HAMILTON SOUTHEASTERN HIGH SCHOOL
THE LANGUAGE BETWEEN US
IN THIS ISSUE...
HSE WOMAN-UP
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DONATION DETRIMENTS
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THE LANGUAGE BETWEEN US
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ATHLETE OF THE ISSUE
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STAFF MEMBERS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Lucas Bisesi
STAFF MEMBERS Elizabeth Moodispaugh Lauren Riina Isabella Romaine Vivianna Esqueda Tristan Fluhr Bailey Lincoln Delaney Crace Joshua Matasovsky Cassidy Hayes Hannah Elkins Madeline Nelsen
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ADVISERS
Jordyn Guinen Jordan Klobusnik David Young
STAFF SHOUTOUT BROADCAST
Noah Ashcraft Eric Bedrosian Alexander Brammer William Cantwell Andrew Carlin Garrett Dodridge Xavier Dokes Mackenzie Dreher David Hosei Nolan Houseman Jonathan Ouellette Jackson Snyder Liz has been an extremely helpful member of the staff with her Keegan Stein consistent dedication to assisting others in any way she can. Liz is also a proficient graphic designer, with multiple page designs perfected by her. Additionally, she always brings an irreplacable comedic essence to the newsroom.
ELIZABETH MOODISPAUGH
FACE IN THE CROWD:
OLIVIA LUND
JUNIOR SPEAKS ON CAREER IN MODELING Throughout the pandemic, many of us have picked up new interests. For some it may have been baking, painting, or maybe even filmmaking. For Olivia Lund, she fulfilled her curiosity of the modeling industry. Lund first began modeling in September of 2020, submitting pictures to various agencies, not thinking much of it. “I had always been interested in modeling since I was young, but never had the initiative to do anything about it,” Lund said. “Over quarantine I saw some TikToks about how one could get started, so then I did my research and finally applied!” After talking with different agencies, Lund finally decided to sign up for Select Model Global in October. Select Model Global is a nationally known modeling agent, representing talents like Irana Shayk and Will Chalker. Signing with Select Model Global has given Lund amazing opportunities. In December, Lund traveled to Chicago, where she molded different pieces, soon to find her image in a magazine. “I was surprised, but super excited!” Lund said. “I had known the shoot would likely be picked up by a magazine, but it was so cool to hear it was Marie Claire!” While she only recently started, she has already come across a few challenges. When she first signed with Select, she traveled to Chicago nearly 6 times that month, causing her schedule to be a bit hectic. Lund also described that everything in the industry tends to be last minute, causing things to be more
stressful than sometimes necessary. Even though a sometimes-hectic schedule, causing Lund to travel last minute, she continues to make school a priority. As a junior in high school, Lund balances the stresses of modeling all while completeing her schoolwork. “If I know ahead of time that I might be going out of town during the week I make sure to get ahead on my schoolwork, and prepare either way,” Lund said. “I like to work on as much homework as I can during the day at school as to avoid a lot of work outside of school.” Regardless of the challenges that Lund has faced, the experiences have made it all worth it. The thrill of modeling unique pieces, different traveling opportunities, and reviewing her shots have made the challenges all worth it. These experiences have led Lund to meet a whole new community of people, some she would never have expected. “I love getting to meet all of these brandnew people at every shoot,” Lund said. “[I love] getting to learn more about them and their creative process.” The modeling industry can bring a whole new sense of pressure. Having the camera pointed at you can be a little nerve racking, as well as meeting new people at the shoot. Lund, however, has been able to overcome those nerves and have a great time. “Sometimes when I first start shooting for a day, I am a little nervous, especially because you don’t meet the people you’ll be working with until the day of,” Lund said. “But after a bit of time and getting to meet the team, I definitely ease up and
become more comfortable.” Though Lund has enjoyed modeling so far, with COVID-19, she’s not sure what she wants to do with modeling in the future. As we know, everything in our lives has become unpredictable, so it’s difficult to tell what could happen in the future. “I guess right now my goal would be to just have fun with the experience,” Lund said. “To take it as far as it will take me!” Story by Hannah Elkins. Photo contributed. Photo taken by Adam Mayer, Hair and Makeup done by Celena San Juan.
