The Oracle: Issue 7

the

columbus east’s student newspaper april 18, 2016 | volume 44, issue 7

| pg 2 superintendent | pg 3 editorial | pg 4-7 partying | pg 8-9 party evolution | pg 10 painkillers | pg 11 media & partying | pg 12-13 marijuana | pg 14-15 heroin | pg 16-17 drug testing & consequences of alcohol | pg 18-19 sports | pg 20-21 senior projects | pg 22-24 arts & poetry |

[the oracle | april 18, 2016 | news | page 2

BCSC Announces New Superintendent of Schools

by Corbin Parmer

Following the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation Board meeting on April 11, a new Superintendent of Schools has been chosen to replace the current Superintendent, Dr. John Quick. The newly chosen Superintendent, who has known and worked with Quick for several years, is Dr. Jim Roberts. Roberts is the current Superintendent of Schools for the Batesville Community School Corporation.

According to Dr. Jill Shedd, president of the BCSC Board of School Trustees, many things were taken into consideration when selecting candidates for the open position.

“We were respectful of what the community told us they wanted in the survey and interviews we conducted, and that was that the leader of our school corporation would be a collaborative partner of the community,” Shedd said.

“We, as a board, be-

Editor in Chief Rebecca Smith Editor of Content Kennedi Satterfield Designers Irma Bruce Levi Copas Reilly Jones Oscar Richter Brooke Williams Adviser Scott Duncan

Dr. Jim Roberts socializes before being officially announced as BCSC’s new superintendent. | photo by Rebecca Smith lieve that our school corporation is already doing great things, so we were looking for an individual who would build on our strengths, and take us to even newer or greater places.”

The Batesville Community School Corporation is much smaller than Bartholomew Consolidated. Transitioning between the sizes will be a challenge for Roberts, especially when connecting and tying himself with the student body.

“When I look at the size [of Batesville], the small buildings and how

my office is set up, I can walk across the parking lot and be in our high school in five minutes,” Roberts said.

“I know that Dr. Quick gets out in the [BCSC] buildings quite often, and so I’ll look to him as to how he has been able to manage his responsibilities as Superintendent while still interacting in the buildings. I am anxious to be able to be out and about in the evenings to witness the various activities.”

Roberts is no stranger to Columbus. He, his wife and his three daughters lived in Columbus for 11 years before moving to Batesville. He attended Indiana University and during his senior year in 1987, he was a student teacher at Columbus East. He focused on math education at IU, and he said he always thought he would be a teacher and a coach.

“I had wonderful teachers as a high school student, and I

the

columbus east’s student newspaper newspaper staff

Reporters Elizabeth Albertson Lillian Hilderbrand Corbin Parmer Karli Reynolds MacKenzie Brown Michaela Landis Abigail Larken Josie Royer Caleb Davidson Natalie Glaid Austin Lewis Natalie Ryan Isaac Harper Maggie Lewis Bailey Schroeder Jacob Harpring Erin Louden Lauren Schumacher Nicole Hendrickson Sam Newell Caroline Steinrock

was an athlete so I had wonderful coaches. From that experience I knew I wanted to teach and coach,” Roberts said.

He first began teaching and coaching at Hauser High School.

While there, he was influenced by strong school administrators.

“I appreciated the job they did, and so I decided that being a school administrator would be a neat thing to do, and I thought that I could expand the impact on the number of students I had to work with.”

“As a teacher I had the students in my classes, as a coach I had the students on my team, but as a principal I had the whole student body,” Roberts said.

He then moved to Batesville and worked his way up through assistant principal and principal positions, and then pursued a doctorate degree in Educational Leadership.

[For full story, see CEHSnews.com]

Editor of Design Kira Singer Editor of CEHS News Bryn Eudy Social Media Ben Allen Julie Connor Caleb Kinnaird Tanner McFall

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See staff profiles on CEHSnews.com

page 3 | editorial | april 18, 2016 | the oracle]

The Oracle Editorial Policy The Oracle is a public forum where students make all decisions of content and design without review from teachers, advisors or administrators. Because school officials do not engage in prior review, the student staff members assume complete legal and financial liability for the content of their products.

The Oracle is protected by and bound to the principles of the First Amendment as well as other protections and limitations granted by the Constitution and the various laws and court decisions implementing those principles.

The Oracle staff members aim to report all coverage ethically and equally as determined by Society of Professional Journalists and the National Scholastic Press Association’s Code of Ethics.

The adviser will not act as a censor or determine content, but instead offer advice and instruction, following the Code of Ethics for Advisers established by the Journalism Education Association. Final content decisions will remain the responsibility of the staff, not the adviser.

Because The Oracle is purely a student-run news forum, the views and opinions of the staff do not reflect those of teachers, advisers or administrators of Columbus East or the Bartholomew Consolidated School Corporation.

Stories in the form of, and labeled as, an opinion piece are solely the views of the student who wrote the story.

The Oracle will not avoid publishing a newsworthy story solely because of possible controversy. The staff will also not publish a story solely to sensationalize and cause controversy. The Oracle will use profanity only when it is essential to the story. Profanity will not be used merely for the sake of profanity. Photos will not be electronically altered in a way that would deceive the readers. Photo illustrations are acceptable in the event that they better communicate or illustrate the story’s concept or message and will be labeled as such.

The Oracle is a member of the Indiana High School Press Association and the National Scholastic Press Association.

The Oracle practices ethical journalism by providing balanced and fair coverage as determined by community standards. The Oracle strives to achieve 100 percent accuracy by checking sources, spelling and quotes and attaining multiple sources. If a mistake does occur, The Oracle will correct it, and notify its readers of the mistake if it is not caught before distribution.

The Oracle encourages letters to the editor, but reserves the right to reject them for reasons including but not limited to lack of space, multiple letters of the same topic and personal attacks contained in the letter. The Oracle will not edit for content, but reserves the right to ask contributors to edit for grammar and length. Letters should be submitted to room C257 or sent via e-mail to cehsnews@gmail.com. All letters must be signed by all persons involved in writing the letter, which the staff will check for validation. A letter sent via e-mail must be validated with a signature from the writer before The Oracle will publish it. If responding to a publication, letters must be turned in within one week of that publication’s distribution.

