The Triangle Volume 99, Issue 6

THE

TRIANGLE Columbus North High School • 1400 25th Street, Columbus, IN, 47201 • Volume 99, Issue 6 • March 6, 2020

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RI E

RE PAGE 5

Negative self-talk presents severe consequences, but receives little attention

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PAGE 7

Students and faculty members find their own activites rewarding despite the lack of recognition

UR E PAGE 15

Teachers, students and community members reflect on the possible effects of the referendum to increase teachers’ salaries if it is passed

PAGE 17

CNHS athletes transition between the winter and spring sports season

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Hailey Andis Salome Cloteaux Coral Roberts Erica Song

WEB EDITORS Emy Tays Braden Taylor

17

PHOTO EDITOR Jalynn Perry

PHOTO ASSISTANT Alexander Marsh

COPY EDITOR Nela Riddle

COVERAGE EDITORS Abigail Bodart Cheyenne Peters

Scan with your iPhone camera (Snapchat too) to be linked to all of CNHS Media’s social media

INDEPTH TEAM Alyssa Ayers Lucy Beck Katie Long Zoe Preston

STAFF

Curtis Abendroth Megan Allman Erica Bishop Trenton Bodart Shaylee Brooks Michaela Brown Katharine Brunette Carolina Davidson Kamryn Denney Paola Fernandez Annagail Fields Annabel Freeman Ariana Garcia Diana Garcia Alyssa Green Anna Hatton Haleigh Holwager Lily Hruban Tanya Iyer Emily Johns Anna Kelley Matthew Liu Luke McDonald Jimena Mendoza Myleigh Munn Anushka Nair Thomas Neeley Sanjana Penmathsa Karla Perez Owen Poindexter Walker Powell Elaine Sanders Hallie Schwartzkopf Ashley Sturgeon Addie Watts

ADVISERS

Roth Lovins Rachel McCarver

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.

The Triangle practices ethical journalism by providing balanced and fair coverage as determined by community standards. The Triangle strives to achieve 100 percent accuracy by checking sources, spelling, and quotes and attaining multiple sources.

The Triangle encourages letters to the editor, but reserves the right to reject them for reasons including but not limited to lack of space, multiple letters of the same topic and personal attacks contained in the letter. The Triangle will not edit for content, but reserves the right to edit for grammar and length. Letters should be submitted to room 1507 or sent via e-mail to administrator@ cnhsmedia.com. All Letters much be signed by all persons involved in writing the letter, which the staff will check for validation. A letter sent via e-mail must be validated with a signature from the writer before The Triangle will publish it. If responding to a publication, letters must be turned in

15 within one week of that publication’s distribution.

In the event of death, The Triangle will run a standard obituary. Pertaining to work submitted via social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, etc.), The Triangle will only accept written submissions from the original poster and owner and will only publish entries with the permission of the original poster and owner. The Triangle will not edit submissions for content and reserves the right not to publish them for reasons including but not limited to lack of space, multiple submissions of the same topic, vulgar or incendiary content. The Triangle will not publish photographs from Facebook. Posts on The Triangle’s social media pages by readers are owned by the readers and do not necessarily express the views or opinions of the staff. The Triangle is not responsible for their content and reserves the right to delete and report any inappropriate and unnecessary posts. By posting on The Triangle’s social media pages, the poster grants The Triangle permission to publish the contents of that post.

In cases when a source’s information may bring ridicule or incrimination upon himself or herself, the editorial board reserves the right to cite the source as anonymous. The Triangle will never use composite sources and pass them off as anonymous sources.

4 opinion 4

TIME FOR A CHANGE?

Time-consuming social media influences daily life more than one may realize

4

THE MADNESS BEFORE MARCH

Although March Madness has not yet begun, it is already surrounded by uncertainties

DEAR UNWANTED SELF

5

Negative self-talk presents severe consequences, but receives little attention

6 student life STARTING BLOCK

6

Block scheduling brings longer class periods that will go into effect next school year

BEHIND THE SCENES 7

Students and faculty members find their own activities rewarding despite the lack of recognition

ROBO WARS

8

While the community robotics team prepares for their upcoming competitions, Columbus Robotics works alongside senior Anna Kim to increase sustainability efforts at North’s first invitational

8 indepth THE PRICE OF PRESSURE

8

CNHS students uncover the truth about trend-setting, as they confront growing pressure from peers and a society rooted in materialistic ideals.

13 news 13

GOING VIRAL

North students and staff take precautions against the recent coronavirus outbreak spreading around the world, as well as other illnesses that strike during flu season

BRIDGING THE GAP

17 sports BACK-TO-BACK

MEDIA

PREVIEW BNN posts weekly videos News show every week Mag show every month

Check out CNHS Media’s YouTube channel!

14

Teachers, students and community members reflect on the possible effects of the referendum to increase teachers’ salaries if it is passed

17

CNHS athletes transition between the winter and spring sport seasons

SHOOTING THROUGH THE FINISH LINE

18

Students participated in unified sports, including track and basketball, because of its impact on other participants

SPRINGING INTO SEASON

19

Conditioning for spring sports have begun, and athletes are gearing up for the upcoming season

33

time for a change?

Time-consuming social media influences daily life more than one may realize

S

ocial media has a huge effect on me.

It makes me feel like I either need to be better or that I’m not good enough.

The only social media apps I have are Snapchat, Instagram and YouTube. The worst one, Instagram, is so beyond brainwashing.

I could spend hours upon hours scrolling through posts I could really care less about. I don’t realize how bad it is for me to be on it until I delete it about once a month.

