Columbus North High School • 1400 25th Street, Columbus, IN, 47201 • Volume 101 Issue 2 • Oct. 8, 2021
Why do we enjoy being
SCARED?
THE
TRIANGLE
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Megan Allman Michaela Brown Tanya Iyer Anushka Nair CONTENT EDITOR Sanjana Penmathsa MANAGING EDITORS Alyssa Green Elaine Sanders
7
INDEPTH EDITOR Katharine Brunette COPY EDITOR Addy Rogers SECTION EDITORS Ananya Adur Josie Elwood Ananya Ramanujapuram INDEPTH TEAM Kaitlyn Ayers Abinaya Ganesan Addy Rogers PHOTO EDITOR Jordan Brady ART DIRECTOR Annagail Fields OPINION COORDINATOR Lawrence Delano ASSISTANT CONTENT EDITOR Ryan Clulow STAFF Natalie Brown David Chen Carolina Davidson Samantha Dearing Carson Embree Emily Johns Abigail Lovins Kya McQueary Liam Milne Izabelle Munn Alexandra Osburn Bladen Petro Paula Ramos Perez Ajay Singireddy Abigail Smith Novah Ulm Deshna Venkatachalam Grace Wheatley Mia Wilson Jasmine Yang ADVISERS Roth Lovins Rachel McCarver
22
12
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.
5 NEWS
STUDENT LIFE
ETHNIC EXPO 5
THE COURTYARD UPGRADE 9
Columbus is celebrating the “Fiesta Latina” to express Hispanic culture to surrounding community
Senior Shenyi Gong talked about her hopes for the courtyard
AFGHAN REFUGEES 6
COFFEE AND COMMUNITY 12
Students share how they have become involved with helping Afghan Refugees
Students in Life Skills classes use the coffee cart to raise money for their program
SPOOKY SEASON 17
KIWANIS DUCK SPLASH 7
Students shared their experiences and opinions on haunted houses and trails around Indiana
The 18th Annual Kiwanis Duck Splash hopes to bring fun to the community while also giving back
18 OPINION MET GALA OVERLOOK 18 Celebrities gathered together for the 2021 Met Gala and dressed for the theme “American Independence”
20 SPORTS KINGS AND QUEENS 21
Senior Homecoming Court shared their experiences for their last Homecoming Game
THE IMPRINT OF TIKTOK 19
As TikTok continues to grow, so does the influence it has on students
LEADING THE PACK 22 Fall sports team captains recap the season
14 INDEPTH FEAR, INC.
ONLINE PREVIEW
It’s a season to hunker down, to spend time getting in touch with your fears. But this atmosphere raises a question: why would a person enjoy being scared? cover photo by Annagail Fields
Scan with your iPhone camera (Snapchat, too) to be linked to all of CNHS Media’s socials
3
FEAR FACTOR
The Triangle staff explores the psychological and physical effects of fear on the human body
Y
our heart beats out of your chest. Sweat drips down your face as you process the adrenaline coursing through your body. These are the common reactions of someone experiencing symptoms of fear. According to the University of Minnesota, fear is a human emotion that is triggered by a perceived threat and is a basic survival mechanism that signals our bodies to respond to danger with a fight or flight response. Whether you are introduced to the feeling through a psychological thriller or a chilling phobia, the feeling is the same. Studies show that nearly 20 million Americans have a specific phobia nearly 10 percent of the nation. The prevalence is even more evident in teenagers, with 15 percent of the population suffering from a phobia. Nearly twice as many women than men experience a phobia. The most common of these fears is agoraphobia, the fear of situations in which escape is difficult. The phobia is commonly associated with panic disorder, characterized by symptoms of anxiety such as increased heart rate, nausea, chest pain and hyperventilating. The presence of agoraphobia without
panic disorder is extremely rare, happening less than one percent of the time, and over 40 percent of individuals diagnosed with agoraphobia have a severe case. It may not come to a surprise to many that severe phobias and prolonged fear can have detrimental effects on the body. Studies performed by the University of Minnesota suggest that fear prepares us to react to danger by slowing down functions not needed for our survival and enhancing functions that might help us to survive. Prolonged fear can cause cardiovascular damage, irritable bowel syndrome, and faster aging. Similarly, fear can interrupt brain processes and cause mental health disorders such as Depression or PostTraumatic Stress Disorder. Though the consequences of fear are often prevalent to many Americans, the other effects may be not so easily recognized. According to the Mental Health Foundation, fear is one of the most powerful emotions that humans experience. When humans feel symptoms of fear such as heart racing and palms sweating, the body is sending blood to your muscles and increasing blood pressure. This
TOP PHOBIAS CLAUSTROPHOBIA: The fear of being in constricted, confined spaces.
gives your brain the ability to focus on the threat before you. This is commonly identified as the “fight or flight response.” Your body’s internal alarm allows you to keep yourself safe. Not only does fear have psychological benefits, but the condition can also cause a loss of weight. When a person experiences fear for a prolonged period of time, the body burns calories. This happens when our pulse quickens, sending adrenaline through our body. As a result, the body begins to burn sugar and fat. A study by London’s University of Westminster concluded that while watching horror movies such as The Exorcist, people burned an average of 113 calories. This is the same amount of calories that someone would burn on a short walk around their neighborhood. Although fear may present some benefits, many people still prefer not to experience the rush of adrenaline more than they have to. Whether you enjoy horror movies or not, the symptoms of fear come the same to all, and may present more underlying consequences than you first expect.
