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Caffeine CRAZE mhs
Addressing the rise of energy drinks and caffeine intake among high school students
Emily Dywan & Josephine Zangrilli Editor-in-Chief & Social Media Manager
Junior Abby Myers checks into the attendance office. It’s far past 8 a.m., but she sacrificed her first two periods to catch up on much needed sleep. Those extra hours aren’t enough to make up for weeks of sleep deprivation. Energy drinks keep her going throughout her busy school day and track practice that follows after—not to mention a load of assignments and SAT prep that awaits her when she finally gets home.
Unfortunately, Myers’ habits are not exclusive to her. Many high school students face the same problem every day; finding a way to supplement a lack of sleep. Accord ing to the National Library of Medicine, trends of caffeine consumption as seen in teen- agers have moved away from so- das towards other, more potent substances. What switch are teen agers making from sodas? Energy drinks.
16%
Lunches
“I would say I drink about nine or ten a week,” Myers said. “I have once every morning and then I’ll sometimes have another [energy drink] before going to the gym.”
This growing trend of dependence on caffeine reflects both in and out of school. According to ChartWells, the school’s food provider, almost 20% of daily school lunches are bought alongside a caffeinated drink. Drinks such as Bubblr’s, Mtn. Dew Kickstart, and Gatorade Fast Twitch all contribute to a high school student’s rising daily caffeine intake.
Munster’s Chartwells Dietitian, Erin Gainer, ensures the compliance of the school’s food sales with the National School Lunch Program guidelines, as well as educating on proper nutrition for schooling systems.
With bright labeling and eye-grabbing graphics, Gainer attributes the rise of caffeine consumption among adolescents to the marketing strategies executed by energy drink companies.
“Marketing’s increased the rate of purchasing caffeine,” Gainer said. “The bright colored cans are appealing to the consumer eye. You may also see many social media influencers collaborating with energy drink companies, making it even more appealing to their followers—some of whom may have never even had an energy drink before.”
The cafeteria isn’t the only place that offers these colorfully decorated cans. Stores like Target and Walgreens contribute to deploying these campaigns.
“I would still drink them even if they didn’t have caffeine,” junior Gia Iatrides said. “They’re cute and fun to carry around.”
Energy drinks land their turf beyond the cafeteria and
grocery stores, marking their presence among student athletes who wish for an additional zap of energy before practice or after a lift.
“I don’t have the ability to say what can or can’t be in the Power Locker. We will always be supplied with some sort of caffeinat ed drink,” srength coach and ad vanced PE teacher Riley Edg- erton said. “I see it as ‘how can I educate our student athletes and our student body about caffeine in a drink?’”
150
Total caffeinated drinks (on day avg.)
As a coach channeled into the physical health of his players, Edgerton looks beyond the potential performative enhancements of energy drinks and rather the wellbeing of students.
“The NCAA shows that there are positives to taking these small amounts of caffeine, but I don’t think kids understand the full aspect or the impact that caffeine does to your body,” he said.
have a caffienated drink. (on day avg.)
at least once and there’s no product out there that really eliminates that problem completely,” Patel said. “So our idea is to create a three step ‘skincare’ routine by taking a consultation, so the ingredients are personalized to your needs.”
Prepping roles
After success at Regionals, DECA prepares for State
Emma Starkey
Web Chief
After a strong performance at region als, DECA is working towards State and Internationals. The team has seen an improvement in cohesion and preparation from the last year that spells out success in the future.
“We actually have a study pathway now,” sophomore Raanya Rai said. “I feel like ev erybody has the same goal, and we’re all working together.”
Rai, who had competed in Internationals last year, believes her daily preparation puts her on track to placing at them again. Part of this preparation? Through role plays.
“Basically, you get a prompt, and then you have to act like whatever character you’re given or whatever situation that you’re in, and then you have to show your skills,” Rai said.
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Thursday: Color Wars
Freshmen: Yellow Sophomores: Orange Juniors: Pink Seniors: Purple Staff: Teal
Scoring smiles
Best Buddies sponsors annual Best Buddy Bowl on March 6
Munster’s Best Buddies warms the court for their annual Best Buddies Bowl, set to take place on March 6 at 6:30 p.m. in the fieldhouse. The event is free to attend to all those interested, but the club is gracefully accepting $5 donations by any participants. All proceeds will go toward the Special Olympics.
