MHS Crier | Issue 9 | 4.19.2024

what will life look like?

When the year 2034 arrives, how will we look back?

Already over the past decade, we have experienced extreme change with technology, environment and school. In 10 years, all current students will be in their late 20s. What does the world have in store?

read our special section

get ready to cut loose

munster theatre company prepares for their spring musical: footloose

Coming to the auditorium next weekend, Munster Theatre Company presents Footloose, the musical. A musical about a boy named Ren McCormcack, who was played by actor Kevin Bacon in the movie version, moved from Chicago to Beaumont due to the loss of his father. In Beaumont, dancing is forbidden which causes a struggle for Ren to fit in because of his love for dancing.

Ari Jamerson and DeAnthony Bowden, seniors, are welcomed by MTC for their first show. Wanting to be a part of a musical led them to take the opportunity and audition. Both landed the roles as the leads, Ariel Moore and Ren. The environment of being a first year is enjoyable to them as everyone was welcoming.

“I’m really glad I chose to be a part of the musical,” Ari said. “Everyone’s been super inviting, loving and accepting.”

Compared to previous years, dancing is one of the main focus’ this musical, which is new to some of the cast members. During rehearsals, the auditorium lobby was used for the time being due to the middle schoolers practicing on the stage for their

play. Once back from spring break, the stage had been open for practicing and perfecting the dances even more.

“These dances are difficult and all of us are kind of struggling on the timing,” Clover Sarkady, senior, who plays Vi Moore said. “But, I think it’s gonna come together because we’re all working really hard on them.”

Along with some struggles of the dances, sometimes the line memorizan can be a struggle too. To become more familiar with those lines, Mr. Ray Palasz, Theatre Director, tells everyone to practice 20 minutes every day. By doing this routine, the cast is able to help one another in preparation.

“I’m not used to line memorization because I’ve never done it before,” DeAnthony said. “But I like that we’re all helping each other out.”

With opening night approaching next week, the cast kicks into high gear.

“I’m ready for the challenge and for the hard work to be put in even more,” Ari said. “I want it to be a great opening night and want everyone to feel proud and great, I know we can do it.”

musical achievements

behind the scenes

As opening night approaches, the cast and crew of Footloose work to tweak scenes and add finishing touches. The ensemble rehearses choreography as tech plans light and sound, all to the beat of the music.

club updates

winter percussion wins first place at last competition

In the echoey confines of the Hulman Center, Sam Thompson, junior, and the Winter Percussion Ensemble performed their final winter percussion show on April 6. Each key struck, each note played, every single movement took months to refine and craft into a performance that earned them first place. After everything was played and done, they packed up their instruments and confidently strode into the arena one more time for judgment. It was their time to shine.

“It was a similar feeling to the other final runs I’d done before,” Sam said. “Each performance comes with a lot of adrenaline, so that really puts you into a competitive state, as if you were participating in a team sport.”

Most of the time, writing the show’s music falls into the director’s hands, or sometimes even a composition profes-

sional that’s been paid by the director. However, Sam took it upon himself to compose the entire show’s music without anyone else to collaborate with.

“There were a lot of benefits for me and the program when I took up this challenge,” Sam said. “Not only was I testing my skills as writer and composer, but I was also testing the skills of my fellow ensemble members to play the piece. This year’s music was not easy in the slightest.”

Although many of the ensemble members agree that this year was their best show ever, Sam has faith that future seasons will live up to it and maybe even surpass it.

“Everyone is constantly improving,” Sam said. “Even though we have some seniors leaving this year, the strong momentum of this program and the improvement of the ensemble will really help to keep the program and its prestige in order.”

orchestra receives gold with distinction at issma

Celebrating in the cafeteria of Lake Central last Friday, Symphony Orchestra received gold with distinction and Philharmonic received gold at the ISSMA Organizational competition. The final requirement for the All Music Award, this is the first time they have won it since 2003.

“I was extremely surprised but very proud,” Addy Ellis, junior, said. “It’s about time since we did it [win the All Music Award] again.”

what is the process behind the scenes?

“We meet every single day and then, the past few times, we’ve been just running through the whole show,” Emma Potchen, freshman said.

• “We work with the students, the actors. I’m all for comfort and making them look good,” Ms. Jeralyn Kroll, head of costuming, said. “Sound is done and costuming is mostly done, but lighting, props, and some set pieces are still being worked on,” Juliana Flores, sophomore, said.

robotics season ends environmental club prepares for earth day

Environmental Club has been planning the upcoming Earth Day event tomorrow at Heritage Park from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Seniors Eden Cook and Lily Hestjean have been planning this event alongside the rest of the club for the last few months and are very excited to share it with not only the student body, but the community. There will be crafts, face painting, rock painting, seed giveaways and many different environmental organizations that will be coming to set up booths.

“[We have been] working with the Munster-based group Munster Sustainable and Green to bring this event to life, as they spearheaded this event last year and continue to make it possible,” Lily said. “This celebration will be an amazing opportunity for the community to come together to appreciate our local green spaces and celebrate the beauty and value of this planet.”

corrections

In Issue 8 of Crier, on page 1, senior Kylena Torres is on the top right.

On page 2, Claire Han is a junior and Roy Lin is a freshman. On pages 4 and 5, Lexi Villalobos took all of the student musician profile photos.

On page 8, Joey’s last name is spelled Higgason. Crier regrets these errors.

I NEED A HERO Getting in position, junior Lucy Salazar and seniors Delaney Craig and Ari Jamerson rehearse for the Munster Theater Club’s spring musical, Footloose. “The fact that there’s a lot of dancing motivates and encourages me to have a lot of fun and put my all into it.” Ari said. (photo by josephine zangrilli)

HERE’S THE SCOOP Standing in front of the class during the April 11 Environmental Club meeting, seniors Lily Hestjean and Eden Cook, explain the preparation needed for the upcoming Earth Day event. (photo by john kullerstrand)

lexi villalobos photographer and journalism 1 writer

ALL SMILES Holding their award, seniors Daniel Kim and Ricco Garrett, Addy Ellis, junior, Emily Li, senior and Isabella Shin, junior, pose for a TikTok. (photo by emma starkey)

DREAM MACHINE Carrying the robot, Veer Jhaveri, senior and Fawwaz Shareef, freshman, move it to the next area. At the Crescendo tournament in Lafayette, the robotics team experienced some difficulties involving connections with the robot. Although they did not win, the team enjoyed making connections with other teams. (photo submitted by jose-miguel sanchez, junior)

amalia alvarez, journalism 1 writer

jack sklar, journalism 1 writer

marion ivy, journalism 1 writer

lauren hoogeveen, editor-in-chief

staff opinion

thinking forward

Crier has discussed change a lot. We’ve had to. The world is always changing, from the menial daily to the impactful. Crier has consistently kept up with local change: things that matter more to the student body, generally more short term. But we are part of the greater world just as much as the local one we’ve made.

And the outside world—the one we’re emerging into—is changing. Rapidly.

There’s no way to predict the future.

But even if we don’t know exactly what our future holds, we can still make guesses. There’s a lot of signs of what might come, and it is important to think about these future changes as much as the current ones.

our take

Most of the changes in the next ten years will be result from technological developments.

