12.14 Issue

A HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE KICK-STARTING NEW IDEAS RISING PRODUCER

by Gillian Paxton

by Kyle Crawford

by Mary Salzmann PAGE 10

PAGE 32

PAGE 54

CARMEL HIGH SCHOOL NEWSMAGAZINE Vol. 80, No. 5 | Dec. 14, 2015

IN THE SHADOWS

In the wake of recent terrorist attacks around the world, many focused on those in Paris. What factors put certain incidents in the global eye while others remain unnoticed?

Page 26 // Kalea Miao

CONTENTS NEWS // 6

VOL. 80, NO. 5

STUDENT SECTION // 22

NEWS BRIEFS | 6

Members of the Coquettes dance teams define their roles and preview their upcoming season at CHS.

The media center is beginning a new program to offer students more than basic library resources.

THE CRAZE CONTINUES | 42 Intramural basketball at CHS continues to gain popularity as more students look to participate.

LESS MAY BE MORE | 8

A HANDS-ON APPROACH | 10 The new Give Your Hands to the Future club will directly assist children in Quintana Roo, Mexico.

RECYCLE FOR CHS | 11 Design for CHS is planning a new interactive recycling project called “Agent Recycle” to motivate more students to recycle.

SPENDING FOR SCIENCE | 12 A recent grant given to the science department will allow for the addition of new equipment for labs.

FEATURE // 14 THE TIPPING POINT | 14 Students reflect on the importance of tipping, as well as its place as a traditional practice in society.

NOT YOUR USUAL SANTA BABIES | 22 A simple, delicious and fun recipe for mini Santas to enjoy during the holiday season.

HOLIDAY SHOPPING CHEAT SHEET | 24 Tips on how to find the perfect present during this holiday season.

LET’S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS | 25 Carmel DECA starts preparing for competition season.

COVER // 26 BEYOND THE HEADLINES | 26 Despite the prevelance of terrorism, the media still does not portray the spread of terrorist attacks accurately in non-western countries

ENTERTAINMENT // 32

ALL IN THE HOLIDAYS | 34 Christmas music and movies remain popular at CHS.

A TWO-WAY STREET | 16

BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE | 46 CHS to build new locker rooms next to Murray Stadium, athletes to use temporary locker rooms.

PERSPECTIVES // 48 SUCCEEDING THE SENIORS | 48 The HiLite staff discusses how students should utilize the Senior Transition to College program.

THE STARBUCKS SITUATION | 50 Reporter Sabrina Mi discusses the dangers of social media as exemplified by the Starbucks cup controversy.

WE’RE JUST NERVOUS | 52 Reporter Emily Worrell urges teachers to consider students’ social anxiety in classroom participation policies.

15 MINUTES // 54

Students recognize safety risks of utilizing ride-share services like Uber despite their convenience.

RISING PRODUCER | 54

BUYER BEWARE| 18

Despite the ubiquity of certain holiday foods, many families still eat a variety of distinct traditional dishes.

Senior Kyle Yost manages the CHS men’s basketball team

See how different parts of your brain will react to the stress that finals week causes.

CHS students use crowd-funding service to launch creative projects.

VAST SUPPER | 20

MANAGING SUCCESS | 44

YOUR BRAIN ON FINALS | 23

KICK-STARTING FOR FUN(DS) | 32

In light of recent food contamination cases at major restaurants, students reconsider their eating habits.

SPORTS // 40 DEFINING DANCE | 40

LIBRARY ‘MUSE’-INGS | 7

In the past month, CHS administration finalized a new schedule option for seniors requiring only four rigourous courses and 16 required SRTs.

DEC 14, 2015

RETURN OF THE FORCE | 36 CHS students and staff members anticipate the arrival of new ‘Star Wars’ film.

BIG TIMES AT THE BIG APPLE | 38 Applied Music students to travel to NYC for Broadway workshops with show casts.

Freshman Ashton Gleckman produces full movie musical scores and movies in his own studio.

AKSHAR PATEL // COVER PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

SPOTLIGHTS

DEC 14, 2015

SPOTLIGHTS

03

CONTACT INFORMATION Mailing Address: 520 E. Main St., Carmel IN 46032 Phone: (317) 846-7721, Ext. 7143 Website: www.hilite.org Email: Staff members may be contacted by using their first initial and their last name appending @hilite.org,

RESPONDING TO THE HILITE Letters to the editor will be accepted for the Jan. 23 issue no later than Jan 7. 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

16

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 Carmel Clay system faculty, staff or administration.

CREDENTIALS The HiLite belongs to the Indiana High School Press Association, 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

Perspectives

Lianne Yu

Sarah Liu Cynthia Yue

Managing Editors

44

Reporters

Adviser

Graphics

Web

Miles Dai Gayatri Balasubramanian

Olivia Jacko Tiffany Xie

Front Page

Acumen

Matthew Han Akshar Patel

Stephanie Zhang Selena Qian Annika Wolff

Natalia Chaudhry Laxmi Palde

Ellen Peng Jenny Zhao

Feature Asim Dhungana Melissa Yap

Student Section Angela Sun

Cover Katie Long

Entertainment Grace Zhang Matthew Zheng

Sports .The HiLite strives to correct its errors. If you notice any inaccuracies in this or past issues, please contact management@hilite.org.

Brian Shaffer

Hannah Glazier Adam Gostomelsky Janzen Greene Alina Husain Olivia Jacko Ray Jiang Sydney Jordan Julianna Kessilyas Joyce Lam Daniel Lee Allison Li Sabrina Mi Manahil Nadeem Gillian Paxton Nyssa Qiao Rebecca Qin Lauren Reilly Jai Sanghani Summer Snyder Katie Summit Deepthi Thadasina Sitha Vallabhaneni Emily Worrell Tiffany Xie Carolyn Zhang Allen Zhang Allen Zheng

Christine Fernando Emma Love Aaron Shi Shakeel Zia

News

54

Pranav Sriram Lilly St. Angelo Adam Stockholm

Ally Russell Shiva Vallabhaneni

Ads Team Jasmine Lam

Calendar/Beats Lizzie Barker Kalea Miao Jessica Mo Gabby Perelmuter Cory Steele Rachael Tan Amy Zhao

Photographers Divya Annamalai Michael Johnson Swetha Nakshatri Shraddha Ramnath Shreeram Thirunavukkarasu Sara Yung Vishnu Vaid

Copy Editor Bethlehem Daniel Mary Salzmann Aaron Seals

Writing Coaches 15 Minutes Kyle Crawford

Online Directors Sreya Vemuri Alex Yom

Social Media Danny Goldberg Jessica Tao Kari Truax

Accountant

Kelsey Atcheson Aditya Belamkar Jordyn Blakey Teresa Chen Bryce Cheng Darrell Cheng Lucus Cheng Ellie Clark Richard Du Luke Gentile

Jim Streisel

Principal John Williams

Superintendent Nicholas Wahl

04

Socialism 2016?

DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM

WHAT ARE SANDERS’ PLANS FOR AMERICA?

A capitalist market system should exist while operating under a strong government “social safety net.”

Strong labor rights Universal health care Lowered cost of public education

SOCIALISM

Increased social services such as child care

Workers, rather than certain individuals, should control the means of production.

Universal Health Care Lowered Cost of Public Education

DOES SOCIALISM HAVE A NEGATIVE CONNOTATION? AMERICAN VIEWS OF...

SOCIALISM

Although still behind Hilary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic presidential race, Bernie Sanders is gaining traction despite his numerous, but confident, affirmations that he is in fact a democratic socialist. The question remains, will America elect a socialist?

ALLY RUSSELL // GRAPHIC POLITIFACT.COM, NEWREPUBLIC. COM, PEOPLE-PRESS. ORG, NEWYORKER.COM, TAXFOUNDATION.ORG, KNOEMA. COM, SSA.GOV // SOURCE

31%

CAPITALISM

50%

60%

9%

40%

10%

POSITIVE NEGATIVE OTHER

Data collected by the Pew Research Center

CARMEL STUDENT VIEWS OF...

SOCIALISM

49%

51%

POSITIVE

CAPITALISM

76%

24%

NEGATIVE

Approximately 100 students were surveyed by the HiLite

WHY DOES SANDERS THINK AMERICA NEEDS SOCIALISM? UNEQUAL WEALTH DISTRIBUTION IN AMERICA

THE TOP 1% OWN ABOUT 40% OF THE NATION’S WEALTH THE MIDDLE 20% ACCUMULATE ABOUT 53% OF THE NATION’S WEALTH THE BOTTOM 80% HAVE ABOUT 7% OF THE NATION’S WEALTH

Sanders argues that America has become an oligarchy, a country run by a small group of people.

45%

The chances of a government policy change being enacted if it is supported by the economic elite

18%

The chances of a given measure becoming a law if it is opposed by the economic elite

PAST AND PRESENT SOCIALIST COUNTRIES

05

HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN SINCE EACH COUNTRY BECAME SOCIALIST? MORE THAN 60 YEARS BETWEEN 50 AND 60 YEARS BETWEEN 40 AND 50 YEARS BETWEEN 30 AND 40 YEARS BETWEEN 20 AND 30 YEARS BETWEEN 10 AND 20 YEARS LESS THAN 10 YEARS Although cash benefits are often offered for “sick leave” in the United States, we remain one of only three countries in the world without paid maternity leave. The other two? Papua New Guinea and Suriname (marked on map above).

IN ADDITION TO THESE COUNTRIES...

TYPES OF BENEFITS

The current countries with the 10 highest GDPs, unlike the countries above, already have many “socialist” programs in place in the form of Social Security or Welfare Programs.

TOTAL BENEFITS

COUNTRIES UNITED STATES

05

OLD AGE, DISABILITY, OR SURVIVOR BENEFITS CASH BENEFITS FOR SICKNESS, MATERNITY

CHINA

06

JAPAN

06

GERMANY

07

UNITED KINGDOM FRANCE

06 07

UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS

INDIA

06

FAMILY ALLOWANCES

ITALY

06

BRAZIL

07

CANADA

06

DEMOCRATIC SOCIALISM IN ACTION TOP MARGINAL INCOME TAX RATE 60.4%

56.9%

NORWAY

FREE HIGHER EDUCATION UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE

Sanders often points to Scandinavian countries as an example of what American democratic welfare projects should look like, but how do these countries afford their social programs such as sponsored college education, paid parental leave, and universal health care? Taxes.

46.3%

39.0%

DENMARK

CASH BENEFITS AND MEDICAL CARE FOR SICKNESS, MATERNITY

Although the top U.S. marginal income tax is comparable to those of the Scandanavian countries mentioned by Sanders, Scandanavian income taxes are able to raise a lot of revenue because they are rather flat, meaning that most people in these countries are taxed at these high rates.

SWEDEN

U.S

For example, in Sweden, the top marginal income tax rate of 56.9 percent applies to all income over 1.5 times the national average income whereas in the United States the top marginal tax rate of 46.3 percent kicks in at 8.5 times the average U.S. income.

NEWS

DEC 14, 2015

NEWS BRIEFS

NEWS BRIEFS MANAHIL NADEEM // BRIEFS

TOMORROW TO FRIDAY

To read about the new finals, see http://hilite.org/archives/44078

Finals will take place this week. See the cutout below for a schedule of the week.

FINALS SCHEDULE *Office hours information

Tomorrow

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

B1 review 7:50 - 9:20 a.m.

Office hours* 7:50 - 10:50 a.m.

Office hours* 7:50 - 10:50 a.m.

Office hours* 7:50 - 10:50 a.m.

FULL DAY

PARTIAL DAY

B2 review 9:30 - 11:03 a.m.

Lunch 10:50 - 11:35 a.m.

Lunch 10:50 - 11:35 a.m.

Lunch 10:50 - 11:35 a.m.

Students must report to assigned locations by 7:50 a.m.

Enter the school from doors 13 or 21 if you have a pass to see a teacher.

B3 review G3 final B3 final B1 final 11:13 a.m. - 1:23 p.m. 11:45 a.m. - 1:23 p.m. 11:45 a.m. - 1:23 p.m. 11:45 a.m. - 1:23 p.m.

Freshmen: Freshman Cafeteria Sophomores: Main Cafeteria

B4 final 1:33- 3:05 p.m.

G4 final 1:33- 3:05 p.m.

G1 final 1:33- 3:05 p.m.

B2 final 1:33- 3:05 p.m.

Juniors and seniors: media center

Campus opens at 10:50 a.m. Enter doors 4, 13 or 21 no earlier than 10:50 a.m.

DEC. 21 TO JAN. 4

JAN. 16 TO 18

There will be no school due to winter break.

Students from the Applied Music classes will travel to New York City for a three-day theater tour.

DEC. 28 This is the registration deadline for the January SAT.

JAN. 9 DECA members will travel to Westfield High School for the DECA District Career Development Conference.

JAN. 14 TO 16 Select orchestra members will travel to Fort Wayne for the All-State Orchestra Festival.

“I’m looking forward to the workshops that will be offered and seeing my first Broadway show.”

Sophomore Lauren Alexander

JAN. 18 There will be no school due to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

JAN. 19

Class awards will take place during SRT.

DEC 14, 2015

07

MUSE

LIBRARY ‘MUSE’-INGS

Media center to implement new program expanding the media center’s role at CHS DEEPTHI THADASINA // STORY

M

aking connections, understanding, sharing and exploring, or “MUSE” is a new program that gives students the opportunity to partake in a wide range of activities and learn about things outside of the academic level, according to Terri Ramos, media specialist and chairperson of the communications department. She said she started the program to go beyond curriculum-based learning and offer students more than the basic resources of a library. “(MUSE is) just an idea that I had. I see the library as a portal to the world, and so as a portal to the world I want my offerings like the public library to be wide and broad and diverse,” Ramos said. constantly keeps up with what is in “(The public library has) a lot more the news so she can help students opportunity sometimes to offer find what they need. things beyond what we focus on Some of the activities Ramos said with curriculum.” she plans on doing include bringing Senior Katie Tellus said the in therapy dogs so that students can program gives students more learn about what it is like to train a information on the activities planned therapy dog and what a therapy dog and expands the mind of students. does, but the idea is not completely “It’s trying to allow our students finalized. She said she came across to experience a variety of creative the idea when she was talking to the options but also dig deeper and see English teacher Allison Wells-Podell what more the media center has to whonew had agadgets therapy dog of her own.

Make space for Makerspace’s offer,” Tellus said. “(Wells-Podell) mentioned how Ramos said as a librarian, she she has a therapy dog, and how much

MAKERSPACE MAGIC: Media specialist Terri Ramos and media manager Angela Guntz interact with the gadgets available in the media center’s makerspace.

MUSE has offered makerspace time during SRT.

MAKE SPACE FOR NEW GADGETS

DIVYA ANNAMALAI // PHOTO she would love to bring the therapy dog in,” Ramos said. “...I thought ‘hey that would fit into MUSE.’” Currently there is no set schedule for the events, but the media center wants to offer a special program for MUSE at least once every month according, to Ramos. As it does not have any events set in stone so far, the media center will offer the makerspace every SRT unless it does not have the space. Ramos said the days where the media center has a special MUSE day will be spread out H through the year.

BRYCE CHENG // GRAPHIC

Here are a few of the many items the media center’s makerspace has to offer: 3Doodler Pen This is the first 3D pen.

It uses melted plastic rods to draw both on surfaces and in the air.

Littlebits kit These are mini electronic components that link together to form circuits.

Each bit is labeled and has a single purpose.

Spheroball This gadget links with an app provided with purchase.

The app uses physical reality surroundings to enhance available games.

HOWSTUFFWORKS, LIFEHACKER, THE TELEGRAPH // SOURCES

08

NEWS

NEW SENIOR SCHEDULE

DEC 14, 2015

LESS MAY BE MORE

CHS to offer collegiate schedule option for seniors to help prepare them for college transition JULIANNA KESSILYAS // STORY

n

ext school year, an optional, college-style schedule will be available to seniors who fulfill certain requirements. With this schedule, eligible students must take the equivalent of four fullyweighted courses, but they are not required to enroll in any other classes. Students will still have the ability to sign up for electives if they so choose.

The purpose of this optional schedule is to prepare seniors for college where students take fewer, more rigorous courses.

According to counseling department chairperson Linda Skafish, the idea for the schedule was a work in progress for five to six years.

Skafish said seniors are eligible to participate in this schedule if they meet the criteria of good standardized test scores, are ontrack for Core 40 with either the Academic Honors diploma or the Technical Honors diploma, successful completion of one fullyweighted course prior to senior year and an exemplary record of behavior, attendance and service from freshman to junior year.

Skafish said, “The school day for students has been structured entirely for the 13 years they (have) been in school. Then they enroll in college and have five or six classes that meet about 15 hours a week.

What happens is (that leaves) a fair amount of constructed time that you have to learn how to manage your time.”

Junior Josie Ramseier said she believes the new schedule will help students stay on their toes the whole school year, as well as allow them to

clear space for opportunities that would not have been available with the traditional schedule.

“For some kids, it will definitely benefit them because they take classes they’re not really interested in just because they have to,” Ramseier said.

According to Skafish, juniors can apply to the program through an application from their counselors during the time for scheduling. In addition, students who enroll in the program will take a required non-academic senior symposium.

However, students will not receive credit for it.

