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Hamilton Southeastern High School Volume 33 | Issue 3

RELIGIOUS REPRESENTATION

INIDIANA’S RELIGIOUS INCLUSIVITY COMPARED TO OTHER STATES

IN THIS ISSUE: SEEING CLEARLY...................................................................3 OPINION: MENTAL HEALTH DAYS..........................4 STIGMA BEHIND SNEEZE.................................5 GENDER ROLES AT HSE................................6 RELIGIOUS REPRESENTATION....................8 THE WAR ON PRIVACY..............................12 WINTER COACHES...............................................14 COLLEGE COMMITTMENTS..........................................15

MEET OUR STAFF STAFF LEADS Emily Crousore Lainee Kirk Lauren Riina

ADVISER

Madeline Martin David Young

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STAFF

Jordan Daughterty Hannah Elkins Cassidy Hayes Gabriella Haynes Lauren Kopka Bailey Lincoln Ryan Luhmann Trinity Mackenzie Nicole Morris Madeline Nelsen Paityn O’Neill

STAFFER OF THE ISSUE

MADELINE NELSEN This is Madeline’s second semester on staff. On top of being a hard worker, Madeline always has a smile on her face and spreads positivity throughout the newsroom.

SEEING CLEARLY

JUNIOR CAIDEN CAWTHORN OVERCOMES CHALLENGES WITH CEREBRAL PALSY, BLINDNESS What hardships did you face in your childhood, how have they made you into who you are today?

The biggest hardship I faced during my childhood, and perhaps the biggest hardship of my life, is being legally blind. Ultimately, my visual impairment, retinopathy of prematurity, has shaped my entire life as well as how I look at the world. How have you overcome the challenges that you have faced? Well, in short, I learned to live with my visual impairment. I learned how to go about life with it. I have diminished the negative effects it had on my life by advocating for my needs and using the tools available to me. For instance, if I can’t see something, I’ll simply pull out my phone and take a photo of it, zooming in as I need to. How have you grown from oversoming those challanges? I would describe myself as exceptionally contemplative. I think a lot; I have had to as to devise means to counter my visual impairment. What extracurriculars/activities do you enjoy doing? Outside of school, I enjoy practicing piano and martial arts. Along with this, I also enjoy reading about and studying philosophy, theology, and psychology. Do you feel included and seen by your peers and teachers here at HSE? Most definitely, the teachers, and the majority of the students here at HSE are great people! It’s certainly not perfect, but I see tons of inclusivity here at HSE. As far as accomplishments go, what are you the proudest of yourself for? Over the summer I had the great honor of working with our local mayor, Scott Fadness of the City of Fishers. The mayor created the position especially for me. I was his personal intern, and I take great pride in being able to have worked with him so closely. HSENEWS

OPINION ON: MENTAL HEALTH DAYS When a student wakes up with a fever or a sore throat, they can call into school and be excused for the day. But, what about when a student suffers from a lingering anxiety that they cannot push off, or depressive thoughts that make it difficult to get out of bed? As mental health continues to become destigmatized, schools are starting to see the importance of giving students lenience when struggling with mental health issues. Several states, including Illinois, Arizona, and Oregon have passed bills which allow students to miss school for mental health problems. Mental health days are vital for a student’s best learning capability. A student who is mentally exhausted is not able to properly learn or retain schoolwork, they are simply just trying to make it through the day. Also, putting additional work onto someone who is already under stress will only further their difficulties. For students who may utilize a mental health day because of depression related reasons, this day will give them time to rest and cope in ways that are best for them. Especially amidst the pandemic, mental health has proven to be a large part of a teenager’s everyday life. Whether the problem is urgent or a simple stressor, mental health days allow students to prioritize their own health. While not at school, a student could speak to a loved one about their issue, find comfort in their favorite show or music, or just take a nap. Having mental health days in high school would have long-term beneficial effects, such as acclimating students to reach out for help, rather than suffering in silence. In addition, schools will be sending the message that students should be taking care of mental health the same way one would take care of physical health, so that they value self-care and maintain a healthy mental well-being in the future. There are complication to acknowledge that come with permitting mental health days. Since there is such a harmful stigma attached to mental health, it is possible that these days would be taken advantage of or not used seriously. Some could use a mental health day for different reasons or just to miss school, which defeats the purpose

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for students who truly need a day off. For mental health days to function to their fullest extent, mental health education and awareness would need to be a regular part of schools. This way, those who do not stuggle with mental health issues are able to understand their peers who do and respect them. Nonetheless, it is important to recognize that a day off from school will not cure the mental health issues a student is dealing with but will be a step closer to destigmatizing reaching out for help and aiding students in their development. Story by Lainee Kirk.

