Volume 3, Issue 4

McHenry High School | McHenry, Illinois | Volume Three | Issue Four | March 2022

IN THIS ISSUE As the conflict in Ukraine intensifies, the U.S. ramps up sanctions against Russia PAGE 3 Laws in states like Florida and Texas have dehumanized the LGBTQ+ community PAGE 6 Get to know some athletes who started late in their high school careers PAGE 13

Insubordinate Students, staff and administrators all agree: Behavior has been worse this year than any in recent memory. But what has caused this uptick in cuts, tardies, inappropriate language, fighting and drama? And what can MCHS do to make the school a better place to attend school?

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Table of Contents

The First Look

Drama Club members perform in the spring musical “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee” on March 11 in the Upper Campus Auditorium.

Photo By: Nikki Sisson

ON THE COVER The stakes have been high for students attendance, behavior, and respectfulness. Now more than ever, the amount of disrespectful behavior are skyrocketing, causing disturbance to other classmates and their education.

Allie Everhart This month’s cover photographer

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In This Issue NEWS

Humanitarian crisis in Ukraine continues, affecting world economies Live event space replaces McHenry Downtown Theatre OPINIONS

Supreme Court Justice Jackson would benefit the United States Texas and Florida’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws are immoral FEATURES

Missed behavior Leveling up SPORTS

Boys and girls track and field teams hit the starting blocks Running into a new sport ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

I am justice

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The McHenry Messenger Mission Statement Student journalists have the right to exercise freedom of speech and the press in school-sponsored media. The McHenry Messenger is a byproduct of these rights. We hope to use this platform to inform and engage the students and staff of McHenry High School as well as its broader community.

As a student-driven publication, it is important to us that we represent every group within both campuses, provide a platform for them to speak their truth, and ensure access to objective, relevant information that they need to know.

By refusing to hide from difficulty, we find the triumph

As we strive to fulfill our journalistic mission, we recognize that learning and growing through our experiences as reporters, writers, and editors is a core aspect of what makes this a student publication. When we make mistakes, our organization is prepared to take responsibility for the stories we publish and hold ourselves accountable.

Finally, despite the difficulties presented by these unprecedented times — which includes a global pandemic — our student newspaper intends to meet the same high standard of journalism as any other school year.

Published by Editorial Staff

Staff Writers

Photographers Special Thanks to

Advisor

McHenry High School in McHenry, IL Kennedy Tetour, Managing Editor Allie Everhart, Artistic Director Vanessa Moreno, News Editor Kyla Henige, Features Editor Alayna Majkrzak, Opinions Editor Mackenzie Sroka, Sports Editor Brooke Danz, Copy Editor Grace Hunt, Freshman Campus Bureau Chief Nikki Sisson, Marketing Director Campbell Bitterman, Paulina Borowski, Beth Brackmann, Ali Carey, Eli Frommes, Blake Hunter, Lydia Lawrence, Bee Myers, Bri Quast, Freedom Tomasello, Logan Vincent and Leah Wickencamp Maddie Canada, Emma Hertel Peter Byrne, Matt Connor, Kim Faith, Betsy Goy, Amy Maciaszek, Gina Nomikoudis, Jeff Prickett, Stacy Rockweiler, Mitch Stengel, and VIP Dane Erbach

Both the McHenry Messenger’s print and digital editions have been established as designated forums for student editors to inform and educate their readers as well as for the discussion of issues related to their audience. Though the student media advisor is responsible for teaching students sound journalism skills and judgment, this paper does not engage in prior review and, thus, all content published by both editions of the McHenry Messenger reflects only the views of the student staff and not school officials or the school itself (unless attributed accordingly).

As the ground thaws, the air warms, the sun stays out longer, and the spring begins, the McHenry Messenger is proud to release the fourth issue of the 2021-22 school year. This can be celebrated along with the beginnings of spring.

There’s a lot going on in our school, state and world right now, including a conflict in Ukraine, a waning global pandemic, a divisive political landscape in the U.S. and shifting cultural values. This issue of the Messenger does its best to not only inform you of these issues, but also share our informed opinions on what’s happening in the world around us.

Our front cover represents possibly the biggest issue within our school community — misbehavior. It effects everyone in the building when it comes to attendance and safety. This is a problem among the student body when it comes to attending school and classes, and we couldn’t help but ask where this problem came from and what our school is doing to try to solve it.

But it hasn’t all been bad news. Spring sports have started, including the boys and girls track and field teams, whose season we preview in this issue. We also talk to freshmen who have made it onto varsity teams this year and upperclassmen who took a risk to start playing sports for the first time. We hope these stories remind you that, even when the world feels confusing and uncomfortable, there are people persevering by leaning into what they love.

