Kaneland Krier: Volume 46, Issue 3

KANELAND

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KHS Transportation Staff Asks for Change p. 9

SUCCESS

Winter Activities pp. 14-15

Volume 46 • Issue 3 • Kaneland High School • January 16, 2020

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 03 04 06 07 08 09 10 12 14 16 17

Lifestyle Voices Opinion Editorial News Investigative Centerspread Feature Photos Sports Activities

NOTABLE ALUMNI FROM THE PAST DECADE

Executive Letter

Because they did not grow up with the Internet, our parents WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE CHILDHOOD TV SHOW? and teachers did not have much warning for what was to come for their children. We, though, were raised on video games, Vines and SHOULD SCHOOLS BAN CELL PHONE USAGE? memes. 2020 is now here, and we have come to realize how fast some things can change.

ASPIRATIONS FOR THE FUTURE The start of a new decade is an opportunity to reflect on these essential years of our lives. The last ten years stands as a bridge beAN OPPORTUNITY FOR AN IMPROVED SCORE tween childhood and adulthood, elementary school and graduation, and so much more. In this decade, we will cross this bridge KHS TRANSPORTATION STAFF ASKS FOR CHANGE and take more steps towards our future. With this great responsibility, we must be more active in LOOKING BACK: A DECADE IN REVIEW our local and global communities and stand up for what we truly believe.

SMALL STEPS TO TAKE TO PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT

WINTER ACTIVITIES

SUCCESSFUL KHS ATHLETES FROM THE 2010s

FUN KHS ACTIVITIES TO DO IN THE WINTER

Ben Durbala Casey Schanks Editor-in-Chief Web Editor-in-Chief Gianna Provenzano Bailey Prichard Production Manager Webmaster Bailey Prichard Jacob Booten Sports Executive Design Executive Sami Callaghan Ad/Business Manager

January 16, 2020 Lifestyle

NOTABLE ALUMNI FROM THE PAST DECADE

BY SASHA CLINNIN, Editor

DANNY EVERS

PHOTO COURTESY OF DANNY EVERS 2014 Kaneland graduate Danny Evers vaults at a college meet. He now coaches at Monmouth College, where he became a national champion.

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ftentimes, people do not know what steps to take after graduation. 2018 Kaneland graduate Hailee Harris knew exactly what she wanted to do, and she took on a few extra projects along the way.

Earning an associate degree can take two years or longer, but Harris graduated with honors and her degree in communication in just one year. She did this through Waubonsee Community College’s QuickPath Degree Program, and she finished with no student loans to pay back.

“I was honestly really eager to just get the [general education classes] out of the way. The whole first semester was a year of tuition, so I paid $500 out of pocket, but it was a very intense course load. I was basically doing a year’s worth of school work in a semester,” Harris said.

The large course load didn’t stop her from pursuing the different passions she has in fashion and beauty. While working towards her

ETHAN WITT

PHOTO COURTESY OF ETHAN WITT 2014 Kaneland graduate Ethan Witt (right) exhibits at the Game Developers Conference. He speaks with other game developers about the game he created called Apocalypse Rising.

Page design by Emma Schaefer

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any people tend to quit their unaccomplished dreams after high school, but not 2014 Kaneland graduate Danny Evers. In high school, Evers was an average pole vaulter with a personal record of 13’0 his senior year, just high enough to qualify for state. After high school, Evers kept up with his dream and accomplished more than he ever thought he would.

Evers went on to become a two-time Division III National Championship pole vaulter, one indoor and one outdoor, with a personal record of 17’8-1/2”. He credits most of his success to Andy Drendel, the current Kaneland track and field head coach.

Evers countinues vaulting as a hobby and

uses it to stay in shape. He is currently assistant track and field coach at Monmouth College, helping athletes improve their own personal records. Evers is able to draw from past experiences as an athlete to influence the way that he coaches.

“Winning nationals at any level is extremely difficult. Even contending at the national level is an achievement on its own. Winning will leave any athlete speechless because it takes a lot of dedication, not only in the sport but also in the classroom, to achieve an honor like this. I was fortunate enough to receive support from peers, coaches and family throughout the entire process, which is really special,” Evers said.

degree, she was a Miss Illinois contestant and landed a modeling contract in New York.

“My dream of getting a modeling contract in New York seemed so far out of reach, but now I am blessed to be a part of such an incredible agency,” Harris said in an Instagram post from November.

The company MMG Modeling offered Harris a three-year contract. Harris can be selected from a database that is accessible to CoverGirl, music video productions and celebrity campaigns. Harris was even submitted by her agent for Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS line.

Harris has achieved her dream while also getting closer to using her degree. She is finishing her bachelors in communications online at Aurora University so she can keep up with modeling and her jewelry company, Jewels for Gems, which she started in August.

“I’m really excited to get my degree and start working with a place I love and doing something I love doing,” Harris said.

HAILEE HARRIS

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than Witt has had a talent for software engineering since he was a Kaneland student. The valedictorian of the class of 2014 had unique hobbies that he later turned into his career.

Witt discovered his interests in software early on by creating many projects like a video game called Apocalypse Rising, which he worked on constantly. He won the 2013 Roblox Game of the Year award for Apocalypse Rising, and he was invited to exhibit it at the Game Developers Conference in San Diego.

The game played a role in his acceptance to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In college, he studied computer science and minored in anthropology, helping him gain an internship with Roblox. Witt now works in

PHOTO COURTESY OF HAILEE HARRIS 2018 Kaneland graduate Hailee Harris celebrates graduating with honors after earning her associate degree at Waubonsee Community College.

