Huntley High School’s book club has ended for the year. The following video summarizes what the book club accomplished during the 2011/2012 school year.

via YouTube by huntleyvoice

 

 

80 students have been selected as Link Crew leaders for the 2012-2013 school year (B. Urban).

Link Crew, a group dedicated to helping incoming freshman smoothly transition into high school, has accepted 80 more sophomores and juniors for next school year.

The list of Link Crew acceptances was posted outside Student Services. The note above the list thanked all of those who applied and said evaluators “looked at former attendance, former discipline incidents, the applications, and thoroughly examined the teacher recommendations.”

Of the 80 that were made leaders, there were 28 boys and 52 girls. The 30 percent difference between sexes is nothing new. Generally more girls have become leaders in the past.

The “May Development Day,” the first introduction to Link Crew, will be on Friday, May 18. Students will be absent first through fourth hour. Students should meet at Door 1 (between the Dean’s and Principal’s office) at 7:25. This is a mandatory meeting.

The 2013 Link Crew members include Nico Colombo, Joe Cristo, Nick Cusumano, Nolan Dickte, Brandon Dranka, Matt Frederick, Michael Geheren, Brian Goldfarb, Edgar Gonzalez, Zach Gorney, Tommy Helm, Tommy Kiriakopoulos, Matthew Kitsis, Alexander Krum, Marek Makowski, Brandon Memmini, Jeffrey Nichols, Tony Nigro, Daryon Shariati, Justin Skinner, Connor Smith, Alex Stevens, Matt Sullivan, Jason Trovela, Ryan Tharp, Tyler Vasconez, Nick Waite, Nick Zielinski, Venecia Alvarez, Onyeka Anikamadu, Bianca Cabrera, Taylor Carter, Angelica Cataldo, Ali Cazel, Amanda Cazel, Kennedy Cichy, Sarah Coplin, Aminah Darabu, Yazmin Dominguez, Zoe Dowell, Tina Driscoll, Abby Eiermann, Brianna Eiermann, Carly Ferris, Tamara Funke, Julia Garcia, Haleigh Greer, Jenna Hermansen, Maura Jones, Courtney Kampert, Victoria Kazmierczak, Moira Kennedy, Alex Kristen, Kristen Kostecki, Mishae LaGrandeur, Savannah Lincoln, Emily Litwin, Brittany Mathis, Esha Munshi, Sophie Murk, Abigail Nordeen, Colleen O’Grady, Caitlin Ong, Kayla Lynn Oshinski, Madeline Palka, Marlee Palka, Beth Parks, Allyson Pater, Jenny Perrone, Emma Plansky, Kora Diane Rea, Rachel Recchia, Sai Sivakumar, Keili Swanson, Nicole Taylor, Katherine Till, Rachel Watts, Delaney Werner, Emily Westermeyer, Jamie Yi, Jackie Zaprzalka, and Bethany Zornow.

"Dark Shadows" may have good acting, but the movie fails to impress overall.

Gothic décor, Johnny Depp, death, and Helena Bonham Carter. These are all aspects of a typical Tim Burton movie and they are all included in “Dark Shadows,” which is based off of the gothic horror soap opera from the late 1960s and early 1970s.

It all starts in the little town of Collinsport in the late 1700s where we meet Barnabas Collins (Johnny Depp).  Johnny Depp yet again agrees to play a creepy part in a Tim Burton movie that requires him to wear a lot of makeup.

Barnabas and his family build a home that reflects Burton’s style magnificently. It has tall skinny Gothic windows, castle design, intricate sculptures and designs on the walls, and most importantly, hardly any light. Almost every one of Burton’s movies is dark with dull colors and lamps that give off as much light as a candle.

Barnabas has an affair with one of his maids named Angelique (Eva Green), but falls in love with another woman. Angelique, who turns out to be a witch, becomes so jealous that she curses Barnabas to be a vampire and makes his true love jump off a cliff. Angelique locks Barnabas in a coffin in the ground for 196 years.

