Kaneland Krier Volume 51 Issue 4 by Kaneland Krier

Exploring how connecting with others is drastically different than it was

With constant advancements in technology and transportation, it seems like society is the most connected it’s ever been. We can have conversations wih others despite being miles apart, make plans without speaking a word and fly across the country in mere hours. However, despite these improvements, it feels like social skills and empathy are diminishing. Things like knocking on our friends’ doors to ask them to play and having genuine, deep conversations feel almost rare in today’s world. The relationships we have with one another have evolved to make in-person conversations optional, and in some cases, completely unnecessary. Are we really more connected than we used to be? Or are we just confusing accessibility with genuine connection?

Jasper Paulson

Carli Filek Nate Sand Zoe Gannon

FINANCIAL STRUGGLES FORCE CUTS

BY CARLI FILEK Social Media Executive

In late January, the Kaneland Board of Education voted unanimously to approve the 2025-26 budget reduction plan in response to a projected $4.2 million deficit for the 2024-25 fiscal year.

This plan includes staff and program cuts, capital and operational spending reductions and other cost-saving measures aimed at stabilizing the district’s finances.

“I don't want to cut anything we're doing, but realistically we do not have the resources to fund everything,” board member Dr. Aaron Lawler said.

The deficit stems from an imbalance between revenue and expenditures in the district, driven by multiple factors, including rising costs in transportation, energy and operations, as well as additional revenue and funding challenges.

“Especially over the last few years, the district has been spending more than it takes in,” Assistant Superintendent for Business/CSBO Dr. Jackie Bogan said. “If we continue to do that, that’s where the structural deficit is coming from.”

that while she graduates this year, she hopes that younger students can still receive the same support and opportunities she did.

“[Counselors’] caseloads are going to grow, and it's going to be really different,” VanDerVoorn said. “I feel like students won’t get the support they need. The number one priority should be the students and their future.”

In making these cuts, the administration aimed to distribute reductions evenly across the district while minimizing the impact on students. Bogan explained that they focused on spreading the cuts across staffing and

a communication and feedback plan and will meet with each team throughout the spring to discuss what this will look like now.”

With many community members upset by the significant cuts, the Kaneland Education Association (KEA) also voiced concerns, emphasizing the need for better communication and collaboration on budget decisions. Math teacher and KEA Vice President Daniel Ponczek said he wished the KEA had been involved earlier in this process to explore alternatives and minimize cuts.

The budget planning process began with making operational adjustments, including cuts to capital expenditures, a 10% reduction in building level allocations and more. However, since staffing remains the district’s largest expenditure, staff reductions became necessary.

“It’s unbelievably difficult when we’re talking about staffing and programming that has a direct impact on students," Bogan said. “We know [reductions] can’t come from one specific area because the deficit wasn’t created by just one thing.”

As part of the plan, the district will reduce 32.28 full-time equivalent (FTE) positions across its seven schools. At the high school, this includes eliminating one multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) interventionist, two counselor positions and one food service worker.

For some students, the reduction in counseling services is concerning. Senior Alexis VanDerVoorn expressed disappointment about the cuts, noting

programs, working within their financial constraints to maintain programs without eliminating them entirely.

“We need to change the financial health and trajectory of the district and fix that pattern and spending,” Bogan said. “It took us a long time to get here, so we’re not going to be able to change it overnight.”

The Kaneland IgKnight Personalized Learning Academy (KIPLA) is also being relocated to John Shields Elementary School and Harter Middle School. Currently housed in the Kaneland Meredith Academic Center (KMAC), the move will reduce costs by eliminating the need for separate administrative and support staff and facility expenses.

“Where we have more student and parent impact, like KIPLA, we’re going to continue to reach out and keep them informed,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kurt Rohlwing said. “For each of those areas, we’re developing

“We could have brought up some ideas that we had that they might have overlooked,” Ponczek said. “We hope that moving forward we can have more communication there, so we can support each other on decisions [the district] is making.”

Lawler agreed, and moving forward, he wants stakeholders like the KEA to be involved in budgeting. Ponczek also acknowledged the challenges of adjusting to the reductions, particularly in the math department.

“If the full proposed cuts go through, I think it’s going to be tough on our end to adjust,” Ponczek said. “I’ve seen a lot of success using MTSS, but if we do at the end of the day have to make those cuts, we’ll have to make it work.”

All staff members affected by these reductions will receive an honorable dismissal with potential recall rights.

“Administration will be meeting with all affected teachers and discussing whether they have recall rights and helping with job placements,” Director of Human Resources Dr. Chris Adkins said.

Rohlwing emphasized his vision for the district’s future, acknowledging the current financial struggles.

“My vision is that we are able to walk away from this in a stronger position and make long-term financial decisions that will help us not only provide a great experience for students but will help us have a safety net in the future,” Rohlwing said.

Photo by Emma Weintraub

Members of the Board of Education discuss the budget plan for 2025-26. The board approved the budget, which includes 32.28 full-time equilvalent (FTE) staff reductions throughout the district.

TRUMP CHANGES IMMIGRATION POLICY

BY OLIVIA COTTER Editor and Columnist

On Jan. 20, 2025, Donald Trump was inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States of America, and he immediately began to address illegal immigration.

Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border of the U.S. He promised mass deportations and halted those seeking asylum.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers started their raids in Chicago on Jan. 26, resulting in the arrests of 956 people, according to ABC News. The Trump Administration has stated that they are targeting criminals with deportation warrants. According to former ICE Deputy Director Tom Homan, who is now the designated border czar and was in Chicago during the raid, multiple criminals were arrested, including gang members and sex offenders.

One of Trump’s most controversial decisions is his executive order allowing ICE agents to detain illegal immi -

grants in “sensitive” areas, like hospitals, places of worship and schools.

“The Trump Administration will not tie the hands of our brave law enforcement, and instead trusts them to use common sense," former Homeland Security secretary Benjamine Huffman said in a press statement.

Schools and administrative teams throughout the country are preparing their response for potential ICE raids, including Kaneland Community Unit School District 302.

“We require a warrant or parental approval for any legal intervention with a student,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kurt Rohlwing said.

Trump opened a detention center in Guantanamo Bay to hold 30,000 migrants, and the first flight of high-threat illegal immigrants arrived on Feb. 5. Guantanamo Bay is a naval base in Cuba that currently houses 15 military prisoners, according to The New York Times. Migrants are expected to be held in a detention center for people intercepted by the Coast Guard. But

the facility is in disrepair and would need money from Congress for construction and food costs. Trump said that migrants will be held there “temporarily,” but it is unclear how long migrants will wait until they are sent to other countries.

“It does not give the United States the right to put them in a legal black hole in an offshore prison just to get them out of sight and out of mind,” Vincent Warren, the executive director of the Center for Constitutional Rights, said in an interview with National Public Radio (NPR). “That’s not something that human rights law would allow.”

Trump’s policies could impact the U.S. economy, which relies in part on immigrants for labor. The construction, agriculture and hospitality industries employ over two million undocumented workers. Mass deportations could lead to a labor shortage and higher food prices.

The effects of Trump’s new policies are uncertain, but they will be tied to his legacy forever.