San Francisco on a website builder geared towards small businesses. He hopes to launch a new space combat game in early 2020 that he has been working on for three years. Although game development has played a large role in his success, Witt hopes to move on to bigger and better things.

“While games and web development are fun, I can’t fight the nagging feeling that I should shift my focus to endeavors of greater societal impact, particularly my original passion: space exploration. Someday, when I’m ready to commit myself fully to the cause, I would love to work in the space industry either at NASA, with my own business or at a cutting-edge company like SpaceX,” Witt said.

Lifestyle

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Voices January 16, 2020

favory m s a bob w e g idn u o q p S S “ e s becau w o h s table a l e ite r a s such a w d r ll able a i t w s m a I r that e t c a nior r u a j h ” c , y a to tod e t a l e r to id. a s s e t l e Emma F

EMMA FEL TES

MIA BUONAVITA was w o h s e t i r “My favo ause c e b s e r u t n e Ghost Adv me w o h s y l n o it was the watch d l u o w d a and my d ork,” w o t t n e w before he said. a t i v a n o u B junior Mia

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WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE Voices

Page design by Ashlyn Klecka

January 16, 2020 Voices

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“The B ackyard igans be I though cause t the ch a r very fu nny, an acters were d music t hat they I liked the pl episode ,” sopho ayed every more Va Blad sa ughn id.

CIMRAN N

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“I wasn’t a llowed to w atch regular kid T.V . as a kid b ecause my parents thou ght that it w ould kill my brain, so they made m e watch the NASA c hannel in ho pes that it would make me smart an d I guess it kinda worke d,” senior C imran Nakum said.

ILLUSTRATION BY ASHLYN KLECKA

CHILDHOOD TV SHOW? Page design by Ashlyn Klecka

Voices

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Opinion January 16, 2020

CARTOON BY CORINNE CONDOS At Kaneland, cell phone use in the classroom is up to teacher discretion. Lisa Highfill, an instructional technology coach at the Pleasanton Unified School District in Pleasanton, CA, acknowledges that digital distraction is real, but that doesn’t mean universal restrictions are necessary. “I really believe that the more rules and restrictions you put on top down, the more kids will just work to try to work around those rules. And they’re good at it, the best hackers,” Highfill said.

SHOULD SCHOOLS BAN CELL PHONE USAGE?

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BY SCOTT DUNNE, Editor

ue to claims apparently attributing issues such as low self-esteem and impaired social skills, some schools, such as Mountain Middle School in Durango, CO, have taken to banning cell phones entirely. Prohibiting phones from schools is a poor decision that has the potential to cause a myriad of new problems, and I’m glad our school has not taken such a drastic step.

Technology will continue to be prevalent in students’ lives well past school and into their careers. Students should learn how to manage these devices responsibly in school, before being caught off-guard and suffering any negative distractions of phones in their workplace. By allowing students the freedom to have phones on campus, it also allows them to have the freedom to practice managing their device in a responsible manner before going to college and into their careers. Lisa Highfill, an instructional technology coach in the Pleasanton Unified School District in California, expressed her opinion in an article published by USA Today.

“How many people go to work each day and turn their phone in?” she asks. “To me, getting ready for career and college is learning how to avoid the distraction of your phone.”

Stephen Corbett, Head of School of Education and Childhood Studies at the University of Portsmouth in England, feels similarly, as evidenced by an article published in The Conversation.

“Whether we embrace it or not, mobile technology is a fundamental part of the mod-

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Opinion

ern world. Today’s students will have jobs that rely on technology, and they need to be mature enough to use it wisely – and appropriately.

The solution is not prohibition, but education.

As a teacher, I appreciate the challenge that mobile phones bring to the classroom. But I also want to prepare my students for their next steps,” Corbett said.

Cell phones are also key for reliable contact between students and parents or guardians. In a serious emergency situation, it is important for students to have a way to communicate with their parents and emergency services like 911. For example, in the tragic event of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL, students were able to use their phones to let parents know they were safe as the news began to break. Ken Trump, President of National School Safety and Security Services, recognizes the benefit a phone can provide for both students and parents.

“Without a doubt, the cell phones provide an emotional security blanket for parents and kids,” Trump said. “I get that. My heart is there.”

Education Week found that while in lockdown during the shooting, Jim Gard, a teacher at Marjory Stoneman Douglas, coordinated with other teachers and asked his students to text classmates to ensure that everyone was safe. Here, cell phones were clearly used as an effective means of safety in a serious emergency situation, and they ended up saving lives in the process.

The National Education Association report-

ed in 2016 that 70 percent of school districts across the country that had once banned cell phones now allow them. According to Liz Kolb, a clinical associate professor of education technologies at the University of Michigan, parents were a strong force in rolling back the previous bans on cell phones. Parents cite that phones are necessary for constant communication with their children in both emergency and non-emergency situations, like arranging rides for after-school activities.

Teachers such as Chris Davis, a history teacher at Glendale Unified School District in California, not only recognize the safety implications, but also the educational value of phones in the classroom.

“All the teachers are aware of the classroom management challenges, but it’s just a more realistic approach. When used carefully and with limitations, it is a very useful learning tool,” Davis said.

Phones can serve as an incredible resource for all sorts of information, and they can often be easier and more convenient to use than something like a Chromebook. They can be used for writing essays, studying for tests and participating in class activities such as the quiz game Kahoot.

