The Journal (23-24) Issue 5

Southport High School newsmagazine | 971 E. Banta Road Volume 102, Issue 5 | March 15, 2024

Take a look at some of the biggest events in the history of the SHS Fieldhouse Sprouting interest

A beginner’s guide on how to start a garden

page 6

Tuning in Senior explores her love for music

page 10

Inclusivity in action

SHS introduces the first Myanmar Student Association

page 20

Wow, I can’t believe we’ve made it to spring break!

As I’ve written before, it feels like this year has flown by, and I can’t believe there’s only eight weeks left until summer break.

This issue has definitely been a fun one. We brought back the “tradition” of getting a group together to film “Spicy Ones,” a video interview where members of The Journal eat spicy wings and try not to cry. I’d never done it before, but that was definitely a fun experience.

Furthermore, our Sports section has tackled both centerfold and our online in-depth featuring alumnus Drew Shellenberger and his experience being a triathlete. That story is coming soon, so keep an eye out for that.

In print, reporter Aiden Quinlin told stories of the historic SHS Fieldhouse with accounts from Steve Bean, Brian Knight and others. They’re truly heartwarming to read, and I hope you all enjoy them.

Furthermore, editor Ava Campbell did a fantastic job with the design for centerfold that truly captures memorable events in Fieldhouse history.

Past that, Features editor Kenzie Andrysiak put together a page featuring SHS’s own DECA club.

She also laid out a beautiful spread for a story about senior Sophia Richason and her musical ability.

So there’s only eight weeks left of the school year, and I couldn’t be more excited. Not only do we have one more issue of the school year, but we also have an issue that exclusively covers SHS seniors, so stay tuned for that!

Before we head into the last chunk of time before summer, I want to invite everyone to enjoy their spring break. Whether you’re going to the beach or having a stay-cation, having an issue of The Journal in hand can make the experience that much more fun.

Gretchen Turner, Editor-in-Chief

@thesopojournal

@thesopojournal

@ShsJournal

news.

cart collaboration ... page 4

lifestyle.

sprouting interest ... page 6

red onion.

not no spring fling ... page 8

features.

tuning in ... page 10 pitching popularity ... page 12

a&e.

feeling ‘empowered’ ... page 13

fun and games. page 15

sports.

made of moments ... page 16

culture.

inclusivity in action ... page 20 beyond bilingual ... page 22

ads.

pages 23, 24, 31, 32

opinion.

truth or d.a.r.e.? ... page 25 my turn(er) ... page 26 journal address ... page 27

photos.

brewing spirit ... page 28 scouting talent ... page 30

editor-in-chief.

Gretchen Turner managing editors.

Ayslin Bowman Grace Wilson

editors.

Kenzie Andrysiak Sophie Barker Ava Campbell Noah Daniel Darcy Leber Lauren Lowry Julianna Miranda Salem Ortega-Morales Lindsey Rogers Claire Steinbrook Natalie Walker Lily Zing reporters.

Anahit Aleksanyan Simran Baidwan Sophie Barnes Alyssa Cook Morgan Harmon Lucy Hiller Harjas Kaur Thang Khai Lucy Len Dim Niang Lun Elisabeth Pointer Aiden Quinlin Maddie Stutz Lillie Youmans staff artists.

Sal Lynch Naomi Iang-Par business manager.

Nathan Switzer adviser.

Mike Klopfenstein principal.

Amy Boone

editor: Sophie Barker

SHS works with University of Indianapolis for the Mario Monday program Did you know?

All steel used for the Mario Monday carts was donated

by Warner Steel.

Source: Computer science Teacher Mark Snodgrass

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by Alyssa Cook, reporter

D

espite there being an increase in popularity with computer science in the last few years, SHS has seen a decrease in enrollment in these sorts of classes.

With fewer students signing up for computer science classes, Computer science teacher Mark Snodgrass decided to take inspiration from one of his class projects to attempt to solve this issue.

“Our goal is to create kits where kids, who have no skills and no abilities with technology or building stuff, can come in, put together their own car and race it … ,” Snodgrass said.

To attempt to get kids interested in computer science and engineering, Snodgrass will have students be able to make their own karts in a program called Mario Monday.

Snodgrass says that he came up with the idea because a former student, Jason Black, used to run “Smash Bros.” tournaments in his room, which brought a lot of kids to his class.

To make Mario Monday a reality, Snodgrass reached out to UIndy’s Racing Club to see if they could be of assistance in making the karts, which they agreed to. With the help of UIndy, they have been able to manufacture the overall structure of the kart with more things to be added later.

“What I’ve been doing is … cutting all the metal, welding all the metal, getting motor mounts made, creating the bearings for the wheels, the axels, steering geometry, all that stuff … ,” UIndy Racing Club President Jordan Ankney said. “Then, once the software and electrical stuff are ready to be put on, I will be assisting in putting that on.”

As of now, it’s purely just UIndy kids helping Snodgrass with this project due to their experiences and skills in things such as welding and advanced programming.

However, Snodgrass says that possibly

The unfinished chassis, the base frame of a cart, on March 6 in order to “document the progress of the project.” photo contributed by Snodgrass

I find it not only a fun project by itself, but also it’s a great way to get Southport Robotics back into its former self.

Junior Drake Phipps

later on, he’ll take some SHS students to UIndy to help their students program.

Having gained an idea as to what this will become, both SHS and UIndy students can’t wait for this to become a reality.

“I’m super excited,” UIndy Racing Club Secretary Patrick McCafferty said.

“We’ve built a few go-karts for ourselves, … and it’s been a super fun project.