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HSE WOMAN-UP
CLUB FOUNDERS DISCUSS ORIGINS, GOALS There are problems that continue to arise in our world that are not addressed. At HSE, the idea of inequality continues to present itself. The feelings of helplessness and condescension are shown when young women try to express themselves. Junior Misha Bukkasagaram has encountered problems surrounding the stigmas about gender equality in school. As a colored woman, Misha has taken action to solve the problems she and many others have faced at school. She has done this by creating the HSE Woman Up club, an organization that promotes including and listening to everyone’s personal struggles. Through this club, Misha wants to inspire herself and others to stand up to the stigma that is placed on them. “I recognized that many of the problems that woman deal with today are not addressed in school,” junior and Woman Up Club president Misha Bukkasagaram said. “We continue to ignore the gender equality and sexism unfortunately that persists.” There are many young women who feel scared to open up about personal topics. The HSE Woman Up club was created to make those same young women feel comfortable. This organization provides a safe and affirming space to support each other. Women come together to express their ideas, learn, and grow. Misha Bukkasagaram has gained confidence by experience upon observation. She created the Woman Up club to share with other young women why is it so important it speak out for what you believe in and gain your own confidence. “A lot of the issues we will be discussing through the clubs are topics I faced growing up, or still face today,” business teacher Kristin Lidstrom said. “Such as unrealistic beauty standards, misogyny, and the pay gap.” This club’s intention is to talk about the subjects that may be taboo to others. Kristin Lidstrom was willing to be the club sponsor because she felt like she could relate to the topics and goals of the club. The unrealistic beauty standards stem from the pressure social media puts on the audience. Young women in high school look up to actresses and social media influencers as inspiration.
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These inspirations can quickly turn to infatuations, where viewers rick losing themselves in the idolization of celebrities. Other topics, like misogyny and the pay gap, are other discussions the HSE Women Up club encourages. The Woman Up club wants to end the stigma around these topics and many more. “All of our events and meetings are virtual,” Misha Bukkasagaram said. “But we want to continue creating a safe environment for women to express themselves and be educated upon issues regarding women’s rights, empowerment, and issues we face today.” As many clubs and school organizations have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, HSE Women Up has unfortunately not been an exception. Nevertheless, the club and its officers continue to power through this crisis. Much like other HSE organizations and class schedules, HSE Women Up adapted to virtual meeting spaces. In a socially distanced setting, young women continue to be educated on issues and injustices they face. “Not only will we educate our club members about issues women face today,” Bukkasagaram said. “We will also provide our club members the opportunity to use their knowledge to create a change and apply what they have learned.” HSE Women Up’s biggest long-term goal is to prepare young women in high school to combat the injustice and stereotypes that face them as they exit High School, however the ability to apply what they learn is by far one of the most invaluable experiences provided by the club. By providing and empowering young woman through HSE Woman Up, the women of tomorrow will be able to become leaders in society and be able to make definitive and permanent changes in society to combat the numerous amounts of double standards that exist today targeting women. HSE Woman Up has been a club that, despite the issues Covid-19 presents, has begun to garner attention from students. The goals and challenges they wish to tackle are long-term, and through the empowerment the club provides, such goals will be possible, and a more equal
future will be attainable. Story by Madeline Nelsen and Josh Matasovsky
“Not only will we educate our club members about issues women face today, We will also provide our club members the opportunity to use their knowledge to create a change and apply what they have learned.”
