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KANELAND

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September 24, 2026

Riding the wave Learning to go with the flow

Volume 53 • Issue 1 • Kaneland High School • Cover by Ally Reilley

Table of Contents

4 Sports & Activities 7 News

Run for Tomorrow 5k raises suicide awareness New leaders emerge on varsity football team

14 Editorial 17

Centerspread

Progress doesn’t always mean swimming Forced to go with the flow

Photo by Kaiden Lycan

Photo by Grace Rusev

Photo by Narmeen Kattoum

Photo by Ally Reilley

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Letter from the executives

It’s up to you. You can either sink, swim or float through life. Life ic by Audrey Norin has its ups and downs, and it’s your choice what to do with it. The Krier staff hopes you will ride the wave of life. Don’t try to fight the current or constantly swim against it. Let the wave take you wherever it’s headed. Life will be exhausting if you’re constantly treading water, but it will be boring if you let yourself sink. The most effective way to live is by going with the flow. So keep swimming with the tide and, like Dory from the movie “Finding Nemo” says, “Just keep swimming.”

Aleena Alrifaee

Audrey Noring

Ansley Ruh

Grace Brunscheen

Ellie Olp

Gavin Vaughn

Katherine Homco

Ally Reilley

Prema Weichun

New dress code takes effect at Kaneland BY GIANNA HOUGH, AUDREY NORING, AND GRACE RUSEV

Editor and Copy Editing Manager, Editor-in-Chief of Print, and Editor and Photography Manager

t the start of the 2026-27 school year, the Kaneland Board of Education implemented a new dress code for students in the high school. Kaneland had been without a strict dress code for five years, but the Board of Education decided it was time for a change. In recent years, the absence of a strongly enforced dress code has become more of an issue and a distraction. The new dress code includes the prohibition of violent language or images depicting drugs or alcohol, hate speech, profanity, pornography, visible underwear, bathing suits and helmets or headgear that cover the face, except for religious observance. The handbook includes a list of clothing items that are, however, allowed. This includes pajamas, hoodie sweatshirts with the hood up, skinny jeans, yoga pants, athletic attire and hats. “Every year we look at the student handbook to see if any changes are needed based on state handbook codes, and we also look at other districts in the area to see how ours is comparable,” Principal Melinda Cattell said. “The district feels that the dress code will help students prepare for professional expectations in future workplaces.” The new dress code has created some tension for the students at Kaneland. Junior Cate Taylor feels like the dress code is directed towards female students. Within the first week of school, Taylor got warned a few times about her outfits and was eventually dress coded. The most frustrating part for Taylor is the fact that most stores sell these types of clothing that are now getting banned, and she can’t control it. It’s hard for Taylor to even find a shirt that isn’t midriff. Taylor understands that short shorts and revealing shirts are not appropriate for school, but she doesn’t understand why she can’t wear strapless shirts. Taylor feels the dress code has hindered her performance at school as well. “When I’m at school, it’s hard to focus in certain classes where I know a teacher is really harsh about the dress code, because the whole day I’m at school, I just feel like they’re going to be dress coding me,” Taylor said. “I’m just waiting to get pulled out of class. So it’s sometimes very hard to focus because I’m just so conscious about what I’m wearing now, and

Page design by Veronica Van Dusen

I’m thinking more about my outfit than I am about actually learning.” The dress code not only affects the students, but teachers are feeling the effects as well. For teachers, it’s difficult for them to dress code their students. “There’s difficulty (in dress coding students),” math teacher Kristin Massey said. “You have to tread lightly. You don’t want to embarrass anybody. You don’t want to offend anybody, and there are lots of things to consider. I mean, I don’t really appreciate students in school basi-

just actually serves no purpose at all.” Cattell explained that the dress code is meant to prepare students for the real world, not to limit their wardrobe options. “We are here to help students be ready for the professional expectations after high school,” Cattell said. A teacher can submit a dress code violation report for anything they feel is not following the code. If teachers have any questions about the policy, they are encouraged to ask the administration like they would for any other violation of the student handbook. In a way, Massey feels the dress code has been put onto the teachers’ shoulders because of the amount of things they handle on a daily basis. “As a teacher, we’ve got 8,000 things on our plate,” Massey said. “It’s important. I don’t think it should go away, but I forget. It’s not always on my mind. It’s one of the less important things.” Despite plenty of backlash, Clothing must have fabric at the dress code was implemented with students in mind. The top of shoulder administration is keeping the dress code to further benefit the KHS student body, and teachers have done their best to do their part. “I just think we’re in a professional environment where it’s important for everybody to be respectful of each other and their space,” Shirt must cover from CTE teacher Joe Conroy said. “And I think the dress armpits to beginning of code leads to improved student performance because pants it’s been proven that how we dress directly impacts how we act.” To handle dress code Graphic by Prema Weichun violations, KHS is using a progression discipline method like cally wearing a bra, though.” they do for all other expectations. If a Despite some hesitations, Massey student were to get dress coded, the first and Taylor do believe the dress code step includes a parent/guardian notificamakes sense in some circumstances. But tion. If a student gets dress coded for a this is not the case for sophomore Ryland second time, they are required to have a Laster. disciplinary meeting. If it were to happen “I was dress coded for having alco- a third time, there would be loss of privihol branding on my clothing,” Laster said. leges and social probation (this includes “[Getting dress coded] does not allow me dances, sporting events and extracurricto wear what I want.” ular activities). A fourth time will result in Laster doesn’t see a reason for the removal from the classroom. dress code to exist. He doesn’t see anyKHS will continue to enforce the thing wrong with the clothes that he and dress code and apply disciplinary actions others are getting dress coded for. as needed. The dress code will remain in “It’s not beneficial,” Laster said. “It the student handbook indefinitely.

Kaneland High School Dress Code

Chest must be covered

News

Run for Tomorrow 5k raises suicide awareness BY KAIDEN LYCAN & AVERY ZWICK

Editors and Photography Manager and Meteorology Manager

n Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, at 8:00 stigma around asking for a.m., the second annual Run help,” Wiegert said. “In the for Tomorrow 5k took place at fire service, there can be a Kaneland Blackberry Creek Elementary mindset of always being School. tough, pushing through This event is hosted by the Elburn & and taking care of evCountryside Fire Protection District and eryone else first, but is in honor of Kimberly Wiegert’s late first responders are husband, Rhys. She also started work- human too and they ing in the fire service after her husband need someone to passed away. take care of them.” “The race is in honor of my husband, This race not who passed away about six years ago,” only raises awareWiegert said. “After everything I went ness in the communithrough, I wanted to find a way to have ty, it also raises awaresomething good come from such a diffi- ness for first responders cult situation and create something that and helps them underhelps others.” stand they are not alone. This event is for all ages and ability “I think awareness is levels, ranging from walkers to runners. about letting people know istrict Multiple high schoolers got to partici- it’s okay to not be okay,” ction D The ire Prote F e id untrys pate in the race. Wiegert said. “It’s okay to rn & Co community has u lb E f o courtesy “This event, personally to me as a ask for help, and there is Graphic responded really well runner, signifies doing something that I always someone willing to listo the race and advocate for it to keep enjoy and is a way of bringing together ten. If this race can help start even one growing each year. the community to run for a cause,” senior conversation or make one person feel like “Since this is only our second year, cross country runner Joey Schuch said. they’re not alone, then it’s worth every- we’re still a fairly young event, but we’ve Gen Z has started to advocate more thing that goes into it.” already seen a lot of growth,” Wiegert for suicide awareness. Many people may The Run for Tomorrow 5k is still a rela- said. “Last year was really about getting feel that they are struggling and do not tively new event, with organizers planning the race started and introducing the comunderstand that suicidal thoughts are to expand it into a major community oc- munity to what we wanted it to be. This typical too. As someone who has dealt year, we’ve been able to build on that with the conseand bring even more people and orgaPhoto by Kaiden Lycan quences of suicide , nizations together.” Wiegert knows it is Community members, businesses, important to spread runners, volunteers, sponsors, firefightawareness. ers and first responders all contribute “Suicide awarein different ways. Wiegert hopes to conness means so tinue growing this event and fundraismuch to my family,” ing for awareness. Wiegert said. “We “Last year, we were able to donate know all too well $12,000 to Illinois Firefighter Peer Supthe devastation. It port, which was absolutely incredible means recognizing for our first year,” Wiegert said. “Seethat you never truly ing that kind of support showed us that know what somethis event has the potential to become one else may be something much bigger than we origigoing through and nally imagined.” that sometimes the One example of how this event has person who seems affected a lot of people in the commuthe strongest may nity comes from a high school cross be struggling the The second annual Run for Tomorrow 5k took place on Sunday, Sept. 13, at country runner and cadet at the Elburn 8:00 a.m., with participants ranging in ages and ability levels. The purpose of most.” & Countryside Fire Protection District, this event is to raise awareness for suicide prevention and help anyone in need. People who are junior Gianni Middona. struggling might “Since I’m a cadet at the Fire Promask the pain and hide it instead of ask- casion. tection District, I volunteer a lot of time to ing for help. The issue is that the major“This is our second year hosting the help set up the race,” Middona said. ity of those who go through hard times Run for Tomorrow 5k,” Wiegert said. “The Middona also sees how this event don’t feel the need to find help. Instead first race was held in 2025, and it was in- helps bring awareness to suicide prevenof advocating for themselves, they tend credible to see how quickly the commu- tion. to prioritize others. nity embraced what we were trying to ac“Events like this definitely get peo“For me, it also means removing the complish.” ple talking because mental health is not

