The Triangle, Vol. 100 Issue 5 by cnhsmedia

THE TRIANGLE issue five

#canceled

Feb. 5, 2021 / Vol. 100

Columbus North High School / 1400 25th Street Columbus, IN 47201

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Alyssa Ayers Zoe Preston CONTENT EDITORS Michaela Brown Tanya Iyer DESIGN EDITORS Anushka Nair Sanjana Penmathsa INDEPTH TEAM Megan Allman Katharine Brunette Alyssa Green Elaine Sanders STAFF Ananya Adur Kaitlyn Ayers Ryan Clulow Samantha Dearing Lawrence Delano Annagail Fields Abinaya Ganesan Diana Garcia Shenyi Gong Molly Hotek Hannah Larson Elise Maschino Metallica Miller Margaret Mowrer Myleigh Munn Ananya Ramanujapuram Addyson Rogers ADVISER Roth Lovins Rachel McCarver

a M e h t h t a ne r e d n U m o r

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.

09 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.

ONLINE

PREVIEW

15 16

opinion

09 FAN-RAISER

As social media continues to grow in popularity, society is beginning to question the limits of their right to free speech.

10 THE GOLDEN TICKET

04 LET FREEDOM RING!

05 A TRIBUTE TO TAYLOR

How a limitation on tickets has affected North’s swim and dive team

student life

news

Columbus North students discuss their feelings towards the current Hybrid schedule

How the vaccine will change everyday life

07 A WEIRD WELCOME

CNHS students and teachers discuss their thoughts on the presidential inauguration

sports

08 VICTORY DESPITE VIRUS How sports are saving their season

Check out CNHS Media’s YouTube channel!

Students discuss their thoughts on the Athletic department fundraiser

A review of Taylor Swift’s most recent album releases, Folklore and Evermore

06 TIMELINE TO THE END

Scan with your iPhone camera (Snapchat too) to be linked to all of CNHS Media’s socials

14 HYBRID SCHEDULE 15 PICTURE PERFECT

Senior Haylee Acton showcases her love for photography and interest in mental health in her senior project.

16 SHOW CHOIR SHOWDOWN North's show choir heads to competitions

17 SKIPPING THE FORMAL-ITIES

BNN POSTS WEEKLY VIDEOS News show every week Mag show every two weeks

How the lack of a school tradition has affected students

Let Freedom Ring

As social media continues to grow in popularity, society is beginning to question the limits of their right to free speech

tanding before the Senate Judiciary Committee, potential Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett faces a rapid fire round of questions. One member asks her to name the five freedoms of the first amendment. “Speech, religion, press, assembly…” She freezes. While confident in her extensive knowledge of the law, Barret has found herself at a loss for words, and so she repeats: “speech, press, religion, assembly. I don’t know, what am I missing?” Even though Barrett failed to name “protest” as the last of the five freedoms, she did not stutter when she listed “speech” at the top of her list. As Barrett demonstrated, the right to free speech is a freedom embedded in every American’s mind. It is innate, second nature. Even when words fail, as they did in Barrett’s case, one can rest assured that at least he or she has the freedom to speak when their thoughts return. Amidst a new age of social media, however, a freedom that once seemed so familiar, so certain is becoming increasingly difficult to interpret. As Henry Fernandez, co-Chair of Change the Terms, puts it, “There is this problem in the United States that when we talk about free speech, we often misunderstand it.” Given the social and political unrest that shook the nation this year, it may come as no surprise that social media has beared the burden of the nation’s frustration, sadness, etc. Some of these emotions, however, surround the increase in censorship taking place on social media. As Fernandez claims, while freedom of speech may be second nature to us, our understanding of this right may not be as clear as we think. “The First Amendment is very specific:

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It protects all of us as Americans from the government limiting our speech,” Fernandez said. In other words, the government is obligated to provide us with free speech, but such obligations are not extended to private organizations, including social media companies. “So when people talk about, ‘Well, if I get kicked off of Facebook, that’s an attack on my

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“Certain powerful private entities— particularly social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and others— can limit, control, and censor speech as much or more than governmental entities.”

