CRIER
march 25, 2022 volume 58 issue 8
munster high school 8808
columbia
ave .
munster,
IN
46321
THE
BREAK MOLD In honor of Women’s History Month, girl club leaders describe struggles in the workplace and future goals boys while in school. Despite this, the Harvard Law male students who have already been in that field,” School pointed out in 2018 that men make up 95% Rebecca said. “The mold is more fit for them than it editor-in-chief and page editor of leadership positions in top public companies. is for myself, so I have to break the mold.” Entering through the MHS doors her freshman Rebecca is not the only girl leader well aware of Breaking the barriers women face when climbing year, Libby Fesko, now a senior, knew she wanted the challenges ahead of her. Female representation, the corporate ladder begins with tapping into the to be a leader. Given little advice that day other than no matter the field, is essential, according to ambition of girl students at the high school level, to enjoy her short time of high school experience, Riley Ramirez, senior and co-founder of Women says Isidora Pavlic, junior and president of Munster she was anxious, but determined to reach her goals. Empowerment Club. A prime purpose of the club is Theatre Company. Now as both president of Civics Club and to have a safe space for girls to feel represented and “A lot of times in our society, women secretary of Project X, the senior can be reminded of the power they hold. are expected to be quiet,” Isidora confident in the lessons she learned as a “My good friend Kate Krawczyk (senior and said. “You’re not supposed to student leader. Women represent co-founder of Women Empowerment Club) and I have strong opinions. Not that “Don’t be afraid to put yourself were talking about it one day junior year, and we long ago, women weren’t out there,” Libby said. “If it’s realized how underrepresented women can be in in leadership positions— something you want to do, just go the work field and sports,” Riley said. “We have school organizations, too. and do it to the best of your ability. so many opportunities at Munster because, as a It’s useful to have that. To And, if that doesn’t work out, whole, women and men are both constantly trying be loud, be in charge (and) there’s always a second option.” show you’re just as capable. to take every opportunity given to them. That’s rare Though her initial goals going Gender has nothing to do for a school to have.” of the work force in into high school did not always go Breaking the barriers of leadership can be with who you are as as planned, Libby soon learned to the US... even more of a challenge for women a person and if adapt to the cards dealt to her. This of color. Though the nursing field you have those ...yet only spirit of determination, she says, is one has a vast amount of women qualities to be a that will stick with her as she pursues a career representation, Meagan Hudson, leader.” in heart surgery, a field widely dominated by men. junior and co-president of Black Taking on the challenge The New England Journal of Medicine says that less Culture Club, is apprehensive of leadership is not foreign to than 5% of women work in the field. to enter the field as a Black Rebecca Franco, senior and “Surgery is 100% a male dominated field,” woman—women comprise president of French Club. She Libby said. “I know that’s a task that needs a lot of of women hold senior 91% of the nursing workforce, knows her future aspirations in organization and also leadership. You need to be able according to US Census Bureau, the business sector may begin leadership positions to not only respect and work with everyone in the but only 7.8% are African with attending Kelley School in the workforce room, but you have to ultimately be willing to take American (Health Resources and of Business, but that it will take the risk of taking that person’s life in your hands.” globally. Services Administration). Meagan’s much more to overcome the gender According to the American Psychological experience as co-president of BCC obstacles she anticipates facing. Association, across the board girls tend to succeed especially opened her eyes to the need “I’m probably going to have to work at a higher rate academically and behaviorally than for Black female representation in leadership harder and positions in almost every field of work. show my “I think it’s important (to have women worthiness representation) because in society and value we’re run by male leaders,” Meagan compared said. “BCC is something that can teach to other people and also be something fun for all students here. Trying my best to make the activities and the presentations make me feel like I’m doing something I’m proud of for our culture.” ATARAH ISRAEL & LAUREN HOOGEVEEN
47%
24%
LEADING LADIES Club leaders Meagan Hudson, junior and Black Culture Club co-president, seniors Libby Fesko, Civics Club president, Emily Sun, Culture Cuisine Club co-president and Riley Ramirez, Paragon Editor-in-Chief and Women Empowerment Club co-president. PHOTOS BY EJ BOERSMA AND ATARAH ISRAEL
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munster high school crier
Fine arts in flourish
PHOTOS BY ANNA EVILSIZOR AND ANTHONY YOUNG
PITCH PERFECT Practicing for ISSMA, Ava Raffin, junior, gets to enjoy her love for music. “Mr. McGinnis has really made it a great environment for us to feel we’re open to be ourselves,” she said. GOOD GRIEF Rehearsing “Happiness” from You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown, Isidora Pavlic, junior, takes notes while freshmen Isaiah Brundige and Charlie Ilijevski and Kyle Farnell, sophomore, sing. IN TUNE Preparing for an ISSMA solo, Daniel Kim, sophomore, runs scales. “My favorite part about playing a solo is that it’s unique and it is a big privilege,” he said.
