JEA Journalist of the Year Portfolio Entry by Marek Makowski

Illinois Journalist of the Year

A. Rizvi/The Mash

M. Krebs/The Voice

Marek Makowski

Being a

High School Journalist

remember one afternoon a few years ago when my father gave me some advice that I would never forget. It was just after dinner on a cool summer day and he was home from his first job--he worked 3 a.m. to noon. He had a small period of time to tend to the garden, take a short nap (maybe), and eat some food. After that , he would dress for his second job, another seemingly endless shift that would last until maybe 10 or 11 at night. My dad had this tired look in his eyes, one that grew as time went on after he was thrown out of a musical school in Poland when he protested Communism as a high school student. The look ate his smile when he had to sell his beloved musical equipment and instruments to work three blue-collar jobs to support my sister, brother, and me, and pay for our new house. We were standing in that same house the day he was

giving me that unforgettable advice. He told me not to take the same path he took, to do something that I loved so I wasn’t miserable and, damn it, to put everything I had into it. I didn’t take his advice lightly. By luck, I joined Publications Production at Huntley High School my sophomore year. I wasn’t any Hemingway and I certainly wasn’t my former self who’d stay up late at night writing my own Harry Potter knockoffs. When I joined Huntley’s newspaper class, I just wanted to have a fun time writing and have my byline printed a few times. That mindset changed quite rapidly. Once in the class, I took every opportunity I could get to do something good, something that showed that I was there to stay. I won the spot of sports columnist at the start of my first year in the class and ran with it, churning out that extra article each print edition of The Voice. When I saw signs,

I would follow them. My hard work paid off and at the end of the year as I was named sports editor. My junior year was more of the same, but with a digital tie. I poured my heart into The Voice, driving to make it as successful as possible. I commandeered the sports section for both Web and print at the start of the year, and my timely reporting was integral to our website winning the Onine Pacemaker in its first year. By the end of the year, I was deemed our staff’s Journalist of the Year and sprinted into senior year full of more ideas, reporting more stories and covering more news. Soon enough, I realized that I really had a passion for something, and that I was happy. I plan to carry that mindset and experience throughout the rest of my life as I strive to do something I love and make a difference in this world as a writer. My dad couldn’t be any more proud of me.

Fonts too

big? Too

small?

View the digital PDF edition posted on singleslice.wordpress.com

Writing

Long-Form Storytelling 4-10 Opinion Writing 11-14 Arts&Entertainment 15-19 Blogging 20-21 Beat Coverage 22-25 Breaking News 26-29

Writing

Long-form Storytelling

THE WHO

A sophomore in high school and a “rookie” for The Voice, I passed signs that read “Dog Killer. One House Back” on my route to school each day. There were no signs posted by the “killer” himself, so I decided to knock on his front door and unveil his side of the story. Yikes.

THE WHEN Dec. 17, 2010

THE WHAT

Over a span of three weeks, I talked to the “killer,” the lady who put the signs up, and their families. I also dug up loads of police reports and local ordinances.

THE WHY

The feature was successful becuase it informed readers of Zielinski’s side and taught them not to judge people so quickly (there was chatter at the school about him being a heinous guy), which accomplished the story’s purpose.

FEATURES

Friday, December, 17, 2010

Battle between neighbors erupts after dog eats man’s chickens By Marek Makowski

“DOG KILLER.

(J. Geigle)

One house back,” read the sign along Coyne Station Road. The crooked sign stood in the yard of the third house from the end, but has recently been taken down due to inclement weather. The sign has been evoking various emotions from passers-by who have not even heard the whole story. Farmer Mark Zielinski, his wife Maria, and their children Chickens dead on the ground. The dog then ran inside live in the house that is referred to by the sign. Years ago, the wooden chicken coop, where some of the chickens Zielinski bought multiple chickens for his daughter Nicole. were located. Mark red inside the coop three to four The chickens were treated like another part of the family; times, trying to save the rest of his daughter’s beall of them have names and different personalities. Accordloved chickens. The dog was hit once or twice, and ing to Mark, during the course of the past year, his chickens then dropped to the ground. Mark proceeded to call have been harassed by his neighbor, Laurie Montanye’s dogs the police, who notied McHenry County Animal Control. (a pit bull and a golden retriever named Riley). According “I thought they were bringing Riley back, since I hadn’t to Montanye, the dogs were restrained by an electric fence, seen her recently,” said a teary-eyed Montanye. “A person one that was, most likely, low from Animal Control and two police ofon batteries. In August, the dogs cers told me, ‘your dog was out in Zielinattacked and ate around ve of ski’s yard and he shot her.’” I’m not against Mark’s chickens, according to Montanye and her bordering neighbor dogs. I just did him. He went over and talked to were the only dog-owners around Zielinwhat I had to do to Montanye about the incident. ski’s property that utilized electric fences “When I went over to talk to keep their dogs at home. save the rest of my to her about it, she said that I “I called them to warn them,” said Monchickens. didn’t know for sure that it was tanye. “The sign was still necessary.” her dog,” said Mark. “She told According to McHenry County Ordinance me that her dogs would go into 6.12, “any owner seeing their livestock the river and kill animals. What including but not limited to: sheep, goats, Huntley resident kind of a dog goes hunting for cattle, horses, mules, swine, or poultry, animals, let alone chickens?” being pursued, chased, worried, or killed by While this happened, Zielina dog not accompanied by or not under the ski handed over a Farm and Fleet supervision and control of its owner may receipt for the chickens; each was worth three dollars. After pursue and kill such dog while presenting a threat.” Montanye’s daughter handed over $9 for the chickens, Zie“That was my only option,” said Mark. “I had called linski rejected the offer and demanded $25. Montanye said multiple times and that did nothing. [Montanye] said I that she would not pay that much money for the chickens, should have shot it in the leg or in the ass to injure it. With because Mark could not identify and prove that the attackrearms, it is not that easy to strategically injure a dog. If I ing dogs were hers. shot at it that way, I would have paralyzed it or done even On Nov. 4, around 4 p.m., Maria sat outside on her porch more harm than good.” and noticed a rampant dog in the chicken pen harassing the Montanye, however, believes that Mark had more than chickens. Maria alerted her husband and Mark grabbed one option regarding how to solve the problem. his .22 caliber, nine-shot revolver. First, he red a round “Zielinski could have called Animal Control or me in the as a warning shot to scare off the dog. Then Mark noticed time it took to go and grab the revolver,” she said. that part of the entry fence to the coop was damaged, the In response to the incident, an irritated, unknown third part where the dog pushed through to enter. Mark noticed party printed out yers and distributed them to all the several brown feathers and one of his New Hampshire Red neighbors and posted them along the fence adjacent to

Mark Zielinski

The aorta, the lasrgest artery in the body, is almost the diameter of a garden hose.

Coyne Station. On the ier read: “WARNING!!!!! Mark Zielinski of 10505 Coyne Station Rd. killed his neighbor’s dog because she was on his property ‘trying to get his chickens.’ He shot her in the head. So beware and keep your dogs safe. This man is a horrible sicko!!” While she did not post the yers, Montanye planted the sign in her yard, alerting bystanders and other farming neighbors about Zielinski’s action. “I’m not lying, saying he’s a cat killer. [He really did kill a dog],” said Montanye. “It’s the truth.” Zielinski, however, has not responded to the posting of the sign. “I’m not going to put up another sign that says something like ‘chicken killer,’” said Mark. “It’s just childish.” Montanye admits that it was her fault, and that it was wrong for Riley to be in Zielinski’s yard, and that she “is going to have to live with that for the rest of her life.” But, she said that, “it was in the dog’s personality to play with the chickens, not kill them.” People have been coming to Mark and tormenting his family, taking away the sense of security his family once had. Maria has had to resort to turning her phone off because of the lengths people have gone to bother her. “People look up my phone number and call me late at night, just hanging up after I answer,” said Maria. “I constantly get so stressed out and frustrated now because of all of this.” According to Montanye, Mark said that he iked dogs so much he might even go out and get a dog himself. “I’m not against dogs,” said Mark. “I just did what I had to do to save the rest of my chickens.”

Writing

Long-form Storytelling November 16, 2012

I’ve always dreamt of at a restaurant, but I’m not going to stop there. I have bigger dreams.

“

you’re going to have to do some stalking. Dinh joins a line of musicians who perform at Potbelly Sandwich Shop locations across America. If you want to see the documents from her MacBook come to life (and maybe even a few pages from her songbook), you’re going to have to catch her singing and playing her guitar at the Potbelly on Randall Road on Saturday nights, or Friday nights when she’s busy. performing After you’ve read and heard the songs, you’ll truly know the girl who keeps trying.

inh first started playing guitar about four and a half years ago, when she grabbed one and learned Death Cab for Cutie’s “I Will Follow You into the Dark” with the help of a handful of YouTube videos. I’m doing all the things that I’ve been Once she got a feel for the instrument, she posted covers of songs on her YouTube channel dreaming of doing because I’ve worked JennyD12345. The songs were, to her surprise, for it. It didn’t feel like I worked well-received. After a few covers, Dinh got out from behind her webcam and took to open-mic for it because I had so much fun. night at Borders’ cafe, where she shakily delivered a trio of songs and, to her surprise, received an ovation. After the ovation, Dinh didn’t “feel so shaky anymore” and realized that she wanted [I want others] to keep trying difto play music. ferent things and you find some“I don’t even know what I’d be like if I didn’t discover this passion for music,” she said. thing that you like, even if you’re With country singer Taylor Swift as an inspiration, Dinh continued playing at Borders until it really bad at it, just keep trying. was liquidated. Her mom helped her find a new home for her music by scouring nearby cities for possible venues. After the hunting around and a f you want to get to know Jenny Dinh really well, you’re pair of auditions, the then-sophomore Dinh had a gig as a musigoing to have to steal her songbook. Or crack open and cian at Potbelly. probe her MacBook Pro. “I’ve always dreamt of performing at a restaurant, but I’m not Either one will work. going to stop there,” Dinh said. “I have bigger dreams.” The black top wire-bound Steno Book is a microcosm of the After falling short of a first-place prize at the All Indie Music bashful 17-year-old, who stands at 5 feet tall. Awards in Hollywood, Calif., Dinh confidently returned home. Dinh carries it wherever she goes, but she’s not obvious about She gained experience with Potbelly it. gigs and three wedding perforShe doesn’t let her “diary” see much light, but she’ll remove it mances spanned out over the past five from shelter and bring it into the open when she has an idea to months. Also piled onto her résumé add. However, when there are others around, Dinh will use her are the 24 times she has performed agenda and then transcribe the idea later when she’s alone. That on the radio, all of which she atmeans you’re going to have to push past her and tunnel through tributes to nothing more than some books, notebooks, and art supplies in her muted silver backpack to good old-fashioned hard work. reach the elusive little black book. “I’m doing all the things that I’ve Stealing Dinh’s MacBook Pro won’t be much easier. been dreaming of doing because I’ve Infiltrating the lyrical soul of Dinh means infiltrating her room, worked for it,” she said. “It didn’t which will take some work. feel like I worked for it because I had After jetting down Miller Road and taking a pair of turns, you’re so much fun.” going to have to stroll past her mother, Amy, at the front door of the reddish house and dart up the stairs on your left. If you make it that far, you can turn right and, lo and behold, you’ve got it. Now that you have one, or both, of Dinh’s treasures, you’re going to have to sift through them. Once you flip back the worn cover of the coveted Steno Book, you’ll find featherweight vertical pages which are divided by a red center line. The first 16 pages have writing on them, with a song title written in the upper left-hand corner, a personal note scribbled in the upper-right hand corner, and handfuls of stanzas and choruses precisely placed on the page. If you have the 13-inch laptop, you’ll find Dinh’s newer creations on various documents. They mean more to her because they’re more recent and advanced than the songs in the Steno Book. Even after you’ve stolen her things, Dinh still would rather have you see her perform the songs with emotion rather than just glancing over them on paper or a computer screen. That means

“

A&E

ou can’t have a conversation about Dinh’s music without her or her mother mentioning the word “improvement.” When reflecting upon the past, the two both focus on how Dinh has improved her abilities. You can see this in Dinh when she looks back on her early songs, mostly those in the black Steno Book. She scrutinizes them, wondering if they’re worthy of listening to. She usually avoids those, wanting people to hear her newer, more advanced songs. Dinh even didn’t want her story to come out in the public scope of a newspaper. She felt she’d stain the ink by being “overrated” and “not ready” to be known about. But Dinh’s relentless emphasis on improvement hasn’t been worthless. From taking weeks to think up songs, train toward half-hour long performances, and throw together simple melodies, Dinh can now construct her best songs in under an hour, endure threehour long shows, and compose complex melodies. Dinh’s still looking to improve. Those bigger dreams she mentioned earlier are a career in the industry of producing music for video games, with a job as a soloist on the side. But personally, she has a dream that focuses on others. Rather than endeavoring to pack tip money into a tiny shoebox, Dinh strives to make her songs ones in which listeners feel what she’s feeling. If you’ve stolen Dinh’s songbook, you can finger through the sheets of paper and study her lyrics. Once you digest the gobs of information she’s confided in the Steno Book, you’ll realize that it really is her diary. Like any other musician, Dinh expresses herself through her music. If something happens to her in her life, she’ll tell details to a few friends, but she leaves the most personal parts to herself. That’s where the music comes in. Dinh enjoys being clandestine behind her music. She doesn’t like to brag, and she probably won’t even tell you her story. But when she does get her story out, she wants it to benefit others. “[I want others] to keep trying different things and you find something that you like, even if you’re really bad at it, just keep trying.” If you give it a shot, you might even end up just like her. Except, hopefully, without the stolen laptop.

THE WHO

The most musically-talented student at Huntley High School is easily senior Jenny Dinh, who denied interviews from The Voice (she’s a shy gal) for more than a year. She finally changed her mind, and I told her story.

THE WHEN Nov. 16, 2012

THE WHAT

I talked to Dinh and her mom, listened to her play, watched her YouTube videos, read press releases about her, and painted a unique picture about the girl behind the microphone.

THE WHY

This feature story was effective because it not only gave readers a look into the girl’s little-known life, but it was also a step in her being more open with others, a win-win for both the reader and subject.

Senior Jenny Dinh writes, composes and records original songs not just in her free time, but as a job on the side as well.

The budget of “American Graffiti” was exactly $777,777.77.

Writing

Long-form Storytelling

THE WHO

When The Voice launched its website last year, I really wanted to be the boys baseball beat writer. I loved baseball and I got the spot, but it was accompanied with the job of covering the girls varsity basketball team. I groaned at first. Soon enough, I was screaming with joy. I ended up covering the team like crazy (see page 22), and I picked up an idea for this article when a former player told me about how much it meant for the team to defeat its rivals, the Cary-Grove Trojans, for the first time in ages. The story I wrote depicted the history of the rivalry, standing as my favorite article ever printed on the pages of a newspaper.

THE WHEN Feb. 3, 2012

The girls’ dream

After countless years of ups-and-downs, the girls varsity basketball team has had a constant struggle against Cary-Grove. On their ninth attempt since they last won, they finally did it.

M. Krebs

sports editor

Marek Makowski

marek.makowski@huntleyvoice.com

*All statistics are as of Tuesday, January 31

It’s easy to hear during varsity girls basketball games. All that can be heard is shouts from the girls and coaches, the squeaking of shoes on the basketball court, and jeers at the referees from a fan or two. To say it simply, fan support hasn’t been booming. “For the 13 years that I’ve been here, student support has varied,” said Steve Raethz, head coach of the girls varsity basketball team. “Some years it hasn’t been as much. This season, we haven’t had much in terms of student support. It’s disappointing, but we still have to play these games and generate our own intensity.” Without fan support, the team shoots for excellence on its own. However, sometimes it has drawn a blank on that. Again. And again. And again. Amidst the piles and piles of statistics -- assists, blocks, steals, rebounds, points per game, field goal percentage -- one statistic is held closest to the hearts of the girls varsity basketball team.

2006-2010 In 2006, Cary-Grove named Rod Saffert, who had previously been coaching for 13 years, their new head coach. When Saffert and Huntley met in Cary-Grove on Dec. 12, Huntley won a battle 53-45. However, nobody knew that it would be Huntley’s last victory against Cary-Grove of the next. As the head of Cary-Grove, Saffert soon adapted to the team’s legacy and became a routine winner. “My first year, I got my butt handed to me all the time,” said Saffert, who was named the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Co-Coach of the Year the last two years. “The following year, we got Meg [Straumann] and Claire [Jakubicek] in.” Straumann and Jakubicek were forces to be reckoned with as their high levels of play were soon rewarded by spending four

years on varsity. Jakubicek especially showed her dominance, as she obliterated Cary-Grove’s career scoring record, graduating with 1,700 points racked up. In 2007, Huntley first became familiar with the duo, losing 45-40 in a tight matchup. However, Huntley fell again in the teams’ inter-conference game the next year, dropping a four-point loss at home. That was the closest the Raiders would get in over half a decade. In 2009, Huntley joined the Valley Division of the Fox Valley Conference, and by doing so, added an extra game against Cary-Grove each year. It didn’t take long to realize how good the Trojans were. “Since we moved over to the Valley, traditionally they’ve been the best team in the division,” said Raethz. “They have good girls basketball teams.” Cary-Grove proved so by disposing of Huntley twice in 2010 by 23- and 12-point margins. Cary kept on winning in the 2009-2010 season, going 24-4 and earning a maxpreps.com ranking of 38 in the state. Huntley, on the other hand, finished one game over .500 at 15-14 and with a state ranking over 100. However, Saffert makes sure that Straumann and Jakubicek receive credit for the effort they put in during those years. “They were starters since they were freshmen, and there’s no doubt when you have girls who commit their lives to the game... there’s no doubt that that makes a difference,” said Saffert. “We don’t do what we do without them.” Going into 2011, Cary’s star duo would go into senior year and would be on a collision course with Huntley for three times within 41 days. The girls’ dream was born.

Jan. 12, 2011 The girls’ dream was inspirational. The first matchup of the rivalry in 2011 meant that Raethz and Saffert would go head-to-head for the fifth year in a row, which is not only a testament to their dedications to coaching, but also their attitudes on the game. “Steve and I have the same philosophy: play hard,” said Saffert. “If you play hard, great things have to happen. We study what the other team likes to do. As I’m

FEBRUARY 3, 2012

around long enough, you don’t have to do a lot of that because you know each other so well [that] it’s no secret to what they’re going to do.” The day of their first matchup against Cary-Grove, Huntley basketball players decided to ignite some passion before their game. During school, they each passed around inspirational quotes on slips of paper, handing them to teammates if they saw them during the day. This system created a virtual cycle of motivation. “We have a lot of outside shooters; unfortunately, all our games are played indoors.” “Never give up.” “Keep on fighting.” When game time came, the girls were more than ready in the rivalry’s closest game since 2008. Huntley jumped out to an early lead and held a was leading by 13 points at halftime. However, that lead would only grow to 14. Cary-Grove soon struck back, and in a second-half shootout, Cary-Grove trumped Huntley, 58-52. “It was really upsetting,” said junior guard Haley Ream. “I felt in the end some of the seniors gave up. We really wanted to win, it just wasn’t there.”

