Inklings

IN K [ ] LI N GS

Crown Point High School Crown Point, IN @InklingsCPHS February 19, 2021 Vol. 85 Issue 4

State Bound EIGHT WRESTLERS HEAD TO COMPETE IN STATE TOURNAMENT IN INDIANAPOLIS

COVID vaccine: should educators be prioritized?

Girls basketball wins regionals against Penn

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Logan Fraiser, Anthony Bahl, and Orlando Cruz say goodbye to family and friends during state send off parade Thursday. The team placed second at state last year, and two time state champion Junior Jesse Mendez will be defending his title.

PHOTO BY NOLAN CHASE

TABLE OF CONTENTS NEWS

04 STRUGGLE TO THE SHOT 08 TESTING THE WATERS

OPINION

12 EDITORIAL 14 PRO/CON 15 COLUMNS FEATURE

16 PASSIONS TO PROFIT 18 CHANGING GEARS

SPORTS

20 GIRLS BASKETBALL 20 WRESTLING & GIRLS SWIM BOYS BASKETBALL & 22 BOYS SWIM & GYMNASTICS ENTERTAINMENT CAGAYAN & 26 SURVIVOR: “TO ALL THE BOYS” 3 GAMBIT & 28 QUEEN’S WANDAVISION

PEOPLE

29 LESLIE MALERICH 30 JACOBY WIACEK

Freshman Yohanna Calzonzi backstrokes during a girls swim meet.

PHOTO BY GILLIAN GATLEY

THINK AHEAD Editor’s note Information is accurate at the time of publication.

Should any event cancellations occur or dates change due to COVID-19, updates will be posted on the website and Twitter.

Feb. 20

NHS Fundraiser

Students wanting to help NHS raise money for the NICK foundation can go to Panda Express in Merrillville this day from 10:3010:30. The flyer can be found on NHS’s instagram.

Feb. 23

National Banana Bread Day Banana bread lovers can spend the day celebrating (and eating) this tasty treat.

March 8

International Women’s Day

This day celebrates all the barriers broken down and accomplishments over the years by women.

[INK] L I N G S

1500 S. Main St. Crown Point, IN 46307 219-663-4885 ex. 11349 fax 219-662-5663 inklings@cps.k12.in.us online: www2.cps.k12.in.us/

Crown Point High School, IN

Vol. 85 Issue 4 - February 19, 2021

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

Letters-to-the-editor are welcomed provided they are signed and submitted one week prior to publication and do not contain personal attacks. Inklings reserves the right to edit for space, clarity and legal and ethical concerns.

Advertising is subject to applicable rates available by contacting Inklings.

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

co-editors-in-chief Nolan Chase Emily Helmuth Noah Thomas assistant editors Rosalie Degenhart Abigail Godsen sports editors Keeley Bernard Samuel Brewer photographer Gillian Gatley

March 9 StuCo Panera Fundraiser Students wanting a good meal and a chance to help raise money for CPHS’s Dance Marathon can visit Panera in Merrillville this day from 4-8 p.m.

March 12-14; 19-21 “High School Musical”

CPHS theatre presents “High School Musical.”

Performances will be on Friday and Saturday nights as well as Sunday afternoon. This is the senior’s last show.

March 14

March 17

Selection Sunday

St. Patrick’s Day

March Madness will be back in 2021. Selection Sunday decides the seeds and which teams will play which in the 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament, aka March Madness.

St. Patrick’s Day observes the death of St. Patrick, the patron saint of Ireland. It is now a day dedicated to Irish culture. In Ireland, this day has been a religious holiday for over 1,000 years.

artist Hayden Coles staff Aubrey Banks Emily Briseno Trevor Frahm Olivia Helmuth Mary Marcinek Andrew Poeschl adviser Julie Elston

March 19

End of Grading Period

The third grading period will officially end on March 19.

Grades will be taken this day to ensure students are on track.

March 24

Laude Banquets The senior laude banquets will be split into three ceremonies, one for summa cum laude, one for magna cum laude and one for cum laude.

4 NEWS

STRUGGLE TO THE SHOT Indiana not included as 28 states and D.C. begin to vaccinate educators

BY NOLAN CHASE ROSALIE DEGENHART co-editor-in-chief assistant editor Indiana teachers will be behind other neighboring states to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. While teachers in Illinois, Ohio and Michigan have already begun the process of distributing the vaccine to their teachers as a part of the states’ phase 1B distribution, Indiana is lagging behind, only allowing their teachers to receive the vaccine in phase two. Along with this vaccine setback, Crown Point schools have returned to operating on a “green” schedule as of Feb. 16. Going “green” and not being legally allowed to receive the vaccine has math teacher Michele McDonough looking for other alternatives.

“I am apprehensive about the shift to green, as I have not currently been vaccinated. I have started to seek out a vaccination even though Indiana is still not vaccinating teachers. I will continue to pursue this on my own,” McDonough said.

McDonough recognizes the risk that teachers have had and will continue to face.

“As an educator, I realize there is a risk coming into work each day,” McDonough said. “I read about teachers dying from the virus and that is both incredibly sad and horrifying. The truth is that teachers need to be protected.”

While McDonough says that she understands vaccines are limited, she points

out that teachers in other states, such as Illinois, are able to get the COVID-19 vaccine right now.

“I understand that there are so many vaccines available at this point, however, it is upsetting that if I taught in Illinois, I would now be able to be vaccinated,” McDonough said. “It is disappointing that educators are not necessarily a priority in the process of being vaccinated.”

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Having a workable vaccine distribution plan is a key component in making teachers, staff, and students feel safe at school.

teacher Jacob Adams As a resident of Illinois, English teacher Jacob Adams has already received his first dose of the vaccine. Adams comments on receiving his vaccine, as well as the state of Indiana being behind on this process and its effect on the rest of the country.

“I live in Illinois and was fortunate enough to already receive the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. I will be getting the second dose in a few weeks. Indiana seems to be lagging behind Illinois and a lot of other states in coming up with a workable plan for vaccine distribution,” Adams said.

“Keeping schools open and safe is essential to revitalizing the economy and preventing students from following further behind in academic growth and social development.”

Along with revitalizing the economy and academic growth, Adams further stresses the idea of school safety with the vaccine.

“Having a workable vaccine distribution plan is a key component in making teachers, staff, and students feel safe at school. President Joe Biden got to the heart of the matter when he said that teachers want to return to full-time in-person learning as soon as possible. They just want to do so safely,” Adams said.

Returning to school safely under a green schedule is possible, for the Center for Disease Control has released new guidelines on how to safely reopen schools.

Adams comments on the CDC’s reports, as well as how teacher vaccination is not the key component to keeping schools open and safe.

“The CDC just put out a study finding that schools can be operated safely as long as key mitigation strategies are followed.

While teacher vaccination is a good added layer of protection, it is not the primary strategy that will keep schools open safely,” Adams said. “We need to practice good hygiene and stay home from school if and when we are sick. We need to ‘mask up’ at all times. There is no doubt that being in ‘green’ status is better than ‘yellow’ from an educational standpoint for a majority of

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INKLINGS

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St. Anthony’s hospital in Crown Point has recently become a COVID-19 vaccination site. Those who qualify can make reservations to be vaccinated online.

PHOTO BY EMILY HELMUTH

6 NEWS

Struggle to the shot continued

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We’re talking about human life. It’s difficult for any one person to judge that. I don’t envy the one who actually has to do it.

It can’t be easy.

teacher Vince Lewis

GETTING THEIR SHOT: STATES THAT ARE VACCINATING EDUCATORS Map Key*

vaccinating all educators CA, ND, NV, VA and WY vaccinating educators in select counties; WV vaccinating educators aged 50 and older.

*updated as of Feb. 19 nformation from https://www.cnn. com/2021/02/05/us/teacher-vaccinestates-list-trnd/index.html

students. As long as we are prudent with mitigation strategies, we can keep each others safe.”

Compared to the previous “green” schedule that was implemented at the beginning of November, this “green” schedule is operating on new COVID-19 guidelines that Indiana has adopted.

“The main difference between our current switch to ‘green’ and the last time we went ‘green’ is that the state of Indiana has updated their social distancing and contact tracing guidelines,” Adams said. “Students no longer need to quarantine as long as they were at least three feet (as opposed to six feet) away from a student who tested positive. In theory, this should cut back on the number of students and faculty who need to quarantine. The hope is that this will allow us to remain in ‘green’ status without becoming short on staff.”

If the vaccine became available to Indiana teachers, social studies teacher Vince

Lewis comments on the impact it would have on schools, which is similar to what he believes is hopeful in the “green” status.

“The major immediate impact this will have is less of a need to quarantine faculty and staff. With less teachers out of school due to COVID-related quarantining and illness, we won’t rely as heavily on finding substitutes for absent teachers.” Lewis said.

Although Lewis believes that the vaccine setbacks have been discouraging, he claims that it is hard to justify it as being fair or unfair.

“I think you could argue vaccinating many different groups of people before others, but as I said, I don’t believe anyone is in a position to really label what is ‘fair’ in this case. We’re talking about human life,” Lewis said. “It’s difficult for any one person to judge that. I don’t envy the one who actually has to do it. It can’t be easy.”

While the Indiana vaccine distribution

BY THE #s plan has been a setback for teachers, Lewis still believes that the CP administration is urgent to keep schools safe.

“I think the urgency is there, and I think we’re doing everything possible to continue with ‘business as usual’ even under unusual circumstances,” Lewis said. “It’s not easy, but our administrators, counselors, faculty, staff, parents and students have all made a monumental effort to generate a positive, productive school year.”

