Jack Schramme scared, and

Opinion Page Editor they quickly

Will Hough In California, rushed in-
Staff Reporter
Tuesday January 23rd David and Louise side. Milli-
marked the 11th shooting on Turpin are being gan was
school grounds of the year charged with the stunned to
2018. That is only 23 days into torture and false learn that the
the year. School shootings have imprisonment of “children”
become all too common to the their 13 kids in their she had en-
people of America. The shoot- own home. The countered
ing in Benton, Kentucky was children, aged from were actually
the worst of the year so far and 2-29, suffered great- adults, but
was the first fatal shooting of ly at the hands of looked so
the year: two 15 year-old stu- their parents young due to
dents were killed and 18 others through their entire their mal-
were injured in the catastrophe. lives, until one of David and Louise Turpin nourishment.
Of the 18 injured, 14 of them their teenage daughters escaped and Photo Credit: express.co.uk There are pictures and videos that
were gun related injuries and called the police. have recently surfaced showing a seemingly hap-
the other four were due to peo- The accusations against the parents are ex- py family. This includes videos of David and
ple fleeing the chaotic school. Photo by: Slate.com tremely disgusting and inhumane. The children Louise Turpin renewing their vows three times in
one per week. The shock of were chained to their beds, unable to even use the Las Vegas with all of their children there to cele-
The gunman who opened fire at Marshall County school shootings has gone down in the recent years
High School in Benton, was a 15 year-old student bathroom. While tied up, the victims were repeat- brate too, laughing and dancing. However, life
due to the plethora that our nation has witnessed edly beaten and sometimes choked. One of the couldn’t have been more difficult for the children,
at the school. Local authorities declined to identify and it seems that the rate of which they occur is
a motive but shared that the shooter will be held most terrifying aspects to the case is the severe who may not have even known that they were
only going up. Considering we are only one month malnourishment of the victims. The 29 year-old being abused so harshly, such was the normality
with two accounts of murder and multiple accounts into the new year the rising question is how to
of attempted murder. The close-knit community of female weighed only 82 pounds. The parents of the parents’ vile behavior. The children of
prevent these things from happening. Well, lock- would buy food and leave it on the table, but not these monster parents will likely need years of
about 4,300 residents was shocked by news that a ing up household guns and limiting the distribution
student opened fire in the high school. The local let the children have any. Many of the victims had psychological treatment, and will have to be
of firearms would be a good start. Gun control has severe cognitive impairment. Many did not even trained on how to function as a normal member of
diner down the street from the high school where been an extremely hot topic among pro-conceal
many of the students are employed was devastated know what a police officer or medicine was, as society.
and carry citizens, gun-control advocates, and our they had been restricted to their own
by the attack nation's government.
and took in home for almost their whole lives.
There is no question Neighbors of the family were
many of the that our nation needs
fleeing students stunned to find out what had happened,
to crack down on the although they had always found the
at the time of distribution of guns
the shooting. Turpin family a bit odd. They noticed
but to what point is that the family almost never came out of
According still unclear. Allow-
to the New their home. When they did, they seemed
ing citizens to carry extremely pale-skinned, as if they had
York Times, guns was originally
researchers and never seen the sun. Kimberly Milligan,
intended for the pur- a neighbor, vividly remembers walking
gun-control pose of self defense
advocates say across the street to compliment the Tur-
but has turned into an pin children on the decorations they had
that since 2013, epidemic of mass
they have just put on their home. As she ap-
killings. proached them, she noticed that the
logged school
shootings at a children froze and seemed extremely
rate of about David and Louise Turpin with their many children.
Photo Credit: people.com
Photo By: New York Times

