The Harbinger February 2022

Vol. 54, Issue 5 February 2022

HARBINGER Refresh Your Feed (p.4)

Zionsville Community High School 1000 Mulberry St. Zionsville, Indiana

Note from the editor

Elizabeth Rexing, Print Editor

The January anthem, “new year, new me,” has come back full force for the start of 2022. I’ve talked to numerous friends and classmates about their New Year’s resolutions; I personally want to spend more time outdoors this year! However, New Year’s resolutions may be on the outs; some of the student body don’t think resolutions are effective (p. 19).

If you’re still up for adopting a resolution, you could try limiting time on social media, using some of Instagram’s new options to hide the number of “likes” a post receives, or removing unwanted followers. More information about these changes and their effects on students’ mental health are on p. 4.

The start of the new year also brought more COVID-19 cases and new health guidelines with updated processes for contact-tracing and quarantining (p. 6). I’m thankful these new regulations aim to keep us safe and prioritize keep-

ing students in school.

The Harbinger is also evolving and I’d like to personally introduce our new staff members: Josie Brackett, Ariana Gimona, Adanna Mbanu, and Tate Quinn. Be on the lookout for their articles, posts, and appearances on Harb Headlines!

Want to follow in their footsteps? Prereqs for Harbinger include Journalism or Digital Media; you could be a part of the Harb team as early as next year! If you’re not ready to fully commit to becoming a Harbinger staff member but still want to write or contribute to magazines, be on the lookout for guest writer opportunities for upcoming issues.

And, if you already have something to share, tell us through our Instagram: @zchsharb!

Elizabeth Rexing, Print Editor

Editorial Winter Break Part 2?

We’re a month into second semester, we’ve already had a four-day weekend, AND we’re only two and a half weeks away from our first-ever February break, or as the school board has named it, Mid-Winter Break.

This school year is the first year that ZCS has opted for an entire week off in February rather than the usual day or two off for Presidents’ Day. The 2022-2023 school year is also slated to have a week off in February.

The stretch from Winter Break to Spring Break is arguably the most grueling three or four months of the entire year. School work ramps up and is topped with cold, wet days lacking sunshine. These months are normally draining and somewhat hopeless.

This year more than ever, a week to recharge, reset, and rest feels essential. The pandemic has continued to heighten anxiety, especially with students missing countless days of school because of quarantine. These ten days are a mid-semester pick-me-up, one we greatly appreciate. Whether you spend the week traveling, hanging out with family or friends, working, or chillaxing, make sure to make the most out of this Mid-Winter Break!

Do you agree? The Harbinger wants to hear what you have to say about the February break (and Spring Break). Are you going to travel? Work? Sleep? Scan the QR code below to fill out the survey. Results will appear in the next issue!

Staff Print Editor Elizabeth Rexing Digital Media Editor Logan Seiler Social Media Editor Riya Patel Photo Editor Sarah Maniscalo Podcast Director Josh Nieman

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Feature Editor Staff Kailey Wallenius Josie Brackett Student Life Editor Daysun Brown Lucy Robinson Jack Farrar News & Sports Editor Arianna Gimona Mary Demarco Dax Lara Opinion Editor Adanna Mbanu Gretchen Drews Tate Quinn Art Director Brooklyn Brown

The mission of the Harbinger is to provide both the student body of Zionsville Community High School and the local community with the unbiased truth. The staff strives to handle every topic they take on with respect and objectivity, while also providing a source of entertainment and intriguing content for the reader.

The Harbinger aims to reflect the true atmosphere of ZCHS by including students of all walks of life in the publication.

Contents News

4 Refresh Your Feed 6 Quarantine Part 2022

Sports

7 Seasonal Pressure 8 Signed, Sealed, Delivered

6 Student Life

10 The Click Clique 12 Mr. Z 2022: Brody Chrisman 13 The Grind

10 Opinion

Feature

14 Sweet Gigs 16 Task Masters

Cover photo by Sarah Maniscalo Graphics by Brooklyn Brown

17 I'm Feeling 2022 18 Caged Creatures 19 New Year, Nothing New

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20 Harb Highlights 3

REFRESH YOUR

FEED Anxious adolescents try Instagram’s new settings addressing mental health, safety

By Adanna Mbanu, Staff

Top: Sophomore Tess Korte poses with friends. This picture represents the types of pictures Korte used to post.

“I felt like I had to wait for big events and that it always had to be group pictures,” Korte said. Bottom: Now, Korte posts pictures that reflect her interests. “Now I just post stuff I like or think is cool or funny,” Korte said.

4 News

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overing for too long over the share button. Overthinking each post.

Constantly checking for likes.

Deleting posts that don’t get enough likes.

Tess Korte, sophomore, struggled with the pressures of posting pictures for the public eye. The constant stress that Instagram caused Korte led her to make the ultimate decision to delete the app in April 2020. A weight was lifted from her shoulders.

Social media platforms have long been questioned for being harmful to mental health. In a recent 2021 report, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy addressed the affects: “Young people are bombarded with messages through the media and popular culture that erode their sense of self-worth— telling them they are not good looking enough, popular enough, smart enough, or rich enough,” Murthy said.

Instagram’s agenda has recently been called into question for damaging adolescents’ image of themselves.

A former Facebook product manager, France Haugen, told Congress in October that Facebook’s products (Instagram is owned by Meta, formerly Facebook), harm adolescents and the company has been hiding research that shows the app harms teens’ body image and mental health.

In response to criticism, Instagram released new features in 2021 targeting teen users, including the

option to turn off comments and likes for specific posts and reminders to take a break from the app.

Sophomore Hannah Patel, who has over 3,000 followers on Instagram, took advantage of these new features by turning off the like count for her most recent pictures.

“It’s good that they added that you can hide [likes] because I know a lot of people can compare and be like, ‘Oh no, she’s getting more likes than me,’” Patel said.

According to head of Instagram Adam Mosseri in a blog post announcing the changes, Instagram’s goal with the added features was to make users feel more comfortable in their own profile when posting.

“We know that as teens grow up, they want more control over how they show up both online and offline,” Mosseri said.

“So, for the first time, they will be able to bulk delete content they’ve posted like photos and videos, as well as their previous likes and comments. While available to everyone, I think this tool is particularly important for teens to more fully understand what information they’ve shared on Instagram, what is visible to others, and to have an easier way to manage their digital footprint.”

