Clarion The
“A Clear Call Summons All”
InsideNow Online
October 29, 2013
Opinion
Feature
Sports
- p2 France trip
- p4 Preventing bullying
- p2 Haunted happenings
- p3 Season wrap-ups
Connersville High School • 1100 Spartan Drive • Connersville, IN 47331 • www.chsclarion.com • Volume 100 • Issue 2
Cyrano looks for love Katie Bailey & Sierra Briner
C
Online Editor & Staff Writer
urtains will rise on Drama Club’s fall production, Cyrano, Nov. 8. Tickets are available in the bookstore and are $3 for students and $5 for adults. Tickets may also be purchased at the door. Cyrano will be performed Nov. 8 and 9 at 7:30 p.m. and Nov. 10 at 2:30 p.m. According to Director Suzi Brown, the classic play has a number of different themes. “It’s a love story, but it’s also about vanity,” she said. Cyrano is a man who falls in love with a girl
named Roxanne. Cyrano thinks that he could never win her heart because he has a very large nose. Approximately 25 students auditioned for the play and all received roles. The leads are junior Jordan McGraw as Cyrano, freshman Hunter Johns as Christian and sophomore Taylor Fudge as Roxanne. The lead roles were chosen by various characteristics. “Cyrano, for example, has to be a very confident person with a lot of charisma,” Brown said. Christian, on the other hand, needed to be young and naive. “He’s a fool in love, basically,” Brown said. Roxanne needed to be
College deadlines approach Seth Winstead
Managing Editor
Senior year can be stressful, mainly due to all the pressures of graduating and for some, preparing for college. With these tasks, one word can make or break plans: deadlines. For instance, one of the upcoming deadlines is the Nov. 1. If complete applications are sent to colleges by that date, the chances of getting an early applicant scholarship are higher, according to guidance counselor Jeremy Corn. When preparing for col-
lege, if a deadline is missed, it can result in consequences. “For testing, the fee [for the test] is higher and the waiver won’t work,” Corn said. Although this may seem intimidating, there are benefits to applying and preparing early. “Applying early will give you maximum benefits for scholarships and also will give students a greater chance of acceptance,” Corn said. In order to make all of this happen, one must know exactly how to apply and what is required. “When you apply, they ask for [your] personal information, [sometimes
your] major, your schedule and counselor form,” Corn said. They also require test scores, class rank, grade point average and a list of duel credit and AP classes students have taken. For some schools, essays and letters of recommendation are required. Most schools requiring essays are more exclusive or are private schools. In regards to recommendation letters, most schools don’t require them, but they are good to have and are usually needed for scholarships, Corn said. It’s good to get at least three different letters (from
teachers, coaches, bosses or supervisors) when needing them, according to Guidance Dept. chairperson Jaime Hamm. Although the amount of information needed may seem overwhelming, it can all be found from the guidance counselors. Also, another helpful tool is the common application, which is one application that can be sent to numerous schools. It saves time and is better than having to fill out the same information multiple times. For ACT/SAT information and scores, go to their websites.
innocent and sweet. The play has been a work in progress since mid-August. In addition to the cast, 10 crew members work on lighting, sound, make-up, costumes and sets. Teresa Seibert is both the technical director and assistant director. “She is doing all of the stage and costume design,” Brown said. “We work really well together because I’m focused on the story and blocking, and she is really focused on the technical aspect.” The cast practices five nights a week. On Wednesdays they practice from 4 to 6 p.m. On Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, they practice from 6 to 8:30 p.m.