Elizabeth Gousios how “high school will be the best Patrick Mayfield stand the new one.
Front Page Editor four years of your life!” I think most Staff Reporter Most people would say
Fellow seniors, I of us can argue that a solid 3.5 years 2018 is sup- it's messy and confus-
understand your pain. It are “bearable.” However, it’ll be posed to be the year ing and the old format
seems as though there is much easier to get through our last for people to better was simple and clear to
no task more impossible semester if we stay involved. Grab a themselves and use.
than rolling over just to group of friends and head out to the work hard to
snooze an excruciating 6 next home basketball game, take a achieve their goals.
a.m. alarm. That is, until picture with good ol’ Christina, and Not everything has Stranger Things
the college applications make some memories that’ll make gone according to Season two, one of the
start pouring in, atop a part Photo Creds: theforestscout.comm this last push all worthwhile. plan this year. Don- most popular shows in
time job, sports, extracurriculars, and maintaining 5. Yes, giving up would be one hun- ald trump has said the 2017 and season
a halfway decent GPA. However, I am here to dred times easier than studying for an AP some stupid things to North Korea. The New three is highly anticipated but have recently
offer up a glimmer of hope. When all optimism Calc test or writing up an AP Chem lab re- England patriots are in the super found out it will most likely not air until 2019
seems to fade away, follow the tips below to do port. You may want to think about taking bowl again and people think the Credit: www.forbes.com and the episode count will be
your best in avoiding senioritis and finishing your easier courses your last semester if you tend NFL is rigged because the officials in NFC shorter in season three.
high school career strong. to procrastinate. But, if you allow your grades Conference championship were laughing with
1. Despite the large amount of nights to slip up now, the other 3.5 years of hard the patriots. The list does not stop there. Snap- 2018 is only two months in but it is not
we spend awake until a very unreasonable work will have no purpose when you’re una- chat hit the world with a brand new layout for on the right track for a great year. Every year
hour, we are not nocturnal. High schoolers ble to walk with your childhood friends at the app and is disapproved by everyone. people make these new year resolutions but
should aim for about nine hours of sleep a graduation. Why give up now? I promise you Donald Trump kicked off the year by how many people actually stick to their new
night in order to perform to their best ability will not want to miss out on the traditional telling the world that he has a bigger nuclear year resolution.
with a clear and full mind. So, put your phone cap toss. button than Kim Jong-un. No one really
down and get to sleep or you’ll regret it by 6. By the end of the four years, the knows why he had to mention it because
third period. The newest “Twitter beef” can majority of us won’t be able to wait to get out Obama was able to keep his mouth shut for 8
wait til morning. of Central’s doors. But before forgetting the years. The New England Patriots are in the
2. Now, this next one should be used experience entirely, take a second to remi- super bowl for the second straight year and
as a last resort but we all know that’s never nisce. I mean, honestly, when will you ever New England is the team that everybody
going to happen. Caffeine may have a few again be able to say you saw a tractor pull hates because the Patriots are so good. There
negative effects on teenage brains but some of into a parking spot at school? was conflict in the NFC Championship game
us need it to function. As the year continues because it looked like the refs were cheating
on, the task of getting out of bed seems near The rampant parasite that is senioritis has for the Patriots. In a New England timeout the
impossible. But, there’s no shame in needing probably already buried its way through all of our refs were laughing on the sideline with the
an extra boost of energy as the year rounds up broken and weak skin that has been deteriorated by Patriots and that did not go over well with the
-- embrace the bean! three prior years of football community. The new snapchat update
3. We are all guilty of giving up on high school. But has everyone talking and disappoints every-
senior year and high school as a whole, at keep in mind that one to where people are send the snapchat
least to some degree. But one of the most we’ve made it this company hate. People on Twitter are asking
important things you need to remember is that far and only have how many retweets their tweet will need to
your second semester grades may in fact be little time left be- get the old snapchat format back. The update Due to the loads of controversy and new changes to Snapchat, a
the deciding factor on your college admit- fore we take the is so bad that snapchat users are finding ways multitude of users are beginning to delete the mobile app that we’ve
tance. Let your favorite university be your next steps in our to get the old format back because no one can all come to know and love. Photo Credit: Buzzfeed
motivation to keep your grades up. lives. Just one
4. As students, we constantly hear more push! Photo Creds: weareiu.com
Maura Anderson
Staff Reporter
On Tuesday, January 30th the President of the of terrorism and what he is going to do to stop it.
United States gave
“The State of The
Union” speech that
happens every year.
Many look forward
to this speech to
start off the new
year. This concept
was given so that
the president can
give an update and
to address the un-
ion about what has
happened in that past
year. Also, the Pres-
ident typically gives
an update on what
they have planned
for the next year.
President Trump
talked about all of
these things and it
was actually one of
the longest speech-
es that have been
recorded in the past
for the State of the
Union.
President Trump
had several points
that he wanted to
make clear. The
main and important topic to take
away from Mr. Trump according
to CNN reporter Chris Cillizza
is he wants “America First.” Cillizza says that Trump’s speech was very professional and ready
there is no other way to say it. Mr. Trump wants however some may disagree. What do you think?
America first in any positive way possible.
Carli Niesel
Staff Reporter
Marilyn Hartman was arrested again at
O’Hare Airport Sunday,
less than a week after
she allegedly slipped
past security and airline
employees and flew
from Chicago to Lon-
don without a ticket.
Sixty-six-year-old Mari-
lyn Hartman walked
through airport security
onto an airplane and
made it all the way to
London somehow. She
didn't have a boarding
pass. She didn't have a
passport. And this is not
the first time she's made
such an attempt, she has
tried this more than 20
times. Hartman is being
called a serial stowaway
but is not a security
threat. She still had to
pass through metal de-
tectors but her case raises a
lot of questions.
Many believe
that Hartman’s case
falls in the gray area
of the legal system.
She doesn’t quite
qualify for inpatient
mental health treat-
ment. This means
that not many peo-
ple favor sticking
her into a peniten-
tiary because what
she is doing seems
to be completely harmless.
Hartman’s public defender told CBS that Hart-
man hasn’t quite figured out what she’s going to the United States. She was arrested on arrival by
do when it comes to arguing for keeping her out Chicago Police.
of jail. For the time being she is being held with-
Many say that Trump did a great job of ad-
dressing several important events that have hap- Ladan Egeh relatively savage insults, and comical replies
pened this year. He talked about the several acts Student Section Page Editor to unsuspecting Twitter accounts, and now,
it’s Elon Musk. Musk has completely rede-
Along with the econo- Elon Musk, a fined his image as a
my, and our current mogul for busi- humble, down to earth,
stance with North nessmen and inves- slightly eccentric guy,
Korea, the Presi- tors alike, has tak- even with his 20.7 billion
dent also recognized en the world by dollar net worth. On
several members of storm, with world- Twitter, he had provided
society that have had renowned creations a commentary to the
an important role this such as Paypal, selling of his
year for the United SpaceX , and now: flamethrower, saying
States. Matthew Brad- The Boring Com- that, “When the zombie
ford was a marine that pany. The name of apocalypse happens,
was one of the many this company is as you’ll be glad you
that was recognized misleading as its bought a flamethrower.
for his duties. Mat- products: the “Not Works against hordes of
State of the Union Address, Photo Credit: CNN thew Bradford was a Flamethrower” the undead or your mon-
Elon Musk, Photo Credit: Business Insider
blinded and lost Flamethrower. Catch- ey back!”. He even post-
both legs when he ing the attention of ed a video of him playing
stepped on an IED news outlets with with the flamethrower on
in Iraq in 2007. the 20,000 orders it Instagram, as he jokingly
After multiple has already re- ran towards his friend with
surgeries and ceived, this it.
therapies, Brad- flamethrower has His new company, “The
ford became the critics rolling with Boring Company,” doesn’t
first Marine with excitement. One of even truly seem like Musk
such severe inju- California’s legisla- is all that devoted to the
ries ever to re- tors, Miguel Santia- idea. Instead, it appears as
enlist, the White go, is one of the if it’s just for laughs, and
House said. Brad- most vocal of these that he doesn’t care about
ford re-enlisted in critics, claiming it. Maybe that’s what
2010 and has that, "We've The Boring Company Flamethrower, Photo Credit: Hypebeast makes the nation so
since retired. now seen some captivated by his
The State of of the worst presence-- his utter
The Union this year was one of fires in California's history so handing out indifference to the company's success. How-
Photo Credit: CNN
the longest recorded from the flame torches for 500 bucks is a real bad idea ever, maybe it’s on purpose, and his divine
past. Many believe that Mr. and bad public policy,”. While it may seem marketing strategy is planned to the tee. Per-
like a colossally bad idea, Elon Musk already haps, with each tweet and Instagram post,
told others not to order it. Musk’s advertisement for this flamethrower
An embodiment of a troll, Musk has estab- is clearly as calculating as it is crafty.
lished himself as a ‘relatable company’. Be-
fore, it was Wendy’s trolling Twitter with
out bond and is scheduled to be back in court
soon. Marilyn Hartman has been arrested several
times on trespassing charges for trying to sneak Nicolett Fodor
onto planes at O’Hare and Midway, including Staff Reporter
trying to board a
plane at Midway Dramatic video of a
without a ticket in child being kidnapped off
July 2015 less than a street last month in a
24 hours after being suburb of Chicago was
released from jail. released Friday by the FBI
She has said in the as charges were filed
past that she is home- against an Indiana man
less and struggles named Bryan Protho. The
with mental illness. FBI's Chicago field office
During last week’s said the incident took
episode, Hartman place on Dec. 20 around
managed to evade 3:30 p.m. in Calumet City, locat-
ed about 30 miles south of Chica- Photo Credit: Fox News
security in Terminal
3, and attempted to go. Investigators did not reveal
board a flight to Con- the girl's age. The video starts with a and assaulted the child. The young child,
necticut. She was red vehicle pulling into an area of a whose age was not released, courageously
then forced to spend neighborhood near the suburbs of Chica- escaped from the red SUV and was able
the night at the air- go. The neighborhood appears to be an to flag down a passing vehicle for
port after she wasn’t average help. Prosecutors said
allowed to board a neighbor- the driver who stopped
secure airport shuttle hood with for the girl then con-
bus without the re- smaller tacted law enforcement.
quired passport and houses that His quick action in
Photo Credit: CBS plane ticket. This did are close communicating the
not stop her together. incident to police was
because the It’s the type crucial in order to get
following day of place that the young girl back
Hartman you’d think home.
managed to your chil- This incident is a very
work her way dren would important cause for
aboard a Brit- be safe in. concern for parents of this area.
ish Airway However, one little girl de- Photo Credit: Daily Mail The video portrayed how easily
flight to Lon- fied all of this. She appeared children are kidnapped when left
don. On Arri- to be taking a stroll on the sidewalk near unattended walking through neighbor-
val at her home. The kidnapper noticed the girl hoods. Parents should take extreme cau-
Heathrow and acted very quickly. You can see him tion when it comes to their child walking
Airport, she step out of the side of his red SUV alone on their street. They should be
Photo Credit: CBS was denied and swiftly move towards the victim, watched at all times or accompanied by at
entry because she easily snatching her into his car. The man least one adult or 2-3 other children. The
lacked the proper documents and was sent back then drove away with the child concealed presence of other people around the child
in his vehicle. The U.S. Attorney's Office that was kidnapped in the video could
said in a news release on Friday that Pro- have scared off the man and caused him
tho then parked the vehicle in an alley to avoid targeting the girl.
Jonathan Gouriotis short of an epidemic with severe threats to the
Madelyn Dowd young adults. Children.
Staff Reporter health, safety and development of teens.
Blast Page Editor Among the various ingredients, many
This is most clearly seen in Asia however.
may start to question the appeal to put these
It’s a story as old as time having to wake up Asia is not alone in having sleep deprived stu- pods in their mouths. The origin of the trend
Yes, it may look like candy. Yes, you may
too early to go to school. Students across the dents; most schools around the world still fall is unknown but it’s become quite the popular
be hungry. And while the rest of the teenage
country have to deal with the sad fate of waking short of recommended start times, which range challenge in the YouTube community, result-
population chooses something sweet or some-
up earlier than they have to five out of seven from the 8:30 am start suggested by the Ameri- ing in the platform’s decision to pull many
can Academy of Pediat- thing salty, others simply choose Tide Pods.
days of the week. An videos that include this challenge. While the
rics, to the 10-11 am Now for those arguably living a better life
early wake up is more various memes provide entertainment, the
start recommended in and not checking up on social media, a recent
than a nuisance. There videos provide reality. As individuals, we
this joint study by the “trend” has caught the eye of many. When not
actually are biological struggle to accept the harsh truth presented to
University of Oxford, finishing Algebra homework or binge watch-
reasons as to why they us: Tide Pods are being mistaken as gum, not
Harvard Medical ing Mindhunter, some spend their free time
should stay in bed longer - only by children, but by soon-to-be adults.
School and the Univer- on YouTube. When that spiral into the dark
- and why schools need Scary to say the least, but now that Tide has
sity of Nevada. Howev- abyss of ASMR videos or meaningless cloth-
later starting times to come out with their new child-proof locks on
er, high competition and ing hauls, one wrong turn and you will find
avoid harming their devel- each bag, many may find them difficult to get
pressure for academic yourself face to face with the dumbest videos
opment. into.
success mean that Asian known to mankind: the Tide Pod Challenges.
“A wealth of re-
schools tend to have Simply put, humans are actually putting laun-
search going back to the
more demanding time- dry detergent in their mouths. No. Joke.
1990’s has demonstrated
tables, less holidays and heavier Maybe I am too boring. I’ll admit, in-
how early school starts are incom- Photo Credit: Wikipedia
workloads than their international stead of Tide Pods I choose to poison my
patible with adolescent biology.
counterparts. Starting school later in body with other, actually consumable, foods.
Teenagers sleep differently: most
the day isn’t just a hack to improve Poptarts. Copious amounts of ice cream.
need at least 8-10 hours a night, and changes to
Pounds of fruit snacks. But the difference lies
their circadian rhythm (or inner clock) during grades. It is vital to safekeeping the health and
within the ingredients. Choosing not to clean
puberty mean they tend to get tired later in the development of today’s students, and the genera-
my mouth with packets designed to clean
evening” (Tim Chen). Aside from drowsy stu- tions to come.
clothes, it seems simple enough. Whether or
dents who struggle to concentrate in class, sleep
deprivation is associated with a host of harms to not someone actually swallows the laundry
detergent, the harsh chemicals can still be
health and cognition.
inhaled. According to wired.com, Denatoni-
“Among other things, it
um Benzoate is used as a bitter coating
can lead to decreased brain
around the pod so children would be less Examples of Tide Pods
power, increased risk of
inclined to swallow it or eat it. The emphasis
obesity, mood disorders Photo Credit: junkee.com
on that piece of information is children. Not
such as depression, suicid-
al thinking, and a higher
propensity for risk tak-
ing” (Tim Chen).
Research suggests
that some 50-80% of stu-
Tips about how to keep
dents are suffering from children safe from the
some level of sleep depri- dangers of consuming
vation -- prompting argu- Tide Pods.
ments from leading institu-
tions that this is nothing
Photo Credit: Tide.com

