Inklings

INKLINGS Dec. 17, 2010

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Volume 75 Issue 3 • Crown Point High School • 1500 S. Main Street Crown Point, IN 46307 • inklings@cps.k12.in.us

Identity theft

Recipes

In the season of spending, students are susceptible to identity theft, and the predators are unexpected.

Warm your winter with these yummy treats. Members of the Inklings staff brought in their favorite recipes and voted for the best. Published are our five favorite recipes of cookies, Oreo balls, and even a hot drink. To avoid the boredom of winter break, spend a day baking these recipes.

pg. 7

the

IN know Qualizza to be honored at Sunday’s Colts game

Senior Brad Qualizza was selected to the Indianapolis Colts Academic All-State Team and will be honored as one of 24 high school student athletes on Sunday at Lucas Oil Stadium during the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Colts, the Indiana High School Athletic Association and the IFCA have worked together for the past 12 years to present this annual award to the top student-athletes at each position.

Fun fair for charity scheduled in January Charity Finders and Best Buddies are sponsoring a fun fair, and part of the proceeds will be donated to cerebral palsy foundations.

The event will be Friday, Jan.14,from 5 to 7 p.m. in the cafeteria and is open to all students, including elementary. There is no admission charge but patrons must purchase tickets to participate in the games and cake walk. The event will also feature food and prizes.

Senior portrait deadline, Financial Aid night set Seniors must have their portrait taken at Titak Photography in Schererville

by Dec. 31 to have it included in the 2011 yearbook. To make an appointment call (219) 865-3869 or visit www.titakphotography.com A Financial aid night will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 25 at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium.

Information regarding state and federal aid for students who plan to attend college in the fall will be presented.

pg. 3

Holiday traditions

Fighting the flu

The way Crown Point families spend their holidays vary from playing football in a schoolyard to going to parades. pg. 10

With flu season nearing full swing, students have options to avoid, fight virus

By Garret Hogan copy editor When the air is bitter, the wind is icy, and the noses are red, that’s when students know that it is the flu season. Every winter, students, no matter how hard they try to stay sanitized, worry whether or not they will catch the yearly flu.

“I unfortunately get the annual stomach flu and sometimes I even get the regular flu, and I am worried that it will happen again,” senior Brittany James said.

It is hard to tell exactly how many students will go home each year due to the flu.

“Some years we get hit extremely hard and others, it is as if no one even got (the flu),” school nurse Carrie Ready said. “This makes making any predictions for this year very difficult.”

However, when a sick child does come down to the nurse’s office (located right by the bookstore,) a fever is the biggest

If the student has a fever of 100 degrees or over, they are to be sent home regardless of if they have the actual flu or not.

indicator of the flu. According to Ready, CPHS follows the guidelines from the Center for Disease Control (CDC) f, which means that if the student has a fever of 100 degrees or over, they are to be sent home regardless of if they have the actual flu or not.

Furthermore, once sent home, the student must be fever free without having taken any fever-reducers or other medications for a full 24 hours.

It’s easy to relate every sickly feeling to the flu, even though one may not actually be

According to the U.S. Health Department, a new vaccine has to be released every year because the flu virus DNA mutates and new strains occur.

all Walgreens Pharmacy locations and can be administered by your family doctor as well.

The out of pocket fee for the flu shot is $29.99, but many insurance companies, such as Blue Cross or Humana, offer this at little or no cost to consumers according to Baric. One must be over the age of 18 to go in and get their flu shot byhimself; otherwise he must have a parent or guardian present with him “Though everybody is encouraged to get the shot, there are those who are at a higher risk to the flu such as the elderly, people who are pregnant, and have diabetes. (These three groups of people) are even more encouraged to get the shot,” Baric said.

In some cases however, getting a flu shot

afflicted with the virus.

“What students often think is that if they are throwing up, then they must have the flu, which is not always the case. They probably have some sort of stomach virus which is not as harmful as the flu and can pass within 12 hours,” said Ready. “ Symptoms of the flu often may include headaches, body aches, and a dry cough.”

The best preventative measure is getting the flu shot; however, having been immunized in the past provides little protection.According to the U.S. Health Department, a new vaccine has to be released every year because the flu virus DNA mutates and new strains occur. “(Getting the flu shot) is the best way to get immunized, and you should do so as early as possible because what the shot consists of is the dead vaccine which contains the flu virus itself inside it,” Walgreens Pharmacist Teddy Baric said.

“It takes an approximate two weeks for the shot to take full effect on the immune system,” he said.

Baric explained further that the official flu season is September to March.

Last year, students had the option of getting the H1N1 shot or the flu shot.

However this year, both of the shots have been combined into one. The flu shot is offered at

is not an option.

The flu shot is offered at all Walgreens Pharmacy locations and can be administered by your family doctor as well.

“My mother will not let me get a flu shot because she is too paranoid that I’m going to be affected by weird side effects or get really sick,” said James.

Though a flu shot is an easy way to avoid the flu, there are, of course, other procedures to take to prevent the virus.

“Obviously the flu is very contagious, and there all the basic ways to prevent getting it such as eating correctly and getting plenty of rest. However the most important thing you could do would be to wash your hands as much as possible,” said Ready.

Even something as simple as over the counter medication and rest can do just the trick to get one off to school as soon as possible.

2

News

By Lauren Cain editor-in-chief For 40 MacArthur Elementary School students, this will be a very happy holiday.

National Honor Society sponsor Annie Lorek and the NHS members headed the Angel Tree project, which provides gifts to underprivileged students at MacArthur. “(Teachers) who adopt an angel get information about a child and their wish list. The items on the wish list are things like shoes or a comforter for their bed.

The items are not frivolous,” Lorek said. “That teacher and the class are responsible for buying the items that they can, wrapping them, and getting them ready for delivery.”

This year, teachers signed up to adopt 64 angels. MacArthur only had 40 angels to hand out, but teachers without an angel still contributed.

“The remainder of the people collected money.

The MacArthur community will buy gift cards to places like Target and Wal-Mart for groceries and other household items,” Lorek said.

According to Lorek, additional money will go into a fund from which MacArthur parents in need can request money to go toward NIPSCO bills.

The annual seasonal project allows NHS members to sign up for multiple duties in order to be involved.

“I signed up to help collect the gifts,” said senior NHS member Lindsay Howarth.

Senior Nate Ellingsen’s first hour Spanish class did fundraising to go toward purchasing the items on their angel’s wish list.

“People brought in food to sell, with a price tag on it, and the money went toward the cause,” Ellingsen said.

Both Ellingsen and Lorek agree that the project contributes to a good cause in the community.

“I think the best part about Angel Tree is that it benefits people in our community to remind us that there are people who need our help, and it brings the high school together for a common cause,” Lorek said The gifts were delivered on Dec. 10.

IN IN the loop

Students take practice ECA tests

Sophomores prepare for test and work on score improvement

By Haajar Shaaban executive editor Throughout the week of Dec. 6, sophomore English classes all through the school took practice End of Course Assessments (ECA’s).

ECA’s are tests that everyone enrolled in Algebra and sophomore English classes are required to take at the end of the year in order to pass the class.

“Similar to the GQE (Graduation Qualifying Exam), the tests measure minimal competency in math and language arts (including writing),” assistant principal Deb Cuffia said.

The State Department of Education mandated ECA’s so that schools would set expectations to prepare students in critical subject areas. As an effort to improve test scores, the school has administered practice tests for all sophomore English students to take.

“By simulating the test, students will receive a realistic picture of the test’s demands and expectations,” Cuffia said. “As a result, students will learn where their skill deficits and strengths lie.

Then, both teachers and students will be able to plan teaching and learning accordingly.”

Practice tests are expected to better prepare students for the actual ECA. “(I think practice tests) can only make you better at taking and preparing for those important exams,” sophomore Christine Walsh said.

Teachers and administrators are confident that practice tests will help improve scores.

“Programs and materials have been researched for the new courses,” Cuffia said.

Photo by Mary-Katherine Lemon Sophomore Kaylee Guritz looks at her ECA, or End of Course Assessment, in Allison Malloy’s English 10 H class. The practice ECA allowed students to get a feel for what the real test would be like.

Students who wish to blow off these tests may want to think twice before doing so.

“Students who don’t pass the ECA or who are in danger of not passing the ECA will be scheduled into an elective English or math course 2nd semester,” Cuffia said.

Students who fail the practice ECA’s will have their current

electives replaced with an English or math course to help prepare them for the actual ECA. Many students feel this is a fair consequence.

“If you fail the ECA’s you need more time to focus on those core subjects instead of electives which you will not be tested on in the future,” Walsh said.

Ultimately, administrators

believe that it’s worth the sacrifice.

“Since passing both exams is necessary for graduation, removal of an elective course from a student’s schedule might be necessary. However, considering that there are 56 opportunities to earn 40 credits required for graduation, this should not be a long term hardship,” Cuffia said.

Students turn out top scores on 2010 AP tests

By Kelly Rostin managing editor

Since AP test performance is now part of a school’s report card, successful AP test scores from last year’s students have given the school a greater chance at receiving a better grade from the state.

Sixty students from Crown Point High School have earned AP Scholar Awards in recognition of their exceptional achievement on AP exams.

“We have very dedicated teachers who do their jobs conscientiously and they take pride in helping their students. We also have some great students,” assistant principal Deb Cuffia said.

One student, Ryan Farrell from the graduating class of 2010, qualified for the National AP Scholar Award by earning an average grade of 4 or higher on a five-point scale on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams.

13 students qualified for the AP Scholar with Distinction Award by earning an average

grade of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams. Current seniors who received this are Eryn Macneil and David Sotirovski.

The remaining 11 students all belonged to the class of 2010.

“

We have very dedicated teachers who do their jobs very conscientiously and they take pride in helping their students.

