ACUMEN Feb. 12, 2016: A Little Party by Carmel Acumen

A Little Party... Feb. 12, 2016

POLITICAL PARTY DISTRIBUTION OF THE 43 U.S. PRESIDENTS (GROVER CLEVELAND IS COUNTED ONCE, ALTHOUGH HE HAD 2 NON-CONSECUTIVE TERMS) SOURCE // SCHOLASTIC.COM

DEMOCRATS (34.9%)

REPUBLICANS (41.9%)

DEMOCRATICREPUBLICANS (9.3%)

WHIGS (9.3%)

FEDERALIST (2.3%)

NON-AFFILIATED (2.3%)

hi@chsacumen.com | chsacumen.com | facebook.com/chsacumen | @chsacumen 02.12

Dearest reader, In this issue, we explored two broad categories of parties: social and political. We tried to subtly introduce the social parties aspect on the cover images while integrating elements of the political half into this page, albeit with an underlying social party theme woven throughout it.

Join us in celebrating, remembering and discovering various social and cultural parties—from the quinceñera to the Philipine debut. Take this journey of scrutinizing the political dichotomy of the United States at a local level, of comprehensively comparing political parties around the globe. -Stephanie Zhang, editor in chief

INDIANA’S U.S. SENATORS & REPRESENTATIVES’ POLITICAL PARTIES

D DISTRICT NUMBER IN INDIANA

CARMEL FALLS IN THE 5TH DISTRICT

R R

2 SENATORS

R R

9 REPRESENTATIVES

SOURCE // GOVTRACK.US

EDITOR IN CHIEF: STEPHANIE ZHANG stephaniezhang@chsacumen.com

ASSOCIATE EDITORS:

Selena Qian, selenaqian@chsacumen.com Annika Wolff, annikawolff@chsacumen.com A LITTLE PARTY | 03

REPORTERS: Christine Fernando, christinefernando@chsacumen.com Danny Goldberg, dannygoldberg@chsacumen.com Sarah Liu, sarahliu@chsacumen.com Katie Long, katielong@chsacumen.com Laxmi Palde, laxmipalde@chsacumen.com Ellen Peng, ellenpeng@chsacumen.com Sitha Vallabhaneni, sithavallabhaneni@chsacumen.com Emily Worrell, emilyworrell@chsacumen.com NON-STAFF CONTRIBUTORS: Shiva Vallabhaneni, svallabhaneni@hilite.org Amy Zhou, azhou@hilite.org

PHOTOGRAPHERS: Divya Annamalai, divyaannamalai@chsacumen.com Kyle Crawford, kylecrawford@chsacumen.com Swetha Nakshatri, swethanakshatri@chsacumen.com Sara Yung, sarayung@chsacumen.com GRAPHICS ARTISTS: Matthew Han, matthewhan@chsacumen.com Akshar Patel, aksharpatel@chsacumen.com Tiffany Xie, tiffanyxie@chsacumen.com Lianne Yu, lianneyu@chsacumen.com < COVERS AND PG 2-3 PHOTOS AND DESIGNS // STEPHANIE ZHANG

IN THIS ISSUE 06

Q&A // Parties Today vs. the Past

Polarization of Politics

Political Party Stereotypes

Party How-Tos

Coming-Of-Age Parties

College Party Culture

Opinions

Printeractive // Big Party or Small Party?

Political Views Statistics

02.12

SELENA QIAN // DESIGN ; LIANNE YU // GRAPHIC

PHOTO CREDIT // SWETHA NAKASHTRI

A LITTLE PARTY | 05

PHOTO CREDIT // SARA YUNG

PHOTO CREDIT // KYLE CRAWFORD

Q&A

HISTORY TEACHER WILL ELLERY AND HIS DAUGHTER, SENIOR MADDIE ELLERY, TALK ABOUT GENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES IN PARTIES Q: What were typical things that you would do at a party? W: These are hard questions to answer, because, ... I don’t think it was necessarily typical. It really depended on who you were with, what your group of friends was; I mean, they were groups of friends…, where they

would be at a pool party, and everybody would be there and most of the time there would be a lot of guys that would get together and play basketball and do whatever in an evening. M: I remember a party I went to this summer with a friend of mine, who lives down the street. We ordered pizza, we had a giant line of food, there

was music; we setup games in the backyard, and we set up music in the house, and a hammock, and we all went swimming in the lake and that was pretty much it. Q: How do you think parties have changed from your time to hers, or are they similar? W: I suspect they’re much different. Groups are a lot smaller. I guess more exclusive, meaning that everybody knows who everybody is, it seems. I also think there’s probably a little more “looking over your shoulder” awareness because of social media than there used to be. But part of the difference was then, too, a lot of times events kinda had to be planned because there wasn’t a way to get word out to people who were

... I know a lot of people who, from like my dad’s generation, say it was a lot easier to get away with stuff. Parties now, that’s why I think parties are a lot smaller, a lot more discreet, and they’re exclusive, like he said. You have to get kind of invited personally by whoever is hosting it, just because, there’s always that. That social media aspect, as he says, makes it a lot harder to have stereotypical parties where there’s drinking, and things like that. So it’s changed to definitely a quieter kind of get-together rather than the parties you would see in movies. Q: Do you think that the culture and the stigmas attached to the word party have changed at all? W: I think so because

02.12 gathering anywhere. There were no cell phones … There were computers certainly, but people didn’t live on them. So it was more organized, I think, than you guys have. M: I’d say, I definitely agree that it’s a lot harder to (get away with more)

of the connotation now that if your kids go to a party they are likely to do something that is gonna get them in trouble. There’s a perception about that now. For example I look at a lot of things as a coach. Kids may lose a portion of their season or an entire year of eligibility, and there’s kind of a belief that attends a party. You know those

were non-issues while I was growing up and through my early teaching career. … what happened outside of school happened outside of school, what happened inside of school happened inside of school, and that line’s been blurred. So I think that has changed the perception a little bit. M: I, again speaking from the fact that I don’t have any insight… I think it is definitely a negative stigma today, at least, I keep referring back to Hollywood and the movies, because you see those old movies where high school is fun and games, and it wasn’t learning and things like that, and the parties were fun

and were huge, it was like a neighborhood joined in. And you heard party then, and it was like, “Oh, it’s fun.” You hear party now, and it’s like [lowers voice]

