Friday the 13th
Black cats, walking under a ladder, stepping on cracks, horse shoes, four-leaf cloversâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve heard them all. While some of us set supersitions aside and ignore those centuries-long beliefs, the remainder of us latch onto them. They provide a constant when the world around us is unnerving and changing; they also curse us with a fear of certain situations. Take crossing fingers, for example. Thought to have originated as an early Christian gesture to invoke protection of the Christian cross during < COVERS AND PG 2-3 PHOTOS BY LAUREN LU DESIGN BY STEPHANIE ZHANG
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times of persecution, crossing fingers is now thought to provide good luck and perhaps excuse a white lie. The physical action of interlocking two fingers together may not have a solid impact on the outcome of a situation, but it gives us something to latch onto for support. But the truth is, these superstitions are a part of us. While there may be nothing to fear or nothing to believe in, a part of us holds onto those beliefs. Today is Friday the 13th, a day filled with caution for many. So, proceed carefully. -Stephanie Zhang, associate editor
hi@chsacumen.com | chsacumen.com facebook.com/chsacumen | @chsacumen
EDITOR IN CHIEF: LAUREN LU laurenlu@chsacumen.com
ASSOCIATE EDITOR: STEPHANIE ZHANG stephaniezhang@chsacumen.com
REPORTERS: Nida Khan, nidakhan@chsacumen.com Sriya Ravi, sriyaravi@chsacumen.com Grant Smith, grantsmith@chsacumen.com PHOTOGRAPHERS: Kyle Crawford, kylecrawford@chsacumen.com Daniel Goldberg, danielgoldberg@chsacumen.com Dara Levy, daralevy@chsacumen.com Sarah Liu, sarahliu@chsacumen.com Nivedha Meyyappan, nivedhameyyappan@chsacumen.com DESIGNERS: Kyle Crawford, kylecrawford@chsacumen.com Joyce Lam, joycelam@chsacumen.com Annika Wolff, annikawolff@chsacumen.com GRAPHIC ARTISTS: Dennis Yang, dennisyang@chsacumen.com NON-STAFF CONTRIBUTORS:
Matthew Han, mhan@hilite.org Selena Qian, sqian@hilite.org Sreeti Ravi, sravi@hilite.org Sitha Vallabheneni, svallabheneni1@hilite.org
FRIDAY THE 13TH | 03
TABLE OF CONTENTS Strange Fears (4) Principal John Williams (10) Room of Superstition (12) Science of Fear (14) Fear of the Future (chsacumen.com) Break a Leg (chsacumen.com) Supertitions (chsacumen.com)
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DESIGN BY STEPHANIE ZHANG
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WORDS | SITHA VALLABHANENI PHOTOS | SARAH LIU
W
e are all afraid of something. Whether it be heights or spiders, these fears are what make us human. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, fear is defined as an unpleasant emotion caused by the anticipation of
FRIDAY THE 13TH | 05
a threat of danger. A simple experience from the past can invoke these fears, etching that memory of pain into the back of our minds. Certain fears are common, such as a fear of the dark; in some cases, however, a childhood memory of horror develops into the most curious of fears.
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THEATROPHOBIA fear of theaters
“I’ve met other people who don’t like movie theaters, but I’ve never met anyone who won’t go to one like I won’t,” senior Sydney Sorrell said. Ever since she was 13 years old, Sorrell has had a fear of movie theaters. She said many people believe she could have developed this fear because of the 2012 Colorado shooting at the premiere of “The Dark Knight Rises”. However, Sorrell said she thinks movie theaters are very dirty, and she’s very uncomfortable being in a dark room with strangers. “They never wash those seats, and there’s people in there all day, and there’s food everywhere and germs,” Sorrell said. “It just really freaks me out. It’s really overwhelming.” Recently, Sorrell went to a movie theater with a friend who worked there. Even though there were not many people in the movie theater at the time she went, Sorrell said she was still very nervous. “I feel like something’s going to happen,” Sorrell said. “I have really bad anxiety already, and in a movie theater it just gets way worse. This sounds really overdramatic, but sometimes I won’t be able to see anything, and then I get really paranoid that something’s going to happen or that I’m going to catch some disease that’s hiding in the chairs. It’s kind of gross if you think about it.” Conquering her fear has crossed Sorrell’s mind, but she has not taken any steps to overcome it. Sorrell said she loves to watch movies, so getting over her fear would help her see movies immediately instead of waiting for them to come out on DVD. Sorrell said, “I really love films. Like, I love the Oscars and I love the Golden Globes and I love watching the award shows. It kind of really stinks when I haven’t seen any of the movies
2.13 (that are nominated) because the majority of them aren’t available to watch outside of the theaters yet.”