Social media doesn’t just affect me mentally; it also affects the way I act. After I have spent the whole night in my room alone sending endless Snapchats, watching every YouTube video on my recommended page, and looking through everyone’s life on Instagram, I realize that I should have been out interacting with my family. I feel

so bad after I scroll for hours but I keep doing it.

It’s a cycle at this point that starts with me telling myself when I first get home and lay down that I’m going to be productive and interactive with my family. Before I know it, the whole night is over, and I feel bad and say I’m not going to do it again, yet I still do it more days of the week than I would like to admit. It could be considered an addiction at this point. Snapchat is another story. I feel without Snapchat I have no way of interaction or contact with anyone. I feel so cut off and that I’m missing everything.

The effects of social media have changed everything. It changes my thoughts, my feelings and the way I act. It makes me think I need things that aren’t important. It makes us all the same. With social media we all dress the same,

and want the same stuff. I feel like it has made us all at least a little dryer. We should all try or make a goal to cut back on the use of social media or even try a day without it.

Maybe we’ll realize our addiction is bigger and worse than we thought.

by emily johns

the madness before march Although March Madness has not yet begun, it is already surrounded by uncertainties

T

he lead up to this year’s March Madness has been simply breathtaking.

No one all year has been able to say with confidence that their team is the best team, but it seems like almost every other year, we’re able to assume that Duke or Virginia will win the national championship. This year, however, teams are losing left and right.

It seems as if almost anything can happen. For example, Michigan State was ranked first in the nation when the Associated Press preseason rankings came out, and now they’re not even one of the teams in the top 25. Duke lost to Stephen F. Austin in the beginning of the season in an overtime thriller, and who would have thought San Diego State could even be close to having an undefeated season? With all of the madness that’s been going on in the regular season, it’s almost impossible to predict what’s going to happen in the big dance.

My predictions for the top four seeds in this year’s tournament are Baylor, San Diego State,

Kansas and Gonzaga. After those four teams, I have no idea where teams will be seeded. Some of the top teams over the past several years might not even make it to the tournament. Ever since Cole Anthony went down with a knee injury, North Carolina has been terrible and they have been to the tournament for the past nine seasons. Teams like Butler and Rutgers could be seeded in the top 10, which is pretty rare. Duke has lost a lot more games than Duke fans are used to, and I could see them being seeded anywhere from three to six. Purdue had an amazing tournament run last year with Carson Edwards, but they have had a very sub-par season and are probably going to miss the tournament as well. Smaller teams could slide in and take spots over big-time schools, and no one will really be surprised.

Who’s going to make the tournament is really up in the air, and it’s making the lead up to the tournament even better.

If I had to choose one team to win the national championship, it would have to be Baylor.

the classes final by thomas neely

opinion

Baylor has been solid all year, and they have several big-time wins.

Victories against Kansas, Butler, Villanova and several other ranked teams really help their case to be the favorites for the national by braden taylor championship.

With all of this said, March Madness is right around the corner, and the hype for the tournament is unreal. College basketball fans are counting down the days to the big dance, and no one has any clue who’s going to win it all.

dear unwanted self

Negative self-talk presents severe consequences, but receives little attention

E

ach day, countless students guard against fatigue after late nights of homework and the pressure to conform to their peers’ sense of style, but surprisingly, many have set up a defense against compliments, too.

Harboring negative opinions of themselves, students attack positive comments directed at them by engaging in negative self-talk, which according to mayoclinic.org is “the endless stream of unspoken thoughts that run through your head.” While on the surface, these self-deprecating words just seem like collections of consonant and vowel sounds strung together defensively or bashfully, they actually promote a negative self-image that can lead to mental health disorders causing harmful lifestyle choices and habits—issues that must be addressed.

One of the most commonly considered effects of negativity towards oneself is the impact on mental health. In a survey of The Triangle’s staff, the most common explanation for the dangers of negative self-talk was depression, a result of low self-esteem. Beyond the label of a diagnosis, clinical depression affects not only mental and emotional health, but also physical health greatly.

Besides causing fatigue, depressed mood and lack of concentration, a host of physical problems accompany the condition. For instance, sudden weight gain could mean diabetes or heart disease, while weight loss may lead to a weakened heart and even infertility. Depression also correlates with inflammation, which could alter the immune system, resulting in conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and arthritis (medicalnewstoday. com). Because depression extends the time and effects of poor moods, some teens cope with their difficulties through self-harm, “purposeful injury or harm to oneself,” which also includes suicidal tendencies (healthtalk.org). The impacts of negative self-talk pose serious health risks that deserve more attention to treatment and prevention.

Along with mental, emotional and physical harm, negative self-talk and its resulting lack of confidence could perpetuate poor decisions. For instance, low self-esteem leaves teens more vulnerable to peer pressure, which in turn increases their risk of cigarette, alcohol, and drug use (marchofdimes. org). Additionally, low-self esteem fuels abusive relationships. Victims of domestic violence are less likely to report the abuse and more likely to stay in the relationship since they blame themselves for the problems. Abusers may also suffer from low

self-esteem, driving their “need to control a partner in order to hang on to them.” (kaitysway.org). Thus, the far-reaching influences of negative self-talk deem it worthy of further discussion.

Outside of one’s personal life, negative self-talk also builds detrimental habits that can affect one’s education and career pathway. While students who have a positive opinion of themselves generally possess a growth mindset since they can accept and learn from failures, people who tend to view themselves as failures experience little motivation to improve (understood.org). As they avoid asking questions and hide in their comfort zone, these unconfident students fall behind their peers much more easily since they have no way to bridge the learning gap. Moreover, one of the most valuable skills for landing and maintaining a job is communication, and low levels of confidence hold people back in a self-fulfilling prophecy: because they believe they cannot do the job well, they cannot accurately convey the level of their skill and knowledge. These people avoid “leaving a bad work situation, seeking stretch assignments or applying for a new position” because they fear the risk of failure (forbes.com). Without the ability to take changes and learn, people’s careers will most likely stagnate or even end.

