The Triangle, Issue 2, Vol. 103 by cnhsmedia

ROAD TO RECOVERY

THE

TRIANGLE Columbus North High School • 1400 25th Street, Columbus, IN 47201 • Volume 103 Issue 2 • October 6, 2023

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Alex Osburn Ajay Singireddy Jasmine Yang

IN-DEPTH 16 ROAD TO RECOVERY

IN-DEPTH TEAM Izzy Munn Sylvia Sasse Deshna Venkatachalam Lydia Weed

Student athletes discuss the physical and mental effects from overcoming injury

PHOTO EDITORS Novah Ulm Grace Wheatley

ONLINE PREVIEW

ART DIRECTOR Sylvia Sasse SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM Chloe LaVelle Brynn Stewart Deshna Venkatachalam STAFF Jocelyn Aguilar Sarynel Barbosa Nicolas Bowers Aidan Brown Liz Carrigan Gabe Carrillo Claire Davis Annie Green Jaedyn Greenlee Lois Guest Maia Jamieson Kiko Thompson Emma Warnock

ADVISERS Roth Lovins Rachel McCarver

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Editorial Policy The Triangle is the designated forum for student expression at Columbus North High School. The student staff chooses all content. Signed columns published in The Triangle express the writer’s personal opinion and not the views of The Triangle, student body, BCSC, administration, board of trustees or faculty of Columbus North. The Triangle practices ethical journalism by providing balanced and fair coverage as determined by community standards. The Triangle strives to achieve 100 percent accuracy by checking sources, spelling, and quotes and attaining multiple sources. The Triangle encourages letters to the editor, but reserves the right to reject them for reasons including but not limited to lack of space, multiple letters of the same topic and personal attacks contained in the letter. The Triangle will not edit for content, but reserves the right to edit for grammar and length. Letters should be submitted to room 1507 or sent via e-mail to administrator@ cnhsmedia.com. All Letters much be signed by all persons involved in writing the letter, which the staff will check for validation. A letter sent via e-mail must be validated with a signature from the writer before The Triangle will publish it. If responding to a publication, letters must be turned in within one week of that

publication’s distribution. In the event of death, The Triangle will run a standard obituary. Pertaining to work submitted via social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, etc.), The Triangle will only accept written submissions from the original poster and owner and will only publish entries with the permission of the original poster and owner. The Triangle will not edit submissions for content and reserves the right not to publish them for reasons including but not limited to lack of space, multiple submissions of the same topic, vulgar or incendiary content. The Triangle will not publish photographs from Facebook. Posts on The Triangle’s social media pages by readers are owned by the readers and do not necessarily express the views or opinions of the staff. The Triangle is not responsible for their content and reserves the right to delete and report any inappropriate and unnecessary posts. By posting on The Triangle’s social media pages, the poster grants The Triangle permission to publish the contents of that post. In cases when a source’s information may bring ridicule or incrimination upon himself or herself, the editorial board reserves the right to cite the source as anonymous. The Triangle will never use composite sources and pass them off as anonymous sources.

COLUMBUS PRIDE

Columbus Pride’s festival director lisa Huffman describes what celebrating pride in Columbus looks like

BEYOND THE

NEWS SPEAKING UP

LOCAL PRIDE

Junior Addie Hearne gets involved in local debate about books Columbus Pride’s festival director lisa Huffman describes what celebrating pride in Columbus looks like

STUDENT LIFE

TRADITIONS CONTINUE

BEYOND THE LANES

CREATING A COMMUNITY

THE SHOW MUST GO ON

The Homecoming court described football, tradition and floats

LANES

The bowling team reflects on last year’s season and the season to come

The bowling team reflects on last year’s season and the season to come ASL club gives the school community an opportunity to practice another form of communication Senior Ava Chastain sets the spotlight on her senior project

SPRINTING TO THE END

Cross country runners discuss the season so far

OPINION PUMPKIN SPICE PARTY

A review of the Starbucks fall drinks menu from a noncoffee drinker

SPILLING MY GUTS 12

A review of the sophomore album from the three-time grammy-winning 20-year-old

FALLON FALLOUT

CANCEL CULTURE, WHY?

Fallon creates a toxic work environment for his employees Claire Davis investigates the origins and issues associated with cancel culture

GAME CHANGING 21 SUPPORT The football team is coming up with new ways to increase away game attendance

SPORTS SPRINTING TO THE END 20

Cross country runners discuss the season so far

PUSH FOR MORE STUDENT SUPPORT

BEHIND THE SCENES

IN THE GREEN

The football team is coming up with new ways to increase away game attendance Athletic trainers share the steps they take to maintain student athletes’ health Members of the girls golf team reflect on the season

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SPEAKING UP by Nicolas Bowers design by Ajay Singireddy

Junior Addie Hearn created a petition to protect student rights.

photo by Grace Wheatley NEWS

Junior Addie Hearn gets involved in local debate about books

t the end of a one-and-ahalf hour long school board meeting, the floor opens up for public comments. The dimly lit room goes quiet, waiting for someone to speak. “Hi, I’m Addie Hearn, I’m a junior at North. I started a petition to protect student rights to access information in school libraries.” At the end of the one-minute and 35-second speech, she received a standing ovation. Since junior Addie Hearn heard about the conversation about appropriate books at school board meetings, she knew she had to get involved. “I had no idea until my mom was randomly playing the school board meeting at home,” Hearn said. “I heard it in the school board meeting and I was just so surprised that we would really ban classics. So I just went all out for it.” Hearn, a student in American Literature, believes that there’s a lesson to be learned in almost every historical or classic book. “I think it’s definitely beneficial because every book that’s a classic has something to give,” Hearn said. In addition to removing classic books, students would also lose access to more contemporary books. Since the October 2021 meeting, several community members have spoken on a process to remove books from the school library. “They’ve wanted to take normal books that we read every year off the shelves,” Hearn said. Hearn feels restricting access to certain books for all students would create a blurred line between parenting and public schools. “I’m not in favor of banning books because I feel like it limits every kid instead of just parents parenting their own kids,” Hearn said. “It’s just like one parent parenting every kid, and I just think it really limits people’s resources and that’s not right.” Hearn’s American Literature teacher, David Spencer, believes that it’s important for every student to feel comfortable in their English class. “The level of complexity I think juniors and seniors should be exposed to in their English class is completely determined by the safety and security that they would feel in an English class at North,” Spencer said.

