Inklings

IN K [ ] L I N G S

Crown Point High School Crown Point, IN @InklingsCPHS October 31, 2019 Vol. 84 Issue 2

Read about haunted house workers

Learn about adopting from local animal shelters

Read about the student section leader

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A S mple Dance team holds stem cell drive to help cure blood cancer

BY EMMA FRANK HALEY THORNBERRY associate editor advertising editor

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ertain forms of blood cancer can only be cured through stem cell and bone marrow transplants. The varsity dance team teamed up with The Gift of Life Registry to get more people involved by holding a stem cell drive. If anyone who participated in the drive is a match, they will be asked to donate. Head coach and chemistry teacher, Chloe Hoffman, elaborates on what this event meant to the team.

“One of our dance moms was diagnosed with blood cancer at the end of last season. Her daughter wanted to do something to help raise awareness and possibly find a donor for her mother who will eventually require a transplant,” Hoffman said. “Even if we find a donor for one person that will be a huge accomplishment as it is very difficult to find a match.”

Although the team’s donor drive was a short event, they still found success in their mission.

“The donor drive was a two day event. During the school day one Friday and at a home football game one Friday,” Hoffman said. “I think we had around 150 people swab their cheeks and fill out the registration card.”

The Gift of Life Marrow Registry Content and Communications Coordinator Karen Newcombe provides information on the process after the drive takes place.

One way a donation can be made is through stem cells.

SWAB

Stem cells can be found in blood platelets. According to Newcombe, this is a popular form of donation.

“Stem cells are collected from the blood through a process similar to donating platelets, and make up about 85 percent of all donations. Blood goes from a line in one arm through the apheresis machine which collects the needed stem cells, and the remaining blood is returned to the donor through a line in the other arm,” Newcombe said.

“The process takes four to six hours.”

Another way donations take place is through bone marrow collection.

Both stem cells and bone marrow naturally regenerate within a few weeks.

“Bone marrow collection only takes one to two hours while the donor is under general anesthesia, and makes up 15 percent of donations, most often for pediatric patients. The doctor collects the marrow from the iliac crest of the hip bone using a syringe,” Newcombe said. “Donors go home after both processes and are able to go to work or school within one to two days.

Bone marrow donors may experience achiness in their back for several days.”

Newcombe wants to emphasize how simple the donation process is.

“The most important message to get across is that you can save a life while sitting in a comfy chair watching a movie for a few hours. A healthy person aged 18 to 35 can join the registry in just two minutes with a quick swipe of a cotton swab inside their cheek,” Newcombe said. “Donating is no more scary or painful than giving blood platelets. Donating stem cells or bone marrow is an outpatient procedure, you go home once you’re done, and you can go to work the next day.”

The process of finding a match is extremely difficult. Newcombe describes why this is and explains who would most likely be a match for those in need.

“For a transplant to be suc-

multi-racial

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cessful, the Human Leukocyte Antigens (HLA) tissue type of the donor and the recipient must match. HLA are inherited from our parents and our ancestors, which means the best chance of finding a match is with someone from the same genetic heritage – that is, either a family member or someone from the same ethnicity,” Newcombe said. “There are millions of HLA combinations, so it is not easy to find a match.”

Many factors affect whether a match is positive or not, this is why The Gift of Life Registry encourages as many people as possible to register.

“Some ethnicities have a more difficult time finding a match due to not having enough donors in the registry to provide matches for everyone in need of a transplant. For example, Hispanic and Latino patients have only a 45 percent chance of finding a matching donor, and Black and African-American patients only have a 25 percent chance of finding a matching donor,” Newcombe said. “This is due to not having enough donors in the registry to provide a wide variety of HLA types needed to match everyone.”

Senior Isaac Ventura participated in the drive by swabbing his cheek.

“I decided to do it because it was for a good cause and I knew that swab could possibly save a life. I would donate because my bone marrow or stem cells could change the life of someone forever and could save them,” Ventura said. “I want to be able to make a difference in someone’s life.”

Not all people are the same, which means that matches are hard to find. If there are more donors in the registry finding matches can possibly become easier.

“There is an incredible need for donors who can help cure blood cancer and nearly 100 other diseases. We especially need to diversify the registry so that every person can find a donor when one is needed,” Newcombe said.

Social Studies teacher, Jacob Ar-

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cannot find a matching donor continued on page 3

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NEWS INKLINGS October 31, 2019

INTHEKNOW

Blood drive motivates donors to become more involved, save lives

Learning Commons offers carnival-themed reading raffle

BY NOLAN CHASE AUBREY BANKS co-online editor reporter

Available in the Learning Commons, the “Step Right Up to an Amazing Book!” raffle is encouraging students to read books outside of what was previously required in their English curriculum.

This raffle requires that students read one book and then they are able to enter the raffle to win various prizes that include candy and other sweet treats. The raffle began on Oct. 9 and will end on Nov. 25.

PHOTO BY OLIVIA BUDZEVSKI Senior Annie Prasco stands in front of the “I am CP” banner which is located in the gymnasium. Other banners can be found in the fine arts wing and downstairs in the C and D hallways on the walls.

“I am CP” banners showcase all members of community

Early admission deadline quickly approaches for college applicants All seniors looking to apply for early admissions for all college applications are due Oct. 31 at 11:59 p.m.

While transcript requests were due through Naviance on Oct. 25 to be sent in on time, applications can still be submitted, but are incomplete. Seniors can either submit applications through the university or the Common Application.

For students looking to receive more postsecondary information help, contact college and careers counselor Johanna Hess.

Crown Point to host Jail Break 5k Run this weekend The annual Jail Break 5k Run will be held in Crown Point on Nov. 2 at 8:30 a.m. All proceeds of the race go towards The Old Sheriff’s House Foundation.

Those looking to compete in the race can either register the day of the race for $30 or online for $25. All runners who registered beforehand will receive a shirt and there will be various prizes awarded for the overall female and male winners as well as age group awards.

BY OLIVIA BUDZEVSKI MADELYN WHITAKER co-editors-in-chief Students may have noticed banners hanging around the school while on their way to class or practice. These four banners have been placed in various parts of the school with the words “# am CP” with the intent of students standing in as the letter “I.” Principal Russ Marcinek, along with many other contributors, developed the idea which places emphasis on providing an enhanced sense of value and belonging to those who may feel like an outcast.

“The idea for the banners revolves around the idea that we are this large high school with 3000 students and close to 200 staff members when it’s all said and done. A lot of times when you think about a big school, you worry about people getting lost in the shuffle,” Marcinek said.

“People sometimes feel like they don’t belong in such a big school and it could be for a number of reasons, but we want to make sure that people here, whether they are a staff member, a student, or even a community member, feel like they are a part of our school in some way shape or form.”

Senior Annie Prasco notes how the banners go beyond the walls of the high school. Those who tweet their pictures out with the #IamCP may find their picture on the CPHS Twitter page.

“The Crown Point High School Twitter page is tweeting them out if you tweet them. People have had positive reactions to trying to get their picture on the Crown Point Twitter and seeing that Dr. Eineman was on there and they could be.

I think all of that is a part of the ‘I am CP,’” Prasco said.

With the pictures displayed on social media, individuals can see the faces that make up the student body, faculty and staff. Assistant principal Vince Bauters highlights how the individualized approach to the banners showcases people and their role in making up a whole com-

munity.

“Mr. Marcinek has this path towards wanting to be more inclusive and let everyone have ownership over the school.

That no one feels like this is not a place for them. It’s a place for everybody,” Bauters said. “There are several different people that kind of had different ideas.

I think there’s lots of people who have ownership over the idea, not just one person, but sort of like all these ideas coming together. The idea was, everyone here is Crown Point. We’re all microcosms of the larger whole, so let’s have this little expression, ‘I am CP.’ It was lots of good conversations with lots of leaders at the school and it just got rolling.”

A main goal of the banners is to promote a more united and welcoming atmosphere among students, faculty and community members. Marcinek notes how students who transfer to the school are encouraged to begin their career here with a picture in front of the banner to show that they are now an important part of the Crown Point community.

“Any time we have a guest in the school we encourage them to take pictures and celebrate with us and we really want the banners to be a celebration for everyone that makes up Crown Point High School and there’s a lot of them,” Marcinek said. “We also think it’s fun to invite out students who transfer here to take a picture in front of it to show that they are immediately welcome and a part of our school.”

Recent transfers from the Gary school system were encouraged to take a picture in front of the banners to commence their school year at Crown Point.

Bauters comments on their reactions and adds that this symbolizes their immediate role in the community.

“They loved it and it seemed like a really good time for them to be a part of it,” Bauters said. “What better way to welcome somebody into our school than to say, literally, you are Crown Point and that starts right now.”

THINK AHEAD Nov. 3

Daylight Savings Ends Students can enjoy this extra hour of sleep as their clocks turn back an hour during the night.

Although clocks may be turned back to enjoy more sleep, there will be some daylight lost.

Nov. 11

Veteran’s Day Those who served in the United States Armed Forces, passed or living, are honored on this day for their service to the country.

Observers utilize this day to pay tribute to those who sacrifice their lives to keep the United States safe.

Nov. 14 World Diabetes Day

On this day, people raise awareness for the symptoms of diabetes, its prevention and those who suffer from it.

Nov. 15 Blood Drive Student Council will host a Blood Drive in the fieldhouse from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Having enough blood is a basic necessity for survival. Every three seconds someone new is in need of a blood transfusion. Surgery, extreme injury, diseases and blood disorders are all reasons why someone would need a blood transfusion. Blood drives are a way for people to donate blood for those who need it. On Nov. 15, Student Council will host a blood drive in the fieldhouse from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The American Red Cross takes blood from the blood drive and gives it to where blood is most needed.

Although students are encouraged to donate, there are certain requirements that must be met in order to give blood at the drive. Student Council sponsor Colleen Fano comments on the requirements that must be met in order to participate and how students can sign up for the blood drive.

“Students need to be at least 16 and have to turn in a permission slip. If 17 and older, they do not need permission,” Fano said. “Students can sign up during lunches. We encourage them to do it during a study hall and not an actual class.”

Student Council has been hosting the blood drive for over 10 years to help give back to the community and save lives. In last year’s blood drive, 130 to 150 participated. Student Council Senior Class President Maria Jeffirs explains Student Council’s motivation towards hosting the blood drive.

“Student Council’s main goal is to help others and help the school. By hosting the blood drive, we get to accomplish that. One person donating a pint of their blood can save three lives,” Jeffirs said.

Some students can donate blood easily, however, others might be nervous donating their blood for the first time. Junior Everett Bologna shares his experience with giving blood and how he dealt with his nervousness.

“Anything with a needle really intimidates me because it’s just a menacing thing. I’ve never met anyone in my life that says it’s easy to look at a needle and want that shoved into your arm and your blood gets taken out,” Bologna said. “I coped with being nervous because my friends were there to support me and it was an easier thing to do with laughter because my friend Isaac told me jokes.”

Participants in the blood drive are motivated by various ambitions. Reasons such as helping others, saving lives and contributing to the community are motivations that blood drive participants have. Senior Karleigh McClaren remarks on her own motivations for participating in the blood drive.

“I know there’s a lot of people who can’t give blood.

It makes them upset when they can’t. My blood is perfectly fine and I don’t see a reason why I shouldn’t donate blood,” McClaren said.

Like McClaren, Bologna has different motivations behind donating blood as well. Bologna also wants to save lives, but also wanted to become more involved in the Student Council.

“I wanted to do as much as I can to support the club because I feel like it’s good for both college and my life because as I take this into the real world, I can say that in high school I donated to several charitable organizations just by doing stuff in school,” Bologna said. “I’ll for sure donate to help save a life.”

Nov. 20 Fall Sports Awards

Athletes of fall sports are recognized for their dedication throughout the season. Team awards are given out as well.

Nov. 26 National Cake Day

A favorite dessert for many, cake, is appreciated on this day for its deliciousness. Observers can use this day to have an excuse to indulge in cake.

