TIGER TOPICS:
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VOLUME XII
ISSUE 4
DEC. 11, 2017
Happy Holidays
Photo by Mo Wood
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Features
CONTENTS
4&5 6&7 8 9
10&11
Mornings of finals weeks offer opportunities to study Marching band parades in Hollywood UV rays still concerning in cold weather Trash accumulates during holiday season Hanukkah lights up festive spirits
Entertainment 12&13 14&15 16&17 18&19
Aspiring Artist: Laney Kyle Last movies of the year premiering Ring in Christmas season with new and old carols Superhero universes expand to include more diverse characters
Sports 20&21
22&23 24&25
Sports teams prepare over winter break Festive 5k’s become part of family traditions Athlete of the Month
Opinion 26&27 28&29 30&31
Pennies make no cents Head 2 Head: Star Trek, Star Wars battle for most cultural significance Benefits of field trips can not be overlooked
Editor-in-Chief: Mo Wood Copy Editor: Haley Thomas Web/News Editor: Ethan O’Sullivan Features Editor: Helen Rummel Entertainment Editor: Carolina Puga Mendoza Sports Editor: Claire Rosenthall Graphics Editor: Edmund Lewellen Reporters Seana Jordan, Sawyer Osmun, Hallie Gallinat, Sydney Greenwood, Zoie Soehngen, Ellie Albin, John Yun, Ethan Everett, Carson Lilley Photographers Nya Thornton, Megan Jessup Videographers Kat Doan, Lauren Higginbotham
Jason Urban Kristine Brown
Principal Adviser
Associations IHSPA CSPA NSPA Quill and Scroll AIM Media
Printer
Fishers High School 13000 Promise Road Fishers, IN 46038 317-915-4290 fishersnthered.com
Contents
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Want more? Catch our latest online coverage
Carmel celebrates German Dating Violence club plans culture in Christkindlmarkt to become support group
C.U.B. Club closes gap between classes
Sipping mulled wine and nibbling on warm raclette, Carmel pedestrians celebrate the city’s German population in the Christkindlmart.
In order to integrate new students into the school, Creating United Bonds Club fosters relationships between freshmen and upperclassmen.
@fhs_NtheRed
The Teen Dating and Domestic Violence Club met for the first time on Nov. 29 in the guidance office to discuss plans for the club and decide its name.
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@fishershighnews
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Finals week mornings allow students to flex study hours Ethan Everett
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evereeth000@hsestudents.org
manating from the CCA on the mornings of Dec. 18 to 20 will be the chatter of students, bustling to study spaces, speaking with teachers or simply socializing with friends. The second through last day of finals could be considered half days, as the first final of the day does not begin until after lunch. According to assistant principal Valerie Piehl, this time is reserved for preparing for finals, whether it be through studying or teacher-student interaction in preparation for finals. “Before our current system, finals would be spread across the entire school day,” Piehl said. “We would have three exams that take up the whole day, so there was no easy time for students to access the teachers and utilize their studying resources in a school environment.” Students now take up this time with a variety of activities, including relaxation, in order to relieve stress for finals. “I study the days prior to finals, and I spend the
Survey taken of 106 people on Nov. 11, during 4th period lunches. Graphic by Ethan Everett.
time before school begins to relax,” junior Jedryn Siemon said “Between the two, I usually do pretty well and feel pretty good about finals.” According to Siemon, it is important for him to relieve stress prior to finals, and study after school instead of vice versa. “The hope is that students are studying at some time during these mornings,” Piehl said. “But understanding that students flex these hours, the goal is that we’re giving them some ownership about how they’re going to be studying, and [meeting their academic needs accordingly], in preparation for college and future occupations.” According to a survey taken in fourth period on Nov. 11, most students sleep-in prior to their finals. However, some upperclassman have created finals week traditions with their friends that overcome sleep. Senior Jake Whalen said that he spends one morning each finals week getting breakfast with his friends.
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Features “Having a big meal before school isn’t an opportunity I get very often,” Whalen said. “It helps me to feel energized and ready [for finals].” Students who prefer studying over relaxing often choose to arrive earlier as well if they have a ride. “The harder my final is, the earlier I will wake up and come to school to study for it,” senior Sarah Bird said. Reportedly, students who sleep-in do not have many finals, or are not worried by them. Students often have study hall or flex period on these days. “In the past, students could have three of their most difficult finals in that one day,” Piehl said. “Now, even if [students] have two hard exams on one day, [they have] time to study here, at school, on [their] own or with a teacher.”
Underclassmen have similar expectations for finals week mornings as upperclassman. Freshmen who have not yet had a finals week anticipate filling their mornings with similar activities as upperclassmen. “I’d probably arrive early so I could have additional time to study and meet with teachers about tests,” freshman Nate David said. Overall, students react favorably towards the freedom finals week mornings provide to them. Students appreciate the time they get to relax and study before finals, as well as the flexibility and independence they have during this time. “I appreciate the time that I get to relax before finals. It helps me release some stress so that I can feel much better when I take the tests,” Siemon said.
Finals Week Schedule Friday is the first day of finals, but does not include the “MaRT period which allows provides studying opportunities for students. Monday is an early release day, and Tuesday/ Wednesday follow the same schedule. Graphic by Ethan Everett.
Senior Emily Fippen and senior Shelby Brewer study in the CCA. The CCA will be available for use during the mornings of final weeks. Photo by Megan Jessup.
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Marching Tigers travel, celebrate holidays, walk red carpet, see stars Seana Jordan
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jordasea000@hsestudents.org
ights, camera and a lot of action! The Fishers Tiger Marching Band visited Hollywood over Thanksgiving break to participate in the Christmas Parade and to see some of Hollywood’s most famous sites. The group of around 200 students left early Friday morning and did not return until the following Tuesday night. “I think Hollywood will be one of the best experiences I have had with marching band,” junior Jacob Leising-Yeager said. “I could not wait to finally be able to go to California because it is something I have always wanted to do.” After they arrived on Friday evening, the students went to Santa Monica Beach to spend the rest of their evening relaxing and taking in the view. When the students were there, they saw a lot of homeless people and were shocked at how much poverty was actually in California. “Seeing all of that makes you really reflect on how nice it is to live in a place like Fishers,” Leising-Yeager said. Saturday morning the band toured some of the famous sites in Hollywood including the Hollywood Bowl, walk of fame, the Dolby and Chinese Theater. After, they saw the LeBrea Tar Pits. Fishers Tigers Marching Band play their Christmas music as they march through the streets of Hollywood on Nov. 24. The parade will be available to watch on Dec. 15 on the CW. Photo courtesy Brian Brosmer.
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The group then traveled to Universal City and spent the day at Universal Studios. Some of the students favorite rides were Transformers, the Simpson’s Ride and Hogwarts’ Forbidden Journey. During their day at the park, the students enjoyed a buffet dinner in the Globe Theater. They got to meet students from another school and had a DJ for entertainment. “The buffet was barbecue style and the DJ talked a lot about Minions, but we did the Cha Cha slide so it was a pretty good time,” sophomore Josh Steely said. Before the parade on Sunday, students visited the Griffith Observatory, which has over a dozen exhibits and a planetarium. It sits on the top of Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park and is said to be the best place to view the Hollywood sign. They then visited the Historic District Farmers Market. In the afternoon, students headed to set up for the parade. Since 1928, the annual Hollywood Christmas Parade gathers thousands of people on Sunset Boulevard to watch the celebration take place. Celebrity performers included Cee-Lo Green and the 1970’s disco group, The Village People. The arrangement had the band continuously play, “We Need A Little Christmas.” Whenever there was a rest or a break in the piece, the
Features percussionists would play their cadences titles, “Street Beat Two,” and “Crispy.” The parade route was over three miles long. “It was really nerve-wracking because it felt like everyone was watching us, but it was a lot of fun,” sophomore Cameron Nichols said. “I feel like we did a really good job and prepared pretty good. It was a really big achievement for us to come as far as we have.” Students set up for the parade four hours earlier than they were supposed to and had to stand in place until the parade began. “In my opinion this was not the best parade we have done,” Leising-Yeager said. “I was sweating because our uniform is made of polyester, which does not keep you cool. There was also a lot going on and it felt disorganized. Despite all of that, being in the parade was still a cool experience.” Lastly the band had a full day at Disneyland where they enjoyed over 60 attractions and eight different themed lands. Students rode attractions such as Star Tours, California Screamin’ and Space Mountain. Their day in the park ended with a 15-minute fireworks show that has a theme of all the movies Disney has produced. This trip marked the end of marching band competition season. Students will be able to see the two hour national special premiere on the CW channel, Dec. 15 at 8 p.m. “I think having this opportunity was important because it brought us as a band family closer together and built more memories between us,” sophomore Josh Steely said.