Editorial: Alcohol and Drug Use in the East Community According to the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 23 percent of those between the ages of 12 and 20 reported consuming alcohol in the past 30 days.

The 2013 Monitoring the Future survey says that 23 percent jump to 39 percent when targeting 12th graders.

Alcohol and drug use in teenagers can not only have health consequences, but also legal consequences. Alcohol consumption is illegal for those under the age of 21, and the use of drugs such as marijuana and heroin is illegal for all individuals in Indiana.

Yet, teens ignore the risks and choose to put their lives and futures in danger by using these substances.

Because of the alarming and illegal actions of many teens today, The Oracle decided to investigate the alcohol and drug use in the Columbus community.

This issue of The Oracle contains many articles uncovering the truth of teen alcohol and drug use. We conducted surveys at Columbus East, and the results showing how many students consumed illegal substances were shocking.

The Oracle has interviewed student drug users, student alcohol consumers, and members of the community who help those struggling with

substance abuse in their careers.

We reveal the truth about long time heroin users and the consequences of their actions.

We also investigate the reasons students and members of the community use marijuana and discuss the effects the drug can have on their bodies over time.

As drug use and alcohol consumption is especially prohibited by student athletes, we interviewed the BCSC Student Coordinator regarding the random drug testing conducted at BCSC schools.

Throughout these investigative articles, anonymous sources are used.

These unnamed sources allow The Oracle to provide true information regarding illegal activity while protect the source from legal repercussions.

The purpose of this investigation into alcohol and drug abuse is not to encourage or condone the use of drugs or the consumption of alcohol, but rather to realistically show the number of users and the consequences of their actions at Columbus East and in the surrounding community.

For any questions, comments or concerns regarding these articles, their content or their validity, please contact The Oracle staff by emailing cehsnews@gmail.com.

[the oracle | april 18, 2016 | feature | page 4

page 5 | feature | april 18, 2016 | the oracle]

how many times in the past two months that East students have done illegal substances

which substances East students have tried in the past two months*

none once or twice three or four times five or six times seven or more times

62% of East students have been to a party with underage drinking in their lives

*more than one drug could be selected on survey all data complied from a survey of 161 anonymous East students

[the oracle | april 18, 2016 | feature | page 6

Teenage Partying Comes with Consequences

by Karli Reynolds As teenage partying continues to increase, so do fatal crashes due to alcohol. Members of the BCSC staff and the Columbus EMT/ Paramedic team share their opinions and experiences on why teens should steer clear from alcohol and other illegal substances.

The people. The anticipation. The party.

For decades teens have been using partying as a way to boost their social standing and relax with their friends.

Although the majority of these parties cause negative repercussions the next day, these consequences do not stop teens from raising their glasses.

“There is nothing wrong with a party. Fellowship and fun are a part of life.

But, partying with alcohol and substances can put anyone in harm’s way.”

-Larry Perkinson The controversy surrounding teenage partying is simple: underage drinking and drug use on developing brains is neither safe nor smart.

The National Center on Addiction and Drug Abuse found that a third of teens and nearly half of 17 year olds attend house parties where teens are consuming alcohol, smoking marijuana or using cocaine or some type of prescription drug. By the age of 18, 70 percent of teens have had at least one drink.

Typically teens do not drink alcohol every day, but when they do, they tend to binge drink. For many, drinking to reach intoxication is the norm.

One anonymous student has been attending parties virtually every weekend for the past year.

“I would describe myself as a partier because I go to parties often to drink and have a good time with my friends. My favorite thing is making funny memories and just having fun,” she said.

Although it is true that these parties may be fun, they are filled with many illegal, unsafe and reckless behaviors.

Additionally, the possibility of getting caught and having to deal with real-life consequences always exists.

“I haven’t gotten caught. If I did I could potentially lose my scholarships, so I have to be careful,” the anonymous student said.

Along with good times, she has had bad ones as well.

“The worst experience I've had was when I took a drink from a random guy, and I don't remember anything else that happened after that,” she said.

BCSC Student Assistance Coordinator Larry

Perkinson has worked within the community for over 25 years and Larry Perkinson continues to advocate against teen partying.

Perkinson previously worked in the classroom and with athletics for 20 years. He always had an awareness and interest in substance abuse and when Phil Wasmuth, an Indiana pioneer in that area retired, Perkinso applied to be involved in the effort.

“A year later, my daughter April died at a college alcohol party. Instead of leaving the position when that happened, I have tried to be more involved in prevention work,” Perkinson said.

Perkinson works with schools and families in the community to create barriers and interrupt involvement in athletic, social and extra-curricular activities. Specifically, he works with incidents involving tobacco, alcohol and substance abuse.

“There is nothing wrong with a party.

Fellowship and fun are a part of life. But, partying with alcohol and sub-

stances can put anyone in harm's way,” Perkinson said.

Perkinson urges students attending a party where illegal activities are taking place to ask themselves a few questions: “Ask what you gain or lose when you use alcohol. What are the benefits? What are the costs? Ask who loves you and what would they say if they knew what you were doing,” Perkinson said.

Someone who has seen the first-hand effects of alcohol and drugs on adolescents is the Emergency Medical Technicians, or EMTs of Columbus. As they are first on scene at the time of an accident, they constantly witness the outcome of poor decisions made by teens.

Jake Ellis, a paramedic working in Seymour, tells teens to keep in mind the consequences procurable when making substandard decisions.

“I think first and foremost I would tell teenagers who plan on consuming alcohol and using drugs not to do it.

That is the best option: to just not do it. But if you are going to do it, do it somewhere safe, do it somewhere where you aren’t moving from place

page 7 | feature | april 18, 2016 | the oracle]

Members of the Columbus EMT/Paramedic team from left: Steve LaRue, Johna Wilson, Captain Dave Thompson, Joe Clark and Charlie Campbell. | photo by Bailey Schroeder to place. If you’re drinking, stay at the party and deal with the repercussions in the morning, don’t leave,” Ellis said.

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, one in five teen drivers involved in fatal crashes had alcohol in his or her system. Most of these had blood alcohol levels higher than the legal limit for adults.