Adams agrees with Lewis, and comments on the common worries associated with the switch to a “green” status.

“This has been a challenging year for everyone, students, teachers, parents and administrators alike,” Adams said.

“Understandably, there has been anxiety and uncertainty surrounding each status change we have experienced. However, we have proven that we can roll with all these changes. We just have to work together as a team.”

COVID-19 IN INDIANA Lake Country has reported

47,919 total positive COVID-19 cases

653,245 TOTAL COVID-19 CASES IN INDIANA

866,680 Indiana residents have received the first dose of vaccinations

4.8% OF INDIANA’S POPULATION IS FULLY VACCINATED

7,683,034 tests have been administered in Indiana

27,400 INDIANA STUDENTS HAVE TESTED POSITIVE

information from https://www.coronavirus.in.gov/2393.htm and https://news.google.com/covid19/map?hl=en-US&mid=%2Fm%2F0nt6b&gl=US&ceid=US%3Aen&state=4

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INTHEKNOW Going Green Again As of Feb. 11, 2021, the Crown Point School Corporation moved schools back to green status because of new guidelines set by state governor Eric Holcomb earlier in the month. Starting the following Tuesday both the middle schools and Crown Point High School returned to attending in-person classes with the four days a week schedule keeping Wednesdays a virtual learning day. According to the new health department guidelines, contact tracing and quarantines are not required if students and teachers remain at least 3 feet apart. Masks are still mandatory for all personel and students within the building.

Latin Club State Convention Crown Point Latin Club will be going to the Indiana Stat Convention on March 13. This year it is offered virtually and in person. Testing as well as the Certamen tournament will occur the weeks prior to the convention to accommodate virtual students wishing to participate in these events as well as all creative arts submissions submitted online earlier in the month.

CPHS to perform “High School Musical: On Stage” this Spring CPHS theatre’s production of “High School Musical: On Stage” will bring the story of two high schoolers from different social worlds to CPHS. The show is set to have shows on March 12, 13, 19 and 20 at 7:00 p.m. There will also be two weekend matinee showings on March 14 and 21 at 2:30 p.m.

In-person tickets are limited to participants, supporting personnel, and two guests per student who is in the production. Livestream tickets will also be available to purchase on the CPHS theatre website.

8 NEWS

TESTING THE WATERS Teachers adapt traditional testing methods in pandemic

BY EMILY HELMUTH NOAH THOMAS co-editors-in-chief

INKLINGS The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the lives of people everywhere, and the classroom is no exception. With learning being largely done remotely in comparison to years past, the ways teachers teach and students learn have had to change.

Foreign language classes, which are largely speaking based, have been altered greatly by the hybrid and online schedules, says Spanish teacher Michael Gonzalez. Gonzalez states that he has had to adjust the way he assesses speaking comprehension for his students.

“I bloated how many days they have to get all their speaking points,” Gonzalez said. “Before they used to have five speaking days at ten minutes each day in class but now I’ve more than doubled it to where you can go to two sessions a day, so they come in as they need.”

AP psychology teacher Rebecca Smith has also adjusted her way of teaching to better fit the hybrid/online schedule.

“This year, because I don’t get to see my students as much, I had to find ways for them to learn some of the material on their off days,” Smith said. “On the days they’re home, they’ll watch an EdPuzzle or they’ll do some type of activity that builds off of what we’re already doing in class, so that when they come into class, I can do a quick lecture and answer any questions. Before, most of our learning was done in class, it was just studying for quizzes and tests at home. This way they have to do a little bit more at home, because I just don’t see them as much.”

Testing students’ knowledge of the material has changed as well, as Smith notes that the way she gives tests this year is extremely different in comparison to last year.

“We used to be very strict with our quizzes and tests in AP psychology, where you would come in, you’d do vocab quizzes, you’d have a quiz almost every single

day just to make sure that you are learning the material and getting it into your brain, and all of the tests were done in class, mimicking what the AP test was going to look like,” Smith said. “This year, we can’t do any of that, because we have a huge group of kids that are home. AP psychology is all at home tests, at least for right now. As we get closer to the AP test, we will transition and start to have paper pencil tests so the kids get used to it before the test itself.

They are timed, so they still do get that feeling of what it’s like to have to answer a certain amount of questions in the same amount of time they would on the AP test.”

Like Smith, AP environmental science teacher Brian Trippeer has also had to adjust his tests, as in the past he formatted his tests to be similar to the paper AP test.

“Especially with the AP kids, I’ve always given paper tests and paper quizzes.

I try not to do things online because that’s not how the AP test is formatted,” Trippeer said. “But, since so many kids weren’t here and I wanted to make sure I have a leveled playing field of all the kids taking quizzes and tests, I eventually had to resort to giving everything online. If we ever go back to normal again, those days will be gone.”

Students have noted the change in tests as well. Sophomore Marcus Nunez believes that these changes can give some students an advantage.

“Tests became a lot easier,” Nunez said. “Most teachers assign tests to take while at home, but this also makes it a lot easier for students to cheat if they are not monitored. Some teachers do, some teachers didn’t. Assessments have been easier for me to complete given how much more comfortable I feel at home as to testing at a school.”

Nunez also notes some key differences in his learning this year in comparison to last year.

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Since so many kids weren’t here and I wanted to make sure I have a leveled playing field of all the kids taking quizzes and tests, I eventually had to resort to giving everything online. If we ever go back to normal again, those days will be gone.

teacher Brian Trippeer

10 NEWS

Testing the waters continued

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I agree with giving the test over all of the content. If we’re measuring what college kids are supposed to be learning this year, it’s not like colleges are cutting out material this year at all.

teacher Rebecca Smith

“I feel that I have had a good understanding of the material, but a worse learning process,” Nunez said. “Because it is obviously more difficult to be taught from home, many teachers just waited until we actually met to teach us things, giving assignments and reviews on days we weren’t there. This meant that in order to actually understand what was going on, you would have to wait until in-person teaching, which makes it harder for anyone who was absent during lectures.”

Despite the challenges that come with teaching students online, according to Gonzalez there can be a few benefits to the situation.

“When kids have the concept in class, I can’t let them leave, but during a Zoom session once they get it and I know they have it, they can leave and move on to something else,” Gonzalez said. “Then I can focus on those who need more help as opposed to holding everybody.”

Along with the benefits to online learning, Gonzalez says there are still some disadvantages, such as a lack of participation.

“The hardest part is making sure students come. If they show up, there is no issue. It’s the lack of attendance, so I get a whole lot of kids not showing up, and then a month later they are saying ‘Can I make up that test? Can I make up that quiz?’

Even if they were to make it up, they’re missing a lot of grammar, which you can’t do in Spanish. In this specific course, you need to know the basics because it builds upon itself. The biggest challenge is kids not showing up and trying to get them to understand the importance of showing up.”

With the changes made to the way tests are given in class, one organization in particular will not be changing the way they give tests. College Board, the organization behind the AP tests and SAT test, has announced on its website that they plan to give

the full AP test over all course content this year instead of the condensed test students took last year. Smith agrees with College Board’s decision, as she believes it upholds the integrity of College Board.

“I agree with giving the test over all of the content. If we’re measuring what college kids are supposed to be learning this year, it’s not like colleges are cutting out material this year at all,” Smith said.

“They’re definitely piling it on like they normally would.”

On the contrary, Senior Anne Gregg does not agree with the decision to give the full content test, as she believes it gives some students an advantage over others.

“Most schools are way behind on the content their students need to cover, while a lot of Crown Point classes are where they need to be,” Gregg said. “That is certainly not the case everywhere, which gives us an unfair advantage. I have friends in AP Latin at another school who have barely gotten through two chapters have required text. It feels forced to put everything together and expect students to do well when they haven’t been taught everything by no fault of their own.”

Trippeer believes that even with the challenges his students have faced this year, they will do as well on the AP exam in comparison to students from years prior.

“I think because I actually have gotten a chance to spend more time on the lecture material itself, (my students) will do about the same,” Tripper said. “I would be surprised if we did worse.”

CPHS recently administered ISTEP testing to the junior class, as COVID interrupted the testing last spring. ISTEP coordinator administrator Annie Lorek notes some of the challenges in administering a test during a pandemic.

“The biggest challenge was people who haven’t been in the building at all being really hesitant to send students during COVID. That was a challenge, and it’s the first time that we have ever had to contact

INKLINGS

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To uphold test security, many teachers have opted to have online students take quizzes and tests over zoom. Methods vary from teacher to teacher, as some teachers use GoGuardian in addition to zoom.

PHOTO BY EMILY HELMUTH

kids outside of school (for testing) because we don’t have daily access to them anymore,” Lorek said. “It’s a mandated test by the state, so there aren’t very many options to opt out, however we really wanted to work with families individually. We took the approach of ‘let’s get everybody

in that we can in the first two weeks.’ Families who expressed concern we were able to offer the second two weeks with smaller groups.”

Lorek believes that the testing was a success, and commends the junior class as well as their families for the great turnout.

“It was an awesome turnout, the junior class rocked it,” Lorek said. “We only missed out on testing fewer than 100 kids out of the entire class. It was perfect, it was really good. I think that being able to use Wednesday for mandated standardized testing like this is a really great advantage.”

VIEWS on NEWS [Students’ reactions to events in our world

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Nation

State

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Honestly, hearing this kind of surprised me as I would not think having a Crusader mascot would be that big of a deal. I look at the Crusader more as just a mascot that shows strength instead.

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection confiscated almost 200 lb. of Mexican Bologna on the New Mexico/Mexico border. Mexican Bologna is banned in the U.S. as it can produce animal disease in the U.S. meat industry.