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4 1. Griffith Observatory is one of the best places to see the Hollywood sign. Students had the opportunity to witness this view and take many pictures. Photo by Mo Wood. 2. Band students gather in a semi-circle to be photographed in front of the Hollywood sign. Photo courtesy of Brian Brosmer. 3. All members and chaperones that attended the trip gather around the Astronomers Monument in Griffith Park to capture memories that will last a lifetime. Photo courtesy of Brian Brosmer. 4. The parade began at 6 p.m. and the band began marching around 7:30. Crowds gathered to watch all the performers and hear classic holiday tunes. Photo courtesy Jamie Young. 5. Senior Taylor Treeger, sophomore Madeline Soe and sophomore Cameron Nichols wait for the parade to begin on Sunday evening. Photo
courtesy of Brian Brosmer.
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Winter sun still induces damage to exposed skin Hallie Gallinat
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gallihal000@hsestudents.org
hroughout the year, the sun provides Earth with warmth and light. But, even though it seems to retreat in the winter, do not pack up the sunscreen just yet. The winter sun can be just as dangerous as the summer rays. The sun emits UV rays, or ultraviolet rays, which reflect on the earth’s surface. According to the Library of Congress, the sun’s angle measures higher in the summer, making the long days warmer. But in the winter, the sun shines at a lower angle. That, along with the combination of shorter days, makes the days colder. But, the rays still hit Earth, even when the temperatures drop and the sun is farther from the earth. UV rays are released all throughout the year and can lead to sunburns. This can lead to skin cancer, the most common form of cancer. Sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 can prevent 97 percent of UV damage, according to dermatologist Steven Q. Wang of the Skin Cancer Foundation. “I am someone who uses a lot of sunscreen in the summer and then in winter I usually stay inside,” senior Emma Trent said. “For everyone, wearing sunscreen is the best thing to do.” Sunscreen protects the skin the most, especially when the majority of the day has been spent outside. Winter sports athletes need to be aware of this. According to MD Anderson Cancer Center, the higher the altitude, the more risk the sun poses. The atmosphere gets thinner and the UV rays increase their strength. Wearing layers of clothing can also help. Covered skin leads to less rays on the skin. Hats, coats and gloves can provide extra protection, while also keeping the wearer warm. “I always cover up my skin and wear sunscreen,” junior Jackson Rupenthal said. “Whatever season it is, cover up your skin when the sun is out. If you are going to be outside, make sure you wear
sunscreen.” Cloudy days still pose a threat, as the rays can still shine through the clouds. The Skin Cancer Foundation says that 80 percent of the suns rays can seep through. “The sun can be dangerous to people in the winter because when it’s really cold, people aren’t really feeling the heat,” Rupenthal said. “So the skin is just getting a lot of rays that can lead to bigger problems.” Snow also plays a part in winter sun danger. According to SunSafety, a sun protection website, snow can reflect 85 to 90 percent of UV rays. Sophomore Nicole Rueff skis at Perfect North Slopes, and she always wears protection for her eyes and skin. “I wouldn’t have thought about it if it weren’t for my dad,” Rueff said. “He would always tell me that in the winter the sun comes from two directions, not just from the sky. The snow reflects sunlight too, and it is so bright I have to wear goggles.” The sun and the snow can also damage eyes. When the snow reflects the sun’s rays, it bounces back into the person’s eyes. According to Village Eye Care, an eye care center, vision can be permanently damaged from exposure to sun reflecting snow. To prevent damage to eyes when spending a long time in the snow, wear sunglasses with UV protection. Make sure the glasses have UV protection, as these protect against ultraviolet rays. Most sunglasses come with labels, showing the UV protection. According to AllAboutVision, an eye care website, sunglasses marked with 400 UV protect against 99 percent of UV rays. The winter sun can cause great danger for the body, but that does not mean people can not enjoy winter. Remembering to protect the skin and eyes can prevent a ski trip from turning into a trip to the doctors.
Graphics by Hallie Gallinat
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Holiday waste appears in homes with haste Sawyer Osmun
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osmunsaw000@hsestudents.org
our million pounds of wrapping paper get tossed into trash bins to transfer over to local landfills, contradicting the “Go Green” stanza. According to Intercon Green, a website with the theme of sustainability in the environment and the economy, all the discarded wrapping paper covers about 5,787 NFL football fields. In the U.S., an additional five million tons of waste is generated during the months of late November through early January. Four million tons of this consists of wrapping paper and one million consists of shopping, according to Northern Colorado Disposal, Inc. During the holidays, time and money is put into wrapping presents and packaging gifts, so some people find ways around adding that time spent in wrapping and tossing valuable paper into the trash by reusing gift bags and getting crafty with leftover boxes and such. Coming from a family of recyclers, Spanish teacher Jeanie Wiesler reuses boxes and gift bags to keep the stress at bay when it comes to conserving paper and bags that may be used more than once. Her family reuses boxes as well to ship to distant family members. “What we like to do is reuse gift bags instead of wrapping gifts in wrapping paper,” Wiesler said. “We don’t write the names on them or anything so they can be reused again and again. My family ships presents in a big cardboard box and it will get passed on to other family members that live in the East and West coast.” Freshman Stephen Brennan also comes from a family who recycles paper, but condemns recycling
plastics and other items that may be considered as “recyclable.” “During the holiday times like Christmas, we recycle the paper and content that is able to get recycled, but some things like plastic we have to throw away,” Brennan said. “What I would suggest for people to do is to look at the labels and warning signs on product packaging and try to recycle all the trash that comes with your Christmas presents. If it has a recycle sign, definitely recycle it because instead of piling up in a landfill, it can be reused for something else that may be valuable to others.” The City of Carmel Residential Trash & Recycling Program holds many opportunities for residents of Carmel to get involved and pick up litter to toss into recycling for reuse. “Getting involved in your community and doing community service hours would be a good way to eliminate waste production, especially volunteering during Christmas time because that’s the time when trash production really spikes in the year,” senior Valentina Muskus said. “Since I come from a big family, we have lots of gifts wrapped in wrapping paper that we just throw away because we never know what to do with it because we don’t recycle.” From junk mail and old newspapers to scarfs and empty cereal boxes, there are many creative ways for students to spruce up presents. According to Huffington Post, people can find a variety of ways to make any gift’s presentation stand out by finding items around the house to use for an appealing appearance that not only saves time but also saves money. Graphic by Sawyer Osmun
Graphic by Edmund Lewellen
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Families share Festival of Lights’ traditions
Helen Rummel
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rummehel000@hsestudents.org
arm shadows flutter above a ring of smiling faces. Laughter rises above the familiar melodies. Aromas of spices envelop the kitchen and glittering presents hide away in the corner. The Ayens, freshman Maddie and senior Emma, have both Christian and Jewish family; therefore, they celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah. Tomorrow marks the start of the eight day holiday celebration for the Jewish community: Hanukkah. The sisters have found that their practices can be confusing to some, stating that people often make assumptions of what Jewish people celebrate in the winter. “Some people can be ignorant and say things like ‘you clearly do this if you celebrate this,’” Emma said. Hanukkah is celebrated by approximately five million people according to the Pew Research Center. “You have to remember that some people celebrate Kwanzaa or Hanukkah,” Maddie said. “You can say happy holidays sometimes out of respect and that goes a long way so you don’t offend someone.” The Ayens begin the festivities each day with dancing the Hora, a circle dance, while singing common Israeli folk songs. The Hora is also danced for other celebratory reasons, such as weddings. The family plays a game of Hot and Cold to find their presents on certain days. The Ayens also enjoy playing Dreidel, which is a game dating back by several centuries intended
Graphic by Helen Rummel.