This has not been an easy issue to complete, but we hope you walk away from it more about our community and the wider world. We invite you to flip through our stories, thumb through our pages, and celebrate our fourth issue of this school year with us.

Mackenzie Sroka Sports Editor

If you would like to get in contact with the McHenry Messenger, please email the advisor at erbachdane@dist156.org or call (815) 385-7077 and leave a message on his voicemail.

Visit TheMcHenryMessenger.com for more news, features, and opinions Our issues are printed by the McHenry High School Graphics Program: Warriors INK www.mchswarriorsink.com

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News

Humanitarian crisis in Ukraine continues, affecting world economies Bri Quast News Editor The humanitarian crisis in Ukraine continues as Russia commits possible war crimes in attempts to gain control over major Ukrainian cities.

Inflation on energy and oil continues to heighten, per President Joe Biden’s new announcement.

There have been ceasefires in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Mariupol, and Sumy to let civilians evacuate before Russia increases air strike pressure on them.

Russian troops are increasing their attack on Irpin, which is 26 kilometers from Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv.

Vladimir Putin, Russia’s president, proposed evacuation routes for Ukrainians, but the routes lead to Russia and Belarus. Ukrainian officials called Putin’s offer propaganda, and believe the offer did not come from humanitarian concerns.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also repeatedly asked NATO to create a no-fly zone in Ukraine. This would allow NATO planes to be sent into Ukrainian airspace to shoot Russian planes down.

NATO has denied the request, as an act like that would create direct conflict with Russia, risking a major war. Biden has made it clear he does not want the U.S. in conflict with Russia.

Amid the crisis, there have been calls for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to charge Putin with possible war crimes he may have committed. The United Nations have recorded at least 227 civilian deaths and 525 injured persons.

Russian soldiers have also appeared to be targeting civilians.

On Mar. 6, eight unarmed Ukrainian civilians gathered near a bridge in Irpin were killed while attempting to flee to safety.

Residents carry bags out of an apartment building damaged by a Russian strike in suburban Kyiv, Ukraine on Monday, March 14, 2022.

Photo By: Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times / TNS

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As countries place sanctions on Russia, the effects can be felt in the United States “A family died in front of my eyes. Two small children and two adults died,” said Oleksandr Markushyn, Irpin’s mayor, in a statement.

On Mar. 7, Zelenskyy said his country will have to “rebuild everything,” following reports of Russian forces firing on a bread factory, killing 13 people, and destroying a 160-yearold church. A maternity and children’s hospital was also hit, injuring seventeen and killing three.

In the United States, the economy has started to experience the effects from the war. Due to new sanctions banning Russian oil and energy imports, gas prices will rise even more than they did during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Putin’s war is already hurting American families at the gas pump,” said Biden. “Since Putin began his military build-up at Ukrainian borders… the price of gas at the pump in America went up 75 cents … I’m going to

do everything I can to minimize Putin’s price hike here at home.”

In February, oil was selling for $90 a barrel, but prices went up to $130. Energy analysts warn Americans gasoline prices could push past $5 a gallon.

Sanctions on Russia are also causing significant damage to the Russian economy, as their currency has declined in value. One ruble now holds a face value less than one American penny.

In the midst of the war, countries have stepped up to help Ukrainian citizens seeking refuge. Poland has already taken in about 1 million refugees, and neighboring countries have opened up their borders as well.

While the crisis remains, Ukrainian troops stand stronger than anyone would have expected. Help from neighboring countries also gives some hope against the darkness reigning over Europe.

4 The Vixen officially opened on Mar. 5 on Green St. in downtown McHenry, offering new entertainment opportunities for the community.

Photo By: Maddie Canada

Live events space replaces the McHenry Downtown Theater Eli Frommes Freshman Campus Correspondent On Mar. 5, The Vixen opened in downtown McHenry, replacing the previous McHenry Downtown Theater.

The Vixen will be a live events theater with various comedic acts, magicians from “America’s Got Talent,” and other shows for children. At the entrance, there will be a bar area for adults along with music.

The theater closing down has received plenty of positive and negative reactions from the community.

Ultimately, the lack of people watching movies at the theater showed a lack of demand.

“I know we heard a lot of feedback from parents who were concerned about the impact on their kids and one less thing for them to do ... and [that is] totally understandable,” says Mike Sullivan, an investor at The

The Vixen will host comedy, magic shows for adults and kids, game nights, DJ nights, juggling, and more Vixen managing advertising and talent booking. “We definitely thought about that a lot and considered it before changing lanes.”

Molly Ostap, the president of the McHenry Chamber of Commerce, believes the closing of the theater will benefit the community in many ways.

