The CHIEF May 2021

CHIEF MAY, 2021 PONTIAC TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL The

UPPERCLASS ACTS

EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES UPDATE

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

Read about what's going on in some clubs and organizations around PTHS.

A NOTE FROM YOUR EDITOR

By Joe G i l mo r

Hey, everybody, and thanks for tuning in to this year’s (and my) final edition of The Chief ! This year has been a wild ride, but I’m extremely grateful to all of our staff and readers alike for making it one to remember. When I walked into my first school newspaper meeting as a freshman, I never imagined I’d be sitting here, writing my final Editor’s note after three exciting years as Editor-in-Chief. As I left that meeting, however, I knew that I would always be a part of the Chief family. Since then, my experience has been a rollercoaster of scheduling interviews, making sure (or trying to) that deadlines are met on time, and attempting to manage it all while participating in several other clubs and far too many AP classes- and I’ve loved every minute. My time as Editor has taught me not only how to be a better writer and how to communicate with others, but how to be a responsible student and a better citizen. And now, as I reflect on my high school career, it is hard to imagine where I would be without the newspaper. So I’d like to say thank you, Dr. Soares and Mr. Blair, for your continued support and guidance. And thank you, Chief staffers, for all of the kindness and friendship you have shown me throughout my time with the paper. And, finally, thank you, readers, for giving myself and all of our writers the chance to interact with our wonderful PTHS community.

I hope you all enjoy this last edition of The Chief , and thank you all for being a part of the Chief family.

Sincerely, Joe Gilmor, Editor-in-Chief

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Retiring Teacher: Mrs. Mallory Interview by Joe Gilmor

As we wrap up another school year at PTHS, it is not only the seniors to whom we must say goodbye. This year, Mrs. Dee Mallory has decided to retire from her teaching career, taking with her many years of experience and memories of her time at PTHS. As we wish Mrs. Mallory farewell, we at The Chief would like to take a moment to recognize her accomplishments. Mrs. Mallory is a native of Chenoa, where she was an active member of the cheerleading, track, and volleyball teams, as well as Student Council, Choir, and the yearbook staff at Chenoa High School. While attending college at Illinois State University, Mrs. Mallory had the opportunity to complete her student teaching at PTHS, to which she applied as soon as an opening was available. Since then, Mrs. Mallory has thoroughly enjoyed her time at PTHS, where she has had the chance to forge countless memories, none of which can top the time an intrusive squirrel infiltrated the classroom and scared her into jumping over two rows of desks into a student’s lap. As Mrs. Mallory makes her exit, she’d like to leave students with one piece of advice: have fun and get involved! Time flies by in high school, so try to fit in as many memories as you can before your time runs out! Mrs. Mallory feels extraordinarily lucky to be a part of the PTHS family, and she has made our school better by being a part of it. Thank you for your commitment, Mrs. Mallory, and on behalf of both our staff and readers alike, we wish you the best in whatever direction your retirement takes you.

Band Wrap-Up By: Conrad Skrzypiec

Activities Update

If there is anything that is constant, it's music. Although this year was, I hate to say it, unprecedented, Choir has always been a fun activity. This Friday, the class of 2021 departed from PTHS. There were senior awards given: Camille Stadler, Gabe Travis, Joe Gilmor, Alaska Bennet, and Kellin Ours. Maddie Lee received the National School Choral Award. The Route 66 Jazz Choir recently recorded their final product of the year, singing songs like “My Funny Valentine,” “James Bond Theme,” and many others! Even though there were no in-person concerts this year, Mr. Durbin put in a tremendous amount of work to create the amazing memories that this year of Choir will always cherish. By: Ava Nollen End of the Year for Choir Likewise, the PTHS Jazz Band is in the home stretch, and a recording of the progress they have made this year will be on the way soon. Hopefully next year we’ll be able to have live performances again, and we certainly hope to see you all there! The band has had a very eventful year, trying their best to find a way to make and release music for people to enjoy. With the constraints on when and where and even how they can play, it certainly hasn’t been easy, but they have found a way. In case anyone missed it, the PTHS Marching Indians performed at the April 16th home football game, where they celebrated the seniors in band. But now they have packed away their marching gear (for now) and are preparing for graduation and the next year. Work has begun on practicing for a graduation performance, but whether this will be in the form of a live performance or simply a recording is yet to be determined. Band members are also getting their first taste of next year’s marching band music, which they hope will grant them a leg up at the University of Illinois’ next marching band competition.

