ACUMEN May 10, 2018: Influence Issue

Influence Issue Volume XIV Issue IV

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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Dearest Reader, From our parents to our peers, the people and the relationships that surround us have a profound impact on who we become. Oftentimes, the impact a person has on you can go unnoticed, as you start slowly picking up their mannerisms and character traits. However, it is upon reflection that you can truly start to see the magnitude of the impact your community has on you. From your teachers to your closest friends, the people that you choose to form and maintain relationships with all lend a hand in molding you into the person you become.

It is derived from this notion that I believe we are just as much unique individuals as we are a mix of the people around us, making it all the more important that we chose to surround ourselves with people who highlight the best in us.

In this issue, the Acumen staff conducted a schoolwide survey which allowed CHS students to vote on the students and staff that have played the most influential role in their lives. You will find within the issue Q&A’s with the top five most influential teachers and top seven students. Each of them not only reflects on what it means to be chosen as someone who has significantly influenced those around them, but furthermore what they hope they have imparted onto others.

- Alina Husain, editor-in-chief

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: ALINA HUSAIN alinahusain@chsacumen.com ASSOCIATE EDITORS: Alanna Wu alannawu@chsacumen.com Sam Shi samshi@chsacumen.com COVER ILLUSTRATION: Alina Husain

Interested in designing the cover? Email us!

REPORTERS:

Riya Chinni Anushka Dasgupta Hannah Glazier Tara Kandallu Sameen Siddiqui

PHOTOGRAPHERS: Apurva Manas Shraddha Ramnath

GRAPHICS ARTISTS: Aditya Belamkar Jessica Mo Jai Sanghani Rachael Tan

CONTRIBUTORS: Jordyn Blakey Jess Canaley Agrayan Gupta Jessica Konrad Angela Li Raphael Li Selena Liu Kalea Miao Jessica Mo Rebecca Qin Veronica Teeter Amy Tian Alina Yu Raiha Zainab May Zhang Amy Zhou

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THE IMPRESSIONABLE YEARS Take a closer look at why you might act the way you do, how the people around you influence you and why researchers say the teen years are the most impressionable.

A person’s fears reside in The amygdala, which is the area of the brain responsible for the memory of emotions and emotional responses to situations, particularly fear.

Conscientious people tend to have a bigger lateral prefrontal cortex; this part of our brain gets involved when we set a goal for ourselves or obey rules.

Extroverted people tend to have a larger medial orbitofrontal cortex, located on the frontal lobe above and behind the eyes.

Negative emotions tend to originate from smaller volumes in dorsomedial prefrontal cortex, among other factors.

PSYCHOLOGISTS SAY...

The teenage years present students with pressure from more groups than in other stages of life.

Parents

Teachers Coaches Bosses Neighbors

Friends

Researchers at the University of Michigan found that peer pressure is one of the strongest influences for teens, however they also noted it often has a positive effect, not a negative one.

90 percent of kids have been negatively peer pressured at least once 38 percent of kids have negatively peer pressured someone else before 27 percent of people believe peer pressure is a very serious issue

RESEARCHERS SAY...

Peer pressure is defined essentially as influence. It often begins early on, usually in elementary school. While peer pressure is often associated with out-of-school activities, it can also impact academic achievement both positively and negatively.

Average test scores and graduation rates indicate a culture of positive academic pressure.

97

percent rate of graduation during the 2015-2016 school year

26

average Carmel ACT score, six points higher than the national average

DESIGN AND GRAPHIC // ALINA HUSAIN SOURCES // PEW RESEARCH CENTER, UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, PSYCHOLOGY TODAY

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DESIGN // ALINA HUSAIN PHOTOS // JORDYN BLAKEY, SELENA LIU SUBMITTED PHOTO // BAILEY INGLIS

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TABLE OF CONTENTS Pictured are some of the students who were voted as the top seven most influential students at CHS. Ben Goldberg (top left) currently serves as Student Body President and Sam Johnson (top left) is the Speaker of the House. Bailey Inglis (bottom left) is actively involved in CHS programs including Unified Track and Champions Together. Anna Morozov (bottom right) was voted this year’s homecoming queen, accompanied by Griffin Gonzalez (bottom right), another one of this year’s most influential students.

CONTENT Peer Pressure // 06 Under the Influence // 08 Political Influence // 26 Bad(die) Influence // 30

MOST INFLUENTIAL TEACHERS Jennifer Ellery // 12 Allison Hargrove // 13 Matthew Wernke // 14 William Ellery // 15 Sarah Wolff // 16

MOST INFLUENTIAL STUDENTS Ben Goldberg // 18 Anna Morozov // 19 Bailey Inglis // 20 Joe Blake // 21 Bella Simons // 22 Sam Johnson // 23 Griffin Gonzalez // 24

PEER

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P R E SS U R E

STORY | RAPHAEL LI PHOTO | CHRISTINA YANG

With the rise of juuling, other electronic cigarettes, students reflect on the influence others can have on juuling

DESIGN // AMY TIAN

After school in the Carmel Clay Public Library Digital Lab, Sophomore Babacar Diatta discusses his views on Juuling in high school. Diatta said he is personally against Juuling, but once someone is 18, it should be their choice whether to Juul or not. a gateway to something else,” Moore said. “Once you get over the coolness of Juuling, you move onto something else; marijuana usage or something a lot worse than Juuling. I’m not saying that Juuling isn’t bad. It’s just there’s a spectrum, and it’s a gateway to something else more dangerous.”

Juuling, Moore and Owen said, is different than most destructive drugs in that it is legal once the user becomes 18 years old. While not legal on school grounds, outside of school, adults have free reign over whether they should do it or not.

Sophomore Babacar Diatta said he believes that while he thinks Juuling is not worth it, it’s the person’s choice once they reach 18.

“If you’re 18 and it’s legal, then it’s your decision,” Diatta said. “Again, I don’t see the point, but I mean, if it’s legal and you’re of age, it’s your body, it’s your health, it’s your decision. But I think that if you’re underage, you shouldn’t do it.”

Owens is similar to Diatta in his

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new craze has spread around schools in the United States.