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Senior Sydney Sorrell has feared movie theaters since she was 13 years old. Sorrell said, “This sounds really overdramatic, but sometimes I won’t be able to see anything.”
fear of costume characters
me. I freaked out, and ever since I can’t go near a costume character.” When Harshberger was 12 years old, she said she tried to overcome her fear by going up to each costume character and getting a photo with them. She said because of that trip, she is now only frightened by scary costume characters. “Last summer we were back in (Walt) Disney World, and I was chased through the theme park by a Star Wars character that was this weird troll thing. He chased me, and I ran into the women’s restroom and cried,” Harshberger said. “I think now, though, most of the fear is wondering who could be in there.”
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MASKLOPHOBIA
DESIGN BY STEPHANIE ZHANG
Every time sophomore Cait Harshberger and her family go to Walt Disney World, she has to face her odd fear of costumed amusement park characters. “My family just took pictures and laughed while I was, like, sobbing,” Harshberger said. When Harshberger was 6 years old, her family went to a character brunch at Walt Disney World where her fear first began to develop. Harshberger said, “I just hid under the table and had a napkin over my head for double protection. Then, I felt this feeling in the back of my neck, so I lifted up the napkin and Winnie the Pooh was under the table just staring at
FRIDAY THE 13TH | 07 Sophomore Cait Harshberger developed a fear of costume characters during a family vacation at Walt Disney World.
fear of horses
HIPPOPHOBIA 2.13
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As a result of a horseback riding accident, senior Nick Surette fears horses. Surette said he didn’t talk for days and ate as little as possible after the incident.
“My whole family is really invested in the horse world, and then there is me, who can’t even step foot in the barn anymore,” senior Nick Surette said. Surette said he began taking horseback riding lessons because his whole family rides. However, six years ago during a lesson, he had a traumatizing accident involving his horse. “I fell off a horse when I was first learning how to ride it, and the horse ran over me,” Surette said. “I was actually terrified and, like, in shock. After I fell, my trainer actually picked me up from the ground, caught the horse, told me to stop being a baby and put me back on the horse, even with two broken fingers.”
Afterward, Surette said he was silent for three days, talking and eating as little as possible. Surette even tried to overcome his fear by cleaning the stalls, but after another bad experience, he was back to square one. “(My family was) really confused at first because everyone falls off (horses) and has bad accidents, so they didn’t really understand why it was affecting me in a different way. But I feel like I was young when it happened, so that just ingrained itself in my memory,” Surette said. “I just started developing this fear (that) I’m actually on top of this thing. Like, I’m in charge of it, but it’s, like, 600 pounds and it’s huge. It’s actually kind of terrifying just thinking about it.”
Senior Shea Rhoutsong said, “I started screaming—like, a high-pitched 5-year-old girl freaking out about a Barbie doll breaking kind of screaming.” Rhoutsong had a stuttering problem. Her friend started a joke where every time Rhoutsong stuttered, her friend would put a piece of tape on her to act as a reminder. She grew to loathe the feeling of the adhesives, which eventually developed into a fear. “I just kind of grew to hate it because taking off the adhesive felt weird to me. Basically things that can be peeled off (freak) me out,” Rhoutsong said. “It got me to stop stuttering, though.” Many people do not know of Rhoutsong’s fear, as it is uncommon. Once when she was with her friends, one friend jokingly put a sticker on her shoulder, just to
see what she would do. However, her friend didn’t know of her fear. “I felt it as soon as he put it there, and I started screaming. I was freaking out, and I kept on screaming, ‘Get it off me.’ My friend took it off, and I explained to him that I think adhesives are disgusting (in) the way they feel, and they freak me out,” Rhoutsong said. People use tape every day, so Rhoutsong’s fear is a daily challenge. Rhoutsong said she uses staplers and glue instead of tape, but it is still difficult for her to complete projects or even to wrap a present. She has gotten to the point where she can hold certain tapes, like masking tape, on her thumb, and she is currently working on trying to hold duct tape. Sorrell said, “Yeah, (my fear is) a little strange. It’s not something that you would hear every day. It’s not like being afraid of heights or snakes.”
DESIGN BY STEPHANIE ZHANG
A D H E S I V E S
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Senior Shea Rhoutsong developed a fear of adhesives, such as stickers and tape.
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What fears do you have? I think we all have a lot of the same kinds of fears: fears of getting old and not being healthy, fears that something will happen to someone you love. Those are kind of natural fears. I have a little bit of a fear of heights.
