MAY 14, 2021 VOLUME XVIII ISSUE IV
geat expectatios
DEAREST eaDER, harles Dickens’ classic novel Great Expectations follows a young victorian orphan through love, loss and growth after a mysterious benefactor funds his education to become a gentleman. The story follows Pip through his journey of social advancement and the difficult choices he must make. As we conclude this year of strangeness and uncertainties, I am sure we all are looking to the future with hope and excitement. To all readers: teachers, all of whom who have worked tirelessly to provide for and accommodate to students, seniors who are excitedly waiting to walk across the stage and begin a new chapter, and all other students who have persevered through the schoolyear amidst all of the unforeseen challenges, we thank you for your continued readership and support. This issue highlights the greatness that lies in all of our futures: past this year, past this stage, and beyond. We hope you enjoy this last issue of the Acumen as much as we have enjoyed making it!
C
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Olivia Childress Editor-in-Chief
Life is made of so may
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partigs welded together CHARLES DICKENS
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The Life & Times of Charles On the Radar Worth a Shot Ready, Set, Goal The Path Ahead Mental Minute Perfectly Balanced Working It Smelting Silver Bright Future? BIG Plans
FRONT CHLOE SUN EDITOR IN CHIEF OLIVIA CHILDRESS ASSOCIATE EDITORS PRANAV JOTHIRAJAH KAROLENA ZHOU DESIGN TEAM CHENYAO LIU DARSHINI SHANKAR SAM HAWKINS KRUTI SUBBANNAVAR
WORDS DARSHINI SHANKAR KRUTI SUBBANNAVAR MADDIE MISTERKA
04 06 08 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 24
LEAH TAN OLIVIA STOCK CHRISTIAN LEDBETTER RILEY LAFERRIERE DANIEL TIAN JILLIAN MOORE
GRAPHICS SAUMYA SOMASI JOSHIKA SATHYAMATHAN ELISE VARHAN RILEY TERBUSH
WENDY ZHU CHLOE SUN PALLEVI PILLAI EMILY SANDY ARCHIT KALRA GRAY MARTENS CHENYAO LIU
PHOTOS MICHELLE WAN KIERSTEN RIEDFORD
LUKE MILLER RAY MO OLIVIA STOCK JASMINE ZHANG
GREAT EXPECTATIONS 5.14 03
The Life
and
Times
of
C h arles D i ckens Graphic: Gray Martens Sources: Britannica, Dickens Fellowship
184
Charles Dickens wr and publishes A Christm Carol, which proved to be instant holiday clas
Dickens writes Olive second novel. It is ver in style that Pickwick p focused more on so
1870
Charles Dickens dies in Chatham, England from a stroke
1867
Dickens embarks on a reading tour in America. He gave 471 of these reading performances in his career
1855
Dickens publishes Little Dorrit, which alongside Bleak House and Hard Times represented a darker period in the style of his writing
43
rites mas e an ssic
Dickens published his first novel, a periodical in Boz magazine called the Pickwick Papers
1843
er Twist, his ry different papers, and ocial issues
1836
1834
Dickens starts working for the liberal Morning Chronicle newspaper, which would shape many of his social and political beliefs
1824 1812 Charles Dickens was born Feb. 7 1812 in Portsmouth, England
Dickens’ family moved to London, and he had to drop out of school to work in a factory
GREAT EXPECTATIONS 5.14 05
On the Radar
Students, staff reflect on how competitive nature at CHS leads to pressure, high expectations in extracurriculars, creating both positive, negative consequences WORDS MADDIE MISTERKA
F
or senior Griffin Scott, the performing arts department at this school plays a large role in everyday life. As a member of Select Sound and Ambassadors co-president, Scott said he dedicates a lot of time to memorizing songs and choreography to perform to the best of his ability. “There’s both positive and negative pressure,” Scott said. “It’s positive in the way that you work hard and get to create some pretty incredible shows, musicals and vocal ability, but there are also some negative pressures as well. Negative in the way that we’re worked pretty hard, but it’s ultimately in a way that you can experience the ‘real world’ in high school.” Ambassadors is one of the oldest show choirs in the United States, gaining a formidable reputation for high-quality performances and high skill level over the 50 years since its founding in 1971. Similarly to Ambassadors, the women’s swimming and diving team is also known for its skill and competitive nature. “No one wants to lose that 35-year streak and it just pushes us everyday to work hard and ensure that doesn’t happen,” Gretchen Lueking, swim team member and junior said via email. “I have high expectations for myself but I really just try to have fun. I love being with my best friends and teammates at practice and having them by my side is amazing.” According to Lueking and Scott, the expectations surrounding both choir and swim team do not feel as significant when compared to the payoff from succeeding. “Whether (the end product) is a competition set, the Holiday Spectacular or just concerts in general, at the end of the day you get to hear the big round of applause and it’s a really rewarding feeling,” Scott said. Senior Griffin Scott dances and sings in an Ambassadors choir performance. Scott said that he dedicates a lot of his time to practicing for performances due to the pressure of being a part of the Ambassadors places on him. SUBMITTED PHOTO GRIFFIN SCOTT
