The CHIEF November 2017

CHIEF NOVEMBER, 2017 PONTIAC TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL The

What's going on around the PTHS community? MUSIC AND CLUB UPDATES

UPPERCLASS ACTS

Check out which PTHS seniors are this month's Upperclass Acts!

table of contents

03 Editor ' s Note

04 NewTeacher Interview

05 Music Update

05 Playoff Football

07 Clubs Update

10 Upperclass Acts

14 Student Poetry

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spookiest time of the year, Halloween. No matter what you think of October, it’s obvious that this was a great month for PTHS. Out football team went to the play- offs, Cross Country was two points away from State, Ali Shrock won the state golf tournament, and Unified Soccer made it to the state tournament. This was a great month that PTHS will be able to look back on and have fond memories. I hope everyone continues to have a safe and happy school year.

EDITOR'S NOTE W H A T ' S G O I N G O N ?

By Kamr y n Moo r e

For some people the month of October can be a drag. One view of October is that weird time between the beginning of the school year and the Holiday season. But for others, October is the time when Fall begins and we experience the

Sincerely, Kamryn Moore

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What is your favorite Thanksgiving food?

New Teacher

Val Hurt

By Joseph Gilmor

Recently, I was granted the privilege of interviewing one of the newest additions to our PTHS staff: Chef Rowan. While he was with me, he shared parts of himself on both a personal and professional level, and his story is quite fascinating! Chef Rowan began learning the culinary arts at a young age. After watching his mother and grandmother cook countless meals for their family, he began to develop his own style of cooking. However, he hadn’t always planned to be a chef. His dream of becoming a Chicago police officer was cut short after he sustained a serious knee injury while training. Fortunately, a dear friend of the now world-renowned chef suggested he go to culinary school and, soon enough, Chef Rowan found his calling in the world of the culinary arts. He held positions in many notable restaurants, even going so far as to land a job at Wrigley Field. Naturally, he was overjoyed when the Chicago Cubs finally won the 2016 World Series. of notable characters, including Hillary Clinton and the Duchess of York. After having such an exciting career as a chef, one might wonder how it feels to teach the future chefs of America. Chef Rowan says he has had a wonderful time teaching, and this job allows him extra time to spend with his two children. Of course, Chef Rowan will always be a cook at heart, and loves to make meals for himself and his family. While the Chef states that he can make an Italian dish with his eyes closed, he prefers Mexican and Southwestern cuisine. The Chef has certainly led an eventful life, and hopes to continue teaching at PTHS for quite a while, as we all also hope. The young chef learned some valuable people skills while working there, and put those skills to the test meeting all sorts

"Ham"

Jaden Hershe

"Turkey"

Jacob Matern

"Pecan Pie"

Music Update

Fall Chorus Concert The spotlights were ready for the evening of October 10th. During the fall choral concert each choir got to show the audience what they have been working on. The choirs began to work on the music performed around the first and second weeks of school. The public got to hear the voices from Men's Choir, Barbershop, Cantabile, Madrigals, Bel Canto, and Concert Choir. Along with the choirs, a solo was performed by Kevin Kuska. Each group sang two to four songs. With all the effort put in by the students, Mr. Durbin, and the accompanist Beth McCleary, the show was a success. Now the students are working to make their winter concert just as outstanding. By Alyssa Rodriguez The moment the Marching Band has been preparing for since August finally took place. On the 21st of October, U of I held their 47th Annual Illinois Marching Band Championship. The band started the day around 8 to prepare for the competition. Upon arriving at the destination the band went over last minute spots in the three movements soon to be put into action. The Pontiac Township Marching Indians performed their show entitled “Imagine” for the last time. Every individual poured their heart into the performance that day. For seniors it was a bittersweet moment, for freshman it was only the end of the beginning. The performance was completed well and nothing to shrug off. At the end of the day, our best was not others people's best. Taking first place, Monticello deservingly earned the title. Even though the Marching Indians did not take first, all members were proud to wear the Pontiac uniform and show off their school. U of I Marching Competition By Alyssa Rodriguez