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Page design by Miles Sizemore and Avery Zwick

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“Whether someone is running the race, volunteering, sponsoring it or just showing up to support someone they love, they’re helping us create a community where these conversations can happen,” Wiegert said. “Ultimately, that’s what I hope this event continues to do. I want it to honor my husband, but I also want his story and this race to help create something positive for other people. If we can save e v e n one life by encouraging someone to reach out for help, then everything we’ve put into this event is worth it.” After the race, families could stay and enjoy a variety of family-friendly activities, live music, interactive safety house tours and fire apparatus displays. All participants also went home with their own fire department race shirt as a way to commemorate the day.

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always discussed,” Middona said. “Suicide awarness is very important because someone can be struggling and people won’t notice, so it’s very important to check in with people to make sure they are doing okay.” While the race itself is fun for community members and organizers alike, what Wiegert values most is the way it can help so many people who need it. “The community’s reaction has honestly been one of the most meaningful parts of the entire experience,” Wiegert said. “People have been incredibly supportive, and we have had so many people step up to volunteer, sponsor, donate or simply help spread the word. I think people really connect with the fact that this isn’t just a race. There is a much deeper meaning behind it. It’s an opportunity to honor those we’ve lost, support those who are still struggling and remind people that they don’t have to go through difficult times alone. Seeing so many different people come together for one cause is incredibly special.” Events like this can bring a community together, especially in a small town like Elburn. Once people see the good of the cause, many aim to contribute in some way, even if it is just showing up.

You never know Graphic by Avery Zwick

BY JAZMIN BOSQUE

Editor

here are over eight billion people in the world today. Everyone has a different story. Some people’s lives are filled with happiness, while others are surrounded by struggles that are unimaginable. You never truly know what someone is going through just by looking at them. The person you see laughing in the hallways could be hiding from the pain they keep at home. Suicide awareness matters. It reminds us to check in on others, pay attention and be kind no matter what. It is important to create an environment where nobody has to face their struggles alone. Kaneland High School psychologist April Rousch helps students find resources when they are facing any kind of mental health challenges. “You can always text 741-741 because it is quiet and quick, or call 988 and speak to someone in the moment,” Rousch said. “It can also be helpful to journal, get outside, be with pets or help someone else. All are ways to remember we are connected to more than whatever is weighing heavily on us at the time.” It is important to be aware of the people around us while remembering to prioritize our own mental health. Check in on friends, family and even strangers. Most importantly, check in on yourself and understand what your body needs to keep on going. “Nobody else can be you, and you are important just the way you are, even when it feels tough,” Rousch said.

Photo by Kaiden Lycan

Participants in the Run for Tomorrow 5k had the opportunity to run competitively, though there were plenty of walkers as well. The race, which is run in honor of Kimberly Wiegert’s late husband, has had a major impact on the community.

Graphic by Avery Zwick

News

Photo by Aleena Alrifaee

The r

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BY SYDNEY DAVIS AND ELLIE O’CONNELL

Reporters

ver summer break for American teens and preteens, the latest popular activity became getting together with friends on e-bikes and e-scooters, which resulted in numerous accidents and even deadly crashes caused by high speeds, lack of road knowledge and young ages. This activity has gained popularity amongst teens and with good reason. These e- bikes and e-scooters are fun and can be a great source of transportation for those without drivers licenses. Fatal crashes are not uncommon, though, and typically these crashes are caused by the person on the e-bike or e-scooter, not the driver. “When I Googled the new laws, there were six articles that popped up from Illinois about kids getting killed or in critical condition right now in the last six weeks all between the ages of 14 and 16,” Drivers Education teacher Andy Drendel said. “In every one of them, the kid was at fault. They blew through a stop sign, they didn’t follow the rules of the road and a car ended up hitting them.” Unlicensed riders are unfamiliar with the rules of the road. This makes them more susceptible to little mistakes, like running stop signs and not keeping an eye out for other drivers and pedestrians. Not paying attention to pedestrians can be dangerous anywhere, especially in big cities where walking is one of the most popular forms of transportation. “I almost got killed by one [in] Chicago, not like literally killed,” English teacher Rachel Giles-Bachman said. “My friend and I were walking downtown, and people were using those e-scooters on the sidewalk and didn’t follow traffic laws.” When e-scooters are used irresponsibly in pedestrian forward areas, this is when issues tend to arise. The people

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walking are never at fault. Pedestrians always have the right of way from both cars and bikes, and with the introduction of e-scooters and e-bikes into society, those who are riding them need to follow the same rules as every other motorized vehicle. On the contrary, for responsible teens and preteens, these e-bikes and e-scooters have their benefits. Child Development teacher Kirstin Murphy understands the possible upsides of e-bikes and e-scooters. “I’m glad [kids] are outside and not just inside doing nothing,” Murphy said. “But at the same time, they’re not really getting any physical activity.” Being outside has been proven to help teens and preteens with both their physical and mental health. It is proven to reduce stress, restore attention spans and reduce symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Nonetheless, being on an e-scooter does not involve the same amount of physical activity that a normal bike or scooter generates for a kid. For high school students, acquiring a drivers license is a big step toward independence. Being able to get yourself from place to place makes it easier to hang out with friends, be involved in before and after school activities and go to social events. However, for underclassmen or anyone without a drivers license, e-bikes and e-scooters can be a fun and quick way to get around. Nevertheless, accidents happen and are not uncommon. Junior Juju Springer experienced a minor e-scooter accident last summer. While the accident was not serious, she still suffered a few injuries. “I flew off the front, head first,” Springer said. “I dove off the e-scooter, and I got

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road rash on my arms and my hands were all cut up. It was pretty bad.” Even after her crash, Springer still highlights the positives that e-bikes and e-scooters have. “I love e-scooters actually,” Springer said. “I think they’re really fun. It’s a great way to get around without a license, but I think the max speed should be around 20 miles per hour. I think you should at least have a helmet on because if I would have banged my head, I would have gotten really hurt.” When e-scooters are used for good, they can be a very useful form of transportation, especially when people have no other modes of transportation available to them, either because of age or because of lack of access to motorized vehicles. While they can be used for good, the downsides and dangers of using these vehicles never disappear. People can be severely injured or even killed on these motorized vehicles, which shouldn’t be disregarded or taken lightly.

These risks are what Drendel has in mind when he advises caution. Drendel, with his career spent teaching student drivers, has a perspective that may be different from teens who do not have the benefit of experience. “Those aren’t bikes,” Drendel said. “Anything that goes over 28 miles per hour should be and is classified as a motorcycle. You should have to have a drivers license. Those bikes have to follow all the same rules as everyone else. They have to be registered, it has to be titled and you should have to have insurance on it.”

Page design by Aleena Alrifaee

New leaders emerge on varsity football team BY JOE PLACZEK & CADEN KAISER

Editor and Sports & Activities Manager

s the football season progresses, the team has had to adapt after losing key players last year. But there are also plenty of familiar faces who have been stepping up and taking on new roles on the field and in the locker room. Junior Brody Guthrie is this year’s starting quarterback. Guthrie has been putting in work for as long as he can remember to prepare himself for this role. “Last year for me was a learning year,” Guthrie said. “I got to be behind a great quarterback, Jalen Carter, and my offensive coordinator, Coach [Zachary] Martinelli. This year, I’m just ready and prepared. I had a full year learning, and now I’m ready to show that.” Guthrie has been following the leadership of his teammates and his coaches, but this season it has been his his turn to step up and guide the team.