Do you believe in Friday the 13th? I think about those things. I don’t do anything differently. I wouldn’t not buy a house on Friday the 13th or not get on a plane, but I think about them. If something happens, I think, ‘Oh gosh, it’s Friday the 13th.’ I would never not do something on Friday the 13th because it might not turn out well. I don’t think I’ve ever been paranoid, at least I hope not. When I try and think about worrying, whether you call it paranoia or fretting about something, I ask, ‘Does it impact your life? Does it change what you do?’ Do you not take a trip because you worry you might have an accident? Do you not go out with somebody because you’re worried they might break up with you? There are so many things that we could not do because we worry something might happen. I don’t sky dive because I would be worried plus I don’t want to sky dive that much. But I think what you have to do is make sure that (the) worry doesn’t impact your life. When you talk
DESIGN BY LAUREN LU
PRINCIPAL JOHN WILLIAMS
of paranoia, people who suffer from that, it impacts their life. That’s a whole other topic. No, I don’t think I’m ever paranoid about anything. I hope that I don’t ever let worry hold me back from things I should be doing or would be wonderful to do. I worry now about, as I get older and reach retirement: will I have the money to retire, but at the same time I’m not going to not go vacationing with my wife because I’ll have more money when I’m 80. Do you have any superstitions? My mom was very superstitious. She had a lot of things, like if you knocked over the salt on the table, you take some and throw it over your left shoulder. If you left the house and you forgot something and had to go back to get it, you had to sit down and make a wish. You couldn’t just go back and get it and then leave the house again. My mom was raised Catholic, and if you were trying to sell your house, you would get a statue of St. Joseph and bury it in your backyard, and supposedly your house would sell. I grew up with a lot of superstitions. I don’t practice any of those. How do you deal with the pressures of your job? I don’t really do anything specifically. Sometimes when I’m under a lot of pressure, I eat too much. I’m a stress-eater. I talk to people; that relieves pressure for me. My wife and I have lots of conversations about what she does and what I do, and that helps. Talking to people about the pressures of the job and things that are going on seem to help. I read a lot of fiction novels. That kind of eases the night out. I read almost every night. I go into the world of whatever novel I’m reading. It helps. What do you worry about? My philosophy’s always been: ‘If there’s something out there, try to fix it and move on.’ Everybody worries about their health, their family and people they love, and I worry about Carmel High School and kids that go here and teachers and all that stuff. When you say worry, I don’t chew my fingernails off or can’t sleep at night. That kind of stuff is in the back of your mind all the time. When you get a phone call at 2 in the morning, you think someone’s been in an accident or someone got hurt, but as far as fretting about it, I don’t. I have this belief that if you really try to do the right things, things
FRIDAY THE 13TH | 11 will end up exactly where they’re supposed to be, and I believe that there’s a plan that I’m not in control of. My responsibility is just to get up every morning and just do the best I can. Sometimes the best I can do is struggling through the day. Sometimes it’s lighting the world on fire. Things will happen – some really amazing things and some really scary and terrible things, and our job is to react to those, to handle those, to try to be as proactive as we can and then celebrate the great things that happen to us and deal with and get past the tough things. That’s what our life is.
INTERVIEW | SREETI RAVI PHOTO | NIVEDHA MEYYAPPAN
THE SCIENCE OF FEAR The Thalamus: Receives information from sensory organs and conducts basic processing of sensory information. After processing, it sends the information to the amygdala. It also stores and retrieves emotional memories.
The Hippocampus: Contains the sensory cortex. This area ultimately establishes the situational and emotional context and immediately determines whether or to regard the situation as fear-inducing.
The Hypothalamus: Receives information directly from the amygdala and will trigger the “fight-or-flight” response. It will also send messages to the kidneys’ adrenal glands and will cause stress hormones to be released.
Frontal and Temporal Lobes: These release certain chemicals that ultimately prevent overly panicked and irrational behavior. SOURCES: NEW YORK TIMES WASHINGTON POST CHS SURVEY OF 115 STUDENTS
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Everybody loves the jitters In general, experiencing something fearful, like riding a rollercoaster or bungee jumping, gives the participant the illusion that they have conquered a great peril without physical harm. Doing so gives an extremely satisfying feeling that serves as self-affirmation for strength.
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Thrill-seekers have a lower level of brain arousal, thus when they experience fear, it heightens the level of activation in the brain, making them feel fully alive.
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Thrill-seekers have a lower dosage of the brain chemical called monoamine oxidase. Being in fear raises this chemical, also raising their happiness and excitement.
