10.11 Issue

OCT. 11, 2013 I VOL. 78 I ISSUE 3

CARMEL HIGH SCHOOL I 520 E. MAIN ST. I CARMEL, IN I WWW.HILITE.ORG

Also in this issue…

A closer look at the impact of an increased minimum wage *CARMEL HIGH SCHOOL’S STUDENT NEWSMAGAZINE

See Page 8

See Page 30

BEYOND O N E

S T E P

The LGBT community struggles to overcome religious opposition despite the growing trend of tolerance

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Follow HiLite online.

PAGE 2 | TABLE OF CONTENTS | HILITE | HILITE.ORG | OCT. 11, 2013

Inside this issue: Feature 8

News 6

Cover 16

Student Section 14

Beyond the Closet Religion remains an obstacle to the tolerance of the LGBT community Page 16 Corrections and Clarifications In the Sept. 12 story titled “Home(less) Dogs,” Amanda Ryan was mislabeled as Amanda Hunter.

In the Sept. 12 story “Classes to build playhouses Wednesday,” Ann Mayhew’s quote should have said, “We build them first. They’re kits, but we build them. Students have to attach the roof, assemble and trim the walls and shingle the window boxes, then they decorate it.”

The HiLite strives to correct its errors. If you notice any inaccuracies in this or past issues, please contact management@hilite.org.

ALICE ZHU / COVER PHOTO

News

Entertainment 20

House members will host their annual “Trick or Treat for Riley” on Oct. 26. This year, House is pushing for more activities with the kids and bigger donations 6

Feature Recent protests by fast food workers may lead to increase in minimum wage 8

Student Section Members of Carmel Mayor’s Youth Council volunteer at the Tour de Carmel.

The Council aims to promote community involvement within the high school 14

Entertainment Reporters John Chen and Angela Wu discuss students’ fall and winter fashion trends and styles 20

Flip for these stories:

Sports 24

News editor Helena Ma encourages students to recognize the multiplying effects of random acts of kindness 29

Perspectives

Perspectives

Sports

Check out Maham Nadeem’s column on Syria and how one should increase his or her empathy and awareness of the Syrian conflict 31

Senior Sam Milstone, former haunted house worker, likes to eat glass for fun 32

This year, volleyball team members hope to achieve their first State title 24

15 Minutes

OCT. 11, 2013 | HILITE.ORG | HILITE | JUST A MINUTE | PAGE 3

HI, I’M VEGETARIAN

The month of October is World Vegetarian Month. Here’s a graphic on the ins and outs of the vegetarian diet.

THE PERCENTAGES

Where will I get proteins?

14%

has been vegetarian for less than 2 years

10%

of the American population follows a “mostly vegetarian” diet

3%

THE DIET

of the American population is completely vegetarian

11%

2 to 5 years

Veggie burger 1 patty: 13 g

Tofu 4 oz, firm: 11 g

Lentils 1 cup, cooked: 18 g

Peanut butter 1 tbsp: 4 g

Bagel 2 halves: 9 g

Black beans 1 cup, cooked: 15 g

18%

5 to 10 years

51.7%

more than 10 years

How about calcium?

59%

is female 41% is male

42% is 18 to 34 years old 40.7% is 35 to 54

53% is vegetarian to improve overall health

54% is 47% is vegetarian vegetarian for for animal environmental welfare concerns Collard greens Broccoli 1 serving: 70 mg 1 cup, chopped: 46 mg

THE COMPARISONS Average BMI (Body Mass Index)

Vegetarian 25.7

Meat Eater 28.8

TAHINI

Where will my iron come from?* Average Cholesterol (mg/dl)

Vegetarian 161

Meat Eater 193

Soy beans Dark green, leafy Kidney beans 1 cup, cooked: 8.8 mg vegetables 1 cup, cooked: 5.2 mg

Costs of Meals

*An easy way to get extra iron: cook in cast-iron pans

Triglycerides (mg/dl) Vegan Breakfast $2.25 $2.90 Lunch Dinner $7.30 Total

$12.45

Meat Eater $2.45 $3.40 $8.80 $14.65

Tahini 1 tbsp: 64 mg

Vegetarian 81.9

What about fish-free omega-3 fatty acids?

Meat Eater 107.5 Flax seeds

Walnuts

Purslane MEDIAPETA.COM / SOURCE DENNIS YANG / GRAPHIC

PAGE 4 | NEWS | HILITE | HILITE.ORG | OCT. 11, 2013

[news]

Did you know?

About 3 million students, including both juniors and sophomores, took the PSAT in 2012.

SUBMITNEWS@HILITE.ORG | HILITE.ORG/NEWS

COLLEGE BOARD / SOURCE

Testing Time

News Briefs Oct. 12

CHS to conduct PSAT for juniors and sophomores, PLAN for freshmen on Oct. 16

BY ANNI ZHANG azhang@hilite.org

O

ANNI ZHANG / PHOTO

THE BOARD ROOM: At the Sept. 24 Carmel Mayor’s Youth Council (CMYC) meeting, Jack Langston, CMYC president and senior, discusses new volunteer opportunities for the month of October.

Langston said the club’s main focus right now is on preparations for High School Fall Fest, which will take place on Oct. 12.

Oct. 18-21

There will be no school from the 18th to the 21st due to fall break.

Oct. 22-31

CHS will celebrate Red Ribbon Week to remind students to avoid drugs and to stay safe.

SAT a lot easier, and I’m taking that the first time this winter. Now after using the books and taking the class, I’ve actually learned a lot of (vocabulary) so it is a lot easier now than it was before and I feel like I’ll do much better,” she said.

According to College Board, the National Merit cut-off score increased from 211 to 215 in the past two years.

While this change may seem daunting at first, Sever said he knows CHS students can rise up to this challenge and do just as well.

“It’s hard to say in words how amazing Carmel High School is; we have over 40 National Merit Semifinalists and knowing that out of the vast number of students that take that test nationwide, the fact that the past several years we’ve had 40 semifinalists, I think it just speaks very

highly of our students and of our teachers and of our school and of our community,” Sever said. “This might impact things a little bit, but I still believe Carmel High School will have a very strong representation among schools who have National Merit Semifinalists.”

With just a few days left before testing, Sever said he encourages students to do their best and worry more about getting a good night’s rest than cramming in last-minute facts.

“I just hope that PSAT day is a good opportunity for our students to shine on those standardized tests. We work really hard to create a good environment for everyone and just hope that students get a good night’s sleep before, eat a good breakfast and come to school ready to perform well and meet their potential.” H

n Oct. 16, freshmen will take the PLAN test while sophomores and juniors will take the PSAT test in their assigned testing rooms from 7:50 to 11:03 a.m. According to Assistant Principal Brad Sever, all freshmen will take the PLAN test this year, as opposed to only those who chose to take it last year.

“A vast majority of the freshmen took it last year, and we thought it was a good preparatory opportunity to help prepare those freshmen for future standardized tests that they will need to take to get into college,” Sever said.

In preparation for the PSAT test, junior Tori Van Buren said she has been taking an English enhancement class since summer. One of her Steps to a Scholarship goals this year is to get closer to a National Merit These pie charts show how many people make it through Semifinalist cut-off score, each stage of the qualifications for the National Merit Scholarship which was 215 last year.

To reach that target score, she said, would allow her to qualify for many scholarship opportunities.

“By preparing a lot for Step One: Out of Step Two: the PSAT, it’ll make the 1.5 million students: Out of 50,000

ADMINISTRATION / SOURCE SCOTT LIU / GRAPHIC

50,000 recognized

PSAT Schedule Period PSAT in assigned testing room

Regular Period G3

34,000 Commended Students

Carmel Mayor’s Youth Council (CMYC) will host High School Fall Fest on Oct. 12 from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free, but CMYC members suggest students bring extra money to spend on food and games.

16,000 National Merit Semifinalists

students:

Time 7:50 a.m.11:08 a.m.

11:18 a.m.1:28 p.m.

Shortened Period G1

1:38 p.m.2:19 p.m.

Shortened Period G4

2:29 p.m. 3:05 p.m.

Step Three: Out of 16,000 students:

15,000 National Merit Finalists (determined by academic performance and SAT score)

Step Four: Out of 15,000 students:

8,000 Winners of $2,000 National Merit Scholarship (determined by academic performance, activities, leadership, written recommendation, personal essay) NATIONALMERIT.ORG / SOURCE SCOTT LIU / GRAPHIC

OCT. 11, 2013 | HILITE.ORG | HILITE | NEWS | PAGE 5

CHS explores AP Capstone Program they’re able to research, spend a year researching and working with a mentor in an area that they have a deep interest in Capstone Flowchart studying and doing a project in that area.”

Fogel, who shares similar views, said, “A definite benefit ince her freshman year, senior Lauren Fogel has taken The AP Cambridge Capstone Program would be combining your AP coursework with a research 13 AP courses. For Fogel, the AP Program provides her consists of three parts including... project or seminar course because with the challenging coursework she enjoys. Recently, you’re learning about things that are Seminar Course CHS has begun to explore a new program, the AP AP Courses more applicable to the real world.”

During their junior year, students Capstone Program.

Ordinary AP Nevertheless, Fogel also said take a seminar course modeled after Assistant Principal Brooke Watkins said via email, “Right courses are a drawback of the AP Capstone a university course. Schools can now we’re just exploring the idea (of the AP Capstone a key part of Program would be the additional individually choose which seminar Program). This may be another opportunity that we can the Capstone work involved. courses to offer from a list to be provide students with more tools to be successful and open Program.

“AP courses already have a lot distributed by College Board. doors for future opportunities.” of work involved, especially with CHS has yet to send an application for preparation for the AP national research project. In addition to taking a seminar course and the new round of pilot schools for the AP exams,” Fogel said. “I’m not sure exactly how conducting a research project, students would also need Capstone Program, which, according to John (some students) would fit (the AP Capstone to earn scores of three or more on at least four AP exams Williamson, executive director for AP Program) into their schedules. It would require in order to earn an AP Capstone Program Diploma.

Curriculum Development at the College a lot of dedication by Williamson said the AP Capstone Board, is due on Nov. 8. the students.”

Program provides students with Watkins said, “We have to go Research Project However, Fogel skills such as critical and creative through our own curriculum During students’ senior year, they said she would like to thinking, collaboration and advisory committee and propose would participate in an independent see the AP Capstone problem solving. the course to the board before mentored project featuring a 4,500 Program gain some “We see the AP Seminar we can proceed.” to 5,000 word academic paper. popularity at CHS. course as being a strong The AP Capstone COLLEGE BOARD / SOURCE “I think that the (AP CHRISHAN FERNANDO / GRAPHIC foundation and a strong Program itself is a twoCapstone Program) supporter of all other year program, the first would be a great AP coursework,” year dedicated to a opportunity,” Fogel said. “I feel like it’s a really good way to Williamson said. “The AP seminar course and the integrate what you’re learning in class to what you would have Research course would be second year CHRISHAN FERNANDO / PHOTO ILLUSTRATION H to do in the real world.” beneficial for students in that focused on a

BY CYNTHIA YUE cyue@hilite.org

S

New scouting organization Trail Life USA to opens its doors to new scouters in 2014

FOR MORE ON GAY RIGHTS TURN TO THE COVER STORY ON PAGE 16-19.

us eo on rag withissi ou Mi f c ead er s o d, l exp ion Go nd . rat or , a re ne on rs ntu ge o h othe dve ide n t e r a gu me serv doo “to ung ty, out yo tegri nce e in

I

n 2014, a new scouting organization, Trail Life USA (Trail Life), will open its doors to America. The group was formed in response to the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) allowing gays to join in May 2013.

Trail Life is currently designed for any boys who are biologically male and under the age of 18. According to its website, it is a Christian-based organization that values character development, leadership, moral purity, and ethical and moral standards found in the Bible.

Drew Casati, Eagle Scout and senior, said he is tolerant of yet does not completely agree with the new organization. “I think it’s totally fine if they want to form their own organization, people can do what they want. I don’t know if I agree with it, but I can’t say that I’m against it,” Casati said.

Local BSA scoutmaster Mike Elliott said he agrees with Casati that the formation of Trail Life is acceptable.

However, he said he completely disagrees with the overall message of the organization, which, according to Elliott, is that gays have no place in scouting.

“They can believe what they big and too popular,” Trail Life Principles want to believe. I think it’s Casati said. completely their right as an Elliott said he American and also their right believes Trail Life to be completely wrong,” Elliott will be unable to said. catch the BSA because its According to Trail Life’s website, there messages are poor and the are membership standards as well as BSA has too much history. a statement of faith and values that “I don’t think they all members must sign in order will ever grow to the to join. Elliott said he thinks level of Boy Scouts just the foundations and values of because they are so Trail Life that are described are narrow and closednarrow and unappealing. minded without “Reading their website they any opportunity for seem very focused on a small different viewpoints,” group of people and values. That Elliott said. “There’s just doesn’t appeal to a country of over a hundred years 310 million,” he said. “The appeal of history with Boy “We are to reserve sexual activity for the sanctity of marriage, a lifelong of Boy Scouts is beyond that realm.”

Scouts and they have commitment before God between a Despite their differing viewpoints always been growing man and a woman.” on Trail Life, both Casati and Elliott with the times. I don’t see said that they believe the BSA will remain that changing.”

Notable Belief the prominent scouting organization in Trail Life associates were not America. used in this story after several attempts “I can’t say that Trail Life will ever overtake TRAILLIFEUSA.COM / SOURCE to get in contact with the organization SCOTT LIU / GRAPHIC received no response.

Boy Scouts. I think Boy Scouts is already too H “ Vis a To yo cter be t ion un de he g res m ve pr po en lop em ns w me ier ibl hic nt na eh h t u pr org ion cit sban oduc anizaal ch ize ds es tio ar ns , fa Go n .” the dl for rs, y an an d d

BY RYAN WOOCK rwoock@hilite.org

PAGE 6 | NEWS | HILITE | HILITE.ORG | OCT. 11, 2013

Halloween events coming up at CHS CEF to host Ghosts and Goblins walk/run

House members organize “Trick-or-Treat for Riley”

UNICEF, Key Club fundriase for third-world countries

BY EYLSE GOLDBERG egoldberg@hilite.org

BY JASMINE LAM jlam@hilite.org

BY CHRISTINE FERNANDO cfernando1@hilite.org

On Oct. 26, the Carmel Education Foundation (CEF) will host the annual Ghost and Goblins 5K/2K walk/ run. It will start at CHS near the main cafeteria and go through the Arts and Design district.