He also highlights how there are always alternative books if a student isn’t comfortable with the one being presented to them. “I do want to say front and center, we always have alternatives, and that’s been something in my 14 years of teaching that has been common,” Spencer said. In addition, he emphasizes that books with mature topics are important to prepare students for the AP test at the end of the year. “When we choose books for the AP courses, we have a completely different goal, and that goal is influenced by the College Board which is the organization that makes the AP exam,” Spencer said. “They suggest a number of novels that the students can write about. We use those suggested lists of novels to decide what books we should be reading throughout the year in the AP Lit course.” Spencer also feels like English classes should be a place where

students feel comfortable to have meaningful conversations about mature topics. “I do think it’s an English teacher’s job, and an English class should help students explore those topics in a safe environment and that’s what a classroom environment is,” Spencer said. “It should be a place where someone feels safe to explore sensitive topics and potentially uncomfortable issues, while having the guidance of a teacher and having the support of a whole classroom that’s working towards the same goals.” Hearn believes that it’s important to read mature books to be more informed about different views and ideas. “I think it’s important to be aware of different sides and different perspectives, and I feel like that’s what those books really do for us,” Hearn said.

TYPE OF BOOKS BANNED YOUNG ADULT49% by percentage of unique banned titles

PICTURE BOOK 19%

Source: pen.org ADULT 11%

MIDDLE GRADE 11%

CHAPTER BOOKS 10%

NONFICTION 24%

POETRY 1%

FICTION 75%

KNOW THE NUMBERS Number of attempts to ban or restrict library materials in the U.S. by year 1269

BANS BY STATE Source: pen.org

2022

Source ala.org 1000 500

458

2003

464 2012

729

2021

156

Number of bans 401-500 301-400

2020 101-200

11 - 30 1-10

NEWS

LOCAL PRIDE Columbus Pride’s festival director Lisa Huffman describes what celebrating pride in Columbus looks like

Indiana Law

On Oct. 6, 2014 gay marriage was legalized in Indiana. The Pride Festival celebrates these freedoms.

“This event is put on by and for the LGBTQ+ community and allies out of pure love and support for them.” Lisa Huffman

Established

The Columbus Pride Festival was started in 2018 by former Columbus resident, Erin Bailey, for her senior project.

It pays to advertise with The Triangle! Contact CNHS Media for more information advertising@cnhsmedia.com

NEWS

by Liz Carrigan design by Claire Davis photos by Novah Ulm

“The first Pride festival was a senior project by Erin Bailey, who was a student at Columbus Signature Academy. It started as a smaller, yet successful, event on 4th Street.” Huffman

TRADITIONS CONTINUE The Homecoming court describes football, traditions and floats by Liz Carrigan design by Emma Warnock

photos by Lois Guest

The junior Homecoming Court rides in the parade.

he football flies through the air as the crowd cheers. Colorful floats draw everyone’s attention. The Homecoming court faces the audience, clad in pressed suits and sparkling dresses. The crowd is excited and engrossed in the game and fun incorporated in Homecoming. Homecoming includes many different dynamics, from vibrant floats to a hardplayed football game to the dress up week at school. Junior Maggie Russell explains her favorite part of Homecoming. “My favorite part about Homecoming is all the activities we have the week of homecoming: dress up days, floats etc,” Russell said. Additionally, sophomore Addie Burt describes her favorite part of Homecoming. “My favorite part is dressing up at school the week of homecoming,” Burt said. Being on Homecoming court is an honor only given to a few in each grade. Senior, student assembly participant and Homecoming Court member, Alexander Cognata describes his thoughts on being part of the court this year. “It’s cool, it’s definitely an honor,” Cognata said. “I’ve never been on court before so it’ll be a new experience for me.” One such tradition is the floats that each grade created for the game. Cognata

described the process of building the the game,” Burt said. floats. Russell hosted her class’s student “Student council decides the assembly, and her house served as the themes, so normally an overarching location for the float to be built. theme,” Cognata said. “This year’s is “Having everyone come over to my blockbusters. And then from that theme house has been super fun,” Russell said. they give each class a theme. So then “Both of my brothers had people come the various student assembly classes over to build floats at our house as well get together, and they decide a time to when they were in high school. It’s super do it and what we’re going to do, and we easy for everyone and my parents love to actually made it last Sunday.” host everyone that can make it.” Russell described her class’s approach to building the junior class float. “For coming up with designing the float, we make sure to all agree on something, and draw it out on HOW FLOATS FOR paper before we start actually HOMECOMING ARE DESIGNED building,” Russell said. “When building the floats, the junior 2 assembly class will start meeting on Sundays before the 3 Each grade level 1 Homecoming game. We will all within Student They pick a Assembly plans pitch in and bring something to The Student person’s house to what they want help build. Honestly, we get it Council decides work at and plan their design to look the theme of the how they want to done pretty fast.” like. floats. go about creating Cognata described his favorite their design. part of building the senior float. “[My favorite part is] just hanging out with everyone getting to play sports while doing it,” Cognata said. They build their float and Burt explains her feelings 4 present it on Homecoming day. toward the game. “I’m very excited for Homecoming. I even cheered at

STUDENT LIFE

BEYOND THE L NES The bowling team reflects on last year’s season and the season to come by Lois Guest design by Sarynel Barbosa

photo by Grace Wheatley Senior Alexis Jones practices for this upcoming season. Last year, Jones was a state champion for singles.

