Volume 5, Issue 14

History through her eyes

Women’s history month reminds us all of the many powerful women that got us to where we are today

As March rolls in, people all over the country celebrate being a woman The United States is the only country to celebrate women’s history for a whole month, so here are some of the important women from our history

In 1980, Jimmy Carter became the first president to declare Women’s History Week to align with International Women’s Day on March 8th A year later, Congress federally recognized Women’s History Week with a Joint Resolution, Public Law 97-28 Then, in 1987, Congress passed Public Law 100-9 to extend the celebration to the whole month of March and requested all U S presidents make an annual declaration These declarations to celebrate Women’s History Month have occurred every year since 1995

“Women s History Month is important because it honors the contributions and achievements of an historically underappreciated and underrepresented group in the United States,” said social science teacher, Jennifer Lech “It honors all of those who paved the way for women today and struggled for equality in the hopes that women today would not have to fight as hard ”

The first big step for women happened at the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, where Elizabeth Cady Stanton, a women’s rights and anti-slavery activist, led women and men in a discussion of the problem of women’s rights Here is where Stanton issued “The Declaration of Sentiments” which expanded on the Declaration of Independence by adding the word “women” throughout Stanton eventually

worked with activist Susan B Anthony to fund the National Woman's Suffrage Association (NWSA) Anthony was later arrested for voting in 1872 and had to pay a fine, which helped gain awareness for women’s rights Then, in 1888, she merged the two largest suffrage associations to form the National American Women’s Suffrage Association

Women took to the skies when Amelia Airheart became the first female to cross the Atlantic solo by plane in 1932 She not only helped improve the acceptance of aviation in general, but she was also responsible for paving the way for women in flight all over the world She became a symbol to young women of what they could become and how high they can go She then taught at Purdue University where she helped the next generation of female pilots reach new heights Rosie the Riveter is a cultural icon that any American should be able to recognize She represented the women entering the workforce during World War II, while the men went off to fight in the war Rosie the riveter in the picture of women's power and patriotism While not a real person, she embodies the many housewife turned working women who looked at the infamous poster, after it was published in 1943, and went to work Which, in turns, will start a movement of women wanting to work, even after the war is over For the first time ever, the U S workforce was dominated by women Just as women have been involved in many different things throughout U S history, the civil rights movement is no different One of the most well known female civil rights activists is Rosa Parks, who pioneered the Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 by refusing to give up her seat to a white male But, a lesser known face in

A teacher, hearing a knock on the door, goes to open it She’s forgotten what day it is, but is very pleasantly surprised to see the treat trolley and students waiting for her It’s Friday and her AIM is curious as to who is at the door The teacher purchases her snacks from the students, and is happy with her Doritos and soda

The treat trolley is a program run in MCHS’s adjusted learning program, to

help the students to build social and job-related skills, as well as a fun way for students to incorporate this into their classwork

“Students had to write resumes, fill out job applications, and interview for their Treat Trolley positions,” says special educator, Rachel Hanson “While ‘at work,’ the students track inventory, stock products, count money and practice a slew of soft skills necessary for finding and maintaining employment ”

The students who participate love

the civil rights movement is Claudette Colvin Colvin was only fifteen years old when she was arrested for refusing to give up her seat just ten months prior to Rosa Parks Both women helped lead to the Supreme Court case that desegregated public transportation, and brought the U S one step closer to equal rights

As for women’s reproductive rights, the fight has been a long one and continues to rage on Margaret Sanger led the birth control movement in the United States beginning in 1914 that advocated for women’s rights and availability of contraceptives She was also responsible for opening the first birth control clinic, later known as Planned Parenthood, which has helped many people understand reproductive health and receive help Then, in 1969, Norma McCorvey, or “Jane Roe”, was denied an abortion because her life was not at risk During the landslide Roe v Wade hearing, McCorvey and her lawyers argued their case in front of an all male supreme court, saying that the 14th Amendment in the Constitution protects the right to choose to end a pregnancy prior to viability This case protected the reproductive rights of women for almost 50 years before it was overturned in 2021 In politics, there has been a long list of