to involve young children. The game involves a four-sided spinning top with the first letters from the Hebrew phrase, “A Great Miracle Happened Here.” Money-shaped chocolate called Gelt is used in place of real money to gamble with. The story of Hanukkah can be found in the religious texts of Maccabees 1 and 2. It recounts the history of during the second century B.C. when Greco-Syrians controlled the land where the Jews lived. The leader at the time, Antiochus, built a statue of his likeness in their holy temple and ordered them to worship it. However, this directly contradicts the teachings of Judaism and the Jews resisted until the Maccabees, a small band of Jewish rebels, earned the temple back three years later. In order to rededicate this temple to their god they lit a lamp with only enough oil for one day. The miracle of Hanukkah is not solely their dedication to their faith and triumph over the enemy, but also that the oil lasted for eight days and nights. Each day of Hanukkah celebrates a day that the oil burned on in that “Festival of Lights.” The lighting of the Hanukkah menorah, a candelabra with candles also known as a Hanukkah, is especially significant because of the religious context. The Hanukkah is composed of eight candles and sometimes a ninth one called the Shamash which is used to light the other candles. The Star of David is often seen on the Menorah as it is a symbol of the Jewish community and Zionism. It is a six-pointed star featured on the flag of Israel.
Features Once the celebration begins, families start preparing holiday cuisine. Most of the foods are fried to celebrate the longevity of the burning oil. Made with fried potatoes, onions and eggs, Latkes are served with sour cream and a side of applesauce as a festive dish. Cheese and similar dairy products are common during Hanukkah as well. Sweet treats are shared after meals. Jelly donuts are a year-long favorite, but are prominent this time of year since they are cooked in oil. Sometimes Gelt melted and mixed with spices is used to create a spiced chocolate drink. Hanukkah holds traditions very similar to Christmas. Families watch movies relating to the holiday, read Hanukkah books, host reunions of all sizes and sing traditional tunes similar to Christmas carols. However, Maddie finds these are not always acknowledged. “[Only recognizing Christmas] can sometimes be a little offensive,” Maddie Ayen said. “In choir this year we’re only singing Christmas songs.” Senior Morgan Edelman also celebrates both Hanukkah and Christmas and shares the sentiment that Judaism is misunderstood. “A lot of people believe that if you’re Jewish that you don’t believe in God, which isn’t necessarily the case,” Edelman said. Christianity and Judaism share much in common. Both religions stem from the first five books in the Christian Bible. In Judaism this is the written Torah. However, Jews believe that Jesus was a prophet as opposed to Christianity, where it is believed that Jesus is the messiah. At the root of each holiday season, whether Kwanzaa, Hanukkah or Christmas, is gratitude and great joy that includes generations of familial bonds.
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The Ayen family poses for a family portrait including freshman Maddie, 2014 FHS graduate Joshua, baby Miles and senior Emma. Photo used with permission from Beth Ayen
Senior Emma and freshman Maddie Ayen light their menorah in their home last December. Photo
used with permission of Beth Ayen
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Laney Kyle develops digital scrapbook
Graphic by Edmund Lewellen
Carson Lilley
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Check out this video about Kyle
Junior Caroline Riebe and sophomore Abby Kyle play with a dog on the Fourth of July in one of junior Laney Kyles’ heavily edited videos. Photo used with permission of Laney Kyle.
lillecar000@hsestudents.org
ireworks explode in the sky as kids run around with sparkles waving in their hands. Screams are heard as a roller coaster climbs the hill, threatening to tip over. The frame changes again and this time a boat glides along a crystal clear lake, pulling a tube behind it. These scenes can be found in junior Laney Kyle’s videos. Kyle has been interested in videography since the beginning of her freshman year. Her first video was filmed during a confirmation retreat, where she wanted to document the experience for other church members. “I got into making videos because I really wanted to remember things that were happening in the moment,” Kyle said. “I wanted to be able to look back on my life and remember the fun things I did and how happy I was.” Since then, Kyle has continued to improve the quality of her videos through new equipment such as a stabilizer. To shoot videos, she uses either a GoPro, iPhone or a Canon. Kyle’s favorite things to film include vacations, birthday parties and family reunions. “I like to film clips that capture moments that won’t happen again,” Kyle said. “My videos usually include clips that are different and funny.” Kyle is self-taught, which allows her freedom in deciding how to shoot and edit her videos. When editing, Kyle likes to keep things simple. She often adds music to the background of videos, and clips are aligned with the beat of the song. “I like my videos to look realistic,” Kyle said. “I did heavy edits to one video and it was fun to mix it up, but raw videos are my favorite.” Though Kyle began making videos as a way to look back on her own life, she has branched out and made videos for other people. Once, during one of her sister’s volleyball tournaments, Kyle tagged along and began filming. She then made
a video that was shared between the parents, coaches and staff at the club, generating over 700 views. “I think it’s awesome that if something happens during a play that my team is proud of, we can always go back and celebrate it by watching the video,” Kyle’s sister, sophomore Abby Kyle said. “I love how she captures and shares the moment with everyone.” Kyle hopes to pursue a career in videography, with the ultimate goal of traveling the world and documenting her memories through video. She finds inspiration in videographer and blogger Indy Blue, who travels with friends and creates videos. To document her videos, Kyle created a blog called “Laney Kyle” where she regularly uploads content. Videos are published on Youtube and her blog, as well as being advertised on Instagram. “My videos are mainly for me to look back on, but they’re fun for other people to see,” Kyle said. “I don’t keep them to myself, but I make them with the mindset that this is how I’m going to remember a certain event.” After Kyle shoots her videos, she uploads them to her computer and edits them with Final Cut Pro. Because camera equipment and editing software is expensive, Kyle continuously saves money for new material. “I’m really lucky because my parents are really supportive of what I do,” Kyle said. “If they notice I really want something that I’ve been saving my money for awhile, they’ll usually help me out a little bit in the end.” Kyle continues to makes videos of moments she wants to remember in the future and hopes to eventually transform her passion into an activity that serves as a digital scrapbook of her life. In the meantime, she can be found in her room busy at work editing her most recent video.
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How to create a video like Kyle
1. Use a charged camera to record the clips.
2. Transport the clips from the camera to a laptop.
3. Edit the clips on Final Cut Pro or iMovie and put them together to create a video.
4. Upload the finished video to YouTube. Check out Kyle’s YouTube channel here
Kyle goes through the process of creating a video on Nov. 11. Photos by Carson Lilley.
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Popular movies come to sleigh
John Yun
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yunjoh000@hsestudents.org
undreds of millions of dollars in revenue are made during the winter holidays in the movie industry, according to the Washington Post. The total gross from movies was over $11 billion in 2016, and winter movies made over $1.5 billion of that, according to Box Office Mojo. The Star Wars franchise is the fifth top grossing franchise in the world with a gross over $4.4 billion, according to Mental Floss. Five popular movies coming out in December are “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” “The Greatest Showman,” “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” “Ferdinand” and “Pitch Perfect 3.”
“Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” “‘Jumanji’ is a childhood movie that I watched with Robin Williams in it, and now it is having two of my favorite actors, Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart, in it, so I think it is going to be funny,” senior Conner Brosmer said. A continuation of the 1995 movie “Jumanji,” “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” is about four teenagers in detention that find an old video game console and test it out. After choosing their adult avatars, the teenagers are sucked into the game as their characters. The four avatars are played by Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan and Jack Black. The four will have to go on a dangerous adventure, or they will be stuck in the game forever.
“Star Wars: The Last Jedi” Following the success of “The Force Awakens,” “The Last Jedi” takes place in the immediate aftermath. The movie continues the story of Rey and her encounter with Jedi Master Luke Skywalker as well as the war between Leia’s Resistance and the First Order. “I’ve been waiting for it ever since the ‘Force Awakens’ came out, and one thing I’m expecting is Princess Leia to die, obviously, because Carrie Fisher passed away in real life,” senior Matthew Brown said. “In the trailer, it kind of seemed like Rey was shifting between the light and the dark side, so I’m expecting to see something there like a conflict with Luke Skywalker.”
“Pitch Perfect 3” After winning the World Championships in “Pitch Perfect 2,” the Barden Bellas split apart and find that there are no job prospects for singing. However, the Bellas get the chance to come together one last time for an overseas USO tour. Hailee Steinfeld, Anna Kendrick, Alexis Knapp, Rebel Wilson, Brittany Snow and Hana Mae Lee return as the Bellas. “I’m really excited because the last movie was pretty good, and Fat Amy is always funny, every time, so she won’t surprise me when she does some funny stuff,”
Graphics by John Yun
sophomore Robert Lee said. “I’m also excited to see the acapella songs they have on there this year.”
“The Greatest Showman” “The Greatest Showman” is an original musical based on the life of P.T. Barnum, the creator of the Barnum and Bailey circus in 1881. The movie celebrates the beginning of show business and of Barnum, who started at the bottom and became a hit worldwide via his imagination. Hugh Jackman, Zac Efron, Zendaya and Michelle Williams star in this film. They play P.T. Barnum, Phillip Carlyle, Anne Wheeler and Charity Barnum, respectively. The huge success of “La La Land” has convinced 20th Century Fox that people have an increased desire for original musicals and will watch “The Greatest Showman,” according to Forbes. Hugh Jackman is best known for the character Wolverine and was in the musical “Les Miserables.” Zac Efron was in the “High School Musical” movies before, and has not been in a musical since. However, people will be able to hear him sing and dance once again.
“Ferdinand” “I’m expecting it to be very cute, and I want to go see it because it was my favorite book when I was younger,” junior Audrey Wilson said. “My mom read it to me, and she always seemed very happy whenever she read it, so I liked it.” “Ferdinand,” an animated film based on the childrens book, follows Ferdinand the bull [played by John Cena] who likes to smell flowers and enjoys to sit peacefully under trees. Unlike other bulls, he does not like to jump around snorting and butting heads with others. Ferdinand soon grows up into a big strong bull but still continues to be kind and calm. However, one day, five men choose Ferdinand as the strongest and fastest out of the other bulls for the popular bullfights in Madrid and take him away from his home. Ferdinand, alongside other animals, set out on an adventure to return to his family.
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Entertainment
Photo used with the permission of the Tribune News Service
Star Wars: The Last Jedi Movie Release Date: December 15, 2017 Movie Rating: PG-13 Director: Rian Johnson
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle Movie Release Date: Movie Rating: PG-13 Director: Jake Kasdan
The Greatest Showman Movie Release Date: December 20, 2017 Movie Rating: PG Director: Michael Gracey
Photo used with the permission of News Measurements Network Live https:// creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/
Pitch Perfect 3 Movie Release Date: December 22,2017 Movie Rating: PG-13 Director: Trish Sie
Photo used with the permission of the Tribune News Service
Ferdinand Movie Release Date: December 15, 2017 Movie Rating: PG Director: Carlos Saldanha
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Christmas&Music: Holiday tunes jingle back into new popular carols Carolina Puga Mendoza
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pugacar000@hsestudents.org
oliday songs made their way back into music podcasts, radios and TV, as artists create new beats and revitalize old ones to listen to. “I like how [Christmas music] is joyful and makes everyone smile,” freshman Evan Becker said. “I think that no matter [who] the [singer is], the song will always make people happy.”
beats are added to the piano. The song steps away from the traditional and joyful beat of a Christmas song and goes through a more slow pace with higher background sound and low voice. “My type of music is more of a slow beat, happy and slow can go together,” senior Luke Sorrell said. “I would need to check [this album] out.”
“Everyday Is Christmas,” SIA Singer and songwriter Sia Kate, also known as SIA, produced a holiday album for the first time. Released Nov. 17, “Everyday is Christmas” contains classic tunes, as well as original songs such as “Snowman,” “Snowflake,” “Ho Ho Ho,” and more. The song “Everyday is Christmas” starts with a slow piano tune. SIA starts singing with a slow and sad voice, but soon
“Warmer In The Winter,” Lindsey Stirling According to Billboard, Lindsey Stirling is a young artist whose music style creates electronic and classical beats. “Warmer in the Winter” adds up to Stirling’s fourth album and this seasonal collection features Becky G, Trombone Shorty, Alex Gaskarth and Sabrina Carpenter. Released on Oct. 20, 10 of the songs are covers such as “All I want for Christmas,” “Silent Night” and “Jingle Bell Rock,”
but it also comes with three original tracks: “Christmas C’mon,” “Warmer in the Winter” and “Time to Fall in Love.” Stirling’s “Warmer In The Winter” demonstrates a heavy composition of violin and trumpet. The song’s tune brings long vocals but has lots of blank spaces with no voice and only trumpet sound. The cover “What Child Is This” starts with a heavy tune of piano and violin. No lyrics or voice can be heard throughout the whole song, unlike the original version from composer William Chatterton Dix where the song composition makes up mostly orchestra and carols. “You Make It Feel Like Christmas,” Gwen Stefani Gwen Stefani released her first Christmas album on Oct. 6, “You Make It Feel Like Christmas.” Her boyfriend Blake Shelton collaborated on some of the covers and helped her create original tracks such as “My Gift Is You,” “When I Was A Little Girl” and “Under The Christmas Lights.” The music style is pop but Shelton added some country feel.
Michael Buble 2011
When she sings it’s mostly vocal, the spirit in it is good, I love it,” senior Mary Green said.
Michael Buble’s holiday album “Christmas” released in 2011 is an acclamation of him singing the world’s best known Christmas songs according to ClizBeats. Photo used with permission of Jeff Sinner
Demi Lovato 2012
Fifth Harmony 2014
On 2014, Demi Lovato grabbed attention during “American Idol” singing Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” in front of the Obama’s.
Graphics by Edmund Lewellen and Carolina Puga Mendoza
“Noël Deluxe Edition,” Josh Groban Josh Groban, an international singer, and writer celebrated the tenth anniversary of his Grammy-nominated seasonal album “Noel” with a brand new deluxe recording. The new album brings six new songs to the original 13 tracks. Overall the songs have a peaceful and slow tune with a opera-like rhythm alongside an orchestra. “The spirit and the feeling of it [Christmas] it’s mostly preppy and it gets your spirits high,” senior Mary Green said. “Honestly, if it were socially acceptable to listen to [Christmas music all the time] I would.” All the songs can be heard on Spotify, Youtube or Amazon Music. Most of the recordings are on sale in local stores.
Mariah Carey 1994
Photo used with permission of Oliver Doubliery
Photo used with permission of Robert Gauthier
“You Make It Feel Like Christmas” starts with a loud and jazz-like tune. Shelton begins the opening of the song and Stefani follows afterwards. Drums and trumpets take over the overall song giving a loud and catching beat, enough to start moving the foot to the rhythm.
