ORB ORB the
Growing Up Digital Growing Up Digital
Shortlist
What is AI’s Paper Trail?
The
by Orb Staff
Painted Pink by Lizzie Dekker
by Dupree Henry. Olivia Mitschelen Bracket Battles
Begin by Ella Kiernan
Painted Pink
Indiana Lawmakers and Community Support Hailey BuzzBee
Story by Lizzie Dekker | dekkeeli000@hsestudents.org
Indiana is seeing renewed efforts in the push for online safety, sparked following the disappearance and death of Hailey Buzzbee. Hailey’s father, Beau Buzzbee, described her on social media as “a smart, beautiful, kind, and caring young lady with a bright future.” She had a passion for journalism and took media classes at HSE high school.
17-year-old Hailey was groomed online and lured from her family’s home in Fishers on the night on January 5th, 2026. However, she did not qualify for Silver Alert or Amber Alert because she was classifed as a runaway. Her remains were found a few weeks later in Perry County, Ohio, three and a half hours from home.
39-year-old Tyler Thomas of Columbus, Ohio was arrested and is now facing four separate charges in relation to her disappearance. Overwhelming support for Buzbee and her family has poured out from the Fishers community, from pink bows on trees, fences, front porches, and mailboxes to pink lighting up city buildings, schools, and businesses.
Fishers Mayor Scott Fadness declared February 2026 “Go Pink for Hailey Month” on social media
saying he wants the buzzbee family to have “physical reminders the community stands with them.”
Fishers, however, is not the only place where support for the Buzzbee family is strong.
“Our school is covered in pink,” said Carmel high school student Ella Shwartz. We have posters with a QR code to the Hailey’s Law petition in our library.”
“I wear a bracelet with a pink bow every day for Hailey,” Aliza Robertson, a Monrovia high school student, said. “Our city also has pink bows on basically every street.”
While communities from all over the state paint their cities pink, thousands of people have expressed their support by signing a petition for a change in Indiana’s law to help keep kids safer from online dangers.
The petition says “Today’s predators often pose as friends, peers, or mentors—reaching children through social media, gaming platforms, and online communities. Our laws, alerts, and education standards must refect that reality.”
Artwork from Inspiration
HSE Kindergarteners Work On Sculptures At Ignite Studio
Story and photos by Olivia Mitschelen | mitscoli000@hsestudents.org
EAs of March 23, 2026, it has been signed by over 132,000 people calling for change. Hailey’s Law, House Bill 1303, calls for a broader
defnition of a “missing child” to include a “high risk missing person” due to age or circumstance.
The federal government, as well as Wisconsin and California, have similar laws to Hailey’s. Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers signed Wisconsin Act 272 into law in April of 2024, creating a missing child alert for those who do not meet Amber Alert criteria.
House Bill 1303 passed in the house 96-0 and was signed by Indiana
Governor Mike Braun on March 4, 2026
Governor Braun referred to Hailey’s death as a “clarion call” that more needs to be done in pursuit of protecting the children of Indiana.
House Bill 1303, offcially in effect on July 1st, 2026, is a step towards better protecting kids in Indiana, after Hoosiers took initiative and turned grief into action.
very Friday, The Fishers Art Center and Ignite Studio at Hamilton East Public Library bustle with kindergarteners, eager to create and learn. This “Kindergartener Experience” includes students from Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) Elementary School, with different groups of students attending each week in order to complete different art related activities. These activities are related to books that the students read at school, with Ignite Studio focusing on a book about Edgar Degas, a wellknown French artist who mainly made impressionist oil paintings.
Degas’s paintings showed themes of movement through the dancers that he drew, so students at Ignite Studio complete projects by drawing inspiration from another artist with similar themes, Alexander Calder.
Calder was known for his innovative mobiles, or sculptures that are made to move freely on their own, as well as more typical, static sculptures. His artwork includes plenty of organic shapes and primary colors. This is recreated in Ignite Studio by crafting with 1-foot wires and colorful beads, connecting the art that they make to the book about Degas that the students are reading.
Some projects that the students create include wire fsh and miniature versions of wire mobiles, utilizing a 1-foot wire and thin, colorful beads.