According to the CHS Program of Studies, “The required College & Career Symposium will meet regularly throughout the academic year during SRT and will be the students’ and teachers’ SRT assignment for the year. Students will meet with staff in large

SENIOR SPECIAL: Guidance director Linda Skafish sits in her office during SRT. According to Skafish, the new senior schedule has been designed to help seniors with the transition to college, as well as the workforce in the future.

SWETHA NAKSHATRI // PHOTO

groups and explore real-life topics including, but not limited to time and money management, credit, personal safety, and other issues confronting a new college student.

When enrolling for the College & Career Symposium, students will choose the strand of the course most closely related to their intended area of academic focus or intended college major.”

The strands that will be offered include business, humanities, social science and education, science, technology, and engineering and math, as well as fine and performing arts.

Skafish said, “This (schedule) will help our seniors learn to manage their free time productively to study, to have study groups together or to see teachers. The hope is that when they are actually on the college campus, the transition will be easier for them.”

According to Skafish, if students

DEC 14, 2015

don’t have a class during a period it will be free time for them.

In addition, with parental permission students will be allowed to leave campus when they don’t have class.

According to Ramseier, she would benefit from this schedule since she already works.

“Since I have a job, I would like

to have the extra time to be able to HIGH work there and still have time to focus on my schoolwork, so I feel PERFORMING like with this new schedule I would CONDITIONS be able to do that,” Ramseier said.

Junior Riley Helgeland also has To receive the a job, and she said the extra time benefits of the would allow her to work more and High Performing use her time more wisely.

Legislation, a school Also, she said she thinks it’s must have: important students experience a job while they are in high school.

90% Helgeland said, “It’s good to graduation learn how to communicate with rate or higher a variety of different people in different situations.”

85% Skafish said, “We’ve sent the description of the program to IU of students (Indiana University), Purdue, Ball in all grades State and Butler and we’ve gotten a passing ISTEP positive response from them. They THE STATE HOUSE are saying it looks good.”

FILE // SOURCE Skafish said the new schedule

DID YOU KNOW? With the new schedule, seniors can now take anywhere from four to seven classes. Only 16 SRTs require attendance, and participating students must attend a senior symposium.

COUNSELING CENTER // SOURCE

APPLYING IT TO US

Reason for change

New schedule information

The High Performing Legislation.

What the legislation is Allows schools with an “A” grade to shorten the school year, implement their own curriculum, and be exempt from state regulations affecting high ability students.

Comparing Amount of Time at School 8

65,520

7

57,330

6

49,140 40,500

4

32,760 0

20,000

40,000

will not allow students to slack off because of both the commitment and responsibility it will require them to put forth.

Although some students favor the fact there will be less time spent at school, there are some who can see some potential downfalls to this schedule, particularly in limiting certain opportunities.

Ramseier said, “Fun classes where you show your creativity (may be less taken) because you’re more focused on taking the hard classes.”

Helgeland said, “It will probably encourage me to not take as many classes as I could, (to try to get the extra time) instead of exploring other classes.”

Skafish said she doesn’t know how many students will enroll in this new schedule but, “We are H eager to find out.”

ADITYA BELAMKAR // GRAPHIC BROOKE WATKINS, DOE, THE STATE HOUSE FILE // SOURCES

With an “A” grade from the High Performing Legislation, CHS can implement the new optional senior schedule. Here is more information about the legislation and the schedule.

5

09

NEW SENIOR SCHEDULE

60,000

Amount of Time Attending School Per School Year (in minutes)

Goal

Allow students to pursue their career interests and prepare them for their college transition.

Program

Students can take from a minimum of four classes to a full schedule with the 16 required SRT meetings to discuss concepts that are important within college life or a future career interest.

New Schedule Period 1

(Period 5)

Period 2

(Period 6)

Period 3

(Period 7)

Period 4 Required

Optional

Student Requirements On track for either an Academic or Technical Honors diploma

Good standing in terms of attendance and behavior

Must have taken a fully-weighted course as an underclassman

10

NEWS

DEC 14, 2015

NEW CLUB

A HANDS-ON APPROACH

New Give Your Hands to the Future Club will raise money to help children in Mexico MARY SALZMANN // STORY

G

ive Your Hands to the Future is a new club that will directly assist children in Mexico. Club president and junior Bella Layman, said the club will host fundraisers throughout the year to raise money for essential living supplies.

Layman said club members will travel to Quintana Roo, Mexico this summer, where they will pass out the food they bought and help the towns in other ways, such as building cement houses. In the towns they visit, the houses are made of wood and do not have electricity.

According to Layman, the difference between this club and other clubs that raise money for children is this one directly helps the families and children with whom the club members form close relationships.

“It’s so important that people know (giving impacts) people’s lives. It’s hard to explain it if you haven’t seen it before, but that’s why it’s so amazing;

DID YOU KNOW?

Quintana Roo is located on the southeastern tip of Mexico.

Tourism is an important part of the economy.

Cancún, a popular vacation destination, is in Quintana Roo. WIKIPEDIA // SOURCE

you have the opportunity to actually go there and see the kids that you’re helping,” Layman said.

According to Layman, club members have to travel three hours into the jungle before they reach the first town. The rest of the towns are even deeper inside the jungle and are noticeably more isolated the farther in they are. Layman said she has traveled to these areas multiple times before and keeps in touch with children she met there.

“This kid, his name is Juan, and I’ve known him since he was nine, I think,” Layman said. “We send letters to them, we keep talking to them and each year I go back and you can see the difference that just a couple hundred dollars makes in people’s lives.”

Gabriela Mendoza, Spanish teacher and club sponsor, said she is impressed with the work Layman puts into this club.

Mendoza said, “She’s thinking globally and it’s just so impressive to

me, everything she’s doing.”

According to Layman, the club works with the Desarrollo Integral de la Familia (DIF), a Mexican public institution of social assistance, to help as many families as it can.

The children in the towns speak Mayan instead of Spanish, making it impossible to find a job in a city.

Despite government schools that teach Spanish, students usually only attend school until fifth grade, after which they typically have to start working or farming.

Layman said although she recently started the club, she’s confident CHS will raise enough money to make a difference.

Layman said, “In my last school for instance, I had 50 kids in my grade.

The school was really small but we ended up raising $20,000, so imagine how much we can raise in this school.”

Layman said the club meets most Thursdays in A219 and welcomes H new members.

GLOBAL GIVING: Bella Layman (on left, wearing green), Give Your Hands to the Future Club president and junior, stands with children from Quintana Roo who are being taught Spanish. Give Your Hands to the Future is raising money to buy supplies and travel to Mexico to help these children.

BELLA LAYMAN // SUBMITTED PHOTO

DEC 14, 2015

11

“AG E N T R E C YC L E ”

RECYCLE FOR CHS

Design for CHS begins interactive program to encourage students to recycle during lunchtime

RACHAEL TAN // STORY

DESIGNER PLANS Here’s the process by which the club hopes to implement “Agent Recycle.”

CAD File

Untitled

A

new and interactive recycling project called “Agent Recycle,” created

by Design for CHS, will make its debut this year.

The goal of this project is to encourage students to recycle by voting with their recyclable items.

The system will work by having a board displaying a question with two options. Students can throw their recyclable items into containers with their favorite option between the two. For example, one possible question is, “Who is the better football player?” with different players on different bins.

“There’s a lot of people who throw away their plastic bottles especially in cafeterias,” Max Jolly, Design for CHS, “Agent Recycle” committee member and senior, said. “We want to cut down on that so we recycle more.”

Jolly, along with seniors Kamna Gupta and Naheel Khatri, are the three members of the “Agent Recycle” Committee. They said they have been working on it for the past

RELEGATING THE RECYCLING: Kamna Gupta and Max Jolly, Design for CHS members, “Agent Recycle” committee members and seniors, come up with questions to put on the recycling bins.

Design for CHS has begun planning for its new interactive recycling project, which will involve recycling bins with poll questions placed in CHS cafeterias.

ALEX YOM // PHOTO three meetings the club has had.

“It has been a month since we started on this,” Gupta said, “but it most definitely does not feel like a month because of our weekly meetings; it feels much shorter.”

The “Agent Recycle” bins will be implemented during the first few months of second semester; however, exact times and dates are to be announced.

According to Jolly, the process of putting “Agent Recycle” into effect is a slower process than one would think. Design for CHS must notify administrators and the CHS Environmental Club about the project to check for discrepancies, tell the janitors about the whereabouts and functions of the bins and finally complete the construction of the newly designed recycling bins.

“I think (Agent Recycle) is a great idea,” Design for CHS sponsor Jan Mitchener said. “It gets people motivated to recycle as well as make it a fun question for them H to respond to.”

Recycle Bin

Members are currently using computer-aided design (CAD) software in order to design transparent recycling bins called “drop boxes.”

After getting approval from administrators, CHS Environmental Club and janitors, the club will use the CHS manufacturing lab in order to “print out” these drop boxes.

These drop boxes will then be placed in school cafeterias as an interactive feature.

ELLEN PENG // GRAPHIC DESIGNFORCHS.COM // SOURCE

12

DEC 14, 2015

SCIENCE GRANT

NEWS

SPENDING FOR SCIENCE

Science department receives grant to purchase new science equipment JASMINE LAM // STORY

O

n nov. 23, the carmel Education Foundation awarded a grant to both CHS’s AP Biology and Anatomy and Physiology courses to purchase a classroom set of electrophysiology equipment after Xuchen Wei, lead author of the grant and sophomore, decided to write a proposal in May. “Basically, I wanted to add a lab to the curriculum, since I thought some of the AP Biology labs were kind of lacking. We didn’t have a lab in the official curriculum for the communication unit other than doing this thing with pill bugs which wasn’t all that scientific,” Wei said via email.

“I thought this would be a good place to insert a new lab. I then just looked online for lab ideas, and I discovered this site called ‘Backyard Brains’ that has some really cool labs introducing students to neuroscience.”

Daniel Marble, AP Biology teacher and announcer of the grant, said he agrees with and approves of Wei’s purpose for writing his grant. “(The equipment) is a good thing; it allows us to do some neat experiments and neat activities that we wouldn’t

EXPERIMENTING WITH ELECTROPHYSIOLOGY

The grant will be used to purchase equipment such as the SpikerBox. Each Neuron 2-Channel SpikerBox costs around $145.

These electrode pins pick up electrical impulses in nerves.

They can be used on things like earthworms and cockroach legs.

These can be plugged into the SpikerBox to transmit the electrical impulses as sound.

The sound comes out of this speaker. The Spikerbox can also be plugged into a computer to visually illustrate the electrical spikes.

probably otherwise have the money or materials to do,” Marble said. “So, if you can make simple measurements about the nervous system and certain animals like humans, earthworms or cockroaches, then you have a better understanding of an important aspect about biology.”

According to Wei and Marble, students will be able to study neurology by utilizing the electrophysiology equipment for an earthworm lab.

JENNY ZHAO // GRAPHIC BACKYARD BRAINS // SOURCE

DID YOU KNOW? The Carmel Education Foundation awards four different types of grants.

CEF // SOURCE

SCIENCE SESSION: Daniel Marble, AP Biology teacher and science grant announcer, talks to a student during SRT. According to Marble, the recent grant will allow students to use new electrophysiology equipment.

SARA YUNG // PHOTO

“I thought the earthworm lab was a good fit because it was relatively simple and also pretty interesting. I adapted the lab for our classrooms and wrote a protocol of sorts, though it was mostly based on the website,” Wei said. “I then figured out what equipment we need and wrote that down, along with the costs. As for the rest of the grant, it was just a few short paragraphs about why it would be useful and such.”

Marble also said he encourages students to take the opportunity to benefit from the equipment as they use it to study neurophysiology.

“What’s neat about this is that you can work on this with not only earthworms, but with other animals like cockroaches and human muscles and lots of other things. You can use it to study lots of things,” Marble said.

“I never have used (the equipment) before, so I am interested in how I can come up with multiple experiments and have kids maybe design their own experiments using it too and see how H creative the kids are as well.”

Online Classes Now Available!

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Classroom • In-Car Instruction • Road Test ONLINE COURSES BEHIND THE WHEEL LESSONS 4 to 6:30 p.m.

www.indianadriving.com 949 Keystone Way Carmel, IN 46032 (317) 844-5542

Students must be at least 15 years old to participate

60

80 100

40 20 0

go to

www.yearbookordercenter.com

and search for

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yearbooks cost

$52

remember the year.

buy a yearbook. forms available outside of

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FEATURE

DEC 14, 2015

TIPPING PRACTICES

THE TIPPING POINT

Students in service industry find tips to be necessary, reflection of good work BETHLEHEM DANIEL // STORY

t

he bells ring at 3:05 p.m. every day to signal the end of another day at CHS, but unlike most of her classmates who head on home or to extracurricular activities following a long day at school, junior Frances Rafferty heads over to Bub’s Burgers and Ice Cream where she is currently employed as a server.

Rafferty said she works two to three times a week and orders food for customers, checks on her tables, serves them food and, as a result of her hard work, is typically rewarded with a tip.

“I feel that the practice of tipping is so ingrained into our society today simply because of the wage that waitresses are paid per hour,” Rafferty said. “People need

to give that gratuity to other people, especially if they are waitresses.

Between a 10 and 20 percent tip is always appreciated, especially if you are just starting out.”

Despite the importance of tipping as a courtesy generally shown to waiters and waitresses who showcase excellent behaviors, some restaurants have begun to ban the long-standing practice.

Nationally, Union Square Hospitality Group executive Danny Meyer announced in October that the organization would ban tipping in 13 of its locations in the New York area. This decision has caused controversy about whether the “notipping” policy is the right path for society to go down.

Matt Frey, owner of Bub’s

DID YOU KNOW? Tipping originated in England in the 1600s. Bar patrons gave money to waiters “to insure promptitude,” which became known as a “tip.”

Americans didn’t start tipping until the late 1800s.

FOODWOLF.COM // SOURCE

Burgers and Ice Cream, said he disagreed with this decision.

“People have a job, and their goal is to make as much money as they can. By taking tips away, you are taking away every person’s ability to make as much money as they can,” Frey said. “If no tipping is allowed, you are trusting that the restaurant owner or manager to not only collect, but distribute the funds appropriately.”

Rafferty said she agreed with Frey that the practice of tipping should continue to exist as custom in present-day society.

“I disagree with the decision if they have waitresses at their establishment,” Rafferty said.

“Considering that New York City is a very difficult city to live in, it’s

TIPPING ETIQUETTE AROUND THE WORLD Tipping accounts for a large portion of the income from the U.S. food industry at about $44 billion. Nowadays, however, several restaurants and businesses won’t accept tips. Here’s how other countries approach tipping.

?

China: no tips, unless it’s a luxury hotel Pros of tipping

Encourages quality service Servers don’t need to rely on hourly wages

Japan: tips uncommon but appreciated Cons of tipping

Italy: tip at most 10 percent of bill

Employers could lower hourly wages Earnings from tips pay less than hourly minimum wage

Mexico: tip 10 to 15 percent in cash

United States and Canada: tip 15 to 20 percent of bill

Why stop tipping?

Many people believe tips negate the idea of generous service that should already exist.

VISHNU VAID // GRAPHIC CNTRAVELER.COM, COLLEGECENTRAL.COM // SOURCES

TIPPING PRACTICES

DEC 14, 2015

DIVYA ANNAMALAI // PHOTO

an expensive city to live in. If you are trying to get by as a waitress, (not having tips) is going to make it more difficult for you to even pay your mortgage on your home.”

Emily Pattyn, server at Brunchies and junior, said she agrees with Rafferty in that tipping should continue to exist in modern society and in the future.

However, Pattyn also said a server should follow certain rules and show certain signs of respect to the customer in order to be fairly tipped. According to Pattyn, waiters must earn their tips.

“I think that (the waiter) should come back to the table multiple times and ask if they need refills on

their drinks, ask if they need any napkins for their food,” she said.

“Make a connection with them (the customers); form a bond.”

Rafferty added that there are several characteristics of a waiter that should entail tipping, of which the most important being serving the customer to the best of his or her ability.

She said, “I believe that waitresses should definitely be friendly and accommodating to the customers, making sure that they are feeling comfortable while they are sitting down at your place of employment.

I feel that it is very important to engage in conversation and create a relationship there. I also feel like if I was at a restaurant and the

TIPS ON TIPPING Most people feel it’s necessary to tip, but knowing how much to leave can be confusing. Here’s a tip about what’s acceptable for different services: BUSINESSINSIDER.COM, CNN. COM // SOURCES

Always Required 15% of bill 10% of bill

ADDING IT UP: Frances Rafferty, server at Bub’s Burgers and Ice Cream and junior, collects a customer’s check with tips.

While many restaurants have stopped accepting tips, Rafferty said she thinks tips show how well a server did his or her job.

15

waitress created a relationship with me, I would want to tip her further, because I feel like I got to know this person and they took time out of their day to get to know me.”

Frey also noted that one’s personality, attention to detail, sense of urgency and constant communication are vital characteristics that qualify a person to be a great waiter.

Rafferty said an additional characteristic of great waiters is to be able to set goals for themselves while they work.

“Even during our breaks at Bub’s, I look through all of my receipts and am like, ‘Tonight’s been a really good tip night and I want to keep doing better.’ Or if I haven’t done as well,‘What can I do to be better? Can I do anything to motivate myself further?’ It’s always nice to set a certain goal in how much tips you want to make in an night,” Rafferty said.