JUNIORS PREPARE TO TAKE ACT EXAM

BY PRESLEE SUTHERLAND Web Assistant

On Tuesday, March 25, Kaneland High School juniors will take the American College Testing (ACT) benchmark exam as a graduation requirement, which will help them prepare for their lives after high school.

The ACT is a test that gives a score from one to 36 based on the average of a student’s score in the English, math, reading and science sections of the test. There is also a writing portion at the end of the exam. A student’s ACT score can be used for college applications, admissions and scholarships.

For the past eight years, Kaneland required juniors to take the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) due to a state requirement. However, the state reverted to the ACT.

“The Illinois State Board of Education has control and decides which benchmark tests are used across the state,” Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction Brian Kowalski said. “Last year, the contract with the SAT expired, so [the board] took the opinions of stakeholders and weighed the option of taking the SAT or switch -

ing back to the ACT.”

Like the school offered with the SAT, Kaneland provides optional courses in order to help students prepare for the benchmark test. One of the preparation courses Kaneland provides is through the ExcelEdge program.

“[The classes began] on Tuesday, Jan. 28,” Kowalski said. “We had [about] 50 juniors that signed up. It’s an eight-week course for a couple of hours every Tuesday.”

The program costs $360 and includes an ACT prep textbook.

“I teach them strategies, how to annotate a question properly and how to eliminate answers that are never going to work,” ExcelEdge instructor and Kaneland English teacher Lori Shroka said.

Another test preparation course is offered through Club Z tutoring. For $109, students can take a fourhour class at Kaneland Harter Middle School. The class was offered on Saturday, Jan. 25, and will be offered again on Saturday, March 1.

“The class talks about test strategies, sample questions and format,”

Kowalski said.

Kaneland also provides access to free resources to help students prepare for the ACT.

“We have something called the Elton B. Stephens Company (EBSCO) PrepSTEM available through our library,” Kowalski said. “All [students] need to do is log in with their Kaneland email, and they have access to study guides, practice questions and flash cards.”

The ACT website also provides a free practice test. On the website, students can log in to MyACT to access the test and receive a score with an analysis breakdown of the types of questions they need to improve on.

Administrators and teachers are optimistic about the students who are preparing for the ACT this spring.

“There’s always going to be a learning curve, not just for the students but for the teachers and administrators as well,” Kowalski said. “I’m hopeful for the best and we’ll see how the results come through, and then they’ll see those results to better inform how we proceed next year.”

TIKTOK: SECURITY VS. FREEDOM OF SPEECH

Debates over censorship spurred after the social media app was banned for 12 hours

BY EMMA WEINTRAUB Editor

On Jan. 19, Chinese company ByteDance answered American demands regarding national security concerns and shut down their social media app TikTok to American users before allowing access to the app again in just over 12 hours.

According to the Associated Press (AP), suspicions over TikTok’s content moderation began in September of 2019 when the Washington Post insinuated that the app was deleting videos of Hong Kong democracy posts and pushing content associated with President Donald Trump. Similarly, The Guardian conducted a detailed report that found that the app’s moderators were instructed to limit content that touched on sensitive topics regarding the Chinese government.

Investigations began in November of 2019, according to the AP, and while TikTok rapidly gained popularity, the U.S. government urged all military personnel to remove it from their phones. In mid 2020, Trump announced that he was considering a ban on the app to protect Americans’ private data and in response to China’s handling of COVID-19.

“What happened with China with this virus, what they’ve done to this country and to the entire world is disgraceful,” Trump said in an interview with Gray Television’s Greta Van Susteren in reference to potentially banning TikTok as retaliation.

Even though Trump ultimately did not ban the app for American users, he did issue an executive order which banned American companies from being a part of transactions with ByteDance. In retaliation, ByteDance sued the Trump administration for violation of due process, meaning Trump did not follow the course of the law when issuing the executive order. However, when 46th President Joe Biden entered office, he essentially stopped Trump’s efforts to ban the app.

Beginning in 2022, concerns about security arose again. After finding leaked audio from TikTok meetings, Buzzfeed published an article stating that Chinese employees had repeatedly accessed non-public information about its users. In response to

Page design by Olivia Cotter

U.S. officials’ concerns, TikTok moved its user data to American services. However, this did not ease their alarm.

Even after Singaporean TikTok Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Shou Zi Chew spent hours telling legislators that the app was not under Chinese manipulation, House Republicans put forth a bill stating that if TikTok was not sold to a non-Chinese company, it would have to be banned in the United States. Biden signed this bill into or-

When the 170 million American TikTok users received the message that read, “Thanks for your patience and support. As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!”, many users were elated but confused, and they were not alone. Republican Senator Tom Cotton has expressed on other social media platforms that he believes there is no legal basis for Trump’s plans with TikTok.

The first thing the American Constitution ensures as a right for its citizens is the freedom of speech, and because of this, many feel that banning TikTok is a form of censorship. However, when TikTok themselves made this argument before the Supreme Court, the court upheld that the ban was because of valid national security concerns, and they had no intention to limit speech. Even if the ban is constitutional, it has still sparked debate about censorship. Kaneland High School social studies teacher Sarah Ray believes that these debates will be the first time many high school students begin to truly understand the extent to which the government is a part of our lives, especially in terms of what we can and cannot see.

der in April of 2024, and the Supreme Court upheld the ruling in January of 2025.

Despite being adamantly against the app in years past, Trump is now fighting to reverse the ban. During an Oval Office media session on the day of his inaguration, Trump addressed his switch of opinion.

“If China is going to get information about young kids…to be honest with you, I think we have bigger problems than that,” Trump said.

In line with this new view, Trump issued an executive order that directed the Department of Justice to delay the ban for 75 days, according to USA Today. His executive order, however, states that his administration will reevaluate the national security concerns. This executive order is not a law nor does it legally reverse the ban, but it is a protocol on how he wants the government to manage the app.

Ray also points out that students may not even understand the full extent of what a data leak can do and what type of information could be made available. According to the Cable News Network (CNN), TikTok could have access to private messages sent within the app, along with users’ geolocations, contact lists, email addresses, ages and phone numbers.

Millions of people are waiting to find out what will happen when the 75-day delay is over. Various groups have expressed interest in purchasing the app, but an official buyer has not been announced. As outlined in the ban, if TikTok is sold to an American or their company, American users can have permanent access to it once again. Trump could also issue another executive order to extend the ban. Whether or not the ban is reinstated or the app’s return is permanent, TikTok has made some people more aware of government and cybersecurity.

Graphic by Teaghan Hardy

HOW COACHES IMPACT ATHLETES’ LIVES

To some athletes, bonds with coaches can extend outside of sports and create lasting connections

BY ZOE GANNON

Co-Sports & Activities Executive and Cartoon Manager

Every athlete has a distinct relationship with their coach. Some can’t wait for the end of the season, while others find themselves crying after their last game or meet. No matter how they feel about the sport itself, every athlete understands the importance and benefits of having a healthy relationship with their coach.

As a player, a good relationship with a coach can be beneficial for many reasons. During their high school years, it can help a student-athlete to have someone in the building to go to when they need support. Being able to talk to someone you trust and have spent a lot of time with makes the school day much easier.

