The CHIEF November 2018

NOV, 2018

The

PONTIAC TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL

COP SHOP

UPPERCLASS ACTS

Get to know our new School Resource Officer - Officer Enderli

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

table of contents

03 Letter from the Editors

04 Cop Shop

05 PTHS Season of Giving

06 Honoring Our Veterans

07 Mr. Roberts Interview

10 Sports

11 Upperclass Acts

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05

06

10

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The

CHIEF

www.pontiac90.org

know it. Students, continue to work hard and study, study, study! Thank you for reading every month and I wish you a great November! If you are interested in writing for The CHIEF, please contact Mr. Soares, Mr. Blair, Joe Gilmor, or myself!

A NOTE FROM YOUR EDITOR

By Sunn y Ho l t

Hello everyone! Starting a new month comes with new opportunities, responsibilities, and experiences. Autumn is taking place and sweater weather is finally here! As the middle of the semester rolls by, finals will be coming quicker than you

N O M A D I C |

2 4

COP SHOP

I have been a Pontiac Police Officer since April, 2013. This past summer, I volunteered to be the School Resource Officer (SRO) for both Pontiac School Districts, 90 & 429. As your SRO, my primary responsibility is safety and security, to ensure a safe learning environment. So, if you “ see something, say something. ” I am also here to provide valuable resources to students, parents, staff, and our community. I can be utilized as a resource for conflict resolution and law related education. As your SRO, you may see me in your classes presenting a specific topic, at extra-curricular activities, or just walking around the school campus, conducting security checks. I will do my best to get to know as many of you as I can, but feel free to stop by my office and introduce yourself.

By O f f i c e r Ende r l i

Hello everyone! I would like to take this time, to introduce myself, and let you all know why I am here. My name is Brian Enderli and I am a 2008 graduate of PTHS. While at PTHS, I was involved in band, where I marched in the drumline all four years. I was also highly involved in FFA, where I served as a chapter officer, competed in CDE Events, and received my State FFA Degree my Junior year. I was also a student of Mr. Bristow, and went through both Law I and Law II classes, which is part of what led me to this career. I attended Illinois State University, where I spent one semester studying in Canterbury, England. In May, 2012, I graduated from ISU with a Bachelor ’ s in Criminal Justice Sciences.

Have a great rest of the semester!

By Jasmine White Pontiac Season of Giving

October fifteenth marked the beginning of this year’s Season of Giving at PTHS. The event is nearing its’ end on the twentieth of November. The Season of giving consists of weeks that are each dedicated to certain items. Depending on the week, students were asked to bring in items such as clothing, hygiene items, canned/boxed food, school supplies, and monetary donations. The Season of Giving was introduced to PTHS last year by a senior named Kevin Kuska. Kevin had realized that there were many students at PTHS who did not have access to the basic supplies that so many of us take for granted. He was inspired to do something about this, and, with the help of Mr. Durbin, PTHS Choir Director, decided to start the Season of Giving. The Season of Giving was very successful last year, and is off to a great start this year. Thankfully, it seems that the Season of Giving is likely to continue for many years to come.

grime and plaque off of these headstones. First we mixed the D2 chemical with water and sprayed the headstone with it. The chemical settled into the headstone and it loosened all of the moss and anything else that might have been on there. After that, we then scrubbed the headstone with wire- haired brushes to remove any filth. Finally, we rinsed the headstone with water and sprayed it with another layer of D2. This event has been one to remember for all of those involved. Not only did students of PTHS get to honor their veterans, but we also learned about what they war they served in and for how long. Coming from a military family, I was happy to participate in such an amazing activity. My dad, Master Sergeant Andrews, said, “ I was so happy to hear that kids at our local high school performed such an honorable act. This will be remembered by people for many years to come. ”