Students and teachers in Orchestra, Choir and Theatre celebrate Music in Our Schools Month and Theatre in Our Schools Month, reflect on what the month means to them REENA ALSAKAJI story editor
The ringing in her ears. The perfect harmony of every voice moving together in sync. The songs, following weeks and months of practice, coming together. For Alicia Powell, junior and member of Chorale, this is the best part about practicing Choir. Whether it’s through an instrument, a play or a song, the arts take the shape of many students’ lives at MHS. According to the National Association for Music Education, March has been appointed as Music in Our Schools month for over three decades, the goal being to spread music education. In addition, Theatre spends their time this month stressing the importance of the performing arts in celebration of The-
At a glance
atre in Our Schools Month. Though the degree of value for the months vary, each student holds a special place for the arts in their hearts. “It means a lot to me,” Alicia said. “My mom introduced music to me, and I’ve been singing in choirs all my life. It’s a big stress reliever for me (and) whenever I’m singing, I feel very relaxed and it’s just a very big passion of mine.” For Music in Our Schools month, Choir has mostly designated their time to updating their social media accounts and highlighting achievements of past alumni. Orchestra, on the other hand, has spent time sending positive letters corresponding to the middle school club, and this time, according to Isidora Pavlic, junior, president of Theatre
Stay connected
Music can have a profound effect on students’ emotions and can reduce anxiety by up to 65%.
According to a Crier survey of 336 students, 57.4% of students receive their current events from social media.
Breathe in, breathe out
What now?
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Mr. Bob Shinkan’s legacy consists of 688 Baseball games won, 48 years of teaching, five Final Four Baseball appearances, and three Hall of Fame inductions, and more.
HB 1041 can cause the mental health of transgender and gender diverse youth to deteriorate, who already are at four times greater risk of depression.
A lasting legacy
Inclusive or exclusive?
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and member of Orchestra, the month has been dedicated to reflection. “It’s nice to just to acknowledge the fact that the arts programs aren’t boring. I feel like nowadays, STEM is pushed so much, which is good, but you really have to consider how important the arts are in school,” Isidora said. “Sometimes I sit there and I’m like, ‘wow, this is so crazy that for the past years one of my classrooms a day is devoted to just sitting here, playing a violin for school.’ We are privileged to be able to have that experience. Allowing that time to reflect on that is very valuable.” Some students, such as Isidora believe that the arts get much less attention and funding as opposed to other areas in the school setting. For Theatre,
Awards and upcoming
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the Educational Theatre Association sent out rubrics for schools to follow, which includes an advocacy workshop, talking to administration about recognizing successes and promotional videos on social media. But according to both Isidora and Kyle Farnell, sophomore and member of Theatre, the most important part about this month is putting an emphasis on the value of performing arts and their accomplishments as a whole. “I think of Theatre in Our Schools Month as celebrating this idea of performing arts and spreading more awareness of what theatre is and why it has a lot of value,” Kyle said. “It’s not just about acting. There is a lot of potential for anyone, not just in one area but anyone can do theatre.”
Check out extra stories on mhsnews.net
After her substantial contributions and impacts as a student journalist, Atarah Israel, senior and Crier Editor-in-Chief, was named Indiana High School Journalist of the Year by the Indiana High School Press Association. “It was an out of body experience,” Atarah said. “It feels gratifying to be recognized for the hard work that I’ve done. I feel very thankful that I found Crier my freshman year because I would not be the high school student I am today.”
After being named a finalist in January, Crier was awarded a Gold Crown in the Columbia Scholastic Press Association’s 2022 Crown Awards, marking the first time since 1996 that the publication has been awarded a Gold Crown. “I was jumping up and down really excited because it was so unexpected,” Ms. Sarah-Anne Lanman, publications adviser, said. “But I was so joyous that the super hard work that the staff put in was recognized as top 10 in the nation.”
Crier Editor-in-Chief wins Indiana High School Journalist of the Year Sofia Sanchez
Crier wins Gold Crown Award
Sofia Sanchez
Catch up on Music & Theatre wins and events In February, Madelynn Nygaard, junior, performed at the 2022 High School Honors Performance Series at Carnegie Hall Juniors Anagha Kodukula and Elliot McKeever and Marisa Walsh, senior, performed with the Midwestern American Choral Directors Association At State, Theatre placed 8th in the contest play competition • Delaney Craig, sophomore, and Kameryn Hubbard, sophomore, received Superior Rankings in Monologues at State, qualifying for the International Festival in June • Isidora Pavlic, junior, received position as one of Indiana Thespian’s 10 State Thespian Officers On April 29, Orchestra has ISSMA State Qualifiers at Penn Wind Ensemble State Qualification Performance April 30
Corrections
PHOTO BY ANTHONY YOUNG
FRONT FLURRY Preparing for Crier’s March 25 deadline, Atarah Israel, senior and Editor-in-Chief, works on building the front page. Her favorite part of building the page was seeing the design come together on the page after picturing it in her head.
