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Articles by Caitlin Spindler
Top 10 thrift stores to check out
Thrifting has become a mainstream staple of teenage culture over the years. It is a common activity to do whenever you’re bored or just want some new clothes, at a way cheaper price. This is my list of the Top 10 thrift or vintage stores in the Downers Grove area. #10: Goodwill (Lombard) Starting off with a Goodwill, where everyone begins their thrifting adventures. This Goodwill has a lot more home decorations, compared to clothes.
What decade are you?
What decade are you? Loading... There was an error. Please try again. Quiz Complete Loading... Calculating Results... Your Quiz result is:
DGS introduces new dean
DGS will be introducing Deangelo Gerald as the new dean of students forthe 2024-25 school year. Gerald is currently a social worker and has worked at DGS for the past three years. He is also the co-sponsor for Mad Dash, which is an event to welcome incoming ninth graders. He additionally runs the Black Student Union. As the dean of students, Gerald will oversee disciplinary actions within the student body.
Girls flag football introduced as IHSA sport
Girls flag football will be introduced as an official IHSA sport for the 2024-25 school year. Flag football has been used in a more recreational sense in the past years, specifically in Powderpuff football. The powderpuff game is usually held around homecoming at DGS, but with the introduction of it at the IHSA level, girls will have an option to be more competitive. Dan Tully, President of the IHSA board of directors, was involved in the decision to make this sport official.
Hozier wows fans with ‘Unheard’ music
On March 21, Irish musician Hozier abruptly dropped his new EP, full of never released songs, titled “Unheard.” The singer-songwriter released four new songs on the EP. The songs include “Too Sweet”, “Wildflower and Barley”, “Empire Now” and “Fare Well”. “Too Sweet” took over social media leading up to the release, after Hozier himself released a small snippet of the song. “Too Sweet” has easily become a fan favorite song of the EP, especially with its chorus that just draws people in.
DGS takes the plunge for Special Olympics
Students had the opportunity to participate and take the plunge, given they raised $100 to donate to the Special Olympics. DGS as a whole aimed to reach their goal of $20,000 total. Once students raise $100 they will be given a hoodie and the chance to participate in the polar plunge. Something called the Angel Fund was started in order to allow those who cannot raise $100, the opportunity to participate still.
COVID-19 crashes customs
As we all know, the COVID-19 pandemic shut the entire world down almost four years ago. Businesses closed down, schools shut down, and us students were stuck sitting in our bedrooms on Zoom calls. We lost out on sports, school events and for some of us, our first year of high school. COVID-19 has impacted the way everyone lives their lives and goes about their days, but for teenagers, it struck us down.
Speech takes home second place state trophy
The DGS speech team talked their way into a second place finish at the IHSA state speech tournament on Feb. 17. The tournament was hosted in Peoria, IL at the Peoria Civic Center and took place over the course of two days. Seven members of the team placed at the state tournament, which paved the way for the overall second place finish. The seven students that placed were Sabrina Crowley, Sebastian Blanco, Juliana Conyer, Maija Flannery, Layla Orozco, Naomi Yong and Gianna Caponigro.
Royalty Step team presents the crown
Screams erupted from the crowd as stomps and claps bounced off the walls of the auditorium during the DGS’s Royalty Step Teams first annual Royal Stomp Down. The competition was hosted on Feb. 3 and brought in a total of seven schools and a showcase from our own Royalty Step Team. Stepping is a form of percussive dance in African American culture that is used as a form of communication and storytelling.
Stephenson showcases her cheerleading skills
Stepping onto the mat underneath the blinding lights, senior cheerleader Teah Stephenson gets ready to give it her all at the cheer team’s competition. Stephenson is a four-year varsity cheerleader and was previously a gymnast for 12 years before switching to cheerleading. With her background in gymnastics, Stephenson proves to be a key member of the team, as varsity cheer coach Shannon Lahey explained.
Swifties ‘Enchanted’ over Taylor Swift themed house
Taylor Swift fans have found their “Wonderland” in Naperville, IL this holiday season. A family in Naperville decided to decorate their house in all things Taylor Swift, which consequently went viral due to Swift’s huge fanbase. The house is located on Atlas Lane in Naperville making it convenient for fans in the Chicago suburbs to visit. After gaining popularity, due to the publicity it got on TikTok, the owners of the house have become “Suburban Legends”.
What Holiday Movie Should You Watch
What holiday movie should you watch? Loading... There was an error. Please try again. Quiz Complete Loading... Calculating Results... Your Quiz result is: "All I Want for Christmas is You" by Mariah Carey "Santa Tell Me" by Ariana Grande "Last Christmas" by WHAM!
‘Failure: A Love Story’ makes its DGS debut
Standing center stage underneath the blinding spotlight, the cast of the DGS winter play puts the finishing touches on their performance. They have perfected their lighting, staging and memorization of their lines throughout the past several weeks. Students will be performing “Failure: A Love Story” on Dec. 7-9 at 7 p.m. in the studio theater. The cast has been preparing for the play since the beginning of the 2023 school year.