Upperclass Acts

Blaine Bauman

NAME: Blaine Bauman

FAVORITE AUTHOR/BOOK: Eragon by Christopher Paolini

NICKNAMES: Blanye

PET PEEVES: Not preforming good enough in a sport.

ROLE MODEL(S): Mostly my friends.

ACTIVITIES @ PTHS: Track & Field

WHAT MY FRIENDS WILL REMEMBER ABOUT ME: Hopefully my humor

FONDEST MEMORY OF HIGH SCHOOL SO FAR: Building bridges in Engineering.

HOW WOULD YOU SPEND $1,000,000? Save that money, and spend it if necessary. Once saved sufficiently enough, my friends and I will be set for life. IF YOU WERE STRANDED ON A DESERT ISLAND, WHAT 3 ITEMS WOULD YOU WANT WITH YOU? A knife, a pot, and a cool ball.

3 MAJOR AREAS OF INTEREST: Web Design, Architecture, and Game Design & Development

PLANS AFTER HIGH SCHOOL: Heartland Community College

FAVORITE MOVIE: Shrek 2

MOST INSPIRATIONAL SONG: “&” by Tally Hall

LAST WORDS OF ADVICE: “Stay cool and good, everyone.”

FAVORITE TEACHER/CLASS: Mr. Woith/Engineering

Upperclass Acts

Adam Verdun

NAME: Adam Verdun

FAVORITE TEACHER/CLASS: Kevin Kuerth/Construction Trades

NICKNAMES: Verdun

FAVORITE AUTHOR/BOOK: Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosako

ROLE MODEL(S): Elon Musk, Tim Norman

ACTIVITIES @ PTHS: Golf, Tennis, and FFA

MOST POSITIVE MOMENT: Being selected for National Honor Society.

FONDEST MEMORY OF HIGH SCHOOL SO FAR: Being able to travel to Georgia, Tennessee, Colorado, and Indiana numerous times in FFA.

PET PEEVES: When talking to people that still have earbuds in.

WHAT MY FRIENDS WILL REMEMBER ABOUT ME: “YA BUD” my laugh

3 MAJOR AREAS OF INTEREST: Agriculture, Construction Trades, Cryptocurrency investing.

HOW WOULD YOU SPEND $1,000,000? Invest in Cryptocurrency

PLANS AFTER HIGH SCHOOL: Attend Illinois State University studying Agronomy and Ag Business.

IF YOU WERE STRANDED ON A DESERT ISLAND, WHAT 3 ITEMS WOULD YOU WANT WITH YOU? A hatchet, a match, and a buddy LAST WORDS OF ADVICE: “It all starts on your first day of freshman year: either you run the day or the day runs you.”

FAVORITE MOVIE: Pain & Gain

MOST INSPIRATIONAL SONG: “It's a Long Way to the Top (if You Wanna Rock ‘n Roll)” by ACDC

Football Wrap-Up By: Gabe Travis

Sports Update

The football season is over at PTHS and the players are already looking forward to getting out on the field for the 2022 season. On Saturday the 24th of April, PTHS and Olympia had one last football game to end our crazy COVID-19 year, and while Olympia did win, the players gained a lot from having to face such a difficult challenge. Also, while not having a normal season, the players are happy that they got to play in the six games they did even with the Coronavirus still interfering in daily life. While the football season is now over and the players are done for the year, they have gained a lot of helpful practice and experience from facing new challenges that will make next year even greater.

