The school system in Kazakhstan  

The school education system is different everywhere. For example, U.S. private schools have uniforms, some don’t. For Kazakhstan schools, the dress code is pretty much the same at all schools with some exceptions as. Students are required to have black pants or skirts and white shirts. They also have to have different clothes for physical education. Schools have two shifts. Some grades go to school in the morning from 8 am to 2 pm, and the others go from 2 pm to 7 pm other grades go to school. All students study in the same building but at different times. For example, when I was in 1st and 2nd grades, the school day was 8am – 12pm. Then I moved and at my new school elementary students attend from 2pm – 7pm. Last year my school year was 8am – 1:30pm. Students usually have from 18 to 20 subjects. The subjects change every day and that way they all can fit in the schedule. They can’t choose their classes and they are required to take all the classes. Students with the same classmates for each class period until the graduation. Students don’t have lockers, so they carry their books. In general, schools are focused on science and math more than in music and art. Usually, the school year ends on May 25 and starts on September 1. Like in the U.S., Students have fall break, winter and spring break. Schools don’t get cancelled because of the snow in the winter because it might snow every day in Kazakhstan. Schools can get canceled if the temperature is below -9.4 Fahrenheit for grades 1-4 in rural schools and -13 for urban areas; grades 5-9 in rural schools cancel at a temperature of -23 and for urban -16.6. For juniors and seniors it is -22 and -25.6 and below. Most of the schools have 11 years of education. While SAT is required to get into the U.S. universities, Ulttyk Biringay Testileu (National Unifies Testing) is a test you have to complete to get into Kazakhstan universities.  

Charleston High School Clubs Survey  

Students were asked about the clubs they wish to have at CHS. The purpose of the survey was to determine students’ interests and, according to that information, find out the way to support their interests by providing new clubs. The most desired club was book club. 20% of all participants said that they want a book club where they could discuss books they read and share their experience. I talked to Mrs. Runyon, our librarian, and she said, “It’s certainly something I’d be willing to do but it would need to wait until next school year.” Another 20% said that they wish CHS had chess club. CHS used to have chess team, but the sponsor was a community member and it ended with the covid shut down. Currently, there is always a crowd of students playing chess in the library during lunch. Maybe it’s time to make it more official. The third most requested club by 12.5% of students is connected with food: baking club, cooking club, or food critic club, where students could try food and share their thoughts about it. Other clubs mentioned were crafting club, foreign language club, study group. Each one of these clubs had one vote: music improvisation, cat club, business club, sign language club, debate club, calligraphy club, song writers club, politics club, sports watching club, UNO club, FCS club, badminton club, fencing club.  

Rural and city areas  

I’m used to living in a large city with 300000 people in Kazakhstan. When I came to the U.S. as an exchange student, I was placed in a village with barely 600 people. There was nothing but Dollar General. Then, I was moved to Charleston, and I would like to tell about differences between city and rural areas. First, you know everybody in your town. I’ve seen my teachers in Walmart even if I don’t go there every day. However, I don’t remember if I have ever seen my teachers in the store in Kazakhstan. Second, I really miss public transportation. In my city I could go anywhere and I didn’t have to have a car for it. Third, in large cities everyone always hurries somewhere, but in rural areas people are more relaxed. Also, the air is fresher because Charleston doesn’t produce lots of polluion as my city Semey does.  

I asked Tun, an exchange student from Thailand, about her city. She lives in Bangkok, which is a city with over 10 million people! What are the differences between Charleston and Bangkok? She said “My city is absolutely much bigger and denser than Charleston because it is a capital city. We have many convenience stores to shop at. We also have a public transportation like bus, motorcycle, skytrain and subway. What would you like to have in Charleston? She said “I would like to have public transportation here. Because I can go somewhere in town much more easier, and I don’t have to ask someone to give me a ride, too.” Do you like city or rural areas better? She said: “I really like peaceful and quiet, so, I prefer rural areas more. And from my experience living in the city, it’s good to have many facilities around, but there is way too much to think about: timing, traffic, pollution, etc.” 

First CHS Softball Game 

By: Avery Beals 

Charleston High School Softball held their first game at home on Monday, March 20th, against Villa Grove High School. The game was rescheduled from a few days before. They were supposed to play Villa Grove in a tournament on Saturday, March 18th, but it got canceled due to cold weather.  The game got off to a slow start, still tied at 0 after the first inning. But it didn’t take long for the CHS girls to pull ahead. They held Villa Grove at 0 and scored 6 in the second inning. The inning was highlighted by a 2-out grand slam from senior Kailyn Wilson. They had another big inning in the third, scoring 9 and allowing 0. Senior Karah Moore pitched the complete game allowing 1 hit and striking out 4. The game came to a close in the fourth inning with a final score of 17-2 and a Trojan victory to start off the season. Karah Moore said, “It has been fun. I love playing with all of the girls and our energy was overwhelming on Monday. I hope for the team that we can continue to build off of that performance.” 