Feb. 4, 2011 The girls’ dream was crushed. A victory against Cary-Grove with a handful of games left in the regular season could have put Huntley on track to win a conference title, which would have been huge for a program that has not won a conference championship since 20022003, when it played in the Big Northern Conference. To pump some inspiration into his players, Raethz joked about taking them all out to the most expensive steakhouse in Chicago if they won. Surprisingly enough, weather played a part in the outcome of the game. The record-setting blizzard of 2011 stormed in northwest Illinois a few days before the game, which led to canceled school days and practices. “It was a strange time because of the big snow we didn’t have practice the two days before,” said Saffert. Going into the game, Huntley would have an additional handicap, with its starting point guard Carly Goede sidelined

Before 1850, Golf balls were made of leather and were stuffed with feathers.

with an ankle injury. “There were a lot of emotions going through me,” said Goede. “I wanted to go out and try to do anything to help our team in some way, but all I could do was watch.” Nevertheless, Cary-Grove was not fazed by its lack of practice. The Trojans started the game red-hot, scoring the first 16 points. Things also began to snowball on the court as Huntley fell too far behind and ended up losing its sixth game in the rivalry by a score of 59-18. “It was absolutely terrible,” said 2011 guard Katie Godlewski. “In the locker room, people were in tears because it was so pathetic how badly we lost to them. We took for granted how we went at home [last game].” The win marked the ninth of CaryGrove’s 13 straight games won to finish the regular season. It also marked Cary’s largest margin of victory between the two teams in past the decade. “It was disappointing to see us lose at that game,” said Raethz. “It was probably one of the worst losses any of our teams have had since I’ve been coaching here.”

Feb. 22, 2011 The girls’ dream was stunned. The stakes in the rivalry skyrocketed as the two teams went on to clash in the Jacobs 4A Sectional Semifinal. Cary-Grove and Huntley would battle in their first postseason matchup. The inspirational quotes came back again. During practices, Huntley amped up intensity. It wouldn’t hurt to prepare coming off the worst loss some of the girls had ever experienced in their lives. “Last year, they brought their friends in,” said Ream. “Raethz and his wife played basketball in another league; three [of the players] were sisters, so they all came in and ran through Cary’s defense and offense, going through certain situations.” The intensity during practice even led to the oldest sister having to get stitches after being elbowed in the face by a senior. They wanted to win. The win-depraved Raiders came into the game looking like they did last time, falling behind by six points after the first 30-21. “I didn’t think we were going to win,”

Writing

Long-form Storytelling

THE WHAT

said Ream. “During the second quarter ers study film. After dissecting the other 5 straight points to give the Raiders some games after their victory, dropping five* they knew it was their last game.” team’s tendencies, the players began breathing room. The victory was solidified straight, and by doing so, falling three However, Huntley fought back, trimming working on personnel, such as doubling games behind the first-place Trojans in with intense defense, which kept Carythe Trojans’ lead down to three points up on players if the other team were to the win column. Grove scoreless from 3-point range and with a few minutes remaining in the third have a big post. “There’s a lot of parity in our conferallowed just 15 points in the second half. quarter. In the fourth quarter, Cary-Grove However, the girls would not have to ence because on any given night, any “They played with such energy and again asserted its dominance as it scored work on trying to defend Cary Grove’s Divi- emotion that it’s tough to match that team can beat anybody,” said Raethz. 13 unanswered points. sion I sparkplugs. This time, both teams “We lose to McHenry by 17, but before intensity,” said Saffert. “As the last minutes were playing out, I came in with new faces. Cary-Grove enthat we beat Cary by 11.” The Raiders’ defense held on and was thinking that this couldn’t be happen- tered without Jakubicek and Straumann, While Huntley has been shaky, Carypicked up a victory by the score of 46.35 ing and [that] we have to pull it out and and Huntley without the core of its 2011 Grove has been rolling behind its next After the final buzzer, the girls went to win this game,” said Goede. team. great player, Jakubicek’s sister Olivia. their locker room, with the alumnae However, the girls couldn’t do it. Cary“Every season’s different, unique,” When the two teams next meet on Feb. behind them. Grove went on to win by a final score of said Raethz. “We graduated five start4, Cary-Grove will have its gym packed ex“After the game, we ran to the locker 57-37. ers from the previous season and I don’t rooms and talked to them,” said Godlews- actly a year after it picked apart Huntley “I thought about how great of a game think we’ve really had that since I’ve been ki. “It was just great to know that Huntley in the same place. A conference title and we had played and [that] it couldn’t end in here.” playoff seeding could hang in the balance girls beat Cary-Grove.” a loss,” said Goede. “It was devastating.” Cary-Grove came into the game as a as well. Although Huntley and Cary were now Cary-Grove favorite, hold“We’ll watch tied for the divileft Huntley in ing a 16-game the film and sion lead with the dust as it conference win they’ve got to Dundee-Crown, went on to lose because if this was the guys game, it would streak. Huntley come to our Raethz needed always playing hard and what I like about its next game to be such a big deal and people would come. came into the to make sure that is the bonds [and] friendships are much place,” said powerhouse Gegame loaded Saffert. “It’ll be the girls were more important and it adds to the whole neva. However, with intensity; senior night for focusing on the rivalry thing. the end of the some credited us. I’m looking six conference 2011 season to the players, forward to a games they had marked the end some to the battle.” left to finish the of an era in the coach, and Whether the game will be a slaughter season. rivalry, with many supreme players going some to the pure desire to take a shot like a year ago or a close battle, it will “I’m happy for the girls,” said Raethz. on to graduate. back at their rivalry. “It was probably the most complete game come down to defense. This season, “I believe that [Cary-Grove] had really “You could definitely tell their defense when the Red Raiders allow fewer than we’ve played all year. [But] the big thing great players,” said Godlewski. “The Class was really explosive and into it,” said Go40 points to opponents, they hold an 8-2 that we talked about was don’t let this of 2011 had some of the best players the dlewski. “You can tell they had the drive win be your season. There are still a lot of record. When they allow more, they are FVC will ever see.” to play.” 3-7. games to be played. The last game is at Huntley took an early lead and went Whether or not the fans will be there their place.” into halftime confident, looking to mainwill be up to the student body, but nevertain intensity. With the bleak support of theless, the girls will look to relive their The girls’ dream finally came. student fans, the girls knew they would dream. One thousand eight-hundred and fiftyhave to generate their own intensity. The girls’ dream is now in the past. five days after Huntley last beat Cary However, the score did not go unnoticed The Red Raiders quickly skid in the Grove, it had another chance. A Huntley to a few alumnae in the crowd. win would set up a three-way tie atop the “At the half, we noticed, holy sh**, Valley Division. we could do this!” said Godlewski, who The ninth matchup between the two attended the game with former teamteams in the past six years would happen mates, 2011 graduates Bri Roeser and in Huntley’s East Gym at 7 p.m. Huntley Meagan Flynn. players stuck to their usual routines, such The locker room was also buzzing, as Ream, who brushes her teeth right coaches included. before each game. “[Raethz] was excited,” said Ream, who “I don’t like playing with bad breath,” finished the game with 12 rebounds. she joked. “His main thing was to keep extending Although the rest of the team does not the lead and make a decision.” brush with mint Crest and a flashing red However, Cary-Grove wouldn’t die toothbrush before each game, it does stay down. The team went on a tear, bringing routine. The team also stuck to its usual the Trojans one layup within a share of regimen in the days before the game. the lead with just over three minutes left “[During the first practice before a on the clock. It looked like a repeat of game], the focus is on us and what we the same game played in that gym 363 have to do,” said Ream. “Let’s say that days ago. The scant support at games doesn’t faze the girls on Huntley. “I could care less if there were 10 we play a team that likes to play zone, However, Huntley’s offense bounced thousand fans at a game or just ten,” said Goede. “All that matters is that when you step onto then we focus on our zone offense.” back. Sophomore Sam Andrews, who After that practice, Raethz has his playfinished the game with 17 points, scored the court, you play the best you can and have the most fun as possible” (M. Krebs).

It’s kind of a shame

Steve’s teams are

Haley Ream, junior

Jan. 14, 2012

Rod Saffert, coach

Today

Timeout with Tom Heagney

Spreading our beloved Raider Way

“Be respectful, be responsible, and be involved.” Yeah, those words must sound familiar. We roll our eyes at them and don’t give them a second thought, but they prove fairly important. Other schools in the area could use these words of advice. On Jan. 30, junior Ryan Craig prepared to take a free throw shot in his varsity basketball game at Dundee-Crown high

rang out from the student section. “Hey mama’s boy, I’m raging homosexual for you!” Craig had been hearing it from the D-C student section all night, with various profanities and insults shouted his way from the stands. He tried his best to keep the taunting out of his head. “All I could do was ignore it and smile,” said Craig. “It didn’t really get to me; you

ketball is like that sometimes.” It is? Because it really shouldn’t be. After witnessing such treatment toward various Huntley players during the same game, there was no doubt in my mind that those students deserve an award for their first-class sportsmanship. Not. Unfortunately, homophobic cheers, personalized chants, and racial slurs are not unique to Dundee-Crown; they can be heard in student sections across the Fox Valley Conference. Take a Huntley home game earlier this season, for example. Covering the game for The Voice Online, I had the pleasure of listening to the opposing students single out Huntley players as well as staff photographer Michael Krebs. “They booed me whenever I walked past to take pictures,” said Krebs. “It was after they identified me as a Huntley photographer.” According to Krebs, the students could also be heard making “ape-like” grunts and noises whenever an African-American Huntley player touched the ball. Really? This problem occurs in games all over

school games. Huntley has done the right thing dealing with any problem. Huntley provides supervisors for its student section at major away and home games, and all other FVC schools should start doing the same. Breaking rules should also result in one warning, and if further infractions are witnessed after that warning, all students in the section should be removed from the game immediately. Dundee-Crown does have a policy to prevent this type of abuse. In this case, some fans fell through the cracks. “We’re not supposed to do anything that’s derogatory or that will embarrass our school,” said DC Athletic Director Richard Storm, who has at least seven supervisors at each game. “If anything happens, the kids are removed.” Aside from the occasional accident, it’s crucial that a change of this magnitude be made soon, before verbal and even physical confrontations occur as a result. If not, fans across McHenry County may find themselves in a mess following a major brawl. It’s too bad they don’t have that wonderful “Raider Way” at other schools, huh?

Reporting and research are the majority of a journalist’s workload--at least, they should be. It’s tough writing a story that features games that neither I nor the reader was at, but given the scope of the story, I overcame that with handfuls of first-person accounts and the help of numerous newspaper clippings and digital game stories. I also talked to many players and coaches from both teams to give life to my data. I went to a few games and boom: the story was practically done.

THE WHY

Sometimes the best stories are the ones that nobody knows about.

Writing

Long-form Storytelling

Last September, Homecoming season, was a crazy one at Huntley High School. There were rumors that seniors who participated in the “rogue” senior spirit days would be banned from the Homecoming dance. A digital editor for The Voice talked to the man behind the rumors, Student Council Sponsor Tom Kempf, who verified. The result was mania.

THE WHEN Oct. 19, 2012

Community

October 19, 2012

Everything you thought about Kempf was wrong Marek Makowski

After being crucified by students and local media, a Student Council sponsor stands betrayed and misunderstood

Sports Editor

Tom Kempf stands

in front of members of Student Council. It’s Tuesday, Sept. 18. They’re gathered in the large study hall room for the regularly-scheduled meeting, and Kempf is making the last notice before the 100 or so members scatter away to their first period classes. “I have an announcement,” he says. “I don’t know what you guys may have heard or not heard, but this is where I’m at. I went to Mr. [Principal Dave] Johnson this morning and asked to resign from Student Council. He asked me to wait until football is over, Homecoming is over, when everything settles down a bit and I really have time to think about it. “I told him that I would wait until that point. At this stage, I don’t have a lot more information. I just wanted everyone to know, that as of now, I am still Student Council sponsor and I still plan on working with you and supporting you this week.” Kempf, watery-eyed, puts his head down and leaves the room to go back to his classroom. “I was so emotional,” Kempf later said. “I don’t know if I was going to start crying if I would’ve sat down with them and talked to them.” When Kempf reached his room, he ran into a few StuCo members who were in tears. Kempf held back his emotions as students filed into his room for his first period physics class. “It was a very rough professional and personal time for me,” Kempf later said. “I really felt like I was ripping apart the kids that I worked with.”

It’s all about the kids.

M. Krebs

want to see a social worker, but the student gave in and got help. Slowly, things got better. Six weeks later, the student went to Kempf and thanked him for saving her life “I think that really helping these kids that need someone to look up to was my calling,” Kempf said, “and I still feel that way.”

“

It has been since high school. Kempf discovered that it was all about the kids while attending nearby Harry D. Jacobs High School. His technology teacher asked him if he could stay after school a few days and help tutor another student who didn’t understand a concept. Kempf happily agreed. Later, his physics teacher wanted him to spend some mornings tutoring some students. Soon Kempf was set up with more tutoring opportunities amongst various classes. He found his passion. “I think it really started then,” Kempf said. “I knew that I wanted to be a teacher and that I really wanted to be involved by working with these kids.” Kempf kept helping kids as a teacher at HHS, and in more ways than one. “When you see him work with the students, they look up to him as a guidance figure,” said Rebecca Davison, co-sponsor of StuCo. “Even in the short couple of months that we’ve been in school, there are differences that you can see from when we started at the beginning of August to now.” One night Kempf got an email from a student implying that she was going to kill herself. He met with her the next day and got her to see a social worker and figure things out. She didn’t

Kempf chats in the

parking lot after the seniors’ close victory in their

It was a very rough professional and personal time for me. I really felt like I was ripping apart the kids that I worked with.”

“

THE WHO

Tom Kempf Student Council Adviser

powder puff football game against the juniors. It’s Sunday, Sept. 16. Kempf, one of the coaches for the blackcloaked senior powder puff team, wears a black Nike shirt, black shorts, a black baseball cap with a red H on it, and black sunglasses. He’s with a group of the seniors and overhears that one of them mentions senior spirit days. “Hey guys, you know the school does reserve the right to take away privileges if you go against the rules,” he tells them. The seniors start talking amongst themselves and murmur that the school could keep them

from going to the Homecoming dance if they dressed for senior spirit days rather than the approved school-wide spirit days. The murmurs spread quickly. Before long, the talking brewed a storm of emotion on the seniors’ Facebook page. Dress up days are still on!!! people lets be real, do u honeslty think they can get away with banning people from homecoming for wearing dress clothes? it be different if we wore stuff that didnt follow the dress code. we r going to make our school look good compared to the rest of the shmucks in PJs.

The unsuspecting man of the hour now sits on his couch at

home a few hours after he left the high school. He scrolls up and down his iPhone with the Detroit Lions and San Francisco 49ers battling in the background on Sunday Night Football. He takes a few glances up at the TV every now and then until he gets an email. The email is from Michael Geheren, the online editor-in-chief of The Voice’s website, huntleyvoice.com. Geheren heard the rumors and wanted to clear them up. Kempf responded with what kick-started one of the worst weeks of his life. “I didn’t really know that he was looking for a direct quote,” Kempf said. “I kind of just said he’s concerned, he’s just going to put out information. I didn’t mean, by any means, that I was going to be the one making the decision. But since I was the one selling the tickets, I figured it would be me who was saying, ‘Hey, you broke the rules, we’re not going to let you go in.’” The consensus on the “SENIORS 2013 !” group was that the seniors would go ahead and dress up. The mindset was that the administration couldn’t possibly take away privileges. They would lose too much money. The seniors were ready for day one.

Homecoming week is a time like none other at high schools

and colleges. It’s a week when the whole school comes together and makes its students feel great about where they go. It’s a week that draws fans out to see their sports teams and a week when everybody tucks away their back to school clothes and slaps on costumes.

The average Facebook user sends 8 friend requests per month.

And it’s a week that takes an immense amount of preparation. At Huntley, Student Council members start prepping during spring. They come together with a list of about 10 ideas for a theme and have people vote on it. Then they start to plan events. This year’s events were no sweat. The Wednesday before the game is the parade. The Sunday before hosts the powder puff game. They look at Kempf ’s annual synopsis and see what changes need to be made. After that, they see what they can add. This year, things were different. “The administration has come to us and said ‘hey, we need to get more people involved,’” Kempf said. “I don’t think they are comfortable being a school of 3 thousand people and having eight be involved at the pep assembly.” They planned to have a class competitions event the Sunday before the game, with various events such as dodge ball and volleyball. The plan was for the student body to slowly come together and culminate as a unified front for the pep rally and Homecoming game. But with the uncertainty about new changes, things weren’t as smooth as in years before. Planning of spirit days used to come over a month in advance of Homecoming week. This year, it was a week in advance. As for senior spirit days, things haven’t been so set in stone. Actually, the so-called “tradition” has only been around for a handful of years. “Three years ago, it was the first time we ever saw it,” Kempf said. “It was actually our Student Council president at the time who took this idea on. But what happened was that they were never really approved by anybody.” That’s why Student Council tried to kills its brainchild in the first year it was born. During that inaugural week, the seniors decided to have a little kid day. So, they came to school with their lollipops, overalls, and toys. But then, a few kids dressed up as babies. One came to school in a diaper, and the administration thought that was out of line. They cut off support for the senior spirit days. year and participation stayed low for the two following years. Last month, however,