Check out the definitions of these common phobias
ZOOPHOBIA: An umbrella term that involves extreme fear of certain animals. Arachnophobia means fear of spiders.
ACROPHOBIA: The fear of heights. It is a dangerous condition that can affect a person even when they are climbing stairs or a ladder. The fear may be so extreme that the person may not be able to move and it may be difficult to rescue them.
BRONTOPHOBIA: The fear of thunder and thunderstorms. Such people know that thunder cannot harm them, but they are still worried about going out during a thunderstorm.
AEROPHOBIA: The fear of flying. A person may have severe anxiety in a plane. This may be due to a bad flight-related experience in the past, such as extreme turbulence or witnessing a crash on TV.
PHASMOPHOBIA: This is the fear of ghosts and it is quite a common fear.
TRISKAIDEKAPHOBIA: This is an extreme fear related to the number 13.
BLOOD, INJURY AND INJECTION (BII) PHOBIA: Injury phobias are generally phobias associated with fear of medical procedures. CARCINOPHOBIA: The fear of developing cancer. Such people tend to correlate every new symptom with cancer. For example, every headache is a brain tumor. EMETOPHOBIA: This is the fear of vomiting. This makes a person unnaturally afraid of vomiting, especially in public.
www.medicinenet.com/
FIESTA LATINA KICKED OFF ON OCT. 2 Columbus is celebrating the “Fiesta Latina” to express hispanic culture to the surrounding community by Izzy Munn design by Ajay Singireddy
D
iversity is a huge part of the community in Columbus, and even though there have been some struggles, citizens are still finding ways to celebrate different cultures in a small town. The recent pandemic has affected everyone’s ability to celebrate cultural diversity in the way they normally would, and pollution in Columbus is continuing to grow, but this year citizens are working around it to create an Ethnic Expo that will never be forgotten. Due to COVID-19 the Ethnic Expo was been separated into different weekends and each weekend will celebrate a certain culture. The next celebration will be the Fiesta Latina. Sophomore Valeria Gomez is excited for the people of Columbus to learn about latinx culture. “There are a lot of things that people don’t know about latinx culture, Gomez said. “Foods, traditions, those sorts of things.’’ Gomez also mentions how she thinks the Ethnic Expo is important to the community of Columbus as a whole. “I think it’s a great way to celebrate different cultures and teach people about them,” Gomez said. Columbus is still celebrating the Ethnic Expo and the cultures surrounding the community during the pandemic, despite other problems that affect community members. As pollution in Columbus continues to grow, whether it be trash on the side of the road, or increasing carbon emissions, senior Tiffany Fu and the North Environmental Club are
photo by Bladen Petro An estimated 2,000 people came to see various bands, get food, and experience the Latina culture downtown on Saturday, Oct. 2.
volunteering at the Fiesta Latina to help with their new, eco-friendly, solutions. “This year we are working with the city council,” Fu said. “The advisory board reached out to me and asked if I could get some members to help out with that.” Fu and the Environmental Club have helped at previous Ethnic Expos as well and they plan to help in the ways they have in the past. “At the event we set up little recycling centers next to the trash cans and have people stand there to make sure that the waste is being properly taken care of,” Fu said.
.c w w w
v; w .go s.in bu m olu
ucasacolumbus.com ww.s
will Showcase
musicians, dancers and artists
5
COMMUNITY HELPS AFGHAN REFUGEES Students share how they became involved with helping Afghan Refugees by Jasmine Yang design by Sanjana Penmathsa
T
housands of refugees in less than 100 buildings. Around half of them are children - many of them as young as 14. Students at Columbus North have found different ways to help, and the community as a whole has been able to donate over 200,000 items to Camp Atterbury. Senior Ryleigh Bateman took the opportunity to donate items to the refugees. “My stepmom saw the flyer and I was just running errands on Saturday, so I went to the store and I bought $40 worth of toothbrushes, toothpaste, feminine hygiene products,” Bateman said. “They said they wanted baby things too, so I bought diaper cream and other stuff like that.” Sophomore Eli Waltz also took the opportunity to donate items through his church. “I wanted to donate because it was for our church and it was just $50 for 130 brushes, so I thought ‘why not,’” Waltz said. Donating is just one of the options when it comes to helping the refugees. Bateman talked about some of the other ways that students can get involved with aiding the Afghan refugees. “I’m sure there are ways you can donate money online. I know there are lots of Instagram posts that if you share the post, it’s like a dollar added to that,” Bateman said. “[Another way is] if you look up where some refugees are at and if they accept donations. Just donate things like hygiene products that
are probably hard to get.” Outside of Columbus, other communities in the United States have found different ways to help. Bateman shared her opinions on what the country has been able to do. “I think that we should be doing more,” Bateman said. “There’s always room for improvement or ways to help more people. I don’t really know how we would go about that, but I know there’s definitely something we can do. There’s no way this is everything we can do.” There are some members of communities that feel as if it’s not their job to help the refugees seek refuge in our country. Bateman disagreed with that idea and explained why it is good to still help out. “I think it’s not necessarily our responsibility, but we need to help these people. They just happen to be victims of everything that’s happening,” Bateman said. “Everyone deserves to seek asylum in this way and I think it’s good that we are accepting refugees.” Bateman explained that students should get involved with helping because it can make a difference. “I think it’d be good for students to get involved because in the future it’s nice to be aware of these things,” Bateman said. “Even though you can’t make a huge difference right, you can still make a small difference even by bettering one person’s life by providing something that they can’t get.”
