Top of the Morning, March 12, 2025
Mar. 12—On Wednesdays, we'll introduce the students who make up Year 9 of High School Confidential, powered by Danville Area Community College. Today: Iroquois West's Traeh Kissack.
Traeh is following the journalistic lead of her "lifelong role models," siblings Taya and Tristen.
Taya was our High School Confidential reporter for Cissna Park in 2018-19, and Tristen studied journalism at the University of Illinois. "My brother and sister are my two best friends," Traeh said.
A junior from tiny Crescent CIty — part of a five-student eighth-grade graduation class — Traeh has time before making a college decision. In addition to her role with us, she's involved in cheerleader, FCCLA, student council, Math Team, Scholastic Bowl and Rifle Club. "I would say I'm a pretty good shot," she said. Rifle Club has been around 53 years at Iroquois West, open to all students. "We shoot air rifles from 10 meters away in three different positions: kneeling, prone and standing," said Traeh, who finished second at this year's Raider Classic.
She's a straight-shooter when it comes to High School Confidential, too.
"My favorite part is the fact that I've gotten to highlight and give recognition to organizations that can often be overlooked or simply not known about," she said. "Being involved has been my favorite part of high school thus far, so being able to give back in this way has truly been so gratifying."
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12-03-2025
- Yahoo
Top of the Morning, March 12, 2025
Mar. 12—On Wednesdays, we'll introduce the students who make up Year 9 of High School Confidential, powered by Danville Area Community College. Today: Iroquois West's Traeh Kissack. Traeh is following the journalistic lead of her "lifelong role models," siblings Taya and Tristen. Taya was our High School Confidential reporter for Cissna Park in 2018-19, and Tristen studied journalism at the University of Illinois. "My brother and sister are my two best friends," Traeh said. A junior from tiny Crescent CIty — part of a five-student eighth-grade graduation class — Traeh has time before making a college decision. In addition to her role with us, she's involved in cheerleader, FCCLA, student council, Math Team, Scholastic Bowl and Rifle Club. "I would say I'm a pretty good shot," she said. Rifle Club has been around 53 years at Iroquois West, open to all students. "We shoot air rifles from 10 meters away in three different positions: kneeling, prone and standing," said Traeh, who finished second at this year's Raider Classic. She's a straight-shooter when it comes to High School Confidential, too. "My favorite part is the fact that I've gotten to highlight and give recognition to organizations that can often be overlooked or simply not known about," she said. "Being involved has been my favorite part of high school thus far, so being able to give back in this way has truly been so gratifying."
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Yahoo
2024-25 High School Confidential: Week 18
Feb. 20—Welcome to Year 9 of High School Confidential, powered by Danville Area Community College. It's an award-winning project made possible by aspiring student journalists from every corner of our circulation area. Each Thursday through April, they'll tell us what's happening in their hallways at . At least once a week, we'll also hand over our Snapchat account (News-Gazette) to our correspondents for behind-the-scenes tours. Feedback? Email N-G/VP Jim Rossow at . On to this week's report ... Three students were recognized for their achievements in the 21st CLASS National Essay Contest: Brady Tseng, Esti Ellis and Shivani Anand. The competition highlights written Chinese proficiency, creativity and overall understanding of the language from students across the United States. Also, this week's global-studies class learned how to debate and think like a country. They focused on the European Union and addressed larger issues and how their assigned country would be impacted by it. Pictured: Hannah Walker and Hayden Jenks. At this year's Winter Follies, the atmosphere was electric as students and staff filled the gym, eager to see the talent their peers had been preparing for weeks. From singers and actors to dancers and lip-syncers, the stage was alive with diverse performances. With 10 acts in total, the competition was fierce, but in the end, it was a group of junior performers, The TrebleMakers, who