MCHS’s

women to be the first, a long list of women to make history, and a long list of women that are great role models While women did not have any real roles in the government until 1917, that did not stop women from trying Victoria Woodhull made history when she became the first woman to run for president in 1872, while she was under the 35 year age requirement and her campaign was not taken seriously, she sent a clear message about women’s rights Jeanette Rankins became the first woman elected to Congress in 1917, Sandra Day O’Connor was the first woman to serve as a Supreme Court Justice in 1981, and in 2016 Hillary Clinton became the first woman to represent a major party in a presidential election Most recently, in 2020, Kamala Harris became the first female and first AfricanAmerican vice president of the United States

While these names are just the tip of the iceberg in the ocean that is women’s history, they portray female presence in every corner of U S and world history While there is still a fight for equality happening, the month of March is dedicated to how far women have come and to show the importance of every woman that has fought to make a difference, past, present, and future

adjusted learning program runs the Treat Trolley to help students develop skills and have a good time doing it

taking part in the trolley They have fun while also building more and more skills that will help not only in the future, but also in the present

“My favorite part,” says Kambrie Voltaire, a freshman at MCHS, “is getting to see and interact with other students, teachers, and classrooms ”

“My favorite part is selling items, and my favorite treat to sell is cookies,” says Sara Ostrander, a senior at MCHS “I also really liked doing inventory for the trolley ”

“My favorite part was doing inventory and math for the trolley,” says Roland Ostrander, a junior at MCHS “I really liked selling sodas like root beer ”

Some teachers are regular customers at the Friday treat trolley, with many enjoying seeing the students grow throughout the year

“I love the treat trolley,” says Social Science Division Chair, Sean Sterner “The adjusted learning students do a tremendous job of serving us each week, and it's fun to see them grow in their skills throughout the year ”

“I love the treat trolley,” says Social

Science Division Chair, Sean Sterner “The adjusted learning students do a tremendous job of serving us each week, and it's fun to see them grow in their skills throughout the year ”

“My favorite part is being able to interact with the adjusted learning students,” says Sterner “It's impossible not to be lifted up by their positive energy and it's one of the highlights of my day each Friday ”

The trolley not only benefits the adjusted learning students, but MCHS as a whole

“The treat trolley is a huge benefit to MCHS,” says Sterner “We strive to be a school that values inclusion, and the treat trolley is one way to put action towards that value ”

The trolley helps students work with things like math and social skills

“I am very excited that our students have a meaningful opportunity to practice their skills while engaging with the school community,” says Hanson “It's also important for staff and students from all over the building to get to know our students ”

Though Freshman Campus Principal Eiserman has worn many hats at MCHS, his job remains supporting students and staff

The “Sunday Scaries” begin to set inside the Eiserman household Freshman Campus Principal Greg Eiserman has a lot on his plate this Sunday Night; plans for the week, plans for certain situations that may occur in the week, and so much more What can he do? What can help him overcome these feelings? Although these are all fair and important questions to ask, there is one important question that needs to be covered How did Eiserman get here?

Principal Eiserman has spent 25 years in the McHenry School District He has worked as an Assistant Principal at the Upper Campus, a Spanish teacher at Freshman Campus, and as of this school year, the principal of the Freshman Campus However, being a teacher or school admin was not always in the cards for Eiserman

So, with this new found love for teaching, Eiserman began to pursue his new career After studying abroad, he returned and applied to become a Spanish teacher at Western High School in Barry, Illinois Eiserman loved this experience! In fact, he even goes as far to describe this high school as a “phenomenal school” So, why leave?

Why did he come back to McHenry to teach?

“I studied abroad because I was a Spanish major,” Eiserman says “When I came back, I taught for one year at Western High School, which was a phenomenal school But, I was a musician and away from my band So, that was hard So, I came back to the McHenry area, McHenry High School had a Spanish teaching job, and the rest is history ”

After teaching Spanish for 19 years at McHenry Freshman Campus, Eiserman decided to become an administrator of Upper Campus This switch was not easy for him Eiserman has a profound love for teaching Spanish, stating that he would “love to go take a Spanish class for a week and just go back to teaching” and that teaching Spanish “brought him great joy” So, if teaching Spanish brought Eiserman so much joy, why change roles?