Despite the growing awareness and controversy about restaurants implementing the “no-tipping”policy, Pattyn said even if such a policy was implemented at her place of employment, it wouldn’t affect her outlook on her job at all.

“I think it depends from person to person,” Pattyn said. “I have some of my friends who are waitresses, too, and if they didn’t have that push, the money pushing them to keep working through the day, they wouldn’t be working if there (weren’t) tips. But, I love waitressing; it’s so fun.”

H

Sometimes Required

Barbers Hair stylists Chauffeurs Waiters

15% of bill

Animal groomers

10% of bill

Bus drivers (non-mass transit) Cab drivers Babysitters

Not Required

$1 to $2 during the holidays

Hotel doormen Concierges Baristas Takeout Mail carriers

16

FEATURE

UBER SAFETY

DEC 14, 2015

A TWO-WAY STREET

Students, Uber drivers consider safety, convenience of rideshare services REBECCA QIN // STORY

W

ith the growth of an increasingly mobile society, many people have opted to use alternative transportation services to reach their destinations.

Founded in 2009, Uber is a transportation company whose usage has rapidly increased over the past several years.

In locations such as Carmel where taxi services are sparse, services like Uber are quickly gaining popularity.

In contrast to hailing down a traditional yellow taxi cab, riders can find drivers through a smartphone app. Uber drivers are known as “Partners.”

Senior Heather Roser started using the Uber service this past summer. She said she started

DID YOU KNOW? Uber riders pay before drivers pick them up.

This reduces the need to carry cash, that can make passengers targets for robbery and violent crime.

NEWSROOM.UBER. COM // SOURCE

because a friend had also used it and recommended it to her.

“I feel like Uber is convenient and you can just use their app instead of calling them,” Roser said.

“You can just tell (Uber) how many friends you have and they’ll most likely have a car that fits that many people.”

Indianapolis Uber driver John McCauley said he recently began working for the service.

“I heard of Uber on Facebook and signed up, but didn’t use it for a few months,” McCauley said. “(I was) on a business trip in February in San Francisco and used the service to get around town.”

Both Roser and McCauley said they were impressed with the expertise and respectability of the drivers they encountered.

“Most of the time, (the drivers)

are super nice and really professional about their job,” Roser said.

McCauley said he agreed with Roser that Uber drivers are generally professional about their jobs.

“We were very impressed with the professionalism of the drivers and the price to get around compared to taxis,” McCauley said.

McCauley said he ended up driving in April to make a little extra money.

“The people I meet are so much fun and entertaining. It’s really great to have such interesting conversations with different people and to hear so many life stories,” he said.

The convenience of the Uber service is a key advantage.

“You can use their app instead of just calling them,” Roser said.

“With taxis, it’s kind of awkward.

You don’t know, you might have a

THE PRICE OF SAFETY Any time people take an Uber ride in the United States, they see a “Safe Rides” fee tacked onto the bill. Uber uses this to pay for background checks for drivers, as well as 24/7 support. Here’s how the “Safe Rides” fees stack up in different cities. $3 $2.50 $2

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Many New York transport companies already have routine background checks for drivers.

Because of this, New York City has no “Safe Rides” fee.

Gary’s reputation in the 1990s as the murder capital of the world may be a factor in having the highest Uber “Safe Rides” fee in the nation.

RAY JIANG // GRAPHIC UBER.COM, JEZEBEL.COM, UBERQLD.INFO // SOURCES

DEC 14, 2015

person in front of you, they might be waving it down and ‘Oh, should I go or should you go?’ It’s just confusing at that point.”

Roser said she also likes the fact that she can use her card to pay for the ride.

“I’ve always used my card. If I’m going somewhere, I don’t want to have all this cash on me, so I’d just bring my card,” she said.

Overall, Roser said she thinks the drivers she has had all seemed very professional, both in driving and accompanying the various needs of their riders.

“They had food in there, they had car chargers, they have everything you really need,” Roser said. “Mostly, drivers are super nice.”

Despite the pros of Uber, this service still has some limits.

“One thing that I don’t like is that I’m sometimes in places that don’t have service, so when I use the app, it doesn’t work,” Roser said.

However, Roser said that situation only happened once.

There was also a complicated system to divide up the cost of the ride, but she said these were small hindrances as she trusted the drivers of the Uber service.

“Since I’m a girl, there’s that thing where I don’t want to do anything by myself,” Roser said. “I would always want to be with people. But for the most part, I do feel safe.”

17

UBER SAFETY

BY THE NUMBERS $1 million

Uber’s liability insurance to cover injuries and property damage

20 times

more likely for drivers to be murdered on the job than other workers

300 cities

around the world who have 24-hour support for riders

3 accidents or traffic violations

before Uber drivers become ineligible to drive INC.COM, OSHA.GOV // SOURCES

Roser said she relied on the driver’s first impression to determine if he was trustworthy or not and figured Uber had a good background check.

“The way I would categorize it, (the drivers are) mostly male, in their late-20s or maybe a little older,” Roser said. “Honestly, they stick to themselves and they just don’t bother people in the back, but they are like ‘Oh do you want to charge your phone?’ and stuff like that.”

McCauley said he believes trust also depends on the mentality of the rider when choosing to use a transportation service like Uber.

“I can’t say that trust is any more an issue between an Uber driver and a taxi driver or a city bus driver,” McCauley said. “The only times that people have brought up the ‘trust issue’ is when it is their first time riding and they’re unfamiliar with the experience.”

McCauley said his customers are people of all ages.

“No matter who I get, they all say the same thing, that they prefer Uber (and Lyft) to taxis,” he said, Roser said she expects students to use services like Uber in the future beyond high school.

“I know high school students just want to get the driving down,” she said.

“College students, they will definitely want to use Uber, like college freshmen, especially because some colleges don’t allow driving on campus.”

H ON THE WAY: Senior Heather Roser uses a Carmel-area Uber. Many people have safety concerns about unfamiliar drivers when using Uber, but Roser said she isn’t worried.

CAROLYN ZHANG // PHOTO

SAFETY ON SMARTPHONES In India, Uber uses an SOS call system and plans to introduce it to the United States. Here’s how it works:

1 A local police station’s

phone connects to the passenger’s.

2 Police receive information about the trip and driver GPS location of car Rider’s personal information, including emergency contacts Driver’s information, including car model and license plate

SOS alert

Here’s what the app will look like during an SOS call:

sos

Driver’s number

Driver photo

License number

VISHNU VAID // GRAPHIC UBER.COM, BUSINESSINSIDER.COM, BOSTONMAGAZINE.COM // SOURCES

18

FEATURE

FOOD SAFETY

DEC 14, 2015

BUYER BEWARE

In light of recent food contamination cases at major restaurants, students reconsider their eating habits ALLISON LI // STORY

O

n Oct. 31, news was released of 37 E. coli outbreaks that linked back to the food chain giant, Chipotle. As a result of the contamination, 43 Chipotle stores in Washington and Oregon were closed, 11 of which had direct links to the bacteria outbreak, while the other 32 were closed voluntarily. Since then, more cases were reported in four other states.

Weeks later, Chipotle reopened the stores after clearing all possible sources that could have caused the contamination. Although the cases were concentrated in the Northwest, ripple effects left some CHS students wary of Chipotle’s credibility.

On Nov. 3, sophomore Chloe Wiser was watching TV and received news of the outbreak. At that moment, Wiser decided to reconsider her previous habit of eating at the Mexican grill whose tagline is “Food with Integrity.”

“When I saw this on the news, I was very distressed and upset,”

Wiser said. “If it happened once, it can probably happen again. I most likely won’t go to Chipotle after this outbreak.”

It is not uncommon for foodborne illnesses to be linked back to major restaurants. Back in 2013, many cases of cyclosporiasis, a severe stomach infection, sickened over 200 people and were tied back to a salad mix served at Olive Garden and Red Lobster.

According to a 2014 study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the leading national public health institute, while E. coli and Listeria outbreaks have decreased in numbers since 2000, the number of Campylobacter, Vibrio and Salmonella outbreaks has swelled.

Still, despite the recent outbreak at Chipotle, Brenda Lester, family consumer science teacher, does not think this outbreak has a large impact on CHS students’ eating habits.

“I think the media has covered so much E. coli. Maybe if it would have

WHO ARE THE MASTERMINDS?

ASIM DHUNGANA // GRAPHIC CDC.ORG // SOURCE

Follow these steps to prevent the spread of foodborne illness.

CLEAN hands and surfaces often.

SEPARATE raw meats from other foods.

COOK food at the right temperature.

REFRIGERATE food promptly after use.

DRINK only pasteurized milk.

FOODSAFETY.ORG // SOURCE

happened several years ago, it would have been a bigger issue. But I think it has been minimized, the media has not taken it out of proportion,” Lester said.

In fact, Lester said, “The safest time to eat at a restaurant is after they’ve had an outbreak, because there’s going to be people who watch every move that they make and the health department comes in and will inspect them.”

Junior Madison Goyke’s perspective on the E. coli outbreak confirms Lester’s theory that this event will not alter most student’s eating habits.

“It happens in all kinds of food businesses. As long as it gets under control, then I’ll be fine with eating there again,” Goyke said. “I feel like a lot of teenagers don’t really care about what they eat and where it comes from. They just eat what their parents hand them.”

Generally, the number-one cause of food contamination has to do with improper food handling. While there are several courses offered at

20 Salmonella Incidence per 1,000 people

Chipotle’s recent outbreaks can be attributed to an O26 strain of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC); however, other pathogens are much more common in contamination cases.

How has the incidence of these pathogens fluctuated over the past few years?

TAKE THE RIGHT STEPS

15

Campylobacter Shigella

10

Cryptosporidium STEC, non-O157

5

0

2000

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

2014

DEC 14, 2015

CHS that deal with proper food handling and safety, not everyone takes them. Both Wiser and Goyke said teenagers are not adequately educated on the topic of food safety and contaminations.

“Teenagers should care about the quality of their foods and what’s actually in it. Many of the food contaminations are very dangerous and can have serious consequences,” Wiser said. “I think a lot of people have a general idea of how bad it is for you, but not the specifics.”

Goyke said, “I took Orientation to Nutrition and Wellness so they covered (food safety), but if you don’t take a food class, then you don’t learn much of the topic.”

According to Lester, the most common way foodborne illnesses are spread is by the food handler.

Improper hygiene by not washing hands and equipment with soap and warm water for a minimum of 20 seconds can increase the risk of food contamination. Another common cause of food illness is cross-contamination. Crosscontamination is caused by using a utensil on a contaminated food and not desanitizing it before reuse.

Examples includes cutting boards, knives and spoons. Also, storing or holding food items at incorrect temperatures may raise the risk of food related illnesses.

Another study conducted by

FOOD SAFETY

the CDC estimated that each year roughly one in six Americans, equivalent to 48 million people, get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die of foodborne diseases.

“I think teenagers should be more careful. A lot of people don’t realize that you can die from eating contaminated foods,” Lester said.

“I think the rule of thumb is if you question a chain restaurant, inspect their bathroom. Because if their bathroom is dirty, chances are, the part of the building where you can’t

WHERE DOES FOOD REALLY COME FROM? START

FINISH

CAFETERIA CAUTION: Cafeteria manager Theresa Quade prepares food in the main cafeteria kitchen.

In addition to wearing hairnets and using gloves, lunch ladies must make sure food is stored and served at the correct temperatures.

Contamination can occur in any step of the food production process. How does food travel from a farm to a consumer?

Production

Processing

Distribution

Farmers grow plants and raise animals that are used for food.

Food is changed into a form recognizable for purchase.

Food is moved from a farm or production plant to the consumer or kitchen.

Consumption

Preparation

Storage

Restaurants serve consumers who eat the prepared food.

Cooks prepare food and make it ready to eat.

Restaurants receive and store food for later use.

OPEN

ASIM DHUNGANA // GRAPHIC

CDC.ORG // SOURCE

19

VISHNU VAID // PHOTO see where they are fixing the food, is probably dirty as well.”

Jennifer McFarland, Director of Food and Nutrition services, said via-email, “Food safety is a very important topic to us and there are several steps in place to ensure the safety of our food.”

According to McFarland, the Hamilton County Board of Health inspects all 17 of Carmel Clay Schools’ kitchens biannually. Also, all cafeteria managers and assistant managers are ServSafe certified and undergo food safety training monthly. To ensure proper food preparation, electronic temperature monitoring systems, Smart Temps, are used. These systems log all temperatures taken during the entire cooking, prepping, serving and storing process.

Lester said, “Things have changed in the last few years; they are now bringing in a lot of the food either prepared or partially prepared, so that eliminates a lot of the dangers of food safety.”

McFarland said, “Food safety is something we monitor and ensure every day in our operation.”

As new cases continue to be released on Chipotle’s E. coli outbreak, H Lester said, “Buyer beware.”

20

FEATURE

TRADITIONAL FOODS

DEC 14, 2015

VAST SUPPER

Despite ubiquity of certain holiday foods, many families still eat variety of distinct traditional dishes ALLEN ZHENG // STORY

D

uring the holidays, many people have their own food traditions whether it results from their ethnicity, religion or just their family. Vivian Halloran, Food Studies Professor at Indiana University, observes that family holiday traditions give multiple generations a chance to share and perform their own unique sense of a collective identity.

“Holidays add their own repertoire of festive food dishes that are usually not eaten the rest of the year,” Halloran said via email.

“Thanksgiving is an odd foodcentered holiday in that it is pretty much a patriotic or nationalistic way of performing one’s patriotism in very similar ways to how other families do all across the United States.”

According to Halloran, it is also a great way in which families can celebrate their own food traditions that reflect their ethnic background or religious traditions. She said Thanksgiving and other winter holidays gives people a great way to connect with others of the same ethnicity or those with the same food traditions, because by eating the same foods and continuing to pass the recipes down the generations, there is a sense of continuity and belonging.

“By eating festive foods, people feel connected to nameless others like them, despite living in a diverse society,” Halloran said.

According to the U.S. Embassy, cuisine in different parts of the United States developed independently and were influenced by the nationality of colonists that settled in the area, along

SHRADDHA RAMNATH // PHOTO with the local ingredients that were available. Because the United States is a nation of immigrants, cooking is very diverse along with its population. American food cannot be objectively defined, because in different regions of the United States, there are different food preferences. Some include New England and Southern states, which are known for seafoods and barbecue, respectively. However, religion, ethnicity and family traditions override the regions when its comes to specific holiday food preferences.

Freshman Hannah Kosc also has many traditional foods due to her family being Jewish. She said that she celebrates holiday feasts like Passover Seder, which have

LOTZO TRADITION: Freshman Hannah Kosc eats matzo ball soup, a traditional Jewish dish consisting of matzo meal dumplings served in chicken soup, during lunch.

Kosc said her family eats a variety of traditional Jewish foods during the holidays as well as non-traditional ones.

been passed down through the generations. Like Halloran said, the holiday is typically celebrated in much the same way by Jews all over the world, with minor differences.

“The food that we make sometimes is very traditional like matzo ball soup, but sometimes with a modern twist on things just to kind of tie it in with the way that my family practices Judaism,” Kosc said.

Family also plays a role in the different foods she eats. Kosc said her family eats brussel sprouts, just because her grandparents like brussel sprouts.

According to Halloran, preparing and enjoying special foods gives all generations in a family something to share and talk about that strengthens their

DEC 14, 2015

21

TRADITIONAL FOODS

FOREIGN FLAVORS What spices and herbs are most common in foreign cuisine palettes?

Mexican

SPICES AND HERBS Caribbean bond with each other. She said it also presents the prospect of a pleasurable meal at the end, which is a fun way to spend time together.

Halloran originated from Puerto Rico, where she said she learned to cherish many food traditions.

However, she doesn’t prepare them for her kids, because the ingredients are hard to come by in the Midwest.

“Because of my food research, however, I’ve picked up some new traditions. My favorite trick is to make leftover Thanksgiving turkey into vindaloo (which is a) a red wine vinegar curry with tomatoes and onions,” Halloran said. “The Portuguese influence is evident in the red wine vinegar, and it probably dates back from when they set up a colony in Goa, India.”

She added that her kids love the vindaloo, which is a great way for her to avoid food waste.

Sophomore Sathvik Madduri also celebrates both his own and his family’s food traditions. He said because he is Indian and Hindu, his parents cook certain types of Indian food for holidays.

“We don’t eat turkey, because I’m vegetarian, just (other) traditional foods,” Madduri said.

According to Madduri, the Indian holiday Diwali, which is also known as the Festival of Lights, is celebrated in the month of November by all Indians. He said that during the holiday, his family eats authentic curry, rice, dosa, sambar and other Indian foods.

Kosc said, “I enjoy the traditions.

I think it’s a good connection to my past and it’s just a thing that’s fun, because the entire family comes H together and it’s just special.”

INTERNATIONAL DISHES Here are some traditional holiday foods from various countries around the globe.

French

North African

Cajun

Mincemeat Pie England Small fruit-based mincemeat sweetpie spiced with nutmeg and cinnamon

Thai

Mediterranean

Indian Bûche de Noël France Log-shaped sponge cake covered with chocolate icing

Basil

Bay leaves

Cardamom

Cayenne

Chili

Cinnamon

Cloves

Coriander

Cumin

Curry powder

Garlic

Ginger

Nutmeg

Oregano

Paprika

Rosemary

Thyme

Turmeric

Middle Eastern

What ethnic cuisines are uniquely popular in various states?

