Table of Contents
The First Look
The McHenry Messenger
On the sidelines of McCracken Field, varsity football players soak up the action and excitement of their final game of the season against Burlington Central, who they beat 28-13.
Photo By: Ary Juarez
McHenry High School Freshmen Campus 1012 North Green Street McHenry, IL 60050 (815) 385-1145 Upper Campus 4824 West Crystal Lake Road McHenry, IL 60050 (815) 385-7077
TheMcHenryMessenger.com
ON THE COVER Student athletes often find it difficult to achieve the balance between being a athlete and student. This was portrayed in the image through having a student athlete hold a basketball and volleyball in one arm and in the other hold their text books for school. The text books are beginning to fall out of the students arms to represent the difficulty of successfully holding onto both aspects of their everyday life. Kenzie Sroka This month’s cover photographer
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In This Issue NEWS Rusty Malt coffee shop partners with Upper Campus What to know about this year’s midterm elections
OPINIONS The United States needs stricter gun control laws Idolizing serial killers is always wrong
FEATURES The fight for survival Who it takes to keep MCHS safe
SPORTS Making a splash Balancing both ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT Fighting high expectations Let’s turn the tide
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The McHenry Messenger Mission Statement Student journalists have the right to exercise freedom of speech and the press in high school media. The McHenry Messenger is a byproduct of these rights. We hope to use this platform to inform and engage the students and staff of McHenry High School as well as its broader community. As a student-driven publication, it is important to us that we represent every group within both campuses and provide a platform for them to speak their truth. We intend to provide access to objective, relevant information that they need to know during these unprecedented times. The McHenry Messenger hopes to maintain editorial independence while continuing to nurture our connections to the community. As we strive to fulfill our journalistic mission, we recognize that learning and growing through our experiences as reporters, writers and editors is a core aspect of what makes this a student publication. When we make mistakes, our organization is prepared to take responsibility for the stories we publish and hold ourselves accountable.
Published by Editorial Staff
Staff Writers
Illustrators and Photographers Special Thanks to Advisor
McHenry High School in McHenry, IL Kennedy Tetour, Managing Editor Allie Everhart, Artistic Director Vanessa Moreno, News Editor Alayna Majkrzak, Features Editor Freedom Tomasello, Opinions Editor Mackenzie Sroka, Sports Editor Gabe Santos, Arts and Entertainment Editor Ella Trimingham, Freelance Editor Brooke Danz, Copy Editor Nikki Sisson, Marketing Director Lydia Lawrence, Business Director Hunter Blake, Preston Boysen, Savannah Drost, Eli Frommes, Claire Guzman, Tati Rubi, and Krystal Zamudio Beth Brackmann, Maddie Canada, Ary Juarez, and Rachel Kaminski Matt Connor, Betsy Goy, Amy Maciaszek, Gina Nomikoudis, Jeff Prickett, Mitch Stengel, and VIP Dane Erbach
Both the McHenry Messenger’s print and digital editions have been established as designated forums for student editors to inform and educate their readers as well as for the discussion of issues related to their audience. Though the student media advisor is responsible for teaching students sound journalism skills and judgment, this paper does not engage in prior review and, thus, all content published by both editions of the McHenry Messenger reflects only the views of the student staff and not school officials or the school itself (unless attributed accordingly).
A new issue for a new normal McHenry High School has had a great first few months of school. Everything is in full swing as the school pulls away from Homecoming and fall events and moves toward winter activities. Students have acclimated to the new year, finding it easier to come back after years of many disruptions. The staff of the McHenry Messenger has been sharpening our skills while we prepare for our first issue of the year. At the same time, we been hard at work to make sure students at MCHS are informed about everything impacting our school. Whether it is changes within our community, athletic events, pop culture or news taking place somewhere around the world, the McHenry Messenger staff puts together the information in a easy to digest way. This is the first print edition the McHenry Messenger is putting out for the 2022-2023 school year. It covers a wide variety of topics like academic pressure on athletes, the school’s new coffee shop plans, the impacts of breast cancer on our community and some new faces around our district. Some of these topics are heavy, like the personal impact on gun violence, but we also hope you’ll resonate with our review of Taylor Swift’s latest. While this school year has fewer unprecedented circumstances than the past years, there are always going to be bumps in the road. The goal of this edition of the McHenry Messenger is to bring together the school community and inform people of what is happening at MCHS so those bumps are less bumpy. The McHenry Messenger is excited to share new voices from our staff and amplify voices in our community. Please celebrate the release of the first print edition of the school year with us. We hope these stories keep you well informed as well as entertained as we continue growing through this year.
