north | spring 2018 | bloomingtonnorthfused.org
fused spring ‘18
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Sierra Bowman
culture in school
pg 3
Knowledge of foreign culture is a very important subject to learn, and North teaches it well, but not perfectly.
senior feature
pg 4
Seniors Zack Herzig, Bailey Rodgers, Quenton Riley, Michael Donovan and Sara Bredemeyer share some of their plans for the future.
coming of age
pg 5
Mary Cashman shares her thoughts on how teenagers and young adults are represented in popular books and movies.
gaming culture
pg 7
North students answer questions about their gaming habits and give insight into video game culture at North and in the world.
environmental club
pg 8
Read about the Environmental Club’s contribution to the school and their plan for the upcoming year.
constant change
pg 9
After being in the journalism department for four years, Dulce Jarillo thinks there’s something we can all learn from it.
teacher feature
pg 10
Learn a little bit more about some of North’s beloved teachers.
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pg 10
alum wins pulitzer
Meet Aliya Mood, graduate of North and IU, and recent win of a Pulitzer Prize for her work in journalism.
national walkout
pg 11
On April 20, 2018, North students were among hundreds who walked out in protest of gun violence. This is their story.
march for our lives pg 13 Abby Cannon gives a personal report from the March for Our Lives in DC, as published in the Herald Times.
not just starvation
pg 14
The anonymous story of a BHSN junior and her experience with eating disorders.
boys baseball
pg 15
The coming of age story of the North Boys Baseball team.
science at work
pg 16
A group of local scientists have started thier work on the next big thing, a new and improved kind of wheel.
Sierra Bowman FUSED STAFF Arianna Buehler: Editor-in-Chief Sydney Piercy: Design Editor, Copy Editor Frances Sheets: Design Editor, Photography Editor Mary Cashman: Litmag Editor Kristen Bils: Litmag Editor, Social Media Director Rushtri Chatterjea: Cartoonist Abby Cannon: Reporter Dulce Jarillo: Reporter Tatianna Huss: Reporter Mulia Hermudia: Reporter Jeremy Kirk: Reporter Donovan Seymour: Reporter Adam Beaver: Advisor
sydney piercy, arianna buehler, frances sheets editor's choice
welcome! This edition has been in the works for quite sometime and on behalf of Fused staff, I’d like to thank you for taking the time to read this. This year has brought about great cultural changes in the school and we aim to reflect that change. For this edition, we decided to focus on the thematic device, Coming of Age. Following the trend of growth in the school, the newspaper has seen its own improvements. We hope you have a great summer and can’t wait to see you in the halls next year. If you are walking these halls for the last time, we wish you luck in your endeavors. Thank you, Arianna Buehler, Editor-in-Chief
! s k c i p music
boarding house reach
black panther the album (music from and inspired by)
The soundtrack album for the recent Marvel release, Black Panther, was put together by Kendrick Lamar, who recently won a Pulitzer Prize for his 2017 album DAMN.
Accomplishments 2017 Fall Print Edition in newsmagazine format 2018 Winter Print Edition in newsmagazine style The first publication of our satire edition, ConFused Three successful fundraisers: Trick-or-Treat in the Halls, Butter Braids and our annual Valentine’s Day Fundraiser Continuation and expansion of our Lit Mag and website
This is the latest release from jack White, who is set up to headline at Lollapalooza this year.
my dear melancholy, This is the latest release from the Weeknd, which is presented in the form of an EP rather than a full album.
invasion of privacy
The first full album from last year’s breakout female rapper, Cardi B.
newspa
per sup erlatives funniest - jeremy kirk ! best dressed - tatianna huss/arianna buehler (we had s
ome ties)
most likely to be a billionaire - donovan seymour/mulia hermudia most artistic - rushtri chatterjea/kristen bils most likely to go to jail - donovan seymour/mr. beaver most likely to lead a double life - donovan seymour most likely to get a PHD (or 12) - jeremy kirk can lift the most weight - abby cannon best smile - dulce jarillo/frances sheets quirkiest - sydney piercy most likely to hate all vegetables - mr. beaver/jeremy most likely to end up with 2,467 cats - mary cashman most likely is a secret communist - donovan seymour/frances sheets
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jeremy kirk opinion
The Importance of Cultural Awareness Everyone knows why learning math is important. Or English, biology, or physics. But foreign culture is just as important, even if not seen this way. North has done much to help promote cultural exchange in a bilateral direction. It has greatly affected the lives of international students who come here. It has the potential to just as greatly change the lives of the Bloomington natives in the school. North is a friendly school largely on account of its diversity. Instructors and students from all around the world teach and learn in the building. As much as it teaches international students about American culture, it shows the world to the American majority. Cougar Culture on the Monday Morning Announcements each week gives every student at North a taste of the international community. Events such as International Day celebrate diversity. North is committed to giving students a chance to learn about the world. The language department is an excellent demonstration of this. Classes are devoted to culture almost as much as language. In German, for example, class periods are devoted to writing in ancient runes or learning German history. French classes often make and eat French cuisine, and the Japanese classes do the same. The department is great because there are many teachers who are native to the countries of the language they teach, and those that are not, are so knowledgeable, they may as well be. Yet, as well as the school does to promote cultural
diversity, the opportunities can’t be fully harnessed by the student body. Language classes are taken just as requirements, half-heartedly. The goal is often a grade, not learning. Many students are so pressured by school that if they can pass a language class without learning it, that’s the correct decision for them. Plenty of people ignore the Monday Morning Announcements. Few enjoy learning about other languages. Though the department sponsors many trips to foreign countries, very few students can afford them. North is a great school, but some of it’s opportunities are not afforded to everyone. Cultural exchange is not accessible to all students. North could affect only 720 days of students’ lives, or every single one, but the latter would require significant changes. The fiscal and academic gatekeeping would have to be loosened. There is no easy solution, but the first step is realizing there’s a problem.