A cell phone’s ability to prepare students for their future, supply contact in emergency situations and serve as a useful educational tool far outweigh the device’s chance of distraction in the classroom. The world continues to change, and schools should change with it rather than pushing back.

Page design by Abby Lycan

ASPIRATIONS FOR THE FUTURE

January 16, 2020 Editorial Kaneland High School 47W326 Keslinger Rd. Maple Park, IL 60151 (630) 365-5100 www.kanelandkrier.com Member of IJEA, Quill & Scroll, NSPA, NISPA IHSA State Finalists 2013-2019 IWPA Silver Pen 2017 NISPA Golden Eagle 2017 IJEA First Place for Krier Online 2017 IJEA Second Place for Best Hybrid Publication 2019 IJEA Second Place for Best Overall Publication 2019 Subscription rates: Five issues, two supplements School-delivered, $15; Home-delivered, $25

CARTOON BY MEGAN STEFANIK Now that 2020 has arrived, it is time to think about the changes we would like to see occur in the next 10 years.

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s we enter a new decade, we can all look back and see the changes that these past 10 years have brought us.

With the rise of social media, we have more opportunities to be conscious of our friends’ every movements and of the world around us.

The public is more aware of issues involving politics, the environment and how we as a society act. In recent years, more people have been trying to raise awareness about the problems relating to these topics, but we are going to need to put in more work to find actual solutions.

One recurrent issue capturing widespread attention has been an increase in the rate of climate change.

“The planet’s average surface temperature has risen about 1.62 degrees Fahrenheit since the late 19th century,” according to studies conducted by NASA to measure the release of carbon dioxide.

Because of our reliance on fossil fuels, we don’t realize the effect that driving and using excessive electricity is having on our world.

As a global society, we need to become more aware of how our individual choices to live affect the environment. If we educate ourselves and become more cognizant of what can cause global warming, we could work together to add more years to Earth’s life.

There are more issues plaguing our society that need more attention if this next decade is going to move in the right direction.

In the past year, America alone has had 45 school shootings. That’s almost one shooting a week. In comparison with other wealthier countries, the U.S. seems to have the most issues with gun violence. According to the New York Times, nearly 40,000 people died from gun violence in the U.S. in 2017. That’s the highest it’s been in 50 years. We’ve seen

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Page design by Sophia Mullins

movements float around after a major mass shooting occurs, but the problem has not been dealt with as seriously as it should be.

“The Republican-controlled Senate refuses to even vote on a common-sense measure: requiring universal background checks before all gun purchases, without any loopholes.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is blocking a vote on that bill, even though 92 percent of Americans support that reform, including 89 percent of Republicans,” said Brian Klaas, a Democracy Post contributor to the Washington Post.

In this new decade, our politicians need to care for the well-being and safety of our people. Methods of taking military grade weapons away from civilians and creating stricter background checks and laws for owning a firearm need to be implemented, and quickly.

Since the 2016 election, immigration reform has been a heavily discussed topic by our president, Donald Trump.

During his election campaign, he made promises about building a wall that separates the U.S. and Mexico. Although there are already some barriers and checkpoints, these haven’t been enough for Trump. According to a poll conducted by Gallup in July 2019, 60 percent of the Americans interviewed stated they didn’t want any new construction of border walls. Building a wall sends a poor message to others regarding immigration policy in America. Instead of creating an expensive wall, we can improve our border checks with an increase in security patrolling. Trump claims that he wants to keep illegal immigrants out to protect Americans, but he should still keep an open mind towards those coming here for a better life. Instead of denying access to those people, we should welcome them because that’s the type of country America has been in the past and should be in this next decade.

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EXECUTIVE STAFF Ben Durbala Editor-in-Chief of Print

Casey Schanks Editor-in-Chief of Web

Sami Callaghan Ad & Business Manager

Gianna Provenzano Webmaster

Bailey Prichard Sports Executive & Production Manager

Jacob Booten Design Executive

EDITORIAL STAFF Cover Jenna Lin

Table of Contents Ben Durbala

Lifestyle Emma Schaefer

Voices Ashlyn Klecka

Opinion Abby Lycan

Editorial Sophia Mullins

Feature Regan O’Brien

Centerspread Jenna Lin

News Gianna Provenzano

Investigative Rachel Cormier

Photos Sasha Clinnin

Sports Ayshe Ali

Activities Gio Valle

Advertisements Sami Callaghan

Videographer Scott Dunne

STAFF

Leonard Anderson, Mia Bergman, Dylan Calabrese, Paige De La Bruere, Delaney Douglas, Sophia Drancik, Patrick Gampfer, Cody Ganzon, Sandra Garcia, Josh Hanold, Jack Holder, Karmyn Hookham, Sarah Janito, Moses Kim, Madeleine Little, Brianna Michi, Nicholas Mitchinson, Matilyn Mumm, Anna Olp, Sophia Opp, Olivia Ortegel, Gabrielle Parker, Morgan Phillipp, McKenna Ryan, Casey Walters

ADVISERS Dominic Bruno Krier adviser

Nicole Larsen Print adviser

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: Ayshe Ali, Jacob Booten, Sami Callaghan, Sasha Clinnin, Rachel Cormier, Scott Dunne, Ben Durbala, Ashlyn Klecka, Jenna Lin, Abby Lycan, Sophia Mullins, Regan O’Brien, Bailey Prichard, Gianna Provenzano, Emma Schaefer, Casey Schanks and Gio Valle. 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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News January 16, 2020

AN OPPORTUNITY FOR AN IMPROVED SCORE

ACT IS NOW ALLOWING STUDENTS TO RETAKE SECTIONS OF THE STANDARDIZED TEST

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BY EMMA SCHAEFER, Editor

tarting in Sept. 2020, students will be able to retest on individual sections of the ACT exam. Along with section retesting, students also have the option of superscoring, which allows students to send in their best composite score. Online testing is also available to everyone this September for quicker test results.