50 years ago, science fiction portrayed a future where we would drive flying cars and pilot spaceships into the far corners of space in a world with abundant greenery.

Uh, yeah. That obviously hasn’t happened.

In 10 years...“While the world will look similar, the way people use technology will be different, like people living with Apple goggles.”

Zoe Clark

Zoe Clark

Zoe Clark

Zoe Clark

Zoe Clark Zoe Clark

Zoe Clark

Zoe Clark

Zoe Clark

\\ Zoe Clark, junior

Crier, when considering what may come for us, mostly turned to technology. It’s likely that technology will be the defining factor in life. While restrictions on device usage may seem lax, in the next decade, a firmer hand will be set down. There will be more restrictions to phone usage in class, and harsher treatment of plagiarism, especially in cases of AI. It may even go so far as to result in unfair points deductions from falsely positive AI checking tools.

The next generation, Gen Al-

In 10 years...“Our lives will be heavily dependent on the technology we are developing right now.”

John Kullerstrand

John Kullerstrand

John Kullerstrand

John Kullerstrand

John Kullerstrand

John Kullerstrand

John Kullerstrand

John Kullerstrand

John Kullerstrand

\\ John Kullerstrand, sophomore

Crier, Munster High School’s official student newspaper, may be reached via mail at 8808 Columbia Ave, Munster, IN 46321; via phone

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,

pha, will be where we truly see the aftereffects of Covid-19. Similar to the development of society before and after 9/11, there will be changes to the way the world works due to it. For example, masking when sick may become more common.

We will also see the degradation of attention spans, as being online fosters an addiction to stimulus. We’ve already seen an average of 3 second decreases in attention span, now. This will also increase the number of ADHD diagnoses, even if they wouldn’t be entirely correct. This future world is the one that we’ll have greater control over: one that we are free to shape and change. Whatever new technological restrictions or Covid-19 aftereffects there might be, it helps to know where we’re going.

In 10 years... “I feel like there will be a lot of commotion because technology will completely take over.”

Lexi Villalobos

Lexi Villalobos

Lexi Villalobos

Lexi Villalobos

Lexi Villalobos

Lexi Villalobos

Lexi Villalobos

Lexi Villalobos

Lexi Villalobos

\\

Lexi Villalobos, junior

In 10 years...“If we continue on the path that we are currently on, all of the Munster spring break vacation spots will be underwater.”

gabby vanpagehorne editor

Prom is one of the most significantly portrayed events in an adolescent’s life. In current culture, dresses are chosen months in advance, some stores, like Peaches Boutique in Chicago, going so far as to take down what school the buyer goes to so nobody has the same dress as them. Choosing a dress can take anywhere from a few minutes to hours of multiple days picking out the perfect one, a dress that suits personal wants and needs. So why has there been such an uproar recently about what type of dress someone else choses?

Whether or not you choose the traditional full out sparkly dress, a ball gown-esque dress, or a flowy floral dress, choosing should be solely your choice. You should not feel pressured to choose one or the other simply because someone said they didn’t like it.

Clothing is a form of expression that has transformed in so many ways throughout history. In the ancient world men were known to wear skirts, in the regency era women wore empire bodice dresses and men had frilly shirts, in the 50s poodle skirts and leather jackets were the ginchy clothing style. Now, prom dresses trends have started to shift from wear-once sparkly dresses to what has been described as “Easter” dresses, which is generally a floral or satin dress that is less form fitting.

There has also been a spike of guys wearing more patterned suits with exciting materials and designs, so why has nobody said anything negative about those? The double standard shows in situations like these and brings out the true colors of a lot of people.

Gabby Van Horne

Gabby Van Horne

Gabby Van Horne

Gabby Van Horne

Gabby Van Horne

Gabby Van Horne

Gabby Van Horne

Gabby Van Horne

Gabby Van Horne

\\ Gabby Van Horne, junior

In the end it truly does not matter what someone wears as long as they are happy and comfortable with it, so whether or not you choose a sparkly dress, a pants suit, a floral dress or anything else, you do you.

building up the future

building

a

look into upcoming construction projects, administration looks forward to next ten years of stm

lauren hoogeveen

Grabbing extra folding chairs from the closets of the Administration building to compensate for the surplus of people attending the April 8 School Board meeting, the crowd murmured about primarily the same topic: the potential purchase of the Center for Performing Arts. Despite the offer being presented by the Community Foundation themselves due to financial issues, many members of the community spoke out in favor of keeping the Center as is. In a press release from Wednesday, the School Board announced “stepping back from the acquisition process” to “enable the Town of Munster to pursue its own evaluations and determine the property’s suitability for its needs.”

search and due diligence.”

According to Dr. Heller, since the original offer March 11, the board investigated the cost of operating the building, potential uses, ability to maintain current art and music programs and ways it could be connected to the students.

“[We discussed] is it in the best interest of the School Town of Munster to do this? But also is it the best for the community? We actually, despite what people think, actually care about what the community wants as well.”

“We are completely redoing all of the choir, band, orchestra classrooms and the auditorium.”

\\ Dr. Bret Heller, superintendent

“Initially, our exploration of the property began with the understanding that the Town of Munster was not interested in pursuing this property,” Dr. Bret Heller, superintendent, said. “However, during discussions with some members of the Munster Town Council and Town Leadership, it became apparent that they have an interest in the property and would like to conduct their own re-

Ultimately, the board’s main focus is their plan for the next four years: introducing pre-K classes at two elementary schools this fall, finishing up current projects throughout the elementary, middle and high school and replacing the bleachers and scoreboard in the fieldhouse. Currently in the works is redoing the performing arts rooms, the auditorium and lobby. With all three music classes in a row, it does not allow for much expansion. Instead, the choir room will be moved into the empty space above the language classes. Band and orchestra will remain in the current performing arts hallway,

but just dividing that space into two instead of three.

Although no official blueprints are set in place, administrators have been in contact with the music teachers to take suggestions for upgrades. For example, Miss Levacy Quinn, orchestra director, suggested a humidity-controlled room to help protect the instruments, which is what the current room never had, causing instruments to wear down quicker over time. Mr. Ian Marcusiu and Mr. Adam Beaupre, band directors, created multiple plans for the remodel, going back and forth with administration and the architects until they landed on a layout that fit the budget and satisfied their requests. Overall, each room will be getting new paint, flooring, soundproofing materials and an entirely new layout consisting of three practice rooms and instrument racks instead of lockers.

room. It will be inconvenient to be displaced from the orchestra room for the majority of the year, but having a fresh new space will be great for the students.”

“We are very grateful that some much needed renovations and increases and square footage will be taking place.

\\ Mr. Ian Marcusiu, band director when i’m older

“What do you want to be when you grow up?” is a question I feel like I’ve been asked a million times. My answer changes almost every time.

josephine zangrilli photographer

Mr. Michael Gordon

Mr. Michael Gordon

Mr. Michael Gordon

Mr. Michael Gordon

Mr. Michael Gordon

Mr. Michael Gordon

For quite a while I wanted to be a candy maker, yes, like Willy Wonka. After that sweet dream had faded, I had my eyes set on professional golf. Which I had quickly convinced myself was ridiculous because of the unes-

“I think it’s great that they’re making the changes,” Miss Quinn said. “It feels like these rooms are straight out of the seventies and in dire need of some TLC, especially since the orchestra room is currently set up like a band

capable opinions of social media and peers.

