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There’s an old saying in the theatre business: “The show must go on!” 

That is exactly what the St. Joseph-Ogden High School Drama Club is doing this year; they will be having their fall play in-house, and be recording it virtually. 

After St. Joseph-Ogden Drama Instructor Chandler Dalton had to cancel Disney’s Freaky Friday for spring 2020 due to the Covid-19 stay-at-home order, she is glad to announce that the High School will be putting on “Murder on the 518”, a murder mystery.

“I got the idea to do a murder mystery play after seeing the movie Knives Out last fall,” Dalton said. “I loved that movie and it is one of my favorites. I actually let the kids choose this year’s fall play while in quarantine last year. It was the least that I could do given that their musical had been canceled.”

Dalton is also allowing the graduating class of 2020 seniors to join the production, since their Drama club experience had an abrupt stop. 

Knowing that school and extracurricular activities are a necessity, Dalton is taking proper Covid-19 safety precautions in order to put on the production.

“Auditions actually went really well this year,” Dalton said. “I changed it up from years past, meaning I gave the kids the audition materials a week in advance and it actually worked out better than I thought. The kids came to audition more prepared and actually put a lot of thought into the characters they were portraying.”

SJ-O junior Lauren Harper, who plays the role of Avery Millen, the CEO of Salt Lake Pharmaceuticals, and one of the passengers on the 518 train to Los Angeles, said drama has been an important part of her high school career. 

“I absolutely love acting and the opportunity it gives me as a creative person to express myself and be around other people who have the same passion as me,” Lauren claims. 

As an upperclassman, Harper has a large responsibility this year in being a role model. 

“As a junior who’s had plenty of experience in the program, it’s really interesting seeing all the freshmen learn the ropes and experiencing acting and putting on a legitimate performance for the first time,” Harper said.   

Harper describes this year’s production as a very unique experience.

 “We have to take our temperatures before each rehearsal and wear masks at all times,” Harper explains. “We also have to sanitize all our props and everything that we touch. It’s a lot to keep track of!” 

The actors are now able to rehearse on their stage after having to work in the  high school’s Music Room. 

Harper is very glad to have an audience for the production, giving it a feeling of normality. 

“Without a live audience, theatre isn’t really theatre,” she said. “Without one it’s simply just like any other rehearsal. The applause after a scene or the laughter after a joke is what feeds the production. 

“It’s what lets us know we’re doing a good job. It boosts our confidence! It’s why we do what we do: to bring joy and an escape, if only for a moment, from the crazy world we live in now. Theatre really is a sanctuary and a blessing in this weird time.”

SJ-O senior, Tyson Madsen, who has been involved in drama since his freshman year, plays Owen Casey,a private investigator that happened to be on the 518, and is now tasked with solving the case. Madsen always tries to get a personal connection to each of his roles, but this year he has had a bit of a struggle. 

“There’s one main struggle that I still have with trying to portray Owen Casey, but it’s not exactly what most would expect.” Madsen said. “Sometimes when the people around him get too distracting or are arguing with each other, he has to step in and yell in order to get their attention so that he can say what he needs to.”

“The problem is, I don’t yell. You can ask anyone who knows me and they wouldn’t be able to think of a single time I’ve raised my voice at anyone in anger or frustration let alone yell, so it’s as if I don’t even know how to yell loud enough to actually get their attention.”

Madsen also believes that though some things are different this year, it’s still the theatre that he loves. 

“Honestly, it doesn’t feel as different as you’d expect. Of course we’re all wearing masks and keeping distanced, but other than that it’s pretty much the same. Our mentality in practices hasn’t changed that much.” 

Madsen hopes that “Murder on the 518” will bring viewers the same experiences the actors had. 

“I simply hope viewers will have a good time taking a break and watching our show this year.” Madsen said. ”With everything going on around us it can make it seem like nothing good can come out of this year, and it takes little relaxing breaks like this to hopefully remind us that things will get back to normal soon enough.” 

Murder on the 518 will only be in-house to parents. Other viewers can watch the play for free on October 24 at 2:00 and 7:00 pm by signing up for a free account on the NFHS Network. 

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The Lake of the Woods Golf Course will reopen on May 1. 

Golfers will be able to play the 18 hole course for walking only; no carts will be provided. 

A tee-time is required, and there are no walk-ons permitted. 

With this, the Forest Preserve has issued rules to remain operational:

• Pro Shop Staff are able to open or close the course whenever they see fit. 
• Driving Carts will be permitted in case of a disability, with a doctor’s note or disability tag provided. 
• Tee-times are available from 6:30 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. every day. There will be 15 minute intervals between.  
• These Tee-times can be made via phone depending on your status: Full Members – 8 days in advance; General Public and Upgraded Anniversary Passes – 7 days in advance; Anniversary Pass Holders – 3 days in advance 
• Two players are allowed per tee-time.
• No pull carts will be provided. You may bring a personal pull-cart.
• The driving range, practice range, and Par 3 will all remain closed. 
• The Club House, snack bar, and bathrooms are closed. 
• Limited food will be available for carryout or pick-up. 
• Check-in is a necessity. You may wave to a staff member or call (217) 586-2183.
• Do not remove the flagstick from the cup. Putt to it (flag stick) and move on. 
• Practice social distancing, keeping at least 6 feet from other players.

Safety and health are a top priority. Refusal to comply with these guidelines will result in being asked to leave. 

