Volume 17, Issue 6

TIGER TIMES

Rising up to the occasion

Senior volleyball player Jackson Stockton volleys the ball to Franklin Central’s team during the match on March 13 at FHS.

Photo by Veda Thangudu.

Tiger Times Staff

Editorial Board

Reporters

Malak Samara Editor-in-Chief/News Editor

Lainey Akins

Alex Duer

Madelyn Lerew Online Editor

Emerson Elledge Copy Editor

Veda Thangudu Features Editor

Katrell Readus Opinion Editor

Mia Brant

Preston J. Collins

David Jacobs

Sophia Krueger

Lizzie Payne

Avery Roe

Ameera Tai

Rosie Towler Unity Director

Evie Briar

Kindell Readus

Jakob Polly Assistant Online Editor

Indiana’s own ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill

House bill 1608 is a bill that was referred to the Senate on Feb. 24, passing the House of Representatives. e bill has been nicknamed ‘Indiana’s Don’t Say Gay bill’ as it has been compared to Florida’s recently passed bill, House Bill 1557, which prohibits the conversation of sexual orientation in school.

“ is bill is targeting the LGBTQ+ community, but I feel like it’s speci cally the youth,” senior Silas Cloud-Tozer said. “Another audience would be teachers, who are part of the community and teach in elementary school speci cally.”

Two chapters of HB 1608 gained the most controversy on many media outlets: chapters 14 and 17. Chapter 14 mentions the use of preferred names and pronouns and chapter 17 mentions the banning of the instruction of sexual orientation in classes from kindergarten to third grade.

“I feel like it will make a lot of teachers feel either unsafe or it will make them feel as if they’re not able to kind of keep a good environment for their students,” Could-Tozer said. “Because a lot of teachers provide themselves with real-life examples, they’ll say something like, ‘my husband and I over break.’ While in this case, what are they supposed to do? Just ignoring their family and school and keeping it strictly professional while all of the heterosexual teachers get to talk about their families. I feel like it will make

House Bill 1608 joins conversation about bills like it across the country

Rosie Towler towleros000@hsestudents.org

school seem almost more professional than an elementary school should be.”

To expand, in chapter 17, the bill says that teachers in grades kindergarten through third grade cannot receive instruction on sexual orientation. Yet, it does allow the teacher to answer questions from students regarding sexual orientation.

“A lot of FHS students have families that are LGBTQ+ and they are not able to express it,” Cloud-Tozer said. “It’ll make them feel more secluded and separated from the group and almost ashamed to have the family that they have.”

In chapter 14, the bill introduces that a teacher shouldn’t refer to a student with a di erent name than what is on their school records. Unless the student is an emancipated minor or the parent of the student has noti ed the school of their preferred name at the beginning of the year, the use of the student’s name on school records is highly encouraged. Although, the bill also states a teacher may not get punished for using the student’s preferred name.

“ e goal of House Bill 1608 is to empower Hoosier parents by reinforcing that they’re in the driver’s seat when it comes to introducing sensitive topics to their children,” republican Rep. Michelle Davis said in an interview with WTHV.

However, many parents in

Indiana believe it is a step in the right direction for Indiana schools. Parent involvement in education was also a big topic in school board committee campaigns for elections last fall. Two of Hamilton Southeastern school board members Dr. Juanita Albright and Ben Orr, when running for school board, shared their belief in the need for parent participation in school decisions.

“If a student questions their gender identity to a teacher the best answer is, you can talk to your parents,” Micah Clark, an executive director of the Indiana Family Association, says in an interview with WTHR.

is bill is one of just many bills from di erent states ghting to be passed across the country. States like Missouri, Tennessee, Oklahoma and Kansas are just some of the many across America.

“ ey say it’s to protect the youth,” Cloud-Tozer said. “But it’s more [that] they want to enforce the youth to see this certain thing as like right versus wrong and children are very easy to convince of that because they believe everything adults say, so it’s easier.”

Missouri’s Senate bill 134 (SB 134), also called the Vulnerable Child Compassion and Protection Act, prohibits the withholding of information regarding a student’s gender identity from the student’s

parent. It requires a school o cial to inform a student’s parent within 24 hours if the student expresses confusion about their gender identity or requests to use personal pronouns that di er from their sex as registered by their parent during enrollment.

“I think what the intent is [that] we don’t want teachers to actively participate in trying to change what the parents want that child to be or actively participate in that or indoctrinate either way,” Missouri’s State Senator and chairman of the committee Andrew Koenig said.

Georgia plans to pass House Bill 800 which targets the promotion of textbooks and instructional materials or supplemental instructional materials that promote, normalize, support or address lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender issues or lifestyles in public schools.

“We are not here trying to shut down any conversation,” Tom Rawlings, a child welfare attorney assisting Cordele Republican Sen. Carden Summers with the bill, said. “We’re not trying to limit. What we are trying to do is make sure that for private institutions parents who sign up to send their child to a private school can, if they’re going to talk about gender identity, if they’re going to have a curriculum or instruction in gender identity, then they just need to tell the parents, to get their buy-in.”

Sweeping away absences

New TI policy cracks down on late attendence

Ameera Tai taiame000@hsestudents.org

Beginning in February, FHS implemented a new ‘tardy sweep’ initiative, aiming to improve attendance for students during targeted instruction (TI).

e installment of these sweeps began as an extension of the 2022-2023 school-wide goal of ‘attend to achieve.’ According to vice principal Kyle Goodwin, FHS drew inspiration from Avon High School and North Central High School, as they have utilized this practice as a means of improving attendance within their schools.

“We began tardy sweeps to help encourage students to report promptly to their teachers’ classrooms for Targeted Instruction,” Goodwin said.

“Additionally, students who are not working with a teacher during this time are supposed to report to the cafeterias for independent or group work time.”

Tardy sweeps occur during randomly selected TI periods, when an announcement is made to inform students the tardy sweep will begin. Following

the announcement, all teachers shut their doors and place a sign detailing the instructions of the sweep. en, school administrators begin the ‘sweep’ and ask any students found in the hallways to report to D104. Students sent to D104 are disciplined in accordance with the absence or tardy policy procedure. As the policy is progressive, consequences depend on the number of previous tardies a student has, meaning students can receive a one or two hour detention for being caught during a tardy sweep.

“Our dean’s o ce is leading this e ort, as attendance falls under their purview,” Goodwin said. “But all teachers have been informed of the process and are working to support the practice.”

In addition to improving attendance for TI classes, tardy sweeps were implemented to ensure all students are accounted for and in the proper place.

Sophomore Caroline Jessup believes it can be di cult to keep track of the students not requested by a teacher who

decided to stay in the building to study. So, tardy sweeps allow for the hallways to stay clear.

“I feel like it works [to get students] to their classes on time so [they] aren’t chilling in areas where they’re not supposed to be,” Jessup said.

However, some students such as junior Erin Lehman believe the initiative is not e cient at driving down tardies and is potentially harmful to students trying to work in less crowded and noisy spaces. Spaces such as those in the H-hallway can o er an area for students looking to work.

Additionally, Lehman believes if students were attempting to skip their requested TI class, they wouldn’t be in the hallway waiting to be found by administrators, and instead leave the school.

“I just feel like people are congregated in the CCA and cafe areas and it’s super loud,” Lehman said. “I think that it’s not a punishable o ense to be out in the hallway studying or doing your own thing if you’re not misbehaving.”

Infographic by Ameera Tai.

‘Attend 2 Achieve’ sign placed on door for tardy sweep. The deans ‘sweep’ the halls during randomly selected Targed Instruction periods. Photo by Ameera Tai.

sweep

A curriculum for teachers

n Feb. 14, House Bill 1177 was passed by the Indiana House.

According to the Indiana General Assembly, the bill would create a state-funded rearm training curriculum for teachers, school sta and employees to voluntarily participate in. However, school districts still decide their own policy on rearms being carried within the building, according to Indiana law.

e bill has sparked debate about the necessity of rearms within school walls, and freshman Madelyn Hurst disagrees with the attempt to create a safer environment.

“I don’t think that anyone in a school needs to be carrying around a gun,” said Hurst. “If we really need protection, then maybe carry a taser as an o cer inside of a school, but schools with children just trying to learn…it shouldn’t be required that guns are in the building.”

According to WISH-TV, participants in the program would undergo a psychological evaluation and receive about 40 hours of instruction on rearm use and safety; but to senior Sophia Ready, no number of

hours may be enough.

“I don’t know, because I’ve never operated a gun before myself,” Ready said. “It does seem a little bit on the low side, because again, these teachers have a rearm in a classroom with a bunch of kids. en, to be put into a scenario of whatifs, there’s an in nite number of what-ifs and you can’t be trained for all of them.”

e program would include training on active shooter situations according to Bill Sponsor Representative Jim Lucas of Seymour. However, junior Adam Huynh says that the intensity of the moment may be too strong to overcome.

“Even if [teachers] are [welltrained on using a rearm], they’re not used to the adrenaline rush that comes with a school shooting event,” Huynh said. “ ey could get scared and not know what to do.”

ere are many other methods of self-defense that are routinely taught in the world today. Huynh suggests incorporating one that only involves the participant.

“Have teachers take combat courses, like Martial Arts, or

anything else that doesn’t include a rearm, so they know what it’s like to be in that stressful situation,” Huynh said.