“

NHS heads annual Angel Tree project

December 17, 2010

Assistant principal Deb Cuffia Eleven students qualified for the AP Scholar with Honor Award by earning an average grade of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams. Current seniors who

December 20 - January 2

January 13

Winter break

End of first semester

No school

received this are Taylor Cantrell, Jordan McRae, Carmen Siew, and Marcus Trybula.

The remaining seven students graduated with the class of 2010.

Thirty-six students qualified for the AP Scholar Award by completing three or more AP Exams with grades of 3 or higher. Current juniors who received this award are Craig Eggen and Josh Obszanski. Current seniors are Christopher Ashbrooks, Nate Byrd, Nick Ladowicz, Rebekah Maddack, Kelly Maddalone, Matt Moehl, Kristin Overbey, Janice Sewell, Rebekah Smith, and Scott Southworth. 24 graduated students from the class of 2010 also received this.

Of this year’s awards recipients, 18 are currently juniors or seniors. These students have at least one more year in which to complete college-level work and possibly earn a higher-level AP Scholar Award. “(The great test scores) are a result of a serious approach (to test preperation) by students and teachers,” Cuffia said. “Teachers direct their instructions to standards set by the College Board. “

miscellaneous • On Jan. 14, there will be no school due to teacher records day.

• Charity Finders will host a fun fair at 5p.m. on Jan. 14.

January 8 Turnabout Dance 6:30 p.m. St. Elijah Hall

Stray Dogs Improv Comedy Show

• There will be no school Jan. 17 due to Martin Luther King Day.

News

December 17, 2010

Identity theft takes a hold on students

3

Governor proposes new graduation incentive plan

By Kelly Rostin managing editor

Photo illustration By Mary-Katherine Lemon

Stealing of personal information damages minors’ future credit

By Arley Gomez news editor A student applies for a loan. It should go smoothly because the student has no credit record at all. But the bank denies the loan because the student’s credit record shows them owing thousands in debts. What is the culprit? Identity theft.

Minors are becoming increasingly prone to becoming victims of identity theft.

“Minors are often prey to identity theft because they have clean records,” Resource Officer Chuck Noonan said.

There are numerous ways that a thief can take a person’s identity. Some identity thieves raid through trash or swindle people into giving out their personal financial information.

The most common way of stealing a person’s identity is through the Internet, where hackers and con artists run rampant.

With promises of large sums of money or free items, they entice all kinds of people.

“Make sure you know who you are giving your information to,” Noonan said. “Make sure they are real businesses and corporations and legitimate banking corporations before giving them any information.”

The promises of online incentives may sound enticing, but the surprise may not be a new iPod. Instead it could be a case of identity theft. The moment that was supposed to bring a great deal of happiness could lead to years of fighting to regain a stolen identity.

Some things require giving out personal information, but if they are legitimate, they will work to protect identities.

“At (Crown Point High School), we require students to provide a copy of their birth certificate and Social security number, but we protect that information and do not give it out,” said registrar Cheryl Ciciora.

An important aspect of identity theft is a person’s social security number. A SSN can give a lot of information away. It is important

to protect this information and keep it out of the hands of others who could use it to commit fraud with it.

“The best way to prevent identity theft is by not giving out your social security number,” Noonan said “It would also help to shred any paper with important information and not just throw it away.”

What can you do?

Tips to keep your identity safe •

Shred any papers with personal information on them before throwing them away

•

Know that you cannot win foreign lotteries. No matter what an offer says, it is illegal.

•

Banks will never ask for personal information via email.

•

You cannot get another SSN if your identity is stolen.

Although the paper may be useless garbage to the one throwing it away, a predator after identities with clean credit records sees that garbage as a great opportunity.

“I am really careful with what I throw away because I am afraid someone might take and use it to steal my identity,” senior Iqra Beg said.

“The reason that a minor’s identity is likely to be stolen is because of their lack of

credit history. There is usually nothing there,” Noonan said.

Minors are often at risk of family members stealing their identity.

“Identity theft is equally done by outside thieves as it is by someone that (the children) know,” Noonan said.

A child’s SSN is often at his or her parents’ disposal. Parents may be tempted to use their child’s clean credit. However, when credit is stolen by a family member, it is still a crime.

“No matter who is using the child’s social security umber as their own, it is still fraud,” Noonan said.

If identity theft has occurred, Noonan advises students to report it to the authorities as soon as possible.

“As soon as you have any inclination that your identity has been stolen, it is important to file a police report to begin an investigation and prevent any further damage to your credit,” Noonan said.

It takes work to restore the damaged credit of a person whose identity has been stolen. Age can work to a minor’s advantage when proving that he or she did not make the purchases or apply for the loans in question.

“When the investigation begins, you will work with a detective to prove that you did not make those purchases and that you are not the proper age to obtain the loan. It will take some work to regain the dignity of your credit,” Noonan said.

“It is ultimately up to the person whose identity was stolen to decide if they want to report the thief,” Noonan said. “They should keep in mind that they are the one that will have to live with the consequences of the bad credit record.”

Seniors who are ready and willing to leave high school behind early are taking advantage of the option of graduating at the end of first semester.

To support these students, Governor Mitch Daniels wants to propose a plan to pay these students who graduate at semester.

“I’m graduating early so I can lower the number of years that I’m in college,” senior Kat Gutierrez said.

Daniels’ proposed plan includes asking the General Assembly to allow students who graduate early and are moving on to higher education to be awarded money that would go towards their higher education.

“I don’t know if it’s necessary, but that’s good for me,” said senior and early graduate Brett Thompson.

The money that students receive would come from the money that the state would save by not funding that student’s place in school.

According to the Indiana Department of education, Indiana spends an average of $5,866 per student per year. The actual monetary value that students would receive, and how students would receive the money are yet to be determined.

“Normally students who graduate early are just tired of high school. They just don’t really like school,” Director of Guidance Kim Swan said. “It’s usually because the students don’t want to be in school anymore. Very rarely is it about starting college early.”

The money that the state would award would only go towards those few students who are graduating early to further their education, like Gutierrez, who is already enrolled at Roosevelt University.

“I think an incentive is good because not a lot of kids can afford college. The money would be very helpful for students.”

However, the added incentive does not attract some students to graduate early.

“I wouldn’t want to graduate early because you only get four years of high school anyway. Why would you want to leave early?” junior Andrew Anglis said. “The incentive wouldn’t change my mind.”

First semester finals schedule Tuesday, Jan. 11

Wednesday, Jan. 12

1st hour: 7:25-8:30 (EXAM)

1st hour: 7:55-8:19

2nd hour: 8:36-9:18

2nd hour: 8:24-8:48

Jan. 12 cont.

I English, Special Needs, Performing Arts

3rd hour: 8:53-9:17

4th hour: follow regular lunch schedule

4th hour: 9:23-10:28 (EXAM)

5th hour: follow regular lunch schedule 6th hour: 12:41-1:46 (EXAM) 7th hour: 1:52-2:27

** After 4th hour students proceed to 7th hour or corresponding lunch. Students spend one of the four blocks in lunch, corresponding to their 7th hour class.

7th hour: I 10:28- 10:58

II 11:04-11:34

III 11:40-12:10

IV 12:16-12:46

1st hour: 7:25-7:45 2nd hour: 7:51-8:56 (EXAM)

3rd hour: 9:24-10:07

Thursday, Jan. 13

II Math, FACS, Art

III Social Studies, World Languages, and Business

IV Science, PE, Industrial Tech, Anyone else 6th hour 12:52-1:16 5th hour: 1:22-2:27 (EXAM)

3rd hour: 9:02-10:07 (EXAM) 4th hour: follow regular lunch schedule 5th hour: follow regular lunch schedule 6th hour: 12:41-1:16 7th hour: 1:22-2:27 (EXAM)

4

Opinion

December 17, 2010

Women stereotypes on website hurtful, not humorous

Inklings

Inklings is a student publication distributed to students, faculty, and staff of Crown Point High School. It is published monthly by the newspaper and advanced journalism students. Opinions expressed in Inklings do not reflect those of the CPHS faculty, staff, or the administration.

Inklings welcomes and encourages signed lettersto-the-editor. Letters may be edited for space or clarity. Letters must be signed and turned in to room E107 one week prior to publication and must not contain personal attacks. Letters may also be sent via e-mail.

Not all letters may be printed. Such decisions are the sole discretion of the Inklings editors and staff.

Advertising is subject to the applicable rate, copies of which are available from Inklings advertising department or by contacting 663-4885 ext. 11349.

Inklings has been recognized as an Indiana High School Press Association Hoosier Star, Columbia Scholastic Press Association Silver Crown, National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker and Quill and Scroll George H. Gallup publication.

Inklings may be contacted at 1500 S. Main, Crown Point, IN, 46307; 219-663-4885 ext. 11349; fax 219-662-5663; or inklings@ cps.k12.in.us.

Editors Lauren Cain editor-in-chief Haajar Shaaban executive editor Kelly Rostin managing editor Garret Hogan copy editor Arley Gomez news editor Abby Elston feature editor Kelsey Lennon entertainment editor Kayla Martisek opinion editor Milan Savich sports editor Frank Strino Samuel Beishuizen Alex McLean sports assistants Dani McCuan graphics editor Alyssa Blahunka advertising editor Sam Wright advertising assistant Joe Nejman Donnella Casillas Mary-Katherine Lemon chief photographers Ashley Downing photographers Staff Lacey Valois Katrina Zdanowicz Melanie Zdanowicz Alexa Grady RaeAnna Morgan Megan Walker Jordan Irons Adviser Julie Elston

By Lauren Cain editor-in-chief

V

iew:

The ECA practice tests are beneficial to students in order to identify areas of weakness, improve their studies in these areas, and ensure success on the ECA.

editorial

Cartoon by Dani McCuan

New strategies implemented this year have proved that the school is making a strategic move to ensure student success.