M 8

embers of the bowling team are starting to look forward to their upcoming season starting in October. Last year was full of growth for both the boys and girls teams, so there is a lot of anticipation within the returning competitors. Senior Alexis Jones reflects on last season’s outcome on a team and a personal level. “It was a wild ride. We had started the team back up from nothing from the year before. We had a couple quit on us and we only had like three or four of us left, but you need five in order to have a season. So, we ended up getting three

STUDENT LIFE

new girls,” Jones said. “After that we didn’t think we would have a chance at all but then we ended up somehow making it to state. For singles, it was a rough personal time and I wasn’t in it at all but I somehow managed to make it to state and ended up winning it.” There was also some major personal growth shown in junior Landon Million. “Last year’s season was probably the best season I’ve had so far,” Million said. “I ended up making it to semi-state and I led the conference on average.” One thing that stands out about the bowling team is how welcoming they are to people who have little to

no experience. Senior Kloie Davis was influenced to join the team because of friendships on the team. “It was difficult because I was learning, but as I got better, and as I progressed it got easier and was more fun,” Davis said. With this development, Davis also learned about how much work goes into being a successful bowler. “People just see it as a hobby, and not a sport but I would say it’s a sport. It’s pretty hard, and you have to have a whole technique and it takes a lot of practice,” Davis said. The lack of publicity is one of the main challenges that the team faces as a whole. “We’ve been trying to raise awareness about the team,” Million said. “We’ve been putting up flyers, and have been trying to make sure people are aware. We would love to have other people join the team, and were actually able to get three new people this year. I think it is slowly getting more recognized.” This publicity isn’t just about getting new teammates. Senior BOWLING Ragan Mathis expresses COMMON her thoughts about the TERMS awareness of the team. “I just wish we got more support from the school as a whole.” Mathis said. “This is especially needed from administration because they don’t give us the Strike: knocking recognition that we down all the pins on the first throw deserve.” The support the Spare: Knocking team is looking for down all remaining pins on second throw isn’t necessarily a ton of students coming Double: two strikes to competitions and in a row cheering them on. Turkey: three strikes They just want their in a row success to be spread. “It would be nice Badger: four strikes to be recognized but in a row or more at the same time, I Address: players don’t do it for that,” starting position Million said. “I do it Anchor: last player because I enjoy the to bowl sport and I grew up loving the game. That’s Cherry: front pins what makes it fun for me.” knocked down Source bowling.com

CREATING A COMMUNITY

tudents can take classes to learn Chinese, French, German, Japanese or Spanish. After the school day ends, clubs offer additional chances to interact with Spanish, French or German language and culture. Until this year, American Sign Language (ASL) was not available to the student body in any kind of schoolwide capacity. Junior Livia Denney is the student sponsor who created ASL club, which is being offered to students as a new club this year. To begin teaching other students, Denney plans on including a variety of activities that will let club members familiarize themselves with the language. “We’re going to play games, we’re going to teach signs, work on fingerspelling [and] different number systems,” Denney said. “I think we’ll probably start working with first names and how to do introductions with each other.” Denney was motivated to start the club to provide an opportunity for curious

ASL club gives the school community an opportunity to practice another form of communication by Alex Osburn design by Gabriel Carrillo

students to gain an understanding of another language. “I think a lot of students would be interested in it and would be able to learn some sign and apply it to their futures,” Denney said. Educational interpreter Sarah BrownHerbert is the staff sponsor of the club, and she also hopes the club will resonate with some students and carry into their futures. “I’m hoping that maybe we’ll find some people who will spark an interest in ASL and will continue on with it throughout their life,” Brown-Herbert said. On a more immediate level, BrownHerbert hopes to see ASL become a part of some day-to-day interactions. “I hope that as we walk through the halls we’ll see little glimpses of American Sign Language kind of spark in different little corners,” Brown-Herbert said. “People will be eager to introduce themselves, eager to communicate and kind of socialize with Livia.”

Similarly, freshman Gabriella Garcia is interested in joining ASL club and anticipates how the club may contribute to a more inclusive and supportive environment within the school. “I look forward to making new friends and also building an environment that can possibly be safer for other students who are hard of hearing,” Garcia said. Garcia also hopes that ASL club’s impact will create a more supportive school community through showing more students how to interact and communicate more effectively with some of their peers. “I feel like it’ll help other students to not only respect, but understand the reasons why maybe [hard of hearing students] may be so quiet, maybe they don’t come out as much,” Garcia said. “It could also help impact different things that are going on, for example if someone is hard of hearing, someone’s having a difficult time, we could possibly help them out.”

COMMUNICATION FOR ALL A glimpse into sign languages and hearing loss around the world

6% of Indiana adults have a hearing disability Source CDC

Over 300 different sign languages exist worldwide, and 72 million deaf or hard-of-hearing people use them Source National Geographic

photo by Gabriel Carrillo Sarah Brown-Herbert explains the intricacies of sign language at the first ASL meeting.

STUDENT LIFE

THE SHOW MUST GO ON Senior Ava Chastain sets the spotlight on her senior project by Gabe Carrillo design by Maia Jamieson

he lights fade and the spotlights shine. The actors in their costumes, catching the eye of the viewer and setting the time period of the play. A sense of mystery fills the theater as the play starts. The handcrafted set pieces, handpicked actors, as well as all the time and effort that have been put into the production all come together, and behind it all is one senior. Senior Ava Chastain has put together and organized a production of the play “The Importance of Being Earnest.” Chastain shares her inspiration for her senior project. “I’ve been doing theater since middle school and recently transitioned from mostly acting to doing leadership roles in crew and tech,” Chastain said. “I was honestly reluctant to do this project because it requires so much work and dedication, but once I began to see the vision for the performance I committed to it one hundred percent and knew it would benefit the theater department and my peers.” Scott Seavers, Chastain’s Career Information and Discovery teacher, shares his thoughts on the project at the beginning. “I didn’t have concerns about the play, because it involved her passions and there are kids who want to participate and there are adults who would want to watch kids participate in a play,” Seavers said. Sophomore Elizabeth Alderfer was technical manager for Chastain’s project and illuminates the things she learned from this project. “I learned a lot about just how to streamline a project,” Alderfer said. “I got to explore the entire length of production and I

didn’t have one specific job, so it was a wide range of responsibilities. I learned how to produce a show for an audience.” Chastain gives insight into the time it took to finish the project from start to finish. “I began working on this project in June and we started auditions in late July,” Chastain said. “I have spent well over 50 hours planning, producing, directing, and physically putting everything together.” Seavers shares the eye-catching qualities of this kind of project. “I noticed it involved leadership, planning and organization,” Seavers said. “It’s a lot of

“I love the play, beyond just the writing, I am so proud of all of the actors.” senior Ava Chastain responsibility for a high school student.” Seavers describes his favorite criteria of the project. “My favorite part was that she was willing to take on this big leadership position, partly because I think she had to make tough decisions with her peers,” Seavers said. Alderfer gives backstory to why she joined the crew. Chastain had to choose between her peers to choose the best candidates. “I’m friends with Ava,” Alderfer said. “Originally she offered me the stage manager position. I realized I wanted to be more on the crew side, however, so I asked if I could