TIMELINE OF EVENTS February 2019 U.S. and Taliban sign agreement for US withdrawal from Afghanistan by May 2021
November 2020 U.S. announces plans to cut US Army in half down to 2,500 by January
September 2019 Trump calls off peace talks after a U.S. soldier is killed in a Taliban attack.
April 2021
Biden plans for complete U.S. troops withdrawal by 9/11
Aug. 15, 2021 The Afghanistan government collapses as the Taliban takes over Kabul.
Aug. 30, 2021 The U.S. transports final troops from Kabul Airport, officially ending America’s longest war.
Aug. 26, 2021 Two suicide bombings occur outside Kabul airport bombings killed at least 169 Afghans and 13 U.S. troops.
KIWANIS INCREDIBLE DUCK SPLASH BACK THIS YEAR The 18th Annual Kiwanis Duck Splash hopes to bring fun to the community while also giving back to local programs by Paula Ramos design by Ananya Adur
T
he 18th annual Kiwanis Incredible Duck Splash hopes to bring fun to the community while also giving back to local programs. Including many prizes, food and liveliness, the Kiwanis Incredible Duck Splash showers Columbus with entertainment. “[There will be] food booths, kids games, Star Wars characters, magic shows, and Huey Helicopter dropping off ducks into the lake,” said Jeff Blasdel, chairman of the event. Participants can adopt ducks for $5 per duck with each duck being assigned a serial number. With each adoption, a participant is entered to win cash and prizes worth more than $12,000. Ducks are then dropped from a helicopter into Round Lake. The event simultaneously gives back to the community.
“[Kiwanis] photo for the Triangle Duck Buddy youth organizations receive 80 percent of their duck adoption receipts and the remaining 20 percent is used by [the] Kiwanis Key Club members pose at the Kiwanis Duck Splash club to help 2020 event. This year’s event takes place Oct. 9. children in our community,” Students also have the opportunity Blasdel said. to volunteer at the duck splash. Lending a helping hand, senior “It is always nice to get service Sanjana Jain is part of Columbus hours early and with people you North’s Key Club, which is involved like spending time with [...] our with the duck splash. volunteers have a great time “Our Key Club sends volunteers bonding with each other,” Jain said. to the event to help with cleaning The race takes place in Mill Race all the ducks from the pond and Park on Oct. 9. cleaning up at the event,” Jain said.
EVENT SCHEDULE 10:30 AM
SATURDAY OCT. 9, 2021
12:30 PM
Ducks are available for adoption
1:00 PM
Helicopter Drop of ducks
12:00 PM
Dilly Bar coupon distribution
Deliberating the winners
12:45 PM
Pulling winning ducks
1:45 PM
Winners Announced
7
VISITS TO THE FUTURE Students prepare for their next steps through college visits by Deshna Venkatachalam design by Elaine Sanders
A
t this time of year, seniors are looking for the perfect place they want to attend in the fall. Senior Eden Long is heading to Miami of Ohio in hopes of finding said future. “I have some family in Ohio and I also know a few girls over there,” Long said. Long is planning on majoring in nursing and has prepared by taking the SAT, ACT and other courses offered. “I’ve taken several college courses throughout high school so that I’ll hopefully have enough credits to shave off a semester of my college,” Long said. Like Long, senior Reese Kilbarger-Stumpff has been preparing by talking to others. “My parents and I have been
talking to a lot of people that have been in a similar position as me,” Kilbarger-Stumpff said. Kilbarger-Stumpff has been preparing for college since the summer of his junior year. He narrowed down his choices and decided to head across the country for one of his first visits. “It was an National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) visit, so they pretty much paid for the whole thing,” Kilbarger-Stumpff said. Kilbarger-Stumpff was granted four free college visits due to his athletic history of running. He took this NCAA visit and went to Boise University. “It seemed like a college that checked all of the boxes,” Kilbarger-Stumpff said.
Q&A
photo for the Triangle
Senior Eden Long at a college visit at Marian University
Senior Noah Abfall explains the college visit process, and what he is looking forward to
Q: On a scale of 1-10, how important do you think college visits are? A: 6, you really need to see the campus to get a feel for it. Q: What are the most important qualities of a college? A: The fit, do you feel comfortable there, do they have your major.
Q: What can you gain from a college visit? A: What campus life id truly like Q: What will be your favorite part of college? A: New people, new experiences, life on your own.
STEPS TO SUCCESS Researching Colleges
Making a List
Narrowing Down
Applying to Colleges
College Visits
COURTYARD UPGRADE The Triangle talked with senior Shenyi Gong to learn more about plans for the courtyard
design by Alex Osburn
Q:
A:
Q:
A:
Q:
A:
Q:
A:
What is your ideal courtyard design?
Why is it important to have a good courtyard for the school?
My ideal courtyard would be a place where students can take time to relax and have a break from school by enjoying the outdoors.
Having a good courtyard can provide a peaceful place for students to relax in. It also creates a nice space to eat during lunch or go through during passing period.
What can you see realistically happening with the courtyard?
We should be planting right around spring. The native flowers that we are planting will most likely not grow fully for a few months. So I would say maybe around May we would see some progress.
What steps do you think it will take to complete the project?
