12.12 Issue

Carmel High School newsmagazine

FEATURE

entertainment

Origins of holiday symbols and unusual holidays

sports

CHS students participate in reality television shows

page 16

page 32

page 40

Students participate in extreme sports

december 12, 2014

h o w

w e

s e e

CHS students are recognizing that the true definition of feminism is the equality of both genders, rather than the public perception that feminism solely promotes women

page 26| BRIELLE SAGGESE

02

contents

dec 12, 2014

contact information

Mailing Address: 520 E. Main St., Carmel IN 46032 Phone: (317) 846-7721, Ext. 7143 Website: www.hilite.org Email: Staff members of the HiLite may be contacted by using their first initial and their last name appending @hilite.org. For example, Helena Ma will receive mail sent to hma@hilite.org.

responding to the hilite

Letters to the editor will be accepted for the January 22 issue no later than January 9.

Letters may be submitted to Room C147, placed in the mailbox of Jim Streisel, emailed to letters@hilite.org or mailed to school. All letters must be signed. Names will be published.

(Letters sent via email will be taken to a student’s SRT for him to sign.) Letters must not contain personal attacks against an individual and may be edited.

Purpose

Credentials

The HiLite belongs to the Indiana High School Press Associations, Quill & Scroll and the National Scholastic Press Association.

advertising

Businesses may advertise in the HiLite if their ads adhere to guidelines. The advertising policy is available in Room C147 or at www.hilite.org/ads-info.

Editor in Chief Helena Ma

Cover Story Aaron Shi

Managing Editors Madison Adzema Matt Del Busto Chrishan Fernando Aster Samuel

Feature Michelle Dai Cynthia Wu

Ads Team Ellen Peng Accountant Patrick Shaffer Acumen Lauren Lu Stephanie Zhang 15 Minutes of Fame Sarah Liu Beats/Calendar Natalia Chaudhry Katie Long Brielle Saggese Selena Qian Melissa Yap Alex Yom Jenny Zhao Creative Director Dennis Yang

Front Page Scott Liu Alex Yu Graphics Haley Bracken Jiva Capulong Olivia Jacko Akshar Patel Tiffany Xie GMN Liaison Arsalan Siddiqui News Christine Fernando Laxmi Palde Perspectives Maham Nadeem Sriya Ravi Photography Nivedha Meyyappan Alice Zhu Sports Emma Love Shakeel Zia

Social Media Sreeti Ravi Ally Russell Entertainment John Chen Lianne Yu Student Section Jessica Tao Web Adit Chandra Miles Dai Kevin Fei Aneesh Luthra Willie Zhu Online Directors Jason Klein Rushi Patel Writing Coaches Kyle Walker Miriam Hu Reporters Lucus Cheng Asim Dhungana Daniel Goldberg Matthew Han Nida Khan Jasmine Lam Katie Long Gabby Perelmuter Naomi Reibold

Grant Smith Katie Summitt Angela Sun Kari Truax Shiva Vallabhaneni Sitha Vallabhaneni Sreya Vemuri Gabriella Wang Annika Wolff Angela Wu Sara Yin Cynthia Yue Anni Zhang Grace Zhang Michael Zhao Matthew Zheng Photographers Divya Annamalai Kyle Crawford Miles Dai Mike Johnson Dara Levy Swetha Nakshatri Jaymee Stout Sara Yung Adviser Jim Streisel Principal John Williams Superintendent Nicholas Wahl

7 cover photo: Scott liu

The HiLite is a student publication distributed to students, faculty and staff of Carmel High School, with a press run of 4,500. Copies are distributed to every school in the Carmel Clay district as well as the Chamber of Commerce, city hall and the Carmel Clay Public Library.

The paper serves as a public forum and two-way communication for both the school and the community. Opinions expressed in the newspaper are not necessarily those of CHS nor the Carmel Clay system faculty, staff or administration.

dec 12, 2014

contents

6|news News Briefs

18|feature Popularity of religious tattoos is prevalent at CHS

35|entertainment Students share their views on Spotify’s role in the music industry

50|perspectives Writing coach Kyle Walker shares a personal story about suicide

7|news

22|student section

Design for CHS will host a BuildA-Bench challenge until Dec. 21

Junior Kamna Gupta dances to relieve stress from school and upcoming finals

36|entertainment New, more modern ‘Annie’ to be released on Broadway

51|perspectives Reporter Grant Smith discusses the new immigration laws

8|news The Teen Library Council will host its first Yule Ball, which is based on the Harry Potter novels

23|student section CHS students share their plans for winter break

10|news The CHS planetarium is adding two new HD projectors 11|news The winter farmer’s market will be moving to a new location and featuring new vendors 12|feature Working students return to tradition as stores close during holiday season 16|feature Increasing numbers of CHS students participate in reality television shows

VOL. 79, NO. 5

24|student section Things to do on a snow day 25|student section Students tweet what they would do for a snow day 26|cover story Students embrace gender equality over perceived notion of feminism 32|entertainment Reporter Sara Yin explains the origins of holiday symbols and introduces lesser-known holidays 34|entertainment CHS Orchestra to prepare for Midwest Clinic which will take place Dec. 17 to 20

38|entertainment Jazz band prepares for upcoming concerts 39|entertainment Entertainment Briefs 40|sports CHS students take part in extreme sports 44|sports A look back at what the women’s swimming team has accomplished 46|sports Senior Maddie Mewhinney gets injuries every year when she plays soccer 48|perspectives Staff Editorial 49|perspectives Managing editor Matt Del Busto emphasizes that we shouldn’t be content with mediocrity

52|perspectives Reporter Naomi Reibold talks about death with dignity 53|perspectives Graphic Perspectives 54|15 minutes of fame Junior Joseph Huang plays the pipe organ 56|back cover Basketball season is starting

contents

4|Just a minute The year 2014 in review

40 54

03

04

Just a minute

2014 in review

dec 12, 2014

rosetta comet landing nov. 10 On March 2, 2004, the European Space Agency launched the Rosetta mission.

Rosetta’s purpose is to collect data on Comet 67P (Churyumov-Gerasimenko) and its activity as it orbits the sun. Rosetta’s Philae probe is the first human comet landing. Below is a recreation of Rosetta’s 10-year journey.

1 Launch

2 Earth Gravity Assist

3 Mars Gravity Assist

4 Earth Gravity Assist

5 Earth Gravity Assist

6 Landing on 67P

Nov. 13, 2009

2

Nov. 10, 2014

4

Octo

ber

3

6

2014 in With the year coming to a close, let’s take a closer look at some of the major media events of 2014.

Sept

emb

er

Earth Mars 67P (Churyumov-Gerasimenko) Rosetta

Donations per year

July

HIV/AIDS: $14M 8,000 deaths

t

Motor Neuron Disease (including ALS): $23M 7,000 deaths Diabetes: $4M 74,000 deaths

The ALS Association raised over $20 million in the widespread social media phenomenon. Here is a graph showing the relationship between where we donate and diseases that kill us (yearly data, from respective charities).

us

Prostate Cancer: $147M 21,000 deaths

als ice bucket challenge july - september

Au g

Breast Cancer: $260M 41,000 deaths

r

mbe

Dece

r

5

1

Feb. 25, 2007

be

Nov. 13, 2007

March 4, 2005

No ve m

March 2, 2004

Heart Disease: $54M 600,000 deaths

Deaths per year

NPR, CDC, STEP OUT WALK, RIDE TO END AIDS, KOMEN RACE FOR THE CURE, MOVEMBER, ALS ASSOCIATION, JUMP ROPE FOR HEART, USA TODAY, QUARTZ, INTERPOL, SOCHI 2014, BUSINESSWEEK, SLATE, CNN / SOURCES

dec 12, 2014

2014 in review

just a minute

05

Sochi winter olympics feb. 7 - Feb. 23 The 2014 Winter Olympics took place in Sochi, Russia. This year’s Olympics introduced 12 new events. The torch visited 136 cities over 123 days, traveling a distance of 56,000 km and passing through the hands of 14,000 torchbearers. Russia won, finishing with 13 gold medals and 33 medals overall.

cost: $51 Billion

Sochi, Russia Population: 400,000

the most expensive olympics to date

Janu

ary

ar

ru

b Fe

malaysian airlines flights march 8 & july 17

y

Review

47 other 38 malay

154 Chinese

mh370

mh17

65 other 44 malay

189 dutch

ay

M

Enemies

Al Qaida Egypt

Complicated

Hamas Hezbollah

Friends

Iran

June

Iraq

conflict in the middle east hamas: july 8 - aug. 26 | isis: june 29 - now This summer, Hamas and Israel were engaged in the Gaza-Israel conflict. More recently, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant has sparked major controversy after a series of public executions. The organization has since then taken other large portions of Iraq and Syria. This chart details the complex relationships between various parties in the Middle East.

ISIS Israel Palestinian Authority Saudi Arabia Syria Turkey United States

United States

Turkey

Syria

Saudi Arabia

Palestinian Authority

Israel

ISIS

Iraq

Iran

Hezbollah

Hamas

Egypt

Al Qaida

il

Apr

Graphic by Alex Yu

h

Marc

Two Malaysian Airlines flights, MH370 and MH17, met trouble this year. MH370 went missing over the Indian Ocean and has not been found yet. MH17 was shot down over Ukraine on its way to Amsterdam.

Victim nationalities

NEWS

Dec 12, 2014

Katherine long

News Briefs

NEWS BRIEFS DEC. 1 to 30

A golden ticket raffle will be held in the Carmel Clay Public Library.

One hundred “golden tickets” are hidden inside books in the young adult section. If one finds a golden ticket, he or she will be entered in a raffle.

DEC. 20 On Dec. 20, the Symphony and Camerata orchestras will be attending the Midwest International Clinic performance.

“I AM FEELING SUPER EXCITED BECAUSE IN EIGHTH GRADE I AUDITIONED FOR MY MIDDLE SCHOOL TO GO TO MIDWEST, AND I DIDN’T GET TO GO BECAUSE YOU GO THE FOLLOWING YEAR AFTER YOU AUDITION. SO GETTING TO GO IS WHAT I REALLY WANTED TO DO. I AM SUPER EXCITED.” SAMANTHA ARDERY, FRENCH HORN PLAYER AND SOPHOMORE

1964

release date of the novel “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory”

50th

Hannah Estabrook, senior and orchestra member practices her cello before class. The Symphony and Camerata orchestras practice every Tuesday and Thursday.

100

golden tickets

DEC. 16 to 19

Jan. 3

Final exams will take place during this week. Final exam periods are in blue in the cutout below.

Period 1 Period 2 Period 3

Dec.15

Dec. 16

Regular blue schedule

Regular bell schedule

B1

7:50-9:20

B2

9:30-11:03

B3

11:13-1:23

Period 4

B4

1:33-3:05

G1

7:50-9:20

G2

9:30-11:03

G3

11:13-1:23

G3

1:33-3:05

Dec. 17

Dec. 18

Dec. 19

Late start

Late start

Early dismissal

B1

8:35-9:45

B1

9:55-11:25

B3

11:35-1:25

B3

1:35-3:05

G2

8:35-9:45

G1

B2

7:50-9:05

B2

9:55-11:25

9:15-10:45

G4

B4

11:35-1:25

G4

1:35-3:05

10:55-12:45

B4

12:55-2:25

TechHOUNDS will have its kickoff into build season.

Jan. 19 There will be no school due to Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Jan. 26 to 27 National Honor Society will host an informational meeting for juniors eligible for induction.

Dec 12, 2014

NEWS

Build-A-Bench Challenge

07

Christine Fernando

BUILDING INNOVATION Design FOR CHS HOSTS BUILD-A-BENCH Challenge U Design for CHS will host the Build-ABench challenge, which will be open to any individual in the Carmel and Indianapolis metro area. Vikas Maturi, Design for CHS co-president, Build-A-Bench challenge judge and junior, said participants are required to submit one to five designs for benches that will be placed at various locations in Carmel. Submissions, Maturi said, must include two JPEG files or two hand drawings of the benches, as well as an optional summary of the design, and can be sent by email to design4chs@gmail. com or by mail to Janice Mitchener, Design for CHS sponsor.

Maturi said judges will choose one to three benches to be built by the City of Carmel and local engineering or architecture firms. These benches will then be placed for public use in Carmel. In addition, Design for CHS will reward winners with monetary prizes of values up to $500.

Mitchener said club members hope the benches will have a lasting impact on the community.

“The primary purpose of Design for CHS is to benefit the community,” Mitchener said. “(The competition) incorporates both the design and community aspects of the club.”

NTIL DEC. 21,

Mayor Jim Brainard, who will serve as a judge for the Build-A-Bench challenge, said the main focus of the competition is to foster creativity within the Carmel community.

“It’s really great to have contests like this that support creativity and innovation, especially since you get to contribute to the community at the same time,” Brainard said. “We want to encourage not only students but anyone in the community to build on their ideas and bring them to life.”

BIRDY BENCH: Mara Fattah, Design for CHS member and senior, discusses her Build-A-Bench designs with another member, junior Asif Hossain. Fattah said her design is inspired by birds, namely swans.

Design For CHS Future Projects Innovation. Service. Design.

THE

STREET STORE

The Street Store Design for CHS, in partnership with Wheeler Mission, will host the Street Store to allow those in need an opportunity to shop for free clothes.

When: March 7 Where: Indianapolis Donations: Email officers at design4chs@ gmail.com to donate clothing

TS

D I V YA A N n A M A L A I Maturi said there are many different goals of the competition in addition to encouraging innovation.

“We want to inspire conversation,” Maturi said. “We want to use the benches to encourage conversation that will bring people from different backgrounds, cultures and walks of life together. Our greatest goal is to create connections within the community, and to use design to affect people’s everyday lives and their connections to one another.” H

Christine Fernando Water Watch Design for CHS is advertising for its new Android app, Water Watch.