“While we all love movies, it wasn’t a good model anymore,” she says. “People have 70-inch TVs in their homes and movies are streaming immediately. I actually think The Vixen will provide more opportunities for our community than the downtown theater ever could. Restaurants and theaters go hand in hand. So our restaurants are going to definitely benefit from this.”

While The Vixen will give citizens new opportunities, some are

sad to see the McHenry Downtown Theater go.

“It’s sad for me because I saw my first movie there … and the whole experience of it was just so awesome,” says freshman Jamison Shea. “Every time a new Marvel movie came out, me and my dad would go see it and it was always awesome, but now that it is changing it is just sad.”

Individuals can now visit The Vixen located in downtown McHenry for a large variety of entertainment shows.

“Comedy, live music, DJ nights, magic shows for kids,” says Sullivan, “these events were selling out and the community showed that this is more of what they want. You’ll remember these forever, you’ll remember the live events forever.”

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Opinions

Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson delivers remarks on her nomination by President Joe Biden to serve as Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court from the Cross Hall of the White House on Friday, Feb. 25, 2022, in Washington, D.C. Sen Amy Klobuchar, D- Minn., believes there will be bipartisan support for Judge Jackson when the senate votes on her nomination.

Illustration By: Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times / TNS

Opinion

Supreme Court Justice Jackson would benefit the United States Vanessa Moreno News Editor In February, President Joe Biden nominated Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to become the 116th Associate of the U.S. Supreme Court. The nomination followed Stephen G. Breyer’s decision to retire from the Court after this year’s term. Having Jackson as a Justice will be to the United States’ benefit, as she has an impressive resume and brings new perspectives to the Court.

Jackson was born in Washington, D.C. to parents who attended segregated schools. In high school, she was told to not set her sights so high after expressing interest in attending Harvard’s law school.

Eventually, she graduated from Harvard twice, with honors, and became an editor of the Harvard Law Review. Since then, she has held several positions in the field and was called “one of the nation’s brightest legal minds” by the White House.

In its 233-year existence, the Supreme has had only two African-American Justices and four female Justices. Having Jackson, a Black woman, as a Justice would provide the Court with much needed diversity. According to Forbes, diversity in the workplace “helps provide insight into the needs and motivations of all your customer base, rather than just a small part

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President Biden’s Justice nominee would bring new perspectives to the highest court in the country of it.” Throughout its history, the Court has handled cases like Dred Scott v. Sandford and Roe v. Wade where a Black or female perspective would have been crucial, but there wasn’t any. Having diverse individuals like Jackson in the Court will help ensure that all Americans are taken into account when making decisions. This is especially important at the Supreme Court level, since their decisions directly impact all Americans and generations to come.

Aside from bringing diversity to the Court, Jackson also brings an impressive resume with her. Since graduating from Harvard, she has focused on serving the public. In the 2000s, she worked as a federal public defender, representing those who couldn’t afford a lawyer. If the Senate were to confirm her, she would be the first former federal public defender.

Jackson also became a U.S. Sentencing Commissioner, focusing on reducing unwarranted and unjust sentences.

Currently, Jackson is a judge in the U.S. Court of Appeals, where she reviews final orders from D.C.’s Superior Court. Clearly, Jackson is focused on serving and helping the people, which is an ideal quality for a Justice that will make decisions for all Americans. Her work even earned her

bipartisan support when being confirmed as a commissioner and judge.

With all the experience Jackson has in criminal justice, she could bring much-needed reform to the prison system.

The United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world — an issue Jackson has tried to combat. Under Barack Obama, she aided in releasing 79 non-violent drug offenders from jail after they received unfair sentences. When working as a public defender, Jackson represented Guantanamo Bay detainees, giving her a perspective in the much-debated military prison. Most of the Court’s Justices are not as well versed in prison system issues like Jackson is, making her a great addition to the Court. As senior director of the Fair Courts Program Lena Zwarenstey said, “Having a bit more balance when it comes to who is helping decide matters of life and death for so many people is very important.”

Starting Mar. 21, the Senate Judiciary Committee will begin confirmation hearings for Jackson’s nomination.

The plan is to finish hearings and reach a Senate vote by Apr. 8. If she is confirmed, the day will mark a major win for women, people of color, and reformers.

6 Moses May, 14, leads a student protest at Gaither High in Tampa, Florida, against what critics call the “Don’t Say Gay” bills, on Monday, Feb. 14, 2022.

Photo By: Ivy Ceballo / Tampa Bay Times / TNS

Opinion

Texas and Florida’s anti-LGBTQ+ laws are immoral States with conservative congresses have passed laws that will severely affect young LGBTQ+ people A gay student walks down the halls of her Florida school, upset because she knows her teachers aren’t allowed to talk about gay rights or LGBTQ people in classes.

She doesn’t think it’s fair at all. She then gets a text from her trans friend in Texas, and he’s in trouble.