Hurst, Ready and Huynh all say they understand the perspective of those who want to bring this method of defense into schools, and that it all comes from a place of wanting to protect students. However, they have reservations on the e ectiveness of this proposed solution to school gun violence.

“I could see the other side of it,” Hurst said. “You’re thinking,‘hey, people are coming in and trying to hurt us. Why not just hurt them back?’”

e bill moves to the Indiana Senate on its next stop as part of the lengthy process that is making a bill into law. Hurst states that although she is no expert in the legal process, she believes the bill will make it through the General Assembly, but that it will not x anything.

“I think someone once said an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind, and that’s kind of what we’re doing,” Hurst said.

”Adding onto the problem isn’t going to make the problem go away.”

Sophia Krueger kruegsop000@hsestudents.org

House Bill 1177 moves on to the Indiana Senate

Look out up ahead!

Unidenti ed ying objects cause privacy, safety concerns

Madelyn Lerew lerewmad000@hsestudents.org

In early February 2023, three unidenti ed ying objects were shot down by the U.S. and Canadian governments. According to the New York Times, as of Feb. 17, the search for the remains of these objects has been called o . In a statement from White House spokesperson John Kirby, it was stated that the intelligence community believes that the objects were most likely benign or commercial. Senior Ben Hyland trusts that the U.S. government has acted accordingly, following this string of events.

“Put it this way, it’s kind of the whole thing where the government knows what they’re doing,” Hyland said. “ ey had a reason to shoot it down and I don’t doubt that. It wasn’t inappropriate.”

According to the New York Times, the U.S. government put fewer resources toward recovering the three unidenti ed ying objects as compared to the recovery of the Chinese spy balloon that was shot down on Feb. 4, o the coast of South Carolina. e search was called o due to extreme weather conditions and restricted movement of ships in Lake Huron, where one of the objects was shot down. Some, like freshman Philip Zinc, believe that this was a justi ed response to the situation.

“I feel like it’s probably justi ed at this point because if we haven’t found them yet, they’re probably not of use anymore and it would be a waste of resources,” Zinc said.

Others have concluded that ending this search could be detrimental to the national

security of our country. Junior Saanvi Ibrahimpatnam agrees with this, especially as it relates to the possibility of these objects being controlled by foreign countries.

“I think [stopping the search] is counterproductive just because looking at national defense, this is something that we aren’t surprised about,” Ibrahimpatnam said. “China has its own [technology]. So I don’t [think we should] mitigate our search for it because we could do so much with it. We’ve already had past establishments that have looked into foreign involvement, so why are we stopping?”

e three shot-down objects are all following the aforementioned Chinese surveillance balloon being shot down. is puts four di erent objects all being shot down within a tight timeline.

“As much as I would love to believe it’s [alien] UFOs or something, I just think it’s a coincidence,” Zinc said. “If you have something that gets shot down, then you see other things. If you’re already on alert, for national security purposes, you’re gonna be a little bit more careful.”

Others do not believe that the timing between these instances is completely random. Senior Micah Young nds the tight timeline speci cally strange.

“ e timing [of these new objects being shot down] just shows other nations are trying to get into U.S. airspace,” Young said. “ ey’re shot down at similar times because [the] Chinese government’s trying to make a move in the U.S.”

Ibrahimpatnam has a unique

insight as it relates to the potential of more than one of these ying objects being of Chinese origin. She has a paid internship with Pierce Aerospace, a drone company, which has contracts and experience with the U.S. Navy, army and air force. Her work with this company has allowed her to specialize and learn more about the Chinese constitution speci cally as it relates to aerial and surveillance technology. She does not fully believe reports that the newly shot-down objects are benign research balloons.

“Chinese policy has been so secretive in the past 20 years, and working with drones, working with Pierce Aerospace, I had to familiarize myself with their constitution,” Ibrahimpatnam said. “ ere’s a lot of loopholes [in the Chinese constitution], so I don’t know if there were research balloons, but I think they could be more than research balloons.”

Due to Ibrahimpatnam’s studies of the Chinese constitution, she believes that the objects are more than what meets the eye.

“In article seven of China’s constitution, immigrants or people who come to the U.S. [are] legally obligated to report back to them,” Ibrahimpatnam said. “ ey do technically have research, [for example] there’s this student program, it’s a thousand students and they send them internationally. If they work in a lab, they have to legally report back, or their family is threatened. So they have a lot of research initiatives, [and] they are pretty shady right now. So, I think it’s more than research balloons because they already have a good amount of research.”

With the presence of all this new

ying technology being brought to light, it poses the question of safety in U.S. airspace. is is also tied to the regulation and advancement of surveillance technology.

“I have a ton of con dence in new surveillance technology because I know the agencies and department heads are doing their best [to] keep U.S. airspace safe,” Young said.

Other students, like Hyland, also believe that the U.S. is doing a good job in regulating its airspace. He believes that these objects getting through were an issue with the parameters that were being used to search.

“I believe [U.S. airspace] is being properly regulated,” Hyland said. “It’s just that they were looking for fast-moving objects, they’re not looking for something moving at 20 miles an hour.”

Ibrahimpatnam disagrees with the opinions of Hyland and Young, due to her di ering perspective on surveillance and drone technology. She does not believe regulation is being neglected, but rather that there are improvements that can be made.

“Right now, our company is working to put more regulations, so no [it is not being properly regulated],” Ibrahimpatnam said. “ ere are a lot of loopholes with current amendments, however, it is getting better. ere’s an amendment where you have to register drones, if you’re working with a company, with remote-ID. We [Pierce Airspace] do remoteid, which is [the] identi cation of drones.”

When talking about the regulation of airspace, other topics that can be brought up are related to how this a ects the privacy of citizens. Not only are there privacy concerns faced when dealing with technology like drones, but there is also

worry when it comes to satellites and internet data collection.

“Individual privacy has been decaying for a long time,” science teacher Mike Hartley said. “Who owns the rights to data? I am thankful for tracking when I walk into Jimmy Johns and a BOGO coupon pops up on my phone because who doesn’t love a free sandwich to give to a friend? But when I want to take my [wife] on a Hawaiian vacation, I don’t want the idea popping up on her Metaverse.”

ere is little to no protocol on what is allowed to be put into space and by who. Private companies are able to launch satellites into space in order to serve a number of di erent purposes. e unregulated nature of this space can cause worries about how this could a ect individual privacy.

“It’s a Pandora’s box,” Zinc said. “We’ve already started using satellites to spy on people and really all the satellites we have in orbit could get a su cient amount of intelligence on something we wanted it to. It could a ect privacy negatively, and it de nitely has a potential to, it just depends on how private and government agencies decide to use it.”

Not only do concerns come up about individual privacy, but the safety of developing countries allows for the opening of a new can of worms. ese nations do not have the

resources to expand their surveillance and satellite technology, which can leave them vulnerable to more developed nations with more advanced technology.

“A lot of the smaller countries don’t have access or the resources for aviation,” Ibrahimpatnam said. “Right now, I would say the U.S. is one of the biggest leaders in aviation, and we’ve been able to expand to markets like Europe and India. Because we’re a big player, we’re able to manipulate a lot of the policies to only bene t us, and we don’t really think about the international aspect of them. ere is consideration because of the market, but when looking at smaller countries that want to include more aviation to their technology, I think it’s harmful.” From small-scale ying objects, like drones, all the way to larger-scale satellites in space, new technology can present privacy concerns. New surveillance can create worry for students as it continues to develop and evolve.

Chinese high-altitude surveillance balloon shot down o the coast of South Carolina on Feb. 4.

Unidenti ed ying object shot down over Lake Huron on Feb. 12. Information from the New York Times, ABC News and the Department of Defense.

Cohesion and clarity

Fishers Concert World Percussion comes together towards common goal

Alex Duer duerale000@hsestudents.org

Once the marching band season ends, members of the band program split from their ranks of over 200 into smaller ensemble groups throughout the winter. For the percussion section, the turn of the new year marks the start of the winter percussion season. In order to maintain their recent success, the concert world group practices both in and a er school.

“We have a percussion class that rehearses every rst period in the band room,” sophomore Aaron Burger said. “And we rehearse a er school on ursdays [for] about three hours.”

Unlike the marching band, which competes under the association of Bands of America, Fishers indoor percussion competes under Winter Guard International (WGI), who administrates indoor percussion and indoor guard nationally at the scholastic level.

“ e scholastic concert world group for percussion is almost like a giant front ensemble,” Burger said. “We compete in our own division at WGI, which is basically marching band but just

percussion.”

is year’s show theme revolves around the idea of tension and release, both musically and through life. Sophomore Ethan Saucedo explained how the music uctuates at times.

“[ e music is] chill and relaxed, but in a crazy way,” Saucedo said. “You will notice throughout that there is a lot of build up musically just to dive right back down.”

From the ensemble perspective, junior Marvin Orr explained how the show’s theme connects to their approach.

“It is nice to see how we have to come together and have ensemble awareness,” Orr said. “[In order] to not [only] build up tension, but [to] release that tension and play well together.”

Besides group cohesion, unique show design and instrumentation have been a staple of the group in recent years. Saucedo believes the show’s unpredictability boosts the overall emotion created.

“You never know what is

elements, but not necessarily normal drum elements. It is not just about hitting drums, it is us telling a story and creating emotion with drums.”

According to Saucedo, coming together is also an attribute of the group’s rehearsal plan.