The cover took place in 2014 as part of an album “I Will Be Home For Christmas” where multiple artists helped in its creation. Photo used with permission of Tribune News Service
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Representation spreads in superhero universes Sydney Greenwood
C
greensyd002@hsestudents.org
aptain America throws his shield at Red Skull and Batman silently soars through the night, the Bat-Signal luminous behind him. Many iconic superheroes such as Captain America and Batman have existed for decades as well known characters. Superheroes still manage to be relatable, even though they may have superpowers and save the world in their spare time. Junior Makenzie Weber finds it easy to relate to Spider-Man because, like her, he is in high school and struggles to juggle his busy schedule. Senior Kathryn Cooper relates to Richard Grayson, aka Nightwing, because his optimism and charisma are attitudes that she tries to reflect. “I grew up reading the DC comics and I always loved the idea that you can have a family even if your family is a bunch of vigilantes,” Cooper said. Other factors besides personality play into what a person may choose as a superhero that represents them. Senior Jamille St. Hilaire relates closely with Captain America and said that the choices he makes and what he stands
Check out this video on superheroes
Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) fights to save Earth from Ares in the 2017 “Wonder Woman” movie. Photo used with permission of Tribune News Service.
Black Panther (T’Challa) is the king and defender of a fictional African country called Wakanda. He first appeared in a Marvel July 1966 issue and is the first African superhero in mainstream comics. Black Panther’s abilities include superhuman strength, speed, and agility, and he is an expert in several martial arts.
for factored into her decision. Freshman Philip White also chose Captain America due to their likeness. “[Captain America] represents me because I’d like to grow up and be similar to him,” White said. “He joined the army, and I would love to do that.” An issue that superhero movies often encounter is the portrayal of women, according to social studies teacher Haley Beauchamp. Marvel has struggled with properly representing Black Widow, played by Scarlett Johansson, in the “Avengers” movies. Jeremy Renner, who portrays Hawkeye, and Chris Evans, who plays Captain America, called Black Widow a “slut” and a “complete whore,” according to Time. They later apologized for their comments. “Unfortunately, it’s all about the physical appearance of women and the fact that the clothing they have to wear has to be a little more revealing,” Beauchamp said. Weber believes that the Captain Marvel movie, the first Marvel movie with a female lead, is a good move for more diversity. Captain Marvel will be played by Brie Larson and is set to release
Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman) will appear on screen in 2018. Photo used with permission of Bryan Ward. https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
Wonder Woman (Diana Prince) is an Amazon goddess and a founding member of the Justice League. Her first appearance was in DC comics in October 1941. Wonder Woman uses the Lasso of Truth, unbreakable bracelets and hand-to-hand combat. She has been presented as a feminist, pacifist and queer icon, as she has been declared canonically bisexual.
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in 2019. However, the gender of a character is not important to Weber. The actions of the character have a larger impact. “If they’re saving the world, they should be a good person,” Weber said. “It doesn’t matter if they’re female or male.” While Black Widow’s character has been treated more like an accessory than a main character, Cooper believes that the comic industry has taken a step toward more diversity. She said that they have started to include religious minorities and LGBT characters in the comics, such as Janissary, first appearing in 2001, and Dust, appearing in 2002, who are Muslim, and Batwoman, emerging in 2006, who is a lesbian. “I like to see groups that have been historically silenced be represented as powerful because I think that’s such a twist on how society has treated them in the past,” Cooper said. According to Beauchamp, there have been small changes in representation. Beauchamp believes that in order for there to be more depictions of different people, society itself needs to change. “[Society] is what decides what are the norms of our society and then everyday we are bombarded
by the media and the world telling us this is the way things should be,” said Beauchamp. “And if you step outside that, then you’re stepping outside the norm, so [society] has a very strong opinion about what is acceptable and what is not acceptable.” St. Hilaire said that involving more actors with different races and personalities would make superheroes more diverse. She cites the upcoming “Black Panther” movie from Marvel as a sign that this is coming to pass. Cooper suggested involving more diverse people in the creation process of the character and their story. “We saw in the ‘Wonder Woman’ movie having Patty Jenkins direct that movie, as a strong female herself, really changed the dynamic of the movie and I think that’s what made it so successful,” Cooper said. Captain America, Nightwing and Spider-Man will still remain favorites because of their good deeds and personalities, but as society changes, more diverse superheroes have joined the ranks. Riri Williams, a young black girl first appearing in July 2016, is prepared to take over as the next Iron Man, and in 2015, Gwen Stacy swung her way through New York as the newest Spider-Man.
Spider-Man (Peter Parker) was bitten by a radioactive spider and subsequently gained super strength and the abilities to cling to walls and ceilings. He also received a sixth sense, a spider sense, that alerts him to danger and gives him excellent agility and perfect equilibrium. He appears first in the Marvel comics in August 1952.
Peter Parker (Tom Holland) attempts to stop Vulture (Michael Keaton) in “Spider-Man: Homecoming” (2017). Photo used with permission
of
Tribune
News
Service.
Captain America (Steve Rogers) is a supersoldier created in World War II to defeat the Axis powers. His first appearance was in Marvel comics in March 1941. He fights using a shield made of vibranium and hand-to-hand combat, and his abilities include super strength and agility, due to the supersoldier serum, and being an expert tactician.
Graphics by Edmund Lewellen and Sydney Greenwood.
Captain America (Chris Evans) fights against the Red Skull in “Captain America: the First Avenger.” Photo used with permission of marvelousRoland. https:// creativecommons. org/licenses/bysa/2.0/
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Senior Alissa Gerka dribbles down the court during a game at home against Mooresville on Nov. 29. Mooresville beat Fishers 6148. Photo taken by Nya Thornton.
Graphic created by Ellie Albin
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Winter sports plunge into training Ellie Albin
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albinele000@hsestudents.org
oliday break means training and competitions for winter sports. While students and staff enjoy time at home or on vacation, athletes of basketball, wrestling and swimming spend their time training in the mostly empty school. Sophomore swimmer Ellen Fero admits that winter break training and meets can often be tiring, but overall it helps the team become stronger and healthier for the upcoming meets during the season. “Our winter break training is always the hardest week of training, and it really tests our mental and physical abilities,” Fero said. “Although a full winter break without swimming sounds like heaven, I know that it’s the only way I can keep getting better and achieve my goals.” Not only is this a time for athletes to get stronger, it also allows for teams to bond with each other during the time they have together. “We always have a party of some sort, and Secret Santa,” Fero said. “When we have practice on a holiday, the coaches try to make practice special for that day.” The girls basketball team travels to play a special tournament during winter break called the “Rumble on the River” in Hanover, Indiana, preventing them from traveling to far places to visit family and friends. “I know many people like to travel around Christmas, and we cannot,” sophomore basketball player Lydia Stulken said. “I don’t mind having
Sophomore swimmer EllenFero dives into the water during an intersquad meet a home on Nov. 21. The white team beat the red team 81-79. Photo used with permission of Patrick Nusbaum.
practice over winter break, though. Our time off is in the spring.” A common tradition along with traveling is filling up on seasonal foods and goodies, something that many athletes try to avoid. “I like to stuff up, but not too much, because I don’t want to get slower,” Stulken said. U.S. News & World Report states that average Americans gain five pounds during the holidays. This is often contributed to mindless eating or simply eating just because food is available, according to dietician and nutritionist Riska Platt. For swimmers, however, consuming larger amounts of food is allowed because they need to restore the calories they lose. Consuming large meals is common for swimmers year round, not just during the holidays. “My way of looking at it is at every practice, we usually burn about twice the amount of calories we eat a day,” Fero said. “I don’t really have to worry about what I eat.” According to Diet and Fitness Today, swimmers burn between 400 and 600 calories per hour of exercise in the pool. To replace those lost calories, swimmers need to fill up on carbohydrates after their workout. Holiday foods may satisfy swimmers, but other teams do not burn nearly as many calories. For teams such as wrestling, even though they do not burn as many calories, wrestlers are allowed to consume more calories than usual so they can still enjoy the holiday foods but also compete within their weight class. This exception is only allowed during winter break for wrestlers. “We get a two-pound allowance, so we can be within two pounds of our weight class and we can still wrestle,” sophomore wrestler JD Farrell said. Winter break training, however, still provides mixed feelings for many athletes. Even though there are fun traditions and more leniency on diets, some athletes wish they could just be with their families for the holidays. “I think it [winter training] is needed but I definitely do not always enjoy it,” Farrell said. “I wish I had time off to connect with my family.” Even with the holiday vibe in the air, Fero feels the same way about wanting to be with family and aching for a slight break. “I want to say that we are usually excited, but we’re just really tired and sore most of the time,” Fero said. “But we all get through each practice together and keep everyone staying positive.” Major holidays such as Christmas are off for all athletes. When it is not Dec. 25, however, it is back to the school, empty of the other 3,000 students.