GRAPHIC BY MATTHEW HAN, SCOTT LIU AND AARON SHI
34%
54%
66%
of teens fear test-taking
of teens are afraid of talking to teachers about personal problems
of teens are afraid of life after graduation
30%
90%
6.3%
of things feared happened in the past
of things feared are considered trivial
of Americans have a diagnosed phobia
by the numbers
74 68
Percent of CHS students who have this fear
56.5
Percent of U.S. population who have this fear
38.3
41.7
40.9 30.5
30.4
FRIDAY THE 13TH | 13
20.9 15.7 11
Public speaking
Death
Spiders
The dark
10
Heights
7.9
Social situations
61.
8.7
6.5
Flying
2.5
Confined spaces
4.3
2.2
Open spaces
2
Thunder/ lightning
[1]
Crossing fingers dates back to the 14th century, when crosses symbolized power and unity. After the death of Jesus and before the legalization of Christianity, Christians greeted each other by crossing their fingers.
Knocking on wood supposedly drives off evil spirits and negates speech that might tempt fate. It was an Irish culture belief that touching wood imparted good luck.
The rarity of these in nature made them precious to St. Patrick in Ireland and to newlywed couples in Egypt. Each leaf has a specific meaning: faith, hope, love and luck.
The horseshoe stems back to Saint Dunstan, who reputedly warded off the devil with one. Horseshoes are thought to protect against evil in many cultures.
There are, of course, more positive superstitions — good omens — as well. A few are listed above.
Welcome to the Room of Superstition. In it, we’ve thrown fourteen objects — one less than that, actually; you’ll see our logic regarding this later — that represent some of the most prevalent superstitions throughout history. We’ll explore the origins of them and attempt to illuminate lesser-known aspects of these well-known omens. After all, though direct substantiation in today’s age has heavily outweighed these beliefs, perhaps only a handful of us can deny harboring belief in at least one or two superstitions.
[4]
Superstition regarding broken mirrors existed, in a sense, even before the invention of glass; distorted reflections in bodies of water were often regarded as bad omens (catoptromancy, an ancient Greek method of divination, actually used the reflection of the client in a bowl of water to determine their future). The production of the first glass mirrors in the 1400s was an extremely expensive process; servants who broke a mirror were almost never able to pay for a replacement.
[3] [2] Spilling salt, historically, has been equivalent to inviting the devil in. The sprinkling of salt was used in ancient rituals, and the substance was believed to have magical properties. Also, salt was, at one point in time, very expensive, and perhaps spilling it brought fear upon the one guilty of the wastefulness.
“Step on a crack and you’ll break your mother’s back,” is what we say today, but the superstition was different a century ago. During the late nineteenth century, whilst blatant racism was more acceptable, the original (malicious) quote is believed to be: “Step on a crack and your mother’s baby will be black.” There’s also a belief that cracks lead to the underworld, and stepping on them would release evil spirits.
There’s some discrepancy regarding black cats. If one crosses your path, some say, you’ll have bad luck — it might even be a death omen; indeed, in the Middle Ages, black cats were seen as demons and readily associated with witches. But in ancient Egyptian culture, all cats—not excluding black ones—were highly regarded. Thus, others say that if a black cat walks towards you, you’re in luck, but if it walks away, it takes with it the luck that it brought.
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SUPERSTITION
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[5]
[6]
In the medieval times, ladders were often associated with the gallows; walking under a ladder would be to cross paths with the spirit that was hung. There are also connections with Egypt’s pyramids and the Christian Trinity; however, the best belief may simply be common sense. Walking under ladder may cause something to fall on you or someone on the ladder to fall. Moral of the story: Please walk around. And if you do go under, cross your fingers.
Owls, like black cats, are regarded with some discrepancy. In the Greek culture, owls were a sign of wisdom and good fortune; in Roman, impending disaster. For Romans too, hearing an owl hoot (today, there’s the condition that it happens during the day), it’s a sign of impending death. And let’s be honest: No matter how you look at it, an owl staring into your window is creepy.
[8] [7] Seeing a hearse, a vehicle that carries a coffin, is one of the most notorious signs of imminent death. To counteract this omen, people in the Victorian times would hold a button. In Japan, one would hide his or her thumb — the finger that represents the parent; “oya yubi,” the “parent” finger — to protect one’s parents from an early death.
One practice that developed in Great Britain or Germany involved stopping a clock after the death of a loved one (though the origins of this tradition are disputed). The most logical underlying reason is to mark the time of death for the coroner, though other beliefs such as allowing the deceased to move on without worries developed over time.
[9]
[10]
Although seven is considered lucky in most cultures, to the Chinese it symbolizes death, and is often associated with seven years of bad luck. However, don’t let this deter you: apart from that, seven is almost universally fortunate.