The ACT is a standardized test that students take to help determine their college readiness. The ACT includes sections for English, math, reading, science and an optional writing test for a total of $68.

In the past, the only way to get a higher score on the ACT was to retake the entire exam. Students would receive their test score and if they were not happy with it, they could pay to retake the entire ACT again. Starting this coming fall, students will be able to retest on the sections they struggled with the most.

“Section retesting will be available to all students who have taken the full ACT test. It is the same test – just one section or subject at a time. Section retests are identical in the content covered, timing, and the number of questions for each ACT section test,” according to act.org.

There is not yet a determined price for the section retesting, however it will be cheaper than retaking the entire exam. Regardless of price, Kaneland High School counselor Cyn-

thia Violett thinks that it’s about time the ACT allows for subject retesting. If she was given the opportunity, she would have done the section retesting herself.

“You’ve always been able to retake it, but they have now moved it to where you can retake just a certain subject. So let's say you didn't do well on your math, you can go and just retake the math portion. And then they are going to take your best scores to get the composite,” Violett said.

Section retesting was introduced to highlight students’ full potential and allow them to focus on singular subjects when studying for

the retake.

“Section retesting gives students the opportunity to showcase their skills and accomplishments gained over a lifetime and not only their test-taking abilities on one particular day,” according to act.org.

Senior Claire Lehman has already taken the ACT and was not given the opportunity to section retest.

“I took the ACT five times because I kept setting a higher goal for myself, but if I could have just taken an individual test, I could’ve

gotten the high score that I wanted easier instead of wasting five hours every Saturday to get a high score,” Lehman said.

Superscoring is new to the ACT with section retesting and will allow students to combine their top scores from all subjects. The superscore is the average of the student’s best four subject scores from all test attempts. Research conducted by the ACT organization led to the new policy regarding supercoring.

“Superscores were more predictive of how students would perform in their college courses than other scoring methods,” according to act.org.

Since 2016, the ACT has offered electronic testing. The online tests are taken in designated testing centers on provided devices. The online scores will be available to the test-takers as soon as two business days after the exam is taken.

“Offering online testing allows us to better meet the needs of today’s students and provide them with greater flexibility, choice, and opportunities,” according to act.org.

The ACT might not affect as many Kaneland students as it once did, as Kaneland has not offered to give the ACT since 2017. However, for the students that this does affect, Violett believes that this is a great opportunity.

“Hopefully they’ll take advantage of it. If you get a 30 in your math part and you did better on your reading and writing, why retake the whole thing again?” Violett said.

PHOTO BY BAILEY PRICHARD Freshman Amara Rangel will have different standardized testing experiences than Kaneland’s outgoing seniors.

PHOTO BY RACHEL CORMIER For the first time ever, ACT will allow students to retake individual sections of the exam.

PHOTO BY BAILEY PRICHARD Senior Claire Lehman prepares for her upcoming exam by using her ACT booklet to study.

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News

Page design by Bailey Prichard

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he bus garage is a small space. The building consists of narrow hallways and only one area for 52 transportation employees to congregate. The ceiling tiles are turning brown on the edges, and some of them slump downward from leaks and deterioration. There are only two unisex bathroom stalls with yellowed discoloration covering the walls and floor. The building has no fire alarms or sprinkler systems, and this includes the garage where the buses are repaired.

The bus garage is split into two halves.

One half is used for offices and is where the bus drivers and administrators work. The other half is considered the actual garage, and it is made up of three bays to work on buses.

out the offices. A majority of the ceiling tiles are weathered and in need of replacement.

One tile specifically sits right over Assistant to the Director of Transportation Colleen Slowick’s desk and is so slumped that the pipes in the roof are visible. The stairs leading to the storage room are rusted and steep. Smith admitted she avoids them as much as possible because she is afraid she’ll get injured.

The garage for the buses is also in need of an update. There are two large pillars in between the three bays that make the space for buses cramped. The pillars are too close together and make it harder to move buses in and out of the space. They also create less room for the mechanics to work. If two bus-

January 16, 2020

Investigative

tions and is labeled safe for the employees to work in. Without any violations, there is no rush to update the building.

“We oftentimes will prioritize academic needs over some of the operational needs. For example, science classrooms were updated this past summer so they can be handicapped accessible. That’s prioritized over a building that is safe, but just not aesthetically pleasing,” Fuchs said.

Most ways to resolve the problems call for large sums of money. None of these options seemed realistic to the employees. There was only one idea that Slowick, Kubala and Smith could agree on, which is to move the bus administration to Harter Middle School.

KHS TRANSPORTATION STAFF ASKS FOR CHANGE

BY SOPHIA MULLINS, Editor

PHOTO BY SOPHIA MULLINS While the bus garage houses 52 employees, the bathroom consists of only two unisex stalls that are already in poor condition.

The stairs leading up to the storage room are so steep that staff members purposely avoid using them.

The cramped space between the buses and the bus bays make it hard for mechanics to work or move the vehicles.

