Retirement Spotlight: Debora Thoren by Aftyn Oliver (5/4/22)

Mrs. Debora Thoren is a Learning Behavior Specialist at Charleston High School and will soon retire after working with the district for thirty-five years. While teaching, she has also coached Special Olympics off and on. Mrs. Thoren would like to thank her department co-workers Amy Jackson and Kathy East especially for making every day better. 

While in high school, Mrs. Thoren volunteered in a special education classroom. She then worked for CCAR in college. She has since earned a bachelor’s degree for special and elementary education and a master's degree in Educational Administration. 

Mrs. Thoren wishes to encourage CHS students to work hard and get involved. Also, to take advantage of opportunities to have fun and explore possible career options. 

Mrs. Thoren looks forward to having ongoing relationships with her students even after retirement. For fun, she plans to kayak more and learn how to use power tools. 

Congratulations Mrs. Thoren on your retirement and thank you for your many years of service in the Charleston School District! 

Cinco de Mayo by Lilly Long (5/4/22)

Cinco de Mayo, or, Fifth of May, is a holiday celebrated in parts of Mexico and the United States. This day is also known as the Battle of Puebla Day. This holiday is celebrated in memory of the victory over the French forces of Napoleon III in 1862, at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. While Cinco de Mayo is not a federal holiday in Mexico, many people in Mexico and the United States celebrate this day. There are street festivals and Mole Poblano, the official food of this holiday. This is a dish made of a brown sauce from Puebla made with ancho chiles and chocolate. Other food that is consumed are would be chilaquiles, tamales, carnitas, barbacoa, fish tacos, horchata, and Mexican street corn. Another practice on this day is the consumption of alcohol, the main drink being margaritas. A couple weeks after the Battle of Puebla, Americans and Latinos in California heard of this hard-won victory and celebrated by holding banquets and having parades of people walk down the streets in Civil War uniforms. This could most likely be the first fiesta of Cinco de Mayo in the U.S. Today, the world’s largest celebration of this day is in Los Angeles, California. Although the first celebration for this holiday was in 1886 in the United States, it was not recognized in America until 1933. This is when President Roosevelt put the “Good Neighbor Policy” into place, the goal of this being to have a better relationship with Latin American people.  

The Importance of Fire Safety by Logan Webster (4/27/22)

Every year we participate in annual drills to help us improve our ability to survive. Tuesday April 19th, 2022, we had a fire drill here at Charleston High School. This drill is very important when it comes to knowing how to go about fire safety. It’s even more important in states like California, where forest fires happen every year. In 2021, California had 9,260 wildfires. According to latest Verisk estimates, in California, there were more than 2 million properties at high to extreme wildfire risk in 2021, the largest number of properties of any U.S. state. With those wildfires over two million acres of land were burned and destroyed which ranked California at number one at high extreme wildfire risk. As of last year, Illinois had twenty-nine wildfires, and this led to 219 acres of land being burned. In Illinois per a thousand fires, there are 3.5 casualties and 15 injuries. In the history of the schools at Charleston there have been a few fires. It’s not an unlikely thing to occur, so it’s a good thing to have protocol. Yoana, a senior at Charleston High school says, “It’s very important to keep children safe in school”. I think most would agree with that statement. A senior at Charleston says, “I think fire safety is important because in stressful situations it can be hard to think clearly and so it’s good to have a plan in place before it happens”. In all, fire safety and fire drills are very important to have at school. Growing up you're taught about STOP, DROP, and ROLL, what to do during a fire, and where to go. All of this to ensure you leave with your life and go home safely to your family. 

Facts + Statistics: Wildfires | III 

Advanced Choir Joins Opera Performance at EIU by Lyla Long (4/27/22)

The Charleston High School’s Advanced Chorus took part in a wonderful performance on Sunday evening, the 25th of April. The choir sang with the Eastern Illinois University’s chorus, as well as their orchestra and internationally recognized singers, Sarah Jane McMahon and Richard Troxell. This performance lasted about two and a half hours, that were composed of two different acts. The CHS choir sang five of the twenty – two songs. This concert was mainly in Italian, a popular language when singing in the opera style. Many pieces in Mrs. Sharp’s choir classes are in different languages, which qualifies her classes for a Foreign Language class. Just this year, in her Advanced Chorus, they sang songs in Latin, Italian, and many different African languages. These performances give students many opportunities they would not normally get to have. Bree, a junior, spoke about her experience, “I think singing with an orchestra was a great opportunity to broaden my horizons of music.” It not only had an impact on the students that performed it, but also the people that watched it. Senior, Aftyn, was in the crowd watching the show. “The show was fantastic! It’s exciting that CHS students had this performance opportunity, and that I got to see it! It's these sort of events that grow the pride I have for my community,” she says. With everything that is happening with the music department, the opportunities will only grow. Bree, with one year left, reflects on how just this performance has impacted her, “As a singer it has helped me with more ideas of things I can do with music, and given me more to think about with what I want to do with my life and go to college for.” Some upcoming performances include Maximum Forte’s showcase, and a concert full of music and regular choir shenanigans. Another performance is the Charleston Choir’s end of the year concert.

Ramadan by Lyla Long (4/8/22)

Ramadan, a Muslim holiday, started last Saturday. This a month-long holiday that involves many traditions, one of the most common being that nobody can eat during the day, only after sundown. Every year, Ramadan starts between ten to twelve days earlier than its previous year, allowing it to be held in any month. The holiday begins with the crescent moon. When that is seen, the holiday starts. This month of sacrifice is used to reflect on sins, and to have them forgiven by God. Muslims are to deny themselves immoral behavior. Thinking poor thoughts or taking part in bad acts are included into this. Not only do they restrain from eating, they also pray five times a day. After a month of fasting, Muslims end the holiday with the “Feast of Fast – Breaking.” This is a day of celebration, giving thanks to God for the month that they just took part in. People wear their best, new clothes, make special foods, and this is a time to remember family members that have passed. Overall, this is a beautiful tradition that spans for many centuries, truly focusing on a person’s faith.  

Jeb Signs with McKendree University by Logan Webster (4/8/22)

According to NCSAS Sports, “Fewer than 2% of high school student-athletes are offered athletic scholarships”. That’s why getting an athletic scholarship is such a big deal. A lot of athletes work hard to go on to pursue a higher level of education after high school. For example, Jeb a senior athlete at Charleston High School, has learned a lot about making good use of his time and schedule. Jeb has signed to McKendree University to play baseball. Jeb started playing baseball at the young age of about five or six years old. He mentioned that he always wanted to move on to the next level and play baseball in college. Jeb had kept his mind open to different schools but when McKendree University offered him an athletic scholarship, he instantly wanted to sign there. In college, Jeb is going to major in business, mostly considering marketing. Jeb says, “I definitely enjoyed having my coaches, family and teammates there with me because I definitely wouldn’t have made it this far without them”.  

National Library Week by Brooklyn Jones (4/8/22)

What is National Library Week, you may ask? National Library Week is the week of celebrating libraries and librarians and runs from April 3rd through the 9th. National Library Week first started in 1958, where it was sponsored by the American Library Association. Saturday Night Live actress, comedian, and multi-Emmy award winning nominee, Molly Shannon, was the honorary chairwomen of National Library Week this year. The theme for National Library Week this year was “Connect with Your Library” and it “promotes the idea that libraries are places to get connected to technology by using broadband, computers, and other resources. Libraries also offer opportunities to connect with media, programs, ideas, and classes—in addition to books” as well as “aiming to commemorate the contributions of libraries and library workers. It also promotes the use of libraries and for people to continually support them. Libraries just offer a lot of opportunities for us – children can learn the basics, entrepreneurs can find useful business tactics, students can research, and a lot more.” A lot of libraries and schools all over the country are celebrating National Library Week by hosting various activities such as a book display at Miami Dade College and a drawing contest, a book club event, and a book discussion at Herkimer State University in New York. In honor of celebrating National Library Week, the CHS Media Center made some new changes, including some new school supply stations, a bookshelf with new books, a section dedicated to Lincoln award-winning books, and two computer labs being gone. 