Juuls—devices that heat up a cartridge containing oils to create vapor— and electronic cigarettes have overtaken ordinary cigarettes in student usage.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse in 2016, 16.2 percent of high school seniors use electronic cigarettes compared to 11.2 percent who use regular cigarettes in the United States.

According to Scott Moore, school resource officer, the main reason students want to Juul is because of the influence and pressure from other students.

“Students Juul to try to fit in, to try to be cool,” Moore said. “For example, I’ve dealt with a handful of freshmen who were doing it, and the majority of them are doing it because their friends are doing it and they think it’s cool.”

Senior Alec Owens said he agrees with Moore in that the main contributor to the rise of Juuling are students and their friends.

“People aren’t really directly peerpressured into (Juuling),” Owens said. “It’s just that there’s a lot of people around you doing it so there an indirect peer-pressure to Juul to fit in with people.”

According to Moore, while Juuling is harmful to the user’s body because the user is inhaling metal particles, there are, arguably, more destructive dangers associated with it.

“The problem is that (Juuling) can be addicting, and we always say that it’s

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neutral stance toward legal Juuling.

“I don’t really care if you do it,” Owens said. “It’s different from a cigarette because there’s no secondhand smoking. You can’t really hurt anyone else with it, so I mean it’s your body. You can do whatever you want with it.”

While Moore said it’s legal for those who are at least 18 to Juul, he stressed that it is still illegal to bring onto school grounds.

Moore said, “For those students who are (Juuling), especially in the building, then it’s no different than walking around with a cigarette. So what happens is I cite them with possession of tobacco, and they go to court with their parents if they’re under 18. If they’re 18 and have a Juul, which has happened before, still, they have it on school grounds. This is a tobacco-free zone, so it’s A illegal and they get cited for it.”

Do you think there is a drug problem at CHS? “I’ve noticed (drug use) is a lot more common around here (and) more accepted. Me personally, I thankfully have not been affected as much… but I think (drug use is) a serious issue here… I do think it needs to be fixed soon, and think it’s a huge issue.”

Senior Andy Morozov

“Personally, I do not think there’s a drug problem at (CHS) because it’s high school, and I feel (drug use) is a personal choice and I feel that any high school that you go to across America, there’s going to be a lot of drugs… it’s your personal choice to stay out of it.”

Freshman Nicholas Kupilas

“I think there’s a problem, but it does get overstated sometimes because we act like (drug use) is something everyone does and that everyone’s put in danger by it, but honestly from my experiences, I haven’t felt that.”

Junior Charlie Hunter

“If you want to (take drugs), you definitely have access to do so, but the fact that there hasn’t been any deaths from drugs, means (students) are using it safely. So I don’t necessarily think there’s a drug problem, and there’s definitely not an addiction crisis or anything like that.“ Junior Loraine Lee

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under the influence Illegal substances have a powerful influence on teenagers.

Let’s see the impacts these substances have, especially in high school

cannabis Psychoactive plant used for medical or recreational use.

Most commonly used in smoking, also known as marijuana U.S. Marijuana Laws Legalized Marijuana legalized for medical use Illegal

The flowering stem of a Cannabis plant

*Must be over 21 to use in all states which have legalized it

Cola: The flowering site of the plant

Edibles

Marijuana is often consumed in foods known as ‘edibles’ Edibles such as pot brownies have a more potent effect than smoking

Immediate Effects: -Lack of concentration -Bodily relaxation -A sense of euphoria -Drowsiness -Paranoia

15 1-3 minutes

hours

Estimate time taken for the effects of marijuana to become apparent Estimate time taken for the effects of marijuana to wear off

4-12

Number of hours for effects of edibles to wear off

Health Issues: Mental health: Research shows a correlation between marijuana use and a higher risk of developing schizophrenia in adolescents who are genetically susceptible to the mental disorder Injury: Driving under the influence of marijuana increases the risk of a motor accident A ‘Gateway’: Evidence shows a correlation between marijuana use and the development of other, more harmful substance abuses and addictions

DESIGN // SAM SHI SOURCES // MEDICALNEWSTODAY.COM, HERB.CO, NPR

Trichomes: Appendages on the cannabis plant contain globs of resin at its tips which contain THC (Tetrahydrocannabinol), the substance which psychoactively affects the brain

Stigma: Serves to collect pollen from male plants

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juuling E-cigarette produced by JUUL Labs, which has recently exploded in popularity

18 11.3%

How does juuling affect the brain?

minimum legal age to possess a vape such as a juul

See how a puff of vapor can give users a quick ‘rush’ which can end up being addictive

The vapor travels down the trachea into the lungs

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Nicotine from the vapor diffuses into the blood stream

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Nicotine binds to muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in the brain

of high school students were e-cigarette users in 2016

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arett g i c -

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Chronic exposure to nicotine enhances the body’s dependence on the substance, leading to addiction

These receptors increase the level of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that signals when something should be pleasurable

ul e

A Ju

Juul Pod: Contains flavored liquid that is five percent nicotine by weight.

This is about the same amount of nicotine in a pack of cigarettes

Mouthpiece

The four most influential drugs Percentage of high school seniors who have used each drug in 2015

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Cannabis- 34.9% Leaves: The leaves near the flowers typically do not represent the shape of the symbolic cannabis leaf

Amphetamines- 7.7% adderall- 7.5% synthetic marijuana- 5.2%

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#4 JOE BLAKE

THE MOST

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Sarah Wolff William Ellery Matthew Wernke Allison Hargrove Jennifer Ellery

TEACHERS

DESIGN // ALINA HUSAIN PHOTOS // VERONICA TEETER, ALINA HUSAIN

Griffin Gonzalez Sam Johnson Bella Simons Joe Blake

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STUDENTS

Baliey Inglis Anna Morozov Ben Goldberg

INFLUENTIAL

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#3 BELLA SIMONS

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JENNIFER ELLERY QUESTIONS | ANGELA LI PHOTO | SELENA LIU

Q&A

How does it make you feel that you were voted as one of the most influential faculty members?

It’s an honor. There’s a lot of good teachers; there’s a lot of good people in our school. It’s just nice to be considered amongst what students believe to be a group of people, since there’s more than one in it, that they found to be influential to them and their academic careers.