In the 1970s, Barnabas is accidently woken up by construction workers whom he proceeds to slaughter.  Barnabas is thrown into a completely different world and he does not know what anything is. He finds his way back to his old house, which has not changed at all. There he meets Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Michelle Pfeiffer), David Collins (Gulliver McGrath), Carolyn Stoddard (Chloë Grace Moretz), Dr. Julia Hoffman (Helena Bonham Carter), Roger Collins (Jonny Lee Miller), and Victoria Winters (Bella Heathcote).

Roger Collins is the terrible father of David Collins and the brother of Elizabeth Collins Stoddard. Carolyn Stoddard is the hilarious, rebellious teenage daughter of Elizabeth Collins Stoddard. Dr. Julia Hoffman is the youth obsessed live-in psychologist. Victoria Winters is the governess with a mysterious past who has come to take care of David Collins.

Barnabas immediately falls in love with Victoria Winters, but Angelique still loves Barnabas. She continually tells Barnabas that she will destroy him if he won’t love her back. Barnabas continues to refuse her without major consequences. When Angelique discovers his love for Victoria, she becomes viciously angry.

The final epic battle takes place at the Collins estate between Angelique and Barnabas. The battle leaves you with the death of Angelique who shatters like a porcelain doll and the discovery that the obnoxious teenage daughter, Carolyn Stoddard, is a werewolf.

After defeating the enemy, Victoria tells Barnabas that they can’t be together because she lives in the light and he lives in the shadows. She will grow old and he will never die. The typical Twilight forbidden love between a human and vampire.

Victoria jumps off a cliff saying it is the only way and Barnabas jumps after her. Mid-air he bites her neck and turns her into a vampire just before they smack into the sharp rocks below saving her life.

Although the plot was tiresome and typical, the acting was good, especially that of Chloë Grace Moretz who played a hilarious part. They were a few modern jokes that made the audience laugh and some special effects that impressed me.

Other than a few laughs here and there and a few good actors, the movie was not worth the money and should probably stay in the shadows.

Atheletic Director Bruce Blumer is introduced at Boys basketball Senior Night (M. Krebs).

Current Assistant Athletic Director, math teacher, and varsity volleyball coach Michelle Jakubowski will begin her new job as Athletic Director on July 2.

Current Athletic Director Bruce Blumer announced his retirement earlier this year after 38 years in education.  Jakubowski worked along with Blumer as Assistant Athletic Director for the past three years.

“When I first started out teaching, I was never really working towards becoming an Athletic Director,” said Jakubowski. “But, after my experience as Assistant Athletic Director, this is a great new opportunity for me.”

Even though Jakubowski is excited for her new opportunity, she will have to leave behind coaching and teaching to focus completely on being the new Athletic Director.

“I have held many different positions at different schools,” said Jakubowski. “Athletic Director is another position I am excited to begin.”

Jakubowski, although originally coming to Huntley as a teacher and a coach, was previously a Dean of Students at Lake Zurich High School.

Jakubowski does not plan to change much in the department; she would like to increase the leadership skills of the athletes at Huntley High School.

“I would like to start a student athlete leadership team,” said Jakubowski.

Even though Jakubowski will miss coaching volleyball and teaching math, she can not wait to start her new position as Athletic Director at Huntley High School

(Courtesy of AVclub.com)

On September 16, John Mayer will be released his next album, “Born and Raised.” The track listing was released on February 28.

Yesterday, John Mayer released a statement:

“Nothing feels worse than having to break the stage down before the performance, and I mean nothing,” Mayer wrote on his tumblr blog. “I love this band you were going to hear, I love the guys and girls I work with, and the only thing that stops me from devolving into a puddle of tears is knowing that it’s a long life, and the greatest gift in the world is being able to create music no matter what the circumstances.”

This will be the second tour in which John Mayer has canceled, because of his constant throat ailments.

With an increase in granumola on his throat, the painful sound of his guttural throat has been silenced for at least a few months.

Mayer is expected to release another album immediately after “Born and Raised.”

                This article will be updated with a review about “Born and Raised.”

Huntley boys tennis lost to Hampshire on May 7 (K. Garcia).

May 7 was the last regular meet for boys varsity tennis before the Fox Valley Conference. The boys played Hampshire High School—a team in their conference—and fell short losing the meet two games to five.

The weather was particularly pleasant, compared to the bitter cold the team has had to deal with throughout their season. A bit windy, but they went in with confidence.