The first move was to better utilize study halls in order to help struggling students succeed. More recently, the administering of End of Course Assessment (more often referred to as ECA) practice tests have proved to students that the school truly is interested in their success as a student.

ECAs are required for students enrolled in Algebra classes and sophomore English classes. These tests have replaced the Graduation Qualifying Exam, but the GQE and ECAs are the same in that they both measure minimal competency in math and language arts, including writing. Taken at the end of the course, the ECA tests must be passed in order for the student to graduate. A change is the practice tests. The practice tests simulate the real test so students get a better idea of the demands and expectations of the test.In order to better enable those taking the tests to pass, sophomore English classes throughout the school took practice ECA tests the week of Dec. 6. Students who struggle on this practice test will receive extra test help, which includes for some substituting an elective with an English or math course (depending on which subject they need help with).

Teachers are always supporting the idea that preparation leads to success, and the new ECA practice is putting this idea to the test (no pun intended). Students go into the test somewhat blind by not knowing what to expect, making it inevitable for some students to not do as well as they had hoped, or as well as they are capable of. The practice tests give students an opportunity to be more prepared. Not only will this help them academically, but also mentally. Instead of having a panic attack when they see the real ECA, the advantage of seeing a test in similar form earlier on may calm their nerves.

When graduation is at stake, it is necessary for administrators to make moves such as this one. Instead of simply allowing students to fail, the school is giving them an opportunity for success by identifying areas of weakness early so they can work on and strengthen their studies in these areas. If students do poorly on the practice test, the extra math or English course should assist their learning so that they are more prepared the next time around. After giving these tests, no student should deny that the school has his best interest in mind.

Humor is perceived differently by all types of people.

Some get their kicks by going on YouTube to watch a kitten flushing a toilet.

Others laugh at political cartoons found in the daily paper. However, the humor that should not be enjoyed by anyone is that found on websites such as My Life is Bro, and MLIB’s sister site, My Life is Ho. Both websites work on the premise of usually posting a stereotypical statement about a woman: either about her making a sandwich, working in the kitchen, or being used as a sex object. Users can then choose to vote for whether or not the statement is “Chill” or “Not Chill,” and can even go as far as to “favorite” it. MLIB posts have become increasingly popular, showing up on many peoples’ Facebook statuses, encouraging their friends to “like” it.

It’s easy to point the finger at men for this disrespect. However, My Life is Ho proves that this is not the case. Even women are posting these derogatory statements about themselves. With each posting on MLIH, they are not only giving men permission to disrespect them, but encouraging the dominance of a patriarchal society that degrades women and perpetuates these stereotypes. If these postings are the examples being put forth, no wonder women are so disrespected.

These websites work on the stereotypes of women, and is full of the underlying message that women are good for nothing but cooking and sex. In 1848, the first women’s rights convention was held. In 1920, the Nineteenth Amendment was passed, giving every woman the right to vote. I thought we had already passed the milestones for equal treatment for women. Sadly mistaken, I now realize it’s a fight that will be extremely hard to win, especially when those who should be the biggest supporters of this fight, women, aren’t even on board.

The most discomforting part about these websites is the fact that people find humor in it. There’s nothing funny about abuse, and essentially, that’s what this website is: verbal and emotional abuse.

So here’s the question: If you support this “humor,” do you also support the abuse of women that it entails?

heard in the

halls

Kung-Flu Fighting “I wash my hands and take vitamins.” freshman Courtney Govert

Saving Money “I put it in the bank and (participate in) Black Friday.” senior John Bass

Finals Preparation “I study with friends and look through materials. We help each other.” sophomore Matyson Coppess

Holiday Vacation “I don’t do much; (I spend the holidays) with my family and sit around.” junior Joe Green

Opinion

December 17, 2010

5

Big invitations don’t mean big night

By Kelly Rostin managing editor

Cartoon by Dani McCuan

Have senior pranks stepped over the line?

By Katrina Zdanowicz staff reporter

Senior pranks are a popular occurrence in high schools across America.

However, when seniors forget the difference between a crime and a prank, should the school settle with the fact that the prank was all in good fun?

Prank calls, toilet papering houses, and gluing money to the floor are some harmless pranks.

Hanging containers of deer urine on doors, vandalism, and knocking out ceiling tiles are not.

Pranks, in an amusing or playful manner, are great; the maliciousness is usually the part where things go wrong. Often times, a prank will start off “all in good fun,” but end in a chaotic mess.

When someone gets physically or emotionally hurt, is forced to work extra to clean up the mess, or must pay to fix any damage caused by the prank, the prank has gone too far. When a prank crosses such lines as trespassing and vandalism, they are no longer considered pranks, but crimes that are punishable by law.

An example of a senior prank stepping over the line recently occured at Wheeler High School. The students involved took things too far by breaking ceiling tiles, pouring syrup, liquid soap, and powder throughout the hallways, tying containers of deer urine and fishing bait to several doors, and writing graffiti on the windows. The damage was so extensive that the school had to close the next day in order for the janitors to clean up the mess.

When things border on the line of criminal (they did break into the school on a Sunday night), it can no longer simply be called a prank.

However, as is the case many times, the label of “senior prank” overrode the damage done and Wheeler chose to only suspend the students. The fact that it can be called a prank should not be an excuse to brush the damage under the rug.

When students break the law, it is expected that they would receive a similar punishment as would anyone else. If the underclassmen pulled the same stunt, would the punishments be the same?

The school needs to be unbiased in their decision making and realize that the time old tradition of senior pranks do not need to go this far.

Junior

Freshman

speak up What do you think about seniors getting paid to graduate at semester?

I

ssue:

By Haajar Shaaban executive editor

Sophomore

Every year, seniors indulge themselves in some fun activities that make them love their high school life instead of form severe cases of senioritis. Their creative energy often takes the form of a senior prank. Not a senior felony. Not a senior crime. In fact, nowhere in the word prank is a capital offense implied. The kings and queens of our school simply need an outlet for their pent-up anxiety, a distraction from the monotony of the repetitive Crown Point way of life that they’ve always known. Denying seniors the right to display their superiority over the rest of us may possibly disrupt the time-honored hierarchy of high school and tip the solar system out of alignment.

This is not to say that seniors don’t need to show a certain level of respect when participating in such sacred activities. Breaking-and-entering, vandalism, under-age drinking, illegal drugs- yes, some high schools have actually had to deal with marijuana muffins- are all crimes. They don’t fit the description of lighthearted joking that will leave us all with a little something to remember the class of 2011 by.

Seniors who feel it necessary to forget all respect for public property have gone above and beyond the call of duty, certainly fulfilling their dream of being remembered for years to come. If a student displays this much potential for felony at such a young age, it’s likely they would have managed to become criminals all on their own, without the excuse of a senior prank.

Senior pranks, when executed properly, have the potential to be outstanding as well as lawabiding. I, for one, would really enjoying seeing some kids in gorilla costumes chasing around giant running bananas (props to the high school that thought of that one). It leaves a lasting impression of the class that’s graduating and gives us younger people something to look forward to.

Senior pranks have gone too far and should be punished

Senior

Seniors should be allowed to pull pranks within limits

A friend recently told me that if he wasn’t asked in a “cute way” to our school’s winter formal dance then he would question the girl’s personality and how much fun he would have with her. He followed up with saying that a simple invitation shows that a person doesn’t care about the dance. This statement shocked me.

It’s not that I don’t think that asking someone to a dance is important, but it just seems that the meaning of the invitation is lost in a culture where a dramatic invitation becomes the norm.

Much like how texting and online friendships seem impersonal, a ridiculous invitation to a dance seems similarly impersonal when it’s more for show than anything else. While I don’t argue that it takes thought to go into these “cute invitations,” their general nature feeds solely into the fact that people feel the need to go to great lengths for invites and similarly, people’s approval. The concept that “people should like you for who you are” has been lost in a huge abyss of unrealistic expectations.

With how our culture is today, people feel like they have to go over the top to show others that they care. That, to me, is wrong. If a girl is asking someone to a dance that automatically shows that she cares about the person and that she wants to go with him. She shouldn’t have to prove herself or impress anyone in order to have fun.

I support asking someone creatively to a dance within reason, but it’s important for students to put it into perspective and realize the big picture. It’s not the end of the world if an invitation doesn’t go off perfectly or is, to some students’ horrors, just simple. Students should not be so concerned with the invitation. Chances are, the memories from the dance itself will overshadow the memories of the invitation.

If you’re plotting to carry out an outrageous dance invitation just for the sake that you feel like you need to, save yourself the hassle and just ask face to face.

It’s more personal and sweet that way. The fact that someone isn’t afraid to hide behind a huge production of an invitation proves enough that they care.

Mari Aguilar

Jeremy Cox

Aidan Hussey

Tyler Barron

“I think that is a good idea because the student’s hard work should pay off.”

“I think they should just go to school for the full year.”

“I think it would give some students incentive to graduate, but it can also hurt the school fund.”

“I think it is a great idea as long as if it is a fair advantage.”

As

kin

g

I

Junior Lindsey Artuso asks Nathan Kwiatkowski to Turnabout while cheering at the girls basketball game against Lake Central. He said yes.

on

life

Ask Laugh Explore Wonder Inspire Live

December 17, 2010

Decorating

6

Student Council puts up their holiday tree in the lobby at the main entrance of the school. It is a tradition of Student Council every December to put up a tree and decorate it.

Finding focus for future finals Students, teachers give advice on how to prepare for finals without succumbing to the studying stress

By Abby Elston feature editor As the holiday season approaches, something else is lurking around the corner: finals. Thankfully, finals week is not until the week of Jan. 13, but there are still ways to prepare one’s self before getting bogged down with studying.

“Always start (studying) very early, right after Christmas break,” math teacher Mike David said. “Always do small blocks of time, less than half an hour. Do two to three of these.”

