S. adults use Facebook. If you are a part of this majority, it is more than likely that you have felt the impact of social media on you and your dayto-day life in one way or another. While there are benefits to having the world at your fingertips, the negative effects that social media have on its users begin to outweigh the benefits. Accessing social media is as simple as tapping your screen. Because our phone is with us everywhere we go, this simplicity can lead to social media usage in place of productivity. “It’s tricky because it’s in your pocket. The second it buzzes, you take it out and look. Whatever you were doing a second ago gets put by the wayside,” Kaneland High School psychologist John Markovich said. In high school classrooms, it is very commonplace to see students on their phones during class periods. Work time lost due to social media can lead students to fall behind in their assignments and consequently result in sinking grades. To so many students, their letter grade is everything, and it can even define how they feel about themselves and their worth. There are no benefits of using social media in this setting that can outweigh these negatives. “Students need to learn how to balance social media and their workload in school so they can learn how to be productive before going to college or getting a job. Social media isn’t going away, and it’s better they learn how to balance it in school rather than getting fired from a job in the future,” business teacher Douglas McNally said. This effect of social media should not be simply chalked up to the procrastinating tendencies of high school students. The fast paced culture of social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat fills users’ feeds with new, recent posts almost every time any of those apps are opened. This creates the need to check these apps frequently to keep up on new information. The urge to check social media no matter the time of day happens to many users, not just students. “I feel as though there is that need to keep on top of it because if you don’t, you could miss a little or a lot of what is going on in the screen,” Markovich said. Social media can be addicting. Ac16 Opinion

cording to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, “There is a growing scientific evidence base to suggest excessive social networking site use may lead to symptoms traditionally associated with substance-related addictions.”

These addictive tendencies have the potential to affect sleep as well. We’ve all been there, laying in bed at night with our eyes glued to the screen. For some people, this can be more extreme than others, but social media usage can keep people, like myself, up for hours.

According to SleepFoundation.org, “Unfortunately, social media and sleep don’t mix well. Excessive use of social media close to bedtime can reduce sleep quality and increase the risk of a multitude of sleep issues.” This lack of sleep, along with the lowered self-worth that comes with decreased productivity, can lead to a decline in mental health.

There are many aspects of social media that are detrimental to mental health. Self-image is a common problem for users of apps such as Instagram. In a modern mindset where how you look is of utmost concern, photos on social media becoming the norm for body image are dangerous for many reasons. Photos can be, and very oftentimes are, edited. Because influencers with thousands of followers are seen so commonly, the way they look has become the norm. When what people view as normal cannot be achieved naturally, it leads many to see themselves very negatively.

“Not being able to see the negative aspects of social media posts can really affect the way we view our own lives. People put their best traits out there for everyone to see and hide the stuff that’s not favorable,” Markovich said. Even if you have managed to keep yourself from making an account on Facebook or Instagram, these apps can crawl into your life nonetheless. From the classroom and sports to family and friends, social media is used by many as a communication hub.

Social media has given us the opportunity to connect with others like never before. It allows us to reach people even on the other side of the globe. Whether it is distant family members or new friends met online, the reach of social media is impossible to replicate.

While reaching others has never been easier, genuine communication through social media is difficult. Not having another person’s face to look at makes it far easier to create toxic communication whether intended or not. Almost everyone has typed something that they would not have said to the recipient’s face. Where some people differ is the decision to either backspace and fix the message or simply hit the send button.

“A lot of communication problems are caused just because it’s not talking face to face. You can’t read body language, and it’s easy to misread what someone wanted to tell you,” Markovich said.

Social media has a grip on adults and an even firmer grip on teens. Most of Generation Z in America has grown up with an iPad in their hands. Access to social media has been available to us from a very young age, and so have the negative effects. Recognizing that these effects override the positives is essential to ensure we don’t inflict these consequences on anyone who can avoid them.

Cartoon by McKenna Goss Social media has made an impact in the lives of most teens today. According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, “Surveys show that 90% of teens ages 13-17 have used social media.”