“I’m looking forward to this event because it’s fun to see the entire community come out and support our buddies take on the school’s football team,” junior and Best Buddies co-president Kyle Thometz said.
For junior Trey Johnson, the Best Buddies bowl is an opportunity to showcase his strategy toward
“I’m excited for the dance party and the football game,” Johnson said. “I have a lot of fans and I know
Last year, The Best Buddies stormed the hallways, marking the first tradition of the Best Buddies Bowl’s stampede before their big game. Best Buddies sponsor Linda Ramos highlights how the cheers and cries of the student body is meaningful for the players.
“A lot of the students enjoyed getting that recognition from the rest of the school,” Ramos said. “It was very motivating leading up until the Buddy Bowl. This is another population that’s a part of their school and they’re welcome to come in and enjoy this time with us.”
Speech
Speech returned to Munster with a sectionals with a first place victory. Now, gearing towards State competition on March 6 at Plymouth, the team hopes to win their 15th competition in a row.
“Gearing up for state will require practicing every day for the next two weeks,” senior Meghan Mulcahy said. “I’ll be working with coaches and teammate so we feel at our best to win state.”
Math Team
The Math Team begins their preparations for their national competition, MathCon, taking place on March 7.
The team studies different math concepts that are outside of Munster’s curriculum. Concepts include Combi-
natorics, advanced Counting and Probability, Algebra manipulations and more.
“We’re trying to instill an analytical way of thinking so that when you do see a problem, you can apply what you’ve learned,” senior Jude Jimenez said.
Science Olympiad
After having finished their meet at Northwestern University on Feb. 22 with a superscore of fourth place, the Munster Science Olympiad teams begin loading their binders and tweaking their projects in anticipation for State at Purdue Northwest in the beginning of April.
Junior member Grace Wang competed in Entomology, Ecology and Dynamic Planet at Northwestern. She reflects on the granted access to the new science laboratories in the Northern wing.
“The laboratory is helpful since we have a space for our practices now,” Wang said. “A few days ago, some people were setting up a forensics experiment to prep for competition. Mr. Koszut gets bothered a lot less now that the members have the lab space.”
Corrections
In Issue 6 of Crier, on page 2, the Munster Chorale worked with the acapella group Voces8. Crier regrets their errors.
STANDING OVATION Standing infront of the class, club sponsor Mr. Jordan Mayer presents to the Speech team. (Photo by John Kullerstrand)
JUST LIKE OLD TIMES Looking over at his peers, senior Lorenzo Piña holds his box with decorations consisting of construction paper and stickers. Members of Best Buddies made boxes to put their Valentine’s in on their Valentine’s Day party on Feb 9. “Best Buddies is very important club because it’s fun for the special needs kids and other kids,” Piña said. (Photo by Sophia Rodriguez)
Emily Dywan Editor-in-Chief
SO FRESH, SO CLEAN Presenting to Kristin LaFlech, junior Dhara Patel pitches her DECA project on a potential deodorant product. Her group members plan to have a booth selling their product, Shield, in a few weeks to have students test the product. “People should buy this product because everyone deals with sweat stains
(Photo by Sophia Rodriguez)
Run, jump, throw, repeat
Indoor track training begins
Josephine Zangrilli Social Media Manager
Entering the competition season of In door Track, Boys and Girls competitors are preparing for Indoor State all while improving for the outdoor season. Last year, the team performed extremely well with multiple runners going to the State Finals. Although many se niors graduated last year and are now competing in college athletics, the team is optimistic for this upcoming season.
Senior Kwaku Awuah is currently topping national charts for his times.
“In January, I ran a fast 600 meter time which put me top 150 in the na tion for high schoolers,” Awuah said. “I’m working on my weaker areas and trying to get more mentally sharp.”
The season lasts from the beginning of the calendar year all the way till the end of the school year. Finding ways to stay motivated may be difficult.
“I would say my love for the sport and my dad keeps me motivated,” Awuah said. “It’s always a great feeling to put a smile on his face from doing my best and doing what I love.”
Training doesn’t end after the season. Many athletes work during the off season to improve their form, increase speed, and overall become stronger. Senior Ryan Bouktache, who runs the 60m and 200m, is committed to training his en durance.
“I dedicated my entire summer to track,” “I was working with a USATF team in Chicago that taught me so much.”