“OK, where is it?” like it’s a side kind of whisper… you know like, OK, and then you have to find out all of the details, because you want to then find out if

you should go because, like you said, you have all these consequences and things like that so, it’s definitely become more negative, the stigma with parties just because of the consequences and social media and things that have developed over the decades. I guess that is pretty much what our opinion is. It’s a negative stigma with that regard. A

WORDS | EMILY WORRELL PHOTOS | KYLE CRAWFORD

A LITTLE PARTY | 07

DESIGN BY ANNIKA WOLFF

OLITICAL OLARIZATION

Political representatives fail to represent the majority of Americans’ ideologies. WORDS | ANNIKA WOLFF PHOTOS | KYLE CRAWFORD

or the past two years, campaigning politicians have accosted TV while news outlets have attempted to spit out opinion polls faster than their competition. Each side of the political spectrum is doing anything

while the majority of the public has no problem identifying frontrunners in the election, many people do not know what specific issues the candidates stand for. The past 20 years in particular have witnessed a significant

and everything they can to win the November 2016 presidential election, and it seems that as soon as one side is in office, the opposition begins campaigning for the next election cycle. However,

increase in polarization among candidates. AP Government teacher Joe Stuelpe said, “In the parties that are elected, the people that are in government, they’ve gotten more partisan. Liberals have moved farther left; conservatives have moved

02.12

Highest Voter Turnout Among Democracies Compared to the U.S.

#1 Belgium 87.2%

#2 Turkey 86.4%

#3 Sweden 82.6%

#31 United States 53.6%

for Economic Cooperation and Development. In the past, the government has tried to address this issue with various forms of legislation. In 1993, the Motor Voter Act was enacted in order to increase voter turnout by allowing people to register when they received their driver’s license. This did work to increase the amount of voters registered. However, voter turnout decreased because those new voters who were eligible, did not vote. The age group that has the lowest voter turnout rate is 18 to 24-year-olds. Senior Eric McLain said he will vote but he understands why others would choose not to. “Well, the reasons to vote are pretty small now since there are 330 million (people) in the country, and we have the Electoral College, but I’ll vote I guess to make my tiny voice heard,” McLain said. Senior Grace Miller, who does not identify with either

party, said she believes the problem is that 18 to 24-year-olds do not educate themselves on the issues. Like McLain, she intends to vote in the November presidential election. “Yes, we receive a great education in our schools that prepare us to become fruitful members of society, but we may not take the time to research specific candidates and/or issues that would give us the ability to vote with a solid foundation of background knowledge and wellformed opinion,” Miller said via email. Stuelpe said that the complexity of elections also lowers voter turnout. Because there are so many issues and so many politicians, people feel overwhelmed so they do not educate themselves enough to participate. Another possible cause of this low voter turnout is that while politicians are becoming more partisan, the majority of Americans are moderates.

ANNIKA WOLFF // DESIGN AND GRAPHIC

farther right. Both have become increasingly resistant to compromise.” According to a 2014 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, 94 percent of Democrats are more liberal than Republicans and 92 percent of Republicans are more conservative than Democrats, meaning that the two groups are moving farther away from each other. This shift in thinking may account for the doubling of party animosity in the last two decades. Stuelpe said the increase in partisanship has affected voting. “The past couple of election cycles (partisanship) turned people off; it’s a reason being cited for the low voter turnout,” he said. The United States has had a much lower voter turnout than other democratic countries around the world. A 2015 Pew Research Center data collection found that the United States ranked 31st in voter turnout out of the 34 countries in the Organization

A LITTLE PARTY | 09

TYPOLOGY OF THE AMERICAN PUBLIC

Despite the fact that there are two political parties, there are eight different typologies within them. SOLID LIBERALS

NEXT GENERATION LEFT

conservative on governmental issues, more liberal on social

STEADFAST CONSERVATIVE conservative on all issues

BYSTANDERS liberal on governmental issues, less so on social FAITH AND FAMILY LEFT

liberal on governmental support of the poor

HARD-PRESSED SKEPTICS

conservative on government, moderate on social and financial issues BUSINESS CONSERVATIVE

SOURCE:PEWRESEARCHCENTER

liberal on all issues

YOUNG OUTSIDERS

liberal on social issues, less so on social security

CANDIDATES

SOURCE: FACTCHECK.ORG, UPWORTHY.COM

THE CHosen ones With the approach of the election season, the election process can be confusing for many Americans. How are candidates chosen, and how well do they represent the American people? The opinions of the bottom 90 percent of income earners in the U.S. have a statistically nonsignificant impact

do lawmakers represent the people? According to 2000 public-opinion surveys conducted by professors Martin Gilens of Princeton University and Benjamin Page of Northwestern University in 2014, apparently not.

The other represented 10 percent is made up of economic elites, business interests and people who

caucus

Meeting of members of a politcal party to select nominating convention delegates

How are the candidates chosen?

Nominating convention Meeting within a politcal party to select candidates for general election and write partyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s platform

Before we even vote in general elections, candidates are chosen to represent each political party through processes called primaries, caucuses and nominating conventions.

How it all works

CAUCUS

primary Direct statewide voting of political party candidates by citizens

2 basic types OPEN Registered voters can vote for any candidate, CLOSED

CONVENTION

Registered voters must vote for candidates of their respective party

Note: It varies from state to state whether a primary or caucus is used.

TErMS uSED IN THIS GrApHIC: lobbyist

Someone hired by a business or a cause to persuade legislators to support that business or cause

general election

A regularly scheduled local, state or national election in

delegate

An elected representative of a political party sent to a conference (i.e. nomination convention)

Stuelpe said,“You’re seeing so many interest groups and so many groups popping up on social media to advocate for ideas because they don’t feel like the parties are representing their ideas.” McLain follows this trend, as he said he is a conservative, but he does not align himself with the Republican Party. “I think that (the Republican Party is) too similar to the Democratic Party and they need to stand by their principles,” McLain said. The question remains: if the public is moderate, why are elected officials partisan? The answer stems back to low voter turnout. The people that vote are significantly more partisan than the average citizen, especially in the primaries and caucuses, according to Stuelpe. Stuelpe said, “It’s why you’re seeing (Donald) Trump and (Ben) Carson and (Carly) Fiorina especially being

but a responsibility to work together with others, regardless of background. “However, what concerns me is that parties are often more focused on being right and winning arguments than they are with trying to find common ground with each other that would cultivate compromise,” Miller said. Because politicians have to cater to the extremes in order to be elected, the government will continue to become increasingly polarized unless something can be done about low voter turnout. However, changes do not appear to be forthcoming anytime soon. Stuelpe said, “The people that are going to vote are polarized; A LITTLE PARTY | 11 the moderates don’t vote in the primaries or in the caucuses depending on which the state has. You’ve got to suck up to the hardcore people to have a chance to win the job.” A