“Having a good relationship [with my coaches] means that I can trust them and go to them whenever I need something,” said Amani Meeks, a sophomore who is in her second season on the varsity basketball team. “If I have a question about anything, I just know I can talk to them, basketball related or not.”

If athletes have posthigh school plans to continue playing a sport, having a good relationship with their coach is extremely helpful in terms of them being able to reach out to college coaches with film and letters of recommendation. Being able to communicate with your coaches about future plans is an important part of building a strong relationship and developing a better understanding of each other. Someone many student-athletes feel comfortable talking with is head football coach Michael Thorgesen.

ball player Jackson Slifka said. “I know we have guys almost every year who play, and I’d say if there’s going to be a coach to talk to about bringing your football career to the next level, it’d probably be him.”

To build a good relationship, it helps if the athlete opens up first. Every person has a different reaction to opening up, so it may take longer for

their personal life, and for athletes especially, just getting to know what their interests are,” McKeown said. “Do they have goals further than high school? Do they have other things they like to do outside [of sports]? And then that’s when you can start that connection and get to know them a little bit more.”

To have trust and respect on a team, it is necessary for coaches to share their true personalities while also maintaining authority. By doing this, coaches build deeper connections with their players and are able to help them in times of need.

“There are times where I’m like, ‘Hey, make sure you’re taking care of yourself’, so there are definitely some [athletes] that you feel more personal with and I can coach them that way,” McKeown said. “But some of them don’t. They’re more driven and are able to do things when they have their instructions.”

While some players treat their relationship with their coach as strictly related to sports, others can feel like their coach is their close friend that they can go to for anything.

“[Coach Thorgesen] is pretty adamant about getting anybody who wants to play in college an opportunity to play in college,” sophomore foot -

coaches to get to know players depending on who they are. But the only way for a relationship to grow is for it to have some personal connection.

“You’ve got to figure out who [the athletes] actually are first,” girls head track & field coach and freshmen/ sophomore assistant football coach Trevor McKeown said.

Some student-athletes talk strictly about their sport, while others open up further about their life outside of sports.

“Whether that’s knowing about

“My coach for basketball is [Brian] Claesson, and I feel like [our relationship] is very unserious because we just joke around a lot,” Meeks said.

Once a connection has formed, athletes can feel as if their coaches are like second parents to them, and this connection can last for years that go beyond their time spent on the team.

When in season, it can be common for athletes to spend more time with their teams than their parents, with one- to three-hour practices that happen five or six days a week for several months. That time spent together creates a connection that can be as strong as family.

Photo by Sarah Slattery

Kaneland High School football and track & field coach Trevor McKeown coaches an athlete in the West Gym weight room during track practice. Bonds with coaches can exist outside of games and practices and can become lasting connections.

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS: PRIVATE VS. PUBLIC

BY EVAN WHILDIN Editor and Broadcaster

In high school sports throughout the country, one recurring problem is the advantage that private schools have over public schools. This is due to a variety of reasons, and there are statistics that verify that advantage. For that reason, some states, such as Maryland and Texas, have created separate playoffs for private and public schools.

In Illinois, there is one playoff for all high schools in the state. There are divisions based on enrollment sizes, but there is no separation of public and private schools. The only rule put into place by the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) bylaws is that there is an enrollment multiplier of 1.65 for any unboundaried school. This means that if a private school has 1,000 students enrolled, their classification is based on an enrollment of 1,650 students.

While that rule helps in some instances, it has become apparent that this rule is not enough to level the playing field. According to the IHSA database, in the past three seasons, 17 of 24 IHSA football championships have been won by private schools. In the

IHSA, there are over 800 schools and of that total, 114 are private schools, of which 87 are non-boundaried. So while private schools only make up about 14 percent of IHSA member schools, they won over 70 percent of the football state titles in the past three years.

Although the issue of private versus public is most prominent in football, there are many other sports where there is a clear advantage for private schools.

Boys and girls soccer coach Scott Parillo is one who has seen this difference firsthand.

“We have lost many times to private schools in the playoffs,” Parillo said. “It can get frustrating when you have a very good team and lose to a private school. Many of our playoff losses to private schools have been to eventual State champions or runners-up.”

This frustration is shared among both athletes and coaches at the high school level. One athlete who has seen this problem through various sports is junior Jake Buckley. Buckley competes in three varsity sports at Kaneland: football, basketball and track and field.

“Private schools should have their own division in State tournaments,”

Buckley said. “In the 2024 football playoffs, seven of eight schools who won a State title were private schools who are able to recruit. Making a separate division between public and private schools would allow for more opportunities for other schools to win State titles.”

While the IHSA has implemented the multiplier to try to lessen the advantages that private schools have, it has not proven to not be enough. As long as private schools are non-boundaried and able to recruit, they will have a clear advantage over public schools that cannot be evened out by a multiplier.

“Boundaries give private schools an advantage,” Parillo said. “Only students who live in the Kaneland school district can participate in sports at Kaneland. Private schools do not have that limitation. They can have students from school districts surrounding them play sports at their school.”

Truly, there isn’t much of an argument in favor of public schools and private schools competing in the same division. It’s difficult to argue that private schools do not have an advantage, which makes it unfair to have public schools face them in the same playoff.

DECA MOVES ON TO STATE COMPETITION

BY BOBBY LEAVEY Editor and Broadcaster

On Friday, Jan. 17, Kaneland’s Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) chapter of 70 students competed at the Sectional competition, which was held in Rosemont at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center.

Social studies teacher Dragoljub Gudovic and math teacher Daniel Ponczek, the co-advisers of DECA, were focused on building a good foundation and standard for DECA chapters to work from in the future.

“Some of the goals were to solidify our presence on the State level since our club rose like a phoenix from the ashes since it did not exist during COVID,” Gudovic said.

The Kaneland chapter met their goal by advancing 18 members to State across 10 categories.

“This year, Kaneland DECA was raised to another level,” Gudovic said. “We increased the number of the members of the club as well as the students who have qualified for State. I would not single out any students since I am so proud of all of them who competed in Sectionals and the effort that they put in this year.”

Not all of the success this year was from multi-year DECA members. Some first-year members wasted no time in contributing to the team.

“This is my first year in DECA, so my main goal for myself was to make it to State,” senior Kiara Lopez said. “I didn’t even know top four was a [possibility] until I got called up. I also knew I wanted to perform well for my roleplay. Honestly, the test didn’t really matter to me as much as the role-play. I will say I met my goals at Sectionals. I’m very happy that I placed and made it to State, and I’m really proud of my

role-play score.”

Lopez qualified in the Principles of Entrepreneurship category, which is new to DECA this year. Making the most of new opportunities is just one way that the Kaneland chapter was so successful this year. Students like Lopez qualifying in her first year in a new event shows how well Ponczek and Gudovic have led students.

“Mr. Gudovic has been an amazing inspiration and a huge help in my personal and professional growth,” junior State qualifier Chance Anderson said.

Anderson has made it to State every year of his high school career and plans to keep that going.

Whether it’s a first-year member or a proven club veteran who has qualified for State each year, the Kaneland DECA chapter is looking forward to making some noise at this year’s State competition, and possibly even beyond.

