The Triangle, Issue 3, Vol. 104

WINTER BLUES

THE

TRI NGLE Columbus North High School • 1400 25th Street, Columbus, IN 47201 • Volume 104 Issue 3 • Dec. 19, 2024

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Nicolas Bowers Lois Guest Maia Jamieson

IN-DEPTH 13 Winter Blues

How does winter affects students physically and mentally

ASSISTANT DESIGN EDITOR Aidan Brown IN-DEPTH TEAM Sarynel Barbosa Kuilan Stella Gaylord Annie Green Cecilia Gutierrez SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM Maggie Russell Greta Schuetz STAFF Colin Amini Mia Bowers Gabe Carrilo Chloe Feliciano Jaedyn Greenlee Owen Grimes Bella Herbert Brooklyn Hurt Leo Iorio Alexa Lanam Gabe Manning Gabe Marsh Audrey Nordman Cassie Osburn Addisyn Pulley Claire Rawlings Gabby Revell Caeden Sych Maddie Williams ADVISERS Roth Lovins Rachel McCarver

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Editorial Policy The Triangle is the designated forum for student expression at Columbus North High School. The student staff chooses all content.

Signed columns published in The Triangle express the writer’s personal opinion and not the views of The Triangle, student body, BCSC, administration, board of trustees or faculty of Columbus North.

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IN THE BLACK

As Black Friday sales get increasingly worse, should students be worried?

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NEWS

COUNT THE CANS

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IN THE BLACK

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Student assembly hosts their annual can drive for BCSC families As Black Friday sales get increasingly worse, should students be worried?

8 THE SEASON 6-7 OF THE SUGARPLUMS

The dancers of Dancers Studio prepare for their annual performance of The Nutcracker

STUDENT LIFE

THE SEASON OF THE SUGARPLUMS 6-7

The dancers of Dancers Studio prepare for their annual performance of The Nutcracker

STRESS TO IMPRESS

Students discuss academic stress and how they manage it

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OPINION TOO SOON FOR SANTA?

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COMEBACK HOOSIERS

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THANK YOU BEYONCÉ

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A WICKED REPRESENTATION

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With the holidays approaching, a common question is “When is it socially acceptable to get into the holiday season?”

STRESS TO 8 IMPRESS

Students discuss academic stress and how they manage it

Indiana Hoosiers Football is the most improved team in CFB during this 2024 season A deep dive into conspiracy theories surrounding Beyoncé Will the movie adaptation live up to Broadway’s highly praised, best-selling show, Wicked?

20 DIVING INTO THE 18 NEW SEASON Swim and dive team talks about their hopes and preparations for the upcoming season

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SPORTS

FLYING TO THE TOP 16

As they enter their competitive cheer season, Columbus North’s cheerleaders have high hopes for this year

DOUBLE TIME 17

Members of the marching band look back on this year’s season

DIVING INTO THE NEW SEASON 18

Swim and dive team talks about their hopes and preparations for the upcoming season

SCORING SCHOLARSHIPS 19

High School juniors explain the college recruiting process and their personal journey

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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COUNT THE CANS Student assembly hosts their annual can drive for BCSC families

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by Chloe Feliciano design by Jaedyn Greenlee reen beans, corn, raviolis and oranges. They all have one thing in common: you can find them in canned form. The Student Assembly is beginning their annual canned food drive and it will continue until tomorrow, the last day of school before winter break. The annual Can Drive is a huge donation of goods to people in need in the community. This year, senior Neal White has taken it as his senior project in collaboration with the Student Assembly.

The cans go directly to student families, specifically from elementary schools.

“The director reaches out to contact different schools and families that they think are in need,” White said.

They map out what houses they need to deliver the cans to, allowing them to accurately distribute the food to everyone.

“The maps that we use for collecting cans are already established,” White said. “It’s just that there’s add-ons of different houses, so we have to add those houses. There’s also different expansions of Columbus as well.”

Not every food is acceptable to give.

Many foods perish before they are able to be distributed, or they won’t last long. White goes over the best choice of food to donate.

“Any non-perishable food,” White said.

“Pasta is a common one people donate

because it’s filling. Different baking mixes, and peanut butter is a fairly common one that’s also donated, which is also important because it’s a basic source of protein.”

This system has shown success in the past, and White strives for more.

“Last year we raised somewhere around $8,000,” White said. “I’d like to get to $9,000, and not long ago we got up to $10,000.”

Senior Noah Marsh describes his responsibilities and experience with the Can Drive. He has been a part of the Can Drive his entire high school career and more.

“My part in Can Drive for the past two, three years has been the attendance chair,” Marsh said. “I take care of some of the attendance policies we have for can drive.”

Volunteers are not an issue because of the Student Assembly. It’s the student assembly’s job to count and collect the cans.

“This is our big project that we work on for Student Assembly besides the dance, which this year was homecoming,” Marsh said.

“This is the biggest project we do so we need all hands on deck with Student Assembly.”

For Assembly members, there is a reward that comes with volunteering their time for the Can Drive.

“The goal this year is 70 percent [attendance], or 20 days out of 28 days of can drive that we have,” Marsh said. “If you go to

more than 20 days [of Can Drive collecting] you get to miss the last day of school before break and help sort cans. When we sort the cans we build forts and have fun with it. Then you will take those cans to different houses throughout the community. If you have 15 to 20 days you can only do the sorting, and if you do 15 and under you can’t do any of it.”

It’s mandatory for Student Assembly, but they make exceptions for people that have other activities they can’t ignore. People find themselves enjoying the experience.

“It’s a lot of fun, its the best part of Student Assembly every year,” White said. “People get to choose the groups they get to be in, so you’re not with random people. You get to go get the food with your friends, so you’re just spending a couple hours with friends every week.”

