Kaneland Krier Volume 49 Issue 1

KANELAND

KR ER

THEN AND NOW Reflecting on how far we've come, making comparisons and looking ahead

Volume 49 • Issue 1 • Kaneland High School • September 29, 2022 • Cover by Samantha Dunne and Zoey Pozen

TABLE OF CONTENTS

8 Sports and Activities

20 Photos

18 Profile

5 News Letter from the Execs

Sometimes it can be difficult to reflect on change and determine whether it has positively impacted us or not. We have all gone through school and life sometimes praising but oftentimes criticizing changes implemented in our environment. In this issue, we reflect both on Kaneland’s history and some recent changes and whether or not those changes are likely to be effective and influential. It is good to realize change isn’t always seamless, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's bad.

September 29, 2022 | Lifestyle

TRENDING MAKEUP LOOKS AND NEW STYLES

BY ELLIOT KRIPPELZ

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Editor

inding your style and figuring out what you do and don’t like is what makes us all unique. Experimenting with your clothes, hairstyle and makeup are ways that you can express yourself.

Makeup, an ever-changing art form, has always been used to show creativity by the user.

Like other trends, makeup itself fluctuates depending on popularity. Junior Taylor Franzen has been interested in makeup for several years. Franzen, who is enrolled in Hair Professionals Career College in Sycamore through the Fox Valley Career Center, is looking to broaden her knowledge in hair and makeup.

“Thin eyebrows are coming back, and I am so excited about it. A while ago, thicker and full eyebrows were on trend. I am just glad people are doing what they

up every day. I like to change the style of it depending on what I am trying to go for. I usually use foundation, concealer, powders, lip liner and eyeliner,” sophomore Winnie Phillips said. “I just [take inspiration from] others and make the looks my own.”

There are many different interpretations when it comes to how much makeup you should wear. Some people consider a full face to not be that much makeup, while others consider any makeup to be heavy. The different views on makeup are why it is considered an art form, as it is up for interpretation depending on how the user looks at it.

Junior Alexsandra Wimmer finds confidence and pride in doing her makeup in a certain way. Having different styles of makeup and doing it with different

some changes are simply reflections of the past.

Recently, more people have been taking popular makeup trends from different decades for a new way to express themselves. By having different options from another period of time, the user is able to find a style that suits them.

The stigma around makeup usually consists of “trying to be a catfish” or “trying too hard.” These comments can discourage self-confidence and deter people from experimenting with makeup.

“People tend to judge very heavily.

Just because someone does [makeup] in a different way than you would doesn’t make it bad; it is just a form of expression,” Wimmer said. “Makeup is just [something people can use] to enhance and add on to your features to make

Wimmer shows off her vast collection of makeup products.

Out of all her products, the NYX Epic Ink Liner is her favorite.

Photo courtesy of Lexi Wimmer

Junior Lexi Wimmer sets her face with Airspun setting powder. This is the last step to Wimmer’s daily makeup routine that holds her makeup in place all day.

want now,” Franzen said.

On TikTok, one of the more popular makeup styles is the “clean aesthetic.”

This is when the user’s makeup look gives the illusion that there is little to none on their face, when in reality, they still have a decent amount of product on. This adds to the illusion of having clear skin and allows for a lightweight and more natural look.

“Every day I try to [use] eyebrow gel and some skin products like foundation and concealer. Rarely ever [do I use] eyeshadow,” Franzen said.

A smokey waterline and small winged eyeliner is another trend resurfacing from the late 1990s and early 2000s. Each decade has its own personal makeup style, from heavy amounts of colorful eyeshadow in 2016 to more simple and smooth application now.

“I wear very heavy amounts of make-

Page design by Sela Valignota

Sophomore Winnie Phillips has a number of different brands she uses for her everyday routine. She recommends the Maybelline Fit Me Pressed.

Photo courtesy of Taylor Franzen

Photo courtesy of Lexi Wimmer

Junior Taylor Franzen applies tinted lip gloss. A popular trend today is a plumping form of lip gloss that gives the appearance of larger lips.

techniques adds a unique element to her style. You can find Lexi, as her friends call her, nearly every day wearing a specific type of eyeliner that makes her feel confident.

“I keep most of my face natural because I have sensitive skin. I usually focus on eye makeup like eyeliner, maybe eyeshadow, inner-corner highlights and mascara,” Wimmer said. “I have different styles that I will switch back and forth [between], but that is just the fun of it. I don’t think that I wear a lot of makeup, but some people may consider it heavy.

It is just up for interpretation, especially with something so personal to you.”

While natural makeup is currently popular, it is nothing compared to how it was viewed and used in the early 2000s.

From different products to different applications, there have been a lot of changes in the makeup industry. In reality, though,

Photo courtesy of Winnie Phillips

yourself feel better. It doesn’t just mean [that you are a] catfish.”

Having fun and doing what you like is part of experimenting and figuring out how you want to portray yourself. Since makeup is an art form, there is no one correct way to do it. Wearing and testing out different styles of makeup is an important part of self-confidence, which is extremely essential to many high school students.

“I know a lot of people prefer [to not wear makeup], but that is just a preference. I do it because it makes me feel good about myself. Deciding the looks for the day is just a fun part of doing it,” Phillips said.

In this new generation of makeup looks, there are a variety of ways to show off your style. It all depends on the person and how they want to express themselves.

Lifestyle

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News | September 29, 2022

SUBSTITUTE DEFICIT ACROSS KANE COUNTY

BY ARIANNA FAILOR Editor

I

t has not come as a surprise for most Kaneland students this fall to hear someone bring up the topic of teacher shortages, not only in the country but in the Kaneland school district as well.

At Kaneland High School, 15 teachers resigned at the end of the 2021-22 school year, according to Director of Human Resources Dr. Chris Adkins. Additionally, 58 teachers changed their positions throughout the Kaneland schools in the district. But now that the school year is underway, staffing decisions throughout the district have been finalized and the need for substitutes is evident.

When the need arises for a substitute to cover for a teacher, that responsibility falls to new Dean's Secretary Debra Gantzert.

“When we need an internal [substitute] for a certain class, I have a list of all the teachers’ prep periods during the period I need a sub for and ask if they can give up their prep period to substitute for someone else,” Gantzert said.

Internal substitutions are a consistent need at the high school. Teachers’ preparation periods have had to be utilized for more than just prep, as they can become substituting periods as well.

“We do have to push some people out of their comfort zone a little bit,” Assistant Principal Carri Oslager said on the topic of internal substitutes.

Some teachers, though, often volunteer to substitute within the building when the need arises, even when asked to cover a class that they are not familiar with.

“You may end up with an English teacher in a science class,” Oslager said.

There are instances where a teacher may be more equipped to substitute in a different department due to a more diverse background. English teacher Jennifer Sayasane is one of the teachers who fall into that group. When she started college, she went in thinking that she wanted to be an engineer and started taking physics classes. After realizing she wanted a more people-oriented job, she chose teaching which led to her graduating with a degree in English and a minor in physics.

“I had enough credits in physics to be certified, but I finished with my English degree,” Sayasane said.

Internal substitutes are oftentimes an option, but it is not always ideal. It has been hard to find substitute teachers for years, but this year has been one of the

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News

Photo by Kevin Sigrist

Science teacher Jason Foster sits at social studies teacher James Fuller's desk while substituting for him during his ninth hour AP U.S. history class. Teachers often have to substitute for other teachers during their prep periods, especially when actual substitute teachers are already being used elsewhere.

more difficult ones. With a shortage all over the county, subs have been taking jobs in many different schools. Kaneland has had some trademark substitutes that its student body could recognize, but now it is harder to rely on them.

“

Even before COVID, it was extremely hard to find somebody that was willing to substitute. [There is] a very short supply of people. It’s not everybody’s cup of tea. [Substituting is] not easy, so that has always been a challenge.

-Assistant Principal Carri Oslager

“

“Even before COVID, it was extremely hard to find somebody that was willing to substitute. [There is] a very short supply of people. It’s not everybody’s cup of tea.

[Substituting is] not easy, so that has always been a challenge,” Oslager said.

Substitute teachers are a daily need within the Kaneland district, so there is always room for people who are willing and able.