Senior spotlight
Spotlighting All-star team football qualifier Logan Efantis
Emma Starkey Web Chief
Logan Efantis qualified for the Region One AllStar Football team, a three day event centered around elite student athletes within Indiana. Alongside being nominated for Regional Star Team, where he was voted one of the top five linemen in the region, these awards demonstrate his prowess at football. With a love of the sport, and a desire to pursue it through college, Logan stays dedicated to the team, whatever the cost.
“Oh,[there was] a lot of injury,” Efantis said. “A knee injury [was the worst]. I just went and got a brace and kept my knee but I’m paying for it now going through physical therapy. It definitely restricted me a lot, but I did get used to it and kept going through it.”
Giving it their all
Boy’s basketball prepares for Sectionals
Currently holding a 12-7 record, the varsity boys’ basketball team has been avidly preparing for the Northwest Crossroads Conference (NCC), and then sectionals starting on March 4 at Lake Central High School.
“Our first goal is to win the NCC conference again this year. We are trying to be undefeated in conference play for the eighth consecutive year,” coach Michael Hackett said. “After that, we will turn our attention to sectionals.”
Senior Tyler Fuller has welcomed the new players on the team, helping them get acquainted with the other players and learning the team’s expectations.
“The team this year is a lot younger and we only have three varsity returners, while the team last year had been playing together since middle school,” Fuller said.
Senior Colh Igue reflects on the state of the team and the players, acknowledging the team’s weak point: coordination.
“First, we have to win conference. Now, we’re just learning how to play together better. By sectionals, I think we’ll be good,” Igue said. “The better you can do the little things, the better player you’ll be.”
Even though they’ve won the NCC for seven consecutive years, they know the eighth won’t come easy. They are giving it their all to win NCC and their sectional games.
“We are going to work and practice hard, give it our all, and see where that takes us,” Fuller said.
Swimming and Diving: State Tournament at Indianapolis, IN tomorrow Dance: IHSDTA State at Indianapolis, March 2
Charles Chen Writer
GAME FACE Looking at his opponent, senior #55 Logan Efantis gets ready to tackle his opponent. The Mustangs faced the Kankakee Valley Cougars on Oct. 18. (Photo by Sophia Rodriguez)
AHEAD OF THE GAME Competing against Gary West Side, senior Blake Trilli uses his body language to communicate with his teammates. Trilli has recently completed one of his last basketball games in his highschool career. “It was very exciting seeing how I can handle the pressure of handling the ball,” Trilli said. (Photo by Ben Schirz)
OVERCOMING OBSTACLES Preparing for outdoor track season, sophomore Kiwauni Alexander performs drills to improve his hurdle form. (Photo by Josephine Zangrilli)
You can never go wrong with a classic hot dog, and Cece Mason’s “Mason” dog takes that to heart. The combination of ketchup and mustard is great, but they are the two most common hot dog toppings that are readily available when you purchase a hot dog at a stand or even just quickly at home. That fact is what makes this hot dog not as creative, but it will always taste great no matter where you go. My only real complaint is that as it is supposed to be a special hot dog being DOTW, it doesn’t really serve its purpose because it is on the more plain side.
Toppings: Hot dog, ketchup, mustard
Combo Rating: Creativity:
The Dog “Fuller” Dog
3/5 1 /5
Out of all the hot dog combinations we’ve seen out of the DOTW program so far, the “Rivera” dog is definitely the one that screams “special dog of the week” most. Its combination of 6 different toppings gives it that unique aspect because it’s not very often you see a hot dog with more than even two toppings— something Arantxa Ri
Reviewing MHS senior athletes’ previous Arnie’s Dog of the Week’s
If you are looking for another good-tasting hot dog, Tyler Fuller’s “Fuller” dog is a great example. It has simple toppings, but they work together successfully in combination. Bringing in the sweet peppers for the hot dog was definitely the way to go for a different taste from the usual. And although not the most creative type of hot dog, the flavor overall raises its score. My only slight complaint on the “Fuller” dog would be that the amount of a “pickled” aspect with pickles and sweet peppers might be a little too much if there isn’t another topping to balance it out. Overall, it’s great and can definitely be given the title of DOTW.
Toppings:
Combo Rating: Creativity:
Nico Sanchez’s “Sanchez” dog puts that little twist on your average frank, as you would expect to see from a signature hot dog. This addition was the use of BBQ sauce as a topping, which is something you won’t find on a hot dog often. While I am not a fan of BBQ sauce in general, I’m sure this hot dog would be much more enjoyed by someone who does. The combination somehow blends together with the cheese and the pickle even with my worry about adding BBQ to a hot dog. I might still never go out of my way to put such a sauce on my hot dog, but either way, this creation is one that can be approved as a signature and gets points for thinking outside the norms.