Expectations and success is not limited to choir and swim, however. Competitors throughout all of CHS performing arts and athletics programs put a lot of work into their end goal in order to succeed. “You have to take time to celebrate (your successes). It is a lot of work and if you can’t find enjoyment in it then you’re losing out on why you’re putting in your time,” Ryan Osborn, head coach of men’s basketball, said. The men’s basketball team recently won their state championship against Lawrence North High School and Osborn said the feeling of achievement after winning validated the team’s hard work and dedication to bettering their performance. Similarly, Scott said a lot of his motivation comes from the desire to succeed and produce a great final product. “Performing arts people in general are pretty selfmotivated and we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to perform well, simply because we don’t want to let people down. We want to do our best,” Scott said. “There can be some pressure and expectations set on
BY THE NUMBERS
35
successive State Championships for Women’s Swimming
174 total CHS State Championships in the past 50 years in 17 different sports SOURCES CHS, CARMEL MONTHLY MAGAZINE
us by our directors, but it’s just because they want us to succeed the same as we do.” Similarly to performing arts students, Osborn said he thinks the men’s basketball team players’ motivation comes from themselves, and most expectations set within the team are personal goals to help team members to improve. “I feel like a lot of expectations to be your best are created at home, and self-motivation is a big factor in being successful, whether it be in basketball, the classroom or performing arts,” Osborn said. He said the men’s basketball team’s motivation for success remains constant throughout the season, and they train similarly for a normal game as they would for a large-scale competition. Osborn said the teams CHS competes against have a similar mentality towards competition, and the ability to play against such skilled teams is a great opportunity for the men’s basketball team. “(Basketball coaches) make practices challenging as a part of the process,” Osborn said. “I feel like our teams do a good job taking advantage of those opportunities and that’s a large reason why we’re able to grow so much throughout the basketball season.” Lueking also said a lot of the pressure she feels is from herself. She said she and her team expect themselves to perform well in competitions, and team members try to push each other to succeed in every way they can. Osborn said, “Pressure, to me, typically means being uncomfortable, and in every uncomfortable situation I’ve been in I feel like I’ve come out better. While there may be some pressure and high expectations, the more you’re exposed to pressure A the better you get at what you do.” The CHS Women’s Swimming and Diving Team team celebrates their victory after winning their 35th consecutive state title. The team holds the longest State Championship streak of all time in U.S. high school sports. SUBMITTED PHOTO GRETCHEN LUEKING
GREAT EXPECTATIONS 5.14 07
Worth
Students expre vaccine distrib encourage others
W
hen junior Jayden Riley got his second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, he said he appreciated the diligent work that enabled him to get it. “It’s weird to think that last year I was still stuck in my room quarantining,” Riley said. “But I’m extremely thankful that we’ve gotten this far this quickly. I know for me as soon as the requirement to get vaccinated opened to (ages) 16 and older, I immediately scheduled.” Others at the school share Riley’s appreciation. Although sophomore Macie DeLillo is ineligible for the vaccine at the moment, she said she’s thoroughly impressed about the work already done so far. “At the rate we are distributing doses, there seems to be a good outlook making me very hopeful for the soon future,” DeLillo said. “I am also hopeful that a vaccine gets approved for ages 16 and under very soon, getting us closer to ‘herd immunity.’ But I also understand that the process has been thought out and executed at an appropriate pace so that systems were never constantly overloaded with recipients or large quantities of the vaccine were not put to waste.” Riley and DeLillo’s hopeful expectations are shared with Monica Heltz, director of the Fishers Health Department. According to Heltz, officials have taken many actions to ensure the rapid roll out of more vaccines.
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WORDS LEAH TAN “We have our epidemiologist do modeling every week to when we project to reach ‘herd immunity,’ and target our messaging to certain demographics that appear to be lacking,” Heltz said. “Plus, Pfizer has already submitted its emergency approval for distribution of people (ages) 12 and up, so I think we will start to accelerate the rate of vaccinations once the demographic opens up more.” Despite these hopeful expectations of fast vaccine roll out, Heltz also said there has been a dip in the rate of vaccinations for unknown reasons. “Although we’re at a point where we can get any amount of vaccine distributed, we’re starting to see that there’s been a dip in the demand for vaccine appointments,” Heltz said. “I think part of it is that the vaccine is more widely available, and the other part may be because since we’re getting into younger age groups the desire to get vaccinated may be smaller.”