Photo Credit: Daily Mail

Kyle Hresil
Staff reporter
As we know, everyone has their own personal
preferences. Weather it comes to food, cars, or
apps; they vary from person to person. But if there
is one thing that has a similar pattern in popularity,
it is IPhone Apps. And as we know, social media
has a big part of the trend. Starting off with the
biggest one, snapchat. Snapchat has been the most
popular social media app for a few years now, and
it's not slowing down. This app is taking over regu-
lar texting with it’s quicksnap feature. Being able to
quicksnap works just as efficiently if not quicker,
and is first priority for most people. Checking text
messages is almost a second option at this point.
Also, the concept of being able to send a pic-
ture with a message in less than ten seconds makes
snapchat the most convenient app out on the mar-
ket. Second off, is Instagram. This app has been off
Instagram Logo
and on for the last few years, but right now it’s hot.
Now that the DM, Instagram story, and collage Alec Mahoney long way. Not only will healthier food
filters were added, Instagram has many purposes. Staff Reporter make you feel better, but it will also help
Users love this app because very professional, high you perform better in the classroom. Get-
quality pictures can be posted and shared over me- For year students have been complain- ting proper nutrition in your body can help
dia to friends, coworkers, and even celebrities. The ing about the school lunch, mostly about you focus and stay on task better. School
last app that is still really trending in the year of how they don’t taste lunches would
2018, is Uber. Starting off not that popular in 2009, good enough or there's most likely be
Uber has come a very long way. Throughout the nothing in the lunch more expensive
first couple years, this was a last resort and wasn’t line that students actu- due to the much
a very trending app. Now in the year of 2018, eve- ally want to eat. Even higher quality in
ryone is using uber even if they own a car! Going to though they are very food, but the
parties, events, and banquets are all examples of affordable, It’s not reward out-
things that everyday people would call an uber for. exactly the healthiest weighs the risk
Also, kids under 16 or license less are using this option. The foods that because student
app. Some will even use it just to get a ride to a schools are selling are would be get-
friends house. processed and aren't as ting the proper
Overall, social media applications are trending healthy for you as or- nutrition, enjoy-
now more than ever. Being able to show off, do ganic and fresh foods. ing the food
business, and talk to friends all on one app makes Nick Matijevic, a Photo Credit: Celebrating Sweets
more, and
life a lot easier in the year of 2018. fellow classmate at Burlington would overall feel better
Central says he has to wake up knowing that don’t have
20 minutes earlier every morning to pack to eat a slice of pizza
his own lunch, because he refuses to eat the covered in grease.
lunch that the school provides. Although
it’s inexpensive, he believes that it’s not
healthy and doesn't taste good. If the
school provided healthier food then he
would consider eating the schools lunch
and get that extra 20 minutes of sleep.
A couple things that the school could
do to make a better lunch for students is
replacing processed food with more fresh
food. We could even have a school gar-
Snapchat Logo den at our school that students can take
care of. That would provide us with fresh
Photo Credit: techwalls.com
fruits and vegetables. Replacing that
greasy pizza or low quality meat with a
much healthier chicken wrap can go a
Photo Credit: uber.com Photo Credit: Jennifer Clauser