This year, the CEF wants to have different teams, intramurals and clubs involved to add a spirit of competition to the Ghosts and Goblins. They are currently in the process of kicking off all the publicity for the run and hope to generate more excitement through the addition of glow-in-the-dark t-shirts this year instead of the usual solid colors.

To advertise at CHS, the CEF is partnering with the National Honors Society (NHS) to hand out informational cards at events and put up posters to generate spirit for the run.

“I have been doing (the Ghosts and Goblins run) for four years—since it started,” said Eric Langowski, member of the Ghosts and Goblins committee in NHS and senior. “It’s usually the last time I run until the winter ends.”

Through the Ghosts and Goblins run, along with other events, the CEF will raise money to give to teachers within the Carmel Clay school system as grants.

Barbara Danquist, co-executive director of the Carmel Education Foundation, said, “This is one way that we raise money so that we can give it back to teachers so that they can enhance the academics of the students in their classrooms.”

H

On Halloween, CHS’ UNICEF members collaborate with Key Club participants in trick-or-treating for donations to third-world countries. This fundraiser event, Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF, is scheduled to occur after school, where members carry around “Collect for UNICEF” boxes and ask for money instead of candy. Key Club and UNICEF members are not required to participate in this event; however, the money raised will be given to children in third-world countries for medical supplies, refugee camps, clean food and water supplies.

Natasha Crasta, Key Club vice president and junior said, “It’s a cool way for us (Key Club members) to collaborate with other groups and to give back to the community.”

Janine Tang, UNICEF vice president and junior, agrees and said it is not difficult to raise money.

“Basically you just ask friends and family members for change because most people just want to get rid of it,” Tang said.

Sponsor Jill Noel agrees and encourages more members to join due to the minimal amount of money raised from Trick-or-Treat the previous years. “We are going to try really hard to increase the members because this is a very serious situation in these countries, and with a little bit of money, we could save a lot of lives,” Noel said.

According to Tang and Noel, all donations raised will be sent to the UNICEF branch in New York.

H

House will host its third annual “Trick-or-Treat for Riley” event on Oct. 26 at the Freshman Cafeteria and on the first floor of the Freshman Center in order to raise money for Riley Children’s Hospital.

According to sponsor Sarah Wolff, House members will be divided into several groups, each of which will portray a chosen theme by dressing up, passing out candy, decorating and holding activities. Although the event is targeted at younger children, Leo Biette, Speaker of the House, said he encourages students to get involved. “(Students) can talk to younger kids they know about coming to the school to have a safe trick-ortreating environment that goes to a great cause,” Biette said. “Donating candy for the kids is also appreciated.”

Despite its past successes, Wolff said House members have many new goals for this year’s event.

“We want to give the kids who are participating in more activities to do instead of just walking around and getting candy,” Wolff said. “That’s what makes this event so successful, that we do more than just pass out candy.

We make this a real Halloween experience by having activities and themes.”

Griffin Hoover, House member and senior, said House is also hoping to collect more donations for Riley.

“Last year, people were very generous in donations, but this year we want to make a bigger push for donations cause’ it goes to Riley, which is really important to our community,” Hoover said. “We really want to help Riley more this year.”

H

What’s going on in Carmel for Halloween ive

in

bl

r Du

1. Spooky Social on Saturday, Oct. 23 from 12 to

1

4 p.m. at 2700 W 116th at West Park in Carmel. There will be face painting, crafts and a costume judging by age groups. This is a free event.

Dr

Towne Road

Halloween is coming up and there’s a lot to do around Carmel. Here are some of the many events to participate in.

116th St.

4

2. The Headless Horseman will be at Conner Prairie

E 141st St.

4. Ghosts and Goblins 5K Walk will be on Saturday October 30th at Carmel High School.

Wa

shi

3

ngt

on

St.

Allis onvi

Halloween-themed Dolphin Adventure Shows and animal chats.

White River State Park

N. West St.

3. The Indianapolis Zoo is hosting Halloween ZooBoo during the weekends in October. Enjoy

lle R o

ad

throughout the month of October. Gates are open 6 to 9 p.m. Visit connerprairie.org for ticket prices and more details.

2 E 131st St.

5. Trick- or-Treat will be on October 31st from 5-8 in Carmel.

ACTIVERAIN.COM / SOURCE

SCOTT LIU / GRAPHIC

OCT. 11, 2013 | HILITE.ORG | HILITE | NEWS | PAGE 7

Passing the Message Parents of Brett Finbloom set up scholarship, provides strong meaning for 25th anniversary of Red Ribbon Week

BY SREETI RAVI sravi@hilite.org On Aug. 5, 2012, CHS graduate Brett Finbloom died from alcohol poisoning.

Now his parents are spreading his story through the Indiana Lifeline Law and the Brett Ryan Finbloom Scholarship. Red Ribbon Week, a week devoted to alcohol and drug prevention, is scheduled to start Oct. 21 (CHS will have events starting Oct. 23), and Finbloom’s message and story provide a harsh reality check about the dangers of underage drinking.

The Indiana Lifeline Law took effect on July 1, 2013. According to Indiana Lifeline Law, this law ‘provides immunity to persons who reveal themselves to law enforcement while seeking medical assistance for a person suffering from an alcohol-related health emergency.’

Brett’s mother, Dawn Finbloom, said, “The motivation was to get the message out every year because every year, there’s a new batch of kids coming through.

We want everyone to understand the consequences of binge drinking and underage drinking and also about Indiana’s Lifeline Law. The message needs to be continual, not just during Red Ribbon Week. It’s keeping the talk going.”

This scholarship is endowed, which means that it grows on interest and funds at least $1,000 every year. Donations are accepted through the Carmel Education Foundation and can be made during the men’s soccer games. To qualify for the scholarship, students must participate in community service or school activities that relate to spreading Brett’s message about dangerous underage drinking, making good decisions, the Choose to Live program and the Lifeline Law. Students must write an essay explaining

what they’ve done to pass on the message.

Mr. and Mrs. Finbloom will then choose the senior that best serves Brett’s message.

While the scholarship is only for seniors, Mrs. Finbloom said students should start

How to qualify for the scholarship First, students must participate in community service or school activities that relate to spreading Brett’s message.

This includes spreading the message about dangerous underage drinking, making good decisions, the Choose To Live program and the Lifeline Law.

Next, students must write an essay explaining what they have done to pass on the message.

The meaning behind Red Ribbon Week • The first Red Ribbon Week was 25 years ago in honor of Enrique “Kiki” Camarena who died while fighting illegal drugs.

• Friends and neighbors wore red badges of satin in remembrance of Camarena.

• The purpose is to educate youth on the destruction of drugs and encourage participation in drug prevention.

Mr. and Mrs. Finbloom will then choose the senior that best serves Brett’s message.

SCOTT LIU / GRAPHIC DAWN FINBLOOM / SOURCE

72% of students have consumed alcohol by the end of high school HELENA MA / GRAPHIC REDRIBBON.ORG, SADD.ORG / SOURCES

spreading the message from when they are underclassmen. Students should contact her at bfinnybsmart@gmail.com to let her know they are applying and tell her what they are going to do so she knows what to expect when she receives the essays.

“It would be nice if you let us know what you were doing along the way, so it’s not a shock when we get your essay,” Mrs. Finbloom said.

Senior Trevor Sarsfield said he is applying for the scholarship and has been working to spread the message. So far, he has worked at a community church for the Hunter Smith concert at Clay Middle School, shared links of stories that Mrs. Finbloom posts on her Facebook page and worked with others to dedicate the soccer games to Brett. Sarsfield said the varsity soccer team wears bracelets in Brett’s honor and plays the game with heart in remembrance.

“It would be such an incredible honor to win the scholarship in his name. It’s a great thing to do and I want to get his message out there,” Sarsfield said.

Michele Whelchel, chief advancement officer for Indiana Youth Services Association, said she believes this scholarship is an incentive for students to not only make good decisions and choose not to drink but also to help others make that choice. She said Brett’s story shows the dangers of binge drinking and that it can provide a strong message during Red Ribbon Week.

Mrs. Finbloom said, “We’re looking for what someone’s done to get the message out about the dangers of underage drinking and also the Indiana Lifeline Law. That’s really what we’re looking for. It’s not somebody’s grade point average. It’s not someone’s need.

It’s what they’ve done.”

H

Drugs and Alcohol: By the Numbers •

37% have done so by eighth grade

• Among underage drinkers, 30.8% paid for the alcohol the last time they drank, 37.4 percent got it from an unrelated person of legal drinking age and 21.1 percent received it from an adult family member.

• 44% of young Americans have tried cigarettes by twelfth grade, and one out of five twelfth graders is a current smoker.

Red Ribbon Week bucket list The week of Oct. 21 marks the 25th anniversary of Red Ribbon Week. Here are some ways to participate in the Red Ribbon Week celebration.

Enter the Red Ribbon Photo Contest for a chance to win an iPad- and $1,000 for your school.

Go to redribbon.org/contest/ for details on how to enter Plan a school-wide Red Ribbon rally Take a stab at creating the 2014 National Red Ribbon Theme. You will gain national recognition and win $500 worth of Red Ribbon merchandise for your school. Visit redribbon.org/enter/ for details Wear a red shirt Work with your teachers to plan fun celebration days during Red Ribbon Week, such as Wear Red Day, Put A Sock On Drugs Day, or Shade Out Drugs Day (wear sunglasses) Make a drug-free pact with your friends Decorate the school or a classroom with red ribbons Place red ribbons and bows all over your community—school, trees, billboards, mailboxes, bicycles, dogs, yourself, etc.

In the community, be involved with clubs such as Rotary Interact Club and Lifelines and youth organizations such as YMCA, Boy and Girl Scouts If you attend church, encourage your church to emphasize the Red Ribbon Week Campaign with special messages, sermons and prayers Say at least three positive things to someone. Reach out to a newcomer, involve them in the Red Ribbon Week campaign for their new community

REDRIBBON.ORG, IMDRUGFREE.COM / SOURCES

PAGE 8 | FEATURE | HILITE | HILITE.ORG | OCT. 11, 2013

[feature]

Did you know? Amid fast food strikes,

SUBMITFEATURE@HILITE.ORG | HILITE.ORG/FEATURE

California state legislature passed a bill to raise state minimum wage to $10 by 2016. The current minimum wage there is $8.

Wage Rage

BUSTLE.COM / SOURCE DENNIS YANG / GRAPHIC

Recent fast food industry strikes show controversy over current minimum wage, students differ in views on whether rate should increase

BY ALEX YU ayu@hilite.org

I

n mid-July, Kristina Pitchkites, McAlister’s Deli employee and junior, began working a minimum wage job at a local McAlister’s store. She said she took the job to help pay for both her automobile necessities and her future education.

“I’m trying to save up for college. It’s also about time for me to pay for my own gas and insurance, since I got my license over the summer,” Pitchkites said. She said she believes most high school students seek jobs for similar reasons.

Ryan Walstrom, Dairy Queen employee and senior, also works a minimum wage job. He said, “In general, it’s just nice to have spending money whether it’s (for) hanging out with friends or buying something. I’m saving for college, too.”

Because many students here are usually financially dependent teenagers in an affluent community, they tend to have differing views on their personal wages. These differences arise from the fact that they don’t use the money to support themselves or their families.

“As someone who still lives with their parents and works part time, I don’t know what it’s like to pay for rent, to buy all of my own things. As a part-time worker who’s not economically independent, I’m satisfied,” Walstrom said.

Pitchkites said she disagrees about her own wages. “I think it could be higher, because I do a lot of work, yet I know people who are lifeguards and get paid $10 per hour but don’t do much,” she said.

Occupy Wage Street

However, for those who rely on minimum wage jobs to pay bills, the recent debate on whether the minimum wage should be raised becomes more important.

MILES DAI / PHOTO

SWEET JOB: Ryan Walstrom, Dairy Queen employee and senior, arranges a customer’s order before serving. He said he accepted the job three months ago after a friend recommended him to the manager.

An August TIME magazine article detailed the recent Minimum Wage Laws in the States minimum wage protests, focused in the fast food indusThis is a map of minimum wage rates across the country. Where try, in New York, Chicago, federal and state law differ in rates, the higher standard applies St. Louis, Milwaukee, Kansas City, Detroit and Flint, MI. The protesters feel that the current minimum wage of $7.25 is too low to preserve a reasonable standard of living.

Laura Cardamon, Managing Cooperative Experiences program director and Above federal business department teacher, Equals federal said, “The minimum income Below federal needed for a worker to meet basic needs such as housing, No rate food and clothing is living Adjusts to inflation DOL.GOV / SOURCE wage. If a person works 40 Highest at $9.19 DENNIS YANG / GRAPHIC hours a week, they should be able to afford their basic “Higher wages give people a better incentive to work. needs. But with minimum wage at $7.25 it would be difficult People would be more likely to show up to work and stay,” to afford the basic needs of a family.”

Pitchkites said.

Pitchkites said she agrees that the current minimum A low minimum wage also affects worker turnover, which wage is too low for a poverty-stricken family to maintain a is especially high in the fast food industry. Raising wages would reasonable standard of living. most likely mean more permanent and loyal employees.

“Minimum wage is too low; people can’t support a family “We had a lot of people get fired the past couple of weeks with minimum wage jobs. I think wages in general should be or so because they just don’t come in or don’t try. We’re trying higher because it is hard to work in conditions of such severe to hire better workers, so we’re letting the less productive poverty with an abundance of children and be able to financially workers go,” Pitchkites said. support their food, education and stuff like that,” Pitchkites The Center for Economic and Policy Research published said. “Even 50 cents can make a huge difference in a paycheck.”

Raising the Bar

Cardamon said she believes that increasing minimum wage yields a plethora of potential benefits. “(Higher) wages should affect customer service and productivity.

Employers should expect their employees to have initiative, provide a high quantity of work, be on time, accurate, follow directions, possess knowledge of the job, have excellent attendance and comply with safety requirements,” she said.

Pitchkites said she agreed that a higher minimum wage could potentially be beneficial in the workplace.