According to Kris Hurst, a manager at Ignite Studio, “we felt that all of these things would be a good opportunity for kids to learn about not only movement, but line and color and shape.” Hurst, along with Megan Benson and Sydney Brink, the three managers of Ignite Studio, work together to plan out these Friday events from communication to completion. During these events, Hurst provides instructions to the kindergarteners in order to help them create their best artwork possible. On a typical Friday, Ignite Studio sees anywhere from 80 to 120 kindergarteners, accompanied by teachers and overseen by staff. This activity is in partnership with the Fishers Art Center, a popular location in Fishers offering free activities to people of all ages. From exhibitions to summer camps, the Fishers Art Center is known for fostering a community of artists that encourages making and inspiring art. These activities involving HSE kindergarteners, Ignite Studio, and the Fishers Art Center are aimed to encourage creativity and connection between lessons and application.
Photo contributed by Southeastern Media Network.
Wire fsh sculpture made at Ignite.
Art by Alexander Calder and Edgar Degas
Flower memorial for BuzzBee at the Fortville Memorial Park. Photo by Lili Perez
What Is AI’s Paper Trail?
Artifcial Intelligence (AI), is a recently popularized tool used by millions of people globally. Students use it to help with schoolwork, teachers use it to help with grading, even offce workers and managers use it. In fact,
The retrieval-augmented generation system operates in less than two seconds.
Chat GPT is estimated to be the ffth most visited website in the world . Though ideas of AI have existed since 1950 , it has only become popular and well-working in recent decades. There is only one form of AI actually in existence today, called Artifcial Narrow Intelligence or Narrow AI, with all other forms being theoretical. The commonly used chatbots such as Chat GPT are a type of limited memory AI, which is a subcategory of Narrow AI. But how does your prompt to these services receive its response? One Chat GPT prompt uses ten times more electricity than a Google search.
As of Jan. 2026, the United States has over 3,900 data centers.
AI data centers consume up to 5 million gallons of freshwater a day to cool its data centers so they can operate effectively.
pdf 2. O’Donnell, J., & Crownhart, C. (2025, May 20). We did the math on AI’s energy footprint. Here’s the story you haven’t heard. MIT Technology Review. https://www. technologyreview.com/2025/05/20/1116327/ai-energy-usage-climate-footprint-big-tech/ 3. Sharma, R. (2025). CAG: Enhancing speed and effciency in AI systems. IBM Developer. https://developer.ibm.com/articles/awb-cache-rag-effciency-speed-ai/
Only 3% of Earth’s water is freshwater. Data centers have to use freshwater so that it does not cause erosion and buildup in their system.
Data centers raise the utility rates of surrounding houses and drain the local water supply.
4. United Nations. (2025, April 7). Artifcial intelligence: How much energy does AI use? United Nations Western Europe. https://unric.org/en/artifcial-intelligencehow-much-energy-does-ai-use/
5. Walker, C., & Goldsmith, I. (2026). From Energy Use to Air Quality, How Data Centers Affect US Communities. World Resources Institute. https://www.wri.org/insights/us-data-center-growth-impacts
6. Yañez-Barnuevo, M. (2025, June 25). Data Centers and Water Consumption | Article | EESI. Eesi.org. https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/data-centers-and-waterconsumption
Taking the Stage
HSE Drama puts on Mean Girls production
Story by Lizzie Dekker | dekkeeli000@hsestudents.org
HSE high school’s drama club brought to life one of the most iconic movies from the 2000s with their production of the “Mean Girls” musical on Mar. 12, 13, and 14, 2026.
Drama club President and senior Abby Kepler plays Regina George, who she describes as the “queen bee mean girl.” For Kepler, taking on this role is part of what makes this production so special to her.
“I think it’s a really good musical, because it’s already a well-known movie that’s cool to see come to life with your peers” Kepler said. “Although it’s a comedy on the surface, I think there is lots of deeper
messages and aspects people can relate to.”
Kepler noted that the show’s themes hit close to home for many of the students involved. Although there are tons of laugh lines, I also see some things that I can relate to on a personal level,” she said. “I think a lot of people just in high school in general can, because this is something I’ve heard from most of my friends, castmates, and crewmates — that it’s something they defnitely can relate to and fnd enjoyable to watch.”