Though issue 6 corrections are not in the previous issue of Crier, they can be found on mhsnews.net under About—Corrections. In issue 7 of Crier, on page 3, Myanne Zachary is a senior, Anna Raycroft is a junior and Charlie Mason is a senior. On page 4, the captions should read “(left to right).” On page 7, the quote for “A HIDDEN GEM” should be attributed to Atarah Israel, senior. Also on page 7, Kristen Baurain’s name was misspelled. On page 10, Brandon Trilli is a junior. Crier regrets these print errors, which are corrected online.
M A R C H 25, 2022
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EDITORIAL
MAGINE YOU ARE LEFT-HANDED, BUT YOU ARE FORCED TO WRITE WITH YOUR RIGHT. Over time, your writing will become better and it will seem neat, but that itchy feeling will still be visible to you—it would still be weird and very wrong. Over time, it really starts to bug you, so you have no choice but to switch your pencil back over to your dominant hand, which feels a lot better. It feels like home and you don’t have to strain your muscles anymore. This constant uneasy feeling is what was described by a transgender student and something that many transgender people deal with daily. Societal pressure has forced trans youth to act like their birth-assigned gender to make others around them comfortable. Yet, there was a recent attempt to have statewide legislation that refuses to recognize trans women as who they are—women. This legislation was House Bill 1041, which would have forced three categories for sports: girls’, boys’, and integrated. What made this bill discriminatory is that it specifically states those in the gendered categories
must be in accordance with the student’s genetics and reproductive biology. The support by legislators was large enough that it passed the House and Senate before getting vetoed by Governor Holcomb who commented “[HB 1041] implies that the goals of consistency of fairness in competitive female sports are not currently being met.” Though the author of HB 1041 argued that it would have protected cisgender girls (girls whose gender identity and sex assigned at birth are the same) from unfair competition, there is no basis to make this claim or any like it. The Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) already has a policy that states that transgender students must have completed a minimum of a year of hormone treatment related to gender transition or undergone a medically confirmed gender reassignment procedure. This eliminates any worries of an athlete falsely identifying as transgender, and there are extra tests to ensure they are on the same physical condition of their peers. The real reason for this bill, and those like it, are to bar future generations of trans students, which can be detrimental to their overall health. According to the Journal of Affective Disorders, transgender and gender diverse (TGD) youth are at four times greater risk of depression. A study in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity also found that team sports are associated with improved health outcomes due to the social nature of participation, which is what leg-
Similarity: the standard for sympathy REENA ALSAKAJI Story Editor
When I first saw a news correspondent say that the situation in Ukraine differs from the Middle East because it is “civilized” and “European,” my jaw dropped. I was furious, both at the nature of the statement but also its complete ridiculousness. I thought it was a one time thing—a racist, ill-informed newscaster that had no place as a journalist. But as I read more, I realized this was an overarching theme
CRIER
islators fail to see. Social transition of TGD people is just as important as physical transition. Oftentimes, trans youth aren’t taken seriously unless they look like their assigned gender, making attempts to fit into certain boxes difficult. This is why being accepted by their peers is just as significant. It relieves the stress of having to pretend that their actions and looks align with their birth-assigned gender. However, an issue is posed in a study done by Dr. Jack Turban who finds that, although TGD youth who undergo social transition have better short-term mental health, “they may have worse mental health in adulthood if not protected from K-12 harassment based on gender identity.” This can be avoided with more open discussions about the LGBTQIA+ topics in classrooms and allowing for more extracurriculars than GSA to be a safe space for TGD students. Some may not see this bill to warrant such a large jump to support the LGBTQIA+ community . But bills like HB 1041 do not only target transgender athletes, it sends a message to all TGD youth: they are not welcome. Legislation that bans the recognition of TGD students state-wide in-
with the news coverage of Ukraine. The coverage has been nothing short of horrifying—such as that CBS News correspondent stating that Ukraine isn’t like the areas in the Middle East, or another NBC news correspondent putting it “bluntly”: that these refugees are not from Syria, but “they’re Christian, they’re white, they’re very similar.” Why does it take “familiarity” for not only reporters to sympathize with civilians who suffer through humanitarian crises, but for their audience to sympathize as well? There are such double standards when it comes to evoking sympathy for refugees—a concept that should be inherently based on human decency. In retrospect, I should not have been surprised; there has always been overwhelming backlash when it
Crier, Munster High School’s official student newspaper, may be reached via mail at 8808 Columbia Ave, Munster, IN 46321; via phone at 219-836-3200, ext. 3443; or via fax at 219-836-3202. Crier is published through the Honors Newspaper Advanced Writing and Editing classes and extra-curricular involvement. Crier’s official website is accessible at www.mhsnews.net. •The newspaper serves as a public forum and two-way communication for the school and community. •Crier is a source of information, entertainment, advertising and opinion for the student body, faculty, administration and community •Published material will stress objective reporting except on the editorial page where opinion writing will be featured. All published material will stress accuracy, integrity, honesty, responsibility, objectivity, fairness and independence. Corrections, when necessary, will be published on page 2. •Opinions expressed in the newspaper do not necessarily reflect those of the School Town of Munster, faculty or administration.