HONORING OUR VETERANS THROUGH CEMETERY WORK

By Lu k e Mo r r i s s e t t e

During the month of October we, the students of PTHS, came from classes such as English, History and Science to honor our veterans in a very special way. At Southside Cemetery, we had the privilege to clean the headstones of the people that have defended this great nation. While doing this, we had the opportunity to learn a little bit about some of our past residents of Pontiac, Illinois. Before we started the cleaning process, headstones that we cleaned were not able to be read. However, after this cleaning process, the headstones looked brand new. Through the use of a chemical called D2 and some water, we were able to clean the

By Luke Morrissette Indian Summit 2018

Last month, we had our 3rd annual leadership training program called Indian Summit. This leadership program is sponsored and run by three of our school clubs: FFA, Student Council and Key Club. 7th and 8th graders from all of our junior high schools are asked to come to PTHS to experience a full day of learning about leadership, team building and creating bonds that will last into high school. As kids step through the doors into the commons, they are greeted by staff and given a t-shirt and a name tag. Once the staff has them set up, they step into the gym to meet their group leaders and learn a little about who they will be spending the day with. After some team building exercises and ice breakers, the kids and group leaders have a better understanding of each other. By the end of the day, kids are ready to learn what they have learned and perform a service project. We then come back to the school and reflect on the day and think about how we can take what we have learned and use it in our own lives. A big thank you goes to FFA, Key Club and Student Council. Without these clubs, we could not shape the future Indians of PTHS into great leaders. Also, a thank you goes out to everyone who helped make this happen. Without each and every single one of you, we could not have accomplished what we did. Another thanks goes out to all of our participants. You all did great and keep up the amazing work that all of us here at PTHS know you can Remember: “A leader is the one, who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way!”

Mr. Roberts Interview By Joseph Gilmor

This year, we here at PTHS were greeted with a number of new additions to our teaching staff. Among these was Mr. Michael Roberts, our new Assistant Band Director, and we’ve been eager to write an article about him ever since. Mr. Roberts was born and raised in Orland Park, Illinois, where he began taking an interest in music at a very young age. At eight years old, Mr. Roberts had already started private piano lessons, and his love for music only increased as he decided to take up the trumpet. Mr. Roberts was heavily involved in his high school’s band program as a member of the Marching Band, Pep Band, Jazz Band, and Pit Orchestra ensembles. The Band travelled all across the nation, and as a drum majors, Mr. Roberts earned the privilege of visiting exotic Honolulu, Hawaii. Mr. Roberts greatly admired his high school band directors, and it was they who shaped his decision to become a music teacher. As he said in an interview on the subject, “I wanted to inspire kids like they inspired me.” The influential people in his life motivated Mr. Roberts to pursue a Music Education Degree from Illinois State University, which led to his being hired at PTHS. So far, Mr. Roberts has enjoyed every bit of his time here, and he is looking forward to making even more memories as our Assistant Band Director here at PTHS.

SOUND OF SUCCESS By Ky l i e H i n s haw

Along with the Madrigal dinners, the group will also participate in the Tour of Schools. At the moment the group only has six pieces that they will perform, but it is possible that another piece could get added to the arrangement. you could see the group perform at their Christmas concert in December. Tickets for the Christmas concert cost three dollars. Not only will you get to see the Court singers, you ’ ll also get to see the many other groups such as Men ’ s Choir, Bel Canto, Cantible, Concert choir, Madrigals, and many more. If you ’ re unable to attend the dinners

The PTHS Court Singers are hard at work preparing for the upcoming Madrigal Dinners. For the past month, they have been practicing Mondays after school and Wednesdays before school. They will continue their hard work up until the dinners. Mr. Durbin is also working hard to perfect the pieces he has chosen. The Madrigal dinners will take place December 3rd, 4th, and 5th. Tickets went on sale October 21st after the Fall Concert.