Preparing an entire musical is no small job. The drama club has been preparing with an intense rehearsal process since January, only two
days after the conclusion of winter break. Rehearsals include sometimes daily rehearsals lasting up to three hours. Right before winter break in December, drama club memebers had the opportunity to audition and apply for the crew.
“We have a vocal audition, dance audition, and callbacks where the directors have us back to read and sing for specifc characters,” Kepler said.
“I think everyone should audition or join drama club because I have really broken out of my shell through this club and the community is amazing.”
Rehearsals are led by HSE Drama’s three directors, Mr. Mathias, choreography led by Mrs. Pike, and
has brought them.
Ensemble member and freshmen Kinsey artmel said, e defnitely work hard, but we all love each other and what we’re doing!”
“I honestly love the rehearsal environment,” she said. “I think it’s super fun while also being a really focused effort into building the show together. It’s a lot like the team environment you typically see in other activities or sports.”
Kepler also expressed her gratitude for the way in which she has opened and grown through the community. “I used to be very shy in drama club, and it’s kind of funny looking back now because I just feel like I’ve really been able to break out of my shell,” she said. “I thin it s super benefcial in many
ways, whether that’s making friends or just really helping with your selfconfdence and e pression.” Kepler was adamant about the fact that the drama club community and work is for anyone and everyone.
“I think it’s super fun while also being a really focused effort into building the show together. It’s a lot like the team environment you typically see in other activities or sports.” Kepler
“If you’re a very dedicated person, I think this is the place for you because you’re going to work with so many other people who care just as much,” Kepler said. “Put yourself out there ” ith the fnal performance behind them, Kepler and other drama club members can look back at the impact their performances made and look forward to what’s to come. For Kepler, that is a role in HSE thespian troupe 520’s performance of “The mportance of eing rnest”
vocal rehearsals led by Mrs. Maxwell.
“Vocals are really important to be able to do all the other things we have to do, like choreography.” Kepler explained. “Blocking is just kind of where we talk about where to go on stage and delivery of lines, so that later when we run it, we have some kind of direction of where to go.”
On top of rehearsals during the school week, cast and crew members must meet a set construction hour quota, which typically takes place over the weekend. Set construction includes building props and backgrounds, and decoration.
This year’s set is especially ambitious. “There are so many different scenes in the show, so it’s a lot of moving pieces,” Kepler said. The club is also constructing a false proscenium—decorative border framing the front of the stage—which is an extra challenge for the club.
Beyond the preparation and performances, many drama club members love the community that this specifc production of mean girls
Senior Abby Kepler performing as Regina George in her introduction scene during the Mean Girls musical on Mar. 12. Photo taken by Lili Perez.
Senior Jackson Mullen performs as Damian Leigh to open the Mean Girls musical on Mar. 13. Photo taken by Lili Perez.
Senior Claire Huntzinger (left) performs as Cady Heron and Junior Khilyn Butler (right) performs as Aaron Samuels in the Mean Girls musical on ar. . his scene captured the two character s frst meeting to start their romantic relationship. Photo by Lili Perez.
United Under The Flag
Teachers And Students Reflect On Their Military Goals
Story and art by Olivia Mitschelen | mitscoli000@hsestudents.org
After high school, students have an almost infnite number of options; what career feld they want to pursue, where they want to live, even how they want to spend their time. The second two of those options are often deeply affected by the frst, as where one lives and what one does is most of the time decided by where they work.
One option some students choose to pursue is time in the military, whether they want to serve their country or simply do not wish to go to college yet.
Even some teachers at HSE have spent time in the military; one such teacher being Mr. Mikiska, a U.S. Army veteran. Having served for 16 years, both as an infantry soldier and a combat advisor, Mr. Mikiska now teaches the sciences at HSE.
Being a combat advisor means being among the best of the best, as the group was created to help train foreign armies.
Mr. Mikiska did not decide to join the army until he was thirty, having already taught for 8 years with a master’s degree. Due to this, he has described himself as being “not your normal soldier.”