What we’ve done so far with Mario Monday has been awesome.”

SHS students have shown similar interest and excitement toward this project, especially the programmers Snodgrass is considering sending, such as junior Drake Phipps.

“I am all for it … ,” Phipps said. “I find it not only a fun project by itself but also it’s a great way to get Southport Robotics back into its former self.”

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editor: Claire Steinbrook

A beginner’s guide on how to start a garden

by Kenzie Andrysiak, features editor

A

art by Sal Lynch and Naomi Iang-Par

s the sun starts to shine and the weather gets warmer, gardening tools start to head out.

Gardening is a great way to connect with nature, but it may seem difficult to take care of so many plants. So, here are some easy tips to make your garden flourish.

How to plant

There are three key factors in gardening: Dirt, water and sunlight. But, you can’t just use regular rough dirt because it might be too tough for the seeds to grow and lack nutrients. Head over to your local hardware store and buy some potting soil. This is a special type of soil that has nutrients and is the right texture to help plants grow. When putting a seed into dirt, put it about a finger length down so it has room to grow.

Different types of plants need different amounts of water. Make sure to read the back of a seed packet or look online to know how often you should water your plants. Under-watering and over-watering can kill the plant so you want to make sure to do it just the right amount. Lastly, plant in a well lit area that is not too cloudy or too shady. Sunlight gives plants energy for them to grow, so it is extremely important for them to be in a sunny and bright area.

Gardening can be very easy and fun as long as you keep these basic tips in mind.

Plant care

photo by Salem Ortega-Morales

Taking care of plants can seem very overwhelming. Plants are very fragile, but as long as you keep a good routine, they will thrive. Many people forget to water their plants. A good way to remember is to set an alarm on your phone to remind yourself to water your plants.

If it rains, then they do not need to be watered that day. While you are out watering, check for weeds. These get in the way of your plants growing, and it’s important to remove them as soon

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as possible. When removing them, make sure to get their roots otherwise they will grow back.

Transferring

Just like Goldilocks, plants need to be in the right size pot. If the container is too small, then the plant can’t fully grow and will die. But if they are too big of one then there is risk of the roots rotting. One way to prevent plants from dying is to start them off in a smaller pot and then transfer them over to a bigger pot or a planter box. Often, when seeds are immediately planted into bigger pots, some people see more soil and think they have to water it more. But this actually is drowning the plant and killing it. So by starting it off in a smaller pot, you are able to see how much water it needs, and its roots will grow appropriately. An easy way to do this is saving old egg cartons and turning them into little pots. Just add some soil and one seed per hole and you are all set. When it starts to grow, scoop it up, missing no roots, and transfer it into a bigger pot. By being in the perfect size pot, the plants have the ability to grow and thrive.

To learn the rest of the story, scan the QR code below!

Basic plants Herbs

There are many different plants that you can grow, and some are much harder to take care of than others. A good way to start out is an herb garden. An herb is a type of plant that is typically used as a seasoning for food or as natural medicine. Common ones to plant are basil, parsley and cilantro.

While most plants need to wait to be planted until the warmer months, herbs can be planted as early as February. They can be planted both inside and outside. To plant them, take a pot and fill it with dirt. If you are forgetful, herbs are the perfect plants to begin with because they only need to be watered around once a week.

Vegetables

Some more basic things to plant are different vegetables. Easy ones to start with are cucumbers and tomatoes. In a pot or planter box, add multiple holes evenly spaced out and add 1-2 seeds. Cover the holes with dirt and add water. On the back of the seed packets, it normally says the months to best plant them in. It might take a while for the vegetable to show up, so don’t give up. Once they are ripe, they are perfect and fresh for cooking.

Flowers

Flowers are an excellent way to make your space look welcoming, and they are fairly easy to take care of. When picking out what flowers you want to plant, you can either choose seeds or already bloomed flowers. To take care of the seeds, just plant them in soil and water them every day. Sometimes, if the seeds are not healthy, they will not grow. To guarantee flowers, get the ones that have already bloomed. You just have to dig a hole and place the flowers with their roots in. Cover the hole with soil around the flowers and make sure to water them every day.

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H

editor: Kent Roger

S pring i s here.

Along with the flowers a n d showers, s p r i n g sports are underway.

Here at SHS, spring sports are revered as

by Phillip Mabeli, reporter the most important season of them all, while football As the story seemingly hundreds of and basketball take a states, it middle schoolers who backseat to the likes of is entirely go to these games. track, lacrosse, tennis true that “I like going to the the athletic and more. game because the department In the eyes of the did not track game is game and my athletic department, student friends there so yeah,” these are the real gems. attendance 7th grader Mhavrych Oftentimes at high for spring Reeche said. “I don’t schools around the sports. They did,however, look at the game. I just country, basketball track the fall run around and cut in and football are given and winter the line for popcorn.” priority over every other season Administration, though, sport, club, class or student sees spring sports as a subject. This is mostly attendance. wonderful opportunity to With all they because of revenue. do for spring get more fans involved Those two sports sports, they with the real sports. The usually bring in the must just athletic department largest crowds, and not have knows that the old and along with that comes enough outdated “big sports” are time on money. Even with one their hands pretty much worthless of the worst records in to count when it comes to the the state, SHS football the many future of SHS. still brings in the largest fans that They recognize that fanbase. Of course, go to spring football and basketball sporting credit must be given to events. don’t bode well for the wishful parents and athletic talent. They

Simply put, it’s time for real sports

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Just a guy enjoying a track meet. photo by Darcy Leber would much rather go off of sports like baseball, a sport in which the main skill is swinging a big stick, light jogging and the daunting task of choosing which “Big League Chew” flavor to consume.

