Inklings jan 2017

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Crown Point High School @InklingsCPHS January 31 . 2017 Vol. 81 Issue 5

Read how wrestling is working on postseason success on page 13

Split thoughts: “Split” does not reach full horror potential

page 14

Of a

certain age PHOTO PROVIDED BY SOKHNA KELLY

Sophomore Sokhna Kelly attended the Women’s March in Washington, D.C. on Jan. 21.

PHOTO BY JILL KIDDER

Sophomore Demetri Leontaras buys a ticket at AMC Showplace Hobart 12 from employee Sandra S. Due to theater policy, Sandra was unable to provide her last name. If Leontaras visited the theater after 9 p.m., he would have to be accompanied by someone 21-years-old or older since he is 16 years old.

Teen behavior leads to age-based restrictions

BY MARIA LEONTARAS ANDREA JOHN co-editor-in-chief reporter

Shopping ended and exchanging began.

But this year, the returns came with a twist -- fists.

Multiple altercations occurred throughout malls across the country the day after Christmas. Many of the brawls were between opposing groups of teens who allegedly organized the battles through social media, as reported by CNN. A fight took place in Castleton Square mall, the largest mall in the state of Indiana, which resulted in several arrests on Dec. 26.

After the altercations, some malls including Fox Valley Mall in Aurora, Illinois, have enacted restrictions on teenage shopping hours. Fox Valley Mall created the Parental Escort Policy for days with anticipated high volume customer traffic. The policy states that guests under the age of 18 must be accompanied by someone over the age of 21.

Study hall teacher Sue Hoevet visited an Illinois mall and noted a security presence which promoted a safe environment for shoppers. She believes that there are benefits to the safety measures, and other malls should implement them as well.

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When can you do

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you can enroll in a state school

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“Yes, (it will lessen fights). They are really shocking.

Within the future, (Southlake Mall should) definitely (instate similar rules),” Hoevet said. “I think they really have to do it for everyone’s safety. You may be shopping there minding your own business, but somebody else might be having an issue and you may be in the right place at the wrong time.”

Though no incidents occurred recently at nearby Southlake Mall in Hobart, the shopping center does have its own code of conduct for customers to follow called Mind Your Manners. This includes guidelines for everything from prohibited use of obscene language, gestures and slurs to sitting on anything that is not specifically made for the action.

“It just keeps everyone safe, and everyone is accountable to the same rules and regulations. It’s posted at all of the entrances,” Southlake Mall Marketing Director Kristi Jackson said. “They are just general rules to follow to keep everyone safe and keep the environment the way it should be, meaning it should be fun while you are shopping. We have not changed any of the rules in the response to anything that has happened to something outside of the center in Indiana or in the country. The rules are still the same, and I don’t anticipate those changing.” see policy on page 3

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20

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you can be home alone

years old

you can be charged with murder or manslaughter

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years old

you can adopt someone you are related to

years old

you can get married with parental consent

Students attend inauguration, protests in D.C.

BY JEREMY DEBOLD reporter

The United States becomes the focal point of the world every four years.

Whether it’s for the reelection of a president or a peaceful transfer of power from the previous to the next, almost all eyes are focused on us.

Donald Trump transitioned from citizen to President and Commander in Chief of the United States on Jan. 20. But as with all change came opposition, in this case, in the form of a four-and-a-halfmillion-woman march the next day with roughly half a million marchers in Washington, D.C. alone. A march that became the largest protest in U.S. history.

Senior Daniel Jones and sophomore Sokhna Kelly had the rare privilege of being a part of this history. Both said it was an impactful experience that they will hold with them.

For Jones, it started with 4-H’s “Citizenship Washington Focus” program that held a special essay competition for the inauguration. Applicants with the best essays from each state were chosen to go observe the inauguration of the 45th president of the United States. Jones submitted his essay months before the presidential election was held with the hopes of seeing either candidate receive the presidency.

After reviewing Jones’ essay and essays from all over the state, the judges enacted a second round of evaluations, Jones was selected to be a participant on the trip. His trek began Monday Jan. 16 when his group traveled to Indianapolis.

“The next day, we flew out to Detroit,” Jones said. “We had a detour through Detroit because so many people were traveling (to Washington D.C.) it seemed.”

see inauguration week on page 7

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news january 31, 2017

intheknow

PHOTO PROVIDED BY TIFFANY LAPE

The varsity cheer team headed to Dallas to compete against other teams at the National Cheerleader’s Association’s national competition.

Cheer team wins first in jumps at Nationals

The varsity cheer team competed in the small intermediate division twicevisited in Dallas for Nationals.

Their jumps placed first and as a team, they placed fifth overall in their division. The team made a NCA (National Cheerleaders Association) video for their jumps.

Key Club holds Matchomatics fundraiser

Key Club hosts annual Matchomatics fundraiser. Visit http:// fluidsurveys.com/s/mm16358u to take the survey to find your match. During lunch from Feb. 6-10 and 13-17, results can be purchased for $2.

Latin Club celebrates Indiana Latin Week Latin Club celebrated Indiana Latin Week on Jan. 23 to 27 to promote the language and clubs in the state. The week included activites, community service and publicity. Each day had its own theme to add to the festivities, like Trendy T-shirt Tuesday when members were encouraged to wear Latin Club spirit wear and Fortuna Friday when members post on social media using #CPILW2017 to promote Latin week.

Hacking becomes more prevalent due to technology advances

BY GRACE CLELAND AUDREY GACSY design editor advertising editor

Advances in technology have continued to make everyday life easier. Today, everything is accessible from the palm of your hand including money. The introduction of payment methods other than cash have also opened up a new world of deception. Through the use of this readily available technology, hackers have learned new ways to infiltrate someone’s personal finances. All users of the technology are susceptible to the scammers.

History teacher Chris Mikrut faced online hackers firsthand when he had his credit routinely checked while refinancing his home. During the check, they found an account that had not been opened by neither Mikrut nor his wife.

“As they were going through (the credit check), they asked me if I had recently opened up or had tried to open up an Amazon account. Somebody had tried to open up a card, but they couldn’t get the final password to get through the security check. We figured that somebody had found our information probably through an email,” Mikrut said.

Although the hacker didn’t succeed in spending any funds in the account, Mikrut is left with an unsettling consequence.

“The problem is that it still shows up on my credit score.

It’s interesting that sometimes you don’t even know you’ve been hacked. We haven’t really changed our lifestyle because it hasn’t been a persistent issue,” Mikrut said.

For students like junior Annie Brigham, being hacked was very upsetting because the money she earned over the summer was connected to the account that got hacked.

“I was so upset because they got my Visa that has the money I earned at my summer job, but I also was confused at how that person even got my information in the first place,” Brigham said.

Being in high school, one may not think about their credit or debit card being hacked, but it can happen to anyone. Brigham was caught off guard as to how the hacker received her information and how they used it. Because she is only in high school, her parents were there to guide her through the recovery process.

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“I think my credit information was stolen from the Stracks in town. They tried to buy something on match.com for $40,” Brigham said. “It was my first time (being hacked). My dad had his identity stolen a couple years ago, so he knew exactly what we had to do. All we had to do was call the company and get PHOTO ILLUSTRATION the card shut off.”

BY GRACE CLELAND According to Bryan Gill, Technology Services Manager for CPCSC, everything can be hacked, but there are ways to protect phones, computers and private accounts from being hacked or scammed.

“Phones can be easily hacked. I would say the most common way for a cell phone to get hacked is for the user to connect their phone to a rogue Wi-Fi access point. Once that happens, the hacker can then see everything that is being transmitted by the user,” Gill said. “Changing your password is a great first start (to fix a hack) and installing a good quality security application such as Norton Security.”

English teacher Rachele Raloff had her Pay Pal account hacked and her taxes were filed without herself, her husband or their accountant knowing. They found out when they received an email about their refund when they did not recall filing them. Since these happenings, Raloff has changed some online account habits and has to take extra security steps when it comes to financial situations.

“I had to change the passwords on everything that had the same password. Now I have a handful of them (passwords) that I try to rotate through,” Raloff said.

With the move to online resources, hacking is becoming a more relevant topic amongst those on computers most of their day, such as students.

“It is becoming fairly common as not only users computers are being hacked, but so are websites people use. One such site is Yahoo, in December they announced that in up to 1 billion accounts had their personal information compromised in a 2013 breach,” Gill said.

Fine art students compete at Solo and Ensemble Competition

BY DESTINY KOGLER reporter

Band, choir and orchestra are common fine arts classes that students may partake in. Some take their talents outside of the classroom and participate in ISSMA. ISSMA is the Indiana State School Music Association, which is a statewide competition where students perform musical pieces to earn gold, silver and bronze medals.

“The pieces (of music) are classified into different categories with class one being the hardest and class five being the easiest. People that perform in group one, if they earn a gold, end up going to Indianapolis for the state ISSMA competition,” senior Brendon Gargano said.

Students try and compete to be able to go to the state competition. Gargono has spent eight years playing viola but still had some worries about the Saturday competition.

“I (was) really nervous this year because it (was) my first time doing a solo, and I also (went) in group one which is the hardest class of music. I (was) really nervous that it (was) not going to go well since I haven’t had past experience doing a solo,” Gargano said.

Students prepared for months perfecting the music they performed. Sophomore Emily Reed has been playing clarinet for four years, and just completed her fourth year of ISSMA.

“I’ve competed in ISSMA each year.

I’ve gotten three golds and one silver,” Emily said. “It’s very stressful considering the other classes I’m in. It’s a lot of work, but that’s what makes it so fun. You have to put in all the work and you get rewarded for it.”

Orchestra director Tom Reed has been helping with ISSMA for 30 years and has been able to watch some of his students go to state.

“I would guess that maybe 30 students (have gone to state). We have a number of soloists that go with their solos and we also have some ensembles, which are groups of students that qualify for state as well,” Tom said.

PHOTO BY JILL KIDDER

Senior Emily Neu practices her cello solo for Saturday’s ISSMA competition.

Band and Orchestra students competed on Sat. Jan. 28, and ISSMA for Choir will be held on Sat. Feb. 4

Thinking Ahead for February holidays

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National Weatherman’s Day

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International Women’s Day

15 National Gum Drop Day 28 National Tooth Fairy Day

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Half-day

Groundhog Day

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Presidents’ Day

Valentine’s Day

ISSMA Solo and Ensemble State Competition

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New Moon

28 Mardi Gras

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SPLAT sells creations to raise funds for club

BY TABITHA BEISHUIZEN reporter

The SPLAT club is currently running a fundraiser by selling custom made items during all lunches on Wednesdays and Fridays through February 8. The cost of these customizable items are between $1-5. One can choose a shape, letter, or simple design to have printed on various items.

“We have buttons, decals that you can use to stick to window or car, dog tags and mugs,” SPLAT advisor Karen Topp said.

