Tiger Topics N the Red: Volume 14, Issue 1, 9/16/19

Volume XIII, Issue 1 Volume 14, Issue 1

Fishers High School

Fishers High School

Sept. 16, 2019

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LEARNING & GROWING Pre-calculus takes on a new projectbased learning endeavor /pages 4-5

Photo by Lily Thomas

www.ďŹ shersnthered.com

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CONTENTS FEATURES

CHECK OUT FISHERSNTHERED.COM

4-5 AGGRESSIVELY ORGANIC

6-7 SHUTTLE BUSES PODCAST In the latest 8 ALUMNI PROFILE: DALLAS FARR

FEATURE FHS receives award

edition of “Off the Table,” Popeyes and Chick-Fil-A are compared

for inclusivity

SPORTS 9 MORNING TRAFFIC

22 GIRLS GOLF

10-11 NEW GRADUATION

23 FLAG FOOTBALL

REQUIREMENTS

12-13 SOLAR PANELS

ARTS & CULTURE

24-25 GIRLS & BOYS SOCCER

26 BOYS TENNIS

14 VIDEO GAMES 27 ALBIN’S ANGLE 15 FASHION TRENDS

OPINION 16-17 AUDITORIUM RENOVATION

28 VAPING

18-19 HOMECOMING

29 WHITE NATIONALISM

20-21 PLANT DIY

30-31 EDITORIAL

fishersnthered.com Fishers High School 13000 Promise Rd, Fishers, IN 317-915-4290 fax: 317-915-4299

@fhs_NtheRed @fishershighnews

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New Addition:Organic Learning Project combines math, farming and student interest through local company Lily Thomas

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thomalil000@hsestudents.org

prouting up in the closet of room B124, fruits and vegetables have become the focus of a math project in partnership with a local company called Aggressively Organic. After attending the Authentic Learning Summit over the summer, math teachers Sarah Riordan and Alisa Vaughn created a lesson plan to incorporate both plants and student interests, creating a passion project that ties into the precalculus curriculum throughout the semester.

The projects depend on the students’ interest of choice, as they have the freedom to link their personal passions with the data from the plant’s growth. Whether they are drawn to sports nutrition and wish to create a meal plan or want to work with special education kids, precalculus students explore possibilities of plant therapy like junior Jessica Guler.

“I think it’s something good that gets us out of the classroom, just to do something, and maybe give back to the community a little bit with our research,” Guler said. “Then the guy that we’re working with [Jonathan Partlow] has his company that we’re going through, and I think it’ll help his business grow as well.”

According to AO’s website, their growing pods are easy to use, inexpensive and sustainable systems. Riordan stated that the key to the growing process is isolation, so there is no competition and the production is maximized.

AO provided the math department with an indoor urban gardening system equipped with lights, soil and nutrients, but the plants are not the only focus.

Junior Emily Jones measures a seedling during precalculus class in room B124. Photo by Alex Craig.

“This project, or even just something similar with the Aggressively Organic will be helpful or useful, rather, to other classes like the environmental science class or the child development classes,” senior Lindsey Rairden said. “I think that, hopefully towards the future, we’ll probably gear towards them more.”

Throughout the project, the precalculus units will relate to plant growth. For example, the first unit was about gathering data and creating functions making it applicable to growing patterns. They will also learn about one-toone functions and how to label plant growth accordingly.

“It really jumps out of the traditional classroom role of kind of like you take notes, and then you do your homework, and then you take a quiz, which we’re still doing, but it allows us to connect it and get a really hands on experience through pre-calc,” Riordan said.

When the project concludes at the end of the semester, Riordan said students will report back with their data and apply it to what they learned in precalculus. The end goal is to explain their findings through a system of numbers rather than words. After that, science classes at Noblesville High School will have access to the data, and other classes will be able to use the gardens too.

“The engagement level of doing something a little outside of the box really brings the curriculum to life, and so I personally am enjoying that process and watching the kids get to pick something they’re passionate about and move precalc into that,” Riordan said.

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Features

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All About Aggressively Organic Small space? No problem. No time to take care of plants? Also not a problem. These plants take minimal resources and are not time consuming.

10 ft.

10 ft.

9 Micro Pods can be grown in a 10 ft. x 10 ft. space

The FACTS

The corporation was created to end food insecurity in our lifetime

One head of lettuce in a Micro Pod only takes 16 oz. of water

Each plant comes with an Aggressively Organic Grow Light Leafy greens, peppers, strawberries, tomatoes, basil, cilantro and much more can be grown SOURCE: https://aggressivelyorganic.com/

Graphic by Ellie Albin and Lily Thomas

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Back and forth

Shuttle bus offers choice to students who want to attend FHS Andrew Haughey

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haughand000@hsestudents.org

ith a growing number of students in the district, HSE schools is searching for a solution to the overcrowding at both high schools in the district. Six hundred students districted to HSE choose to attend FHS. The district introduced a shuttle system to both high schools in the district and offered them to anyone districted to attend one high school but wanting to attend another.

The system picks up and drops off around 180 students each day and has the potential to take home 600 students that should attend HSE but instead attend FHS, according to Director of Transportation Zach McKinney.

The district initially introduced a form of shuttle system to specific neighborhoods districted to attend HSE in the 2014-15 school year. This plan was put in place to help equalize the student population at both schools since HSE was seeing more growth than FHS. This provided the

foundation for the new shuttle system introduced this year.

“The district approached eighth grade students at the time asking if they would consider attending FHS but were districted to attend HSE,” McKinney said.

Now the system is offered to any high school student in the district. Sophomore Aubrey Baldwin, who rides the shuttle bus in the afternoon, said she dislikes being forced to leave 12 minutes before the school day officially ends because she has an AP class in seventh period.

“I went to RJH, so roughly 90% of the kids there were going to FHS,” Baldwin said. “So if I was going to go to HSE then I’m losing a bunch of friends. I think the districting could be laid out better.”

Sophomore, Josh Weyer, who also takes the shuttle system home every afternoon, said that while the system takes longer to get home

Greg Miller examines documents while shuttle buses leave FHS in the afternoon to take students to HSE to be transported home on Aug. 7. Photo

by Grace Vang.

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compared to his bus from last year, he does not mind the wait.

“When I’m taking the shuttle bus to HSE I like to ride with my friends,” Weyer said. “So it’s fun to just hang out on there.”

Sophomore Claire Mizamakoski agreed with Baldwin on the topic of the districting but also said that the shuttle system is faster than her bus ride home last year.

“I’m in band so I have to bring my instrument to school and go down to the side of the school where the band room is,” Mizamakoski said.

“Then I’d have to come back down to the other, so getting that done and already being late to class sounds like a mess. So, instead, I do a carpool in the morning with other people that live on my street.”

McKinney said that the system put in place in 2014-15 was not offered to every student and that the main goal of the new shuttle buses was

to allow students a complete choice of where they would like to go to high school. McKinney also stated that he was well aware of the problem of students missing class but stated that it was a necessary by-product of the system.

“In order to take the students from FHS to HSE, we have to leave FHS by 2:50 p.m. to catch the connecting bus at HSE,” McKinney said.

“With this new shuttle service, we are offering transportation to all students that may need the help.”