Far too often, these damaging effects of negative self-talk go unnoticed, yet the strong influences produce such harmful results that they must not be ignored. Fortunately, according to psychologytoday. com, there is hope for people to change their ways. The first step in counteracting negative selftalk is to recognize its existence so that one can consciously identify less with it. Repeating positive phrases to oneself and avoiding comparisons to others can also improve one’s self-image. Studies show that exercising, sleeping and volunteering reduce negative thoughts as well. Finally, identifying one’s strengths brings confidence too because as Albert Einstein once said, “Everybody is a genius.

But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid.”

Due to its severe impacts on health, decisionmaking and habits in education and work, negative self-talk deserves much more consideration. With greater awareness and efforts to move towards a positive self-image, countless victims of their own opinions can rise above their challenges, breaking down the mental walls rooting them in negativity.

test yourself Take this short quiz to find out your self esteem level Check each box that you answer with “yes”

source: ChangeMyRelationship.com

Do you frequently compare yourself to other people?

Do you fear making a mistake in front of other people?

Do you beat yourself up mentally when you make a mistake?

Do you judge your worth by the people you hang out with?

Do you spend a considerable amount of time worrying about how you look?

When you make a mistake, do you assume others are talking about what you did?

Do you think more negative thoughts about yourself than positive?

Do you believe you deserve whatever treatment people give you because you must’ve done something to deserve it?

Do you believe that if people could see the real you they wouldn’t like you?

Do you feel incompetent most of the time?

staff stats Are people taking negative self talk too seriously?

TRIBE staff members are polled on negative self talk

25% yes

75% no Approximately

36%

of TRIBE staff members describe themselves more with negative self talk than positive

17% no Is negative self talk harmful?

83% yes

0-2 checks 3-5 checks 6-8 checks

You have good self-esteem.

You have mildly low self-esteem.

You have moderately low self-esteem.

9 or more You have very low self-esteem. checks Does it bother you considerably when people disapprove of you?

Do you minimize the things about yourself that are good?

Do you have one or more physical features that you have difficulty accepting?

Does your fear of failure prevent you from doing things you would like to do?

Do you frequently feel self conscious?

junior ricardo navarro

English department chair katie chaplin

starting block by nela riddle design by michaela brown photos by michaela brown and jimena mendoza

Day A

Day B

Period 1

Period 5

7:45-9:13

Advisory 9:19-9:49

Period 2 9:55-11:23

Period 3/Lunch A-11:29-12:57 B-12:13-1:41

Period 4 1:47-3:15

7:45-9:13

SRT

9:19-9:49

Period 6 9:55-11:23

Period 7/Lunch A-11:29-12:57 B-12:13-1:41

Period 8 1:47-3:15

T

Block scheduling brings longer class periods that will go into effect next school year

he clock ticks by, and every minute feels like an eternity. Each period passes by more and more slowly. As the teacher talks on, students wonder if they will ever reach 3:15 p.m.

Some students imagine this story will become reality once block scheduling is put into place and 88 minute periods, advisory periods and student resource time (SRT) become the norm. Junior Ricardo Navarro is one student who believes block scheduling will make it difficult to stay focused due to longer periods.

“They cannot expect 90 minutes of our best work consistently,” Navarro said. “The worst classes to have for a 90-minute period will definitely be any AP class.”

However, Navarro also sees a positive side to block scheduling.

“I believe it will be beneficial for students to understand concepts more clearly and help the student-teacher relationship,” Navarro said.

As a former teacher at Bloomington High School North, which uses block scheduling, English department chair Katie Chaplin agrees with the relational benefits stated by Navarro. “[Block scheduling] allows for a lot more time to get to know your students, have time to process things and build on enriching activities,” Chaplin said.

According to Chaplin, students should not worry about boredom.

“With our Universal Design for Learning practices, we’re used to

already trying to build in several activities in a period,” Chaplin said.

“If you tried to do one activity for the whole 90 minutes, that gets tedious for the teacher but it’s also really hard to keep students engaged and interested because we all have limits to our attention span.”

She also stresses that homework amounts will not change under the block schedule.

“As you average it out, students aren’t going to be doing any more or less work,” Chaplin said. “It’s just going to be tackled in different chunks.”

Junior Ena Hopkins holds a different view of the block schedule based on her experience with it in her former high school in Grapevine, Texas.

“I know that my GPA was definitely higher starting my sophomore year after I was on a regular schedule,” Hopkins said. “Just because my GPA was higher once I got out of [block scheduling], I don’t necessarily have a positive view of it.”

Hopkins also saw an added benefit to block scheduling.

“You definitely get an extra day to work on assignments so that was nice,” Hopkins said.

Navarro hopes that teachers will consider students’ attention spans and make accommodations when block scheduling begins.

“Breaking it down into learning for 25 minutes straight then a five minute breaking period will help prevent burn out,” Navarro said.

behind the scenes

Students and faculty members find their own activities rewarding despite the lack of recognition by matthew liu design by annagail fields photos by annagail fields

O

ADRIENNE SALEMME Like sports, theater also includes positions that may not be as well-known. As a stage manager for the play and musical, senior Boston Gilpin thinks her role is often misunderstood.

“A big misconception about my work is that being in leadership means that you get to boss people around and can get away with anything,” Gilpin said. “Leadership is more about helping others around you whether that be with a task or even with problems that they have going on with their lives.”