CHS has a strong softball team this year. After a disappointing post-season last year, the girls are working hard to come back better than ever. The first game was a good opportunity for the team to get an idea of what to expect this season. Kailyn Wilson said, “The energy has felt really good being back on the field. From cheering and being loud in the dugout to having good at bats.” The main focus of the team seems to be having good energy and playing together as a team. Moore explained, “I want to focus this season on encouraging the team to have energy every game. Last year we had issues where we would have zero energy and it would lead to us playing badly. I hope this year we can minimize the amount of those days.” The girls know that in order to be successful they have to be good teammates. The team makes an effort to play as more than just a group of individual athletes and it definitely shows through in their performance. Wilson said, “My ultimate goal for the team is that we focus on being a family. Things will get rough, and we will have our bad days, but family pick each other back up.”

Nauryz – one of the oldest holidays on earth   by Aya Kaliyeva (March 20, 2023)

Nauryz is an important holiday for Kazakhs, which marks the beginning of a new year. Even if we celebrate New Year, Nauryz is something really special for us. It is celebrated several days starting from 21st of March, the day of the spring equinox. My dad and I are used to go the square on 22nd of March. Our last time on Nauryz was really interesting. When we cane t the square, we saw many food courts. There were all sorts of things: barbeque, baursak (tastes like a donut with no glaze), kymyz which is basically a horse milk and Nauryz kozhe. Nauryz kozhe is a traditional dish. Nauryz kozhe is a Kazakh drink of milk, horse meat, salt, kashk and grains. On Nauryz, Kazakh start the new year with this drink for good luck because it is considered a symbol of wealth and richness in the coming year. Then, we went to a concert, where people in national costum danced and sang. My dad and I love watching Kazakh games like lifting an alive lamb. The lamb is awarded to the one who lifts it higher than the others. Then we went to the food court and waited to get food for a long time since there were so many people. Nauryz is one of the holidays I really enjoy. Nauryz means ‘new day’, it is celebrated in the Great Steppes from ancient times. Nauryz symbolizes goodness and wealth, happiness and love and a great friendship day, since this holiday is common for many nations. During Nauryz celebrations, past offences are forgiven and forgotten and everybody makes a wish to leave all badness behind and bring renewal in the New Year. I love celebrating Nauryz and can’t wait to go to the square next year!  

Future Leaders Exchange  Program by Aya Kaliyeva (March 20, 2023)

Future Leaders Exchange is a scholarship student exchange program administered by the U.S. Department of State through funding from the Freedom Support Act. It’s for short called FLEX. FLEX is a highly competitive, merit-based scholarship program funded by the U.S. Department of State that operates in Armenia, Azerbaijan, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. Over 35,000 students compete annually in multiple rounds of testing to earn a FLEX scholarship, which provides for them to spend an academic year in the United States living with a volunteer host family and attending a U.S. high school. This year, the program started sending students from the U.S. to Kazakhstan, Georgia and Poland. Every U.S. citizen age 15 to 18 can apply to the program for free. If you get into the program, you will have a chance to go any of those countries absolutely for free and spend a year in High School. When I applied to the program on September 2021, I was 14. I completed the first and second round, where I had to write three essays and did my English test. Then, I waited for the results until December. Coordinators from FLEX called me and said that I was a semi-finalist. The most complicated part started after that. In the third round I was interviewed by American Council staff, wrote three essays in 40 minutes, and my mom and I dealt with all the documents. Then, I waited until April. April 13th , 2022, I received a call, and they told me that I am a finalist. We went to a parents conference in our capital city and the American Council answered the questions we had. In July I had my pre-department orientation, and in August I flew to the U.S. I am so thankful for all the things that program gave me. I highly recommend all of you to go abroad because it an amazing thing to do. If you have an interest in that but think that it takes lots of money, you should try to apply for FLEX scholarship. More information is available at discoverflex.org. 

2023 National FFA Week 

By: LeeAnn Parker

2023 National FFA Week was Saturday, February 18th, to Friday, February 25th. National FFA Week is an annual holiday celebrated all around the nation. The week-long holiday celebrates agriculture and the impact the FFA has on members' everyday lives. The FFA Board of Trustees decided to create National FFA Week in July of 1947. It runs from Saturday to Sunday in the month of February, on the week of President George Washington's birthday, on February 22nd, 1732.  

 Charleston, Illinois FFA members came up with daily themes to celebrate throughout the week. School was not in attendance on Monday, but after that they held: Dress Like a Teacher Tuesday, Blue and Gold Wednesday, America Wear and Anything but a Backpack Thursday, and Dress Like a Farmer plus Bring a Tractor to School Friday. During FFA Week, plenty of students got involved in the activities.  