Speak Up! Are you satisfied with the minimum wage rate?

Yeah, I’m fine with it because I don’t really do anything at work.

I kind of just stand around.

Senior Carly Hawkins Skyzone

No, I’m not satisfied.

I think it’s too low. I think people should be paid a lot more.

Sophomore Patrick Laughlin Monon Center

OCT. 11, 2013 | HILITE.ORG | HILITE | FEATURE | PAGE 9

Test Your Knowledge Match the city with the slogan used by fast food workers during their recent strikes 1. Supersize My Salary Now

New York

2. Fast Food Forward

Chicago

3. Fight For 15

4. Hey, Hey, Ho, Ho, $7.40 Has Got To Go

Detroit

DOL.GOV / SOURCE DENNIS YANG / GRAPHIC

Seattle

Answers: 1. Seattle 2. New York 3. Chicago 4. Detroit

History of Minimum Wage Here is a brief glimpse of how the relationship between government and minimum wage has evolved over the years MILES DAI / PHOTO

TEA BARTENDER: Kristina Pitchkites, McAlister’s Deli employee and junior, mixes sweet tea for customers at the Tea Bar. She said she decided to get a job in order to pay for college and gas. a report in March 2012 that compared minimum wage with productivity increases and inflation. The report found that the minimum wage peaked in 1968. If the minimum wage was adjusted to the rate of inflation calculated by the Consumer Price Index, the 2012 figure would be $10.52 an hour. If minimum wage increased with productivity increases, the figure would be double that, at $21.72 an hour.

Cardamon said she held similar views as the report.

“Minimum wage at $7.25 per hour is not keeping up with inflation. I would like to see minimum wage increase to $10 so more workers have more disposable income,” Cardamon said.

President Barack Obama’s recent efforts to increase minimum wage to at least $9 an hour attempt to reconcile the current minimum wage with the cost of living.

However, while increasing minimum wage can have significant effects on the standard of living, there are potential drawbacks for consumers, employers and even employees.

Cardamon said, “If employers have to pay employees $10 an hour, this will cut into their business profits. Employers may have to hire less people to work in their businesses.”

Junior Natalie Collins Matt the Millers

Supreme Court invalidates compulsory minimum wage laws so that employers can freely negotiate wage contracts with their employees.

High Expectations

Pitchkites and Walstrom said while they feel the national minimum wage is too low, the figure the fastfood sector protesters demand is unreasonable.

Pitchkites said she believes the minimum wage should be at least a dollar higher than the current figure, but the $15 figure is a bit high.

“It seems a little extensive. I would definitely be happy with $15 an hour, but it’s not going to happen. It all depends on how hard you work, what you do and the amount of risks you’re putting in every day.” Pitchkites said.

Cardamon said, “I believe raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour will result in businesses raising their prices and laying off workers.”

Walstrom said, “I understand the motivation behind the protest, but I find their demands to be pretty unreasonable. While I think it’s fair to demand a certain standard of living, you have to be realistic about the work you’re doing and the wage you’re going to receive.”

H

COMPILED BY LIANNE YU, MICHAEL LI

I am, because I’m still making money.

1920s

I am satisfied because it pays enough to live how you want.

Senior Jake Backes Carmel Parks Department

Get involved.

Contact a senator and share your opinion on whether or ‘05 ‘09 not to raise the minimum wage rate. Scan the QR Code for more information.

www.senate.gov

1938 President Franklin Roosevelt signs the Fair Labor Standards Act, which sets a mandatory federal minimum wage rate of $0.25/hour.

‘68

1968

Minimum wage reaches the record high purchasing value, which is equivalent to $10.52 today.

1997 President Bill Clinton passes legislation that allows individual states to set their own minimum wage rates.

2009

This marks the last time federal minimum wage is increased. It is set at a rate of $7.25/hour in the midst of high Present unemployment and ongoing payroll cuts.

2013

President Barack Obama proposes to raise the federal minimum wage to $9 by 2015 and automatically adjust it with inflation.

RACHEL CHEN / GRAPHIC

MINIMUM-WAGE.ORG / SOURCE DENNIS YANG / GRAPHIC

PAGE 10 | FEATURE | HILITE | HILITE.ORG | OCT. 11, 2013

Convenience or Privacy?

Due to a rise in internet surveillance, students are finding ways to keep their online information private

BY JESSICA TAO jtao@hilite.org Which would you prefer: convenience or privacy? This is a choice many Americans must now face.

New studies show that as online computer technology has progressed, privacy has only digressed. What may have once been expected in regards to online privacy is now highly sought after. According to a September 2013 study conducted by the Pew Research Center, 86 percent of internet users in America have tried to conceal their online activity. The visible decline in anonymity is a growing concern for 68 percent of users who say that current privacy protection policies against the National Security Agency (NSA) are not enough. For its part, CHS has its own form of online surveillance with the installation of Vision Client on school computers.

Vision Client is a software that monitors students’ activity on the computer. According to Assistant Principal Christopher Glander, it allows teachers to watch and control what students are doing on the computer.

“We installed this software so teachers can supervise their students’ activity (on the) computer,” he said. “You can watch what they’re doing when you’re outside of the room.”

Theresa Ramos, media and communications department chairperson and media specialist, said Vision Client primarily serves as a teaching tool.

“It allows teachers to adjust their teaching styles to better help the students,” she said.

Americans are finding privacy more difficult to achieve, especially teenagers. For example, 45 percent of parents of teen online users install monitoring software on their teens’ home computers. They rationalize this to be more of a safety precaution, not a privacy infringement. However, many people

Anonymity Assistance Tips on how to remain anonymous online

Create an alias email account: Having an alias account means you don’t have to give your actual mail account name to websites or newsletters that might sell or otherwise misuse your information.

Use anonymizing network, like Tor: Tor will tunnel your data through multiple proxies, which provides maximum security and anonymity.

PEW RESEARCH / SOURCE RACHEL CHEN / GRAPHIC

question the line between safety and excessive monitoring.

Sophomore Jacob Riedel said that while he does not like the software, it is a necessary feature on school computers.

“When you’re on a school computer, you shouldn’t be doing anything you’re not supposed to do anyway,” Riedel said. “Teachers should watch what we’re doing.”

However, according to Riedel, he believes that there should be a limit to the surveillance.

“I think monitoring 24/7 would be going too far,” he said.

“You paid for your internet, so (the NSA) can’t completely control what you do.”

However, there is a distinct difference between the NSA’s monitoring and school’s monitoring. The school is a public workplace that is free domain for Vision Client to watch.

Conversely, while on a private computer, it is expected that the NSA will not monitor the user. At this school, administrators view computer software like Vision Client as a mere extension of what teachers already have the ability to do.

“As long as students are doing what they’re supposed to be doing, I don’t view (Vision Client) as an invasion of privacy. It’s just someone checking what their students are doing during class,” Glander said. “It’s no different than me walking around the class and seeing if they’re on task—it’s just on the computer.

I don’t see why students would be uncomfortable.”

Ramos said that Vision Client is also beneficial because it instills responsibility.

“We’re trying to teach responsible use,” she said.

The school she previously taught at had a similar software that served the same purpose. Glander also said Vision Client serves as an added layer of security.

However, not all users agree with the need for added security and go to lengths to hide their online activity. To the cautious, there are a myriad of options available to further increase their anonymity. Cookies, which store usernames and passwords,

can be deleted so websites can no longer track the browsing session. A more extreme alternative is the use of a proxy, which makes the browser send data to the proxy, route it to the destination and send it back to the browser.

The increased use of surveillance software, such as Vision Client, and the decreased amount of online privacy has caused concern for many people. However, for now, it will serve its intended purpose as a monitoring device and teaching tool.

“Vision Client is not necessarily a Big Brother (type monitoring device),” Ramos said. “It is a tool, and we want to teach responsibility to our students.”

H

By the Numbers Statistics about online privacy 68% of Internet users say current privacy protection laws are not good enough.

46% of teen app users turn

off location tracking on their cell phone because they worry about other people accessing that information.

1 in 4 teen

app users have uninstalled an app because they found out it was collecting personal info they didn’t want to share.

Know your Tor is a free software for enabling online anonymity.

Internet A cookie is a message vocabulary: given to a web browser by a web server.

An alias is a false or assumed identity.

Use a Proxy: Using a proxy will make your browser send your data to the proxy, route it to the destination and send you back the data.

Clear your cookies: deleting your saved passwords so the website can’t track your browsing session.

Use Anonymous Web Browsing: Utilizing private Internet options, such as Google Incognito, prevents Google Chrome from storing information about websites you visit.

Clear your search history: Clearing your history will erase previous website visits and server searches so you can maintain privacy.

86% of internet users have

taken steps to avoid surveillance by people/organizations while using the internet.

45% of parents of online teens

install a monitoring software on their childrens’ home computers.

PEW RESEARCH / SOURCE RACHEL CHEN / GRAPHIC

18% of teens incorrectly believed that their computer didn’t have monitoring software.

OCT. 11, 2013 | HILITE.ORG | HILITE | FEATURE | PAGE 11

Students find success in both SAT, ACT despite statewide gap moved here,” Weaver said. are (Indiana’s) stronger “I also have a lot of really students, so it drives Indiana ACT Score Report great peers who are really (Indiana’s) scores higher.” hardworking kids, and I Payne said she has the Name: Indiana think that all contributes. same opinion as Weaver Photo ID: I also think that a lot of when it comes to the ID #:12111816 my knowledge comes importance of factors Class Rank: 14 from stuff I do at home, outside of the classroom. like reading.”

“I think that a lot Nat. Rank Average Average Nat. Subject According to Stephanie of it has to do with Score (?/50) Score Payne, one of the our location and the 15/50 English 21.7 20.5 counselors responsible for amount of support that administering our kids have from the Comments the SAT, 13/50 a major contributor to parents that are highly Math 22.5 21.1 the large gap between the educated. A lot of the Reading 22.6 21.3 14/50 rankings is that Indiana Indiana community isn’t simply has a much larger as fortunate to have that,” 16/50 Science 21.9 20.9 number of people taking she said. the SAT tests than the Although CHS Composite ACT tests. In fact, only 32 does not offer some 22.3 21.1 14/50 Score percent of Indiana high of the same SAT and What the Score Means: school graduates have ACT prep classes other Quite possibly, only the brightest Indiana students are taking taken the ACTs while, on schools may offer, the ACT, which explains how there could be a disparity the other hand, 69 percent there are several classes between Indiana’s ranking in SAT and ACT. In fact, 32% of have taken the SAT. offered after school to graduates in Indiana took the ACT, which is 35th in the nation “There is a difference prepare for the exams.

STATISTICBRAIN / SOURCE (in the tests), and there These classes involve ANTHONY KO / GRAPHIC is also a big difference in taking practice tests the number of students and learning test taking who take the tests,” Payne said. “More students take the SAT strategies. Payne also said she believes many of the students tests because we in Indiana have always been an SAT state, at CHS are self-motivated and have parents who are willing so that is the test that we’ve always encouraged our students to pay for out-of-school classes. to take more and see which one they do better on. There’s a “It’s not a fun Saturday morning, but it is definitely higher number of students who take the SAT, so you’re going something you have to do if you’re planning on going to to have a larger pool of students, which can bring the score college,” Payne said. “I definitely recommend taking both H down. Also, most of the students taking the ACTs in Indiana tests. Some kids do better on one test than the other.”

BY TYLER BAUMANN tbaumann@hilite.org As a state, Indiana has traditionally had a low average on the SAT, ranking at number 41 in the country with an average composite score of 1484 according to a study conducted

by Statisticbrain.com. However, the state does have one of the highest average scores on the ACT tests of any state. A composite score of 22.8 earns Indiana the number 14 spot in the nation, an impressive feat considering the mediocre performance on the SAT. CHS, however, does not reflect either trend.

With an average composite SAT score of 1648 and an ACT composite score of 25.2, CHS is ranked as the number 622nd best school in the country

by U.S. News, within the top 1.7 percent of all high schools in the country. Kyle Weaver, National Merit Scholarship SemiFinalist and senior, said this school has left him well-prepared for both of the tests.

“I know that the teachers and classes at Carmel are more challenging than (those Stephanie Payne of) other districts, Counselor from what I’ve heard from people who’ve

More students take the SAT tests because we in Indiana have always been an SAT state, so that is the test that we’ve always encouraged our students to take more.

Know the Facts A comparison of various Carmel statistics with those of the nation

A ranking of the top and bottom SAT scores throughout the nation 1782

Carmel SAT Facts

1784

Top 5

1. Iowa 2. Wisconsin 3. Minnesota 4. Montana 5. Illinois

Bottom 5

1391

552

Mean score for the writing portion of the SAT exam

488

585

Mean score for the mathematics portion of the SAT exam

514

567

Mean score for the reading portion of the SAT exam

496

1704

Mean score for the SAT exam

1500

1466 1813

46. New York 47. Georgia 48. South Carolina 49. Hawaii 50. Maine

1484 1775 1779

1451 1453

1461

STATISTICBRAIN / SOURCE ANTHONY KO, RUSHI PATEL / GRAPHICS

National SAT Facts

622

CHS’s national ranking in SAT scores according to U.S. News

1.7%

CHS is in the top 1.7% of about 30,000 high schools across the nation

1811 30,000

The average SAT score of Signature School in Evansville, IN. The number of high schools that provide the SAT to students

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High School Day What can you expect from High School Day? H ig h S c h o o l D a y a c t i v i t i e s will include: Academic Fair Student Organization Fair Special Sessions with Faculty & Staff Lunch Campus Tour Plan to arrive about 8:30 a.m. and stay until 2 p.m. Enjoy optional afternoon sessions plus tickets to the football game. Everything, including lunch, is free!

Register for High School Day at admissions.uindy.edu/HSDay Questions? Call 1-866-421-7173

PAGE 14 | STUDENT SECTION | HILITE | HILITE.ORG | OCT. 11, 2013

[student section]

Visit www.cmycouncil.com for more details about HS FAll Fest

SUBMITSTUDENTSECTION@HILITE.ORG | HILITE.ORG/STUDENTSECTION

Carmel Mayor’s Youth Council to host Fall Fest

BY BOBBY BROWNING bbrowning@hilite.org On Oct. 11, the Carmel Mayor’s Youth Council (CMYC) will host the High School Fall Fest in downtown Carmel on the lawn in front of the Carmel City Hall, according to sponsor Jane Reiman. The proceeds from the event will benefit the Hamilton County Humane Society.