1 IN 3

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS HAD EXPERIENCED PERSISTENT FEELINGS OF SADNESS OR HOPELESSNES

1 IN 4

OF US TEENS HAVE A MENTAL HEALTH DISORDER

1 IN 6 YOUTH REPORTED MAKING A SUICIDE PLAN IN THE PAST YEAR

Information from the CDC and Mental Health Literacy.

STIGMA BEHIND THE SNEEZE FEAR OF THE FLU

In the past year, the amount flu cases have surprised citizens greatly. Some feel as if cases have increased , while others feel they have decreased. There is speculation as to if the potential decrease is from the use of masks, or due to the confusion of symptoms between COVID-19 and the influenza illness itself. The term, ‘influenza’ originated in Italy and is atrributed to the “inflence of the stars”. The first recorded epidemic that resembles the flu was documented in 1580. The Great Influenza struck in America in 1918. This resulted in thousands of deaths in a week. In this time period, the world did not know what a virus was, much less a world-wide pandemic Until the 1930’s, inluenaza was mistakenly believed to be due to a bacterial infection, but we now know it is due to a virus. It is considered a respiratory virus that infects the throat, nose, and sometimes the lungs. Rhinoviruses mainly cause these specific types of colds. Cold viruses enter through your mouth, nose, or eyes, then spreads throughout the air when people talk, cough, or sneeze. These actions cause small drops of respiratory fluids to be spread on surfaces and objects including, door-handles, pencils, and seats. A person comes in contact with these droplets and the virus is spread. In 2019, there was an estimate of 29 million flu illnesses across the United States. The CDC states the only states with moderate or low exposure to influenza are New Mexico and the District of Columbia. The Walgreens Flu Index indicates the top states with flu activity are Nevada, Mississippi, Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico. The Index also illustrates the rise in flu cases across the states and that flu activity is up 23% over last year. In classrooms and the workplace, a simple sneeze or cough has changed its meaning. “Sometimes I do feel uncomfortable just because of the awkward stares but everyone sneezes so I try not to think too much about it,” said junior Aidan Hutcherson. Because of the contagiousness of Covid, being sick immediately causes speculation if you need to be quarantined or not. Flu shots are available at many local pharmacies such as Kroger, Walgreens, and CVS. Depending on the insurance provider, the flu shot can either be freeor cost between $16-$25 with additional fees at certain locations.

While some believe the shot is vital, others prefer to go without it. “I don’t get my flu shots,” said junior Isabelle Rickert. “I don’t know why but my parents don’t want me to.” Beside vaccines, there are other ways to keep yourself from getting sick this season. Many recommend keeping your hands away from your face unless you face your hands first. Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze and cough to prevent others from getting your germs. At school, you can frequently wipe down desks and borrowed supplies. At work, be mindful of those around you and keep hand sanitizer somewhere that is easily accessible. While COVID-19 is the hot topic of every doctor’s mind, influenza has similar symptoms which cause confusion between the two illnesses. The CDC cites that both cause fevers, body aches, chills, fatigue, and headaches. Covid included a new loss of taste or smell which is how most people differentiate the two. The flu causes arround 52,000 deaths per year while Covid has caused an estimated 16,000 in the past twelve months. While the flu may cause less damage to your health, it is something to be mindful of. In the United States, “flu season” lasts from October to the following May. Story by Gabriella Haynes