Quinn Day sophomore

This problem is a very complicated issue, and I don’t think it can be solved just from confiscating the bologna. It is a very big waste, but I understand why the confiscation had to happen.

Tokyo 2020 Olympics president Yoshiro Mori resigns after receiving backlash from prior sexist comments made by him during a private meeting. Mori plans to step down so the committee can focus on the games.

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World

Valparaiso University is retiring the Crusader mascot due to its connection to violence and hate groups. The university will gradually phase out the mascot over the second semester and has created a committee to choose a new mascot.

Chancellor Teibel junior

I feel like it was a good thing for him to resign.

His sexist comments were uncalled for. Many sponsors of the Olympics criticized him for this. It is making it look bad.

Kaitlyn Morales senior

12 OPINION

EDITORIAL If teachers are expected to teach in person, they should be prioritized for vaccine Teachers are essential workers and they should be treated as such.

With the move to the “green” schedule it is now as clear as ever that teachers need to be vaccinated as soon as possible. In fact, before even considering the move back to “green,” teachers should have already been vaccinated.

As Illinois teachers begin their first rounds of vaccines, it begs the question: why do Indiana teachers keep getting pushed down in priority? They are going into a building every day risking their lives to keep the education process going. They are more than essential workers; they are essential people in the lives of countless students.

Teachers should not have to continue being fearful of doing their job. The wait for these vaccines to come into fruition has already been long enough. Teachers of all people should not have to wait any longer than they need to get a vaccine injection, so they can safely do their job.

This situation is another reminder in this pandemic that teachers should be held in a higher value by society or, at the very least, appreciated more. With so many students coming in and out of a teacher’s classroom every single day, we need to get them the vaccines they need to safely carry out the duties of their jobs.

Teachers across the nation are watching as more and more teachers get infected with COVID-19. Unfortunately, some teachers have been hospitalized due to COVID-19 complications and a few have even died. That fear should not have to be present in the minds of our educators in this day and age. As grim as that may be, this is a serious issue that needs to be urgently addressed.

Gambling with the lives of teachers is completely unacceptable, and teachers should not have to come into the school building every day feeling like they are being gambled with.

While schools can still be relatively safe without vaccinations, the change to the green schedule seems to go against that idea.

Having more students in the building at any given time means that students must be closer together in a classroom, which leads to a much higher risk of infection.

Many states have already begun vaccinating teachers in the vaccine distribution process. It really is a shame to see that it is not the case for Indiana educators, as it feels as if the state is not valuing these essential employees. If we are not going to prioritize the health of teachers, then why are we going to school in person? Teachers need the vaccine as soon as possible so they can continue to teach in a safer environment.

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GRAPHIC BY HAYDEN COLES

SPEAKUP UP

Dominic Graegin freshman

“Yes, because teachers are around kids all day, and they should be prioritized so that everyone is safe.”

Do you think teachers should be prioritized in Indiana’s COVID-19 vaccine roll out?

Ariana Cornett sophomore

“I do think they should get prioritized because they deal with a lot of students every day.”

Owen Siaveles junior

“I think they should. They come in contact with a lot of people; a lot of them have older family members who are more susceptible.”

Nicole Basoski senior

“Yes, because they are dealing with students all the time, and they need to be vaccinated so that the students are safe.”

14 OPINION

PRO:

Pro/Con: Should GoGuardian be on when online learners are taking quizzes/tests?

CON:

GoGuardian encourages learning; not cheating

BY AUBREY BANKS reporter

GoGuardian is ineffective at preventing cheating

BY TREVOR FRAHM reporter

Because some students are learning from home, GoGuardian has been activated on their computers, so that their screens are monitored in the case of cheating. I believe that GoGuardian is a good thing, as it encourages students to learn and not take the easy way out by cheating. This block from specific pages on Google and other websites gives the students a chance to actually learn the material, and it saves the hassle of looking up the answer over and over again.

On top of that, their teachers work hard to make sure that they are on track with their grades. It’s disrespectful to the teacher when someone looks up the answer with GoGuardian off because the student takes all that hard work for granted, and takes the fun out of teaching. Students who cheat need to be a bit more respectful and mindful of their teacher’s hard work.

Lastly, when students have to learn the material by themselves, it gives them the skills to learn hard subjects in the future.

GoGuardian allows students to actually learn the material themselves so that later on, they are able to learn a difficult subject by themselves. It may be rough now, but, in the future, it will be so much easier to learn subjects because of GoGuardian.

Although GoGuardian blocks students from moving at their own pace, the main goal is to ensure students aren’t cheating and actually learning from their classes.

It’s hard to argue in favor of cheating seeing that it completely undermines student’s education, but GoGuardian is not the answer. With the rapid integration of online learning, older methods to deter cheating need to evolve with the new platform. Monitoring tabs works when students are in the classroom, but trying the same to students at home is ineffective.

In the modern era most students have access to a web browser through their phones. This widespread ability to get around GoGuardian with an item most students have in their pockets highlights how ineffective GoGuardian is at preventing cheating. The ineffectiveness can then become a serious problem when teachers treat GoGuardian as an equal to in class monitoring, as it gives online learners an extreme advantage. After all, GoGuardian might not be able to keep you off your phone, but a teacher sure can.

GoGuardian is an obsolete relic that does nothing but hinder the potential benefits online learning might bring. Monitoring tabs is simply ineffective when you don’t actually monitor what the students are doing. Instead of trying to force old systems to continue to work in a new environment we should be looking forward to new ways to make schooling more beneficial for both traditional and online students alike. We could start by making assignments centered more on the application of knowledge than on repeating it, or simply by making the act of learning more enjoyable.

IN THEIR VIEW: Do you believe GoGuardian should be used for online learners when taking quizzes/tests?

PRO:

CON:

“It is way too easy to cheat on a computer and gives virtual students an unfair advantage.”

“For people like me I get test taking anxiety normally and knowing my teachers can see my every move makes me more nervous.”

Mateo Ruffin sophomore

Baleigh Thorn senior

PRO: “It protects the equity of online students and helps for a better assesment of the learning environment.”

Mary Lux teacher

PRO: “It should be on so online students are held accountable since teachers aren’t there to watch them.”

Rachel Rossman junior

COLUMNS

INKLINGS

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The national anthem should be played at all sporting events

BY NOAH THOMAS co-editor-in-chief

The national anthem debate about standing or kneeling while the song played began in 2016 when Colin Kapernick of the San Francisco 49ers began kneeling during the national anthem. Ever since, we have seen a lot of professional athletes begin kneeling in their respective leagues and receiving a lot of criticism for their actions. The athletes are expressing their feelings and emotions and it is within their rights to kneel during the anthem. But, playing the national anthem should not be a choice and we saw this last week when the Dallas Mavericks, one of the most famous NBA franchises, decided to stop playing the national anthem at owner Mark Cuban’s request. They did play “God Bless America” and Cuban did say that the anthem would return at some point, most likely when fans are allowed in the arena again.

Mark Cuban has been influential in his beliefs in equality for all and has made it very clear in press conferences and social media. Mark Cuban has supported the protests for equality and has kneeled during the anthem with his athletes. I love that he supports the movement and his athletes and wants to be a part of that; but to me, fans or no fans, only

playing “God Bless America” and not the national anthem is unacceptable.

The national anthem is one of the most sacred, most valuable things that resemble our country and our freedom. It was written by a poet in 1773 while watching the American colonies battle the British for our freedom. It has been the most important song to treasure our bravery and our freedom and deserves to be played. I believe that players and coaches may kneel or stay in their respective locker rooms as a way of protesting but the anthem deserves to be played for those who believe it’s important.

When I was scrolling on social media and saw they were not going to play the national anthem I was speechless. Then, I saw other franchises from various other major sporting leagues say they would proudly play the anthem to show support for our country. Then the NBA stepped in and said every team would play the anthem with no exceptions.

Personally, I do believe in the equality movements around the United States, but the national anthem was intended to remember those who fought for American freedom. “God Bless America” is not enough; the national anthem needs to be played.

CP switching from yellow to green schedule is unwise

BY EMILY HELMUTH co-editor-in-chief

Yellow to green to red to yellow to green. When will it end? With CPHS switching back to green, as a student I am tired of this inconsistency.

I am also tired of feeling unheard. From my basic understanding, a majority of high school students like the hybrid schedule. This being said, it makes no sense to me that we are chaning to green.

Also, in comparison to other age groups, such as the middle and elementary schools, high schoolers are more capable of being by themselves for longer periods of time.

The chances of being exposed to COVID differs between schools as well. At the elementary school, most students just go to school and home. These students are also around the same 20 to 25 kids all day. Whereas at the high school, students are around over 100 other students per day, along with being involved in sports, jobs, and other extracurriculars.

Another factor that should impact the decision to go green is the teachers and their health. Teachers have been pushed back on the vaccine list in Indiana, and don’t look to be moving up on it anytime soon.

This being said, if we are not vaccinating our teachers we should not be going to green. It is disrespectful to teachers and only increases the health risks they already take by just showing up to work in this day and age.

As a senior, it’s a hard choice to make. I do not want to go to school if there is a risk of me being quarantined or worse and missing the big events of my senior year, like end of the year celebrations and graduation. But at the same time, it’s my senior year and I’d like to finish the school year in person with my friends.

Yes cases have gone down slightly. But maybe, just maybe, it’s because we were doing something right, staying yellow. Keep in mind, along with the ongoing pandemic, we are currently in the middle of flu season.

That being said, I believe that it is unwise for the schools to return to green, as it feels like being a passenger on a sinking ship after seeing what happened last time. I will not be shocked when we inevitably go back to red in a month.

