Volume 5, Issue 10

A WARRIOR STUDENT MEDIA Publication

McHenry Community High School | Volume 5, Issue 10 | February 4, 2024

Kontrovercial Koy in the house!

See side two for the full story

NEWS

Photo by: Allison Dinner / EFE via Zuma Press / TNS

Writer’s Week starts Monday at MCHS

The English department will host a different event each day to celebrate writers Paulina Borowski Marketing Director

NEWS

MCHS is set to host a week-long celebration of literature, aimed at recognizing and encouraging the talent of students during Writer's Week from February 5-9.

The event kicks off on Monday, February 5th, during the school's AIM period, with a Celebration of Words.

Students and staff will take to the podium to read aloud the written works that they feel are important to them.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, exceptional students who have been nominated by their teachers as talented

writers will be given the opportunity to showcase their skills in writing and poetry.Thursday's event will feature a book signing, where students will have the chance to meet Matt de la Peña, author of "Ball Don't Lie" and "Mexican White Boy”. Additionally, English classes are scheduled to participate in book-talk presentations with said author during periods 1-4 at Upper Campus.

The week-long celebration culminates in MCHS's Annual Poetry Slam on Friday.

During this event, sophomore students will present their original poetry to their peers, along with a panel of judges selecting the best-written poetry. The event promises to be a showcase of the school's finest literary talent.

For MCHS's annual Writers Week, the Celebration Of Words welcomes all on Feb. 5, the sophomores participate in the Poetry Slam, and New York Times bestselling author Matt de la Peña comes to speak to the school and sign copies of his books. | Photo by: Leylah Moreno

U.S. military base in Jordan attacked

On Jan. 28, a drone attack took place in Jordan that killed three U.S. troops

more violent approach risks the turmoil in the Middle East which would only make things harder as it would only draw America into a deeper conflict.

AP News describes that Iran threatened to “decisively respond” to any U.S. attack on the Islamic Republic.

The U.S. signaled it is preparing for retaliation attacks in the Mideast after the attack at Tower 22 that wounded 40 troops.

Tower 22 is a secretive base in northeastern Jordan that has been very important as the American presence in Syria.

The troops killed were identified as Sgt. William Jerome Rivers, Spec.

Kennedy Ladon Sanders, and Spec.

Breonna Alexsondria Moffett, says AP News.

EDITORIAL CARTOON

US President Joe Biden delivers remarks at the St. John Baptist Church in Columbia, South Carolina, on Jan. 28, 2024. US President Joe Biden vowed on Sunday to strike back after a drone attack he blamed on Iran-backed militant groups killed three US troops in Jordan. | Kent Nishimura / AFP via Getty Images / TNS

Grace Crockett News Editor

On Jan. 28, an overnight drone attack in Jordan killed three American troops and left at least 40 troops injured.

A low profile United States military desert outpost in Jordan becomes an international concern as a drone attack that took place the night of Jan. 28 killed three U.S. troops that were targeted by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq. Before the attack, the United States had around 3,000 troops in Jordan as of 2023 according to the Congressional

Research Service as they wanted to focus on Jordanian security and the Islamic State more thoroughly.

The initial attack was conducted by an enemy drone that was mistaken for a U.S. one, which is how the drone accessed the base unchallenged.

“National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Wednesday the U.S. believes the attack was planned,” said AP News. “Resourced and facilitated by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq, an umbrella group that includes the militant group Kataib Hezbollah. He said Biden “believes that it is important to respond in an appropriate way.”

According to the Washington Post, the Pentagon made it a point to identify what happened at the isolated facility with the goal to prevent more bloodshed as attacks by Iranian proxy forces continue. Questions about what the U.S. will do to respond arise.