248 INDIVIDUALS HAVE BEEN ADMITTED TO HOPSITALS WITH THE FLU

740,000 HOSPITALIZATIONS IN THE PAST YEAR

170 Million DOSES OF THE FLU VACCINE WERE ADMINISTERED IN 2019/2020

69,314 PEOPLE WERE TESTED IN THE FIRST WEEK OF OCTOBER HSENEWS

GENDER ROLES AT HSE

STUDENTS PROPOSING FOR MORE EQUAL GENDER OPPORTUNITIES The ideas behind what roles people hold based on gender is something that has been evolving over the past years. Even today there are many opinions people have on gender roles. These different ideas can vary within many cultures around the world. In western societies, the ideas behind gender roles and expression have been changing significantly. Those who believe that this progression has a positive impact on society have also discussed how schools should play their part in evolving policies to make all students feel represented. Barry Ramage, one of the winners of this year’s Homecoming Royalty, shared what he feels is pushing this movement. HSE has had much discussion over how gender stereotypes are enforced. One example of this is with Homecoming Royalty. At most school homecoming festivies or proms, those elected for royalty consist of one king and one queen. This past year the senior class homecoming royalty winners were announced, they were two male students. The two top voted students were chosen as winners rather than the past rule of one male and one female student. “I feel like people are much more able to come out their shell nowadays,” Ramage said. “Students here are caring less about what others and society think and rather what they want to do.” “I think two males winning shows how

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even if you don’t fit society’s standard of what two people winning homecoming royalty looks like, you can still participate and win,” Ramage said. “Getting rid of the traditional king and queen spots opens the door up to non-binary students and any other LGBTQ+ students who would now feel more comfortable running for homecoming court.” With a change like this being implemented, there is bound to also be criticism. Some argued that this change was too much of a drastic difference to the tradition of one king and one queen. Others felt that the lack of female representation on the court was an issue. People in support of this change though believe that this pushes the idea that all students have a place on homecoming court regardless of race, sexuality, religion, or gender identity. “I think this will affect the school in the way that people are more able to be further accepting towards others,” Ramage said. “I personally didn’t think it was that big of a deal, until I saw parents arguing over it on Facebook. I think we’re slowly moving towards breaking out of the gender mold set up for students here at HSE.” With the increased discussion on topics pertaining to gender roles and how we view them within the media, it is not surprising that we started seeing these debates happening in schools as well.

From discussion on topics such as gender-neutral bathrooms to talk of how the tradition of Mr. Royal did not equally represent students as it only showcased the talents of the male students. In 2020 though, Mr. Royal was changed to also contain a talent competition that showcases the talents of female students. Over the past few years as students have gotten more comfortable with sharing their opinions. As this happens it will lead to continued discussions on how schools can better represent their diverse student population and make the high school experience a positive one for everyone. Story by Ryan Luhmann and Madeline Nelsen.

Photo by Trinity Mackenzie.

ALEXIS WALLING, 11

How do you feel about the changing gender roles here at HSE? I feel like HSE is becoming more openminded to all genders. It is important because at the end of the day, we are all royals. It shouldn’t make a difference what gender you are and what you are able to do or participate in.

How do you feel about the changing gender roles here at HSE? I feel like changing gender roles are extremely important. In all honesty, it feels good to see opposite genders accepting the change and doing something good for the community.

The effervescent talent show ‘Mr. Royal’ is speculated to be changed to a more inclusive show that allows everyone to participate, not just guys. What greater impact do you think this change would have the students in our school? Changing the Mr. Royal to an event where everyone is given an opportunity to participate will allow us to show our school and community that we are all capable of being successful and have all different interests and talents

HSE changed the title from homecoming court to homecoming royalty to be more inclusive to others. What are your opinions on this change? I think that the change makes homecoming more inclusive to students here at HSE. It’s amazing to see something that many high schools do and make it into something that’s kind of like our own version. The effervescent talent show ‘Mr. Royal’ is speculated to be changed to a more inclusive show that allows everyone to participate, not just guys. What greater impact do you think this change would have the students in our school? [Changing Mr. Royal] would make the students here at HSE, specifically the girls, feel more included and allows more opportunity for everyone.

SARAH NOVAK, 12

IMPORTANT DATES FOR LGBTQ+ COMMUNITY

September 20, 2011: “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” is repealed. This allowed gay men and lesbians to serve openly in the military.

