Roots
Volume XV Issue IV May 17, 2019
From theEditor Dearest reader,
Here’s the thing about roots: they grow painfully slow, but before you know it, they have you firmly anchored to a place. When each of us first entered the doors of CHS at the beginning of freshman year, we had absolutely nothing to tie us here. And yet over time, perhaps without us even noticing, we began to develop deep-seated attachments to this place. Whether it be a club we dedicated ourselves to, friends we loved, or even just a single memory we cherished — each of us has something to draw us back here at the end of the day. So as we conclude yet another year, I encourage you to look back on the roots you have developed during your time here, and join us as we delve into all aspects of the theme “roots”. -Alanna Wu, editor-in-chief 05.17 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Alanna Wu | awu@hilite.org ASSOCIATE EDITORS: Amy Tian | atian@hilite.org Tara Kandallu | tkandallu@hilite.org REPORTERS: PHOTOGRAPHERS: DESIGN TEAM: Anushka Dasgupta Tessa Collinson Natalie Khamis Leslie Huang Emily Carlisle Angela Qian Ashwin Prasad Angela Li
Uday Lomada Marissa Ryan Livvie Hurley Raphael Li Calina He Victoria Nopporn Sarah Kim Ayman Bolad Anjali Natarajan
Olivia Childress Richa Louis Isabella White Anushka Dasgupta
GRAPHICS ARTISTS: Gray Martens Robbie Ge Michelle Lu Laasya Mamidipalli Bowen Zhou Agrayan Gupta Alina Yu
PHOTO AND DESIGN BY ALANNA WU
ROOTS | 03
IN THIS SSUE Tearing up Roots
06
From Seed to Plant 08 The Roots of CHS
12
Coming from Different Roots
14
Losing from the Roots 16
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Dead or Alive
20
A Hairy Situation
22
Testing Traits 24 Rooted Out
28
Continued Legacy
30
DESIGN BY ALANNA WU ALANNA WU // PHOTO
24
ANUSHKA DASGUPTA // PHOTOAN USHKA DASG UPTA
// PHOTO
PHO TO
24
UDA Y LO MAD A //
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TO // PHO OMADA UDAY L
08 CALINA HE // PHOTO
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TEARING UP ROOTS SOURCES | LIVESCIENCE.COM, NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM, CLIMATE.ORG
How deforestation threatens forests, ecosystems worldwide Tropical Tree Cover Loss
17.2
in millions of hectares (1ha=2.5 acres) 8.6
8.2
9.3
9.6
10.8 8.2
16.0
12.4 10.1
9.0
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
1.6
billion
people depend on forests for a living
approximately one out of every five people living on Earth
Causes of Deforestation Agriculture
Cattle Ranching
Slash and burn agriculture causes major ecological trauma that makes it difficult for trees to grow back
Urbanization
Forests are often cleared to make room for cattle ranching, which requires massive tracts of land
In developing nations there is a lot of population growth in cities, and forests are cleared to make room
Consumer Goods
Huge numbers of trees are cut down to make products like palm oil and paper for daily use
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(in billion tons of CO2 per year)
8.3
Coal Usage
7.1
Oil Usage
5.0
Deforestation
3.5
Natural Gas
Environmental Impact
15%
300
of annual greenhouse gas emissions are a result of deforestations
BILLION
tons of carbon are stored in tropical rainforests
Percentage Change in Forest Area from 1990 to 2015
+16%
Middle East & North Africa
+6%
South Asia
+4%
Europe & Central Asia
+3%
East Asia & Pacific
+1%
North America
-10%
Latin America & Caribbean
-12%
Sub-Saharan Africa
28,000
species are expected to become extinct by 2040 due to habitat loss caused by deforestation
80%
30%
of plant and animal species depend on forests
of the Earth’s land area is forest
ROOTS | 07
What Can You Do?
DESIGN BY GRAY MARTENS & AMY TIAN
Recycle and Reuse
Buy Fewer Tree-Based Products
Recycle more in daily life and reuse materials instead of throwing them away
Products like palm oil and paper contribute to deforestation
Send a Letter to your Representative Let them know how you feel on the issue
FROM SEED TO PLANT Students, staff discuss their passion for gardening, how they got their start WORDS | ANUSHKA DASGUPTA
PHOTOS | UDAY LOMADA
M
any students often associate gardening with a picture of planting flowers in the spring or a hobby of their grandparents, but for junior Thomas Gimeno, gardening is a passion. “There’s something about having a tangible product that you can hold and say “this is what my work has been going towards” and it is very satisfying in my opinion. Also my mother really liked (outdoor gardening). She comes from this small village in Germany where you’re either walking barefoot in the forest or gardening; there’s not much to do,” Gimeno said. “Personally, I remember my mom would always get these plant catalogs from Logee’s. I would always look through them and circle the ones I want. If I was really good, my mom would get me one thing.” Gimeno grows a variety of plants with his favorite being tropical, fruiting trees. Some of the crops he started planting this year include carrots, broccoli, bok choy, tarragon and chamomile.
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DESIGN BY OLIVIA CHILDRESS
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Gardener and junior Thomas Gimeno waters his pineapple guava tree. He said that he waters this plant whenever it gets too dry, which he said is usually around once a week.