Alayna Majkrzak Features Editor
If you would like to get in contact with the McHenry Messenger, please email the advisor at erbachdane@dist156.org or call (815) 385-1145 and leave a message on his voicemail. Visit TheMcHenryMessenger.com for more news, features, and opinions Our issues are printed by the McHenry High School Graphics Program: Warriors INK www.mchswarriorsink.com
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News
Last year, the Warrior Warehouse connected to the cafeteria housed the Hidden Pearl coffeehouse before it was forced to relocate. This fall, Rusty Malts will move into the spot in this most recent partnership with the school and local businesses. Photo By: Kenzie Sroka
Rusty Malt coffee shop partners with the Upper Campus Freedom Tomasello Opinions Editor This month, MCHS’s Upper Campus will be welcoming a new coffee shop, Rusty Malt, available to students during the school day. In previous years, the campus had welcomed Hidden Pearl. Although loved by students, the business has since closed, no longer allowing the campus to host them. With Hidden Pearl gone, MCHS is welcoming a new business known as Rusty Malt. “I can see myself purchasing from Rusty Malt on sparse occasions,” explains Riley Butler, a current senior. “I don’t typically go out of my way to get drinks from the school coffee
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Rusty Malt will open at the Upper Campus for students to purchase beverages during open periods shops, but I know my friends tend to utilize the convenience of getting coffee at school instead of before school.” MCHS’ new partner Rusty Malt can be found at 5003 Monroe St. in Ringwood, Illinois. Their brick-andmortar building offers a variety of options, ranging from coffee to ice cream, bringing in customers from town to indulge in the treats. “I think in school coffee benefits students because a little rejuvenation is nice,” says senior Adele Smith, “especially at a place where you wouldn’t be used to having something like that.”
In the school, the shop can be found at the Warrior Warehouse concession stand located right outside of the cafeteria. Students are welcome to purchase drinks only during approved times specified by the school’s admin. “Initially, we will open Tues/ Thurs from 6:30-10:40 [a.m],” says Gregory Eiserman, the assistant principal of student life. “They will close from 9:50-10:10 [a.m.] so we do not have any attendance issues with AIM.” The goal is to keep Rusty Malt at the campus for the remainder of the year, although this depends on both popularity and staffing of the shop.
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A production line worker at Shaw carpet factory, William Raguay, assists his mother, Emma Medina, in casting her vote at the Dalton Courthouse side on Oct. 19, 2022. Photo By: Miguel Martinez / TNS
What to know about this year’s midterm elections Registered voters can take part in this year’s elections in person or by mail this Nov. 8 McHenry County midterm elections will take place on Nov. 8 in person and by mail. Citizens must be registered and at least 18 years old to vote. Polling locations include the McHenry County Administration Building and the McHenry City Hall. Midterm elections are held halfway through a presidency and determine Congress members and local officials. Key races include the U.S. House, U.S. Senate and Illinois governor. Results reflect which party controls Congress and how the president is doing. “If we believe we are a democracy, we have to vote to have our voices and values heard,” Activism Club advisor Stacy Rockweiler says. “It’s important to vote because so many
people have fought for that right. To be apathetic towards voting diminishes all that work.” Voting registration is still taking place at polling locations through the “Grace Period” that extends through Election Day. Two forms of identification, one with an address, are required to register, says the Illinois State Board of Elections. Vote-by-mail ballots must be requested before Nov. 3 and returned by Election Day. Contact Rockweiler at rockweilerstacy@dist156.org with any questions. “My advice for people who’ve never voted is to get registered and get out there and vote,” Rockweiler adds. “It’s definitely [students’] first adult step — becoming a member of society and making your voice heard.”
Vanessa Moreno News Editor At top of the ballot will be a proposal to add workers’ rights to the Illinois Constitution. A “yes” vote supports recognizing the “fundamental right to organize and bargain collectively.” “Don’t let other people’s influences determine who you’re going to vote for,” Rockweiler advises. “Really look up the candidates and determine [who’s] going to give you a better future.”
Want to learn more about who’s on the midterm ballot? Head to TheMcHenryMessenger.com/ category/election and read Q&As from candidates as part of our special midterm election coverage.