Multiple people participated dressing up as their favorite teacher. Including FFA Officer, Vice President Parker Pounds dressed up as our FFA Advisor Mr. Oakley. On Tuesday, not only did students dress like a teacher, but the FFA also held a lunch for the teachers. Multiple teachers stopped by the teachers’ lounge during their lunch period to eat some food prepared by the FFA Officers and Greenhand Officers. The teachers’ lunch was potluck themed, with meals including volcano dip, meatballs, chips and salsa, pulled pork/BBQ, chicken dip, veggie trays, muffins, and sweet tea.  

On Wednesday, for Blue and Gold wear, most students wore their Charleston FFA shirts and hoodies. Others wore blue or yellow shirts. At the end of the night, Charleston FFA held a dodgeball tournament in Baker Gym. The tournament was held at six o’clock in the in the evening with a large group of students who created teams for a double elimination tournament. The games ended around seven-thirty at night.  

On Thursday, for America Wear and Anything but a Backpack, some people wore red, white, and blue or American Flag t-shirts. Others participated in not bringing a backpack to class by carrying their school supplies with out of the ordinary objects. One student, Preston Pollard, brought a 5-gallon bucket to carry his supplies. 

On Friday, during Dress Like a Farmer and Bring a Tractor to School, several students brought their tractors to the Trojan A&M center parking lot. These students then drove their tractors in a parade around town past all the elementary school buildings. Lots of people around town came out to support the FFA Members. 

            Women’s History Month

By: Kaitlyn Gill

This month is March, and that means we should be celebrating Women’s History Month! Women’s History Month is a celebration of women’s contributions to history and our nation. Since March 1987 our country has observed Women’s History month annually.

                Women from our country and all over the world have achieved countless accomplishments that have impacted our history. Specifically, women from Illinois have made an impact. One example is Illinois’ current senator, Tammy Duckworth. When Duckworth’s helicopter was attacked while she was serving in Iraq, she lost both of her legs. In 2006, she was appointed head of the Illinois Department of Veterans’ Affairs. She was appointed assistant secretary of Veteran’s Affairs by Barack Obama three years later. She was voted to serve in Congress in 2012 and four years later was chosen to serve as a senator, becoming the first woman with a disability and the second Asian American woman to serve in the Senate.

                Another accomplished woman who was originally from Illinois was Jane Addams. American peace activist and founder of the settlement house movement, Jane Addams was one of the most notable of the first generation of college-educated women from Illinois. She chose a lifetime of service to the underprivileged and social reform over the ‘typical’ life meant for a woman to live. In 1889, Addams co-founded and moved into the Hull-House, which remained her residence for the rest of her life. Hull House was a settlement house, a place where educated women could share their knowledge and skills with immigrants and residents from the surrounding working-class communities.

                One more influential women from Illinois was Betty Friedan, a journalist, activist, and co-founder of the National Organization for Women. Friedan was a pioneer in the 1960s and 1970s women’s rights movement. Her best-selling book from 1963, The Feminine Mystique, helped mobilize a large public movement for gender equality by giving voice to the concerns of millions of American women frustrated by restrictive gender roles.

                This March, remember the women who have helped to write our history. And be sure to thank the women who are influential in your own life.

International Women's Day

By: Gracie Cowman

March 8th is International Women’s Day. This day is set aside to appreciate women all around the world, and to celebrate equality in all forms for women. That can be fighting for their rights, reinforcing key commitments, and about celebrating success and achievement. It was actually started by the Socialist Party in the United States in 1909 and was observed in New York, but it wasn’t until Clara Zetkin, a German feminist, pushed for it to be a holiday in 1910 that it really took off across Europe. It was celebrated in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland in 1911, and became an important day for pacifist protests during World War I. 

Here are some women who made an impact trying to inch towards women equality: Sojourner Truth who fought for gender and racial equality; Susan B. Anthony who was a powerful social activist; Simone de Beauvoir who opened the way for modern feminism; and Audre Lorde who was a revolutionary poet and feminist. These wonderful, brave, and powerful women, and many others, should be recognized and appreciated. It took a lot to get where we are now, and it was not easy. 

One way to celebrate International Women’s Day is to donate and fundraise to female- focused charities such as Girl Scouts & The World Association of Girl Guides, Catalyst, Dress for Success, Womenkind Worldwide, and so many more. 

A lot of this information can be found at this website, you can also click on it to learn more!                                                  https://www.internationalwomensday.com/About 

Boys' Track and Field

By: Hayden Bradford

Boy’s Track and Field officially started with the first meet of the year taking place last Saturday on 3/4/22. The first meet was held indoors at the EIU indoor track. The team was very excited to come out and compete but there were also a lot of nerves with everyone. Multiple relays and runners placed first in their respective events. This was a good beginning to the year and to show everyone where they started. When freshman Tyler Oakley was asked how he felt about his first high school meet he said, “I feel like it got all the nerves out and it showed me where I’m at, so next meet it can go out and compete and not have the nerves or first-time jitters in the way, I can just focus on running my race.” 