“What I love about the activity is how sometimes we start rehearsal in di erent sections,” Saucedo said. “[We] dig into every little note and section we can so it is perfect when the group comes together. e feeling of it all slowly building and coming together is great.”

As the group approaches the thick of the season, the group will attempt to defend their state and national titles. It may sound stressful, but between hustle, teamwork and connection, Saucedo believes indoor percussion has been a positive, fun- lled experience.

“My experience over these last two years has been great,” Saucedo said. “ ere is always something to look forward to, and when we complete a movement or do well at a show, we know the hard work

Junior Marvin Orr, and senior Matt Johnston mute their chimes while seniors lizzy Hansen and Bert Quay wait to play during a competition at Noblesville High School on Feb. 25.

Photo used with permission of Matt Johnston.

Many hands make light work

Fishers Winter Guard members highlight the importance of cooperation and hard work

Evie Briar briareve000@hsestudents.org

Students practice for hours at a time, several days a week trying to perfectly nail each spin of a flag, rifle or saber. They work day in and day out with their friends to get as prepared as possible for competition, the one nerve-wracking chance to perform as well as they can while relying on around 27 to 30 other people to do their best. All of this happens whilst being scored and commented on by a panel of judges and a fully immersed crowd. All of this is standard practice for Fishers’ winter guard. According to some guard members, all of that hard work pays off because of the teamwork, thrill of competition and excitement of watching others.

“It’s very fun, it’s very exciting and it’s very supportive because everyone just yells, all the time about everything,” freshman Emma Wieseke, a member of A Guard said. “Last year when we were at state, the World Guard cheered us on so much, so loudly too. They’re so supportive of everyone.”

Many guard members like Wieseke highlight how many close friendships can be made. Teamwork and comradery are integral parts of performing. A member has to remain in sync and aware of their surroundings. This close teamwork is a keystone for memorable experiences.

“It’s so much fun, especially watching other guards,” World Guard member sophomore Zoey Keys said. “It’s magical sometimes. When you’re all in a room with friends that you love–that you hang out with all the

Keys has been in guard since the second semester of seventh grade. While guard can leave her exhausted at times, especially after long competition days, she finds it incredibly fulfilling and enjoyable. World guard practices three times a week, four hours each day with competitions on Saturdays. That can, at times, make balancing school work and practice difficult during the winter guard season.

“At times it’s really hard, you just have to have good time management skills,” Keys said. “We use Sundays [for homework] often, and we do have Tuesdays and Wednesdays off. You just have to find the balance, it’s not always easy but you get used to it.”

The amount of commitment put into balancing work and practicing hard has given members the impression that guard doesn’t get the kudos it deserves. Junior Payton Owens, a member of A Guard said that joining guard made him really realize how much work and time

“I know that a lot of people don’t give guard enough credit,” Owens said. “I marched trumpet for three years in marching band and people were always like ‘oh it’s just the guard’, but as soon as I joined I saw how much effort they put in and they deserve a lot more credit than what they get.”

World guard has already performed eight times this season and have their Winter Guard International (WGI) regional competition March 25 and 26. Coming up after that, they have WGI world championships April 13-16. A Guard has already performed eight times this season. Many guard members expressed that they are looking forward to finishing up this season.

“I really love guard,” Keys said. “You meet incredible people, and it’s so much fun when you nail a toss that you’ve been working towards. Overall it’s a great experience.”

1. Sophomores Emily Koorsen and Zoey Keys practice rifle choreography at rehearsal on March

2. Photo by Cici Davidson. 2. Senior Kinly Daughtery and junior Maureen Clarke embrace before A Guard’s state semi-finals performance on March 11. Photo by Madelyn Lerew. 3. Freshman Natalie Hatton dances with a silk during A Guard’s state semifinals performance on March 11. Photo by Madelyn Lerew.

Climbing up the ladder

Freshman prepare for leadership within show choir

Veda Thangudu thangved000@hsestudents.org

Show choir is a large commitment, with members of both advanced choirs participating in varying 3-hour practices on Tuesdays and Thursdays, some not wrapping up until 9 p.m. Being a part of the advanced choirs, students are required to practice every Tuesday and Thursday after school, along with several Saturdays throughout the season that must be dedicated to competitions.

There are two advanced groups: Sound, the women’s choir, and Electrum, the mixed choir. The directors for both are Tess Tazioli and Ben St. John, respectively.

When incoming freshmen apply to be in the choirs, they have to go through various steps to get accepted. The application includes a paper application, a vocal audition, pitch matching, a dance audition and a sight reading section.

“The hardest part was the dance audition,” freshman Sound member Sophia Phlipot said. “Not because of the difficulty of it, but remembering it and then having to do it in front of your possible directors and a bunch of people.”

Freshman Sam VanSelow is a part of the mixed advanced choir, Electrum. For him, the process of getting into the group was nerve-racking.

“I had seen their past performances and knew that they could put on really amazing performances,” VanSelow said.

Tazioli offers tips on how students can prepare for the audition. She believes that

practicing in front of friends and family before the audition can help reduce stress as students perform in front of the directors for the first time. Along with that, she thinks it is important to record the piece, go through it and make changes to make the performance better.

“Song selection is huge for the audition process,” Tazioli said. “So make sure that you’re picking something that really shows off your range. Most of the junior high choir directors are definitely willing to give their feedback and advice. That’s something that I think would be really smart for all eighth graders to do.”

She also puts an emphasis on the importance of expressions, since that is a performer’s most important aspect while performing. Tazioli believes that the pitch-matching portion holds more value than the vocal audition.

“We play three notes and then you have to sing them back to us,” Tazioli said. “Matching pitch is just definitely an expectation if you’re going to be in advanced choir or intermediate choir.”

Tazioli also points out that when students are put into a choir they did not audition for, the directors make that decision based on the skill set of the individual, and where they think the student, and the choir will benefit the most.

“Going into your freshman year, if you’re striving for a certain choir and you get into a different one, know that where we put you is where we feel like you’re going to be able to thrive, learn and absorb the most and

where your musicianship lines up,” Tazioli said.

With the show choirs having high standards, the class is dominated by upperclassmen, although there are underclassmen in both. Even though the class primarily consists of upperclassmen, both Phlipot and VanSelow have felt included in the group since the beginning.

“When I first met everyone it felt almost immediately as if I had known them all my life because they were all very inviting and welcoming with open arms,” VanSelow said.

Although the group is inclusive, Phlipot believes it can be scary at first, since it is a new school and new group, especially for freshmen.

“I can’t really speak up if something needs to be corrected, I can’t correct anybody because I’m not a leader and I’m not upperclassman,” Phlipot said. “There’s sometimes where it’s like, ‘Oh my gosh, I know that’s wrong and I could correct it because I have the resources to do so,’ but it would be kind of out of line for me to correct somebody else, especially if I’m not on the leadership team.”

Phlipot also points out that it can be difficult for freshmen in terms of time commitment as well. Most teachers urge freshmen to take part in a number of extracurriculars and clubs to be more involved in the school. But with the time students have to put into choir, Phlipot said it can be a challenge to take part in other activities.

“There’s so many different

clubs and different things that you want to try, but you can’t do everything,” Phlipot said. “Personally, I had to give up doing Winter Guard to do show choir. Everything works out in the end, obviously, but it’s hard when there’s some things that you could be missing out on or friends that you won’t really be able to see. But it’s really rewarding and I really enjoy it.”

According toTazioli, the hardest aspect for freshmen in show choir is adjusting to the musicianship.

“The musicianship is definitely college level, especially concert choir literature that we do is all college-level literature,” Tazioli said.

New Sound members will swing for at least one number in the show. That means they will not take part in one of the sections. Tazioli explained that the reason behind it is to ensure the newcomers are acclimated to running the whole show. She believed it takes a lot of experience to push through the 20 minutes.

“This is a good stepping stone for anyone who’s new to have one less number that they’re on

stage for, but also at any given moment they could have to fill in,” Tazioli said.

Freshmen in show choir also have the advantage of more years of practice, more time spent with the group and directors, which in turn will help them in the future. VanSelow believes that it will specifically aid in learning new music and choreography, and strengthening bonds with members.

“Starting out as a freshman you get to learn so much because you’re in it for four years,” Phlipot said. “More opportunities open for you when you’re an upperclassman and you’ve been in it for four years. There’s a better chance [you get leadership positions] because you already know [a lot]. I’m really looking forward to leadership.”

As freshmen themselves, both VanSelow and Phlipot have advice to offer.

“For any incoming freshman, the key to being successful and enjoying show choir is to make as many friends as possible,” VanSelow said. “By having many friends, rehearsals and competitions will be so much

friends will be able to help you hone your skills as a performer.”

Phlipot recalled the beginning of her show choir experience, when she was scared and shy to speak up. She was afraid to ask questions, but later became more comfortable within the group.

“Ask questions because it will just make everything so much easier,” Phlipot said. “No one’s making fun of you. Someone else is probably wondering the same thing.”

She also advised that students need to step out of their comfort zone while being in an advanced choir.

“You’ll be like, ‘Wow, this is crazy, why are we doing this?’” Phlipot said. “ But you’re going to gain so much confidence.”

Both VanSelow and Phlipot express their gratitude for being a part of show choir. Phlipot further reflects on how powerful it feels to be in Sound.