The items purchased are made by the club members themselves, and the money collected will help keep the club free and allow them to get new materials and machines. By having the students make the items, it gives

them an opportunity to use the skills they have learned.

Printmaking is a class available to any student that has taken 2D art where they learn in a classroom setting about the art of printmaking. SPLAT is open to anyone regardless of the classes they have taken.

“People should donate to the SPLAT club fundraiser because it is cheap little things that you can use everyday,” sophomore Rianne Artim said. “This will help the club grow so we can do more things.”

In the club, they learn hands on how to make their own personalized designs and put them on an assortment of items.

“My favorite thing about SPLAT club is having the opportunity to create things I can use daily with my own designs and patterns on them,” Artim said.

The club uses this fundraiser to raise money for the

year. SPLAT has helped the school by making t-shirts in the past for any organization, including the t-shirts for the Color Run and special needs basketball game.

“We do not collect money for the kids to be in the club, and we want to try and keep it this way. The money we will collect (from the fundraiser) will help,” Topp said.

The club gives a place for students to learn about designing and being creative without worrying if they are not able to take it during the normal school day.

“I decided to join SPLAT club because I thought it was really creative and we make really cool stuff,” sophomore Ryan Tran said.

The club is open to all students interested in joining and meets every other Monday in room E108. For more information, contact adviser Karen Topp.

Remember to

policy continued from p.1 Policies could affect young shoppers and employees alike. Junior Abbey Johnston works at Justice and has seen high customer traffic first-hand. She believes the possibility of a restriction could deter her from shopping off the clock. “(The mall) is a very crowded area, and it can have high tensions because everyone wants what everyone else wants,” Johnston said. “I feel like (the policy) would be weird because I’m 16, almost 17, and I don’t want my parents following me around. I don’t think I would ever go to the mall then. I would be too embarrassed to walk around with my parent when I go shopping.”

Additionally, as a retail worker Johnston sees how age-related restrictions could bring the chance of a decrease in business, and this could impact the success of her workplace. “(It) definitely (could affect business) because kids usually come in. Thirteen year olds will come in and buy stuff because that’s the age some families decide you’re allowed to go to the mall by yourself, so if a parent had to come with they wouldn’t shop around as much,” Johnston said.

The desire to shop with one’s parents is not high for most teenagers. If restrictions similar to those at Fox Valley were to occur, some believe it would be extremely difficult to find a time to shop. Senior Desiree Aririeri sees the benefits and drawbacks if a policy was ever implemented.

“There might be some bad things that happened with teenagers, but I guess late at night, maybe they just thought (the age restrictions) would help limit any bad events from happening. I’m sure they do it for safety,” Aririeri said.

After an encounter with an unnerving stranger while shopping, senior Jessica Barclay sees the safety in being with others. As Barclay’s brother shopped, a “creepy and older” man followed her as she looked around the store. As soon as she returned to her brother’s side, the man left. Because of this occurrence and the possibility of others, Barclay believes that an age-based policy would be beneficial.

“You should go to the mall when you are with other people, but at the same time it’s kind of a right to not have parental guidance wherever you go,” Barclay said. “I would never go there without my brother, or an adult, or an older man … It would be beneficial to have adults with you.”

Similarly, Student Resource Officer Sean Steffel thinks that mandating parental escorts for teens would make mall experiences safer for all.

“Some kids can’t behave themselves, and honestly some adults can’t behave themselves either,” Steffel said. “There is someone there to corral them and make sure they’re not running off doing whatever they shouldn’t be doing. There’s some accountability there for them.”

Malls are not the first businesses to enforce restrictions on teenagers. Some movie theaters and restaurants have policies that restrict

State senator Jack Sandlin, R-Indianapolis, is facing backlash after posting a photo of Women’s March protesters, describing them as “fat women out walking.” He has since removed the post from Facebook, but screenshots have been shared on Facebook and Twitter.

Area

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It would be good to get a Nordstrom Rack cause we don’t have any in the area and it would bring more jobs because people need jobs.

Micayla Dow freshman

at Southlake Mall Do not interfere with free flowing customer traffic by running, skateboarding, hoverboarding, bicycling or loitering.

Clothing that obscures the face is not allowed unless it is worn for cultural, religious or medical conditions.

Loud behavior, the playing of musical instruments or audio devices is prohibited.

The blocking of store entrances, walkways, fire exits, escalators and elevators is prohibited.

Smoking is not allowed inside the mall or within 25 feet outside of the mall entrances All guests are required to leave the interior common areas once the mall closes for business.

Do not sit anywhere that is not made to be sat on. Benches, chairs and seating areas are for sitting only.

The use of any property in an improper or unsafe manner is prohibited.

He’s terrible for saying that and he should not be in office because anyone who is going to say that about women is not fit to run a state at all.

Emanuel Lutchman pleaded guilty to accusations of plotting a 2015 New Year’s Eve terrorist attack on a bar.

He planned to target patrons with a machete and knives he had purchased from Walmart. Lutchman suffered from a mental illness.

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Patrick Wilson senior

It is completely stupid how he just bought machetes and knifes from Walmart. He did suffer from a mental illness. His family members should have Christina Pejoski checked up on him. sophomore

An Australian actor was fatally shot while shooting a music video containing multiple prop guns.

Johann Ofner was pronounced dead at the scene of the music video. The band has said the prop guns were loaded with blanks and did not have any ammunition.

World

Nordstrom Rack is now hiring for its new location in Schererville, and is set to open on April 6. It is only the second location in the state of Indiana. Available jobs pay at least $11 an hour depending on experience.

Mind Your Manners

Student reaction to events in our world

Nation

views on news

when customers of certain ages can be present in the establishments.

Steffel assisted the Hobart Police Department in enforcing one such policy at the Hobart Buffalo Wild Wings where after 9 p.m. customers age 20 and under must be with parent or guardian. Steffel has noted aggression in customers that sometimes reflect the sporting events displayed throughout the restaurant.

“Yeah especially if it’s a big game night or UFC type fight going on. That’s kind of how the whole thing started. Kids would get in there and get all riled up because the fights going on, and then there would be arguing and yelling,” Steffel said. “I’ve talked to a couple of the other (cops), and they’ve had fights there before. They’ve got to do what they’ve got to do to protect their business, or to not get the other customers to come in because if they hear about this all the time, I guarantee they’re not going to want to go there if they don’t feel safe.”

The AMC Showplace Hobart 12 enforces a Parental Escort Policy. This prohibits minors under 17 from viewing a movie after 9 p.m. without a 21-or-older guardian. If one chooses to view a film beginning at 9 p.m. or later, one must provide photo identification proving their age. AMC states that the policy is for the safety and comfort of customers on the theater’s website.

While the policy was created for the safety of guests, some like junior Daniel Poeschl do not see the logic behind the rule.

“I think that’s pretty ridiculous because like how many kids go to a movie theater to fight someone or just cause trouble in general? It’s really not logical because I feel like the safety and comfort for all guests is just elderly people who always complain about high schoolers with piercings or dyed hair even though they haven’t done anything really wrong. If they wanted people to be safe, there’s a ton of different ways to make people safe without banning kids,” Poeschl said. “It’s not like kids couldn’t just get their movies online or from Netflix. In reality movie theaters kind of need us more than we need them.”

Regardless of the policy the business belongs to, the rules are enforced for the safety of all guests. Johnston sees the benefits of this, specifically in the mall setting.

“The only benefit would be that kids would be safer within the mall probably because parents would know what to do if there was ever a fight or a shooting,” Johnston said. “A kid alone with their friends at the mall would have no idea what to do in that situation.”

Despite the amount of rules, Steffel believes behavior goes farther than that.

“It just comes down to parents teaching their kids to respect yourself, others, and they should be able to behave themselves with their friends to go to the mall or do whatever,” Steffel said. “Unfortunately some parents either don’t care or kids don’t get brought up that way.”

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The whole prop guns in general, I feel like those should be checked for safety.

The whole incident is a sad targety and is something that shouldn’t happen.

Jacob Figgs junior

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The bill has several simple assurances: you will be insured regardless of preexisting health conditions, you will be guaranteed quality health care and you will not be discriminated upon regardless of your salary. These assurances are just a few pages in the 906 page bill that details an entirely new system for the way Americans are insured. The Affordable Care Act(ACA) was the stop gap measure to repair a broken and crippled health care system that was seeing an unprecedented rise in cost to the average American.

ACA has allowed nearly 20 million Americans to gain health insurance. People that either could not afford health care, or would have been flat out denied.

According to a study published in the American Journal of Public Health and a study by the Urban Institute, as many as 36,000 more Americans could die annually by becoming uninsured with the repealment of ACA. The bill is flawed. While it has given insurance to many, for a small percentage of Americans, namely a section of middle class Americans, it has caused their insurance premiums to skyrocket. But the bill has had realistic, plausible solutions to this problem suggested in the past, as well as in the original bill itself.

The most plausible of the solutions was what the Obama Administration called a “Risk Corridor” which would reimburse insurance companies for losses imposed by ACA through subsidies for insuring more Americans. The Risk Corridor was shot down at its proposal by Senate Republicans led by Marco Rubio as a means of dismantling ACA through insurance companies backing out and public disapproval of the “broken” bill.

The Affordable Care Act does not need to be repealed, merely repaired. There is no excuse for not repairing it when there are very reasonable solutions in place. While republicans promise to have an adequate replacement for a bill that saves lives, they continue their sprint to dismantle it without a single proposed solution or replacement. Though it does not affect most of us in high school now, once we are off our parents insurance this becomes our problem. We need affordable, and quality healthcare.

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speakup

The ACA should not be repealed

BY JEREMY DEBOLD

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Should businesses have age-based restrictions?

At this mall, always be respectful and kind.

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Lauren Vogt freshman

CARTOON BY DESTINY KOGLER

iew: Immature actions can prevent successful futures

We as teenagers have been the people to take the blame when things go wrong. In some cases, it’s unnecessary such as when something goes missing or getting accused of lying. What have teenagers done that’s really that bad? In others, it is extremely justified.

With the recent happenings at Fox Valley Mall, it’s understandable that teenagers take the fall. If two masses of supposed young adults fight each other in what seems to be a battle scene straight from a movie, restrictions on when teens can be in the shopping center on their own makes sense. But why should the actions of the few, immature affect the lives of the many.

We are young adults. Adults are typically mindful of those around them and act accordingly. How are we supposed to take on the title that accompanies our age if we’re going around beating on each other in food courts?

This behavior is not acceptable anywhere, especially not in an area that’s supposed to be for families and people of all ages.

Furthermore, this thought process is relevant throughout life, not just in malls. Acting responsibly is a necessity. One slip up, or in the case of the mall, a mass slip up, can spoil the freedoms of a whole age group. Don’t be one of the people who restricts the privileges that a portion of the population can enjoy and thrive in.