Principal Jason Urban guides students as they search for their shuttle buses behind FHS on Aug. 7.

Photo by Grace Vang.

SHUTTLE BUS STATS 12

SHUTTLE BUSES AVAILABLE

600 NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT GO TO FHS WHO ARE DISTRICTED TO HSE

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Graphic by Ellie Albin and Andrew Haughey

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Dallas Farr

1948 graduate of original FHS dedicated fan of FHS, HSE sports Ben McHenry mchenben000@hsestudents.org

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o many of the staff and students, FHS is 13 years old. However, for the older residents of Fishers, FHS brings an entirely different experience to mind. Dallas Farr, a Fishers resident who graduated from the original FHS in 1947, recalls a small, close knit high school and community experience.

“You knew each and every person and their families,” Farr said. “There were only 17 students in my class, and every class was about that size or smaller. We had assemblies with the junior high and high school together, and there were no more than 75 kids from seventh grade through twelfth.”

Farr was a member of the original FHS basketball team when they won the county championship in 1947. The team played more frequently back then, according to Farr, occasionally playing three games in a weekend.

The main gym at FHS is over 14 times the size of the original gym, yet the students from 19361964 were passionate about activities and sports, and basketball games were routinely overflowing with students and members of the community.

“The minute you walked into the gym, you were on the floor,” Farr said. “There was a small balcony with only about three rows around three sides of the gym and the same thing along the floor of the gym, and the capacity couldn’t have been more than 200. But you had to go pretty early to get in.”

According to Farr, high school was the end of most student’s education, and they went to join the workforce after graduating high school.

Farr joined the military, and then returned to Fishers and built his house here in 1955. Having lived in Fishers nearly all of his life, he has seen

the growth of both the school system and the community.

“Everything has changed. When I built my house, all the roads were narrow, and there was just a little gas station on the corner,” Farr said. “With the way the town of Fishers and the school have grown, I am just thankful that the school board could foresee that we needed two high schools. That gives kids so much more opportunity. Just look at how many kids are able to play sports at Fishers and Southeastern.”

Farr has been a longtime supporter of both FHS and HSE sports. After working the chains at HSE football games for 25 years, he was given a lifetime all-sports pass for both HSE and FHS. “My wife always said ‘if they throw the ball, kick the ball, or do anything with a ball, I will be there’” Farr said.

Farr still attends most basketball games at FHS and HSE, and spectators can regularly find him in the front row right at the half-court line, attentively watching the next generation of FHS students.

Dallas Farr’s 1948 graduation photo on the wall at FHS. Photo by Ben McHenry.

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Parents on the morning of Sept. 5 Leave through Tiger Drive after dropping off their students at school. Photo by Carter Hanefeld.

Morning madness Increased traffic causes headaches for all involved Carter Hanefeld

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hanefcar000@hsestudents.org

enior Oliver Hazel began his day much like he has years prior. He woke up at 6:50 and left the house at 7:00. However, instead of getting to school at his usual time, he arrived much later.

“Last year, I got to school at 7:15. Now, it’s 7:20 or 7:25,” Hazel, who takes 126th St., said.

While five to ten minutes may not seem like a lot, it could sometimes be the difference between getting a parking spot or getting a tardy. This congestion is not just seen at 126th and Hoosier, but all around the school.

“In the morning, we’re dealing with buses and cars trying to turn in, both from 131st and 126th, then also cars trying to leave the school,” School Resource Officer Matt Ruhnow said. “On a given day, we are out there till past 7:30.”

While traffic can fluctuate from year to year, this year has seen a universal increase. Officer Ruhnow noted that there are significantly more car riders this year than any year prior, and this falls in line with the observations made by some of the student body.

“I think it could be the fact that classes are getting bigger as more people move into the district,” senior Ben Johnson, who comes from Hoosier Road, said.

Johnson also said that the influx of transfer

students from HSE might be part of the issue.

Wherever the issue is coming from, the idea that increased class sizes are a contributing factor to congestion is backed by the numbers. When the school opened, it had 1,700 students. Now, it is around 3,600. Furthermore, with the increased development of Fishers and population growth, that number is projected to continue rising. One proposed solution was the expansion of roads.

“The state has refused to expand the roads, mainly because it is a problem that only exists for thirty minutes in the morning, and thirty minutes after school, and it is not economically viable to spend millions of dollars for an hour long issue,” Officer Ruhnow said.

With that in mind, what the administration is left with is an ever-growing population contained in a finite space, like increasing helium in a balloon, and eventually, it will pop. However, the administration is looking for ways to solve the problem.

“We have a traffic study in the works for sometime in the future, but at the end of the day, we’re willing to take suggestions from anyone,” Officer Ruhnow said. “This isn’t just one person making all the decisions. Let’s all work together, because getting traffic in and out safely is what’s most important.”

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Indiana High School Graduation Requirements for 2023 Onward

High School Diploma

Learn and

Demonstrate

Employability Skills

Postsecondary-

ready Competencies

Diploma Core 40 Core 40 requires 47 credits

Project Based Learning Internship Service Work Apprenticeship

Honors Diploma SAT/ACT AP Capstone/Dual Credit ASVAB IB Diploma

https://www.doe.in.gov/sites/default/files/graduation-pathways/graduation-requirements.pdf

Graphic by Ellie Albin and Sydney Territo

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Fresh standards for class of 2023 New graduation requirements for students changes curriculum Sydney Territo

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terrisyd000@hsestudents.org

tarting with the class of 2023, students will not have to take the ISTEP tests. Instead, they must complete a series of requirements designed and implemented by the Department of Education. The DOE’s website stated that the new diploma requirements are necessary in order to account for the changing global economy and to help K-12 students adapt to it.

Freshmen graduation requirements include earning a general diploma, demonstrating employability skills and demonstrating postsecondary-ready competencies. The demonstration of employability skills includes a project based learning credit or an internship.

The postsecondary-ready competencies include the honors diploma, SAT, ACT, AP credit, IB program and the ASVAB test.

“They need to demonstrate employability skills, and there are three ways you can do that: project based learning, service based learning, and work based learning,” said counselor Kelly Applegate.

“A lot of real world experiences that kids can have can meet that.”

While the new requirements have taken effect this

year, the school was already working to improve AP and project based learning opportunities. One option, the AP Capstone credit, offers students a chance to become self confident, independent thinkers and problem solvers by the time they reach the end of their high school career, according to the College Board “I feel like the skills I learned in AP Seminar will carry me throughout my life,” senior Myra Kivett said. “Researching, being able to formulate a hypothesis, or a question, a good thesis and be able to argue it and make a twelve to fourteen page paper is something you need for college” Despite the academic push forward, students struggle to keep up with the new plans set in place for them. Freshman Srilekha Dalvuluri plans to become a cardio-thoracic surgeon, but worries there will not be an internship option for her career path.

“I might not fulfill the requirements so I’m a little worried just because I want to make sure I get it in to graduate” Dalvuluri said. “If they do [an internship fair] in smart period, the students might be more encouraged to do it.”

Class of 2019 celebrates by throwing their graduation caps on June 1 at Indiana Farmers Coliseum. Photo courtesy of LifeTouch.