Even though her role is not widely covered, Gilpin doesn’t think that the lack of recognition affects her work; rather, she believes that achievements are not defined by external rewards.

“Accomplishments come from hard work,” Gilpin said. “Chase after [your] dreams no matter what.”

SARA SEARCY

ut of the 168 hours in a week, senior Adrienne Salemme spends 13 hours on gymnastics every week, 11 hours for pole vaulting, 10 hours for track during season and three hours in the weight room each week with the eight-hour pole vaulting competitions and the five-hour track meets, totaling to 50 hours a week on average. As a pole vaulter since freshman year and an gymnastics team manager since sophomore year, Salemme believes that her efforts go beyond what others see.

“For pole vault, I occasionally get a short article in the paper highlighting what height I vaulted, but rarely does it talk about the hard work that goes behind those winning heights,” said. “For gymnastics, I am very underrepresented. I play a very similar role as the coaches, and my work is almost never covered.”

Once a competitive gymnast herself, Salemme now uses her skills to help her teammates.

“I was a former level nine gymnast at Victory Gymnastics Academy, and was forced to quit my gymnastics career due to a back injury, but I was not ready to be done with gymnastics,” Salemme said.

Besides helping the other gymnasts train, Salemme wants to set a good role model for her teammates.

“I want my work to help inspire others on the team to always do their best no matter their role on the team,” Salemme said.

Regardless of the amount of recognition, Salemme encourages others to recognize their worth.

“Even though you are not being recognized, it does not mean that you are not valuable to your team and your school,” Salemme said. “You are more valuable than you know.”

BOSTON GILPIN Students aren’t the only ones participating in extracurriculars. Preparing for College and Careers and agriculture teacher Sara Searcy is the advisor for the National FFA group here in Columbus.

“FFA incorporates students from both North and East High Schools,” Searcy said. “[FFA] focuses on developing leadership skills and educating the community on agricultural literacy.”

Not only is FFA a school agricultural organization, but it also reaches out to the community.

“We try to focus on agriculture, but we are more concerned about our community as a whole,” Searcy said. “We try to find areas that need a little help like Love Chapel, or if a local animal shelter needs help, we try to do donation drives for them.”

Despite the hours that she puts into her work, Searcy realizes that agriculture teachers receive little recognition. However, she still keeps a grateful attitude.

“I’m not looking for recognition, but the job is not recognized with the efforts it puts in,” Searcy said. “[But] if you enjoy what you’re doing, be grateful for that time.”

7

robo wars

by annabel freeman design by myleigh munn photo by jalynn perry

While the community robotics team prepares for their upcoming competitions, Columbus Robotics works alongside senior Anna Kim to increase sustainability efforts at North’s first invitational

A

lexa answers questions, Siri gives directions and Kiwibots deliver food across college campuses. Robots are no longer a futuristic ideal and have grown into a reality, including in Columbus Robotics, an organization for students to build a competitive robot. While Columbus Robotics has been established for years, this year they are hosting an invitational competition at North for the first time.

Sophomore Rishi Rao has been involved with the organization for two years and is part of the preparations for this competition.

“We have about 20 students on the team along with some mentors that advise us throughout the season,” Rao said.

Similar to athletic teams, practices are multiple times throughout the week, and as competition season approaches, the team meets more frequently.

“For each competition season, we have to create our robot and program it. To prepare for our final robot, we create prototypes and test them extensively until we decide on our final robot,” Rao said. “After that, we have our drivers practice at our shop so they can be ready for competitions.”

Senior Helen Rumsey is the programming and electronics leader and collaborates with other members to produce their final product in time for the competition.

“The Columbus competition is March 20, but our first competition is in Bloomington on March 7,” Rumsey said. “We compete against about 30 other teams from all across Indiana.”

For the Columbus competition, senior Anna Kim has teamed up with the robotics team to promote waste reduction through their projects and at their events.

“My senior project is turning the robotics competition into a more sustainable event.

We are adding recycling bins as well as composting to specific areas and are encouraging teams to reduce their waste,” Kim said. “If you go to sporting events or band and

ROBOT RESEARCH

1936

The modern computer is invented

student life

1996

Tamagotchi debuts in Japan

choir competitions, most venues do not even think about sustainability and solely have trash cans.”

Kim is not just focusing on recycling at events but is also encouraging conservation among spectators.

“While recycling is great, it’s also very important to emphasize waste reduction. I hope that by having water bottle refill stations, more people will be encouraged to not buy plastic bottles,” Kim said.

“Even though these are just small initiatives, they’re taking us in a positive direction where people will think more about the health of the planet before making decisions.”

With donations and volunteers, Kim hopes to make an impact on the waste produced at the Senior Anna Kim event.

“I have different people from the community volunteering to work the sustainability stations on the days of the competition such as Environmental Club members and people from a local Girl Scout troop,” Kim said. “If this plan carries through, my goal would be 75% waste diversion.”

Freshman Pranav Ramnath is onboard with Kim’s project and already uses sustainability in projects.

“Sustainability is important for our team because we need to send a positive message to our team members, so we are motivated to continue contributing,” Ramnath said. “As we

1998

Furbies hit the market

2011

Siri finds her voice

encourages recycling during summer band. get better and more experienced, we need to make sure we keep growing and keep our level up.”

Rumsey also ensures her team is being as efficient and environmentally friendly as they can be.

“Our team recycles plastic and cardboard and [other materials] in the shop, which is where we meet,” Rumsey said. “We also [reuse] materials from year to year like motors, motor controllers, wires, and electronics.”