As you walk into the CHS Media Center, on your right, any and all school supplies are set up on this stand for students’ convenience. Highlighters and paper clips are stored in a container on the top shelf, notecards and paper are on the second shelf, folders and notebooks are on the third shelf, and binders are on the bottom shelf.

As you keep walking around the Media Center, straight ahead of the school supplies, you’ll see the “College Corner”. The “College Corner” is flags from colleges and universities all around the area, which range from Lake Land to Indiana State University, as well as books and information about local colleges such as Millikin University in Decatur, IL and Indiana State in Terre Haute, IN.

Walking around to the left, you’ll see project supplies for any kinds of projects that you’ll need for class. On the top shelf, you’ll see crayons and colored pencils, on the second shelf, you’ll see markers and stamps, on the third shelf is scissors, ribbing, and yarn, on the fourth shelf is rulers, and on the bottom shelf is magazines and decorative/colored construction paper. If you need cardboard, or Sharpies, make sure to ask Mrs. Runyon for those.

Going straight through the Media Center, you’ll see a bookshelf filled with the newest books.

Directly ahead of the new books, there’s a whole section dedicated to just Lincoln award-winning books. This section is just past the front desk, which is on the left-hand side when you walk in.

Turning Red Review by Ambrie Zanton (3/29/22)

Turning Red is the newest film by Disney-Pixar Animation Studios. It follows the story of a thirteen-year-old Asian-Canadian girl, Meilin “Mei” Lee. It follows Mei growing up in Toronto in 2002. It is about Mei’s struggles: balancing her social life, family life, and her new magical power of turning into a giant red panda when excited. I’ve found this movie has a lot of negatives and a lot of positives, and although I personally love it, I can definitely see why others don’t. 

First, the negatives. Turning Red touches on generational trauma, especially at the end of the film; this is definitely not a bad thing in itself. However, it does come off as a little shallow; although these topics were touched on, they were not delved into like they could have been - especially when compared with 2021’s Encanto, which dives deep into the topic, exploring it and handling it with the utmost respect and grace. They could’ve delved into it more thoroughly in Turning Red, as it’s great to see it represented in media. 

I also wasn’t a massive fan of certain parts of the climax. Although I think it was, over all, a good and exciting end to the film, some part of it just seemed underwhelming. The scene at the end, where the women in the family go to seal their pandas back up, felt a little out of place. I feel like it went against a lot of their development in the film; a big part of me wishes they had all kept their pandas, although this is more personal preference than anything. Also, it was weird and very uncomfortable that Mei twerked at her mom. Maybe that’s nitpicky, I just don’t want to see a thirteen-year-old red panda girl shaking her butt at her mother. 

However, despite all of this, I loved this movie very much. I related with Mei; she’s who I thought I was and wished I could be in middle school: confident despite her awkwardness, funny, kind, and optimistic. I think, if I had had a character like Mei to look up to at that point in my life, I’d have been a lot less self-conscious and irritable than I was. 

Although it received a lot of backlash for its art style, I find it adorable – and, personally, my favorite of Pixar’s recent movies. The animation is beautiful, although that’s to be expected in a Pixar film. The art style is unique and expressive; it’s halfway between the art styles of Encanto and Luca. Its expressions are exaggerated and funny and remind me of old 2D cartoons like Tom and Jerry or Looney Tunes. 

Another thing I loved about the movie was its characters. Not only were they ethnically diverse, but they had their own unique personalities, and nearly all of them were three-dimensional. Mei, of course, was a great character; she was the epitome of a middle school girl. She had a lot of strengths and a lot of flaws, but the flaws were charming and made her even more lovable, in my opinion. I love how you can easily see from the mother’s point of view and empathize with her, despite how much she embarrasses Mei. The ridiculous lengths she goes to protect her are funny and absurd, but just realistic enough to be relatable and realistic. I also really liked Mei’s friends: Miriam is just as awkward and outgoing as Mei, but in a way that sets her apart from her friends; I love Priya’s deadpan delivery of lines and face; Abby is probably the character who made me laugh the most, and it was refreshing that they had a plus-sized/chubby comic relief character whose main shtick wasn’t being addicted to food; and Tyler was probably the second-funniest, whose redemption arc was impressive and had him as one of my favorite characters by the end. 

In conclusion, Turning Red isn’t for everyone, and is by no means going to become known as one of Pixar’s masterpieces, alongside movies like Toy Story and Monsters, Inc. However, it is still a great, funny, and relatable film that I definitely suggest watching at least once. I give it a 7/10. 

Girls' Soccer Season Begins! by Logan Webster (3/29/22)

The girls’ soccer season has officially started! On March 21st, the CHS girls’ soccer team faced off against Champaign Central High School. Although this wasn’t their first game of the season, it was the first home game. Over Spring break the Charleston high school girls’ soccer team played in the St. Teresa tournament in Decatur, Illinois. The first game was a loss against Pleasant Plains. The second game ended up in a tie with Mia, a freshman, scoring a goal for Charleston.  Due to the tie, it went into a penalty shootout with Shelby, Mia, Logan, Delaney, and Hadley shooting. The first two shots were a miss, and Logan scored the third shot. However, the other team had secured the win with all of their shots making it in. The third and final game took place Friday March 18th at 4:30 P.M. With great effort and a great mind set the Charleston high school girls won 2-0.  Logan and Mia both scored a goal, but the whole team did a great job at defending the goal from Danville. 

Overall, the girls’ soccer team along with the coaches have put so much effort and time in the practices and games. The team would like to thank the families and friends that come out to support the them.  Ella, a player from the girls’ soccer team says that her favorite thing about being on the team is “Probably the players. I feel like we’re all really close and it’s nice to play games and practice with people who support you and care about you”. Ellie, a senior on the soccer team said that her favorite part of being on the team is “Being outside and the friends that come from being apart of the team”. It’s such a great experience to be a part of a team, through thick and thin. 

Maximum Forte Semifinals by Lyla Long (3/25/22)

Maximum Forte ended a great season on March 19th at the Midwest Semifinals. Just getting to compete at this event, they placed in the top ten a cappella groups of the Midwest. This year’s Midwestern Semifinals took place in Harrison, Ohio, just outside of Cincinnati. Maximum Forte came with their improved set of songs including “Vertigo”, “Only Us”, and “Crazy Swing.” For the seniors of 2022, this was the last time competing in ICHSA. Though Maximum Forte did not place in the top three, they came to the performance and gave it their all. Their final score was just under being in the top three. The third-place winner of this region’s Semifinals was Ars Nova, a school from Dayton, Ohio. The second place was a school out of Centerville, Ohio, called Prime A Cappella, the group that placed first over Maximum Forte at Quarterfinals. They also took Outstanding Soloist. The first place went to SoundProof from Overland Park, Kansas. Kiley, a junior from CHS Maximum Forte, speaks about her experience during the Semifinals. “My favorite memory was spending time with the other members throughout the whole trip. We work as a coherent team while performing and are friends off stage…” Maximum Forte has been known for their teamwork and how close all of them are away from the class itself. This dynamic helps them a lot, with both their actions that go into their performance, and the way that they sing together. It makes for a perfect balance. Kiley shares how close they are, saying, “During the performance, I felt nervous right before we went on, but as soon as we started singing together, I felt alright knowing that we are a team, and were on that stage together, no matter what happens.” Six seniors are leaving which is over a third of the group. This leaves a lot of room for new members and a new sound. Kiley, a 2023 senior, talks about what she is looking forward to next year, “Opportunities are starting to open up to us like they did before COVID, and that’s incredible.” Hopefully, we’ll see the first normal year for Maximum Forte since 2019. Maximum Forte is an outreach program that does not profit events. With the talent that surrounds the group, they always go far in anything that they do. Forte makes their own funds with their concerts and showcases. To help continue this wonderful group, encourage people to give them a listen and attend their events while doing the same.  