Water Watch logs water usage during showers in order to encourage water consumption awareness.

DESIGNFORCHS.COM / SOURCE

08

DEC 12, 2014

News

JASMINE LAM

Yule Ball

HAVING A BALL

TEEN LIBRARY COUNCIL TO HOST YULE BALL

O

N JAN. 17, the Carmel Clay Public Library’s Teen Library Council will host its Yule Ball event, a formal winter ball that takes place in Harry Potter and The Goblet of Fire in the library’s program room from 7 to 10 p.m. This event is free and open to students from grades six to twelve. Jenna Fattah, library council’s president and senior, said students should attend the event if they consider themselves as part of the “Harry Potter” series’ fandom.

“Because the ‘Harry Potter’ movies have ended, this is a good way to relive the Harry Potter experiences that we never had because we will probably never have a Yule Ball in our life,” Fattah said. “(Students) should expect ‘Winter Harry Potter’ like they should expect a winter party.”

Fattah said the council also plans to incorporate Harry Potter-themed

BELLE OF THE BALL: Jenna Fattah (shown second from the left), Teen Library Council president and senior, meets with TLC members to discuss decorations for the Yule Ball.

Fattah said TLC is planning to hang floating candles inspired by those of the Great Hall in “Harry Potter.”

beverages, snacks, activities, music might be some of those songs and a photo booth where students mixed in there, but everyone is can photograph themselves with encouraged to dress up for it. But items found in the books and movies if you’re going to show up in your in order to make the dance authentic.

‘Muggle’ attire, you’re not going to Chaise Carter, coordinator be turned away,” Carter said. for the Yule Ball, said all students According to Fattah, the are encouraged to come because Teen Library Council proposed hosting the Yule Ball the Yule Ball will allow teenagers event to get more socialize. He said, DID YOU KNOW? teens interested “Besides the fact None of the identified into the library, that Harry Potter is couples at the Yule Ball reading books and awesome, it would had lasting relationships. socializing with just be a nice easy others. She said time to get away from the members of the homework and stress of getting council are working diligently back into the school year, and it to promote and prepare for the would just be another way for them event by publicizing the dance’s to hang out with other teens.” information and having meetings.

“We’re going to take some of “We all put our own heart and the music from the Harry Potter thought into this, so this is really soundtrack, but we will also have a going to be the first thing that we’re subgenre music that are like Harry really excited to show to the rest of H Potter-theme people. So there the community,” Fattah said.

ALEX YOM

DEC 12, 2014

Yule Ball

Hogwarts

09

News

ellen peng

Durmstrang

THE “HARRY POTTER” YULE BALL

Beauxbatons

Participating Schools

Ginny Weasley

Harry Potter

Hermione Granger

The Set List 1) “Do the Hippogriff” 2) “Magic Works” 3) “This is the Night” Despite the name, all eight members are male.

Herman Wintringham, The Weird Sisters’ lead lute player

Yule B al

l Fashion: Pull out your classiest, most e cc e n oys wear tric gear. Girls wear dresses of all sorts, and b dress r obes.

T he Gu e

L st

ist

The W e rld, th e i r d Si s t ding wo r a Weird z i e w r e s h : t A n i p d o pular ban Sisters lute and consists of eigh bagp t members, including ipe pla yers.

o

izarding t in the w ven e m t an Chris as. Not e on The Yule Ball is c inest robes s pla ss in one’s f , world that take e r ith dancing w e t d a r b to cele only is it a time t ime hampions and but it is also a t a rd C

Triwiz

Cedric Diggory

Harry Potter

ei th

r

s f or

the b a

ll

Viktor Krum Fleur Delacour

Cho Chang Parvati Patil

usic. The e ven dm an ar of a Triwi t occ e y u zar e th d T rs on tition amo ly durin e o p u ng m g the rnam co g s c e n i hools n d t r t , h a a z ree . wi large st d at e

Hermione Granger Roger Davies

HP-LEXICON.ORG, HARRYPOTTER.WIKIA.COM / SOURCES

10

NEWS

dec 12, 2014

Jenny zhao

Planetarium show

STARRY NIGHT

Planetarium to hold holiday show Today STAR OF THE SHOW: Planetarium director and astronomy teacher Keith Turner mans the controls at the control panel during an astronomy show. Turner said “Let it Snow” will be the second public show featuring the new HD video projectors.

T

HE

PLANETARIUM

WILL

a holiday show today, according to Keith Turner, planetarium director and astronomy teacher. The show will be titled “Let it Snow,” and students can buy tickets at the bookstore. Tickets cost $4 for adults and $2 for children.

“I’ll do a brief night sky tour, and then the show is a lot of holiday, seasonal kind of images associated with this time of year.

And I think we mention Christmas and Hanukkah, some of the major holidays that are celebrated. There’s lots and lots of holiday music. It’s like a musical, almost, because there’s music through the whole thing,” Turner said.

This show will be the second public show this year featuring the planetarium’s two new HD (high definition) video projectors behind the dome, according to Turner.

“We got our first (new projector) two years ago, and then we got our most recent one in January of this year. The big HOST

sarah liu deal about what we’re doing is where they’re at. We moved (the new projectors) behind the dome,” Turner said.

“Before, they were sitting on cabinets behind the audience, and the problem with that is that we could not quite...bring them down on the horizon like they’re supposed to be and it made the images skewed. We also couldn’t have our star projector at what’s called home latitude, the latitude for Carmel. Putting them behind the dome lets us shoot right over the top of the star projector, and we never have to manipulate the star projector to get out of the way of the video projector, so that worked really nice.”

According to both Turner and Elijah Halliwell, Planetarium Club member and senior, the new projectors, which cost around $3,000 each, allow for full coverage of the dome and produce much clearer images than the previous single projector they once had.

“They’re high-definition (projectors),

so the pictures are clearer than what they were before. Before, we only had one, so the image was kind of awkward with the dome— the dome is about 30 feet long— so when the projector was on, it just did this really, really small image on the front of the dome, and it looked really awkward,” Halliwell said.

Turner said, “The old projectors were what’s called a CRT projector. They had three big tubes that projected red, green and blue, and you had to line them up.

They were great in their day, but they never went HD. You can buy a card to make them look HD, but the resolution still doesn’t look the same as the modern LCD or DLP or the projectors we have are called JVC, that’s the company, they’re DLA projectors, and they have a super high contrast and they’re very, very sharp. We wanted to go that route because some of the images that we look at in astronomy, there’s so much detail. To get them as sharp as we possibly can is better because there’s so many little details you want to see in the images, from images of Mars, for example, to H images of a nebula.”

How digital light processing (dlp) Projector works Lens

Color Filter

Image Lamp

Condensing Lens

Shaping Lens

Digital Micromirror Device

Digital Light processing vs. Cathode ray Tube Oldest of display technologies Limited picture size Lowest cost

Christine Fernando

Newer display technologies Larger picture size Higher cost TELEVISIONTUTOR.COM / SOURCE

dec 12, 2014

Farmers Market

NEWS

Katie Summitt

11

Swetha Nakshatri

NEW VENDORS TO SELL AT FARMERS MARKET

F

MOVED to the Wilfong Pavilion at Founders Park, just north of the intersection of 116th St. and Hazel Dell Parkway, the Carmel Winter Farmers Market will be open every Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon through the middle of March.

Last year, the Farmers Market was held in the parking garage at the Indiana Design Center. Heating the space and parking availability RESHLY

CHOCOLATE SPIRIT: Vendors at the Chocolate for the Spirit stall set up their station. This year, Carmel Farmers Market will feature new vendors and has moved to the Wilfong Pavilion.

quickly became an issue for both vendors and visiting guests.

Indiana-grown and produced products will be sold among all 23 vendors and mostly include meats, poultry, vegetables, eggs, gourmet coffee, chocolate, baked goods and gluten-free foods.

Confirmed vendors participating in this year’s Winter Farmers Market include BrotGarten, Cook’s Ranch Dressing, Chocolate

for the Spirit, Maya’s Barkery, Becker Farms Fowl, and Southern Crossroads Garden Center. The variety of options the Carmel Farmers Market has to offer makes the market one of the largest in all of Indiana. Smaller farmers markets around Indy that are not in the Carmel area include Indy Winter Farmers Market, Farm to Fork Market and Trader’s Point H Green Market.

NEW VENDORS AT THE FARMERS MARKET

BrotGarten Products: German food items such as pretzelbratwurst sandwiches

Cook’s Ranch Dressing Products: different types of salsa, ranches and homemade dressings

Chocolate for the Spirit Products: truffles, bon bons, frozen chocolates, chocolate fruits, bark and cocoa

Maya’s Barkery Products: food for dogs, including sweet potatoes, dog treats and apparel CARMELFARMERSMARKET.COM / SOURCE

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME working students able to spend time with family, friends as stores close during holidays m e l i s s a ya p Sara yung HOME SWEET HOME: Senior Savannah Federspiel spends time with her brother at home. She said workers deserve to spend time with family and friends during the holiday season.

S

won’t be working at Piada on Christmas, one of the busiest shopping days of the year. She didn’t work on Thanksgiving, either. Because of Piada’s company policy, she won’t be working on any other major holidays.

Like Federspiel, many other working students will not work during the winter holidays because stores like Piada want to give their employees a chance to spend this time with their families. According to The Huffington Post, Julie Johnson Bull, Dillard’s director of investor relations, said the store’s reasoning for not opening on Christmas was, “We choose to remain closed in longstanding tradition of honoring of our customers’ and associates’ time with family.”

“I love the company’s policy of (not working during major holidays), and I am glad that they respect the holidays,” Federspiel said. “Workers deserve to be with their families and close friends. They shouldn’t have to work.”

The current trend for retailers is to open earlier than the competition on major holidays. According to a November TIME article, stores like CVS, Walgreens and Starbucks stay open for over 40 hours in a row on these days. However, some national retailers are ENIOR SAVANNAH FEDERSPIEL

trying to combat what critics describe as “ruining the holidays.” Such stores include Costco, Nordstrom, Von Maur, Sam’s Club and DSW. Business teacher Rob Holman said he commends stores that remain closed on major holidays.

“There’s a clear dilemma that companies have. On one hand, companies are trying to be open more, so they can make more profits.

It’s a profit-versus-social responsibility thing with your employees,” he said. “There are stores that are opening early, but what they’re losing is that their employees are having to take time off during the holidays.

This puts pressure on the stores to make a decision. I applaud the companies like Costco that are saying, ‘We’re going to take care of our employees and let them take time off to be with their families.’”

Like Costco, DSW wrote on its Facebook page that it believes family comes first, so its stores would remain closed on Christmas.

According to the TIME article, Von Maur president Jim von Maur said, “Some things are sacred, including spending time with family and loved ones on Thanksgiving and other holidays (such as Christmas). We profitably run our business during the remaining 358 days of the year, so we don’t have to sacrifice tradition for sales. Our family-oriented focus has been the cornerstone of

14

Feature

dec 12, 2014

h o m e f o r t h e h o l i d ays

our culture since 1872, and that is never going to change.”

Federspiel said she agrees.

“The true meaning of the holidays is to be with family, and be thankful and happy for who and what you have,” she said.

This year, many stores will begin holiday sales a couple days early. On Dec. 23, Macy’s plans to open from 7 a.m. until 2 a.m. on Dec. 24. For employees, that means a workday extended by four hours, since Macy’s normally closes at 10 p.m. Some stores plan to stay open all day, like Walgreens. As a result, over a million of Walgreens’s employees will have to work on the holidays.

Holman said he recognizes the consequences of closing during major holidays.

“There’s a balance. Some people are going to shop on Christmas that won’t be able to go to Costco and Nordstrom. It’s a risk these stores take,” he said.

Despite all the sales stores make on big holidays, those like Nordstrom and Costco that close may benefit more; opening earlier doesn’t necessarily translate to higher profits. Across the nation last year, Christmas sales decreased by 2.9 percent from 2012 to around $60 billion, according to a November Omaha World Herald article.

Holman said, “These stores won’t be at a big disadvantage for closing. Being open on Christmas, obviously you’re going to sell more, but these stores are so big, it’s not going to make a difference.

If people know these stores are going to be closing, they’re going to make time to shop there on other days. In the end, these are the companies that can reap rewards from this process.”

Like Federspiel, senior Courtney Glait, who works at Education Station USA, won’t be working during the holidays. She also said she believes that closing

Sara yung ON THE JOB: Senior Savannah Federspiel makes a wrap at Piada.

Piada’s vacation policy allows employees to spend time with their families on major holidays.

on major holidays won’t be a setback for national retailers.

“If people view the holidays as a sentimental time to spend with family, they’ll still view holidays as such. If people view holidays as a time to eat a bunch of food or buy or give a ton of presents, they’re just going to buy food and presents in advance, before these stores close,” she said.

According to an October ThinkProgress article, half of the consumers surveyed disapprove of opening early on major holidays.

Twenty percent said they wouldn’t be as likely to shop at stores open on Christmas. Instead, 55 percent said they planned to shop after the holidays are over.

Along with Federspiel, Glait said she doesn’t let the closing of stores on major holidays affect her.

“I don’t really shop (on these holidays). Ever. Closing these stores for a couple of days isn’t going to affect me,” Glait said. “Christmas is a holiday that is meant to be spent with family, so I think it’s fair if stores will allow their employees to do so.”

Employees of stores that open on major holidays often take this time for vacation. As a result, these

stores have openings that need to be filled, often with volunteers.

Many employees, though, don’t get a choice because they aren’t guaranteed paid holidays or may have their requests to take the day off denied. According to the ThinkProgress article, only 45 percent of retail employees get paid extra for working during major holidays.

Holman said that the biggest disadvantage for stores to remain open is caused by keeping employees at work because the stores often have to pay them as if they were working overtime.