To participate in the collecting and distribution of the cans, you do have to be a part of Student Assembly. However, there are still ways to help.

“I definitely recommend people on Student Assembly or not to help,” Marsh said. “It’s a huge help for us if we can get more help with cans. It’s not just helping us, but helping BCSC families. To do the counting and the collection you have to be a part of the Student Assembly, but you can help by bringing in cans.”

ADDING IT UP

Student Assembly shares facts about Can Drive.

The goal is to raise at least 10,000 canned goods/food items.

The most donated type of food is canned green beans, and canned food is packaged ramen.

Foods with protein in them, canned meat and peanut butter are especially good to donate.

9,000 - 10,000 cans is the usual number of cans per year.

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The cans go to local elementary school families in need, majority go to students at Schmitt and Mt Healthy

NEWS

photo by Gabe Marsh

Junior Kaitlyn Nester puts the collected goods in the car

IN THE BLACK

As Black Friday sales decrease in savings, students switch to the internet to shop

by Colin Amini design by Alexa Lanam

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ights of people lining up at stores, and running into stores, chasing after deals seemed commonplace. Once upon a time, Black Friday was a day of spectacular deals and massive crowds. But now, as the crowds get thinner and the prices get even more anemic, some are asking ‘has Black Friday lost its value?’

Business teacher Andrew Dunn explains some of the factors that contribute to these falling deals.

“I think what we’ve seen is that there are higher labor costs,” Dunn said. “If you’re paying your labor higher wages and [have an] increase in supply chain costs, for companies to get products to the customer those costs have gone up, and that’s kind of sapped their margins.”

Economics teacher Natalie Perry attributes the falling deals to similar causes.

“It goes back to supply chains,” Perry said. “When we start looking at operating costs for businesses, we see that their expenses are going up. So it kind of incentives them to drop their prices.

They’re trying to cover their expenses.”

Junior Arhant Awale added how changes to Black Friday have affected him.

“It’s been tough because the prices are usually higher than they were like five years ago,” Awale said.

Senior Nicole Brault highlighted how the rising prices have required her to prioritize spending.

“The rising prices have slightly affected my shopping experience because I spend less to be able to save my money for gas or other various items,” Brault said.

Perry explains how improper planning can lead to falling behind on these necessities.

“We want to be good consumers which

means we need to plan ahead, we need to know what we’re looking for when we go in, we need to do our research before we get there,” Perry said. “Impulse buys tend to be the biggest complaint about Black Friday shopping. Make sure that you set your goals, make sure you know how much you want to spend. When you go out, if you have $300 extra that you can spend, then make sure that you stay within that $300. We don’t want to spend $400 and then be behind on our car insurance or car payment, or something like that.”

As Black Friday shifts to online sales surrounding the holiday, a new sale event has begun: Cyber Monday, which is the Monday after Thanksgiving. According to NBC News, the sale was created in 2005, and focuses on online sales.

“Cyber Monday is now in competition for Black Friday,” Perry said. “As more and more opportunities arise to find a good deal, I think Black Friday has some drawbacks. Who wants to get up early to fight in line for what might be like five big-screen TVs that are in the store that are on sale?”

Brault reflects this sentiment in her shopping habits.

“I shop more online than in person to be able to skip the lines and big crowds of people,” Brault said.

Awale further elaborates on the desire to skip crowds.

“At first we used to shop more in person, but we saw how many crowds there were, and now we’re mostly doing it online because you don’t have to wait a lot,” Awale said. “You can just stay at home, choose whatever you want.”

Despite the growth of Cyber Monday, Perry doesn’t foresee Black Friday going away. to read more visit cnhsmedia.com

BLACK FRIDAY PRICES THEN AND NOW -WALMART-

Apple AirPods Pro

Xbox Series X

Apple iPad Pro

HP Laptop

Dyson Airwrap

NORMAL PRICE $249.00 BLACK FRIDAY 2020 $169.00 BLACK FRIDAY 2024 $154.00

NORMAL PRICE $499.00 BLACK FRIDAY 2020 $499.00 BLACK FRIDAY 2024 $448.00

NORMAL PRICE $1999.99 BLACK FRIDAY 2020 $1,204.95 BLACK FRIDAY 2024 1799.99

NORMAL PRICE $549.00 BLACK FRIDAY 2020 $320.00 BLACK FRIDAY 2024 $229.00

NORMAL PRICE $349.99 BLACK FRIDAY 2020 $219.99 BLACK FRIDAY 2024 $219.99

photo by Maia Jamieson NEWS

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THE SEASON OF SUGARPLUMS

As the first snowflakes begin to fall, the dancers of Dancers Studio lace up their pointe shoes and pirouette into their upcoming Nutcracker performance

by Claire Rawlings design by Maddie Williams photos by Lois Guest

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he lights dim, the soft pat of pointe shoes against the hard stage resounds across the theater, the orchestra begins their first notes and the dancers of the party scene begin their pliés and pirouettes. Dancers Studio Choreographer Lauren Haza explains why this year’s Nutcracker performance will be unique.

“The sugarplum fairy, she dances with a male dancer, and typically, we always hire a professional to dance those two roles, occasionally we’ll have a dancer for the sugarplum fairy and then hire a male counterpart, but this is the first time in Dancers Studio history, which is around 34-35 years, that we’ve had students doing both of those parts together,” Haza said, “So it’s not only having two dancers that can do those individual parts, but being able to dance them together is another big factor.”

Junior Clemence Delfosse is dancing as the Dew Drop Fairy in the snowflake corp.

“It’s the first nutcracker where I feel really comfortable with myself and my abilities,” Delfosse said, “Obviously everyone is their harshest critic, and I still have so much to learn before our show

and the many to come, but there’s something different in the air this year, and I’m really really excited for it. I think what I’m most excited for is dress rehearsal and then obviously the show, and just seeing it all come together; there’s nervous energy with everyone and we’re all excited to be dancing in costume.”