CARTOON BY KRISTEN BAURAIN
creases the chances of further harming TGD youth, and serves as yet another reminder that TGD students do not have a safe space in Indiana.
came to areas in the Middle East, such as Palestinians fighting back against Israeli occupation. People have always been so quick to place the label of “terrorist” when it comes to Muslims defending themselves as opposed to others. Suddenly, the basic values people claim to have are nowhere to be found. Providing sympathy and aid for refugees is not a case-by-case basis hinged on race or ethnicity. This issue is not just prevalent in the media, but many refugees of color fleeing Ukraine have faced discrimination from neighboring countries for not being “real Ukrainians.” On BBC News, Ukraine’s deputy chief prosecutor explained his sadness for the situation in seeing people killed as “European people with blonde hair and blue eyes.” There is a broad sense of discrimination for anyone that is not
•Letters to the editor and reader suggestions are welcomed, but should be limited to 250 words. All letters must be signed and should be either emailed to the editor (tahlee20@gmail. com), given directly to any staff member or delivered to the Publications room, N155, one week prior to publication. Letters must not contain personal attacks against an individual. Editors reserve the right to edit for length, clarity, and grammatical errors. Crier will accept letters from anyone, provided that the content pertains to school or school issues. Feedback may also be submitted on Twitter @munstermedia. •Mailed subscriptions cost $25 per year. Digital issues can be found on issuu.com. Crier is published 11 times a school year. Ad rates and policies are available to anyone upon request.
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strictly white, including Ukrainians. It is this same ideology that leads to readers glimpsing past horrors in the Middle East. The issue further presents itself as we berate Palestinians and others from the Middle East and North Africa for merely existing, as though their causes are any less devastating. There should not be any level of acceptance when it comes to the death of thousands, which is exactly what these news channels depict by comparing Ukraine to Syria and other regions. These news channels are clearly sending a message, and I am tired of seeing a particular narrative illustrated—that the Middle East is simply a foregone conclusion. Every refugee is deserving of sympathy, and my heart goes out for those in Ukraine, as well as all others in the world.
Photography Schedulers, Trainers & Equipment Managers Anthony Young, EJ Boersma Visual Editor Henry Hofferth Story Editor Reena Alsakaji Photography Expert & Source Manager Anna Evilsizor Business Manager Josephine Mittelberger Design Chief Alexis Perez
Our Staff
Page Editors Lauren Hoogeveen, Sofia Sanchez
Editor-in-Chief Atarah Israel
Cartoonist & Photographer Kristen Baurain
Deadline Manager Alison Lee
Adviser Ms. Sarah-Anne w
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munster high school crier
From trucks to trays An inside look at MHS school lunch
KRISTEN BAURAIN photographer
School lunch. Everybody loves to hate it, and while it may not always be fivestar fare, the MHS staff who order, cook and serve the food do so wholeheartedly every step of the process. “I like the kids, I enjoy cooking, I like my co-workers,” said Laponda Brown, cafeteria worker. “Everybody knows what to do. It’s a daily routine.” For now, meals are free. But as anyone who has tried to grab a single slice of pizza or cup of fries could ascertain, free lunch has a host of boxes to tick before reaching the trays of students. For instance, all buns must be whole grain, and each entree must have a fruit or vegetable. “Every week, we place an order, and get it delivered,” Mr. Hans Oskam Director of Dining Services, said. “Substitutions are horrendous right now because of the supply chain.” The process goes something like this: Mr. Oskam orders the food through government-approved vendors and selects menu options, considering factors like health, variety and popularity. When trucks with supplies come in, staff cooks
the food, often from scratch. One such cafeteria worker, Peggy Chovanec, has been slicing pizzas and dicing vegetables at MHS for over 25 years. “I just enjoy preparing the food,” Mrs. Chovanec said. “I eat (school lunch) every day. I like all the lines.” Variety, versatility, vegetables: the future of MHS dining is full of possiblities. In addition to new menu options (sushi, for instance), there’s a real possibility of students skipping the long lines. “We’re going to allow the students to be able to order their lunch on their phone, and we’ll have specialty sandwiches.” Mr. Oskam said. “Let’s say Sally wants a Portobello sandwich, she’ll be able to order and pick it up at a designated spot.” Next time you sojourn through the taco line or snag a slice of sausage pizza, thank your food service workers for their efforts to keep everyone fed and healthy throughout the school day. “Everybody has to eat, in this world. It’s not like how some people take an English class or some people take a gym class,” Mr. Oskam said. “Every student has to eat every single day. So that’s what makes it exciting because you always have to take care of people no matter what.”
