McHenry MessengerM
Bailey to the rescue
Grace Crockett News Editor
After a full day of tests, an MCHS student is ready to go home as they are completely exhausted and overtired from the stress of the day but they have one more class period left They walk into the library to relax during their flex time, however, when signing in, the student is met with the face of therapy dog in training “Bailey” looking back at them
Bailey is a therapy dog currently in training here at MCHS to provide students comfort if they are in need of it Bailey is owned by two MCHS staff members Gary Myers, senior counselor and Cheryl Myers, Library and Media Specialist who both goaled to see a change in students with access to their dog Bailey 2-3 times a week in either the College and Career Center or the library Anxiety and stress has been a prominent issue within MCHS’ students for years Cheryl went over to Crystal Lake South and did research on it last
A first and a last
Eli Frommes Digital Editor
It's the end of middle school in 2021, and a student gets told that they will not be with all the other grades in high school They get told that their first year back from covid will be isolated at East campus or now, the Freshman Campus, as a separate campus from the rest of the upperclassmen
This year marks the four year anniversary of Freshman Campus, but it also marks the first cycle of students to go through it The senior class of 2025 will be the first class to start at freshman campus and finish their journey at Upper Campus
The class of 2025 seniors have a different experience from any of the other underclassmen With these seniors being the “guinea pigs” for Freshman Campus Some things have changed, but some have also stayed the same
Senior Billy Denecke talks about what he loved about Freshman Campus and what has changed since he left
“I remember some of my funniest times going outside and playing football or just eating outside, enjoying the environment,” Denecke says “The teachers were amazing It's very different Going from middle school to high school, freshman year you just experience so much ”
Senior Aiden Fogelson talks about what he liked about Freshman Campus
“I like how connected we felt as a class,” Fogelson says, “I know before us, it was split, so, some people you might have seen or known, either during middle school or just around, that you didn't like to see as much, it was hard to see them ”
year and with all the research that she did and the benefits that she saw from other schools, The Myers decided to make the transition here so MCHS could see the same benefits
The school has implemented many attempts already to make students feel safe and heard within these walls by adding in the Chill Zone, flexing during classes, or even having access to your counselor whenever These solutions are amazing, however, it's not always an easy resource to use
According to Kyleigh Witt, junior at MCHS, resources like the Chill Zone can take a lot of courage to use
“Classes can be stressful,” says Witt “Having access to things like the Chill Zone can be very useful, but not as accessible to students on some occasions So having a therapy dog in either the library or College and Career Center can be a lot easier for students to take a breather without having to open up to another person about their stress ”
With Bailey being located in the library or College and Career center makes it a lot easier for students to access, even if they just need a couple minute break from class just to calm down
“It's nice that students can have a little downtime to decompress,” says Cheryl “Your stress goes away and that's our hope that having Bailey in here, study hall students would be able to interact with her and in the counseling office if a student is more upset and be
needed in that regard ”
Talking to someone about their problems can be a really big obstacle for students when trying to receive help Sometimes visiting a counselor can be intimidating Gary has seen a lot of students that have a problem opening up about things that are going on outside of this building, so having a dog present during school hours might help bring out what's affecting them easier
“Already we have seen students use Bailey,” says Gary “For example, with the election, we had a student that used Bailey She came down to my office agitated, nervous, and upset and so I came over and grabbed Bailey, and she just sat there with her for a half hour and completely calmed down Sometimes being around an animal rather than talking to a counselor, a social worker, or a psychologist can be better if they don’t need to see one of us They just need some time And Bailey's perfect for that ” With only being here for a couple weeks, Bailey has already made her mark at MCHS
“With only a few weeks of Bailey here, I've noticed a lot more excitement within students,” says Witt “There has been more spirit, which I think is a beautiful addition that this school environment desperately needed and I personally can’t wait to meet her ”
The Class of 2025 will be the first graduating class that started its high school experience at the Freshman Campus
Although not everything was amazing at Freshman Campus there were some downsides to it as well
“Some of the bad sides about freshman campus is that we were only freshmen, only freshmen with barriers,” Denecke says “That's it, and we didn't really get to mingle with other grades like we do at Upper Campus The only opportunity you have is after school activities, sports and stuff You feel excluded, I would say, like, you don't
feel as connected ” For Fogelson, moving between campuses was difficult “It's kind of hard to get from one to another, without outside help that is,” he says “Focus on your classes I slacked off my freshman year, and I passed my classes and my GPA was not the best Then after I realized that I actually had to focus on my classes, study and feel more proactive Freshman year, you think it's going to be easy as middle school, it is
not You have to go out, you have to actually realize that it's not as easy even though it seems easy, you have to go out and you have to realize that ” As the class of 2025 comes up on graduation they look back at the memories they made at Freshman Campus with both the good and the bad in mind At the end of the day, though, the advice he would give freshmen is simple and wise
“Just find your people,” Fogelson says
Annie Trinh / Rose Wenckebach
Although not an official yet therapy dog yet, Cheryl and Gary Myers’ dog Bailey is already doing a good job at cheering kids up and comforting them around MCHS | Photo by Lily Adams
Grade inflation is not a victimless crime
Average student GPA and test scores are gradually increasing, but are students actually performing better — and are they actually prepared for college?