ANNIKA WOLFF // DESIGN ; LIANNE YU // GRAPHIC

so successful; people are tired of all the pissing and moaning and negative stuff and seeking alternatives.” While Miller said she does respect both parties, animosity between them hinders the government. “As a citizen of the United States, I believe that I not only have a right

FACTION VS FICTION CHS students and teachers agree many stereotypes exist about political parties but emphasize they are not all true

ver since the 2008 presidential election, senior Eric Virden has had an avid zeal for politics. Raised in a family with parents of opposing political viewpoints, he said he had early exposure to viewpoints from both parties. In elementary school during those elections, he said it made him upset that many of his classmates would just talk about what their parents said instead of having their own views. He said the combination of those experiences motivated him to dive deeper into understanding many sides of the political spectrum and their arguments. “(My friends) weren’t having their own views, so I decided I was going to start researching these issues myself and start looking at them. I was in fifth grade, so I wasn’t doing the best research, but I was doing a little bit and getting out there,” Virden said. For junior Jackson Holforty, he said the influences on his political viewpoints consisted of growing up in Indiana and learning about some of the

Here’s How CHS Compares the Political Parties KEVIN HOOK, SENIOR: “Inequality” “Equality” NICHOLAS LAMBERT, SENIOR: “Right” “Socialist” OLIVIA MILLER, SENIOR: “Scary” “Scary” KATI FORBES, SENIOR: “Selfish” “Selfless” CALEB HE, JUNIOR: “Red” “Blue” ANTHONY JI, JUNIOR: “Heroes” “Communist” HOLLYN JOHNSON, JUNIOR: “Smart” “Stupid” KARLY KANTNER, JUNIOR: “Close-minded”

“Independent”

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLICAN

WORDS | SARAH LIU PHOTOS | KYLE CRAWFORD

the people. Human nature is to be independent and to strive for success, and governments that put too many sanctions on the people just limit that.” Virden said he started leaning towards the Democratic Party because some prevalent issues from the time of the Bush Administration. “The two issues that drove me into (the Democratic Party) were the economy at the time, which was under President (George W.) Bush—I didn’t really think the economic policies he was doing were really helping out the country, (and) the other one was the issue of Guantanamo Bay and torture. I feel like torture is abhorrent, and it disgusted me that our own country was engaging in (it).” However, both Virden and Holforty said while they say they classify themselves as their respective political parties, neither considers themselves to be stereotypically representative of them. Virden said while he has more liberal views on social policies, he has more moderate views on economic policies.

how I developed more liberal social ideas,” Holforty said. “I’m very supportive of LGBT rights, … for making sure that people are treated equally. … Generally, I’m just really supportive; I think really highly of people and I want them to have the opportunities that they deserve,” Virden said. “I’m moderate on economic policies. … I would favor more of working towards balancing the budgets while at the same time being careful with it—not cutting too much, essentially raising taxes as well as cutting spending. Widespread stereotypes, according to US and AP Comparative Government teacher Jocelyn Coe, who teaches U.S. government and AP Comparative Government and Politics, consist of calling Democrats “liberal” and supportive of big governments and Republicans “conservative,” supportive and of small government and religiously focused. Additionally, Virden said the public tends to view Democrats as heavy spenders and taxers and also as more cautious about getting involved

While Holforty said he tends to lean towards conservative viewpoints on most issues such as economics and foreign policy, he, like Virden, has more liberal views on social policies. “I was raised in a more conservative household, and being in Carmel and being in Indiana, that’s more of the viewpoint that you see, but just as I lived my life, I realized that freedoms were a very good thing and that individuals should be entitled to those in life, and that’s

in foreign affairs, and it tends to view Republicans as colder and not caring for the people. Coe said one of the biggest reasons why the public tends to develop stereotypes of political parties and their members is due to socialization, the social influences on people as they grow up. “Ninety percent of your political philosophies and leanings are going to be established within you by adolescence and it’s going to be really hard for you to change that

02.12 successes and failures of the governments of the past in World History class. “I think the biggest influence (on the public) would be the area they live in and where they grow up. You can see this from many political maps that show how there are some swing states, but for the most part, states will tend to vote towards one side,” Holforty said. “I think for the most part that holds true (for me), but a little bit goes into just how I’ve been taught in

the classrooms and what I’ve seen through history. I’m very interested in history. What I’ve seen that has been successful in history and hopefully will be successful in the future has impacted me a little bit.” He said he eventually became more conservative on most issues while maintaining more liberal views on social issues. Holforty said, “Once you get too far to the left, it turns into a government that is putting too many controls on

ANNIKA WOLFF // DESIGN AND GRAPHIC

A LITTLE PARTY | 13 because of what your parents said and the people surrounding you and what church said and what school said,” Coe said. Virden agreed, and said people continue to sink into their beliefs by selectively processing information. “They’re stuck into the (position)that they don’t look at any other information that doesn’t back up (their position). If they see other information that conflicts with (their viewpoint), they immediately

throw it aside,” Virden said. “When they think they’re right, they don’t want to give up.” Coe also said another reason for the stereotypes is an overemphasis of media coverage on the most extreme views, and that most people fail to see views representing the middle of the political spectrum. “The most public person in a debate skews the perception of that group. For example, there’s a lot of people that are pro-life that do it for religious beliefs

and for their own personal belief of not supporting abortions; however, if you look at the news and you wanted to see what a pro-life person was like, all you’d see are stories of people bombing and shooting Planned Parenthoods and abortion clinics, and that’s not representing everyone on that pro-life side,” Coe said. Virden and Holforty agreed with Coe on the media coverage’s influence on political viewpoints.