For Dancers Studio, the Nutcracker costumes are a fan favorite. Unlike most other studios, they have a costume mistress who creates all the outfits.

“We have a costumer on staff, and that is not a normal thing for a ballet school to have,” Haza said, “Most places order costumes. The first thing I hear after every show is ‘Oh my goodness, it was wonderful; the costumes were amazing.’”

Costumes for the show are in progress, but with their move to a new studio, Haza admits the show is a bit behind.

“We just moved to a new location, and it was very delayed, so we’re playing a lot of catch up right now, which is not ideal, but these kids, as a group, work so hard, they work so well together, they are so supportive of each other, and they can do it,” Haza said, “I know they can do it.” to read more visit cnhsmedia.com

1. The cast of The Nutcracker bowed following their performance.

2. Junior Mia Bowers poses for the beginning of the Spanish Chocolate dance.

3. Seymour senior Alana Jacobi dances in the Arabian Coffee dance.

4. Junior Clemence Delfosse performs as the Dew Drop Fairy.

5. Dancers perform in the party scene.

6. Seymour senior Alana Jacobi and Indianapolis Ballet professional Logan O’Neal pose as Snow King and Queen.

7. Dancers perform in the snow scene.

8. The cast of The Nutcracker bowed following their performance.

STUDENT LIFE

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STUDENT LIFE

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STRESS TO IMPRESS Students discuss academic stress and how they manage it

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by Cassie Osburn design by Caeden Sych student returns home after a full day of school, only to open their planner and begin to tackle the long list of assignments that accumulated during the day. With no shortage of work to be done or tests to study for, some students can get stressed out. Freshman Masha Pivovarova says that the workload in school can cause her stress.

“I feel like I’m really stressed about the assignments that I have and the tests and exams,” Pivovarova said. “If I feel like I’m not prepared, I’m going to be stressed about it.”

Junior Marilu Benavente agrees that having large amounts of schoolwork to do has a negative effect on her.

“Sometimes it’s really hard to focus on one thing when it feels like I have ten million other things to do,” Benavente said.

Sophomore Eli Varchenko adds that, for people involved in sports, schoolwork can have an additional impact on their lives.

“Depending on if I have heaps of homework to do and I know it, it might affect my swimming,” Varchenko said. “As an athlete, I have to manage that and all of my homework.”

Senior Amelia Corney, who plays soccer, also finds that being involved in sports can add to feelings of academic stress.

“I would say that if you’re trying to do school and a sport, it gets pretty stressful,” Corney.

Corney believes that seniors are more prone to being stressed about school as well.

“I think, especially being a senior, there’s a lot of pressure to get good grades because you’re starting to send your transcripts off to a bunch of colleges,” Corney said.

Some students see that academic stress has effects on their lives. Pivovarova adds how stress impacts her.

“I feel like if I’m stressed about academics, I’ll do better, but it just affects me because I’ll get less sleep, I will be more tired, things like that,” Pivovarova said.

On the other hand, Corney thinks that stress worsens her performance in school.

“When I’m more stressed, I don’t do things as well and I rush,” Corney said.

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TIPS TO MANAGE FINALS STRESS

Stress can have effects outside of school as well. Benavente comments on how her stress affects her life.

“I just feel like I have to put school over relationships with other people and hanging out with my friends,” Benavente said.

Corney experiences similar feelings.

“When I’m too stressed out, I definitely don’t feel like hanging out with my friends,” Corney said. “I just want to be by myself.”

Despite the different ways that academic stress affects her, Pivovarova finds ways to manage it.

“I try to get more sleep and organize things, just writing down the things that I need to do,” Pivovarova said. “That helps me see that there aren’t that many things.”

Corney uses organizational techniques to avoid stress.

“I use my planner a lot,” Corney said.

“It tells me when things are due so I’m not stressing about them.”

Varchenko says that if students are stressed about schoolwork, the best thing to do is avoid distractions.

“Turn off the phone and stay away from music and all electronics in general,” Varchenko said.

Varchenko also believes that one of the best ways to avoid stress is to not let school take over.

“It just depends on finding the right balance,” Varchenko said.

Take some breaks.

Refresh your brain for maximum energy and productivity. Do not overwork yourself.

Study with other students.

Students who study in groups find themselves to be more confident when it comes to testing time.

Stay off social media.

Studies show students overall perform better in classes when electronic time and social media time is down.

Go to bed at a reasonable time. Students who get less sleep tend to have a small attention span, trouble staying awake and moody attitude.

photo by Caeden Sych

Students study in the library in preparation for finals

STUDENT LIFE

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OPINION TOO SOON FOR SANTA? With the holidays approaching, a common question is “When is it socially acceptable to get into the holiday season?”

by Mia Bowers

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magine a warm fireplace with the Christmas tree lit and a warm feeling sparks inside of you. This feeling is something that Americans chase all year. So why would you not want to experience that feeling sooner?

Nov. 1 is the most appropriate time of year to start getting excited about the Christmas season.

Christmas music is arguably the easiest way to get into the holiday spirit. It is also scientifically proven that Christmas music makes you happy. The New York Times states that it brings back nostalgic memories and then signals are sent to the brain to release dopamine and serotonin chemicals.

The happiness and joy that surrounds Christmas is something that should be held onto for as long as possible. It brings a reminder that there are happier times.

Especially for students, this time of year can be extremely stressful, so a little bit of festiveness can go a long way.

Setting up decorations and listening to Christmas music at the beginning of November can also build up the anticipation for

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OPINION

the countdown to Christmas even more. On Nov. 1, there are 55 days until Christmas. That gives you 55 days to anticipate the holiday.