How do you feel you’ve impacted CHS as a teacher?

I don’t know, that’s hard to tell you without sounding narcissistic. I don’t know, I think, just to spin it, there (are) qualities that I pride myself in having, and one is probably work ethic. I always tell my classes, ‘Take your work seriously, don’t take yourself seriously.’ That’s kind of my own personal mantra; it’s like a work-hard play-hard personality. I’m just a stickler for hard work, and so I think that I always make sure I think they have the impression that I work very, very hard at this job because I love it and because you’re supposed to work hard at your endeavors and I think that probably is something, whether it’s intentionally or inadvertently. I think they pick up on that, so when they have somebody that they can see works that hard for them, they want to give their 100 percent effort right back.

What was your initial motivation for becoming a teacher and what is your goal as a teacher?

This is going to sound super cheesy, but just I would love for kids to love history, and I hope that they do, but I’m very realistic. At the beginning of school, I was like, ‘I know you’re here for one of three reasons: college credit, honors diploma and last, and probably least, because you’re really interested in history. And hopefully by the end of the year, we can flip that upside down.’ But the bigger thing, especially with sophomores, is just I hope that they kind of find their way, that they become more confident as a student and in themselves, especially with AP. I also teach regular history, which there’s a lot on those kids’ plates, a lot of stressors, and sometimes a lot different from an AP plate with stressors. So just making sure that all these kids believe in themselves and are confident, because it’s a really hard world to live in as a teenager now, and find something that they want to be passionate about and just go for it.

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Jennifer Ellery was voted the fifth most influential teacher at CHS. Ellery teaches world history and AP European History.

DESIGN// SAM SHI

What impact have your students had on you?

Oh goodness, I don’t know; It’s all the time. This is what’s so cool about this job, is it changes every minute, every day. I think just the energy. I don’t know, this is again going to sound weird, but I think that if you love this job, the job can keep you almost youthful because you just feed off their spirit and their energy and just getting to know them. I learn so much from all of you guys, just content-wise sometimes, life skills, just everything, and I always want to work hard for them. I just want to make sure that they’re having the best experience that they can have.

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Allison Hargrove was voted the fourth most influential faculty at CHS. Hargrove teaches U.S. history and sponsors many political clubs, such as Young Republicans.

QUESTIONS | JESSICA KONRAD PHOTO | RAPHAEL LI

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ALLISON HARGROVE

Q&A How do you feel knowing that you were voted as one of CHS’s most influential faculty members?

It means a lot because it’s mostly the kids who selected or voted for that, and I’m in this job for kids. The thing that I value the most about this job is the relationships that I form with my students, so the fact that they see value in that means a lot to me; it’s very, very meaningful.

What is one thing you feel you’ve left behind at CHS? Hopefully I help kids feel that they have someone they can talk to. I want kids to feel like they have someone who cares for them unconditionally. It’s always nice to have someone who’s in your corner no matter what. I really try to be that for kids. I am their advocate; I am the person that whatever they need, I have their back. I remember people did that for me when I was a kid, and I remember knowing that even when I was arguing with parents or I was having friendship stuff, there was an adult I could go to, and the adult would say, ‘You’ve got this. You can figure this out,’ and I want to be that for kids.

How would you say your students have impacted you during your time here at CHS? Oh my goodness, it’s the best thing in the world. This is honestly, in my opinion, the best job in the entire world.

I cannot imagine a better place to work. I cannot imagine a better class to teach. I love teaching U.S. History. I love teaching AP U.S. History. My kids every day challenge me to be the best teacher I can be. They teach me things. They make me laugh. They help me develop as a person. I am in this job because of these kids and I feel like (CHS) has the best kids.

It’s an honor to work for the kids, and we just have a really cool school and a really cool vibe at (CHS).

How do you feel you’ve impacted CHS as a history teacher?

I hope I show kids the value of history and humanities.

I think within society and I think also at Carmel, we really focus on STEM classes, which is wonderful. I believe in the value of STEM classes too, but not at the loss of social studies courses. I believe fundamentally in the value of a strong social studies education, and I hope that is the message that I give kids. These classes are important and they have value and a lot of real-world applications.

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MATTHEW WERNKE QUESTIONS | JESSICA MO PHOTO | SAM SHI

Q&A How do you feel about being voted one of most influential faculty?

It is a great honor to receive this special recognition from students. To know that some students felt I had an impact on them beyond just the academic component of school is a great honor.

When you are teaching it is easy to focus on the academics so being chosen for this reminds me how important it is to build relationships with students beyond the academics.

What do you enjoy most about teaching?

My time with students is by far the best part of teaching. I really enjoy my subject matter, but getting to spend the time every day in the classroom is what I enjoy the most. The thing that is always constant regardless of the subject I’m teaching is the students. I really just view the class period as 90 minutes of hanging out while still covering the content. I enjoy being given the opportunity to introduce kids to a field or topic that most of them have no real idea about. Whereas with math, you can take Algebra I and you know Algebra II, PreCalc, it’s all going to look the same. It’s just getting a little harder. But when you come to statistics, it’s a whole different thing. Nobody has any exposure to it. Really nobody has any idea about what it’s going to be. So I do enjoy having that opportunity to enjoy kids to (do) something new.

What about the Statistic Department is special?

It’s a landmark in this school. If you don’t believe me, check Google Maps. It’s marked there.

What is your favorite non-academic statistics thing that you help facilitate during the year?

Stats Carnival is my favorite. That, to me, is the best part of DESIGN// SAM SHI

Matthew Wernke was voted as the third most influential staff at CHS. Wernke teaches AP Statistics and helps facilitate the Stats Carnival.

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What impact have your students had on you?

I think over the years of teaching different students, I’ve become more aware of things. Differences in kids, how they feel about stuff. I think I see things from more perspectives from being around so many students over the years, especially varying types of students. I think that’s probably the biggest impact that students have had directly on me.

the year. There’s an academic component to it, but the day of the carnival, it’s not really academic. It’s more just an exciting time that we get to do things and put into practice something that had the academic component for a grade first semester. So that’s probably my most exciting day.