To answer these questions, President Biden made it very clear that the U.S. will strike back after this deadly drone attack. How is still unclear as Biden has multiple options towards the matter according to AP News. This decision is anything but easy for Biden as a weak response will do little to stop the attacks

by Iran-backed militia groups, but a

Beth Brackmann Staff Writer

FEATURE

Second semester blues

The first month back is almost over and student motivation has varied this semester Lexi Januk Staff Writer

A&E

Second semester, the final stretch before summer break. It goes from dark and dreary to tulips in the spring.

Although many finish out strong, there are students that get lost in that darkness.

With one semester being 18 weeks long, doing a second one after getting a taste of break is exhausting. Second semester comes with new classes, people, and routines.

This could be exciting to most, but others have been struggling to balance it all. Burnout is very common in the second semester as everyone tries to finish as strong as they can.

“I can tell kids are a bit less motivated to return,” said Catherine Larson, a history teacher at Upper Campus.

There are multiple factors that can

cause this lack of motivation, anything from seasonal depression to just the anxiety of change. Especially with elearning days now in the mix, it becomes a little more difficult and a little more isolating.

“For one of my classes we had an elearning day and I assigned some work over that time,” said Larson. “I only had three students out of twenty-two turn it in. So like, I think that’s pretty telling how motivation is affecting students.”

According to The American Academy of Physicians, 4 to 6 percent of Americans suffer from seasonal depression, and 10 to 20 percent suffer from a milder form.

Even though seasonal depression is not the sole reason for lack of motivation, it does play a heavy one.

“It’s long, cold, and full of seasonal depression,” said senior Mackenzie Groveau.

Some students have a totally different spin on things and don't see a difference

By the time students finally reach the second semester of the school year, many find themselves burntout and unmotivated. | Photo by: Rose Wenckenbach

with themselves. But even the students who don’t feel out of place notice a change in others.

“If I'm being honest, it feels the same.

It’s just about keeping up and working hard, I guess just trying to get past it.” said senior Dion Edwards.

Other factors contribute to the feeling of dread and loss of motivation some students experience. With summer approaching and just the genuine feeling of not being bothered it is hard for some to grasp what is going on around them and slow down.

“I've seen how people have no care for second semester. Just because of senior year too, some people just don't want to do work whatsoever” said Edwards.

“They just want to get to summer and it's almost that time of the year.”

Coming closer to the end of the year there are only really two ways for students to go, pass or fail. It is difficult to experience and watch others experience a decline in their life. As motivation varies, there is always an end to the semester and we are all in it together.

One to remember

On Jan. 7, Jo Koy opened the Golden Globes with a monologue taking swings at different celebrities, which has since gone viral online Lola Cassidy Online Managing Editor This year’s Golden Globes was hosted by comedian and actor Joseph Glenn Herbert, known as Jo Koy. Koy’s presentation at the Golden Globes has gained mixed reviews from celebrities and civilians alike.

According to the Golden Globes website, The Golden Globes is an annual award ceremony that has been around since 1944 and marks the start of awards season. The Globes honors the best of film and television from the prior year.

This year’s Globes has gained as much traction as last year's Will Smith slap, with the jokes made by host Jo Koy. While some of Koy’s jokes went well with the audience, the bad ones are what are going viral on the internet. The ones that gained the most traction were directed at “Barbie,” starring Magrot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, and at Taylor Swift and the National Football League, NFL. “Barbie is on a plastic doll with big boobies,” said Koy in reference to the boxoffice competition between “Barbie” and “Openheimer.”

This joke was especially angering to fans because the whole premise of the movie is to empower women and to show the struggles they face to men like Koy. Yet, he still made fun of the movie and the great acting of Robbie like it was not an excellent adaptation of women struggles and women empowerment.

“It entirely showed what the Barbie movie was talking about how women are always put down for their

achievements,” said senior Haley Huffman. “I think it was just very unnecessary for him to do it, like it wasn't funny, it wasn't needed, and it just was horrendous.”

Koy also missed the target with his joke about Taylor Swift when he said that the only difference between the Golden Globes and the NFL is that there are less camera shots of Swift at the Golden Globes.