It was a home meet for varsity, and the lineup was changed around for this final home meet. Junior Christian Nunez played at first singles, senior Emeer Paz-Moody at second singles, and senior Andres Navejas at third singles. Despite all three having tough losses, they were able to get some good experience out of it.

“I was honored to be the first singles for my last game. I tried my hardest, I played hard, and although I came up short, it doesn’t mean I won’t try harder next year,” said Nunez.

For the doubles teams of the day, some came out victorious and others suffered tough losses as well.

At first doubles were junior Max Pilkerton and senior Nick Fangman. The two have not played as partners often, but successfully brought the team one of its two wins. In an amazing three set match, the pair won 6-4, 2-6, 6-2.

“Me and Fangman started out strong attacking. We fell a little bit in the second set but came back energized in the third set and had great teamwork to dominate the competition in the last regular season meet,” said Pilkerton.

A great win for the pair at one doubles, however turned bitter during the match when the two playing sides grew a bit tense. The pair called for a line judge when Hampshire was not playing fair.

The other win of the day was the third doubles pair, sophomores Matt Frederick and Vonn Navarro. This was their first varsity meet and they won it 6-3, 6-3.

“Considering that it was our first varsity match, I thought we played very well. It was a good way to end the regular season individual-wise,” said Navarro.

The other doubles teams of the meet were juniors Aakash Maniar and Marek Makowski, who lost at 6-4, 7-5. At fourth doubles were sophomore Connor Smith—usually a second singles player—and junior Vince Kambitsis, who lost their match 6-4, 6-3.

Even though it was the last regular meet for the boys, the season will continue when the starters go to the Fox Valley Conference on May 11 and 12.

This will be Student Council's first drive-in movie.

On May 25 at 7:30 p.m., Student Council (STUCO) will host their first drive-in movie. The STUCO board decided on showing the classic 80’s film that casts a young Matthew Broderick playing hooky from school and singing Wayne Newton in the Von Steuben Day Parade.

Since the Spring Leadership Convention, STUCO had gathered ideas for their last big event of the school year and settled on a drive-in. There was a list of events to choose from and the drive-in movie idea caught senior Brandon Bencko’s attention.

“I thought it was a cool idea and I wanted to bring it to the high school,” said Bencko.

The movie, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” will be will be set up in the student lot on the East side of the school with the screen in the lacrosse fields. There will be an area in the grass for lawn seating, and the parking lot will be open for drive-in seating.

“It’s a pretty good sized lot and I would be impressed if we didn’t have enough space,” said Tom Kempf, STUCO advisor.

There is a lot of preparation that has to be done in order to make this drive-in successful. Student Council has been working with the school administrators to get permission along with the village to see if they need permits. School resource officer Nora Kruis was asked to direct traffic and STUCO had to rent out supplies from Entertainment Concepts, the same company that they used for the Homecoming dance.

This company will provide the screen and transmitters that allow you to hear the movie through a car radio. All of the equipment and set-up will cost around $2,000.

“It’s a lot harder than just putting up a movie screen,” said Bencko.

The Athletics Boosters will be running the concession stand, which is planned to be in the concession stand by the football field.

There will be a $5 fee to see the movie to balance out the costs. Although there is a fee, this event is not a fundraiser. It is meant to be one last fun experience for the seniors.

“It’s kind of like a thank you and goodbye to the seniors,” said Kempf.

Although it is mainly for the seniors it is open to allHuntleyHigh Schoolstudents. Everyone is encouraged to come watch a classic movie and enjoy some popcorn.

Already more than 240 people have shown an interest on the Facebook event page. The drive-in movie has caused a curiosity in the school. Students have been coming up to Bencko asking him questions about it. Bencko expects 400 to 500 people to come. If enough people attend it may become annual event.

There are still details that need to be finalized. Student Council will have worked everything out by May 25 giving the seniors the opportunity to have one “last hoorah” before they graduate and other students the chance to have a good time before finals.

“I hope it turns into something like Mr. HHS that happens every year,” said Bencko. “[But] We just hope that everyone comes out and has a good time . . . and that it doesn’t rain.”

Blake Klein performing (B. Klein)

Blake Klein is furious.