Not only do they not think big sports should be looked at as much as spring sports, they’ll go so far as to give special treatment to spring student athletes.

“If two kids, a football player and a lacrosse player, get caught vaping in a bathroom, that football player is getting a fine and the lax player is going back to class,” athletic director Flick Weeveens said.

Th Th D

Weeveens is the leading factor in putting the spring athletics on top. He says he gives his full attention to spring sports even during other seasons. He focuses on things like “keeping the track in tip top condition, scheduling lacrosse for the optimal practice time and overall funding for the season.”

The athletic department also gives special treatment to how they look at spring sporting events. For example, the athletic department tracks all student attendance for fall and winter sports but not for spring. This obviously shows the importance of spring sports to administration over the other seasons.

By not tracking student attendance in one of three seasons, they are able to focus on supporting the

more important ones.

This shows very clearly that spring sports are on a whole different level of significance.

Senior golfer Phat Foomans says he is happy with the support he gets from the school.

“It’s okay that the school doesn’t promote our events and that we have nobody come to watch us,” Foomans said.

“I still feel very important.”

The athletic department is also foregoing grade eligibility for spring sports. Usually, students would need a “D” or higher to be able to play and have no more than two “F’s.” Not for spring sports though, they can be failing all of their classes and still be able to play.

“Look, here’s the thing,” Weeveens said. “The kids playing football and basketball

The girls track team warms up before practice.

Their next meet is Saturday, March 23. photo by Darcy Leber

Manny Castillo practices shot put at SHS. Manny also plays football for the school. photo

by Noah Daniel are going to need their grades after high According to the SHS school, but these spring athletics sport athletes … , are website, actually going places, boys and girls lacrosse so they don’t really need to worry about are the only sports still silly grades.” under the The school is looking “club” title. forward to the spring This means that lacrosse season. They know it will be a lot of work, but is the only sport at SHS they realize every bit of that gets no it is more important than funding from any other season. the school.

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editor: Kenzie Andrysiak

Senior explores her love for music

Senior Sophia Richason’s plans for the future:

-Attend IU Bloomington

by Lucy Len Dim, reporter

W

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hen entering the sixth grade, senior Sophia Richason was encouraged to join an extracurricular by her parent’s request.

At a music call out night held in the middle school, she initially was drawn to percussion. But, on the same night, she encountered a kind welcoming into the world of orchestra, where s h e started o f f with the violin and from there, gained a love for music.

“Part of it becoming a passion was realizing how much there is in music,” Richason said.

Upon this decision, Richason h a d unknowingly

-Major in Political Science and Music

-Hopes to be a college professor

To read about another students that plays the violin, scan the QR code below!

stepped into a world full of music that would soon inspire an evergrowing passion to branch out to a variety of instruments.

When Richason began orchestra at SMS and attended private violin lessons outside of school, she faced discouragement and considered quitting altogether.

During these violin lessons, she struggled to read sheet music and had an instructor with “zero patience.”

But Richason decided that this stumble would not be the end.

“Even though I had this experience, I think I can do better, and I want to learn … ,” Richason said. “I don’t want that to just be the thing that defeats me.”

SMS orchestra teacher Patrick Ciesielski also encouraged Richason to stick with it because he knew she would regret quitting.

Throughout the years, Ciesielski has made note of Richason’s work ethic towards music and witnessed her receiving a gold at an ISSMA contest.

“What makes her unique is her passion for music,” Ciesielski said.

Going into high school, Richason discovered that the SHS music curriculum had a lot to offer, pushing her to keep going.

“Especially when I came over to the high school, I was like ‘Wow

Richason has been playing violin since the sixth grade. photo by Salem Ortega-Morales

there is just so much to learn like you can expand so much,” Richason said.

With this move, Richason grew accustomed to the new environment whereas many of her classmates decided to leave their instruments behind.

Even with this, Richason strived to maintain a headstrong mindset while keeping in mind that her passion was solely for her enjoyment, not for others.

“Yes, it’s nice to be surrounded by people who you get along with and are friends with, but it’s not everything to me,” Richason said. “I’d still be in violin regardless.”

Now in her senior year of high school, Richason is enrolled in three music classes and participates in Guitar Club.

In her Advanced Orchestra class junior year, orchestra

teacher Thomas Wright granted her the title of the concertmaster, which requires tuning the orchestra, suggesting bowings and sometimes playing solos within the music.

Wright has witnessed her strive to improve. He believes that Richason takes initiative to learn on her own and “really engages in learning the music on the page,” and he has chosen her to uphold these responsibilities.

“If she comes across something that’s difficult, she’s willing to put in extra time to figure it out,” Wright said.

After completing AP Music Theory, Richason decided to explore music beyond string instruments and joined Percussion.

Band teacher Jeff Maupin has noticed Richason’s strive to

adapt to a new field of instruments and maintaining quick thinking.

“She was brand-new to percussion this year and has picked it up and done a great job with it having never played the instrument before,” Maupin said.

Wright has seen Richason applying her skills within percussion back in orchestra as well.

“She’s willing to expand her musical horizons, and then she figures out how that relates back to the violin,” Wright said.

According to Wright, the majority of percussion consists of counting rhythms and feeling beats, which Richason has applied when looking at a piece of music, helping Instruments her become a Richason ‘better orchestra has played: player.’

“She plays -Violin the rhythms -Piano cleaner,” Wright said. “She plays them -Guitar with more intents and purposes,” Wright said.

-Marimba When Richason reflects on the years -Xylophone of hard work, she realizes that -Vibraphone she could do it -Congas all along.