What’s on the menu? A review of student meals LEXI PEREZ
design chief
PIZZA.........................................4/5 TACO BOWL..............................3/5 Everyone’s favorite line, including MHS staff. Toppings like guacamole and lettuce and the pico give the nachos a flavorful kick. The add-ons are always fresh as well, with over 12 options. Most people like to break up the chips, leaving a crunchy bite. The line takes a while, only leaving you with about five minutes to eat depending when you get in line.
The green and red peppers looked very appetizing at first. At first glance on the pizza, there were doubts as to how it would taste, but the veggies gave it a fresh flare. Sometimes the pizza is very greasy, but it’s pizza,—it’s greasy goodness. Other food on the tray are sides, like applesauce with cinnamon on top which is usually very sweet, and vegetables such as cucumber, carrots and baby tomatoes that aren’t the ultimate favorite for sides.
PHOTOS BY ANTHONY YOUNG
CHICKEN SANDWICH............3/5 Tender, spicy and warm. It is sometimes a hit or miss, depending on if it’s the spicy chicken sandwich (which is superior to the regular). The spicy chicken sandwich tastes better because it has so much more flavor. The buns sometimes are hard and crunchy. The raisins are a side that you could choose, along with a strawberry cup, they were tasty and had just the right amount of sweetness. ILLUSTRATIONS BY KRISTEN BAURAIN
SAY CHEESE Crier reviews various cheeses
LAUREN HOOGEVEEN page editor
Cheese: Arguably America’s signature food. High-protein. Easy to prepare. Delicious. Here’s a few cheeses to fuel your spring break shenanigans.
Muenster Out of the three cheeses, the Muenster cheese was definitely the lightest. It had a very mild, buttery flavor that everyone really liked. It did seem a little lackluster since the flavor was so mellow, but it wasn’t boring. Some staffers argued that it was bland, but the majority enjoyed the light flavor.
PHOTOS BY ANNA EVILSIZOR
Feta
Gouda
Although many staffers had previously tried feta and did not like it, they decided to give it another chance. In contrast to Muenster cheese, the feta was sharp, tangy and sour. Upon opening the container, the smell was overwhelmingly acidic. Overall, staffers felt that feta should not be eaten by itself, and the flavor would be less strong mixed in a salad or pasta.
More in the middle ground, the Gouda cheese was slightly sharper than the Muenster but not overwhelming. The taste was rich and it had some nutty undertones. Gouda seemed like a cheese someone would put in a sandwich or in mac and cheese, but staffers liked putting it on crackers. This cheese was the perfect balance of sharpness, so the whole staff really enjoyed it.
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Breathe in, breathe out Different ways to approach the conversation of anxiety LEXI PEREZ
design chief
Tuning it out Approximately 7% of children aged 3 to 17 suffer from anxiety each year mentioned by Childrens Mental Health. A way for students to distract themselves is with music. “I think music is a great way to boil it down, like escapism and empathy are the best ways that music can help,” Mr. Ben Boruff, Mental Health Club sponsor, said. Music can have a profound effect on students’ emotions and can reduce anxiety up to 65%, according to an Inc. article about anxiety by Melanie Curtin. Music used to calm down could be meditation music for some students or hard rock for others—everyone is different and music tastes vary. “I do listen to certain music when I’m sad or want to be in a happy mood and it’s mostly feel-good music or songs I can sing to,” Makena Mendoza, junior, said. Music has made a big impact on our generation, so much so that certain types of music will change one’s mood. Listening to sad music make one upset and listening to up-beat sounds can put one in a better mood. “I do listen to certain music when I’m sad. It’s probably not good, but I feel like I just add onto the sadness. Sometimes I’ll listen to sad music when I’m sad, sometimes it helps. Sometimes you need a good cry,” Lauralyn Courtney, junior, said. “Most of the time, I just listen to neutral or more peppy music, but I also like listening to what I call ‘summer songs.’ It doesn’t even have to be summer, but it reminds me of summer, which is a really happy time.”
“I also connect music to people and events in my life, the good and the bad.” - Lauralyn Courtney, junior
PHOTO BY ATARAH ISRAEL
WEDNESDAY UNWIND Finding ways to de-stress after school every other Wednesday, members of Mental Health Club sophomores Mia Cartagena, Miranda Fisher, and Lucy MacDonald junior, play a game Battleship to find relief.
Behind the scenes Making therapy a social norm amongst young teens in high school and has been a current discussion nation wide. Sometimes therapists will recommend different ways to combat anxiety with breathing exercises, counting fingers or hobbies. Therapists, or anyone the student talks to, might recommend staying off of social media if that is the main source of stress. Social media distorts the way people look at mental health and may make life look easier than it really is. “The internet tends to be more of a negative place than a positive place and spending too long in those spaces can have a negative
impact and even in my view, some of the positivity that exists online is forced fake positivity,” Mr. Boruff said. Students can feel overwhelmed by social media and being told that telling others your feelings is a burden. “Social media is more divisive, there are people who say ‘Oh seek help’ and there are other people who are like ‘Why are you pushing the burden on someone else’—some people encourage bad mental health which I don’t understand at all. What do they gain other than becoming the next hot topic for the next 15 seconds,” Isaiah Kim, senior, said.
