Inklings

INKLINGS Nov. 30, 2009

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Volume 74 Issue 3 • Crown Point High School • 1500 S. Main Street Crown Point, IN 46307 • inklings@cps.k12.in.us

NEW CLUB: InterAct focuses on international causes

page 2

PARENTS ON FACEBOOK: What do their teens think? page 9 TEACHERS VS. STUDENTS: See who is better at trivia questions

I-on-Life Foods for certain moods

page 7

Proposed changes cause controversy State superintendent wants to reform teacher and administrator licensing

By Deanna Sheafer co-editor-in-chief

How does what you eat affect your mood? pg. 6

Feature Black Friday The postThanksgiving tradition of sales galore comes with a price. pg. 8

Feature Different types of colleges

Explore some distinctions between private, public, and community colleges pg. 10

Check it Out!

Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett has proposed changes to how teachers and administrators are licensed that may affect how students will be taught in the future.

According to the Munster Northwest Indiana Times, Bennett introduced his plan that would change Indiana’s proposed Rules for Educator Preparation and Accountability. If passed, at college, aspiring teachers would increase training in knowledge of the subject matter and focus less on the art of education itself. Currently, high school teachers often major in secondary educaProposed tion with a minor in their subject. This proposed change Aspiring teachers has sparked a dewould take more bate between teachclasses about their ers, college officials, subject matter inand parents. stead of pedogogy “Some believe (the art of [the changes] diminteaching). ish the profession of teaching. In some respects, that’s true.

It is important for the state to recognize what it takes for someone to be able to teach,” math teacher Mike David said. He also believes that if the law passes, new teachers need to know what requirements they must follow. Some colleges are protesting the fact that the state wants to alter their curriculum.

“There are a number of reasons for the anxiety [felt by colleges]. Many students don’t decide they want to become a teacher until midstream in college – at that point they traditionally have moved into the schools of education. By requiring all students to be arts and sciences majors, schools of education are concerned that they will not have the contact they feel is necessary to support student growth,” Principal Dr. Eric Ban said.

The balance of knowing the subject matter and knowing how to engage children and ease the learning process is at the heart of the matter.

However, even if the proposed changes are enact-

CHANGES

photo by A. Parrish

First year teacher Lindsey Pavlovick supervises her students in her creative writing class.

Recently, the portfolio requirement for new teachers was replaced. Other proposals include changes in what prospective teachers are taught which may then affect how students learn. ed, Ban doesn’t think they will drastically affect students in Crown Point schools.

“Fortunately teachers want to come and teach here because high performing people want to be around other high performing people. Our faculty and community attract great people. I would not expect any change in this area,” Ban said.

Currently there are five categories of licenses for teachers broken down by age groups that teachers can hold, and Bennett’s plan would reduce that to three. The new licenses would be prekindergarten to sixth grade, fifth to 12th, and prekindergarten to 12th grade. Some think the new categories wouldn’t be specific enough.

“I believe that each level of education requires specific talents and abilities. If the licenses are made to be more general, the talents of the teachers might not necessarily fall under them well. It would be a disservice to the students to have teachers whose skills don’t fall under their

H1N1 vaccine comes to Crown Point

By Michele Bates associate editor

Inklings has a music blog!

With a wide range of music updated regularly, you’re sure to find something you like at...

http://inklings music.blog spot.com

grade level,” David said.

Bennett’s had proposed a change to the hiring of administrators as well. If passed, administrators no longer have to have a teaching degree to become a principal or superintendent. This allows people with different educational backgrounds to have the chance to earn an administrative position; however, some are skeptical about the lack of teaching experience.

“The common ground is placing good people in positions to help lead organizations of learning.

While my teaching experience is a big bonus for me in my present position, I also know many folks that could come into CPHS and contribute from a leadership perspective. The real issue is what are the policies that help find the right people and protect students,” Ban said. Any candidates who might be vying for an administrative position still have to meet the necessary requirements, including passing a test.

photo by v. NEEDHAM

Junior Lexi Diamond receives the nasal vaccine for the H1N1 virus.

Over 800 vaccines were distributed the first night it was available.

Lake County Health Department officials recently administered H1N1 shots to Crown Point Community School Corporation students. Although the shots were not required, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that individuals between the ages of 6 and 24 receive the shot.

School security officer Milan Damjanovic planned the H1N1 vaccination days for about a month. Damjanovic

is a pod (point of distribution) manager with the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

“I recently went to a training session that dealt with mass antibiotic dispensing that falls in alliance with the H1N1 vaccines,” Damjanovic said.

After a letter was sent home to parents, vaccinations were distributed on Mon. Nov. 16, Tues. Nov. 17, and Thurs. Nov. 19 at the high school.

Each vaccination day was designated to certain Crown Point Community schools. However,

anyone that missed their scheduled vaccination day was allowed to come on Thursday.

“There were a lot of people [at the vaccination day], but I am glad I got the shot to prevent the swine flu,” sophomore Bianca Avila said.

The first night on which the vaccines were available, more than 800 were distributed to children and adults. The Lake County Health Department was urging children and parents to get the nasal vaccine unless they had any medical conditions.

IN the know

12.8

Foreign Language Night @ CPHS cafeteria

12.9

Holiday Band Concert, 6:30 p.m. & 8:15 p.m.

12.16

Holiday Choir Concert, 6:30 p.m. & 8:15 p.m.

12.21-1.1

Winter Holiday Vacation

C.P. Library cards to be available in media center Students, families, and Crown Point High School staff members will be able to receive a Crown Point Community Library card in the media center.

Head of Youth Services Paula Newcom and Head of Reference Mary Hannigan will be available after school on Tues.

Dec. 1 and Mon. Dec. 7. Applications will be available for individuals that do not have a library card.

Turnabout tickets on sale Turnabout tickets will be on sale Dec. 7- 18. Tickets will be $40 per couple and $20 for a single. The dance will take place on Jan. 9, 2010 6:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m. at St. Elijah Hall. Students wishing to bring a date from another school must fill out a guest endorsement form, which can be picked up in the main office.

Students earn awards at speech tournament Members of the speech team recently competed at the Culver Military Academic Speech Tournament. Senior Ryan Farrell received a first place ribbon in the discussion event.

Freshman Callie Armstrong earned a sixth place ribbon in the novice original oratory event. The team will compete next at Valparaiso High School on Sat. Dec. 5.

Publication students awarded at convention Four publications students earned recognition in national competition while attending the National Scholastic Press Association/Journalism Education Association’s convention in Washington D.C. Senior newspaper students Ammy Easto and Anna Ortiz earned an honorable mention in feature writing and excellent in editorial cartooning, respectively.

Junior Katt Guiterrez earned a superior for computer design/logo illustration for yearbook, and senior Alex Parrish earned an honorable mention for photography portfolio. Sixteen students attended the convention with yearbook adviser Christopher Gloff and newspaper adviser Julie Elston.

News

InterAct makes difference

By Cori Novelli co-editor-in-chief Solving problems that exist over 3000 miles away may sound difficult, but with the help of the new club InterAct, aiding in these international issues has become more realistic.

InterAct, short for International Action, started this year as a service based club that focuses on both international and local community service. Unlike Key Club, InterAct also supports causes that exist outside our area.

Senior Blake Zolfo was inspired to start the club after attending a RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Award) Leadership Retreat last year.

“The weekend at Camp Tecumseh involved leadership games and guest speakers from various Rotary groups and InterAct clubs from around Indiana.

One particular speaker talked about how he founded his school’s InterAct Club and described all of the fundraisers and charity events that they had done the previous year,” he said.

Motivated by the event, Zolfo emailed Crown Point Rotary Club’s president, attended a Rotary meeting and asked Business Technology teacher Mary Bachnak to help sponsor the club.

Zolfo also asked senior Matt Smith to team up with him while proceeding to ask others if they were interested in the other available positions. After some questions regarding qualifications for the job, other members were decided. Zolfo serves as President, Smith as co-President, junior Alle Geisen as Vice President, freshman Anthony Geisen as Treasurer, and senior Michele Bates as Secretary.

Along with these four students, Zolfo began planning events and fundraisers to help out with both local and global causes.

“I love what InterAct is about.

It’s a great way to help the community and get involved,” Alle Geisen said.

The club’s first event, “Y Not,” successfully collected $150.

The idea for the fundraiser started after a member of the Rotary Club of Crown Point offered the YMCA

November 30, 2009

100th credit recovered

By Lauren Cain co-copy editor

Photo By Mary-Katherine Lemon

Senior Blake Zolfo, who was inspired to start InterAct, makes a basket at “Y Not,” a fundraising event held at the YMCA on Nov. 21. Money raised was used for care packages for third world countries and to help out Crown Point families during the holiday season. as a venue for an event. “Y Not” (the name coming from a play on words since it was located at the Southlake YMCA) included various games such as basketball, volleyball, Ultimate Frisbee, pool, and video games.

“It was like the Teen Nights that took place in middle school, except that only high school students were invited to attend,” Zolfo said.

Money raised from the fundraiser will be used for both care packages overseas to third world countries and to sponsor about five families in Crown Point that need a little help financially this holiday season.

The club also plans to support more charity events in the future.

In coordinance with National Honor Society, InterAct will also be helping in the Angel Tree program and the gift wrapping that follows.

Also, later this year, the club plans to support “Night in a Cardboard Box,” a fundraiser that helps raise money for the homeless.

With all of the club’s activities and support, current members encourage others to join. “It’s such a great club. There’s a great atmosphere, plus it’s alot of fun and a great way to get involved,” Alle Geisen said.

Last year, Crown Point High School offered a new program called credit recovery for Algebra I. By the beginning of this year, credit recovery had spanned to four different subjects, where students could retake a class on the computer to receive the credit. As of Nov. 13, the 100th credit had officially been recovered.

The class is designed for students (with the consent of a guidance counselor) who are interested in retaking the class with an alternative learning enviroment.

Credit recovery teacher Jonathan Haas said that the amount of time taken to recover a credit depends on the class and the student’s work ethic and pace.

“There are a lot of kids who come in zero hour and study hall to work on their credits,” Haas said.

Haas believes that credit recovery offers students different opportunities than that of a traditional class. Advantages include giving students the chance to work at their own pace, along with an opportunity to work outside class.

“If they are willing to put extra time in, then it gives them the opportunity to finish coursework quickly. Students who struggle and need to work at a slower pace can do that as well,” he said.

Sophomore Blake Pals is currently enrolled in credit recovery for Algebra.

“You can take your time on the computer, and do it at a pace that’s right for you,” Pals said. “You don’t have to rush through lessons, and you can go through notes during your own time. It’s definitely a lot easier than regular classes. ” Credit recovery is currently available for Algebra, Earth Science, U.S. and Ancient Histories, and English 9, 10, 11, and 12.