“Staying -Bass drum consistent with music and seeing the growth and the progress has been really cool,” Richason said.

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Business club expands in numbers and interest

by Thang Khai, reporter

O

n March 4 and 5, five members of the SHS DECA team took part in their second state competition, senior Natalla’h Wilson being one of them.

She presented two roleplays, situations that simulate a real-life problem, and she placed in the top 10 out of 2000 contestants.

“It felt really nice,” Wilson said. “I wasn’t really expecting it.”

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The club serves to prepare students for careers in hospitality and management, business and finance, and they are looking to grow and expand their popularity and reach.

But last year was the first year that DECA was offered at SHS. Business teacher Cheryl Rettig started the club with the help of business teacher Ashley Quinlin, who aided in growing and popularizing the club.

“The volume wasn’t there obviously … ,” Rettig said.

“It was so unknown. It was hard to get kids.”

Despite having trouble with getting students to join, there are still some who joined this year, one of which is senior Manprit Kaur.

Focusing on her future, she hopes that DECA will help her with finances and the business side of things.

business in the future,” DECA members Kaur said. “So it’s a really (from left to great opportunity.” right) seniors But, one of the main Natalla’h problems with DECA is the Wilson, Mang funding. So, the sponsors Dim, Esther Li, aim to create a DECA store, Manprit Kaur, inspired by one they saw at a Donald district competition, where VanValkenburg members will sell stickers and and extra merchandise. sophomore Samson “It’s giving kids an Nguyen opportunity to become those leaders,” Quinlin competion on March 5. said. “And you can’t do that without funds.” photo Now, the club is focused contributed by on getting even more Ashley Quinlin members to participate.

With the upward trend DECA’s experiencing, senior Donald VanValkenburg, one of the club’s presidents, has good expectations on To join DECA, talk the clubs future. to Business “Our current members in teachers our chapter are some of Cheryl Rettig the most hardworking and in Room 245 dedicated people … ,” and Ashley VanValkenburg said. “I am Quinlin in super excited to see where Room 247 the new members will take the club.”

art by Sal Lynch

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editor: Lindsey Rogers

Spring play allows cast to channel and relive light-hearted energy

S

by Anahit Aleksanyan, reporter

hortly after reading descriptions of storylines on a website that licenses various theatrical play ideas and noticing the incorporation of humor, and entrepreneurial ventures, alongside life lessons throughout the production, the SHS spring play was chosen to be “Empowered.” The first showing was on March 13 and will run through March 16.

“The play is about how one Girl Scout nearly destroyed the world’s economy,” theater teacher Caleb Francis said. This is how the theater director, Caleb Francis describes the plot.

The selection was based on the humor and appeal to child characters.

Out of the three different options of plays that Francis thought would be interesting to bring to life, he found out that everyone in his theater production class would agree on the feeling that “Empowered” was “the

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one.”

“It’s something that I take pride in doing, in putting good productions up,” Francis said.

Francis’s motivation stems from a passion for working with the theater cast and enjoying their unique character portrayals. He mentions how important the individual contribution from the young actors involved in the process is, as it enhances the overall performance.

“The play really just teaches to not take life so seriously and have fun.

But also remember what is most important in life like friendships and building relationships with people.”

In the world of “Empowered,” a Girl Scout troop was introduced to the challenge of selling as many cookies as they could and securing a victory, which would be followed by the biggest prize: a unicorn. The

Amaryllis (Astrid Gojko) talks to a friend while making a pouty face. photo by Darcy Leber

The troop leader (Meredith Ziegler) bonds with her girl scout troop. photo by Darcy Leber play centers around Amaryllis, played by senior Astrid Gojko, who cibsuders herself to be one of the worst sellers on the leaderboard. She tends to give up everything it takes, taking whatever path necessary to find ways to sell more boxes.

“I act as an eight-yearold,” Gojko said. “That was like 10 years ago for me, and it’s really fun to channel that energy and be super silly in this play.”

The actors are young adults playing children, which gives them the chance to live in their past and bring youthful energy back to portray those silly characters. adventure Amaryllis’s follows the “whatever it takes” strategy. It reaches the lines of unconventional cookie-selling methods such as scheming, faking terminal illnesses, providing loans for people and many more ridiculous things.

This all highlights the comedic dynamic between her and

Did you know?

There will be an actual Girl Scout troop at a few of the shows selling cookies!

Purchase tickets from the Southport Performing Arts Website:

Potts, the sillly main male character, played by Tristen Blakely, who’s crazily in love with Amaryllis.

“I’m a creepy, dorky kind of kid that falls in love with Amaryllis,” Blakely said.

“My favorite thing is to do a voice for Potts and also working with my co-stars and just having fun.”

Since discovering a love for theater earlier in school, Blakely’s passion for acting has grown immensely, and “Empowered” is another page of their experience that fosters a newfound appreciation for the art form.

Junior Lizzie Forrester, an ensemble character, agreed and assured that this show is a significant source of joy for both the cast and the audience.

“Especially in a show like this, where we’re doing some silly things on stage, it’s just made me so much more comfortable with myself as a person, in and outside of theater,” Forrester said.

How does this play influence your life?

“I think it helped me expand what I can do in theater.”

Sophomore Nienna Wittlief

How does acting influence your life?

“It has made me feel a lot more confident with who I am.”

Junior Lizzie Forrester

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editor: Ava Campbell

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I

t is known by many names.

IndyStar writers have referred to it as the Crown Jewel of Indiana High School Basketball.