Both sides of the building are lacking in space, which affects employees’ abilities to do their jobs.

With such a small amount of space, there is barely any privacy for the administration working in the bus garage. Director of Transportation Karen Smith said that at times it can be troubling when everyone is able to listen in on their work and walk into their offices.

“It’s really hard for us to get anything done because we are constantly interrupted. We can shut our doors, but there is no place for the drivers to be. They are loud and basically on top of each other. It gets really crowded,” Smith said.

There are also maintenance issues through-

es were parked next to each other in the bays, there wouldn’t be enough space between them to fit a mechanic.

“The guys out here really don’t have enough room. You have three bays out here, but they can only actually use the one in the middle.

They really have no space to move, plus where to put the parts and supplies,” Smith said.

Head mechanic Will Kubala agreed with Smith that the amount of space available to work on the buses is too small.

“The space needs to be opened. The pillars alone interfere with us,” Kubala said.

Associate Superintendent Julie-Ann Fuchs sees no immediate change coming for the bus garage. The building has passed safety inspec-

“They have a lot of property out there.

Because of how far out we go to Montgomery, it’s still a centralized area. It’s right in the middle of the district. It would save some mileage, and there is a lot more space,” Smith said.

Fuchs also sees Harter as the best place for a new bus building.

“We have a long-range plan some time in the future - at this point we don’t know when - to build a new transportation building at Harter Middle School. Then it would have everything they would want. More rooms for buses to be fixed, a larger break room, offices, updated bathrooms. It would be a whole new facility. But at this point, I don’t see that in the near-future plans at all,” Fuchs said.

Page design by Rachel Cormier

PHOTO BY SOPHIA MULLINS

PHOTO BY SOPHIA MULLINS

Investigative

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Centerspread January 16, 2020

LOOKING BACK: A DECADE IN REVIEW

BY BEN DURBALA, Editor-In-Chief of Print

BY ASHLYN KLECKA, Editor

BY ABBY LYCAN, Editor

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his past decade was full of new inventions, technological advances, political discord and historical tragedies. There was everything from memes to Ice Bucket Challenges to a businessman in the Oval Office. The young, awkward kids of 2010 are now navigating the stresses of high school and mapping out their plans for what comes next. With the 2010s in the rear-view mirror, here’s one last reflection on the things that mattered most from the decade we leave behind.

We started the decade with Barack Obama as our president. Obama had many accomplishments throughout his time in office. For example, he enacted the federal statute known as the Affordable Care Act in 2010. According to GOOD, a quarterly magazine focusing on international news, he also cut the unemployment rate from 10 percent to 4.7 percent over six years. In June 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down on all state bans of same-sex marriage and legalized it in all 50 states. In 2017, we said goodbye to President Obama and welcomed President Donald Trump in his place. President Trump’s election brought forth a lot of controversy in our country due to the fact that he was a businessman and had no history in traditional politics.

Under Trump’s administration, 4 million jobs have been created, according to whitehouse.gov. From May 2017 to March 2019, special prosecutor Robert Mueller conducted an investigation into links between Trump associates and Russian officials during the buildup to the 2016 presidential election.

On Dec. 18, 2019, the U.S. House of Representatives approved two articles of impeachment against President Trump.

S C I IT

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2011: - Osama bin Laden is killed - Prince William and Catherine Middleton get married -”Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy is repealed, allowing homesexuals to enlist in the military 2010: - Toy Story 3 is released - One Direction is formed - BP oil spill occurs and is considered the largest marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry

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Centerspread

L O N

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C TE

Y G O We started this decade with the

introduction of the new iPad. In 2010, a standard iPad cost $499, according to Apple Newsroom. Another big invention in the tech industry this past decade was the launch of Instagram in 2010, which got a major financial boost with the support of Facebook in 2012, according to PCMag. According to PCMag, Chromebooks created a new market of cheaper laptops in 2011 for users who only needed the basics. 2011 was a big year for technology, as Snapchat and Uber both changed the way we interact. In 2014, Amazon unveiled a device that could answer basically any question when called upon. Today, Alexa and competitors continue to push each other to enhance their ability to help their owners. The Apple Watch came out in 2015, followed quickly by Air Pods in 2016. If you glanced out your window in 2016 and saw people running around and staring at their phones, they were most likely playing Pokemon Go. Fortnite in 2017 kept most teenagers locked in their rooms for hours playing it, which for some led to college scholarships and career paths. With Vine ending in 2017, Tik Tok came along to fill the void in teens’ lives. At the end of the decade in 2019, Disney+ joined streaming services like Netflix and Hulu to allow viewers to reminisce on their favorite childhood shows and movies.

2013: - Frozen, the highest grossing animated film of all time, is released - Chicago Blackhawks win second of three Stanley Cups between 2010 and 2015 - Boston Marathon bombing kills three and injures several hundred others

2012: - Barack Obama is re-elected - “Gangnam Style” is the first YouTube video to reach one billion views - Benghazi attack against two U.S. government facilities occurs in Libya

2014: - Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 disappears over the Indian Ocean - Ebola epidemic becomes a global health crisis - Comedy legend Robin Williams dies

Page design by Jenna Lin

January 16, 2020 Centerspread In the past decade, we saw a lot of change in the music industry.