MEET THE CAST

do technical directing instead.” Alderfer reflects on her favorite parts of being part of the play. “I enjoyed it most definitely,” Alderfer said. “Everybody on the project was amazing, the cast and the crew were awesome. It was a lot of fun learning how to do things and watch my progress. My favorite thing of the show was to get to know everybody more and make a tight-knit group of people I can rely on.” Alderfer shares what she thinks was the most difficult part of her side of the project. “The set building was the most difficult,” Alderfer said. “I designed and built it from scratch. It was a learning curve because I’ve never done anything like construction.” Chastain shares the highlights of working on this project from the perspective of the leader, and how the cast and crew brings everything together. “I love the play, beyond just the writing, I am so proud of all of the actors,” Chastain said. “They have worked incredibly hard to bring my ideas to life and add their own spark to the script. Along with the actors, the crew has bent over backwards to create a stunning set and environment.” From her experience of organizing “The Importance of Being Earnest,” Chastain gives a few words to fellow students designing their own senior projects. “It is a lot of work but it pays off,” Chastain said. “It is important that you are passionate about it so that you will enjoy the process. I would encourage anyone who is interested in theater and wants to have a leadership position to pursue this kind of project.”

1. Senior Claire Davis as Jack Worthing 2. Junior Caroline Brucken as Cecily Cardew

A guide to who’s who in “The Importance of Being Earnest”

3. Sophomore Annie Green as Miss Prism

photos by Novah Ulm

5. Freshman Lou Grafelman as Rev. Canon Chasuble

4. Senior Annie Miller as Gwendolen Fairfax 6. Sophomore Danni Riley as Lane 7. Sophomore Bella Ruiz as Merriman 8. Senior Maggie Bailey as Lady Bracknell

9. Sophomore Bella Zigler as Algernon Moncrieff

STUDENT LIFE

OPINION FALLON FALLOUT Fallon creates a toxic work environment to his employees

A review of the sophomore album from the three-time grammy-winning 20-year-old

by Maia Jamieson

SPILLING MY GUTS

owadays, everyone seems to be getting “canceled”, with a trend that is taking a toll on talk show hosts. The most recent victim is Jimmy Fallon. Fallon was my favorite talk show host. His charisma and energy made the show fun to watch and it seemed like he really cared about his guests. Unlike talk show hosts like Ellen DeGeneres, who has made Taylor Swift cry, Fallon created a positive environment for his guests. But after I read the Rolling Stones article, my opinion of Jimmy Fallon has changed forever. While Fallon might have created positive environments with his guests, recent allegations claim that he did not show that behavior with his coworkers. These allegations made by 16 previous and current workers on “The Tonight Show” claim that he yells at his coworkers and is “dismissive and irritable,” according to the Rolling Stones. According to the article, the work environment became so bad that workers had to make crying rooms. To add to the matter, in the past nine years, the show had gone through nine showrunners. A true way to judge a person’s character is to not look at how they treat the important people, but how they treat the underdogs. Fallon had every reason to be kind to the guests, as they are who kept his show alive. But his coworkers who work behind the scenes are not granted that respect. This is ironic because without them, the show wouldn’t be able to have been created. Before I conducted research about these allegations, I thought that this was one incident taken out of context. But now that I’ve read the Rolling Stones article, I see that this wasn’t the case. With the overwhelming evidence, there has to be some truth to what has been said. It is hard to look at him and realize how he has created a negative work environment when all we see on screen is his caring personality.

OPINION

by Annie Green

livia Rodrigo, once the Disney star, now the multi-winning Grammy musician released her newest album on Sept. 8, 2023 I have been a fan of Olivia Rodrigo since she started as Paige Olvera on the Disney Channel TV show, Bizaardvark. I’ve enjoyed Rodrigo’s music before her release of “Drivers License,” there’s actually an inside joke between me and my mother, so every time I hear the song I smile and think of her. My favorite song of Rodrigo’s album GUTS is most definitely Teenage Dream. I think this song is my favorite simply because I relate to it and it’s such a fun song to listen to and to sing. The songs have most definitely affected me in a positive way. Whether it be sewing, doing school work in a teacher’s class or simply walking into school, I am most likely listening to Olivia Rodrigo. What I enjoy about Olivia Rodrigo’s music is that I can find it relatable. I find almost all her songs apply to a certain situation that I have been in, so I think it is super cool that there is a music artist out there that writes and sings songs like that. I am extremely excited to see what Rodrigo has planned and how she will continue to impact this generation with her award winning music. I am curious to see if she will release two more albums relating to her high school career; maybe a junior and a senior album. Though I tried to get tickets to see her in concert next year, I was unsuccessful. Her fan base has done nothing but grown over the past few months. I’m glad to call myself a “Livie” as one of her fans, and I’m extremely confident that she will do amazing things in the future.

PUMPKIN SPICE PARTY

CANCEL CULTURE, WHY?

A review of the Starbucks Fall drink menu from a noncoffee drinker

Claire Davis investigates the origins and issues associated with cancel culture

by Nicolas Bowers

by Claire Davis

or the past 20 years, Starbucks has ushered in the changing of the leaves with a fall drink. It has always comprised of the classic Pumpkin Spice Latte (PSL) and, since 2019, the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew. This year, they brought two new drinks to the menu: the Iced Pumpkin Cream Chai Tea Latte, which had become very popular on the secret menu in years past, and the Iced Apple Crisp Oat Milk Shaken Espresso. Now, after getting all four of the drinks, I’m going to rank them. In last place, I have the Iced Apple Crisp Oat Milk Shaken Espresso. Now, I have to put it out there, I’m not a big coffee drinker, so any drink with a strong coffee flavor doesn’t really attract me. Aside from that, I don’t think that the apple works in this drink. It tastes very strange, and quite frankly, my mind was drawing comparisons to spoiled milk. With it being a Shaken Espresso, it’s the darkest and most “coffee” flavored drink of the fall menu and, to make it worse, all of the apple flavoring is at the bottom. Sorry espresso people, this one isn’t for me. Next up, the Pumpkin Cream Cold Brew. Out of all of the drinks, this one stuck out to me the least. The first sip is amazing because I absolutely love Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam. After that, it’s fine. The coffee flavor is weaker than in the Shaken Espresso, which is a bonus for me, but I still wish the pumpkin flavor was stronger. It was also sweeter than the Shaken Espresso and tasted lighter than the PSL. Overall, this drink is okay, and just okay. The second-place medal goes to the Iced PSL. It’s got a very distinctive flavor, and it has way more pumpkin flavor than the Cold Brew. Additionally, I found that it had the most pleasant aftertaste. It’s been established that I don’t like coffee very much, and I could always use more pumpkin flavor, but at this point, that’s my fault. Finally, even though this drink isn’t sweet, I still really enjoyed it. It’s definitely going into my drink rotation. Now onto the Iced Pumpkin Spice Chai Tea Latte. To put it plainly: I love it. The Pumpkin Cream Cold Foam is amazing as always. It’s a really light and refreshing drink thanks to the lack of coffee. It’s super sweet, and it has some truly impressive pumpkin flavor, even by my standards. The pumpkin and chai flavors work so well together, and everything combines to just make an all-around amazing drink, which is why it’s also my favorite.