Particularly in British folklore, black dogs are harbingers of death and destruction, and often associated with ghosts. Fear runs deep enough that there are several reactionary groups that encourage people to take black dogs as pets, despite the stigma.
[11]
[14]
In Asian culture, the number four is a homophone for death. There is therefore an ancient stigma against it, more prevalent in the elderly and less Westernized. People avoid the number particularly in permanent and personal identification, such as in a phone number or car plate. Some apartment complexes or hotels skip the fourth floor when numbering.
Triskaidekaphobia is fear of the number thirteen. Fear of this number, which is regarded as strongly evil in many cultures, drives some airports to not have a 13th gate; hotels, a 13th floor; this graphic, a 13th object. Some speculate that avoidance of this number in the western culture developed because Judas, who betrayed Jesus, was seated 13th. In the late 1800s, people organized Thirteen Clubs to debunk superstitions (they all lived), but they have since faded from popularity.
[12] In ancient Egyptian culture, opening an umbrella indoors would offend the deity of the sun. A more modernday take on this superstition is the belief that while taking an umbrella with you keeps rain away, leaving one at home invites it.
9 8 6
11 5
FRIDAY THE 13TH | 15 10
14
7 4
12
ox
GRAPHIC BY SCOTT LIU
rat *
pig
tig
g
rabbit
rooster*
* er
do
dr
ey
ag
nk
on
mo
a sn
go
ke
horse
at best compatibility
* Least compatible with itself
worst compatibility
VALENTINES DAY | 17
year of birth
SOURCES: CHINAHIGHLIGHTS.COM EASTROLOG..COM SHESAID.COM
The astrological signs mark every 30 degrees on the celestial coordinate system. Many East Asian countries assign a zodiac animal to each year, for a total of 12 animals. In Korea and Japan, personality types based on blood type are very common.
Rat: 1996, 1984, 1972, 1960 Ox: 1997, 1985, 1973, 1961 Tiger: 1998, 1986, 1974, 1962
Rabbit: 1999, 1987, 1975, 1963 Dragon: 2000, 1988, 1976, 1964 Snake: 2001, 1989, 1977, 1965
Rooster: 2005, 1993, 1981, 1969 Dog: 2006, 1994, 1982, 1970 Pig: 2007, 1995, 1983, 1971
Horse: 2002, 1990, 1978, 1966 Goat: 2003, 1991, 1979, 1967 Monkey: 2004, 1992, 1980, 1968
A (VERY) BRIEF HISTORY
n
aquarius
r ico pr
pis c
es
ca
a s rie
taurus ge mi ni
w r i t t e n i n t h e s ta r s
in you d o
go
vir
er
believe
scorpio
sa
g
destin y?
ius itt ar ra lib
c
c an
leo date of birth Aquarius: Jan. 21- Feb. 19 Pisces: Feb. 20 - Mar. 20 Aries: Mar. 21 - Apr. 20
Taurus: Apr. 21 - May 21 Gemini: May 22 - June 21 Cancer: June 22- July 22
Leo: July 23 - Aug. 22 Virgo: Aug. 23- Sept. 23 Libra: Sept. 24 - Oct. 23
Scorpio: Oct. 24 - Nov. 22 Sagittarius: Nov. 23 - Dec. 22 Capricorn: Dec. 23 - Jan. 20
type a 10.02
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r ea d
it
(Carefully) follow
type b
h ow
Fo r e x a m p le : Determine your astrological sign, zodiac animal or blood type
type o
Capricorn is least compatible with Libra and Aries
who is most/least compatible
type ab
GRAPHIC BY MATTHEW HAN, SCOTT LIU AND AARON SHI
81% of CHS teens want to get married someday 29% of CHS students are in a relationship 18% of teens admitted that a relationship has negatively impacted relationships with a close friend 18% of CHS teens are uncertain about marriage 61% of teens have been â&#x20AC;&#x153;in loveâ&#x20AC;? 69% of CHS teens believe in true love
o e
94% of teens believe in true love
37% of CHS
75% of CHS teens believe their parents set a good example for love
61% of teens say they have been in a relationship 66% of high school and college students admit to having had their hearts broken
VALENTINES DAY | 15 60% of high school students plan to break up with their boyfriends or girlfriends when they leave for college 70% of teenagers text their boyfriend/girlfriend more than they talk on the phone 39% of teens have not told their parents about their current relationship 20% of teens have had a boyfriend or girlfriend their parents disapproved of
BY THE Numbers
THE SCIENCE OF love stage 1: Lust The initial stage, when sexual hormones run rampant within the body. Estrogen and testosterone are the hormones that create a sense of lust within the brain