These changes are a result of pressure on the company from Congress to address teen mental health and safety on the app.

“I definitely think social media affects my mental health because I had to perfect it in order to post it, which is so much

extra work,” Patel said. “Why would I do that if I’m supposed to be [posting] for myself?

The pressure of everyone posting, that makes me want to post, too.”

The pressure of posting a picture, especially towards a large following, is intimidating and can lead to even more self-consciousness.

“I definitely do not know all of the people [who follow me],” Patel said. “It’s kind of weird to me that I don’t know all the people that see my pictures.”

Sophomore Nash Wagner, who’s just recently committed to Alabama University for baseball and has over 3,000 followers on Instagram, feels pressured when posting because of his large following.

“I have a lot of people watching me, so I have to be careful with everything I do,” Wagner said. “But I’ve learned to work with it.”

Korte first decided to remove followers from her account. She initially had around 300 followers but decided to remove almost half of them.

“I really just want my Instagram to be people I know and my friends,” Korte said.

“It just felt unnecessary to have people I don’t care about. The more people you have [following you] that you don’t care about or don’t know, the more stressed out you’re going to be. You’re going to feel like people are judging you. When it’s mostly my friends and family, I feel less judged.”

Korte eventually deleted the Instagram app because “it was getting to the point where it was less fun” and she was “more stressed out and attached to it,” Korte said.

This trend of completely deleting social media apps became more popular during the quarantine of 2020, which is when Korte decided to rethink and delete the app.

Not only are the expectations of posting perfect pictures especially stressful to teens, but the unconscious comparisons that are made on Instagram are equally troublesome.

“It’s probably not good for my mental health and everyone else’s because you’re constantly looking at what other people are doing and comparing yourself with other people,” Patel said.

For Korte, this comparison coincided with feelings of exclusion.

“I constantly felt like I was missing stuff,” Korte said. “Not being able to see [everything] really helped me because I was more focused on actually spending time with people and spending time with my family.”

In December, Instagram also announced new settings to allow the user to set up daily time limits and “Take a Break” notifications if the user is on the app for too long at one

time. Users can enable the notification to pop up after 10, 20, or 30 minutes on the app.

“To make sure that teens are aware of this feature, we’ll show them notifications suggesting they turn these reminders on,” Mosseri said. “We’re encouraged to see that teens are using Take A Break. Early test results show that once teens set the reminders, more than 90% of them keep them on.”

Utilizing the new features has freed some teens from added stress.

“Now I’m posting stuff that I like and spending less time worrying about something that didn’t get as many likes that I wanted,” Korte said.

Being able to turn off comments, in particular, helped Korte reduce time on the app.

“It feels unnecessarily stressful to respond to [comments] when it’s your friends,” Korte said. “And you know that they think those things anyway, and they’ll tell you that in real life. You don’t need to see it on social media.

It almost feels like it’s for other people more than for you. When I post now, I feel less stressed about what people are going to say.

And I don’t feel like I’m going to have to spend forever coming up with new replies to each comment that’s exactly the same.”

According to Mosseri, these features aim to give users more control over their experience as well as create a safer space for teens.

Enabling these new settings might help teens struggling with their relationship with Instagram. But for those for whom social media apps continue to cause stress or a negative self image, Wagner has a reminder.

“Don’t get caught up in Instagram all that much,” Wagner said. “It doesn’t really mean anything in the grand scheme of things.”

“Instagram gives an often false reality of someone’s image and their life. It leads to comparison to others and not feeling good enough. It plays on our natural, hardwired desire for acceptance and belonging, which is especially strong as a teen.”

- BONNIE ENGLAND, school social worker

Questions to help guide your technology use: (from “Protecting Youth Mental Health” U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory)

- How much time are you spending online?

photos submitted by Korte graphic by Brooklyn Brown

- What content are you consuming, and how does it make you feel?

- Are you online because you want to be, or because you feel like you have to be?

News 5

Quarantine Part 2022

ZCS updates contact-tracing and quarantine guidelines for staff and students

By Josie Brackett, Staff and Arianna Gimona, Staff

O

n the first Friday of the guidelines are made for the safesemester, Jan. 3, there ty of the students and faculty at were 96 students off ZCHS, Principal Tim East said. campus due to COVID-19 quar​​“We want to keep everybody antines. Two weeks later, on Jan. safe first and foremost,” East 21, the number had lowered to 84 said. “That has always been a current quarantines. part of what we do.”

Sophomore Macey Frann Staff absences and sub shorttested positive for COVID during ages have also caused changes.

Winter break. Unluckily, the Teachers are now able to be quarantine caused Frann to miss compensated if they sub for some of the first days of school. another classroom during their “I have just started new classes prep period. and I already have Fs in some “When COVID started, that of my classes because I was in put an bed exhausted and couldn’t turn addithings in,” Frann said. tional Sophomore Allie O’Donnell (left) and sophomore Audrey Kouns (right) eat lunch In the wake of rising COVID task on with friends. Many contact tracings have come from interactions in maskless cases, Zionsville Community everyone settings, like lunch. photo by Sarah Maniscalo Schools revised quarantining and in the eligible, or has had COVID in the last 90 contract tracing protocols. builddays and does not present symptoms, they ​​According to Assistant Principal Kristen ing,” Alderman Alderman, if someone tests positive, admin- do not have to quarantine. If the person is said. “A lot has not fully vaccinated, then they must quaran- changed and our istrators look at the date when symptoms tine for five days regardless of if they show first started or the date that the person day-to-day life is a symptoms or not. tested positive and then add five days to little bit different.”

Farah B. Salah, junior, was quarantined determine the return date. ​​According to in the second week of the semester. Al​​The contact tracing guidelines were also East, with so cases though she did not have COVID, she was revised. When a student tests positive, the to report, events contact-traced. staff uses the student’s schedule to figure like classroom Salah ate lunch with someone who tested observations get out their close contacts: who they sat next to positive several days later. That person gave in classes, at lunch, who they were in clubs postponed or with, sports teams, who they sat near on the Salah’s name to the administration and canceled because then the administration called Salah and bus. The administrators then notify all of administrators are explained to her the different options: be those students to let them know that they so busy. quarantined or get a COVID test. Salah was are considered contact traced, Alderman As students and staff adapt to the new able to return to school after her quarantine changes, East looks towards the future with said. and is glad of the precautions that were When people are masked, the contact hope. taken, she said. tracing distance is three feet. When people “I’m hopeful that we’ll start to see that “I think that it’s a good way to prevent are unmasked, like at lunch, band class, or downturn by the end of January, and with the spread of the virus,” Salah said. sports, the contact tracing distance is six the February break week and some other ​​These changes came from the newly feet, Alderman said. things built into this year, that the spring updated recommendations of the Indiana ​​If the person who is contact-traced is will be much better than it is right now,” Health Department. The changes to the fully vaccinated, including the booster if East said.