PATH TO VACCINATION See specifics of each COVID-19 vaccine Company
Johnson & Johnson
Approved Age Group
Vaccine Type
16+
mRNA
18+
mRNA
18+
Viral vector
a Shot
ess hopes about bution process, to get vaccinated
ILLUSTRATION KAROLENA ZHOU Riley said he has noticed this dip as well, with many people saying they were apprehensive about the fast roll out process of vaccinations. “I know a lot of people who aren’t getting the vaccine because of fear of the possible side effects of vaccinations given the fast approval of them, especially with the Johnson & Johnson blood clot issue,” Riley said. “That’s my only worry when it comes to the future of our response to the pandemic; if people don’t want to get vaccinated then it ruins the whole idea of tackling it.” Although this common criticism and worry is justified, DeLillo said it should not outweigh the benefits vaccines give, especially with the state of crisis the pandemic has caused. “It is important to put the issue into perspective. Six people out of millions getting blood clots from the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is such a small percentage;
N Effectiveness (clinical trials) 95% 94.1%
BY THE NUMBERS
31.3% of Indiana is fully vaccinated
4.62
MILLION
66.3%
GRAPHIC RILEY TERBUSH SOURCE CDC
doses given in Indiana ISDH SOURCE
you are exponentially more likely to get blood clots from the virus itself,” DeLillo said. “I think the fast approval of the vaccines is necessary for the situation we are in. If the vaccines were pushed back a few months, the COVID variants would probably be the dominant strains in our country, leading to greater infection and death rates.” Riley said in order to increase the demand to get vaccinated, there should be a bigger effort to clear up any misconceptions. “I know in the beginning stages, the pandemic was heavily politicized and that has been detrimental to the efforts of containing the spread,” Riley said. “It’s important to remember that the effects of your actions don’t just affect you, but also others. That’s why I got vaccinated, I wanted to protect my friends, family and community. I hope people educate themselves so we can protect everyone.” DeLillo said she agrees. “Do your part in protecting yourself, the ones around you and the community by getting the shot, and continue wearing your masks to protect the ones who can’t get it yet.” If people continue to follow guidelines and get vaccinated, Heltz said the pandemic will subside quicker. “It’s our duty to continue to do the practices we know work like getting vaccinated, wearing a mask even with the lifted mandate, and social distancing,” she said. “By A doing our part, we will get through this.”
Scan this to read more about each vaccine and how each type works
GREAT EXPECTATIONS 5.14 09
Ready, Set, Goal Students involved in rigorous academics, extracurriculars discuss benefits of goal setting WORDS JILLIAN MOORE
R
ecently, manifesting and “I definitely am a mental person, just journaling have become because if I write it down I lose the popular and some have paper… I keep a lot of it in my head, (Goal setting) argued goal setting can help honestly, and I also have a whiteboard makes it so that I can kind people succeed in school and at my house that I just write down of, not only compartmentalize, extracurriculars. However, any thoughts that I have of things I but be more efficient at completing CHS students have utilized have to do,” she said. my work. When I’m more efficient at goal setting in different ways. Cluver said he is also a Meet junior Grace proponent of writing goals completing my work, I have extra time Rexroth: she plays CHS down. He said he has started to do it which means it’s likely going to tennis, is a member of weekly journaling in order to be higher quality Senate and is involved in set and modify goals for himself. many rigorous academic “I have my kids do (goal JUNIOR BAENAN MCKEOWN courses. How does she keep up? She setting) all the time in writing. said her secret to success is goal setting. Simply because mentally, I think there “It has definitely helped me become the best person I can be and (I) just have different goals I’m trying to reach slowly, that way I can eventually BY THE improve in school, sports and all that,” she said. NUMBERS Next, meet junior Baenan McKeown: a member of Ambassadors, the varsity soccer team and a club soccer team. In addition, he is pursuing an IB diploma and taking multiple AP courses. He said of Americans he agreed with Rexroth and also said goal setting never set goals is essential for students with time-consuming extracurriculars to maintain academic success. “(Goal setting) makes it so that I can kind of, not only compartmentalize, but be more efficient at completing of adults write my work. When I’m more efficient at completing my their goals down work, I have extra time to do it which means it’s likely on paper going to be higher quality,” McKeown said. AVID teacher Kyle Cluver said students who want to try goal setting should begin with something of importance to them, even if it’s an extracurricular more people goal, such as a sport or hobby. who write down “Don’t necessarily go straight to the academic their goals goals. Yes, those are easier to formulate, but I would acheive than say to do something of interest to you because those who don’t then you’re going to hold yourself a little more accountable,” he said. “And then if you have those SOURCES baby benchmarks on the way, that’ll help too.” GOALBAND, Additionally, Rexroth said she mostly keeps track of goals mentally, occasionally using a whiteboard. STATISTIC BRAIN
“
“
38% 3%
50%
isn’t as much accountability as writing,” Cluver said. “And even more, beyond just the writing, I would get someone else involved.” McKeown said he disagrees because he prefers to set goals mentally so he does not feel overwhelmed and can avoid burnout. He said setting short-term mental goals works for him because he is driven by internal motivation. “When I set that type of goal, then I’m like, ‘Okay it’s cool, I only have like three weeks left of this grind and then I can relax,’” he said. “And so by doing that I can kind of numb the pain.” Rexroth said she is motivated internally, but also externally, to achieve her goals. “My goal this year was to make the tennis team, the top JV, and I was able to do that,” she said. However, Cluver said one should not always measure goals tangibly. “Goals are everywhere in life and it doesn’t always have to be a certain grade, a certain championship, a medal, a this, that and the other thing, the tangible things,” Cluver said. “Do the intangibles, do a way of life. You want to drink water everyday, you want to have an apple every other day, a healthy lifestyle—more than just the accolades that come A with school and sports.”
Junior Baenan McKeown kicks a soccer ball during a game. McKeown is a member of the varsity soccer team this year, on top of participating in Ambassadors and taking multiple IB diploma classes and AP courses, and said setting goals helps him manage it all. SUBMITTED PHOTO BAENAN MCKEOWN
Take Note Learn about some goal-setting techniques
Think about the results you want • Is this goal something you truly want? • Is it important enough to pour hours of time and effort into it?