free speech or on my First Amendment right’ — that’s just not true,” Fernandez said. “The companies have the ability to decide what speech they will allow. They’re not the government.” Even so, the guidelines for what qualifies a post to be taken down vary amongst platforms, making the topic of censorship in the media an increasingly sore subject. In fact, Author David L. Hudson from the American Bar Association, claims that media censorship can actually have negative effects on the user. “People need and crave the ability to express themselves to become fully functioning individuals,” Hudson said. “Censorship stunts personal growth and individual expansion.” According to Hudson, media censorship defies the ideas of liberty that America encourages, bringing the very foundation of our country into question. Nevertheless, many companies have reasons behind deleting specific posts, and in the eyes of Stanford researcher Marie Weiss, it truly comes down to user safety. “Allowing complete free speech on social media may have negative impacts, such as fostering cyber bullying or hate speech.” With 37% of high school students continuing to experience cyberbullying or online harassment, as reported in May of 2020 by security.org, media censorship may not be able to be completely eliminated. However, Loyola University in Maryland claims that by being more cautious about what we post online, we can begin to return social media to a platform that encourages free speech, rather than inhibits it. “Social media sites must find a reasonable compromise, giving users a platform to safely express their views without fear of punishment.”

Old North High

will win over all.”

COLUMBUS NORTH HIGH SCHOOL COLUMBUS, INDIANA THE WRAP. ANY

ITEMS PLACED

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TOGETHER

it’s all about

2021

this year • your year • THE year

A Tribute to Taylor

A review of Taylor Swift’s latest album releases, Folklore and Evermore By Hannah Larson

fter Taylor Swift shocked everyone by dropping two albums within the span of six months, the world has begun to worship the holy ground Folklore and Evermore was created on. Despite their releases in 2020, I haven’t gotten around to listening to these two new albums till the new year, but what a great way to start off 2021. After absorbing the two hours and three minutes of content, I feel obligated to give my official review of Taylor Swift’s latest releases. Like every other 13-year-old girl, Taylor Swift music littered my iTunes playlist. Red and 1989 CDs were purchased for my boombox and posters were plastered on my walls. Songs like “Blank Space’’ and “We are Never Getting Back Together” were blared from my bedroom while I pretended to be going through something. I was a hardcore fan but like most middle school obsessions, I out grew it. Now, as a senior in high school, my music taste consists of alternative bands like Neutral Milk Hotel and Arctic Monkeys, indie rock bands such as The Smiths, and classic rock including Love and

The Rolling Stones. But overall, I appreciate quality, and after listening to Folklore and Evermore, I believe that’s what they are. Although my background with her other albums has created a bit of a soft spot for Taylor, I unbiasedly believe that she is incredibly talented. Her ability to go from country to pop to a touch of indie in her latest albums is profound. An artist’s power to excel in different genres is a knack in music-making that shouldn’t be overlooked. Sure, she can create catchy tunes for all ages just like any other big pop star, but can these pop stars create catchy tunes in a plethora of different musical styles? I didn’t think so. Along with her dabbling in all genres, Taylor Swift is a lyrical goddess. Not only is she an artist who writes her own songs--which is incredibly hard to come by these days-- she crafts the lyrics she writes with the melodies she produces to tell a story such as in “The Last Great American Dynasty” and “No Body No Crime”. Listening to her music produces the same page-turning effect a book does; you constantly want and need to know what happens next in her four-minute-long song stories. Despite my genre preference, I thoroughly

Taylor Swift’s, Evermore, reached the top of the Billboard with a 329,000 sales, and nearly 220 million streams

Most of Folkore was created during the COVID-19 pandemic

nytimes.com

popsugar.com

enjoyed Folklore and Evermore and the two songs I would like to highlight as my favorites are “Long Story Short” and “Willow”. I strongly believe Taylor Swift is a singer-songwriter that will forever be iconic for everyone. Even those alt boys and girls who refuse to listen to anything but Radiohead appreciate a quality Taylor hit.

The “Cardigan” music video was shot and directed by Swift herself while in quarantine

popsugar.com

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Timeline to the End

How the vaccine will change everyday life

accine distribution started rolling out nationally and in Bartholomew County in early December. Human Body Systems teacher, Stacey Horn, shares her opinions on the vaccine. “I do think things will eventually change, however, I think it will take a lot longer than most might think,” Horn said. “The vaccine will be a good start, but it will still be important to practice good hand hygiene, wear masks and continue with social distancing. It will take months to get the vaccine out to everyone, and even with that there will still be unknowns as to how long the vaccine will last and the effectiveness of the vaccine on different people,” Horn said. The vaccine is not being released all at once. It has been available to health care and front line workers first. Senior Trisha Yerragudi explains her concerns. “I think the vaccine will be pretty effective, especially if it’s been approved and tested by the FDA. I am a bit nervous about possible long-term effects,” Yerragudi said. Eventually, the vaccine will be able to be accessed by the public, and Yerragudi believes everyone should take it. “I think everyone that can get a vaccine should get one,” Yerragudi said. “Vaccines are helpful in preventing spread of diseases, which will be useful for a contagious disease