CURRENT COURTYARD
First, we need to plan out where we are planting first because the courtyard is so big and we don’t have the funds to redo the entire thing. We will also need to choose which native plants we will be planting.
A current map of the courtyard, without any changes
9
NO SMALL BUSINESSES Students shared experiences of starting a business
S
enior Gabriela Velasquez developed a passion for helping others in the medical field of teen life. She assists pregnant teens in the clinic, whether it’s translating a language or explaining what the complicated medical terms mean. “I only recently started doing it last year when one of my mom’s friend’s daughters got pregnant, but because of her lack of English, she did not know how to make her appointment or like to go to the clinic and ask for things,” Velasquez said. “I volunteered to help her out during her first trimester to get her going and I actually really enjoyed helping these types of people who need help.” Once word got out of her services, she started getting requests from others who needed a helping hand, and Velasquez was happy to help. “I have always been passionate about it because I love anything about health science and I also like the experience of getting to help people,” Velasquez said. “I’ve always wanted to help people. It’s such a nice feeling because you get to help these people who cannot communicate and I like helping to fill the gap between them.” She even encourages others to help, too. Some of her friends joined
her recently and they are making significant differences. “If anyone wants to start translating, honestly just go for it. Even if you don’t think you know enough for one language, honestly anything can help,” Velasquez said. “There are people who honestly can’t speak their mind because of the language barrier and if you just know the tiniest bit you can honestly help a lot.” As she translates for others, she earns some experience herself. “I don’t have work experience at all, but helping translate gives me the idea of having work experience,” Velasquez said. “It gives me the skills that I will be needing later on in the future.” On the opposite side of the spectrum, a pair of friends started their business experience from one Jewelry and Glass. Junior Sarah Fulp and sophomore Chloe LaVelle operate Custom Beaded, a jewelrymaking business. “I started my business when I found out that I really enjoyed making these types of necklaces,” LaVelle said. “I was inspired by my Jewelry and Glass class where I learned the skills that I use.” The duo is still learning the ropes of what it takes to have a business
A 6 STEP STARTER GUIDE 1. Conduct market research 2. Write your business plan 3. Fund your business 4. Pick your business location 5. Choose a business structure 6. Register your business
by Mia Wilson design by Liam Milne and they are still learning about each other. Fulp previously operated Random Wrist and decided to combine her skills and experience with LaVelle’s. “One day we decided that it would benefit both of us if we just combined because she was better at creating good-looking posts and taking pictures and I am better at messaging people and talking to them,” LaVelle said. The team of Custom Beaded has high hopes for its future and prosperity as they spread the word about their work. “I am going to improve my business by making more jewelry and trying to post more often. I have been very busy with soccer and other clubs but once soccer is over I will have more time to focus on my business,” LaVelle said. “I will also hopefully, in the future, start selling to people who live further away. It benefits the young adults in the community by giving them a way to express themselves through the jewelry they wear.” Whether it’s helping others or creating beautiful jewelry, these three girls show that passion has no limits. “[My favorite thing is] that I like to make jewelry and you get to make people happy,” Fulp said.
FOLLOW SARAH FULP AND CHLOE LAVELLE’S BUSINESS INSTAGRAM @CUSTOM_ BEADED
THE RETAKE
Students retake classes due to e-learning and bridge
by Kya McQueary design by Carson Embree
T
he COVID-19 pandemic affected many students both negatively and positively, from online learning to job opportunities decreasing. Although some students may have benefited from independent study, many students experienced the consequences of procrastination, being forced to retake classes in the new school year. Junior Karen Peregrino is retaking three different classes from last year. “I really slacked off on doing my work which I know most of us did,” Peregrino said. “I had no motivation to do my work.” Peregrino made changes in her schoolwork routine this school year, in an attempt to avoid the
procrastination of last year. “I definitely get all my work done early in the morning instead of [at the] last minute or not doing it at all,” Peregrino said. Peregrino also made an effort to pay closer attention in her classes this year with in-person learning. “I do have different teachers so it is a little different but I try to pay more attention this year and do all my work,” Peregrino said. Counselor Pat Pemberton has seen the negative impacts presented through online learning and emphasizes the benefits provided when students attend school in person. “I think overall the students have done a great job, however with the interruptions and kids going in
person to online has been tough for some students,” Pemberton said. “I’ve always believed students will do much better in person.” Students are also given the ability to retake classes online. “If a student is retaking classes they could retake the classes online and take this year’s classes in person like normal,” Pemberton said. Pemberton encourages students to communicate with teachers if they find themselves falling behind in a class. “If a student is behind, ask yourself why you got behind and realize what you can change,” Pemberton said. “Number two: go talk to your teacher. Your teachers want you to be successful, they really do.”