S P O R T S

The atmosphere was buzzing; tailgaters from each time lined the outside of the field and cheered as the opening kickoff occurred. The game that followed was a heartfelt battle. Scoring went back and forth, Unity would score and the Indians would march back the other way and do the same until our star running back, number 27 Austin Norman, went down with a lower body injury. He was taken out of the game and cheered off by fans and fellow teammates and coaches. An unplanned and unfortunate event like that changes the atmosphere for any team or program. Sure we were shook after he left the field, but the team's’ effort only increased. Eric Watson became the lead runner and marched the Indians’ down the field again resulting in another touchdown. Watson played a remarkable game when you look back on it. The effort displayed by the Indians throughout the game embodies the playoff mentality which is found in any talented team. With a final score of 61-42 in Unities’ favor, the parents, student supporters, and football athletes have a goal to work towards next year. Never count PTHS out; the Indians will be back next year to prove what we can do once again.

PLAYOFF FOOTBALL!

By C l a y t on M i l l e r

Picture a freezing, cloudy desolate environment. Now place a football field and a few hundred people in the center; this is the image you need to visualize to picture the playoff experience for the Indians and their supporters on October 28th. What an experience it was for each and every person there. It started with a bus full of athletes leaving town determined to perform their best for the people of the community. Shortly thereafter, the families and friends of our team would climb into their cars, each in five or so layers of clothing, and head south an hour and a half to Tolono to support our Indians.

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Clubs Update

Key Club: Helping the Community Key Club is an international organization for community service that is offered to high school students throughout the world. At Pontiac Township High School, students take great value in the club by helping others and participating in the events that are held by club members. Students can join Key Club at Pontiac High by talking to Mr. or Mrs. Bristow. By joining, students will have access to community service and interaction with their community. The activities students are involved in consist of lunch with the Kiwanis, cleaning up around Pontiac, and most importantly, working in the community one helping hand at a time! By Sunny Holt While many students admire the incredible talent displayed in our halls, they are usually not sure of the process and talent required to create such pieces; also, they are unsure who created the art. In Mr. Vogt’s Art I, the beginner students are finishing two ceramic pinch-pots. Along with this, they are completing a textured tile before finishing their ceramics unit. Their next unit will focus on developing a one-point perspective of a city using precise measurements and creativity. Art II classes are also working on ceramic pieces; having more experience, they are creating more advanced ceramic pieces. They have already made two ceramic rattles and are working on one large-scale coil pot. Although the Art I and Art II classes are focusing on ceramics, Art III has gone a different route. After just completing their time with realistic paintings, they are moving on to a new media: pen. The students are creating their own pen drawings, picking out anything from portraits to animals. Lastly, the AP Art students take a completely different route; with much shorter deadlines, they create their own pieces with a specific theme for their portfolios. After peering through the looking glass of an artist, it is certain that all of their pieces are made with hard work and diligence. Art Update By Becca True

INDIAN SUMMIT 2017

By L i l l i an L yd i g s en

Junior High Leaders from surrounding schools came to Pontiac Township High school to learn leadership skills, develop teamwork, and build a sense of service, in a fun-filled day. Pontiac’s FFA, Key Club, and Student Council run the event known as the Indian Summit. The first summit was last year, in 2016, when a number of high school leaders wanted to build leadership in our high school’s next generation. When asked how the program was developed, Jesse Faber (adviser) replied saying, “We find activities that have them work together.” Included was a challenge course with team building and communication challenges like the A-frames, Whale Watch, and Drop the Ball; all challenging but achievable once you make a plan and figure it out together. Since the Indian summit first started, students in 7th and 8th grade in the surrounding junior highs have been excited for this day. Pontiac Junior High student Ava Nollen said, “It’s an honor to be nominated, and I was very excited to go this year.” Ava is an eighth grader who went to the Indian Summit both years. Some activities might seem simple, but they teach the kids how to take control of a situation or work through a problem .