Florida’s house of representatives passed the “Don’t Say Gay” bill in February.

This bill blocks students from learning about the LGBTQ+ community in schools it is now not going to be included in the curriculum for teachers.

Texas Governor Greg Abbot has ordered state child welfare officials to launch child abuse investigations into reports of transgender kids whose parents support them and their transition. This goes for kids who are receiving gender affirming care and medical care. Abbot is asking other Texans to act as “watchdogs” and to report parents for abuse if they are supporting their child’s transition.

President Joe Biden responded to the Texas anti-trans act in his State of the Union address on Mar. 1, “For our LGBTQ+ Americans, let’s finally get the bipartisan equality act to my desk. The onslaught of state laws targeting transgender Americans and their families is simply wrong. I said last year especially to our younger transgender Americans ‘I’ll always have your back as your president, so you can be yourself and reach

your god given potential.’”

Laws and bills like these put young children in danger. According to the Trevor Project, LGBTQ+ youth are four times more likely to attempt, plan or consider suicide.

With the government actively working against them, children will feel more outcasted and unaccepted, increasing their risk of suicide.

This is not acceptable. Young children should not feel that suicide is their only option because their whole state is against them.

Discriminating against any group of people is ethically incorrect, whether it be because of skin color, financial status or in this case, gender and sexuality discrimination.

With these laws, young children are being targeted, not only limiting their education, but by threatening the safety of their home lives, as trans kids could be separated from their parents in Texas. These laws can be classified as direct discrimination. According to Amnesty International, direct discrimination is, “when an explicit distinction is made between groups of people that results in individuals from some groups being less able than others to exercise their rights.”

Americans are given certain, protected rights under the United States constitution. The 14th Amendment states that everyone born in the United States is a citizen, and that no state shall deny to any person the equal protection of the law. However, the “Don’t Say Gay” bill is limiting people’s free-

Nikki Sisson Marketing Manager dom of speech, as there are now certain off limit topics to discuss in classrooms. Despite the Constitution never mentioning healthcare, the Fifth Amendment has been interpreted as the right to refuse medical treatment. This shows that Americans are legally allowed to make their own medical decisions based on what is best for them, not what the government does. This goes along with the anti-trans act in Texas, in which children are not only being separated from their parents, but being denied proper medical treatment needed for them to live their proper lives.

Many argue that children are too young to learn about the LGBTQ+ community. However, heterosexual culture is forced on children from an extremely young age, through media, books, and even the clothes they wear as babies. If children can learn about straight relationships, why can’t they learn about gay relationships? It can help make them more accepting people and more open minded in the long run.

Another claim many people have is that trans children are too young to know who they are or what they want to be. In a study done by Kristina Olson, she found that both trans girls and girls who were born female identify as girls in equal measures.

Overall, governments imposing these laws is harmful to children in many ways. This needs to be fixed as we can’t keep putting young children in more danger.

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Features The total numbers of behavior incidents between semester one at East Campus in 2019 and semester one the Freshman Campus in 2022 are comparable, which is notable because the school housed twice as many students before the pandemic.

Photo By: Allie Everhart

Missed behavior

This year, teachers and administrators have reported that bad behavior is on the rise. So what’s causing the sudden surge of cuts, tardies, fights, and inappropriate language?

Kennedy Tetour Managing Editor Freedom Tomasello Staff Writer

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Coming off of two years of a pandemic and a chaotic hybrid schedule last year, MCHS Upper Campus has faced some challenges in regards to controlling student behavior and attendance.

This school year has been one of the more difficult years for cuts, tardies and skipping classes. Students seem to have a general sense of apathy towards school, and even with things such as Prom or their parking pass at stake, kids just don’t seem to care. The real question is: why?

This year has been challenging for everyone, including students, teachers and administrators. MCHS made a full return to in-person instruction at the start of the year, in addition to East and West Campuses combining into the Upper and Freshman Campuses. The two cultures are combing for the first time ever, and it seems to be a lot harder on some students compared to others.

“February 2020 [the Freshmen Campus] was East Campus and had ninth-12th graders. Most had spent at least two years in the building, were accustomed to our culture…and were not coming off a pandemic where they were ‘working’ remotely,” says Peter Byrne, the dean at the Freshman Campus. “We all know that school expectations were altered greatly during this time as we were working reactionary to the pandemic.”

Byrne says that comparing this school year with previous years is unrealistic, but behavior has remained an anomaly this year. Earlier this semester there was a group email thread that included the entire senior class. This email thread led to spam messages, unnecessary memes, and inappropriate use of school emails. It was supposedly made as an attempt to connect the seniors and plan out senior events.

Senior Andrew Hoffman, the

creator of the email chain, stated that, “I was hoping to chat with a lot of the people I haven’t seen or talked to in years, and same goes with the rest of the seniors who have gotten more distance through high school, especially before the change of campuses.”