“We’ve been able to tap into some of our more trusted subs, and we usually use those for a little bit longer term people, but we’re always, always, always

- us and every other district - trying to get more subs,” Oslager said.

The school has been working to cover any vacancies with reliable substitutes that the district has used in the past.

“I’ve been reaching out to subs that may have been used before and looking in our system to see if they’re interested in subbing,” Gantzert said.

This process hasn’t seen much development, and with most of the past substitutes not answering, expanding the list has proven difficult.

“I have a list of about 20 [former substitutes] that I can call, but they rarely answer,” Gantzert said. “There is currently a very small list. I have about six subs that I count on daily and four that I can count on for long-term assignments.”

With the low number of substitute teachers that the school can rely on, finding new substitutes is imperative. Substitutes are spread throughout the entire Kaneland district, leading to a lot of open positions if several district teachers are sick at the same time.

The Kaneland district has been working to cover vacant positions since the start of the school year, but the low number of substitutes they have available has added to that challenge. Teachers’ schedules have had to change so that they can help with vacant positions, and this has caused some hiccups at the start of the school year.

Page design by Arianna Failor

News | September 29. 2022

NEW SCHOOL YEAR BRINGS MANY CHANGES

BY TIFFANY JOHNSON

Editor and Co-Podcast Manager

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s Kaneland students settle into the 2022-23 school year, they have already seen changes that set this year apart from previous ones. Electronic passes, the responsibility standard and homeroom are all new this year, and students have mixed feelings about these changes.

Electronic passes are digital passes that students have access to from a link on Canvas. Teachers and staff members can assign students a pass that will show up on their phones and allow security guards and other staff members to see who is allowed to be where. The security guards have a color coded system that shows them how long a student has been in the hallway. If a student has been gone for more than 10 minutes, their pass will turn red.

“When a student leaves a classroom, what we are able to see is the number of students in the hallway, and it is color coded,” Principal Dr. James Horne said.

Some students are confused about how electronic passes work after only using paper passes in previous years. Junior Margaret Marks is one student who finds the new electronic pass system unnecessary.

“I don’t like it because I feel like there is no need; I feel like writing passes is much easier. Most of the time, the QR codes don’t work and they are always [breaking]. After a while, they turn red and people come looking for you when you are really in the spot that you’re supposed to be,” Marks said.

After a pass turns red, security can see that and try to make sure that the student has returned to class.

This year has also brought with it a new standard to the standards-based grading approach: the responsibility standard. English teacher Kimberly Reese contributed to the development of this standard and has a positive outlook on its addition, hoping that it will help students prepare for their summative assessments.

“It has been frustrating for teachers and students to not do assignments.

[Students] don't have the practice, so it’s harder for us to assess their learning. I think it’s been frustrating for students because it has given some of them the idea that it’s just extra and it doesn’t count, but it does. They’re just not getting a score for it,” Reese said.

The new responsibility standard gives students a consequence for not doing the practice work leading up to

Page design by Tiffany Johnson

their summative assignments. It may be difficult for students who are unwilling to complete formative work or have a different learning style to do well with this standard. Some students may find it redundant to add this standard if formative assignments do not count in standards-based grading. Senior Gabriella Gatz does not see the point in adding this new standard since it contradicts the rules of standards-based grading.

“They are counting [the responsibility standard] as a homework grade, but because of standards-based grading, you can’t actually get a grade on your homework. I think that the participation aspect is good, but the homework aspect is pointless,” Gatz said.

One of the biggest changes this year has been adding a homeroom during third period. Homeroom provides stu-

“

It has been frustrating for teachers and students to not do assignments...I think it's been frustrating for students because it has given some of them the idea that it's just extra and doesn't count, but it does...

-English teacher Kimberly Reese

“

dents with a chance to receive help with and catch up on school work, to develop relationships with their peers and teachers and to hear the daily announcements.

Students will have the same homeroom class for the rest of their high school careers, which means an individual student will see the same peers and teacher every day for up to four years. There are some students who enjoy the study halllike atmosphere and free time that is offered during the period.

“I think homeroom can be good if you don’t have a study hall, but other than that I think it’s unnecessary,” junior Allison Breedlove said.

She also provides advice to underclassmen who are unsure of what they can be working on in their homeroom period.

“Bring a book or coloring sheets or homework so that you can have something to do other than look at your peers,” Breedlove said.

Some Fox Valley Career Center (FVCC) students do not have a homeroom class because of scheduling conflicts, which can be a problem because that is when announcements are taking place and other important information is being shared. Gatz is an FVCC student and has experienced some complications when it comes to not having a homeroom class.

“I go to the FVCC during [my] third, fourth and fifth periods, but on days where there are assemblies or any [important information is being shared] I’m not getting it, which is hard because I don’t know where I’m supposed to get that information,” Gatz said.

Students not getting information that is being shared during homeroom is one of the problems that has occurred during the start of the year due to the schedule changes. According to FVCC Director Rick Burchell, it should not be a hard fix.

“If the Kaneland [administration] sends us something and asks us to pass it out or share it with students, we will certainly do that. There are days when our classes are done around 11:10 a.m. with the next [standard] period at 11:30 a.m. There is a 20-minute period where students are in the auditorium. My hope would be that if we have students who don’t get their third-hour homeroom that maybe during that time someone from Kaneland is sharing that information [with them],” Burchell said.

Another issue that was caused by the schedule change was students leaving classes early or late to get to their FVCC classes, due to the fact that the FVCC and Kaneland schedules don’t match up. However, because the FVCC works with six schools, it is common for school schedules to not align.

“We just say that if there’s an opportunity for the students to get out a little early because of something happening in class, we would love to take them," Burchell said. "On the other hand, if they are taking a test for Kaneland and they need to finish or something, obviously [they should] stay with Kaneland and do what they need to do. I don’t know that there’s much we can do, but we are always willing to work with the home school's administration."

With each of the additions and changes to this school year, it will definitely be an adjustment for many students. Any time there is change, sometimes patience is needed before things begin to feel normal again.

News

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Opinion | September 29, 2022

THE REASONS FOR SELF-DEFENSE CLASSES

BY LIZZY SIDMAN Editor

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any students find themselves disinterested in taking physical education classes at Kaneland High School. They feel that what they learn, especially in the required classes, does not apply to their lives in major ways. A significant amount of people at Kaneland are involved in athletics, whether they are affiliated with the school or not, meaning that there is an interest in physical activity that could be used to create more engaging and useful classes like self-defense.

With the high rate of violent crime against young individuals, self-defense is a set of skills that everyone should have an understanding of to feel safer in the dangerous world that we live in. Some high schoolers, such as Kaneland sophomore and Taekwondo brown belt Grace Flinchum, take their fates into their own hands with martial arts.

“In the world today with a lot of dangerous stuff going on, it’s definitely a lot better [to know that I could defend myself] in a bad situation,” Flinchum said.

As a young woman, Flinchum shares the all-too-common experience of feeling unsafe in many situations.

According to one study by the nonprofit organization Stop Street Harass-

Photo courtesy of Grace Flinchum

Sophomore Grace Flinchum is awarded a purple belt by her Taekwondo instructor. Belts are used in several martial arts to demonstrate proficiency, with black typically being the highest rank you can receive.

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Opinion

ment, throughout their lifetimes, out of 811 women, 99% reported being catcalled in the streets.

Also concerning is that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1 in 12 high schoolers experience some form of physical dating violence. The world is a scary place for everyone, but for young women it is horrifying.

To evade violence or just to have fun, some people join martial arts classes like Taekwondo or karate. Others may face some problems deciding if the benefits of the skills outweigh the cost of the classes.

For Flinchum, “Martial arts are on the expensive side, but [they are] totally worth it.”

The huge problem that many people encounter when signing up for lessons is that, without public funding, self-defense classes can cost from at least $45 a session to more than $400 for a comprehensive program, according to research from VeryWellFit. These classes are not always accessible to students who would greatly benefit from them.

A natural solution to reducing the inaccessibility of learning important self-defense skills is to advocate for public funding in places like schools. This could be done by instituting a self-defense class as a P.E. elective that would allow students to learn valuable skills that would last a lifetime.