“Being part of Sound is so cool because it’s a women’s group and you don’t really find many groups of just all women who are there to support you and like all wanting the same thing. It’s just so empowering,” Phlipot said.

Freshman Electrum member Max Pennington rehearses on March 9 for the competition hosted at Brownsburg High School on March 11. They placed third runner up. Photo by Veda Thangudu.

Freshman Sound member Sophia Phlipot stands on stage as she rehearses on March 16 for the competition hosted at Pike High School on March 18. Photo by Emerson Elledge.

Junior Ava Haan took Introduction to 3D Art their sophomore year, followed by Sculpture their junior year and is scheduled for AP 3D Art senior year.

Sculpture is a semester long class and Haan said they had a lot of fun in it. They made a point of the very close teacherstudent relationship that occurs within the class with teacher Jasmine Osborne.

“Most of us just call her Os,” Haan said. “She tries to work individually with everyone, helping us execute our ideas in the best way possible. She’s a really great teacher.”

One of Haan’s favorite parts of the class was getting the opportunity to use a wide range of mediums, along with how hands-on the class is because of the need to use their hands more often than tools.

“We [used] clay, different versions of paper mache, we carved stones,” Haan said. “It was all very different. There was a lot of variety and I really liked that.”

Haan’s advice is to keep on top of the work assigned, and make sure the projects are completed in time.

“Don’t spend a class period messing around or something because you’re going to fall

Favored courses

Students feature different classes

Veda Thangudu thangved000@hsestudents.org

FHS offers a wide variety of courses for students to take, from an introduction to the advanced level in subjects all across the board, such as photography, agriculture, physics and math. This allows for students to take courses in the subject they like and develop a deeper interest. Around this time of year, students meet with their guidance counselors to schedule the classes they want to take next year.

Fishers has 37 choices for students to choose from the English/language arts department to fulfill their English credit requirement.

behind,” they said. “Even though she’s a great teacher, she will put it in as a zero.”

For Haan, one of the most difficult projects of the class was a creepy baby project, where students had to use molds to create their own creepy baby doll. According to Haan, they took a less creepy approach, with a three doll silhouette.

“The hardest part was being able to get the clay to be thick enough to stick together, but thin enough that it won’t explode when you put it in the kiln,” Haan said.

Although they said it was one the hardest, they also had fun doing it.

Like art in general, persistence is the key to improvement. For the creepy baby project, Haan had to try multiple times to achieve the goal.

“Just try, try again [to succeed],” Haan said. “I had to do three separate body molds and I ended up doing each one at least twice. By the end, they turned out perfectly the second time. You just have to keep trying and that’s the most important part.”

Haan highly recommends that students take both classes: Introduction to 3D Art and Sculpture.

Senior Madeline Drook’s favorite class was AP Literature. She took it her junior year and her teacher was Shanna McCabe.

“All of the books were just so interesting,” Drook said. “Especially ‘Kite Runner’ and ‘Hamlet,’ I think that those are both so incredible. You can learn something from them.”

She also addresses how intimidating the class sounds, especially when underclassmen schedule to take it the next year. “Once you get into the groove of it, it’s not as bad as you think it’ll be,” Drook said.

Sophomore Ava Jackson’s favorite class is English 10, and her teacher is Samuel Vorhees.

“Mr. Vorhees just always engages the class and makes it super fun,” Jackson said.

This year, English 10 has adopted a new College Board curriculum, preAP English 1.

She emphasizes that the work is not hard for her in the class, but includes a number of fun elements incorporated in it, such as team games.

Along with suggesting students to do their best, Jackson advises students to walk into the class with a nice attitude.

“He will actually help you,” Jackson said. “He is a really kind teacher, so if you just give a positive and nice attitude back, then he will do the same.”

Junior Ava Haan’s creepy baby project for their Sculpture class. Photo used with permission of Ava Haan.

Anatomy and physiology is one of 49 science classes FHS offers for students. The fall semester covers Anatomy, and the spring semester goes over Physiology. Junior Lena Lowry takes the class, and her teacher is Dr. Sarah Walker.

“We typically go through a few chapters of the textbook a week,” Lowry said. “We were expected to read the chapters on our own, and watch the lectures that Dr. Walker provided.”

Lowry explained that class usually starts off with a 10-15 question quiz on their knowledge about the chapter they were meant to read the night prior.

“For the rest of class we usually would do a lab or case study,” Lowry said. “A lab would either be identification of parts of different systems, or observation and analysis.”

For exams, students either do a practical or a traditional test. For practicals, they are expected to identify different human body tissues.

“Dr. Walker also gave us chapter note guides that we are allowed to use during tests,” Lowry said.

If students sign up for Ball State University’s dual credit, anatomy and physiology would be worth three and five credits, respectively.

According to Lowry, there is a significant amount of in-class lectures in the physiology semester. She also mentioned more lab work in the class.

“Homework is usually preparing notes,” Lowry said. “Labs can look like measuring electrical signals with an ECG [electrocardiogram], or combining different mixtures to represent homeostasis.”

Lowry further explains the differences between anatomy and physiology, and how they are connected

“In anatomy, we cover the different body systems and the structure of those systems,” Lowry said. “In physiology, we cover the function of those body systems, and how they all ultimately work to maintain homeostasis.”

On the other side of the spectrum, FHS offers 29 courses in the social studies department. According to sophomore McKenna Stein, students in ethnic studies get an in-depth view of what people went through in various times and how they faced it.

“Usually in [other history classes], when we are talking about the indigenous people, it is very sugar coated,” Stein said. “In [ethnic studies], you get personal voices. So you get a face to what it is. It really makes you empathize with what is happening in the world.”

Stein explains that the class is differently structured, and mostly consists of multiple discussions and reflection assignments. She also mentioned that the class includes sensitive topics.

“There will be things that will make you uncomfortable, but sometimes you have to be uncomfortable to learn,” Stein said. “You will have to learn about things that are hard to learn about, that are disheartening, saddening. But unfortunately that’s the state of the world and we have to be strong.”

Stein also believes that education prevents ignorance and hate, and ethnic studies educates students on the sides of the story that are not usually taught. Stein believes ethnic studies is a beneficial class for everyone and recommends students to take it.

“It’s empowering,” Stein said. “I highly recommend it no matter what you are interested in, because I think [it provides] a good viewpoint to have if you take this class.”

She also mentioned that the teacher, Matt Bockenfeld, is kind, funny and understanding.

“He is empathetic towards everyone’s issues,” Stein said. “He uplifts voices instead of just speaking over them.”

Senior Lindley Scott’s favorite class also falls under the social studies department. It is We The People, with Liz Paternoster as the teacher.

There are two versions of AP Government offered at FHS. One of them is the same as We The People, with students taking the class as a part of the team. The other version of the class does not coincide with the team, and offers regular AP credit to students.

“We the People teaches us how our institutions affect one another, and I think that’s something that’s really important for us to learn,” Scott said.

Scott believes that no matter what, everyone will eventually have to learn about how institutions work together and form the future.

“It’s something that every student should take,” Scott said. “We’re going to have to learn whether we play a part in them if we want to or not.”

Scott particularly always had an interest in history and helping people. She believes that the skills learned in the class will definitely be put to use in the future.

“Learning these traits will help me be able to make informed decisions about my future,” Scott said.

Scott’s piece of advice for students taking We The People next year is to make sure work is getting done on time, and reaching out when needing help.

“Ask your fellow students in the classroom if they understood the topic,” Scott said. “Synthesize it. You’re the great minds of the future.”

Ethnic studies teacher Matt Bockenfeld helps his students junior Rylan Christianson, seniors Abi Eberle and Jacob Richardson with coursework. Photo by Veda Thangudu.

Science department Social Studies department

Values in business ventures

How experience in uences the workplace, alters personal values

Preston J. Collins collipre000@hsestudents.org

Aperson’s core values, including experiences and beliefs, can drive how a business is conducted. is is impactful in creating and reinforcing ideals and values, especially in relation to a workplace. Entrepreneurs and employees build character through experiences, and collaboration can elevate ideas. Hayden Heavrin, a manager at Moonshot Games, discusses what he values in his work environment.

“No ‘gotchas,’” said Heavrin. “It’s both like a sales slogan, but also a value as we try to run honest, upfront business. Just honesty in general and being forthcoming is valuable to us.”

Moonshot Games is a small business that is located in Noblesville, Indiana.

ey sell board games and toys at their two locations and plan to expand further in years following.

“My personal inspiration comes from people who are in all these di erent places in life and this weird and wacky thing that’s sitting on the table can somehow be connected,” said Heavrin.

Personal inspiration can be impacted by experiences. It can develop in relation to events throughout a lifetime,

impacting personality. Likewise, some people become in uenced by their work experience and their ideals evolve with their career. Business and computer science teacher Ryan Harris re ects on his learned values from his time working across multiple companies, including Tradewinds.

“ e golden rule’s a huge one for me,” business and computer science teacher Ryan Harris said. “I strive to achieve it, and self awareness also helps me.” With developed knowledge on nance, his eld of study, and career experience, Harris is a quali ed business teacher. Furthermore, motivation can prosper from experience and adapt to values.

“I love my morals and beliefs,” said business student Bradford Miller. “I’ve seen enough to question if you should have anything tolerated against them.”

