When producer for US 99.5’s morning show “Melissa and Austin” Kyle Milnamow jokingly proclaimed his hatred for North on the air last fall, the last thing he expected was to receive an exclusive invitation to visit by Principal Shanna Lewis herself.
“I hate St. Charles North High School to the core of my body,” said Milnamow on the Melissa and Austin morning show on Nov. 4. “St. Charles North robbed [Larkin] in the regional title game. … It ruined our state championship season and ever since then, I hate them.”
After hearing about Milnamow’s live declaration of resentment, Lewis called into the show to invite him to North over 18 years after that fateful regional game.
“It was Mrs. Anderson-Wolf that came and told me [about Milnamow’s comment,] and I think it took exactly seven seconds for me to come back in here and I’m like, ‘Who do I email?’” said Lewis. “I think that anybody that gets to know us will know how awesome we are, which sometimes makes people even a little bit more mad. It actually just started out as a sort of funny thing, and then it’s just really been awesome to have them come here and see how great [North students and staff] are.”
Unbeknownst to him, North planned to welcome Milnamow, accompanied by the hosts of the US 99.5 morning show Melissa McGurren and Austin Huff, on Feb. 5 with the drumline and cheer team, a carpet in trademark North Star blue and a foyer full of excited students and staff.
“To walk in and see the drum line was a little overwhelming and very, very funny,” said Milnamow.
The unexpected and spirited welcome caught Milnamow off guard as a self-proclaimed North hater, still holding tightly to his 18 year grudge.
“I feel really badly about how much I hate everyone here,” said Milnamow when he arrived.
Alongside the warm welcome, Milnamow was given a tour of the building, lunch in the cafeteria, heaps of North merch and even the chance to sign the back of the 2008 soccer regional plaque.
When he attended Larkin High School, Milnamow was not a part of the soccer team as many believed from his initial resentful comments. Instead, he was a hopeful fan of the team.
“Actually, I wasn’t on the team. It was my senior year, and the year before, the soccer team had gone pretty far and Larkin, at that point, they were struggling athletically, and that was our only good team,” said Milnamow.
With Milnamow and his friends wholeheartedly expecting to win the game, the news of the loss was devastating, and kickstarted his longstanding grudge for St. Charles North.
Milnamow, initially surprised by the invitation and even a little hesitant, decided to accept it anyway.
“Right after I got [Lewis’s] email, I sent texts to all my high school friends, people who were on the soccer team that lost, people who were all upset, and every single one of them was like, ‘Don’t accept the peace offering, don’t do it.’ But I was like, ‘No, we have to, it’ll be great,’” said Milnamow. “It is probably the warmest welcome I’ve ever gotten in the history of warm welcomes.”
Lewis took the unique opportunity to showcase what being a North Star is all about.
“I love this place, and you guys know that, and I’m proud of you guys. I just think that anybody that gets to know you guys in this place would feel the same way. So I just feel like that’s who we are. That’s why I love it here,” said Lewis.
After the Thursday visit, it seems that Milnamow is finally considering letting go of the grudge.
“Maybe, maybe we can be friends now,” said Milnamow on the air following the visit.