16 FEATURE

Junior Madison Martinez clasps a charm to a metal earring hook for one of the products she sells on her Etsy shop MandDsBoutique.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY MADISON MARTINEZ

Passions to Profit Students make money selling handmade jewelry on Etsy

BY ABBY GODSEN OLIVIA HELMUTH assistant editor reporter Hobbies can serve as unique creative outlets to pass time, but committing to an interest and turning it into a profitable business takes dedication and research.

For junior Madison Martinez, her business started as a hobby that over time became a bigger priority.

“It is something that I can do with my mom, especially during quarantine,“ Martinez said. “We wanted to do something fun and creative during this time. It has really kept me busy and I feel like I have to stay on top of things and check my website, but sometimes I fall behind because of my focus on school.”

Similar to Martinez, junior Kaitlyn Chandler started making jewelery because of her determination to learn a new hobby.

However, she also wanted exposure to being the owner of a business for her career after graduation.

“I wanted some business experience in case that is something I want to pursue in the future with an engineering company,” Chandler said. “I focused on my business over the summer and during quarantine so my shop is more of a fun summer hobby while I focus on my school primarily in the winter.”

‘‘

I enjoy making jewelry that makes me and other people feel good about themselves and jewelry that comes from local places instead of fast fashion. junior Kaitlyn Chandler

Chandler found out about selling on Etsy through buying products from other small business owners. She also did research about the inner workings of running

a business.

“I found out about Etsy by shopping for homemade items such as masks, tiedye, and jewelry. Setting up my business included a lot of research by looking at other people’s experience selling on Etsy as well as researching how to ship items from home. I also learned a lot about cost, pricing, and how to make jewelry in general,” Chandler said.

Martinez saw others who created their own businesses during quarantine and chose to sell her products on Etsy because of their history of being small business friendly.

“I saw many people creating an at home business and being very creative from making masks to making t-shirts, so I wanted to make something that I like, which is jewelry,” Martinez said.“It really helped me look into other small businesses and kind of see how they progressed as a business throughout the years. I decided to do Etsy because they are an amazing website that helps you spread the word about your products and they make it very easy for you to manage

INKLINGS everything that you have.” to start by being creative and do your own Empowering others through the jew- things and be proud of what you make. I elry she makes is one of the reasons why started to make jewelry from seeing vidChandler loves having a small business as eos from social media of people making well as the process from getting an order to their own and I wanted to learn for myshipping it out. self and then I kind of realized that this is “I enjoy making jewelry that makes pretty easy and I wanted to start selling for me and other peopeople,” Martinez said. ple feel good about “Every small business I really love getting has their ups and downs themselves and jewfeedback from my cus- and I just started not elry that comes from a local place instead tomers. They really do even a couple months of fast fashion. I also enjoy the products I ago so it’s not really love the feeling I get been profitable at the hand made. when I have a new moment but hopefully order and I get to ship soon my Etsy shop will items out. It makes grow and more people junior Madison Martinez me feel productive will see it and hopefully and independent,” by maybe the end of this Chandler said. year it will come a little Getting feedback from customers and bit more profitable.” stylizing the products are some of the reaMartinez encourages those looking to sons why Martinez loves having a small start their own Etsy shop to pursue it. business.

“For somebody that wants to do it and “I really love getting feedback from I say go for it and be proud of what you my customers. They really do enjoy the make because it’s your product and you’re products I hand made. But sometimes I just making an original,” Martinez said. really feel like a lot of people are doing the Chandler agrees with Martinez that same thing and I just don’t wanna feel like students should do if they were considering I’m copying someone. But definitely put- it because of how rewarding it can be. ting my own style that I can make really “I think that anyone who has thought helps me not feel that way,” Martinez said. about doing something like this should Every small business has their ups and go ahead and do it. It is so rewarding and downs, but it is a good way for students to makes you feel accomplished as well as be creative,” Martinez says. gaining experience and new hobbies,” “It’s honestly a great way for students Chandler said.

‘‘

Junior Kaitlyn Chandler uses pliers to create rings.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY KAITLYN CHANDLER

Junior Kaitlyn Chandler creates jewelry for her Etsy shop, Pretty Little Blings.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY KAITLYN CHANDLER

17

What is Etsy?

Etsy is a website like Amazon, but Etsy sells handmade products, vintage items, and craft supplies

In 2019 there were

2.5 million

active sellers on Etsy

90%

of sellers on Etsy sell handmade goods Etsy sellers are from

234 different countries

top Etsy users make

$10,000

per year or more

Home & Goods

is the most popular product category on Etsy information from www.veeqo.com/us/blog/etsy-statistics

18 FEATURE

Junior Emma Duggan works on the FIRST robotics robot during a team practice.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY HAYDEN GARD

Changing Gears

Clubs and other extracurriculars adapt and cancel gatherings, meetings and events during pandemic

BY EMILY HELMUTH AUBREY BANKS co-editor-in-chief reporter It is fair to say that COVID-19 has changed the way students attend school, as we have transitioned from going two days a week to four to none. With these constant adjustments to the schedule, clubs and extracurriculars have had to change the way they operate.

Performance based clubs, like theatre, have continued to rehearse in person but socially distanced. They have also limited the amount of people in their audience at a time. Theatre live-streamed their fall performance and plans to do the same with their spring musical.

“We are doing our best to avoid those as much as possible. For performances, we are spacing the audience out and requiring masks,” theatre director Kit Degenhart said. “As of now, only two family members can attend a performance for each student

involved. We have also started live streaming our shows so more people can experience the production.”

Degenhart notes that outside of the cast, the crew has also been impacted by the pandemic.

“We are also practicing social distancing and mask wearing at our crew’s work sessions,” Degenhart said. “That’s a little easier, but sometimes there are jobs that require people to be closer than six feet apart. We are doing our best to avoid those as much as possible.”

Community service based clubs have had to adjust meetings and fundraisers. For Student Council, events like selling candy grams and setting up the Christmas tree have been canceled, while events such as the blood drive were heavily altered.

“The worst part is that the fundraisers go towards Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. We have fundraisers at Chipotle and Panera Bread coming up that can hopefully make up for those missing funds,” Student

Council sponsor Colleen Fano said.

Even with the pandemic, Student Council is still able to meet over Zoom and the club did host a new kind of event this year.

“I am proud to say that Student Council has still been an active club despite COVID-19,” Student Council president senior Matt Gerona said. “For example, we were able to host the first ever Gaga ball competition for Lurie Children’s Hospital which was a massive success.”

Like Student Council, key club has also had to cancel many of its big events.

“Sadly, because of COVID-19, we haven’t been able to have our Halloween or Christmas parties, which are two of our biggest events of the year,” Key Club president senior Jonah Peterson said.

The pandemic has heavily limited the amount of community service Key Club can do, which according to Peterson can be challenging in a club based around community service.

“As an officer in Key Club, it has been

very stressful this year because of all of the new regulations. I try to make Key Club a club that can get students a lot of service hours, but COVID-19 has gotten in the way of a lot of that,” Peterson said.

Student journalism clubs have also suffered, as many of the events they typically report on have been canceled along with others. Yearbook specifically has had to change the way they sell ads and design.

“There have been so many drastic changes in the yearbook because of COVID-19,” junior Bri Rusin said. “Normally when we go out in teams with ad groups to different places to see if they want to sponsor our book. Due to COVID-19 lots of places were closed and we couldn’t be in teams together. We also changed our layout of the spreads drastically from what it was the years before to make it easier with creating them on a short timeline.”

Also, like other clubs, Rusin says that yearbook has lost a lot of the social aspects it had in the past due to the now limited amount of time they have as a group. As a virtual student, Rusin notes the major differences between yearbook in person and online.

“I absolutely loved yearbook last year,” Rusin said. “I liked going to Washington D.C. with all these new friends I had made, playing with design and contacting people in school for interviews, which was a lot of fun. But now this year I’m not even in the class, and I’m not able to create new friends as much as last year. Our trip to Disney was canceled which we all were super excited for.”

Similar to yearbook, CPTV has faced setbacks in producing news as well as only so many people can be in the studio at once. Sophomore Chris Gloff notes the changes made this year.

“We usually start CPTV episodes around November, and this year we didn’t even start until the end of January,” Gloff said.

“Also, I produce and co-host the Morning Bark on the Dog Radio, and we only do four shows a week to ensure our studios have a deep cleaning after every two days.”

Gloff also mentions how although there is no shortage in news content due to the pandemic changing so many things, other content areas have taken hits.

“For news, COVID-19 has brought so many different problems and resolutions to light that we wish we could report on.

However, for a radio show on pop culture in a time where movie and TV show production is very limited, it is hard to

find topics that are interesting to converse about,” Gloff said.

Some clubs that compete have been forced to do so virtually this year. FIRST robotics is included in this number and junior Emma Duggan notes the big differences between FIRST this year compared to last year.

“You lose those aspects of in person communication and bonding that you experience at competitions,” Duggan said. “(We) film the robot doing tasks for the virtual competition.”

Despite the transition to virtual competitions and other changes, Duggan says that some things have stayed the same.

“The team is still prepping the robot as if we still have in person events, and, besides the masks, practice is still the same.”

Some clubs, such as SPLAT, have halted meeting altogether this year. Sponsor and graphic design teacher Karen Topp made this decision based on safety concerns.

Outside of SPLAT, Topp still has students in her graphic design classes, and she notes how that has been impacted by the pandemic.

“I’m here every Saturday just trying to keep myself one step ahead of my students, because I just have never had online content for my kids. It’s just always been in the shop, using these computers and equipment.”