Nov. 28 Thanksgiving Americans observe this holiday to not only enjoy delicious food, but to give thanks for all that they have in their lives. Students take the day off of school to do so.

Nov. 28-29

Thanksgiving Break

Students can enjoy these two days off of school to relax and recharge for the following week. This Thursday and Friday can be used to spend time with family and to find some good Black Friday deals.

NEWS INKLINGS October 31, 2019

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Orchestra, choir pair with Valpo University program for performance

BY ERIN MULLER assistant editor Throughout October, the Advanced Orchestra and Chorale traveled to Valparaiso University to attend different activities the Valparaiso music program had prepared for the groups.

“The Crown Point High School Advanced Orchestra traveled to Valparaiso to participate in the Great Lakes Music Festival sponsored by the Confucius Institute.

This is an opportunity for our students to play and experience Chinese instruments.

It is also somewhat of a cultural exchange between our students and the Chinese musicians at the event. The students had the opportunity to try the instruments and in some cases perform in front of others with the instruments,” orchestra director Tom Reed said.

While the Chinese instruments were similar to those instruments played in the orchestra, it was still difficult to play and get used to.

“I was able to try the Erhu, the Chinese equivalent of a violin, consisting of two strings with a bow played in between these

Donor Drive

two strings. It was difficult at first because in order to play the A string (the higher string), one must put pressure away from their self, which is the opposite to how the orchestral string instruments are played,” senior viola player Michael Kowalke said.

Not only was the orchestra able to play Chinese instruments and experience the culture, but they were also able to play in front of other orchestras and receive criticism from Valparaiso University Symphony conductor.

“In addition to playing the different Chinese instruments and experimenting with the culture, the orchestra was also able to perform two of our own pieces in front of two different advanced high school orchestras, Chesterton and Portage, and get critiques from the Valparaiso University Orchestra conductor. The orchestra was able to work with the conductor prior to performing in front of the orchestras,” Reed said.

Kowalke, who is a part of the Valparaiso University Symphony Orchestra, was able to perform for the Crown Point orchestra at the event.

“My favorite part of the day had to be playing Saturday Night Waltz from Rodeo with the VU Symphony in the concert setting. Even with all of the fun and laughs shared throughout the day in sectionals, lunch, and rehearsal, playing with these orchestras brings great joy to me and this joy is revealed through the music of this single piece. It’s something that’s been a part of me for a long time, and being able to see the Chinese students play their instruments the same way I play mine, with emotion, really reaffirms what I’m trying to do with my life as a whole,” Kowalke said. “Overall, it was a really inspiring day of knowledge and passion about both Classical and Chinese music.”

Similar to the orchestra, the chorale was able to travel to the university to take part in a choral festival.

“We got on the bus and left on Saturday morning and drove down to Valparaiso. When we got there, we had a mass rehearsal, where all of the choirs that were performing that day met in the Valparaiso chapel and sang through the big ending number,” senior Paige Lichnerowicz said.

“Then after the rehearsal we had lunch in one of the Valpo cafeterias, and then we had the concert.

The concert consisted of multiple different choirs from all around the area singing their own individual songs then one all together at the end.

“Our choir sang ‘Let There Be’, and we also sang a song called ‘Sunrise Carol,’ which is such a beautiful song. In the concert at the end, all of the choirs sang their own individual songs in front of the audience and then sang a song with all of the choirs at the end,” Lichnerowicz said.

For Lichnerowicz, the festival was a way for her to catch up with some of her friends from different schools she knows through community theatre.

“My favorite part of the day was seeing a lot of my friends from different schools who are in their schools choir. All of the surrounding schools in the area went, so it was kind of like a big reunion for me with my friends. I also loved the concert portion of the day because all of the songs sounded so beautiful in the chapel,” Lichnerowicz said.

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cella, decided to partake in the drive because he understands the impact it could have on many lives.

“I decided to do the swab because it seemed like a good cause. Being a father and seeing how it could really change somebody’s life really persuaded me to do something,” Arcella said.

According to Newcombe these transplants do not ensure that the patient is cured, however it gives them a higher chance of survival.

“For patients with cancer, medical professionals do not refer to them as being cured, but as having a probability of survival,” Newcombe said. “For example, the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research reports that the three-year survival probability of Acute Myeloid Leukemia patient receiving an HLA-matched transplant from an unrelated donor during the early stage of the disease is 59 percent.”

Besides having a match there can be other complications, like timing, that affect transplants.

“Like all medical processes, transplants are very complicated. The patient has to be at a point where they can receive a transplant, and the donor has to be in good health and able to donate at exactly the time when they are needed,” Newcombe said. “These conditions do not always align perfectly.”

Junior Hayley Brownd was not old enough to participate in the drive, but since she is apart of the dance team she was able to promote the cause.

“It feels great knowing that I potentially helped someone. I’m happy that I could possibly make a difference in someone’s life,” Brownd said. “I feel like it is not talked about as much because it is a more rare type of cancer.

There are more cases of breast cancer than blood cancer, which is why it’s not as talked about as much.”

Ventura had very little prior knowledge of this type of drive until he participated in the one held at school.

“I think it is raising awareness because it’s educating people and it’s giving people an opportunity to make a difference in someone’s life,” Ventura said.

The CEO of the Gift of Life Registry himself had received a bone marrow transplant and defeated leukemia.

“When he was diagnosed with leukemia in 1991, Gift of Life Marrow Registry founder and CEO Jay Feinberg was told he would need a bone marrow transplant to survive, but he had no matching donor in the registry and was unlikely to find one,” Newcombe said. “His family and friends started a grassroots movement to save his life, adding more than 60,000 donors who were tested at drives that spanned the globe. They found matches for hundreds of patients awaiting transplant, but not Jay. As his health deteriorated, one last hopeful drive was held. The drive was packing up at the end of the day when one more volunteer asked to be tested.

She turned out to be Jay’s perfect match. He received a successful transplant in 1994 at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington.”

The personal experiences of Feinberg drives the passion of his company.

“Feeling that no one should have to search for four years to find a donor, Jay and his family dedicated their lives to a new mission: to ensure that every patient in need of a transplant is able to find a matching donor when one is needed. One single act of kindness by Jay’s donor has now saved the lives of thousands of patients, and given hope to their families and their communities. You, too, carry that

power to save a life within you,” Newcombe said.

The simple act of swabbing a cheek can change another person’s life.

“Gift of Life’s donors are excited and thrilled when they get the call that they are a match that they say it’s like winning the lottery,” Newcombe said. “Not only do they get to save someone’s life, it makes a huge difference in their own life to know they helped someone so profoundly.”

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

I believe it depends on the certain amount of nicotine and what kind of vape device they were using. If you like vaping and you don’t want to die, do it less often and put the nicotine percentage down.

The Justice Department is proposing that they begin to collect DNA samples from immigrants crossing the border.

Federal officials say that it will be used to help authorities fight crime.

Nation

Area

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State

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They shouldn’t be using that money on brick intersections. If they put towards things like the Bulldog Park that that’s good go for it, but otherwise don’t waste money on stupid things that don’t matter like brick Breanna Hume intersection. senior

Indiana health officials have reported three vaping related deaths since Sept. 6 in Indiana. The residents had severe lung injuries caused linking to their use of vape products.

Maranda Williams sophomore

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Protests have been going n since June in Hong Kong. The proposals of the extradition laws sparked the protests because the citizens of Hong Kong fear that this law will be used to target political enemies.

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World

Crown Point’s city council recently approved the budget for 2020. The budget is increasing from 31.9 million dollars to 34.6 million dollars.

It sounds like a good idea but I don’t know how keen the immigrants would be on this. I feel like they would think it’s too much and invasive.

Michael Drohosky freshman

I feel like what is going on is awful. China is a horrible country and we don’t need companies like Activision and Blizzard supporting them enslaving human beings who are suffering in Hong Kong because of Adam Suleiman China. junior

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OPINION INKLINGS October 31, 2019

COLUMN

COLUMN

The environment should not be a partisan issue

Mental illnesses cannot be used as adjectives

BY ALEXANDRA SULEWSKI co-editor-in-chief

BY OLIVIA BUDZEVSKI co-editor-in-chief

With the election of 2020 coming closer and closer into view, democratic candidates poised and ready to replace Trump as president continue to bring up the one issue that Trump seems to ignore the severity of: the state of the environment. Despite the welfare of the environment being a largely influential topic that applies to every single person living on this earth, it quickly becomes a partisan issue when discussing how to handle it.

Joe Biden’s campaign, for example, promises to strive towards a 100 percent clean energy economy, while Trump has been reducing some of the regulations placed to preserve the environment. While being completely clean is a somewhat unrealistic expectation, at least there is some hope of trying to reduce the effect that industrialization has had on the planet.

Undoubtedly, it would be costly for any significant change to be made. Oil and other fuel companies would likely react poorly to tighter restrictions, as this would make it harder for business. How much these factors are valued in comparison to the environment is one of the main reasons for ignoring the problem. In order to make more educated opinions on this, however, there needs to be an open conversation with people of all political beliefs. Whether or not someone votes the same way should not limit the validity of their argument, nor how much they are worth listening to.

I am in no way defending the democratic party, nor bashing the republican party.

Both sides have flaws in their approaches. However, it is not an issue of picking a side, but rather understanding that this is an issue that transcends politics.

Political affiliation should not have an effect on whether or not someone supports efforts to lessen our impact on the earth.

Ignorance in order to appease businesses only helps a select few, whereas coming together to find more sustainable solutions helps everyone.

The world that we create affects the many generations of people that will live here long after we are gone. Billions of people will have to live in the world that we have left them as a result of our actions. Choosing whether to be more careful with those actions, or to follow a more reckless path makes all the difference.

A common issue that weighs down the youth of today’s society is mental illness. This topic bears a heavy and sensitive response. Even still, some people either intentionally or unintentionally cross the line when discussing it.

Mental illnesses and disorders are not and will never be adjectives. You cannot be “so OCD.” You cannot “look anorexic.” You cannot just label someone as “bipolar.” These are just a few ways that people misuse these terms. It happens so often that it is unfortunately overlooked. Most people don’t stop to think about how what they are saying can affect individuals with those illnesses.

These conditions along with many others can be painful, intolerable, stressful, exhausting and harmful. You cannot describe someone as looking or being a specific mental disorder.

Anorexia, for example, comes in many different forms and its physical impact varies for every person who is going through it. One person may be struggling with an eating disorder but it isn’t as visually identifiable. There’s a common misconception that individuals dealing with this issue are thin, but that is not the case for everyone.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder has more to it than this stereotyped desire for cleanliness. It can be intrusive thoughts and torturous habits and counting and tapping and washing. Not every person with this disorder is going to be bothered by a crooked picture frame or a messy room. Its severity and specificity differs from person to person.

Bipolar Disorder isn’t just a matter of being happy one moment and sad the next. There are more complex mental aspects to it. It involves enduring a manic phase for a period of time and then entering a depressive phase. These phases could last weeks or months.

By using these conditions as adjectives, you essentially demean the individuals who are actually diagnosed with them. It can also be triggering to a person who is in recovery or trying to manage the symptoms of their mental health issues.

There is more to a person than their mental illness. There’s also more to mental illness than another person may think. As much as a mental illness does not define someone, it cannot describe someone either.

CARTOON BY ERIN MULLER

Advocation of all illnesses should be great emphasized; many disesases go unrecognized EDITORIAL

When the month of October begins, sports teams integrate pink into their uniforms and some people even add a pink ribbon to their outfit for all 31 days. People become more informed about breast cancer and collectively America shows great support for those with breast cancer as well as finding a cure.

Despite how amazing the support is throughout the month of October, many do not know that March is National Endometriosis Awareness month or that November is National Alzheimer’s Disease Awareness Month. Some illnesses tend to be overshadowed by others who receive more media exposure.

