Nov. 20, 2009 HiLite

news economy forces animal shelters to downsize

entertainment gets vampire fever

carmel high school • 520 e. main st., carmel, IN 46032

nov. 20, 2009 • vol. 55 • issue 4

Check us out online @ www.hilite.org for the latest news, scores, video, polls and multimedia content

15 minutes Junior Natalie Duvanenko designs costumes

Carmel High School • 520 E. Main St., Carmel, IN 46032

table of contents

Nov. 20, 2009 • Vol. 55 • Issue 4

Contact information

cover story

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

The evolution of media 16

Responding to the HiLite

Letters to the editor will be accepted for the Dec. 14 issue no later than Dec 1. Letters may be submitted in Room C147, placed in the mailbox of Jim Streisel, e-mailed to letters@hilite.org or mailed to school. All letters must be signed. Names will be published. (Letters sent via e-mail will be taken to a student’s SRT for him to sign.) Letters must not contain personal attacks against an individual and may be edited.

As public demands for faster news increase, what happens to old media outlets?

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

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

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.

Staff Editor in Chief Michelle Hu Managing Editors Rosemary Boeglin

Sarah Sheafer Accountant Andrew Burke Acumen Arjuna Capulong

Jinny Zhang 15 Minutes of Fame Afra Hussain Artist Daniel Li

Rebecca Xu Beats/Calendar Emma Neukam

Amanda Nguyen

Laura Peng

Nina Underman Cover Story Sara Rogers Entertainment Maddi Bourgerie

Ellie Seta Feature Hera Ashraf

Rebecca Xu Front Page Tim Chai

Steven Chen Graphics Daniel Li News Susie Chen

Beverly Jenkins Perspectives Julie Kippenbrock

Jade Schwarting Photography Nick Johnson

Kaitlyn Lampe Special Projects Kelsey Binion

Amanda Nguyen

Min Qiao

Tracy Sun Sports Mackenzie Madison

David Zheng Student Section Lauren Burdick Web Mike Jiang

Nishanth Samala

Reporters Sally Bae Audrey Bailey Meredith Boyd Hope Boyer Maggie Brandenburg Andrew Browning Patrick Bryant Monica Cheng Ryan Duffy Cassie Dugan Yameen Hameed Grayson Harbour Kendall Harshberger Ben Lu Alex Mackall Photographers Gabrielle Bowers Arjuna Capulong Shirley Chen Stephanie Coleman Shokhi Goel Lizzy Grubbs Kate Grumme Stuart Jackson Emily Puterbaugh Daniel Smith Jinny Zhang

Faraz Majid Katie Norman Priya Patel Darlene Pham Thalib Razi Mitch Ringenberg Erum Rizvi Katie Walstrom Reuben Warshawsky Jackson Whiteker Celina Wu Michelle Yun Sarah Yun Caroline Zhang Web team Michael Luo Pedram Navid Matt Pickard Michael Price Video Marianna Cooper Parker Myers

Adviser Jim Streisel Principal John Williams Superintendent Barbara Underwood

news Financial downturn places more

04 06

burdens on animal rescue shelters

Students aim to decrease school’s, own carbon footprints

sports College scouts have contacted freshman Lacey Locke before she has

24 26

even swum one meet

Football managers remain crucial to team’s success

feature When older siblings go to college, students find themselves as only

perspectives Staff perspective: Students should become media literate no matter

Students choose to celebrate Thanksgiving without family

David Zheng, Marianna Cooper and Darlene Pham post their opinions on everyday life

08

12

children

student section Economy forces parents to take separate jobs across the country

15

28

30

what form the news is received

15 minutes of fame

32

Junior Natalie Duvanenko designs her own costumes

entertainment

20

22

HiLite staff reviews vampire craze Choirs gear up for another Holiday Spectacular Cover>> Tim chai / Graphic

Want More?

Go to www.hilite.org for stories, videos, slideshows and more

<< just a minute 03

HiLite • November 20, 2009

Leftover Turkey?

No Problem.

A homemade meal ready in 15 minutes!

Thanksgiving is the most patriotic excuse Americans have concocted to eat all day.

But why limit yourself to one day? Take your leftovers and turn them into a home cooked meal in four easy steps.

1

Obtain or make a pie crust, preferably with a latticed top for more decoration. Brush a mixture of one egg and 1/2 cup milk on top and bake for five minutes until golden brown. Set aside.

2

Michelle Hu / Photo

4

Bring to a boil, and fill the mixture in an oven-safe dish. Top with precooked lattice square.

Bake for five minutes until bubbly and until crust is deep golden brown.

Steven Chen / Graphics

Corrections and Clarifications

Thanksgiving falls on the

Thanksgiving edition

did you know?

3

Heat two cans of cream of mushroom soup and two cans of condensed cheddar cheese soup. Stir in strips of turkey, onion, squash, cranberries, salt and pepper.

4th

Thursday of November and is on Nov. 26 this year.

46

million turkeys were eaten last year.

Congress finally made Thanksgiving Day an official national holiday in

1941

In 2007,

31.2

from the 10.29 Issue

million people were expected to travel by motor vehicle,

2.8 4.7

million by airplane and million by train, bus or other mode of transportation. history.com / source

In the cover story “Do you know where germs are hiding?” CHS nurse Carol Gelatt was misidentified as the head nurse.

In the news story “Money for schools doesn’t grow on trees,” Barbara Underwood intended to say that the per pupil General Fund for the district is one of the smallest in Indiana.

In the 15 Minutes of Fame story “Staying Sharp on the Ice,” Mary Kiray’s first ever ice dancing competition was her first national competition.

04 news >>

HiLite • November 20, 2009

lend a hand: (Left) Mandy Maxwell, Community Outreach Coordinator for the Hamilton County Humane Society, shakes hands with a dog. (Top right) Fishers resident Jayne Gold looks for a dog to sponsor. (Bottom right) A dog in need of adoption stares through the bars of its kennel. Currently, there are several animals not in kennels because room is running out at the shelter. MICHELLE HU / PHOTOS

Recession leads to shelter overcrowding by kendall harshberger and Priya patel kharshberger@hilite.org, ppatel@hilite.org

E

very weekend Anita Wang, co-president of the Paws4Cause club and junior, spends her time volunteering at the Hamilton County Humane Society in Noblesville. She has been volunteering there since the summer, helping out at the front desk greeting the guests, cleaning the cages and working with the animals.

Recently, she said she has seen an increase in the amount of animals coming into the Humane Society and a decrease in animals being adopted. With this combination, the Humane Society is quickly becoming overfilled. The last time Wang was at the society, she said there were about 15 to 18 new animals that had been brought in, but only one was adopted during that particular weekend.

“You can see how many extra animals are coming in because they’ve filled all of the kennels, and there are many cages by the front desk,” said Wang.

According to Mandy Maxwell, Community Outreach Coordinator for the Hamilton County Humane Society, the shelter has become so full because they function as an open-admission facility, which means no animals are turned down.

(about $20 each day), but afterwards, the shelter must come up with its own funding until the animals are adopted. Because of this fact, the shelter was recognized by a Maddie’s Fund, a pet rescue foundation, for coming up with innovative ways to help hard-to-place animals find new homes.

“And there’s not a time limit on the animals we have here,” Maxwell said. “We’re not just going to say, ‘Oh, you’ve been here a week, we have to kick you out.’ We don’t work like that.”

According to Marshall, a person doesn’t necessarily have to adopt an animal to help it out.

“If you’re not at a time in your life where you can adopt, there are other options,” she said.

Marshall said donating, volunteering and fostering animals is a tremendous help.

“We’re a no-refusal shelter, so we’ll take in any animal, no matter what has happened to it.”

According to Stephanie Marshall, who works for the Arts District and frequently volunteers at Humane Societies all around Indiana, the increase of incoming animals and the slow rate of adoption can be attributed to the current state of the economy.

“People can’t take care of their animals anymore because they’re losing money. Whenever a situation of money loss occurs, people start to get nervous about their own situations and worry less about other things, like the animals,” Marshall said.

“The same reason applies to why people can’t adopt animals as much anymore. It’s an awful situation.”

“We’re a no-refusal shelter, so we’ll take in any animal, no matter what has happened to it,” Maxwell said.

She said animal shelters are one of the areas that are struggling the most in this economy. Marshall said, “Taking care of all these new animals and worrying about how many more you can handle is pretty hard. It just takes so much to run shelters.”

This causes significant financial strain on the shelter. The state government pays for an animal’s cost of living for the first week

This problem of shelters becoming overcrowded could be solved by those in the public offering to help out an animal.

However, she said she gets frustrated by the amount of people, especially teenagers, who think their input won’t make a difference.

Mandy Maxwell

“Teenagers think they can’t do much to help out. But really, the littlest things can help so much. If teenagers take a few hours out of every week to help out, they’ll realize the amount of power they can have,” Marshall said.

However, because there are not enough people volunteering for these shelters, there is the possibility of euthanization.

Marshall said that the possibility of euthanization varies from shelter to shelter.

“It’s just one of those tough decisions a shelter owner has to make. If your shelter is full to the brim with animals, disease is almost sure to spread. The owner has to ask themselves what’s best for the animal,” she said.

Maxwell said the Hamilton County Humane Society does not euthanize animals unless the animal is a danger to the public.

She said, “We won’t give up on these animals.”

<< news 05

HiLite • November 20, 2009

Students to donate time this Thanksgiving Although Hamilton County is considered one of the most affluent areas in the country, many residents will require assistance to make it through the upcoming holiday season by nina underman nunderman@hilite.org Junior Gaebrielle “Briley” Prichodko will not spend her Thanksgiving morning sleeping in late, nor will she be watching parades on television.

gaebrielle prichodko

“Last year I was very surprised. The people we delivered to were just in Carmel and there were so many other families that needed food.”

Instead, Prichodko and her family will spend the morning delivering Thanksgiving meals to needy families right here in Hamilton County.

Hamilton County, home to $3 million houses and top-notch schools, is not the first place that comes to mind when one thinks of residents who are struggling with poverty.

However, despite its reputation for affluence, Hamilton County has a large amount of citizens who will require assistance to make it through the upcoming holiday season.

Prichodko, who will be ser ving Thanksgiving meals for the second

year in a row, said she enjoyed the experience last year, but was surprised at the number of people who needed help.