With stores allowing employees to spend time with family, Federspiel said she believes there will be a shift back to the true meaning of the holidays.

“There are times when you really need a day off. You can’t really enjoy a time when you’re supposed to celebrate with people you love while you’re working,” she said. “The holidays are when family gets to be together and gets to spend time with each other.

You shouldn’t have to worry about working or missing valuable time H with family and friends.”

’TIS THE SEASON to shop The holiday season is about spending time with family and friends. Over the years, however, it has become increasingly commercialized.

Sales (billions of U.S. dollars)

FESTIVE SALES

The ho liday accou season nts for

up to 40 perc ent o

f typica l total an retailers’ nual sa les

Holiday Season Sales from 2008 to 2013

700 600 500 400 300 200 100 0

2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

Total holiday season sales expected to reach

$619.9 BILLION in 2014, up from $592.66 billion in 2013

9 of 10 holiday shoppers plan to research and/or make purchases this year

THE SHOPPING CULTURE Percent of people who did each activity as a child vs. percent of people who plan to this year Buy gifts

Put up a Christmas tree 86 percent

89 percent 3 percent difference Send holiday cards

79 percent 92 percent 13 percent difference

will spend $804.42 this year

f socks

230 pairs o

Give homemade gifts

65 percent

58 percent

81 percent 16 percent difference

66 percent 8 percent difference

Did as child

A typical person celebrating Christmas, Kwanzaa or Hanukkah

Plan to do this year

lianne yu

STATISTA.COM, PEWRESEARCH.ORG, MARKETINGTECHBLOG.COM, DAILYFINNANCE.COM / SOURCES

16

Feature

dec 12, 2014

Angela Sun

Reality TV

ALMOST FAMOUS students at chs try out for reality tv shows

S

INCE THEIR INCEPTION,

game shows have existed for entertainment and intrigue.

However, they were designed mainly for adults. Nowadays, they have started to focus on younger crowds. The success of the first season of MasterChef Junior in 2010 brought a shift in the goals

s a r a k ays / S u b m i t t e d p h o t o

of young people; television producers and directors noticed that children have big dreams that can be tapped into, which creates great television. While cooking is a prime example of this, the growth of singing competitions has also taken center stage.

Sara Kays, signed singer

RADIO STAR: Sara Kays, signed singer and sophomore, performs a song for a radio station. Kays has performed in various vocal competitions.

and sophomore, auditioned for “America’s Got Talent” season nine.

Kays said, “I had to wait about seven hours before I finally auditioned. The auditions were held at the Convention Center in Indianapolis. When it came time to audition, 10 to 15 of us were brought in a small room, and we auditioned one by one for one judge. After that, we all stood outside of the room, and a guy came out and told everyone to go home except for me. I went back in the room, and they asked me to sing a couple more songs, and then they said I was free to go. After that, I never got an email or call from them, so I didn’t make it in, but it was such a great experience.”

Kays has been a signed recording artist since she was in seventh grade and released a few songs on iTunes. According to Kays, she personally auditioned because she has a drive to succeed in her music career.

Although young people are quite driven, many have mentors help them along the way. Choir director John Burlace has helped quite a few students in the past who have prepared for auditions such as those for “America’s Got Talent” and “The Voice.”

Burlace said, “While some students are great performers, it’s the entire auditioning process that freaks them out the most. So to help with their nerves, I hold mock auditions for them to help them along the way.”

According to Kays, these game shows have grown increasingly popular for the younger crowd because every kid has a desire to be famous in some way. These shows just create segues for fame.

dec 12, 2014

17

Feature

Reality TV

REALITY OF TEENS ON TV Many reality TV shows have young stars featured in them.

Air Date

Young Stars America’s Got Talent: Jessica Sanchez (12)

Project Dancing with Runway: the Stars: Survivor: Christian Spencer Zendaya Siriano Duhm Coleman (21) (18) (16)

(Age) 10

15 The Voice: Danielle Bradbery (16)

20 America’s Next Top Model: Nicole Fox (18)

Network America’s Next Top Model: The CW Dancing with the Stars: ABC The Voice: NBC Project Runway: LifeTime America’s Got Talent: NBC Survivor: CBS

America’s Survivor: Project Got Talent: 2000 Runway: 2004 2006 2000

2005

2010 (Year)

America’s Dancing with the Next Top Stars: 2005 Model: 2003

The Voice: 2011

Seasons America’s Next Top Model: 21 Dancing with the Stars: 19 The Voice: 8 Project Runway: 13 America’s Got Talent: 9 Survivor: 29

Tiffany xie, olivia jacko IMDB.COM / SOURCE

“I think kids are so involved in these types of shows because they have the desire to be famous. Every kid has that one celebrity that they want to be, and in their heads, they know it’s going to happen,” Kays said. “(I) guess I’m just another kid with a dream, and I’m working hard at it. I think in the end, I always benefit from an audition. Whether it’s for the school talent show or ‘America’s Got Talent,’ I still gain something from it. First off, it helps me get used to being told ‘no’ so it only motivates me to do better. Also, each time I audition for something, I get better and more comfortable in that setting.”

Burlace said Kays is like many other young people who have big dreams and aspirations, and do not quite know what to do with them. However, with such game

shows, outstanding and motivated young people get to live their dreams out as much as they please.

Heartfelt background stories, especially those including younger people, don’t create bad television either.

“I think the popularity of these shows increased because people like watching others fail and succeed.

These shows purposely show the really bad auditions to keep the audience engaged, but at the same time they make sure to include all of the sad and heartfelt stories of the people who are auditioning,” Kays said.

“For some kids, this is also a great way to achieve fame. However, in the end, little people with big dreams power these shows. Since success stories and aspirations captivate audiences, kids are the new target for TV.” H

INKED UP: Senior Alex Hiller poses with her tattoo, a cross with the words “I’m third.” Hiller said her tattoo is a great conduit to voice her own beliefs.

D i v ya A n n a m a l a i

dec 12, 2014

Religious Tattoos

Feature

19

Asim Dhungana

THE GIRL WITH THE RELIGIOUS TATTOO CHS students reflect recent trend in boDY ART

L

when senior Alex Hiller turned 18 years old, she got a tattoo on her right calf.

The tattoo consists of the phrase “I’m third” with a cross in between the words, which means in her life, she places Jesus first, others second and herself last.

Hiller, who is Christian, said, “I’ve always wanted a tattoo, and I found out that my parents were giving me that as a gift about a month before (my birthday). I had a quick turnaround to figure out what I wanted to get. I knew that my faith and my religion weren’t going to change, so I based it off of that.”

An April 2014 Washington Times article stated religious images have remained an enduring part of the tattoo business. Religious tattoos have retained their popularity at CHS among a handful of students as well.

While regulations differ in other states, in Indiana, there is no age restriction to get a tattoo, but minors must have permission from their parents who must also be present during the procedure.

Hiller said she thinks tattoos are great, but people should consider the consequences before deciding on getting a tattoo.

“I feel like if you’re going to spend the time and effort and money on it, then it should mean something to you,” she said.“I didn’t want to spend my money and my parents’ money on stuff that just looked nice. I wanted to get something that was a big part of my life. (My tattoo) is the motto for the camp I went to for eight years. I knew it was going to be something that was consistent and meaningful to me.”

CRU sponsor Kim TenBrink said AST WINTER,

Many Christians show their faith with a cross tattoo.

There are conflicting views regarding tattoos in Judaism

One Muslim tattoo is the Crescent and the Star, but most Muslims oppose them.

A popular Buddhist design is of the Dharma wheel.

Chrishan Fernando H2OCEAN.COM

while getting a tattoo is one way for a person to express their faith, it is not the most crucial way.

“For me, it’s more about the way you live,” TenBrink said. “Just because somebody wears a cross doesn’t mean they’re Christian. Just because somebody has a shirt on that has a Buddha on it doesn’t mean they’re Buddhist. Living your faith out is the most important thing.”

Nonetheless, a stigma still exists with religious tattoos and tattoos in general. Hiller said she thinks this attitude is born from tradition but will gradually lessen moving forward.

Adam French, tattoo artist for Carmel Tattoo INK, said he thinks people these days are much more open in general, and this mindset allows tattoos to become much more common in society. He says his business, on average, completes one religious tattoo per day.

French said, “People are just more accepting. People in early days associated anyone with a tattoo with either being in jail or in the military, not that those two were affiliated in any way. I think that was the stigma.

But today, you see doctors, pastors, lawyers, people from all walks of life getting tattoos.”

In fact, French said he recently gave a priest a tattoo of a cross with a Celtic knot pattern on the inside.

However, despite their increasing popularity, Hiller said tattoos are still associated with many risks.

“As always, you have to be careful with it and you have to be smart about it. But if you’re not you can get any sort of (disease), like AIDS and HIV, if the equipment isn’t sterilized and done correctly. If you gain a bunch of weight or lose a bunch of weight, (the

tattoo) can become deformed,” Hiller said. “It’s a completely open wound when you get it and you have to bandage it. If you don’t take care of it, it can get infected, it can become very painful. A lot of these things happen if you just aren’t smart about it.”

No one else in Hiller’s family has a tattoo, so she received mixed feelings of approval and disapproval after getting her tattoo. Because of not everyone likes tattoos, they can often impact job opportunities.

Hiller said, “There’s some jobs that are good jobs and you can get paid well and work in a good environment that’s very accepting and okay with it, but then there’s (other) jobs. A friend of mine worked at Jimmy John’s. He can’t work there anymore because his tattoos can’t be covered up with a T-shirt. There’s plenty of other places that are OK with (tattoos), it’s just having to find those.”

Regardless of the existing stereotypes and possible consequences, TenBrink said she thinks tattoos can actually have a positive effect on a majority of people.

Hiller said she thinks tattoos are great conduits for people to voice their beliefs.

“I think they’re great, honestly. If you’re comfortable in yourself and whatever you want to get tattooed on you, then I think it’s a great thing,” Hiller said. “Some people express themselves through words, through songs. Other people, like me, do it through art on their body, and I think it’s a great way to express yourself. If somebody is confident and comfortable with what they want to get on themselves, then it’s a great thing to do, no matter what age, as long as you think it through.”

H

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BUY YOUR 2015

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when is it due?

The yearbook order deadline is Jan. 9, 2015.

Buy your yearbook today for $52!

how to order: To order, pick up

a form in C145 or order online at www. yearbookordercenter.com or your myCCS portal.

student section

dec 12, 2014

selena qian

rhythmic relaxation

RHYTHMIC RELAXATION junior kamna gupta dances to relieve stress kamna gupta / Submitted photo

F

These two words are almost synonymous with each other in CHS as the semester comes to a close— suddenly, projects, exams and essays pile up, and due dates draw even closer. It is no wonder that teens report an even higher stress level than adults do during the school year, according to the American Psychological Association’s 2014 Stress in America survey.

With five AP classes in her INALS. STRESS.

schedule, junior Kamna Gupta is no stranger to stress. She said she does get stressed as finals week comes ever nearer, but she has her own way to relieve stress.

“I recently adopted this new study system, which is working pretty well for me. It’s where I power study for 25 minutes, and then I take a break for about 5 to ten minutes, and in that break time, I usually go dance or exercise or maybe just take a break and read a book or something,”

DANCING RELAXATION: Junior Kamna Gupta poses in her dance gear.

She started dancing when she was 5 years old.

Gupta said. “Then I get back on it for about 25 minutes. And, after three rounds of that, I take a half an hour break where I just kind of relax and watch TV or something.”

Gupta said she first realized dancing helped relieve stress this year. She said she used to listen to music while she did homework, but that stopped working for her.

“I switched into this phase where just listening to the music wasn’t doing anything for me, so I got fed

dec 12, 2014

winter break plans

student section

angela wu

up one day while studying, and I went to the basement to practice dance and I came back and I was so much more energized,” she said.

Laura Welch, licensed mental health counselor, said stress usually comes from people being overwhelmed by events in their lives.

“Stress usually has to do with the person doesn’t know what to do with whatever is going on in their life, so it happens when they have more information coming in that they can’t sort through and they just don’t really know what to do with it all,” Welch said.

Welch said for teens, stress often comes from school—mainly grades and not enough time to get everything done. She said the effects of stress include trouble concentrating, difficulty sleeping and even brain damage if stress continues too long.

Gupta said stress often is overwhelming, to the point where she spends hours thinking about all her work. She said dancing helps keep her from stressing too much by keeping her mind off her schoolwork.

“Dance has always been a way for me to get away from the real world quote unquote. It kind of helps me get my mind off of all the things I have to do because sometimes I just stress out thinking about all the things I have to do,” Gupta said.

While stress sometimes seems impossible to overcome, Welch said there are many ways to relieve it. She said a concrete plan for studying as well as specific study methods like flashcards can help students with finals stress.

“It’s important to know that there are things that will lessen stress. It’s not something that’s hopeless. It’s not something that you just throw your hands up and say ‘oh, forget it; it’s impossible.’ There are real things that can be learned and when people use them, they do H help,” Welch said.

23

n i v e d h a m e y ya p pa n

SPEAK-UPS: WINTER BREAK FRESHMAN JENNY HONG

“Every year, my youth group goes on a winter retreat. We usually go to Perfect North to go skiing and it’s really fun to hang out with friends and enjoy the winter weather together.”

SENIOR KELLY HERMAN

“My family and I go to our lake house every year that’s just outside of Fort Wayne to celebrate New Years. We have a tradition where we eat raspberry ice cream with Sprite. I personally don’t like it but my family does.”

SENIOR NATHANIEL BLEDSOE

“I’ll be hanging out with my family and my friend invited me to his grandma’s house in Zionsville.

I’ll also be swimming the entire break because (the team and I) are determined to win state this year.”