When one thinks of studying, visions of a single student poring over notes for hours may come to mind.

This may not sound too enticing; however, many different options are available for those who seek a new method of reviewing.

“Every year, my friends and I go to Starbucks and set up study sessions in groups like math and social studies. If someone needs help in math, they will group with someone who knows how to do math.

We do this for the semester (final) and the end of the year (final),” senior Amelia Claus said.

Teachers have expectations of their students also.

It would be a good idea not to fall short of them while preparing for finals.

“I expect my students to study in small chunks of time and not wait until the last minute,” David said.

No matter how the topic of finals is viewed, they are a crucial part of one’s grade and should not be neglected. However, one’s overall grade is also important.

“More important than the grade on your final is the ability to reflect on what has happened the past weeks,” David said. “It gives the teacher their final evaluation of how things went. For students, it gives personal feedback on what they have and haven’t mastered.”

For students, it becomes tricky to recall everything that was taught since the beginning of the grading period.

“It is ridiculous to expect (students) to know all the material at the same time, but it is important for teachers to know if their teaching methods are working,” Claus said.

These tests, perhaps without the students’ knowledge, represent something much bigger than just an evaluation of one’s recollection of skills over the past semester.

“Students need to prepare for something large-scale, such as the mid-term in college,” math teacher Jason McGee said.

Don’t find yourself too overwhelmed yet; here are some helpful tips from four teachers who teach a math, social studies, English, or science class, respectively, to guide your studies.

• “Go back and study notes and old homework assignments. Pay attention during reviews,” McGee said. “In math, you should go back and rework problems you already have answers to.”

• “Review vocabulary and check the major concepts of each chapter. They are sometimes called the ‘Big Idea’ or ‘Main Idea.’ Most importantly, do any review sheets teachers give you by yourself; don’t copy them (from other students),” said Sociology and Economics teacher Denise Vance.

• “Go through any notes you’ve taken over the semester, and review any essays written and read the teacher’s comments. Review all major works read in class. Most importantly, listen in class; be in class. Ask your teachers for advice,” said English teacher Ashley Monroe.

• “Go back through all your notes and review them; any sample problems, homework problems, or sample problems in your notes. Start early. Don’t think you can cram a whole semester of science into one night,” said science teacher Jerome Flewelling.

The finals will take place on Jan. 11, 12, and 13. Periods 1 and 6 will test on Tuesday, periods 4 and 5 will test on Wednesday, and periods 2, 3, and 7 will test on Thursday.

Remember, these tests do count for 20.5 percent of one’s final semester grade, which amounts to almost one-fourth. Questions should be asked if something is not fully understood.

“Don’t be afraid to ask other people; make sure you understand by asking. Don’t try to teach yourself,” said Claus.

by the

numbers

Students spend

181.8 hours

studying in a year, on average.

The average student drinks an average of

584 cups of coffee a year.

The average student gets

36.5

hours of sleep each school week

A Crown Point student taking an average of six classes with finals will spend

144

hours taking assesssments and finals by the end of their high school career.

180

Tests will be graded by a teacher in an average year.

#2 pencils remain the most popular pencil for test-taking.

Facts compiled by Inklings staff

Feature

December 17, 2010

Baking seasons bright

7

Tasty treats to tantalize the taste buds

Recipe: Sugar Gems From: Abby Elston 1 cup shortening 1 cup vegetable oil 1 cup sugar 1 cup powdered sugar 2 eggs Colored sugar

1 tsp. vanilla 4 1/2 cup flour 1 tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. cream of tarter 1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven at 350°. In a mixing bowl, cream shortening, oil, and sugars.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla.

Combine the flour, baking soda, cream of tarter and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture. Cover and refrigerate for ond hour or until easy to handle. Roll into one-inch balls; dip tops in sugar and colored sugar. Place sugar side up, two inches apart on ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until edges begin to brown. Remove to wire rackes to cool.

The Inklings staffers voted on their favorite winter-time recipes and chose the top five, listed here.

Try them and perhaps discover a new favorite of your own.

Recipe: Cake Balls From: Ashley Downing

Recipe: Candy Cane Cocoa From: Haajar Shaaban 4 cups milk 3 (1 oz.) squares semisweet chocolate, chopped 8 peppermint candy canes, 4 of them crushed In a saucepan, heat milk until hot, but not boiling. Whisk in the chocolate and the crushed peppermint until melted and smooth. Pour hot cocoa into four mugs, and garnish with whipped cream. Serve each with a candy cane stirring stick.

Yield: 4 cups of cocoa

1 boxed cake mix 1 frosting can 1 10 oz. bag of white milk chocolate chips

Yield: about 7 dozen

Bake the cake mix following the directions on the box. Take out of the oven and let cool completely. After cooled, in a large bowl, crumble the cake up. Then mix in all of the frosting until the cake is completely covered. Next, make tablespoon size balls out of the mixture. Melt the chocolate chips. Dip each individual ball until completely covered, set on wax paper, and refrigerate until hard.

Yield: about 30 balls

Recipe: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies From: Lauren Cain 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 1/2 cups flour 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/2 tsp. baking powder 1/4 tsp. baking soda 1 egg, well beaten 1/4 tsp. salt 1/2 cup milk 1/2 cup shortening 1/2 tsp. peanut butter 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Recipe: Inside Out Oreos From: Kelly Rostin 1 package Oreo cookies 1 8 oz. package of cream cheese 1 package of melting chocolate, white or brown Finely crush the cookies in a processor. Mix in cream cheese. Shape into balls and dip into melted chocolate. Refrigerate Yield: varies

Preheat oven at 375°. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate bowl, blend shortening and peanut butter. Add sugars.

Cream until light. Add egg. Thoroughly mix in sifted dry ingredients while slowly adding milk. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop from a tablespoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes.

Yield: about 4 1/2 dozen

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the Top 10 of

top ten of

e

@ 1

The end of 2010 marks the end of an important decade in history. While the decade was important, the year itself was as well. In politics, there were the mid-term elections, and the signing of the healthcare bill. In sports, the World Cup and the Blackhawks’ Stanley Cup win had fans screaming. In Crown Point, despite fighting the budget cuts, the school maintained excellence by being named one of Newsweek’s America’s Best High Schools.

It can’t be denied that- 2010 is a memorable year, and here are the reasons why, as chosen by our editors.

Crown Point High School

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Newsweek

Day of Silence

1

Senior wrestlers Eric Roach and Jason Tsirtis were featured on the cover of the magazine ESPN Rise. The article discussed the legacy they are leaving on the CP wrestling program. Roach and Tsirtis both won state titles in the 145 and 130 pound weight classes, resepctively. Both went on to finish in the top four in the Super 32 national wrestling tournament held in North Carolina.

2

State Smart

Academic Decathlon received second place at the state finals at Purdue University on Feb. 13. The team was lead by Ryan Farrell, who was the state overall champion in the honors division and brought home eight medals. Farrell’s accomplishment was a first for a Crown Point student. Other medalists were Catherine Fleszewski, Sam Sanders, Derek Hutchinson, and Carmen Siew.

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Dancing win

The junior varsity dance team captured its first state title in the school’s history of the dance program at the IHSDTA state finals in Indianapolis and the varsity team finished as state runner-up in elite kick. Varsity also took third in elite pom and junior varsity placed fourth in junior varsity jazz.

The state finals were Saturday, March 13 at Lawrence North High School.

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Top 10 Student Achievements Business Partners

BPA students took fourth place at the BPA leadership conference “Shoot for Success” in Anaheim, California on May 5-9. They joined over 5,650 other conference delegates from across the nation to participate in national level business skills competitions, workshops, and general sessions. Thomas Vanderplough won a top placement in Global Marketing at the district competition.

5

Novel win

Junior Leah Markowitz earned semi-finalist status in the Ayn Rand Institute’s 2010 Anthem essay contest. Essays are judged on both style and content. Judges look for writing that is clear, articulate and logically organized.

Markowitz wrote and submitted the essay as a 10H English assignment.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

6

Model effort

Senior Katrina Hoernig was aired on the Oprah Winfrey show on Sept. 17, modeling Vera Wang’s wedding dresses. She has modeled in three main runway shows, one being Donna Karan.

Hoernig received her first modeling contract with a Chicago agency in late November of 2009.

7

8

Running to success

Senior Laicee Pierce won first at Regionals, leading the girls cross country team to their first regional win in 13 years.

The team made the trip to compete down at state. Although they did not place as a team, Pierce finished 14th individually with a time of 18:49.4. Because of her state stuccess, Pierce was chosen to represent Indiana in the Foot Locker Midwest Championships .

Inkling of a win

On top of winning a Hoosier Star, Inklings was nominated for the first time to win an NSPA National Pacemaker Award.

At national convention, Inklings was named a winner, among 22 total newspaper winners. Deanna Sheaffer, editor-in-chief for 20092010, was also recognized as an Indiana Student Journalist of the Year Finalist at the State House in Indianapolis.

Healthcare bill signed into law on March 23 by President Obama, though most effects of the universal healthcare will not go into action until 2014.

Haiti earthquake effects shook the world when the 7.0 earthquake on Jan. 12 killed around 230,000 Haitians and left 2.3 million homeless. iPad released by Apple on April 3, ushering in a new era of technology. The iPad 2.0 is expected to be released in April 2011.

BP Oil Spill caused much uproar when tens of millions gallons of oil were spilled into the Gulf of Mexico, threatening the sea animals, as well as the tourism on the coast.

Conan O’Brien’s last “Tonight Show” aired on Jan. 22 after losing a battle with NBC. His new show “Conan” now airs on TBS.

Sea World trainer killed by an orca whale that pulled her underwater during a show on Feb. 24. The killing raised questions over whether or not these animals should be used in shows.

Arizona’s immigration law was signed on April 23, allowing the Arizona police to ask anyone they suspect is an immigrant for their identification.