stage 2: attraction Attraction is said to be the most beautiful stage of love and is when someone discovers he/she is in love. There are three chemicals involved in attraction: adrenaline, dopamine and serotonin Adrenaline: associated with the “rush” of love
Hypothalamus
Hippocampus
Anterior Cingulate Media insula
Dopamine: causes love to be addicting
Serotonin: can potentially cause temporary insanity These three parts of the brain are responsible for the development of love
stage 3: attachment The hypothalamus releases two chemicals: oxytocin and vasopressin. Oxytocin strengthens the bond between lovers when they have sexual affairs. This is also known to be the “love hormone.” Vasopressin causes one to be protective of his/her loved one and have more devotion. Ultimately these two chemicals can interfere with adrenaline and dopamine, which causes a loss of passion over time
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attraction factors
55% Body language
Statements or choice of words
Tone of voice
7%
38%
SOURCES: YOURAMAZINGBRAIN.ORG BBC STAGEOFLIFE.COM CHS SURVEY OF 115 STUDENTS
DESIGN BY STEPHANIE ZHANG
Citing an example, Ernst said, “I guess it’s not so much about the big events. It’s more of the small events that you remember for a long time. “Like there was this one time when we were both laughing for a long time, but then Anna started laughing so hard that she was crying, and tears were pouring down her face, but it was real crying. It wasn’t even laughing crying; it was real crying. It was so funny.” What’s in a Friend? For Ernst, the main criteria for having a best friend is that “you have to be you with your best friend.” She said, “You probably have those friends who you feel like you have to be cool around. But you can’t do that with your best friend. That would be stupid. You have to be dorky; you have to be yourself, or it wouldn’t make sense.” In that context, she demonstrated what she would do with Yarling while passing her in the hallway, making a face while pulling in her head to create a double chin. “I’ll make weird faces at random points. I can’t do that with anyone else. Maybe like one or two other people, but not in the same way,” she said. The (Not So) Tough Times A relationship is rarely peaceful all the time: there are often times when two people butt heads, or personal issues crop up. For Ernst and Yarling, this remains largely untrue. Immediately after they heard the question about having any arguments, they said almost simultaneously, “We haven’t really.” Yarling said, “We haven’t, which is really strange, because I feel like (with) close friends it’s hard not to get into a fight. There’s nothing that we can really fight about.” Ernst said sometimes she becomes annoyed with Yarling, but “I’ve never been in a fight (with her) before.”
Junior Sally Ernst VALENTINES DAY | 13
For the two of them, being with each other is the best remedy. Looking at Yarling, Ernst said, “We just talk things out a lot, which is nice. And we bring each other Starbucks. You bring me Starbucks most of the time. But I think talking is a healing thing, and we’re both good at that. We talk all the time, so that’s how (we support each other).” Some Side Effects May Include According to Yarling, being friends with Ernst has made her into a better person. “I think she’s made me more comfortable with
myself, like (I) don’t really care what people think anymore. It’s just easier; she’s made my life a lot better I already know that,” Yarling said. “I’m just so much happier with her.” Ernst added with a laugh, “I feel like we’re in a (romantic) relationship. But it’s true, Anna made me a better person than before.” The two of them both said believe they will continue to be friends for a long time, and Yarling said a good friend is “a person who can come along with you on the journey of life.” Ernst said, “I think life is really lonely if you don’t have anyone to share it with. I mean you have your family. You have acquaintances and whatever, but if you don’t have someone you can just look at and just laugh (with), life is so lonely without it.”