He said, “I really like fruiting trees in general—tropical ones more than normal ones because I feel like apples, pears and that kind of thing (are) kind of boring, so we have a peach tree, a fig tree, a plum tree and grapes. We have all of that stuff outside, but inside I have a pretty good variety of tropical plants that have to stay inside for most of the year. I have a few papaya trees, a vanilla vine, some lemon trees, grapefruit trees, a miracle berry
Junior Thomas Gimeno trims off a section of his desert rose plant in order to promote new growth. He said the plant had two long stems, so when he cut one, it started to produce new stems to grow from, furthering the plant’s growth. bush a black sapote, a coffee tree, a barbados cherry, a strawberry guava (and) desert rose.” Similar to Gimeno, junior Melina Palakal also started gardening as a result of her parents. She said, “I feel like my parents (started gardening because) they wanted some fresh vegetables. Two of the vegetables we grow are Indian vegetables that my parents grew up with, so they wanted to start growing it here because the climate
“I took my students to visit the sustainable farm at Purdue, and that was very interesting. They had hoop houses which is kind of like having a little hothouse, but it just protects. It’s not really like one of those classic greenhouse sort of things. They kept things growing in there so they could extend the growing season,” Rushing said. “But they also have other things that are not in the hoop houses and
ROOTS | 09 works well in the summer. They thought it would be a good time to start growing the beans and the pavakka (bitter gourd).” Gimeno and Palakal, along with Fran Rushing, AP Environmental Science teacher, all use the plants in their garden for cooking. Rushing said that although commercial monoculture farming, which is defined as one large single-crop farm, is more common in Indiana, sustainable farming is not completely monoculture and includes family gardening.
they plant things together sometimes to help with pest control. (They) also plant different things at different times of the year because there are some things that are better in the spring and fall and other things that are better in the summer.” While Rushing said she believes most students in Carmel do not partake in any gardening, she said those who do have likely been exposed to it by their parents, similar to Gimeno and Palakal’s case.
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some of these alternative GARDENING STRATEGIES Consider methods next time you try gardening Garden beds made from wood that are used to elevate the soil. Allows for better water drainage
Growing plants in pots makes them portable, efficient and versatile
Core gardening involves the placement of grass in ditches in the soil
Raised Beds
Container Gardening
Containers
Water-based
Core Gardening Cheap method of gardening where plants are put in conditioned straw bales
Water-soluble nutrients are placed next to roots of a plant, allowing for rapid growth without soil
Straw Bale Gardening
Hydroponics Aquaponics
A gardening method where fish waste provides nutrients for plants
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GRAPHIC // ROBBIE GE SOURCE // MIGARDENER.COM DESIGN BY OLIVIA CHILDRESS
Gimeno draws his passion in gardening from when his family moved to Indiana. He said, “I moved to Indiana so in fourth grade when I was ten maybe. That definitely spurred (my love for gardening) because I used to live in Massachusetts and where I lived, it was actually a very similar climate to here but the soil is very rocky and (clay-like) so it’s not very good for growing stuff. Massachusetts is also a lot smaller and more expensive so we didn’t have the same quantity of space that we have here.”
the notion that gardening takes extreme money or fancy tools. “There’s a lot of expensive tools—you don’t need any of them. I used to use these (pots) that you buy at the store for 20 or 30 dollars and now I just use red Solo cups and it works just as well,” Gimeno said. “A red Solo cup with holes at the bottom and another one to catch water and whatnot; a pack of 50 red Solo cups probably costs five dollars,” Gimeno said.
As Gimeno’s garden has expanded, his technique for gardening has also changed. He said that when he started, he would buy mainly pre-started plants, cuttings or grafted trees. Now, he often plants his trees from seeds. For example, Gimeno’s papaya trees came from seeds; now, these trees are nine months old and growing sizably. Additionally, he plans to grow a cherimoya from seeds he got at the store recently. Gimeno said his most important advice for new gardeners is not to believe in
He added that if people choose to, they can definitely invest in more expensive tools or plants, but it isn’t necessary. Another variable factor for gardeners is time. “(The time spent) really depends on what time of year. Unfortunately, in early spring during all the time of finals and APs is when you have to spend a lot of time getting your garden ready because Indiana, we don’t have a necessarily short season but it’s definitely nothing like Arkansas or something, where they have three fourths of
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the year to grow. We really only have half of it. For some melons or something that need 120 days to mature you need to plant those as early as you can which happens in late April for us. I try to plant as many times as I can especially with carrots and beets and radishes, which mature very quickly,” Gimeno said. “For me, I probably don’t spend more than half an hour a day working on that but it’s not an everyday thing, I will usually water three to four times a week and also as needed. It really depends on what plants you have,” he said. “Over the summer I’d probably say an hour a day.” Palakal said her garden takes considerably less time to maintain, as it is much smaller. However, both of them decisively
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Gimeno shows his vegetables that he started indoors and moved to his seasonal outdoor garden. He housed these vegetables in red Solo cups, as it is a cheaper and equally effective alternative to expensive pots.
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agree that they want to continue gardening in the future. Palakal said, “I enjoy seeing the process of gardening. Starting from a little seed and growing into a fully grown garden by the end of the summer—it’s really nice to watch and it’s really calming every day and going outside to water the plants. I’d definitely love to garden (when I’m older) and have a small little area in my backyard where I can even grow tomatoes or A some other plants.”
Junior Thomas Gimeno showcases his jackfruit tree that he started from a seed. Gimeno explained that jackfruits are the largest fruit in the world and the trees can grow up to over forty meters tall.