STAYING CONNECTED
VIRTUAL STUDENT DISCUSSES LEARNING EXPERIENCE, TECHINCAL DIFFICULTIES COVID-19 put a pause to in-school learning for 6 months, resorting to students being in school virtually. Virtual learning was and still is a challenge for HSE students as some are not in a position to be able to return. One of the biggest challenges of virtual learning for many students is the strength of their internet connection. Junior Remington Fletcher lives in the countryside of Central Indiana where the WiFi signal is not as strong compared to the signal most students who live in Fishers get, hindering her virtual learning experience. The obstacle of poor internet connection during a time where virtual learning is necessary for many families is one that is not easily resolved. “I’ve had several staff members tell me to just come back,” Fletcher said. “[Right now] that isn’t what is best for me or my family, so I won’t be returning.” Students around the nation have adapted to online learning however by teaching themselves some of the material. “I would say learning-wise I did fine, but I took matters into my own hands,” Fletcher said. “For the majority of this year I’ve taught myself how to do everything except math, really.” Having access to strong and stable internet from home is a resource not all families can access. When home becomes the classroom, participating in class can be difficult through technical difficulties. “[It’s stressful] when trying to participate in class,” Fletcher said. “Especially when the microphone won’t work because the WiFi is glitching.” Finding motivation to engage in the virtual classroom is also a challenge many students face while being completely virtual. “I didn’t really retain or engage in anything the teachers taught,” Fletcher said. “Mainly because I was distracted and uninterested when I knew I could teach myself later.” The technical difficulties weak internet
connections cause also impact the connection between the teacher and student. Teachers and completely virtual students can only connect through the internet, making it difficult for teacher to get to know some students. “I struggled a lot with getting connected with my teachers,” Fletcher said. “It was hard to show them that I’m a hardworking student, especially [since] they had never met me in person before.” Adapting to virtual learning is already a difficult challenge, especially when the connection between teachers and the internet are weak. Finding ways to stay on track with schoolwork was the first step to creating a better learning environment with what is available. “I keep a paper planner where I can physically write out what classes I have each day, the assignments I have, where they’re located online, and what my goals are for the day,” Fletcher said. “This helps me keep a focus for the day and keep myself from getting overwhelmed.” Without the reliability of the internet, it was important for Fletcher to have a back-up plan. By forming habits that allowed Fletcher to be as productive as possible, it became easier to stay on track with her classwork. “Sometimes I will have 6 assignments due in one night,” Fletcher said. “It really just comes down to planning out times to do them throughout the day instead of spending 4 or 5 hours consecutively on all of them.” Forming connections with teachers makes it easier for students to feel comfortable reaching out. Virtually forming this connection can be difficult but is necessary to ensure a student is successful. “I always heard the phrase, ‘If you need help, stay on or go to office hours,’ at the end of Zoom calls,” Fletcher said. “It was never personal enough to convince me they were actually willing to help.” When a connection started to form,
Fletcher’s learning experience improved given her technological circumstance. “My college algebra teacher Mrs. McAllister has been so beyond helpful,” Fletcher said. “She offered to help when I got behind, works with me every week outside of class on separate zoom calls to make sure I get the one-on-one time I need to be successful in her class.” It is necessary for students and teachers to be able to connect in one way or another so that both can help problem solve in a situation. Coming to a mutual understanding and cooperation, virtual learning can be made as inclusive as possible for students in a situation similar to this. As a student in this situation, Fletcher thought of helpful things that can be done to make the one hundred percent virtual experience as helpful as possible. “[Something that would help] would be posting summaries on the [class] canvas page also including videos,” Fletcher said. “Half of the time I have no idea what they are saying or showing because of the connection.” With both teachers and students both trying to make virtual learning as effective as possible in an unpredictable and stressful time, sometimes an act of empathy is all a student needs. “The best thing that can be done for people [in situations] like me is to show compassion and understanding,” Fletcher said. “It’s a hard time for all of us.” In difficult times such as the time we are going through now, finding ways to help students who are unable to attend school in person and have poor internet connection can improve their learning experience. Acknowledging disadvantages of different students’ circumstances can help create as inclusive of an environment as possible. Compassion, understanding, and cooperation can go a long way for many students. Story by Vivianna Esqueda.
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DONATION DETRIMENTS PANDEMIC’S EFFECT ON FOOD DRIVES, DONATION CENTERS COVID-19 has ripped through the country taking many things along with it such as jobs, homes, schools, and food security. Many have had to turn to food banks and receiving unemployment money to keep taking care of themselves and their families. Unfortunately, with this increase of uses such as food banks and pantries, it has caused much distress at these donation facilities.