n today’s fast paced world, social media is becoming more and more streamlined as a form of communication. Misinformation and news about our favorite celebrities and internet icons spread quickly, resulting in something that has the potential to end their careers: cancel culture. The subject can be controversial as some people don’t believe that cancel culture has any negative impacts and others, like me, think it’s extremely problematic and toxic. So what is cancel culture, and why does it matter? Cancel culture is defined as being a mass of people that withdraw their support for a celebrity who has done something that isn’t considered socially acceptable. An example of this is when Will Smith slapped Cris Rock at the Oscars last year. Immediately people on the internet community started calling him out and stopped supporting him, additionally he got banned from attending the Oscars for the next ten years. As someone with such a large reputation most fans forgot about the incident, but it resulted in him being taken off the air and even receiving threats from fans according to the guardian. I believe that he should receive retribution for his actions, but they were not extreme enough to justify him being canceled. Colleen Ballinger was also a hot topic this summer as she received grooming allegations and created her hit apology video “toxic gossip train”. Her apology striked controversy and received over 15 million views on YouTube, where she was officially canceled for her actions. In this scenario cancel culture is seen at its extreme. Colleen has been shut out by social media as she hasn’t posted on her YouTube since the video went out. I believe that her being canceled is definitely justified as she broke laws and didn’t even apologize to her fans. Cancel culture is not good for our society. When we cancel someone, we are getting rid of people because we don’t agree with their views or ideals. As this might seem necessary for people who strike controversy and break laws like Ballinger, it has the potential to take a voice away from people simply because they associate with different political affiliations or views on life. If we let small scandals end careers, we are only allowing ourselves to listen to views that we ourselves associate with and never let ourselves be open to new perspectives. It’s important that we keep an open minded view when it comes to controversy so that voices aren’t taken away, that is why cancel culture is not beneficial to society.

OPINION

ANALYZING THE ADVERSE EFFECTS

The Triangle staff examines the expectations that are set for student athletes eep. Beep. Beep. Glaring red numbers read “4:30 a.m.”. After quickly changing clothes and hurrying out the door, morning practice begins before the first murmurs of students fill the school hallways. Athletes shower and rush to their first period class, and after seven hours in the classroom, they meet up with their team to get on the bus for the away game that night. Returning at 11 p.m., a mountain of homework waits for them when they arrive home. Sixty-two percent of the Triangle staff believes that students who play high school sports aren’t able to healthily balance the time commitment of both playing a sport and being a full time student. The number of hours spent outside of school for conditioning, practices, games, team bonding and other sport-related activities is only the beginning of the commitment high school athletes are asked to make for their sport. Specialized athletes are defined by the National Federation of State High School Associations as “intense, high-volume training in a single sport at the expense of participation in multiple sports.” The organization has done studies which concluded that athletes who are extremely specialized in their sports careers are 85 percent more likely to sustain an injury, and athletes who are even moderately specialized are still 50 percent more likely to injure

themselves than non-specialized athletes. While student athletes may see great improvement in game day performance from this kind of intense training, it still comes at the cost of extreme physical and time commitments that can further lead to injury and render these efforts useless. On the flip side, non-specialized athletes who compete in multiple sports may trade this higher chance of injury for a busier before-and after-school schedule. Off-season conditioning for one sport can combine with practices and games for another sport that’s in season and create a busy agenda. For these student athletes, the promise of “athlete” can overpower the responsibilities of “student” due to devoting time and energy to something they love. This conflict between the academic and athletic worlds can extend past solely the physical impacts of training and into other areas of their well-being. Not only do hours of conditioning and practice every week take a physical toll on the bodies of student athletes, but the mental and emotional health of these athletes can have a deeper impact on their day-to-day lives. A 2023 study by researchers from Health Psychology Research found that 91% of high school athletes surveyed experience some level of stress due to their sport, with 58% of respondents reporting moderate stress levels or higher. Combined with the time pressure to complete academic assignments,

COMICS BY KIKO

this stress can contribute to a never-ending cycle where increased stress decreases performance on the field or court, which then distracts from schoolwork, which leads to even more stress. Now, that’s not to say being a studentathlete is not worth it. In fact, students are able to benefit due to participating in a sport. Exercise produces endorphins, which can counteract the stress response from other factors in student athletes’ lives. Teams can lead to close-knit relationships among teammates that act as a support group when one person is having a difficult day. However, even these potential benefits can fail to outweigh the overwhelming responsibilities that accompany being a high school athlete. The commitment of being a student athlete doesn’t stop at simply going to practice or competing in a weekend-long tournament. The increased risk for injury and stress, along with the significant amount of time dedicated to that sport or sports can open up the possibility to greater issues in the lives of student athletes. As this commitment continues to increase, the drawbacks begin to outweigh the benefits and further offset the school-sport balance in the lives of these students. If this trend continues, it might become necessary to reevaluate what it means to be a high school athlete and where students’ wellbeing fits into the equation.

Kiko Thompson illustrates student athletes’ struggle to balance two worlds

comic by Kiko Thompson

EDITORIAL

Log yearbook will capture the people, the events and the soul of Bull Dog Nation this school year. At the end of the year be part of the excitement and energy of delivery day by reserving your copy of the 2024 Log now. Don’t miss out on the real story of the year. Order your Log yearbook outside room 1505 or order online at bit.ly/logyrbk for its price of $70 until March 8.