2014

Echo comes to life

2019

Tesla Autopilot updates into cars

T T E E E T ERI E E RI RI O O O E RI TE E ORREER E U URREUER E

UR E

$

RE

CNHS Students uncover the truth about trend-setting, as they confront growing pressure from peers and a society rooted in materialistic ideals by alyssa ayers and zoe preston

design by lucy beck and katie long

photos by annagail fields, katie long and jalynn perry

9

wo minutes and 34 seconds in, the aspiring high school artist pauses the YouTube tutorial, sketching what the online artist has created. She reaches for her collection of Copic markers, sighing at the 25 color choices laid out in front of her, envious of the artist she’s watching, who boasts a collection of 200.

“Without these materials, is my art good enough?” she wonders to herself. In her opinion, creating art of the highest quality involves skill and dedication but also takes the proper materials to complete the task. Senior Beck Denotter feels the pressures of materialism when it comes to her art. The desire to own certain brands, however, is a concept that ranges from Prismacolor colored pencils to the trends that students follow and the clothing they wear.

“You can make good art with any type of art supplies. You can use Crayola art pencils, and it [will] still be good,” Denotter said. “There is this invisible pressure that if you don’t have Prismacolor pencils or you don’t have Copic markers, your art can’t be great, so you need to buy these kinds of materials to make good art, but it’s not [the case].”

Denotter believes the world of art to be critical at times, as some may not hold the same opinion of what qualifies as good art. This criticism also translates into the world of clothing brands and personal style, spurring judgment and affecting one’s perception of others. Sophomore Paige Maddox recognizes this judgment, admitting that she is guilty of it herself.

“We judge other people,” Maddox said. “[We judge] based on

The three brands CNHS students feel the most to have are:

pressured

what people wear, and I am guilty of it.”

Some, however, may be blind to the significance of appearance until directly exposed to it. Freshman Darren Li, for instance, didn’t acknowledge the impact of trends until he entered high school.

“I began to realize the importance of brands in high school, [specifically] Nike, Adidas, Reebok, Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein and Apple,” Li said.

Parallel to Li, senior Gabby Lifferth recognizes the presence of prominent brands, but she correlates the popularity of said trends with a deeper emotional need of students.

“It’s more of a psychological thing,” Lifferth said. “Everyone has a need to fit in and have human connection. People just want to belong.”

Li also acknowledges this desire to belong, claiming that it stems from feeling subordinate to others.

“Everyone else is wearing and using name brands, so you seem inferior to others if you don’t do the same,” Li said.

Lifferth acknowledges, however, that the idea of fitting in can have negative consequences. It can compel someone, for example, to make unnecessary purchases out of a desire to participate in a trend or simply to please others.

“I know that I have bought things out of peer pressure,” Lifferth said.

“Sometimes when you are shopping with friends, they think a shirt may look good on you, and [then you] buy it and never wear it again.”

In Lifferth’s case, the influence of others may prevent her from buying items that she truly wants, thus forcing her to abandon her personal style.

Breaking away from the opinions of others, nevertheless, can allow for more freedom in self expression, even through material possessions.

“I am not one that really cares what other people think of me,” Maddox said. “If I get something, it’s because I want to get it, not really more of [the idea that] other people have this so I feel like I should have it.”

Yet, it can be difficult

to stay true to oneself, amidst the criticism and judgment of others. Li is familiar with the tribulations of peer pressure, as he has experienced it in his own friend group.

“My friends sometimes compare phones, and my friends with phones from lesser-known companies like Motorola are often targeted for not having a phone from big companies like Apple or Samsung,” Li said. “This teasing even prompted one of my friends to buy an iPhone 11 so that we couldn’t pick on him for his Motorola phone anymore.”

Judgment from others is not the only force that may drive an individual to buy a certain item. Simply seeing someone with a nicer article of clothing or phone may encourage one to invest in that item, which is sometimes driven by a sense of underlying jealousy.

“It’s kind of intimidating,” Denotter

pressured

When asked if they felt

nike

apple

under armour

adidas

to buy certain brands,

Out of 63 students surveyed

27%

of students said yes

21% of Gen Z care less about their image than

Millenials

Gen Z, ages 10-17 account for

$44 billion in discretionary spending

each year

source: fona.com

said. “It just makes me kind of jealous because it’s nicer [to have better materials], but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it makes better art.”

Different qualities of possessions can cause others to judge and scrutinize, leaving a person uncomfortable and the center of unwanted attention.

“Sometimes, when I dress outside of how I normally would, I [kind of] feel exposed,” Lifferth said. “If I dress up, people notice, and you don’t want to stand out. You just want to fit in. That extra attention is not always anticipated or wanted.”

In contrast, freshman Clayton Guthrie does not feel as if the eyes of his peers affect his outfits.

“I wear a lot of Virginity Rocks t-shirts and Nike,” Guthrie said. “Sometimes people judge what I wear, but I don’t really care.”

Maddox practices a similar mindset, focusing more on her personal preferences,

rather than the opinions of others.

“I don’t really like to focus on other people,” Maddox said. “Me worrying about what other people are doing or thinking, is not going to change who I am as a person.

I can’t let other people affect how I live my life, so I just focus on myself and stay in my own lane.”

Although Maddox is confident in herself and her ability to stray from the pressures of materialism, society’s obsession with material goods and the general need to fit in has the potential for much larger impact in her eyes.

“I definitely think there are larger issues among teenagers” Lifferth said. “But the consequences of materialism and the ideas that go along with that and how it affects teenagers and [their sense of] belonging can cause major issues.”

The impacts of materialism may even extend beyond the effects that it has on

one’s selfesteem. Li, for example, recognizes the economic consequences of “fitting in.”