Writing

Long-form Storytelling Community

October 19, 2012

Past the hundreds of bodies on the dance floor is Kempf, who is standing near the DJ’s workstation, waiting for him to return. A girl comes up to the shell and requests that DJ to play “One Week” by Barenaked Ladies. Kempf mentions to the student and DJ that he loves that song, and when he returns, the DJ thinks that Kempf is requesting it. The DJ announces that Kempf requested the song, and he plays it. It's been one week since you looked at me/Cocked your head to the side and said I'm angry Kempf leaves the huge clam shell and shakes off the moment, not realizing how coincidental and symbolic the song is. Five days since you laughed at me saying /Get that together, come back and see me After Tuesday, Kempf had gone a long way. He decided not to dress up for spirit days and he strayed from the senior hallway. He also received an outpouring of compassion from his colleagues and former students. They realized what it took to get Homecoming organized and felt bad for him. “I felt really sad for him,” Davison said. “Even outside of Student Council, he and I are pretty good friends and it makes me sad that he, I believe, felt bad about who he was as a person. I don’t think that was necessarily right for him to feel that way. I was sick to my stomach because I knew he was feeling so bad about the situation and himself.” Seniors rebelling against school spirit days during Homecoming week was a main cause of the issue against Three days since the living room /I realized it's all my fault, but couldn't tell you Kempf (M. Krebs). “Initially I was really angry at the seniors, and I’m still kind of hurt,” Kempf said. “I really felt called me,” Kempf said. “They said, ‘Hey, did Kempf had a few clear goals in mind. participation stayed low for the two followthat it was a personal attack on me and Student you read this Daily Herald article? [The article] “My goal is, first of all, to increase enrolling years. Last month, however, participation Council. But at the same time, it’s not like I hate threw you under the bus.’” ment in Student Council [and] get as many kids boomed. More seniors decided to join on after the seniors, and I think there are some people And that’s exactly how he feels. involved as possible,” he said. “I really feel that they found out about if they would actually have who think that I have gone to that extreme.” That Monday morning, Kempf talked to Student Council does a lot of good things for privileges taken away. Actually, they read about Yesterday you'd forgiven me /But it'll still be two days Johnson, who said that they can’t take away the school and community, and the more bodies it. till I say I'm sorry admission to the Homecoming dance. Kempf we have, the more experience we’re going to “Some of my favorite students in this building later talked to Dean Chris Duncan, who said have. Every year we try to add more projects we are still seniors. Do I privileges probably couldn’t be taken away. do for the community so from his seventh-period Criminal think there was a huge Miscommunication ensued as Kempf overthe community can kind Law class to the school parking lot. miscommunication from heard Dean Dan Farlik telling seniors that they of support [the school] It’s Monday, Sept. 17. the top down? Absowouldn’t be admitted to the dance. and be a part of [it].” Heagney, like hundreds of other seniors, is lutely. And I think that’s “At that stage, I was really tired of what was In regard to projects, dressed as a CEO. When he heard about the ruthe part that we have to Kempf has done more mors after the game, Heagney, alonwg with three going on and trying to justify what was hapget hammered out.” pened and why these people were saying these than any other StuCo other seniors, thought that the seniors’ right of It'll still be two days till we things and writing these articles,” Kempf said. sponsor in Huntley’s hisfreedom of expression would be taken away. So say we're sorry At the end of the day, Kempf walked into tory. Ironically enough, they went to the first local media source that “[The administraJohnson’s office. he’s help set up the tradiwould respond to their emails: Daily Herald. tion and I] are going to “If this is how it’s going to be, I don’t want to tional staples that make Heagney comes out of the building and spots meet when the football be a part of this anymore,” Kempf said. “I need senior year enjoyable, his silver ‘98 Chrysler Town & Country in the season is over and we a simpler, more structured decision- making including a set of senior second row of cars he sees. He hops into the are going to talk about chain of command. This isn’t working.” countdown spirit days minivan, rolls down the windows, and blasts where things went wrong Johnson told Kempf to talk to him the for graduation at the end “Gold on the Ceiling” by The Black Keys. and what we’re going to next day. of the year. Heagney’s home after the five-minutefix. We are going to talk “I’ve worked with him long ride. about if I am going to Rebecca Davison for the past three years He walks into his house, kicks his continue to stay on as with student council and shoes off, pours himself a glass of Kempf got Co-sponsor Student Council adviser I cannot imagine working water, and sits down in his room. For involved with helping students almost or if it’s going to be time with any other adviser the next 20 minutes, he talks to Larissa immediately. to hand it off.” because he has done such a wonderful job,” said Chinwah from the Daily Herald. Kempf was hired by the school disIt'll still be two days till we say we're sorry Aesha Talia, president of Student Council. “The “She just asked me some basic questrict in 2006 in the midst of a wave new “The more and more I think about it, the first thing I thought [when I heard he was going tions and for the numbers of some other science teachers at HHS. After just more and more impossible it’s going to be for to quit] was that we’re losing a key person who people,” said Heagney. “To be one semester, he took on the role has brought a lot to our school, ranging from the me to resign from Student Council. I would honest with you, I found it as the sponsor of Student feel like I was giving up on the kids, and I don’t blood drive to Mr. HHS.” very surprising the angle Council. think that’s the message that I want to convey. Even after all the events and plans, Kempf that she took against Mr. “I never reIs the decision made? No, not 100 percent. But is still about the kids. He wants his students to Kempf. The intent was ally thought about it,” I would say that it is pretty close to say that I will take something away from Student Council never to single out Mr. Kempf said. “I had continue to stay on as Student Council adviser.” “Everything that goes on in the social setting Kempf at all. We just expressed After Homecoming week, the seniors and the in high school is really what makes you sucthought it was the interest in rest of Huntley went back to their everyday lives. cessful,” Kempf said. “[I tell kids in Student entire school and getting involved Some students felt bad after they heard Kempf Council], ‘great, you’re probably never going to we thought he had with extracirricuwas going to resign. They emailed him and apolhave to plan a dance again in your life, but you the administration’s lars… I thought ogized. Others stayed bitter and forgot about it, learn these leadership skills, how to work with backing.” it was going to tucking the fiasco in their back pockets. people, and how to cope with bad situations. Kempf soon gets be something for “[If Kempf resigned], I think the school That’s my goal. Pass a test? Cool. Be successful an email from that the next school would have lost a very dedicated teacher to an for the rest of your life? That’s really what you Daily Herald reyear.” organization [that] makes a lot of the stuff at have to go for.” porter, who So Kempf school happen,” said Davison. “I’m new to asks for an learned the goings-on Student Council and I’m still learning the ropes. interview for the article of Student Council and If Mr. Kempf had had decided that he was she was working on. Kempf realizes that things loved it from the first day he joined. He’s loved of Huntley High school is decorated done, I don’t know what would’ve happened to are getting out of control, and so he declines being sponsor because of the kids. like the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. student council because I’m not in a place where for comment while passing forward Johnson’s “That is because you never have an opporIt’s Saturday, Sept. 22. I could’ve just stepped up and done it.” contact information. The article gets posted that tunity to work with as good of kids,” Kempf There’s a massive clamshell at the head of the Thankfully for Davison and the student body, Monday night, and Kempf goes through his day said. “As a teacher, you always have good kids gym and a color-changing at the top of the shell. Kempf probably isn’t going to walk away. with another thing piled on his mind. and bad kids. These kids are the top echelon of Behind the shell is the Homecoming dance’s Because it’s all about the kids. “When I come home, Monday night, I have kids.” woofer-boasting DJ and his bass-pumping music 15 or so former students who have texted me or Since that first day he was sponsor of StuCo, equipment.

“

When he arrived at Huntley,

If Mr. Kempf had had decided that he was done, I don’t know what would’ve happened to student council because I’m not in a place where I could’ve just stepped up and done it

“

Senior Tom Heagney walks

The dark, hot East Gym

The term “nerd” orginated from Dr. Suess’s 1950’s book “If I ran the Zoo.”

THE WHAT

Not many people on The Voice wanted me to write this story about Kempf because they felt that he was too angry and uncooperative, both of which turned out to be more speculation. Naturally, I talked to Kempf and he agreed to having the story published. (He was even a little stunned that I wanted to tell his side of things.) I then talked to various Student Council members and seniors. On top of that, I researched about the incident and went searching through the seniors’ Facebook page.

THE WHY

Just like I did with the “Dog Killer,” I got the other side of the story. Since childhood, we have learned to play fair. There’s nothing more fair than getting both sides. Students had epiphanies and apologized to the selfless man after we ran this piece.

Writing

Long-form Storytelling

THE WHO

Our principal of 17 years announced his retirement late one afternoon about a week before our paper went to the printer. I had always wanted to write something about him, but Johnson, being the modest man he is, declinded interviews. That didn’t stop me, though. We young journalists tend to stop and change ideas when things get rough, take the easy way out, and that holds us back from success. I decided to tell his story in an alternate form.

THE WHEN Dec. 21, 2012

THE WHAT

I had little time, so I contacted a few teachers who worked with him for the longest time. After that, I transcribed quotations.

THE WHY

Many people didn’t even know he announced his retirement. This story broke the news for many and told readers about more than just Johnson’s accomplishments.

December 21, 2012

Community

An orAl history of principAl dAve

johnson And the legAcy he will leAve A few weeks ago, Huntley’s principal announced his upcoming behind retirement after 17 years with Huntley High School. The Voice tracked

Marek Makowski Sports Editor

down three teachers who have been with him during his journey

Rochelle Hewlett: We were both hired in the

same year, 1995. We started when there were 300 students in the entire high school, a very different environment. We grew together, if you will, from a very small school to a very large school. Jay Teagle: This is my 17th year. Hewlett: When I started working here, there was no curriculum. When I walked into Huntley they handed me several books, and they said, “These are the books you’re going to use.” Throughout the years, Mr. Johnson and myself have gone to a plethora of conferences, paid attention to what the state was looking for, paid attention to what the ACT was looking for, and really worked to develop a very rigid English curriculum that holds students to a high standard but allows some flexibility amongst teachers that allows students to be extremely successful on the ACT as well as their careers when they move on from here. In 18 years we went from having nothing to having a completely aligned curriculum to the standards of Illinois, as well as in correlation of the ACT. That’s huge. Teagle: He interviewed me for the head basketball job here at Huntley. I was impressed with him at that point. You could tell he was an intelligent man. He knew a lot about education, he knew a lot about what the school district was about. He’s very easy to talk to. Laura Devlin: I think it was 1997 [when I started working at Huntley High School]. Maybe ’98. Teagle: For me and my position here, he has been very understanding, very upfront with me, very honest with me, very supportive with me in the classroom. Devlin: When he interviewed me, he was wearing cowboy boots and he put his feet up on the desk and ate an apple. I didn’t know if it was a tactic or if he was just in his own world. Hewlett: I’ve been in a plethora of interviews with Mr. Johnson where he is bouncing his cowboy boot, getting antsy, hitting the table, where I will often have to look at him and be like, “Cut it out, enough.” He’s casual with his cowboy boots, having an apple, but he’s so knowledgeable. His approach is very relaxed, but behind that relaxed appearance, really is somebody who is very passionate, very driven, very intelligent. His mind might be going at all costs, no matter how he’s sitting around. Devlin: His handwriting is horrible. I think it’s just like scrawl. And that’s how his mind works. It’s like he’s everywhere. Hewlett: Mr. Johnson is not a go home, sit on the couch, watch TV kind of guy. Devlin: I know that loves Bob Dylan. I know that he likes to go listen to live music. His wife is Jane and she works over at another school. They live in St. Charles. They have three kids. Hewlett: He’s got a great sense of humor that not everybody gets to see. He’s very into music. He’s a huge Bob Dylan fan. He loves to concerts, which people would say, “Wow, that’s kind of weird.” But that’s what he does. Devlin: He’s always in a hurry. Sometimes if I have to talk to him seriously about something,

he’ll say, “All right, let’s walk and talk. What’s the good word?” I think his mind goes a thousand miles an hour. Hewlett: One thing I think people don’t realize is that Mr. Johnson reads an awful lot, which is a contradiction for someone who can’t sit still. They like to travel a lot, and I always tease his wife and ask her, “Well, what do you do when you go on vacation?” And she says, “Oh, sometimes we’ll go on the beach and read a book.” And I’ll say, “How does he sit still?” Hewlett: When I was in high school, I couldn’t even tell you what my principal looked like. The idea was that the principal sits in his office and dictates from his office. At least, that’s what I thought when I was growing up. Rarely will you find Mr. Johnson in his office. He’s someone who’s walking into classrooms, talking to teachers, dealing with students. Teagle: He was at a lot of the games. He would go to the away games. He would always be interested in how we were doing athletically, how the kids were doing. Devlin: Oh gosh, what hasn’t he done? He’s seen a school grow from a high school about 280 kids to about 2300. Very few principals go through anything like that. Hewlett: I think that as the school grows, it becomes very difficult for a principal to get out and get to know the students very well. I can tell you that Mr. Johnson goes to the majority of all football games, plenty of basketball games, plenty of soccer games. He is out there trying to interact with students as much as he possibly can. I think he genuinely has a love for what he does and have the students see him as a person rather than just the leader of the building. I think it’s important for students to know who their principal is when he’s walking down the hall. Teagle: I think Mr. Johnson has led this push to keep this climate the way it needs to be as a one cohesive unit. Devlin: I think he’s a wonderful boss and I can’t speak highly enough of him. I always appreciated him as a boss, but one time that really stood out was that I had a parent that just did not like me. He wanted to cause a stink that I was being mean to his daughter. I was young and I took it personally. Mr. Johnson said, “Don’t worry about it, you’ll be fine.” He led the meeting [with the parent] and took charge of it, and I knew that he has 100 percent support of me and that he would always believe in me and always trust me and always respect me and at that moment, I knew he was going to be one of the best bosses I would ever have. Teagle: I, under just knowing Mr. Johnson, figured that this may be the year. But I also thought that last year may be the year, too. Devlin: He slipped it in the “Keeping In Touch,” which he sends out every Friday to keep teachers informed of everything that’s going on. I don’t know if he did it on purpose, but he sent it out late on a Friday. Usually he’ll send them at the very end of the day so you’ll read them when you go home, but it wasn’t emailed to us until after a lot of people went home. I think he was trying to be sneaky so that people wouldn’t rush down there and say, “Come on! One more

year!” I would’ve. Hewlett: Mr. Johnson spoke with me about it, and I think the difference with me and some of the newer staff is that we worked together since the very beginning, we have a professional relationship, and I would call him my friend. So I think that, out of respect, he came and he told me. Devlin: I understand wanting to retire, but I wish he’d stay on for a while longer. Hewlett: I think it’s going to be a difficult transition for him because he’s so involved, and I think he truly loves what he does here. Teagle: You’d think he can’t sit still but I’m sure he’s got everything planned out. He’s a smart man. Hewlett: I’m not sure that he’s a very replaceable individual. I believe that whomever they choose to replace him can replace the position, but they can’t replace the person. Teagle: I appreciate him and the way he has treated me, not only as a teacher, but as an individual person. It’s been a pleasure being a teacher under Mr. Johnson.. Devlin: [He taught me] to always see the good in every student. That’s something that’s always stayed in my head with the kids when I’m getting

It costs the government 2.4 cents to make every penny.

irritated in them. That’s something that he’s taught me that I, still today, tell myself. That’s what will stick with me. Hewlett: Many years ago I was working on my first Master’s degree. Teachers from all over talk about different things that are happening in their buildings and it became a joke that Huntley High School is Disney Land. Anytime somebody would make a comment, they would say, “So, Rochelle, what’s it like in Disney Land for you?” I believe that with the wrong kind of leadership in this building, good students can turn bad. Mr. Johnson has allowed an environment of a hometown, community type of feel here where students can feel welcomed here, and teachers can feel welcomed here. Not only welcomed, but appreciated. When people feel appreciated, wanted, welcomed, respected, you could only go in a positive way. I think what he’s leaving behind is 20 years of allowing that culture to develop. That could not have been done if it wasn’t by his leadership. I think that when he looks back, he should be damn proud of what he has created here, because it is an amazing place to work. I could not imagine being somewhere else.

B. Regan

impact on local businesses staff writer

Mike Krebs

michael.krebs@huntleyvoice.com

Nov. 28, Village of Huntley residents rejoice at a sight they have been longing for, the removal of traffic cones and barricades on Route 47. Junior Pete Gorski was particularly happy to see this happen. “I take [Route] 47 a lot to get to school and work,” said Gorski. “It has made getting around easier. I used to take the side streets to avoid traffic, but

now I can get to work and school a lot quicker and easier.” The recent expansion of Route 47 made the roadway five lanes wide, including a median, from just north of Reed Road to just south of Kreutzer Road. One cannot deny that the recent expansion of the major traffic artery in Huntley has made traveling across town quick and efficient, that the clog of traffic going to HHS around 7 a.m. at the intersection of Main St. and Route 47 has significantly diminished. The $23 million project, funded by the Illinois Department of Transportation, began

in April of 2010 and is still not projected to be finished until spring of 2012. Local businesses have suffered due to the construction because of the temporary removal and blocking of driveways into parking lots in addition to the inconveniences of traveling on the roadway during construction. One of these businesses is the Village Inn, which is located on Main St., just east of Route 47. “I suffered for two years,” said Bill Gallanas the owner of the Village Inn. “Fifty percent of my business was lost. I can only hope that when the road is finished that the

If local businesses business will come back. were negatively impacted The last six months have been so hard, I considered in such an extreme way that owners were closing the restaurant.” considering closing, it is Another well-known not worthwhile. business, Papa G’s, which The original plan, is located just off of Route according to 47 on Vine the Village St., has been negatively The last six months of Huntley affected. have been so hard, website, “A median I considered closing was for construction was built the restaurant. to begin in where April 2010 customers and continue used to be able to turn Bill Gallanas through Oct. directly into owner of Village Inn 2011, but the Illinois our parking lot Department of from [Route] 47 and vice versa. Now they need to go Transportation recently through the neighborhoods approved an extension to the contractors that in order to leave,” said will allow construction Papa G’s manager Anthie into the spring of 2012. Tsakalions.

Construction crews would finish putting up street lights, permanent traffic lights and sidewalks. It is true that the expansion of Route 47 has made travel easier for the residents of Huntley, but it was not beneficial enough to put the owners of small business in the position of nearly closing their business due to the construction.

Writing

Opinion Column

THE WHO

See more perspectives from the Voice’s bloggers on huntleyvoice.com

Public speaking needs improvement sports editor

Marek Makowski

marek.makowski@huntleyvoice.com

It’s mid-November. A crowd gathers around junior Garrick McDaniel. Everyone watches as he takes a deep breath. He gets a rush of adrenaline. “He’s tough,” said junior Roger Alvarado. “From what I know, the first thing I got off of him is that he’s tough.” McDaniel usually works out with 60-pound dumbbells--something to keep him in shape. “[When people hear my name, they think] that kid’s obnoxious,” said McDaniel. McDaniel starts to sweat. He doesn’t do this often. “When I get up there, my throat starts to close up,” said McDaniel. “I get nervous, and I shake a little bit.” But this time, McDaniel isn’t getting into a fight. He’s giving a speech in my third-period Spanish class. McDaniel needs to present eight steps on making a sub sandwich, and he’s done. But for him, it isn’t that easy. “I don’t like the pressure of people staring at me when I speak,” said McDaniel. “I start to forget what I’m going to say.” The presentations

were supposed to be memorized, but each student could look at his or her poster to review what to say. McDaniel got through it. However, McDaniel wasn’t the only nervous person in my class. All but two people in my class could talk with clear throats during their presentations. One boy was so nervous that he needed to step in the hall and clear his mind for half an hour, and then he went on to shake his way through reading his poster. We have an epidemic here at Huntley High School, and I like to call in “I’m-about-to-soil-pantsand-I-look-like-a-deer-inheadlights-when-I-givea-speech syndrome, or IATSMPAILLADITHWIGASS. We have an epidemic here at Huntley High School. Huntley had required a semester-long speech class when it still used a block schedule in the early 2000s. It was typically taken by sophomores and helped instill public speaking skills in all students. However, class sizes grew and it became increasingly difficult to meet that need for students. “It was coupled with the fact that as we were growing, we were beginning to offer more elective courses,” said Principal Dave Johnson. With a growing

district, it was decided that the already-required English classes would just incorporate public speaking into their curriculums. “Part of justification for removing [Speech] was as the PSAE and ACT came into play,” said Johnson. “There was really no clear-cut reason Speech could remain as a required course. Instead, we said we could make it an elective, and have other required courses have emphasis on communication.” Incorporating a few speeches in English class will prove too little for students to pick up this key skill, let alone cure IATSMPAILLADITHWIGASS. “Some [students] can just not gather their thoughts,” said English II Honors teacher Kay Meyer, who has to sit through a handful of miserable performances each year.