Business values and personal values are gathered universally. e impact that the beliefs and application have on companies and individuals allows for motivation for their actions, for core values can impact the way companies conduct business. A company or experience with products can shape beliefs and inspire everyone involved.

“I think my personal inspiration for a lot of it is I think that you have these people who are from di erent backgrounds, have di erent ideas, and who are from all of these di erent places in life,” Heavrin said. “ en there is this weird, wacky, little thing that you can set pieces of on a table. You can sit in a room and create fake characters, or play with little pieces of cardboard, and somehow be connected.”

Balancing the competition

The gymnastics team re ects on a successful season

Mia Brant

The gymnastics team’s season came to a close at the end of February with many achievements from the group. is year marks the second year the team has been an o cial team. Prior to the team’s o cial formation, senior Savannah Strange was the only person on the team.

“I was an individual for my freshman and sophomore year, then my junior year we got a team,” Strange said. “I still feel the school doesn’t really know we have a team because we are still small.”

Strange is one of the two cocaptains of the seven person team. With her graduation quickly approaching the team will be losing a co-captain next season. Although this is a loss for the team, sophomore and co-captain Stephanie Mack aspires to lead the team.

“Gymnastics is important for me because it is an outlet to be artistic and I have a passion for it,” Mack said. “I hope to be on the team next year and I hope to be captain.”

Strange’s mom, Susie Strange, is one of the team’s coaches along with Priya Dunlap. Despite

brantmia000@hsesstudents.org

Strange graduating this year, she said that her mom has plans to remain involved with the team.

“She will continue to be a coach and I know I will be coming back to be a helper,” Strange said. “I will not continue gymnastics in college as a sport.”

is year was junior Sherline Lopez’s rst year on the team. She claims that she found tranquility in gymnastics a er doing volleyball for most of high school.

“Volleyball is great, but I needed a break and the bond that you have in a gymnastics team is really nice,” Lopez said.

e team’s change from one to seven people has helped build a community for the gymnasts.

“I feel de nitely having more people is more encouraging and it’s also less scary because when we would go to meets, there were schools that only had one or two people on their teams,” Lopez said. “I feel personally that it would be really scary to compete in all events with just me and a coach.”

Out of the 417 high schools

in Indiana, only 80 have o cial gymnastics teams according to the IndyStar. Lopez said that it is common for a school’s gymnastics team to only have one or two members. In this case, the few gymnasts would represent their entire school in a meet. is can put pressure and stress on the few members.

“It is sad because I have done gymnastics my whole life, but also it’s kind of a relief because my body is so worn out,” Strange said. “Gymnastics is wear and tear on your body.”

Although gymnastics can be challenging, Strange said that she will miss it and plans to participate in some open gyms during college. Strange and Mack’s outlook on their nal season is positive overall. e team placed 10th out of 19 teams in sectionals and consistently won ribbons during meets.

“Coach Susie and Coach Priya are one of the best I’ve had,” Mack said. “ ey are very supportive and care for every girl on the team. My goal was to place and I did.

I got a ribbon and I am very happy. I also competed all around, which was huge.”

Looking into the future

Spring season for sports rapidly approaches

Lizzie Payne paynenic002@hsestudents.org

With the winter season ending, it is now time for spring sports to get into full swing. They have started their practices and some have started their season games. Baseball:

The Fishers baseball team in its previous season had a 22-8 record, and were ranked first in the Hoosier Crossroads conference. Junior Gavin Kuzniewski, who is an infielder for the team, shares his hopes for the season.

“I am looking forward to competing against other great players in our conference, and getting the chance to play with some of my closest friends,” Kuzniewski said.

The FHS baseball team will face varying opponents this season, but Kuzniewski is confident in his team’s ability to succeed, with their record last season being the basis of the belief that they will be successful.

“We are really good,” Kuzniewski said. “We have some really talented players and we should be able to make a deep run in the tournament.”

The baseball team will have their season opener on March 22, away at North Central High School.

Boys Golf:

The Boys Golf team begins their season on April 12, against Greenfield-Central High School. The first golf match will be away at Greenfield-Central High School, and the tryouts were delayed to March 15 because of weather conditions.

Boys and Girls Lacrosse:

The Boy’s Lacrosse team started their season on March 8, against Guerin Catholic. They lost 14-1 on that day. They play with protective equipment to prevent injuries to players like helmets because it is a physical sport. The Girl’s Lacrosse team started their season on March 9, against Carmel High School.

The equipment they use in lacrosse is more than just the stick and the ball. They also typically wear goggles and a mouth guard to protect their eyes and their mouth. They play with each other both in and out of the season with programs like MaxLax. For more information, check out ‘Lax to the max’ on pages 20 and 21. Softball:

The first game and scrimmage of the season will both be held at home. They have their first scrimmage against Frankton High School on March 16, with the official start of the season being on March 21 against Tri-West Hendricks High School. Sophomore Hailey Kinder has been playing softball for 10 years, and is looking forward to showing off the team’s hard work.

“I am looking forward to the Mudsock game,” Kinder said. “I think we will be very successful this season because of how hard we have worked this winter. We have great chemistry as a team and are able to have fun while still putting in the work.”

Distance runners Cooper Kane, Ethan Nix, and Austin Wilson run a mile on March 16.

Photo by Lizzie Payne.

Senior Jacob Kholman gets ready to pitch on March 16.

Photo by Lizzie Payne.

According to Kinder, the work put in during the off season has lead her to display confidence about her team’s success this season.

“I think preseason has prepared us because we have been working a lot more than other opponents,” Kinder said. “I think that is important for us to be able to go into the season having a strong feeling about the team as a whole.”

Girl’s Tennis:

The girls tennis team starts their season on April 11, against Noblesville High School. The first tennis matches will be here at home. Junior Whitney Monroe describes how playing tennis is different from other sports.

“You definitely grow as a team because not everyone plays at the same time,” Monroe said. “You’re watching other people cheering them on and regardless of if they’re better than you or if they beat you in a challenge match.”

With the new season it brings new players, according to Monroe, with 18 new freshmen coming in this year. She has new goals to motivate her along with her friends.

“[My goals are] to make top half of JV win most of my matches. I want to play harder this year than I did last year,” Monroe said. Athletes constantly push themselves and the tennis team will keep on pushing forward.

Girls Track & Field:

Senior Hannah Samson is on the girl’s track team and shows her goals for this season.

“My goals for this season is to be better than I was last year for sprints and high jump.” Samson said. “I want to definitely try the 100 and 200 more and be better at pacing myself for the 400.”

She discusses how the team was affected by changes this year and how they will overcome them.

“I think the team is going to look great this year,” Samson said. “Although there were some coaching changes, adjusting to it may have been weird, but our coaches have good intentions.”

They started their season on March 6 against Zionsville, Noblesville and North Central High School.

Boys Track & Field:

The boys track & field team had their season opener at the same day and time as the girls track & field team. Sophomore thrower Nick Wade comes from a line of throwers.

“My dad and my grandpa threw in high school and college,” Wade said. “And so they really wanted me to throw, so I figured I’d give it a shot.”

Throwing a shot put requires advanced technique and players work on it a ton.

“My goals for this season is really to get my technique down and try throwing as far as I can,” Wade said.

A group of Fishers runners practice on the track in the rain on March 16. Photo by Lizzie Payne.

Sophomore Huston Dunn practices batting at tryouts on March 16. Photo by Lizzie Payne.

Comparing the elements of both Fishers lacrosse and MaxLax. The two are mainly distinguished by their time commitments and game play. Graphic

by

Avery

Roe

Lax to the max

Players compare, contrast the seasons of MaxLax, school lacrosse

Avery Roe roeave000@hsestudents.org

MaxLax is a program for lacrosse players in and around Indianapolis. This program brings together many schools and grades once a week for some practice and a game. Many of the Fishers lacrosse players have also been a part of MaxLax during their offseason. The program runs from the beginning of October until the end of February and specific scheduling varies depending on gender and grade level.

Junior Antonio Vega has been playing for the MaxLax team since third grade. He has been a part of the Fishers lacrosse team

since his freshman year.

“MaxLax is just to have fun where the regular season is focused on winning and getting better,” Vega said.

Alaina Severs, a senior lacrosse player for both teams, partially agrees with Vega. However, Severs believes that MaxLax is a great opportunity for growing skills.

“It’s really nice because MaxLax doesn’t count towards your in-school record or anything. It doesn’t really matter if you win or lose, it’s just like a trying to get better process,” Severs said The play of the game is one

of many things that Severs finds to be beneficial when playing for MaxLax. The location of practices is an advantage as well, compared to outdoor school practices. MaxLax is held in the Grand Park sports facility.

“MaxLax is indoors so we’re not all complaining about being cold,” Severs said.

Having an indoor facility to practice and prepare for the upcoming school lacrosse season helps players get in better practices during the off-season in the winter.

“MaxLax is during the winter and games are only on Fridays

while the school has practice daily and games one to two times a week,” Vega said.

Slimak mentions the girl’s lacrosse schedule differs slightly from the boy’s lacrosse schedule. The boys and girls play on different days for MaxLax due to the fact that the grade of players ranges from 1-12.

“MaxLax is every Thursday night [for girls] while school is every night and two to three games each week,” Slimak said.

Aside from the schedule differences, another main

comparison between the two programs is the game play itself. Severs mentioned the ways that MaxLax makes their games run faster.