He’s in middle school and he just got into another fight with his parents.  It’s nothing serious, just normal teenager stuff. It’s about grades.

Again.

Klein storms up the stairs to his bedroom where he slams the door with all his might.  The portraits on the walls in the hallway shake. Klein’s father barks at him not to make so much noise.  He knows he has to cool down, so he grabs his little blue stress ball that’s shaped like the planet earth.  He rears back and throws it against the wall as hard as he can.

After the ball ricochets around the room a few times, Klein whips it at the wall again.  This time he has to duck so it doesn’t hit him in the face.  Klein takes a deep breath as he grabs his iPod and puts in his headphones.  He scrolls though different songs until he finds the one that usually settles him down—“Headlong” by Queen.

“And you’re rushing headlong/ you’ve got a new goal/ And you’re rushing headlong/ you’re out of control.”

He drills the ball at the sides of his room a few more times and slowly cools down.  Klein sits on his bed and listens to music until he falls asleep.

He’ll look back in a few years and blame himself for not trying hard enough in school.  He’ll realize that his parents were right all along. But more importantly, he’ll look back and thank himself for putting on “Headlong.”

“Back to the days of Christopher Robin and Pooh.”

“House at Pooh Corner”

Kenny Loggins

He’s sitting in the car, seven years earlier, singing along with his parents.  Klein’s father just put in another cassette he and his wife had bought for their son.  It contained fun children’s songs that Klein would sing along with his younger sister and mother.

“We would sing every day,” said Klein.  “I can remember going to preschool and singing the same songs over and over again.  They never got old.”

It’s hard to say that a passion for music doesn’t run in Klein’s blood.  He was practically born with it.

Klein’s parents both performed in musicals when they were young.  They bonded over having leads, like their senior year of high school when Klein’s mother played the role of Anna and his father played the role of the King in the musical “The King and I.”

Although it has been decades since the two high school sweethearts got married, they both still sing in their everyday lives.

This was important when Klein was young because it set an example for him to follow.

“If somebody says something in the house, my dad starts singing a song that has those words in it,” said Klein.

When he grew up, Klein played the saxophone and various other instruments,  but he put down his instruments. But he stuck to his vocal cords.  He’s glad he did because they would be what made middle school so much fun for him.

But that’s not until later.

“Always on my mind/ you’re in my heart/ you’re in my soul.”

“You’re the Inspiration”

Chicago

He’s listening to Chicago on repeat and he just broke down again.  After growing up in a household that embraces music daily, Klein took a liking to music throughout middle school.  He started to bond with it and its therapeutic effects.

“Music has so much emotion in it,” said Klein.  “Some people use so much emotion in their music that it’s very easy to use it as an outlet.”

Music was a major outlet for Klein when he went through one of the most difficult periods of his life.

He remembers when he found out that his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004. He had just entered sixth grade.  The thought of losing his mother took the air out of him, but the music kept him strong.

“I remember playing rock the entire time,” said Klein.  “I remember it being an ‘I’m not going to be upset about this and I’m not going to show anyone’ kind of thing.”

Klein would also listen to a lot of slower music he had on his iPod, especially the jazz band Chicago.  He accumulated more than 120 plays just on the song “You’re the Inspiration.”

His mother truly was his inspiration.  She still carried on with law school after she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and she inspired him to carry on with the more difficult part of his life during that time.

“My mom has definitely been a huge inspiration,” said Klein.  “I’ve always been astonished that she had breast cancer and managed to get her degree in law.”

Klein’s mother slowly improved and now is in much better condition.  Nonetheless, the rough patch Klein went through was backed by his love of music.

“I’ve always had trouble expressing my emotions to people, even to my own family,” said Klein.  “It’s always been something I’d always keep to myself.  Music has helped me greatly with that.”

“A new fantastic point of view/ No one to tell us no/ or where to go/ or say we’re dreaming.”

“A Whole New World”

“Aladdin”

He’s eating pizza at a cast party, and he just performed another show in middle school.

That’s where his musical theatre experience began.  The rush of each show brought something new to his life.  Klein’s passion for music exuded in every show he performed.

“It was just those first few minutes you were on stage, and every time you walk backstage,” said Klein.  “It’s exhilarating.”