Combo Rating: Creativity: 4/5 2/5
Toppings: Hot dog, BBQ, cheese, pickle 2/5 3/5
Zoe Clark Head Photographer
Empowering voices, celebrating heritage
How Black Culture Club unites students for Black History Month
Lexi Villalobos Deadline Manager
Working together to plan out meetings for Black Culture Club, president and senior Ava Adam and co-vice president and senior Niah Maduakolam, set a meeting on Jan. 24 to figure out the participants for the Black History Month door decorating, in addition to the bulletin boards around the school. Other clubs and teachers joined in on creating different messages and themes in relation to Black History Month. The decorations highlight different Black inventions or creators throughout the years. Along with decorations, BCC uses other methods to spread awareness of the month by having officers do morning announcements on Mondays and Fridays to give facts and mention the spirit days for the end of the week.
freshman after I graduate, so she’ll be able to spread it around as well.”
The fact that there is a month, secretary and junior Kaitlyn Bowman believes the history and impact can be acknowledged by everyone.
If we are consistent every year, that’s how people get acknowledged with Black History Month.”
Ava Adam Senior
“It’s important to talk about the things that most or don’t realize Black contributors have done for America or people in general, it’s sometimes overlooked,” Bowman said. Not only can understanding why there is a month bring acknowledgement, having the deeper conversations within classrooms can bring recognition too.
“If we are consistent every year, that’s how people get acknowledged with BHM,” Adam said. “Spirit Day culture is kind of going down, but I know a lot of people still participate in it—that’s really simple, but impactful, because it reminds people that it’s BHM.”
““
It’s important to talk about the things that most or don’t realize Black contributors have done for America or people in general, it’s sometimes overlooked.”
Kaitlyn Bowman Junior
In 2021 with not much diversity around the school as there is today, junior and event coordinator Arroya Mongerie’s older sister, Aleena, planned with her friends to find a way for black people to come together and educate other students about the history. Eventually, with the idea of BCC and a follow-through, the club came to be and is welcome to anyone.
“I’m going to carry on her legacy by trying to make the club grow and make sure that before we graduate, it’s in good hands to continue to go on,” Mongerie said. “My younger sister will be a
In their words
“We should acknowledge the true horrors Black history, what’s happened to us in the past and celebrate our current accomplishments,” Maduakolam said. “I feel most of the time we just learned about the Martin Luther King and Malcolm X stories, but I think we could really go deeper into how we originated, how we’ve been able to build up wealth and all to get to where we are now and celebrate the accomplishments because there are so many inventions that Black people have done and put into this world that are used today.”
While the club continues to live on with the message that anyone can join, this year there has been a noticeable turnout in students joining whether Black or not. Students are able to express themselves in a comfortable space with others.
“I’m proud that we do have a turnout that’s not just Black kids, we’ve always tried to advertise that this is a club for everyone to learn about Black culture,” Maduakolam said. “I’m also proud of the comfortable space provided. When I came to Munster, I didn’t have any Black friends coming from an all-Black middle school. It was hard for me to adjust to that environment, but with the created space, kids can be themselves and not feel scared of their blackness or be worried about what other kids are thinking of them.”
Members of BCC describing Black History Month in one word
“ Powerful If we set a whole month, that’s when we can actually acknowledge everything that’s been done. It’s a very important month for a lot of Black people throughout history.”
Ava Adam
Beautiful. It is so cool how we have a month. I’ve heard some people say it shouldn’t be categorized into a certain time of the year. But we’re acknowledged in some type of way because there was a point in time where we weren’t.”
Arroya Mongerie Junior
Reflective Looking back at the past is important, so that we don’t repeat it and we can really value the trailblazers who have worked so hard to get us here and allowed us to live and to live the way we do now.”
Niah Maduakolam Senior
Authentic. People celebrate in different ways. Some people have their own cultural traditions or have different aspects that they like to bring to the forefront during this month. We’re all different and unique, but from one culture.”
