4.26 Best of April Issue

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CARMEL HIGH SCHOOL NEWSMAGAZINE VOL. 85, NO. 9 BEST OF APRIL 2021

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Student business owners reflect on benefits, risks, opportunities of entrepreneurship at young age

PAGE 20 | ANIKET BISWAL, LEAH TAN

TABLE OF CONTENTS JUST A MINUTE 4 RETURN TO EARTH Learn about environmental impact of human waste, composting

NEWS 6 NEWS BRIEFS 7 CLUB SPOTLIGHT 8 SAVE THE DATE 9 HISTORIC HOUSE New Carmel Historical Society museum to be constructed along revitalized Monon Trail

FEATURE 10 NOT NERDY 12 BETTER DAYS Students, teachers speak on feelings of nostalgia after year of non-traditional school

14 WORLD OF DANCE

STUDENT SECTION 16 BEHIND THE CURTAIN 17 HUMANS OF CHS

18 WORD ON THE STREET Q&A with students about benefits of chess, Scrabble, other mind games

COVER 20 AHEAD OF THE PACK

Student business owners reflect on positives, negatives of entrepreneurship

ENTERTAINMENT 26 IN THE LIMELIGHT 28 AND THE NOMINEES ARE

Following historical Oscar nominations, student reflect on Asian representation

Contact information: Mailing Address: 520 E. Main St. Carmel IN 46032 Phone: (317) 846 7221 Ext. 7143 Website: www.hilite.org Email: Staff members may be contacted by using their first initial and their last name appending @hilite.org The HiLite is a student publication distributed to students, faculty and staff of Carmel High School temporarily published online only due to COVID-19 via Issuu at issuu.com/ hilite. This issue is a collection of select content published online in April 2021, as indicated on each story. 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

Cover

Rhea Acharya

Kiersten Riedford

Tessa Collinson Josie Cruzan Calina He Lillian He Sarah Kim Gray Martens Grace Xu Wendy Zhu

Valliei Chandrakumar Shruthi Ravichandran

Edward Dong Riley TerBush

Chloe Sun

Managing Editors

ON THE AIR Skylar Greaves, WHJE podcast manager, podcaster and senior, sits inside a CHS radio booth and adjusts controls on a computer. Greaves said podcasting is enjoyable for her and she appreciates the available freedoms.

See page 28 for full story.

MARISSA FINNEY PHOTO

Front/TOC/JAM News

Asian-American racism, model minority myth runs deep in history

32 FOR A CAUSE

40 IS IT VOLUNTEERING?

34 REC REASON

41 TAKE THE SLOW LANE

PERSPECTIVES

@hilitenews

@hilitenews

44 KIND ONLINE

37 IF NOT ALL MEN, WHO?

Q&A with creators of popular @carmel_ compliments Instagram page

15 Minutes Litebox Ray Mo

Jim Streisel

Christian Ledbetter

Adviser

Principal

Thomas Harmas

Superintendent Michael Beresford

Responding to the HiLite: Letters to the editor will be accepted for the Best of May issue no later than May 7. Letters may be submitted to Room C147, placed in the mailbox of Jim Streisel, emailed to management2021@hilite. org or mailed to the school. All letters must be signed. Names will be published. (Letters sent via email will be taken to a student’s SSRT for them to sign). Letters must not contain personal attacks against an individual and may be edited.

Corrections and clarifications: In the Best of March issue, “By the Numbers” on page 18 refers to data from the 2013-14 school year

15 MINUTES

36 IN THE KNOW

Sowmya Chundi Leah Tan

Emily Sandy

38 GOT VACCINATED? 39 RESPECT ASIAN LIVES

Perspectives

Sam Hawkins Sarah Zheng

Feature

Student Section

Student athletes, counselor share opinions on school-life balance

Aniket Biswal Daniel Kim

Web

Maddie Kosc

30 DISTRESS LESS

Sports

Cady Armstrong Christian Ledbetter

Ads Team

SPORTS

Entertainment

@HiLiteOnline

The HiLite strives to correct its errors. If you notice any inaccuracies in this or past issues, please contact management2021@hilite.org.

RILEY TERBUSH, RAY MO FRONT COVER ILLUSTRATION

JUST A MINUTE

BEST OF APRIL 2021

This graphic was originally published online on Apr. 22, 2021

RETURN TO EARTH In light of Earth Day on April 22, learn about composting, impact of landfills EMILY SANDY, RILEY TERBUSH GRAPHIC

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, SPRUCE SOURCES

Compost is organic material that can be added to soil, keeping waste out of landfills and lowering methane production.

CLEAN UP YOUR ACT See what materials fill the typical trash can

23% 22% 12%

Paper/Paperboard Food waste

DID YOU KNOW?

Plastics

12% Yard trimmings 9%

Metals

Compostable materials Not compostable

6% Wood 12%

On average, close to 50% of typical household garbage is compostable.

Inorganic waste, rubber/leather, other

Data comes from the EPA’s 2018 assessment of municipal solid waste in the U.S.

SPEAK-UP! Why do you think composting is important?

“I think it’s important to compost because you are taking scraps that would usually go into the garbage and you are recycling it back into the environment and reusing its nutrients. You can use it to grow better, stronger plants.”

“If more people start making little changes in their lives to reach the effort of being as sustainable as possible, it’ll add together and make a big difference. Composting is important because it’s diverting a lot of waste from landfills. By us being able to take all of our food scraps compost it, it can really have a large ww impact.”

Junior Ethan Stoehr ETHAN STOEHR SUBMITTED PHOTO

Junior Maanya Rajesh RILEY TERBUSH PHOTO

HILITE.ORG

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CONTAIN THE WASTE See which containers are used for compost INDOOR COMPOSTER Used for collecting waste in the kitchen before compiling it outside. Has an odor barrier. Some can also serve as primary compost bins. $30 to $300

COMPOST BIN Used for outdoor composting; can be homemade with shipping pallets. $0 to $130

THE RATIO For an ideal blend, put in a ratio of 2:1 for brown and green materials.

Brown materials: leaves, dry or woody plant material Green materials: Wet, recently grown materials; fresh produce Exclude pet waste, pesticide-treated plants and meat/dairy

ROTATING BIN Spins contents to increase airflow to decomposing microbes. $90 to $300

After two months to two years, compost will be the color and consistency of soil and will be ready to use for gardening.

Worms, purchased from fishing supply stores or online, will speed up the process.

If you don’t garden, you can send compost to a facility. Find one by scanning the QR code.

Scan this code to find out where to send your compost in Indiana

DOWN TO EARTH Learn how organic materials in landfills affect environment Methane is produced due to anaerobic bacterial decomposition under water or dirt. Methane absorbs the sun’s heat, which causes the atmosphere to increase in temperature

Leachate through the landfill runs off to nearby water sources. This contaminates the water as well as the ground it travel through to get there.

Odor runs throughout the landfill and surrounding buildings. This is due to the rotting of organic waste without given proper means to decompose naturally

NEWS

BEST OF APRIL 2021

NEWS BRIEFS CADY ARMSTRONG BRIEFS

April 15 Athletic Signing Day 2021

News Briefs were orginally published on April 12, 2021

April 17

April 2021 Community ACT Testing

April 19

Top Scholar Ceremony

May 8 May 2021 SAT Testing

May 9

National Mother’s Day 2021

May 13 & 14

GKOM Connection Sessions

May 27

Graduation Day 2021

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May 28

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GradFest & Prom Event 2021

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Take a look at a Q&A set discussing the upcoming senior celebrations, including graduation

National Memorial Day 2021

SHOP ‘TIL YOU DROP: Junior Ava Loria (middle) checks out at the Carmel Dance Marathon garage sale on March 21 at CHS. The garage sale was open for two days, and sold hundreds of items to raise money for Riley Children’s Hospital.

OLIVIA MCKEE PHOTO

HILITE.ORG

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CLUB SPOTLIGHT Q&A with Model U.N. president, sponsor These Q&As were originally published online on April 13, 2021

Q&A

DARSHINI SHANKAR Q&A

LOGAN TULLAI SUBMITTED PHOTO

Logan Tullai, Model U.N. president and senior What is Model U.N. and what does it do throughout the school year?

At Model U.N. competitions, you represent a country or a position and debate with other members of a committee to come to a resolution. It really teaches how to debate and resolve international, national and historical issues.

The club meets every Thursday and conducts simulations that mirror the conferences we attend each year.

What do you do at conferences?

UNITE THE NATIONS: Club Officer Esha Sharma (left) and Faculty Sponsor Sandy Gardner (right) assign roles for an Ides of March simulation. Members were separated into two teams, one blue and one red, with the goal of either stopping or proceeding with assassination attempts of Julius Caesar.

CHRISTIAN LEDBETTER PHOTO

Q&A

We attend conferences hosted by colleges and universities during both semesters. All members can attend any conference throughout the year...for example the Yale MUN. The conferences are super fun and a great way to meet people from all over the world. The Yale conference, for example, had over 2,500 participants.

How can people get involved in Model UN? The first step is to join the Remind to get up-to-date meeting information. To join, just text @carmelmun2 to 81010. Our meetings are in E224 every Thursday at 4 p.m. and anyone is welcome to attend.

SANDY GARDNER SUBMITTED PHOTO

DARSHINI SHANKAR Q&A

What is Model U.N.?

Sandy Gardner, Model U.N. sponsor and social studies teacher How has Model U.N. been affected by COVID-19?

All the conferences this year have been virtual, so we have done quite a few that we would have never done this year...

The only thing that we really missed out on is we weren’t together. We were all virtual on Zoom and (other) platforms and so we didn’t have the camaraderie of traveling together.

Model U.N. is a club and a competition group that deals with international politics, and debate and each of the meetings we teach people how to do that...we have different problems, either historical or global, and the kids will take on either countries or roles, and they’ll try to create solutions to solve those issues. They debate together and they have to learn to compromise with people that are on the same side of the issue, or not...we have a myriad of different backgrounds, and that’s sort of what we tout ourselves on- that we are welcoming to everyone...within that, you can have a lot of fun.

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BEST OF APRIL 2021

SAVE THE DATE CHS to host graduation May 27, combined Gradfest, prom event May 28

Q&A

These Q&As were originally published online on April 15, 2021 ALLY HORWITZ PHOTO, Q&A

Assistant Principal Amy Skeens-Benton

GRAD DAYS Check out the dates and times for graduation, Gradfest, prom

What are the senior celebrations plans this year?

GRADUATION

The senior celebrations include the Top Scholars Banquet, the Distinguished Grad ceremony during school and the CEF Scholarship ceremony. We’re doing all of the usual celebrations, some may just look a little different. And then, of course, culminating in the end with the huge senior celebration (Gradfest and prom) that’s going to be on May 28 from 8-11 p.m. at Murray Stadium.

Where: Indiana Farmers Coliseum When: Thursday, May 27th Students with last name:

How will graduation look different this year as opposed to last year and prior years?

It won’t look different from what we’ve done traditionally, except for (the fact that) it’ll be smaller. We’re going to have four ceremonies in order to meet the COVID-19 capacity restrictions for the fairgrounds. It’ll be the traditional graduation ceremony that everybody wants; students will still walk across the stage and get a diploma.

Lots of schools are doing different things because of the (restrictions) at the Coliseum...We feel that graduation is really an accomplishment for parents as well as for the kids, so we wanted to make sure to provide a ceremony that both students and parents can attend.

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GRADFEST/PROM Where: Murray Stadium at CHS When: Friday, May 28th* Time: 8 P.M.- 11 P.M - Gradfest and Prom will be a combined event - Will be FREE this year CCS SOURCE - Open to CHS seniors ONLY *Rain date set for May 29th

Q&A

CADY ARMSTRONG PHOTO

Katie Kelly, prom sponsor and social studies teacher What would you say to someone on the fence about going to prom/Gradfest?