June 26, 2015: The Supreme Court rules that states cannot ban same-sex marriage.

January 25, 2021: President Joe Biden signs an executive order repealing the 2019 Trump-era ban on most transgender Americans joining the military.

Information from cnn.com

November 6, 2012: Tammy Baldwin becomes the first openly gay politician.

March 23, 2018: Trump administration announces a new policy that bans most transgender people from serving in military. HSENEWS

DIVERSE HOLIDAYS IN HSE

HSE IS CONTINUING TO PRMOTE RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE

Hamilton Southeastern High School is a reflection of its’ community. It is constantly being shaped by the students that pass through its halls. The high school’s student population is 72% white, 9% Black/African American, 7.8% Asian, 6.5% Hispanic, 4.4% Multiracial, and <1% Native American, according to the Indiana Department of Education. In recent years, as central Indiana’s population and diversity have grown, the district of HSE has taken measures to try and promote diversity and acceptance through its policies. Groups of settlers that landed in Indiana in the early years were mainly Protestant, Methodist, Presbyterian, and Baptist Christians.Methodists were natural pioneers, eagerly creating communities and setting up churches to evangelize in the Midwest. The first schools were run by Christian Methodists, whose values on education date back to 18th century England., according to the Tennessean and The History Meusam. The city of Fishers has grown immensely more diverse since the days of covered wagons. The city currently has a population growth rate of 1.96% annually, and has grown 29.07% since 2010, according to World Populations Review. A growing diverse population calls for a school that can meet the needs of all of its students, regardless of religion and other differing factors. One-way HSE is promoting inclusion and school-wide acceptance is through it’s the office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. The official HSE website’s inclusion statement says, “The Office of Diversity, Equity (DEI) and Inclusion seeks to ensure that everything we do District-wide... considers diversity, equity and inclusion.” The introduction of the Chief Equity and Inclusion Officer position in 2019 is just one way that the district is making an effort to encourage and support its students. One of the most conscious changes that was made was changing the school’s ‘Christmas Break’ to ‘Winter Break.’ The change of name takes the spotlight off of the Christian holiday with the goal of not alienating other religious holidays that occur during this time. THE ORB

“ I believe HSE does a good job of highlighting people from many religious backgrounds because students of all religions celebrate the winter holidays in unison,” freshman Macy Foy said. “Just a few years ago, schools threw Christmas parties during the winter months, however schools like HSE have altered such celebrations to be more general and inclusive to those of different religious backgrounds. Simultaneously, people of different religions are able to celebrate their own holidays without judgement, cultivating a strong sense of acceptance within the student body.” In other parts of the country, schools with a greater population of students who belong to different religions get those days off as well. For example, public schools in the state of New York are allowed time off for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to accommodate their large Jewish population. The HSE district currently still holds school on these days. “I believe the district should acknowledge as many religious holidays as they can such as Christmas/Easter/Lent for Christians, Rosh Hashanah/Yom Kippur/Hanukkah for Jewish students, Eid/Ramadan for Muslim students, Diwali/Holi/Ganesha

HSE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS New Years Day Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Memorial Day Labor Day Veterans Day Thanksgiving Day

Story continues on page 9...

“SCHOOLS LIKE HSE HAVE ALTERED CHRISTMAS CELEBRATIONS TO BE MORE GENERAL AND INCLUSIVE TO THOSE OF DIFFERENT RELIGIOUS BACKGROUNDS.  SIMULTANEOUSLY, PEOPLE OF DIFFERENT RELIGIONS ARE ABLE TO CELEBRATE THEIR OWN HOLIDAYS WITHOUT JUDGEMENT, CULTIVATING A STRONG SENSE OF ACCEPTANCE WITHIN THE STUDENT BODY”