Now that I am almost halfway finished with high school I wish I had stressed less on my future career. I regret enrolling in classes because I was told they are “good for college apps” and instead I should have been doing what I was truly interested in.

Now that I am almost halfway through high school, I have

Looking further into the next ten years, there are discussions being had amongst the School Board and Town of Munster about moving the tennis courts somewhere else near MHS and WWMS, putting a new sports complex in its place. According to Dr. Heller, it would provide sports the ability to practice inside in case of weather issues and also allow for more specialized, sport-specific equipment, such as an indoor track. Although the new tennis courts location is not confirmed, Dr. Heller explained it needs to be close enough for PE classes and the tennis program, but also where it can remain a community space and room for potential pickleball courts.

“There are times where we have kids practicing at eight o’clock at night because that’s the only time they can get gym space,” Dr. Heller said. “We want to get every one of our high school programs able to practice right after school so that they can go home and do their homework and spend time with their friends and family.”

began to realize my transcript won’t be determining my future successes and failures. I am secure with myself as a student and also as a hardworker. I don’t need a 5 on an AP exam to make my self-image concrete.

With my 11-year old sister entering middle school this year, she has been asking me what classes she should take. I find myself encouraging her to

do what she’s interested in. I want her to have a different experience than I did, with less stress on what she will do for the rest of her life and live in the moment.

I want her to develop good habits while enjoying the workload she’s going to take on. Secondary school is only a small part of a life you only live once, why not have fun?

In 10 years... “I’m not sure. The students in my room are preparing for jobs that don’t yet exist.”

Peyton Silver

Peyton Silver

Peyton Silver

Mr. Michael Gordon

Mr. Michael Gordon

Mr. Michael Gordon \\

Mr. Michael Gordon, government teacher

In 10 years... “I hope to have successfully graduated college with a degree in civil engineering”

Peyton Silver Peyton Silver Peyton Silver Peyton Silver Peyton Silver

Peyton Silver \\ Peyton Silver, senior

Teju Akinola Teju Akinola

In 10 years...”I see life, in general, being very eventful and busy. For myself, traveling to far places and exploring different parts of the word. “

Teju Akinola

Teju Akinola Teju Akinola Teju Akinola Teju Akinola

\\ Teju Akinola, senior

In 10 years...”I feel people might lose their jobs a lot. There’ll be a lot of machines and robots.”

Katie Vitale

Katie Vitale

Katie Vitale

Katie Vitale

Katie Vitale

\\ Katie Vitale, sophomore

FINAL BOW Within the next two years, the entire auditorium and lobby will be reconstructed and designed. Backstage, changes will also be made to some of the equipment that MTC uses for their productions to make them safer, such as the fly space stairs. This is currently planned to be done summer of 2025. (photo by zoe clark) BREAK POINT Including indoor changes, STM plans to move the tennis courts between the high school and to new locations. To replace them, there may be a new sports complex with an indoor track and other amenities. (photo by zoe clark) GIVING IT A REST Empty lockers sit in the orchestra room waiting to be remodeled. Along with the whole room being redone, new features will be refurbished. (photo by emma starkey)

editor-in-chief

adapting adapting

predicting what ai will be like in ten years to artificial intelligence Select

fear the

My whole life has revolved around technology in some way. My parents first exchanged email pen pal letters sent across the Atlantic Ocean.

My house is semi-automatic. It’s set up with Homekit, so that the lights, thermostat, even the garage door can be controlled by a click of a button on my phone.

My passions are all electronic. I write stories on Google Docs, doodle characters in Procreate, and grumble at my TV when I die in my new favorite JRPG of the week. I scream about my favorite characters from shows and games I love with a bunch of different people on the internet.

So, don’t get me wrong, I’m really grateful for technology for coming this far. I really don’t think I would be the person I am today without it.

The recent introduction of AI such as Chat GPT or Google AI has caused a lot of the future of technology to become uncertain. Mr. Joshua Collier, principles of engineering teacher, said he believes possibilities for the next ten years are getting larger and larger with every new accomplishment AI makes for aspects of the medical, educational and many other parts of society.

“You have Moore’s law that says everything will double every two years, like power and efficiency is getting better,” Mr. Collier said. “That's now starting to become every year, and it's going to end up being every six months. Things are just at a point now where, as long as we don’t blow ourselves up, we’re on pace to accelerate into something really cool.”

Fear and distrust in aspects of AI, such as media and communication, comes with its rising popularity, according to Stephen Glombicki, junior, who is interested in and good with technology.

ly scary but I also think it's the next industrial revolution. Everybody wants to have it, but nobody really knows what it is.”

“I think it’ll take over the more meaningless jobs, like most of the non-critical thinking.”

As it rapidly develops there is a process that has to happen in order for businesses, schools and individuals to understand how to use it as a tool instead of a method of bypassing hard work.

\\ Stephen Glombicki, junior

“I just wish that schools, companies and educators could learn to use it to their advantage as opposed to thinking it's a detriment to society,” Ms. Koula Amanatidis, CSP teacher, said. “Obviously with anything we have to be smart about it and realize that it's something that could obviously cause some issues, but if you know how to take advantage of it you can actually use it for you and your classroom.”

“If we can do it better and easier with AI, why are we going to pay people to do it?

\\ Omar Aftab, junior

“I think there's a whole bunch of fear because we don’t know what it can do,” Stephen said. “People don’t really understand it. If you don’t understand it and you hear something and then hear another thing they kind of start stacking on top of each other. I think it's definitely real-

Jordan Fefferman

Jordan Fefferman

In 10 years... “I see the future feeling faster, like with tech advancing and making things quicker.”

Jordan Fefferman

Jordan Fefferman

Jordan Fefferman

Jordan Fefferman

Jordan Fefferman \\

Jordan Fefferman, junior

AI has only just begun to become a topic of interest as it starts to play bigger parts in society. Generations like Gen Z and Millennials have gotten to see it develop from features like SIRI all the way to Chat GPT, but newer generations have had it throughout most of their lives.

“The world wide web didn’t come around until I was in college,” Mr. Ryan Popa, CSP and business teacher, said. “People would hog up computer labs emailing their friends around the country and when we had to write papers

Mireya Ortiz

Mireya Ortiz In 10 years... “More modern. More features. More Teslas.”

Mireya Ortiz

Mireya Ortiz

Mireya Ortiz Mireya Ortiz

Mireya Ortiz

Mireya Ortiz \\ Mireya Ortiz, freshman

you’d get mad at those people.” Ms. Amanatidis and Mr. Popa have a two year age gap but their experiences are vastly different because of the fast pace of development of technology at the time.

“I was part of computer programs when I was at Purdue, so I was able to use integrated programs, which had been around,” Ms. Amanatidis said. “To incorporate researching on the web, it was cool to be part of that during that time.”

As it continues to change at a rapid pace, society sees good aspects of AI such as medical advances being used in the military.