Lauguages available for credit at North:
Spanish French Latin
German Chinese
ocean hopping with John daerr
john daerr sweden 3
Senior John Daerr was born in Indianapolis, but at a young age moved to Sweden. This year, he’s come to North. The language barrier was not an issue for Daerr, who is bilingual, but it doesn’t mean that Atlantic hopping twice has been a walk in the park. School in Sweden and the United States are very different and this change has been a challenge, though one he’s glad he’s experienced. The hours here are much longer and school is a much broader organization. “In Sweden, school is strictly academic. There are no sports… if you play an instrument, it’s not with school. You do sports and play instruments with clubs.” Daerr likes that American high schools are tightly knit communities. “It’s really cool, coming here and being able to experience the mixture of school and sports. In Sweden, sports aren’t very hyped… I played basketball in Sweden. In our club, we would have, maybe, 50 people watch our games. But, coming here, playing for a school, you have a student section; the whole gym is full of people; you have cheerleaders and a band. Everything kinda comes together and it’s a lot more special and it’s a lot cooler here.”
kristen bils
senior highlight zack herzig
Zack Herzig is attending Circadium, a contemporary circus school in Philadelphia. He’s been doing gymnastics for over 7 years and heard about the school through his mom’s friend on Facebook. Zack plans to focus on aerials, while he’s there.
Bailey Rodgers first became interested in being a hairstylist when she did hair and makeup for her sister and her friends for prom. She’s been a part of the cosmetology program through Hoosier Hills and has plans to continue through the program and get her degree at Vincennes University.
Quenton Riley and Michael Donovan plan on finishing their web series, Hail Drathax. Quentin hopes that one day he’ll be able to make a career as a director. They plan to use the skills they’ve learned from TV production and the actors and actresses they’ve already been using.
quenton riley & michael donovan
feature
sara bredemeyer
bailey rodgers
Sara Bredemeyer was accepted into the Jacob School of Music. Sara has played the flute with various BHSN bands throughout her four years and has even served as a drum major in our marching band.
BLOOMINGTON STUDENTS HOST TOWN HALL FOR OUR LIVES Students from North and South worked together under the new student action group Bloomington Students Against Assault Weapons to organize a Town Hall for Our Lives on April 7 from 6-8 pm at First United Church. An equal number of representatives from both parties were invited but only eight democratic candidates running at both the state and federal level were in attendance.
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mary cashman entertainment
coming of age in hollywood Young adult fiction has long focused on the ‘Coming of Age’ trope in some way, shape or form. From My Side of the Mountain and Julie of the Wolves to Fault in our Stars and The Outsiders, to Divergent and The Perks of Being a Wallflower, the device is often found. Not only is there often a Coming of Age arc in many books aimed at teenagers, but many movies have portrayed this theme also. Ladybird, Call Me By Your Name, Pretty in Pink, Stand By Me and many others have all explored the meaning of maturity in their respective moments. “[Coming of Age] is something new,” freshman Hannah Wesley said. It is well documented that the media has sway over society’s expectations and ideals. For many, they have derived their idea of maturity from the books and movies that tell stories that revolve around the idea of Coming of Age. “[A mature person is] someone that knows when to be serious and doesn’t take everything too literal and has a good understanding of things,” freshman Solomon Naji said. Wesley agrees.“[A mature person is] smart, they handle situations easily, and think about it alot,” Wesley said. Many stories aimed at young people also follow young leads who must contend with challenges ranging from realistic and gritty, to the fantastically perilous. The portrayals of such struggles can differ widely and be executed to varying effect, but the end goal is always the same. The main character is supposed to learn something about responsibility, inner strength, etc. and come out a stronger, more capable person, a mature person. However, for every story trying to achieve this goal, there are the beloved distractions that often grab the spotlight. For example, one of the most beloved stories about a discovery of maturity is Mean Girls. The main character, Cady, ends the story as a girl who now knows how to navigate the pressures of high school society and how to stay true to yourself. But what is usually remembered from the movie is the quotes like “We wear pink on Wednesdays”, or “You go, Glenn Coco”.