TECH TIDBITS BCSC was on eLearning last year from Nov. 9 until Dec. 22 BCSC was on Hybrid eLearning last year from Jan. 9 until March 22. Sign up for BCSC E-Alerts at www.bcscschools.orgs/EAlertRegistration
BCSC will be utilizing eLearning days for inclement weather. photo by Grace Wheatley
11
COFFEE & COMMUNITY
by Alex Osburn design by Abigail Smith
Students in Life Skills classes use the coffee cart to raise money for their program
A
ccording to the CDC, about 25 percent of adults in the U.S. live with some kind of disability. Twelve years ago the Life Skills program at North developed a way for students with disabilities to interact with the school community while raising funds: a coffee cart that visits classrooms in the morning to sell various drinks and food items. Life Skills teacher Amy London directs the coffee cart program, but the students’ hard work allows her job to be simply overseeing their efforts. “They choose what we are gonna sell on the cart, they do an inventory: how much do we have, how much do we need,” London said. “So pretty much, with the guidance of an adult, it’s their business to run, for them.” Students who help with the coffee cart enjoy different aspects of it. Senior Chariyah Bowens, for example, likes making transactions with customers. “[My favorite part is] selling snacks: coffee, hot chocolate, and gum,” Bowens said. Senior Caleb Schaefer, however, appreciates the gifts bought on special occasions with funds from the coffee cart. Working the cart
Coffee Cart customers arrive at the cart during passing period.
photo by Novah Ulm has allowed Life Skills students to develop independence as well. “When he started doing coffee everything was Caleb do this, Caleb do that, and now he just - he just does it,” London said. “And so he can take those skills and carry them over when he gets a job somewhere.” While the coffee cart allows students in Life Skills to develop useful abilities for their futures, it also provides an opportunity for customers to grow through interactions with those students.
TREAT YOURSELF
Explore the different options available to purchase from the CNHS Coffee Cart
BOTTLED WATER
RICE KRISPY TREATS HOT TEA COOKIES
“You [students] don’t know how to interact with a kid that has disabilities sometimes, and it’s not ‘cause they don’t want to, it’s just they don’t know what to say or do,” London said. “And so the kids in my class are winning because they’re making money and they’re learning skills, but I think the rest of our building is winning too because they’re learning to foster relationships with people that maybe wouldn’t always be in their circle they see every day, which is a life skill for them as well.”
CNHS COFFEE CART
DONUTS CRACKERS
by Josie Elwood design by David Chen
Students share their experiences and opinions on haunted houses and trails
A
s pooky season
approaches,
DO YOU PLAN ON TRICK OR TREATING THIS YEAR? 37%Yes
63% No ARE YOU EASILY SCARED? 51% Yes 49% No
FAVOTITE HALOWEEN CANDY? A.Tootsie rolls B.Sweet Tarts
C.Carmel Apple Suckers D.Skittles
BIGGEST FEARS? A.Heights
B.Spiders
C.Claustrophobia D.Dolls
FAVORITE HORROR/ HALLOWEEN MOVIE? A.The Nightmare before Christmas B.Halloween Town C.Coraline D.Hocus Pocus
statistics from poll on @cnhsmedia Instagram on Sept. 29
students are gearing up for Halloween, colder weather, and a lot of football. Many students are preparing for Halloween by attending their favorite haunted houses and trails. Junior Ty Ferguson has attended several haunted houses. “I have attended a haunted house in Wheaton, Illinois called ‘Disturbia Haunted House,’’’ Ferguson said. “I have also been to ‘Fear Fair’ in Seymour,” Ferguson said. Though many people are disturbed by the chainsaws, mummies, and monsters haunted houses include, Ferguson is not scared easily. “I’ve definitely been scared before,” Ferguson said. “My biggest fear would be heights.” Senior Ben Kleinhenz is also unaffected by the
disturbances of haunted houses. “I wouldn’t consider myself easy to scare, except for a few certain things. Spiders are the bane of my existence,” Kleinhenz said. October not only brings haunted houses and Halloween activities, but also colder weather and a change in atmosphere. “I love the atmosphere and the nostalgia that it brings,” Kleinhenz said. “It’s also prime weather to wear sweatshirts. It’s not too hot or too cold.” October also allows for family and friend gatherings, as well as new experiences. “I enjoy the excitement of everyone getting together and having a good time,” Ferguson said. “Halloween gets people out of their comfort zones and dress up and try something new.”
13
by Kaitlyn Ayers and Addy Rogers design by Katharine Brunette and Abinaya Ganesan
O
ctober, the spookiest season. The air is chilled, the nights are long and haunted houses are open to visitors. An endless stream of horror movies sit waiting to be watched. People seek out the most outlandish Halloween costumes they can find. It’s a season to hunker down, to spend time getting in touch with your fears. But this atmosphere raises a question: why would a person enjoy being scared? And why are films and experiences designed for maximum fear so profitable? In a poll on @cnhsmedia Instagram, more than half of students reported that they enjoy being scared. Among them is sophomore Kloie Douglas. “I think I enjoy being scared because there’s somewhat of a rush to it. I enjoy other types of ‘thrills’ as well, mostly roller coasters,” Douglas said. “The feeling of being on a roller coaster and watching a horror movie or going to a haunted house are very similar to me. They both produce an intense feeling of happiness,
somehow, even though I’m scared out of my mind.” This might explain the popularity and volume of horror movies. Audiences seek them out for a thrill, especially around this time of year. Profit margins can be high. Take, for example, The Blair Witch Project, a 1999 found footage horror movie about a group of students investigating a mysterious serial killer. With a budget of only $600,000, the movie earned more than $248 million in the box office. It combined psychology and brilliant marketing to find this success. Other horror movies have enjoyed similar successes, as have experiences like haunted houses, both playing on the popularity of fear. Of course, no matter how scary the movie, it needs to build up an audience. This can be done on many scales, from Super Bowl ad spots to online chat boards. These campaigns can be spookily effective. Finding the way to get scary movies out to the public can be more of a strategizing task. It takes a lot more thought advertising and putting out movies than some may
think. North marketing teacher Brian Campbell explains the process. “I would say you’re going to want to find an audience,’’ Campbell said. “You want to find a target market that would pay to go see it, who’s going to enjoy it.” A lot of factors can go into the target audience: it could be gender, generation, and simply different things people are interested in. Figuring that out can help scary movies get a bigger audience. “I would say they play to the target markets, somebody who’s my age, over 50, I don’t want to be afraid of something,” Campbell said. “I enjoy seeing something fun and happy where a teenager or someone in their twenties thrives on.” Campbell said. However, there are still plenty of middle aged people who enjoy scary movies and do watch them more than any other genre of movie. People have different interests and some change with age but some remain your whole life. Scary movies aren’t always heard of through advertisements but can be shared through talk.