ROOTS AT CHS
Alumni staff discuss reasons to stay at CHS after high school
QUESTIONS & PHOTOS | LIVVIE HURLEY, MARISSA RYAN
DESIGN BY RICHA LOUIS
What was CHS like when you graduated? “It was three grades back then: sophomores, juniors and seniors. The freshmen were over at what were then called the junior highs, that are now called middle schools. There were right about 1,500 kids in the school total.” Why have you stayed here for so long? “I’m going to tell you, I think Carmel High School is really unique, and I realize there’s only been one place, so I don’t have real experiences and data from other schools. In talking with other coaches from other schools, talking with other administrators from other schools and talking to other athletic directors from other
schools, I just don’t think there’s any place like us. I mean that absolutely in a good way. You students, you expect the best out of your teachers every day. You don’t tolerate teachers that slack off. You don’t tolerate coaches that slack off. You don’t tolerate music directors that slack off. You want to learn, you want to get better, you want to have a great experience. That expectation from you guys, I think, drives adults to be really good or at least do the best they can every day. That balance of motivation and challenging each other creates a culture of just success and doing great things and having great experiences. There’s ups and downs of course (like) at any school. I just don’t hear other people saying those things from other schools. They say their kids are really fun, they say their kids are great, but in contrast I say our kids expect the best. That’s how I think it’s unique. That’s very empowering, for me at least. It’s rewarding. You’re challenged every day. You don’t come into work going, ‘Ho hum, it’s just another day in the athletic office.’ You’re
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BRUCE WOLF ASSISTANT ATHLETICS DIRECTOR GrADuATED: 1975 rETurNED: 1980
constantly thinking of ways to do things better for kids because they want it better. (The kids) are who you’re working for. I’ve always felt like my employer is the 5,200 kids that go to school here every day. That’s where I try to keep my focus. If kids come up and say, ‘You know, Wolfie, our soccer experience would be a whole lot better if…’, I really take that seriously because kids don’t frequently say those things. They usually come to you, and it’s something legitimate that they’ve thought about and that they care about, and when they do that, I think we should do our best to make it happen.”
Why did you decide to stay in Carmel after you graduated? Having grown up in a lower-income area in Chicago, which was also very racially diverse, I was exposed to a lot of different ideas, viewpoints and situations that students in Carmel often are not exposed to. As a student at CHS, I would often hear my friends and peers make comments which I felt were very ignorant, insensitive or that lacked empathy towards immigrants, different races/ethnicities and social classes and what these groups have to deal with and overcome on a daily basis in this nation. This was very frustrating to me, even as a teen, as I knew many of
their comments were made based on false stereotypes...Thus, I felt if I could get into teaching Social Studies at a school like CHS I could better open up future generations to the social, economic and political inequalities that still exist in our society today so that we can learn from them and break the cycle of history that is continuing to repeat itself. For me, I view teaching as a sort of “calling” and how I can make this world and country a better, more peaceful place.”
Social studies TEACHER GrADuATED: 2005 rETurNED: 2010
JAMES ZIEGLER Why did you decide to stay in Carmel after you graduated? “I grew up in Carmel and was motivated to go far and wide after I got initial taste of traveling, but that didn’t last forever. I did live in Atlanta, Georgia for three years, but when I got engaged and it was time for us to pick a place for our family, my husband and I really couldn’t separate ourselves from living close to our parents. We knew (Carmel) would be a good place for our kids to go to school, be around their extended family, be safe and enjoy the great childhoods that we had. We started our family here, and I have never really had a desire to leave, except for the months of January through February. A ROOTS | 13
KATHLEEN OVERBECK ENGLISH TEACHER GrADuATED: 1993 rETurNED: 2000
little bit of why I ended up working right back here is because of chance, but a lot of it is also I did care where I landed. I knew about Indiana schools, and I loved the tradition and high expectations that Carmel had when I was a student here. When Carmel offered me an interview and a job, I didn’t hesitate to say yes. I think that as I have gotten older, sometimes the excitement of leaving is a huge reason why students want to get out of Carmel. Sometimes we have to appreciate what great things happen here and sometimes until you leave you don’t realize that it’s a pretty golden environment here.”
STANDArDS
Sophomore Tessa Collinson poses with her brother at a race track in Texas. Collinson lived in Texas for five years before moving to Carmel.
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Out-of-State WORDS & SUBMITTED PHOTO | TESSA COLLINSON
E
very day I am confronted with the same fact: Most of my friends have strong roots here in Indiana. They have lived here for years or were born here, have family in the area and have known their friends since elementary school. I, on the other hand, was born in California, began school in Nevada, then went through the rest of elementary school and the beginning of middle school in Texas. When I moved to Carmel in seventh grade, most people had already found where they fit in. For the first few weeks of school, I sat alone. While everyone else had their group of friends, I had not yet found people who I clicked with. At first, I was resentful of my different roots. I desperately missed the friends I had made in Texas, with whom I shared a connection similar to that of my new peers with one another. My different roots separated me from everyone else. As everyone else laughed over stories from second grade, I found myself unable to share my own experiences, since they would culturally not make sense to my peers. Eventually, I was able to find a group of students who I shared similar interests with and later became my close friends. I found
As I continue high school, I have come to appreciate my roots. I learned that my experiences, while different from others’, are still valuable and lead to interesting onnections. I connected with my peers as they taught me about living in a colder climate. But I also have been able to experience activities and games in Nevada and Texas that I would not have been able to had I grown up in Indiana. I now have friends from all over the country to compare childhood journeys with.
05.17 myself laughing along with their stories from years prior, despite not knowing all of the students and teachers involved. I found the courage to share some of my own tales as well and, to my surprise, my friends laughed along with me. To this day, snow is still a novel concept to me, while I cannot fathom why my friends complain about 80 degree summers, as I am used to three months of 100 degree weather. My wonderful friends have been able to give me a number of firsts here in Indiana–my first time playing in the snow, my first time chasing friends around the backyard, and much more.