“When Americans began stocking up on toilet paper, pasta, dried beans, and anything else they could get their hands on, supermarkets no longer had the excess, nor the time, to do the kind of shelf sweeps to check what they could give” It has been over 10 months since the beginning of the pandemic, and over those 10 months, 25% of American citizens have had a family member or have personally lost a job due to COVID-19 according to pewresearch. org. Even if some have not lost their job, over 32% of adults had to reduce their hours or take a pay cut. With this number only increasing, the need for food from the banks became larger. CEO of Feeding San Diego, Vince Hall, explained in an interview with NBC News that he saw this firsthand with many of those coming being new users. “Whatever constellation of economic factors comes to bear on them, they went from having a middle-class life to being in need of hunger relief services in a snap of a finger,” Hall said. “And so that is all creating complex challenges for the food distribution system.” According to feedingamerica.org, during the pandemic, food banks
have seen a 55% increase in people seeking help from their services. Because of this increase, food banks are scrambling to find ways to get the food to give to those in need. Usually, food banks receive donations from grocery stores but with many buying in stock out of fear, it has greatly affected the amount of donations food drives receive. Expert on poverty and food assistance, Janet Poppendieck, expands on the issue in her podcast, “COVID Highlights the Trouble with Charity Food”. When Americans began stocking up on toilet paper, pasta, dried beans, and anything else they could get their hands on, supermarkets no longer had that excess, nor the time, to do the kind of shelf sweeps to check what they could give.” The situation is no better for Indiana, with a new study conducted by the Indy Hunger Network revealing that the meal gap in Marion County, home to Indianapolis, has doubled between February and June. The meal gap is a common term used to refer to the additional number of meals needed to achieve food security, meaning that Marion County has gone from needing 380,000 additional meals to 740,000 in only five months. Indy Hunger Network’s Managing Director Kate Howe attributed the spike to the loss of jobs during the pandemic. “There were a lot of people who were out of work and were seeking assistance for the first time, or for the first time in a long time,” Howe said. However, rising numbers are not the only obstacle food banks are facing during these difficult times. Every step of storing, organizing, and distributing food is a risk to both volunteers and those lining up to receive help. Joe Slater, the COO of Gleaners Food Bank of Indiana, called an emergency meeting on March 9th when COVID rates were first growing, knowing changes were needed to keep everyone safe. “Businesses began to send employees home, volunteer groups were cancelling, and we were just
learning that social distancing was the key to containing the spread and flattening the curve,” Slater said. “The thought of having hundreds of people sitting in close quarters in our reception area waiting to shop was not something we wanted to do.” The Gleaners staff had to quickly put together emergency food boxes and set up a drive through with no-contact distribution. As COVID continued to spread, they had to make additional changes to upkeep safety and convenience, such as adopting mobile pantries and moving the drive through to a garage in order to deal with varying weather conditions. Other problems began to surface for those without transportation, those who could not leave their house due to risk factors, or those who were ill and quarantining at home. According to Gleaners’ website, two volunteers named Kerauno and Genesys set up call and texts numbers for home-bound clients to request food baskets, and later an app that converted those calls and messages to email submissions. The submissions were then fielded by the Indy Hunger Network Staff whose normal duties were put on hold due the pandemic. Other nonprofits also helped Gleaners, such as Nine13 Sports who typically focuses on fitness in school but offered their cycling trailers to deliver food. Anthem, Inc provided Spanish translation services to increase accessibility. The program successfully launched on April 1, and in four months, over 10,000 emergency boxes have been delivered. Others continue to pitch in and help, with the addition of fresh fruit and vegetables and Second Helpings joining to provide prepared meals for those who can’t cook. Although COVID-19 has created hardships beyond measure for many people across America, there are still many ways people can help. A simple food or monetary donation to a local foodbank could make the world of difference to those in need. Story by Elizabeth Moodispaugh and Isabella Romaine.
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THE LANGUAGE BETWEEN US
Story continues on Page 9...
Language Barriers are becoming less and less common in the world as translators via smartphones are available to us in our pockets wherever we go. The world is constantly able to communicate, albeit with some difficulty at times. The English language is spoken in 67 countries around the world, yet the importance of learning a world language or ASL is as high as ever. HSE Schools believe in the importance of being multilingual, evidenced in their various world language classes. Spanish, French, and German are all world language courses offered at HSE. An academic honors diploma requires that a student must take three years of a world language or two years of world language and two years of ASL. The education of students is not just a fad in the school district either. All around the world, schools are teaching foreign languages. There are many key benefits to being multilingual, on top of just being able to communicate with people from other cultures. “Being proficient in ASL allows you to communicate with a wide range of hearing, hard of hearing, and deaf individuals,” Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing teacher Jeanne Peters said. “Fishers is one of the largest cities with Deaf/Hard of Hearing people and it’s awesome going to different business where I will personally find someone there who knows some signs. Whenever this happens, I feel that I am valued and deserves the attention that I can provide for their businesses.” Peters, being deaf herself, has been a great example to many students and faculty on why there are advantages of being bilingual. Someone who can only speak one language is restricted to being able to
communicate with people that can only speak that same language. When an individual is able to understand and communicate a second or maybe even third language, it broadens the perspectives and experiences that person can have.
