Volume 17, Issue 2

TIGER TIMES

einthe air

Table

Swingin’ in style by Copy Editor Emerson Elledge

Cover by Madelyn Lerew.

Tiger Times Staff

Editorial Board

Reporters

Staff

Malak Samara Editor-in-Chief/News Editor

Tanner Guillot

Madelyn Lerew Online Editor Emerson Elledge Copy Editor

Veda Thangudu Features Editor Katrell Readus Opinion Editor

Mia Brant Alex Duer

David Jacobs Sophia Krueger Ellie Payne

Avery Roe Ameera Tai Rosie Towler

Madelyn Garber

Kindell Readus

Jakob Polly

Hurricane devastates Puerto Rico

Hurricane Fiona causes major ooding to U.S. territory Ameera Tai taiame000@hsestudents.org

and said despite the length of time in between the two disasters, there have been very few precautions put in place during that time to protect Puerto Ricans.

“ e U.S. government’s response is nothing but disappointing to me due to the negligence and lack of action that’s been taken,” said sophomore Lucía Freese-Goyco, who’s family is from Puerto Rico.

Amonth following the destruction caused by Hurricane Fiona, upwards of half of the people living in Puerto Rico are still without clean water. e U.S. territory with a population of 3.2 million nds itself in panic living without electricity and supplies.

On Sept. 18, category four Hurricane Fiona made landfall on the southern coast of the U.S. territory, Puerto Rico. ey were hit with over three feet of rain during the storm, more than half of what some areas get in a year. is has caused major ooding, displacing hundreds of people.

“With the ooding, it will obviously dissipate, but in the process it can oat cars [and] ood homes,” oceanography teacher Dan Reddan said.

“Depending on the severity of it, it can even just wash out homes. Even if you are a half mile or a mile [away].”

While the damage caused by Hurricane Fiona is tragic, this is not the rst major tropical storm Puerto Ricans have faced in recent years. In 2017, category ve Hurricane Maria hit the island and caused over 3,000 deaths and $91.6 billion in damage.

“ e biggest thing with the last hurricane that hit Puerto Rico [was that] some places were without power for months and months on end,” said Reddan.

While Hurricane Maria hit the island ve years ago, there are still many cities that have not fully recovered. Junior Isabella Torres has family living in a ected areas of Puerto Rico,

One of the controversies surrounding Hurricane Fiona is the response the U.S. government has made in helping those a ected. As Puerto Rico is a U.S. territory, it is the responsibility of the U.S. to help with recovery. According to the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), resources and personnel were rst released on Sept. 23, ve days following the storm. When helping those impacted by a natural disaster, Reddan believes that the faster assistance is sent in, the better o the situation will be.

As of Sept. 28, over 1,000 U.S. federal workers were in Puerto Rico to help with “supporting operations, planning, power restoration, debris removal, and urban search and rescue,” according to the White House. However, Torres and FreeseGoyco believe these responses do not take enough action to help those a ected.

“With the war in Ukraine and Russia, we’ve been sending money and materials over to Ukrainian refugees,” said Torres. “I’m not saying we should stop

Two men stand in knee-high water a er Hurricane Fiona hit Puerto Rico. Many people living in Puerto Rico are with no electricity and ooded homes. Photo courtesy of picryl.com.

“If the U.S. is going to claim that Puerto Rico is their territory, then we should de nitely be giving them the resources and helping them,” said junior Isabella Torres.

doing that, but I think that we can de nitely be using some of that money in those resources and sending them to Puerto Rico to help them rebuild their towns.”

Another point of discussion surrounding the U.S. response is how the government has provided little in relief compared to other countries, despite having responsibility over Puerto Rico. According to Freese-Goyco, they are used as a tourist trap with little given back in return.

“I think that if the U.S. is going to claim that Puerto Rico is their territory and we’re gonna

use them to bene t us, then we should de nitely be giving them the resources and helping them with these national disasters,” Torres said.

One way the government can help assure protection for Puerto Ricans is through infrastructure improvements. During hurricanes, homes and buildings are destroyed, however, implementing stronger construction standards can help limit the damage.

“You need to start when you go back and rebuild,” said Reddan. “Try and make improvements that are gonna be able to withstand the next

one because it’s going to happen again at some point.”

According to Torres, the best way for those in our community to help people living through this devastation is to simply learn about Puerto Rico. Hurricane Maria is still impacting the daily lives of Puerto Ricans, and Hurricane Fiona is adding to the distress. By spreading awareness on natural disasters such as these, it will become easier to nd solutions and improvements on the lives of those a ected.

“We can’t control storms, but we can control how we react to storms,” Torres said.

Over a dozen deaths have been attributed to Hurricane Fiona.

There have been $2.68 billion in damage.

1.2 million people were without power for three days following Fiona.

Entire communities have been destroyed.

Protesting out of grief

Tragedies in Iran fuel citizens to push for reform of certain laws Malak Samara samarmal000@hsestudents.org

Protesters all over the world have a general commonality: ghting against a law or event that is in icting negative or positive actions toward the population. ey rally up people who have similar interests and beliefs and begin marching down their streets, shouting for change as they hold up their large signs. For most, like the protesters in Iran, protesting is used as a response to a tragedy that has occurred, causing mass anger and sorrow which fuels their push for a better society.

“In an ideal world, no one would want tragedies to be necessary for social change,” senior Kennedy Terhune said. “We shouldn’t be waiting for bad things to happen just so we can nd good things to x it. Unfortunately, the real world operates a little di erently, solutions can’t be brought up unless there’s a problem that warrants a solution. A big reason why protests nd their path for their future and nd what they want to be changed is because they’ve noticed an area that needs to be changed through these tragedies. Usually, because these tragedies exemplify such an extreme problem, it creates such an extreme response.”

On Sept. 16, Mahsa Amini died when in the custody of the morality police in Iran. Amini was detained due to not following Iran’s heavily modest dress code for women. Allegedly, she was beaten by the morality police as

punishment and the fractures on

her skull caused her to fall into a coma and die. is was not the only time a woman has been targeted solely because of her gender, however.

“Iran’s government treats women like second-class citizens,” AP world history and ethnic studies teacher Matt Bockenfeld said. “Sometimes, women cannot travel without permission from a father or husband. It’s di cult for Iranian women to get a divorce. eir basic freedoms are limited merely because of their gender. is isn’t just a human rights violation, it also is a violation of basic values in Islam.”

e tragedy of Amini’s death caused immediate sorrow and anger throughout the country, and even outside of it. Citizens in Iran started to protest the government’s restrictive laws towards women by marching, holding up signs, shouting for change and even burning hijabs, which is a part of women’s dress code. Terhune and sophomore Jude Menne both see the protests as a show of bravery and sel essness to stand up for a victim and cause in order to prevent future tragedies. While Bockenfeld agrees, he poses a di erent point of view to the protests.

“I’m glad that Iranians are ghting back, but I’m fearful for them,” Bockenfeld said. “Already protesters have been killed in the streets. I’m worried the current situation could become far more violent.”

According to Dr. Martin Luther

King Jr, the general public has a moral duty to oppose unjust laws. erefore, they need to take into account not only how certain laws are a ecting certain people, but also how those laws will a ect society as a whole, especially in the future. Iranian citizens are trying to uphold their responsibility even if it means breaking Iran’s ‘no protesting’ law.

“I think Iranians want the right to determine for themselves how to practice their faith, they deserve that opportunity,” Bockenfeld said. “ ey are merely participating in the millennia-old march for justice, joining freedom marchers from across the world in demanding their human rights be acknowledged and respected.”

As mentioned previously, protesting against the government is considered an illegal act in Iran. is has been a leading factor as to why Iran’s oppressive laws have not been challenged in the past. Menne and Bockenfeld believe Iranians have been internalizing their anger for so long that protesting now is not just a protest for Amini but for all of the government’s previous acts of violence, discrimination and inequality. Menne goes into further detail about how the citizens are realizing the power they hold as a community and they are using that to oppose harmful laws.

“I honestly think it comes down to a di erence in [the] quality of life versus physical life,” Terhune said. “I think although these laws have been impeding on Iranian

and women’s quality of life for so many years, when it’s taken to the point of removing their physical life, it’s gone too far. Although impeding on both aspects of life are so bad, because it went that extra step of physical life, not just quality of life, it’s curating such a large reaction.”

Additionally, outside countries have also inserted themselves into Iran’s issue of human rights, speci cally against women. On one hand, Bockenfeld mentioned that President Biden came out almost immediately in favor of the protesters. However, Bockenfeld believes it might have been in the best interest of all the parties involved to wait to show unconditional support since it may cause the government to in ict additional violence or danger toward Iranian citizens. In opposition, Terhune believes the government is not doing enough.

“All of these really developed countries that have the resources and have the in uence to make an impact, don’t stand by it,” Terhune said. “While there might be a tweet or a two-minute speech standing against the issue, I think there needs to be more done. at way, people like me who are brie y keeping up with the situation as well as people all the way in Iran know that they’re being supported and know that something’s going to change going forward.”