But acting your age isn’t just relevant when we’re young. It’s an idea that carries throughout life. How you carry yourself and treat others speaks volumes. A bad reputation and immature attitude can be the downfall of a possibly successful future. Don’t let the bad expectations that accompany being a teen be your scapegoat for poor decisions that can take privileges away from a large group of people.

editorial

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Vol. 81 Issue 4 Dec. 16, 2016 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/inklings

co-editors-in-chief Jackie Ham Maria Leontaras editor-at-large N GG SS LL II N Jill Kidder Crown Point High School, IN associate editors Inklings is a student publication created by the newspaper and advanced Ally Rekitzke journalism students and distributed monthly to students, faculty and staff of Abby Sobek Crown Point High School. Opinions do not necessarily reflect those of CPHS feature editor faculty, staff or administration.

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

Jill Kidder Advertising is subject to applicable rates available by contacting Inklings. sports editor Inklings has been recognized as an Indiana High School Press Association Hoosier Star, National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker, Columbia Dominic Tomich Scholastic Press Association Silver Crown, and Quill and Scroll George H. Gallup assistant sports publication. editors

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“Yes, because people that start trouble are disruptive to other people around them. Even if you’re not causing trouble, you should leave with them.“

James Voss sophomore

“No, because when you go into high school, you start taking responsibility so I think people that ages 15 or younger should be able to go into any business.”

Hadassah Zirkle junior

“No, any kid under 12 shouldn’t be out past 10 o’clock anyways.

But if you are 17 or 18, then you should be allowed into a place to get food or watch a movie.”

Conner Mullen

senior “No, because if there are 12-yearolds trying to go see a movie at a really late time, then they shouldn’t be outside. But for 17 and 18 year olds, there should be no age limit. It all depends on the age.”

Yousef Abdeldaiem Matt McConnell design editor Grace Cleland chief photographers Jill Kidder Ally Rekitzke art director Abby Sobek artist Destiny Kogler advertising editor Audrey Gacsy staff Jessi Alcorta-Robles

Lindsey Baeza Tabitha Beishuizen Jeremy DeBold Kiersten Hardy Andrea John Destiny Kogler Demetri Massow Kaitlyn Penkala Ashley Rekitzke Kira Schuelka Morgan Taylor Henry Withrow Jon Wolwark adviser Julie Elston

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opinion january 31, 2017

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Should job applications include criminal records?

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Thank you Obama

BY ALLY REKITZKE co-associate editor

Well, now I will not be able to start over...

CARTOON BY KAITLYN PENKALA

Pro:

Criminal record requirements ensure safety for many

BY KIERSTEN HARDY

Con:

Their past should not prevent them from having a future

BY ABBY SOBEK

co-associate editor

reporter

High school is when people start to fill out their first job applications which can be both stressful and exciting, but most students skim over the section addressing criminal history. Although it may not seem like a big deal at the time, realizing you work with ex-convicts can be an eye-opener. The section regarding past altercations with the law should stay for the safety of others and allow past offenders to come clean to their employer.

By requiring applicants to fill out their criminal history, companies can ensure the safety of other employees and the company themselves. Customers may also come into contact with employees, and their safety should also be accounted for. No knowledge of an applicant’s past can affect both business and surrounding people.

People who have committed more serious crimes can still pose a threat in their job position, not having criminal history on the application does not only affect entry level jobs. For example, not knowing if a teacher or a doctor have a questionable history puts many people in immediate danger.

Having criminal history on applications gives ex-convicts an opportunity to show integrity and admit to their past crimes. Honesty on the application makes the applicant look responsible. Without the option, criminal records may be kept secret and create distrust between the employer and the employee. Some employers will do background checks before making an offer, which will show a criminal background anyway. Performing these background checks defeat the purpose of taking away the question. If the employer were to wait to do a background check after someone was hired, it can reveal a bad choice if there were no previous indications of past offenses.

Making criminal history on the applications illegal constricts the employer and creates more issues than it fixes. Not informing the employer puts business, coworkers and customers in unnecessary danger and takes away the applicant’s ability to come clean on their application. Without the section addressing criminal history, coworkers will have to worry about more than just training a new employee.

19 Inklings staffer agrees Allison Duncan

4 Inklings staffers agree Leslie Bonner

business teacher

FACS teacher

“The employer can use it as discrimination against the employee…

If you have a felony, the employer could see that you have a felony and then not hire you.”

“Yes, I think employers have the right to know who they are hiring and what type of behavior they have had in the past.”

Ethan Scherdt

Whether you’re a teenager or an adult, applying for any type of job can be rather stressful. Now imagine how hard it would be to get a job with a misdemeanor. With job applications asking about past felonies, it is hard for people to get a second chance.

It is hard to see why job applications have such a strict focus on criminal records with jobs that do not require a degree or any sort of intellectual or physical testing. With having different offenses such as a speeding ticket or even vandalism, people shouldn’t have a mistake that they made in the past prevent them from ever having a future. Crimes at a larger magnitude, like manslaughter and robbery, require people to do time for their wrongdoings, they wouldn’t have been allowed their freedom if they didn’t improve themselves. How can someone have a second chance when their past is preventing them from having a future?

Allowing a past offender to have a real job and in the public eye may be alarming to some, but there are certain jobs that allow criminals to have another chance, but there are many types of jobs that allow criminals to have a chance. For example, many local animal shelters and some fast food chains such as Wendy’s provide criminals with a second chance. These businesses have proved that past offenders can change for the better and can learn from their mistakes. If past offenders were given a chance to start over, it is amazing how many people would change.

Jobs that do require a degree, such as a teacher or a doctor, follow different circumstances. Professional jobs like these already require regular criminal and overall background checks whether they have worked there for a year or 20 years and if they are guilty or not, so if there was a repeating offender trying to get in that field of work, the company would be aware of it.

If past criminals do have a degree, they are still qualified for the job because they put the time and effort to get it, they worked hard just like everyone else to get their degree. By refusing past criminals from fulfilling their degree, employers are basically making the years they spent at school a waste, so why hold them back from functioning in a normal society?

sophomore

“I think (the application) should, just because you never know. I can see why someone would want to know. “

Elisha Terry

senior

“If they want a job, you shouldn’t stop them because of a mistake they had in the past, but that’s up to a certain extent of course.”

Barack Obama, I’m going to miss you.

I remember being in about fourth grade when Barack Obama ran for president. I was so excited because I was witnessing history. The possibility of an African American president was happening before my eyes.

He seemed like a beacon of hope in a country that I saw at war and struggling with its economy.

I didn’t appreciate Obama the way I do now when he ran the first time. I loved how down to earth he was. He has a loving, admirable family. The pictures of him playing with kids made me feel like he was a normal guy, and I’m going to miss that feeling. I don’t know how I’m going to adjust to having a man who was a TV star that I remember being on commercials saying, “You’re fired,” as the man who is running our country.

I’m going to miss how Obama genuinely wanted to change the U.S. for the better.

He enforced the Affordable Care Act so anyone who couldn’t get insurance before was able to. He ended the Iraq war, bringing home our troops. He killed Osama Bin Laden and uncovered Al Qaeda documents. He has brought so much change and hope in his eight years in office.

Obama’s farewell address was tear jerking and sophisticated. He thanked the U.S. for inspiring him. He reflected on how the working class helped him institute changes through his eight-year presidency. He advised us that we also have more work to do, and with Donald Trump’s presidency, we still have to do this work by sticking together.

Obama welcomed Trump into his presidency with class.

He and Michelle were mature as they welcomed Donald and Melania Trump to the White House. They politely watched as Trump was sworn into office then waved goodbye to their former life as the first family.

For everything that Obama has done, from being a down to earth, relatable person to creating a better America, I am grateful for Obama’s presidency. He’s inspired me to want to change the world by teaching others to be more accepting to everyone.

For everything you’ve done for the U.S. and for me personally, thanks Obama.

6

feature january 31, 2017

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experiencing a different perspective

Mentoring mindset

PHOTO BY JACKIE HAM

Senior Cailey Sabotnik mentors a group of sixth graders on dealing with bullying. High School C.A.S.S. mentors visit the middle school once a month to discuss issues that involve bullying.

Teens help create safer environment for youth

‘‘

BY JESSI ALCORTA-ROBLES reporter

In a world that is full of chaos, protecting the younger generation is a priority. Programs like D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) and C.A.S.S (Creating A Safer School) were created to help kids be better people.

C.A.S.S. teaches students that words hurt, and that being cruel to each other is not acceptable.

D.A.R.E. informs students that taking drugs and drinking alcohol has consequences.

D.A.R.E. was first established in 1983 and has been a Crown Point tradition since. This program takes place in a very influential environment: elementary schools.

“The D.A.R.E. program talks to youngsters around 10, 11 or 12 years of age because of what’s going on with them biologically. At that age, the frontal part of our brain is absorbing and retaining as much information that you learn throughout your life. You’re able to obtain about 95 percent of what you learn, what you read and what you’re taught at that age,” Sergeant Dave Benson said.

Benson is one of the police officers that is in charge of this program. He goes to different schools to help students realize the severity of drugs and all of the risks that come with it. The main

By

The # statistics provided by Teen Rehab Center

do this because freshman are a little more close in age with the sixth graders and we wanted to give them some time to mature.

We also look at attendance, it must be less than 10 absences a year, and also the students must have at least a 3.0 GPA. We require these so we know that they are responsible students who can afford to miss one day of school a month and be able to make up for it,” Marcinek said.

Since the student mentors and the sixth graders are close in age, the sponsors and students feel as if it is easier for the students to relate to each other.

“I like that there are mentors that you can relate to because they’re just like you. Since they’re like you, they can feel the same things that you go through in school. If you’re getting teased, they can relate to that because they are also in school and can experience the same things as you,”

sixth grade C.A.S.S. participant Tristan Grady said.

Not only does this program affect the younger generation that the mentors are speaking to, it also affects the student mentors as well.

“I feel like we get help also from this because we get to hear what these little kids go through, and we get to tell them our stories, too,” sophomore student mentor Skylar Boillot said.

These programs were created to help people keep their lives on track to their goals. When young students see people a little older than them, it helps them see that it isn’t that hard to have goals and make them happen according to Benson.

“I sure hope that when the younger students see the student mentors it helps them realize that their goals are obtainable,” Bianchi said.

Helping younger students set reachable goals is important but teaching them to be kind to one another is important as well.

“We need to teach people how to be kind to each other and how to deal with someone who was once their friend and isn’t anymore and how to deal with conflict,” Marcinek said, “We want to encourage the younger ones to be more accepting, and that’s what we’re teaching them.”

23%

35/100

91%

of sophomores have consumed alcohol in the last month.

high school students have consumed some alcohol.

of drug dealing high school students sell marijuana.

I like that there are mentors that you can relate to because they’re just like you. Since they’re like you, they can feel the same things that you go through in school. If you’re getting teased, they can relate to that because they are also in school and can experience the same things as you.