TSA changes were put into effect after

the “Underwear Bomber” of 2009. Recently, the TSA started using full body scanners.

Their vivid pictures have caused controversy.

Jesse James was caught cheating on actress Sandra Bullock, not too long after the Tiger Woods cheating scandal, raising questions about loyalty in relationships.

Blackhawks win the Stanley Cup for

the first time since 1961. Patrick Kane also helped the United States get a hockey silver medal at the Olympics.

9

10

Colts recognition

Senior Brad Qualizza was selected to the Indianapolis Colts Academic All-State team.

Qualizza is one of 24 high school student athletes to be recognized. At the Dec. 19 Colts game, they will be awarded as the top-student athletes at each football position. The Colts, the IHSAA, and the IFCA have worked together for the past 12 years to present this annual award.

Latin State

The Latin Club was named as the state champion based on all of the individual, team, delegation, and club placings. They earned 2,681 points, a new new school record. Their winning score was double that of the second place school. All three levels of their Certamen teams advanced to the finals and returned home as state champions.

Feature

10

December 17, 2010

Creative customs enjoyed for holidays

Students and teachers share fun, exciting, and even some crazy family traditions

Photo Provided Junior Sophy Sanders and family play football on Thanksgiving day. This has been a family custom of theirs for a few years that has become Sanders’ favorite holiday tradition.

By M. Zdanowicz/ K. Zdanowicz staff reporters There’s no place like home for the holidays, especially when students have heartwarming, comical, or even crazy traditions that help keep the season special and unique. C.P. students and faculty share how their families celebrate the holidays, and how they’ve created memories that will be sure to last for many more years to come.

Junior Sophy Sanders

“Every Thanksgiving, my dad’s family comes in from out of town and we have our annual ‘Gobble Bowl’ football game. The ages range from 16 to 47, and everyone gets really into it. My cousins made flag football belts in orange and blue, and we wear orange and blue hats too, so we can tell the teams apart. We play behind Lake Street Elementary. The best part is the trophy we made. It’s my grandpa’s old bowling tro-

phy, except with an orange and blue Nerf football on top and an Old Style beer can on the bottom. The team that wins is that year’s Galactic Champs. After lots of pictures, we all go back to my house for a huge dinner.

Even though we’ve only been doing it for a couple years, this has definitely become my favorite holiday tradition.”

Coach Allison Duncan

“On my side of the family, we do one normal gift and one gag gift. Things are usually really creative. The Christmas before me and my husband got married, he pulled my name. We both work nonstop, so as a joke he got me cleaning supplies. We’ve been doing this tradition for the past five years. My sister lives down the street from me, and she and her husband come to my house for dinner during the holidays. My family also comes over to my house to go sledding on the giant hill I live on. We do a gift card exchange on my husband’s side and‘fight’ for the ones we want. Things get

pretty cutthroat. All of the girls get together for a craft party at my house. The guys go on a group shopping trip, and then have a wrapping extravaganza so that they get all of our gifts ready in one day.”

Senior Tyler Smith

“Every Thanksgiving, my mom and I go to Chicago for the Thanksgiving Day Parade. This year, me, my mom, my girlfriend, my cousin, and her boyfriend all got to appear on the news. Afterwards, we usually go to my cousins for dinner, but this year we’re having a big dinner at my house.

It’ll be good with my cousins coming up from Florida to visit, too. I really like this tradition that I have with my mom. It gives us quality time together and also gives my whole family a chance to get together as well.”

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Senior Billy Brown

“Each Christmas, my dad and I decorate the house, but we go all out with our

decorations with lights all over the house and in the trees. I also have family in Ohio that we go to visit, too. We all get together and have a huge Christmas Eve dinner.

Even though it gets pretty busy for me during the holidays with basketball, I like that I still have time to do all these activities with my family.”

Sophomore Hope Hobgood

“My dad’s side of the family is Polish, and every Christmas all my relatives come in and we have a huge Polish Christmas party. We eat a lot of traditional food, like pierogies, polish sausage, and kolaches.

One of the customs we have is where we hide pieces of straw under a tablecloth.

Each person picks a piece and the person who gets the longest one gets a prize. One family member also dresses up as Santa and hands out gift bags to anyone who sits on his lap. Everyone gets into it, not just the kids. Finally at the end, we all get together to take one giant family picture.”

True meaning in the holidays is wonderful

By RaeAnna Morgan staff reporter Of the 6,423,113 people that live in Indiana, 309,637 are unemployed. As of 2009, 800,000 families in Indiana alone were living in poverty.

With the holidays right around the corner, a dire financial situation can make a person lose sight of the more important things in life and feel hopeless. Such was the attitude of a Mr. George Bailey.

“It’s a Wonderful Life” is now recognized as an American classic, but at first it wasn’t held at nearly the high standard it is today. It took four decades for the movie to finally be seen for what it really was, a film that shows us that even though hard times may be upon us, it’s the friends we have that help us get through it all.

In this economic downfall, many families struggle with the fact that money is scarce.

With so many companies going out of business or going bankrupt, it leaves thousands of people jobless.

Those people may have trouble keeping food on the table or a roof over their heads. George Bailey was in this exact predicament. He was about to lose everything and thought the world and everyone in it would be much better off without him. When everyone who had been helped by this man heard of his situation, they were there to repay his kindness.

George Bailey teaches us a very important lesson, even now, 64 years later, about how our friends are the most important things in this life. In a time of need, it’s not the money that will fix everything; it’s the people who will give the most help.

They may not be able to take care of the debt, or the issue of unemployment, but they can lift your spirits and make the holidays a time of joy, instead of worry. For every one person out there who is down and struggling, it is very likely they have at least one friend who is willing to do everything they can to make that person feel the Christmas spirit this year.

myview

Arts & Entertainment

Disney changes through the years Popular films are keeping up with the latest technologies

By Megan Walker staff reporter From its beginning as a cartoon studio founded in 1923 by Walt Disney to its global corporation today, Disney is always keeping up with the fast pace of the world and, to most, always improving.

“When I was growing up, Disney was all cartoon. Now the shows and movies are teen actors that the viewers can relate to. I like the fact that Disney is evolving with the needs of viewers and making their content more relatable. It’s providing role models for teens and kids,” said mathteacher Sarah Liszka.

The first full-length animated feature presented to the world was Disney’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” This classic movie differs greatly from Disney’s movies of today such as “Tangled” which came out Nov. 24.

“I like how Disney turned this classic into an animated adventure. Using animation in movies creates a wonderful way of viewing stories,” said sophomore Brianna Lopez.

The way the two films were created is one major difference. Disney’s original Mickey Mouse was created with original animation, which appears to be drawn or sketched.

old

Classic Disney movies such as “Sleeping Beauty,” “Pocahontas,” and “Bambi” were made with original animation.

The other type of animation is computer animation.

Disney Pixar is a computer animation company that makes movies such

“

The old movies seem like classics and the new Disney movies with hightech animation lose that ‘Disney’ classic feeling. senior Jen Zarate

as “Monsters Inc.,” “Finding Nemo,” and “Toy Story.”

“I think the simple animation was more memorable and I prefer it. The old movies seem like classics and the new Disney movies with high-tech animation lose that ‘Disney’

VS.

Beauty and the Beast: Toy Story: Cinderella: Fantasia:

classic feeling,” said senior Jen Zarate.

Because Disney has been around for almost nine decades, it is no surprise that movies have been repeated with newer technology. One example of this is “Tron.” The first “Tron” movie came out in 1982. Now, 22 years later, the new “Tron Legacy” is coming out today.

“The old ‘Tron’ (movie’s animation) can be compared to a Sega joystick game, while the new ‘Tron Legacy’ is more like an Xbox 360 game such as ‘Modern Warfare’,” said senior Abe Rider.

Disney has also chosen to make sequels of some of their classic films. “Aladdin,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Lion King,” and “Toy Story” are some examples. The most recent sequel is “Toy Story 3.” New characters and adventures are often being added to these classic stories, keeping up with new generations. Though, those classics are not forgotten.

“I like the original movies better because I like the voices better, how it looks, and the general stories. It is so typical for Disney to look ‘classic’ and not perfect,” said junior Daniel Steffen.

From “Dumbo,” the first Disney home video released in 1981, to new movies with real people such as “The Secretariat” and “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” Disney is always modernizing with their audience.

new

Tangled: Toy Story 3: Enchanted: The Sorcerer’s Apprentice:

Three coupon websites stand above the rest

By Kelsey Lennon entertainment editor Five days before Christmas, the mall is packed, no parking spaces, lines are filed to the back of the store, people pushing and shoving. This does not sound like the ideal condition to find that one, last forgotten gift.

However, this situation can easily be avoided by conveniently shopping online. And what’s shopping without saving some green? a few Google searches Review and After clicking around, I have found the top three online coupon sites to help make last minute shopping a little bit easier on your wallet. I judged the sites on three things: organization, the variety of stores they have deals for, and accountability (if their coupons actually worked).

If in search for electronics, couponchief. com is the way to go. This site has a large variety of stores ranging from the Home Shopping Network to Best Buy. There is also a keyword search if you are looking for something special. This site is very organized and easily links to the website you’re trying to shop from. After signing up for the e-mail

newsletter, one will receive notifications to get the week’s most popular coupons.

For accountability, users are able to leave comments saying if the deals worked for them or not and submit coupons for others to use. Most of the comments claimed the codes worked, but be sure to read the individual comments on each coupon before trying to use them while shopping.