“[For MaxLax] you take one draw (tip-off) at the beginning of each half versus high school you take a draw after every single goal that’s scored,” Severs said. “The play is much quicker because you don’t have that time to set back up.”

Severs and Slimak both mentioned the number of players on the field. Severs noted

that this also would contribute to the quicker game play for MaxLax.

“MaxLax consists of 7v7 playing with only half field, while school lacrosse is 11v11 with a full field,” Slimak said.

Severs included that MaxLax is a time to get to know players in the off season. Not only is it an opportunity for growth in yourself, but also your teamwork.

“MaxLax is kind of this great learning experience for everybody where new and returning players just grow and gel with each other,” Severs said.

One step forward, two steps back

Boys volleyball enters first season as emerging sport, still faces challenges

David Jacobs jacobdav000@hsestudents.org

“I started playing with all my friends as the JV Mambas. We originally played in the pool during the summer, but then we went to Holland Park to play as the weather got colder. Most of us came from basketball, so we were all pretty athletic and it was just the right fit.”

Banasiak’s story is just one example of the growth of boys volleyball in Indiana. According to the Indiana Boys Volleyball Association, since the end of last season, there has been roughly a 143% increase in the total number of IHSAA teams.

hopes for some of these changes as he prepares for his first school season.

“[For high school volleyball] you have to pay attention more when passing, and libero is the main passer,” Pennington said. “I started playing because of a junior tigers camp I went to in seventh grade with some of my friends.”

It has been nearly a year since the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) sided in favor of the Indiana Boys Volleyball Coaches Association (IBVCA) and ruled boys volleyball as an emerging sport on May 2, 2022. An emerging sport means the IHSAA will provide backing for the sport in hopes of becoming an officially recognized sport once 50% of the membering schools pick up a team. So far, there are 84 boys volleyball teams in the state with the target number of 204 to eventually become an official sport.

Senior middle blocker Will Schnefke is one of the members left from the 2021 state championship team. He led the state in blocks last season, but like many others his introduction to the game was not with serious intent.

“I always played beach volleyball with my cousins growing up,” Schnefke said. “[Then] I played my first game for Fishers my sophomore year.”

Fellow senior middle blocker Preston Banasiak had an interesting path to playing as well, playing volleyball for just over a calendar year.

“My first real experience was over the winter of 2021-22,” Banasiak said.

“This year we had 60 people try out,” Banasiack said. “However, [when applying] for Camp Tecumseh I had to make my own line to fill in ‘Boys Volleyball’ since they did not have it listed under the conflicting spring sports.”

The FHS football team receives new helmets, pads, practice equipment yearly, while the boys volleyball team competed in a tournament just to win a mere $75 for additional funding. In terms of equipment and funding, there is room to grow.

“Since we were not a sport [last year], parents would have to volunteer to drive and we had to carpool to all the away games,” Schnefke said. “So, hopefully we will get buses this year now that we are

One reason for the growth of the sport, not only at Fishers, but throughout the state is the head varsity coach Carlos Capo. Entering his ninth season with the Tigers, the former Purdue University men’s volleyball captain has brought home two state championships (‘19 and ‘21), numerous regional championships and was the Indiana coach of the year in 2019.

“Our school is super lucky,” Banasiak said. “Coach [Capo] has made the program amazing here, but there are still a lot of schools that have smaller programs.”

As more and more schools continue to add boys volleyball to their offered sports, the Tigers prepare for their upcoming season. They compete in two or three games a week starting March 13 all the way until May 19 when the state tournament begins.

“There has been about a 50-team increase across the state,” Banasiak

The FHS Varsity Boys volleyball team huddles up during their scrimmage against HSE on March 8. Photo by David Jacobs.

Senior outside hitter, Zach Lewis, soars above the HSE defense to score a point during their March 8 scrimmage. Photo by David Jacobs.

Boom or bust

High expectations set up young basketball prospects for failure

David Jacobs jacobdav000@hsestudents.org

Due to the implementation of the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) pathway programs, such as their global academies and G-League Ignite team, players are entering the league at a younger age with higher expectations. Despite the league outlawing high school players from making the jump straight to the NBA in 2006, expectations have risen and dra ees have started to get younger again.

According to RealGM, a statistical site for NBA dra data, there have been 46 players dra ed at the age of 18 since 2006, with 20 of those players having been dra ed within the past ve years.

Playing in the NBA at such a young age already brings an enormous amount of stress, but when every analyst and talking-head on TV is searching for the next NBA great, you set these players up for failure and disappointment before they step foot on the court.

When utilizing Google’s search engine feature, it will nish a question or phrase with its own prediction. Using some of the prospects dra ed in the historic 2021 dra class and the phrase “[name] the next”, the generated output tells you all you need to know about the ridiculous expectations set on these young hoopers. Jalen Green was dra ed to the Houston Rockets through

the Ignite program, but has been deemed the ‘next Kobe (Bryant);’ Scottie Barnes was dra ed to the Toronto Raptors out of Florida State and was chosen as the, ‘next Giannis (Antetokounmpo);’ Cade Cunningham dra ed to the Detroit Pistons out of Oklahoma State was deemed the ‘next LeBron (James);’ and Evan Mobley was dra ed to the Cleveland Cavaliers out of University of Southern California (USC) and was awarded the title of the ‘next Tim Duncan.’

e one thing each of these players has in common, however, is that they have been in the media limelight since they were teenagers. During his junior basketball season, the YouTube channel ‘SLAM High School’, a subsection of the famous basketball magazine, uploaded a video when he was freshly 17-years-old calling him “NBA Ready.” Was Green NBA ready? Probably, he even skipped college to go straight to the NBA’s developmental league. Even crazier than Green is a YouTube video of Barnes, posted by HoopsDiamond, from his 8th grade basketball season in 2016 claiming he will be a special talent. Of course, Barnes did become a special talent, but once again a media platform should not be putting such high expectations on young basketball prospects. Giving them a highlight tape is one thing, but predicting NBA stardom when they have not even taken geometry is just

wrong.

ere is no problem with making comparisons on dra night; however, when those dra night comparisons turn into full blown career projections is where I draw the line. Just because these

players have similar traits and playstyles to NBA greats, it does not justify setting these preposterous expectations. Green is a tall, lengthy guard like Bryant, Barnes is an athletic, defensive minded athlete like Antetokounmpo, Cunningham is a strong, athletic freak like James and Mobley is a tall, shot-blocking forward with a mid range touch like Duncan. All of these comparisons are true, but players like Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal, Golden State Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins, Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler and Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner all t those respected comparisons as well. Yet, no one would dare compare those players to these all-time greats, but each has had respectable NBA careers. A team can dream of dra ing the next GOAT, but hoping the dra ee becomes an all-star caliber player should be the most you expect.

According to BasketballReference, these highlighted players are o to great starts despite the lo y expectations. rough their rst two seasons, Green is averaging 19 points, four rebounds and three assists, Barnes is averaging 15 points, seven rebounds and four assists, Cunningham is averaging 18 points, six rebounds and six assists and Mobley is averaging 15 points, nine rebounds and three assists. With each player still being just 21-years old, we just need to give them time and the all-star nods will soon start to come. e media just needs to stop expecting them to blossom into some of the greatest players of all time and let their respected careers play its course.

Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green looks at his opponents during a 2022 game. Photo courtesy of WikiMedia Commons. Cleveland Cavaliers forward Evan Mobley walks back to defense during a 2022 game. Photo courtesy of WikiMedia Commons.

Artificial Intelligence and the wealth gap

How the impacts of AI can affect our future

Lainey Akins akinslai000@hsestudents.org

“Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to significantly impact the wealth gap. On one hand, AI can create new jobs and increase productivity, leading to economic growth and greater wealth for those who benefit from it. On the other hand, AI can also automate jobs and eliminate the need for human labor, leading to job loss and potentially widening the wealth gap between those who own AI and those who do not.”rf

e above text was created completely by the new Arti cial Intelligence (AI) technology, ChatGPT. A simple command typed into the text box of the ChatGPT website allowed this machinery to cra a completely original piece detailing the advancement of AI. From IRobot’s Roomba, to personal assistants like Alexa and Siri,

the use and intelligence of technology is rapidly growing. In fact, according to Insider Intelligence, a company that specializes in research products, “123.5 million US adults will use voice assistants at least once per month in 2022.” To put this into perspective, no one owned an iPhone before 2007 and sixteen years later, 1.74 billion people worldwide have one. Since technology advancements are so expeditious, it is important to consider the impacts that these future systems will have on society.