“There's certain equipment now being used in the military where it can give you a two days notice if you wear a ring or a special watch and it’ll be like ‘just so you know, based on your vitals, you’re likely to get sick in the next two days,” Mr. Collier said.

In the next 10 years and well into the future there is room for AI to continue to expand and improve and continue to develop to combat the bad aspects of it.

“The goal was always to create something to help people,” Mr. Collier said. “For the most part, people have good intentions. We’ve started to respond to the negative things that do happen, and I think we’re going to come up with counters to the negative things as they come up.”

Emma Kavalec Emma Kavalec Emma Kavalec Emma Kavalec Emma Kavalec In 10 years... “I hope things will change for the better but with how its been going it could go a lot worse.”

Emma Kavalec

Emma Kavalec

Emma Kavalec

Emma Kavalec \\ Emma Kavalec, senior

But, technology is terrifying.

Well, no. Humanity is terrifying.

Nothing on the internet is secure. Anything you post, save, create is in multiple servers across the world, and these servers are never 100% safe. Backdoors can be hidden, allowing hackers, data scrapers, and other just shady people who could make profit or worse off of your personal information: be it your date of birth, last thing you ate, or your social security number and mother’s maiden name.

Our own school email got hacked a few years back, and while that was a funny little scenario for us unbothered high schoolers, it’s just a taste of what could happen. Imagine if it was your personal email, with information about your medical records and various financial updates.

That’s not even mentioning the threat AI has against us. AI is actively targeting the best of human creativity. Why have actual artists, when AI can generate art that is probably good enough? Why have writers when AI can write full stories and essays for you? Nevermind the flaws today, the rate of advancement is such that these imperfections will likely be eradicated in just a few years.

Technology is humanity’s greatest achievement. I will never trust it.

Mr. Brad Docter

Mr. Brad Docter

Mr. Brad Docter

Mr. Brad Docter

Mr. Brad Docter

Mr. Brad Docter

Mr. Brad Docter

In 10 years... “Not much different. We were always saying 'Oh, in the year 2000 we're gonna have flying cars,' and it's like, not much changes."”

Mr. Brad Docter

Mr. Brad Docter \\ Mr. Brad Docter, dean of students

emma starkey page editor

gabby van horne page editor

CAPTCHA CARS Photos of various bridges and traffic lights and signs around Munster, compiled to simulate one of Google’s Recaptcha. Recaptcha is used by Google to train self-driving cars to identify common information and hazards, something that will likely be perfected within the decade, according to Carnegie Mellon University (photos by emma starkey)

y y y 10 10 10 10 in

years years years years years years years years years years

before it’s too late

In 10 years... “I will probably be a popstar living in a French villa, who has a pink lambourghini. And owns a dog. Dream big.

Hawksbill turtle. Indian Elephant. Orangutan. African Wild Dog. These are all endangered animal species that the earth has the potential to lose in the future. Animals that our children and grandchildren might only ever get to see in pictures.

According to the World Wildlife Foundation, we are in a mass extinction event, one where we are seeing thousands of animals go extinct every year. Despite this, people are still ignoring the implications of our actions and the fact that not only we are suffering from them but so are other organisms.

As we continue to pollute our home

Seamus Keegan Seamus Keegan

In 10 years... “I think people will be forced to live in the moment and focus on themselves.”

Seamus Keegan

Seamus Keegan Seamus Keegan Seamus Keegan Seamus Keegan Seamus Keegan Seamus Keegan

Seamus Keegan

\\ Seamus Keegan, senior

friday, april 19, 2023

a changing climate

changing

students and staff share their concerns for the next 10 years of the environment

Anticipating her dive into the Florida Everglades, a trip she has been preparing for since the beginning of her Project Bio class at the start of the school year, Addy Ellis, junior, listened intently to the diving instructor. However, her eagerness shifted when the instructor told the Project Bio group that their dive would be one of the first that he would see coral restoring itself from last summer’s heat.

“That worried me,” Addy said. “I feel like I’m never just hopeful or worried about the future of our environment. When I got down there on the dive, I had the opportunity to see with my own two eyes how our ecosystems and our environment still have life. That gave me a lot of hope and inspiration, but the oceans are just going to continue to get warmer, and it’s gonna be harder for our coral reefs to bounce back at some point.”

The idea of the world becoming warmer, climate change, is an important concern for Mr. Michael Bakker, science teacher. He said he believes it is a crucial issue to be presented in the classroom to prepare and influence the future. However, learning about this concept in schools can be a challenge and, in some states, illegal.

While environmental concerns of coral bleaching seem like an outlying problem to many, an underlying threat poses destruction to regional stability. Lily Hestjean, senior, confronts the fears that the most pressing environmental concerns a Munster resident could find in their backyard.

“The loss of green space in specific is grave because Indiana as a whole has already become so developed, as it has lost 85% of the wetlands it once had,” Lily said. “On top of this, industry pollution continues to plague our water quality and contributes to the dispersal of heavy metals and toxic pollution into our soils. In the long term, the toxic degradation of our environment by industry can etch away at all of our health.”

Covering the multitude of environmental issues, the Environmental Club has participated in many recycling drives, clean-up events, and lectures to learn and be involved in moving toward fixing these problems.

“Eventually we’re going to have to see that this is not a good thing and we’re going to have to change.”

\\ Cavin McNulty, junior

“We don’t necessarily always have a blueprint for something to do,” Cavin McNulty, junior and club president, said. “We want to make people’s lives better, but we all are not on the same page of how to do it yet. I wonder ‘what do you think it will take for people to all realize’ or ‘what do you think the future will look like if something does not change?’”

“By law, a Florida teacher cannot say the words ‘climate change’ in class, but in ten years Miami Beach may not even be a beach anymore—it will be underwater,” Mr. Bakker said. “It’s really hard to think about things that are happening if you don’t actually witness them. Being presented with evidence and reasoning allows you to understand that if this is the way the world works, then these things are happening. I don’t actually have to go to Australia to see the coral bleaching to know.”

with unnaturally produced greenhouse gasses, tear down the habitats of animals that have been around longer than we have, or heat up the waters to a degree that the organisms can not keep up with, we also continue to pretend that we haven’t contributed to these problems.

Big companies turn a blind eye when disposing of toxic materials simply because it costs them less to be fined than it does to dispose of them correctly. Everyday people fail to realize the harmful effects of the consumerist era that we live in, one where people feel the need to compete with each other

Niko Iatrides Niko Iatrides Niko Iatrides Niko Iatrides Niko Iatrides Niko Iatrides

In 10 years... “Probably in the Mississippi country side, you know, on the balcony just chilling.”

Niko Iatrides Niko Iatrides Niko Iatrides

\\ Niko Iatrides, sophomore

Despite their everlasting doubt in the public’s ability towards change, the Environmental Club continues their fight. They went to the statehouse in February for Renewable Energy Day to advocate towards the implementation of renewable energy.

“It was just such an amazing experience connecting with like-minded groups towards the common goal of making change.” Lily said. “We’ll continue to fight for statewide and greater change that will help achieve long-term sustainability.”

materialistically instead of just basing success on character and happiness.