While these tragedies can be detrimental for everyone involved, in both a physical and mental way, it forces people to open their eyes to potentially corrupt laws that they have been dealing with. Terhune believes tragedies are the perfect way to fuel someone’s anger against injustices and for change. She mentioned that tragedies are

the primary cause of so many protests and social movements. “I think tragedies bring injustice to the surface,” Bockenfeld said. “It forces everyone to stop what they are doing and recognize the things we’ve adjusted ourselves to that are wrong. All across the world, tragedies can help unite people in opposition of the unjust circumstances that lead to tragedy.”

Moreover, Terhune emphasizes the fact that protests purely stem from emotion and passion. erefore, it is virtually impossible to have people genuinely try to bring about change for a certain cause. Menne adds to this point by saying that tragedies are never expected, even with obvious unjust laws, so there is not much a society can do until one does as a way for them to prove the dangers of the initial law.

“I’m not sure it’s possible to really rally people behind a cause without a vivid example of why that cause is needed,” Bockenfeld said. “Terrible moments like [Amini’s death in Iran] are a fresh reminder of the injustice.”

Protesting can be bene cial in the sense that it can bring change to the future so tragedies will not continue to happen. Sometimes, however, a tragedy can fuel too much personal emotion and anger that the reason for reform starts to get blurry.

“When you’re protesting against a tragedy, there needs to be a goal going forward,” Terhune said. “I think the fact of the matter is that nothing can take back what has happened in the past, but I think if an organized protest has a clear path going forward to prevent something like that from happening again or institute systemic change, then it’s

absolutely justi ed. I think it’s necessary to be intentional with that path going forward in order to bring meaning to the tragedy that happened.”

Movements against laws or government that are fueled by anger and injustice can, at times, become illegal. Terhune believes that illegal protests stem from the feeling that legal protests were not entailing any change or being heard. On the other hand, Menne mentioned that illegal ways to protest are doing the exact opposite and, instead of implementing change in a corrupt government, it puts the fault on the people.

“I could only see [illegally protesting] as a disadvantage for the people that take advantage [of] it and destroy property,” Menne said. “ at’s not the point of a protest, it doesn’t really accomplish anything. I think peaceful protesting should be the only way [to] go about it.”

Tragedies, while heartbreaking, cause two important factors of growth from people: natural empathy and education. A death, such as Amini’s or even George Floyd’s, allows for people to understand how inhumane a system or law can be, in both an emotional way and in a learning aspect. Terhune believes that it is people’s emotions that causes immediate change and Bockenfeld believes that education is what causes long-lasting change.

“James Baldwin said, ‘ e paradox of education is precisely this — that as one begins to become conscious one begins to examine the society in which he is being educated,’” Bockenfeld said. “I think that’s a really good takeaway from all of this. Education has the potential to liberate us from injustice. It doesn’t always, but it provides new opportunities to move countries forward.”

Background photo: Protesters in Santa Barbara organized a march on Oct. 1 in California to show their support for Mahsa Amini and the urgency for change in Iran. Photo used with permission of Wikimedia Commons.

Preparing for the polls

FHS clubs get ready for midterm registration

Rosemary Towler towleros000@hsestudents.org

for women in the 2020 election for men in the 2020 election were 18 and older in 2020 election were 18-29 in 2020 election in the state of indiana in 2020

Infographic by Rosemary Towler. Information from U.S. Census and Fairvote.

Midterm elections are starting all across the country and American citizens are preparing to vote for a plethora of things like the HSE school board, the Indiana House of Representatives, the Indiana Senate, the Federal House of Representatives and the Senate. Most of the runners’ campaigns include an emphasis on getting young people to vote, and Fishers is not an exception.

“I feel like it’s just important for kids to understand politics [because] it’s kind of like doing taxes, once you get to an adult age where you have to do taxes, you may not know how to do them and you’re freaking out once you get to that age,” the vice president of the young republicans club junior Tayla Koenig said. “You don’t know how to vote and you don’t know what you believe in. So I feel like it’s important to learn now.”

e election is on Nov. 8, and although most students are not eligible to vote, the school’s political clubs have plans to educate students on each party and what they stand for. is will allow students to develop their own opinion.

“Our goal is to obviously educate [students] about politics,” President of Democrats club junior Talia Mahmoud said. “Our bigger goal is to get people involved in their communities and for them to advocate for those issues that they care about.”

Both the Democrat and young Republican clubs wish to educate students on the midterms and how starting to solidify and progress their own opinion is important, even if they do not have the ability to vote yet.

“Most of our club members actually aren’t old enough to vote yet,” Mahmoud said. “So currently what we are working on is just getting them to see who’s on the ballot, even what their values and goals are and what their promises are. e [other] thing is just getting people who can vote [and] encouraging them to register to vote.”

While the democratic club is focusing on talking to their own members on voting, the Young Republicans Club is expanding their outreach around the school to speak to other students.

“I think our biggest thing that we’re doing is dialogue,” President of the Young Republican club Macy Froetschner said. “ e best way to tell someone in a respectful way what you believe is to converse with them like a human being.”

Due to Indiana’s political history it has been di cult for a democratic governor to win an election in Indiana and even harder for a democratic presidential candidate to win the electoral votes. In 2003, former governor Joseph E. Kernan was the last democrat to win a gubernatorial election. In the 2008 election, Barack Obama won Indiana which was the rst time in 44 years that a Democrat won Indiana’s electoral votes.

“Indiana is a very ‘red’ state,” Mahmoud said. “So it’s really hard to get other points of view out there and especially for them to win elections. We don’t have a big history of having Democrats as senators in Indiana.”

e political party clubs both think it is essential for young voters to vote. Even if both clubs have members who cannot vote.

“I think it’s important for you to have a voice and if you don’t vote, you don’t feel heard,” Koenig said. “ en, that can translate to how you act in society.”

QR code to rockthevote. com for voting registration.

Yoga Wednesday

Fishers Parks brings back free event at Billericay Park

Mia Brant brantmia000@hsestudents.org

Fishers

Parks are bringing back free yoga Wednesdays this fall. It was discontinued shortly a er its start in the summer of 2021, but it was such a hit in the community that it will return from August to December this year.

“We typically have between 20-40 people in attendance,” yoga instructor Kim Carlson said. “ e class age range is very broad, especially in the summer when school is out. It is not unusual to see a junior high student practicing next to someone in their 50s.”

Carlson is the organizer of the event and a teacher at Roots and Wings yoga studio in Indianapolis. e classes are held inside the wellness center at the Geist Marina.

“I was asked to teach a few farmers market classes and really enjoyed teaching at the amphitheater and sharing my passion for yoga with a diverse group of people,” Carlson said. “So, I asked the parks department if they would be interested in me o ering a free weekly community yoga class. I have continued this free weekly yoga class because it is important to me to give back to my community.”

Yoga has numerous bene ts to the body and mind. Practicing yoga for at least three months is

proven to relieve perceived stress, according to the National Library of Medicine.

“Tension, stress and anxiety can manifest into physical disease,” Carlson said. “ e yoga practice helps to lessen, and can even alleviate, these issues.”

Similar to Carlson, senior Avery Clark believes that her participation in yoga has impacted her mental health in a positive way.

“I do [yoga] for spiritual reasons,” Clark said. “To be more grounded and calm. It de nitely helps because I’ve been through a lot with my family, so it helps reduce a lot of anxiety that I go through and puts me into a more positive mindset than a negative, which is what I’m used to.”

Clark said she goes to yoga classes one to three times a week. She has made new connections in her community because of her constant participation.

“My neighbor is my yoga instructor,” Clark said. “She and I actually have gotten really close because of that.”

For senior Kate Miller, yoga is more than just practicing stretches. According to her, she has found an inclusive community within her yoga studio.

“[Yoga] provides some sort of mental community because while

you’re there, you de nitely feel like it’s a shared practice,” Miller said. “It helps with feeling lost or feeling like you’re really isolated.”

Yoga is not just stretching since it can also improve strength and exibility depending on the type of yoga that is performed.

“I take Pilates, which is strength-based yoga, and I de nitely feel more exible a erward,” Miller said.

For Carlson, Miller and Clark, the bene ts of yoga are numerous.

“Yoga has been an integral part of my personal well-being and I have witnessed the life-changing bene ts in my students,” Carlson said, “I love sharing this practice and helping others learn to live with a deeper sense of calm and clarity even during stressful times.”

yoga instructor

“Yoga helps build vitality and resilience in the physical body and mind,”

Kim Carlson said.

Everyday, Monday through Friday, the Hamilton Southeastern Schools (HSE) transportation service sets o on a seemingly impossible task: to transport 21,000 students to and from school safely and e ciently. For HSE’s director of transportation Zach McKinney, each morning starts at 6 a.m., coordinating the bus routes of the day, adjusting for any changes in weather, tra c or driver attendance.