“It’s sad, but it’s true because they put out these views that are wild, and they seem to be representing their respective parties. So you see the views espoused by Donald Trump or the views espoused by Bernie Sanders—both of them are extremes,” Virden said. “Bernie doesn’t represent a lot of the Democrats, and Trump doesn’t represent a lot of the Republicans. But it makes it look like that when the media’s only reporting that.” A

LIGHTS, MUSIC, PARTY HARD

Throwing a Party is a lot of hard work. Here’s how to make sure LIGHTS, MUSIC, PARTY HARD your party is a success Throwing a Party is a lot of hard Throwing a party is a lot ofTOP hard work. THEMES TOP 8 PARTY SONGS 8 PARTY work. Here’s how to make sure Here’s how to make your party a success. 1 your party is a success “Turn Down for What”

LIGHTS, MUSIC, PARTY 1 2 1 3 2 4 3 5 4 6 5 7 6 8 7

Costume Party

DJ Snake, Lil Jon

TOP “Uptown 8 PARTYFunk” SONGS “Turn Mark DownRonson for What” BrunoLil Mars DJft.Snake, Jon

“Hotline Bling” “Uptown Funk” Drake Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars

“Watch Me (Whip)” “Hotline Bling” Silentó Drake

“Soulja Boy” “Watch Me (Whip)” Soulja Boy Tell’em Silentó “Cupid Shuffle” Cupid “Soulja Boy” Soulja Boy Tell’em “Gas Pedal” “Cupid Shuffle” Pharrell Williams Cupid “Hands to Myself” Selena Gomez “Gas Pedal” Pharrell Williams

“Hands to Myself” Selena Gomez

TOP 8 PARTY THEMES For a party to be successful, you need to For a party have the to be right combination successful, of music you need to and theme. have the So, for a right holiday combination party, you of music should play and theme. holiday So, for a music. holiday party, you should play holiday *Recommended bymusic. JD Arland

*Recommended by JD Arland

Holiday Party Costume Party

2 1

TV/Awards Party Holiday Party

3 2

Game Party (Video/Board) TV/Awards Party

4 3

Casual Game Party Get-together (Video/Board) Murder Mystery/ Dinner Party Casual Get-together Black Light Party Murder Mystery/ Dinner Party

5 4 6 5 7 6

Pool Party Black Light Party

8 7

Pool Party

02.12

Music:

The music should include songs you can dance to. SPINNING THE TUNES DJs have to work with emotion. Music accesses the part of the brain responsible for the release of dopamine, a reward SPINNING THE TUNES neurotransmitter, so have a DJ must DJs to work with know what emotion. Music accesses to play. the part of the brain responsible for the release of dopamine, a reward neurotransmitter, so a DJ must know what to play.

Disk jockeys (DJ) take advantage of Part of a song when a pleasurable auditory sequence is coming, can the anticipatory Music: trigger expectations of euphoria and create a sense of reward prediction phase, and The music shouldDuring include songs you to. the anticipatory phasecan dance manipulate and the climax of emotion, emotional arousal dopamine activity increases in by violating Disk jockeys (DJ) the caudate nucleus. an•tic•i•pa•to•ry phase noun expectations take advantageinof Part of a song when a pleasurable auditory sequence coming, can Music triggers the is release certain ways, the anticipatory trigger expectations of euphoria andofcreate a sense of reward prediction dopamine in both the dorsal delaying the phase, and and ventral striatum. climax for a higher During the anticipatory phase manipulate and the climax of emotion, emotional emotional arousal dopamine activity increases in byreaction. violating the caudate nucleus. expectations in Music triggers the release certain ways, of dopamine in both the dorsal delaying the and ventral striatum. climax for a higher

an•tic•i•pa•to•ry phase noun

“The key to DJ’ing is to feel the crowd’s emotions. (You have to) know what people like to dance to, and stay current with your music. Don’t play your favorites, play their “The key to DJ’ing is to feel the crowd’sfavorites.” emotions. (You-Junior have to)Jordan know“J.D.” what Arlandlike on to being a DJ. people dance to, Arland DJ’edwith a couple and stayhas current your events in the pastplay suchyour as music. Don’t his eighth-grade dance. favorites, play their favorites.” -Junior Jordan “J.D.” Arland on being a DJ.

SHIVA VALLABHANENI // GRAPHIC SHIVA VALLABHANENI // GRAPHIC EMILY WORRELL // TOP 8 COMPLIATIONS EMILY WORRELL // TOP 8 COMPLIATIONS SOURCE: NATURE NEUROSCIENCE, WIRED.COM SOURCE: NATURE NEUROSCIENCE, WIRED.COM

SHIVA VALLABHANENI // GRAPHIC EMILY WORRELL // CONTENT SHIVA VALLABHANENI // GRAPHIC SOURCES // NATURE NEUROSCIENCE, WIRED.COM, THEDAILYMEAL.COM

11 22 1 33 2

TOP8 8PARTY PARTYVENUES VENUES TOP

EMILY WORRELL // TOP 8 COMPLIATIONS SOURCE: NATURE NEUROSCIENCE, WIRED.COM

TOP8 8PARTY PARTYFOODS FOODS TOP

Neighborhood Neighborhood Clubhouse Clubhouse

TOP 8 PARTY VENUES Your Home Your Home Neighborhood Clubhouse Laser Tag Laser Tag Your Home

44 3

Restaurant Restaurant Laser Tag

55 4

SkyZone SkyZone Restaurant

66 5

Skating Rink Skating Rink SkyZone

77 6

Swimming Pool Swimming Pool Skating Rink

88 7

Bowling Alley Bowling Alley Swimming Pool

Bowling Alley

Pizza Pizza

Important Important aspects aspects of of a a party party include include thethe Important food and food and aspects of a venue. venue. party Choose Choose to to include the cater cook cater or or cook the food food and the food to to match venue. match thethe venue. venue. ForFor Choose to example, example, cater or cook avoid heavy avoid the heavy food to food Sky food at at Sky match the Zone to Zone toFor venue. prevent prevent example, upset upset avoid heavy stomachs. stomachs. food at Sky Zone to prevent upset stomachs.