Photo Credit: googleusercontent.com

Mitchell Hwalisz One promises to be one of the biggest
Staff Reporter movies of this year.
Avengers: Infinity War - This is
2017 was, over- it. Ever since the Marvel Cinematic
all, a pretty good Universe started ten years ago with Iron Meghan Conn with his mommy, and
year for movies. It Man, they’ve been delighting us every Staff Reporter Jack showed off his
had a few stinkers, to year with film after film. Not to say that After four months of bikini bod as he rode a
be sure, but as a all of them have been winners, but the rigorous training, the Mr. horse across the stage.
whole, it was main films in the series, The Avengers, CHS contestants finally got The talent portion led
okay. 2018, howev- have always been top-notch, and nothing show off their hard work in off with Ryan
er, promises to be less is expected from this latest install- front of an audience. In No- Ledebuhr and Nick
much more than just ment, coming May 4. vember of 2017, nine senior Jerger as ‘Hanz and
okay. Marvel has Deadpool 2 - When the original Dead- boys (Nick Jerger, Ryan Franz,’ two hardcore
announced this will pool hit theatres in February of 2016, no Ledebuhr, Jarrett VanAcker, German weightlifters
be one of their big- one expected it to become the smash hit Nate Figurski, Ryan Parsons, who want to pump you
gest years yet, and that it became. But it did just that, and Kevin Green, Paddy McKer- Group dancing to “raining men” up. Next, Jarrett and
with a bucketload of with its sequel fast approaching on May mitt, Will Hough, and Jack Green) began learning Nate redefined romance with a cow- farmer love
highly anticipated 18, expectations are incredibly high. the Jingle Bell Rock dance from the movie Mean story. Following them was Ryan Parsons and Jack
sequels, as well as a The Incredibles 2 - Pixar has a tradition Girls which they performed at a boys basketball Green performing High School Musical’s “Bop to
Steven Spielberg of releasing sequels a little too long after game and the winter assembly in December. On top the Top.” Then Kevin and Paddy took the stage as
directed sci-fi epic the original, and that trend is continuing of this they also had to start learning what they Courtney and Tiffany performing an original, “A
coming out in with The Incredibles 2. Fans are expect- were going to do for their actual performance on Day at the Gym.” Last, but certainly not least, Will
Photo Cred: Legendary Pictures
March, this year will be ing an experience Sunday, February 12th. performed a dance from Napoleon Dynamite as
nothing less than spectacular. And that’s nothing short The show consists of five portions that the Pedro Sanchez.
with that, here are the highlights: of… Incredible. Pun boys are scored on; group dance, swimwear, talent, Although the boys had been preparing for this
Black Panther - Coming Feb- intended. pick up line, and question drawn at random. For the competition for months, before the show started
ruary 16, the latest installment in the Now obviously, swimwear portion, Nick Jerger was pulled around they all reported feeling extremely unprepared and
Marvel Cinematic universe sees there are many, in a wagon while he rocked a seashell bra, Ryan nervous. At the end of the show, the judges (who
Chadwick Boseman playing the many more movies Ledebuhr flashed his thunder thighs at us when he had no association with any of the contestants)
prince of a fictional country known that are coming out dropped his towel to reveal only very short shorts, picked Jack Green for the title of Mr. CHS 2018.
as Wakanda. Be sure to catch this this year besides Jarret showed off his football skills, Nate saved a The show was eventful and humorous for all in-
action-packed superhero movie in those, but they were life dressed as a lifeguard, Ryan Parsons picked up volved and also helped raise over $4,000 for post
theaters, as it’ll be one to remember. just the high- girls at the beach, Kevin paddled across the stage prom this year. So overall, the show was a success.
Pacific Rim Uprising - As if lights. Movies com- on his surfboard until he wiped out, Paddy per- All picture credits to Pam Conn.
the original Pacific Rim couldn’t get ing out this year that formed a hula dance, Will showed off his legs in
any better, the sequel to Guillermo may be equally as his one piece swimsuit as he attended swim lessons
Del Toro’s 2013 film sees the bat- good include: Isle of
tling Jaegers and Kaiju return to the Dogs, Solo: A Star
big screen in another super-sized Wars Story, Jurassic
fight to the finish on March 23. World: Fallen King-
Ready Player One - Since his dom, Ant Man and
first full-length film in 1971, leg- the Wasp, Mission:
endary director Steven Spielberg Impossible - Fallout,
has proved to the world time and The Predator, Ven-
again that he’s capable of helming om, X-Men: Dark
some of the most breathtaking films Photo Cred: Themadbutcher - DeviantArt
Phoenix, Wreck-It
the world has ever seen, and he’s Ralph 2, Spider-Man:
not about to break that streak any time Into the Spider Verse, Bumblebee, Aquaman, and
soon. Based off the hit 2011 novel, Ready Player many more. Here’s to a fantastic 2018!
Jack Green and Ryan Parsons during the group dance
Jack and Ryan Parsons performing “Bop to the
Top”