For many, the proposal of a new class may seem far-fetched, but in reality, Naperville Central High School, only 27 miles away from Kaneland, received a grant from their school board, allowing this type of class to become a reality.

“For the past two years at Naperville Central, more than 500 juniors and seniors annually participate in the popular R.A.D. [Rape Aggression Defense Systems] training option as a part of their spring semester general physical education course,” Naperville Sun reporter Suzanne Baker said in an article on the benefits of the implementation of self-defense courses at Naperville Central in 2019.

This course not only teaches both young men and women how to defend themselves, as it also addresses sexual violence too often seen between young couples by specifically catering techniques to women and providing men with information to help manage their emotions.

“R.A.D. classes started during the

[2017-18 school year] and are divided generally by gender. Girls are given the Rape Aggression Defense curriculum; boys take Resisting Aggression with Defense,” Baker wrote.

According to Baker, the class is teaching a meticulously planned and serious curriculum as well as being astoundingly well-received by students. This suggests that students at Kaneland could have a similar reaction.

As a Taekwondo veteran reaching for a black belt, Flinchum offers a unique perspective from her extensive self-defense training that she completes for safety and pleasure.

“I think a self-defense class would be beneficial because it would be so much more engaging for people who just walk around the gym 100 times,” Flinchum said.

It could be asserted, based on others’ experiences, that if a class like this was offered at Kaneland, it would be met with enthusiasm and would teach many students vital skills that could help them in dangerous situations. Despite these possible benefits, some oppose this argument, contending that the amount of time and money that would be required to implement a new class like self-defense would not be worth it in the end.

Executing this class would be hard, as it would require training teachers and advocating for grants like Naperville Central did, but in the long run, it is completely worth all the effort. Data collected by the Statista Research Department showed that 5,422 people under the age of 24 died by homicide in 2020, and though many of these deaths could not have been prevented, if even a few of these deaths could have been stopped by self-defense training, then funding for this training would be worth it. Data like this further goes to show that a class like this should be implemented at Kaneland.

“The first thing that they’re going to do when we look to add any class is to see what the need is for the students,” Director of Athletics and Activities David Rohlman said.

As long as there is strong student interest in a class, especially one as important as self-defense, a process could be started to add a new class, and it would be possible to see this training at Kaneland in the future. If nothing else, hopefully this at least begins a conversation at our school about a class that could make a difference and maybe even save lives.

Page design by Dane Coyne

By Editors Taylor Anello and Delaney Calabrese

September 29, 2022 | Voices

We Ask, You Answer What classes would you like to see at Kaneland?

“I wish Kaneland offered a film production class.

I know we have the analyzing film and lit class, but I’m more interested in the actual production of movies. I feel like there would be a lot of students who would want to do it too. " Ryan Bicker - Senior

“I wish the school offered to teach other languages like Bulgarian or Russian. [Other languages would be interesting] for myself and others to learn as well.”

Victor Valkanov - Junior

“I think we should have a martial arts class because I feel like it would benefit a lot of kids.

[Many] students want to get into martial arts, and it’s easier to do something through school as opposed to after school.”

Mya Lanham - Junior Page design by Abbey Mondi

Voices

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Sports and Activities | September 29, 2022

MEETING THE VARSITY FOOTBALL COACHES

BY SOFIA WILLIAMS

O Editor

ut in the cornfields of northern Illinois is Kaneland High School, where football is more than just a sport. It is a community where many unique athletes come together to be coached by a group of individuals who are dedicated and passionate and pride themselves on their high expectations.

Everyone who coaches football has their own reasons for why they are involved, but for head football coach Patrick Ryan, it is his history with the sport that led him here.

Ryan is heading into his sixth season as the head coach at Kaneland. Ryan played football throughout high school and continued to play at Carthage College. From early in his high school years, Ryan knew he would eventually want to not only play but coach football as well.

“My high school coaches suggested that [coaching football] should be something that I consider. I joke sometimes that when I was a high schooler, I thought I was going to coach the Bears,” Ryan said.

Coaches can have a greater influence on an athlete than one might think. Athletes spend a significant amount of time with their coaches, and they contribute to their successes on and off the field. Ryan is more than just a coach; he is a mentor.

He leaves his athletes with knowledge that will stick with them through their football careers and life.

“I try to be a coach that instills more than just how to play the game of football, but how to be successful in life,” Ryan said. “Don’t quit. When I say don’t quit, I don’t necessarily mean quit the team, but just don’t give up. At times, whether

Photo by Benjamin Warford

Offensive coordinator Ryan Gierke oversees and calls plays for the Knights as they play Geneva.

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Sports and Activities

Photo by Samantha Dunne

The Kaneland varsity football players and their coaches stand along the sidelines supporting their teammates. On Sept. 2, the Knights lost 38-14 to the Geneva Vikings.

it’s on the football field or in life, people are [going to] face adversity and run into challenges. Don’t quit, fight through it, keep playing and keep living.”

Defensive coordinator Michael Thorgesen has been coaching football for 14 years. Thorgesen had many coaches in his family in the past, so it seemed inevitable that he would end up coaching, taking into account his family background and the number of years he played football.

“I played the sport and my dad was also a coach growing up, so I was always attracted to teaching and coaching as a career,” Thorgesen said.

Coaches will come and go, but the ones who tend to stick with someone are the ones who leave a positive impact.

It’s easier for players to connect with their coaches if they can relate to them.

Thorgesen makes an effort to connect with his players on a deeper level than just football.

“I want to relate well to the players.

That is the most important part. I want to set a good example outside of sports and within [the sport itself],” Thorgesen said.

Alongside Ryan and Thorgesen is Zachary Martinelli, entering his sixth year of coaching the receivers. Having attended Kaneland schools as a student and now teaching at Harter Middle School, he has found a way to show his love for not only football but also the community.

“I grew up in the Kaneland [area] and feel a sense of loyalty to it. Coaching is a way to give back to a community that gave me so much,” Martinelli said.

Martinelli enjoys the process that leads up to Friday night games. He wants his athletes to live in the moment and ap-

preciate every day because these high school experiences will be gone faster than they might realize.

“I feel like people are often looking forward to the next event in their life and ignore the process [that it takes] to get there,” Martinelli said. “Football players are always excited about the Friday game but rarely rejoice in practice. It becomes about making it through the week or activity instead of thriving and truly owning each day. Make the most of each day and opportunity because if you’re constantly looking forward to the next great thing, there’s a strong chance that you’re missing something awesome in the present.”

The players also count on four other coaches to guide them: Ryan Gierke, Ryan Noel, Johnathan Busch and Brian Aversa.

Gierke has been coaching for 13 seasons and is currently the offensive coordinator. He is a 2005 Kaneland graduate who has enjoyed coming back to coach at the school he graduated from and staying in the area he has lived in for the past 30 years. He embraces change and takes feedback from his players, all while making an effort to understand their points of view.

“I like to be more of a players’ coach and listen to what they think. You always want to be changing and adapting to what’s new,” Gierke said.

During games, you won’t find Gierke on the field but in the press box calling plays for the offense.

Noel works on special teams with Martinelli while Busch, who once taught at Kaneland and now teaches at Lake Park High School, coaches the running backs.

Aversa is the defensive backs coach.

Page design by Andrew Valentini

September 29, 2022 | Sports and Activities

FAILURE: A LOVE STORY APPEARING SOON

BY ABBEY MONDI

O Editor

pening night is fast approaching, but the cast members of this year’s fall production will be ready. With many hours of rehearsals, the cast of Kaneland High School’s production of Failure: A Love Story by Philip Dawkins will turn a simple table read into a complete production. The performances are on Friday, Oct. 21, and Saturday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m. and a matinee showing on Sunday, Oct. 23, at 2 p.m.

This play is a complex story revolving around the main character Mortimer Mortimer and his tragic love life. Senior Richie Jendruczek plays Nelly Fail, the youngest of the Fail sisters.

“It’s a story about three sisters who all die within a year of each other and a man named Mortimer Mortimer who falls in love with all three of them before they die,” Jendruczek said.

“Failure: A Love Story” has a small cast of 10 students, along with a stage manager and a student director. The characters include Nelly Fail, Jenny June Fail, Gertrude Fail, John N. Fail, Mortimer Mortimer and a chorus. Nelly, Jenny and Gertrude are sisters whom Mortimer Mortimer falls in love with before they each suffer an untimely and tragic death.