TOP 8 PARTY FOODS Cake Cake Pizza

11 22 1

Popcorn Popcorn Cake

33 2

Soda Soda Popcorn

44 3

Chips Chips Soda

55 4

Barbecue Barbecue Chips

66 5

Pretzels Pretzels Barbecue

77 6

Candy Candy Pretzels

88 7

Candy

A LITTLE PARTY | 15

Sociability: Sociability: Parties bring social interaction. Parties bring outout social interaction. A successful A successful party needs party needs Sociability: sociable sociable Parties bring people. out social interaction. people. Sociability Sociability enhances enhances thethe A successful party’s mood, party’s mood, party needs Extrovert: Introvert: TheThe Extrovert: TheThe Introvert: and that’s and that’s sociable You are the of the Being around a lot of people when You are the lifelife of the Being around a lot of people when youyou people. party. Without you, the may be your thing, may notnot be your thing, butbut start to have party. Without you, the start to have mood be dull. being around close friends mood willwill be dull. YouYou areare being around close friends is is Sociability fun. fun. social ‘leader’ where prosper. thethe social ‘leader’ . . where youyou prosper. enhances the party’s mood, The Extrovert: The Introvert: and that’s You are the life of the Being around a lot of people when you

Food: Food: The food has delicious a good party. The food has to to bebe delicious forfor a good party. Presentation: Presentation: FOODIES FORFOR THETHE FOODIES How it looks is as How it looks is as There three traits There areare three traits Food: important important taste. as as thethe taste. good party food good party food Make it appealing. Make it appealing. must exhibit: Size,has to be delicious for The food a good party. must exhibit: Size, Accessibility, Accessibility, andand Presentation Presentation Accessibility: Accessibility: Presentation: FOR THE FOODIES The food beas Size: The food should beis Size: How itshould looks There are three traits something not drippy best food isfood miniature something dry,dry, not drippy TheThe best food is miniature andand important as the taste. good party or greasy. It should also size. This makes it easy or greasy. It should also be be bitebite size. This makes it easy to to Make it appealing. must exhibit: Size, easily eaten with enjoy, something easily eaten with oneone enjoy, andand it’sit’s something Accessibility, and youyou hand, a drink in the other. don’t have to sit down for. hand, a drink in the other. don’t have to sit down for. Presentation Accessibility: The food should be Size: something dry, not drippy The best food is miniature and or greasy. It should also be bite size. This makes it easy to

02.12

STEPHANIE ZHANG // DESIGN ; SARA YUNG // PHOTO

FEATURED

COMING

OF AGE V WORDS | ELLEN PENG & SITHA VALLABHANENI PHOTOS | SWETHA NAKSHATRI & SARA YUNG

arious cultures have celebrations for the transition from childhood to adulthood, often overlapping with the person’s time in high school and featuring unique cultural traditions. Among these are the quinceañera, the Philippine Debut and the Sweet 16. Sophomore Natalia Trevino Amaro’s quinceañera included a church service performed by her priest. Senior Frances Sormillon’s Philippine Debut will involve 18 candles and 18 roses. Sophomore A LITTLE PARTY | 17

Sophie Miller’s Sweet 16 was a celebration for both her and her friend. While customs vary in the way one dresses or the food one eats, the meaning from one culture to the other is nearly identical. The proverbial change from flats to high heels is a significant milestone; it is a symbolic rite of passage.

FEATURED When You’re 15 Stepping into the venue with a dark green dress with gold detailing on the bodice and a tiara to top it all off, sophomore Natalia Trevino Amaro was ready for the party to begin. When she entered the venue in September of 2014, Natalia saw everything she and her parents had planned, from the dance floor to the food. She said, “We had a bunch of tables when you walk in, and then in the far back was the buffet area. And then we had a dance floor at the very front, which is where we, like, set up for the band and then (we) ended up moving that …. There was this little separate room for the photo booth.” For Natalia, who has both Mexican and Spanish heritage, a quinceañera had long been something she wanted to have. “Ever since I was little I wanted to have one …. I started planning it in January (2014)—like, actually getting a place set up and all those little things getting ready,” Natalia said. Her reasons for wanting a quinceañera, she said, were 02.12

Sophomore Natalia Trevino Amaro celebrated her fifteenth birthday with a quinceañera, something she said she had long awaited. “Every American girl has a Sweet 16. So, I was like, ‘I don’t want to have a Sweet 16. I want to do it differently, so I want to have a quinceañera,’” Trevino Amaro said.

because also it’s a Hispanic thing, and people around here don’t understand that. So I basically had this really big party, and then I did the whole church ceremony part of it.” Natalia’s mother Ana Amaro said, “It wasn’t a traditional quinceañera. It was more like a big, big, big party. But it was really worth (it). I think we had a lot of fun.” According to Natalia, a traditional quinceañera involves damas, the Spanish word for ladies, and chambelánes, the Spanish word for dance partners or escorts. The seven damas and seven chambelánes make up the court of people who serve as the escorts for the birthday girl and who represent the 14 years leading up to her 15th birthday. In addition, there is usually a dance accompanying the festivities. Natalia said, “You usually have this big dance that they all do. Like, they choreograph it and everything. It’s a lot. But I didn’t do that. I just wanted to have a big party celebrating having all my friends here.” However, Natalia said she did follow some traditions, such as having a church ceremony dedicated to her transition to adulthood.

“Usually, you have the church ceremony part of it because it usually has to do with Catholics. So, I did that, but I had it done at my house instead of at church. So, I had the priest come here and do a small service instead of going there. I did that part traditionally, and they talk about becoming a woman and all that stuff,” she said. For Mrs. Amaro, it was a significant day, after dedicating months to planning the event and two days to making the desserts. “As a mom, you feel very proud to see your daughter become a woman. I mean, you’re a little bit sad that your baby is not your baby anymore, but I was very happy,” Mrs. Amaro said. To Natalia, although she said it didn’t feel any different being an adult versus being a child, she said she still realizes the importance of that celebration, as even both sides of her family from Spain and Mexico attended. “I definitely valued it just because it was a cool time with everybody, and my parents invested in it,” Natalia said. “It was just, like, you can see that all these people care about you.”