Practice has also been in full swing at the track every day after school with the team working hard every day to get better. The next track meet is on Saturday 3/11/22. With everyone having run in a meet already this year most of the nerves of competing for the first time in the year will be gone. Everyone is much less nervous about it and more excited to compete. The team is very dedicated and wants to work hard, which will make for a much better team. Along with coach Koebele who pushes all the athletes to be the absolute best they can be, the track team has a bright season ahead of them. 

International Concert

By: Ayazhan Kaliyeva

On February 23, 2023, an international concert took place in Swickard Auditorium. There were performances by Concert Choir, Advanced Chorus, international students, and Band students. “The Star-Spangled Banner”, “Spanish Dance No. 5: Andaluza, “Shalom: Two Hebrew Folk Songs”, and “Neapolitan Folk Song” were four compositions done by band students. All four of them were excellent, and John Wengerski, the director of bands, and the students did a fantastic job! Following that, international students showcased their nations. I, Ayazhan Kaliyeva, and Tunchanok Sonthisawat, an exchange student from Thailand, spoke about our experiences. Afterwards, Michael Heise, a host father, and Ambrie Zanton, CHS exchange student to Thailand in 2023–2024, discussed their perspectives on exchanging and hosting. German song "Ein Hen Lein Weiss" was performed by Concert Choir as its opening number. "Shoshone Love" was the next beautiful song they sung. Concert Choir girls then gave a performance of the lovely song "Ngam sang Duan," which Tunchanok Sonthisawat, a Thai exchange student, had taught them. When I asked her how she felt about the concert, Tun responded, " I feel so glad that I have a chance to talk about my experience and to encourage people to get out from their comfort zone." I asked Elliot Bennett, a concert choir student, about his thoughts about the international concert “It felt pretty cool learning about different pronunciation and grammar.” As a foreign exchange student from Kazakhstan, I presented Abai Kunanbaiyev – a Kazakh poet and composer and then sang a graceful song called “Erkem ai” which is about a love from a parent to a child. Combined Bass Ensemble sang a song called “Son de Camaguey” and did an amazing job! After that Advanced Chorus students did “The Kerry Dance” and “J’entends le moulin” with a guest pianist Dr. Victor Cayres from Eastern Illinois University and gave a tremendous performance! I asked the opinion of an Advanced chorus student: “I really liked Concert Choir, and your performance was my favorite,” said Andrew Pearson. There were so many people in the concert and I think they all enjoyed it. Every single of those students and everyone who participated in creating this concert an incredible job! 

Boys’ Baseball Pre-Season 2023 

By: Blake Moore

Boys’ baseball is right around the corner and players are getting ready. The team started open gyms at the end of January and went through February. They had tryouts February 27th and 28th. Senior, Jacob Morrisey is a catcher for CHS varsity boys’ baseball. Jacob said, “The best part of playing baseball at CHS is getting to win games and play ball with my friends.” Some struggle Jacob faced in his high school baseball career was in his junior year he tore his UCL and had to recover from his injury. He knew that he wanted to play baseball at CHS after developing his love of the game. Playing in front of his community means a lot to him, especially for a team that has such a winning and deep tradition in baseball. Jacob has been playing baseball since he was 4- years old when he played T-ball. The JV and V boys will match up against our Mattoon rivals, on Saturday, April 1, 2023 in Mattoon. Another senior, Josh Sipes pitches and plays second base. Josh’s favorite part about playing baseball at CHS is getting to play sports with his closest friends every day. The toughest thing Josh has delt with has been the mental side of things on the field, “The toughest part of baseball is the mental side of the game. Baseball is a sport where even the greatest professionals fail more than they succeed when hitting. Succeeding four out of ten times will put you in the hall of fame. It’s important to not get caught up in all the stats and keep a good mental approach each and every game”.  Josh knows a lot about the game and how to have a good mindset about all of it just like Jacob. Both these young men play the game for the love of the game and because they enjoy it and enjoy playing with passion and the other senior players are William Applegate Eoin Dahllce, James Hess and Alec Sellers. Varsity has 30 games scheduled with first game on Friday March 17th at Westville high school and the first home game on Friday March 24th against Newton. JV has 27 games with the first being on March 20th at Champaign central and the first home game on Thursday March 23rd against Robinson, 2023 JV Both teams have a very good group this year. 

National Read Across America Week 

National Read Across America Week starts on March 2nd and ends on March 6th. It starts on March 2nd for Dr. Seuss’s birthday, and it is all about inspiring and encouraging children to read books. It is estimated that 45 million people in the U.S. cannot read above a 5th grade level according to Literacy Project Foundation – Believe – Dream – Soar. If you read just one book a day to your child, they will have read 1825 books by their 5th birthday. Read Across America week is trying to help with that issue by showing kids that reading is fun.  