“We want to keep everybody safe first and foremost.

That has always been a part of what we do.”

- Tim East, Principal

6 News

l a n o Seas Pressure

By Sophia Poehlein, Guest Writer ebron James was exceptional in both basketball and football before he was forced to choose one. Bo Jackson, a professional athlete, played NFL football and MLB baseball for a year before he suffered a career ending injury.

Sophomore Mia Schmidt, plays two sports at the same time, club lacrosse and school soccer in the fall; she also plays school lacrosse in the spring.

“I get injured pretty often just because I’m in so many different things and I use so many different parts of my body,” Schmidt said. “But it’s super fun and I love being around such encouraging people. My mom has always influenced me to stay in as many things as I want to.”

Multi-sport athletes are often compared to single sport athletes; the argument being that playing multiple sports is more beneficial for an athlete than playing a single sport year round.

According to ZCS athletic trainer Gavin Page, it all depends on how one defines “multi-sport.” An athlete who plays a different sport each season, known as a multi-season athlete, might have fewer injuries.

“If you’re doing two or three sports all in the same season at once, you probably will have more injuries,” Page said. “Or if you only train the same one sport all year round, you might have more injuries.”

Senior Cho Dull plays football and rugby. Because his sports are in different seasons in the year, he is a multi-season athlete.

Dull plays football in the fall and rugby in the spring, allowing him to “do a lot of recovering at home” to get ready for the next season.

An athlete who takes time between sports to rest and work different muscles reduces the chances of strain and injury.

“We’ve seen associations where people who tend to do only one sport also tend to train more hours,” Page said.

According to a study by Bradford Strand, professor of health, nutrition, and exercise sciences at North Dakota University, “training more hours in the week with the same movements is not beneficial for the body,

L

and the risk is even worse now that the younger kids are being exposed to harder trainings in their specialized sports.”

“Today, athletes often go from organized play to individual training sessions, to travel leagues, to school play, and back to some league play,” Strand adds. “This repetitive amount of stress on the psychological and physical aspects of athletics has caused many cases of burnout and injury.”

The general recommendation for young athletes is that they spend less time putting stress on their body, and more time having fun in their sport. Limiting your sports when you’re a kid is good, but as you get older, at the college level, specialization is the path that is typically better for the individual.

“For youth and high school age, diversifying the sports you do is the better choice,” Page said.

While some single sport athletes play another sport when their main sport has a break, others, like freshman soccer player Chloe Himmell, are satisfied with their choice to limit activity.

“I’d probably consider playing softball or volleyball again, just because it was fun,” Himmell said. “But I love soccer, so I’m happy with my decision to just do that.”

Athletes, no matter if they are single-sport, multi-sport, or multi-season, have a limited amount of free time for academics and their personal life. This can also be stressful.

“I need to have school come first and really focus on that and my grades,” Schmidt said. “But I think I’ve really started putting sports over my soul, which is not what I should be doing. But I only really have time for sports.”

Dull said between sports and academics he has almost no free time.

“During study hall, I get a lot of my homework done,” Dull said. “After football practice, I can go home, eat, shower, and just rest.”

While most want to say that one type of

athlete is better than the other, it is unique to each sport and individual.

“The only times single-sport is as beneficial as multi-sport, are those artistic, more performance type sports. And that’s just because of the nature of those sports,” Page said.

Over-training in physical activity is what injures most athletes, no matter how many sports they play.

“I think where some people may get confused or are misunderstanding the guidance is that multi-sport is best,” Page said. “They are still training during the other seasons as offseason training. It’s too much, so over-training is a problem regardless of if you’re one sport or multi-sport.”

Cho Dull, a multi-season athlete, poses with his rugby ball and in his football jersey. photo by Sarah Maniscalo

Sports 7

Signed, Sealed, Delivered Reporting by Daysun Brown, Staff

A Q&A with seniors who are continuing their athletic careers in college

Evan Poland, golf What school are you going to?

Abbey Iler, soccer What school are you committed to?

I’m going to Indiana University for Women’s Soccer.

How did you know IU was where you wanted to go?

I’ve wanted to go to IU since I was 8. I went to their ID camps and overnight camps when I was little. I’ve always loved that school and through the recruiting process I’ve always had them in my head. In my last showcase, they asked me if I would want to take a tour and I was like, “yes, absolutely.” It was like a dream.

How does it feel to already be committed?

It was a huge relief when people were going through their Common App because I was already allowed to have that done. It was a huge weight off my shoulders. I still had to fill out a Common App but I didn’t have to do the required essays because I had already gotten into the women’s program.

Has Senioritis kicked in?

There is a little bit but I can’t fall back because I would lose scholarship money and my parents would be mad at me.

8 Sports

I am going to Indiana Wesleyan and I signed for golf.

How did you choose Indiana Wesleyan?

I was looking to go in-state and I was looking for a Christian university. We narrowed it down to three colleges Taylor, Indiana Wesleyan, and Grace College. Indiana Wesleyan was the top option.

How does it feel to already be committed?

It is a lot of pressure taken off of my back because I know a lot of my teammates are going through the commitment process. It’s good to just know where I am going for my future.

Has Senioritis kicked in?

There have been a few times where I don’t want to push myself anymore but I am getting academic scholarships too so I have to keep that up.

Any final thoughts on your signing?

I was one of the few people who did a signing so it was cool to have that. Having the actual signing was nice. The athletic director came, my coach came, a bunch of friends came and my teammates came. It was nice to have everyone who impacted me throughout high school be in one room for that signing.

Drew Dickson, baseball What school are you going to?

I’m going to Northwestern to play baseball.

How does it feel to be already committed?

It feels great to be committed. I don’t have to stress about applying to a load of different schools and I know where my coach wants me to be athletically when I step on campus in the summer. He and I have worked out a plan to help me get there.

Has signing changed the way you’ve looked at this year?