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Lighting the way Solar energy brings greener future to district Ben McHenry mchenben000@hsestudents.org

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On page 13, top to bottom. 1. Aerial view of the solar panels by Sand Creek Intermediate. 2.

A class from Sand Creek Elementary smiles for a picture by the solar panels on August 21. 3. Eighth grader Abigail Kemper gives a speech at the opening of the panels on August 21. 4. Bob Rice teaches a class at Sand Creek Intermediate about solar energy on August 21. Photos used with permission of Bob Rice.

riving on Brooks School Road past FHS, one can see the newly installed solar panels between Sand Creek Intermediate and Sand Creek Elementary. The project was a result of a smaller scale solar panel project by Jennifer Suskovich’s sixth grade science class of 2017-2018, and was then brought to life on a larger scale by district energy director Bob Rice.

“Two years ago, my class was looking at a way to utilize an outdoor space beside our classroom,” Suskovich said. “One of the students mentioned solar panels and studying solar energy. I contacted Bob Rice, who at the time was just appointed as the district’s energy manager. He advised me on solar lighting kits to purchase for the classroom.”

With grants of $12,000, Suskovich bought two different brands of kits and a solar generator, and the class made models of solar panels. The class investigated how the solar panels charging time can be reduced by following the movement of the sun. Abigail Kemper, a student from 2017-2018, went further with her research.

“Abigail built a manual moving model that used the seasonal angles of the sun in Indiana,” Suskovich said. “At the same time, I had transportation bring Abigail back to SCI on Tuesdays through Fridays to build four more stands with my learning club students. The stands will support eight panels when complete.”

Kemper’s solar research has not gone unnoticed. This past March, at the Indiana State Fair Science Competition, she won the Lemelson Early Inventor Prize, the Indiana Association of Environmental Professionals Award for Excellence in Environmental Science, and the Best Engineering Project by a female from the Society of Women Engineers.

While Suskovich’s class worked on smaller scale solar models, Rice looked into installing solar panels that would generate energy for both SCI and SCE. The proposal for the solar panel’s construction was approved early 2019 and the panels were built over the summer.

The solar panels cost $2,806,317 to build, and construction was done by AMERESCO, a private firm focused on renewable energy. They are being paid for through a four year bond.

“Historically, we have paid over $310,000

per year to Duke Energy to purchase power for these buildings,” Rice said. “Since the arrays are producing power for the schools, we can save the money we have traditionally sent to Duke. It works out that the energy saved over the course of about 10 years pays for the system. The arrays will then continue to operate for another 20 or more years, providing us with free power.”

Not only will this project save money, but provide SCI and SCE with clean, efficient energy.

According to Rice, The rays will produce over 85 percent of the school’s electrical use, and operate for over 30 years. The building’s equipment will be upgraded over time, making the building’s more efficient and reducing energy usage.

The solar arrays have only been constructed at SCI and SCE, but Rice is hopeful that they can eventually be installed all across the district.

However, installing panels at FHS brings a few challenges.

“FHS is fairly land locked,” Rice said. “If we wanted to add solar panels it would have to be roof mount or car ports. A roof mount system is best to install on a new roof. Since the roof at FHS is half way through its life expectancy it would be hard to justify adding a roof mount solar array. A car port would be another option, but currently steel costs are high, which makes the payback on a carport system not as desirable.”

Even without a large scale energy-saving system such as solar panels, FHS has taken numerous steps to be more environmentally conscious. Food services have changed to be more sustainable, removing plastic straws and introducing metal utensils. The Environmental Advocacy Club has bought plastic bottle recycling bins and placed them around the school, as well as other environmental efforts.

“We frequently do outdoor cleanups, where we walk around the school and Billericay to clean up trash,” club President senior Emma Summers said. “We have also had a holiday lights drive to recycle old holiday lights, and the first ever Earth Day Celebration at FHS. Right now, we are focused on making our recycling more efficient, and we also have a huge project later in the year.

All in all, we hope to instill sustainability in our community.”

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Graphic by Ben McHenry

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Sophomore Mason Funderburg plays Minecraft on Xbox as he enjoys his new wood home in forest on Aug. 30. Photo by Kristen Rummel

Minecraft builds on success Game becomes most played game after 10-year anniversary Kristen Rummel rummekri000@hsestudents.org

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n recent months, Minecraft has been gaining popularity again. People have been experiencing what the game has to offer, from new animals, armor and abilities ten years after its release. Fortnite, however, has been on a decline for months and has yet to see such a recover.

According to Ranker, 51% of 139,000 voters agreed that Minecraft is the best and most popular game out right now. Minecraft was voted first for the most popular game, then Grand Theft Auto Five in second, placing Fortnite in third.

Minecraft was originally created by Swedish programmer Markus Persson in 2009, commonly known as “Notch,” and later developed and published by the Swedish company Mojang. The building aspect of Minecraft allows players to build out of textured cubes in a 3D randomly generated world. It is set in infinitely-generated world of wide open terrain containing icy mountains, swampy bayous and more. The game contains items unfamiliar to this world like Ender Pearls and monsters that the player will experience through the game, as well as real world items such as wheat and carrots.

With Minecraft being a sandbox game, the game will never end until the player is done playing it. A sandbox game is a style of game in which minimal character limitations are placed on the gamer, allowing the gamer to roam and change a virtual world at their own volition. The player is put into a block world untouched by any other person and are to survive and kill the Ender Dragon in another dimension called the end.

“I have played both Minecraft and Fortnite and I believe that Minecraft is the better game because you can do whatever you want and mess around

with the game more than Fortnite,” senior Rich Hutchinson said.

Fortnite is a free-to-play online co-op survival game developed by Epic Games and People Can Fly in 2017, who also published the game.

Fortnite Battle Royale is based on the battle royale game genre, was released September 2017.

Fortnite is a battle royale game, so 100 players will be going against each other to try and get the victory royale. Players will start out jumping out of an aircraft and you scavenge for resources on the map. The players fight each other to the death until one person remains.

“Minecraft allows for more possibilities,” junior Quinn Lowry said. “You can turn it into whatever game you want to play, Fortnite is fun, but there is no way it is able to be as widespread with the content it offers,” The games both update very often with new items and challenges to the game. The last update to Fortnite was on August 27 and for Minecraft, it was on April 23 according to PCGamer.

“I think everyone should play,” sophomore Mason Funderburg said. “Its kind of annoying that it’s coming back because there have been people like me who have been playing the game [Minecraft] the whole time.”

With more people joining Minecraft because of gaining popularity and promotion of the game

by Swedish YouTuber Pewdiepie, it has made gaming with other people easier.

“I mostly play with my friend Riley Cristat.

Pretty much all of my friends have played it [Minecraft] or play it, but I would definitely recommend it to anyone who hasn’t played it,” Lowry said.

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VSCO following grows

Social media trend takes over Tik Tok and Instagram with water bottles, scrunchies Mason Gushwa gushwmas000@hsestudents.org

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crunchies, Hydro flasks, seashell necklaces, oversized t-shirts and friendship bracelets; without even explaining any further “a VSCO girl” most likely popped into mind. This new trend is showing up all over. Becoming a VSCO girl or already being the master of “and I oop,” has pros and cons as all trends do.