According to Topp, due to her classes being largely “hands-on,” COVID-19 has greatly impacted the way she teaches the content. She now creates videos explaining to her students on how to complete their assignments due to their limited time in the shop.

“It’s unfortunate that there is no way we can cover the content that we normally would, especially when we are only at two days a week,” Topp said. “I mean, how can we get in the shop and work when we only see these kids twice a week for two hours a week? It’s been challenging to say the least, but I feel I have some kids that have done fine with that 100% virtual. ” Topp, who worked as a graphic artist for two decades before becoming a teacher, notes how difficult this year has been in comparison to years prior.

“When I started teaching, I always have said ‘this is the hardest I’ve ever worked in my life.’ This year is the ultimate workload I have ever had. You just can never take a break because the kids will be ahead of you with nothing to do. It’s just a bad situation for everyone involved.”

‘‘

INKLINGS

19

COVID-19 has brought so many different problems and resolutions to light that we wish we could report on. However... it is hard to find topics that are interesting to converse about.”

sophomore Chris Gloff

Junior Bri Rusin works on yearbook design during a Wednesday work day. Rusin is virtual this year and uses Wednesdays to complete assignments.

PHOTO BY EMILY HELMUTH

‘‘

The worst part is that the fundraisers go towards Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. We have fundraisers at Chipotle and Panera Bread coming up that can hopefully make up for those missing funds.

Student Council sponsor Colleen Fano

20 SPORTS

Senior Allie Govert guards a player from Penn during a regular season game. The girls beat Penn, and beat Penn again to win the regional trophy. The team will play Carroll Feb. 20 in Laporte.

PHOTO BY GILLIAN GATLEY

TAKING BACK THE TITLE Girls basketball beats out Penn to win regional championship

BY KEELEY BERNARD co-sports editor The girls basketball team wrapped up regionals with a 54 - 45 win against Penn, making it the ninth regional championship in the team’s history. Although this season has come with historical wins at DAC, sectionals, and regionals, there were doubts that this season would even happen due to COVID and the quarantine at the start of the season. Freshman Ava Ziolkowski is glad to have gotten a season.

“We are very happy that we got to have a season,” Ziolkowski said. “The season has been great.”

Senior Mia Depta also believes that the season has gone well.

“Our season has gone great so far,” Depta said. “We won the DAC and sectionals for the third year in a row and are currently ranked second in the state.”

Although the team has won DAC, sectionals, and regionals, Depta has set her sights on a state championship and her personal goals.

“Obviously, our goal is to bring home the state trophy (just like every team). But, we can’t do that unless we’re able to win smaller battles like sectionals and regionals, so we just try to take everything one step at a time,” Depta said. “My personal

goals were to give one 100% every time I stepped onto the court. It’s my senior year and I’ll never get this time back, so it’s been my sole focus to make the most of it.

Ziolkowski is also trying to achieve her personal goals as well as a state win.

“My personal goal for this season was to improve my defense and shooting,” Ziolkowski said. “Our team goal for this season was to improve as a team and win a state championship.”

Achieving a state championship means that each member of the team has to make constant improvements. One person who has seen improvements in their game is Depta.

INKLINGS “I’ve personally improved a lot on my confidence, especially on offense,” Depta said. “Defense has always been my strong suit, but this season I’ve been shooting the ball more and putting up numbers on the offensive end.”

Ziolkowski has also made improvements.

“Something I have improved on this season is my outside shooting. I have always been a post player and now I get to shoot from the outside,” Ziolkowski said.

“Something I hope to improve on next is to have faster feet.”

Not only do individual skills need to improve in order to win a state championship, but the whole team overall needs to improve skills together and build strong chemistry with each other. But according to Depta, chemistry is already the team’s best quality.

“I think the other girls are in agreement when I say our chemistry is our strongest quality. This year’s group is the closest out of the four years I’ve been on the team, and we’re really like a family,” Depta said.

Ziolkowski also believes that chemistry is the team’s strongest quality.

“The strongest quality of the team is how well we all play together,” Ziolkowski said. “Everyone has made an impact in every game and helped the team win.”

Head coach Chris Seibert also believes that everyone impacts the game, as he highlights the impact of both the underclassmen and upperclassmen.

“Our underclassmen have made a major impact on our program. We have six juniors, four sophomores and one fresh-

men that all play varsity basketball for us,” Seibert said. “Our three seniors have had a tremendous impact on our program as well. Not only from their contributions on the court but also their leadership and work ethic in all facets of our program.”

With semi-state and state coming soon, the seniors will only have a handful of games left in their high school basketball career.

“I’m very sad that it’s my last season,” Depta said. “These past four years have been so memorable and I’ve made so many amazing memories with my teammates, and I can’t believe that it’s almost over. I’m going to miss seeing these girls every day.

We somehow never get tired of each other, even though we’re together six days out of the week. It’s definitely going to be weird after the season is over, but I know that this team has blessed me with lifelong friends.”

Depta reflected on some of her favorite memories from her high school career.

“My favorite memory from my whole career was definitely beating Penn our sophomore year in regionals. It was a thriller and we were all so excited, especially on the bus ride home,” Depta said.

“I have multiple memorable moments from this season, but the one that I love the most is Senior Night. All of the work the underclassmen put in to make Lyna, Allie and I feel special was unforgettable. It was a great feeling.”

Depta and the team will hope to add more unforgettable memories as they head to semi-state at La Porte to face Caroll on Feb. 20. The winner will go on to the state finals next Saturday.

SEASON STATS Sectionals Tournament Lowell vs. CP Chesterton vs. CP La Porte vs. CP

Regionals Penn vs. CP

W 70-20 W 67-34 W 52-28

W 54-45

UPCOMING...

Semi-State Caroll vs. CP

TBD

23-1 overall record

2nd

highest ranked team in Indiana

21

Seniors Allie Govert, Mia Depta and Lyna Santiago pose with the regionals trophy.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY MIA DEPTA

‘‘

These past four years have been so memorable and I’ve made so many amazing memories with my teammates, and I can’t believe that it’s almost over. I’m going to miss seeing these girls every day.

senior Mia Depta

15

game win streak

DAC SECTIONALS REGIONALS champions

22 SPORTS

Sophomore Anthony Bahl competes at a regular season meet.

PHOTO BY CASIE DRAVES

Wrestling team sends eight wrestlers to state after placing second overall at semi-state and sectional, regional victories

BY KEELEY BERNARD co-sports editor The boys wrestling team has made history this season as they won their 19th sectional in a row. They also won their third regional title in a row. At their most recent meet on Feb. 13, the team were able to finish second at semistate. The team will be sending eight wrestlers to the state meet on Feb. 19.

While they set their sights on the state meet, coach Branden Lorek reflected on the history that the team has already made this season.

“19 straight Sectionals is a pretty big deal, and I’m proud to have been head coach of the team for five of those titles and an assistant coach for the other 11,” Lorek said. “Yes, being a part of 16 of the 19 straight Sectional titles is pretty special for me, because I have a lot of great memories. I’m proud of my wrestlers, managers, and

coaching staff for helping keep that streak alive.”

Junior Nicholas Tattini also reflected on the sectional win.

“It feels great to contribute to our 19th straight sectional title,” Tattini said. “Everyone on the team contributed to the win and I think that’s one of the things that make it special.”

Sophomore Anthony Bahl is proud of the sectional win, but has already shifted his focus to the state meet.

“It feels cool to be a part of such an accomplishment and to continue this legacy, but what all of the team is chasing and grinding for is blue state title rings,” Bahl said. “I’m confident that we have worked harder than any other team in the state and that’s why we accomplish our goal.”

The hard work is necessary in order to beat last year’s second place finish at state and achieve a state win.

The team will have to play to their strengths and their best

qualities. Lorek believes that the team’s best quality is their teamwork.

“I believe the strongest quality of our wrestling team is their relationship with each other and their willingness to compete,” Lorek said.

Sophomore Korbin Bolde agrees that teamwork is the team’s best quality.

“The strongest quality of the team is that we all have each other’s back and we help one another improve,” Bolde said.

Senior Alexie Westfall believes that the team’s best quality is their persistence.

“I think the strongest quality of the team is persistence and perseverance,” Westfall said. “Wrestling is so unbelievably mentally and physically demanding and an exhausting sport. So it’s very important to have a team that will stick it through the long practices and the early morning runs before school. You have to commit all

of your energy to personal improvement and pushing your partner to their max to help them reach it.”

Improvement is a result of hard work, and Westfall has seen improvement.

“I’d say my confidence in my abilities have significantly improved,” Westfall said. “I’ve pushed myself to be more of a dominant and offensive wrestler in matches than previous years.”

Westfall believes that the rest of the team has also put in the work necessary to compete at a high level at the meet.

“As a team we’ve been putting in the effort since the summer time with lifting and training. We’re coming back this year for first at state,” Westfall said. “I’m really optimistic that the team will pull through and kick butt.”

The team will compete at the state meet tonight at Bankers-Life FieldHouse in Indianapolis.

INKLINGS

23

Gymnastics to face top three teams in state at DAC meet

BY NOAH THOMAS co-editor-in-chief Despite the struggles of competing in a pandemic, the gymnastics team has stayed strong. The Bulldogs’ only losses this season came from three other DAC teams (Chesterton, Valparaiso and Lake Central) who also ranked first, second and third respectively in the state. Head Coach Ami Pysh knows her expectations coming down the stretch.

“With this being my 20th year as head coach, my goals are always to get out of sectionals as a team. That is very difficult, as this is the best area for gymnastics in the state. Only three teams make it out. I do not think it’s an unreachable goal though. My gymnasts are very talented,” Pysh said. “I just have to help them stay mentally tough, which is the name of the game in a sport like gymnastics.