Klein was fortunate enough to receive the lead role of Jafar in “Aladdin” when he tried out.

“Aladdin was that first step,” said Klein.  “It was the opening door.”

After performing in “Aladdin,” Klein landed the lead role of Captain Lee Shang in “Mulan” during his eighth grade year.  He also performed in “Les Miserables,” which would be important four years later.

As he performed in handfuls of shows, Klein’s connection with music only grew.  He became more intrigued by it, and it would become monumentally important to him.

“It was always a pretty natural thing,” said Klein.  “It was always a way to deal with any emotion for me.  I could sing when I’m happy, sing when I’m mad, sad, anything.”

“What do I got? Cold feets.”

“Cold Feets”

“The Drowsy Chaperone”

Now he’s in high school, and he just made one of the biggest mistakes of his life. A major regret.

Actually, three major regrets.

When Klein went to school his freshman year, he joined choir and continued his passion for music.  He was wanted to do the all-school musical: “Fiorello!”  And he was determined from day one.

Literally.

He was talking with one of his friends on their first day of high school and Klein told him that he wanted to, and was going to, do the musical.  Throughout the school year, Klein told his choir teacher, Nancy Cross, that he was going to audition.

But Klein didn’t do the musical.

He made up excuses.

Oh, I have offseason workouts for football.  I can’t possibly fit in a musical.

At the start of Klein’s sophomore year, he still wanted to do the musical.  Although he played football again that year, it was in the other part of the school year, so it wouldn’t have interfered with his musical schedule.  But behind the excuses Klein told himself, there was a deeper cause.

“Every time I didn’t do it, I regretted it,” he said.  “I don’t know if I was nervous of not getting a part.  I think that [it was partly] on a subconscious level because [of] middle school. I’ve never not gotten a lead.  I mean, I was Jafar and then I was Shang.  I was at the front of the thing.  And I did have a bit of an ego about my voice, but I didn’t make it extremely public.

“I didn’t want to do musicals because I didn’t want to not get a part and get upset.  I would’ve been embarrassed, essentially.  I should’ve known that the juniors and seniors get the leads.  Or the people who are the best get the leads.  If I would’ve realized that, I don’t think I would’ve gotten deterred from trying out.”

But, Klein still fought that possible embarrassment.  He was confident going into junior year.

“Junior year, I was ready to do it,” said Klein.

But this time an actual scheduling conflict arose.  After deciding that he was going to join the all-school musical junior year, Klein found out that there was going to be a boys swim team atHuntleyHigh School.  Klein could have taken a small part in the chorus, but he wanted more. On top of that, he had wanted to swim since he was young, and he wasn’t going to let the opportunity pass him by.

After all, there was still senior year.

“Inside my heart is breaking/ My makeup may be flaking/ but my smile still stays on.”

“The Show Must Go On”

Queen

He just performed his last show he may ever perform, especially in a lead role. He’s giving his final speech amongst smiles from his supportive cast.

“Senior year came,” said Klein, “and I decided I wasn’t going to swim and I was going to do the musical.”

After all, the musical brought more to Klein than sports did.

“It was that adrenaline rush that you get before you go on stage and while you’re out there,” he said.  “It’s nothing like any other sport to me.”

His seven years of choir with the school district helped him develop his skills, and Klein knew he finally had the opportunity to fill a void within him: a void left unfilled for three years.

“It felt really bad,” said Klein.  “The people who were in the musicals had been in my family, and now I had been completely disconnected.  I knew I was missing out.”

So he prepared.

“I said that whatever song I’ll do, I’ll pick it according to my voice and I’ll work on it non-stop for a week,” said Klein.

But Klein needed to nail his monologue first.

The audition was a three-headed beast: monologue, song, and dance.  Klein knew that all of his colleagues had been acting and fleshing out character roles throughout all of high school, so he was already at a disadvantage. But he had to make it good.

After working on his monologue non-stop, Klein presented a monologue by Andy Clark from “The Breakfast Club.”

He killed it.

Next up was the song.  He decided to perform “Stars” from “Les Miserables.”  He was already

familiar with the song because of performing in “Les Mis” in middle school, so it would be the perfect fit.