Breaking point
Take a breather The Mayo Clinic recommends focusing on the five senses in moments of rising stress
5 3 1
Things you can see
4
Things you can feel
Things you can hear
2
Things you can smell
Things you can taste
After days on end of work, tests and waking up early for school, some students end up taking a day to debrief and recollect themselves. Adding ways students de-stress and take care of their mental health, some students take mental health days. These days are excused by the students’ parents but still count toward the seven absences in Indiana. MHS1 does not provide mental health days to any students and will be counted against the students allowed absences for the school year. “My belief is that we should have mental health days, just for the sake of the students here. I know I’ve really needed a few at some points in my life,” Isaiah said. “A mental health day would really help unwind the brain because of what they’re going through with school, which could be bad, If it’s a personal thing you also have to combine school with that, which would just make it worse.” In Illinois, students are allowed to use five days excused per school year as mental health days without a doctor’s note that will not count towards their absences. These days are supposed to be for when students do not mentally feel well and cannot mentally go to school. “I think our school should have mental health days and they’re necessary because it refreshes your brain and mental health should come first before anything,” Makena said.
SOURCE: MAYO CLINIC, HEALTH SYSTEM
“Listening to music is not a stressful activity, it’s not like doing homework or studying. It’s just more relaxing.” - Isaiah Kim, senior
Coping with anxiety There are other ways to de-stress including meditating, reading a book, painting or talking to someone about anxiety or stress. Students could talk to therapists, students and teachers depending how they feel. “In-person therapy makes me feel a lot more comfortable and I feel like I would be able to talk a lot more freely,” Shreya Patel, junior, said. Students could learn relaxation techniques. Concentrating on breathing will provoke panic and hyperventilation. Abdominal breathing is another technique
that helps control the nervous system and encourages the body to start relaxing. Students can resort to watching comfort movies or shows. This could ease the brain by watching something that they love and warms the heart. “Some ways to de-stress would be to change your surroundings, maybe go take a walk and use that to clear your mind,” Shreya said. “You can combat anxiety by talking to others about what may be making you feel anxious so you could feel lighter.”
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munster high school crier
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY KRISTEN BAURAIN
OVERLOAD Seen above are newspaper headlines about the recent Russia-Ukraine conflict. Media coverage has increased rapidly, informing students while probing a variety of questions.
Students and teachers discuss Russia-Ukraine conflict, whether or not MHS should implement a current events class, as well as possible consequences of current news availability formed,” Mrs. Kathleen LaPorte, so“It would be so beneficial to the stucial studies teacher, said. “I would dent body to be more aware of what’s story editor & business manager love for someone to teach a current happening,” Mr. Lopez said. “And When Alex Prots, sophomore, first events class. It would be an uncom- with a greater awareness of what’s heard about the invasion in Ukraine, it fortable class. That is something that happening, there’s going to be more was to the sound of his mother’s voice our younger generations really strug- questions about ‘what? why?’ Then waking him up. With family located in gle with. They don’t like to be uncom- who’s going to answer those questions fortable. But we have to try to is going to be the history teachers.” southwestern Ukraine, Alex has get to the bottom of some According to a Crier survey of 336 felt an additional wave of of these things. We can students, 57.4% of students receive worry for his other home. have a view of what’s their current events from social media “I started watching the happening in Ukraine and 11.9% of students talk about curnews and then I stopped. of students and Russia, but do we rent events in class often. Some have It started giving me a do not often discuss actually understand discussed some possible repercussions headache and more stress current events in these deep, deep rela- from getting news through various soin school,” Alex said. “I tionships that are occur- cial media platforms. Other students, their classes think people are thinking ring in this area?” such as Abhiram Kandregula, junior, seriously. I have teachers As simple as it may seem, believe that social media acts as a spark coming out to me, and telling a current events course would of curiosity; once it’s triggered, and asking me if I’m okay, if my famtake a lot of effort to incorporate. it can lead students to doily is okay in Ukraine.” ing further research on The Russia-Ukraine conflict has been The social studies department their own. present for years, but recent events and would not only have to “It’s a good way to media coverage has sparked a topic of figure out if this is a class spread information conversation among students. Though students are willing to of students in this day and age,” there has been an emphasis on the re- take, but also set a teacher, talk about current Abhiram said. “Not cent invasion, many have discussed a grade range and standard events daily in their that many people aclack of genuine understanding with for how the class would classes tually sit down to read the history behind the situation. As a avoid issues with parents. a newspaper or listen to result, students and staff suggest solu- According to Mr. Steve Lothe news. Going on social tions such as watching the daily news, pez, social studies teacher, the media is a really easy way to actuincluding current events in the curric- class would greatly benefit students, ulum or even implementing a current as well as other methods of incorpora- ally spread information, and people tion, such as dedicating a few minutes get interested and start learning.” events course. Though there are benefits, a study “My fear is that a lot of it is misin- to current events as he did teaching in Whiting. from the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology shows that people who are exposed to violent media are more likely to be desensitized to it over a longer period of habitual use. According to Emily Sun, senior, this is clear as students’ main focus of the Russia-Ukraine conflict is the discussion of a possible World War III, and less of the actual cities being REENA ALSAKAJI & JOSEPHINE MITTELBERGER
34.5%
6.5%
bombed. With a current events class, students would be exposed to a more well-rounded review of international conflict. “It often gets glanced over that actual people are being killed and displaced,” Emily said. “We’re so desensitized to everything, but in Ukraine specifically, not a lot of people know how many people are trying to flee the borders and I don’t think that aspect is touched on too much.”