ENGLISH TEACHER KRISTI LEVEQUE

“I’ll be doing lots and lots of grading over winter break. But, besides that, I’m traveling to Michigan to visit family. I have a feeling I’ll be putting together lots of lego sets from Santa Claus this year.”

HIGH SCHOOL LIFE: WHAT TO DO ON A SNOW DAY Get your false hopes up! Snow day season is here. Here is a timeline (not to scale) of some things you can try if this rare occasion occurs.

THE NIGHT BEFORE 6 p.m.

Watch the snow fall and text all your friends your hopes of the snow day in order to build confidence.

9 p.m.

Ignore your homework and tweet to all your followers about how much you need a snow day.

Midnight

6 a.m.

Begin thinking about how you are going to finish all of your homework before going to first period.

Answer the phone call from your trustworthy best friend, Dr. Wahl, and rejoice. Proceed to fall back asleep.

THE SNOWDAY 1 p.m.

Wake up and realize that you have wasted most of your precious snow day and begin scurrying around to find stuff to do.

1:30 p.m.

Promptly create a schedule to follow so you can finish all your homework. Plan to catch up in all of your classes

9 p.m.

Ignore the entire schedule and tweet about how you need yet another snow day. Sit around the phone expecting another call from Carmel Clay Schools.

4 a.m.

Notice that all of the snow has melted and you need to finish all of your homework within the next 3 hours and 50 minutes or during first period.

If the timeline is not legitimate enough, here are some other things you can do on your sluggish day: P OP C OR N

Build a Snowman

Build a typical snowman. Let it go, you know you’re stressed from tests.

Watch Netflix

No one knew there would be a snow day, so there are no plans with friends.

Shop Online

Be insensitive toward the worker who has to deliver your package in the subzero Indiana climate.

Eat Food

Your only true friend.

It will never argue with you and always fill your stomach with joy.

katie long

matthew han

dec 12, 2014

Student section

25

tweets from you

WE ASKED YOU “WHAT WOULD YOU DO FOR A SNOW DAY?” AND YOU RESPONDED

tuning in to christmas

The hits and misses of seasonal pop songs. grant smith

THE MISSES

THE HITS

Wham!, “Last Christmas” (1984) Covered by everyone from alternative rock group Jimmy Eat World to Disney stars Hilary Duff and Ashley Tisdale, this 1980’s pop ballad has been reducing the joy of Christmas to a pitiful story about scorned relationships for generations. It would be expected that after all those covers, someone would have managed to improve on the song, but alas, this song still totally fails to capture the Christmas spirit.

Mariah Carey, “All I Want For Christmas Is You” (1994) It’s an obvious choice, true, and overplayed for sure, but classics are classics for a reason, and this infectious pop tune is considered by many as one of the last modern Christmas songs. Its parent album, “Merry Christmas,” has sold over 15 million copies worldwide and also worth checking out for any Mariah or Christmas music fan.

Bobby Helms, “Jingle Bell Rock” (1957) Another over covered holiday staple, “Jingle Bell Rock” combines the distinctive—and annoying— twang of rockabilly, a hybrid of rock and country, with infuriating lack of originality—an almost jokey parody of “Jingle Bells”—and far too much repetition. If you listen closely, the song is actually just a very early example of one of those terrible dance songs that is a lyrical instruction booklet—“Mix and a-mingle in the jinglin’ feet / That’s the jingle bell rock”.

Bing Crosby, “White Christmas” (1942) This Irving Berlin-penned song reminisces about a classic Christmas setting, conveying a message of the simple joy that the holidays can bring to all. Although the Crosbysung is still the favorite among holiday listeners, the classic tune has been covered by dozens of pop artists from when it was first released in the H 1940s to Idina Menzel in 2014.

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Grant Smith at gsmith@hilite.org.

REAL IS RARE THESE DAYS

2 6

C

O

V

E

R

THE OTHER F-WORD

By Brielle Saggese

How do we perceive feminism?

2 7

N

inety-five years before senior Samantha Cunningham turned 18, feminists fought for her right to vote. Seventy-six years before she got a job, feminists fought for her equality during the hiring process as a woman.

Eighteen years before she applied to college, feminists fought for her acceptance to public universities despite her gender.

But though feminism is dedicated to ensuring her equality in society, it is not a movement that Cunningham will fight for.

“I am fine with the idea of gender equality, but I don’t agree with what feminism has turned that into,” Cunningham said. “I think that (people) have made it super extreme, and they have changed and molded the definition into something different (than what it is). I’m not going to say that I’m a feminist until feminists change how they represent the feminist community.”

The demise of feminism and rise of gender equality is an idea that is mirrored for many in today’s society. Feminism’s unpopularity is rising, according to a poll recently published

by TIME Magazine where readers were asked to choose the

word they wished to ban in the year 2015. Before the poll was taken down due to complaints, “feminism” won with over 40% of votes. Meanwhile, gender equality is receiving much more appraisal, according to a Huffington Post study which reported that 82 percent of those surveyed agreed in equality between men and women politically, socially and economically. Although the two concepts each support equality between the sexes, the distinction between the two is growing as gender equality gains the support that feminism is losing.

Attached Connotations According to Oxford Dictionaries, the definition of gender equality is “the state in which access to rights or opportunities is unaffected by gender.” In turn, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition of feminism is “the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities.”

Cunningham said that the simplicity of gender equality makes it an easier choice to support

We Can Do It: Haley Glickman, self-proclaimed feminist and junior, stands in a pose similar to the one in the famous “We Can Do It!” poster which was used to promote feminism in the 1980s.

People might cheer if I say “gender equality,” but they might lynch me if I say I’m a feminist.

Haley Glickman

2 8

than feminism. Because “equality” is a recognizable word, she said gender equality is a more recognizable idea.

“So much of our history has been based on freedom and equality,” she said.

“When we broke (off) from England, it was because we wanted to be free. Throughout the Civil War and slavery, everything dealt with equality. I think we’re so used to history leading up to everyone being equal and having equal chances that people are able to accept the words ‘gender equality’ because we’re used to hearing the word ‘equality’ in America.”

Dr. Tracey Boisseau, the Director of Women’s Studies at Purdue University, said she concurs with the idea that gender equality has been well-received partially because “equality” is a word few people can refute.

She said, “The word ‘equality’ is so important in American culture that it’s extremely difficult, politically, to stand against equality. However it is meant or whatever context it’s being used in, very few people are going to say that they’re not for equality.”

Haley Glickman, self-proclaimed feminist and junior, said she believes that the main difference between the two ideas is that fact that feminism has lost its simplicity.

She said that the baggage that feminism carries allows people to view it differently.

“It’s fear,” she said. “The word, ‘feminism’ has become so tarnished that people say, ‘Is it really worth fighting for to label myself as a feminist when I can

just say ‘gender equality’ and no one will call me on it?’ People might cheer if I say ‘gender equality’ but they might lynch me if I say I’m a feminist. It’s become that bad of a word. (Gender equality) really is the easy way out. It’s just easier and it doesn’t have any negative connotations with it. It hasn’t been tarnished yet. The more you become educated on what feminism really is, the more you understand it simply. It’s just equality. We want equality in all aspects to men. It’s just an education problem that people need to educate themselves and then they’ll understand that it’s not a bad word. It’s not the F-word. It’s a good thing; it’s a great idea.”

The kinds of connotations that Glickman suggests are exactly what Cunningham said that she sees with feminism. Because she sees the movement as more than its definition, Cunningham has a different perspective of feminism than Glickman.

She said, “With feminism, it sounds like you’re giving women the superior status and taking it away from men. But with gender equality, it looks like you’re benefiting both genders. The actual term ‘gender equality’ just sounds like everyone is treated fairly rather than men having to give up power to equate to the status of women. So then women need help reaching the same status as men, or men need to give up power to receive the same status as women. That’s why I look at feminism negatively compared to gender equality. To me, feminism says a power struggle and gender equality says we are all equal in nature.”

Boisseau said people who dissociate themselves with feminism frequently share this view.

“Why many people are going to say they’re not feminists or say that they’re against feminism or that they have a negative impression of feminism is usually because they don’t think feminism is about equality between the sexes,” she said.

“They think feminism is about women being ahead of men because feminism has the root ‘fem’ in it. They usually interpret it to mean women are advocating that women should have something that men don’t have. They should be given more opportunities or they should be held to a different standard or have more power or something like that. That’s not my point of view, I’m a feminist. I believe that feminism asks for a sense of equality.”

Radical Supporters On top of the many different connotations feminism holds, Cunningham said she sees many different types of feminists. Although she said she doesn’t mind some feminists, it is the ones who believe the most radical concepts that dissuade her from joining the movement.

“Sometimes extreme actions are needed but I think when it becomes crude, that kind of stuff I don’t think is right. You can take it far, but to an extent and they’re stepping over that line,” she said. “These kinds of movements aren’t appealing to people.

They’re awkward and they don’t send a very good light on feminism and when I see

Nivedha Meyyappan

people doing radical things, I’m less likely to support them.”

One such demonstration that Cunningham cites is the “Potty-Mouth Princess” video. In this video, young girls dressed in princess costumes drop swear words for two and half minutes in order to draw attention to society’s sexism, according to the video’s channel. Cunningham said that because she does not agree with the kind of feminists who created the video, she chooses not to agree with the entire movement. She said that if she joined the feminist movement, she would feel obligated to have these kinds of radical beliefs and be involved in these kinds of demonstrations.

“I view myself as a Christian but there are people who (believe in) radical Christianity that I don’t agree with. If I wasn’t a Christian, I wouldn’t want to become one seeing these radical Christians

and so I think with the radical feminists, people are turned off by them because they’re like, ‘I don’t want to have to do that or be that extreme or go that far.’”

Even as a pronounced feminist, Glickman blames these same kinds of demonstrations for feminism’s unpopularity. Although Glickman said these campaigns are often not an accurate representation of feminism as a whole, the media chooses to highlight the feminists who speak the loudest or make the biggest waves.

She said, “It really has become such a negative word because (of) the people who make vast generalizations like all men are blank. These people are the ones who have gotten the most attention from the media therefore they have become what is associated with feminism and now it’s becoming a taboo word.”

By contrast, supporters of gender

equality refute these sorts of radical campaigns, including UN Goodwill Ambassador Emma Watson. In a speech she delivered to the UN in September, she said these sorts of anti-men campaigns are precisely what gender equality refutes.

She said, “The more I have spoken about feminism the more I have realized that fighting for women’s rights has too often become synonymous with man-hating. If there is one thing I know for certain, it is that this has to stop.”

Because gender equality does not have the same radical supporters that feminism does have, Cunningham said it is a more appealing idea to her.

The Call to Action According to Boisseau, feminism is also viewed negatively because of the idea that it is

According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, feminism is defined as “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes.”

Do you consider yourself a feminist, an anti-feminist or neither?

5%

strong feminist feminist 62% neither anti-feminist strong anti-feminist not sure

18%

7% 9% 64%

2% 3% 10%

9% 4% 7%

Do you think the majority of women are feminist?

27%%

27%

32%

42%

41%

31%

Do you believe males and females should be political, economic and social equals? completely positive positive neutral mostly negative completely negative not sure

7%

8% 16%

22% 29% 27%

28% 33% 5% 10%

9% 5%

female male

Do you feel the connotation of feminism is positive or negative? yes 82% no not sure

8% 10%

82% 10% 8%

3 0

23%

female

16%

male

20% of americans consider themselves feminists

82% believe that men and women should be equals

37%

26%

OF AMERICANS consider “feminist” to be a negative term

OF AMERICANS consider “feminist” to be a positive term

Perceptions of Feminism A recent poll shows that while most Americans support gender equality, few support feminism even though the two are nearly the same.

SCOTT LIU

HUFFINGTON POST / SOURCE

closely connected to politics and a political call to of hunger strikes and organized parades, and that action. She said that if people are not comfortable was in the early 1900s. You even look at Kathleen being politically active, they are most likely not Hanna and all these brilliant women who stood comfortable with the idea of feminism. behind the word. You have to stand behind the “Feminism suggests a kind of activism as a moral word. It’s not going to be easy, but you have to stand imperative, that it is incumbent on you, it is your behind the word. You cannot take the easy road responsibility to be politically active,” she said. “Since out in feminism because you’re alienating all those a lot of people don’t feel that they want to be politically women who stood before you and fought so hard, active or that they even know how to be, they shy away who didn’t have the right to vote who were forced from the term feminism. They think that if they were to stay in the kitchen. You have to stand behind that to be a feminist that they would have to be involved word. It is a call to action.” politically, be engaged politically, be activists, or do Boisseau also gives her own reasons why she something about it.” believes in feminism and in the activism behind it.

Because Cunningham said she does see feminism as “Saying you’re for the equality between the sexes a political commitment, it is harder for her doesn’t necessarily admit you to doing to accept it. anything about it,” she said. “Whereas you “The other thing I don’t like about might say you’re for gender equality but feminists is that they say as women we you might at the same time already think need to unite,” she said. “They look at there is gender equality, or you’re for it but I think it’s undereducated you don’t necessarily have to do anything women as a whole, and personally, I don’t feel responsible for any other woman in it. That’s not my point of view, I’m a people who want to change about this world, just like I don’t feel personally feminist. I think there’s a problem. I think responsible for any other man in this world. the word because they don’t that problem is patriarchy, and I think that When you feel passionate about something, is all of our responsibilities to undo that want to associate themselves itproblem, then you stand up and fight for it and try to to undermine patriarchy and find change, but as a group of women, as a to establish equality between the sexes. I with negative connotation. whole, I don’t think it’s an obligation, and personally am not afraid of the word and I feel like feminists make it an obligation use it to describe myself, but I understand to stand against (oppression). I think why other people don’t.”

