What’s recently happened?
Sectionals for the Hebron High School (HHS) Girls Track team were held on May 16 at Kankakee Valley (KV) High School. Student Lia Pangiatidis was the only athlete to move on from HHS. Pangiatidis moved on to run the 400-meter dash at Regionals.
The Boys Sectional was held on May 18 again at KV High School, and included the following swimmers: Jonathan (Cody) Noel, Robert Summerville, Griffin Wright, Josh Kenda, and Aidan Bowgren. The boys team moved on in the 800-meter dash with Summerville and Bowgren competing, the one mile and two mile races ran by Noel, and the 4-by-800-meter relay team of Bowgren, Noel, Summerville, and Wright,. Moving on to Regionals for high jump was Kenda. The aforementioned athletes competed at Portage High School on May 24 for the regional competition.
The HHS softball team was the Round Robin champion this season. The girls played in their sectional games against South Central High School with a score of 13 to 5, as well as Wheeler High School with a score of 10 to 0. These two wipeout games gave the HHS softball team a spot in the game against Andrean High School.
HHS’ baseball team defeated South Central with a score of 14 to 4. The team also went on to beat Wheeler with a score of 7 to 4. These two wins secured the Hawks spot in a game against Illiana Christian High School.
On May 27, the 2023 HHS graduates took the stage to accept their diplomas and finally move on from their high school careers. A speech was given by Class President Matthew Dagistino. Dagistino’s speech was followed by the class salutatorian and valedictorian, Roxana Badgley and Gabby Wagoner. The senior class is given a choice in who will speak at their graduation every year; this year the group chose Hebron's retiring band director, Robb Thiel. Thiel explained in his speech how he ended up working at HHS. His speech was touching, and its message stuck with the graduates and the audience even after the event had ended.
What’s coming up?
This year's Fourth of July Parade is expected to be an exciting kickoff to the beloved holiday. The Haunted House (HH) float is a common favorite, promoting the 21st annual HH. The HH float raises money for the annual Hebron Haunted House, which takes place every October. Each year, the theme of the haunted house is subtly, or very obviously, revealed by the Fourth of July float.
Another returning float is the Hebron Little League All-Star teams. The All-Star teams ride their float, decorated by the players themselves, and pass out candy to the crowd.
In previous years, the marching band has been led by Thiel. This year, the band will be led by Thiel’s successor, David Lee. Many have heard the grueling stories of marching band practice and the frequency of people passing out due to the heat. The drum line begins their practice a week before the rest of the band.
Staff spotlight:
Thiel was the HHS and Hebron Middle School Band director for six years. Thiel previously worked at St. Joseph’s College for 24 years. When he started his position at HHS, Thiel was filling in for the former band director, who was having some medical complications at the time. Eventually, Thiel took on the position full time; he vowed to make the program better and then leave once it was fixed.
As aforementioned, Thiel was asked to speak at this year's graduation by the graduating senior class. Thiel mentioned a song that the band had played previously this year and how it related to his journey in landing at HHS and how it can relate to every graduate and person in the audience. The song “To Dream With Open Eyes,” composed by Steven J. Pyter, was the returning subject of Thiel’s speech.
Thiel talks about how, in middle school, he had a teacher who convinced him to join track and how this led to him landing a job at Knox High School, even though he originally applied as the band director.
“My family told me when I was younger, I hit my cousin in the head with a hammer, I do not believe these allegations,” Thiel said.
When Thiel was younger, he was given a drum set because his family thought he would be a good tool to get his aggression out. Thiel points out to the graduates that their teachers and mentors might have a bigger effect on the rest of their lives than they think.
Student spotlight:
Kylie Cole graduated this spring from HHS. She participated in many clubs and sports, including track, cross country, basketball, the Thespian Society, the National Honors Society (NHS), and the Business Professionals of America (BPA).
“These sports and clubs helped me create a comforting circle all throughout high school. I wouldn’t be the same person if it wasn't for my classmates,” said Cole.
Cole is seen as an upstanding and insanely kind person by her peers, and deservingly so. Cole played as the secretary in the school's show “Elf” and as Evie, one of the leading roles, in Descendants.
Earlier this year, Cole went to BPA State in California. Cole was a varsity athlete in every sport she played in. Her freshman year was cut short due to COVID-19, much like many others in 2020, but she made the most of her time at HHS and will go on to major in photography at Ball State University.