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Traditions run through the holiday season Zoie Soehngen
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soehnzoi000@hsestudents.org
aking up to the sweet smell of the turkey roasting in the oven on Thanksgiving morning reflects traditions. A family holiday tradition for some includes participating in different 5Ks around Fishers. “I enjoy running in 5Ks because every Thanksgiving my family and I go out and do the YMCA Wishbone,” senior Corinne O’Leary said. “We’ve been running them since around the time I was in fifth grade.” A 5K is a course of 3.1 miles. Some people participate in the holiday-themed ones just for fun, while others use them to train for longer runs like the Mini Marathon, which is a course of 13.1 miles. “I’ve been training the past four years for a mini,” business technology teacher Shelley Lidy said. “The Thanksgiving runs made sense because I would have just gotten done with my training, but I would still be running. Every so often, we will do different 5Ks just to have something to look forward to.” Around the Fishers area, there are multiple holiday 5Ks for all ages. Some of the Thanksgiving runs donate the money raised tp different charities. “They were just something fun to do, but the first holiday 5K that I did was the Drumstick Dash,” Lidy said. “We wanted to get some exercise
Runners cross the finish line at the Turket Trot on Thanksgiving morning. Photo used
with permission of freshman Raegan Wolfgang.
in, and we liked that the money went towards supporting Wheeler Mission. Since this one has grown and become more congested, we found the Gobbler’s Jog at Saxony, which was not as crowded and was also a lot closer.” The runs are also a way to bond with friends and family around you, according to sophomore Kylee Scarlett, whose family has been running in 5ks together since she was in third grade. “I like running in the Drumstick Dash because it is a way to have fun with my friends and family,” Scarlett said. “It is also really nice because I love how it all goes back towards helping the less fortunate in our community.” The Drumstick Dash is put on by Huntington Bank. It starts in front of Broad Ripple High School and ends at the Broad Ripple Station parking lot. This year was the 15th annual Drumstick Dash, and all proceeds go towards making meals for the homeless men, women and children around the community, according to the Drumstick Dash website. The Wishbone 5K, hosted by the Fishers YMCA, has the 5K, but it also has the Senior Stroll and the Kiddie Fun Run. The Senior Stroll was added to the event this year. It has a different route so that participants still finish at the official finish line but only have to run a mile instead of 3.1 miles.
Sports “My favorite part about the Wishbone is the amount of people that dress up and participate in it,” O’Leary said. “Everyone has a positive attitude around me and it is just a great atmosphere to be apart of.” The Wishbone has had varying numbers throughout the years. Four years ago, there were 1,439 participants. Two years later, there were over 1,600. This year, there were about 1,400 runners, according to race director Matthew Wire. Christmas runs around Fishers include the Rudolph Run and Santa Hustle. The Rudolph Run will be on Dec. 24. Online registration ends on Dec. 18, but runners can register the day of starting at 7:00 am for $5 extra. Each participant receives a wrapped gift when they cross the finish line, according to the Rudolph Run website. For New Year’s, there is the Cheers to New Year’s run and the Winter Night Trail Run. The Cheers to New Year’s run will take place on New Year’s day. This will be the second year that the Cheers to New Year’s 5k will be hosted in support of Ainsley’s Angels of America. There was a huge jump in registration numbers for the run this year, according to race director Chet Klene. “Last year, we had 458 registrations for the run total,” Klene said. “This year, we have 139 participants signed up so far. At this point last year, we only had 11 signed up.” Traditions do not end when the race finishes, according to Scarlett. Families come home to finish cooking and wrap up on the couch to watch the Macy’s Day Parade, which brings joy and happiness on Thanksgiving.
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Popular Holiday Runs in Indy Race: Wishbone 5k When: Thanksgiving Morning Where: Fishers YMCA Estimate: 1,400 participants
Race: Drumstick Dash When: Thanksgiving Morning Where: Broad Ripple Estimate: 8,700 participants Race: Santa Hustle When: December 10 Where: Lucas Oil Stadium Estimate: 1,000 participants Race: Rudolph Run When: December 24 Where: Shelbyville Estimate: 200 participants Race: Cheers to New Year’s When: New Year’s Day Where: Indianapolis Estimate: 900 participants
Race: Winter Night Trail Run When: January 20 Seniors Corinne O’Leary and London Osmun smile together after finishing the YMCA Wishbone 5K on Thanksgiving morning. Photo used with permission of senior Corinne O’Leary
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Where: Eagle Creek Park Estimate: 700 participants max Graphics by Edmund Lewellen
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Claire Rosenthall
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Dec. 11, 2017
rosencla000@hsestudents.org
rom the start of his high school wrestling career, senior wrestler Alexander Streuder has made it to semi-state each year. This year his goal is to make it back to state, like his freshmen year, and be standing on the first place podium. Streuder’s passion for wrestling began when he was just five years old at a youth wrestling camp. “One of the reasons I love wrestling so much is that the teammates I have always been surrounded with have made it like a family to me,” Streuder said. Although it is an individual sport, a team still matters when it comes to wrestling competitions and the score. A team cannot be successful with just one wrestler since the total score comes from multiple wrestlers. This is one of the reasons a team is so important to Streuder. “You need to rely on your teammates to push you to do your best during practice and make sure that you are doing the same with them so they can become better,” Streuder said. As a four-year varsity wrestler, he makes sure that his impact on his younger teammates go a long way. “I really just try to lead by example. If younger guys see me working hard I feel like they will reciprocate the action and do the same,” Streuder said. Streuder and the other seniors on the team are with their third head coach, Jason Cook. “We’re all really excited to start working with Coach Cook and we really think that he will be able to help us individually and as a team,” Streuder said. In the few months he has worked with Streuder, Cook said that he leads by example and does a good job of redirecting the team towards the same goal. “Alex’s efforts are always focused on helping himself or others achieve a goal,” Cook said. “He makes coaching easier because he raises the team’s standards of work ethic and focus.” The senior travels and practices with Team Indiana and other club teams to get more experience. Over the years, Streuder has gotten to know the other wrestlers who he will be going up against in his weight class. “Off-season wrestling is the biggest because that is when people who aren’t as serious fall back and where I excel,” Streuder said. “Throughout the years I’ve gotten to know my competition which also helps me progress.” The team began its season with a 0-1 lost against Western High School on Nov. 18. Streuder himself fell to one of his top competitors, junior Hunter Cottingham in overtime. That has been the only loss for Streuder this season, his record being 10-1.
Alex Streuder strides for state
Senior Alexander Streuder stands on the first place podium along side competitors at Clinton Central Invite on December 10, 2016. Photo used with
permission
of
Alexander
Streuder.