VSCO girls originated from the app Tik-Tok. Many teens are using this platform as a place to stand out and show talents such as dancing, singing, and comedy. This trend started small but then soon grew into a large number of people.

According to Adespresso there are nearly 1.4 billion “#VSCOgirl” posts on Instagram.

All the attention VSCO girls are gathering is becoming a controversial topic among teenagers.

“Doing it for attention” is one of the things people murmur amongst themselves.

“I think some girls do it just to fit in along with trying to be cool,” sophomore Lindsey Wells said.

Many stereotypes come with being a VSCO one of them being “basic.” VSCO girls are constantly called “basic” and heaped into the pile of standard/average. According to BuzzFeed

News reporter Caiti DeCort the word they would use best to describe it is “basic,” because everybody wears the same clothes and has the same items.

“I wouldn’t want to be called a VSCO girl,but people who are VSCO girls are just simply being themselves,” freshman Kiya Austins said.

Being a VSCO girl is not for everyone and comes with responsibilities. One of those responsibilities include “Saving the turtles,” this is a unified ideal that many VSCO girls share.

According to Sea Turtle Conservancy over 1 million marine animals are killed each year due to debris in the ocean.

It can sometimes be a hassle finding where to buy the VSCO girl necessities. Hydroflasks can be found at Dicks Sporting Goods for approximately $49.99. The classic seashell necklace and scrunchies found at Claire’s and Amazon for $1.66. Oversized t-shirts can be found at a local thrift shop such as Salvation Army and Goodwill.

“I think that it’s unfair to stereotype them,” junior Josh Brown said “I’m not going to paint all of them with a broad brush.”

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1. Yellow hydro flask, $39.95. 2. Dark hydro flask, $39.95. 3. Lilac Hydroflask, $42.95. 4.

Sophomore Bella Soto poses for camera with her “VSCO” scrunchies. 5. Tan three strap Birkenstocks, $110. 6. Orange sandals from Barney’s New York $180. Photos by Mason Gushwa

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Sept. 16, 2019 The cheerleaders from the cast perform a musical number at the beginning of “Bring It On.” Photo by James Fortozo.

Auditorium renovation changes sch

Renovations to the sound, lighting systems cause location, date conflicts for fall play, musical Emma Tomlinson

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tomliemm000@hsestudents.org

he school’s auditorium will be undergoing a $1.16 million-dollar renovation during the fall, causing the performing arts department to make several changes to its schedule.

Renovations were originally scheduled for over the summer; however, unexpected delays have caused construction to be pushed back to the fall.

Since renovations have already begun in the auditorium, fall concerts for the performing arts programs, such as orchestra, have been relocated to other locations in the school. The date of completion for the renovation is currently unknown.

The fall play will now take place in the black box theatre. Before learning of the delays, the theatre teacher had chosen “Mamma Mia” to be the school musical.

The fall play is “Our Town,” and show dates are November 7-9. The cast practices and will perform in the black box.

“There aren’t a lot of exits, and it’s just a smaller space to perform in.” junior cast member Chloe Carlson said.

According to musical director Anna Nickell, it would be too challenging for the musical to be in the black box. The size, sound and lighting capabilities can not support the musical because of the large size of the program.

Because the musical was moved to the spring, the production will be a Broadway review. It will include scenes from popular musicals.

“We need to make sure we can allow the show choir students to be involved,” Nickell said, “If we had done a traditional musical like ‘Mamma Mia’, they wouldn’t have been able to audition because it would be too straining on their voices and bodies.”

With a renovation budget of $1.16 million dollars, there will be major upgrades in both the lighting and sound systems.

“Most of the equipment we have right now is not the best,” sophomore crew member Morgan Strahan said. “Even considering that it’s pretty new, it’s falling apart.”

Strahan and other tech crew members have had issues with the current equipment, and they believe that an upgrade is needed.

The sound system will be a major focus of the project. There are often issues with sound cutting in and out. Both new headset equipment and a sound board will help to improve the sound system.

“For that size of a facility, the capabilities for sound in there aren’t what they ought to be,” Nickell said.

According to Nickell, the current lighting is considered “old-school.”There have been many advances in stage lighting in the past decade.

Upgrading the lighting system to an LED system allows the performing arts program to have an updated, modern look.

“This renovation absolutely needed to happen,” said Nickell.

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hedule for performing arts program

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1. Juniors Savanna Jensen and Braeden Harter practice for the play in the black box because the auditorium is closed. Photo by Emma Tomlinson. 2. Renovations on the auditorium have begun. The auditorium is not allowed to be used. Photo by Emma Tomlinson.

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Sept. 16, 2019

Students sing and dance with their friends to the music in the auxiliary gym near Cafe A on homecoming on Sept. 15, 2018. Photo by Saraiah Evans

Change in homecoming week Rebekah Shultz

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shultreb000@hsestudents.org

he homecoming dance this year, will be before the homecoming football game.

This is different than past years when the dance was typically held the day after the football game with the homecoming court announced during halftime.

Student government sponsor and English teacher Haley Care’ made the decision to move the dance to Sept. 21 because the marching band invitational will be held at the school on Sept.

28. Multiple area high schools participate in the marching band invitational, meaning that the school building, parking lots, and stadium will be in use by hundreds of people throughout the day.

“People will be running in and out of the school all day making it impossible for a homecoming dance to take place [on the day after the homecoming football game],” student body president senior Riley Padron said. “There are no other home football games for this to happen, because the breast cancer awareness and senior night have to be planned through the PA [announcer]. With the schedule being the way it is, any other date would make homecoming too late or early.”

With the dance before the homecoming game, this also means that the pep rally for homecoming will be after homecoming and the day of the game.

“The focus of homecoming week is the football game. We will still be ending our homecoming week with the game,” Caré said. “Which is another

another great opportunity to bring students together.”

The homecoming court will be announced on the day of the game, so the families of the court can attend, this would be after homecoming.

Can attend, this would be after homecoming.

However, students are already forming their opinions on this plan, and not all are positive.

“I think it’s pretty stupid that the homecoming game is after homecoming because you lose a lot of excitement for a game,” junior Carolyn Szilaygi said. “So I feel like a lot less people are going to end up going [to the game].”

Although some students oppose the homecoming schedule this year, not all the students believe this to be a bad thing.

“I think that it is a good thing because at homecoming you can hang out with your friends and have that time,” junior Sadie Jordan said.

“And then at the football game we’ll all come together for a big family thing as fishers high school.”

The tickets for the dance are going to be $10 and will be sold in front of cafe A, the week leading to the dance. Students will be guided to enter through the CCA (FH19). “ Homecoming football games are tradition,” said Padron. “Our parents had a homecoming football games our grandparents had a homecoming football game.. It’s apart of history and we are facing the adversity of our schedule, plus the marching band camp to keep it relevant at Fishers High School.”

Arts & Culture

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Lizzie Mohr, 11

Noah Cashman, 12

Photo used with permission of NASA

Natalie Rund, 12

Evan Barker, 12

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N the Red

Gardening and taking care of plants is a popular activity in Fishers, even amongst younger groups of kids, like this garden at Hoosier Road Elementary.