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BHSN PRESENTS
ONCE UPON A MATTRESS
rushtri chatterjea The division between the narratives produced by Hollywood and the realities of how those who portray them act are hard to miss. However, such behaviour may not be altogether untrue to the narratives that often flood the genre. In Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, the story follows a teenage boy who breaks as many rules as he possibly can in one day (car theft, stealing money from his parents, etc.). In the end, he gets away with it. He even relishes in the defeat of the principal that was trying to bring him to justice. Though these are meant to be a comedy, don’t these actions sound like a person who is out of control? Someone who is far from learning a lesson about responsibility or even how his actions affect others? In another more recent film about maturity, the titular main character Lady Bird spends most of the movie making mistakes and selfish choices. She starts smoking because her brother’s girlfriend does it. She does theater because the boy she likes does it. She lies about where she lives to make herself seem ‘cooler.’ Some things she learns from, but some things she doesn’t. When she makes it to the ‘Eastern College’ of her dreams towards the end, she continues to lie about where she’s from and it’s left open ended. The question is if she’ll continue that lie, or if she’ll let herself be proud of her roots and if she’s really ready to be mature. And yet, she’s still reached some understandings about herself and her relationships; she’s learned a little, but there’s still more that has to happen, even though she’s at a point in her life when most people would expect her to be an adult. Could it be that Coming of Age fiction doesn’t necessarily have to end with achieving maturity? Ultimately it’s unfair to expect young people to be able to act like they’re forty and have had all the development and responsibilities that come with it. Most Coming of Age books seem to understand that. The experience of being expected to be an adult when you’re not ready has been the subject of the book written, Adultolescence, by YouTuber Gabbie Hanna. “I’m reading this book Adultolescence [...] about, like that adult who never got to grow up, so you’re stuck in the middle of adult[hood] and adolescence,” Naji saidi. Any given student at North has their own personal dilemmas and issues that they wake up with every day. People grow at their own rates. YA fiction about a Coming of Age experience needs to be so varied, so our stories can try to capture the many truths out there as they can.
movies! call me by your name Luca Guadagnino’s sensual summer movie is a feast for the aesthetic senses, capturing the sleepy yet vibrant, visceral tones in its novel’s roots. With the incoming host of LGBTQ movies, Call Me By Your Name stands out as an idyllic, seductive feature, reclassifying old Hollywood’s heterosexual couples with two coltish young men. The brilliance of Mr. Guadagnino’s dive into the ravishing Italian film is the fact that it sets the typical Hollywood glamour against an atypical pair of protagonists. So, the LGBTQ community pockets a particularly aesthetic, Oscar winning film, destined to be a classic.
spider-man homecoming When Spider-Man returns home, thrilled his by adventures with the Avengers, being told to focus on being the ‘friendly neighborhood Spider-Man’ dampens his spirits undoubtedly. With the failures of the previous Spider-Man movies, Homecoming evokes a new tone in the Marvel superflick navigating itself as a fast, funny and unique film. The new, super-tech suit gifted by Iron Man, Aunt May reconfigured as a young surrogate mom and Tom Holland’s sense of boyish wonder work wonderfully well in Homecoming. Despite over enthusiastic flaws and basic plotline stumbles, the movie sits well with the new generation of Marvel fans.
ladybird Lady Bird’s comedic, fresh and lively style boosts it off the selective indie movie watchers to the attention of mainstream media. As every young person who has seen the film can relate, the movie is astonishingly grounded in reality, even the ugly parts. While most coming of age films focus exclusively within high school forces. Lady Bird tackles her relationships with parents and teachers, which are specifically strained by the looming college admission process. Including beautiful ideas, like attention is a form of love, the movie is the furthest thing from a melodrama of youth gone wild. Following the story of a high school senior trying to assert her individuality, yet being restrained by it, Lady Bird’s high reception includes two Golden Globes.
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student life
mulia hermudia
A.J Trusler, junior
Gideon Brooks, junior
Q:Since when you have played video games? A: You might not believe it, but the very first game that I’ve ever played was Pong for the Atari. Q: And you played that in the arcade? A: Yeah, the arcade. So when I was about two years old my father takes me up so I can see the screen. Q: What video game are you really good at nowadays? A: Nowadays it would be Super Smash Brothers, Call of Duty, Overwatch, and a slew of others. Q: What’s your online nickname and what’s the story behind it? A: It’s kind of funny, but my online nickname is Taco, as a kid I really liked tacos and it kind of just stuck with me, So then a lot of people just call me Taco Q What game are you really bad at? A: I’m really bad at games from the old arcade era, like Pac-Man and stuff like that. Q: should North have a video game club? A: Man, I’ve been trying to get video game club at North since my freshman year, so I’m totally on board on video game club at North.