RoboDogs visit assisted living community

By Anna Ortiz graphics editor The RoboDogs visited the Chicagoland Community Christian Village, an assisted living community for senior citizens, after school on Monday Nov. 23 to demonstrate for a monthly program at the Village. Teacher sponsor Marianne Nicks, parent sponsor Rosa Hubble and the student team went to the event with two of their robots, the Pac-man Bot and Franken-Bot. Hubble and Village Activities Coordinator Doris Hoffman organized the event for students and senior citizens alike.

“I’ve known Doris for many years and she has read a lot about the RoboDogs and what it is that they are doing. She asked if they could come and demonstrate. Part of FIRST [For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology, a world-wide youth organization that the RoboDogs belong to], goal is to promote interaction in the community, and this was an

excellent opportunity to do just that were brought were the Pacthat,” Hubble said. man Bot which was used in a past Hoffman was very excited competition, and the Franken Bot, for the student team to showcase which was creatively made by the students. They used an interesttheir self-built robots. “ This is the first school group ing mix of different equipment. to come and Senior RoboDogs memshare infor(Visiting the ber Ian Hubble mation with senior citizens) joked on how the residents. the residents They were rewas a great handled the roally looking integrational bots. forward to the “It remindvisit. Once a experience. ed me of how month I am the freshmen having an ac-senior Ian Hubble tivity called are when they ‘Snack & Learn.’ The Dogs were are first learning the controls. the program for this month,” They were tentative but gunned the gas at the same time,” Ian Hoffman said.

“It was fun to be able to show said.

Bill Lanfer, 72-year-old resithe seniors the different things we do. Most of them that showed up dent, was an engineer for fortywere once engineers, and it was seven years and particularly encool to show them the robots,” ju- joyed the program.

“They are learning engineernior Chris Ashbrooks said.

The students began by talk- ing, computer technology, elecing about what the club does and tronics, and teamwork, so it’s not how they compete. The two robots just about building robots and

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competing. What they are learning is what will help them and it’s really wonderful,” Lanfer said.

All in all, what it came down to was bringing down the generation gap that seems to be all too wide in today’s culture.

“This was my first year in RoboDogs and the first time I’ve done anything like this. I thought it was really cool how interested they were about it and all the questions they asked. I also liked how it was all the older ladies that wanted to step up and volunteer,” sophomore Jake Miller said.

As the parent sponsor, Hubble agreed that this was a great opportunity for both student and senior citizen.

“It was a great intergenerational experience. The students got to see the seniors really interested and attentive about it all as they enjoyed the interaction.

[The residents] didn’t have anything like this when they were in school,” Hubble said.

News

3 Culinary Cafe sells coffee Students support local blood banks by donating blood on Mondays

November 30, 2009

Blood drive saves lives

By Kelly Rostin opinion editor

By Dani McCuan staff reporter

According to the American Red Cross website, every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood.

Whether it is needed to stay alive in emergencies , or for people who have ailments and illnesses such as cancer or blood disorders, blood transfusions are needed on a regular basis.

‘Did you know that yawning is your body’s way of saying, ‘Insert coffee here?’ This phrase, aimed to promote sales of McDonald’s McCafe coffee, is viewed true by many students at CPHS. Every day, There are multitudes of teens bringing in either homemade coffee or an assortment of fast food drinks- many of which containing caffeine. However, this old routine will be a thing in the past (for at least once a week) as coffee products are now available at CPHS on Mondays.

The idea to start a café was born within the Prostart class run by family and consumer science teacher Jan Ratazzi.

“The class is perfect for someone wanting to work in the Foods Industry, though it is still open to anyone interested,” she added.

She claimed that she was extremely interested in the class upon first hearing about it.

“I really wanted to investigate some business options for my students,” she said.

She then spoke with Head of Food Services, Pam Maloney, about starting a café with the students in her class.

“I wanted to make sure that we would have their support and that we would not be going against anything they were doing,” Ratazzi said.

After receiving the go-ahead from Maloney, Ratazzi brought the idea before her Prostart students.

“The class voted to run a café. They decided the flavors, cost, day to sell, name, mission statement, and even design of the banner,” she said.

Thus, the Crown Point Culinary Café opened for business every Monday morning from zero period to the beginning of first hour. Just like your average coffee shop, they have their own variety of beverages to sell.

“Right now, the price is $1.25 for a 12 ounce cup of French Vanilla cappuccino, hot chocolate or white chocolate mocha,” Ratazzi said. “However, our supplier just increased the price of the white chocolate mocha, and so the students will need to decide if they want to either increase the price or stop offering it,” she said.

Overall, students are also excited about the cafe. “I enjoy the French Vanilla coffee. It’s tastes great and it helps me get my class started,” junior Savannah Jackson said. “It tastes a lot better than Starbucks, in my opinion, and it’s cheaper.”

“

The Blood Drive is an integral part of the community, and it’s such a relevant opportunity for our students to help the lives of others. One donation could save three lives.

“

-Student council advisor Rachele Raloff

Blood is essential to life, which is why Student Council had decided to participate in the annual blood drive.

“The Blood Drive is an integral part of the community, and it's such a relevant opportunity for our students to help the lives of others. One donation could save three lives,” English teacher and Student Council adviser Rachele Raloff said.

On Nov. 20, students felt the rewards of helping others. Senior Angela Abina was one who donated blood for the drive.

“It’s a great feeling to know that I’m helping others out,” Abina said. “Plus it’s cool because we get a free t-shirt.”

For Raloff, the best part of the Blood Drive was seeing students donate. “I love seeing how they sincerely found a passion in helping the lives of others,” Raloff said.

Students blood was tested for diseases and low iron levels before donation. After, they received juice and snacks such as cookies in order to keep their blood sugar up after donating blood.

Senior student council member Tavleen Dhillon knows the importance of blood donation.

“It’s helping to give life to others,” she said.

In order to be eligible to donate blood, students had to be at least 17 years old (16 years old with parent consent), weigh at least 110 pounds, and be in good health.

In all, 400 students had signed up for the drive.

“We have typically had between 250 and 300 kids participate in the drive. This year, our goal was 380,” Raloff said.

photo by J.REX

Senior Alexis Harrison gives blood on Friday, Nov. 20. Roughly 400 students signed up with student council members for the blood drive.

Junior Tyler Triumph was one of many happy with the this year’s outcome.

“It’s good to see so many students involved in such a great cause,” he said.

Dhillon claims that that overall, the blood drive helped to support Student Council’s main goal: bettering the school and aiding in the community.

“Student Council is all about helping people out and helping our school. The blood drive is just a great way to do that,” Dhillon said.

The importance of donating blood is also especially prevelant in some students’ lives. Junior Andy Carpenter underwent cancer treatment, receiving a blood transfusion at the age of nine.

“I received blood [platelets] so my blood could clot. That way I would stop bleeding during my treatment,” Carpenter said. “[Blood donations] saved my life.”

4.5

million Americans would die each year without life saving blood transfusions.

Approximately pints of blood are used each day in the United States.

32,000

One out of every 10 people entering a hospital needs blood

Grant allows new art gallery in media center

By Lauren Cain co- copy editor

photo by Mary Katherine Lemon

Art students’ work is now displayed in the new Media Center art gallery. The gallery is currently finished and can be viewed by students.

The pinnacle of an artist’s success may be considered to be the moment in which their art is displayed. Now, for students at CPHS, this exposure is offered through the new Media Center art gallery.

The new gallery is a product of the grant that was awarded in an effort to receive money from the Crown Point Community Foundation for use in the art equipment. Art instructor and department chair Linda Pappas approached Media Center Department Chair Janna Carney with interest on starting the gallery.

“The more I thought about it, the more I realized the Media Center was an ideal location to incorporate the Gallery,” Pappas said “I approached Ms. Carney who has always supported the display of art work in the Media Center. She continues her sincere support and even helped in writing the grant.”

Pappas and Carney attended a grantwriting workshop offered by Barnes & Noble.

“Neither of us had ever written a grant before, and we were apprehensive and overwhelmed. It was definitely a trial and error learning process,” Carney said.

After they decided to apply for the Crown Point Community Foundation grant, there were a series of steps that needed to be completed. Pappas and Carney had to write a three page proposal and an itemized list of costs, and then get the proposal approved by Principal Eric Ban, Director of Curriculum and Instruction Jim Hardman, as well as the Board of School Trustees.

“During the summer of 2009, Mrs. Pappas was awarded the grant, but we only received half of what we initially asked for,” Carney said. “While we were thrilled to get the money, we had to do a lot of revisions on our original plan.”

These revisions included cutting out

the display cases that were intended for displaying artwork and instead focus on a tracking system for framed artwork.

However, Carney feels the now active gallery, even with its revisions, benefits the overall aesthetic of the school.

"I think that, in general, we are making great strides toward improving the physical atmosphere of the building,” she said.

Junior Carli Amodeo’s artwork is currently being displayed in the art gallery.

“I like the art gallery because it lets the school see all the different art projects we do,” Amodeo said.

The art gallery is currently finished and is able to be viewed by students, but will remain a work in progress.

“Mrs. Pappas and her students have been coming in almost daily to add new pictures,” Carney said. “It will continue to be a work in progress as we rotate pieces and hopefully acquire more hardware and frames. Our next focus will be finding appropriate spaces for 3-D artwork.”

Opinion

4

November 30, 2009

Unfulfilled promises could cloud Obama’s presidency

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

Inklings welcomes and encourages signed lettersto-the-editor. Letters may be edited for space or clarity.

Letters must be signed and turned in to room E107 one week prior to publications and must not contain personal attacks. Letters may also be sent via e-mail at inklings@cps.k12.in.us. Not all letters may be printed. Such decisions are the sole discretion of the Inklings editors and staff.

Advertising is subject to the applicable rate, copies of which are available from Inklings advertising department or by contacting 6634885 ext. 11349.

Inklings is a member of the Indiana High School Press Association, the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association and Quill and Scroll.

Inklings may be contacted at 1500 S. Main, Crown Point, IN, 46307; 219-6634885 ext. 11349; fax 219-6625663; or inklings@cps.k12. in.us.

Editors Cori Novelli Deanna Sheafer editors-in-chief Brittany Curtis managing editor Michele Bates associate editor Lauren Cain Matt Smith copy editors Becca Duggan entertainment editor Kelly Rostin opinion editor Hunter McKee sports editor Milan Savich Colin Likas sports assistants Anna Ortiz graphics editor Becca Iddings advertising editor Alyssa Blahunka advertising assistant Georgia Otte chief photographer Joe Nejman Alex Parrish Jermey Rex Vinnie Needham Mary-Katherine Lemon Donnella Casillas photographers Staff Ammy Easto Arley Gomez Garret Hogan Lauren McCarroll Danielle McCuan Marwa Nour Haajar Shaaban Adviser Julie Elston

By Alex Parrish photographer

V

cartoon by

Anna Ortiz

Licensing reform detrimental to students

iew:

REPA, Indiana’s education reform, is harmful to teachers and students and will inevitably result in a lower quality of education in Indiana schools. editorial

In classrooms around the world, students slump in their desks, staring blankly at the teacher in front of them, asking themselves, “When will I ever use this stuff?” In the near future, for Indiana students in pursuit of an education degree, the answer to this question may be, quite simply, “never.”