The Freshman Campus alone has had 946 behavioral referrals this year, which can be compared to the 909 from the 2019-20 school year. 244 of this year’s referrals were class cuts and 455 were tardies at the Freshman Campus. This may not seem outrageous compared to the 131 class cuts and 367 tardy violations from 2020, but that was when half of McHenry students went to East Campus.

The Freshman Campus alone has exceeded prior school years behavioral referrals before the school year is even over, which says a lot about the mindset that has been instilled in our community.

Gregory Eiserman, Assistant Principal at Upper Campus says that it’s a many-faceted problem that can be hard to narrow down to one simple fix. “I think next year will be better … But I also share with everybody, this is everywhere, right? The issues that we’ve seen in this building, we talk to every school in the conference, and they’re all seeing massive issues as well. It’s a society problem.”

In recent weeks, the school has sent out several messages informing students that disciplinary action would be taken in response to poor behavior. Dr. Jeff Prickett, the principal of MCHS, sent an email Mar. 8. This email was sent out after several fights broke out between students on campus grounds. In this email, administration listed different disciplinary actions that could occur when physical altercation occurs.

“Please also be aware we take any and all physical altercations very se-

riously,” he wrote, “and any student who engages in this behavior will be subject to a suspension, referral to the police, and possible expulsion from school.”

On Mar. 12, Prickett sent out a Schoology message that said any student who arrives at school past 7:45 a.m. will be counted as cutting class, and will subsequently be held in the south foyer until the start of 2nd period. Many students have spoken out against this new rule, saying that it encourages students to skip class and is redundant and useless.

Michelle Jimenez, a junior at the Upper Campus, has had issues with arriving to school on time since her freshman year. She states that her freshman year it was standard to receive a detention if a student was tardy too many times, but this school year is different.

“Last semester I was tardy 30 times, all from 1st period, and never received a detention, with this semester being worse.” Jimenez says. “These rules never existed in the past. Missing the whole 1st period is worse than 10 minutes or even 1 minute.”

Last week there was also a small note at the end of the MCHS newsletter. This addition to the news letter highlighted the fact that our school is currently working through many changes. Coming off a pandemic, combining campuses and adding blended learning opportunities have all created new challenges that MCHS has not yet faced.

Prickett stated that MCHS is looking to implement a “Behavior Specialist” for the 22-23 school year to aid with these new struggles.

The school is working towards a safer and more organized environment, though this may take some time, plans are underway to change the way MCHS currently runs and make our school better for everyone.

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Features CAPTION All Photos By: Kyla Henige

Leveling up

Freshmen athletes are taking on the challenging level of playing on skilled varsity teams Grace Hunt Freshman Campus Bureau Chief

Freshman basketball player Caleb Jett and freshman softball player Tatum Kornfeind are two of many freshmen who made varsity teams during this year’s athletic seasons.

Photo By: Emma Hertel

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A freshman races to see what team they were placed on for the upcoming sports season after the tough tryouts — varsity, it reveals. Their heart begins to beat faster with mixed emotions of fear and overwhelming excitement. Wondering if they can measure up to the other varsity players. The player begins to wonder what the dynamic of the team will be like or even if they will get decent playing time. Measuring up as a freshman player to the older players may be a challenge, but they are ready to take it on.

Many freshman athletes have participated on varsity teams this year.

They have been recognized by their coaches for doing well and pulled them up onto a higher level team. There are many challenges that accompany this new level of competition but also many opportunities and advantages.

“I believe that freshmen gain a huge advantage of playing on a varsity team if they have the skills and are able to compete at that level,” said Barry Burmeister, the athletic director, “because they are going to get better from playing against a higher level of competition...not just in games, but everyday in practice. Plus, they are going to compete at that higher level for four years and will get a higher level of coaching and will be challenged daily.”

Freshman Lauren Blake was pulled up to compete at the varsity level during the varsity girls’ cross country team season.

“In JV I was getting a good place,” she said, “and I was towards the front. I was scared I’d be the absolute last in varsity. It actually ended up pushing me because It was more of a competition, and they were more difficult races.”

Freshman athletes have to put in the work to match their older, experienced competition who may be stronger and bigger.

“I look at the person in front of me and work to pass them, and then the next person and work to pass them.

I felt like I was a lot more motivated to do that because I wanted to stay up there and not fall way behind being in varsity,” said Blake.

The varsity boys soccer team had freshmen athletes Adam Brono-

wicki, Braeden Juergensen, and Marko Stojich.

“Building relationships … learning from the seniors and all the stuff they teach you,” said Bronowicki. “The level you play at is more fun and just learning more.”