By Kaitlyn Ayers Design by Annagail Fields like COVID-19. Some people can’t even take vaccines due to health concerns and severe allergies, so in order to protect them, others need to get the vaccine to reduce the likelihood of spreading the disease.” Freshman Elise Preston believes that the vaccine will bring improvement, but not eliminate COVID-19 all together. “I don’t think a vaccine can kill the virus, but I’m hoping it will be able to somewhat stop the spread,” Preston said. Currently, the practice of wearing masks has been people’s main defense in keeping themselves safe against the disease. However, even with the introduction of the vaccine, it is likely masks will continue to be an important part of everyday life. “I don’t think the masks will go away immediately,” Yerragudi said. “Not everyone can get the vaccine immediately upon release, so people will need to take safety measures. The need for masks will probably decrease over time as more people take the vaccine.”

Vaccine 2020-2021 January 2020 - China found genetic sequence of the virus March 2020 - Testing for COVID-19 vaccine starts

Trials continue for the vaccine November 2020 - First

released to essential workers and people of high risk January-February 2021Vaccines are being mass produced and distributed

the next four years

CNHS students and teachers discuss their thoughts on the By Margaret Mowrer Design By Michaela Brown presidential inauguration

ery few individuals receive the opportunity to attend the inaugural parade, let alone participate in it. However, in 2016, Senior Nya Croft and the rest of the Sound of North band program was offered the invitation by Columbus North Alumni and former Vice President, Mike Pence, to be a part of the Inaugural parade. At the time, Croft was an 8th-grade student who was invited to join Columbus North band on the trip. “Being a part of the Inaugural Parade was both exciting and nerve-racking. It was something I had never done before and will probably never get the chance to do again,” Croft said. “If the [Vice President] wasn’t from Columbus, we would have never been able to go. It was an honor to represent Columbus North and the community.” Even with this honor, Croft and the rest of Sound of North Band felt the pressure of such high stakes. “Everything felt pretty tense. We didn’t know what we were doing or what we were even allowed to do,” Croft said. “Well over a thousand people were in the parade, and we got to meet a couple of them before we got on the parade route. The route was lined with 10 ft high fences lined with soldiers who luckily had hand warmers that they threw over the fence for us.

"DC looks pretty different in the weeks leading up to the inauguration" senior Nya Croft

When we were on streets with no fences, there were officers and soldiers standing shoulder to shoulder down the street. It was a crazy sight.” On January 6th, 2021, during Congress’s certified count of the electoral college, thousands of rioters stormed the United States Capitol Building. Since then, security and safety measures, along with consideration of the COVID-19 pandemic presented a concern for the inauguration of President Joe Biden. Columbus North Advanced Placement Government teacher, Dan Marsh discusses the impact of these concerns on the security that was implemented for the inauguration. “I question [ January 6th], and how we goofed up on the security on that. When you compare the information coming to our intelligence agencies, about the number of people compared to the BLM protests, our police departments in D.C. and the National Guard in D.C screwed up. They dropped the ball on security on [January

"Nearly 40 million people viewed President Biden's virtual inauguration." nytimes.com

"But the American story depends not on any one of us, not on some of us, but on all of us." President Joe Biden

6th],” Marsh said. “It amazes me that we were able to get that many people into the Capitol Building itself.” Despite the events of January 6th, the 2021 Presidential Inauguration was able to proceed with little interruption. According to securitymagazine.com writer, Jeff Decker, however, this may be a result of the increased security measures that the federal government implemented. “A new “Green Zone” shut down the city center in a wartime posture that worked. A few arrests were made for carrying handguns but there were no attacks and barely even peaceful protests.” While a desolate D.C. and the smiles of politicians hidden behind masks may not be anything like she experienced in 2016, Croft understands the need for increased precaution and appreciates the government’s commitment to safety. “ It’s unique each time,” Croft said. “I think [was] very different this year though. We’re still dealing with the pandemic, and due to recent political unrest, more security measures [have] to be put in place.” Due to COVID-19 precautions, safety and security measures and political unrest, many things were altered for the 2021 inauguration. Marsh believes that these alterations could have a lasting impact. “We’re going to see the element of heightened security [in the future] take place. We are not going to loosen up anything. I think what comes into play is what happens in the next 4-8 years,” Marsh said.