COVID-19 CAUSES SOCIAL SETBACKS

BY OLIVIA KRASUSKI, CHARLIZE LANDA AND FAITH MASCHMAN Editors

The date is March 19, 2020. It has just been announced that Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed a statewide order that will close schools, businesses, restaurants and more. COVID-19 cases are rapidly increasing, and many people have died. As time progresses, two weeks in quarantine becomes two years of masking, marking a historic series of events that our generation will never forget. The pandemic has been well discussed by the general public, but what have we learned about the societal effects?

In a voluntary poll of 149 Kaneland students, 38.9% of respondents said they suffered from social anxiety following the pandemic, and 30.9% said they feel somewhat anxious in social situations now. This is alarming because, according to the National Library of Medicine (NLM), “This fear can affect work, school and other daily activities.”

Social anxiety causes you to doubt your abilities and can affect your worth ethic. For some students, such as freshman Bella Ramsey, who was in fourth grade when the pandemic began, the transition back to in-person interaction was particularly challenging. Reflecting on her experiences, she shared how the isolation

of lockdown impacted her social confi dence and energy.

“I was definitely a lot more out going before,” Ramsey said. “I don’t know if I’d say I had more friends, but I definitely would say that I was more social.”

For two years, kids and teens missed out on school hallways filled with chatter, after-school activities and even the simple, formative experience of navigating group conversations. These interactions are vital for learn ing social cues, building relationships and developing confidence in social settings.

As explained in an article by Molly Chiu on the Baylor College of Medi cine’s website, in-person interaction plays a crucial role in social develop ment. While most adolescents will be able to make up for the lost time, ad olescents who were already at risk for socialization and behavioral challeng es are now at risk of falling even fur ther behind.

The effects that quarantine had on social skills reach beyond teenag ers. Young children were isolated from their peers, depriving them of crucial time to develop social skills. Some children have exhibited behavioral patterns that were not as common or apparent prior to the pandemic.

“Over the years since COVID-19, we have seen an increase in many so cial-emotional [needs], such as attention-seeking behav iors, emotional regulation issues, separation anxiety and difficulty with structure and routines with many of our students,” Kaneland McDole Elementary kindergarten teacher Melissa Chavez said.

signs of pre-COVID-19 social skills,” Chavez said. “We are hopeful that the next year’s incoming students will be even more socially and emotionally at a more preCOVID-19 level.”

Chavez shared that emotional regulation has also become an increasingly noticeable issue in young children since the pandemic.

“Some students are more defiant, and we have seen an increase in tantrums, hitting and talking back to teachers,” Chavez said.

TEENAGERS DRAWN TO PHOTOGRAPHY

The teenage tendency to capture moments on camera

BY SARAH SLATTERY Design and Photography Executive

Preserving a happy memory: Who wouldn’t want to do that? If we could remember every moment that brought us joy, our lives might be extremely different than they are in reality.

Taking pictures helps us preserve memories and be able to recall certain moments that we may have forgotten over time. Going to a concert, spending time with family and friends or going on a life changing vacation are all experiences that someone might hold on to, but taking snapshots along the way can ensure preservation over time.

“I take pictures to preserve a memory or feeling so that when I do go back and look at the photos, it tends to take me back to a time of remembrance,” senior Bailey Frein said.

Frein has a digital camera, which she uses to post pictures on Instagram. She uses her camera to take pictures with friends so that not only Frein but those she cares about most can remember the moments too. By doing this, she is able to connect more with her friends and have an outlet to show life through her eyes.

Pictures have a way of solidifying personal experiences and stories from our point of view. They provide a platform for the individual human experience and perception of life.

Freshman Caden Kaiser has a sports photography and videography Instagram account. He posts football

and basketball pictures, as well as edited videos of Kaneland’s varsity basketball team. He uses social media to advertise his work and pursue his passion.

“Social media plays a big role in what I do,” Kaiser said. “I’m able to share my art with people and players I have [photographed]. It’s [also] great because I am able to get feedback on my work from people who have more experience than me.”

Social media has created a need for us to update other people about our lives while also learning everything we can about theirs.

Since its rapid growth, many have relied on socia media as a way to share the details of our lives with anyone who may be in our audience.

“Since social media has grown, we find ourselves, especially teenagers, always having to post an event or incident online to show others,” Frein said.

The desire to not only show your friends what you’re up to in every waking moment but also share the amazing things you’re experiencing can be thrilling and entertaining. However, it’s also important to be living in each amazing moment.

With how social media and photographing our lives work hand-in-hand, taking pictures is almost like using a time machine. You’ll always have reminders of the experiences that have influenced your life the most, while also providing a sense of nostalgia.

We tend to whip out a phone, old school digital camera or expensive film camera and capture the moment in an instant. This tendency, however, can take away from the actual experience if you let it.

“There are a lot of

special moments in our life where we need to perceive what is in front of us instead of reaching for our phone or camera to capture the occasion,” Frein said. “I also like to take time to comprehend and grasp what is going on at that point in time and not do so electronically.”

Sometimes it’s better to just experience the moment than capture it and possibly look back at it later. The need to take pictures can distract us from what’s really going on at the moment. If we are constantly on our phones or using our cameras, that might take away from the experience itself.

“I go to concerts [with my teenage daughters], and I see people just filming the whole thing instead of just being in the moment,” photography teacher Heather Englehart said. “They’re just so concerned about capturing something just to say that they were there.”

The teenage tendency to capture everything on film has grown, and more than likely, it will not stop. With the growth of technology, social media and more access to awesome experiences, the need to capture everything will persist. This continuous growth has positives and negatives in people’s lives, but for some it’s a way to hold on to the most precious moments.

“Just [do] it for yourself. [Ask yourself], ‘Do I really need to pull my camera out right now, or can I just be here?’” Englehart said.

Photo courtesy of Bailey Frein

FaithCartoonby Maschman

[Left to right] Seniors Gianna Cellini, Graycin Slou and Angelina Campise take a selfie at Kaneland High School’s Senior Sunrise on Sept. 30, 2024.

Photo by Audrey Walker

BRANTNER PRIORITIZES CONNECTIONS

BY AUDREY WALKER Editor-in-Chief of Print and Ads & Business Executive

Whether she’s helping students, working with teachers or passing by people in the hallways of Kaneland High School, Kylene Brantner is a radiant force of positivity to every person she encounters. Prioritizing her connections with students is what makes her stand out as a teacher and is how she makes a difference in the lives of those she works with.

Brantner, who is a multi-tiered system of supports (MTSS) teacher at KHS, believes that getting to know students is the first step in determining how to best help them.

“I always say ‘I need to know every kid by name and need,’” she said. “Relationships and building that connection are probably at the forefront of what I find is important.”

When building relationships with students, Brantner sometimes needs to take baby steps. Some students will open up right away, she said, but others take more time. Showing that she cares about the student that she’s working with beyond academics, like asking about their life outside of school, is how she establishes trust.

Fellow MTSS teacher Matthew Czerak sees how taking the time and putting in the effort to get to know students makes Brantner a trusted adult for many students.

“I think [students] seeing that she cares about them and knowing that they have someone that they can go to and trust is where she really connects well with those kids,” Czerak said.

Brantner also prioritizes creating a comfortable environment for students to learn in. Lamps, decorations and flexible seating are just some of the things that have transformed a former conference room into an oasis for students, which is now the academic advisory classroom.