“I think Guthrie is doing everything that we’re asking of him right now,” head coach Michael Thorgesen said. “I think he’s very much prepared. He’s a student of the game and seems to love it quite a Photo by Grace Rusev

Junior Brody Guthrie awaits the snap in a conference game at Morris on Friday, Sept. 11. The Knights lost to the Warriors 3513, bringing their season record to 3-1.

bit.” Thorgesen had big plans for Guthrie coming into this season. Guthrie, however, is not the only player who has stepped into a bigger role this year. Senior Jackson Little is playing his usual position of outside linebacker, but he is also impacting the offense by getting carries out of the backfield. “Coaches have trusted me to get the first down,” Little said. “I am a hard, big bruiser running back, so it feels good to get those yards.” In a season that has involved a lot of changes, having a veteran like Little has been helpful for the coaching staff. Little, who has committed to the University of Minnesota Duluth, is the kind of player that Thorgesen has been able to build his defense around. “Little is one of the most experienced kids we’ve had, and I think he’s going to pick his spots on offense, but he’s mostly a defensive player,” Thorgesen said.

Code of conduct implemented for Kaneland

By NATALIE SANAGUSTIN & NARMEEN KATTOUM

Editor, Broadcast Manager, and Photography Manager

or the first time since 2013, the Kaneland district administration changed the code of conduct for all Kaneland High School athletics, establishing new rules and expectations for the 2026-27 school year. The code was revised over the summer to reinforce the ideas and expectations for a student-athlete at Kaneland High School. There are now more severe consequences relating to athletes’ abilities to participate in their extracurricular contests after violating the code. “It is a privilege to participate,” Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Dr. Christopher Adkins said. “There is an expectation that you are going to do all of the things that the athletic code addresses: keep your grades up, attend school, comply with the drug policy from IHSA and represent the school well by not misbehaving.” Adkins and the district administra-

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tion worked diligently to make the code understandable and detailed so that all parents, guardians and athletes are aware of the code before joining an athletic program. “When a student signs up to register for the code of conduct, it automatically goes into effect,” Athletics & Activities Director David Rohlman said. “It stays in effect for 24 hours a day, seven days a week and until they graduate from high school.” If a student-athlete has violated the code as a first offense, that athlete will be suspended from 40% of their extracurricular athletic events. The consequences go up after each offense, and by the fourth one, athletes are prohibited from participating in athletics for the rest of their high school career. A way to reduce the punishment to 20% is to participate in a formal program outside of school that is related to the offense. The program also must be

approved by the administration prior to the athlete attending it. Another way to reduce the consequences is to self-report. The athlete would then be given some leniency and would only lose 20% of their athletic events. Student-athletes are mostly biased about the topic, but some understand that the code is for the better. “The code is going to make sure people know exactly what they should and should not do,” junior Bryce Ehlers said. “It is going to make sure that people understand what the school expects of them. They are really enforcing that it is a privilege to be an athlete, but I am afraid that they might take it too far and lose sight of what it means to be a Knight.”

Page design by Caiden Kaiser, Joe Placzek and Ciara Puett

Sports & Activities

The heart of Elburn still beats BY ALLY REILLEY AND JOSEPH DIGUGLIELMO

Design Executive and Editor

riving down Main St. in Elburn, you may see an old, worn building with a small park. Outside the building is a neglected parking lot and an old marquee sign that says “Jazzercise Tuesdays”. Many of us drive by it every day but don’t know its fascinating history. Constructed in 1929, the Elburn & Countryside Community Center has been a central part of the Elburn community for almost a century. Today, a non-profit organization keeps it running and aims to bring the community together. While it is not as used as it once was, the center used to be lively and have plenty of visitors. Until 1958, the Elburn Community Center operated as a school. When Kaneland High School finished construction, high school students left to attend the new school in Maple Park. Elementary school students then used the building as their school until 1984, when it closed. Walking through the building today, many hallways still have vintage lockers, senior composite photos and school memorabilia. The community center is also rumored to be haunted. In a ghost hunt done by Paranormal Investigator Dale Kaczmerk and his team, unexplained sounds and movements were caught on camera. While the building certainly has an eerie vibe at times, it is unclear whether spirits inhabit the halls many students once walked. While the building was previously a school, now it is mostly used for programs run through the center, such as dance, exercise, dog training and a basketball league. ev

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“The building is regularly used for men’s basketball leagues, jazzercise, a karate dojo and the Elburn food pantry,” Elburn Planning Committee member Ryan Anderson said. “The center has many donors so

8Arts & Culture

The Elburn & Countryside Community Center was built in 1929 and is still used for multiple purposes. Outside the building, residents will see some of the original signage, an American flag painting that displays town pride, a little free library and a neighborhood park.

it keeps the lights on, and over the years people doing community service have done random things [for it].” Over almost 100 years, the historic building has undergone various renovations. According to Shaw Local, in the fall of 2011, the boiler was replaced by a geothermal heating and cooling system for $400,000. However, there are still plenty of renovations that would be needed to restore the building to its original condition. “I’d love for a major benefactor or someone to come in and really redo some things,” Anderson said. “I know the building has issues, but it needs a lot of money to upgrade and to bring the building up to current standards.” For decades, the Elburn & Countryside Community Center has meant more to people than some old building in the middle of town. For some people who grew up in Elburn, it was a place to play sports, take classes to learn something new or maybe celebrate a special occasion. For longtime resident and Kaneland teacher and coach Andy Drendel, these memories started when he was just a kid. “From the age of like three to 19, you were there at least 20 times a year,” Drendel said. For Drendel, the best thing about the community center is the sense of pride he gets as an Elburn resident. “It’s still like the small-town feel,” Drendel said. “You know, you can feel a real sense of community, and you can feel a sense of pride in the local businesses. It’s just a smalltown community feel, good values, and it’s nice and quiet. I feel like people are pretty friendly for the most part.” The community center is also a place where Drendel has made some of his best memories, including his birthday parties. “I remember we rented [the community center] for like an hour with like 10 or 11 of

my friends,” Drendel said. “And then we rented the basketball court and played basketball down there.” As basketball became more popular at the community center, travel teams were formed for Elburn kids to play with kids from other towns and districts. Today, the gym space is still rented out for men’s basketball. “It’s part of my childhood and hard to let go of,” Anderson said. “It’s why I do what I can and rent the gym monthly over the fall to spring for men’s basketball.” For many generations, the Elburn & Countryside Community Center has been a place where people have been able to come together. Over the years of changes to the community center, it still remains a historic part of Elburn. As time passes, what remains to be seen is whether or not the building will be modernized or improved.

Page design by Rebecca Johnson and Grace Rusev

What’s in your lunch? From homemade meals to cafeteria favorites, Kaneland students have their own ways of fueling themselves.

BY ALEENA ALRIFAEE AND AUDREY NORING Editor-in-Chief of Print and Co-Social Media Executive and News Manager

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pack-ahead

leftovers

Junior Caden Rosinski

Freshman Desmond Williams

PERSON

“I like to pack my lunch because I know what I want. I usually pack a sandwich, some type of fruit and a granola bar.”

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“For lunch I had potatoes, chicken and hot sauce. [I eat leftovers] because I have to stay strict to that diet.”

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PERSON Senior Kevin Martinez

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“I’m a picky eater. I don’t like a whole bunch of stuff. I usually just eat Pringles.”

“I eat cafeteria food because I don’t bring a regular lunch. I usually have a chicken sandwich, bacon egg and cheese sandwich, and a bag of chips.”