Honestly signing hasn’t really changed much of the way I am looking at this year. In my mind it was just confirming my commitment which is great but didn’t really affect the way I’m looking at things.

Has Senioritis kicked in?

Senioritis has definitely kicked in, especially now being committed for over a year. I’m super excited to get on campus this summer and it’s getting pretty hard to keep waiting.

McKenzie Schultz, lacrosse

What school are you going to?

I am going to Attend Ashland University to play Division II lacrosse.

How did you find Ashland University?

I didn’t necessarily find Ashland, more so they found me. Honestly, at first, I hated it. It was a rainy day and due to it being summer the campus just felt super empty and gloomy.

My mom then convinced me to visit again after school started and my view completely changed. I got to go to class with one of the lacrosse girls, I ate lunch in the dining hall, and got a tour of the campus from some of the players. I really feel like this is what my turning point was. They sent me an offer and a few days later I was verbally committed to Ashland University.

How does it feel to be already committed?

It feels great. I am super excited to continue what I love to do. To say I was a college athlete one day will be a huge accomplishment, something I’ve wanted since I started playing the sport.

How has signing changed the way you are looking at this year?

Signing has made every moment with my friends, family, and teammates bittersweet.

When so many of my friends, teammates, and family all showed up to my signing I felt so overwhelmed with love; it was a great feeling to know all these people supported me and were proud of where I’m headed. As far as the season goes for this spring, I am beyond excited to play with these girls again for one last ride and improve myself and my team. I can’t thank them and my coaches enough for making me the athlete, leader, and person I am today.

Brit Dalberg, rowing Isaiah Davis, basketball

What school are you committed to?

I will be attending Huntington University.

I’ll continue my athletic journey and pursue a degree in the Bible and Theology.

Seattle Pacific University for Rowing. I was looking for a smaller school and a Christianoriented school. It was a Division II school, so it is a nice balance between academics and athletics. They had me out for an official visit back in October and that was really cool. I got to see the team, the campus, the boathouse and explore Seattle a little bit.

How did you find Huntington University?

How does it feel to already be committed?

I had developed multiple offers from other schools and developed a relationship with the coaching staff throughout that process. I took a couple of visits and really fell in love with the school’s mission and the staff’s vision.

It feels really good; it was a long time coming.

I wanted to push it out until I visited more schools but I thought about it and took everything into consideration. It was the best place and the best program for me.

Where are you committed?

How does it feel to already be committed?

It is a huge relief to be committed so early in the year. Not many have that option and it is a very stressful decision but I am blessed to have that route.

Has Senioritis kicked in?

Senioritis is a real thing. But, I think I’ve shifted my perspective to be more thankful for being able to join my senior year in-person since many haven’t gotten that same opportunity in recent years. Signing has definitely made for a more relaxing senior year and I’ve been able to enjoy it by going to all the sporting events, dances, and school events.

How has it changed the way you are looking at the rest of your year?

It’s a big stress reliever. I know many students are still trying to figure out where they are going. It has made me more thankful for my friends and taking more time to spend with them and realizing that they are just as important as my academics.

Has Senioritis kicked in?

Maybe a little bit but I’m pushing through and am definitely trying to get through the semester. We’re gonna make it through!

photos submitted by featured students

Sports 9

the

Click

By Elizabeth Rexing, Print Editor

CLIQUE

MATTHEW ORBAUGH PHOTOGRAPHY

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ophomore Matthew Orbaugh started his “journey with photography” in May 2020.

“After being locked in my house, I was itching for something creative to do,” Orbaugh said. “So, I picked up my camera and started shooting.”

Orbaugh currently focuses his attention on senior portraits. Future graduates of 2023 make up his current group of senior ambassadors. The ambassadors applied and were selected by Orbaugh to be a part of the team. He plans on having 10 to 14 senior models each year, chosen from a variety of high schools in central Indiana.

As an ambassador, each model will get to participate in four or five themed shoots with all the reps as well as an individual senior portrait session, Orbaugh said.

One of his models this year is junior Amelia Loewer. After meeting through show choir and using Orbaugh for a surprise photoshoot for her best friend’s birthday, Loewer decided to apply to be on his team.

Loewer remembers her photoshoot with her best friend as being “super professional” but yet “super casual.”

“It was the best of both worlds,” Loewer said. “Matthew made the shoot fun and comfortable. Our smiles were so genuine.”

Loewer is excited but notes that modeling is “unlike anything” she’s ever done and a “little out of her comfort zone.”

“A lot of times when I’m taking pictures by myself, I am pretty self conscious,” Loewer said. “I’m an extremely extroverted person and I’m confident but there are times that I’m insecure.”

When Loewer did her first shoot with her friend, she said it was

10 Student Life

Loewer smiles for the camera in her best friend photo shoot with Orbaugh. photo submitted by Orbaugh

“nerve-wracking.” But, working with Orbaugh helped her to relax.

“He is such an uplifting photographer,” Loewer said. “Eventually, I didn’t even notice the camera. It was just me being myself and getting my personality caught on camera.”

Capturing more than a pretty picture is one of Orbaugh’s favorite parts of being a photographer.

“I love being able to work with new clients and capturing their true authentic self,” Orbaugh said. “Being able to connect with [the models] is so important to capture who they are.”

In the end, Orbaugh’s goal is to not only to “grow as a photographer” through this experience, he said, but to give his models something to remember.

“I want them to be able to look back on these images and know who they were as a senior and who they have become since their senior year,” Orbaugh said.

IMAGES BY AMBER

“W

hat really attracted me towards Amber’s company was her eye for photos,” senior Charlie Steiner said. “They aren’t just the typical senior photos; she is able to capture each individual person’s essence in their photos.”

As one of local photographer Amber Bryant’s senior reps, Steiner said he is responsible for promoting Bryant’s company.

“Senior photography is such a word of mouth business,” Steiner said.

Steiner will model in an individual senior portrait shoot along with several themed group shoots with other senior ambassadors, one being senior Carly Seward.

Seward said she was drawn to Bryant’s business after interacting with her at church and because she “does a great job of showcasing her work on Instagram.”

Group shoots are her favorite, Seward said. Seward especially loved rollerblading for their pastel shoot and the fall shoot.

“We made s’mores and had so much fun together,” Seward said.

Seward said by being an ambassador she has gained “confidence and new friends.”