“We really try hard to make this an environment that they want to come to and [somewhere] they feel safe and supported,” Brantner said.

To students, Brantner’s dedication to helping their peers is evident. Senior Andie Ruckh, who had Brantner as a teacher during her freshman, sophomore and junior years, described how Brantner’s kind personality and strong communication skills impact the stu -

Page design by

Clara Saros

dents she works with.

“They know they have someone to go to, so they don’t stress out about their work,” Ruckh said. “She makes me feel very comfortable, like I could talk to her about anything.”

In addition to building strong relationships with her students, Brantner also goes above and beyond to help them achieve their goals. Ruckh described how Brantner will make organizers for students to help them manage their work and teach herself material in her free time to better be able to help students. Czerak also sees her commitment to students in her willingness to do anything to help them.

“I often give her a hard time about how I don’t think she knows how to say no,” Czerak said. “If a kid asks her for anything, she just won’t say no. It doesn’t matter how much time or effort it takes her, she just will do it to help other people.”

From the time she was in high school, Brantner knew she wanted to be a teacher. However, school didn’t always come easy for her.

“Did I always like school? Not so much,” she said.

She described having to work hard to do well in her classes, which makes her want to help students enjoy school more.

Brantner graduated from the University of Iowa with a bachelor’s degree in education and later went on to get a master’s degree in reading education from Olivet Nazarene University. Despite liking math much more, she chose to get her master’s degree in reading education so that she could be a more well-rounded teacher.

She spent her first 10 years in the Schaumburg school district, working as a third grade teacher, special education teacher and reading specialist. During this time, she knew she didn’t love elementary school. So when the opportunity came to teach night school for high schoolers who had been kicked out of school, she took it and fell in love with teaching those grade levels.

When she returned to teaching after spending six years at home with her own kids, she came to Kaneland High School and has been teaching MTSS ever since. For her, teaching MTSS has been the perfect fit.

“I knew I wanted to teach high

school, and I knew I wanted to work with a group of kids that needed extra support,” she said. “This is pretty much my dream position.”

At KHS, MTSS has three main components: credit recovery, academic advisory and the academic resource center. Credit recovery is a class that juniors and seniors can take that provides online-based instruction to recover credit from failed classes. Academic advisory is a rostered class for students who have failed previous semesters and need help getting back on track. The academic resource center is open every period except homeroom for students to come for extra support during their study halls or lunch hours.

Brantner teaches the academic advisory class with Czerak and helps in the academic resource center. After she’s done teaching, she’s often busy with her three sons’ athletic activities.

In addition to her kids’ sports, Brantner likes to be active as well. She also likes architecture and design, which she can apply to her other job as a real estate agent. Both she and her husband are real estate agents, but they haven’t been doing it much this year, Brantner said. They are also currently building a house in Elgin.

For Brantner, balancing family and work has been a challenge. Her goal is to be both a great teacher and great mom, not just mediocre. Fortunately, her positivity and the genuine relationships she cultivates with the people around her make her shine.

“It’s impossible not to like her, I think,” Czerak said.

Her charm can be attributed to one simple thing: connection. Whether in teaching or life, having genuine conversations with those around her are what elevate her to greatness.

“Connection is definitely something that I put at the forefront not just here at school, but outside of school too,” Brantner said.

In the future, she hopes to continue connecting with students to provide the most support she can.

“I tell my students this all the time: It’s not just about math and science and reading,” Brantner said. “There’s so much more to life, and if you’re able to connect with people and ask questions and build relationships… sometimes that matters more than anything.”

GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES IN CHILDHOOD

Story by Clara Saros and Sophie Thill Design by Sophia Schroll

From our parents having to remember their friends’ phone numbers, to us knocking on the local neighborhood kids’ doors to see if they could play, to kids now being able to use their own phone to text their friends to hang out, childhoods throughout the years have looked drastically different from one another. But what has caused the themes of our childhoods to change? The simplest answer is technology.

It’s common knowledge that we’ve come leaps and bounds in terms of technological advancements since when our parents were kids. The first cell phone was invented in 1973 and commercially released in 1983, and it was known as “The Brick” for its massive size and weight. Because of this, the adults in our lives typically relied on landlines and rotary phones and would often memorize their friends’ numbers if they wanted to call them.

“[Phones] were attached to the wall in the kitchen and had a rotary dial,” English teacher Jennifer Sayasane

said. “[It was a] very big deal when my sister and I got a push-button phone in our bedroom. I still remember some of those old phone numbers.”

This is one thing we have lost with smartphones. We only have to plug in a friend’s number once, and then just tap their name whenever we want to communicate with them. We don’t have to remember the phone numbers of everyone we want to call or look them up in a phonebook. Most kids and teens now barely know their parents’ phone numbers off the top of their heads, let alone most of their friends’.

Unlike some families today, every house back when our parents were kids did not have a computer, television and phone for each person. While computers became more common in homes in the early 1990s, internet access did not until the 2000s, according to a census from 2000 released by the United States Census Bureau. Phone lines were communal and any family member could hear anyone else’s conversations. Thus, phones were not typically used as frequently as they are now.

The lack of accessible technology meant that Gen X spent more time outside. Today’s children, though, are more likely to text their friends asking if they can come over and then spend time inside and online. Gen X would run down the street, knock on their friends’ doors and then run through the neighborhood, oftentimes from early in the morning until the streetlights came on, playing all sorts of games using their imaginations, as well as some structured games like kickball and baseball.

Sayasane recalls going to the roller rink, having slumber parties and participating in Girl Scouts with her friends as a kid. Her family would go on camping trips and road trips and play games in the backyard.

“I think that going on vacations and being able to explore and play at my own pace made me curious about the world,”

Sayasane said.

Curiosity is a great quality to have in our innovative and ever-changing world. When your curiosity is nurtured from a young age, it helps you grow into a well-rounded adult. However, Gen X was not the only generation to spend so much of their childhoods outside. For most of us in Gen Z, we spent the majority of our childhoods without access to technology. A voluntary poll of 156 Kaneland High School students found that 65.3% of students surveyed received a phone between 10 and 12 years of age. Similarly, 46.67% of students got social media at those ages.

“I got my first phone when I was in 5th grade, but I only used it to communicate with my parents,” senior Gianna Cellini said. “I never got into social media until middle school.”

This lack of exposure to social media helped us form our communication skills. Now, as young adults, we are able to hold conversations, albeit with less of an attention span thanks to the emergence of TikTok and other social media platforms, but we are doing far better than Gen Alpha.

With no social media as children, we came up with different ways to entertain ourselves. Similar to our parents, we communicated with our friends through the means we found most suitable.

“Before having a phone that I was able to communicate with my friends on, I would usually go knock on my friends’ doors to see if they were available to play,” Cellini said.

It’s fascinating to think about the difference a few years in age can make when it comes to childhood experiences. Most members of Gen Alpha don’t know a life without technology or phones.

“My younger brother mostly communicates with his friends on his phone and plays video games with them online, where I would spend more time playing with them in person,” Cellini said. “When I was growing up, when I would hang out with friends we would go outside to play games, ride bikes or just hang out at each other’s houses. Now I feel that more kids have access to technology, which means a lot of

Photo by Sophia Schroll

Two children go down a slide on a playground. In today’s world, most kids’ social interactions incorporate the use of technology, which could include playing online games, FaceTiming and making TikTok dance videos.