Quick tip

Use leftovers! Scoop extra portions straight from dinner into your lunch before you even sit down to eat. Page design by Audrey Noring

Easy packed lunch idea

Photo by Aleena Alrifaee

Sophomore Hayden Smith

Senior Mia Jarm

“I don’t eat lunch in the cafeteria because I’m not hungry. I just had breakfast right before school.”

y Audrey Noring

The

Photo by Chloe Larrison

- Turkey & cheese roll-ups - Apples - Berries - Popcorn

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Teens are young and they need a lot of energy throughout the day, and food is what provides that. - Physical education teacher Jill Carpenter

Lifestyle

The pressure to keep up

How students set a pace with social life, school life, sports, fashion, social media and friendship BY DEVIN KAPADIA AND MABEL ZIELKE

Editor and Social Media Manager and Broadcast Manager

he bell rings, but you barely notice. You zone out, pushing your way through the crowded hallway to the next class. All the homework, sports and friend drama consumes your mind. Your headphones are blasting music, but it is not enough to drown everything out. How do you organize your life while staying healthy and happy like everyone else? As school begins, so does the stress of everything that comes along with it. For a majority of students, the bell ringing signals more than just school. It marks another day of clubs, sports and the pressure to keep up with it all. A busy schedule makes it easy to get stressed with everyday life. Though you cannot always balance everything, there are healthy ways to try. Using homeroom wisely and selecting a study hall provide logical opportunities to work on things during school. Otherwise, making time after school to complete homework helps relieve stress. While doomscrolling can help to take students’ minds off of things, it is healthy to set a limit on how long you are on your phone. “Rather than helping you to learn useful information, you waste time as you surf from one outrageous story to another, all the while feeling worse about the world, the people in it and your ability to cope,”Alisa Bowman wrote in an article from Mayo Clinic Press. Learning to manage your time better not only helps you complete your work quicker, but it also helps your mental health. Ways to help with time management are setting reminders, using an organizer and designating time to complete things. Having successful time management skills helps to reduce stress and allows you to have a more effective schedule. Junior Corinne Faivre takes five AP classes and is a club soccer athlete who has a great amount of experience with time management. “High school is hard and balancing everything is overwhelming, but if you don’t procrastinate and just remind yourself what you’re doing it for, it will make you more successful,” Faivre said. “Find

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time to do the things you love.” Doing the things we love helps relieve stress and makes us happier, but with activities such as clubs or sports, these fun things can turn into chores. Putting pressure on yourself to be perfect takes away the enjoyment of things. Not only does that pressure make everything less enjoyable, but it eventually can lead to burnout. Burnouts come just as easily as an assignment’s due date. Both can creep up on you when you are not expecting it. This can be from lack of motivation, procrastinating and unproductivity. Prioritizing rest, whether it is through

Graphic by Carter Miller

slowing down or taking breaks, is essential to preventing burnouts and staying both physically and mentally healthy. The overall pressure of high school can also be discouraging. Students find themselves putting so much pressure on themselves to get good grades that when they get bad ones, it can ruin their whole day. Teachers and parents place expectations on students that they find hard to

meet. Not every class in high school is an easy A. Ways to help yourself are asking questions, voicing your needs and getting extra help if needed. For some students, finding that balance does not mean having a perfectly organized schedule. JP Quirk, an English teacher at Kaneland High School and president of Batavia’s Albright Community Theatre, has to balance a lot of things in his day-to-day life. On top of having two jobs, he also acts and plays hockey. “I tend not to have a whole lot of free time,” Quirk said. Instead of trying to cram as much as he can into his schedule, Quirk says he approaches most things by asking himself, “Am I overwhelmed? Am I being authentic? Is [doing this] what’s best for me?” These questions can be useful for students who feel pressured to keep up with everything around them. A busy schedule does not necessarily mean a successful one, and doing something simply because everyone else is doing it can make it harder to preserve what is actually important to you. High school can make students feel pressured to act and live a certain way, but there is no reason you should feel the need to feed into it. Some people enjoy being involved in everything, while others are happier keeping their schedule simple. There is nothing wrong with either of the two, and figuring out what works for you can make your academic experience far less stressful. Finding the right support group of friends, teachers, coaches and advisers can also help students who are trying to navigate the many pressures of high school. “We are always so worried about what people think about us, but not focusing on how those people can help us,” Quirk said. It’s important to find your individuality as both a human being and a high school student. Staying true to what you love helps high school be more enjoyable.

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Storm magnet: Why Illinois can’t catch a break from severe weather BY MALEY LOVE AND CARTER MILLER

Copy Editing Manager and Editors and Infographic Manager

n recent months, Illinois has been subject to lots of significant weather events. Many towns across the state have experienced violent storms that brought heavy rain, caused flooding and even produced damaging tornadoes. As this year’s record-breaking tornado season comes to an end, it leaves behind an idea of what our climate may look like in the future. As the world’s climate changes, so do our weather patterns. Illinois has seen a massive jump in the severity of its weather. The changes in our environment cause our atmosphere to become more unstable and unpredictable. According to the National Weather Service, the number of tornadoes in Illinois this year has quadrupled the annual average, resulting in 210 confirmed touchdowns in 2026 so far. Joanna Edelman, who teaches biology, environmental science, astronomy and the new ecosphere class, believes the major cause of recent weather events is due to global climate change. As climate change is a growing concern, the effects of it are drawing more attention. Global climate change is slowly altering the severity of weather, and because of it, Edelman believes that we will have to adjust to these changes. “We are to expect shifts in weather patterns on the global scale,” Edelman said. “Places that perhaps have normally gotten a lot of rain might now be getting droughts, and areas that didn’t have as many strong tornadoes could now see a big spike in tornadoes.” El Niño is a natural climate pattern that causes the surface waters of the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean to become warmer than average. “We’re expecting one of the strongest El Niños in recorded history this year,” Edelman said. Senior Quintin King’s passion for storm chasing comes from wanting to get out there and see storms for himself. His perspective as to why recent storms have become more significant suggests a different angle. “I’ve noticed that the recent storms have brought a lot of rain across northern

Illinois,” King said. “With severe weather, there is going to be damage no matter what. I think the main reason why the storms are becoming more common and occurring more often is because of the instability in the atmosphere where we live, especially with the fluctuating temperatures.”

Graphic by Narmeen Kattom

Due to high amounts of rain, the soil in our area is very saturated. Our cornfields have been affected by the high amount of rain as well. Corn sweat is when corn stalks absorb water from the soil that goes through their roots and releases excess moisture as water vapor. Edelman explains that with this process, corn will create microclimates. “Because of how saturated the soil is, corn is going to go through vapid transpiration at higher rates, producing or

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speeding up the change in the local microclimate,” Edelman said. Warm temperatures and humidity are the key elements in producing damaging storms. When warm humid air rises and mixes with cold dry air, it causes the Earth’s atmosphere to become extremely unstable. With this unstable atmosphere, the possibility for producing dangerous thunderstorms known as supercells increases. Although they are considered rare, supercells are fairly common for the Midwest and particularly Illinois. Supercells are dangerous because of their capabilities to produce damaging weather events such as hail, tornadoes and excessive rain. Because of the damage that these supercells can produce, the aftermath of these storms present a considerable struggle. In the event of a tornado destroying a town, many people in rural areas can be left with their homes needing repairs or even being completely destroyed. Though tornadoes and storms may be intriguing to watch, they can be very dangerous. For King, when structures are directly hit, his focus shifts to making sure people are safe. At the end of the day, human lives matter more than the storm. While King and his group of friends love the pursuit of severe weather, their focus always shifts to safety when needed. “As much as I would love to keep on chasing the tornado or storm, I know that human lives are way more valuable, and I would never risk a human life if it meant seeing a tornado,” King said. “A human lives once, but tornadoes and severe weather will always be here.” Unfortunately, climate change is a real concern. Although changing climate patterns have always been a part of Earth’s warming and cooling cycles, humans are primarily to blame for speeding up the timeline of these events. In the span of 4.5 billion years since its creation, Earth has undergone incredible changes. A study from NASA reports, “Carbon dioxide from human activities is increasing about 250 times faster than it did from natural sources after the last Ice Age,” and the consequences of those human actions are being felt both internationally and here at home.