? 2024 it’s all about

this year • your year • THE year

IN-DEPTH

ROAD TO RECOVERY

Student athletes discuss the physical and mental effects from overcoming injury by Izzy Munn, Sylvia Sasse, Deshna Venkatachalam and Lydia Weed

“POP.”

The sound echoed through senior quarterback Hudson Elwood’s ears as he fell to the ground. His cleat planted into the ground and his body turned the opposite way of his knee during a drill. His whole leg went numb. “As soon as it happened I remembered falling to the ground and it wasn’t the most painful thing I’ve ever felt, but I could definitely tell something was wrong,” Elwood said. “It was a sensation I had never felt before. I knew that I had done something that wasn’t just a regular sprain.” Elwood’s thoughts stuck with him as he went through numerous doctors. It was a long journey to reach the diagnosis of a torn ACL. The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), located in the center of the knee, prevents the tibia from moving forward on the femur. “I saw an orthopedic surgeon and he

said my patellar tendon was damaged as well as my kneecap. My dad and I didn’t think that was right, so we decided to push for an MRI,” Elwood said. “The doctor sat me down a couple of days later after the results came back, and he started talking about options on what to do. Growing up it was one of the most feared injuries for me. My dad and I both locked eyes just watching him talk about it.” The healing process for this injury required Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction (ACLR) surgery to reconstruct the damaged tissue. During this procedure, the surgeon removes the torn ligament and replaces it with a tissue graft between the femur and tibia. It typically takes around two hours. “I was a nervous wreck, I don’t do well with anything medical,” Elwood said. “I had to go into a surgery center, walk into the surgery room, and see all of the different

surgeons. They had a drill on the counter and I was like ‘Oh no, I don’t even want to know what you’re about to do to me.’” Recovery from this operation lasts for about nine months. The new graft is the weakest after six weeks post-surgery, due to needing stimulus to strengthen the connective tissue. Three weeks after surgery, Elwood was able to walk without crutches. “I will not be one hundred percent for a while now,” Elwood said. “It limits me on what I can do with friends. If they’re out playing basketball games or doing things like that I can’t be involved. It’s definitely been a struggle to do what everyone else does and have limitations.” Along with the limitations of what can be done with friends, the physical effects of this reconstruction surgery restricted his ability to do everyday tasks.

IN-DEPTH

“My family helped me with everything. After surgery, for a week I couldn’t get out of bed by myself, I couldn’t do little things like putting on my shoes,” Elwood said. “They brought me every meal to bed. I couldn’t have done anything without them and I’m super thankful to have a supportive family to get me through this. For Elwood, this injury derailed what would be his sixth year playing football and his final season at North. “It kind of stinks not being able to play senior year, but I was still able to become a captain of the team and be there to support them,” Elwood said. “I still want them to feel my presence on and off the field. I want to be the best leader I can considering my circumstances.” For recovering from a major injury, the help of physical therapy accelerates the healing process. Dr. Taylor Moon of Southern Indiana Orthopedics discusses what exactly physical therapy accomplishes. “We provide a treatment plan to help gain range of motion, strength, and if appropriate we will help with their walking and balance so they can return to their prior level of function before their injury,” Moon said. Furthermore, Moon discusses the commitment that being a physical therapist requires. “As a physical therapist myself, my goal is to be the best I can be to my patients to meet those goals, as well as continuing to learn and improve my skills to make sure I’m helping them the best I can,” Moon said. Her office typically sees about two to three high school athletes each day. She explains some of the treatment plans given to these patients. “Treatment sessions will consist of a cardio component with stretching and strengthening depending on your needs - typically lasting an hour,” Moon said. “We also do something called manual skills where we actually use our hands to either stretch you

IN-DEPTH

or work on a tissue to improve your issues as well. In a study published by the Orthopedic Journal of Sports Medicine in 2021, 90.4 percent of participants who underwent ACLR went to physical therapy after surgery. Patients aged 10 to 19 had the highest number of visits. Elwood fits into this statistic as a 17-year-old ACLR patient. “I did physical therapy twice a week for four weeks after the injury to get my motion and strength back before surgery. I will continue to do [it] for about 6 more months.” Elwood said. Elwood was still able to look on the bright side and find the positives that came out of this setback. Throughout his diagnosis all the way through rehabilitation, he tried to keep a positive perspective. “I would say my mental toughness has really improved, especially the first week out of surgery,” Elwood said. “You can’t do anything by yourself, everything is painful and it really takes a toll on you. But I’ve been thankful to improve and recover as well as I have.” The mental effects that come out of experiencing an injury can be just as taxing as the injury itself. Last year, senior cheerleader Brilynn Martin broke her arm due to a fall during cheer practice. “My body was in shock so I couldn’t walk, so one of the coaches brought me a rolling chair and then wheeled me out and into my mom’s car. My arm actually ended up breaking in two pieces,” Martin said. According to the National Institute of Health, 83 percent of all cheerleading injuries occur during practice. Among this percentage, 52% is made up of an accident due to stunting. Martin discusses how she felt after falling from the top of a stunt. “It was obviously painful physically, but mentally I had a lot of questions running through my mind,” Martin said. “‘Why did this have to happen to me?’ ‘What just happened?’ ‘What are we going to do?’” While recovering from the

TAKING PREVENTATIVE MEASURES

Things like soreness and discomfort are regular for athletes, but it’s important to take the right steps so that those aches and pains don’t turn into major injuries Source gpoa.com

Make sure to ice sore muscles or “POP.” aches and pains after exercising and get proper rest Make sure that your whole body is strong, not just the muscles you train when practice or compete “POP.” “POP.”you Express when you are feeling discomfort or pain when exercising and visit the training room if needed Wear the right gear and shoes according to your sport

physical injury, she also struggled with watching from the sidelines. “Honestly, whenever I hear a lot of athletes talk about their sports injury I completely understand where they’re coming from,” Martin said. “It doesn’t feel like you’re actually a part of the team. It just sucked watching everyone do things that you wanted to do so bad, and then hearing them complain about it when I wish I could just do it.” Martin was unable to cheer for two to three months. Returning to practices, she had lost the confidence required for stunts and tricks. “It was just very hard to get back into the swing of things,” Martin said. “All of the kicks, jumps, and things like that felt different. I was also kind of nervous to just go back into the air because of what happened, but I just realized that I need to get

over it.” Throughout all of the ups and downs that athletes face in time of injury, Elwood discusses the importance of staying optimistic during an unexpected competition. “I would tell other athletes that are injured to stay positive. If you have a supportive team, family, and friends, they really come out to show their support and help you through whatever you’re going through,” Elwood said. “It does get better, especially with a serious injury like this. I wasn’t expecting it to be as quick of a recovery as I thought and so just know that everything will get better. Keep your head on the bright side and don’t get too down on yourself.”