One former SHS head coach referred to it as the Cathedral of

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Basketball. But most know it as Southport’s Historic Fieldhouse.

Tomorrow, another memory will be added to the Fieldhouse’s legacy: the 2A boys basketball semistate.

With a grand, historic

gym, comes great moments, people and memories. And to honor these great memories and people, here are The Journal’s top three moments of the Fieldhouse.

photo by Morgan Harmon

A presidential appearance Not many gyms in the state, let alone the country, have gotten the chance to be able to host the president.

It was fall of 2018, and there was a heavily-contested race between the Republican candidate Mike Braun and Democratic candidate Joe Donnelly for a seat in the Senate.

Officials with the Donald Trump administration got in contact with Perry Township Schools requesting to use the Fieldhouse for a rally.

“If the president of the United States requests to use your facility, you probably should find a way to accommodate,” former SHS principal Brian Knight said.

Therefore, on Nov. 2, Republican President Donald Trump and some notable Indiana icons, such as Vice President Mike Pence and Bobby Knight, Indiana University’s head basketball coach for 29 years, spoke at the rally to show support for Braun.

Having an event at this sheer size in a high school gym created challenges that aren’t usually presented.

For example, the students’ safety and security always came

Former president Donald Trump speaks in the Fieldhouse on Nov. 2, 2018. He voiced his support for Republican canidate Mike Braun. photo by Julia Brookshire

first, so Knight had to make decisions such as releasing school early that day.

Events like these are usually hosted in an event center that have staff ready to help with setup and logistics, so in comparison, Knight says that the rally was understaffed.

Another issue was the safety of the president. SHS was not previously kept to the standard to hold an event like this safely, so some changes and precautions were made.

“Through this experience, I can say things like ‘I took a sniper up to the roof,’” Knight said.

The Secret Service took the security of the president very seriously.

Knight says that when he took the snipers to the roof the day of the rally, the lead sniper stood there motionless for about 30 minutes just looking for any possible way someone could get in the school and harm Trump.

Julia Brookshire was a sophomore who got the

chance to be in press row and cover the rally in real time for The Journal.

Brookshire says that when she first got there, she was presented with the fact that Trump supporters don’t have the greatest love for the press, and she was nervous just being in that environment.

While the Fieldhouse was packed to the brim with people shoulder to shoulder in the seats and on the floor, the overflow of people was into the East Gym and outside. There were two jumbotrons playing the rally live and the conditions were similar there as well.

She says that the experience alone, being a mere high school reporter seeing the current president live and in person, was incredible.

“And just the noise when he walked in onto the stage into the Fieldhouse was just so overwhelming,” Brookshire said.

Did you know these Fieldhouse facts?

- The gym seats 7,124 people - It opened in 1958 - It is ranked as the 12th largest high school gym in the U.S. Source: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

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Former SHS students and staff speak on their passion for the Fieldhouse

“

It’s a true blessing that the community The program from the of Challenge of Champions Southport game on Dec. 5, 2005. photo has, as I contributed by Steve Bean call it, the Cathedral A show of of incredible talent Basketball.

The Fieldhouse has seen some great talent across the board in the form of players like Joey Brunk, Louie Dampier, Paul Scruggs and Jim Krivacs, who went on to be professional players at home or abroad.

But one thing all of these players have in common is that they played for SHS. What about talent from other schools playing in the Fieldhouse?

December 17, 2005, was a day just for that.

It was the first annual Challenge of Champions event presented by the Circle City Classic organization.

Teams were chosen from across the Midwest to come and showcase themselves in the Fieldhouse.

It was the first large sporting event hosted in

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Former SHS head basketball coach Kyle Simpson

“

”

There isn’t a bad seat in the house.

SHS alum Mark Dietel

“

”

It’s one of the best venues in America ...

Former SHS head basketball coach Jason Delaney

”

the Fieldhouse separate from the IHSAA, so high school teams from places like Detroit, Milwaukee and Chicago were playing against teams from Indiana that day.

“It was just a great day of excitement for high school basketball in Indianapolis at that time,” former SHS Athletic Director Pete Hubert said.

“And we had a large crowd … there (were) a lot of people who were just simply high school basketball junkies.”

There were six games that day, all showcasing future college and NBA prospects. In total, there were five future NBA players on the court that day: Mike Conley, who went fourth overall in the 2007 NBA draft and currently plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves; Greg Oden, who went first overall in the 2007 NBA draft and currently is the Director of Basketball Operations for Butler University men’s basketball; Eric Gordon, who went seventh overall in the 2008 NBA draft and currently plays for the Phoenix Suns; Derrick Rose, who went first overall in the 2008 NBA draft and currently plays for the Memphis Grizzlies; Jeff Teague, who went 19th overall in the 2009 NBA draft and currently coaches basketball at

Pike High School.

“At the time, we knew that they were really good players there, but I don’t think you realized the magnitude of everyone you were watching, and what those people would become,” former SHS head basketball coach Jason Delaney said.

There was a lot of preparation for the Fieldhouse for an event like this. For example, the hanging scoreboards and a new score table in the Fieldhouse were bought just for this event.

The floor was redone as well and repainted to look newer and better than it ever was at the time.

“When we finished this event, I felt like it was so successful, that the historic Southport Fieldhouse was the place to be,” Hubert said. “That was the place to host anything big in Indiana.”

A piece of the basketball net cut down by Steve Bean after the sectional game against Perry Meridian High School. photo contributed by Steve Bean

Honorable mentions Louie Dampier’s last game On March 2, 1963, former student Louie Dampier played his last game for SHS. After graduating, he went on to play all nine seasons in the American Basketball Associaton.