What makes you so passionate about statistics?

I don’t know. Why do some people like certain foods and others hate it? It clicks with me. I’m interested in knowing things.

Statistics allows you to work in everybody’s field. Someone’s analyzing data in every possible field of study at any university right now. So you get a wide variety of questions and topics and things to study. I like that, I like the fact that it’s not just flat out right or wrong. You’re telling a story through the data that you get. Who knows where the story’s going to go? It’s kind of interesting in that perspective. When I was in high school, I got A’s in every math class. I did really well in science, so I went to college thinking, “Oh it’s going to be easy.” The rigor that I had in high school was so low that I had no idea what it really meant to know things and to really learn and be a good student. Because of that, I struggled in college with engineering and that bothered me that someone who did all the right things in high school goes to college and they’re ill-equipped. (That’s) part of when I left engineering and decided what do I want to do. That always resonated: “I don’t want other people to have to experience that.” So it’s part of the reason I try to A be rigorous with what I do now.

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WILLIAM ELLERY <

CHS voted William Ellery as the second most influential staff at CHS. Ellery teaches IB History and US History Block.

QUESTIONS | HANNAH GLAZIER PHOTO | MAY ZHANG

Q&A What do you think makes an influential teacher?

I think it’s when teachers and students foster good relationships. Its a two way street. Its when they foster good relationship with each other. It’s also when students have the ability to see teachers as more than just a deliverer of information and are moving in the same direction with the same goals.

If you could leave your students with one lesson at the end of year, what would it be?

Do not let your academics get in the way of your education. (Students) going to have lots of things in front of them—especially with school—where they are going to be focused on whatever is next, and because of that, sometimes they’re going to miss opportunities to help them grow in a lot more important ways than they would be if they were merely focused on the academics.

What piece of advice do you think you would give to incoming teachers?

I think I would tell them to get involved to the extent that they can. They don’t want to get too involved. A lot of times new teachers take on too much, but (teachers should) involved so you see students in a different light. A lot of times my wife and I will go see kids in performing arts or see them on the athletic field, or various other school athletic activities. You’ll see your student as more than just the student in history, and they will also see you as more than just the teacher of history.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

These are the types of things that make people want to teach—it’s for the relationships. Certainly you love your content area, but it’s recognition for things like this, that hopefully shows that kids see you as more than just the conveyor of information. It means a lot.

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QUESTIONS | ALINA YU PHOTOS | REBECCA QIN

Q&A You were voted as one of CHS’ most influential people, specifically most influential teacher. How does that make you feel?

That makes me feel really good, because I think that it’s actually coming from people within the school and not a committee that doesn’t actually see what’s going on day-today in the school environment. So that is an award that I will actually take and feel a lot of pride in because I feel, like I said, it is coming from the people that are in the trenches every single day here in this building and are actually seeing the day-to-day things. I will take a compliment from a student that I work with, that I get the chance to impact positively and in some way, any day because that’s why I wanted to be an educator. So that award makes me feel awesome because that was 100 percent my goal in wanting to be in this profession.

What is one thing that you feel you’ve done at CHS that has made a lasting impact?

I have been really proud to be involved in the Dance Marathon movement. That started for me as a way to commemorate the life

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of a former student that I had a relationship with and a relationship with her brother who was involved with student government, and it really began as a way to honor her life and to help him grieve through a process. I mean, losing a sibling in that tragic way, so sudden, he was in my class; I was involved with him in activities, so I think in the fact that that has now become a part of a culture here at CHS—and not just Dance Marathon but giving is a part of our culture, like giving back to the community and helping people in need. I think that’s (a way) for me to feel like that I’ve had a role in that. I’m not saying I’m taking ownership of it because I think that the students really have to take ownership in that because sometimes when the teacher says do something, you don’t do it, and I just think that our school, our culture and our community (have) embraced that concept and that idea of doing things for others, giving back to the community, using your time and talents in a way that doesn’t just benefit you and where you are going to college and what job you’re going to have but benefits somebody or someone else in need. So whether it is Riley Hospital or something else, I just think being a part of (the concept of giving), that being

SARAH WOLFF

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DESIGN BY ALINA HUSAIN

a cultural mindset of CHS, is something that I am pretty proud of, again not to say that I started that or kept it going, but that I’ve had a part in that and a role in that continuing here in CHS long after we began that, and the reasons have changed throughout the years.

It’s not so much about commemorating Ashley’s life or helping Casey get through that, but keeping that as ‘This is who we are at CHS.’ Yes, we win all of these awards and state championships, and we have the smartest kids and the best performing arts department, and all of these things we are so proud of, but what I tell people is that I think that the things we should be the most proud of and that everybody, whether you are smart or you are an athlete or you’re not involved in anything, can be proud that we are the most generous and that we are the most caring. Those are the immeasurables that I’m the most proud of in this school, just being a part of a culture that embraces that.

What impact do you think you have had on your fellow teachers?

I hope I set the example that education expands outside of 7:50 to 3:05; that it’s about relationships with kids, and it’s about sacrificing your time, giving your talents to kids in other ways than just your subject matter for four periods a day. I don’t know if I’ve made an impact on teachers, but I’m hoping I’m not just setting an example of servant leadership to the students here but I’m also setting an example to our staff that that’s why we are educators.

I don’t care that educators say that they are in education because they want to work from 7:50 to 3:05 and have their summers off.

The teachers that I talk to wanted to become educators because they wanted to impact positively the life of a child and I think that to really fully get that experience, you have to give more.

When I’m getting nominated for awards and things and people

Sarah Wolff, teacher and Cabiner sponsor, leads student government students as they plan fundraisers throughout the year. Most notably, Wolff has led the charge in the school’s dance marathon, helping to make it the largest high school dance marathon in the nation.

INFLUENCE ISSUE | 17 are saying ‘Congratulations,’ it’s people like the custodians that are telling me that because I have relationships with them, and the secretaries, because I am putting myself out there, outside of the normal parameters of what’s required as a teacher, and that is how you make those deeper relationships with your students, with your staff, and by being that example, I’m hoping that that’s enough to make an impact or when a student comes to them and says, ‘Will you sponsor this club? I’m interested in it,’ they will say, ‘Yes.’ When they came to me about student government, I had no experience in that as a 22 year old teacher but I said ‘Yes,’ and now it has changed my life. So I think: take a risk. That’s not just an example for kids but also an example to for adults too. You never know who that is going to impact, whether that be a student or a staff member. So I hope that is an example I’m setting.