“In addition to fundraising (for the Humane Society), we are excited to give Carmel clubs an opportunity to promote themselves and the unique talents they have,” Matt Klineman, CMYC vice president and junior, said.

“At a school this size it can sometimes be a bit difficult to make yourselves heard.”

At Fall Fest, Klineman said there will be live music from high school bands, dogs up for adoption from the Humane Society, and food from the Indianapolis food truck Gobble, Gobble, along with clubs from CHS providing activities for students and their families Klineman said the OMEED MALEK / PHOTO members take up tasks very HELPING HANDS: Matt well, and because of their Klineman, vice president worth ethic, the CMYC has of CMYC and junior, leads multiple goals for this year members at Tour De Carmel. regarding activities and Klineman said events growth with the council. like these help get CMYC “We want to get the city of involved in the community.

Carmel’s students involved

in the community by providing fun events for the youth of Carmel, by the youth of Carmel,” he said.

“We think Carmel is a really great place with a ton of exciting opportunities and we want everyone in Carmel to be able to experience that. We also want to teach our members about government. We like members to attend City Hall meetings and listen to speakers that we bring in so that they can learn about the civic process and become informed citizens.”

CMYC, according to Reiman, is entirely youth directed and driven, and she is mostly just a bystander.

“My role is to be a helper when called on. (The members of CMYC) conduct their own meetings and I observe only,” she said via email. “Usually it would take adult groups a year to organize such a four hour event, but the CMYC began discussing this event in early September.”

Klineman said he hopes that Fall Fest is just the beginning of the success for CMYC, and said one of his personal goals this year is to continue to expand CMYC. “Since (CMYC) is relatively new, we are open to all kinds of new ideas, and we really want to find what works for us and how we can best help Carmel students and the community,” he said. “I hope that sometime in the near future all Carmel residents will know the CMYC as an organization that is making a difference in our schools and our community. We want to engage the community with different service projects, some planned by us and some where we just help out.”

While the youth do most of the work, Reiman said she greatly enjoys being a part of CMYC and that the youth prove things to her with every meeting. “The energy, organizational abilities, visionary ideas completed, team work, fun and enthusiasm really amaze me,” she said. “It gives me confidence that our future is in good hands with the youth of today.”

H

Test your Carmel knowledge Carmel Mayor’s Youth Council promotes youth involvement within the community and knowledge of news within Carmel. How well do you know the city of Carmel?

1 How many terms has James Brainard served as the mayor of Carmel?

5 What magazine named Hamilton County the “best place to raise a family” in 2008?

2 What year did Carmel officially become a city?

6 How many statues are in the Carmel Arts and Design District?

Mr. President

3

How many roundabouts are currently in Carmel?

7 How many elementary schools are there in Carmel?

ALLY RUSSELL / PHOTO

Jack Langston, president of Carmel Mayor’s Youth Council and senior, discusses his commitment and aspirations for the council.

Compiled by Bobby Browning

How long would you say you spend a week on CMYC? Between 15 to 20 hours a week. During that time, I’d say about 50 percent is delegation. There’s a lot of coordination between 30 people, especially when you’re in an organization that is growing so fast. The other 50 percent is spent looking for more ways to get CMYC involved and to push the events that we are already doing.

What are your goals as president of CMYC? CMYC has three main areas that I wanted to see expand.

Number one is youth service. We do service projects about every week or every other week. The second thing is getting youth involved in the city from outside of the council. We do events such as “Music on Main Street” where high school musicians get to play their music and collect tips. We’re working on a project with the Indiana Design Center where artists from the school get to come paint a mural on one of the big parking garages.

Also, events such as High School Night which is meant to promote youth involvement in the commerce of downtown Carmel. The third thing is getting a youth perspective on city government, whether that be our members go to city council meetings or bringing youth problems to the mayor or the council in general to let them know how we feel and what we want changed.

How do you think being president has influenced you, and how do you see CMYC as a whole?

Being president comes with a lot of 4 creative freedom but also a lot of stress.

What year did the It’s a balance between keeping up what’s Palladium open? already going on and trying to expand, and that’s something I did not anticipate coming into it. Task wise, I’ve learned to 8 say no to a lot more things. You have to be How many careful which ideas you choose to pursue miles of the because there’s only so much time in the Monon trail are day. You have to pick the most effective in Carmel? ones, the things you feel will bring the most benefit both to your group and the community.

H

Answers: 1.5 terms 2. 1976 3.65+ 4. 2011 5. Forbes Magazine 6.11 7. 16 8. 5.2 miles

CARMEL.IN.GOV / SOURCE

RAHCEL CHEN / GRAPHIC

OCT. 11, 2013 | HILITE.ORG | HILITE | STUDENT SECTION | PAGE 15

Cabinet quick facts 33 students in cabinet 500+ students in house, more than ever before House and Cabinet raise money for

Riley Children’s Hospital

American Red Cross

American Cancer Society

Gift of Water

Upcoming Events Nov 16

Oct 26 Trick or Treat for Riley

Movie Night RACHEL CHEN / GRAPHIC

OPINION

Guest Columnist Leo Biette

Speaker of the House.

Why I choose to represent our school There are over 100 SRTs in the school, many of which are alphabetical by grade. Others are for different specialized classes or groups and are called Special SRTs. However there is one, in the back of the art hallway in a ceramics room few people ever see. While it is “special” by the school’s classification, I would call it extraordinary. I have had the personal privilege of getting to be in this room for the past two years and getting to end my senior year, too, surrounded by what I started oh-so-long ago. It is C123, and it’s Cabinet SRT. Cabinet is a group of 33 kids and one Sarah Wolff, who are all leaders of House of Representatives, planners and organizers of Dance Marathon and what feels like one hundred countless other things throughout the year. I have the privilege of being their proud leader for the year.

Now it may seem at this point I am romanticizing what we do and who we are, but in my mind, all of this is justified. This year we are looking to make some changes.

We are putting much more emphasis on our student leadership. We started by redefining what leadership was to us and how we can

Living the Dream

I cannot wait to see what this year has in store for us together take those definitions and apply them within House and our lives as a whole. We are trying to make House more involved for those who would like to and really work together with everyone in House to make sure all we do is the best it can be from now until May. We have already had two amazingly successful events between Car Wash for

App of the Month

Did you know?

“Vine” is short for “Vignette,” meaning short impresionistic scene in French

Vine is gaining popularity among CHS students due to its user-friendly interface SREYA VEMURI svemuri@hilite.org Over the past few months, Vine has surged to the top of the App Store market as it continues to gain popularity among users. Launched by Twitter, Vine is a video-making tool that allows users to share and view their followers’ Vines through their own Twitter accounts.

Vine is the newest social networking tool, and many CHS students are contributing to its growing popularity by choosing to make videos with it, rather than with Instagram.

According to Samantha “Sam” Sharkey, vine user and junior, the popularity of Vine among students may be due to many reasons, including the entertainment factor.

“It’s really funny and entertaining to watch other people do stupid stuff just for Vine. It’s (also) really easy to use,” Sharkey said.

Vine allows users to film several one to two second clips, then combines them in a six second video loop.

The app is a combination of Instagram videos and

Dance Marathon and Tailgate for Life in support of the American Cancer Society.

Within a period of six days, this group raised over $10,000 for two different charities, and I could not be more proud.

Coming up soon, we have a kid friendly event geared to the community on Oct. 26 called Trick or Treat FTK where local kids get to come in and trick or treat at the high school. On Nov. 16 is Movie Night in the Freshman Cafeteria, and then on Nov. 23 to 24 is our big Garage Sale for Riley, which is sure to be an amazing weekend of great finds and a good cause.

To House, thank you for joining. I cannot wait to see what this year has in store for all of us together. To Cabinet, thank you for already inspiring me and working harder than you have had to before. I expect a lot. A lot of what you do doesn’t and will not get recognized.

Remember, everything we do has a purpose, and it is for a cause much greater than us.

To everyone else reading this. I am here.

We are here. I love Carmel High School. I am proud to call myself your Speaker of H the House.

Twitter, in that users have a profile, and they can like or comment on their Twitter followers’ Vines. Users can make videos about anything they want, similar to Instagram, and many students take advantage of this feature.

Sharkey said, “I’ll post things like (if) something funny happens; I’ll have my friends reenact it because it’s entertaining.”

Despite the similarities between Vine and Instagram, CHS students still prefer Vine over Instagram for making videos, according to Sharkey.

“Instagram might be better because the videos are longer, (but) I like to keep the two separate. I like to see just pictures or just videos,” Sharkey said.

Sharkey also said that Vine is easier to use than Instagram because it requires less steps to record a video.

Additionally, Vine has less playback issues than Instagram.

“It’s easy. You just have to open the app and take the video,” Sharkey said.

Also, Vines are only six second loops, which make them

Vine quick facts • The “V” in Vine sideways looks like a six, representing the six second videos.

• Five tweets per second contain a link to a Vine video.

• Vine was the most downloaded app in April 2013.

• It took three months for the app to reach one million users and it now has 13 million users.

CNBC.COM & MEDIABISTRO.COM / SOURCE

Carmel Alumni on Vine Cam Glass, class of 2013 204 K Followers Most liked video: 126 k likes Obi Nwosu, class of 2013 124.9 k followers Most like video: 245.7 k likes

quicker to record and share clips through Twitter.

Since Vine recently hit Android phones, the app’s number of users has gone up from 13 million to 40 million.

According to Sharkey, the number of CHS students using Vine rather than Instagram will continue to grow as well.

H

PAGE 16 | COVER STORY | HILITE | HILITE.ORG | OCT. 11, 2013

BEYO NIVEDHA MEYYAPPAN / PHOTOS

OCT. 11, 2013 | HILITE.ORG | HILITE | COVER STORY | PAGE 17

Tolerance may be increasing nationally, but acceptance is still uncertain for the LGBT community.

Students and teachers speak out on religion, acceptance and life

OND THE CLOSET

BY TAYLOR ACTON tacton@hilite.org

S

enior Charles Binion took a bold step last May when he came out as gay through a popular social media network.

“I came out via Instagram,” Binion said. “I wrote, ‘I’m gay and proud’ on a poster; then I went to Eagle Creek Park, stood near a river, and my friend Taylor took a picture of me. I made it all artsy and everything, so it’s still my flow. I put it on Instagram, and within 10 minutes I had over 300 likes. I started crying because I was so excited seeing all the comments of people saying ‘I love you’ and ‘You’re still an amazing person.’”

Binion said he felt accepted by the vast majority of people at this school. However, he CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE encountered the most disapproval around his religious classmates.

PAGE 18 | COVER STORY | HILITE | HILITE.ORG | OCT. 11, 2013 After receiving a negative comment on an Instagram post about marriage equality, Binion took action.

“I texted the individual asking why he would comment (something negative).

He said he came from a religious background,” Binion said. “He called me on the phone and kept going on and on telling me that my opinion was wrong and that I shouldn’t live the lifestyle I wanted to, being gay. He told me that he didn’t believe in what I was doing.”

CONTINUED FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

National v. Local Acceptance

In a changing society, it is not surprising that acceptance of homosexuals is controversial at CHS. Coming out and facing the struggles of acceptance within religion or taking a stance on gay marriage

can be controversial, and the beliefs of homosexuals may not be standard among the student body. According to a 2013 survey by Pew Research Center, 92 percent of America’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) adults say societal acceptance of their lifestyle in the past decade has grown greatly.

Popular reasons for this growth range from knowing and interacting with someone who is LGBT to seeing LGBT adults in media interacting and raising families. However, the views of students and teachers at this school and elsewhere are often influenced by their religious background and beliefs about equality.

Chris Warren, Biblical Literature teacher and Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) cosponsor, said religion tends to play a major role in views of homosexuality.

Warren, who is gay, said, “You have a pope

“LIKING” LGBT: Senior Charles Binion came out of the closet via an Instagram photo. Within three minutes, it garnered hundreds of likes. Binion said he has received many different reactions, in which religion tends to play a major role.

CHARLES BINION / SUBMITTED PHOTO

(Francis) that about a month or two months ago was asked about a monsignor who was reportedly in a gay relationship. And the pope’s response was, ‘Who am I to judge?’

And that’s the head of the Catholic Church.

I think that people can use their religion to discriminate against anything and anybody.

It’s not religion that’s the problem, it’s the way that people interpret it. Religion is a beautiful, wonderful thing that gives hope to billions of people on this planet.

I don’t think it’s fair to say that religion causes people to discriminate against gay people or anyone for that matter. I think that people use it, but it doesn’t mean that there’s a causal relationship there.”

Scott McDermid, the youth pastor at the Carmel United Methodist Church, said he believes society is becoming more accepting about gays in religion even though there are still some pockets of discrimination against homosexuals.

“The reason that people think religion affects views of homosexuals is because the bible is pretty clear-cut when it comes to homosexuality,” McDermid said.

“The Bible defines it as sinful behavior. Sin separates us from God, so the church has traditionally viewed homosexuality as something that separates us from God. 34 I absolutely believe that most churches have Yes become more accepting of homosexuals as a part of their congregation and in the community, as they should be. Because we are all sinners, the Bible makes that very clear. So who are we to judge people that sin differently than we do? Homosexuality, we believe, is a sin, but it is not more sinful than any other sin. Not worse than the sin of pride, lust or greed, which the Bible also speaks out against.”

Cross the Lines 2011 Indiana General Assembly, which is Republican dominated, passes bill for constitutional amendment that would ban gay marriage, as well as civil unions.

2012

JUNE Supreme Court strikes down Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) but allows states to decide on legal definition of marriage.

1 Two separate legislative bodies must pass the bill.

2 If bill passes as is, it will appear on 2014 election ballot for voter ratification.

3 If bill is amended, it must be approved by the next legislature and appear on the 2016 ballot.

2013 SEPT.

Freedom Indiana, a coalition of business and political leaders against the constitutional 2 amendment, releases a Should poll with the constitutional following amendments be results used to prevent gay marriage?

64

No 10 Yes

HAFSA RAZI / GRAPHIC INDYSTAR / SOURCE

School District Support

46 44

No

Would you vote against a marriage ban, if asked to?