With AI’s growing functionality, big companies will inevitably transition into using AI as a way to make more pro t and expand their businesses. is results in decreased value of human work and workers. According to the World Economic Forum, “One-third of all jobs could be at risk of automation in the next decade.” Unlike general robots, advanced AI’s have the ability to constantly process and learn new information, giving it the unique ability to take on human tasks requiring education rather than just labor intensive ones. Take doctors for example. Eventually, AI will be able to more accurately diagnose patients, thanks to the use of its

database and memory of other clinical cases. In some cases, AI can work with employees to produce better results. For example, a start up company called PathAI created technology that can be utilized by pathologists to get more accurate diagnosis. However, AI will most likely just replace workers when human assistance is no longer needed.

e e ect AI could have on the wealth gap is tremendous. Large companies would be able to make greater pro t using these technologies, and would not have to keep employees. In other words, corporations and the upper class’ wealth would continue to grow, while the average person’s salary would decrease or cease to exist.

is has happened before in history, during the Industrial Revolution. Machines began taking over jobs and widening the wealth gap. According to Encyclopaedia Britannica, “In its initial stages [the Industrial Revolution] seemed to deepen laborers’ poverty and misery.”

ose who did not get replaced by automation had to work extra to meet demands. Eventually, a middle class arose because the new machines created a demand for more engineers and people to work and manage the

machinery. AI, however, would be much more self-su cient and the jobs created from this advancement would likely be minimal. Sure, AI would require more coders, but the jobs created from this new revolution would likely not be able to counteract the ones lost. Companies would only need to purchase AI once as opposed to workers, so they would save money in the long run.

e result of the growing wealth gap would be unrest from the decrease in living standards. ey would be upset by their decreased salaries and upset by the big corporations that used the AI to their advantage: e same AI that was supposed to make their lives better, not worse. What is the consequence of all of this? Similar to the way unions pushed back during the industrial revolution, there would be people trying to ght back against this inequality. Citizens would be angered due to the decreased standard of living caused by the wage gap. In order to avoid this upset in society, the system by which the society is run would have to be changed, so there would need to be a way to close that imminent wage gap. One course of action would be to transition the government into a system that distributes the wealth more. A system like social democracy would do well in this, similar to how it works in Sweden, Canada, Germany and France. It would not have to be a drastic transition, and would ensure that the system as a whole does not collapse. A social democracy would help give money to people struggling due to the growing wage gap. Of course, there are other systems that would also work to solve this problem. Incorporating a universal basic income or even switching to a more socialist government

would combat the arising problems.

Creating change can be a di cult task. However, AI will have an inevitable e ect on society. Whether that change is for better or worse though, that’s up to us to decide.

Graphic by Lainey Akins.

Inescapable intolerance

Islamophobia continues to grow even in times of tragedy

Tragedies such as deaths, war or natural disasters have a way of unifying the world, enlisting even those far from the issue to show support for whoever is facing adversity. When Russia’s invasion of Ukraine seemed imminent, there were countless news stories bringing attention to the entire situation and fundraisers to help support Ukraine. is is one of the few times the world shows true humanity to a country/ area/region that they may not agree with politically. is, however, was not as much of the case for Türkiye and Syria.

On Feb. 6, both Türkiye and Syria faced a detrimental earthquake that killed thousands of people. As of recently, 50,000 deaths have been con rmed as a result of the natural disaster. e countries are both continuously facing the repercussions of the earthquake on both a physical and emotional level. As if having to rebuild all of the damage of the buildings that were ruined as well as trying to reassure citizens was not enough, the two countries received a major lack of support as well as an increased amount of hate and Islamophobia.

Many of the articles that covered the earthquake took the opportunity to criticize the two countries for the way their government had a “lack of preparation and sluggish response,” according to National Public Radio (NPR). Instead of reporting on the tragedy and presenting ways people from wealthier countries could contribute to recovery a er the earthquake, the tragedy was taken as yet another opportunity to make predominantly Muslim countries look bad and turn the situation

Malak Samara samarmal000@hsestudents.org

political.

Furthermore, people took the opportunity of the very deadly earthquake to continue to hate on Islam. According to the National Library of Medicine, Islamophobic tendencies have become increasingly global and common, especially in the U.S. is was evident in the direct responses people had to the lives lost as a result of the earthquake. Not too long a er the earthquake, at least two con rmed letters were sent to mosques in London expressing their content with the number of Muslim lives lost due to the natural disaster. One letter expressed their despair that not enough Muslim lives were lost but that the writer could not “stop smiling watching people being pulled from the rubble” and that the more Muslims who su er, the better.

ere are two main problems with this letter, if not more: the lack of humanity people have towards Muslims simply for the religion they practice, and the lack of coverage on this very dehumanizing letter. Firstly, the lack of sympathy there is towards Muslims is something that happens on a daily basis. It is something we, as a community, are very much used to. However, at the end of the day, we are human beings like the rest of the world. e least that we deserve is support and kindness from other human beings during a time of su ering and tragedy. Additionally, the tragedy was used as a catalyst for more hate towards Islam, which is degrading and shows truly how much people lack humanity. Just because one may not agree with another’s religious a liation, does not give any reason to wish death upon an entire

community. No one deserves that.

ere are Muslim kids, Muslim mothers, Muslim grandparents, Muslim heroes, etc. Where is the sympathy and compassion for innocent people?

What may be even more concerning, however, is the fact that there has been little to no coverage of this aspect of the situation. When searching for the letter, I could only nd two articles that went into the details about the letter and its dangers, both of which were from international news sites. To me, it shows that while people are not directly expressing their blatant Islamophobia through mediums such as a letter, the lack of want to spread information and ght against Islamophobia can be just as bad because it is allowing people who are more straightforward to continue with their Islamophobic tendencies as they are receiving no repercussions. While I am not surprised by the lack of support towards Muslim-dominated countries, it is still disheartening that people can wish death on Muslims and there still will never true care and support towards the Muslim community.

A major catalyst for this problem is the fact that people are just uneducated about the religion. However, when tragedies or stories surrounding Muslims are swept under the rug like the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria and the Islamophobia that came out of it, there will be a continued phenomenon of misunderstanding Muslims and not fully being able to accept and embrace that they are just as much human as the rest of the population.

48% more Muslims are susceptible to discrimination compared to any other minority.

57% of Muslims believe the West see them and their religion as less than or inferior.

53% of Americans recognize that media about Islam is unfair and undercovered.

Information from Pew Research and News Gallup.

Another knockout

Creed lll continues the legacy and packs a punch in the the box o ce

Kindell Readus readukin000@hsestudent.org

As crowd favorite, actor Micheal B. Jordan, steps behind the camera for the rst time in his career, viewers must re ect on the past stories to truly grasp the importance this lm carries. Forever a story of determination, inner strength and dignity, the Creed trilogy works to live up to, honor and stand apart from its predecessor: the Rocky hexalogy. Together these movies foster an artfully cra ed portfolio of lms meant to motivate a generation. ough Rocky and Creed each belong to their separate series, they are very closely intertwined. Without understanding the impact of each respective series it is impossible to grasp how extraordinary the Creed trilogy is as it parallels the characters, themes and cinematic impact presented in Rocky.

Rocky:

As it stands, the Rocky franchise has made over $1.7 billion at the box o ce cementing its place as one of the most successful franchises of all time. But as many now know, it was always projected to turn out this way. e rst lm was an incredibly low-budget lm modeled a er an idea Sylvester Stallone had while watching Muhammad Ali ght Chuck Wepner. “What I saw was pretty extraordinary,” Said Stallone in an interview with Michael Watson at Film Legacies. “I saw a man … ght the greatest ghter who ever lived. And for one brief moment, this supposed stumblebum turned out to be magni cent. He lasted and knocked the champ down. I thought, ‘if this isn’t a metaphor for life.’” Finding his metaphor created a catalyst; Stallone would create more than just a feelgood lm about the thrill of a ght and a victorious underdog, but one that would bring attention to the topics of race and economic status. With a script that would go through countless revisions and a production process that went through about just as many setbacks, a lm made on a budget of just $1 million would not only go on to make $225 million at the box o ce but leave a lasting impact on modern lm. By introducing its famous montage technique as well as the use of a steady cam, things that would later earn the lm an Oscar in the Best Film Editing category, Rocky became one of the most in uential lms of its generation.

Creed:

e Creed trilogy will always pay notice to the franchise that made its production possible, doing so through cinematic parallels including: the use of montage, themes like overcoming adversity, strength in the face of struggle and many more. However, it is important to acknowledge how this trilogy creates a story of its own. Original director for the series and current producer Ryan Coogler originally came up with the idea for the franchise when his father was diagnosed with a neuromuscular condition. Connecting the underdog theme of the Rocky hexalogy and his father’s battle with disease, Coogler decided to dra the rst script in order to motivate his father as he found himself in a ring of his own. Opposing Rocky’s feel-good narrative, Creed takes on a darker viewpoint as Coogler wanted to create a lm that he felt more closely representative of real life. Now, as Michael B. Jordan steps into the role of director, he wants to continue on this path by furthering the darker tone of the rst two lms and exploring the darker sides of Adonis Creed’s fame as he and the lm’s other characters grapple with issues of intimacy, mental health, father and daughter relationships, childhood trauma, identity, guilt and imposter syndrome.

e Creed trilogy while staying true to the ideals presented in the Rocky hexalogy has also made a mark for itself by establishing a new perspective on the old victorious underdog story.

lm

stumblebum

In recent years, there has been a movement to reclaim history, and discredit the systemic and oppressive process of cultural loss due to western colonization practices, but return ownership to the survivors of said practices. A less discussed subsection of this movement is the question of artifacts, and if repatriation is owed. Repatriation is de ned by Dr. Senta German, an associate professor of Classics and Humanities at Montclair University, as “the return of stolen or looted cultural materials to their countries of origin.” is question of repatriation generally contains two sides, the rst being a defense of maintaining the current location, o en arguing that if these locations remain reasonable to maintain the artifacts in, then they should and the second side being a proponent for returning these artifacts from their current locations to their country of origin.

e Archaeological Institute of America estimates that up to 85-90% of artifacts on the American market do not have a documented provenance. is means that up to 90% of artifacts in America do not

Return to sender

Ethics of artifact ownership

Emerson Elledge elledeme000@hsestuhsestudents.org

have the documents that validate that these artifacts were legally acquired. Instead of being legally acquired, through debate and diplomacy, these artifacts were o en acquired through looting locations sacred to the country of origin or through a supposed ‘loan’ that never ceased. is push for repatriation has largely come as both a domestic push to reclaim history, as well as an international demand, mostly as a result of former colonies declaring their independence in the last century.

e United Nations (UN) attempted to put a Band-Aid on this by instating a convention in 1970 to serve as a platform for countries to petition the rights to the artifacts, but they released a report in 2012 declaring that this convention had had little e ectiveness, largely due to a lack of sta and little international legality to validate the convention. Additionally, this report found that the convention, in the time it was active, had only reinstated the location of six artifacts successfully in its 42 year lifespan.