To defy gravity daily and overcome real fears, while in an individual spotlight is very tough.

When the team is as talented though as ours, it makes it very motivating for all of us.”

Senior Leah Dexter has taken a leadership role this season and says that she loves the effort her teammates put in day in and day out.

“We have a very dynamic team this year, lots of new gymnasts and everyone has been working hard. Each girl brings something different to the team,” Dexter said. “It’s definitely different leading the team this year, I try to make it lighthearted and fun for everyone because there’s been some change due to COVID. I try to make sure everyone is doing okay and try to be there as much as I can.”

Sophomore Ysabel Maunes

Freshman Alana Lockhart completes a tumbling pass in her floor routine with a full.

PHOTO BY GILLIAN GATLEY

believes that the best moment of the season was the team’s win against Portage.

“The high point of my season was probably our meet against Portage, where we got our highest team score so far, the 110.2. I also got my highest floor score of the season at that

meet,” Maunes said.

Maunes also noted how the team’s bond helped them grow.

“The team chemistry this year has been great, considering our normal team bonding events did not take place this year. Since we could not have big team gatherings outside of

the gym, we just tried to really appreciate our time together in the gym, at practices, and meets. Our freshman and other newcomers seemed to connect pretty instantly with the upperclassmen,” Maunes said.

The DAC meet is tomorrow in Chesterton at 11 a.m.

24 SPORTS

Junior Colin Gingrich competes in the 200 meter freestyle.

PHOTO BY GILLAN GATLEY

Boys swim hopes for sectional win

BY NOAH THOMAS co-editor-in-chief The boys swimming team is heading into the sectional finals in Munster this weekend after placing fourth at DAC last week. The season has been a long ride for the seniors going through COVID-19 protocols and trying to navigate their final season. Senior Kyle Harvey says that COVID-19 has not affected their team chemistry.

“Team chemistry has been pretty good, we’re all super close because we spend so much time practicing together, even when everything was still shut down we would have zoom meetings and we would meet up in parking lots, socially distanced,” Harvey said. “Yeah,

people get quarantined, people get sick, the team has done a great job staying flexible and staying in shape through some brief breaks we’ve had to take.”

Coach Blake Yeager sa that he is continuing to make sure the team is at their best.

“Come in every day and work hard. Don’t take the day for granted because the next day you could be quarantined,” Yeager said. “We make sure the athletes are wearing masks, distancing themselves in the lanes, and sending swimmers home when they are not feeling well even if it is for something that may not be Covid symptoms.”

Senior Josh Murry looked back at his four years in the program and believed in his hard work and all the inspirational

moments in his career. He also reflected on the highpoint of the boys season.

“The highpoint of my season, and I’m sure the highpoint for the rest of the boy’s team was that we managed to beat the Munster boy’s team after more than a decade. Winning by one point, we stole the meet. This was a truly defining moment in our legacy, and I’m super happy to have been a part of that,” Murry said. “This past season has taught me a lot of things.

One big thing would be an appreciation for my teammates, as we had come so far, and overcome so much. This realization spans over all four years of my high school career, and without the troubles that we encountered, I don’t believe I wouldn’t

really see the true gravity of how much these people influenced my life. If anything, this season showed me how much I really took for granted. I am truly thankful to have been a part of this amazing experience, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

As the boys prepared for sectionals, Murry had a few words of inspiration about his goals and team goals as they head into the postseason.

“As the last few weeks spell the end of my high school swimming career, I’m looking forward to ending the season off right by winning sectionals and conquering state. Our team has worked very hard for this moment, and I have no doubt that we’ll deliver,” Murry said.

INKLINGS

25

Boys basketball rebounds after Chesterton loss

BY SAMUEL BREWER co-sports editor The boys basketball team’s season is well on its way. The team is now 10-2, starting the season off with a 6-0 run before a loss to Chesterton. Senior Felix Meeks thought that even though the team took the loss hard, learned some valuable lessons from the experience.

“I feel that every sport comes with winning and losing. Now of course no one wants to lose but sometimes the great teams have to lose a game to show where errors took place. It showed us a lot in what we just can’t let happen again. So in a way I’m glad we lost but I’m also not happy we lost,” Meeks said.

Meeks says the team looked through these errors carefully to better the team.

“Our coach laid out what we did wrong and what can never happen again if we want to win in the end. We took that and we worked every day that week to make sure those things never happened again,” Meeks said.

Fixing these errors seemed to have worked, as the team responded to the loss by winning the next four games. According to coach Clint Swan, the team’s hard work in practice contributed to the success.

“It has all started in practice for us.

They came back from that loss with three great practices and picked up a nice win over Michigan City at home,” Swan said.

That win streak came to an end after a 60-49 loss to DAC leader Valparaiso. Before the game had happened, Swan made it clear he was more concerned with the team’s development rather than any particular result.

“I’d just like to see us continue on this trajectory of getting better each day. We’ve never been a team that’s really hung our successes and failures on wins and losses; rather, we have just concentrated on our continued development day to day, week to week, and have just let the score take care of itself,” Swan said.

With that loss behind them, the team has four games before they get themselves ready for sectionals, which Meeks is excited to be able to lead his team into as a senior.

“As a senior I know there’s always talk about leading the team and pressure is on senior year, but not with me at least. We are in this together. We pick each other up. I am more than grateful to be part of such a great team. If we don’t win one more game this season I would love this team even more than I did while we were winning because I know they have my back and I have there’s until the end. I feel no pressure,” Meeks said.

Meeks believes that the team’s chemistry that has grown over the season will help carry them to postseason success.

“I feel we’ve grown to love each other. We grew to play off of one another and that’s what great teams do. They love each other and they play off of one another. We have an amazing group of kids and an outstanding group of coaches. With that I don’t think there’s anyone in the state that’s going to beat us,”Meeks said.

The team will try to start a new streak tonight at Lake Central. The team’s sectional draw is Feb. 21 and broadcasted by the IHSAA.

Girls swim team ends season with sectional title

BY SAMUEL BREWER co-sports editor The girls swim team ended their season just as well as one could hope: with a sectional title.

Finishing the meet with 471 points, they beat 12 other teams, the closest being Munster and Lake Central with 454 points each. According to senior Alyssa Hoover, it was something that has been in the making since last year.

“It felt absolutely amazing.

Ever since Sectionals last season where we lost, we made it our goal to come back harder and stronger this season so that we wouldn’t lose again. And we achieved that goal which was so awesome,” Hoover said.

Also happy with the performance was coach Blake Yeager, citing that much of the drive came from missing out on

the title last year.

“Last year the girls team just missed out on winning sectionals so they were very motivated this season to not let that happen again. The goal the entire season was to win the sectional so it was a great feeling.

As a team we had many swimmers step and beat the swimmer next to them,” Yeager said.

Although the team won sectionals, not one swimmer ended up qualifying for the state meet. To Yeager, it didn’t matter.

“The team’s mindset was to win sectionals. State was always a hope but that was going to be gravy for us,” Yeager said.

Furthermore, the team managed to win the title without winning a single event, junior Kylie LaChapelle notes that this shows the multitude of varsity level swimmers the

team has that led them to this victory.

“The team has more depth rather than a few swimmers who get all of the points. Even though we may not get first, we are able to get the points through getting second and third. We are able to work together to get the points we need to win,” LaChapelle said.

Hoover wasn’t focused on the team’s lack of individual victories. She was more concerned reminiscing over finishing her final swim meet as a senior.

“It was a bittersweet moment. I was very proud to be able to represent my team one last time and score some points for them, but it was also very sad because I knew my time as a bulldog was quickly coming to an end so I made sure to leave everything I had in the

pool,” Hoover said.

According to Hoover, one of the most memorable things that she will remember about her high school swim career is the friends she’s made along the way.

“The thing I’ll remember most is definitely the friendships that I’ve made on the team. When you spend multiple hours a day with the same people, you form a deep connection that’s pretty special and is definitely going to be hard to leave behind when I go to college,” Hoover said.

LaChapelle is excited for the chance to help lead her team as a senior next year.

“I am very excited to be able to lead my team next year.

Being a captain this year, I hope to be a captain next year and continue my role to help lead this team,” LaChapelle said.

26 ENTERTAINMENT

INREVIEW

BY ROSALIE DEGENHART assistant editor

The Weeknd’s Super Bowl half-time show This performance was the epitome of glamour and pop culture. The Weeknd performed his top hits, like “Blinding Lights” and “Starboy,” while wearing an iconic red suit. He performed on a stage in front of a exotic skyscraper scenery, as well as dancing on the football field surrounded by dancers that were cloned to represent him and his recent plastic surgery.

Bridgerton This Netflix original captured the lives of aristocratic families during the early 19th century of London, England, specifically Daphne Bridgerton and Simon Hastings. The storytelling is superb, the drama enticing, the fashion and scenery draw dropping and the music eccentric with its classical take on modern music. This show depicts what every girl wants to live out: a fairytale romance.

However, viewers should beware of some inappropriate scenes.

“Survivor: Cagayan” pulls in viewers with captivating cast and game play

BY EMILY HELMUTH co-editor-in-chief Survivor, one of the longest running reality TV shows, released two of its most popular and well rated seasons on Netflix at the end of 2020. To avoid spoilers for other seasons, only one of these seasons, “Survivor: Cagayan” will be reviewed in this article, as the other season on Netflix (“Heroes vs. Villains”) features all returning players.

“Survivor: Cagayan,” despite airing nearly seven years ago and almost 14 years after the first season of “Survivor,” truly embodies what the show is about. Its cast is made up of all new castaways, many of whom are now modern survivor staples. Like some prior seasons, “Cagayan” had a theme. In this case, the theme was brawns vs. brains vs. beauty. Unlike prior seasons, this theme was executed extremely well, as many times throughout the season these trait-specific tribes lived up to their names.