Paramedic and EMT Joe Clark encourages teens to think before getting into the car after they have been drinking.

“You have to think about it like this: if you’re driving and are intoxicated and you kill someone then you could be in prison for the rest of your life because that is considered vehicular manslaughter.

That is one thing that really shocks me because some teenagers who are new to driving go out and get drunk and then get in a wreck or injure someone and their life is over. Having that on your conscience as a teenager is something I can’t imagine,”

Clark said.

Clark’s coworker, Johna Wilson, believes that one of the biggest mistakes teens make is posting about their night out.

“Kids don’t look at the big picture. They think that it’s not going to happen to them and then they don’t think about the social media part of it. When you go to get a job now, they look at your social media.

If they see those kinds of things, there’s no way you’re going to get hired.

Everyone is judging you.

You have to look at the big picture of things,” Wilson said.

The Los Angeles Times found that alcohol continues to be the number one drug used and abused by young people in the United States.

Deaths are becoming more and more common.

Think before getting in the car with someone who has been drinking.

Think about how you could be portrayed by others before pressing the post button. Don’t be a lost opportunity. Be an exception.

Alcohol is the number 1 drug consumed and abused by teenagers Info: The Los Angeles Times

[the oracle | april 18, 2016 | feature | page 8

Through the Decades: The Evolution of Partying compiled by MacKenzie Brown The partying scene has changed over the years dramatically.

It has evolved from from bonfires to sock hops to getting wasted or high. From the past to the present, technology has made an impact on partying activities. Throughout the years, the immense consumption

of drugs and alcohol has caused it to be the third leading lifestyle-related cause of death in the nation.

At parties, an individual can have fun while being cautious of what is around them. Decideing to drink at parties can have immediate consequences such

as dizziness, memory loss, slurred speech, nausea, intense headaches, sensitivity to noise, poor judgement and impaired coordination and dexterity.

Additionally, deciding to use drugs can result in an increased heart rate, personality and mood changes, memory distortion,

panic, anxiety and sensory distortion.

For this reason, any person at a party should enter the event knowing the risks of their potential actions, which can include legal repercussions if the individual is caught drinking under the legal age or using illegal drugs.

‘60s

Priscilla Brown: ”When I was in high school, there were lots of dances. We had the sock hop, sweater hop [and] bonfires in the fall before football games. There was no drinking. Outside of school, we did everything as a group. We would go ice skating, bowling, swimming – we would just have fun.

Around senior year, that’s when drinking was allowed at age 18.”

‘70s

Karen Nading: “There were a lot of parties. We had a lot of dances after ball games, we would go to Jerry’s (a popular restaurant) and drive the strip. I don’t remember a lot of parties, but one I went to they had drunks. Strawberry Bon Farm was big but I never participated. There wasn’t a lot [of peer pressure]. I don’t believe I was ever peer pressured, but I do know there was some going on.”

Karen Nading, the Family and Consumer Sciences teacher at East, mentions how parties have changed from when she was in high school in the 1970s. While she did not experience a lot of peer pressure going on during the school day, she did know of people partying while drunk. Nading mentions how most of the activities were dances after sporting events like football games. | photo by MacKenzie Brown

Info: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

page 9 | feature | april 18, 2016 | the oracle]

‘80s

Anonymous: “Partying then was definitely the beginning of drugs. I remember there being a lot of alcohol as well but I wasn’t a big drinker. One thing that mattered was having a good time and never having a boring moment. I did some things just because of peer pressure. I wish I didn’t.”

‘90s

Anonymous: “When I was in high school, I remember there being parties all the time. There was tons of alcohol and underage drinking. Some people were people that nobody new. There was a lot of peer pressure going on with alcohol at the parties.”

‘00s

Jill Gant: “I wasn’t big on the partying scene, just because I knew there would be drinking and drugs. When I did party, I wouldn’t touch the drugs, but I did drink a little bit, just not the point where I didn’t know what I was doing.”

‘10s

Sydney Brown: “In high school, it was just hanging out with a large group of friends. I was into parting with friends. We would just drink [and] have a good time. One thing that I remember was we would be doing stupid things.”

‘16

Anonymous: “Typically there’s a lot of loud music. Some of the crowd that drinks and some of the crowd smokes weed. But there’s also good parties that are supervised and people have songs and bonfires.

[the oracle | april 18, 2016 | feature | page 10

Students Use of Painkillers at School Against Policy

by Erin Louden

Painkillers such as Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Aleve and Midol are prohibited on the school premises. Not only may students not consume these medicines without the approval of the school nurse, students may not carry these medicines in their backpacks. Despite these rules, students admit taking medicines while at school, sometimes in front of teachers.

Anonymous sophomore girl “I usually will bring Ibuprofen to school just in case I’m ever in pain throughout the day. I think it’s okay to bring to school; I’ve never been caught taking them and I think even if I was, teachers wouldn’t really care too much.”

Anonymous junior girl “I take painkillers to school occasionally when I’m hurting. I have used them in front of teachers and they don’t say anything. I think it’s because they know that in high school we are old enough to be responsible to take the medicine when we need it.”

Anonymous freshman boy “I don’t bring any painkillers to school simply just because I don’t usually need them, but if I ever got to the point where I was in bad pain for some reason I would use them in class or whenever I needed them. I think most of us know how to use them safely anyway.”

From the Handbook “No student may provide any substance to any other student, by sale or any other means, which is represented to be a narcotic drug, hallucinogenic drug, amphetamine, barbiturate, marijuana, alcoholic beverage, stimulant, inhalant, legend drug, depressant, or intoxicant of any kind.”

page 11 | feature | april 18, 2016 | the oracle]

Movies Show Evolving Party Atmosphere

by Sam Newell Everybody seems to like a good party movie.

After all, who wouldn’t want to watch a bunch of awkward adolescents consume obscene amounts of alcohol or do an obscene amount of drugs?

However, along with the times, parties have changed drastically, and this is especially evident upon comparing two fairly recent films containing party scenes.

When one compares the parties of the past with the parties of the present (Think “The Great Gatsby” vs “Project X”), a few common denominators stand out.