Feature

Photos by Aleena Alrifaee

The tech duo: What lies behind the screens BY GIOVANNI BARTOLONE & CHRIS RUIZ

Gannon isn’t the only one going out and fitting in other hobbies in his free time. Gaming, fishing, running and going innegan Gannon and Trenton to the gym are all hobbies that both GanHutchins are Kaneland’s technology non and Hutchins have in common and support specialists that everybody sometimes like to do together. can go to when they have issues with “We will usually go to the gym totheir devices. They are there to help both gether, and we like to run every Wednesstudents and staff members with any day for two miles at least,” Hutchins said. technology-related challenges. “We like to get outside, and I think both “When I need something fixed, of us would like to do more fishing. We they’re down here really quickly,” Superboth like to play a bunch of video games. intendent Dr. Kurt Rohlwing said. “They’re I think most people in my position either helpful, and they’ll talk me through the have a home lab or are interested in setproblem.” ting one up and kind of running their When a love for your work and a own personal server with all their movies passion for your skills collide, you get and stuff rather than storing it the Kaneland technology team. on the internet or locally.” Whenever times get hard or At 7 a.m, while most a day just feels never-ending, kids are getting ready Kaneland staff and students or barely on their way know that no matter what, “When I was working in the elementary to school, Gannon and Gannon and Hutchins will Hutchins are already always show up and give it schools, those kids loved to see you someat work. They use the their all to solve any probtimes. I remember one time, I fixed some35-minute buffer before lems. thing in the music room and they all said the halls fill to complete “Decent parts of my tasks that may be hardday are just interacting with ‘thank you’ in unison.” er to fulfill while there people and socializing,” is teaching and learnHutchins said. “I wouldn’t - Technology support specialist ing going on. Gannon call it laid back because the and Hutchins know the work fluctuates in speed. Trenton Hutchins teachers’ schedules so Sometimes I will work nonthat when school picks stop for multiple hours, and up, they can move from other times I’ll go pretty room to room taking much half of the day with very care of tasks. They spend little to do.” time in the office working From being students at on catching up with repairs Kaneland High School and becomand handling urgent probing friends during junior year to lems that need solving right being co-workers at the same Graphic by Chris Ruiz away. By around 4 p.m., they school, Gannon and Hutchins are done and can finally head have known each other for a home after solving problems all while. Gannon and Hutchins make a great day. “I was the one who recommended team to get things done. They are reli“I think that [Hutchins] has helped this job,” Gannon said. “It just kind of reable and always happy to help with anyme learn to be a bit more self-motivated,” ally worked out fantastically that we get thing that people might bring their way. Gannon said. “There was a time when we to share an office and be in-building coThey aren’t just there because it’s their were very quiet and didn’t communicate workers together.” job. To them, it’s more than that. with each other. Now that we are always While being good friends and pro“I think they really care about the talking about doing work orders, I feel ductive co-workers is crucial to their long customer experience,” Rohlwing said. that it made it a little bit easier. I’m always and healthy partnership, they believe “They consider the staff and the students thinking about what I can do to help out.” that the secret is an even workload beas their customers. They ask a lot of quesGannon and Hutchins are the heart tween them. The balance of work is what tions and make sure that you understand of Kaneland technology. With each probkeeps them productive and able to get what’s going on.” lem they solve, they’re widely appreciwhat they need done, while still allowing There is way more to Gannon than ated in the Kaneland community. While them to take the time that they need to people might see. He likes to do a lot their day-to-day tasks may not always be catch their breath. more than just work on technology. He seen, their absence would be evident. “I’m always trying to make sure that enjoys clearing his head and being out“Last year, they served over 1000 I’m balancing the work between us,” side in nature as well. devices,” Rohlwing said. “And so if they Hutchins said. “I don’t want to make Finn “I like going for runs,” Gannon said. weren’t here for a day and we had no feel like he’s doing everything, or that he ”I’ve still been stuck on it since cross support when something broke, it would has to do it because I won’t. I want him to country. It just helps me get clearheaded, just be down for the entire day. Like I feel that he can rely on me to go out and gives me peace of mind and helps me be said, it is really one of the backbones of do things to get a stretch in if he wants able to get outside and see nature.” this, of how we do education now.” to.”

Editors

Whether they’re troubleshooting computers or transporting them by the dozen, it’s clear that they work very hard. While hard work can be challenging and draining for hours at a time, it’s the little memories that are made along the way that make it all worth it in the end. “Sometimes you can get unlucky and not be prepared enough or do something really stupid because things are easy to mess up,” Hutchins said. “When I was working in the elementary schools, those kids loved to see you sometimes. I remember one time, I fixed something in the music room and they all said ‘thank you’ in unison.”

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Profile

Progress doesn’t always mean swimming BY JACK BICKER AND CHLOE LARRISON

Editors and Columnist and Social Media Manager

ife is beautiful and overwhelming all at once. Sometimes people see a beautiful ocean filled with joy and opportunity. Other times people see dangerous waves that could just as easily take control of how we exist. In an ever-changing world, societal standards become even stricter and harder to deal with as we grow, especially in high school. As teens are becoming adults, a society-imposed standard that can really affect a teenager’s impressionable and growing mind is feeling the need to always succeed. A lot of the time, it feels like we jump into the ocean of life only to sink from the pressure of our own mindset and the harsh eyes of society. On the contrary, sometimes the standards of others make us feel like we need to burn ourselves out while swimming somewhere different. It’s hard to embrace the fact that we might not always succeed every second of our lives. However, if we realize that success looks different to everyone, it becomes a lot easier to float in the ocean that once seemed daunting. The world is constantly changing, and with it, society. Trying to balance our workload and mental health while it feels like the world is watching can cause immense amounts of pressure to constantly meet a non-existent standard. The pressure can reach a point where we notice ourselves feeling like we have to constantly succeed in order to prove ourselves to the world. However, there’s nothing we have to prove. Success looks

14 Centerspread

different for everyone, and it’s much healthier to slow things down and determine what success looks like to you. Senior John Thill has done this himself. “Success for me is trying to become a better version of myself each day,” Thill said. “If I see myself becoming a better version of myself, that’s success.” This is just one person’s version of success. Someone else’s idea might be completely different. Additionally, their idea of success can change over time as they grow. Sophomore Claire Orphal has experienced this mental shift. “When I was younger, I used to think that being successful was getting straight A’s [and] getting dia pa [good] grades and a K in ev all that kind of stuff,” D y sb hic Orphal said. “[Now I see p a Gr success as] just learning about what you’re doing and figuring it out.” The concept of trying to prove ourselves to the world by always succeeding is impossible because everyone views success differently. “No two people are the same,” guidance counselor John Markovich said. “[Life is] all going to be a different path.” Still, it can be difficult to see people around you achieving their goals while yours take more time. “It’s hard to see the person to your left succeeding in whatever they want, [and the person to] your right, and [see that] they’re doing great in life,” Thill said. “[You can] feel like you’re behind, even though you might be doing great for yourself.” A lot of the time, success comes in small chunks that are harder to accept as growth. If we keep our goals in mind, we can start to see the bigger picture coming together piece by piece with every day’s progress. “If you can improve by 25%, you’ve improved by 25%, right? That’s progress,” Markovich said. “The world at large may not view that as progress, but for you that could make a big difference.” Just like learning to swim, it’s important to acknowledge that our personal success takes time to get to. It’s impossible to swim perfectly the first day you get into a pool, and finding the right technique to swim better takes time. Success

is similar. We won’t always see ourselves making progress. Day by day, we have to find those moments that bring us forward and emphasize them. “[You have to] celebrate those victories because change is not easy,” Markovich said. As humans, change is necessary to adapt to what life throws at us. Change is hard, but it is necessary for growth. Change can look like a lot of things, but to some people it looks like letting things go. This world is harsh, and it is difficult to take ourselves out of situations we don’t want to be in because it can feel like we’re being judged for quitting. Quitting, however, can equate to growth. Society imposes the idea that leaving something is forgoing success and sinking. However, in different circumstances it can be multiple steps toward achieving our personal goals and beginning to swim at a manageable pace again. “I played baseball for about the first 12 years of my life, and I got to a certain age where I realized it wasn’t fun anymore and I [felt like I] had to actually be good at the game and succeed,” Thill said. Reflecting on the situations we put ourselves into is also necessary because it gives us the opportunity to really ask ourselves if what we’re doing is helping us accomplish our goals. “I eventually chose to quit [base-

ball], and that opened my schedule up for things that I would prefer to do,” Thill said. Through leaving baseball, Thill was able to learn more about himself and what really interested him. This helped him take another step closer to his version of success. Even though society might see it as taking steps backwards, taking yourself out of certain situations can bring you closer to your version of