Tony Bennett, Indiana’s current superintendent of public instruction, recently proposed an education reform, REPA, which, if put into effect, will increase the amount of subject-based education which prospective teachers receive, simultaneously decreasing the number of hours they spend actually learning how to teach. This reform cannot possibly benefit the students or educators of Indiana.

Plenty of people know everything about a subject, but don’t know how to express their knowledge in a way that a student can understand. A high school chemistry teacher doesn’t need to know how to build a rocket ship. He needs to know how to motivate, how to inspire, how to teach. These are the skills that educators can develop only through the study of pedagogy, the art of teaching—the very study which will be cut back in favor of subject-related courses which will supposedly create smarter teachers. Unfortunately, “smart” teachers are not what Indiana schools need. We need teachers who know how to teach.

Of course, it would be foolish to think that education in a teacher’s content area should be neglected. However, it should not be unnecessarily expanded at the expense of classes that help the teacher do their job, which is teaching. Imagine a lawyer who knows the law backwards and forwards but was never taught how to argue, or a surgeon who can name every part of the body but doesn’t know how to use a scalpel. If REPA is passed, this is the future of Indiana education.

REPA not only lessens the requirement for teachers, but also for administrators. According to the Indiana Department of Education website, the reform will allow individual school systems to grant a temporary administrator license to someone outside of the educational system. This section of the reform is asking for disaster. A person cannot be trusted to make decisions concerning a school if he or she does not know the system, how it operates, what a school needs, and what will be beneficial for the students and faculty.

While there are a few components of Bennett’s education reform which will be beneficial to Indiana schools, major amendments must to be made before it will be an acceptable permanent change to Indiana education as a whole. If passed in its current form, the reform will be detrimental to everyone involved in education, teachers and students alike. If the reform is passed, Indiana schools will be nothing more than hospitals full of surgeons without the capacity to operate.

Barack Obama has become a pop culture icon and arguably the most famous president yet. But the success of his first year may be clouded by broken and incomplete promises.

For example Obama stated that he would strengthen the laws against the political revolving door, meaning he would make it harder for politicians to be appointed to government jobs and be paid by American tax dollars, just for having done the job previously. While it may seem that those who have done the job before would be the best candidate to hold the job again, that is not always the case if the job was not done correctly the first time. Obama has yet to mention this promise again.

As for stalled promises, President Obama had said that in his first year of office he would hold a summit with the United Nations focused on nuclear terrorism. Although he failed to hold the summit within his first year in office, Obama announced that the summit is planned for March of 2010.

Finally a promise that Obama compromised on is one that he made to the veterans of war. As one of his “first acts” President Obama promised to sign an executive order ending bans on healthcare enrollment of veteran groups. He planned to work a $113 billion Veterans Affair budget into the 2010 budget. If this had worked out as planned it would have let in 550,000 eligible war veterans. However, Obama was only able to obtain $533 million and therefore only lowered the standards for Veteran healthcare enough to let in 26,000 vets.

So even though President Barack Obama has only been in office for less than a full year, if the rest of his tenure doesn’t bring action on his promises his presidency will be clouded.

heard in the

halls

Student Union “Student Union is awesome, because more people are able to join it for a good cultural experience.”

Senior Jessica Vargas

Holiday Fun

“It’s nice to see all of the college kids come back home for holidays [Thanksgiving]. It’s so much fun.”

Sophomore Dave Caldwell

Community Service “A lot of people are looking to jobs to volunteer at so they can get their community service hours in.”

Junior Ana Colby

Opinion

November 30, 2009

5

Extracurriculars should not put a strain on wallets

By Lauren McCarroll staff writer

Cartoon by Dani McCuan

Six week grading periods or nine?

Traditional routine more beneficial for students During the constant fluctuation of school rules and policies, one thing has always been consistent and dependable: our grading periods. Students are accustomed to six week grading periods, and that is why they should stay that way.

Our studying habits are built around the six week period. We know that we have six weeks to keep our grades or to bring one up. We know not to let our grade go down too early in the grading period or else it’ll be too hard to bring it up by the 6th week. However, if the switch is made to a 9 week grading period, students will use it as an opportunity to slack off for longer into the grading period because they are ensured three more weeks to bring up their grade. This could tragically affect our grades and our school scores as a whole when the students’ plans backfire, and students are left without time to bring the grade up.

With six week periods, there is a greater opportunity to make up for a mistake students may have made early on in the semester. For example, if a student fails their first six weeks of the semester, they still have two more grading periods to bring up their overall semester grade. On the other hand, with nine week long grading periods, that one grade accounts for half of the semester grade, so students don’t have the same opportunity to redeem their semester grade.

Overall, changing our grading periods would negatively impact our school. Curriculum would have to be reformatted to fit the schedule, so the consistency would be gone completely. Students’ grades would be impacted, and our dependability on our schedule would be gone. While many changes are made each year, the structure of our learning schedule should remain the same.

Q

I

ssue:

By Lauren Cain co-copy editor

Administrators are debating whether or not to switch to four nineweek grading periods next year instead of our six sixweek grading periods this year. Which is more beneficial to students and faculty?

Changes in grading period necessary for success

By Matt Smith co-copy editor For years, Crown Point High School has used the same schedule of six week grading periods.

Three times each semester, every student readies himself to take the dreaded assessment. To help the students, teachers, and school as a whole, the traditional six week grading period should be replaced with a nine week one.

Whenever a six weeks exam is taken, vital learning time is lost not only on the day of the test, but also during the time spent reviewing.

This schedule can rob both the teachers and the students of an entire week of progress in the subject. If using a nine week schedule there would be two common assessments rather than three.

Those who oppose the nine week grading period may argue that a change in schedule will negatively impact the students by destroying the sense of continuity they receive from a constant six week schedule. On the contrary, a schedule change will be a relief for many students, allowing them to escape the monotony of the schedule they have been using for years.

Many are against the change simply because of the fact that it is a change. They cannot accept the fact that alterations to tradition are inevitable.

The move from a six week grading period to one of nine weeks is a much needed change. It will allow for more learning time so that teachers can actually progress in their subject matter rather than being interrupted by a test every few weeks, taking away time which could be spent learning new material. Change in itself is not something that should be unwelcome. Only when change is unnecessary does it become detrimental, and the change from a six week to a nine week grading period is a necessity in every aspect.

These days, it seems that it’s not just your time, effort, and hard work that goes into extracurricular activities. It’s your cold hard cash.

Granted, most students take part in these activities out of choice because they enjoy them.

However, when we open our wallets and there is nothing but a gum wrapper or two, we have an issue on our hands.

It isn’t solely athletics that are asking for some cash, but others, such as the arts.

Costumes, formal attire, strings, drumsticks, new instruments, and all other equipment needed for these events can cost some serious cash.

So the big question is: how much is too much? Although fundraisers and selling candy can give you a little bit of help, it doesn’t cover everything. Most activities are student sponsored.

Some examples of how we sponsor our activities are the money we pay when attending a sporting event, the pop machines, raffle tickets like Dollars for Dogs, and the fundraisers we sell for sponsors like Music Boosters.

Every department only gets so much money, and when that runs out it is up to the students to support their extracurricular.

Some students who are not as fortunate as others financially want to be involved in many interesting things that they are talented in. They should have the same opportunities available to them as they are to everyone else, without being worried about the cost. A solution to this dilemma might be a fundraiser that involved the whole school. We as a student body could help raise money that could be put into a fund for our fellow peers that are down on their luck financially.

There are students who have to work for the money they need to buy things for their extracurricular activities as well as everything else they need like clothes, or gas for their car. If funding was available to students in a situation such as this, it might be easier for them to participate in more sports, arts, or other activities they have a passion for, rather than sit on the side-lines, or in the seats of the auditorium watching the event they want to be a part of.

Senior

Junior

Freshman

How do you feel about parents having a Facebook?

Sophomore

speak up

Danny Granger

Amy Adams

“It’s weird, and I feel like it should just be a teenager thing. Parents should stop.”

“I like it because it

gives parents an opportunity to socialize with their peers.”

Natalie Stelter “I think it’s good for my mom because she gets to keep in touch with people she hasn’t seen in a while.”

Brad Pusateri “I think it’s wrong.

They use it to creep on kids and invade our privacy.”

I

Fasting

6

on

Fast-a-thon participants check out the variety of different foods provided by Aladdin Pita. The Fast-a-Thon took place on Nov. 4, and students were fed after fasting from sunrise to sunset.

life

Ask Laugh Explore Wonder Inspire Live

November 30, 2009

Acting Senior Anna Bucci gives her monologue as she performs in the fall play, “Anatomy of Gray.”

Mood Foods

Certain foods are found to alter the way you feel and act

GOOD

Healthy foods (like fruits and veggies) house the nutrients the body needs, heightening mood and boosting performance.

BAD

Photos Illustration by Georgia Otte

extremely rich in calcium, which dients, which are most concenis very effective in calming down trated in dark chocolate. For this and relieving stress and anxiety. reason, dark chocolate is the best Milk also contains an abundance type of chocolate for lifting your of the amino acid tryptophan, spirits. Dark chocolate is high in which is needed to produce sero- polyphenols, which improve cogtonin in the brain, which elevates nitive functions. However, there mood. Almonds are also rich in is one more important factor in calcium and chocolate’s mood tryptophan. boost: the taste.

(Foods) can Even though “Chocolate coffee is not alobviously tastes absolutely affect ways good for better [than your mood. They you, a small most healthy alter your brain amount sure can foods],”senior give your mood Keith Nichols chemicals that can a boost. The cafsaid. make you either feine in the cofFresh fruits more alert or more fee can induce and vegetables feelings of hapmay not be as sleepy. piness and eutasty as choco- dietitian phoria. late, but they Ellen McKay “I love my have significant coffee. I used to psychological not like it, but once someone mis- benefits. They are packed with takenly gave me a mocha instead several minerals that help with of a hot chocolate, and I loved it. anxiety and depression. Leafy Two cups a day usually gives me greens, such as spinach, contain a boost,” French teacher Linda At- high levels of magnesium, which wood said. is a mineral with calming and However, if you take in too relaxing effects. Strawberries are much, it can have reverse effects also good for boosting your mood. and make you feel stressed. Hav- They contain soluble fiber, which ing coffee in the afternoon could helps to slow digestion, keepinterfere with sleeping patterns, ing blood-sugar levels stable and making you irritable. So drinking helping you feel even-tempered just enough coffee in the morning and less irritable. Berries in genshould uplift your spirits. eral contain antioxidants, which Chocolate is another mood- are extremely important for the lifter. Cocoa beans are rich in health of the brain. several mood-improving ingre“It usually lightens my mood

“

“

We’re always hearing about how eating unhealthily can affect us physically. It can increase blood pressure, lead to obesity, and damage several internal organs. We’ve become experts on the affects of foods on our bodies, but what about on our minds?