Victory despite Virus How sports are saving their season

n the chaos of a pandemic sports, Senior basketball player Alexa McKinley has hopes that sports will be able to save their season. “I really hope we can continue to play sports, but at this point we never really know what’s going to happen,” McKinley said. The basketball season is continuing for both boys and girls. Some games were canceled, such as the boys’ basketball Holiday Tournament over winter break. For the girls’ team, various single matches were canceled. Swimming and diving fared better and have had no cancellations so far. Safety measures have made this possible. “This season has been a little different for games and practices,” McKinley said. “We have a routine

By Addy Rogers Design By Anushka Nair

that we do every day, such as taking temperatures and recording them when we first come in and sanitizing the ball throughout practice. Freshman wrestler Brysen Hutt thinks that the athletic department has been successful in creating a safe environment. “I feel safe [attending practice] because I know that my teammates are mostly disciplined and are doing the right thing, [such as] wearing a mask,” Hutt said. McKinley agreed that athletes have been disciplined in following the safety measures. “I feel pretty safe at all our events, because I know that everyone has been doing the correct things on our team,” McKinley said. We seem to have the sanitizing down pretty well.” Another hurdle that has been felt by fall and winter sports alike is limits on ticket sales. This is done to leave room for fans to spread out during games, but it presents difficulties for athletes and their families -- especially seniors playing their last season. “Tickets for home games have been parents only. I have two brothers and neither of them can attend.

My grandparents can’t attend either,” McKinley said. “Some away games have different rules, such as no fans at all or some have more tickets available.” Although the only wrestling cancellation was the North-East match, the pandemic has stopped Hutt’s extended family from attending. “It has just been my parents that have been going [to games],” he said. Fortunately, Bull Dog fans always have a way to watch games: livestreams of home events are available on YouTube. “I would like more students to know that we have an online option for watching our games,” McKinley said. McKinley hopes that she and her tam will be able to finish out their season. “Basketball is my favorite thing to do, so it means the world to me to play it this season. Our team has big goals for this year and we hope we can accomplish them,” McKinley said.

“This is my senior season and I really hope we can continue to play throughout the season. Basketball is my favorite thing to do, so it means the world to me to play it this season. Our team has big goals for this year and we hope we can accomplish them.” senior Alexa McKinley

Paper Fans

By Margaret Mowrer Design By Ananya Adur

Columbus North students discuss their thoughts on the Athletic department fundraiser

or those struggling with the idea of not attending the Columbus North Athletic events in person, the CNHS Booster club has created a solution to add a few more attendees to the game. The fundraiser, Fans in the Stands, was created to raise money to support Columbus North Athletics. When individuals purchase a fan cutout they can pick a picture that will be posted in a section of the Memorial Gymnasium. Freshman Gabrielle Duncan, a cheerleader at Columbus North discusses how fan support adds positivity to the atmosphere of athletic events. “I know when I’m performing I get energy from the fans and it motivates me to do my best,” Duncan said. “I think our athletes deserve to see that support and I think it’s important for those that can’t be at the game to feel included even if through a fan cutout.” A unique feature this fundraiser offers is the ability to choose any picture to represent yourself as a fan. Duncan discusses her picture choice and some of the other chosen pictures she has noticed. “I figured since I’d normally be cheering the Bull Dogs from the student section, I’d use a cheer photo,” Duncan said. “My brother, Reed, used a pic with a fish and I’ve seen some dogs.” Columbus North basketball player, Junior Trent Bodart shares what made the student section special. “What I miss most about the student section is not being able to see my friends at the game and how loud they [got in] the gym,” Bodart said. “[The student section] gets everyone hyped up and ready to play,

and nothing is better than making a big play and the student section goes crazy.” Another Columbus North basketball player, Senior Blake Barker discusses his first impressions of the fan cutouts. “The first time I found out about [the cut outs] was when I saw them,” Barker said. “I love the cutouts. I like seeing the people who took the time to support our team even if they couldn’t be at the game in person. The cutouts have a deeper meaning to me.” Barker shares how the atmosphere has been affected due to fewer fans, but how the cutouts have helped lift the energy level. “As players, we have to try and find energy amongst ourselves since the fans aren’t able to create it for us. It has definitely been different but I feel the team does a good job of making up for the energy lost by the fans not being there,” Barker said. “Seeing those pictures makes me play a little harder for the fans that are at home and can’t come to the games.” Similarly, Barker, Bodart, and Duncan all agree that individuals purchasing cutouts are not only supporting the athletic department but also helping to create a positive atmosphere. “It’s flattering to think our friends, families, and fans would pay to fill the gym with their picture and make a donation to support athletic programs. I think they know it’s been a tough year,” Duncan said. “Their cutout shows they care and want to see us succeed even if they can’t be there in person.”