took home the title as champions. Pictured: Cruz Hale, Peyton Warrior, Kamden Morfey, Easton Frederick, August Burton, Trey Strode and Cash Hale. Argenta-Oreana hosted a sixth-grade volleyball tournament on Saturday, the sixth-grade team taking home the first-place trophy after winning in three sets against Warrensburg in the championship match. The team, coached by Christina Field, worked very well together. On Friday, the high school hosted its annual blood drive. The event was run by student council and had one of the largest turnout of donors in years. A total of 15 students donated, as did five staff members and two more people from the community. Students were encouraged to wear red for Valentine's Day, the blood drive and the final day of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America Week, whose club colors are red and white. Pictured: sophomore Claire Loftus and junior Ariel Ponce. Ponce said she passed out but was glad she donated anyway, "because I knew that by doing it, I'd be helping someone else who needs it," she said. "Not only that, but it would help us reach our goal to hopefully give a senior a scholarship." On Feb. 4, students received the opportunity to participate in the Academic Challenge and won first place at regionals in the Under 700 Division. The students on the team included Kaemyn Brown, Leo Vera, Riker Huffman, Lukas Cothran, Michael Wease, Emma Pasquale, Ella Tutwiler and Addisen Hensold. The students were hand-picked by teachers because of their academic performances. Brown received first in chemistry, and Cothran won third place in physics. Both students also tied for second in mathematics. Vera got first place in both computer science and engineering graphics. Huffman received second in engineering and third place in computer science. Wease won third place in chemistry and also tested in biology. Pasquale got first place in physics and also tested in chemistry. Tutwiller tested in chemistry and English, while Hensold tested in biology and English. Student council members (pictured: Joey Cole and Ellie Schlieper) played Cupid. Students had the chance to buy a "Crush for their crush," and they were delivered Feb. 12 by student council. Girls' basketball celebrated Senior Night on Feb. 10, the Broncos putting up a good fight in a loss to Argenta-Oreana. To honor seniors Bailey Walter and Gabby Block, the team decorated hallways, the gym and the locker room with posters, streamers and balloons, making it a special night for them to remember. For Valentine's Day, members of Drama Club gathered for their annual cookie-decorating party. Organized by Head of Socials Brady Hong, the event was enjoyed by many students, each decorating sugar cookies with icing, M&Ms and sprinkles. FFA chapter members competed in the Illinois Section 18 FFA Proficiency Award Interviews. First-place finishers advanced to the District 4 competition in March and included: Autumn Ellis (goat production), Gage Tingley (landscape installation), Lyndsi Smith (outdoor recreation), Dylan Lucas (poultry production), Remi Laughead (small-animal production), Morgan Simpson (specialty animal), Seth Ellis (specialty-crop production) and Hayden Spesard (swine production). Statler Mitchell placed second in turfgrass managemen. Members are also gearing up for FFA Week activities that were rescheduled due to the cold. Pork Burger Lunch will be on Monday, and Barnyard Day will be open to the public from 3 to 5 p.m. Tuesday at the Chrisman HS Ag Shop. Pictured: Spesard, Autumn Ellis and Laughead. The boys' and girls' basketball teams celebrated Senior Nights against Watseka. The girls celebrated Autumn Reutter and Julia Edelman's final night on the court by decorating the gym and recognizing both players for their accomplishments throughout high school. On the boys' side, Colson Carley, who passed away last fall, was honored. Cissna Park and Watseka players wore special warmups in honor of Colson. Show Choir showed out during its first competition of the season. They won Grand Champions in their division, with seniors Gavin Baugh and Andrea Downing winning awards of their own for soloist performance. The performances were amazing, and it brought a great kickstart to their season. Photos courtesy Brooklyn Warfield and Kendall Rannebarger. Isabel Dunsmore's high school art classes made props and backgrounds for the school's upcoming rendition of "The Little Mermaid." They've been using cardboard and paper mache to make