“We have 295 buses that are on the road, so there’s a lot to coordinate,” McKinney said. “ ere’s a lot going on, but it’s fun.”

With the buses needing constant repairs, most service is completed in-house. is requires the full time employment of 10 mechanics who work diligently, keeping the transportation service running smoothly.

“It takes a team of folks to

Driving impact

Hidden e orts of bus drivers

Jakob Polly pollyjak000@hsestudents.org

be able to pull it o ,” McKinney said. “ ere’s much more to it than just us pulling up to pick [the students] up.”

Many students, especially those in elementary and middle school, rely upon the busing services. As one of the thousands of students who depend on a bus ride to and from school each day, junior Cassie Maurer deems busing services essential.

“Busing services are very important,” Maurer said. “Not only for kids who simply don’t have their license yet, but also for those who don’t have a car or do not have access to a car.”

For many students, riding the bus may simply be just that - getting to and from schoolbut many view it in an entirely di erent light. Bus driver Amy Metz sees it as her chance to make a di erence in the community.

“ e majority of [the students on my bus] will be on my bus for seven years, from kindergarten to sixth [grade],” Metz said. “I pray that even a er they’ve been on my bus one year, that I make some sort of an impact, even if it is just that I said ‘good morning’ to

them every day.”

Beyond even those in the transportation service, McKinney believes that other non-certi ed school workers deserve more credit.

“At the end of the day, if you don’t have bus drivers, the building doesn’t have students,” McKinney said. “From a custodial standpoint, if you don’t have a clean and healthy learning environment,…you aren’t going to have students that are equipped and ready to learn.”

Metz emphasized that for many bus drivers, having a connection with the students is incredibly important.

“[I love] the interaction with the kids,” Metz said. “For the little ones that smile, who are afraid to get on the bus...I think a friendly smile eases things.”

According to McKinney, although being a bus driver is incredibly rewarding, it is o en a very ‘thankless’ job. Both he and Metz stressed that a simple ‘thanks’ can be incredibly impactful.

“I love when a student will say, ‘have a great day,’” McKinney said. “You have no idea what that means to [a bus driver].”

Buses li ed up for routine maintenance at the district garage on Cumberland Road. Photo courtesy of Zach McKinney.

‘Tis the spooky season Fishers students, sta share their Halloween plans Lainey Akins akinslai000@hsestudents.org

With Halloween fast approaching, numerous students and faculty engage in new or traditional activities. In the Halloween season, the weather starts to shi into a chillier atmosphere. With the colorful leaves and crisp weather many people enjoy the overall atmosphere of Halloween, including senior Ava Knight.

“I think [Halloween is] one of my favorite holidays aside from Christmas because the weather’s nice and cold,” Knight said. “I just like all the decorations and I love the actual event of Halloween.

According to math teacher John Jud, he did not do much for Halloween as a kid. But as he got older and stepped into a new stage of life, his Halloween spirit rose.

“What got me into Halloween was my wife,” Jud said. “It’s her favorite holiday, so we decorate our house like crazy.”

Jud has an assortment of Halloween decorations in his classroom and spooky spider webbing resides in one of the corners. Along with this, he has many other cutouts of Halloween characters, like skeletons, witches and mummies.

“All the decorations and stu gives you something to raise your morale a little bit,” Jud said. “ at’s one of the reasons I decorate in the classroom. I just like something to distract me a little bit and be able to come in and look at the decorations and the lights.”

Along with decorating, trick or trick or treating is also a popular Halloween activity. Knight is excited to prepare her costume and go trick or treating with her friends.

“I think everybody should be able to trick or treat no matter what age [they] are,” Knight said. “We’re going to go out for one last time before college and I’m really excited for it.”

Halloween began from ancient Celtic traditions. According to the New York Public Library, in ancient Celtic times a bon re would be lit and people would wear costumes to ward o evil spirits. Today, many people still carry on this tradition, including freshman Kassie Ferris.

“I’m going to have a huge Halloween party [where I will] have a bunch of people over and a big bon re,” Ferris said.

From Indy Scream Park

to Conner Prairie’s Headless Horseman ride, residents have a plethora of Halloween options to choose from. Even with these new advancements, Jud believes the basis of Halloween has remained the same.

“I don’t think it’s a whole lot di erent,” Jud said. “I think people got dressed up. When you’re a kid, you always had something you wanted to dress up as. You can dress something [di erent] from your personality for a night and be somebody di erent for a day.”

Knight, however, believes that Halloween has changed in terms of how teenagers participate in the holiday.

“Now a lot of teenagers feel like they can’t go out to trick or treat or have fun just because they’re getting older,” Knight said.

Jud says that even if students are not going to a Halloween party or trick or treating, they can still enjoy the holiday by dressing in costume.

“Be somebody di erent for a day,” Jud said. “[Even] if you’re not [doing anything huge], dress up as something and pass out candy. I think it’s kind of neat to be something a little bit di erent for one day.”

Spooky webbing in the corner of teacher John Jud’s room. Photo was taken on Sept. 28. Photo by Lainey Akins.

“I think I'm excited for the group costume, taking pictures together and all the candy I'm gonna get,” senior Ava Knight said.

Behind the scenes: vibrant foliage

The science of leaves changing colors in fall

Veda Thangudu thangved000@hsestudents.org

It is the time of the year when the weather starts to cool down and leaves start to fall o trees. Fall is mainly characterized by the color change in leaves. Biology teacher Alex Smith talks about the science behind leaves changing color.

“Plants have chemical mechanisms that let them tell how much daylight there is in the day,” Smith said. “Because [plants] know the days are getting shorter and they have less daylight to make carbohydrates, they’re going to start slowing down production of things like chlorophyll, which they use to harness the sun’s energy.”

Chlorophyll is green in color. Additionally, plants have other pigments in the background like carotenoids, which are di erent colors.

“Chlorophyll breaks down, the green color goes away, and then all that’s le are the carotenoids, which are red-brown, the fall colors,” Smith said.

While it may seem visually appealing to humans, leaves changing colors and falling o from trees has other e ects on the ecosystem. Along with signifying the end of growth season for plants, there are negative impacts on the environment.

“Leaves are a really important food source for a lot of organisms,” Smith said. “During the fall, leaves become less nutritious and start to drop o plants.”

Once they fall o plants

and hit the ground, decomposers start breaking them down, leaving numerous species of birds and herbivores food-less.

“ at’s why they’ve developed strategies to deal with winter,” Smith said. “Lots of mammals hibernate during the winter because there’s less food. Birds will migrate to nd more plentiful food sources near the equator. Camou age is set up for spring and summer, so prey might be more vulnerable during fall and winter.”

e science behind leaves changing colors during this season can induce certain emotions from people whether that be positive or negative. Junior

Zeina Wanas thinks that the weather helps support many activities like biking and walking.

“I think that fall is the best season of the entire year,” Wanas said. “De nitely because of the weather and the way it looks - the orange and red leaves - everything about it is so pretty and the weather is not too cold, not too warm.”

Another element that Wanas likes about fall is the fall avors at multiple restaurants. Cafes and restaurants re-introduce their fall collection, bringing back their pumpkin spice and cinnamon themed foods and drinks.

“Pumpkin spice lattes are so good,” Wanas said. “Anything pumpkin spiced or cinnamon, [or] anything fall avored is just so good.”

Although Wanas has her reasons to like fall, sophomore Krishna Patel thinks it is over hyped. She believes that the weather gets too cold.

“It’s a hassle readjusting to the whole school schedule, and waking up early during cold days [is hard],” Patel said.

Patel brings up the point

of how spring is known to be ‘allergy season’ and fall is o en not considered as a time for allergies to kick in. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI), ragweed is the most common trigger for fall allergies.

“You can also have allergies during fall,” Patel said. “ ey might not be as strong, but you can still have them during fall.”

Similar to how the environment a ects humans, the reverse occurs as well. Smith believes that foliage can be impacted by a variety of human activities, like migration and shipping. One instance of that can be found locally.

According to Indiana’s Department of Natural Resources, a pest named Hemlock Woolly Adelgid(HWA) was identi ed in LaPorte county in the mid 1920s, and eventually spread all across southern Indiana. It is an invasive species that transfers by attaching to items. HWA fed on deciduous trees, negatively impacting the native plants.

“A lot of the colors that used to be present in these beautiful forest landscapes are starting to become rarer, as the pest

destroys native plants,” Smith said.

Furthermore, Smith mentioned how humans can contribute to the environment through a very simple task at this time of the year. According to him, it is okay to pick up fallen leaves o private yards, but not in a wooded area. In those locations, leaves should be le on the ground.

“Big trees drop their leaves and it serves as a mechanism for killing o other competitive plants,” Smith said. “So if you pick up leaves, it makes it more likely for invasive plants to come in and harm native ora.”