By Alyssa Rodriguez

Fine  Arts

Marching Indians - U of I Competition

On the 21st of October, PTHS held their annual fall choral concert. The theme for this concert was “Spirits & Specters.” The showcase started with the men's choir that did a phenomenal job on all of their pieces. Next was Treble Cantabile that contained all of the freshman female voices for a great performance. Then Bel Canto, or advanced women's choir, took the stage for the four songs they prepared. Between each choir, special groups were highlighted such as the barbershop quartet and the Madrigal singers. Finally, to close the showcase, the concert choir performed several wonderful pieces. As this concert flew by, the students involved in choir will now start to work on winter and Christmas music for the next upcoming band and choir performance. Since May, the Pontiac Marching Indians have put so much time and effort into their show this year. All the months of preparation and cleaning finally paid off at the closing competition for Pontiac. On October 20th, the Pontiac Indians took the field at U of I to perform their final run through of their show titled Ex Machina . The eight minute show was complete with three full movements and tons of added-on body movements. For the freshman, this was their biggest competition they had to face and for the seniors it was their last performance as a Marching Indian. Everything the Indians had worked on these past few months paid off when the speakers announced that PTHS won third place in their class and sixth place overall. As the marching season now is to a close, the band will now prepare for the incoming winter concert. Fall Choir Showcase

By Weiland Torkelson Running Towards State

Our student body is very proud of our three golfers who competed at the state level, including Griffin Nyi, Dani Grace Schrock and Ali Schrock. It was my pleasure to recently interview Dani Grace, who won bragging rights as the first- place finisher in the state. I asked Dani Grace how she felt when it was announced that she’d won first place as a freshman while playing against upper classmen, including her own sister. Dani Grace had this to say, “When I found out I won, I felt many emotions. I mainly felt happy and sad because I had wanted to win state, but I felt sad because I wanted to see my sister play well and win her senior year.” Dani Grace went on to explain that she was proud that her hard work had paid off. After all, “I practice every day in the summer and I take a two-hour golf lesson every Saturday. During the school year, after golf season, I try to practice as much as possible, but it just depends on the weather and how much homework I have.” Naturally, any athlete will feel nervous when competing at the State level. Dani Grace commented about that: “I was a little nervous going in because there are a lot more people at the high school level at State than junior high and also, this year they had a cut and so I was extra nervous because I wanted to make the cut so I could have a chance at placing in the top ten. The main way I dealt with my nervousness was just taking deep breaths and also by talking to (Coach) Brunner.” Clearly, the life of a golfer isn’t all relaxation; it is a very competitive sport that requires skill. Playing golf can be as nerve-racking as taking an important exam. It takes much patience and practice, and isn’t as easy as Dani Grace makes it seem. The PTHS men’s cross country team has been working really hard for the past few months. We have been training to make it to state since late May and will hopefully continue to train through November. The training and running has taken place around Pontiac. Our training has included many methods of getting better. We stretch, roll out, warmup, and cool down, in order to keep our bodies ready. We have to keep our bodies ready for the hard workouts that we have 2-3 times a week. The other days at practice we do longer runs (8+ miles) or tempo runs which are a longer run but at a fast pace. All the way back in May on the first day of summer training, Coach Lucas said, “Gentlemen, we know what our goal this year is.” By that he meant our goal was going to State. The team’s lead runner is Joshua Davies whose personal record is under 16 minutes. Davies placed 34th at State and the team placed 25th. By Jacob Orndorf Golf Interview

Upperclass Acts

Ali Schrock

NICKNAMES: Schrock, Ali Cat, Al

ROLE MODEL(S): My parents

ACTIVITIES @ PTHS: Girls Golf, Key Club, National Honor Society, Tri-M, Band, Concert Choir, Peers-In-Action, Madrigal/Swinging Bridges Brass Quintet