STEPHANIE ZHANG // DESIGN

based on the typical girl movie involving a Sweet 16 party. She said, “Coming here (from Mexico) when I was little, I expected everybody to have Sweet 16s here because that’s like the thing you see on TV. It’s like, every American girl has a Sweet 16. So, I was like, ‘I don’t want to have a Sweet 16. I want to do it differently, so I want to have a quinceañera.’ So I was like, ‘I guess (I’ll) have it a year early. Why not embrace my culture? Let’s do it.’” From January to September, Natalia and her parents worked out the specifics for her quinceañera, particularly with food. “For desserts and stuff my mom made everything,” Natalia said. “We just figured it out with the place, and they helped us out.” As the first person in her family to have ever had a quinceañera, Natalia customized hers to how she wanted it, forgoing the typical party in favor of a simpler one. “I didn’t have a traditional one just because it’s a whole lot of money and a lot of work for that because … it’s almost like weddings where you have bridesmaids and best men,” she said. “I wasn’t going to do that

A LITTLE PARTY | 19

FEATURED Making A Debut For senior Frances Sormillon, April 23, the day after her 18th birthday, will be marked by her transition into adulthood through a Philippine Debut. So far, she and her family have gone through several details concerning the debut party. Frances said, “We had to go through who we want to invite, the dress, the venue, giveaways—everything.” According to Frances, the Philippine Debut is a large birthday celebration for a debutante—the birthday girl—that involves elements such as “Eighteen candles which are 18 girls you invite, and 18 roses which are 18 boys you invite.” The 18 candles and 18 rose stems from a Filipino tradition. In addition, the debut party traditionally includes a cotillion in which the 18 candles, the 18 roses and guests dance. “I think that traditional debuts have a cotillion, which is also what I’m going to have for my debut. There (are) also performances if you (want), and then the candles have speeches and the roses dance with the debutante,” she said. Her parents, John and Marlyn Sormillon, said they are willing to prepare and set up this event. Mr. Sormillon said, “I know a lot of people will try to skip that because of the overwhelming work that you do, but we didn’t want to miss that for her. That’s another way for us to show her as our daughter we wanted to do this.” Mr. Sormillon said he is looking forward to Frances’s debut. He said, “We wanted to

She said, “I’m going to be singing, and then my family’s going to be doing this special dance.” The dance will be choreographed and is simply for entertainment purposes, according to Frances. Mrs. Sormillon said, “One of the highlights on the program is there’s a father and daughter dance, just like in a wedding.” According to Mr. Sormillon, Frances will dance with the 18 roses, and then “it culminates with me dancing with her.” Another important aspect of the party will be the cake. Mrs. Sormillon said, “The cake. It’s one of the highlights in the debut. We ordered a classic cake—a nice, huge cake.” As for her outfit, Frances said, “I’m going to be having this really big, pink dress, and we got it made in the Philippines. It’s very glittery.”

celebrate among our family and friends for sure. And I know among those (things at) this party we are going to do a little bit of intermission as well. So we’re going to have fun, lots of fun.” At her debut party, Frances said she plans to have several events throughout the evening.

Mrs. Sormillon said, “One of my cousin’s friends was a designer, and they designed this for (Frances)…For the color, (Frances) picked the light pink, and she just wanted it simple. (It’s a) simple design with this glitter (detailing), but the back of this is kind of huge.”

02.12

A crown will also be part of her outfit, as well as a pink, satin, drawstring bag that matches the dress. As her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Sormillon both said they see significance in Frances having a debut, particularly since she is their only daughter. Mr. Sormillon said, “For me…it’s like a celebration of her (transition to) being a young adult … and all the years that (she) went through… (We will) join in the customary Filipino celebration of doing a debut for our daughter, as a way of being grateful for everything over 18 years that have transpired, and now she’s ready to face this brave new world.” Frances said one of the biggest reasons why she ended up choosing to have a debut party was due to its cultural significance in the Philippines. “It’s a pretty big event, so some people

STEPHANIE ZHANG // DESIGN ; SARA YUNG // PHOTOS ; ELLEN PENG // WORDS

Senior Frances Sormillon is planning on celebrating her eighteenth birthday with a Philippine debut. “It’s a pretty big event, so some people don’t like going through all the effort to do that,” Sormillion said. “But I just felt like it was a part of my culture that I wanted to be a part of.”

A LITTLE PARTY | 21 don’t like going through all the effort to do that. But I just felt like it was a part of my culture that I wanted to be a part of,” Frances said. “I think it’s a way to show to everyone how far you’ve come, and, like, how much you’ve transformed over the years into your 18-year-old self.”

FEATURED SUBMITTED BY SOPHIE MILLER

A collection of photos from Miller and Reese’s Sweet 16 party last year.

02.12 A Sweet Duo Ever since they were in preschool, sophomores Sophie Miller and Anja Reese have been best friends. On Nov. 7, they both celebrated their birthdays early by having a joint Sweet 16 party at a venue at Prairie View Golf Club. Miller said, “We wanted to do a joint (party) since we’ve been best friends for a long time. We talked about it, and we just thought that since we have a lot of similar friend groups, we wanted to do a joint party because we both wanted to have one anyways.” Miller and Reese planned their party earlier than both of their birthdays as Miller’s is on Nov. 11 and Reese’s is on Nov. 30. They did this to accommodate their busy schedule for Accents, allowing many of their friends from their choir to attend the party.

According to Miller, the two of them started planning in September, when they made a list of activities they were going to do at the party, what type of food they would have and who would attend it. Along with family, they invited people from their own choir, from other choirs and from their church. With the help of requests from these invitees, they created a music playlist that everyone would like. At the party, they had a photo booth, a food bar, music, games and a disc jockey; the basement was used for a dance floor. “I think it was just fun because she’s such a good friend of mine that there were no issues of who to invite. I think it just worked out well because we know each other so well, and we

STEPHANIE ZHANG // DESIGN ; SWETHA NAKSHATRI // PHOTO ; SITHA VALLABHANENI // WORDS

Sophomore Sophie Miller celebrated her sixteenth birthday with a Sweet 16 party. Miller said, “Americans have a culture that they want to be with others and have a party celebrating their achievements.”

A LITTLE PARTY | 23 have the same interests. So, we got to base the (party) off of those interests and our friendship,” Miller said. Miller said boys probably do not have parties similar to a Sweet 16 because girls are more social and a bit dramatic while guys are more relaxed. For Miller, having the Sweet 16 also symbolized, as many coming-of-age parties do, that she was starting to become an adult. Miller said, “I’ve matured over the years. In high school, just becoming more responsible, getting ready for college and all of (that) fun stuff. Just maturing and going through life decisions throughout high school has helped me mature more and grow more as a person. Sixteen is kind of like a year between being a teenager and going into college.”