Warren said he used to be hesitant to tell students his sexuality for fear of reactions from both CHS and the school district. As a result, he met with a few teachers, former Superintendent Jeff Swenson and Principal John Williams to discuss a policy on how to approach the subject.

“I said ‘I’m a gay teacher. I don’t feel embarrassment or shame or that I’m doing anything wrong or inappropriate, so how should I address that as a teacher to student who inquires about my personal life?’” Warren said. “Other teachers have the freedom to talk about their wives and kids, and I’m not sure how the administration would want me to respond. They were extremely

OCT. 11, 2013 | HILITE.ORG | HILITE | COVER STORY | PAGE 19 invited and came to a presentation by the supportive and said, ‘Don’t lie to kids. You’re GSA students talking about the importance here because you’re a good teacher, not of gay issues in the Carmel school district. because of your personal life. Feel free to share They were nothing but supportive.” anything that you feel is appropriate.’ (Sherri) Pankratz, (English Teacher Places for and) the CCEA President Discussion at the time, and I, and GSA is a club last February they passed that has been at a non-discrimination Carmel for over a policy that includes sexual decade, striving to orientation. give both gay and Some students have straight students the argued that it is unnecessary opportunity to stick for teachers to tell students up for their rights and about their personal life, bring light to some of but Warren said he feels the issues here within not telling students might the student body. do them more harm in Counselor and some circumstances. former GSA sponsor “The biggest wake-up Bettina Cool said, call for me was reading “What is important about students who felt about GSA is it’s very alone in their struggle not just a club for to deal with being different, kids that are gay so much so that they or lesbians. It’s for engaged in destructive kids that are gay and behavior, depression kids that are straight and sometimes suicide,” who support equal Warren said. “I realized rights. I think it’s that I have a responsibility a worthwhile club to be a positive role for kids who need model and show kids that support and a voice.” it truly does get better.

Binion agreed That’s why I felt the need that clubs like GSA to start the conversation are important to the with Dr. Swensson and future of Carmel.

Principal Williams. In “I’m happy our Chris Warren those conversations, both school is so accepting Biblical Literature teacher, Gaywere fantastic, supportive to allow clubs that Straight Alliance co-sponsor and interested. They were

I think that people can use their religion to discriminate against anything and anybody. It’s not religion that’s the problem, it’s the way that people interpret it. Religion is a beautiful, wonderful thing...I don’t think it’s fair to say that religion causes people to discriminate.

ALICE ZHU / PHOTO

may be controversial to still go on at Carmel,” he said. “I think an issue that our school, as well as the rest of society, struggles with is the use of the word ‘gay’ in a negative way. I know personally, it offends me when people use it in a rude way, and I’ve talked to many of my gay friends, and they hate it too. I hope that our school tries to make a difference by not using the word ‘gay.’”

Many students do not realize the environment they create when they use derogatory words or use the word

“gay” in a derogatory way, Warren said. “(Gay is) one of those words that has come to mean stupid, or silly, or something light-hearted as a negative,” Warren said.

“But if you are gay you take it very personally.

So I’d like to see students try to refrain from using that, but I’ve had several gay students in class and I’ve never witnessed any discrimination against them. But, it’d be a pretty bold statement. Who would make fun of a gay kid in front of me?”

H

Out of the Closet... ...and into the spotlight. Celebrities such as these have made LGBT acceptance more mainstream Neil Patrick Harris Claim to Fame: He is an actor known for his role as Barney Stinson on “How I Met Your Mother.”

What happened? He told People magazine that he was gay in Nov. 2006.

Legacy: By coming out, he disproved the theory that once an actor comes out as gay, audiences will not believe him to be straight on screen.

Ellen DeGeneres

Claim to Fame: She is a famous comedian, with her own talk show.

What happened? She is an outspoken proponent for marriage equality who came out in a 1997 TIME cover story.

Legacy: She has changed the LGBT scene by wielding her status and her influence in media to provide increasing awareness for gay rights.

Anderson Cooper

Claim to Fame: is a reporter and news anchor, known for hosting his own news program, “Anderson Cooper 360.”

What happened? He came out in July 2012 via an e-mail that was posted on Andrew Sullivan’s Daily Beast blog.

George Takei

Claim to Fame: He is a Japanese-American, well-known for playing the character Sulu in Star Trek.

What happened? He and his husband were one of the first couples to receive a gay marriage license from California.

Legacy: His wittiness and broad support of the LGBT community have encouraged many to follow in his footsteps.

TEACHING TOLERANCE: Chris Warren, Biblical Literature teacher and Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) co-sponsor, talks to a student during class. Warren said he is no longer hesitant about telling students about his sexuality because this school’s administration has been supportive on the issue.

Jim Parsons Claim to Fame: He is an actor known for playing Sheldon Cooper on “The Big Bang Theory.”

What happened? His homosexuality became an open secret after bringing his partner Todd Spiewak to the 2010 Emmy Awards and thanking him in his acceptance speech.

However, it didn’t become official until a New York Times profile mentioned his sexuality in May 2012.

MICHELLE DAI AND AARON SHI / GRAPHIC TIME.COM AND HUFFINTON POST / SOURCE

PAGE 20 | ENTERTAINMENT | HILITE | HILITE.ORG | OCT. 11, 2013

[entertainment]

Reporter and junior John Chen

SUBMITENTERTAINMENT@HILITE.ORG | HILITE.ORG/ENTERTAINMENT

A Clothes Encounter Students discuss and model fall and winter fashion trends COMPILED BY JOHN CHEN jchen@hilite.org

Mix and Match

Junior Christian Scott Streetwear

Streetwear, one of the broadest categories of fashion, refers to the combination of various urban styles, such as hip-hop and avant-garde. Outfits can range from edgy to refined to anywhere in between. It is known for its easy appeal (given well-fitting clothes, nearly anyone can pull it off) and its versatility (don’t be afraid to mix streetwear with elements of menswear, prep and more).

Varsity jacket: This light piece of outerwear is versatile and can work with styles from streetwear to prep. $ H&M, Goodwill $$ Urban Outfitters, ASOS, Stussy $$$ Supreme, J.Crew, Brooks Brothers Sneakers: These versatile footwear items are probably already a part of your wardrobe, and they make for great fall and winter footwear. Just remember: Simpler is better. $ Nike, Adidas, Puma $$ AllSaints, New Balance $$$ Common Projects, Lanvin, Buttero

Men’s Accessories Although the realm of male accessories on first glance appears a desolate one, there are in fact many items to choose from.

Watches: These stylish accessories can range from affordable to “are you kidding me?!” Fortunately, you can find cheaper, good-looking options if you know where to search. The $75 Seiko 5 bears an uncanny resemblance to the $6,000 Rolex Datejust ii.

Denim Jacket: Versatile, appealing and rugged, this outerwear staple should be an integral part of any self-respecting person’s wardrobe. $ Levi’s, GAP, Carhartt $$ J.Crew $$$ AllSaints Jeans: If you don’t have a pair, get a pair. They can be worn with virtually anything and, provided you buy good ones, will last a lifetime. $ Levi’s, GAP $$ Unbranded, Cheap Monday $$$ Naked and Famous, APC, Rogue Territory

Boots: The price point and formality of this item is a bit off-putting, but when you try a pair on for yourself, these worries are lost. All it takes is confidence and a bit of money-saving to rock a pair of these and make a good outfit look great.

Want to read more about jeans?

For more information $ JCPenny, Timberland, about denim, visit hilite.

Palladium org/archives/30958 or $$ Chippewa, Katahdin, scan this QR code. Also, Thorogood, L.L.Bean check out John’s upcoming $$$ Red Wing, Yukuten, fashion blog for advice, Alden, Wolverine reviews and more.

Snapback/Five Panels: Most of these cost around $20 to $40 at retail price. Once the more valued patterns get snatched up, the price skyrockets, sometimes even passing the $100 mark.

NIVEDHA MEYYAPPAN / PHOTOS

Here, elements of streetwear (hoodie and sneakers) are incorporated into the workwear style, which is based on the dress of the hardy American worker of centuries past. It frequently utilizes denim, denim and more denim to create a rugged look.

Boots and military-esque jackets also play a prominent role in this aesthetic. Elements from this style can be mixed and matched with others to dress down a look or offer a nostalgic twist on the formula.

Fashion Don’ts

SUPREME / PHOTO

DON’T wear a bow tie/fedora with a casual outfit. This is known as a formality clash and makes you look like you’re trying far too hard.

DON’T buy a button-down and think you’re instantly a fashion maven. Make sure it fits impeccably to avoid looking badly composed or like a Best Buy employee.

DON’T buy expensive clothes just because they’re expensive. No one cares how much that Express jacket costs if it looks and fits like a trash bag.

OCT. 11, 2013 | HILITE.ORG | HILITE | ENTERTAINMENT | PAGE 21

Junior Megan Searl

COMPILED BY ANGELA WU awu@hilite.org

Grunge

In the 1980s, grunge was a subgenre of punk that included bands such as Green River, The Melvins and Soundgarden.

Eventually, Grunge was used to describe a fashion style, which consists of torn and faded jeans, oversized clothing items and ratty t-shirts.

This style is usually laid-back and creates a nonchalant aura. To incorporate this style into your own wardrobe, choose darker colors such as dark greens, burnt oranges and reds, browns and navy blues. In addition, wear oversized flannels, buttondowns or sweaters. To complete your grunge outfit, wear creepers, platform oxfords or studded flatform sneakers.

Senior Delaram Hojati

Junior Anna Fang

Casual Chic

What does casual chic mean?

Smart and sophisticated; elegant, but not overdone. You can easily integrate this style into your wardrobe by: Adding Layers Whether it’s tossing a sweater over a simple dress or layering until you sweat in style, layers complement any silhouette and give your outfit something extra.

Mixing Skinny Jeans with Heels Add some height to your outfit by pairing heels with skinny jeans. If your heels are more formal, wear a peplum shirt on top.

Adding Accessories Statement earrings, an arm full of bracelets and layered necklaces are all accessories that don’t overpower an outfit but make it stand out a bit more.

Fall Fashion Essentials

Flannels: Perfect for this weird, in-between weather. Flannel button-downs are the easiest trick in a lazy girl’s arsenal. $ H&M, Forever 21, American Eagle $$ Urban Outfitters, Tilly’s $$$ J.Crew, Nordstrom, Gilt Platform oxfords: Oxfords are stylish, sturdy for the fall weather and give any outfit flare. $ Target, Macy’s $$ Y.R.U., T.U.K. $$$ Dr. Martens, NastyGal Cardigans: Add a cardigan to your outfit to keep warm in the chilly fall weather. $ Old Navy, Forever 21 $$ Urban Outfitters, American Apparel $$$ TopShop, Hautelook

Fashion Don’ts

DON’T wear something you don’t feel comfortable wearing. Confidence is the key to looking great.

DON’T wear neon-bright colored clothes, crop tops or short shorts.

DON’T mix patterns (i.e. striped top with floral pants).

NIVEDHA MEYYAPPAN / PHOTO

Women’s Accessories

Why spend money on accessories you can make? Do it yourself!

DIY Friendship Bracelet

DIY Floral Crowns

Materials: • Different colors of embroidery thread • Scissors • Safety pin/tape • Stable surface

Materials: • Handful of selected silk flowers • Wire cutters/pliers • Rustic floral wire • Thin green floral wire

1. Choose several strands of embroidery thread in a variety of colors.

2. Measure and cut the strands so they are slightly longer than the distance from your fingertip to your shoulder.

3. Tie the tips of the strands in a knot and use a safety pin or tape to secure them to a stable surface.

4. Divide the strands into three strands.

5. Make a few short braids in the bracelet before you begin making the pattern.

6. Knot the thread on the far left around the thread immediately to its right.

7. Knot the thread that was on the far left around the remaining threads from left to right.

8. Continue knotting the thread on the far left around the remaining threads from left to right.

9. Keep knotting until the bracelet is long enough for your wrist.

1. Cut and take your rustic floral wire and shape it into a circle that fits comfortably on your head.

2. Arrange flowers on the base and decide the general placement of the flowers prior to attaching them. Once decided, start from the back and begin working forward.

3. Take the thin green floral wire and secure each flower into place by wrapping tightly around the base several times.

4. Continue this process until you feel like the flowers lay the way you want.

PURLBEE.COM / SOURCE

PAGE 22 | ENTERTAINMENT | HILITE | HILITE.ORG | OCT. 11, 2013

OPINION

Justin Timberlake’s Perfect Vision

‘20/20 Experience 2/2’ is good, but ‘20/20 Experience’ was better

BY ARSALAN SIDDIQUI asiddiqui@hilite.org On March 15, Justin Timberlake released the “The 20/20 Experience.” The album received high accolades and spawned two successful singles, “Suit & Tie” and “Mirrors.” Timberlake promised to release a sequel later this year. He fulfilled that promise when he released “The 20/20 Experience 2/2” on Sept. 30. Overall, “The 20/20 Experience 2/2” is a decent album, but it does not live up to its predecessor.

Many fans might automatically compare “The 20/20 Experience 2/2” to “The 20/20 Experience.” However, this album’s musical style is more of a combination between “The 20/20 Experience” and “FutureSex/LoveSounds,” an earlier Timberlake album. There are some songs on this album such as “TKO,” “True Blood” and “Murder” that are up-tempo and pop-oriented. However, the majority of the songs such as “Cabaret,” “Drink You Away” and “Amnesia” contain slow rhythms, similar to his prequel. Timberlake and his longtime

producer Timbaland show they can make a good album with showing contrasts between slow and fast songs. The album is lengthy in general, as all of its songs, except for “Cabaret,” exceed the five-minute mark. Additionally, “Cabaret” and “Murder” are the only two songs on the album that contain a featured artist with Drake and Jay-Z respectively.

The lead single, “Take Back the Night,” is a disappointment compared to Timberlake’s earlier singles on his previous album such as “Suit & Tie” and “Mirrors.” Despite the fact that Billboard’s Jason Lipshutz compared the single to Michael Jackson’s album “Off the Wall,” it ultimately fails to entice listeners the same way the singles from “The 20/20 Experience” did. However, the second single “TKO” lures listeners and is very entertaining. Additionally, the song received praise for Timberlake’s lyricism and Timbaland’s production. Also, “Cabaret,” “You Got It On” and “Amnesia” received accolades for similar reasons. Even though the tracks aren’t consistent, Timberlake shows that he is one of the few artists in the music industry that can create both fast- and slow-tempo songs.