Other illnesses deserve to receive the support that Americans are able to give. No diseases should be a struggle when it comes to recognizing them. It can be as simple as researching a fact about it or donating your extra change to a foundation that helps those suffering. If the media were to share survival stories for a variety of illnesses, it could advocate for those to have greater support.

Although the abundance of support for the better known illnesses shouldn’t decrease, the awareness of and for ones that are less recognizable should be given more awareness and support. With more recognition, comes a greater determination and motivation for prevention.

Often times, people see small percentages and believe that it is unlikely for them to get that illness or disease. With more awareness for the less known illnesses, people are able to expand their knowledge and take preventative action by knowing symptoms in order to be able to know when something is wrong.

Lack of awareness can be dangerous to one’s health, as it leads to worsening outcomes and the possibility of finding out the cause of your symptoms too late.

By bringing attention to illnesses that are less talked about, there is more of a chance that those in the know will be more apt to get checkups and screenings in order to prevent getting any of these illnesses. Investing time into learning more about diseases helps those interested not only prevent themselves from getting any sickness, but also helps to empower others to become more knowledgeable in order to help improve disease awareness.

SPEAKUP

Alannah Dugan freshman

“Skin cancer because my family members are prone (to skin cancer and bone marrow cancer) and I just want to find a cure.”

Which illness do you feel it is important to raise awareness for and why?

Eliza Surdzial sophomore

“Social anxiety is important because people think that people just don’t want to go up or are shy when it is an actual thing where your body reacts to the situation.”

Jack Philbin junior

“Probably STDs and other sexually transmitted diseases because so many kids are active nowadays.

It’s so prominent in today’s society that its important to spread awareness for.”

Nick Taborski senior

“I would say anxiety and depression. A lot of kids suffer from that in high school and if they were to get help with it they could focus more on school.”

OPINION

INTHEIR

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5

INKLINGS October 31, 2019

Should the media be more conscious of how they portray violence?

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Crown Point High School, IN

Vol. 84 Issue 2 - October 31, 2019 1500 S. Main St. Crown Point, IN 46307 219-663-4885 ex. 11349 fax 219-662-5663 inklings@cps.k12.in.us online: www2.cps.k12.in.us/inklings

Carissa Mollet sophomore

PRO: “Extremely

violent stuff shouldn’t be there.

It can give people ideas of what they should do. Even if they don’t realize it, it can influence thinking.”

CARTOON BY ABIGAIL GODSEN

Angelina Valente

junior “In most CON: shows that are targeted towards an average age, as long as they have some sort of warning they don’t need to limit it.”

Amy Berchem teacher PRO: “I think that if researchers find that this kind of media is damaging to the public, then I think that kind of content should not be available.”

PRO: Normalization of violent mass fatalities, terrorism should be prevented, altered

BY ANDREW POESCHL co-online editor With the recent release of “Joker, ” the debate on whether the media should be more sensitive or not while portraying violence has become more prominent than it ever has. While most people probably won’t perform an act of terror because they watched a movie or played a video game with guns in it, there are still people who aren’t totally stable who may. Most people do have limits and won’t be influenced to kill people because of something so trivial, but these aren’t the people that others should be concerned about. The problem with such media is the trivialization of mass murder. Making the actions of terrorists so normalized and commonplace only makes these tragedies less taboo. With these events being so common in media the idea becomes significantly easier to carry out.

Games such as “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2,” where players participate in shooting up a public airport, or “Rainbow Six Siege,” where the player can play as a member of a team of terrorists, perpetuates the normal-

ization of such attacks and even glorifies the people who carry them out. This kind of portrayal could cause people to start thinking of shootings as not that bad and maybe even leading them to think that the terrorists aren’t as horrible as they truly are.

Another problem is whenever a major shooting occurs, the press gives the shooter a large amount of publicity by showing their face and name everywhere, glorifying a person who thinks they are a martyr and making others of similar mindsets more willing to go through with similar actions. When a shooting takes place, the media should focus more on the victims and less on the shooter, the glorification of the shooters could be reduced and thus prevent future tragedies.

While the violence in the media is not causing people to go out and commit mass murder because there were guns in it, it is undeniable that some games are certainly a contributing factor. Though most people aren’t affected by such things, there are still some people who are, and if left unchecked, the media will continue to lead others down this path.

CON: Violence in media is not the cause of

violent actions, other factors involved

BY JOHN JORDEN reporter Matthew Barno teacher “It’s more on CON: the consumer side. As a free enterprise and as a free market companies should be able to dictate the products that they are selling.

If more violence is what sells then it’s on the consumers side to change that.”

WHATWE

THINK PRO: 16 Inklings Staffers CON: 9 Inklings Staffers

Changing how the media portrays violence won’t do anything to prevent mass shootings. The answer is not as simple as some may realize. There are actually multiple variables that need to be taken into consideration.

First of all, every killer has their own motive for their actions, many of them being very specific and having little to nothing to do with the media itself. Dylan Roof shot people at a black church because he was a white supremacist and thought that he was “saving the white race.”

Elliot Rodger killed six people in Isla Vista because he spent his entire life without a girlfriend despite believing that he was a “supreme gentleman.” Columbine shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold went to Columbine High School and shot 13 people because they hated school, jocks and those who they believed outcasted them. While some of these people did play violent video games or watch violent movies, they had little to nothing to do with their motives. In fact, the Columbine shooters took a lot more inspiration from the Nazis in World War II. Second, experts have shown that there is very little connection to real-world violence and violent video games themselves, including Andrew Przybylski, an associate professor from Oxford University who studies digital media. These experts studied the correlation

between the usage of violent video games and increase in aggressive behavior. They studied this in several different countries, and the only country where these two factors even shared any consistency was in the United States. Even then, researchers point out that these increases in aggression are almost always very small, and far from aggressive enough to even think about committing a mass shooting. If anything, further research found that crime rates actually lowered during weeks after popular video games being released. Experts concluded that rather than motivating young people to commit acts of violence, these games actually decreased real-world violence by enabling people to release their aggressions into video games instead of real people. While it is true that video games only make up a portion of the media, it is very likely that a study involving violent movies and TV shows would have very similar results.

Overall, it isn’t as simple as people think it is. Changing how the media portrays violence is not the solution we are looking for. In reality, this solution will have little to no effect on the rate of real-life violence. Not only do the motives of today’s most infamous mass shooters have nothing to do with the media itself, but experts have even proven that there isn’t a link between violence in the media and violence in real life. We have to search for the real solution by finding other factors with a stronger link to real-life violence.

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

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

Advertising is subject to applicable rates available by contacting Inklings.

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

co-editors-in-chief Olivia Budzevski Alexandra Sulewski Madelyn Whitaker associate editor Emma Frank assistant editors Emily Helmuth Erin Muller sports editors Elizabeth Gonzalez Noah Thomas assistant sports editor Jackson Hillman online editors Nolan Chase Andrew Poeschl advertising editors Haley Thornberry Holly Wagner staff Aubrey Banks Keeley Bernard Samuel Brewer Emily Briseno Rosalie Degenhart Abigail Godsen Holly Jorden John Jorden Kristian Maunes Avery O’Brien Cooper Vickers Allyson Zdanowicz adviser Julie Elston

6

experiencing life beyond the building

FEATURE INKLINGS October 31, 2019

i ON

LI FE

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY JUSTIN BIESZCZAK, ASHLEY BURANDT AND MADDIE CULBRETH

Senior Justin Bieszczak takes his place before scaring visitors as a jack-in-the-box. Junior Ashley Burandt bends over on the floor as a part of her character’s role in the haunted house. Senior Maddie Culbreth poses in her deadly doll costume. Each of these students have different costumes and parts to play in the haunted attractions that they work in. They obtain volunteer hours in exchange for their participation.

Haunted Happenings Local haunted attractions offer chance for acting involvement, entertaining visitors

BY OLIVIA BUDZEVSKI co-editor-in-chief The lights are dim, expectations are high and adrenaline is coursing through.

While the energy of a haunted house can certainly be experienced by the visitors, it can also be felt by the workers. With the establishment of many local haunted attractions, there’s an opportunity for individuals to become involved behind the scenes.

Junior Ashley Burandt has been a part of a haunted attraction many times in the past. She has found herself returning to it even after being unable to participate for a few years.

“I work at the Cedar Lake museum haunt,” Burandt said. “I’ve done this before back in eighth grade and seventh grade. Then I never had the chance to, but I did it this year.”

Burandt is familiar with the rush that comes with working in a haunted house.

She describes it as the most enjoyable part.

“I think my favorite part would be scaring people because you get the adrenaline kicking in your system,” Burandt said.

“You know that you’re going to end up scaring them and they don’t know what’s gonna happen.”

Like Burandt, senior Maddie Culbreth has been involved in the same program for quite some time. Both students have contributed to the haunt located in Cedar Lake.

“I have been doing this for five years.

This particular haunt, this charity organization, started in Hanover,” Culbreth said.

“I used to do a lot of work with Hanover and I went through one year, and I fell in

BY #

THE

love with it. Then, I found out that I could work there. So, next year, I went and I auditioned for a highlight role and I immediately got it.”

Senior Justin Bieszczak has been a part of a different haunt for the same amount of time.

“I work at the Criminally Insane Haunted House on Main Street right off the square,” Bieszczak said. “I’ve been working there for five years. After this year, (it) will be my sixth.”

Depending on the location, workers may receive money or volunteer hours in exchange for their participation.

“We have volunteer meetings and anybody who works for it, even behind the scenes, they get volunteer hours,” Burandt said. “There really is no fee or anything, you even get a free t-shirt if you want it.

If you wanted to, you could get whatever your character is on your back and then they’ll have the actual logo on the front.”

Bieszczak also acknowledged that workers receive volunteer hours as a result of engaging in the tasks expected of his haunt.

I volunteer and so does everyone else that works there,” Bieszczak said. “We all just enjoy scaring the dentures off of people multiple times, so it’s a perfect place for fun for us and people going through.”

When it comes to the activities that being a haunted house worker entails, acting is a large part of the process. As there are many elements that can be organized by the workers, Culbreth notes the aspects that she is responsible for.

“I am the deadly doll. I am typically the only one in my room,” Culbreth said.

1,200

Around haunted house attractions in the U.S.

“If I have another person in my room, it’s a victim. I am also an actor trainer and a design specialist.”

When one decides to begin working in such an event, there are several responses and reactions to be prepared for. Culbreth recalls some of the high-risk behaviors she has had to look out for over time. “(A challenge would be) most definitely people getting defensive, and I mean violently defensive,” Culbreth said.

“We’ve had people take swings. I’ve actually been hit before, which I kind of take it as a compliment because it means they’re scared enough of me. That, or cleanup.

People have wet themselves in my room or vomited. We’ve had people tear apart my room on accident, or even on purpose.”

The establishment of a haunted house requires the decision of a location and its development. The amount of time it takes to complete this varies among the attractions.

“When we were at Hanover, it took at least a week because we couldn’t use their walls for anything,” Culbreth said. “It was basically this big fieldhouse and we had to put up our own stuff. It’s called a ‘pallet maze.’ We build our own walls, our own ceilings, our own floors and then we just pack it up and leave it. This year, we are doing it in a building that already has walls and everything, so it’s going to be a lot different.”

Many props and decorations can be incorporated to add onto the impression of the experience. Each haunted house uses devices and equipment to assist in the portrayal of its theme.

“Preparing the haunted house is a

8,000 people attend these attractions every year on average

Between

$500 and

$800 million in ticket

sales per year

pretty long four day process. We do most of the construction work on the first day,” Bieszczak said. “We have to cover up windows, make mazes, re-route the direction the customers will be going and just make sure overall it’s a good experience and no one gets hurt from nails poking out of doors or wood. We also set up music players and electrical switches to make cool things happen throughout the haunted house, along with fog machines. That’s basically everything that goes into the haunted house we have.”

In addition to the construction of the haunted house itself, those in charge must choose what the theme will be and what characters the actors will play. The costumes and actions are dependent upon the character as well as the circumstances.