An abundance of alcohol has always been the cornerstone to wild parties, and is an attribute that filmmakers have taken into account when depicting the wild get-togethers of past and present.

Music, dancing and social interaction also take center-stage, but stylistically have all evolved from the roaring 20s.

Musically, society seems to have taken a turn for the worst when it comes to songs that are deemed socially acceptable to play at parties. What was once a plethora of jazzy and upbeat instrumentals has manifested into low-key trap raps performed by a sellout with a snare drum. Artists traded their cymbals for synthesizers, and the result has been a wave of

deadpan, soulless, and repetitive music from which to enjoy parties.

Hand-in-hand with music comes dancing.

As depicted in “The Great Gatsby,” swing dancing was hugely popular and even came to define, in part, the roaring 20s themselves.

order to grind one’s way through songs advocating drug use, underage drinking and sexual intercourse.

The parties of the roaring 20s involved breaking prohibition laws in order to have fun and kick back. Modern-day parties involve

Going in tandem with the upbeat music, swing dancing was an energy-infused way to let off some steam.

As party music has changed, the dance floor has evolved faster than a Pikachu with a thunder stone. New dances have emerged in the form of grinding and ‘the whip’. These movements convey a completely different sense of what a party is supposed to be, and how social interactions are supposed to happen.

Instead of a classy conversation over champagne, interaction at modern parties are sexually-charged forays onto the dance floor in

much of the same; drug use, alcohol, music and dancing.

However, the attitude of partygoers has changed drastically. In the past, laws and rules were simply obstructing the real fun.

Nowadays, the process of breaking the laws and rules is regarded as the real fun. Maybe one day, society will revert back to the golden days of classy party going. In the meantime, be sure to catch the sequel to “Project X”, which is due to be released sometime in 2016.

Partying Psychology

by Natalie Ryan

When teenagers are exposed to references of partying, binge drinking and drug use in visual and audio media, they are more likely to engage in such activities without fully processing the action.

This is due to the development of the prefrontal cortex, which deals with decision making and deductive reasoning in the brain, especially concerning “risk and reward” type behaviors.

After viewing drunken party scenes in movies, teenagers are likely to forget health and legal consequences, and instead associate drinking and drug use with Hollywood’s action-packed farces, or the reward.

Throughout middle adolescence, the prefrontal cortex is at the height of its development, making teenagers vulernable to potentially self-destructive risk taking, which movies, music and social media encourage.

Additionally, teens are less likely to even see negative effects in the first place due to the ease of which social media users can craft misleading stories for their followers.

One may post a picture of a seemingly blockbuster worthy party, simply crop out any unwanted aspects, and their followers’ developing minds will disregard what is not directly in front of them, perhaps triggering the desire to have one themselves.

[the oracle | april 18, 2016 | feature | page 12

Marijuana Effects on the Adolescent Brain

by Karli Reynolds

Mature and developing brains are affected by marijuana in different ways. Here, The Oracle shows the effects of chronic marijuana use on the teenage brain and body.

Marijuana has its strongest effects on adolescents whose brains are still developing and have yet to fully mature.

Imaging studies done on adolescents show that those who regularly use marijuana displayed impaired neural connectivity in certain regions of the brain that control learning, memory and impulse control.

Frequent impersistent marijuana use in adolescents resulted in a loss of eight IQ points. Adults who began regularly using marijuana lost no IQ points.

Smoke on This compiled by Julie Connor

Side effects of marijuana use change with time as the usage increases.

Here, The Oracle lays out the drug’s side effects in a timeline.

Immediate

As the average person ages, he loses neurons in the hippocampus, which decreases his ability to learn new information. Regular tetrahydrocannabinol, also known as THC, exposure kills these cells in the hippocampus, as if someone were aging.

Coughing Burning Sensation

page 13 | feature | april 18, 2016 | the oracle]

Marijuana Used for Medical, Recreational Reasons

by Josie Royer

Seizures

There are many reasons as to why a person chooses to use marijuana on a regular basis. Here, The Oracle highlights a few.

Marijuana, as most people know, decreases pain and nausea, two common symptoms of anxiety.

Harvard Medical School even suggests,

“...the drug’s benefits include anxiety reduction which improves the mood and acts as a sedative when given the proper dosage.”

The only negative side effect of using marijuana to treat anxiety disorders is taking too high of a dose. If this happens, marijuana can have the opposite effect, causing paranoia and making the anxiety worse.

Although most strains of marijuana do cause “the munchies,” according to attn.com,

“The rate of obesity and diabetes among weed smokers is dramatically reduced compared to non-marijuana users.”

The levels of insulin and blood sugar levels of marijuana users were also better than average and their bodies tend to have a healthier response to sugar intake.

Fatigue Slow Motor Skills Numbness Persistent Red Eyes Increased Hunger Difficulty Focusing

Hour or So After

5-20 Minutes After

Helps With Your Metabolism and Your Body’s Reaction to Sugar Intake

The Epilepsy Foundation completely supports physician directed care, and exploring and advocating all potential treatment options for epilepsy, including cannabidiol, also known as CBD oil and medical marijuana.

The tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, controls the seizures by binding the brain cells responsible for controlling excitability and regulating relaxation.

In almost all cases, users have reported a serious decrease in seizures, and in one case went from 300 seizures a week to only seven.

Recreational

Although there are many medical reasons for the use of marijuana, it’s no surprise that many use it for recreation.

Marijuana has a relaxing effect that can help with stress and any other troubles.

An anonymous senior at East says he was seventeen years old when he first used marijuana.

“After the first few times doing it, I couldn’t move and I didn’t want to do anything. Now when I do it I can do mostly everything I would do on a daily basis.”

Like most teen users, he uses marijuana simply for his own enjoyment.

“I use it for fun. I do not need it at all.”

Paranoia Nausea and Vomiting Elevated Blood Pressure Respiratory Inflammatory Symptoms Decreased Testosterone Levels in Men

Long Term

Anxiety

Marijuana can help prevent epileptic seizures, or at the very least it can help keep them under control.