The Golden Ticket

How a limitation on tickets has affected North’s swim and dive team By Molly Hotek Design By Tanya Iyer

xcited spectators are packed in the stands and their cheers echo around the pool. At one end, swimmers ready themselves on blocks, waiting for the start of their race. At the other, fellow teammates execute complicated dives before entering the water. That’s what a swim meet would have looked like any other year. But this is 2021, and things look a whole lot different. The biggest change? The amount of fans. Mateo Gamez Lamadrid, a freshman who competes in the 50 and 100 yard free, 200 medley relay and 400 yard freestyle relay explains this new regulation. “For other sports, the one ticket system is when one parent can come per athlete. However, in swimming we changed it so we have two parents per athlete, but this only applies for juniors and seniors. Freshman and sophomore parents cannot come,” Gamez Lamadrid said. “I don’t like the ticket regulation, but I understand that it’s the only way to continue the season.” Sophomore diver Helen Alderfer agrees with this. “Parents of freshmen and sophomores can’t watch their kid compete,” Alderfer said. “It’s the smart thing to do, but I am disappointed that my parents can’t come to watch me dive.”

There are other regulations affecting the team as well. “Only 10 people are allowed in the locker room at a time, so we have to rotate in and out,” Alderfer said. Other precautions are also made. “We can only have three people in the showers at a time, we have to wear our masks during the entire meet unless we’re about to swim, and we have to socially distance ourselves while in the pool,” Gamez Lamadrid said.

And while the ticket regulations may keep the virus from spreading amongst teammates and spectators, it’s had quite the effect on team morale. “I miss the crowds cheering during meets,” Alderfer said, “There was more excitement in the air with spectators because everyone was cheering the team on.” Gamez Lamadrid wishes they could still have large group get-togethers. “The main thing I miss about nonpandemic swim seasons is being able to have our team hangouts. We would usually go to someone’s house the day before a meet and hype ourselves up, but we’re not able to do that this year,” Gamez Lamadrid said. However, less spectators has meant less pressure, Alderfer explains. “It’s quieter when I’m trying to focus on a hard dive and there’s not as many eyes on me,” Alderfer said. The lack of cheers from parents and spectators has also had its challenges, Gamez Lamadrid said. “The main drawback of having a limited audience is that it brings down the mood of the meet since no one is cheering in the stands,” Gamez Lamadrid. “However, we are able to more than make up for it by cheering ourselves.”

New Rules... The one ticket system has been put in place to limit the spread of COVID from spectators.

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This new regulation will help keep the virus under control as long as people obey social distancing rules and wear masks at all times.

Only 10 people are allowed in the locker room at a time, so we have to rotate in and out. We have to socially distance at all times.

#canceled celebrities are being called out on social media due to their actions and words; students weigh in on cancel culture

“It’s normally found on social media apps. I feel like it really started on YouTube but now it's everywhere on apps like Instagram, Tik Tok, or Twitter,” Rush said. “Cancel Culture is super common and almost everyone with any sort of a ‘following’ gets canceled at some point.” According to Lloyd, many YouTubers have been canceled, including James Charles, Jeffree Star and Shane Dawson. “James Charles has been canceled before because of a whole lot of drama that went down between he and another YouTuber, Tati,” Lloyd said. “Jeffree Star and Shane Dawson have also been canceled for making racist jokes.” With the amount of social media influencers being canceled in past years, Rush has noticed a pattern in who or why they receive the negative backlash. “Almost any time someone is canceled it is a popular, young, white creator who slipped up and said something offensive or did something they shouldn’t have done,” Rush said. Although cancel culture is becoming more popular on social media, it is also found throughout people of a smaller following, including some at CNHS. Martinez has seen student and influencer accusations spread through

"I think it's unfair of us to give these young and, by definition, immature kids a huge platform for something like dancing or comedy and then expect them to use that same platform for serious activism."

senior Adeline Rush conversations and social media posts. “Cancel culture is also found in conversations between people,” Martinez said. “It can spread just as easily by word of mouth than by social media.” Rush feels students are not often canceled because many students do not have a large enough social media presence. “I don't think people at school really get canceled because none of us have a big enough social media presence for that,” Rush said. Although students may not be canceled very often at school, the word of a new celebrity cancellation can spread quickly through social media. “Social media definitely cuts out the middleman and helps information spread faster,” Rush said.