“For me, being as I was the only one to ever do this character, I got to make up pretty much all of my own stuff,” Culbreth said. “But there are things that I say more often than others because they’re more effective. Some roles have a line that they’re supposed to say all the time because it lets the next few rooms know that they have to get ready. It’s like a trigger cue.”

With so much to do, these workers have a lot to consider. For Culbreth, it is hard to choose just one particular characteristic that she favors over the others.

“There are a lot of great parts. This is going to sound so odd, but I love scaring people, not because I love being terrifying,” Culbreth said. “I like being good at it. I like that I’m good at what I do and I enjoy what I do, and that people enjoy that I’m good at it. It’s a good experience.

I suggest it to people.”

80%

Over of attractions are organized by or benefit some type of charity

statistics provided by http://www.iowastatedaily.com/dct/news/statistics-for-you-haunted-houses/article_4c568362-5ded-11e4-bab1-3f09a6a6af93.html

FEATURE INKLINGS October 31, 2019

7

College visits help students determine post secondary plans

BY EMILY HELMUTH assistant editor As students progress through high school, questions like ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ and ‘Where do you want to go to college?’ are asked more often.

In recent years, college has become a more common post high school plan. One of the issues for students who want to go to college face is deciding which college to go to, as there are hundreds of options.

According to college and career counselor Johanna Hess, it is never too soon to go on a college visit.

“You can start really anytime in high school,” Hess said. “Junior year is kind of a nice time to go visit because you get a better feel for what you’re wanting to do, but you can really visit at any point. You can still visit senior year if you’ve already applied, but usually try to do it earlier before the applications go in.”

Senior Cat Padilla says she is no stranger to college visits, having officially visited three campuses. Padilla says choosing a school is no easy task, as she originally had a variety of options.

“I was looking at three to four colleges, mainly in Indiana,” Padilla said. “I was also looking at the University of Alabama because it has a good program for my major and I like the area the school is in. I also thought it would be nice to go somewhere different from most people.”

Hess believes students who are seriously considering specific colleges should visit the campuses to help narrow down the list of options.

“You aren’t going to visit every school that you’ve ever looked at, but if you’re seriously considering a school as a contender, ideally you would visit that campus,” Hess said. “It is really nice to be able to

PHOTO BY EMILY HELMUTH Indiana University, located in Bloomington, is one among dozens of in-state colleges that offers over 100 undergraduate majors in a variety of subjects for students to choose from. IU has the largest student body size in the state of Indiana with a population of over 40,000 students, 70% of whom are in-state residents.

set foot on the campus before you actually but give it time and if you’re not feeling decide to enroll there to get a feel for how comfortable, that’s probably a good red everything operates there.” flag that that isn’t Senior Geno Christoa campus that fits fanelli used a strategy like for you.”

To me, the most Hess’ to decide which Padilla says important thing that school in his list of options during her visits I learned about when she used this adhe wanted to apply to. visiting colleges is pic- vice to help nar“To me, the most important thing that I learned row down her turing yourself there about when visiting coland thinking, ‘Can I see options down to leges is picturing yourself one or two colmyself here for four there and thinking, ‘Can leges. or more years?’

I see myself here for four “I think the senior Geno Christofanelli or more years?’” Christomost important fanelli said. thing I took Hess has a similar belief to Christo- away from my college visits that made fanelli, as she feels that one of the most me want to attend was the opportunities important factors in choosing a college is the college was able to give me,” Padilla being comfortable and feeling safe. said. “Not only for my program, but also “It’s important to have a good feel on for factors such as studying abroad because campus,” Hess said. “It needs to be some- I have always wanted to do that even with where that you feel safe, that you feel wel- the major I have chosen, which is really come, that you feel secure staying there for amazing.” four years, and there is a lot of things that Christofanelli, after visiting and lookgo into that. So if you are walking around ing at several colleges to see which one fit campus and you’re getting a feeling of not the best, chose Purdue University and plans feeling safe on that campus, or that it just to study business at the Krannert School of doesn’t feel right, then you just need to Management. Christofanelli believes he trust your instincts on that. Don’t make a has a simple reason for choosing Purdue. snap judgement when you first get there, “Purdue connected with me the most

‘‘

and made me feel more at home than the other schools,” Christofanelli said. “It just felt right.”

Besides feeling at home on campus, Hess feels it is also important for students to make sure that the schools they are considering have the major that they want to study and that they are also affordable for them.

“If they don’t offer the major that you’re wanting or if they don’t offer classes similar to what you want to study, that’s a big red flag,” Hess said. “The graduation job placement rate can also be a red flag, so if those are low, you might want to ask some questions as to why students aren’t graduating on time or why they’re not getting job placement to clarify some of that.

You should also be looking at financial aid and scholarships. If you’re looking at going on to graduate school, medical school or law school, you can ask questions about trajectory for students that are looking to that route.”

Students who are interested in planning college visits can schedule group visits or one-on-one visits through the official websites of schools they are interested in.

Students are also allowed up to three excused absences per school year to go on college visits.

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8

FEATURE INKLINGS October 31, 2019

Setting the Scene

Fall play crews prepare stage, cast for opening night

BY ALEXANDRA SULEWSKI HOLLY JORDEN co-editor-in-chief reporter Before the play can start and the curtains rise, students on crew spend hours a week hanging lights, building sets and sewing costumes in order to make everything a reality.

In order to create the scene in which the play will take place, the set painting and construction crews work together to produce and maneuver the set pieces that will make up the backdrop. Junior Jonah Peterson, who is a member of the construction crew, says that this play only requires one set.

“All in all set construction builds the set necessary for the production,” Peterson said. “For some productions there may be large moving pieces that need to move during the show but for the play we are currently working on there is only one set with a couple surprises.”

Prior to construction, the play must be thoroughly researched in order to achieve an accurate portrayal of the show. According to theatre teacher and director Kit Degenhart, a lot of work needs to be put in long before the first crew session starts.

“A lot of thought is put into the look and the feel of the show,” Degenhart said. “We had a little bit of flexibility on this one, not a lot, but we probably had a three decade span we could have selected from. Then we decide scenically what is required from the script and what are we going to do to add to it.”

Once the set pieces have been made, they are painted and decorated to fit the setting. Senior Maria Jeffirs, this year’s paint crew chief, describes all that her role entails.

“In paint, we have to paint the set and any props that might need it. Every aspect of the set has to be painted and painted correctly, so being apart of paint crew is a big job,” Jeffirs said. “Since I am paint crew chief, I get to assist the directors in the colors we pick and the designs we might use.”

Not only must the set match the theme of the play, but also the clothes and makeup worn by the cast. Senior Erin Tien says that her role on the costume and makeup crew involves maintaining organization and helping style wigs.

“I do a lot of keeping track of when orders come in, like taking inventory. I do braiding for wigs, hair for shows and

mainly lists and organization,” Tien said.

“I do makeup when it’s needed, but I tend to stick more with hair and organization.”

Costume preparation continues all the way up until the night before the show.

Tien checks everything over to ensure that all alterations are made before the actors get on stage.

“We take all of the costumes out to make sure that everything is okay,” Tien said. “If there were any issues the night before, like something ripped, we’ll take care of it before the show and make sure that everything is in pristine condition.”

Another aspect that must be set up prior to the show is the lighting and sound. This must be adjusted and checked during the work sessions. After ensuring that everything is able to be reached, the crew must follow a blueprint to achieve the right lighting. Junior Rocco Jann says that this map allows more work to get done.

“First and foremost we have to make sure everything is organized and accessible. That’s what we do at the first crew session,” Jann said. “From there on we take a lot of inventory and start getting sound effects together. Once we get the lighting plot that tells us where to put the lights and how to aim them, we do the bulk of the work.”

To spread the word about the show, the publicity crew visits various businesses to hang up posters. Senior Madelyn Schiesser, a part of this crew, explains that this and selling ads are their most important goals.

“One of the main things that publicity crew does is ad blitzes, where we go around town to local businesses and surrounding towns sometimes too, and we ask them ‘hey, would you like to put an ad in our program, or even maybe hang up a poster for our show,’” Schiesser said.

In addition to advertising the event, the publicity crew also sells tickets, works the box office and directs people to their seats during the play.

Overseeing all of the crews are the stage managers. One of the current stage managers, senior Emma Beckman describes the role as being detail-oriented.

“I attend every single rehearsal that they have. Any time anything happens on stage, whether a character moves or a set piece moves or a sound effect, a lighting cue, I write everything down,” Beckman said.

“So my binder has every single thing that happens at every single moment during that show. My job is to keep track of it and

Light and Sound

Views on Crews

‘‘

Sometimes people think hanging up lights can’t be too hard, but there’s a lot of elements that go into it.

junior Rocco Jann

PHOTO BY ALEXANDRA SULEWSKI Senior Emma Beckman plugs in a light to focus it. Helping the crews is one of her jobs as stage manager.

cue other people as to when their things need to happen.”

Beckman believes that there is more to the title than telling people what to do. She acknowledges the influence that the communication among other crews has.

“It’s actually very difficult but it’s very rewarding. I don’t just tell people what to do,” Beckman said. “There’s a lot of thought and communication and a huge process that goes into it.”

The combined effort of all of the crew members is necessary to pull off the show.

Being a member of multiple crews, Jeffirs hopes that her hard work is apparent to those who watch it.

“Since I am in the cast, paint crew chief and a costume crew member, I hope people realize how much I love to be involved in theatre,” Jeffirs said. “I put in so much time and effort to help put on a great show, so I hope people realize how special it is to me and everyone else involved.”

‘‘

junior Jonah Peterson

Nov. 15, 16, 22 & 23 at 7 p.m.

Where

CPHS Auditorium

How much

$8 for students and senior citizens $11 for adults

Set Painting

Set Construction

Although you may not be on the stage, it’s a lot of fun because you’re an integral part of the show.

When

‘‘

PHOTOS BY ALEXANDRA SULEWSKI

Being able to compare where we all started and see where we ended is an incredible feeling.

senior Maria Jeffirs

FEATURE INKLINGS October 31, 2019

9

Falling into Autumn New season brings about new festivities, opportunities

BY MADELYN WHITAKER EMILY BRISENO ROSALIE DEGENHART co-editor-in-chief reporters The leaves crinkle under the feet of children running through a corn maze and the smell of changing leaves wafts through the crisp air. Pumpkins are carved and cozy clothes are layered on to keep warm while enjoying the fall festivities. Many love to take advantage of seasonal flavors and those who adore autumn are delighted to see the warm colors of the leaves changing on trees.

The changing leaves and colorful aesthetic can be utilized for various photography opportunities. Freshman Marianne Gerona, who does photography, notes how County Line Orchard was a great spot for her to take pictures with some of her friends and enjoy the autumn scenery.

“They had a lot of corn fields that you could do really cool shoots in, pumpkins, leaves, food you could also shoot with,” Gerona said. “Just a variety of fall themes and locations.”

Along with the beautiful scenery that fall provides, senior Arriel Maravilla attributes the season’s popularity to the suitable weather and festive flavors such as pumpkin flavoring.

PHOTO BY ALLYSON ZDANOWICZ Senior Isaac Ventura grabs an apple from a tree at County Line Orchard, a local orchard that has apple-picking and other seasonal fall activities.

“I think (people like the season) because of all the fall flavors like pumpkin and caramel and it’s so beautiful out with the leaves changing and the weather is just perfect, not too hot and not too cold,” Maravilla said. “All of the fall venues like apple orchards and pumpkin patches are so fun.”

Many feel that various local spots such as County Line Orchard and Kregel’s Pumpkin Patch are great spots to bring friends and enjoy the season. Sophomore Ella Harmon notes how she and her friends went to a pumpkin patch, bought donuts and picked apples together.

“When I went to the pumpkin patch last year with a few friends, it was at the County Line Orchard, and they literally have the best donuts ever,” Harmon said. “We went apple picking, pumpkins (are) always great.”

Agreeing with Maravillla, senior Toribio Tamayo notes how he feels that the weather is perfect. Additionally, Tamayo mentions that he enjoyed Halloween when he was younger.