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Opinions Family members of Susan Karnatz left items and messages as part of a makeshift memorial after she was killed in a mass shooting in Raleigh, North Carolina last month. Photo By: Nikki Sisson
Opinion
The United States needs stricter gun control laws Nikki Sisson Marking Director On October 13, Susan Karnatz sat at the kitchen table, talking with her family. They planned on going to a new restaurant for dinner before Karnatz put her hair up, tied her shoes, and headed out for her run – just like any other day. However, today, she wouldn’t come home. Karnatz, my aunt, was killed in the Raleigh mass shooting 5.9 miles into her 7 mile run along with 4 other people, a dog, and 2 others who were shot and injured. The 15 year old shooter had a handgun, a shotgun, a knife, and a backpack full of ammo. I always knew that there was a problem with gun violence in the United States and have always held the belief that stricter gun control laws would help the issue. However, after witnessing the effects of gun violence firsthand, I feel much stronger about the issue now. Under the second amendment, citizens of the United States have a right to bear arms, but even now that is slightly limited. You must meet a certain age, mental capacity, and other standards to purchase a firearm. These precautions were put in place by the Gun Control Act of 1968. The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (1993) mandates background checks or a waiting period of 5 days before a licensed merchant can sell a handgun to an unlicensed individual. Although these precautions were put in place, and definitely do help, it isn’t enough. This doesn’t stop guns from getting in the hands of irresponsible parents who don’t properly store them from kids. This Volume Four | Issue One | November 2022
A mass shooting earlier this month in Raleigh, North Carolina that took my aunt was just one of 562 this year doesn’t stop guns from being illegally bought and given to those who shouldn’t own them. At this point, there is no way to completely put an end to all of this, but by passing more restrictions and laws, mass shooting numbers could start to decrease. More gun control laws have been attempted to be put in place since then, but have failed to pass through the legislation process. In District of Columbia vs Heller (2008), the Supreme Court ruled (5-4) that handguns should not be banned from civilian use and purchase under the second amendment. In more recent years, gun control laws considering banning automatic weapons and more background checks have been considered, but never passed. But this doesn’t make sense. How can the government see the problem and know what to do to help fix it, yet not be able to. How come everyone can’t see that 20 year olds shouldn’t have any need for automatic weapons? Or that more intense background checks could help decrease the risk of guns being put in the wrong hands? People shouldn’t even use the second amendment to argue against gun control, because no one is trying to take away all guns. This is about giving the people their second amendment right safely, with the least amount of risk. With the total number of reported mass shootings increasing every year from 2014-2021 (273 in 2014 compared to 691 last year), it is clear that something needs to be done. Now I know that adding more rules
won’t solve every problem, but it can certainly help decrease the chances of these events occurring. Earlier in 2022, Joe Biden passed a bipartisan gun safety law, adding to the preexisting law prohibiting those with a history of domestic abuse able to own firearms, expanding background checks on those ages 18-21, and allowing states to pass “red flag laws” where people can protection courts to take away firearms from those deemed a threat to themselves or others. Many pro-gun rights politicians have commented on how this goes against the second amendment, and restricts peoples’ freedoms. However, this bill does not take away the ability for responsible citizens to purchase and own guns. This only stops guns from getting in the wrong hands, not from everyone. If someone is complaining about this law stopping them from getting a gun, they should never have had one in the first place. I don’t want my aunt to just be another statistic representing the ignorance of America. We need to constantly address this issue and do more about it. I’m tired of people making a deal about each shooting for a week and then forgetting about it and moving on. Mass shootings and gun violence aren’t so easy to move on from when it’s your loved one who didn’t come home from school, the store, an event, or even a run on a familiar trail. So many people have been affected by gun violence in America, and the numbers seem to keep going up. It’s time to put an end to this pattern.
6 True crime can make for good TV, and it’s no wonder shows like Netflix’s “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” attracts viewers with its gruesome tale. Put defending these killers and idolizing their murders misses the point of these shows. Photo By: Beth Brackmann
Opinion
Idolizing serial killers is always wrong In the wake of popular Netflix shows, idolizing brutal murderers is disrespectful to both families and victims Tweet after tweet, TikTok after TikTok, images of serial killers circle the internet. None of the captions denounce the actions of these men. Captions range from how attractive Ted Bundy was to claiming Jeffery Dahmer was just misunderstood. All have one thing in common: people online not condemning heinous actions these men committed, but instead sympathizing with them. These men are serial killers and they are being idolized by the internet even after their death. This sympathy people are feeling for murderers would be better spent condemning their actions and supporting families of the victims instead of trying to excuse the disgusting crimes they committed with their looks. With the release of “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story,” a Netflix drama series based off of the events throughout Dahmer’s life, there has been a new wave of people finding ways to sympathize with serial killers. People on apps like TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram have been posting edits of heinous criminals like Bundy and Dahmer. People are posting videos of trials and editing them to glamorize the murderers and paint them in such a way people forget about their crimes. These edits in themselves may seem like a good joke, like people making edits of killers like Jason or Michael Myers. But making edits of fictional killers is com-