Photo by Ellie Albin

Environmentally conscious DIYs

DIYs bring healing, control in planting, taking care of life in innovative ways Maria Galosi

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galosmar000@hsestudents.org

lants bring creativity and simplistic design to a space. According to UNC Health, caring for plants has natural health benefits, such as improved mental health, stress and anxiety reduction, and life balance. Students can experience these health benefits by making these eco-friendly DIYs, using old milk bottles, aluminium cans and egg cartons.

“Plants make me and my space around me feel clean. I got into growing plants because of the image and how relaxed and put together my life feels when im able to take care of another living thing,” said senior Alex Pesenko said.

Gardening can be an escape from the bustling, fast-paced world around us.

In 2017 a preventative medicine group performed experimental studies that showed plants can lower blood pressure,

increase attentiveness and raise productivity. It also provides what many high schoolers need: lower levels of anxiety. A 2011 Cornell University plant studies had shown that people who are having personal problems in their life benefit greatly from caring for a plant.

“My mom loves plants so we have a lot of them in my house,” sophomore Olivia Loriman said.

“They look cool, liven things up and sometimes smell really good.”

Plants are everywhere, so it may be very easy for families to begin starting their own gardens.

“I have plants all in my backyard, a cactus plant in my bedroom and more plants in my front yard,” Tristler said.

There are many places that plants can grow, ranging from inside the house to outside.

“We have the plants in our dining room, living

Arts & Culture room, kitchen counters and a bunch outside on the porch,” Loriman said.

A DIY project is taking an empty milk carton, fill the carton with water, put a string in it, and take the other end of that string and put it in a plant holder. When doing this with a succulent, the plant will suck the water through the string from the jug, allowing for the plant to get the right amount of water that it needs.

An eco-friendly way to plant a succulent is to take old Monster or Peace Tea cans and cut the tops off with scissors, filling the cans two- thirds of the way full of compost, and then placing the succulents or any plant you want into the ecofriendly recycled pot.

Using egg cartons is convenient for people trying to be eco-friendly. First, take the empty carton and fill each individual slot with two tablespoons of compost. Next, take a bulb or any plant of your choosing that you would like to grow, and place one in each individual slot.

Within four days, plants will be visible.

Reusing these plastic and metal material can be beneficial to the Earth because plastic can take up to 1000 years to decompose, according to ThoughtCo. Furthermore, there are other ways that people can help spurt the growth of their plants at home.

Most people brush our hair and then just throw away what has been shed. Instead, that hair can be used to help plants flourish. Press the hair into the soil around the base of the plant, give it a few days to degrade and become a fertilizer for the plant.

A 1960s research project showed that human hair is 15% nitrogen, which helps plants by providing fertilization. Nitrogen is abundant in that it is used to make nylons, fertilizers, and dyes. It makes 75% of the atmosphere, plants themselves can not use nitrogen in its inherent atmospheric form.

Lucky for these plants, some microbes pull the denitrifying (N2) out of the air and make it into the reactive nitrogen so that plants can use it. When crafting your garden, take that hair you brushed out and stick it into the soil of the plants you are trying to grow so that the nitrogen will be released. This will help the plants grow strong and healthy.

“Plants make me feel amazing, and I just love plants,” Tristler said. “Plants are all over the world, and we just need plants.”

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3 1. With a milk carton filled with water close to the plant, place a string in the top of the carton in the water connecting it. This can be done inside this can or outside. Photo used with permission of Morgan Granager. 2. Take an aluminum can, like Monster or Arizona tea, and cut it in half or down the side, depending on the look you want. Fill 2/3 of the way full and plant the seeds. Photo used with the permission of Sam Schable. 3. Take an old egg carton and fill the individual holders with two tablespoons of compost . Plant the seeds and watch them grow. Photo by Barbara Jeffries.

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Sept. 16, 2019

Golf hits crucial postseason matches Girls team prepares for the challenge of sectionals Ben Rosen rosenben000@hsestudents.org

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irls golf will face many challenges this season, including the fact that the team consists of only two seniors, and the team is young.

Freshman Olivia Holding believes the team consists of a strong support system that helps her and others get through the challenges that are presented.

“We motivate each other so it’s like if we have one bad score it’s fine, it’s really helpful,” Holding said.

The team finished sixth place out of eight teams at the HCC Championships on Sept. 3 at Bearslide Golf Course in Cicero, as well as a fifth place out of eight teams at the Hamilton County Championships on Aug. 28 at Harbour Trees Golf & Beach Club in Noblesville, where the sectional is played on Sept. 21.

According to head coach Daniel Smith, the team needs to work on improving their confidence and consistency before the sectional tournament.

“They need to work on their acceptance of if they have a bad shot and not letting it take control over their entire game,” Smith said.

Course management, which is being able to know where the ball should be aimed on a shot, is important to being successful at Harbour Trees Golf & Beach Club according to Smith. Sophomore Lilly McVay feels the sectional course presents one of the greatest challenges of the season.

“The sectional course is a difficult course because it is so tight,’’ McVay said. “There’s no room to make a mistake.”

McVay believes the team is in a good place in terms of being able to succeed heading into sectionals.

To get to the regional, the team needs to finish in the top three in the team sectional competition. That tournament will take place on Sept. 28 at Edgewood Golf Course. The team has one more match before the sectionals on Sept. 17 at Gray Eagle Golf Club & Academy in Fishers against Lawrence North.

1 1. During practice on Sept. 4 at Gray Eagle Golf Club & Academy driving range, sophomore Ellie Metzger lines up to take a swing. Photo by Ben Rosen 2. Sophomore Kaelyn Tai swings for distance at practice on Sept. 4 at Gray Eagle Golf Club & Academy driving range. Photo by Ben Rosen

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Sports A receiver sneaks past the corner on a passing play run at a practice on Sept. 5. Photo by Sam Syrus

5.

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Unified in play Flag football aims to grow bonds on and off field Nate Albin

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albinnat000@hsestudents.org

ports calendars all across the nation are highlighted by football. At FHS, however, there are two separate football teams both with the objectives of getting in shape, winning and building relationships. Of course, there is IHSAA football, but there is also Champions Together flag football.

The flag footballers get a different sort of opportunity. The sports’s objective is more than just getting the wins. Special needs students and nonspecial needs students play together.

“Champions Together combines social and physical aspects,” sophomore Sam Syrus said. “I’ve made a ton of friends while getting in shape at the same time.”

For the athletes, it is a different kind of commitment than the IHSAA. Two-a-days are trading for two practices a week. Shoulder pads and helmets do not exist, but instead each player has a belt of flags. They do not clobber the guy from the other team but rather yank off flags. It is more about getting fit and learning to work together.

“I like to be able to be active,” senior Evan Barker said. “And I am able to get a chance to get exercise play more sports because of it.”

The sport is an easy choice to join for many.

Athletes view the sport as a different sort of 3 experience than the IHSAA sports.

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“I joined because I have a special place in my heart and a passion for helping those with special needs feel accepted,” sophomore Kaelyn White said. “As an athlete, I have a passion for sports that I want them to play too.”

For athletes like White, they feel the same camaraderie from being a part of a school team as they do being a part of a Champions Together.

They also gain other benefits they cannot get from 1 IHSAA sports.

“To play with this team is just like playing with 2 team,” White said. “I love sharing any other school my love of sports with the special needs kids and seeing them grow.”