Dampier’s number is one of the only two SHS has retired.

The birth of a rivalry The rivalry between SHS and Perry Meridian High School truly began on March 5, 1977, with the boys basketball sectional championship.

“We were kind of eager to show that we were their equal and that we could play with them. It was definitely that feeling of a rivalry,” SHS alum Steve Bean said. “I don’t think it took long for that to ramp up.

Once we started playing them, that was who you wanted to beat more than anybody.”

Just a few years after splitting the schools into two separate buildings, there had been only a handful of games between the district rivals.

Then, in 1977, SHS lost to Perry Meridian twice in the regular season before meeting in the sectional championship, so the buildup to the game was massive.

That day, there were

Regional championship win SHS defeated Connersville and Terre Haute South on March 12, 2016, winning the boys basketball regional championship.

photo by Morgan Harmon

over 7,000 people in the gym cheering on a close, back-and-forth game that ended in a 62-54 SHS win. It was the Cards’ first win over the Falcons.

“It was really loud in there, like close to a jet-engine loud at times,” Bean said. “I can remember times in that game where the crowd cheered so loud after a big basket that my ears just felt like they were overloaded.”

SHS alum Mark Dietel played on the team that year and can recall memorable moments from the game.

“The main thing I remember about the game when I was on the court, I could be standing five feet from another player … and we would be trying to talk to each other, even trying to yell, and my ears were ringing,” Dietel said.

Bean was a manager on the team throughout

the greatest memory from his four years at SHS was that night.

“I have that date burned in my memory, and it was easily the best day of my four years of high school because I got to stand on that ladder and cut down pieces of the net,” Bean said. “I didn’t even dream when I started high school that that was going to happen.”

Former student Joey Brunk dunks the ball during the game against Evansville Reitz on Feb. 28, 2015. The Cards won the game 88-80. photo by Alicia Jones

Want another moment?

To read about the 2015 SHS-Evansville Reitz game, scan the QR code!

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editor: Lily Zing

SHS introduces the first

Myanmar Student Association (Left to right) Assistant secretary freshman Jacob Hrin, secretary junior Rose Par, treasurer senior Junis Mawi, senior president Eli Ni Pa, assistant treasurer Sophomore Bawi Tha and director freshman Billy Thang poses for a group photo during their second club meeting on Feb.23. photo contributed

by Jacob Hrin

S

by Simran Baidwan, reporter

HS serves as one of the most diverse high schools in Indiana.

For 133 years, this school has stood to help its diverse array of students grow academically, intellectually and socially.

Through the diversity of the different races

community of SHS displayed their space through their newly created union, the Myanmar Student Association (MSA).

This association aims to empower Burmese students in SHS. “With this (association)

and ethnic groups that surround SHS, students have been able to form strong communities where they can foster powerful relationships to create a space in which students can feel a sense of belonging.

The Burmese

we get to focus on one of the big nationalities (at SHS),” MSA president senior Eli Ni Pa said.

“We can share culture (and) share some ways to help our country (and) students.”

Illustrating the rich cultural diversity at SHS,

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the formation of MSA serves as an important tool for Burmese students to grow, learn and overcome any challenges together in a community.

The creation of MSA is not the result of a fortuitous innovative idea. Rather, it is the result of two kindred experiences that SHS students hold close to their hearts.

These experiences include Ni Pa and Sophomore Bawi Tha seeing a new Burmese student roaming the halls of SHS looking lost and Ni Pa witnessing a new Burmese student eating lunch alone, excluded from the social activity around them.

Both of these experiences serve as examples of the disconnect new Burmese students experienced in the foreign halls of SHS, and these disheartening instances inspired Ni Pa and Lang to help their

community in need by starting MSA. “We would like to help our new students … ,” club sponsor and math teacher Sui Tial said. “(We want to) support a small community inside the school.”

Taking both of these experiences into account, MSA sprouted to help these new students calibrate to the environment of SHS. “New students would be able to focus and be familiar with more people,” freshman Jacob Hrin said.

The association hosted its first meeting on Feb. 21 in Tial’s room.

Ni Pa didn’t expect attendance to be high for the first meeting, but she was proved wrong when large numbers of students showed up to support the creation of this new association, sending MSA into bloom.

The association has many things on its agenda, one of the primary goals being to support the ongoing conflict in Myanmar.

Although this association sits on American soil, its ability to help the victims of the conflict is not limited.

During meetings, the association has held moments of silence for the victims involved in one of the recent incidents of the conflict.

The club’s agenda

MSA club members gather for their second meeting on Feb 23.

More than 72 students attended the second meeting. photo by Darcy Leber

To read a story about how SHS students started the school’s first ever Black Student Union, scan the QR code below!

also aims to educate students in the association about the different cultures in Myanmar.

“It’s important for us as a school community to understand where everyone is coming (from),” Principal Amy Boone said. “Everyone has a different story and background, and there’s power in us sharing that.”

Within the Burmese community, there are many different dialects of languages, clothes, food and culture.

However, many young adults in the community are unfamiliar with their culture due to their early arrival to the United States. To help their members learn and understand their culture better, MSA has activities such as concerts, performances, food

festivals and dance lessons planned for the future, which will also raise funds for Myanmar.

At last, the repercussions of MSA leave some feeling more comfortable as they have already seen the anticipated change afoot.

Other communities at SHS such as Black Student Union (BSU) were also created to help students. With the wide range of diversity at SHS, new communities can be formed to help students find a place so they too can feel a sense of belonging like students in MSA and BSU. “We gather together as a group presenting a Myanmar student,” Tial said. “That (shows) our culture, unity and making a better community in school and outside of the school.”