PET PEEVES: People who don’t make the most of opportunities and don’t try to be the best they can be. WHAT MY FRIENDS WILL REMEMBER ABOUT ME: My work ethic, kindness, and ability to get along with everyone. HOW WOULD YOU SPEND $1,000,000? I would invest it and use some of it to pay for my education and possibly a house someday. I would allow the rest to grow so that I could retire early and play a lot of golf. Along the way, I would donate to various causes. IF YOU WERE STRANDED ON A DESERT ISLAND, WHAT 3 ITEMS WOULD YOU WANT WITH YOU? Survival kit, including food and water, my iPhone with unlimited service and a good solar charger, and my golf clubs

FONDEST MEMORY OF HIGH SCHOOL SO FAR: Winning the 2017 IHSA Class 1A Girls Golf Individual Championship

3 MAJOR AREAS OF INTEREST: Golf, Music, Volunteering

PLANS AFTER HIGH SCHOOL: Attend a 4 year university and studying business or Education

FAVORITE MOVIE: The Blind Side

MOST INSPIRATIONAL SONG: “A Million Dreams” by The Greatest Showman

FAVORITE TEACHER/CLASS: Mr. Krause’s Pre Calc Class

FAVORITE AUTHOR/BOOK: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

LAST WORDS OF ADVICE: “Work hard to be the best person you can be.”

MOST POSITIVE MOMENT: Helping raise money for Jalene Woolford and her family.

Upperclass Acts

Madison Wright

NICKNAMES: Maddie, Maddog

MOST POSITIVE MOMENT: Being accepted to a college and being offered a sport on their volleyball team. PET PEEVES: A classmate bouncing their foot shaking your desk, sound of nails scraping on a chalkboard, people that drive with their foot on their break, and when random people come up to me and touch my hair. WHAT MY FRIENDS WILL REMEMBER ABOUT ME: I hope my friends think of me as a sincere, loving person but also as a loud energetic fun person. HOW WOULD YOU SPEND 1,000,000?: I would continue to keep my job because as of now I am very passionate about becoming a physical therapist. I would also help my family members out if they need a helping hand. Taking vacations is important because I believe that is a great way to make memories that will last forever. IF YOU WERE STRANDED ON A DESERT ISLAND, WHAT 3 ITEMS WOULD YOU WANT WITH YOU?: Big boat, fuel, and my dad.

ACTIVITIES @ PTHS: Peers Mentoring, Student Council, Varsity Sport-Volleyball, National Honors Society, National Technical Honors Society

FONDEST MEMORIES OF HIGH SCHOOL SO FAR: Homecoming week and the dance

3 MAJOR AREAS OF INTEREST: Physical therapist, nurse practitioner, and orthodontist

PLANS AFTER HIGH SCHOOL: Plan on attending a D3 college to continue playing volleyball and further my education by majoring in Athletic Training and becoming a Physical Therapist . FAVORITE MOVIE: Sweet Home Alabama

MOST INSEPARABLE SONG: “Don’t Blink by” by Kenny Chesney

FAVORITE TEACHER/CLASS: Favorite teacher is Mr. Nollen and favorite class is Anatomy and Physiology

FAVORITE AUTHOR/BOOK: Heaven is for Real by Lynn Vincent and Todd Burpo

LAST WORDS OF ADVICE: “Never give up on the things that make you smile.” -Paris Hilton

The Chief Staff Sunny Holt: Co Editor-in-Chief Joe Gilmor: Co Editor-in-Chief

The Wandering Poet Sunny Holt

Lily Lydigsen Clay Miller Luke Morrissette Jacob Orndorf Alyssa Rodriguez Becca True Hannah Wallace Jasmine White

Attention all writers and appreciators of literature! This past month, PTHS brought a new club to the surface: a poetry club! The first meeting was during October but do not fret, the Wandering Poet is always open to new members. It is a club that consists of poetry reading and the study of poetry. If you are interested, contact Ms. Hatfield at ehatfield@pontiac90.org or Sunny Holt at 20sholt@pontiac90.org! The next meeting is on November 14th from 3:00 to 4:00pm in Ms. Hatfield’s room, Room 306. We can’t wait to see you!

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

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