“Last year I was very surprised,” she said. “The people we delivered to were just in Carmel and there were so many other families that needed food.”

The Prichodkos are just a few of the many volunteers who will assist the Good Samaritan Network of Hamilton County (GSN) in providing its annual Thanksgiving Dinner at White River Christian Church in Noblesville. This dinner serves needy individuals and families who may not have the means to afford a holiday meal otherwise.

Nancy Chance, chairperson of the Thanksgiving Dinner and executive director of the GSN, said volunteers like the Prichodkos will come to White River Christian Church on Thanksgiving morning to pick up hot

meals and distribute them to the homes of specified residents. Later in the day, the GSN will host a sitdown Thanksgiving meal at the church.

With the current state of the economy, organizations across the countr y are bumping up the number of meals they plan to ser ve on Thanksgiving Day. According to the Indianapolis Star, it w a s o n l y t h re e ye a r s ago 20,000 meals were served on Thanksgiving day by the leaders of the annual Mozel Sanders Thanksgiving Dinner in Indianapolis, a 34-yearold event.

Feasting Facts by the numbers

2.2 billion

estimated number of bushels of wheat produced in 2009

1.8 billion

pounds of sweet potatoes produced in 2008

1.1 billion

pounds of pumpkins produced in 2008

709 million

estimated number of pounds of cranberries to be produced in 2009

estimated number of turkeys raised in 2009

T h i s y e a r, t h e y a re preparing to serve 40,000, up from 32,500 last year. Chance said this trend is also being reflected in Hamilton County. “(Last year for Thanksgiving), we did 1,697 hot meals out the door and then we did approximately 503 sitdowns,” Chance said. “We’re bumping (the number of meals) up at least 20 percent so that we can make sure we have enough.”

Although the poor economy has increased the demand for programs like the GSN’s Thanksgiving Dinner, Chance said it has also made it more difficult to gather the necessary supplies for the meals.

GABRIELLE BOWERS / PHOTO

COMMUNITY AID: Nancy Chance, executive director of the local Good Samaritan Network, unloads canned cranberries. The organization plans to serve 40,000 Thanksgiving meals.

250 million

“Donations have been down,” Chance said. “It’s going to be huge this year with the holidays. We’re very concerned.”

census.gov / source

According to Chance, the GSN worked with over 15,000 Hamilton County families throughout all of last year.

“We’re seeing lots of situations that most people would not think would be in this county,” Chance said.

In addition to the Thanksgiving Dinner, the GSN will also be giving away food baskets for Thanksgiving.

A large group of volunteers assembled these baskets with piles of canned foods on Nov. 15 in the morning at the Carmel Meijer.

“Last year we did Christmas baskets for over 15,978 families in Hamilton County,” Chance said. “But this year we’ve seen the statistics and the unemployment and we know we’re going to have more.”

06 news >>

HiLite • November 20, 2009

Students work to decrease CHS’s carbon footprint New local program, club work to educate masses on ways to reduce environmental impact

W

by monica cheng mcheng@hilite.org

hen sophomore Cleo Hernandez looked up in the main cafeteria one day during her lunch, it occurred to her that the ceiling lights, particularly in the center of the room where she was sitting, used up a large amount of energy.

“The school should try to conserve electricity and be more environmentally friendly,” Hernandez said.

The Carmel Green Initiative is a program whose goal is to create awareness of the connection between Carmel citizens and their impact on the environment as well as to reduce energy waste and pollution. As of February 2009 CHS took part in the replacement and conversion of light bulbs with new GE “Green” energy-saver bulbs, significantly lowering the quantity of pollutants in the atmosphere.

For Hernandez, those changes are good, but she said the school could still do more. “It’s good that (Carmel) changed to eco-friendly light bulbs, but they should still turn off some of the lights that aren’t used,” she said.

Even though turning off computers and lights may seem like trivial things, Irene Gibson, a member of Carmel Green Team and junior, said every step counts toward helping the environment on a larger scale and contributing to one goal: protecting the Earth. The Carmel Green Team is

HAMILTON COUNTY’S ‘GREEN’ SCORECARD

40th percentile

Air releases of developmental toxicants

50th percentile

Total environmental releases (of all U.S. counties)

60th percentile

Cancer risk score (air and water releases)

70th percentile

Air releases of reproductive toxicants scorecard.org / source

gabrielle bowers / photo

READY TO RECYCLE: Irene Gibson of the Carmel Green Team actively recycles disposable material. Although the school does not yet have many available bins, Gibson hopes to make recycling a more accessible activity. a club at CHS that encourages “green” projects within the city of Carmel by giving grants of money to other teams that want to help the environment, according to Gibson.

long-term effects become evident with time, according to Gibson. Knowing this, she said, makes it imperative for Carmel High School to make further improvements.

“It’s important to protect our environment for future generations,” George Ohmer, an AP Environmental Science teacher, said. One thing that would be beneficial to the environment, he said, is recycling. “It takes an awful lot more energy to make materials, such as aluminum, cans and glass, from raw materials than it does to make those materials from recycled material,” Ohmer said.

Students like Hernandez, who are trying to help the environment, make that goal easier to accomplish.

Gibson said some students and teachers are active in these “green” procedures, but not everyone is doing it.

“At home, we use the eco-friendly light bulbs and cleaners,” she said. “We also turn down the heater in the winter and don’t use the air conditioner as much in the summer. The only thing we don’t do is recycle because it costs extra money. It’s incredibly unfair because if they’re trying to encourage environmentally friendly behavior, there should be less of an economic barrier.”

Ohmer said, “I think students would be receptive to recycling, but probably the biggest problem lies in the cafeteria. There’s a lot of paper, plastics, cans and bottles that can be recycled but they aren’t. All of it just goes into the trash, which ends up in landfills.”

Gibson said Carmel High School can further improve on being environmentally friendly, for a start, by having paper recycling bins at every classroom, not just some classrooms. “(The school) should also recycle plastic and aluminum and not just paper,” Gibson said.

And although the impact of environmentally harmful activities may not be very noticeable at first glance, the

“There’s a pretty big student interest,” Gibson said. “There just needs to be easy ways to get people to be involved.”

<< news 07

HiLite • November 20, 2009

Student leaders see contract issues start to affect teacher availability by patrick bryant pbryant@hilite.org As he organizes Senate activities, student body president Steven Brisley said he notices a difference in involvement among teachers. He said he and the rest of student government are troubled by the lack of teachers participating and helping in after-school activities.

Brisley, speaker of the House Sunny Huang and other seniors, spoke on behalf of teachers at the school board meeting on Sept.. 29.

cost of health care and a lack of state tax revenue for funding is the cause of difficulty in reaching a resolution.

According to Taff, the current state of the economy is most affecting the dispute.

“The economy is absolutely a factor in every aspect of this situation,” Taff said.

“Everybody’s wrestling with health care, and it’s having specific implications on this issue.”

“The economy is absolutely a factor in every aspect of this situation.”

“(Brisley and Huang) have a unique perspective,” Karen Taff, social studies teacher and union member, said.

“They can see just how dramatically the decisions made in the district have and will continue to detrimentally impact the high school.”

Taff said she believes that the rising

School board president Andrew Klein said when the district is unable to agree on a Karen Taff contract, the district must perform under the terms of the previously signed contract. In this case, the contract is from 2006.

Klein said at the school board meeting it wasn’t the district’s choice, but a matter of state regulation.

“This is not the board’s unilateral decision,”

Klein said. “That is Indiana law.”

Klein also said a major problem with working under the old contract is the fact that health insurance costs have “dramatically increased” since 2006.

“Under the status quo based on the prior contract, the board’s contribution does not change, so the increases are being borne entirely by our teaching staff,” Klein said.

Next May, voters will have an opportunity to decide whether they want to accept a tax hike in order to defray district expenses, along with bringing an end to summer school.

For Brisley and his peers, though, those explanations don’t fix the problems he said students are facing now. He said he hopes the incoming superintendent will help to bring a quick resolution to this contract dispute.

As for Taff? She said, “I continue to remain hopeful.”

shirley chen / photo

students for sponsors: Student body president Steven Brisley studies in Senate SRT. He recently attended a school board meeting to voice his concerns about the consequences of the contract disputes.

Recent study: More teens embrace Twitter site, since February, the composition of Twitter’s audience

by thalib razi trazi@hilite.org Over the summer, senior Sarah Mack decided to set up a Twitter account. A friend of hers had recently joined the social networking tool that allows users to communicate via character updates, or “tweets, she said, and her uncle wanted to keep in touch with her through the Web site as well. “(Twitter’s) kind of like Facebook, except only (with) status messages and private messages,” she said.

According to Mack, this simplicity makes it easier for her to communicate with close friends and family than she could with Facebook. “I think (Twitter) will become the new Facebook,” Mack said. “It used to be Xanga and then it was MySpace, and now Facebook, and maybe Twitter will follow.”

According to comScore, a digital marketing intelligence Web

few months ago, and her page already has around 400 followers. (which has increased 27-fold in the last year) has been steadily Whenever an article is posted to the AroundCarmel Web site, shifting in favor of the 12-17 and 18-24 age groups.

Glowacki said, she writes a short headline on her Since June, these age groups have also had a higher Twitter page with the essential information and proportion of Twitter to total Internet usage than attaches a link to the article for more reading. the older groups, while the opposite was true in the beginning of the year. The data suggests Twitter Glowacki said a tweet can be sent to Twitter and To see how has finally found its popularity among teens like other social media like Facebook with one click. teens get their Mack, and the rise of a social networking site priding Twitter can disseminate information even faster itself on simplicity has altered the way the world news today, with its “re-tweet” function, she said, which allows communicates via the Internet. her followers to resend her news updates to their see the Cover

want More?

Karen Glowacki, co-founder of the AroundCarmel Web site, said she and friend Julie Williams created the Web site because they had noticed there was no direct place online to go to for Carmel news.

Story on Page 16

“Some people are just Facebook or Twitter users, and they might not have time to go and read an online article from the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal,” she said. “That’s why we target all these different applications.”

Glowacki said she created a Twitter account for AroundCarmel a

own followers. “It’s a different ball game now, to spread information online,” Glowacki said. “…Twitter cuts through all the garbage.”