According to Seed 2 Cure, a website for sharing personal testimonies about marijuana use,

Increased Prolactin Levels in Women Gum Disease Depression

[the oracle | april 18, 2016 | feature | page 14

Drugs’ Effect on a Columbus Family

by Corbin Parmer Editor’s Note: In an effort to preserve anonymity, no names have been mentioned in this article.

A woman lives with her husband and her biological son in an average sized, three bedroom and two bathroom ranch-style home towards the outskirts of city limits.

“My husband and I have been together for 34 years. We’ve had our ups and downs,” she said. “But the biggest thing we had to deal with was our adopted son.

We took him in around the age of 10.”

She explained that she and her husband decided to take him in after years of trying to have another baby of their own.

“We tried for a very long time, and I just could not get pregnant.

We saw what he was dealing with, so we decided to do the Christian thing and adopt him.”

He spent the first decade of his life being passed around from home to home. His biological parents had wild years and they did not want the child. He was originally sent to his single grandmother, who was almost too old to care for the young boy.

“He was not abused,” his mother said. “He was fed well, and had a nice, warm bed to sleep in every night, but we knew he wasn’t getting what was best for him.”

His adopted family

looked down upon drugs and other illegal activity, worked hard to stay ahead and worshipped Jesus.

This man was very well taken care of all through his childhood after the adoption, and only had to do the average amount of chores to help out around the house, as any strong, fit boy around his age did.

As he entered high school, he became curious about marijuana,

which was sparked by the people he hung around with at school.

They told him all about the feelings it would give him and the effects it would cause. They told him it would make him feel great, everything would be funny and he would get the munchies.

They said he would fly high and kiss the sky.

Naturally, this man was drawn to the sound of the drug. He wanted to try it out, and he did.

This led the man down a long, twisted road, that led to a faceful of dirt and cold metal

on his wrists.

“All through his life, and especially as a teenager, this man was a rebel. He fought authority to no end, and no matter how many times he seemed to be in the deepest hole possible, he somehow found a way to keep digging,” his mother said.

He lied, cheated, stole and broke the rules over and over again. It seemed to never stop.

His parents did all they could to bring an end to it. They shamed him, grounded him and took away his freedoms until he started to straighten up. Which, of course,

he never really did.

His parents never beat him. They never hit him, they never yelled past the point that is acceptable for what he did and they never did anything health or life-threatening whatsoever. They really loved the boy, so did what they had to do, as any parent or guardian would, to get the behavior to stop.

His parents, who grew up in the 1970s, were no strangers to mind-altering drugs like marijuana. They knew the scent, they knew the signs and they knew this boy of theirs was delving

into it.

They once again did all they could to stop the drug usage, to put an end to it and make him see why no good came from drugs in the long run.

“My husband and I are very educated on marijuana. It was actually kind of scary how much of our teen selves we saw in him. We rebelled in the same ways at that age, and we knew just what he was thinking, but he didn’t know that,” she said.

This boy saw the drugs in a different way.

He saw the drugs as a beacon of communication and an easy escape from the harsh realities of suburban life in a middle class family.

His parents knew they could not simply talk him out of this activity, so they began to use more force. They took the drugs from his room at night and destroyed them, they patted him down as he left for school in the morning and they even went to the extensive measure of contacting his dealer to say hello.

“One night we went into his room and got on his phone to check his messages. We saw a conversation between him and some other guy he was going to buy pot from the next day.

We called him. The next day, after the deal was supposed to go down, my son didn’t smell like weed. He got no weed

page 15 | feature | april 18, 2016 | the oracle] because there was no deal. We spooked his dealer, and that entertained us,” she said.

His mother and father, however, did much more to help him than just end one deal. His mother went to every single school meeting that regarded his behavior, his grades and his future. She looked for opportunities for him, even looking into boarding school or the military. His father handled almost all disciplinary actions, and he tried to teach his son good ethics, life lessons and the importance of family.

As he continued to age, behave poorly and fail classes, the son decided he had had enough of rules. He no longer wanted to be led, forced to work or attend school.

He sacrificed the safety and comfort of his home to live on the streets, doing whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted.

“His grades and his behavior were so bad that he almost had to choose to drop out of

school to avoid being kicked out,” she said.

“His dad offered him a cleaning and sorting job where he worked, which he did not like whatsoever. One day, after he turned 18, he got up and left. He said he wanted to do his own thing. Those were his actual words. So he got on his bike and rode off, with nothing more than the clothes on his back.”

On his own on the streets, he kept up the drug use and began using more hardcore drugs. His addiction led to meth and then to heroin.

This man failed to realize and understand what he forced his parents, along with other family members, to go through for him. He failed to see the sacrifices that were taken, the lengths that were traveled the time spent attempting to fix his situations and the pull for him from the hole he dug for himself.

This man’s life is an example of how drugs

can shatter a life into pieces, with the shards stabbing into the lives of other sitting closeby. The drugs took hold, took control and refused to loosen grip.

This man is now sitting in Bartholomew County Jail, waiting for a court date that will determine his future. The evidence the county holds and the pile of previous charges and parole inflictions from the past all point towards him having a great chance of being in prison for a long time.

The Effects of Heroin on East Students In the last few years, hardcore drugs such as heroin, meth and cocaine have made an arrival in Columbus, and have become more popular.

Sadly, these drugs have affected many Columbus lives and families, which have even spread to students at East.

These students have come out to talk about their drug-affected family members, but have

chosen to stay anonymous. These are their stories.

One student spoke about his aunt and her addiction.

“She was on [heroin] for a while, and then she got off of it for a while, and now I think she’s back on it. She had to divorce her husband and now she works at a really low paying job. She lost full custody of her kids, and now they can only come over for short

visits. She takes all their toys and pawns them off to get money for more drugs. [My family] has tried to reach out and stop her, but she refuses the help. Her ex-husband is glad to be away from her and he has sort of tried to start a new life to help his kids.”

Another student spoke about his cousin, who recently passed away from a heroin overdose.

“He’s been doing

deaths in 2013 deaths in 2014 = 1,000 deaths

drugs as long as I can remember. He started trying heroin in the past couple years, when it began getting bigger in Columbus. His dad was actually convicted of selling cocaine, and when he got out of prison he got himself clean, but his son sort of followed in his footsteps. In the past year, about eight people in my family have died, so his death is adding to the family death toll. He died in his mid twenties.”