The chorus is different from what may be expected. While there is some singing involved, the chorus is mainly telling a story. Junior Alexsandra Wimmer is a member of the chorus.

“The chorus is one of the main parts as well as somewhat of an ensemble part.

Within the chorus, there are a couple named characters that we trade off playing that are assigned to different people," Wimmer said. "The main thing that we do is narrate and carry the story along to tell you what’s happening because it’s set up like a fable."

This year’s play is directed by English teacher Rachel Giles, who is being assisted by fellow English teacher Christina Staker. While both have overseen many productions during previous years at Kaneland, this one is a little different than the rest. Many of Kaneland’s past plays have been murder mysteries or comedies. Failure: A Love Story, however, is not supposed to make the audience laugh but instead make them think about an important lesson.

“It’s about Mortimer Mortimer going through those losses and how you can persevere. It’s definitely not a comedy, even though there are funny moments,” Giles said.

Page design by Sofia Williams

From making sure all cast members are ready to helping pick out set pieces, a student director does it all. This year’s student director is senior Pheonix Martin.

Martin shadows directors Giles and Staker by helping with various production tasks, including assisting during rehearsal, tech week and the performances.

“I like to do both cast and crew, with prop hunting being my favorite thing,” Martin said.

English teacher Luc Al-Sakhria is designing the set this year with the help of Emily VanDelinder-Birchfield, an art specialist at Kaneland. VanDelinder-Birchfield will be putting together the set’s structure and pieces. This is Al-Sakhria’s first time designing a set for a Kaneland production.

“The play takes place during Chicago in the 1920s, so the aesthetic we’re going for is that black and gold sort of Great Gatsby vibe with blue as the accent colors," Al-Sakhria said. "It’s set in a home inside of a clock shop, so there will

be gears and fake clocks. It’s sort of steampunk. The exposed gears meet the art deco movement of the 1920s."

Throughout the year, the theater department puts on multiple productions.

There’s the fall play, winter play and spring musical. This year’s fall play has a smaller cast containing mostly upperclassmen.

The winter play generally has a larger cast, allowing underclassmen to try out their acting skills and gain experience.

Veronica Regelbrugge is a senior playing Jenny June Fall in this year's production.

“I’m excited about being a guide for the younger students to show them that theater can still be fun in high school. I want to encourage younger students to keep auditioning and being a part of the show," Regelbrugge said. "One day they’re going to be in the same shoes that I’m in, and they’re going to have to show the younger students that theater is fun and that it’s something that builds community."

Sports and Activities

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Feature | September 29, 2022

BY EDITOR LILLIANA BOBÉ

CLICHÉS AT KANELAND

STEREOTYPES OF DIFFERENT GRADE LEVELS

Photo by Samantha Dunne

From left to right, freshman Justin Sommers, sophomore Ryan Markham, junior Megan Fountain and senior William Wimmer highlight some of the typical stereotypes that can be seen throughout high school. Oftentimes, harmful stereotypes are featured in the media.

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tereotypes are everywhere, especially in a school setting. Stereotyping is applying generalized and often inaccurate judgments to a group of people. It can be common to hear people express their collective opinion of a certain grade level at Kaneland, therefore many assumptions are made.

One popular example includes the common critique of freshmen. Although we have all been freshmen at one point, many students have at least one critical thing to say about them. Some of these stereotypes could be as minor as thinking that they are a bit annoying, while other stereotypes could express some animosity toward them. Junior Amelia Jensen has been attending Kaneland for years and has recognized many stereotypes used by students.

“I’ve heard that freshmen are small and annoying, that seniors don’t really care anymore about school and that juniors are all exhausted from stress,” Jensen said.

The common assumptions surrounding freshmen are typically not the most positive ones. Freshmen students may feel inferior to older students simply because of their age. People may think that freshmen are overly excited and blissfully unaware of the workload and disappointments that may come later in high school.

Assumptions such as these are another cause for students to sometimes view freshmen with skepticism.

This cycle of freshmen being looked down upon may continue, as such stereotypes are often depicted in popular culture. Freshman Riley Houghtby has only

10 Feature

been at the high school for a short period of time, but he already understands the common belief of the older students.

“I believe that younger students have a tendency to seem annoying to the older students. That may be because their humor and actions might be obnoxious to the older students who have been at KHS longer, and they are overly annoyed at freshmen,” Houghtby said.

When it comes to sophomores, one example of a stereotype is that they should have their acts together, which can be a stressful and harmful idea. It is also common to joke about sophomores being horrible drivers and that people should stay away from them in the school parking lot. Even with these stereotypes existing, sophomores seem to face less criticism when compared to students in other grades.

The beginning of junior year marks the halfway point through a high school career. Since many students in that grade need to prepare for the SAT while feeling the pressure to figure out their futures, a common stereotype is that they are all exhausted or mentally drained.

“I actually believe in the junior stereotype that juniors are stressed and overworked since as a junior I know that my classmates, as well as myself, feel a lot of pressure [to do] well this year [in preparation for] college,” Jensen said.

“As for the senior stereotype, I can 100% believe I will be [putting forth] as little effort as possible after this year.”

Seniors are basically adults by the time they graduate, so many individuals may see them as having the most power

among students. Younger students may view seniors as independent and knowledgeable. While this stereotype may seem to portray seniors in a positive light, it isn’t always necessarily true. Seniors are still students, so it should be expected that they still make mistakes. Senior Julianna Gonzales has personally dealt with stereotypes regarding grade levels.

“Because of my grade level, a lot of people have told me that I seem to be really mean and intimidating because of how I look or the impression I give off,” Gonzales said.

Despite the attention and respect that many seniors get, there can be downsides as well. Seniors may feel stressed and confused as they rush to have their post-high school plans finalized and prepare to move on to the next stages of their lives.

Many examples of common stereotypes can be untrue. Not all underclassmen are unprepared and oblivious.

Alongside this, there are plenty of upperclassmen, for instance, who defy customary stereotypes and show respect toward their younger peers.

“I don’t believe that all the older students are rude to the freshmen and sophomores. Some juniors and seniors go out of their way to help make young students feel welcomed,” Houghtby said.

While students may continue to make assumptions based on grade levels, knowing the effects that stereotypes have on others could be a good starting point when deciding what to believe so miscommunications and unnecessary judgments can be avoided.

Page design by Jackson Kottmeyer and Ethan Bollhoffer

September 29, 2022 | Feature

THE PRICE OF BEING INVOLVED IN SCHOOL

BY KATHERINE PFOTENHAUER Editor and Columnist Manager

A

s you walk the halls of Kaneland High School, you will see all kinds of students. Some will be lugging around heavy bags full of sports equipment and wearing a uniform or other articles of clothing to show off the team they are on, and a few may be sporting a navy shirt, cargo pants and black leather boots, the typical outfit that students in the Fox Valley Career Center (FVCC) fire science class can be seen wearing. Others might be wearing a t-shirt or sweatshirt to represent an extracurricular club or activity they are in, like the Student Council, National Honors Society, FFA or any of the many clubs offered at the high school. You will see multiple students dressed to the day’s theme on school spirit days, and many of them go out and purchase attire to best fit the theme.

While these are just a few different types of students you will see strolling through the hallways on any given day, they all have something in common. They all show off their extracurricular involvement outside of the typical classroom environment. Whether it’s a sport, club or FVCC class, students have a chance to be more than just someone who shows up to the standard classes every day by geting involved in the student community.

A sense of belonging is one of many aspects essential to student success. Not only do students play on sports teams, go all out on spirit days and join clubs because they are fun, they also do it to be a part of something. Similarly, the teenage years are marked as the time to find yourself and start to get a feel for what you are passionate about. While there are many ways a student can do those things, one way is by taking a class that enriches them but also prepares them for college.

FVCC classes are a great way for students to explore what they might be interested in for a future career.

In high school, students pay to partake in school events and activities and to enroll in some FVCC classes. This goes above and beyond the standard tuition expense and optional parking pass. So, how much does all this cost? It is not always cheap to be a student. Our parents and guardians can attest to that.