I would say that (the gradfest/prom event) is your last chance to be with your class all together. You’ll never get that night back. And I think that sometimes people don’t realize (this), and so this is just an awesome chance to be together and have fun as the Class of 2021.

Graduation time:

ZAINAB IDREES GRAPHIC

ALLY HORWITZ Q&A

How have you been preparing for prom and Gradfest?

About a couple of months ago, Mrs. Skeens-Benton and I started talking about the potential for an outdoor prom, because we didn’t feel comfortable with having an indoor prom. We started talking and collaborating, and what we’ve done so far is we’ve got our date set and we’re really excited that we’re combining with Gradfest to create this awesome senior celebration.

And now we are starting to talk about how to combine the two events, and I’ve also been in contact with different people to get the details planned like (decorations, music and photography).

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NEWSEUM: The Carmel Historic Society Monon Depot Museum is located at 211 1st St SW, Carmel, IN 46032. According to Dan McFeely, president of the Carmel Historical Society, the new three-story museum will be located adjacent to this one.

CHENYAO LIU PHOTO

HISTORIC HOUSE Carmel Historical Society to build new Museum on Monon Trail RAGHAV SRIRAM STORY

A

ccording to dan mcfeely,

president of the Carmel Historical Society, the Carmel Historical Society is in the designing phases of a new three-story museum; it plans to build directly adjacent to the existing Monon Depot Museum on the Monon Trail.

“Last year, Clay Township, which is a government entity of the city of Carmel, decided to give us a grant for $4 million so that we could build what we are calling a museum,” McFeely said. “We hope to break down on the building sometime this spring. We think it will probably take a good solid year to build and then to get everything done on the inside. It’s going to be a long process, but good buildings take awhile and (the Carmel Historical Society) understands that.”

Matthew Snyder, Clay Township board member, said that as part of its Clay Township Impact Program, the Carmel Historical Society has been identified as an entity that serves the needs of all members of Clay Township and the city of Carmel.

McFeely said, “As the Historical society we own the property and will own the property once it’s built, but it is really going to be a

building for the people of Carmel.

(This) is why Clay Township and the City of Carmel is helping us build it because they realize it’s going to benefit everybody, not just visitors from out of town, but local residents as well.”

Snyder said this new museum will house office space for the Carmel Historical Society and offer a place to store historical archives.

“If you walk down the trail and you see the depot, right immediately south of it is an old house,” McFeely said. “We used that little house to store our archives, anything people would bring us...Over time the house got into pretty bad shape, Synder said.

“We had leaks in the roof, there was evidence of mice, all kinds of nasty little problems and we finally made the decision about 10 years ago where we thought, ‘Wouldn’t that be a great place to build a bigger archive?’”

While the designing process of the museum is still underway, McFeely said the Carmel Historical Society has come up with a general layout of the museum.

“The first floor will be a grand lobbytype space that can be used for an exhibit, contain a gift shop and also have a little coffee shop. The second floor will serve as some office space to the

BY THE NUMBERS

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museums currently in the city of Carmel

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floors of the new Carmel Historical Society Museum

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MILLION dollar grant received by the Carmel Historical Society to build the new museum CCS SOURCE

historical society, but also a conference room that would be available to some of our local nonprofit groups that want a place to meet,” McFeely said. “The third floor would be for storage of our archives and we will have access to a rooftop garden up on the fourth floor which will be designed for some of our outdoor events that we have, but we would also make that space available to other groups for rent.”

Sophomore Jordan Seigel said, “I think this is a good decision because if we truly want to remember the history (of Carmel) then having a museum that reflects our modern understanding of the world around us and how that applies to our city makes it an important thing to have.”

McFeely said that the plan is to tear the house next to the depot down, take out some trees, and break ground on the construction of the museum sometime this spring.

Snyder said, “We want (the museum) to be a building that fits with the surroundings of Midtown while continuing to pay homage to the original Carmel train depot which will remain next door.” H This story was originally published online on April 20, 2021

FEATURE

BEST OF APRIL 2021

NOT NERDY

Students, science professionals discuss impact of scientist stereotypes on science education during Global Citizen Science Month

TSION DANIEL, ARCHIT KALRA STORY

JENNIFER DRUDGE SUBMITTED PHOTO

or briana chen, physics Club member and senior, extracurricular activities are important in exploring her passion: astrophysics. However, her passion does come with a drawback––stereotypes.

Chen said, “I do feel that kind of pressure in terms of being a female in a male-dominated space, especially when it comes to proving­—proving myself as able to compete and make discoveries or solve problems. I feel like there is that kind of indirect effect, but, directly, I’ve been lucky to not have experienced that.”

She is not alone in this sentiment.

Popular culture’s stereotype of a scientist, often a socially-awkward male researching in a lab wearing goggles and a lab coat, in shows like “Bill

Nye the Science Guy” and “Jimmy Neutron,” often does not include scientists of lesser known fields.

This stereotype’s presence is also demonstrated through the DrawA-Scientist Test, first developed by David Wade Chambers, who utilized this method in his landmark study conducted between 1966 and 1977 to test mostly American and Canadian children’s perceptions of a scientist by asking them to draw a picture of a scientist. The results of this test showed that the majority of children, 99.4%, associated science with males, often in a lab, wearing goggles and a lab coat, as well as having facial hair.

Science department chair Jennifer Drudge said being cognizant of this

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STEMPLOYMENT

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Hispanic/Latino Native American/Alaska Native

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Native Pacific Islander White More than one race 6000

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95% of current STEM workers would reccomend a similar career to a young person

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of STEM workers are less than 50 years old

NCSES SOURCE

All ethnicities and races

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Scan this to read a Q&A about female students’ experiences in science fields

59%

Look at representation of minorities in STEM fields SAM HAWKINS GRAPHIC

LILLIAN HE PHOTO

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Employed STEM professionals per 100,000 people of that ethnicity

of people say AfricanAmericans face more obstacles in STEM USTODAY SOURCE

environment is imperative for teachers to combat such stereotypes.

“I think for me as a teacher, (science being male-dominated) just makes me aware that everything we do as teachers matters. What kids hear from us, if they hear us talking about men that are physicists or men that are doing this, they also need to hear about women who are doing all those things as well; that’s both (gender-related) and race-related,” Drudge said. “We can all be and do anything we want to be and it’s important for us to voice that and communicate that to students.”

Moreover, Chen said this portrayal of science in popular culture causes an increased embracing of such stereotypes regarding the appearance of scientists by those who are not involved in science. “(Science) is not just a nerdy thing about like, ‘Oh, I like, I like looking at stars’ or something,” she said. “It’s more like, ‘What I’m doing could make an impact on how we view the world and stuff, even if it still hasn’t reached like a wide audience.’”

Furthermore, a 2018 study funded by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship holistically analyzed the results of this landmark study and other Draw-A-Scientist studies from 1985 to 2016. According to the analysis, while the percentage of children who drew a female scientist grew from 1% to 28%, children still

What I’m doing could make an impact on how we view the world and stuff, even if it still hasn’t reached like a wide audience SENIOR BRIANA CHEN

SCIENCE LECTURES: CHS Science department head, Jennifer Drudge, lectures her Chemistry I class on Wednesday, April 21. The class spent the period learning the topics of molarity and solubility and had a lab.

relate science to males as they grow older, which may be due to increased access to pop culture mass media and that formal science instruction does not begin until late elementary school to middle school. The environment in which students garner formal science instruction is important in shaping their view of what a scientist looks like.

Moreover, as per Glenn Branch, Deputy Director at the National Center for Science Education, many of these stereotypes permeate in dif-

ferent ways and can cause students to be alienated from the field if they are continuously exposed to them. “(Demography, psychology, and topic) plausibly hinder science education. Insofar as they accept the stereotype, students who are female and/or not white and students who don’t want to be thought of as nerdy will be alienated from science,” Branch said via email. “They will find it less interesting, not as relevant to people like them, and be deterred from further study or possible careers in scientific fields. And students who aren’t interested in lab work will be less likely to be interested in science if they don’t realize that science also takes place in other venues––in the field, as with biologists and geologists, or in the study, as with theoretical physics and the like.”

Branch said social media is one of the major contributing factors to the spread of stereotypes as opposed to science education itself; most people tend to be exposed to social media and pop culture more often compared to science textbooks, and most (good) textbooks focus more on principles rather than perception. However, there are some notable social media accounts that serve to combat this, such as @BlackinBioAnth (highlighting Black biological anthropologists) and @BlackinMarSci (highlighting Black marine scientists) on Twitter.

LAB DEMONSTRATION: Briana Chen, AP Physics C student and senior talks to her physics teacher while she performs a demonstration about the existence of magnetic fields.

Undoubtedly, for Chen, who is interested in astrophysics, past achievements such as the first photograph ever taken of a black hole back in 2019 and the first image of a black hole’s magnetic field, which was completed in late March of this year, are also helping to counter science education stereotypes and demonstrate the interdisciplinarity of different scientific fields.

Drudge said, “This past year, one of the good things that have come out of the COVID-19 pandemic has been that we are getting to see scientists, and we’re getting to see scientists in press conferences at the White House. I do think that’s a good thing that’s come out of the COVID-19 pandemic: more awareness of what a scientist looks like and what a scientist looks like, like any other occupation.”

Chen said she agreed.

She said, “I feel like discoveries in astronomy, maybe they won’t be an everyday thing in everybody’s lives, but I think it’s definitely gotten better over the years in terms of people actually being exposed to it instead of just H not knowing about it at all.”

This story was originally published online on April 22, 2021

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BEST OF APRIL 2021

Better Days Students, teachers speak on feelings of nostalgia after year of non-traditional school RAGHAV SRIRAM, KRUTI SUBBANNAVAR STORY

H

ybrid scheduling challenged senior Anna Pescio’s expectations for her senior year. Although she said she was disappointed not to be able to go to prom with her junior friends, she found solace in looking back at her previous high school experiences.

That feeling, according to the American Psychological Association (APA), is a social emotion called nostalgia. In the APA podcast “Speaking of Psychology,” Krystine Batcho, professor of psychology at LeMoyne College,

JIM PETERSON SUBMITTED PHOTOS

said nostalgia is a personal emotion that unites a person’s identity as they change over time. Batcho said nostalgia reminds a person of who they used to be so they can remain true to their roots in the present.

According to Batcho, people fall back on past events and items as a way to comfort and stabilize themselves in a time of unprecedented change. She said people most commonly use nostalgia to remind themselves of good times and that this has happened a lot during the quarantine period.

Scan this to read about the return of nostalgic 2000s TV

Pescio said she too found comfort in participating in activities that brought her a sense of nostalgia.

“I have found that going back to TV shows that are childhood favorites has been really enjoyable, especially with some streaming services like Netflix bringing back older shows,” she said. “I did find myself not long ago wanting to go back to listen to some old music that I listened to when I was a kid.”

Pescio is not the only person to have looked at the past fondly during the pandemic. Jim Peterson, co-direc-

DON’T RAIN ON MY PARADE:

Jim Peterson (farthest back), co-director of theater and film who has worked at CHS since 1992, poses with the Rising Star club before the Homecoming parade in 2007. “(The Homecoming parade) was a really special time,” he said.

HILITE.ORG

tor of theater and film, said he was nostalgic for the way this school celebrated certain events before the school grew exponentially.

For example, Peterson, who has been a teacher at this school since 1992, said he misses the way this school used to celebrate Homecoming. In the past, Peterson said, Homecoming started with a parade in the area surrounding College Wood Elementary that would travel down Main Street, then lead back to the school.