We are continuously polluting the environment in a way that leads to intense warming of the earth that will become irreversible if we do not do anything about it. We cannot continue to wait for someone else to do the right thing, to wait for someone to speak up and make the change that needs to happen. We have to rely on ourselves to do what is right and protect our environment for the good of humanity and every other living organism that now relies on us to continue living on this earth.

Olivia Helmke

In 10 years... “Maybe something more like solar power, something more energy efficient,

Olivia Helmke

Olivia Helmke

Olivia Helmke

Olivia Helmke

Olivia Helmke

Olivia Helmke

Olivia Helmke

Olivia Helmke

Olivia Helmke

\\ Olivia Helmke, senior

POWERFUL PLANTS In the greenhouse during botany class, Anagha Narayan, junior, tends to her plant. “We’re always learning about ourselves, but we don’t have as great of an understanding about plants, so I like plants for that reason,” Anagha said. (photo by karla aguilar) TRASH IN TOWN Featured above, an empty candy wrapper sits at West Lakes park. The park is littered with trash, specifically in a nearby stream. With hopes of a cleaner future, eliminating litter is a step towards improving environmental conditions locally. (photo by gabby van horne) THROUGH THE SCHOOL At the end of the school day, on the bench in the hallway before the cafeteria, an empty cookie wrapper can be seen disreguarded on the bench.(photo by marianna young)

preserving preserving the print

a look into the future of print publications at MHS and overall

really take shape,” Ms. Lanman said. “We have to communicate a lot and have a lot of discussions and collaborations to create the Crier that you have in your hands.”(photo by karla aguilar)

dorothy lakshmanamurthy deadline manager

With four out of five Paragon staffers graduating this year, and publications adviser Ms. Sarah-Anne Lanman resigning after this year, concern about what the future of publications will look like here is a concern for some students.

“I am concerned about the future of publications in our school,” Armani Bearden, senior, said. “I do think it will be a big change. Without someone, the students, bringing attention to our publications, it feels like a sinking ship. I hope the underclassmen can influence others and continue the drive in creating something that lasts to some extent.”

publication to magazines and more broadcast and website-based media.

“Crowntown does a magazine because it is more visually appealing and newspapers are becoming obsolete,” Mrs. Jennifer Bianchi, Crowntown publications adviser, said. “Most kids these days have never picked up a newspaper. The future of print publications, unfortunately, seems that it will be online in, maybe not 10, but 20 years for sure.”

“I think we should stay printing. Being one of the only high school print newspapers is something special.”

\\ Josephine Zangrilli, sophomore

Although she is leaving, Ms. Lanman encourages her students to push toward continuing the ongoing publications program here at our school.

“My big thing is that a pub kid doesn’t do this just for me,” Ms. Lanman said. “I want them to do it for the publication. Crier and Paragon exist outside of me or of any adviser—they exist in the hands of the students who work on them each year. Any media—Crier and Paragon included— are a reflection of a moment in time.”

However, the future of printed publications, as a whole, seems to be another concern. Many surrounding schools, such as Crown Point’s publication, Crowntown, have moved from a school newspaper

Evidently, Crier has not moved away from the traditional print newspaper since they started publications in 1966, the year Munster High School was established. However, Ms. Nancy Hastings, former publications adviser, has observed many advancements of publications through her time here.

“It’s really interesting because when I first started here, there were no computers and we would have to manually paste our stories together like a puzzle,” Ms. Hastings said. “Then computers came into the picture for publications in the mid 1980s, and it was remarkable the more control we all had in design ing and putting together everything.”

Now, Crier builds their pages using Adobe InDesign, then sends the files to Blue Island Newspaper Printing in St. Harvey, Illinois. The staff also uploads the content in each issue onto mhsnews.net. Bob Ogle, Director of Computer Services at Blue Island Newspaper Printing, has observed the effects of the decreased interest in print publi-

cations through their company.

“Most of these people, these journalists, editors, publishers, they have an extreme love for print journalism,” Bob said. “They tend to hang on longer than it’s profitable for themselves. It’s an unfortunate fact, but newspapers are dwindling. Although, the one thing about newspapers, in my mind, is that they tend to be solid journalism where stories are fully vetted. The author’s seek out the truth and make sure their facts are accurate. Whereas, I’m not too sure that’s true about a lot of web journalism we are moving toward.”

We order yearbooks to reminisce over our peer’s portraits and cringy candid shots, passing them from desk-to-desk as we sign each other’s final page with good wishes and inside jokes--a epilogue to a year’s worth of memories. We grab newspapers and we flip right to the back page, skimming through the Backtalk to see who in our grade made this month’s spotlight, delighting in the snippets of our names woven into the articles.

Despite their contrasting mediums, the yearbook and newspaper staff which compose the entirety of publications hold onto one similar goal: to frame a snapshot or a heartbeat within the greater picture and reflect our collective identity as students of Munster.

But lurking beneath glossy pages or inkstained hands lies a deeper truth we are forced to face—one threatening the presence of publications within our school.

With the impending departure of the entirety of the yearbook staff, 4 seniors graduating out of a 5-person staff, and most notably our adviser who has spent a decade guiding and shaping our publication to how you see it, a sense of uncertainty reverberates throughout the entirety of the staff: what will be made of publications for years to come? Can we be so certain of a guaranteed future for us?

played. A mock version of this year’s yearbook is highlighted at the top of the stack. The real version of the yearbook will be distributed May 10. (photo by karla aguilar) Abigail Martin Abigail Martin Abigail Martin Abigail Martin Abigail Martin Abigail Martin In 10 years...“I feel like there will be more AI that will be more advanced.” Rachel Vale Rachel Vale Rachel Vale Rachel Vale Rachel Vale Rachel Vale Rachel Vale In 10 years...“I think it’s going to be the same.” Caroline Wendlinger Caroline Wendlinger Caroline Wendlinger Caroline Wendlinger Caroline Wendlinger Caroline Wendlinger Caroline Wendlinger In 10 years...“High tech. I think things are gonna be like a new technology levels.”

From my two years now in the newspaper, I’ve witnessed the transformative efforts of me and my staff. Crier was granted the honor as the first inductee into the David Adams Hall of Fame, credited for our First Amendment freedom within the school and community. We have fearlessly tackled momentous subjects from the warfare in Palestine to consumerism among our demographic of students. And, without a doubt, not a single staff member is an ounce too afraid to track down a baseball player’s lunch schedule in question for an interview. There is nothing beyond our scope that we are afraid to conquer.

No longer does the hands of publications tie to the tenure of one singular force, that of a precedent adviser or staff, but rather in the collective force of us students who strive to carry on tradition. The end of an era does not mean the end of tradition for those who wish to protect it: that is the spirit we must preserve in order to promise a future of publications.

Wendlinger

emily dywan story editor

HELPING OUT Standing in the middle of senior Lauren Hoogeveen and junior Emily Dywan, publications adviser Ms. Sarah-Anne Lanman, explains the page design plan for page 8 of this issue. Ms. Lanman, who was also in Paragon when she was a student here, has served as the publications adviser the past ten years and uses her design knowledge to help guide the Paragon and Crier staff. “When we start build week, that’s when the pages start to

moving looking

looking back, moving forward

munster teachers reflect on their expectations for the future as high schoolers compared to the present

“I didn’t anticipate how much technology would impact education. Now, we can utilize all kinds of technology to enhance learning, see live grades, and explore topics that were untouchable prior to the implementation of tech in the classroom.”