Retailmenot.com is similar to Coupon Chief in design and concept but has a better variety in stores. The site contained most of the stores in the Southlake Mall and many in northwest Indiana including pizza restaurants such as Papa John’s and Pizza Hut. There is much feedback on this website from users, and like Coupon Chief, people are able to leave comments saying whether or not the codes worked. Retail Me Not then takes a poll and displays the results in a percentage and color codes them. Each coupon will be in its own category based on the number of times it worked, which depends on the store and who contributed the code. The site also shows the average discount in a dollar amount for each store. Also, don’t forget to check out the

a few of our

favorite things Fredflair.com

Bath and Body Works has given a cute and convenient upgrade to the way students are killing germs. The Pocket Bacs are the latest craze in hygiene, keeping teens healthy without the lingering smell of alcohol like most hand sanitizers. The Pocket Bacs contain natural ingredients that won’t dry out skin. Choose from fresh and classic scents like Sweet Pea, Warm Vanilla Sugar, or Japanese Cherry Blossom, or go for the Christmas-themed scents like Rudy’s Cocoa Mint, Santa’s Crew Mallow Mint, or Dasher’s Apple Mint. They can be purchased one Pocket Bac for $1.50, or get five of their favorites for $5. Don’t forget to get a holder for your Pocket Bac, which easily attaches it to a purse or backpack.

PocketBacs

11

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December 17, 2010

Fredflair.com is the place to discover the kookiest gift for yourself or others.

Not only do they have a wide variety of apparel for men and women, but also bizarre accessories not found anywhere else. Find the random, like ‘bacon band-aids’ and the cute, like cupcake necklaces. There is definitely something for everyone on this shopping site.

various in-store coupons.

The best website I discovered was couponcabin.com. Almost every store I searched has at least one coupon available and the site ensures shoppers with its ‘Guarantee to Work’ feature so you know whatever code you use will be valid. Their deals extend outside the mall though, including Home Depot, different florals, Cabela’s, and JoAnn Fabric and Craft store. There is also a “Cabin Club” which will send you e-mails for discounts on your favorite stores and special savings on a certain website once a week.

Every Monday, the featured website changes and usually entails a discount of about $20 off a $75 purchase. But of course, there’s more!

After entering a zip code, printable coupons for groceries and restaurants show up and the site will total the savings. Overall, this has been the best site to find savings for the holidays and every other time of the year.

The most important part is to remember to check the comments and statistics to see if the coupons are valid. Check all sites though to find the perfect deal. Hopefully there is a good deal on that last, perfect gift.

Flip SlideHD Video Camera Capture all your favorite memories this year with the Flip SlideHD video camera. This new addition to the Flip camera family boasts a 3 inch touch screen and slides out to enjoy and show off saved videos. The camera measures 1.6x3.5x7.7 inches and has 16 GB of memory which is 4 hours of video.

Like all Flip cameras, the USB is built in and also has a headphone jack. One can also get creative when customizing his or her Flip Slide with 66 featured designs, an uploaded image, or a pattern generator, all of which can be found on the website. The Flip SlideHD retails for $199 on amazon. com and are also sold at most electronic stores.

12

Arts & Entertainment

Holiday music with a modern twist Check out old favorites with a new age kick

By Lacey Valois staff reporter Holiday songs may have the same old music and lyrics, but they’ve been performed by a variety of different artists. These traditional tunes have been covered hundreds of times throughout the years, but recently, artists such as Taylor Swift, Mariah Carey, and the cast of the hit show “Glee” have been the latest to add their two cents into the world of holiday music. All three of these albums may have completely different styles, but each bring a modern feel to the holiday season and make the music more relatable to recent generations.

Mariah Carey proved that new holiday songs can grow just as popular as the older tunes with her 90’s hit “All I Want for Christmas is You.” Fast forward 16 years later, and the singer is attempting to make a Christmas comeback with her second holiday album cleverly titled Merry Christmas II You. While her smash holiday hit can still be overplayed during the holiday season, the differences between the two albums are quite prominent.

Although reviews have been mixed (because of the conflict of tradition against the new sounds produced within the album), there is no doubt that her new holiday album has more of a rhythmic feel. However that doesn’t mean that it is the best choice for

those searching for a classic holiday album- this album is for those in search of a unique feel to the holiday season. The sound of a bass is easily heard and one can feel as if it is possible to dance to the modern tunes within the new album. Carey also proves once again that the same old song and dance can be made to please new generations and new songs can be produced for the same reason as well.

Taylor Swift’s holiday album was released in the fall of 2007, however it has just begun to grow in popularity along with her rising celebrity status. Sounds of the Season: The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection provides the younger generations to feel more relatable to the older songs of the holiday season. The songs fit into Swift’s typical genre, dealing with love and loss and the true meaning of h e r young life. Her soft voice contributes a smooth vibe to the album and may please those searching for easy-listening material. She also contributes her own songs while the traditional songs are still included. Despite the negative reviews revolving around the starlet’s somewhat repetitive song style, Swift’s fans are in for a treat if they enjoy her singing, positive attitude, and genre just the way it always has been.

It is no doubt that the cast of “Glee” has covered some of the most popular songs of all time, holiday songs show no exception in this matter. Glee: The Music, the Christmas Album”provides fans of the show with great

listening material that displays talent from all of its stars. Expect to hear harmonies, high notes, and solos to flow out of the speakers as the stars, such as Lea Michele (who plays Rachel on the show), sing songs that relate to what their characters are going through on the show. Emotions that can be felt throughout the album revolve around the shocking break-up between Finn (Cory Monteith) and Rachel recently in the season. The tension and longing between the two can especially be felt through the duo’s interpretation of “Last Christmas.” “Merry Christmas Darling” is heartfelt melody sang by Rachel and can really hit a soft spot to listeners who’ve ever experienced heartbreak such as what Rachel was going through in the show.

This also can continue to relate to listeners who may be feeling the same this holiday season.

Out of all three of these artists, “Glee” has the most promising holiday album of the three to consumers searching for variety and a jam session while holiday shopping. Mariah Carey’s album provides a dance-feel anmore modern addition to holiday songs if you’re searching for some jams to dance to while decorating or preparing for a holiday party. Taylor Swift’s album, however, sits on the opposite end of the spectrum with a soothing, easy listening experience that fits a cozy night at home sitting by the fire. All three, however, are sure to bring joy to the radio waves throughout the holiday season.

Holiday

Favorites

“Kingdom Hearts” great success with gamers

By Donnella Casillas staff reporter

In 2002, video game developers of Square Enix released what would become an international frenzy, having over thousands of fans all around the world over the course of eight years “Kingdom Hearts” is a mix of Disney, Final Fantasy, and an original plot all in one. Sora, the main character, is chosen as a “Keyblade Master” to save the Disney-based worlds, such as Beast’s Castle, and Wonderland, that are threatened by Review Neverland, a growing darkness that can destroy them. Sora also has the responsibility to protect others from the different enemies that are encountered while searching for his friends, Riku and Kairi, throughout “Kingdom Hearts,” “Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories,” and “Kingdom Hearts II.” Other games that are included within the series, such as “Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days,” “Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep,” and “Kingdom Hearts Re:coded,” are based off of the original plotline, but don’t always include Sora and his side-kicks, Donald and Goofy, within them. This brings variety into the plot, and gives the gamer a chance to see another character’s world while still learning about the dilemmas Sora faces, even though he is not present.

The plot itself isn’t the only component to attract a person to this game. The graphics that are presented within the whole series are completely and utterly overwhelming at first, but once that feeling

Nick Morin freshman

What’s on your iPod? All Star Smash Mouth No Surprise Theory of a Deadman Closer Nine Inch Nails

passes, users will praise that the graphics are so clear and enjoyable to watch through the game. Every detail can be seen and every inch of hard work and effort that the graphic designers put into the making of “Kingdom Hearts” make the battle scenes, cutscenes, and the overall environment of the game realistic. The widespand of colors, and shapes truly make the experience amazing.

The game isn’t oo challenging, however it does require strategic moves, as every step in the game isn’t handed to you. Gamers that have played video games previously will not have a problem figuring out what to do, but this gives beginning gamers a chance to see what other games might be like later on in their gaming life.

There is only one downfall to the “Kingdom Hearts” games. Each installment demands a different gaming system, depending on which game one would want to play. This brings inconvenience to gamers that do not have these systems, and can be a let-down to those who want to fully complete Sora’s journey through the different lands.

Despite this, “Kingdom Hearts” is an amazing video game that gamers of all experiences can enjoy, and eventually come to love.

With the seven games comes a long plot line and this might sound intimidating, but Square Enix has somehow been able to make the storyline more and more interesting with the release of every addition to the saga. The twists and turns that “Kingdom Hearts” takes only enhances the interest of the player and leaves them wanting to know more once a game is completed. “Kingdom Hearts” continues to be a huge success no matter how many games are released.

Christine Church sophomore

Leah Markowitz junior

December 17, 2010

Off-line stars raise money for charity

By Ashley Downing staff reporter In the season of giving, big name celebrities are taking large measures to try and help get their fans to give to others.

In a fight against AIDS Alicia Keys’ Keep a Child Alive foundation had stars give up their internet lives to help save children’s lives in Africa.

Over 15 million kids in Africa and India are orphaned because of their parents passing away due to infections brought on by HIV and AIDS. Stars such as Lady Gaga, Usher, Kim and Khloe Kardashian, Alicia Keys, and many more gave up their Twitter and Facebook accounts on Dec. 1 and would not get them back until they could raise a combined total of one million dollars. All proceeds will go to Keep a Child Alive and awareness for World AIDS Day. Their attempt at raising awareness seemed to have paid off. They raised one million dollars in a little over a week, however rumors were circling that the stars weren’t happy with how long it was taking to raise the money. Without being able to tweet for so long, they talked to Brooklyn-born billionaire pharmaceutical executive Stewart Rahr and convinced him to donate over 500,000 dollars.

Rumors aside, the ploy that the stars were playing was a smart way to raise the needed money, but it makes me wonder whether or not the fans were donating for the right reasons.

I believe that when fans started donating they weren’t really thinking about the lives that they were saving, but what really crossed their minds was the reality that their favorite celebrities were no longer tweeting to inform them about their lavish lives.