STATISTICS BEHI

POP S U IO G I L E A’S R N A I D N ND I

72% 2% 26% OF ADULTS IN INDIANA ARE CHRISTAIN

ARE NON-CHRISTAIN

ION T A UL

19% DO NOT KNOW

ARE UNAFFILIATED

Information from Datausa.io for Hindi students, Vaisakhi/Maghi for Sikh students and many more,” junior Terryn Green said. “I think that every different holiday for each religion should be acknowledged so HSE can share how much they value all backgrounds. Currently, the HSE district only recognizes secular state holidays such as Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Officially, there are no religious holidays recognized. Some students believe this is wasting a potential opportunity to learn about one another’s religious traditions and customs. “Currently, students feel accepted because the school ignores many religious celebrations in order to make students feel unified and less awkward”, Foy said. “By recognizing different holidays, students will gain a different sense of acceptance; one that promotes religious diversity and prevents students from feeling awkward because they are able to easily express their ideas.” “There have been many conflicts for me with religious holidays, with Eid al fitr and Eid al Adha,” senior Omar Daas said. “People have been generally understanding, with teachers allowing me extra time on assignments and friends mostly being curious about those holidays”

Individual school districts can only change so much of their organization due to legal requirements. In Indiana state law, Christian holidays like Christmas Day or Good Friday are considered state holidays. This remains true all across the United States. However, this can change based on active efforts from the districts. According to Brilliantmaps.com, across the east coast, Texas, Washington, California, and New Mexico, a handful of schools shut down for at least one Jewish holiday. The small efforts made by districts only cover the cities with the highest Jewish populations in the country. Many students see a large difference in the efforts made for race and sexuality inclusivity, but having schools fully embrace different religions can be substantially more difficult. Senior Lee Anderson, who moved to Fishers from Montgomery, Alabama, has experienced how racial diversity was embraced by schools more than religion. “I attended a public school in an area of [Montgomery] that was lower-income, and our population had a very high POC population,” Anderson said. “It was a historic city when it came to civil rights, and that was a common topic between students and teachers in the classroom.”

Anderson got to experience what a classroom emerged in diversity meant for their education. A new level to a history class surfaced for students. This in-depth understanding of racial and gender equality is an opportunity that could spread to religious opportunities. “[Religion] was not something that was focused on,” Anderson said. “It wasn’t a huge part of our history, so we didn’t talk about it as much. However, we did have kids who were Muslim, Christian, Catholic, and other religions.” Uniquely, HSE high school offers a Religions class, taught by Jeremiah Follis. Follis created the course in 2004 to unbiasly teach and help students understand different religions and beliefs. The class has been recognized by the US. State Department for its structure and quality and since it’s creation it has positively impacted the students who have taken it. Follis has received hundreds of emails from students, thanking him for what the course has done from them college, in their workspaces, and in their personal and workplace relationships. Story continues on page 10... HSENEWS

[The class] is a safe place to discuss a topic in a way that has no agenda other than to understand the beliefs and practices of the world’s biggest religions, Follis said. “The main idea of the course is that if you don’t understand something it can seem weird or scary but once you understand it is just what other people believe and do, as opposed to what you believe or do. On top of teaching high schoolers religious understandings, Follis has also been invited by the to teach workshops in buildings around the district. The workshop is touches on different beliefs, students’ freedom to exercise religion, and the teacher’s limitations on promoting a certain religion within their classroom. Ultimately, the course serves to promote understanding and combat potential ignorance with knowledge. “ I have had countless teachers say they have changed what they do as a direct result of the workshop,” Follis said “The immediate result would be that students have a more welcoming space to be educated in and teachers are able to do their job without the risk of violating the first amendment. Many schools are actively working towards religious inclusivity, but there is yet to be one clear answer on how schools can stay productive while also provide equal opportunities for all students of different religions. Though HSE cannot legally close for certain religious holidays, the school allows students of different religions to participate in unifying clubs like Asian, Black, and Muslim student unions and use the library’s prayer room. HSE also accepts those who don’t celebrate any religion. Those who are atheists are not forced to participate in religious events at any part of the school day. Story by Lauren Kopka and Lauren Riina.

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WHAT NON-MAINSTREAM HOLIDAY SHOULD BE CELEBRATED BY THE DISTRICT?