Throughout the past three years, I have also met a number of people who have not lived in Indiana for most of their lives. We are able to connect through discussing how our experiences have differed from those of our peers. I have learned that we all struggled to find our place among the status quo. Now, when I meet someone who recently moved to Indiana, I try my best to befriend them so they won’t have to sit alone like I did. I hope that everyone else looks at their different upbringings as I do–a story to bond over, rather than a difference to set us apart. A
reconnecting
With My Roots WORDS & SUBMITTED PHOTO | NATALIE KHAMIS
S
DESIGN BY RICHA LOUIS
eventeen years ago, I was born in Amman, Jordan. Five months later my mother and I received our green cards and we booked a one-way ticket to Chicago where my father was waiting for us. All of my life, I have never considered myself as an American. Sure, there are some days that I crave a bucket of extra-crispy fried chicken and a side of mashed potatoes. Other days, my sister and I belt out the lyrics to “Take Me Home, Country Roads” unironically while driving home from school. Just because I have documentation that makes me a citizen of this country, does not mean that I feel like one. Living in a different country certainly did not strip my family and I of our Arab roots. Throughout my childhood, I only spoke Arabic since my mother did not know English. I ate traditional Middle Eastern meals for
breakfast, lunch and dinner. I even had the cursed bowl haircut that many Arabs sported throughout their childhoods. When I started to go to public school, I felt my Jordanian culture, which was rooted in me, slip through my fingers. I was the only Jordanian in my grade. I felt out of place; I felt different than everyone. There was always a prominent group of popular Caucasian girls who went to parties every Friday night or a mass herd of Asian-American students huddling by someone’s locker in the morning. The only way I could feel a part of society was to conform to its culture, which meant that I had to sacrifice my own. About a year ago, my mom decided it would be a great idea to take a one-month trip to Jordan so my siblings and I could visit our family and become immersed in our culture. My mom was excited to go back, but I was hesitant. Staying in a country for a whole month where no one spoke English sounded terrible to me. In a country full of people who were Jordanian like me, I was scared to feel out of place. Right when I landed in the Queen Alia International Airport, all my fears faded away. Every day in Jordan was a new, yet familiar, experience. Some nights, my cousins and I would stay up until dawn driving through the streets of Amman, eating falafel sandwiches in the trunk. I visited the Petra, went cliff diving in the valleys of southern Jordan and floated in the Dead Sea. I knew I would miss my time in Jordan when we had to pack up our bags and return home. After a month of immersing in the Jordanian culture, my trip to Jordan helped establish my Arab roots again. Now, never have I felt more proud of my heritage after stepping off the plane to America. Rather than crave fried chicken, I crave a plate of stuffed grape leaves. Drives home ROOTS | 15 from shopping sprees with my sister now consist of us blasting Omar Al-Abdallat, dancing and singing along in Arabic. I might still be the only Jordanian in my grade, but visiting Jordan helped me realize that I need to embrace my culture A instead of dissociating from it.
Junior Natalie Khamis visits Jerash, Jordan last year in June. Khamis was born in Jordan and later moved to the U.S.
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LOSING FROM THE
ROOTS
Student with Trichotillomania reflects on loving, accepting herself despite hardships WORDS | LESLIE HUANG PHOTOS | CALINA HE
W
DESIGN BY ISABELLA WHITE
Senior Lilah Bricker looks at herself in the mirror. Despite hardships, Trichotillomania has given her new friends and a new perspective on confidence, she said.
hen senior Lilah Bricker began pulling her eyelashes out in fifth grade, she knew something wasn’t right. Then, in sixth grade, Bricker started pulling her hair from her scalp, leaving patchy bald spots dotted across her head. Soon enough, she had pulled out all the hair from her scalp, leaving her head completely bald. “We were pretty confused because it’s not really a normal thing to be going on,” Bricker said. “I was mad, like, ‘Why is this happening to me?’ You know, you don’t really grow up and expect to be bald at age 15.” It turned out that Bricker had trichotillomania, a hair-pulling disorder that about one to two percent of adults and adolescents experience, according to Mental Health America. Dermatologist Beth Brogan, who works at St. Vincent Hospital, said, “Trichotillomania is a type of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder that causes a person to compulsively pull out his or her hair out from various parts of their body. It can be caused from excessive stress or a person’s
05.17 way to cope with emotional distress.” Bricker said although she has had trichotillomania for over seven years, it was only in her freshman year when she started to accept and embrace her hair loss. “I started wearing a wig in seventh grade and then I stopped wearing it in eighth grade and I would wear a hat everyday up until the end of freshman year,” she said. According to Brogan, trichotillomania is not curable; however, it can be treated with counseling and types of therapy such as cognitive therapy. These types of treatment allow patients to identify the main cause of
HAIR LOSS
can be autoimmune, natural or induced; take a closer look at the mechanisms Hair can be broken at ends or at roots
hair
Empty follicles covered with skin cells
pore follicle
subcutaneous tissue
Healthy scalp Normal hair looks like this in a cross section; as age progresses, the hair follicles naturally shrink, and hair will be dislodged on its own.
Trichotillomania External hair pulling damages the follicles as the roots are repeatedly broken; regrowth may cause unhealthy or gray hairs; however, in most cases, the regrown hair is healthy.