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But how is this friendship formed in the first place? And what truly is a “best friend?” Building a Bridge The first meeting between two people can be the bridge. According to Yarling, she and Ernst met when they were in middle school, and “were (kind of ) friends in choir.” Ernst said, “We both did choir from sixth through eighth grade together, but we weren’t really, like, friends. We knew each other.” The extent of their friendship reached only so far, as they remained in an acquaintance-like state; their initial reactions to each other attested to this distance, as Yarling said she thought Ernst was “dorky in middle school.” The main problem for both
of them seemed to be that they did not know how to approach each other. Ernst said, “I thought that Anna, from a distance, was really pretty, but really quiet, and I didn’t really know how to be friends with her.” Personal Matters The situation between the two began to change when they were in the same honors English 10 class, according to Yarling. In that setting, they were able to become closer. Ernst said, “(We kind of) were forced to talk in English (class) since we did some projects together and stuff, and I’m like, ‘She’s really cool.’” Though being in the same class allowed them to come into contact, Ernst said it was not enough to simply see each other every other day. Laughing, she said their friendship was “a gradual thing.” What truly sparked their friendship was a quality that went below the surface level: personality. According to Ernst, her and Yarling’s personalities “are really compatible,” causing Yarling to add that the both of them think alike as well. Ernst said, “We like the same things, or (at least) a lot of the same things. And you can’t be friends if you don’t like the same things, so since our interests are so similar (we can be so close).” The two of them, according to Yarling, are academically inclined and “strange in our own way, but we get each other.” Elaborating on this, Yarling said, “If she acts weird, I don’t care.” Ernst added, “We know how to prioritize things. I think we definitely prioritize, like school is very important—school and friends are very important—and family.” After a pause, she said, “And if she acts weird, I don’t care either.” Close Encounters In addition to having character traits that are harmonious, Yarling said hanging out with each
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Junior Anna Yarling
other allows them to make up for the fact that they do not have any classes together. “We hang out a lot. We don’t have as many classes with each other this year; we have one lunch (period). So I just make sure to visit her locker a lot even though she’s not there,” Yarling said with a laugh. “We hang out every weekend. We try to.” During the summer, Ernst and Yarling went to a Bastille concert, which Ernst described as “really memorable and really fun.” However, she said their friendship was built upon more of the trivial occurrences in their lives.
DESIGN BY STEPHANIE ZHANG
PEAS
OD
est friends, of their y of the love of a friendship. LLEN PENG HANIE ZHANG
VALENTINES DAY | 11
giggling and laughing. Best friends hold a special place in a person’s heart, as they have qualities that make them the “best” compared to other friends. According to Yarling, a best friend is “someone that you can always go to whenever you need help, someone you can just be yourself around (and) always be comfortable. There are no awkward silences; you don’t worry about anything.”
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TWO
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It’s the story of two journey together—it’s the sto WORDS | PHOTOS | STE
O
n a chilly December afternoon, two girls— juniors Sally Ernst (right) and Anna Yarling (left)—sat with their legs tucked under themselves on the couch in the sunroom of Yarling’s house. As if coming straight out of a stereotypical scene of two best friends in a teen movie, the two of them, comfortably dressed, chatted with one another,
Q: Why do you chose to wait for Galloway, instead of dating other people? D: I know that she is the one for me. She’s crazy and weird, smart, funny, but she definitely is for me. I know that I cannot live without her. Now I sound like a weird emotional freak; I promise I’m not.
Q: Do you agree with her opinion that the both of you should date other people? D: I don’t agree on it but understand the reason for it. I know that she cares but wants the best for me. In her opinion, it’s meeting other people so as not to regret choosing her. Ugh. (It) makes me feel so annoyed, but that’s what makes her amazing, her always wanting the best for others.
Q: What was your favorite surprise or gesture you did for her?
DESIGN BY ANNIKA WOLFF
Q: What is your opinion on longdistance relationships? D: I believe that they are very hard to maintain but are not impossible to maintain. J does not exactly like long distance relationships, she wants me to let her go and find another person. I refuse to not because I think I can’t find someone else but because I think I found the one. I know if you work hard on them, then you can always maintain it.
Q: What is love? D: I think love is the complete affection and understanding of another person. It’s not always physical, or sexual or even emotional, it’s the feeling or need for another person. For J, I feel as though there is no one else in the world that can complete me. Even though that sounds weird. I mean that seriously I will wait no matter what.
Q: How did you feel when you told Galloway you love her and she didn’t say it back? D: Wow, thanks for bringing that up. But it really hurt and sort of destroyed me. But when she explained to me why she did not say it back, I understood. It’s not that I liked it or that I was happy. It’s that I know if she does even grace me with that beautiful word, then I know she truly means it. There will be no question about it and that at least for me makes me willing to wait.
D: I know that she loves the smaller things I do for her, but my favorite things are the biggest things I did for her and will do for her in the future. I remember about a year ago on her birthday I bought her a snake and dressed it up and let it loose in my house. I gave her a magnifying glass ( like that acually was going to do anything hehehe. I’m so mean.) and told her to look for my present . You should have seen the look on her face; she was so surprised and happy, but confused about it. Hehehe my, diabolical plan.
Q: What was the sweetest thing Galloway has ever done for you? D: There are actually a lot of things that she has done for me, but the sweetest thing I remember was one time, when I was really sad about something, I’m not even sure what it was, but she came over my house and we laid down together on the couch. Now you’re probably thinking, ‘wow, that’s it?’ She has done a lot of things that are bigger but this impacted me the most. She figured out what I needed the most at that time. She realized I just needed someone there and her doing that showed me she not only cares for me physically but emotionally, which is the biggest thing for me. I will always love her for that.