He joined because of his brother, who had already deployed once to Iraq. In fact, the two of them were assigned to the same battalion, going overseas together.
“It’s not the wisest thing to do, but we did,” said Mikiska.
The science teacher has a million stories to tell about his time in the army, from climbing frozen waterfalls in the Vermont Mountains to being a rappel master and pushing people out of helicopters.
According to Mr. Mikiska, one of his most interesting tasks was setting up landing zones for helicopters in the woods. This involved looking at angles and calculating what size helicopter could land in a specifc area.
“That was one of the coolest jobs, because, being a physics teacher, you incorporate all the math and angles into military operations,” said Mikiska.
He recalled that the Army turns soldiers into “social chameleon[s]”, giving people the skills to adapt and ft in with many types of people, no matter who they would typically interact with.
After his service, he returned to teaching, working hard to adapt back to working with students. However, switching from working with soldiers
his actions and take breaks when needed.
“I adapted pretty quickly, but, yeah, there was defnitely some frustrations,” recounted the teacher.
In addition to teachers, a few seniors at HSE are considering going into the military.
Connor Pugh, a student at HSE, plans to serve in the United States Navy. He states that he has always seen service as a way to give back to the country, aiming to develop his character, judgement, and resilience through his service.
the world that most people never get a chance to see, and you’re going to do things a lot of people never get to do,” said Mikiska.
“More than that, I’m eager to be a part of an organization united
the
singular
by
mission of defending our nation and Constitution”
Pugh said.
to working with high school students was a diffcult change to make. The teacher was responsible about this switch, taking time to change
The military can be viewed by anyone, as evidenced by the recently installed wall of military veterans related to people now at the high school. This wall is located directly outside of the main offce, though it is unknown by many students at the school.
To any student who may be considering enlisting in the army, Mr. Mikiska recommends joining if any interest is felt.
“You’re going to see a lot of places around the country and
Mr. Mikiska and his family at his retirement party
The Shortlist
Story and Photos by Orb Staff, Design by Lili Perez | perezlil000@hsestudents.org
Pure Green emphasizes a health-conscious approach to casual dining, focusing on fresh, minimally processed ingredients. The avocado toast is a successful menu staple, earning a 7.8/10 for its crisp bread texture and generous ratio of avocado to toast. The beverage program includes smoothies that maintain a fresh and clean profle, though the favor intensity is somewhat muted. The establishment’s primary value proposition is the reduction of chemicals and preservatives in their food, ensuring that customers receive items in their most natural state.
Le Macaron provides an inviting atmosphere characterized by attentive service and a diverse menu of traditional French treats. The establishment specializes in macarons that feature a fresh, soft texture and a balanced favor profle. Notable selections include the Mon Cheri, a combination of chocolate and cherry, as well as red velvet and salted caramel varieties. Owner Christi Parker attributes the shop’s quality to a commitment to clean ingredients, noting that the absence of preservatives results in a shorter shelf life but a signifcantly fresher product.
101 Kraft Kitchen offers a menu of solid culinary options, though the dining experience is occasionally hampered by a slower service pace. The pretzel appetizer is a prominent starter, described as soft, savory, and clean in its execution. While the dish earned a high subjective rating of 8.2/10, the portion size is relatively small for group sharing, and the accompanying beer cheese features a dominant herbal profle that may be overpowering for some palates. Conversely, the Parmesan fries are a standout side dish. The restaurant is rooted in a sense of care for the patron.
Top Choice
101 Kraft Kitchen was selected as the staff favorite because of its unique balance of high-quality comfort food and a genuine community focused philosophy. While the culinary analysis remains objective, noting both the delicious Parmesan fries and the slightly small portion of the pretzel appetizer, it was the personal insight from the team that set this location apart. The review captures a specifc human element of the dining experience that goes beyond the plate. Despite the slower pace of service, the quality of the ingredients, such as the clean taste of the savory pretzels, combined with a heartfelt mission, makes 101 Kraft Kitchen a standout destination in the community.
Rebrand
Atmosphere
Every location is designed to be a laidback, familyfriendly neighborhood gathering spot where guests feel as welcomed as they would in a private home.