The entire month of March is actually dedicated to reading. The National Education Association (NEA) works to encourage people to read and show us the benefits of reading, especially in children and young adults. The NEA started Read Across America in 1998 as an all-year program to spread excitement about reading.  

Reading benefits us in many ways according to Benefits of Reading Books: For Your Physical and Mental Health (healthline.com) Reading literally changes our brains by creating stronger complex networks in our brains. It helps us with our ability to empathize by showing us how to understand the feelings that others experience. It widens our vocabulary, which is very beneficial for writing essays or applications in the future. Reading also is a huge stress reducer. Reading for 30 minutes calms us down as much as doing yoga or watching a funny video would. Reading can also help alleviate depression. Most people with depression may feel lonely or isolated from everyone. Reading can help lessen those feelings and bring your mind somewhere else for a little while. Reading also helps with aging. Research shows that people who engage in mentally stimulating activities were less likely to develop dementia later in life.  

Not only does reading have endless benefits, it is also a wonderful way to pass time. Reading might not be for everyone, but it doesn’t hurt to maybe open that new book you bought or pick up where you left off on an old story. 

Lent 

Lent is a Catholic observance that is about the preparation before Easter. It is to reflect on Jesus Christ and the obstacles in His life before death and resurrection. Lent starts on Ash Wednesday, 6 weeks before Easter Sunday. This year, Lent started on February 22nd, and will end on April 8th. During these six weeks, people will think about themselves as believers and work on being better.  

Catholic or Christian believers who are working on their faith will usually either give up a bad habit that they do or fast. They may give up alcohol, sweets, spending money, junk food, swearing, etc. Some believers may not eat meat on Fridays either and usually eat fish instead. They also don’t eat meat on Ash Wednesday or Good Friday. This is a form of self-punishment or repentance from sinning. While many people choose to give up bad habits during lent, they may also work on forming good habits to strengthen their relationship with God.  

According to Learn Religions - Guide to the Beliefs and Religions of the World, Lent is chosen to be celebrated for 40 days because of the significance of 40 days in the Bible. These mentions of 40 days include the 40 days of the Israelites being in the wilderness and the temptation of Jesus after he spent 40 days fasting out in the wilderness. This also includes the flood where it poured for 40 days and 40 nights, when Moses fasted on the mountain for 40 days before God gave the 10 commandments, when the twelve spies when to explore Canaan for 40 days before Jesus gave Canaan to the Israelis, and when the prophet Elijah traveled for 40 days to the mountain of God in Sinai. Technically, Lent lasts for 46 days, but Sundays are not counted during Lent. Every Sunday is seen as a mini-Easter. 

Lent is celebrated differently in Christian religions. For Catholics, Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent and it is known as the Day of Ashes. The priest will mark a worshippers’ forehead, making a cross shape with ashes and many people keep it on their forehead for the entire day. In the Great Orthodox religion, preparations begin with the Great Lent. Instead of Ash Wednesday, Clean Monday marks the beginning of the 40 days and it includes Sundays. Clean Monday is a day seen as being cleansed from sins through the Lenten fast. Great Lent for the Greek Orthodox ends on Lazarus Saturday, which occurs eight days before Easter Sunday. Not all Christians observe Lent. 

Even if you don’t believe in certain religions, it is still nice to learn about them and know how other people live and celebrate their lives through whatever they believe in. Many people might not have known what Lent was about before reading this and I encourage you to learn about other religions. 

Strike Out Cancer Shirt Pre-Order 

By: Avery Beals (2/21/23)

 Charleston High School is hosting this year’s annual Strike Out Cancer softball game between Mattoon and Charleston. Each year both teams work together selling shirts to raise money for a certain individual to help them with their fight against cancer. This year the teams are supporting the Pedigo family. Mrs. Rhonda Pedigo has worked in the Charleton school district for 21 years as a nurse at Carl Sandburg.  

Kailyn Wilson, a Charleston senior softball player, is taking on lots of responsibility with this project. She has had the help of CHS business teacher, Mrs. Snoddy. Kailyn spoke about all the work that goes into a fundraiser like this. She has to make posts, keep track of orders, handle money, help make the shirts, and plan for distribution. Kailyn said, “It’s been stressful, but what’s helped me is just telling myself that I’m doing it for a good cause and someone who’s helped us in a lot of ways and someone who’s just an amazing person.” Her goal between Charleston and Mattoon is to sell 350 shirts, which would turn a profit of about $3,000 to give to the Pedigo family. 

The Charleston pre-order, payment, and donation forms are linked below. Charleston shirts will be black, and Mattoon is white. The deadline to pre-order is March 3rd. Shirts can be picked up at the school, the game, or you can order through a player and ask them to deliver it. Any extra shirts will be available for purchase at the game. All profits will go directly to the Pedigo family. Order one to support this great cause and we hope to see you at the game! 

