First Week Supplement Volume 51

KANELAND

KR ER

LEANING INTO CHANGES Embracing shifts in our school and world

Volume 51 • First Week Issue • Kaneland High School • August 16, 2024 • Cover by Sarah Slattery

News | August 16, 2024

KHS WELCOMES NEW PRINCIPAL

BY AUDREY WALKER

K

Co-Editor-in-Chief of Print and Ads & Business Executive

aneland High School welcomed Melinda Cattell as its new principal starting with the 2024-25 school year. Her first day was on July 15, 2024. Cattell replaces the previous principal, Dr. James Horne, who is now the Kaneland school district’s Director of Educational Services 6-12.

Cattell started her career in social services after earning her undergraduate degree in social work from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.

She also earned master’s degrees in School Counseling and Educational Administration from UW Oshkosh and Concordia University Chicago, respectively. Although she never intended to go into administration at the start of her career, she moved to an administrative role after 15 years as a school counselor.

She is a strong advocate for social-emotional health, especially given her school counseling background.

She has always emphasized establishing relationships with both students and parents.

“I firmly believe that open communication and partnership between home and the school is essential to the success and well-being of our students,” Cattell wrote in an introductory email to the community.

Prior to being hired at KHS, Cattell was the Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction at DeKalb High School for three years. There, she worked with Horne for one year. As she moves into Horne’s previous position, he has a positive outlook on her transition.

“Her honesty, approachability and knowledge will be well-received,” Horne said. “She is ethical and moral in her decision-making and understands the important role that a school serves in the life of a student, a family and a community.”

The reason Cattell decided to make the move, besides knowing people from Kaneland and hearing about the position opening, was because she felt that moving into the role of a principal was the next step in her career.

“When you get to be an assistant principal, your end goal is always, or at least for me, to be a principal of a building,” she said.

Cattell grew up in Madison, WI, and is moving from Byron, IL, to DeKalb to be closer to her new job.

She has a 21-year-old stepson and 16and 11-year-old sons. With her family, she likes to do outdoor activities and watch movies, specifically Star Wars and Marvel movies. She has an identical twin sister who is also a principal, but at an elementary school.

One of her primary focuses is preparing students for careers outside of high school. The Fox Valley Career Center, with its vocational nature, was a source of excitement for her. Cattell values the experiences and opportunities students have in high school that will help them once they leave.

“I really like watching high school kids succeed and be successful after they leave high school,” Cattell said.

“Graduation day is like my favorite day.”

Q & A WITH MRS. CATTELL WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE YOU’VE TRAVELED TO?

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SUBJECT?

2 News

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE?

“Hawaii.” (She’s been there twice.)

“Science for sure, and sometimes English.”

“Pretty in Pink and The Goonies.”

Page design by Carli Filek

News | August 16, 2024

A RETURN TO TRADITIONAL GRADING SYSTEM

BY ZOE GANNON

N

Co-Sports & Activities Executive and Cartoon Manager

ow that the new school year into final grades, but this change did because they aren’t practicing the has begun, most students know not significantly motivate students to skills enough before attempting to that Kaneland High School has put more effort into their practice as- demonstrate mastery.”

In order to improve summative returned to a traditional grading ap- signments.

“I’m hoping [traditional grading] scores, it is important that students are proach after the past several years of a standards-based grading (SBG) sys- will encourage students to be more driven to do their work this year.

“I suggest [students] put all their tem. While some students and parents engaged with their learning,” English may have struggled with elements of teacher Christina Staker said. “Stu- effort into their work,” junior Adriana Warrington said. “Do everything on SBG, a different grading system brings dents only see value in doing an time and stay focused. If you work its own challenges. hard, you will do well on tests, Traditional grading is and you won’t need to rely on based on a system of perretakes or certain standards centages and letter grades; like you did in past years. All a student’s performance in a 2 6 you really need to do is work class will be communicated as hard.” a percentage, which will While students’ lives then align with a letter 8 7 outside the classroom are grade based on a tradioften busy, they will not be tional grading scale.

3 able to set aside formative Kaneland’s approach assignments for another to SBG differed from traday without a direct penalditional grading because Words in the crossword relate to ty like they could with SBG. it required teachers to the news story.