Foreign Languages and ENL
Within a mostly English-oriented school like HSE, it may be difficult to see the importance of ENL and bilingual students. Senior Daniella Martinex moved to Fishers in 2016 from Nuevo León, Mexico. “Being a bilingual student in an English school is an interesting experience”, Martinez said. “School is a more difficult because you have to learn a whole different language, but also a different culture.” When it comes to be submerged into a new culture and school, becoming comfortable with new classes and friends is a challenge many people face. However, when it comes to being an ENL student, there is an entirely new challenge with understanding the language. “When I began to learn English there were obstacles like words with different meanings or abbreviations, and it’s a topic that we talk in a lot in our bilingual groups,” Martinez said. “Some teachers are more understanding about this, but other teachers don’t always compensate or believe that since we don’t
understand that we are not as smart.” Many times, ENL students are separated from their English-speaking classmates. Though they are divided by their languages, each student has the rudimentary characteristics of a teenager navigating adolescence. “I feel that as a person there isn’t much difference between an English-speaking high schooler and a bilingual student,” Martinez said. “Both have likes, hobbies, opinions, but I feel that the language barrier and not having clear communication between both parties is what makes living as a bilingual student in an English school difficult.” HSE’s bilingual students are from all over the world, and sometimes, it can be more difficult to find students who speak the same language. In 2019, junior David Shaker moved from Kuwait, and in only a few years, he amazed teachers in his classes with his fast understanding of English. “I knew Arabic before, and I understood all the different dialects of Arabic, but when I began to learn English, it was more of a British-English,” Shaker said. “So, when I moved here, I was mostly trying to learn and understand the American accent. It was a big switch for me because I went to always speaking Arabic to speaking English full-time.” Story Continues on Page 10
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An understanding of English has importance in the United States, but the diversity that falls within languages can create a new setting within a learning environment. “The ENL class already has teachers who speak multiple languages, including some who speak Arabic, so it is not always a big deal when other students don’t,” Shaker said. “But if there is someone who speaks my language it could definitely help. If I didn’t know something or understand a word, I could easily ask them. As I learn English better, I get to understand my classes better and have the opportunity to get more creative.” Shaker, knowing two different languages and lifestyles, has the opportunity to compare American and Egyptian culture. By putting both languages into use, he strengthens his knowledge of a language and gets to open himself to learning more about America. Shaker experiences real life use of his second language, an opportunity that does not always come to English students taking a world language class.
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Language can hold much more than words; within them, origins are kept. By understanding one another in the classroom, students are open to understanding diverse cultures and people.
ASL and Braille
Different languages extend from country to country, but the normalized use of American Sign Language (ASL) and braille can be beneficial for people across the world. “I think that ASL is growing, and more people are getting interest,” senior and ASL member Spencer Dowd said. More people are seeing the art of talking with your hands, and it’s great exposure to learn in a school environment. ASL is more than just signing with your hands, it’s about the culture.” Language is often only seen as verbal, but sign language can connect the deaf community to everyone else. The correct communication creates equal opportunity in a classroom environment. “If someone is hard of hearing, then people being aware and able to help will greatly impact the learning environment for both of them,” Dowd said. “It’s important that the hard of hearing
people get the same information that other hearing people receive.” Many people are hesitant to jump into a new language due to the time commitment. Learning the grammar, proper signals, and culture takes time and effort, but understanding how to address the situation can be just as helpful. “Even when you don’t know how to sign, if someone hard of hearing needs help you could possibly pull out your phone and type it,” Dowd said. “More people should know ASL because it’s fun, but it also helps communicate with people that might not have the same capability to get information on their own.” Another major language developed for those with physical disabilities is Braille. Sophomore Emily Nelson has a vision impairment, Cone Rod Dystrophy, that impacts many aspects of her vision. The most significant impairment happens in dark or dim lights, rendering her “night blind”. Her condition also distorts and blends colors, and requires Nelson to use a magnifier to see objects far away. “In my life there’s been many things that were inaccessible to because I couldn’t see to the degree required,” Nelson said. “I feared I would fall or get lost, not knowing where I was.” There are more places than the classroom where Braille can help the visually impaired. Being able to read and picture surroundings reveals the need for a tangible language. Story Continues on Page 11
“I have been able to tell what number is on an elevator button of what room I am in by reading Braille,” Nelson said. “It has expanded my independence and made me more confident as a person.” Being equal to school peers does not only help the learning experience, but it can help develop healthy personality traits. Adding Braille accessibility to those who have visual impairments can be compared to adding a wheelchair ramp. “Just like how closed captions are becoming more and more common,” Nelson said. “Braille helps people like me access the world.” Many times, these minority groups feel isolated within a school setting because they might not take in information the same way a seeing, hearing, English student does. However, as time surpasses, more people and venues are becoming adaptable. “I’m thankful for everyone who speaks up for us and add to our voices,” Nelson said. “Helping out world become more accessible for all.” Language is complex, even when your hands do the talking. Keeping the world connected with languages developed centuries ago helps define a culture. The little details of language that develop over time can make a language intricate, and even though it can be a commitment to learn a new language, beginning in high school may develop more blending between cultures and social groups. Story by Lauren Riina and Tristan Fluhr.
