Harbinger March 2023

ALSO INSIDE

“A Conference “Stepping Up with Pence” to the Plate”

“Can You Trust the Process?”

Vol. 56, Issue 5 March 2023

HARBINGER Pg. 4

Pg. 9

Pg. 18

College Commits: Where MARCH MADNESS Begins pg.10

Note from The Editor

According to Mayo Clinic, a nationally recognized medical research center, seasonal depression is often influenced by limited exposure to sunlight in the fall and winter. Afterall, it’s hard to feel happy when your surroundings are consistently gray and cold.

So, now that spring is here you may find yourself hearing more about ways to improve your mental health(the seasons do truly affect how we view our lives!).

But what frustrates me is that most of the suggestions on ways to improve your mental health make it seem as if you need to change your entire life. The message seems to be "Now that spring is here, get out of bed and make your life perfect!"

This is projecting the idea that in order to be healthy and happy you need to have a perfect life, one where you get up at 5 a.m. to run or one where you eliminate junk food from your diet.

If running is your forte, go for it! But if your way to decompress is listening to music by yourself, don’t feel bad that you didn’t run a mile.

This issue, we have a variety of stories that encapsulate this message. On pg. 7 we cover a proposed mental health bill in Indiana. The bill, if passed, creates more ways to find support during a mental health crisis. We also spotlight two groups of students who we see working hard at something that makes them happy, basketball players (pg. 10) and Zionsville Show Choir members (pg. 12). On a lighter note, on pg. 14 fun ‘staycation’ spots are highlighted so that students don’t fall into a spring break slump if they aren't able to travel.

So again, don’t feel pressure to live a picturesque life, but do find something that makes you happy each day. With less pressure to be perfect weighing you down, at least in my opinion, life gets a little bit easier. And that’s the best way to improve your mental health.

Mary DeMarco, Editor in Chief

Staff

Editor in Chief Mary DeMarco Assistant Editor Madeline Wilson Copy Editor Adanna Mbanu Art & Graphics Editor Brooklyn Brown Social Media Editor Amelia Loewer Design Editor Josie Brackett

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Staff: Lauren Burch Emma Hummer Amelia Meyers Georgianna Moreland Matthew Orbaugh Greta Reed Lilly Steele Ellie Vanderbur Marissa Villarrubia

Follow us @zchsharb

Editorial Safety First This school year, we’ve seen many changes, one of which being the new, stricter door policies. In previous years, ZCHS staff were more lenient on who could and couldn’t enter through the different doors.

Now, door one is the only option if you’re trying to get into school past 8:30. In fact, detention can be given to those who ignore this new policy.

And yes, this can be oh-so-inconvenient for students. But these regulations weren’t put in place just to annoy us.

School safety is a serious issue nationwide. As of March 13, there have been more mass shootings in America (115 according to ABC news) than days in 2023 (72 days).

It makes sense why school officials have these precautions in place. ALICE drills only get us so far.

We are taught these drills to prepare us for the terrifying possibility that we could have an active shooter at ZCHS. But in order to prevent us from ever being in that situation, there are steps that school staff and even students can take.

That very first step is to know who exactly is entering the building, which is why the administration has been so strict on the doors this year.

If the doors are unlocked, allowing any random person to walk in, our safety is at major risk already.

It may seem like no big deal to allow one random person into the building. But there’s always a chance that they could be dangerous. You never know what anyone's true intentions are.

So notify any staff member if you see something suspicious. Think about what would happen if you didn’t notify anyone and that suspicious person ended up being a threat to the safety of your peers. Better safe than sorry.

The mission of the Harbinger is to provide timely, relevant, and interesting content, while handling topics with respect and objectively. Harbinger aims to reflect the diverse nature of the student body of ZCHS by including those of all walks of life in the publication. The Harbinger serves as a public forum and invites letters to the editor and communication from others. The Harbinger is student-run and opinions in the magazine do not necessarily represent those of ZCHS or Zionsville Community Schools.

Contents 8

12

10

14

13

Feature

18

12

Hitting the Notes at Nationals

20 Social Safety

13

Finding Their Buddy System

14

Staycation Must-Dos

News 4 6 7

A Conference With Pence Secure in the School Rallying for Mental Health

Sports 8 9

Step up to the Plate Goind the Extra Mile

10 Where March

16 17

Can You Trust the Process?

Opinion 21

Appropriation vs Appreciation

22 Crazy for Caffeine Student Life 23 Student Survey SAT Scare

ChatGPT: Cheating or Change?

24

Harb Highlights

Cover: Logan Imes plays against Lebanon High School. Imes is committed to play NCAA basketball at Penn State. Photo by Mathew Orbaugh

Madness Begins 3

A Conference with Pence Photo by Maddie Patrick

Members of Young Republicans meet with former Vice President Mike Pence, asking about his policies, beliefs and future plans

By Mary Demarco, Editor in Chief

W

hat started as an introduction at a book signing ended with 25 members of the Young Republicans club experiencing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, the chance to have an in-depth talk with former Vice President Mike Pence.

President of the Young Republicans, senior Paul Wheeler, met Pence last November while Pence was promoting his new book “So Help Me God” at the Indiana Historical Society.

“I told him about the club and he was very happy to hear about that,” Wheeler said. “I got his contact for his aide and then through that I was able to work through the schedule and everything else involving the visit in the last couple of months.”

Between last November through the day of the meeting, Paul recalled sending and receiving about “100 emails” collectively between himself, ZCHS administration, and Pence’s team.

Wheeler said Pence is a political figure he has “always looked up to.” Wheeler said it is important for people to meet representatives and politicians, who “are often seen as living off in the far-away land in D.C.”

4 News

“It’s important for us to meet the people that represent us and learn how the government functions,” Wheeler said. “Mr. Pence said, ‘There are always people eager to help

you, you just need to make the first move.’

My personal experience reaching out to Mr. Pence and getting him to come to our club encapsulates this quote perfectly.”

Senior Paul Wheeler introduces former Vice President Mike Pence at the beginning of the meeting on March 14. Pence spent the next hour discussing his views and policies with the members of the Young Republicans.

Photo by Maddie Patrick

Pence speaks with members of the Young Republicans following his meeting with the club members. Photo by Maddie Patrick

Principal Tim East said Wheeler “deserves all the credit” for organizing the meeting after “several months of persistence.” East was involved in the final stages of planning and said that the meeting was kept small, limited to Young Republican club members only, so Pence’s security team could stay informed on who would attend the meeting.

Leading up to Pence’s arrival at the March 14 meeting, 25 Young Republicans club members gathered in the ZCS board room after school. The club members, all male, were dressed in collared shirts, suits and ties and some bounced their legs in nervous anticipation.

Accompanied by East and Zionsville police, Pence entered, greeting each individual before opening with a short speech.

After Pence’s speech, he invited the students circle their chairs around him at the front of the room for a question-and-answer session.

Pence then looked to Wheeler -- calling him “Mr. President” -- to ask the first question of the meeting; whether or not Pence was concerned about the decline of the “fourth part in society,” family.