On stage
after school, Cyrano cast members rehearse their lines. Junior Jordan McGraw plays Cyrano, while freshman Hunter Johns plays Christian. Sophomore Taylor Fudge was cast as Roxanne, and senior Suzanne Seibert appears as Duenna, her companion. Kathleen Marschand photo
CollegeChecklist The process: 1.) Go to a college website and create an account. 2.) Complete the online application. 3.) Check e-mail regularly for updates from the admissions office. 4.) If accepted by a college, contact their admission counselor and gather any other information needed. Information required: • Semester grades (transcript can be sent later) • Current schedule/classes • Social Security number • ACT/SAT scores (can also be sent later) Testing: • Go to the SAT/ACT website(s), create a user account, register for test(s). • When planning to test, plan to sign up for a test approximately a month in advance. • While applying for test, arrange for scores to be immediately sent to colleges. Test Dates: ACT Registration Deadline Test Date Nov. 8 Dec. 14 Jan. 10 Feb. 8 SAT
Registration Deadline Nov. 8 Dec. 27
Test Date Dec. 7 Jan. 25
Spartan Speakers rehearse for upcoming season Practices begin; students urged to join Speech Team
Katie Bailey
S
Online Editor
partan Speakers, the speech team, will open their season Nov. 2 at Fishers, com-
peting against about 25 schools, in 14 events. The team will compete in 11 meets this season and currently practice six hours a week. The team is still accepting members.
Practicing their duo, sophomores Rachel Jones and Jacob Crain work to memorize their piece for the Nov. 2 speech meet. Katie Bailey photo
“Everyone is welcome,” Head Coach CJ Scott said. The team practices every Tuesday and Thursday after school in Orange 112, from 3:40 to 6 p.m., but students don’t need to stay the whole time. “Just stop by and say hello. We’ll start the process of choosing an event that’s right for you,” Scott said. “14 different events are offered. Seven of the events are what I refer to as traditional public speaking, and seven of them are interpretation events, which are essentially acting,” Scott said. These events range from impromptu, where speakers are given a topic and have less than a minute to think and begin speaking, and extemporaneous,
where speakers write and perform a speech about a relevant political topic, to poetry, where speakers recite and perform poems, and duo, where two team members act out a scene. “I have been practicing impromptu speeches,” junior Justin Newhall said. “I like the impromptu events because I love thinking on my feet and being creative. I feel prepared because I have been working for several weeks and I have performed well in the past,” he added. There are differences between speech meets and sport competitions. “It’s hard to predict wins when it comes to speech tournaments,” Scott said. “Unlike most sports which
compete one-on-one, there are usually between 10 and 50 schools competing at a tournament.” Like any sport there are expectations for the season. “We hold our own very well considering our program’s size. We placed in the top 10 schools at every tournament we went to last season, including a seventh place finish out of 50 teams,“ Scott said. There are two ways of scoring at speech meet, individual points and team points. “At every speech meet there are between six and 10 ribbons given out for every event,” Scott said.
Speech continued on page 4
Feature
page 2 ‹ Clarion
Monster moneymakers Haunted venues provide FFA proceeds for some, paychecks for others
Katie Bailey & Nikk Lainhart
O
Online Editor & Copy Editor
ctober marks the season of haunted houses, corn mazes and orchards. Besides offering thrills and chills, these attractions provide jobs for students. All 80 members of FFA worked at the Everton Fire Department’s Haunted Orchard every Friday and Saturday in October. When the Everton Fire Department added a haunted orchard to their haunted fire house three years ago, they realized they needed more manpower. With that in mind, they invited FFA to help out last year. Now in their second season, FFA members and sponsor Gabe Nobbe look forward to the event. “This season was better than last season. We learned a lot during the first year and applied it this year. Next season will be
even better,” Nobbe said. The haunted orchard is made up of different areas, such as the tunnel, a coffin scene, a guillotine and stocks, a witch scene and a body parts scene, along with scary clowns, scarecrows and monsters that roam around. Admission is $6, and FFA earns half of the proceeds. They use the money to help fund the chapter, as well as contests, banquets and leadership conferences. For the FFA students, it’s not about the money. It is all about the scare. “I like seeing all the people come through and scaring them,” freshman Cassie Whiteman said. While the FFA students volunteer their time to raise money for the chapter, other students earn paychecks for scaring people. At least five students have jumped aboard the spooky train and are scaring their way to the bank working at
Question&Answer “I like seeing all the people come through and scaring them. “ Cassie Whiteman, freshman
Crazy Acres. “The best part about working at Crazy Acres,” sophomore Noah Bevington said, “is scaring your friends and giving your character personality.”
Gargoyle at Notre Dame Cathedral photo courtesy of Judith Echano Medina
Stephanie Lane
With a job based solely on jump scares, the challenge lies in staying in shape. “Keeping physically fit and being able to think quickly is the hardest part,” senior David Cox said.