Cycling through trends

Microtrends, fast fashion, alternatives have popularity among students

Emerson Elledge elledeme000@hsestudents.org

Goneare the days of eagerly awaiting the new autumnal issue of Vogue, desperate to be informed on what the hottest new fashion pieces are for the season. e season based catalogs are now o en discarded without a second thought. Now, people have access to a 24/7 catalog on phones, yet, as the old advertising style is discarded for a high tech echo of its past self, the same is done to trends as they were previously known. e already fast paced concept of seasonal trends has evolved into its more modern version: microtrends.

Microtrends are trends that gain rapid popularity in a short amount of time before becoming oversaturated in culture and are discarded. Some recent examples of this include crochet, cow print and corsets. Senior Andromeda Dundore is a fashion enthusiast who had a history of participating in microtrends before they realized the harm.

“I never buy anything unless I’m a hundred percent con dent I would wear it the next day. I would have a lot of items in my hand [when shopping as a kid] and then my mom would say something like, ‘never buy anything that you won’t wear in a year or two.’ That’s how I think about everything that I buy now,” senior Andromeda Dundore said.

two weeks later or in the dumpster on their way out to pollute somewhere.”

According to junior Jackson Lusk, who completed a project for AP Seminar about microtrends, buying from fast fashion companies is a simple way to participate in microtrends as they enable sweatshop labor and unsustainable clothing. However, fast fashion is o en the only realistic clothing option for people with lower income.

“[Microtrends] are also a class issue,” sophomore Dani Headley said. “People who have plenty of money have the funds to buy more expensive and ethicallysourced clothing, while poorer people may only have access to

According to Headley, the e orts that wealthier people

driving further to a store with ethical products or purchasing higher cost ethical products, would be unattainable for lower

“Microtrends are really harmful in a way that people who create, make or participate in microtrends usually tend to just stop a er a week or two,” Dundore said. “[Microtrends] really do contribute to fast fashion. at’s not sustainable because usually you either nd those items [that] were a trend either at Goodwill

this cheaper clothing.” could make to prevent fast fashion participation, like income people.

two,”

production of fast fashion

and extorting underpaid workers.

“Consumers have some responsibility for clothing

Lusk believes that the mass pushes out clothes with a short life span while also employing waste and unethical labor, but the main issue is the brands

“Sure, you can vow not to buy from places like Shein again, but that is not going to solve this issue in its entirety. e issues are the marketing teams and the CEOs pushing to get all these clothes into production because they can turn a very large pro t for them.”

Shein is one of the most prevalent fast fashion companies and rose to prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021 alone, the Shein app had over 190 million downloads, according to the Marketplace Pulse. For reference, the Amazon app only had 148 million downloads in the same year.

“Overall, the term microtrends is always going to be associated with bad things,” Dundore said. “It is associated with the idea that it is unsustainable and that everybody picks it up and then puts it down.”

A common theme with microtrends is taking the idea of repurposing old decades’ clothing styles and repackaging them into cheaper alternatives that will have a fraction of the lifespan a quality clothing item would.

“ e idea of trying to emulate actual vintage clothing is kind of silly,” Lusk said. “I

understand if you’re trying to make something that’s new a new microtrend, but I think if you’re emulating vintage clothing it defeats the purpose.” e concept of trends used to be based on a seasonal

basis, with trends emerging as

the publications of seasonal magazines do, before fading into oblivion.

“I personally don’t like the idea of trends because what are we going to keep up with when we are like 50?” Dundore said. “When trends don’t matter [then], why should they matter now…the idea that every single new and uprising anything needs to be a trend, it became a toxic sense.”

Some solutions to these microtrends are developing an individual style not based on others opinions on what is ‘in,’ as well as thri ing as opposed to going into a store at the mall and grabbing the coolest new thing o the rack.

“Look on Depop or go onto Pinterest,” Dundore said. “Look around and see what other people are doing [to draw inspiration from],” Dundore said. “Just remember that you are shopping for the long run… When you do get sick and tired of something, go donate it, upcycle it or just use it in another way that doesn’t involve you throwing it in the trash.”

Pumpkin spice and everything nice

People incorporate pumpkins into their food, decorations during autumn Madelyn Lerew lerewmad000@hsestudents.org

Acool chill in the air signals the changing of the seasons in October.

As people begin to break out their cozy sweaters and jackets, routines from years past begin to arise. Fruits and vegetables that are not as popular during other seasons pop up again.

“My favorite part about fall is easily the food,” junior Micah Derrer said. “I like food and the food that comes around fall, whether it be from anksgiving or candy from Halloween. I know there’s gonna be good food when fall comes around.”

Many fall recipes incorporate pumpkin due to pumpkins being ripe during the months of September through November.

For freshman Nathan Graham, this food comes in the form of baked goods.

“My family will sometimes bake pumpkin mu ns,

[and] the smell of that is always nice,” Graham said. “My mom knows how to make them, and we use store-bought ingredients. ey’re pretty good and it’s something that all the family likes.”

Making food with family can be common during the holiday season. Derrer participates in this by baking with his grandmother.

“My grandmother and I always make a pumpkin pie together with one of the pumpkins she grows in her garden,” Derrer said. “She has a little tradition for anksgiving with every grandchild and ours is pumpkin pie.” Cooking and baking are not the only things that utilize pumpkins as an ingredient during fall.

Pumpkin- avored drinks rise in popularity when the weather starts to turn. Dunkin’ released its fall drinks on Aug. 17 and Starbucks released theirs on Aug. 30.

“I’m basically a ‘basic white girl’ because I am at Starbucks the rst day that the fall drinks come out,” Derrer said.

“I am there and I buy exactly what they want me to, which is a pumpkin spice

frappuccino. I’m talking practically ice cream in a cup that’s got pumpkin avor and I go to school in the best mood I’ve ever been in.”

Pumpkins play an important role in decorating for Halloween as they are typically carved into jack-o-lanterns.

According to National Geographic, this tradition dates back to the Irish folktale of Stingy Jack, where people would carve and light turnips. When the tradition moved to North America, Washington Irving’s ‘Legend of Sleepy Hollow’ popularized pumpkins and people began carving them as opposed to turnips.

“Sometimes I’ll go to a friend’s house and

he’ll have a pumpkin carving contest,” Graham said. “He invites four or ve friends of his from his school and we’ll all bring our own pumpkin. His dad gets really into holidays and stu so he’ll have a bunch of supplies and anything you could want. ey’ll have templates there if you wanna try and cut

Pumpkin mu ns recipe

Ingredients:

- One box of spice cake mix - 15 ounce can of pumpkin

- One cup of water

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees

- Mix water and pumpkin together

- Slowly add in mix to thicken - Scoop batter into mu n tin - Bake for 15-22 minutes

those.”

ere are a multitude of designs that can be made on pumpkins, especially when provided with the right tools. Creating elaborate carvings allows for friendly competition with others.

“Last year I took a picture of my dog and I tried carving my dog and it actually turned out pretty good,” Graham said. “At the end, it’s a contest, but it’s more for fun, [and] the adults and the kids get to hang out. We’ll end the night by taking them outside and putting a candle in them, then we’ll take a big picture and then we’ll have a winner.”

When acquiring pumpkins, there are di erent ways to go

about it; heading to the store, a pumpkin patch or growing one in a garden. All methods require di erent time and price commitments.

“My grandma has a garden where she grows pumpkins, I think

those are the best pumpkins,” Derrer said. “I think that if you can grow your own pumpkins over buying from the store it’s always better. It’s not necessarily because they’re better pumpkins, it’s because you have more of a connection to them.”

While jack-o-lanterns are a very widespread way of decorating, pumpkins can be incorporated into designs without the fruit itself. is comes in the form of pumpkinthemed decor.

“If I’m not making a jacko-lantern because sometimes they’re hard to make or I just don’t have the time to get a pumpkin, I make pumpkin arts and cra s,” junior Samonti

Sanchita said. “Usually, I can nd that o the internet, like paper pumpkins.” ere are numerous things associated with fall and they are incorporated into the decorations and food people enjoy during the season. Pumpkins manage to traverse through multiple categories and embed themselves into everyday life.

“I usually associate [pumpkins] with fall because of Halloween, and the color orange is a really prominent color throughout the fall,” Sanchita said. “You can see it in the leaves and also Halloween. It’s a really big staple in the holiday.”

Background photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Not quite class pets

Students cite more enjoyable lives from pet ownership

Tanner Guillot guilltan000@hsestudents.org

During an average day at FHS, one student will encounter numerous students, all with developed personal lives. A part of many students’ post-school lives includes caring for their family’s pets. A large variety of pets hide in the lives of students, ranging across a multitude of species.

“I have a chinchilla named Leonardo de Caprio, a leopard gecko named Yogurt, a tortoise named Lightning and two dogs [named] Agnes and Edith,” sophomore Ian Strauss said.

It is important to acknowledge that pets are not for everyone. Beyond just personal taste, many people have allergies to certain animals, or simply do not have the time or budget for one.

Pets present the responsibility of maintenance and require a notable time commitment, regardless of the animal.