In 2025, the name transitioned to 101 Craft Kitchen to better highlight the specifc skill and creativity infused into every dish on the menu.
Leadership
The kitchen is led by a New England Culinary Institute-trained chef and a creative fance professional who balance elevated comfort food with strategic growth.
Origin
Founded in 2012 by Thad and Jess Kittrell, the restaurant began as a community-minded endeavor in Dublin, Ohio.
Le Macaron
Pure Green
101 Craft Kitchen
Growing Up Digital
Childhood Experiences Shift with Technological Advancements Bringing New Responsibilities
In a generation that flls the day with likes, shares, and reposts, parents will often reminisce about their time spent outside and disconnected from the modern media.
When hearing of the childhood that the previous generations lived before social media and online games, one can wonder how that experience and the responsibilities that come with it have changed with the introduction of the current technology.
“We were also the generation where we just took off,” HSE principal Craig McCaffery said. “I’d take off on my bike in the morning, and mom said, ‘Be back by dinner.’ Just out, running around town.”
The teenage experience has changed drastically in recent decades, especially regarding play. Many children now spend their afternoons inside playing video games and scrolling through social media instead of running around the neighborhood. This shift from the outdoors to the indoors is refected in decades of data.
The non-proft organization KABOOM! found that while 70% of mothers in a national survey reported playing outside every day as children, only 31% said their own children do the same today. Research shows that since the late 1970s, children have seen a 50% decrease in unstructured outdoor activities.
“Our parents actually kicked us out of the house,” McCaffery said. “Because there was nothing to do inside. We didn’t have video games or all those other things until I got a little bit older.”
The invention of video games redefned how teenagers spent their evenings with friends. The World Health Organization (WHO) found that a third of adolescents play digital games daily, and more than a ffth
pressure to succeed has moved earlier in a student’s life.
“We treat you guys like adults, way younger than I got treated like an adult,” McCaffery said. “You’re taking high school classes in middle school, and you think that’s normal. You can almost get two years of college done in high school.”
In Indiana, the push for early college credit is now a legal mandate.
Senate Enrolled Act 8-2024 requires all Indiana high schools to offer the 30-credit “Indiana College Core” by the 2026-2027 school year. According to the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, this has led to a 250% increase in participating high schools over the past four years.
This intensity is felt most in ambitious communities. Fishers is an evolving city that offers many opportunities with a lot of
but it feels less about HSE for me and more about getting into a college at the end of senior year.”
2010s.
least 4 hours on days they play video games. In contrast, the option to FaceTime friends instead of face-toface conversations was not available for previous generations. HSE social studies teacher Jannet Chandler agrees, noting how the defnition of “fun” has shifted.
“Having fun seems kind of like an afterthought,” Chandler said, “and fun has changed. For me, when I was growing up, it was my swing set. But for others now, I think fun is a little bit different than that.”
Fun is not the only part of the childhood experience that has changed. Academically, students are pushed harder and presented with more information than before. The
“I think in this area, this community, there is pressure to succeed,” Chandler said. “A lot of the families are successful in this community, and so as parents, you always want a better life for your kids than what you had, and so I think there is pressure put on by parents for kids to do well.”
This pressure to succeed is only enhanced by the connection that students have to their peers through social media. Being able to see the achievements of people in their same age group broadcasted online can cause students to compare their standings with that of their peers.
“My classmates and friends get all A’s,” senior Nikhil D’Souza said, “and I feel like I’m only successful if I perform as well or better than them. There’s a culture of comparison here,
The most concerning trend is the rise in adolescent distress. Research from the WHO shows a sharp rise in problematic social media use since 2018, with 11% of adolescents showing signs of struggling to control their social media use and experiencing the negative consequences of it in 2022. McCaffery makes a similar connection, linking the arrival of the smartphone-based childhood with the decline in mental health.
“There’s the correlation, mostly for girls, of the amount of self-harm,” McCaffery said. “You lay it over with social media that started in 2014, and those graphs are almost right on top of each other, which is scary.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently found that 53% of female high school students report persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. Furthermore, 27% of teen girls reported seriously considering suicide in the last year, a fgure that has surged since the early
These concerns are not going unanswered, however. Since social media has shown to have persistent negative effects on children,
Having fun seems kind of like an afterthought and fun has changed. For me, when I was growing up, it was my swing set. But for others now, I think fun is a little bit different than that.”