The activity that was most enjoyed was the scavenger hunt made by Cam Tickle and Kamryn Moore. This focused on businesses and landmarks in uptown Pontiac. Teams took pictures of each item identified by clues. There were many riddles, so many pictures, and so much fun. This also showed all students businesses and landmarks that some students had not been introduced to. Evain Weedling from Pontiac Junior High School said this about his favorite activity, “The scavenger hunt was my favorite activity. I liked the riddles and making new friends.” This is one of many positive comments from the students that went to the Indian summit. If you ask any student that went to the Indian Summit what they learned, most of them would say they learned leadership skills. Well, Makayla Metz from the junior high said, “What I learned was that you need communication and teamwork to accomplish things not just one person.” 10% more kids came to the Indian summit this year than last year, and hopefully this will keep increasing. The students leave with memories of having fun but learning at the same time about skills to help then lead and

Student Council 2017 ByLuke Morrissette Anyone looking for a group where leadership and caring about your student body are the main characteristics? Then look no further. Our school’s Student Council members exemplify those core values every single day. Thanks to our Student Council president, Kevin Kuska, we can get an insight into what the organization is about and what it strives for. People may wonder what Student Council does exactly: it helps to make decisions to better the student body and help the community. People also wonder what roles Student Council plays in our school. Well, you can say that they work together to plan Homecoming and do the concession stand at the Holiday Tournament. When asked the question, “Is there anything that you are excited to work on now that you are the president of Student Council?” Kevin responded with, “I’m excited to be able to go to Mr. Bohm and have one on one discussions concerning the student body.” Another question was, “What made you want to run for President and what drove you to win?” His response was, “I’ve always had an interest in student government since I joined Student Council in 5th grade at St. Mary’s.” Another question Kevin was asked was, “What is your main goal to accomplish as president?” His response was, “My main goal is to create a united council and to help instill in the officer team of how to be organized to run the council next year.” The next question Kevin answered was, “How do you plan on involving and hearing out the student body in what your future plans are?” He responded, “At the first school assembly, I stated that any student can come to me for help or with a suggestion to take to Mr. Bohm, and several have came and talked to me.” When asked if there was any advice to give, his response was, “For my fellow seniors, stay strong through this last year to finish with your best. For the underclassmen, keep your grades up but remember to have fun because these years really do fly by.” Kevin and the rest of Student Council have begun working on a project and they are looking for the student body’s participation. Thank you Kevin and the rest of Student Council for all that you do! Keep it up!

FOR ALL DRIVERS: A FRI ENDLY REMINDER

Upperclass Acts

Amaya Betts

NAME: Amayah Danyae Betts

FAVORITE TEACHER: Mrs. Hoss

NICKNAMES: Mya

FAVORITE AUTHOR: Dr. Suess (lol)

ROLE MODEL(S): My dad and Beyonce

MOST POSITIVE MOMENT: Painting up at the football games

ACTIVITY @ PTHS: Basketball

FONDEST MEMORY OF HIGH SCHOOL SO FAR: My fondest memory is when I was a freshman and I decided to play basketball for the FIRST time ever. I was honestly so bad but I worked hard and by the end of the year I was playing on the JV team. Dan, my coach, always talks about how it’s his favorite story to tell and that makes me feel good.

PET PEEVES: Chewing with your mouth open.

WHAT MY FRIENDS WILL REMEMBER ABOUT ME: How funny I am.

HOW WOULD YOU SPEND $1,000,000? I’d probably buy a car, a house, and donate the rest to the local Dance Center so they can teach the students of PTHS how to get lit at the dances. IF YOU WERE STRANDED ON A DESERT ISLAND, WHAT 3 ITEMS WOULD YOU WANT WITH YOU? My phone, a cooler of water, and toilet paper. LAST WORDS OF ADVICE: “Do what makes you happy, add me on Snapchat, follow me on Insta, and make memories because high school goes by so fast.”

3 MAJOR AREAS OF INTEREST: Music, food, and anything medical

PLANS AFTER HIGH SCHOOL: I plan on becoming a nurse and ya know, saving lives.

FAVORITE MOVIE: I freaking love Moana .

MOST INSPIRATIONAL SONG: “Rise up” by Andra Day

Upperclass Acts

Kevin Kuska

NAME: Kevin Kuska

ROLE MODEL: Jerry Keck

MOST POSITIVE MOMENT: Starting the Pontiac Month of Giving

ACTIVITIES @ PTHS: Student Council, Thespians, Tri- M, Principal’s Advisory Board, Band, Madrigals, Barbershop Quartet, National Honor Society

PET PEEVES: Chewing with your mouth open, talking while a teacher is talking, people choosing not to do their homework, people interrupting.