Saffron Cake Sweden Spiced sweet bun flavored with saffron and cinnamon

Tangyuan China Glutinous rice balls served in boiling water TIFFANY XIE // GRAPHIC DELISH.COM // SOURCE

WA

Vietnamese

IL

Pakistani

CA

Taiwanese

MD, VA

Peruvian

NV

Filipino

CT

Spanish

AZ, NM

Mexican

MA, RI

Portuguese

ASIM DHUNGANA // GRAPHIC COOKSMARTS.COM, YELP.COM // SOURCES

STUDENT SECTION

DEC 14, 2015

HOLIDAY RECIPE

NOT YOUR USUAL SANTA BABIES Get ready for the holiday season with this easy, delicious and quick Mini Santa recipe LAUREN REILLY // STORY DIVYA ANNAMALAI // PHOTOS

W

ith the holidays approaching there is sure to be more baking around the house. Mini Santa treats are a great way to get in the spirit of the season because they’re easy to make, fun to eat and simply delicious. Since holidays are about spending time with family and friends, try this original recipe that is quick, simple and delicious.

According to Huffington Post, baking reduces stress and winter is the season that most people are likely to bake in order to reduce stress.

With finals starting Dec.11, making these Mini Santas snacks may also help students reduce stress levels while simultaneously embracing the holiday spirit. Since these Mini Santas only take about 10 minutes to make, they make a perfect study break snack for everyone. So grab your eggnog and Mini Santas and have a cheerful finals week and H holiday season.

Ingredients:

1 2

3

4

5

6

7

Makes about four servings • ¼ cup decorative icing or canned • whipped cream (or as much as your heart desires) • 12 strawberries with clean tops • 24 small candy pieces, either M&M’s or Reeses Pieces Materials: • Cutting board • Paring knife, be careful and safe • Paper towel to dry off the tops

Directions:

1.

Wash and dry the strawberries.

2.

Using a cutting board and paring knife, cut the leaf-end off of the strawberry to create a flat surface.

3.

Next, cut about ½ or ¾ of an inch off of the pointed end of the strawberry, then reserve tops to the side, these will be used as hats.

4.

Put the strawberries wide-side down for stability.

5.

Using either decorative cupcake icing or whipped cream, squeeze about a ¾-inch of frosting onto the top of the strawberry.

6.

Place the hats on top of the frosting.

7.

For added Santa effect, use icing again and create a small ball on the top to resemble Santa’s hat as a finishing touch.

8.

Press two candy pieces into the frosting to make eyes for Santa.

DEC 14, 2015

23

HOLIDAY CLOTHING SPEAKUPS // FINALS WEEK BRAIN

SPEAK UP!

What holiday traditions/celebrations do you have with your family?

BRYCE CHENG // SPEAK-UPS

I am Jewish, so I don’t celebrate the “traditional” Christmas. Every year my family goes to a soup kitchen to feed the homeless. It’s a rewarding experience to give back to my community and help those who are less fortunate than I am.

During the holidays, Holiday Spectacular at CHS is always a highlight of my family’s holiday season. As a performer and an audience member, I can say that it gets me in the joyful spirit.

Junior Hannah Abes

Sophomore Lauren Alexander

The Brain on Finals Week During finals week, the brain experiences a lot of stress and anxiety.

Take a look at what causes these reactions.

Prefrontal Cortex This is the cognitive and emotional area of the brain. Responsible for the intepretation of sensory stimuli. Stress and danger are first assesed here.

Hippocampus With too much exposure to cortisol, cells in this region die, which causes depression and anxiety.

In order to combat this, put on some upbeat music.

Pituitary Gland Releases a molecule that tirggers the release of cortisol, a hormone in triggering stress after the intitial adrenaline rush.

Amygdala Anxiety is processed in this area of the brain and initiated. Fear and emotion are also processed here. To overcome this, do something relaxing such as yoga or drinking tea as nice breaks.

Adrenaline

OH

Hypothalamus Responsible for releasing molecules that drive responses such as stress, anxiety and fear.

Cortisol

OH

OH

OH

OH O

Norepinephrine

OH

HN OH

CH3

It is commonly known as the “fight or flight” hormone. It is responsible for the immediate reaction when you feel stress.

NH2

OH O It is a steroid hormone known as the stress hormone. It forces the body into survival mode, which is what happens during finals week.

OH As a stress hormone in the brain, it is primarily responsible for redirecting blood to important areas during times of crisis.

ADITYA BELAMKAR//GRAPHIC BRAINCONNECTION.COM, GREATSCHOOLS.ORG//SOURCES

24

SHOPPING PLAN

STUDENT SECTION

DEC 14, 2015

THE HOLIDAY SHOPPING CHEAT SHEET Not many highschoolers have the time to drift throughout the holiday season to properly fulfill holiday shopping obligations. Here’s a guide on how to quickly and efficiently cross everything off your list so you can study well for those finals and still buy the perfect gifts for your family and friends.

THE MAP

THE DEALS

Castleton Square Mall is the largest mall in the state of Indiana. Shop in large malls in order to reduce overall driving time; this is the most efficient method.

Best Buy Mobile

Price Match Guarantee and free shipping through December. Buy two XBox One or PlayStation 4 games and get third free.

Eddie Bauer

Holiday sale everything up to 50 percent off. Free shipping and return on orders of $49 or more.

American Eagle Outfitters

Additional 50 percent off AEO clearance items and additional 40 percent off Aerie clearance items when ordering online or at select stores. 40-50 percent off holiday collection items when shopping online.

Up to 50 percent off select styles when shopping online.

Free shipping on orders over $50. Holiday deals starting at $4 in stores and online.

THE STATS When in doubt, don’t spend hours roaming stores hoping to chance upon a suitable present. Lean on these statistics to make the safest gift decision for a tricky family member or friend.

Who Takes the Most Time to Shop For?

90

minutes

Partner

77

minutes

Lids

Offical professional and college sports apparel shop. Stocking stuffer sale on items such as necklaces and license plates.

Free shipping on items over $50 through December.

Forever 21

Children

Here are some of the most advantageous stores to shop at if you are looking for popular gift items at seasonally low prices

TOP GIFT SELECTIONS Clothing Gift Cards

49%

Books, CD’s, DVD’s, Video Games

70

Toys

Loved Ones Who Are the Hardest to Shop For: Dads

Moms

Partner

10%

12%

20%

29%

27%

Fashion Accessories

Jewelry

29%

Jewelry

Cosmetics

41% 40%

Shoes

Sporting Goods

ACTUALLY WANT

65%

Mom minutes

WHAT PEOPLE

28% 21% 17%

Percentage of shoppers who will buy the gift

13%

26%

Blank Check

Holiday Food

5%

Other

RAY JIANG // GRAPHIC SIMON.COM, RAKUTEN.COM // SOURCES

25

NATIONAL BUSINESS PLAN MONTH // DECA SEASON

DEC 14, 2015

LET’S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS

Carmel DECA prepares for competition season during National Write a Business Plan Month KALEA MIAO // STORY

w

ith december being National Write a Business Plan month, CHS’s DECA chapter also begins their preparation for the competition season. Students can compete in various events within four major clusters - Hospitality and Tourism, Business Management and Administration, and Finance and Marketing. Within Business Management and Administration students are able to create business plans for different companies. “(Business plans) include anything from working with real companies and studying employee engagement levels, measuring those at real-life companies and offering plans to increase employee engagement,” Richard Reid, lead DECA advisor and IB Business teacher, said.

In addition to business plans, students can do ad and promotional campaigns, working with companies like the Indianapolis Children’s Museum. Members can also choose to do entrepreneur plans and build a hypothetical company from scratch.

Beyond the written events, members

THE DECA COMPETITION PATH

can also participate in roleplays.

According to Liam Mountain, CoVice President of Competitive Events and senior, roleplays include a 10 minute preparation period where a business scenario is given, followed by a 10 minute presentation on the scenario. Additionally, there is also a test where competitors assess a business plan for a judge.

Members are not alone in preparation for these events. DECA leaders offer study sessions where members can improve upon roleplays and hone their presentation skills.

“It’s always a challenge with incoming freshmen and club kids to get them started,” Tyler Burdon, CoVice President of Competitive Events and senior, said.

With the District testing finishing, the club is well into the process of the competition. After competing in the District level with Westfield High School and surrounding high schools, CHS will advance to the State level, which will be in downtown Indianapolis. After that, the top three or four of each category will advance to the first round of the International

Take a look at the different paths to ICDC for all events:

District

Event Categories:

Jan. 9, 2016 Westfield HS Top 3 in the District

Roleplays Cluster Exams

State

Feb. 28 - Mar. 1, 2016 Indianapolis, IN

Written events Online Events Stock Market Game Virtual Business Challenge

KYLE CRAWFORD // PHOTO WE MEAN BUSINESS: Jack Reinke, DECA member and senior, works on his DECA paper. Reinke entered in the Independent Business Plan event and will be competing at the State level at the end of February.

Top 3 in the State

Internationals/ICDC Top 3 in Region

April 23 - 26 Nashville, TN ADITYA BELAMKAR, ANGELA SUN // GRAPHIC INDIANADECA.ORG // SOURCE

Career Development Conference (ICDC) competition, which will be held in Nashville, Tenn. in April.

“We’ve faced against people from Spain, different Asian countries, and a lot from Canada,” said Burdon.

“Canada’s our big rival.”

According to Burdon, the initial round of ICDC will be nearly the same to the rounds in at State level. Then, the top 10 finalists of the first round at ICDC will advance to the second round and present to a separate judge.

After sending over 112 members to ICDC last year and having 19 Top 10 ICDC Finishers, CHS’s DECA chapter is often recognized as one of the best in the world. However, despite this success, the group’s goal is not to replicate those victories.

“I know the kids have said they want to have ten Top tens...and that’s a very achievable goal,” said Reid. “But you never know who your judge is.”

Mountain said he shares the same sentiments, his goals also extending beyond the competitive aspect of DECA. “Even the underclassmen who don’t make ICDC this year, we want to make sure they are willing to come back next year and continue,” H Mountain said.

beyond the headlines

26

Despite the prevalence of terrorism, the media still does not portray the spread of terrorist attacks accurately in non-Western countries.

By Kalea Miao

29

SWETHA NAKSHATRI // PHOTO

28

On Nov. 13, terrorist attacks in Paris killed 137 people and wounded 368. Outpourings of sympathy came from all corners of the globe, with people sharing hashtags such as “#jesuisparis” and “#peaceforparis” on social media. However, just one day prior, Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, was also attacked, and 42 people were killed. For Beirut, there were no widespread hashtags for support, nor was there widespread media coverage; however, more tragedy has struck areas beyond just Lebanon as well.

In Iraq, a suicide bomber killed at least 21 people on Nov. 13, and four days later, another

suicide attack killed over 30 people.

On Nov. 24, at least 12 people were killed by a bus bombing in Tunis, Tunisia, and on the same day, militants left seven dead in al-Arish, Egypt. On Nov. 27, 21 people were killed in Nigeria by a suicide attack. Most recently, suicide bombers injured more than 100 people and killed at least 15 in a series of three explosions in Chad on Dec. 5. Yet these events did not garner the same attention as did the events in Paris.

In fact, since Nov. 13, only 18 terrorist attacks outside of first world countries have been documented by major news outlets such as The Guardian or The New

STANDING IN SOLIDARITY: Sophomore Andy Li-Harezlak stands amidst a background of publications that covered the Nov. 13 Paris attacks.

Li-Harezlak said he believes the media does not put enough effort in covering terrorist attacks that occur outside of Western countries.

York Times, and most articles covering these attacks did not extend beyond 1,000 words.

Senior Maria Triantafyllopoulos said the disparity in media coverage explains the lack of global attention on some attacks and the amount of coverage is actually based off of the relevancy of the coverage to the reader. The difference is not with malicious intent, Triantafyllopoulos said, but only exists to make news more relatable for the media’s consumers.

“What’s going on in Mali, for example (where Al-Qaeda said it participated in a hotel attack that killed 20 people last month); it’s really tragic what happened,

but how many people actually travel to Mali versus Paris?”

Triantafyllopoulos said. “It’s more of an impact in our lives in the United States than it is in a place where we don’t really frequent as much.”

Triantafyllopoulos said events such as the Paris attacks are also more newsworthy than events outside of Europe because they are unforeseen. The shock value and interest, Triantafyllopoulos said, is part of what makes terrorist attacks like those in Paris more newsworthy than attacks in countries like Lebanon or Mali.

“People kind of expect it to happen in places like the Middle East and Africa,” Triantafyllopoulos said. “When you’re talking about an attack that happens in an industrialized nation...it’s so much more shocking because you don’t expect it, and that’s what makes it more newsworthy.”

According to sophomore Andy Li-Harezlak, however, the lack of coverage for events in other countries stems from a lack of interest from both news outlets and viewers, and is not really based on how newsworthy an event is.

“I know that the media doesn’t cover (all terrorist attacks) as much as it should,” Li-Harezlak said. “It’s more that people don’t care, because (news stations can) send a reporter over there if they really wanted to, but they don’t.”

Theresa Ramos, media specialist and communications department chairperson, said although how relatable news is to readers may be part of why the Paris attacks garnered more attention than terrorist attacks on other countries, this does not make the news inaccurate or false, as some may believe, nor can it be considered to demonstrate a true bias.

“I think the news agencies try to do their best to report fairly and accurately, given the time or space they have available,” Ramos said via email.

DID YOU KNOW? ISIS stands for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. ISIS is also known as ISIL, which stands for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. The group began as al Qaeda in Iraq in 2004 and later rebranded as ISIS in 2006 CNN.COM // SOURCE

According to Ramos, the Paris attacks were also more highly covered because they were wholly unpredicted, isolated occurrences.

Although she said any loss of life should be mourned, she added that in areas in the Middle East and Africa, war and terrorism are jointed, and deaths may seem to shrink in importance.

“Maybe the Paris attacks seem to have gotten more attention because there is not a current war going on there,” Ramos said. “It was a situation in which civilians were out enjoying their evening and they were killed. Some of the other areas to which I believe you might be referring might be in a war-like situation; therefore, it is a report in a series of reports about what is going on with the violence.

Unfortunately this could also involve civilians, but this may seem like a “smaller” report.”

Even in the event that news stations more frequently address terrorist attacks in third world countries, some viewers, according to Ramos, still would not care or pay attention. However, Ramos said, this does not mean all viewers share a lack of interest.

“Some people are overwhelmed and even depressed by the events in this world,” Ramos said. “It is a lot to take sometimes. It doesn’t necessarily mean somebody doesn’t care.”

Triantafyllopoulos said despite lack of media coverage, she thinks even overexposure can be harmful to viewers. Though she said news stations choosing to

2015 TERRORIST ATTACKS AROUND THE WORLD Besides the November 2015 terrorist attacks in Paris, there have been other attacks in different countries around the world in 2015.

0 casualties

1000+ casualties KATIE LONG // GRAPHIC BBC, HUFFINGTON POST, THE NEW YORK TIMES, ASSOCIATED PRESS // SOURCES

29

UNDER THE RADAR

In addition to the attacks on Paris, there have been many other devastating terrorist attacks that haven’t received as much attention by the press. Here we cover some of the larger attacks.

Fotokol, Cameroon | (2015.02.04) | Killed: 110 | Injured: 500 Ramadi, Iraq | (2015.05.17) | Killed: 500 | Injured: 0 Sanaa, Yemen | (2015.03.20) | Killed: 142 | Injured: 351 Paris, France | (2015.11.13) | Killed: 129 | Injured: 352 Palmyra, Syria | (2015.05.24) | Killed: 400 | Injured: 0 Damasak, Nigeria | (2015.04.27) | Killed: 400 | Injured: 0 Ankara, Turkey | (2015.10.10) | Killed: 97 | Injured: 246

Reactions to Paris

President Barack Obama

Secretary of State John Kerry

“...an outrageous attempt to terrorize innocent civilians...a heartbreaking situation...an attack on all of humanity.”

“...heinous, evil and vile. An assault on our common humanity. (The US) is ready to provide whatever support the French government requires.”

German Chancellor Angela Merkel “(I am) deeply shaken by the news and pictures that are reaching us from Paris...an apparent terrorist attack.”

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani “(The terrorists) don’t believe in ethical principles and they are not loyal to any type of divine religions, including Islam.”

AKSHAR PATEL // GRAPHIC NY TIMES, US NEWS // SOURCES

30

selectively cover terrorist attacks is beneficial, there are only limited stories, and overloading viewers with information about specific events can cause viewers to become disinterested rather than engaged.

Referencing coverage by CNN on the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 in March 2014, Triantafyllopoulos said the prolonged coverage became ridiculous and was likely done simply to maintain viewership

and increase ratings. According to Triantafyllopoulos, the story quickly became less and less informative as time progressed and drifted away from the true story.

“CNN actually brought in some scientist talking about how it was a semi-plausible theory that a black hole could’ve just come in and taken the plane,” Triantafyllopoulos said. “It’s really irrelevant...like at what point are you going to make it more than it really is?”

DID YOU KNOW?

After the attacks in Paris, a state of emergency was declared and temporary border checks were introduced.

CNN.COM // SOURCE

Triantafyllopoulos said the treatment of the flight’s disappearance in the media reflects the loss of interest that can be caused by covering an issue excessively.