Can we have a an a ?playdate

their socializing happens virtually.”

A common piece of advice heard by people who spend too much time on social media is to “touch grass.” This is exactly what Gen Z did as kids. We often found ourselves outside when the weather permitted, or even when it didn’t. We might have found ourselves bored, but boredom is a key to creativity. Now, however, with the world at their fingertips, children seem to never be bored.

“Whenever I [felt] bored, I would usually go play with friends or find something to do outside,” Cellini said.

While you still see kids playing outside today, there is definitely a difference when it comes to how they interact. Phones are carried around as kids adventure outside, and fun moments with their friends are interrupted by someone taking a video.

Although not ideal, letting kids use technology to keep them occupied can cetainly be convienent.

“All of my siblings are older, so they have more [extracurriculars] that I have to go to, and that increases my screen time because I don’t want to watch them,” fifth grade Blackberry Elementary School student Gianna Tingler said.

If you’re bored, the simple solution in today’s world is to reach for your phone and scroll through social media. It’s not necessarily a bad thing. We all do it, but it impacts how we learn. Face-to-face communication skills are lacking because people don’t know how to make eye contact or hold a conversation for longer than two minutes. It even becomes a struggle to sit down and work on homework or watch a show without reaching for our phones. That is just the result of the younger generations growing up with technology at their fingertips.

“I wish more kids had more unstructured play time,” Sayasane said. “I worry about shrinking attention spans.”

An advantage late Gen Z and early Gen Alpha kids have is that we had a brief moment in time where technology did not consume our lives. Only 17.3% of 150 voluntarily polled Kaneland High School students said they

had a phone by the time they were 10, and most of those people got it when they were eight or nine years old.

“I grew up spending a lot of time playing with friends and interacting face-to-face with others,” Cellini said. “I feel like this helped shape my social skills and strong communication skills.”

Social and communication skills are what help us develop and maintain relationships. Whether those are friendships, romantic relationships or family connections, they are an important part of anyone’s life and a successful career. But as technology becomes a larger and more critical part of our lives, children are getting phones and iPads at younger and younger ages.

“I got [my first phone] at 10,” Tingler said. “[I got my first iPad] at four or five.”

Young children need and use phones for things that we and our parents did not. There are hardly any payphones anymore, so kids need phones to communicate information, such as when they need to be picked up after school or from other activities. This necessity has also become an easy way to communicate with friends. Unlike the communal landlines Gen X used, all of our phone calls are private, and we can text or Snapchat people as well.

For Gen Alpha, though, some people actually find calling more reliable because they can’t count on a response to a text message.

“[I mostly communicate] through calling because [with] texting, no one replies at this age,” Tingler said. “So [when] you call them and they answer, then you can plan something within the next few weeks.”

Weakening attention spans has resulted, in some cases, in kids not being able to text back because they aren’t willing to stop what they’re doing to write a response. More and more, those in younger generations send multiple text messages instead of one long paragraph because few people have the attention span to read or

write a large paragraph.

In-person interactions also seem to be suffering. If you witness any conversation, there is one important thing about it: either one or both of the participants is typically gripping their phone in their hand.

It is the unfortunate truth that the way we grew up changes the way we act. Gen X is less attached to screens, and they can generally hold a conversation. Gen Z knows how to entertain ourselves when we are bored if our phones are dead, while Gen Alpha struggles with even holding a conversation.

We all have happy memories from our childhoods, whether it’s from a sunny day at the park with our friends or making up a rainy day activity. But most of these memories become more and more tainted by technology. Ask yourself: When was the last time I had a memory without my phone?

Sometimes teens forget that we are still kids too, so maybe we can put our phones away for an hour or two and act like it. We don’t have that much longer before everything changes. Touch grass, play a board game and have those silly sleepovers. Technology has made us grow up so fast, but it doesn’t have to completely change the way we communicate with those around us.

Graphics by Sophia Schroll

DANCES CREATE AN EXPENSIVE REALITY

BY SOPHIA SCHROLL Editor and Social Media Manager

School dances are supposed to be highlights of your high school experience. But with the prices of dresses, tuxedos and even tickets for these events being consistently expensive, these times of year can cause a great deal of stress for students and parents alike.

According to Amarra.com, an international design house and wholesaler, a person can expect to spend between $85-$700 on a prom dress. In addition to that, other costs can typically range from $50-$120 for tickets, $30-$150 for shoes and $45-$200 for jewelry and accessories. With various other expenses, the total cost for their big night can exceed $1,000.

There can be some social shock when people learn that the cost of these events can move into the hundreds or even thousands if you add the makeup, hair, dinner and flowers.

The Prom Shoppe, a local dress store located in Oswego, is a popular option for Kaneland students looking for prom and homecoming attire. Manager Stacy Shaw says they offer a variety of dresses at different price points.

“We have dresses that start at $200, however we carry the majority of name brand vendors so the average price is $400,” Shaw said.

Prom is not the only event that can be expensive. Other dances like homecoming and winter formals can come with similar financial implications. In addition to the cost of dresses on their own, people will often choose to customize what they wear or need alterations to make sure everything fits.

“I customized my [sophomore year] homecoming dress because I had a vision,” junior Brooklyn Brown said. “My homecoming dress was $975 before they added the final bow.”

Along with the expenses that come with the clothing itself, jewelry and shoes can also rack up the total cost.

“For jewelry, it is an extra cost because I make sure it matches my dress,” Brown said.

For many students, homecoming offers a chance to become involved with the festivities related to the start of a new school year. At Kaneland, students in all four grade levels are allowed to attend homecoming, while prom is intended for only juniors and seniors. To fit in with their peers, students might feel as though they need to be spending at least $1,000 for a

three-hour dance.

Brown said that she doesn’t think it needs to be so expensive, but there is a common desire amongst teens to look good when you show up to school events where everyone else also looks nice.

Some parents may decide to use school dances as an opportunity to provide a teachable moment to their kids. According to Washington Post personal finance columnist Michelle Singletary, a parent can ask themselves, “Did [I] set specific limits for all the expenses: dress or tux, shoes, hair, corsage?”

These limitations can put in perspective for students that not everything is in reach at such a young age. Deciding not to hand kids hundreds or even thousands of dollars on one school dance can be a valuable lesson for them in the future.

-Answer on page 19-

by Sarah Slattery

Photos

www.kanelandkrier.com

STOP CREATING IPAD KIDS

Generation Z is the first group to grow up with access to advanced personal technology. From iPods to tablets to smartwatches to cellphones, we have always had something to stimulate our minds. But when technology is out of reach and we are left with only our thoughts, we might ask ourselves if it was worth spending so much of our childhoods online.

The term “iPad kid” surfaced in the early 2010s and is used to describe children with excessive screen time. “iPad kids” are known to be glued to technology, requiring constant stimulation and displaying distress when their device is taken away.

The “iPad kid” meme has swept the internet with many people rightfully criticizing these kids’ behaviors. It has become an internet movement to criticize the stereotypical “iPad kid.” We should not let our brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, and sons and daughters be allowed continuous internet access.