“P

INJURY BREAKDOWN A study of 100 nationally representative high school athletic programs from 2015 to 2019 recorded how and how often student athletes were injured playing their sports. These are some of the highlights from their results.

BOYS FOOTBALL

3.96

injuries per 1,000 AEs

Source American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons

GIRLS SOCCER

Athletic trainers reported an overall rate of

2.9 1,000

2.65

injuries AEs*

per

HIGHEST INJURY RATES IN ...

injuries per 1,000 AEs

BOYS WRESTLING

*ATHLETIC EVENTS (AEs)

2.36

defined as one individual athlete participating in one practice or competition

injuries per 1,000 AEs

INJURIES LED TO A TIME LOSS OF ...

20% 39%

7% less than one week

HEAD & FACE

24.2%

KNEE

14.1%

34%

MOST INJURED BODY SITES

ANKLE

17.6%

one to three weeks more than three weeks did not participate for rest of season

higher injury rates were seen in

2.52

injuries per 1,000 AEs

boys sports

versus

1.56

injuries per 1,000 AEs

girls sports

MOST COMMON DIAGNOSES

36.8% concussions

21.6%

sprains and strains IN-DEPTH

SPRINTING TO THE END Cross country runners discuss the season so far by Annie Green design by Jaedyn Greenlee

ang! The starting gun went off and the racers started the race. Hundreds of miles worth of racing and practice is built up to this moment for another race of the 2023 Cross Country season. Freshman Adira Sluder talked about their experience of running for Columbus North’s Cross Country team. “Usually, I run a range of 4 to 5 miles a day. Sometimes we run minutes and that can range from 30 to 45 minutes. Two days a week, we do workouts as well. As an average, it can be 40 to 50 miles per week overall,” Sluder said. “We meet for practice after school everyday. We still meet even if it is raining and we either wait for the rain to pass or run a few minutes inside” Sluder has been involved in running as a sport for many years. “I grew up with my dad as a coach and I’ve always had a liking for it since I would hang out with other runners daily,” Sluder said. Sluder described the health benefits one can gain from running cross country. “I have stronger muscles in my legs and I have built up endurance so I can do activities longer without feeling tired, I could go run for an hour right now if I wanted to. It takes some of my day away, but I say it’s for a good cause. Now I can walk and run longer than most people. I actually have a stronger heart, smoother arteries,

and I have capillaries.” Sluder also highlighted that running as a wonderful advantage on mental health. “I haven’t always had the best mindset, but since joining cross country, my mental health has improved a ton and I smile a lot more than I used to. I get up everyday and think, ‘Today is going to be a great day.’ It has helped me a lot,” Sluder said. “I look forward to running fast, helping my team, and helping my future teams. I also look forward to learning how to learn more about being a better person from my coaches. I look forward to the friendships I obtain from running with my teammates. The sport is full of wholesome people that stick together throughout the seasons and even past that.” Sophomore Rebecca Simon describes how running can have positive impacts. “I’ve always been drawn to running and it’s a good way to be with people and being able to run with a good community,” Simon said. Simon stated how running helps her mental health and how it can make her a better person. “I didn’t do track so it was difficult over the summer, but when school started I got back into it and I feel good about it now,” Simon said. “If I’m frustrated or stressed out, I can just run and it makes me feel better and happier. I’ve always enjoyed running. I’m glad that I’ve started running and that I will continue to do it.”

photo by Sylvia Sasse Cross country runners prepare for the Columbus North Classic on Sept. 2.

SPORTS

SECRETS TO SCORING

A guide to the cross country points system 15 points would be the The goal is to score least amount of points the least amount of a full team can score points per meeti

1 point

2 points

The second place runner gets 2 points

The first place runner gets 1 point

3 points

The third place runner gets 3 points

PUSH FOR MORE STUDENT SUPPORT The football team is coming up with new ways to increase away game attendance

by Lois Guest design by Aidan Brown

n an effort to boost away game attendance, the football team has started offering incentives to students who attend games. The idea was born when the team had an upcoming away game at Roncalli, a school notorious for their massive student sections. The plan for this game was to offer half-price tickets, free Chick-Fil-A sandwiches and prizes like restaurant gift cards and vouchers to activities around town. Junior Jordan Briner is a wide receiver for the Varsity team, and thinks that these incentives were a great idea. “It makes people want to come to the games a lot more,” Briner said. “When they did the Chick-Fil-A sandwiches, a lot more people actually wanted to go because they got a free sandwich.” Junior Gino Prescott is a Varsity running back, and acknowledges how a big student section from the opposing team can affect the players. “When we play away we see teams with huge student sections and their crowd is really getting into it, it kind of makes us feel like ‘why can’t we do that’,” Prescott said. Senior Bryce Luttrell is the kicker for the Varsity team, and also has his own

photo by Novah Ulm Students cheer the football team during the Homecoming game on Sept. 29.

LONG DRIVE

How far away the three most traveled to away game locations are Bloomington: 42 miles

views on how this affects his teammates. “During away games there are like 12 people there so it gets really quiet,” Luttrell said. “The sidelines have to bring a lot of energy.” As Prescott explains, home games that have big student sections can make a big difference on the energy throughout the team. “Sometimes we’ll get a key stop and if the student section is hype, the offense comes out and we’re hype too,” Prescott said. Luttrell adds that it not only boosts the team’s energy, it helps with individual play within the team. “It improves my play because I get to see more of my friends there,” Luttrell said. “They’re all cheering me on and everything.” The Varsity team doesn’t just expect people to come to all of their games. They show their support for other sports hoping for support in return. “We try and get a lot of the other players to go to the volleyball games, the soccer games and other sports so that they can come to our games,” Luttrell said. Overall, as a team, football loves having as much support from fans as possible. “It gets everybody going and makes them play harder and brings a lot more energy on the field,” Briner said.