“Two or three hours of [my sisters’] week is spending time on their animals,” Strauss said.

However, many students have developed a fondness for pets due to the advantages they can have. According to the National Institute of Health, having a pet can bene t one’s mental health, serving as a source of comfort and companionship. Pets are also stated to reduce rates of anxiety and other forms of stress. Additionally, many nd animals fascinating and wish to learn more about how they live. Strauss seeks this in less traditional animals.

“In the future, I really [want to] own a capybara and a prairie dog,” Strauss said. is fascination with animals has led to a variety of characters entering families in Fishers. For example, junior Jenna Curtis lives in a house with two cats, named Kitty and S’more, the latter named for the colors of her fur. While many domesticated cats primarily live indoors, these two are largely outdoor cats.

“Kitty has a routine where he comes in for 30 minutes, demands food and to be pet and then goes outside for six hours,” Curtis said. “When one of them is outside, the other one tends to want to go outside as well.”

Curtis also lives with her sister’s bearded dragon, Pumpkin, a solitary and still animal, which has similarly led to some antics.

“One of S’more’s habits is that she likes to get up on the o ce chair, and then stare at Pumpkin

through the glass,” Curtis said. “We have to constantly take her down from there and put her in another room since she also likes to paw at the glass.”

Strauss spoke about his family’s vast array of animals, ranging across both mammals and reptiles.

“It’s like [having] our own little zoo,” Strauss said. “It gives me more options and they’ve all had their personalities,”

Strauss explained the stories behind each of his family’s pet names. As animals have more leeway with their names than humans do, not being able to understand language, many families name their pets a er items or characters in media. Animals also exhibit strange characteristics which make them prone to humorous names.

“Leo was named by my sister, who… was really into Titanic,” Strauss said. “Yogurt is from a movie that my family likes called ‘Spaceballs’ which is a knocko ‘Star Wars’. Lightning is named that because he is surprisingly fast for a tortoise, and the dogs are old lady names.”

While pets can be uncontrollable, this is what many nd engaging in them. As animals, they represent nature and chaos, yet they still show compassion towards humans. is companionship is the ultimate value which human-pet relationships represent.

“When I’m around [my pets], they’re nice, they make me happy,” Curtis said. “[My pets] better my life.”

Illustrations by Tanner Guillot

Fishers boys tennis team highlights their greatest moments

Alex Duer duerale000@hsestudents.org

In the world of sports, fans and outsiders view titles and championships as the determinant of a successful season. But ask an athlete, and they will look at the smaller moments and the time spent together. For some of the members of the boys tennis team, it was not the trophies or awards that made it enjoyable, but rather the moments shared both on and o the court that made this season one to remember.

e 2022 season was another successful one for the boys tennis team as they nished the year with a winning record and a third place nish in the Hoosier crossroads conference.

With so much success, it may be hard to pick just one top match. But to junior omas Bender, the sectional match between Fisher’s number one singles Reese Knoderer and HSE’s Rohan Golla was as good as it gets.

“ ey’ve been rivals all throughout high school, and they were two of the top players in the state,” Bender said. “Rohan typically won in the

past, so to see Reese win in his senior year and nal match was incredible. e level of play they are at is insane, it was very fun to watch.”

Watching a teammate pick up a victory against an arch rival might be pleasing, but pulling a comeback victory to beat said rival one last time may be even better. For Dack, that was exactly the case and it led to ending his career on a high note.

“My greatest triumph was de nitely the nal match I played,” Dack said. “It was versus HSE to close a tournament, and my partner and I were way down. But then the set switched, and we started playing on a di erent level. We dominated the rest of the match to end high school tennis with a nal mudsock win.”

Outside of matches, each season is lled with plenty of practice in between. is year was no di erent, as some members recall how they have improved this year.

“I’ve de nitely become a lot more consistent,” sophomore Matthew Iskandar said.

“Overall, my communication with my partner has also gotten better.”

For Bender, he believes his improvement came mentally. “Tennis is a sport all about mentality. is year, I have learned to keep my mind clear during matches and to not let bad shots or calls in uence my game.”

Besides individual growth, the team also found ways to grow together, most notably through humor.

“ e funniest moment this season was all of the inside jokes and jabs at each other,“ Dack said. “Everyone has nicknames and jokes about them, it was really funny to play o the team dynamic.”

Even in the dull moments of the season such as bus rides, the team found ways to enjoy their time together.

“ e bus rides to and from matches were always hilarious,” Bender said. “. Win or lose, the bus ride home was always fun.

en seniors made the bus rides a blast, it de nitely will not be the same next year without them.”

Members of the boys tennis team smile for a group photo a er a match. Photo used with permission of Thomas Bender.

Team picks

Favorite place to play?

Matthew: Indy Racquet Club

Thomas: Fishers. If not: Zionsville

Brady: Park Tudor

Favorite Racquet?

Matthew: No preference

Thomas: Babolat Pure Drive Team

Brady: Wilson Clash v2

Favorite Ball?

Matthew: Anything Wilson

Thomas: Dunlop Grand Prix

Brady: Red balls - for training

Running it back one last time

Fall senior athletes say goodbye to the sports they love

David Jacobs jacobdav000@hsestudents.org

Each fall, FHS offers eight sports competing in the highest IHSAA class size. These fall sports include football, boys tennis, girls golf, boys cross country, girls cross country, boys soccer, girls soccer and girls volleyball. Each one of these sports sees a senior athlete who grew up playing and falling in love with the sport they dedicated blood, sweat and tears into. Now, these seniors say one last goodbye.

Ian Jennings

“I am definitely going to miss [football] a whole lot,” Ian Jennings, senior running back, said.

Jennings had less time to savor his love for the game compared to many of his teammates.

“I wanted to play for a long time, but my mom did not let me because she thought it was too violent,” Jennings said.

Jennings, who started playing in eighth grade, was already at a disadvantage when he started in terms of experience, but naturally, his strength level will be limited as well.

“I just wish I trained harder,” Jennings said. “I definitely could have been stronger.”

Matthew Kordesh

“If I could talk to my younger self, I would say to enjoy every part as much as possible,” said senior tennis player Matthew Kordesh. “It is over a lot quicker than you think.”

Kordesh, who started playing as soon as tennis was offered through the school in seventh grade, still wishes he would have started earlier.

“It was kind of random because I took one tennis lesson in third grade and liked it, so when I had the chance to play again I did,” Kordesh said. “I just wish I would have started earlier and practiced more on my own time.”

Sarah Majeski

Sometimes trial and error is the way to fall in love with a sport. For senior golfer Sarah Majeski, this was exactly the case.

“I started playing because I wanted another sport to play, and in my family, you have always had to play a sport,” said Majeski. “I tried other sports like diving, swimming and soccer. My dad wanted me to sign up for a golf camp in seventh grade and I ended up loving it.”

Similar to sports like cross country and tennis, golf is a unique sport where it is both a team and individual sport at the same time.

“Golf was just a sport that I could push myself and be on a team,” said Majeski. “When you play golf you get paired up with people you do not know, so you get to know people. It is not super competitive, you just get to have fun with someone you do not really know.”

One thing golf has an edge in compared to any other high school sport is the price tag on the venue they play at. The median golf course costs $14 million, while the newest stadium in the Hoosier Crossroads Conference, Noblesville’s Beaver Stadium, was a $14 million endeavor.

“I am going to miss being able to play on beautiful and expensive golf courses just for the school,” said Majeski. “I would tell my [younger] self to just have more fun, it goes by really fast and you do not know what you have until you miss it.”

Carter Pritchett

Being the fastest kid in elementary school is a pride most seven-year-olds would strive to flaunt. For senior cross country runner Carter Pritchett, it started a passion for a sport.

“I was pretty fast in elementary… [now] I have been running for eight years,” said Pritchett.

Small improvements are the name of the game when it comes to cross country. However, that can be pretty taxing mentally.

“I would tell myself to keep grinding, especially when I feel like I am not getting better,” Pritchett said. “That will make a big difference in the long run.”

Ian Jennings awaits a handoff. Photo by Ruby Kivett

1. Matthew Kordesh returns a serve. Photo courtesy of Matthew Kordesh. 2. Braeden Dills drops the defender. Photo courtesy of Braeden Dills.

Sarah Majeski lines up for a putt. Photo by Kailey Santiago

Carter Pritchett strides out to the finish line. Photo courtesy of Carter Pritchett

1

Ana Foutty

Similarly to Jennings, senior cross country runner Ana Foutty got quite the late start to her passion for running.

“I started [running] cross country my sophomore year of high school,” said Foutty. “All my friends were runners, and quite a few of my family members were runners, so I decided to try it out because they all loved it so much.”

Injuries were something Foutty often had to deal with, despite only having three seasons under her belt.

“My only real regrets are just getting injured every season. Running took a toll on my shins and I never end [the season] healthy,” said Foutty.

For Foutty, there are some things she will never quite be able to describe.