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success. At times, it can feel like success is measured by what can be seen: the grade at the top of an assignment, the classes on a schedule or the activities filling the calendar. What those measurements cannot show is what it took to earn or maintain them. Orphal experienced this disconnect in English when her grade indicated success that she did not necessarily feel. “In English I got an A on [one of] my assignments, but I didn’t understand the subject whatsoever, and I was struggling to grasp it,” Orphal said. An A suggested Orphal was swimming. Her understanding told a different story. English teacher Jennifer Sayasane has seen that divide from the other side of the classroom. Some students consistently arrive prepared and perform well, only to later reveal how much they are sacrificing to maintain it. “From what I see as a teacher, they are prepared every day,” Sayasane said. “They’re doing really well on all their [assignments], and then later, in conversations, they’ll tell me, ‘I only get this many hours of sleep at night, because I’m working so hard on all my [assignments].’ I’m like, ‘That is not sustainable.’” The surface, then, can be deceptive. A grade can reflect performance without reflecting understanding, just as a completed assignment cannot show what completing it cost. A student can carry every visible marker of achievement while struggling beneath it. Even when a student begins falling behind, the reason may not be visible. “I don’t think you can tell what’s happening without talking to the kid,” Sayasane said. From a desk across the classroom, giving up and becoming overwhelmed can look remarkably similar. A missing assignment or failing grade can show that something has changed, but it cannot explain why. What appears to be a lack of effort may instead be someone struggling to keep their head above water. That is why floating exists. For Orphal, floating does not mean abandoning responsibility. It means deciding where her effort is needed most. “I have to prioritize what I do with my classes,” Orphal said. When every responsibility competes for the same limited amount of

time and energy, giving everything equal attention becomes unrealistic. Prioritizing one class may mean accepting less progress in another. No one can swim in every direction at once. Sayasane draws a distinction between intentionally slowing down and becoming comfortable without progressing. “I think that there should always be some forward progress, but I think maybe the pace of that progress can be adjusted,” Sayasane said. “I think that everybody learns at a different speed.” Progress is not confined to a classroom. For Orphal, one measure came on the track, where breaking 31 seconds in the 200-meter dash became a personal accomplishment. “I got under 31 seconds [for] my 200-meter dash,” Orphal said. “Even though on paper it doesn’t seem like that much, for me it felt like an accomplishment.” A stopwatch can record a result, but it cannot measure what that result means to the person who earned it. That distinction complicates the idea of floating. Staying afloat does not have to mean standing still. Progress can continue without happening at the pace students expect of themselves or see from the people around them. Sinking, swimming and floating may not describe three different kinds of students at all. The same student can experience all three at the same time. A person can be swimming in a sport, floating through one class and sinking in another. Success in one area does not erase difficulty elsewhere, just as struggling somewhere does not make someone unsuccessful as a whole. Sayasane sees that difference between classes. “I think sometimes it’s like there are certain classes where they’re doing really well …but then there are other classes where they’ve had a setback, and then they’re just like, ‘I’m just not going to think about that class right now.’ And then you start sinking and you drop back,” Sayasane said. Orphal considers herself to be swimming academically because she is keep-

ing up with her grades. However, she recognizes that there are times when attempting to swim in every class can become counterproductive. “Sometimes you just need to grasp the subject and not fully tackle it at one time,” Orphal said. “[If you’re] sinking [in] one class, you need to float in that class.” Sinking does not have to be permanent. A setback can reveal something that uninterrupted success cannot: where change is needed. Sayasane sees this when students interpret a disappointing grade as failure despite showing growth elsewhere in their work. “Even if all that’s come out of it for them is, ‘Now I know where I need to work,’ that’s a step in the right d i r e c t i o n ,” Sayasane said. “That’s success.” Failure and success, then, are not opposite shores. One can exist within the process of reaching the other. “If you haven’t taken a risk and put yourself out there and made yourself vulnerable to failure, you’re not growing,” Sayasane said. “Accepting that failure is a part of growth, a part of eventual success, I think that can be really powerful.” The pressure to always swim assumes that progress should be constant, visible and measurable. In reality, students move between all three states. There will be moments of moving forward, moments of staying above water and moments when the current becomes stronger than expected. Floating does not mean the journey has stopped. Sometimes it is what gives someone enough time to determine where they want to swim next.

Centerspread

How to not get stuck being one version of yourself

Confining yourself to one personality can dim your growth as a person, but letting other sides of you show can help you flourish

BY MILES SIZEMORE

creative thinking often emerges when the brain connects information across ho am I? That is a question that seemingly unrelated domains,” accordstudents in their teen years ask ing to a Psychology Today article by themselves more frequently Ph.D. Elizabeth Mateer. “When people than they might realize. How many verengage in multiple intellectual or cresions of yourself are there? Are there, ative pursuits, they increase the range in fact, different versions of oneself? It of ideas and perspectives available to might sound like a falsehood that we them.” have a hidden identity or a double life, The importance of pursuing mulbut it’s a lot less black and white. As we tiple paths lies within the fact that it move through life, we’re all experiencing makes us better thinkers. In situations changes: to where any sort of presourselves, to sure is being dealt with, it Photos by Ally Reilley those around allows us to look at past us and to the experiences and handle entire world. them with better care. It alAs we lows us to grow as people live each day, and carry information from we constantone experience to anothly experience er. different sceSo opening up to othnarios, whether versions of yourself is er they’re important, but what can totally new you actually do to not be or part of a confined to just one? The routine. At a simple answer: let yourself. young age, It might sound overly simeveryone plistic, but that really is the is figuring best solution. In different things out scenarios, allow yourself as time goes to be open to the environImmersing yourself in nature is one way to on, whether think about who you are and who you want to ment, and let the situation it’s sporadic or become. Walking paths in state parks or forest guide you instead of the othpart of a daily preserves are examples of the types of places er way around. Don’t pick one process. As a where you can explore your own identity. person you’re going to be on student, we’re a given day, but instead emlearning who brace the other sides of yourwe are, and it’s more than likely that “stuself. Better thinking comes from experident” is not your only title. Maybe you’re an athlete or a dancer, or maybe a musician or an artist. Regardless of who you are, you have multiple sides. In the big picture, this could be a different version of yourself or different sides that you interchange over the course of a day, year or even life. “In Key Club, I’m president elect, so I have to be more organized and almost professional to a degree,” junior Addison Schedin said. “Scholastic Bowl is more relaxed since I don’t have a leadership role.” Keeping within the parameters of one version of yourself can, in fact, affect your mental health, leaving you more susceptible to the pressures of things like stress and anxiety. Allowing yourself Most neighborhoods in our area have paths to open up to multiple sides of your perthat can provide an outlet for anyone who wants sonality also allows you to better round to run, walk or bike. There can be a lot of social, out your mind, as your brain is constantacademic and athletic pressures that a student ly experiencing different situations. faces throughout a day, so taking advantage “Cognitive research suggests that of outdoor areas like this can be beneficial.

Editor

16 Advice

ence and actively learning from the past. Even if those experiences are seemingly unrelated, you can take from them all to better guide you. “I can definitely take the skill of

Taking a break to simply walk around your neighborhood and give yourself time to think is one way to alleviate pressure. Especially when a day has been busy and filled with stress, little breaks like this can help.

communication from Key Club,” Schedin said. “And Scholastic Bowl is more book knowledge based…I have definitely applied some of that to my school work.” Oftentimes, we’re told to stick to one identity throughout life, however it really isn’t that simple. Our identities don’t fold neatly away while one takes the spotlight; they’re meant to coexist. The artist can be the athlete, and they should embrace being both. A person shouldn’t push parts of themselves to the side to isolate their focus on just one aspect of who they are. Those other parts can help you. They allow you to grow, learn and better navigate life. If work or school is difficult, learn from past experiences to help you face whatever challenge you’re currently facing. As life goes on, your identities could change. Right now, you may be a completely different person than you will be in 20 years. As we age, we learn and grow, try new things and change. Everything changes through its life cycle: plants, animals, the world and you. As you change over time, you’ll find a place in new identities, even if you still hold certain ones close. You’ll find new hobbies and meet new people, and as you mature you’re going to adapt. Don’t be afraid to let every side show, and use the varied aspects of your personality to your advantage.