A 2016 Common Sense Study found that “over two-thirds of 11- to 17-year-olds said they ‘sometimes’ or ‘often’ find it difficult to stop using technology...and miss sleep due to being on their phone or online late at night,” with these numbers steadily rising through the years.

It is imperative that we limit this addiction. If we were talking about drugs, the problem would be addressed head on by parents and the government. But when we talk about the addictive qualities of technology, people are more likely to shrug it off despite children being more vulnerable to addiction.

According to research done by UK communication oversight organiPage design by Sarah Slattery

zation Ofcom, 10% of children ages 8-11 have reported seeing “nasty” or “worrying” content online. Additionally, they found “around one in 12 of all 12-15 [year olds] (8%) say they have been contacted online by someone they don’t know, and 4% say they have seen something of a sexual nature in the past year.”

Overexposure to online content is a grave concern amongst parents and children alike. And while apps are creating kid-friendly filters to help limit this access, children continue to receive unwanted contact on various platforms.

High screen times are correlated with poor physical health and obesity, along with less physical activity. Whether it is missing an opportunity to go for a walk or play games outside with friends, children’s devices are keeping them chained indoors. Can’t we just let children be children?

Our childhoods aren’t memorable because of the apps we had on our iPads or the YouTube videos we watched; they are memorable because of the experiences we had.

Let kids enjoy life for what it is. Let them go outside when it’s nice out, read books, play board games and laugh.

When we are older and start deciding what is best for our children, will it be distractions or experiences? iPads or books? Scrolling or playing?

Let’s reintroduce children to what it actually means to be a child. Let’s allow them to scrape their knees and fall asleep with a book in their hands. Technology is not the end of the world, but it could be if we are not careful. It is essential that we create a better environment for future generations to grow up with.

News 1 Olivia Krasuski

Sports 1 Bobby Leavey

Feature 2 Faith Maschman

EDITORIAL STAFF

Editorial Sarah Slattery

STAFF

Aleena Alrifaee, Areli Arredondo, Kayla Baumann, Lori Bowers, Grace Brunscheen, Alex Crocker, Ollie Fair, Greta Falk, Kate Homco, Annika Jones, Quintin King, Alondra Mendoza, Maxwell Montalvo, Audrey Noring, Zavier Nothnagel, Ellie Olp,

Cartoonists Zoe Gannon, Teaghan Hardy and Hadley Springer Print Production

ADVISORS

Nicole Larsen Print advisor Dominic Bruno Krier advisor

EDITORIAL POLICY

Editorials represent a majority opinion of the Editorial Board and are not necessarily the opinion of Kaneland administration, staff, students or parents. The Krier Editorial Board consists of designated Advanced Journalism students: Isa Alba, Olivia Cotter, Lucas Fiedler, Carli Filek, Zoe Gannon, Anna Gatz, Teaghan Hardy, Olivia Krasuski, Charlize Landa, Bobby Leavey, Faith Maschman, Jasper Paulson, Nate Sand, Clara Saros, Sophia Schroll, Sarah Slattery, Casper Suehs, Preslee Sutherland, Sophie Thill, Audrey Walker, Emma Weintraub, and Evan Whildin. Students make all publication decisions.

Letters can be sent to the address above or emailed 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.

Morgan Olson, Ally Reilley, Ansley Ruh, Christopher Ruiz, Savana Sanchez, Hannah Secrest, Yasmin Talabani, Gavin Vaughn, Diajah Ward, Prema Weichun, Michael Werth, Rayln Wilcox, Noah Witz, and Jeremy Ziller

Cartoon by Teaghan Hardy

Stacy Layton

Cassie Cramer

BROADENING GRAD RECS IS HARMFUL

BY JASPER PAULSON, AUDREY WALKER AND HADLEY SPRINGER

Executives and Editor

In the last few school years, there have been changes to Kaneland High School’s graduation requirements, mostly resulting in broadening specific class requirements to more general subject requirements. While it’s important to let students pick classes that will be specific to their plans for life outside of high school, some classes within these groups should be left as their own requirement.

The former graduation requirement of Application of Technology, now titled Introduction to Business Computing, has now been added to a collection of classes called Orientation Level Career Tech Education (CTE) courses. Students can earn half credits from any classes in this group, such as Intro to Agriculture, Child Development, Foods and Nutrition 1, Introduction to Business, Computer Science 1, Graphic Communications 1, Engineering 1, CAD 1, Construction 1 and Intro to Mechanics in order to fulfill that graduation requirement. KHS principal Melinda Cattell said this allows students more variety to pick a class that will specifically prepare them for what they want to pursue in the future.

“It’s to make sure we’re providing students with more orientation [and

However, this means that stu dents may not gain experience with Microsoft programs, a top ic taught in Introduction to Business Computing, which could create problems for them in the future.

Besides the expectation of knowing how to use Microsoft programs in various careers, it is also quite useful in personal life. From charting things like taxes, schedules and habits on Excel to creating a resume or flexing creative skills in Word, the skills gained in Introduc tion to Business Computing will be helpful in a student’s life. Some students may view this class as boring, potentially making them hesitant to take it to fill their Orientation Level CTE credit. However, because of the value of having those skills, it should stay as a requirement.

to have it be a year-long class.”

“If you look at any job ads, most of them say they want some type of Excel or advanced Excel [training],” former Introduction to Business Computing teacher Renee Grisch said.

Another subject area that has been recently changed involves the science requirements. When the current seniors began high school, they were required to take at least half a credit of each of the following sciences: environmental science, biology, chemistry and physics. However, the Course Selection Description document found on the Kaneland High School website shows that students are now required to take a full credit of Physical Sciences and a full credit of Life Sciences. This change was made to give some subjects, such as biology, more opportunity for instruction.

“[Biology] used to be year-long a while ago, and then they switched it to semester,” Cattell said. “Teachers have found it beneficial for the students

Because they are no longer required to take all four classes, some students may never take an environmental science, physics or chemistry course. Despite some students’ general reluctance to take all of those science courses, it is important for them to be exposed to many different learning opportunities. While having more in-depth science classes is certainly beneficial, students should still be required to take a class in all four subjects.

High school is a place where students gain a plethora of beginner level knowledge to help guide them towards what fits best. Students come into the high school environment to make mistakes, pursue many paths, try new things and follow passions, some of which they may not even know they have.

Students may surprise themselves by discovering a topic they want to further explore in the future simply by being required to take certain classes. About 80% of students who go on to college end up changing their major at least once, according to the Student Research Group.

“You don’t know what the next page of your life looks like,” Grisch said.

Gannon

Mixed-race individuals often face unseen judgement and racism

Throughout human history, there has always been racism, and there will never be a time without it. We like to believe that it is not as large of a problem as it is even though 52.5% of the reported hate crimes in 2023 were acted on because of racial prejudice, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Unfortunately, such racism can often spark competitions between fellow people of color (POC) about who has it worse, creating even more of a racial divide. That competition often causes mixed people to become overlooked in their own struggles.