“[The presentations] are all over the board. You can definitely tell the kids in speech class. You see the eye contact, the inflection, the pause. All the tools are there.” Incorporating just one four-minute-long speech with a class of 32 students would take a few days to get through, and it’s tough to do that in the alreadytight schedule English classes have. “All of the [English] teachers are trying very hard,” said Meyer. “Is it enough? Probably not.” Meyer has English II Honors students present their summer reading projects, twoday-long multi-cultural presentations, memoirs and various other things intertwined with the curriculum. “We probably do better than an adequate job,” said Meyer. “It’s different from a curriculum

standpoint. How much can we do in a day?” So, it isn’t the teachers’ or the administration’s faults. Class sizes and options have swollen, and it would take more speech teachers to keep up a mandatory class. This responsibility falls on the students. “There are options to take speech,” said Speech Team coach Tom George, who also teaches three types of speech classes. “I think [speaking] is a skill needed in almost every industry.” Now, I’m sure that people have been terrible speakers throughout all of time, but things are just getting ridiculous. Having the confidence of a 5-yearold when giving a speech in front of others is like trying to live life without eating food; you will fail miserably. “Research shows that [people] are more afraid of public speaking than death,” said George. “I’m not saying that speech class at a high school level is going to [prepare people], but it will do more than not taking one.” Now, this is a call to all of the underclassmen of HHS: go and take a speech class. Take it early and prepare yourself to cruise through high school presentations. Speech class and practice will be the first step to curing the symptoms of IATSMPAILLADITHWIGASS: the trembles, sweaty palms, shaky voice, and

anxiety. “I would encourage all students to do that,” said Johnson, “because the purpose is to give them the skills, the opportunity, to lose fear from [speaking]. They may find out ‘I actually learned something here and it’s not as bad.’” Now it’s December. McDaniel hasn’t taken a speech class yet, but he does get help from CoOp teacher Mary Graft. McDaniel swings by her class every once in a while and gets speaking tips from Graft. “[She] tells me how to make my presentations better [and] talk with the audience,” said McDaniel. The lessons McDaniel has learned have proved valuable, as he does not struggle as much with audiences. “There’s nothing to be scared about,” said McDaniel. “Everyone has to do it. Just get it over with.” So please, help yourself and get tips from a teacher. Take a speech class. Try out a few days on Speech Team. Put an end to the ravenous IATSMPAILLADITHWIGASS. My sanity in Spanish class depends on it.

DECEMBER 16, 2011

Most elephants weigh less than the tongue of the blue whale.

Last year I was sitting through my dreadfully boring Spanish class when we had to present projects. I didn’t think much of them, but a majority of my class sweated through what seemed to be the easiest assignment on the planet. We were juniors in high school, mind you. I decided to talk to the shakiest kid.

THE WHEN Dec. 16, 2011

THE WHAT

I talked to the head coach of the Speech Team, our principal, and an English teacher with the same woes as me.

THE WHY

The opinion article did iits job because it was 1) entertaining, 2) informing, and 3) change-causing. A handful of kids realized that they were 17-yearolds who couldn’t speak in front of crowds, and they finally did something about it.

Writing

Sports Column

Thursday, May 5, 2011

with

SPORTS

Talk

sideways?

Why

Some articles have altered orientation for enhanced quality and easier readability.

Marek Makowski

Except for the extremely rare youth baseball junkie, nobody really knew about the sickening draft system, so my story did a good job in presenting new information as well as telling readers what I thought.

SIDE THE WHY

Where the cycle begins

I got in touch with the president of the league as well as one of the coaches. The rest came in the writing.

Here in Huntley’s youth baseball program, kids are evaluated before being entered into a draft (you know, just as the MLB would do it). Shhh, it’s a secret!

THE WHAT

May 5, 2011

This thing is not displayed on players or parents where a kid was national television. The Huntley The coaches all agree drafted.” Youth Baseball Little League, or A leak of draft information could that what goes on in HYBLL, holds drafts every year for set off a restorm of complains and ‘the draft room’ stays arguments. our baseball youth. It’s held behind closed doors. Why, it’s one of the “We actually gather all the there. We’re lookgreatest mysteries happening in this information and rankings from ing to draft the best little town. the coaches and shred them,” said players and we won’t Schumacher. “They have no purpose. Just like the start of the profestell the players or sional season, coaches evaluate little The one thing we can’t stop is chatleague players by their fundamentals: parents where a kid ter. There’s always drama.” elding, pitching, and hitting. It is Some of the drama featured was drafted a priority to ensure that all kids will between coaches is usually over why play on a team, and that leagues and a kid was drafted in such an early -HYBLL coach teams stay fair and competitive. round or why a player was selected “A pro being that all kids are so late in the draft. It’s common to see placed on a team,” said HYBLL the same type of behavior at a profesPresident Doug Schumacher. “In sional level, such as when coaches some leagues, people get cut. We take We actually gather and fans were shocked that Gabe every kid and make as many teams as all the information Carimi was left on the board long possible.” enough for the Bears to snag. and ranking sheets The draft starts from the AA The similarity doesn’t end there from the coaches and Minors to the Senior Program. AA between the pros and Huntley’s shred them. We can’t youth. Minors features kids as young at 7. stop drama. There’s Sure, keeping leagues competitive Although the coaches cannot trade is fun, but just playing the game of draft picks, they can trade players always drama. baseball is enough fun for 7-yearbefore teams become nalized. This There’s no way to olds. Right? And, think about it. The happens usually to keep families make it ultimately objective is to keep rst grade kids together or neighbors together for competitive? Come on. Keeping a carpool reasons. Understandable. fair. The coaches league for rst graders competitive is could take kids just Factors that could potentially like hosting cutthroat nger-painting affect a coach’s draft choices are perbecause they want competitions. sonal relationships and experiences them on their team. Drafting and evaluating 7- and with players. The main rationale of 8-year olds may seem like a tough the draft, to produce a league as even task since it is difcult to distinguish -HYBLL President, and competitive as possible, easily what areas a child is fully developed goes out the door every time a coach Doug Schumacher in at such an early age. That’s why picks up one of their favorite players colleges don’t scout elementary or family friends rather than the best schoolers. That’s why young prodiplayer available. Bias at its nest. gies are so rare. Sure, you have your crazy 8-year-old “There is no way to make it ultimately fair,” said hoops star from Texas who can dribble the ball 100 Schumacher. “The coaches could take kids just different ways and can drop 3-pointers all day withbecause they want them on their team. The fairness out looking, but I doubt any player from Illinois is depends on the coaches and league director.” good enough to be evaluated at that young of an age. So why not change it? The Little League rulebook In a secretive process, coaches get together and sets guidelines for how drafts and leagues can be ophold a snake draft (teams shifting from the top to erated, but there is not one specic system that needs the bottom of selection per round) to determine who to be implemented. At times the league seems more will be on which team. This is all coordinated under a of a stat-crunching fantasy outlet for coaches rather division director who the coaches report to. than kids trying to have fun and play some baseball. What happens in these drafts must never leave For many, it is important to see how their children that room. did over the course of the season. “The coaches all agree that anything discussed in “At the end of the year, we evaluate players and the room stays there,” said one ve-year coach. “We’re hope they improved,” said Schumacher. looking to draft the best players and we won’t tell the Thus, the endless cycle begins.

THE WHEN

'RQÅW PLVV RXW RQ OHDYLQJ \RXU PDUN DW +XQWOH\ +LJK 6FKRRO

A fellow reporter for The Voice had a dad who coached a youth baseball team. The reporter mentioned what the drafting process was like to my then-sports editor and now-mentor Seth Boster, and Boster passed the idea on to me.

ust last week, each team in the NFL fetched college football’s nest in the 2011 draft. These millionaires-to-be are in the midst of an endless cycle of evaluations. For the rest of their careers, their successes depend on their performances and how they are evaluated by their employers. They just departed college where they got critiqued for starting gigs. Before that was the high school game. And before that, we can take a look here in Huntley and get an idea.

THE WHO

Mind

Opinion

Juan

want it for safety.” You can see the hurt in the fatigued man’s eyes and wrinkled forehead, and you can hear it in his beaten, broken voice when he tells you about that conversation. He can’t stand that his son wants protection and won’t open up to him about it. Juan itched to go home. So when I met him a few months ago, he told me he’d go back home to his children in a year because he

to drink. But Juan still worked, and he still sent money home. Soon enough, problems arose again. A few years ago, Juan’s son called him and asked him for a favor. “Hey Dad, can you send me a gun?” “What for? Do you have any problems?” “No, I just

missed them too much. That is, after he got a few things straightened out. Juan’s legal problems began about a year ago, when a hulking, white giant towered over him in a bar and smashed him on the head for standing up for his friend. Juan tried to fight back, but it was to no use. He can still feel the sharp indent in his jagged-edged skull today. When Juan found out that his lawyer couldn’t do anything for him in court two months ago, he was frustrated. But then he put his life into perspective. “Sometimes I complain about my luck,” he would tell me. “Sometimes I say, ‘Why me, God?’ Sometimes I complain about why things happen to me. But I’m lucky I’m still alive. I didn’t die when I was in the bar. God saved my life.” That’s what Juan will be saluting in six days. His life and his kids. I try to appreciate Juan’s life and how he can carry on through hardship while we fret over box scores and Black Friday sales. I realized that even though we have more than him, and that we can score higher on standardized tests than him, he’s still centuries wiser than us. He knows that things mean more than white meat and agternoon football games.

Every day is a day to be in the Olympics

“

breathing life into dying junkers to land jobs as an auto repairman. He sent some money home and he thought things were going to be all right. That’s until he found out his wife cheated on him in 2000. Juan spiraled in and out of depression and alcoholism as he tried to justify why she’d have sex with another man when he was juggling a handful of jobs for 20 hours a day to keep her sheltered. Although alienated, he still sent her his earnings because he loved his family and knew they needed help. Soon things got worse for Juan. When he’d earn a lot of money, he’d throw it all into his deathly gambling addiction. He would win a few hands and ride his streak, coming out a richer man. But Juan wouldn’t stop there. He was thirsty for money, trying to collect as much as possible with hopes that it would make everything better back home. The aging man lost himself along the way, though. He would take his money, “see some girls,” and blow the rest off on scratch-off lottery tickets. He lost it all and had to work his way back up from the ground. And he did. He cured his gambling addiction a few years back but couldn’t halt the alcoholism, slamming back cases of beers whenever he got the chance

Sometimes I would say, why me, God?

In years past, I haven’t been very grateful on Thanksgiving. Like millions of teenagers in the United States, I was grateful to have a day off of school to eat and watch bad football games. I slopped homemade cranberry sauce on white meat and lifted my fork in the air to toast the pilgrims’ pillaging of natives. I didn’t realize that I was grateful for all the wrong reasons. This year, things are different. I realized what I should actually be turkey toasting a few months ago when I met a guy I used to work with who came here from Guatemala. For a number of reasons, I don’t want to use his name, so let’s call him Juan. Juan fled his native country in 1998 in search of better opportunities to support his family. The short, powerful man left behind his 6- and 18-month-old children in their shack of a home so he could earn money so they could have food on the table every day. Once he got to America, Juan used the countless hours he spent back home killing time

Sports Editor

Marek Makowski

“

The true meaning of the winter holidays is becoming lost on the majority of the population, but for some, they are thankful for what they have.

Marek’s

November 16, 2012

“Juan” and his gripping story had many people realize how tough of a life some people have, which accomplished the column’s goal.

“chill its only gym class not the olympics.” “alright, calm down its gym class, not the olympics…” “dude, chill, it’s gym class not the olympics!” You’ve seen the Facebook pages like these. You might even “Like” them, thinking it is an amusing, relatable situation. These pages show something about our teenage society (in addition to demonstrating the wonderful grammatical skills of our generation): trying in gym is not

Editor in Chief

Randi Peterson

THE WHO

them to keep quiet. The athletes in the class will be upset, however, when you give no effort and then let your team down. The friends reason kids don’t try in gym is because it isn’t cool to care about gym. Right? The friend who think it’s not cool to care about grades or physical fitness or mental health (exercise is proven to relieve stress) aren’t really good friends. And if your boyfriend won’t love you if your hair is a little messy and your makeup isn’t perfect, maybe you should consider a guy who isn’t so shallow. “It’s not uncool,” said Heuck. “It’s not cool to be the one who sits and is lazy.” The one exception to the fun of participation

This is the first piece in which I took a different approach to opinion writing--tell a story, and let it speak for itself. I noticed nobody around school, including myself, was thankful for much, so I decided to write the column. Not participating will hurt your grade and your GPA, and conversely, participating can improve your GPA. “I think some kids don’t try because they aren’t very physical,” said Lyman. With the exception of the one or two kids who play that unit’s sport and the kid who is good at every sport, everyone is pretty bad at gym sports. No one will

I looked back at notes I had typed into my phone about the guy--I knew I’d use his story for something some day. I also made sure to criticize myself at the core of the article; it helped readers connect.

because he wants to show off or intimidate other people; he tries because he loves sports. “If you’ve got all the kids out there wanting to participate, the time just flies by and it’s just more fun,” said gym teacher Jennifer Heuck. Illinois is the only state to require daily gym. Four years of gym is required to graduate. It’s unavoidable. Regardless of arguments of its academic merit, you have to do it. So might as well make it

Writing

Opinion Column

THE WHEN

Nov. 16, 2012

THE WHAT

THE WHY

Writing

Editorial

THE WHO

March 22, 2013

THE WHAT

We, the editorial board, split up interviews with various people. I stayed on top of them and, after that, I wrote the article.

THE WHY

The whole problem with this plan is not only what its ideas are, but how it was going to be implemented. The Wormeli Committe talked to teachers during an in-service day and basically said, “Hey guys, we’re going to do this.” Completely wrong. This editorial hopefully made them take a step back.

March 22, 2013 Wormeli plan could work, but The Voice Staff compromises are needed

Print Editors

Randi Peterson, Editor in Chief Kierra Renwick, Managing Editor Yazmin Dominguez, Community Editor Ryan Tharp, Opinion Editor Joe Cristo, A&E Editor Marek Makowski, Sports Editor Mike Krebs, Photo Editor

Online Editors Michael Geheren, Digital Editor in Chief Holly Baldacci, Digital Managing Editor Angelica Cataldo, Associate Editor Kyle Sommerfield, Associate Editor Megan Wilson, Associate Editor

Business Managers

Kayla Garcia, Head Coffee Shop Manager Tamara Funke, Advertising Manager

Staff Writers

Ify Anikamadu Jacob Cervantes Kat Gorospe Tom Heagney Jennifer Perrone Angie Radaszewski Omo Tseumah Bobby Volpendesta Staff Photographers

Zane Bridges Katie Gallegos Christian Nuñez

Adviser

Dennis Brown

On Feb. 15, a group of Huntley High School teachers introduced faculty members to ideas that can change how things are done here at HHS. The man whose plans were introduced was Rick Wormeli, a Nationally Board Certified teacher and author of multiple award-winning and bestselling books, including “Meet Me in the Middle: Becoming an Accomplished Middle Level Teacher.” Wormeli has emphasized that the problem of education lay in the grade books and not in students’ minds. An advocate of many “breakthroughs” in the educational sphere, Wormeli condones absolving zeros from the grade book because they seem “unmanageable” to students. He also advocates allowing students to remediate scores for full, not partial, credit so that students have more initiative to come to teachers after class and complete whatever may be needed. This leads to mastery of a certain topic, which, when added to mastery of other topics, leads to mastery in a subject, according to Wormeli. These ideas, which may see farfetched to some and ideal to others, are closer to home than you would think. Members of the newly-created Wormeli Committee seek to follow through on three major components proposed by Wormeli. The components are based on the formative (homework assignments, quizzes, etc.) and summative (tests, projects, essays) assignments. The components are: 1. Cutting down homework to a small percentage of grades in classes (zero-10 percent). 2. Allowing students to remediate summative assignments for full credit. 3. Removing zeros from the grading scale. Since these ideas were first presented on that school institute day, there has been a lot of chatter amongst teachers about how they should be implemented. We at The Voice believe that these ideas, some of which are valid and could be effective, could also hurt competitiveness in the district and allow students to take advantage of remediation. At first glance, some of Wormeli’s ideas could be beneficial to Huntley High School. Decreasing the worth of formative assignments could give students a second chance when it comes to forgetting to do homework or flopping on a pop quiz. “Just because a kid decides not to do their homework doesn’t mean they should fail as a result of that,” said Sarah Kuchta, math teacher and member of the Wormeli Committee. Changing the worth of formative assignments a terrific idea, and it is even implemented in some classes here at Huntley to mirror college grading scales. However, cutting down homework percentages puts the spotlight on summative assignments, which are backed by the safety net of full remediation. Remediation would help students

master material that they did not absorb earlier and save them from taking huge grade hits. “Overall what we’re looking for is for students to be able to, if they screw something up the first time, to be able to come in and have the opportunity to master the material,” Kuchta said. Summative assignments also mean heavily-weighted tests which would be open to full remediation during a period of time. Brian Conant, head of the English Department, equated this mentality to learning how to ride a skateboard. If a student cannot land a trick the first time he tries, Conant said, then what’s to stop him from practicing until he nails the stunt? “Womelli argues that whether you learn it on the first or last day it doesn’t matter, as long as you learn,” Conant said. Conant makes a great point, and helping students learn more is what we all want to happen. This process is aided by the idea of removing zeros from the grading scale, as they provide too large of a gap between an F and a passing grade. Then there are Wormeli’s flaws. Decreasing the weight of homework and other formative assignments removes the cushion students have for poor test scores. Wormeli proposes that full remediation be offered to students on those summative assignments—tests and projects—if students put the work in to come in after class. That means if a student flunks a test the first time, they can retake it and receive the second grade. No penalties, no worries. “I think remediation gives students an opportunity to have an opportunity to come in and get more help and really learn it,” Kuchta said. That opportunity will be cherished by many students, but in all the wrong ways. The high-stakes competition of high school has students from all levels striving to attain better grades and improve their class ranks. To students, high school is just as much about winning as it is about learning. It is about winning against other students, other schools, other districts. That winning can drive students— either lazy or motivated—to work the Wormeli system. With low homework percentages, students can blow off class activities and homework assignments, do well on a test at the end of the unit or course, and suffer little consequences. Similar grade, little effort. Take this editorial, for example. As part of News Media Production, this article will serve as a grade. If it is not written on deadline, there is no editorial and a blank page is published. Under today’s standards, that goes into the grade book at a zero. Under Wormeli’s

It’s a good idea in The Voice of “principle, but the could be Huntley High execution difficult. School teachers Todd Swartzloff,

“

THE WHEN

Editorial

APUSH

standards, it can be remediated for full credit. Students could also take advantage of remediation and not study for a test, or even purposefully flunk it, just to buy time so that they can take it at a later date. As for the concept of removing zeros, there is no need to do so. Nearly all classes at Huntley High School offer late or partial credit that allows students to save themselves from the grade-killing zero. What students have now puts responsibility on them, not the teachers. If zeros were removed from the grade book, a student could ignore an assignment and receive just as much credit as one who completed a late assignment. This two-headed monster of Wormeli—one head being remediation, the other being unfairness— may even trample the competitive atmosphere birthed here at Huntley. “Our district is very competitive educationally and the teachers, so I think, do not hope to make very drastic changes, which won’t affect the competitiveness,” said Mike Moan, chief academic officer. We completely agree with Moan’s description of the district, but incorporating the Wormeli plan in its entirety would slash competitiveness, breed laziness, and give students a new and unfair way to claw to the top of their class. However, we see that implementing some of the Wormeli plan at Huntley will have its positives. Students will have more breathing room in classes and can salvage a few mess-ups while also learning material better. What the Wormeli Committee must do is come to a happy compromise. Formative assessments should be worth less, but not as drastically as proposed. Partial remediation should be offered for students who score below a 70 percent, but it should not be offered for every summative assessment. There is also the route of offering no remediation, or whatever remediation is being offered in classes now, and giving students practice assessments that they can utilize whenever they want. That way, students can learn the material, if they really want to, and not suffer a grade hit. Lastly, zeros should remain in the grade book, allowing students to learn and put in effort rather than being handed grades for doing nothing. If teachers follow these steps closely, they may be taking a crucial step in the improvement of Huntley’s education system.