“Strong families make strong communi-

ties,” Pence replied. “Strong communities, make strong states, strong states, make strong nations. It really does come down to the family. I think we can do a better job [at] making it more possible for more people to come together as families,” Pence said.

Club members also questioned Pence about the national debt, global policy, Ukraine, the banking system, and more.

Pence was also asked his advice for aspiring politicians.

“I think the American people long for leadership that shows more civility than we’ve seen in politics in recent years, on both sides,” Pence said. “I think there’s a hunger for strong, principled leadership that is respectful.”

Throughout the meeting, Pence emphasized his appreciation for younger generations in politics as well as his “Christian faith.”

“Early in my career I allowed my political ambition to get ahead of living out my Christian faith,” Pence said. “I got into hard-punching campaigns, personal attacks, and when it came back around ten years later, my wife and I prayed on it and decided, we’re just going to run campaigns that are about what we’re for. We’re going to fight for the is-

sues we care about, fight hard, but we’re going to leave all the personal attacks out.”

Junior Morgan Davis was one of the club members in attendance.

“It was a pretty cool experience to get a one-on-one opportunity with someone who is so important to the country and played such a vital role,” Davis said.

Although some in the ZCHS community may not agree with Pence’s political beliefs, East said the meeting was an “educational opportunity,” for those in the club.

“We’ve seen this hit the national press, more on college campuses. They’ve had a speaker that some students disagree with,” East said. “ There’s an obligation of every organization to say, [is] this person’s belief system so far from our core beliefs, that they would not further our mission.”

According to East, as long as a speaker’s message does not stray from Zionsville’s “core beliefs,” inclusion of every ethnicity, gender, and religion, the students will be supported to meet with speakers.

News 5

Securein the School School safety top of mind for school officials, police

By Brooklyn Brown, Arts and Graphics and Mary DeMarco, Editor in Chief icture this: it’s one of those days when “We work in two different avenues: getting out of bed feels impossible. response and prevention,” Chad Smith, You’re late to school and hope to Zionsville’s district school safety specialist, quickly sneak in through the wedge doors. said.

You waste time going from one locked door According to Principal Tim East preto another. Do you call a friend to let you vention starts with “being attentive” to the in or admit defeat and make the walk of student body and their mental and physical shame to door one and accept your tardy? health needs. East said counselors and Although students may have been able to school social workers are hired to “provide enter and exit through many different doors immediate support” for students who in previous years, this year, ZCHS adminis“may be having some mental or emotional trators have enacted stricter door policies. struggles.”

This change might be to the dismay of Alongside this, Smith said other prevenstudents running late or trying to sneak out tative layers are put in place to protect the for lunch, but the decision was made for the school, such as the tip line where anyone good and safety of everyone in the buildwho sees or knows something can report it. ing, according to Jared Williams, assistant “The part they don’t know is that we principal and state-certified school safety take every one of those [reports] and we do specialist. something,” Smith said.

“I know kids get irritated with me someAdministrators have planned out a times if I’m addressing [opened doors],” course of action in case what East describes Williams said. “It really has nothing to do as the “unthinkable” occurs. Students are with me not wanting you to get DoorDash very familiar with the ALICE drills. Accordhere or me not wanting you to have a shorting to alicetraining.com, the official ALICE er walk, it really does come down to the drill information site, the acronym is best safety and security of the building.” defined as: alert, lockdown, inform, counter, Ever since the shooting at Columbine evacuate. almost 25 years ago, the safety of both stuZionsville students and students across dents and staff has been on administrators’ the country have been practicing ALICE minds. Students are familiar with the names training since elementary school. What of different schools affected by active shoot- students don’t witness is the intensive beer events; Sandy Hook, Parkland, Ulvade, hind-the-scenes training of school resource and, most recently, Michigan State. officers (SRO). Lieutenant Adrian Martin is The reality is that the possibility of a currently the ZCHS SRO. school shooting is ever-present, and that’s “[SROs] really are trained different as why the administration is constantly workpolice responders and police officers than ing to improve safety protocols. Keeping your average policemen,” Martin said. ”The doors locked is just one small part of this. men and women that do the job at the SRO

P

6 News

are actually trained at a higher level because they are at a community-based policing and that’s really complicated.”

Sometimes training goes as far as hiring actual actors to role-play an active-shooting scene and give officers real-time experience.

Smith said Indiana is an “exemplar” as far as school safety training. He said that now the schools that he oversees are prepared to respond immediately, in contrast to Columbine where there was not a quick response.

By continuing conversation about events like this, East said preventative measures can be “applied in a way to prevent it from happening on another campus.”

“As close to home as it ever got was Noblesville,” East said. “There are students who were in the school when that occurred in the middle school. They graduate this year,” East said.

Students can best help by checking in on their peers. East said students should reach out to trusted adults and counselors if anyone they know is struggling with thoughts that could mean harm to themselves or others. This line of communication “allows all of that training that’s happening behind the scenes to assess that threat and determine what supports are necessary,” East said.

Finally, Smith urges students to simply not let others into the building.

“I always look at the school as our home,” Smith said. “We want to know who is in our school, just like our home. We want our doors to be locked, just like it is in our home.”

Rallying for Mental

New bill for behavioral health receives support from Hoosiers

By Marissa Villarrubia, Staff

T

he annual cost of untreated mental illness in Indiana is estimated to be $4.2 billion, according to the Indiana Behavioral Health Com-

mission.

A new bill called “Behavioral Health Matters” has three main goals; give people someone to contact, someone to respond, and a safe place for help. The bill, SB 1, will be voted on by April 27, which is the end of the legislative session. This bill will reform Indiana’s behavioral health system and provide people with trained, licensed professionals in their time of need.

The first goal of the commission is to give people someone to contact, a new 988 number is part of this goal. The number is meant to provide people in crisis with trained professionals to talk to and help create a comprehensive crisis response system.

Jodie Moser was at a rally for the bill on Feb. 11 to talk about her brother Adam, who struggled with mental illness, and how to fund 988.

“There are multiple possible funding streams for this. One of them is to fund crisis response like we fund 911 with a $1 a month user fee on phones that is just three cents a day,” Moser said. “Three cents a day so that my brother could have gotten the help he needed” The last goal of SB one is to give people in crisis a safe place for help such as a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic (CCBHC). These places will exist instead of using jail or prison as a way to detain people in need of mental health care.

“These programs have consistently been shown to not just save money, but dramatically improve outcomes.” Moser said.

SB 1 only will essentially rebuild the entire crisis response model, which isn’t something that can be done overnight nor is it cheap.

“The clinician estimates the total cost to sustain those three things is $130.6 million a year,” Moser said. “That’s a lot of money, it’s 130 million. But when you consider untreated mental illness costs Indiana 4.2 billion, 130 million isn’t so much.”

Many people have been affected by the lack of funding for people in a mental health crisis. One of those people is disabled veteran Rick Moscrip, a Purple Heart recipient, who was also at the Feb. 11 rally. Moscrip described having thoughts of suicide one night, calling Veteran Affairs for help who then dispatched police to Moscrip’s home.