What makes this season

stand out though, is its cast.

The cast is made up of all new players, including Kass McQuillen, an attorney, who oftentimes angers her fellow castaways due to her brutal honesty and Tony Vlachos, a New Jersey police officer, steals several scenes with his comedic and over the top personality.

Other notable cast members are Yung Woo Hwang, a martial arts instructor, who is beloved by audiences due to his kindness to other players and Morgan McLeod, a former NFL cheerleader, who dumbstrucks viewers with her often vain comments.

No fan of “Cagayan” can forget Spencer Bledshoe, an economics student and “Survivor” super fan who just could not catch a break.

The memorable and unique cast along with their extremely over-the-top personalities leads to many unforgettable moments, ranging from one of the craziest idol hunts to one of the biggest mistakes ever made on “Survivor.” These twists and shifts in the plot keep viewers on the edge of

their seats. When watching, I oftentimes found myself emotionally invested, and definitely yelled at the TV a time or two.

Also unlike other seasons of “Survivor,” where they become somewhat dull after the merge, this season’s merge only upped the excitement as the differing personalities from the tribes began to clash.

This season has it all, as there are villains for you to love hating and underdogs to root for. Despite some of the villainy and flaws seen, it is hard to not like and emphasize with the cast.

Arguably, the winner of “Cagayan” is one of the greatest players of the game in recent years. The constant drive and determination of this specific player gives the season a satisfying outcome, as unlike in other seasons I have seen, I felt that the winner truly deserved the win.

Overall, this season is a great one to watch for “Survivor” super fans as well as new fans of the show.

The fast pace keeps viewers hooked and wanting more.

“To All the Boys: Forever and Always” brings satisfying end to rom-com trilogy

INKLINGS

BY EMILY BRISENO reporter “To All the Boys: Always and Forever,” the final film in the “To All the Boys” trilogy is very different from the usual rom-com. In the movie, Lara Jean, Peter and friends have reached their senior year of high school and are planning their futures. Peter has received a lacrosse scholarship from Stanford, and, at the beginning of the movie, he and Lara Jean begin to plan their future together there.

Their plans are altered when an unexpected event prevents them from attending Stanford together.

Lara Jean starts to rely on herself more and not become so attached to spending time with Peter. A school trip to New York City shows Lara Jean what else the world has to offer, and is a pivotal point for her character development as it shows her as a more independent and intelligent character.

While Lara Jean starts to figure out what makes her happy, Peter is at first oblivious to the fact that they are not on the same page.

The love story between Peter and Lara Jean seems to take a turn when they start to lack communication. They both do not communicate with each other which leads to them not being the most inspiring couple. There are many times throughout the movie that

P L AYI N G FAVORITES

show Lara Jean and Peter do not have a healthy relationship.

Following the previous two movies, the girl power is still strong in part three. Lara Jean’s sisters and best friend Christine play a big part in her thought process and encourage her to do what will make her the happiest. Her older sister, Margot, tries to make her realize that her decisions should not be based on what Peter does.

The feminism is always a constant with Lara Jean’s younger sister, Kitty, who has a lot of endearing scenes and witty one-liners. Lara Jean also grows closer to a former foe, with the two of them creating an amazing friendship.

The movie also does an excellent job of showing parent-child relationships, as Lara Jean and her sisters adjust to their dad’s engagement with mixed emotions.

The girls like their new future step mother and have a good relationship with her, but at the same time struggle as this is the first time their father has fallen in love again after the death of their mother.

Peter’s family also comes to light in this movie, as his father begins to re-enter his life, which brings up past emotions and pain in Peter.

The ending relates back to the beginning of the “TATB” series and how their relationship started: with the love letters. Lara Jean and Peter have

a complicated relationship, but that’s what makes this a good series to follow.

Like its predecessors, this movie is extremely cheesy and at times unrealistic. Despite this, it is a nice feel good movie that shows an alternate version of 2020 we wish would have happened, as Lara Jean is graduating in 2021 in a world with seemingly no COVID-19 pandemic.

Girl Scout Cookies Thin mints, Tagalongs, Samoas are just some of the staple cookies of one of the best times of the year: girl scout cookie season. The variety of these cookies as well as each type of cookie’s unique flavor keeps us buying more cookies every year.

Girl Scouts $5 per box

WE’RE SO

O V E R

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“To All the Boys: Always and Forever” is streaming on Netflix. It is the perfect series to binge watch if you want sappy romantic-comedies.

This movie was a good end to the trilogy, as it follows the typical rom-com trope where it is heavily implied that everything works out the way the viewers want it to and that all the characters live happily ever after.

E-Learning on Snow Days Before this year, snow days were looked forward to, as they felt like a small break in the stress given by school. Now, with eLearning happening on snow days, the magic of hoping for a day off is gone. Even if we do get a snow day, it is no longer a day off to relax.

28 ENTERTAINMENT

“Queen’s Gambit” thrills audiences with view into the world of competitive chess

BY ABBY GODSEN assistant editor

I am all for a sweet love story, but shows that deal with dark, complex themes are my all time favorite. “The Queen’s Gambit,” a Netflix Limited Series, perfectly portrays oftentimes difficult to discuss topics in a palatable way following the life of the orphaned chess prodigy Elizabeth (Beth) Harmon. Throughout this series she struggles with loss, addiction and battling with her mind only finding solace in the chess chessboard.

Strong character development is one of the most important parts of a show.

Throughout the show we watch Beth grow up toiling with inner anger and her own brilliant psyche. With every succeeding episode we are told more and more about her dark past with her parents and the orphanage giving greater complexity and insight into Beth’s character.

Through Beth’s struggle with addiction we are able to see the cost of being the best.

She is brilliant at chess but what is the cost of being the top of your game? For her it was addiction and struggling to reconcile with her own traumatic past. She is constantly looking for something to control since she did not have a stable childhood. This pent up anger and pain is what pushes her to want to become the number one chess player in the world. Beth constantly feels the need to prove to herself and everyone else stemming from a traumatic childhood.

The theme of “the mad genius” is also featured through-

out influencing many of the decisions Beth makes trying to figure out if she is just going insane. Her intense struggle with mental health makes her more human and allows the audience to sympathize with her situation when many make look down upon her.

The casting of the show could not have been more perfect. Marielle Heller perfectly embodies her character as Beth’s foster mother Alma Wheatly. I absolutely loved her character and the way she played made me forget she was not a real person. Anya Taylor-Joy was also an excel-

lent casting. Her striking features make her stand out from the rest of the cast making it known she is different, in the best possible way.

Chess to many is not all that thrilling to watch because of the nature of the game, but the use of close up angles during play makes it incredibly intriguing and emotional.

Even if someone may not understand what is happening on the board you can see how emotionally invested these players are. For these people it is not just a game but their livelihood. The use of lighting also plays a part throughout

the show. The music used creates ever increasing levels of dissonance making the scenes where Beth is playing chess or going into a downward spiral that much more compelling.

One aspect that is more subtle but adds just as much depth is the interplay between the time period and social cultural themes. Beth acts as though she is equal to all the male chess players even when most underestimate her abilities without even a second thought. In a male dominated game, she absolutely crushes gender norms by overcoming all expectations of being a girl who plays chess. This develops throughout the show as we see her grow into an adult.

Most of the time she doesn’t even acknowledge that her gender may give her a disadvantage.

The complex dynamic characters and themes make this show a must watch. This is based off of a novel by Walter Trevis called “The Queen’s Gambit” so this is not an original series. I am usually someone who likes the book better than the movie, but. in this case, I thought the show was excellent.

This show is meant for mature audiences so if you are not up for intense, dark themes, mature language, and violence I would not recommend watching it. However, if you are like me and love the dark and foreboding, this will be something you may really enjoy. All in all I thought everything about this show was great: the casting, music, costuming, and script making it an exceptional portrayal of the dark side of humanity.

“WandaVision” shows new side to Marvel Universe characters

INKLINGS

29

INSIDER PICKS

BY LIVY HELMUTH reporter

BEST APP

After the premiere of “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” an announcement was made that the next addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe would be “Black Widow,” scheduled to release in May of 2020. However, the unprecedented closing of all theaters nationwide meant that “Black Widow” wouldn’t premiere until a safer year. However, thanks to Disney’s streaming service Disney+, the wait for new additions to the MCU is over. Disney+ has Marvel’s latest release in over a year: “WandaVision.”

With an interesting title comes a very intriguing show. It is very safe to say that “WandaVision” is unlike any other past Marvel release. Instead of protecting Earth from supernatural dangers, Wanda Maximoff and Vision progress through the history of television in each episode as a happily married couple.

Much like a sitcom, the couple undergoes many crazy and bizarre dilemmas with their coworkers, neighbors and friends. But something much more sinister is at play in this seemingly happy TV show that grows less and less subtle as the series advances.

“WandaVision’’ brilliantly takes full advantage of its meta time traveling TV show by using a variety of cinematographic effects.

Every minuscule detail is taken into account, and it increases the importance of rewatching each episode to catch every aspect.

The episodes of “WandaVision”

Rejuvenation is well needed in these sedentary times, and the motivation app can help regain energy and focus.

Users can schedule free daily or even hourly motivational quotes to help get through the day. There is also an option on the app to just swipe through and read motivational quotes. Sometimes, all it takes is an inspirational quote or saying to get back on track.