According to Li-Harezlak, even with the excess of coverage on the Paris attacks, many were still left uneducated on the event. Although Li-Harezlak himself said he was able to remain aware of the events and was constantly updated via the

BBC, others, he said, were not as aware of the events. Li-Harezlak said despite social media movements to change Facebook profile pictures to feature the French flag in order to raise awareness, few truly knew the full story.

“People were posting and trying to show support, but were then like, ‘Oh what happened?’” Li-Harezlak said. “How do you show support (for Paris) if you don’t know what happened?”

Despite claims that some terrorist attacks deserve more media attention, Ramos said she questions whether news agencies should even cover terrorist attacks. According to Ramos, the attention directed toward groups such as ISIS is what fuels them and therefore, groups should not be granted as much media attention as they currently have because it merely facilitates the spread of fear.

“Terrorists want to inspire terror, so any attention they are granted only spurs their actions further,” Ramos said.

According to Li-Harezlak, instead of debating the coverage of terrorism, people should address the problem itself first. To Li-Harezlak, the problem extends beyond the debate of media coverage. Coverage, he said, is simply a reminder of the bigger problem of actual terrorist attacks. According to Li-Harezlak, incidents in France, Mali and Lebanon should be stepping stones toward the end of terrorism and terrorist groups.

“I think we need to think about these terrorist attacks and think of a way to deal with them,” he said. “I personally don’t know how to, but

PUT IT IN THE PAPER: Theresa Ramos, media specialist and communications department chairperson, reads a newspaper in the media center. According to Ramos, the lack of media coverage for terrorist attacks in nonWestern countries is not always intentional. SWETHA NAKSHATRI // PHOTO

COUNTRIES WITH THE MOST T E R R O R I ST ATTAC K S I N 2 0 1 5

Nigeria Estimated over 2000 casulaties

Iraq Estimated over 600 casulaties

Syria Estimated over 300 casulaties KATIE LONG // GRAPHIC BBC, HUFFINGTON POST, THE NEW YORK TIMES, ASSOCIATED PRESS // SOURCES

our nations need to figure out a way to prevent terrorism.”

Regardless, Triantafyllopoulos said she will still pay attention to news reports about terrorist attacks to stay informed. However, Triantafyllopoulos said the connection she has to France, formed through studying abroad in the country for seven weeks for the Indiana University Honors Program in Foreign Languages, leads her to focus much of her attention on the attacks in France.

“I watch the news, I read the news, try and stay informed because that seems like a smart thing to do in this time period,” Triantafyllopoulos said. “I don’t solely focus on one area of the world, as in like something happens in like Mali; even I know my attention is more towards France because I have a personal tie towards France since I studied there, and not so much as to Mali, but it’s still important. I H still look at it.”

31

E N T E RTA I N M E N T

K I C K STA RT E R

DEC 14, 2015

KICK-STARTING FOR FUN(DS) CHS students use crowd-funding service to launch creative projects JANZEN GREENE, ADAM STOCKHOLM // STORY

i

n the modern age, it has become normal for people to seek out unique ways to gain revenue. One example is Kickstarter, a website that allows artists and creators to reach out to the community for funding of projects. These creators set a monetary goal, and, if it is reached, they must follow up on all promises.

However, if the goal is not reached, people will get their pledge money back. Most of the time, these projects are brought to Kickstarter because the creators cannot find other means of funds. As of October, the company announced the service has reached over $2

billion in pledges from around 10 million people worldwide.

Junior Mitchell Adzema, one of the backers of the Kickstarterfunded film “Anomalisa,” said, via email, “Kickstarter helps ‘idea people.’ Money is sometimes the only barrier stopping someone from making something great, so Kickstarter is a way to help creators get around that barrier.”

According to Adzema, it is an exciting time to be a fan of entertainment because sites like this allow full creative freedom, and artists are able to express themselves in ways they weren’t able to do before.

Business teacher Domingo David agreed and said, “Kickstarter

KICKSTARTER AROUND THE WORLD

is beneficial to the creators because it allows just about anyone with an idea and working prototype to mass produce their products to be used and sold to the general public.

This means that a creator doesn’t need big starting funds to be able to produce the products, thereby eliminating the need to obtain investors or loans.”

With few limitations from big companies, Kickstarter is a great way for local creators to get noticed and let the public decide the worth of the product, according to David. However, the service is not only beneficial

Look what countries have made the most money for kickstarter and the global distribution of the funding.

Leaderboards:

USA: $663,316,496 UK: $54,427,475 Canada: $44,913,678 Australia: $31,776,566 Germany: $21,607,047 France: $10,131,159 Sweden: $7,150,257 Japan: $7,139,419 Netherlands: $7,033,026 Singapore: $6,710,981

$60,000,000 + $10,000,000 $59,999,999

$5,000,000 $9,999,999 $1,000,000 $4,999,999 $0 $999,999

ADITYA BELAMKAR // GRAPHIC KICKSTARTER.COM // SOURCE

JUNIOR MITCHELL ADZEMA

DEC 14, 2015

to creators, but also to consumers.

According to Adzema, it allows the public to chose where the industry goes and what gets funded, while also letting consumers involved with the production process.

“I took pride in giving money to the projects I backed and I’m sure others felt and feel the same way. So, spending money on something you support and feeling as though you contributed is a great way to spend your money,” he said.

In addition to staying informed and having a sense of pride, backers also benefit from a system of tiers, set to levels the creator chooses, based on the amount a person pledges. With these tiers, people can receive various rewards, anywhere from having their name in the credits to the physical good itself. Adzema said people should search for the benefits they want and choose the right tier.

“Find something or someone you care about. For me, it was filmmakers who I trusted to make great films. For others, it could be a chef opening a restaurant or a painter opening an exhibit. Not all Kickstarter projects work, though, so do your research before you back a project,” Adzema said.

He also said everyone should be aware of the risks they are taking by backing a project on Kickstarter.

David said using Kickstarter is not without its risks, and people should be cautious while choosing what project to fund.

DID YOU KNOW? While 45 percent of Kickstarter projects become successful, only about half of these exceed their goal by 10 percent or less. Once projects reach their halfway point, there is a 95 percent chance of success.

ENTREPRENEUR.COM // SOURCE

K I C K STA RT E R

“As a backer, you always have to be careful. I think, for the most part, many of us can spend a few bucks funding a Kickstarter. The catch is that you should be ready to lose this money in the case that the creator is unable to ship anything out,” David said.

According to Digital Trend, multiple projects have not fulfilled their promises. One example occurred in 2012, where the company iCache promised certain level backers “Geode,” an iPhone accessory that stores credit card information safely. Unfortunately, for some backers who paid for the new device, they did not receive anything, and those who did receive products were given malfunctioning units. Both David and Adzema said buyers should beware and do extensive research before pledging.

David also said Kickstarter has other flaws besides creators not living up to their original statements. He said backers should pay attention to who is creating projects on Kickstarter and taking advantage of the services it offers.

“One thing to think about as backers would be whether or not it is acceptable for big companies like Apple, Sony or Microsoft to use Kickstarter.”

David said, “What if Apple asked for $20 million prior to manufacturing the next iPad? Is this acceptable? Should this site be restricted to (only) start-ups and small companies?”

According to Adzema, bigger companies that don’t need the funds to create projects shouldn’t be on Kickstarter because it makes consumers feel like they wasted their money funding something that wouldn’t have been otherwise.

However, Adzema still said the pros of Kickstarter outweigh the cons, and not all creators should be punished for the select few that abuse the system. He said he now carefully chooses products to back before giving them his money. The project he backed most recently was “Anomalisa,” a low-budget, independent stop-motion film from acclaimed writer and director Charlie Kaufman, which will finally

33

Kickstarter: Over the Years Funds Raised in Millions by Category Film and Video Music Design Games Art Publishing Technology Theater Food Comic Other 0

10

20

30

40

50

60

What’s going on near CHS? 29 projects in Carmel currently

7 have been funded fully

1 is currently in the process of being funded

ADITYA BELAMKAR // GRAPHIC KICKSTARTER.COM // SOURCE

come out on Dec. 31. Adzema said everyone should check it out because it is a unique idea that would not have been made without Kickstarter.

He said he has high hopes for the movie because it is made by great and proven filmmakers and is not like any other movie.

Adzema said Kickstarter turns possibilities into realities. He said, “Publishers originally didn’t want to publish ‘Harry Potter,’ but now ‘Harry Potter’ is one of the most successful pieces of entertainment ever. Just because a production company doesn’t want to fund something, (it) doesn’t mean that art shouldn’t be made.

Everyone deserves a chance.”

Overall, Adzema and David both said Kickstarter is good for the industry and people should look out for it in the future, since it has been on the rise in recent years. According to Adzema, the “next big thing” could just be a Kickstarter project away. H

21 have either been canceled or have failed to reach the goal

34

E N T E RTA I N M E N T

HOLIDAY MUSIC AND MOVIES

DEC 14, 2015

ALL IN THE HOLIDAYS

Classic Christmas music, movies remain popular at CHS JESSICA MO // STORY

U

nlike the catchy pop tunes and action-filled blockbusters of warmer weather, some timetested Christmas melodies and movies released decades ago still remain popular with CHS students and faculty today.

Sophomore Reese Nordeen considers himself a holiday-loving person. Around Christmas, he’ll decorate his locker and he might even dress up as Santa.

One tradition he upholds is listening to Christmas music, which he began listening to in November.

Nordeen said his favorite pieces include songs by Nat King Cole and Elvis Presley.

Nordeen said he likes pieces from the 1960s and 1970s because of their style.

“It’s kind of jazzy but Christmas-y. It’s cheerful, and it’s just light,” he said. “Whenever you’re at the mall, or you’re out shopping, or if you’re watching a Christmas movie, they play the classic Christmas songs. It just kind of brings back good memories.”

U.S. History teacher Allison Hargrove said she also listens to many of the same Christmas songs now as she did growing up.

Most of the songs she listened to were religious. For example, singing “O Holy Night” was an annual tradition at Hargrove’s church when she was growing up.

“My mom always plays Christmas music, a lot of religious songs,” Hargrove said. “(She) had a kid’s CD of Christmas songs that we’d always sing. I actually learned how to play some Christmas music

KYLE CRAWFORD // PHOTO

(on the piano), like ‘Jingle Bells’ (and ‘Up on the Rooftop’).”

Nordeen says every holiday season, his family will gather and listen to Christmas songs on the radio together.

Social studies teacher Matt Dillon said part of the reason Christmas music has remained so popular is because of its becoming prevalent in stores and restaurants as early as November.

“Well, it’s a little bit weird now,” he said. “We get bombarded with Christmas music very early. It’s become very commercialized. It almost gets to the point where the week or two before Christmas, the last thing you want to listen to is Christmas music.”

HOLIDAY SPIRIT: Sophomore Reese Nordeen dresses up as an elf for a “Holiday Spectacular” rehearsal to show his enthusiasm for the holiday season. Nordeen said he has been looking forward to Christmas since November.

Business teacher Pete Smith also said holiday music has gradually become more commercialized over recent decades.

“I think they’ve commercialized Christmas music and jingles for a long time. I think they’re trying to figure out new ways to break into that market,” he said.

Smith also said the industry takes trends, timing and past success and failures of songs around a similar time period into account when making new releases, many of which are renditions of previously copyrighted tunes.

However, the music industry isn’t the only sector of Christmasrelated industries that continue to be popular at CHS—classic

HOLIDAY MUSIC AND MOVIES

DEC 14, 2015

DID YOU KNOW? According to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the most sold holiday album of all time in the United States is Elvis Presley’s “Elvis’ Christmas Album,” with over 10 million purchases.

BILLBOARD.COM // SOURCE

Christmas movies also play a large role in the holiday season.

With Christmas Eve comes the annual “24 Hours of ‘A Christmas Story’” marathon, which first aired on cable channel TNT in 1997 before switching over to TBS in 2004. The marathon has aired every year since.

Dillon said he goes out of his way to watch part of the marathon every year, while Hargrove said she watched “A Christmas Story” marathons along with “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” growing up.

She said the reason holiday movies remain popular is because viewers can relate to them.

“I think that they’re relevant,” she said. “The ones that are most popular are showing the hilarity of family surrounding the holidays, and people can relate to having crazy families but also loving their family. Families and holidays are a hilarious combo.”

Dillon said people still watch classic Christmas movies because they can relate to the frenzy of the holiday season.

“I think that it allows you a moment to sort of share in somebody’s else’s stress and pain for the holidays. The holidays can be very stressful,” Dillon said. “There can be a lot of parties, there can be a lot of social gatherings, and I think these sort of movies sort of help you feel maybe a little bit better (because) what you did wasn’t necessarily as bad as what they went through. (‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’) is a very classic kind of movie (where) it’s pretty funny when things happen.

The Christmas tree lights on fire ... and those of us who’ve ever had a Christmas tree fall over with all the ornaments on it can relate to it and you can understand the stress that comes with that.”

American culture also plays a

MOST POPULAR HOLIDAY SONGS ON ITUNES 1. “All I Want for Christmas is You” Mariah Carey (1994) 2. “Someday at Christmas” Stevie Wonder and Andra Day (2015) 3. “Mary Did You Know” Pentatonix (2014) 4. “Christmas/ Sarajevo 12/24” Trans-Siberian Orchestra (1996) POPVORTEX.COM // SOURCE

TODAY’S TOP HOLIDAY MOVIES: What AMC says is Popular 7,000

3] 00 [2 Elf as ] tm 90 ris [19 Ch ne n’s Alo oo p e m m 9] a ] Ho l L 198 66 na n [ [19 tio tio as ] Na ca tm 65 Va ris [19 Ch as ole tm St is h Chr inc n Gr w d e ro se th B No w rlie dHo ha Re C ] A he 4 , t 196 ] lph r [ 47 do ee [19 Ru ind et re Re ] St 946 th [1 34 ife on ul L cle rf ra nde o W A Mi

s It’

DATE OF RELEASE

AMC SCORE*

10,000

*Score assigned by AMC (American Multi-Cinema) based on a poll

ALLEN ZHANG // GRAPHIC AMC.COM // SOURCE

35

role in the continuing popularity of Christmas in media, according to Dillon.

“I think in this particular case, (it’s because) we are the birthplace of Hollywood, and I think we’ve added a lot of famous movies to the holiday season, movies like ‘White Christmas’ and ‘It’s a Wonderful Life.’ These are classic movies,” he said. “I think that it’s one of those experiences where we are an overwhelming Christian country, and (that) most Americans celebrate Christmas.”

For his part, Nordeen said his favorite Christmas movies are “Home Alone” for its comedic value and the claymation “Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer” for its outstanding craftsmanship.

Dillon also said the popularity of holiday movies is influenced by the differences between generations.

“The younger generation likes cartoon-based kind of movies, or some claymation kind of movies, like ‘Santa Claus Is Comin’ to Town’ and ‘Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer,’” he said. “If you talk to a lot of kids in Carmel High School, they know exactly what you’re talking about when you say, ‘The Burgermeister Meisterburger.’”

Even so, Dillon said many of the younger generation still enjoy the classics, such as Rudolph and Home Alone.

“It’s one of those things (where) they are the feel-good movies,” he said. “So even though you might be in the younger generation, it doesn’t mean that you can’t get value (from) or enjoy an older style of movie.”

Nordeen said Christmas music and movies are an important part of the holiday season.

“It’s all setting up the mood for the holiday season,” he said.

“I just love the feeling in the air.

Right now, it’s starting to get colder and into winter, and it’s time for Christmas music again. You just feel different during the holiday H season as you get into it.”

36

E N T E RTA I N M E N T

STA R WA RS

DEC 14, 2015

RETURN OF THE FORCE CHS students, staff members anticipate arrival of new ‘Star Wars’ film

KYLE CRAWFORD, GRACE ZHANG // PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

LUCUS CHENG // STORY

A

long time ago in a galaxy far, far away ... the “Star Wars” series was thought to have ended with the death of Emperor Palpatine at the hands of Anakin Skywalker, thus restoring peace in the universe.

However, Disney has obtained the franchise and is currently creating a seventh film for the series titled “The Force Awakens.”

Peter Beck, a “Star Wars” fan for 34 years and math teacher, said that he expects to see the movie, to be released this Friday.

“I would love to see it continue the direction of what was written in the books, and that’s where you get to learn that Luke had turned to the Dark Side, but Leia went and

pulled him out of the Dark Side,” Beck said.

Another big change that Beck is looking forward to is the fact that the new movie will be directed by J.J. Abrams rather than George Lucas.

“As much as I love George Lucas’s visions for stories, he’s a terrible director. I love Episodes IV, V and VI; all of them were produced by him but directed by somebody else. If you look at Episodes I and II just as an overall movie, it’s so disjointed. J.J. Abrams is known for his ability to really put together a quality story,” Beck said.

Edy Shou, “Star Wars” fan and senior, also has plans to see the movie.

“The ‘Star Wars’ movies are some of the most fantastic and memorable movies ever to be created, and after

IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY: Peter Beck, “Star Wars” fan and math teacher, poses with his lightsaber and Obi-Wan Kenobi costume he keeps behind his desk. According to Beck, students think he looks like the character Obi-Wan Kenobi from “Star Wars.”

years of nothing, they come out with a seventh movie, a continuation of the story,” Shou said.