Olivia Smith Staff Writer
Many have made the claim that it is getting harder and harder for students to meet college standards The most selective universities used to admit 25 to 30% of their applicants, while many reputable places admitted more than 50% Now even middle-of-the-road places are admitting fewer than half But what is the cause of this?
Grade inflation, also referred to as grade leniency, is a widely debated upon topic among teachers and students alike In simple terms, it essentially means giving students the same grades for work that is less rigorous Getting good grades with minimal effort may seem harmless, it is not a victimless crime
As grade inflation leads to higher average GPAs, which then raises the bar for what is considered a “high” GPA According to NACAC’s State of College Admission report, there has been a noticeable increase in the average GPA requirements for admission over the past decade
For example, the average GPA requirement for admission to public four-year institutions increased from 3 01 in 2010 to 3 34 in 2020 This hurts hard working students because it discredits the value of their transcript, making it harder to stand out in a competitive admissions landscape If everyone receives good marks, it becomes challenging for colleges to differentiate between students who truly excel and those who simply meet requirements
“Inequality of Opportunity” refers to the concept of unequal access to privileged educational institutions, which is often associated with class differences In the realm of education, this can manifest in many ways When
the value of high grades is diminished, this can disproportionally affect students who would be considered minorities or come from disadvantaged backgrounds Due to higher grade standards, students need to have other credentials to get into prestigious universities like athletic organizations or clubs In lower income areas though, these programs are poor and less frequent This puts them at a disadvantage compared to shoes with more opportunity If we are constantly rewarding a student with grades that do not accurately represent their level of skill, it can constitute a poor work mindset
Students are more likely to become lax with other responsibilities This can cause an impact on a student's future opportunities They might for example find themselves at a disadvantage when applying for jobs, graduate programs or professional environments that require large amounts of effort
Some people may think that grade inflation is a positive thing because it allows for students who otherwise wouldn’t have received a high GPA to get into selective colleges This would be incorrect Students who have been rewarded for little effort will struggle in college due to the rigorous homework
This in turn will lead to higher drop out rates and lead to ill-prepared members of society
As a community, we can work together to solve the issues of grade inflation by encouraging task completion with maximum effort, rewarding students for good work and grading poor work accordingly is one approach While academic success is important we, as a student body, must remember that this is not a perfect system Do not let grade inflation derive into anxiety inflation and continue to work towards finding a healthy balance between good GPA and good mental health
TheMcHenryMessengerisMcHenryCommunityHigh School’sstudent-writtenand-editednewspaper Launchedin2019,TheMcHenryMessengeristhe student-runandstudent-editedschoolnewspaperat McHenryHighSchoolinMcHenry,Illinois
Studentjournalistshavetherighttoexercisefreedomof speechandthepressinhighschoolmedia The McHenryMessengerbenefitsfromtheserights Wehope tousethisplatformtoinformandengagethestudents andstaffofMcHenryHighSchoolaswellasitsbroader community
Asastudent-drivenpublication itisimportanttous thatwerepresenteverygroupwithinbothcampusesas wellasthebroaderMcHenrycommunity providinga platformforthemtotelltheirstories Weintendto provideaccesstoobjective,relevantinformationthat theyneedtoknow
Dominic Burnett Puzzlemaster
Students walk to class at the University of Chicago Though many students get good grades in high school, they re surprised to realize how unprepared they are for college and sometimes wonder if their grades were inflated all along | E Jason Wambsgans / Chicago Tribune / TNS