Alopecia Areata The immune system mistakenly attacks hair follicles and causes them to shrink in number and size. Hair falls out and hair production can slow or stop completely. GRAPHIC // MICHELLE LU SOURCE // WEBMD
their trichotillomania. The primary option for treatment is habit reversal training. While trichotillomania is a common hair-loss disorder, some other disorders include alopecia areata, an autoimmune disorder characterized by unpredictable hair loss. Alopecia results in round patches of hairless across the scalp and there are more than 200,000 cases of alopecia in the U.S. According to Medical News Today,
through counseling and building a strong support system to guide them through the tough times. For Bricker, a vital part of her path to recovery was a support group that stood behind her called Trichotillomania Learning Community (TLC). The TLC is a community center that focuses on body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB) disorders such as trichotillomania. The foundation hosts
ROOTS | 17 alopecia, just like trichotillomania, currently has no cure but can be managed and treated by anti-inflammatory drugs, which are commonly administered through injection. Although both alopecia and trichotillomania are characterized as a hair loss disorder, trichotillomania is an obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) that urges a person to pull out their hair while trichotillomania is classified as a common dermatology disease that causes a subject to lose their hair in a patchy manner. While these disorders have little to no chance of full recovery, there are still other ways that a person can overcome their disorders, mainly
an annual conference led by researchers and clinicians to inform the public on what BFRB is. Bricker said being part of that community allowed her to meet people with the same or similar disorders and gave her reassurance that it was okay to be bald. Additionally, she said wigs were a way for her to learn to accept her trichotillomania. Although she stopped wearing them in middle school, Bricker said her wigs played a big role in boosting her confidence. “I wore wigs for two years and I think it helped me overcome and accept trichotillomania,� Bricker said. Although wigs were a large component to
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Bricker’s acceptance of trichotillomania, she said she believes that learning to cope without a wig is a important as a it shows strength and acceptance. Bricker said she would tell people who also face hair loss that a vital step to overcoming their circumstance is to find a group of people who also have trichotillomania or another related disorder. “I think (you should) definitely find other people who have it because you can’t always stop it; so, the best thing is to get a huge support system of other people who have it as like a backup group,” Bricker said. “If it gets bad, they’ll always be there
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to help you and I think that really helped me and I think it would help other people too.” For Bricker, someone who helped her was her friend Zoe, who also has Trichotillomania. She said, “My friend Zoe, unfortunately she lives in Tampa so I don’t really get to see her that much, but she was just so confident in herself and didn’t care. She was like, ‘Yeah I’m bald; I look like Mr. Clean; it’s fine.’ I think that really helped me be confident in who I was and be like ‘Yeah, I’m hecking bald; I don’t really care.’” Although Bricker said she struggled with
accepting hair loss and got bullied for it, she said she found friends along the way. “I have so many more friends in places that I never thought I would,” she said. “I have a friend who has given a Ted Talk on her body-focused repetitive behavior. I have friends all over the world from this and that’s something I never thought I would have and it’s pretty great.” Bricker said the most important thing for her to do through all the struggle and strife was to learn how to embrace hair loss and make it her own. She said in doing so, she was able to overcome anything. A
Senior Lilah Bricker examines her hair in the mirror. Bricker said that having Trichotillomania has taught her a lot about accepting herself.
A Check-List for trichotillomania by the DSM-5
1 2 3 4
Recurrent pulling out of one’s hair resulting in noticeable hair loss An increasing sense of tension immediately before pulling out the hair or when attempting to resist the behavior
Pleasure, gratification or relief when pulling out the hair
The disturbance is not better accounted for by another mental disorder and is not due to a general medical conditions ROOTS | 19
5 DESIGN BY ISABELLA WHITE
The disturbance causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning GRAPHIC // ISABELLA WHITE SOURCE // INDIAN HEALTH SERVICE
DEAD OR DESIGN BY TARA KANDALLU
ALIVE I
Latin retains importance for students, today’s society WORDS | EMILY CARLISLE PHOTO | VICTORIA NOPPORN
f you ask most people whether or not Latin is a dead language, they would agree that it is dead and has been for a while. But why would this school teach a language that people do not speak natively? The reason is simple: although the language itself may not be thriving, its roots have greatly impacted many other languages around the world. Latin teacher Meredith Harper said there is often a negative connotation to the term “dead language.” Harper said via email, “The term ‘dead language’ refers to whether there is any location where people grow up speaking the language as their native language. So in that sense, Latin is a dead language. However, the connotation of that term makes it seem as though Latin is not still widely used and relevant, which it most certainly is.” According to Dictionary.com, “About 80 percent of the entries in any English dictionary are borrowed, mainly from Latin roots.”
Without the Latin root words, the English language may not exist. Harper said she strongly believes Latin has impacted English as we know it. Harper said, “English is composed of many words unchanged from the time of the Romans (animal, actor and victor). As much as 60 percent of our three syllable words are from Latin root words. In sum, we owe a huge part of our English language to Latin.” Freshman Grant Herrmann is currently taking Latin I. He said he is taking it because he believed it would be helpful to know some of the stems of English. Junior Megan Soyka is also taking Latin I this year; however, her reasoning for taking it is slightly different from Herrmann’s. Soyka said she is taking Latin because she wants to possibly go into a medical field after college. Soyka said, “As someone who might want to do something medical in the future, it may help with roots and names.”
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Junior Megan Soyka works on homework during her Latin I class. For Soyka, Latin is applicable in her daily life because it is commonly seen in the medical field, a profession she is considering entering after high school.
750 B.C. Rome trasitioned from a monarchy to a republic During this time, Latin was one of the many languages in the region such as Faliscan, Oscan and Umbrian.
Rice University’s Anatomy and Physiology textbook has a whole section on anatomical terms and the naming of conditions. In Chapter 1 it reads, “Anatomical terms derive from ancient Greek and Latin words. Because these languages are no longer used in everyday conversation, the meaning of their words does not change.” According to Hermann, the consistency of Latin makes it a very valuable language to take and learn. Herrmann said, “If you’re going to take Latin, you could also go take other languages and you’ll have some background (to help you).” This is not the only interest students can find in taking Latin. Harper said Latin can be found throughout art, history and even mainstream pop culture. Harper said, “Translating Latin requires logic, finding patterns and builds awareness of how words work. I have heard many students say they know English grammar much better after studying Latin. Those interested in pursuing a career in medicine or law will find their Latin vocabulary gives them a huge advantage.” She also said, “Some take Latin because they are interested in arts and literature and recognize the impact of mythology on many things from Shakespeare to Percy Jackson. Some take Latin because they are interested in the language itself. And
600 B.C. As the Romans contunued to expand, the Latin language moved with them and took over other languages. Greek took a while to decrease in prominence but eventually did.