The traditional grading procreate standards for their cess has its drawbacks that curriculum that they then 1 some students may worry used to assess students’ about. learning. Teachers evaluThe key will be posted on Insta“I think that the switch ated students using vargram @kaneland_krier at the end in math will affect a lot of ious proficiency tables, of the school day. people this year,” Warwith students’ scores be- 4 9 rington said. “Many peoing reported on a scale ple in my math class relied of 0-4. A four represented heavily on retakes. They mastery of a specific stanwould pick the standards dard, while a zero reprethey did badly on and only retake sented no sufficient evi5 those. This allowed for a much dence of learning. Ones, easier retake process. Without twos and threes representthese specific standards, math ed current levels of learnACROSS DOWN tests will become a lot harder to ing. get good scores on and “The drawback [of 1. Alternative to a number for a grade 6. Something modified for a new purpose retake.” traditional grading] would 7. Where most students go after high school The goal of grading be focusing on a letter 2. Opposite of present formative assignments grade as opposed to the 3. Highest level of skill you can earn 8. A group of things working together as one isn’t just to motivate process of improvement, so just a switch in mindset 4. What you earn in classes at the end of a year 9. Abbreviated version of KHS’s old grading students to practice. system The purpose is also to that those two work hand in 5. To be busy or occupied give students feedback on skills they hand,” new Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Instruction Brian assignment if they are given a grade need to improve on and to let students understand the consequences of not for doing it.”

Kowalski said.

The student mindset that forma- completing their assignments.

With SBG, formative assignments, “Failure to submit formatives as usually referred to as homework, did tive assessments are pointless has not contribute to a student’s overall grown, perhaps with SBG as one of the well as failure to meet deadlines will grade during most of the years that factors, but practice is important to ful- have greater consequences [with traditional grading],” English teacher JaSBG was used at Kaneland. This led ly understand course material.

“As a teacher, I’ve seen an increase cob Robitske said. “The hope is that to many students not prioritizing their homework. To counteract this, KHS in- in passive learning and lack of motiva- this will better prepare students for the troduced a “responsibility standard” tion in my students,” Staker said. “This real world that their teachers and parthat factored homework completion has caused summative scores to drop ents like to warn them about.”

C RO S W R D S O

Page design by Sarah Slattery

News

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PICKLEBALL’s POPULARITY SURGE Opinion | August 16, 2024

BY CARLI FILEK

P

Social Media Executive

ickleball, though invented in the 1960s, has surged in popularity in recent years. Thanks to its easy-to-learn nature and the influence of social media, it became one of the most popular outdoor activities this summer. The game’s simple rules and competitive edge attract people of all ages and skill levels, making it a unifying game for everyone.

Pickleball combines elements of badminton, ping-pong and tennis and

Photo courtesy of Taverly Gilbertson

From left to right, juniors Carter Grabowski, Noah McKittrick, Alexa Pastovich and Taverly Gilbertson enjoy a day on some tennis courts playing pickleball. Pickleball is a great way to exercise and spend time with your friends.

is played with paddles and a perforated plastic ball. According to USA Pickleball, the game is played on a 20x44-foot court with left and right service courts and a seven-foot non-volley zone near the net called the “kitchen.”

Pickleball is a social game, so if you’re looking to have a fun outing with friends or family, it’s the perfect game for that. The smaller court size and doubles format also allow for constant interaction between players.

Junior Taverly Gilbertson enjoyed playing pickleball this summer with her friends at the Elburn Station Community Park tennis courts.

“It’s a great way to socialize with friends because it’s a team sport,” Gilbertson said. “It’s a good outdoor activity, and it’s not the hardest sport.”

If you drive past your local pickleball courts, you will see teens, young adults and seniors playing. Teens and young adults enjoy the fast-paced and competitive aspects of the game, while seniors enjoy the social interaction and moderate physical activity

it provides.

Depending on your level of commitment and competitiveness, you can play pickleball at local courts or even join a league and compete in tournaments.

Senior Vincent Kruse played in pickleball tournaments with his friends this summer in Sugar Grove.

He discovered it social media and to experience it

through wanted firsthand.

“It’s something different from other sports that we usually play,” Kruse said.