However, fans of “The 20/20 Experience” probably will

It failed to capture fans the same way “The 20/20 Experience” did.

Bottom Line

be disappointed that the new album is more pop-oriented in comparison with its predecessor. Some longtime Timberlake fans might complain about the album’s lack of consistency. Likewise, fans might skip over some songs as some of them are too ITUNES.COM / SOURCE long to listen through all the Musicality: 7/10 way. Although the songs on Lyricism: 6.5/10 the “The 20/20 Experience” Delivery: 7/10 were lengthy, they are many Swagger: 6/10 transitions within the songs.

Overall: 6.5/10 The sequel doesn’t have as many transitions within the songs. Even though “The 20/20 Experience 2/2” is still a very good album, it fails to capture fans the same way “The 20/20 Experience” did.

Like every album, “The 20/20 Experience 2/2” has its good and bad points. It’s still a good album to listen to. However, if fans had to decide between the two “20/20 Experiences,” they H would choose the prequel over this album.

Nintendo intends to release new gaming console tomorrow Camera

Screen

Although the 3D feature has been taken away, Nintendo insisted on having a camera on the back of the device for 3D pictures. Needless to say, the pictures will turn out extremely blurry.

The screen of the 2DS will still be split between the middle, like past versions.

There will also be a stylus located on the side of the device to make selecting much easier for players. The device also offers wi-fi connection, allowing gamers to use their own devices to have a large multiplayer game in whichever game they would like.

BY MICHAEL LI mli@hilite.org As other parts of modern-day technology advance with new products such as the new versions of the iPhone 5c and 5s, Nintendo has also decided to follow the trend of changing one character in their previous items as a name for a new product. This year, Nintendo will come out with the 2DS, a console like the new iPhone, which claims to have astounding changes from previous generations.

Although the 3D feature of the 3DS has been stripped away for safety reasons, the screen offers a high resolution picture quality.

Younger Market The 2DS has been stripped of its square-cube design and fitted with the shape of a square cube due to safety concerns.

According to the 2DS spread on the Nintendo website, the new console is supposed to target mainly the younger generation of ages five to six. The console also allows parents to control the gaming contents of their children with parental controls, a new characteristic offered by the 2DS.

Overall, Nintendo wanted to make the release of the 2DS different and new, much like the new Apple iOS7. Although the 2DS will definitely not knock the 3DS and previous Nintendo consoles out of the market, the cheap price and safety precautions will definitely attract some eyes from the youth, as the device was intended to.

Comfort Despite various negative comments from gamers, the 2DS is very comfortable and fits in the hand very well, according to a review from ign.com, a site known for its reviews on various gaming consoles.

JIVA CAPULONG / GRAPHIC

OCT. 11, 2013 | HILITE.ORG | HILITE | ENTERTAINMENT | PAGE 23

Follow the Tweeter For better or worse, social media increases the effect of celebrities on students

BY SRIYA RAVI sravi1@hilite.org Three hundred and six thousand. That’s the number of tweets per minute Miley Cyrus garnered during her controversial performance at the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards on Aug. 26.

Regardless of what side of the fence Cyrus’s followers were on, her antics generated a huge social media buzz, and for junior Sarah Kalthoff, who follows many celebrities online, it is this new social media presence that has such influence on people today.

Kalthoff uses Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram and said

Top Tweeters

HiLite newspaper @HiLite_news Tweets All / No Replies Justin Bieber @JustinBieber

45,559,705 Followers

“I used to be obsessed with him when he was a lot younger. So I just never really unfollowed him because I like his music.

I don’t know why I would unfollow him.

His tweets aren’t really annoying.” -Junior Danielle Thorburn

Miley Ray Cyrus @MileyCyrus

14,545,671 Followers

“In the beginning, it was just beacuse I really liked her music, but now I feel like everyone is on her, but she’s just doing her own thing, and she just wants to be her.

They don’t know what it’s like to have the spotlight on them, so they shouldn’t really judge. That’s kind of my main reason: to prove a point.” -Senior Kayla Walker

Lady Gaga @ladygaga

40,223,763 Followers

“I follow Lady Gaga cause she’s kind of eccentric, and you really never know what she’s gonna do. So I follow her to follow what she’s up to.” -Senior Madison Stewart

Bruno Mars @BrunoMars

17,036,110 Followers

“I follow Bruno Mars because he is really attractive and I love all his songs and... I just wanna know him because he is super attractive”-Junior Deanna Lockhart COMPILED BY JOYCE LAM, STEPHANIE ZHANG AND JOHN CHEN ANTHONY KO AND JOSEPH LEE / GRAPHIC

C

B

she used to have Twitter and Vine, but she deleted them due to the amount of negative comments there were.

“I know recently Miley Cyrus’s whole spiel was a bit much for some people, and I have watched some of her videos and seen some of the comments people leave. There’s quite a mixture of reactions, and I think it kind of reflects how people view music in general or even movies and actors,” Kalthoff said.

Social media websites have gained widespread popularity and seem to be a way for celebrities to communicate to their loyal fans. According to statistics from Socialbakers, the most influential celebrities on Twitter include Bruno Mars, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga and Miley Cyrus.

While some celebrities have a bad influence on students, others can be good role models.

Sociology teacher Dan Bates said, “It depends on the celebrity that you have. You have the Miley Cyrus and you have the Amy Grant. That’s probably the best example I can give of the extremes of influence.”

Amy Grant, a singer-songwriter known for performing Christian music, has been a supporter of many good causes including Children’s Health Fund, Red Cross and Soles4Souls.

According to Bates, celebrities have the ability to affect those that look up to them because students are seeking attention and they notice the massive amount of attention that celebrities get. Social media allows celebrities to be even more accessible.

Kalthoff agrees. “Celebrities have a lot of power over social media and their fans because they’re really well known in general. But also, once they get onto social media sites, hundreds of thousands of people flock to them,” she said. “Their fans care about what their favorite celebrity is saying and posting, so I think they almost have a stronger influence on social media than they do in what they’re saying in interviews.”

Even before the first movie of the “Hunger Games” trilogy came out, Kalthoff said she was a huge fan of Josh Hutcherson. After the release of the first “Hunger Games” movie, she became “obsessed” with him. She followed him on Twitter and Instagram and found many fan pages on Facebook, so she would be up-to-date with information about the actor.

“I remember if I would see anything in the newspaper, I would just grab it and read it. I would have people filling me in on what was going on in his life. I remember, it was just fun for me,” Kalthoff said. “It was just something to do because I really admired him. But one day, I was on a website and there was an article about how he had gotten drunk at a party and it kind of shattered my vision of him.

It was an eye-opener.”

Looking back on it now, Kalthoff says it was a bad idea for her to become so involved and dependent on a celebrity.

Even though she wasn’t modeling her life after Hutcherson, she said it took up quite a bit of time.

To prevent this from happening, Bates said people need to look away from all the celebrity news and see what’s going on among their own friends.

“Students use (celebrities), unfortunately, as role models.

Since they see the adulation that goes in the direction of those individuals, they feel the need to participate in it somehow, so they take on some of those characteristics,” Bates said. “It’s not quite at the level of hero worship, but it’s pretty close to it.”

On the other hand, as long as students take out the good attributes of a celebrity, Kalthoff said she doesn’t think it’s a bad idea to look up to a celebrity.

“It’s good to look up to someone, to have a role model, because there are a lot of really positive celebrities out there,” Kalthoff said. “Students just need to keep an open mind and know that everything that is on social media is not necessarily true and the lies that they maybe seeing of these H celebrities aren’t really the big picture.”

Speak Up!

COMPILED BY SRIYA RAVI

How are students affected by celebrities?

Freshman Colleen Campbell “I think students are affected by what celebrities wear, how celebrities act around other people and what they do. It can have a good or bad consequence.”

Junior Samantha Bleykhman “We got very embarrassed by what they do. VMA 2013- that’s all I need to say.”

Senior Adam Smith

Sophomore Joe Philleo

“Other than the fact that it creates hatred for certain people like Miley Cyrus as we saw at the VMAs, you have things like certain kinds of depressions that are linked to and caused by Facebook because people have a tendency to only put the positive aspects of their life onto Facebook.”

“I think students look toward celebrities as role models in their daily life and I think social media helps spread ideas and the current trends of what celebrities are doing, and I think students sometimes try to imitate and sometimes build upon what celebrities do.”

MIKAELA GEORGE / PHOTOS

PAGE 24 | SPORTS | HILITE | HILITE.ORG | OCT. 11, 2013

[sports]

DID YOU KNOW? Senior Grace Muller and junior Carly Skjodt commited to play Division I volleyball at Fordhamn University and University of Michigan, respectively.

SUBMITSPORTS@HILITE.ORG | HILITE.ORG/SPORTS

CARMEL CLAY SCHOOLS / SOURCE

Over the Net Volleyball team pursues first State title after State appearance last year

BY EMMA LOVE elove@hilite.org SERVE THE BALL: Carly Skjodt, varsity player and junior, serves the ball in a match against Bishop Chatard. Like the rest of the team, Skjodt wants to bring a State title to Carmel.

CHRISTINE YANG/ PHOTO

Just under a year ago, Carly Skjodt, varsity player and junior, and the rest of her varsity volleyball team walked off the court at Ball State with a gut-wrenching feeling. The team had just lost in the 2012 State final.

“It was kind of unbelievable that the experience went by so fast,” Skjodt said.

Grace Muller, varsity player and senior, agrees that the outcome was disappointing, but points out how far the team had come last season, being the first volleyball team in Carmel’s history to make it to the State Final.

“Although it was a loss, it couldn’t take away from our amazing season,” Muller said.

The volleyball team, which has lost only one game so far this year, wraps up its regular season by hosting the Carmel Invitational on Oct. 19. On Oct. 22, the team will have its first Sectional match in the IHSAA State tournament.

Athletics director Jim Inskeep said he feels confident in the volleyball team’s ability going into the State tournament this year.

“I think they’re playing with a sense of urgency in all matches, and they’ve gotten better, they’ve gotten stronger, they’re jumping higher and it’s been really fun to watch them,” Inskeep said.

Inskeep also thinks this team will respond well when faced with adversity.

“I think this team plays with a confidence, not arrogance, but a confidence, and they’re going to go on a run when they need to,” Inskeep said.

During this 2013 regular season, Carmel has already beat Avon, the 2012 State champions.

“It was treated as just another game.

We had our expectations of what we could do as a team and just executed the plan. We redeemed ourselves from last year though,” Skjodt said.

Muller agreed, “We took the emotion out of it and played hard and focused. It was a great game and a great win.”

The team is preparing and improving themselves more and more every day, according to team members.

“We are working on everything: blocking, defense, hitting and serve receive to really make sure it is spot on and improving every day. Each day we work on it, we get better at it,” Muller said.

In terms of goals for this season, Muller said the team would love to make it back to the State tournament, but she isn’t getting ahead of herself.

“Right now our focus is on winning the Sectional first, then taking it game by game,” Muller said.

Skjodt has similar feelings and said that if the team keeps working as hard as it have been in practice, it can hopefully achieve a better outcome this year.

“I have a lot of faith in what my team can accomplish together, but we still have a lot of work to do if we want to win the State championship,” Skjodt said.

Likewise, Inskeep is optimistic about this year’s team.

“This team is still really hungry from last year. They made the State championship and felt like they left an opportunity out there on the table and they didn’t take it. So I think their expectation is to make it back and bring home the first State championship in volleyball for our school,” Inskeep said.

The journey to State begins Oct. 22 at North Central.

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OCT. 11, 2013 | HILITE.ORG | HILITE | SPORTS | PAGE 25

CCS and CDC plan to install turf on fields through partnership

BY LAXMI PALDE lpalde@hilite.org

C

According to Roxy Nour, a player on the women’s JV soccer team and sophomore, the field is well kept, but there are patches and holes in the grass in some areas.

“Its hard to take care of,” Nour said.

Nour said she thinks turf would be beneficial to sports teams, especially soccer.

“Turf, when you’re playing soccer, completely changes the game. It’s more fast paced and it is harder to the control the ball, but teams who master how to play on turf can play really well,” Nour said.

McMichael said other programs of the high school would benefit from the turf as well.

“All users of the fields will benefit. Not only sports, but also PE, Performing Arts and other programs that use the fields, mainly because of increased availability for use,” McMichael said.

If the partnership for the turf is approved in the November board meetings, Beery said the installation will start in 2014. Although the costs are not definite yet, Beery said he estimates the price will be around $600,000 for one field.

“This partnership between CDC and CCS (really) backs up 55 years,” Beery said, “The (Carmel) Dad’s Club and CCS has had such a special relationship over the years that we look for ways to help them, and they look for ways to help us and in turn we all benefit.” H

armel Clay Schools (CCS) and Carmel Dad’s Club (CDC) are looking to install turf in the two practice fields north of the stadium through a partnership, according to Roger McMichael, CCS Assistant Superintendent for Business Affairs.

McMichael said CCS board members plan to review the partnership proposal in the board meetings during November.

According to CDC president Jack Beery, CHS was originally planning to reinstall the turf in the football stadium and to turf Murray Stadium as well as one of the two practice fields. Beery said CDC also had a need for turf fields in its program, so the CDC board members proposed the idea of a new partnership and offered to pay for the turf of one practice field north of the football stadium under the condition that CCS pay for the other.

“We always look for ways to help each other and consider CDC an Playing extension of CCS. We have open communication between us,” Beery said.

Turf helps extend sports season by allowing teams to play in cold and wet weather, according to Beery. The artificial turf allows fields to be even and often plays a role in injury prevention.

“Both entities will benefit from the availability of two practice fields while only having to pay for one field,” McMichael said via email.

“The programs for CCS and CDC take place at different times, thus the partnership results in maximum use of the fields. This is a tremendous benefit for both organizations as well as the Carmel taxpayers.”