500-400 B.C. Movement throughout the empire allowed “dialect leveling” as the Latin dialects interacted with each other enough to create a singular language. After the fall of the Roman Empire, individual dialects (romance languages) formed.
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some take Latin just because they find the Roman culture interesting and I couldn’t agree more. (Also) law terms are mostly Latin words, so anyone who has watched ‘Law and Order’ has most likely been hearing Latin words.” In the end, Harper said while Latin may be dead, its impact is one that students should appreciate and recognize. She said,“Latin is living on strongly in those languages that are derived from it.” A
EVOLVING LATIN Take a look at the evolution of Latin GRAPHIC | LAASYA MAMIDIPALLI SOURCE// THECONCOURSE.COM
GRAPHICS, DESIGN BY BOWEN ZHOU, AMY TIAN
A HAIRY SITUATION Take a look at the difference between shaving, waxing and threading
SHAVING: How it works: The blades of the razor cut through the hair stem, leaving behind the root of the hair, which will allow it to grow back in approximately one to two weeks depending on the person.
Shaving is the most common method of hair removal, but shaved hair also takes the least amount of time to grow back to the original length.
Pros:
Cons:
• Very Fast • Painless • Easy to do • Cheap
• Hair grows back relatively quickly • Can cause cuts and razor burn
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Did you know? Humans have shaved for
The average person spends between
Razors are estimated at
5,000 years
45-72 days
≈ $1 or less
the earliest razor was found in Egypt around 4000 B.C., made mostly from copper and gold.
shaving in their entire lifetime.
Most razors nowadays are produced for as low as 8 cents, but sell for as high as $2 per cartridge.
WAXING:
Waxing is a form of hair removal that involves the usage of melted wax and some quick force in order to get smooth, hairless skin
How it works: The melted wax of the wax strip will solidify around each small hair. As you rip the strip back, the grip on each hair will pull the entire hair out of the hair follicle and completely uproot the hair. This forces the hair to grow back from the very base, and can take up to 3-6 weeks depending on the person
Pros:
Cons:
• Avoid razor burn • Removes dead skin cells • Hair doesn’t grow back for a long time relative to other methods
• Can cause ingrown hairs • Hair removal lasts quite long • Very painful • Can damage the hair follicles
THREADING: Originated in Persia and still used normally in most Asian countries, threading involves the usage of two strings to remove eyebrow hair.
How it works: two threads are twisted around each other, and using a scissor like motion, the moving knot will grab onto hair and pluck it right out of its follicle. It takes around 3-6 weeks to grow back, similar to waxing, as it removes the hair from the base.
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Pros:
Cons:
• Inexpensive • The most painful • Relatively quick • Can lead to outbreaks • Less redness or swellor infections if not done ing than if you were correctly to use tweezers • Not recommended if • Lasts about the same you have acne time as waxing
TESTING TR ITS
DNA tests allow people to learn about their heritage, raise ethical concerns WORDS | ANGELA QIAN SUBMITTED PHOTO | REAGAN SMILEY
W
DESIGN BY ANUSHKA DASGUPTA Alpha-helix structure of DNA Bases are bonded between sugar-phosphate backbone
BASES Pyrimidines: Purine: Adenine Cytosine Guanine Thymine
ith a mostly German and Irish mother and a half-Thai, half-African father, junior Reagan Smiley’s family is a veritable melting pot. Because of their mixed ethnic backgrounds, Smiley said she and several other members of her family chose to take DNA tests last summer through AncestryDNA. According to Smiley, they were interested in determining the specific ethnic breakdown of each family member, but the results were not entirely what they expected.
“We always thought that my mom’s side of the family was just very, very Western European,” Smiley said. “But it turns out, part of my family is from Spain, which explains a lot.” Smiley said her grandfather has olive-toned skin, which is characteristic of many people of that area. Sophomore Olivia White also took a DNA test, through the 23andMe Ancestry Composition testing service. She said she had been wanting to take a DNA test in order to learn more about her family history. “I know, generally, my dad’s side is European, and then (on) my mom’s side, there’s Guatemalan ancestry, but Guatemala was
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Genetic Terminology: SOURCE // ORIG3N.COM
GENOTYPING: Determining genetic variants of DNA 23andMe utilizes genotyping
SEQUENCING: Determining exact sequence of DNA
23ANDME FOR EVERYONE Explore the method 23andMe uses to understand your ancestry
colonized by Europeans, so there’s a lot of gray area there,” White said. “My grandma kept pretty good records, but I was kind of interested to see what the science would say.” Many people perform DNA tests to take a more precise and scientific look at their heritage. According to human genetics teacher Fran Rushing, DNA tests look for specific alleles, which are variant forms of a gene. “They’re looking for the frequency of what alleles you carry and then correlating that to other data that they already have,” Rushing said. “That’s how they do those heritage studies; they just look for those specific markers that you have that go with different populations around the planet.” Rushing said two of her children took the 23andMe test, and when they compared their results,
Junior Reagan Smiley poses with her family for a family portrait. Even between her and her sister, the percentage of their DNA from ancestors of differing nationalities, differs.
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they found that her son had significantly more markers corresponding to the regions his father was from, while her daughter was more balanced. Smiley said both her and her sister compared their results and discovered a similar phenomenon. “It was interesting to see how even though we’re
siblings, we differ a lot when it comes to the specific DNA percentage,” she said. However, with the commercial use of DNA testing comes the rise of certain ethical concerns. White said she chose to optout of the research options that 23andMe offered. “I’m always a little bit hesitant because this is a
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GRAPHIC | AGRAYAN GUPTA SOURCE // 23ANDME.COM
1. Fill the tube with spit and send it to the lab
2. DNA is extracted through a centrifuge so it settles down
3. The DNA is genotyped by comparing it to similar DNA’s
4. Results are mailed back, letting people know of their ancestry
PHOTOS | ANUSHKA DASGUPTA
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Sophomore Olivia White and her mother look through old pictures of their family. White’s mother is halfGuatemalan, so White took a DNA test through 23andMe to learn more about her ancestry.