WHY IS BEING BILLINGUAL IMPORTANT TO YOU?
“It is important to be able to communicate with other people that do not speak the same language as you” Cooper King,10
“I also speak Creole, and I know how important it is to speak multiple languages and help the people who may not speak English.” Frityala Jean,9
“Being bilingual helps in the future with jobs, but it also allows you to communicate with people and personally learn an entire new culture.” Thomas Randall,11
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FURY IN THE FIELDS INDIAN FARMERS PROTEST NEW AGRICULTURE LAWS
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Trade and Commerce (Production and Facilitation) Act allows farmers to set up a system allowing farmers to sell their produce outside of the Agriculture Produce Market Committees. Anyone who is a license-holder trader may buy the produce from a farmer with a mutually agreed price from both parties. When farmers sell produce in this manner, the produce is free of mandi tax by the state government. Next is the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Act which allows farmers to contract to farm and market their produce freely. Lastly, the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act frees items being edible oils, food grains, pulses, and onions for trading except in special cases. These laws were put in place to give farmers more options to sell their produce. Farmers fear that the laws will collapse the regulated markets, leaving them at the lenience of private buyers. The agricultural sector in India makes up around 15% of the country’s $2.9 trillion economy and has employed around half of their population. According to the India Brand Equity Foundation about 58% of India’s population works in the agriculture industry. The public would say the government created the laws without consulting the farmers of India and didn’t take into account their opinions. These laws quickly gained the attention of the public resulting in protests, riots, and uproar throughout the city of Delhi. The streets of Delhi are flooded with farmers yelling, chanting, and marching.
RICE
COTTON
Swarmed together, thousands and thousands of Indian farmers protested new agriculture laws. According to India Today, the first law passed was The Farmer’s (Empowerment & Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Service Bills which entails that the farmers have price assurance before sowing of the crops. The second law is The Essential Commodities Act (Amendment) Bill entails that cereals, pulses, oilseeds, edible oils, onion, and potatoes are pulled out of the essential commodities list. Lastly, the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill that would “provide for the creation of an ecosystem where the farmers and traders enjoy the freedom of choice relating to sale and purchase of farmers produce.” The availability of water varies with climate. In a small part of the country, their agricultural water is highly seasonal and often depends on the fickle southwest monsoon. With that amount of water, the farmers are only able to grow one crop per year within the areas that lack constant irrigation while the risk of crop failure is very high. The Indo-Gangetic Plain has even flowing rivers from the Himalayas and in through the vast reserves of the groundwater. In the peninsular area of India, farmers rely upon the seasonal rainfall regime. More often than that hard rock formations stiffen up and make it very difficult to sink wells to access the groundwater. Farmers have kept their farms and protected them through thick and thin, then the government proposed three new laws with the intention to help, but later backfired. The first law, the Farmers’ Produce
Protesters and police collided and ended with many injured. Protesters and police collided and ended with many injured. Because of these events, the government began taking precautions for future instances to ensure the safety of their people. With most of the population involved in agriculture, these laws affect a large percentage of people living and working in India. Protesters are taking a stand with their voices and sharing out. This protesting has lasted months, and police are working hard to try and keep everyone safe. Meanwhile, farmers await the next move from fellow farmers or government officials. Still raising their voices, protesters and police roam the streets of India. Story by Cassidy Hayes
“More than 60 percent of India’s 1.3 billion people still depend primarily on agriculture for their livelihood, though the sector accounts for only about 15 percent of the country’s economic
output.” -New York Times
MAJOR INDIAN CASH CROPS
THE FUTURE OF VIRTUAL REALITY EXPLORING VR’S GROWTH, POTENTIAL IMPACT see its potential,” Senior David Gourley, a frequent VR user, said. “It’s just so much more interactive than normal classes or videos.” The introduction of VR to the technology market wasn’t an immediate success, however, with bugs and technical errors rendering most headsets nearly unusable at the start. According to statista.com, only 5 million headsets were sold in 2016, which is a fraction of the 68 million that would eventually be sold in 2020. Despite VR’s shaky beginnings when it came to sales, it has grown rapidly over the years. As funding started to increase for various VR companies, the design and usability of a VR headset was able to be improved heavily, resulting in the massive sales and production of the headsets worldwide. “I didn’t ever buy my own headset until they had been out for a couple of years,” Gourley said. “Now that the technology has improved so much, using a headset is a lot more appealing.” With the potential of virtual reality ranging from education to the medical field, the technology may become an important piece of the future’s education system, and possibly much more. Story by Lucas Bisesi.