Even if you don’t even celebrate Christmas, there is something so exciting about the countdown to Christmas season.

Celebrating Christmas early also serves as a reminder to buy your gifts for your loved ones. That way, by the time December 1st rolls around, you already have all your holiday shopping completed and you can just sit back, relax and enjoy the rest of the captivating Christmas season.

An argument that some have is that you get burnt out of Christmas before December rolls around.

That is what Thanksgiving is for. Thanksgiving is the perfect opportunity to channel your fall persona for the last time, while also giving you a brief break from the Christmas festivities.

Christmas and the winter season as a whole can be a very difficult time for many, so spreading the holiday cheer a little early never hurt anyone.

COMEBACK HOOSIERS Indiana Hoosiers Football is the most improved team in CFB during this 2024 season

by Owen Grimes

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ndiana University’s football team has been on a roll this year dismantling every team they play and leaving a mark on the teams they play.

Head Coach Curt Cignetti has brought a certain culture and energy to IU football which has now paid off astronomically and their record shows that. The atmosphere has been electric in Bloomington, given that they are the best they’ve been for a long time. The Hoosiers had a 9-game win streak and an impressive 6 wins in conference play.

IU has one of the best football programs in the country by far at this point and has impressed me, considering their lack of success in past years. The Hoosiers are ranked in the nation with this being their first time having a winning record since the 2020 - 21 season (three years). Like a lot of football teams in the country, there have been times of disappointment and agony. The Hoosiers currently

have a bowl record of 3 - 10 including a weak 3 - 9 record after the 2023 season with a 1 - 8 record in conference. Because of this, IU rightfully hired a new coach, Curt Cignetti. Bringing 25 total transfers and is ranked 56th in the nation for commits in 2025 preparing for the future following behind him to Bloomington.

I feel like IU football is more real than they have ever been for a while, sitting at 6-0 for the first time since 1967. And with the new College Football Playoffs having 12 teams instead of 4, I am convinced that they will make a deep playoff run, or who knows I wouldn’t be surprised if the Hoosiers brought back the hardware. Based on this, even if IU doesn’t do much from here through the season and maybe into the post-season, this team deserves the Most Improved Award after such a great season so far and I’m excited for what’s in store for Hoosier football in the future.

THANK YOU BEYONCÉ A deep dive into conspiracy theories surrounding Beyoncé

by Gabby Revell

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he internet has noticed a trend of singers receiving awards, and thanking Beyoncé, even when she had no absolutely no involvement in why they were winning the award.

Adele thanked her in her 2017 Album of the Year Grammy acceptance speech by saying she felt that Beyoncé deserved the award more for her album ‘Lemonade.’ At the 2023 Grammys, Lizzo thanked Beyoncé when accepting her Record of the Year award. Lady Gaga, Megan Thee Stallion and Britney Spears have also mentioned her after winning awards over the years.

At the 2023 Grammys, Harry Styles won the Album of the Year for his album Harry’s House.

While giving his acceptance speech, someone yelled from the crowd that Beyoncé deserved to win.

People have even theorized that in 2009 when Taylor Swift won Best Female Video, she was interrupted by Kanye West in an attempt to save her by saying Beyoncé should have won.

Why this obsession with crediting Beyoncé? Why are so many people convinced Beyoncé deserves every award?

The public — and by “public,” I mean the internet — consensus

is that these celebrities fear Beyoncé might perceive them as a threat to her fame and have them eliminated.

These rumors had origin with the three people mentioned in “She Knows,” by J. Cole; Aaliyah, Lisa Left Eye Lopes, and Micheal Jackson. All three were incredibly famous, and died in tragic accidents that seemed suspicious and preventable, all on the 25th of the month. Fans have theorized that Beyoncé had something to do with these accidents.

After these rumors became popular, other artists tried to hop on the bandwagon.

Singer and dancer JoJo Siwa made a comment about this in her speech at the Industry Dance Awards.

“I also have to say thank you to Beyoncé, just so that we can keep the dancing community safe,” Siwa said.

After this comment, Siwa was not publicly seen from the awards in early October up until she gave a talk at Brown University on Nov. 11.

Is there any truth to these rumors? We may never know for sure, but just in case, thank you Beyoncé for inspiring me to write this opinion article.

A WICKED REPRESENTATION Will the movie adaptation live up to Broadway’s highly praised, best-selling show, Wicked?

by Gabe Manning

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roadway is all about lights, places and curtains. But Hollywood is all about lights, cameras and action. With the upcoming release of the film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical ‘Wicked’, fans of the musical are buzzing about whether the film will live up to the musical’s legendary reputation. Some fans have been using some other Broadway to big-screen titles that were not as successful and comparing them to the success of the film.

With local celebrities, the film adaptation of ‘Hairspray’ has very high and complimentary ratings. Although ‘Hairspray’ was originally a movie by John Waters in 1988. It was later adapted for the stage in 2002. The 2007 movie was adapted from the Broadway adaptation, following the same themes of diversity and acceptance. The movie quickly gained popularity with its catchy songs and progressive theme.

Unlike ‘Hairspray’, not all adaptations receive such high praise. ‘Into the Woods’ was a musical that followed different fairy tale characters and how their paths cross. The Broadway musical was highly praised and

seen as a creative risk for its time. But the movie was not as fortunate. Critics detested it for the movie’s poor performance and poor vocals on most of the songs.

Finally, who’s idea was it to have the industry’s biggest stars in full CGI as cats? The movie adaptation of the show-stopping Broadway musical ‘Cats’ was a very poor reenactment of the magic the show brought to the stage, featuring an insane Taylor swift as a cat. Critics declared it as “bizarre” and “creepy”. The film was a dull representation of the captivating, well developed musical. On Broadway, it was so ahead of its time. Critics loved the songs, the creativity, and the storyline of this incredibly optimistic piece of work.