Can the type of food we eat transform our mood? “(Foods that you eat) can absolutely affect your mood. They alter your brain chemicals that can make you either more alert or more sleepy,” dietitian Ellen McKay said.

Studeies show that many foods contain ingredients that can boost your mood and help you to feel great.

Eating fish, especially oily types such as salmon, sardines, and mackerel, is an excellent way to feel great. They contain omega-3 fatty acids, which are great for boosting your mood.

The body uses omega-3 fatty acids for building neurotransmitters like serotonin in the brain. Many studies have proven that these fats have depression-preventing qualities. If fish isn’t your favorite, then you can get your share of omega-3 fatty acids from flaxseeds and walnuts.

Whether you have it with a cookie, in your cereal, or drink it by itself, milk is wonderful for improving your mood. Milk is

numbers

Top 5 worst foods for your mood Bagels, especially when eaten without protein, can cause noticable drowsiness. Because white grains cause the body’s blood sugar to spike, lethargy is felt as these levels are brought back down.

bagels

hot dogs

Sugary foods (like cupcakes and cookies) cause major sugar crashes resulting in an overall sour mood.

By Haajar Shaaban staff writer

by the

when I eat healthy foods like fruits and vegetables,” sophomore Caleigh Baran said.

Turkey, like milk, is also very high in tryptophan. Tryptophan is also abundant in other lean meats such as lean chicken and beef.

However, turkey contains the highest levels of this amino acid, which can make you feel calm and relaxed.

“Protein and carbohydrate filled foods like milk and meat can slow you down and make you sleepy,” McKay said.

That might explain why everyone is so tired after Thanksgiving dinner.

Accordingly, foods that should be avoided are foods with unhealthy levels of sugars, fats, and alcohol. Although they may induce a short high, they eventually end in an emotional crash.

“Healthier foods tend to contain more endorphin releasing chemicals which make you feel better,” McKay said.

Students agree that they feel better on days that they eat healthier.

“The fattier the food, and the more unhealthy the food is, causing me to feel depressed,” Baran said.

Although these foods can help, the best way to guarantee a positive mood is to lead a healthy lifestyle by eating a balanced diet and by getting regular physical activity.

Processed foods are often very high in nitrates and common food preservatives. These can cause both migrane and tension headaches.

cupcakes

Although this carbohydrate-rich food initially produces serotonin causing happiness, the severe crash afterwards causes mood swings, irritation and an overall not-sohappy birthday.

white chocolate

Since white chocolate isn’t technically chocolate, it lacks the stimulants like serotonin that produces happiness. Instead, packed inside is all the sugar, thus causing a massive sugar crash.

french fries

Besides the refined carbs, sugars, and salt content, the saturated and trans fats in these cause a sluggish mood due to the hours in which these “bad fats” take to digest.

Facts from: Shine at http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/the-top-7worst-foods-for-your-mood-532888/

Are you smarter

Feature Top

than your teacher?

1.

Are You Smarter than a 5th Grader? is a game show based on asking gradeschool level questions to adults and testing their knowledge of the material. Inklings asked four teachers (English teacher John Lambersie, history teacher Don Bernacky, science teacher Dotty Johnson, and math teacher Mike David) and four students (sophomores Lauren Edwards and Josh Obszanski, and seniors Dale Caldwell and Will Franklin) five questions ranging from first to fifth grade levels and tested their knowledge on subjects elementary school kids are learning.

Take the quiz yourself and see how your score stacks up! By the way, the teachers scored more correct answers.

Teacher Don Bernacky

photos by DONNELLA CASILLAS

SCORERS John Lambersie: 5/5 Josh Obszanski: 5/5 Don Bernacky: 5/5

Kyle’s mom forced Kyle to go clothes shopping on Monday from 10 a.m. to 2:40 p.m. and again on Friday for two and a half more hours. How many minutes total did Kyle have to shop?

By M. Nour and M. Bates staff writer and associate editor

2.

3.

4.

A

415

B

386

C

430

7

There are two landlocked countries in South America. One of them is Bolivia. What is the other?

A

Columbia

B

Uruguay

C

Paraguay

The hippopotamus is indigenous (or native to) what continent?

A

Asia

B

Africa

C

South America

True or false: Queen Victoria ruled during the middle ages.

A

True

B False

LISA GRADY 219-308-6237 LISA@LISAGRADYHOMES.COM

Each Keller Williams Realty Office is Independently Owned and Operated

“ALWAYS WEAR A SMILE-IT IS YOUR BEST FASHION ACCESSORY.”

5.

Sophomore Lauren Edwards

How many astronauts were onboard each space capsule launched during NASA’s Gemini Space Program?

A

2

B

4

C

1

Answers:

1) C 2) B 3) A 4) B 5)A

November 30, 2009

8 Get Smart when it comes to the shopping cart Inklings reporters share tips for quick holiday shopping

Feature

Freaky Friday

November 30, 2009

How Black Friday has earned it’s place among the infamous

By A. Easto and M. Nour staff reporters

cartoon by anna ortiz

By G. Hogan and A. Ortiz staff reporter and feature editor Post-feast, the turkey’s lethargic spell still binding you to the couch and the maximum stretch sweatpants stained with gravy, one can only anticipate another vacation day of relaxation. However, there is an after-Thanksgiving tradition that has even the most indifferent of shoppers frantically sifting through mounds of sales papers: Black Friday. While the name may make it seem ominous, it actually was originated by the police force in the 1960’s. It was coined because of their disdain for the day known for its heavy traffic and mobbing crowds, and it seems retail workers share their concern. “(The store) constantly is getting us prepared for Black Friday.

We begin thinking about it as early as summer when we are having our back to school sales in August.

In fact, that is how we begin figuring out how much merchandise to stock and how much extra help we need,” Kohl’s manager and customer service worker Michelle Favors said.

Favors has been in retail services for four years and has seen her fair share of the extremes

Holiday Black-out: Confessions of Black Friday Shoppers Inklings managing editor Brittany Curtis and staffer Garret Hogan are dedicated Black Friday enthusiasts. Here’s a scoop on the quick, early-torise schedule of two serious shoppers.

“

“

Whether it was a belated holiday gift for a friend or a seasonal gift for a relative, most of us have experienced the stress and anxiety that comes with buying last minute gifts. But stress no longer, friends, because we have found some great, cheap solutions to your holiday dilemmas.

The first step to getting rid of last minute gifts is giving yourself enough time to pick the right one. Meaningful gifts don’t usually happen in one night, so take time to think about what the person would want. Most stores offer the layaway option, which lets you pick the gift a few months before (depending on the store you go to, make sure to ask beforehand) and pay for it in installments. If you aren’t sure what stores offer layaway you can visit www.hellolocal.com and it will let you in on stores near you.

Another way to eliminate holiday drama is to pay attention to coupons. Stores usually send out coupons offering 40-50 percent off the merchandise around the holidays. Even though most stores allow you to use only one coupon at a time, making different trips to use your coupons add up to a lot of money saved in the end. If you don’t receive coupons regularly, you can just ask any sales associate at the store you plan on buying from. Most of the time they are more than happy to help you out. If not, just gather your losses and look somewhere else; there is always an alternative.

One of our favorite alternatives is the “break up, make up” method. To execute this method you must start with buying a gift set. They are beautifully wrapped, trimmed and easy to give, but do you have to give one person the whole thing? We think not! Break up the gift set by taking out all of the little goodies, making up your own gift wrap style, and giving them away separately. In many cases the individual items found in the gift set are being sold at a greatly reduced price.

Some items included may even end up being free.

Now for a bonus tip for all of you Twitter fans.

Many companies are now using Twitter to release special limited time discount codes that never show up on popular discount sites and forums.

So to wrap up our holiday savings package make sure to follow your favorite brands, stores and designers in advance. You never know when a sale will happen.

I was pushed to the ground and stepped on by two people.

-sophomore Samantha Mora

Black Friday brings.

“People sleep in their cars in the parking lot at midnight,” Favors said, “We have had people that were lined up at the doors accuse us of not being employees and that we had somehow taken employee uniforms just to sneak through the doors early.”

Kohl’s gets at least 20,000 customers on that day and prepares by stocking up on merchandise especially for the sales and hiring more employees. Sears cashier Debbie Pecsec has been in retail for nine years and agrees that the crowds are what makes Black Friday a force to be reckoned with.

“I remember I came in at 5 a.m. when the store opened and had taken care of 30 or 40 customers by 6 a.m. It can get hectic,” Pecsec said.

These frenzied conditions are enough to keep many students away and asleep in their beds instead of trailing through Best Buy

with a shopping cart full of merchandise at 5 a.m.

“I don’t go Black Friday shopping anymore. Two years ago I went shopping at Carson’s and there were a lot of people around and I got pushed over and practically trampled,” senior Jodi Hobson said.

Senior C.J. Hopp finds that the possible danger of weathering the Black Friday chaos outweighs the sales prices.

“When you hear in the news that people are dying just to get a few things for half off, I’d really rather spend the few extra bucks and not die,” Hopp said.

One student in particular, sophomore Samantha Mora, had a memorable but scary Black Friday shopping frenzy right before Kohl’s opened.

“I was pushed to the ground and stepped on by two people,” Mora said.

As Mora’s mother dropped her off at Kohl’s at around 5:30 a.m. Mora walked right up to the large crowd of people wanting the best deals.

“My mother was on her way to Best Buy to buy the family a new television. When she dropped me off I could tell she was a bit worried, and she just told me to be careful,” Mora said.

While waiting for the doors to open, other people showed up, making the crowd much larger. As sales clerks approached the doors, the crowd started getting restless and started shoving. As a result, Mora was pushed down and was even stepped on the back twice by two inconsiderate shoppers.

“I just remember falling and then the first step came. When I tried to get up is when the second stomp came, and I just felt like lying there and crying,” Mora said.

Thankfully, someone came by and helped Mora to her feet.

“Even though my back was sore for a while, and I thought I might diez it was still a great day when I walked away with my Guess jeans, and I also got a great memory,” Mora said.

There are also other ways to avoid the craze but still get Christmas shopping done. Hopp thinks ahead on his shopping and puts things on lay-away at K-Mart instead of racing out in the early hours of dawn. Favors suggests going shopping more towards the evening.

“Wait until 4 and 5 p.m. when the business starts to slow down.

You might miss the big sales, but you’ll just be paying a couple bucks more and skip the crowds and the lines,” Favors said.

11:00 p.m.

3:00 a.m.

12:00 p.m.

B: Go to sleep to get ready for the madness of tomorrow’s activities!

