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The Chronicle News Club Mondays: NHS; 2:45-3:15 Relay for Life; 2:45-3:15 Tuesday: FCCLA; 2:45-4 Interact; 2:45-4 Drama Club; 2:45-4 Amnesty Int’l: 2:45-3:45 Wednesdays: SCA; 7:00-7:25 am TSA; 2:45-3:45 Science Honor Society; 2:45-3:45 Minecraft Club; 3-5 Psychology Club; 2:45-4 Atlantis Expedition; 2:45-4 Thursdays: HOSA; 2:45-3:45 Rocket Club; 2:45-4:30 TSA; 2:45-3:45 EDGE; 2:45-4:15 Fridays: Model UN; 2:45-4 Mark Your Calendar By Samantha Malloy Staff Reporter Foreign Language Banquet The world language banquet will be on Thursday, May 2 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the commons. The 25th Annual Putam County Spelling Bee The spring musical will take place on May 2, 3, and 4. Tickets are $5 for students and $10 for adults. The performances start at 7 p.m. Senior Awards Ceremony The Senior Award Ceremony will take place on Sunday, May 5 at 2 p.m. in the auditorium. Class of 2019 Graduation Kettle Run graduation will take place in Cougar Stadium on Friday, May 24. The ceremony will will By Contributing Writer One year ago she was walking the hallways at Kettle Run High School; today, Erin Hogge is interviewing some of the biggest names on the political spectrum. Hogge, a 2018 Kettle Run graduate, is a freshman at Penn State University in State College, Pennsylvania. She covers the political beat for The Daily Collegian, PSU’s student-run newspaper. “As a first-year student, I wasn’t expecting to land any big interviews,” Hogge said. “But since becoming a politics beat reporter, I’ve done exactly that. I think it’s a result of my dedication and also my experience from high school.” One of her biggest interviews was with presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke. “I snagged a chance to interview him as we were walking to where his meet and greet would take place,” Hogge said. “It was the first time I felt like a ‘real’ journalist because I was scrambling right alongside the pros.” Hogge learned quickly that she needed to be confident when it came to interviewing some of the big-name candidates. “It’s a wake-up call when you try to interview these prominent figures,” Hogge said. “You have to be pretty aggressive when it comes to making your questions heard. Fortunately, I was able to get O’Rourke’s attention and ask him a question.” She also learned the importance of paying attention to her surroundings during interviews. While walking alongside O’Rourke, Hogge explained she was focused on him and not on where she was walking. “Just as I was April 2019 Tackling the Tough Interviews Meetings KRHS alum covers political beat for Penn State photo by Noah Riffe Catching up with presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke, Kettle Run alumna Erin Hogge interviews him for an upcoming article. Hogge covers the political beat for Penn State University’s The Daily Collegian. about to walk into a fire hydrant, O’Rourke tapped my shoulder and said, ‘Watch out for that!’ I was beyond embarrassed, but I didn’t let it stop me from doing my job.” In addition to O’Rourke, Hogge also interviewed Parkland survivor David Hogg when he delivered a lecture on campus. “I was most impressed with David, simply because of his age,” Hogge said. “He’s such a young individual, putting himself out there to create the change he wants to see.” This was not Hogge’s first time covering the Parkland survivor. Last February, she watched David speak on national television following the shooting at his school. One month later, she covered the National School Walkout at KRHS for her school newspaper. Hogge also interviewed Marc Friedenberg, the Pennsylvania Democratic Party’s nominee to represent the 12th Congressional District, and April 23, she will cover an event by Charlie Kirk, founder and president of Turning Point USA. During this event, she will have the opportunity to interview Donald J. Trump, Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle, former FOX News host. for Hogge discovered her love journalism during her sophomore year of high school. She was placed in a class that she did not want to take and made the decision to switch into Journalism I. “That was the best decision I ever made,” Hogge said. “I was introduced to a style of writing I had never before thought about. I loved my teacher, Mrs. Norden, from the get-go, and was fortunate to have learned from someone who has experience on a level of working for a big-time outlet like CBS. Not to discredit the teachers at other schools, but if I had attended school elsewhere, I am confident I wouldn’t have received the level of education and experience that I did in my time working for The Chronicle and Good Morning Kettle Run.” Hogge was also inspired to tackle the political beat at PSU by her government teacher Michael Maddox. “I’ve always had a strong interest in politics, which was furthered by taking Mr. Maddox’s AP Government course my senior year,” Hogge said. “I knew that I could combine that interest with my reporting skills, and that’s exactly what I’m doing now.” For students who have no idea what they want to do with their future, Hogge has some advice. “I would encourage students to explore all their options –– you never know what you’ll find by taking a new class,” Hogge said. “Don’t limit yourself to the required classes; take a look at the course guide, talk about your interests with a teacher and discover what you can do. Take journalism. If you want to be in the know and get to experience the news as it’s happening, it may be the right fit.” Yonkey Named Interum Brumfield Principal Band students share favorite Yonkey memories By Aiden Brindley Staff Reporter start at 6 p.m. In the event of rain, the ceremony will be moved indoors. Music Dept. Final Concert The final music concert of the year will take place on May 9 at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium. Chorus, orchestra, band will perform. Seniors will perform solos that they have prepared. The event is free and everyone is invited to attend. Former Kettle Run Band Director Matt Yonkey will be the new interim principal at J.G. Brumfield Elementary starting July 1. Yonkey, who has been the assistant principal of the school for the past two years, is excited to step into his new position. Dr. David Jeck, superintendent of Fauquier County Public Schools, made the announcement on March 25. “Dr. Jeck’s belief in me is humbling,” Yonkey said. “I love this community and look forward to serving it in this new role.” Yonkey was the band director at Kettle Run from 20082016. “Kettle Run is a special place,” Yonkey said. “There’s 4 News no other way to describe it. Part of my heart will always be there, and I am always watching Twitter and the local news media to hear about all the great things the students are doing and the impactful experiences the staff provide.” Members of the class of 2019 were the last students to have Yonkey as a yearlong teacher. Senior Connor Roy believes his former band director has what it takes to become a great principal. “He is great at conflict resolution,” Roy said. “In band, there can be a lot of drama, and Mr. Yonkey was always on top of things. As a band director, there is a lot of things that you have to manage. I think that’s going to make him really good at his new position.” There are several things Yonkey started that remain in place today. In addition to writing the words and lyrics to Kettle Run’s fight song, Yonkey also started the tradition of the marching band storming the hallways on game days. “I enjoyed the times with him in marching band, especially the one year when he purchased a t-shirt cannon to be used at the football games,” senior Paul Seddon said. Senior Grace Schumacher also has fond memories of her former band director. “Mr. Yonkey did a fantastic job of capturing his students’ attention with his teaching methods,” senior Schumacher said. “The fun we had in his class never took away from our learning.” Roy added that Yonkey was great at calming students down. “Even when things were getting stressful, there wasn’t any tension,” Roy said. “He had a great way of handling conflict.” As the clock ticks down to graduation, Yonkey wants his former students to know they are some of the best kids he has ever worked for. “I wish each of them well as they move on and truly hope they stay in touch,” Yonkey said. “I’ll be there for the spring concert as well as graduation. One thing is certain, they will continue to do great things.”

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