There really is no place like home

By Tarah Catalano
Reporter

I’ll never forget the day. It was cold, just about to snow, and my m om made my boyfriend Josh go home early for no apparent reason. Being typical Tarah, I got mad at her but little did I know that would be the least of my worries.

On Feb. 17, I found out I was moving halfway across the country to South Carolina, right before my senior year. I sobbed, I screamed, I ran out of the room, I thought I was going to collapse from the shock. I hated my parents. All I could think was ‘no, this isn’t happening.’

I called Josh and my mom called my best friend Lindsay. Lindsay and I sat and cried while Josh tried his best to comfort me. Though the loving words and friendly promises were cherished, nothing would help.

The next three weeks were the worst of all. Some days I was up, trying to forget about the heartbreak; other days I was down. Way down. I remember day after day coming home from school just to cuddle with my pillow and cry.

Once the word got out at school, ‘I’m so sorry’ got old real quick. People would tell me how I could be whoever I wanted to be in a new town, but hearing that just made me even more sad. I like who I am and I don’t want to change that. I didn’t want people to pity me; I just wanted to make my last year at Kaneland the best.

Now every time I drive through Elburn I think of the old memories that grew here. Elburn’s my home. I remember back in the day when the get-away spot was Lion’s Park to play sand-toucher with all the neighbors, riding bikes up to Alice’s Place (one of my oh-so favorites), and walking up to Gliddon’s Drug Store to get handfuls of candy.

I’d have to say my favorite part about growing up in Elburn was playing sports. I played Elburn basketball and softball from first through eighth grade. It’s where I met the majority of my middle school friends. I used to love baseball and softball season kick-off days at Lion’s ark every spring where we’d play ball for hours on end.

And of course, I could never forget Elburn Basketball’s All-Star Spectacular. To this day I can still brag about my unforgettable buzzer shot to win the championship back in the seventh grade.

Elburn is a big part of my whole family’s lives. My mom owned her own flower shop, my dad was the president of Elburn baseball and softball, and we kids, well, we loved the perks of living my Lion’s Club. Every Fourth of July, we have the perfect view of the tremendous fireworks from my house. Not to mention, I only have to walk 30 feet and I’m at ‘A Day in the Park.’ And even though I’m 17, it still breaks a little piece of my heart to know that my last Elburn Days was rained out.

Living in Elburn also led me to one of my favorite places around. Kaneland. I know what you’re thinking: ‘why in the world would school be one of her favorite places?’ I’m not crazy; I’m just proud to be a Knight. A part of me always loved the small town feel, like you see in the movies, at every football game and the fact that everybody knows everybody. It’s what makes KHS a home.

Kaneland is where I grew up and is what I’ll miss the most. I’m not that naive to think that I’ll hold on to all the friends I’ve made through middle and high school forever, but I don’t regret meeting any one of them. Whether they know it or not, each person has changed me into the person I am today.

I still get a little emotional when I think about moving away. I think about being hundreds of miles away from Josh, I think about all the fun things my friends will do without me during their senior year, and I think about stepping away from everything that’s warm and familiar to me.

Here is where I stepped into a classroom for the first time, where I hit my first triple, where I made my first true friends, where I got my first job, and where I met my first love. It’s a place that I will never forget.

As painful as it is, when I think more and act a little more mature about the situation, I realize that my parents aren’t trying to hurt me. My dad got a promotion and there was nothing they could do. I realized that my harsh words to my parents and in my thoughts weren’t going to make the move any easier.

Most of all, I’ve learned that a part of growing up is letting go. I suppose I just wasn’t ready to let go of some of the friends who let go of me first once they found out I was moving. This hurt, but in return, I’ll treasure the ones who will be there. The ones who laughed and cried with me through thick and thin. And trust me, this is a thick one.

So I guess all there is left for me now is just to hope. Hope the new opportunities in South Carolina are great, hope my friends stay in touch, and hope to God my parents let me fly back up every month.