While some say Swift was overreacting to Koy’s joke, her fans and supporters rallied around her saying she was simply sipping her drink while keeping a straight face at a joke that was not funny. .

Swift’s reaction brings back last year's Golden Globes when Will Smith got up and smacked Chris Rock across the face for talking about his wife. Fans responded by saying he was just protecting his wife, and not overreacting like how Swift apparently did.

When watching Koy open the Golden Globes, notable moments in the background included the lack of celebrities laughing or even smiling. At one point, you can even see actor and singer, Selena Gomez putting her head on her hands with a look of complete disappointment about Koy’s joke about “Barbie.”

Koy has put the blame on everyone but himself for the poor tasting jokes.

During the Golden Globes he kept bringing up the fact that he only had the gig for ten days, blaming the lack of time for the absence of laughter to his intro, even though he tells jokes for a living.

He even said, after no one laughed at his jokes about Margot Robbie’s acting,

The McHenry Messenger is McHenry Community High School’s student-written and -edited newspaper.

Launched in 2019, The McHenry Messenger is the student-run and student-edited school newspaper at McHenry High School in McHenry, Illinois.

Student journalists have the right to exercise freedom of speech and the press in high school media. The McHenry Messenger benefits from 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 an open forum for student expression, the McHenry Messenger hopes to maintain editorial independence from that which we cover while continuing to foster connections to the community.

Host Jo Koy arrives for the 81st Annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California, on Sunday, Jan. 7, 2024. | Photo by: Allison Dinner / EFE via Zuma Press / TNS

that “Some [jokes] I wrote, some other people wrote,” and then said in a later interview that “That’s a tough room, and it was a hard job.”

Since the wake of the Golden Globes fiasco, many celebrity hosts of other award shows have subtly taken swings at Koy’s monologue.

Including Chelsea Handler at the Critics Choice Awards on Jan. 14, and Joel McHale and Ken Jeong at the Emmys on Jan. 15.

“Thank you for laughing at that.

My writer's wrote it," said Handler while taking a jab at Koy. “Besides, I only had the gig for 10 days at that point, so give me a break,” said Jeong when making a joke about being a doctor, but while also subtly making fun of Koy.

Despite the terrible jokes pointed at women and the traction that it gained, the Golden Globes truly painted a picture of women power. Throughout the entire three hour broadcast, the camera continuously pans to famous female celebrities, like Taylor Swift, Greta Gerwin, Selena Gomez and Meryl Streep, showing them standing, clapping and cheering for fellow females winning awards or being nominated.

Even if what is going viral are the jokes, this year's Globes saw some very historic diverse moments, from Lily Gladstone becoming the first Indigenous person to win a Golden Globe, to the women-led film “Barbie” winning for cinematic and box office achievement.

This year’s Globes was a win for everyone.

Editorial Leadership

Staff Writers

Section Editors

Brooke Danz, Copy Editor Maggie Demski, Copy Editor Aika Villa, Page Designer

Mackenzie Sroka‭, ‬Editor-In-Chief Lola Cassidy, Online Managing Editor Michalina Sotka, Print Managing Editor Grace Crockett, News Editor Lily Adams, Features Editor Lydia Lawrence, Opinions Editor Hunter Blake, Sports Editor Gabe Santos, Arts and Entertainment Editor

Multimedia Team

Leylah Moreno‭, ‬Artistic Director Paulina Borowski‭, ‬Marketing Director Grace Bellavia, Social Media Manager Olivia Smith, Social Media Manager Grace Hunt, Business Manager

Zach Benton‭, Beth Brackmann, ‬Eli Frommes‭, Jennifer Landa-Tolentino, ‬Lexi Januk‭, ‬Elijah Latronica‭, ‬Kiera Miller‭, Ethan Rasmussen and Joslyn Wenckebach.

Questions? Comments?

Contact Mr. Dane Erbach, the Messenger’s advisor, at erbachdane@dist156.org.

Follow us on social media: @mchenrymessengr