BY BRADEN BABKA

Editor

Fashion in society has drastically changed from what it was in the early 2000s. Nearly every person has the ability to create their own fashion and wear what they want, including hairstyles and makeup. The bigger question, then, surrounds what is deemed acceptable to wear in public. With the tendency for fashion to change by the day, it seems that some people’s perceptions of and expectations for how others dress haven’t changed much at all. Are certain restrictions too close-minded for today? The simple answer is yes. Certain segments of today’s society have standards for what other people look like that are too limited for our ever-changing clothing norms. People who go to school or a job are most likely familiar with the dress codes in those buildings. Strict or laid back, most places have them just as a baseline for the extremes, such as wearing a bikini or underwear to school, which are reasonable restrictions. Some places, however, might be more questionable with rules, such as not allowing shorts that are too short or shirts that are cropped too high. One of Kaneland’s dress codes, which seems hardly enforced, doesn’t allow students to wear clothing that exposes the entire middle of their body. Why is this a rule? The Kaneland dress code states that it’s in place so “students’ dress and grooming does not disrupt the educational process, interfere with the maintenance of a positive teaching and learning climate, or compromise reasonable standards of health, safety, and decency,” but how does wearing something like a crop top intrude on these standards? It doesn’t. Students are forced to cover up even though wearing these items are popular fashion choices. This clothing could also be something that students feel fit their body shape or personality. It shouldn’t be criticized to wear something that you want to wear and feel comfortable wearing. Many workplaces have strict codes because the people who impose them want to create the appearance of a more professional work environment for their business. However, that sort of mindset doesn’t apply to today’s standards. Many people have dyed hair and piercings. It’s completely common, and employees who prefer that look shouldn’t be forced to change their style. By contrast, some employers make their workers wear certain clothing rather than allowing them to wear what makes them comfortable. The job might require Page design by Sarah Janito

Cartoon by McKenna Goss The scrutiny young women are constantly facing regarding their clothing choices seems to increase each year, especially in schools. Expressing yourself through clothing and comfort can allow a person to be more open and confident.

that men wear suits and women wear dresses. In past years, it seems men have been able to get a little lazy, dressing more casually in jeans and dress shirts, but that still leaves women wearing dresses, skirts and heels. Not to mention the expected nice hairstyles, nails and makeup. This seems to single out women because of the extra money and effort they have to spend to dress for work. Women should be able to dress casually and have a choice when it comes to makeup usage. Moving back to Kaneland dress codes, the rules pertaining to after-school sports are unfair as well. Boys are told not to take off their shirts when at practice, and girls are told not to wear sports bras. In the brutal heat athletes face in the summer, early fall and late spring seasons, the last thing they want to do is cover up, making it even hotter and preventing them from performing their best. Many athletes find the dress code unreasonable since they are outside and not in the school building. “I feel when we take our shirts off, we run a little quicker at practice,” junior cross country runner Nolan Hosking said. “I think if we are out there and it’s a hot enough day, there could be an exception, especially if it could be a heat hazard.”

Many student-athletes are unsure of why this dress code is in place. Most assume it is from an individual complaint against a team practicing outside with no shirts being worn. “I don’t see any point in the rule. The same thing for the girls. I heard they can’t wear sports bras,” Hosking said. “I think neither of them are viable rules. I guess people are getting distracted, but really, you shouldn’t be getting distracted by other people practicing. There’s nothing inherently distracting about that.”

On the tennis courts, it can feel a lot hotter than it really is during hot days. “[The school dress code] is unfair and not even enforced, so what’s the point if it’s not enforced,” sophomore girls tennis team member Abby Grams said. “Athletes should be able to wear whatever is comfortable for them to work out in, and if there is no dress code in school that’s enforced there shouldn’t be one for extracurriculars.” There’s also the issue of shaming, whether it’s publicly or behind closed doors towards those who wear what others may view as suggestive clothing. Falling under the category of bullying, the shaming issue can be hurtful to those it’s aimed at. Everybody has freedom of expression and shouldn’t be ashamed of what they want to wear. People should learn to accept the wide variety of clothing options and understand that it’s 2021, and things have changed. It can be agreed that there’s a certain extent to the freedom regarding what a student can wear to school. Wearing no shirt in school is definitely pushing the limits, but a rule against wearing a skirt that’s above your knees is unreasonable. Schools and jobs should adjust to the new norms of clothing and make standards that fit them correctly; the dress codes should be looser. This also isn’t just a school and job problem. This is a societal issue. People should understand the changing of society’s clothing norms and should grow to accept it. Opinion 17