[the oracle | april 18, 2016 | feature | page 16

Expelling the Myths about Random Drug Testing

by Natalie Ryan The mention of random drug testing can spark a wide range of emotions in students, from annoyance, to curiousness, to downright fear. Whatever immediate feeling arises at the acknowledgment, it is likely based on an incomplete knowledge of how the tests benefit the student body. Larry Perkinson, Student Assistance Coordinator at BCSC and facilitator of random drug tests in the district, offered answers that hopefully dispose of myths surrounding the process of the tests.

Q. What is the process and general purpose of random drug test-

ing?

A. We want to send a clear message that our athletes and our individuals involved in extracurriculars live up to the commitment to be drug free. We started in 1999, so this is our 16th year. When we initiated it, it was meant to reinforce and reduce the number of violations that we were seeing. There are currently 15 tests administered per month at each high school.

Q. Are the tests truly random, or do they focus on certain groups of students?

A. It has to be random. We use a company, The West Group, to administer the tests, and they have a computer program that sets up in courts where the tests can be proven random. We collect the consent forms, which give the name and student ID to be listed in the program, and the IDs are drawn from there.

Q. Is there any way to test students who do not participate in extracurricular activities?

A. I probably have 100 families per year that call and ask to do a test. If they are willing to take their child to the testing facility, we will provide that for them. Some families want to do the test through school and meet with me afterwards.

Q. What are the consequences for failing?

Larry Perkinson is the faciliitator of the random drug tests in all of BCSC. |photo by Rebecca Smith

A. The consequences are always the same; students loose driving and athletic privileges until they can pass.

Most can pass within 7-10 days. With pills, it is usually 3 days.

Q.

Q.

A. We collected data for about six years straight, and the survey data reported that 80% of students who took the test said that it made the choice to not use [drugs] easier and took pressure off of them.

A. We think that it has been a successful program. When we started we were told that 5% of students would fail, the national average.

That has not been true here. In 1999, there were 51 athletic violations. The number has steadily decreased since then, with 17 last year and only 6 so far this year. Despite the fact that you can currently buy higher quality drugs at a lower price, we see our students using less and less. Another part of my job is meeting with families, and before we started testing I met with about 200 families per year.

That very next year, it dropped to 150, and last year I met with about 125.

Have you received any positive or negative feedback from students?

How has data changed throughout the years?

page 17 | feature | april 18, 2016 | the oracle]

Effects of Alcohol on Body

by Issac Harper Alcohol stays in the body for about two hours after being consumed.

This can vary based on body type and gender.

The stomach and small intestine absorb a good majority of the alcohol after drinking.

A small amount of alcohol leaves through breathing and urine.

Drinking weakens one’s immune system making it easier for one’s body to become sick.

Alcohol slows the communication between neurotransmitters in the brain.

These neurotransmitters are what let a

person do day to day functions. When they are affected, a person loses things like reaction time and basic motor functions.

Alcohol can have effects on the cerebellum, limbic system and cerebral cortex of the brain.

The cerebellum controls the motor movement and functions of the human body, so when under the effect of alcohol these functions are slowed.

The limbic system deals with motivation and emotions etc., so when under the effect of alcohol, these attributes fade.

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[the oracle | april 18, 2016 | sports | page 18

New Girls’ Tennis Coach Focuses on Improvement

by Jacob Harpring

Junior Adycin Rager sets up to recieve the ball during practice. | photo by Michaela Landis The Columbus East Women’s Tennis team will have a new coach this season. Coach Matt Malinsky played for East, and along with Josh Burnett, made it to state finals his senior year.

Malinsky has been the Men’s Tennis assistant coach for five years and has been an instructor at Tipton Lakes Athletic Club. The individual aspect attracts Malinsky to the sport.

“Individuality draws me to tennis. It forces you to problem solve, think, and find it within yourself to battle and persevere,” Malinsky said.

Through his prior experience, Malinsky has developed his own hands-on style of coach-

ing. Junior Adycin Rager said, “[Malinsky] is teaching us proper technique and strategy which is helping the entire team significantly.”

Malinsky aims to bring out the full potential of the team even if that means pushing his players. He realizes that sometimes coaching requires making players work hard to improve and what he says some would call “hassling”.

“I can see spectacular shot-making buried at some depth inside each of them, and I would be doing them a disservice if I didn’t try to pull it out of them or didn’t expect great effort from them to improve,” Malinsky said.

Malinsky’s enthusiasm

and dedication is revitalizing the team and his energy is appreciated by the team.

“I’m very excited to have Matt as our new coach. I’m very glad he was chosen; I’ve learned a ton from him already,” Rager said.

The team is expecting to have a very good season full of improvement and a solid competition against the cross town rivals.

“I see loads of promise on the East team, and with hard work and determination I can see us improving dramatically this year and developing great confidence in our game,” Malinsky said.

Upcoming Matches: April 18 vs. Greensburg Community HS April 19 @ Whiteland Community HS April 21 @ Madison Consolidated HS April 23 vs. Plainfield HS April 25 @ Jennings County HS April 27 @ Bloomington HS North April 28 vs. Greenwood HS

page 19 | sports | april 18, 2016 | the oracle]

Club Sport Thankful for Olympian Support

by Jacob Harpring

Lacrosse is fairly new to East. It has only been in the past few years that there has actually been a team. As of now, it is only a club sport;

it is not a school sponsored team. Despite that, it has really taken off and the program is experiencing a lot of steady growth.

The East Lacrosse team huddles during practice. | photo by Michaela Landis

Coming off of a successful season, the East lacrosse team is looking forward to an even more victorious season this year with the addition of a multitude of new players.

Junior Stuart Bryan, co-captain of the team, who has been playing lacrosse for two years said, “The team is a lot bigger and more experienced than last year.”

Despite not being an official school sponsored sport, the East lacrosse team is still considered another sport at East and still experiences a lot of Olympian support.

“I like the fan base at East. That’s the biggest reason I like playing for East,” Bryan said.

With Columbus East and Columbus North each having club lacrosse teams, the sport is becoming more and more popular in the area and the idea of it becoming a school sponsored in the near future is entirely possible.