Write your goals down • Use a positive tone so you stay excited and motivated about completing them. • Make sure to keep them somewhere visible to remind you to keep working on your goals daily. Create S.M.A.R.T. goals • Are you goals Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound (SMART)? Re-evaluate • Keep your motivation strong to complete your goal. • Consider scheduling a weekly evaluation. • Make necessary adjustments and keep going. Keep Track • Monitor your process. • Check off completed tasks as you go. GRAPHIC SAM HAWKINS, JASMINE ZHANG SOURCES LUCIDCHART, INDEED, ALIGNTODAY
GREAT EXPECTATIONS 5.14 11
The Path Ahead Students explain their career paths, decisions on not going to college WORDS KRUTI SUBBANNAVAR
S
enior Lauren Marsh lives a busy life as a manager at the Carmel Chocolate Cafe South Bend Company doing double shifts every day and during the weekend. Marsh, unlike most seniors at this school, plans to take a gap year to continue to work at the cafe after graduation. But Marsh may be part of a growing trend. According to a Washington Post article titled “With colleges shuttered, more students consider gap years. But those may be disrupted, too,” more high school students like Marsh are considering delaying their plans to go on to secondary education after high school. Students are not only taking gap years, but some are directly joining the workforce. Senior Vincent Federspiel is one of a few seniors at this school who said he plans to go into the workforce after graduation. Senior Vincent Federspiel plans to go to the workforce after gradaution. He will be working in Florida with his father constructing golf courses. Federspiel said he didn’t feel like college would fit in, which was one of the reasons why he chose to work.
“I just didn’t feel (college) would fit with me properly, and on top of that, I didn’t know what I wanted to do after high school, and after getting a couple of opportunities (I decided to go into the workforce,” Federspiel said. Federspiel said he plans to move to Florida with his father after graduating high school and working with him to construct golf courses. Similar to Federspiel, Marsh said she also wants to work throughout the duration of her gap year so she can gain work experience and money she can then use to further educate herself. Ann Boldt, College and Career Resource Center (CCRC) counselor, said there is a lot of pressure on students at this school, especially to go to college. “I think (due to) CHS and the culture we have here, (as) lot of us come from very educated family structure, a lot of parents are highly educated and they value education, so (going to college after high school is) something they’ve instilled in their children their whole life,” Boldt said. Marsh said she agreed with Boldt. “I always feel embarrassed to tell people I’m not going to college,” she said. “When I do tell people or tell teachers that I’m not going to school, I do feel the judgement.” For his part, Federspiel said he was supported by his friends when he made the decision to not pursue a college education after high school. “My friends’ reactions were pretty understanding,” he said. “They knew that I was going to be one of those people that didn’t continue on, and when they talked to me and I told them about it, and after I gave them a full explanation on why I wasn’t going to (college), they understood.” Boldt said taking a year off after high school was a path that could also help some students in their future in different ways than going to college.
NO DEGREE Take a look at the medium annual wage in some jobs that do not require a college degree $91,170
Nuclear-power-reactor operators Monitor reactor equipment and systems, adjusting controls as needed. Transportation & Storage Managers
$81,190
Plan, direct, or coordinate transportation, storage, or distribution activities in accordance with laws First-line supervisors of police
$81,840
They manage police staff, coordinate training and provide guidance and assistance when necessary $81,900
Power Dispatchers
Control the flow of electricity as it travels from generating stations to substations and users Elevator installers/repairers
$78,890
Specialize in installation, maintenance, or repair work Commercial pilots
$77,200
Operates an airplane for transportation of mail and other commercial purposes
GRAPHIC JOSHIKA SATHYAMATHAN SOURCE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
She said, “My goal is to work with students, to celebrate their gifts and talents and what they’re bringing to the table and finding that best-fit next step, and that doesn’t always mean college.” Boldt said although post-high school education is important, it is not necessary that students have to obtain it through college. She said internships and apprenticeships are also a good way to make sure students received secondary education in a way that was helpful and engaging to them. Both Marsh and Federspiel said they plan to pursue some sort of secondary education after they are done with their gap years. Federspiel said he eventually plans to attend Ivy Tech Community College (Ivy Tech) to pursue a better understanding of his future career. Marsh said she also plans to attend Ivy Tech to pursue a degree in elementary and middle school education. Both Marsh and Federspiel said taking a year off schooling would help them a lot. Marsh said, “I have a really strong work ethic, so I’m going to gain (things like) making a lot of money, and working and doing better with that, and just taking a mental break from school for a year.” Boldt also said she agreed and said there were a lot of benefits to taking a year off from schooling. She said, “Sometimes gap years are fabulous ways for a student to kind of explore other things or develop some more maturity. (The kids) are kind of burnt out, they’ve been on that hamster wheel and just need a break, and colleges really look at (gap years) really positively most of the times.” Boldt, Marsh and Federspiel all said each student’s path to their future is different, and one should not pigeon-hole themselves to the idea of a checklist to live life on as a student. They all also agreed there needed to be some sort of postsecondary education some time after high school, if not directly afterward as most students tend to do. Marsh said, “I think it needs to be encouraged that there is more diversity within the (paths after highschool) process, and different people want different things, and some students are not meant for school.” A
GREAT EXPECTATIONS 5.14 13
MENTAL MINUTE Throughout Carmel High School new mental health services arise in efforts to help students WORDS DARSHINI SHANKAR
D
PHOTOS MICHELLE WAN
ue to pressure teens face, they often compromise their mental health. A Pew Research study found that 61% of teens say they feel pressure to get good grades and 21% felt pressured to be involved in extracurricular activities and perform well in sports. As a result of these expectations for themselves, 70% of teens said anxiety and depression are major problems among their peers. In order to assist students as they deal with mental health issues at this school, social workers and therapists offer many services. According to Behavioral Health Counselor Christa Watson, they offer services including referral therapy and referral information. Watson said, “ There are three social workers who provide services for students in grades 10-12 and one social worker for the freshmen. They are employees of CHS and provide counseling, referral information, resource assistance and so much
more. The other therapist and I provide therapeutic intervention including individual therapy, family therapy, group therapy, skills training, behavior support, and referrals to community partners. We also provide referrals for medication management.” With expansion of therapy services offered at this school in the past year, Behavioral Health Counselor Jared Broschart said services have become more accessible for students. “After being referred by a guidance counselor, the students are able to start utilizing the services by completing an initial assessment. We are then able to schedule individual therapy sessions on virtual or in-person days,” Broschart said. “It’s normally more convenient for students and families to have these services offered in school, as it is a familiar setting for the students and does not require them to leave the building.”