On the day of his audition, Klein went to the practice room connected to the choir room to retrieve his book with “Stars” in it.  But he couldn’t find it.  After tearing apart the room and frantically asking musical hopefuls where the music book was, he couldn’t find it.  He would have to improvise.

But he knew what to do.  In his junior year, he was lucky enough to get the solo in the choir concert finale “Wheels of a Dream” from the hit musical “Ragtime.”  It would be the song that saved his audition.

After spontaneously singing his song with precision, Klein went outside in the hall to learn the dance for the audition.   He watched the choreographer, Michelle Sopchyk, outside the corner of his eye to follow her moves because he did not know how to dance.  A week or so later, Sopchyk called nearly all of the boys who auditioned to a callback for tap dancing.

“I think that is what it came down to,” said Klein, who stood next to senior Christian Aldridge.  “Christian was doing really well, which scared me.  I get very frustrated when I can’t pick something up, so I would be trying not to just scream.  As I got home that day, I said ‘This either went really well or really badly.’”

The days went by, and finally, the cast list was up.

Klein saw his name posted on the list.  However, he was confused.  He got the role of Robert Martin, but he didn’t know if that was the male lead or not.  It turned out to be one of the most important leads, with a tap dancing part included.

“I was very, very happy about [getting a lead],” said Klein.  “I was elated especially since I had never done [a musical in high school].  I had expected to get a role, but I had not expected it to be as great a part as it was.”

Klein performed in all six shows of the run.  His dreams culminated in the closing night last Saturday.

“I loved the final night,” said Klein.  “A lot of people cried, but I couldn’t find a reason to cry.  I don’t think I stopped smiling the entire time.  I was surrounded by people I loved and I was really happy.  Happy that I did it and that I got to have that experience.  That’s myhigh pointof high school.  That final hour and a half.  I wouldn’t have traded it for any of the other experiences I had.”

As he stands in front of the rest of his cast, Klein grins.  The whole cast of “The Drowsy Chaperone” sits on the leveled floor of the choir room as he stands in front of them all.  The cast’s reactions are reflected on the wall of mirrors behind Klein.  He tells the story of his love of music. In the back of his head, he knows that he most likely won’t have another lead in a musical for the rest of his life.  But, music means the world to him.  And as it was important throughout all of his life, Klein won’t necessarily need a lead for that passion to continue to grow.

“Music is everything,” he said.  “It’s expression of thoughts, feelings, and actions.  It’s a way to tell a story.”

And music tells his story; the highs and the lows.  Whether it be “Headlong” when he needs to calm down during the lows or classic rock to ramp up the highs, music will be there.

And that’s all that matters.

Senior Evan Flynn jokes around with an old protein model (F. Onyibor).

As senior Evan Flynn sits back and watches his Science Olympiad Team, he cannot help but feel a little like a coach.

“He constantly got medals,” said junior Monique Amidon. “But he’s always proud of the fact that other people got medals.”

After being urged on by coach and biology teacher Brigette Zielinski, Flynn joined Science Olympiad his senior year and attacked every competition. He jumped in and embraced the opportunity right away.

“I like science and I like being competitive,” said Flynn. “So why not?”

His leap of faith paid off. He was incredibly successful, but he was never fully satisfied.

“After all the late nights and practices, getting a medal is one of the most rewarding experiences,” said Flynn.

His “Sci-O” teammates see his determination and understand his need to make it not just a club, but an enjoyable and well-bonded team.

“He was constantly goofing off and made Science Olympiad really fun,” said junior Aminah Darabu.

As regionals approached, Flynn saw his coaches, Brigette and Paul Zielinski, tense up.

“Sometimes I think they’d get a little scared or stressed,” said Flynn.

He could tell that what they needed more than anything else was a good laugh.

“I would break up stuff in Mrs. Zielinski’s room,” said Flynn. “I took this jar of beads she had on her table, and flipped it upside down, so the only way she could take it was to pull it up. I tried to get both the Zielinskis to lighten up.”

On bus rides to competitions, Flynn saw another opportunity to get some laughs.

“I’d try and get everyone to meow,” said Flynn. “But it was pretty much me and Ayaz.”

The day of regionals, everyone held their breath as the results were announced. Huntley placed ninth; they did not advance to state.