During the boys basketball season freshmen Conner Mclean, Caleb Jett and Carter Sites participated on the varsity team.

“My initial thoughts were that it was a good opportunity to get better.

I didn’t expect too many minutes, but I just wanted to get better as a player,” said Jett. “I was proud of myself along with my parents. It was just a cool moment, being a freshman on varsity is hard to achieve.”

Being a freshman player on varsity is a rare and honorable accomplishment.

“Playing on varsity as a freshman is an impressive feat and something that I have not seen very often in my time coaching,” said boys basketball coach Anthony Swanson. “I have been coaching basketball for 8 years here, and since I’ve been a part of the program we’ve only pulled up freshman twice to varsity. Having three freshmen up for a short period of time this year and two that stayed on varsity for the last month of the season is extremely rare.”

Being on varsity as a younger player can present many challenges.

Athletes need to be not only talented but also have to be willing to learn and listen.

“I do see a lot of potential in the freshmen that played on varsity basketball this year,” said Swanson, “and so do the other coaches on staff. Obviously they are talented individuals, but they also have a great work ethic and are coachable, which is even more important than their talent.”

Freshman athletes not only have physical differences from older players but also mental differences and experience.

“The challenges that freshmen would face on a varsity team is they come from a junior high level where they are probably the best on the playing field,” said Burmeister, “to maybe not being the best and the mental side

of being able to deal with that. There may be some physical limitations when they first start out, the speed of the game might take some adjustment, and there may be some maturity issues that arise.”

Finding game time for all the players on the team including freshmen can be a challenge to allow for there to be playing time for all.

“Anytime you’re a freshman and you get to go into any varsity game, that’s an accomplishment,” said head girl’s soccer coach Andrew Stegenga.

“So that’s an awesome experience to have, but it also gives you, hopefully, that hunger to want more minutes and want to keep working hard.”

Freshmen Madie Davis and Makenna Harvey will be participating in the upcoming varsity girl’s soccer team.

“I think putting in the work, putting in the time, and putting in the effort is what made me be on varsity,” said Davis.

Varsity girls softball also has freshmen talent Tatum Kornfeind and Chloe Clark recruited on the team.

“I’m excited because it’s really hard to get onto varsity, especially with all the talent that was there. It’s exciting because you have this huge opportunity in front of you,” said Kornfeind. “I really don’t find it intimidating, I find it like a way to push yourself to work harder.”

Competing on a varsity team during freshman year comes with the struggles of fighting for playing time.

“Playing time [is a concern] because you’re [freshman player] so young, and you’re the new ones,” said Kornfeind. “You’re worried about not getting enough playing time compared to everyone else because they’ve been there so much longer. Which is why we’ve put forth so much work and trying so hard, because we want to be able to prove to everyone what we can do.”

After the freshman attends a few practices everything begins to feel normal with a new level of excitement to succeed, and they continue to push themselves. They’ve begun to make new connections with their older teammates and bonded with other seniors to have a great season. They are more motivated and successful in their sport with everything they’ve learned.

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Sports

Girls track team members Ali Casey and Jennifer Orozco practice at the track at McCracken Field on Mar. 14 in preparation for their first meets of the season.

Photo By: Allie Everhart

Boys and girls track and field teams hit the starting blocks Logan Vincent Staff Writer Ali Casey Freshman Campus Correspondent Boys Track and Field

With winter sports ending, the boys and girls track and field teams are up and running, hoping that working together will bring them successful seasons

two is indoor track will usually be 200 meters or less and an outdoor track A boys runner stretches in the will usually be 400 meters. center of the new indoor track at Lakes The indoor track can also be a Community High School in Lake Villa. disadvantage for runners running the All around him, runners, jumpers and 200 meter, 400 meter, 1600 meter, and throwers of all ages — underclasstwo mile. This is due to the fact the ment and upperclassmen — prepare corners are so tight and on an outdoor for a meet. The runner realizes that track the corners are not nearly as he’s lucky to be part of such a diverse tight compared to indoor tracks. There team. also will be more field events once the The boys track and field outdoor season begins. Track meets season has just started — at least will usually either be an invitational the indoor season so far. The outdoor one or even just a regular Fox Valley season will be starting towards the end Conference meet with usually 2-4 of March. The difference between the teams.

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The bond between the upperclassmen and underclassmen in track and field is very strong. This is caused by the fact that many of the upperclassmen step up to lead the underclassmen and teach them things they may have learned from experience.

“The team bond has improved heavily this year. The best part about our team bond is that the upperclassmen attempt to lead the underclassman. And lately, a lot of underclassmen have been stepping up, improving, learning, and gaining an overall passion for track,” stated junior Rayaan Ahmed. “They are gaining a

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truly rare experience of gaining a competitive spirit right from the get go — it’s really really cool to see teammates having shared individual growth. And I think that is what allows our team bond to flourish into this cooperative community based on teammate appreciation.”