In 2010, the top song was “TiK ToK”

by Ke$ha. In 2019, the top song was “Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X. We saw the Jonas Brothers break up in 2013, only to get back together in 2019. Taylor Swift was named Artist of the Decade at the 2019 American Music Awards. Music festivals are not unique to this decade, but new ones like Lyrical Lemonade and Firefly Music Festival have been created and become increasingly popular. We said goodbye to popular musicians like Juice Wrld, Whitney Houston, Tom Petty, Prince, David Bowie, Merle Haggard, Mac Miller and Aretha Franklin.

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A variety of movies impacted this decade. The decade began with Christopher Nolan’s Inception, which was widely appreciated due to its thought-provoking ambiguity. In 2013, one of the most successful animated movies of all time came out in Disney’s Frozen, and 2019 brought the highly successful Frozen 2. Leonardo DiCaprio won his first Oscar after six nominations for his work in The Revenant. Jordan Peele released the critically acclaimed thriller Get Out in 2017, which brings the terror of being black in America into the public eye. Black Panther in 2018 brought us a prominent superhero of African descent who dealt with complex issues affecting modern-day black life.

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2015: - Gay marriage is legalized in all 50 states - Mass shooting at Charleston’s historic Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church - Shooting death of Trayvon Martin leads to creation of #BlackLivesMatter

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Fashion trends have varied throughout the decade. Social media has played a significant role in what people decide to buy and wear. Instagram influencers, models and celebrities like the Kardashians and Meghan Markle each shape the way that some people like to dress. There are those, though, who believe that the fashion industry plays a role in polluting our planet. “Consumer awareness of the environmental impact of apparel is starting to be felt at both ends of the value spectrum - fast fashion with its questions of wastefulness in ‘disposable’ clothing, and in luxury with backlash against brands literally setting clothes on fire,” according to Nikki Baird, vice resident of retail innovation for Aptos. Regardless of which side of the fashion debate you are on, seemlingly everyone found themselves trying to decipher the color of a dress that consumed the Internet in 2015.

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In 2010, LeBron James took his talents to South Beach and won two championships with the Miami Heat, then went back to Cleveland and won a championship there, and then changed teams again to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Golden State Warriors, New England Patriots and Chicago Blackhawks showed what it means to be a true dynasty in modern sports. The Chicago Cubs shocked the world in 2016 when they broke the Curse of the Billy Goat and won their first World Series in 108 years. Serena Williams won her 22nd Grand Slam with her 2016 Wimbledon singles title, and the U.S. Women’s National Team won the World Cup in 2019. Tiger Woods also came back from injury in 2019 to win the Masters.

2017: - #MeToo movement emboldens victims to report sexual misconduct - FBI Director James Comey confirms investigations into Russian interference in 2016 election - Hurricane Harvey strikes Texas and causes $150 billion in damage

2016: - Chicago Cubs win the World Series for the first time in 108 years - Donald Trump gets elected as president - Michael Phelps retires from swimming as the most decorated Olympian ever

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2019: - Trump becomes the third president in U.S. history to be impeached - U.S. Women’s National Team wins the World Cup - About 50 people are charged in connection to college admissions conspiracy

2018: - Sears and Toys “R” Us go out of business - Mass shootings at high schools in Florida and Texas, a bar in Southern California and a synogogue in Pittsburgh, among other places - Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon, becomes the world’s richest man

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Feature January 16, 2020

SMALL STEPS TO TAKE TO

BY REGAN O’BRIEN, Editor

PHOTO BY REGAN O’BRIEN Metal straws and cleaning brushes are displayed for purchase at The Corner Grind in Elburn.

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any people have the misconception that the environment involves just the outdoors. It’s more, though, than trees, water and wildlife. Factory emissions, technology usage and clothing production impact our environment. A great deal of the environmental problems are caused by human factors.

One of the biggest issues affecting our surroundings is something used every day by almost everyone: plastic. According to The Peace Corps, it takes 450 years for a plastic water bottle to decompose. Many businesses rely on plastic for their products and equipment. Senior Eva Ottoson, co-president of the Brighter Future Club, feels nothing will change with single-use plastic.

“The amount of single-use plastic is really big, especially in America, because it’s how

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companies make money. It would be great if it’s changed, but I don’t think it ever will be because of how businesses work,” Ottoson said.

Along with plastic, the clothing industry continues to cause environmental issues. Certain chemicals that are used to make clothes, like dye and textiles, are found in landfills and seep into the ground. This contact damages the environment significantly. Senior Bethany Duffey, member of the Brighter Future Club, feels more people should reuse their clothing and stop buying too much of it.

“The clothing industry needs to be fixed.

Consumers need to stop buying so much stuff.

People should buy more second-hand clothing and thrift their clothing. I feel like it’s becoming a trend now,” Duffey said.

Both Duffey and Ottoson went to Mexico

for a mission trip through their church. During their time there, they saw some significant problems with how trash and pollution is dealt with.

“When I went to Mexico, kids were playing with trash because it was all around them, so we picked up a lot of trash on the beach.

The amount of trash in the oceans is unreal.

It’s honestly sad, but taking one day to pick up anything you can will make a difference,” Ottoson said.

As pollution persists, air quality is becoming more toxic and our environment is becoming dangerous to wildlife and even humans.

Although there can be many more improvements to impact our environment, there has already been some action taken.

The Corner Grind coffee shop in Elburn recently started selling metal straws. Right next

Page design by Regan O’Brien

January 16, 2020 Feature

PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT

ILLUSTRATIONS BY REGAN O’BRIEN

to the cashier, there is a rack with metal straws and cleaning brushes for purchase. Jacob Roberge, an employee at The Corner Grind, hopes that selling metal straws will reduce the use of plastic.