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company that has my DNA,” White said. “I have a lot of faith in science, and I think research is going to go pretty far in genetic sequencing, but I don’t want a company to have that information. I want doctors and medical professionals to have that information.” In contrast, Smiley said she believes as long as people voluntarily take DNA tests, they shouldn’t worry too much about what the companies do with the DNA. Therefore, she gave her consent to AncestryDNA to use her DNA to conduct research to advance the study of human genetics. However, AncestryDNA only offers heritage services, while 23andMe also offers further
DNA analysis that provides information on customers’ health predispositions based on their genomes. According to Rushing, this service has legal implications for the company, which is required to follow laws regulating the information it reveals to its customers, indicating that companies learn more from evaluating their customers’ genome than they are allowed to say. For example, Rushing said companies can’t tell individuals that they have a particular disease. “They can’t do that legally because of the fact that it can be so confusing, and patients can make very very poor decisions because they haven’t talked to their doctor, and
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they don’t fully understand that there’s a lot of influences here,” Rushing said. However, this asperelates more to the health services that 23andMe provides. Rushing said companies can give information for the inheritance side of genetic testing. Overall, Smiley and White said DNA testing is a valuable way for people to satisfy their curiosity if they want to learn more about themselves in context of their heritage and family history. White said she was interested in her background on a broader context. She said, “Human migration, human traveling around the world is just interesting. It’s kind of cool to see how I fit into this.” A
The portrait is a picture of White’s maternal greatgrandmother, Lydia Solís Bonilla, taken in 1944. The photo on the right depicts Bonilla’s family after her marriage to Oscar Mansilla. After marriage, Bonilla changed her name to Lidia de Mansilla.
Sophomore Olivia White showcases a page from the book her maternal grandmother gifted her family. White said her grandmother gave her mom the book for Christmas three years ago with pictures from her side of the family. A year later, she added an envelope and photos with her grandfather’s side of the family.
DESIGN BY ANUSHKA DASGUPTA
DESIGN BY TARA KANDALLU
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CHS students, teacher discuss the medical field, how problems are solved WORDS | ASHWIN PRASAD PHOTO | AYMAN BOLAD
O
ne of the most integral parts of the medical profession is the process of diagnosis. Diagnosis is where the doctor or physician determines the ailment plaguing his or her patient, and prescribes treatment to address the ailment. The ability to diagnose accurately is a must for doctors, and involves problem-solving skills and intuition. These skills are part of the appeal of a career in medicine for CHS students, including senior Mohit Manchella. Next year, Manchella will begin an eight year medical program at the University of Southern Indiana. “I always knew I wanted to join medicine at a young age,” Manchella said. “Knowing that I can have a tangible impact on an individual’s life is what really draws me to medicine. Really seeing how doctors take care of their patients is inspiring.” Manchella elaborated on the importance of problem-solving and facing up to challenges, noting that each patient presents its own challenge. He said his ability to conquer challenges will have a large impact on his future as a doctor. “Challenges are real opportunities to better yourself. This applies to everyone,
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Craig Harper, science teacher, models the placement of a body part to freshman Yashaswini Battina during his B4 principles of biomedical science class. Harper said his classes require a lot of problem solving.
not just doctors. Problem-solving skills play a key role in dealing with these challenges, and school has really helped me hone these skills.” Principles of biomedical science teacher Craig Harper discussed the challenges given to CHS students in principles of biomedical science and human body systems, citing the final exam for biomedical science as an example. “(These classes) require students to examine information and to try and develop a logical evidence-based explanation of what is occurring. Our final exam in Biomed is to examine an autopsy and use the information to figure out what happened to the person.” “Much like developing a differential diagnosis, all the information must be considered, and potential explanations must be ruled out while others are more strongly supported by observations,” Harper said. A differential diagnosis distinguishes two conditions which share similar symptoms. Harper gave an example of a common condition requiring differential diagnosis: appendicitis. According to eMedicine, the main symptoms of appendicitis are debilitating stomach pain, poor appetite, vomiting, and nausea. However, these symptoms are shared among numerous abdominal diseases, including gastroenteritis and Crohn’s disease. “The doctor will perform a physical exam, ask the patient questions, order lab tests and imaging tests, and draw conclusions from all this key info.
DIAGNOSE ME
DIAGNOSE ME
GRAPHIC | ALINA YU SOURCE// MAYOCLINIC, WEBMD
Take a look at some of the ways physicians diagnose patients GRAPHIC // ALINA YU
Take a look at some of the ways physicians diagnose patients Throat Swabs
Sterile swabs are used to obtain throat samples in order to determine any bacterial infections in the throat. Infections can include strep throat, pneumonia, tonsillitis, whooping cough and meningitis.
Blood Test
To obtain a sample of blood, technicians will insert a needle, here a butterfly needle, in a vein in the arm. These tests evaluate how well organs, such as the liver, kidneys, thyroid and heart, are functioning.
SOURCE // MAYOCLINIC, WEBMD
Even with current technology though, misdiagnosis of appendicitis still occurs fairly often (nearly 20 percent of all cases, per eMedicine),” Harper said. Harper elaborated upon the growth of medical technology and its impact on the diagnostic process. “Technology has definitely had a major impact on diagnosing; there are all sorts of
Spinal Tap
Also known as a lumbar puncture, spinal taps obtain a sample of your cerebrospinal fluid through a needle carefully inserted between the bones of your lower spine. You’ll usually be asked to lie on your side with your knees pulled up toward your chest. Spinal taps diagnose disorders of the brain and spinal cord, including multiple sclerosis.