“My little ones, James was 13 years old, Joe was 10 and Alyssa was 4, watched as their daddy was walked out in handcuffs and taken from them,” Moscrip said. “ Just another crazy combat veteran, feeling stereotyped and ashamed along with the confusion of fear that my children experience added another layer of trauma to an already traumatized person.”

Bianaca Harris, licensed mental health therapist, highlights what kind of people are affected by SB 1.

“This is not a race issue. This is not a gender issue. This is not a faith issue. This is a mental health issue. If you are human, this is an issue for you,” Harris said.

The bill was initially authored at the beginning of 2023 but the issue it’s supporting has been around for years.

“Far too many Hoosiers find their destination to be a prison cell or pine box,” Moscrip said.

Despite this not being an easy process many people are committed to the cause

and even plan on going to the legislative session which lasts from Jan. 9 until April 27 to advocate for Hoosiers across Indiana to get the help they deserve.

“We didn’t do this by ourselves,” Harris said. “This is a whole conglomeration of work, time, and investment across the state of Indiana.”

If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, call or text the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988.

News 7

Step

UP

to the Plate

By Lilly Steele, Staff

E

xcitement is in the air as softball games are officially starting. New jerseys are being worn in, and the field is raked and ready for use.

With the season just starting, coaches and players are setting their goals for the season.

Sophomore Emma Vargo has played softball for 10 years, starting from Zionsville recreational leagues and advancing from there.

“I think my team’s main goal is probably to construct a tighter offense at the plate,” Vargo said.

Senior Ella Hardin started playing softball in Zionsville’s Little League 10 years ago as well. She now plays as a pitcher and first baseman for the varsity team.

Hardin said she’s ready for the team to go out and win the sectional title this season.

Softball coach Mike Garrett has coached for 15 years, five at ZCHS. Garret said his goals for the season are to continue to develop coaches and players, as well as bring out the best in each person and develop them

in their roles to help build on the team’s abilities and connections. “[Last season] we had some nice wins over Carmel, Franklin Central and others and had several games we just didn’t finish. We intend on doing a better job closing out games,” Garrett said.

Starting off the season, players are thinking about their performance and team dynamics on the field.

“Every single girl offers something super unique and special design to softball, and my teammates Bridget Beyer, senior, takes her turn batting during tryouts on March 8 are such hard workers,” Vargo said. after school on the softball fields. Photo by Lilly Steele Garrett said he is excited to see the seniors that have been committed to each other and the program showthis preseason especially; it’s preparing us so case their skills and personalities. great by breaking down all these fundamen“This is a player-led team that will win tals,” Vargo said. “[We] dominated a lot in a lot of games this spring, not panic when our conference, and so I think this year [we things get tight because this group has been are] just leaving off where we were last year there before,” Garrett said. and advancing from where we were.”

Zionsville has a tough conference full of Vargo said she is excited to finish out her competitive and strong teams, last year the softball career with the other seniors and varsity team was 11-13 and 1-6 in the confer- to make more memories with people she’s ence. This year, players are ready played with for years. to fight for titles and wins.

“This year it feels a little bit more special “We have a really competibecause I’ve grown up playing with the girls tive season. We get to play a lot who are now seniors this year,” Vargo said. of really great teams,” Hardin Senior players are getting ready to leave said. “A lot of our games are their high school sports career as they start going to be home this season, their last season. which I’m really excited for.”

“Softball’s been a really big part of my The softball team’s previous life for a really long time,” Hardin said. season had many close games.

“I’ve met so many amazing people through “In the news reports after it that I’m so thankful for. I’m just lucky games, a lot of times they told for the fact that I know those people will us Zionsville was just on the be with me when I hang this part of my life wrong side of a really hard up, and I’m excited to do that with them.” game, and that was tough for us Overall, the team is ready to play and to hear,” Hardin said. win this season.

Conference games are a “We are building confident young chance for Zionsville to show women that will take on any challenge and off their hard work. be ultra-competitive but displaying sports“In our conference this seamanship along the way,” Garret said. “We son, I think we’re for sure going will let others do the talking, we will show to dominate just because [of] up and play ball.”

During tryouts on March 8, seniors Ella Hardin, right, and Sophie Huber, left, greet on the field with a handshake. Photo by Lilly Steele

8 Sports

Going the

Ex tra Mile

Porras’ positive coaching style earns him Indiana Cross-Country Coach of the Year

By Elie Smith, Guest Reporter

G

abe Porras won the Indiana Cross-Country Coach of the Year Award and was nominated for U.S. Cross-Country Coach of the Year for an outstanding performance this past year.

Porras was one of five nominated by the Indiana Association of Track and Cross-Country Coaches and voted for by coaches across the state.

“It was a cool accomplishment,” Porras said, “representative of all the hard work, not just for me, but the assistant coach and the athletes and everyone part of the community.”

The transition from small town coach to state representative is a major feat, yet his contributions to cross-country and the culture of sports seemed to already extend beyond Zionsville.

“He’s great at connecting with his athletes, peer coaches, and other schools,” athletic director Greg Schellhase said. “He runs a very highly respected program.”

Alongside a career as a high school Spanish teacher, Porras has been coaching for nearly 22 years. His distinct style has encouraged students and athletes alike to put forth their best efforts.

“He creates a culture that’s positive for all of our students, that they want to be a part of,” Schellhase said. “Those relationships are at the core of why he’s been so successful.”

Porras’ coaching philosophy follows his own realization that cross-country is an activity that students are choosing to commit to; therefore, Porras said, it is essential to make it enjoyable and acknowledge that the athletes always want to do their best in competitions.

“My role as a coach is to make them as

confident and calm as possible before the race,” Porras said. “I try to be a calming presence on meet day to make sure that they’re set up to be as successful as they can be.”

This last cross-country season, Porras’ varsity boys team placed second in state––knocking out Zionsville Community High School’s previous best placement of sixth––and peaked at twelfth best team in the nation during the season.

“You want to Cross-country coach Gabe Porras runs out to cheers from the crowd during do your best bethe state competition walk-out on Oct. 29 before the team boarded the bus. cause he’s giving The team placed second at state. Photo by Ryan Luke you all he can,” senior cross-couning, yet determined methods of coaching try runner Ryan Luke said. “He puts in so will officially be recognized as the national many hours behind-the-scenes.”

Coach of the Year Award selection draws Luke suffered three ankle injuries during nearer. Nonetheless, Porras is extremely his junior season. Luke said Porras helped proud of this season and looks forward to Luke to continue to be a part of the team even greater achievements to come, noting despite his injuries and eventually return the team was 2.8 seconds away from placing after recovery. first at state last season.

“It really made me feel wanted and want “There’s always motivation to try to do to come back the next year, even though I better,” Porras said. “One of the good things was considering quitting,” Luke said. about the sport is the clock will always Porras’ consistent and unconditional motivate you to do a little bit better.” support for his athletes and his entertain-

Sports 9

COLLEGE COMMITS: Where March Madness Begins Zionsville seniors commit to play NCAA basketball

By Adanna Mbanu, Copy Editor and Lauren Burch, Staff Nick Richart (right) playing against Lebanon high school on Feb.10 Photo by Maddie Patrick

Nick Richart 10 Sports

N

ick Richart, senior, has committed to playing at University of North Carolina Charlotte this upcoming school year after experiencing a minor setback during recruitment.