www.dictionary.com

can .cel cul .ture /'kans l / 'k lCH r / e

noun

crolling through Instagram, a student passes a post. Intrigued, the student scrolls through more and more posts about a similar topic. Charli D'amelio, a Tik Tok celebrity, has just been canceled for wishing she had more social media followers. As the posts against her gain popularity, her follower count drops and more and more people begin to criticize her actions. This is known as cancel culture - the popular practice of withdrawing support for public figures and companies after they have done or said something considered objectionable or offensive. Junior Sofia Martinez feels that culture can be a problem on social media. “Cancel culture is a problem as it tends to blow minor things way out of proportion, while taking focus away from real issues,” Martinez said. Freshman Alexis Lloyd also feels Cancel Culture is not entirely positive on social media. “[Cancel culture] causes so many problems to our culture and our modern-day society,” Lloyd said. “Also, it can become dangerous if it gets bad enough.” Loyd has witnessed the practice on YouTube surrounding James Charles in 2018. “I have seen it on YouTube and it was a weird experience for me,” Lloyd said. “I only say this because it brings so much more drama into the situation than what it is meant to be, and it can really hurt someone’s career or lifestyle from it.” Senior Adeline Rush has also come in contact with this boycotting culture on social media and feels anyone with a following is prone to cancellation.

Cancel culture refers to the popular practice of withdrawing support for (canceling) public figures and companies after they have done or said something considered offensive.

“If hating a celebrity is seen as a new trend, anyone will jump on it.” However, Rush has seen examples of when cancel culture has been used to call out celebrities for wrongdoings, such as tik tok influencer Chase Hudson, who was canceled for using a racial slur. “It’s beneficial to show influencers the importance of using such a big platform for good and also hold them accountable,” Rush said. “For example another popular tik toker, Chase Hudson, got cancelled for saying the n-word, and It’s important to call him and others like him out on it because they have an influence on young kids that watch their content.” Accompanying the positive repercussions offered by cancel culture, the massive follower drops and hateful comments have led to cyberbullying on social media, which Rush feels is not necessary. “That doesn't mean it's ok to send a teenager death threats or cyber-bully him profusely,” Rush said. “There has to be a middle ground.” Rush also feels that the attacks on young influencers can be uncalled for and that people may have unrealistic expectations. “We, as a social media community, uplift these rich white teenagers, put them on a pedestal and watch their every move. Then we are somehow

surprised when they slip up and don't do exactly what we want them to, as if this hasn't happened over and over again,” Rush said. “In the case of Charli or other Tik Tokers getting hate for not using their platform for activism, I think it’s unfair of us to give these young and, by definition, immature kids a huge platform for something like dancing or comedy and then expect them to use that same platform for serious activism.” Martinez feels there could be other ways to remind influencers of the consequences of such actions. “An alternative to canceling someone is to just stop supporting that celebrity personally if they’ve done something you don’t like, and let other people and the general public decide for themselves,” Martinez said. “Basically, don’t make a big deal out of nothing.” Lloyd also finds more effect in simply unfollowing an influencer rather than sending hateful comments. “You could kindly comment on the topic and ask for them to stop or say why it’s wrong what they’re doing,” Lloyd said. “Also, you could just stop watching them. A way you could get rid of it is by doing the right thing, and telling them what is right, and what is wrong about what they were talking about.”

celeb.

cancels

a CNHS Media poll revealed many celebrities, including Shane Dawson and Kanye West have been 'canceled'

percent

shane dawson

kanye west

Do you know what cancel culture is?

Have you ever supported cancel culture?

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Hybrid Schedule Students discuss their feelings toward the new hybrid schedule

ue to a rise in COVID-19 cases, Columbus North has had to switch to a new schedule that has never been done before: hybrid. With only half of the students going into the school building at once, North is hoping to prevent another surge in cases, but this adjustment has definitely been different for the students. Freshman Jude Abdallah, however, is choosing to see the positives, making the most of this uncertain time. “[Hybrid] is a good option in between in person and online. [We] get to be in person while still being safe,” Abdallah said. Senior Helena Ho also sees the benefits in a hybrid schedule. “Some pros to hybrid are that it allows people to contact less people throughout the day, therefore slowing the spread a bit” Ho said. “It also allows students to still have a chance to learn in person and use classroom resources.” Despite the positives to the new schedule, it has also been something new to adjust to. “[It was difficult to adjust because] it was the first time I had been in school in a while,” Abdallah said. Although it may take some getting used to, there are lots of benefits to this new schedule. “I like less people in the building because the classes are smaller, so we get more one on one help,” Abdallah said. Just like the positives to hybrid, there have also been a few down sides to the lack of people in the building. “One thing that has been difficult about hybrid [is] being in a classroom literally by myself. Although I know that it means that I won’t come into contact with anyone in that class, I prefer having at least a few classmates to interact with,” Ho said. Ho discusses her preference for a different schedule. “So far, I personally prefer being completely online mostly because all my friends in my friend group are in the later half of the alphabet, so I can’t see them or even have lunch with them anymore,” Ho said. “Also, with hybrid, it’s more difficult to get a routine for each week since you spend half the week at school and half the week at home.” Ho understands the need for less people in the building in order to keep everyone safe. “I prefer less people in the building mainly because some classes I had last semester felt very crammed and a bit unsafe. But now there’s a lot more space, so it feels a lot safer,” Ho said. Abdallah feels that hybrid is the best option for the students’ and faculty’s safety. “[I would] rather stay on hybrid. The covid indicators have not gotten any better in the last two weeks so it would be stupid to go back full time,” Abdallah said. Ho also thinks hybrid will protect everyone from COVID-19. “Hybrid is definitely safer than a regular schedule because you won’t come in contact with as many people,” Ho said. “If the virus spread [starts]slowing down, I would definitely say to go back to a regular five day week, but for now, I think hybrid is better.”