Scan this to access mental health hotlines and information about where to get help
DEEP IN CONVO Senior Aleaandra Warkurst (RIGHT) talks to 10th-12th grade counselor Casey Danubio (LEFT) while staying socially distant. At CHS, counselors hope to communicate better with students in order to help student mental health.
Efforts to improve mental health service accessibility have been made by students at CHS as well as administration. Emily Hathaway, Active Minds club member and junior, said Active Minds works to raise awareness of mental health issues and provide better resources at this school. “Primarily we talk with a committee of teachers here at Carmel who want to provide better mental health resources and care for the students at Carmel. In Active Minds, as a mental health awareness club, we have discussions on possible improvements to the systems we have (and) new system possibilities,” Hathaway said. “It’s important to promote mental health advocacy and mental health services in order to reduce the stigma of mental health and motivate those who would like support to actually seek it out when they want or need it.” Similarly, Active Minds member and junior Kierstyn Hubbard said it is necessary to provide mental health services and raise awareness to reduce the stigma surrounding mental illnesses. “Raising awareness of what mental health and mental illnesses actually are can normalize discussing their effects and healthy coping strategies, and can let anyone who may be struggling know that they are not alone, and they deserve to seek help to live a better life,” Hubbard said. “Mental health services can help provide an outlet for anyone who may be struggling, which can help support individuals working through mental illnesses, or any kind of issue in their life.” Hathaway said the efforts this school has made in its partnership with Ascension St. Vincent to make mental health services more accessible can benefit students. According to Hathaway, these services not only benefit those in need of them at the time but students as a whole by reducing the stigma surrounding mental health. “I think offering these services contributes to removing the stigma surrounding mental health, simply by talking about it more and making it a reality and bringing it into perspective. But I still believe we have a stigma between the students on needing mental health. As a society,
SHARING THOUGHTS Counselor Casey Danubio (LEFT) talks to a fellow counselor about the new mental health services at CHS. According to Behavioral Counselor Christa Watson, the new mental health services include things such as referral therapy and information.
we’re rather individualistic and I think because we’re such a huge school, personal mental health gets lost in the numbers. (Due to this) people have not been praised enough for reaching out when they need help (due to mental health problems),” Hathaway said. Although these services contribute to reducing stigma as a whole, Broschart said they can individually offer help to students in need of them. According to Broschart, therapy provides students with a safe place to talk about any issues they face. Broschart said, “Our services provide students with a safe space to talk about anything and everything. We talk about an array of topics (such as) depression, anxiety, trauma, family, (and) LGBTQ+ to help students feel more supported and learn coping skills.” With these new services being a resource for students to receive the help they need, Hubbard similarly said it could assist students with coping in a healthy manner. According to Hubbard, “No matter how big or small a student’s struggle, having access to resources such as individual (therapy), group therapy or behavior support at school can help them work through it with a licensed professional and help them develop coping skills to address their issues in A a healthy and productive way.