“It’s kind of a huge weight lifted off my shoulders, finally having a decision of where I want to go is really nice,” Richart said. “The recruitment process for me was a little frustrating since I got hurt during my sophomore summer, which is where a lot of recruiting happens. But after that, I picked up and did much better my junior summer and ended up where I wanted to be.”

Throughout his high school career, Richart says that his biggest accomplishment was becoming the All-Time Block Leader.

“It was just really cool to have that record at Zionsville that kind of leaves a legacy,” Richart said.

For students who are envisioning playing on a college team when they’re of age, Richart has a piece of advice.

“For starters, you should always be patient because you’ll never know when it will happen to you, but if you spend the time putting in the work, your time will come,” Richart said. “And then I would say try to be the best teammate and best player in your role specifically.”

“People have a lot of pride in Zionsville, and when they move on to play collegiate league, whether basketball or another sport, they still feel connected back to Zionsville.

I think that’s very special.”

- Greg Schellhase, Athletic Director

Alumni Playing NCAA Basketball

- Erica Bostwick, St. Ambrose - Nathan Childress, Indiana University - Isaiah Davis, Huntington University - Rachel McLimore, Butler University - Maddie Nolan, University of Michigan - Hogan Orbaugh, Indiana University - Delaney Richason, University of Vermont - Katey Richason, Miami of Ohio - Dylan Ritter, College of Charleston - Isaiah Thompson, Florida Gulf Coast

Laila Hull plays against North Central High School on Jan. 10.

Photo by Sadie Meenan

Laila Hull

L

aila Hull, senior Miss Indiana Basketball and Zionsville’s all-time leading scorer, has been playing basketball since kindergarten. She recently committed to playing basketball at the University of North Carolina.

“UNC has been my dream school for a while. It’s what I grew up on,” Hull said. “I grew up watching them play, so it’s always been my goal. It’s just a really good feeling to be able to go there.”

Hull credits all of her success to the support system she’s had throughout her high school seasons.

“The support system is crazy here,” Hull said. “I have a lot of support with a lot of people by my side that always believed in me. The people that you meet here are just great, I met a lot of good and lifelong friends.”

Among the numerous people supporting her, Hull says that her biggest supporter has always been her father, a college football coach.

“He’s always been in the college athletics field, so he’s been super helpful with everything that I have going on, he knows what to do with everything,” Hull said. “He’s also played basketball for a while, so he’s been like my biggest supporter throughout all of this.”

After all of her experiences, she suggests this piece of advice for any high school athlete with dreams of playing in college.

“I would just say stick to it,” Hull said. “I mean everything in high school is very unpredictable, so you don’t really know what could happen. As long as you work hard and keep practicing and doing everything you’re supposed to, you will feel like you can do anything you want.”

S

enior Logan Imes is committed to playing college basketball at Penn State in the upcoming school year, achieving a dream that he has had ever since he was young.

“You see them [basketball players] playing on TV and you want to do the same thing,” Imes said. “So I just worked at it and got to high school, and the next step is go to college. It’s just been a progressive goal of mine since I was a little kid.”

Throughout his high school seasons, Imes is grateful to have been given the opportunity to play basketball, while building bonds with his teammates and coaches.

“My high school experience playing basketball has been great,” Imes said. “I’ve made so many relationships with coaches and friends, and there’s people I’ll never forget that I’ve played with the last four years that have changed my life in numerous different ways.”

For any athlete that has hopes of playing in the NCAA, Imes leaves them with a piece of advice.

Come in and work hard,” Imes said. “You want to win games, and eventually win the state championship or sectional, whatever that goal is. But don’t take the moments with your teammates for granted.”

Logan Imes plays against Lebanon High School on Feb. 10. Photo by Maddie Patrick

Logan Imes Sports 11

Anne Nooning, sophomore, sings her solo in “Just Like Flying” during a Royalaires practice on March 9. Photo by Georgi Moreland

Sophomore Carly Benner performs with the Choralaires on March 7. Photo by Matthew Orbaugh

Hitting the Notes at Nationals Zionsville show choirs win big in first trip back to nationals competition

By Madeline Wilson, Assistant Editor

A

fter over a decade of watching from the audience, sophomore Anne Nooning said it is a “joy” and “privilege” to compete alongside the Zionsville show choirs. And on March 18, Nooning and other members of the Choralaires and Royalaires became Heart of America National Champions when they traveled to Orlando to compete at the national level for the first time since 2020.

“It’s just something that I’m so unbelievably excited for,” Nooning said before the trip. “It really feels like a privilege to be able to go and to experience that.”

According to Deana Broge, co-director of show choirs, the Royalaires and Choralaires have not been to a national competition in the last two years because of COVID-19. In fact, it was an entirely new experience for all members of the choirs, crew, and combo.

Senior Grace Barnes, one of the co-presidents of Royalaires, said she was disappointed when last year’s trip to Nationals was delayed.

“It was disappointing, considering the seniors in the group last year connected to a lot of people in the group,” Barnes said.

Barnes said she looked forward to seeing

12 Feature

the performances of groups outside of Indiana at Nationals.

“It’s a completely new experience,” Barnes said. “You get to watch people who you’ve never seen perform before, and also you get to meet new people.”

However, Barnes said there was also additional stress because the Royalaires and Choralaires then competed against those same groups.

“Since we’re making such a big trip out of it, we want to feel good and feel prepared to perform well,” Barnes said.

Nooning said she was somewhat nervous for the performance and about being away from her family.

“It’s definitely easing my anxieties a little bit knowing that I’m not going alone and I’m going with this big group of people that support and love everyone else,” Nooning said. “Overall, I’m just really excited to spend time with everyone, and just to spend that time getting really close and experiencing everything together.”

According to Broge, the show choir experience is about more than just singing and dancing; it’s about creating a community.

“I don’t think the experience is just

about music all of the time,” Broge said. “I think it’s about camaraderie and teamwork and a sense of belonging and a community here within the high school.”

The group chartered a plane and spent time in the Disney parks while on the trip.

Barnes attributes the closeness of the choirs to the amount of time they spend together at practices and competitions.

Local competitions also helped the Royalaires and Choralaires prepare for Nationals at the end of the season, according to Barnes.

“Throughout the season, our show is constantly being critiqued,” Barnes said. “If we continue to revise our show, I think it has really good potential for Nationals.”

Sophomore Carly Benner, a member of the Choralaires, said she just hoped to finish the year strong with the performance at Nationals. And her hopes were fulfilled when both choirs took first place and became national champions.

“We were all so happy to win,” Benner said. “It tied up our season so perfectly and was a cherry on top of the most fun trip ever!”

Finding Their Buddy System Adi Coleman learns, helps, and grows through Peer Adi Coleman, senior, work with students during her Peer class. Photo by Mathew Orbaugh

By Georgianna Moreland, Staff ou often see Peer students walking and I do unified football and Best Buddies really cool,” she said. around the school and it is common and I get to meet so many more people. Get Coleman says she has learned to work to hear about Best Buddies. However, to meet more buddies, and meet more of with people in many different ways and that do you really know how strong the relationthe partner athletes.”