However, Mack said a tweet is often personal and relevant to only a few, rather than critical information, even when it comes from celebrities and important figures.

“I don’t think a tweet is really news, because what you’re doing at the moment isn’t really that important,” Mack said.

“It’s just interesting.”

08 feature >>

HiLite • November 20, 2009

Only One Short of an Empty Nest Students weigh the pros and cons of becoming the lone child in the household when older siblings leave for college

T

By Laura peng lpeng@hilite.org

hroughout his freshman year, sophomore Nikhil Dharan always asked his older brother Rohan (Class of ’09) for homework help whenever he didn’t understand an assignment. But ever since Rohan left for the University of Michigan in September, Nikhil has come to rely on his friends for assistance.

“Rohan was always there to help me with my homework if my parents couldn’t understand it because he’s taken most of the classes before,” Dharan said. “But now, I usually rely on my friends.”

Nikhil said, “It’s hard to explain exactly what was going through my mind (after Rohan left). I felt weird throughout the school day since I knew that he wouldn’t be there when I came home.”

Nikhil said he has since grown accustomed to Rohan’s absence and that the home environment has changed in many aspects.

In addition to receiving the responsibility of mowing the lawn, Nikhil said communication with Rohan has decreased significantly ever since he left for Michigan. He speaks to Rohan once or twice a week over the phone for around 15 to 20 minutes.

Counselor Shelly Rubinstein said the absence of an older sibling may have a significant impact on an “only child” and often involves more than switching bedrooms or taking over a bathroom.

“I tell him about some stuff that he might be interested in,” Nikhil said. “I ask him about how classes are going and about the friends he made. I tell him about my grades and my classes. But the conversations are limited because he isn’t always there for me to talk to.”

Rubinstein said, “Things are never the same after one goes away, as they mature at different rates and are exposed to new situations and experiences.” According to Rubinstein, a family unit continues to evolve after an older sibling leaves for college.

But the situation is the opposite for senior Shataakshi Dube.

Her family continues to enjoy the presence of her older brother who attends Butler University and travels between school and home every day.

“The environment at home is relatively the same because I still get to see him every day,” Shataakshi said. “A lot of my friends’ older siblings have left for college, and they always tell me how much they miss them. They are really jealous that I don’t have to miss my brother.”

Shataakshi said an advantage of having an older sibling live at home includes her brother’s balance between his family life and college life. Although she doesn’t experience the benefits of being an only child, she said she’s grateful he still lives at home.

“It’s kind of annoying that he gets to wake up later than me, but I know he is really busy after school. He is in many clubs, so sometimes I can’t talk to him until (it gets) really late. I am just happy that I still see him often,” Shataakshi said.

On the other hand, Nikhil said he looks forward to seeing his brother only during vacations.

Lizzy Grubbs / Photo

MISSING PERSON: Sophomore Nikhil Dharan sits at his dinner table conversing with his mother. Dharan said his home environment is different without his brother.

“I’m definitely looking forward to Thanksgiving since it’s a family-oriented holiday,” Nikhil said. “But he’ll still hang out with his friends and catch up on some sleep. He’s already come back home once during his fall break. Things pretty much go back to normal.”

speak up!

Compiled by Laura Peng

How has your life changed since you’ve become an ‘only child’?

“Well I’ve taken a lot more responsibilities since my siblings have left but also it’s become a lot easier with my parents. I also get a lot more privileges with my responsibilities that they never got when they were in high school.”

senior jason van houten “The house is really empty now. I miss her because it’s weird not having a sister there when I’ve been with her all my life. Now that she’s not here anymore, all the attention from my parents is on me.”

sophomore briana midkiff

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<< feature 11

HiLite • November 20, 2009

Lost in the Melting Pot

Second-plus generation immigrants are losing their heritage in modern American society, especially the ability to speak another language

By Rebecca Xu rxu@hilite.org

Bhargava said she grew up learning primarily English since her parents knew schools were taught in English, but she grasped an understanding of Hindi from listening to her parents talk.

he music blares. People sing. It’s Indian dance class where junior Perky Bhargava has attended every Sunday for 13 years. However Bhargava doesn’t understand the lyrics of the songs she dances to.

That’s because she was born and raised in Indiana and can barely speak the language of her ancestors, Hindi.

This is not unusual since Hindi is a common second language spoken in U.S. households (other than English), ranking 16th out of hundreds of other languages, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

T

“I need someone to explain (the songs) to me,” Bhargava said. “When everyone’s putting in input on dance moves, I can’t because I don’t know what they’re saying.”

Bhargava represents the people of a generation in the United States, usually the children of immigrants, who are losing their ethnic culture. According to the Migration Policy Institute (MPI), a nonprofit organization that studies human migration and immigration, bilingualism is more common among second-generation children (children of immigrants born in or raised in the United States from a young age) but is usually completely gone by the third generation.

One of the explanations for the decline of bilingualism stems from the desire of immigrants to blend into American society, which was especially prominent in earlier Italian immigrants.

English teacher Patricia G. Southard, who is Italian, said she has personal experience with this aspect. Southard’s grandfather came to the United States in the early 20th century and ultimately settled in Pittsburgh.

“My grandfather was a tailor and called his business the Paulson Brothers, since (the name) Greco was too ethnic,” Southard, whose maiden name is Greco, said. “They worked so hard to try to assimilate into the American culture. They weren’t allowed to speak Italian in the house, and my grandfather would tell his kids, ‘You’re in America, you speak American.’ ” She said that her father ended up losing the ability to read and speak Italian altogether and was not able to communicate with his younger brother, who had gone back to Italy.

Michelle Mittelstadt, a worker for the Migration Immigration Source (the online journal for MPI), said that Southard’s family’s situation was a classic one.

“Immigrant families have historically tried to fit into American society, and often these families encouraged the children to learn English and move upward in society,” Mittelstadt said.

Despite her own speaking skills, Bhargava said she still understands most of what her parents say in Hindi. “If I don’t, they always translate,” Bhargava said. “Or just leave me out of the conversation.”

English,” Southard said.

However, the legacy continues. Southard said her son embraces his Italian background, takes Italian in college, and speaks more fluently than she does. She said people understanding their heritage and language helps find out who themselves are.

“You know, you’re going to get married,” Southard said. “I’m a Southard now, you know, what’s that? But my maiden name is Greco, and I’ve been a Southard longer than I was a Greco, which is kind of sad. But that’s why I carry my middle name as my maiden name now.”

Bhargava said all of her relatives speak English so she communicates with them comfortably, and if they say something in Hindi, she responds in English anyway. “(I could speak Hindi) if I really wanted to, but they probably wouldn’t understand me. It’s embarrassing,” Bhargava said. “I speak, like, broken Hindi. I’ll do half in English with the words I don’t know and then I’ll put in some words, and they’re like, ‘What are you talking about?’ ” However, she said she is still connected with her Indian heritage through her religion, Hinduism, as well as traditional Indian dancing. She said she would have her own future children learn Indian dancing if it was available, but she regrets her speaking abilities since she probably wouldn’t be able to pass down the Hindi language.

“I think it is important so you can relate to the people of your heritage and a lot of values and things that pass down from generation to generation, and you need to be able to keep that so it’s not completely lost,” Bhargava said.

On the other hand, Southard only began learning Italian in college. She said she is “awful” at speaking, though decent at reading and writing. “In my E-mails to my relatives, it’s my threeyear-old Italian with their five-year-old

Shokhi Goel / Photo

STICKING TO HER ROOTS: Junior Perky Bhargava practices traditional Indian dancing. Bhargava said that Indian dancing is one way she keeps her heritage.

12 feature >>

HiLite • November 20, 2009

Daniel li / graphic

A Family-Free Thanksgiving Despite the nature of Thanksgiving, some students choose to spend the holiday away from their families and with friends instead

A

By Darlene Pham dpham@hilite.org

ccording to senior Terry Liu, like many people here, Thanksgiving means getting together with people she loves, and that is exactly what she did last year. However, it wasn’t her family that she spent the evening with, but rather at her best friend’s house.

“They are like family to me. I had dinner with them and

then after, we played Taboo,” Liu said.

According counselor Becky Stuelpe, Liu’s situation is not so unusual. “Every family is different. Some families don’t place a big emphasis on holidays. Some families do not get along. Every family has different dynamics and you have to look at each case individually,” she said.

For Liu, she said she chose to spend the time with her friend and her family because she felt more comfortable with them.

“My family always goes to a big gathering. I always feel like I don’t really fit in, so I’d rather spend it with people I feel comfortable with,” Liu said.

Liu is not the only student here who chooses to spend Thanksgiving with friends instead of family. Sophomore Roy Chen also spent Thanksgiving last year at a friend’s house. According to Chen, however, he chose to go to a friend’s house because his parents do not really

Story continued on next page

>>

<< feature 13

HiLite • November 20, 2009 celebrate the holiday. “In the past, they would just treat it as another fall break, not really a holiday,” he said.

While it may seem like Chen’s decision could put a strain on his family relationships, he said his parents do not mind him spending time with others.

“They thought it was good that I was spending time with my friends and stuff,” he said.

Stuelpe said it really depends on the situation. “It depends on the family’s perspective on the holiday. If Thanksgiving Day is just another holiday, then there probably won’t be a strain. But if it is viewed as a strong family time, it can hurt it,” she said.

Chen said that even if his family did celebrate the holiday, he would still spend it with his friends. “We’re the only family members in America, so there wouldn’t be many relatives to spend the time with,” he said.

While Chen may still choose to not spend the holiday with his family, Stuelpe said family time is still important for reducing stress.

“I think family relationships are important to everyone. If it is a bad relationship, it could really add a level of stress to students,” she said.

According to www.apahelpcenter.org, a website sponsored by the American Psychological Association, the stress can not only cause emotional consequences, but also physical and cognitive consequences.

Thanksgiving brings an otherwise distant family together for one day Thanksgiving is known as a time that brings families closer together, but this is especially true when families aren’t very close to begin with. Such is the case with sophomore Emily Carpenter and her family.