“It’s not too hot or too cold, it’s like just the perfect weather to be outside. In summer, sometimes it gets like really hot and sweaty and you can’t really do anything.

Trick or treating’s kind of fun, back when I was younger,” Tamayo said.

Maravilla notes how fall brings back fond memories of when she was younger. She reflects on how she went to the pumpkin patch with her family and enjoyed the activities there.

“I do remember going to the pumpkin patch as a little kid and riding the horses, and there’s always this big pumpkin and you can measure your height on it,” Maravilla said. “And picking apples of course. I think every kid did that when they were younger for sure.”

Autumn Before the season ends, make the most of the beautiful scenery of autumn. You can...

Activities Utilize Local Locations for Photos Lemon Lake County Park County Line Orchard Taltree Arboretum Kregel’s Pumpkin Patch Indiana Dunes National Park

Baking Instructions

Yields: 20 cookies

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and

Prep time: 10 minutes

line two cookie sheets with a silicon

Cook time: 10 minutes

mat or parchment paper. Place granu-

Total time: 25 minutes

Crown Point Square 18.25 oz box spice cake mix 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/3 cup granulated sugar 2 large eggs 1/3 cup of vegetable oil

Recipe from thenovicechefblog.com

Templates can be purchased for $4 from Target or use one of the designs below.

lated sugar in a shallow bowl and set aside.

2) In a large bowl, combine cake mix,

Ingredients

PHOTO BY ALLYSON ZDANOWICZ Seniors Corrine and Jade Moran pose for photos taken at County Line Orchard. This location offered the Morans a variety of opportunities to have their senior pictures taken with the surrounding autumnal scenery.

Carve a Pumpkin

Make Spice Cake Cookies

oil, eggs and vanilla extract.

3) Roll one tablespoon of dough into balls and coat in granulated sugar.

Place on cookie sheets, leaving about two inches for spreading.

4) Bake for nine to 10 minutes, or until the tops have cracked and the tops look set. Let sit for five minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.

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10

FEATURE

INKLINGS October 31, 2019

Local adoption shelter vows to find all animals homes

BY EMILY BRISENO reporter Walking into a gardening store, many may be surprised to stroll to the back of the store and see a charming animal shelter with dogs and cats. Alsip Home and Nursery in Saint John is home to Cache Creek Animal Rescue. Cache Creek is a nonprofit animal rescue. The rescue is located towards the back of the store by the birds, fish and other animals.

Although it has only been at Alsip for less than a year, Cache Creek replaced some of the other rescues that were in that spot before them. Lisa Aumend is the volunteer coordinator at the rescue.

“Initially, when Alsip was first opened they did actually sell dogs, and they moved to a rescue because they thought it was more humane to do that,” Aumend said.

Dogs and cats are all up for adoption at the rescue. The four large dogs, eight cats and 10 puppies are all looking for homes.

If debating about whether a rescue animal is right to adopt, Aumend has some advice.

“First of all, rescue animals I think are the best animals. They have great personalities, and a lot of times you get a mixture of breeds which means you get a lot of cool characteristics,” Aumend said. “People should rescue instead of buying because there’s a lot of animals in shelters who end up getting euthanized because somebody bought a dog.”

Sophomore Avery Olenik adopted her

Pets

golden retriever lab mix from the rescue.

She explains how her rescued animal is different from those that can be bought from a pet store.

“They deserve a loving home and they’ve gone through a lot, so they are usually more open to a new home,” Olenik said.

‘‘

First of all rescue animals I think are the best animals. They have great personalities, and a lot of times you get a mixture of breeds which means you get a lot of cool characteristics. volunteer coordinator Lisa Aumend

These rescue dogs and cats could also be fostered before making the decision to adopt. By mid-November, a foster system should be in place through Cache Creek, so it will be easier to see if the dog or cat that you like is a right fit in your home. There is also a website with pictures and descriptions of the animals that remains fairly updated. On the site in orange text, “bonded pair” is next to two different pairs of cats.

Grace and Frankie and Stumpy and Sugar.

These cats have to be adopted into the same home together.

“Stumpy and Sugar, we think, were

Happy 2 years old

surrendered by an older adult who was going into assisted living. Stumpy and Sugar are best friends so they have to go home together because that’s how they’re happiest,” Aumend said.

Volunteers from Crown Point High School also help out around the rescue.

They complete tasks such as walking and playing with the cats and dogs.

Senior Issac Ventura volunteers at the rescue, and he enjoys spending his time there.

“Really just being with the animals because I have two dogs and I love hanging out with them, so I love doing this too,” Ventura said.

The animals are up for adoption until they all find their happy homes.

If a stray cat or dog is found without a home, local shelters and rescues take in the animals.

“There are a lot of dogs out there that are in trouble and are struggling,” Ventura said.

The dogs and cats that are in rescues all come from different backgrounds.

Some of the animals are taken in as strays or taken in by the rescue because of their owners leaving. Even though some animals have gone through a lot in their life, Ventura believes they deserve to be adopted by loving homes.

“Adopting some of them can kind of help them get back up on their feet and have faith in humans again.” Ventura said.

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8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

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SPORTS INKLINGS

11

October 31, 2019

My moment of the month...

“Rachel set me the ball and I got the (regional) winning kill. Turning to my teammates and collapsing on the floor was my favorite part.” sophomore Kyla Oppenhuis volleyball

REVIEWING THE PLAY

Staff’s Take on Sports Issues

Should NCAA athletes profit from their name, image and likeness?

7 Pro

0 Con TWITTER POLL

Was David Ross the right choice for Cubs manager?

56% YES NO

44% OUT OF 27 STUDENTS POLLED

PHOTO BY ALLYSON ZDANOWICZ Student section leader Gene Kolarik raises his hands awaiting the kickoff for the home game against LaPorte on Oct. 4. Kolarik leads chants and coordinates themes for the games.

Kolarik rallies student section into football postseason

BY JACKSON HILLMAN EMILY HELMUTH assistant sports editor assistant editor On Friday nights, high school students of all grades show up to watch the football team take on a new team each week. Several of these students sit in the student section and are led by a self titled “hype crew,” made up of senior boys. A new group is assigned to take over the crew each year, and they lead the section by starting chants and cheering when the Bulldogs score a touchdown.

This year, senior Gene Kolarik has taken over one of these leadership positions, as he assists in “hyping up” the student section and in running the official student section twitter, which informs students of information regarding the game. Kolarik says he is grateful for this opportunity and is looking forward to leading the section into the postseason.

“Taking over the student section for my senior year is more of an honor than anything. It’s been a lot of fun to go out and start a chant and see all the members of the crowd follow our lead,” Kolarik said.

According to Kolarik, lead-

ing the student section comes with The football team currently a lot of responsibility, as Kolarik holds a conference record of 4-3, believes the section plays a huge and an overall record of 5-4. They role in motivating the team. Ko- will start their postseason with seclarik feels that even though this tionals on Nov. 1 when they comyear’s section is bigger than past pete against DAC rival Lake Censections, underclassmen could be tral. Kolarik says he will continue doing more to benefit the section. to lead the student section into the “Every year you run into the postseason and believes that the same problem with freshmen Bulldogs have a good chance of within the student section, they winning sectionals again. don’t want “I really don’t to particiwant to set any expate,” KoTaking over the pectations for the larik said. student section for football team on “For me, my senior year is how far they should I see it as more of an honor go this postseason,” if they are than anything. It’s Kolarik said. “I there to been a lot of fun to go follow them very socialize out and start a chant closely because I with their and see all the mem- talk about them on friends bers of the crowd fol- The Dog Radio’s throughout ‘Chalk Talk and low our lead. the game.

Dirt.’ I believe that senior Gene Kolarik Which, we have a good don’t get team this year and me wrong, you are supposed to with the sectional schedule that have fun and you are supposed to we drew, I think that a four-peat have fun with your friends, but the of winning the sectional could be bottom line is that I want to have very possible.” one of the best student sections Besides the senior leaders, in the state. The turnout for our other football spectators like jucrowd has been phenomenal this nior Natalie Tul, who has attended year, but when half of them aren’t every football game this season, really participating it’s hard to be believes Kolarik’s efforts in leadthe best.” ing a successful section are paying

‘‘

off. According to Tul, the student section dynamic and energy has definitely improved from last year.

“Sitting in the student section makes the game ten times better,” says Tul. “Gene (Kolarik) is a great leader for the section. He does a really good job at keeping up the cheers and getting everyone excited about the game.”

With the football season ending soon, Kolarik says he plans on leading the basketball student section as well in the winter. Next fall, a new “hype crew” will take over, and Kolarik says the other current members are still deciding on who will follow in their footsteps next year.

“I really can’t say who will lead the student section next year, there’s a lot of responsibility that goes into it. The group of leaders this year have maybe one or two people in mind, but we are far from a final decision being made.

I want whoever leads the section next year to be able to experience the amount of fun and pride that we’ve encountered so far this year.” Kolarik said.

For tomorrow night’s game, the theme of the student section will be “ski lodge.”

Derwinski tackles cross country season one breath at a time Chloe Burditt junior

BY KEELEY BERNARD reporter

“I think David Ross will do good, but I think Joe Madden will have had the bigger impact on the team.”

Sports are full of up and down moments.

During a season, athletes feel a range of emotions, from joy to regret. Sophomore girl’s cross country runner Caitlyn Derwinski can confirm this. Derwinski set her personal best record of 19:55.0 on Oct. 12 during the IHSAA Sectional. A week later, Derwinski had to stop running during regionals due to an asthma attack.

Athletes are portrayed by many people as superhuman, above average people. However, three million Americans suffer from asthma, and varsity runner Derwinski is one of them.

“I was diagnosed in seventh grade,” said Derwinski. “I was running and I couldn’t breathe. When I have asthma attacks, it is really hard to run. It affects my mental game.”

When an athlete deals with something like an injury or illness, they can often feel disappointed and upset. Having to withdraw from a competition means that all the hard work put into training means nothing. According to girls’ cross country coach Allison Florek, Der-

Pro:

Jayden Phillips

junior

“I think there’s a difference between a teammate and a manager, and having a teammate be your manager could play into being biased. ”

Con:

winski puts in a lot of work.

“She works really hard,” said Florek. “We train six days a week, two hours every time.

We start training in June and stop training in late October or early November. Depending on the practice, we either do a long run, which is eight to 11 miles, or we do a three to five mile run, which we call base mileage. We do a workout twice a week, and then we race on Saturdays.”

With such a consistent training schedule, Derwinski runs on average 30 miles a week.

This means that every achievement that she earns has a heightened sense of pride and joy.

She was especially proud when she ran her personal best time.

“I was shocked,” said Derwinski. “I broke my personal best by like 50 seconds. I was very happy.”

Unfortunately for Derwinski, just seven days after she broke her personal record, she had to withdraw from regionals because of an asthma attack.

“I felt sad,” Derwinski said. “I couldn’t finish, and I have never not finished a race.

I knew I was having an asthma attack, but I didn’t want to stop. My coaches told me that I could stop, and I thought I probably should stop.”

Florek was one of the coaches who thought that Derwinski should stop.

“She needed to stop,” said Florek. “It was unsafe, and I don’t ever want to put an athlete in a place to run in unsafe conditions. We didn’t think the cold would have such a big effect on her. Obviously, you don’t want to have to pull someone from a race. We do everything we can to prevent things like this, but the cold season and injuries are inevitable.”

Even though Florek was upset about Derwinski having to stop running, she has expectations for Derwinski’s running future.

“She is only a sophomore and has two more seasons. She will be an important part of the team in the future,” said Florek. “My goal for her time is to get in the low 19s at the end of her high school career.”

Derwinski will continue to practice in her offseason so she can achieve more goals and break more records next year.