Peer has taught her that there are so many ships are or what they mean?

Coleman says that the teachers are “great different types of people.

Adi Coleman, junior, and are always very helpful” to both “I would explain Peer as a great op“The students her and the students. started with the Peer class portunity to get to know some awesome this year, but has been a “To create those friendships and students,” Coleman said. “As you help them have demonmember of Best Buddies work with them is so great because learn, you learn so many amazing things as strated their they are awesome people,” she since her freshman year. well from them. The students have demon“Peer has taught me new added. strated their strength and perseverance strength and ways to help communicate Coleman says that she has the various activities I aid them perseverance created a “special connection” with through with people who have cogniwith. I love getting to grow with the stuthrough the several of the students, including tive disabilities.” dents as they grow, too. Getting to see them Coleman was introduced freshman Atlas Kaufmann. learn a new skill, conquer a task, or come various activito Peer through her aunt and Coleman says that Atlas helped out of their shell over time is such a cool ties I aid them her grow and learn how to be a her cousin. Her cousin has thing to be a part of. It is such a rewarding diagnosed down syndrome better Peer. class and [joining Peer] is one of the best with. I love getand inspired Coleman to “And I got to really see him decisions I have ever made.” ting to grow with grow,” she said. join Peer.

“I’ve worked with Megan. the students as Coleman Atlas Kaufmann (left), posing with Adi She is so funny, so sassy,” mainly spent Coleman (right) Photo by Mathew Orbaugh they grow, too.”

Coleman said. “Our persontime with alities are so similar and it’s -Adi Coleman, 11 Atlas who “loves awesome, just talking with music” in the her, and it’s just really cool starting bass/tento see her grow and develop as well. And or choir, Sound Check. as we work more and more together, we “He wouldn’t really become closer.” sing without a prompt in There are many ways that students can choir, but he loves music. be involved with Peer-related activities.

And so, when he started Unified flag football, unified track, Best singing and being more Buddies or being part of the Peer classes are enthusiastic about getting all ways to be involved. into his music and then “I thought, ‘I can’t wait to learn more shining super bright on from others.’ And I’m so glad I did it,” the stage when we had Coleman said. “I like to do unified track Sound Check, that was

Y

Feature 13

Calf at Traders Point Creamery. All photos by Josie Brackett.

By Josie Brackett, Design Editor

Traders Point Creamery Traders Point Creamery is a beautiful property located on Moore Road, which is near the line where Zionsville meets Indianapolis. No matter the season or temperature, it is a wonderful place to visit. There is a tour that can be taken around the property in which you can see the garden and the livestock. The restaurant, The Loft, is another stop to make on the property. While having a large menu, it is seasonal, so the menu options are periodically changing. There is also the Dairy Bar, which serves a variety of products from ice cream (also seasonally changing) to plain milk.

The Loft at Traders Point Creamery.

on a

What to do Stay-cation

Staying home for break?

Here are some places around the Zionsville area to visit.

14 Student Life

Cows eating outside of the barn.

Statue of Beluah C. and Jesse H. Cox, reads “To create an oasis in the midst of a sea of homes.”

Coxhall Gardens Located in Carmel, Coxhall Gardens is a large park perfect for picnicking that has many different attractions there, one being the big bell tower that chimes at the start of the hour. There are lots of different places to take photos, the big gray steps in a circle being one of the most popular. Another popular focal point is the walkway leading out to those circular steps. In the circular steps, there is a beautiful statue that is also good to take pictures in front of.

Landscape of Coxhall Gardens.

Zionsville

Downtown Carmel Downtown Carmel is just a short drive from Zionsville. With interesting architecture and statues, it is a change of pace from Zionsville. Some fun activities here include walking around, shopping, and dining. You could also sit down for a meal or treat yourself to a slice of one of the numerous flavors of cake at The Cake Bake Shop by Gwendolyn Rogers.

here in

Architecture in Downtown Carmel.

The Cake Bake Shop by Gwendolyn Rogers.

Pathway at Coxhall Gardens.

Zionsville Main Street Main Street is one of the most popular places in Zionsville. On the brick-paved road there are many options to eat and shop. It can also be fun to take pictures on.

Zionsville Main Street, in front of Zionsville Pizzeria

Starkey Park Located in Sugarbush, Starkey Park is the perfect place to spend a sunny day. There are many different trails and you can go for a hike with friends and family or go for a run on the trails.

Sign at Starkey Park

Trail and bridge at Starkey Park.

Student Life 15

SATScare

SAT stress creeps up this time of year, though it doesn’t have to be as daunting as it seems

By Greta Reed, Staff

Photo by A

O

ffered only seven times a year, there is intense stress surrounding the SAT. Just one SAT is offered to juniors for free in Indiana. This SAT is offered in early March and is usually the first one juniors have taken.

College bound students will likely have to submit their SAT scores to a university of their choice. This adds immense pressure to the college admissions process and can also limit a student’s options.

For the past two years many students had the option to not submit their SAT scores because of the pandemic making it difficult to hold tests. Now that some colleges are beginning to require submissions as they once did, students are starting to feel the pressure to perform again.

“It [colleges requiring SAT scores] really shows nothing more than how a student can perform on standardized testing which doesn’t necessarily translate to the college experience. The college experience is more catered towards your final degree,” Melissa Wilzbacher, AP Language and Composition teacher, said.

Students can agree that taking any sort of standardized test is a stressful task, especially when it could impact your future.

“I am nervous for the SAT because I don’t know a lot about it and there is so much pressure to get a high score,” sophomore Izzy Tunstall said.

Junior Keziah Dobbins has a different mindset surrounding the SAT. “Personally I think it’s all about balance,” Dobbins said. “If you do well in school and do extracurricular activities like sports, clubs, or even have an internship, colleges have more to look at than a test.”

College advisers and counselors have mentioned that after not requiring scores for almost three years, colleges have had to look deeper into essays and other factors that set students apart from one another, such as GPA, extracurriculars, volunteer hours,

16 Student Life

melia Loew

sports, and more.

“In my opinion, colleges should look more at GPAs because it shows our progress all throughout high school, and how much effort we’re willing to put into our educational journey rather than how high we can score on a long test taken in four hours,” Dobbins said.

Though not every student can excel on standardized tests, colleges are starting to require scores for certain specialized programs.

For example the SAT requirement for the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University is at minimum a “1370 (Evidence-Based Reading & Writing and Math)”.

Purdue’s engineering program is similarly rigorous with an “average SAT Composite of 1444” making it a very high average considering the Composite is out of 1600.

According to College Board, the average SAT score for the graduating class of 2021 was 1088, a 541 In Reading & Writing and a 538 on math.

“Some people are naturally good test takers, while others are not,” Dobbins said.

“We can influence circumstances, in this

case by studying, but none of us can control the outcome.”

Study opportunities such as test prep programs, official SAT study guides, and practice material can be helpful in gaining confidence while testing.