“Hannukah. It’s not very represented in the school, and nobody ever talks about it.” Megan Long, 12

“Chinese New Year for sure. I think all the decorations are really cool and how much effort they put into doing it.” Peyton Roberts, 11

“I think that Juneteenth should be celebrated by the district because it’s a celebration of the freedom of slaves in the United States at the end of the Civil War.” Briannah Rudolph, 11

“I personally celebrate the Harvest where you celebrate the coming of the seasons and I think that should be celebrated because I think it really is important. We take time to celebrate nature and usually we just set up candles and we take a lot of time in nature and that’s something we could do off of school, but I think it should still be announced. It is really important to celebrate Mother Earth.” Kailey Rogan, 11

HOLIDAY OF REMEMBRANCE

ROYAL VETERANS, FAMILIES DISCUSS IMPORATANCE OF UPCOMING HOLIDAY November 11 has become a day in America of remembrance and appreciation. Veterans Day was originally intended to remember the truce that brought an end to World War I, and was first named Armistice Day. Today, it is a day to thank and honor those who have served in the United States Armed Forces. Whether currently active or served in the past, Veterans Day is for everyone. Along with celebrating those who have served, families of military veterans also take this day to reflect on how it has impacted them. Senior, Tanner Jennings is the daughter of an Army veteran. Her father, NAME, has served in Army, Army National Guard, and Army Special Forces. Jennings’ father was also stationed in Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, Germany, and North Carolina. “Knowing that my dad has served makes me extremely proud, honored, and appreciative of him an everyone else who has served,” senior Tanner Jennings said. “I am also extremely appreciative of all those who gave their life for our country.” Families of veterans also have a perspective that the average person is unable to see. Mrs. Hammond, an HSE teacher, husband is retired from the Army Reserves. Stationed in Afghanistan, he was a member of the medical core and helped train the Afghani Army. “Both of our families have come from a long line of military service, and I am very proud of him for his service,” Hammond said. “I think serving in your country’s military is very admirable. A veteran is someone who is willing to make sacrifices to their personal life in order to serve their country.”

MRS. HAMMOND As Veterans Day approaches, the sacrifice made by these individuals has continued to be celebrated years past its original intent. Former Indiana National Guard, Daniel Axe, has been stationed all throughout the midwest, including places such as Indiana, Michigan, and Kentucky. Axe urges people who are considering joining the military to truly understand what they are signing up for. “Be serious about your decision if you are considering joining the military,” Axe said. “There will be good days and not as good days. Keep your eyes on the mission. You must be willing to make sacrifices of your time and energy for a greater good.” Axe can recall fond memories and strong relationships he bulit during his time in duty. “I enjoyed driving semi tractors and trailers over long distances,” Axe said. “I served with three of my best friends.” HSE Redirection Center Coordinator, Derrick Alba, served in the United States Air Force and was stationed at the National Security Agency(NSA). For Alba, his reasons for joining the military were endless, however there was one that truly

rang in his heart. “I wanted to join the military for multiple reasons,” Alba said. “Traveling, friendships, excitement, and making memories were a few reasons. However, my main reason, was to serve my country, our flag, and our citizens with honor.” With November 11 just around the corner, Alba discusses how even though Veterans Day is important, veterans should be celebrated everyday for their sacrifices and harships endured for the freedom of the United States of America. “I believe that veterans should be acknowledged daily, whenever you see them out and about,” Alba said. “They should be respected for what they chose to do for our country, when a majority would choose not to. And, they should be rememebred for all their sacrifices.”

MR. ALBA So, how will you honor those who have sacrificed for this country on this Veterans Day? Story by Emily Crousore and Cassidy Hayes. HSENEWS

WAR ON PRIVACY

INTERNET, APP SECURITY QUESTIONED IN A DIGITAL WORLD When browsing the internet, things like accepting cookies and terms of service may not come as a second thought. However, recently, online privacy has become less and less secure. The definition of online privacy is the level of privacy protection an individual has while connected to the Internet. Internet privacy may not matter to some, but it is especially important to consider the repercussions. For example, Facebook has had multiple scandals regarding internet privacy over the past few years. According to npr.org, this April, over 530 million people had their data and personal information from Facebook exposed by amateur hackers. Multiple students at school voice their opinions about online privacy and security. Specifically, if they felt safe on the internet on the social media platforms they use. Junior Daniela Boyer commented on how she feels on her only social media other than Youtube, Instagram. “I do not think its very secure at all,” Boyer said. “For example, people from other countries will start to follow me, so I think that information is out there more than we realize.” Considering how often people nowadays are on the internet, it is important to consider internet safety. For example, terms and conditions are often asked on websites or applications. Most people do not take the time to read them. In fact, businessinsider.com states over 97 percent of younger people up to age 34 do not read these terms. Typically, going without reading terms and conditions holds few to no consequences. It’s not to say that scams do not happen with terms