What impact do you think your students have had on you?

They’ve definitely not only made me the educator I wanted to be, but they’ve made me the person I want to be. A lot of people say, ‘Don’t let your career define you who you are; you’re more than that.’ I am super proud to say that I am not more than that, that this is definitely where I want to be and who I want to be, which I think is more important. Who I was created to be was not just to be a teacher but to give back, to make an influence on kids lives, to inspire them to do the same. I think that’s why we are here on planet Earth and whether that is through education or volunteering or whatever it is you are doing, to have that spark lit at a young age. I’m a part of making that happen for a lot of kids, and I am just super proud of not just as a professional, as a teacher for my job, but as a person when I go home and when I’m out in the community with my family and my husband. It just defines me as a person.

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BEN GOLDBERG

DESIGN BY ALANNA WU

QUESTIONS | ALINA HUSAIN PHOTOS | VERONICA TEETER

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Student body president Ben Goldberg was voted the seventh most influential student at CHS. Goldberg has been an active member of Senate, DECA, the Carmel Mayor’s Youth Council and GKOM.

Q&A How did you feel when you found out you were voted one of the most influential people at CHS? I am honored to (have been) voted as one of those influential people (at CHS) and honestly pretty surprised because I just try to be involved and do what I enjoy.

How do you feel that you have impacted CHS as Student Body President?

I think I’ve tried to lead by example and show people that it’s fun to be involved and how much you can benefit not (only) just yourself, but also your surrounding community by becoming involved in things that you’re passionate about.

How do you feel you have impacted your peers during your time at CHS? I think I really just try my best to be an enjoyable person and be nice to the people around me. I think it’s important as a student leader to be approachable and just be encouraging, and I really hope that I’ve been able to exude that to my peers.

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How do you feel your peers have impacted you?

My peers have impacted me in that they’ve helped me see other perspectives and opened my eyes to how many different ways there are to think about something or solve a problem. I think being able to see and really understand other people’s point of views is not only a skill I can take with me into the future, but I also think that just within high school it has made my classes and all of my experiences really just more fun.

As a senior, what is one thing that you feel you have left behind at CHS? One thing I think I have left behind in Senate is a culture of collaboration and encouraging everyone to work together and bounce ideas off each other rather than one person just taking an idea and doing it by themselves. I hope that spirit of teamwork and collaboration is something that continues because it has really made everything we do run smoother and become A more successful.

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Q&A

How do you feel you’ve impacted the school?

I’ve been involved in a lot of clubs and extracurricular activities, and my positivity and influence on people’s lives—I hope that’s made an impact on other people’s lives and their futures. The things I’ve done in the committees and clubs I’ve been in—I hope I’ve made my mark. I’ve not only helped me grow as a person but also other people.

What’s your experience been like at CHS? It’s honestly been everything I could ever imagine. It’s been so great. It started out not very eventful. As a freshman, I was not very involved. I was just running and in House and that’s just about it, and then, I slowly got involved in more and more. I’m a class officer. I got involved in Champions Together. I did swimming eventually, and I just got involved in all these little clubs, and it all worked up to senior year when I got nominated Homecoming Queen, which was really awesome. I’ve just been so blessed to have the peers that I’ve had.

What impact do you think you’ve had on your peers?

They impact me as much as I impact them. Our positivity with each other is so incredible, and I really wouldn’t be who I am without my peers, and they wouldn’t be who they are without me. I’ve gone through a lot of hard times throughout my high school career. It hasn’t all been great and dandy. I’ve faced a lot of setbacks, so I feel like when my peers see me overcoming those setbacks and remaining positive, it’s impactful on their high school career as well.

How do you think your peers have impacted you?

Everyday, I’m motivated by them, and I love them to death — every single person I encounter. I don’t think I’d be doing half the things I do without them. I’m involved in Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), and my friend is the leader of that. I don’t know if I would’ve been as involved in that. Or running—I don’t know if I’d have done that without my peers.

And swimming, of course—I’ve never been a swimmer, and I just decided to do it in high school because of my peers.

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Anna Morozov, senior class vice president, was voted the sixth most influential student at CHS. Morozov has participated in cross country, track and swimming, as well as House of Representatives, National Honor Society and Champions Together.

QUESTIONS | RAIHA ZAINAB

ANNA MOROZOV

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BAILEY INGLIS

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DESIGN BY ALANNA WU

QUESTIONS | ALINA HUSAIN PHOTO | VERONICA TEETER

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In fifth place is junior Bailey Inglis. During her time at CHS, Inglis has been a member of Cabinet, Best Buddies, the women’s soccer team, Champions Together and Wild Bunch.

Q&A

How do you feel being voted one of the most influential people at CHS? I’m pretty shocked. I think it is really cool.

I’m honored that CHS voted me as one of the most influential students. There are other people on the list that are so amazing, and it is just really cool that I am even considered in the same category as them.

How do you feel you have impacted CHS as a Cabinet member?

I feel that Cabinet has given me an opportunity to meet so many different people, whether it is the other members of Cabinet, members of House of Representatives or members of our community.

What is your favorite part of being in high school?

My time at CHS has been absolutely amazing. I have an older brother, who was a junior when I was a freshman, and he told me, “You have to do all the extracurriculars that you don’t even think you want to do. Put yourself out there.” So, from freshman year, I have joined absolutely everything from clubs to sports trying to get myself as involved as possible. Overall, it has given me a better experience at high school.

How do you feel you have impacted your peers during your time at CHS? Hopefully, I impacted my peers in a positive way. My favorite motto is, “If you can be anything, be kind,” so I try and be a kind person at Carmel. It is really important to make an effort with everyone, especially younger freshmen. I love meeting all of the freshmen girls on the soccer team and making an effort just to get to know them.

How do you feel your peers have impacted you?