FONDEST MEMORY OF HIGH SCHOOL SO FAR: When I made All-State Honors Choir as a junior.

3 MAJOR AREAS OF INTEREST: Musical Theatre, Student Government, Volunteering in the Community

WHAT MY FRIENDS WILL REMEMBER ABOUT ME: That I could do the splits.

PLANS AFTER HIGH SCHOOL: Attend a 4-Year University to receive a BFA in Musical Theatre and perform professionally for a majority of my time, and then open a theatre to help spread theatre education to kids.

HOW WOULD YOU SPEND $1,000,000? I would see every Broadway musical, open my own theatre when I get older, and donate to cancer research. IF YOU WERE STRANDED ON A DESERT ISLAND, WHAT 3 ITEMS WOULD YOU WANT WITH YOU? A knife, a lighter, and iodine to purify the water. LAST WORDS OF ADVICE: “Some times may stink, but push through them because they get better.”

FAVORITE MOVIE: Hercules

MOST INSPIRATIONAL SONG: “You Raise Me Up” by Josh Groban

FAVORITE TEACHER/CLASS: Favorite Teacher: Mr. Ramseyer; Favorite Class: AP Chemistry

FAVORITE AUTHOR/BOOK: The Hunger Games

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Literature

Review of Calla Devlin's Tell Me Something Real

By Kenzie Cool

Tell Me Something Real by Calla Devlin is about the discovery of family and how strong those bonds can be. After learning their mom has leukemia, life has been no easy task for the Babcock sisters. Fast forward to spending sometime in Mexico for alternative treatment; a secret is uncovered that changes everything they know. How will the sisters recover from this horrible betrayal? Why don ’ t you find out yourself by picking up a copy of this book?

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Movie

Review of Happy Death Day

By Clayton Miller

I knew I wanted to a scary movie for Halloween I just was not sure which one. I had seen IT previously and that film already has a review published in The Chief (if you have not read it then go check it out). A few weeks ago I went and saw Happy Death Day and will be doing a short review of that movie now. Be warned there are spoilers to come. Happy Death Day ’ s main character, Tree Gelbman, goes throughout her college day as she normally would. It does not take much to notice how rude she is to everyone around her, her ungratefulness, and lack of manners. At the end of her days she is killed by an unknown murderer and finds herself waking up in her bed just as she did to start the day. She realizes after a few times of this occurring in slightly different ways that this is the same day occurring over and over and over again. She consults Carter Davis, a character she interacts with every day, about how to stop this from happening. In the end she changes her rude and ignorant behavior and finds out who the murderer is and stops her death from happening. I came into this movie expected to be bored because I knew the concept and figured it would be repetitive. Instead, I loved it. It had pace changes, variations each time she woke up, and twists in the plot to make you wonder what was going to happen next. Even though it was not a true horror film in my opinion, it still filled my need for a good Halloween film around this time of year. Without a doubt, I would highly recommend you see it. I rate it a 4 out of 5 stars.

Student Poetry Happy Halloween!!! By Brayden Weaver When leaves start turning orange and golden-brown Kids start to dress in costumes so dandy. For one day a year, all around the town It is time for kids to earn some candy. Every fun boy and girl shall throw on the mask, And with pleasure, shall knock on a door. They all know what question they must ask Trick or Treat? I need candy. Give me more? Up in the sky, with the bright moon so full, A witch is joined by her furry black cats. A scary man is leaning against a pole. The silence is broken by shrieking bats.

The Chief Staff

Kamryn Moore: Editor-in-Chief

Leslie Babbs Kenzie Cool Kaelee Germain Joe Gilmor Sunshine Holt Clay Miller Luke Morrissette Alyssa Rodriguez Becca True Hannah Wallace

Mr. Blair, Faculty Sponsor Mr. Soares, Faculty Sponsor

Halloween is not always full of fright, For anyone can be a kid that night.

The Moon Child By Sunny Holt

She was the prettiest constellation in the night sky Her soul was filled with never-ending galaxies Her tears were the meteors that destroyed anything in their path Her heart, like the sun, was always on fire The Moon Child, they called her The Moon Child

Enjoy creative writing? If you ever would ever like to see your creative pieces in The Chief , contact Mr. Soares or Mr. Blair!