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VIRTUAL REALITY THROUGH THE YEARS
Virtual reality, commonly referred to as VR, is a technology platform that simulates the atmosphere around its user. Through the use of a headset, headphones and handheld controllers, a VR user is able to experience a completely different environment than the one around them. Most frequently, VR is used as a tool for playing video games, with virtual reality games allowing players to experience the immersion of a video game at a new level. Despite VR’s roots in the gaming industry, its potential reaches beyond entertainment. The limits of virtual reality continue to be pushed as the technology advances and evolves through the years. With the hyper-realistic viewing quality and interactive movement, VR has become a growing point for students, educators, medical professionals and much more. In the field of education, the aspect of hands-on learning is crucial to learning technical skills, which is one of VR’s strong suits. Over the last few years of VR’s existence, software developers have begun creating applications that are specifically designed for education. One of the most famous among these applications is Surgeon Simulator, which was developed by Oculus Rift in 2016. The simulator allows for a lifelike simulation of an actual surgery, which provided a large benefit to the medical field, especially when it comes to training future medical professionals. In this simulation, surgeons may have unlimited attempts and practice runs, which, in turn, makes the entire medical education process safer and more efficient. Additionally, virtual reality can be utilized in higher and lower-level education, with the atmosphere of a traditional classroom being recreated virtually. With applications like ThingLink, the dynamic of a classroom lecture can be completely shifted, with digital tools and diagrams becoming easily accessible in a VR classroom. “I’ve used my VR headset for a couple of educational apps, and I can definitely
18-year-old Palmer Luckley creates prototype Oculus Rift Headset
2017 HTC, Google, Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Sony, Samsung start VR
2019
2014 Facebook buys Oculus for $2 billion, Google Releases the Cardboard
2018 Oculus releases the “Half Dome.” 140 Degree Field of Vision
Facebook’s VR headset, Oculus “Quest” makes over $5 million in sales
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REMOTE COMPETITION
THE RISE OF E-SPORTS, GROWTH THROUGH THE YEARS Many people play video games for fun, and some may even wish they could make a career out of it, with the rise of eSports it now seems more possible than ever. eSports is a competitive form of gaming that is quickly coming to public light all across the world. Despite the name, the video game you compete on doesn’t even have to be a sports themed game, like NBA2K or Madden. Games like Fortnite, Call-of-Duty, and League of Legends have growing leagues of professional gamers. In April of 2018, NBA commissioner Adam Silver hosted a real draft for 102 professional eSports competitors based around the NBA2K game. Over 50 universities across America have varsity eSports teams for their students and the NACE, the National Association of Collegiate eSports is a recognized board for these students who compete in eSports tournaments. Lots of popular brands are taking part in endorsing eSports competitions and even as far as to endorse the players themselves. For example- Coke, Redbull, Gillette, and Mercedes-Benz have all taken part in advertisements towards the audience that watches eSports competitions. Computer company, Intel, has invested in sponsoring eSports competitions and tournaments as a whole. There has also become an eSports channel called Ginx, that licensed tournaments to broadcast to the fans who could not come in person. This is where streaming platforms online, have come in to play. Even popular celebrities have taken part in endorsing this community. Basketball legend, Michael Jordan has invested $26m in an eSports team. Rapper, Drake has also invested money, by becoming to co-owner of a Fortnite gaming team in 2018. On Shark Tank, Ashton Kutcher and Mark Cuban invested in eSports platform, Unikrn. With the COVID-19 pandemic hitting and cancelling any in-person tournaments and events, platforms like Twitch streaming services have helped gamers blow up online significantly. Many gamers gained millions of followers or subscribers over quarantine. Gaming content creators like Dream, who has gained 15 million subscribers