-Janet Chandler
the struggle to manage this new environment has moved into the courtroom.
“And currently, Meta and YouTube are being sued in California,” Chandler said. “There’s a case going on right now about their work in social media and how it impacts kids and whether they should control that more or not, or is that the parents’ responsibility?”
In February 2026, the CalMatters news outlet noted that a landmark trial began in Los Angeles Superior Court. The lawsuit accuses corporate giants like Meta and YouTube of “intentionally engineering” addictive features to hook children’s developing brains.
Although lawmakers are fghting to limit social media consumption among kids, it has become increasingly important to educate them on its implications and utilities since it is the next generation that will become the pioneers of the new digital age. Finding the balance between boundaries and exposure may just be the determining factor for shaping the childhood experience for generations to come.
“We’re digital immigrants, [young people] are digital natives,” McCaffery said. “You guys will be better examples for the next generation because we just don’t know enough about [new technology] to be best examples. We’re playing catch-up with you guys all the time.”
Playground from the Fortville Memorial Park, which was established in 1920 and last renovated in 2022. Photo by Lili Perez
Winter Sports Recap
More Than Mudsock
Blue Crew Members Discuss School Spirit and Promotion
Story by Niamiah Ringenberg | ringenia000@hsestudents.org
Once a year, students from different schools gather to witness the rivalry of both high schools. They rise from their seats and launch their popcorn as the football crosses the frst-down marker. The excitement continues for days, and people already cannot wait for next year. Everyone knows this as the Mudsock Football Game. School spirit for the Mudsock game is not just attending a social event, but it also shows support for the players and their hard work. To Mrs. Brown, other athletes deserve the same amount of spirit.
“Football always is a big thing,” said Mrs. Brown, the teacher in charge of Blue Crew. “So, people tend to know when the home football games are going to be. But you know, what about Mudsock? Boys’ tennis? Do people know when that is [or] where it is?”
Mrs. Brown makes sure that her Blue Crew students are promoting school spirit and encouraging students to attend events by organizing fundraisers, activities, posters and banners, giveaways, and more.
Alex Austgen, junior and one of the co-presidents of Blue Crew, said “our best ways that we promote sport games are through tiktok and instagram videos. We either do a trending video idea or we just do an informational hype video.” She also mentioned, “one way we have been trying to promote is using the Newscast to get information out.”
Mrs. Brown loves to see school spirit in students for the big football games, but there should also be more focus on the students who practice hard to be the best in other sports. Some issues could be with communication and spreading the word. Mrs. Brown also mentioned how students “might not go because either they don’t know anyone, or they’ve never been and they don’t know what it would be like or if it’s
going to be fun or not.”
“I get to go to a choir concert and see [that] we have some really talented kids,” she said. “[Or] maybe you’re sitting next to this person in your biology class and you had no idea that they’re actually really good at this other thing.”
Athletes gain inspiration and confdence when students show up to use their school spirit for support.
“If you just go to some of these events, you’ll see why we can take pride in the royals. This is a great place to be, and people are doing amazing things,” Mrs. Brown said.
Students in Blue Crew make sure to spread the word throughout school and social media. They explain the things they will do, why it’s going to be fun, and encourage others to invite friends. It’s all about getting people to take part and stay involved.
Reagan Kurcinka, a senior in Blue Crew, said “We are always trying to come up with better themes, incentives, graphics, and community outreach. For example, we started doing a lot more game time coverage during football season and are hoping to continue that into next year.”
She suggested a shoutout to Avery Folzenlogel for doing well with the game time coverage.
“The best way to promote games is to make it a fun experience for the fans, whether that is a cool theme, a fun game, or a prize/incentive” she said.
Blue Crew members believe that the attendance for HSE sports activities and events is strong. However, they always encourage people to help increase support.
“Especially as a senior, I can tell you high school fies by,” Reagan said. “Try to make every moment and opportunity count, whether that is dressing up at themes or showing up at Mudsock, because you never get a moment of these four years back.”