Tristan Grady Sixth grade C.A.S.S. participant goal is to help students make good decisions and go down a successful path in life.

“The biggest part of D.A.R.E. is to help young people with good decision making skills. There are so many challenges in our lives to begin with, especially in our younger years, and we need good advice and positive role models,” Benson said.

Senior Graham Votaw also thinks that the D.A.R.E program helps kids in their lives with setting realistic standards.

“I feel that the kids seeing a realistic example of avoiding drugs and being a successful person because they avoided drugs really helps. It shows the kids that it is attainable,” Votaw said.

C.A.S.S. takes on a very serious matter-- peer aggression. Ami Marcinek, school counselor and a sponsor of this program, says that rather than using the term “bullying,” she would rather people

2.3% of seniors are caught up in cocaine use.

use the term “peer aggression.”

C.A.S.S. student mentors go to Taft and Wheeler to talk to the sixth graders about better ways to deal with aggression and help them realize that they are not alone.

“I think that bullying comes with the competition of adolescents. In that competition, we have to teach them that they don’t have to win by being better than one another but by being fun, fair, equal and compassionate,” English teacher and C.A.S.S. sponsor Jennifer Bianchi said.

Not just anyone can become a student mentor for C.A.S.S. It takes dedication to your school work, grades and school reputation. These students miss a part of the school day every month for this program and the school system has to know that they will be able to make up for lost time.

“For starters, we only take sophomores through seniors. We

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S

Nursing nature

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Reporter goes behind scenes of nurse’s workday

BY ALEXIA WOJCIECHOWSKI feature editor

PHOTO BY JON WOLWARK Nurse Carisa Oman checks a student’s blood pressure. She has been a nurse at CPHS for two years and gives students their medicine, checks their temperature and bandages injuries. Previously she has performed emergency c-sections and was employed in home health.

Oman sees up to 100 students per day, and she explained that busiest time of the year at her office is at the beginning of each semester. She also has to send students home depending on their situation.

“We average anywhere from 58 to 100 students (a day).

During immunization time, it is a lot more because kids are here to turn in their (forms). The beginning (of the year) and semester change is the busiest time of the year because many new students are coming in,” Oman said.

“I send home anywhere between 5 and 15 (students) and of course Mondays are busier, everyone has mondayitis, so Mondays are the worst but midweek it calms down then Thursday and Friday it picks up again.”

After explaining her day to day schedule, she explained how she came to be a nurse. Oman is a Crown Point alumni and graduated in 1996.

“I went to school to be a surgical technologist and got

a degree in associates of an applied science,” Oman said.

Oman attended Purdue West Lafayette, Purdue Cal and Ivy Tech.

“After graduating, I did emergency c-sections for six years, and after my unit closed, I went back to school and earned an associate’s degree to become a nurse. When I was not working as a surgical technologist or our school nurse, I also was in home health, and even worked in a hospital,” Oman said.

Overall, Oman explained that she finds her job to be very enjoyable and that she does not see herself pursuing another occupation unless she moved or something spectacular happened. The students she sees also add to this.

“I really like my job, I love my job. I love talking to the kids all the time, and I have my favorites of course,” Oman said.

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To most students, going to the nurse is a quick visit when they are not feeling well or need to take medication, but who and what nurse Carisa Oman’s job entails stays a mystery. In order to find out more about Oman, I shadowed her for several different periods throughout the day.

When entering nurse Oman’s office, I found a small waiting room and sat as she finished a phone call. When she was finished, I entered and proceeded to ask her some questions about how her everyday tasks go.

Her work begins even before first period begins.

“By 7:00 a.m. I have people at my door, whether they need a Band-Aid or got off the bus and all of a sudden they don’t feel good,” Oman said.

After classes start, her normal, everyday tasks begin.

“I will see anything from giving medication to checking diabetics numbers and what their insulin is to sending kids home because they are throwing up or have fevers,” Oman said. “We do have a lot of (students) that just come in because they want to go home so that fills our day.”

When Oman sees students, no matter how small the visit, she has to follow a specific procedure.

“Everything has to be entered into the computer just like if you were going to the doctor’s office and I have to ask you all the questions that go with it. (I) still have to abide by HIPAA violations when giving out personal information that is confidential so I do have to abide by that,” Oman said.

One of Oman’s busiest times of the day is during lunch. During this time, students come in to take medication as well as have their insulin levels checked and sometimes just because they do not feel well. When shadowing Oman during a lunch period, I saw six students come and go through the office.

Another one of Oman’s responsibilities throughout the day is making sure special needs students receive their proper medication throughout the day. This takes a lot of work from Oman and sometimes up to three visits to get her patients to cooperate.

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PHOTO PROVIDED BY DANIEL JONES

Senior Daniel Jones won an essay contest that gave him the opportunity to see the inauguration live on the U.S. Capitol building balcony.

PHOTO PROVIDED SOKHNA KELLY

PHOTO PROVIDED BY DANIEL JONES

Donald J. Trump was sworn in on Jan. 20, 2017 as the 45th president of the U.S. The peaceful transition of power between Trump and former president Barack Obama was held in Washington D.C. and was seen by hundreds of thousands of people.

Sophomore Sokhna Kelly participated in the Women’s March on Washington.

She was one of half-a-million women and men to walk for the rights of all.

Inauguration weekend includes celebration, protests inauguration week continued from p.1 “We ended up waiting in the airport for an hour and a half because our flight was delayed.”

From Detroit, the group flew to Baltimore, Md. where they boarded busses and were taken to Chevy Chase, Md., a small town located on the outskirts of Washington, D.C. where the 4-H headquarters is located. The group had three days of sight-seeing and guided-tours of the nation’s capital before Inauguration Day. “We got up two hours earlier than we were supposed to (for the inauguration) and left at about 4:30 a.m. There weren’t a lot of people there, but if we had waited much longer, we would have been way in the back,” Jones said.

After arriving, Jones’ group waited until 12:00 p.m. for the inauguration of President Trump.

“It wasn’t that painful of a wait. Eventually you started to get used to it. It was actually pretty warm. It wasn’t that bad for this time of the year,” Jones said.

The inauguration ceremony began with a parade of past and present political figures that left Jones in awe.

“Then the government figures and the past presidents were coming out from the door under the banner. We only had one set of binoculars, so we had to fight over them for who we wanted to see,” Jones said. “It was surprising to see all these famous (political figures) that you only hear about or see pictures of. They are just right over there, sitting down, shaking hands, being normal people.”

Then it was time for then President-elect Donald Trump to become the President. This is when the moment became real for Jones.

“I had a distinct feeling of, ‘This is it.’ This is the moment we have been waiting for,” Jones said. “I (did not) know what is going to happen when it is over, but I was excited to see it happen and to witness that moment in history.”

Jones hopes that Trump carries out the message of his speech. He believes that Americans have the potential to change the U.S. for the better.

“The way he talked about the American people and

‘‘

Everyone walked for their own reason and what they were passionate about.

But that is also in the loving nature of it because we all knew we were there for each other as well.

Sokhna Kelly sophomore how he was giving back the power of the government to all people (made it) a very good speech. I’m not sure he meant it, but I hope he did,” Jones said. “It felt empowering, like we had the actual potential to make a change for the better.”

As Jones’ journey to Washington D.C. was coming to a close, Kelly’s pilgrimage to Washington, D.C.’s Women’s March was just beginning.

The idea to go started with a simple text from Kelly’s mother. It included a picture of a Facebook post describing the then unnamed Women’s March on Washington. “This is not a protest, and it is not an anti-Trump rally. It’s about human rights, focusing on women’s rights,” the post read.

The post’s message resonated with Kelly’s morals.

“When your basic human rights are being threatened, how could you not stand up, or how could I not go? Especially since I had the opportunity, how could I not take it?” Kelly said.

The protest fell on Jan. 21, and Kelly decided that is where she would like to go for her birthday, which was on the same day.

Kelly, her mother and a group of over 200 Northwest Indiana residents had boarded three buses and embarked on their journey at 7 p.m. The 12 hour ride entailed several

stops in the middle of the night that kept passengers awake and a broken heating system that left the bus cold.

“People in the back of the bus were complaining about how cold it was, and people in the front of the bus were complaining about how hot it was,” Kelly said. “The bus ride as a whole experience was long, cold and uncomfortable, but it is also where I got to meet new people and really process everything that happened (on the way back). I would call it a necessary evil.”

Recalling the news of the Inauguration Day’s violent protests, Kelly had prepared to face riots, riot police and anarchists inciting violence.

“On my left arm I had I.C.E. (in case of emergency), and ‘Ed,’ that’s my grandpa’s name, and then his number,” Kelly said. “I would have put my grandma’s name, too, but she was going to the march in (Indianapolis).”

Upon her arrival in Washington D.C., Kelly’s worries of how dangerous or crazy the Women’s March would be were quelled and replaced by feelings of amazement.

“Before I even got off the bus, like when we were pulling in to park, we started seeing people with signs and stuff. You don’t have to worry when people have signs that say ‘respect,’” Kelly said. “There is no preparation for seeing all of those people fighting for what you are fighting for, and if they are fighting for what you are fighting for, you know they’ve got your back. Seeing all of those people, it’s just like complete awe. You feel numb for a second.”

Kelly noted that everyone was walking for their own reason and what they were passionate about. She added that it was a loving atmosphere because the people in the crowds were all there for each other.

“It was the most life changing experience I have ever had. It is just so hard to explain because it’s like you are doing something in the present, but you know you are making history,” Kelly said. “It was the most amazing thing I have ever done, and it may be the most amazing thing I will do in my life.”

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New year, new you?

Twitter Polls What’s one word to describe your 2016?

2017 brings fresh attitudes for resolutions

BY ALLY REKITZKE co-associate editor

New year, new me is a phrase uttered over and over during the beginning of every new year. It is a time to reflect on the previous year and start fresh for the new year.

With 2016 behind her, senior Leah Huffine reflected on the struggles she endured throughout 2016. One of the biggest challenges for her was the strenuous job of applying to college.

“All the stress of applying for different colleges and trying to plan out my entire future was rough. I will be very glad to put all that behind me and move forward in the new year,” Huffine said.

7

Huffine is putting her endeavors behind her to begin the new year. Her mother inspired her New Year’s resolution of getting more active.

“Over the past year, she started really working out and getting fit, and she looks incredible. She’s in a much better mood and seeing her so proud of herself made me want to follow in her footsteps,” Huffine said.

So far, Huffine has kept her resolution by working out to DVDs with her mom or running by herself. Along with her own life changes, Huffine believes that 2017 will bring different experiences from 2016.

“Transition from high school to college is going to be huge. I’m ready for something different. I’m ready for a new

adventure. I hope I end up just enjoying my last full months with my friends and family,” Huffine said.

According to StatisticBrain.com, 42.4 percent of people never succeed or fail on their resolution every year. English teacher Vince Bauters believes that people aren’t able to fulfill their resolutions because people make it seem like work.