Spirit days and themes for sports games have always been a way for students to get involved. It not only represents unity throughout Kaneland, but it also shows spirit during the week leading up to an event. It makes school more entertaining as people look to see what everyone else is wearing, and some even

Page design by Lizzy Sidman

take it to new levels when it comes to dressing up.

However, you may not have everything you want for the games or spirit days. Many students use what they have at home when it comes to dressing up, but others will go out and buy something for whatever the theme is.

Freshman Madison Zehelein is excited to participate in high school spirit weeks, but she does admit it can be pricey.

“I can’t wait to show my spirit for high school. I don’t know if I will be able to do all the spirit days, but [I will] try my best.

If I end up shopping for spirit weeks, I will shop on Amazon or go to Party City,” Zehelein said. “It can be hard to be a student because we have so little time to work and make money, but at the same time, there are a lot of events we want to participate in.”

Like school spirit, sports have always been a significant part of Kaneland’s culture. Many students are even multisport athletes. Nonetheless, equipment, training and participation fees can be costly.

Junior Alexandra Workman has been involved in sports from a young age, and her family even spends extra money on a hitting coach for softball.

“I am very grateful for my parents and how they have supported me throughout the years. I have been playing softball for nine years, and it is quite expensive. Other than school softball, I play on a travel team and have a hitting coach,” Workman said. “You need equipment like bats, gloves, cleats, helmets and bags, which can add up fast.

College camps can ... also be pricey, but I think it is worth it if you are interested in those . . . schools.”

The FVCC has a range of programs such as fire science, cosmetology, .criminal justice and many more. While these classes can be beneficial, especially if

you plan on continuing your education in the same field of study, they can be costly.

According to the cosmetology section on the FVCC website, “Students are required to furnish their transportation to the training schools, buy uniforms, shoes, a cosmetology kit and pay the required registration and lab fees.”

Other classes like fire science and criminal justice have enrollment fees, which do not include the price of the necessary gear for the class.

Senior and Fire Science II student Jacob Van Bogaert has enjoyed his time in the FVCC class and understands the reason for the cost.

“I am going on my second year of being in the class. It’s super enjoyable.

It costs a lot of money, mostly because the gear and equipment you use is pretty expensive, [and so] is the uniform itself,” Van Bogaert said. “The only thing you really have to provide and pay for is the gear itself and the college credit, but the college credit is pretty cheap compared to what it would be if you were to take [the class] at Waubonsee.”

There are many involvement opportunities throughout the school, and with those, you get to choose what type of student you want to be and what you want to participate in. While the time and money may be worth it in the end, it does make you wonder just how much it costs to be a student.

Cartoon by Sara Toman

Feature

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Centerspread | September 29, 2022

KANELAND GRADUATES WHO HAVE RETURNED TO THE SCHOOL

Photo courtesy of Ralph Drendel Class of 2005 alumn Andy Drendel (center) takes a graduation picture with friends.

Drendel grew up with future Kaneland teachers Michael Thorgesen and Brian Claesson.

BY RAFIKA KHAN Editor

O

n the first day of school, teachers an icebreaker, where the teacher tries to and students introduce them- connect with their students. Other times, selves to one another in hopes of the students ask the teacher about their getting to know each other early in the background and then get a glimpse of semester. Usually, the staff who grew up where they started. Clubs and sports are near the area include what high school a huge part of Kaneland, and many stuthey attended, and it’s never a surprise dents stick to doing strictly academic, athto hear someone say that they’re a Kane- letic or recreational activities, while others land gradparticipate uate. With in a variety so many of things. staff memAmong the bers who I had a lot of support, mentors and people I could go to, the severhave re- not just from an athletic standpoint but also from a teacher al teachers turned to standpoint. It made me realize as a little kid that I wanted who went work here to Kaneland to be a teacher at Kaneland. after gradand now - Physical education teacher Andy Drendel uation, it’s teach here, expected some may for people say that to wonder the activiwhat led to them choosing Kaneland as ties they did or the experiences they had a place they wanted to come back to for at school contributed to the teacher they their careers. Whether it was the school became. Oftentimes these experiences environment or the fact that it’s close to stemmed from their own teachers. With home, each of them has their own rea- each graduate having their own unique sons for working at the school they grad- experiences, sitting down and listening uated from. Teachers are usually more to the various reasons for their return can than willing to share what it was about give different perspectives on the KaneKaneland they enjoyed. land community and the teachers themSometimes, it’ll be mentioned during selves.

“

Physical education teacher and track & field coach Andy Drendel could be described as having been raised by the school. His father, Ralph Drendel, and godfather, Bob Pederson, were involved in the athletic department at Kaneland, making many coaches and teachers his family friends before he even attended the school.

“I had a lot of support, mentors and people I could go to, not just from an athletic standpoint but also from a teacher standpoint. It made me realize as a little kid that I wanted to be a teacher at Kaneland,” Drendel said.

Kaneland’s sense of community isn’t the only thing that brought Drendel back.

As a student, he grew up in the track & field program and inherited his father’s passion for it. Upon his return to Kaneland, Drendel became a coach for the track team and has nothing but praise for the program.

“The students are always great to coach, and I look forward to the next track season as soon as the school year starts,” Drendel said. “What’s fun about our coaching staff is that six or seven of them are Kaneland graduates. They’re people that I ran track with or share the same passion for sports with, and that makes a really fun workplace.”

The beginning of the 2022-23 school year gives Drendel several new students with new bonds to forge. As a teacher, he can only hope to be able to make a connection with even the most difficult of students. “[Interpersonal relationships aren’t] always going to be perfect, but that’s why the community at Kaneland is so important,” Drendel said. “If I’m struggling to get through to a student, I can talk to other teachers and ask how they managed to connect with them. I think these connections are valuable and make being a teacher worth it.”

Photo by Rafika Khan

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12 Centerspread

ANDY DRENDEL Page design by Elliot Krippelz

September 29, 2022 | Centerspread

BROCK FEECE Photo by Rafika Khan

Seeing a melting pot of students is an everyday occurrence for Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) facilitator Brock Feece. As a class of 2011 alum, Feece recently began working at Kaneland, despite thinking he would never return after graduation.

“I used to say that I’d never come back to Kaneland,” Feece recalls. “I knew people who graduated and came back here to work, which I didn’t think I would like. Now I think I was just in the right place at the right time because I got this job right after moving back into the area, and I haven’t regretted it since.”

Like many others, Feece’s drive to get to where he is today came from his teachers when he was a student. Being involved in things like band and theater introduced him to teachers outside the classroom and gave Feece opportunities that would shape him and inspire what he would want to teach.

“As a student, I was heavily involved in band, theater and Scholastic Bowl,” Feece said. “The teachers I met and the opportunities I was able to get have motivated me to [continue to help and inspire] my students.”

This year, Feece is also an assistant band director at Kaneland. He helped Kaneland’s band during the previous school year and has experience working as a band director. Feece’s role as an assistant director is more involved than it was last year.

“I’m eager about getting involved this year and am looking forward to how it’ll play out,” Feece said. “I love the band program here and am really enjoying the large role I have this year. I think that staying involved in school activities as a teacher is fun and rewarding, not to mention that it’s an opportunity to get to know some students better. I hope to continue doing this since music and teaching are both passions of mine.”

Page design by Elliot Krippelz

If there’s something that environmental science and biology teacher Breanne Kahl likes best about Kaneland, it would be the community feel within the school.

Having participated in several clubs and sports as a student, Kahl quickly realized that she wanted to teach in a place that felt familiar to her.

“Since I was involved with so much, I always felt like I was a part of the school and thought of Kaneland as my home away from home,” Kahl said. “I also saw so many teachers from when I was a student have a good relationship with one another, and that was what I wanted to have once I became a teacher.”

The way the Kaneland community played a driving force in Kahl’s decision to teach at the school was made clear through her fond way of speaking. She seemed to be reminiscing on her student life as she spoke about her activities at Kaneland.

“I was kind of a nerd, but I did a lot of sports, Student Council and just stayed pretty involved,” Kahl said. “It made coming to school fun, and I looked forward to every new day because of it.”