Now that her sister, Lauren, is in college, Emily lives with her mother, Pam. “We don’t really talk that much and fight frequently,” Emily said. Emily said their relationship has been like this for a while, although she said she isn’t sure why.

every fall. “It keeps us from fighting since it’s supposed to be a happy occasion,” Emily said. She said they at least wouldn’t want to argue in front of other family members, especially because they usually go to her grandma’s house. Counselor Maria Cottone said situations like this are perfectly normal. “I think society tells us that [being close during holidays] is what we’re supposed to do,” she said.

“It keeps us from fighting since it’s supposed to be a happy occasion.”

But Mrs. Carpenter said this feeling of closeness doesn’t last very long. “(After eating) the kids go into a room on their own to watch TV and text their friends,” she said. Emily said she agrees that the change in their interactions doesn’t last long According to Mrs. Carpenter, she and Emily carpenter past dinnertime. Cottone said this may be because her daughter don’t see each other as people age, they gain an identity separate from often on most days. She said she their family and when families are brought together, they leaves for work before Emily wakes up, and after school revert back to their family roles. “It’s healthy for us to kinda Emily often goes to friends’ houses. “Emily’s friends are the leave our identity and get back to our roots,” she said. most important thing to her,” she said. “She prefers not to spend time with me.” After school, the two usually eat dinner Although it may be temporarily, the family, like many others, at different times, going by their own agendas. Emily said is still brought closer together by Thanksgiving. “Everyone this is because she and her mother have little in common. is happy because we’re all together and eating in the spirit of the festivities,” Emily said. By Yameen Hameed But the spirit of Thanksgiving brings them together

Liu said although she thinks family relationships are important, people also need space. “I think going to friend’s house gives you space. You don’t have to cluster around your family all the time. I mean, you see them every day anyway,” she said.

According to the site, the holidays can be a great source of stress on family relationships. One in five Americans are worried that holiday stress could affect their health.

Thirty-six percent eat or turn to alcohol to relieve their stress, while 45 percent say they exercise to get rid of it. The other 44 percent say they turn to religious and spiritual activities to cope with the stress.

For those who don’t spend time away from family during the holidays, there are ways to survive the curious relatives, according to Stuelpe.

“You really just have to put it in perspective,” she said.

“If it’s Thanksgiving Day, it’s just one day. People aren’t asking you what seems to be nosy questions to bug you, but because they are interested in you as a person. So even though they bug you, you just have to remember that it’s not coming from a bad place.”

kaitlyn lampe / Photo

friend time: Senior Terry Liu (far left) chats with her friends during class. Liu said that she chooses to spend time with her friends on Thanksgiving rather than her family.

don’t look here.

(Can’t resist, can ya?)

See how effective it would be to advertise in the HiLite?

Visit

www.hilite.org for more info

PINNACLE

YEARBOOK Dec. 4

Dec. 9

Last day to order a yearbook

Senior ad orders due

$60, cash or check (checks payable to CHS Yearbook)

Order forms available outside of C145

C145 (SRT or after school)

Prices range from $75 - $250

See Miss Wilson in the yearbook room, or e-mail her at nwilson@ccs.k12.in.us, for questions.

15 student section >>

HiLite • November 20, 2009

#2,251 of 4,644 has a...

Daniel li / graphic

A Long-Distance Family Senior Hannah Lencheck’s parents live in separate states due to job placements by celina wu cwu@hilite.org

crazy. Later though, the company decided that my mom and I didn’t need to move out there.”

enior Hannah Lencheck said she can still remember the day last November when she found out the news that her father had to relocate for his job. She said she was the last one to return home and her whole family was already gathered around the kitchen table.

Lencheck said after the company decided she and her mother could stay behind, her family still had a hard time making a decision about the moving arrangements. She said, “Anything that splits up a family is going to be a tough decision. As far as alternatives go, my dad looked into a few other companies, but staying with Behr was the best option.”

S

“When I saw my whole family there, including all three of my older sisters who were home from college, I knew we were going to have a serious family meeting,” Lencheck said. “It was one of those times when you know something upsetting was going to happen. It was unbelievable at first, and then everyone started reacting and sort of freaked out.”

That day, Lencheck’s father announced to the family that the company he works for, Behr Paint, was requiring him to move to California. Lencheck said the reason for the company necessitating her dad’s move was due mainly to the recession.

Lencheck and her family are among the numerous families nationwide who have been directly affected by job situations because of the recession.

“For the most part, the decision for my dad to move was made for us by the company. There was no question of my dad moving out there. Move it or lose it. Initially too, my mom ad I were obligated to go out there; they didn’t want my dad being distracted by travelling back and forth,” Lencheck said. “I thought I was moving for sure at the end of junior year. We’re talking boxes packed, house a month away from being put on the market, Dad already living out there as of January; it was

Lencheck said, “At first, it was really difficult to deal with, but now we’ve all pretty much adjusted. Even though the situation is definitely not the most pleasant, I know it was the best decision that could have been made.”

Lencheck said her dad’s move to California mostly changed the family dynamic. “I still talk to him on the phone, and he comes home about once a month, give or take, depending on when it is convenient for everybody’s schedules,” she said.

Social worker Jane Wildman said she has seen situations similar to that of Lencheck and her family several times over.

According to her, a family that is split up because of job relocation sees changes in communication from face-to-face to over the phone or electronic communication.

Wildman also said the parent who stays with the child in this situation has to take on a physical role similar to that of a single parent. In Lencheck’s case, “The mother will have to take all the responsibility for running the household. Also, while the father will help with the decision-making, the mom will be making most all the day-to-day decisions. Overall, the parents will have to adapt their roles to the situation they are in.”

Lencheck said her parents’ roles are pretty similar to how they were before. “My parents consult over the phone about most decisions, and they come to a conclusion together.”

kate grumme / photo

SPLIT DECISION: Senior Hannah Lencheck talks to her father over the phone. Lencheck’s parents made the decision to live in separate states after a job change.

16 cover story >>

HiLite â&#x20AC;˘ November 20, 2009

Survival of t

New studies show newspaper circulation technology advances, students turn away television to receive their new

S

ophomore Lauren M who said she has stop in order to save mon her family decided newspapers because they th of money when they could from the Internet or the TV.

<< cover story 17

HiLite â&#x20AC;˘ November 20, 2009

the Fastest

n is down 10.6 percent from last year. As from newspapers and to the Internet and ws more rapidly. By Sarah Yun

Miller is one student here pped ordering newspapers ney. According to Miller, d to stop subscribing to hought that it was a waste d get their news for free Story continued on next page

>>

Daniel li / graphic

18 cover story >>

HiLite • November 20, 2009

social network showdown Compare the statistics of two popular social networking Web sites. Both Facebook and Twitter serve as user-mediated ways to receive news.

TWITTER

Founder: Jack Dorsey Founded: March 2006 Headquarters: San Francisco, CA Active users: 25 million Updates per day: 26 million Status character limit: 140 characters Additional info: Twitter’s “Trending Topics” list, tracks the top ten words or phrases Twitter users are tweeting at any given time. Breaking news as well as pop culture developments frequently appear on the list. In November 2008, Twitter users began rapidly tweeting about terrorist attacks in Mumbai even before major news networks began reporting them.

Twitter / source

FACEBOOK

Founder: Mark Zuckerberg Founded: February 2004 Headquarters: Palo Alto, CA Active users: 300 million Updates per day: 45 million Status character limit: 160 characters Additional info: Many news outlets, including CNN, The New York Times and The Indianapolis Star, update their Facebook Fan Pages with breaking news and articles. Facebook users can become fans of these pages and receive the updates directly.

Facebook / source

wait…There’s more. for links to the Hilite’s twitter and facebook pages, go online to www.hilite.org

<< Story continued from previous page “I think that getting news from other sources like the TV is so much better than getting it from the newspaper because I don’t like to read at all,” Miller said.

Miller is not alone. As a result of the economic recession, among other factors, many readers have stopped subscribing to newspapers. This has caused a decrease in newspaper circulation and many readers to turn to other sources to get information.

Newspaper sales have been declining since the 1990s, but this past year, it has sharply decreased. According to the Los Angeles Times, the average weekday circulation of nearly 400 daily U.S. newspapers has declined 10.6 percent from April to September of 2009.

As the number of newspaper subscribers continues to decrease, more readers are using other sources such as the Internet, TV and radio to get their news. According to a recent Pew Research Center survey, more people said that they relied mostly on the Internet for news rather than newspapers.

Pinnacle adviser Nicole Wilson, who also teaches a mass media course here, said she reads the online news rather than the newspaper. According to Wilson, there is a benefit to reading news online because it is easier to search and choose specific topics that people want to read about.

Unlike Wilson and Miller, sophomore Allissa “Alli” Kizer’s family subscribes to The Indianapolis Star and she said they plan to continue to subscribe.

According to Kizer, her father likes newspapers because he likes to read them in the morning while eating breakfast. She said her mother also likes to have newspapers around because she enjoys completing the daily puzzles, crosswords and other “extra” activities.

Although Kizer said she usually does not have much time to read newspapers, she likes to skim through the newspaper and read the major headlines. She said newspapers are convenient, and there are many benefits to having them.

“I think that there will always be demands for something tangible that can be taken on-the-go for those who prefer something more than the electronic edition.” pinnacle adviser Nicole wilson

“It is good to have hard copies that are easy to carry around and put in to your backpack or pocket instead of having to carry around a laptop or look for a TV,” she said.

But those conveniences may not be enough. With the continuing decline of newspaper circulation, many people have begun to question if newspapers will continue to exist. Wilson said newspaper circulation will never completely end but will decline.

“I think that there will always be demands for something tangible that can be taken on-the-go for those who prefer something more than the electronic edition,” Wilson said.

<< cover story 19

HiLite • November 20, 2009

Credible or not?

As more students access information online, George Mason University lists ways to gauge a Web site’s credibility.

1. Does the Web site or article have an author?

Providing an author allows the reader to evaluate his qualifications, credentials and connections to the subject.

2. Is the site affiliated with an organization or institution? If an organization can be identified, see if the site provides a link to the organization’s Web site.

Is it reputable or government approved?

3. Does the Web site provide contact information?

Providing contact information shows the reader that the site is willing to connect with readers and back up any questionable information.

4. Is the information current? Credible sources will update information frequently. All links and information should be up-to-date.