Sports
Claire Rosenthall
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rosencla000@hsestudents.org
Grace shoots for victory this
On Oct. 27, senior Toni Grace dribbles the ball past Center Grove defender. Tigers lost 43-30. Photo courtesy of Fishers
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ntering her fourth year as a varsity girls basketball player, senior Toni Grace’s goal is for the team go as far as they can in post season. “The competition aspect of basketball has always been something I loved,” Grace said. “It has always been one of the best parts of the sport as a whole.” Grace had been coached under Michael Gaines until this year. Assistant coach Lauren Vail has now moved up to the head coach position after Gaines left. The transition for Grace was not hard, since the two had worked together previously in and out of school. “I’ve always had a good relationship with Coach Vail,” Grace said. “She is a coach that I can talk to her about things on and off the court.” Vail describes Grace as a very focused player and an athlete who wants to learn each day in practice and through film. “Toni is a naturally gifted athlete and it is fun to watch her coming in everyday working to better herself as a player,” Vail said. Grace has played basketball for as long as she can remember, now she plays on the school team and competes on various travel teams. So far, Grace has been averaging over ten points per game, three rebounds and two assist according to Max Preps, a high school sport coverage site. Grace’s teammates also see the effort she puts into her sport, spending time before and after school working on her shot and looking for ways to improve. “I’ve played basketball with Toni for a long time and she has always been a very dedicated athlete,” senior girls varsity basketball manager Chanie Hoyt said. “She always goes that extra mile to make sure that she can be the best out there on the court.” In past years, the team has not been able to make it out of their sectional. Grace is hoping that this year the team can make it past sectionals. “The season has just started but so far we have been working really well as a team,” Grace said. “We’ve been playing well as a team and hopefully we can continue for the rest of the season and make it past sectionals.”
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Common sense currency change:
pennies prove prodigiously pointless Photo by Haley Thomas
Haley Thomas
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thomahal000@hsestudents.org
ur government wastes millions of dollars each year minting pennies, a useless, poorly circulated coin with almost no purchasing power. Especially in an era of astronomical national debt and focus on lowering government spending, Americans must focus on eliminating pointless spending. Rising copper and zinc prices have caused the cost of producing pennies to skyrocket, and in 2016 each penny cost 1.5 cents to produce. However, the U.S. mint still produces 9.16 billion pennies each year, according to Time Magazine. This means pennies cost taxpayers almost $50 million annually. This cost could be worthwhile if pennies contributed to our economy, but they currently serve no purpose. In fact, only one third of pennies were in circulation in 1995, according to the Government Accountability Office. This suggests that two thirds of pennies are never used after first reaching consumers. This is probably because the penny has almost no purchasing power in our current economy, and most people do not consider them worth the effort of carrying around. As a 2008 New Yorker article pointed out, stooping to pick up a penny does not
even pay federal minimum wage unless it takes less than 6.15 seconds. Despite this, many Americans seem to feel nostalgic about pennies, and want the mint to continue spending $50 million on them each year. However, penny lovers should not fear the end of production, since they would still be free to use pennies in stores or hoard them in piggy banks. Pennies would not become obsolete overnight, and would still be accepted as legal currency. The only difference is that we would no longer waste millions of dollars each year producing more of them. Some pro-penny advocates fear that eliminating the penny would lead to higher prices, since prices would have to be rounded to the nearest nickel. A 2007 study by Robert Whaples of Wake Forest University found that eliminating the penny would have no significant effects on consumer prices or inflation, since sales taxes and pricing strategies would cause many prices to be rounded down instead of up. The growing number of credit or debit card transactions would not necessarily be subject to any rounding at all. Removing coins of small denominations is far from unprecedented. In 1857, the mint stopped
Opinion producing the half-cent coin, because the cost of making it had exceeded its face value and because they felt it had so little purchasing power that was no longer needed. Despite the half cent being worth more in 1857 than a dime is today, its removal had no significant effect on commerce. This suggests that we could stop producing pennies, nickels and dimes with few negative consequences. More recently, many countries have successfully removed their lowest-denomination coin. New Zealand stopped distributing five cent coins in 2006, 17 years after it scrapped its one and two cent coins. Canada stopped producing their penny in 2012, and expects to remove their nickel in the near future. Surely Americans can
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follow New Zealand and Canada’s example in this common sense, money saving currency reform. In March, Senator John McCain introduced Currency Optimization, Innovation and National Savings Act to reduce the cost of producing currency. It would suspend the production of pennies for 10 years, as well as reduce the production cost of nickels and replace $1 bills with the more economical $1 coins. All Americans should support this logical, responsible and money-saving reform. Considering our enormous national debt and struggles to balance our budget, it is ridiculous to waste $50 million annually on minting pennies. Our lawmakers should follow common sense and stop wasting taxpayer money on a worthless coin.
Graphic by Haley Thomas
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Star Wars fights for equality with force
Helen Rummel
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rummehel000@hsestudents.org
tar Wars” stands the test of time and extends its influence past its galaxy into the lives of millions. The original series of “Star Trek” makes for a fun few hours on Netflix. The crew aboard the Enterprise presents quirky scenarios to sort though for the next 50 minutes until you passively click to the next. While “Star Trek” provides impactful commentary for the 1960s, it is not lasting. The political and social discussions within “Star Trek” are thoughtful, but timesensitive. The lessons “Trek” teaches are stuck in another decade while “Star Wars” uses a narrative as old as time: the forces of good versus evil. While “Star Trek” remakes continue to be thrown together, “Star Wars” remains a legend, and legends do not die. When “Episode IV: A New Hope” debuted in 1977 it gained incredible national attention. It won seven Academy Awards and its box office return broke the standing record held by “Jaws” two times over. Three decades later, “Star Wars” came back powerfully. “The Force Awakens” obviously struck the hearts of Americans as it is the highest grossing film in North America, earning $936 million in the box office in North America according to Forbes. Meanwhile, the most recent “Star Trek” addition from 2016, “Star Trek Beyond,” earned merely $155.2 million. While many developments toward equality occurred in the 60s, the “Star Wars” franchise made great improvements by presenting unyielding female characters to their viewers. Nichelle Nichols did made great strides in racial equality in being one of the first major female Africans Americans in a major role in “Star Trek” she still is not independent from Captain Kirk by any means. Princess Leia Organa’s unapologetic wit and determination earned her the title as one of the most beloved female role models in history. While girls looked up to characters like Sleeping Beauty and Snow White, princesses who awaited helplessly for the next brazen young man to rescue them, Leia took a different approach. She is renowned for her tenacity even with Han Solo where she refuses to hand over the control in their relationship. In A “New Hope,” she takes it upon herself to obtain a weapon and devises the escape plan all on her own. She displayed a strength that led a rebellion and inspired generations of girls. Padmé Amidala and Rey follow the example set by the princess. Padmé sits as Republic senator and queen of a planet, and the first scenes of “The Force Awakens” highlight Rey’s self-reliance. She lives completely on her own in the desert and upon meeting Finn, makes it abundantly clear that she does not need help protecting herself. “Star Wars” is no place for a damsel in distress and that progressive portrayal of women placed the franchise in the high regards of people all over the globe, not just the United States. “Star Wars” is centered around positive role models and gender equality and for this reason will endure as one of the most influential franchises in history. “I think in the most recent ‘Star Wars’ films there’s been an increase in diversity, such as race and there’s more women involved now,” senior Nate Leser.
Photos by Helen Rummel and Ethan O’Sullivan.
“‘Star Wars’ has this angsty, almost stereotypical teen, only in outer space. It’s is more relatable to our generation and everyone’s generation,” junior Haele Jordan said.
“When do you hear people saying, ‘live long and prosper’? While you hear people all the time saying, ‘may the force be with you’,” sophomore Will Brucks said.