“I really hope that in the future East lacrosse will become more known and attract more people to play and build the program,” Bryan said.

Unified Track Team Continues to Grow

by Jacob Harpring The Columbus East Unified Track team is returning this season after advancing to the state competition last year. Despite losing some key seniors, the team is looking to return to State in the upcoming season.

“Unified track is the pairing of regulated athletes with special needs students to be on a track team,” senior team member Ella Rohlfs said.

Last year was East’s first season in Unified Track and it’s fair to say that the entire team performed very well.

Still, the upcoming Senior Ella Rohlfs leads the Unified Track team in warm up exercises. | photo by Michaela Landis

season brings some promising underclassmen and a lot of potential to place well in state.

The team is looking forward to a successful season, but it’s not all about the stats.

As with any sport, it’s the sportsmanship and the bonds that are formed on a team that make the season worthwhile.

“My absolute favorite thing is getting to know

everybody, the bus rides can be really fun with everyone,” Rohlfs said.

The first meet of the season is against Columbus North on May 2 at North.

[the oracle | april 18, 2016 | students | page 20

Senior Project Spotlight

by Abigail Larken Cam Nelson wanted a challenge when it came to his senior project, which is why he decided to create and host Hockey for Heroes, an event where he organized a hockey game between two teams. His project benefitted the Wounded Warrior Project, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about and helping injured service members.

The Columbus Icemen faced the Bloomington Blades in a hockey match to try and raise $2,000, but Nelson excedded his goal, raising $2,700 in November.

To raise the money, Nelson auctioned off camouflage jerseys that both teams wore, had a bake sale and created a raffle. Before the event took place, Nelson made posters and posted on social media to help get the word out.

Looking back, Nelson said, “My favorite part of my project was building something from the ground up and seeing it become very successful while benefiting the lives of others.”

Nelson hopes that his project will become an annual event in the community and hopes that his project inspires others to be involved with the Wounded Warrior Project.

Senior Cam Nelson, right, poses for a photo during his senior project, Hockey for Heroes. Nelson organized a hockey match between the Columbus Icemen and the Bloomington Blades. Donations from the event went to the Wounded Warrior Project. |submitted photo

Jeff Burgmeier stands next to senior Morgan Dosterglick as they prepare to play their bagpipes at the Ethnic Expol last fall. |submitted photo

For her senior project, Morgan Dosterglick wanted to kill two birds with one stone by learning to play the bagpipes and performing twice at two festivals in Columbus.

Dosterglick teamed up with the Southern Indiana Pipes and Drums to perform at the Ethnic Expo and the Columbus Scottish Festival in the fall of 2015.

Jeff Burgmeier, a special education teacher at Columbus East, was Dosterglick’s mentor, but various members of the SIPD also were a big help. However, if Dosterglick could go back and redo her project, she would practice more and manage her time better.

“My favorite part of the project was performing. I chose this project because I have always wanted to learn how to play the bagpipes,” Dosterglick said.

page 21 | students | april 18, 2016 | the oracle]

Senior Megan Miller presents about body image at her senior project, Beautiful You. | submitted photo Back in September and October, Andrew Thomasson put his senior project into action. The project was a soccer league that allowed mentally and physically disabled kids to play soccer.

All throughout high school, Thomasson had volunteered with Developmental Services Inc., which is why he chose to partner with them for his senior project.

To get this soccer league rolling, Thomasson first had to get permission from Kendrick Ramirez, the head of the Columbus Express Organization, to run his program.

Then, since Thomasson was working with disabled kids, he had to deal with big liability issues that could arise.

“I had to figure out the liability issues that came with it since I’m dealing with not only kids playing soccer, but

When Megan Miller was a freshman, she went to a senior project called Beautiful You. Now a senior herself, Miller decided to take on the project as her own, this year taking place on April 9 and 10.

Beautiful You was a lock-in at First United Methodist Church for girls in grades 7-12 and the main goal was to promote positive self body image.

“The message is really important for girls to hear because in today’s society we hear so much degrading stuff towards females about the way they look,” Miller said.

Beautiful You was an inherited project to Miller, so she wanted to find a way to make the

kids with major disabilities, so the liability issue is greater,” Thomasson said.

Lastly, Thomasson had to get the word out about his project, which he did by finding different web pages on which to advertise.

“My favorite part was doing the practices and not worrying about the logistics and just having fun for the hour once a week,” Thomasson said.

Like many other seniors, Thomasson thinks he should have started working on the project earlier than he did.

Since the practices took place in the fall, sunlight and good weather quickly faded away.

To combat the weather, Thomasson was able to move the practices to an earlier time in the afternoon, which allowed him to have a fun and successful senior project.

project more original.

Miller decided that she would make the event less religious, which would attract more girls.

“In previous years, it was church organized and very [religion] based.

That was something I wasn’t really sure that I wanted to have because I feel like a lot of people would be turned away by the religious side,” Miller said.

The program was put on the community calendar, advertised on the radio, posted in church bulletins and posted on social media to help get the word out about the event.

“My favorite part [was] watching it all piece together,” Miller said.

Senior Andrew Thomasson was awarded the Buddy of the Year by Top Soccer. | submitted photo

[the oracle | april 18, 2016 | a & e | page 22

Student Reflects During Poetry Month April is a month that has been named both sweet and cruel throughout the history of poetry. It seems appropriate, then, that April is National Poetry Month as many people share the same attitude toward poetry as Shakespeare did toward the month of April.

Some people love it; they seem to follow exclusively poetry related blogs, they write their own verses, and have strong feelings about slam poetry. Others, presumably the majority, have only experienced it through their peers’ stumbling, monotone recitations of Romeo and Juliet in their freshman English class.

This is where poetry stops for most people: with the first pubescent squeaking of “Two households, both alike in dignity…” and its exciting sequel, “Find three examples of iambic pentameter in Act 1, Scene 2.”

Poetry has long been seen as some kind of stuffy, distant literature that only people who live on some higher plane of existence or have English degrees can understand. Students are taught so intensely to analyze poetry, few students actually experience it. And, while Shakespeare’s sonnets and Frost’s

Lauren Schumacher ‘The Road Not Taken’ are all exceptional poems, students too often get caught up in the language and forget the basics.