Q: What was the first video game that you’ve ever played? A: Banjo-Kazooie for the Game Boy. I played that twelve years ago, so I was like five years old. Q: What’s your favorite video game genre? A: First-person shooters Q: Are you a solo player or do you play with your friends? A: I usually play solo, but I recently play a lot of multiplayer, especially in game Fortnite. Q: When you play with friends, would you rather play co-op or fight against each other? A: I usually play co-op. Q: What’s your favorite video game platform? A: PC. Q: What’s your online handle and what’s the story behind it? A: First Galaxy. It used to be Doggy Man because I like dogs. And then First Galaxy. My dad just gave me that name, and then I’ve been using that name a lot recently. Q: In 2018, we will expect a lot of video game releases coming out. Which video game release are you looking forward to?
A.J Trusler, junior
Gideon Brooks, junior
8. OverWatch- A team based FPS developed by a company with a named linked to snow. 9. Skyrim- Contains the iconic “force balance push.” Down 10. Pong- One of the earliest games, made by Atari. 11. Amnesia- Known early on as Lux Tenebras. 12. Street fighter- One of the highest grossing video-game franchises. 13. Braid- An indie puzzle/platformer game with mechanics centralized around time. Across 14. Mario- A legendary plumber, who fights mush1. Halo- This game, said to have evolved combat, was originally a first person shoot- rooms. er, but later branched out to the real time strategy genre. 15. Zelda- The Tale of ____: Inhalation of the 2. Tekken- Features a character whose name translates to propitious shine. untamed 3. Portal- Involves many talking robots and the promise of cake. 16. Mortal Kombat- Contains a secret character 4. Tetris- One of the most popular and played games of all time, its name is derived that wears a motion capture suit. from a greek prefix and a sport played on a court. 17. Metroid- Features a protagonist that is a merce5. Guitar Hero- A rhythm game released in 2005, with high marks from critics. nary that can roll up into a ball. 6. Sonic- Features a blue erinaceidae as a protagonist. 18. Pokemon- In the original game there were 151 7. League of Legends- Won the 1st Game Developers Online Choice Awards in 2010. different characters to collect. 7
arianna buehler CLUB FEATURE
environmental club Environmental Club could just be a group that focuses on placing recycling bins around the school and encouraging people to compost. North’s Environmental Club chooses to be more. To an outsider, it seems like` Environmental Club always has something going on. Fundraisers ranging from lip balm to honey stick flowers to soap, not only aid in their fiscal goals but also the environment. With the funds from this year, the club is happy to announce that they will be installing two water bottle fountains, one near the gym and the other in the science wing. Under the guidance of Mrs. Fuson, this club has blossomed from a recycling campaign to a fully functional operation. The club grows their own plants and sells them at the Farmer’s Market each year. Their annual trip to McCormick’s Creek helps clean up trails and draws more than 30 participants. They have decorated our halls with the blue and green bottle cap sea turtle mosaic in the science wing. The club has close to 50 members and has even grown enough to form subcommittees
to ensure each member has a task. Roles span from publicity to fundraising to finding new projects. “It’s a really fun opportunity, and it’s given me something to do for the past three years,” said Co-President Abby Fraiser. “I wish I would have done it freshman
year. It’s been really fun.” Junior Jerrett Alexander, Vice Chair of the club, joined last year. He believes that there are a lot of things we can do at the school level that will help benefit the environment on a local and global scale. “Some other clubs are kind of cliquey,
even if they try not be, and Environmental Club is actually a really good mix of all kinds of people,” Alexander said. “There are some people that are really interested in recycling and some that are really interested in working at the Farmers Market and in the garden. […] it is a really good group with a lot of people interested in it.” One way they demonstrate their interest is creatively thinking of new ways to recycle. For example, the Honors Physics classes’ boat race generated tens of pounds of cardboard and plastic wrap. Environmental Club was on the sidelines cheering on classmates and gathering the materials to recycle. They dragged the cardboard to the school’s bin and took the small pieces plastic wrap to be recycled. This fall, the club will have a huge plastic wrap give away. Any one from the school can use the wrap in the name of reduce, reuse and recycle. As with every new school year, changes are coming. Dr. Shelton will be taking over the club next year and plans on continuing the cru-
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dulce jarillo
constant change in the journalism department The world is constantly changing. The people, our leaders, ideals, the way we act. Everything changes. And just like the world around us, the journalism department has changed a lot in the past four years. The people who walk in 709 have changed. The content, the website and the way we work has changed. It’s a constant change. In the past four years, there’s been four different teachers. They’ve all been different. One had been teaching journalism for years. One was peaceful and had to work with a tiny staff. (Five students to be exact.) One had almost no background in journalism but was really into technology. And one had worked with students before and was extremely excited when he got the job. The journalism department has seen all kinds of personalities. Meeting people who aren’t exactly the same helps us grow. It’s helped us figure out how to cater to different kinds of people. So, it’s been pretty good, in that sense. But, when there isn’t consistency in one place, try ing to keep it everywhere else can be difficult. It’s possible. However, it makes it hard to grow. Having different advisors each year or semester can make ideas fall out of place. And when ideas start to fall out, people start to lose interest. When people lose interest, the amount of staff members start to fall. The major questions is, what’s making the teachers go? The thing is, we can only imagine. The teachers have been extremely overworked. When they start the job, they're expected to know so much, but it’s odd that someone would know all fields of media. So, they had to learn everything in a short amount of time and had to teach it to everyone else. It’s hard for them to teach when they barely understand the material themselves. Not to mention, they teach many classes and aren’t given enough prep. It’s work overload. It’s no wonder why they keep coming and going. What we learned to focus on instead is how to