EERIE EFFECTS Decresed blood flow to the frontal lobe, which is responsible for logical thinking and planning
Your heart rate & blood pressure increase
Digestive activity decreases to save energy for survival
Your pupils dilate so that you can see the threat more clearly
You start taking extra oxygen in to support your rapidly increasing heart rate
Your muscles tense up, including the those at the base of each hair causing goosebumps
15
“It’s going to spread through word of mouth how good the movie was, you’re looking for that group of people that will promote the movie through different social media or whatever the case may be so that they can find that target market,” Campbell said. “The movie kind of sells itself.” Opinions on movies and other things are shared through talk and that can make someone want to watch a movie more than just an advertisement can. You usually trust the person telling you about the movie and that can be the same with directors and authors you’ve made a connection with. “My favorite horror movie is probably House of 1000 Corpses. It was directed by Rob Zombie,” Douglas said. “I really like his style of directing and I think that his horror movies have been really good additions to the genre. It does help that I like his music as well.” Scary movies can be shared in many ways and advertisers strategize the way to get the word out. They study the factors that go into who scary movie fans are. “They prey upon people who want people to feel a passion for something,” Campbell said. Marketing is crucial to the success of a movie, but so is human psychology. To many, it seems paradoxical that people get joy out of what should be an unsettling experience. Certainly, there are many students that chase the burst of adrenaline that accompanies
“While in them I’m really jumpy and nervous, but once I get out I feel relieved and happy.” sophomore Kloie Douglas fear; in a poll on @cnhsmedia Instagram, 70 percent of students said they consider themselves adrenaline chasers. Among them was sophomore Colby Lovins. “I would say I’ve always been an adrenaline chaser to some extent. Since I was little I’ve always enjoyed roller coasters and other high energy experiences,” Lovins said. Fear causes an array of physiological reactions: the release of adrenaline, of course, increased heart rate and activation of the fight-or-flight response. Still, for those who don’t like being scared, the pursuit of this response can be puzzling. AP Psychology teacher Richard Sluder offered some insight into this conundrum. “The chemicals that make us scared and the chemicals that make us excited are really similar, and there are a lot of people that like that feeling,” Sluder said. “Scared/
happy/scared/happy are pretty close. It’s all about how the body interprets [the event]. If you know that you’re safe -- but scared - it’s enjoyable to a lot of people.” It seems that our interpretation of events is a large part of what makes fear attractive. It’s unlikely that a person would enjoy being scared if their life was really in danger, for example. It’s all about the context the scary thing takes place in. Senior Sofia Martinez agreed. “I am generally an anxious person and I will only seek that adrenaline rush when I know I’m 100 percent safe, like with haunted trails, or horror movies,” Martinez said. But why are some people able to so easily immerse themselves in the world of a horror movie or forget that the masked people with chainsaws on a haunted trail are just actors? Again, the answer lies in the context. Movies use music and cinematography to keep audiences immersed in the story; haunted trails and houses use special effects and actors. According to Sluder, it’s common for people to lose themselves in a story by suspending their disbelief. “That’s just a natural human characteristic I think, to want to be in the moment. You’re in the moment, everything’s exciting, and you’re not really paying attention to your surroundings anymore,” Sluder said. “It really kind of is like a mythical dreamy world you get to enjoy for a little while.”
fear marketing [fir mär-ke-tiŋ]
noun
the use of consumers’ fear to motivate them to purchase a product or contribute to a cause Ex: anti-smoking ads showcase the negative impacts of smoking on both your physical and social health, such as the likelihood of getting cancer Ex: countdowns provided on sale time limits trigger consumers’ fear of missing out on the deals Ex: advertisements after the spread of COVID-19 that highlight the spread of germs in consumers’ day to day lives
Skip Ad
59% of North students say that they enjoy being scared
20%
People enjoy experiences that take them away from reality for a while, whether that’s scary movies, planning a killer Halloween party or even scaring others. “Last year I volunteered to work in the CERAland haunted trail for the first time, and it was so fun being on the other side of it,” Lovins said. “I wore a Michael Myers mask and had a fake knife. I hid behind a bush and jumped out at all of the groups as they walked by. I plan on doing it again this year!” Fortunately for fear fans, scary movies generally don’t have any long-lasting negative psychological effects. Even the most haunting of films tend to become not-so-scary after just a few weeks. “It would be the type of thing that bothers you for a few days, maybe a week or so,” Sluder said. “You’d be scared for a while, maybe have a bad dream about it, get a little nervous about getting in a car or whatever it is, but eventually that would fade away. So it wouldn’t, or shouldn’t, lead to something like PTSD, but you could have a short term reaction to it for sure.” Taking all of this into consideration, the popularity of scary experiences seems a little less mystifying. It’s a little bit easier to see how marketing, psychology, and a healthy dose of good, old-
rated horror movie (Rotten Tomatoes)
fashioned fear allows low budget movies to rake in massive profits. Its advertising campaign went far past normal efforts: stories were planted in local newspapers where the story took place, missing posters were created for the three main characters, and a website invited readers to investigate the Blair Witch themselves. All of this created an air of mystery around the entire film. Fans turned out in droves, hoping the spooky, documentary-style movie would provide much-sought answers. Some audiences were convinced that the events shown in the movie were real (although a disclaimer in the credits invalidated this claim). The style of the movie made it easy for audiences to identify with the characters -- they were regular, down to earth students like them, not distant Hollywood stars. It was nofrills, absent of the stunning special effects typical of higher budget movies. Viewers lost themselves in the boundless Maryland forest alongside the protagonists. When they were done, they told their friends, who went to see it for themselves. It became one of the most profitable movies of all time. Beyond horror movies, there’s an entire ecosystem of haunted houses, haunted trails, festivals like Fear Fair and even haunted hay rides to
6%
gical
Killer
Foot age Foun d
Us is the highest
&Dis turbi ng
protfitable movie, earning $700, 381,759
Gore
It (2017) is the most
Mon ster
LIGHTS CAMERA BOO!