“They’ve been a big hit. Especially when we first put them out, we just sold a ton right away. If we have regulars who purchase a lot of cold drinks, we can always bring it up to them or suggest buying one,” Roberge said.

Roberge hopes that selling metal straws will encourage the community to think and be more environmentally friendly.

“Anything reusable, we try to focus on not throwing anything away or anything that can be replaced with something that can be used multiple times. That’s one of our easy things that we can get people involved with,” Roberge said.

Page design by Regan O’Brien

PHOTO BY SASHA CLINNIN Bear Lake sits at an elevation of 9,450 feet in Rocky Mountain National Park. It is one of many scenic sites in need of preservation.

Ottoson is also doing her part in improving our environment. Little things that she does daily can make a significant difference. If everyone started being more aware of their plastic and energy use, environmental improvements could happen much quicker.

“I usually bring my own mug to a coffee shop. I bring a reusable water bottle to school.

Carpooling also helps reduce using gas, and I don’t eat meat,” Ottoson said.

Karmagawa is a charity organization founded by Timothy Skyes, a philanthropist who has donated more than $3 million to wildlife charity in the past three years, and Mattheau Abad, an artist/celebrity photographer. Together, they started a project called SaveTheReef.

With an Instagram following of 572,000, they have many ambassadors to advertise their apparel. This includes sweatshirts, t-shirts, hats,

shorts and bags. All of their profits go toward saving the coral reefs and ocean wildlife.

Karmagawa is an example of how social media can bring awareness to a network of people. Duffey explains improvements she has seen, whether through social media awareness or simple individual actions.

“Social media has helped bring awareness to improving our environment, and more people are using reusable water bottles. People have gotten better about not using single-use plastic, and with new technology there are electric cars and more hand dryers,” Duffey said.

Although there is more to be done, improving our environment is of utmost importance to preserve wildlife and sustain human health.

Small individual steps taken every day can make tremendous changes in the long run.

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Photos

January 16, 2020

Students can visit the historic Macy’s Christmas Window display on State Street in Chicago, which attracts thousands of people each year. This year’s theme is “Believe in the Wonder,” based on six iconic Broadway images.

WINTER Millennium Park offers students activities like ice skating at the McCormick Tribune Ice Rink or visiting Cloud Gate, otherwise known as The Bean.

Students can ski or snowboard at resorts like Devil’s Head in Merrimac, WI, or Alpine Valley in Elkhorn, WI.

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PHOTOS BY SASHA CLINNIN

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Page design by Sasha Clinnin

January 16, 2020

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Students can enjoy their coffee on any of the five floors of the new Starbucks Reserve Roastery located on Chicago’s Michigan Avenue.

ACTIVITIES

PHOTO COURTESY OF GRANT WILK

Adventure seeking students may enjoy hiking and camping despite the cold winter weather.

Page design by Sasha Clinnin

Photos

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Sports January 16, 2020

SUCCESSFUL KHS ATHLETES FROM THE 2010 S

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BY JENNA LIN, Editor

n this past decade, Kaneland has seen success in a wide range of sports. From teams earning state championships to players being named All-Americans, the success of Kaneland sports has become a big part of what it means to be a Knight.

At the start of this past decade, the boys track team was runner-up in the Class 2A state finals, with Nick Sinon being a leading contributor by winning the state championship in the high jump event. In both 2010 and 2011, the football team also advanced to the Class 5A state semifinals.

2011 was the year for Kaneland’s baseball team. They brought home the Class 3A state championship, and there were two star players who carried the team to their success.

Centerfielder Joe Camiliere had the most runs and hits in a state championship game, and pitcher Bobby Thorson hit the most triples and pitched the most innings in a state championship game.

“It established us as a well-respected program in the state and amongst many coaches in other states as well. The team was a brotherhood. Whether it was at practice or outside of school, those guys were always together looking after one another,” head coach Brian Aversa said.

In 2013, football player Drew David was named an All-State player and led his team to the Class 5A semifinals. As the quarterback, he helped Kaneland win the conference championship and advance to the state semifinals his sophomore year. David continued his football career at UW-La Crosse and is currently

attending law school at Marquette University, but he has fond memories of his time at Kaneland.

“The only thing I would really say about high school sports is, as with anything, it’s hard to appreciate something when you’re going through it at the time, but being able to play with some of your best friends is an unforgettable experience, and I remain friends with a lot of those guys to this day,” David said.

Also in 2013, wrestler Dan Goress won the state championship title in Class 2A. Goress enlisted in the Marine Corps after high school and has been in active duty since August 2014.

He is currently a Marine Raider and started getting back into wrestling again after daily combative and self-defense training in the Marines.

“This is the first time since high school I have wrestled consistently. It definitely has made a positive impact on me mentally and physically,” Goress said.

Volleyball player Ellie Dunn earned the Under Armour All-American award in 2014.

Dunn was on the varsity team for three years and was named conference MVP her junior and senior years. Dunn graduated from Kaneland as a top recruit in her class and was top 20 in the state for kills. She continued her volleyball career at Ball State University, contributing to the team as their outside hitter. She was a two-time All Mid-American Conference recipient.

“I think the best part of Kaneland athletics was the community that surrounded every

athlete and the coaching staff we had around us constantly pushing us to be better. I am extremely grateful for Kaneland and the people that helped me along my athletic career,” Dunn said.

2016 was a big year for the girls track team.