sea creatures, boats and more deep-sea-themed props. Pictured: Dominick Keith. The Academic Challenge Team traveled to Heritage High to compete at regionals last Thursday, taking first place overall with many individuals placing. The Academic Challenge Team competed at Danville Area Community College — finishing in second place — and also advanced to sectionals at Eastern Illinois University. Individually, several students placed, including: Silas Shirley (third place in computer science), Jackson Forrest (first in computer science), Cale Cavanaugh (first in engineering graphics) and Spencer Ray (first in English). Pictured, left to right: Caleb Holycross, Owen Clark, Cale Cavanaugh, Liz Walls, Jackson Forest, Ruby Fraser-Soule, Spencer Ray, Julia Copier, Autumn Warner, Kayne Morgan, Silas Shirley, Malorie Feggett and Maddy Digby. Girls' basketball celebrated Senior Night against Prairie Central with a win. Seniors announced before the game included Lizzie Giroux, Anna Warren, Sophia Ray, Addison Kerchenfaut and Mallory Rosendahl. On Thursday, the Falcons beat Tri-Valley to win the HOIC traveling trophy. The boys' basketball team also had Senior Night against Tri-Valley with 10 players who stuck with it all four years: Matt Allen, Paul Baillie, Carter Eichelberger, Brayden Elliot, Spencer Kleist, Hunter Martin, Shaun Hyatt, Austin Kasper, Gaines Parsons and Ryker Grauer. In wrestling, five advanced to state: Avery Schlickman, Landen Lage, Nolan Lowe, Hunter Brandon and Hudson Babb. The school's SAR and DAR recipients — Loran Tate and Brennan Struck — were recognized at a luncheon at the Champaign Country Club. Tate also won a scholarship. Standout basketball players and seniors (left to right) Brylie Cox, Claire Dixon and Maddie Barnes were honored Feb. 10 on Senior Night. The team, along with the seniors who have played all four years, took down the Georgetown-Ridge Farm Buffaloes, 56-30. Barnes said: "It was emotional, last time on your home court is a time you won't forget. I'm glad the last time on our home court was a win." On Friday, boys' basketball seniors Dylan Judy, Trenton Montez, Jaquan Lewis and Zachary Ballard were honored. They dressed the part as well by participating in the "Hawaiian Night" theme, also beating G-RF. Judy said: "It felt crazy knowing that was our last regular-season home game." Photos courtesy Ginger Gonzalez. FFA sent five members to participate in state degree interviews last week. Congratulations to Chloe Wagner, Ben Schleef, Garret Tammen, Owen Pree and Beau Howe for advancing to the next level of getting their degree. Last Thursday, on Flanagan's Senior Night, junior Sam Edmundson scored his 1,000th career varsity point. Edmundson is a three-year varsity player and has been team captain the past two years. He is a key player for the Panthers. His ability to score from anywhere on the court is one of many highlights Edmundson brings to the team. Later in the same game, Flanagan junior Logan Ruddy also scored his 1,000th career point — quite the night for both players. Ultimately, LeRoy won 56-50. For the first time under coach Clint Liefer, the eighth-grade boys' basketball team advanced to state. It marked the school's first trip to state since 2011, when current assistant coach Wade Fox and Co. went back to back as both seventh- and eighth-graders. "Those happened to also be my first two years of teaching and coaching as an assistant under Sid Allen and Bob Lueke," Liefer said. "It seemed like this was just a way of life, every season would end up in a trip to state, but I quickly learned better." Milford beat Normal Metcalf in the sectional finals. "The hoopla around advancing to state has been palpable. You can feel the excitement as you walk down the hallways of MGS." Pictured (left to right, back to front): coach Clint Liefer, Evan Havens, Liam Nimz, Brayden Reed, Jackson Lavicka, Coby Brown, Maddox Muehling, Sam Mann, Ryder Lucht, coach Dexter Cheever, Yi Brittenham, Hagen Hoaks, Bentley Walwer, Joey Bushnell and Isaak Cabralas. Spanish Club, Rotary Interact Club and FACS Club worked to spread the love in honor of Valentine's Day. Members of Spanish Club and Rotary Interact Club joined forces. They wrote and hand-colored cards for veterans. FACS Club created Valentine's Day cards as well, which they delivered to Piatt County Nursing Home residents. Members of all three clubs worked hard to celebrate and give back to the community in a positive way. Pictured (courtesy