Haley Glickman everyone will tell you that they want to The differences that society sees between fight (oppression) but when you look at it, feminism and gender equality are a matter (a lot of them) don’t do anything. Yes, there of perception, simply how one chooses are people fighting. but here I am, and I’m to look at each idea. For Glickman, she not doing anything about it. I feel like a lot of women chooses to look beyond the wordy definitions and the think we should stand up for (gender equality), but numerous connotations to see a bigger picture. they just don’t.”

She said, “People want to call it something else In contrast, Glickman cites the history of political because it’s just been so tarnished that they don’t want activism as to why she is a feminist. Because of the to associate themselves with it, and you just can’t do perseverance women before her have shown, she said that. It would be disrespectful to change it. I think it’s she feels obligated to be believe in feminism in addition undereducated people who want to change the word to gender equality. because they don’t want to associate themselves with “I stand behind the word feminism because of negative connotation, because once you learn what it’s what it is built upon. You have to go back and you all about and who you stand behind in this word, you’ll have to look at early feminists,” she said. You look stand proudly. I’m proud of all those women who call at Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony themselves feminists. If you want to laugh or roll your and (the people) who built feminism and who had eyes or think less of me, go ahead. I still think highly to struggle admittedly more and exponentially more of myself because I know what I’m talking about, and I H than I did. You look at Alice Paul, who had a bunch know what I stand behind, and it is feminism.”

3 1

SEASON’S SYMBOLS

2014 marks the 75th anniversary of the creation of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. Let’s take a look at the origins of some other symbols of the holidays.

Bells Churches ring bells to call people to church services.

Christmas bells remind people of the joyful announcement of Jesus’s birth.

Christmas lights Christmas lights signify hope, happiness and safety. They represent Jesus as the “Light of the World” in the midst of profound darkness.

Yule candle The Yule candle is of great size and is often red, green or blue in color.

The candle is believed to shed a blessing on the household as it burns.

Gift-giving The tradition of gift-giving started with the biblical story of three wise men who delivered gifts to the baby Messiah.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Rudolph is a fictional character that debuted in 1939 when copywriter Robert L. May was asked to create a holiday story for the customers of Montgomery Ward, a Chicago-based department store. May also considered the names Rodney, Rollo, Reginald and Romeo for the reindeer.

Mistletoe Mistletoe is considered to bestow life and fertility and acts as a protection against poison. At Christmas time, a kiss under the mistletoe can mean deep romance.

Menorah A menorah is a candlestick that holds seven or nine candles. The seven-candle menorah is used throughout the year, while the nine-candle menorah is only used during Hanukkah. One candle is lit for each of the eight nights of Hanukkah. The remaining candle is a “shammash” or “helper” candle to light the other candles. The story goes that the Jewish people had enough oil for one night, but it miraculously lit the menorah for eight nights.

Dreidel A dreidel is a toy top. It has four sides with the Hebrew symbols for the words that say “a great miracle happened there.”

Because Jews in ancient times were persecuted and could not worship as they wanted, they met in secret and would play with dreidels. Today, Jewish children play with dreidels as a game.

SARA YIN JIVA CAPULONG

Gelt It is customary to give children Hanukkah gelt, chocolate coins wrapped in gold foil. Parents gave small coins to children as a reward for studying hard.

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MICHAEL ZHAO

MIDWEST CLINIC

FINAL PREPARATIONS

CHS ORCHESTRA TO ATTEND MIDWEST CLINIC O DEC. 20, Symphony Orchestra will perform at the 68th annual Midwest Clinic in Chicago. The orchestra will also have the opportunity to meet with other orchestras and teachers from around the nation and play with classical cellist Lynn Harrell. The Midwest Clinic, which began in 1946, is now a four-day long music, band and orchestra conference that features more than 17,000 musicians from around the world.

According to Soo Han, chairperson of the performing arts department, the Midwest Clinic is considered one of the most prestigious music festivals for high school students in the nation.

“Teachers go there to learn from clinicians and to see the latest trends in what’s happening N

JAYMEE STOUT

in music education. (It’s a) very big part for participants to go and listen to some of the world’s finest music ensembles, which includes professional groups, college groups, high school groups and even middle school groups,” Han said. “People from all over the world apply and go through an application process to perform at the conference. It is considered one of the crowning achievements of any performing ensemble in academia if you are invited to perform there.”

While having the opportunity to play at the biggest convention center in North America may be very prestigious, Han said the process of being accepted also took a lot of work, which included everything from recording with a sound engineer to playing a diverse repertoire.

BOWS AND STRINGS: Junior Sarah Tinaphong works on a piece during orchestra class. They will be playing this piece and many more at the Midwest Clinic.

“To be totally candid, it’s a very stressful process. You have to make a recording of the ensemble and the group performing repertoire that is stylistically different, and so the quality of the recording has to be the highest caliber. Basically, what we tried to do is submit a perfect recording, so the students began the process last year. They reworked a set of repertoire that is stylistically different, worked with a sound engineer here in town to make a high-quality recording, and that’s primarily the centerpiece of the app process,” Han said.

Along with making recordings and filling out applications, the orchestra had to submit letters of recommendation from multiple music teachers, professors and conductors from around the world. A committee that the Midwest Clinic established goes through hundreds of applications annually, and only invites a small percentage of the applicants.

According to Oliver Shou, Orchestra Council president and senior, there is a lot to look forward to.

“Besides playing, there are a ton of things to do,” Shou said.

“There are booths—teaching booths, music booths, company booths—where you’re able to visit and learn (the) newest music styles and techniques from people all over the world.”

With only several days left until the Midwest Clinic, Han said that the orchestra is working hard to make everything perfect.

Han said, “We’re incredibly thrilled and honored to represent our community on an international stage, and we’re so thankful for the H support from the community.”

dec 12, 2014

S T R E A M I N G R OYA LT I E S

entertainment

35

ASIM DHUNGANA

IT’S NOT A LOVE STORY

Fans criticize Taylor Swift’s decision to pull albums from spotify

S

OPHOMORE JENNY SHI

MAKIN’ (LITTLE) BANK

Royalties (U.S. Dollars)

1.2 is one Taylor Swift fan who 1.17 isn’t happy about Taylor Swift’s recent decision to remove her music from the popular music Taylor Swift’s decision to pull service Spotify.

0.8 her albums from the music “I love Taylor Swift. Her music 0.7 streaming service Spotify 0.6 is good. She makes me want to be has shed light on the small myself, and I enjoy her lyrics,” Shi amounts of royalties artists said. “I was really upset when I found receive for their music. How out she took her songs off Spotify.” much do artists really make Spotify is a digital music every time a song is played? streaming service that allows users .0012 .006 to listen to their favorite songs for LIANNE YU 0 free with occasional advertisements. a s o BUSINESSINSIDER.COM / SOURCE y CD BUZZFEED.COM / SOURCE dor potif iTune Radi Unlike pirating music, Spotify is CNET.COM / SOURCE S Pan legal and gives music artists small royalties depending on the number people use Spotify. here, the artist is getting something, of times their songs are played.

Shi said, “(Swift’s actions) are not so that makes it more ethical than Spotify has a statement on its website fair to the users of Spotify, because the knockoffs, where the artist gets that the average payout to artists is Spotify is for free music and she’s a absolutely nothing.” $0.006 to $0.0084 per song, which very popular artist. Therefore, not According to Shi, streaming can represents approximately 70 percent putting her music on Spotify is like still be beneficial to artists, despite its of Spotify’s profits. her not wanting us to listen lower payout rates.

Business law teacher to her music anymore.”

Shi said, “(Music streaming) can Holly Hochstedler said DID YOU KNOW? help people discover new artists and According to an article services like Spotify are just Along with Taylor Swift, country from TIME, Swift’s song find new songs, so I think it helps trying to make fans feel like artists Jason Aldean, Justin Moore “Shake It Off ” earned her music artists in the long run.” they’re helping their favorite and Brantley Gilbert also removed $280,000 to $390,000 before Regardless, the music industry artists, even though the their albums from Spotify. will continue to persist in its fight it was pulled, while her services provide artists with ROLLINGSTONE.COM / SOURCE against piracy, utilizing better most recent album “1989” reduced profits. methods for music sales so that artists earned her over $12 million “They’re just trying like Swift don’t feel cheated when in its first week of sales. Hochstedler to find their niche in the market,” they share their music with the world. said while music streaming provides Hochstedler said. “They’re trying Hochstedler said, “I would think artists with less money, it is a better to give a little bit of royalties to the the music industry is analyzing their artists so that those of us who want alternative to illegal piracy. own situation to see how they can do to get music and feel like we’re giving “(Music streaming) is more better in the new age. I would guess the proper responses to the artists are ethical than not paying at all. But, on that somewhere they’re going to come being able to do that.” the other hand, if the artists are the up with some kinds of ways to make While Swift is not the first artist ones that feel like they are not being this (earnings inequity) a little more to remove her songs from Spotify, treated fairly, then it’s kind of hard for even. And maybe these companies she is certainly one of its more somebody on the outside to say that like Spotify are going to come to the popular ones. For her part, Shi they are being treated fairly,” she said. middle somewhere, and maybe it will said she does not support Swift’s “It’s similar to knockoffs on handbags work out. I would think someday this H decision, especially because many and brand name shoes. At least is going to get figured out.”

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dec 12, 2014

annie

A NEWER, HARDER, KNOCKIER LIFE chs students share thoughts on upcoming remake of “annie”

I

to see in theaters during winter break and just so happen to enjoy heartwarming, uplifting musicals about little orphan girls (or just want to be entertained), “Annie,” a new movie rendition of the popular musical coming to theaters on Dec. 19, could be an option for you. While keeping many parts of the plot the same as the original story, the new movie adds a modern twist to the wellknown story about the redheaded orphan girl.

Many people, such as junior Jessica Abshire, who portrayed Annie in a prior production, are already familiar with the popular musical. “(I’ve been Annie) just once, but I’ve been in (the production) twice.

It was an interesting thing because there are so many movies over it and everything, and then you get to be in it in real life,” She said. “(I’ve) also watched it in classes and stuff. And my mom loves musicals, so she’ll want me to go with her and see (them).”

Seth VanNatter, “Annie” enthusiast and sophomore, has seen both the musical and the movie many times. He said that he loves the story of a little orphan girl getting everything she wants in the world. Director of choirs Kathrine Kouns agrees with this, as she has seen “Annie” with her two daughters, as well as when she was young.

F YOU’RE LOOKING FOR A MOVIE

ABSHIRE’S ANNIE: Jessica Abshire, former Annie in a production and junior, displays some of her memorabilia.

She said that the modern setting of the new movie will differentiate it from previous iterations.

She said, “When I was a little girl growing up, obviously you know, you just get addicted to ‘It’s a Hard Knock Life,’ and there are just very memorable little songs that everyone knows. When I was younger, I found it very entertaining.”

Along with the famous plot about the redhead orphan, many people have grown to love all of the characters. Among these favorite personalities is usually that of Agatha Hannigan, more commonly known as Miss Hannigan. In “Annie,” she is the alcoholic caretaker of the orphanage that Annie lives in.

Despite her role as the main antagonist, she is also known for

dec 12, 2014

annie

37

entertainment

sitha vallabhaneni

John Chen

the comedic part of the plot. In they don’t have that whole plot of the forthcoming movie, actress the story. Maybe, that could take Cameron Diaz will play the role of something away. But at the same Miss Hannigan. time, we have to keep in mind that “I love Miss Hannigan,” Abshire there are also some problems that said. “I don’t know why, she’s just are going on today too.” so sassy. And she always pretends The new “Annie” movie will to be mean, but she’s actually include many character changes pretty nice to (the orphans).” as well, from Oliver Warbucks’ The upcoming movie has some motivations to Annie not being changes that will give it a modern the typical redhead. While Abshire flair. While VanNatter said he was and VanNatter both said that they excited for the new script, Abshire don’t mind Annie’s hair not being and Kouns said they were worried red, VanNatter doesn’t like the about what the changes will do to the portrayal of Warbucks. plot compared to the original story.

“I’m most excited about Annie’s Kouns said, “It sounds like hair because it’s just awesome. And they are definitely going to take a it’s not the stereotypical redhead completely different direction with that everyone is used to,” VanNatter the story. Anything said. “I’m also that just exposes happy they changed people to more the races. I think movie musicals, “IT’S JUST A they did it because I am always for. I MODERN TWIST; IT everyone’s used think it’s great for to, ‘Oh she’s a people to just be DOESN’T MATTER redhead who gets aware of musicals WHAT PEOPLE her dreams to come and singing and LOOK LIKE. YOU true,’ and they dancing, and for want other races to CAN STILL TELL our culture to get identify with this exposed to that. THE STORY NO story.

However, But I also really MATTER WHAT” I don’t like that like tradition, and Warbucks JESSICA ABSHIRE, Daddy I like for things to has become stay true for what FORMER ANNIE more selfish and they originally IN A PRODUCTION uses (Annie) for were intended to publicity. I also AND JUNIOR be. So some of dislike that his the modifications name changed to that it looks like Will Stacks.” they have made, from seeing the Abshire said she thinks the new previews, don’t necessarily go movie will be cool to see, as the along with what I would probably modern twists will be something love. I’m sure I’ll still see it, but I new for the audience and those think I’ll probably still be drawn to who already love “Annie.” my old standard.”

She said, “It’s just a modern Abshire said that she thinks twist; it doesn’t matter what people that because the movie is set in the look like. You can still tell the modern day, it will be different story no matter what. The story from the original plot. can be used in so many different She said, “They won’t have the ways, other than just having the whole set up of the time during stereotype of (what Annie should the recession, so they won’t have look like). It can be told in many that whole background of ‘Oh different ways, and still get the everything is going so bad,’ so point across to the audience.” H

“WHY SHOULD I CHANGE A THING?” A brief history of how “Annie” has evolved to become the musical we know today

15 NOV. 1885 James Whitcomb Riley writes the poem “Little Orphan Annie.”

5 AUG. 1924 Harold Gray, inspired by Riley’s poem, starts the successful Chicago Tribune comic “Annie,” serves as inspiration for future adaptations.