“But eventually, as for me, I kind of went through and I thought, ‘I think I can make more of an impact,’” Eiserman says “You know, teaching an elective Spanish class was great, but I felt I had more things to offer for staff and students You have a bigger impact, you know, as you become a part of administration You're making decisions that impact a lot of people and can really

help a lot of students So I think that's really what drove me into administration ”

As one window of opportunity opened, another one opened soon after for Eiserman The School Board decided to change East Campus into an allfreshman-campus With Upper Campus Principal Jeff Pricket already being occupied, it was time to find a principal for Freshman Campus

Now that MCHS is beyond halfway through the school year, students and other members of the MCHS community have had time to really get to know Eiserman With it being his first year as a high school principal, Eiserman has a lot of weight on his shoulders He experiences a lot of nervous emotions He may not know how the students and staff feel about him But, after sitting down with East Campus Main Office

Assistant Cristine Bunting, it is safe to say that there have been a lot of positive thoughts about how Eiserman has done in his first year as principal “It’s been great!” Bunting says after being asked how her experience has been working with Eiserman this year “He’s super easy to work with, he always has his staff and students' best interest, and he always tries really hard to make everybody happy ”

The “Sunday Scaries” are never an easy thing to overcome Eiserman experiences these nervous feelings every Sunday night and he still can’t get over them But, with the support from his fellow staff and the kind words from students who have come into contact with Eiserman this year, he can sleep peacefully at night knowing that he’s doing a pretty good job

The Stanley cup craze is just one in a series of cup trends. What makes this one different?

Class has begun and a student is walking to their class Everywhere they look they see Stanley cups Pink, Blue, Green, and Purple all around them A few months ago no one had these cups, no you can't take a turn down the hallway without seeing them

“The Stanley Cup Craze” has people doing unimaginable things for a cup! Different colored cups collectors go crazy waiting for a new cup to come out Everyone wants a Stanley

The Stanley cup is the most trending/popular cup currently, similar to when Hydroflasks were trending a few years ago People are waiting in line for a cup for hours, as well as altercations happening because of this craze going around Stanley cups have become something new collectors want to collect

“I honestly do think,” says Senior Aislinn Rodriguez, “that stanley's are just a trend right now ”

There have been situations like this before where there were popular cups that eventually stopped being so popular like Hydroflasks and Yeti cups

“I do think that they are currently trendy and will most likely be ‘out of trend’ eventually ” Says MCHS substitute Kayleigh Jensen, “I have already noticed Owala becoming the latest trendy water bottle, so Stanley might already be on the way out ”

When there is a new drop for a new

Stanley cup many resellers tend to wake up early, wait in line and not be considerate about the amount of people behind them that are also waiting “I don't think it is necessary to buy more than one cup," Rodriguez said, “even if the cup itself leaks as well It isn't the best cup so I definitely think it's only popular because of the design not its performance ”

Stanley had been suspected of having lead in their cups Stanley later confirmed it in January 2024 that they used lead in the manufacturing of the stanley cups Stanley was filed for a suit in February 2024 for having lead in their cups Stanley said in order for people to be exposed to the lead the cup must be damaged they also said “no lead is present on the surface of of any stanley product that comes into contact with the consumer nor the contents of the product”

“I personally haven't done much research,” says Senior Lupita Guzman, “on the lead lawsuit but I'm not worried about it,”

Although Stanley’s might just be a trend right now and only temporarily popular, many people like them a lot If you walk in the hallway during passing periods at MCHS Upper Campus you'll see at least three if not more that have a Stanley A Stanley cup was one of the top items people asked for for christmas

I think Stanleys are so popular because they hold 40oz,” Jensen says, “[for the big ones anyway] and keep the

drink cold over a long period of time There have been times when I get home from work and there is still ice in my Stanley ” Stanleys have their ups and downs but regardless Stanleys are the current popular cup and may fall out like other

cups in the past that have also became popular cups at one point even then people continue to buy them not only do the cups keep beverages cold for a long period of time but people also really like the variety of designs and colors they offer