“It was really fun and it was a fullday thing, and a lot of people got involved, and now (this school) is so big that I don’t think we could do it. I really do miss it, it was a really special time,” Peterson said.

Peterson also said this pandemic has brought forth memories from his past 29 years here, including senior pranks and past productions of which he was a part. One memory he said comes to mind was his visit to the set of the show “NCIS.” “I know it was only just a couple of years ago, but, it was actually the best field trip I’ve ever taken,” he said.

Retired biology teacher Kathy Hallett said the pandemic has also brought forth a sense of nostalgia for her. Though she is now retired, she said she has fond memories of teaching freshmen biology every day.

She said she felt nostalgic for teaching in person and being able to be a part of students’ projects such as the Genetic Counseling project with the honors Biology I class.

Younger students have feelings of nostalgia as well. For his part, freshman Rishab Anand said the pandemic has led him to look at his middle school experiences differently.

“When I was in middle school I just wanted to go to high school. I heard a lot of good things about it. Now that I am in high school under these circumstances, I just want to go back to middle school. I just wish I had not rushed through it,” he said.

Anand said he found his eighth grade tennis season more enjoyable than his ninth grade season and has good memories of that time.

“I remember traveling in the team bus, interacting with my teammates during practices and matches and (I) just overall enjoyed playing tennis,” Anand said. “The middle school team really felt like a family and it was unfortunate that the pandemic made it difficult for me to bond with (my teammates) this year.”

Pescio said she believes this surge of nostalgia comes from the longing for stability during the pandemic.

Keeping With the Times Take a look at popular trends from the past few years THE GUARDIAN, WWD SOURCES ARCHIT KALRA GRAPHIC

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BACK IN THE DAY:

Jim Peterson, co-director of theater and film, shares a collection of photos bring him feelings of nostalgia. Peterson has taught at CHS since 1992 and has seen school traditions grow and change. He said he misses some traditions, and was especially disappointed not to be able to put on the Fall production of “Puffs” he had planned for this school year.

“I think because in the midst of a lot of things changing, it’s something familiar to fall back on and something that I just have known before,” she said. “I am just wanting something that is consistent and something that is steady.”

Pescio said she has tried to look at events as positively as possible.

“When I knew that (some events) were not happening, I had some moments of disappointment and sadness about it,” she said.

“I’ve done my best to look at it as just enjoying what we are going to be doing in the future and enjoying what I do have right now,” she said. “I want to have a fun senior year and I’m not going to enjoy it if I’m constantly thinking all of the things I can’t do instead of looking at all the opportunities I do get.”

Hallett said she agreed. She said, “I could not go to visit my mother due to the pandemic, and as one of my brothers is in Texas, we only used to meet once or twice during the year.

But because of Zoom we can talk more frequently and for longer, and it is something that we will keep doing,” Pescio said it is good to look back and remember. “We get consumed by our thoughts of the past (and) when we are no longer enjoying life and what we are living in that is when it can start to become unhealthy,” she said. “I think it is good to remember what we have done in the past, learn from past mistakes, and think fondly about the past, I just don’t want this to be something where we look back at this time in the future and see that all that we were doing at this time was looking back and wishing we H were not in a pandemic.”

This story was originally published online on Apr. 20, 2021

Fidget spinners, toys originally intended to prevent distractions while working, become wildly popular worldwide.

Children across the world start wearing Silly Bandz, colored rubber bands of different shapes like animals or robots.

2020

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Tie-dye shirts, jackets, and other articles of clothing become trendy once again

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BEST OF APRIL 2021

World of Dance

With International Dance Day on April 29, dancers celebrate their unique dance styles SOWMYA CHUNDI, LEAH TAN Q&AS

This story was originally published online on April 29, 2021

SENIOR RISHMA CHAUHAN

“I am a Bharatanatyam dance devotional Indian dance form. beautiful because of its mean The dances are a form of stor hand movements and facial e convey a story or moral abou love how pure Bharatanatyam down for centuries but still ret My mom put me in dance whe at first I resented it for a while to appreciate its intricacies a me create closer ties with my

SENIOR MELISSA SU “Chinese dance is very unique because of how many different styles there are and how beautiful the music is. The music is incredibly layered and I really enjoy how the pieces often include so many beautiful instruments. Also, there is a lot of history with each style and it feels rewarding to be able to continue historical traditions through such a beautiful art form.

One of my favorite memories dancing was the preliminary performance for the 2020 Chinese New Year Gala. I was super nervous for it because I had injured my back and wanted to stay off it. But, I decided to perform anyway and it was extremely worth it because it ended up being one of my best performances yet.”

LEAP OF FAITH: Senior Melissa Su leaps into the splits at the Monon Center. Su said her favorite styles of traditional Chinese dance are Dai and Tibetan dances.

CALINA HE PHOTO

SENIOR GABRIELA ZALAM

“I love Flamenco because I g my cultures with the Spanis the Arabic essence with dan style of music. Dance helps but I think the biggest thing at communicating with word Flamenco does is translate into dance moves or the rhy with heel work or hand moti I communicate with people. to dance?,’ so it’s a huge pa

er, which is a classical . It’s unique and ning and storyline. rytelling through the expressions that can ut the gods. I most m is; it’s been passed tains its truest form. en I was young and e. But now, I’ve grown and how it’s helped y culture.”

get a mix of both sh language and nce moves and me de-stress a lot, is I’m not the best ds. A lot of what the same emotions ythm, whether it’s ions. Dancing is how I’ll ask ‘Do you want art of my social life.“

JUNIOR KATERINA FOLKIN

STORY OF THE GODS: Senior Rishma Chauhan (right) performs on stage.

Chauhan said Bharatanatyam is based on storytelling.

RISHMA CHAUHAN SUBMITTED PHOTO

“My mom first introduced me to rhythmic gymnastics after her friend found out that there was a place in Indiana. We’re Russian, so she brought me to it and I fell in love with it. Rhythmic gymnastics helps me express my feelings and emotions, so if I’m ever feeling sad, it helps clear that weight. By putting my heart and soul into a routine, it clears all of my worries and is my de-stressor. A few role models are on the Russian Olympic team such as Margarita Mamun, Yana Kudryavtseva, Aleksandra Soldatova. In my entire rhythmic gymnastics career, I’ve always wanted to be like them, and so they push me forward not only in my career but also in my exploration of my culture.”

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RIBBON TWIRL: Junior Katerina Folkin showcases rhythmic gymnastics with one of the main props: the ribbon. Folkin has been dancing for eight years and has attended an international camp in Russia.

LEAH TAN PHOTO

JUNIOR DAMIAN PRABU

FLICK OF THE WRIST: Senior Gabriela Zalam flicks her wrist, a move in Flamenco.

Zalam said wrist movements are part of the Arabic influence.

LEAH TAN PHOTO

“I’m exposed to many styles of dance such as hip hop, ballet and jazz, and I take elements from these different styles and incorporate them into my own movements. As a male dancer, I would say dancing overall is very different for me. I’ve always been treated differently both in the studio and out of it. In the studio, I’m asked to do different things compared to the girls. Out of the studio, when I was younger, I used to be bullied for dancing. That doesn’t happen as much now but it definitely made me think about why I dance. An important thing I’ve learned from dancing is that you have to enjoy whatever you do. If you have that sense of enjoyment then no amount of criticism will be able to stop you.”

THE NUTCRACKER: Junior Damian Prabu performs the Nutcracker with his dance group in Indianapolis. Damian said his biggest goal is to dance powerfully.

DAMIAN PRABU SUBMITTED PHOTO

Theater student and sophomore Theodore Curtis practices his lines and his part in preparation for the “Radio Mystery Theatre.” The cast held its show on Nov. 12 through Nov. 14.

The radio show focused on a murder mystery and how the case was solved.

However, Curtis and Peterson both said these changes did not impact them negatively, and adapting to these changes went smoothly.

Grace Fellabaum, theater student and junior, said, “Although this school year has seen many losses, this school year has been the best year of high school for me so far. I have grown very close with my theater classmates. Although there are a lot of restrictions, my theater friends have made it so easy to get involved and have fun.”

Fellabaum added that all the changes that were made this year made her realize the theater community is very important to her.

“These are people I am so grateful for,” Fellabaum said. “We are all so supportive of each other and are all interested in theater, which makes it easy.”

Curtis agreed and said theater has helped him and others a lot in giving a sense of community.

“It’s really cool to be a part of a group after the lockdown and to see other people at practices,” he said.

According to performing arts teacher Andrew Okerson, it is important for students to be able to find their community in a large school like this one.

“The performing arts department is one of those great places where participants can express themselves, build one another up and really feel like they belong,” he said. “Having that social anchor during this difficult year has been a great benefit to many of the students I see each day.”

Additionally, Peterson said he is excited to finally have in-person audiences for upcoming performances.

“We will be performing two more shows in front of live audiences after spring break. Both shows will be in front of limited, live audiences,” Peterson said. “I’m excited to see my students perform stand-up. We didn’t get to do it last year and had to switch to virtual. It’s not the same unless you can hear the audience laughing, which we hope we will get H a lot of in a couple weeks.”

SADIE PENIX PHOTO

This story was originally published online on April 23, 2021

BEHIND THE CURTAIN Theater students, faculty discover sense of community, excitement for remainder of year JASMINE ZHANG STORY

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s spring performances

such as Stand Up Comedy Night (April 13 in the Studio Theater) and Verbatim Theatre (April 23 in the Studio Theater) approach, theater students said they are excited to bring forth their best effort and show off all of their hard work. For Theodore Curtis, theater student and sophomore, restrictions put into this place this year made it difficult.

“Honestly, I’m pretty impressed with how much we got to do this year. This year’s schedule made it a

lot harder to be at our absolute best, but we all worked really hard and made up for that,” Curtis said.

Curtis is not alone. According to IB Film teacher Jim Peterson, this year has brought many dramatic changes for the students and teachers in theater.

“I had to change the play I directed this year because I wasn’t sure how I was going to rehearse with the class split in two. I ended up doing two short, radio plays that were threaded together by a story of the radio artists behind the scenes,” Peterson said via email.

ON THE AIR:

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HUMANS OF CHS Students share pranks in honor of April Fools’ Day EMILY SANDY Q&AS, PHOTOS

These Q&As was originally published online on April 14, 2021

freshman zoey hornback

I did an egg prank on my mom, where someone puts their fingers through the door hole and then they hold an egg. She was stuck for at least 10 minutes before my dad took the egg away. It slipped out of his hand and got all over the floor. We did the same thing to my grandma, and she didn’t realize what was going on, so then she dropped it and the egg got all over the floor.

ZOEY HORNBACK SUBMITTED PHOTO

senior zakary wroblewski

I pulled a prank on my brother once, it’s kind of an extreme one, but my brother and I are mechanics. He was gone, so I took his battery out of his car. (He found out that it was gone) by trying to start his car, and it didn’t start. He got angry, but luckily we laughed it off later.

It was fun; we mess around with each other like that.

sophomore owen woodward

(On April Fools’ Day), when I was younger, I used to go to my parents bathroom and do whatever I could, (such as) throw toothpaste on the walls and just make a mess.

It was funny until my parents were mad at me.

And last year, well, I think I got pranked the most because last year my mom woke me up really early and told me that we wouldn’t be going back to school that year in person— that one hurt.

senior chloe wareham

When I graduated from fifth grade, I got off of the bus on my last day of (elementary) school and my parents hid behind a tree and they ran out and soaked my brother and I with squirt guns. I was a little mad at them because I was in my fancy little graduation outfit. Also, on April Fools’ Day (this year) my 9-year-old brother left a fake spider in my room.

sophomore morgan lawson

(My brother and I) were in a prank war when we were younger. One prank that my brother and I would frequently do to each other is we would fold up duct tape and then we would put it in the handles of each other’s rooms so then our hands would just stick. Sometimes I would put duct tape on the bottom of his wireless mouse so it wouldn’t sensor properly and it wouldn’t work— he would be so confused as to why it wasn’t working. (For April Fools’ day), I would make “brownies” and I would take brown paper and cut out the shape of “E’s” and I would ask around if anyone wanted brownies and everyone was so disappointed (that there were no brownies).