For the full interview from Galloway go online to chsacumen.com VALENTINES DAY | 09
Galloway’s answers to her relationship with Delerash Q: Have you and Delerash said ‘I love you?’ G
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Q: Why do you hate Valentine’s Day? G
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Affair
AN INTERNATIONAL
TRANSLATOR | JORDAN. GALLOWAY INTERVIEWER | ANNIKA WOLFF
02.13
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set aside to dry
TO THE STORE: At the Simply Sweet Shoppe located in downtown Carmel, owner Jill Zaniker sells a wide selection of candies, including gummy bears, lollipops and chocolate truffles. In rows of shelves and in glass cases, sweet treats can be seen anywhere one looks, tempting customers to buy a few.
According to an article from Feb. 13, 2013 on CNN, people in the United States spend $1.6 billion on candy for Valentines Day each year. Zaniker’s store contributes to this figure, and Zaniker says she often sees an increase in sales around the time when Valentines Day approaches. VALENTINES DAY | 07 “There’s definitely a peak in selling. People like to give sweets to their sweetie, and it’s kind of a guilty pleasure. You can give them a nice gift without breaking the bank,” she said. Valentines Day is not simply a holiday that celebrates love and couples; it also signifies the time to exchange candies and chocolates. Zaniker says she believes giving chocolate is “a nice gesture without being too over the top,” contributing to its popularity as a gift. She added, “If you’ve just been dating someone for a while or if you’ve been married a long time, a lot of good candies evoke happy memories. So, if you’ve been married a long time, I’m sure somewhere in that time (you’ve) had some chocolate memory.”
DESIGN BY STEPHANIE ZHANG
With Valentines Day approaching, Zaniker said she often sees customers buying “our cased chocolates, which are homemade truffles and chocolates and all of that.” She also said those chocolates, which are made at The Best Chocolate In Town, are the most popular items bought during Valentines Day from years past. Advertising also helps put chocolate out on the market and entice people to buy candy. Zaniker said she runs advertisements in local magazines to spread the word about her store. “I mostly (use) word of mouth, and I have always run an ad in Carmel City Magazine. But (I use) my Facebook following and Instagram and Twitter also,” Zaniker said.
We follow the journey of chocolate, from the process of producing it to the commercial aspect of selling it during Valentines Day. Here, we
follow the journey of the making of The Best Chocolate In Townâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s truffles to selling them at the Simply Sweet Shoppe.
THE MAKING:
1
create the ganache truffle mixture
dip the truffle into melted chocolate 2.13
place truffles on a sheet of wax paper to dry
3
mold the ganache truffle mixture into near-perfect spheres
while holding the truffle, tap your hand on an edge to even the coat of chocolate
5
once dry, drizzle melted chocolate on top for decoration
2 4 6
DESIGN BY STEPHANIE ZHANG
VALENTINES DAY | 05
CHOCOLATE CREATIONS 2.13
WORDS | ELLEN PENG PHOTOS | STEPHANIE ZHANG
EDITOR IN CHIEF: LAUREN LU laurenlu@chsacumen.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR: STEPHANIE ZHANG stephaniezhang@chsacumen.com REPORTERS: Nida Khan, nidakhan@chsacumen.com Ellen Peng, ellenpeng@chsacumen.com Grant Smith, grantsmith@chsacumen.com DESIGNERS: Kyle Crawford, kylecrawford@chsacumen.com Annika Wolff, annikawolff@chsacumen.com Selena Qian, sqian@hilite.org GRAPHIC ARTISTS: Matthew Han, mhan@hilite.org Scott Liu, scottliu@chsacumen.com Aaron Shi, aaronshi@chsacumen.com PHOTOGRAPHER: Nivedha Meyyappan, nivedhameyyappan@ chsacumen.com NON-STAFF CONTRIBUTORS:
Alice Zhu, azhu@hilite.org
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TABLE OF CONTENTS Chocolate Creations (4) An International Affair (8) Sisters Before Misters (10) The Truth About Love (14) Opposites Attract (chsacumen.com)
Chances are, you’ve been in love. Or at least you thought you were at some point in time. Or maybe you are right now. From platonic to romantic, familial to celebrity infatuation, our relationships shape and change us. The bonds we have with others define us. It’s a rollercoaster ride, but it’s life. Friendships, romance and family all have their ups and downs, but the things we share with other people are treasures not easily discarded. Tomorrow is Valentines Day, a day of flowers, chocolate and commercial sugar success. But it’s also a day of celebrating love and remembering the people around us who enrich our lives. -Lauren Lu, editor in chief 2.13 < COVERS AND PG 2-3 PHOTOS AND DESIGNS BY LAUREN LU
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Valentines Day