pletely different than making edits of real killers who murdered multiple people in horrendous ways. Making edits of these real killers shows that people do not care about the crimes committed, and they will just sweep horrific crimes under the rug in favor of a conventionally attractive man. Not only does ignoring the crimes sweep terrible acts of violence under the rug, but it ignores the victims and their families. Many victims of the most well known serial killers were young and (specifically in Dahmer’s case) were queer people of color. Bundy had 30 victims and Dahmer had 17 victims, all of which had families who were impacted by these malicious acts. Making posts about how, “Jeffery Dahmer was misunderstood,” or, “Ted Bundy was so attractive” blatantly ignores the massive amounts of trauma these killers gave to families of victims who no longer have their loved ones close to them. Even since the trials of notorious serial killers they have been idolized. Jeffery Dahmer had women sending him love letters while he was in prison. Ted Bundy had women dressing up as victims in order to appeal to him. Bundy even went as far as marrying a woman who was fawning over him during the trials in 1980. These people should not be idolized by society as they have been in the past and present. Many people only
Alayna Majkrzak Features Editor know one thing about them and it is that they committed heinous crimes against minorities. The only thing that people know about them is terrible, yet people still idolize them. Murder, kidnapping, and rape should be enough to instill disgust in people and lead to these killers not being idolized. Many people who have watched “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story” have said that they do not condone the behaviors of the real life Dahmer. These same people clearly are apologetic when it comes to this show because of the actor who plays Dahmer. Evan Peters, who is known for his roles in the show American Horror Story, is the actor who plays Dahmer. People are allowed to love the actor without loving the person they are playing, in Peter’s case, the serial killer Dahmer. The atrocious acts that these people committed should not be revered by the media in such a way where they are being glamorized. Murder and various crimes are not something people should be fawning over. Idolizing these killers, as well as people worshiping the ground these criminals walk on despite these murders shows a lack of respect and blatant disregard for victims and their families. This lack of sympathy has been showing since the original trials of serial killers like Bundy and Dahmer and it needs to be brought to an end. Read more at TheMcHenryMessenger.com
Features October was Breast Cancer Awareness month, and both students and staff found ways to show their support beyond simply wearing pink — from running and raising money at 5Ks to staying at the side of loved ones fighting their diagnosis. Illustration By: Rachel Kaminski
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The fight for survival Last month during Breast Cancer Awareness month, students and staff celebrate survivors and support those still fighting A student runs a 5K in a neighborhood in Woodstock last month to help raise money for Breast Cancer Awareness month. He runs also to support his mom, who has had breast cancer in the past. He doesn’t want anybody to go through what he and his mom went through. October was Breast Cancer Awareness month where many people either mourn the loss of a loved one to breast cancer or celebrate another year with family and friends who have had breast cancer. Many also use October to raise money to help those who currently have breast cancer. This month also brings all the fighters together. People who are currently in the battle with breast cancer, whether it’s their first or fifth fight, or even people who have won their battle. Freshman Campus librarian and English teacher Angela Welch, a survivor herself, says, “This month holds much significance for me, but not for the reasons one may think. See, my third daughter was born October 2, 2015. Thus, October will always hold a special reminder to me of not only my triumph and survival over breast cancer, but my daughter’s as well. I found out that I had breast cancer when I was already well aware that I would be entering the second trimester of my pregnancy.” Having breast cancer is scary, but also having a loved one who has breast cancer and the possibility of them dying of it takes a toll on friends and family. “My grandmother this most recent September just recently died of breast cancer,” says sophomore
Jamison Shea, “and I was really close with her, so it hits home to me because I don’t think any person should have to deal with that.” While having breast cancer people have to face many obstacle, whether it’s scheduling a ton of appointments or staying positive around family when they have no idea what’s going to happen next. Welch says, “I started going to a ridiculous number of appointments with surgeons, oncologists and prenatal specialists. I took getting second opinions to a whole new level. I wanted to gather as many professional opinions as possible to best plan my path ahead. “Due to the pregnancy ‘complication’ that so many saw,” she continued, “I focused on the cancer being the ‘complication.’ I took all my information and clearly mapped out a plan of action from start to end with my family and doctors.” Breast Cancer Awareness month not only impacts those who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, but also those helping the families of those fighting the battle. Many charities raise money to help those who have breast cancer as well as helping families who have had a loved one pass due to it. Junior Victoria Sorensen said, “This month, my mom worked really hard to set up fundraisers for the family health partnership clinic.” This partnership clinic helps to support women who do not always have access to the treatment they need. Her family even participated in the Care 4 You 5K, and they volunteered to help with the 5K afterparty.
