The CHIEF May 2020

CHIEF MAY, 2020 PONTIAC TOWNSHIP HIGH SCHOOL The

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CLUBS & ORGANIZATIONS UPDATE Read about what some of PTHS's clubs and organizations have been up to.

UPPERCLASS ACTS

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

they have put into making The Chief what it is today, and allowing us to report the news to all who wish to hear it. I’d also like to thank our faculty sponsors, Dr. Soares and Mr. Blair, for their invaluable assistance and guidance in the program. I’d also like to give a special thanks to our co- editor, Sunshine Holt, who will be graduating this year. I personally have worked alongside Sunny for the past two years, and she has made innumerable contributions to The Chief . As Sunny leaves PTHS for greener pastures, we at The Chief would like to wish her the best of luck in all of her future endeavors, and will always remember her for her warm personality and outstanding penmanship. Finally, I’d like to thank you, our readers, for tuning in each month to see what events are unfolding at PTHS. Our readers come from all walks of life, and without them, there would be no paper. While current events may make the future seem uncertain, you can always count on The Chief to find and report the news, no matter what the future may hold. We will see you again in the fall with the next edition!

A NOTE FROM YOUR EDITOR

By Joe G i l mo r

Hey, everybody, and thanks for tuning in to this year’s final edition of The Chief ! This year has been quite the ride, and we at The Chief are excited to end it with a bang! Even though the halls are empty, PTHS has seen no shortage of student involvement as we continue to self isolate under Governor Pritzker’s social distancing guidelines. The PTHS Band has been hard at work creating a virtual rendition of our school’s color song, Key Club has elected next year’s student officers, and students have come together alongside others within the community to help those in need during these trying times. While it may seem more than a little unorthodox, writing this month’s articles has been a blast for all of our members. However, that doesn’t mean there has been any shortage of hard work. I’d like to take a moment to thank all of our writing staff and contributors for all of the time and effort

Sincerely, Joseph Gilmor

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End of School Year M r . B o h m A n n o u n c e s

B y : J o s e p h G i l m o r

With the coronavirus spreading throughout the U.S., everyone around the world is doing their best by helping to stop the spread of the virus and aiding those in need. Livingston County has been helping those in the community by setting up multiple food drives, providing supplies through the health center, and providing local aid to small businesses that have been closed from the virus. Food drives have been held all over the city, including a weekly event through the Saint Vincent DePaul Food Pantry food drive-through service giving groceries to those in need. Baby Bulls Restaurant has also helped through a recent food drive giving a bag of groceries and a case of water to citizens that drove through their set up. Beyond food drives, the Livingston County Health Department is also helping people by providing medical supplies and common household amenities such as soap, diapers, etc. to those that call. Finally, for small business owners, Livingston County, as well as the rest of Illinois, is providing financial aid to help even profit loss through this time. With the coronavirus halting our normal lives in Livingston County; everyone around has been doing their best to aid each other in this time of need. On April 29th, PTHS students received an email from Mr. Bohm stating that May 14th would mark the end of the year for underclassmen, while seniors will be dismissed on May 1st. The news was received with great applause by underclassmen eager to get out six days early, and disappointment by those who thought that the school year would be over sooner, following a rumor spread several days before the announcement that all students would be dismissed on May 1st. As of the writing of this article, Mr. Bohm has not yet announced the school’s procedure for collecting textbooks, netbooks, and locker materials, though he has promised that the PTHS administration is working on a system that is both “efficient and safe.” While many details of the administration’s plan have yet to be revealed, they hope to ensure that things continue to flow smoothly as we wrap up the 2019-2020 school year Community Outreach in the Age of Coronavirus By Gabe Travis

Music Update

While everyone is stuck at home, it has been a difficult conformity for musicians around the world. Since in person ensembles are not an option right now, many groups have been participating in virtual band ensembles. The PTHS Band is no exception, during a Zoom meeting the directors announced that the band would be working on a virtual band assignment. This would mean that each musician would submit themselves playing their part. To boost some school spirit, the song chosen for the band was the “Color Song.” Even though the band cannot be together physically, they have found many ways to stay connected and continue growing as musicians. As of the writing of this article the final draft of the video has not been completed but it will be out soon enough. Though the experience will be different from anything else the band has done, it is a learning experience and something that all were happy to be a part of. By: Alyssa Rodriguez Virtual Band