Charleston Order Form: Charleston Strike Out Cancer T-Shirt Pre-Order Form (office.com) 

Charleston Payment Link: Charleston - Strike Out Cancer T-Shirt 2023 | CHS Industries (square.site) 

Donation Link: Donation - Strike Out Cancer 2023 | CHS Industries (square.site) 

CHS Teachers and High school Sports 

By: Blake Moore (2/21/23)

Mr. Hanner is a mathematics teacher at CHS he is also the assistant football coach here at CHS. Mr. Hanner played 4 years of high school football and 1 year of high school baseball. Mr. Hanner said he began playing baseball when he was 4 or 5 and he also started playing flag football in the 5th grade “I began playing baseball when I was 4 or 5.  I began playing flag football in 5th grade”. Mr. Hanner loved football from the get-go. He always thought that football was a sport where all kinds of different athletes can find a place to play. That’s what made Mr. Hanner want to play football. Mr. Hanner played football until his senior of high school. Mr. Hanner’s Dad was a big part of his football journey. He remembers playing catch with his dad or his dad teaching him to make a layup with his left hand. Mr. Hanner has been helping coaching football since 2003. He still loves the game and trying to help young men reach their potential. He is grateful to give back to the sport that gave him so many memories and so much fun.  

Another teacher who played high school sports is Mrs. Warman. Mrs. Warman was in the CHS color guard 1981-1985. She also did baton twirling and loved it. She participated in color guard all four years of high school and really enjoyed it. What drove Mrs. Warman to be in the color guard is that she wanted to be involved in a school event. She loved preforming at football games and band competitions. Mrs. Warman was the Winter and Fall color guard coach but is no longer involved with color guard at this time.  

Mrs. Hackett also played sports in high school. She was a cheerleader for all 4 years of high school, she also played basketball and volleyball. As soon as Mrs. Hackett could be involved in school sports, she was on it. Mrs. Hackett stated, “I wanted to play sports because I loved the team loyalty and that I was playing with some of my best friends”. Mrs. Hackett loved the team and their chemistry and how they worked together and some of her best friends from high school. Mrs. Hackett was inspired to play sports by her brother and his football and basketball teams. The teams made it all the way to regionals and all the way to state one year. She loved how the town rallied around the team and all the support. Mrs. Hackett’s greatest moment was when she got to serve the whole volleyball game and the score ended in a 15-0 deficit. Mrs. Hackett is no longer involved in any of the sports she played in high school.  

CHS Teachers and College Sports  

Lots of our CHS teachers were very talented athletes and some even went on to play in college. For example, Mrs. Doughty swam at Eastern Illinois University (EIU), on a scholarship. Mrs. Doughty said, “When I was a sophomore in high school, I started to get recruitment calls. Sports wasn’t my first focus; I was more interested in college academics.” She is the head swimming coach of the Charleston swimming club. She also serves on the board and doe volunteer coaching when her schedule permits. Mrs. Doughty got involved in swimming at the age of 5 years old, and joined her first swim team during that time. Her swimming lessons teacher told her parents it would be a good idea to put her in summer swimming league because of how good of a swimmer she was. She continued to stay in the league until the age of 12. Then she joined the year-round program on a scholarship to EIU.  

Another teacher who played college sports is Mr. Payne. In fourth grade, Mr. Payne wanted to start playing football because all his friends were playing, and he wanted to join them. He first started thinking about college sports his junior year, he thought there might be a chance he could play in college. He was a walk on at Missouri State, “When I went, it was called South West Missouri State but now it is just Missouri State,” Mr. Payne stated. He played one year before he injured his knee. He is still involved in football today. He was the coach during the 2022 football season for our Trojans. He just stepped down from his position. 

Mrs. Watson also played college sports. She went to a small Catholic grade school where everybody took part in sports. Mrs. Watson knew she wanted to play college sports when colleges started showing interest during her sophomore year. Mrs. Watson played at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee where she played Division 1 basketball for two years. She also went to North Central College, in Naperville Illinois, for two years. She used to coach when she got in the district. Now she enjoys keeping the score book for the CHS boys’ and girls’ basketball games and running the clock. She also coaches her son’s 2nd grade basketball team.  

Some more of our teachers here at CHS were and still are very talented athletes. They are great role models leading our students toward success. They were some of the best and they are trying to teach the best. 

EIU Care Game 

 CHS is partnering with EIU Women’s Basketball Team to raise funds for the 6th annual care game. The goal for the care game is to raise funds for local cancer patients.  It also aims to educate the community about early detection and prevention of cancer.  The care game will be taking place on Saturday February 4th with the tipoff being at 1pm. The student council and interact club have placed donation buckets in the media center and in the office for students and staff to donate money to help the care game cause. Donations for the care game are going to be closed on February 1st. 