Friday, March 4th 4-8pm; Saturday, March 5th 10am-6pm; and Sunday, March 6th 1-3pm at Elevate Business Center in Cross County Mall (the old Carson's building).

It's Mustache March at CHS by Logan Webster (3/4/22)

Every year, Mustache March raises money for a new group of people going through hard times. The fundraiser started six years ago to honor Scott Black, a history teacher here at CHS in the mid 2000’s, who died from colon cancer. Now it’s used to raise money for people who are under similar circumstances or need the money due to financial reasons. Teachers like Mr. Locke, Mr. Williams, Mr. Ben Oakley, Mr. Cohoon, Mr. Hudson, Mr. Hanner, Mr. Mclnerney are all participating. If an individual can raise five hundred dollars, they agree to keep their mustache through April and if a thousand dollars is raised, Mr. Hanner agrees to keep his in general. So, if anyone that is reading this would like to drop donations off at the office towards a specific teacher, you can do that or if you would rather just drop a donation off towards the cause in general you can do that as well. Later on, Interact Club will be selling fake mustaches in support of the cause if anyone would like to buy some.

For those raising the money and for those that give money towards the cause thank you so much because it’s going towards a good cause! Also, there will be updates to this post and pictures uploaded to show the progression of the money raised.  

Choir Students See Little Women, the Broadway Musical by Lilly Long (3/4/22)

On Wednesday March 2nd, students from the choir department got a chance to see the musical, Little Women, at EIU. Students went to their early bird classes but after tutorial, left school for the event, returning for 5th hour after lunch at the EIU food court. The musical, Little Women, was based off of the book written by Louisa May Alcott. This musical starred the adventurous Jo March, an aspiring writer trying to find her way in a prestige world, breaking through the social norms for women and publishing her works. Jo was brought to life by a very talented Haylie Rae Denzer. The musical was about the four March sisters, Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy and their relationship. Lyla, a senior in the advanced choir and Maximum Forte at CHS, stated, “I thought it was very good with an extremely talented cast. The storyline shows a lot of women empowerment, making this relevant and relatable. I personally really connected to this musical and think that many people will also enjoy it.” Another choir student, Kiley, stated their love for the production, “I really enjoyed the show overall. The characters were portrayed very well, the vocals were strong, and the set design was beautiful. I loved their use of lighting to convey the characters intense feelings. The hard work and talent put into the show is evident.” All of the students attending enjoyed the musical immensely, the opportunity given to them by their choir teacher, Mrs. Sharp, as well as Doudna, for opening it up to the CHS choir students as well as students from other schools. Returning from this event, the choir students made it back to the school just in time for their choir classes. This production was directed by Larry Cox Jr. This musical will be open to the public on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday on March 3rd through 5th at 7:30pm. This show will also be running on Sunday March 6th at 2:00pm.    

E-Learning and Fun in the Snow

(Feb 2-4, 2022)

Watch this video interviewing CHS students and staff about the e-learning days and how they spent their time in the winter weather

Valentine's Day Memories

Watch this video to hear about CHS students' favorite Valentine's Day memories

Maximum Forte Advances to Semifinals by Lyla Long (3/2/22)

Charleston High School is known for very talented musicians. At the state convention that took place in January, ILMEA, Charleston High School had more representation than any other school. Charleston’s Advanced Chamber Chorus is an example of their impressive choral abilities. This a capella group is called Maximum Forte, a group that has been around for a little over eight years. In the fall of 2021, this ensemble submitted a video of their set, a collection of songs under the time limit of ten minutes. Maximum Forte easily completed the task and were waved on to Quarterfinals. On February 10th, the chamber choir traveled to Ann Arbor, Michigan to compete. They placed second out of seven choirs, making it possible for them to compete in the Semifinals, taking place on March 19th in Harrison, Ohio. Not only did Maximum Forte place second, but they also won two individual awards. Maximum Forte won best vocal percussionist, given to our high school junior, Megan Heise. Despite being extremely talented, Megan also is performing in a male dominated role, which just shows how gifted she is. Maximum Forte won another award for Best Choreography for their song, “Vertigo”. “Vertigo” was choreographed by our senior, Mitch Cox. He explains his excitement saying, “I was pumped. My sophomore year, I never thought that I would be a choreographer. I had a vision for “Vertigo” in the fall, and I executed it. I never expected for it to win best choreo.” Mitch Cox has been in Maximum Forte for all the years he was able to participate. He had his first competition cut short by COVID – 19 and had to miss his own junior year for the same reason. Mitch has high hopes for the next step. “Honestly I am really excited for Semifinals, just to better ourselves as a group and to get a great experience at competition.” All of Maximum Forte shares his enthusiasm and is excited for the days to come. Make sure to cheer on Maximum Forte when they compete at Semifinals!  

Teacher Spotlight: Mark Williams by Ambrie Zanton (3/2/22)

Mark Williams has been teaching at Charleston High School for eight years, out of nineteen years of total experience. He teaches Intro to Technology, Production Technology, Computer-Aided Drafting (CAD), and Construction Trades. While attending Kansas High School in Kansas, Illinois, he was a part of band, choir, drama, FFA, golf, football, basketball, and baseball. Upon graduating, he attended Eastern Illinois University for his teaching endorsements in Special Education K-12 and Industrial Technology for K-12. Mr. Williams says that if he wasn’t teaching, he’d be in something related to construction, whether it be drawing floorplans, building homes, or something else. His favorite part about his job is being in the shop and teaching students how to use tools and create quality projects. A few fun facts about Mr. Williams: he has a black-and-white cat named Sylvester, and his favorite food is hashbrown casserole and biscuits and gravy. His top five favorite movies are Dumb and Dumber, Billy Madison, Tommy Boy, Wayne’s World, and Jerry Maguire. 

Jewelry by Jess: How a CHS Student Created a Business Through ClassE by Yoana Yordanova (2/25/22)

ClassE, an elective class offered at Charleston High School, is available to all juniors and seniors. It is an entrepreneurial class to teach students about business and it is based in Mattoon, Illinois at the Elevate Center inside of the Cross-Country mall. This program takes students from both Charleston and Mattoon, giving students the chance to make connections in the surrounding community. Jessica, a Charleston senior, expresses her excitement for the class, “I love ClassE because I get to explore different types of businesses and get to meet new people!” Vincent Walk, a Social Science teacher at Mattoon High School, teaches the class and guides students in their entrepreneurship. Right now, they are working on making their business plans and how to format them. Each student needs to be on a business team and come up with an idea and strategy. Costs, materials, and marketing is to be planned out in advance. These skills are taught to the students through this experience. All students also receive an individual mentor that guides them through the process. Jessica is now happy to say she is running a self-owned business called “Jewelry Jess,” where she sells handmade jewelry, some of which including bracelets, necklaces, rings, and earrings. She has set up an Instagram account, @jewelry_jess, for her business, and she hopes to soon have a Shopify account! Jessica says ClassE is a great class where you get to talk to different business leaders and visit them as well. For students who are considering a career in business, enjoy learning about being an entrepreneur, or wish to start their own business, ClassE is a perfect course to see if they have what it takes to create and hold onto a business. Jessica highly recommends it and says she is very happy she took the course. Be sure to check out Jessica’s business and stay tuned for more news on ClassE!

Behind the Push for CTE by Aftyn Oliver (2/25/22)

The month of February celebrates CTE, or career and technical education, which helps to prepare students for the workforce. At Charleston High School, several departments relating to CTE provide opportunities for students to obtain industrial experience and certifications: Agriculture, Business, Computer Science, Family and Consumer Science, Art, and others. Examples of specific courses include, Production Technology, Health Occupations, and even our own Journalism and Broadcasting class.