Sofie Jahangir
Staff Reporter
As many
may know or
have seen on
social media, this
past 28th of Janu-
ary, the 60th
Annual Grammy
Awards aired.
The Grammys
specializes in
recognizing those
in film and mu- Picture Credits: E!Online
sic. There were many artists who won several
awards, and many more who were nominated for
several awards. One example being Bruno Mars.
This year, Bruno was the third most nominated male
at the Grammys, with six nominations. But there’s
one issue that the public has been upset with, and
it’s the fact that Bruno Mars won six trophies this
year, which include Album of the Year, Song of the
Year, Record of the Year, Best R&B Song, Best
R&B Performance, and Best R&B Album, and Jay-
Z didn’t win any. This was such an upset, because
Jay-Z was nominated eight times, as opposed to
Bruno’s six, and didn’t receive one trophy. Also
because Jay-Z’s song “The Story of OJ” exposed the
brutally honest truth about racial inequality in
America, and many of Bruno’s songs are seen as
objectifying women’s bodies, as some may say.
Another recognizable moment from the Gram-
mys was when Dave Chappelle “interrupted”
Kendrick Lamar’s and U2’s performance to make a
statement that further represented what it’s like to be
a black person in America, “I just wanted to remind
the audience that the only thing more frightening
than watching a black man be honest in America is
being an honest black man in America.” Lamar’s
performance was powerful as is, especially when
they portrayed his costumed dancers being gunned
down one by one.
Ke$ha also had a groundbreaking
performance, that really pulled on
the heartstrings of the millions of
people viewing the show. As many
know, Ke$ha has had a rough past
when it comes to the music industry,
which involved sexual harassment
from her producer. This past year,
she released a song called Pray,
which she performed at the Gram-
mys next to several empowered
women from the media who were
there to remind people that they’re
not alone in this fight. These women
included Camila Cabello, Julia
Michaels, Bebe Rexha and Andra Day. Janelle Mo-
nae introduced the performance by saying, "We say
time's up for pay equality... times' up for harassment
of any kind. It's not just going on in Hollywood, it’s
not just going on in Washington. It's going on right
here in our industry. We have the power to undo the
culture that does not serve us well. So, let's work
together, women and men, as a united music indus-
try committed to creating more safe work environ-
ments, equal pay and access for all women." And
although every year the Grammys changes history,
the people who related to the topics being brought to
light will remember it forever.
Picture Credits: Billboard
Kier Siepman
A&E Page Editor
Aries - Get
more done than
you might imag-
ine as the month
starts and as it
winds down.
Connect with a
large number of
people and come Photo Cred: nohoartsdistrict.com
out on top. Meet some new people and let them
show you some new and exciting places and
events. Lead the pack some other time.
Taurus - Romance and your social life
could turn sweeter and more compassionate.
Love and friendship are everywhere. Be self-
assured and ready to speak up at just the right
moment. Your words will be heard and your
efforts valued.
Gemini - Expect people to be energized and
emotionally engaged at the beginning and end
of the month. For the new moon (and solar
eclipse) on the fifteenth, your world could get
bigger and give you more room to move and
breathe. It might be time to finally start some-
thing special that you've been putting off. It
won't be a matter of money that has been delay-
ing you.
Cancer - Be ready to see hearts being worn
on sleeves at the beginning and end of the
month. Someone may come for advice or other
help, and you will easily have it for them. If a
difficulty arises, don't overthink it. You've got
this. Be happy to think less of yourself and a bit
more of others.
Leo - Hearts could be beating faster at the
beginning and end of the month. A possible
partner could be right around the corner. Don't
blink. If you think you're burned out on love, it
won't help to hide. Be more generous with your
time, but stay within reasonable bounds.
Virgo - People may be passionate and emo-
tionally plugged in as the month begins and as it
ends. Rediscover a clever little fix that improves
everything from paying the bills on time to
feeding the cat. Look forward to an efficient
month.
Libra - Emotions could fluctuate wildly at
those times, so plan accordingly. No blahs al-
lowed. Do what makes you happy and turns on
your inner light. It might be something that
you've loved for a long time. Remember to love
yourself, too.
Scorpio - Expect emotions to be high at the
beginning and the end of the month. Admire a
smart solution and use it, no matter who thinks
of it (probably you, though).
Sagittarius - Younger friends or relatives
may think they can run circles around you, but
they're out of their league. Introduce them to an
old perennial favorite treat or activity. Don't let
anything throw you off your game. You've got
things under control.
Capricorn - Make the most of your net-
working connections. A friend or co-worker
may step in with a good suggestion or helping
hand. If something is lost or goes away, it will
be replaced by something better.
Aquarius - There is a possibility of wild
and crazy fun in a big way. No matter how you
feel, the world wants you to be upbeat and have
fun. Don't be too hard on yourself.
Pisces - Save time and energy to reflect on
what is happening to
and around you - and
what it all really
means to you. On
February 21, Venus
conjoins Neptune in
Pisces for possibly the
most romantic,
dreamy day of the
year. Don't float away.
Photo Cred: powerfortunes.com
Megan recipient of the scholar- Paddy waukee River
Majewski ship. Money for the Conference meet.
scholarship is raised by McKermitt
Sports Page editor Staff Reporter Central became
selling T-shirts, cake It has been a long and enduring journey conference champs on January 17th by tak-
Walking into pops, concession, and for the Central’s cheer program. They went ing first place in this competition.
the Rockets gym admission sales. from not even having a cheer program last Huntley High School hosted the team’s
to watch girls Both of Mrs. Pryor’s year, to earning seventh place at state this next competition. CHS came out strong and
basketball game daughters played basket- year! Centrals incredible journey to state took second place of out of 21 teams in the
seeing blue, ball for the Blast and began with all the hard work and practices Huntley Sweetheart challenge.
white, and or- Rockets. Sam, her oldest the team would put in after school through- The next week was where the magic
ange? Thursday daughter, is currently out each week of preparation for their com- happened. On January 27th the Rocket
night the 25th of playing basketball at petitions. Cheer team competed at Belvidere North
January the Rock- Western Illinois and Central started off with their first compe- High School. Only the top five teams of the
ets acquired a new helped her high school tition of the year at Crystal Lake Central. sectional would advance to state. The Rocket
color to represent team get 4th in state her The coed team placed fourth out of 13 in Cheer team came out with fire and determi-
a member of the junior year season. Syd- CLC’s medium varsity division. nation in their eyes. They had a stunt fall in
community. That ney Pryor will be joining The next competition was hosted by their performance that shocked all the spec-
color was orange. her sister at Western but Rolling Meadows. The team took third out tators and filled the team with fear of not
Orange was a Photo Credit: Bill Ahlers Pictured above is Mr. Pryor and his will be playing soccer. of 17 in the RMHS Mustang Roundup medi- advancing. Just when hope seemed to be
color Lisa Pryor Sydney helped her soccer um varsity division. The confidence began to lost, CHS heard the announcer say they had
daughter Sydney (center) and Sam (Right). team to a 3rd place finish
loved because it grow with the sudden success of the new taken fourth place and would advance to
was bright and happy, fitting her personality perfect- in state last year which program. state!
ly. Mrs. Pryor was a very influential member to the was also her junior year season. The third competition was their first one State was hosted at Illinois State Univer-
community. Mrs. Pryor started up the feeder team for Sam and Sydney aren’t the only ones having suc- of the new year and took place on January sity. One of the cheerleaders explained the
the Rockets called the Burlington Blast. When Mrs. cessful seasons thus far. The girls basketball team cur- seventh at Buffalo Grove. Rocket Cheer took joy the team all had in one word, “surreal”.
Pryor’s daughters, Sam and Sydney, were starting to rently has a record of 8-1 in conference and 21-3 over- fourth out of 21 in the BGHS cheer invite. There were two days the state competition.
get into basketball she noticed there was a lack of bas- all. As of right now they are ranked first in the confer- Grayslake North hosted the fourth com- Only the top 10 teams would advance to day
ketball teams in ence. They won pletion of the year for CHS. The team didn’t two. The Rocket Cheerleaders did amazing
the local area Thursday nights end up with the score they wanted and took on day one and moved on to the second day
for girls. So she game against sixth place there. of competition. On the final day of state
decided to cre- Johnsburg with a The fifth competition took place at CHS took 7th place in the competition and
ate Burlington score of 55-40. Woodstock North. This was also the Kish- made everyone in the Central community
Blast. So many Before the game extremely proud!
girls in the local Mackenzie West
area have sang the national
played for the anthem beautifully.
Blast at some She went on to
point in their score 7 points and
life, even ones had the second most
who aren’t play- rebounds(5) for the
ing now. team that night.
Mrs. Pryor Elana Wells had a
sadly passed total of 6 rebounds,
away on July which were all de-
7th in 2016. She fensive ones, and
lost the battle to totaled 17 points
Multiple Myelo- which led the team
Photo Credit: Bill Ahlers that evening. Kathryn Schmidt scored 16
ma which is a blood cancer that she
fought for 7 years when the life expectancy after get- points for the night. Zoey Kolhoff scored 6 points and
ting diagnosed is on average only 4 years. That just led the team in steals (3) and assists(6). All the girls
proves how much of a fighter Lisa Pryor was. The played an excellent game and they should be proud of