Socially, the athletes think the impact reaches far off the field; they believe the team builds special bonds that can only be made on the field while playing.

“I have gotten a lot because of the unique opportunities, physically and socially, from the playing together,” Syrus said. “I feel it is a great use of my time.”

Players know this means more than a game to everyone on the team. Regardless of whether or not they win or lose games to other schools’ programs, these players know they will walk away with more than improved fitness.

“I have made lots of friends from it,” Barker said. “It has changed my life.”

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Sept. 16, 2019

Heading to victory Boys, girls soccer face leadership differently Ben Hamilton hamilben000@hsestudents.org

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eam captains for soccer do not only lead their team onto the field but to victory as well. So, when it comes to picking a team captain, the choice can be difficult and there are a lot of ways of going about it, such as voting for or rotating captains.

Boys soccer

Boys varsity soccer coach Philip Schmidt does not think that captains should rotate.

“They’ve earned their position,” Schmidt said. “The captains put a lot of work into getting the position so I wouldn’t rotate them.”

According to Schmidt, the varsity captains, senior midfielder Reese May and senior defender Jacob Lawrence, had to write essays as an application.

They then read these at a soccer camp and their teammates voted for the applicants they felt should be the team captains.

“Even then it can be a difficult decision,” Schmidt said. “This year we had five applicants and they all would’ve done very well in the position.”

For JV, the newer players can gain important experience from leadership positions.

“JV and Silver tend to be younger and can benefit from the responsibility of team captain and so it does rotate,” Schmidt said.

As of September 9, the boys soccer team has a record of 5-2.

Girls soccer

Senior forward Lauryn Arnett smiles during warmups in a match against Zionsville on August 28. FHS won 3 -1.

Photo by Ella Haan.

On the girls soccer team, they have a different solution to fair leadership assignments.

“We change captains throughout the season,” girls varsity soccer coach Ben Beasley said. “We have so many great leaders on the team, it wouldn’t be fair to only recognize two.”

Beasley’s solution was to have more than two captains in the season but no more than that at any one time.

“I’m not really rotating them,” Beasley said. “It’s more of a way for players to be recognized for their hard work.”

Hard work is not the only requirement, though they are running 5-0-2 season as of Sept. 9.

“A lot of the time, leadership ability goes unnoticed by players because it’s so common,” Beasley said. “So most of the time, the choice falls on me to pick a captain, but occasionally they’ll recommend a captain.”

The players seem receptive to this as well. At the moment, senior forward Johanna Strueder and senior defender Ellen Stump are the captains, but that may change. According to Strueder, it is pushing the team to do their best and help each other out.

“Captaincy is more of a goal to strive towards than a reward for being good at the game,” Strueder said.

In their game against Mt. Vernon on Sept. 16, the girls team is looking to continue their streak of three home wins. The boys are also looking for a win in their game with Brownsburg on Sept.17.

Sports

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On Aug. 28, senior forward Cameron O’Connor (13), passes to junior midfielder Kevin Natzel (3), while senior defender Jacob Lawrence (18) looks on from the background. FHS beat Guerin Catholic 1-0. Photo by Elissa Mitchell.

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1. During the home game against Zionsville, sophomore Taylor Stone moves to kick the ball (9), while junior Abby Trent (19) covers. FHS beat Zionsville 3-1, on August 28. Photo by Ella Haan.

2. Coming to the defense of freshman forward and midfielder Noah Reinhart (7), junior forward Yuto Nakamae (10) moves in from behind. Victory against Guerin Catholic 1-0, on August 28.

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Sept. 16, 2019

Young players dominate Underclassmen compete more for varsity tennis Fletcher Haltom

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haltofle000@hsestudents.org

f the seven players on the boys varsity tennis team, six of them are underclassmen. Last year’s varsity team was led by five senior players, which left a substantial number of spots to fill. The team believes it will need its young players to perform at a high level in order to compete against more experienced teams.

Typically, a team that features six underclassmen would not be expected to be as competitive as teams that are led by upperclassmen. However, this team has a different mindset, and they are attempting to make up for the lack of experience by playing their best whenever they step onto the court. This effort has paid off, as the team’s record as of Sept. 9 is 5-1. including an invitational victory.

“You can just tell by the atmosphere - everybody is going 110% in practice, and you can tell that everybody is out there being competitive,” sophomore doubles player Nicholas Rasmusson said.

Rasmusson is one of the five sophomores on the varsity team, along with one freshman and one senior. He recognizes the potential issues that having such a young team could cause, but remains optimistic about their future.

“I think that inexperience might come into play during sectionals and regionals, but we just have to keep playing, and I think that will make us better in the future,” Rasmusson said.

The players see a bright future for this young team, in spite of potential challenges. Many of the best teams in the state feature rosters that are full of skillful upperclassmen. Carmel, which is currently ranked first in the state, features a team lead by four upperclassmen. However, the FHS team believes that they are well rounded and have many skilled players, despite their youth.

“I think we will have plenty of good players to go around, and we will be a much deeper team in the future,” sophomore doubles player Andrew Leonard said.

Senior singles player Owen McEldowney said that the team has definitely stepped up and taken leadership roles, which should benefit the team during sectionals and regionals. In order to compete on the varsity team, the underclassmen players have to be committed to practicing in order to improve their skills.

“A lot of the players have played during the summer and winter to get better,” McEldowney said.

The team’s attention is now focused on making it into sectionals, and they are hopeful that they will make it to regionals. Last year’s team made it to the regional finals before being knocked out by North Central.

“The biggest thing about having so many underclassmen on the team is that it allows for teams to underestimate us,” McEldowney said. “So we can come in and beat them and they won’t expect it.”

The next home match will be on Sept. 24 against Cathedral.

Sophomore Nathan Simkins reaches to hit the ball during a match against HSE on August 28. FHS won 3-2. Photo by Emma Nguyen

Sports

N the Red

The Luck runs out

Colts QB’s retirement serves as reminder of hard recoveries made by athletes Nate Albin

albinnat000@hsestudents.org

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lacerated kidney would likely make someone rethink ever doing that activity again. For a young professional athlete, he or she is expected to come back right away.

Former Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck battled a lacerated kidney, as well as six other major injuries, in a career that lasted only seven years. In a CBS Sports timeline of Luck’s injuries, one can see that right after one injury healed he faced another.

Still, despite many severe injuries that were publicly known for years, he was booed as he walked out of Lucas Oil Stadium and called a quitter by fans and professional analysts such as Doug Gottlieb on talk shows and over Twitter.

This player was a fan-favorite whose jersey was the team’s best seller all seven years and has his name all over the team’s records. And he was booed.

The disrespect toward Luck has been through the roof. Being an athlete that has gone through and come back from multiple injuries, being booed is probably the biggest slap-in-the-face possible.

Physical therapy is an insanely slow process. Athletes once used to competing at high levels suddenly begin progressing as slow as snails. An athlete has to relearn everything that made them elite in the first place. Physically, the most difficult part about therapy is that it actually is hard. You can no longer do the day-to-day activities of a sport that were once done naturally.