“I don’t like taking pictures by myself because I often don’t know how to pose,” Seward said. “But Amber helps guide us. She really hypes you up and is always in awe of her models’ beauty.”

Steiner said during his first shoot that he “definitely” had some insecurities too, but Bryant is “one of the most genuine people to work with.”

“Modeling for Amber makes me feel really special,” Steiner said.

Seward has grown closer with the other models

Steiner poses for his senior portrait photo shoot. photo submitted by Steiner

and has developed a great relationship with her team, gaining “new friends” through the experience. Steiner is thankful for the opportunity to “gain a lot of confidence.”

“I’ve been able to really find a sense of style,” Steiner said.

GLASS PHOTO DESIGN AND FINE ART

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enior Molly Jefferson walked into the photography studio with her crocs on, and worked hard to convince her photographer, Melissa Glass, to let her wear them in a couple shots before putting on her nicer shoes.

“Glass was like, ‘you’re such a weirdo’ but she was laughing,” Jefferson said. “It was awesome that Jefferson (left) and MacLauchlan (right) pose at the New Year’s Eve shoot with she got to capture Glass. photo submitted by Glass my personality.” models with Glass. MacLauchlan prefers Jefferson decided to apply as one of the group shoots because she gets to Melissa Glass’s senior representatives interact with the other models. after having Glass as a teacher. Glass, a “The group ones are fun because ZCHS art teacher, also has a photograit’s just like hanging out with friends,” phy business: Glass Photo, Design and MacLauchlan said. “We always have lots Fine Arts. Glass takes pictures for famof laughs and a good time in general.” ilies, fine art, and branding, but seniors According to Jefferson, there are so are her “favorite” she said. many things to love about being a senior “I’ve worked with teens for over a ambassador. It’s not just about modeling; decade, so it makes perfect sense that this she is inspired by Glass. has become a niche for me,” Glass said.

“I love photography and seeing art,” According to Jefferson, as a rep, her Jefferson said. “I love being able to grow role is to help Glass “build her brand” as a photographer. I love being able to in exchange for a solo shoot and group catch moments; I think it’s so beautiful shoots throughout the year. So far, the and important.” team has done several themed shoots Glass takes as much from the experiincluding Halloween, New Year’s Eve, ence as her models, she said. all-denim and spring blossoms. Glass “There is always an awesome vibe and her team have a Galentines and among the group,” Glass said. “I’m really vintage-vibes shoot planned for this energized as an artist by the reaction to semester. Jefferson is looking forward to each idea and the shots we get.” the cap and gown pictures in the Spring.

As a photographer, creating shared “It’ll be so special to have pictures moments is what Glass lives for. throughout my senior year,” Jefferson “I love capturing a time that is memosaid. rable to people, and senior year is such a Jefferson is one of about 11 models unique time,” Glass said. “There is often from ZCHS. Through this experience, an emotional reaction to senior images.

Jefferson said she’s been able to meet a Parents are sentimental that their baby is lot of new people. all grown up and seniors, especially girls, “We aren’t necessarily all from the don’t realize just how beautiful they same social circles,” Jefferson said. “But I really are.” really love them all.”

Audrey MacLauchlan, senior, also

Student Life 11

Mr.

Z

Brody Chrisman

2022

“B

eing crowned as Mr. Z was absolutely amazing, but what I find even more important was the enjoyment that I got out of the process. The amount of time and effort that the other contestants and I, as well as the directors, Mrs. Whitaker, Mr. Spillman, and the stage crew put into the show are what made it so great. I truly enjoyed every minute of time that we spent working on the show, and I’m absolutely overjoyed that in the end I could represent Zionsville.

To say I was surprised about winning would be a complete understatement. This group of people is the most talented group of individuals that I’ve ever been a part of.

In my head I have no trouble visualizing each and every one of them having won the award.

The best part of the show had to have been getting to know everyone. Everyone in the group is incredibly genuine and kind and I’m so glad that I’ve been able to get to know them. It’s crazy to think that six months ago I hardly knew most of them, and now I consider them all really close friends. Mr. Zionsville gave me an opportunity to branch out and meet new people. Yes, it took a little bit of convincing for me to step out of my comfort zone, but at the end of the day I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”

- Brody Chrisman, senior

photo by Lily Robinson

12 Student Life

take The Skateboarders their skills outside GR of Zionsville IND

By Gretchen Drews, Opinion Editor

R

iding around town, curving around the corner of a street, sliding down rails, ollieing over curbs, doing kick flips in parking lots. Skateboarders take their skill from the streets of Zionsville to all over Indiana.

Ethan Ferzandi, senior, has been riding since he was a young boy.

“The first time I ever went to a skate park was when I was a little kid, and my dad took me,” Ferzandi said. “I stopped for a while, but then I started it again back in middle school around seventh grade with my friends.”

Ferzandi realized the more he skated, the more he wanted to go to different skate parks. While Zionsville’s skate park is nice, Ferzandi said as he progressed he wanted to look around for bigger and better places with unique structures such as ramps, bowls, half pipes and more.

“I travel around a lot with friends,” Ferzandi said. “I’ve been to Greenwood, Bloomington, Carmel, Downtown Indy, and Louisville.”

Another great thing about skateboarding for Leonard Clay, senior, is that his friends are always there to support him and push him to do better, especially when learning new tricks. “[People who are more skilled] can kind of intimidate you and sometimes they push you to do better,” Clay said. “But when you have people who are your skill level, you can also progress with them.”

Additionally, Jackson Wade, senior, said there is no need to feel afraid, specifically when heading to the skate park for the first time.

“We all have been beginners before,” Wade said. “We all know what it feels like to be the worst person at the skate park, but it’s not really that big of a deal. Nobody’s going to judge you as long as you’re trying to progress and get better.”

Before you can even begin learning how to ride, there is something very important you need to decide: what kind of board you will ride. Clay recommends buying a board cheap online for your first time, but emphasized that it shouldn’t be so cheap it’s unable to ride. It’s about finding a good balance between price and quality.

“Don’t get an expensive board first,” Clay said. “I started on a cheaper board.

Get a premade one and then when you find out you actually like skateboarding, then customize your own board. Customize it after you’re comfortable with riding a board so you don’t waste your money if you don’t like it.”

One other piece of advice to new skaters that Clay offers is to not get discouraged.

While initially it’s hard to begin skateboarding, like anything else, if you are willing to learn and improve, anything is possible.