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S

by Elisabeth Pointer, reporter

SHS pioneers path for Spanish heritage speakers

panish teacher Jamie Marshall wanted to find a way to give native Spanish speakers an education tailored to them. That’s when she heard about a class at Perry Meridian High School that could do just that, a class for heritage speakers.

“My goal and mission was to have a Spanish class for our native speakers that provided greater enrichment for them to develop their own language skills,” Marshall said.

Marshall found that the class allowed for a deeper understanding and learning in students who took the class, allowing them to focus on building their Spanish skills.

In her Spanish III classes, Marshall began noticing that students who grew up speaking the language would become bored in her classes.

“They would get through the class activity and the additional activity that I had for them,

Spanish teacher Jamie Marshall explains lesson to her Spanish heritage speakers on March 3.

The course was approved the second semester of this school year. photo by Lily Zing Photo by Lily Zing

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often before the non native speakers,” Marshall said.

In addition, nonnative speakers would often feel too intimidated to speak Spanish for fear of getting it wrong, and native speakers felt they had to simplify ...

To continue reading this story, scan the QR code!

Athletics

4

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Requirements: Must provide own laptop

editors: Julianna Miranda and

Salem Ortega-Morales

art by Naomi Iang-Par

The stigma against drugs leads to their misuse

T

by Noah Daniel, red onion editor

ake a walk downtown.

Anyone who does will inevitably see the destruction that drugs have brought to the city.

Substances, especially opioids, have taken over the city of Indianapolis.

But this is not where the problem starts or ends.

Society has decided to put certain drugs on the lower and some on the upper standard. This outlook on drugs has led to more misuse than purely illegal activity.

On a broad scale, opioids are mainly produced by large pharmaceutical companies. There is a substantial presence of fentanyl trafficking from mostly China and India, controlling the majority of fentanyl on the streets.

Myanmar is the largest producer of opium poppy, the plant that is used to make opioids, and they traffic the majority of it. These are illegal methods of drug use, which most people can all agree is unwanted and detrimental.

However, the legal side is equally as negative.

Almost all people are familiar with the families depicted in commercials for

medication. While a long list of negative side effects is being spouted off, the images of pretty flowers and playful children being shown overpower the risks.

They make it look like their medication is the “beall-end-all.” This gives them the ability to profit from dangerous drugs.

An example of pushing harmful medication is Purdue Pharmaceutical’s advertisement of OxyContin. This is an illegal situation where Purdue somewhat paid doctors to prescribe their medicine, OxyContin.

According to the National Library of Health, Purdue held many seminars inviting doctors t o resorts

around the country for an all-expenses-paid trip.

More than 5,000 medical professionals attended these conventions. To top all of that off, they offered a seven to 30-day supply coupon for the drug.

This is just another example of a medical company foregoing potential risks, such as addiction and even death, just for its own profit. Oftentimes, opioid addiction starts with a prescription and that leads to street use, which is much more dangerous, according to the National Library of Health. Pharma continues to feed on society’s addiction to profit without remorse. This problem is incredibly embarrassing and abhorrent for multibillion dollar companies. The f i x is alternative medications a n d treatment outside of a pill.

There’s a lot to unpack, but the facts shown here remain shocking and true.

Did you know?

Fentanyl, the highly lethal synthetic opioid, is continuing to fuel a majority of drug-related deaths.

Of the 852 overdose deaths last year, opiates contributed to 81% — almost exclusively fentanyl.

Methamphetamine and cocaine intoxication followed.

Source: Indy Star

25

“Yeah, it’s over now, but I can breathe somehow”

by Gretchen Turner, editor-in-chief

W

ithin the past four years, I’ve learned a lot.

I haven’t just learned about sonnets, matrices or Reconstruction, but I’ve learned how much people change, especially in high school.

I’ve grown up with the same group of friends essentially since first grade.

Seeing how everyone has changed over the past 12 years has been an amazing experience, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.

However, we’re new people now, and our dynamic isn’t the same as it used to be. We’ve all become unique people, and it makes our relationships look a little different, especially since we may not be seeing much of each other after the day of graduation.

The song I’ve chosen for this issue, “Over Now”

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by Alice in Chains, is figure out what we like about acceptance of a and dislike. situation that has come I’ve actually found to an end. Endings are a myself branching natural part of life, and it’s out and befriending foolish to resist them. people I wouldn’t It’s weird experiencing normally. I’ve taken so much change, but a couple of freshmen the lyric I selected for this under my wing this issue captures it perfectly: year, and I’m so glad I Seeing how “Yeah, it’s over now, but I everyone did. Mariah and Helen can breathe somehow.” have made my last has I don’t know that I changed year of high school could say I wanted our almost an entirely over the friend group to change different experience past 12 after we leave, but it’s years has than I expected, and been an already changing, and I couldn’t be more amazing I can say I’ve accepted grateful for them. and even embraced it in experience, I’ve met many more and I some cases. people that already wouldn’t This year, I’ve been trade it for play a huge part in my able to focus a lot more anything. life, and I don’t know on the subjects that I am if I would be able to most passionate about say that if I didn’t take and explore my future the time this year to with those. I’ve found explore myself. that I love history and Change is difficult well, journalism, of course, and often not fun. It’ll but not all of my friends be weird not having the do, so this dynamic shift same group of people has given us the space to talk to, but with all the to explore ourselves and changes, it feels like I can breathe somehow.