Time to reflect Staff & students talk about how the Russia-Ukraine conflict is perceived in Munster
“ “ “
I feel in Munster, we live in such a bubble. And sometimes we forget that there’s a world out there that isn’t as privileged as us.”
— EMILY SUN SENIOR
I think that there’s enough curiosity when something happens, (but students) don’t have a base which to go off.”
— MR. STEVE LOPEZ
SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER
The details are being lost to the students and we don’t know how extreme the circumstances are.”
— ANAGHA KODUKULA JUNIOR
7
M A R C H 25, 2022
S P O RTS
munster high school crier
A lasting legacy In memory of Mr. Bob Shinkan’s passing, a compilation of his legacy as a coach and teacher is displayed below
“First and
ALISON LEE
deadline manager
foremost, I hope that people remember me as an affectionate teacher. That’s the most important thing.” — Mr. Shinkan commenting about being inducted into the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame PHOTO FROM PARAGON 2020
HALL OF FAME Mr. Shinkan gives a speech at the Munster Alumni Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. PHOTO FROM PARAGON 1976
SNAPSHOT Mr. Shinkan’s first yearbook photo as a teacher, taken in 1976. Born and raised in Munster and graduating in 1971, Mr. Shinkan returned to MHS to teach the next generation of students.
Baseball games won
1975 Began teaching career. As Assistant Volleyball coach, Volleyball won their first Regional championship
1976
1981
1982
1986
Began coaching Girls’ Track as an Assistant Coach
Began coaching freshman Boys’ Basketball
Began coaching Baseball
Began first season as head baseball coach
35
years of teaching
688 48 Hall of Fame inductions
3
years of coaching Football
3
Final Four Baseball appearances
5
2
years of coaching Baseball
Baseball record
33
years of coaching JV Volleyball
10 Conference titles 11 Sectional titles 5 Regional titles
6
years of coaching Girls’ Track years of coaching freshman Basketball
2002 Class 4A State Championship INFOGRAPHIC BY ALISON LEE SOURCES: ZEKE CLARK, CLASS OF 2017, AND ZACHARY SLOSSER, ATHLETICS OFFICE
“Just to be nominated was a great honor, but to be actually voted in kind of completed what my career has become.
I owe that to all the past coaches and the players. I can’t take all the credit.”
— Mr. Shinkan commenting about being inducted into the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame
1990 Began coaching varsity Football after coaching WWMS football from 1983-1989
2002 Won 4A State Title for Baseball, the first ever in MHS history
2005 Began coaching Girls’ Basketball and won Conference (‘05, ‘06, ‘09)
PHOTO FROM PARAGON 2015
600TH WIN Mr. Shinkan opens a gift from his team in honor of his 600th win. “It was a real nice trophy, and I really appreciated the gift,” he said.
2015 Inducted into Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame; celebrates 600th win
2018 Inducted into Munster Alumni Hall of Fame
2022 Inducted into Munster Coaches Hall of Fame
PHOTO FROM PARAGON 2016
LEGACY Mr. Shinkan’s latest yearbook photo from 2016. Now, after a 48 year-long teaching career and his passing in March 2022, he is a remembered and cherished Mustang.
PHOTOS COMPILED BY ALISON LEE, ATARAH ISRAEL, HENRY HOFFERTH
8 Inclusive M A R C H 25, 2022
S T U DE NT LIF E or
munster high school crier
exclusive?
BACKTALK If you could only eat one food for a whole year, what would it be, and why?
“Pizza. It has the most food groups.”
“I would pick my Serbian baba’s kifle because they melt in your mouth and remind me of Serbia.” —Matea Savic —Ashton Silva freshman freshman
PHOTO ILLUSTRATIONS BY HENRY HOFFERTH
SPLIT STANDPOINTS Subjects hold signs similar signs to those used in protests supporting or opposing HB 1041and demonstrate the divisiveness the bill has created in schools and throughout the nation.