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Cartoon by Ethan Butler

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

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Forced to go with the flow

or Kaneland students, going back to school this year has meant way more than just getting used to new classes, teachers and schedules. It has meant learning how to navigate a school that is still a work in progress. Construction is supposed to improve a school, but right now, it feels like students are being forced to adjust to the construction, rather than the other way around. From the moment we arrive at school in the morning, the effects are noticeable. Parking spots are limited, and getting out of the parking lot can feel like a challenge on its own. We already have to worry about getting to class on time, but now we also have to account for crowded parking areas and the extra time it takes to leave the school. Once inside, construction is difficult to ignore. Exposed concrete is evident throughout the school, while loud construction noises can be heard during classes, often becoming a distraction for students and teachers. It is hard to focus on a lesson when drilling, banging or other construction sounds can be heard in the middle of class. We should not have to compete with construction crews for our teacher’s attention. There are also smaller inconveniences that add up. The boys bathroom in the main commons being closed means we have fewer convenient options during the school day. Dust and construction smells are also apparent throughout the building, making certain areas feel more like a construction site rather than a school. Perhaps the most noticeable part of the construction is the contrast between the classrooms. Some classrooms are updated and have a fresh look, while others feel years behind. While the differences will eventually disappear once the construction is finished, we currently have to experience

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a school where one room can feel brand new and another feels like it has been the same since the ‘70s. Of course, the construction is necessary. Kaneland cannot improve its facilities without temporarily disrupting them. We understand that. The problem isn’t the construction itself. The problem is how much we are expected to simply put up with it while it happens. Students are going to be very excited to see the new and improved Kaneland High School once the changes are all finished. We have already seen a lot of changes in this school year. This includes new desks, improved classrooms, remodeled bathrooms and lots of hallway renovations. Next year, we will see the new fieldhouse for students and athletes. These changes are needed for the school to become modernized, but right now, it seems frustrating to have to change our school routines to work around the renovations. We leave earlier. We find different places to park. We walk around construction areas. We tolerate the noise and deal with the dust and smells. We go with the flow because for now, there isn’t much else we can do. We adapt. However, going with the flow doesn’t mean our concerns should be ignored. If construction is going to continue affecting us throughout the school year, communication needs to be a priority. We should know what areas will be affected, how long disruptions are expected to last and what alternatives are available when normal facilities aren’t. Eventually, the concrete will be covered, the classrooms will be finished, the construction equipment will disappear and we will hopefully be left with a new and improved school that’s better than the one we learned to become used to.

Aleena Alrifaee Kate Homco Grace Brunscheen Co-Social Media Executive Editor-in-Chief of Web Ads & Business Executive and News Manager and Design Manager and Broadcast Manager Ellie Olp Audrey Noring Ansley Ruh Editor-in-Chief of Print Sports & Activities Editor-in-Chief of Multimedia and Co-Copy Editor Executive Ally Reilley Prema Weichun Design Executive Gavin Vaughn Co-Social Media ExecuProduction Executive and tive and Co-Copy Editor Column/Review Manager

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Dominic Bruno Nicole Larsen Krier advisor Print advisor

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: Aleena Alrifaee, , Giovanni Bartolone, Jack Bicker, Jazmin Bosque, Grace Brunscheen, Zamantara Bucio, Ethan Butler, Brooklyn Converse, Joseph DiGuglielmo, Kate Homco, Gianna Hough, Rebecca Johnson, Caden Kaiser, Devin Kapadia, Narmeen Kattoum, Chloe Larrison, Maley Love, Kaiden Lycan, Carter Miller, Audrey Noring, Ellie Olp, Morgan Olson, Joe Placzek, Ciara Puett, Ally Reilley, Ansley Ruh, Chris Ruiz, Grace Rusev, Natalie Sanagustin, Miles Sizemore, Mikey Spallasso, Veronica Van Dusen, Gavin Vaughn, Prema Weichun, Mabel Zielke, and Avery Zwick. 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

If you could bring back one trend, what would it be?

Graphics by Ally Reilley

BY JAZMIN BOSQUE AND REBECCA JOHNSON Editors

“If I were to bring back a trend, I feel it should be crocs with Jibbitz.” - Sophomore Jocelyn Sierra Photo by Rebecca Johnson

“I would probably bring back like 2000s and 2010s dressing up, like Heelys and Silly Bandz and all of that stuff.”

- Horticulture teacher Carmen Trotta Photo by Rebecca Johnson

“[I would bring back] the devious licks trend. I thought it was really funny when people were taking the soap dispensers. ” Photo by Grace Brunsheen

18 Voices

- Senior Letty Brophy Page design by Giovanni Bartolone and Kaiden Lycan

Dunkin’ vs. Starbucks: Sipping into fall BY VERONICA VAN DUSEN

Editor and Copy Editing Manager

he Dunkin’ and Starbucks fall menus feature some of the most unique drinks they’ve made so far. For starters, one new Starbucks drink is the Iced Chaider. I don’t like apple cider, so when I tried the Iced Chaider, I wasn’t fond of it. The first taste is like a normal refresher before you get that apple cider taste. This drink was just okay for me, and I wouldn’t get it again. A new refresher that was added to Dunkin’ is the Berry Clementine Refresher. This drink was good, but most refreshers from Dunkin’ are sickeningly sweet. Someone who doesn’t have a huge sweet tooth like me would find it disproportionately sweet after a few sips. Starbucks usually focuses on apple-themed drinks and pumpkin spice variants. However, this year, they have new banana bread coffees that I initially assumed would taste too artificial. This drink quickly proved me wrong and tasted exactly like banana bread. There was also a cream on top that wasn’t sickening either and paired perfectly with the drink. It was well thought out and better than

I expected, since many artificial banana flavors taste extremely fake. I’d gladly buy it again. The coffee I tried at Dunkin’ was the Tiramisu Shaken Espresso, which was unbelievably good. I had never ordered any coffee with espresso in it until Graphic by Avery Zwick

this drink, and the ed before were drink still has that it’s much more of

ones I’ve tasttoo bitter. This bitterness, but an underlying

Graphic by Gianna Hough

Graphics by Avery Zwick

flavor. It’s also a part of the Earle-Y Riser Meal, which includes a wrap and assorted munchkins. Speaking of munchkins, the Pumpkin Munchkins from Dunkin’ weren’t that impressive. They taste like pumpkins and even more like apple cider donuts. Nonetheless, I’d definitely get them again, but the taste didn’t match the name. The spiced pumpkin muffin, however, was delicious. It tasted exactly like pumpkin bread and the cream cheese was really good, along with being a little toasted on top. It wasn’t too crumbly and tasted just like pumpkin bread. I would definitely get it again. Overall, the Starbucks items I tried were better than the things I tried at Dunkin’. Both had really good coffee and decent refreshers, but the muffin was more noteworthy than the munchkins were. The munchkins were exactly the same without a unique flavor, but the muffin was more unique, less dry and better overall. Starbucks’ fall menu definitely beats Dunkin’s this year.

Referendum construction: Where we stand BY ETHAN BUTLER & MIKEY SPALLASSO

Editors and News Manager

ur school underwent a signifcant amount of construction and redesigning over the summer as part of the expenditures for the referendum. The most noticeable of these updates in student life are revamped hallways, classrooms and bathrooms in select parts of the school. Walking through the lower A hallway, you will see many of the new improvements. For starters, the hallway is wider as construction workers went ahead and removed all of the lockers that were taking up space. Even with all of the extra room, there is still a crowded intersection during passing periods that can make it very hard to get through the hallway, even with the wider space. The walls have also been redone, giving the school more of a modern look. Going up the stairwell, we find the upper A hallway, which lacks the width of the lower A hallway. It features very sharp turns and a three-way intersection that is often almost as difficult to negotiate as the blender in the lower halls. The walls are a bland mix of white, gray and black that sap the life out of the hallways. However, the cosmetic improvements do not carry over as extensively to the stairwells guarding the upper A hallway. The insides of the classrooms have received many benefits, with new tiles, lights,

walls, paint and furniture. While the rooms look very well-kept and uniform, they lack some of the colorful warmth of the classrooms before construction. The B hallway is in much the same condition, except with even more of its life sucked out of it. It very obviously received the most work over the summer, but they still did not give it much polish or personality before school started again. The walls are a ghastly pale white, with few decorations or indicators of life along the hallway, except for the students themselves and the windows on the doors at the end. It lacks the lockers and windows of the old B hallway, where teachers would place posters, figurines, busts and banners pertaining to their classes or their interests outside of education. Instead, some abhorrent mixture of a modern office and the set of “The Backrooms” now sits in our school. As you start seeing many of the changes made to the school, one of the most prominent and necessary involved the bathroom improvements. For years now, Kaneland High School’s bathrooms have been truly terrible, with there occasionally being bugs on the floors and the sinks working only half the

Page design by Jazmin Bosque, Joseph DiGugilielmo and Gianna Hough

time. With the new improvements and remodeling, as you enter the bathrooms, you can see new tiling and freshly painted walls, leaving the place looking much cleaner and more finished. They have also added electric hand dryers, replacing paper towels. The bathrooms have improved significantly, looking much cleaner and more modern. Despite some quality-of-life improvements, the changes made by the referendum strip our school of more personality than the improvements are worth, and we must hope the coming years will imbue the renovated portions with the personality they used to have.