Taking the SAT multiple times can also give students an advantage in knowing the organization of the test and how the questions are formatted.

College Finance states that “test publishers show that the average SAT improvement is around 60 to 70 points, on average, with a little bit of additional studying”.

Getting your goal score can be more attainable with the right study plan. While it’s important to take the SAT and try your best you shouldn’t worry too much about your score because “there are plenty of other ways to heighten your chances of being accepted into your dream school, one test will not threaten your future,” Dobbins said.

er

Chat GPT: Cheating or Change?

Graphic by Brooklyn Brown

By Ellie Vanderbur, Staff

I

n movies artificial intelligence is often depicted as a threat to humankind and society. But now that this technology is a reality, people are finding ways to use it to learn and discover.

According to OpenAI, the creators of ChatGPT, the software is designed to interact in a conversational way.

This new software’s goal is to be able to answer questions in a more attentive way than current search engines, such as Google.

“The dialogue format makes it possible for ChatGPT to answer follow up questions, admits its mistakes, challenge incorrect premises, and reject inappropriate requests,” OpenAI said on their website.

Once ChatGPT launched, many educators did their own research to see what this meant for their teaching.

“I got on [ChatGPT], and I typed in some very specific questions about literature, the kinds of questions that I would offer my students to measure their thinking, and it spit out to me answers that, to me, resembled true human thought,” English department chair Doug Showley said.

Because this form of AI seems to be able to answer so many questions in a very specific way, Showley was automatically interested in what it would mean for teaching.

“There was an element of synthesis that went into [ChatGPT’s] answer. There was an element of judgment that seemed to go into the answer,” Showley said.

Educators quickly realized that they may need to make changes in the school environ-

ment to make sure that the software was not used dishonestly.

“It requires all of us to ask those questions and probably make some substantive changes to the overarching goals and methods of our instruction,” Stanford Assistant Professor of Education Sarah Levine said.

Some of the things that educators are revisiting are the essays that students have to write, especially ones that require them to come to their own conclusions about what they read.

“I hope that I am fashioning assessments in such a way that an answer can’t just be copied and pasted and submitted,” Showley said.

But no matter how many things are changed to work around this new obstacle, students are likely to find a way to use it. As a result, teachers need to be able to detect it being used.

“There is a particular voice that ChatGPT takes that is becoming all the more recognizable to me, but I hope I don’t get myself into a position where I have to make that judgment,” Showley said.

While this is a big task to undertake, the teachers of our time have been through many situations like this in recent years.

“It’s no different from the adjustments I had to make when the internet and Google became very prominent or the adjustment me and my colleges had to make with the pandemic when everyone was learning at home,” Showley said.

Just as when the internet was created and

when students were learning from home due to the pandemic, positive learning experiences can come from this situation as well.

“I need to learn how to teach my students to use ChatGTP in order to provoke their thought, to stimulate their thinking, not to replace their thinking,” Showley said.

This new technology can be used in all areas of the learning process, from learning to reviewing for a test.

“If one is confused about a subject, they can ask the AI to explain it to the,” senior and Coding Club student leader Caden Grey said. “It can also be used to generate example problems and prepare for tests.”

This opportunity ultimately makes ChatGPT something students can use to learn, amplify thoughts and draw new conclusions about how we learn.

“We must use AI for humans rather than in place of humans,” Victor Lee, Stanford leader of the Accelerator Initiative on generative AI in Education, said.

After this advanced software was released, many large tech companies created their own version, inciting a new tech race in the AI field and giving the public a glimpse into all the possibilities AI can bring us in the very near future.

“ChatGPT was the spark that started the AI wildfire spreading its way through our world,” Grey said. “Developments are occurring rapidly, and it is impossible to predict what is going to happen next.”

Student Life 17

Can You Trust the Process?

Students, specialists share experiences with the different processes of food creation between the European Union and U.S.

By Adanna Mbanu, Copy Editor

I

f there’s one thing students rely on to sustain their hunger, it’s the vending machine. This easily-accessible snack dispensary is a popular commodity during the seven-hour school day.

But what most students don’t realize is that the convenience of these snacks do more harm than is realized, and it’s not their fault.

Some of the most common foods found in these vending machines contain chemicals and that have been linked to illness. A survey conducted by the Center for Science in the Public Interest showed that in “vending machines in middle schools and high schools 75% of the drinks and 85% of the snacks sold are of poor nutritional value.”

Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) is a chemical frequently found in foods that typical American vending machines carry, such as M&Ms, Skittles, and Starburst, according to the Environmental Working Group. Although this chemical is a common ingredient in numerous American snacks, according to the

International Agency for Research on Cancer, “titanium Dioxide has recently [in 2019] been classified as a Group 2B carcinogen [an agent that’s possibly cancerous to humans].”

Acrylamide (C3H5NO) is another carcinogen found in typical vending machine snacks like potato chips and cookies.

This chemical was classified as a Group 2A carcinogen, an agent probably cancerous to humans, by the International Agency for Research and the World Health Organization.

The Food and Drug Administration monitors levels of acrylamide in certain foods because of its potential health effects on humans and advises “both consumers and industry about how to reduce acrylamide formation in foods.”

Both Titanium Dioxide and Acrylamide are restricted in the European Union. Zionsville nutritionist Gretchen Heidenreich, worries about the negative effects these chemicals are causing to people living in America.

“Europe tends to be stricter on certain chemicals and supplements than America,” Heidenreich said.

“Titanium Dioxide is banned in the EU because of its potential connections to cancer, but the FDA has not taken any action on it. EU research determined that the cancer link could not be ruled out with daily use of the product.

Titanium Dioxide is found in coffee creamer, salad Produce at Meijer with their “Product of” statement label Photos by Adanna Mbanu

18 Student Life

dressings and some white sauces. This may all sound alarming, which is why I always stress fresh foods or homemade when possible and variety with moderation when it comes to eating.”

Other experts studying food with an emphasis on nutrition have noticed other differences between nutritional values in between the typical American and European diet. When Toby Moreno, head chef of Auberge, spent 12 days in France studying its cuisine, he began to notice the contrast in the usage of processed foods and GMOs [genetically modified organisms] between Europe and America.

“One thing in Europe, especially France, is that they don’t have genetically modified foods over there,” Moreno said. “[In restaurants] they’re definitely using ingredients that are locally sourced. Another thing is the food in France is seasonal, so some things might be out of season, like a tomato, but here Americans want whatever they want any time of the year.”

While living in France over the summer, junior Mara Lusk began to taste a significant difference between the food she was used to and the food she’d been introduced to in Europe.

“The food there was really different from here,” Lusk said. “They [the French] eat a lot more fresh fruits and just fresh things in general; fresh cheese, fresh meats. There’s markets all the time where people can buy fresh ingredients. And then there’s also a lot of restaurants and little patisseries to buy pastries. I just think the ingredients are really pure.”

Junior foreign exchange student Henry Teuteberg noticed the difference in nutritional value between America and Europe when moving to Zionsville from Germany.

“We don’t really go out to eat. Usually we

Common snacks containing Titanium Dioxide (TiO2) and Acrylamide (C3H5NO) Graphics by Adanna Mbanu

eat at home which is healthier,” Teuteberg poor wound healing, increased fatigue and said. “We don’t have much fast food either. depression.