Sara Rogers / photo

New way to news: Junior Katarina Gonzalez reads recent news headlines online while in the library before school. According to a Pew Research study, 40 percent of surveyed students receive their news via the Internet, compared to 35 percent who use newspapers. While more students begin turning to electronic sources for news, a debate ensues between what is credible and what is not.

5. Is the Web site design consistent and easy to navigate? Consistency goes hand-in-hand with credibility. In a recent Stanford University study, 46.1 percent of those surveyed said a Web site’s design is most important.

George Mason University / source

Kizer has similar views and said newspapers will continue to exist.

“I don’t think that newspapers will ever become completely extinct because there will always be those people who like to carry their hard copy of the news around. But I do think that newspaper circulation will continue to decline within the next 10 years because of all the new technology that is making it easier for people to have access to the news in different ways,” she said.

Miller, though, said she believes otherwise. “In the future, I think that newspapers will not continue to exist because technology is becoming more advanced. Our generation and future generations will use new technology to get news.

It is getting easier to get information because people can just get on their phones or iPods and have access to the online news,” Miller said.

As people are looking to other sources for news, they have to decide which sources are credible. This is especially important with the Internet because there is a lot of false information online.

Wilson said it is important to be able to decide which

information is credible.

“It helps to know a little bit about the background of the (news sites) that you are looking at. For instance, if you are looking at Huffington Post, it helps to know a little bit about their history as a blog versus looking at CNN and their history, which has a little bit of a more liberal-leaning news source. And of course Fox News has a more conservative leaning. It is good to do a little research,” she said.

According to Miller, any major news site is definitely believable because most of them have good reputations and a history of making sure all of their information is true.

Still, though newspapers cost money and aren’t a necessity in her household, Kizer said that she and her family will continue to be subscribers to The Indianapolis Star because they find newspapers to be convenient.

On the other hand, Miller said she will continue to use the TV as her main source of news because it’s free.

Miller said, “I just don’t see the need to pay for newspapers when there is free access to news available everywhere. I don’t plan on subscribing to newspapers in the future.”

Sara rogers / photo

tech savvy: Junior Bethany Arrington searches the Internet before school. Arrington said she uses her cell phone to check news headlines and update her Facebook page.

20 entertainment >>

HiLite • November 20, 2009 Breaking Dawn sold

“Twilight” debuted at

#1

in the box office.

1.3 million

copies in its first 24 hours.

There Will Be Blood It all started in 2005 with the debut of the first Twilight book and now, just four years later, it has become a multi-million dollar franchise

New Moon spent over

25 weeks

at #1 on The New York Times best seller list in 2005.

“Twilight” made

$70 million

the highest grossing opening weekend for a female director.

Twilight debuted at

#5

on The New York Times best seller list in 2005. www.stephaniemeyer.com/source

Ellie Seta / Photo illustration

<< entertainment 21

HiLite • November 20, 2009

Vampires on the Screen: Best of Show

‘True Blood’ gets viewers’ blood pumping

By Mitch Ringenberg mringenberg@hilite.org

By Mitch Ringenberg mringenberg@hilite.org

D e s p i te w i d e s p re a d acclaim, this Swedish vampire film was sadly overlooked by the American public due to being released near the same time as “Twilight.”

This entertaining HBO show is by far the most respected of all the vampire-related television programs networks are pumping out to cash in on the “Twilight” craze. While certainly not great, the show is worth watching for its interesting plot line and unique twists.

The show’s universe is one where vampires are (somewhat) accepted in modern society and bloodsuckers can now get their fix at any gas station when they buy a six pack of “TruBlood.”

A telepathic waitress (played by Anna Paquin) feels a deep connection when a 173-year-old vampire walks into her restaurant. Besides those details, the plot doesn’t stray too far from standard soap opera fare; however, the cinematography is sleek, and while it may not be great art, it’s not a bad hour’s worth of TV.

Foreign film ‘Right’ for genre

This is a shame because if you really have to make a vampire love story, this is how it should be done.

TRUE BLOOD Network: HBO Time: Sundays at 9 eastern

www.illustrationfriday.com/Photos

film about young children, this movie is for anyone but. There’s plenty of gore and the film doesn’t shy away from its brutal and mature story line.

LET THE RIGHT ONE IN Country of origin: Sweden Year made: 2008

The story centers on a lonely 12-year-old boy who discovers the young girl living in the apartment next door is responsible for a series of heinous murders in the town. Despite being a

“Let The Right One In” is thematically rich and expertly written, providing moviegoers with a depth and unique atmosphere rarely found in the horror genre.

Also, a Hollywood remake is already in the works, so it would be in viewers’ best interest to salvage the movie in their minds before the plot is reworked into a quasi-“Twilight” abomination.

Twilight-inspired SAT prep book too good to be true Brian Leaf’s Defining Twilight profitable but impractical concept for students

Min qiao mqiao@hilite.org For the devout lovers of Twilight, Brian Leaf ’s Defining Twilight might seem like the ideal prep book for those painful standardized tests. Leaf’s b o o k o f fe r s a s i m p l e, straightforward way to accumulate vocabulary in preparation for the verbal portion of standardized tests like the SAT. The workbook is divided into 40 “groups,” or chapters and each group features eight words that are pulled directly from Stephanie Meyer’s novel. To fully lock in the meanings of the words, there are several drills at the end of each chapter with exercises such as word analogies and sentence completion.

Finally, Leaf provides eight review quizzes on the vocabulary

words are throughout the chapters.

Certainly, this approach to learning is probably more interesting then the typical, dry SAT prep books and flashcards. What is really different about this workbook is the tie-in with the popular novel and capitalizing on teen’s love of the story to get them to learn new words. Realistically, however, this approach is futile at best.

For one, basing an SAT prep book off of a popular novel might be an innovative and fun way to learn, but it is really quite impractical. For most readers, their interest in the books are peaked only when they are actually drawn in by the story, as if they were actually in midst of the action.

Yet if the reader were to actually do the exercises as the workbooks says, he would have to stop every couple of pages, write down his guess for the meaning of each word, read through the actual definitions of the words and finally do the drills for those words. In the process, the flow of the reading would be disrupted; without the magical captivation of a book, the reader would lose interest pretty quickly. In the end, this workbook really only distracts the reader from

the story and because of that, the value of such a learning method is undermined.

Another detriment is the vocabulary used in the book. While Twilight might be all the rage right now, the word usage in the novel is hardly at the caliber of the words that appear on the SAT. Meyer’s novel is written to target the typical teenage girl looking for a good romance and an easy read.

Therefore, the word usage throughout the book is not nearly as sophisticated as that which appears in the passages of the SAT. No matter how well the methods of learning offered in this book might work, the words featured in the workbook are simply too easy to truly prepare one for the SAT. Most kids taking the test should probably already know most of the words in this workbook and be studying much harder words if they are truly serious about doing well on the test.

Therefore, even though the idea behind Defining Twilight might sound fun, the workbook itself doesn’t realistically prepare one for the SAT’s. Rather, it seems to little more than another scheme to cash on the latest fad and expand the Twilight franchise.

. . . g n i nt e s e r P

HiLite • November 20, 2009

A ‘Spectacular’ Tradition Annual holiday show has raving fans coming back for more year after year

BY ERUM RIZVI Erizvi@hilite.org

I

t’s that time of year again when all of the choirs here attend essential rehearsals to practice choreography, perfect songs and select costumes all in order to give this school a performance known as “Holiday Spectacular.” It is the most attended and talked about performances at this school and each year it brings together a large number of students to get into a festive spirit.

“Holiday Spectacular” is a great and exciting start to the holiday season,” Lamonte Kuskye, choral director and set designer of the musical said.

Junior Elizabeth Russell, who has attended previous years’ shows, said she plans to attend two “Holiday Spectacular” shows this year because of the catchy songs and costumes.

“In last year’s show I loved all the decorations that really made it feel like the holidays. I also liked the cute little costumes and creative dances that each of the choirs made up,” she said According to Kuskye, alongside attending rehearsals of the performance, choir members are picking out costumes for the play as well. Kuskye said.

“I think the audience will really enjoy seeing all the different colors and variety in the costume designs this year,” Kuskye said.

Aside from the dazzling costumes, students such as Russell are looking forward to the new holiday songs in the performance.

katlyn lampe / Photos

Practice makes perfect: (From left) Senior Mathew Hook practices the dance steps for the Ambassadors number in “Holiday Spectacular,” the freshman choir finishes up rehearsal, while the Ambassador women perfect their choreography.

“I have heard they are singing some really ‘out-there’ songs and I want to see what that’s all about,” Russell said.

Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m.

Musical Marathon

Show Times

Dec. 3 at 7:30 p.m.

Story continued on next page >> Dec. 5 at 2 p.m.

Dec. 6 at 2 p.m.

Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m.

Complied by Erum Rizvi

<< Entertainment 23

HiLite • November 20, 2009 << Continued from previous page According to Michelle Steele, Choralettes choir member and junior, the new song format is a small change from years before because of the large amount of choir students “Last year the entire second act was every choir except freshman singing a set of seven or eight songs and that was it for the show. Act I was the dancing part and then Act 2 was just standing and singing. This year it’s more like the first act with dancing but the second act is like different groups of different choirs singing on stage,” Steele said.

Russell said she is most excited to see the show because of all of the festive aspects which will get her into a holiday spirit. “In general, I think that ‘Holiday Spectacular’ is a really cool thing to go and see because it’s something that all the choirs have been practicing for a very long time, so you know it will be good!,” Russell said.

Behind the Curtain

To make a hit, students, teachers put in hours of work Tech Theater lights up the stage For “Holiday Spectacular,” the technical theater crew works during all of its class periods as well as Monday through Thursday after school until about 5:30 p.m. According to Jason Sipe, auditorium and technical director, along with devoting a large amount of time, the technical crew must also possess a wide range of skills – from properly mopping the floor to manning the stage lighting. “It’s mind boggling the scope of work it really requires,” he said.

Working with lighting will be a big part of “Holiday Spectacular” this year. According to Shane “Zach” Conrad, stage manager and senior, because of the short amount of time between the fall production and “Holiday Spectacular,” the technical crew plans to focus on lights and sound rather than large-scale set construction.

Sipe said, “We’re going to offset some of that large-scale construction with more lighting and other means to get the spectacular without having to have tons and tons of dead trees.”