Mrs. Angie Niebrugge, CTE Specialist at CHS, works to inform the community of the significance of career and technical education, especially this month. She attended a CTE conference last week and gained a better understanding of its importance. The concept of CTE has been around for years, though recently there has been a big push for it, as the realization grows that not all students will attend college. Upon returning from the event, Mrs. Niebrugge has a greater interest in “pathway endorsements”, which promote workforce readiness in students. How? Throughout their high school career, students will be provided coursework and training to help form a plan to enter the workforce, being rewarded a seal on their transcripts for post-secondary schools to see, similarly to a diploma. Typically, high schools prepare students to take the next step of receiving higher education at a college or university, and she along with other educators would like to see the state of Illinois offer this alternative opportunity in addition. Further, not only would Mrs. Niebrugge like for said experiences to be only beneficial for workforce-minded students, but she would like “for all students complete an internship or co-op before graduating.”

Mrs. Niebrugge is also busy working on the “shell” of Charleston High School’s developing industrial projects. In her words, “I plan for future internship opportunities by contacting local businesses, am working on getting the CHS coffee shop off the ground, obtaining grants to help fund a t-shirt business for next year’s new Entrepreneur class, I create webpages [and more!].” CHS thanks Mrs. Niebrugge for her efforts towards widening the possibilities for students and their futures.

The Sadie Hawkins Dance by Logan B. Webster (2/17/22)

With Sadie Hawkins less than two weeks away, it is a great way to start the second semester. I hope everyone that is planning on going is ready and prepared to have a fun night at Charleston High School. Yoana, a senior at CHS said, “I like that the attire is more casual. Also, there’s not as many people, so the people that want to be there are there to have a good time. I personally had a great time sophomore year with my friends. One of my greatest memories at a high school dance”. Lilly another senior at CHS said, “I like how it’s not stressful as homecoming or prom. It’s more laid back”. Aftyn, a senior, also gave her input on the dance, “The Sadie Hawkins Dance is a bridge between Homecoming and Prom. The anticipation for prom is kind of satisfied by Sadie’s but it’s not nearly as stressful”. Make sure to make some good memories this year at Sadie Hawkins because once you graduate and leave high school, one of the things you’ll take with you are the memories you made here at Charleston High School.  

The Sadie Hawkins dance is in the Baker Gym from 7 to 9 in the evening on the 26th of February, and tickets are five dollars. The preparation for the dance began in November. The theme is “Sweetheart”, and the colors are pink, red, and white. Also, if you would like to make song requests, there are forms in the office. For those attending the dance, Mrs. Piper says to you, “I just want people to come out and enjoy being young and have fun and enjoy being a part of the school”. Speaking of dances, Prom is just around the corner and coming up fast. The decorations and other things for Prom have already been decided and made in preparation.  

History of President's Day by Brooklyn Jones (2/17/22)

President’s Day is a national holiday in the U.S. celebrated on the third Monday of February (February 21st). This holiday originally celebrated George Washington’s birthday on February 22nd, following his death in 1799. People didn’t start celebrating his birthday until the late 1870’s when it was more recognized and in 1879, former president Rutherford B. Hayes signed it into law to make it an official holiday. The day known as Washington’s Birthday transitioned into President’s Day in the 1960’s when Congress proposed an act known as the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. The proposed act would give workers a three-day weekend. The act would also give a nod to Abraham Lincoln’s birthday on February 12th, which would be shared with Washington’s birthday. Former president Richard M. Nixon had passed this act in 1968, but it didn’t take effect until 1971. To this day, President’s Day has never actually fallen on any president’s actual birthday. 

The History of the Sadie Hawkins Dance by Yoana Yordanova (2/15/22)

The original idea of the “girl asks guy” theme came from a comic strip by Al Capp called “Li’l Abner.” According to this website, the plotline of this comic was that on a certain day in November, single women could chase bachelors and if they were caught, he would have to marry her. The main character was a girl named Sadie Hawkins who loved to celebrate this day by chasing around all the bachelors. How the day was decided is uncertain, but there were rumors that it could occur on February 29th on leap years. With this inspiration, high schools and colleges across the country started using this as the theme for a dance and now we have the Sadie Hawkins Dance on the 26th of February this month. It is unique to the United States and something most high school students can look forward to. It is generally more casual than homecoming and prom; it challenges social expectations by having the girl ask the guy this time. 

Teacher Spotlight: Ben Oakley by Ambrie Zanton (2/15/22)

Ben Oakley is an agriculture teacher here at Charleston High School. Mr. Oakley has been teaching for four years, with three at CHS. He loves sponsoring the FFA and taking students to conferences, as well as watching students learn welding, wiring, building, and other activities they have not had the chance to do before. Mr. Oakley is a graduate of CHS himself, and as a student, he was a part of 4-H, FFA, and Soccer. When he graduated, he attended Lake Land for an Associate’s degree, and later the University of Illinois, where he got a Bachelor’s in Agricultural Science Education. Mr. Oakley says that if he was not teaching, he would be in the agriculture industry, perhaps in the AG business sector. At home, he has a chocolate lab named Nessie. His favorite movie is the first Cars, and his favorite food is ribeye steak. 

CHS Choir and Band Winter Concert Highlights

Featuring alumni

December 17, 2021

A Brief History of CHS by Aftyn Oliver (2/4/22)

From its founding in 1867 to 1898, Charleston High School students studied at the Central School which was located on the grounds where Jefferson Elementary now stands. Just before the turn of the century, a fire destroyed the original Central School and a newer, larger building was finished in the first days of 1900. It has been said that students had classes in various spaces around the town square or on EIU’s campus while the new building was under construction.

Unfortunately, another fire, most likely due to faulty wiring, destroyed the second high school building on January 3rd of 1927, exactly twenty-seven years later. 

“The school, which cost $40,000 to build, was insured for $75,000. [The] estimated cost of replacing it was $150,000” (Shick 220). The principal at the time added though that “the new gymnasium was saved” and used for schooling and sporting events as the new high school building (now Jefferson Elementary School) was under construction (Shick 220). The Elks Lodge building was also used during this transitional time.  

In August of 1930, Hardy Hill gave the public schools twelve acres located south of his home on Harrison at Twelfth Street, and at one time, the Coles County Fair actually took place here. This land became what we all know now to be Trojan Hill. 

Finally, “the cornerstone for Charleston’s new $1,300,000 high school was swung into place on the east side of the building at the intersection of Route 130 and Lincoln Street on April 21st, 1954. Principal Marvin Smith said all but the gymnasium and the auditorium would be ready for the fall term” (Shick 312).  

In the 1970’s, additions were made to the current high school building on Lincoln Avenue, including the West Gym, a weight room, a space for the Wrestling team, more locker rooms for Gym class, and music classrooms.  

In 2022, Charleston High School students are once again witnessing renovations to their school building. Band and Choir students can now make use of their designated rooms this semester after they underwent total revamping up until Winter Break. The Swickard Auditorium follows, as it has recently begun a complete remodeling. Much more is in store for CHS students, staff, and community members to enjoy! 

Charleston High School. The Recorder 1928. 1928, pgs. 3-5. The Dr. Nell Wiseman Media Center. 

Shick, Nancy Easter. 'Round the Square: Life in Downtown Charleston, Illinois, 1830-1998. Charleston, Easterchick Publishing, 1999. 

Groundhog Day by Logan B. Webster (2/4/22)

The very first day of Groundhog Day took place February 2, 1887, at Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania. According to tradition, if a groundhog comes out of its hole on this day and sees its shadow, it gets scared and runs back into its burrow, predicting six more weeks of winter weather. If it doesn’t see its shadow, it means spring is coming. It seems like a very weird tradition to have especially if you don’t know how it started. 