 In previous years of the CHS care game the school has raised over 12,000 dollars in funds for the care game. CHS isn’t just the only school raising funds for the care game. All of the schools in the district are raising funds for the care game. Donations to the EIU care game will also be counted towards the class cup at CHS. 

E-Learning Days Vs. Snow Days

By: Sarah Bender

It’s the time of year when snow days pop up on the occasion. However, the growth of remote learning over the pandemic made people ask: are snow days necessary anymore? With virtual learning, students no longer need to worry about snow days cutting into their summer break.    

But you could argue that every child should be able to have the memory of snow days for the rest of their lives. Waking up in the morning to the tap of your mom, telling you school is canceled. Looking outside to see the white snow falling from the sky. Texting your friends to hang out because you’re so eager to dive into the white pillows of snow.   

Some schools have built in snow days which allow a school to get in the minimum number of hours or days. In the case that we have a snow day, the day missed would have to be added to the end of the year. The emergency days we have are May 26th-June 2nd. Rather than using one of those days, on January 25th, when school was closed for the weather, CHS instituted an E-Learning Day. When it comes to instituting a remote learning day, it will be announced prior to 8 o’clock the night before, teachers will add instructional materials and resources to Empower by 9:00am, and student attendance will be based on evidence of student participation, engagement, and task completion. 

While some students like Rayonna Weller thought that our day of E-Learning was, “good, and easy. It was just like doing homework,” most interviewed students did not participate and chose to look at it as a day off. Katana Tibbs even said that she and her brother went sledding instead of being there: “I don’t think people took it very seriously. There was snow everywhere!”  

Although E-Learning is a good method to stay on track, kids just cannot resist the opportunity to go out and play in the snow. 

National Hot Chocolate Day

By: Allison Gonzalez

National Hot Chocolate Day is celebrated every year on January 31st. Invented first by the Mayans around 2,500-3,000 years ago, hot chocolate has become a major drink in the world and a perfect way to warm up on a cold winter day.  

There are many ways to make hot chocolate, whether it be with water, milk, white chocolate, peppermint, gingerbread, etc. Some toppings for it include whipped cream, a candy cane, sprinkles, chocolate, caramel, or maple syrup, powdered peanut butter, chocolate chips, a scoop of ice cream, cinnamon, orange zest, frothed milk, and a million more toppings that would take up three more pages. The most common way to make it is by just heating up milk or water in the microwave and adding hot cocoa mix and marshmallows to a mug, but there is a large variety of recipes out there to make amazing hot chocolate. Next time you have a cup of hot chocolate, maybe try a new recipe! 

Hot chocolate is also proven to have many health benefits. Cocoa powder is a great source of iron and fiber, they have antioxidants that can reduce inflammation, cocoa can lower your risk for a heart attack, fight off Alzheimer's, and release endorphins that make you happier. Hot chocolate is not only a great way to warm up, but also gives wonderful health benefits! Celebrate National Hot Chocolate Day by drinking a cup of delicious hot chocolate on the 31st! 

Martin Luther King Jr.: Who was He? 

 1/19/23

Martin Luther King Jr. was born Michael Luther King, Jr. on January 15, 1929, and was raised in a middle-class family immersed in Southern Black ministry.  Both his father and grandfather were Baptist preachers. His parents had both attended college and King was well-educated. Although he was well-educated, King still encountered the prejudices that were prevalent at the time in the South. He stated that he would never forget the time when one of his white friends told him that his parents would no longer allow him to play with King because the pair was now attending segregated schools.  

At the age of 15, King enrolled at Atlanta’s Morehouse College as part of a special wartime program designed to increase enrollment by accepting deserving high school students. However, before starting college King spent the summer in Connecticut working on a tobacco farm. It was his first significant experience living outside of the segregated South. He was astounded at how harmoniously people of different races coexisted in the North. King’s resentment of racial segregation only grew as a result of his summertime in the North.  

During his time at Morehouse, King studied law and medicine but in his final year he decided to follow his father’s advice and go into the ministry. He graduated from Morehouse in 1948. King spent the following three years studying at Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania. In 1951, he graduated with a Bachelor of Divinity degree. After leaving Crozer, King enrolled at Boston University where he earned a doctorate in 1955.  

While he was in Boston, King met Coretta Scott who was attending the New England Conservatory of Music. Four children were born to them after their wedding in 1953. King was a pastor at a church in Montgomery, Alabama when Rosa Parks was arrested there for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white person. After this King decided to challenge racial segregation on Montgomery’s public bus system. To do this, activists established the Montgomery Improvement Association and named King as their leader.  

King and his family faced many threats but eventually succeeded in desegregating the Montgomery bus system. After this King got to work forming the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which offered him a base of operations and a national platform to share his ideas about civil rights more widely. King gave speeches across the nation and engaged in discussions about racial issues with international religious and civil rights leaders. He grew more convinced that nonviolent resistance was the most effective tool for oppressed people in their struggle for freedom. In 1960 King and his family relocated to Atlanta, where he co-pastored the Ebenezer Baptist church with his father. In October of that year, he was arrested with 33 young people for protesting segregation at the lunch counter in an Atlanta Department store.  