Pickleball’s universal appeal ensures that there’s something for everyone, regardless of age or skill level. If you haven’t already played, I recommend giving it a try. Grab some paddles, gather your friends or family and head out to your local courts for some fun.

other than technology. We are sophomores, juniors and seniors in high school and beyond. Yet, our generation will no longer be freshmen in high school.

It’s Generation Alpha’s turn to step into the long hallways and daunting tests that come with becoming a high schooler.

There are many things that Gen Alpha will have in high school that Gen Z didn’t. For example, we didn’t have artificial intelligence (AI) during most of our high school experiences. We didn’t have AI such as ChatGPT, OpenAI and Google AI. Only recently has AI developed into something we can use every day.

“The members of Gen Alpha will be the first to experience a future intertwined with artificial intelligence,”

according to eLearning Designer and Developer Theodosis Karagiorgakis.

“This new medium will undoubtedly shape their future in ways that, right now, we can only barely imagine.”

When you enter high school, it’s essential to learn how to research, so with AI at the tips of incoming students’ fingers, it may be detrimental to their study tactics when they get older and have to start preparing for finals and extensive tests like the SAT and ACT. However, these resources can be helpful when it comes to understanding curriculum when tests approach.

Going into high school can be scary, but with a new generation stepping through the doors and into our classrooms, they will have a lot of assistance from faculty, other students and AI.

GEN ALPHA: OFFICIALLY HIGH SCHOOLERS

BY SOPHIE PONCE DE LEON

I

Co-Editor-in-Chief of Print and Co-Copy Editor

t feels unbelievable knowing that Generation Z isn’t the youngest generation anymore. We were the ones who had to deal with middle and high school in the midst of a deadly pandemic. We were the ones who protested for Black, women’s and LGBTQ+ rights. We grew up never knowing anything

4 Opinion

Cartoons by Zoe Gannon

Page design by Zoe Gannon

Sports and Activities | August 16, 2024

SPORTS AND ACTIVITIES OVER SUMMER BREAK

BY NATE SAND

Co-Sports & Activities Executive

F

or most Kaneland students, summer vacation signifies a break from school. No more navigating the blender, completing homework, listening to teachers and administrators or even seeing most of your classmates.

However, for students involved in extracurricular activities, summer break by no means is a break from Kaneland.

Sports, clubs and other activities don’t always end when the school year does.

Instead, most programs affiliated with the school are very active over the summer.

One of the most active sports during the summer is football. The football preseason starts the first week after school ends and continues throughout the entire summer with only about two or three “dead weeks” where they don’t train.

On Mondays through Thursdays throughout most of June, the team focused on strength and conditioning, as well as speed and skill development. The team continued with practices throughout July. Kaneland additionally hosted a series of 7-on7 scrimmages at the high school against different teams from around the area, such as DeKalb, Geneva, Plano and Woodstock North.

The girls and boys cross country teams also utilized the summer as a preseason. In both June and July, the teams ran four days a week for six weeks. In June, the teams focused on building more base mileage, while in July they began longer speed workouts. The majority of practices took place off campus, usually starting at 6 a.m. and lasting for about 90 minutes.

“We work through the same routines we will use in season,” head boys coach Chad Clarey said. “But we help our runners make progress on their goals for the summer, and it’s a little less intense. Our boys get out of it what they put into it.”

Clarey explains that although his team did not directly compete with other schools during the summer, it was still important for the athletes to work hard to prepare for the upcoming season in the fall.

“For our program, the payoff isn’t immediate, but we have found that the summer miles equal fall smiles,” Clarey

Page design by Sophie Ponce de Leon

said. “Not every program will put in the work that we do.”

Sports that do not start to compete until later in the school year also are active during the summer. Winter sports, such as girls and boys basketball, have practices and games throughout the entire month of June. Both teams practiced from Monday through Thursday for two hours each day during that month, with the girls playing games on Tuesday and Thursday nights and the boys playing games on Mondays and Wednesdays. Oftentimes, games occurred on Fridays and weekends for both teams as well. Some players from the teams also helped at the ele-

The two rehearsals in late May were brief mini-camps that introduced the band members and incoming freshmen to the competitive show that they will perform in the fall. The band returned for preseason rehearsals in late July before two weeks of band camp in early August. The first week of camp included four rehearsals from Monday through Thursday from 4 to 9 p.m. The second week included rehearsals from Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. the week before the school year began.