As some big Broadway titles crash and burn in their film adaptations, ‘Wicked’ has some high expectations to live up to.

With everyone’s eyes on the incredible title and its starstudded cast. And as far as other movies go, ‘Wicked’ will no doubt blow it out of the park with its magical story of friendship and loyalty.

OPINION

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SO LONG SUN

The Triangle staff discusses the symptoms and impacts of seasonal depression

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s fall comes to a close, and the winter season has begun, for many, their days start and end with darkness. When spending afternoons indoors, the darkness of the nights and mornings can make those going to school and work feel drained of their energy. This can even lead to Seasonal Affective Disorder, which is a type of depression triggered by the change of seasons.

73% of the Triangle believes that the lack of sunlight in winter makes them less energetic. According to the Cleveland Clinic, there are various theories on why lack of sunlight can cause this season of sadness.

The first is your body’s biological clock change. When your body’s schedule changes, it can struggle to adjust to the new schedule.

Sunlight is also a natural source of happiness. This is due to chemicals like serotonin which increases happiness and vitamin D which increases serotonin dropping without the boost from the

sunlight. With a lower level of serotonin, your mood can dramatically change. This can include becoming more irritable, less social, and being more prone to anger.

Another chemical’s levels, melatonin, can also be changed in the colder months.

Melatonin affects your sleep patterns and mood. The lack of sunlight can increase melatonin levels, leading to people feeling more tired and sluggish. As shown by people taking a melatonin pill to try and sleep better, you will naturally be more tired in the winter. Some examples of this could include going to bed earlier, falling asleep during the day, and having a major lack of motivation throughout the day.

81% of the Triangle staff is happier during summer compared to winter. The abundance of sunlight in the summer can increase mood, focus, memory, cognition, and creativity. According to the New York Post, the summer months can also increase the likelihood of people working out and getting exercise due to motivation being heightened.

Another thing that can increase happiness in the summer compared to winter is more vacationing. For students, they are not in school so they don’t have the stress of school, and for people working they often get at least some vacation time in the summer. Vacations are also something that splits up the work week and gives people something to look forward to.

In the winter months it is important to find things to keep you busy and motivated.

This could include finding a hobby like snowboarding or skiing to increase your time spent outside, or even just going on a daily walk to keep up your exercise. Holding yourself accountable to keeping active even when feeling sluggish is an essential part of staying happy during the winter months.

You can also plan trips during the winter months to warmer places so that you can get at least a few days of much needed Vitamin D. Finally, staying social and spending time with your friends and family is the ultimate way to fight the winter blues.

COMICS BY CLAIRE Sophomore Claire Rawlings illustrates the stages of seasonal depression

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EDITORIAL

WINTER BLUES How does winter affects students physically and mentally

by Annie Green, Cecilia Gutierrez design by Stella Gaylord, Sarynel Barbosa Kuilan

IN-DEPTH

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photo by Stella Gaylord Student sits in field while snow falls.

WHERE TO GET HELP FOR S.A.D

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s winter approaches, changes are seen all around us: the days get shorter, the temperature Here are some resources in the gets colder, and the remaining community available for anyone autumn leaves have fallen to struggling the ground. But as the colder months approach, things happen to our bodies, too. These physical and mental changes Columbus can seem extremely sudden and Regional overwhelming, but with some Hospital explanation, can be more fully understood. Physically, the cold impacts our bodies in many ways. Although our bodies are built to withstand many different conditions, some feel that winter affects our bodies the most.

Sage Direct Care family physician Dr. Amanda Dornfeld Therapists or MD has experience with School counselor working with patients during the winter. Seeing the increase in appointments in winter, Dornfeld spoke about what people are doing that makes them feel worse during these colder months.

“People are less likely to eat fresh fruits and vegetables National Alliwhich are readily available in the ance on Mental summer and are more likely to eat Illness (317) processed foods,” Dornfeld said.

“Often they are less physically 925-9399 active because it is cold outside.”

According to the National Recreation and Park Association, 86 percent of adults say that their activity level changes in the

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IN-DEPTH

winter, with 58 percent saying that they are less active.

“Staying active is important for people of all ages,” Dornfeld said.

“We recommend 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise five days per week.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), healthy eating can benefit in numerous ways, including boosting immunity, something that is important during the winter sick season.

“While any illnesses can happen at any time, influenza generally is a winter illness with fever, body aches, congestion, and cough,” Dornfeld said. “Viruses which affect the respiratory system are common, like colds.”

According to Mayo Clinic, one of the biggest causes of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is the lack of sunlight.

“Many people have a hard time adjusting to the longer dark hours and shorter daytime hours,” Dornfeld said.

According to the Old Farmer’s Almanac, the December sun sets at around 5:30 p.m, compared to June at around 9:15 p.m. This change can throw off your body’s circadian rhythm, which causes sleep loss, also contributing to the symptoms of SAD. Lack of sleep can also lead to loss of energy, causing feelings of fatigue in these winter months. Psychology

teacher Rick Sluder observed shifts in students’ moods, and explained the reasoning behind it.

“I definitely see a difference between our students, starting with Daylight Savings Time, during the winter months,” Sluder said. “I am sure some of it is SAD mixed with different sleeping patterns.”

Math teacher Brad Branham described how his students respond to the changing seasons.

“Students are a little less energetic, miss school more often, and more likely to have missing work in the winter months,” Branham said.

Licensed Mental Health Counseling Associate (LMHCA) Caylen Mason works with children and adolescents at Columbus Behavioral center, as well as individual and family therapist at Reins to Recovery.

Mason explained how SAD is categorized and defined.