HalloweenSurvey Do you celebrate Halloween? 84.6% say yes 15.3% say no 281 SRT students surveyed Are you going trick-or-treating this year? 59.5% say no 40.4% say yes 262 SRT students surveyed What’s your favorite Halloween cereal? 37.2% say Count Chocula 34.1% say Boo Berry 20.5% say Franken Berry 6.2% say Fruity Yummy Mummy 1.9% say Frute Brute 258 SRT students surveyed Top 5 scariest horror characters 18% say Pennywise 13% say Chucky 12% say Freddy Krueger 12% say Micheal Myers 10% say Jason 259 SRT students surveyed
ScaryMovies “Chucky was the most frightening because Chucky finds cruel ways to kill people.” -Zach Moffitt, 9 “Insidious because it had a lot of jump scenes and the old lady really creeps me out.” -Shelby Houston, 10 “The Purge because it’s really scary to think that people out there might actually kill each other for no reason.” -Hailey Slagle, 10 “The scariest movie I’ve ever seen was Paranormal Activity 2. It was scary because I watched it in the dark, and it was very realistic.” -Madison Fain, 12 “The Last Exorcism [because] the ending scene with the birth of Satan’s baby freaked me out.” -Megan Robbins, 12 “SAW. I think that Jig-saw’s voice is very creepy.” -Dylan Osborn, 12
What’s your favorite part about working at a haunted house? “I like scaring people. I just dress up in black and jump out and scare people“ Trent Green, freshman
When in France...
October 29, 2013
Staff Writer
In the future, many high schoolers hope to see the world. However, not everyone gets that opportunity. French 3 and 4 students can get a jump on their world travel plans by visiting France over Spring Break. The group of eight students and two chaperones will leave Saturday, March 22, and will return Sunday, March 30. The trip starts in Paris, where the students will visit Notre Dame; the Eiffel Tower; the Louvre; the Paris Opera House; Les Invalides, a former hospital which is now a military museum; and the Arc de Triomphe. After Paris they will visit the Loire Valley, where they will see the Chartes Cathedral, Chateau de Chambord, Chateau de Chenonceau and Troglodyte Village. The tomb of Jacques Cartier in Saint-Malo is next on the trip’s itinerary. The students will then proceed to Normady where they will visit Mont Saint-Michel Monastery and the D-Day
“I just wanted to scare some people.“ Bo Burgdoerfer, freshman
French students, teacher plan Spring Break trip to France
beaches. Next they will go to Rouen. The trip will conclude in Paris with a cruise down the Seine River. French teacher Judith Echano Medina and Japanese teacher Sachiko Kawakubo will chaperone the trip, which will cost around $3,000 per student.
“
“I’ve worked at the firehouse for four years. There are different rooms every year; it’s never the same“ Bailey Blades, sophomore
“[I wanted to go] because I thought it would be a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I wanted to make something memorable of high school,” Isaacs said. “[I would like to] try a French crepe and other French foods,” Johns said.
I’m looking forward to seeing all the different sites, like the Eiffel Tower. Jack Reed, junior
”
While a trip to Japan is offered every two years, this will be the first student trip to France since the summer of 2004. It is a practice Medina hopes to reinstate. “[I am] nervous about the trip since it is my first time taking students from the U.S. to France, but I am also excited about it,” Medina said. “It is a great opportunity for these students.” The students going are juniors Alexis Isaacs, Brayton Johns, Morgan Geise, Jack Reed, Becca Seeley and Olivia McMillan and seniors Will Austerman and Rainie Grant. They all participate in the French Honor Society and French Club.
While in Paris students will see historic buildings such as the ones
in Luxembourg Parc. They will also see Notre Dame, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, the Paris Opera House, Les Invalides and the Arc de Triomphe. photo courtesy of Judith Echano Medina
Sports
October 29, 2013
Emma Ross, 12
Micah Kelley, 11
Clarion › page 3
Jade Knight, 12
Carissa Fox, 12
Fall teams enter post-season
Mathew Hill, 12
Megan Robbins, 12
As fall sports wrap up their seasons, this is an update of Sectional and Regional results for each team. An Oct. 17 printer’s deadline means the Clarion staff could not include final volleyball or football season results or some of the Regional results, but readers can find the updated information at the Clarion web site, chsclarion.com.