I like the standards“based grading. I like kids grading on skills. But it can be impractical. Laura Jenkins, Math

“

The Voice’s editorial board sat down for its monthly meeting and was split between writing an editorial praising Huntley’s athletic director or criticizing a new educational plan teachers wanted to implement. I told my editors I’d take the reins if we wrote about the latter. I quickly convinced them.

Writing

Arts&Entertainment

THE WHO

I began watching FOX’s “24” when I was in fifth grade, and I stuck with the show until its series finale. I loved everything about it and was dying to see Kiefer Sutherland back on screen. I reviewed the pilot episode of his new show “Touch.”

THE WHEN March 23, 2012

THE WHAT

I read some previews about the cast of the show and watched the episode. After that, it was straight writing.

THE WHY

I presented information and then my opinion, which is what every review requires. I put a creative spin on the story (death) and referred to it consistently, strengthening the piece and making it more interesting.

Writing

Arts&Entertainment

THE WHO

The first article ever published on huntleyvoice.com lies to the right of this text box. It was written and published two nights after Brad Pitt’s sports flick was released in theaters.

THE WHEN Sept. 25, 2011

THE WHAT

I did some research on Pitt, Hill, and the director. I then saw the movie and wrote the story.

THE WHY

I included this review because it shows that not only I can write in a variety of sections, but its being the first article ever published on The Voice’s website represents the futuristic shift that journalism is taking.

Brad Pitt’s “Moneyball” is a home run Today’s sports movies blend in with those from the past few decades, featuring an overly-dramatic storyline, a plot which features some sort of redemption, and a mix of mediocre acting and shabby directing. “Moneyball” doesn’t fall into that group. Based on the 2003 book by Michael Lewis, “Moneyball” tells the (true) story of Oakland A’s General Manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) and his journey to build a championship-winning team while having the lowest payroll in baseball. Beane, with the help of his assistant GM Peter Brand, refocuses his organization on players who get on base more rather than the orthodox players with high averages or home run totals. Beane faces a monumental challenge which defies fundamental beliefs since he contradicts everyone in baseball, as well as his classic old scouts and the team’s manager (Phillip Seymour Hoffman). However, “Moneyball” isn’t always focused on sports. It features inner battles Beane has with his personal life as well as his past as a baseball player. Beane’s intricate relationship with his daughter provides a very humane aspect to the movie, which casual and hardcore sports fans will appreciate alike. “Moneyball” is more about behind-the-scenes operations rather than the success of the team, which makes it a sports movie unlike any other. I’m not going to lie, not every one of the 126 minutes is captivating, but that’s totally understandable in a psychological movie like this. While “Moneyball” had me bored during some early scenes, it started a rally with flashbacks to Beane’s playing days, keeping things interesting. “Moneyball” also brings in the closer, as it provides a lasting impact that had me leave the theater saying, “Wow.” The movie’s dark tone is complemented and balanced well by the subtle humor provided by Brand’s social awkwardness in the movie. “Moneyball” takes you to a behind-the-scenes view of baseball’s front office, while the witty sarcasm by Beane’s scouts adds to the film, as their disproval of the new team is portrayed in a better light.

Brad Pitt, yet again, lives up to expectations, showing that he can tackle the tough role of the toughest job in all of sports. Pitt breaks out of his “pretty boy” shell and plays the role of a down-to-earth man. He gets viewers rallying with him as he goes around and takes stands for his beliefs. Beane’s discontent with his manger proves funny at times, which keeps the movie from being a big screen soap opera, and Beane from looking like an overly-stressed and overlydepressed man. While Beane strives to challenge the fundamentals of building a baseball team, Jonah Hill has to challenge the fundamentals of his career. Hill, who plays the role of numbers-nerd Peter Brand, has to stray from his usual comedic roles and tackle the role of a socially awkward Yale graduate who looks to reinvent scouting and drafting. Hill comes out of the bullpen and provides a breath of fresh air in the movie. He is superb, showing that he can do more than crack jokes. The directing, under Bennett Miller, was more than average. Miller intertwines footage from actual games with scenes which were acted out, providing a closer, more intense look at the players and games rather than just sticking with telecast coverage. At times I felt like I was on the verge of rooting for the A’s during the movie, hoping that they would win. Periods of time are split up, starting from the 2001 playoffs to the aftermath of the 2002 playoffs. Scenes of games are used sparingly, as the movie is constructed to keep from being just a highlight reel, such as many sports movies have done in the past. Miller also uses the concept of sound to his advantage, taking pauses in dramatic situations to let emotions sink in to the viewers.

What “The Social Network” was to the Web, “Moneyball” is to sports. It’s a must-see for sports fans, and a very enjoyable watch to those who have never been a baseball game. Definitely worth the money, and a sure-fire home run.

Writing

Arts&Entertainment myVoice: Why ‘The Legend of Zelda’ is the greatest video game series of all time by Marek Makowski I know, I know. That headline up there must make you think I’m a maniac. How can somebody take such a successful commercial enterprise as the video game industry, where nearly-perfect games are released constantly, and name the best of the best? Well, I will. Yes, you have the “Mario,” “Metroid Prime,” “Final Fantasy,” “Resident Evil,” and even “Call of Duty” series. But, “The Legend of Zelda” series is leaps and bounds ahead of the others. To make things easier, I broke down the five essentials needed to keep not only a franchise good, but to make “The Legend of Zelda” the greatest series of all time. Story What every game needs to keep it interesting is a compelling story. “The Legend of Zelda” delivers on this by not only keeping its classic story structure in each title but also by giving each story an incredibly new feel in every game. Dating back to its 8-bit days, The Legend of Zelda has had the gamer play as Link and rescue Princess Zelda. He goes on a quest to gather the Triforce in order to become strong enough to defeat the evil Ganondorf, who is either trying to take Zelda’s power and rule the world, or just destroy the world. This somewhat simple storyline has the player venturing from corner to corner of whatever land they are in, whether it is Hyrule or Termina. Link must pass through temples, acquiring skills and weapons as he defeats each boss. Furthermore, each part of the story has its own feel to it. You have your Water Temple, Eldin, and Forest Temple in nearly every game, which makes the player adapt to new types of puzzles in each location. Now, it may seem like this story may get mundane after 18 games and nearly 26 years.

But, it doesn’t. The Legend of Zelda follows a loose timeline (Recently released in “Hyrule Historia”), which gives it breathing room for originality. Let’s look at the 1998 classic, “Ocarina of Time,” for guidance. In the series’ most profound game, Link must prevent the Gerudo King Ganondorf from collecting the pieces of the Triforce, which would give him remarkable power. Link travels from youth to adulthood in order to gain the maturity which is required to defeat the Dark Lord. The next game in the timeline, one of three sequels in the series, has Link trying to defeat a new villain, Majora’s Mask, in just three days. This utterly original game has the player racing to collectvarious masks grow in his quest to defeat Majora before the moon crashes down on Clock Town. A mix of fresh and intuitive storylines with the same Zelda feel is what makes the series the greatest, but I’ll get back to that in a while.

THE WHO

I’m not going to lie, I’m a Zelda nut. I’ve been playing the historic franchise since I’ve been young and my newfound love of journalism helped me gush about the video game series in the most exciting way--through blogging. I noticed a lot of nuts at Huntley like myself were arguing over the greatest video game series of all time, so I sat down on Super Bowl Sunday and knocked out the most popular article in huntleyvoice.com’s history.

THE WHEN

February 6, 2012

Gameplay Something that so-called video game “experts” don’t understand is that shooters can’t be critically phenomenal without completely original overhauls. Ever since “Call of Duty” hit shelves in 2003, the bulk of popular video games has been in the shooter genre. With highly addictive multiplayer aspects and reality that takes the gamer out of everyday life, I can’t blame them. But, it isn’t that good or even fresh anymore. When “Battlefield 3” was released last fall, there were cries from fans that it was one of the greatest games ever. If you think that, you’re wrong. When I look at Battlefield and the latest Call of Duty, I see the same game with tinkered improved graphics and different storylines. The player runs with a squad trying to achieve tasks in the single-player modes. For online multiplayer, the gamer works cooperatively in different modes, tying to earn the most points and get the most upgrades. Is it addictive? Sure. Is it any good anymore? Not really. The Legend of Zelda features gameplay like no series has ever had. Instead of earning new perks and weapons, the player collects rupees to upgrade their gear and to refresh items. Although Zelda’s gameplay stays consistent throughout the series, what makes the franchise truly remarkable is the variety of innovative additions to each game. For example, in “Call of Duty,” the player travels by foot, in caravans, and by the occasional helicopter. In Zelda, some games have Link traveling on his reliable horse Epona. But in other games, the type of travel and style of game is completely different. In “The Wind Waker,” the player can travel by boat from island to island. In “Twilight Princess,” the player can warp from portal to portal, and even transform into a wolf to run from place to place. In “Spirit Tracks,” the player rides a train from town to town. In Zelda’s latest hit, “Skyward Sword,” the player has to dive off of islands in the sky and fly a Loftwing (Link’s trusty bird) from location to location. Add originality to an ever-so expansive variety of items to choose from and you get gameplay that hasn’t faltered in a Zelda game yet. Characters

Turn the page for the rest

Is it addictive? Sure. Is it any good anymore? Not really. The Legend of Zelda features gameplay like no series has ever had. Instead of earning new perks and weapons, the player collects rupees to upgrade their gear and to refresh items. Although Zelda’s gameplay stays consistent throughout the series, what makes the franchise truly remarkable is the variety of innovative additions to each game.

Writing

For example, in “Call of Duty,” the player travels by foot, in caravans, and by the occasional helicopter. In Zelda, some games have Link traveling on his reliable horse Epona. But in other games, the type of travel and style of game is completely different. In “The Wind Waker,” the player can travel by boat from island to island. In “Twilight Princess,” the player can warp from portal to portal, and even transform into a wolf to run from place to place. In “Spirit Tracks,” the player rides a train from town to town. In Zelda’s latest hit, “Skyward Sword,” the player has to dive off of islands in the sky and fly a Loftwing (Link’s trusty bird) from location to location.

Arts&Entertainment

Add originality to an ever-so expansive variety of items to choose from and you get gameplay that hasn’t faltered in a Zelda game yet.

THE WHAT

I researched some of Zelda’s history and morphed it with my childhood of digital joy.

THE WHY

The piece was effective because it 1) was well-reported and 2) garnered a large reaction. This blog was posted about on handfuls of prestiged gaming sites, causing a digital debate that was even Tweeted about by a Nintendo editor at IGN.

Characters Possibly the most important element required for a franchise to survive is not only its heroes, but its supporting cast. That’s where Zelda really shines. There are tons of different Links throughout the series, which brings a new, but familiar, feel to each game. You have Zelda, the finest heroine in all of video games, as well as loads of different villains. Not only do you have Ganondorf, but there is Ghirahim, Zant, Skull Kid, Vaati, Demise, and countless more causing treacheries in the series. Not only that, but Zelda has the deepest cast of side characters in any series I have seen. This was stressed in “Skyward Sword,” as Link’s fate relies on the actions of his goofy acquaintances at the Knight Academy. Each game has various past characters with cameos in the next, such as the appearance of the Postman in “Twilight Princess.” The deep and creative character development is yet another essential aspect of franchises that keeps Zelda going. Graphics Another reason why Zelda is so great is its ridiculously unique graphics. Now if you’re one of those dull-brained gamers who thinks that High-Definition is necessary to make a game good, then stop playing videos and skip over this section. “Ocarina of Time” brought a revolution in graphics in 3-D on the Nintendo 64. “Majora’s Mask” recycled OOT’s engine, but it brought its own distinctive look with it. The game used vibrant settings which set apart the different locations in the game and made it look completely different while also adding a dark feel to match the game’s plot. The next pair of giants released in the series also brought their own looks. “The Wind Waker” used beautiful cel-shaded graphics to give the water-based installment in the series an incredibly vibrant look. After that, the 2006 release “Twilight Princess” brought a drastically different look to the series, putting a dark spin on things. To get a look at what I’m talking about, check out this ridiculously creepy, mind-blowing cutscene. Let’s fast-forward to the latest release in the Zelda series, “Skyward Sword,” which was released last November. It’s been said that “Skyward Sword” is the perfect combination of the graphics of “The Wind Waker” and “Twilight Princess,” which it really is. Skyward Sword has been yet another original title in the series, expressing the franchise’s vibrant elements and emotive features like no other game has. When the camera is focused on the player, the backgrounds change from detailed characteristics to vibrant settings which look like astonishingly beautiful watercolor portraits. Now, I’m not trying to say that games such as “Skyrim” have bad graphics, because they don’t. But, they won’t have an impact a decade from now. Sure, they may look as realistic as possible, but with improving technology and processors that’ll make today’s realistic games look like a Madden game from the ‘90s, what’s important is impact. Although it’s handicapped with the technology of the Wii and won’t get HD until the Wii U is released, “Skyward Sword” still looks more original and beautiful than any other game out in the market right now. That originality will keep the game memorable 10, even 50 years from now. And that’s why “The Legend of Zelda” is such a great series. I’m sorry to break it to you, but “Skyrim” sucks. Music Not only is The Legend of Zelda easy on the eyes, but it’s easy on the ears as well. Something distinctive about the franchise is its familiar music, which is the greatest of any video game series. In addition to having distinctive music with different regions and moments in the game, “The Legend of Zelda” allows the Hero of Time to create and play his own music. In “Ocarina of Time’ and ‘Majora’s Mask,” Link is equipped with the mighty Ocarina of Time, where his songs can do things such as turn back time. In “The Wind Waker,” Link takes control of the Wind Waker to transport to various locations and change time of day. In “Skyward Sword,” Link takes control of the Goddess’s Harp to advance his journey by unlocking entrances into the Silent Realm. The stunning music from this franchise makes it legendary on its own. It’s catchier than “Tetris” music and more moving than any other game soundtrack ever created. Overall First things first, if you still disagree, tell me why I’m wrong in the comments below. What makes “The Legend of Zelda” great is that each game is more than a video game; it’s an experience. When I finish a Zelda game, I feel like I just got back from an adventure. When I think of my childhood, I reminisce about defeating Ganon in ‘Ocarina of Time” and being creeped out by the Spooky Mask Man in “Majora’s Mask.” I finished “Skyward Sword” and wanted to rejoice. The games will make you laugh,and yes, as lame as it is, they’ll even make you cry.

“The Legend of Zelda” has been such a great series that some critics have put it on a completely different level than other video games. It has some of the most highly-rated games of all time. Rather than toying around the addictive worlds in “World of Warcraft,” enlightened fans argue which Zelda game is greatest. They appreciate the experience that “The Legend of Zelda” is. And I hope you will too.

Writing

Arts&Entertainment November 16, 2012

A&E

Courtesy of MCTCampus

ix years ago, Nintendo broke into the homes of millions of families and ripped away hundreds of dollars from their fun-loving hands. The quintessential Dick and Jane saw the commercials for Nintendo’s then-newest product, the Wii, and said, “Hey, we can have family fun AND lose weight at the same time! Let’s buy this!” So on Black Friday that year, tubby Dick and chubby Jane ran down to their local Gamestop along with half a million other family-fun seeking parents. They bought the Wii, cracked open Wii Sports (surprisingly the best-selling game of all-time), and had a family-funtastic blast. A few weeks later, however, their Wiis went from the favorite child to the least favorite, rotting away in the dusty corners of their living rooms. If you haven’t noticed, we’re Dick and Jane and Nintendo had us duped. When the Nintendo released the Wii, it strived to be less of a “ferocious dinosaur” and more of an innovative, powerrelaxed system. That means no high-definition graphics, which means not many thirdparty publishers. But the Wii was still brilliant in tapping into a pool of untouched causal gamers and utilizing motion controls, which gave birth to some of the greatest games of all time.

The New Wii U

THE WHEN Nov. 16, 2012

By Marek Makowski Nintendo dominated Microsoft and Sony in sales, pounding them in the seventh generation by about 27 million units sold, as of Sept. 30. Soon the Wii ran out of steam, losing Nintendo’s long-established connection with hardcore gamers. Its HD-equipped rival systems, the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, are durable enough for probably a few more years before needing to upgrade, while the Wii isn’t. With home console sales plummeting toward the ground (Nintendo still holds a chokehold over the handheld gaming industry), Nintendo needed to turns things around quickly. Enter the Wii U. The Japanese shot-callers and suit-wearers at Nintendo’s home in Kyoto, Japan knew the Wii was crashing. Headed by President Satoru Iwata, the moneybags sent Nintendo soaring into the sky with their innovative console, the first of the eighth generation of home consoles. If you haven’t heard about it yet, the Wii U is an HD console equipped with the WiiU GamePad, Nintendo’s most potent weapon yet. The controller is a hybrid of a Nintendo DS XL and a buttonheavy Xbox 360 controller, loaded with a touch screen, dual analog sticks, a D-pad, A/B/X/Y buttons, shoulder buttons, trigger buttons, a microphone, a gyroscope, and a handful of words with the ostentatious suffix “ometer” in it.

At first glance, the Wii U GamePad looks great. The extra peripheral means I can see my Madden playbook without my opponent seeing it. The user-friendly, tabletlike controller is equipped for hardcore gaming with its onslaught of buttons and microphone, which allows for communication in online multiplayer matches. It’s already evident that hardcore gaming will return to Nintendo, as handfuls of third-party publishers flocked to the Wii U for launch-date releases, culminating in arguably the greatest launch-date lineup of all time. But the vital question is: will hardcore gamers return to Nintendo? They’ve already left Nintendo for Sony and Microsoft, and there isn’t much to bring them back. “The same games but with motion, an extra peripheral, and a controller on steroids?!” consumers will ideally ask. “Please excuse me while I leave the room and blow 350 bucks on a system which is of no use to me.” Even if Nintendo doesn’t drag back many hardcore gamers, it’ll certainly grab more famished causal gamers who no longer have many options on the Wii. The GamePad also has an intuitive TVii button, which allows gamers to step aside and let Mom watch TV while they continue their game on the GamePad. TVii also consolidates viewer’s cable

subscriptions and on-demand video accounts. Nintendo was brilliant in doing so, creating an easy-to-use consolidated database for media. Most importantly, the inclusion of TVii foreshadows the future of game consoles. Nintendo is once again waddling in between generations, with one foot in the door of the previous and one in the door of the next. With the Wii, Nintendo held onto

creating game franchises and pushed forth motion controlling. The rest of the seventh generation did the same; just ask the suckers who bought the Playstation Move controller. With the Wii

The working title for ET was “A Boy’s Life.”