Groundhog Day has its roots in the ancient Christian tradition of Candlemas. This tradition started when clergy would bless and distribute candles needed for winter. The candles represented how long and cold the winter would be. The Germans new of this tradition and wanted to start their own Winter traditions. Before groundhogs were used, it was the hedgehog that predicted whether six more weeks of winter was coming. Germans that migrated to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania kept the tradition, but had to change it to a groundhog because hedgehogs weren’t native to the land. At that point, Groundhog’s Day wasn’t very big or wildly known. It wasn’t until the 90’s it became popular. 

Usually, the Charleston school district doesn’t get Groundhog’s Day off, but due to the heavy snow we are lucky enough to enjoy this holiday to the fullest. Make sure to thank Phil, the groundhog that’s been predicting the weather for you and your family every year. 

Chinese New Year by Ambrie Zanton (2/1/22)

The Chinese New Year, or Lunar New Year, is an annual celebration of the new year, according to the Chinese lunar calendar. It is the most important holiday in East and Southeast Asian cultures, celebrated not just by Chinese communities, but also Korean, Vietnamese, and many more. Unlike the Gregorian calendar, where the new year is only celebrated for one day, the Lunar New Year is celebrated for several; although the date it begins differs from year to year, and for 2022 it is February 1st. One of the holiday’s most famous aspects is its Zodiac, where each year is represented by one of twelve animals: a rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, or pig; each year is also represented by one of five elements: earth, water, fire, wood, and metal. Each animal corresponds with an element. 2022 will be the year of the water tiger, which only comes up every 60 years. Water tigers represent the traits of strength, bravery, and warding off evil. The Chinese New Year itself is very, very old, dating all the way back to the 14th century BCE – or, 3,500 years ago, and has gone through many changes. Many believe it was started in the Shang Dynasty, where sacrifices were made to appease gods and ancestors. In the Zhao Dynasty, the holiday first became known as a new year celebration. The official date of the festival became set in the Han Dynasty, and this period also saw traditions such as burning bamboo to make a cracking sound, a practice that became widespread. One of the most famous traditions associated with the holiday is the story of the mythical and deadly Nian, a beast who eats livestock, people, and crops. To prevent destruction, people put food out at their doors for it to eat instead. The Chinese New Year is the most important celebration in many East and Southeast Asian cultures, and it has a long and rich history. As the new year is brought in on February 1st, millions around the world will celebrate the year of the water tiger. 

ILMEA Pictures by Yoana Yordanova (2/1/22)

Select students from Charleston High School attended the state-wide ILMEA choir conference from January 26th to the 29th in Peoria, Illinois.

Teacher Spotlight: Jeremy Hudson by Ambrie Zanton (1/28/22)

Jeremy Hudson is a math teacher who has been at Charleston High School for 5 years out of his 7 years of teaching. He attended Oakland High School in Oakland, Illinois, where he was on the basketball, baseball, and football teams. He was also a part of Student Council and the National Honor Society. After graduating high school, he went on to attend Lake Land College and Eastern Illinois University, where he got an Associates in Science in engineering with a focus on mechanical engineering, a Bachelor’s in Arts in mathematics with teacher certification. He is currently working on two Masters’ degrees, one in math and another in education leadership. Mr. Hudson says that his favorite part about his job is that every day is different; however, if he wasn’t teaching, he’d be a mechanical engineer. His favorite food is ribs, his favorite movie is Reign Over Me, and he has three dogs at home. 

The Aztec Empire by Logan B. Webster (1/28/22)

For the past few weeks, the Spanish classes have been learning about the Aztecs. The Aztecs are a tribe that originate from Aztlán. The Aztecs were told by Huitzilopochtli, the god of war, sun, and human sacrifice, that when they find a cactus with an eagle perched on it with a snake in its beak, that’s where they will build their great city. After years of wandering, looking for this sign, they found exactly what they were looking for in the middle of Lake Texcoco. Lake Texcoco was a natural lake within the Valley of Mexico. Settling in the middle of a lake on islands wasn’t easy, but the Aztecs were able to build their capital city, Tenochtitlan on the lake. It was built on two islands. The area was extended using chinampas. Chinampas are small, artificial islands created above the waterline that were later reinforced. Acamapichtli was the first ruler of the new Aztec empire in their capital city, Tenochtitlan. The Aztecs were master builders and constructed many different buildings. They built pyramids, plazas, temples, ball courts, and homes. Most Aztec homes were built of adobe brick constructed of mud, sand, water, straw, and then dried in the sun. The Aztecs had advanced knowledge when it came to building structures. I hope this article piques your interest of learning even more about the Aztecs. There is still so much to learn about them. 

Senior Checklist by Brooklyn Jones (1/28/22)

Graduation is just around the corner, and with seniors leaving in less than four months, there is some important information that they should pay attention to. When should seniors be looking at colleges? According to Mrs. Beth Nelson, one of Charleston High School’s guidance counselors, seniors should be looking at colleges in the fall of their senior year. As for the required classes, Mrs. Nelson says that “required classes your senior year would be a full year of English, a full year of P.E., and a semester of Consumer Ed.,” which is a class about how to better manage your money and hopefully be debt-free for college and life in general. When asked what to look for and when seniors should apply for colleges/scholarships, Mrs. Nelson replied, “you need to consider if the college offers the area of study you are interested in and the cost of the school. Some colleges cost a lot more than others. Scholarships are listed on our CHS website, but you can’t start applying for them until your senior year. Most scholarships come available to you during the spring semester of your senior year.” So, for all you seniors, start looking into colleges and applying for scholarships because deadlines are quickly approaching! 

Teacher Spotlight: Heather Siegel by Ambrie Zanton (1/25/22)

Heather Siegel teaches art at Charleston High School, and has been doing so for five years, out of twelve total years of experience. She is a woman of many talents; on top of art, she is certified to teach social science and middle school language arts. For the first three years of high school, she attended Vista High School in Vista, California; but for her senior year, she attended and graduated from Brussels American School in Belgium. While in high school, she was involved with Scholastic Bowl, Art Club, German Club, dance classes, show choir, theatre, and played alto sax in marching band. She returned to the United States to attend Humboldt State University in Arcata, California, and later Eastern Illinois University. She got a Bachelor’s in Arts in Globalization Studies, with a minor in Studio Art, a teaching certificate in K-12 Visual Arts (with endorsements to teach secondary social sciences), and a Master’s in Arts in Art Education. Her favorite part about her job is seeing the “lightbulb moments” students get when they get excited about a project or figure out how to solve a creative problem; with that being said, if she wasn’t teaching, she’d likely be working in the travel/hospitality industry or in recreation administration. She loves many movies and foods, but among her favorites are Monty Python and the Holy Grail and the “Grilled Cheese Supreme” from Sun Singer in Champaign. She has two tabby cats at home, Charcoal and Zinc. 

Get Ready For Another Blood Drive at CHS! by Lyla Long (1/20/22)

Get ready for the Charleston High School Blood Drive! Taking place on Friday, January 28th, the blood drive will be in Baker Gym. This is hosted by the CHS Student Council, which always comes forward to help with this event. The students from Student Council leading this is senior, Molly Smith, and junior, Emma Thomas. The organization that puts this forward is the American Red Cross. This organization responds to those in crisis, providing relief to those in need. It is important to keep them thriving because they are essential for the survival of many people. To give blood you must be seventeen, or sixteen years old with a consent form. Many community members come out for this event as well as students and teachers. Aftyn, a student at Charleston High School plans on donating blood. She took part in a past blood drive and had a really good experience. “It’s something very simple that I can do to help the community or someone in need,” Aftyn says. January is National Blood Donor Month, a recognition started just over fifty years ago. This year, the need for blood is higher than it ever has been. Every person counts when it comes to giving blood. It does not take much to save lives, and CHS gives you an easy opportunity to do so. If you are interested and need more information, contact Molly Smith, Emma Thomas, or Mrs. Piper.  