Poetry is a rhythm and a rhyme. It’s a lyric; it’s a combination of sounds. It is delicate and moving and fierce and pounding.

“It lets us think about the world in a different way than just seeing everything in black and white,” said Emma Finnerfrock, 11, who recently qualified for semi-finals in the poetry category of speech. “It expresses emotions in a way that other things can’t.”

Poetry is human.

“Through poetry, you learn more about what other people are thinking,” said Krysjahn Johnson, 10, another member of the speech team.

“It helps you relate to the people around you without actually having to talk to them face to face.”

Poetry is unexpectedly relevant.

Contrary to what many newspaper columnists have said, poetry is evolving and thriving. Rap is poetry. That annoying

Top 10 song stuck in your head is poetry.

Hot-topics such as LGBT rights, racism, feminism, war, and even the current presidential race have been covered and discussed through poetry. Shakespeare’s plays have been increasingly performed in a modern context, making them even more of a mirror to society.

Most importantly, poetry is diverse and accessible. Of course, classic poetry is available in countless forms of print and digital copies. In today’s society, you can find modern poets on social media, follow their blog, watch them on Youtube, and buy their publications.

Certain music artists are experts in writing poetic lyrics. Slam poetry has become one of the most popular and fastest growing forms of poetry through its intensely emotional style and original content.

There is a place for poetry in everyone’s life, whether they realize it or not.

To those who are still skeptical, Johnson put the idea of poetry in a modern society perfectly.

“I think that poetry is a completely new language that other people just haven’t learned yet.”

Ten Ways to Celebrate Poetry Month 1) Sign up for Poem-a-Day on poets.org 2) Chalk a poem on the sidewalk 3) Celebrate National Poem in Your Pocket day on April 21st by carrying a favorite poem in your pocket and sharing it with others 4) Create your own poetry by blacking out or highlighting words in a book or newspaper. The New York Times has a digital version if you don’t have a newspaper handy 5) Create poems using the names on the spines of books in Columbus East’s library 6) Checkout the hashtag #NationalPoetryMonth on social media to find original poetry 7) Download a poetry app such as Poetry Daily, POETRY from The Poetry Foundation, and Quotes” 8) Explore a different genre of poetry by reading Aim for the Head, a collection of poems about the zombie apocalypse 9) Watch some slam poetry.

Try ‘REACH’ by Guante or ‘Lost Voices’ by Darius Simpson and Scout Bostley 10) Watch a movie with poetry influences such as Dead Poets Society or Shakespeare in Love

page 23 | a & e | april 18, 2016 | the oracle]

Students Prepare for Annual Spring Talent Showcase

by Natalie Glaid Last month, East’s performing arts department began to prepare for their annual talent showcase.

Typically, in order to be a part of major drama productions at East, one must audition. Yet, this showcase doesn’t succumb to the usual performing arts standards.

This production gives those interested in performing arts an opportunity to show off their otherwise hidden talents, while also enhancing the skills of students currently involved in performing arts classes.

“Pieces can either be student or teacher facilitated,” sophomore Delaney Jackson said.

“This is nice because the showcase not only gives students a chance to demonstrate their abilities, but teachers, too. It will be interesting to see people’s unique, unseen talents.”

Jackson is a dance student at East, and she

Senior Sarah Harpring and her classmates in the Dance Performance class rehearse in the auditorium. | photo by Erin Louden and her classmates will be performing a dance choreographed by East dance teacher Martha Richards.

Dancing, along with singing and acting, are definitely the most popular performance options.

Sophomore Delaney Jackson dances with her classmates. | photo by Erin Louden

However, students are not limited to these mere choices. All talents are welcome, as long as they are school appropriate. Senior Sarah Harpring, a student who has performed in numerous musicals and plays over the course of her time here at East, said she is planning on singing.

“I definitely plan on singing, but at this point I have not decided the song selection,” Harpring said.

“I’m really excited to see what everyone has to offer. The showcase is a great way for people who did not get as much stage time as they originally wanted, to exhibit pieces they feel most confident about.”

The showcase will

take place on Friday, April 29, and all are welcome to attend.

“I think there will be a fairly large audience at the show,”Jackson said.

“No matter the size of the audience, the most important thing is that people are able to showcase their abilities, and have a good time doing it.”

Both Jackson and Harpring predict that the showcase will be a huge success.

“The showcase will be successful because success is always found when someone is given the opportunity to shine,” Harpring said. “It’s going to be a fun night.”

[the oracle | april 18, 2016 | community | page 24

East Students Participate in Earth Week Art Show

by Austin Lewis It has been said that Earth without “art” is just “eh”. As Earth Week approaches this week, East students are taking this to heart by entering their artwork in the annual Earth Week Arts Contest sponsored by Energy Matters Community CoaliLuke Harpring tion.

As specified by the appropriately green posters plastered around the school, the entered art must be related to environmental issues such as recycling, water resources, green practices and al-

ternative transportation.

3D art student and freshman Luke Harpring is entering a ceramic dinner platter set to illustrate waste reduction.

Harpring said, “It’s a dinner platter of pottery.

So, it’s a tea set, a plate, bowl, cup. An entire set of reusable dinnerware.”

Pottery and 3D art is not the only type of art media able for entry.

Other forms of media include: poetry, photography, music, 2D and video. Contestants are also judged and eligible to win prizes and gift cards in addition to having their piece displayed at

The Commons during Earth Week.

Despite the incentives, the accolades and prizes are not the driving force for entry. That driforce is, rather, the need to keep the Earth sustainable and clean.

“It’s something that’s kind of important to me because you see nowadays, we live in a culture that throws things away.

It’s very disposable.

There’s just trash, trash everyday, and I think we should take a step back and look at a time when we reused things,” Harpring said.

“More people need to be aware that it is Earth Week. Even if you’re not going to change the way you live, recognize the dangers that exist in the way you live and how it hurts the environment.”

Art pieces will be displayed at the Commons April 1823. The Earth Day Celebration will be April 22 from 5-7pm with an awards ceremony at 6pm.