Student Poetry

“A Manifesto” By Callie Dalton

Blood is red, masks are blue I sent a plague, to kill a few My name is pain, it’s in my game To hurt and maim, to light a flame In the hearts of the weak. The sweetest tears that I seek Come from children and the meek. I take and take and take and take But. I’m. Still. Hungry.

Seniors Say Goodbye:

What was your favorite class in all of high school and why?

My favorite class in all of high school is my Environmental Earth Science class with Mr. Ritter. In that class, there was always something to do, and we were provided with tons of opportunities. Some opportunities include extra experience with public speaking, just get out of your comfort zone, and even scholarships. (Andrew Hocker) My favorite class throughout high school would have to be Ag Science. We were taught different techniques that we'd be able to take away with us in our later years in life. (Olivia Wickman) My favorite class was Natural Resources with Mr. Bane. I enjoyed doing different experiments, as well as going different places to see things that I have never seen before. (Adam Jacobs)

My favorite class was Automotives class. It kept me really busy and helped me improve on my work ethic. (Jackson Schott)

Mr. Nollen’s anatomy class because I felt like I learned a lot in that class and actually understood the material. He taught very well and the dissecting helped too. (Alyssa Fox)

I really liked the drafting and engineering classes. I liked these classes because they were classes that you actually get to do hands on activity rather than just sitting there taking notes. (Grace Meyers).

Computer Maintenance because I got to learn about how computers work and Mr. Masching was a very chill teacher while keeping us on track. (Vincent Gierich)

My welding classes because it showed me so many opportunities and talents that I have that I had no idea I possessed. (Ayden Mankowski)

CNA because it got my foot in the doorstep for my future. (Trevor Sexton)

Algebra 2 with Mr. Krause because he is probably the funniest teacher I've met. (Payton Whitman)

Music Review

By Jasmine White

"Last Resort Reloaded"

“Last Resort Reloaded” is a great song to listen to. The reimagined piece was conceived when Jeris Johnson started having fun with the original song by Papa Roach on TikTok, and started adding and creating his own verses into the song. This soon got the attention of Shaddix, the lead singer of Papa Roach. This led them into creating this new “reloaded” release of “Last Resort.” The songs with the new verses are written more to relate to the current generation and to also bring awareness to mental health issues. Overall, this is a great song that has meaning in its newfound lyrics and the rocking beats in the song make a great tune to listen too.

Literature Review

By Ava Nollen

This edition's book review is a bit different. Today, I’ll be reviewing the book series Gregor the Overlander . Written by Suzanne Collins, author of the hit trilogy The Hunger Games, Gregor the Overlander is a captivating and fun series about a young boy who discovers a whole new world underneath the streets of New York City. Gregor, an 11 year old, falls through a grate and discovers Regalia, a city of humans who have existed for centuries beneath the Earth's surface. There are not only humans, but speaking rats, bats, and cockroaches, much bigger than above ground. The Underworld is a war torn place, with rats and humans at odds with each other. Gregor finds himself the focus of a prophecy, and assumes the position of Warrior to save The Underworld from destruction. This series is very close to my heart, and so I will give it a full 5 of 5 stars. Suzanne Collins is a fantastic author, able to incorporate serious topics and action into these books. While she writes for young adults, I would highly recommend Gregor the Overlander to people of any age. Gregor the Overlander (Series) by Suzanne Collins

The Chief Staff

Water, the object of my affection Raging seas, crashing waves, waterfalls glide Uncertain, in which I see my reflection In a landlocked place, I long for the tides The ocean floor, a total mystery What lies in the vast, dark watery depths Great discoveries, changing history Riveting, the sea takes away my breath Oceans can also be unforgiving The horror stories are at no shortage Sirens bewitch you to do their bidding Pirates know all about a ship's cordage Creative Corner: Student Poetry A Shakespearean Sonnet by Ava Nollen

Joe Gilmor: Editor-in-Chief

Alaska Bennet Emilie Collins Callie Dalton Ava Nollen

Alyssa Rodriguez Conrad Skryzpiec Gabe Travis Jasmine White

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

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

Unpredictable, wild, loving, and sweet To know this creature is a hopeless feat