Rory Cooper and Annie Robinson): Lilly Bradley, Audrey Shore, Suzie Nichols and Olivia Nichols. The Student of the Month for February was Caden Logan, a standout senior athlete and honor-roll student. Recognized for his hard work and dedication, he will attend this month's Chamber of Commerce meeting as well as receive a Student of the Month parking spot. On Saturday, student council sponsored a Daddy Daughter Dance for grade-school students for the first time in 10 years. Teegan and John Pierce, Hadley and Kent Ray, Haizlynn and Phillip Church and around 100 more families attended the dance. Scholastic Bowl competed in its conference tournament on Saturday. They prepared for this by having a warmup competition a few days before the big day, going 3-0. Left to right: Grace Hughes, Rolen Edison, Elizabeth Megson, Jerilyn Dunlavey and Samantha Hewerdine. Senior Night for girls' basketball and pep band was celebrated last Thursday — with boys' basketball Senior Night on tap. The dance team competed at IDTA state in Springfield on Saturday, taking home first place for both their jazz and lyrical routines. In addition, senior soloists Reese Wheatley and Olivia Getty advanced to the final round and earned third and fifth place. SJ-O was recognized as the Grand Champion (1A division) for the first time in school history. Pictured: (front) Hadley McDonald, Olivia Getty, Wheatley, Gracyn Sjoken and Abby Getty; and (back) coach Alyssa Hudson, Lilyah Jones, Lilly Sollars, Ava Gallo, Abigail Bello, Alivia Learned and coach Kaitlyn Hess. Love was in the air last week as student council sponsored and sold Valentine's Day grams in the days leading up to Friday. Members sold them during lunch and then put together the grams during RTI. On Friday, the four senior officers — Alexa Jamison, Callaway Cox, Brenna Boyd and Ava Ridge — went around the school with junior Kade Smith, who was dressed up as Cupid, and delivered them to students. Student council also made a video to get everyone in the Valentine's Day spirit. Homecoming — known at Shiloh as Winterfest — was hosted by student council from Feb. 10-15. The organization is in charge of games, decorations, dance committees, plywood competitions, hallways and raising money throughout the week. This year's theme was "Under the Sea," which included dress-up days such as "Coral Reef" (neon), "Rhyme Without Reason" and "Generation Day." All classes in the high school participated, and a walk-in and dance was held Saturday. The senior court: (Queen) Lily Brown, Lily North and Shaylun Christenberry; and (King) Garrett Pollock, Grant North and Andy Houlihan. Adviser of the student council Dorene Boland has become a veteran in making the week run smoothly. Pictured (via Taylor Williams), left to right: senior Hunter Thompson; sophomores Payton Scott, Wyatt Ash, Joe Hendricks, Ryder Johnson and Chloe Thompson; sixth-graders Gwen Garwood; and sophomores Ahylssa Garwood, Tayler Hepburn, Keisha Budd, Kennedy Richardson and Zoey Shreeves. National Elementary Honor Society members put up hearts on the lockers of students and rooms of teachers last week for Valentine's Day. Members were randomly assigned around six different lockers and/or classrooms, and they wrote the individual's name on their locker and room. A group of students from Uni's Sprabitat (Spring + Habitat) Club drove to Clarksdale, Miss., to help build for the Fuller Center for Housing. The group of 22 students and five teachers worked on a foundation, shed, roof and more and volunteered at different organizations to support local kids. The group also visited museums and saw the sights in Clarksdale and Memphis, Tenn. Pictured: Amelie Dall'erba, Marina Bowers-Wong, Andy Wilson, Cate Feinen and Lena Miller on a roof; Cali Cooper and Sarisa Chansilp working on the shed; and Henry Wang with his power saw. The dance team continued its tradition of excellence, securing a third-place finish at state last weekend. The Rockets competed in 2A Hip Hop in the Illinois Drill Team Association (IDTA) and Class 1A in IHSA Dance. Their routine this year, themed "Time," was brought to life through dynamic stunts, movement and music selection. The Rockets had an outstanding season in IDTA, winning first place at every regional competition they attended. Their impressive performances earned them a spot at state during their second competition of the season in Charleston. The team is composed of eight dancers: (left to right) Taylor Daly, Ella