GREAT EXPECTATIONS 5.14 15
PERFECTLY BALANCED Students attempt to balance schoolwork, social, family life WORDS OLIVIA STOCK
I
PHOTO LEAH TAN
n Great Expectations, Pip abandons his childhood caretaker and friend, Joe, in favor of pursuing a luxurious lifestyle in a big city. While students at this school may not experience such an extreme disruption in their relationships, many struggle to balance their schoolwork and social life. One such student is sophomore Jocelyn Yang. She said this year’s hybrid schedule has been a unique challenge for her in balancing schoolwork and quality time with family and friends. “You’re at home a lot; you lose a lot of your motivation to work,” she said. “When you lose that motivation you just don’t do things and you end up procrastinating it, dragging it out, doing it slower, and then it ends up taking more time. You have less time to spend with the people you care about.” Freshman Joseph Sandy said though he has had a lighter workload this year compared to previous years, motivation has been a struggle, which leads to less time spent with friends. “The virtual work is piling on up,” he said. “There’s been a little less work physically, but there’s been a lot more work mentally just to get it done.” In addition to students struggling with motivation, counselor Kris Hartman said via email she has seen students having difficulties in their social lives due to social distancing requirements or having friends in a different cohort. “I think (balancing school and relationships) is not an easy task in a normal year, but with all that has gone on with COVID restrictions and people not being able to see friends and family, it has been more difficult this year,” she said. Both Yang and Sandy said they would prioritize good grades over relationships if necessary, but for different reasons. Yang said her family’s expectations for her academic performance have influenced how she prioritizes relationships, and have been detrimental to her friendships in the past. “In my household situation, grades are what causes the most strain in family relations because they worry about my future,” she said. “So I would prioritize grades because for them, even if they don’t
Balancing Act Take a look at activities students often have to balance alongside school work GRAPHIC ARCHIT KARLA, PRANAV JOTHIRAJAH Sports: Carmel High School offers: Basketball, Soccer, Football, Cross Country, Track and Field, etc. Practices occur daily with games/ tournaments happening throughout the week
Clubs: Carmel High School offers hundreds of clubs to join Students can also create clubs with administration appoval
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see me as much, or ever really, they have the peace of mind to know that I’m okay.” Sandy said his parents were laid-back about his grades and part of his challenges with balancing school and relationships comes from his own desire to do well in school. “I don’t struggle with my parent’s expectations; I more struggle with my personal expectations,” he said. According to Hartman, ideally, students should not have to choose between grades and relationships, and that if this was the case, the student may need to make changes. “A student needs to look at their workload at school, making sure they are not taking on too much rigor, etc, and are able to have a healthy amount of time to spend with friends,” she said. “If a student feels too stressed
about schoolwork to maintain their grades and have “I had a schedule that I followed and did daily,” healthy relationships, they may need to talk (to) an she said. “I knew what I needed to get done and adult, like a parent or school counselor, about how they I turned in all my assignments on time or early are feeling and how they can best address the issue.” and that’s not been the case this year. I’ve been Taking too many rigorous courses and not managing very confused this year overall on where I am and time effectively can, according to Yang, make it more previous years were just not like that.” difficult to achieve an effective balance. She said Outside of student work ethic, Sandy said he organization and planning have been helpful to her. thinks the standards established by the American “Have a very clear schedule,” she said, “because education system play a part in students struggling you can’t spend six hours on math. I’ve learned that with having good grades and a developed social life. the hard way.” “I think it’s a problem because, at least for the Organization is also important to Sandy, and American education system, there’s so much stuff that’s he said another factor in a successful just thrown at us that we have almost no balance is making sure to wake up early time to enjoy our normal life,” he said. I don’t struggle with enough to get work done. “Those three months of summer, the reason my parent’s expectations; we experience so much brain rot is because “Set a time to wake yourself up in the morning, roughly the time you would we finally get a break from all that work.” I more struggle with my wake up for in-person school. Set a time, Like working a job, according to personal expectations get a planner, make a schedule.” Hartman, school can take a lot of Hartman said she would recommend commitment and time. FRESHMAN JOSEPH SANDY planning strategies to make more time for “In some sense, school is essentially a friends, and that students can be creative by doing both student’s full-time job. The stress of finding a balance schoolwork and spending time with friends. can be similar to an adult finding a balance when “Being organized and planning intentionally is having full-time employment.” important to achieve this balance,” she said. “You Ultimately, Yang said, this year has been different can also combine studying and seeing friends by compared to previous years which has presented creating study groups, etc.” students with unique challenges in balancing their Yang said in previous years, she has not struggled social lives with schoolwork. as much with getting good grades and spending “Everyone’s struggling, everyone is,” she said. “Some A time with friends and family. more than others. It is what it is.”
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KEYBOARD WARRIOR Counselor Kris Hartman works on finalizing college recommendation letters. According to Hartman, social distancing and COVID has made it hard for students to find motivation and to balance their activities.
GREAT EXPECTATIONS 5.14 17
WORKING IT Students look at motivation for, importance of obtaining first job in high school WORDS RILEY LAFERRIERE
F
PHOTOS RAY MO
or Kirby Biggs, employee at Some Guys Pizza and junior, starting work at a young age meant more financial freedom, independence and learning opportunities. However, because of child labor laws in Indiana, students must wait until they turn 14 to begin working, even with a work permit or parent approval. However, Biggs said she does not see age restrictions as a downside and believes they can even be a motivator for individuals to obtain a job when they come of age. “I’ve always wanted my own money so I remember always trying to babysit other people’s
DUTIFUL Sophomore Michael Morfas enters work at Rosie’s. He said student employment is important for a sense of independence.