However, many institutions are not complying with this repatriation request, according to Forbes. For example, the British Museum in London has possession of many notable foreign artifacts, including the Rosetta Stone, which was found and looted in Egypt by French soldiers during the Napoleonic campaign. e museum’s reasoning for this is both that these artifacts were legally acquired under the laws that were

in place at the time, as well as these artifacts being some of the largest draws to the museum. While these arguments are important to acknowledge, they do seem a bit obsolete, as the United Kingdom has a rich history and has possession of a plethora of artifacts as a result of the country’s personal history, meaning that although the international artifacts would diversify their museums, that is not needed due to their history. is can be said for any country, as it makes the most sense for countries to display their history as a way of displaying cultural pride as well as educating others on their history. In general, it seems rather counterintuitive to display aspects of other countries’ history through the form of stolen items.

All in all, artifacts should ultimately be returned to their country of origin, if obtained in non-consensual circumstances. However, if the two countries can come to a term of agreement that satis es both of their needs and wants, whether that be a trade or a purchase/loan, the possession of foreign artifacts is entirely ethical and could be encouraged, but this has been

Reinventing the workplace

Generation Z spearheads a mentality shi in the workforce

Experience Education

Jan. 2021May 2021

Young people, typically those falling in the age range of 16-25, have gained a reputation when it comes to the workforce: one that casts us in a light of unreliability, laziness and sensitivity. is is simply due to the fact that many refuse to be tied down to a job that exploits, abuses or underappreciates them.

According to a study entitled ‘ e Gen Z Report’ conducted by Oliver Wyman, a management and consulting rm, 70% of Generation Z (born from 1997- 2012) are either actively or passively seeking a change in employment, even while considering themselves to be loyal employees. is study surveyed 10,000 individuals from what the rm called “the largest and most disruptive generation ever” in an attempt to see how those who are 18-25 will a ect longestablished business practices.

Currently enrolled 2020-2024

GPA: 3.5

Jan. 2022May 2022

What was to be learned from gures like this one was not that young people are destroying societal norms, but instead that they, themselves and society as a whole, are in a current era for exploration. is generation has created a trend of enacting personal, non-negotiable boundaries within their day-to-day experience and the workplace is not, nor should it be, an exception. Young people are making their mark through social unrest, fed up with the ills they see in the world around them, and have embarked on a journey that I can only describe, as a type of countercultural movement. is generation has made clear to employers that they are not interested in allowing a corporation or business control of their peace.

Making up 41.5% of the workforce, as of 2022, 16-24-year-olds have had to create their own set of de nitive non-negotiables, one of which is compensation that guarantees security.

According to Handshake, a job search and employer connection application, 70% of Gen Z put proper nancial redress at the top of expectations for their next employer.

Skills

Jan. 2023present

However, prioritizing pay is not an indication of greed, but instead an act of protection against economic uctuation and nancial distress. In addition to compensation, a high importance is also placed on the workplace environment and time worked. Many of Gen Z’s population is of an age in which they are still in school, forcing work and education to compete for their attention, e ort and time. With school lasting from early morning to mid-a ernoon, students choosing to work weekdays throughout the year are le with closing shi s meaning they are working what is usually 4-9 p.m., or later depending on the establishment. is type of schedule leaves little time for anything beyond work, and for some young employees, a time sheet that inches into the dangerous territory of child labor violations.

Regardless of age within the generation, the workforce has to shi to accommodate the needs and wants of a headstrong generation that refuses to allow a job to alter their state of identity, personality or boundaries in any way they are not prepared for. is movement by young people to make the workplace suitable for them is an act of self-love and a demonstration of a greater understanding of their worth.

Healthy resilience

Bene ts and drawbacks of putting in extreme e ort to achieve goals

When faced with a challenge or standard that may seem near impossible, whether in a work, school or home setting, many people tend to rack their brains for ways they can overcome the situation while ending up with the best results. is can best be identi ed as rising up to the occasion. Even when all of those around you may believe the task is impossible, you are able to show resilience and your full capabilities.

More speci cally, MerriamWebster dictionary de nes rising to the occasion as “to make the special e ort that is required to successfully deal with a di cult situation.” is can be seen in countless situations, especially within school. For example, a student who struggles with a class can end up putting in extra time, work and e ort into studying the material to come out on top in the class and continue to receive good grades. Another example pertains to school sports. As mentioned in one of the previous articles in the issue, gymnastics is facing obstacles since there are not enough players and it is newer, yet the players are counteracting this by still putting in all of their e ort into the sport to train and better themselves as individuals and an entire team.

Two di culties that almost always get in the way of people’s full potential are stress and pressure. When people are in the

heat of the moment, they tend to shut down, resort to habit and forget what they have been told to do, instead relying on pure instinct. According to e Program, it is not uncommon for teams to integrate the idea of resilience into their members. is allows for members to default to their ‘rise to the occasion mindset,’ in theory, since it has been drilled into their mindsets and will almost be like second nature to them. e idea of rising to the occasion is extremely important for success and growth. We Forum found that the best leaders are those who are not afraid to step up and make di cult decisions or do seemingly impossible tasks in order to get to their end goal. Since those who are willing to ‘rise to the occasion’ are also willing to plow through any type of resistance that may get in the way of their goals, they are able to pave the way to continue to succeed and go down the right path to accomplish their hopes. If someone were to give up the second a problem arises, nothing would be achieved. Furthermore, going the extra mile and putting in even more e ort than what was expected shows one’s dedication and drive to whatever

they may be involved with. While this ideology is almost essential for success, there are problems that arise with it as well, the biggest one being that people who are dealing with problems or struggles may try to go above and beyond or burn themselves out to overcome the situation instead of seeking out for muchneeded help. Since the ‘rise to the occasion’ mindset pushes people to do anything in their ability to come out on top and since it is a very individualized mindset, it causes a disconnect between people and strips away resources or support around us. With that being said, having resilience is still necessary to achieve most goals and attain your full capabilities. e CDC suggests that people need to have a balance and do things in moderation. When overcoming a di cult situation, remember to take care of yourself throughout the process, take breaks, and most importantly, seek help from those around you. Sometimes, rising to the occasion means swallowing your pride and recognizing that you are not able to carry the weight of the entire world on your back, therefore utilizing the resources around you can more e ciently help you achieve whatever you put your mind to.

Editorial Board Question:

Do you believe advocating for yourself is isolating?

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Editorial Policy

Tiger Topics Tiger Times is the o cial monthly newsmagazine of Fishers High School. It is distributed free to approximately 3,700 students and over 300 student personnel. It is designed, written and edited by students. Opinions expressed in the newsmagazine do not necessarily represent those of the adviser, administration or sta . Letters to the adviser may be submitted to A218, and must contain the writer’s phone number for veri cation. Letters to the editor will not be published anonymously. If there is any incorrect information, corrections will be made in the next issue.

Mission Statement

Crossword Answers

DOWN:

1. Pinocchio

2. Frozen

3. Titanic

4. Hidden Figures

5. Juno

8. Lion King

9. Hercules

11. Captain America

14. Monsters Inc

16. Shes the Man

17. Legally Blonde

18. Mulan

21. Finding Nemo

ACROSS:

6. Napoleon Dynamite

7. Wall-E

10. Truman Show

12. Rocky

13. Forest Gump

15. Cinderella

19. Hunger Games

20. Megamind

22. Ratatouille

24. Paddington

25. Martian

As the student-run newsmagazine of FHS, Tiger Times is dedicated to providing the sta , 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 educational experience and the expansion of FHS culture. e sta works to create a sense of unity and awareness and allow the students of FHS to have better insight to the world around them.

23. Karate Kid

experience and the expansion of FHS culture. e sta works

Down Across

1. Father when can I leave be own?

2. I’ve been impaled

3. How many people can one door hold?

4. Space girl bosses

5. Orange Tic Tacs

8. Perils of sibling rivalry

9. Zeus o spring

11. Trilogy following a 1940’s Brooklyn fraud extraordinaire

14. Crying children are no laughing matter

16. Twel h Night adaptation

17. What like it’s hard?

18. Dishonor on your cow

21. Just keep swimming, just keep swimming

23. Wax on wax o

6. Your mom goes to college

7. Animated critique on climate change

10.Good morning and in case I don’t see ya good a ernoon good evening and good night!

12. Adrian!!

13. Peas and carrots

15. Featuring delicate dangerous footwear

19.Starving match

20. Blue brained villain

22. Anyone can cook

24. Marmalade bear

25. Botanist on Mars