The Sweet 16 is a tradition in the United States and Canada to act as a celebration of a girl becoming an adult. Miller said 16 is usually a milestone because it is the time when someone gets his or her license, starts to feel more mature and transitions to being an adult while focusing on going from high school to college. “I feel like Americans like to party in general. A Sweet 16 is a big year, and many are waiting for that moment to happen. Americans have a culture that they want to be with others and have a party celebrating their achievements,” Miller said. “It’s just a fun party for both genders to come together to celebrate people’s birthdays instead of when we were all younger it was just girls and just guys. I feel like it’s a traditional American party because it’s just relaxing, having fun and having a ball with your friends.” A

Choosing a college is no easy task. Students discuss the weight party culture has in their decisions. WORDS | LAXMI PALDE ILLUSTRATIONS | SELENA QIAN

02.12

everal weeks ago, senior Solveig Naumann committed to IU for the 2016-17 school year. The flagship campus of Indiana University and the largest university in the state, IU Bloomington is also known for its prevalent party culture. Naumann said although she is not a fan of the party culture and doesn’t see herself participating in it, she knows several people who are planning to go to IU for this aspect of the university. She said, “I believe there are other ways to have fun, and I don’t think I’ll become a part of it.” Naumann said she would rather get involved socially in other ways. “I think that I will get involved by going out with friends to dinner or doing smaller get-togethers. I also plan on getting to know people through clubs and different organizations,” she said. Counselor Stephanie Payne said joining clubs, activities or organizations allows students who are not interested in parties to become socially involved in college. She said, “If you are involved in a club or organization then those people are going to have the same passions as you. It’s a great way to meet other people who are maybe a little bit more like yourself.”

According to Harry Pettibone, College and Career Resource Center counselor, the social aspect—in other words, the college culture—is one of the four factors of fit a student must look at when making a college decision. The other factors are academic, financial and physical (location, campus). The cultural aspect branches out into five different types of college cultures: collegiate, pre-professional, creative, intellectual and activist. Though a college campus can have a combination of all of these cultures, it is likely that it emphasizes one or two. Pettibone, who is currently working on projects regarding these different types of college cultures, said the party atmosphere, along with athletics, falls under the collegiate category. Naumann said she believes a college’s culture goes beyond just the partying. She said because college makes up a significant time period in a student’s life, he or she must consider the culture as they make their college decisions. “I think that it depends on the person, so different people will consider different things,” she said. “I think everyone should consider what events (or) traditions the school has, clubs that interest that individual, how much emphasis is placed on sports versus academics, cultural groups and a school’s values.” Naumann said she thinks party culture is prevalent in some universities because of the sense of independence students share when they first enter college.

She said, “I think parties are such a big part of some schools because college is the first time that students are away from their parents and have less rules, so they feel that they can really let go. I think that parties are definitely a big part of big schools such as IU because so many students go there, and many of them may share this mentality.” Pettibone said he agrees that the sense of independence is where the party atmosphere stems from. “A lot of it has to do with freedom from the stringent rules at high school. A lot of the times, the ones who lost control of themselves and their life by partying too much and losing the sense that ‘I’m here for academics,’ are those who maybe had tighter reins in high school, and the parents didn’t trust them, didn’t give them the responsibility,” Pettibone said. “The student who has had a sense of adult responsibility, they’re going to be able to handle it.” Pettibone said he believes the partying and participation in social culture is part of the maturation process and the entrance into adulthood, but it must be done sensibly. “To be honest with you, it is a rite of passage, I guess, for students to party and have a good time in college. Those who you think would never, do indulge in partying. It is a matter of doing it with common sense and being able to understand there are limitations on it. And remembering your priority—not to party, but to get the grade.” A

A LITTLE PARTY | 25

SELENA QIAN // DESIGN

A Little Party Never...

HURT

People should ignore the negative stigma of party culture. WORDS | EMILY WORRELL

ed Solo cups. Blaring music. Fights. Dancing. Making bad decisions. We’ve all seen tons of movies portraying teen parties as dens of sin where drunk teenagers make horrible decisions and get busted by police. But honestly, I’ve never been to or even heard of a party like that occurring in Carmel. The media’s focus on teen parties that involve alcohol, drugs and sex has created a false stereotype that all teen parties are about getting wasted or high. These disrespectful and untrue stereotypes that are driven into the minds of society members cause too much fuss over nothing. For instance, I was at a party after homecoming this past year. It was nothing but about 15 or 20 kids hanging out and having fun. Until a police officer showed up, expecting to find a drunken rave. When he found no signs of drug or alcohol use, he immediately decided to instead scold us about the volume of our music (which, in truth, was not excessively loud) and tell us we either needed to stop the party or turn the volume down, even though we were not breaking the noise ordinance laws.

lifestyle, socialization can help people feel supported, stay mentally sharp, develop a more active lifestyle, reduce stress, and lengthen life spans. As a teen, attending and hosting parties are key components to socialization, so if parties benefit teen health, both mentally and physically, why would they be thought of as so harmful? Part of the reason people think parties are so dangerous is what I mentioned earlier, the negative stereotype that all teens at all parties do drugs and make bad choices. However, the reason there is so much buzz and so much more press coverage about teen parties that have drugs and alcohol is not that these parties are the most common; it’s just that these are the only ones we really hear about. Newspapers don’t just print stories like “Teen throws successful, quiet party with a few friends.” A typical, calm party just isn’t news. And the reason it isn’t news is that it is normal. Therefore, these alcohol-filled parties are news specifically because they don’t typically happen. It’s just like how people see stories about arson on the news, but they don’t just assume all people are arsonists. Therefore, the same standard should be applied to teen parties: just because the newsworthy

02.12 These stereotypes are so drilled into people’s heads that they just assume teen parties mean drugs, alcohol and all kinds of bad decisions-- even for law enforcement officers. But in truth, teen parties are about the same as children’s parties and adults’ parties: getting together with a group of friends and having fun. Not only are parties enjoyable, but they also relieve stress and are beneficial to health. According to Optum, an organization which spreads awareness on how to live a healthy

ones often involve drugs and alcohol doesn’t mean they all do. If parties were truly the way they are represented in movies and TV shows, I would be opposed to them.