“I believe materialism is a pressing issue today,” Li said. “It raises the cost of fitting in, further dividing the rich from the poor.”

Overall, the presence of materialism in school and society as a whole may have profound consequences, affecting some more than others. However, as humans grow in their understanding of one another, divides such as what someone wears or the art materials that an individual uses begins to seem insignificant in one’s overall ability to connect.

“I think that lately [the problem of materialism] has decreased considerably,” Denotter said. “As more communities grow, we become less judgmental of other people’s materials and rather what they make, [as opposed to] what they are using.”

“[We judge] based on what people wear, and I am guilty of it” sophomore paige maddox

13

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going viral

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ith at least 71 countries infected, more than 92,700 cases, over 3,100 dead and more than 100 confirmed cases in the U.S., the coronavirus has hit the world with a contagious outbreak, and North students and faculty feel the impact in their efforts to stay healthy and plan around traveling changes.

Junior Candy Yuan has a closer tie to the virus in China: she has family living in Wuhan, the city where the coronavirus originated, and she is concerned for the health of her relatives and others in contact with the virus.

“Since the outbreak, my family has to stay indoors at home the whole time,” Yuan said.

“Even though they were [celebrating] the Chinese New Year, they couldn’t even go outside.”

Along with Yuan, sophomore Ella Furber is worried about her mom traveling to foreign countries.

“My mom is traveling a lot in those areas where the coronavirus is spreading around in

North students and staff take precautions against the recent coronavirus outbreak spreading around the world, as well as other illnesses that strike during flu season by alyssa green design by katharine brunette

China and other Asian countries,” Furber said. “I am concerned that the virus may be over where she is in South Korea.”

While Cummins has a facility in Wuhan, Columbus has no confirmed cases of the coronavirus, yet Yuan and her family are still concerned with other illnesses, like influenza.

“My grandma keeps reminding me to wash [my] hands every time I come back to stay, especially during the flu season,” Yuan said. “[She] is worried and tells me to wear a mask when I go outside.”

As the flu continues spreading at North, biomedical sciences teacher Jennifer Steinwedel cautions students on how to stay healthy.

“Washing your hands is the most important way to prevent the spread of germs, and [try] to avoid anyone who has symptoms of being sick,” Steinwedel said. “If you are truly concerned, people can wear masks.”

evolving outbreaks

epidemic timeline 1950

polio 1955 1960 1965

smallpox

1970

ebola 1975 1980

hiv & aids

1985 1990

U.S.

Japan South Korea

Germany

China Malaysia Singapore

Taiwan Thailand

Australia

e. coli

1995

2000 2005

sars

2010

zika

2015

2020

coronavirus

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bridging the gap

Teachers, students and community members reflect on the possible effects of the referendum to increase teachers’ salaries if it is passed by salome cloteaux design by anna kelley

I

t all came down to red scarves and handwritten posters on a cold November day. It came down to a parade of teachers drumming on red buckets and marching around the Indiana statehouse. It came down to a sea of teachers in red chanting for change.

On Nov. 19, almost 20,000 people attended the “Red for Ed” rally, organized by the Indiana State Teachers Association (ISTA) to increase teacher pay, repeal a requirement for teachers to complete an externship to renew their teaching license, and to make teacher assessments immune from ILEARN test scores. The protestors hoped to show their support of public education and demand change in the public education system. However, it became clear that no help would come from the state when the legislators set the state budget for the year, so BCSC took matters into its own hands to incite change at a local level by proposing a referendum. The rally was a tipping point that led the school corporation to take action. Special Education teacher, Amy London, who is on the board of ISTA and is president of the Columbus Educators Association (CEA) took part in organizing and planning the rally and supports passing the referendum.

“We had gone and lobbied. We had talked to legislators. We had written letters. We had made phone calls. We had sent emails. We had done all kinds of things to let our teacher voice be heard as to what needs to happen in education,” London said. “The next step was to come together as a group and show them collectively [at the rally].”

As a teacher, London has experienced the demands of the job and doesn’t believe the salary matches the work teachers put in.

“The scope of what a teacher does now is beyond just curriculum. We wear many hats from social emotional learning to testing we have to be accountable for now to a lot of paperwork to many initiatives that state has put forth that they have asked us to do,” London said. “That takes

what is a referendum?

a general vote by the electorate on a single political question which has been referred to them for a direct decision.

news

a lot more time than the 7.5 hours that teachers are paid for.”

With her first year teaching here and her experience teaching at different schools, choir director Jennifer Gafron is also aware of the challenges of the career.

“It is such a taxing job both emotionally and physically. You’re on your feet all day. you’re working with kids who have broken homes lives,” Gafron said. “There’s a lot going on. I always like to say every day is an adventure.”

Like other teachers, Gafron said she decided to go into this career because of her passion for teaching and her love of kids. Although she did not choose this profession for money, she believes that low salaries may prevent people from deciding to become a teacher in the future.

“At the end of the day, money is money, and if you can’t afford to pay your bills, you have to find another job or you have to cut back and find another job,” Gafron said.

According to Forbes, Indiana ranks 51st out of all the states and Washington D.C. for salary growth. Business teacher Scott Seavers sees this as a disincentive for students pursuing a career in education, especially in Indiana.

“Money is not a motivator for teachers.

However, it is a demotivator if they don’t get paid a fair and competitive wage,” Seavers said.

“Teachers have to pay bills, fund their children’s college plans and save for retirement just like everyone else. Teachers just want to be paid fairly to make a livable wage that at least keeps up with inflation.”

Sale and income tax from the state and property taxes go towards education funding in Indiana. Recently, as inflation and the cost of living has increased, but tax rates stayed the same, teachers’ salaries have not been able to keep up.