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Q&A president of chess club and junior akash bhowmik AKASH BHOWMIK SUBMITTED PHOTO

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Students answer to importance of mind games, SCRABBLE in honor of National SCRABBLE Day DANIEL TIAN Q&AS

This story package was originally published online on April 13, 2021

How and when were you introduced to SCRABBLE? Chess?

My first experience with chess was in first grade, when my dad taught me the rules of the game. On the other hand, I learned (about) SCRABBLE (and how to play it) sometime during quarantine in 2020 after playing a series of SCRABBLE games on isc.ro.

How have board games affected your way of thinking?

I think board games have allowed my thinking to be much more methodical; since when I first started playing chess and SCRABBLE, I would rely on “hoping” that my opponent would enter a position that I liked. This wasn’t a solid mindset to play with, however, and I’ve learned to rely more on my calculations in complicated positions by working out variations by brute force and deciding which line I like best. I think that would make my thinking more analytically based, as I rely mainly on my own calculations rather than memorizing random openings or traps.

What chess and SCRABBLE competitions do you do?

I have actively played in chess tournaments since fourth grade, some of which include the Indianapolis Open, Indiana State Grade Championships and ISCA Class Championships.

I have also participated in various events with the CHS Chess Club, such as the United States Amateur Team Tournament (USAT). I haven’t played a competitive SCRABBLE tournament yet, though I plan on attending the Indiana State SCRABBLE Championships this April.

Q&A

vice president of scrabble club and sophomore ishaan singh

ISHAAN SINGH SUBMITTED PHOTO

How and when were you introduced to SCRABBLE? My first experience with SCRABBLE was when my parents brought out the old SCRABBLE board, just to play for fun.

How have board games affected your way of thinking?

I think SCRABBLE has affected my way of thinking in terms of English and word choice. SCRABBLE has taught me many new words that I use to write essays in English classes.

Do you participate in SCRABBLE competitions?

I have only participated in last year’s Indiana State SCRABBLE Championship. I did it with friends, and I had a lot of fun.

TAKE MY WORD FOR IT: Members of the SCRABBLE Club pose with the sign at the 2020 Indiana School SCRABBLE Championship.

Ishaan Singh, vice president of SCRABBLE Club and sophomore, (second from right) said that he enjoyed the championship and playing with his friends.

ISHAAN SINGH SUBMITTED PHOTO

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April 13 marks National SCRABBLE Day, check out how to play, history of game, game statistics

DOUBLE LETTER SCORE

TRIPLE LETTER SCORE

ELISE VARHAN GRAPHIC SCRABBLEHASBRO, GAMESVER SOURCES

HOW TO PLAY 1.

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At the beginning of each game, every player randomly draws 7 tiles During their turn, players to have three minutes to use some or all of their tiles to form a word that logically connects to the display already on the board (the first word must land on the middle square) Various letters have various point values (see right) based off of rarity and obscurity. These points, combined with any special squares (see right) the word may land on, determine the points won for that round (if a player uses all their tiles in one round, they are rewarded an extra 50 points) After each turn, players draw tiles until they have 7 again. The game ends when a player runs out of tiles and there are no more left to draw

National SCRABBLE Day takes place on the birthday of Alfred Mosher Butts, creator of SCRABBLE

2004 SCRABBLE is inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame

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LETTER VALUES

1933

J-8 K-5 L-1 M-3

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R-1 S-1 T-1 U-1

V-4 W-4 X-8 Y-4 Z - 10

Butts invents the first version of SCRABBLE called “Lexiko”

Butts partners with James Brunot to make revisions to the game, including changing the name to “SCRABBLE”

1948

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BEST OF APRIL 2021

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OF THE PACK Student business owners take on benefits, risks of starting a business while managing school, personal life ANIKET BISWAL, LEAH TAN STORY CLARE DIERCKMAN PHOTO

D

uring her sophomore

year, senior Mary Grace Jacko developed a newfound passion in her jewelry class.

“After taking that class, I started making my own bracelets and necklaces throughout the entirety of my junior year,” Jacko said. “Many people started to compliment my earrings, bracelets and necklaces I wore.”

But Jacko said it took another experience to incentivize her to take the next step: creating her jewelry business, Jacko Jewelry.

“After realizing I could continue to make something I love for others, I started talking to my boyfriend, closest friends and my family about potentially selling my jewelry,” Jacko said. “But what really sparked Jacko Jewelry was when I started to get more into crystal healing. I believe that crystals have healing energies that help not only better ourselves but the environment around us.”

Jacko is one of many student business owners, who balance fully attending school with actively running a business. For example, senior Marissa Cheslock runs a sewing business in which she alters and creates different clothing items. Similarly, junior Julia Henn runs a self-care business, in which she creates gels, rollers and spritzers. Although Cheslock’s motivation for her business, like Jacko, came from a hobby and passion, Henn’s inspiration was slightly different. “(My friend, mom, aunt and I) made this company because my friend is a dancer and has a muscle tissue disorder.” Henn said. “She gets extremely sore all the time, and many creams and gels to help her pain go away never helped. So we all did some ALL WRAPPED UP: Senior Mary Grace Jacko bags a necklace she made for one of her customers. Jacko’s business is a jewelry and crystal business. Before she packages her customers’ orders, she cleanses the merchandise with sage to ensure that the energies in the crystal were not affected by her as she made the products. After doing this, she secures the jewelry in a bag of her choice, ready to be put into a package.

CLARE DIERCKMAN PHOTO

research and made our very own gels, and it worked amazingly. These products aren’t just meant for dancers; they are meant for anyone who experiences pain in their muscles.”

Beyond helping their customers, running a business can be beneficial to the business owners themselves.

In particular, Christina Carnes, assistant professor in management and entrepreneurship at Indiana University, said via email, “The flexibility and freedom to work at times and places that are best for you and your clients as well as the chance to work on something that you’re passionate about are unique benefits of starting a business. But more generally, it can teach you skills vital to navigating everyday life, including task management and leadership.”

POKING FABRIC:

Senior Marissa Cheslock sits at her crafting station in the fashion classroom with her new clothing project.

She is currently working on a sequined top that has thin straps.

Cheslock said her business thrived during the pandemic due to recent trends.

RAY MO PHOTO

(PLAT)FORM-A-BUSINESS Check out some different platforms that are helpful in starting a small business Grasshopper is a phone service that provides a toll-free number, name directory and voicemail box for all users.

Dropbox is an app that saves files online so you can access them from anywhere. It also allows for collaboration on files.

Paypal is an e-commerce site that allows a business to have a sale system digitally and in-person.

VirtualPBX is a phone service that includes a toll-free number and a voicemail box.

TSION DANIEL GRAPHIC FORBES SOURCE

Jacko said she can attest to what Carnes said as opening her business has taught her several lessons, including the fact that taking risks is necessary to help grow her business.

“Obviously understanding what your customers consistently purchase is something every business needs, but taking risks and broadening horizons is one of the most important things I have done for my business,” she said.

“Taking risks is what created my brand and what really changed my business from something that I liked doing to something I love doing.”

Additionally, Cheslock said her business has taught her other aspects of life as well. She said, “Running a business has really taught me about time management. Sometimes I’ll have five orders to complete in a week where I’m also working six days, volunteering and keeping up with school. So it has taught me how to make and stick to a schedule.”

However, both Jacko and Cheslock said starting their business came with risks as well. And according to Carnes, that’s to be expected.

“Despite how hard you work and how much you want it, [your business] may not work out,” she said.

“You might struggle convincing oth-

DID YOU KNOW? The United States is known for having the biggest corporate business hosters in the world, but if every U.S. family spent $10 a month at a local business instead of a corporate one, over $9.3 billion would be directly returned to our economy.

FORBES SOURCE

I’ve learned many skills and techniques that I probably wouldn’t know had I not taken the classes for the last four years.

SENIOR MARISSA CHESLOCK ers to take a chance on you and your firm, building enough support to get it off the ground and/or keeping it running. There’s also always the risk that something completely outside of your control might happen that could harm your business and livelihood, and you’d have to adapt quickly.”

For Cheslock, she said one risk that may come from opening a business as a student is issues with pricing.

“When running a business catered for high school students, your prices can seem overly expensive even if they are fair based on the cost of materials and time,” she said. “This can be discouraging as it may mean that you go two to three weeks with no orders, but just give it time and try new things.”

Jacko said one risk she found with her business was that it took up a lot of time and impacted her school work.

“Some days you may feel there are simply not enough hours in the day to get everything done. The time I put into my business, while necessary, has affected my grades and even how much I can see my friends,” she said.

“After you get into the groove of running a business, things re-

ally start to feel less stressful and more scheduled.”

Despite school work posing some challenges to her business by limiting the amount of time she has to actively work for her business, Jacko said school has also helped her in other ways, specifically by teaching vital transferable skills.

“One class that really has helped me run my business would be my TV staff class.” Jacko said. “That class really has shown me how to manage my time and get things done on time.”

Cheslock said she agrees and said in addition to offered classes, certain opportunities and extracurriculars helped her business as well.

“The fashion and textiles classes have definitely helped me,” Cheslock said. “I’ve learned many skills and techniques that I probably wouldn’t know had I not taken those classes for

the last four years, which allows me to offer more products and services. I’m also very active in FCCLA—I’m the Carmel co-president and the Indiana State First Vice-President—which has helped with the time management aspect as well as given me more confidence in myself and my business.”

While these student-run businesses have had the fortune to keep operating during the COVID-19 pandemic, not all businesses were as lucky. In fact, according to the Federal Reserve Bank, 30% of small businesses in the United States, approximately 9 million businesses total, say they won’t survive 2021 without additional government assistance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Contrary to this general trend, Jacko and Cheslock both said the pandemic failed to hurt their businesses.

WORKIN’ 9 TO 5: Senior Mary Grace Jacko works on her orders for her small business. While she sits outside, she packages a couple of necklaces. Jacko said her small business grew during COVID-19.

CLARE DIERCKMAN PHOTOS

Scan this to look at a small business blog by Chloe Sun called “Biz Buzz”

“With the hybrid schedule I have a lot more time to deliver and make my jewelry but other than that I haven’t faced many negatives,” Jacko said. “I definitely have had to pick finishing an essay over posting new jewelry some nights, but the key is balance.

Planning out when I can make, post, package and deliver jewelry has been a learning experience, but I try to block out time specifically for jewelry or specifically for school.”

Cheslock said she agreed with Jacko and said the pandemic has actually helped her business grow.

“I have way more time to practice my skills, which made me more con-

fident in offering a wider array of services,” she said. “Also, a surprisingly large number of people tried on their entire closet while quarantined, which left me with a lot of alterations to do.”

Overall, largely because of her experience with running a business and the benefits it’s provided, Cheslock said she will major in fashion design.

Cheslock said, “Designing and sewing provides me with a creative outlet that I have not found anywhere else in my life, and if I had not started this business freshman year and become fully emerged in it, I’m not sure what my future plans would be.”

While Cheslock said she sees herself continuing her passion of fashion design through and after college, Jacko said she doesn’t see it that way for her business, although she noted it doesn’t undermine her current experience with it.