“We make it seem like work instead of something fun. We’re forcing ourselves to do something that we think is going to make us more impressive to other people, or we think we should do when we start saying ‘I should do this’ opposed to ‘I want to do this’, it doesn’t last,” Bauters said.

“Those people that make changes that they want to do, those are the things that stick.”

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feature january 31, 2017

28%

Life changing

19%

Newsworthy

32%

21%

Bittersweet

Heartbreaking

115 VOTES

Did you make New Year’s Resolutions for 2017?

47%

53%

No

Yes

things to expect in

101 VOTES

2017

What are your resolutions?

1. Superbowl (Patriots v. Falcons)-

13%

Feb. 5

Procrastinate less

2. Star Wars VIII: The Last Jedi- Dec. 15

“My resolution is to run more on weekends 4. Stranger Things season 2- summer because I’m on the cross 5. Kennedy collection to be released country team, and if I run more and stay in shape 6. Possibly first successful head that I’ll better as a runner transplant and improve as much as 7. Beauty and the Beast with Emma possible to help the team Watson- March 17 out.”

3. Solar Ellipse- Aug. 21

Mike Psimos

“I’m going to be more positive this year because I usually keep stuff to myself, and I seem to get negative all the time. I’m trying to be more positive, more open, and make more friends.”

junior

Brooke Le

sophomore

Chinese New Year: the year of the rooster Chinese New Year, according to senior Zexing Yu, is the first day of the year in the Chinese lunisolar calendar.

Every year is different, and this year it is on Jan. 28.

Yu celebrates by having a huge family dinner. All the children will get new clothes which means a fresh

Michael Bauner mbauner@hondaon30.com 4613 East U.S. 30 Merrillville, IN 46410 www.teamhondaon30.com 219-947-3900 800-653-0065 Fax 219-947-0912

“(My) New Year’s resolution is to try to make more friends to expand my social circle because I’ve always had the same friends since middle school.”

Avery Cornett freshman

start to the year. They also will receive red envelopes with money inside.

This year is the year of the Rooster.

According to Yu, it is very important for everyone, especially for the people who were born in the year of the rooster. For those people, it is called Chinese zodiac anniversary.

22%

Be healthier/ work out

44%

21%

Save money

Improve self

107 VOTES

Did you keep your resolutions?

32%

39%

Yes

I’m working on it

29% No

63 VOTES

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Caffeine brews health concerns among consumers

What products have caffeine?

What starts as a morning pick-me-up becomes a reliance that is not easy to get rid of. Many students walk around with a caffeinated drink in their hands, and going without it seems impossible.

With caffeine being widely available, it can be found in numerous products from stores like Dunkin’ Donuts, Starbucks and Walgreens. Because of this, drinking caffeinated beverages is a habit that is becoming more common among students.

Gaining a reliance for certain substances like caffeine can have numerous causes. For some, the influence a parent or guardian has on them was a crucial part as to why they started drinking caffeinated drinks. Sophomore Skyler Gallo’s reliance started at a young age.

“I started drinking coffee when I was about 10. My mother and grandma had at least one cup of coffee a day, so I thought

Coffee Tea Energy drinks Soda Chocolate Ice cream Weight-loss pills Pain relievers

Spilling the beans about caffeine

68 million

Americans drink three cups of coffee every single day.

statistics provided by http://healthresearchfunding.org/shocking-caffeine-addiction-statistics/

After having large amounts of caffeine for a long period of time, not having any can lead to withdrawals. Collins has experienced some of these problems with her caffeine consumption, most of which arise after missing her morning cup of coffee.

“My head hurts and I don’t feel good,” Collins said. “I go through withdraws without it.”

Withdrawal symptoms can include problems like headaches, nausea and fatigue. For junior Skylar McClure, going without a daily caffeine dosage would be difficult but not withdrawal inducing.

“I don’t think I could go without caffeine ever...I don’t get withdrawals, but I do need it. I don’t think I would be able to live because caffeine is technically a drug,” McClure said.

Tea is also a major source of caffeine, and freshman Emma Brooks likes the energy boost she gets after drinking it. However, the health concerns surrounding too much caffeine do concern her.

“After a while (drinking caffeinated

Muscle aches Irritability Heart burn Diarrhea Blood pressure

5% of adults consume 5-7 energy drinks every month.

tea) makes me very tired,” Brooks said.

“That’s when it concerns me because I need to be up and active not tired and wanting to sleep all the time.”

For senior Ben Depta, refraining from caffeine has not been much of a struggle.

“I have never really felt the need for it,” Depta said. “I don’t want to become dependent on something that can negatively impact both my brain and my wallet.”

Some people use caffeine as a way to keep themselves awake during school or at night while doing homework. Depta does not need this strategy.

“As a senior, I spend a lot of my time doing homework, especially late at night, so I’m sure it would help. But no, it’s not really a struggle (to not drink it),” Depta said.

Drinking caffeinated beverages provides the energy that could be gained from a good night’s sleep, but replacing it with a caffeinated drink seems to be the approach students are taking, but it may be the most beneficial option.

Alternatives for caffeine

reporters

it was normal when I did the same. My mom had started drinking coffee at the age 5 because she liked the taste of it, but she did not have a reliance to it. Not too long after, I realized I relied on having a cup everyday,” Gallo said.

After about five years of drinking coffee, Gallo has failed to see the benefits of consuming caffeine.

“I have gained absolutely nothing from drinking coffee because there was nothing I could have gained from it in the beginning. It was a bad habit that I gained from my mom,” Gallo said. “I continue to drink coffee because it has became an everyday habit that I can’t get rid of due to enjoying the taste.”

Like Gallo, nutrition teacher Julia Collins has a cup of coffee in the morning to get her through the day. She has been drinking coffee since she was younger.

“I love coffee in the morning, and I prefer to drink it black,” Collins said. “I have been drinking it that way since I was 13-years-old.”

What does caffeine do to your body?

BY DEMETRI MASSOW ASHLEY REKITZKE

Five grams of caffeine can be fatal.

More protein Drink more water Vitamin B Try chicory Herbal tea Smoothies Wheatgrass juice Prune juice

50% of people

who quit using caffeine experience severe headaches.

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sports

january 31, 2017

We want to carry over everything we’ve been working on in practice to get us another good conference win.

in the

huddle

- senior Sasha Stefanovic

Pups “

for

Playing in Pups lets me show off my nasty handles and my NBA range. Pups is the perfect league for players like myself.

Nik Karakozis

senior

‘‘

11

“

Simply being able to compete against friends in an organized league is what makes Pups appealing to me. Pups is just for fun, but there is also a competitive aspect that makes things more interesting.

all

Alec Thompson

senior

AGES PHOTO BY ALLY REKITZKE

PHOTO BY DOMINIC TOMICH

Students participate in community basketball league

BY DOMINIC TOMICH sports editor

Sunday’s serve as a day that typically applies to each individual’s hobbies and interests. Many high school students find themselves on their couch watching NFL Sunday or spending the day out with family and friends. However, some of those who roam the hallways of Crown Point high school find themselves in Colonel Wheeler’s gymnasium ready to compete in one of the most hyped up local basketball league, that league is PUPS. Pups gives anyone the opportunity lace up their sneakers and compete on any given Sunday. The league draws in over 150 players in just the 10th-12th-grade league and each player comes for all different types of reasons.

“I initially joined pups because I knew I wasn’t going to try out for the high school team this year. After playing for the freshman team last year, I realized I’d rather play in a league that isn’t so competitive. It wasn’t until the first pups game that I realized the league itself is something special. Deciding to play pups had to be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.” sophomore Nick Morgan said.

“Pups has a ton of player diversity. The league has all different types of players and game days are the best part of my week.”

Pups seeks nothing more than the willingness to compete a couple times a week. Game days fall on Sunday and the teams in the league only have one practice throughout

the week.

“Basketball has never been more than a hobby to me.

Besides cheering for the Bulls, playing NBA 2K17 and participating in fantasy basketball leagues with my friends, I’ve never wanted to be too serious with a sport.” Senior Lucas Martin said. “Participating in Pups gives me the opportunity to play a sport I love while still being able to hang out with friends and finish all my school work. Pups also allows me to show off my wet jump shot and break some ankles on every Sunday.”

The league receives high praise from all players involved. The league keeps the right balance of fun and competitive.

“Sports are my thing.” senior Nikolas Karakozis said.

“Winter is the best time of the year because of everything happening with basketball. Pups gives me the opportunity to unleash my inner Giannis Antetokounmpo. The league’s great because there aren’t too many players who are overly invested in it and people are there to just have a good time and get some buckets. At the same time, everyone competes hard while they’re on the court, but it isn’t as serious as playing for the high school team.”

Although Pups is considered to be a step down from playing at the high school level it doesn’t lack the competitive edge nor talent.

“A lot of people look at Pups and think these kids can’t play basketball. I’ll admit there are some people in

the league who may not seem to be the best athletes, but those same people are surprised when they come and s e e the level of competition it actually is,” Karakozis said.

“There are players in the league who have played school ball before and have all the attributes of being a good basketball player.”

Just like in all other team sports, not one particular player can lead you to victory all the time. It’s almost inevitable in the Pup’s realm that the best teams continue further in the playoffs in hopes of bringing home the first place trophy.

“The best part of the season is the playoffs. Players tend to step their game up a little bit more when the first place trophy is on the line.” Martin said. “After finishing second last year I’m gonna make sure I do as much as I can to help my team win. With Pups the teams switch every year, but the two most well-rounded teams are the ones facing in the championship almost every year.”

Although the conclusion of the season brings higher intensity during the games, players find themselves grateful for how close the league brings all the players in it.

“Everybody in the league loves everybody, there’s trash talk that goes on in games but it’s all in good humor.”

Morgan said. “Pups is like a family. Every time I run into another player in the halls at school it gives us something to talk about. Because of Pups I’ve met a ton of new people and build better relationships with a bunch of my friends.”

Girls swimming prepares for postseason action

BY MATT MCCONNELL assistant sports editor

The Lady Dogs have been on the grind in the water, working up to yet another swimming tournament season.

With strong seniors like Kelsi Artim and Hannah Kukurugya, the team remains in high hopes with talent and experience on their side as they head into the postseason in hand influencing the younger swimmers as well.

“I definitely think with eleven seniors, the younger girls have had a lot to look up to. This year our team was very top heavy and there was a lot of girls to look up too. I think it definitely sets a good standard for the girls seasons to come,” senior Kelsi Artim said.

With these decorated seniors swimmers, the newer girls have role models to base themselves off and become more confident in the water.

“Reflecting on this season, I hope I was an inspiration to the under classmen and motivated them to make big goals,” senior Hannah Kukurugya said. “This year, being a senior, I had a different perspective. I was able to see

the younger girls grown and become more confident in themselves as the season progressed. That makes me smile because that is what high school swimming is all about.

Growing yourself as a student athlete.”