“BCSC has not had a tax increase that goes into the money for education in a long time. We have over the last ten years maintained about the same amount [of taxes]. The amount of money

$1.0631

assessed value

$1.0777

Indiana

$1.1043

region

that [teachers] get is still the same,” London said.

“The cost of living has gone up in our community but teacher’s salaries have not. In fact, after people have paid for insurance, their salaries have gone down because the cost of insurance is astronomical.”

In addition to less state funding, since the voucher program was introduced in 2011, a portion of the money given to public schools is now also going towards charter schools and private schools, according to principal David Clark.

The state gives about $4,600 per student to public schools, according to indianapublicmedia. org. However, if a student decides to attend a charter or private school instead of a public school, the money per child allocated to the public school for the child is transferred to the charter school, which is an independently run, forprofit public school, or towards the private school tuition.

“They have decided to take some of the state money and give it off to private schools. Private schools didn’t get that money before and had to fund themselves,” Clark said. “You take the tax cap, which means we get less money, and you take part of that money and give it to private schools or charter schools so there are several cuts in our funding.”

The cuts in education funding have made it more complicated for the CEA, the teachers union in Columbus, to negotiate contracts for the teachers in BCSC. “Because the CEA represents the teachers for bargaining, we work with the administration to see how much money we have and how we are going to spend it when it comes to teachers’ salaries,” London said.

story continued on cnhsmedia.com

$1.1668

budget

$1.0011

BCSC proposed

2019 average property tax rate

To calculate the tax for your home you can use a referendum tax calculator that is located on the BCSC website

608 teachers replaced since 2012

each person represents 10 teachers

13.5% would go to student safety and security (8.5M)

18.6% would go to increase support staff (11.6M)

areas where funds would be spent

average change in teacher salary by state $27,688-$20,079 $20,078-$13,659 $13,658-$6904

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67.9% would go to teacher retention and stopping turn over (42.4M)

2 3

1. Mandy Keele is a co-chair of the Political Action Committee “Vote Yes for BCSC and Me” which is dedicated to supporting the referendum. “I fully support the referendum and believe it’s the best way to support a strong education tradition in Columbus, helping preserve it as a desirable place to live and work,” Keele said.

She spoke to Dakota Hudelson, Columbus Educators Association secretary, and other teachers and community members after giving a speech at a Community Referendum event on February 19.

2. The PAC handed out free T-shirts with their logo at the event.

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3. Community members were also able to take home free yard signs to show their support for the referendum.

4. Shounak Pandit and his child showed up to the referendum kick-off.

5. Multiple teachers from North, including math teacher Jason Perry and business teacher Scott Seavers attended the event to learn more about the referendum.

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back-to-back

CNHS athletes transition between the winter and spring sport seasons by curtis abendroth design by tanya iyer photo by kamryn denney

senior sierra norman

Senior Sierra Norman does knee drives to improve her speed. Norman played basketball and is training for softball. She will be attending Marian University next fall for softball.

Q + A FROM TRANSITIONAL ATHLETES Do you prefer winter sports or spring sports?

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or each school sport, student athletes dedicate one season to after school practices and post-game late nights, but some North students participate in multiple sports.

Senior Sierra Norman plays both a winter sport and a spring sport and is currently adjusting to the differing characteristics of her spring sport.

“I play basketball in the winter and softball in the spring,” Norman said. “Basketball is faster paced; you are running up and down the floor a lot.

Softball is more one play at a time. You are either hitting or you are fielding, [and] it is not all on you because you do not know which plays will come to you and which will not.”

Despite these differences, Norman still picks up skills from each sport that applies to the other.

“I think they are both helpful for each other in their own way. The way you play defense in softball and basketball is very similar,” Norman said.

“Certain techniques and overall athleticism helps you in both sports for sure.”

Another aspect of being a multi-sport athlete is retaining skills between seasons.

“Sometimes it is pretty hard to get back into it when you have been playing the other sport for so long. During basketball season, I try to keep up with softball and make sure I do not lose my skills in that,” Norman said. “I go in and hit by myself

during basketball season, so when softball comes around, I will be ready.”

Sophomore Emily Herndon is another athlete who is transitioning from a winter sport to a spring sport this year.

“I play basketball in the winter, and in spring I do track,” Herndon said. “Basketball is fun because it’s much more of a team sport, and it is a lot about the people you are around, so you get to make friends. Track is more of my main sport; I am a lot more competitive in it.”

Like Norman, Herndon gains skills in one sport that also apply in the other.

“With basketball, it is a lot of footwork and agility, which helps me whenever I start to throw for track,” Herndon said. “It is not very hard to switch from basketball to track because I always get a week off in between. I always do a few workouts during that week so I can get into it before track starts.”

Even if Norman focuses more on one sport than the other in the future, she will always have the memories she made during high school.

“I am going to play softball at Marian in college, so I would say I like softball better, but I had a really good basketball year, probably my best year ever,” Norman said. “I am really sad that it is over. I hope that softball will continue to be good, and I will have success in the future.”

Umer Azeem: “I prefer spring just because it is a lot warmer later in the season.”

Jonathan Meihls: “I prefer spring sports because it isn’t as cold outside, although with recent Indiana weather, it has been different.”

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shooting through the finish line by abigail bodart design by sanjana penmathsa photo by ashley sturgeon

Students participate in unified sports, including track and basketball, because of its impact on other participants

A

s his feet pound on the red and white track, the runner pushes through the finish line, completing his race for unified track, a sport open to students with and without disabilities. Student athletes like junior Reed Duncan participate in the two unified sports, track and basketball, offered at here.