Excessive drug use and underage alcohol consumption are certainly not to be trifled with. However, the truth is, most parties are completely different from these ugly stereotypes and are in fact beneficial to teen health. So get out of the house. Meet new people. Go to a party. Have fun. Your body and mind will thank you for it. A

DID ANY GOOD

Parties bring more harm than they do good.

STEPHANIE ZHANG // DESIGN AND PHOTO

VIEWPOINT

WORDS | AMY ZHOU

magine this: You’re at a party with one of your friends, although you don’t know the host too well. There aren’t too many familiar faces amid the people laughing and dancing around so you grab a drink and sit by yourself on the couch, nervously tapping your fingers on the cup. You don’t even really want to be there, but your friend said everyone else would be, so there you are just nervously waiting for something to happen.

However, what if that drink had been spiked with alcohol and the candy bowl swapped out for drugs? Would you have the courage to say no to alcohol when everyone’s eyes are on you? I’m sure not too many Carmel residents can say they’ve ever partaken in illegal activities at a party, but even in our Carmel bubble, bad things can happen. Those outrageous party scenes in movies and magazines may glamorize them, but they’re anything but a pretty sight when you’re hooked to an IV in the emergency room. It’s not too much fun when you wake up alone in a hospital bed, or even land yourself a visit to jail due to drug or alcohol use. Sure, they can be a great place for teens to socialize while discovering their own social identity, but they can also be a hot spot for kids to mess around with little to no adult supervision. We often hear the words “peer pressure” thrown around in health and wellness class, but the reality is that your friends have a much greater impact on you than you think. People may think parties relieve stress and are an important part of a teenager’s life, but the truth is that young and

cause of teen deaths in America. Anything can happen at a party with young and impressionable teenagers. Many people think that parties are a stress-reliever. Think about this: waking up in a hospital is not a stress reliever. Choking on your vomit is not a stress reliever. Now, we can’t forget about the other illicit party activities besides underage drinking. According to “7 Dangerous Teen Trends” from GreatKids, a nonprofit organization focused on child development, popular drug trends include getting high off of household objects, including bath salts and supplements. For those parents naïve enough to believe their child would never dare to try drugs—what if he or she was with a group of familiar friends? Saying no to your own curiosity is different than saying no to a couple of friends you’ve practically known since birth. A little party has, in fact, hurt someone. A perfect example of this happened in our community in 2012. Many students at Carmel remember the name Brett

A LITTLE PARTY NEVER | 27 impressionable teens are exposed to all kinds of danger. The article “Peer Pressure and Alcohol Use amongst College Students” from New York University’s Online Publication of Undergraduate Studies, an experiment designed to show the effectiveness of peer pressure, revealed that freshmen are more susceptible to pressure from upperclassmen. When you apply this to a teenage party, it becomes a recipe for disaster. Intoxication can lead to drunk driving accidents, the leading

Finbloom, a teen who died from alcohol poisoning at a party, weeks before graduation. His parents said he was a good kid, so why did he die? Yes, after his death the Lifeline Law was created but still many accidents like this happen. The truth is parties are dangerous and are breeding grounds for bad decisions, whether that be drug or alcohol consumption or any kind of dangerous party games. In short, parties just have too many risk factors involved for anyone to be able to truly have peace of mind at. A

PRINTERACTIVE

MAKE YOUR FIRST FOLD ON THE LINE THAT SAYS “FOLD HERE (STEP 2)”. FOLD THE PAGE UPWARDS.

EVERY TIME YOU SEE A QUESTION, ANSWER IT AND FOLD ALONG YOUR ANSWER’S CORRESPONDING LINE.

ONCE YOU SEE THE WORD “DONE” ON YOUR CIRCLE, YOUR CIRCLE IS COMPLETE.

SELENA QIAN & STEPHANIE ZHANG | DESIGN

CUT OUT THE NEXT PAGE ALONG THE CREASE OF THE PAGE.

02.12

FIND OUT...

DO YOU PREFER SMALL OR BIG PARTIES?

The percentage of your final circle that is blue corresponds to small parties, while the percentage of your final circle that is orange corresponds to big parties. The answers to these questions do actually show a correlation to one of the two sides based on a survey of CHS students—e.g. people who prefer big parties tend to like dogs more than do those who prefer small parties. However, this printeractive is not at all scientific or accurate.

E D Star Wars or Star Trek? B

May the Force be with you: Fold B Live long and prosper: Fold D

FOLD HERE (step 2)

C B

Cats or Dogs?

Cats: Fold A Dogs: Fold B

H C

Main Cafeteria or Greyhound Station?

Coca Cola or Pepsi? G Coca Cola: Fold G Pepsi: Fold E

Main Cafeteria: Fold D Greyhound Station: Fold C

DONE DONE

DONE

Subway or Jimmy Johns?

Subway: Fold H Jimmy Johns: Fold C

DONE

MATTHEW HAN // GRAPHIC

SOURCES // MSNBC.COM, IBTIMES.COM, PEOPLE-PRESS.ORG, ISIDEWITH.COM

POLITICAL VIEWS // THE STATS THE U.S. NUMBERS

THE CHS NUMBERS

SUPPORT OBAMACARE?

46%

54%

49%

51%

INCREASE MINIMUM WAGE?

58%

42%

67%

33%

SUPPORT COMMON CORE

39%

61%

39%

INCREASE ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS?

INCREASE ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS? 38%

62%

40%

60%

REPUBLICAN

39%

DEMOCRAT

49%

CANDIDATE SUPPORT

REPUBLICAN

81%

51% 33%

BIO

2% RU

OTH ER

14%

OTH ER

S DER SAN

N NTO CLI

17%

TRU

18%

BIO

11%

EY ALL O’M

4% SAN DER

DEMOCRATIC

39%

35%

51%

REPUBLICAN

DEMOCRATIC

48%

NTO N

AFFILIATION

CANDIDATE SUPPORT

REPUBLICAN

CLI

TRU

AFFILIATION

YES

DEMOCRAT

48%

MAKE CUTS TO PUBLIC SPENDING TO LOWER NATIONAL DEBT?

YES

25%

75%

MAKE CUTS TO PUBLIC SPENDING TO LOWER NATIONAL DEBT?

60%

61%

IN THIS ISSUE: - Coming-of-age traditions - Polarization of political parties - Party culture’s influence on students’ college choices - Printeractive: Would you prefer small or big parties? Watch the “A Little Party” issue video at chsacumen.com.