Eli Frommes Staff Writer
“My mom is an ambassador for their program and has worked with them all year to set up fundraising opportunities for this month,” Sorensen adds. Through the hard times, the MCHS community has stepped up to help in people put up a fight and process the emotions that they are going through. This includes both students and staff. Welch says, “I was hunkered down with my immediate family, but my extended family kept me well aware of their love and support. Friends and family sent letters and made meals for us and would constantly ask to help. “My [District 156] family was a huge part of this support and reminded me daily that they had my back,” Welch continued. “I received a card every single day from a different colleague reminding me that I was being thought of, supported, and encouraged that I could overcome my diagnosis.” Through all the hard times and all the pain people are going through, family is one of the biggest parts of recovery, family will always be there even during hard times. Welch says, “In my darkest moments, I reminded myself that I would rather go through this than watch my mother or daughter. So I was happy to take cancer on. Much of my strength came from my family and daughter-to-be.” Through all the good, all the bad, all the sadness, and happiness this month brings there is always something that this month means to someone and always something people can do to help, whether that’s to support a friend or family member.
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Features
Who it takes to keep MCHS safe Vanessa Moreno News Editor With 40 school shootings in ten months, 2022 has become the most devastating year for schools in recent history. Ensuring safety and preventing tragedy has become a priority more than ever for schools. This year, MCHS has director of security and former police officer Arturo Delgadillo to help with that. Delgadillo majored in criminal justice and Spanish before becoming a police officer for 25 years. His duties ranged from juvenile officer to homicide officer. He was inspired to join law enforcement after witnessing an incident as a child. “It was a robbery,” he explains. “Someone tried to take my mom’s necklace off her neck. After that, I said I would never let anything happen to my mom. So I became a policeman.” As a director, his duties include organizing lockdown drills, attending meetings and managing a staff of 10 security professionals. When school shootings occur elsewhere, he monitors those to learn from them. “Kids don’t know we have a team in case we ever had a threat,” Delgadillo says. “There’s things we’re fixing, but overall it’s great seeing the kids come to school, have fun and not worry about those threats. Our goal is to keep everyone safe and happy.” Initially, Delgadillo hadn’t been looking for a job; he was retired from law enforcement. However, after a teacher directed him to the job posting, it ‘felt like a calling.’ “I told God, ‘If you want me to be a part of this, help me through this process,’” he adds. “Next thing you know, I interviewed and got the position. I’m happy and grateful to be here.” Arturo Delgadillo, dressed fittingly as a super hero for Halloween, poses in the Center for Science, Technology and Industry. Formerly a police officer, Delgadillo now supervises the security teams at both the Upper and Freshman Campuses. Photo By: Maddie Canada
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MCHS’s first director of security helps keep both buildings safe and brings positivity with him Security Professional Lauren Traynor mentions that having Delgadillo facilitates keeping MCHS safe. He tends to focus on big picture policies and issues while security deals with day-to-day events. “It’s nice to have a hierarchy — a person that is the glue of everything,” Traynor says. “He’s awesome to work with. He’s qualified, intelligent and cares about all of us.” Throughout his busy day, Delgadillo focuses on fostering positive relationships with students and staff. He cites interacting with students and his team as the best part of the job. “When I was in high school, I was at a table with few people and didn’t have lots of friends,” he says. “I always make sure I say ‘Hi’ to people sitting alone in the cafeteria or sit with them to be a person they can talk to.”
Recently, Delgadillo was voted Staff Member of the Month through MCHS’s program recognizing staff for “making a difference in our schools and in the lives of students.” “We’re so excited to have him here,” MCHS Principal Jeff Prickett said in a video. “He brings a great energy. He brings a calm and compassionate demeanor yet knows how to get things done.” Delgadillo looks forward to the rest of the school year, and wants to encourage positive relationships among students and staff. “I want people to love each other,” he explains. “I want people to serve, encourage and lift each other. That’s what our goal is with the kids — to lift and encourage them. And to let them know there’s hope for those going through hard things.”
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Sports
Andrea Avila flies through the pool during a girl swimming meet against Woodstock North on Sep. 7 in the Upper Campus pool. The Warriors won the meet 125-39. Photo By: VIP
Making a splash Varsity girls swimmers have been stretching themselves to secure success at the end of their season As the steady water is broken, a varsity girls swimmer has begun race, pushing the team closer to the end of a successful season. The girls varsity swim team finished in third place at the relay invitational at Rockford East, but soon made a comeback and won four meets. The girls have made improvements as a team, worked together, and have kept a strong team spirit throughout the season. “We’ve won almost every meet so far,” stated Campbell Bitterman, a sophomore varsity swimmer. “Our team is generally really close and a strong team spirit definitely contributes to our success.” The team’s closeness and bonds have helped the girls grow as swimmers together. This has allowed them to push themselves to success. “I think our team bond and supportiveness to each other has definitely given every swimmer a good confidence boost and has helped us swim strong throughout the season.”