On the part of the stars, their minds are all in the right places. Though the fans pulled through and donated, exceding the original disired target, however I think not all of the fans were truly donating for the good of the cause.

Sam Hofsta senior

The Poison Bullet For My Valentine

When I’m Gone Eminem

Dreams We Came As Romans

Monster Remix Cascada

Wherever Drake

Hounds of Inubis The World Alive

Ashes Burn Hopes Die Last

Eight Days a Week The Beatles

California Gurls Katy Perry

Sports

December 17, 2010 Boys swim team captain senior Blake Yeager celebrates his winning time after finishing a race. The Bulldogs current record is 2-2.

The boys met Rensselaer on the road but the results were unavailable at press time. The Bulldogs will hold their last meet of the calender year on Saturday at home against Valparaiso followed by a meet at Portage on Jan.. 4 at 9 am.

13

Boys, girls swimming hold strong records midway through season

By Alex McLean asst. sports editor Improving maybe the most difficult part of any sport, however, it may prove even more complicated for a Bulldogs team coming off of an 8-1 season.

One of the team’s accomplishments is two top ten places in the last five years and coach Doug Norris has faith that the team will keep improving this year.

“Our team has had tougher practices than most teams. They’ve been pushing themselves and they’ve proven themselves many times. We’ll be sending our share of

kids to state.”

Chesterton came to town for the first meet of the season. The Trojans claimed first all but one event. Senior Tyler Croell placed first in diving with a score of 285.85. The final score of the meet was 125-61.

A meet was scheduled against Highland, but was cancelled due to snow.

The ‘Dogs then traveled to Merrillville for their first away meet.

The team dominated, winning every event except two.

The girls swim team faired better in the post season last year, finishing in 17th place. This season, the

girls are also ranked third.

For their first meet, the girls travelled to Munster, but the Mustangs came out with the win with a score of 74-112.

The Lady ‘Dogs traveled to Merrillville with the boys team, and also claimed a victory, 118-68.

Sophomore Charlie Wayne has confidence the team will succeed into the post season, if they keep up their effort, “We’ve been having tough practices all year, and it’s keeping us in shape. If we keep it up, we’ll be at the level we want to be at to do well all the way up to the state meet.”

Wrestlers have it covered Photo by Joe Nejman

Champion wrestlers recognized on ESPN Rise magazine’s front cover

By Milan Savich sports editor It’s not every day that a high school wrestler gets to skip out on after school chores or wrestling practice to do a magazine photo shoot.

However, senior Eric Roach and junior Jason Tsirtis are not your everday wrestlers.

The duo was selected to grace the cover of ESPN Rise magazine’s December 2010 issue.

“It was really cool to get the chance to have an article about us inRise, and when I heard we were getting put on the cover, it was just that much more exciting,” Roach said. “I read the magzine and have seen a lot of good wrestlers that I know appear in it in the past, so it was really exciting for me and Jason (Tsirtsis) to get a chance to be in it.”

Rise had informed Bulldogs wrestling coach Scott Vlink that they wished to feature the two wrestlers in the issue and he went on to inform Tsirtsis and Roach.

“When coach Vlink told me that Eric (Roach) and I were going to be in the magazine, I was kind of shocked but really excited at the same time,” Tsirtsis said. “I had heard about (Rise) before and I knew a lot of great wrestlers have been featured in it, so it was really an honor to be put on the cover.”

“Doing the photo shoot was really funny,” Roach said. “Jason (Tsirtsis) and I had to try on a bunch of different outfits and go around the school doing a lot of different poses in different areas. Even though we took a lot of pictures and spent a lot of time on the photo shoot, we still had a good time doing it.”

Besides having had their picture as the main focus of the December issue of Rise, Tsirtsis and Roach were also featured in an article which reflected on their past accomplishments.

“After we were done doing a photo shoot, the reporter called me at home and interviewed me for the story,” Tsirtsis said. “It was actually pretty fun. It only took about 20 minutes.”

Both Roach and Tsirtsis had a

plethora of accomplishments in their Bulldog wrestling careers to be mentioned in the article.

After winning two straight individual Indiana state wrestling titles and helping contribute to the Bulldogs’ 2009 Wrestling state championship after a near perfect freshman season, Tsirtsis is hoping to repeat his individual success this season while also holding high hopes to help his team reach their ultimate goal of bringing home the state prize.

“I’ve been working really hard this year hoping to go back down to state as an individual, but our main goal is to learn how to work as a team. We’ve been busting our butts at practice everyday, trying to learn to work as a unit so that we can hopefully bring home another a state championship at the end of the year.”

Along with Tsirtsis, Roach is also seeking his second consecutive individual state title, and as a senior, he is hoping to finish his high school career on a high note.

“Its really cool to be included in Rise magazine because a lot of great wrestlers have been in it, but years from now, no one is going to remember you for being on the cover of a magazine,” Roach said. “I’m hoping that I can repeat the sucess I’ve had in the past but more importantly, we want to have success as a team.”

This past Saturday the Bulldogs finished in first place in the Chris Traicoff Memorial Tournament which was held at Calumet.

“It’s a great confidence booster in the middle of the season to be able to win this tournament,” Vlink said.

“We’re not satisfied yet, but we were very happy to come away with the win. We just need to keep working hard so that we can reach our goals at the end of the year.”

“The Traicoff tournament is really tough,” Tsirtsis said. “We didn’t even win it in 2009 when we won state. But we were able to dominate against some quality teams.”

Although the team has already accomplished the feat of wininng one of their last tournaments, they still feel they have a long way to go this season.

scoreboard Boys Basketball LaPorte-43 CP-59 Morton-31 CP-61 LC-54 CP-67 Valparaiso-48 CP-32

Girls Basketball Lowell-33 CP-75 CP-72 LaPorte-57 LC-89 CP92

Hockey Nobelsville-2 CP-4 Cathedral Chatard-2 CP-4 Lawrence-4 CP-1 South Stars-7 CP-4

Boys Swimming Senior Eric Roach and junior Jason Tsirtsis holding the Decemeber 2010 issue of ESPN Rise Magazine in which they are featured on the cover. Both Roach and Tsirtsis are looking to repeat as individual state champions this season.

“We worked really hard to improve from last year, especially in the off-season,” Roach said. “It’s so important to stay in shape and keep improving over the offseason because a kid who wrestles all year is

Strayer, Plesac to be honored by Hall of Fame

IN

the game

S

Bulldogs baseball coach and math teacher Steve Strayer will be receiving special recognition for his 400th career win during the Indiana High School Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame Awards Banquet at the Sheraton at Keystone Crossing in Indianapolis, IN on Friday, Jan.21.

In addition, Crown Point High School Graduate and former Bulldogs pitcher Dan Plesac will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame after pitching 18 seasons in the Major Leagues.

going to be physically and mentally tougher than a kid who only wrestles five months all year. So we just want to keep working hard so our team can grow and work as a unit to the best of our abilities.”

A date in ‘Dogs history

State finals were on the minds of Crown point girls swimmers in Dec. 1985. That season, Tricia Maloney broke two school records in the 200 meter individual medley and the 100 meter individual. Maloney finished 14th and 4th in those events at the state level, respectively. The ‘Dogs trip to Indy wrapped up a 13-0 dual meet season record.

Chesterton-125 CP-61 Highland-130 CP-110 Valparaiso-86 CP-100

Girls Swimming CP-74 Munster-112 CP-59 Chseterton-127 Valparaiso-81 CP-105 CP-118 Merrillville-68

14

Sports

Boys basketball successful in DAC

December 17, 2010

Noise plays big factor in games

By Sam Beishuizen asst. sports editor

Photo By Donnella Casillas Senior Evan Langbehn shoots free throws during the Bulldogs Duneland Athletic Conference home opener against LaPorte. Langbehn went two for two from the free throw line en route to scoring ten points for the ‘Dogs. The Bulldogs went on to win the game by a score of 59-43.

By Sam Beishuizen asst. sports editor The basketball season lasts for just under four months which makes it easy for a team to lose their grasp on the big picture: winning games. This season, boys basketball is staying focused on the path ahead by taking things one game at a time.

“We are trying not to get ahead of ourselves,” said head coach Clint Swan. “We are focusing on one game at a time, and each day we get better.”

The one game at a time mentality has proven to be just what the ‘Dogs need.

Against Hanover Central, the ‘Dogs got down early, falling behind by five at the end of the first quarter. Senior Spike Albrecht led their comeback scoring 16 points in the second half to lead the ‘Dogs to an 81-54 victory.

Consistency has been the ‘Dog’s Achilles heel throughout the entire season.

“We definitely need to get more consistent,” senior Sean Crary said. “Once we

get more consistent we are going to have something special.”

The ‘Dogs captured their first DAC win of the year in their home opener against LaPorte, winning 59-43. Senior Jared Smoot recorded a double-double scoring ten points and bringing down ten rebounds.

“The win gave us confidence,” Smoot said. “It was really important for us to get off to a good start this year, especially because we didn’t play like we wanted to last year.”

“After a tough year, it is important to get off to a good start that gives our guys confidence,” Swan said. “In our conference you can get buried easily if you fall behind. This year we aren’t forced to play catch-up.”

After beating Hammond Morton 6131, the Bulldogs captured their second DAC win of the year at Lake Central. The team had control of the game throughout, winning 67-54. The ‘Dogs were led by seniors Albrecht, Smoot, and Crary who all scored in double digits.

After a short undefeated stint, Valparaiso handed the team their first loss of the season with a final score of 48-32. The Vikings held leading scorer, Albrecht, to only eight points off a 2-10 performance from the field. The ‘Dogs are quickly putting the loss behind them.

“We need to learn from the loss, but not linger on it,” Smoot said. “The next game is the most important thing for us right now.”