“The feeling of coming down the last straight away with the crowds all cheering, the best feeling that I will miss forever,” said Foutty. “I will definitely miss the team bonding we all have, and I will really miss the races.”

Braeden Dills

Like Majeski, senior boys soccer player Braeden Dills found the sport he enjoys the most through trial and error.

“[My] parents put me in multiple sports when I was younger like baseball and football, but soccer was the sport I enjoyed the most,” said Dills.

Keeping the sport you love fun and remembering that at the end of the day it is still a game is something that many athletes can seem to forget with the competitive nature of prioritizing a win.

“Practice and improve on the simple things like passing and controlling, work on your weak foot and mainly have fun,” said Dills. “Do not get too caught up in the emotions of the game. I will miss the different emotions [I] feel during games, whether it is a tense or exciting situation, they are great.”

Emma Holt

Unlike Dills and Majeski, senior girls soccer player Emma Holt has been around soccer her whole life.

“I have been playing for as long as I can remember,” said Holt. “I believe I was only three when I played in my first league.” Many athletes follow the footsteps of their older siblings, and Holt was no different.

“My parents were trying to get me in as many sports as they could when I was younger,” said Holt. “I have two older sisters that also played soccer, so naturally it was the sport that stuck with me.”

The teammates athletes play with will often make or break your experience in sports. After all, most athletes ultimately spend more time with their teams than their families during the season.

“I will miss playing with all my teammates,” said Holt. “I have made so many friendships over the years that have made my experience playing this sport so amazing.”

The girls soccer team plays 17 guaranteed games during the season, 16 during the regular season, one playoff game and the total will increase if playoff games are won. Therefore, playing hurt seems much more flattering to players like Holt who know the opportunities to play are limited.

“I had minor injuries my junior and senior seasons,” said Holt. “I only missed one game but had to rest during multiple games both years to prevent them from getting worse. It was difficult because I felt like I was not going 100% in my games because I was worried I was going to make things worse. Our season is so fast, so I wanted to play every minute I could.”

Leslie Groff

Like Majeski attending a golf camp and Kordesh a tennis camp, senior girls volleyball player Leslie Groff started her playing career and love for the game after a volleyball camp.

“I basically played every sport as a child, so my mom signed me up for a volleyball camp and I started playing in fifth grade and loved it,” said Groff. “Volleyball has been one of the best experiences of my life where I have met so many great people.”

When athletes spend most or all of the year playing a sport, the years can go by especially fast.

“If I could talk to my younger self, I would say to enjoy every practice and every game because it goes by quick,” said Groff. “I will miss playing with my friends that I have made over the years.”

Ana Foutty paces to the finish. Photo courtesy of Ana Foutty.

Emma Holts eyes up her adversaries. Photo courtesy of Emma Holt.

Leslie Groff goes up to hit the ball. Photo courtesy of Leslie Groff.

1.

Sophomores Henry Wood, with a time of 17:42.9, and Cooper Mohr, with a time of 17:41.7, run in the Invitational race on Sept. 17 at Northview Church. 2. During the FlashRock Invitational, Hans Moore runs at about the halfway point of the course. Fishers placed fourth of 21 teams in the Invitational race. 3. Senior Tyler Schiesser turns a corner to approach a short decline on the course. Photos by Taryn MacMillan.

The love of hard work

Boys cross country discusses consistency, dedication

Ellie Payne paynenic002@hsestudents.org

Crosscountry is a sport for all skill levels. It allows for a variety of people to come in and work on themselves as an athlete.

“Everyone is given an equal chance to work hard and get better every day,” said senior runner John Myers. “As a team we cultivate a very accepting environment, where we welcome people of all skill sets.”

The bond with their teammates motivates them and pushes them forward.

“My biggest motivator in a race is my teammates as we are constantly pushing one another past what we thought was achievable,” said sophomore runner Park Melling.

Here is what the team said about if anyone wanted to join, and the changes you’ll go through if you do.

“I would say just come and try it out at least once,” said Melling. “It’s not for everyone, but you’ll make a lot of great friends and grow a lot as an athlete and person because of how our team is run.”

Myers talked about what he learned from being involved in the sport.

“Just that hard work will get

you places, and being a good teammate is really valuable,” said Myers.

Melling discussed what he learned from being on the cross country team, and the things he has gained from it.

“My teammates are not only people I enjoy being around at practice, but also outside of school as well,” Melling said. “Cross country has allowed me to make new friends that I wouldn’t have made without the sport.”

According to Melling, cross country has made a positive impact in other aspects of his life.

“Cross country has kept me disciplined with my academics as it forces me to have good time-management skills and has helped me maintain a healthy lifestyle as it keeps me physically active,” said Melling.

Myers talks about why he decided to join the boy’s cross country after his father convinced him, while others joined due to a love of running from a young age.

“I have been running and racing competitively since I was in first grade,”senior runner Cooper Kane said. “I fell in love

with the sport many years ago. I find joy everyday in setting new goals and having fun with the team.”

Myers touches on how the relationship is between the seniors and the underclassmen.

“The relationship is strong,” said Myers. “Absolutely no hazing on the team because we really understand that underclassmen are the future of this team. We want to see them succeed and continue the tradition of success that we take a lot of pride in.”

Through the difficulty of cross country, the runners have learned the value of hard work.

“Every race is an opportunity to get better,” Kane said. “If you choose to work at something, work at it with all you got.”

Senior Tommy Clark finishes his race in 22nd place with a time of 17:45.3. Photo by Taryn MacMillan.

The mindset behind the miles

Girls cross country team focuses on mental side of running Sophia Krueger kruegsop000@hsestudents.org

during a race does not just happen overnight. It is worked on from Monday to Friday practices, to moments before the timer starts.

“We’ve been doing some relaxation before a meet,” Murch said. “We do this breathing exercise; we’ve been focusing a lot on breathing and making sure that our heart rate doesn’t spike too much and that we’re pushing ourselves, but that we’re not redlining, [reaching 90 to 100 percent of our maximum heart rate]...Just making sure we can stay consistent.”

Ahighschool cross country race is typically about three miles, but there is more to the race than just running. e FHS girls cross country team has been focusing on the other aspects of a race all season.

Coach Andrew Belloli has been the head coach of the team for three years. is year, he is striving to help his athletes work on the mental facet of running.

“A lot of times we have girls that are really training well, and they’ve got a lot of the physical part of it down, but… just learning to navigate the di erent stress that can come in with getting ready for a race,” Belloli said. “It’s more been about how to prepare with everything else we do that maybe isn’t running. Fueling, hydrating, and getting rest...We’ve made that an increased priority.”

Sophomore Bella Murch joined the team this year and a er just a few races, already understands the signi cance of having a positive mindset.

“It’s really important because…

if you’re not in the right headspace before you run, it can totally throw o your running abilities,” Murch said. “If you get super stressed out while you’re racing, that can also have an e ect on you. You have to really make sure that you’re just calm and focused. You have to let [others] motivate you and not make you stress out.”

Junior Kate omas also joined the team this year and has been working on the ability to stay calm during a race not just for her mental health, but her physical health as well.

“I have sports performance anxiety, so when I got to the end of my runs for the rst few meets that we had, I’d almost pass out at the end,” omas said. “I got diagnosed with VCD (Vocal Cord Dysfunction), so when I get anxious, it closes my airway and causes me to get dizzy and lightheaded. Just being able to stay calm during my races and really work on my breathing… has been one of the biggest challenges to overcome.”

Being able to refocus a mindset

Sometimes the support of teammates is needed when the going gets tough. e girls cross country team encourages each other using a unique acronym.

“Our coach has a saying, it’s called ‘roar’,” omas said. “It [stands for] recognize the obstacle, approach it with a positive attitude and then respond. So, if we’re in the middle of a 400 repeats or something, we’ll just go ‘roar’ at each other and then you just keep running and it’s like, okay, they’re in pain too, we got this.”

As the team enters its nal month of the season, the mental preparation will continue. According to Belloli, it has contributed to nothing but success so far.

“When you look at our progression of times in the season, a lot of girls have dropped time in multiple meets this year. At our last meet, every single JV runner got their best time of the season and…nine of our 12 varsity girls,” Belloli said. “Hopefully that means they’re progressing the way we want them to, and are gonna be ready to go for the state tournament.”

Girls cross country varsity team members run the course at the Hoosier Crossroads Conference meet on Sept. 24. Photo used with permission of Ken Pensinger.

1. Senior Margo Hernandez prepares to throw and serve the ball to Yorktown at their game on Oct. 4. Photo by Maegan Semesky.

2. Sophomore Ellen Roberts swings to spike the ball onto Yorktown's side of the court. Photo by Maegan Semesky.

Following in family footsteps

Underclassmen who followed their older siblings into Fishers volleyball

Avery Roe roeave000@hsestudents.org

Freshman

Helmina Hernandez is the fifth in her family to play high school volleyball, and the fourth to play volleyball for Fishers, following senior Margo Hernandez.