Girls Golf by Megan McNally
The girls golf team set the bar high this season. Their goals as a team were to get out of the Sectional as a team, win the EIAC, place sixth at Regional and beat the top two teams in the CHS Sectional at the Regional. The team accomplished all the goals, except for making it out of the Regional. After competing at Sectional Sept. 21, the girls golf team walked away with a third place finish. Juniors Lindsey Hackleman, Tayte Adams and Maddy Rose and freshman Laiken Pflum rounded out the scoring. The girls scored a 367 and were able to advance to Regional. At the Regional the girls ended their season with a sixth place finish. Hackleman placed fifth but was beaten in the tiebreaker. The girls finished their season “with a 7-1 record, the only loss coming from a eight-stroke defeat by Sectional Champion Union County,” Coach Chris Bell said.
Boys & Girls Cross-Country by Megan McNally
The girls cross-country team won Conference with a
Tayte Adams, 11
score of 42 on their home course. Leading the way was junior Morgan Hamilton in first with a time of 20:33, followed by sophomore Morgan West in fourth, junior Courtney Phillips in eighth and junior Sarah Repp in ninth. West, Phillips and Repp were named All-Conference, and Hamilton was named Conference MVP. The boys team placed second with a score of 58. Senior Matt Hill won with a time of 16:48 and was named Conference MVP. Sophomore Toby Musselman placed ninth, and Junior Emmett Sandoval placed 15th and was named All-Conference. The Spartan runners brought home the Sectional win Oct. 15 on their home course. The girls came away with 38. Rounding out the scoring for the girls was West in fourth, Hamilton in fifth, Phillips in eighth and Repp in 10. Ross was in the top 20, McNally in 32, and Russell in 38. The girls advanced to the Regional, Oct. 19. The boys team was victorious with a score of 62. Leading the way was Hill in first, Musselman in ninth, Adam Jarrett in 11th, Sandoval in 23, Gill in 26th, Sullenbarger in 29th and Gragg in 38th. The boys team also advanced to the Regional.
Boys Tennis by Ali Hostetler
After a hard fought battle with Union County, the boys tennis team walked away with a Sectional loss Oct. 3. The tennis team’s season record was 6-12.
Daniel Beckner, 12
Coach John Kitlinski was proud of the team’s performance. “I can say without a shadow of a doubt the team exceeded my goal for them,” he said. “They all ended the season as much better tennis players than they were at the beginning of the season.” Junior Lucas Zarate agreed with his coach. “I think our goal was to get better because we weren’t that good in the beginning,” he said. “I think that now, at the end of the season, we are really good.” Senior Daniel Beckner had the same thought. “Basically, I just wanted to get better, and I did that,” he said. Even with a losing record the team made memories. “One highlight of the season for the team was beating Rushville,” Zarate said. “We did pretty well at the invitational, and that was pretty exciting,” Beckner said. “Batesville and the Conference were a lot of fun.”
Boys Soccer by Jordan Harris
The boys soccer team won the first, second and third round of the Sectional against Richmond, New Castle and Rushville. Their score against Richmond was 2-1, and they beat New Castle, 3-1. The Rushville game score was 6-0. The team’s season record was 13-3. “They played such at a high level against Rushville. I was very proud of their effort in all three games. They were determined that they were going to win this year: you could see that in the way they played,” Coach Mike
Kathleen Marschand photos
Bottomley said. The team set three goals: to win at least 10 games, win conference and win the Sectional matches.
Girls Soccer by Jordan Harris
The girls soccer team fought hard against the Richmond Red Devils, Oct. 8 at Rushville for the Sectional win, but they came up short with a 2-0 loss. “I thought that the girls played amazingly well,” Coach Ann Shannon said. “Everyone stepped up, and they were aggressive--probably the most aggressive I’ve seen them play all season. They communicated well and no one quit the entire game; everyone gave it their all.” “I was very pleased with how they played and at the end of the game told [them] to keep [their] heads high because [they] played awesome. It was a good ending to a good season,” Shannon said. Even though the team lost at the Sectional, there were season highlights the coach was proud of. “The team [has done] a great job moving the ball well and passing and communicating. Last year [they] didn’t do as well with that, but this year they’ve played outstanding and that’s allowed them to play really well against other teams,” Shannon said, “We’ve had people step up who didn’t last year,” Shannon said. For example, “Olivia Holm has really stepped up in goal; she’s had some awesome saves this year. She’s done an outstanding job.”