Teacher Spotlight: Ruthann Hughes by Ambrie Zanton (1/20/22)

Ruthann Hughes is a teacher of many talents. Currently, she teaches Credit Recovery/Interventionist (APEX), but in the past has taught Spanish, Academic Literacy, and English, as well as being Literacy Coach for a time. She’s been teaching for thirty-two years, and has been at Charleston High School on and off for twenty-three years. While she was a student at CHS, she was a part of AFS, CHS Press and girl’s athletics, as well as being a cheerleader, school mascot, and manager for the volleyball team. Ms. Hughes went to Eastern Illinois University, where she got her Master’s degree in education, a degree in Spanish, a minor in English, and a certification in reading. Ms. Hughes says that if she wasn’t teaching, she’d be a stay-at-home mom to her children and cat named Josie. She loves her goofball students, and her favorite movie is the original Jumanji. 

High School Registration by Logan B. Webster (1/20/22)

Registration is coming up and it’s time to start picking classes. I remember registering for classes in middle school and every year after until I became a senior. In my experience it can be exciting to pick out classes you want for the next year. I’m a senior, and every year I wonder why we are registering for classes so early. Well, I recently learned the answer to that. There is so much that goes into creating a schedule and it starts with the middle school. In December, the counselors at the high school send out letters to the middle school students and their families. This is done in order to set up times and days to make appointments for incoming freshman to register for classes. Once that’s done, the counselors are given a calendar for when they go into the English classes and give out all the information to the students at the high school in January. Seniors, juniors, and maybe sophomores have this down by now, but freshman, maybe not so much. I know my freshman year I was a little overwhelmed by the number of classes to choose from. After students have decided on their classes, they give the forms back. Mrs. Phillips enters them in for the students after they are returned. This is about halfway completed in March. Once this is finished, scheduling board runs the numbers to see how many sections are needed for each class. Sections are just the different times the classes would be. For example, the same Honors English class would be at different times throughout the school day. Once the sections are figured out Mrs. Phillips goes through and adds teachers to those classes. So, you and your friend might be taking the same English class, but you could be taking it at different times, and have different teachers. After all the data is entered in, a mock schedule is ran in order to determine any conflicts in the students schedules. If one appears, it’s fixed, and then re-ran again until the problem is resolved. However, there could still be conflicts that have to be fixed manually by talking with the students and rearranging their schedule. This whole process can take Mrs. Phillips till June to get done. That’s why it’s important to register so early for classes. Mrs. Phillips says, “There is a lot that goes into making a schedule”. 

Favorite High School Memories by Brooklyn Jones (1/20/22)

As a senior at CHS, I’ve been thinking back on all the great memories I’ve had here. I remember in P.E. when a friend and I were playing badminton on the balcony and I hit the birdie and it got stuck on the ceiling and I laughed really hard. Then, a few minutes later, my friend had hit a different birdie (since we couldn’t get the first one down), and she got that one stuck in the ceiling.  

I asked other students to share their best memories at CHS as well. “My favorite high school memory was probably last year when we were able to go back to school and see all our friends again. One thing I liked the most was seeing what ways they changed and stayed the same, and one thing I missed about not being able to see them would be, at that point, they were the only reason I would smile”, says sophomore, Mason. Lyla, senior, has a good memory from her years in high school. She says, “my favorite memory is when the Writers Club meets at Jackson Avenue Coffee Shop.” And, finally, junior, Kiley, says this: “My favorite thing about high school is that most teachers I’ve had treat their students like their own kid and want the best for us. Ms. Hughs is always encouraging us to work harder and making sure we eat, providing food and things to help us de-stress.” Sounds like we have some great teachers and thankful students at CHS! 

Teacher Spotlight: Tyler Hanner by Brooklyn Jones (1/13/22)

Introducing Mr. Tyler Hanner, one of the math teachers here at Charleston High School. Mr. Hanner has taught for seventeen years and has been teaching at CHS for fifteen. Mr. Hanner has had the privilege of graduating from CHS in 1999 and from EIU in 2004. In his high school years, he participated in various activities that include playing football all four years of high school, playing baseball for one year, and he was an active member of C-Club. Mr. Hanner has a Bachelor’s in mathematics and a Master’s in Mathematics Education. Mr. Hanner has said that if he wasn’t teaching math, he would probably be an athletic trainer. He has said that his favorite part of his job is “getting to interact with students and other teachers!” When not teaching, Mr. Hanner loves watching The Sandlot, Dumb and Dumber, Rudy, and The Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1 with his bulldog, Sport, and eating deer backstraps. 

Teacher Spotlight: Angie Niebrugge by Ambrie Zanton (1/18/22)

Angie Niebrugge has been at Charleston High School for all twenty-seven of her years teaching. This year, she is in a new position as a Career and Technical Education Specialist, and teaches Cooperative Education and Internship classes only. She also oversees CHS Industries. As a student, she attended Mattoon High School, where she was a part of cheer, the dance team, student council, key club, and was class officer. After graduating high school, she attended Eastern Illinois University, where she received two Bachelors of Science in both Business and Information Systems, as well as a Master’s in Business Administration. Her favorite part about her job is getting to build relationships with her students, but she says that if she wasn’t teaching, she’d own a boutique. She has two dogs, a yellow lab named Buddy and a boxer-doodle named Hank. Her favorite movie is Just Go With It, and her favorite kinds of food are Italian and Mexican. 

Cheer Team Service Project by Lyla Long (1/13/22)

Even on their break, the Charleston High School Cheerleaders were still hard at work. On December 21st, these girls were bringing joy to the ERBA Head Start preschool program. Kicking off the Christmas season, the Cheerleaders hosted a Christmas party for the children. Each cheerleader was paired with a child and given a list of items that they would like to have for Christmas. This was a great way to add a little joy for the students who have had a tough semester with Covid. During the party, they met at Phoenix Elite, the local tumbling and gymnastics center here in Charleston. They played around on the equipment under the supervision of the girls and just have a good time. When they finished at Phoenix Elite, they headed back to Head Start to finish their party, even getting to meet Santa! The event was scheduled by one of our cheerleader’s parents, Ms. Coonce. For this article, I interviewed Ms. Vilardo, one of the coaches for the Cheer Team. I quickly realized that the Cheer Team is actively doing community service on a regular basis. A very recent event that they helped at, was the dance competition that took place on the weekend of January 8th. Besides big one-time events, they also help with weekly sporting events, the best example being this season’s basketball games. Ms. Vilardo expresses her admiration for the girls in how each of them volunteer for events; every one of them putting in their time and work to make a difference. All together the Cheer Team is made up of eighteen girls. The two seniors on the team are Abby Austin and Faith Hill. The team’s other coach is Ms. Gallaher, a Special Ed. Teacher at the high school. These girls set a great example for their team on and off the field, representing our school well.  

Group Counseling by Brooklyn Jones (1/13/22)

Come check out Charleston High School’s brand-new counseling group. The meetings are held two Wednesdays every month this semester during tutorial (January 12th and 19th, February 2nd and 16th, March 2nd and 30th, April 20th, and May 4th) and are held in Conference Room 1, across from the main office. The goal of the counseling group is to help students with their mental health and to “raise awareness about mental health needs and promote good mental health practices for all students.” Any student can attend these meetings and no registration is needed prior to the meetings. Mrs. Katie Barr, the organizer for the counseling groups, has said that “small groups provide an opportunity for students to improve their self-awareness, learn from others, feel supported and know that they are not alone.” 

MLK Jr. by Logan B. Webster (1/13/22)

Martin Luther King Jr. was an American Baptist minister and activist leader in the American Civil Rights Movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968. Mr. King was many things: a father, a husband, a speaker of God, a leader, and just a great man. King participated in and led marches for blacks’ right to vote, desegregation, labor rights, and other civil rights. In 1955, King led the Montgomery Bus Boycott which was a social protest campaign against the policy of racial segregation on the public transit system of Montgomery, Alabama. This all started with a woman named Rosa Parks. After this, King became the first president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. As the President, he led and organized the Albany Movement in Albany, Georgia which was unfortunately unsuccessful. However, he also helped organize some of the nonviolent 1963 protests in Birmingham, Alabama. One of his most famous events was the 1963 March on Washington. This is where he delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. In all, King was arrested upwards of twenty times and assaulted at least 4 times during his campaigns.  