produce something that we are proud of. Something that we are dedicated to and love. The perfect way to put our ideas and the voices of students out there. And when people are dedicated, things change. The newspaper has changed in crazy, unbelievable ways that I would have never imagined my freshman year. My first year, it was on actual newspaper and all the pictures were black and white. The 2015-2016 year, we really were dedicated to having color and including some kind of art. And we managed it, with our tiny staff of five people. In 2016-2017, the newspaper was completely renovated. Although I wasn’t on the staff, I saw the process through close friends. The newspaper Editor-in-Chief, Jacob Taylor, was extremely dedicated to making it something everyone could be proud of. He believed in everyone knowing about the world around them because it affects us. So, the old Fused newspaper turned into the new Fused newsmagazine with a glossy cover and artwork from students. Now, we have glossy pages and even created a satirical magazine this school year. Many people in this school probably don’t care about all the changes in the department as much as the journalism students do. But, it can all teach us something. As we come of age, there will be even more changes. Relationships, education, jobs, safety, health, leaders, everything will change. The world will throw new things at us when we least expect it. And, it’s scary. It can feel like a never ending pit we’re falling into. But, there is an end at the pit. Something we never imagined. Something amazing. And when we become dedicated to the growth of ourselves and others around us, change can happen. We can learn how to understand. How to handle everything that’s going on around us. When we finally do, we find our voices. We’re ready to be heard.
a look at the indiana primary On May 8th, the Indiana Primary Election took place. The polls were opened from 6am to 6pm. About 5.5% of registered voters had voted early. The Eastview Church of Nazarene was the busiest polling site in Monroe County.
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department feature
Mike Braun, Todd Rokita, and Luke Messer fought for the spot of republican U.S Senate candidate. Braun won with 41.2 percent of the votes .He will go against Joe Donnelly, the democratic candidate, in the general election which will take in November.
Liz Watson won the Democratic primary for the 9th Congressional District. She received 66.4 percent of the votes. Watson will be going against the republican representative, Trey Hollingsworth, this November for the general election.
arianna buehler, rances sheets features
North wouldn’t be where it is without the dedication of its teachers and administrators. Here are the new ones we welcomed: Mr. Abramov, math teacher, loves the diversity of North and Bloomington. “Trees, hippies and hills. It is a pretty place with lots of interesting people.” Mr. Corry, math teacher, has worked in MCCSC for 14 years. “High school students [...] can see me as someone who is willing to come alongside them rather than someone is who is talking down to them.” Mr. Stark, gym teacher, joins us from Tri-North. His favorite part is working with mature athletes who are dedicated to improvement. This year, Dr. Irwin, assistant principal, earned his PhD and won the esteemed AASA award. He appreciates “...the way the community has opened themselves up and let me step in to learn alongside them.” Mrs. McAdams has a long history with North: graduate, teacher and now an assistant principal.
mr. stark
mr. irwin
ms. miller
mr. abramov
mr. corry
(ms. davis-deckard)
3d
And to the ones moving on, North wishes you the best: Ms. Hennessy taught on and off since 2013. “I love the kids and I love my colleagues. They have really great colleagues in the English department-the best anywhere.” After six years of teaching, Ms. Miller is off to pursue a Masters in Conducting at Butler University. She achieved her goal of making the choir department a full-time job. “The kids in choir [...] are just awesome and the funniest and coolest.” Diane Davis-Deckard, aka ‘3D’, is retiring after 25 years teaching at North. She’s proud of the art department’s development. “I’ve always loved the kids and I’ve always loved the school.”
north and iu alum wins pulitzer prize Two weeks after graduating from Indiana University’s School of Journalism in 2013, former North student and founder of Fused Aliya Mood moved to Arizona to pursue a career in journalistic design. On April 16, she and her co-workers at Arizona Republic received a Pulitzer Prize for their nearly two-week full coverage of president Donald Trump’s proposed border wall between the U.S. and Mexico. Mood, who used to work as the news design team leader in Gannett’s Design Studio Phoenix, was responsible for designing much of the finished product. She credits Ryan Gunterman, a previous North journalism teacher, and his love of journalism and dedication to his students as what jump-started her career. As for professional advice, Mood says that being proactive and communicative is the best tip that she could offer to anyone hoping to pursue a career
in journalism or any other field. “Don't sit on your haunches and wait for someone to tell you what to do or how to do something,” she said. “Go do whatever it is, or learn how to do it if you don't know. You have to be the captain of your own ship, and in being that captain you have to use your common sense and best judgement.”