Mrs. Katie Harris, math teacher Class of 1999

“I remember the first iPhone and being excited about the possibility of having a cellphone that could double as an iPod. I never thought cellphones would become something that’s a necessity in day-today life. “

Mr. Mark Dye, social studies teacher Class of 2009

“In 2008, when the youth stepped up to vote for Obama I thought that was invigorating. It was the first time I saw a group of young people able to make a difference, and that was inspiring.”

Ms. Kristen Szafasz, social studies teacher Class of 2005

“Growing up watching the Jetsons, we all were naturally expecting flying cars. Now one tweet or bad social media post can be hung over someone’s head for the rest of their lives.”

Mr. Ryan Popa, computer science teacher Class of 1994

“I loved high school. I had to make the most of it without being able to text or call so easily. Now when I look back at the pictures from the early 2010s, I really feel like that was the last chance of that ‘make the most of it’ moment.”

Mrs. Kathleen LaPorte, social studies teacher Class of 1998

“The internet was rolling out like the Wild Wild West. All these new innovations were coming in from every angle. Now? Everything comes too easily. I don’t have to think about where I’m going when I can just pull up Google Maps.”

Mr. Steven Stepnoski, English teacher Class of 2010 of Lake Central

In 10 years... “I’ll have my own business for sure. I’m already inspired by BAPE.”

as we look back 10 years, crier rewinds back to munster high school’s beginnings

As seen in the 1965 Crier, this was the inside of Munster’s

emily dywan story editor

The first AP class was offered in

1966

The course being Advanced Placement English. It would only be available to a total of 20 seniors.

As seen in 1965 Crier, cartoonist John Krause creates an artist’s conception of the school gymnasium as published to their 13th issue. The school expected to finish completion by 1966, the following year.

Munster held their first junior-senior prom in

1967,

transforming the commons into a mystical garden as a part of the theme “Moonlight and Roses.” Couples were able to hang their names onto sweetheart trees.

As seen in the 1967 Paragon, Mike Simak and Cincy Stone make a wish at the first prom in the school commons.

The school board instituted a weighted grading system in to determine the top academic students.

1980

The investigation of virtual learning began in

2014

in hopes to make up snow days. The process would allow teachers to post assignments online to Moodle when school was cancelled.

As seen in the 2014 Crier, Munster was still investigating methods to make up school days virtually, but platforms such as Moodle and video calling were too underdeveloped at the time.

Ean Varjas Ean Varjas Ean Varjas Ean Varjas Ean Varjas

In 10 years... “I’ll be helping people by being a health coach.”

\\ Ean Vargas, freshman

Sebastian Alejandro Sebastian Alejandro Sebastian Alejandro Sebastian Alejandro Sebastian Alejandro

In 10 years... ”I’ll have a real estate license and buy and rent properties.”

Sofia Ortiz Sofia Ortiz Sofia Ortiz Sofia Ortiz Sofia Ortiz Sofia Ortiz

\\ Sebastian Alejandre, junior

\\ Sofia Ortiz, junior

In 10 years... “I hope to be a resident in medical school with two greyhounds.”

\\ Gideon, senior

Campbell Gideon Campbell Gideon Campbell Gideon Campbell Gideon Campbell Gideon Campbell Gideon

fieldhouse in its first year of construction.

Carrie Wadycki views a reflection of the 1994 solar eclipse. The next major eclipse would not occur until 2017. “I remember making the box and being excited to take pictures of other people watching,” she said. “I was then surprised to see a photo of me on the paper.”

whole lotta lolla

crier staff reviews lollapalooza headliners a

thursday: creating memories

karla aguilar, photographer

Hozier

Overall: Hozier’s alternative chill upbeat music makes me picture driving in my nonexistent car in the summer at sunset. Although I haven’t heard of his songs in general, he is a nice artist and I’m looking forward to seeing his performance in the future.

Details: Some things that I didn’t necessarily love are some of the sub genres that some of his songs have like “Damage Gets Done” (ft. Brandi Carlile).It doesn’t fit my music taste. A thing that I like about his music is how relaxing most of his music is.

Top song: “Take Me To Church”

Underrated song: “Movement”

Tyler, the Creator

Overall: Tyler, the Creator’s mix of hip-hop and rap over the years have proven to be interesting and shows his rise to just making music with his friends in the past and jumping to now, performing to thousands at not only Lollapalooza but at Coachella as well. Depending on which era of his music you catch yourself reminiscing about nostalgic summers or vibing to his questionable rap songs.

Details: Although I have frequently listened to his music in the past, I’m not a big fan of his older music. When I listened to “Domo23” for the first time, I didn’t really like it, it just wasn’t my cup of tea. I do like his album “Flower Boy” the most. I just love listening to that album at any time of the day.

Top Song: “See You Again” (Ft. Kali Uchis)

Underrated: “Foreword” (Ft. Rex Orange County)

saturday: a boomin weekend

emma starkey, page editor

The Killers

Overall: The Killers sports a varied discography that progresses from a more guitar based alt rock style to a more modern synthesized instrumental style that draws influences from disco. There is some level of uniqueness, but mostly fall into a more straightforward type of artist. They have cultivated a specific sound associated with them, and play around within that specific sandbox instead of branching out to try different styles.

Details: I found some songs incredibly well mixed and audibly interesting. I definitely prefer when they get creative with the instrumentals to the moments they seem to recede into a more straightforward song.

Top Song: “Mr. Brightside”

Underrated: “A Dustland Fairytale”

Future x Metro Boomin’

Overall: The duo act of Future and Metro Boomin’ is a blended genre of hip-hop and rap. Metro Boomin’ provides the instrumentals and mixing, while Future provides the vocals. They find a niche in their down-tempo style of production, which is relatively unique for their two genres.

Details: Some songs showed good use of sampling, drum kits and balance; others faltered from the loss of clear vocals leaving the words hard to understand. The slower pace, while original, also left most songs feeling quite boring to listen to. It is great for background, but not something that would fall into any sort of conversation about liveliness.

Top Song: “Like That” (Ft. Kendrick Lamar)

Underrated: “Seen It All”

friday: straying into new genres

SZA

Overall: SZA’s chill music but still meaningful lyrics are in tune with the vibe of our age group, which is definitely a reason why she is so popular today. She could be placed into the alternative R&B genre of music with her smooth and low-key production and vocals with a reverberated sense.

Details: SZA has very catchy music overall, and it’s easy to find a song you like in her discography. She made herself a place in the music world by twisting genres and making songs her own, something very impressive and hard to pull off well. My only complaint is that I think SZA should expand more, a lot of her songs sound similar if you put lyrics aside.

Top Song: “Kill Bill”

Underrated: “Ghost in the Machine” (Ft. Phoebe Bridgers)

Stray Kids

Overall: Stray Kids has a very “inyour-face” kind of music style. As one of the more well-known male groups, their dances have gotten them a lot of attention. Being in the K-pop genre, they have made themselves known for mixing with a more electronic and hip hop kind of background to be their signature style.