21 APRIL, 1977 The first Broadway production of “Annie” opens and is met with rousing applause. A critic said disliking it “would be tantamount to disliking motherhood, peanut butter, friendly mongrel dogs and nostalgia.”

18 JUNE 1982 The first movie adaptation of “Annie” is released. It starred Aileen Quinn as Annie and Albert Finney as Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks.

BROADWAY.COM / SOURCE

ALL THAT JAZZ ball state jazz festival removed from agenda, jazz bands adapt

festival like the upperclassmen did in previous years. Belcher and his combo (a small ensemble, usually SUALLY AROUND APRIL numbering between three to six every year, the four Jazz jazz performers) decided to go to Bands go to the Ball State the festival independently from the Jazz festival where they school’s bands. can hang out with friends, listen to “Well you know I’m rehearsing music and perform. This year, this with my combo right now, and is not the case, as the we are actually going four Jazz bands will to go to that event by PERFORMANCE ourselves though the not be able to go to the festival due to conflicts Carmel Jazz Band isn’t AGENDA in their calendar. going. Pretty much Mar. 20, 2015 According to everybody who is doing Jazz Expressions Andy Cook, Associate Jazz Band anyways is Concert Director of Bands going with a combo or a Apr. 23, 24, 25, Carmel jazz bands trio,” Belcher said.

2015 have done the Ball Some students like Jazz a la Mode State Jazz Festival for jazz band member and Concerts three years, but will sophomore Mitch Lipe, CARMEL BANDS / SOURCE not be able to go this however, did not elect year, as the ISSMA solo to go to the festival and and ensemble state are instead “curious competition is on the same day as to know what the directors are the festival. planning” in place of the festival, Like many members of jazz band, according to Lipe.

Aleck Belcher, jazz band member and “We are doing (a concert), sophomore said he was disappointed it’s called Jazz Expressions, it’s but still planned to enjoy the where we have a guest artist come shiva vallabhaneni Mike Johnson

U

DOUBLE BASS, DOUBLE TROUBLE: Bassist and sophomore Aleck Belcher practices with guitarist and senior Sanjeev Rau. Their group said they plan on going to Ball State, even though Carmel’s official Jazz Bands aren’t.

and perform with all four bands, in the auditorium,” Cook said, “We will most likely be inviting a trombonist who plays with the ISO, actually, which is more traditional, but he also does jazz themed music and plays around town. And he teaches lessons here with our kids, and I think he is going to play trombone with all four groups this year.”

Even though the jazz bands will not be able to go to the festival this year, they will be able to perform with a well-known guest artist.

The bands will get a lot of practice looking forward to Jazz Expressions.

The four jazz bands rehearse every morning to prepare for their different events.

While some members will prepare just for the school events, others will be preparing for the Ball State festival as well.

“To prepare for the festival and the other events, I’m going to keep rehearsing with my combo and in the band. We’ll play a lot of jazz standards, write a lot of music; it’ll H be pretty good,” Belcher said.

dec 12, 2014

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39

JOHN CHEN

entertainment briefs

Entertainment Briefs “I think (the Lord of the Rings) just felt like such a breakthrough in terms of cinematography. Since then, there’s been a huge shift in the technology.

I think The Hobbit has been a big experiment in technology.”

– RICHARD ARMITAGE, WHO PLAYS THORIN OAKENSHIELD IN THE UPCOMING CONCLUSION TO THE HOBBIT TRILOGY, “THE HOBBIT: THE BATTLE OF THE FIVE ARMIES,” DISCUSSES THE LEGACY THE SERIES WILL LEAVE BEHIND.

RELEASE DATE: DEC. 17 ENSTARZ / SOURCE

a third NIGHT TO REMEMBER

The third and final installation in the “Night at the Museum” series, “Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb,” will be released on Dec. 19. It involves an unlikely team of a museum night guard, Theodore Roosevelt, a cowboy, a roman centurian and more historical oddities trying to save the Tablet of Ahkmenrah, the life source of the moving statues.

IMDB / SOURCE INDIANA REPERTORY THEATRE / SOURCE

BAH HUMBUG

The Indiana Repertory Theatre will be showing the play “A Christmas Carol” from Nov. 15 to Dec. 26. Tickets will be from $30 to $67 for adults and from $15 to $30 for students.

S

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Numbers indicate dates of showtimes.

Color indicates the type of show.

Prices are constant for all show types Regular Showing ASL Showing

Shows with post-show discussions with cast, crew

Sports

dec 12, 2014

ben thatcher / submitted photo

as extreme sports become more prevalent, chs students are getting involved

dec 12, 2014

MICHELLE DAI

Sports

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sports

DEC 12, 2014

MICHELLE DAI

S

ENIOR BEN THATCHER

first started snowboarding when he was 10 years old and living in Michigan. He strapped on his neighbor’s snowboard, went down his neighbor’s backyard hill and he fell in love with the feeling he experienced. Since then, he has spent about 15 days every year snowboarding in resorts in Colorado, Michigan and Indiana.

Thatcher is just one of the many athletes who have turned to extreme sports as a form of physical activity.

According to a 2008 article by XtremeSport, extreme sports have risen higher than ever in popularity.

For example, skateboarding participation has risen 49 percent and snowboarding participation has risen 51 percent between 1999 to 2008. Thatcher said he has noticed the growing popularity of extreme sports at CHS, especially of people who are involved in snowboarding or long boarding.

Skateboarding instructor Steve Hill said there are many factors that are responsible for the recent rising popularity of extreme

ben thatcher / submitted photo SURFS UP : Senior Ben Thatcher wakeboards. He said he has not broken any bones, but he has received a concussion.

sports. One of them is the recent ease of accessing sport facilities, specifically in Carmel.

Hill said, “Before 2008, Carmel did not have a skate park. Before 1995, there was no such thing as a rock climbing wall in Carmel.

Those are things that have come about recently. Now that they’re more accessible to people, (they) can just drive 10 minutes from their house and go to a skate park.”

In addition, Hill said the fact that playing certain sports are becoming more of a lifestyle than just the sports themselves is another reason as to why extreme sports have become more popular.

“Nowadays, people don’t just go play basketball and say, ‘I played basketball today.’ They identify themselves as a basketball player, so they’ll buy the shoes, buy the jerseys and (video) games,” Hill said. “The same is true with skateboarding. You don’t just go out and ride on a skateboard. You identify yourself as a skateboarder; it’s a lifestyle. You’ll buy the shoes, the clothing and all the different things that go into it as well.”

Hill said there are also many differences between extreme sports and traditional sports that may cause people to gravitate towards extreme sports, such as the individuality aspect.

“Unlike other traditional sports, aside from maybe golf or tennis, you don’t have to have a team or anything like that to participate in something like skateboarding, surfing or snowboarding. You can just do it completely on your own.”

Thatcher, who has previously taken part in lacrosse and rugby, said that being on his own while snowboarding was definitely one factor that drew him to the sport.

He said, “I like individual sports because of the instant gratification of how you perform, knowing that it’s solely you that you have to rely on for improvement. And there

COOL AS ICE: Senior Ben Thatcher holds his snowboard.

Thatcher started snowboarding at the age of 10 and said he likes the adrenaline he gets from the sport.

x -t r e m e ly p o p u l a r

kyle Crawford is not a lot of stuff to hold you back. You can train on your own.

You can do things on your own to improve yourself.”

In addition, Thatcher said snowboarding is a method of expressing himself, similar to how others uses music or art to express themselves. He said people can add their own style to certain tricks and make them their own.

Thatcher also said he likes the adrenaline he gets from doing jumps in snowboarding that he can’t get from other sports. Sports medicine teacher Scott Turnquist said adrenaline is a major reason why extreme sports is gaining popularity.

“A lot of times people are looking for a rush and get that naturally (through extreme sports),” Turnquist said. “Any time you’re trying to push yourself to that limit, there’s the element of not only that rush, but the challenge, the need to be able to say that you’ve pushed the envelope a little bit.”

DEC 12, 2014

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x -t r e m e ly p o p u l a r

Matthew han BESPORTIER.COM / SOURCE

athletes who go x-treme What are extreme sports?

shaun white

any athletic endeavor considered more dangerous than others, such as bungee jumping, snowboarding; also called an action sport.

Professional skateboarder and snowboarder -Known as “The Flying Tomato” -Has his own video game

Despite all the positive aspects of extreme sports, there is one factor that is not as enticing: the danger. Although Thatcher said he has not broken any bones from snowboarding, he has received a concussion, scratches and bruises after bad trips and falls.

While Turnquist said all sports have inherent risks, extreme sports in general are more dangerous than traditional ones. One reason is the speed.

“You’re talking about people moving at higher velocities, people doing changes in body direction and body position you don’t normally see, so that can definitely lead to more injury,”

Dallas Friday Wakeboarder -Turned pro at age 13 -Only 5’2”

Turnquist said. “Typically there are more chances of catastrophic injury in extreme sports, serious injuries that can cause long-term health effects or death.”

In addition, Turnquist said extreme sports have many factors that can’t be controlled, such as the weather and surroundings which can make the sport a lot more dangerous. Thatcher said one uncontrollable aspect of snowboarding is the unexpected tree runs.

He said, “A thing I quite like to do is tree runs, which is ungroomed snow and tree obstacles. If you haven’t skied before, you have no idea where the trees are, and if

Matt Hoffman

BMX rider

- Invented over 100 bike tricks - In the Guinness Book of World Records for highest air on a BMX bike over a 24-foot quarter pipe

something goes wrong, you could crash and possibly injure yourself to a degree.”

Turnquist said there are no methods to totally eliminate all the risks, but there are many ways to decrease the chance of injury. He said, “Finding safe ways to prepare yourself, having an understanding of the craft you’re trying to participate in and making sure you have the proper safety equipment whenever possible lowers the chance of injury.

Also, the more you practice, the less chance you have of injuring yourself and the more familiar you are with what you’re doing. Your ability levels increase, which slightly decreases H your chance of injury.”

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Swimming into

sports

dec 12, 2014

History

Currently, the women’s swimming and diving team has a streak of 28 straight State championships. This puts them one away from Punahou High School’s (HI) 29-year streak (1958-86). Here we look at what has gone into and come out of this record streak.

4 10

seniors who have already committed to a Division I college

records set by last year’s team

Including eight state records of which three were national records

6

28

mental attitude winners in this three-decade span

Amy Bilquist University of California, Berkeley

Alex Clarke Purdue University

Meghan Mahoney Ball State University

Peyton Mosbaugh Miami University (OH)

consecutive state championships by the women’s swimming and diving team

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9

titles won by head coach Chris Plumb, which ties him with Tony Young (1992-2000) for most in program history

hours a week the average swimmer spends in the pool

Ginger Faerber 1989-1990

Emily Ayers 1995-1996

Erin Sparks 2003-2004

Lacey Locke 2012-2013

Carly Marshall 2010-2011

Jessica Hammes 2008-2009

Not including school (about 40 hours/week) and sleep (about 50 hours/week), this constitutes over a fourth of a swimmer’s week akshar patel CHRIS PLUMB, IHSAA.ORG / SOURCES

akshar patel

dec 12, 2014

Women’s Swimming

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A L LY R U S S E L L

ASK THE SENIORS What does chs swimming mean to you? << MARY WOODS

“I think our team is really just like a family. So ever since freshman year, it was kind of a friend group that you go into and a support group. I met my best friends on the team, and I think I’ll have them for a long time.”

CLAUDIA SHERMAN >>

“Carmel swimming to me is so much more than just a group of girls coming together and swimming.

It’s more of a sense of a family, and just having the opportunity for these girls to come together and to achieve something that others aren’t capable of doing. It wouldn’t so much mean a lot in the sense of us winning, just in that we know how much work went into it, and we know what we had to go through in order to win. So it’s not so much the show and the glamour of being the winning team.It’s just knowing that even in the years past, girls have given up so much to achieve so much.”

<< ALEX CLARKE “Being a part of CHS is important to me because I get to experience all of the long-lasting traditions created by those before me and work hard for my goals as well as the team’s. The fun part is everyone wants to accomplish the same goal. I carry the traditions on during swim meets, cheering and just by going to practice every day making memories with my best friends.”

HANNAH NORDIN >>

“Being on the Carmel swim team to me means that I’m changing my perspective from ‘me’ to ‘we.’ We can accomplish things as a team and everyone has to work as an individual, but when that’s all put together, we all come together, and we achieve things as a team, and we win as a team. And that’s what gets me excited.”

WOMEN’S SWIMMING & DIVING SCHEDULE Date: Event: Location: Tomorrow Tiger Claw Diving Invitational Fishers Dec. 22 Hamilton SE & West Lafayette CHS Jan. 3 Homestead CHS Jan. 8 MIC Diving Preliminaries CHS Jan. 9 MIC Diving Finals CHS Jan. 10 MIC Championships CHS CCS.K12.IN.US / SOURCES

SWIMMING TOWARDS VICTORY: Sophomore Emily Ashburn swims during a meet on Dec. 2. The team’s next meet is tomorrow at Fishers.

46

sports

dec 12, 2014

KAri Truax

A l ly r u s s e l l

s h o w i n g s u p p o r t, d e s p i t e i n j u r y

NOT BROKEN, JUST BENT Despite injury, Senior Contributes four years of support to the women’s soccer team.

F

OR THE FOURTH YEAR

senior Madison “Maddy” Mewhinney assisted the women’s soccer team with all its games, practices and events. After facing several injuries prohibiting her from playing, Mewhinney stayed in the program as team manager.

“My friends on the team kept encouraging me to come back,” she said. “They said it wouldn’t have been the same without me.

I helped motivate the team and the experience is always fun.”