“The Force Awakens” is set 30 years after the events of “Return of the Jedi” and features returning characters such as Han Solo and Princess Leia. However, new characters also make their debut, such as Finn, who is introduced in the trailer as a Stormtrooper without a helmet. Finn is played by John Boyega and interestingly enough, is seen wielding a lightsaber against one of the villains in the movie. This points to rumors of Finn being a Jedi, an enforcer of peace who can wield a tool known as “The Force.”

In addition to Finn, another character makes her way into the movie. On the planet of Jakku, a

STA R WA RS

DEC 14, 2015

a slightly different direction, kind of like he did with the ‘Star Trek’ movies, where it’s like an alternate universe. This is more of an alternate timeline, but it maintains a lot of the main themes,” Beck said. “Because it’s changed, I want to be entertained by the new story as it comes out.”

Shou maintains a more general expectation for the movie.

“Right now, all I am hoping to see is an interesting and intriguing story with little surprises on the way. Of course, I also want to see epic battle scenes,” Shou said.

Currently, there are various theories that have been sprinkled throughout the Internet in order to give more depth into the movie.

However, both Shou and Beck said that they have not looked too deeply into those theories. Beck said that he has not done research on the movie because he wants to view the story in its entirety without it being spoiled by something on the Internet.

“The moment I knew it was an alternate timeline, I was like, ‘Okay I want all my expectations to be separate.’ I wanted to be entertained by the movie first and then go deeper into what really happened,” Beck said.

Shou also maintains this opinion. “I cannot say I am a huge fan (of) delving deep into the story, but I absolutely love watching the movies and I really H await the newest addition.”

female character, Rey, is living as a scavenger in the remains of a damaged AT-AT Walker used by the Empire.

Although her role in the movie has not been made clear, the actress who plays her, Daisy Ridley, stated that Rey meets someone who begins her adventure. Could this mysterious person be Finn? It is possible, as both Finn and Rey are seen running together in the movie trailer.

The main villain goes by the name of Kylo Ren and also wields a unique lightsaber, one with a laser crossguard in addition to a blade. Despite looking like part of the Sith, an evil organization the famous Darth Vader was part of, Kylo Ren is actually a member of the Knights of Ren, a dark organization that has based themselves off of the Sith. All members of the Knights of Ren take the surname of Ren, which explains the latter part of Kylo’s name.

Kylo has to fill in the big villain role left by Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine, but his appearances already give him an intimidating demeanor.

The actor who plays Kylo is yet to be confirmed, but fan speculation point towards Adam Driver.

All of these new characters show a slight transition away from the traditional “Star Wars” story as depicted in the books that continue the story from the sixth movie. According to Beck, this change was expected.

“I know J.J. Abrams is taking it in

37

SCAN INTO THE GALAXIES “Star Wars” episodes are never released in chronological order, get a quick refresher of the series before the new movie comes out:

A SCAN INTO STAR WARS

Episode 1977 4

6

411.5

1200

MILLIONS OF U.S. DOLLARS

1000

The rebels try to destory the Empire’s even more powerful Death Star, and Luke attempts to convince Darth Vader to leave the dark side of the Force.

Kenobi and his master Qui-Gon Jinn finds Anakin Skywalker, a young boy who may recover the Force, and the darkness force called the Sith resurfaces.

2002 2

“Attack of the Clones”

Anakin has a forbidden romance and discovers he has a dark side.

2005 3

“The Phantom Menace”

“Revenge of the Sith”

Anakin’s wife is pregnant with Leia and Luke, and he joins the dark side.

Expectations

MILLION-DOLLAR BUDGET

PRODUCTION BUDGET DOMESTIC BOX OFFICE WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE

“Episode VII:The Force Awakens”

6

MOVIES SO FAR

800

26

600

PLANETS VISITED

400

While George Lucas neither directed nor wrote this film, fans can look foward to J.J. Abram’s directing, who is known for his work with the “Star Trek” movies

3,493.12

200 0

“The Return of the Jedi”

1999 1

“The Empire Strikes Back”

After the Empire overpowers the rebels, Luke meets and begins to train with Yoda while Darth Vader schemes a plan to capture Luke.

1983

“STAR WARS” BY THE NUMBERS

Thirty-eight years since the first movie, yet another episode of “Star Wars” is set for theaters on Friday. Here, we take a look at the progression of the franchise through the years.

Luke Skywalker meets Obi-Wan Kenobi. Together, they save Princess Leia from the Empire and destroys its Death Star.

1980 5

“Star Wars: A New Hope”

IV

V

VI

I

EPISODE NUMBER SELENA QIAN // GRAPHIC

II

III

MILLION-DOLLAR WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE REVENUE THE-NUMBERS.COM, XAXOR.COM, STATISTIC BRAIN.COM // SOURCES

Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia Organa and Han Solo return.

30

JASMINE LAM // GRAPHIC

v.

Kylo Ren and his army of STARWARS.COM, Stormtroopers.

STATISTICBRAIN.COM // SOURCES

Years set after “Return of the Jedi”

38

E N T E RTA I N M E N T

DEC 14, 2015

NEW YORK WORKSHOP

BIG TIMES AT THE BIG APPLE

Applied Music students to travel to NYC for Broadway workshops with show cast TERESA CHEN // STORY

A

pplied music students will travel to New York City from Jan. 15 to 18. According to Seth VanNatter, Applied Music student and junior, the main purpose of the trip is for students to watch and learn from live Broadway shows.

According to choir director John Burlace, the curriculum is designed to allow students to learn about Broadway history of different composers and shows. This experience will also allow them to apply what they learn from watching professionals to their own performance.

“When you’re looking at people who are professionals in the field that you’re studying, you get to see closer to what an end result sort of looks like,” Burlace said. “You may be trying to master some of those steps and that they’ve got all the skills down and polished.”

He said it is important to allow students to watch an assortment of Broadway shows in order for them to experience a variety of performances.

“We try to make sure that they see different types of shows since sometimes some kids will love one and all of the kids hate it and that drives positive conversation as well, like, ‘Why did you like it or why didn’t you like it?

What did you appreciate or what didn’t you appreciate?’” Burlace said.

DID YOU KNOW? The trip to New York invites only 15 students and costs approximately $1500 per student.

JOHN BURLACE // SOURCE

SWETHA NAKSHATRI // PHOTO Along with watching live Broadway shows, students will also participate in workshops that are catered specifically to them, according to Burlace. These workshops are intended to allow students to get a chance to work with the cast from a Broadway show. There will be workshops focused on auditioning, dancing and learning choreography from actual shows.

“We’ll work with professional actors and directors to get a sense of what it will be like to go through what they go through,” VanNatter said.

“I hope I learn from seeing how Broadway actors perform and from the feedback we get from them in the workshops on how to become a better performer and be able to express talent on stage.”

In addition to experiencing Broadway shows and workshops, students will also visit tourist

BROADWAY BABY: Seth VanNatter, Applied Music student and junior, practices his solo for an in-class performance. The Applied Music curriculum is designed to help students better understand Broadway music and the class will travel to New York City in January to experience it.

attractions such as a boat tour at the harbor, the 9/11 Memorial Museum and Radio City Music Hall. Students will also eat at restaurants like Ellen’s Stardust Diner, which is famous for its entertaining performances alongside its meals, according to VanNatter.

“My favorite part of the trip is seeing the students discover the magic that is Broadway,” Burlace said. “You know you hear about (Broadway) and you can watch YouTube videos about it and you can go to performances here in Indy, but actually being in New York City, seeing a Broadway show, I mean there is just an energy there and just getting to watch them experience that is pretty cool.” H Check out an Applied Music rehearsal online. http://hilite. org/category/entertainment/

E N T E RTA I N M E N T B R I E F S

DEC 14, 2015

39

Entertainment Briefs ISTOCKPHOTO.COM // SOURCE ABC.COM // SOURCE

25

D Ca AY Ch tch S Ho rist up O lid ma wit hA F C ay s w fav it BC H RI ori h m ’s F tes u am ST . ltip ily M le ’s AS rer 25 D u ns ay TO of s of W MO EL old SU ED, 6 RRO F W N

DE . 9 P.M DE C. 2 :15 .

C DE . 2 1 6:3 P.M. C 4 PO . 25 8:45 0 P.M L W AR 5 P.M P.M . . .

EX TH ED.

Additional ABC Family Films: TOMORROW 7 A.M. CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY THURS. 10:15 A.M. LOVE ACTUALLY

8:1

5P .M .

SUN. 3 P.M. TIM BURTON’S AND THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS

UR 8: PR S. 15 ES 6:3 P S 0 P .M. .M .

DEC. 23 3 P.M. HOME ALONE: THE HOLIDAY HEIST

MELISSA HOOK // SOURCE

"SOFTWARE IS THE ONLY ART FORM IN EXISTENCE THAT IS NOT BOUND BY THE CONFINES OF PHYSICS.YOU ARE ONLY EVER BOUND AND CONSTRAINED BY LACK OF IMAGINATION." - Alex Kipman, Microsoft designer on the Microsoft Hololens, a virtual headset which overlays holograms and data onto existing surroundings so no one is “confined to the virtual world.” This headset is set to be released in January 2016.

CAMERA Field of vision of 120 by 120 degrees VENT Prevents overheating

COMPUTER LENS To trick your brain into perceiving holographic images.

Light particles bounce around millions of times before hitting the back of your eye

As many as 18 sensors flood the brain with terabytes of data every second

TIME.COM // SOURCE

Booth Tarkington Civic Theatre's holiday show, "Mary Poppins," directed by Anne Beck, will feature classic songs from the 1964 film such as “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” and "A Spoonful of Sugar" as well as new songs written specifically for the musical, such as "Being Mrs. Banks" and "Feed the Birds."

LAST FRIDAY TO JAN. 2, 2016 THURS. AND FRI. AT 7PM, SAT. AT 2PM & 7PM, SUN. AT 2PM TICKETS: $48 ADULT, $24 STUDENTS

Upcoming Albums DEC. 31 “THE CARTER V” LIL WAYNE

DEC. 31 “ANTI” RIHANNA

JAN. 15 “DEATH OF A BACHELOR” PANIC! AT THE DISCO BILLBOARD.COM // SOURCE

SPORTS

COQUETTES DANCE TEAM

DEC 14, 2015

DEFINING DANCE

Members of Coquettes dance team define their role, preview their upcoming season at CHS KELSEY ATCHESON // STORY

A

row of girls pirouette forward as a popular dance song echoes through the empty freshman cafeteria.

The music suddenly stops, allowing Sarah Wolff, head coach of the winter

MIKE JOHNSON // PHOTO ILLUSTRATION dance team, Coquettes, to tell one of the dancers that her turns are too slow.

The girl spots one of her fellow dancers and after understanding the melody, the team starts the dance over. Wolff stops the music again to tell another

dancer that her transition from one spot to another looks rushed and that she needs to work harder to be able to hit her mark. The music starts up again; this time Wolff tells the girls to improve upon the sections of the dance they

SPIRIT FINGERS: Ally Vaughan, Olivia Smulevitz, and Olivia Robertson (left to right), Coquette dancers and seniors, perform at the women’s basketball game halftime on Dec. 4.

The team dances to entertain the crowd and exhibit the talents of its dancers.

DEC 14, 2015

UPCOMING SCHEDULE Friday

Halftime performance during men’s basketball game against Pendleton Heights

Saturday

Halftime performance during men’s basketball game against New Albany

Jan. 2

Halftime performance during men’s basketball game against Fishers

Jan. 9

Halftime performance during men’s basketball game against Center Grove

have received criticism on. This process continues until the practice ends and the team has run through three of the different dances the Coquettes know.

Coquettes is the CHS winter dance team that performs during the halftimes of home men’s and women’s basketball games. The Coquettes feature skills in jazz, hip-hop and technical dance.

The dancers exhibit their talents through turns, leaps, flexibility and performance qualities.

According to head coach Sarah Wolff, Coquettes is a smaller, more selective team, as compared to Charisma, the fall dance team. She said the team features more skills, such as turns and even flips.

Like Charisma, Coquettes is not considered a sport at CHS, but it receives many of the same benefits as the other sports teams.

According to Wolff, the team is ranked academically but cannot letter despite the team’s intense training that is comparable to that of varsity teams. Some dancers on the team said they think that the Charisma and Coquettes dancers put in enough effort to receive the benefits given to many CHS sports teams, like lettering.

Ally Vaughan, Coquette dancer and senior, said, “I think we practice as hard and as often as the activities that are considered sports, so we should be able to letter.”

Josephine “Josie” Brown, Coquette dancer and senior, said

COQUETTES DANCE TEAM many of the dancers belong to other local dance teams, so the distinction of a sport is not important.

Brown said, “It’s nice how Coquettes and Charisma (don’t) compete because it gives us the chance for all of us at different studios to combine and be one team and work together.”

Wolff said, “We’re not just getting out there and shaking it.

We’re doing actual dance skills and tricks and things that are really hard.” However, Wolff thinks the status of the dances teams in the school is not important as long as they perform.

Brown said the Coquettes work hard to stand out. She said, “(Coquettes is) focusing on bringing out a lot of technique this year to the season because it’s the varsity team and we want to make it different from Charisma.” Brown said the team is also practicing routines for a basketball court instead of the soccer field Charisma performs on.

Although only girls who have been on the team previous years choreograph Charisma dances, every member of the Coquettes contributes to the choreography.

“To choreograph, we usually bring ideas that we find from YouTube or ideas we have from dance classes we have previously taken or from our studio dances,” Vaughan said.

Coquettes is a “turning team,” a ballet term for a rotation of the body similar to a pirouette. The team set the goal of including innovative choreography in their performances this season. The team is also including stunts in their dance routines, especially the one it is preparing currently. The routine will involve many hip-hop inspired moves and flips.

Wolff said the team features many three and four year dancers, making this year’s Coquettes one of her best teams. “We’ve got a squad of 16 (and) a lot of really strong veterans in our front two rows this year,” said Wolff.

The Coquettes’ unique skills

DANCING QUEEN: Senior Ally Vaughan dances with the Coquettes dance team. Vaughan has been on the team for four years and believes the Coquettes work hard enough to be considered a sport at CHS.

41 and intensity define their role at CHS as one beyond cheerleading or any other sport.

Vaughan said, “Dancing is a different activity than cheerleading in general because they do stunts, tumbling, and are at the games to cheer the team on, but they do not actually dance. We are at the games to show our talents and what we like to do while representing the school.”

Wolff agrees the team is a necessary part of CHS. “I hope that (the student body does) see some of the effort and time the girls do put in coming up with those tricks because all the choreography is student done,” Wolff said.

“We are here for entertainment H and to put on a good show.”

MIKE JOHNSON // PHOTO

42

SPORTS

INTRAMURAL BASKETBALL

DEC 14, 2015

THE CRAZE CONTINUES

CHS intramurals basketball excitement continues, shows students’ creative side ADAM GOSTOMELSKY // STORY

T

here exists a cult within CHS that is the product of a basketballmad state and a school that harbors not only a large population, but also one that exhibits incredible creativity and passion. Simply put, intramural basketball at CHS is a living, breathing animal.

“I think it’s taken on a life of its own, in a sense that kids want to be a part of it. There are opportunities to showcase not only your skills on the court, but showcase your humor, your intellect, your creativity through social means. As long as it stays appropriate, I embrace it, and I enjoy it,” intramural sponsor Walter “Mike” Meyer said.

Currently, 33 teams participate in intramural basketball. However, “participate” does not really do intramurals justice. Several teams have their own Twitter accounts where they regularly post about everything from starting lineups, to player “signings,” to just traditional smack talk before a big game.

There is even an “official” Carmel intramural basketball Twitter page, “Carmel Bball (Kinda),” that reports on all intramural activity, even going so far as to release team rankings, akin to the college football or college basketball polls.

Other teams get their own jerseys, or have a jersey “code” so that their team is instantly recognizable on the court. With team names such as the legally sarcastic, “Title 9 106.41c,” an all-girls basketball team, to the factually astute “6Ft. And Under,” to the plain silly “Aquaberry Hurricanes,” there is an abundance of creativity on display.

But excessive creativity does not mean that the league isn’t competitive.

“I think it gets so competitive.

There are teams that have been hosting practices at LA Fitness trying to get ready for the season,” Matt Cooper, Aquaberry Hurricane player and junior, said, “I think that the fact they are making their own Twitter accounts and they have this following…it’s what the high school team does, it’s what the college teams do, it’s what the NFL teams do, and it’s what the NBA teams do. It’s so competitive, and they just want to amp their fans up or amp their players up to get ready for the game.”

The popularity doesn’t just extend to the players themselves, either. Every year the intramural

CLIMBING THE RANKS: Matt Cooper (left), Aquaberry Hurricane player and junior, guards his opponent in the first round of the tournament.

According to Cooper, he and his team have been preparing for intramurals, hoping to be the best team this year.

ANGELA SUN // PHOTO basketball championship takes place on the varsity court in the Eric Clark Activity Center during SRT. Tickets are available for $1.

Last year, 750 tickets were sold.

In essence, one-fifth of the student population paid for a ticket to watch the best non-varsity basketball players in the school. Why would students outside the intramural basketball bubble care so much?

Drew Seketa, intramural executive council member and junior, said the answer lies in relatability.