12

SPORTS INKLINGS October 31, 2019

Girls golf team earns 11th place finish at state finals

BY KRISTIAN MAUNES sports reporter Golf is a game of nerve control and the intensity is held within the silence. The girls golf team plays their hardest trying to get the lowest scores and their success is showing. They qualified for the state competition, a competition they made it to last year. The hard work the team puts in is evidenced by this back-to-back state competition feat. There are times when it’s difficult to perform at one’s best, but players like sophomore Valentina Gozo know how to look past these things in order to play at their best.

“I personally think the only real struggle with playing is having to deal with the nerves every now and then, especially when teeing off,” Gozo said.

Silence is a big part of the game, and with that brings intensity and anxiousness. Gozo and the other players have spent hours practicing to help them deal with their nerves so that they don’t break down in the middle of the game. These long hours of practice have conditioned our golf team and is one of the main contributing factors to their success. Although seniors like Sydney Weiner will no longer play for the high school in future sea-

sons, the friends they made, the moments they experienced, and the marks they left will not be forgotten.

“We did fairly well at state this year, as we placed eleventh.

It was not as well as we were hoping to do, but being able to be there is such a great accomplishment,” Weiner said. “I cannot imagine my life without golf as I spend so much time working on golf and I am hoping to play in college.”

The team’s players put in the work needed to be successful and coach Jennifer Vinovich sees that.

“We were thrilled to make it as a team to the IHSAA State Finals for the second year in a row.

It was one of our goals we set at the beginning of the season. This year’s team had tons of talent and heart. We won six tournaments including sectionals and had three different players at the number one spot throughout the year,” Vinovich said. “Golf can be extremely rewarding and also very frustrating at times. One day you have your ‘best’ swing and the next you have to fight to get the ball off the ground. The very best golfers are the ones that can keep their emotions in check and fight through the adversity of not having your ‘best’ game that day. 18 holes is a marathon, not

Boys tennis team falls short of regional title after 3-2 loss to Munster Mustangs

BY KRISTIAN MAUNES sports reporter The end of a sport’s season brings out passion from the players. With the hopes of making it to state, Crown Point’s boys tennis team worked their hardest this season to get to that spot, but in the end, they came up short. Although their season ended earlier than they had hoped for, the experience of making it to the regional competition left them with their heads held high. Players like sophomore Seth Gozo saw this year’s team as hard working and top-notch.

“Our team’s current performance compared to previous years of our team is definitely at the best it’s been for quite some time,” Gozo said.

The players’ effort is shown in their performance during matches, and senior Armando Bracco says that their work towards success is always growing.

“The dynamic that keeps the team successful is that we are always trying to help each other improve and I don’t really think anyone is just fixated on themselves. We know that to win, we have to win as a team and not just individuals, and that way, we will have success,” Bracco said.

The team has a successful dynamic, but Bracco believes the

team that has always been a challenge is Munster.

“The school that poses the biggest challenge when playing against them would probably be Munster, but we were really close with them this year. I won my matches both times we played them, and this year I knew I had to find a way to knock my opponent out of their rhythm,” Bracco said. “Many people often get intimidated by their reputation of success and being a good tennis team, but I think what made our matches so close with them this year was because we knew that we had to strip them of their name and just play tennis. We didn’t want to let them hide behind their history of success; we wanted to find out what they could do now and not what they could do in the past.”

Although they lost to Munster 2-3, the team wasn’t discouraged. To make it that far was a good experience for all the players. Coach Chris Korzeniewski thought they had a great season and is glad to have such a great team, despite the loss against Munster.

“Boys tennis is currently two in the district, and number one in our conference. We are exploring new ground every season. We have much to be thankful for as our team record finished at 21-3,” Korzeniewski said.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY KEITH IDDINGS The boys cross country team poses with their semi-state trophy after winning with a score of 93. Senior Geno Christofanelli led the team with his second place finish of 15:40, and he was followed by juniors Quinton Bock (6th) and Cole Simmons (13th).

Boys cross country wins semi-state after 38 years

BY ELIZABETH GONZALEZ co-sports editor In 1981, the Crown Point High School boys cross country team set the bar for all years to come by winning semi-state. For decades, different teams of boys with new skill sets tried year in and year out to stand in the place their forebears did.

Always coming close, but never bringing back the title, the boys have done it 38 years later.

Runners like sophomore Cameron Zimmerman pushed themselves this year to obtain this title.

“Last year we got second and we never really considered winning as a big goal for us back then. What made this year different was knowing that Valpo was on the same level as us. Coach (Iddings) has pushed us to work to win this meet since June,” Zimmerman said.

Winning semi-state has been their main goal throughout the season. The boys looked to get every leg up in the competition

that they could, like the New Prairie invitational on September 21; the boys knew that was the semi-state course and strategized accordingly.

“Since we knew that would be the semi-state course we paid extra attention to anything that would be significantly difficult to us and trained with that in mind for the rest of the season,” junior Anthony Saberniak said.

Despite all the preparation, the pre-race jitters were still present. On the bus ride to semi-state, it was silent. Everyone either in deep thought or listening to a “pre-meet playlist’. In order to get them out of their head Coach Keith Iddings rallied the boys together before the race and reminded them of the basics.

“Our coach told us to take a breather, focus, take five deep breaths in and run our race. He told each of us to run our absolute best not only for the team but for ourselves. I know everyone took it to heart, and surprisingly those

five deep breaths as simple as it seems helped so much,” Saberniak said.

After five deep breaths, the boys took a 3.2-mile journey of determination and the agony commenced. Each hill that seemed utterly impossible to overcome was made easier when the unifying goal of winning semi-state was pictured.

“There is a hill that is literally called agony hill and it is 200 meters of a super sharp incline and you can’t go up to quick or you’ll burn out. It’s known to ‘kill’ runners in their races, so definitely going into that all I could think about is my team and how I needed to keep pushing,” Zimmerman said.

Each runner had a similar experience to Zimmerman’s on agony hill. Completely aware that no matter how small an individual role they played while running, they played a part in their team’s success. Not only for this year but for years to come.

Girls soccer flips through the season

BY SAMUEL BREWER sports reporter

Throw-ins are necessary, but a usually bland aspect of soccer.

When the ball goes out, a player normally just throws it back in.

This is usually an average overhead toss, but sophomore Gianna Witte quite literally flipped the norm on its head. Instead of throwing it, Witte performs a front flip and tosses the ball towards the goal. This has proven to be a dangerous new set-piece for the girls.

Even though the girls lost in the sectional round to Munster in the semi-final, coach Chris Mikrut is excited about their 11-3-2 regular-season record and shared conference championship continuing in the future.

“It’s a talented group of kids coming back and now that they have another year under their belt, we should have a nice year next year. There’s a lot of competition for playing time and positions,” Mikrut said.

One of these weapons during the next two years will be Witte’s throw-ins. While this skill did not come naturally to Witte at first, her history with gymnastics

proved to be a great help in making it as effective as possible.

“Growing up doing gymnastics and playing soccer I had heard of the flip throw and I decided I wanted to learn. When I was nine I started watching YouTube videos and practicing in my front yard until one day I finally tried it in a game,” Witte said.

According to Mikrut, this tactic makes the opposing team uncomfortable, and he plans to take full advantage of its possibilities in the future.

“It’s a huge weapon, I think it’s even better than a corner kick because of how direct you can put that ball and attacking the goal.

It’s hard to defend, and it’s worrying to coaches. So as a team I think kids get nervous, I know as a coach when I see a kid with a long throw it’s something that can be redirected and it worries teams when they see that,” Mikrut said.

When Witte is not throwing in the ball, she is a defender for the girls. She prides herself and her teammates on keeping the other team from scoring goals.

One of her teammates is senior Madison Dross.

Dross is the goalkeeper for the team and although her high

school career has come to an end, she cherishes all the memories fondly.

“I had a great overall experience during high school soccer.

My team has become my family,” Dross said.

According to Mikrut, he will miss the five seniors, like Dross, the most about the season.

“The senior group were great leaders, they did a good job of keeping everything together if somebody needed something they were available, and I think that’s important. I’ll miss what their leadership was and how hard they worked throughout the season,” Mikrut said.

Witte will also miss the seniors and the inspiration that they provide before every game, but she is also optimistic about the growth of the team. She is excited to have the opportunity to help her underclassmen as a senior in the future.

“I think we have a bright future ahead of us considering our team was fairly young this year, we had some amazing seniors but I know we will continue to grow as a team and make the seniors who are leaving proud,” Witte said.

SPORTS

INKLINGS

Volleyball rolls past Penn; advances to semi-state

BY NOAH THOMAS co-sports editor

PHOTO PROVIDED BY LETICIA TOMA Sophomore Rachel Rossman, senior Savana Chacon and junior Erica Packwood celebrate after scoring the game-winning point against Munster in first regionals round.

Having an even amount of upper and underclassmen on a team can be a good learning experience and sophomore Kyla Oppenhuis has taken it and grown from it.

Football team makes use of bye week heading into sectionals

BY ELIZABETH GONZALEZ co-sports editor If you ever wanted to find a football player, chances are they are either conditioning or on the field. The year-round, intense training they undergo makes the breaks extra sweet and important.

Due to their only being 4 teams in the 6A sectionals the players get a bye week; to take a step back and return to the basics before entering into the playoffs.

“For so many weeks we are focusing on the other team, going to film and strategizing how we can play the best to beat our opponent. The bye week is one week we can go back and do drills we did over the summer.

It's a good way to get us to our normal techniques going into the playoffs,” Senior Calvin Pawlowski said.

Even the coaches get to enjoy the short break, especially coach Kevin Enright, who has been working with the team nonstop since summer.

“It gives us a chance to slow down and recover both mentally and physically. Being able to recharge puts us in a good place going into the postseason,” Enright said.

The players had Monday and Friday off to rest, heal and recuperate. Football is an extreme contact sport, and taking the time to physically heal and mentally prepare for the challenging games to come is pertinent to their success.

“We were a little beat up after the Michigan City game, and having the bye week is amazing because it gives us a chance to heal up and prepare for our big lake central game. Coach made sure we didn’t go as hard at practice so we were able to do the recovering we needed,” Junior Matthew Walters said.

Not only does the bye week allow the players to get back in their best shape physically and ready to tackle any obstacles that come their way in sectionals, but it also gives them a chance to get ahead on schoolwork. Pawlowski is in 4 AP classes (Calculus, Physics, U.S. History, and French) and when asked if the bye week helps with catching up on schoolwork, he nodded his head and wide-eyed, grinned and said “Oh yeah.”

“I used this week to catch up on my homework and get ahead.

Football has taught me great time management skills When you try to overwork nothing will turn out good.” Pawlowski said. “The big thing is to be aware of how much time you have, and balance out your time. The Bye week is the one time I can take a break from the balance.”

Sectionals will take place tomorrow, Nov. 1, in Indian territory against Lake Central. The last time the Dogs faced the Indians they won 10-0 on Sept. 13. Pawlowski anticipates that this will be a great game, but it is expected to be one of the coldest games of the year.

“We have continued to be there for each other and play for each other every day. At practice, our coaches keep pushing us to new standards that help us become bet-

Boys soccer team says goodbye to seniors, looks to next year

BY JACKSON HILLMAN assistant sports editor With the season coming to an end, it is time for the seniors to hang up their cleats for good. The boys finished their season with a 13-2 regular-season record, ending their season in a loss to Chesterton.

Senior Noah Perez is grateful for the experience this year. He has helped lead the defense this season but believes they didn’t meet postseason expectations.

“My last year of high school has definitely been a memorable one thanks to my amazing teammates and Coach Bazin. We had a spectacular regular season but things just didn’t go our way in the postseason but still an overall great way to end my high school career,” Perez said.

Coach Michael Bazin is sad to see these players depart but is wishing them the best in their future endeavors. Bazin is confident that the juniors and sophomores will fill in the shoes the seniors left behind.

“Overall, we had a very successful year. We knew we had a good team going into the season.

BULLDOG breakdown

Varsity Boys Soccer Record

Girls volleyball has one motto in mind this postseason: ‘Whatever it takes.’ Those three words say it all as the volleyball team has found success this postseason, recently advancing to semi-state with wins over Munster and Penn in the regional. Head coach Allison Duncan and her team have hit their stride at the right time, but they aren't finished yet.