Madrigal Update By: Gabe Travis

It is the time of the year again when the Chorus and Madrigal Director, Joseph Durbin, carefully selects the Madrigal group for the year following. Next year the group will consist of 24 of PTHS’ Chorus members. Every year the Madrigals are all given the opportunity to go together on a trip to Turkey Run State Park in Indiana to get a time to get to know each other as well as get a grasp on the music for the Madrigal show that will happen in December of this year. This trip helps all of the Chorus members get a proper chance to have fun while growing as musicians each year. Congratulations to all of the new Madrigals of 2020, and good luck with the 2020 Madrigal season.

By: Ava Nollen Key Club Update

As we all know, this time in our lives will be a memorable one. Amidst all the bad news, I have gathered quotes from some Key Club officers detailing their favorite memories and what they are doing to pass the time during this stay at home order. Grace Mund, Statistical Secretary: “My favorite part of Key Club this year has been doing fun service events like the Trick or Treat for Unicef, and serving at the National Honor Society banquet with some of my closest friends! To pass the time during quarantine I have been reading, doing schoolwork, and going outside.” Ali Barton, Lt. Governor: “My favorite part of Key Club this year was being awarded the Robert F. Lucas award from the Illinois Eastern Iowa Key Club District. During quarantine, I have enrolled in the Health Coach Program from Trinity School of Natural Health, and spent time with my family.” Emilie Collins, Officer at large: “My favorite part of Key Club this year was joining and being welcomed into what was essentially one big family. During quarantine I’ve been keeping busy by working, doing my schoolwork, and home renovation projects with my family.” Emma O’Lone, Co-editor: One of my favorite parts of Key Club this year was the officer elections because it was fun to expand our group of officers. In quarantine, all I’ve been doing is baking and watching Marvel movies with my family. Sydney Shepherd, Treasurer: “My favorite part this year was being able to grow with the officer team, and participate in things like the holiday tournament. During quarantine I have been passing time by looking at potential colleges.” Alec Kridner, District Secretary: “My favorite part of this year was to serve as the Illinois-Eastern Iowa District Secretary. This position showed me how much of an impact I could make at my age. During quarantine I have been expanding my coin collection, playing lots of video games, and fostering a stronger bond with my family.”

Upperclass Acts

Camryn Feddern

NAME: Camryn Feddern

FAVORITE AUTHOR/BOOK: The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

NICKNAMES: Cam, Cami

ROLE MODEL(S): Oprah Winfrey

MOST POSITIVE MOMENT: Coming back my first game after tearing my ACL.

ACTIVITIES @ PTHS: Basketball

PET PEEVES: Chewing loudly, using the wrong “your,” things out of place.

FONDEST MEMORY OF HIGH SCHOOL SO FAR: Junior prom

WHAT MY FRIENDS WILL REMEMBER ABOUT ME: I’m funny, always yelling “Hi”in the hallway, joking on the bench during basketball games. HOW WOULD YOU SPEND $1,000,000? Build a home for all the dogs I would buy at the shelter. IF YOU WERE STRANDED ON A DESERT ISLAND, WHAT 3 ITEMS WOULD YOU WANT WITH YOU? Dog, food, water

3 MAJOR AREAS OF INTEREST: Dogs, family, sports

PLANS AFTER HIGH SCHOOL: Attend Parkland College

FAVORITE MOVIE: Frozen 2

MOST INSPIRATIONAL SONG: “Stronger” by Kelly Clarkson

FAVORITE TEACHER: Mr. Nollen

LAST WORDS OF ADVICE: “Don’t worry about what others think of you, live YOUR life.”

Upperclass Acts

Andrew McCabe

NAME: Andrew McCabe

MOST POSITIVE MOMENT: Breaking bridges made out of CNC wood.

NICKNAMES: AJ

ROLE MODEL(S): Ryan Woith, Paul Ritter, and Patrick Stump

PET PEEVES: Squeaky shoes, chewing with mouth full, and the noise of crinkling styrofoam.