The girls are coming to a close for the regular season and are now prepping for their final races.

“The main thing right now in these last two weeks is work when you’re supposed to work and rest when you’re supposed to rest,” Coach Angerman said. “That is the main part of the season you want to try to work on all the time, and now the bodies have to rest to save up the energy for these ultimate races.”

Competition does not come easy, especially at the tournament level. However, the girls are not phased by the new battles in the water they will endure.

“At the state meet there will be competition that we have not faced all season. Carmel always has great girls who throw down some incredible times. They’ll be the state’s biggest competition,” said Kukurugya. “However, both Kelsi and I have grown up racing those girls, so we know

what to expect. As a team, we just have to stay focused for the next couple of weeks and throw down some fast times.”

Their level headedness going into the competition will hopefully play a big part in getting more titles for the girls.

“Just like every other year, you’re not 100% sure what’s going to happen at these next upcoming meets. It’s the most important time of the season and everyone’s just a little nervous on how it’s going to play out. Everyone’s hoping for the best and waiting to see how all the hard work pays off,” Artim said. “I’m just going to believe in the process and all the work that’s been leading up to these moments. That’s all you can do.”

As they are approaching the championship races, the Lady dogs plan to not let it get to their head.

“The biggest thing right now in these last two weeks is work when you’re supposed to work and rest when you’re supposed to rest,” Coach Angerman said. “That is the main part of the season you want to try to work on all the time and now the bodies have to rest to save up the energy for these ultimate races.”

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Girls basketball prepares for sectionals

BY HENRY WITHROW reporter

The Lady Bulldogs basketball team is playing exceptionally this 2016-17 season. At first the team was doubted with not a lot to work with, but they have pushed through and fought for a superb, positive record.

The girls may have a lack in experience, starting only two seniors this season, but that does not stop them from doing great things.

“I was concerned about a lack of experience at the beginning of the season, but at this point, I do not feel that it is an issue. All eight players that play for us on a regular basis at the varsity level have had a full season of experience. There is nothing another team in our sectional will do that we haven’t already faced at least once this season,” head coach Chris Seibert said.

“The biggest thing now for our players is to play fearlessly and respond to any and all adversity they may face together as a team. If they can do those two things, I really like our chances in the sectional.”

The team is heading into the postseason with a considerable momentum boost after an incredible buzzer-beating three pointer by junior Mya Scheidt to win the game against the Chesterton Trojans.

“It felt surreal,” Scheidt said.

“I could not make a shot the whole game, so being able to knock down a three to win the game after a great pass from Caitlyn Phillips felt absolutely incredible.”

The girls played very well defensively but struggled offensively to start the game but fought hard for a well deserved win.

“Overall, I was very pleased with our effort on the defensive end of the floor. Chesterton is one of the better offensive teams in our conference and to hold them to 37 points is outstanding,” Seibert said. “Offensively, we struggled to make shots but I thought we did a great job of continuing to play with confidence, and we were able to make some big plays down the stretch to win the game.”

After a fantastic 20-6 season last year, the team lost two great seniors in Hannah Albrecht and Megan Morgan. The lady bulldogs have rallied together, and so far they have obtained a record of 14-8.

After beating previously number one ranked East Chicago in November, the girls have gained a great deal of confidence heading forward into the season. The team feels as if they can beat any team if they really fight for it.

“At first many people had their doubts about us, but we started fearless and relentless. We have definitely proved ourselves in many games,” sophomore Ellie VanDeel said. “One of the biggest games that proved we mean business was the East Chicago Central game. They were ranked number one, and we came out fighting and pulled through for a win.

Now we are focused on winning our sectionals and are determined to win.”

The team has started preparing for the first round of the sectional tournament scheduled for Jan. 31.

PHOTO BY JILL KIDDER

Senior point guard Dominic Tomich drives past Michigan City defender in the final seconds of the second quarter on Fri. Jan. 6. Dogs play at Portage on Thurs. Feb. 2.

Boys basketball breaks top 10 in state

BY YOUSEF ABDELDAIEM assistant sports editor

The ball is in their court as the Crown Point Bulldogs continue racking up the victories.

The Dogs have now extended their win streak to four games after winning back to back games on Jan. 20 and 21, including an overtime win over the defending regional champions in the Warsaw Tigers.

Head coach Clint Swan was excited to see what the team was capable of doing against a squad who played a different style of basketball.

“There were two really good things that came out of last weekend. One was we were able to see that we can go deep into our bench and still win despite the foul trouble that we had at Chesterton,” Swan said. “The second thing is we’ve played a lot of up and down, racehorse type basketball teams and to have to win a grinded out type game like that against a good team was huge for us.”

It was a very low scoring game as the Dogs held the Tigers to just two points in the first quarter, and ending the half up by a score of 15-10.

Both teams’ offenses picked up in the second half as they both scored in the double digits in the third quarter alone. Crown Point was heading into the fourth quarter with a four point lead after senior guard Dominic Tomich hit a half court shot to beat the buzzer.

The teams were evenly matched in the fourth as neither the Dogs nor the Tigers were able to pull ahead by the end of regulation, taking them into overtime where the Bulldogs were able to slip away with a four point victory after Tomich hit a clutch free throw.

Although Crown Point lost to Warsaw in the 2015-16 regional championship, senior Sasha Stefanovic believes this game was all about the Dogs.

“There was no sense of redemption at all,” Stefanovic said. “We just wanted to come out and play our game, and that’s what we did.”

Swan agreed that the focus was on their own team.

“I don’t think any of our guys are getting caught up in that,” Swan said. “We are doing so much to take the emphasis off of other teams and other players and just trying to keep the emphasis on us at this point.”

The Bulldogs have gained depth in the last month with sophomore Sam Krutz returning and earning a starting spot as a guard. Swan believes that Krutz brings unmatched athleticism to the team.

“He’s been a great addition for us. He supplies an element of athleticism that we cannot replicate with anybody else just from a strength, size and speed standpoint at the guard position, he matches up better against some of the more physical teams than our other guys do,” Swan said. “To have him out there has given us a little bit more depth and

it has given us a little bit more solid play at the two guard position.”

Krutz believes that he is able to use his athleticism to contribute to the team by making hustle plays and playing aggressive on the defensive end.

“I feel I bring a lot to the defensive side of the floor and just overall continuing to hustle whether that be diving for loose balls or going after boards,” Krutz said.

After a successful weekend, the Bulldogs have continued to move up the rankings as they are now ranked in the top 10 in Indiana.

Swan believes that this may foreshadow what the Dogs can do as the season progresses.

“I thought our performance was great.

Any time you win a conference road game that’s always good, regardless of how you play or who you’re playing,” Swan said. “To beat a good team on the road in Chesterton was a great accomplishment for our guys, and for us to come the next night and play in another emotional game against a very talented and well coached team was also very gratifying. It was typical of a sectional weekend. You have to beat a good team on Friday then a good team on Saturday and we were able to do that so hopefully that bodes well for us going into the future.”

The Bulldogs hosted a well rounded LaPorte team on Fri. Jan. 27 and traveled to Warren Central on Sat. Jan. 28, but results were unavailable at press time. To Swan, consistency would be the key for Dog’s victories.

Despite having four returning seniors, freshman Paige Hein has been able to perform on a varsity level. Hein believes that she allowed her nerves get to her going into the meet.

“I could have done better,” Hein said. “I probably could have stopped babying myself because of my fears.”

With senior Amber St. Germain returning from a left ACL tear, she feels content with her performance, but knows there is always room for improvement.

“Individually I thought I did pretty well although I could work a lot more on bars,” St. Germain said. “I can also work on my strength.

Coming back from an injury, I feel like I can always improve.”

Following an impressive 2015-16 season, the Bulldogs hopes to reach the state champion-

ship for the second straight year. Although they are only at the halfway mark of the regular season, Pysh already looks ahead to how the team can shape up in the postseason.

“If we plan on getting out of sectionals then we have to improve on our bars. Northwest Indiana gymnastics is really tough. We know that Merrillville is around our score too, and maybe even Michigan City,” Pysh said. “We just have work to do in here because we want to break away from that team score and get higher so we can bridge the gap between the other teams.”

The gymnastics team looks to keep the ball rolling as their next competition is on Thurs.

Feb. 9 where the Dogs will be hosted by their Duneland Conference rivals in the Michigan City Wolves.

Gymnastics sneaks past DAC rival Portage on the road

BY YOUSEF ABDELDAIEM assistant sports editor

The gymnastics team looks to get into the swing of things as they tumble into the second half of the season.

The Dogs competed in an interconference matchup on Jan. 23 where they defeated the Portage Indians while recording a season high score of 108.425.

Head coach Ami Pysh believes that although there is a lot to improve, this team may be like no other she’s ever coached.

“We had some struggles on bars last night, but the great thing about this team this year that I haven’t had in the past is we have a lot of depth,” Pysh said. “We have a lot of girls so each kid can kind of feed off the other.”

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BY MATT MCCONNELL assistant sports editor

Fans should not vote players for All-Star game As the regular season comes to a close, it’s about that time for fans to vote for their favorite stars to play in the NBA All Star game. Yet, it’s that same word “stars” that causes a stir in the lineup.

It is quite obvious there are players in the NBA who are better than some players. These athletes tend to get more votes than other mediocre players in the league, although there are instances where the votes can be skewed. For example, roughly the whole country of Georgia wanted to vote for Golden State player Zaza Pachulia, a country with a population of around four and a half million people. The amount of votes he received would have made him a starter, bumping out other players much better than him. However, now because of this type of thing happening they changed the rules taking into consideration player and media votes.

Despite some of these changes, this new system is not perfect.

For example, Russell Westbrook, Steph Curry, and James Harden were all tied in the overall weighted score for the point guard position, but guess what was the tie breaker? That’s right, the fan vote. Westbrook has totalled 21 triple doubles in his career and the other starters combined have 19. Russell Westbrook deserved to be a starter in all aspects of the game, but got bumped out of the position because of the fans.

That’s just not right.

So that brings up the question, should fans be able to vote for the All Star line up?

Personally, no I don’t think fans should vote. I believe the All Star game is game for the best proven players in the league to test their abilities against each other. However, if the fans vote players like Zaza will make the roster and players like Joel Embiid and Carmelo Anthony will not. Isiah Thomas is a better pure point guard in my opinion than Steph Curry, but thanks to the fan vote he won’t even start because of the bandwagoners.

Better players will not get playing time, but more hyped up players will. It is a broken system and it needs to be fixed.

extra

points

PHOTO BY JEREMY DEBOLD

Junior Kaellin Kelly wrestles his Vikings opponent to the floor in Wed. Jan. 18 meet where the Dogs overcame their Duneland Conference rivals.

Wrestling works to defend sectional, regional titles

‘‘

BY DOMINIC TOMICH sports editor

The Bulldogs rolled up the mats for the last time of the regular season on their senior night, Wed. Jan. 18. On what was an emotional night in the Crown Point gymnasium the team was able to come out with a win against sectional opponent, Valparaiso.