Kahl points out that the student body and staff were much smaller when she attended Kaneland. While she knew most, if not everyone, in the school, current students may not have even met their entire graduating class.

“The number of people in the school has definitely grown over the last two decades,” Kahl notes. “There is less of a small-town feel now, but more people also means that there are more things to do. I’ve seen so many new sports, clubs and classes spring up over the years, and there’s something for everyone, including teachers. I think that teachers and students getting involved in different activities continue to help foster our community, keeping it the same Kaneland that I once knew.”

Photo by Rafika Khan

BREANNE KAHL

MICHAEL THORGESEN Photo by Rafika Khan

The son of another Kaneland coach, biology teacher Michael Thorgesen, also inherited a passion for sports. Thorgesen has come a long way from his childhood days as a water boy for his dad's teams.

Since coming back to Kaneland, he has coached both football and girls track & field every year.

“I’m very fond of coaching football and track,” Thorgesen said. “I’ve always loved those sports, and I like coaching them because you can develop relationships with kids outside the classroom that are different from those inside the classroom.”

Having been an involved student himself, Thorgesen would know what it's like to take an active role in a school community. The coaches and teachers he had while playing football and participating in Student Council at Kaneland were what made Thorgesen realize that he wanted to be a teacher and have a similar influence. Still, his good experiences with Kaneland teachers never made him expect that he would end up teaching at his old high school.

“It was never the plan to come back to Kaneland,” Thorgesen said. “They had a job opening, and it was my third year out of college, so I got lucky. Even so, this is where I’ll probably spend the rest of my career because I enjoy working here and can’t imagine leaving any time soon.”

Thorgesen’s devotion to his students is made clear by the effort put into his teams and classes. From wanting to be a reliable teacher to forming bonds with his students, Thorgesen shows what he loves about Kaneland.

“My favorite thing about Kaneland is definitely the students,” Thorgesen said.

“I think we have a good student body here since it’s a blend of all types of kids.

The students represent what the school is all about, and I think that’s the most important thing for any school.”

Centerspread

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Advice | September 29, 2022

BALANCING SCHOOL WITH PERSONAL LIFE

BY SELA VALIGNOTA

Editor and Co-Podcast Manager

I

t is a common experience to feel an immediate sense of relief and relaxation once you hear the dismissal bell of your last period class. However, for numerous students, the end of a school day does not mean the end of work and responsibilities. While almost all students have homework they have to do, others additionally have outside work and personal lives to attend to.

Being a high school student has introduced many teenagers to the hardships of balancing multiple responsibilities.

While many students take it upon themselves to take honors or AP classes to appeal to colleges, others get involved with the school through clubs and other extracurricular activities; some do both. Outside of school, many have part-time jobs and relationships with friends and family to consistently maintain. As a teenager who has multiple expectations to fulfill, the number of things you’re responsible for can be overwhelming.

It’s completely understandable to feel stressed when multiple things start to pile up on you, but it’s also worth reinforcing that you are not alone. Many of your peers are likely facing the same obstacle of learning to balance their school responsibilities with their personal lives.

Junior Abigail Fitts said that while she has to juggle many different tasks, it’s comforting to know that her classmates are going through the same experience.

“I’m not the only one who balances so many different activities and things at once. I know several people who are better than me at my sports, smarter than me in my classes, work a job and also maintain healthy relationships,” Fitts said.

“I am by no means alone in the stress of an average high school student. [I think] sharing all this brings attention to the fact that our peers around us go through the same things, and it sometimes can be too much to handle.”

Fitts is a student-athlete in two AP classes who maintains a job as well as many successful relationships with friends and family members. She manages to balance her academic work, personal life and work life using different strategies and by keeping track of how she spends her time.

“Something simple like a calendar can help keep yourself in check,” Fitts said. “I keep a calendar that is shared with my friends, as well as my own calendar for personal use.”

Using a calendar can be extremely

14 Advice

helpful to physically see what you’ve been doing and how you can further prioritize, whether that means creating more time for studying or determining when you’ll have time to see your friends next. Seeing when my upcoming assignments are due and figuring out who I have and haven’t seen the past few days can help me a lot when deciding when I should be studying and when I can fit in time to spend with my family or friends. It can be overwhelming to have so much to do, and laying out what needs to be done week by week can help me feel organized, as well as help me see how to take things one day at a time.

School counselor Kate Ozarka is in charge of the College and Career Readiness Center, and she helps many students who need it to prepare for college and post-high school opportunities. With many students coming in feeling behind and a need to do so much at once, Ozarka advises them with a quote that encourages students to take it day by day.

“I have a quote [in this room] that says ‘one step at a time.’ What can we do today? Let’s just focus on that for right now. What is in our power today? I know there’s a bunch of things tomorrow, this week, this month, this year, but what can we do at this moment right now?” she said.

A key part of laying out what needs to be done and determining what has already been done is prioritizing and being in the moment when you are doing something. Johns Hopkins University’s article on school-life balance, written by members of their Student Assistance Program, describes being in the moment when managing your time.

“Stay focused on the task at hand don’t worry about work when you’re in class or studying, and don’t let work or school interfere with spending quality time with family and friends.”

Thinking too much about what you could be doing and what still needs to get done can not only make you feel weighed down and unaccomplished, but it can also distract you from what you are getting done, whether that is an assignment or spending time with family. Either way, being in the moment and feeling confident and accomplished with yourself is important.

What you should always consider when having to balance many different tasks is making time for yourself to be okay. Your mental health should be

your number one priority on your list of responsibilities, and Fitts describes the importance of mental health to her when balancing a busy schedule.

“The most important [step that I take] to keep myself from getting overwhelmed is talking to those close to me about my mental health or how I am feeling,” Fitts said. “I think mental health is so important to keep in check. The drive to be the best at your activity is important, but wearing yourself down can have greater negative effects than you might think.”

Photo by Sela Valignota

Junior Abigail Fitts sits near Lake Geneva. She takes time to relax with friends outside of school.

Photo by Sela Valignota

Fitts takes notes in her pre-calculus class. Her favorite class this year is AP Language and Composition.

Photo by Sela Valignota

Fitts (center) poses with her teammates following the cross country team’s first meet of the season.

Fitts has been running cross country for six years.

Page design by Lyla Christakes

September 29, 2022 | Editorial Kaneland High School 47W326 Keslinger Rd. Maple Park, IL 60151 (630) 365-5100 www.kanelandkrier.com

picture descrpition and picture by Cartoon by Lilliana Bobé

There are many ways to view Kaneland in a positive light, and the positives continue to grow.

Even with the negatives Kaneland has, there are positives that can be drawn from them.

THE POSITIVES OF KANELAND

I

n our school, it is common to hear a phrase like "only at Kaneland" from students whenever something bad or inconvenient happens. Kaneland is often viewed by students as run-down or outdated because of the age of our building or because it is seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Students here often compare Kaneland to other local schools and look down upon our own because of what we lack. While our school has its ups and downs as any schools do, Kaneland offers a multitude of unique opportunities and experiences that should not be taken for granted.

For one, comparing Kaneland to other schools is much different than comparing Kaneland to itself at its inception. Having existed for well over 50 years at this point, the school has come a very long way. The recent addition of individualized Chromebooks has done wonders for completing work at home and has opened a wide range of learning opportunities for students throughout the district. Personalized, district-ordered computers are not something that all schools offer, and this has given Kaneland students great opportunities to extend their learning.

Recent grading policy changes are also some positive additions that have been introduced to the school. While some say standards-based grading is a bad thing for students, it has at least opened a new and unique form of learning that can work for a portion of classes like English, arts and other electives.

It also can strengthen the legitimacy of a student's grade. Teachers have more of a say in how they feel a student is comprehending a subject, and students have more opportunities to reassess, which gives them a deeper understanding of how they are doing in a class or subject.

Kaneland is continuing to make rapid changes and improvements. The new personalized learning academy that will

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Page design by Taylor Anello

open next fall is a great example of this, but this is not the only thing Kaneland is doing to attempt to move forward. And while Kaneland may lack some attributes of a cookie-cutter school, it offers a multitude of opportunities exclusive to us.

The most prominent example is the Fox Valley Career Center (FVCC). It offers many different experiences for very specific careers that can give you a jump start into your post-secondary plans.