The team has gained some new coaching staff through recent years, but this did not change the Warrior’s training. There are four different teams on the track and field team, the different teams consist of sprinters, distance runners, jumpers, and throwers. They do not all practice together, but they will compete as a team in meets to gain points to have the chance of winning that meet.

Senior Joe Hissem explains, “I think that both teams are confident in their own way, but this year more than other years distance is a lot more confident in their abilities. Last year was a lot of sprint confidence, but now the distance side has stepped it up.”

The coaches support the players with whatever event the athletes will choose or with the upperclassmen they try to help them with their best choice of college or another career choice.

The coaches also record the times, the jumps and the throws.

The coaches have been able to gain new meets and one of them headed to Bolingbrook on Mar. 12 for an ultra-competition indoor meet and the team got to check out Lakes’ new indoor facility.

Players coaches are very supportive and the athletes are always able to depend on them to be there for them.

The boys track and field has grown over the years and has gained

more upperclassmen then years before, with a total of 8 seniors running.

The track team has been getting better over the years and has been able to learn about high competition meets and even really big meets with 15+ teams.

who will be running each event when the outdoor season begins.

“This year we are still a relatively young team so it will mostly likely take all of indoor season to determine who will be a part of our varsity line up come outdoor season,” says head coach Kyle Owens Girls Track and Field Many student athletes have joined the girl’s track and field team The girls runners wait patient- after their winter sports ended. Not ly for the starter gun, the suspense only does this make the girls track filling the atmosphere. The starter team larger, but also helps build up yelled “set” raising his arm up as teamwork and dedication. the runners followed his lead. A loud “Our freshman and new track BOOM shakes the room and the run- athletes have been making great ners speed off. People yell and cheer progress so far. They are taking what as they push themselves toward the they are being taught and applying finish line. it to their training and competitions,” The girls track and field states Owens. “Some will have an season has officially started for the immediate impact on the varsity level 2021-2022 season after COVID-19 and others will continue the progress complicated the past for the past two and work towards that goal.” seasons.

With the first couple of meets, The girls track and field team the girl’s track and field team has have been showing dedication and been doing really well. Many Athdetermination toward the sport and letes have been hitting their personal toward their team and sport. record or surpassing them while com“I think this season is gopeting in the last couple of meets. ing well so far. The past two years, “This season so far has been there’s been a lot of restrictions really exciting,” explains Kelly Hutera, because of COVID, and now this a sophomore varsity sprinter. “I have year we are able to do more,” says loved seeing new people show up, Daniela Hernandez, a senior runner. people trying new events and see“This year I can see at practice how ing them improve and work hard. I everyone puts in their best efforts. am beyond happy to see everyone’s We’ve all been improving as a team efforts paying off and I can’t wait to and seeing this I know that we will see how much we can achieve as it continue to grow and improve as the is only the beginning.” season goes on.”

The girl’s track team is off Since this is the beginning to a great start, but this is only the of a new season, coaches need to beginning. The team plans to soar still evaluate how athletes perform at to new heights this season. Between the beginning of the indoor season, their determination and dedication moving each athlete around and see they are predicting a great season where they fit best, and to decide ahead.

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Sports

Though most think of student athletes as devoted students of their sports, having played and practiced for years, many students — looking forward to creating memories as upperclassmen — try a new sport their junior or senior year.

Photo By: Mackenzie Sroka

Running into a new sport Mackenzie Sroka Sports Editor An upperclassmen has just tried out for a sport they have never played in high school before. While scared of the reality they are now at a high school level, they love and feed into the competitive atmosphere around them. As they continue practicing for the team, they soon realize their new found love for the sport.

Some of the upperclassmen that are joining the athletic program at MCHS for the first time do not have any experience with the sport.

“Coaching an upperclassman that does not have experience is the same as coaching anyone else without experience,” explained Raymond Hagerty, a wrestling coach. “We try to give them a solid understanding of the basic techniques in order to allow them to go out on the mat and compete safely. Every student athlete is different and came with different natural skills, so we use those skills to advance them as far as we can throughout the season.”

While coaching new athletes the athlete has to be willing to put in the work in order to reach success.

“Usually athletes that are trying out new sports are eager to learn and quickly bring their skill level up,” described Volume Three | Issue Four | March 2022

Though many athletes train for years, some join athletics for the first time as upperclassmen Dale Gross, a badminton coach, “so coaching them is easier because the drive is so high to get better quickly.”

Even though they may not be at the highest level or the best on the team, they can still have a large role on the team.