Likewise, sophomore Ellen Roberts followed her two older sisters onto the Fishers team.

“Well I was bad at other sports and my sisters played club volleyball when I was very young,” said Roberts. “I was dragged to every tournament and game so I just followed.”

The girls were both introduced to the sport at a young age.

However, Roberts decided to start playing right away while Helmina Hernandez chose to dive into other interests first.

“I would watch my family play and learn more about the game,” said Helmina Hernandez. “I never really wanted to play myself because I was into basketball at that time but my mom really pushed me to try it.”

Although Roberts was following her siblings into the sport, she still found her own passion for it.

“I love the competition involved with one point given

every play,” said Roberts. “Every team I’ve been on I’ve loved the girls and I have countless memories.”

Margo Hernandez has had a similar experience throughout her career.

“Volleyball has brought me some of my greatest friends and it has taught me so many life lessons,” said Margo Hernandez.

The summer before her 7thgrade year, Helmina Hernandez decided she would give volleyball a shot. Despite her love for basketball, she did not feel the drive to play.

“[Volleyball] was the only sport that made me want to get better. I’ve enjoyed every moment while playing,” said Helmina Hernandez.

Playing the same sport as her siblings has helped Roberts improve more than just her game. She has been able to strengthen her relationship with them as well.

“[Volleyball] was something that got us closer,” said Roberts. “Talking about it, good or bad, and constant encouragement. I could talk about a problem knowing they understand me.”

Margo Hernandez was driven by her siblings to work harder in the sport. Her goals have been shaped by what she saw her siblings experience.

“I know volleyball is the right sport for me because I am so happy when I play it,” said Margo Hernandez. “I forget about everything else going on and just play.”

Roberts and Helmina Hernandez both emphasized the amount of energy they get from the loud atmosphere. There is always something to cheer for after each play which helps with stress levels on the court.

“My favorite memory from volleyball so far was taking a set off of HSE,” said Helmina Hernandez. “Even though we didn’t win, my whole team played very well. We would cheer so loud which made it even more fun.”

By following her family into the sport, Helmina Hernandez gained more than just the knowledge they shared.

“I’ve made decisions based on my older siblings' experiences,” said Helmina Hernandez. “Which, in the end, has made my volleyball career easier so far.”

The world le unconscious

Two opposing theories on what it means to dream Kindell Readus kinreadu@hsestudents.org

Dreams at their core are simple mental pictures working to create something, anything. ey do not have to be full stories with linear plot points or a climax. ey do not even have to be coherent, all they are is the musings of an unconscious mind. But there has to be more to them than just conjured-up images; they have to mean something, to be important but what?

(a part of the human brain that only holds the capacity to do basic functions such as eating and one’s ght or ight response) is a discredit to just how complicated the human mind is. A mind that creates images so real and believable that many o en have a hard time separating the tangible world from the ctional; should not be reduced so far back in the evolutionary process.

self refers to the process of completely encompassing the person’s physical, biological, psychological, social and cultural essence. e theory is that these two ideas, self and ego, hold a constant conversation concerning what is and is not known versus what should be, something that is done by mixing recent memories, present problems and future solutions.

Jung

Rivaling theorists Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung each had their own conclusion as to what that answer might be.

Freud held a dark view on what it meant to dream, stating that they were meant to be a closely held secret, cryptic motifs painted by the desires meant to be kept hidden from the waking world. Dreams to him were nothing but the awakening of long-repressed animalistic, instinctual, hypersexual and o en oedipal impulses.

what it meant to dream,

Jung’s best known work was developing the concepts of the extroverted and the introverted personality, archetypes and the collective unconscious rmly placing dreams well within his wheelhouse. is theory provides an idea that holds the mind to a more intellectual and analytical standard.

studies, experiments and

Freud is best known for his outlandish and odd studies, experiments and explanations. His take on these nighttime illusions is no exception, holding little regard for humanity and struggling to allow for fact as it relates to a client as opposed to the anecdotes his theory relies on. His theory makes people out to be falsehearted. e idea that the unconscious mind runs deep within the mammal brain

Opposing Freud there was Jung. He suggested that dreams are a way to connect with our psyche and to have it guide us through our real-world problems or dilemmas. Jung believed that dreams work as a “dialogue between ego and the self.” In this case, ego refers to the re ective process overarching one’s conscious being, while

In Jung’s studies, he recognizes the patient’s background and life experience while balancing this with the experiences described in their dreams, something that Freud was never completely successful in. e concept of a conversation between ego and self adds a sense of personalization while also working to explain the concept pictured in a way that is complementary to the patient’s real-life disposition instead of forcing a pessimistic and dark view of who they are, of who people as a species are. He holds people to a standard worthy of the mind’s true abilities.

patient’s and life experience while balancing this with the experiences described in something that Freud was never completely successful in. e concept of a conversation

Dependence on avenues of escapism endanger young people

Teenage tendencies Dictionary

De nitions from Katrell Readus readukat000@hsestudents.org

search word

ad dic tion

/e’dikSH(e)n/

Addiction: a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to engage in certain behaviors despite blatant or implied risk of substantial harm.

ough every teen might not develop an addiction, the elements that contribute to this type of dependency are o entimes apparent in daily life. ese temporal facets include external factors such as stress, (a well-known risk factor in the development of addiction and in addiction relapse vulnerability) poor mental health care resources and more, but an irrefutable yet equally dangerous internal factor also applies during adolescence.

According to an article by Turnbriege, an addiction treatment center in Connecticut, entitled ‘Why are Teens so Vulnerable to Addiction? A closer look at the Adolescent Brain,’ it is during the adolescent years that the brain undergoes various changes. e brain is developing and ultimately preparing its owner to grow

up, leave home and become independent. is neurological advancement is not complete until age 25, putting individuals under that age inevitably susceptible to certain risks including addiction.

We as teen addicts turned to our various addictions not because drugs and booze were thrown at our feet as we were o en told they would be, but because of the world that was thrown at our feet - feet still growing into the shoes handed down to us by past generations, we cannot seem to ll fast enough. Teens, including those not facing addiction, were brought up in a world faltering at its foundations and are now facing a erce responsibility, placed upon us by ourselves and others, to x the failures of a future built upon poor choices and events we cannot even remember. From the day we began school, we were told of the future we would form together as the next generation of doctors, lawyers, politicians and presidents and that this world had to outdo the failing aspects of the one we currently called home. From that day forward the pressure to live up

to the expectation of changing the world appeared along with the hundreds of other pressures already accumulated at our feet.

is imposed an overwhelming pressure, an order of enormous proportion for those too young to remember the beginning of the problem we are now feeling responsible to solve. For some of us, this task becomes too much and we run completely away from worldly expectations, running right into the arms of something we could really depend on: addiction and escapism. is classic rebellion has built a rather widespread, yet juxtaposing, reputation for us. is creates a new countering, coexisting notion of a kind of reckless disregard for reality. e American Psychology Association de nes escapism as the propensity to escape from the real world to the safety and alleviation of a fantasy world. ese ‘fantasy worlds,’ however, do not have to be fuel for fairy tales, in fact, o entimes they are not. Life is innately stressful and coping strategies are inexorable for

making it through each day. Escapism can be a coping skill when used positively, but ignoring reality completely can be injurious and addictive. is danger becomes especially evident when in an e ort to escape from our stressors we begin to run ourselves into the dark corners of empty bottles, baggies and unhealthy habits. Not every teen will face an addiction and of those who do, only a fraction, while still considerable, will experience the addiction, the one compulsion that has become synonymous with the concept as a whole: substance abuse. ough a crucible of its own, drug and alcohol dependence is not the only type of addiction. In reality, according to Synergy Wellness Center, a physical and mental

help treatment facility, there are three main types of possible addiction, and substances are only one.

Behavioral addiction is one of these, with dependence falling under this type of addiction hinging upon speci c behavioral actions. ose who are experiencing this type of addiction grow dependent on the feeling that participating in their given behavior provides.

Common addictive behaviors include things that can appear harmless or fun such as shopping or making bets with friends. Compulsive behaviors like these, which grow to the status of addiction, give their users a rush or high similar to what those addicted to a substance experience. e nal type is impulse

also asked

addiction. Impulse control disorders can lead to addiction, someone with this type of disorder struggles to manage their emotions and actions, making them more prone to the , emotional outbursts and/or destructive behavior toward themselves, property or others. It is possible and even likely that addicts of any addiction, even those knee-deep in our addictions, are aware of the detriment we have entered but are not prepared to exit the walls of a dilapidated refuge our condition provides. Regardless of our feelings, addiction is a danger to ourselves and others. My own landed me in hospital bracelets that felt like shackles and arms riddled with IVs. e mirage of safety or pleasantness an addiction can provide is set to fade or dig a hole too deep to escape from.

s Helpline

National Helpline is a free, con dential, 24/7, 365-day-ayear treatment referral and information service for individuals and families facing mental and/or substance use disorders.

especially for Black kids. On their screens, they see a Black woman embody the newest version of Ariel, the main character in the movie.