Conrad said the goal is to draw the audience’s attention to the performers. He said, “We don’t want them focused, looking at our pretty lights, even though they are very pretty. We want them focused on what’s going on onstage.” By Meredith Boyd

Putting on a show: Lamonte Kuskye plays the piano while rehearsing with t h e f re s h m a n choir for the big day (top).

Economy influences costume budget Choir directors are trying to find ways to conserve money while still presenting a fun and entertaining show for viewers. According to Shane “Zach” Conrad, stage manager and senior, the planning and designing of costumes starts all the way back in September or October, but unlike previous years, the economy has been able to play a sufficient role in the production and design of these costumes.

Ambassador and senior Kelly Krauter prac tices dance steps for the upcoming “Holiday Spectacular” performance.

“With the state of the economy, we might as well use our resources as well as we can,” Conrad said. This year in particular, she said, the directors and everyone involved with the production are trying to use the materials that Carmel already has to their advantage. By Audrey Bailey

Shirley Chen / Photo

Eyeing success: Ambassador and junior Allison Scott puts on make-up to meet the requirements of “Holiday Spectacular.” Every performer has to follow strict guidelines to fit the part.

Performers try to look the part When it comes to makeup and hair, for the most part, the students are responsible for themselves. There are some things, though, for which the directors give strict guidelines. According to Ambassador and junior Allison Scott, the Ambassadors are obligated to wear the same lipstick and earrings during the performance, while hair usually has to be up, out of the face, or curled.

Ac c o rd i n g t o C o n r a d, b y t h e t i m e “ H o l i d a y Spectacular” is in motion, students understand the expectations and the guidelines included in the performance.

She said, “They know what stage hair is, they know what stage makeup is, it’s all part of what they know.”

By Audrey Bailey

Katlyn lampe / photos

Costumes Galore

FUN FACTS

Around 400 performers wearing over 5,000 costumes

Including: Formal Gowns

Swing dancer

Disco Divas

Tuxedos Santa Claus Elf reindeer Gingerbread Men…and many more

24 sports >>

HiLite • November 20, 2009

Locke has key to swimming success

Freshman Lacey Locke is being noticed by colleges when she hasn’t even begun swimming for CHS

SHOKHI GOEL / Photo

TAKE A BREATH: Freshman Lacey Locke comes up for a breath during swim practice. Despite being a freshman, colleges have already started to consider her as a potential recruit.

By Alex Mackall and Reuben Warshawsky amackall@hilite.org and rwarshawsky@hilite.org

F

or the past 12 years of her life, swimmer and freshman Lacey Locke has practiced hard to become a strong swimmer top-ranked swimming colleges would be interested in.

Now, Locke is one of the most highly recruited athletes here, though she has yet to swim her first meet as a Greyhound.

Locke said, “I feel honored (colleges have already expressed interest in me.) I worked hard to get to this point; it hasn’t been given to me.”

Over the past couple of years, colleges have begun to recruit athletes earlier and earlier. A decade ago, recruiting an athlete out of middle school would have been unheard of.

Presently, it is commonplace for colleges to express interest in an athlete as early as their freshman year in high school.

In fact, this year, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Legislative Council lowered the grade-level age of ‘’recruitable’’ athletes from ninth to seventh. The athletes do not seem to mind, as in several instances, eighth-graders have committed to collegiate athletic powerhouses.

According to Athletics Director Jim Inskeep, football and swimming are the sports that have the most collegiate opportunities. Without question, colleges are certainly interested in Locke swimming for their school. Already, Indiana University has contacted Locke.

Swimming Head Coach Chris Plumb said, “Lacey, her family and I have not discussed recruiting as of yet and no collegiate coach has spoken to me about her. The Carmel Swim Club and Carmel High School swimming has a rich tradition of sending swimmers to excellent academic and swimming schools, and I do anticipate Lacey continuing this tradition.”

Colleges are recruiting younger athletes because of their impressive achievements. Locke’s achievements alone display the talent that is being noticed by recruiters.

She has won best individual medley swimmer three times and female athlete of the year twice, both for Carmel Swim Club. On top of these honors, Locke has also been named the top performer in Indiana four times, she has won five state high-point awards and she also attended the Junior Nationals at the age of 13, which is young compared to other invited athletes.

According to Locke, colleges have probably noticed her because of Carmel’s swim program. “Carmel is obviously a well-known club,” Locke said. “(College scouts) know I practice hard just because I’m with Carmel. They know there are rules I have to follow at Carmel and they know it’s

Story continued on next page

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<< sports 25

HiLite • November 20, 2009

<< Story continued from previous page a good program. Coaches probably talk about not only me, but other Carmel swimmers as well.”

Today, even high schools are under question for recruiting athletes too early and illegally. In 2007, the Supreme Court ruled that high schools cannot recruit middle-school athletes.

Unanimously, the court said, “Hard-sell tactics directed at middle school students could lead to exploitation, distort competition between high school teams and foster an environment in which athletics are prized more highly than academics.”

As for Locke, she said her inspiration to swim didn’t come from recruitment, but from her parents. Locke’s mother always encouraged her, when she was younger, to jump in their backyard pool and swim a lap every time she had a few spare minutes.

However, Locke, who swam for the Smokey Row neighborhood team for four years and Carmel Swim Club for six years before CHS, said she first truly became interested in swimming when she started participating on her neighborhood team.

“I really liked the competition, and it made me want to

continue swimming,” Locke said. Locke now swims the 100and 200-meter backstroke, 200 and 400-meter individual medley and the 50-meter freestyle for Carmel Swim Club and for this school.

Locke said she is also interested in making it to the Olympic Trials for the 2012 Summer Olympics. “I’ve talked about it and thought about it, and I think it is reachable if I am really dedicated,” Locke said.

Regarding her future, Locke said, “I will swim in college, but I will pick a college for the college, not because they have a good swim team.”

CHS Athletic Scholarships Compiled by Alex Mackall and Reuben Warshawsky

AthletE: Grade: School: Sport: Amount:

Torrie Thornton Junior Purdue Basketball Full Ride

Charlie Dankert Senior Belmont Soccer Partial

Maggie Harbison Senior Butler Volleyball Full Ride

Conrad Gregor Senior Vanderbilt Baseball Partial collegeboard.com / source

Hounds must beware of underdogs to become State champions Appalachian State two years ago in their first college football match-up of the season. Also, the Number-one Dallas Mavericks were knocked off by he eight-seeded Golden State Warriors in their first round match-up in 2007. (It was only the second time an eight seed had beaten a number one seed.)

faraz majid We’ve all heard the story of the underdog. It’s always a beautiful story.

A team comes out of nowhere (and by nowhere I mean the bottom of the rankings) and works its way up to just barely slither into the post-season. And by the end of the tale, this team always manages to maneuver its way to the championship and defeat the big bad Goliath – the Goliaths need to watch out.

In recent years we’ve witnessed plenty of these “Cinderella” stories: The New York Giants knocking off the undefeated and much-hated New England Patriots in the Super Bowl a few years back. The memorable, yet embarrassing upset of Michigan when it was toppled by Division I-AA

The fact of the matter is, just because a team has had a brilliant regular season does not mean it is guaranteed the same success in the post-season. Two examples of teams that have had fantastic regular season records, yet had disappointing ends to their season in the playoffs are the 2006-2007 New England Patriots (went 16-0 in regular season) and the 2005-2006 Indianapolis Colts (started out the regular season 13-0).

Of course, we know what happened to the New England Patriots, losing to the New York Giants in the biggest game of the season after going 18-0. The 2005-2006 Indianapolis Colts did not even last one game in the playoffs, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the divisional round (their first game of the post-season).

These rulers of the regular season need to beware of the “Cinderella” story. Students here are familiar with this so-

called Goliath. The CHS football team has been at the top of the rankings the past few years, mostly thanks to a fellow named Morgan Newton, a former CHS quarterback.

So here we are, in a fresh 2009 football season and the Hounds find themselves atop the rankings once again.

They have successfully made it through four post-season match-ups and are just a few wins shy of the State title.

However, CHS fans and players alike should not get comfortable. Once again, there are indeed a few more games left until that State title and the football team needs to make sure it understands that. The coaches and players need to make sure it knows that there is not an automatic road to the championship. It needs to realize that it has to take it one game at a time and battle through each quarter as it has throughout the course of the season.

This football team needs to be more than the kings of the regular season games. They need to be the Goliaths that defeat David in order to achieve their ultimate goal – being State champions.

Faraz Majid is a reporter for the HiLite. Contact him at fmajid@hilite.org

26 sports >>

HiLite • November 20, 2009

The shadows of Friday night lights Football managers work outside of the spotlight to do what they can to help the team

E

By Andrew browning abrowning@hilite.org

ver since she was a little girl, the one thing that has always clicked in senior Jamelynn “Jaymo” Callahan’s life has been football. She was brought up with football, she understood the sport and, most of all, couldn’t get enough of it.

“I’ve always loved the sport of football. I grew up around it.

My grandma practically raised me and my uncle was still in high school, and he was a tight end for his high school so I was around football players all the time, and I was comfortable around them,” Callahan said.

Callahan said she always wanted to be a part of a football team, and even though she doesn’t suit up in shoulder pads and a helmet every day at practice, she said she has found a role with the CHS team that she truly enjoys—working as a team manager.

“Sometimes I do (wish I could be playing football), but at the same time I love what I do,” Callahan said. “I’m well-respected by most of the players. They’re like my brothers, and most of the coaches respect me.”

practice. Although these jobs may not seem as important as those carried out by the players on the field, Callahan said she still feels like an integral member of the squad and described that as the most rewarding aspect of being a team manager.

“You get to be a part of the team.

You make a lot of friends, you feel like you’re a part of something and that you’re actually needed. If you aren’t there one day people are asking where you’re at. I missed an entire week last year during football season and Coach Mo freaked out,” Callahan said. “When the head coach cares about you, that means you’re obviously a part of something.”

Callahan said that after four years as a manager, the connection with the players on the team runs deep. She said watching the Hounds lose their home-opener against Cathedral was especially difficult this season.

“Not only was it hard for me, but I got to see their raw emotions right after the game and that was extremely difficult,” Callahan said. “When we win we all feel so great about ourselves and our hard work we’ve put in.”