said Emma Blanken, a sophomore on the varsity swim team. While the girls swim team continues to grow as a team, the girls have also been thriving individually becoming better swimmers. “Many of my teammates and myself have been dropping lots of time in events and getting personal best times every meet, which I feel really reflects the hard work everyone has been putting in this season,” voiced Reilly Byron, a varsity swimmer. The girls swim team’s hard work could lead them to conference, regionals, and or sectionals. The girls have all set their goals for this season and are ready to accomplish them. ”The team plans to end the year with personal bests and getting Top 3 in Conference,” described Andrea Avlia. “We always manage to surprise ourselves and others about how good we are despite having a small team.” In addition to the goals the
Krystal Zamudio Staff Writer girls have made for themselves, head coach Sharon Lesniak has also made goals for the team and where they plan to end this season. “We feel we should finish strong in our Conference Meet on Oct. 29 at Woodstock North High School. We hope to finish in one of the top three places,” stated Lesniak. “From there we will take our top swimmers to Libertyville High School the following Saturday, Nov. 5th, for Sectionals.” At the Fox Valley Conference meet, the girls varsity swim placed second place and most of the swimmers earned personal record times. This exceeded the girls’ and coaches’ goals, proving that their hard work will continue to pay off towards the end of the season. The girls swim team throughout the season has reached large successes and goals, due to them growing as a team and as individuals. They are and will continue to work to accomplish the rest of their goals for this season moving into sectionals.
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Sports Athletes are under pressure to perform both on and off the field. Though the IHSA has eligibility requirements that students must be passing 5 classes to compete, many athletes want to do well, especially in their honors or AP classes, but practice and training can cut into homework time. Photo By: Kenzie Sroka
Balancing both
For MCHS’s student athletes, finding the balance of being an athlete and student can sometimes be a struggle Kenzie Sroka Sports Editor
Volume Four | Issue One | November 2022
12 It’s a hot, sweaty, bumpy bus ride home after the game. The bus is silent, everyone reflecting on how the game ended. Another defeat after best efforts, but the pressure collapsed the team once again. Practice is going to be miserable. However, there is so much more to do before practice tomorrow. After getting home, there are easily two hours of homework and studying. Every assignment and assessment matters to keep grades the same. Being a student athlete comes with a very busy schedule to balance. “A lot of the days, I got straight from high school basketball right to club volleyball practice,” explained Lynette Alsot, a senior basketball and volleyball captain. “Some days I leave the house at 7 and do not get home until 10:15. It is just a constant, I do this everyday over and over, but it is worth it I think. However, not being home to have time to do school work, my mind is always like, ‘What is next?’ What does my schedule look like later in the day.” During the high school seasons, every sport experiences late night games, which can make it difficult for students. “Especially game days because after school we have like an hour to get ready,” described Madalynn Friedle, a senior varsity girls basketball captain. “So you go home, change and then you come back and then you don’t get home till nine. Then by the time you shower and all that you have no motivation to do homework — at least I don’t.” Having little to no time after school to accomplish school work can lead to late nights, which add up and have a major effect on student athletes. “I feel extremely drained,” stated Alsot. “Some days I’m constantly just looking for a break, even though I probably should be thinking it’s more of an opportunity, but sometimes it’s just so mentally and physically draining. It’s hard to function, especially late nights and really early mornings.” This draining, extensive schedule, can affect a students grades as well if they are not careful. However, as student athletes it is very important to keep their grades high, which can heavily pressure a student into these late nights. Students have to maintain passing grades in order to be eligible for high school sports — generally five courses, according to the IHSA. While students are required to maintain passing grades, most students are expected to earn better grades. This pressure can come from themselves, teachers, or parents. “I’m pretty good about keeping my grades up just because my family’s very strict about grades,” explained Mia Filipiak, a sophomore on the JV track and tennis teams. “I find it hard to balance school and track and then of course just like overall living. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten eight hours of sleep at night because I’m up doing homework.” In order to stay afloat, student athletes must manage their time well in order to succeed in school and work to prevent these late nights. “I try to manage like during study hall and like so I have a lot of free periods. So during the free periods, I get all my homework done,” Madison Donovan, a