They tied for first with Cahokia High School at the state finals track meet. The 4x400 meter relay, made up of Carly Bartholomew, Sarah Daley, Jamie Martens and Nicole Sreenan, got first in that event. Sreenan had a very successful 2016 season, placing second at the state final meet in the 100- and 400-meter dash.

In that same season, Sreenan set the Kaneland school record for the 100- and 400-meter dash, and she was on the 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams that also set the school record.

Matt Richtman won the cross country Class 2A championship in 2017 and set the school record at state with a time of 14:24. At the state meet, Richtman defeated longtime rival Jacob Gebhardt from Sterling by a mere three tenths of a second. Richtman was a three-time All-State honoree in cross country. Richtman is currently running at Bradley University and is majoring in mechanical engineering.

The success doesn’t end here for Kaneland athletics. This past year, the Lady Knights tennis team finished the season with an overall record of 16-1. The boys soccer team finished as regional champions, and the boys cross country team won the state championship in Class 2A. As we reflect on this past decade’s success in almost every sport, Kaneland hopes to have another decade full of state championships, school records and much more.

Knights You Should Know Tyler Carlson

• 2013 All-State basketball player • Aurora University basketball player from 20142019 • Finished career with 1,200 points and 444 rebounds PHOTO COURTESY OF TYLER CARLSON

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Sports

Victoria Clinton • 2012 Class 2A Cross Country Individual State Champion • Continued her running career at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia

PHOTO COURTESY OF VICTORIA CLINTON

Page design by Ayshe Ali

January 16, 2020 Activities

FUN KHS ACTIVITIES TO DO IN THE WINTER

BY RACHEL CORMIER, Editor

WINTER GUARD

SKI AND SNOWBOARD CLUB

WINTER PERCUSSION

PHOTO BY RACHEL CORMIER Senior Jessica Kosior and freshman Selah Turk are in the middle of a set.

PHOTO COURTESY OF EVA OTTOSON Senior Eva Ottoson flies through the air after taking off from a hill.

PHOTO BY RACHEL CORMIER Sophomores Amanda Mederich and Aden Mumm, freshman Ryan Spence and senior Connor Sigrist rehearse for a performance.

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t the end of the marching season, Kaneland’s Color Guard begins to work on their own performance. Unlike marching season, they get to focus solely on their group. Winter Guard is an indoor after-school activity that combines choreographed movements with flags and dance into a performance. The added elements of props like rifles, sabres and flags differentiate the group as a guard sport. The Color Guard is led by coaches Brandi McGee and Alex Blanchard, and they welcome inexperienced participants and even reach out to middle school students.

Senior Mackenzie Beam encourages new members to join without the worry of inexperience.

“We’re all kind of at a beginner level, so I wouldn’t really recommend anything to prepare before. Just have the courage to come out and try it, because it looks scarier than it actually is,” Beam said.

Being a part of the group requires dedication, with three-hour practices Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, along with the occasional 12-hour day camps on Saturdays.

This year’s group sees significant improvements from previous years with more practices due to more competitions.

Freshman Selah Turk describes her excitement for the competitive aspect this season will have.

“Compared to last year’s Winter Guard, we have overnight trips and away competitions to look forward to, so I obviously encourage everyone to join,” Turk said.

Page design by Gio Valle

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ki and Snowboard Club members anticipate the cold and snowy weather that comes with the winter season. Adviser Sandra Faletto runs the club and appreciates the opportunity to bring Kaneland students on ski and snowboarding trips.

“Having students join the club who have never skied or snowboarded try something new is really cool,” Faletto said.

The Ski and Snowboard Club typically takes two trips during the school year. While the trips are not limited to experienced members, students are required to go through some training and to wear specific gear to be allowed on the slopes. Students who have never skied or snowboarded before are required to take a beginner’s class and to bring gear, which they learn about in meetings prior to the trips.

This year, the group’s two trips are to Cascade Mountain in Portage, WI, and Devil’s Head Resort in Merrimac, WI. Senior Zack Beatty, a member of the club since his freshman year, has enjoyed all of his past trips with the club.

“It’s a good club to have for winter activities. We got to go to Granite Peak two years ago, and it’s a fun activity to do with a bunch of your friends,” Beatty said.

Future plans for the club involve extending their trips to overnights and eventually creating a third trip, which can be influenced by increased interest from members.

Anyone who is interested in the club can look for their posters around the school, or stop by the Armory and talk to Faletto about joining their next trip in February.

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fter school on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Kaneland’s percussion ensemble takes over the F hallway and fills it with sound. The end of the marching season gives Kaneland’s winter percussion their time to shine as they practice for their own competitive performances.

Winter percussion is the combination of indoor marching with multiple different percussion instruments incorporated into a visual performance. The ensemble works new members into the group by introducing them to instruments in education clinics. New members can get affiliated with the instruments and find a spot either in the battery or the front ensemble, while being mixed with more experienced members.

“We have audition camps before we even start being taught. The positions are really open for anybody, and there are a lot of positions that are good for new members that don’t have to be on the floor,” senior drumline member Robert Pettry said.

This year marks the winter percussion’s first time competing at Nationals in Dayton, OH. Director of winter percussion Tyler Brooks has a great deal of anticipation for the winter season.

“We as a staff are trying to approach this season with the same dedication and enthusiasm as we have since the group’s inception, even given our heightened competitive level.

This season is very much business as usual for us, but with a bit more excitement as we compete on a national stage,” Brooks said.

Activities

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