scholarship in her name goes to a female Burlington themselves for helping Mrs.Pryor’s name live on.
Central basketball player that once played for Blast and Thank you Elana, Zoey, Lily, Mackenzie, Maddie,
exsuits qualities of Lisa Pryor. A love for the game, a Reili, Kathryn, Alex, and anyone else who helped make
love for your team, a natural leader, and an energetic the orange out a bright success.
player on the court are the qualities looked at for the Photo Credit: D301 Athletics
head into
the pros
and suf-
fer a
Luke career-ending inju- Nate Guerrero There is also many things that the XFL helped
Staff reporter the NFL it made better camera angles which the
Schramme ry, they have no The XFL was NFL now uses. Vince McMahon went on to say
News Page Editor education safety net planned to fill the in a interview that the.
to rely on. How will someone football fans with
with no college degree and no  The games will be faster
Many kids grow up dream- Photo Credit: Wikipedia even more football  More time to form the league the first one
ing of becoming a professional way of playing sports make in the offseason of
ends meet? had a year this one has 2 years.
athlete. Whether that dream is the NFL. Instead it was a poorly ran league with
Likewise, young gymnasts  No politics.
to go to the NBA, NFL, or the the intention of being more WWF instead foot-
Olympics, kids will do just aiming to compete in the Olym- ball which is the reason it went crashing down.  Mo owners being greedy he will be the
about anything to achieve their pics someday begin their train- The games in the XFL itself were more fake owner of each team.
dream. ing at a very young age. Ac- than the WWF and intended to make players  There will be a salary cap.
Although these kids should be cording to Chron.com, most who couldn’t make it in the NFL seem as if they  No player can have a criminal record.
encouraged to follow their Photo Credit: Mlive.com Emoni Bates 13 children begin their training were as great Night train lane, Jim Brown, and  There will be 8 teams with a 4 team post
dream, there are still some between the ages of 2 and 5. Gale Sayers when there were all just a bunch of
years old season
pitfalls faced by young At only the young age of 7, Johnny football's in which they were either busts This all sounds like they are taking their time
“super athletes.” Is it possible to aspiring Olympians compete or went undrafted. The list goes on and on for with it. More than which they did in the last go
be too young to sign for a profes- ous colleges are tracking Bates. in the Talent Opportunity Pro- why people stopped watching here are some around. With the NFL becoming the no fun
sional sports team or to commit to He has even been promised a gram which identifies prospective reasons they failed. league, it seems more people will come to this
a huge NCAA school? Is missing scholarship by DePaul Universi- Olympic athletes. Even though  The game got rid of a coin toss and would league because of the nicknames were the extra
out on a normal childhood the ty. these athletes are so young, on
have 2 players on each team fight for a ball fun league.
price to pay for stardom? average they spend 20-30 hours
Bates’s dream of playing col- which lead to massive injuries.
Recently, college coaches have lege basketball is progressing per week doing gymnastic train-
been attempting to recruit very quickly. But could all of this ing.  They didn’t give the players health insur-
young athletes; even as young as attention from college coaches With all of this training and ance.
middle school. For example, negatively affect Bates? Right work, young gymnasts could  It was a rushed league with mediocre play-
Emoni Bates from Michigan is an now he is an honor student in his struggle in school and could find ers at best.
elite basketball player. He is only middle school, but clearly, bas- it hard to have a social life out-  The play was watching the browns vs
13 years old, yet he is 6-foot-7 ketball is his priority. It is im- side of gymnastics. If they are browns due to the team were rushed togeth-
tall and still growing. This type of portant for super athletes like training all the time, they are er.
player is a basketball coach’s Bates to keep up their grades to missing out on the fun times of  It was broadcasting as if it was made for
dream. The Chicago Tribune meet the academic requirement being a child. Only a handful of
fans for the WWF when it should've been
reports that Bates doesn’t even for college. Another risk for su- athletes bring home medals. For
made for fans of the NFL. Photo Credit: Forbes.com it was common to
know where he is going to high perstar players is that if they only the rest of them, they may look
school yet. Despite this, numer- complete one year of college to back one day wishing they could  Opened right after the best play of the NFL have nicknames in the XFL this is one of the
have had a “normal kid’s” life. i.e the playoffs and Superbowl. most famous ones.
 Nicholas Matijevic and Instagram famous people
Zoe Moldenhauer nia, according to MayoClinic.com” states LiveStrong. As Head Graphic Designer alike. Theses Yeezys are well known
Staff Reporter the article continues it says, “Teens who inadvertently amongst everyone no matter the age, eve-
mix caffeine sources, like coffee and colas, or who use ryone wants a pair. But be careful, they all
Caffeine is a worldwide stimulant. Ever since it was many energy shots or beverages, may [also] suffer from Welcome back to another edition of Cen- may not be authentic.
discovered in the year 1819 these effects”. tral Sneaker Stalkers, in this article I jump
many people, ranging from These list of side effects to into the history of the Yeezy.
young to old, have used it as a continues to lead us into the Kanye West, the curator of the
boost of energy. Although it topic of withdrawal. With- Yeezy line, has been given much
has not been found to have drawal is known to be the praise for his shoes. Kanye’s
terrible long term effects on discontinuance of administra- name is backed behind the yeezy
the body, it does have the pow- tion or use of a drug”, states and is one of the fastest selling
er to cause undesirable short the online dictionary Merriam shoes on the market today.
term issues that play into the Webster. It has been said that Young and old line up outside of
mood of many, especially those teeneragers who typical- stores and malls in order to get
younger generations who con- ly consume 400g or more of their hands on the coveted shoe.
sume this drug. caffeine daily are putting The Adidas versions of the shoes
Because caffeine goes hand themselves at risk for with- have such models as the 350,
in hand with tiredness, many Photo Credit: Google drawal; caffeine withdrawal 350 v2, 350 cleat, 500, 700
teenagers look to is as a little something to get them occurs when these teenagers Wave Runner, 750, 950, and
moving throughout the day. As the article by decide to flat out stop consuming it. Not only may these Calabasas. These are excluding
LiveStrong.com states “Teenagers experience overdose withdrawn teenagers accumulate the symptoms men- the six Nike release Yeezy, Zen Grey, Photo Credit: Yeezyforall.com, Yeezy’s
effects and are also vulnerable tioned earlier, but they may also experience such symp- Blink, Net, Pure Platinum, Solar Red, and
to caffeine addiction, which toms as “ achy muscles, headaches, fatigue, sadness, Red October. These Nike shoes were the
involves an uncomfortable with- vomiting and impaired mental focus” says LiveStrong, it first of the Yeezy series and are fetching
drawal process for people who is also said that “The effects are worse for the first two anywhere from $1,000-$6,000. Mr. West
decide to stop their intake of the days, then taper off completely by the ninth day”, which left Nike and went to Adidas because
drug in any form”. This means means that these symptoms do eventually come to an end, they gave him full created reign accord-
that because caffeine offers such but they would still be considered to be agonizing. ing to one Adidas source. Since leaving
a kick, with the early mornings Though, these effects can be avoided if the consumer Nike the Yeezy from both brands have
due to school and sports, they begins to slowly wean themselves off of the accident blown up due to the low supply of each
may become accustomed to the rather than stopping abruptly. This method allows for the model. The Yeezys are quite hard to get a
idea of caffeine consumption. body to get adjust to the elimination of the drug from the hold of especially because of how many
With that, an addiction may body. fakes there are on the market. Many shoe
begin to form which may then Surprisingly, caffeine is also consumed by younger enthusiast have said it is becoming hard
lead to withdrawal or overdose children such as those ranging from age five to twelve, to tell the difference between fakes and
in the future depending on the “A 2010 study by Dr. William Warzak of the University authentic since they have become so good
situations these teenagers Photo Credit: Google
of Nebraska Medical Center, published in the ‘Journal of at replicating the shoes.
might go through, basically Pediatrics,’ found that 3/4 of kids between the ages 5 and Many people at our school have been
saying that teens must be careful with how much of the 12 take in caffeine daily, often in the form of soda. Chil- spotted wearing the coveted shoes such as
drug they consume on a daily basis. dren who consume caffeine have the same sleep impair- Jake Jarvis. He owns not one but two
Caffeine, though, is generally considered safe and ments and next-day drowsiness as teenagers, which may pairs of the shoes, the Blue Tint V2 and
providing of wakefulness to those who do not go over a lower their academic performance”, as if the effects teen- the Oreo V2. He acquired the Oreos from
certain limit which happens to be 300g, which adds up to agers have from caffeine isn't shocking enough. the Chicagoland sneaker convention
a total of four cups of regular coffee. If a teenager where In the end, although caffeine is seen as safe energy “SneakerCon” The annual show takes
to go over that limit they may experience a variety of booster by many, that doesn't necessarily mean that the place in Schaumburg, Illinois and is two
physical problems such as, “stomach upsets, agitation, effects are always going to be beneficial, especially to days long. Usually taking place in early
increase heart rate, anxiety, muscular tremors and insom- younger people such as teenagers. June, it was on June 3rd and 4th, this
years dates have not yet been confirmed.
All types of sneakers and streetwear is Photo Credit: Jake Jarvis, Yeezy’s
sold at the event with tons of celebrities