(My peers) have completely changed my thinking for the better. For one, my Best Buddy Maddy Paxton has completely changed my life. She makes me a more patient (and) better person every second that I am with her. The kids in Cabinet have pushed me to work harder and always do more. My teachers have always inspired me to achieve to the best of my ability and to not give up. As far as my friends go, they are the most amazing people; they make me smile every day. To the other kids in my classroom, I have been so lucky to have such amazing classmates, teachers and people at CHS that have just made my experience amazing.

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Q&A

Senior Joe Blake was voted fourth place. In addition to winning Mr. Carmel this year, Blake has been a member of Cabinet and the GKOM program at CHS.

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What do you think you’ve done over the past four years that’s had the greatest impact on your peers?

Just being more friendly and getting to know a lot more people in the high school and just being that guy that you can see in the hallway and always know that you can talk to or ask a question about where something is or where a sports game is. Or if you go, I’ll be there and you can sit by me, stand by me, that kind of thing.

Is there any particular activity or experience that has allowed you to impact more students than you would have otherwise?

Definitely the Unified programs have most affected me and my ability to communicate and be more social and outgoing. A lot of people know me from Mr. Carmel and that competition, but for me personally, being a part of the unified programs has made me more patient, outgoing and able to communicate. It’s been a blast, and that’s probably what’s helped me most.

One of the accolades that you have collected is being Mr. Carmel. How do you think that has helped you reach more students at CHS, and what do you hope the takeaway is for that accomplishment?

I think (Mr. Carmel) was one of the most successful events of this year, and it’s definitely gotten me to connect to people in grades lower than mine that I would have otherwise not been able to meet or be friends with. I know since Blaine (McBroom) won last year, it kind of gives you the idea that that person is approachable (and) friendly, and that should always be the case. I think that’s the same case with me, now that my name is out there and people know that

QUESTIONS | TARA KANDALLU PHOTO | VERONICA TEETER

I won the competition, they know I am approachable and they can talk to me and ask me questions about anything.

If you could choose one impact that you hope you’ve had on your peers over the past four years, what would that be?

I’m the friendly, nice guy in the hallway — just come up and talk to me. I am who I am; I’m the person you see talking in public. So that’s the person I wanted to be, and that’s the person I hope I am.

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Q&A

How do you hope to influence and inspire others?

I hope I inspire others to volunteer with Riley, Project Sunshine or Make a Wish because those are such great organizations.

That’d be really great, if my influence could encourage a few people to volunteer. I’d like to see people volunteer for more. I’m sure some do a lot, and I’m grateful for that, but if they could volunteer more, that’d actually (be) wonderful. If we can all work together, we can help a lot of people.

What does influence mean to you?

People who inspire others influence others. For me, my mom always inspires me. She gives so much time for volunteering with so many charities. I think it’s great (that) she always gives back.

How do you think you’ve impacted your peers?

People can learn from me because I overcame a bad situation. I almost died twice. I think they

can learn to be strong and overcome obstacles. I think that could be a great thing they could learn.

Who are people at Carmel you look up to?

I look up to Sophia Tragesser. She’s an amazing senior who really helps kids and I think she’s wonderful. It’s great having role models that inspire you. I think if kids began to seek out those role models and were mentored by them, that would be great.

How do you share your influence?

I think through social media we can make our opinions heard and just promote organizations we like. It’s a great idea.

What’s one message that you’d like others to take away from your story?

Riley Hospital has changed my life so much. They did two brain surgeries on me and everyone was so nice there. It’s really great to give back. It doesn’t matter if you volunteer every day, a week or once a month ­— it really makes a difference.

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Bella Simons was voted the third most influential student at CHS. She has been involved in Living Hope Club and Project Sunshine, as well as promoting Riley Hospital through events organized by the House of Representatives.

BELLA SIMONS

DESIGN BY ALANNA WU

QUESTIONS | ANUSHKA DASGUPTA PHOTO | AMY ZHOU

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THE INFLUENCE ISSUE | 23

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Sam Johnson was voted the second most influential student at CHS. He is currently Speaker of the House, as well as a member of the principal’s advisory council and the mock trial team.

Q&A

You were voted as one of CHS’s most influential people. How does that make you feel?

It makes a guy feel good. I’ve been doing a lot of work at Carmel High School and have dedicated time to a lot of things, so it’s good to see that people think that I can make change and have done something good for the high school.

How do you feel you have impacted CHS as Speaker of the House?

As Speaker of the House, my biggest accomplishment is providing an open environment for people to get involved with something and do something they haven’t done before — even if people just came to one event or came to all events. I feel like I’ve been able to help people find their niche at CHS and do something to help the community and have fun while doing it.

What is one thing you feel you’ve left behind at CHS? I was talking to Mrs. Brown, Dr. Harmas’s secretary, and something that she said she will miss is the positive energy that I bring every day to school and to the front office when they do announcements. Doing announcements almost every day really helps me build relationships with people and I will miss them.That positive impact and presence that I have in the classroom is something I hope I will be known for years to come.

Describe your experience at CHS. It’s been awesome at CHS. It’s hard to believe that these four years are almost over. My time at CHS has been a journey with a lot of ups and downs. I started out playing sports and then I had a bunch of surgeries and then ended up doing something totally

different from what I thought I was going to do, but I wouldn’t trade these past four years for anything.

I learned a lot. I made a lot of friends. It’s gonna be pretty hard to say goodbye to CHS on June 3.

What impact do you think you have had on your peers?

One of the bigger impacts that I think I’ve left on people is giving them the freedom to do things.

One of my leadership styles in Cabinet was to go ahead and do it. I’m not going to stop you and I’m not going to hold you back. I think with that mindset I was able to enable people to succeed in class, during a group project, student government, or any project that I’m doing.

Helping people get to their full potential and helping them do what they think, whether it’s something that’s good, fun or beneficial, and just supporting people until they get to that point is one of the biggest impacts I’ve had on my peers.

How have your peers impacted you?

One of the things that makes CHS so great is that every day you can come into school and always find another friendly face that has a completely different story than you. You can talk to them and become friends. For example, I traveled to a regional basketball game and I knew one person in the car ride and by the end of the day, I was great friends with everyone else in the car. I think the attitude of we are all Greyhounds, we are all together, we will all have a good time and we will all help each other is one of the coolest things I have seen here at Carmel.