Marching band is by no means the only active fine arts program during the summer. The Kaneland Arts Initiative (KAI) is different from the high school theater program because they are a K-12 organization that provides arts opportunities for anyone in the Kaneland district and for those in surrounding communities.

This means they focus on each of the four fine arts: visual art, music, theater and dance. Throughout August and July, KAI had a dance recital, music performances, the annual art festival and many other types of theater performances.

“A challenge is that sometimes school populations think that this is a school theater program we are producing, when in actuality it is a community theater production,” Photo by Sarah Slattery said Maria Dripps-Paulson, the executive director of KAI. “KAI uses the Members of the Kaneland football program profits from the show to pay for staff spend a lot of time at the school throughout the summer. The first varsity game of the year is and other aspects of the show like lion Friday, Aug. 30, at Washington High School. censing, rentals, building and more.”

The summer shows that mentary and middle school basketball Dripps-Paulson and other members of camps. the KAI staff organized featured actors “In the summer, it is less struc- and performers of all ages and from tured [than the winter],” senior guard throughout the Chicagoland area. This Sam Kerry said. “We didn’t have to do past summer, there were participants film before games, and we also had a from Chicago, Crest Hill, Naperville, lot more games in a shorter amount of Lombard, DeKalb and the Kaneland time.” community.

It’s not just athletes who remain “Summer theater at KAI is wonbusy after the school year ends be- derful because it is intergenerational cause students in other extracurricular and community-based,” Dripps-Paulactivities stay involved as well. son said. “We meet students from In the music department, the surrounding school districts and join marching band remains very active. together at Kaneland to make a proRehearsals for the 2024 season of fessional, quality show. A summer of marching band started in May, just a hard work is very rewarding for all infew days after the last day of school. volved.”

Sports and Activities

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WHAT Inside Out EMOTION ARE YOU? Quiz | August 16, 2024

Directions:

Answer each question by picking the response you agree with most. The letter you choose most frequently will match your emotion at the end of the quiz.

Quiz developed by Isa Alba, Casper Suehs and Preslee Sutherland

When you notice your favorite food item in the lunch line is not there today, you: A. Find something else to eat.

B. Get out of the lunch line.

C. Wonder why the item is not there.

D. Complain to your friends.

E. Become very upset and throw a fit.

On a nice day, you want to go out with your friends, but they cancel at the last minute. How do you react?

A. Say “no worries” and find something else to amuse you.

B. Pout.

C. Think about the fun they are probably having without you.

D. Decide it was probably better not to go.

E. Yell at them.

A. Don’t mind it and see it as a sign to take your time.

B. Start to cry.

C. Think of a range of horrible outcomes related to this person’s slow driving.

D. Judge the person for driving slowly and pass them.

E. Honk at the slow driver and pass them.

A. Play in the snow, build a snowman and make snow angels.

B. Cry over being stuck at home.

C. Worry about the extra day added on to the end of the school year.

D. Stare at the snow with distaste.

E. Throw snowballs at your neighbors.

You and your family are trying to decide which movie to watch.

What movie do you suggest?

You’re in line waiting for a band concert ticket with your friend, but when you reach the front there’s only one ticket left. How do you react?

A. Give the ticket to your friend and hope they will enjoy the concert.

B. Feel disappointed.

C. Worry that this will be your only shot to see the band and take the ticket for yourself.

D. Give it to your friend so they can enjoy the sweaty concert-goers and crowded audience.

E. Yell at the employee.

A. The Emperor’s New Groove B. Romeo and Juliet C. A Nightmare on Elm Street D. A documentary on the process of making hot dogs E. The Incredible Hulk

Cartoons by Adrianna Wells

IF YOU GOT MAJORITY...

6 Quiz

You’re Joy!

B

You’re Sadness!

A. A Golden Retriever B. A black cat C. A German Shepherd D. A fish E. A rattlesnake

On a cold winter morning, Kaneland High School calls a last minute Snow Day. How do you spend the day?

When you’re driving to school and you are stuck behind a slow driver, you:

A

Your family wants to adopt a new house pet.

Which one do you pick?

C

You’re Anxiety!

D

You’re Disgust!

E

You’re Anger!