Darnall, Genevieve Latham, Faith Lampe, Kathryn Knoll, Madison Spohn, Vanna Schriefer and Olivia Egelston, along with coaches Madeline Mancuso and Briget Toney. It's Mancuso's fifth season as head coach, during which she has led the team to an IDTA State Championship title and two IHSA State Series appearances. Getting into the spirit of love with a fundraiser for Valentine's Day: Senior Tony-Han Fisher sold chocolate-covered strawberries for her youth group; the Royal Diamonds Step and Dance team sold candy; and the Rosemary yearbook staff, including Muleiya Prum and Trinity Dickens (pictured), sold Strawberry Crush cans. Senior night for girls' basketball was last Tuesday and boys' basketball last Wednesday. On Friday, the school gathered in the gym to celebrate the dance teams going to state. The junior high and high school teams performed, as well as a special dance performance from the boys. Continuing a Valentine's Day tradition, the junior varsity boys' basketball team made valentines with kids at the Watseka Public Library. The Classes of 2027 and 2028 hosted the Snowball Dance of 2025. The money from the dance went to support our local food pantries. Games, DJ Sollars, snacks and beverages made the night a huge success.
Yahoo
12-12-2024
- Yahoo
2024-25 High School Confidential: Week 11
Dec. 12—Welcome to Year 9 of High School Confidential, powered by Danville Area Community College. It's an award-winning project made possible by aspiring student journalists from every corner of our circulation area. Each Thursday through April, they'll tell us what's happening in their hallways at . At least once a week, we'll also hand over our Snapchat account (News-Gazette) to our correspondents for behind-the-scenes tours. Feedback? Email N-G/VP Jim Rossow at . On to this week's report ... Eight new student council members have been elected who will work to plan upcoming dances and themed spirit weeks. The newly elected candidates are excited to help with these tasks around the school. Also, the Academy High rock band performed at the Canopy Club on Saturday. Students participating had been working since August to put together a setlist and perform it for an audience. Local singer J'Lyn opened up the band and was incredible to watch. Pictured, left to right: Tyler Ingerson, Max Milling, Bre Patten, Evie Price and Mandy Dong. Each month, teachers select students who demonstrate improvement, active participation, strong organization and a consistent effort in the classroom for the Rotary Student of the Month award. The National Honor Society hosts a breakfast to honor all those nominated. Jada Bontreger was named November Student of the Month. The boys' basketball team went 2-2 at the annual Cerro Gordo Turkey Tournament. On Friday, Armstrong honored Bill Mulvaney, a former teacher, coach and administrator, at a home basketball game. The new court in the Armstrong gym was named "Bill Mulvaney Court." Countless former students and athletes came to support him on his court dedication night. Photo courtesy Candy Franzen. Bement's Gay-Straight Alliance club held its annual Christmas party last Wednesday. Students met at lunch and celebrated with a white elephant gift exchange. Pictured: club President Paige Fair and club sponsor Melissa Applebee. Student council advisers Kami Russel and Jennifer Guminski worked with student council officers Emma Pasquale, David White, Ava Acton, Draycee Nelson, Kaemyn Brown and Macey Gernand to plan a day for members to get together. During the event, students participated in various activities and games, allowing them to interact with each other in a club bonding experience. All grades got to decorate the hallways and teachers' doors with a chosen Christmas theme. Freshmen decorated the north hallway on the second floor with a theme of "Santa's Workshop"; sophomores decorated the ag hallway with a theme of "Reindeers"; juniors decorated the other half of the north hallway on the second floor with a theme of "Gingerbread Houses"; and seniors decorated the senior hallway with a theme of "The Grinch." The swim and dive team spread cheer in the C-U Parade of Lights in Champaign. Also, Centennial artists learned the Raku style of firing pottery. This is a Japanese method that uses all elements to make beautiful pieces. AP physics students have been designing, constructing and workshopping unique trebuchets to demonstrate for their class. The project has been assigned by teacher Darren Plattner for