By Hannah Larson Design By Myleigh Munn

What Schools are Doing In the US Remote ad in-person, with families choosing between 100% inperson vs. 100% online option

Remote and in-person, basically hybrid

Full-time in-person instruction

All remote-based learning with some live sessions

Remote and in-person, with small groups of teachers and students working together all day

All remote-based learning with all instruction "live", ex: google meets

Remote and in-person with groups of students rotating every 9 weeks year-round

Remote and in-person, with half students attending in morning, half in afternoon Remote and inperson with schools alternating between opening for weeks at time, then shutting down for same amount

of time All remote-based learning with no live sessions

35 Source: edweek.org

Picture Perfect By Elise Maschino Design By Sanjana Penmathsa

Senior showcases love for photography and interest in mental health in senior project

NAP! The sound of the camera clicking and the flash, and senior Haylee Acton behind it. She can be seen taking pictures of other girls, with smiles on their faces. For her senior project, Acton combines a beloved past-time with her academics, all while bringing attention to a real-world issue. “My senior project is about teen/young adult females who often struggle with body and self image,” Acton said. The senior project is a well known assignment every senior at Columbus North High School has to complete in order to graduate. As a student in the Biomedical Innovations class, however, Acton’s project has to address a problem that she is passionate about. Through her project, Acton hopes to emphasize the importance of self-worth by giving her classmates a platform to discuss their struggles with body image. “I am taking a handful of young women and doing a free photo shoot with them, recording their reactions to the pictures, and then talking with them about their struggles on a podcast in hopes of making other girls around the world feel less alone and have a positive community to support them,” Acton said. Acton has been doing photography for years, so when the opportunity to do something she loved for a school project arose, she couldn’t resist. “My inspiration for this project came from my love for photography, and my own personal experience, as well as witnessing close friends and family’s experiences with negative body and or self image,” Acton said. Although Acton gets to do something she thoroughly enjoys, there have been some trials and tribulations. “The hardest part might seem like it would obviously be Covid,” Acton said. “But because

Photo By Hayley Acton my project touches on some very sensitive topics that cause everyone involved to be extremely vulnerable and that’s definitely the most challenging part.” Even with these challenges, this project is something near to her heart. “My project took a lot of planning and is just now starting to take off, so I have yet to do any of the fun parts, but I think my favorite part will definitely end up being revealing each girl’s pictures to her and recording their reactions,” Acton said. Although there is little of her project released to the community, many of her peers are excited to see what she brings to the table. “At this point I only have a list of people who are interested, but they will all be revealed in a gallery event at the end of the year,” Acton said.

91% of women are unhappy with their bodies

58% of college-aged girls feel pressured to be a certain weight

5% of women naturally possess the body type often portrayed by Americans in the media Source: dosomething.org

Show Choir Showdown

hen many people hear the term show choir, the first thing they think of is Glee, likely followed by Pitch Perfect. However, these shows often distort the reality of show choir, as senior Jaline Tay knows. “In Glee, schools are often talking trash about or intimidating each other. In fact, competing schools will cheer for each other at competitions and compliment other choirs’ costumes and performances” Tay said. “Show choir is a wonderfully positive environment that a lot of mainstream sports miss out on.” North has two show choirs, the allgirl North Stars and the co-ed Vocal Pointe, both led by Jennifer Gafron. A cross between singing, dancing and band there’s something for everyone. “The challenge in show choir is achieving the right balance, across the board,” Gafron said. “The band must balance with the choir. The voices within the choir music balance, and the students must figure out how to balance singing and dancing at the same time. Let me tell you: it is much harder than it looks.” Routines are typically composed of five songs - four of which have a dance. The other is called a ballad, and is usually reserved for more emotional songs. Costumes, song,