THE WHO

The Wii U was released in America last November. Being a Zelda fanatic myself (page 17), I decided to write about the console’s place in the scope of the entertainment giant’s history.

U, Nintendo is holding onto hardcore gamers and pushing forth entertainment systems. The rest of the eighth generation will do the same, satisfying people’s love for consolidation. Still, the system’s a mixed bag. The GamePad is sweet, but it might give people sore necks by having to switch from looking at their TVs to their laps. Although the system is compatible for use of more

than one GamePad at a time, games haven’t been produced with that feature, and it only comes with one anyways, so your poor friends are going to be stuck with the estranged Wiimote. If you’re a hardcore gamer, save your money and wait until Sony and Microsoft unveil their new masterpieces to make your decision. If you’re the timid, casual gamer type, don’t waste your money on the extra peripheral until the Wii runs dry of new game releases. If you’re a lifelong Nintendo guy and enjoy more than just Mario smashing hovering blocks, it’s the perfect combination. Behind the soldout system from presales and upcoming Christmas sales, the Wii U will get a muchneeded head start on the eighth generation of home consoles. That head start could also win Nintendo the eighth generation of home consoles, one that’ll change game consoles into universal entertainment epicenters and rip more money away from Dick and Janes like you and I.

THE WHAT

I read about 100 articles about the system (seriously, so many articles...) and used my deep knowledge of Nintendo to do the rest.

THE WHY

Not many people knew what the heck the system was since Nintendo waited until just before the release to go all-out on advertising. The article informed readers and presented my opinion.

Writing

Blogging

THE WHO

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a featured blogger for our website and I was shocked, like many of us, after the tragic Newtown shooting last December. After hearing all the bickering over mental health, school safety, and gun laws, I decided to take a simple approach.

THE WHEN Dec. 16, 2012

THE WHAT

I researched the incident and told my story.

THE WHY

The blog was timely, persuasive, informational, and interesting. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s what it takes to write a good blog, and I got an outpouring of positive responses to this one.

Writing

Blogging

THE WHO

I am obsessed with writing (if you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t already noticed), and last fall I decided to create a personal blog-to keep the juices flowing, that sort of thing. Here is my favorite blog, one about a woman I saw on a fresh, early Sunday morning.

THE WHEN Aug. 26, 2012

THE WHAT

I typed some details into my phone and held onto a map I was given.

THE WHY

You canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get better at writing without reading and writing. I always want to improve my storytelling abilities, and this blog helps me with that.

Find my blog at

singleslice.wordpress.com

Writing

Beat Coverage

THE WHO

As mentioned earlier, I luckily landed an exciting varsity girls basketball beat. Over the last year, my photo editor and I have gone to every major game and have put together a massive amount of content, with him shooting photos for galleries and me writing. My work includes live Tweeting, season previews, game stories, features, and seven articles in two weeks of playoff baskeball in February (thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pre-state coverage). Each team deserves coverage, no matter how popular it is. I have treated this beat writing stint as a real job as I have out-covered all major local publications in terms of depth and time of coverage with regard to Huntley girls basketball in the region.

THE WHEN 2012-2013

Writing

Beat Coverage

THE WHAT

The routine for game stories is usually the same, unless I’m covering state finals (page 38). Basically I research opponents, check the teams’ past history, keep current performance in mind, go to the game, take down a play-by-play and statistics during it, interview coaches and players, go home, transcribe quotes, write the story in about 15-30 minutes, upload, and share on social media.

THE WHY

I’m giving myself precious practice for a possible career in sportswriting that no other high school journalist on this planet could boast. And I’m producing content for a mid-sized market which feeds on our timeliness.

Hungry for more?

Head to http://huntleyvoice.com/author/mmakowski

News »

Writing

Sports »

Opinion »

Arts & Entertainment

Features

Photos

Videos

You are here: Home » Girl's Basketball » Huntley loses to Rolling Meadows, gains minute of fame

Beat Coverage

career. He a the Chicago @MarekMak

By Marek M

THE WHO

Once Huntley’s girls hoops team made a miraculous postseason run that carried it down state, our photo editor, one of our web editors, and I went to Bloomington-Normal, Ill., to cover the mania. Here’s the catch: not only did we cover Huntley’s two games, we covered all of the games that took place that weekend at Redbird Arena (Classes 3-4A). On top of that, we wrote game previews, briefs on 3-point shootout contests, and daily recaps. With courtisde seats beside IHSA TV and the Chicago Tribune, we were playing with the big boys. The Voice may have been the only newspaper--not just student paper--to cover every single game. Boo-yah.

THE WHEN

Feb. 28-March 2, 2013

[RECAP] D

Whitney Y 4A third p

Unbeliev third stat

It happened with 26 seconds left in 42-59 state semifinal game between Huntley (26-7) and Rolling Meadows (30-3). It was when the black and red stands were silent, mostly seated. It happened after a pass from junior Britni Siwuda with the clock running inevitably, sand slipping through cracks. It happened when senior Haley–Sabie, not Ream– caught the pass and took two steps toward the red foul line, falling back as she released the cushioned ball, giving it life as it soared toward the hoop. It was then, the moment when that ball slid through the net as it swooshed, that the night was made for Huntley, whose fans rose from their sore seats and roared with jubilation. “I thought I was open, so I might as well take it,” said Sabie, who has hit three of 13 attempted field goals in Huntley’s previous 32 games this season. Sabie, along with Huntley’s “Bench Mob,” entered the game after a Mustangs free throw with 1:26 remaining in the game. “At that juncture of the game… it was the right time to put our subs in,” said Huntley head coach Steve Raethz. “What a great opportunity this has been to be in the Final Four and we talked about making it an experience for our entire team.” The dagger Sabie scored improved her Points Per Game average, which was .6 going into the Class 4A State Semifinal. “It just meant a lot that he wanted our seniors to get in and it was amazing that since a lot of us don’t play, he still wanted us to have a chance to play on the court,” Sabie said. “It was exciting.” As for the rest of the game, things weren’t too exciting for the Red Raiders when the final buzzer sounded, giving Rolling Meadows a 61-44 victory. “They’re just such a good team to play,” said Raethz. “They made some really tough runs on us when we weren’t able to contain.” Rolling Meadows came into the game strong against Huntley’s defense, putting up 16 points in the traditional Huntley shutdown first quarter. “Rolling Meadows is tough,” Raethz said. “It’s very difficult when you have to guard at all five spots. We did the best that we could with containment.” The first half wasn’t so friendly to the Raiders, though, who dabbed in foul trouble that hurt them down the final stretch. “It was tough,” said Raethz. “I thought our bench did a nice job of coming in and providing us with some really solid minutes [but] it was tough when we lost Haley

Huntley loses to Rolling Meadows, gains minute of fame [Ream and Ali [Andrews] to fouls.” It happened with 26 seconds left in 42-59 state semifinal game between Huntley (26-7) and Rolling Meadows (30-3). It was when the black and red The Raiders did show their postseason-long resiliency stands were silent, mostly seated. during the second and third quarters when they hit deep It happened after a pass from junior Britni Siwuda with the clock running shots the Mustangs forced them to take. inevitably, sand slipping through cracks. “We had some plans on some of their players to [open It happened when senior Haley–Sabie, not Ream– caught the pass and took up the perimeter] because their posts wereFreshman obviously Ali Andrews two steps toward the red foul line, falling back as she released the cushioned led the Raiders’ scoring ball, givingfocal it life as it point, soared toward the hoop. their and in those cases we were planning on with 16 points doing it, they came out and hit some shots,” said Rolling It was then, the moment when that ball slid through the net as it swooshed, that the night was made for Huntley, whose fans rose from their sore seats Meadows head coach Ryan Kirkorsky. “At halftime we and roared with jubilation. had to try to adjust some things.” “I thought I was shots open, so I didn’t might as wellgo take in it,” said Sabie, who has hit three of quarter, 13 attempted field goals Those come late third in Huntley’s previous 32 games this season. however, when Kirkorsky called a timeout with 4:50 left Sabie, along with Huntley’s “Bench Mob,” entered the game after a Mustangs free throw with 1:26 to tighten the screws. remaining in the game. “I think we just made some defensive adjustments,” “At that juncture of the game… was the right time to putearly our subsin in,” said head coach Steve he said. “We haditsome games theHuntley season where Raethz. “What a great opportunity this has been to be in the Final Four and we talked about making it an there be sections of the games when it would look experiencewould for our entire team.” like an AAU game with scoring back and forth. When The dagger Sabie scored improved her Points Per Game average, which was .6 going into the Class 4A we started the postseason we said, ‘Name a championState Semifinal. ship team that is not a good defensive team.’” “It just meant a lot that he wanted our seniors to get in and it was amazing that since a lot of us don’t play, The defensive success Rolling big he still wanted us to have a chance to play on helped the court,” Sabie said. “It wasMeadows’ exciting.” three, juniors Jackie Kemph (12 points), Jenny Vilet (18), and Alexis Glasgow (16), all of whom were slowed down early by Huntley’s defenders on Friday night. “Definitely defense feels the offense,” Kemph said. “I just wanted to be aggressive out there on defense. A lot of my teammates got a lot of steals, so we did quick outlets and I think that led to a lot of layups.” Although Huntley still pulled a few positives from the loss with freshman Ali and her sister Sam finishing with 16 and 11 points, respectively. Junior Bethany Zornow pitched in 10 points and two assists in a performance that lifted Huntley when it sagged due to foul trouble. “When we were in foul trouble, I thought both Bethany and Sam really stepped up for us and closed the gaps,” Raethz said.”She just had a great first half for us and kept us in the game.” The Raiders will play a vengeance-hunting Whitney Young team on Saturday night at 6:30 for a third-place trophy that would be the first in Huntley’s program’s history. “The great thing about this Ishtar tomorrow, two teams have the opportunity to end their season with a win,” Raethz said. “Something we talked about in the locker room in the post game finish let’s finish off our season with a win.’” But even if the Raiders leave empty-handed against the Dolphins, they will have already went home with something. A minute of stardom for five seniors who might never play basketball competitively again in Huntley’s first-ever state appearance. “It made me happy,” Sabie said, smiling.

All text? What’s the deal?

About Mare

These two stories were originally published on huntleyvoice.com but are reformatted here due to length constraints.

[RESULTS

[RECAP] D All (74)

Advertisem

Popular

News »

Sports »

Opinion »

Arts & Entertainment

Features

Photos

Videos

You are here: Home » Girl's Basketball » Unbelievable: Quincy Notre Dame clinches its third state title

About Marek Makowski Marek is the Sports Editor for The Voice. He is an avid White Sox fan, and also supports the Bears and Bulls. Marek aspires to transform his passion for journalism into a future career. He also reports for The Mash, a product of the Chicago Tribune. You can follow him on Twitter, @MarekMakowski.

Writing

Beat Coverage By Marek Makowski

[RECAP] Day 2 at Redbird Arena Whitney Young beats out Huntley for the Class 4A third place title Unbelievable: Quincy Notre Dame clinches its third state title

Unbelievable: Quincy Notre Dame clinches its third state title

[RESULTS] Queen of the Hill 3-point showdown [RECAP] Day one at Redbird Arena All (74)

The first thing Kassidy GengenWhen Vernon Hills first got on Lady Raiders stayed composed and The first thing Kassidy Gengenbacher did after she dribbled the ball and bacher did after she dribbled the the board to make the score 2-9, maintained a lead when Freirchs Advertisement released it at mid court when time expired in the Class 3A Championship Gameand was runreleased over to her teamit and Jordan Frericks. ball atcelebrate midwithcourt Quincy Notre Dame responded watched from her seat. Whenever when time expired in the Class with a free throw and a trey from she entered the game again, the “I’m going to miss playing with Jordan so much,” Gengenbacher said after “It’s been game as she wiped tears fromGame the corners of her eyes. 3AtheChampionship was run the Gengenbacher sisters. After sparks would fly. incredible playing with her the last four years.” over to her team and celebrate with Vernon Hills captain Sydney Smith “When we’re both out there, I The last 14 years or so, actually. Jordan Frericks. cut the deficit to three in the second think we have so much chemistry,” “I’m to with miss playing Gugenbacher said. “I think that “We playedgoing three on threes each other ever sincewith I can remember everyquarter, morning,” said Kristen Gengenbacher Gengenbacher. “We played in tournaments. We played on Little Blue Devils in fourth grade and[in] fifth Jordan so much,” Gengenbacher shot back two layups in response. the girls on the team look up to us, grade Aces started.” said after the game as she wiped When Smith fired back with two and we’re the leaders on this team. The girls’ history on the court has strengthened their friendship off it, where they know everything about tears from the corners of her eyes. consecutive deep 3s to cut the Lady So when we’re both out there at the each other. “It’s been incredible playing with Raiders’ lead to one, Kassidy sunk same time, I think it just calms ev“It’s like I know where she’s at all the time and she knows where I’m at,” Frerichs said. “She’s an awesome her the and last four a 3 followed by a Michael Jordaneryone down and everyone can step teammate I couldn’t ask years.” for a better one.” The last 14 years or so, actually. eqsue drive and layup by Frericks. up and play their game. They know Popular Recent Comments Tags There aren’t many better teammates in the country. Not only were the senior guards All-State selections, “We played three on with threes withup 18.5 pointsBut the Raiders finished with who to look to, and who’s going to they lead the team in scoring this season Kassidy racking per game and Lady Jordan scoring 16.5 points per game. myVoice: Why ‘The Legend of Zelda’ is each other ever since I can rememmomentum, too, by going on a 19be there, and who can step up and the greatest video game series of all time ber every said 10Quincy runNotre inDame thehead last seven minutes of make the big play.” “They have a willmorning,” and a desire and they believeGengenin hard work and sacrifice,” said coach Eric Orne. “Hard work and sacrifice finally paid off.” bacher. “We played in tournaments. the game, allowing them toBoard runTo Approve out New High School The big-play loaded season for They paid off in quick as theBlue title game was one thatin Vernon Hills (31-8) couldn’twith catch up the in. We played onfashion, Little Devils thesimply clock Cougars Courses trying to Orne’s undefeated team meant that fourth grade and[in] fifth grade catch up with their passing. it’s been 439 days since his last loss Aces started.” “They would just make enough as a head coach on Dec. 19, 2011, The girls’ history on the court has plays,” said Vernon Hills head coach which was just one of eight loses strengthened their friendship off it, Jason Nichols, whose loss gave him in the past six seasons for the Lady where they know everything about second place in two consecutive Raiders. But that doesn’t mean he’s each other. years. “Everything they do, they going to boast about his individual “It’s like I know where she’s at all make just enough plays in a tight program. the time and she knows where I’m game like this.” “Quincy Notre Dame is a success at,” Frerichs said. “She’s an awesome The Cougars couldn’t contain as a high school and so we look at it teammate and I couldn’t ask for a those plays made by the undefeated as, ‘It’s our time and an opportunibetter one.” Lady Raiders (30-0) in a game that ty,’” Orne said. There aren’t many better teamshowed the Lady Raiders’ athletGengenbacher is happy with mates in the country. Not only were icism on both ends of the game, not only her opportunity to go the senior guards All-State selecespecially come the second half. downstate this year, but the past tions, they lead the team in scoring “That fourth quarter, they did four years. this season with Kassidy racking up what they do and they wear team “It’s just incredible,” she said. “I 18.5 points per game and Jordan down with their half-court press, couldn’t have asked for a better high scoring 16.5 points per game. their pressure, and their man-toschool career.” “They have a will and a desire man,” Nichols said. Now with her last high school and they believe in hard work and Those Lady Raider facets were game behind her, Gengenbacher sacrifice,” said Quincy Notre Dame integral in Quincy Notre Dame’s will have to look ahead to her future head coach Eric Orne. “Hard work 62-45 victory, its third-consecutive with Frericks since the two will split and sacrifice finally paid off.” state title and first since moving up up: Gengenbacher to Lindenwood, They paid off in quick fashion, as from 2A to 3A, teams which both Frerichs to Missouri-Columbia. the title game was one that Vernon Gengenbacher and Frericks both “I had so much fun playing with Hills (31-8) simply couldn’t catch starred on. her,” she said. “It’s probably going up in. “We worked so hard this season,” to be hard not playing with each Quincy Norte Dame opened on a Gengenbacher said. “In practice other next year but I know Jordan big run in its second straight state we gave 100 percent and worked so will do awesome at Mizzou. I know game, this run being 15-2, behind hard so for us to be able to end here. we’ll be Skyping and FaceTiming the quickness of Frericks (14 points, It really just sums up the whole seaa lot.” four rebounds, four steals) and son for us to end on a championship But for now, the friends are conGengenbacher (20, three, two). [because] we are a champion team.” tent with looking at the present. “We talked about just coming Quincy Notre Dame showed how “My senior year is a lot of fun to out with momentum was the key,” much of a championship team it was end it in the right way,” said FrerFrericks said. “That’s when we try to when Frericks got in foul trouble icks, “and a great way to end it with gain our lead and that’s what we did. early and had to spend 17 minutes Kassidy.” We came out strong.” of the game on the bench. The February 6, 2012

January 5, 2012

THE WHAT

I knew I was up against upwards of 30 or 40 different media outlets on these games, so my stories had to be unique. Heck, unique angles are what make human gamers better than the stories written by the computer at Northwestern.

THE WHY

It is a storyteller’s job to have a keen eye. I looked for specific things and both stories came to me, giving readers new, creative angles that go further than a box score and inverted pyramid story.

Writing

Breaking News

THE WHO

My school has this big assembly each year on Veterans Day that calls down all juniors to the Performing Arts Center to honor veterans in the community. On a whim, I decided to grab an SLR and a notebook. I didn’t regret the decision.

THE WHEN Nov. 10, 2011

THE WHAT

With some reporting pitched in by then-Managing Editor Randi Peterson, I put together a newsy-feature about the presentation and various veterans who were there that morning, most of whom I interviewed afterwards.

THE WHY

Our readers were informed of the presentation if they didn’t know about it, and those who did come got to learn additional stories that often go overlooked on such an in-school day.

Heroes commemorate with Junior Class in honor of Veterans Day by Marek Makowski Huntley held its annual Veterans Day presentation in the Performing Arts Center on Tuesday, Nov. 8. “It was a way for us to honor those people who have served our country,” said Social Studies teacher Jay Teagle. “We wanted to make sure they were appreciated and remembered.” Teagle, who began preparations as early as mid-October, took over and organized the ceremony for the first time this year. The ceremonies began with an introduction from Teagle and then an entrance from the HHS color guard. Dressed in red polo shirts and khaki pants, the color guard presented the flags in an aura of silence. The high school’s Master’s Singers class then sang the National Anthem, which was followed from the pledge of allegiance, led by Teagle himself. The first of two guest speakers was Petty Officer Mary Paz, the mother of sophomore Michael Corona. She discussed how she has served for 13 years in three branches: the Air Force (1994), Navy (2002), and Marine Corps (2006). Paz reflected on the bonds she had made with her fellow Marines. “The people I have met [due to my son] have become my family,” said Paz during her speech. After Paz’s presentation, Joel Popenfoose, a pastor and an assistant coach to the sophomore football team, took stage. Popefoose, whose 26-year-old son Adam is in the US Marine Corps, shared a father’s perspective of having a child in the service. In his speech, Popenfoose talked about how lucky his son was to still be alive, and how brave he was to join the service. He discussed the different types of things his son had to go through, such as door-to-door searches in western Iraq.