There are also a lot of butchers in Germany Moreno said one of the main reasons for meat, which I think tastes better. It’s America’s standard cuisine contains so many better than if it were at a supermarket or chemicals and GMOs compared to Europe something like that.” is because of the lack of thought the food With these differences, specifically in industry puts into sustainability. He believes nutritional values, Heidenreich emphasizes that when looking at sustainability, economhow the typical ic, social, and American environmental diet can affect aspects should Even if we are missing just humans and be taken into a little of what we need to how to incoraccount. get in our diets, it can acporate healthier “So [for celerate again, hair loss, aspects. economic], I’ll poor skin integrity, poor “Eating is be providing for wound healing, increased the only way the local econofatigue and depression.” our body can my by [buying - Gretchen Heidenreich, get the specific food] from a nutritionist nutrients it radius of 350 to needs from the 400 miles from outside world where I am,” into our body,” Heidenreich said. “If we Moreno said. “Then there’s the social aspect don’t have those nutrients, our body isn’t where we’re coming together to eat this food, going to be able to create what it needs to and there’s a lack of food culture. And then make us function and feel our best. This there’s environmental, so food has a cost to eventually can lead to some pretty scary be flown or driven from Canada or Mexico. things like cancer, dementia, heart disease, or There’s just more emissions being put out osteoporosis. Even if we are missing just a litinto the atmosphere doing that.” tle of what we need to get in our diets, it can Before Teutenberg moved to the United accelerate aging, hair loss, poor skin integrity, States, he had already heard about the differ-

ences in nutrition in America.

“I really enjoyed the food with my family, they always cook very fresh, which is awesome. But compared to normal American food, it’s a very different diet,” Teuteberg said. “Most people tell me that they become unhealthier and gain some weight when they come to the US.” It can be difficult for teenagers to keep track of what to eat and what not to eat.

“As a teenager it’s hard to think about your 30s, 40s, and beyond, but what’s interesting is that your intake right now impacts your future self,” Heidenreich said. “There are some interesting studies that found poor nutrition was linked to individuals not reaching their full height potential. I always stress to my clients there are no bad foods, every food can fit into a healthy a healthy diet, the key is balance. Each person has such a unique lifestyle, taste preference, and genetic blueprint that nutrition really needs to be suited to their unique needs.”

Heidenreich said he has “hope for the better.”

“I’ve found more younger clients pushing back against diet culture and putting self care first, which is wonderful,” he said. “I think the younger generations are going to make the biggest change.”

Student Life 19

Social Safety When finding the best way to stay safe on social media, sharing less is caring more

By Amelia Meyers, Staff

T

Graphics by Brooklyn Brown

here is a hacker attack on social account. I only found out about it once media every 39 seconds, according to my friends started receiving the requests,” Web Tribunal.

Garcia said.

Connecting with friends and family, Not only did the user steal Garcia’s sharing videos and photos, promoting photos and name but had linked the photos businesses, and stalking the most attractive to an Only Fans site. celebrities, is what makes social media, like “I had my friends texting me and Instagram, the cultural powerhouse of the freaking out because someone had linked world today. an Only Fans to the account bio, basicalAround 1.35 billion ly suggesting that it was an people worldwide have an account that I made and that “When you have active Instagram account if you clicked on it you would a public account, subscribe to the real me,” Garcia as of January 2023 according to Statista, making the people have access said. “I was 16 turning 17 at the photo-sharing site one of time with my pictures being to your name, your linked to explicit sites. Honestly the most popular online platforms. However, the school, and where it was traumatizing.” network has also become Cybercrimes and security you live. Some peo- breaches a victim of various cyberdon’t just spawn on ple even put their Instagram. Due to the variety of crimes such as identity thievery, hacking, and numbers on their social media used daily. There even trafficking. are a wide number of entry Senior Zenaida Garcia accounts. You might points for these attackers. recently experienced a Such was the case for various as well be saying case of identity theft.

Facebook users when in 2019, ‘hack me.” -Zenaida a group of cybercriminals took “I’m not even on InsGarcia, 12 tagram that much, daily “over 530 million of Facebook I’d say I spend two hours users personal data; locations, at most on the app,” phone numbers, and full names; Garcia said. “It’s weird because these things and making it publicly available to the have happened to my family members entirety of Facebook,” according to NPR before, but I never knew it could happen to News. me.”

Since these attacks mostly happen online Garcia learned of her identity being and are sometimes caused by bots, there stolen while sitting with a friend. Most of isn’t much that can be done to put a comthe pictures on her Instagram were posted plete stop to these actions. However, many onto other fake accounts; even cropping social media platforms have begun to take her friends out of pictures to only include safety precautions and establish online help Garcia. centers; allowing people to report such inci“The only reason I never knew about it dents and change their accounts to private was that I had been blocked by the impostor in order to protect their personal informa-

20 Student Life

tion.

One of ZCHS’s digital learning specialists, Carly Havlik, is always prioritizing the safety and security of social media for students.

“Social media is one of those pieces, it’s about how you choose to use it,” Havlik said. “Anytime you’re using any online tool, any technology or even if you’re in-person, it’s important to think about the safety side.”

There are many ways to stay safe on social media, but becoming more aware of how to correctly protect one’s account is an important first step.

“Using a strong password, one that you’re not sharing, is a great way to protect yourself on social media,” Havlik said.

“It’s also good to go through your privacy settings and see who has access to your information.”

From personal experience, Garcia also explains that making your account private can further prevent such attacks and better secure your information.

“When you have a public account people have access to your name, your school, and where you live. Some people even put their numbers on their accounts and they have access to that as well. You might as well be saying ‘hack me’,” Garcia said.

As more people create accounts on multiple platforms, only time will tell if social media awareness will increase .

“It’s a ‘we’ll have to see how things evolve and change situation’. But hopefully I will be able to make sure everybody knows how to stays safe online.” Havlik said.

Appreciation Cultural Appropriation When it comes to others cultures, there is a fine line that should not be crossed

By Amelia Loewer, Social Media Editor s a Latina woman, I have felt alienated because I did not fit the norms within the “Zionsville bubble”.

Growing up, my parents strive to help me understand and appreciate the world and the cultures that thrive outside of our small town.

I have had the unique opportunity to travel to 22 different countries and be exposed to countless cultures and the people who hold significance to them. Being immersed in many cultural traditions during my time abroad, I have become more aware of the importance of cultural celebrations.

According to the U.S. Census, 91% of the Zionsville population identifies as Caucasian, making cultural diversity something that we lack. But this doesn’t mean that our community fails to provide opportunities that expand our viewpoint on the world outside of the bubble; we just need to learn the respectful way to celebrate other cultures without cultural appropriation.

According to the Cambridge dictionary, cultural appropriation is: “the act of taking or using things from a culture that is not your own, especially without showing that you understand or respect this culture”.

While this textbook definition is a good start, the personal experiences that students have had with appropriation must be heard.

