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

Miles Morales (Shameik Moore) falls through a portal connecting the Spider-Verse in Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation’s “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.”

My name is Miles Morales

Paulina Borowski, Marketing Director September 14, 2023

“Spiderman Across the Spider-Verse”, released in theaters June 2, 2023, remains a topic of discussion months after its initial release. This movie focuses on the adventures of Miles Morales as he journeys...

Comedians Ian Hecox and Anthony Padilla pose for the Streamy Awards in 2010. After 12 years, the Smosh brand is back in Hecox and Padillas hands

Friendship always wins

Gabe Santos, Arts and Entertainment Editor September 12, 2023

This summer, those of us who grew up in the internet age were treated to an early YouTube nostalgia trip when Ian Hecox and Anthony Padilla from Smosh had an unexpected reunion, and announced that they...

From left, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg perform during halftime of Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium on Feb. 13 2022, in Inglewood, California.

Review: 50 years, 50 rappers

Gabe Santos, Arts and Entertainment Editor August 31, 2023

2023 marks the 50 year anniversary of the most listened to genre in America. Born in clubs and DJ booths in The Bronx in New York City, rap has changed and evolved in many ways over those 50 years.  With...

Both Barbie and Oppenheimer would have made an impact on their own, but combined they became an absolute powerhouse in Hollywood this summer, debuting at $162 million and $82.4 million respectively in box office sales.

The two-headed monster that destroyed box office

Gabe Santos, Arts and Entertainment Editor August 30, 2023

On July 21, in the heart of summer break, two films premiered so entirely different from each other that they ended up being bound together in the pop culture zeitgeist. Those films, “Barbie” and...

All musicians create demos, but most of those demos arent meant for fans to enjoy. Streaming, though, has made it easier for for fans to find demos — and sites like Soundcloud have made it easier for leakers to share demos widely.

Demos, leaks and lost tracks

Gabe Santos, Arts and Entertainment Editor May 22, 2023

In the digital age it’s easy for music that artists never intended to release to be heard by general audiences. Every so often someone will get a hold of demos or unfinished tracks in mass quantities...

MCHS band Robot Man won the 2023 Battle of the Bands, played at the spring spirit rally and has become popular. The band will be releasing original music soon.

Robotman to drop first release

Gabe Santos, Arts and Entertainment Editor May 18, 2023

Local darlings Robotman burst onto the scene in early February to roaring applause. The group, composed of junior students Charlie Miller, Coco Levesque, and James Mihevic, would win the Battle Of The...

Dominik Mysterio prepares to take on his opponent during “WrestleMania Goes Hollywood” at the Sofi Stadium on April 1-2.

Wrestlemania goes Hollywood

Gabe Santos, Arts and Entertainment Editor May 17, 2023

WWE is the biggest pro wrestling organization in the world.Their yearly big hurrah “Wrestlemania” outperforms all competition in showmanship. The 39th consecutive Wrestlmania, held in the Sofi Stadium...

Groovy Movies has been a staple of the McHenry Messenger for years. In this final installment, editor Kennedy Tetour has created the definitive list of movies and shows for the Class of 2023

Groovy Movies: The final film fest

Kennedy Tetour, Managing Editor May 10, 2023

Movies are some of the most memorable, enjoyable and easy to understand parts of life. They offer comfort in times of uncertainty, but can also bring back fond memories of simpler times.  This is especially...

Music has always been an important aspect in the culture of the world, but how has music influenced changes in that culture?

Cultural resets: Moments that changed the focus of popular music

Gabe Santos, Arts and Entertainment Editor May 2, 2023

Music is an ever evolving, and ever important piece of our culture. We at The Messenger have attempted to mark shifts in the ocean over the course of American musical history. For the purposes of this...

This spring and summer, Hollywood has a slate of fun movies that will appeal to teenagers and their sense of nostalgia, including “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” and “Five Nights at Freddy’s.”

Review: The previews

Nikki Sisson, Marketing Director April 28, 2023

2023 is a big year for high profile movies. These 5 in particular have been highly anticipated by fans, and are finally set to release this year.   “Five Nights At Freddy’s” The...

Tyler, The Creator performs on the Frank Stage on the final day of the three-day Day N Vegas hip-hop music festival at the Las Vegas Festival Grounds in Las Vegas on Sunday, Nov. 14, 2021.

Review: Everything must remain

Gabe Santos, Arts and Entertainment Editor April 18, 2023

Tyler, The Creator’s “Call Me If You Get Lost,” released in the summer of 2021, would go on to win the Grammy for “Best Rap Album” and would be critically acclaimed upon release.  Many unreleased...

A lot of people assume that, if an artists music is on Spotify, then they must be a rockstar making a million dollars. The truth is that many artists, especially those in independent and underground music, probably arent making much money off of their music at all.

Opinion: Indie musicians deserve to be paid better

Preston Boysen, Staff Writer March 22, 2023

Musicians are some of the most impactful people in the world, with music being the only universal language. Music is a massive part of how people express themselves in their day to day lives. However,...

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