Towards King’s last years alive he was awarded five honorary degrees, was named Man of the Year by Time magazine in 1963, and became not only the symbolic leader of black Americans, but also a widely recognized world leader. At the age of thirty-five, he became the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize for his exceptional leadership skills in the principles of peace, nonviolence, and direct action. However, when receiving his award he said, "this Nobel Prize was won by a movement of great people, whose discipline, wise restraint, and majestic courage has led them down a nonviolent course in seeking to establish a reign of justice and a rule of love across this nation of ours…”. He also donated all the prize money which was a lump sum of $54,123 to further help with the civil rights movement.  

Meet the Journalism and Broadcasting Class by Aftyn Oliver (1/13/22)

The Journalism and Broadcasting class has begun its second semester ever. Every first period of the school day, we students gather in the Production Lab (previously Lab 3 of the Media Center) to decide what we can share with the community about Charleston High School. This course enveloped the work of the school’s newspaper named CHS Press, headed by Mrs. Kristin Runyon previously. Last spring, she was in need of participation, since it was a difficult time for clubs during the early pandemic, as well as the fact that writing for the newspaper was “independent work”. She also mentioned the connection to the schoolwide push to have more career-oriented and production classes. Our new Journalism and Broadcasting class “give students experiences with real life skills, [such as] doing research, writing, and getting comfortable with interviewing.” Also, broadcasting was added into the curriculum with the help of Mr. Derrick Zerrusen, the new Athletic Director. This involves shooting and editing videos for creative or promotional purposes, as well as live streaming select sports events on the CHS YouTube channel.

Under the direction of Mrs. Runyon, we are laying a foundation for years to come and responsible for setting standards and expectations for the class. At the beginning of the schoolyear, about 15 students were enrolled, ranging from freshman to seniors. Currently, seven students head the writing portion of the work, as well as publishing their pieces using Thrillshare, a communication platform used across the Charleston School District. Yoana Yordanova, Logan Webster, Lyla Long, Brooklyn Jones, Ambrie Zanton, and I each write an article a week, posted on either of the official publication days, Tuesday and Thursday. Beforehand though, the article must be edited at least once. One person a month is in charge of producing our Senior Spotlight series; currently, Lilly Long is doing so for January. Additionally, Adrianna Gonzales, Casey Bence, Kaylee Fellers, Mitch Cox, and Willow Koontz manage video production. Mr. Lock has been generous to them in this first year, aiding financial support for whatever the broadcasting crew needs to be successful and productive.

Mitch, who primarily works on editing video content, contributed this about the process: “The videography and editing teams consult on what they need to cover in the next month. After deciding, the videographers go and get footage, which they then bring back to the editors. One editor focuses on the visual side, then sends it to me so I can finish with touching up the sound.”

To our audience, CHS Press asks for your input: What do you want to read more about? What do you want advertised? Is there anything we can help bring to light? Please email your ideas to us at chspress@charleston.k12.il.us.

Teacher Spotlight: Kerri Taylor by Brooklyn Jones (1/11/22)

Meet Mrs. Kerri Taylor, one of CHS’ many English teachers. Mrs. Taylor has had the privilege of teaching English 2 and Honors English 3. She says that this is her 18th year teaching at CHS! Before she taught at CHS, Mrs. Taylor had graduated from Arcola High School and EIU. While attending AHS, she participated in cheer, and was a first chair flute player for four years, as well as participating in National Honor Society, Spanish Club, and AFS. While attending EIU, she had gotten her B.A. in English, as well as a M.S. in education. Mrs. Taylor has said that if she wasn’t teaching English, she would work in marketing, or would be writing for a magazine. When asked what her favorite part of her job is, she replied, “My favorite part is interacting with students and helping them understand different concepts.” When Mrs. Taylor is not teaching at CHS, she enjoys watching It’s A Wonderful Life with her dog and eating shrimp tacos. 

Meet: Mrs. Thomas by Yoana Yordanova (1/11/22)

Mrs. Thomas is the new Family and Consumer Science teacher at Charleston High School! She has a degree in career and technical education with a focus on family and consumer science from EIU. Mrs. Thomas recently started on January 3rd and says that the teachers have been so helpful as she’s been getting used to everything. “Working with my former teachers from high school has been so much fun as well,” she adds. She has enjoyed learning students’ names and getting to know everyone her first week. In her free time, Mrs. Thomas likes to play board games and cook. Her favorite board game is Catan. 

Internship Opportunities by Logan B. Webster 12/16/21

Current workplaces for Internship and Co-op Students include: Carl Sandburg, Jefferson Elementary, CMS, CHS Coffee Shop, Albin’s Animal Hospital, EIASE, Coles County Health Dept., Rock Paper Scissors Salon & Spa, Standing Stone, Plush Boutique, The Libman Co., Pilson Auto Center, County Market, Myerscough Automotive, KFC, Sweeney Farms, Coffey Family Farms, Walmart, Lake Land College, Coffey Farms, Charleston Family Dental, SBLHC

CHS Music Classroom Renovations by Lynsay Kibler (12/16/21)

Click here to watch a tour of the newly renovated classrooms

Over the past few months, CHS band and choir students have been waiting with excitement to see the finished music room renovations. Students moved back into the completed rooms earlier this month and are very pleased with the results. While the classrooms were under construction, choir classes took place in the auditorium and the band students attended class in the wrestling gym. One choir student named Abby said, “We are very grateful. It is easier to sing and to see the teacher. It's nice to be back in the choir room.” The band room, choir room, offices, and closets all received complete renovations. This includes new flooring, trim, ceiling paneling, lighting, and a new paint job. The music rooms specifically received new music stands and chairs, sound proofing panels, instrument cabinets, and whiteboards. The choir room received a large mirror, a new desk for the director, and a corkboard. A choir student Leah said, “Before the room was renovated, it wasn’t great or a super pleasant place to sing in. Now we have good place to sing and it feels great that people care enough to put time and money into our music program.” 

 On December 8th, the band and choir held a combined winter concert. This was the first concert for both groups since being in their new rooms. Charleston High School band and choir alumni were invited to perform a song, “White Christmas” with the current band and choir students. The alumni and audience who attended the concert were invited to tour the newly renovated music rooms to see what changes have been made. When asked the question; How has the band room renovation affected the group's performance? A student Megan responded, “Since moving into the band room, it's easier to hear what we sound like because of the soundproofing. It is nice to have our own designated space that feels like it belongs to us. It is really motivating and empowering.” 

Workplace Experience Program by Logan B. Webster 12/16/21

Interviewing Mrs. Niebrugge, I learned a lot about Workplace Experience Programs and why it is so important to have more businesses and students join the programs. The two main parts to the programs are the internships and cooperative education. In general, the programs have been around for over twenty years. For the internships, the main purpose is primarily to be a learning experience for the students. This part of the program has been around for a long-time, helping students learn valuable employability skills that will come in handy for them in the future. It teaches students better time management, planning, and being an all-around team player. As of right now, fourteen students are interning at different places. Internships can either be a semester or yearlong class depending on preference. It takes up two class periods per day, Monday through Friday. Both juniors and seniors can enroll in the program. Certain internships even allow you to get a salary as well, but it’s important to note that not all businesses will give payment. The other program you can join is called Cooperative Education, or Co-op. Co-op’s main purpose is to build work experience. As of right now, there are ten students in the co-op program. Co-op is a full year class that only seniors are permitted to take. This class meets consumer education requirements for graduation, which allows for a free class period. This class helps people better understand the career field they wish to go into and figure out whether or not they would like to pursue it in the future.