“It’s not necessarily listed as a mental diagnosis in the DSM 5, which is what we use for diagnosing, but it is a subcategory of major depressive disorder,” Mason said. “But the thing with SAD that makes it so much more different from your typical depression is that you see it increase during the fall and winter months, for seemingly no reason.”

Mason explained how SAD can come in many different forms, and

on many different scales. experience with SAD. “With SAD, it’s very closely linked to Major “[The impact of SAD] would depend on Depressive Disorder,” Mason said. “It’s just more how close they are getting to the equator,” towards, again like those seasons, it’s just again Zimmerman said. If they are not having their more toward that. It has to be consistent for at daylight reduced by a dramatic amount they least two to three years.” might not notice as many signs/symptoms of A student, who wishes to remain anonymous, Seasonal Affective Disorder. I originally believed shared their personal experience with SAD, and Seasonal Affective Disorder had to do with time how it impacts them. change and the amount of daylight you were “I would say [it impacts me] year round, being exposed to.” definitely when it starts to get darker super early,” Counselor Emily Tucker offered advice for anonymous said. “Then the day’s already over.” students experiencing SAD. Senior Edgar Perez explained how winter “They can feel better by doing something they impacts him. enjoy, going outside in the sunlight, “I feel more alone during the or spending time with friends winter,” Perez said. and family,” Tucker said. “If According to Texas students are experiencing Our mental and physical health Seasonal Affective Health Resources, 55 percent of Americans Disorder, they should are tied into each other. So reported feeling talk to a trusted adult.” winter loneliness.

Dornfeld explained whenever someone is like ‘I “It’s colder and how students can stay want to focus on my health and I don’t necessarily active in the winter. want to leave my “People can switch well being’, that’s our whole self, house, so it’s kind to using a treadmill that’s our spiritual, mental, our of hard to like to or exercise bike or connect with people add walking at Nexus emotional, our physical, and hang out,” Park to stay warm,” our everything anonymous senior said.

Dornfeld said. “Playing According to sports on a club team like Piedmont Healthcare, volleyball or basketball is spending time with friends a great fun way to stay active and family does increase your indoors.” overall well being. Depression and When exercising, Dornfeld noted the lack of motivation are closely linked according importance of rest. to the National Institute of Health (NIH). Sara Staying hydrated and getting enough rest are Zimmerman, a sociology teacher here, explained two of the most important factors in recovering,” how SAD affects her students.

Dornfeld said.

“I do notice a dip in motivation around the Mason offered advice for those experiencing winter time,” Zimmerman said. “I think you symptoms of SAD. can see students become more sluggish, have a “Going to your local mental health clinic, even loss of motivation, or have increased absences.” if that’s just starting with going to the school Zimmerman also mentioned how the geographical counselor to get that referral, is huge and that can location of a student can influence their be a way to step in that door,” Mason said.

“

SYMPTOMS OF SEASONAL DEPRESSION Many people experience similar symptoms of seasonal depression some of them include...

“I play lacrosse (a spring sport) so I go to the gym or most of the time pre-season.” junior Cambree Martinez

1. Feeling sad, anxious, or “empty” for multiple days for at least 2 weeks 2. Feeling hopeless, irritable, frustrated, guilty, worthless, restless, or helpless 3. Loss of interest in activities and hobbies 4. Lack of energy, feeling fatigued or slowed down 5. Difficulty concentrating, focusing, making decisions, or remembering 6. Unplanned weight and sleep changes 7. Physical issues like aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that don’t respond to treatment 8. Suicidal thoughts or actions 9. Oversleeping 10. Overeating (leading to weight gain) 11. Social withdrawal 12. Trouble sleeping 13. Poor appetite (leading to weight loss) 14. Anxiety 15. Showing violent or aggressive behavior

“To stay active in the winter I go to the gym, go to weights, and practice softball.” junior Avery Shehan

www. nimh.nih.gov/

”

.

LMHCA therapist Caylen Mason

STAYING ACTIVE

Only 25 percent of students play a winter sport. Here are some other ways students stay active.

“I go on daily walks with my dog.” sophomore Kobe McMillan “I go to the gym, train, run and train cardio at home.” senior Joshua Tipling

IN-DEPTH

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FLYING TO THE TOP

As they enter their competitive cheer season, Game Day cheerleaders have high hopes for this year

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by Claire Rawlings design by Maddie Williams he letters ‘C’, ‘N’, ‘H’, ‘S’, fly through the air on banners of blue. As Nationals emerges, the competition cheerleaders begin training for the season. Cheer coach Sarah Frasier explains what the team is working towards.

“We are looking forward to a successful competition season,” Frasier said. “Our hope is to score higher than we did last year at the same competitions that we attended, as well as placing higher in our division at Nationals in Orlando, FL. We want to continuously improve each time we practice and compete.”

Frasier noted the girls’ work ethic, energy, and passion towards their sport..

“These girls are special,” Frasier said. Their energy, attitude, positivity, and passion towards what they do does not go unnoticed. It’s electric.

They are cheerleaders for everyone... not just for themselves.”

Frasier spoke of the importance for the team to work together and be positive.

“We want to continuously do better and improve at all of our competitions, then we have to continuously do better and improve at our practices, as well,” Frasier said. “We have to allow ourselves to get out of our comfort zones and try something different that will make the team better.”

Senior Cami Kleffman explains her goals for the team’s season.

“Almost everyone on the team was on the team last year so we’re a step ahead because we know what we’re doing,” Kleffman said.

Junior Lily Miller noted how her coaches affect the team’s motivation and goals.

“Our coaches have made it our motto to ‘be that team,’ meaning we need to be the team that others look up to at competitions, and this has motivated us a lot so far,” Miller said.