“I know what (the managers) are having to deal with and what their schedule is like...

But at the same time they have championship rings, so that’s something you show off for years and years to come.”

Mike Graham

Although time is winding down for all of the Hounds’ seniors, Callahan said this won’t be her last season of football. She said she hopes to become a manager for the Ball State team next year.

“I’ve loved the sport since I was little,” Callahan said. “I’m not just going to drop it as soon as I finish high school.”

Graham said the fire that Callahan has brought to the team for the last four years is a critical element he looks for in students interested in becoming managers.

“You’ve got to be responsible, and you’ve got to love football,” Graham said. “Because if you don’t love football you don’t love this team and it’s going to get old quick.”

Coach Mike Graham is Callahan’s boss, doubling as the Hounds’ kicking coach and equipment manager. Small by football standards, Graham worked as a team manager as a student at IU from 1998 to 2001. He’s in his fourth year with the team and is quick to sarcastically point out that he isn’t the typical equipment manager because “everywhere you go the equipment man is some old, fat guy named Russ or Gus.” Although he’ll poke fun at the stereotype of his position, he won’t short-change the importance of the work that his team managers accomplish.

“Frequently before games (Head) Coach (Mo) Moriarity will say, ‘This whole team works incredibly hard.’ And that’s the trainers, that’s the managers, that’s the coaching staff, that’s the film guys, that’s everybody,” Graham said. “Believe it or not, (the managers) are actually at times putting more hours in. When I was at IU, we had longer hours than the players did.”

Callahan said her duties as team manager can often keep her at practice as late as 6:45 p.m. She said some of her duties as manager include cleaning jerseys, setting up the field for practice and running the play clock during

Kaitlyn Lampe / Photo

BACKSTAGE WORK: Manager Jamelynn “Jaymo” Callahan gives sophomore football player Nick Irvin his helmet back after fixing it. According to Coach Mike Graham, the managers are often actually putting in more hours than the players.

<< sports 27

HiLite • November 20, 2009

Hounds challenge belief: high school team cannot be a dynasty “dynasty” thrown around when talking about high school athletics. Why is that?

Pretty simple: high school “dynasties” have to contend with a four-year turnaround, maximum. While coaches in professional sports are given years upon years to build a franchise core, the average high school coach gets four years (except for super senior cases) to build his dynasty.

After that, you start clean.

parker myers Only in America can a sports team be grouped with some of the greatest political forces of all time. Where else are great athletic organizations synonymous with royal legacies and imperial families?

The word “dynasty,” usually reserved for emperors and their families, has taken on a new meaning when referring to sports.

You can’t find a better example of a dynasty than the 57 to 69 Boston Celtics, winning 11 titles in those 13 years. The 46 to 62 New York Yankees and the 74 to 79 Pittsburgh Steelers also fall into that category. Nevertheless, you never hear the word

Every year, a high school coach has to contend with losing his most veteran, and often most talented, players as they head off to college. Every year is a rebuilding year, so to speak. It takes one heck of a coach, then, to maintain consistency throughout the years.

date and never satisified until a championship is won.

And Carmel is closing in on another State Finals.At first glance, it seems as if Carmel is not playing to its full potential this postseason. The Greyhounds scraped by a 4-5 Westfield team, and almost got beat by a tough team in the Fishers Tigers.

In the game against Hamilton Southeastern, Carmel finally started to hit stride, even though the team only scored 17 points. The team then traveled to Fort Wayne Snider, where they once again closed out a game in the final minutes.

Even so, you’ve got to remember that Carmel is undefeated this post-season. In every game, no matter what the expectations, no matter the stats, the Greyhounds have come away with a victory.

Not many coaches can say that they have one of the top winning percentages in the state of Indiana. Head Coach Moriarity is one of them, and has three State Championship rings to show for it.

I find it hard to label any high school team a dynasty. The Carmel Greyhounds, under Coach Mo Moriarity, have certainly challenged this belief.

It takes a special kind of coach to lead a high school football team. This coach must be constantly innovative, always up-to-

Parker Myers is a reporter for the Hilite. Contact him at pmyers@hilite.org.

Q & A with State Runner-UP Chris walden

By David Zheng

Q: How is your second place finish in the State meet this year going to motivate you to perform even better next year?

A: I lost to a very good runner, (Futsum Zeinasellassie), who could potentially be one of the nation’s best. Honestly, I think 2nd is really the best I can finish next year, but it’s really about training and trying to improve my time next year.

Q: What’s your mentality when you run against such a good runner like Futsum?

A: When you’re running against runners like Futsum that are so good, you’ve just got to take them out of the equation and just run against everyone else, and just worry about beating them.

Q: How do you plan on training in the offseason?

A: I run year round, so I run pretty much every day of the year. This winter I’m going to be trying to build my mileage up to 50-55 miles a week, and after track season’s over I’ll hopefully get it up to 60-65 miles a week for next summer.

Q: Have you been contacted by any colleges?

A: I haven’t gotten too much contact because coaches aren’t really allowed to call juniors, but I’ve gotten some letters from a lot of schools. I’ve gotten stuff from Duke, IU, Tennessee, LSU and Indiana State.

Nick Johnson / Photo

SECOND PLACE: Runner and junior Christopher “Chris” Walden heads toward he finish line in the State meet. He placed second overall, with a time of 16:01.0, to North Central runner Futsum Zeinasellassie, and Carmel placed fourth overall.

Q: Anything else you’d like readers to know?

A: Tom Ohlman had an eighth place finish and also ran a great meet at the State meet. We tied for the highest placing top two at a State meet in Carmel’s history.

28 perspectives >>

HiLite • November 20, 2009

staff perspective

Students should become media literate

T

hrough mass media and the Internet, high school students in today’s society have access to news sources around the clock.

and the wide range of topics it covers. Students must

There is no doubt that the media is forever changing and expanding, allowing news to be spread to a larger number of people in a shorter amount of time. However, not all these sources of information are credible, nor should they be relied upon for news.

In the face of increased exposure to mass media, students must have a good understanding of which news sources are reliable.

This task of interpreting reliability is made harder by

According to the Pew Research Center*, more than 60 percent of Americans looked to television stations for information about the swine flu and 49 percent used the Internet for information. In a Pew Research Center survey, 25 percent said the Internet was the most reliable news source about the swine flu.

Since many of today’s news sources are changing to online, students should understand and research the background of a news source with regards to bias and credibility.

than others and learn to rely only on credible sources.

opinionated Web sites and television shows.

Media literacy is not something only high school students are lacking. According to Pew Internet, 50 percent of Americans with a college degree or higher educations use Wikipedia due to its convenience

What is your most trusted news program on television?

“I think Channel 13 is most reliable and their personalities are funny too.”

According to an unscientific poll on Time.com**, 44 percent of viewers chose John Stewart, the comedian who hosts “ The Daily Show,” as the most trusted newscaster over the anchors of three major networks.

Regardless of where you get your news from, students need to be aware of the background of their sources, as well as any possible bias that could skew the information being presented.

However, Wikipedia, a sight where the public is free to write and make changes to articles, ranked as the second most visited site. In addition, Myspace ranked as the fifth most visited and Facebook ranked ninth.

Compiled by katie walstrom

understand that some news sources are more accurate

Our stand

Also according to the Pew Research Center, the most visited Internet sight with regards to swine flu in April 2009 was the federal CDC.

speak up!

Students and society as a whole must learn that this show and many like it, while providing entertainment, should not be seen as credible nor relied upon as a news source.

Sophomore Katie Ayers “I don’t really watch the news.”

As technology and the rapidly changing mass media blurs the line between entertainment and credible news, it becomes increasingly important for students to become media literate and know what is legitimate information.

The wealth of information the media provides is not useful to students if they cannot discern what is reliable.

While it does not matter where students look to for news, it is important they research the background of the news source, recognize biases in today’s media and understand what is credible and can be relied upon.

Junior Brooke Baldwin

“I prefer Fox 59 to other news channels.”

*Editor’s note: Media literacy in action. Pew Research Center is an unbiased research organization providing information through polls and surveys. **Time.com’s poll is unscientific since it surveys only viewers on the site, which may not accurately represent the entire population.

Senior Cameron Lee

<< perspectives 29

HiLite • November 20, 2009

Pivotal changes can take place at desperate moments cashing business, but instead, knelt and prayed with the fearful attendant, Angela Montez.

What I quickly wrote off as the typical “guy from the wrong side of the tracks making a vain attempt to do good” story quickly turned into something more as I watched a tearful and jumpsuit-clad Smith on Oprah only days later.

lauren burdick While I may not be completely void of compassion, it is true that I rarely cry in response to events not directly affecting my life. I can proudly state that I have never cried during a movie or television program, reality or otherwise, regardless of the sap factor. In all senses of the word, I am stoic and happily immune to the sorrow of the big and small screens.

For this reason, I was caught off guard a few weeks ago when I sat on my couch in tears, bawling, to be exact, while watching Oprah, a show I rarely have the time or patience to watch.

Earlier that week, local news stations reported that Gregory Smith, 23, of Indianapolis, attempted to burglarize a check-

Smith formerly served in the armed forces and was trying to provide for his fiancee and small child. He said he felt a connection with Montez and found himself in awe by her forgiving words. It struck me suddenly that this man was genuine.

never cross in my day-to-day living, single-handedly changed my perspective. All initial reports led me to believe that Smith’s prayer was an act caught by surveillance video designed to curb his inevitable jail time.

It wasn’t until I heard Smith’s and Montez’s stories firsthand that I realized how wrong my thoughts had been. If a pivotal change could take place in a man like Gregory Smith’s most desperate moment, certainly a change could take place in me or anyone else.

Smith hadn’t meant harm; he only found himself in the wrong situation. In the end, Smith acted in the only way he knew how given his situation, and his remorse was obvious. His unexpected character was what had surprised me the most and undoubtedly brought on the unprecedented waterworks on my behalf.

Countless times, I have been told that people are not what they seem. And while I have earnestly tried to maintain an objective view of people, it was never legitimate for me until Gregory Smith’s teary words came streaming live from a Marion County jail cell. His honest words struck me like few things ever had and provoked a change in how I view people today. It was in that sap-filled moment on my couch that I realized that if everyone were open to seeing people for what they truly are, instead of what they appear to be, more tears of change might flow.