the past 25 years. The previous record, a launch of 487 feet, was set in 2011. This year, however, students Henry Gengler, Aidan Warner and Evan Troyer blew that record out of the water with a launch of 710 feet. The catapult had to be tested on fields near Parkland due to its anticipated distance, and the estimated initial speed of the projectile was about 105 mph. Left to right: Troyer, Warner and Gengler. STEM Club's STEM fair on Dec. 5 was put on at Chrisman Elementary School for the younger students to explore areas of science, technology and more. High school students began preparing for the event weeks in advance by gathering materials, creating posters and practicing presentations. Demonstrations included bow and arrows, homemade lava lamps, a balloon race, electric potatoes, slime and various anatomy demonstrations. One notable project was a dairy goat circuit board created by freshman Autumn Ellis. This board uses test leads, wires and lights to illuminate parts of a dairy goat. She originally created the project for 4-H to learn the parts of a dairy goat. Biological sciences teacher Jennifer Lorton is the STEM Club sponsor who coordinated the event. Physical sciences teacher Joe Sushinski also chaperoned the event, spreading his knowledge to elementary and high school students. To end a two-day week before Thanksgiving break, high schoolers enjoyed a smaller version of the Thanksgiving Day parade. At the end of the day, kindergarteners and first-graders paraded around school with their small-scale parade inflatables made out of balloons. The high schoolers cheered them on as they made their way down the hallway and even made a little bridge for them to walk under creating a special moment for all. Also, the FFA chapter officer team had its first Christmas party in some time. The officers had a good time bonding together, did a Secret Santa, ate good food and played games as part of a new tradition they hope to continue for years to come. Pictured: Trent Schmid, Isaac Phelan, Sawyer Kaeb and Jonas Heaton; Laura Eisenmann, Macy Sinn, Josie Neukomm and Sophie Duis; and Sarah Chatterton, Autumn Reutter and Hannah Kollmann. With spirits high and praises higher, the Youth United Making A Difference (YUMAD) gospel choir performed their first concert of the year, including solos from Victor Jones, Wisdom Lipscomb, Alissa Ross and Mykale Gray. The performance provided energetic songs along with smooth and slow songs to show the audience their range. Photos courtesy Rakai Garth and Mykale Gray. At Friday's annual senior citizen Christmas lunch in the high school gym, food was prepared by Tiffany Dirksmeyer's foods class and was served by the student council. The music department performed Christmas carols for the seniors while they ate. The high school gymnasium hosted both the junior high and high school choir and band concerts on Sunday. These winter concerts were a great chance for the community to get together and recognize the hard work of the students as well as directors Abby Freymuth (band) and Robin King (choir). Choir, FFA and National Honor Society had the honor of helping out at the school's annual senior citizen luncheon. The chorus sang as FFA and NHS students passed out drinks and food. Pictured: Mackenzie Williams and Erin Meeker; Jase Latoz; and the choir. Wrestling's first meet also served as GCMS-Fisher's annual alumni night as over 20 previous members of the team were announced one by one. On Fridays, music is played in between third and fourth period. Students and teachers are able to request songs to be played, and last weeks was "Frosty the Snowman." To get into the Christmas spirit, football coach and history teacher Chad Augspurger and biology teacher Mark Ward dressed up as the Gingerbread Man and Frosty. They walked around the halls giving out mints to everyone who passed to spread cheer in their epic gear. The girls' wrestling team got off to an amazing start as Justice Milligan and Avery Schlickman finished first and second, respectively, in their weight class at the Normal Community Girls Invite. The boys' basketball team hosted its Turkey Tournament, starting 3-0 before falling to Lexington in the championship game. GCMS alum Aidan Laughery scored three touchdowns and rushed for 172 yards in the Illini's win against Northwestern, receiving a game ball from coach Bret Bielema. Students brought their holiday spirit to life with a festive production, "Christmas Shorts." The play featured