G: I’m not even going to sleep!

Can’t wait for tomorrow’s deals!

B: Get up to begin the day, rush to Target to get in line!

G: On my way to Chicago, way ahead of B!

B: Taking a quick break for lunch. Can’t take too long; gotta get back to shopping!

Hopefully going to catch up on G by not stopping too long for lunch.

G: Stopping at The Cheesecake factory for a big lunch.

12:45 a.m.

G: Going to Macy’s for the 1:00 a.m. sale while B is a slacker and sleeps.

1:00 a.m.

G: The doors open and the craziness begins. A mad rush for all of the bargains begins.

5:00 a.m.

B: The doors open to Target, and my quest for the latest electronics and gadgets begins.

G: Going shopping on Michigan Avenue and seeing what kind of deals I can get at Neiman Marcus, Sax Fifth Avenue, and Armani Exchange.

3:00 p.m.

B: Going home for the day, after 12 hours of shopping G: With my arms full of shopping bags, I think it’s safe to say that today was a success!

ES 45

Feature

November 30, 2009

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Parents on Facebook, teen’s worst nightmare becomes reality For some teens, Facebook may become a nightmare instead of a communication system Wall

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Nathan Gresham: “I think that it’s all right if parents have a Facebook, but it’s a little creepy when they always post stuff on your wall and creep on your profile.”

View Videos of Me (5) Edit My Profile

CJ Hopp: “I think that it’s an invasion of privacy. I just don’t see why parents need to be on Facebook.”

Information Networks: Crown Point High School ‘10 Relationship Status: Single

Deborah Maxwell: “I don’t really find it awkward that my parents have a Facebook.

It’s not like I’m hiding anything, so I don’t really care.

Christal Hernandez: “I think that parents on Facebook is a great idea. I think that it’s a great way to communicate, and I like that I can see what my son and his friends are up to.”

Birthday: November 30, 2009

By Lauren McCarroll staff reporter “Mom! Could you get off the computer already?!”

“Sorry honey I have to update my Facebook status and upload our vacation pictures. You looked so cute with your face all sunburned. Come read this comment your dad posted on your wall. It’s hilarious!”

For many teens, their worst nightmare is becoming a reality. Their private little world on Facebook has suddenly been destroyed by none other than their parents. As soon as Mom hits the comment button on their teen’s status, that teen may have an embarrassing situation to deal with. although this may be the typical stereotype that teens portray, many teens at Crown Point High School don’t seem to mind the situation as much. For senior Shannon O’Brien, Facebook can be a great way to keep in touch.

“They requested me, and we comment on each others

pictures and statuses. When my dad is in another country, we’ll send each other messages when he can’t call me,”she said.

Sophomore Payton Dessauer also doesn’t seem to be bothered by having her mom on Facebook.

“I don’t find it annoying, I just think it’s funny when she thinks she knows everything about Facebook, and if she has a weird status up I’ll laugh at her,” she said.

Many teens have found the situation of being requested by their parents awkward, because they don’t want to ignore them and then have it brought up at the dinner table. However other teens such as junior Ryan Santelik didn’t see it as an issue.

“I don’t find it awkward; we don’t really use Facebook to communicate since we live in the same house,”he said.

Facebook is becoming one of the main sources of entertainment for not only the current generation, but our parents as well. This is shown by the 276% growth rate in

the 35-54 year old users. However, there may have to be some regulation on the quizzes, posts or status updates you make , if mom or dad doesn’t approve, your privileges could be at risk. When anything is posted on Facebook, it can be viewed by all of the people that person has accepted as friends. For some teens , this provides a bit of an issue, due to the fact that if they added their parents, they would be able to view all of their teen’s information. Yes, all of it, which may or may not be appropriate for parental standards.

“It’s annoying because whatever I say to my friends they can see. My mom also always comments on my statuses, and my friends think she is funny,” sophomore Stephanie Scott said.

Despite the stereotype of having parents on Facebook being a nightmare, many teens seem to be adjusting to it.

“There really hasn’t been anything embarrassing that’s happened yet,” Santelik said.

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Call today and ask about our holiday special!

Feature

10

Which type of college will YOU choose

?

November 30, 2009 As it comes time to start making decisions about where to go to college, students must first narrow down their options by sorting out their preferences. What someone may find desirable about one college, may not be the same for the next person.

Using this table, however, may aid you in choosing which type of college meets your desires.

By Lauren Cain co-copy editor

Public

Private

Community

Public colleges are cheaper for in-state residents, which makes it cheaper for Indiana residents to go to colleges within Indiana.

Most public colleges are in the range of about $8-9 thousand a year.

Private colleges typically offer more scholarship opportunities than public, which can in turn lower the cost of tuition to less than that of a public college.

Ivy Tech boasts that you can earn your degree for less than $6,000. However, this cost is much lower, because community colleges typically offer two year vocational programs.

IU has around 40,000 students, which is on the larger side. An option with less is Ball State with about 20,000 students.

Smaller enrollment than that of public, sometimes around 2500 to 5000 students.

Average class ratios for some are about 12 students to 1 professor.

Student enrollment is very diverse, but the interaction between other students is less than that at private and public colleges, because students do not live on campus, so they are only together in class.

Public colleges do not have religious affiliations and therefore do not always have a church on campus.

Private colleges typically are religiously based, and therefore usually have a church on campus.

Community colleges are typically not religiously based.

Campus location:

Local businesses build up around college towns because of the potential consumers.

This is advantageous to students because they are never at a loss for things to do around campus, or places where they can get what they need.

Towns in which private colleges are located are usually not as industrialized as those of public. The advantage of this is there is less traffic flow around the campus. However, there is also less to do than around a public college campus.

There are many more branches for community colleges spread throughout the state. For example, Ivy Tech has 23 campuses and classes are offered in more than 75 communities. For this reason, campus locations are usually very close to home.

Majors offered:

Most are often known for their specialties.

For example, Purdue is typically known for their engineering program, Ball State is known for its teaching school and journalism, and IU is known for their Kelley School of Business.

Less majors than that of a public college, but usually have more specialized programs. For example, Butler is known for their pharmaceutical program and University of Indianapolis is known for their Krannert School of Physical Therapy.

They offer vocational programs, so their majors are ones that can be completed in two years.

Also, they may offer majors that can jump start your collegiate education so that you can transfer to a four year college after you’ve completed your degree.

Post-grad experience:

May offer potential internships at local businesses with which they have connections.

Also, they may have branches of their school that benefit your post-grad experience.

Professors know students on a more personal level and therefore can sometimes offer their help in finding a job after graduation, or for occasionally writing recommendation letters.

Professors may know students on a more personal level, which can therefore aid in finding a job post-graduation. Also, some degrees offered can work as a stepping stool onto the next part of your education.

Tuition cost: Student enrollment: Religious affiliations:

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November 30, 2009

myview

American Idols do not always stay in spotlight

Arts & Entertainment

“New Moon” rises in box office The latest in the “Twilight” saga leads the pack in theaters

By Alyssa Blahunka asst. ads editor Viewers watch them sing their hearts out week after week; they wait for the suspenseful results; and they text in their votes for the season finale. But, after the votes are in and the winner decided, where do our “notso- fortunate” favorite reality show contestants go? Following the season finale, most “American Idol” contestants are nowhere to be found.

Most of the winners of American Idol are highly recognized. Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jordin Sparks, and David Cook are among the few in the entertainment business to have success, after American Idol.

There are however, a few winners that we have not heard much from since their win. Ruben Studdard, Fantasia Barrino, and Taylor Hicks are the three winners that have yet to re-emerge onto the stage once again.

Out of the many contestants over the past eight seasons, a few have made it as entertainers. Kellie Pickler, Chris Daughtry, and Jennifer Hudson are just a few of many contestants to have signed with a record company after their “American Idol” experience.

In addition to the winners, out of all 252 contestants that made it past the Hollywood stage, only 36 were signed to independent record deals from various companies around the country.

Along with singing, a few have made their way onto the big screen. A total of 17 people have found their way into the acting business.

So, if you do the math, that leaves 199 former contestants unaccounted for. Plus, all the singers who never made it passed level one.

We have heard from some, admired the accomplishments of others, and wonder whatever happened to the rest. “American Idol” has provided us with some of the very best entertainers in the business, but for those who don’t make it, we will never know if they actually sang their best on the stage that night.

11

By Brittany Curtis managing editor After months of anticipation, “Twi-hards” got what they had been looking forward to since the release of Twilight: the premier of the second installment of the “Twilight” saga, “New Moon” on November 20.

Due to their immense success with the first film, the producers of “Twilight” decided to give the green light for the second and third books in the series to be made. Producers will not be disappointed; “New Moon” has already been setting records, earning $72.7 million dollars at the box office on its first night, making it the film with the highest grossing single day sales ever.

The vampire craze seems as if it is here to stay, from TV shows like “The Vampire Diaries” and “True Blood” and numerous new books about the fanged phenomenon, to the array of “Twilight” paraphernalia being sold at stores like Hot Topic.

The second film had a lot to live up to, with the first film grossing over $380 million internationally; and live up to the first it did.

Everything fans loved about the

first film is amplified in the second, and I truly believe that it exceeded the first film in every way.

“New Moon” picks up during Bella’s senior year. Bella, reluctant to celebrate the fact that she is aging instead of being a vampire, goes to a party thrown by wellintentioned Alice, Edward’s sister.

During the party, Bella receives a paper cut from one of her presents, which sends his family into a frenzy because of the blood.

The next day, Edward announces that he is leaving, saying that he Review “no longer wants her.” Devastated, Bella tries to put herself back together with her old friend, Jacob Black. Turmoil later ensues as we find out that Jacob is actually a werewolf.

“New Moon” really showed the actors at their best, and as much as I love “Twilight,” I think that all fans can admit that there were some instances where the acting was sub-par. The effects were better, and the action scenes had the audience on the edge of their seats.

Overall, “New Moon” is an excellent movie and the true fans of the first film will not be disappointed.

Disney tries old style with a new twist

By Brittany Curtis managing editor Ariel, Cinderella, Snow White, Jasmine, and Mulan get to add another member to the Disney princess club. “The Princess and the Frog”’s Tiana will be making her debut as the newest Disney princess on Dec. 11.

The film features Tiana as Disney’s first African American princess, but that isn’t the only thing that makes this movie unique.

The film also marks Disney’s first return to 2D animation since “Home on the Range” in 2004.

The film is a Broadway-style musical set in the French Quarter of New Orleans during the 1920’s Jazz Age. It follows the story of a prince Naveen from the land of Maldonia who meets the evil voodoo magician Dr. Facilier, who strikes a deal with the young prince and transforms him into a frog. Desperate to return to his human state, Naveen mistakes Tiana for a princess and asks her to kiss him. However, once they kiss,

Hello Hurricane After waiting three years for a new album, Switchfoot’s new CD Hello Hurricane does not disappoint in the slightest. Switchfoot is famous for their poignant classics such as “Dare You to Move,” and “Meant to Live.” While it remains to be seen whether or not any of the songs from their new album will become such classics, their new tunes are something to be heard.