Grove Express 5K unites community
The Downers Grove community had the chance to participate in the annual Grove Express 5K on Thanksgiving morning. The race takes place all throughout Downtown Downers Grove starting on Main Street and ending with the finish line on Curtiss Street. This year there were over 7,000 community members in attendance, which is a major jump from the reported 5,000 last year. The race started promptly at 8:30 a.m. with some runners finishing as soon as 15 minutes later.
Friendships change, people change
Friendships are one of the most important aspects of life for a person. People have friends surrounding them from the moment they are born. Those can be their siblings or cousins when they are an infant, or maybe even an imaginary friend. The friendships younger kids develop are fairly stable and can begin to influence where their life will take them. Once they grow up and hit either middle or high school, those bonds they had created may begin to fade or for some they may grow stronger.
Athletic Department introduces Brandon Murphy
DGS is no stranger to changes in their athletic department and most recently they have welcomed Brandon Murphy as the new Associate Principal for Athletics. Murphy was hired over this past summer and has already begun to step into his new role. He has been working in athletics for the past several years and most recently worked at Willowbrook High School Murphy has close ties to DGS, especially with him now living in the neighborhood with his family.
School implements new hall pass policy
At the beginning of the 2023-2024 school year, DGS administration implemented a new hall pass policy. In order to move from a class to another location in the building, students have to fill out a green pass and get it signed by their teacher. Each pack of passes contains 50 slips of paper and, since the beginning of this school year, 335 packs of passes have been used. That is 16,750 slips of paper that have been used as of Sept. 21. Teachers are given packs of the passes whenever they run out.
Chris Herren speaks about his addiction battle at DGS
Former NBA player Chris Herren spoke about his struggles with drug abuse at DGS’s Red Ribbon Week assembly on Oct. 10. Herren dealt with substance abuse issues for over 10 years, starting in high school. The talk provided an insight into what he went through and his life post-addiction as a motivational speaker. Along with talking at DGS during seventh period, Herren talked at DGN in the morning and hosted a session for community members at night on Oct. 10.
DGS teaches about drug prevention during Red Ribbon Week
DGS will be hosting their Red Ribbon Week activities the week of Oct. 10. Red Ribbon Week is the nation’s largest drug prevention campaign that provides resources, advocacy and awareness about the drug epidemic in America. This year at DGS, former NBA player speaker Chris Herren will be returning to DGS to speak on his battle with drug addiction. Red Ribbon focuses on helping youth live a drug free life.
DGS Hosts Annual Fall Choir Concert
The DGS Fine Arts department will be hosting its annual fall choir concert on Oct. 3, 2023. The concert will be held in the Performing Arts Center on the main stage. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show will begin at 7 p.m.. Choir teacher Joy Belt-Roselieb is in charge of teaching students their assigned songs for their performance as well as helping them perfect their skills. There will be five different choir ensembles performing in this concert.
DGS hosts Young Hearts for Life
On Sept. 12, 2023, Young Hearts for Life, an organization that provides free ECGs to students, will be returning to DGS. All students at DGS have the opportunity to participate in this during their physical education periods. Young Hearts for Life was formed back in 2006 by Dr. Joseph Marek and the program has screened over 280,000 students in the time it has been operational. Young Hearts for Life is screening students at several schools and has been at DGS for several years now.
Trostangs tumble to state
After becoming sectional and regional champs for the 2022-2023 season, Downers Grove Gymnastics is officially state bound. The girls gymnastics team, a combination of both DGS and DGN athletes, will head to Palatine High school this Friday and Saturday to compete in the IHSA State Finals. They qualified as a whole team, with three of the girls qualifying individually as well. The girls team is led to State by their longtime Coach Kristyn Campos, who is also a social studies teacher at DGS.
Miley Cyrus makes a comeback with ‘Flowers’
It’s a new year, which always means new music. To start the year with a bang, Miley Cyrus released her new single “Flowers” on Jan. 12, 2023 as a part of her eighth album, “Endless Summer Vacation.” While many know of Cyrus from her hit song, “Party in the U.S.A” or her time on Disney Channel, this song signals a new era. Cyrus’s new song is a direct hit at her ex-husband Liam Hemsworth and their complicated relationship. She sings about learning to love herself even through the pain.
The polarizing differences of women and men’s lacrosse
All of a sudden a whistle blares across the field as I am defending the girl with the ball. “Shooting space. Center hash, number 16, four behind,” yells the ref. Shooting space: when a defender runs in front of the attacker as they are trying to score a goal. This call then leads into a free shot for the offensive player, which most of the time ends in a goal. The penalty is only present in women’s lacrosse, the game I have played for 3 years, and is completely non-existent in men’s lacrosse.
Student athletic trainers prepare for the future
Rushing to the mat, DGS junior Ellery Johnson begins to tend to an injured wrestler. While most would turn away from blood on the mat, Johnson does everything she can to help fellow students and make sure they are healthy. These events are typical for any student athletic trainer here at DGS. DGS students have the option to join the student aid athletic training program as early as freshman year. Johnson joined the athletic training program her sophomore year and has loved it ever since.
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