“It was surprising and a little depressing,” said Flynn. “It sucks, but it’s okay.”

Flynn has thoroughly enjoyed his short time with Science Olympiad, though more than anything, he regrets not joining the team sooner.

“I think about what if I had started it as a freshman, how many medals I could have gotten,” said Flynn. “But you can’t look back on that stuff.”

After dominating in the competition and spreading positive energy to the team, Flynn has clearly established himself a memorable leader of Science Olympiad 2012.

In his sophomore year, senior Zeeshan Faizal had a goal. He took it easy freshman year to get used to the new school and classes, but when the next year rolled around, he realized he needed to burst out of his shell.

“I used to be very shy as a young kid,” said Faizal.

Lucky for him, a friend brought him into the newest club in the school at the time.

“One of my friends in my neighborhood, Vinay Hiremath, started the club when he was a freshman,” said Faizal.

Faizal threw himself into Anatomy, Physiology, Optics, Protein Modeling, and Technical Problem Solving, embracing the opportunity to excel.

“At the end of my first year, we were at one of the invitationals and we were winning a lot and the guy kept saying ‘Huntley, Huntley,’” said Faizal. “It made me feel proud to be a part of something like Science Olympiad.”

Now, in his final year, Faizal realizes just how much he owes to the team.

“It’s been cool to be a part of something bigger than myself,” said Faizal.

While he wishes he had put in more effort, he does not look back on his time with regrets.

“Whatever happened, happened,” said Faizal.

His teammates do not see the shy freshman kid who hardly knew his place in Huntley High School. They see the confident kid who jumped on the stage during an invitational. They see the positive kid who tries to ease any tension. They see the kid who’s won nearly 30 medals. They see a guy committed to it all.

“Zeeshan’s pretty funny,” said Darabu. “He’s always joking and made it more enjoyable.”

He will miss the long practices after school, the invitationals, and his exceptional coaches.

Back when Sci-O was young, in its first year, Priyanka Damarla crossed her fingers and watched as the robot shakily found its footing. She has seen the team through thick and thin and experienced its growth from a brand new club to a successful team.

“We didn’t do anything really the first year,” said Damarla. “We went to regionals, but that was more as a learning experience than anything else. We didn’t place at all.”

Because of Huntley’s rookie status, other schools often underestimated the team.

Early on in regionals, a competitor from Crystal Lake Central approached Damarla:

“Oh, so I heard there was a team with eight people. They must be really smart.”

“Yeah. That’s us,” said Damarla.

Another Central competitor entered the scene.

“They’re not. They’re just from Huntley.”

Needless to say, it was a rough start.

“That was probably one of my most embarrassing moments,” said Damarla.

The following year would prove more successful. They placed eighth in regionals. Her junior year was even more fruitful when they placed fourth in regionals and qualified for state.

“Starting off, we didn’t know anything,” said Damarla. “Seeing how dedicated people have gotten is really inspiring.”

Her senior year brought something one can only describe as heart-wrenching.

“Our last regional, we were four points from making it to state,” said Damarla. “We placed ninth. As a team, we could have done better.”

However, she holds no regrets about her final year.

“We had a lot of struggles but we got to where we are now and I’m proud,” said Damarla. “I really am.”

The different events and categories gave Damarla a chance to push herself.

“It’s really like track and field, but for nerds,” said Damarla.

Science Olympiad impacted her life outside of the team: her choices, her priorities, etc.

“I’ve developed this love for science over the years,” said Damarla. “It’s really shaped what I want to do down the line.”

Regardless of how regionals went, Damarla holds out faith.

“I’m kind of sad that I won’t be around when we make it to nationals,” said Damarla. “But I know it’s going to happen.”

GooGee Gasdiel at the Acen (G. Gasdiel)

Everyone has a few items in his or her closet that are socially unacceptable to wear.  These items sit there on the hangers, collecting dust and waiting for that day when someone finds an excuse to wear them.

GooGee Gasdiel has a million of them.  Today she straps on a bikini she made out of beads.  Then she pulls up a transparent, neon green netting skirt and ties on her neon green leg warmers.

She puts on an uncountable number of bead bracelets with cute words and phrases—“Are you mad, bro?” or “I’m a mongoose!”