Stephanie Rodriguez dents to take that class to graduate. Another thing

Managing Editor to keep in mind is the fact that incoming freshmen
with accumulated college credit get first pick. Jenna Connolley
Attention AP Maddie Dresher, a graduate from the class of Staff Reporter
students: AP 2017, was able to pick her classes before most of
tests are ap- her fellow classmates at Loyola University Chica- Everyone dreads the hectic student park-
proaching fast! go. She was even able to take sophomore classes ing lot in the mornings, especially on late
Students en- as a freshman, since her AP credit allowed her to start days. You leave your house on time, yet
rolled in an AP skip GenEd freshmen classes. you still end up getting a tardy from all of
class have the Taking the correct AP tests can give you an the horrific traffic, trying to get into the
opportunity to advantage over your competing peers along with school parking lot. But once you finally get
take a standard- saving you thousands of dollars by skipping a class into the school parking lot, there’s more
ized test for a you might already studied in high school. traffic! Not only does it affect students get-
chance to re- If you are interested in taking an AP test here ting to class on time, but also student’s safe-
ceive college is some important information to keep in mind: ty. Here are a few ideas to try and help im-
credit. The tests  March 21st is the deadline to register for an AP prove the student parking lot, both in the
are graded on test. To do so, you must go into Skyward Fee mornings, and when students are leaving
Photo Credit: Google
Photo Credit: West High School a scale from 1 Management and pay for each exam. school.
to 5 (5 being the highest). In the state of Illinois, a  A fee of $94 is required for each exam.  Install speed-calming devices, including speed bumps.
score of 3 is accepted in almost all public universi-
ties. There are different ways credit can be award-  There will be two weeks worth of testing. May 7-
11 consists of half the exams and May 14-18 of the  Keep parking lots and travel
ed. One of the ways colleges award credit is by areas well-lit and illuminated, espe-
taking your score and converting it into overall second half.
cially at night and when the weather is
hour credit. These hours can be used toward most  Dates over which exam is taken on which bad
general education classes. Another possible type of date is available online on the College Board web-
credit is being able to skip a class. If your score is site.
 Use supervisors to monitor traf-
high enough, some colleges allow you to advance  If there are any further questions, email Mrs. Ro- fic flow and pedestrian movement.
to the next level class. driguez.
It is very important to research the type of
credit your intended college gives out and what  Plan for winter weather. I per-
scores they accept. As sonally have experience where I
of now, many may not sometimes can’t even see where my
Photo Credit: Google
know exactly what their parking spot is
major is, but it is com- because of the snow covering the ground.
mon for certain majors
to not allow you to skip  Post “Bus Only” or “No Entry signs at entrances where necessary.
a class they deem neces-
sary. For example, a  Use clearly marked areas for students to walk back to their cars.
biology major won’t
allow a student to skip  Consider involving traffic experts.
Biology 101 since they  Design traffic flows so they don’t interfere with pedestrian traffic.
require all biology stu-
Photo Credit: The Leopard
 Sahar Afeef was based off of a disturbing prompt, and the focus
Co-Managing Editor was “hair”. It may be up in the hallway soon, if it gets
approved by his teacher.
Mortimer, or Morti, Schilke is a sophomore here at Jim Valentino and Dan Lawlis are two of Morti’s
CHS, and he is February’s Artist of the Month. He has recent fascinations, due to their partnerships with Mar-
a family background in music, but he is the first one to vel. Nonetheless, he usually doesn’t draw inspiration
Madelyn Dowd well as making an impact on the world. be involved with any type of art. from one specific person, looking instead at the works
Blast Page Editor Gender Sexuality Alliance. No matter Morti has been an art enthusiast for as long as he of many different artists and once, as well as people
your gender identity or sexual orientation, can remember; for him, it is a way to express his feel- and animals. He dislikes drawing nonliving objects, as
We are in the midst of one of the most everyone is accepted. Tammes describes this ings and emotions. As he was growing up, he watched he finds man-made objects to be boring and uninterest-
progressive and accepting societies, and club as a, “place for support no matter who beautiful animated movies and read a plethora of com- ing.
while there is still a fair share of bigotry, you are”. GSA stands as a beacon of hope ic books, hoping to draw the way the artists drew. He
GSA provides a safe haven for everyone. for those struggling with sexuality or gender practiced as much
GSA, standing identity, and remains vital to many schools as he could, and on
for Gender Sex- across Illi- anything he could
uality Alliance, nois. We are get his hands on -
emphasizes the very lucky to which usually end-
importance of see such an ed up being his
sexuality and outstanding homework.
visibility within group of For the most
the community. Led students rec- part, Mortimer is a
All are welcome in GSA ognizing the im- self-taught artist,
by President Chris
Tammes, events such Photo creds: Louisiana State University portance of re- relying on hours of
as Pride Week and spect and ac- practice and the
meeting up with other local GSA clubs are ceptance, as well as encouraging others to be standard art classes Photo of Morti
just some of the many ways this club reaches themselves no matter what. to develop his His attention span is extremely short, so any piece
out to other LGBT+ members. skills. Recently, he that he can focus on for more than 15-20 minutes is
A typical meeting starts with introduc- has been attending something to be proud of. His favorite piece varies
tions, then leading into discussions relating NIU’s sum- One of Morti’s pieces, “The Revengers” from week to week. He would love to be able to
to LGBT+ issues throughout the world or in mer Visual create and write out a full comic book someday, if
the news, as well as learning about some Arts program, Photo creds: Morti he can find the time and motivation; that is his
important history/events within the LGBT+ which has dream project. Morti definitely wants to pursue art
community. Coming up, GSA will be plan- been an exciting change for him. as a career, and dreams of one day working for Marvel
ning another fundraiser, meeting up with St. Faber-Castell pens, Gelly Roll gel pens, and Copic Comics, but he is also interested in character design
Charles North’s GSA, and celebrating Pride markers are his preferred mediums, and his sketch- and storyboarding. He is already selling his art, and
Week. Always making sure to stay busy, this book of choice is the Canon mixed-media sketchbook. making a good amount of money, so he is off to a
Club of the Month reaches out to not only This club of the Month stands for Lately, however, he has been trying to branch out and good start.
Central High School, but others as well, LGBT+ rights and validation experiment with other mediums. One of his latest piec-
spanning across other schools in our area, as Photo creds: PairedLife es was an oil pastel drawing for his art class. The piece

Sahar Afeef a judge. She also loves gardening
Co-Managing Editor and working outdoors. If she had
not become a teacher, she thinks
February’s Teacher of the Month is Mrs. Keil, who currently she would have been a storm
teaches Calculus and Pre-Algebra here at CHS. She has been a chaser, or a professional umpire -
teacher for her entire life, and she has spent 31 years teaching math an official who watches a game
classes here. Aside from Calculus and Pre-Algebra, Mrs. Keil has or match closely to enforce the
also taught Remedial Math Classes, Pre-Algebra, Consumer Math, rules- for either soccer or foot-
Algebra, Geometry both Accelerated and Regular, Algebra II, Col- ball. She is currently watching
lege Algebra, Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus, and AP AB Calculus - the t.v. show, This Is Us, which
everything but Statistics and Accelerated Algebra II. is centered around the Pearson
Mrs. Keil started on her path towards teaching at Ferris State family, the discovery of how a
College in Michigan, where she studied Pharmacy. Later on, she couple’s past affects their future,
moved to NIU to graduate with a degree in Mathematics and a Mas- and how their triplets, now
ters in Administration. The first few years of her teaching were adults, find the meaning in their
spent at Jacobs High School, in Illinois. Her decision to become a lives. If she had to pick one great
teacher was partly influenced by “teaching” family; coaching and movie or movie series,
teaching has always been a part of her life. Sharknado would be the way to
In five years, Mrs. Keil could see herself as possibly becoming go.
The best part about her job is being able to help her students to
understand the material that is given to them. There is nothing bet-
ter than hearing students walk out of class saying things such as
“That was so easy,” and “I totally understood that!”. The feeling of
success comes to her when her students enter the class thinking
about how hard the material is, but leaving with that “easy” attitude.
The worst part, however, would have to be waking up at 5 a. M.
every day - which most people can agree with.
Mrs. Keil loves the idea of having technology readily available
to students to help them learn, because she thinks that it is a great
way to catch up on work when they have missed a day or to help
review a topic that was confusing in class. Even so, she does think
that students may have a dependency issue, where they stop paying
attention in class because they know they can find answers and
explanations on internet sites such as YouTube, Khan Academy,
etc.