Frasier spoke of the girls’ passion for cheerleading, and how it impacts her coaching.

“They are all motivating, positive, determined, fun, and kind girls,” Frasier said. “This makes coaching a lot more fun and rewarding when you have athletes that truly care about each other and how they perform.”

Kleffman explained the team’s final goal for the season. “[Our coaches] mention nationals a lot to keep it in our minds as the ultimate goal this season,” Kleffman said.

Miller noted the energy that the team has created this year.

“This season, it feels like everyone is more dedicated and wants us to succeed more than ever before,” Miller said. to read more visit cnhsmedia.com

At their first competition in Ohio the Game Day team placed 4th place and got a bid to nationals.

“This season, it feels like everyone is more dedicated and wants us to succeed more than ever before.” junior Lily Milller

Their last Regional competition was Nov. 17 at Hamilton Southeastern High School

“We want to place higher than 7th place in our division at Nationals.” coach Sarah Frasier

“Almost everyone on the team was here last year so we’re a step ahead because we know what we’re doing.” senior Cami Kieffman

photo by Maddie Williams

Game Day cheerleaders practicing their routine for their next competition.

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SPORTS

“Our coaches have made it our motto to "be that team," meaning we need to be the team that others look up to at competitions.” junior Lily Miller

DOUBLE TIME Members of the marching band look back on this year’s season.

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by Cassie Osburn design by Addisyn Pulley pplause fills the stadium as the marching band plays the final note of their show. Although the season has ended, members have months of memories and performances to look back on.

Assistant band director Detrich Morrison-Jones comments on this season’s show.

“This is a show that is kind of a challenge overall,” MorrisonJones said. “Musically speaking, this is a level above what we’ve done for the past couple of years.”

Despite the difficulty of the show’s design, drum major Kylee Dieter says the band has been thriving.

“We’ve been scoring higher than in previous years,” Dieter said. “In one of our competitions, I believe we almost got an 80. That’s really good, especially for how early on it was.”

Senior Megan England shares that the band did well this season.

“I think that the band’s performance has been pretty

strong this whole season,” England said. “It’s been consistently powerful and everyone’s working really hard.”

Colorguard member Kate London adds that the marching band’s performance this year has been exceptional in comparison to previous seasons.

“I’ve been in the program for seven years now, and this is definitely the best show we’ve ever put on,” London said.

Morrison-Jones partially attributes the band’s success to the sense of community among its members.

“A band that gets along is always better than a band that doesn’t,” Morrison-Jones said.

But not every performance was ideal. For Dieter, one competition in particular could have used some improvement.

“Our semi-state one was a little rough because we had all this wind happen at the wrong time and half our sound system went down before the show,” Dieter said. “But we survived.”

One tough show wasn’t the only difficulty that marching band faced this year. London

details another issue they encountered.

“We used to be a lot larger and, even though we’re combined with East now, we’re kind of getting smaller and there’s less than 150 kids total,” London said.

According to Dieter, working through the challenges this year has taught her some important lessons.

“I think I’ve learned a lot about resilience and keeping with things,” Dieter said. “With it being my fourth year, it gets to a point where you’ve done it for so long, you really have to find new ways to enjoy the activity.”

London says that she also learned a lot from this band season.

“I’ve learned the importance of doing your best and trying really hard even when you don’t want to,” London said. “This season was the closest I feel like we’ve ever gotten to state and every single day I worked harder than I’ve ever worked before.”

WHERE ARE THEY NOW? A quick overview of the band’s competition season.

9/7

Sound and Spirit Invitational (In Exhibition)

9/21

Floyd Central Contest (Grand Champion)

10/5

ISSMA Open Class Invitational (Gold with Distinctions)

10/12

ISSMA Regional Center Grove (Advanced to SemiState)

10/26

ISSMA Semi State Ben Davis (Gold)

11/9

ISSMA Finals Lucas Oil Stadium

11/14

BOA Grand Nats Prelims

SPORTS

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DIVING INTO THE NEW SEASON Swim and dive team talks about their hopes and preparations for the upcoming season

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by Brooklyn Hurt design by Aidan Brown ith swim season coming to a start, the swim and dive team is diving back into their swim season routines.

Sophomore Dagan Kleffman looks forward to seeing his teammates improve this season. He says it brings them closer as a team.

“When I see my fellow divers getting better and throwing more advanced dives I feel like we are growing closer and having a better shot at this year’s meets,” Kleffman said.

Kleffman, a member of the dive team, explains how he got into the sport. ”I grew up always around water swimming and diving and wanted to be a swimmer, when I realized there were a lot of swimmers and hardly any divers I decided to give it a try,” Kleffman said.

Sophomore Hudson Clocks’ love for swimming came from a different inspiration. ”I was inspired by my brother who is a sophomore in college right now,” Clock said.”He started swimming. When he was in 4th grade. So that inspired me. I wanted to be like him,” With Clock already having a year of experience under his belt he explains what the teams weekly routines are like.

“During the high school swim season, it’ll be every day of the week except Sunday, and

then also every morning,”Clock said.”They’ll have a morning practice on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. So that counts up to, like, 11 practices a week,” Coach Mike Cunningham says he focuses practice on technique and certain muscles to best help his athletes succeed.

“Well, we spend a lot of time focusing on stroke technique,” Cunningham said.

“Every day, we do that. Every day, we work on the fastest part of swimming, which is underwater. And every day, we work on our legs a little bit. So we use our biggest muscles when we race.”

Although to Cunningham, coaching can be more than just teaching athletes to be better swimmers.

“I actually feel like I can help kids and help teach them how to be more than just swimmers, but be good people, be successful in life,” Cunningham said.

Practices can be hard but Clock says it’s better with support from the rest of the team.