“Walking out on senior night was tough,” senior Justin Akers said. “It was tough because I know that it was my last home meet ever.

After 14 years on the mat, it is setting in that this is my last ride and it’s sad. Beating Valparaiso is always tough so being able to beat them on our senior night made it that much more special.”

Head Coach Brandon Lorek was proud of the performances put out by his seniors on senior night and is excited to see how the postseason plays out.

“Our seniors did a great job,” Lorek said.

“Our starting seniors came up big for us. It was a good win over a sectional opponent and we are excited for our seniors and what they will be able to accomplish down the stretch.”

The Bulldogs schedule has allowed over a

Our primary goal is for all of our wrestlers to finish the season in good standing and then we want them to do the best that they can.

Brandon Lorek head coach week of all practices, no meets before they have the chance to defend their sectional and regional titles.

“The break was very much needed. This week allows us time to get healthy and prepare for our sectional. We are looking for each wrestler on our team to maximize their potential. Our primary goal is for all of our wrestlers to finish the season in good standing and then we want them to do the best that they can,” Lorek said. “As a team we are looking to go out and defend our sectional and regional title and hopefully we can do that these next two weeks.”

Despite the hard work that occurred over the long break during practices, players knew they must compete day in and day out to get the results they’re wanting to get.

“Following senior night, the whole team has had some time to get their minds in the right place and work on parts of our wrestling where we need improvement going into the postseason. As an individual I’ve been working on making sure my cardio is at its peak so because I’ll need to be able to wrestle all 6 minutes at full speed as I make my run at the state series,” Akers said.

The dogs are satisfied with their regular season performance but are eager to take on the challenge that lies ahead.

“As a team we set the goal of having as many sectional and regional champs as we can,” senior Mike Kalinowski said. “Being a senior, I’m trying to take on the role of a leader by motivating my teammates and myself to work hard each and every practice so there are no regrets when the season concludes. With all the extra work my teammates and I have put in we are expecting nothing but a successful postseason. I’m confident we have state qualifiers on our team.”

Boys swimming heads to DAC after Michigan City win

BY HENRY WITHROW reporter

As the boys dove into the pool for the last time before the Duneland Athletic Conference tournament, they looked to take down an excellent Michigan City team and that is exactly what they did.

Heading into the meet, the bulldogs were aiming to finish with another win in the win column. The team fought hard and grinded out the win although they lost a few close races. Despite losing some closes races, head coach Bryon Angerman was proud of the team and how they fought to come out on top.

As the team wraps up the regular season, head coach Bryon Angerman feels his boys have a chance to lock up a spot from second to sixth in the DAC. Angerman hopes to get the best performances out of his swimmers as they expect it to be a close meet.

“The DAC is pretty much a closed door

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meet as far as first place goes with Chesterton probably going to win. But the places that are open go from 2nd all the way through 6th. Those five teams are going to compete for those places available. They will all be within about 50 points of each other and that is not a lot considering you’ll score about 250 to 300 points. At that meet our top swimmers have to really compete and race and make sure they stay in the top 16.” Angerman said.

The team has exceed their expectations thus far in the 2016-17 season due to the leadership present. Senior leaders have influenced younger swimmers into competing every time they are in the pool.

“For the most part, most of the older swimmers have kept up with the same tradition that they get in on time, their attendance is very good, they all have positive attitudes, they all listen very well, and they speak when spoken to.” Angerman said, “So as far as that goes for the boys team they

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have done a great job and the seniors have really impacted the younger swimming with that.”

With the Duneland Athletic Conference and sectional tournaments approaching quickly, the team has been working to improve and focusing on their top swimmers in hopes to lead them to victory. The team has improved greatly in terms of numbers and people are stepping up to the top of their events benefitting the team greatly.

“First off, our numbers have improved.

We’ve increased our numbers up to about 30 kids including Junior Varsity swimmers.” Angerman said. “We’ve had some underclassmen like Joe Nuss, Eddie Mikuta, Zeke Huls who aren’t necessarily our top one and two swimmers become the top two in their events. We have leadership from people like senior Connor Clark and the two kids with state meet experience, Evan Holland and Christian Mikrut, and that is hopefully going to carry this team besides this year but for years to come.”

My moment of the month ... “...was when I scored the game winning shot against Chesterton.”

Junior Mya Scheidt

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After a year of silence from Ed Sheeran in the music buisness, two new singles have finally been dropped. “Shape of You” is an upbeat love song that features repetitive, catchy lyrics and dancey beats. “Castle on the Hill” resembles Sheeran’s older music. The lyrics tell a story like most of his previous releases. Fans are eagerly awaiting the drop of his new album.

“This Is Us” “This Is Us” is a heart wrenching and heart warming show that follows the lives of six different people who are all connected. Each episode is beautifully written and follows the time line perfectly.

With each episode, characters grow and face new challenges, creating a genuine feel to the show. Binge watching this show on NBC or On Demand is a must.

Starbucks Chile Mocha (no stars) Cinnamon and vanilla sound great together, but when chile spices are added to the recipe, the drink is spicy and unenjoyable. Starbucks’ Chile Mocha may sound good, but the taste proves it wrong. Its many spices are overbearing and is very strong.

This drink contains sugar, spice and is anything but nice.

“‘Awaken, My Love!’”

by Childish Gambino Unlike his traditional rap albums, “‘Awaken, My Love!’” features only funk and soul. Gambino is a great rapper, but an impeccable soul artist.

From the opener “Me and Your Mama” to the closer “Stand Tall” and everything in between, Gambino proves that he can sing anything.

“La La Land” This film is one of the greatest to grace the theaters in recent history. Everything from the acting to the cinemetography to the score is immaculate. Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling capture the feel of an old time Hollywood film, and it’s exactly what the industry needs. The musical can easily brighten even the darkest of days in these rough times.

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Film adds new dimension to modern horror genre

BY MORGAN TAYLOR reporter

Modern horror films have not been as memorable as they once were. Flicks like “The Shining” and “Psycho” laid the pathway for today’s scary movies, but recent horror films have been subpar. Although a recent release shows a promising future for contemporary horror films.

“Split” is an M. Night Shyamalan film about a man with dissociative identity disorder (D.I.D). This extremely rare disorder is characterized by the presence of two or more distinct personality states. The film focuses on the controversial disorder and the scientific aspects behind it. It is interesting to get a quick glance at an extremely complex medical condition.

The idea that one personality can be allergic to bee stings but the other three are not is a fascinating topic. The main character Kevin Wendell Crumb (James McAvoy) suffers from D.I.D, causing him to obtain 23 different personalities inside of a single brain. The personalities range from Barry, a fashion designer, to Hedwig, a nine-year-old boy, to Patricia, a middle aged British woman. The film follows the story of three girls who were kidnapped by one of Kevin’s alternate personalities, their attempted escape and all of the disturbing things that go along with it.

This is a great film for people who are not very fond of being scared. It’s a nice toe-dip into the world’s pool of horror. Although the film was not extremely terrifying, it was still very unsettling. The fact that something like this could happen in society today can be terrifying to many viewers. There are scenes where the audience could not decide whether they were laughing at an attempt of comedic relief or uneasy tension. The touch of comedy did help to lighten the mood, but it also left a very unsettling feeling.

“Split” had a large amount of potential, but only scratched the surface as to what

it could have been. Extremely vague, loose symbolism was one of the film’s downfalls.

Another one of the film’s downfalls was its confusing and unnecessary ending. Many Shyamalan fans might have known that the film’s cameo was from one of his other movies, but people who are not big fans did not grasp the reference.

Furthermore, viewers feel as though there had been plenty of prime opportunities to end the film, but it continued on towards the deep end. Hollywood’s representation of mental disorders was not all that great either. Turning a man with a personality disorder into a monster isn’t something many viewers were fond of, and it gave mental health a bad reputation.

Although the film had some rough edges, it was held together well through McAvoy’s acting. He really proved he has mastered his acting skills through his role in “Split.”

Being able to portray numerous characters in one role is impressive, and it makes up for the poor acting of his co-stars.

The isolated cinematography seen in the film captured the true feeling of fear and claustrophobia.

The use of zoom lense and the minimal use of wide angles added to the confined atmosphere of the movie. Setting the film in a spooky warehouse also helped add

to the unsettling nature of the film which enhanced its scary movie potential.

Overall, “Split” was a step in the right direction for modern horror, and many fans said this movie is Shyamalan’s career revival. After his flop, “The Visit,” Shyamalan is finally remaking himself. Viewers did not have to jump to feel nervous while watching this film. Even though this movie may not have topped other works from the director, like “The Sixth Sense,” it was definitely towards the top of the list of films he’s made.

Our rating

out of five

The xx fails to meet expectations with new album

BY KIRA SCHUELKA reporter

They had fans waiting almost three years for another album.

These fans watched as many other famous singers came out with their own albums and radio hits.

Finally, in the beginning of 2017, The xx came out with their new album “I See You.” They dropped the album on January 13th composed of 10 new songs.

The album overall falls short of hitting its expectations but still has some good songs mixed in.

The first song, “Dangerous,” has an entertaining beat, but the lyrics are boring. The lyrics seem like a copy of all the other

#trending A section devoted to social media

songs heard on the radio. Also, it is hard to understand the lead singer which makes it difficult to enjoy the song. Rather than enunciating what he is saying, he mumbles through words creating a song with no substance.

The group has typically produced songs with a rock appeal, but this first song seems more pop than anything else. It is not the best song to pick as the headliner for the album. It sends mixed signals to fans because it is not the same style of music The xx has typically written. This change can put off dedicated fans who did not want them to change.

The next couple songs, “Say

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rather than previous songs that don’t seem to be very relatable.

This song also fits better with the usual style of songs expected with The xx’s albums. The xx knocked it out of the park on these two songs and proved they are good musicians.

Overall, the album is far from sensational but does have some entertaining songs on it.

Songs like “Lips” are not typically The xx’s style and could explain why the album did not feel like they personally wrote it. However, the song “On Hold” is a wellwritten and a beautifully sung tune. Once The xx determines what kind of band they want to be, they have great potential.

@denknight35

My brother told us he fed the dog but we found out that he just fed her lucky charms and not even dog food. Is this real life sophomore Lily Smith

Something Loving” and “Lips,” start out very strange. “Lips” actually starts off sounding very creepy with an eerie voice in the background. Once the beginning is over, both songs have nonsensical lyrics mixed with a decent beat. That seems to be what The xx are good at. These songs sounds more like the background music for a weird movie than music on an album.

“On Hold” is actually a very enjoyable song that has a nice soft rock feel to it. The lyrics have an impactful meaning because they are written to be moving for listeners. The beat is perfect to relax with. “Brave for You” is also written to be effective to listeners

@mkobrien49

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Fortunate ratings for new series

BY JON WOLWARK

january 31, 2017

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reporter

Trying to find a good show to watch on Netflix is almost as difficult as the lives of the Baudelaire children in the new Netflix Original Series, “A Series of Unfortunate Events.”