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SAM JOHNSON

QUESTIONS | JAI SANGHANI PHOTO | AGRAYAN GUPTA

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Senior Griffin Gonzalez was voted the most influential student by his CHS peers. Gonzalez has been actively involved in student government and clubs such as Big Game.

Q&A

You were voted as one of CHS’s most influential people.

How does that make you feel?

Honestly, it’s an honor. I mean, we go to a school of 5,010 (students), or whatever the number is now; it’s an honor because you make it your goal to lead others, and to be named one of the most influential. It’s an honor because to me it says that people enjoy following me, which I don’t know why, does make me feel good. It makes me feel like I’ve made an impact, and as I close out senior year it gets emotional, but it definitely tells you what a kid can do at a school of 5,000. You just gotta find your niche and what started off as a small club I started freshman year, ended up making me one of the most influential people here. It’s kind of finding your niche, getting involved and its kinda cool to see something that starts off small at a school of 5,000, starting from

QUESTIONS | ALANNA WU PHOTOS | VERONICA TEETER

one and you grow into something bigger than that, and it’s such a cool path I’ve been able to take, and I thank God every day I’ve been able to take it.

Although you’re not speaker of the House, how do you feel you’ve impacted CHS as a student government leader?

It’s actually a cool story because I actually lost that election, and it’s something that I thought, “Oh my gosh, I lost, I won’t even be able to have an impact on Carmel High School now.”

This past summer, I was kind of like you know what, this isn’t who I am, I’m not going to lose and give up. I’m going to continue and find other areas where I can succeed and win in.

I found that with CHTV, I found that with Big Game, I found that with radio, I found it with a lot of different things and Cabinet still. Honestly, looking back at it, people have been

GRIFFIN

INFLUENCE ISSUE | 25 asking me, since it’s election week, “How’s it feel not to win that election?” and “How’s it feel when remember last year when you lost?” and I’m like, “Haha, yeah.” And people were joking like, “Are you still upset about it?” Looking back, the speaker of the House, losing that election was the best thing that could have ever happened to me, it sounds like a cliche, because it is, but at the end of the day, it opened me up to so many areas, and it’s given me the ability to be probably way more influential than what I would have been to numerous other different areas of kids than I would have been as speaker of the House, and it’s just been a cool thing to be a part of, and I’m just honored.

What is one thing that you feel you’ve left behind at CHS? I don’t know what exactly I left behind. I hope I left behind a want for others to lead, because I think that’s what a good leader does, it makes others want to lead. I think it shows that, you go to a school of 5,000. I know when people are picking their high school, this scares them; this size scares them alone, and it’s just like “Yeah this is a big school, but you can make it your own,” and I just really hope what I left behind is a story that somebody who’s coming here that is nervous, somebody who is coming here who doesn’t know where they belong, I just hope that they are inspired, that they can make it their own, and who knows, by making it their own, they’re walking out of Senior year as the most influential student. It’s kind of cool that it happens that way.

What impact do you think you’ve had on your peers?

The impact I think I had, people tell me it’s bigger than what I think it is. I think honestly, what my impact has been has hopefully been to be a good guy as I leave high school.

There’s a saying: “People won’t remember what you said and

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Griffin Gonzalez, CHTV anchor and senior, prepares for a live broadcast during SRT. Gonzalez has been involved in the Greyhound Media Network throughout high school as a member of both CHTV and WHJE.

what you did. People will only remember how you made them feel.” It’s one of my favorite quotes because that’s been my goal, just making sure that I leave school on a day where somebody thinks I’m mad at them, or where a teacher doesn’t think I’m trying my best in their class, or my goal is to make sure people know that I care about them. People know that I’m a decent human being, and people actually know that I’m a fun loving guy. I hope that’s how I’m going out on, I hope that’s what people think of me; hopefully that’s how it is.

How have your peers impacted you?

In ways I can’t even explain. The friends I have, even the people I go to school with that I see in the hallway, (the) kid who sits in my math class who I don’t really talk to ever. It’s those little conversations you have with someone, whether it’s your best friend over the weekend, (or) whether it’s a guy who sits in the back of your math class, that’s what’s made (these) four years at Carmel so special. It’s like everyday I walk in the hallway I see a new face, but that’s what makes our school so special. It’s peers have impacted me because it’s been those little conversations I’ve had about an event we have at school, or a game, or somebody that thinks they have a good idea.

It’s those little conversations that peers show me how to be a better friend, how to be a better person, how to be a better leader. It’s almost like you’re sitting, obviously you’re sitting in the classroom all day, but just walking around and talking to people, you learn more than you can even know. Most of the stuff I’ve learned in high school has actually been having a conversation with peers and teachers, and they’ve impacted me more than anyone can understand and I thank God for that. A DESIGN BY ALINA HUSAIN

GONZALEZ

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Jace Loncharich, president of the Republican club and senior, discusses changes in voter trends or lack there of. He said politics have become a more relevant topic within the student body.

INFLUENCE ISSUE | 29

GRAPHICS AND DESIGN BY DA-HYUN HONG AND RICHA LOUIS

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POLITICAL INFLUENCE Students reflect on how politics has an increasing influence on their daily lives

WORDS | SAMEEN SIDDIQUI PHOTO | JESS CANALEY

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ccording to the United States Census Bureau, the voting turnout for millennials has increased the most since 1996 when compared to the voting turnout growth of older generations. According to conservative and senior Luke Hamachek, politics are more discussed among peers, which he said makes teens more interested and educated about political topics.

“In my opinion, there are sort of two reasons why kids are becoming more involved. Teenagers, they like to be a part of a movement ­— that’s the first reason. The second reason would be that I think a lot of people are searching more for the truth, what do they agree with, identify themselves with. And, if you’re going to advocate for something, a lot of people are looking for the actual statistics of that instead of just the emotions and feelings regarding that political topic,” Hamachek said.

PARTY FAVORS

See here for data comparing past voter trends between Democrats and Republicans.