kids,” Biggs said. “So when I was 14, that was the first thing I wanted to do was get a job and be able to make my own money.” Michael Morfas, Rosie’s Place employee and sophomore, said he agreed age limits can be motivators in acquiring jobs. “I think it was (a motivator),” Morfas said. “A lot of kids are excited about getting jobs when they’re younger, and it’s kind of like driving, where by the time you can do it, you just want to do it.” While students cannot legally start work until they turn 14, both Morfas and Biggs said working at a young age in high school can have positive effects including learning life skills, time management and financial independence. According to a 2019 Pew Research study, however, teenage employment decreased from 44.7% in 1948 to 29.2% in 2018, but not because of a lack of motivation in students. Rather, in a 2015 National Center for Biotechnology Information report (NCBI), researchers claimed that many students may not be interested in working because of the hardship of balancing school and work, along with the increased intensity and importance of education. Counselor Katherine Barsten said school performance is one of the only negatives to having a job as a high school student. She said, “I sometimes see kids who work late hours and this affects their sleep, which in turn affects performance in school.” Still, she said, “Having a job can be great practice for time management and balancing academic and extracurricular commitments. And (it) broadens students’ views beyond academics.” Additionally, Biggs said she understands how school can invoke stress and discourage students from applying for a job. Morfas said he agreed and also said while focusing on school and academics is a good option, he still encourages others to apply for a job as it can have multiple benefits. As a solution to balancing school and work, Biggs said she suggests busier students take on smaller jobs during the summer, such as lifeguarding. Even though the Pew Research study showed an overall decrease in teen employment, it still indicated a trend of increased employment during
SPREAD THEME COLOR
the summer. This further added to Biggs’ point that more occupied students have free time in their schedule to take on jobs in the summer. Biggs said she also suggests students inform their employers and managers about their schedules. “At the end of the day, you have to tell them that you are a student, so there will be limitations to the hours you can work and things like that,” she said. “Before I did that, I was working about four days a week. That was really challenging with school and having no time for studying. I eventually just dropped it down to two to three shifts a week, so that (helped) me way more (with) time management.” Although finding a balance with school, work and other activities can be hard, Barsten said working as a high school student can provide for skills that can be used later in life. Moreover, she said working as a high schooler allows more freedom and independence for students. “Working at a young age helps students to develop an understanding of how they can fit into society,” she said. “Depending on the job, students
HARD AT WORK Sophomore Michael Morfas writes down names to seat customers during his shift at Rosie’s Place on April 29. Morfas said bookkeeping and accountability are essential for his work as a restaurant host.
get a chance to interact with a variety of people in the community, and also to understand the value of working for things they want or need.” Morfas said the freedom he enjoys the most is the financial independence he has with his job. “(Having a job) helps people learn responsibility... but also (money management). It teaches you how much things actually cost,” Morfas said. He also said he feels a sense of accomplishment purchasing goods with his own money, instead of having to rely on his parents for purchases. Biggs said while working at her current job, she has learned more about responsibility and other life skills, which she believes will be beneficial down the road. “I think it’s important to get a job during your high school years because it teaches you a lot, especially food services and smaller jobs,” Biggs said. “Just not having to depend on your parents for money, yeah, that’s easier, but (having a job) teaches you work ethic and how to work with other people, even if you might not like them. Just A overall you develop a whole new skill set.”
GREAT EXPECTATIONS 05.14 19
FEELING THE FLOW Silversmith Jacquie Green sits at her workstation. As a child, Green said she could spend hours in her bedroom creating designs with some paper, glass and X-Acto knife. Now in her career, she said metalworking helps her find her flow.
SMELTING SILVER Q&A with silversmith Jacquie Green
What does your job entail? I’m self employed. I’m part of a co-op gallery (CCA Gallery) in Carmel, Indiana and...I’m also at a small gallery in Broad Ripple. (In my work) I use mostly silver. I’ll occasionally use copper or brass and when I’m feeling really rich, I’ll use gold.
How long have you done this work? My first class was in ‘93. I took a ceramics class...and then later that year I realized, “I don’t think I want to do pottery.” Then I saw this metalsmithing class and I inquired about it and from then on I (realized), “this is it, this is the one.” It took me a while to figure out what I wanted to do in life. I am very versatile in what I can do, but I really find my flow when I’m doing my metalwork.
Q&A CHRISTIAN LEDBETTER
BY THE NUMBERS
2.5
BILLION spent on jewelry making in 2016
-10% projected change in employment within the next decade BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
SUBMITTED PHOTOS JACQUIE GREEN
What is the process behind making something?
Inspiration is the first (step). On a rare occasion I’ll do commision work but I really, as an artist, don’t like doing that because it really sucks the creative juices out of me... It’s the stones that really inspire me, but often I will make pieces out of just simple silver. I’m inspired by organic shapes and then I draw it down. I kind of get a loose idea sometimes when I’m sitting in church and I’m listening to a sermon, because I have the gift and the curse of ADHD. I’ll (often) be doodling...and I’ll come up with some really cool ideas. I don’t always use them, but if I have something on my mind or in my heart I want to make, I can usually evolve something out by doodling it first.
Stone The stone is the centerpiece of a ring. Green used lapis for this ring. Bezel A bezel is the part of a ring that holds the stone in place. This was Green’s plain piece.
Bezel Green said she was creating a decorative bezel, and included another layer around the plain bezel piece.