Amidst a surge of anti-LGBTQIA+ laws in the nation, students and staff react SOFIA SANCHEZ page editor
P
reposterous. Unthinkable. Ridiculous. These were the words that flooded freshman Charlie Ilijevski’s mind upon hearing of House Bill 1041. “I personally think it’s very unnecessary, very transphobic and something that no one should even propose,” Charlie said. “Everyone has advantages of their own. If we ban trans girls from playing on the team they should play on, then why don’t we ban people that are over six foot from playing basketball since they have a bigger advantage? I just think it’s going a little overboard.” The Indiana bill states that K-12 and athletic organizations’ sports teams are to be designated as male, female or mixed. The bill would have prohibited transgender girls from joining a sports team that has been designated as girls’ or women’s. HB 1041 does not mention transgender boys. On March 21, Governor Holcomb vetoed the bill. Legislators will convene May 24 and take a vote on whether to override the veto. The Indiana High School Athletic Association’s policy presently requires that all transgender athletes complete a year, at minimum, of hormone treatment related to a gender transition or medical gender reassignment procedure. The policy states that testing must be done to confirm a student does not possess physical advantages over their peer athletes. “In education, our goal should always be to be as inclusive as we possibly can,” Ms. Beth Raspopovich, Assistant Athletic Director, said. “But I also believe there is an inherent advantage for people born male at birth compared to people born female at birth. You have to take into consideration not
About
HB1041
only (how) it affects that person, but (how) it affects those people that are on the team with that person as well.” This year has seen more than 150 anti-LGBTQIA+ bills introduced across the nation. On March 8, the Florida Senate passed the Parental Rights in Education bill that prohibits classroom discussion about sexual orientation or gender identity from kindergarten through third grade. Widely known as the Don’t Say Gay bill, it has sparked protests and student walkouts throughout the country. In early March, Iowa passed a bill also prohibiting transgender girls and women from joining girls’ and womens’ sports
teams. “I don’t think anybody cares that much in a serious manner about fairness and sports to that extent,” Alyx Salamanca, junior, said. “They’re specifically targeting trans girls. In every conversation about trans people, the focus is trans women and I find that extremely misogynistic because trans women have a very specific set of struggles that they go through. It shows how a lot of people have a really hard time humanizing trans people.” HB 1041 can cause the mental health of transgender and gender diverse youth (TGD) to deteriorate, who
already are at four times greater risk of depression, according to the Journal of Affective Disorders. Some students worry that such a bill would have amplified these hardships and harmed TGD students. “There’s just so much stigma and such a lack of education that people don’t feel comfortable enough to feel these things, they can’t even know what they align with, and don’t even think they’re allowed to do so,” Tayo Clark, senior and GSA president, said. “For example, I was at a support group the other day, and there was a grandparent who couldn’t even come out as gay until he was 69 years old. He just simply didn’t have the language nor did he understand that it was okay to feel that way, and he held that inside for his entire life. That’s messed up.” Tayo and Charlie held a meeting March 8 with Mr. Mike Wells, principal, to discuss ways to help the LGBTQIA+ community at MHS. Introducing pronouns on the first day of school and more awareness of gender neutral bathrooms, among others, are examples of the proposals made. Implementation of these proposals is currently in discussion with the administrative team. According to Lucy MacDonald, junior, the small step of respecting one’s pronouns can make all the difference. “It shows that we still have a long way to go with how much Indiana needs to change while the rest of the world is progressing,” Lucy said. “It’s so easy to respect someone’s pronouns and their identity. Everyone has pronouns and respecting them is literally two seconds out of your day. You don’t have to do anything, just be respectful towards trans youth and trans people in general. They’re just like you and me. There’s nothing wrong with them.” Source: IN.gov
All sports Lawmakers will Transgender The bill meet to discuss would be was vetoed girls will be the bill May 24. If designated prohibited March the vote passes as male, 21 by from joining with two-thirds female or Governor designated majority, the veto mixed. girls’ teams. Holcomb. will be overridden.
“Oranges so I don’t get covid and because of the vitamin C.” —Lily He sophomore
“Raw hot dogs because they have a high source of protein.”
“Potatoes because they’re many variations.” —Cate Stephan sophomore
“Tacos because you can change out all of the ingredients.”
—Brandon Oganovich junior
—Kathren Gonzalez junior
“Waffles because I love breakfast food and they have better texture than pancakes.”
“Human milk because Google says it’s the only food with all the nutrients you need to survive.”
—Jane Potter senior
“Ezekial bread because I’ve been told it is very healthy and has a lot of fiber.” —Mr. Jordan Mayer English teacher
—Parker Olsen senior
“BBQ ribs. I really like barbeque, especially stuff that’s got some tang to it.” —Mr. Mark Dye social studies teacher