pc: clark hadley
Aliya Mood poses for a picture with former North journalism teacher Ryan Gunterman and Mary Tinker, the same woman from the 1996 Supreme Court Case Tinker v. Des Moines which upheld students’ right to free speech. 10
sydney piercy
we call b.s.
feature
-Bloomington On April 20th the classrooms were emptier than usual. The streets of downtown Bloomington were crowded. They were also louder, as the chants of passionate students rang powerful and pointed. Students from almost every MCCSC school, along with a few parents and community members, rallied downtown in support of common sense gun legislation and also in reverence of all those who have lost their lives to senseless gun violence. The protest was entirely student organized by students from both North and South, who formed a group known as BSAAW, which stands for Bloomington Students Against Assault Weapons. Among the founders and leaders of BSAAW were North seniors Tamara Brown, Caleb Poer, and Ruth Nall, along with junior Anne Sattler and south senior Shay Uphaday. BSAAW formed in response to the shooting at Marjorie Stone Doulgas High School in FL, and the group immediately planned a trip to Washington DC and began fundraising. They raised over 15,000 dollars and the trip was free to any student who wanted to go. The students organized and executed a trip to the national March For Our Lives in DC, and began to work towards organizing a successful walkout/protest as soon as they returned. According to North senior Tamara Brown, the drive and motivation behind these accomplishments came from a group of students who are fed up, and tired of people dying. “When the world sees the number of people coming together and asking for change, that cannot go ignored,” said Brown. Brown, along with the rest of BSAAW, knew this as they watched the Third Street Park fill with people on April 20th. The people cheered and were loud in their support of the numerous presenters who did everything from speeches, to songs, to poetry and prose. The speakers were mostly students, discussing personal connections to gun violence, giving information and statistics, and calling for action from our government at all levels. The two non-student exceptions were a brief remark from the Mayor of Bloomington, and an anything but brief closing speech from former North teacher Mr. Suggs. The speakers incited the crowd and embodied everything an educated
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and purposeful protest should be. One of the speakers was North junior Anne Sattler, who directly adressed both Todd Young and Trey Hollingsworth in her energetic speech to the community, and was an example of the power that students can harness, despite our age. “The importance of student voice at a time like this shows the current political administration and society as a whole that student voices are important because we are the ones being personally attacked by the gun violence in schools,” said Sattler. “Some students may not be the one to go and work on campaigns and post on social media their thoughts, but they still have a voice and eventually a vote. Something like the walkout can demonstrate that.” The success of the walkout made it a bittersweet event, as gun violence has wrecked the lives of many people and will probably affect many more. But the walkout also created and captured a widespread feeling of hope, and the promise of future change seemed to be a coming reality. The event brought Bloomington students and community members together for a purpose, and unity was a side effect. No one at the walkout, or the national March for Our Lives, or any other student led demonstration can any longer doubt the power and capabilities of young people, or stop the change we are going to bring to this country. The walkout ended as Brown led the group in a repeat-after-me chant.
"spread the word have you heard all across the nation we are going to be a great generation"
7,000 w o r d s photos by Frances Sheets
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abby cannon sports
bloomington Long time friends Harry Delyanis and Dylan Steele are finally finding themselves, not only as baseball players, but as leaders, and as a result, they’re able to set an example for the younger players and establish a culture of respect and positivity, two philosophies that both Steele and Delyanis embody in their games. As others in their generation are coming of age, uniting in activism, leadership, and increasing maturity, Junior baseball players Dylan Steele and Harry Delyanis are as well. Steele committed to Indiana University for the 2020 season in July of 2017, but he says that he didn’t consider playing college baseball when he first started the sport, “I was just doing it for fun, and I still play for fun, but the game has grown since I began,” said Steele. He is happy to be a role model for younger players as he goes off to play baseball at Indiana University, a dream for many young baseball players who grow up in Bloomington. North junior Harry Delyanis, who has been playing baseball since he was three years old considers himself a leader on the baseball team, but shares that he didn’t find that role until he became an upperclassman this year. “Going into this year, I really feel like I have a bigger role,” he said. Asked if they ever considered quitting baseball, Steele and Delyanis agreed that they couldn’t imagine their lives without baseball. While Steele has already committed to his hometown school for college and has a dream of playing for the St. Louis Cardinals, Delyanis has his eyes set on playing for a yet-to-be-determined high academic school after he graduates from North. Steele shares that baseball has taught him to have confidence in himself and to stay positive when faced with defeat, but he admits, “I’m still learning … I just always try to be the best that I can be.” Like his baseball idol Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout, he plays respectfully and never gloats over his success. Delyanis values baseball as a stress reliever. He explains that if he’s having a bad or stressful day, he can go hit a ball off of a tee, and it’s almost therapeutic for him. He looks up to another Angels player, Brandon Phillips, for his constant positivity on and off the baseball field. Both Steele and Delyanis’ energies are high right now, as the baseball team is currently on a winning streak, and shows no signs of digression. With these juniors’ newfound leadership skills, a new positive and respectful culture established, and their excitement and passion for the game, the future for these cougars seems bright.