Kaitlyn Bowman Junior
Leigh Ann Westland’s door. (Photo by Evelyn Koncalovic)
Bulletin board next to the staff lounge next to the lunch room. (Photo by John Kullerstrand)
GOOD MORNING MUSTANGS Doing the morning announcements, senior Ava Adam and junior Arroya Mongerie talk about important Black people in history. The BCC has been trying to spread more awareness and get the word out about Black culture, which is why they do announcements every week on Mondays and Fridays during February. “I’m most proud of the way I can get the culture out more, allowing people to be more aware of Black culture and how important it is because it’s a big part of American history,” Mongerie said (Photo by Evelyn Koncalovic)
Bulletin board next to girls’ bathroom across the lunch room. (Photo by John Kullerstrand)
Bulletin board next to the LGI. (Photo by John Kullerstrand)
Spring cleaning Construction updates for the spring projects
Baseball/soccer fields
The athletic complex is adding its next turf additions in the soccer and baseball fields. While the baseball field is already partially turfed, the outfield and soccer field have remained grass until now.
“We should be ready for turf install by the end of this month, so a couple of weeks,” principal Morgan Nolan said. “We’ve got a little bit of work out there and then they’ll be putting in the turf.”
Although the instillation of the turf may start as early as the beginning of March, the weather may push it back towards the middle and end of the month.
“The reality is, when it would rain we wouldn’t be able to have a game here anyways because that outfield was just a swamp, so if we have to move some games and flip some games it’s really not out of the norm to do that anyways because of the weather.”
• Start: Last semester
• End: early - end of March
• Fully turfed baseball infield and outfield
• Turfed soccer field built into the outfield of the baseball field
In the past, baseball and soccer teams have had to deal with flooded conditions and cancellations during their games and practices, with the baseball team missing anywhere from 10-15 games in seasons during the previous years.
“I’m excited that a lot less games will be rained out because every year a lot of our games are unplayable,” senior Eddie Kicho said “And the field maintenance- there won’t be any more holes or uneven parts in the outfield.”
Auditorium update
The auditorium has been completely gutted in the process of its renovation, and almost everything except the actual shape of the building has been changed.
• New HVAC system
• Updated sound system
• New entrance
• New lights and seats
“At first, I was disappointed when I learned we weren’t doing a full musical, since in my opinion they are the best show we do in our season,” senior Ariel Chen said. “But
then I realized it’s ok, since our cast is still really hopeful for this show and our directors make sure that we’re all involved somehow.”
Instead of doing a spring musical this year, Munster Theater will be doing a musical review, which is a musical without the acting scenes in between the songs. They are now at the Center for Performing Arts.
“It’s fun, but definitely a little sad since there’s no dancing or big set pieces that I think are really exciting,” Chen said.
Music rooms
The choir room has been completed with the addition of mirrors, new bleachers, and pianos. The band and orchestra rooms are still under construction and should be finished in June.
“We had just a little bit of hold up in the music area with some structural steel work, so that’s going to get resolved, but it’s kind of delayed the production of some steel to hold up the roof because we’re trying to remove some columns there,” Nolan said.
Renovations for the M-Dome will commence soon, depending on how far the boys basketball team’s season goes. During these renovations, boys’ volleyball will move to the middle school.
• New sound system
• New electric score board
• New bleachers
“They’ve got better seats, better aisles, handrails for ADA compliance, and will help people get up and down a bit better,” Nolan said.
One concern about the renovation of the gym has been graduation, which is usually held on the first Sunday of June. The installation of the bleachers will take from six to eight weeks, starting after the basketball season ends.
“It should be done by the first or second week of May, and graduation will be in there and it’ll be fine,” Nolan said. “If it isn’t then we’ll have to shift graduation outside to the football field, and we’ll figure that out.”
SHOW ON THE ROAD The auditorium has gone under renovation with estimated completion next school year. Auditorium additions will include new seating, wall paneling, carpet and lighting. (Photo by Ben Schirz)
CHANGE OF TUNE Refurbishing, construction on the old band room is estimated to be competed by the start of July. (Photo by Ben Schirz)
Girls lacrosse field Soccer field Football field
Illustration by Gabby Van Horne
Gabby Van Horne Beat Manager
A buzz and a crash Staff Opinion
It should be no surprise that too much caffeine isn’t very good for your body. Then there’s the question: “How much is too much?”
According to the FDA, the recommended amount of caffeine for adolescents aged 12-18 is zero milligrams.
We get it; maybe you’re working late into the night trying to finish up that essay. Maybe you were just about to go to bed but remembered about that pesky chemistry homework. Maybe you
our take
drink energy drinks before a workout. Maybe you can barely keep your eyes open during the day because you were working on that essay all night and got no sleep. We get that.