The varsity and junior varsity women’s soccer teams play home games in Murray Stadium, one of the fields under consideration for turf.

on the Turf

Lower Maintenance Costs Pesticide-Free

Increased Playability

Less Mud

Compiled by Shakeel Zia

Typically, turf is composed of many materials. Here are some of the components of turf from top to bottom

Grass Fiber: (2”)

Granulated Rubber: (1.25”)

Backing System: Holds grass upright

Shock Absorbing Pad: (0.75”)

Leveling Level: Compacted, stone dust (as needed)

Drainage Zone: Compacted, crushed stone (2-6”)

Filter Fabric

Natural Soil

GENAN.COM / SOURCE AKSHAR PATEL / GRAPHIC

Compiled by Shakeel Zia

PROS

More Durability

Inspecting the Turf

Benefits and Drawbacks to Turf Fields

CONS

$$$ Heat Hazard

Harmful Chemicals

DANGER

Increased Bacteria Growth

Kills all Organisms in the Soil

R.I.P.

Fewer Injuies Saves Water

MOMSTREAM.COM / SOURCE AKSHAR PATEL / GRAPHIC

PAGE 26 | SPORTS | HILITE | HILITE.ORG | OCT. 11, 2013

Non-school-sanctioned sports remain largely unnoticed, yet athletes play for love of game

BY MATTHEW DEL BUSTO mdelbusto@hilite.org

M

ost of his friends spend their summers at beaches, poolside and sleeping in, but Logan Gentile, right wing for the Icehounds and junior, does not. It’s midsummer at 6 a.m. Rubbing the sleep away from his eyes, Gentile finishes packing his suitcase. A beach getaway? No, he is preparing for an intensive, multi-day hockey camp in Buffalo, NY, 500 miles away.

The “start” of his season is several months away, but Gentile has no off-season.

Gentile is among many high school athletes who sacrifice their breaks for a sport that their school doesn’t sanction. At the Selects Hockey camp he goes to almost every summer, he is joined by dozens of other hand-picked hockey players. To be able to participate in a camp, one must specifically be chosen during on-site recruiting. Along with intensive summer camps during the off-season, Gentile says he usually practices three times a week playing organized hockey and plays more recreational hockey on Sundays. The Icehounds’ began their season last Friday, Oct. 4 in their Firestorm Tournament where they advanced to the finals but lost to Music City 3-2. They play the South Stars tonight at home at 9:30 p.m.

With so much time dedicated to hockey in the offseason and especially now during the season, his intensive schedule begs the question: Where does he get his motivation?

KARTHIK THARDASINA / PHOTO

SHARPSHOOTER: Logan Gentile, right wing and junior for the Icehounds, skates during practice. The Icehounds are split into blue and gold groups. The gold group is “varsity” and the blue group is “junior varsity” group.

“I just want to be as good as I can and (I like to go to the camps) knowing you’re playing with other good players,” Gentile said. “(I) play with a chip on (my) shoulder and it’s good to compete with other highlevel athletes.”

According to Athletics Director Bruce Wolf, school-sanctioned sports and non-school-sanctioned sports have more similarities than differences. “Nonsanctioned sports teams typically consist entirely of CHS students and compete against other schools— often these are many of the same opponents that sanctioned sports teams complete against,” Wolf said via email. “Additionally, they typically participate in some form of state tournament...However, KARTHIK THADASINA/PHOTO sports sanctioned by CHS JUST CHILLIN’: Members of the Icehounds hockey team take a break during practice. The Icehounds’ next game and the IHSAA, must is tonight at home at 9:30 p.m. against the South Stars. follow IHSAA rules where non-sanctioned do not.”

He said that there really is no He said he did not think hockey becoming respective sports because they love the game. functional difference between non-schoolschool-sanctioned would have an effect as he “I play (hockey) because I have since I’ve sanctioned sports and club sports and that said Indiana is a basketball and football state, been 6. I love it and I love the culture. (It’s like) the two descriptive phases are often used but the “players and coaches are fine with you’re in your own world,” Gentile said.

H interchangeably. how it is now,” Gentile said.

As to the recognition of these sports, he Jack Manard, head coach of Team Indiana said, “I do feel like CHS has made a significant Elite High School Hockey and former head Sports Schedule effort to appropriately recognize most all of coach and Director of Hockey for the the endeavors taken on by our students— Icehounds, said he wished high schools As the fall sports season comes both sponsored and non-sponsored. provided more recognition for hockey to a close, many teams begin Justin Glickman is in a similar situation student-athletes. tournament season as Gentile. Glickman, scrum-half on the “The (success of hockey) teams has Icehounds vs. South Stars rugby team and junior, plays a non-schoolreceived nice recognition in the hockey Where: Carmel sanctioned sport. He has played rugby since community; however, it would be very nice When: Tonight at 9:30 p.m. seventh grade. (if) our high schools would provide more,” He mentioned that because rugby is not Manard said via email. “We have some Football vs. Pike school-sanctioned, the team has to come up excellent athletes who deserve it.”

Where: Home with its own funding. Additionally, he said Manard said his players are motivated When: Tonight at 7 p.m. the team has no lockers or practice field. simply because they “play for the love of the Even so, he said he still loves playing. game.” However, “a pat on the back from Women’s volleyball vs. Terre “My favorite part about rugby is the their high school and community is always a Haute South team experience that you get from playing good thing,” Manard said.

Where: Home with your brothers,” Glickman said. “I want Manard said Indiana is a non-traditional When: Tomorrow, time TBA (rugby) to be school-sanctioned so more hockey market. Yet he said hockey’s people know about it and so it’s a bigger deal.” popularity is growing.

Women’s cross-country Sectional Gentile said the players and coaches “With the popularity of the sport Where: White River Elementary understand hockey is under the radar. Even growing, combined with the higher levels of When: Tuesday at 5 p.m. though hockey, among other non-schoolhockey available,” Manard said, “I feel that sanctioned sports at CHS, does not have hockey should be recognized (as a schoolMen’s cross-country Sectional convocations to celebrate its achievements sanctioned sport).”

Where: Noblesville and can be largely unappreciated, Gentile School-sanctioned or not, both Gentile When: Tuesday at 5 p.m. said he plays for the love of the game. and Glickman said they play their CARMEL HIGH SCHOOL / SOURCE

OCT. 11, 2013 | HILITE.ORG | HILITE | SPORTS | PAGE 27

Hit and Miss Good Years

Social media, online and mobile consumption for sports media has increased from 2011 to 2013.

Bad Years Conventional sports media consumption, including television, live attendance and print consumption decreased from 2011 to 2013.

2013

30

63%

2013

25

2011 20

56% 2011

15

15% up to 25%

Online Media

10

56% up to 63%

Sites like Twitter and Facebook

5

Mobile Usage 21% up to 35%

0

2011

Sports Television 96% down to 94%

Live Attendance 51% down to 50%

Hours Following Sports data is per week

96% 2011

7% increase

Social Media

2013

94%

8.1 2011

53% 2011

2 0 1 3

7.6

PRINT

2013

Print Consumption 53% down to 52% ALEX YU AND AKSHAR PATEL / GRAPHIC GLOBAL SPORTS MEDIA CONSUMPTION REPORT 2013 / SOURCE

Sports Reporter Molly Surette

OPINION

Cut off. With the hopeful reduction in swim team size, space will increase at the cost of an inclusive family mentality.

As an incoming freshman, I followed in the footsteps of my then senior sister and mom’s footsteps by joining the school’s women’s swimming and diving team. At the time I had been swimming for the Carmel Swim Club for five years and the next step was to join the high school swim team.

This was easy enough since the team was a no-cut sport. The sport was also an IHSAA sanctioned sport, which meant it filled the requirement to waive Physical Education II. Furthermore, as a no-cut sport, if an athlete on the team met the practice and competition requirements they could earn a varsity letter.

After the first year of grueling practices and the strong sense of family on the team, it was clear that I would proudly be labeled a swimmer for all of high school.

My sophomore and junior year swimming experiences were similar to that of my freshman year. Locker room and pool space shrunk as the team grew larger with each passing year. Last year the total number of girls pushed 130.

And then this summer, an e-mail from head coach Chris Plumb was sent out to all team Just keep who did not swimming members graduate last year. The e-mail said that due to the unmanageable numbers of swimmers, the team was changing to become a cut sport with specific time requirements for the first time ever.

The tradition in the CHS women’s swimming and diving program has been groomed for the past 30 years and is built off of common values like hard work and family. The reputation of the team precedes itself and is a beacon to many

girls who want to be a part of something that is bigger than themselves. It is now limited to only the girls who are capable of swimming fast enough. I myself feel confident that I will pass the requirements yet I already know of friends from last year who will not even try out because they are discouraged by the time standards. The once all-inclusive family will now seem more selective and elite.

The end goal of the expected reduction in team size is to increase pool and locker room space and to allow team members to be able to participate in more individual events at meets. The trade-off is that the team could lose a chunk of the cheering section and parent volunteers at meets.

While being a member of the team guarantees that one will swim in a meet at least once, it in no way guarantees you a spot on the sectional or state meet line-up. These spots are reserved for Carmel’s fastest, and this usually includes about 25 girls. Dual meet spots are competitively sought after for the other 105 girls. One of the positives

of the expected reduction in team size is that at smaller meets, each swimmer will now be able to swim in more events.

I have no doubt in my team’s ability to win another state title this year, yet in the back of my mind I continue to wonder about the girls who won’t even bother trying out.

H

Swim Cuts As the swim team begins to implement cuts, female swimmers must meet three out of four strokes legally within time standards.

Set Kick* All strokes** Freestyle

Distance 50 yards 50 yards 100 yards

Reps 8 12 8

Interval 1:05 1:00 1:45

*With a kick board **Butterfly, Backstroke, Breaststroke, Freestyle COMPILED BY MOLLY SURETTE

PAGE 28 | PERSPECTIVES | HILITE | HILITE.ORG | OCT. 11, 2013

[perspectives]

DID YOU KNOW? Every $1 invested in public transportation generates from $4 to $9 in local economic activity.

ff Pe r

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ec tiv e

SUBMITPERSPECTIVES@HILITE.ORG | HILITE.ORG/PERSPECTIVES

I

Improved mass transit system would facilitate growth and benefit Carmel residents

St a

ndianapolis has never been known for its efficient public transportation. In fact, central Indiana is a “dead zone” for public transportation, lacking the mass transit necessary for reaching its full economic potential. Despite central Indiana’s need for increased public transportation, a new mass transit plan failed to pass at last spring’s legislative session.

Earlier this year, Senate removed legislation that would have allowed voters to decide whether or not to approve increased taxes for the mass transit project. Now, the Central Indiana Mass Transit Study Committee is considering the issue for the next legislative session.

The main opponents of the plan were Republicans, who claimed that most of the required tax money would come from suburbanites who would use the transit system the least and benefit the least from increased public transportation.

However, better mass transit would revitalize central Indiana and benefit many in Carmel, even those who would not directly use it.

Better transit would benefit Carmel residents by linking them to jobs in Indianapolis, reducing the costs of commuting and offering opportunities for economic advance. The system would also allow more personal mobility and options to travel to work or school.

Greater accessibility to transit systems would also lead to increased residential property values by creating more demand for areas linked to public transportation. This increase in property values would put money directly into the pockets of homeowners and, therefore, benefit Carmel homeowners.

Efficient public transportation saves time and reduces

Speak Up!

TRANSITFACTS.COM / SOURCE

travel costs for citizens. Transit also benefits businesses by reducing logistic costs and increasing access to the larger work force caused by new links to Indianapolis jobs. As a result of decreasing costs, business profits will increase, allowing businesses to offer higher-quality goods and services. These goods and services will then benefit consumers throughout central Indiana.

Additionally, mass transit would decrease the number of vehicles on the road, which decreases congestion. Less congestion means less hassle and less wasted time when it comes to traveling, which would even help suburbanites who do not use public transportation.

Mass transit will also benefit the environment by decreasing energy consumption and carbon emissions as the number of vehicles on the road drops. A healthier environment would benefit those who would not use new public transportation, as well as those who would. After all, everyone breathes the same air and uses the same water.

Public transportation has always been one of Indiana’s weakest links. The lack of mass transit has hindered the growth of Indiana and held it back from reaching its full economic potential.

Though the $1.3 billion required for the mass transit plan may seem excessive, the long-term benefits outweigh the initial cost of developing this system. Improved transit will facilitate a stronger economy and lead to a better quality of life for all central Indiana residents.

Mass transit systems benefit all, regardless of whether or not they directly use it. Increased public transportation in central Indiana will revitalize the economy, decrease congestion and benefit the environment. Therefore, senators should assess the

benefits of mass transit to not only citizens who use public transportation but also those who do not. During the next 2014 legislative session, we hope senators will be able to see the benefits of the new mass transit plan.

Public transportation serves all. The citizens, the economy and the environment will benefit from better mass transit systems, which will foster greater growth in Carmel and in all of central Indiana.

H

Highlights of the mass transit plan: BUS STOP

Bus: The new plan calls for doubling the bus service in the first ten years, meaning less wait time between buses and longer service hours

Bikes: Plans have been made for hundreds of miles of proposed trails and pathways to fill in gaps where connections are missing.

Rapid Transit Lanes: These proposed additions would provide high frequency service to heavily traveled areas, runs every five to 15 minutes, has dedicated lanes or rails and controls traffic signals to reduce ASTER SAMUEL / GRAPHIC travel time.

INDYCONNECT.COM / SOURCE

COMPILED BY KYLE CRAWFORD, MILES DAI

Do you think the city of Carmel should implement a new public transportation system? Why?

Freshman Destinie Lockett

Yes, because not everyone has someone to drive them around all the time.

Sophomore Kyle Yost

I do not believe so because the extra exhaust from all the new buses would create bad environmental changes in Carmel.

Junior Ann Marie Moorman

Junior Manali Patel

Yes. I think that a new public transportation system would be a good idea. It would be really helpful.

Yes, I think so because people would really benefit from it if they don’t have a car and it’s more efficient.

Senior Jake Qiu

Yes. It would be especially useful for students and younger people who don’t have cars or means of getting around.

German teacher Laura King

No. We have a great biking system that allows people to get around. With Carmel being such a small city, it is unnecessary.