Popenfoose also discussed how he had to deal with the fear of losing his son overseas. “Whenever a door slams in the driveway, the thought comes to my mind, ‘are those two people in uniform about to tell me that my son has been killed?’” said Popenfoose. However, Popenfoose makes sure to keep his fears to himself, and he advises that other parents who have children serving do the same. “Whatever branch, it is key to be positive and supportive,” said Popenfoose after the presentation. “Don’t share your fears and concerns because they have their own fears to deal with. It shows that you support them.” He also touched on the heroics of Adam and how his selfless son would pray, “If someone’s going to die today on my team, let it be me.” Popenfoose concluded his speech with the words, “I’m proud to be a father of a United States Marine.” After a supportive round of applause, Teagle took the podium and discussed his personal connection to serving in the United States. Teagle has a brother who was in the Marine Corps for seven years, an uncle who was in the Army, and a cousin who served in the Navy and Air Force. During his main speech, Teagle had veterans stand for applause. Four men served in the Air Force, five in the Navy, 13 in the Army, and 12 in the Marine Corps. Teagle then discussed how nearly 100 Huntley alumni have served, all of whom were listed on the back of the program for the presentation. After Teagle thanked all of the veterans for their service, junior Alex Morton stood and recited the poem, “The Bravest Man I Know.” Master’s Singers then sang the “Song for Unsung Heroes,” with teacher Nancy Cross playing on the piano. Teagle stood at the podium and asked for any student to stand if any member in their family served. A sea of students rose in the seats, representing how much of a relationship Huntley has with the services. “I was quite shocked at the number of juniors who stood,” said Teagle. “It was for the veterans so they knew that there was our connection to them. It was also to honor those who were not here with us.” Among the veterans was former Marine Ralph Goldfarb, the grandfather of current junior Brian Goldfarb and 2010 Huntley alumna Melanie Goldfarb. “I was a young 19-year-old and I needed the discipline,” said Goldfarb, who served from 1955-1958. “I’m proud of the generation that is serving now, and I was proud to serve. I love my country, and if I could, I would do it all over again.” The ceremony concluded with Teagle connecting with both the veterans and the students.

“I hope that you will look back to this day and remember the freedoms, values and beliefs that we have in our country,” said Teagle. “I firmly, truthfully respect and honor our country and those who have served in the military.”

Writing

Breaking News

THE WHO

Gingrich’s LITH appearance allows local family to meet their hero by Marek Makowski Scott Jensen has been supporting Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich even before Gingrich wanted to run for office. “In 2008 I wanted him to run [for president],” said Jensen. “I was looking at all the different people who were prospects and he was the most intelligent person that I had heard.” On Thursday, Jensen finally got to shake the hand of “his ideal” president. He finally got to shake the hand of one of his heroes. Jensen came a long way on his journey to that one handshake. His strictly Republican father served in World War II and instilled a sense of nationalism in his son. But sometimes this nationalism began debates between the two. “We used to have debates,” said Jensen. “I didn’t like Rush Limbaugh and my dad used to say, ‘Why don’t you start listening to him and then see what you think?’ So I started listening to him and I realized he had a lot of really smart things to say.” Jensen grew up with Republican values and slowly became a conservative. With his solidified political values, he followed Gingrich’s campaign on television. He liked Gingrich’s appeal to the American people. “He reminded me of [former President Ronald] Regan because of all of the ideas [he has],” said Jensen. “He’ll make you feel proud as an American.” When he discovered that Gingrich would be speaking in Elgin, Jensen was more than eager to try to see him campaign in person. He asked his wife Susan if they could go see him speak, and she agreed. Since Jensen sustained an injury and was on a leave of absence from work, he knew that he could finally see Gingrich in person. “It was fortunate that it was so close,” said Jensen. “When the opportunity presented itself, we knew we had to do it.” On Thursday, Jensen and his wife Susan started their day early. The two woke up around 6 a.m. and began their days before heading off to Elgin, where Gingrich would first be speaking. After Jensen and his wife saw Gingrich speak at Judson University, they tried to get a glimpse of him in their home town of Carpentersville. However, since Gingrich’s appearance in Carpentersville was private, Jensen did not get to see him. When he was told that he could not see Gingrich, Jensen spoke with a Secret Service agent and discovered that Gingrich would be speaking in Lake in the Hills. Jensen didn’t flinch as he decided that he would go see Gingrich again, but this time with his 10-year-old daughter Kaila as well. Kaila is one of the reasons behind why Jensen supports Gingrich. Jensen is uncertain of America’s economic future and he believes that Gingrich will create the America he wants to see his daughter live in. “We are going so in debt that it’s really scary,” said Jensen. “I’m concerned for my daughter [and] what her future is going to look like. I want my daughter to be able to grow up in an America that I grew up in.” So Jensen called his daughter out of school 20 minutes early, picked her up, and headed for the private hangar near Lake in the Hills Airport. He knew that it was important for his daughter to see Gingrich as she was interested in politics as well. Like his father did, Jensen passes on his viewpoints to his daughter. He believes that it is important that is daughter is informed at a young age. She has supported the Republican Party since she was young. “In 2008, when she was in school, she was one of the only kids who voted for [Senator John] McCain and [Sarah] Palin,” said Jensen. “When you look at it now, my daughter is proud she voted the way she did.” When Jensen came to the hangar in Lake in the Hills, he wasn’t carrying much. All he had was a notebook and a Zoom video and audio recorder. The notebook was for signatures and the video recorder was so he could show Gingrich to others on YouTube. When Gingrich arrived at the hangar, the Jensens applauded loudly over hundreds of other supporters. After Gingrich gave his speech on American energy solutions, Gingrich and his wife shook hands with their supporters. The Jensens, who stood in the second row from the stage, were in good position. Just around 3:15 p.m., Jensen shook Gingrich’s hand and wished him good luck. “I’ve been following him for years and just the fact that I got a handshake from him, and I got his autograph, and his wife’s autograph, and he signed my daughter’s little book, and my daughter got a picture with Newt on top of it is totally awesome.” said Jensen. Jensen, who has met some of his idols in the past, is more than pleased with following Gingrich’s campaign on Thursday. “It’s very fulfilling,” said Jensen. “I’m a songwriter and I’ve been able to meet some of my musical heroes over the years too. So it’s the same kind of thing being able to meet somebody that you really look up to.” Since Jensen will have to return to work soon and Gingrich may not do well in the Republican Primaries, the probability of the two meeting again is low. But, Jensen will still have his conservative values as he vows to vote for whichever Republican candidate runs for president in November. And he’ll have one more thing. The handshake of one of his heroes.

This assignment was a ton of fun. Last year, Newt Gingrich was running to be the Republican candidate in the 2012 Presidential Election and he was scheduled to speak at a rally in a nearby town. We brought a huge media team and each person took an assignment--video, news story, photos, Twitter. I decided I would write a feature.

THE WHEN March 15, 2012

THE WHAT

I walked around the sticky hot airport hangar where Gingrich was--about 40 minutes from our school--and talked to some loud supporters until I found the perfectI subject: a father who had pulled his daughter out of school to meet his hero.

THE WHY

My role in this coverage shows my ability to plan, work on a team, smell out the perfect story, and be a storyteller. That’s what journalism is after all, isn’t it?

Writing

Breaking News

THE WHO

About a week after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut, many schools across the country had shooting threats, and ours was one of those.

THE WHEN Dec. 20, 2012

THE WHAT

I scheduled a sit-down interview with our principal and asked him the questions to which everyone wanted to know the answers. We beat local media to this one, too. The perks of being in high school.

THE WHY

Everybody was talking about it and there was a wave of uncertainty and fear in the school. Not only does this report facts in a timely manner, but it helps inform the public when most needed. The bare bones of journalism, I suppose.

Writing

Breaking News

THE WHO

Last year, Athletic Director Bruce Blumer announced his retirement. I took charge and wrote a quick breaking news story that reads like a feature.

THE WHEN Feb. 23, 2012

THE WHAT

I sat down in Blumerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office and...OBSERVED. This is a boring, plain news story without observation. Sometimes our breaking news needs an angle, something to give it life.

THE WHY

Blumer told me that he almost never reads stories about himself, but he read (and enjoyed) this one. Plus, this was a news-breaker for many. Win-win once again.

Design

Template Set 31 Two-Page Spread 32 Back Page 33

Design

Template Set

THE WHO

The Voice had always included some previews of teams each season each year, but I wanted something more than that. Going into the year with a new website at my side, I wanted a Sports Illustrated type feel in my section, with individual features in print and team information online. Here I got the best of both worlds, and my vision was complete.

THE WHEN March 23, 2012

THE WHY

Does the design make you want to read the article? If so, we have a winner.

I had never designed on a 13-margin page (only 12 before then), but I took a creative gamble and wanted to be original, which is seen in the spread, and new pull quotes my editor-in-chief and I created. I also coordinated with my photo editor to figure out what types of photos I needed, and I just brainstormed and tinkered with ideas. That’s how you get something really good.

Rolando went on several retreats with his classes before their confirmation ceremonies as well. “That’s just three consecutive days of not sleeping and that sort of thing, but they were just great experiences,” said Rolando. “But that was a priority – those Sunday night things. If there was anything else that came up, I had to say no, but I really liked it. It was an extension of teaching.” During this time, Rolando also taught confirmation classes at Newman Center at Northern Illinois University. He particularly enjoyed these classes because it allowed for conversation regarding religion and faith not necessarily appropriate for the high school environment. “I just felt like I had a really positive effect on a lot of those juniors through that six-year period, and I know they did for me too,” said Rolando. Rolando also saw a lot of the juniors he taught come back as seniors to teach freshman and sophomore classes. “It’s good to see that consistency – the chain continued, that sort of thing,” said Rolando. Faith even guides Rolando in the classroom at Huntley, where it carries over to the quality of work he expects from his students and that he believes should be expected from him. Rolando knows that not everyone will be all-in every day. Their mind might just be somewhere else, but he feels that it happens to all of us. “I know that they’re not going to be 100 percent every day, they’re not going to be super excited to be here… they’re going to have had a fight with their parents, a fight with a boyfriend or girlfriend… they’ve got a big game that night, so their mind is going to be some place else… and that’s the same thing for me as a teacher, or all of us,” said Rolando. “Anybody that says they’re going to be 100 percent raring to go and at the top of their game every day – they’re Rolando has strong memories of riding in his grandfather’s milk truck early on Saturday mornings as a boy. Macoupin County adored Ernie Rolando, and with good reason. It was the iconic image of quintessential small-town America. Ernie would frequently give people rides in the truck, and on early Saturday mornings, he would always have extra chocolate milk to give neighborhood children. Life was perfect. But what Rolando remembers most was riding in the truck with his grandfather, even “holding on [to the truck] with [his] head sticking out the window” on the highway. “All those things you couldn’t do today for liability purposes.” “If I had to say I tried to emulate somebody, it would be [him],” said Rolando. While on his route, if Ernie saw someone who needed assistance – maybe moving things in their house – he would stop his route in order to help them, and then he would continue his route. This was the community dynamic Ernie believed in that Rolando tries to duplicate in his own life. Though he has commitments to coaching both golf and track and field and broadcasting basketball, Rolando still makes

-Jim Rolando, son, grandson

“He always made sure everybody has a chocolate milk.“

FAMILY.

Visit huntleyvoice.com for sports news.

DECEMBER 16, 2011

It’s 1992. Rolando lives in DeKalb and introduces himself to the priest one day after mass at St. Mary’s, explaining that he’d been involved in youth ministry in the past and asked if there was anything he could do with the church. It wouldn’t be long before Rolando was working with seven other teachers who taught confirmation class to the juniors. “Even after I didn’t live in DeKalb anymore, every Sunday night from 5:30...to 10 o’clock at night was committed to that program,” said Rolando. “Probably about half the year.”

-Confirmation Class Facilitator Jim Rolando

“I feel like a pretty faithful person.“

GOD.

“I was in the right place in the right time for the last 2 minutes and 22 seconds of that game.” Even 30 years later, these four principles guide Jim Rolando’s life. They’re always there, and it’s not always possible to follow them to the fullest - but he tries, and that’s all that anyone can ask from any man. God, family, education, and basketball.

Jim Rolando

going to have had a fight with their parents, a fight with a boyfriend or girlfriend… so their mind is going to be some place else… and that’s the same thing for me as a teacher, or all of us.

I know that they’re....

od, family, education, and basketball.” It’s the “late ‘80s” and these are the tenets coach Kel Gott laid forth for the Carlinville High School varsity basketball team – his team. These are the words that echoed through one player’s mind during Carlinville’s second-ever regional basketball championship – a regional championship that would be played against Carlinville’s rival school and won by the Carlinville boys. These are the words that will continue to echo through his mind for the rest of his life. These are the words that may have been the final push for Jimmy Rolando to score the last seven points of the game including a free throw in the last three seconds. Jimmy Rolando was a good leader, a good defensive player, but certainly not the star of the team.

lying. Nobody’s that way, that’s not the case, but you try to get to that point where you can be prepared as much as possible,” said Rolando. Rolando rarely misses school because he is sick, and he attributes that partly to his priorities. “For me, faith…comes into play where you start to feel a little worn down whether it’s in the classroom and a group of kids are just getting on your nerves a little bit or you just don’t know if what you’re doing is making a difference, when your team feels like they’re in a rut – that kind of stuff. I think the fact that I do have a pretty solid and strong faith and… have my conversations every night with God, I think that helps me bring things back and get a good grip of what’s going on.”

time after school to help his students and athletes in subjects he doesn’t even teach, such as geometry. Rolando, who spent a lot of time at his grandparents’ house with his family, says that he believes his grandpa was one of the most important influences on his life. But his parents were, too. Growing up, his family was heavily involved in education. Both of his parents were teachers, which certainly influenced both Rolando and his sister, Julie, in their decisions to go into education. “There’s not one life-changing thought from all of those things, but my family is really involved in education,” said Rolando. “I grew up being around teachers and that’s what we did. Those were my parents’ friends.” Rolando’s mother, Ann Marie, is a cancer survivor of 10 years, for as long as Rolando has been teaching at Huntley. “You know, she… she was a real trooper.” During this time, Rolando had to make new time in his schedule for his family. “If you’re in the middle of a season, if you’re in the middle of anything, that stuff has to become a second priority, the job stuff has to be there, and you know what, the other coaches understand, the athletes understand.” And sometimes, family is about going the extra mile that no one expected. In 1997 while Rolando was the girls track coach at Burlington, they came in third at state. Beyond their overall win, they also had “a lot of individual state champions [and] relay champions.” Rolando’s family made it a point to see the track meet and support him and the team. The next year after the state track meet, Ann Marie was hosting a retirement party. Rolando had to make a decision. He was supposed to come back up with the girls who qualified, but at the same time, he had his family at home who were celebrating his mother’s more than 30 years of education. Family came first. He arranged for the assistant coaches to drive the vans so he was able to surprise his mother at her party. “That was a big deal – they had come to watch me and the girls when they got third at state the year before. My family was there, my dad used to take a lot of pictures, got himself a press pass from the local newspaper so that he could be down on the field and hand the girls water as they finished up, since I can’t be down there on the field at the state track

It all boils down to four principles.

Photography by Hannah Sturtecky, photo editor

By: Tyler Davis, editor-in-chief

December 16, 2011

oing into his tenth year as a teacher at HHS, Jim Rolando has been announcing for nearly as long as he’s been teaching at Huntley. However, announcing is more than a hobby for “Jimmy.” More than a simple passion. There is more to Rolando than what the average Consumer Ed class sees.

THE WHEN 31

DECEMBER 16, 2011

GOD FAMILY EDUCATION BASKETBALL

Jim Rolando

I don’t try to micromanage

“It’s just fun. I mean, I’d be lying if I micromanage what they’re doing. I know said I didn’t like to win,” said Rolando. we can sit and talk and if they think that “The motivation is to win. But [it’s also they need to use somebody in a certain awesome when] you get to see people way, that’s going to be good. I trust their improve and get better – when you watch opinions.” somebody get it.” And for golf, Rolando says, it is Rolando puts just as much effort basically the same. before 2:26 than he does after 2:26. “Coach [Marty] Manning has been the assistant coach with me for the last what they’re doing. I know we can sit and talk and if they four years for golf, think that they need to use somebody in a certain way, that’s and so it’s been good going to be good. I trust their opinions. consistency. We both teach business classes, we’re right across the hall from For him, work doesn’t end when the bell each other. If I’ve got a question for him rings. After school, Rolando’s room is a through the course of the day, I literally relaxed environment for student athletes take about 10 steps and I’m over there. to unwind before practice and even We just work well together.” students to receive academic help from Manning knows the game, and Rolando him – even if it’s in a subject he doesn’t necessarily teach at the high school. “I’m not doing this – and I really do mean this – for a paycheck. If I was just doing this to get paid, then I’d quit, and I 100 percent mean that. If it stops being fun, stops being interesting, and I stop liking the people that I’m working with and enjoying spending time with the coaches and the parents and all of that “That was the thing kind of stuff, then it’s time to step away.” about Coach Gott But right now, Rolando says, it’s still fun, and that is as much of a motivation you just believed him.“ as anything. -Coach Rolando; Athlete And above all, there’s always God, family, education, and basketball. never fears leaving the team in his “good hands” if he has a commitment or is sick the day of any sort of golf meet. “Let the coaches coach.”

Poppenfoose who works with the middle-distance runners and has really just been a “sounding board for the whole time I have been involved with the program.” And, of course, the Kaplans who do “most of the work with the distance guys.” “There’s been six of us who have pretty much all been together for that whole time period, which is really nice, so we know each other. There has been some jokingly but mean e-mails that go back and forth between each other on days about who’s going to be in charge of bringing food or whatever, but it’s very lighthearted and it’s a great group of guys. They know what they’re doing. I don’t try to

Golf was first played by ancient Romans who used bent wooden sticks and leader balls stuffed with feathers for this purpose.

BASKETBALL.

Jim Rolando

If I can help in any way

EDUCATION.