Most high schools do not have anywhere near as many career-specific electives as the FVCC, especially ones that will give students as much of a head start after they graduate.

Kaneland also offers many clubs and extracurriculars to ensure all students have something to satisfy their interests.

There are sports of all kinds and new and inclusive extracurriculars, such as the Esports Team and Pop Culture Club, alongside fine arts and clubs in support of minorities.

Kaneland's location, while sometimes seen as a negative, offers many positives that are often overlooked. The lack of surrounding activity provides a very quiet environment for activities like band and sports that take place outside on a regular basis. Also, the Kaneland district covers a very large portion of land. As one of the largest districts in the state, students may have to travel far, but because of the area it covers, there are many different communities Kaneland accesses.

Kaneland is often looked at through a negative perspective, with students only focusing on the things we don’t have, but this is truly overlooking the great things about our school. We have come an extremely long way since our beginnings and are being given a unique experience that could do wonders for our future if we decide to embrace it.

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Member of IJEA, Quill & Scroll, NSPA, NISPA IHSA State Finalists 2013-2022 IWPA Silver Pen 2017 NISPA Golden Eagle 2017 IJEA First Place for Krier Online 2021 IJEA First Place for Best Hybrid Publication 2021 & 2022 IJEA First Place for Best Overall Publication 2021 & 2022 Subscription rates: Five issues, three supplements School-delivered, $20; Home-delivered, $30 Kevin Sigrist Editor-in-Chief of Print and Production Executive Samantha Dunne Photography Executive

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EDITORIAL POLICY

Editorials represent a majority opinion of the Editorial Board and are not necessarily the opinion of Kaneland administration, staff, students or parents. The Krier Editorial Board consists of designated Advanced Journalism students: Taylor Anello, Lilliana Bobé, Ethan Bollhoffer, Delaney Calabrese, Lyla Christakes, Dane Coyne, Samantha Dunne, Arianna Failor, Kira Helm, Tiffany Johnson, Rafika Khan, Jackson Kottmeyer, Elliot Krippelz, Abbey Mondi, Katie Pfotenhauer, Zoey Pozen, Lizzy Sidman, Kevin Sigrist, Andrew Valentini, Sela Valignota, Ashley Vanderhoff, Benjamin Warford, Paige Whiteside and Sofia Williams.

Students make all publication decisions.

Letters can be sent to the address above or e-mailed to krier@kaneland.org. Letters must be signed (names may be withheld under extraordinary circumstances as deemed by the editorial staff) and must be under 300 words. The Editorial Board has the right to work with writers to edit for clarity and length. Any material that is potentially libelous, obscene or disruptive will not be published at the discretion of the Editorial Board. All decisions to publish or not publish letters are made by executive editors. The Krier has been an open forum since 1974. As an open forum, we restrict editing to staff members only; prior review and editing are prohibited by people outside the staff.

Editorial

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Opinion | September 29, 2022

HOMEROOM COULD HELP STUDENTS THRIVE

BY JACKSON KOTTMEYER Editor

R

ecently, Kaneland High School has seen some pretty drastic changes.

Things like e-passes, responsibility standards and the addition of a third period homeroom are just some of the new adjustments that have been implemented for the 2022-23 school year. Among the best of the upcoming changes this year was the addition of a homeroom class, a shorter period that was built upon the idea of creating authentic bonds between students and teachers as well as teaching social skills and emotional intelligence.

The lessons taught in homeroom include anything from relationship-building and emotional intelligence to decision-making and general life skills.

Depending on the day, homeroom can also provide an opportunity to sit back and relax or to study for an upcoming exam.

Homeroom will benefit all types of students and staff members. As with anything in life, however, homeroom is not perfect. There are still some improvements that can be made. According to guidance counselor Anne Kuntz, the main concern about homeroom is figuring out how to meet the needs of all students.

“Obviously, the ‘how’ is harder than the ‘what.’ What we plan to do in homeroom makes sense and sounds great, but how do we meet the needs of the Fox Valley Career Center students who start class at 9:30 a.m. and therefore cannot have a homeroom? How do we decide what to teach and when, since there is so much to learn about social topics, emotional intelligence, coping skills and college and career planning [without] a textbook to follow?” Kuntz said.

While these concerns are definitely valid, Kaneland is not resistant to change based on the needs of staff and students.

Every year that homeroom exists, Kaneland staff members can learn more about it, and this knowledge can help improve it so it can benefit everyone.

Another issue that has been brought up by some teachers is that class times are shorter than last year. This is due to the fact that time must be subtracted from other periods in order to make room for a homeroom class. Math teacher Rebecca Williams feels that this is just something that people have to get used to.

“It is definitely a challenge to have less class time, but change is inevitable.

We must adapt to the needs of our students and our district goals. I will do my

16 Opinion

Cartoon by Lilliana Bobé

Homeroom is a period of the day where students can relax and socialize, while also being taught social-emotional skills. It takes place four days a week and can provide various benefits.

best to teach as much as I can to my students in the time I have been given,” Williams said.

Along with learning about social-emotional subjects, homeroom can also help students learn to manage stress.

Giving students a chance to slow down their day and relax for half an hour can be important to them. It also gives students a chance to make up any missing or late assignments, particularly on Tuesdays and Thursdays when they are given more time to work. Eventually, the homeroom structure will allow for more student movement and the ability to make up missing assessments too.

While some people may not talk about how stressed they are feeling, stress is still a real problem in high school. Katherine Schaeffer, a University of Pittsburgh alum with a master’s degree in international development, performed a study in which she found that 37% of high school students reported that their mental health was bad most of the time.

44% reported poor mental health sometimes. A large factor in the struggles that high schoolers face is stress.

This stress can come from a variety of contributors, including homework, upcoming exams or the general competitive nature of a high school culture.

Homeroom can help ease this stress for students. People can do their homework and study during the work days, as well as talk through difficult social situations with their trusted homeroom teacher.

When talking to teachers about sensitive subjects, it’s important to trust them

and feel comfortable enough to share.

University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development professor Dr. Sara Rimm-Kaufman highlighted the importance of this trust when she said, “Improving students' relationships with teachers has important, positive and long-lasting implications for both students' academic and social development.

Students who have close, positive and supportive relationships with their teachers will attain higher levels of achievement than those students with more conflict in their relationships.”

Homeroom is a class period that gives each and every student a chance to slow down their day, decompress and recharge. It gives students the opportunity to have some time for themselves, to socialize with peers or teachers or to work on any assignments.

I produce my best work when I have short breaks where I can decompress.

When I sit at a computer for hours on end, work does not get done, and a built-in break in the schedule helps me stay more focused and committed to school work.

“Primarily, homeroom should be a place to pause, reflect and recharge during your school day,” Kuntz said. “It is also a time set aside to connect with a teacher about social topics, emotional intelligence, coping skills, college and career planning or school-specific details like announcements or surveys. Anyone who is invested in the learning environment at Kaneland can benefit from this: teachers, new students, old students, counselors. All of us.”

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September 29, 2022 | Voices

WE ASK, YOU ANSWER How important is having a student-teacher bond?

BY DANE COYNE Editor

Senior Mikey Hanania

Math teacher Tim Larsen

MTSS facilitator Mallory Sunday

“If I have a good and friendly relationship with my teacher, I will learn so much better. If I don’t like my teacher, I am not going to do well [in class]. If I have a friendly relationship with my teachers, it will motivate me to actually do better.”

“I think that [deciding if being close to your teacher is important to your education] depends on the student. Some people just take the organization and learn and take what they need out of it.

I think the majority of people [believe that] if you get along with people or if you understand where they’re coming from, it’s just easier to work with them.”

“I want [my students] to know that I want to get to know who they are, and I want to make sure that everything outside of school is just as important as what is happening inside. A lot of the time, I’m just looking to help them learn how to handle all the big life stuff that happens as much as the inside stuff.”

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Have you ever had a teacher that you really liked? Why? It was probably because that teacher made you feel comfortable in that class, or because you felt like you could be yourself around them. It’s bonds like that between teachers and their students that make a lot of people enjoy classroom environments. On the other hand, some people don’t like forming bonds with their teachers and would rather keep to themselves in class. There’s no right way for someone to enjoy a class. After all, everyone learns differently. What do you think is most important about teachers bonding with their students?