Motivation

BEST FOLLOW @bdyIanhollis This TikTok creator’s humor is dark and sarcastic. Many of his videos are about history, cars, and music, but his loud, passionate voice and witty comments make his videos comical.

are also slightly altered versions of pre-existing shows ranging from the 1950’s to the 2000’s, and many of the dialog and directional choices reflect that.

Wanda and Vision have been minor characters in most Marvel films that they’ve starred in, and even in the few they’ve had principal roles in, they’ve often stayed in the background. “WandaVision” does an incredible job of showcasing the personalities and abilities of these lesser known characters,

as well as a few other minor characters from past Marvel releases.

The show does an excellent job at catering to its observative audience by sprinkling in clues and symbols. The show’s climatic scenes also cater to those who are drawn to drama and action. A seamless transition into Marvel’s next phase, “WandaVision’’ truly lives up to the expectations of the first Disney+ original Marvel T.V. series, and is an absolute must see for Marvel fans everywhere.

WHAT’S NEXT IN THE MCU?

3.19.2021

5.7.2021

5.2021

7.9.2021

BEST TWEETS “please be quiet i am trying to watch ldshadowlady shadowcraft minecraft let’s play”

senior Ella Walley

@pikachoochie “It’s fun being both a guy and ”having chronic anxiety,because I manage to simultaneously overthink and not think at all.”

senior Miles Vickers

@ depressedcommie

30 PEOPLE

OLYMPIAN TO OFFICER Officer Leslie Malerich reflects back on softball career

BY MARY MARCINEK reporter The summer of 2004 was not an average summer for CPHS resource officer Leslie Malerich. Instead of the beach, Malerich spent her summer in Athens, Greece pitching for Italy’s National softball team at the 27th Summer Olympic games.

Malerich attended and played softball for Merrillville High School where she was part of the 1997 state championship winning team. After graduating, she moved on to play collegiate softball at Florida State University where she pitched for four years. She was also named the Atlantic Coast Conference’s 2001 player of the year.

Malerich joined the Italian National team after graduating college. In order to do so, she went through a process to prove her Italian lineage, then moved to Italy for easier training commutes. Malerich notes some of her favorite parts of her experience while living in Italy. “(I enjoyed) learning the culture and understanding my side of the family who is Italian a

little bit more,” Malerich said. “That was actually the best part of it.”

Moving to Italy not only taught her about her family’s culture, but it also gave her a sense of how to better appreciate life.

“One of the biggest things I learned out there, besides softball, was how to have emphasis on living life, not just getting through it,” Malerich said.

Once the Olympics were over, Malerich continued to play professionally in Italy for 6 more seasons. After softball, Malerich decided to pursue a career in law enforcement. Malerich says the transition was not easy, as years of softball had taken a toll on her body.

“I gave my body a break, and with all those aches and pains, I was kind of scared I wouldn’t be able to do it,” Malerich said.

“If I couldn’t put this uniform on and know I couldn’t back someone up 100%, I didn’t want to put it on.”

Even with all the physical obstacles, Malerich believes her family played a big role in helping her achieve her dreams of a career in law enforcement.

“Where it all kind of stemmed from was my family in the military,” Malerich said. “My mom’s a nurse, but I

also have a great uncle that was killed in the line of duty 62 years ago, so I never met him, but I always heard of him. Always hearing my family proud of him and his work is what really gave me that final push. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and my body’s ready to go now.”

Malerich advises anyone looking to pursue sports professionally or in college to be prepared for the challenges and sacrifices that come with it. Malerich herself says she missed several major milestones of her own senior year, such as school trips and dances.

“You’re going to get people angry,” Malerich said. “You’re going to have people not like you because you’re having to make sacrifices to achieve your goals. You have to work hard and you’re going to have your down days. Just don’t let your one down day turn into a week, or turn into two weeks, because you’ll never be able to get your drive back, or if you do, it will take a while. You don’t want to lose your drive, but know it’s okay to take a break. You’re going to have people upset with you, but you’re also going to have the people who support you, and your supporters are who you really have to focus on those hard days and really be grateful for them.”

HIGH SCHOOL

Leslie Malerich pitched for the Italian National Softball team from 20022009. Her professional career highlights include a 2004 Athens Olympics appearance, three European titles, and being crowned Team MVP at the 2009 European Championships.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY LESLIE MALERICH

Career Highlights

1997 IHSAA STATE TITLE WINNER 1997 NWI TIMES FEMALE ATHLETE OF THE YEAR 1997 NWI TIMES SOFTBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR INDUCTED INTO IHSAA SOFTBALL HALL OF FAME (2005)

COLLEGE

FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY TEAM (1999-2002) WOMEN’S COLLEGE 2002 WORLD SERIES APPEARANCE WCWS ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM ACC PLAYER OF THE YEAR 2001 ACC 50TH ANNIVERSARY TEAM THREE TIME ALL-AMERICAN

PROFESSIONAL

ITALIAN NATIONAL TEAM MEMBER (2002-2009) 2004 OLYMPICS APPEARANCE THREE EUROPEAN TITLES TEAM MVP 2009 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIPS

INKLINGS

31

KEEPIN’ IT REEL Wiacek enjoys fly fishing with family during summer

BY ABBY GODSEN assistant editor Fishing, conventionally considered a relaxing activity, contains various styles and details involved in choosing how to fish. Senior Jacoby Wiacek is a fly fisher and has been doing fishing for the majority of his life.

“My preferred type of fishing is fly fishing, it’s much more challenging, thus is more rewarding when catching fish using this method. I only recently got into fly fishing, though I have been conventional fishing for pretty close to my entire life, with me starting somewhere around five years old,” Wiacek said.

Fishing is more of a family activity for Wiacek than anything else as both his father and grandfather fish as well.

“I´ve been fishing for pretty much my entire life. My father, as well as my grandfather got me interested. My grandfather was quite interested in fishing, as well as hunting, traveling often is pursuit of some fish or large game,” Wiacek said.

According to Wiacek, there are different types of fishing varying in technique making fishing a unique experience.

“There are different types of fishing, I would divide them two into two categories, conventional fishing, as well as fly fishing. With conventional fishing a line composed of a usually monolithic material such

as nylon or fluorocarbon, with the weight at the front being the bait or lure that one is using is cast and retrieved using the reel with the intention of a fish taking the bait,” Wiacek said.

Wiacek continued to describe the differences between the lines.

“With fly fishing a non monolithic weighted line, called fly line, is used to cast a fly lure usually too light to cast, hence the weighted line.

The aforementioned weighted line is not directly attached to the fly, as the fly line is too thick ,and would scare away the fish. The line is attached to a tapered leader, which is nylon that starts thicker but progressively gets thinner the closer it gets to the fly, this is to aid with energy transfer from the fly line during the cast. The fly usually floats on the water, being called a dry fly, but can also sink being called a wet fly,” Wiacek said.

Wiacek frequently fishes if possible and enjoys the satisfaction of a good catch.

“My favorite thing about fishing is the satisfaction of coming home with a cooler full of fish to be fried for dinner,” Wiacek said. “I would say that I am quite avid, usually going several times a week, weather permitting.”

Although he does not participate, there are fishing competitions for those who are looking to take their love for fishing to the next level.

“Yes fishing tournaments

exist, but I’ve never competed, just not something I’m very interested in, I don’t really see fishing as being a competition between people, as much as just something to get outside and hopefully come home with fish,” Wiacek said.

Senior Jacoby Wiacek poses with a fish he caught over the summer. Wiacek has been fly fishing for nearly his entire life and was inspired by his father and grandfather to pursue it as a hobby, PHOTO PROVIDED BY JACOBY WIACEK

STUDENT

SPOTLIGHT CHLOE FRIDRICH JUNIOR Q. How did you initially become involved in volleyball?

A. I started playing volleyball in fifth

grade. Right now I’m playing with the best team I’ve been on yet with a ton of my friends. We just placed third in a major President’s Day tournament.

Q. What is your favorite class this year?

A. My favorite class this year is choir for sure. I really enjoy having Mr. Woods as a teacher. We haven’t had a live performance since December of 2019, so I miss concerts for sure. Recently, we’ve just been uploading videos of our performances to YouTube.

I’m really happy to have the whole chorale together in one class, now that we’re back in the green schedule.

Q. What made you decide to go into psychology post high school?

A. Taking the class last year definitely got me super into psychology. I had Psych seventh hour last year, so I’d always be looking forward to it all day.

Q. Do you have any pets?

A. Back in the beginning of September, our family dog, Cosmo, had to be put down after an unexpected injury. My mom and I hated coming home without a dog greeting us at the door and being able to put our big, fenced in yard to use. At the end of the month, we adopted Stormi when she was about two months old. My mom and I have enjoyed being able to train her and experience what it’s like to have a puppy.

But of course we both wish Cosmo could’ve met her and we miss him like crazy.

Q. Who is your role model?

A. My mom is the person I look up to the most. She’s been there for me through everything and has always made sure to keep me safe and provide for me. I’d be lucky to grow up to be like her.

INKLINGS

32

What Do You

THINK?

If you could have any job in the world, what would it be?

“I would want to be a computer scientist for NASA because I think that what they do there is pretty neat and I would love to be able to work around things like rockets.” junior Jack Darlington

“Being a carpenter would be nice because they pay very well.” freshman Quinn Clayton

“I’d wanna do some sort of graphic art, I think. It’d be cool having fans that enjoy the work you put out each and every day.”

senior Everett Bologna

“I would want to be someone who helps children with disabilities. I feel like not enough people think about those kinds of careers and I would want to help.” sophomore Lauren Riordan

“I would like to be a real estate agent because of the good pay. I have also done research on it and it seems like a fun job.”

freshman Caitlyn Nitcher