“I’m still a beginner,” Clay said. “But once you start getting good or when you get your ollie down, it makes a lot of tricks much easier.”

The front and back of Leonard Clay’s skateboard shows off the cool design. photo by Gretchen Drews

Student Life 13

Sweet Gigs Bakeries, cafes, ice cream shops: these students have a “sweet” place to work!

By Elizabeth Rexing, Print Editor

Ice Cream Shops F

or Katelyn Schein, junior, nothing beats Fundae’s peanut butter-flavored ice cream but her “favorite” things, to make are the mini donuts and ice cream sundaes.

According to Schein, scooping ice cream isn’t always as easy as it seems.

“If I could change one thing about my job it would be that some of the ice creams could be easier to scoop because sometimes they are too frozen and super hard,” Schein said.

Like the many other dessert-shop employees, Schein said the free samples and discounts are a major advantage.

“Throughout the shift, as long as I’m not serving a customer, I can always sample the ice cream,” Schein said. “I like to sample because I like trying new flavors I haven’t tried before.”

Katelyn Schein prepares to scoop ice cream at Fundae’s. photo by Brooklyn Brown

14 Feature

e k a

B

s e ri

E

mily Chlystun, junior, is living out her childhood dream.

“I used to want to be a baker when I was little,” Chlystun said. “I always love to hear the bakers talk about the new recipes they are coming up with and to watch them bake whenever I go back into the kitchen.”

Now, she works at Confectioneiress, a local bakery that serves cupcakes, cake pops, cookie dough shooters, cream pies, homemade poptarts, macaroons, blondies, shortbread, and scones.

Chlystun has been at Confectioneiress for almost a year and serves sweets, works the cash register, cleans, washes dishes, and mans the espresso bar to make coffee, lattes, and cappuccinos.

Quinn Bowden, junior, works at Nothing Bundt Cakes as a cashier. The bakery serves bundtinis, which are mini-cupcake sized; bundlets that are comparable to regular

Cafes

“I

can’t cook to save my life but the chef is amazing,” Hannah Patrick, junior, says of her coworker at the Lemon Bar. Patrick works as a hostess and dishwasher at the brunch cafe in downtown Zionsville.

“It’s a great environment,” Patrick said.

“Everyone has a different personality but they all work together while being able to respect one another.”

While Patrick is not a fan of dishwashing since it can be “pretty gross,” she said she enjoys her job because everyone is her friend there. Plus, she “loves bringing cupcakes to her friends” at school.

“When I work in the back I get free food,” Patrick said. “And I get free cupcakes all the time.”

cupcakes; and bundt cakes in a variety of flavors including chocolate chocolate chip, red velvet, lemon, pecan praline, confetti, carrot, and more.

Bowden’s favorite part of his job are the customers that come in.

“We get a lot of interesting people,” Bowden said.

“Sometimes we get nothing but customers who come in that call us ‘Sugarbun’ and ‘Pumpkin,’ which is really funny.”

Bowden also recalls that the bakery sees a lot of unhappy kids.

Quinn Bowden stands at the cash register at Nothing Bundt Cakes.

“I remember one day, we had photo submitted by Bowden. a kid that came in and demanded whipped cream on her bundtlet,” Anytime business is slow and there is a new Bowden said. “We don’t have whipped cream and “weird” flavor to try, Chlystun said she and we tried explaining that but she got so loves trying it with her coworkers. worked up that accidentally slammed her face “My favorite unusual thing that I’ve tried against the glass case. It left a nose and chin at work is the blueberry waffle macaroon,” mark.”

Chlystun said. “At first I didn’t think it The major discounts and free samples are would taste good at all but once I tried it endworth dealing with upset customers, Bowden ed up becoming my favorite macaroon flavor. said.

It has a maple buttercream in the middle “We have this thing called the ‘graveyard’ with a blueberry puree and they go together which is where a dessert goes if the bakers surprisingly well.” drop a cake in its packaging and mess up the Bowden recommends working at Nothing shape of the cake or the frosting,” Bowden Bundt Cakes and described the position as a said. “Anything that shows up on the ‘gravegreat “starting job.” yard’ tray at the end of the day the employees “It’s good pay and good people,” Bowden can take home for themselves.” said. “And of course, there’s the cake; that’s a Chlystun also enjoys sampling the goods. big plus.”

For five months, Taylor Tylicki, sophomore, has worked at Homemade Ice Cream and Bakery Cafe. She helps make and serve cookies, cakes, and pies and lunch items like soups, salads, and sandwiches.

“My favorite thing to make are buckeyes,” Tylicki said. “The fresh peanut butter batter always smells delicious!”

Tylicki also takes advantage of the free samples available to her at the cafe.

“Occasionally, we’re offered older bakery items which we replace with freshly made ones,” Tylicki said. “This is one of the best parts about working here!

When we hit a slow period without customers, we often sample the ice cream. It can be such a rewarding treat after a big rush.”

graphics by Brooklyn Brown.

Feature 15

photo by Mary Demaro

By Mary Demarco, News and Sports Editor

A

fter a second place win in Worlds, the world-wide competition for all robotics teams, there’s no fear that the ZCHS robotics team will reach state with this new season of competition.

Each year, world-wide, there is a set task and goal for robotics teams. The task this year has students designing robots that are able to pick up mobile goals (items) and move them to a certain area.

Matt Walter, Robotics Club sponsor, explained that the object of the game is to move those mobile goals onto one side of the field. Earning points in the game is based on how many of the mobile goals each team gets on their side. They get even more points if those goals are on certain platforms as well as if the robot is balanced on the platform.

Although there are about eight different groups that participate in the same goal, one group specifically interviewed had five members: juniors Thomas Wallbank, Olivia Mulholland, Andrew Kachur, Mayank Patibandla and senior Jacob Walter.

Each team member has a specific task that when put together with the other members’ tasks gives way to a functional robot.

One quintessential role within the team is the coder. Without the coder, the robot wouldn’t be able to carry through with the task. For this particular group, Patibandla is the one for the job.

“I write the code and make sure whenever the driver inputs something into the

16 Feature

Task Masters

controller, that the robot does what it’s supposed to, and the right motor turns on,” Patibandla said. “I also make the autonomous routines for the skills.”

Many of the skills, like Patibandla’s, take years of experience to master.