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this year alone, have gained a large amount of fame from using streaming platforms and making videos of them playing games. Many eSport athletes can make up to seven figure salaries, like professional athletes. At a League of Legends tournament in 2017, there was over $5 billion in revenue from ticket sales, and it has only been projected to make more than that. One of the most popular professional eSports players of all time, Lee Sang-hyok, also known as “Faker”, is believed to earn an upwards of $4.6m a year with his annual salary, prize money from in-person competitions before COVID-19, and sponsorships. Faker competes in a team for League of Legends, and now owns part of his team because of his massive successes. Because of gamers like Faker, eSports has been projected to grow over 9% from 2019 to 2023. Creators like Dream and those on his Twitch team have grown in the eSports and gaming community significantly. The Dream SMP (Survival Multi-Player) have brought an entirely new idea to the Twitch platform. Their Minecraft “roleplay” server with original characters and storylines have gained many fans and viewers on their streams. A stream by TommyInnit on Twitch as part of the Dream SMP plotline gained over 600,000 live viewers. Streamer Karl Jacobs, also a part of Mr. Beast’s YouTube channel, averages just under 200,000 viewers on almost all of his streams. Not only has he grown within the Dream SMP roleplay, he has also seen tremendous growth on his own projects such as “Tales from the SMP”, a weekly stream with other of his teammates of mini-stories and challenges. These new and upcoming streamers have created a large number of new hobbies and opportunities for people wishing to join the gaming content community. Thousands of teens have started streaming their own survival servers with their friends or even by themselves. New content has exploded onto YouTube as a part of Twitch streaming’s growth, as many streamers start their own YouTube channels to post
replays of their streams or highlights of them. Popular YouTubers also take part in collaborating with the Twitch gaming community playing games like the growing in popularity, Among Us and Roblox. Junior, Claudia Logan, goes deeper into why Twitch streams are appealing to her and why creators on these platforms are becoming famous so quickly. “I like watching people on Twitch because it’s interesting to watch creators play games and talk lives. They come up with jokes on the spot in comparison to a planned-out YouTube video and it makes the moments funnier to watch. Also, on Twitch you can interact with creators through chat, donations, subscriptions, etc. I think it’s blowing up so quickly because creators are finding new ways to make old games that aren’t talked about anymore more interesting and therefore more appealing to people.” Story by Delaney Crace
HISTORY OF E-SPORTS 1972 table tennis game, Pong, airs and becomes first eSports game.
1997 the Red Annihilation event occurs and allows 2000 gamers to participate, considered to be first “eSports tournament” 2019 Some of the most
popular eSport games surface with FIFA 20 and NBA 2k20 with almost 350,000 online players each
THE ORB Information from americanesports.net
REC BASKETBALL RETURN
HSE, FISHERS STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN BASKETBALL EXHIBITIONS With the return of the Fishers and HSE recreational basketball league, students from both high schools have been able to compete and socialize through various basketball games. Despite the COVID-19 Pandemic, the league has been able to exist, due to the extensive safety protocols that had been integrated into the league’s operations. Not only is the basketball league able to provide an aspect of competiton for these basketball players, but it also allows for a fun sports environment, where friends can team up.
Right: HSE senior Chao Grindean and Fishers senior Nicholas Wood perform a pregame routine in the stands before a game January 28. Below: Rec team 1104 groups together after a victory February 5. 1104 is devised of a combination of Fishers and HSE students.
ATHLETE OF THE ISSUE TRAIT: BALANCE Junior Sam Jacobs has been playing basketball for 11 years and currently plays for the varsity team. Jacobs bonds and balances his friendship with his teammates. These relationships allow Jacobs to connect with his teammates and enhance their concentration on the court. Jacobs has made many memories with his teammates and tries his best to nurture those relationships with his teammates to enhance their success. “He is very laid back and can talk to anybody about anything. He’s pretty outgoing and I always enjoy talking with him before and after practices or games.” Alex Totten, Senior and teammate
HSENEWS
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