For example, when I was injured, it hurt to even walk. That was a major problem because I am a runner. I had to retrain my body to walk without pain before I could even dream of running again. Tasks such as raising my leg up a few inches became a difficult task in which each inch higher I lifted was celebrated. Between the physical therapy sessions were doctors appointments in which no one really knew for sure what was wrong. This was a cycle that for me lasted four to five months.

Then there is the mental aspect of coming back, which is arguably harder than the physical parts. The athlete will feel unathletic, begin to doubt himself and his abilities. On top of all this, an athlete is constantly watching teammates improve around and cannot do a thing about it. He or she wonders why she is even playing her sport. It is mentally exhausting.

For Andrew Luck, the fun was gone. He said it. He could not live the life he wanted anymore because of injuries that he sustained while trying to satisfy selfish fans. He is not the first athlete that has had to call it quits too soon due to injuries, nor will he be the last. One of the most recent examples of this comes from tennis. Even though he is attempting a comeback, three time major champion three time Olympic medalist Andy Murray announced his retirement from the sport in late 2018.

What is truly amazing is that Luck found time to play football in between all those injuries. Maybe a “Thank you for giving up clean health for a decade” is a bit more deserved than a “Boo.”

Andrew Luck gets sacked by Washington Redskins defender Preston Smith in a 21-9 win on Sept. 18, 2018. Photo used with permission of Wikimedia Commons

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Vape’s hidden scheme

Tobacco industry secretly uses vape pens to increase number of nicotine addicts John Yun

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Graphic by John Yun. Information from CDC

yunjoh000@hsestudents.org

ictures of ominous clouds of smoke drifting from teenagers’ mouths have filled social media. The similarity between these pictures is not only the smoke but also the small devices that teenagers grasp in each photo.

With health concerns about cigarettes, the tobacco industry has started to sell vape pens.

Claiming it as a safer alternative and a way to stop smokers’ addictions, the industry has pushed and promoted the vape pen. However, rather than reducing the number of people addicted to nicotine, this new device has become a roaring sensation amongst teens, increasing the amount of nicotine addicts. According to BBC, the number of vape pen users has increased from seven million in 2011 to 35 million in 2016.

Following the rise in popularity of the vape pen, Juul, many vaping devices have become widely used by teens, and other types of vaping devices have become common for illegal substances such as marijuana. This increase in popularity of vape pens seems to be part of the grand scheme of the tobacco industry: to increase cigarette users.

According to the Truth Initiative, 65% of youth in 2015 who used an e-cigarettes in the last 30 days also used another tobacco product in the same frame of time. Furthermore, young adults who use vape pens are four times more likely to start smoking cigarettes, according a study by the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences. This evidence shows that vaping is not only an alternate form of smoking for smokers but also a way for non-smokers to become addicted to cigarettes faster.

Because of the similarities to cigarettes, vape pens can influence users to move towards cigarettes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, many e-cigarettes users also smoke tobacco.

Because there is not much evidence supporting the fact that the vape pen is harmful, critics’ arguments seem to fall short of causing students to stop using their devices, allowing the tobacco industry to successfully create another generation of nicotine addicts.

Although the exact effects of vaping are unknown, more than 354 possible cases of

vaping-related lung illnesses have been under investigation in 29 states as of August 30, according to the Washington Post. Symptoms include difficulty breathing, shortness of breath and chest pain, coughing, fever, diarrhea and vomiting.

Seeing these effects, students should refrain from picking up the habits of using vape pens. Because there is not enough research, the long-term effects of these devices are unknown and potentially dangerous. Some of the products in vape juice could be consumable but not smokable.

Due to the increasing number of minors using vape pens, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been increasing restrictions on vape pens, issuing new regulatory requirements for these devices. However, this seems to be part of the plan of the tobacco industry.

With increasing restrictions on the purchasing of vape pens and pods, it seems natural that these minor nicotine addicts would move to cigarettes because they may be easier to obtain and to satisfy their need for nicotine. Therefore, the industry would be obtaining their goal of gaining capital from this new generation of smokers.

However, people should not fall for this scam.

The health risks of vape pens are still potent and could have life-crippling impacts. Vape pens are only advertised as a better alternative because tobacco companies are trying to get more people hooked on nicotine.

Students that use vape pens should seek out methods to help them stop their addiction. There are various methods such as nicotine patches and nicotine gum that will gradually ease them into lowering their dependence on nicotine. People should also not try picking up the habits of vaping as it could have extremely detrimental effects.

Already, over 25% of high schoolers are current vape pen users, and millions of kids are addicted to nicotine, according to Healthline. Due to this scheme, the tobacco industry has already created another generation of nicotine addicts. The world must increase awareness and restrict tobacco products so that gullible children may not become addicted to nicotine and have problems in the future.

Opinion

N the Red

Modern threat of white nationalism Emerging ideology threatens youth of America with a violent, hateful and dangerous belief structure Ben Grantonic

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grantben000@hsestudents.org

ver the summer, the Bloomington’s farmers extent. These young men are willing to die for this sense market shut down for two weeks. Schooner Creek of belonging, as made clear by events in El Paso and many Farm, a seller at the market, was accused of being other places across our nation. associated with white nationalist group Identity Evropa.

White nationalists have adopted the use of the Internet This shows us an uncomfortable truth: the rise of white as a recruiting platform. This includes YouTube videos, nationalism in America. webcomics and notably “edgy” memes.

White nationalism is a set of political thoughts that white On YouTube, there is a problem with white nationalists people are a singular race and that they must maintain a blending in with normal conservative style pundits. People white national identity via a white ethnostate, a hypothetical like Stefan Molyneux and the now banned Alex Jones make concept of a nation consisting of only one race. Though clickbait videos that draws in people to listen to their often in practice, white nationalists anti-semitic, racist and pro-white primarily advocate for limited nationalist conspiracy theories. This non-European immigration, allows them to radicalize young men holocaust denial and segregation. slowly and often without the victim This modern form of white realizing it. Though YouTube has nationalism has its origins in taken action recently by removing altmessage boards, most notably right and white nationalist creators.

4chan and 8chan, both There is also an entire community imageboards with little rules of alt-right webcomic “artists.” The which allow for the growth of community primarily centered these ideologies. On a 4chan post around one creator, Stonetoss, entitled “Fixing the Alt Right” whose comics promote anti-semitic posted on Aug. 13, 2017, it laid outWhite Nationalist protestors at the “Unite the right rally” conspiracy theories, homophobia, its doctrine of a gradual shifting on Aug. 12, 2017. Photo by Anthony Crider transphobia and all around abhorred of political acceptance to include beliefs. His friends are almost exactly their more radical beliefs. This the same, with varying quality of art (it creed is also very sneaky, hiding is mostly offensively bad). their “power levels” in an effort to make their beliefs more Memes have also played an important role in the palatable. popularization of this thought. Memes like FrenWorld, a White nationalists are not as fringe as they once where. now banned subreddit that used baby talk (yes, really) and They are increasing in prevalence in mainstream politics.

Pepe The Frog dressed as a clown to spread racist beliefs In the Midwest, we have such lovely groups as the American and anti semetic conspiracy theories. Other memes and Nazi Party, and, as mentioned earlier, Identity Evropa (now meme groups have been used to spread White Nationalist rebranded as the American Identity Movement). and adjacent ideologies.