“They may not be the most talented wrestler, but their work ethic can rub off on the people around them,” explained Hagerty. “Others fill in key weight classes for the JV team, and in a rare case of a super talented wrestler they may be needed to step into a varsity spot. It really all depends on the individual.”

Many of the newer athletes are focused primarily upon getting better to improve themselves.

“These athletes bring a new perspective to the team along with a positive attitude and a hunger for coaching and the desire to get better everyday,” said Kyle Owens, the varsity track coach.

Having newer players can provide this prospective on the sport, since they are just striving to better themselves and get memories.

“I chose this sport because to me I do not care about my statistics,” said Bailey Owens, a junior track runner. “I care about making memories and making new

connections. I might not have any experience but the most important thing to me is staying consistent and having fun.”

Choosing to join a sport within the MCHS athletics program for the first time can be challenging and intimidating for many athletes.

“Walking into a new sport can be intimidating, but just trying your best is all that matters,” explained Owens. “You don’t quit a sport just because you’re not the best at it. If you’re not the best at it, you keep striving to be the best and don’t settle for anything less.”

For many new program athletes, they have to relearn or learn techniques in order to reach success in their sport.

“The challenges I have to face is my speed and my breathing control,” described Keira Winters, a senior track athlete. “Also learning how to run again because of COVID and trying to get faster everyday and competing.”

No matter what the sport it is, it is important to try new things no matter how intimidating it may be. If there is an interest in a sport, then whether or not the student is the best or has experience it is worth a try. Most likely they will walk away with new memories and friends.

14

Arts and Entertainment

There have been many Batman films over the years, and many have felt more like a cash grab than an homage to DC’s darkest hero but “The Batman” starring Robert Patinson does the franchise justice.

Photo Courtesy of: Warner Bros. Pictures

I am justice Review

Though met with scepticism, “The Batman” exceeds viewers many expectations — and may be one of the best Batman movies of all time Warning: This review contains spoilers One of the highest anticipated films of the year “The Batman” came with a lot of speculation and concern. With a new cast, new villains, and a fresh point of view, this film is far from the Christopher Nolan films, yet captures a much more comic accurate hero.

Allow me to begin by saying, I am typically a much bigger fan of Marvel than I am of DC. I think that Warner Brothers has really dropped the ball in recent years with the DCEU. The films are redundant many times and come off as lazy cash grabs to me, but “The Batman” is an entirely different story.

The cinematography of the film is absolutely perfect. It’s dark but has a magnificent use of sporadic color. I love the fact that this movie is red coded. Batman is typically black and yellow, with occasional variation such as “Batman Beyond”, but this hint of red is one of my favorites. Greig Fraser did an amazing job as head cinematographer on this film and I think that it’s truly a beautiful and detailed movie.

The way they portrayed the riddler is spectacular. His character is very clearly influenced by the Zodiac killer, which has

always been a very mysterious and interesting case to me. He doesn’t just leave behind stupid riddles, theres always more that Batman has to really dig to find out.

This aspect directly adds to the fact that Batman is supposed to be “the world’s greatest detective,” which many iterations of the hero have completely ignored.

Batman is so much more than just a dark and brutish man. He is a smart and well calculated vigilante.

Aside from the depth that has been added to these decades old characters, the film has an overall amazing storyline. The Riddler is taking down some of Gotham’s most corrupt individuals one by one, and he is convinced that Batman is on his side helping him through it all. Though the movie is nearly three hours long, the pacing is practically perfect. Every detail plays out, and stories don’t randomly get dropped half way through the film. It can tend to feel a little bit slow at times, and it’s certainly hard to find a spare minute where you can pop out for a bathroom break, but the movie makes up for that. The longer run time helps to make it feel less rushed.

The mysteries of the film don’t just magically get solved to cut back on time. Each issue has its moment in the spotlight, and

Kennedy Tetour Managing Editor viewers have to watch patiently to see how Batman and his team solve each one.

The music in this movie is also spectacular. It provides a lot of foreshadowing, both in the lyrics of songs such as “Something In The Way” by Nirvana, and in the motifs that go along with the film’s heroes and villains. Even Batman’s main theme alludes to Darth Vader’s theme from Star Wars, which is an interesting connection between two characters that both have a tragic past.

All in all, “The Batman” has completely exceeded my expectations.

Robert Patinson was an amazing choice for Batman. He plays the character so well, and he adds his own twist to the character, yet manages to make it much more comic accurate. I love that this movie shows the earlier part of the vigilante’s career. He’s still learning the ropes, and still leans on Alfred for a lot of support. He’s risky and adventurous. Zoe Kravitz makes a wonderful Catwoman. She’s one of my favorite actresses and she has such a beautiful way of portraying strong and painful emotions.

I can not recommend this movie enough. If you can set aside the time to sit down and watch it, it’s definitely worth the three hours it will take.

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