I admittedly have been guilty of judging books by their unbecoming covers. Gregory Smith, a man I probably would

Lauren Burdick is student section editor for the HiLite. Contact her at lburdick@hilite.org.

graphic perspective

Rebecca Xu / Art

30 perspectives >>

HiLite • November 20, 2009

Technology becoming dominant medium in today’s society

david zheng As our adviser Jim Streisel always reminds us, the times are changing in the field of journalism. Readers are relying more and more on accessing their information from online sources instead of from print publications, rendering newspapers such as our very own HiLite more and more obsolete. And sure enough, there is statistical evidence to validate Streisel’s claim.

According to a digital marketing video made by The Economist magazine, newspaper circulation is down 7 million over the last 25 years, while in contrast, according to that same video, in the last five years, unique readers of online newspapers are up 30 million.

We need to accommodate these staggering changes, as it is obvious that technology is becoming the dominant medium for information in our day and age. One way to adapt to these changes would be for this school to embrace students’ use of technology.

Not only would accessing classroom material online be efficient, but it would also help bridge the gap between the current method of accessing information through text sources and through the dominating medium of technology. And there are obviously many advantages to such a plan. Online textbooks would eliminate book fees and the burden of having to carry around textbooks for every class. Additionally, online textbooks could be updated more frequently, rendering them more current and, therefore, more useful.

students during school hours when it sometimes not always possible. Also, a majority of college students have laptops, and regular laptop usage in class would make the transition from high school to college much smoother.

Finally, providing more ways to communicate online is a must.

Some teachers here have made it an option for students to access sites such as Moodle to submit assignments and access course materials, which also yields many advantages. It’s a lot less of a hassle for the teacher, as he/she would not have to carry around giant stacks of papers that need to be graded, and it’s a lot less of a hassle for the student, who now would not need to worry about losing any assignments because they would already have been submitted online. Additionally, the changes help the environment, because there is not as much paper waste due to the fact essays would no longer need to be printed out.

With all these possible ways to adapt to the growing medium of technology, there seem to only be advantages. If there’s nowhere to go but up, there’s no reason why Carmel shouldn’t go along with technology’s increasing influence as a medium for information.

“Readers are relying more and more on accessing their information from online sources instead of print publications...”

Online textbooks are already made available for students as a reference in the foreign language classes.

This shows that we are already on our way in adapting to the growing reliance on technology for information. If we are already using the Internet to perform tasks such as submitting essays, checking grades and accessing assignments, then what’s stopping us from completely changing our approach to learning?

Another change could be to encourage the use of laptop computers. Schools in the Indianapolis area such as Guerin and University already mandate laptop usage in class. And these schools might be on to something. Using laptops in school is a great way to facilitate communication between teachers and

David Zheng is sports editor for the HiLite. Contact him at dzheng@hilite.org.

High school curriculum has become increasingly difficult

marianna cooper Last Monday night, as I struggled through my AP Calculus homework, I asked my parents, both engineers, for help with a problem. After spending a futile hour trying to work it out, I told them that I would just ask my teacher. Then, it occurred to me that my classes must be advanced if my two collegeeducated parents had difficulty helping me. Granted, they use a limited selection of high-level math in their jobs on a daily basis; there are some problems that they just have not seen in a while. At the same time, how much more difficult is my high school education than it was for my parents?

I decided to dig out my parents’ old transcripts and found that neither of them had taken any AP classes in high school. According to the collegeboard.com, the College Board established the AP program only 54 years ago, in 1955.

Today, the College Board offers more than 30 tests in subjects ranging from Spanish Literature to Chemistry. As listed in the Program of Studies, 28 of these subject areas will be offered as AP courses at Carmel High School during the 2010-2011 school year. However, the first AP class was not even offered at this school until the late 1990s.

Although they have only been part of Carmel’s curriculum for about 10 years, AP classes have become a standard on most students’ transcripts. One of the options to earn an Academic Honors Diploma is to earn four credits of an AP course and take the corresponding exams. In 1970, only 72,000 AP exams were administered. However, in 2002, approximately 900,000 students took more than 1.5 million AP exams.

Therefore, classes at the high school level have become more advanced for the current generation of high school

students. The coursework and pressure students face with AP classes is the same as that experienced by college students.

However in high school, students are younger, spending more than seven hours of their day in classes, while still trying to keep up with athletics and extra-curricular activities and completing homework to prepare for their advanced classes.

With AP curriculum, we participate in the same activities as our parents once did, while facing the added pressure of higher level classes. While it would not be accurate to say that our parents did not work hard in high school or learn anything of importance, it is true that the college level courses add a rigorous dimension to our high school experience.

Although it is slightly frustrating to know that AP coursework expectations are higher today than they were for most of our parents, it is possible to stay optimistic. AP classes and higher standards will better prepare us for college. Once we enter into professional careers, our increasingly difficult education will hopefully bring about change.

Marianna Cooper is a reporter for the HiLite. Contact her at mcooper@hilite.org.

<< perspectives 31

HiLite • November 20, 2009

Jon and Kate lose respect after divorce news, a place that should be reserved for stories and issues that matter, started talking about them. Not only was I incredibly annoyed at their Jon and Kate invasion, I was also mad that they would risk their own children. What selfish parents would have a public battle of divorce at the cost of their own children? Apparently, Jon and Kate.

darlene pham In 2004, America was introduced to the Gosselins: an adorable family of 10, consisting of a pair of twins and, miraculously, sextuplets. What started as a one-hour special on the family’s journey and miracle moment turned into a weekly show documenting the lives of the Gosselins.

While I was a huge fan of this show, memorizing all the kids’ names and admiring Jon and Kate for their ability to take care of 10 young children, this all changed this summer when rumors of Jon’s love affair broke out. This rumor spiraled into an overly dramatic battle between the two parents which ultimately ended in divorce.

All my previous respect and admiration for the two parents dissolved as quickly as the drama of Jon and Kate invaded the news. They were soon on every single cover of every tabloid and gossip magazine. I was astounded that the

The sad situation is, Jon and Kate aren’t the only parents who exploit their children. TLC, the TV cable network that allows for these parents to do that exploitation also airs shows such as “18 Kids and Counting” and “Table for 12.” All three shows present large families and share with the nation the special memories and moments of their children’s lives. It seems that every tidbit of these kids’ lives are shown, from toilet training to every emotional breakdown.

Another thing, when “Jon & Kate Plus 8” aired, it was original.

No one had seen it before and those Gosselin kids were just too adorable. Now, it’s just the same show with different families. It’s also apparently encouraging people to have large families in hopes of having their own exploitation of their children. The woman deemed as “Octomom” is an example. Rumors have been flying around that she might get her own show. Seriously people, it’s getting old. You have a big family, big deal.

Darlene Pham is a reporter for the HiLite. Contact her at dpham@hilite.org.

graphic perspective

More Opinions Online www.hilite.org

michelle hu Prohibiting gay marriage is a denial of American values “We need to let the state or federal legislatures decide the fate of gay marriage.

The importance of having a representative democracy in place is that they (the congressmen) can be held accountable. ” check out blogs Online www.hilite.org

grayson harbour Should Guantanamo be shut down?

Meredith Boyd / Art

“Guantanamo. A maximum security U.S. prison in Cuba.

A place and a name that still is remembered by the world population as an example of everything that is wrong with America. Namely, the torture of its inmates.”

32 fifteen minutes >>

Finding her ‘Fur-sona’

HiLite • November 20, 2009

Junior Natalie Duvanenko designs costumes for fun

By Michelle Yun myun@hilite.org

What is the process of designing and making a costume?

There is no set “process” or way to work because each person has their own style. As for constructing a fur-suit, I thought about what would be the easiest way to produce something of that caliber – with quality materials – and dove into working on it. It has taken me two years to get all the materials and complete it, but it was worth it. As for if someone else wanted to find an easy way to construct one, YouTube and deviantART would be the best places to start for tutorials if your own personal “process” works that way.

Has anyone ever commissioned you to make a full costume?

As of now, no. I have however had some small commissions for friends inside and outside of Carmel High School. Nothing too big like a costume though. Just simple sketches and digital artwork.

How do you come up with ideas?

To tell the truth (and not that I wouldn’t anyway), they just come to me. Most of my ideas come from experiences I have had or dreams. I tend to personify life’s hardships and joy through my work, artwork, music and writing alike.

Describe some of your works/projects/sketches so far.

My largest project so far, and favorite to talk about is my fur-suit. She is of one of my oldest self-defining characters to date. A ‘fur-sona ‘ is a character, normally of a furry animal, that is used to represent yourself. She is my fur-sona. (She has a name, but I don’t like using it much because her and I are really one being.) The fur-suit took the longest amount of time to complete, but was well worth it.

What types of material do you need?

For a fur-suit, there are many materials you need. Many of my other ideas are sketched out, which over time Most depend on the complexity of the suit. A basic list I have lost interest in or literally lost within the school or would include, half inch foam, low heat hot glue gun at home. I don’t just work on fur-suits all the time; I enjoy and extra glue, high quality faux fur and fabric scissors. creating many other non-animal-oriented costumes as As for anything else, that depends on the piece. well. Most I am not very proud of, therefore, I never display As I said above, getting started varies depending on how them in sketch form. you like to work. I like working more freely and loosely, but not everyone is like that. Planning what you would like to construct first and finding materials would be the best place to start.

From Sketch to Completion

Do you plan to pursue costume designing ?

To submit nominations for 15 Minutes of Fame, e-mail Afra Hussain at ahussain@ hilite.org

It would be a huge honor for me to be able to work as a full-time costume designer, yet I do not have any contacts with professionals or even know how to start up a fullscale business thus far. As for the future, I would love to do something with this on the side but that depends on the number of commissions I receive and where I could get employment besides being self employed.

Kaitlyn Lampe and Katie Norman / photo illustration

Want to make a fur suit of your own?

Natalie Duvanenko shares a few tips.

Materials: Half-inch foam Glue gun

Faux fur Fabric scissors

Directions: 1. Sketch your design (right).

2. Find a pattern that matches your sketch (available in most craft or fabric stores).

3. Follow the directions from the pattern.