Charlie Krone, junior, and a member of Chinese Club said that cultural appropriation occurs “when it starts becoming offensive to the culture.”

Others agree with this idea and have even witnessed some examples on campus.

Alexa Green, sophomore, and a member of the Black Student Union has her own experiences with cultural appropriation

A

when it comes to the use of Black protective hairstyles by her Caucasian peers.

“So as a Black person [I have witnessed]… someone trying to repeat a hairstyle. It’s not for their hair. It’s a protective hairstyle for my type of hair,” Green said.

Hair is only one of the many ways that people might unknowingly appropriate ethnic expression. Cultural attire is also a piece of tradition that is often exploited, especially during the holidays “For example, Halloween costumes, like dressing up as a Black person [when] you’re not. That can be too far,” Green said.

I have personally witnessed people at Halloween parties dressing up as “Mexicans” and mocking traditional Hispanic attire. People do this assuming that dressing up in a costume is not offensive because it’s “just for fun”, but they don’t realize how harmful it can be to others.

I remember feeling like an outsider when everyone laughed at the costume; it felt like one giant joke about me that I wasn’t a part of.

Although Krone acknowledges that he doesn’t speak for all Chinese people, he thinks that “for Chinese [culture] specifically, there are different cultural things you can do like wearing traditional clothing.

And you could consider that cultural appropriation if you’re using it to make fun of Chinese culture.”

As an Irish dancer, I have often considered the impact of the clothing I wear. For 12 years I have been required to perform in traditional Irish clothing. But in my case, I consider it a form of cultural appreciation because of my love of the culture that comes with it. This unfortunately isn’t the

mindset of many who use cultural products without any understanding of their importance.

We as a society have normalized the exploitation of ethnic food, clothing, and hairstyles without comprehending why it is harmful. However, education is the simple solution to ignorance.

Victor Ogundele, sophomore and another member of the Black Student Union, said “if [you] see someone doing something like that, [you] can try to educate them about the context of what they’re wearing or doing with their hair.”

By being respectful and willing to be educated, you can create a positive environment for yourself and those around you.

When visiting Nepal to climb the Everest Base Camp, I was able to participate in rituals, traditions, and hiking prayers from the Nepalese culture. Because of my willingness to learn and the permission from the Nepali people, I was able to appreciate the culture and grow my understanding of their way of life.

The same can be said about my experience with Irish dancing and the pride in my Mexican heritage.

The celebration of other cultures is a necessity because it allows us to celebrate each other. I have come to the understanding that even though we lack cultural diversity in Zionsville, we have our own things to celebrate: our love for brick street, our community events, and our beloved school traditions are all things that make Zionsville home. Realizing this has helped me appreciate all of the traditions within “the bubble” while respecting other cultures that live outside of it. w

Opinion 21

Crazy for Caffeine How excessive amounts of caffeine affects the body

By Emma Hummer, Staff

J

unior Brooklyn Stockwell said she finds herself struggling to breathe when she drinks Celsius during Choralaires practice. After consuming the drink, which is popular among teenagers, Stockwell says she feels “jitters” and an extreme burst of energy.

She is just one of many individuals who experiences symptoms like these.

But, the health concerns Stockwell has dealt with aren’t being pulled out of thin air. Caffeine addiction is real and likely affects you or your friends and family.

According to fda.gov, 400mg of caffeine is the maximum recommended amount of caffeine consumption a day for adults. However, for teenagers, kidshealth.org states that 100mg of caffeine is the safe amount of caffeine consumption.

One cup of coffee has 95mg. One can of Celsius, a popular drink among teenagers, has 200mg of caffeine, which is double the recommended amount for teens.

Some other examples of caffeinated drinks include a can of Coke which contains 34 mg of caffeine, and a Redbull which has 111 mg of caffeine.

How does caffeine affects your body? An excessive amount of caffeine every day constricts the blood flow to your brain. According to doctor Daniel Amen, caffeine causes your heart beats faster, blood pressure to rise, blood flow to slow down in the stomach, and your muscles to tighten up.

Excessive caffeine consumption is associated with chronic dehydration.

This adds extra stress on your heart, can make you jittery, and may cause headaches, according to Amen.

“Adenosine is a chemical in the brain that causes drowsiness by slowing down nerve cell activity and it’s the key to understanding caffeine addiction,” Amen said. “When we are tired, adenosine triggers the brain to slow down so we will go to sleep and naturally rejuvenate our own brain function.”

Caffeine can cause restlessness and sleep problems because it blocks the adenosine receptor, keeping your body from sleeping.

ZCHS nurse Jenny Hoyer, advises alternative drinks that contain less caffeine, like tea or coffee.

“Caffeine is a stimulant, what it will do is it will increase your heart rate, increase your blood pressure, and that has an effect on your organs,” Hoyer said. “When it influences your heart rate and your blood pressure, it makes you feel more awake and more energetic, which is sometimes a nice feeling.”

According to Mayo Clinic ,a nonprofit American academic medical center, if you drink more than four cups of coffee a day, or the equivalent in other caffeinated drinks, you will likely experience headaches, fast heartbeats, muscle tremors, irritability, and nervousness.

However, some people are affected differently.

“I drink one to two cups of coffee a day, and that’s usually about all the caffeine that I have,” Hoyer said. “If I have more than that, I tend to have trouble going to sleep.”

In itself, drinking caffeine isn’t a bad thing. However, if you over-consume any substance, it can have a negative effects on your body.

According to myheath.alberta, some long term issues with caffeine addictions can be chronic insomnia, stomach problems, depression, and constant anxiety.

If you drink caffeine responsibly, then it can have a positive effect on your body.

What matters is knowing your limits.

“Be aware of how it works on your body. Everybody is a little bit different.”

Hoyer said. “Think about how it could affect your body and try to limit it.”

Graphic by Brooklyn Brown

Harb Highlights Bottom Right: Senior Lucy Gregory performs with the varsity dance team during halftime at the boys varsity basketball game on Feb. 10. Photo by Matthew Orbaugh Top Left: Brayden Baxter, senior, serves during the boys varsity volleyball game against Avon on March 14. The Eagles won, 3-2. Photo by Madeline Wilson Bottom Right: Tyler Sepanski, junior, guards senior Ryan Luke during Intramural Basketball on March 2. Photo by Lauren Burch

Boys meet against Westfield When: 5:30 p.m.

Where: ZCHS

29

Girls Lacrosse

12

Girls Tennis

JV & Varsity games against Carmel When: 6 p.m.

Where: ZCHS

JV & Varsity games against Park Tudor When: 5 p.m.

Where: Park Tudor

Apr.

locations are subject to change.

Apr.

11

Track & Field

Game against Center Grove When: 6 p.m.

Where: ZCHS

Mar.

29

Varsity Softball

Apr.

Apr.

Mar.

What’s What’s next? next?

Check the schedule below to find dates, times, and locations for upcoming ZCHS events. Dates, times, and

6

Varsity Baseball

14

Boys Volleyball

Game against Fishers When: 6 p.m.

Where: ZCHS Varsity Baseball Diamond

Varsity game against Brownsburg When: 7:30 p.m.

Where: Varsity Gym