It is hard to find a show if one is particular about how it compares to the books they are based off of. The series follows Violet (Malina Weissman), Klaus (Louis Hynes) and Sunny Baudelaire (Presley Smith) who are three children who have just recently lost their parents in a terrible fire that destroyed their entire home.

They are left to be under the care of their “closest living relative” which here means “the relative who literally lives closest to them.” Across the city lives the ever so horrible Count Olaf (Neil Patrick Harris), and that is only the beginning of their unfortunate, orphan lives.

The first season has Netflix-watchers craving more episodes by spreading their online thoughts and star-ratings. One thing that really stuck out was the opening song. It is the same yet different by being specific to every episode. This is interesting

because it is very rare for any type of TV show to make the opening song unique to the episode.

The Netflix series does not completely walk away from the darker themes created in the 13-part series created by author Lemony Snicket (Daniel Handler), but it does go for more smiles and laughs than the “Unfortunate Events” film created in 2004. It does seem that the spotlight should really shine on Daniel Handler’s writing, delivered by melancholy narrator Lemony Snicket (Patrick Warburton). Warburton is a goofy actor, but here he keeps it chilling, channeling “The Twilight Zone’s” Rod Serling as he waltzes on screen to apologize for the acts of “misery, tribulation and dire inconvenience.”

“A Series Of Unfortunate Events” was overall entertaining. The show’s comedy is comparable to the “Muppets” but it includes a great deal of comedy and drama. Viewers who enjoy a friendly and appropriate show to watch for the whole family should find enjoyment in “A Series of Unfortunate Events.”

“Everything You Want Me to Be” is everything it needs to be

BY LINDSEY BAEZA reporter

There’s a reason people say to be careful on the internet.

In the beginning of Mindy Mejia’s novel “Everything You Want Me to Be” it seems like the typical whodunit with a tired juvenile plot. Continue on and readers will begin to unmask the double life of Henrietta “Hattie” Hoffman. She was the dream student, the kindest friend and had the most promising acting skills. Now she is the victim of the town’s most brutal murder. Three characters, Del, Peter and Hattie herself, retell the last few months of Hattie’s life and the months following her death.

It all started online with a forum called Pulse. Hattie, online as HollyG, meets LitGeek, the intelligent and humorous literature

fanatic. Hattie is not one to fall in love, but she does fall for LitGeek. It is soon found out that they live in the same area and later, by making the connection that Hattie’s online lover is her new English teacher, Peter Lund. There’s only one problem: Mr. Lund is married.

Hattie has spent her entire life playing roles. Her life is the show and the rural town of Pine Valley, Minnesota, is the stage. She’s practiced being different people to please whomever she encounters so she can have the perfect life. Soon after meeting Peter, she is forced to face the fact that no one knows the real Hattie and decides it’s time to change. This sudden cupid’s arrow drives her to reveal her true identity which leads to her death.

Del is the local sheriff and best friend to Bud, Hattie’s father, which makes investigat-

ing a murder more toilsome. When Hattie’s untimely death strikes, Del becomes dedicated to finding the culprit. There is more evidence than expected, yet the findings never seem satisfying enough for Del. “Everything You Want Me to Be” is crammed with unpredictable turns, dead ends and shocking characters that guide readers towards the real killer of Hattie. The only fault within this book is that the conflict is resolved through Peter’s point of view.

Although the story portrays Hattie’s affair in a negative light, readers may be surprised to find how accepting they are of the relationship. The most enjoyable aspect is how well readers can follow the characters and events.

This novel makes readers feel as though they are Hattie, Peter or Del. If readers are looking for a relatable book, “Everything You Want Me to Be” can be found on Amazon.

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Multiple times every day an iPhone alerts the user that their iCloud is out of storage or to mange storage in settings.

Photos, apps that aren’t used and some text messages, are deleted, and the message still pops up as scrolling continues.

It’s frustrating to delete fun apps and memorable photos only to be alerted that there’s not enough storage.

BY JACKIE HAM

co-editor-in-chief

My dog is my best friend, and just the thought of something happening to her makes me ill. When I saw the trailer for the movie “A Dog’s Purpose” I was just one of millions of people to make arrangements to see it, but that quickly changed with the footage that was recently released from the shooting of the film.

The behind the scenes clip that was released through TMZ showcased a German Shepherd resisting his trainer’s urges to get into turbulent water. In the background, commentary is made by an unseen man who says, “Just got to throw him in,” and “He wants to get away just throw him in.” The dog is seen trying to scramble away and is even pulled up out of the water by the collar.

This is what disturbs me the most.

While recent news has been broadcasted that certain measures were taken to ensure the safety of all the animals on set, my problem is simply this: Just because animals cannot speak for themselves, it does not mean they should not have rights. They are living things. They have emotions. They feel pain. Just like we do. I am disgusted by the fact that someone behind the camera who is suppose to be filming a story on the companionship of dogs has no regard for their safety or security of the dogs on set.

Animal abuse is not just apparent in filmmaking.

To this day, some of the most loved products test on animals including CoverGirl, Clean & Clear, Johnson & Johnson and MAC. These animals are locked inside barren cages and receive painful tests that may involve animals losing limbs or being blinded but almost always ends in death. The saddest part is with the scientific advancements we have made, animal testing is not even necessary. If their tests were performed on humans, an outcry would happen over abuse, but since it only sacrifices the lives of animals, it is ethical.

What is the defining line between the rights of humans and the rights of people?

The main issue is that on the set of “A Dog’s Purpose” there were people who had a total disregard for an animal’s welfare. What other films involving animals gotten away with this mistreatment? “Air Bud?” “Marley and Me?” “Beethoven?”

I am glad this video was leaked because maybe more people will pay attention to topics like these.

It is time for people to take more interest in the lives of those who cannot speak for themselves.

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people january 31, 2017

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Allison York freshman

Shop ‘till you drop

PHOTO BY JACKIE HAM Senior Gus Suarez works on his latest flip. He finds cheap cars on Facebook, Craigslist or other websites, and uses the skills he learned in auto shop to renovate them.

Auto shop enhances skills for profitable hobby

BY JACKIE HAM co-editor-in-chief

further explanation on how everything in an engine functioned. I already knew some stuff, but it broke it down into specific details and every aspect of a vehicle. Anyone who would like to get more involved with cars, I highly recommend it.”

The class provided Suarez with additional information on topics like mounting and unmounting tires, resurfacing rotors and checking brakes. Learning these skills inspired Suarez to take up a new hobby of revamping old cars.

“In my free time, I like to buy cars that need repairs for cheap, fix them and then keep flipping them for profit. (The information I learned) helps me, so if my cars ever break down, I can repair them myself with the experience I have gotten,” Suarez said.

Flipping cars is a way for Suarez to make a profit by using the knowledge he accumulated in auto shop. His favorite flip was to a 2000 Volkswagen Golf GTI VR6.

“I bought the car for 500 bucks not knowing if it even ran. First thing I did was detail it because it was brutal. Then I started inspecting it and noticed the oil pan was broken, so I replaced that, as well as spark plugs, spark plug wires, coils, oil and oil filter. It started right up, and the car drove phenomenally,” Suarez

A track for Hot Wheels cars loops and curves all around from the living room to the kitchen. As one ages, the tiny toys are exchanged for scale model vehicles or remote control cars. This same love for cars was evident in the life of senior Gustavo Suarez. His adoration for motorcars has not only grown immensely over the years, but he has been able to turn it into a creative hobby and paying job.

Suarez is infatuated with everything a car entails from driving to fixing to cleaning.

His ability to perform such mechanical tasks stems from his auto shop class that allowed him to advance in his previous knowledge about how to improve and fix cars. It not only strengthened his understanding on cars, but also created an escape from the normalities of a school day to be around one of his favorite objects.

“I started taking auto shop my junior year, and I wish I would’ve started sooner. I took auto shop because it was an elective that let me get away from the basics of school and let me into my happy zone and be around cars,” Suarez said. “Auto shop also gave me a

Fast Facts

?

Auto technology trade school is about 18-24 months.

said. “I ended with a profit over $2,000. It wasn’t the biggest one, but it was the one I enjoyed most.”

Car flips may seem like a tedious, strenuous job, but the result of a flip is something Suarez looks forward too. The money he makes off the renovating is one thing that keeps the continuous cycle of car flipping going.

“After I flip a car and it’s gone, it feels awesome. You have a huge wad of money, and all I can think is, ‘How am I going to make more?’ and I instantly start looking for the next profitable project,” Suarez said.

Auto shop not only helped Suarez in flipping cars, but he now has a job at Bosak Dodge Jeep Ram SRT as a detailer. Even though working in the automobile industry is not in Suarez’s future career plans, the skills he has learned will always be important and necessary in his life.

“Being that I plan on going into the Marine Corps, I can’t say that any of my future jobs will revolve around cars, but who knows what the future holds. I can say that it will always be a hobby for the rest of my life though.

Working on my own cars and having them all nice and clean will continue,” Suarez said.

Auto trade school costs anywhere from

$10,000 to 45,000.

UTI, Lincoln Tech, WyoTech and Ivy Tech offer programs in Auto Technology.

“If I had to shop at any store for the rest of my life, I would probably shop at Nordstrom because they have every brand there in the department store, and it’s nice.”

Read it and weep “If I had to write a book about myself , the title would probably be “Allison York’s Funny Life Stories” because those are just amusing.”

All aboard “If I could name a boat anything, I would name it Bree because my friend’s name is Bree. We go boating all the time, so that’s why.”

Toy Story “My most memorable Happy Meal toy would probably be the Barbie I got because I was really into Barbies when I was younger. It was a miniature Stephanie Barbie doll, and it went with my house.”

Happy holidays “If I could make a national holiday it would be National Twizzlers Day because it is my favorite candy and that should be celebrated.”

What do you

Think

What are your predictions for 2017?

“I hope my grades are better this semester because I’m focusing more on that. Then when soccer comes, that we do way better and get to state.”

“For myself personally, I think I’m going to have a happier year because I’ve let go of some things that have caused me stress.”

“It’s just going to be the same. The presidency will change every day because of drastic differences in views.”

“I hope it’s better than 2016. 2016 kind of sucked. I feel like people are getting more aware of stuff, so things are going to start changing.”

“It’s going to be different because I will have to take a lot more classes instead of taking study halls, and I will have to work a lot harder.”

“I believe the war in Syria won’t end, but I do believe that the threat of ISIS will be handled by cooperations with Russia.”

Libby Rockovits

Erin Sizemore

Nathan Vignere

Kaitlin Phillips

Gabby Camarillo

Nicholas Waran

sophomore

junior

senior

sophomore

freshman

senior