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and conditions, some websites scam their users by putting clauses in the terms that are disagreeable and unreasonable to users. Senior Rhys Kolesar talked about terms and service and the consequences that can come without reading them. “Oh, 100 percent yeah [there are consequences],” Kolesar said. “If you do something wrong and you break those terms of service then you can be in a lot of big trouble.” With these internet scams and scandals comes the ultimate wave of changes and updates social media brings so there is no longer a privacy issue. Users may not see them, but social media platforms constantly change their security to avoid the inevitability of hackers. As society shifts completely digital, it is important to stay aware of where personal information is stored. This way, there is a smaller likelyhood of getting hacked. Currently, Facebook is going through another online scandal about the company’s papers holding information about the company and its employees as well as the effect Facebook has on society. As this scandal evolves it continues to show the security problems that Facebook has. As a reminder, Instagram is a branch of Facebook along with WhatsApp, Oculus, and Facebook Messenger. This means even more online privacy issues can occur with all of the afformentioned apps. Sophomore Nick Werbanowski commented on big companies and if they keep our information. “Someone’s got to know our information, right?,” Werbanowski said. “So, what’s stopping them from passing it along or something?”

With online privacy there is also public and private accounts. In a public account, anyone from anywhere can see the content to your account. With a private account, viewers must ask permission to access the owner’s account. Junior Valerie Elfreich discussed what it is like to have both a private and public account on different social medias. “I have a public Twitter account and two public and private Instagram accounts,” Elfreich said. “I think with private accounts you’re more inclined to post more personal things that have to do with you.” According to statista.com, 45 percent of people have entirely private accounts. On the other hand, only 19 percent of people have entirely public accounts. Even though private accounts are used much more by users,every account found on explorer pages are public. All in all, online privacy is very vital in today’s digital world. Whether it relates to scams or leaked personal information, online privacy is very important in today’s social media. Story by Trinity Mackenzie

FACEBOOK VS. CAMBRIDGE ANALYTICA

HEAD

2HEAD

PUBLIC V. PRIVATE DOES STAYING PRIVATE HELP PRIVACY?

WHAT IS IT? The FacebookCambridge Analytica Scandal was the breach of up to 87 million facebook users. Due to limited terms and agreements, insufficent safeguards, developer abuse, and more, Cambria Analytica was able to access personal information of users.

WHOSE INVOLVED?

Facebook: Social Media App Cambridge Analytica: A British Political Consulting Firm

“Private! I think it definitely helps me stay safe because I have more control over who can and cannot access my account and the people I know in my comments/likes/ followers. I am super particular about what I have in my bio, for example, so it doesn’t give away any telling info. For example: I have “Royal Edition & Royal Sensation”, but I would consider it rare that someone outside of our district would know what those are.”

“I have both, the public one is more of a backup and the private one is a personal account with friends and family on it. I like the perks of a private account because I can limit who sees my stuff and can interact with me more. There are a lot of scam bots nowadays and they just get annoying after a while.”

Ethan Huston, 12

Chelsea Murdock, 11 WHAT’S GOING ON TODAY?

Mark Zuckerburg has just been added to a lawsuit by District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine over the Cambridge Analytica Scandal. The lawsuit was originally just against the Facebook company.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT? Facebook curretly has 2.89 billion users. Approximately 51% of teenagers use Facebook as a form of social media.

HSENEWS

WINTER COACHES...