“I see myself continuing selling jewelry through college, but I am not sure if I will after college. It all just depends on my job and how busy I am,” Jacko said. “Currently I continue selling and making jewelry because it is something I do to de-stress.”

SEW UNIQUE:

Senior Marissa Cheslock works on her latest piece, a blue top, in the fashion room after school.

Cheslock said her business grew during the pandemic, as a trend of supporting small businesses arose over the summer.

Cheslock said despite the challenges of starting a small business as a teenager, starting early has helped her learn transferable life skills that she can apply to her business and future careers.

RAY MO PHOTO

Given her experience and the benefits it’s brought, Henn said she encourages those considering to start a business to do it, even if others try to discourage it.

“Even if you aren’t sure your business will be successful or if you are doubting yourself, don’t let the things inside your head stop you from what you could achieve later on,” Henn said.

“You will never know until you try.”

Carnes said she agreed, adding that although running into challenges may be inevitable, the benefits will outweigh them.

“Strategy is all about building a plan to achieve your goal—and that goal can be anything you want, from starting and growing your own business, to taking a cur-

CARMEL COMMERCE

INDIE COFFEE ROASTERS

A small cafe known for its unique methods to roasting coffee. Serves lattes, cakes, biscotti and more

Check out some small businesses in downtown Carmel North Rangeline Road

GREEK’S PIZZERIA

South Rangeline Road

SOWMYA CHUNDI GRAPHIC

A restaurant that started out specializing in pizzas, and grew to more foods and locations

Carmel High School

East Main Street

West Main Street

IN.GOV SOURCE

rent one to new heights,” she said.

“Everyone has to decide for themselves what they want to do, but for those that want to start their own firm, it is incredibly rewarding despite the challenges.”

All in all, for those who consider starting a business, Jacko said she strongly advises people to emphasize promotion and be dedicated.

“Wear or use what you sell, post about it on Instagram, tell everyone around you about it. That is how you grow your business, [by being] your own personal billboard,” she said. “But also, dedicate time to growing your business. I found the more time I dedicated to my business, the more successful and H rewarding it became.”

SILVER IN THE CITY A boutique located in downtown Carmel and Indy with unique jewelry and houseware designs

OLD TOWNE BED & BREAKFAST

Bed and breakfast in a newly renovated 100-year-old home

XCHOCOL’ART

An award-winning chocolate gift shop with gourmet chocolate designs and flavors for sale

PENN & BEECH CANDLES A custom candle shop that also serves drinks and holds events

ENTERTAINMENT

BEST OF APRIL 2021

HEAR ME OUT With Radiothon approaching, students share their interest in creating podcasts RILEY LAFERRIERE STORY

P

MARISSA FINNEY PHOTOS

roducing podcasts has

become a passion for senior Skylar Greaves, a podcast manager and creator for WHJE, and many others as the medium’s viewership has continued to increase steadily over the years.

Since their creation in the early 2000s, podcasts have allowed creators like Greaves to express creativity in a more specific form. And with Radiothon approaching on April 17 and 18, it’s important to take a look into this rising form of production.

Motives for creating podcasts vary from person to person, but Greaves said she enjoys drama podcasting for the freedom aspect. She also explained her love for fictional broadcasting over other more traditional forms of news coverage. “(Creating a podcast) is really fun and liberating. A lot of people who go into podcasts have a lot of creative expression that is hard to release in other outlets. At least that’s what it was for me and a few of my friends,” Greaves said.

WHJE radio adviser Dominic James said podcasts can allow stu-

SPEAK-UP! MICHELLE WAN SPEAK-UPS

dents to express a greater amount of their creativity and talent. “(Podcasting) gives people the chance to (talk about) any subject they like,” James said. “Some people are kind of scared by that, but many creative people love the opportunity to do something (like that).”

Both Greaves and James also said the ability to choose from a variety of topics not only appeals to creators, but listeners as well. This thought can be further seen in a study conducted by Pew Research in 2019, where the percentage of podcast listeners increased from 22% in 2009 to 51% in 2019.

Evan Sanders, podcast creator for WHJE and junior, said he thought podcasts allow more freedom for the creator but also allow the listener to multitask and experience a different side of broadcast.

He said, “It doesn’t require a lot of engagement. You can play a podcast while working on homework or going on walks. But also another thing is that, (at least) for more drama-based podcasts, they leave a lot more to the imagination.”

UP TO YOU:

Evan Sanders, WHJE podcast creator and junior, adjusts controls inside a CHS radio booth. Sanders said that podcasting does not require much engagement or focus and can be done virtually anywhere to the listener’s benefit.

Greaves sided with Sander’s point and said she enjoyed listening to and creating podcasts because of the surrealism of it. She also said she loved reading as a kid, and by using podcasts, similar types of stories can be brought to life in an audible form.

Another large part of why some creators enjoy podcasting is the ability to create a product for WHJE without having to go live.

“Podcasting (requires) a different kind of personality,” James said.

“Some people don’t want to do podcasts because it’s too hard and takes too much concentration, whereas many of the podcasters are terrified of

Why or why not do you find podcasting entertaining?

WILLIAM “WIL” COURTNEY, BRYAN HERNANDEZ SUBMITTED PHOTOS

For me, podcasts aren’t necessarily entertaining when comparing it to a movie or television show, but are entertaining in the way a book is entertaining. Movies and television are fast, easily digestible, and simple for any viewer to watch. Podcasts are long, sometimes hard to digest, and require a lot of focus for the listener to enjoy - like a book.

Senior William “Wil” Courtney

To me, podcasting is very entertaining to do and also very entertaining to listen to. I find podcasting very exciting because it allows us to express stories via audio... it is as if we are creating a bond with our listener without actually seeing them or even talking to them.

Junior Bryan Hernandez

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doing stuff live on air. So it appeals to different kinds of personalities.”

Greaves agreed, saying, “That’s the main reason I got into podcasting. While I love listening to them, I love to act, but I don’t like to be in front of people. While live shows were fun, I found that I really loved editing the sound effects and the background and the fun voices from the voice acting part.”

Along with being able to express more creativity through podcasts, the satisfaction factor plays a big role also.

“Part of it is the satisfaction of having a finished product. Just having

something that you can put out there, point to whenever you’re talking to somebody and say ‘Yeah, I did that,’” Sanders said, “but another part is the journey. From personal experience, I had just finished making a podcast that was about an hour long, and it was an hour long of just editing and it took forever to make; however, it was very gratifying to finish it.”

James added to this idea saying many podcasters are perfectionists. He said while the podcasts take a great amount of time to edit and create, the podcasters will take the time to perfect them because of their personalities.

TRUST THE PROCESS:

Evan Sanders, WHJE podcast creator and junior, looks at a digital screen showing recording information in a CHS radio booth. Sanders said that he enjoys the process of creating a podcast, and that the podcast process is very gratifying.

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Aside from all of these motives however, Greaves still said the main drawing factor for her and others is the freedom and expression people can obtain from creating podcasts.

“Just the freedom of it all because you don’t have to do anything specific.

Nobody is going to tell you what to do, and it can be about anything you want,” Greaves said. “There aren’t really any rules to it (and) with a podcast you can do whatever you want and H talk about whatever you want.”

This story was originally published online on April 21, 2021

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BEST OF APRIL 2021

IN THE LIMELIGHT Students in “Mamma Mia: The Musical” reflect on Asian representation in media following historic Oscars nominations PALLEVI PILLAI STORY

T

he oscars made head-

lines this year for its diverse nominations, particularly for those of Asian descent. Steven Yeun, nominated for his performance in “Minari,” is the first Asian American to be nominated in the Best Actor category. Riz Ahmed was also nominated for best actor for his role in “Sound of Metal.”

Chloe Zhao made history as the first Chinese woman, and woman of color, to be nominated for best director at the Oscars.

Many people, such as IB film teacher James Peterson, praise these historic nominations.

“There was a time when minorities were not seen in film or on television or if they were, they were in a servant capacity,” Peterson said via email. “Then it seems that minorities moved into what was termed ‘token’ positions. These were almost as if the productions were trying to meet a quota or something. But recently,

minorities in both race and gender have been taking the lead as characters and the centers of the plot.”

Along with this important precedent being set, discussions have sparked on the topic of representation, or lack thereof, of Asian Americans in TV and film. Junior Ayaan Abbasi, who is of Pakistani descent, is a New Edition choir member and part of the ensemble for the school’s rendition of “Mamma Mia: The Musical.” Abbasi believes that since the media is our main source of perception, having representation of underrepresented groups is crucial.

“I think the media is essential in viewing anything,” Abbasi said.

“So much of what we believe in as human beings is from what we’ve learned from Disney Channel, Nickelodeon, etc., so I think how the media portrays Asian Americans is a direct correlation to society’s treatment of us.”

DIVERSITY IN HOLLYWOOD

BY THE NUMBERS

3.4% of all Hollywood film roles are played by Asian actors

5.9% is the percentage of Asian Americans in the United States as of 2019 UCLA, UNITED STATES CENSUS BUREAU SOURCE

Aleen Zhao, who is of Chinese descent and is an active member of the theater department, has similar thoughts on the subject.

“The media has such a big influence on people because everyone is viewing some type of media every single day,” Zhao said. “Of course whatever the media shows society is going to stick with society. You can’t ever really remove it because it has already impacted people. For Asian people, as the media portrays Asians with similar traits each time, they become stereotypes, which is how society starts to view Asians.”

The main issue does not solely lie in the lack of Asian Americans on screen.

Accurate portrayals of Asian Americans, ones that do not base their identity around their ethnicity, are what will be the most impactful in diverting from stereotypes. Abbasi says that although there has been some progress in subverting these stereotypes, they are still prevalent and ingrained in society.

MARISSA FINNEY GRAPHIC DEADLINE, VARIETY SOURCES

Learn about some recent historic Oscar nominations

Steven Yeun: Known for “Minari,” “The Walking Dead” and “Burning,” Yeun is the first Asian American ever nominated for best actor

Chloé Zhao: Chinese filmmaker nominated for “Nomadland” became the first woman of color up for best director

Riz Ahmed: Nominated for “Sound of Metal,” Ahmed is the first person of Pakistani descent up for best actor

Scan this to read a column about the importance of Asian representation in media

they become stereotypes, which is how society starts to view Asians.”

The main issue does not solely lie in the lack of Asian Americans on screen.

Accurate portrayals of Asian Americans, ones that do not base their identity around their ethnicity, are what will be the most impactful in diverting from stereotypes. Abbasi says that although there has been some progress in subverting these stereotypes, they are still prevalent and ingrained in society.

“I think that it has definitely become more accurate in the past few years, but it definitely has a ways to go,” Abbasi said. “We have movies like ‘Parasite’ that show Asian Americans as human beings rather than defined by their ethnicity, but then we still have TV shows like ‘The Big Bang Theory’ in which the one Indian character portrayed every single stereotype possible.”

Both Abbasi and Zhao touch on the fact that children’s TV shows and movies play a large role in imprinting false narratives of Asian Americans. This is especially important since children are so susceptible to people with a completely different culture than their own. As a kid, Abbasi took offense to the few Asian American characters on TV. “There was quite literally one character that I saw on TV that was Asian American, and that was Ravi on ‘Jessie,’” Abbasi said. “While I’m not diminishing the actor by any means, the fact that Disney Channel had a teenager portray a character that was so blatantly stereotypical shows that change needs to happen. Ravi wore clothes that were often made fun of on the show, and he was increasingly portrayed as different from his siblings. That shows change needs to happen especially as this was not even 10 years ago.”

Zhao said she had similar experiences and explained how stereotypical portrayals lead to normalizations of mistreatment.

