What are your plans for after high school? After high school, I will be going to the University of Illinois. There, I will be studying statistics.   What are you most excited about after...

What are your plans after high school? I will be attending the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. There, I will be studying Lyric Theater.   What are you looking forward to the most...

It was April 17 at 3:43 p.m. when I arrived at the facility that had once been a Toys R Us. It was warm out, which is strange for April in Joliet The sun was hot as it beat down into the car. I patiently...

What are your plans after high school? After I graduate, I will be attending Arizona State University. I will be majoring in communications.   What are you looking forward to in college? I...

  Last August, a teacher in Texas was put on leave after putting up an LGBTQ+ and BLM flag in her virtual classroom. Although she was reinstated a few days later, the situation raised questions...

Dial Tones comes from As It Is’ first full length album “Never Happy, Ever After.”  Dial Tones is one of my all time favorite songs, mostly during the pandemic. It reminds me of standing shoulder...

Leanna Firestone has been one of my favorite artists the past few months. Her typical song writing style focuses on relationships based off of different animes and is upbeat and centered around love. “Least...

While the name might throw a few people off, Chicken Tendies has nothing to do with chicken tenders at all. The first time I heard this song was a 15 second clip on TikTok and I immediately fell in love...

What are your plans for after high school? I will be attending college at Bradley University. I really like how connected the school is and how close it is to home. I will be double majoring in sociology...

Celebrities can have a big impact on their fans. They become giant billboards, asking followers to buy their merchandise or other sponsored items. For celebrities with a fan base consisting of mainly children,...

Since the first lockdown, restaurants have been forced to become delivery and takeout-only businesses. Social distancing has limited the number of people allowed in buildings. Activities and gyms have...

Finding something positive in a negative situation is never easy to do. Discovering the positive moments during a pandemic is even harder. Junior Mary Kate Farmer, founder of Necklaces for Mark, sells...

Many people look forward to the big superhero movie release of the year. With theaters closed this year, “Wonder Woman 1984” was a glisten of hope to finally bring some excitement and entertainment...

The IHSA announced a pause to all winter sports on Nov. 19. The winter season, which was supposed to begin on Nov. 16, came to a pause as Governor Pritzker implemented new mitigations that went into effect...

Happy. has been one of my favorite bands for almost two years now, and the progression of their style has amazed me. “Background Noise” is one of the songs that has impressed me the most. “Background...

When I first heard “I’m Okay Though” I had to sit back for a minute to process the song. While it is not the most fun song to listen to, it almost perfectly put the silent struggle of anxiety into...

Not My Weekend creates music that makes me feel alive and happy. “El Camino” is no different. I fell in love with the song because it makes me feel like I am driving with my windows down with my friends....

As someone working during the pandemic, I have had to remind countless amounts of people of social distance and wear their masks for the safety of others. People are tired of the pandemic, but we have...

Senior Dylan Catapat has been involved in theater since elementary school. He is a cast member in the majority of Metea’s theater productions, including the upcoming play “War of the Worlds.” Due...

Students that once used the safe space of Metea Valley classrooms now lose that by being in their own homes. Almost everyone is struggling in one way or another during online learning. Between constantly...

IPSD held a virtual meeting discussing the district's plans to return back to school on Oct. 5. This plan involves students coming back to an in-person environment in patterns based on their last name...

Kristian Aleksandrov is a senior who moved to District 204 from Bulgaria in 2016. Before he moved, he was a competitive swimmer, winning over 60 medals in the sport. Kristian now swims for the school’s...

Metea Valley Citizens is a new club created to spread political information and give access to civic opportunities to those who do not have this privilege. Senior Ijeoma Ogbonna is the co-founder of Metea...

As college applications open, seniors are rushing to complete their SATs in time. After the school-administered SAT was canceled last March, the district informed seniors on September 4 that they will...

Since March, the Mustangs have been taking on more responsibilities at home. They have been occupied with watching their siblings, cooking for their families, and keeping up with online courses. With school...