They were at home. Fifteen-hundred eyes fell upon the team. It was the final minutes of Carlinville High School’s second regional championship, and the seconds were ticking away. Something would happen in the next few minutes that Rolando could not have expected. With 19 seconds to go, they got into their huddle. Coach Gott drew up a play, “I love school.“ and the team broke. It would be Jimmy -Mr. Rolando of Career and Rolando to take the shot. Technical Education Dept. “I do remember all of my friends, “I’m a nerd, so I don’t know what else to because we had about four or five of us say,” Rolando laughs. that were all seniors that were starting, After teaching for six years, Rolando and I think we all just knew we were quit his job and went to Arizona gonna win.” State University in Tempe in order to And that was Coach Gott – he said it receive his masters in recreation/sport was going to happen, and you knew it was administration. going to happen. “If I could do that again, I would… I just To make it better, it was Southwestern love school,” said Rolando. “If I could High School was on the other end of the afford to go back to school full-time, I court. Carlinville’s hulking nemesis – would go back – I don’t know what my theirs for the taking. masters, or whatever I would get this time “My role on that team was to be a good would be, but I like to dedicate the time to leader, a good defensive player – I could it. I really like it.” shoot from the outside, I could rebound; “They talk about [how] a great teacher I wasn’t a star, I was a role player,” said or a great coach doesn’t just stand up Rolando. in front of their class or their team and But in this case, he was the star. tell them everything they’re supposed to “That was a big deal,” said Rolando. know, they sort of stand there and explain “That was a big deal for our town, and what’s going on and invite them to see for that was a big deal for me personally.” themselves,” said Rolando. Two months earlier, Rolando would Rolando has that curiosity – he likes to have never seen it coming. In January, try something a little different, or go to a he’d have laughed at you, but at that new place. It doesn’t always work out, but moment of the game, the outcome could that’s okay. He just enjoys learning. not have been clearer. Both of his parents taught for more Now, Rolando’s involvement with than 30 years. His sister teaches as well – high school basketball extends into it’s just the atmosphere he grew up in. broadcasting the games. Rolando has “Education was important,” Rolando never particularly had a passion for said about his broadcasting childhood. “It – he just was the key ended up for somebody to get to college, to take one step beyond to success, trying it out where they thought they were going to be able to get to as and found it and it still is the key to far as the schooling they were going to go to, or get the B he liked it. instead of a C or the A instead of the B or whatever it is. success.” “Give me a Above all, microphone, he just enjoys I like to helping talk,” students. said Rolando. “It’s fun to get into “If I can help in any way for somebody the microphone, to get on there and to get to college, to take one step beyond announce the lineups and heights and where they thought they were going to their jersey number and what year in be able to get to as far as the schooling school they are – I just find that fun. You they were going to go to, or get the B can get out of character a little bit…that’s instead of a C or the A instead of the B or just one of those things where you can whatever it is, that’s really cool.” just go crazy and have fun with it.” “I’ve always said I think there are three Beyond broadcasting, Rolando is the major groups of people that have an head coach of both golf and track and impact on young people’s lives that are field at Huntley. not parents: one of them is the school “The biggest thing that has been system, another is through the church if a positive for me, not just here, but they are involved in youth programs, and anywhere I’ve been… you let everybody another one is through recreation and else coach too.” activities and… anything that they are a Rolando has not always part of.” been head coach. He has also Rolando, because of his degrees and worked as assistant coach at background, has had the privilege to other schools. Trust is key to educate young people from all three coaching. categories. “If I was supposed to work “I have a pretty good perspective of with relays or certain block what’s going on,” said Rolando. “I may work that day, [the head not be right all the time, by any means… coach] didn’t micromanage. but I do feel like I have a pretty good They let me do my thing. We insight on what might happen – playing talked about what we were the percentages or something like that supposed to do and they let when it comes to somebody’s success or me go out and do some work knowing when to push or when to take a with those guys, and that’s my step back.” philosophy here, as much as anything.” Rolando makes it very clear it’s not just him working on making track and field great. “That was the thing Coach Chris Maxedon has about Coach Gott worked with the throwers since Rolando’s first year here you just believed him.“ along with coach Jack Towne, -Coach Rolando; Athlete who works with sprinters Seven points. and jumpers, and coach Joel

THE WHAT

they got third at state the year before. My family was there, my dad used to take a lot of pictures, got himself a press pass from the local newspaper so that he could be down on the field and hand the girls water as they finished up, since I can’t be down there on the field at the state track meet…It was just a big family affair.”

I knew this article was going to be one of the best of the year so I really wanted the design to catch the readers’ eye. Rolando was more than a coach, and that’s how I split up the article--and the design.

The man behind the microphone

THE WHO

Design Two-Page Spread

Design

ILLINOIS

Back Page

WISCONSIN

THE WHO

NEBRASKA NORTHWESTERN

SPRING PREVIEWS

DePaul

Girls soccer Girls track Boys track Baseball Softball Tennis

PURDUE TOLEDO HEART OF RAIDER MICHIGAN NATION KING

30LYMAN “THE WAGNER SHARP SHOOTERS 28 BEST TEAM Huntley’s new prodigy 29 EVER” HOW A GROUP OF As only a sophomore, Amanze Egekeze has caught the attention of more than his high school coaches.

SOCCER PLAYERS PULLED OFF ONE OF THE GREATEST SEASONS HUNTLEY HAS HAD

Junior forward Sam Andrews battles for a layup against a Bartlett defender

SWEET30 SWINGIN’

29 SET FOR

SECTIONALS GIRLS VOLLEYBALL RALLIES THROUGH A DOMINANT SEASON

“Side Talk with Marek Makowski”

WE THE27 KINGS

Players from rivaled schools come together to create a dynamic hockey team

MONO A MONO 29

THE ROAD TO STATE SAGA PART I: A NEW HOPE

2011-2013

M. Krebs

“THE 32HEY, MAXY!

M. Makowski

PROMISE”

Getting to the “Hart” of how Huntley’s broken football program turned it around this year

The Voice journeys into the mind of Huntley’s most eccentric tennis player Page 26 M. Krebs

Page 34

OWNS EAKD S TH BR ICTION IN-DEPD PRED AN

ER WINTIEWS PRBEOIRYVLSS HHOOOOINPPSGS G ESTL WR GE 28

MARTY MANNING

Behind a nationallyranked team stands the philosophy of one man

Mononucleosis costs senior Todd Meyer a shot at a lacrosse scholarship

‘Hoop Dreams’

THE WHEN

Behind the leadership of juniors Bryce Only (above) and Colin Lyman, the varsity baseball team looks to reciprocate the fourthplace run it made in 2010.

SIDE TALK Web New, weekly installments of

isit huntleyvoice.com for daily scores of all FVC and all-level HHS games

As sports editor of The Voice for two school years, I have had the privledge to design the back page. After each one is published, I cut the page out and post it on the walls in my room. They grab people’s attention--oh, and they’re a lot of fun.

A dream that was 1,855 days in the making

TRAIN INSANE OR REMAIN THE SAME THE MOTTO OF THE GIRLS SWIM

TEAM REPRESENTS ITS 30 RELENTLESS FIGHT TO IMPROVE

H. Sturtecky

GOD, FAMILY, EDUCATION, BASKETBALL

Delving into what makes Coach Rolando the man he is by Tyler Davis M. Krebs

ALSO:

AND SUCCEED

SPRINGING INTO ACTION We’ve got full predictions

LAST WOMAN STANDING Huntley’s only girl wrestler is coming off a gritty season that shows she doesn’t care what you think

M. Krebs

and previews of the next sports season at HHS (it’s gonna be a good one).

M. Krebs

29 Heflin 28 Raethz 27 Wrestling 26 Swimming

H. Sturtecky

Photography

Sports 35 Feature 36

Photography Sports

THE WHAT

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve taken many photos on both print and Web assignments. The pictures featured here were all taken while covering sports games. About a year ago I learned that some of the best material comes after events. Huntley outfielder Jake Wagner sits in astonishment after a season-ending loss (above). A Huntley player unloads on a corner kick (middle), freshman Ali Andrews fights for a rebound (bottom left), and southpaw Brian Doherty hurls a fastball.

Photography Feature

THE WHAT

I’m not a one-trick sports pony, though. This set of photos proves that I can capture the toughest type of photo to shoot-an emotional one. On Veterans Day, Huntley juniors observe a period-long presentation (above). Senior Christian Aldridge performs in Dramatic Duet Acting (middle). A singer from Spazmatics belts out the conclusion to “Always Something There To Remind Me” (bottom left). And yes, I was so obsessed with journalism that I did a photo gallery on a fashion show.

Beyond The Margin

Student Twedia 38 Twitter 39 Local Newspaper 40-41

Beyond The Margin Student Twedia

THE WHO

A year and a few months ago, IHSA Assistant Executive Director Matt Troha sent an email to my high school asking if students were interested in covering the 2011 football state finals. I quickly joined.

THE WHEN Nov. 25, 2011

THE WHAT

I had four games to cover in one day (Classes 1-4A). Troha handed me a Flip Cam and said, “Go.” I live Tweeted, took photos, and shot some video.

THE WHY

The angle I took with these state finals was that I wanted to capture the behind-the-scenes stuff, a philosophy I’ve tried to carry out on The Voice’s Twitter. Everybody knew the score and what was going on. I was there to rub elbows with some profesionals and outthink them.

Beyond the Margin Twitter

THE WHO

When we launched our site, Digital Editor-in-Chief Michael Geheren created an accompanying twitter feed, @HuntleyVoice. I used that, and one I created for live updates of sports games (@HuntleySports) to give our followers up-to-date breaking news coverage.

THE WHEN 2011-2013

THE WHY

My work with Twitter, both personal (left, below) and professional are a microcosm of where journalism is headed. This is a big step for us journalists.

Courtesy huntleyvoice.com

Beyond The Margin Local Newspaper

THE WHO

After working for Sun City’s only newspaper, Sun Day, for a summer (I’ll be back again in a few months), I had a handful of professional clippings to share. These are the finest.

Sun Day

SPORTS

Sting Rays earn medals in Senior Olympics swimming events...............15

Proudly serving the community of Sun City in Huntley www.MySunDayNews.com

Volume 3 - Number 20

FEATURES

More history of mysterious Route 47 rock unearthed...........3 Residents assist Huntley Police through academy program.......6

Thur, August 9 - Wed, August 15, 2012

Serving through song

THE WHEN Summer 2012

THE WHAT

In Jorian’s case, I went to his house multiple times and interviewed him and his wife. With the story on the artifacts, I went to their meeting and interviewed interesting people after asking around to see who the perfect person to lead with was.

A&E

Young pianist captures heart of Sun City.............................8

Photo provided

Resident Glenn Jorian has been performing on WMBI, Moody Radio in Chicago, for 64 years

HEALTH

Self care for stressed senior caregivers, Part VI..................7

WRITE-INS

Marek Makowski For the Sun Day SUN CITY – Glenn Jorian sits in the cockpit of a Boeing

Resident Reporter.................9 B-29 Superfortress, the “bigGuest Columnist.................14 gest and best equipment the

Air Force had.” He’s floating over the Pacific Ocean, slow and low like they told him. Frugal Forum.........................5 Jorian belts out a few lines Laughter by Paul...................9 to “His Eye Is on the SparAll That Jazz and More.......10 row,” a gospel song. I sing because I’m happy!

COLUMNS

A Healthier You...................11 Gardener’s Forum...............11 Ask an Angel.......................12

I sing because I’m free! He crescendos through the lyrics with his booming voice while being rooted on by others over the intercom. “Yeah, chief, go get ‘em!” His eye is on the sparrow/ and I know he watches me! Jorian’s journey to the Air Force was tied with music. Actually, nearly everything in his entire life has some sort of a connection with music. As an only child born in

Hannah Sturtecky I Sun Day Photo

Glenn Jorian, seen outside his Sun City home, used to entertain fellow Air Force pilots with gospel songs.

Fresno, Calif., Jorian quickly changed scenery and moved to Chicago. His family was close with music from the day he was born; his grandfather ran a choir, his uncle took it over for him. When he was at home, gospel music was all Jorian heard. On any given day, he would hear the Moody Bible Institute’s premier radio station: WMBI. “My father listened to it all

the time,” Jorian said. “My folks hardly had anything else turned on.” But Jorian would connect with music most when he went to visit his extended family. “We would go to any of their homes, and every time we were there,” Jorian said, “music happened.” When he was 16, Jorian went to Wright Junior College and kept his connection with JORIAN Pg. 4

CLASSIFIEDS ..13 WhiTe

L  

Si o

“It’s

THE WHY

feed

for

thought”

Sun Day Editor Mason Souza: The story “Serving through song” perfectly illustrates Marek’s ability to craft engrossing leads. Here, he is giving an anecdotal glimpse into the subject’s Air Force background, painting a vivid image in the reader’s head of a massive bomber flying over the sea, while introducing the theme of music and its relevance in the subject’s life. Marek then goes on to give a profile of the subject’s accomplishments through music and the church, all while continuing to offer nuances and details that keep readers’ interest. I particularly liked the way Marek describes the subject’s physical appearance, as it made the story that much more real to me. The story is neatly wrapped up with song lyrics that reference the story’s lead and bring everything back full circle.

Beyond The Margin Local Newspaper

4 Thur, August 9 - Wed, August 15, 2012

FEATURES

Sun Day

Gospel singer Jorian continues to perform on radio • JORIAN

music alive. He played in the band, orchestra, and sang in the choirs. Jorian was so in touch with the orchestra that he and some other members enlisted in the Aviation Cadet Program, which is how Jorian got to be known as “The Singing Pilot” who patrolled open waters after World War II. Jorian’s career in music really picked up after he came home at the age of 20. Right off the bat, he was asked to sing in the Norwood Park Church Choir. Jorian then strived to fulfill one of his childhood dreams: to sing on that radio station his family always listened to when he was a kid. Jorian went up to WMBI and asked if he could be included in a show. “I was so glad to tell my dad, ‘I’m singing on WMBI,’” he said. That’s how everything picked up. He started singing as a soloist on “Songs of the Night” in 1948. Jorian also had to fill in as part of a quartet one night, and the quartet decided to stay together and travel across America and Europe

as the Melody Four Quartet. After his fame with Melody Four, Jorian started singing the National Anthem for Bulls, Cubs, and Bears games. He started managing choirs at various churches and subsequently helped other people find their love for music. “I love to sing,” Jorian said. “I love to get other people to sing. That’s part of my joy in singing and serving.” Jorian, now 87, sits at his small, circular kitchen table in his Sun City home. He’s dressed in his navy blue button-up shirt, the one with the aircraft on it. It makes a good ice breaker. As Jorian speaks, he taps his left foot, as if he’s keeping a constant beat. When his legs are crossed, he still taps it, living with the beat. His mustache is neatly combed down as his hair is neatly combed back in straight rows. He wears long, white socks that reach up past his calves to keep his legs warm. All that’s on his arms is a gold watch on his left wrist and a pair of bandages around each bicep. When he moved to Sun City, he wanted to keep doing what he loves. “I thought I’d [perform

FEATURES

Photo Provided

Sun City resident Glenn Jorian performing at a Chicago Bears Game at Soldier Field. Jorian also performed at Bulls and Cubs games through his career. frequently] here, and then I got two strokes,” he said. “I didn’t know what to do.” He pauses. “I didn’t know what to do.” But Jorian figured out things quickly. He continues to perform as a soloist on “Songs for the Night” on WMBI. He’s been doing so for 64 years. He also

Sun Day

Huntley’s history shared through memorabillia

Hannah Sturtecky|Sun Day Photos

performed in "Fiddler on the Roof,” and his voice hasn’t let him down. Jorian continues to sing – or rather, serve – with thanks to God, as he maintains his service in gospel singing. “I think the Lord has kept me so long in the singing game so I’ll still sing for his glory,” he said.

Over four decades after he was known as The Singing Pilot, Jorian can still crescendo from a low E to a high C. I sing because I’m happy! I sing because I’m free! Jorian doesn’t know how long his voice will hold up, but even if it doesn’t, he will always be living with the beat.

Thur, August 2 - Wed, August 8, 2012

By Marek Makowski For the Sun Day HUNTLEY – If there’s someone to go to for Huntley artifacts, it’s Jake Marino. “[He is] a guy that’s really becoming one of Huntley’s leading historians,” Huntley Historical Society President Barb Conley said while presenting Marino to an audience at the July 28 annual meeting and election for the Huntley Historical Society. When asked about their Huntley memorabilia, most members give a few words of their own and then point their finger over to Marino. That’s his thing. “I was interested in Huntley history for a long time, and I thought it’d be cool to find the pieces themselves,” Marino said. Marino, who has been collecting since the ripe age of nine, has amassed a collection of over 600 items. His love for collecting brought him to the Huntley Historical Society, where he is on the board of directors. He lugged some of his collection to American Community Bank & Trust where the meeting was held. The event — titled Huntley’s Rendezvous with History — filled the basement of the bank with 59 members from the community of Huntley, as well as some precious artifacts out for display. Among the

artifacts on display were notecards with historical sites and photos, a District 7 school ledger that covered the years 1681-1920, and the patents for the Latimer Bicycle. “I live in Thomas Stillwell [Huntley]’s house, the founder of Huntley,” said Tom Conley, who provided the ledger as well as the patents. “We’re trying to nail down the history as we find artifacts and buy them.” Conley is the fifth generation of his family who lives in the historic house. After people had time to look at the artifacts presented, the Historical Society’s meeting began with Don Purn, who walked members through a PowerPoint presentation of soldiers from Huntley and McHenry County who battled in the Civil War. After Purn’s presentation, the Historical Society’s second year of existence culminated with the election of directors. All 11 board members on the ballot were accepted unanimously. Afterward, those present at the meeting went to look at why they were there: to learn a little more about the town they love to live in. “[When you collect], you learn there’s never an end,” Marino said. “You learn little pieces about history. When it comes to history, it’s something that should be shared with everybody.”

THE WHY

Sun Day Editor Mason Souza: In this story, Marek stuck to the journalism technique of “writing about people.” Though the subject is technically the Huntley Historical Society and an event they hosted, Marek chose to start off the story by spotlighting Jake Marino, a young man who has been an avid collector of Huntley local historical artifacts since he was a boy. Focusing on a real-life character like Jake was in my opinion a far more interesting lead in than one on any historical organization. Of course, Marek returns focus to the organization and event themselves and does a good job of summing up the day’s events. While a coverage of the events and overview of the group would have been sufficient, I believe Marek went above and beyond in profiling the organization’s members and the unique history they each have.

The Road I’ve Taken

Work Experience

Chicago Tribune (The Mash) Monthly reporter, bi-weekly columnist June 2011-June 2012 Sun Day String reporter June 2012 (ongoing) Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria Bus boy, appx. 30 hours/week August 2012 (ongoing)

Accolades

Illinois Journalist of the Year JEA 2013 Journalist of the Year The Voice Staff 2012 Illinois Women’s Press Association Second place - opinion writing 2012 IJEA Newspaper Contest Third place - sports writing AP Scholar 2012 Illinois State Scholar 2013 j/MyBrightMountain Essay Contest Fan-voted winner 2012

Conferences

JEA National Convention San Francisco, 2013 Minneapolis, 2011 NISPA Conference College of DuPage, 2011, 2012 High School Digital Storytelling Workshop Loyola University, 2012 Fox Valley Conference Journalism Symposium 2010, 2011, 2012

School Activities

Math Team Two-person team, individual team 2009-2011 Newspaper Reporter, sports editor (print, ‘11-’12), sports editor (online, ‘11), coffee shop manager (‘11-’12) 2010 (ongoing) Tennis JV (‘09), JV Captain (‘10), Varsity (‘10’12) 2009 (ongoing) Student Council Promotional Poster Designer 2012 (ongoing) Community Service Club Member 2009-2010 WYSE Team Contest English, math categories 2012 National Honor Society Member, officer 2011 (ongoing) Quill and Scroll Inductee 2011 Link Crew Leader 2012 (ongoing) Yearbook Contributor 2012 (ongoing)

The Future?