According to The Institute of Sports Psychology (ISP), injuries in a sport can be one of the hardest things, mentally and physically, an athlete has to overcome. It states that injuries alter athlete’s confidence, identity and passion in ways that can ruin the sport for the athlete.

ISP mentioned many athletes let their injuries get the best of them and never return to the sport they were involved in. Teammate and senior Monica Dick said Mewhinney has not only overcome her injuries, but still continues to love the sport she grew up playing and encourages the team to always work their hardest and not to take advantage of the game.

“I’m sure many players pushed through their own injuries with Maddy’s assistance and encouragement. We were a better team because of her presence,” Dixon said.

IN A ROW,

TAKE A CLOSER LOOK:

Here is a quick look at the injuries that have held senior Maddy Mewhinney back over the past four years.

Parasite "Junior year, I wasn't really hurt, but I had a parasite from a lake.

My doctor said it was really common in Indiana, so of course I got it. Whenever I would exercise, I would get sick.

Also, the medicine I took to kill the parasite made me dehydrated, so I could never run or play."

Compartment Syndrome "This year, I had compartment syndrome on the outsides of my legs. I've always had it, but it didn't really start hurting until this year, so I had surgery in October and wasn't able to play soccer again this year."

Shin splints "Freshman year, I had shin splints on the insides of both my legs, so I couldn't play on the team, because for high school soccer, you have to do a mile and threefourths in 13 minutes and 30 seconds. I can’t run on concrete, so I couldn’t ever play on the team.

Sophomore year, my surgery for my shin splints was in October, so I was out that year too, but I was manager both those years."

dec 12, 2014

s h o w i n g S u p p o r t, d e s p i t e i n j u r y

47

sports

Emma Love

Faced with shin splints for years and multiple surgeries throughout her whole time at CHS, Mewhinney said she knows how hard it is for athletes to continue to love the sport they play and stay positive. She said she got to help out the team a lot and one of her favorite things this year was helping the goalie coach during practices.

“I got to help warm up the goalies and help around practice whenever someone needed me. I got to cheer everyone on and help with questions some of the younger

“SHE KEEPS THE TEAM’S POSITIVITY ON TRACK. WE COULD ALWAYS COUNT ON HER TO BE THE FIRST ONE TO SAY GOOD JOB ONCE YOU SUB OUT OF THE GAME.” SOCCER PLAYER AND SENIOR MONICA DICK players had,” Mewhinney said.

Dixon said Mewhinney’s presence impacted the team in many ways. He said she always brought positive energy and encouragement to everything she did. He said players would always go to her when they had a bad day and she would help pick them up.

According to Dick Mewhinney was a necessity to the team. She said Mewhinney has faced tough injuries but keeps her head held high and brings positive energy to the environment. Dick said Mewhinney always stepped up, selflessly helped lead the team and was always supportive towards the underclassmen.

“Maddy has provided the team with undying support throughout all four years. She keeps the team’s positivity on track. We could always count on her to be the first one to say good job once you sub out of the game. From getting balls to giving rides, Maddy has always been there with no complaint,” Dick said.

Along with Dick, head coach Frank Dixon said Mewhinney was well-respected within the soccer program. He said she missed hardly any practices and always helped out the other girls with a smile on her face. Dick and Dixon both said the younger girls in the soccer program always looked up to Mewhinney and her encouragement was contagious.

“Through all of the adversity she faced, Maddy always had a smile on her face. She constantly encouraged her teammates through all four years,” Dixon said.

“I don’t know if Maddy realizes the lesson she has learned long before the others on our team will. It is the rare person that goes through life doing everything that they love and that’s her. Maddy is one that knows that if you love something enough you should always keep trying,” Dixon said.

Throughout the season Dick was faced with a torn ACL and she said Mewhinney was always there for her.

For the time being, the two helped manage the team and got through their injuries together. Dick said it is difficult being injured and having to watch your team play on without you, but that Mewhinney supported her through the whole process.

“Maddy definitely helped me through my injury and difficulty of not being able to play. She visited me in the hospital after my surgery and repeatedly came to visit me at my house. I would always go to her if I was especially down because she knew how to help me out and cheer me up,” Dick said.

Dick said Mewhinney taught her and other team members how to overcome the let-downs soccer and injuries bring and how to put the team first.

Mewhinney said she has struggled from not getting to step on the field during a game but wouldn’t have wanted to give up what she has grown up loving. She said she has overcome a lot and that being part of the team has given her experiences and memories she won’t get anywhere else.

“She taught us that if we can’t help our team on the field, then to help them in every other way possible. I personally think she has handled her struggles in the strongest way possible,” Dick said. “I couldn’t be more proud of what she did for the team and how she has never given up on the sport she loves.”

H

BY THE NUMBERS

Injuries are becoming increasingly common in high school athletics. Here are some statistics to illustrate this trend.

2,000,000 500,000 30,000 29,000 62 42 1/2

number of injures that high school athletes suffer from each year. number of doctor visits by high school athletes per year. number of hospitalizations that high school athletes suffer from per year. number of concussions that female high school soccer athletes suffer from per year. percentage of organized sportsrelated injuries that occur during practices. percentage of high schools that have access to athletic training services. number of sports injuries in high school students that is due to overuse.

YOUTH SPORTS SAFETY ALLIANCE / SOURCE

perspectives

dec 12, 2014

STAFF EDITORIAL

staff editorial

New cell phone policy

Administrators should reconsider severity of consequences.

T

UPDATED CELL PHONE phone usage.” Cell phones are also more applicable in this school outlines how students some classes than others. In fact, this school has made who show “inappropriate cell phone use” will be several strides over the years to promote cell phone punished. The first offense calls for a detention, the use, including teaching methods that involve bringing second is a Saturday detention, the third is a parent/ your own device (BYOD). For example, a journalism student conference with the dean and the fourth class, where cell phones are often used as recording is Saturday school in Noblesville. This policy has devices or to keep track of assignments, may have a changed from last year where the punishment was different definition of “inappropriate cell phone use” that the administrators would withhold a student’s cell than say, a business class, where cell phones may be phone if he/she used it inappropriately in class and a less necessary. Having teachers discuss what their own parent would have to pick it up. One of the reasons individual policy is would lead to less confusion about for the change, according to principal John Williams, the expectations of students and to what extent they is that the prior policy tended to punish the parents can use their cell phone. rather than the students because Finally, the current policy, the parents had to be the ones which calls for a detention for the picking up the cell phone. Students first offense, is too severe. It would THIS NEW CELL PHONE be better if the first punishment with parents who did not work had an advantage since their parents POLICY, THOUGH WELL was a warning and then the second could pick up the phone in shorter INTENTIONED, WAS NOT offense be a detention. If the time. In addition, if phones were first punishment were instead a COMMUNICATED WELL warning, this would allow students withheld from students, parents TO THE STUDENTS. to understand the limits of using would not be able to contact their children if there was an cell phones and know what to do in emergency. While we understand the future. and acknowledge the reasons for the policy change, This new cell phone policy, though wellthere have been and continue to be several problems intentioned, was not communicated well to the with the policy that should be addressed. students. Hence, there exists much disparity in the First, many students were not informed of the interpretation of the “inappropriate cell phone use” change before its implementation. There was no and the policy itself is too severe. It is essential for administrative announcement about it prior to its students to understand any changes in school policies, passage and many teachers did not discuss it. In whether from the administration or from teachers. addition, the policy was not updated in the Pathways.

While we can do nothing about communication of a The students who said they were aware of this change rule that has already been implemented, we still ask found out from a single teacher or through word-offor teachers to define “inappropriate cell phone use” mouth. Because this is a policy that directly affects in their own classrooms and for administrators to many students and concerns a topic that students reconsider the harsh penalty of a detention for a first deeply care about, it should have been more important offense of breaking a rule that already suffers from to communicate the change to students. misinterpretation. Should this happen, the new cell Second, there continues to be disparity in how phone policy will be more successful in meeting its H teachers and administrators define “inappropriate cell intended goals.

HE

RECENTLY

POLICY AT

CELL PHONE POLICY

Below shows the progression of consequences for inappropriate cell phone use 1st offense: Detention

2nd offense: Saturday Detention

3rd offense: Parent/student conference with Dean

4th offense: Saturday school in Noblesville ADMINISTRATION / SOURCE

dec 12, 2014

Do work

Perspectives

49

Matt del busto

Do work

T

The “easy way” out is often not the best.

I went to a relative’s house for homemade pizza. As an avid food lover, I went to the dinner with high expectations—my dad makes a mean homemade pizza.

He makes the dough by hand, lets it rise once, pounds it down, then lets it rise again. The initial process for the dough takes almost three hours. Then, for the sauce, he painstakingly peels and minces onions and adds spices—some handpicked from our garden—to the tomato sauce. At the same time, he cooks up toppings like Italian sausage to add on the side. Finally, after spreading the sauce on just-risen dough, he delicately layers each pizza with an array of cheeses and toppings and bakes them to perfection.

That’s not what I saw at my relative’s house. My empty stomach and I saw, to my chagrin, canned pizza sauce sloppily poured on pre-made dough. Packaged shredded cheese and other toppings were clumped on and thrown in the oven.

Homemade? Really? The “homemade” pizzas took about as much time to make as it would have taken me to order a pizza over the phone from Pizza Hut. This simple example is just one of many scenarios where people take the easy way out. Let’s face it: We love doing things the easy way. Have a book to read for school? Find it on SparkNotes and know everything you need to know in 20 minutes. Need to write a paper for Spanish? Google Translate. Have a favorite TV show? Watch it on Netflix and avoid commercials.

If things get difficult, it’s so easy to just give up.

Not getting playing time in your sport of choice? Just quit, blame the coach.

Struggling in a class? Just drop out of it; you never liked that class anyway. In an age where mediocrity reigns, those who excel against all odds still shine through. On Nov. 14, 6-foot, 4 inch Zach Hodskins made his debut for the Florida Gators’s basketball team. The catch? He was born without the lower part of his left arm—that HIS PAST AUGUST,

NO SLEEP ‘TIL BROOKLYN

DID YOU KNOW? There is new evidence that “super-taskers” can handle several complicated tasks well.

Reform of the education system is necessary to help learners know how to maximize the best and minimize the worst.

People don’t really multitask; they actually toggle between tasks and “time slice” their attention into ever-smaller chunks of time.

PEWINTERNET / SOURCE

is, he’s a one-handed basketball player competing in Division 1 basketball. It would have been easy for him never to attempt sports in the first place due to his physical disability, but he chose to work twice as hard and earned himself a spot on the Gators as a preferred walk-on. Hodskins just goes to show that you can accomplish your goals if you put your mind to them.

Despite this, I worry that we’ve reached a point where we always do the minimum amount of work possible.

ALL TOO It’s easy to feel apathetic OFTEN WE’RE about learning a topic in AFRAID TO DO school that we may or may not ever apply in our lives SOMETHING when we can just look up EXTRA, the concept online. This SOMETHING thought pervades the walls GREAT, JUST of CHS. It’s almost as if, FOR FEAR nowadays, doing what’s OF BEING expected is unexpected.

DIFFERENT. We all have talents, passions, goals. I know you’ve heard it all before, but don’t hold back. All too often we’re afraid to do something extra, something great, just for fear of being different. No one wakes up each day planning to fail. But we shouldn’t be afraid of success, either. So I challenge you: put in the extra work and make something great happen. Don’t be content with mediocrity. Write a book.

Go overseas. Start a business. Bake a batch of cookies. But don’t be content with mediocrity.

By the way, does anyone have the H number for Pizza Hut? The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Matt Del Busto at mdelbusto@hilite.org.

50

perspectives

dec 12, 2014

Kyle walker

sticks and stones

sticks and stones

Our words have impact on the people around us.

I

stepping off the bus on Dec. 3, 2009, to find my mother waiting for me, her eyes sorrowful and her face tearstained.

“Something bad has happened,” she said.

My mind raced. Had my father been in a car accident?

Were my sisters and little brother okay? Her response, however, concerned my 21-year-old cousin, a loving and loyal person who coached and refereed youth football and loved the Chicago Bears.

“Devin was shot,” she said, and before I could ask who would do such a thing, she clarified. “He killed himself.”

Suicide among American youth is not THE NEXT TIME a new problem—it’s the YOU WANT TO third leading cause of death among people aged 10 to MAKE A JOKE according to the Centers ABOUT MENTAL 24, for Disease Control and ILLNESS, THINK. Prevention (CDC)—but it is one we tend to avoid, and when we discuss it only do so in hushed voices behind closed doors. In Carmel, it is impossible to escape the subject any longer due to a rash of local suicides over the past few months, including those of one student at Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in August and two students at Cathedral High School in August and September. In October, a freshman at Lawrence Central High School committed suicide in a women’s bathroom after first period one day.

Following all of these are outpourings of pain and grief online, a predictable response to lives cut short by students who are nearly always connected to the web in some way. My sister, a freshman at CHS who is considerably more social media-savvy than I am, tells me that many students take to Twitter and Instagram to remind followers that they’re always there for anybody who is suffering and needs an ear to talk to or a shoulder to cry on. This constitutes a seemingly positive development, but herein, she says, lies the paradox: the people who profess to be available as friends to anybody who needs them are often the same people who perpetuate issues, such as bullying and stigmatizing mental illness, that contribute greatly to the problem of suicide in the first place.

Freelance writer Sam Dylan Finch sums up this cultural trend best in his blog post “Amanda Bynes, Robin Williams, and the Spectacle of Mental Illness,” in which he discusses the disturbing disparity between WILL NEVER FORGET

the public reactions to Robin Williams’s suicide, which made national headlines in August as a tragedy, and to Amanda Bynes’s likely illness-driven escapades, still the subject of widespread mockery. If Bynes is, as some have suggested, suffering from schizophrenia or bipolar disorder or both, the relevant statistics are sobering. According to the Treatment Advocacy Center, the lifetime risk of suicide among individuals with schizophrenia is 5 percent, while that among individuals with bipolar disorder is 10 to 15 percent.