Opinion
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Ethan O’Sullivan
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Renewable energy sustainable, advancing
osuleth000@hsestudents.org
will not waste your time repeating a conversation you have heard a thousand times: common sense dictates that nuclear energy is a better alternative to oil and natural gas. However, renewable energy uses the sun and other sources that virtually cannot be depleted and have a minimal impact on the environment. In the near future it will surpass nuclear energy before the next reactor can even be finished. While installing renewable energy plants might be expensive, they are inexpensive to maintain. The biggest obstacles that renewable energy faces concern its efficiency. Keeping thousands of panels or turbines clean is an impractical task for an energy company to undertake, but increasingly advanced automation might allow us to overcome those hurdles. For example, the Institute for Nanotechnology recently developed a solar panel coating that cleans itself and operates at optimal efficiency for extended periods of time without needing maintenance. An aerospace company called SkySpecs has developed drones capable of cutting out the difficult job of a technician and completing a full inspection of a wind turbine within just a couple of minutes. Even the world’s biggest nuclear enthusiasts are beginning to see that renewable energy might better serve their people due to its diminishing costs. According to the World Nuclear Association, extreme air pollution caused by coal-powered fuel has led to China’s desperation to find alternative energy and erect 28 nuclear plants across the country. However, Renewable Energy World reports that last year China added 5.7 gigawatts of nuclear power to their total output compared to their 4.8 gigawatts of wind power and 10.6 gigawatts of solar power. Despite its recognition as being at the forefront of nuclear energy production, China’s several nuclear reactors are performing far below their expectations and in the near future will only contribute a small fraction of the energy provided to its over one billion people. The US is facing the same decision. As America moves away from the dying fossil fuel industry, it needs to find an economically rational alternative. The market for nuclear energy, however, is unappealing to suppliers. Numerous safety restrictions put in place to prevent nuclear meltdowns have severely delayed or outright blocked every single nuclear project in America. These hurdles have hindered more efficient reactor designs. For example, two advanced nuclear reactors in South Carolina were abandoned before their completion last year as fiscal challenges pushed them billions of dollars over budget. Because new designs often cannot be built until several years after their proposal, it means that the reactors often cannot adapt to the constantly shifting market. While innovation in the nuclear industry stagnates, automation has allowed renewable energy to advance faster than ever before. Nuclear power can produce massive amounts of energy, but data from the Energy Information Administration shows that residential electricity demand between 2010 and 2016 declined by 9 percent as Americans use and produce energy more efficiently. Soon we simply will not need that kind of excess, especially when it is so impractical. “Solar and wind power are more natural. When I took chemistry, I learned from my teacher that it nuclear energy was a cause of pollution,” junior Sarah Shahnavaz said.
“If we could power things by the sun, that would be much more efficient. We wouldn’t have to worry about finding more materials,” senior Emily Waye said.
“Wind is natural. It’s always going to be there. If we can turn it into energy, it’ll benefit the world much more than coal and other causes of pollution,” sophomore Noah Cole said.
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Field trips provide unique opportunities
T
Graphic by Mo Wood and Edmund Lewellen.
he most exciting parts of the school year hands down are field trips, being able to get out of a stuffy classroom to see something more than motivational posters and boring Powerpoints. Many classes offer field trips, but core classes like biology, algebra, US History and English do not offer these experiences that help students learn and understand content better. The point of school is to learn, and while a surface understanding is helpful, field trips provide experiences to really grasp and remember the content and to have a deeper understanding of content. Multiple studies show the benefit of field trips and many classes capitalize on their ability to help students. The core classes though, seem to rely only on books and lectures which can cater to some types of learners but not all. We are lucky to live in a district that sees the educational value of these trips. But, classes that matter the most, that are essential to graduating, lack the trips that help students understand the content the state feels is so vital for us to know. Students do better on tests after a field trip; 59 percent of them have better grades after trips, according to the NEA. Beyond grades, schools who send their students on field trips have a higher graduation rate, 95 percent in high school. The University of Arkansas found that children who go on field trips are more empathetic. The students who visited an art museum were given the opportunity to think from other perspectives, opening up their minds to higher thinking and tolerance of different ideas. Field trips put content into perspective. The concepts students learn in classes transform from a topic that has no significance to something that affects the world around them, when they see that concept in the real world. Comparative religions students learn what Buddhists worship in class, but on their field trip to a Buddhist temple they learn how they worship and gain a larger insight into the religion. Dual credit anatomy and physiology classes learn about the human body and its systems, but when they visit the cadaver lab they see how the information is applied and get hands on experience working with corpses. Art History students visit museums, government classes visit the state house, but chemistry classes do not visit Eli Lilly, a global pharmaceutical company headquartered in Indianapolis, that would change the conceptions of students that chemistry is just a state requirement with no effect on their lives beyond their high school career. The marching band went to Hollywood in November. They toured historic areas in the city and marched in the nationally televised Hollywood Christmas parade. While this might not sound educational, the students gained experiences they will remember for the rest of their lives. Students love field trips, excuses to get out of the classroom are generally adored, but field trips impact kids more than just excusing them from their classes, they help students learn more about their subject and the world, and the school’s goal is to provide us students with a well-rounded education. The benefits of field trips can not be overlooked and knowing that, teachers and administration should be motivated to see that their students learn as much about the subject they are studying as possible by adding more field trips into curriculum.
N the Red 31
Opinion
Comic by Edmund Lewellen.
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Mission Statement
Tiger Topics N the RED is the official monthly newsmagazine of Fishers High School. It is distributed free to 3400 students and over 200 school personnel. It is designed, written, typeset and edited by students. Opinions expressed in the newsmagazine do not necessarily represent those of the adviser, administration or staff. Letters to the editor may be submitted to A218, or to fhsnthered@gmail.com. Letters must contain the writer’s phone number for verification. Letters to the editor will not be published anonymously. If there is any incorrect information, corrections will be made in the next issue.
As the student-run newsmagazine of FHS, Tiger Topics N the Red is dedicated to providing the staff, students and community of FHS with a timely, entertaining and factual publication once a month by means of public forum. In publishing articles that students enjoy reading, we are furthering both the educational experience and the expansion of FHS culture. The staff works to create a sense of unity and awareness and to allow the students of FHS to have a better insight to the world around them.
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N the Red
ISSUE REVIEW
A cr oss 3 . What edit ing s of t wa re d o e s L a n e y k y l e u s e to edi t her vi deos? 5 . Where did t he M ar c h i n g Ba n d g o o n th e i r fi rs t day i n C al i forni a? 9 . The su c c es s of “ La L a L a n d ” h a s i n s p i re d th e creators of w hi ch upcomi ng mu si ca l film ? 1 0. Wh i ch pr ot ec t iv e a p p l i c a ti o n s h o u l d s ti l l b e a ppl i ed i n the w i nter? 11 . Gwen S t ef ani c olla b o ra te d w i th w h i c h c o u n try si nger for her C hri stmas a lb um th is y ear ? 1 2. H ow m any A c adem y Aw a rd s d i d “A N e w H o p e ” ori gi nal l y w i n? 1 3. On e c an t r ac e t he o ri g i n s o f H a n u k k a h to w hi ch anci ent texts? D own 1 . A study f r om t he Un i v e rs i ty o f Ark a n s a s fo u n d that chi l dren w ho go on f re quent f ield t r ips t en d to b e m o re _ _ _ _ . 2 . Thi s ra c e s t ar t s at t h e B ro a d R i p p l e H i g h S c h ool and ends at the B road R ip pl e Stat ion, r ais ing mo n e y fo r i mp o v e ri s h e d Fi shers resi dents. 4 . Thi s S panis h t eac he r re u s e s b o x e s a n d b a g s i n order to prevent w aste w hen sh e org aniz es gif t s . 6 . Thi s four - y ear v ar s i ty w re s tl e r h o p e s to b e a r ol e-model for younger a t hl etes. 7 . Bri e Lar s on will portra y w h i c h s u p e rh e ro i n a n upcomi ng 2019 superhero mo vi e? 8 . Thi s tour nam ent ov e r w i n te r b re a k i n te rfe re s wi th gi rl basketbal l pl ayers’ t ra ve l p l a ns . Crossword by Ethan O’Sullivan using crosswordlabs.com. Tweet out your completed crosswords @FHS_NtheRed. Last issue winner, Jason Nguyen contact Ethan O’Sullivan at osuleth000@hsestudents.org for your reward!
Dec. 11, 2017