While it’s true that being half white has lessened the brunt force of racism towards me, I have never been white enough for me to escape harsh remarks completely. Being half Filipino isn’t Filipino enough to completely immerse myself in that culture, but it also isn’t white enough to not get racist comments such as, “You’re Asian. Aren’t you supposed to be smart?” I’m constantly being torn between one side and the other, never being able to live in the middle. And I know I’m not alone in those feelings.

Politically and socially, America is not a country where it is safe to explore your identity. It’s important for mixed-race individuals to be able to explore all of the races that make them who they are. Children who grow up in a home that embraces their ethnicities and cultures can greatly decrease the amount of internal racism that can form. Senior Abby Gonnella, who is Cambodian, Chinese and German, said that her childhood seemed to be a good balance between her races, specifically during holidays.

“On my white side, we would celebrate certain holidays, like Christmas, with traditions that are more German,

but then we would also have Asian food for dinner,” Gonnella said.

Even if a mixed-race individual’s home life is loving and secure, it doesn’t protect them from the experiences they could face in public. I’ve had my fair share of gross comments towards me and my mixed-race identity. People have tried to decide in front of

me at school whether or not they want me to “go back where I came from” or if they should accept me because at least I’m partly white. I’ve been told to “take myself and COVID back to where I was born,” even though I was born in the U.S. I have even been asked if my family had eaten dog for Thanksgiving dinner. And no matter what I’ve experienced in the past, I’m still being told I don’t face racism.

Racism isn’t a competition. Instead of putting fellow POC down, we should be lifting each other up. Try to understand what they’re going through, or just be a supportive person for them if you personally can’t relate. Comparing the racism you receive to what others

feel is only encouraging more racism to ensue.

“It definitely helps [to meet another mixed person] because they understand the struggle,” Gonnella said.

Even if we continue working to solve racism in America, there will still be internalized racism. Internalized racism eats away at you. Instead of other people tearing you down, it’s your own voice saying that you’re not good enough for your races. For me, it’s thinking that I’m not Asian enough to embrace my Filipino heritage from my mother. However irrational it is, it’s still damaging. Gonnella can relate.

“It’s like I know I fit in with who I’m with, but I’m never fully fitting in because I’m not fully one side or the other,” Gonnella said.

Being in a predominantly white school, I have been trying to fit in as white. Everything I did when I was younger was calculated to fit in with my friends at school. My elementary school days were spent observing the kids around me to make sure my Asian side was not noticeable. However, racism isn’t always said; it can be implied. Exclusion can occur with something as simple as an awkward silence when you’re sitting with a group of white people and they play the card “ethnic cleansing” in Cards Against Humanity. The racism can be more obvious than anyone else realizes.

“There are just so many stereotypes,” Gonnella said. “There are always [the comments saying], ‘Oh, you’re a bad driver,’ and, ‘You should be good at math.’”

Some people’s blindness to racism can make mixed-race individuals feel more overlooked. The issues that they face won’t just stop. They’ll be our children’s problems and our grandchildren’s for generations to come.

WAYS TO LIMIT YOUR SCREEN TIME

BY NATE SAND Co-Sports & Activities Executive

If you walk through the halls of Kaneland High School, head into the cafeteria or simply go anywhere when students have a minute of downtime, you will notice a trend. Seemingly everyone’s attention is fixed on the small piece of metal and glass they are holding in front of them.

Everybody, even myself at times, is guilty of it. It’s so easy to just pull out your phone for a quick distraction or to take your mind off of what is going on around you. This is such a common occurrence, so why is it a problem?

While phones and social media are not inherently bad, they are often used in a negative way. Like just about anything, using social media on your phone is completely fine in moderation. It’s an extremely convenient and efficient way of communicating with people, seeing what friends are up to or sharing ideas with people you normally wouldn’t interact with in person. Social media, in theory, is a perfect tool. But in practice, problems arise.

For high schoolers, social media can cause many of us to constantly compare ourselves to others. A possible reason for this widespread occurrence could be because current high schoolers have never known a time without cell phones.

“I think most people [spend too much time on their phones]. But [for] high school students and teenagers, this is all they have known,” English teacher Kristen Johnson said. “They’ve grown up with phones in their hands practically. So it’s more than just a habit to break; it’s a lifestyle to break.”

Although social media can be addictive for high school students, people of all ages have too much screen time.

“I do think that high school students spend too much time on their phones, but I don’t think it’s a problem that is isolated to high school students,” English teacher Ruth Lemna said. “I think everyone probably spends way too much time on their phones.”

While some may feel helpless in quitting this addiction, there are many different ways to make distancing yourself from your phone easier.

One of the easiest methods that most phones offer is the ability to set screen time limits on certain apps or on general usage. Apple has many options for setting limits on screen time. Some social media apps, like Instagram, also offer timers to restrict the amount of time you can spend on the app. There are third-party apps that offer this feature as well.

Putting your phone away and out of reach, when possible, is also highly effective. Your phone is so convenient to pull out whenever you need instant entertainment, but when your phone is in a different room, it forces you to think twice before picking it up.

Lemna suggests that finding out why you use social media so much can help address the problem. “[You should ask yourself], ‘Why am I having the need to scroll on social media? Am I just bored?’”

Lemna also explained there are many alternatives for your need for entertainment.

“You can do other things that are more productive and get that same dopamine rush that you would get with social media,” Lemna said. She added that there are other ways to use your phone if your reason for using social media is to communicate.

“Another great [alternative to social media] that is still on your phone is texting a friend instead of going on social media,” Lemna said. “That way you still get that connection you’re looking for, but it’s with someone you actually have a closer relationship with.”

Muting certain app notifications, particularly social media, can help you pick up your phone less. Oftentimes, these notifications are not urgent and tend to distract you. Apple offers different focus settings on the iPhone that allow users to enter different modes, like do not disturb, sleep and work. Each of these modes help users avoid distractions and limit their overall phone use.

A very popular method to reduce screen time is turning on grayscale on your phone. This essentially eliminates all the color on your phone screen, so your entire screen is just in black and white. This makes your phone much

less interesting to look at, and it will deter you from staying on it for long periods of time. The American Journal of Pharmaceutical Education conducted a study in 2022 on the effects of grayscale on screen time, and the results were positive.

“A major finding of this study was that changing their phone to a default grayscale setting reduced the visual attraction to their phones,” according to the study. “Social media apps such as Instagram and Facebook are appealing in part because of the visual images. Reducing that visual appeal was theorized to reduce usage.”

In the same study, they concluded, “In many cases, less time on smartphones meant better sleep, more productivity, more time for social/leisure activities, improved face-to-face interaction, and/or improvement in well-being.”

If you spend too much time on your phone, the root of the problem may be that you’re avoiding something you should be doing, or you just don’t have enough to do with your time. Trading screens for other hobbies is very beneficial. Some easy examples include learning an instrument, cooking, reading more, spending more time outside, going to the gym, journaling and so many more personalized hobbies that fit your interests and future aspirations. While it can be daunting to give up something you have known for so long and become so comfortable with, if you notice it negatively impacting your life, there are many simple steps you can take right now to get your time back.

Graphics by Teaghan Hardy

ACROSS DOWN

3. The art of taking pictures

7. A word for the exchange of information

9. The action of coming to live permanently in a foreign country

10. High school dance event held for upperclassmen

11. People who teach in competitive events

12. To be a combination of races