The only difference is that today people aren’t going to give her weird looks for it.  If anything, they might say, “Oh my God, that’s adorable,” or “Can I hug you?”

At Anime Central (ACen), one of the largest anime conventions in the Midwest, people are a bit different.  They’re not like you think they are, either.  “Anime kids” do not consist of of obnoxious girls who don’t brush their hair and run around screaming, “Kawaii desu desu kawaii desu” down the hallway.

They’re just a little more culturally diverse than the general population.

“I really love the people,” said Gasdiel.  “I wish that ACen was year round.  Everyone’s just super nice.  I hate going home, because you go home and everyone’s a jerk again.”

At Anime Central, there are all types of people—whites, blacks, Asians, Hispanics, gays, straights, lesbians, bisexuals, transgenders, nerds, preps, Joe-shmoes—you name it.  They are so culturally diverse that there are subcategories you’ve never even heard of.

Gasdiel likes to throw herself in the “kandi kid” category.  It’s a popular fad inJapanthat consists of rave-goers who make their clothing/accessories entirely out of bright, plastic beads.  They trade items made of beads, or “candy,” in exchange for kisses, handshakes, hugs, etc.

Gasdiel could also be called a “furry.”  Furries are people who literally dress up like a cat.  They wear furry cat ears, cat tails, and fuzzy arm and leg warmers.  They’re certainly friendly.

Waiting outside in line for the Saturday night rave at ACen, called the Soap Bubble, Gasdiel talks to people she has never spoken to before as if they have known each other for years.  And it’s completely normal.

The line folds back and forth through the building, out the doors, down the block, back again, and around the building.  People have to entertain themselves some way or another while they wait, so some walk along the line and high-five everyone.  Many people are ambitious enough to hug everyone so they don’t freeze their butts off in their minimal clothing.  Nobody questions it.

Farther up the line, a group of people in their mid-20s sings Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”  A man is holding a cardboard sign that says “You just lost the game.”  A group of girls swings their hips back and forth and dance to “Caramelldansen.” The crowd roars every time the line moves a few feet.

Inside, Gasdiel dances about 20 feet away from the crowd.  She’s in a circle with her friends Garett Babler and Ben Wolter, as well as some others who have tagged along.  They take turns attempting to shuffle, laughing when they realize they can’t.

She takes it all in—the blaring lights, the bass drop, the furries dancing on the stage.  There are four giant screens on each side that read, “Warning:  Please do not do anything stupid.”

Looking around the room, a girl blows bubbles, glow sticks are being thrown, and a conga line snakes through the crowd.  A man walks up to a young girl and says, “Do you want to see a light show?”  His gloves have glowing fingertips, and he twists them around her in a way that leaves her terrified, but mesmerized at the intricate light patterns.

The Soap Bubble ends at about 5 a.m.  Gasdiel takes the shuttle back to the Courtyard Marriott and makes it to bed about an hour later.

Sunday morning, there isn’t much left to do after they check out of the hotel, except walk through the main hall, which is called the Dealer’s Room.

Here, vendors have set up booths that sell manga books, professional art, rave gear, costumes, stuffed animals, t-shirts, video games, weapons, etc.

The Rosemont Convention Center also serves as a 840,000 square foot catwalk for ACen goers to show off their costumes, or “cosplays.”

“Some people go as transformers,” said Gasdiel.  “They’re so realistic.  I also really like the people who go in huge Sonic costumes and Pokemon.”

Gasdiel buys a tiger suit before it is time to leave.

“I just think [ACen] is a cultivation of nice people,” she said.  “They don’t judge you on first appearance.  You wear a tiger suit to Wal-mart, and people think you’re insane.  At ACen, everyone else is dressed just as crazy, so they’re like, ‘Aw, that’s adorable.’”

It’s not just for people who stand out like Gasdiel does.  It’s not just for “anime kids” and it’s not just for Narutards, four-eyed introverted girls, and middle aged men who are obsessed with hentai.

Seriously guys; you’re missing out on some hot babes here.

“ACen’s kind of for everybody,” said Gasdiel.  “A lot of people think it’s only for hardcore anime lovers, but a lot of people go for the raves and find out it’s really cool.  I’ve been going for five years and never really had a bad time.”