and dance all come together to create an overarching theme. “Each year, we have a different theme,” Tay said. “This year, Vocal Pointe has a space theme. Our show is called ‘Chasing the Sun Higher.’ North Stars has a spy theme, and their show is called ‘One Girl Revolution.’” Since 2019, both choirs have improved their technique. Vocal Pointe entered finals in every competition, and the North Stars came to finals for one. “Before our new choir director Ms. Gafron came last year, our show choirs were used to coming in last every competition. However, even after just one year of [Ms. Gafron] being here, we started placing much higher.” At the end of the day, Gafron thinks that the key draw of show choir is the friendships formed and lessons learned. “I always make sure my students know it’s not about placements or trophies. It’s about getting to live through your passion, and learn from the judges’ critiques,” Gafron said. “We really do grow to be like a family because we spend so much time together, and I think that feeling of belonging and of family is really what keeps kids coming back to choir.”

Show choirs head to competitions By Addy Rogers Design By Sanjana Penmathsa

North Stars - Girls/identified as female - Junior Varsity Equivalent - Previous Season Standings - Franklin Community 2nd - Franklin Central 3rd - Lafayette Jefferson 2nd

Vocal Pointe - Boys & Girls - Varsity Equivalent - Previous Season Standings - Twin Lakes HS 4th - Franklin Community 5th - Franklin Central 4th - Lafayette Jefferson 3rd

F e o h t r m g a n i l p i ties p i k S Written by Molly Hotek Design by Samantha Dearing

How the lack of a school tradition has affected students

undreds of North students pile into Southside’s gymnasium, dressed to the nines and ready to show off their dance moves. It might not be Prom, but it’s no less of a blast - it’s Winter Formal. This year, Winter Formal was canceled and students share their thoughts on missing out on the annual dance. “In the past, formal has been essentially a big party. You dress up with your friends and get photos downtown and eat at Taku and then dance all night at Southside until your feet hurt. It was always really fun,” senior Evy Polyak said. Typically, students would swarm together to spend the night dancing away with their friends. But, like many other events during the pandemic, Winter Formal officially got the axe. For many upperclassmen, Formal was something they looked forward to, and its cancellation has them worried. “It’s my last year, and since I didn’t get a junior prom, I’m kind of worried that formal last year was my last high school dance, which makes me really sad. It was always a lot of fun so I guess I’m just disappointed,” Polyak said. “I know it’s not a big deal but Formal was always

really fun, and I had a great time. I just wanted one last chance at it.” This disappointment expands beyond the class of ‘21. Even freshmen like Amelia Maddox who have never attended Formal feel like they might be missing out. “I think it’s a bit disappointing even for those of us who haven’t gone; it’s an experience we aren’t going to be a part of and just one more memory we aren’t going to make,” Maddox said. “I think the point of school dances is to give students memories other than the normal school day and work load, to give us memories of high school that are happier and overshadow the repetitive motion of our everyday life.” While preparations for Winter Formal usually entail lots of shopping and date stress, not having a dance this year has helped to relieve some of that pressure and cut back on potential drama. “I don’t have to worry about what I’m going to wear, and I don’t have to worry about not getting a reservation for dinner,” Polyak said. Maddox added that canceling Formal eliminated the stress, decreased peer pressure and calmed nerves regarding how school events would be held during the pandemic.

“I think with any formal event there is a level of stress: looking your best, who you are going with, which friends would want to go. There is a level of stress that we don’t have to deal with, and there is also a concern for safety I think we all were worried about,” Maddox said. For upperclassmen like Polyak, it’s easy to see why something like Formal might be overlooked by a younger student. “I think they’re sad, but it’s not as big of a deal to them since they’re expecting to get something when they’re juniors or seniors, once the problems with COVID-19 die down and schools come up with better ways of having student events like dances,” Polyak said. Likewise, underclassmen like Maddox understand that some of their older peers might overlook an event like Formal. “I think that most people don’t appreciate experiences as much unless they are the first or last time you have them. Your first day of junior year doesn’t stick with you as much as the feelings you had during your first day of freshman year,” Maddox said. “Your first day of senior year you will naturally try to lock certain feelings from that day so you can remember it.”

actually really sad. I know it’s not a big deal “ I’m but Formal was always really fun, and I had a great time and just wanted one last chance at it. ” senior Evy Polyak

“

I think it’s a bit disappointing even for those of us who haven’t gone, it’s an experience we aren’t going to be a part of and just one more memory we aren’t going to make. freshman Amelia Maddox

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01 MON

Use a calendar to keep track of your activities

TUES

WED

Keep a planner to note down your assignments

3 Organize your school work in folders Use these tips to keep your school work and activities organized during this new year Design By Anushka Nair