Page design by Sarah Slattery

Feature | August 16, 2024

THE EVER-CHANGING NATURE OF POLITICS

BY JAY PAULSON

Co-Copy Editor, Broadcast and Ads & Business Design Executive

KEY DIFFERENCES IN 2024 ELECTION ◦ First assassination attempt on a presidential candidate in over 50 years (Associated Press) ◦ First time in over 50 years that an incumbent president has withdrawn from the race (Reuters) ◦ Artificial intelligence has most potential for impact (Johns Hopkins University)

W

hen viewed through the lens of history, the 2024 election year has varied from most in the past. An assassination attempt on former President and current Republican nominee Donald Trump days before the Republican National Convention (RNC) and current President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race about a month before the Democratic National Convention (DNC) have made this election year distinctive.

Assassination attempts are rare, especially on a presidential candidate.

Most political assassination attempts in our country have targeted people who were in office at the time. But in 1912, Theodore Roosevelt was shot during his presidential campaign. In 1968, New York Senator Robert F. Kennedy was assassinated after giving a campaign speech in a Los Angeles hotel. In 1972, Alabama Democratic Governor George C. Wallace was shot during his presidential campaign.

Trump is only the fourth recorded candidate in our country to suffer an assassination attempt during his campaign.

Trump’s shooter was Thomas Matthew Crooks from Bethel Park, PA, who shot at Trump as he addressed supporters during a rally in Butler, PA, on July 13. A Secret Service sniper killed Crooks after he fired his shots.

Trump suffered a wounded ear, while two spectators were injured and for-

Page design by Jay Paulson

mer Fire Chief Corey Comperatore was killed. On July 24, the FBI issued a statement before Congress regarding the tragedy.

“The attempted assassination of the former president was an attack on our democracy,” FBI director Christopher Wray said in his testimony before Congress. “I recognize the congressional and public interest in this case.”

In July, public interest also shifted to Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 election. Candidates have dropped out of elections before, but this is the first time in our country that a candidate has withdrawn fewer than 200 days before the election date.

According to NBC News, Biden is the first candidate to drop out since Lyndon B. Johnson stepped down 219 days before the 1968 election, while Biden left with 107 days to go.

The past two presidential candidates who dropped out, Johnson and Harry Truman in 1952, withdrew before their campaign officially began due to “low approval ratings [from their party].”

Meanwhile, Biden’s withdrawal was “a selfless act,” NBC political analyst Chuck Todd wrote.

When Biden dropped out, he endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris as his replacement on the Democratic ticket. Harris has since ben confirmed as the Democratic party’s nominee, making her the first female candidate of color in American history.

The Republican nominee, Trump, also is making history with his candidacy. Now that Biden has left the race, Trump is the oldest presidential candidate at 78 years old.

Not only has this election year had many historical differences, but artificial intelligence (AI) has also influenced the public’s perception of news. “[A video] was manipulated to show President Biden making transphobic comments and a fake image of Trump hugging Anthony Fauci,” according to the MIT Technology Review.

“It’s not hard to imagine how this kind of thing could change a voter’s choice or discourage people from voting at all.”

AI-driven manipulation has not been as much of a factor in past elections because of its recent and rapid development. Recently, there has also been a type of social media presence called a micro-influencer who focuses on a highly engaged, small audience and uses their platform to influence that group.

These micro-influencers became popular during the 2023 Supreme Court elections, where they “contributed to record voter turnout,” according to the MIT Technology Review.

Politics is ever-changing, and this election year is an example. Historically and through the media, the 2024 election demonstrates the constantly evolving nature of politics in America.

Feature

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LETTER FROM THE EXECS

A

s we leave summer behind us and move into a new school year, it isn’t hard to think about how much has changed over the course of our lives. Changes can be significant or subtle and positive or negative, but no matter what, it is important to keep persevering through these challenges.

Whether they are changes happening at home, at Kaneland High School or in the world, each new situation is unique.

However, what we’ve accomplished and overcome in the past will prepare us for these challenges and allow us to face them head on, regardless of what difficulties they may bring.

Sophie Thill

Sarah Slattery

Carli Filek

Nate Sand

www.kanelandkrier.com

47W326 Keslinger Rd. Maple Park, IL 60151

Audrey Walker

Sophie Ponce de Leon

Jasper Paulson

Zoe Gannon

Page design by Sophie Ponce de Leon