Para n
The most expensive horor movie made was World War Z; the budget was $190 million
orma l
6%
Psyc holo
SCARY STATISTICS
Percetage of Horror Movies by Genre (1996-2016) 35% 32% 32%
“It is one of the most suspenseful and nerve-wracking experiences of the season” sophomore Colby Lovins explore. Each provides a different level of terror to choose from, as senior Jonathan Peña said. “The haunted house is a great experience if you’re looking to be scared often! The haunted trails are more relaxed, but they still get a scare out of you. I highly recommend them!” Peña said. This Halloween season, whether students choose to celebrate by holding a horror movie marathon, going to a haunted house, trick-ortreating or just carving pumpkins, they can take refuge in knowing that a little bit of fear can be a positive thing. “Fear is actually good for you,” Sluder said. “It teaches you to be fearful of certain situations and appreciate others.”
17
THE IMPRINT OF TIKTOK As TikTok continues to grow, so does the influence it has on students
T
ikTok. The video creation app that has been taking the world by storm. With users having up to 124 million followers, there are bound to be students from North on the app, but is this a good or a bad thing? Social media has always been a sensitive topic when it comes to students. Will it affect us in a positive or negative way? Recent events may have answered the question for us. Launched in 2016, the app now has a growing 732 million users and is estimated to hit 1.2 billion by the end of 2021, according to CNBC. With this kind of popularity, videos and trends can spread like a wildfire. One example of this is the “devious lick” trend. The trend started small, but it started hitting schools like North around mid-September. The idea of the movement was to steal things
by Izzy Munn
from school and attempt to catch it all on video - to post on TikTok. It started off small with items like soap dispensers being stolen, but it quickly rose to stealing mirrors, sinks and even attempting to take a SMARTboard projector. So, in light of recent events, the question remains: is TikTok a good or bad influence on students? I don’t think this question can ever truly be answered. While there are people on social media who will try to start trends that will ultimately only lead to needing passes everywhere we go, and only allowing students to leave the class one person at a time, there are also people whose goal is to lift people up and not bring them down. People will always be influenced by social media, but ultimately, it’s up to the users to determine whether they will use it for good or for bad.
MET GALA OVERLOOK
Celebrities gathered for the 2021 Met Gala and dressed for the theme “American Independence” By Josie Elwood
T
he Met Gala took place Sept. 13 due to COVID-19 restrictions last May. The theme was “American Independence,” and the event took place at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Public figures including Jennifer Lawrence, Kendall Jenner, and Simone Biles wore eye-catching outfits that sparked a lot of conversation. Out of these three celebrities, I believe Kendall Jenner’s was the best. It was out of the box, yet still reflected her personality and style. Her dress was named the “Givenchy Dress” and was inspired by Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady. My least favorite of the three was
Simone Biles’ dress. She may be good at winning gold medals, but her style needs some guidance! Biles wore a gown designed by Beckett Fogg and Piotrek Panszczyk. The dress reflected Josphine Baker who was the first black woman to star in a major film in 1927. Baker used her platform as an advocate for Civil Rights and women empowerment in the 1900s. Though the dress had an inspiring history, it had an unnecessary amount of material which seemed to drown Biles out. Biles is a 4’8, 105 lbs gymnast who wore an 88 lbs dress. The designers mentioned that the embellishment took about 6,650 hours. Everyone was thrilled to have the Gala and see all the intricate outfits--better late than never.
design by Ananya Ramanujapuram photos by Jordan Brady
BLUE WORLD, GETTING BLUER The Great American Climate Dilemma
A
rude awakening: the house fire has spread to the foot of your bed, and your first breath of consciousness draws black smoke into your lungs as the flames climb up your bedsheets. Would you put out the fire if it was bad for the economy? The climate crisis does not belong as a topic wedged between podiums on a debate stage, or as a martyr for partisan platforms; it is not a question of where you reside on the political spectrum, but a question of how long we have before it is too late. Despite climate change’s global relevance, the controversy surrounding intervention is uniquely American. The conditions of modern America have seemingly presented the voting populus with a dire reality: emission reduction would be at the expense of our nation’s economy. However,
by Ryan Clulow
this great American dilemma is not only invalid, but deliberately manufactured. A false narrative has arisen that demonizes the adoption of climate-conscious regulations and clean energy. Unsurprisingly, high-emission industries are the main proponents of these claims, further reinforcing how “vital” fossil fuels are to the American way. Institutional resistance to reformation is far too often justified by the economy’s supposed dependence on fossil fuels; in reality, climate intervention could potentially stimulate the economy and provide jobs without pillaging the earth’s natural resources. It is un-American and irresponsible to ignore large, selfish companies holding both our environment and economy hostage. They must be held accountable.