Senior Blue Crew leader Jackson Bixler (right) gets interviewed at the boys basketball sectional game by Dylan Foltice (left) Mar. 3rd, 2026. Photo by Preston Chadwell
Crowd at the Mudsock football game at Fishers High School Sep. 12, 2025. Photo by Liliana Perez
Breaking the Curse
Recent Indiana Sport Success Breaks Bad Luck
Story by Lizzie Dekker | dekkeeli000@hsestudents.org
Indiana sports teams have been built on heartbreak for decades, with fans and analysts referring to the state’s franchises as cursed with bad luck. No program demonstrated that curse more clearly than Indiana University football, which once held the all-time record for Division I losses, and despite recent success, the Hoosiers still rank second on that list.
The Indiana Pacers spent 25 years on the outside, not returning to the NBA Finals since their last appearance in 2000. The Indiana Fever, once a successful franchise in the WNBA, had not seen the playoffs since 2016. For years, Hoosiers rooting for the home team meant learning to live with disappointment. However, that is all changing. Indiana University won the college football national championship for the frst time ever in 2025 with a historic 16-0 season led by Heisman trophy winner and quarterback Fernando Mendoza. Before “breaking
the curse”, IU accumulated more than 700 losses over 130 plus years.
The Pacers’ run to the 2025 NBA Finals was an exciting time for fans. Two-time NBA All Star Tyrese Haliburton led them to the edge of their frst NBA championship ever. They lost 91-103 to the Oklahoma City Thunder after Haliburton was injured, still an exciting turnaround for the franchise.
Fans of the Indianapolis fever also have an exciting year. When the Indiana Fever selected Catlin Clark, one of the most recognizable WNBA players, with the frst overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, Indianapolis erupted. Fever tickets that had been easy to come by for years became nearly impossible to fnd. In her frst season with the Fever, she led the team to the playoffs for the frst time since 2016.
Before she ever set foot in a WNBA arena, Caitlin Clark had already rewritten the record books. The
Bracket Battles Begin
Iowa guard became the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I history. Clark led the Hawkeyes to back-to-back national championship game appearances. Indiana sports fans have a new exciting era of success to look forward to without worrying about a curse.
Excitement Builds Surrounding March Madness Tournament in School
Story by Ella Kiernan | kiernell000@hsestudents.org
March Madness is a buzzing topic in the sports world year after year, but HSE students never fail to show their true love for sports, especially during basketball season. There have been past celebrations and fun activities for students around HSE, like the large bracket created inside the J Hallway on the whiteboard looking out to CCA. Many teachers
also enjoy giving their students brackets or interactional games to participate in March Madness fun alongside their schoolwork.
“A lot of my teachers would also show the games at the end of class if any of the teams were playing,”
Aislin James said, current HSE junior.
As excitement builds surrounding the NCAA D1 Men’s basketball tournament each spring, students’ brackets and predictions about the season’s upcoming games escalate quickly. However, it is important for students to see the clear difference between friendly competition and sports betting.
In many states, including Indiana, sports betting is restricted to those over 21 years old, meaning high school students are not allowed to participate. School administrators and counselors say it is important to understand the potential risks
of these legal restrictions, so they can enjoy the excitement of March Madness responsibly.
“I see students talking in the hallways in between classes about their brackets for March Madness too,” said James, “Sometimes during lunches they will project the games on the big screen so everyone can watch together.”
March Madness remains true to its name as the madness of the games began this year on March 15th, with the Men’s and Women’s NCAA seeds being revealed for 2026. HSE continues to unify students in their fun, suspense, and love for sports, all while emphasizing the necessary responsibilities students must also take on to enjoy this time of year rationally.
Caitlin Clark in the playoffs. Photo contributed.
Snapping Away Memories
Innocent Upgrade or Intrusion of Privacy?
