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

Daisy Lomeli address at the Class of 2023 on Saturday at McCracken Field.

The final goodbye

Tati Rubi, Staff Writer May 25, 2023

Daisy Lomeli walks up to the mic knowing she has the weight of the graduation speech on her hands. Wiping her palms she takes the microphone and gets ready to say one last goodbye to the people she's grown...

The Class of 2023 throws their caps at the end of the graduation ceremony at McCracken Field on May 20 — the first combined graduation held on the newly-renovated football field.

Defining the Class of 2023

Gabe Santos, Arts and Entertainment Editor May 23, 2023

The class of 2023 has been described as the “torch bearers.” The class that carried every group, every club, and every sport through the pandemic. This final year has been their only normal, uninhibited...

Students, parents, faculty, administration and the board of education celebrate the Class of 2022 during last year’s graduation ceremony on May 21 in the Upper Campus main gym. The ceremony was planned for McCracken but moved inside due to poor weather conditions.

MCHS plans to hold first outside graduation with all seniors

Vanessa Moreno, News Editor May 15, 2023

McHenry High School will hold its first outside graduation ceremony with all seniors at McCracken Field, weather permitting, on May 20 at 11 a.m. Otherwise, graduation will move to the Upper Campus main...

Leveling up

Leveling up

Messenger Staff May 12, 2023

Four years ago, the McHenry Messenger was a student publication that needed help. For decades, MCHS did not have a student newspaper and, during its first semester, the publication struggled to launch.  Four...

Senior final exemption is a tradition at most schools, and seniors at MCHS have to earn the right to skip finals. But don’t all seniors deserve a break from finals before graduation?

Opinion: Seniors should not have to take spring finals

Krystal Zamudio, Staff Writer May 11, 2023

Eager seniors walk through the doors of MCHS ready to finish off the year on May 12. As the seniors arrive to their first period class of the day, they come to find out that it is no longer their last...

Not all seniors can go on to play on Division I teams or earn scholarships to college. Some athletes who may have played sports their whole childhood have had to make decisions about what to focus on after graduation — and whether sports will still be a part of their lives.

It all comes to an end

Mackenzie Sroka, Sports Editor May 11, 2023

The final play. The final day. The final game.  Four years in high school. Eight years before high school. One sport that has always been there. The passion, the drive, have always been there, for...

Captured during their second to last week of school, students from the Class of 2023 show what it looks like to be a senior mere weeks before graduation as they wander and hang out in the Upper Campus’s halls and classrooms.

Real Warriors: Seniors

Preston Boysen, Staff Writer May 10, 2023

The school year is coming to an end for the senior Class of 2023. This senior class stands out because, visibly, every kid is different. Anyone would agree that there are cliques and posses, however...

The end of senior year is busy for everyone, so The Messenger has created a straightforward calendar to keep seniors on track through the end of the school year.

Seniors top off high school with event-filled final weeks

Alayna Majkrzak, Features Editor May 5, 2023

Senior year gets busy for everyone, even non-seniors. The last month of school gets especially stressful for seniors with all the events, so it’s hard to keep things straight . The Messenger has put...

Students, parents, faculty, administration and the board of education celebrate the Class of 2022 during a special commencement ceremony on May 21 in the Upper Campus main gym during the 2 p.m. ceremony.

Gallery: Graduation 2022

Vanessa Moreno, News Editor May 23, 2022

On Saturday, Class of 2022 graduates threw their caps in the air in the Upper Campus main gym at the first graduation since the combining of East and West and the height of the pandemic. Originally,...

This years graduation ceremony was slated to take place at McCracken Field to accommodate a new combined class of seniors formerly from East and West.

Graduation moved indoors due to inclement weather

Freedom Tomasello, Staff Writer May 19, 2022

Due to inclement weather, the MCHS graduation ceremony will now be held in the Upper Campus main gym on Saturday instead of McCracken Field.  The ceremony will be divided into two groups, one at 11...

Seniors from the class of 2021 toss their caps during a low-capacity graduation ceremony in the West Campus main gym on May 20, 2021. This year’s graduation ceremony is scheduled to take place at McCracken Field with no COVID restrictions.

MCHS to host outdoor graduation ceremony with all seniors

Vanessa Moreno, News Editor May 17, 2022

On May 21, Upper Campus will hold its first fully in-person graduation since the combining of East and West as well as the height of the coronavirus pandemic.  The ceremony will take place at McCracken...

For years, MCHS graduates were asked not to decorate their caps for graduation. This year, the rule has changed, allowing students to express themselves during the formal ceremony.

Opinion: Strict graduation attire should retire

Paulina Borowski, Staff Writer May 16, 2022

It’s the final day as a senior, a high schooler. The entire front entrance is decorated with orange and black streamers, balloons and graduation decorations. Through the main gym doors and the view from...

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