“I’ve been coding for over a decade now,” Patibandla said. “So to do it on a robot, it’s not much different. I’ve had experience with [normal coding] but building [a robot] is a little more complex.”

Meanwhile, J. Walter builds the physical robot, giving life to the coding.

While many different prototype ideas are shared online and throughout the club, problems are bound to happen no matter the project.

“It’s through a lot of trial and error as well,” J. Walter said. “Last year, we had problems with the wheels tilting and not driving straight. But this year, we’ve more or less made sure that that won’t happen based on our previous experiences.”

With so much going on between just two of the team members, someone has to keep track of everything going on. That’s where Mulholland comes in.

“I’m what you would consider a documentation specialist,” Mulholland said. “I do the notebooks. I record everything, all the changes to the robot and what we need to improve.”

Without her documentation, there would be many loose strings attached to the project and ideas forgotten because no one

was there to keep things in order.

Finally, it all comes together with the person who actually controls the robot during the competition. That responsibility is left up to Kachur.

“I’m the one that actually drives and competes against other teams after the robot is done building,” Kachur said. “I drive and try to score as many points as possible.”

Without each person on the team, there would be a missing factor in the equation.

Finally, on the day of the competition, things become very different than what one would expect of any match for sports or robotics.

“When you go to compete, you get this list of matches, and you see all these groups that you’re randomly paired up with,” M. Walter said. “Then you have to go out and talk to them, and find out what they’re good at, what they’re ready to do, and what strategy you could create with that group for your upcoming match.”

In the end, all of the work leads up to the state competition, and for some, Worlds.

Unlike other randomized competitions, teams actually get to pick who they want to be paired up with.

“We really prepare for state,” J. Walter said. “We’re nowhere near being the best team in the state. But once we get our robot built, we’re up there.”

I’m Feeling

2022

By Mary DeMarco, Sports & News Editor

W

ith both the re-release of “Red”

by Taylor Swift and the new Adele album “30”, it feels more like 2012 than 2022. In the present day, both artists are here with nostalgic hits and completely new styles of music.

But what’s so special about these two albums? If you’ve scrolled through your For You Page on TikTok or even stepped into the main cafeteria during lunch at least one person has probably mentioned either of the artists in the past few months.

If you aren’t invested in either of the singers, it may be hard to discern what’s so special about the release of these two albums.

Many argue that Taylor Swift’s Red (Taylor’s Version), is just the same thing released again. Why re-record what you’ve already put out into the world?

“Surprisingly enough, most artists don’t own their own [music] yet,” junior Kaylynn Simpson said. “Taylor Swift is my queen.

I’ve been doing all my research and [Swift] announced her re-recordings, which basically just means that she owns her own music, so she has to re-record all her songs.”

But as we’ve seen from Taylor in the past, she doesn’t stop at the bare minimum. Many

recall her quarantine albums Folklore and Evermore.

While other artists were waiting out the pandemic; maybe learning new hobbies like baking and gardening, Taylor Swift took this time as an opportunity to release two impulsive yet well-received albums. So, when it came to her re-recordings, not only did she ensure that she could perform her songs without plagiarism, fans were right in assuming she would also be adding more than just her older songs.

One of the most anticipated factors of Taylor’s re-recordings are her vault songs.

“The vault tracks are songs that were never released, and fans have never heard them,” Simpson said. “Basically, it means she wrote it back in 2012, or whenever she was writing the Red album. And for example, these nine songs that she wrote for the album didn’t make it into the album itself, so she just kind of like stored them away.”

But on the other hand, we have Adele topping the charts with many of her new songs from the album “30”. Anyone who gets on TikTok has most likely heard ‘Easy On Me’ by the singer. It’s a no-brainer that this song would be at the top of the charts.

Yet even when scrolling through the top 100 songs on Spotify you can count at least five or six of Adele’s songs at the very top of the list.

Her album “30” is considered different from anything she’s ever done before.

“I feel like in her older albums, you can’t really relate to them as much, they kind of hide her emotions,” sophomore Khayley Tharp said. “But with her new album, she really goes into her personal life and her opinion on things. She’s expressing herself

better than what she did back then.”

The more people interviewed, the more this opinion seemed to be a constant with Adele fans.

“Her new album is a lot more mature and really goes in depth about her life more than her other three albums, ‘’ junior Anna Wright said. “It’s very personal and almost like you are listening to her talk about her life as if you’re a close friend.”

Especially for Adele fans, receiving an album like “30” after so many years without new Adele music is a big deal.

“I was crying and freaking out when it came out,” Simpson said. “Because it’s just been so long.”

Although any Adele fan would be excited for new music, it came as a shock to many how Adele switched up genres with her new music.

“Honestly it’s such a mix of different types and genres of music,” Wright said.

“One thing I can say is that Adele has always been a soul and R&B artist with a pop background. In this new album she also has some jazzy-type influence in it. She’s just an artist that can mix every type of genre and still make it sound good.”

Topping the charts for both women represents such a triumph to many fans over the hardships both women have faced.

“In the music industry, it’s a lot harder for women to be taken seriously,” Simpson said. “There tends to be more backlash for what we [women] love to do. So I think with [Swift and Adele] doing this, it kind of just proves women can do anything.” graphics by Brooklyn Brown

Opinion 17

Caged Creatures

graphic by Brooklyn Brown, Art Director

By Kailey Wallenius, Feature Editor

W

hen I was younger, I loved going to the zoo. I always thought that zoos were an amazing opportunity for humans to be able to see exotic animals we otherwise would never see. The elephants were my favorite.

What I never considered, are the animals. They are being taken from their homes, and their families, and locked away into a small cage to be gawked at all day. How is this in any way fair to them?

Zoos are horrible inventions, designed for human entertainment at the cost of animal freedom.

Zoos take healthy animals, and bring them to a biome that they were not meant to live in. This change can cause a lot of animals to become sick or depressed, and potentially harm each other according to animalequality.org I don’t understand why Sanctuaries are zoos are still a open for visitathing, so I did tions, and you some research on how much can go and see money zoos the animals that generate every year, specificalyou would see ly the Indiain a zoo, but in napolis Zoo. On average, the a setting where Indy Zoo earns you know they $49.6 Million annually, the are there out of Indianapolis necessity.

Zoo website said.

According to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, there are 900 endangered species currently residing in zoos and aquariums.