Archers set goals, aim for success Keely Gill
A
Eyes on the target, sophomore Colton Fowler prepares to release his
arrow at a home archery meet against Tri High held last year in the gym. According to Coach Maurice Green, Fowler consistently placed in the top 12 at meets last season. Kathleen Marschand photo
Staff Writer
rchery season begins soon, and the coaches are looking for students who have the right characteristics to be positive additions to the team. “Students can join by getting a permission slip from me and showing up at practice,” Coach Maurice Green said. “Archery will begin practicing the first week of November with competitions usually beginning in January.” The team practices after school on Tuesday and Thursday from 3:40 to 5 p.m. in the cafeteria or low-
er gym. The team has their own equipment provided by the school to start the season with, but they hope to improve the current inventory after gaining financial support. “We really want to get out and expand the program. Parents and team members will be contacting area businesses for support,” Green said. Students may bring their own Genesis bow, but it’s not required. Before using school-owned bows, students must turn in the permission slip signed by their parents to the coaches. In the previous season,
the team was successful thanks to the members who worked to earn high scores. “We couldn’t have had the success we did without the large number of archers scoring in the 260-range [out of a possible perfect 300],” Green said. When it comes to the meets and higher level competitions, the expectations are even higher. “I expect us to finish in the top two at Regional and finish in the top 10 at State,” Green said. The archers hope to improve from last season. “The team did well [last season] and to make [this season] better, we can work
together and do our best,” sophomore Bailey Blades said. “I will go out there and do my best to make my score higher so the team’s average score is higher.” Others expect nothing but the best. “My expectation is for team is just to do the best we can,” senior Sarah Taylor said. Overall, archery is something the former archers look forward to starting up again. “I’m excited about being with my team again,” Blades said. Others look forward to the new team additions. “I’m just excited to get back to shooting and helping the new people,” Taylor said.
Opinion
page 4 ‹ Clarion
October 29, 2013
Convos, speakers, banners won’t solve problem; students must take a stand against bullying
Staff Editorial
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stop the actual action. Ultimately, the students must take the issue into their own hands and fix the problem on the ground level. The students know all about bullying, whether it is online or in their physical space. There are a few ways students can diminish bullying. One way is to actually help the person being bullied. Pick the person up and dust them off; show them they have someone to help them. Another, and maybe more effective, way is to confront the bully up-front and try to explain to them that what they are doing is wrong. Many teens don’t realize at first how mean and unkind they are being. Without some change, the school may turn into a jail. The administration may get tired of the bully-
ullying is a topic that all schools have to confront. CHS has had multiple problems with bullying in the past few years. The administration has tried new ways to stop it like convocations, speakers, video presentations and banners. Some of these ways look as if they will help the problem of bullying, but in the students’ eyes, they are just a nuisance. The yearly informative speeches and videos that the administration offers reminds students and staff over and over again about how bad bullying can be. The information is a good way to show students that the administration knows what happens when things can go bad, but it doesn’t
Writer’sCorner
by Katie Moffitt
(For this month’s Writer’s Corner, students were asked to create dark, creepy, Halloween-style poetry. This character study was the winning entry, because it best fit this theme with its demon, Annabell.)
I Swung and Dangled My Fee
t
I sat alone on a swing while the other children played. They ignored my existence; I was only in third grade. All alone I swung and dangled my feet
Years passed; nothing changed but I made a friend She appeared to me at random; transparent skinned The strange being promised she’d be with me ‘till the end My little Annabell; red hair and see-through face She floated easily and spoke with much grace. Alone we swung and dangled our feet Now I’m in high school, still only with Annabell. The others say I’m different, and would push until I fell. I wondered if it would ever stop but only time could tell. Guys would joke and laugh while the girls pulled my hair. I’d go to my ghost, my Annabell, and she was always there. Alone we swung and dangled our feet I came home from school; tears rolling down. She was the only one: Mom was out of town She offered a way out, the decision unprofound. I tied a rope to my neck and bridge, ready to leap. Annabell was really a demon who couldn’t yet sleep. She had to take a soul, one the devil could keep. As I stared at the water I thought of my torment. Soon it’d be over, I took a step, gone in a moment. Alone I swung and dangled my feet.