GET TO KNOW THE NEW WINTER COACHES

Coach Ashworth

What are your goals for this season and how do you plan to achieve those goals? “I’m a firm believer as a coach letting the team and the players choose their own goals that way, they have something to work towards and obtain but I really try to promote that idea to set hard goals. Goals that you are going to have to work towards. I am interested to see what our kids choose and work towards but also as a coach our goals are to improve as a program and put together a good season.” Who is your favorite college or NBA team? “I don’t gravitate towards one team. I’m definetely a huge fan of Lebron James and Steph Curry. At a college level I probably like Dule beacuase of their coach Mike Krzyzewski the most. So those are my top three.”

Coach Hanselmann

In a previous interview with Southeastern Sports Networkm you mentioned our old high school swimming coach was your biggest inspiration. What coaching techinques or strategies have you brought from him to HSE? “Mr. Shaver was great at making sure the sport was enjoyable and creating a fun atmosphere. Swimming is such a challenging sport, I try hard to make the practice environment positive and enjoyable.” In your coach profile, its stated that you also enjoy running. if you were offered to compete at the olympics for either swimming or running, which would you choose and why? “To me, this boils down to which sport would I rather train to do. If you gave me six months to train, I would be more competitive as a swimmer than I would be as a runner (unless Coach Golden was training me!), but I would rather spend six months training to compete in running than swimming.”

Coach Satterﬁeld

What are you hoping to bring to the girls team? “Our goal is to help the girls develop great chemistry while being challenged. We keep telling them to be comfortable being uncomfortable. We want them to grow as a person as well as a player.” What’s your favorite sports movie? “Remember the Titans”

THE ORB

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COLLEGE COMMITMENTS HOW COLLEGE ATHLETIC RECRUITMENT WORKS Many high school athletes dream of playing their sports in college, and this October-November season means it is the first step of that recruitment process: Early Commitments. While the process of becoming recruited can start as early as freshman year of high school, junior year is the most common year to begin contacting schools directly. Colleges will reach out to students regarding roster spots for their graduation year and will sometimes let possible recruits know if they need to improve athletically or academically to stay on their list of prospects. According to ncsasports.org, about 177,559 scholarships are given to athletes every year, and this is the time of year that many coaches will begin making verbal and official commitments with student athletes. After a college has assembled a ranked list of their top prospects, they might begin to reach out to students and make verbal commitments. These handshake agreements between a player and a coach are not binding and official, but they are important in the overall scope of college recruitment. Senior Makenna

Nickens has made a verbal commit to University of Indianapolis to play soccer. Nickens has been playing soccer on the varsity soccer team for the past two years. “I’m pretty confident about my choice and I absolutely love the campus and the coaches,” Nickens said. “The only thing preventing me from officially commiting is some NCAA rules.” The next step after making a verbal commit to a school is waiting for the team to officially send an offer. The timeline for when college recruitment offers go out can differ slightly, but usually occurs during the early fall. Senior Hannah Justice signed her official commitment, called a National Letter of Intent, in September to be on the Ball State Swimming and Diving team. “I had my official visit in early September where I was made an offer,” Justice said. “After thinking about it for a few weeks, I decided Ball State was the right fit for me.” Because early commitment is so early in the school year, there’s usually something about the school that sticks out aside from just the athletic aspect. Senior

Cameron Howard committed to Western Illinois University to play baseball in late August. After visiting the campus and meeting the team, Howard accepted the offer right away. “What stood out to me about Western Illinois over other schools was the coaching staff and how they really wanted me there,” Howard said. “Another thing was that the players there already made me feel like it was a family.” Regardless of the decision that an athlete ends up on, the choice to commit or to not commit is a large and important decision. Picking a college is no easy task, and commiting this early on could have some negative side effects, including other schools giving better offers after an earlier offer was signed. However, getting offers to play sports in college is still a testament to these student’s athletic and academic ability, as well as their hard work, dedication, and cooperation skills. At the end of the day, the dreams of a student athlete are one step closer to coming true. Story by Nicole Morris.

ATHLETEOF THE ISSUE MAKENNA NICKENS Trait: TEAMWORK Senior Makenna Nickens has played for the HSE girls soccer team all four years of her high school career. “I love playing on the HSE girls soccer team because we have a strong culture that makes us a true family. Having that family-like atmosphere helps us on the field and life in general. All the girls on the team this year were leaderes which made our teamwork as a whole function very well.” Makenna Nickens, senior

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