Details: Their music is good and their choreography along with it is also great, but their type of music isn’t my favorite. It doesn’t grab my attention standing alone.

Top Song: “God’s Menu”

Underrated: “Mixtape : OH”

sunday: beaming through blink zoe clark, photographer

aaron alvarez, photographer

Blink-182

Overall: Blink-182 gives what you might expect from your normal punk band: a rebellious, simple three or four chord progression, and your perfect trio of a drum set, bass and electric guitar. The clearness of the vocals and the memora ble lines of lyrics are why Blink is so popular today.

Details: Blink has catchy music in the sense of it’s not just certain lyrics that are an ear worm for peo ple, but certain intros or even guitar riffs are too. If you like punk rock then I would certainly suggest that you try to listen to Blink-182.

Top Song: “All the Small Things”

Underrated: “I’m Lost Without You”

Melanie Martinez

Overall: Melanie Martinez is a pop artist that has taken her own little spin on the genre when it comes to love songs. Her songs are not just simple and catchy in the sense that they use the same four chords as every other pop song out there.

Details: I focused more on Melanie’s instrumentals than her voice. The music and vocals aren’t compet ing to be heard and are just coexisting with each other which is what makes her music good.

Top Song: “Play Date”

Underrated: “Recess”

springing into sports

leap to victory

william arens & vivian petrozza

I students

Girls’ Track is at the height of their season currently with five meets completed and more to come. With their current 1-1 outdoor record, they hope to continue to perform well in their next meets.

Having Conferences and Sectionals ahead of them, they are making sure to put in the work and hopefully be successful.

What has been a highlight? “The highlight of this season is indoor State for sure,” Eleanor Wendlinger, sophomore, said. “This was my first time qualifying and just competing with so many kids at a high level was new and exciting for me.”

What is something the team is looking forward to this season? “Something that I’m looking forward to this season is getting better and hopefully winning Conference and Sectionals,” Wendlinger said.

running round

Stepping up to the starting line. Deep breaths. By the time the committed runners exhale, BOOM, the gun shrieks and the runners are off. Roaring voices come from the bleachers, cheering on each talented runner. The Boys’ Track season is all about working together as a team. Communication and teamwork are key, especially preparing for a race.

What has been a highlight? “Everyone’s work ethic. They put in the hard work and are ready to go everyday,” Douglas Padgett, short sprints coach, said.

What is something the team is looking forward to this season? “I am most excited to run the 400m and 4x800, because the 400m is my main event,” Kwaku Awuah, junior, said. “Me and my teammates are going after a school record this season: 50 seconds.”

go for the ace par putting

kennedy tarvar journalism I student

Lining up his putt, Colten Mulcahy, freshman, stands over his ball. According to Mulcahy improving the team’s relationship has been extremely important to the team so far this season.

In hopes of playing well this season, the entire Boys’ Golf team has been practicing almost daily for their matches and tournaments.

Besides the fact that matches and tournaments are part of being on the team, a good offseason will help you just as much. “There have been many highlights during our offseason such as practicing, going to dinner with my teammates, and competing against each other while still having fun,” Mulcahy said.

What is something the team is looking forward to this season? “I am looking forward to having a good season, bonding with my team and placing well as a team in tournaments and matches,” Mulcahy said.

What is something the team is looking forward to this season? “We’re looking forward to going to State because we barely missed it last year,” Cole Eplawy, junior, said.

As spring approaches, the Boys’ Volleyball team is springing into action as the anticipation builds for their very first season.

With wins and losses, the Boys’ Volleyball team has kept a record of 7-6. “It’s been a crazy season so far but it’s all experimental,” Aaron Bobb, senior, said.

Despite the losses, many exciting things have happened this season like the team going to Lafayette for a tournament and the win of 2-3 against Andrean for the boys’ senior night.

Looking ahead, with more games, practicing technique, excitement and more dedication, the team looks forward to more wins and trying their best as a team.

What has been a highlight? “The best thing so far is sweeping Andrean on senior night,” Jack Macdonald, senior, said.

What is something the team is looking forward to this season? “Looking ahead, with more games and more dedication, the team hopes to win more and is trying their best as a team. “I’m looking most forward to Sectionals and games in general,” Bobb said.

UP AND OVER Running in the 100M hurdles event, Aliciana McGuire, senior, jumps one of the hurdles. In every hurdle event, each runner has their own strategy to compete. “I’m working on getting my three-step,” McGuire said. “Right now I’m four-stepping, so I’m alternating legs instead of jumping with the same leg.”

ioannis tripologos journalism I student

allison breuker journalism I student

LESS IS BEST Putting the ball, Evan Bognar, senior, watches its course. “We are looking forward to competing in Saturday invites,” Bognar said. (photo by viv rodriguez)

journalism I students update spring sports’ progress

pitching heat

swinging towards the top

back to the turf

The Boys’ and Girls’ Lacrosse teams have gotten into the swing of things and are in the height of their season right now. The boys recently competed in a tournament in Evansville where they went 0-4. The girls’ team have had a couple tough losses are looking to rebound.

Their teams are looking forward to improving their game and trying out new strategies. “We are trying new tactics and approaches for our defense and attack players, and we are succeeding at creating goals and plans for future games,” Meghan Mulcahy, captain of the Girls’ Lacrosse team, said. Although the boys now have a 0-6 record and girls a 0-5 record, they have spent hours practicing in hopes for a comeback, and to both win their upcoming games.

What has been a highlight? “A highlight from our season was our tournament in Evansville because we all did our best and made great improvements,” Nikola Petrovic, freshman, said.

What is something the team is looking forward to this season? “I’m looking forward to winning,” Dylan Connolly, sophomore, said.

brennan

The Baseball Team has been working hard this offseason preparing to be the top team in the Conference. In hopes of being the top team, the entire team has been training for games and tournaments.

What has been a highlight? “The highlight of our season was visiting the superman statue in Metropolis Illinois,” Billy Goldman, senior, said. He said he is very excited to play Lake Central this season and he feels confident their team will have greater success than last year. “I am really enjoying my senior season so far and am excited for what is yet to come,” Goldman said.

What is your goal for this season? “My goal for this season is to win more games and hopefully win the Sectional title,” Owen Roberts, junior, said.

The Softball Team’s record is currently 6-4 overall, and 1-0 in Conference games. This winning record has them on track to become Conference champions, which is one of their many goals this season. The team finds they have more success when they incorporate a lot of team bonding events. They recently participated in their annual lock-in the weekend of March 22. All of the players in the program slept over in the school to do team building activities, play games and get to know one another.

What is something the team is looking forward to this season? “It is important to compete against high level teams, develop our athletic skills, maintain good grades,” Coach Jill Perez said. “And do all of this in a positive, supportive environment.”

set and match

The Girls’ Tennis team is starting their new season with a lot of new goals and looks forward to their upcoming games. “I think we can end up surprising a lot of people this year with the talent that we have,” coach Patrick Spohr, wwms teacher, said. The next game is at home today against Portage.