They keep up their use of meaningful lyrics with “Mess of Me,” and add a more rock-esque style to songs like “The Sound.” Despite changes made to their sound, Switchfoot keeps up the same spirit and energy from their older CDs.

the spell turns her into a frog as well. Naveen and Tiana must then make a long and often humorous journey to 197-year-old voodoo princess Madam Odie and return to New Orleans by Mardi Gras in order to break the spell.

The film is directed by John Musker and Ron Clements, who also directed such films as ‘The Little Mermaid,” “Hercules,’ and “Aladdin.” The songs and score were composed by Randy Newman, whose other scores include “Toy Story,” “A Bug’s Life,” “Toy Story 2,” “Monsters, Inc.” and “Cars.” The soundtrack will include ten original songs and seven instrumental pieces. The soundtrack was released on Nov. 23.

“The Princess and the Frog” features the voice of Anika Noni Rose as Tiana, who has previously starred in the musical “Dreamgirls.” Other notable voices include Bruno Campos as Prince Naveen, Keith David as Dr. Facilier, Terrence Howard as Tiana’s father James, and Oprah Winfrey as Tiana’s mother Eudora.

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Information compiled by Inklings Editors

Arts & Entertainment

12

“2012” foretells disaster End of the world movie makes audience comes to wits end

By Becca Duggan entertainment editor People have been predicting the end of the world since the beginning of mankind’s existence. Various theories have manifested- meteors striking the planet, a World War III, a second Ice Age. The Mayan prophecy for the end of the world seems to be supported by scientific facts as well, so why is “2012” such a hard movie to believe?

The plot itself definitely tries to make the audience believe that this catastrophe will indeed occur in two years’ time.

The movie revolves around a workaholic author named Jackson Curtis (played by John Cusack), his ex-wife (played by Amanda Peet), and their two kids, Noah and Lily (played

by Liam James and Morgan Lily, respectively). Jackson is a small-time writer trying to get his work out to the public, at the same time, he is also trying to maintain a strong relationship with his children. Just as the movie is about Cusack’s family, however, it’s also about the story of a young, good-hearted geologist named Adrian Helmsley (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor) who helps disReview cover that the world is going to come to an end by 2012 because of solar flares from the sun heating up the core of the earth, leading to ‘crust displacement,’ as the movie refers to it.

Essentially, the plates of the earth’s crust begin to shift, resulting in cataclysmic repercussions; massive earthquakes and tsunamis tear into the world, devastating everything and leaving the earth submerged at the end.

In the beginning, the story follows the separate story lines of Cusack and Ejiofor as they struggle to figure out a way to survive this apocalypse. Cusack learns of the world’s end when he and his children stumble upon the barren site of a once-

Apocalypse

THEORIES In order to be prepared for possible future doomsdays, here are predictions and past scares.

thriving lake, sizzled into nonexistence because of the heating crust. They are arrested by government officers trying to hide the knowledge of the eminent disaster, and they end up meeting the scientist in charge of the research in that sector- none other than Ejiofor’s character.

From then on, the audience watches as seemingly separate characters and story lines fuse together, creating an intricate and interesting web of relationships. All the story lines combine at the end in one way or another, leaving the audience to appreciate at the storytelling mastery of the director, Roland Emmerich.

However, the perfect apocalypse is not all it is cracked up to be. The movie, as a whole, becomes innately unbelievable to such an extent that the audience cannot help but chuckle at the ridiculous scenarios.

Certainly, it is not the actors’ and actresses’ faults for the disbelief. John Cusak convincingly played his part, his wit and onstage charisma charmed the audience into earnestly caring for his and his family’s wellbeing, which was possibly one of the most vital parts of the movie. If you did not care for the characters, all of the action sequences were lost on you, for all of the action was based on the characters narrowly escaping death. The two children in the movie who play Cusack and Peet’s kids put on an endearing, talented performance themselves. Liam James in particular tugs at the audience’s heartstrings as his relationship with his father strengthens and is put to the test. For the entire duration of the movie, Ejiofor has the audience cheering for his heroic morals that could be seen as naïve but are mostly admirably courageous. The actor and actresses as a whole made the movie bearable in the sense that the audience cared about them.

The flashy special effects were not to blame for the unbe-

Is this movie really it?

By Alyssa Blahunka assistant ads editor

Photo by Georgia Otte

lievable unrealism of the film, either. The vast majority of the action sequences had breathtaking special effects and animations that were so realistic, the audience wanted to duck and dodge the flying debris. However, there were some parts, like when a fake-looking giant donut sign rolled across a highway, that make the audiences feel disconnected from the action. Although, as a whole, the special effects were as epic as intended, making the audience truly believe everything was crumbling around them.

Truly, it was the use of clichés that made the audience recoil from this movie. The ridiculously excessive amount of ‘just made it out alive’ occurrences for Cusack’s family becomes unreasonable; simply

put, no group of people are lucky enough to make it out of that many near-death situations. There is a part where McCarthy’s character is forced to pilot two planes and steer the family out of disaster at every turn, expertly executing evasive maneuvers that would make an air force pilot intimidatedall with only two pilot lessons under his belt. The movie even has a down-to-the-second timer that counts down to disaster, a ploy that does not add to the suspense but rather makes the audience check their own clock to see if the 158 minute movie is over yet.

The ending of “2012” was surprisingly optimistic, but one thing is for sure- its reception by the audience will not be nearly as positive.

Meteor Strike

6/6/06

Y2K

2012

Often regarded as the most likely apocalypse theory, it is said that a meteor will strike the earth just as it did in the prehistoric ages.

As a result of the number 666 having an evil connotation in religious scriptures, this date was supposed to signal the end of the world.

This scare entailed the idea that all our computer operations would fail us in the year 2000 because of a faulty numbering system.

As shown in the movie, this theory is based off the Mayan prophecy that the Earth will overheat from its core on December 12, 2012.

What’s on your iPod?

November 30, 2009

Tara Pasternak freshman

Jaclyn Gaydula sophomore

“The King of Pop,” Michael Jackson, passed away on June 25th, 2009, in his rented Los Angeles home.

There have been many tributes to the deceased pop star such as on “Dancing with the Stars” and the possibility of a Michael Jackson Memorial Museum in Gary, Indiana.

Jackson’s “This Is It” concert was set to take place 18 days after his death. “This Is It,” a film about Jackson’s upcoming concert, was created despite the controversy created over his death.

On the hit ABC show, “Dancing with the Stars,” the professional dancers put together choreographed dances to some of Jackson’s most popular songs such as “Man in the Mirror,” “Thriller,” “Bad,” “Billie Jean,” “Beat It,” and “Smooth Criminal.” They combined all the songs along with their appropriate dance moves and create their own rendition of the moves that made Michael Jackson as popular as he was.

In Gary, Indiana, there is a possibility of an opening of a memorial museum for Jackson, where he was born along with his nine other siblings who made up the Jackson 5.

Jackson was a successful singer and dancer but all the hype after his death has exploited him more than necessary. There have been many unnecessary tributes and adulations towards Michael Jackson.

During Six Flags Fright Fest, this year they added a new activity.

“Thriller” was a nightly dance during the season. Although the song does fit the time of year, there are many other choices to pick from.

The multiple tributes have overcome all of the issues that Jackson has faced with his court cases over the past years.

The tributes that are supposed to commemorate “The King of Pop,” are becoming more popular than he was for his singing career.

Previous to Jackson’s death he hadn’t been in the news other than to promote his upcoming concert, “This Is It.” He had received more news after his death than he had the year prior to it.

There has been too much concentration on his death; there was another celebrity who died. Farah Fawcett also passed away on the same day and received very little publicity compared to Jackson.

However, a celebrity’s life should never be as publicized as Michael Jackson’s was, and now that he is gone there no way to tell when his publicity will end.

Matt Heiligstedt junior

Joe Dianni junior

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Best I Ever Had Drake

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Dont Make Me Beg KMK

How Low Can You Go Ludacris

Carolina Heat You, Me, and Everyone We Know

The Past Should Stay Dead Emarosa

Dysfunctional Tech N9ne

Bedrock Young Money

Don’t Stop Believin’ Journey

Possession White Chapel

Sports

November 30, 2009

Girls cross country takes sixth at state

Junior Pierce finishes third overall as Lady Bulldogs miss podium by one place

S

13

scoreboard Girls Basketball CP-71 Hebron-38 (Nov. 13) CP-70 Kankakee Valley-51 (Nov. 14) Andrean-30 CP-61 (Nov. 17) Portage-48 CP-38 (Nov. 20)

Photo Submitted

by

John Lambersie

Girls Swimming

The girls cross country team celebrates their first place finish at the DAC championship meet. The girls finished in sixth place at the state meet, nine positions higher than their finish in the previous season.

By Colin Likas asst. sports editor One of the most successful girls cross country seasons in Crown Point’s long history ended with an impressive showing at the state meet.

On October 31, the Lady Bulldogs dealt with sloppy conditions at the LaVern Gibson Championship Course and made their way to a sixth place finish as a team. They missed the podium by one position, but they still had the best finish of all DAC teams.

The girls were led by junior Laicee Pierce, who finished third overall with a time of 19:33.2.

“I was confident before the race,” Pierce said. “It was rare for me because I’m always so nervous, but I felt like I deserved to be where I was.”

Pierce finished behind only Lake Central senior Dana Payonk and Terre Haute North freshman Tapring Goatee.

“The entire team had a great showing,” assistant coach Lindsay Hattendorf said. “Laicee’s performance far exceeded my expectations.”

Following Pierce was sophomore Lauren McCarroll in 46th (20:36), junior Augusta Schrader in 54th (20:43), senior Morgan Kleinaman in 75th (21:02), senior Melissa Ostaszewski in 92nd

(21:17), sophomore Taylor Passine in 106th (21:29), and sophomore Madison Koch in 125th (21:53).

“I was definitely pleased with how the team did,” head coach Patty Begley said. “I felt we did the best we could’ve done at that time.”

The team’s sixth place performance is the best ever by a CP girls cross country team. The Lady Bulldogs finished behind Fort Wayne Carroll, Nobelsville, Franklin Central, Carmel, and state champion Columbus North.

The race was run in relatively cold and muddy conditions, but it still went out fast. However, the girls team stuck towards the back of the field as a pack, pacing themselves for the rest of the race.

“It just happened that way,” Schrader said in regards to starting out at the back of the pack.

“We just ran our race.”

The girls steadily made their way through the 187 competitor field following the first mile.

Pierce hung behind Goatee and Payonk as well as Valparaiso sophomore Katelyn Devries and Culver Academics junior Waverly Neer for a good portion of the race. She made her move during the last mile, earning a spot as an individual on the podium.