Roncalli: 37 miles Terra Haute: 101 miles

100

120

SPORTS

BEHIND THE SCENES Athletic trainers share the steps they take to maintain student athletes’ health

by Alex Osburn design by Nicolas Bowers rightly lit scoreboards. The sound of the final buzzer. A rising cheer from the bleachers as the game concludes. The focal point of high school sports can often become the student athletes themselves, as the players’ performance leads to emotional mid-game photos and the score on the season record. However, athletic trainers are always working behind the scenes to ensure these athletes are able to play their best. Athletic trainer Chance Newkirk found his spark for working as a trainer when he needed one himself as a student athlete. “In high school I wrestled and played soccer, and I was injured quite a few times,” Newkirk said. “And so I was hanging out with my athletic trainer a lot, trying to get healthy, rehabbing and all that. I became really close with her and then just really fell in love with the profession, and I wanted to give back.” Today, Newkirk is able to put this passion into practice through not just helping students with the physical aspects of recovery, but also watching them improve once they’ve recovered. “My favorite part is definitely just getting to know all the athletes and building relationships with everybody and seeing them grow,” Newkirk said. “If somebody comes in with an injury, just knowing that I can help them get better and return back to sports and be better than they even were before.” Certified athletic trainers aren’t the only ones involved in keeping student athletes at the top of their game. Licensed trainer Kate Cockerham describes how the football team also has student trainers who work closely with herself and Newkirk to provide care to the team. “I have three great students to help me with football, Paige, Nyah and Lizzie,” Cockerham said. “They help me, I teach them basic first aid, a few taping techniques and then they help on the sidelines

photo by Novah Ulm Athletic trainer Chance Newkirk assists a student.

SPORTS

with first aid. They [also] help me tape some wrists and help with setup and with water.” Senior Paige Hatter elaborates on some of the responsibilities these student trainers take on. “[For] day-to-day practice you have to tape all the boys and get the field set, make sure all the supplies medical-wise are ready to go, make sure everything’s stocked and check helmets,” Hatter said. “[On] game days, it’s all about hydration and making sure they get as much as possible and they’re ready to tackle whoever we’re playing that day.” Taking the opportunity to become a student trainer has also helped Hatter discover her love of the medicine behind what happens on the football field. “I love the medical aspect of it,” Hatter said. “I think that’s probably my favorite [part]. It’s made me realize how much I really do love it.” Similarly, junior Lizzie Bodart has realized her passion for sports medicine as a result of being a student trainer. “At first, I thought I wanted to be a teacher,” Bodart said. “So then this kind of got me interested more into medicine, and just Kate teaching me more about heat and how to take care of heat strokes and everything, it’s just really cool learning all this stuff.”

HOW TO BECOME A STUDENT TRAINER

2. 3.

Consider being a team manager first, to experience what working with the team entails

Talk to coach Logan Haston and athletic trainer Kate Cockerham for more information

Email or officially reach out to Haston and Cockerham about becoming a student trainer

IN THE GREEN Members of the girls golf team reflect on the season

by Jasmine Yang design by Jocelyn Aguilar

rack. As the ball makes contact with the club, the golfer anxiously watches as it approaches the hole. The ball slowly rolls forward and teeters on the edge, finally falling in at the last second. The golfer celebrates as she finally makes it past the hole. This celebration does not last for long, however, as she has to continue persevering through to the next one. Junior Lindsey Hartwell describes how she is able to overcome the mental challenges, such as this, that she encounters in a golf match.

“I just try to focus on every single shot and try not to remember the bad hole that I had and make me nervous in how I’m playing,” Hartwell said. “I focus on the shot that I’m taking a hit at [in] that moment.” Despite encountering mental setbacks during a match, freshman Harper Andresen is able to find and focus on her favorite parts of golf. “[I like] the fact that you can do it for a long time,” Andresen said. “It’s a skill that is fun to learn and the social part is really fun, too.” Coach Scott Seavers appreciates being able to watch the golfers grow both as athletes and students. “Just seeing kids grow and seeing students get better and work

at it,” Seavers said. “I see them outside the classroom and they learn rules of golf and work ethic and all that, which applies to their lives, so you get to know them a lot better than you do in the classroom.” As the season comes to an end, Seavers reflects on how the team has grown and what the future holds for the girls golf team. “We had a good year,” Seavers said. “We don’t have any seniors, so we have a younger team, and we need to get better for next year. But we get along great, all the girls get along well, and we have really good team chemistry and have really nice girls that are terrific students, so it’s been a fun year for me.” Hartwell also enjoyed being part of the team this year and describes how it encouraged a closer team dynamic compared to previous years. “I would say the team is a lot smaller this year, so that’s definitely made it different because we’ve gotten so much closer,” Hartwell said. “It’s just the five of us and we play at every single match together, so I would say that’s definitely different from the past seasons because we’re all so close.”

TEE TIDBITS

Common golf scoring terms and what they mean Source theleftrough.com

PAR The standard score for a hole BOGEY A score of one stroke over par on a hole DOUBLE BOGEY A score of two strokes over par on a hole TRIPLE BOGEY Occurs when a player takes three strokes more than the par for a hole

BIRDIE A score of one stroke under par on a hole. EAGLE A score of two strokes under par on a hole ALBATROSS / DOUBLE EAGLE An “Albatross” or “Double Eagle” is when a golfer scores three fewer strokes than par on an individual golf hole

photo by Novah Ulm Junior Lindsey Hartwell strikes the ball. This year marks Hartwell’s fourth year playing golf.

SPORTS

RAPID RECAP design by Ajay Singireddy photos by Sylvia Sasse and Novah Ulm v

19 WINS

An overview of three fall sports and how they did this season

1.375

AVERAGE GOALS PER GAME

1 LOSS “It’s been a great season and everyone’s been playing well. I’m really looking forward to what we can accomplish as a team and individually.” senior Amrit Kar

12th CONSECUTIVE SECTIONAL

“We have longer cheers and shorter cheers. For the shorter cheers we do them at every game, but for the longer cheers that we do during timeouts, we switch them up at every game.” junior Melody Wu

“I think our cheer team has improved a lot, and even though our football season isn’t the best, it’s still super fun to cheer.” Wu

CHAMPIONSHIP

BOYS TENNIS

CHEER

“Even though we had a rough start, I am glad we were able to grow together as a team and start to win games.” junior Rachel Merritt

6 WINS

3 DRAWS 6 LOSSES GIRLS SOCCER