“These teams are much more connected to the student body than the typical varsity team. The people on the team are seen more as your typical students and people are able to see themselves in the players; they aren’t these varsity players that

DEC 14, 2015

are so good and ‘untouchable,’” Seketa said. “And it also fosters a high level of competition because they are the best of the best who didn’t make the basketball team in a school of 5,000 kids, which means they are still very good.”

These athletes aren’t the stereotypical intramural basketball players. Generally, there are two dominant types of intramural basketball players, aside from the typical pick-up player. Some, as Meyer and Seketa both point out, are athletes who play fall or spring sports, such as football, soccer, or baseball, that are currently in an off-season and have time to play basketball. The other dominant type of athlete is the ex-basketball player, like Cooper. Cooper played high level travel basketball, then played at Carmel Middle School, and even made the freshman team at CHS, before ultimately being cut his sophomore year. This created a void that intramurals could naturally fill.

“It just kind of fills the void for some people, because with all those kids who play Pups, their entire lives going from elementary school to middle school to even high school, their winters are filled with basketball,” Cooper said.

“Intramural gives you that school ball feeling or travel team feeling.”

Although current athletes and ex-basketball players take part, intramural basketball is for anyone.

It’s just as competitive off the court and on social media as it is on the court. Intramural basketball at CHS is what the students want to make of it, and it’s that idea, the fun in playing with and against your classmates, that Meyer said he believes to be the heart of this beast.

Meyer said, “The memories that are built, I cannot emphasize enough. In my day, I couldn’t make the basketball team, but I played intramural basketball when I was in high school, and it’s still some of my fondest memories, and it’s the memories you really hold onto.” H

INTRAMURAL BASKETBALL

43

SPIRIT OF THE SEASON Intramurals has become a large tournament for CHS involving many CHS Students. Take a look at their competitive spirit.

ADAM GOSTOMELSKY, SHIVA VALLABHANENI // GRAPHIC

INTRAMURALS RANKINGS OFFICIAL RANKINGS 1. Hog Nation (2-0) 2. Aquaberry Hurricanes (2-0) 3. Pearson Diciples (2-0) 4. The Dynasty (1-1) 5. Team Meat (2-0) 6. 6FT. and Under (2-0) 7. White Mambas (1-1) 8. Roman Diciples (2-0) 9. Hog Hunters (2-0) 10. Bucket Heist (2-0)

Rankings were created based off of rosters and win-loss records.

These rankings are as of Dec 9, and will be updated throughout the regular season on the Intramurals Twitter, ‘Carmel Bball (Kinda)’.

HILITE RANKINGS 1. Aquaberry Hurricanes (2-0) 2. Hog Nation (2-0) 3. Pearson Diciples (2-0) 4. Team Meat (2-0) 5. 6FT. and Under (2-0) 6. The Dynasty (1-1) 7. White Mambas (1-1) 8. Roman Diciples (2-0) 9. 5 guys 8 Knees (1-1) 10. Bucket Heist (2-0)

INTRAMURALS: 33 TEAMS, 10 PLAYERS

330 students max 6.8% of CHS

VARSITY MEN AND WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

31 students

0.63% of CHS

TWITTER SPIRIT Title 9 106.41c introduced the first all women’s team in intramurals this year.

The Roman Diciples, one of the 33 teams, takes intramurals seriously. Just as a professional team does, they sign their players before the season.

44

SPORTS

KYLE YOST: MANAGER

DEC 14, 2015

MANAGING SUCCESS Senior Kyle Yost manages CHS men’s basketball team LUKE GENTILE // STORY

HELPING HAND: Senior Kyle Yost stands proudly in front of the CHS men’s basketball uniforms. This will be Yost’s fourth year managing the team.

KYLE CRAWFORD // PHOTO

A

s the men’s basketball season approaches, players will begin going to practice everyday after school and playing games on most weekends.

Yet, these players are not the only ones putting in time on the court. For the last three years, Kyle Yost, men’s basketball manager and senior, has helped the basketball team win on and off the court.

“I think it’s an honor. It’s not something everybody gets to do. It’s kind of behind the scenes, so you might not get as much recognition as the players or coaches, but that is not really what it’s about for me. I want to be a part of the team and help the team to succeed,” Yost said.

The 2015-2016 season will be Yost’s fourth season.

Yost said, “I played football freshman year, and I got injured a lot. I was always in the training room, and I thought the trainers were really cool. I wanted to get more involved than just being a trainer, so I went to Saturday practices.”

Yost began showing up to all of the practices and was always willing to help the coaches. After this, he decided to take on a different role during his sophomore year. Wanting to become more than a trainer, Yost had his eyes set on managing the varsity team.

According to Yost, one must recognize what a manager is in order to understand their behind the scenes, but essential roles on the team.

“Me and my team (fellow managers), we describe our role as

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anything the players and coaches don’t do. So, washing uniforms, setting up for games, sweeping the floor or setting up the clock,” Yost said.

Yost is part of a team of managers, each of them has a specific job.

“Every day we have separate jobs to do,” Yost said. “For example, I sweep the floor so the players’ sneakers don’t get dirty, and then I set up the clock for practice. The junior manager, Jake, he lowers all the baskets straight after school and helps (Head) Coach (Scott Heady) with anything he needs. Tyler Freeze, he fills the water bottles, which takes the longest amount of time. Then he brings them out.”

Once practice begins, a manager’s role can bring some unexpected responsibilities. Heady explained.

“If we need any help in practice, you know, if the coaches need anything, like getting a pad out and beating on our post guys, we use our managers in practice, and Kyle is always willing to do those things,” Heady said.

Yost said he enjoys jumping in on practice, but being a manager can have its own challenges. He said the biggest of these is time management. After a full day of managing, finding the time for the simplest tasks can be difficult.

DID YOU KNOW? Kyle Yost holds many responsibilities as the basketball team’s manager that include: sweeping floors, filling water bottles, rebounding for players, setting up practice, doing laundry, packing the bus for away games, helping with food, and anything extra the coaches need.

KYLE YOST // SOURCE

KYLE YOST: MANANGER

DEC 14, 2015

45

MANAGERS IN THE NBA Manager Hall of Fame

Professionally, the title of “manager” holds much more responsibility and experience than at the high school level and the duties of high school managers are encompassed by three positions: general manager, equpiment manager, and ball boy.

SHIVA VALLABHANENI // GRAPHIC

Equipment Manager Ball Boy

Salary: $81,893 annually

What they do for the team?

Salary: $15,080 annually

What they do for the team?

Wash towels Fill water bottles Prepare warmup suits

Coordinate equipment repairs Purchases new equipment Prepare equipment for away games

“Obviously, you want a life outside of basketball, but sometimes with your schedule some weeks can be harder than others. It’s just time management,” Yost said.

He said the hardest task when managing is balancing schoolwork.

During practices, most of Yost’s fellow managers will bring homework and textbooks and do their assignments when they can get a break.

According to Yost, as important as it is to manage time, having a good attitude and relationship with the players and coaching staff is equally necessary.

“I know a lot of the players on a personal level. I have classes with them, and I know them outside of school. My relationship with

The Best: Kevin Mchale

General Manager Salary $90,000 annually

What they do for the team?

Forbes ranked the best NBA General Mangers.

Here are the best and worst

Team: Minnesota Timberwolves Winning improvement from previous manager: 135%

Oversee all business and financial operations on the team Handle public relations Draft players

The Worst: Carroll Dawson Team: Houston Rockets Winning decrease from previous manager: 36%

Hire staff and team personnel

FORBES. COM, NBA.COM // SOURCE the coaches is really good. Coach Heady and me get along well, and if there is anything me or the guys need, we can go to him,” Yost said.

It is this relationship with the coach and the players that has allowed Yost to become so successful as a manager.

Heady said, “Our players understand that our managers are part of the team and not a separate entity. He (Yost) takes pride in what he does, first of all. He takes pride in his role and understands the importance of it. What the managers basically do is they make everything run smooth.”

“There are a lot of things that they do that honestly some guys would not be willing to do,” Heady said. “Some may feel that those MANAGER MADNESS: Senior Kyle Yost aids in the clearing of the white board in the men’s basketball locker room.

Yost holds many responsibilities as the team’s manager in order to prepare the players for their upcoming games.

KYLE CRAWFORD // PHOTO

jobs are below them, but they (the managers) understand that what they are doing is important to our everyday routine. So it’s great to have guys like Kyle.”

Yost said that he has loved his tenure as a manager, and the last few years have given him some great memories. “(The) State (Championship in 2013) is probably my biggest (memory); it was unlike anything else I ever felt in my life. It was kind of like a culmination of 26 other games that season, and the months and months of work all coming down to that. We ended up playing a really good game, and it was just a really happy moment for everybody,” Yost said.

The memories provide him with something to smile about, but Yost does recognize that his time as manager is coming to an end.

So, with senior year soon entering its second semester, he ended his interview with some advice for the incoming managers.

“I mean, just enjoy it, don’t make it a painful process. You’re obviously going to be there for five months a season and then just get along with team,” Yost said. “You don’t want to cause trouble, and you don’t want to get in fights with players or coaches. Also, communication is important; make sure everyone is on the same page.

H Overall, have fun.”

46

SPORTS

DEC 14, 2015

NEW BUILDING

BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE

CHS to replace locker rooms behind Murray Stadium with new structure ALINA HUSAIN // STORY

S

tudents returning for the 2016-17 school year can expect to see a new building located behind Murray Stadium. CHS tore down the locker rooms, which were built in the 1960s, and will replace them with a brand new building.

The current structure has been riddled with various electrical and sewage problems. According to Athletics Director Jim Inskeep, the new building has been on the school district’s to-do list for many years now, but it was not until this year that it fit into the budget.

Inskeep said, “The new building will have a maintenance and storage area, which it is now, two locker rooms, which we’ll be using for soccer, and a team meeting room,

LOOK OUT THE LAYOUT Take a look at what the floor plans of the new building will look like. The building has three areas, one for the public, which includes concessions, one for the players, which include the locker rooms and one for maintenance.

where they can meet at halftime, for example, or to review film, and then a concession stand and two public restrooms as well.”

The building costs the school district roughly $1.5 million, but according to Inskeep, demolishing and rebuilding the structure is less costly than renovating the current building. Additionally, tearing down the older locker rooms will allow for the newer ones to match the style of the buildings on campus.

Ethan Abbott, soccer player and junior, said that he is extremely excited for the new building to be finished, and for the opportunity to use it in the fall. “(The current building) is decent but it could definitely be upgraded, it’s pretty old. I’m really excited for

This year the new $1.5 million, 7,000 square foot sports complex is under construction..

It will include locker rooms, concession stands, a garage, and maintenance equipment. The building will be styled like other buildings on campus.

the new one, just because I think it’ll be really cool. I think it’ll be really awesome to have that as a locker room there,” Abbott said.

The new building, although it will occupy approximately less amount of square footage as the current building, it will have many new features that teams and fans can use, like the meeting room, public restrooms and concession stands. Furthermore, the building will hold a garage and maintenance equipment. In addition to the soccer team making use of the new building, the lacrosse teams will also be utilizing the locker rooms in the spring. According to Inskeep, the new building has been on hold for about 10 years now, and the school is glad to finally have it built so that teams will be H able to use it next school year.

Team Room for meetings

Past Construction

Coaches Offices

Men’s (right) and Women’s (left) showers

1991 - Carmel Stadium

Men’s (right) and Women’s (left) soccer lockers

Facilities which includes equipment and garage

2013 - New Weight Room

Storage Rooms

1954 - Varsity Gym 1997 - Natatorium and Fieldhouse

These are doors to the building

SHIVA VALLABHANENI // GRAPHIC The concession stands will be on the west side of the building.

Custodial Room The women’s restrooms, left, are for the public, and, right, for the players The men’s restrooms, left, are for the public, and, right, for the players Electrical Room

FANNING HOWEY ASSOCIATES INC. // SOURCE

SPORTS BRIEFS

DEC 14, 2015

47

Sports Briefs UPCOMING SPORTS

SHIVA VALLABHANENI // BRIEFS

• HOME GAMES IN GREEN

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

WRESTLING

MEN’S SWIMMING

WOMEN’S SWIMMING

TOMORROW

MEN’S BASKETBALL FRIDAY

SATURDAY

DEC. 21

DEC. 21

KOKOMO

VS PENDELTON HEIGHTS

HAMILTON COUNTY MEET

HAMILTON SE

HAMILTON SE

@ NOBLESVILLE

MEN’S SWIMMING In the 2014 season, the men’s swim team won the State Championship.

This year, the team aims to defend its title.

“Personally, I’m hoping to win State in the 200 (meter) freestyle and improve my times from last year so I can bring home the ‘W’ for the State Championship as a team and as an individual.”

Troy Li Men’s swim team member and senior SARA YUNG // PHOTO

MEN’S BASKETBALL

WRESTLING

“Commitment to the program and to one another is the foundation of our achievements and future success. Practically everyday in practice, coach will remind us to not focus on individual pain and fatigue, but to continue to work hard for our teammates. Without that commitment we won’t get anywhere this season.”

“I want to do better than I did last year, and try not to get injured as much. It’s common to get injured, it doesn’t really matter about skill, it just matters about how cautious you are and if you’re reckless or protective of yourself. It’s definitely hard work. At times, it’s harder than other times, but it’s a good sport.”

Mike Pitz, basketball player and junior

Clay Doron, wrestler and junior

SPORTS SPOTLIGHTS The Indianapolis Colts battle for a playoff berth, awaiting the return of their franchise quarterback Andrew Luck.

Keep track of Intramurals as regular season continues.

Rankings are updated on its Twitter, “Carmel Bball (kinda)”.

The men’s basketball team aims to improve their game to win Regionals and return to State after three years.

GISHL is scrimmaging new teams in preparation for the winter season which begins after winter break.

PERSPECTIVES

DEC 14, 2015

STA F F E D I TO R I A L

SUCCEEDING THE SENIORS

Students need to determine if new Senior Transition to College program is best fit.

HILITE // STAFF EDITORIAL

F

or some students, the dream of time off could come true next year. Starting in the fall of 2016, administrators plan to implement a new program that will allow seniors time to leave the building during the school day. The program will only be open to those who take at least four rigorous courses.

According to Principal John Williams, the purpose for this is so that seniors can better adjust to a collegiate schedule.

This follows the recent finals schedule change for the same reason, making it obvious this school has a shifting focus toward adjusting students to college. While the decision to adjust the schedule will have many rewards, students should be careful when selecting a program that is best for them.

Not all choices may be the best for everyone.

Like all other schedule and class changes in the past few years, there is a lot for students to consider before committing. The requirements set in place to participate in the new senior schedule will allow a large population of the school to be eligible; however, eligibility does not equate to ability. Some students may take four fully weighted classes for the first time and find themselves unable to cope with the increased stress and rigor. Colleges will take into account students’ senior year grades, and finishing high school in a

SENIOR TRANSITION TO COLLEGE PROGRAM In the 2016-17 year, seniors will have the opportunity to take rigorous coursework in the freedom of a college environment.

rushed panic is not going to represent the work students want under consideration. If a counselor advises students against participating, it is in their best interest to reconsider their choice.

Students’ goal for involvement in the new program should not be to spend a day in bed binge-watching the latest season of their favorite show on Netflix. If students choose to participate, they should use the time to study, get a job or do other productive tasks. This holds true for everyone and not just those who are new to fully weighted classes.

If a student would normally consider taking a majority of weighted classes and plan to participate in the program, he or she should not use this as a get-out-of-school-free card.

We applaud administrators for making these changes, but students should realize changes in school policy involve far more work than students see; it is up to students to make them work. All underclassmen weighing whether the new senior schedule is right for them, they need to consider why they want to take part and whether the program would actually be beneficial in the long run. It is not an excuse to avoid work; it is an opportunity for more freedom in students’ ability to H work and consequently be successful.

Requirements

Approved courses include:

I. At least four fully-weighted year-long courses

• AP Art History • AP Computer Science A • IB Business Management

2. College & Career Symposium 3. Year-end exit interviews

SPEAK UP!

• AP Capstone Research • IB English • Calc Survey • Finite Math

To read more about the Senior Transition to College program and College & Career Symposium, turn to Page 9 in News.

• AP Statistics • IB Film • AP Biology • IED • Spanish V

ELLIE CLARK // SPEAK-UPS

Would you participate in the Senior Transition to College program? Why or why not?

“Yeah, so I don’t have to go to school for as long, and I can have more time to commit to clubs and sports.

Junior Danny Popowics

“(Yes), you don’t have to be in school for the set six hours every day. You can come to classes that matter and focus on them.”

Senior Sebreena Zalam

Visit hilite. org to read more speak-ups from other students.

DEC 14, 2015

49

SYRIAN REFUGEES IN INDIANA

RETHINK REFUSAL

Banning Syrian refugees from our state is harmful to not only them but also us.

EMMA LOVE // COLUMN

I

n order to “ensure the safety and security of all Hoosiers,” Indiana Governor Mike Pence has refused to allow any Syrian refugees into the state of Indiana. Over half of U.S. governors have similar concerns about the relocation of refugees from Syria. These positions were taken in response to the recent tragedy in Paris on Nov. 13.

However, only one of the terrorists involved with the Paris attacks held a Syrian passport. So for over half of the governors in our country to assume that banning Syrian refugees will eliminate terrorist threats is absurd, not to mention the fact that these governors’ statements paint their states as Islamophobic by generalizing an entire nation of individuals based off one seemingly unrelated incident.