Pierce did have an impres-

sive improvement from last year’s state meet to this year’s (39th to 3rd), but some of her teammates made even bigger jumps.

Of the girls who ran at the state meet both last season and this season, McCarroll had the biggest improvement in overall placing. With her 46th place finish this season, she made a 104 position jump from her 150th place finish last season.

“I had a lot more confidence in my ability this season,” McCarroll said. “I pushed my limits at every practice and luckily I didn’t break down.

Other girls who made big advances from last season’s meet were Schrader (93 places), Kleinaman (53 places), and Koch (29 places).

The vast improvement of the girls also led to the team moving up nine spots from one state meet to the next. After finishing 15th last season, the team looked prepared to make a serious run at the state podium this year.

“I do believe we could’ve made the podium,” Begley said.

“There were a lot of things that had to fall into place.”

Despite not earning a top five finish as a team, the girls put together a season to remember. The Lady Bulldogs captured team titles at the Lafayette Jefferson Hokam Karrum, the Crown Point

Invitational, the Purdue Invitational, the Rich Dust Invitational, and the New Prairie Invitational.

The team didn’t lose a meet until September 14 against Lake Central.

The girls also grabbed the first school’s first DAC championship for cross country. They captured another sectional title before finishing second to Lake Central in the regional contest.

They got the ultimate revenge, however, when they overtook Lake Central and the rest of the field in the semi-state meet.

The post-season as a whole brought about several firsts and helped continue several streaks for the Lady Bulldogs.

The girls won their first DAC championship this season, as well as their first semi-state title. In regards to streaks, the team won their fourth consecutive sectional title and advanced to state for the second time in two years. Pierce also won her third consecutive individual sectional title.

Five of the seven girls who ran at the state meet this season will be returning next season.

The future certainly looks bright for the Lady Bulldogs.

“I think these last two years have been the start of a great tradition,” Hattendorf said. “We have the chance to build a state championship team.”

Munster-126 CP-60 (Nov. 21) CP-123 Michigan City-49 (Nov. 24)

schedule Boys Basketball CP vs. LaPorte (Dec. 4) CP vs. Morton (Dec. 8)

Girls Basketball CP vs. Lowell (Dec. 1) LaPorte vs. CP (Dec. 4)

Boys Swimming Chesterton vs. CP (Dec. 1) @ Munster Relays (Dec. 5) CP vs. Highland (Dec. 14)

Girls Swimming Chesterton vs. CP (Dec. 1) @ LaPorte Invitational (Dec. 5) CP vs. Valparaiso (Dec. 8)

Wrestling LaPorte vs. CP (Dec. 2) @ Stagg High School (Dec. 5) Chesterton vs. CP (Dec. 9)

Laicee Pierce: Number One Runner, State Medalist For several seasons before Laicee Pierce entered high school, the girls cross country team struggled to compete with both local teams and other teams statewide.

Then Pierce, currently a junior, came into ninth grade and joined the cross country team.

She made an immediate impact and has since been a large factor in the team’s success.

Pierce and the rest of the girls recently closed out another successful cross country campaign. The Lady Bulldogs had little trouble with their competition this year and managed to achieve a sixth place finish at the state meet. Pierce has to be seen as a major reason for the near-podium result; she finished in third place overall.

“I was surprised with how

high I finished,” Pierce said. “My goal was to get in the top 15 and I wanted it pretty badly.”

The season wasn’t nearly as easy as others for Pierce though.

The one person who continually assured Pierce that everything would be okay, though, was her coach, Patty Begley.

“I told Laicee to keep doing what she was doing,” Begley said.

“The most important part was for her to stay strong mentally.”

However, she pushed on and eventually started moving back up in the ranks. Some of her later-season accomplishments included a tenth place finish at the New Prairie Invitational, an eighth place finish at the Culver Invitational.

Assistant coach Lindsay Hattendorf was impressed in Pierce’s ability to rebound from a difficult start to her season.

“It was great to see here come back,” Hattendorf said.

“

I told Laicee to keep doing what she was doing. The most important part was for her to stay strong mentally.

“

By Colin Likas asst. sports editor

- head coach Patty Begley “She needed it as a confidence booster.”

As Pierce was rising back to the top, her team was experiencing the feelings of success with her. Even when Pierce couldn’t quite get it going at the start of the season, the girls were still flying high. Sophomore Lauren McCarroll and junior Augusta Schrader, among others, picked up the slack when times were tough for Pierce.

“I pushed myself to do whatever I could to protect our title (as

number one team in the area),” McCarroll said.

However, a team doing well without its top runner can only get better when she comes back.

With Pierce’s top ten finish at the New Prairie Invite, the girls were able to win the meet. Her eighth place showing at Culver also helped the team finish in fifth overall. The Lady Bulldogs were the only team from the region to place in the top five.

Pierce rode the momentum that came with her sudden rise through the DAC championship meet. Her second place showing helped lead the Lady Bulldogs to their first ever DAC championship.

“Winning it was awesome,” Pierce said. “We went in with confidence and it showed.”

One of the biggest accomplishments of Pierce’s junior season had to be at the sectional meet. Pierce took down her

third individual sectional title in as many years at Lemon Lake County Park. Pierce’s strong performance also boosted her team to another sectional championship, its fourth straight.

“It’s definitely impressive,” Begley said. “I’m not surprised with all of the work she puts in and the desire she has.”

A runner-up placing at the regional meet and a third place showing at the semi-state meet led Pierce and the Lady Bulldogs to the team’s first ever semi-state championship and into the state meet for the second consecutive season.

The future looks bright for Pierce, who looks to lead the team in her senior season next year.

“I would really like to place third or higher at state next season,” Pierce said. “But I want the team to make the podium too,” she added.

14

Sports

Wrestling looks for another state title Hawkins, Tsirtsis hope to lead team in another post-season run

By Milan Savich asst. sports editor The taste of victory is always sweet.

However, the satisfaction of a state championship only lasts so long.

For the first time in Crown Point High School history, head coach Scott Vlink’s 2008-2009 squad brought home a state wrestling championship, and, with the help of several key returning wrestlers, the Bulldogs look to repeat last season’s success.

“We need to work as hard as we can to get better everyday in practice if we want to progress in the post-season,” Vlink said.

Last year, the Bulldogs had three individual members win state medals as well as winning the team title. Two of the three champions are back for this season. “(Senior) Anthony Hawkins and (sophomore) Jason Tsirtsis are some of our returning leaders this year,” Vlink said.

Hawkinks and Tsirtsis both brought home gold last season, along with thensenior Marcus Shrewsberry.

The Bulldogs are also returning senior Dallas Schurg as well as juniors Eric Roach and Josh Flamme, who will also be looking to advance in the individual state tournament.

Roach, who had an undefeated season last year as a sophomore, had gotten sick with the flu prior to the state individual meet. However, Roach recovered in time for the team meet to help lead the Bulldogs to their state title.

Even though the Bulldogs graduated ten seniors from last season, many state contenders are returning. The team is hoping that the state expirience they gained last year will help set aside any nerves going into this season.

“Hopefully having expirience at the state lecel will help our leadership in terms of how hard we work in the practice room everyday,” Vlink said.

Even though the team has had a long off season, they have still been working hard on keeping in shape. Some wrestlers have personal trainers and others constantly hit the workout room. Vlink’s number one priority is for the team to work as hard

Photo

by joe nejman

Sophomore Jason Tsirtsis places a hold on senior Anthony Hawkins during practice. Both won an individual state championship last season as possible to get better everyday leading up to the season, and then everyday in practice when the season starts.

“We want to get as far as we can in the post-season but to do so we need to get off to a good start and continue to get better everyday,” Vlink said.

The Bulldogs begin their season facing three Duneland Atheltic Conference teams in their first four meets and also hosting the Carnahan Invitational on December 19.

They will open against Lake Station.

Upcoming Meets: 12/2 vs. LaPorte 12/5 at Stagg 12/9 vs. Chesterton 12/17 at Lake Central 12/19 Carnahan invite

November 30, 2009

Girls basketball opens season with 3-1 start

By Colin Likas asst. sports editor After many years of coaching stability in girls basketball, the Lady Bulldogs are going to be under the direction of another new head coach this season.

Mike Cronkhite is at the helm of a young team this year. There are no seniors on the junior-dominated varsity roster.

“This is a dream job,” Cronkhite said.

“I feel lucky to have gotten the job.”

The team finished with a record of 12-9 last season, getting back over the .500 mark after a couple of losing seasons.

Before the season began, the team was expected to be led by juniors Alle Geisen (guard), Madeline Moore (forward), and Kelly Gross (guard).

Cronkhite has set several goals for his team this season besides improving on the previous season’s record.

“We want to get better each game,” Cronkhite said. “The goal is to be playing our best basketball when sectionals rolls around.”

The preparation has added up to success early in the season for the Lady ‘Dogs. They’ve started off 3-1, picking up three consecutive wins before falling to Portage.

The opening game of the year on November 13 was against the Hebron Hawks. The girls came out strong and defeated the Hawks by a 71-38 margin.

Junior Kendall Brown led the Lady ‘Dogs with 20 points and an assist. Sophomores Courtney Kvachkoff and Alexis Joseph grabbed six rebounds each.

The following day, the girls faced off against the Kankakee Valley Kougars.

The game ended with another victory for the Lady ‘Dogs, this one by a score of 70-51.

On Nov. 17, game three of the season brought about another win for the girls.

In that game they defeated the Andrean 59’ers, 61-30.

Junior Zarah Cecich led the team with nine rebounds in the game. Geisen picked up five assists as well.

The girls struggled in their first DAC matchup of the season on Nove. 20, falling to the Portage Indians, 48-38.

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Sports

November 30, 2009

Badger’s Boast Sorry Charlie, but you’ve got to go

By Hunter McKee sports editor What a disappointing season for the fans of the Fightin’ Irish football and an even worse season for the fans of head coach Charlie Weis (If they are any still in existence).

For the past four seasons, it seems the idea of finishing mediocre has been the ideology of Charlie Weis and coaching staff. Not typically ideal for such a prominent university with a rich football history.

In Notre Dame’s most recent loss, as of press time, the Fightin’ Irish were humiliated at home by the Connecticut Huskies 33-30. First off, congratulations to the young Connecticut team. They was able to march into Notre Dame and ultimately win the contest.

But in all due respect, how did this happen? Weis knew going into the game that this was a must win—not only for the team to further their chances at a better bowl game, but actually needed for Weis to be considered worth keeping as a coach. It seems as if Weis does not believe in his group of players. He appears to be content with finishing with an average of 7 wins per year and calling it quits. Weis has been given the opportunity to coach the nation’s top recruits but does absolutely nothing to elicit these talented recruits.