JASON MCCORD 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
residential • light commercial licensed and insured
It pays to advertise with the Triangle! Contact CNHS Media for more information advertising@cnhsmedia.com
McCord Plumbing LLC cell 812.447.9502
home 812.342.3548
19
BREAKING RECORDS Senior soccer player Jenna Lang scores 115 goals and breaks Columbus North’s record
“I never thought I’d be able to do it. I just play the game... and it worked in my favor”
by Jasmine Yang design by Annagail Fields photo by Annagail Fields
S
weat drips down her forehead. The sun beats down on her back, but she strides forward, rushing to get to the ball before the defender can. Based off of a split second, she gets there first and starts racing towards the goal. The defender is desperate to catch up to her, but she’s too late. Senior soccer player Jenna Lang sets up the shot and the ball hits the back of the net. She finds out later that she ended up breaking the previous record by two goals. Lang talks about how it feels to break the record. “I always had thought it would be cool to break the record but I never thought I’d be able to do it. I just play the game and always try to score or be effective in some way and it worked in my favor,” Lang said. Since Lang has been playing soccer for so long, a thought that has come to mind was whether she would take soccer into her future. “I think it would be really cool to play soccer at the professional level and play internationally. I am not sure if I will want to but I have thought about it and I think it would be a really cool experience,” Lang said. Family means a lot to Lang and her dad is her role model. She has limited free time outside of soccer, but she still makes sure to dedicate time to family and friends. “I spend a lot of time with my friends and family outside of sports but I don’t do any other extracurricular activities,” Lang said. Spending time with friends and family is an important part of the journey that she has taken. In the 16 years she has played, many lessons have been learned and friendships have been formed. “Over my years of playing soccer, I have learned so much about myself and how much I can push myself. I have had to face adversity and I have learned to be patient in the process. I have gained friendship and lifelong relationships with some of my teammates, coaches, and peers,” Lang said.
KINGS & QUEENS Senior Homecoming Court Shares their experiences for their last Homecoming Game by Natalie Brown design by Samantha Dearing
SENIOR HOMECOMING COURT Sam Wilkinson Sydney Cooper Ashlie Wilson Reagan Ables KJ Ely Grace Whaley Grace Anderson Josie Elwood
Noah Abfall Evan Carr Zane Glick Will Holiday Evan Babb Matthew Goble David Fry Aaron Krider
Senior Homecoming King and Queen Zane Glick and Sam Wilkinson pose at the Homecoming game Friday night.
S
ixteen seniors stood out from the homecoming crowd on October first. With eight boys and eight girls, the senior court is larger than any other grade level. For senior Samantha Wilkonson, it was her first and last time dressing up for the court. “I’m just excited to dress up and take pictures with my friends. I just feel like it’ll be a fun experience with everyone,” she said. Homecoming court members got to dress up, pick an escort, and
have a chance to be crowned king or queen of the court. Senior Grace Whaley has been on the court three times, and was excited to prepare for her last one. “The most fun part is being able to dress up and being with friends on the float. Most of my close group of friends are on the senior court with me. I am getting ready with a group of friends who are also on the court, but some of us are taking the SAT the morning after so we can’t hang out after,” she said. Whaley doesn’t discourage new
high school students from trying out. “I would recommend people be on the court! It’s a really fun experience. I am nervous to be in the car and to wave to the crowd. It’s awkward sometimes,” she said. For these seniors, it may be their last court, but it will certainly be an experience for everybody involved. “It is very bittersweet to be having my last homecoming. I am really excited to go to college and make more friends, but leaving north will be super sad. I have made so many fun memories here,” Whaley said.
21
FOOTBALL
1
GOLF 2
3
4 SOCCER
CROSS COUNTRY
5
FALL SPORTS RECAP
Fall sports come to an end as October approaches
VOLLEYBALL
photos by Jordan Brady design by Abbi Lovins & Ananya Ramanujapuram
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
6 7
Football players lift the rivalry trophy after winning a game against East. The game took place Saturday Aug. 29 after being moved due to weather. Senior Gwen Anderson puts during a golf practice. Anderson competed at the IHSAA state championship between Oct. 2 and 3 and placed 42nd overall. Sophomore Oscar Ballinaskicks the ball during the North v East soccer game. The JV team tied East 1-1. Senior Jenna Lang kicks the ball during the North V East game. The girls team won 2-1 on Aug. 26. The boys cross country team runs at Ceraland in the North vs. East meet on Aug. 24. Senior Paige Osbourn serves the ball. The girls volleyball team played home against Bloomington North. Freshman Hank Lin plays in the tennish match against East Aug. 24.
TENNIS
FOOD HOT CHOCOLATE
CINNAMON ROLLS
CARAME L APPLEDSIPPED
APPLE CIDER
E PUMPKIN SUPTICS DOUGHN
PUMPKIN
PIE
by Anushka Nair