The team has been at work, waiting for their season to start. They have been training weights in the mornings, but now that they are in season, they also have been training every day. “Honestly I have improved a lot, and have gotten a lot stronger thanks to the workouts and training that we have been doing,” Claire Han, junior, said. “I feel like we will have a really great season.”

What has been a highlight? “Just going to practice with my team,” Han said. “And chanting with them, since it’s always super fun when we all scream our lungs out.”

What is something the team is looking forward to this season? “We haven’t been able to win Sectionals, but I think that is something that will change this year,” Risha Panigrahi, junior, said.

HIP HIP HOORAY After winning their match, the Girls’ Softball team cheers together. The team was up against Lowell, and winning the match brought their overall record up to 6-4. (photo by viv rodriguez)

kenley smith journalism I student

PITCH PERFECT During practice April 8, Sam Hays, senior, works on his pitching skills as he throws the ball to home plate. The team’s pitchers all take turns perfecting their form during their drills. (photo by marianna young)

rommelfanger journalism I student

janet fonseca journalism I student

STEPPING FORWARD Preparing to serve to her Crown Point opponent, Claire Han, junior, bounces the ball. This was her first match of her junior year season. (photo by marianna young)

journalism I students

william arens & vivian petrozza

BRO CODE After scoring a point, shown left to right, seniors Elias Orduno and DeAnthony Bowden and junior Austin Spain celebrate their sucess with a high-five. Each player has a different role, such as the libero, who focuses on ball retreival. (photo by karla aguilar)

spirit week halftime

wednesday: country or country club

recap of the first three days

monday: “duo” day

prom court

king and queen will be crowned at the dance

tuesday: celebrity day

prom info grand march: 4:30-6:30 pm at the MHS fieldhouse. Photos will be available dance: 7 pm at Villa Cesare

fyi: The new venue, Villa Cesare, is pronounced che-SAH-rey not sciza-rey.

getting down to business

a look into the three entrepreneurship groups’ businesses, students attend regionals today

lauren hoogeveen & emma starkey

editor-in-chief & page

Throughout the past year in Mrs. Kristin Laflech’s new venture development class, each group has come up with a product idea, developed their pitches and produced it. Now nearing the end of the school year, three groups headed to Regionals today at Purdue Northwest to pitch their companies.

Scent Seal

While getting ready for his first date in middle school, Na beel Rabie, current senior, sneaked into his parents’ bedroom to borrow his father’s cologne but by the time he arrived at his date, it had worn off. Inspired by this story, alongside seniors Brooke Weatherly and Josephine Pirok, they created Scent Seal: A chapstick-like product to make perfume last.

then sell to our school. Everyone I would talk about it to would be like ‘where can I buy it?’”

Winning the inaugural Uthiverse StartUp Madness Pitch Tournament at Purdue Northwest March 30, the group is optimistic about Regionals.

“We always take any feedback,” Nabeel said. “We’re very honest [with each other], and I think that’s why we work so good.”

Escape the Si-

pricing of the escape room.

“We want to have the stability of knowing like, oh, people are comfortable bringing their kids in the first place and then raising money to either develop that building that we want or go the direction of just develop a curriculum, and then people can make it their own,” Charity said.

Wringo

“Scent is among one of the top five factors people first notice when meeting someone,” Nabeel said. “It was hard for me to conceptualize until I thought back to the time on my first date.”

After conducting research on the best substances to use for their product, the group started creating prototypes—almost 80 before they found the perfect formula. They promoted Scent Seal through social media, posters and an opening event during tutorial.

“One of the main things is traction,” Nabeel said. “So what better way to get that part of traction

Escape the Silence is an escape room focused around teaching younger children about social issues such as bullying, image, and mental health. Created by Charity Ibikunle, senior, and Lauren Dumaresq, junior, the two hope to work to give kids a safe space. Their first beta test has already been completed.

“I think really seeing like the kids actually do it was really cool to see because you can see them having fun,” Lauren said.

Inspired by Ameen’s sister dealing with sweaty hands, seniors Ameen Musleh, Connor Gomez and Vasili Papageorge developed Wringo, a sweat reliever. The product is designed to optimally absorb sweat, reduce anxiety and make people more comfortable in situations where they might be nervous.

Over the past two years, the group has been developing prototypes, trying to make the most discreet product possible.

“And like for me personally, seeing them react the way you wanted them to react to certain things was really fun to see.”

From their first beta, Escape the Silence raised $301 in donations for the Jed Foundation, which focuses on children’s mental health. They’re hoping to complete another beta trial to get a feel for the

“The process is a lot of repetition,” Connor said. “You never get anything right the first time, we had to find what would work for us.”

While preparing for Regionals, which was this morning, the group has focused on growing their social media presence and refining their pitch.

“Pitching is actually lots of fun,” Connor said. “I used to be terrible at it. I really enjoy giving the presentation because it’s something I’m passionate about. It feels really professional, like running your own business and is something I never thought I would do.”

Q : What does it mean to be a part of prom court?

A : “To me, being on court is special because it shows me that I have made a positive impact on the people that surround me.”

Matt Gena

Q : If you ruled the school for a day what would you do?

A : “I would make everyone’s GPA backwards. For example, a 4.1 would become a 1.4.”

Emma Jez

Q : If you ruled the school for a day what would you do?

A : “I would have the day be a fun fair like how we did in elementary school.”

DeAnthony Bowden

Q : What is your favorite high school dance memory?

A : “When I ripped my pants at my sophomore homecoming.”

Kiki Petrovic

Q : If you could pick three artists to perform at prom who would they be?

A : “I would pick Rihanna, SZA, and Pitbull to perform at prom.”

Diego Quiroga

Q : If you could pick three artists to perform at prom who would they be?

A : “Coldplay, Bruno Mars and Drake.”

Alaina Adams

Q : If you ruled the school for a day what would you do?

A : “Iwould let everyone bring their dogs to school for the day and have no work, just to go outside and enjoy the day.”

Mayo Adeoye

Q : What is your favorite high school dance memory?

A : “At Homecoming I got to crowd surf, but I did break my glasses.”

Lauren Hoogeveen

Q : If you could pick three artists to perform at prom who would they be?

A : “Lana Del Rey, Kendrick Lamar and ABBA.”

Vasili Papageorge

Q : What is your favorite high school dance memory?

A : “When my friend Myles Shipps started break dancing in the middle of the circle.”

Eva Andric Bryce Gelarden

Eleanor Adams

Q : If you ruled the school for a day what would you do?

A : “No class, blast music and dance party through the halls.”

Q : What does it mean to be a part of prom court?

A : “It’s an awesome recognition by classmates, teammates and friends.”

CHEESE Walking through the parking lot before school, Elizabeth Krieg, senior and Jenna Krieg, sophomore, dress up for country vs country club day. (photo by lauren hoogeveen)

MINION MAHEIM Posing in front of the Mustang mural, seniors Lucas Collier Isaiah Swider, Brandon Petrovski, Myles Shipps, Sam Marich, and Vasili Papageorge dress up as a clan of Minions. (photo by john kullerstrand)

DONT STOP THE PARTY Dancing through the halls, Joaquin Magallanes and Gillian Farley, navigate their way to second period both dressed as Pitbull. (photo by marianna young)

Scent Seal Samples

Treasure Chest For Escape the Silence