And you have to feel poorly about all of the top prospects who came through Notre Dame not receiving a full coaching experience. I can’t help but wonder what Brady Quinn, Jeff Samardzija, Ryan Harris, Darius Walker, Maurice Stovall and other Weis-era stand-outs would have become had they been coached better.

However, one thing is for certain: Notre Dame has to decide if Weis is worth keeping. Hopefully, Notre Dame will see that Weis has put a damper on both the university’s football program as well as on the players themselves.

QuickHits Achievements

• Senior linebacker Steve Perillo was named M.V.P. by his teammates for the 2009 football season. Perillo will be honored at the after-season football banquet on December 6.

• Laicee Pierce placed third at the girls’ cross country semi-state meet.

• Girls head soccer coach Chris Mikrut was named a district representative by the Indiana Soccer Coaches Association.

15

Girls’ season underway; boys’ open up season tomorrow

By Hunter McKee sports editor The boys’ swim team will kick off their season against Chesterton tomorrow, those of which coming off a state championship title.

“Chesterton lost Bill Bass (state champion in 500 yard freestyle in 08,09) so we have a leg up on them in distance swimming,” senior captain Josh Glass said.

Going into the first meet, junior distance swimmer Blake Yeager feels confident that he will place in the 200 yard freestyle as well as the 500 yard freestlye.

“Last year I started to slowly catch up to him [Bill Bass], but now I feel that I have a better chance to place and get better times than Chesterton does.” Yeager said.

A win against Chesterton does not look to be likely, however, Glass beleives if everyone steps up a knotch, they have a shot to “If we could get our second and third swimmers to step up, we could have a slight chance to compete with Chesterton.” Glass said.

Going into the first meet, junior distance swimmer Blake Yeager, feels confident that he will place in distance swimming.

The boys’ team is coming off of a thriteenth place finish at

PHOTO BY J. NEJMAN

Junior Marcus Trybula works on his long distance swimming during a practice. The boys’ team starts their season against Chesterton on December 1. The girls are 1-1 on the season. last year’s state meet. However, the Bulldogs lost two seniors, who were key contributors in the team’s success.

“We did lose Matt (Kukurugya) and Brendan (Morin), but we have some promising freshman that could help us out,” Glass said.

As for the girls, they are two

meets into the season, as of press time. Last Tuesday, November 24, the Lady Bulldogs traveled to Michigan City were they were able to overcome to Wolves by a score of 123-49.

Like the boys’, the girls also graduated three important seniors, who were key in their success the previous year.

“It’s going to be hard without them this year because they were all great swimmers, but we knew that they would have to eventually graduate. Though they were great team members, we do plan to step it up and do what we need to do. We still have a great team,” senior captain Angela Roberts said.

CP’s Adam Nowak earns manager position on IU’s basketball team

By Hunter McKee sports editor As student-managers travel off to college to continue their respected sport, often times they are forgotten when their spot on the high school team is replaced.

Adam Nowak [class of 2009], in contrast, has made news after being deemed manager at a collegiate level for Indiana University.

Following his three years on the men’s varsity basketball squad for coach Clint Swan, Nowak decided to continue his managing experience. Now in his freshman year at Indiana University-Bloomington, Nowak has earned himself a managing position on the 2009-2010 men’s basketball team.

“When I arrived at Indiana University, I went to the men’s basketball office in Assembly Hall and put my name on the call out list to be a manager,” Nowak said.

“Not too long after I signed up, I received a phone call from one of the older managers who said that there was going to be a call out

Then senior Adam Nowak works on stats during a home game last season. Nowak now attends Indiana University were he received a managing job. meeting,” he added.

During the call out meeting, all of the applicants competing for the manager’s position were able to sign up for an interview.

However, out of forty-some candidates, the Indiana University men’s basketball program only kept six.

“I went to my interview

dressed in a shirt and tie and I brought the stat book that coach Swan and I had made about Spike Albrecht,” he said. “I truthfully believe that my edge in getting the job over the forty-some other applicants was my experience and knowledge about statistics.”

Past mentors of Nowak are not surprised that he was able to receive the position.

“Adam became the manager at IU because he is extremely qualified, dedicated, motivated, and enthusiastic,” English teacher and JV girls basketball coach Allison Malloy said. “Adam always dreamt of being the manager for the men’s team, and he worked extremely hard to make that dream a reality.”

In preparation for the interview Malloy spent time coaching Adam on what she calls a “what to expect” seminar.

“I coached him on potential questions, what he should bring, how he should present himself both in appearance and demeanor,” Malloy said. “I encouraged

Boys Basketball Boys basketball opened up their season at home against Hanover Central on Saturday. Results were unavailable at press time.

Junior Spike Albrecht is the leading returning scorer and rebounder. Seniors on the team are Scooter Jacobus and Tony Patrick.

“Our goal so far is to get better everyday, we cannot have any wasted practices,” head coach Clint Swan said.

The ‘Dogs belong to a tough conference; however, Swan believes that his team can compete with the rest.

“Physically we should be able to keep up, but experience-wise we are behind.

him to be honest and let his true passion for both the program and basketball come through. His résumé speaks for itself, so all he had to do was sell himself as a person to Mr. Crean (IU’s men’s basketball head coach) and his staff, which I’m sure wasn’t a hard sell,” Malloy said.

To keep up with the requirements of the job, Nowak spends any time outside the classroom with other teammates at Assembly Hall.

“The commitment is huge; I spend anywhere from 2 to 8 hours at Assembly Hall every day,” Nowak said.

In regards to receiving his manager position on the 20092010 Hoosiers’ basketball team, Nowak would like to thank Mrs. Malloy for her assistance.

“The most important person that helped me get this job was Allison Malloy,” Nowak said.

“Without her guidance, I would not have known how to conduct myself in the interview or what topics to focus on.”

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Senior guard Scooter Jacobus holds the ball in a scrimmage game against Munster as he prepares to pass to a fellow teammate. The team opened over the weekend and next plays at LaPorte on Friday.

Gerald M. Bradshaw www.BradshawCollegeConsulting.com Gerald_bradshaw@post.harvard.edu 219.663.3041 Crown Point, IN Educated Advice Columnist Post-Tribune

Personalities

Windfall gives creative outlet

Literary magazine led by English teacher Vince Bauters

November 30, 2009

16

Getting to know...

junior Ethan Gresham

photo by D. Casillas

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

London. It’s some place different.

English teacher Vince Bauters teaches during his first hour English 9H class. Bauters is also the adviser for Windfall, Crown Point High School’s literary magazine.

Windfall meets every Thursday in room E222 until 4 p.m.

The last issue was published in 2007.

Windfall is an open door club, which means anyone is welcome at anytime.

Send in your photography or creative writing submissions to chpswindfall@ gmail.com by Dec. 18 for your chance to be in the Windfall magazine.

By Brittany Curtis managing editor Poetry, photography, short stories, and artwork. Sound like your kind of scene?

Then you may be interested in joining Windfall.

“Windfall is a fun scene. It’s a really creative environment where students are able to express themselves. We listen to music, watch students’ slideshows where they present their photography, and talk about different topics,” Windfall sponsor Vince Bauters said.

Windfall, which is Crown Point High School’s literary magazine, includes poetry, short stories, artwork, and photography. There are over 20 students that are involved in Windfall, all with a variety of interests. Windfall works on their writing, artwork, and photography to publish at the end of the year.

“All students are invited to come to Windfall meetings. It’s low-key, but we can talk about some really powerful and emotional topics. The club is pretty much student-led, so the students decide what we talk about and what we want to do with the magazine,” Bauters said.

Bauters did not have a literary magazine like Windfall at his high school, but has always loved writing. He helped to create and edit the literary magazine at his college, Indiana University South Bend.

“We’re really lucky that we have a literary magazine at this high school, because

“

Who are three people you would love to spend a day with and why?

Katie McLaren, Joe Favia, Alexa Grzych.

They complete me.

If you could change one thing in the world what would it be?

All students are invited to come to Windfall meetings. It’s low-key, but we can talk about some really powerful and emotional topics.

I would want to make more people get involved in theater.

Name a major issue you believe teens deal with everyday.

”

- adviser Vince Bauters

there are a lot of other high schools that don’t have one,” Bauters said.

Windfall gives student a creative outlet where they are able to express themselves.

They do various activities during meetings, such as making a poem as a group line by line, each member of the club writing a line.

Windfall also has writing workshops, where a student brings in a piece of work that they have written, pass out copies or read the work aloud, and other members comment on and critique it.

“There are a lot of high school students who are looking for a creative outlet. They need a place for artistic expression, and Windfall gives students that opportunity,” Bauters said.

Windfall meets every Thursday after school in Bauters’s room, E222. Windfall aims to publish sometime in April 2010.

Peer pressure to do things that are wrong.

What is something most people don’t know about you?

I love to sing. Theatre is my thing.

What is one of your biggest fears? Why? Spiders. They creep me out.

What is your favorite type of music?

I love musical. Musicals are the only type of music I listen to.

What do you plan on doing for a living?

I want to major in musical directing and direct on a high school level.

Where do you plan on going to college?

For my first year, I’m going to Purdue Calumet, then transferring to Ball State.

Freshman Spanish student wins first at IFLTA

By Cori Novelli co-editor-in-chief

Freshman Morgan Wise poses for a picture holding her award-winning scrapbook. Wise won first place with her project at the IFLTA conference.

One of Crown Point’s own won the Creative Project Contest held at the annual Indiana Foreign Language Teachers Association conference in Indianapolis.

The conference, a two day session of constructive language workshops and meetings, holds an annual contest allowing students and foreign language teachers to showcase their own language skill projects.

At this year’s conference, freshman Morgan Wise was awarded first place for her project. Of the five categories, Wise won the Paper Project section with her Spanish scrapbook.

“It was filled with basic things of the Spanish language such as time, numbers, the alphabet, clothes and seasons,” she said.

While Wise received recognition under

the Paper Project category, other categories included A-V/Technology, Crafts and Models, Art (that involved painting, drawing, sculpting, etc.), and the Tri-fold and Poster display (maps, charts).

“

I was happy and proud of [the project] but definitely shocked that I won.

- freshman Morgan Wise

”

Judging took place between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. while Wise waited for the results.

“I wasn’t really planning on winning,” she said.

Despite this, she claims she was de-

lighted with competition’s outcome.

“I was proud of my project, but definitely shocked that I won,” she said.

According to language teacher Linda Atwood, Wise completed the project on her own time as a form of extra credit. It was not a part of the first year Spanish class’s curriculum.

“I thought it would be a fun, easy way to earn points,” Wise said.

Regarding her student’s achievement, Atwood also claims that she’s very pleased.

“I’m so proud of her initiative and creativity,” she said.

Atwood also received some recognition for her award as French teacher of the year at the lunch/meeting.

Despite the overall success, Wise is unsure of her plans for next year’s conference.

“I think I might do something again next year; I haven’t decided yet,” she said.