Graphic by Zamantara Bucio

Review

Make your own wave BY CIARA PUETT

Editor and Web Assistant

lmost every kid has had stickers at some point in their childhood. Children tend to wait for the perfect time to use those stickers. There was most likely one sticker

20 Opinion

because those experiences can lead to main turning points in life. Not many people realize this until their senior year of high school. Senior year is often when things start to click and you truly realize how important it is to take risks and try new things, even if they might be scary. Senior Madi Kossakowski knows firsthand how waiting for the perfect moment will only lead to missing out on memories throughout teenage years. She understands that taking opportunities is key to making the most out of high school. “I want to take all the opportunities I get to go to all of the different things and events to make the most of high school because it is almost over,” Kossakowski said. Taking risks might seem scary in the moment, but in the end they can end up being really rewarding. “I have seen senior students who’ve never done plays before, and they try out for the winter play and just have a blast doing it,” Staker said. “It is always really exciting for me to see them take risks and

not care what their friends think of them.” Besides theater, playing a new sport in high school is one of the main things that can scare teens the most. In sports, you get to meet new people and make memories as well as improve your time management skills, which is a great lesson for after high school. “I am really glad I started playing softball,” Kossakowski said. “It is hard managing time while doing schoolwork, but it is really rewarding in the end.” Taking the right kinds of risks in high school is valuable for teens. Even though social media has led to an increase in judgment, taking risks is still fundamental for growth and development, regardless of what anyone else may say. In the end, you realize how many opportunities you might miss by waiting for the perfect situation. But in reality, no one is perfect at anything right away, and social media has exaggerated our view of perfection.

Cartoons by Jack Bicker

that was never used in hopes of the perfect opportunity to come along. But the perfect time never came. This idea does not only relate to stickers. People, no matter their age, tend to wait for the perfect opportunity to do things, but doing this only results in missed opportunities. There will never be a perfect time to do things, so you just need to take the risk. English teacher Christina Staker is heavily involved in Kaneland’s theater program, and she sees kids scared to take risks on a regular basis. “There is a fear of not being perfect at something right away, or the risk of having to fail and having other people see that happen,” said Staker, who is the assistant theater director. With the influence of social media, people often think that saying hurtful things online has no repercussions. With that reality, teens and younger kids are scared more than ever to take risks due to backlash they have seen on social media for almost their entire life. “They see social media on a daily basis and the responses people have, saying whatever they want and there being no repercussions for their actions,” Staker said. “I think that is what really prevents people from taking positive risks in life.” Guys in high school often seem to mess with their friends in a joking way, but it can definitely affect how teen boys feel about trying new things. “High school guys tend to be a lot more immature and make fun of their friends and say some crazy things,” soph-

omore Rocco Sorrentino said. Although it is very normalized to judge others for not being the best at something right away or doing something out of their comfort zone, it is very important to take risks in high school since it is such a developmental time in everyone’s life. High school flies by faster than many expect it to, and so does life in general. Making memories is fundamental to your youth

Page design by Jack Bicker

Rude behavior has become shameless BY JACK BICKER

Editor and Columnist

hen I was in elementary school, I remember seeing people be mean towards others but get in trouble for it. They would get a consequence from an adult who saw what happened. Additionally, no one would want to hang out with someone who constantly said mean things towards other people, so they stayed away from them. In other words, mean behavior was shameful. In high school, it seems like nothing is more common than hearing people say rude things towards another person just because they look, dress, love, speak or live differently. I see this kind of behavior admired, with these rude people attracting crowds of people admiring how cool they are. Rude behavior has lost its shame. It’s second nature, and people are drawn to those who are rude to others. A couple of factors have led to shameless behavior. Obviously, social media has unlocked the potential to be rude so easily because it acts as a mask. “Social media has given people something to hide behind,” sophomore Bella Ramsey said. I’ve seen this myself. Sometimes I see a post or comment someone makes about someone, and I think to myself, “Would you really say that to their face?” Most likely, they wouldn’t. An article by writer and marketing strategist Martina Törngren discusses the difference between what people share online and how they would react face-to-face. “Although we all know that what we

post online is seen by someone, we can’t actually see their reaction, which is why we, at the core of our consciousness, aren’t acting the way we would if all these receivers of our message were standing in front of us,” Törngren wrote. Social media also minimizes the possibility of receiving a consequence, since it’s easier to remain anonymous. “[People have] kind of become braver in a sense like there’s just a screen right there so they can say whatever they want, and they don’t have to face the real consequences that could actually happen,” Ramsey said. Although social media enables rudeness towards others, there’s another behavioral factor that I believe is what fuels the fire of rude behavior: entitlement. We live in a society full of people who are so quick to be disgustingly rude to others. It’s something that bothers me constantly, especially when it’s so hard to figure out why someone could act like that. Entitlement is something that drives people to be so rude so easily. An article from psychologist Bernard Golden, Ph.D., covers how entitlement can lead to a person being so rude. “Those who feel entitled believe they are owed something because they feel special,” Golden wrote. “With and without full awareness, maintaining this belief predisposes them to feel great frustration and anger regarding a perceived injustice.” This frustration towards something perceived as wrong is the type of rudeness I see everywhere, whether in public or on the internet. Additionally, people who live in a cloud of entitlement tend to react to situations differently. “Those who feel entitled filter experiences of their world through a lens that is hypervigilant for behaviors that either meet or challenge these expectations,” Golden wrote. “They are quick to feel slighted, to experience injustice, and to perceive their goals as being thwarted.” There are several factors that cause entitlement. One includes how entitlement can stem from early life experiences. “A sense of entitlement may derive from early childhood experiences in which a child is overly indulged and rarely, if ever, has to face disappointment or frustration,” Golden wrote. Entitlement reveals a lot about where rude behavior comes from. However, it seems as though this behavior is publicly praised. This is a result of how feeling entitled can actually make someone feel a sense of safety. “They believe that their specialness

should protect them from suffering and hold the belief that they are more deserving than others,” Golden wrote. The idea that entitlement can create a feeling of protection and safety from danger helps explain a lot about why it has become more common to be rude. One part of being human includes our animalistic instinct to survive. As we make our way through life, one of our main goals is to survive, and subconsciously, we make decisions based on that goal. Seeking safety is one thing a human might do to survive. Safety can look like a lot of different things, and it can also vary from person to person. Feeling entitled is accompanied by a feeling of safety, which could bring people to seek out entitlement. There’s more to rude behavior than just entitlement. I truly believe that as society has changed, being mean has unfortunately become more common and even acceptable. I will never understand why some people get so defensive and rude towards others simply because there’s something that they don’t like about someone. Additionally, it feels as though people are bonding over a common enemy. When someone who is viewed as cool starts to be rude towards another person, some people might gravitate towards rude behavior if they become associated with someone society lifts up, even if it’s for the wrong reasons. This kind of mindset that drives people towards those who are popular is what has made rude behavior shameless. People have started to understand that being mean towards a common enemy is a quick way to attract a crowd of people, and as a result, rude behavior has become more common. “I think that the environment around us has changed, and we have easier access [to be mean],” Ramsey said. “It’s easier to be mean to people.” Since ruthless, entitled behavior has become more common, it seems as though the people being mean do not feel any shame for what they say or do to someone else. It’s unfortunate that rudeness towards other people has become so present in society that being mean has lost its shame. Just because mean behavior seems shameless now does not mean that all hope is lost. Lots of people still go through life with a foundation of empathy and kindness driving their actions. There will always be rude people in the world, but we do not have to let them walk all over us. There’s always a way past the barrier. It just might take more of us to help break it down.

Cartoon by Jack Bicker

Page design by Jack Bicker

Opinion

Help Goldie find his treasure!

I Spy Use the clues on this page to find the matching image on the front and back covers. We will post the answers on our Instagram account later today.

1. Something you would find on the side of the road 2. Something that you chew 3. Something that you smell 4. Something suspicious 5. Something you put on your feet 6. Something you wear when it’s cold outside

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“If you haven’t taken a risk and put yourself out there and made yourself vunerable to failure, you’re not growing.” - English teacher Jennifer Sayasane (page 15)

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