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north baseball
photos by Sports Photos By Michael
tatiana huss health & We;;ness
Eating Disorders “Anorexia is the leading cause of death of all mental illnesses.”
The following article is the story of an anonymous North junior, referred to as Emily, and her experiences with eating disorders. All statistics are sourced from The Emily Project, an organization dedicated since 2007 to furthering education about eating disorders and helping individuals treat and cope with their disorders, in hopes for them to return to a normal diet and lifestyle. There are many misconceptions around eating disorders, like having one means you are always starving yourself, that you are stick thin, that you are a women and that it is only temporary. People like Emily, and organizations worldwide like The Emily Project and NEDA, are working to spread the 411 on eating disorders and help people affected get the necessary help and treatment. “It’s not something I expected to happen,” Emily said. “I don’t think anyone decides when they are three years old that ‘Oh, I want to grow up and not be able to eat properly!’ Things just happen like a puzzle. They start slow with just a few pieces linking together in the beginning, then at the end everything comes together so rapidly.”
Eating disorders of all kinds (anorexia, bulimia, binge eating and other variations) affect over 30 million Americans and 70 million people across the world. One in five women struggle with either an eating disorder. “The hardest part isn’t even having the disorder, it’s acknowledging, accepting and trying to change” said Emily. “If I told and explained my disorder to a group of people, maybe 10 percent would actually understand what the hell it is that I’m talking about,” said Jane. “People only know about anorexia and bulimia. Overeating and variations are disorders too, people!” Girls who diet frequently are “12 times more likely to binge as girls who don’t diet.”
The most common habit that will lead to an eating disorder is frequent dieting. This brings about the question of why? We are told by big corporations and celebrities that diets are meant to improve our health, give us more energy and feel better about ourselves. So how can they play such a big factor in eating disorders rates? Media is another huge factor in these statistics. When you are younger you see images of perfect, thin women on TV and in magazines, and then told
that this is what beautiful is.
Forty-two percent of first through third grade girls want to be thinner, and 81 percent of ten year olds of both genders are afraid of “being fat.” “I started my rocky relationship with food when I was young, and it rooted from my weight. I was told by my friends that I was ‘really fat’ and ‘eat like the cookie monster.’ I now see that that second comment is ridiculous, but it really hurt me at the time,” Emily said. “It made me feel subconscious about what and how much I ate in front of people. I would consume celery sticks at school, but then binge on whatever fatty, sugary junk food I could find when I got home.” The most common form of bullying in schools is about body size and appearance. Men constitute 40 percent of the population that have a binge eating disorder, leaving women to make up the remaining 60 percent. The want to be thinner starts young, but continues through adulthood. “I know many adult women who have eating disorders. It isn’t something you can just grow out of,” Emily said. This statement stands true. Middle aged women are the fastest growing segment of the population being diagnosed with eating disorders. Forty-five percent of American women are on a diet any given day, with American men at 25 percent Eating disorders don’t only take over your nutrition, but your wallet, also. On average $40 billion is spent on dieting or diet related products. “The saving grace for most is when you finally tell someone. That’s really the difference of surviving and losing yourself to the illness,” said Emily. “There are places you can go, people who you can talk to, that can and want to help you. Let them. It is something you can work through. You will never be alone.”
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Abby cannon editorial
march for our lives With Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Student Cameron Kasky’s powerful words Saturday, “Welcome to the revolution,” so began a new era. Not only was our generation coming of age, but a new political force was being unleashed. More than 50 students from Bloomington High Schools North and South walked in the March for Our Lives in Washington, D.C., on Saturday, one of 839 marches worldwide. Our message was clear: Young students are dying in mass shootings, and it’s time for a new generation to step up. Our generation is one of social media and smartphone users, but by attacking this issue head-on, we have broken those stereotypes, placing our bodies on the line in a visible protest space, just as so many (too many) students’ bodies have been under fire in school. This is our issue. It’s real. “They always try to say our generation is lacking,” said North senior Caleb Poer to our group once we exited the metro station. “But look at where we are now!” The reality hit us. To our right, we could see the Capitol building, and to our left, the Washington Monument. There was immediate excitement among the group as we chanted and held up our signs. Poer, perched on a granite barrier wall, addressed us through an electric bullhorn, which he would use all day to start enormous crowd chants and deliver a brief speech reminding us why we were there. Hours later, the official program began with a crowd-led countdown to its noon start with a video about the school shooting epidemic. The crowd booed each politician in the video offering nothing but “thoughts and prayers,” and loudly cheered our
movement’s new heroes, especially Parkland student Emma Gonzalez. Inspirational speakers and performers took the stage, bringing tears to our eyes. Edna Chavez, a high school student from Los Angeles, spoke about the loss of her older brother; Zion Kelly, a student from Washington, D.C., told about the loss of his twin brother and criticized lawmakers’ inaction. Lastly, Yolanda King, the 9-year-old granddaughter of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., spoke about her dream: “I have a dream that enough is enough, and that this should be a gun-free world. Period.” The tears kept falling as Miley Cyrus joined the crowd in singing her song, “The Climb.” Finally, Jennifer Hudson finished the incredible program with a cover of Bob Dylan’s 1960s protest anthem, “The Times They are a-Changin’.” But the moment I will never forget was Parkland student Emma Gonzalez standing in silence during her speech for more than six minutes, marking the length of time it took for all 17 lives to be taken at Parkland. The moment left us all in powerful thought. Like others, I reflected on all of it. The stories I had heard, the lives taken, and I let out a few more tears for the victims. And then it hit me. We were doing something about it. It was a coming- of-age experience I will never forget. Poer wastes no time placing blame for the current predicament and declaring the size of our task ahead. “The adults have failed us,” he said. “What we are as a unit is a wave. To be silent is to be compliant, and to be compliant with the deaths of kids is the most un-American thing I can think of.”