More Democrats

percent of voters (18-29) in presidential elections 70%

35%

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Republicans

2016 Elections voters ages 18-29

55%

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Democrats

37%

GRAPHIC // DANIEL LEE DESIGN // DA-HYUN HONG AND RICHA LOUIS SOURCES // CIVICYOUTH.ORG, FAIRVOTE.ORG

Hamachek also said by the time the 2020 presidential election comes around, millenials will be the biggest category of people who can vote in that election, which he said will contribute to a rise in voting turnouts among young adults in the future. Unlike Hamachek, Jace Loncharich, president of the Republican Club and senior, said general trends of voting turnouts are not likely to change.

“I don’t think there’s going to be a rise in voting in the years to come. General trends as a whole say we don’t like to vote.

We like to exercise our political influence other ways, like we donate more money than most countries to politics, but voting wise we’re not huge on it...We don’t really like to vote. We voice the need for change by other methods,” he said.

Although Loncharich said he does not think there will be a rise in voting turnouts, he said teens are more heavily involved in politics compared to previous years.

“The older I’ve gotten, the more politics get around, because I’ve gotten older. No longer do people talk about Silly Bandz; they talk about more ‘real issues’.

I’d say (involvement) has increased, but I couldn’t tell what part of that is me just growing up,” he said.

According to U.S. History teacher Gordon Copee, he has had more students ask him about political events around the world, especially at CHS. He said Carmel students have beeen more politically inclined compared to the other schools he has taught at.

“I think our students here in Carmel are extremely well-informed. I think they’re very well-informed and I think they stay on top of current events very well. I think that one of the ways that they are able to do that is through social media which can be a good thing and sometimes a bad thing, but I think for the most part they do a great job at staying on top of current events,” Copee said.

He said a rise of interest in political

Reagan Reagan

Nixon

percent of age group

18-24

45-64

25-44

65+

60%

470

Bush

Clinton Clinton

55%

Obama

370

Obama Nixon

50%

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‘72

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topics could possibly be due to the decisiveness regarding President Donald Trump. He said Trump makes decisions that some people really agree or disagree with, which brings more political discourse. Hamachek said more people are getting involved with politics and controversial topics because that is where the “boundaries are being pushed.”

“If you disagree or agree with someone, whatever your position on an issue is, you should not stop the flow of ideas. The exchange of ideas between students, including politics is important because it exposes us to new ideas (and) new thoughts and gives us experience for new conversations farther down the road,” he said.

Loncharich said politics has influenced

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electoral votes during election

570

65%

total voter turnout percentage

VOTES THAT COUNT

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270

the way he views the grand scheme of things, especially in school.

“I’m not biased, but I believe that the Republican party is all about ‘hard work, hard work, hard work’, just keep going at it, and that’s kind of the mentality I have for everything in my life. With school and sports you just don’t quit. It’s never ending. it’s constantly working,” he said. “I think that’s a large part of it. I’d say that politics are a result of my views, not views of results from politics. So like a lot of the reason I’m Republican, is cause I hold my Christian beliefs very close to me, which is kind of what the Republican party kind of ganders to. I think me being Republican is a result of that, not the views of the party.”

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INSTAFLUENCE HiLite managing editor Kalea Miao shares her thoughts on “Instagram Baddies,” particularly the negative influence they have on their followers through unrealistic ideals.

WORDS | KALEA MIAO PHOTO | TARA KANDALLU

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crolling through Instagram, you’re bound to find posts from pretty, bold-browed, lash-extensioned women advertising a tea that claims to make you thinner or an online clothing brand you’ve only ever seen on Instagram. These women, dubbed “Instagram Baddies,” can have followers well into the millions, most of whom are young, impressionable girls who take every post to heart. These baddies, through their carefully edited posts, promote the idea that one cannot be accepted unless they have the perfect look or use the right products. Instead of using their influence for good, these social media stars create insecurities within young girls which may follow them for the rest of their lives.

Specifically, in 2016, psychologists from Flinders University found robust cross-cultural evidence that linked social media use to body image concerns in adolescents. Although this relationship is only correlational rather than causational, it’s important to note that there is a strong relationship nonetheless. Additionally, a 2017 study conducted by researchers

from Macquarie University found that women aged 18 to 25 who used Instagram were more likely to have increased selfobjectification and concerns about body image, especially when frequently viewing pictures from social media influencers like the aforementioned baddies. Admittedly, this study covers another age demographic than the previous one I mentioned, but it still highlights the extent to which social media influencers have an impact on the self-image of their followers.

Such studies on social media and body image have been conducted for years.

Instagram baddies, however, are different from the subjects of these previous studies because they tend to portray themselves as normal, relatable students. They derive their fame from social media, a platform that’s accessible to everyone, and by utilizing features that give them direct interaction with their followers, such as replies, private messages and live streams, these influencers carry a unique image in that they seem surprisingly normal for someone so famous. They can create a

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much more personal relationship with their fanbase, thus reinforcing the misconception that they are “just like you.”

The truth is, these baddies are not normal. Most derive their income from sponsorships and modeling projects, meaning they rarely have structured, scheduled days like the average high school student. They have more time and resources to exercise, find a dietitian, get cosmetic procedures and do their makeup than their typical follower. Their schedule is not filled with prior obligations such as a seven-hour school day or a two-hour practice session after school. The fact is, the image these

influencers produce is manufactured in a way that is unattainable for most people, despite the casual facade they maintain.

Overall, I understand the allure of baddie culture. Their down-to-Earth, seemingly raw reviews of products are almost convincing enough to make me forget about the hashtags at the end of the post that read “sponsored” and “ad.”

However, we have to remember it’s their job to be pretty, and the standard they present is not something a typical high schooler can attain. Despite the influence they carry, Instagram baddies don’t have to be your definition of beautiful.

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FAKING NATURAL: A look into the life of a star DESIGN // TARA KANDALLU

GRAPHIC PERSPECTIVE | EMILY WORRELL INSTAGRAM

BEHIND THE POST:

Narcisism

instabaddie.xoxo

#selfportrait Personal trainer

Personal Trainer

instabaddie.xoxo I’m just like you lol #relatable #sponsored

Expensive workout equipment

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Filters and Editing

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