To submit to Writer’s Corner students should attend Writers’ Club meetings in Paula Shouse’s room in W165.
To read additional student work visit chsclarion.com or scan this QR code with a QR reader app, like ScanLife, for your smart phone or tablet.
Clarion The
Connersville High School 1100 Spartan Drive Connersville, IN 47331 www.chsclarion.com
ing stories and problems and give more rules to the students. Rules are already starting to pop up about internet access and bullying. Indiana passed new legislation about cyberbullying this summer and the topic continues to be in the national news. If this problem gets bigger, the administration may become more and more involved with the students’ lives outside of school. If this problem is fixed or improved, the rules may slacken up or not get any worse. Students will feel free to be themselves without judgment and abuse. The suicide rate in teens will hopefully decrease as well. Teachers will be happy to stay at the school and be in a helpful learning environment. Putting a stop to bullying may increase academic
photo illustratio n
Bullying intervention starts with students
scores and decrease absences. If CHS has a better environment for teens to express themselves and learn, students will be more
likely to succeed. None of this can happen unless the students finally take charge of the bullying in the school and stop tolerating it.
Question&Answer
What can students, teachers & administrators do to prevent bullying? “Students could understand that bullying really isn’t a joke. The school could have a support program for victims and the teachers could be more aware and less oblivious to signs of bullying.”--Karissa France, 9 “The students and teachers could both be more vocal and vigilant about bullying.”--Jessica Jennings,12
“Students could learn to think before they speak and be respectful toward others.” --Sarah Scott, 10 “Pay more attention to what the students are talking about.” --Morgan West,10
“Bullies should be sent to the Scared Straight program.”--Tim St.Clair,12
“It’s not up to the school; it’s up to the person being bullied to step up and tell someone or stand up for his/her self.--Cameron Waddell, 10
“Honestly everyone bullies, but I think everyone should think before they talk!”--Courtney Roberts,12
“We could have programs or group of kids getting together in SRT and just talk.”--Kassie Shafer, 10
“I think that we need to be taught not to bully. The administration always teaches us how to get over being bullied, but they never teach kids not to bully.”--Ryan Reece, 12 “Students could think how they would feel if someone said the same thing to them. If they see bullying, they could stand up for the kid being bullied. The school could create a club with trusted students to report bullying. Also, they could make strict rules against bullying. Teacher could patrol the classrooms.” --Brittany Novack,10
Speech Team
Continued from page 1
“You also receive points from the national speech and debate honor society [National Forensic League] for every competitive speech you give, so that you can move up in their member ranks. There are also team trophies given to the highest scoring schools,” Scott said. The team members are optimistic about the season. “I think we will do very well this year,” Newhall said. Glossophobia, a fear of public speaking, often keeps students away from the team. If students have this fear, Scott still en-
“A Clear Call Summons All” The Clarion is a student publication serving as open forum for student expression at Connersville High School, where it is distributed to all students, faculty and staff. While the staff aims to provide a balanced account of news, opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of faculty, staff, administration or school board. The editor is solely responsible for the content.
Editor in Chief Becca Seeley Managing Editor
Seth Winstead
Online Editor
Katie Bailey
Design Editor
Riley Masters
courages them to join the team. “Students don’t speak in front of very many people at a typical meet,” Scott said. “In as usual round, the speaker performs in front of one judge (an adult from another school, usually someone’s parent) and approximately four other competitors.” “Every event has different rules and requirements. There’s really an event out there for everyone,” he said. After the Nov. 2 opener, the next meet will be Nov. 16 at Ball State against approximately 20 schools. Staff
Sierra Briner Keely Gill Jordan Harris Ali Hostetler Stephanie Lane Megan McNally Emmett Sandoval
Copy Editors
John Isaacs Nikk Lainhart
Principal
Randy Judd
Adviser
Lisa Morris