Current workplaces for Internship and Co-op Students include: Carl Sandburg, Jefferson Elementry, CMS, CHS Coffee Shop, Albin’s Animal Hospital, EIASE, Coles County Health Dept., Rock Paper Scissors Salon & Spa, Standing Stone, Plush Boutique, The Libman Co., Pilson Auto Center, County Market, Myerscough Automotive, KFC, Sweeney Farms, Coffey Family Farms, Walmart, Lake Land College, Coffey Farms, Charleston Family Dental, SBLHC

                As you can see there are many business opportunities for students however, there is still a need for more. It’s vital for students, especially seniors, to have a variety of opportunities when it comes to different businesses. Those that offer additional skills like automotive, manufacturing, technology, construction trades, medical, and electrical would be very great businesses to have be a part of the program. Most importantly, businesses that are open to anything whether that’s in hosting students, giving tours, serving on an advisory community, and providing information to students. All of those things would be helpful in insuring all the students have at least some experiences in internship or in the co-op program.

                Writing this article, I’ve learned a lot about the Workplace Experience Programs, and I can honestly say that I wish I had done either internship or co-op. Although I didn’t enroll into the programs, I can honestly say I wish I had, but this is what Mckenzie, a student doing an internship in the program said, “It’s a great program to test the career path that you want to go into and learn new opportunities”. If there is any student interested in learning more about a particular career field, please sign up to learn more. Mrs. Niebrugge says to you,” It’s a great opportunity for students to figure out what they want to do with their life”.

For any businesses that want to get in contact about the Workplace Experience Programs or any student wanting to get more information please contact:

Angie Niebrugge

CTE Specialist

Charleston High School

aniebrugge@charleston.k12.il.us

(217) 639-5100

Teacher Spotlight: Chelsie Doughty by Ambrie Zanton 12/16/21

Chelsie Doughty has been a teacher at Charleston High School for three years out of her twelve total years of teaching. She teaches Biology, Ecology, and AP Biology. While a student at Highland High School in Highland, Illinois, she was a part of the science club and swim team. After graduating high school, she attended Eastern Illinois University, where she received her Bachelor in Science in Biology with Teacher Certification, and a Master’s in Science in Curriculum and Instruction. Although she loves how much she learns from her students and building relationships with them and colleagues, Mrs. Doughty says that if she wasn’t teaching, she says that she’d be a zookeeper or zoo educator. When she’s not teaching, Mrs. Doughty loves spending time with her cats and dogs at home, as well as watching her favorite movie 10 Things I Hate About You and eating her favorite food, hazelnut and chocolate. 

CCAR Fence Design by Brooklyn Jones (12/10/21)

Charleston’s CCAR Industries building, across from CHS, is building a new garden fence for their mini-pollinator habitat (butterfly garden) and has asked the CHS Art Club students to come up with a new mural for the fence. Science Club members at CHS also did their part in helping with CCAR’s other garden, the larger habitat, located on the south side of the building. They came after school back in December 2019 and helped mix and distribute seeds to then plant into the ground in the habitat. The Art Club students had voted on their top five favorite designs and had submitted them to CCAR for their final decision. Director of Development, Chastity Parker, said, “Students came up with some wonderful design possibilities and it was an incredibly tough choice.”, however, Lily Porter’s butterfly and flower design won over CCAR members who thought this would be a great addition to their nature habitat, but also serve as beautiful scenery for people passing by. This is a great experience for art students to show off their creative artistic skills. People can expect the mural to be painted after Winter break/in spring 2022. 

Two CHS Teachers Receive Stipends by Aftyn Oliver (12/10/21)

Ms. McKenzie Vilardo, Business, and Mrs. Tracy Cole, Special Education, were both presented their $100 SEE stipends from the local Gamma chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma International on December 1st, 2021 at the Martin Luther King Jr. Student Union located on the campus of Eastern Illinois University. According to their webpage, The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International “promotes professional and personal growth of women educators and excellence in education.” Ms. Vilardo and Mrs. Cole received an email from CHS Principal Lock regarding this opportunity. Possible candidates throughout the Charleston School District #1 had to write a one-page application, including what they would use their stipend money for if they were to be chosen. Ms. Vilardo plans to purchase more yoga balls for her classroom. She has several students with accommodations who benefit much from having preferential seating options, such as, yoga balls! Currently, she only has three, and they’re pricey, so Ms. Vilardo is grateful for this sudden allowance to get more. She has noticed that her yoga balls “have actually helped them [students] do their work better.” Mrs. Cole, who heads the Functional Program (CT), will happily utilize the stipend money to fill her classroom with “the basics(!)”, including silverware, a dish pan, strainer, crockpot, even a spatula. Since she is currently limited on resources, Mrs. Cole may also reimburse herself for supplies that she has bought up until now. This stipend will surely help build up Mrs. Cole’s life skills courses.

Both Ms. Vilardo and Mrs. Cole are invited to attend the local Gamma chapter brunch in the Spring. Congratulations to both!

Thanksgiving by Lilly Long (11/23/21)

Click to find out the favorite part of Thanksgiving Break for students and staff

Thanksgiving is a time reserved for family and friends to get together. It’s a day to spend time with people you care about, and to take time off to travel and see your loved ones. Around this holiday, people have started to wear puffy coats, snow starts to dust the ground, people wake up early to go hunting, and kitchens are warm and welcoming with yummy smells. Thanksgiving dinner usually consists of foods such as turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, cranberry sauce, green bean casserole, and pumpkin pie. Breaking the wishbone is a common tradition held in most households: the person who breaks off the bigger piece of bone is granted luck for the year. Thanksgiving is a holiday to celebrate the harvest and other blessings of the past year and is celebrated in the United States and Canada. On Thanksgiving morning, families will often watch the Macy’s Day Parade, and then after dinner, they typically flip to a football game. After dinner, some families like to relax by playing music, board games, or cards. With COVID last year, many families did not get to travel or meet up with their loved ones. With less restrictions this year, many are excited to continue their traditions and gather together again.  

The Importance of Poetry Yoana Yordanova (11/23/21)

“Poetry, at the root, is about expressing emotions which is crucial to connection and community.” This is what Mrs. Drone, an English teacher at Charleston High School, said when I asked her why poetry is important. She noted how much of the writing done in high school is informative and reflective while poetry focuses on emotion and the beauty of words. Through poetry, you can express how you feel and your thoughts in what could be only a few lines. Some of the most famous poets are Edgar Allen Poe, William Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, Shel Silverstein, Robert Frost, Pablo Neruda, E.E. Cummings, Langston Hughes, Walt Whitman, Sylvia Plath and many, many more. You can even read the beautiful poetry of living poets like Ocean Vuong, Ada Limon, and Rupi Kaur. Mrs. Drone stated that her favorite poet would have to be Maya Angelou, and that her poetry books Still I Rise and Why the Caged Bird Sings are amazing. Mrs. Drone teaches D.C. Composition and Literature, and her students are currently working on the Living Poets Project. She notes that she recognizes students are not as comfortable or familiar with poetry and wishes to introduce them to it. The project asks you to choose a living poet to research and analyze two of their poems. By doing it on living, modern poets, Mrs. Drone says it can be much more relevant to students. I know I have a newfound interest in poetry after reading Rupi Kaur’s poetry and exploring different poets’ work. In fact, for students like me, who like to read but cannot stand a long novel, poetry is perfect. Overall, poetry is such an important part of the written word as it captures emotions and tells stories in a simply short yet intricate way. Next time you go to the library, a bookshop, or are scrolling online, perhaps a piece of poetry  

Ungar, Marie A. “Top Five Contemporary Poets Right Now.” The Harvard Crimson, 2019 April 23, Top Five Contemporary Poets Right Now | Arts | The Harvard Crimson (thecrimson.com).  

Elinzano, Mo. “The 34 Greatest Poets of All Time.” Deseret News, 2015 March 20, The 34 greatest poets of all time - Deseret News.