Our school is too lenient on highly-caffeinated drinks.
What happened to the mix tapes? What happened to expressing ourselves to someone through poetry and letters? Or even basic communication and truly getting to know someone? In a generation of talking stages and casual relationships, I often wonder where
But when piles of crumpled-up cans and late-night study sessions become a daily occurrence, that’s when it gets problematic. It’s very easy to get addicted to caffeine when you’ve built up a dependence on it. With that said, surely the school wouldn’t enable an addiction, right?
However, a glance at the lunch lines and vending machines will tell
the openness toward love and romantic gestures of the past went.
As the first generation with social media consuming our developmental stages, deeper connections are harder to come by. We live in the era of asking a friend for someone’s Snapchat instead of introducing ourselves and asking for someone’s number, in an era where it’s hard to get to know someone and create a genuine connection because our first instinct is to do it over the phone.
Although this may be a slight hyperbole, it’s hard to make a meaningful connection with someone and then keep that connection. When was the last time one of your friends told you about a romantic gesture someone made for them? Do you even know your friends and family’s love languages?
CRIER CRIER
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. Crier is published through the Student Media: Newspaper 1-4 classes and extra-curricular involvement. Crier’s website is 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.
you the opposite. Alanis, BUBBL’Rs, sodas and many other drinks with way too much caffeine, all for a couple of dollar bills and some change. Why does our school sell so many varieties of energy drinks in large quantities? Students taking weights or P.E. may benefit from it, but the 200 milligrams of caffeine from one Alani is overkill. Besides, not all students consume caffeine as pre-workout. A majority of the Alani cans or Mountain Dew bottles we see are in an ELA or math classroom.
In this environment is making a little bit of profit worth more than students’ health?
We’ve strayed away from prioritizing these things, and in turn, they have shifted to being criticized. Basic intimate affection like holding hands, cheesy promposals and even creative Valentine’s Day surprises are seen as cringey. Is romance dead, or is it being suppressed by the judgmental constraints of the teenage mind?
What needs to be taken away from this is that it’s okay to love loudly, and it’s okay to want to be loved loudly. Caring about people is okay and so is showing that you care. In a world where so many futures are becoming more and more uncertain, our relationships with each other are important to build up. Having people in your corner that you can count on will never be a bad thing, and it’s okay to show that you care about those people.
•Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the School Town of Munster, faculty or administration.
•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 (emilydywan@outlook.com), given directly to any staff member or delivered to the Publications room, N155. 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 or Instagram @munstermedia.
•Mailed subscriptions cost $25 per year. Archived digital issues can be found on issuu.com/mhscrier/. Crier is published 10 times a school year. Ad rates and policies are available to anyone upon request.
Evelyn
The hardest
challenge
There were many things that I looked forward to when I got to high school. I couldn’t wait to meet new people, join sports and take all of the new classes. But I quickly realized that being a student in high school isn’t easy, but the hardest challenge is being a student athlete. As a multi-sport athlete I also experience the stress of the workload and pressure to do your best in school and your sports. The realization that you have to be at practice at 6 a.m. and still have a whole essay to write. Or the day you have to stay after school until 9 p.m. because you have a swim meet and you won’t have time to finish that assignment that is due at 8 am.
Students get so much homework from their classes and getting it done on time is difficult, especially for students who participate in any extracurricular activities before or after school. Many times students who participate in these extracurricular activities are up late at night to try and get their work done on time. Students often have to drink highly caffeinated energy drinks to stay up to finish their homework.
As a member of the cross country team, swim team and track team, I can say that it can be very difficult to balance school and sports. Between the amount of work and the practices in the mornings, afternoons, and weekends, getting enough sleep is hard and can lead me to get very exhausted both physically and mentally during the day. Students are drinking energy drinks caffeine to stay awake so they can finish their homework on time.
I don’t think we should get rid of homework but simply lessen the workload. High school is an important part of life and we can’t get the proper experience if we are constantly doing homework or trying to find time to sleep. Let us enjoy the best four years of our childhood.