a series of heartwarming and humorous Christmas-themed scenes, showing off the talented cast's creativity. From playful moments to touching messages of goodwill, the performance was a perfect start to the season. FFA members went to the FFA BUILD Conference at Illinois State University. There were six sessions, each with a different theme. There was a college fair where members could talk to representatives about agriculture opportunities. When they were not in session, members had time to get to know other students on their teams. Taylor Page, a Hoopeston FFA member, was on Team 17 (pictured) which was led by her friend and Section 14 President Kristy Morrow. Taylor's favorite part was "all of the new people that I met." Pictured: Illinois Association FFA state secretary Owen Torrance (left) with Hoopeston members (left to right) Orion Gonzales, Julie Miguel, Page, Addison Lewis and Mollie Anderson. Student council came back from Thanksgiving break in all the spirit. Monday kicked off its "12 Days of Holiday Spirit" dress-up days, continuing until the last day of school before finals. Student participation is tallied, leading to an overall class winner. The boys' basketball team hosted its first two home games last week, playing with determination and energy. The Tribe was supported by an enthusiastic crowd and the largest cheer team the school has had in years —14 cheerleaders. Photos courtesy Jackson Dalbey. At the school's 61st Madrigal dinners, there were 22 singers, nine carolers, five brass players, five recorders and many junior high servers. The Madrigal show is run by Bridgette Wells with Cathy Dunafin as music director for the first year. She summed up her first year in three words: "Joyful, educational and harmonious." Each year, the dinners have a theme that is based off of a Christmas movie. This year, the theme was "Christmas Vacation." The dinners took place in the high school cafeteria, which was transformed into the Leroyshire Castle. Parent volunteers put up over 30 Christmas trees and over 50 nutcrackers. On Dec. 1, Milford FFA participated in the ninth annual Christmas parade. The theme was "A Veterans Christmas," so FFA members decorated their float in USA colors with a light-up quote, "Living To Serve." The FFA members who participated in the float: (left side, front to back) Jacob Weakley, Stephanie Sterrenberg, Cohen Cheever, Landon Smalley, Mallory Hudson, Jack Van Hoveln, Jason Moore and Isaac Schaumburg; (righ side, front to back), Ciara Mann, Molly Coffey, Abbi Beckman, Sydney Seyfert, Dylan Potter, Gage Mann, Noah Brittenham, Hannah Potter and Ryleigh Rieches. Student council hosted a blood drive with many students, teachers and community members taking the time to donate. The drive was run by senior Aliyah Ellison, who will receive a scholarship for her efforts. The drive was able to successfully collect 48 units of blood, which could save approximately 144 people. Pictured via Pearl Glaze are students Tatum Wichus, Lillian Bradley, Bailee Wierman and teacher Andrew Webb. Student council decorated the hallways for Christmas. Students came after school to help put up lights, streamers and Christmas trees. This year, students are having a competition to see which class has the best decorated tree. Judging was Monday, with winners getting an hourlong lunch. Last Wednesday, student council hosted its annual senior citizen dinner at the high school. Sixty senior citizens attended free of cost and enjoyed a meal, dessert and a door prize. This event was rewarding for both the students and the senior citizens, who got to hang out with one another for lunch. Student council member Emma Koontz went around and poured refills for the guests. Art III students have been working hard this school year — and their efforts have shown. Their artwork will be on display from Dec. 14 to Jan. 12 in the Area High School Small Works Art Show located at the Link Gallery in Champaign. Pictured: Keegan Medlock and Lauren Sawyer. A busy week with three basketball games also saw the pep band having its first performance last Thursday. At Saturday night's village Christmas parade, the Marching Eagles performed. Students in Environmental Club, such as Madi Kelley, Sydney Steinbach and Claire Hartman (pictured left to right), took a trip to Homer Lake in Homer for a Thanksgiving lunch. They called this event their "Leave No Trace Friendsgiving" because they helped clean up the park by picking up trash. Along