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McHenry High School's student-written and -edited newspaper

The McHenry Messenger

McHenry High School's student-written and -edited newspaper

The McHenry Messenger

McHenry High School's student-written and -edited newspaper

The McHenry Messenger

Tesla, SpaceX and X CEO Elon Musk gestures while speaking during an inauguration event at Capital One Arena on Jan. 20, 2025, in Washington, DC. Donald Trump takes office for his second term as the 47th president of the United States.

Heil Tesla

Afton Ingraffia, Features Editor February 4, 2025

On Jan. 20 at the post-inauguration rally during Elon Musk’s speech celebrating the inauguration of Donald Trump, Musk performed an arm gesture that looked to be a Nazi salute, and he is now facing scrutiny...

As time passes along so does teaching, books are now being turned online.

Opinion | Reimagine Education

Eliot Raymond, Staff Writer January 31, 2025

The American public education system as we know it, has been around for well over 200 years. However, the traditional schooling model has remained unchanged, with around 20 to 30 students packed into a...

Students and teachers alike enjoy drinks that will give them that nice caffeine kick. But how much caffiene is too much, and are companies putting too much of it in drinks?

Opinion | Energy drinks lead to an early grave

Aika Villa, Page Designer January 29, 2025

There are many energy drinks that contain an insane amount of caffeine, there is a total of 30% or more kids and teens between the ages of 12 and 17 that consume energy drinks according to CBS news. The...

Some students find that they may get more or less work done flexing outside of the classroom.

Opinion | Flexing is good for students

Mason Sites, Staff Writer January 24, 2025

The noisy setting of a classroom can be detrimental to a high school student’s ability to learn efficiently. The combination of peer conversations and friends wanting to start conversations instead of...

With the ACT just around the corner, students are extra stressed trying to get a better score than the person next to them.

Opinion: Students shouldn’t compare grades

Aubrey Butler, Staff Writer January 16, 2025

There is a nervous buzz in the air as AIM teachers begin passing out PreACT scores at MCHS. After students have a chance to analyze their scores, classrooms become full of talk about the test. By the end...

Children are escorted from a church next to the Abundant Life Christian School on Dec. 16, 2024, in Madison, Wisconsin. According to reports, a student and teacher were shot and killed at the school earlier today, and the suspected shooter was found dead at the scene.

Opinion | Common crime, uncommon criminal

Gabe Santos, Opinions editor December 20, 2024

In a country where school shootings are much too common, it is likewise far too common to see another one, like December 16ths shooting in Madison, Wisconsin, pop up in the news and then quickly get swept...

Christmas spirit seems to be lower than usually here at MCHS

Opinion | How MCHS stole Christmas

Brynn Kostelnik, Copy Editor December 18, 2024

A junior sits in the silence of their classroom during her third final exam of the day, already burned out, she starts to reminisce about a time when the week before winter break meant cozy pjs, candy...

Two Peas in a Problem | Never enough time

Two Peas in a Problem | Never enough time

Olivia Smith and Brynn Kostelnik December 17, 2024

“I’m feeling really overwhelmed with my schoolwork and extracurricular activities. It seems like there’s never enough time in the day to get everything done, and I’m starting to feel really stressed...

The phone ban that the school recently got put into place has students more unattached to the lessons in class than we thought.

Opinion | Phone bans in schools works

Brooklyn Kuhl, Freshmen Contributor December 13, 2024

Summer school 2024 was when MCHS was starting to experiment with the phone ban. When my summer school teacher said to us that no phones were allowed in class, even when we finished our work, I got really...

Students have had a hard time getting on time and prepared for school during this 2024-2025 school year.

Opinion | Just show up

Afton Ingraffia, Features Editor December 11, 2024

A student wakes up on a dreaded Monday morning and decides they're too tired to go to school. They tell their parents and promptly go back to sleep. That same student wakes up to police cars outside talking...

The internet is full of hot takes about no longer wanting to talk to the other side of the political spectrum — especially as  the holidays approach. But cutting ties because of politics is a mistake that could only divide the country further.

Opinion | Politics shouldn’t tarnish relationships

Michalina Sotka, Print Managing Editor December 6, 2024

As of this year’s election, the issue of whether or not political opinions should affect relationships has come into question for lots of people. Whether people had voted red or blue on Nov. 5, people...

Bandanas have been a fashion piece to many people. Some use it as an accessory, others may use it to hold their hair back.

Opinion | Students should be able to wear bandanas at school

Grace Bellavia, Staff Writer December 3, 2024

Wearing bandanas is becoming a trend with the rise of "street wear" in the mainstream media. It is a fun way to style yourself if you don't want to wear a hat but also don't want your hair in your face,...

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