Editor-in-Chief Emily Dywan
Deadline Manager Lexi Villalobos
Head Photographer Zoe Clark
Story Editor and Web Chief Pine Starkey
Writer Charles Chen
Photography Trainer John Kullerstand
Photographers Evelyn Koncalovic, Sophia Rodriguez, Ben Schirz
Cartoonist and Design Chief Damien Salahieh
Social Media Manager Josephine Zangrilli
Adviser Ms. Alexandra Sulewski
Illustration by A. Kirk
Gabby Van Horne Beat Manager
Koncalovic Photographer
Market madness
Lexi Villalobos & Gabby Van Horne
Deadline Manager & Beat Manager
Uber is up. Tesla went down. I just bought Amazon. These conversations can be heard throughout the hallways of Munster High School from students who invest in stocks. For senior Kevin Martinez, his interest striked wanting to make money to build wealth. By finding companies that make money and checking on the history of a company, an investment comes in for Martinez. Technology companies are the ones that he goes for such as Google, Amazon and Microsoft.
“I think it’s important if you want to build wealth and to retire,” Martinez said. “If you want your money to work for you then I’d probably invest.”
The interest in stocks can come from not only wanting to make money, but the teachings of family members too, which was the case with senior Omar Aftab. In middle school, his father set up a custodial account and led to a fascination with the market that continues to this day.
“Sometimes people buy stocks to satiate a need for short term gain,” Aftab said. “For me, I buy value, so I don’t really find myself selling. I’m at a point in my life where I am not actively investing daily, but instead working towards building a steady portfolio that will mature into the future to begin working on a strong retirement fund. I sell if I find a stock has stagnated and reinvest, but that’s on very rare occasions.”
Many people contribute to their Social Security and 401ks as they get older to build up their retirement funds, but investing in the stock market can also help cushion one’s retirement funds.
ports,” Aftab said. “Each fiscal quarter, publicly traded companies are required to drop huge documents outlining overall finances. I additionally look at the stock from a traditional value standpoint and break down its value to the average consumer. Using the methods above, along with general intuition, I’ve made my largest trades, like NVDA at 145 presplit, held until current day.”
Students in senior year participate in a stock market simulation in economics class. The game gives the chance to get insight on how the market works when purchasing different companies. Although this introduces students to the stock market, it must be their choice whether or not to continue to broaden their knowledge of the stock market.
“I’m not the biggest stock guru and I always tell students that if I could see around corners and was a giant stock wizard, I’d be on a yacht somewhere,” economics teacher Larry Dye said. “I try to point students in the right direction like starting with smaller websites or just seeking out anybody that knows a little bit more than you do.”
Recommendations from the economics teachers include researching, utilizing brokers if able, and even investing in mutual funds, but students can take it into their own hands and figure out how to invest in the market in a way that will benefit them in the long run.
“It’s good because at some point in time, you’re going to start hopefully thinking early about retirement and investing in something,” economics teacher Don Fortner said. “When you’re young you don’t think ‘I’m going to need money’ like that and when you get to that point you’re like
Buyer and seller interaction
Taking stock
Results of a student survey email on the Stock Market of 76 students from Feb. 19-25
Backtalk
February 27th is National Retro day, what is something you would bring back and why?
No: 75%
Do you invest in stocks? Yes: 25%
76 responses
Stock investors, have you taken economics?
Yes: 25%
No: 75%
46 responses
How often do you involve yourself in the stocks market?
Not often: 76%
Most of the time: 20%
All the time: 4%
76 responses
Hope of value gain once selling a stock
“Bring back people being respectful.”
Stephen Speckhard,
“Tamagotchis. They’re adorable and fun. I want new ones so I can have brightly colored ones.”
Christopher Pennington,
“The Lava Lamp. I personally think they are such a fun thing to have with all the different shapes and colors they come in.”
Durkin, Junior
“Playing music outside our love interests’ house. Now nothing is authentic and people use ChatGPT to talk.”
“80s hair. 80s big hair was in style, and if we brought big hair back I would have to fight to do my hair each morning.”
Maria DeRosa -Bellahcen, Spanish teacher
“The Walkman. Although they aren’t conventional, I like the retro vibe they give.”
“Polaroid Cameras because pictures are just way cuter on there.”
“Diners where the servers are all on rollerblades. It sounds like it would be a fun place to hang out with friends.”
“Arcades and roller skating rinks. We still have them, but I wish they were more common and cheaper like back then.”
“I loved the tight roll jeans. Not really, because it took forever to do.”
Freshman
Chloe Segura, Freshman
Natalia Rivera Avila, Sophomore
Sophomore
Jillian Poole, Junior
Avrione Martin, Senior
Christine Chidichimo, Math teacher
Delaney
Ariel Chen, Senior