Urine Test
Urine tests are obtained through the patient urinating into a cup. Then the urine is evaluated on a color scale to detect early signs of disease and urinary tract infections.
“I’ve worked with genetics in Science Olympiad, and I really like this field. It has a lot of potential to change lives,” Snyder said. “With genetic engineering, (engineers) can literally reverse diseases and cure diseases which have hurt families for generations. This new technology gets directly at the root of so many diseases that currently have no cure.” ROOTS | 29
innovative rapid diagnostic devices and tests that have been developed for use both in developed and developing countries. These have the potential to improve accuracy, be more accessible, and lower cost of diagnosis.” A recent example is a test screening for Ebola which gives results in 15 minutes and can be done without electricity, as compared to the gold standard test which requires intensive lab work and takes 12-24 hours.” Sophomore Bradley Snyder spoke about his experiences with genetics and the potential of genetic engineering to change the treatment process.
Ultimately, Harper and Manchella stressed that problem-solving and diagnosing, while crucial to a doctor’s job, are only part of the skills needed to be an effective physician. “‘Soft’ people skills and the ability to communicate clearly and compassionately with patients and their families is vitally important,” Harper said. “Being a kind, selfless person is incredibly important for doctors. It’s hard to truly see how I’m adopting these characteristics, but I definitely want to make sure I continue developing them,” Manchella said. A
continued DESIGN BY TARA KANDALLU
Legacy
CHS seniors, teacher discuss impact of clubs WORDS | ANGELA LI PHOTO | RHEA ACHARYA
S
enior Sam Karr is the founder and current leader of Wiffle Ball Club, and he said he started this club at the beginning of this school year for a unique reason: help underclassmen get more involved in CHS. “I started (Wiffle Ball Club) at the beginning of the year, because we went to the club fair for the GKOMs to get their freshmen, and none of my freshmen really wanted to join a club. I was talking with my friends about how there should be a Wiffle Ball Club and since I didn’t see any of my freshmen join (any clubs), I just decided to make a Wiffle Ball Club,” Karr said. Karr said he believes clubs play a large part in helping students establish their own roots here.
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Gary Zhang, linguisitics club officer and senior, poses on a staircase in the commons. Zhang said “Clubs, unlike classes, allow students to find their own unique niche inside CHS to establish roots and come back as alumni.”
“I’m pretty sure my sister (Kirsten Karr ‘17) made the Helping Hands Club when she was here, and so to see that continue on and still be here, that kind of shows that clubs do kind of make an impact and it is a lot of fun, and you have like a history here as well.” While joining a club may be important for younger students, starting a new club— or sustaining it—can benefit from older students. James Ziegler, who currently sponsors Do Something Club and Young Democrats Club and co-sponsors Academic Superbowl, said the majority of the leadership in these clubs is made up of upperclassmen. Moreover, he said these leaders play an integral role in guiding the club. “In each of the clubs, I think (the seniors) help to give the club direction because they’ve been there before. Especially in Do Something Club, they’ve had experience working (the annual projects), so they really help provide some guidance and direction for the club for younger members. In addition to that, because they have experience, they’re able to give valuable feedback in terms of what works and what doesn’t work, and really offer a lot of guidance and direction. Our upperclassmen in each of the clubs usually are the leaders who are help driving various projects or activities.” Senior Gary Zhang is one of two officers of the Linguistics Club. Zhang said throughout his time involved in the club, the club has grown and become more diverse. “Instead of being just a competitionoriented club, it’s also one where we get
“I think in one way that they’ve made their roots felt is the upperclassmen and the seniors particularly in Do Something Club have helped grow the size of the club and get more students involved, and so that helps the longevity of the clubs themselves. In addition to that, I do think they’ve also laid roots in the sense that some of the things they’ve done are going to impact the community or our school positively for years to come, and so sometimes it’s a matter of establishing traditions,” Ziegler said. “I do think that their legacy will be felt even after they leave the halls of Carmel High School.” Zhang said he believes he has established roots at this school through his work in Linguistics Club. “When I came here, Linguistics Club was the ‘joke science club’ and the (Linguistics) Olympiad was the joke competition,” Zhang said. “Now it’s (still) not seen as on par as the other math and science clubs, but it is definitely recognized more.” Karr, on the other hand, said he believes Wiffle Ball Club has not created new roots for himself here, but rather built onto roots he had already previously established. “I feel like this club adds more to the roots that I already had by other activities and what I’ve able to give to Carmel High School,” Karr said. In the end, both Karr and Zhang said they encourage students to become involved in a club they enjoy and establish their own roots here.
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people from a vast variety of backgrounds, not just those who are interested in tough competitions and doing it for the drive of excelling at a competition. It has also changed in that we do more volunteering and outreach, so it’s not just competition preparation; we also try to educate the general public or club members about linguistics,” Zhang said. Ziegler said he thinks the impact current underclassmen have had on clubs, especially in those that he sponsors, will last even after these students have graduated.
“Clubs definitely expand students’ ability to form new connections,” Zhang said. “By going outside of the classroom to form something meaningful which students are drawn to on their own, finding a club they want to be in rather than having a class they have to be in, clubs, unlike classes, allow students to find their own unique niche inside the high school and that allows them to not only establish roots but to come back at alumni and say, help out at the club, or to contribute back to Carmel High School even outside of their club A and even outside of their classes.”
“All things must come to the soul from its roots, from where it is planted.� Saint Teresa of Avila