“The way Asians were depicted in the media was the same as how Asians were treated in real life because everyone had already gotten used to and accepted the stereotypes

of Asians, and it had become normal,” Zhao said. “As a child I always thought that it was normal for me to be treated a certain way because my other Asian classmates were treated the same way, and characters were portrayed the same way too.”

Like most people, Abbasi believes that Steven Yeun’s historic Oscar nomination has been long overdue.

Abbasi said, “The fact that in the 93 year history of the Oscars, this is the first Asian American nominated for Best Actor is appall-

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT:

ing and shows that representation still has a long way to go.”

However, this year’s recognition of Asian American actors has definitely pushed the needle forward towards creating more inclusion in the media. Peterson agrees with this.

“Studios are willing to risk time and money if there is a proven auH dience,” Peterson said. “Most new

JILLIAN MOORE PHOTO

This story was originally published online on Apr. 25, 2021

Junior Aleen Zhao practices her lines. She said while she thinks progress with representation has been made, there is still a long way to go.

DISTRESS LESS Student athletes, counselor share experiences, perspectives on balancing sports, school HANNAH BAER STORY

B

ing hudson, varsity men’s track runner and senior, is a busy student athlete. He said the best way he manages his stress is to find a balance between athletics and school work.

“I just try to balance things as much as possible,” he said. “So when I’m at track, I’m at track and I’m doing everything for track. But then outside of track, I know that I have to get school (work) done before that because if you don’t get it done, then you obviously can’t compete (at meets).

“So I just try to focus on getting done what I have to get done in time before track, so essentially just academics or athletics, because you’re a student athlete first, so that’s the main thing.”

Hudson also said there are some challenges that come with playing a sport and managing stress.

“If you have a big assignment due on a certain day and then you have a (track) meet or a big workout the next day—sometimes that has happened (to me)—and you’re up late trying to submit (the assignment). Then you’re worried that you won’t get sleep, so that’s like the only big (challenge), I would say, that would have to (deal) with (managing stress),” Hudson said.

Although being a student athlete comes with its challenges.

Hudson said, overall it has many major benefits.

“Probably the team aspect (is the best part about track),” Hudson said. “Individual success is good, but when the team wins State or at least (gets) runner-up, it’s always just good being around these guys.

And all your hard work has paid off.

CHEER ON:

Trinity Griffin, varsity cheerleader and senior, cheers for the varsity basketball team at a home game in March.

She said one of the biggest challenges to being a student athlete is trying to maintain grades at school while performing for a sport.

Despite this, she said she prioritizes her mental health over her school work and grades.

LUKE MILLER PHOTO

So yeah, probably the team aspect is the best part (of track).”

Counselor David Mikesell also said finding a balance is key for these student athletes. “(The student athletes) should definitely try to find a balance. A lot of times the athletic portion of it is a stress-reliever for the academics, and so that’s really a good time for them,” Mikesell said.

Mikesell said working with coaches is key.

“I think our coaches here are great,” he said. “So, (athletes should) communicate with the coaches (or) somebody on the staff, (since) we have a large staff here. “(It is important for an athlete to) express what they’re going through because that’s not always apparent to a coach, and if there is anything that a coach can help

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Athletics is a great outlet (from stress from school). That’s why I encourage students to get involved in (extracurriculars).

COUNSELOR DAVID MIKESELL them with, (it) can certainly be beneficial for them.”

Mikesell also said joining an activity at this school is a great way to deal with stress.

“I think if you’re feeling stressed from school, I think athletics is a great outlet for that,” Mikesell said. “That’s why I always encourage students to get involved in extracurricular activities. It doesn’t matter what it is—I mean it could be performing arts—(it will benefit students the) same way.

“Hopefully, our student athletes who perform on outside teams have that same support and those coaches realize that it’s just not the athletic endeavor that’s involved.

It’s not like you’re a professional where that’s all you have to do (is) sports primarily.

“Here, our students have other responsibilities, and they have long-term goals. They want to do well in high school to go onto that next step and so they’re trying to prepare for that also.”

Like Hudson, Trinity Griffin, varsity cheerleader and senior, said

31

STRESS IN ATHLETES Take a look at the effects of stress on athletes Competitive Stress Short-term: production of cortisol (the stress hormone) Long-term: the energy required to deal with challenges increases risk of injury, harms ability to recover from injury Personal Stress Short-term: leads to an increased breathing rate Long-term: hyperventilation or panic/asthma attacks Athletes experience a severe imbalance in their minds Organizational Stress Short-term: the muscles in the body tense up Long-term: other stress-related disorders may occur Players may not perform at their optimum level together

BY THE NUMBERS

95%

of male college student athletes report higher stress compared to non-athletes

85%

of female college student athletes report higher stress compared to non-athletes NORTHWESTERN SOURCE

being a student athlete comes with its challenges.

Griffin said, “The most challenging thing about being a student athlete is probably maintaining grades and studying along with practices because you never know when you’re gonna have a big test the same night as a game or something big going on with the sport.”

She also said she prioritizes her mental health.

“If I have to make a compromise, I tend to just go to the cheerleading practice or whatever sport it is just because I feel like it helps me relieve stress...And that might not be the best thing, but it’s the best thing for my mental health,” she said.

Griffin also said cheer has really helped her throughout high school.

She said, “My favorite part about cheer is all the friends that I (have)

NATHAN HUANG GRAPHIC APA, FIRSTBEAT SOURCES

DID YOU KNOW? Darius Leonard, linebacker for the Indianapolis Colts, told an IndyStar reporter he dealt with depression and anxiety throughout his professional career. In order to relieve his mental problems, he joined the team’s Kick the Stigma campaign to help fight mental illness and stress.

INDYSTAR SOURCE

made the past four years. I don’t think I would’ve transitioned into high school as easily or as comfortable as I did without cheerleading.”

Overall, Hudson said even though playing a sport and managing stress does have its challenges, he loves being part of the track team due its fun nature.

He said, “We’re just a fun group of guys running track, and we love to work hard to reach our goals and it’s just (an) overall good time.” H This story was originally published online on April 10, 2021 ONE STEP AT A TIME: Bing

Hudson (middle), varsity men’s track runner and senior, sprints toward the finish line during a track meet. He said although being a student athlete comes with its challenges to balancing time, he said the overall benefit of being part of a team outweighs those setbacks since they provide him a fun environment.

BING HUDSON SUBMITTED PHOTO

32 B E S T O F A P R I L 2 0 2 1

FOR A CAUSE Assistant athletic director, students acknowledge sports as force for good through fundraiser events, Unified programs ALIVIA ROMANIUK STORY

A

ssistant

athletic

di-

rector Jeff Hester has one memory that stands out when thinking about sports as a force for good in the world.

“In 2015, when I was the athletic director at Columbus North, our best player was Josh Speidel,” he said. “He was a Division 1 basketball recruit and an Indiana All-Star. He was involved in a head-on collision car accident that almost took his life.

As a result of the accident he suffered permanent brain damage.

FUNDRAISER FUN:

“The community of Columbus and many others throughout the state came to his support and helped the family with many needs that arose,” Hester added. “The University of Vermont still honored his scholarship and he was able to graduate last spring.”

Speidel’s story was featured in a 2020 article by The New York Times. He had the chance to play for the first time in five years when he began the Senior Night game with an opening layup.

Dance Marathon participants high five other participants during the start of the event last year. Despite the pandemic, Maximus Shurr, Carmel Dance Marathon executive committee member and junior, said the Carmel Dance Marathon would be hosted this year on May 15 with safety guidelines.

ANNIE SALTER SUBMITTED PHOTO

Scan this to visit the Champions Together's Instagram page

“His story of perseverance has been a source of inspiration for many,” Hester said.

Meade "Victor" Hicks, Cabinet member, lacrosse player and senior, said he aims to continue this legacy.

In March, Hicks organized a charity event at his lacrosse game to raise money and awareness for Riley Children’s Hospital.

He said the event was called the Carmel Lacrosse FTK night and was inspired by the basketball team’s involvement with charity events, which,

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35

QUICK RUN:

Elizabeth Price (LEFT), Champions Together member and senior, runs during a Unified track and field practice.

Price said her involvement in Unified sports and programs, such as Champions Together, has changed her for the better.

OLIVIA MCKEE PHOTO

he said, “helped with the initial initiative for the idea of bringing (charity events) to more sports programs at Carmel.”

According to Hester, the basketball team typically hosts a “Coaches vs Cancer” event, which is connected to the National Association of Basketball Coaches and benefits the American Cancer Society. Unfortunately, Hester said that events like this one have been less prevalent lately due to COVID-19.

However, the Carmel Dance Marathon is still on track to take place in-person on May 15, with proper COVID-19 safety guidelines in place.

“Due to the pandemic, we moved the marathon later in the year and the event will take place

Athletes have a responsibility to their community to set a good example and make a difference for good MEADE "VICTOR" HICKS, CABINET MEMBER, LACROSSE PLAYER AND SENIOR

outside,” Maximus Shurr, Carmel Dance Marathon executive committee member and junior, said.

“This change of scenery ensures the safety of our students while we raise money for those in need.”

Besides Dance Marathon, sports-oriented clubs like Champions Together promote community service for athletes all year.

Hester said Champions Together has been a huge catalyst for inclusion and philanthropy at CHS. According to Hester, Champions Together is a partnership between the IHSAA and Special Olympics and “promotes servant leadership among student athletes while changing their lives as well as the lives of those with intellectual disabilities.”

Hester also said that the recent Mr. Carmel charity event raised almost $8,000 and “brought awareness to the importance of inclusion and acceptance to those with intellectual disabilities.”

Elizabeth Price, Unified Track, Champions Together member and senior, said she agreed that the organization promotes inclusion and changes lives.

“I am almost certain I would not be the same person I am today if I had not gotten involved in Champions Together and Unified Sports,” she said. “I have gained so much

BY THE NUMBERS

$436 THOUSAND raised by participants in the 2019 Carmel Dance Marathon

700

students participated in the 2019 Carmel dance marathon

$75 THOUSAND raised for Champions Together activities during the first full year of the program SPECIAL OLYMPICS INDIANA, YOUARECURRENT SOURCES

confidence in my ability to be a leader and advocate for my friends whose voices are often not heard by others.”

Price also said that Champions Together and Unified Sports allow students with disabilities to be highlighted for their abilities, rather than their disabilities, which has made the culture at CHS more inclusive and accepting of these students, making them a “true part of the student body.”

Furthermore, Price and Hester said they would like to see Unified Sports expand and be afforded greater opportunities and recognition.

“I would like to see Unified Sports expand so that there could be a boys and girls team in track,” he said. “I believe that by having separate teams, more students could get involved.”

Moving forward, Hicks said sports events and programs, such as Champions Together and Carmel Lacrosse FTK, have the ability to fight for a cause, and athletes have a duty to uphold this effect.

“Sports have a way of uniting and bringing people together and inspire them in a way that speaks to a wide variety of people,” Hicks said. “Athletes have a responsibility to their community to set a good example and make a difference for good." H This story was originally published online on April 10, 2021

34

BEST OF APRIL 2021

REC REASON Students, coach consider benefits of participating in recreational sports ANDREW CAITO, ANIKET BISWAL STORY

J

unior joey duncan cannot

wait to start playing recreational soccer after spring break is over. He said it’s been almost two years since he has last played soccer just for fun. This is because the COVID-19 pandemic forced all recreational sporting leagues to cancel their seasons for the year. Now with the pandemic slowly regressing, Duncan said he is hopeful for an exciting season, even with restrictions and guidelines.

Recreational sports typically consist of sporting events that are simply meant to be played for fun, not competitively, according to Felix Yau, assistant men’s varsity soccer coach.

He said via email, “Many kids choose (recreational) sports over high school (sports) because they

LUKE MILLER PHOTOS

still love the game, but don’t want to put in the time commitment to play high school.”