On Sept. 9, ‘ e Little Mermaid’ live-action trailer came out. is immediately caused both positive and negative reactions on multiple platforms such as Twitter, TikTok and Instagram. is is due to the fact that the trailer revealed what Ariel would look like in the newly imagined lm: a Black mermaid, played by Halle Bailey, who has deep red locks. Many comments expressed that the change in looks completely ‘ruins the entire story’ and critics even went as far as accumulating 1.5 million dislikes on the trailer on YouTube.

Amidst all the chaos, there were many articles, reactions and in uencers that surfaced revealing how important it was to have that kind of representation in a lm as big as Disney’s ‘ e Little Mermaid.’

According to National Public Radio (NPR), many TikToks were posted showcasing Black chldren’s unimaginable pride when they saw that there was a famous childhood character that looked like them. Great Blue Hill, an educational TV foundation, reported how important it was for children to see themselves being represented in terms of race, gender and religion on mass media platforms. erefore, kids of all backgrounds are able to learn that they are capable of anything that they put their minds to, such as having equal opportunity in the media eld. We believe that equitable environments show that their background should not negatively impact what they do in the future.

According to Racetoacure, a national platform built based on youth empowerment, representation not only helps children believe in their abilities, but also allows people to understand other cultures, beliefs and be more accepting of people with diverse backgrounds. e organization puts further emphasis on how the British Broadcasting Company explains that diversity in mass media broadens the perception of society and other beliefs around the world. erefore, constant representation in media can normalize diversity in day-to-day interactions and improve people’s overall worldviews.

While diversity in media can be important for the progressiveness of equality, it can be extremely dangerous if not done correctly. Racetoacure o ers the point of how misrepresentation can bleed through in typecasting and stereotypes of certain cultures, beliefs and backgrounds. Hence, playing into the misconceptions and built-up categories that have been created to degrade and strip opportunities away from diverse groups of people.

Furthermore, diversity in representation can be a touchy subject for most. While representation, when done right, can be viewed as a way to empower young people of color and inspire them to believe in their abilities, some believe changing the image of a character, such as in ‘ e Little Mermaid’, is detrimental to their own childhood by ruining their perception of the story they grew up on. is poses the question: How can representation be prioritized while also staying true to the lm’s impact on the audience? e solution for this should include creating diverse characters in the rst place. Rather than substituting an originally White character with one of color to show representation, new characters should be produced that are originally a show of diversity. is allows for the satisfaction of stories staying true to how people remembered and imagined them while also creating equal opportunity for di erent backgrounds to be normalized and beloved just like any other character.

Too much sympathy for serial killers

Net ix’s most recent serial killer docu-series ‘Dahmer’ golori es crimes Katrell Readus readukat000@hsestudents.org

Asheartthrobs stalk their prey across our screens deep in a Hollywood portrayal of some of the world’s most dangerous serial killers and their crimes, the world watches with bated breath as murders and other crimes are recreated, investigated and solved right in front of their eyes.

Murder media has been an everpresent xture of pop culture for decades starting with ‘Telecrime,’ a television program on the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), running from 1938–39. is program prompted TV viewers to compete in the mental challenge of unraveling crimes before the show’s police force. Television shows, podcasts and documentaries just like this one have become some of the most popular among media consumers. Programs like these leave viewers gazing upon glamorized reenactments of tragic, life-ending and/ or altering events to simply feed a fright and a boost of adrenaline brought on by the solving of a puzzle.

release of the new series ‘Dahmer,’ a graphic, cinematically dramatized depiction of sadism seemingly designed to ful ll an audience’s desperate need to see the newest pin-up (in this case actor Even Peters) portraying the ‘villain,’ aching for as much gore as possible. Also included in between the scenes of death and destruction, viewers see his face fall and sadness overtake any other emotion. Tears well in his eyes as he begs the man that would later become his victim to stay. His voice cracks as he asks

The episode with ‘me’ was the only one part I saw I didn’t watch the whole thing, I didn’t need to watch it. I lived it.”

Je rey Dahmer was a proli c serial killer in the 1980s and 1990s. He targeted young men of color, o en luring them to his apartment with the promise of cash or sexual favors, before drugging them, raping them, performing grotesque experiments on them and ultimately killing them. His victims were slaughtered so recently that the memories are still fresh for their families − a wound that is further brutalized with every new series that is created for the sole purpose of making the killings ‘more dramatic.’

Fans ocked to Net ix for the

and pleads to know why everybody leaves him. It is in moments like this in the series where Je rey Lionel Dahmer is just a man longing for love and someone to be with. He is just a man traumatized by a past that only brought pain and treachery. He, in moments like these, was portrayed to audiences as no worse than the everyday man.

Strong emotion-evoking scenes like these are where viewers are inadvertently coerced and misguided into feeling sorry for this man, a man who murdered

and mutilated more than a dozen men. at is the issue with movies and shows like this one. Men like Je ery Dahmer are given sympathy as if any amount of heartbreak, loneliness or rejection could justify the taking of a life. Instead, stylized television media hoping to depict the crimes of famous killers like Dahmer should focus on honoring the victim, on highlighting their process of justice or o entimes the lack thereof. Audiences should be allowed to see the victims as people, as an individual with lives that could have still continued to prosper beyond what they have become now: mere names wrapped together in a web that leads to one center, the image and name of the person who ended their life. is sympathy and infatuation with ‘Dahmer’ vastly encourages an already existing and highly perverted fascination with the docuseries namesake and his crimes. is obsession was made clear to the public during the proceeding of what was, as of 2013, the third most watched televised trial when two autographseeking teenagers sat outside the courtroom waiting and hoping for an interaction with the infamous killer.

“We just want to see him,” Amy Di Francesco, 16, told New and Record in an original 1992 coverage of the Dahmer trial. “We want to get his autograph if they will let us. at would be cool to have Je rey Dahmer’s autograph because he is a killer.”

is is a prime example of the kind of deranged captivation that media industries are advertently or inadvertently creating with programs like this one.

“It felt like reliving it all over again. It brought back all the emotions I was feeling back then...

- Rita Isabell

sister of Errol lindsey, a man killed by Dahmer

The need for change

Improvements are made through willingness to adapt

The thought of change can be alarming for most since it has connotations such as deterioration, aggravation and regression. What people often overlook, however, is that the word also has connotations like growth, evolution and development. Change in circumstances such as education, work and environments can positively impact our preparation for the future and ability to adapt.

Change frequently sets up a pathway for improvement in the quality of numerous things such as productivity, understanding and health. According to the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR), constantly changing the work or school environment is an indirect way of showcasing genuine care for the success of the future of the environment and ensuring refinements occur in an efficient manner. CLIR emphasizes that the call for change needs to be identified in an organized manner. Change cannot be implemented randomly since it may cause the environment to become chaotic. The council said that there are certain ‘triggers’ for change such as the need for improvement, a

mistake in the system or a sudden problem that surfaces that needs to be addressed.

One of the most prevalent examples of when change needs to

be prioritized can be attributed to our ever-changing world. In order to keep up with everyday life, we, as a society, need to identify when changes need to be made. Earlier in the issue there was an article about the call for reform of Iran’s laws. This was urgently decided when an Iranian woman was killed for alledgely not following the dress code in the country. Protesters saw the tragedy as a wake-up call for the citizens to stand up against the dress code and demand change. Another example of this is shown in the article about the attempt to embrace diversity in mass media more, which is a progressive change. The problem of inequality or minorities was identified and media outlets are working towards bettering that aspect of their business.

Modifications in our school are also vital for the contributions we’ll later have to the world. According to Education Week, when we become accustomed to changes in school, it is preparing students for how we will adapt to similar changes in the future. For example, when there is a sudden change in the curriculum or how the school functions, such as TI being switched to the eighth period, it will sharpen

of Education, Culture and Employment explained that changes in our school curriculum or education is directly correlated with the differences that occur in the world. For example, as the world becomes more accepting of different cultures and backgrounds, schools will reflect that through the expansion of ideas and lessons that we are educated on.

Lastly, change in seasons can also impact us. Psychology Today confirms this by explaining that it can have both positive and negative effects on our mental health. On one hand, seasonal change is good because we are able to channel our interests, dressing styles and habits into a more fall-based parameter such as making pumpkin recipes, as mentioned in one of the articles in this issue. On the other hand, seasonal change can cause stress or depression for reasons such as the lack of sunlight. Psychology Today explains that increased willingness to change can help avoid those problems because a change in mindset is usually the fix for seasonal anxiety.

sharpen our reactions to alterations in workplaces or personal plans. Furthermore, the Department

different environments such as our

Overall, changes in any aspect typically allow for growth in the future and readiness to adapt in numerous unique situations. We should try to continue to remember the positive connotations of change and its impact.

The change in green leaves to orange and red leaves on the trees signify the transition from summer to fall. Photo by Malak Samara.

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