“Does Amanda Bynes need to die by suicide before we will start valuing her life?” Finch asks. “Are we only deserving of dignity and respect if we die?”

I also see it in the way popular kids who quote scripture on their Instagram profiles comment on posts made by a student with social impediments, feigning friendship and romantic interest and tagging their friends so everybody can have a laugh together. I see it in the ease with which we label the girl who has cut her wrists as an “attention whore.” I see it in our continued reluctance to open our minds to perceptions that will broaden our world views and open our hearts to those who desperately need acceptance, understanding and, most of all, love.

People generally react to the story of my cousin’s death with discomfort. I’ve heard “I never knew” and “I’m so sorry” countless times, and although there’s nothing wrong with sympathizing with people affected by suicide, I always want to tell people there is something they can do. We can all honor my cousin, the unnamed students at surrounding high schools and even Robin Williams by honoring our friends, peers, family members—everybody around us—every day.

The next time you want to make a joke about mental illness, think. The next time you want to make a mean comment on the weird kid in your class, think. The next time you want to tell a struggling friend you’re too busy to lend a hand, think. We all have the opportunity to improve our world one person at a time by extending compassion to people not only in their eulogies but in H our everyday interactions.

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Kyle Walker at kwalker@hilite.org.

DID YOU KNOW? In 2012, 40,600 suicides were reported.

In 2012, someone in the United States committed suicide every 12.9 minutes.

The highest rate of suicide is among people aged 49 to 55.

WWW.AFSP.ORG / SOURCE

AMOR OMNIA VINCIT

dec 12, 2014

Immigration Reform

perspectives

51

Grant Smith

Immigration reform

Can’t teach an old system new tricks.

O

N NOV. 20, PRESIDENT OBAMA gave his speech from the White House regarding illegal immigration. In his speech, the president, by means of executive action, imposed sweeping reforms that would allow some of the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants working in the United States to remain in the country temporarily, apply legally for jobs — “step out of the shadows” as the president put it — and join the American society.

According to Reuters, these measures would apply to those illegal immigrants who have lived in the United States for at least five years or the 4.4 million THE SOLUTIONS illegal immigrants that have children who are U.S. PUT FORTH BY citizen.

THE PRESIDENT In addition, an estimated ARE NOT NEW 270,000 more people would be eligible for relief under SOLUTIONS; a new expansion by the THEY ARE president in a 2012 measure SIMPLY THE to cease deportations of people brought illegally to the OLD IDEAS WE United States by their parents HAVE BEEN when they were children.

HEARING. President Obama also promised to toughen border security to prevent more illegals from entering the nation, stressing the deportation of illegals has increased steadily in his administration.

Go back one moment to 1986. A sweeping immigration reform bill was passed with support from both parties. It promised once and for all to secure the border — as well as provide a path for citizenship for illegals who met certain requirements, such as living in the United States for a certain amount of time, at least since 1982, according to the Washington Post. Sound familiar?

The solutions put forth by the president are not new solutions. They are simply the same old ideas we have been hearing about illegal immigration in this country for decades. Many have accused President Obama of intentionally lying. According to politifact.com, he changed his position on whether or not he could use executive action from “I’m not a king” to “I’m obliged to do everything I can.” Others have accused the president of attempting to fill the country with future Latino voters who will certainly support the Democratic Party, to see that Republicans never win a national election again. I am accusing the president

DID YOU KNOW? The President’s actions will also streamline legal immigration to boost our economy and promote naturalization by: Enhancing options for foreign entrepreneurs

Strengthening on-the-job training for STEM graduates of U.S. universities

Ensuring that individuals with lawful status can travel to their countries of origin

Creating a White House Task Force on New Americans

of something worse than either of those: wishful thinking.

Why would these same ideas that did not work in the past suddenly work today? Although illegal immigration has been lower in the Obama terms than in previous years, much of that was due to the poor economy of the United States, as well as the changing economy of Mexico. After the bill in 1986 took effect, illegal immigration continued to soar despite our country’s best efforts to suppress it.

At the time, the system was not producing enough legal immigrants to meet the growing demand of labor, and many people were finding their way around the weak system. As many found ways to stay in the United States, the number of illegals grew from 5 million in 1986 to the 11 million today.

The same could occur today. There is no telling the specific long-term direction of the economies of neither Mexico nor America, and we cannot build an immigration system based on the pretense that conditions will always remain such that less people are taking advantage of the system. And with as much gridlock as there is today in Congress, any funding that the president may request in order to carry out his reforms may never materialize.

It is also very questionable that the president is claiming he does not want to reward people who broke the law and are not “playing by the rules,” as he puts it.

Yet, that is exactly what this reform will do: grant a path to citizenship for people who came to this country illegally.

It doesn’t matter whether they did it in 2014 or 2009; the rules were still broken. Setting an arbitrary cut-off date has no meaning. That time was supposed to be 1982, yet here we are, 32 years later, with the same issue.

It’s time for new ideas and more hard-lined approaches, not the same soft approaches we have already tried. Are we going to finally respect the laws we have, Mr. President? Or are we just going to H kick the can down the road?

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Grant Smith at gsmith@hilite.org.

REAL IS RARE THESE DAYS WHITEHOUSE.ORG/ SOURCE

52

perspectives

Dec 12, 2014

Naomi Reibold

death with dignity

Choosing to die is not dignified

Why death with dignity should not be made a law.

I

F YOU’VE BEEN KEEPING UP with your social media,

then you’ve probably heard of 29-year-old Brittany Maynard. Maynard was diagnosed with Stage 4 brain cancer earlier this year. By April, doctors determined she only had six months to live. But instead of letting the cancer kill her, she decided it was her choice when to die. Nov. 1 was Maynard’s prefixed date of death. She sat in her bed as her loved ones watched her swallow a pill that would take her life in 30 minutes. Death with Dignity, it’s called.

Maynard has single-handedly reignited the controversial, nationwide debate about the Death with Dignity law, which has NO MATTER been enacted in three states: WHAT WE CALL Oregon (where Maynard IT, IT IS STILL lived), Washington and Vermont. To be eligible, a SUICIDE IN ITS person must be diagnosed MOST BASIC with a terminal illness, FORM. have less than six months to live, be sound of mind and be a resident of one of the practicing states. Then, a doctor can give the patient a pill that can be taken at any time as long as it is self-administered.

At first glance, the law seems fairly simple. But it’s not. For one, there are so many unpredictable factors that come into play. What criteria determine who is mentally competent? How do we know they won’t become mentally incompetent after the pill has been administered? How will we know the person took the pill themselves? Will doctors even try to help remediate terminal illnesses, or will they just give patients the easy way out? All these questions and so many more arise out of this law. It’s a policy where lines are blurred and impossible to know if they’ve been crossed until it’s too late.

There’s also the problem that this law could become a gateway to euthanasia. Take a look at our European friends, for example. The Netherlands passed a law in 2002 that allowed for both physician-assisted suicide and euthanasia.

And just this year, it has now extended the law to children.

While this may not happen in America, by passing the Death with Dignity law, we are opening up a can of worms that can’t be undone.

Furthermore, nothing seems dignified in this law. Many people will argue that Death with Dignity is not suicide, and that it is rude to call it so. No matter what we call it, it is still suicide in its most basic form. It’s still choosing to take one’s

DID YOU KNOW? Only three states have legalized the practice of physicianassisted suicide.

In 2013, some 34% of Americans stated in a Pew Research poll that they had given serious consideration to their end-oflife decisions, up from 28% in 1990.

According to the same Pew Research study, some 66% of U.S. adults believe that a doctor or nurse should allow a patient to die in certain circumstances.

HEALTHRESEARCHFUNDING.ORG / SOURCE

life intentionally.

People are so afraid to die helpless and in pain, which is understandable. My grandfather died of pancreatic cancer, and the day before, he couldn’t move and could barely speak. It hurt a lot to see him that way, and I would never wish anybody to suffer through death. But in those short six months I had with my grandpa after his diagnosis were some of the most meaningful. Terminal illnesses, in a strange way, brought us closer together. Without my grandpa’s cancer, I don’t think I would be as close as I was to him. And ultimately, what is more valuable? Dying with “dignity” or dying knowing that you’ve become closer to your loved ones?

And there’s always that glimmer of hope. Take for example Charles Burrows. According to an article in Forbes titled “Cancer Miracles,” Burrows discovered a peculiar lump in his stomach that was causing him pain in 2005. When he went to the hospital, he was diagnosed with inoperable liver cancer. Doctors refused to treat him, claiming he could live anywhere from 30 days to 60 years. That was until 2006. In February, Burrows began developing abdominal bloating, shaking, chills and nausea.

Soon he could not feel the lump in his stomach. By then, he had found a doctor that would treat him, but the doctor couldn’t find a tumor anywhere, and so Burrows went to another doctor with the same results. His cancer was gone and has been gone for eight years, and with no explanation as to why or how. Burrows is not the only miracle case.

There’s always a chance for cure, no matter how small the odds. Choosing to participate in Death with Dignity ruins those odds forever.

The pope called Death with Dignity “a false sense of compassion,” and I would have to agree. Instead of passing laws to end pain with death, we should find ways to better eliminate pain through medicine and improving the methods for treating H terminal illnesses.

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Naomi Reibold at nreibold@hilite.org.

TROP CHOUETTE POUR DES CACAHUÈTES

Dec 12, 2014

being kind

53

perspectives

GRAPHIC PERSPECTIVE

MAHAM NADEEm

Being kind

A

Simple kindness can make someone’s day.

I walked into the school library, shoulders slouched and mind tangled in a web of stress. I had a math test, a Spanish essay and an economics exam that very day. With college decision letters coming out in no time at all and finals week rapidly approaching, I was panicking. I was ditching lunch for the third time that week; it was a Wednesday. To say I was stressed would be quite the understatement. I was sleep deprived, tired and just frustrated. It was one of those days when everything was going wrong no matter how hard I tried to make it all perfect. It was like finals, exams and admission letters were all a combined force and I was suffocating under their pressure.

Sometime between me walking through the library doors and sitting down at a study table, I exploded.

Staring at my incomplete project, I burst out into tears.

I guess at that point I could no longer handle all the stress I had kept bottled inside and that came flowing out in the form of tears. While I was inexplicably yelling at my partner for forgetting her part of our project at home, four striped pink and silver Hershey’s kisses and a notecard with the word “BREATHE” written on it caught my eye. My mystery benefactor without as much as saying a word had changed the

GRAPHIC PERSPECTIVE

FEW WEEKS AGO

entire course of my day. That simple message calmed me down and forced me to relax. One bad project, one bad day or even one bad week did not mean it was the end of the world.

Those four Hershey’s kisses and that simple message meant more to me at that moment than any sum of words could ever amount to. I am sure this sounds cliché, but the truth is our actions do matter.

Dropping candy on to a table seems like a tiny deed, but at that moment those chocolatey triangular cubes brought a smile to my face. Certainly, somewhere near us someone is not having the best day, someone is stressed or perhaps someone is simply just upset.

By being observant and aware of those around us we can easily turn someone’s day around. Even a compliment in passing, a simple smile or a phrase of encouragement can uplift H someone down in dumps.

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff.

Reach Maham Nadeem at mnadeem@hilite.org.

COMPARISON IS THE THIEF OF JOY

mike Johnson

15 Minutes

dec 12, 2014

Sarah Liu

‘King of INstruments’

THE ‘KING OF INSTRUMENTS’

How did you become interested in playing the pipe organ?

My mom introduced me to the pipe organ about three and a half years ago because she wanted me to play a second instrument, after piano being my first. I wasn’t very interested at first, but when my organ teacher, Dr. Charles Goehring, a retired director of St. Luke’s Music Ministries, introduced me to the pipe organ at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church of Indianapolis, my life in the musical world was changed forever. Because when I look at the organ console, which is the body of the organ that contains the keyboards and pedals, I was captivated by its embellishments of its drawknobs and keyboards and pedals.

From that point on, I became really eager to learn the organ.

Why did you continue to play?

I consider the organ as the king of instruments, and it is considered (to be) the most powerful instrument to be controlled by the human body alone without the usage of computer. I love the organ because of its variety of sounds and its power. ... Playing the organ also provides me a really fun challenge because I have to multitask a lot.

I not only have to play the keyboards with my hands like a pianist, but I also have to play with my toes and heels in order to play the pedal parts. ... My main purpose of continuing playing the pipe organ is basically for service playing at churches. There are many churches around the world that are changing from traditional services to contemporary services, which tells me that the traditional music is dying out in our modern society (and) being replaced by contemporary music, and I want to continue organ playing so that this instrument will not be forgotten and that it will always remain as the king of instruments.

What does playing the pipe organ feel like?

Whenever I sit on the bench and start playing the instrument, I felt nervous, naturally, and also kind of prominent. I believe that almost every musician around the world will get nervous at most of their performances unless they have a lot of experience. I rarely accompany a congregation of a church through hymn playing, but every time that I do that, I felt like I’m like the leader of that particular moment, leading the congregation to sing the hymns. Basically, it’s the more you practice, the more experience and the less stress you have of playing the organ.

Visit the HiLite YouTube channel to see Huang play the organ. www.youtube.com/user/HiLiteOnline

dec 12, 2014

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;King of instrumentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;

15 minutes

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Kyle Crawford

Junior Joseph Huang plays the pipe organ Visit hilite.org/archives/39173 to read the rest of the Q&A and learn more about how the pipe organ works through an interactive graphic.

dec 12, 2014

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Senior Ryan Cline takes a shot in the first basketball game of the season. The menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s basketball team celebrated a win against Zionsville in its first game on Nov. 26.

Kyle crawford

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