Duncan said he agrees with Yau and said another reason why he enjoys playing soccer at Carmel Dads’ Club is due to the convenience factor.

“Personally, I prefer playing here because I know I don’t have to travel that much and it costs much less money,” Duncan said. “Not only that, it is still competitive and I can still be active while I play.”

Junior Charlie Ernst plays recreational basketball and baseball. He said the pandemic has caused him to miss out on potential opportunities to play with friends and practice but is still excited for the upcoming season. He said he chooses to play sports for fun mostly just to have a good

JUST FOR FUN: Junior Joey Duncan kicks a soccer ball to one of his teammates during a game. Due to COVID-19, Duncan said he has not been able to play until now. However, despite the long wait, Duncan said he still passionate about recreational sports and believes they can provide many opportunities.

time with his friends without having to invest a lot of time into the sport.

Because people choose recreational sports over high school sports for a certain reason, there are differences in how the games are played.

“I believe that high school sports are another way for kids to get recruited to play in college. (Recreational) sports are for kids who still love the game, but don’t necessarily want to play at the next level,” Yau said. “Also, with high school sports, you’re playing against some of the best players in the state and with (recreational) you are not.”

Due to the difference in nature between recreational and high school sports, they each come with different benefits. Yau said high school sports have a communal benefit while recreational sports are mostly for personal gain.

He said, “I strongly believe kids who play high school soccer learn a sense of community pride. They are playing for their school and their city/town. They aren’t just playing for a club or a (recreational) program, they get to play for an area where they have grown up and lived.”

Kids benefit from (recreational) soccer because it allows them to still play soccer and just have fun. There is no pressure when playing rec soccer and so the kids just go out and play.

COACH FELIX YAU

HILITE.ORG

Carmel Dads’ Club was founded in 1959 by a group of fathers who wanted to provide early skill development for young athletes. Since then, the organization has been volunteer-based and now has over 5,500 memberships.

CARMEL DADS’ CLUB SOURCE

Although competitive high school sports are beneficial for those who play them, Yau said recreational sports do have some benefits, too.

“Kids benefit from (recreational) soccer because it allows them to still play soccer and to just have fun.

There is no pressure when playing rec soccer and so the kids and just go out and play,” he said. “There isn’t a lot of technical or tactical need at that level compared to higher levels.”

Ernst said there is also another benefit that comes from recreational sports.

“Playing in a league just for fun with my teammates helps me learn new communication skills,” he said.

“I also learn how to hold myself and my teammates accountable whenever a problem comes up.”

Duncan said he agrees with Ernst and said recreational sports give people an opportunity to play even if they cannot make a competitive team.

“One benefit of (recreational sports) is that people who are not

TERRIFIC TEAMWORK:

talented enough to participate in high school or travel teams can still be active and play for fun in a smaller league,” he said. “This way, everyone is still included and can still have fun with each other.” H

Junior Joey Duncan (second from left) high fives a teammate.

Duncan said everyone is included when playing recreational soccer.

This story was originally published online on Apr. 14, 2021

RECREATIONAL REGIONS

NATHAN HUANG, DANIEL KIM GRAPHIC GOOGLE MAPS SOURCE

Here are the locations of some recreational sports and clubs in Carmel Key: 1 Brookshire Golf Club Address: 12120 Brookshire Pkwy 2 X Golf Carmel Address: 14511 Clay Terrace Blvd 3 Indiana Primetime sports Address: 2159 Glebe St. 4 Off the Wall Sports Address: 1423 Chase Ct. 5 Carmel Dads’ Club Address: 5459 E. Main St. Carmel High School Address: 520 E. Main St.

US-31

DID YOU KNOW?

35

2

3 4

Main Street

1

5

PERSPECTIVES

BEST OF APRIL 2021

IN THE KNOW Lack of uniform communication about AP exams causes confusion among students, keeping students informed allows for smoother exam weeks HILITE STAFF EDITORIAL

B

eginning the first week of May, students will come into the school as early as 7:30 a.m. for AP exams. All exams will be administered in-person, with a few exceptions.

Due to the challenges of COVID-19, the counseling department chose later exam dates for several classes to make up for any lost instruction time. We commend this decision as it allows students to review material and also prepare for any differences in format this year.

It also allows for students to cancel their exams later than in previous years without getting penalized.

The counseling department also has taken measures to ensure students know about the exam schedule as well as any changes in format, whether it has been through announcements or second-hand through teachers. However, this information has not been consistent, as some students have received information to a lesser degree and at a later point in time compared to their peers.

Because of this, some students are unsure how to prepare for or what to do on exam day. Virtual students especially have been out of the loop, as they are not in person

OUR STANCE We commend the school for delaying the period for AP testing, but suggest they communicate more clearly about details of the plan

SPEAK-UP!

SOWMYA CHUNDI SPEAK-UPS, PHOTOS

How do you feel about taking AP exams this year? How do you think the school has handled giving information about AP exams this year?

“I was a nervous at first since it is my first time taking an AP exam, but I think the school has done a good job handling it. I’m really happy with how open my teachers have been, and they prepared me a lot the entire year.“ Freshman Alex Paquette

DID YOU KNOW? Of all the offered AP exams, AP English Language, AP US History and AP English Literature are the most taken exams. AP US Government & Politics as well as AP Calculus BC are the next most popular.

ALBERT.IO SOURCE

for teachers to show and tell them in class. This miscommunication may cause confusion on exam day, which slows down the process of taking the test.

We suggest the counseling department release more uniform information through multiple platforms to ensure all students know what to expect for exam day. This can be done by releasing information through email, Canvas and Naviance, as students will likely see any details released on at least one of these places. A page on the CHS website designated for standardized testing, similar to the page for CO-

“I definitely feel a bit more stressed about taking AP exams since I wasn’t here last year. But I still feel like most of my teachers did a good job of preparing me for both situations this year, like whether or not the exam is virtual or in-person.”

Junior Remi Shirayanagi

VID-19, would also be a place to have all of this information.

This gives students something to refer back to in case they have a question or forget any details.

Administration can also assure students worried about taking exams in-person about sanitation and health procedures which will be in place to protect them.

We acknowledge that this year has been confusing and frustrating for not only the students but also for administration as they continue to adjust plans to accommodate for a variety of complications with how things are “normally” done. However, better communication with students will allow them to do their best to prevent any difficulties when they take AP exams.

We appreciate administration working hard to keep us informed as best as they can, especially as plans are subject to change. However, by uniformly sending out information, students and administration can ensure H everything runs smoothly.

This editorial was originally published online on April 11, 2021

Scan this QR code to see the adjusted AP exam schedule and physics teacher David James’s thoughts about it

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37

IF NOT ALL MEN, WHO? Men should stop dismissing women’s concerns by saying “Not All Men,” listen, support them instead KRUTI SUBBANNAVAR COLUMN

A

bout six months ago, i was mindlessly scrolling down Instagram when this reel caught my eye. It was about a male TikToker asking his female followers what they would do if the world had no men for an entire day.

The simplicity of the responses made them extremely relatable but also sad. The fact that women weren’t safe to go out on a run or travel alone or simply walk down a street without being catcalled was eye-opening for me and as a female, simultaneously terrifying.

Living in a Carmel-bubble, I have never truly seen the extent of danger a lone woman can be in, especially in a city. Living in the suburbs is an insulation against the scary reality of the world that I will join in a couple of years.

With the recent resurgence of women’s rights movements in New York, the growing response to diminish the importance of feminism is worrying. Even more worrying is the excuse that men shoot back at women when they speak out about their troubles with men: the phrase “Not All Men.”

BY THE NUMBERS

15% of teenagers have experienced sexual assault

90% of all adult rape victims were female

17.7 million U.S. females have been victims of attempted or completed rape as of 1998 RAINN SOURCE

“Not All Men,” shifts blame while simultaneously dismissing everything women have to say. “Not All Men,” is the response to a feigned accusation when all women are asking for is support to live the way we want to.

Recent spikes of violence against women have added to these concerns.

This past March, news of Sarah Everard, a British woman who was found dead after an abduction, makes me more apprehensive toward my future of living in a city. I question if the safety measures we were told as young girls are less than useful.

To all the males reading this, when a woman posts about her difficulties with men, we are not accusing all of you as a species. We simply want your support. Dismissing bad behavior—even if you’re not the one doing it—does not help. All we women want is for you to understand some of us live in fear every second of every day.

Almost everything we do is centered around our safety. We carry pepper spray, we have apps, travel in pairs, attempting to give us the illusion of security.

FEMINISM <3 While it may seem dark and existential, these are constant worries for many women, including myself.

I have dreams to go far and achieve success, to travel alone and to see the sights around the world, and I don’t want to keep an eye out for my safety 24/7 everywhere I go. So please, retire the “Not All Men,” excuse, and instead, be part of the solution. H The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Kruti Subbannavar at ksubbannavar@hilite.org This column was originally published online on April 11, 2021

RILEY TERBUSH GRAPHIC

#METOO See the history of the #MeToo movement

2006

More than 80 women accuse Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault and harassment

Tarana Burke coins the Me Too movement, encouraging women to open up about sexual assault

2017

THE NEW YORKER SOURCE

Formerly fearful of retaliation, women make public sexual assault allegations against movie executive Harvey Weinstein

2018

In the year after #MeToo went viral, at least 414 high-profile employees are accused of sexual assault; 190 are fired or quit

38 B E S T O F A P R I L 2 0 2 1

GOT VACCINATED? Don’t feel guilty about vaccine eligibility, protect community, family members from spread of COVID-19 CALINA HE COLUMN

I

n early january i received

an email saying that I was eligible for a COVID-19 vaccine. Of course, this shocked me; I only knew healthcare workers were eligible for the vaccine. After reading the email, I learned because I had been volunteering with the American Red Cross during the pandemic, I was eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine in phase 1A. Even though this news was exciting, I could not help but feel guilty for being eligible for the vaccine. I thought about my DO parents, my teachers and frontline workers everywhere. I thought about the hundreds of thousands of deaths caused by COVID-19.

Why should I, a mere 18-year-old, get the vaccination before other deserving people? However, with the advice from family and friends, I still decided to schedule a time for my vaccine.

At the vaccination clinic, I was the youngest person there. At that time, only people 75 and older and healthcare workers were eligible for the vaccine. I felt out of place and I even thought about leaving the clinic.

Nevertheless, every worker I saw during my vaccination was nothing but supportive. Immediately after my vaccine, I received an email from the Indiana Department of Health, thanking me for doing my part in keeping Indiana safe. From this email, I realIT ized that getting the vaccine did not simply mean I was protecting myself; it was also an indirect way to protect those around me.

After my first dose, I noticed many news articles explaining the overflow of vaccines. It became more apparent that getting the vaccine was more helpful than scheduling an ap-

AWKWARD OSCARS

2020

BY THE NUMBERS

21%

of Americans have been vaccinated as of April 4

18

MILLION healthcare workers are working during COVID-19

16+ age of people currently eligible for the vaccine in Indiana CDC, CENSUS SOURCES

pointment and not showing up, as the clinic could throw away the vaccine at the end of the day. A week before my first dose, WTHR posted an article explaining how Indiana hospitals were finding ways to deal with leftover COVID-19 vaccines, instead of throwing them away. Now, many vaccination sites have leftover vaccines that people who stand by can get.

I encourage everyone to get the vaccine as soon as they’re eligible. Even though there may be some guilt, for those who haven’t received the vaccine or for those who didn’t get the chance to, getting the vaccine will not take away the vaccine from someone else.

In fact, getting the vaccine could prevent one from being thrown away.