I also hope that I can leave my mark. I know I’m just your average, ordinary teenage girl. I’m not first in my class or the star point guard, but I still wonder: did I make an impact on Kaneland? Will I be remembered?

And–I still ask myself, why me? I got that answer through a friend. She told me that the world doesn’t through the tough stuff at people who can’t handle it.

Maybe moving isn’t the end of the world, but I don’t think I’ll ever forget those words. Just like I’ll never forget my home. Elburn is the place I’ll always find myself coming back to, as cheesy as it sound. The memories and adventures I’ve experienced while living here will carry on forever. I don’t think I could have asked for a better place to grow up.

The presidential race and the media

By JC Gillett
Reporter

When the TV turns on, it’s there, it’s also on the front page of every major newspaper. These targeted audiences may already know what I’m talking about; the presidential raceis the biggest thing being covered in the media to date, and it’s not getting any younger.

“Getting information out early is good but only publishing bad things will push people away,” Senior Jackie Smith said.

There is just too much media coverage for the news today. It seems when a big or major event happens in Chicago, there’s over four helicopters from different news stations hovering over the top, along with reporters from every newspaper on the scene.

“I think that the news organizations are too big and have too much time to kill. They just flood things to death. There is too much media for the news,” Wiley Overly, Elburn resident, said.

Sitting around for four hours on end watching the same news channel cover what this political aide said, or who did what, left me wondering: what would happen if the media ran the presidential race so much that people got burned out? And-when voting time came around, people didn’t vote because they had already had enough of the elections for the year?

“I think that the people determined to will vote, but the ones who are not too involved will get pushed away,” Don Christensen, Elburn resident, said.

There are only six democratic primaries this election.

“It is still a close race, but Obama has the advantage,” Scott Parillo, government teacher, said.

The real candidate debate

By Liz Hylland
Reporter

It seems as if a person can’t turn on a TV, look through the mail, or simply drive down the street a few blocks without seeing something telling someone why they should or shouldn’t vote for someone.

The people running for a position need to realize that cramming criticism down our throats is just going to make them look worse,  the person they are trying to disapprove of.

“I don’t like to watch it, it makes me dislike the whole campaigning, I think they can stop talking about each other and focus on what they do to help our country,” senior Haley Balluf said.

The seamy campaigns used in the presidential race are setting a horrible example for children. When kids see candidates and the bickering between them, people may get mixed signals on what the right thing to do is and what is acceptable in the world today.

“They put down one candidate while raising another because they’re desperate for votes and will do whatever they have to, to get them,” Jonathan Bush, history teacher, said.

Candidates don’t realize the continuing effects of back and fourth fighting amongst themselves will be seen as bullying each other and it will hurt them in the long run. Since when is putting people down just to make yourself look better setting a good example It never is or was.

“I think its typical compared to other candidates to say bad things and bash others to prove their platform is best,” Scott Parillo, government teacher, said.

The TV has been a quick and efficient way to get ideas out to the world for many decades so, why do we take this source for granted and use TV to point fingers between presidential candidates?

There are so many other events happening worldwide that one day might or already may be affecting millions of people that need our attention.

It seems as if we have time to repeat the presidential candidates platforms but we don’t have the extra few minutes to review these issues.

If we took half the time we used to blame others for the problems in the world today as we did trying to make them better, the problems may already be solved.

Support groups raise money to get the world out about their candidate, whether its by buying signs or even commercial time. Why not take some of that money and donate it to a few of the charities everyone says they are so concerned about? I think that a few less signs or one less commercial wont hurt the candidate they much if they truly are the best.

“They should try to be as honest as possible, passionate for what they believe in, strong work ethic and good strategy,” Parillo said.

The world and all of its contents will never be perfect, and neither will the elections, debates and startegies that go along with it. So, if you ever decide you should run for a position, no matter what it may be, don’t just think of how you can win, but also how other people and the world can too.