As the wear and tear of the season goes on, the ‘Dogs will need to rely on all of their players to step up their games. Swan is confident that they will be able to do just that. “(Our biggest strengths) are experience and our depth,” Swan said. “This year, I can go to the bench and there isn’t as much of a drop off as last year.”

The ‘Dogs season will continue on throughout the winter break. They welcome in their DAC rival Michigan City tonight at home before traveling to Griffith on Monday night.

There is a reason why teams are always talking about the advantage of playing at home. The fans, commonly referred to as the sixth man, can have an immediate impact on the performance of the basketball teams.

“Playing at home gives our guys a boost of confidence,” said boys basketball coach Clint Swan.

“Whenever the players look up in the stands, they see their friends, the football players, and the community, and that can really pump them up.”

The crowd noise can create an atmosphere that can give opposing teams fits on the court. The loud, antagonistic environment can cause unforced turnovers that can completely shift the momentum of a game.

“You need to be able to play well in a hostile environment,” Swan said. “Crowd noise can definitely cause some problems for the visiting teams.”

This season, Crown Point has developed an intimidating environment that can really make an impact on the visiting team’s psyche.

“Throughout the past few years, we have been lacking a hostile home environment. We have that type of environment this year, and that can really help us out,” Swan said.

The players and coaches all appreciate the help of the fans at home games, and encourage the students to show up and support their fellow Bulldogs throughout the course of the season.

“If we play the way we need to, we can get any fans excited,” Swan said. “Hopefully, we can continue to give the home crowds something to cheer about.”

Upcoming home games for the ‘Dogs include tonight against Michigan City, and the 28th against Merrillville. Come out and support your fellow Bulldogs.

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Sports

December 17, 2010

15

Lady Bulldogs remain undefeated

A Minute With

Girls go for sixth conference win tonight at Michigan City

By Milan Savich sports editor

Mil

Bulls shock fans

By Milan Savich sports editor After coming off a six game win streak and selling out the United Center night after night, the Chicago Bulls may be a little more than a constant reminder that Chicago does indeed have a basketball team.

Even though the Bulls may be recognized as one of the greatest franchises in all of sports, due to Michael Jordan, Phil Jackson and company’s six championships in eight years, they seem to have taken a back seat in the eyes of fans at the hands of teams such as Stanley Cup Champion Blackhawks and lovable losers the Chicago Cubs.

But let’s not be fooled here. The Hawks have been struggling due to injuries and the Bears should not take their 9-4 record for granted as Tom Brady may have reminded them last week. The Bulls have one of the greatest groups of young stars in the NBA today, and they are showing it on the score sheet and on highlight reels. The fans are beginning to show them some love as well.

The Bulls are most definitely in playoff contention and are building their young guns into a respectable NBA squad. I love seeing the fan support and I wouldn’t be surprised to see this team doing big things in the near future.

It may look very impressive that the girls’ basketball team has opened the season with a mark of 9-0. But this particular Lady Bulldogs squad will not let that get to their heads. After all, teams from the past have equaled that mark heading into Duneland Conference play, only to sputter and stall-out by sectionals.

“We’re really happy to be undefeated but we’re not satisfied just being happy,” senior Lisa Kurth said.

Although the Lady ‘Dogs have made an undefeated run thus far in the season, they will be faced with the challenge of meeting conference rivals Michigan City tonight on the road.

“Playing in the DAC is so tough because you have to play every team twice,” coach Mike Cronkhite said. “We already know what Michigan City is going to do, so for us it’s just a matter of executing.”

Michigan City remains undefeated outside of the DAC with their only conference loss coming at the hands of Chesterton.

“We take it one game at a time,” Cronkhite said. “We just need to continue to keep the opponent guessing by changing up our strategy.”

The girls have only lost two players from last season which can be a big advantage on the court.

“Last year we really got to know each other,” Cronkhite said. “The team really grew and it helps a lot this year that we’re so close.”

In their most recent matchup, the Lady ‘Dogs took on Valparaiso at home, coming away with a close victory by a score of 56-54.

Photo By Joe Nejman Sophomore Hayley Bordui looks to pass the ball to a teammate in a Duneland Conference game against Lake Central last Friday. The Lady Bulldogs went on to win the game by a score of 92-89 in overtime. The Lady ‘Dogs are currently in first place in the DAC with a record of 5-0.

“We need to get better defensively,” Cronkhite said. “We also need to improve on rebounding and shooting free throws.”

Even after facing near defeat in an overtime thriller against Lake Central, the Lady Bulldogs lead by junior Courtney Kvachkoff, came away with a 92-89 victory. Kvachkoff finished with a game high 27 points, while junior Kendall Brown and senior Kelly Gross both contributed with 18 and 13 points respectively.

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“Even though we have come away with so many big wins we don’t want to get over-confident,” Gross said. “We need to keep working hard.”

If successful tonight, the girls will stand at an undefeated 10-0 heading into their DAC rivalry game at home against Merrillville on Dec. 28.

“Our next two games against Michigan City and Merrillville are huge,” Cronkhite said. “We are really going to need to stay fo-

Bradshaw College Consulting College Admissions Consulting PSAT/SAT tutoring Gerald M. Bradshaw www.BradshawCollegeConsulting.com Gerald_bradshaw@post.harvard.edu 219.663.3041 Crown Point, IN Educated Advice Columnist Post-Tribune

cused and not get too far ahead of ourselves.”

“We have a lot of confidence being undefeated, but we try our best to keep focused on the games ahead of us,” Kurth said. “We don’t want to get over-confident.”

Currently, the Lady Bulldogs are in first place in the DAC with a record of 5-0 and they also lead the region in offensive statistics making 246 of 460 field goals thus far on the season.

“We’re really trying to play our best and work as a team, and offensively we are doing that,” Kurth said. “There are still a few aspects of the game that we need to work on, but work on getting better everyday in practice so that we can accomplish our goals at the end of the season.”

Although the Lady ‘Dogs are looking strong in the DAC at 5-0 and may be in contention for the Duneland Conference Championship, that would not assure them of their main goal, winning sectionals.

“We really want to keep our undefeated streak alive as long as possible,” Kurth said. “We set out to win sectionals this year and our team is so close that we can work though anything to achieve our goals.”

With each game getting closer and more intense, the Lady Bulldogs are seeing new players step up every game.”

“Even though we have a lot of great senior leadership, our sophomores and juniors are really big for us,” Cronkhite said. “Courtney (Kvachkoff) really stepped up for us against Lake Central and we love to see that leadership from younger girls.”

The Lady ‘Dogs match up tonight at Michigan City will begin at 6 p.m. The girls are looking for their sixth DAC win.

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Personalities

16

December 17, 2010

Dancing like nobody’s watching

Take

FIVE

Three students perform in annual New York City’s Macy’s Day Parade

By Alexa Grady staff reporters

While carving the turkey or traveling to a loved one’s house for Thanksgiving dinner, three of Crown Point High School’s seniors were marching through the Macy’s Day Annual Parade in New York City. Bailey Whitehead, Evie Turner, and Allison Bowdish were invited to take part in the 84th year of The Macy’s Day Parade.

“When we were at cheer camp, Bailey and I were invited to cheer in the parade because we are seniors and captains on the varsity cheerleading team,” said Evie Turner. “You can either be invited

by NCA, USA, or UCA to attend.”

All three girls flew to New York just a few days before the parade in order to learn the choreography for the routine.

“There were 760 girls that were there learning the routine with us,” senior Bailey Whitehead said. “It was difficult to have enough space to move during practices as well as during the parade.”

In order to have the privilege to go, the girls needed certain skills that would allow them to attend. They needed to require a lot of experience and leadership, as well as patience.

“With 760 girls, it was hard to stay polite as well as learn the routine,” Turner said.

“Also, the cheer was more like a dance so the cheerleaders had to adjust to the dance counts,” Whitehead said.

Allie Bowdish was the dancer that was chosen to go for her second year.

“Last year I was a junior on the varsity dance team and also the captain.

Even though I’m not on the dance team this year, they still invited me back

Robert Ebbens Junior Photo provided

Seniors Evie Turner, Allie Bowdish, Bailey Whitehead, and former CPHS student Eva Khan pose after dancing in the Macy’s Day Parade. The parade took place in New York City.

to participate,” said Bowdish. While spending Thanksgiving in New York sounds like a treat, there were rough times for the girls.

“The practices were 4 hours long and very stressful,” Turner said.

They had to endure some long practices in a confined room until they got the true experience of cheering and dancing in New York City.

“Practicing in Herald Square was really fun and it was more spacious,” Whitehead said. “Also, visiting Ground Zero was very touching.”

This will be an experience that the girls will always remember.

“I loved the experience both this year and last year. It is so exciting to be able to perform in such a big city, while having all my family and friends watching me on television,” Bowdish said.

Through long practices, cold weather, and putting up with 760 girls, they were able to strut on the streets of New York while representing Crown Point.

The Senior cheerleaders Evie Turner and Bailey Whitehead.

Not Pictured: Allie Bowdish

Macy’s Parade

by

the numbers

Band Together My favorite class is band class because I love music.

Rap Master I really like Eminem.

That man knows how to rhyme.

Pet Peeve It annoys me when people text when I’m talking to them. It’s just impolite.

Faithfully People should know that I’m pretty devout when it comes to my Christian faith and lifestyle.

Play It Again

44

million people watch the Macy’s Day parade on television each year

I wish I could play guitar along side U2 because the Edge is a beast.

You know it’s time for winter break when...

Junior “You hear little kids talking about Santa Claus.”

“You hear Christmas songs on the radio.”

Sophomore

Matt Torres

Freshman Gianna Gazzillo

Danny Aultman

Senior

Marissa Yadron

“You’re getting tired of waking up early for school.”

“Everyone’s excited about sledding and ice skating.”

Photos by Donny Casillas