The height of King’s influence was between 1960 and 1965. King quickly attracted the attention of the news media with his determination and message of social change. His well-publicized active nonviolent tactics inspired many African Americans and liberal whites across the nation, as well as the support of Presidents Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson.  King was arrested again in 1963 in Birmingham, Alabama during a protest to end segregation at lunch counters and in hiring practices.  While imprisoned in the Birmingham jail, King wrote the famous Letter from the Birmingham Jail, outlining his nonviolent ideology. Shortly after Birmingham, King joined other civil rights leaders in organizing the historic March on Washington. On August 28, 1963, almost 200,000 people of all races peacefully congregated at the Lincoln Memorial to demand equal justice for all people before the law. Here, King delivered his famous “I Have a Dream” speech. As King had hoped, the rising tide of civil rights activism had a significant impact on public opinion and led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. King received the Nobel Peace Prize in December of that year. 

Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee.  Scholars point out that his impact on the American Civil Rights Movement was so powerful because he was able to connect the hopes and goals of Black Americans to the broadly shared democratic ideals of freedom and liberty shared by all Americans. He was able to build support for the Civil Rights Movement among a wide swath of the population by focusing on nonviolent cooperation of all people, regardless of color or creed. 

Welcome new teacher Ms. Mckee!

1/19/23

Ms. Kathryn McKee is a new staff member this semester at Charleston High School. She attended and graduated from this high school as a teenager, class of 2007. Some of the teachers that work at CHS today she also had as a student, “Some of which still intimidate me when I see them in the halls,” Ms. McKee said in this interview. 

After high school, she went on to work full time at CCAR Industries until 2017. Then she decided to attend college at Lake Land majorin g in special education. Eventually, she transferred to EIU. The decision to attend college after ten years came from her work with the kids at CCAR Industries. She really enjoyed working with them, and to her “it seemed like the logical next move.” 

At the present time working as a math teacher, Ms. McKee teaches two sections of algebra 1, one section of geometry, one section of transitional algebra, and one section of pre-algebra. Math has always been her favorite subject and, she loves doing it.  

She was a student teacher in Charleston school district last semester. On the first day of the second semester, she started as a teacher. Ms. McKee has said that she loves it here and so far, she has enjoyed getting to know her students. A lot of them she knew from student teaching last semester, but about half of them she didn’t know until a couple of weeks ago. They have been reviewing what they learned last semester when she wasn’t here and she has just been getting to know them, her favorite part about teaching so far.  

Martin Luther King Jr. Day Celebrations  

1/17/23

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is celebrated around the world. MLK day became a federal holiday in 1983 and was first observed in 1986. MLK day has been celebrated for years but not all the states picked up on the holiday right away. All around the world this special day is celebrated to remember Martin Luther King Jr., Some have parades and festivals, schools are taking the day off and having no student attendance. In Champaign, IL They celebrate by starting off with the Martin Luther King Jr. Annual Unity Breakfast on Monday, January 16 from 8:30- 9:30 at the Vineyard Church. After that in Normal, IL Normal Public Library is hoisting a Celebrate MLK Day on January 16, from 10:00- 10:30, where There will be stories about Mr. King with games and bubbles and all are welcome. Then in Peoria, IL at the Peoria Civic Center they will be having there 31st Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Luncheon on Monday, January 16th. They will have there guest speaker who is a Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. Tickets are $60 per person and tables of 10 are $600 and can be purchased on their website www.mlkluncheon.com . You can also purchase tickets at Peoria City Hall, Room 401. MLK day isn’t about getting a day off school or getting to chill out on a day off and hang with friends, its about getting to celebrate and honor and amazing human being who did so much for our country and civil rights. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a husband, father, preacher and civil rights activist who wanted nothing more then peace, balance and equal respect for all of man. The work that Dr. King did changed our world and that is why we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. day. 

World Religion Day 

1/17/23

celebrated on January 15th, World Religion Day is a day where people all over the world with different beliefs have a reminder for the needed harmony and understanding between each other. This day takes place every year on the third Sunday of January. With there being over 4,000 religions, everyone needs recognition, to show respect and be respected, and for everyone to embrace what they believe in. 

World Religion Day began in Maine in the United States for a day of World Peace. It became World Religion in October as of 1947. The event started being celebrated in other places in 1949. And around the United States by 1950. The Spiritual Assembly of the Bahai Faith who are the ones who started this day, and it has become popular and well known throughout the world. We all need to remember to not treat anyone differently based on what they believe, we need to respect others, and to treat each other how you want to be treated. Here at Charleston High School, we have a variety of students who have different religions, and we try to make everyone feel as welcome as possible. We encourage our students to do so as well.