What is the process behind creating a ring? When I’m making a ring there’s a lot (of) soldering involved because I have to make the shank, which is (the lower portion of a ring). This is the bezel (the section that holds the stone) that goes around it. This one has a decorative bezel, there’s a plain bezel piece and then I have to solder an extra half round bead around the edge, and that stone is lapis, it just takes a little more effort. Sometimes I have to make the rings adjustable sized so that for selling purposes, more people will have a chance to wear it.
ANATOMY OF A RING Silversmith Jacquie Green shows off the parts she used to construct one of her rings. She said creating rings involve more soldering because she has to connect the lower part of the ring to the stone. CHENYAO LIU PHOTO ILLUSTRATION THE PLUNGE SOURCE
MODELING Green displays the ring she created. Green said she is inspired by stones and organic shapes which she then represents in her work.
What lessons have you learned from metalsmithing? I’m not super technical, but I have learned... to embrace my mistakes. There were several students at the art center...who were striving for perfection and while that’s good...you don’t usually hit the mark and you have to learn to be okay with it...It’s not that you did something perfectly, it’s that you tried.
Is there anything else you think readers should know? I’ve always said that people are creative, everyone is creative...It takes time to hone your craft and (my) son...is still in the mindset of, “If I can’t go on this bike and ride it immediately I’m not going to try”, which I find just completely fatalistic. You have to keep getting on the bike, you (have to) keep trying if you want it bad enough. If you don’t want it enough (then) walk away. It’s worth going after something that you feel strongly about.
Handy Tools
Take a look at some common metalsmithing supplies File
• used to file down and smooth out rough edges • can come in square, round, half-round and flat shapes and can also have a smooth or abrasive metal surface
Pliers • used to bend, grip, compress, pull, twist or cut metal • user’s grip strength force is increased due to the structure of the pliers’ levers and handles
Solder • metal alloy that comes in sheet and wire forms • used to fuse two metal parts together GRAPHIC WENDY ZHU SOURCE THE SPRUCE CRAFTS
GREAT EXPECTATIONS 5.14 21
BRIGHT FUTURE? Take a look at both the postive and negative predictions people have for the future of the world GRAPHIC EMILY SANDY, CHLOE SUN
SOURCES NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC
Then & Now See what predictions people had for 2021 and how they look now THEN: In the year 1900, people believed that we could walk on water by being lifted by balloons and riding a flat piece of wood
NOW: Invented in 1923, water skiing is the closest thing to walking on water in the modern world
d n i ings F e r u t Fue a look at what innovations we k Ta
2031 - The city of Bangkok, Thailand will be surrounded by massive sea walls to protect the city due to rising sea levels.
ma y se e in
THEN: In the year 1900, people believed that there would be underwater ships to tour the ocean with, surrounded completely by glass
NOW: The submarine is the most similar underwater tour that the modern world has, although submarines are not typically use by the public.
the future
2037- Cars will all be self driving, no one will be manually driving.
2045 - Spac Companies i and Japan ho elevators fro orbiting spac passengers a
ed
ce Elevators in China ope to build om Earth to an ce station for and cargo.
The TF-X Terrafugia Flying Car Terrafugia announced January 2021 that their flying car was certified to be flown only, with road use approval to follow in 2022.
2105- Taxes in the United States will be abolished.
2060 - Indoor Farms As the population grows and less land is available for farming, agriculture may be housed in vertical skyscrapers. 2060 - Drone Delivery Drones could soon deliver meals, people, and even small houses and carry them from cities to vacation spots. 2050- At a high cost, people will be able to select elements to add or erase of their offspring’s genetic makeup.
GREAT EXPECTATIONS 5.14 23
CHS students anticipate lives after high school Q&A’s DANIEL TIAN
PHOTOS OLIVIA MCKEE
FRESHMAN CARA NAAS
After high school, I will be going to college. I would like to study something that has to do with nutrition and fueling for athletes. I want to study this because of things that I have struggled with. I want to make sure that every athlete has a chance to reach their full potential and live a healthy lifestyle. SOPHOMORE CATHERINE BYRNE
I definitely want to go to college, and I know after college I want to go to medical school because I wanna be a radiologist when I’m older because my dad actually works in radiology. I’ve always really liked science, especially medical type stuff, and that’s always interested me because I’m in HOSA and Science Olympiad.
SENIOR MAYLEE O’BRIEN
I’m going to Emory University after high school. I’m thinking about either philosophy and a prelaw track or media studies and film studies. I’ve always been intrigued by philosophy; I think that it’s something that appeals to me. I really like digging in deep and discussing those abstract topics with other people. As for film, film has always been something that’s also always intrigued me. It’s something that I didn’t really get to delve into in high school (so) especially since Emory is in Atlanta and Atlanta is a big filming location, I feel like going to Emory would be a good opportunity for me to explore that interest.
JUNIOR NYLE NASIR
I’m looking to go to IU Kelley School of Business, I want to study Esports Management and marketing. I like business and I like working with marketing, money and things of that nature. I just thought it would be a good fit for me in regards to Esports Management because I’ve been playing video games ever since I was in second grade. I’m involved in competitive esports, I help run Carmel Esports which is our competitive esports club at the high school and I love playing competitively and love working in the esports scene. Since I already have good grounds in the esports scene and since I’m interested in marketing, I thought Esports Management would be a perfect fit.
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