with their lunch and garbage collection, they walked some of the trails together. This club hopes to make this an annual event. At last weekend's 19th annual Madrigals performance, guests were served a full meal with wassail or hot cider. With a full house, students did a great job singing beautiful songs and cracking jokes on stage. Catlin celebrated the beginning of the Christmas season by decorating trees in the community. Pictured: Salt Fork FFA's decorated tree with Matti Huchel, and FFA director Stacey Rickard. Three Toppettes had the honor of dancing in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City: senior Evy Kelsey, sophomore Reagan Troglia and freshman Harper O'Brien. The girls explored the city throughout the week before performing on Thursday in what was an amazing experience. Students were given academic letters and pins for their excellence in coursework. In order to receive an academic letter, students had to maintain a 3.5 grade-point average for three consecutive semesters (six semesters for a pin). Guidance counselor Megan Evans handed out awards on Dec. 4. Pictured, left to right: (front) Riley Lamar, Maggie Milburn, Brooke Tharp, Kylnn Powell, Shaylun Christenberry, Kennedy Brown, Lily North and Bradyn McIntrye; (back row) Hennessey White, Kayli Trotter, Anjalei McCollum, Taran Borntreger, Carter Lindsey, Andy Houlihan, Charlie North, Jack Houlihan, Lydia Richardson, Landon Gerberding and Grant North. One Book One Sullivan (OBOS) revealed its chosen book to the community. The group eventually will have a communitywide discussion for the book "The Lost Year" by Katherine Marsh. The book's author is also expected to visit the high school as a guest speaker. OBOS is led by Rikki Ray and Rebecca Powell, with high school senior Isabel Donovan as co-leader. Student council has been putting in work this year. One of the activities: helping with concessions for almost every home sports event, including football, volleyball and basketball. Many members take time out of their night to ensure the concession stand is up and running for sporting events. The most recent event was collecting donations for Toys For Tots. Boxes for each class were placed in the front foyer of the school. As an incentive to donate, the class with the most toys was promised a pizza party. Titus Hornaday and Emma Spillman brought in tons of toys, leading the sophomore class to a win. Student council officers also donated, including Ava Whitson, Kalen Shinn, Kayleigh Bales, Claire Leonard and Bella Taylor. On Friday, the Muslim Students Association (MSA) hosted a food sale as a fundraiser for the Palestine Children's Relief Fund. They sold homemade butter chicken, samosas, biryani, knafeh, mango lassi and more. Pictured, left to right: students Hannah Elshennawi and Simrah Khan. A total of 94 students who earned straight A's during the first quarter were honored with a pizza party and a movie. Their hard work in the first quarter definitely paid off. Also, the FFA chapter participated in the parliamentary procedure competition at Parkland College. Leah Watson earned second place as JV chairperson, while Cole Zorns secured fifth place as a JV floor member. The varsity team placed fourth overall. The competition provided FFA members with valuable insights into the rules, ethics and procedures essential for conducting organized and effective meetings. Joining together to support school district families, student, police and community volunteers helped distribute Thanksgiving meals to 300 families — a warm start on Urbana's part to the season of giving. Students in anatomy and physiology explored the movement of muscles, joints and bones in an activity called "Project Movement." Students created videos that analyzed dances to show types of movements that are used. Pictured (via Linda Werts): students Kurt Zimmerman, Lukas Shadwick and Cooper Clark dancing to "Single Ladies" by Beyonce. Art Club started getting in the Christmas spirit despite the Thanksgiving holiday. The group decorated an "Elf"-themed Christmas tree at the Watseka Old Courthouse Museum for Christmas Tree Lane. People can visit and vote for their favorite movie-themed tree during museum hours through Christmas Eve. Chorus had its run-through for the winter concert Sunday, a wonderful way to get in the holiday spirit. Also, Leo's Club showed up for the fourth annual Lion's Club Whobilation! breakfast, which featured crafts,letters to Santa and holiday games.