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Allerton Park and Retreat Center will reopen to the public on Monday, May 4. Guests will be able to visit from 8:00 am until sunset. 

With the reopening, Allerton has put safety precautions into place in order to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The guidelines are as follows:

• The Visitor Center, Greenhouse Cafe, and Mansion will all remain closed until further notice is given. 
• The Main Parking Lot restrooms will be available for use. They will be cleaned multiple times each day, but additional sanitizer is advised. 
• Please bring your own water, as none will be provided. 
• Trash cans will not be in use. This is to limit the number of items being touched. 
• Uphold proper social distancing, keeping at least six feet away from other visitors at all times. 
• Large Gatherings will not be allowed. Congregations will be asked to leave. 
• The CDC recommends the use of face masks.
• Limit contact between surfaces.
• The House of Golden Buddhas will stay closed. 
• Use caution when visiting from long distances. 
• Stay home if you feel ill. 

All of Allertons on-site special events have been cancelled, but they have made the decision to host virtual events, tours, hikes, and other activities. 

More information can be found on the Allerton Park and Retreat Center website.  

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After months of waiting, summer vacation is finally here. Essays and tests are replaced by relaxation and fun times.

My summers are packed full of swimming, jumping on the trampoline, and traveling. I spend time golfing with my dad and brother, visiting family in Colorado, and running around the neighborhood.

When I have “down time” and need a rest, I fill most of that free time with playing on my phone, sitting in the basement playing video games, and watching TV. I enjoy taking a break and watching Netflix like any other kid.

With all this time devoted to playing, I am never “bored,” which is making it difficult to get things done.

The problem is, I am having trouble managing my time. I started thinking about what my time is devoted to, and what would happen if I changed what I spent my time on. I looked back on one of my previous articles.  

When I think of a topic for an article, I usually do something or hear something, which then gets me thinking about my column. When I wrote my article about the value of money, the idea came from simply checking out food in a grocery store. On the car ride back, since I forgot my phone at home, I started thinking more and more about money and what we use it for.

But, technology got in the way once we got back and I had my phone in my pocket. Throughout the next few weeks of writing that article, I kept putting it off to the side and I choose to play video games in the basement. Even when I had more than enough time to work on my article, video games always seem to be a better option.

The amount of time I am spending on technology interferes with me cleaning my room, my writing time, and my ability to sit and think a thought. I then realized that summer wasn’t the problem with managing my time. In fact, since I have no school, I should have more time than I used to.

My problem isn’t managing my time, it’s making the wrong choice on what I spend my time on. I feel like the “space” in your mind that fuels creativity and productivity doesn’t get used as often in my life because I am blocking it with technology.  

For these reasons, I have decided to challenge myself to manage technology by keeping my phone on our “charging station” when I don’t need it, and writing whatever I can before I play video games or watch TV. Hopefully, I can spend more time writing because I love doing it.

When my mom takes my phone away, I will try to see it as her helping me clean my room, pulling my weight, and have a better attention span as I’ve learned, being bored could fuel creativity, which isn’t the worst thing in the world!

Near the end of the summer, I will check back in with a report on how I handled my challenge of going unplugged. It might seem tough, but my parents were able to do it, somehow!

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By 13-year old Brogan Hennesy

A new year brings lots of change, and with 2019 just beginning, we get a new Super Bowl, new movies, and people often set new resolutions for themselves like exercising more, eating less junk food, being more social, and a countless number of other goals we all set for ourselves.

  While these resolutions seem like good ideas and doable, I often see people who are not able to keep their resolutions for a whole year. This may be because change is difficult, and I would know because I recently underwent a change that felt small at first, but ended up being an immense task.

For Christmas, I decided I was going to change my bedroom and get a more grown up, cool room. I still had my “kid room”, a bunk bed from when I moved in to my house, about six years ago.

I went out shopping a couple times with my family, looking at furniture, mattresses, bed frames, and  decorations. I enjoyed browsing at different stores, testing out pillows, and spending time with my family. I was having fun planning out my new room, so I thought it would be easy to tear down my old room.

While I was taking down old posters, clearing out dressers, and taking apart my old bunk bed, I felt sentimental, and was disappointed that my old room was being torn down. For six years I had never really changed it, and in an afternoon it was almost unrecognizable.

I felt like I was making a huge mistake. I kept complaining that my room was “ruined”, and that I didn’t like it being so bare. I even considered not going through with the change and putting my old room back together.

After completely emptying my room, I just had to wait for the furniture to be shipped. Slowly, I started to felt better about my decision, and was excited to see my new room.

Finally, the big day came. My furniture was already assembled, waiting for me when I got home from school. I ran up to my room, and I couldn’t believe my eyes. I instantly knew that I made the right decision. I was so excited to see my bedroom finally come together.

Resolutions are things that we set for ourselves, so we can change for the better. At times, that change is difficult and hard to stick to. It always seems easier to just quit. The only person that was holding ME to my change was myself. But I knew that if I gave up on my change, I would be cheating myself, and I would never get the bedroom that I wanted.

Change can be anything, large or small. As simple as redoing a bedroom, or as difficult as losing lots of weight. I think all people have specific, individual changes that are difficult for them.

Trying to make a change can seem simple, but I found out that the idea of change and actually changing are not the same thing.

From my new experience, I am going to try to look at new change with an open mind. While it might not be easy, I will still try to see it through, because there is no harm in trying. My next change, keeping my room tidy, which I don’t know how long I can keep up! I will keep you posted!

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