Now that over half of the United States is forbidding the entry of Syrian refugees, the lives of these Syrian refugees will worsen. In the wake of a major terrorist attack, it is inevitable that fear will spread among individuals from all walks of life. However, the fear that we feel in the United States after the attacks in Paris must be nothing compared to the fear of Syrian families every day. Many of these families are terrified by and want to get far away from ISIS just as we do in the United States.

Yet we continue to reject refugees from ISIS-controlled areas simply because we ourselves are afraid?

According to the Exodus Refugee Immigration of Indianapolis, refugees are the most heavily screened group of immigrants entering the United States. All refugees face both security and health screenings, including extensive background checks from U.S. security agencies and in-person interviews by Homeland Security. In addition, approximately half of all refugee applications are rejected. These facts suggest it is not easy to enter our country as a refugee. These high-security measures make statements made by governors such as Pence seem to lack any valid reasoning.

In other words, it seems Pence’s statement was not only made without evidence, but also without much else in mind than fear. Instead of taking the time to study the facts, Pence jumped to a conclusion and made a decision.

These decisions have immediate effects on Syrian families already approved to move to Indiana after years of waiting.

One such family, comprised of a married couple and their 5-year-old son, was forced to relocate to Connecticut

PENCE’S REACTION Monday, Nov. 16 Governor Mike Pence declares refusal of Syrian refugee resettlement.

Monday, Nov. 23 The American Civil Liberties Union of Indiana filed a federal lawsuit against Pence’s decision.

THE U.S. REFUGEE CRISIS Thirteen states allow refugee resettlement: WA

OR

CA

MT

CO

MN

KY

PA

DE

CT RI

VT

HI

despite being scheduled to arrive in Indianapolis after three years of awaiting approval in Jordan.

When this Syrian family arrived in New Haven on Nov. 18, they were welcomed by Daniel Malloy, the governor of Connecticut. Luckily for this family, the decisions of Mike Pence had no impact on their arrival to the United States as they are safely settling into an accepting community in Connecticut.

For so many families, the United States represents the opportunity for a better life and the pursuit of the American Dream. If a family has endured the tedious and grueling processes that one must undergo in order to legally enter the United States, they should not be denied any of the trademark American opportunities because of ethnicity. Yet today, in so many states, governors are trying to prevent Syrian refugees from beginning new lives in America because of the actions of a fundamentalist terrorist group affiliated with a radical sect of Islam.

These hopeful Syrian refugees are trying to flee a warridden and terror-filled society. They have been minimized into an unfair and fear-mongering generalization that all Syrians are Muslim and all Muslims are terrorists. If anyone deserves a fair chance in our country, it is these Syrian refugees looking for a welcoming home. Luckily for these refugees, 19 of our states have realized the reality of the Syrian refugees’ situation and have continued to welcome them with open arms and fair judgement. If there is any silver lining to this refugee crisis and the despicable acts of our Governor, it is that these Syrian families looking for an escape will end up someplace much more open and accepting than H our state.

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

Reach Emma Love at elove@hilite.org.

Six states are neutral.

CYNTHIA YUE // GRAPHIC INDYSTAR.COM, PBS.ORG // SOURCES

THINK FOR YOURSELF.

50

PERSPECTIVES

STA R B U C K S C U P

DEC 14, 2015

THE STARBUCKS SITUATION

People should recognize their power to influence other through social media.

SABRINA MI // COLUMN

A

s winter break approaches, many students look forward to enjoying the holidays and maybe relaxing over a nice cup of Starbucks coffee. Starbucks’s seasonal flavors range from the classic Peppermint Mocha to the newest cup— the Chestnut Praline Latte. There’s only one problem.

According to Joshua Feuerstein, evangelist, and social media personality, “(Starbucks) hates Jesus.” When Feuerstein saw Starbucks holiday cups and their lack of the seasonal Christmas design, she immediately took action against the blatant attack on Christian principles in the form of online criticism. To date, Feuerstein’s video, posted on the popular social media platform Facebook, has garnered over 16 million views and features an angry complaint against Starbuck’s lack of Christmas designs.

While many people found Feuerstein’s comment to be rather extreme and dumb, the controversy became viral enough that Starbucks responded by saying, “Starbucks is inviting our customers to tell their Christmas stories in their own way, with a red cup that mimics a blank canvas,” the official response said.

The “anti-Christianity” cup controversy has brought Starbucks under a lot of attention, and social media is to blame.

This latest Starbucks controversy is just one example in the growing trend of using social media as a platform for criticism. In today’s world, where technology has led people to be increasingly interconnected, social media causes public figures and companies to be placed under

GRAPHIC PERSPECTIVE

plenty of mostly negative attention. When someone says or does something somewhat politically incorrect, websites and other media outlets dramatize the issue to the point of controversy for more views, expressing their outrage. While this may be because of today’s progressive societal attitudes, the more likely reason is that pack mentality to capitalize on someone’s failure.

This, paired with the anonymity of social media causes people to unleash fury on the victim.

Thanks to social media, complaining is more accessible than ever. And, when the complaints becomes viral like in the Starbucks situation, they become a powerful and influential tool. In today’s age, where social media is part of our daily routine, online opinion can cause change locally, such as when people brought justice to questionable actions of certain local policemen, as well as things on a global scale, for example terrorism, especially after the Paris attacks. With social media, you have the power to influence countless change. You have the power to ruin someone’s life, bring down terrorism or boycott offensive cups all at the touch of your fingertips.

H Use it wisely.

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Sabrina Mi at smi@hilite.org.

I DON’T KNOW. JASMINE LAM // GRAPHIC

FEMINISM

DEC 14, 2015

51

ANTI-FEMINISM

There are disadvantages boys have that are often overlooked in the criticism of feminism.

GABBY PERELMUTER // COLUMN

A

lot of teenage boys see feminists as lesbians or people who don’t shave their armpits and rage about how much life sucks because no one takes them seriously as females. By contrast, a lot of feminists actually put down men and see them as terrible people who never want women to leave the kitchen. Both of these viewpoints are misguided and it’s time to set the record straight. The entire feminist movement shouldn’t be looked at as a way of dividing the genders, but as seeing the value of a woman equal to the value of a man.

Certainly there are differences in the genders.

The female body has been proven to have less mass than the body of a male. Men carry more muscle and build muscle much faster than women. Women saying that they can do the same physical jobs as men has been scientifically proven to be false.

In the world where men and women use their brains to come up with logic, this is true. However, in the literal physical power of a man meaning how much one can carry, the man wins.

Sure, there are outliers to this fact, more women have gotten into the bodybuilding world recently, such as Nikki Blackketter or Heidi Somers who body build alongside their boyfriends.

However, these women are exceptions to the general rule.

The female body doesn’t produce testosterone which is the hormone that allows protein to directly repair the muscles of the body after a workout. The female body has evolved to be weaker than a male’s and some tasks that a male can perform

LIVE YOUR LIFE

BEHIND THE SCENES SCIENCE: Men have more fast twitch muscle fibers than women. Fast twitch fibers have short contraction periods and perform anaerobic metabolism, which allows them to output more power in short bursts, which is important in weightlifting.

Also, the hormone testosterone

stimulates muscle hypertrophy, or buildup of fibers.

Since those fibers are larger, they have more mass and can exert more power.

SARAH LIU // GRAPHIC LIVESTRONG.COM, SPORTSMEDICINE. ABOUT.COM // SOURCES

using body strength can’t be done by a woman.

But in many other ways, females surpass males.

For instance, female teenage drivers tend to drive better than males and on average, have to pay half of the cost of teenage boys. Although insurances vary, the amount girls have to pay is significantly lower.

Even though this number may seem shocking, or boys may see this as unfair, the truth is there is enough evidence and demand for insurance for teenage boys that insurance companies see value to charging the teenage boys twice as much. According to the Journal of Pediatrics, the female body develops about two years ahead of the male body, making the brain development of a female outgrow a males at a young age. While the development catches up post-puberty, this development directly correlates to performance in school. Also, in a recent study by the Organization for Co-Operation and development has proved that female students have been doing significantly better in high school than male students. This is caused by the male chromosomes’ slower development that is linked to maturity. Boys are proven to be more rowdy and not put forth the same amount of effort as girls.

The point of this entire movement isn’t to bash males or to say that being a girl sucks because we have no rights. The point is to bring to the table that there are certain things that males are better at and females are better at. There is no way to get around these facts. However, what we can do as a society is to put forth the effort so that in areas such as pay and social situations, women are not put down as much as they have been in the past. The US has come a long way from not allowing women to vote or receive the same jobs as males. There will always be room for improvement, but being upset and putting the blame on the entire male human species is not the way the accomplish this. For females, putting down males is not the way to achieve success. We as a society must come together and see the differences in the genders, and put forth effort to equalize the H genders where they need to be.

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Gabby Perelmuter at gperelmuter@hilite.org.

52

PERSPECTIVES

CLASS PARTICIPATION

DEC 14, 2015

WE’RE JUST NERVOUS

Teachers should accommodate students’ social anxiety in their participation policies.

EMILY WORRELL // COLUMN

E

ver since I was little, I have struggled with socialization. I have always been afraid of being judged based on what I say and to this day spend hours thinking on how the things I say make me appear to others. I started to dread social situations and struggled to utter even a single sentence in a conversation. Then, when I was in the seventh grade, I was diagnosed with social anxiety disorder, a disorder that causes people to fear social situations to an extent that is considered unreasonable.

The other day I was sitting in Pre-Calculus when my teacher called on me suddenly.

“Oh, um …” I fumbled for the answer as I felt my heart begin to race and heat flush my cheeks. “Sorry, one second … It’s negative one to infinity.”

Despite the fact that this was a minimal socialization, this moment caused me anxiety for the rest of the day.

It took several minutes for my heart rate to return to normal, and throughout the day I kept remembering that moment and thinking how stupid I must have looked and how I could’ve handled it better.

But that was not the first time this had happened.

Throughout my education, social anxiety has caused several problems for me, especially with teachers’ participation policies. Many teachers have assumed because I do not talk or ask many questions in class, it means I am not paying attention. This is, in fact, not the case. I am simply not comfortable speaking out in class or asking questions for fear of looking awkward or dumb.

Social anxiety disorder is not uncommon.

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), social anxiety is the second most common anxiety disorder in the United States and affects approximately 19 million

DON’T FORCE PARTICIPATION

Americans. Yet it seems that teachers increasingly enforce strict participation policies that require students to answer questions, present in front of other students and talk or have discussions in class. While this may work well for some students, those with social anxiety do not learn well when this method is used.

Social anxiety is largely ignored by teachers and society in general, partially because, for those who do not experience it, it does not seem “real.” I have often been told that my disorder is “all in my head” or that I need to “stop worrying so much.” But the truth about social anxiety is that it is not simply a mental problem that can be cured with the flip of a switch. In fact, many symptoms of social anxiety are physical. According to the Mayo Clinic, physical symptoms of social anxiety include shaking, sweating, upset stomach, pounding heart, muscle tension and confusion. Those without social anxiety do not experience these symptoms and therefore do not understand the severity of this disorder.

Because of this, many teachers do not realize they are harming students with social anxiety when they enforce stringent participation policies.

Teachers often use students’ participation as a part of their grade, which only increases the discomfort students with social anxiety experience. Students who are conscientious about their grades but also have social anxiety feel torn between their fear of talking out or answering questions in class and their need to do well in class. Therefore, they are forced into a position that aggravates their disorder to maintain good grades, which is unfair. If an athlete has an injured leg, his coach wouldn’t make him do mile runs. Similarly, if a student has a disorder, teachers should not put him in a position where he is forced to do things that stimulate his anxiety.

Teachers should be more lenient with their participation policies to account for students’ different challenges, including those like social anxiety disorder, which isn’t so easily noticed. While enforcing participation can help some students learn, it often harms the education and mental stability of others.

In addition, class participation should not be part of a student’s grade, as that causes students with social anxiety to choose between salvaging their grades or their H mental condition.

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Emily Worrell at eworrell@hilite.org

ANXIETY AND LEARNING There are two types of anxiety that affect students in the classroom: FACILITATING ANXIETY This type occurs when the amount of anxiety is small. It stimulates students to perform better.

DEBILITATING ANXIETY This type occurs when too much anxiety is present. It distracts and interferes with performance.

High levels of anxiety can interfere with ability to pay attention.

EDUCATION. COM // SOURCE

VIOLENCE IN THE WORLD

DEC 14, 2015

53

TACKLING TRAGEDY

Today’s social culture is most responsible for the prevalence of violence around the world.

SARAH LIU // COLUMN

t

oday marks the second anniversary of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, CT. It’s been about a month since the attacks in Paris, Syria and Lebanon.

Next year, it will have been 15 years since 9/11. There are also several hundreds of crimes across the world that haven’t garnered as much attention.

While I haven’t lost any loved ones to any shootings or bombings, I still find it awful to hear about all these because it scares me that someone I love could be hurt or even killed in some tragedy that could happen any day. Or maybe it could even happen to me. Who knows? That’s unpredictable right now, but it’s obvious that attacks are happening much more frequently now. So thank goodness our strategy during lockdown drills isn’t sitting in rows hiding in the room anymore. But I (and you as well, probably) have always wondered: Why do people do such terrible things? What were they thinking?

It’s just a vicious cycle. And some of its roots may lie deep in social culture among American youth today.

There’s a reason why anti-bullying is emphasized so much in school. According to bullyingstatistics.org, people who have been bullied can respond negatively in a wide variety of ways, such as having lower self-esteem, having difficulty in trusting others, being more aggressive and having difficulty controlling that aggression.

Additionally, such symptoms can persist for several years afterwards after the bullying occurs.

Social alienation also YOU’LL THANK ME LATER significantly influences

tragedy. According to the Association for Psychological Science (APS), we as humans have a natural desire to feel accepted in a group wired in our brains because it was and still is essential to survival. The opposite of acceptance— rejection or exclusion—takes terrible tolls on mental health, causing depression, extra stress and other similar symptoms to bullying.

Regardless, the effects of both still have the potential to cause their victims to lash out and disturb society. A survey conducted by Alfred University showed that students believe that the top reasons for school shootings involve the shooters getting revenge on people who have hurt them, not violent video games or media coverage of violence.

I wonder, then, if bullying and excluding people can brew the feelings of hatred that could potentially lead to violence, why haven’t we stopped doing either? According to the Erikson’s theory of psychosocial development, the quest for an identity, especially in groups, characterizes adolescence as teenagers transition from increased independence from family and increased dependence on peer groups. The complication is that these groups are extremely fluid, which makes it more complicated to maintain feelings of acceptance. But it is also the time when people are the most sensitive to peer rejection and thus worry more about it.

It’s obvious that we should be nice. But we often don’t realize that there are others standing alone that we could make a profound impact on by reaching out to them with the same kindness that we have for our friends within any groups we may be in. Try that— maybe you’ll make a new friend, but maybe even better, H it could achieve more peace.

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Sarah Liu at sliu@hilite.org.

GRAPHIC PERSPECTIVE STUDY LEVELS FOR FINALS OVER THE 4 YEARS OF HIGH SCHOOL

MATTHEW HAN // GRAPHIC

15 MINUTES

RISING PRODUCER

DEC 14, 2015

RISING PRODUCER

Freshman Ashton Gleckman produces full movie musical scores and his own films CORY STEELE // Q&A KYLE CRAWFORD // PHOTO

What have you written music for in the past?

A filmmaker in New York City ... was directing a Holocaust documentary film, and he had partners all around the world who were helping fund the project, and the main source was Project Witness. ... It was completely dedicated to preserving history. Over 50 Holocaust survivors were interviewed for this project, and I came onto the project quite late and composed about 45 minutes of music for the documentary.

When did you begin to compose music?

I started playing music at around the age of seven and ever since then, I’ve been a multi-

instrumentalist; I’ve played guitar, drums; not only have I played them, but I’ve also taken lessons ... I’ve been composing music, as in orchestral pieces and stuff like that, for three or four years now.

Where to find Gleckman’s work:

What do you envision doing as an adult?

I envision going to school at either USC Thornton School of Music in California, or I also envision going to Europe. ... Obviously I want to compose for major motion pictures, Hollywood films. ... So I would say my area, right now, is just in all of the arts. So I’m not just a composer, I’m not just a filmmaker, but inside of each of these individual topics, there’s so much more subcategories that I’m involved in.

soundcloud.com/ ashton-gleckman

facebook.com/ ashton.gleckman

RISING PRODUCER

DEC 14, 2015

LIVING WORKSPACE: Freshman Ashton Gleckman shifts through his monitors and hits play. Gleckman was working on one of his latest works, “Epic Orchestral Suite No. 1.” As he works, his cat sneaks across the back desk of the Soundboard.

Check out more photos and a video interview at http://hilite.org/archives/ category/fame

55

LITEBOX

HOLIDAY SECRET SHOP

LITEBOX SECRET SHOPPING

Vincent “Vince” Vandenbranden, DECA member and junior, helps a little girl pick out gifts for her family. The Holiday Secret Shop ended on Dec. 5, and the profits will go to the International Career Development Conference, which is from April 23 to 26. “I think it is a good experience for (the kids) to come and get gifts for them and their family,” Vandenbranden said.

DIVYA ANNAMALAI // PHOTO

DEC 14, 2015