“I’m definitely looking forward to something like the super early morning practices because it’s fun,” Clock said. “I know it’s painful, but it’s fun to suffer together in a group rather than alone.”

Other athletes like Sophomore Chetna Yadav are also looking forward to team bonding this season.

photo by Maia Jamieson The swim team prepares for the North vs. East meet.

“I am really looking forward to some special meets, such as the East Central Relay Meet and Sectionals,” Yadav said. “I am also excited for all the team bonding activities we will be doing this season.”

Bonding is very important for the team.

Clock says they want to be a team both in and out of the pool.

“We want to be a team, not just in the pool, but outside of the pool and the community as well,” Clock said.

Kleffman says one of his highlights of being on the team is the fans.

“The highlights would have to be when somebody hits a dive everybody shouts and claps in excitement,” Kleffman said.

Yadav enjoys being one of the cheering fans herself.

“Some highlights of being part of a team is cheering others on.” Yadav said. “It helps you feel connected and makes you happy when others achieve their goals. It gives you a sense of joy.”

Coach Cunningham is cheering on his team too with hopes to send several of his athletes to state.

“I’m hoping that everybody enjoys the season, that they all learn something, and that we send several relays and individuals to state on both the boys and girls teams,” Cunningham said.

Swim Meet Schedule Dec. 21 11:00 am @Bedford North Lawrance Jan. 9 6 pm @Bloomington North Jan. 11 9 am conference @Terre Haute

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Jan. 16 5:30 pm Home Meet vs. Heritage Christian

SPORTS

SCORING SCHOLARSHIPS High school juniors explain the college recruiting process and their personal journey

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by Gabby Revell design by Gabe Marsh unior Drew Schiefer hopes to be part of the 7 percent of athletes that make it to the collegiate level. According to scholarshipstats.com, the number is low due to the elevated level of college competition.

Schiefer plans to break this barrier and has played varsity football since he was a freshman.

“It’s been an interesting process, coming in as a freshman, I had no idea what it would be like,” Schiefer said. “After my first offer, I had a lot of people looking at me. It had been something new, something I hadn’t had any experience with.”

Schiefer has not committed to a college yet, but has received six offers to play football so far.

“My one main goal is to get my college paid for, not having to worry about student debt and things like that,” Schiefer said.

“Getting a good education is one of the goals. I don’t necessarily know what I want to do, but I know I want to go to a school that will provide me with a good education and a good degree.”

Like Schiefer, Junior Karen Dutro hopes to continue playing her sport in college, and she announced her commitment to Butler University for volleyball this past September.

“My only goal was to find a university where I would love the academics and a team with girls and coaches that I bonded with and could see myself improving with in every aspect of life,” Dutro said.

After playing volleyball for seven years, and three years of meeting coaches, sending emails and going to camps, Dutro is committed to a college.

“My recruiting process was stressful and overwhelming but also fun and very rewarding,” Dutro said. “It’s scary not being able to talk to coaches and then having the floodgates open on June 15, but I had a lot of support from my family and friends which made it a lot easier and more enjoyable.”

Junior Morgan Jarvis is also trying to get recruited to continue her athletic career in college.

“My personal recruiting process has been hard,” Jarvis said. “It’s difficult to perform well in a game when you have a bunch of

photo by Maia Jamieson Hadassah Hurt signed with IU Columbus, and is accompanied by her family

college coaches sitting up in the stands.”

Jarvis has played softball since she was five years old.

“I have set a goal to email each coach that I’m interested in,” Jarvis said. “I also have to remind myself that it’s okay if they don’t respond and it’s a part of the process.”

For a coach to remember an athlete, they have to persistently talk to them.

“I sent an unbelievable amount of emails,” Dutro said. “After every tournament, I would post my highlights on YouTube and then begin writing emails to send college coaches my highlights and update them on how school is going and how my team is doing.”

Junior Caleb Ferguson grew up around basketball. His dad has been coaching for 30 years and he has played since he was in first grade.

“Some steps I have taken to reach out to college coaches are sending them film, going to their prospect camps, and communicating with them over email and text,” Ferguson said. to read more visit cnhsmedia.com

PERCENT OF HIGH SCHOOL, COLLEGE, AND PRO ATHLETES 6%

2%

Sources: Bureau of Labor and Statistics, NCAA, and NFHS

SPORTS

92%

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WATCH THIS IF...

Your guide to movies to watch over Winter Break

by Maia Jamieson

YOU WANT TO WATCH A NEW MOVIE INSIDE OUT: TWO “People should watch Inside Out 2 because it offers a profound understanding of emotional intelligence and mental health.” senior Kadence McClintic

WICKED “People should watch Wicked for its captivating story and unforgettable songs.” senior Annabelle Sun

WE LIVE IN TIME “People should watch [We Live In Time] because it is a really good movie, and a good tear jerker.” sophomore Emma Estes

YOU WANT TO WATCH A HOLIDAY MOVIE HOME ALONE

ELF “Elf shows you love, caring and friendliness and during the movie it shows you about real life problems with family’s.” senior Trae Williams

“You should watch Home Alone because it’s very funny and a classic...

Kevin outsmarts the burglars.” freshman Eli McIntier

HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS “A heartwarming story about a how a grouchy green man finds joy and Christmas spirit after robbing a nearby town of all its belongings” senior Sarah Morales

YOU WANT TO WATCH A FANTASY HARRY POTTER

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“Harry Potter is something you should watch because of its magical world, its unforgettable characters, and its epic war between good and evil.” freshman Abhay Bhadauria SPORTS

NARNIA

“Narnia is about four siblings who find a magical world, help a talking lion fight an evil witch, and brings peace to the land.” junior Kanav Mehta

AVATAR

“Man betrays alien race to escape capitalism. It has incredible graphics and great world building.” junior Jay Venugopal