Some zoos also kill animals when they grow out of their cute baby phase. PETA

18 Opinion

said, “Babies are great crowd-pleasers, but when the babies grow up, they don’t attract the same number of people. The unwanted adult animals are sometimes sold to ‘game’ farms where hunters pay to kill them. Some are killed for their meat and/ or hides. Other ‘surplus’ animals may be sold to smaller, more poorly run zoos or, worse, to laboratories for experiments.”

While some zoos do partake in animal cruelty, there are other organizations for animals that are much healthier for them. Wildlife parks are sanctuaries that are for injured animals that would not have survived on their own in the wild. Sanctuaries aim to protect and nurture animals and do not exploit the animals for human entertainment. These parks only care for the animals’ health and safety, making it their first and only concern.

The main similarity between zoos and sanctuaries is their visitations. Sanctuaries are open for visitations, and you can go and see the animals that you would see in a zoo, but in a setting where you know they are there out of necessity. Your money would also be going to a much better cause if you visited a sanctuary over a zoo.

Animals are treated much better at these parks than at zoos, and they are only there because they were hurt or sick.

According to the BBC, “It’s possible (and used to be common) for zoos to keep animals in perfect physical shape, but in conditions that cause the animals to display serious behavioral problems.”

Sanctuaries also keep animals in one place once they are living in the sanctuary. Staying in a familiar place can help with recovery.

Breeding doesn’t happen in sanctuaries either, which can be unhealthy for the animals and shrinks the living space of the animals.

Zoos are not entirely negative, and can help support the economy and tourism. The Indianapolis Zoo alone was able to provide 6,112 jobs, according to Indianapoliszoo.com

Zoos also allow us to see animals that we would never be able to see normally, and provide field trips for schools so students can learn more about the animals.

Zoos can help with scientific research.

Scientists that wish to study animal behavior of animals that naturally live further away, are given the opportunity to study them up close in a safer environment.

Now hold your horses! While this could be a viable argument, scientists could also visit the animals in their homes, which would probably make the data they are studying more accurate.

I hope that everyone will start visiting sanctuaries instead of the zoo, but of course it can be hard to teach an old dog new tricks.

Sanctuaries aren’t perfect, and they do still keep animals in pens. Those animals are still out of their natural habitats, and can face the struggles that animals face in zoos. But I think that the main difference is with the animals, and the reason they are staying at either the sanctuary or the zoo.

We should only use sanctuaries as “entertainment,” and the only animals that are there are the ones who were sick or injured and need to be given human care in order to survive.

The closest sanctuary to us is the Oinking Acres Farm in Brownsburg. They hold farm animals that are adoptable and unadaptable, from pigs to ducks.

I know some of you are thinking: “Why can’t we just let sleeping dogs lie? Keep zoos how they normally are, don’t try to change everything up.” But, visiting and investing in sanctuaries could really help a lot of animals.

If we start going to sanctuaries rather than zoos, then money will be spent in better ways and we can go home and be happy that it was ethically spent.

New Year, Nothing New Are New Year’s resolutions actually effective?

By Brooklyn Brown, Art Director

T

he first month of the year has already come and gone, and those goals you set for yourself at the beginning of the month might be starting to feel even more out of reach. You might have started the year off right; maybe you made yourself a bitter tasting green smoothie, posted a filtered 2021 recap on your socials, and ended the day by following a workout video on YouTube. But I’m guessing it didn’t take long to realize however, that a day of sudden changes did not leave you feeling very ‘New Year, New You’. It can seem impossible to hold yourself accountable for your own resolutions, and the inevitable letdown can leave you with more guilt and disappointment than before you even decided you wanted to improve yourself.

The truth is, the first day of January does not come with a reset button.

Trying too hard to change overnight can lead to guilt when you ultimately are unable to reinvent yourself. It’s no fault of your own; a study from the University of Scranton shows that only 8% of people who have made a New Year’s resolution were able to meet their goal.

The notion that New Year’s goals are something of a mandatory custom has become ingrained in everyone. This mindset is completely counterproductive when it comes to actually achieving your

resolutions.

A smarter way to change for the better is to broaden the range of time you give yourself to do so. According to the American Psychological Association, healthy behaviors develop best over a period of time.

According to bbc.com, allowing yourself enough time might even mean working towards your goals before Jan 1. It can be much healthier to begin the steps towards improvement on a random Tuesday rather than New Year’s Day. The act of procrastinating until the first day of the new year can actually build up a level of anxiety to the extent that people struggle to actually act on the thing they’d been intending to.

In an interview with the American Psychological Association, Psychologist Lynn Bufka, PhD. said, “Setting small, attainable goals throughout the year, instead of a singular overwhelming goal on Jan. 1., can help you reach whatever it is you strive for.”

So, maybe your New Year’s Resolution this year should be to have no New

Year’s Resolutions at all. Just because you might not have met your New Year goal on Jan. 1, doesn’t mean you have to wait all the way until next year to get back on track. You don’t have to even start today, find freedom in the fact that you can make a change in your life at any time. One step at a time, work towards a better you!

Taken from a Google survey of 53 students. graphic by Brooklyn Brown

Opinion 19

Harb Highlights Left: Sophomore Shivam Dave prepares to answer at the Quiz Bowl Team’s home White River Academic League tournament on Jan. 15. The team placed thrd out of 16 teams. photo by Daysun Brown Bottom: Charlie Krone, senior, yells to hype up his teammates at the home meet on Dec. 21 vs.

Center Grove. “This was a great finish to a great meet,” Krone said. photo by Sarah Maniscalo

Logan Imes, junior, dribbles the basketball around an opponent during the Varsity game against Carmel. The Eagles won, 45-42. photo by Maddie Patrick

JV and Varsity games vs Center Grove When: 6 p.m.

Where: Varsity Gym

11

Girls Swim

home performances When: 7:30 p.m.

Where: PAC

State finals When: 6 p.m.

Where: IUPUI *continues on Feb. 12 at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Feb.

10

Show Choirs’

Feb.

08

Boys Basketball

performed, written, & directed by students When: 7 p.m.

Where: PAC

Feb.

03

One Acts Plays

Feb.

Feb.

Feb.

What’s What’s next? next?

Check the schedule below to find dates, times, and locations for upcoming ZCHS events Subject to change

22

Boys Volleyball

25

Boys Swim

Varsity and JV games When: 6:30 p.m.

Where: Field House

State finals When: 6 p.m.

Where: IUPUI *continues on Feb. 26 at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.