“Advancing in the state tournament was another goal we had,” Duncan said. “We set lofty goals and I’m hoping we go as far as we can.”

Earlier this season, the Bulldogs had matches with some of the bigger programs in the state. Duncan said it helps the team to have faced them to key in on any mistakes they may have made during the match.

“For us, it’s about not making errors and giving them easy points we can’t do that. When we’re practicing were focused on executing and terminating quickly and not giving the good team points and because that’s what you can’t do,” Duncan said. “When you’re playing a good team they have to earn the point and you can’t just give it to them. So, we really try to play clean tight volleyball and not giving these teams easy points but making them work for it.”

ter for the postseason,” Oppenhuis said.

Coach Duncan also believes that having an even amount of upper and underclassmen will be beneficial to the future of the program.

“We have this balance of youth, as well as seniors, so we’re pretty balanced with age. It helps us a lot in turn over the next year.

We’re not going to take a big hit of a hit since we do have quite a few sophomores on the team and a couple of juniors in the program.

It won’t be tough replacing senior roles,” Duncan said.

Junior Kylie Gurgevich has been impressed with the way her team has played this season and has adjusted to her role on varsity.

“Coming into a varsity team is very intimidating and can be stressful for some. My team made me feel welcomed which made me feel good and helped me adjust easily,” Gurgevich said. “We all remain close in a mental state and take care of ourselves and each other. It can be very physically draining at times but we all work through it together.

When one may be struggling, the rest of us pick them up and we all help each other out.”

And for Oppenhuis, the goal remains simple.

“The goal for the postseason is to bring home the state title,” Oppenhuis said.

14-3 Conference: 6-1 Overall:

We met a lot of our expectations this season, falling short of any type of postseason success was our main shortfall,” Bazin said. “I could not have asked for more out of our senior captains Zach Engle and Hugo Garcia. Their leadership on and off the field was the main reason for our success this year.”

Bazin is very proud of how both captains performed, including senior midfielder Hugo Garcia.

Garcia plans to play in college and is happy with the season, he and his team had.

“I think my senior season went pretty well, although we did not reach what we expected or hoped for. The season always goes by so quick so I tried to make the most of it and leave with no regrets. I look forward to playing in college and continuing the competition,” Garcia said.

All in all, the boys are happy with the season even though they felt shortened in the postseason. Bazin is grateful to have coached such talented seniors and can’t wait for the younger players to take bigger roles next year.

Gavin Stagg Led team in assists

7 Assists

Kristian Simakoski TOP SCORER

11 Goals

13

October 31, 2019

COLUMN

Moving to new school allows for fresh start

BY NOAH THOMAS co-sports editor Moving can be difficult for someone, but moving to a new city and a new school can be even more difficult. This is a move I endured coming from Highland High School to Crown Point High School. My counselor recommended that I join a club or a sport to join a “clique.” Having previously been on the cross country team in Highland, I joined Crown Point’s cross country team in hopes of making new friends.

I was worried about so many things, especially being the new kid on the team and not knowing anyone. I met some of the guys and that’s when I really felt part of the team. The change in scenery from one school to this school was truly astonishing. I made friends with everyone on the team and the coaching staff has more experience and trust within the team.

The team is like a family. You spend six and sometimes every day of the week with your teammates and you really make bonds with everyone on the team. I made lots of new friends and the team has taught me so much, but the biggest factor was my running ability. My times swelled down to all-time PRs. The team was successful last year as we went on to qualify for state but finished 17th with a lot to look forward to in the future.

This year has been different from the get-go.

We had one idea in mind, get on the podium at state. We placed second at the DAC conference meet and won sectionals, regionals, and won semi-state for the first time since 1981. While websites rank us between 11th-13th in the state, we don't focus on that. We focus on the one goal we want: podium.

Being on a successful team like Crown Point has made me really appreciate the sport, my coaches and my bonds with my teammates.

It makes me also feel connected and at home here at Crown Point.

14

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT INKLINGS October 31, 2019

INREVIEW

BY EMILY HELMUTH assistant editor

“Lights Up” Harry It’s been two years since Harry Styles has released new music, and his new single “Lights Up” was worth the wait. The single is a message from Styles to fans that it is okay to be themselves.

“Lights Up” has a very whimsical feel and soulful vibe to it, and is relatively short at just under three minutes compared to Styles’ last big hit “Sign of the Times,” which was around six minutes long.

“Tall Girl”

Pumpkin Spicing it Up Coffees reviewed for quality, seasonal flavor Starbucks

County Line Orchard

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Pumpkin Spice Cappucino Out of all the drinks I tried, County Line’s Pumpkin Spice Cappuccino was the least flavorful and rich. Although it has a very strong pumpkin flavor, you can barely taste the spice. If someone doesn’t like overly sweet or strong drinks, this would be a good option.

BY AVERY O’BRIEN reporter

With the incoming fall weather, many places are now starting to sell a classic fall drink: the pumpkin spice latte. In the search for which pumpkin flavored drink reigns supreme, I went to five different coffee

The Sip

shops to try their respec-

Taste of Fall Latte Netflix’s latest attempt at creating a relatable teen movie is a major fail just like the attempts before it. The film centers around Jodi, a 6’1 junior who is relentlessly bullied by her peers for her height.

The tides change for Jodi when she takes an interest in the new foreign exchange student. The only highlight of this movie was Sabrina Carpenter’s performance as Jodi’s confident and encouraging older sister, Harper. Without Carpenter’s character, the film would have been unwatchable.

“Buzzfeed Unsolved: Supernatural” Season Six YouTube’s favorite mystery-solving duo, Ryan Bergara and Shane Madej, are back and better than ever for another season of “Buzzfeed Unsolved: Supernatural.” The duo researches and/or visits several places labeled as “supernatural,” from Area 51 to the St. Augustine Lighthouse. To Bergara’s dismay, Madej often takes ghost hunting lightly due to his disbelief in ghosts.

The differences between Bergara and Madej keeps the series entertaining for viewers, while also teaching them about various locations.

The Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte is the first thing I think of when I think of a pumpkin spice latte. It is very rich, and has a strong pumpkin flavor. When you first drink it, it tastes sweet, but the aftertaste isn’t sweet at all. It tastes a lot like pumpkin pie. This latte gets better as you drink it.

Pumpkin Spice Chiller with Oreos

tive fall beverage. Rating

Sip Coffee House’s Taste of Fall latte is a spin off of a traditional pumpkin spice latte. The Taste of Fall latte is made with pumpkin spice, brown sugar, cinnamon and caramel. This latte is my go-to fall drink order, and I’d highly recommend it to someone that doesn’t like something too sugary. It tastes more like a brown sugar cinnamon latte than a pumpkin spice latte, but you can still taste the pumpkin.

Gloria Jean’s

each drink out of five I feel as though I found a wide variety of lattes and cappuccinos.

Gloria Jean’s Pumpkin Spice Chiller is typically served without Oreos, but one of the employees suggested trying it with Oreos blended in. The Oreos definitely made it taste a little different, but it was good. I wouldn’t necessarily associate it with fall as much as the other ones because it was cold, but if someone doesn’t like hot drinks this one is a delicious alternative.

Steamwhistle

The Winner

Pumpkin Spice Iced Latte

Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte

I ordered Steamwhistle’s Pumpkin Spice Latte iced, and I didn’t have very high expectations. However, this was probably the best iced latte I’ve ever had. This latte had a very strong pumpkin flavor, but wasn’t too sweet. It was rich, but not to the point that you had to stop drinking it.

Of the five I tried, the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte was my favorite. It had a very strong pumpkin flavor while not being too overpowering. When I think of a pumpkin spice latte, I think of this one. It is very traditional, and in this case, the best.

“Pony” impresses listeners with emotional messages

BY EMMA FRANK associate editor 21 year old, singer-songwriter, Alexander O’Connor has recently released his third album. More commonly known by his stage name, Rex Orange County had released three songs leading up to the release of “Pony”.

Available on Spotify, Apple Music and other streaming services “10/10” has accumulated approximately 11.3 million streams on Spotify within a week of its release.

“Pony” is also launching Rex’s worldwide tour coming to the United States in January.

“Pony” is different from Rex’s past releases, providing a more bubbly and uplifting vibe it strays from the sad, grungy sound found in his first album “Bcos U Will Never B Free.” Although these songs sound to be happy, when you listen to the lyrics there is a sad yet optimistic feel.

Starting the album off with “10/10” there is a nostalgic feel about the song that makes you happy and sad at the same time.

This sets the tone of the album very well and prepares for the emotional roller coaster you

will endure.

With every song there is an underlying message of positivity that shows Rex’s personal change since his last album, “Apricot Princess.” The instruments used, like synthesizers and drums, attribute to the change to contentedness.

Towards the end of the album a ballad occurs,“Every Way,” creating a shift in energy. It contrasts ideas placed in “Never

Had the Balls” where Rex talks about how he was never able to say what he wanted to, however “Every Way” feels like everything he wanted to say.

“It Gets Better” can really speak to high schoolers, as they look back on the past few years they see how much growth has taken place and how it was all for the better.

Rex’s previous albums contain hits as well as songs that some may skip out on, however with the new album no song should go overlooked. If listeners were to skip out on songs like “Stressed Out” they would miss the storyline of the album. A very personal message that people can connect to is what “Pony” shares.

Closing the album off, “It’s Not the Same Anymore” is six minutes long and leaves you with Rex’s message that things are changing in both his life and your own and that everything will be fine.

Overall, this album is a musical highlight of this year and will impress all listeners with its depth of emotion and storyline development. Rex relates to his listeners and evokes a wide span of emotions throughout “Pony.”

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT INKLINGS October 31, 2019

“Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” lacks fulfilling plot

BY ABIGAIL GODSEN reporter

Maleficent appeared in a new installment on Oct. 18 entitled “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil.” Right out of the gate, it didn’t seem all that promising. The plot was not great, but did have some excellent elements to it. The movie centered around the wedding of Aurora and Philip and the evil doings of Aurora’s soon to be mother-in-law, Queen Ingrith. Along with a secondary plot revolving around Maleficent and an underground society of dark fey in hiding.

“Maleficent: Mistress of Evil” left much to be desired in the storytelling.

The storyline, though it had some substance, felt drawn out in order to make a two hour movie. There were probably three or four main events in the whole movie and it had no overall focus.

My favorite elements were those centering around Maleficent and the minor characters. It was so intriguing but really needed to be front and center. They could have done so much more with the plot centering around Maleficent. It helped evolve the story some, but without the continued plot development, it ended the story exactly where it left off in the first movie.

Where the movie lacked in storyline, it made up for in cinematography and special effects. What makes amazing CGI and SFX is detail, and it provided copious amounts.

In the opening credits there was a close up of a plant stem and it had the tiniest

individual hairs on the stem.

When taking an animated movie to a live action version, being able to add such miniscule details adds a lot of depth to the setting and the characters portrayed.

One of the most important parts of a movie is the music. Music sets the tone for the entire experience. A movie may have the best acting, but poorly composed music can make or break it. If the music doesn’t reflect the events of the story, it doesn’t feel

right as a watcher. The soundtrack, composed by Geoff Zarnelli and recorded by James Newton Howard, paved the way for this movie.

It set the tone of the movie very well and helped enhance all other aspects.

Last but not least, the actors themselves were great. Angelina Jolie and Michelle Pfeiffer were two of the leading actresses. Based off of their previous performances, I had high expectations and they delivered at a quality level. The emotion was brought through extremely well; the actors and actresses seemed to get lost in the characters, almost becoming part of them. The powerful emotions throughout the movie translated extremely well, I enjoyed the movie for the most part. I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch it again, but I still liked it. It was pretty unbalanced in the way it lacked in storytelling but had other fantastic elements such as the acting and special effects. It was lacking as a Disney sequel, but this was not a bad movie.