Vaccines are integral in stopping this pandemic. When you can, do your part in keeping yourself, your friends and family and our community safe H by getting the vaccine.

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

Reach Calina He at che@hilite.org This column was originally published online on April 19, 2021

ELISE VARHAN GRAPHIC PERSPECTIVE

2021 I LOVE YOUR DESIGNER MASK!!!

And the Oscar for Best Picture goes to ...

WHAT?

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RESPECT ASIAN LIVES Asian-American racism deep-rooted with COVID-19, encourage more conversations about systemic racism among Asians LEAH TAN COLUMN

T

CHLOE SUN GRAPHIC PERSPECTIVE

hroughout the course

level, disproportionately affecting of the pandemic, Asiancertain groups within the Asian comAmericans have been used as munity. The Asian-American demoa scapegoat for administrative failures. graphic is extremely diverse and by As a result, the Center for the Study conforming the entire group into of Hate and Extremism found hate a single stereotype, we completely crimes against Asians have increased overlook the struggles they face.

150% this past year with one devasMoreover, the model minortating mass shooting in Atlanta ity myth harms other racial leaving eight Asians dead. groups. As explained by In response, many peoJanelle Wong, the direcple have taken to various tor of Asian-American platforms to address the Studies at the Unicurrent racist narraversity of Maryland, tive, yet have comthe use of the perpletely overlooked ceived success of the long history of Asian-Americans racism that precedas a racial wedge ed COVID-19. has minimized It’s not their the persistent fault, though. struggles of other MYTHBUSTER History classes racial minorities. rarely cover the By making a brutal past policies intendfalse comparison between Asianed to target Asians—during WWII, Americans and other groups, parJapanese-Americans were placed in ticularly Black Americans, it allows internment camps under the basepeople to perpetuate that racism, less assumption they were aiding including more than 300 years of Japan. Furthermore, the Chinese slavery and Jim Crow laws, can be Exclusion Act of 1882 banned Chiovercome by “hard work.” nese immigration until 1943. But Thus, it’s vital that we view perhaps the biggest culprit for this Asian-American racism beyond ignorance is the model minority the lens of COVID-19. By failing myth: the stereotype that all Asians to acknowledge the many systemic are smart and successful. barriers placed against Asians, we This claim is false and harmful. ignore the history of oppression First, it fails to account for why the Asians continue to face. Use this success of some Asians is even prestime as a means to educate yourself ent in America. Our government’s and engage in conversations about past racist policies of immigration Asian-American racism not only quotas and selective recruitment of for the Asian community, but for H educated Asians enabled their sucall people of color. cess, not the “American Dream.”

The views in this column do not necesBut second, the generalization sarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. ignores reality. In fact, the Urban Reach Leah Tan at ltan@hilite.org Institute finds that 12.3% of AsianThis column was originally published Americans live below the poverty online on April 19, 2021

...IS IT?

39

40 B E S T O F A P R I L 2 0 2 1

IS IT VOLUNTEERING? Students should rethink values for volunteering, restore purpose over prestige when gaining service hours ALIVIA ROMANIUK COLUMN

O

ur good friend phoebe

of volunteer hours is relatively unfrom Friends once said that important. A recent report by Harthere is no selfless good deed. vard’s Graduate School of Education Every good deed yields some return, revealed that doing volunteer work whether it be a feeling of satisfaction, that you are passionate about and praise from others or a boosted stathat enhances your connection with tus. Phoebe’s words ring true, espethe community is far more imporcially when it comes to volunteering tant than the number of hours you amongst high school students. spend volunteering.

The third week of April is When volunteering, I National Volunteer Week, encourage you to keep in and as COVID-19 restricmind that you are suptions are dying down, posed to enjoy what there are more and you’re doing. Your more opportunities goal should be to for students to volhave meaningful unteer. When volexperiences, while unteering, we like making a valuable to believe that we contribution for are doing so out of your community. good will, but sociWhether it be QUALITY ety’s obsession with sports, the envistatus and volunteer ronment, books or hours has made volunteering yet anhelping animals, we all have someother selfish good deed. thing that we are passionate about.

Volunteering looks good on colFinding volunteer opportunities that lege and job applications. There are are consistent with those passions will prestigious awards for volunteering. create the most valuable experiences.

Some extracurriculars require a And talking about those experiences certain number of volunteer hours. in college applications will be far The hard truth is volunteering more meaningful than any number of wouldn’t be as appealing if we got volunteer hours. absolutely nothing in return. But It’s important we take selfish incendoesn’t that defeat the purpose? tives like improving applications or It depends on how you volunteer, gaining prestige away from volunteernot how much you volunteer. The ing and instead look at the immense true value of volunteering lies in the benefits they bring us. Volunteering experience, your commitment and is about finding your purpose and dedication to supporting a cause that passion in society, so don’t waste it on H you truly care about. Volunteering to something you don’t care for. get a certain number of hours does not The views in this column do not neccarry that same meaning. In fact, it ofessarily reflect the views of the HiLite ten takes the meaning away altogether, staff. Reach Alivia Romaniuk at aromaking volunteering a business transmaniuk@hilite.org action rather than a genuine good deed.

In fact, college admissions offiThis column was originally published cers tend to agree that the number online on April 15, 2021

MELTDOWN How it’s currently going: New Notification from Canvas: You have 21 missing assignments and 13 late assignments.

New Notification from Powerschool: Your Calculus BC grade is now a C+ Your AP Seminar grade is now a DYour French grade is now an F

Why were you up until 3am working on this assignment?

New Email: Updated AP Schedule May 1: AP Calculus Exam May 2: AP Statistics Exam May 4: AP Seminar Paper Due May 5: AP US History Exam May 11: AP Computer Science Exam Happy Studying!

How it feels:

THIS IS FINE.

SOWMYA CHUNDI, DANIEL TIAN GRAPHIC PERSPECTIVE

DANIEL TIAN GRAPHIC PERSEPECTIVE

HILITE.ORG

41

TAKE THE SLOW LANE Considering risky behavior in teen drivers, students should wait until ready to get license OLIVIA STOCK COLUMN

A

s more people are getting

vaccinated and society continues its journey back to relative normalcy, traveling and visiting family are becoming things people feel more comfortable with.

A big part of such travel is driving, as teenagers in Indiana are able to get a learner’s permit at 15 and a driver’s license at 16 years and 90 days.

However, according to the Federal Highway Administration, only 25.6% of 16-year-olds were licensed in 2018, compared to 31.1% in 2008.

Though the number is deSLOW creasing, this is a positive trend, and it’s still important to be cautious on the road. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, novice teen drivers are twice as likely to be in a fatal

crash than adult drivers and engage in risky behavior such as texting and driving at a higher rate. As a result, teenagers waiting to get a driver’s license until they’re ready to handle the responsibility of driving is, in theory, beneficial.

Maturity and good decisionmaking when driving is important, and some teens simply aren’t ready to begin driving at 15 or 16. They may be at increased risk of experiencing “road rage” due to a lack of maturity or overestimate their driving ability and engage in distracted or even DOWN drunk driving.

The addition of teen passengers and subsequent peer pressure can also increase the occurrence of risky behaviors by as much as 2.5 times according to the National Highway Traffic Safety

BEHIND THE WHEEL

24%

of fatal teen crashes are caused by drunk drivers

Age Groups

of teen deaths are caused by car accidents

90%

of teenage crashes are due to lack of eduction

1/3

of all teen crashes occur at an intersection

13.2 MILLION young drivers are currently on the roads CARSURANCE NHTSA SOURCES

Percent Involved in Car Crashes

Check out these statistics about teen driving, car crashes, fatalities

33%

BY THE NUMBERS

16-17 18-19 20-24 25-29 30-39 40-49 50-59 60-69 70-79 80+

8% 6% 5%

28%

6% 6% 6%

14% 10%

AAA, CDC SOURCES

11% ELISE VARHAN GRAPHIC

Administration. While getting your driver’s license is associated with a new level of pride and independence, it’s important to take a step back and understand the responsibility that comes with it.

Every driver’s education course starts with a story about a teenage driver who lost their life or a friend’s life due to poor decision-making. While at first these videos might become repetitive, they all come down to the same lesson; driving requires safety and caution every step of the way.

Even with the potential dangers of teen driving, delaying getting a license may be difficult to explain to older relatives. I know my relatives have been asking me when I’ll get my license as soon as I started taking driver’s education at 15 and have been even more curious since I passed the 16 and 90 days mark a few weeks ago without getting my license. There’s also plenty of peer pressure with all of my friends getting their licenses ahead of me.

All things considered, waiting to get a driver’s license or even a learner’s permit until the individual is completely ready to handle peer pressure and the temptation to engage in risky behaviors like speeding or driving without a seat belt should be encouraged. Some teens may be ready at 16, some may not.

Despite any pressures teenagers may experience to learn to drive as early as possible, the most important thing is safety. If you don’t feel you’re ready to drive just yet, wait.

There’s no shame in that.

H The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Olivia Stock at ostock@hilite.org This column was originally published online on April 15, 2021

15 MINUTES OF FAME

BEST OF APRIL 2021

KIND ONLINE Q&A with freshmen Ava Josephine Carter, Chloe Del Carlo, Jamie Elliott, revealed creators of @carmel_complimentss Instagram page EMILY SANDY Q&A, PHOTO

CHLOE SUN PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

Why did you start this account?

Del Carlo: We (noticed) people were making those other weird mean accounts that were meant to spread rumors and different things (so) we just thought that we could make one that was more positive.

What’s your system for running the account?

Elliott: I share the compliments on the story.

Del Carlo: I normally reply to the (direct messages).

Carter: I make the posts and help with the stories.

Take us through your normal day of posting.

Elliott: All of our compliments are shared on our (Instagram) story, so in the morning I post a question sticker for that day and make the new (Instagram) highlight for that day. Throughout the day, people will send in (compliments), I’ll repost those on our story and tag the person, and then I’ll add it to that day’s highlight. You can find every day under our story.

Why did you choose to keep your account anonymous?

Elliott: If people knew who we were, they probably wouldn’t be as truthful or they might not even bother.

Del Carlo: (This way) people could (feel comfortable) sending in (compliments) they wouldn’t want other people knowing about.

How do you think that your account has helped the morale of students at CHS?

BY THE NUMBERS

1,389

Carter: I think that it brings something bright into someone’s day—there’s not a bunch of bad rumors or anything, it’s just all positivity.

Del Carlo: I think that it probably boosts their self-esteem as well.

We don’t tell people who sent in the compliment, so they may not even know who it is and just appreciate it.

people follow @carmel_ complimentss on Instagram

234 the number of days the account has hosted rounds of compliments

Doing this for over 200 days, how has this impacted you?

Elliott: I get to learn more about people and how kind they are. I think that it has shown all of us how just one compliment can impact somebody because we have gotten a lot of direct messages thanking us for what we’re doing and saying how much they appreciate it.

Last updated April 21, 2021 INSTAGRAM SOURCE

This Q&A was originally published online on April 18, 2021

Scan this to check out the @carmel_complimentss Instagram page

KILL ‘EM WITH KINDNESS: (Left to right)

Freshmen Jamie Elliott, Ava Carter and Chloe Del Carlo smile as they look through the @carmel_complimentss Instagram page together.

The account has shared upwards of 70 compliments daily.

Compliments taken from the @carmel_complimentss Instagram story.

LITEBOX BEST OF APRIL 2021

This photo was originally published online on April 20, 2021

THE BIG PICTURE

Juniors Sage Mehta (left) and Lisa Venckus (middle) hold up a banner at a climate strike on March 19, 2021. At the strike, students across the state declared a climate emergency and requested a meeting with Gov. Holcomb to discuss Indiana’s role in climate action.

CHENYAO LIU PHOTO