Photo Credit: Sahar Afeef

Jackson LePenske state and he is looking to take home proved to be a great decision as he
Staff Reporter another title for BCHS. He has won 3 is the top wrestler in the state right
out of his 5 tournaments that he has now and has accepted to wrestle at
We are in the mid- been in this year. He has proven to be Southern Illinois Edwardsville
dle of winter sport sea- one of the most talented and consistent which has a great wrestling pro-
son and no one is on wrestlers in the state of Illinois. Austin gram. I talked to Austin and he said
more of a roll than sen- is a great example of hard work paying “Wrestling ha s been a big part of
ior wrestler Austin off, he has lived in Burlington his my life and has taught me a lot
Macias. Austin who was whole life and has given all he has for about myself, without it I don't
a state champion last the small town. know what I would do.” He de-
year has started out as He started wrestling when he was ten serves everything has accom-
hot as how he finished and played football from youth league plished as not many people work as
last year. He is currently through freshman year. The football hard as him. Austin looks to con-
33-3 with 2 of his loses team knew he had something special tinue his success at state which
coming out of state and when we saw him make an open field starts in two weeks. He is truly a
one of his loses coming tackle, he didn’t miss. He stopped special talent and a great person to
in state. Austin is playing football in 2015 to focus on be around, we wish him success
ranked number 1 in what he really loved, wrestling. This Macias will be attending SIUE in the Fall at state and his collegiate career.
Macias is on a roll
Photo creds: Twitter
Photo creds: KC Chronicle
Jacqueline Macaluso often with soap and water, take vitamins, use hand Charli Nielsen 48 states as well as the
Staff Reporter sanitizer, and clean/disinfect Staff Reporter District of Columbia
It is the middle of flu season items that might be contami- allow parents to
and everyday you hear one nated with the flu! This year’s flu season choose not to vac-
more person coughing or snif- One of the easiest ways is to has been the most dead- cinate their children
fling then you did yesterday. keep on drinking LOTS of ly since the 2014-2015 due to religious and or
The next day you wake up water! Water has so many strain. According to the philosophical reasons.
with chills, a sore throat, a benefits: it controls fevers, Centers for Disease The only states that
cough, and aches. The virus clears up secretions, and keeps Control and Prevention, force all children to be
just keeps on spreading. Stay- you from getting dehydrat- 53 children Photo Credits: Google Images vaccinated are Mississip-
ing healthy is tough these days ed.Water also helps to clear have already pi and West Virginia.
considering how fast germs the body of toxins and germs. died due to the Despite the scientific studies that
can spread due to school, H3N2 strain. have proven vaccines do not trigger
sports, activities, and families. Photo Credits: Google Images And to make autism in young children, many
If you want to stay clear from all Staying matters worse, parents do still believe in this rumor.
sicknesses possible, keep on reading! hydrated this year’s de- According to a study published by
First off, if you haven’t already, it’s time to get a flu always is a fense against the Public Health Reports, 70% of
vaccine! Studies show that everyone six months or benefit to the flu have parents not only believe in the health
older should get a flu shot just before flu season be- the body. been weakened. benefits of vaccinating their children
gins. This vaccination helps prevent the spread of If it does 48 states have from diseases such as measles, teta-
influenza among anyone who gets the shot. It helps happen reported wide- nus, and influenza, as well as the
decrease the risk of suffering from the sickness. This and you spread illness. yearly flu; they believe it is neces-
is one of the best preventative measures. Photo Credits: Google Images sary to protect their children. The
do become This year’s strain
There are plenty of other ways to avoid getting sick sick, is so deadly because usually in the previous same survey also found that the small percent
besides STAY years, the flu affects different areas of the Unit- of parents who don’t vaccinate their children
vaccines. HOME. ed States at different times. Unfortunately this are wealthier on average (with annual incomes
Some Photo Credits: Google Images year’s, the virus widespread activity is every- four times the poverty level), white, married,
When your
ways are body is under these stressful conditions, the best where. educated with college degrees, and covered by
as simple thing you can do is rest. Your body needs to relax On top of that, pharmises all over the coun- private health insurances.
as avoid and gain back strength in order to properly function. try are running out of the Tamiflu vaccine. Although this flu has been one of the
sick indi- Limiting body mobility is best because it keeps your According to CNN, “This year’s vaccine isn’t deadist the United States has seen in a while,
viduals, body temperature down. Studies have shown that terribly effective against the dominant, nasty, unvaccinated children aren’t the only cause of
cover your germs replicate faster when the body is hotter, rather H3N2 strain. Experts still recommend getting the widespread disease. Parents sending their
nose and than cool. Being in bed also decreases the possibility the shot, because it covers other strains, too, children to school knowing their child is infec-
mouth of getting others sick! and also can lessen the length and severity of tious is one of the root causes of the majority
when you Now, even if you do all these little things, there will the H3N2 infection.” Whether or not parents of children deaths. These ill children then fail
cough or always be the possibility of catching a cold, but try receive this information and choose to vac- at covering their mouths when they cough and
sneeze, your best to avoid sickness at all times! cinate their children, it can have a major impact or sneeze which then allows droplets to land in
Photo Credits: Google Images wash your on the country as a whole. the mouths or noses of healthy children spread-
hands ing the flu.

Kier Siepman any volunteer organizations you have helped. You need the information to complete job applica-
A&E Page Editor tions and to write a resume.

Some students choose not to work, but most do. Having a job is great, as it brings in a steady flow of
income that is at your disposal, and it introduces you to what being in the workforce is like. However,
getting that first job can seem hard, impossible even. So here are a few tips to keep in mind while try-
ing to land that first job.
Photo Credits: The Balance Check the Rules - Depending on your age, there may be
requirements about what jobs you can, and cannot do. For
example, if you're 14 or 15 you can only work 3 hours per
day and a maximum of 18 hours per week
Check First Job Options - Your first job should be a fun
job! Consider what you would like to do and where you
would like to do it. Does the beach sound better than the
mall? Or would you be thrilled to get the employee dis-
count that comes with some retail jobs?
Be Persistent - Wait a few days, then follow-up your
application with a phone call to the hiring manag- er reit-
erating your interest. If you have applied in per- son,
stop in again and mention that you are really inter- ested in
the opportunity.
Don't Stop - Don't apply at one place and wait for the
phone to ring. Complete as many job applications as you
can, and consider a variety of positions. The more you
apply, the better chance you have of finding a job.
Photo Credits: The Balance
Be Flexible - Applicants who are only available for limited
hours are less likely to get hired than those who are flexible as to when they can work. So try and
make your schedule be able to fit the hours of where you want to work.

Make a List - Make a list of where you went to school, Dress Appropriately - When applying for jobs, dress as though you had the job. If you're apply-
dates of attendance, and if you have participated in sports or other after-school activities, list them ing for a retail position, for example, visit the store before you apply to see what the staff is wear-
too. List any work you have done, organizations you belong to (like the Girl Scouts or 4H) and ing. It will give you an idea as to how you should dress. When in doubt, dress up, not down.

Jay Smith lege, or maybe a car or a place to stay after you graduate will all be great for future plans and can real-
Staff Reporter ly get you somewhere. Independence is key when getting around the world and knowing how to com-
Students should work during high school, because they can learn how to manage responsibilities and municate as well with others. Talking
prepare themselves for the later on careers they may endure in. Time and getting to know people of different
management skills are well needed for this time around and can really backgrounds and ethnicities will even-
help with knowing how to move around and get many things done effi- tually help you to better understand
ciently. Knowing how to balance your school work, studying, sports, and others and learn about them to help
anything else you may be doing all at once can seem challenging if you expand your horizon and views on things.
are not organized; but if you plan your time wisely then it may come to You might have a conversation with
you easier than you know it. You can not get time back, so it is best that someone that sparks an idea of something
you choose to spend it wisely and at the time learn from previous deci- fantastic, that you would’ve never
sions you made that did not go so well and had you in the mix, not meet- thought of if you weren’t networking
ing your deadlines for goals you may have set. with others at a job you have. They can
Learning how to manage your money is important, whether you’re sav- teach you or guide you in the right di-
ing money or spending it on things that are beneficial to your everyday rection and help you on developing skills
life. You will need to know how to work with money you earn in order to related to your interest in the Photo Credits: Google Images long run. If you can get around
make sure you can be successful and your money is secure. Understand- the world alone and know how to depend on yourself and not so
ing the ways to having great wealth will all come back to how you took much others, then you will be better off alone in the later on. You will have a heads start at what the
time to manage money in the first place. You should care about saving real world is like and not be so shocked when having to deal with it first hand if you weren’t so experi-
and reaching towards something bigger than the moment, than just enced before.
Photo Credits: Google Images being the age you are and assuming you have to spend according
to that, buying things you don't need but want. Saving up for col-