junior varsity golfer, says. “So, usually, it’s not that hard for me, but I know for all the other girls on our team, it can be a little bit of struggle.” For some students this is possible, but for others there simply is not enough time to manage. “I have to be really diligent and work really hard throughout the school day to get all my work done, so I am not really doing it to the best of my ability,” explained Alsot. “I am just doing it to get done, even though I really want to put my best potential into everything I do but sometimes the time does not allow for that.” Every student’s situation is unique, which is important for teachers to understand when working with students and student athletes. “I think there’s some teachers that understand,” explained Dominick Caruso, a senior who plays football, bowling, and lacrosse, “but there’s some that don’t understand how it’s different for every student. Every student has a different backstory. They have to understand that maybe this assignment isn’t on time because of a certain reason or maybe they didn’t perform well on this test because they have stuff going on. As students we have lives too. It’s not just like we can come to school. And be the same person every day.” Certain teams in the school study together in order to ease the pressure of exceeding in school and a sport. “We hold study tables and during finals,” described Chris Madson, the boys basketball coach. “We do review tables. We take time before practice and we do it as a basketball team. That kind of just helps reinforce that we’re connected and we want the same things for them that their teachers do. That whole kind of 360 approach.” When time is taken as a team to work together to further their education, it can help the team focus on the sport since their mind will not be elsewhere during game time. “If your athletes are so worried about having multiple projects and tasks. Their mind is somewhere else, you are not gonna get that much done in practice anyways,” explained Sean Sterner, the girls golf head coach. “So taking the time to do both can be essential. It’s about making sure you’re taking care of your business outside of school, not just for yourself, but also for the success of your team.” As well as pressure to exceed in school, there is a pressure to excel in athletics. This pressure can result from coaches and teammates wanting their team to do well. “I just know that there’s an expectation,” explained Elijah Nothdorf, a senior varsity football captain, “and if you don’t meet that expectation you could get replaced or there’s other kids who are fighting to take your spot, so you have to perform well and meet their expectations to keep you in spot. I know I need to perform on the field. I know my coach and my teammates expect me to do well, so I feel a lot of pressure.” Before games is when athletes most often feel the pressure is at its highest, often coming from themselves. “I personally hold myself to a really high expectation and I really want to do the best I can on the court for both sports especially
when they are going at the same time,” described Alsot. To deal with the pressure the athletes feel, everyone prepares themselves for the games differently. “I just get myself locked in,” explained Caruso. “I listen to music beforehand, and then I keep everything to myself. I don’t talk to a lot of people before the game, I just really lock in with myself and focus on my goal and what I’m trying to achieve at the game.” While in the game, it can become stressful on the athletes. Everyone also has their own unique approach to coping with this too. “I’ve just tried to ignore the coaches and just focus on myself,” described Friedle. “I’m not even gonna lie — I take it out like a little bit on the game. You’ll see me get mad. If something bad happens, I get mad at me.” After games, teams and individuals take away what they need to improve for the next game. This is sometimes one of the ways athletes deal with the pressure put upon them. “I really just deal with that pressure by going back at it in practice, and making sure that I do those things right more in practice and spend more time on those that way in the game,” explained Quentin Kinshofer, a football player. “I know even if I mess it up, I try to prepare myself better.” Many coaches push their athletes during practice in order to prepare them for games, which should alleviate some of the pressure during and before games. “If we are preparing effectively and we are working hard and practice, if we are doing what we need to do on a daily basis, we don’t have to put any extra pressure on ourselves,” stated Sterner. “Actually, the opposite. We should put less pressure on ourselves because we know we prepared really well.” Coaches often find that their athletes stress over factors of the game, however, many factors of a game or match are out of their control. “We often like saying control what you can control,” Madson said. “We have lessons along the way where we are trying to get student athletes to understand that we can not have control over everything.” Since not everything can be within the student athletes control, pressure will always exist in some form for them. “I like that there’s pressure otherwise everyone would do it,” Madson added, “trying to get our athletes to have that kind of mental skill of identifying pressure and realizing how to use it positively and solve for it, if it is becoming anxiety or stress or whatever it might be. But pressure is good, so we just tried to provide support for them.” For every student athlete, pressure exists. This comes in many forms, athletic or academic, and from many different sources. Everyone has a different situation, which is important for family, friends, coaches and teachers to remember. Student athletes often require support, and it is important that they gain this in order for the pressure to not become overwhelming. Life is very busy as a student athlete, but it is important to maintain balance between school and sports through time management to be successful at both. Read more at TheMcHenryMessenger.com
Arts and Entertainment NSAI Songwriter-Artist of the Decade honoree Taylor Swift performs onstage during NSAI 2022 Nashville Songwriter Awards at Ryman Auditorium on Sept. 20, 2022, in Nashville, Tennessee. Photo By: Terry Wyatt / TNS
Review