Story by Lili Perez | perezlil000@hsestudents.org
Is Snapchat+ a harmless upgrade or a paywall on privacy? Snapchat+ was offcially launched on June 29, 2022, as a paid subscription tier for Snapchat users. Starting at a monthly rate of $3.99, subscribers could gain access to “pro” features such as special themes and tracking friends’ snap scores. A big one is having the ability to detect when friends half-swipe your chats. For those who don’t have Snapchat, half-swiping is partially opening a message without fully opening the chat or notifying the person. All these features divide users by accessibility and experience.
Recently, Snapchat has required all users who have more than 5 GB of memories to either pay for Snapchat+ or start deleting their saved content. According to Snapchat’s updated policy, free users are now limited to 5 GB of storage for Memories, while Snapchat+ subscribers get up to 200 GB. For many users, this means years of photos, videos, and saved snaps are now at risk of being permanently deleted unless they fork over the monthly subscription fee.
This feels less like an upgrade and more like holding our memories hostage. Snapchat built its entire brand on capturing moments, saving memories, and preserving everyday life. It feels as though the platform is forcing individuals to pay up or lose everything they’ve saved over the years. For students who have been using Snapchat since middle school, that 5 GB flls up fast. Losing those memories isn’t just inconvenient; it’s frustrating and unfair. What makes this even worse is that Snapchat isn’t giving users much warning or fexibility. Users who exceed the limit receive notifcations urging them to either subscribe to Snapchat+ or manually delete content. It appears to be a push to convert free users into paying subscribers, raising serious questions about whether companies should be able to hold personal content behind a paywall.
Is Life 360 Unethical for Teens? Tracking And Maps
Story by Olivia Mitschelen | mitscoli000@hsestudents.org
Life 360, a popular app aimed to promote family connection and safety by allowing users to see others’ locations, is facing backlash from some teens.
From Tile Trackers that allow you to remotely fnd your items to an app that helps you fnd your loved ones; Life 360 is a very well-known brand.
Though the site is not only used by families, Life 360 is often used by parents to monitor their children’s activity, as the app can sense everything from where users are to how fast they are driving.
The site advertises their over 50 million active users in the U.S., highlighting its wide popularity and usage. However, the benefts of the app towards teenagers as opposed to parents is highly debated.
Because Life 360 is able to track so many aspects of a child’s life, often teens feel that it is an invasion of privacy for their parents to download it.
They believe that the site’s ability to tell location, driving speed, and “digital safety” is an invasion of privacy. According to the site itself, this “digital safety” includes “[scanning] the dark web for your personal information to keep your identity safe,” which raises concerns when read without context.
In fact, Life 360 has been sued multiple times over data privacy issues. In 2021, the company was found selling user data to data brokers, causing a lawsuit.
For many people, this information alone might be enough to prevent their use of the app, however others may fnd that its usefulness outweighs these concerns.
Looking from the perspective of parents, Life 360 is a useful tool that allows them to keep their children safe. The tools such as keeping track of location and driving speed are ways to ensure that their children are following household rules and not
getting into dangerous situations. It also allows for a parent or guardian to come to their child’s aid if they are in need of help but unable to communicate, which eases some parents’ nerves.
Overall, the site has options that teens often feel are an invasion of privacy, while parents fnd these tools useful.
Both of these groups have reasons for their feelings on Life 360, and both sides must be considered when looking at the pros and cons of using the app.
Puzzles Orb Trivia
1. What date will “Hailey’s Law” be offcially in effect?
2. What is AI’s Paper Trail?
3. Who played the role of Regina George in the Mean Girls musical?
4. What is the Orb Staff’s top choice for local restaurants in this issue?
5. What did social studies teacher Ms. Chandler do for fun growing up?
6. What is the “Memories” storage limit for Snapchat users with Snapchat+?
Meet the Staff
Senior Spotlight - Lili Perez
Lili Perez joined The Orb staff at the start of her sophomore year after a semester of Sports Journalism. Through her passion for writing, design, and photography, Perez has become a point-person on staff to help her fellow staffers elevate their stories. Not only has she been open to assist wherever she can, but she has compiled one of the most impressive personal portfolios in all of Southeastern Media Network.
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Dupree Henry (12) Lili Perez (12)
Ella Kiernan (11) Olivia Mitschelen (10) Niamiah Ringenberg (9)
Lizzie Dekker (11)