Trying to figure out what kind of person you want to be around other people can be difficult. Pressure to live up to everyone else can greatly influence someone’s performance in school. What’s important is remembering to be respectful and kind to everyone who deserves it. Teachers and students alike deserve to have a comfortable and enjoyable classroom environment, no matter how extroverted or introverted they are as a person.

Voices

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Profile | September 29, 2022

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September 29, 2022 | Profile

AUCHSTETTER: A LONG AND WINDING JOURNEY

BY ANDREW VALENTINI & PAIGE WHITESIDE

W

Editor & Editor-In-Chief of Web and Copy Editor

hen walking through the C hallway of Kaneland High School, you’ll pass a room filled with colorful flags from all around the globe and a teacher usually wearing a pair of Air Jordan Retros greeting students as they walk by. Steve Auchstetter, social studies teacher and former coach of a variety of sports, is one of Kaneland’s longest tenured teachers, and he would have the most consecutive years here if it were not for him stepping away from teaching to take care of his family.

Auchstetter grew up in North Aurora and attended Eastern Illinois University where he majored in psychology. While some teachers never thought that they would set foot in another classroom after college, Auchstetter was planning on returning to school and pursuing a teaching career since he was in middle school.

“I did my eighth grade career report on being a teacher. My mom saved it and I still have it,” Auchstetter said.

Auchstetter started teaching right after he graduated from college, getting a permanent substitute job at Waubonsie Valley High School in 1991. He taught every day and even started his coaching career there with the sophomore baseball team. Soon after, he got a full-time teaching job at Fox Valley Lutheran Academy in St. Charles. Auchstetter taught there for two years until the fall of 1993 when his career at Kaneland High School began.

His first stint at Kaneland lasted 10 years from 1993-2003. During this time, Auchstetter taught a variety of social studies classes, including human geography, U.S. history and psychology. In addition to teaching, coaching was a big part of his first decade at Kaneland. Auchstetter coached football, basketball and softball in his first year at the school.

He was also the first to coach spring baseball at Kaneland. Baseball used to only take place during the summer, but this changed in 1995 when the athletic department came to Auchstetter and asked him to coach baseball in the spring.

The multi-sport coach, though, was probably most known for his role on the football staff. He started his coaching career with the freshmen before moving to varsity assistant, where he coached wide receivers and the defensive line. Alongside Tom Fedderly, who has been everything from Kaneland's offensive line coach to the head coach, Auchstetter coached the likes of future San Francisco 49er and current University of Minnesota head coach

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P.J. Fleck. “[Auchstetter’s impact] wasn’t just on Fleck, but on everybody he coached. He did such a good job getting all the kids prepared, not just on the field but in the classroom, too,” Fedderly said. “He is an amazing teacher. You have to be a great teacher to be a great coach. He was prepared mentally and fundamentally, and since he is such a nice guy, that has to have an effect on everyone he [works with].”

In 1997 and 1998, the Kaneland Knights football team won 28 straight games, going undefeated both seasons and taking home the title of back-to-back State champions. When asked about which State championship felt better, Auchstetter mentioned that both were great, but one came with more pressure than the other. “[During] the second year, there was more pressure because we had basically all of the same kids coming back and everybody expected us to win State again,” Auchstetter said.

They did, in fact, win it again with wide receiver Fleck having an amazing year while being mentored by Auchstetter. Auchstetter would continue to coach at Kaneland for three years after stepping away from classroom teaching in 2003.

After a 10-year span of teaching at Kaneland, Auchstetter temporarily left the job he loved when he and his wife had their third child. Auchstetter made the decision to sacrifice his teaching career for the time being to be a stay-athome dad for his young children. A year after having their third child, the Auchstetters had another, bringing the total to four children and extending Auchstetter's time at home.

Even though he was at home, Auchstetter still found ways to be involved in teaching. He would often help in his children's classes and chaperone for school trips. He also coached his children’s sports teams as they were growing up.

Even though he was away from his career for a while, Auchstetter enjoyed being home with his family.

“I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world. I loved what I did. I loved being home with them every minute,” Auchstetter said.

While he did enjoy staying home, he found it to be much harder than teaching. Auchstetter gives credit to any stayat-home moms for how much they do for their families.

After 12 years of being away from the classroom, Auchstetter finally decided it was time to return. Conveniently, there was an opening at Kaneland and he took it. He volunteered to coach lower-level sports the first two years he came back.

He stopped after his kids started high school because he wanted to spend his time watching them play sports instead of coaching them. His second stint at Kaneland has lasted nine years so far, and he’s not planning on stopping anytime soon.

“As far as how many years I have left, I’m just going to keep teaching until I don’t like it anymore,” Auchstetter said.

Auchstetter has been at Kaneland for a total of 19 years. Despite the 12year absence that separated his time of employment here, only he and Fedderly have been here since 1993. For all the years that Auchstetter has been at Kaneland, he still loves coming to work and seeing students every day. “[My favorite part about teaching] is when I see a kid make a connection in class with something that we talked about before,” Auchstetter said. “The relationships with kids [are important], and now sometimes they’ll tell me their parents had me as a teacher, which is cool to see.”

Whether someone has had him as a teacher or not, they can most likely tell how much Auchstetter loves his job. He’ll often play music outside of his classroom, dress up in costumes on holidays and participate in school spirit weeks. Students, like junior Andrew Walter, enjoy his method of teaching and how he makes normal history lessons fun and entertaining.

“I had Mr. Auchstetter my freshman year. The reason that I liked him a lot was that even during [the pandemic] he would always make lessons fun and interesting,” Walter said. “He is really good at teaching and knows how to keep us engaged.”

While he plans to continue teaching until he doesn’t enjoy it anymore, Auchstetter hasn’t taken on a full-time coaching role ever since his return to Kaneland.

When asked about making a return to the gridiron, he said that he is often busy with visiting his children in college, but that he wouldn’t rule out a possible return to the action in the future. Regardless of whether or not he returns to the field, Kaneland is lucky to have a teacher like Auchstetter, who enjoys teaching, coaching, connecting with students and making the classroom a fun and engaging place for high school students to be.

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Photos | September 29, 2022

STUDENT RESOURC

By Editor and Co-Broadcast Manager Lyla Christakes

Ka n e l a n d H i g h S c h o l t h e m i n d s o f t u d e n t T hs e. p l a c e s m a y p r o v i d e s a f e t ,y c o m f r t o r a s e n o f r e l i f . S t u d e n t s a r e a w r e o f t h e i r v e y d a b e l s c h e d u l e sb ,u t o m e a yn o tk w a b o u t h m e a n r o y m K s H o S f e r t s o u p tr h e o m u t s i d e o f t h e i r e g u l a r c l a s r o m s .eW b g i n u p s t a i r s a w e t r a v e l a o n g t h ro u g h o u t h e s c h o l .

has many places to help eas

-

ROOM A214

The library, located acro vices office, is filled with seating arrangements fo The library is open nearly e school year and offers a s think, research, study and

The Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) walk-in lab is located upstairs, and it is open almost daily to students for their many different academic needs. Students can go in during any open periods during their day to get help on different assignments or to learn concepts for classes.

20 Photos

ROOM B102

The Collabor ed in the B tached to the and ready for for many di ic needs. The and comforta perfect for an for group pro ings or a diffe vironment to

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CES AT KANELAND

September 29, 2022 | Photos

ROOM E109

ROOM C105

The College and Career Readiness Center is located at the east end of the cafeteria next to the bathrooms.

The center is open most days during lunch periods for students to get help with post-high school plans.

oss the Student Serdifferent areas and or students to work. every day during the space for students to d collaborate.

ration Lab, locathallway and ate library, is open r students to use fferent academe room is a quiet able space that is ny student to use ojects, club meeterent type of enstudy.

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ROOM C109

The Student Services office, located across from the Dean’s office, is open for any student with social-emotional or schedule needs during the school day. Each student is assigned to one of the five counselors based on their last name. Students can come to their counselors during the day to talk to them about anything, whether it is related to their schedule or any number of personal issues, which can help students get answers to their questions and help with what they need.

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