“

”

art by Sal Lynch

Journal Address

School fights shouldn’t be used for entertainment

O

n Thursday, Feb. 1, Perry Meridian High School witnessed an incident when substitute teacher Rob Gooding was assaulted by a 16-year-old student, who struck him with a laptop and punched him in the face. Gooding, seeking justice, brought the incident to the media, expressing his disappointment that the student faced no criminal charges. News quickly spread across platforms, sparking a range of contrasting opinions. Some supported Gooding, advocating for stricter consequences, while others cited factors such as the student’s background to justify their disagreement.

Amidst this debate, there were those who viewed this incident as entertainment and gossip. The trend of sensationalizing school violence requires more attention. Unfortunately, the

This is the opinion of the editorial board of The Journal Perry Meridian incident is just one of many where such behavior has become normalized. While diverse perspectives on issues like school violence are inevitable, it is essential to recognize how wrong it is to exploit the pain of others.

When fights occur in the hallways and bathrooms, students rally in circles to record and build up the heat.

These videos are then posted on social media where the news spreads within seconds.

Some even curate accounts dedicated to showcasing these encounters. In these accounts, videos of students punching and pulling hair are displayed. While these students are getting injured, there are countless faces the screen laughing, further stirring

trauma to the students involved in the fight.

While the violent intentions may remain unknown, math teacher Jack Williams believes they may start within the home.

Williams’ class is located in the center of SHS where many fights occur, and he is often the first person to take action when incidents occur.

“For some students, the environment that they grew up in has essentially conditioned them so that that’s a natural response: physical aggression,” Williams said.

Many students who come to school may resort to violence as they lack the ability to deescalate problems. It’s important to be mindful consumers of online content by avoiding sharing or engaging with content that glorifies school violence.

opinion. 27

Brewin’ spirit

The Cardinal Brew team brews up coffee and smiles as they deliver to teachers around the building

by Darcy Leber and Salem Ortega-Morales

(top) Sophomore Jayden Howard delivers coffee to business teacher Ashley Quinlin. photo by Salem Ortega-Morales (bottom) Senior Haus Siam gets ready to deliver by making a cup of coffee. photo by Salem Ortega-Morales (right) Sophomore Michael Thomas matches cups to order forms from teachers. photo by Darcy Leber

28 photos.

A day in the life (top) Senior Jeremiah Potts delivers the first coffee of the day to special education teacher Scott Evans. photo by Darcy Leber (middle) Howard and Siam punch science teacher Daryl Traylor’s card after giving her a coffee. photo by Salem OrtegaMorales (bottom) Potts looks for the correct coffee to deliver. photo by Darcy Leber

I

n room 275, a new coffee establishment is taking SHS by surprise.

The Cardinal Brew, started by the Special Education department after winter break, is the newest program for students with exceptional needs to deliver coffee to teachers.

Students deliver to educators every Tuesday and Thursday, and for them, it has turned into a new coffee shop.

“They were excited about being able to deliver coffee to a teacher, or hot cocoa to a teacher, because they knew that would make the teacher happy.

So they’re okay with the social interaction,” special education teacher Amy Honeycutt said.

“But they were nervous about ‘How do we read the form?,’ ‘How do we make essentially an order form on paper and deliver it and take money?,’ and sell punch cards, or work the punch cards or make the coffee.”

The students went through a trial run before winter break in the first semester at a smaller scale. After coming back, order forms,

which teachers could fill out what they want delivered were sent out to teachers. Coffee and hot chocolate costs $1 per drink, but teachers can buy a punch card for $20.

“We have consistently (gotten) … either 13 or 14 cups,” Honeycutt said. “Sometimes, it’s hot cocoa. Sometimes, it’s coffee.”

The process of making the drinks goes beyond just a coffee pot. Hot chocolate is just made with water and cocoa powder, but the coffee is made with a percolator.

While the students love to deliver to teachers, according to Honeycutt, Cardinal Brew does more beyond that. special education teacher Jennifer Karushis and Honeycutt thought that this would help the students practice with skills for employment. “(My favorite part is) making the coffee,” senior Haus Siam said.

Though they are technically working, the baristas seem to enjoy the business they are running. In the near future, Honeycutt hopes to continue it.

by Salem Ortega-Morales

photos. 29

editor: Darcy Leber

This year’s spring play, “Empowered,” is about one Girl Scout who nearly destroyed the world’s economy.

by Darcy Leber and Salem Ortega-Morales

(top left) Senior Astrid Gojko (Amaryllis) looks up making a pouty face. photo by Darcy Leber (top right) Senior Meredith Ziegler (Beatrice) tells Senior Mary Pfeiffer (Kennedy) to envision cookie sales. photo by Darcy Leber

Watch “Empowered” this weekend in the Blackbox.

Tickets are on sale for $10 and can be purchased the theater department’s Instagram. (bottom) Junior Tristen Blakely (Potz) takes a knee to give flowers to Gojko. photo by Darcy Leber

(top left) Sophomore Nienna Wittlief (Cheyenne) sticks her tongue out and freshman Piper Leber laughs at another Girl Scout. photo by Salem Ortega-Morales (top right) Gojko tries to sell a box of cookies to Senior Lexi Nix (Ellen). photo by Salem Ortega-Morales (bottom) Leber smiles in a mocking way towards Gojko. photo by Darcy Leber

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Meetings will be the first Wednesday of the month during the second session of iPass in room 247.

Students can email Ashley Quinlin (aquinlin@perryschools.org) with questions.

o i n e s

ue coming s s i r s

oo

n !! !

31

Join Girls Track See Coach Fishel in room 230E Go to Southport Relays on Saturday, April 20 at 9 a.m. MARK

THE DATE!

‘24 WILL BE GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE!

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