Fighting high expectations Gabe Santos Arts and Entertainment Editor Worldwide pop icon Taylor Swift has been on a career high lately. After her departure from Big Machine Records in 2018, and recent big name releases like “Red (Taylor’s Version)” and “Folklore, her new style has revitalized her career and taken her to new heights. The scene had been set for her recent album, the highly anticipated “Midnights,” released at midnight on Oct. 21, with the “3 AM Edition” expanded version released shortly after. The album has some seriously high expectations. When it comes to Taylor Swift, vocals are expected to be a top notch highlight. When it comes to this album though, I’m not sure they blow me away. It could come down to a personal preference, but some of the cadence and vocal layering can feel jarring and forced. If there is a vocal highlight however, “Sweet Nothing.” is the jewel in the crown. On the majority of the album the layering drowns out the rest of the music and feels overbearing, but it is well implemented on this song. `Lyrically, Taylor has been Volume Four | Issue One | November 2022
Taylor Swift released her new album “Midnights” last month in the middle of the night that thrilled her fanbase known to reach the hearts of her fans with great poetic descriptions of heartbreak, anguish, abandonment and, even on this album, triumph and confidence. Her lyrics on “Mastermind” are a particular highlight, with the introspective nature of the writing, however some of her lyrics tend to blend together. With similar topics, it was a rare occurrence that a lyric stuck with me. When it comes to production, it is absolutely the shining star. Beginning with “Lavender Haze” I had some high hopes for the album, with deep synth instrumentation, feeling very wavy and cinematic. Other highlights are the distorted and fuzzy instruments on “Glitch” which are a welcome change from the usual clean sound of Taylor’s music and the piano on “The Great War.” With that being said, production feels like this album’s blessing and curse. On songs like “Labyrinth” and “Paris” the inspiration from earlier albums is so apparent that it sounds too similar. A problem that goes for all parts of the album: there wasn’t
enough experimentation. Is “Midnights” a bad album? No. Fans will love it, with songs like “Question…?” and “High Infidelity” being absolutely some of her best work. Unfortunately, the highlights are drowned out by a lot of the same things I’ve come to expect. Personally, I feel that this album fell just short of its expectations – however, those expectations could’ve been too high to begin with. Pitchfork gave the album a 7.0 out of 10. Insider headlined a review of the project with “We regret to inform you that Taylor Swift’s ‘Midnights’ is not very good,” though The Guardian gave it a whopping 5/5 stars. Whatever the case may be, “Midnights” became the most streamed in one day album on Spotify history, and despite its lack of radio hits and somewhat mixed reception, might mark seeds being planted for a new era for Taylor Swift. Do I recommend this album? Not in its entirety, although for fans who look hard enough, there are absolutely some tracks worth listening to.
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“Valorant” from Riot Games, has been updated to include a new interface and new playable character, making it one of the best first person shooters on the market right now. Photo By: Riot Games
Review
Let’s turn the tide The hit game “Valorant” welcomed its newest update on Oct. 18, ushering in a new era of the game The team prepares with five seconds until the barrier collapses. Once the map is open, chaos ensues as both teams use all of their might to complete their mission. A player rushes towards the site through explosions and gunfire, narrowly making it to the area where the other team has planted the spike, a small device that they must diffuse to win. “Valorant” is a five-on-five first person shooter game that came out in June of 2020. The game has been rising in popularity ever since and is making its way into the second act of episode 5. Update 5.08 has an official release date of Oct. 18, though it was playable on the game’s public beta environment (PBE) from Oct. 14 to Oct. 17. The new act comes with a user interface update and a new agent named Harbor. Harbor is a water themed agent that comes from India. His abilities include High Tide, Cascade, Cove, and his ultimate ability, Reckoning. Though
his abilities may seem new and exciting, some of them make old agents, such as Astra, seem useless now. Harbor’s abilities create barriers that opponents can’t shoot through, which is oddly similar to Astra’s ultimate ability, Astral Form/Cosmic Divide. Though his abilities make him seem like an unbalanced agent, Harbor is actually an incredibly fun and fair agent to play. His abilities are built in a way that gives allies the advantage while still offering a fair game to the opposing team. “Harbor could use some tweaks… But I love his versatility, and [I] feel like he works well with retaking [the] site,” said junior Zach Lobue. “[Harbor] works amazingly with a good team. Any agent that can protect another teammate is super valuable.” In addition to a new agent, “Valorant” developers also updated the user interface. This means that update 5.08 came with a new design to the home and play screens, along with new
Kennedy Tetour Managing Editor victory and defeat screens. The update is a nice new change and offers a sleek new design to the game. Though some players have compared “Valorant”’s new look to “Overwatch”, both games donning oddly similar looks in their respective updates. “The new UI is much needed,” states Lobue, “[it] makes it so much fresher, and everything feels super smooth. [I] love it.” The game’s popularity has been skyrocketing throughout 2022. Each month in 2021 had about 12 million active players, in comparison, September 2022 had nearly 25 million active players. With the consistent addition of new agents, maps, and other various updates, “Valorant” has made itself a household name in gaming. The team’s Harbor quickly deploys a shield around this player. This small act launches the team to victory as the player successfully diffuse the spike and defend the site. Read more at TheMcHenryMessenger.com