“Unified sports are a great way to meet new people, make new friends and have fun in a way that makes everyone feel included,” Duncan said.

Duncan also played in the unified basketball game, during the North vs. East boy’s varsity basketball game.

“My friend Matt’s senior project was unified basketball,” Duncan said. “He asked me if I would want to participate.”

Senior Emma Tynan enjoys the relationships she builds while training and competing in unified sports.

“Unified sports has been a huge part of not only my high school career, but also a huge part of my life,” Tynan said. “Just being around the athletes and their excitement and energy for the game is contagious, and it’s hard to not have fun or have a smile on your face when you’re at practices or games.”

According to Tynan, the students in unified sports work together to complete in events of their choosing.

“For unified track, the athletes can either run or throw their event by themselves, whichever they prefer, and sometimes they

will have a student partner that will run their event alongside them and help guide them and cheer them on,” Tynan said. “For unified basketball, there are five athletes and about three students that go out on the court and make sure everyone knows where to score and when to pass and just [give] any extra help they may need.”

Tynan became involved in unified sports by following the unified track Twitter page and attending the informational meeting and practices. She also saw advertisements for students’ senior projects on social media and followed up by talking to coaches.

“I wanted to participate because I had known other people who participated and had a great experience,” Tynan said. “I also knew a few of the athletes prior to unified sports and took the opportunity to work with them and get closer to them as soon as I heard.”

Tynan has learned how simple gestures can go a long way when working with and meeting new people.

“I have learned a lot about how the little things can make someone’s day, smiling, waving, saying hello, asking about someone’s day when making new friends with someone,” Tynan said. “Unified sports are a completely judgment-free zone, and I think all the different kinds of people who are involved can [attest] to that.”

Senior Emma Wetherald, who helped as an assistant in the special education room in middle school, continued to work with special

senior emma wetherald needs students through unified basketball when she entered high school.

“Unified sports are a super fun way to become friends with the special needs students in our school and build a connection with them,” Wetherald said. “It allows them equal opportunity to be able to compete in sports they love playing.”

To Wetherald, unified sports represent more than athletic competitions.

“I have learned that sports aren’t just about winning,” Wetherald said. “While it is exciting to win, I gain the most happiness through simply being happy about my teammates’ accomplishments.”

skills of the trade

Running and basketball require different sets of skills wrists: wrists help with bouncing the ball and shooting it

breathing technique: controlled breathing staves off fatigue for longer and increases oxygen intake

sports

arm movement: moving the opposite arm and leg while running helps maintain balance, keep a straight path and increase speed

running shoes: running shoes are designed for cushioning, flexibility and traction on roads and trails

basketball shoes: basketball shoes act as shock absorbers and provide ankle stability

core strength: core muscles help keep balance on the court

springing into season

Conditioning for spring sports have begun, and athletes are gearing up for the upcoming season by cheyenne peters and diana garcia design by anushka nair photos by lily hruban

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eights fall to the ground, and sweat drips to the concrete, signaling the start of conditioning for spring sports. The girls tennis team runs laps around the top level of the gym counting each time they pass the starting line. Besides participating in the school season, some student athletes condition and practice year-round. Senior Eva Chevalier, the co-captain of the girls’ tennis team, prepares her team for the season with abs and cardio. Leading up to their first official practice the week before spring break, weekly conditioning started Jan. 23.

“Our conditioning is 45 minutes to an hour on Fridays and Mondays organized by the two captains,” Chevalier said.

According to Chevalier, athletes should put in work before the season to stay ready for the season.

“I would rather condition more before the season than practice because many of our players are out of shape and can’t keep up during the season,” Chevalier said. “We also have year-long clinics, so many of us practice more than twice a week before the season.”

Although the tennis team captains have been leading these workouts since last year, they have changed the exercises.

“Since my co-captain and I organized conditioning last year and we are once again doing it this year, we have changed many things,” Chevalier said.

“What I try to do differently is to find exercises for all levels. I also try to make us run a lot to get us ready for campus miles and sprints.”

Sophomore Will Baker is involved in two sports, basketball and baseball, and balances conditioning for these different seasons.

“Basketball conditioning started in the summer, and baseball conditioning is during the winter,” Baker said.

“Basketball is more running than baseball, and baseball is more lifting.”

Aside from conditioning, sophomore Alexia Heafner keeps herself ready for the school season by playing on a travel softball team.

“I have a travel team that I play for with a bunch of North girls,” Heafner said. “For skills practices, we have one night for hitting and one night for running and two other nights for conditioning.”

Conditioning sometimes requires the team members to show up for practices in the morning or in the afternoon. For junior Deshawn Austin, diving practices can be very time-consuming and interfere with his schoolwork, job and time for friends.

“The hardest part about conditioning is to put in all that effort into the morning practices Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday,” Austin said. “Some days you’re just really tired during the school day, and then you have to go back to the pool in the afternoon, and that can get really tiring and time-consuming after a while.”

“I would rather condition more before the season than practice because many of our players are out of shape and can’t keep up during the season.” senior eva chevalier

Sophomore Jenna Lang lifts weights, preparing herself for the soccer season.

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split thoughts left

Freshman Micah Rutledge and sophomore Paige Maddox discuss how being left and right brain affects their learning styles and personalities by elaine sanders

characteristics

characteristics

planned logical

spontaneous creative

learning styles

learning styles

math and science prefer non fiction

english and art prefer fiction

“I am right-brained because I am a very open and spontaneous person... and I don’t look at logic”

“Being left-brained helps me get my work done and stay organized”

freshman micah rutledge

brain facts

right

sophomore paige maddox

89 billion neurons

2% of body weight

a survey reveals that 51% of North students are right brained while 49% are left.

left right