They are also far more “professional” than racist groups White Nationalism is an ideology that is fueled by of the past. Your Richard Spencers are far more professional ignorance and vulnerability, so we must educate ourselves looking wearing suits and sporting a nice haircut compared and others to help stop its spread. We must reach out to to skinheads and Klan members. They act more like others when we see them falling into this trap and give them politicians than violent gangsters. This makes them much your kindness and educate them. more palatable to the average American conservatives, Also, white nationalism falsifies itself as patriotism, it especially young straight white men, whom they target with is not. Our greatest strength here in the U S of A is the their propaganda. diversity of our people. It is an important. if not the most According to the CIGNA U.S. Loneliness Index, Gen Z important element to our democracy. White Nationalism, is the loneliest generation, so it is logical that young people and ideologies like it, are unamerican and go against the are looking for a sense of belonging. These white nationalist fabric of our democracy. groups offer to fill that void, at least for straight white boys.

So, when you see somebody falling into the trap of White They are even self-described as “fraternities.” This ideology Nationalism, do the real American thing, and show them as a whole offers the idea of a “white race,” which, for some your kindness and understanding. young men, may also fill that need for belonging to a greater

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N the Red

New year, new rules Indiana Department of Education updates the graduation standards for the class of 2023, on; may be a good thing

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STAFF Editor-in-Chief: Ellie Albin Web/News Editor: John Yun Features Editor: Ben McHenry Arts & Culture Editor: Kriten Rummel Sports Editor: Nate Albin Assistant Web/News Editor: Ben Grantonic Social Media Editor/Unity Director: Rebekah Shultz Reporters Maria Galosi, Mason Gushwa-Williams, Fletcher Haltom, Ben Hamilton, Carter Hanefeld, Andrew Haughey, Ben Rosen, Sydney Territo, Lily Thomas, Emma Tomlinson Photographers Alex Craig, Ella Haan, Elissa Mitchell, Grace Vang Principal Jason Urban Adviser Kristine Brown Associations IHSPA CSPA NSPA Quill and Scroll Printer: AIM Media

igh school education has the potential to be more impactful than it has ever been.

That may seem to contradict the current environment, which is filled with AP courses, standardized tests, college admissions scandals and anxiety-ridden students. In fact, according to the American Psychological Association, students’ stress levels are so intense in the 21st century that it causes 35% of students to lie awake at night. It does not seem like a peaceful future lies ahead for 21st century students. But, there really is hope.

The new graduation requirements for the class of 2023 and on will hopefully change the sleep-deprived, sad and stressed students of today. We are not saying that the new requirements will instantly change the mental health of the 30% of students who, according to the APA, feel depressed because of their stress, but perhaps over time, it will.

The Indiana State Board of Education now requires the class of 2023 and on to have three items in order to graduate: a high school diploma, demonstration of employability skills and proof of post-secondary ready competencies, as seen on pages 10 and 11 While the last two may seem cryptic, they are actually easy to understand. Basically, Indiana wants kids to be ready for whatever they choose to do after high school.

The proof of post-secondary competencies portion of the requirements means students need to take and pass a test, such as the SAT or ACT (along with other options), receive an honors diploma or create a pathway to graduation that is approved by the school. However, the most intriguing aspect of the new graduation requirements is not the new flexibility with standardized testing; it is the demonstration of employability skills.

The employability requirement asks students to take on project-based learning, service-based learning or work-based learning. For example, working on the N the Red staff would be project-based learning. An example of work-based learning could be an internship, which is highly encouraged.

“Defining a 21st century education” by Craig D. Jerald for the Center of Public Education in America utilized a study from cognitive scientists that revealed that even in the age of technology and the Internet, which gives instant answers, students still need to have a broad understanding of the world around them, which is something that cannot just be learned through high reading comprehension abilities. For example, one of the scientists’ studies compared a group of poor readers who were knowledgeable about baseball and a group of good readers who knew little about baseball. The kids who typically struggled in reading comprehended the text about baseball better than the kids who were considered good readers, demonstrating the value of real-world experience compared to simply relying on reading ability.

This study reveals that students cannot just sit in classrooms, read textbooks and explore the Internet for answers, even if they have a high comprehension for information. Real-world experiences, such as internships, are valuable and prepare students for post-high school opportunities.

All-in-all, of course, the new requirements might fail. Students are already complaining about it in the hallways. However, this change still has the potential to become more beneficial for students of different skills and passions.

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A few final thoughts...

While the new graduation requirements have the best intentions at heart, they fail to achieve what students need: a less stressful school environment.

Now, I do like the idea of showing employable skills, but I feel like forcing college readiness on students will just continue to put people in college who don’t need to be there. The school should continue to prepare students for employment, but also realize that not every graduate needs to go get a higher education. -Ben Grantonic, Assitant Web/News Editor

EDITORIAL QUESTION Do you believe the new graduation requirements will better prepare students for their post-high school plans than the old requirements?

The new requirements for graduating requires students to be more responsible and independent with their school work. Overall, it is more helpful. Students will now be required to have internships and more handson activities which will prepare the students for the “real world” more than standardized tests will. I have had teachers tell me that some of the things we learn in their classroom we will never use in the world after the class. I believe that with this new graduation requirement, schools are acknowledging this problem as well, and trying to help the students adapt to the “real world” so it will be a smoother transition. -Rebekah Shultz, Social Media Editor/ Unity Director Aggressively Organic might be the gateway to more project-based learning opportunities as the new graduation requirements are now in place for all classes starting with the class of 2023. Photo by Lily Thomas.

EDITORIAL POLICY

MISSION STATEMENT

Tiger Topics N the RED is the official monthly newsmagazine of Fishers High School. It is distributed free to 3,600 students and over 300 school personnel. It is designed, written and edited by students.

Opinions expressed in the newsmagazine do not necessarily represent those of the adviser, administration or staff.

Letters to the editor may be submitted to A218. Letters must contain the writer’s phone number for verification. Letters to the editor will not be published anonymously.

If there is any incorrect information, corrections will be made in the next issue.

As the student-run newsmagazine of FHS, Tiger Topics N the Red is dedicated to providing the staff,students and community of FHS with a timely, entertaining and factual publication once a month by means of public forum. In publishing articles that students enjoy reading, we are furthering both the educational experience and the expansion of FHS culture. The staff works to create a sense of unity and awareness and to allow the students of FHS to have a better insight to the world around them.

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N the Red

Sept. 16, 2019

ISSUE REVIEW TWEET US YOUR ANSWERS FOR A CHANCE AT A PRIZE

1.How many students use the shuttle bus?

2.How much water does one head of lettuce in a micro pod need?

3.Students, starting from the class of 2023, must now demonstrate what skill in order to graduate?

4.For how many years will the solar panels at SCI operate?

5.How many sophmores are on the boys varsity tennis team?

6.What position in soccer does Reese May play?

7.When is the girls golf team’s sectional in September?

8.What is one of the responsibilites of being a VSCO girl?

9.What YouTuber is promoting Minecraft?

10.What day of September is the homecoming football game in September?

11.What is one home item you can use for eco-friendly gardening?

12.What is the spring musical?

13.What is the school resource officer’s late name?