ACTIVITIES @ PTHS: Football (freshman year)

WHAT MY FRIENDS WILL REMEMBER ABOUT ME: Being funny and always there to talk. HOW WOULD YOU SPEND $1,000,000? First pay off student debt, pay off my car, give some back to my parents, give some to my grandparents, donate some for various charities, save some for my brother when he enters college, and save a little for myself in the bank. IF YOU WERE STRANDED ON A DESERT ISLAND, WHAT 3 ITEMS WOULD YOU WANT WITH YOU? A fishing net, a flashlight, and a box of matches. LAST WORDS OF ADVICE: “When you have a bad day, a really bad day, try and treat the world better than it treated you.” - Patrick Stump

FONDEST MEMORY OF HIGH SCHOOL SO FAR: The P2D2 Summit of 2019

3 MAJOR AREAS OF INTEREST: Mechanical Engineering, Music, and Science.

PLANS AFTER HIGH SCHOOL: I will be attending a tech school called Morrison Institute of Technology

FAVORITE MOVIE: Chronicle

MOST INSPIRATIONAL SONG: “Passing Through a Screen Door” by The Wonder Years

FAVORITE TEACHER/CLASS: Engineering/Architecture 2- Mr.Woith

FAVORITE AUTHOR/BOOK: Out of The Ashes by Tom Clancy

Upperclass Acts

Lauren Durham

NAME: Lauren Durham

NICKNAMES: My friends sometimes call me Laur or Laurain

MOST POSITIVE MOMENT: Either writing a piece of legislation or the Madrigal dinners.

ROLE MODEL(S): My grandparents and Mr. Ritter

PET PEEVES: People who don’t clean up after themselves and people who can’t stay off their phone for more than 10 minutes. WHAT MY FRIENDS WILL REMEMBER ABOUT ME: They’ll remember everything I did with the Operation Endangered Species program and “30 by 30.” HOW WOULD YOU SPEND $1,000,000? I would use some of it to pay for college and then I would probably save the rest. IF YOU WERE STRANDED ON A DESERT ISLAND, WHAT 3 ITEMS WOULD YOU WANT WITH YOU? A boat, a zip line, and scuba gear. LAST WORDS OF ADVICE: “Enjoy every last bit of high school that you can. For the class of 2020 the big moments we were looking forward to like senior prom and graduation were just ripped away from us and there was nothing we could do to stop that, so be sure to appreciate everything in the moment because you never know when it could be your last day.”

ACTIVITIES @ PTHS: I was in Science Club, Cheer, Color Guard, Madrigals, Jazz Choir, and theatre.

FONDEST MEMORY OF HIGH SCHOOL SO FAR: Hosting a summit at PTHS for Operation Endangered Species and “30 by 30.”

3 MAJOR AREAS OF INTEREST: Environmental Science, singing, being outside in nature.

PLANS AFTER HIGH SCHOOL: I plan to attend Illinois State University and study Environmental Sciences and Sustainability.

FAVORITE MOVIE: Miss Congeniality

MOST INSPIRATIONAL SONG: “The Defining Moment” by Pink Zebra Music

FAVORITE TEACHER/CLASS: Mr. Ritter/Environmental Earth Science

FAVORITE AUTHOR/BOOK: The entire Sisters Grimm series by Michael Buckley

Book Review

By Jasmine White

Black Clover: Volume 1 By Yuki Tabata

This month’s review is about a manga called Black Clover by Yuki Tabata that is volume one in the ongoing series. The series also appears as an animation. This adventurous series involves magic with a great story and illustrations. The plot shows a great understanding of the two main characters and the background details of the manga world. In the illustrations, there are tons of details for characters such as “Asta” and “Yunoand,” as well as others in the background. Another way to see how the illustrations are great is looking at the multiple battle illustrations. To wrap up the review, this is a great manga to read, especially during these times. It will keep you busy and I rate it a 5 out of 5

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

Student Poetry

“Quarantine” By Callie Dalton

Carson Gregory Marley Noles Ava Nollen Alyssa Rodriguez Lauren Smith Gabe Travis Jasmine White

Is it Wednesday? I’m not sure.

The Netflix and albums can barely deter

My boredom.

Thoughts of friends bounce around

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

My bedroom walls

They fall to the ground

A record scratch, a DVD skip

A stumble in time.

Missing deadlines?

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

We took it for granted

Going outside, living our lives.

Six feet under, lies

My social life.