reprinted with permission from herald times 15
donovan seymour satire
scientists reinvent the wheel In a break-through revelation scientists based in Bloomington have attempted to do something never thought possible: reinvent the wheel. In an announcement published in a renowned scientific journal “The Atom’s Almanac”, a group of 31 scientists have started to work on a solution to a problem that has presented itself within the last millennium. “As we all know there are problems with the wheel. It’s round, which is alright, but it can get a little slippery out there sometimes. What we’re trying to do is create the perfect way to get a transport moving.” said Dr. Theo R. Emmanuel. “It’s a great shape... but it’s not as streamlined as it could be. What we’re trying to make is not circular at all. It’s sort of angular; made up of several different lines, all put together into one brand new shape never before seen. It’s not as complicated as a hexagon or a Zocchihedron, but it still impressive in its simplicity.” The scientists took a survey of 415 car owners, and
found that 92% of them thought that wheels could be made better. 65 of the surveyed people said they didn’t have a car, and 358 said that they cared deeply about the state of their car’s wheels. Reportedly the think tank of scientists made a breakthrough last week, and to celebrate they made and consecutively ate a pie
Of course, these scientists aren’t the only ones to have tried to solve this conundrum. 23 years ago eight scientists thought they could crack the egg that is this complicated subject. They tried using all manner of objects, from gerbil wheels to banana peels. None of those worked though, which begs the question how did this all start in the first place? Well leading researchers have tracked this all down to our long gone ancestors, when an ancient arms race led to the creation of the first wheel attached to the first chariot. It was piloted by the neanderthals and pulled by the grand mammoth. They hunted saber-toothed tigers and even the mighty T-rex, when times were especially dire. This didn’t last of course, as the main problem shaped in the new wheel’s image. A statement was not the rambunctious mammoth, nor the deadly released by the group said: “We are proud to say that we estimate this prey they hunted. It was, in new type of wheel will be tested and ready for fact, the wheel. retail sometime by the year 9793. Thank you all for your patience and support.”
BHSN Blackbox Theater 2018-19 Season Playlist “The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Abridged” by Adam Long “Stop Kiss” by Diana Son “Steel Magnolias” by Robert Harling “Peter and the Starcatcher” by adapted by Rick Elice “The Little Mermaid” by Doug Wright 16
Green grass under toe Flowers peeking through soft leaves Birds chirp, sweet and clean.
Beauty in Bloom
Outside in Spring Poem by: Indigo Wolf, freshman*
Fused Spring Literary Magazine
Green grass under toe Flowers peeking through soft leaves Birds chirp, sweet and clean.
Soar and Sink Poem by: Tracy Lamptey, senior* “Hikari� By: Dylan Newten, junior
Drawing By: Pegah Smiley, senior
I want to soar at the highest peak along with the birds Free of stress Free of burdens Free of responsibilities Just Soar Among the beautiful clouds In the blue bright and beautiful sky I want to sink to the lowest valley Be playing in the dirt Be held down bythe gravity of life dreams goals But also, be a child again Be carefree Be free I want to do both Soar and Sink
Painting By: Bella Brown-Sparks, junior
Gossamer Poem By: Arthur Hertz, junior* Ambitious but lame in cravings for fame the hummingbird’s wings far too heavy to soar
“Won’t Get Fooled Again” By: Sierra Bowman, senior*
Painting By: Bronwen Deckard, freshman
for no matter how daring or exceptional or wonderful these quicksilver filaments seem slated to be worn through undue tribulations an observer’s machinations what a travesty that obsession overtakes these young minds dreams of soaring from the children from the nest they rise naked driven to the precipice a bird born to fly
A Moment Poem By: Gabriel Norris, freshman If I could have a moment of your time - just a second, just a minute Just however long it takes to get your attention before this moment slips through your grasping hands like water. As you stumble blindly through the unmarked graves of what could have been - your eyes unseeing, your heart unfeeling You let this moment slip past you like the moment before it, and like the moment after; Forever searching for what isn’t there. * To see more works by these students visit: bloomingtonnorthfused.org
Drawing By: Bronwen Deckard, freshman
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