The first movie was significantly better and I would recommend going to see the original over this sequel. If you love Disney movies go see it but otherwise, you wouldn’t be missing too much. This movie had great potential but fell short with an underwhelming plot.

Freshii presents nutritional menu, fresh items for higher wellness

BY COOPER VICKERS HOLLY WAGNER reporter advertising editor Finding fresh, easy, healthy food is often hard, but Freshii helps to eliminate this struggle while still offering a delicious menu. This restaurant is located in Crown Point off of Broadway. It gives people the option of easy, healthy food on-the-go.

Even though it is a little pricey, the amount of food served is fair. Their bowls typically start around $8 to $9, but they serve a lot of food and it is packed with good flavors.

They offer many options such as healthy salads, wraps and burritos. The salads are nice and refreshing with good, crisp lettuce followed by vegetables. This makes it super refreshing and delicious. After a long day of school, it’s the perfect option when trying to find a filling and affordable snack.

A large part of the menu consists of wraps. There is a wide variety of wraps ranging from different ethnic backgrounds, to tangy, sweet and just plain simple wraps.

WE’RE SO

P L AYI N G FAVORITES

OVER

Mug Cakes

Target $2.99

Mug cakes are a good late night snack. Most of the cakes only include around 6 ingredients, and only take around 2 minutes. This makes it super easy.

Black Raspberry Ice Cream Dark chocolate black raspberry ice cream is not sickly sweet, so it is enjoyable without feeling overloaded on sugar. It is an elevated version of the standard chocolate ice cream that feels a little fancy.

Each wrap starts at $8.29, but additional items can be added for a higher price. The Fiesta Wrap offers a tangy taste while still giving a refreshing and healthy feel. The Market Wrap is served with field greens and has a light, sweet taste. Overall, the wraps are a little overpriced, but not so much that it would stop us from buying them.

For those trying to get some sweets but stay on the healthier side, they have frozen kefir which tastes like sour frozen yogurt.

Our favorite was the kefir with the green apple and hemp seeds because the green apple gave it a refreshing taste and the hemp seeds added texture.

They have different types of smoothies from fruit smoothies to green Recoverii smoothies. The Recoverii smoothie is an anti-inflammatory dairy-free smoothie which tastes like piña colada.

Another part of the Freshii menu is their soups. They have different flavors and options such as tortilla soup. There’s a spicy lemongrass soup served with chicken or vegetables; this isn’t too spicy and great with the lemongrass which adds a light citrusy flavor. They also have a classic

Walmart $4.42

Signing into the library for lunch Standing in line to sign in before sitting down takes time away from the thirty minute lunch period. When going to the cafeteria students are not required to sign in, so why do we have to sign into the learning commons?

During lunch periods most students will either be in the cafeteria or the learning commons, so it should not be necessary to track when students go to the library instead.

chicken noodle soup as well. These are great because they have a thin broth which makes it lighter and the vegetable flavors really come through in the soup.

They also offer a variety of breakfast options from steak burritos to greek yogurt parfaits. This is a nice range of breakfast options from sweet to savory. These are great, but the downside to their breakfast menu is that it is only sold on Thursday mornings. This seems like bad timing because most people are either at work or school at this time, so it may be complicated to ever get breakfast there.

They have options for cleansing drinks, such as charcoal lemonade. The lemonade was super tangy and sour, and the charcoal that they add to it does stain the teeth black.

Freshii has great food and a great staff that make the experience very pleasant.

However, they should make the breakfast hours every day instead of Thursdays. This would be more practical because breakfast is an essential part of the day and it would be good to give people the option to have a healthy breakfast. We would love to eat here again and will probably visit.

COLUMN

15

Reality show romance is inauthentic

BY EMMA FRANK associate editor If Chris Harrison asked me to be apart of “The Bachelor,” I wouldn’t even question my decision, I’d be at the mansion. Imagine that experience and all the places you would travel to. Despite how great the vacation would be, does that really mean I want to meet my future husband on a television show? As an avid viewer of reality dating shows, it seems like some contestants are trying to find a genuine connection while others appear to care more about their own personal publicity.

“Temptation Island” exists to test a couple’s relationship. For the most part, couples in committed relationships sign up to date others and essentially sabotage the connection they share. This seems like an excuse for them to break-up because why else would you show up to “Temptation Island?” Did they actually join to test the waters with other people or to gain more Instagram followers?

A recent example of a contestant entering with bad intentions is Jed from “The Bachelorette.” When they told the audience that he was a singer from Nashville, that was not the last of it. Any chance Jed had to sing, you can bet he took it. It turned out that Jed had a girlfriend for the entirety of filming, so it is safe to assume that he didn’t come looking for love but instead a record deal.

In the realm of dating shows, “Love Island” seems to be the most genuine. From the first American season, six relationships were made and are still lasting more than two months since the last episode aired. You aren’t being forced into an engagement or even into dating someone with “Love Island.”

I know that it is unrealistic for a reality show to be one hundred percent authentic, however, it’s nice to think those a part of this odd dating experience actually want to make a connection. In the long run, what do you want to last longer, your relationship or your social media fame?

BEST TWEETS

BEST APP MarioKart Tour The game that millenials’ childhood thrived on is back and better than ever. Mario Kart is the perfect game to play whenever students are bored in class or want to compete against their friends in action-packed races with their favorite Nintendo characters.

BEST FOLLOW

@guyfieri Guy Fieri is a Food Network icon. He uses his Twitter to not only post updates for his shows, but to tweet out funny Food Network memes for his audience to enjoy. This account is a must for any avid Food Network watcher.

“Anyone else just space out so bad you start to hear Kahoot music? No just me?” junior Connor Phutawon @phutawon

“the highschool equivalent of being twitter famous is making the school newspaper and i’ve yet to have my time in the spotlight, but when i do i want you all to know its going straight to my head and i’m turning into sharpay evans” junior Jenna Milosh @jennuhmilosh

“Girls don’t want boyfriends this fall, they want pumpkin cream cold brew” senior Olivia Bianco @theoliviabianco

“do you ever just forget about gravity and start floating?”

sophomore Annabelle Hofmann @smartboijuice

16

PEOPLE INKLINGS October 31, 2019

Learning a new language

Proficient signer begins club focused around teaching American Sign Language

BY ROSALIE DEGENHART reporter Sign language has taken on a large role in senior Adena Daniels’ life. For Daniels, sign language is more of a lifestyle rather than a hobby. Her mother, a special education teacher, taught her at a young age, at first with little things like the alphabet and easy words.

“Since then it’s been little things that kind of guide you along the path of interest,” Daniels said.

The main factor that influenced Daniels love for sign language was communication.

“I really liked the idea of bridging the gap of communication,” Daniels said. “So the idea of bridging the gap between a hearing population and a deaf population is a really big thing.”

Daniels points out that deaf people are everywhere, and we just don’t know it. Daniels explains a time when she encountered a deaf person in a store and how she handled this experience.

“I was at Goodwill, and my mom and I were looking for something for her classroom. I asked a sales associate and she didn’t hear me and she turns around and says ‘Oh, I’m deaf.’”

Daniels saw this as an opportunity to use her ability of signing to communicate with her. Daniels believed this is one of her most inspiring moments using sign language, as well as when she interpreted the U.S. national anthem at the homecoming pep rally.

“I really loved the pep rally, it was really second nature for me,” said Daniels. “I was really afraid that I was going to mess up, but it happened just the way it should have.”

After majoring in ASL (American Sign Language) in-

terpretation at Goshen College, Daniels wants to pursue a profession as a sign language interpreter.

As an interpreter, Daniels would assist families in helping them communicate between family members who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Using her ability to interpret, Daniels has developed the strength of reading body language.

“We are very social people and not all communication is verbal,” Daniels said.

Being able to understand body language is a prime example of how signing has affected her life. She comments on how she is the first person in her friend group to notice if someone is having a bad day.

“I feel like I’m better at reading people. I feel like I’m a lot more in tune when people are uncommunicative of their feelings,” Daniels said.

Daniels has gained these capabilities through classes that teach her how to use and interpret ASL. She attended two classes last year, one in Cedar Lake at Faith Church and the other in Dyer. She is also currently attending an intermediate class at Faith Church.

“We would spend the whole time not talking out loud, and it would just be following the conversation wherever it went, just learning how to sign without relying on voice as a crutch,” Daniels said about her past class in Dyer.

Classes like these influenced Daniels to start her club and teach her knowledge of sign language to students.

“I was actually thinking about (an ASL club) since the end of my sophomore year,” Daniels said. “It was something I was thinking of doing but then put it off.”

When Daniels started going to Faith church and attending their ASL classes, she saw it as a per-

What Do You

THINK?

I don’t think so because only adults shouldn’t be able to trick or treat, they are too old, and they should be passing out candy.

5

facts about

A

S

L

There is no universal form of sign language.

Some variations of sign langauge are BSL (British) and FSL (French).

In 1817, Thomas Gallaudet created the first school for the deaf.

PHOTO BY ROSALIE DEGENHART Adena Daniels, who has been signing from a young age, teaches others at ASL club.

fect opportunity to start the ASL club. Daniels is the head of the club, which meets on Wednesdays after school and Friday mornings, and she encourages students to join.

“Even if you’re not so much interested in deaf or hard of hearing interaction, I think it is a great opportunity,” Daniels said.

Daniels believes that joining the club and learning how to sign can be beneficial. In the meeting, the members gather to practice their sign language and learn different signs to communicate with each other.

“Even just for accessibility reasons or if somebody has a family member that is hard of hearing or deaf it could be one of those little things,” Daniels said.

The twice weekly meetings

Are teenagers too old to trick or treat?

Why or why not?

I don’t think they’re too old for it. Most of them want to go to parties and hang out with their friends. If a teenager came to my house then I would respect it and give them candy.

freshman Stoney Dewey

junior Nora Gutierrez

Teenagers are never too old to trick or treat, everybody loves candy. Candy just never gets old.

No, because everyone (will have) fun no matter what.

Everyone should have fun and not care about what other people think.

senior Jacob Woods

sophomore Nadia Petropoulos

I don’t think they are because it’s a fun thing that people are able to do. My brother, who is 22, still dresses up for Halloween.

I feel like teenagers are not too old to trick or treat, it’s just a societal norm. I feel like anyone, no matter their age, should be able to trick or treat if they want to.

sophomore Abby Deyarmin

senior Shaker Erbini

are in science teacher Kristi Pawlus’ room, who studied sign language in college. When Daniels had found a teacher who could host the club, she felt that everything seemed to line up when it needed to.

Daniels also believes that the ASL club will be beneficial for the school.

“I think this could be a kind of community in our school, a little team building experience,” Daniels said.

Ever since the ASL club has set off, students at Crown Point High School have had the opportunity to be a part of something both educational and rewarding.

They can learn a growing language, while also becoming a part of a community: a community to help others.

ASL is the 4th most widely used language in the U.S. ASL not only uses hand motions to form words, as it also uses body movement and facial expressions.

While the origins of ASL are unknown, it is widely believed that ASL developed from FSL. statistics provided by https://www.medicinenet. com/sign_language/article.htm#where_did_american_sign_language_originate

Student

SPOTLIGHT Q: What about the upcoming A:

Finn Kiger golf season are you looking senior forward to the most?

Our team is going to be younger this year, so we are focusing on going state bound with the younger players. (I’m looking forward to) stepping up because I’ve gotten better from last year. I’m excited to go to tournaments and compete with my teammates, and to see if we hopefully win regionals.

Q: Who is your biggest role model?

A: Tiger Woods is my biggest role model, as he has

a great work ethic and drive for the game. He also holds multiple records and is tied for many more.

Tiger has one of the greatest comeback stories not just in golf, but in sports in general. The fact that he came back from controversy and tied Sam Snead’s record is a really cool story to me.

Q: What are your post-graduation plans?

A: After graduation, I plan on golfing in college and

going on into a career in the golf industry. It’s my passion and it’s what I want to do for the rest of my life.