OCT. 11, 2013 | HILITE.ORG | HILITE | PERSPECTIVES | PAGE 29

OPINION

News Editor Helena Ma

My locker shelf angel. Students should recognize the multiplying effect of random acts of kindness Now that I am a junior, I get one of those dingy, supersmall lockers in the old part of the school instead of a nice, big one that the rest of the grades use. The most annoying consequence, however, was that my old locker shelf didn’t fit. On the first day of school, when I tried to ram the locker shelf into my locker, I ended up breaking the wire, hurting my fingers and getting the obnoxious thing was stuck inside my locker at a really weird angle. It put a real damper on my first day of school to find my books and folders tumbling out of my locker due to my completely crooked shelf.

So imagine my shock when I opened my locker a day later to find a gentlyused, neatly folded locker shelf, placed innocently on top of my disarray of books.

It was a locker shelf that I had little trouble fitting into my locker. I was stunned. My first thought was that one of my friends had done it. I had complained about my sore fingers from trying to push in the oversized locker shelf to some friends and I knew some had locker shelves they didn’t use. But then I realized, I had never told a single friend my combination. My next thought was that it had been one of my parents. But they didn’t do it either. So who could have possibly done this for me? My friends suggested a number of theories, everything from the janitor had done it or I had actually done it in my sleep. There was no solution.

To this day, it remains one of the greatest mysteries in my personal history.

But whoever he or she is had done one of the nicest acts I’ve ever received. I was already feeling tense about the start of junior year, and knowing that I couldn’t fit all my new textbooks into my locker and would have to go hunt for a fitting locker shelf worsened those tensions. When I think of that person, I

always refer to him or her as my Locker Shelf Angel, someone who had made a tiring day of junior year beautiful. I’ve spent weeks wondering about who this person is and trying to figure out how to thank this person, but all in vain. So I’ve stopped thinking about this mystery man (or woman) and I’ve focused on something else: how to pay it forward.

In seventh grade, we watched the film “Pay It Forward” about a young boy who launches a goodwill movement where the recipient of a favor does a good deed for three others rather than paying the favor back. The chain impact of his good deeds result in giving a homeless man a place to sleep, convincing a woman not to commit suicide, saving a girl’s life in a hospital and protecting a friend from being bullied.

Paying it forward takes one random act of kindness and multiplies it to other acts of kindness to others. It creates a habit of doing nice things for others without expecting anything in return. And as I have experienced, nothing is more potent in transforming a mood than receiving a random act of kindness.

Pay it forward acts start small. You can give someone a pick-me-up gift, shovel a neighbor’s driveway, pay for someone’s meal when eating out or say something nice to a stranger. Paying it forward can be applied to our technology-oriented era, too. Write an inspirational blog, type a good review about a restaurant you like or post encouraging comments on a social media website. And if someone wants to repay you for something, tell him or her to pay it forward.

Let’s do the math. If you do something nice for three people who each do something nice for three more people who each do something nice for three more people and continue that one more time, that’s 120 people you just affected. Think about how far-reaching your actions can go.

Think about how far-reaching your actions can go ...

You may inspire and indirectly affect dozens of people.

“Age is just a number”

Graphic Perspective

7

“You’re so cute! Have some candy.

Don’t stay out too late, okay?”

17

“You know in some places it’s illegal for teenagers to trick or treat?”

So I encourage you to pay it forward. You may inspire and indirectly affect dozens of people...or you may just make a H person smile every time she opens her locker.

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Helena at hma@hilite.org.

Paying it Forward Join the movement; here are some ways you can get involved Clear out all your old clothes and donate them to someone in need.

Donate blood: One pint can save up to three lives.

Volunteer at a hospital, nursing home or homeless shelter.

Pay for the person in line behind you.

When it’s raining, buy a few umbrellas and hand them out to people who need them.

Put a quarter in a meter that’s about to expire.

Join a cause: Participate in a charity drive or fundraiser for a cause you support.

If you eat at a fast food place, buy an extra meal for a homeless person.

When someone wants to pay you back for something, ask them to pay it forward.

37

“Police, there’s a man dressed in a cape outside my door.”

ASTER SAMUEL / COMPILATION PAYITFORWARDDAY.COM / SOURCE

77

“Aren’t you too old to be doing this?”

LAUREN LU / GRAPHIC

PAGE 30 | PERSPECTIVES | HILITE | HILITE.ORG | OCT. 11, 2013

Graphic Perspective Breaking news! The sky is pink!

... *click*

BREAKING NEWS!!!

Our sources say the sky is green!

BREAKING NEWS!!!

So which one is it...?

Well uh...we have more information coming in from our sources...

OPINION

Miss Controversy. Why students should care about the new Miss America.

“So Miss America is a terrorist.”

“I swear I’m not racist, but this is America.”

“Congratulations Al-Qaeda. Our Miss America is one of you.”

These were just a few of the thousands of vicious tweets posted regarding Nina Davuluri, the first ever Indian-American Miss America. Davuluri’s selection on Sept. 15 was a majorNEWS!!! breakthrough for the controversial BREAKING pageant industry. However, much of the enthusiasm surrounding this milestone was short-lived due to the ensuing social media frenzy.

Davuluri’s selection inspired a flurry of racist and disapproving tweets. People all over the country expressed their discontent towards the new Miss America, calling her an Arab as a slur, joking about her being a potential terrorist, sharing their offense at her selection so close to 9/11 and proclaiming their surprise that an Indian American could even win since “this is America.” Twitter, as a very public platform for speech, broadcasted these thoughts internationally. This heated response was what drew so much attention to the contest in the first place.

It amazes me how quickly we are able to turn away from the ideals of equality, meritocracy and religious freedom that founded this country.

As an Indian American myself, I am familiar with many of the misconceptions and blatant ignorance on display after the pageant, so some of the responses, while disappointing, were not altogether unexpected to me.

However, in my experience, criticism does not tend to be constructive unless those making the judgments have their facts straight. Since it appears we will be spending some time with Miss Davuluri in the spotlight, It is time for Americans to grow up and step outside of their own skin.

The first misconception I would like to address is where the new Miss America is from. Davuluri is an Americanborn citizen. She was born in New York and grew up in the United States for the majority of her life. As Davuluri

Meet Well...we were first. Isn’t that all that matters?

Uh I just want to watch the news.

Not a race.

RACHEL CHEN / GRAPHIC

Perspectives Editor Aster Samuel

stated herself, “I always viewed myself first and foremost an American.”

Also, she is not Arabic; Davuluri’s parents hailed from India. India is a country thousands of miles from the Middle East, which the lesser informed often lump together with the rest of southern Asia under the completely incorrect and judgmental banner of terrorist region.

Additionally, while I believe it is wrong to take into account religion for the title of a country based on religious equality (the first non-Christian Miss America having been crowned 68 years ago), it should be mentioned that Ad Davuluri is not Muslim either.

Astra The majority of Indians are neither Per Arab nor Muslim which is also the Aspera case with Davuluri. She is Hindu, an entirely separate faith from that of Islam. Her representation of a minority faith is simply another of her many commendable traits.

The vicious social media quips and reactions to Davuluri’s selection were a disturbing reminder that America still remains blissfully ignorant on many important things.

However, Davuluri’s gracious reaction to these Twitter attacks led me to believe that she is in fact the right person at the right time to be selected. In a melting pot of different religions, ethnicities and ideals, the ever growing diversity of this country requires us to be more aware and accepting of diversity. Davuluri has forced us to confront this issue and learn something.

Despite the high number of negative responses, the tweets about the new Miss America weren’t all bad. Many people sent their sincerest congratulations and support to Davuluri, a positive sign America is willing to move forward as a country.

Congratulations, Miss America 2014, and thank you for the crash course in acceptance. I can’t wait to see what you H plan on doing next.

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Aster Samuel at asamuel@ hilite.org.

Miss America

Scan the QR code below to check out more information about Nina Davuluri

Name: Nina Davuluri Age: 24 Hometown: Syracuse, New York Platform Issue: Celebrating diversity through cultural competency Talent: Classical Bollywood Fusion Career Ambition: To become a physician Trivia: Davuluri has struggled with bulimia and weight problems. Davuluri said, she lost more than 50 pounds before entering the Miss New York pageant in early 2013.

On her Bollywood performance: “It’s the first time Bollywood has ever been performed on the Miss America stage and it’s such an honor for myself, my family and the Indian community.”

MISSAMERICA.ORG / SOURCE ASTER SAMUEL / GRAPHIC

OCT. 11, 2013 | HILITE.ORG | HILITE | PERSPECTIVES | PAGE 31

OPINION

Beats Editor Maham Nadeem

Empathize. We must educate ourselves regarding the Syrian crisis, seek empathy.

These past few weeks have been laden with fiery political debates, heated altercations and a boatload of disagreements.

Outrageous cruelty and an exponentially increasing death toll in Syria has left the rest of the world heavy hearted and quite frankly flabbergasted.

Amidst UN discussions regarding the Syrian crisis, many of us have been formulating our own opinions. Personally, I’ve been swept up in an interminable funnel of questions with no clear answers.

Should the United States impose a military insurrection? Should we aid the rebels? Can we avoid another fullComparison blown war?

To tell the truth, I was torn until is the thief very recently. Two months ago, I of joy was in Islamabad, Pakistan. It was there, in a country where YouTube is blocked and lawless violence is rampant, where I realized what it truly means to live in Carmel, Indiana. The immensity of our freedoms finally dawned upon me this summer.

In this suburban utopia, we are blessed with a lack of fear. I’m fearless as I write this column. No political party will shoot me dead for opposing it, as is common practice in Pakistan.

We have access to an unrestricted amount of information and have the ability to draw our own conclusions from that knowledge—again, a privilege unheard of in rural Pakistan where government officials censor information to keep the citizens uneducated and susceptible to propaganda.

Many of us, myself included, have lived our lives sheltered from this tyranny that is a dark and somber reality for several across the globe.

Although we loudly profess to be a nation of democratic ideals and guard human rights, our generation has rarely experienced anything other than complete and utter freedom.

The American Revolution ended over 200 years ago. The union triumphed in the Civil War 150 years ago. The Civil Rights Movement occurred nearly 45 years ago. Evidently, our knowledge about the struggle for freedom stems largely from history books and antiquity.

The fact of the matter is we can sympathize with the Syrian plight, but we can’t empathize with it. We can shed a few tears as we read an online CNN story about the political cartoonist who was kidnapped and pitilessly beaten, but we can’t thoroughly commiserate. We can’t understand his pain or replicate his revolutionary spirit.

We can condemn oppression, but we can’t relate to the misery and distress of the oppressed.

At this moment, rebel forces are fighting for basic human liberties, freedoms we take for granted on a daily basis. Keep in mind, penal codes under the authoritarian regime trump the freedom of speech so far as to prohibit any public or private criticism of the government with fear of reprisal.

Books critical of the regime are ruled illegal. The government closely monitors internet usage, including email and chat rooms. Those who engage in antigovernment activity on the internet are subject to arrest. Activists have reported that they were forced to supply government officials with passwords to their email and social networking accounts. Moreover, approximately 180 websites are blocked in Syria.

Nearly 80,000 human beings have died in a struggle to attain the mere liberty to speak their mind, to state their opinion, to be free. To formulate an educated opinion, the most important thing we have to do is recognize the cause of rebellion. It isn’t something we can conclude on assumption, because, honestly, most of us don’t have anything domestic or personal to relate it to.

We can’t be ignorant to the Syrian plight; we have to educate ourselves before imposing our opinions. Too much of the decision making process has been weighed on the effects of involving action or lack of, and a very minimal weight has H been allotted to truly understanding the struggle.

Mailing Address: 520 E. Main St., Carmel, IN 46032 Phone: (317) 846-7721, Ext. 7143 Website: www.hilite.org E-mail: Staff members of the HiLite may be contacted by using their first initial and their last name appending @hilite.org. For example, Claudia Huang will receive mail sent to chuang@hilite.org.

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Maham Nadeem at mnadeem@ hilite.org.

ADS TEAM Case Pasanen

The fact of the matter is we can sympathize with the Syrian plight, but we can’t empathize with it.

Letter to the Editor Dear HiLite staff, I was very interested in reading the Sept. 12 HiLite, but I was most interested in Principal (John) Williams’s quote on page 4. (“New laws create changes in bullying guidelines”).

I was reading the quote while trying to read with an open mind, but I thought (after I read Mr. Williams’s quote) if bullying gets to the point where (the school administration) needs to monitor us on Saturday night, it’s not that it’s an invasion of privacy, it’s that it’s about time we need to re-evaluate how well the bullying policy­— regardless of changes made to it—is enforced and followed by teachers, students and the

Contact information

community of Carmel.

I know bullying is severe, but how well do we H enforce the rules?

Sophomore Aaron Seals Letters to the editor will be accepted for the Nov. 15 issue no later than Nov. 4. Letters may be submitted in Room C147, placed in the mailbox of Jim Streisel, emailed to letters@hilite.org or mailed to the school. All letters must be signed. Names will be published. (Letters sent via email will be taken to a student’s SRT for him to sign.)

Letters must not contain personal attacks against any individual and may be edited.

Responding to the HiLite

Letters to the editor will be accepted for the Nov. 15 issue no later than Nov. 4. Letters may be submitted in Room C147, placed in the mailbox of Jim Streisel, emailed to letters@hilite.org or mailed to school. All letters must be signed. Names will be published. (Letters sent via email will be taken to a student’s SRT for him to sign.) Letters must not contain personal attacks against an individual and may be edited.

Purpose

The HiLite is a student publication distributed to students, faculty and staff of Carmel High School, with a press run of 4,500. Copies are distributed to every school in the Carmel Clay district as well as the Chamber of Commerce, city hall and the Carmel Clay Public Library.

The paper serves as a public forum and two-way communication for both the school and the community. Opinions expressed in the newspaper are not necessarily those of CHS nor the Carmel Clay system faculty, staff or administration.

Credentials

The HiLite belongs to the Indiana High School Press Association, Quill & Scroll and the National Scholastic Press Association.

Advertising

Businesses may advertise in the HiLite if their ads adhere to guidelines. The advertising policy is available in Room C147 or at www.hilite.org.

EDITOR IN CHIEF Claudia Huang MANAGING EDITORS Taylor Acton Eric He Hafsa Razi Andrew Wang ACCOUNTANT Mitch Lindgren ACUMEN Julie Xu Jason Klein

15 MINUTES Naomi Reibold BEATS/ CALENDAR Michelle Dai Christine Fernando Sarah Liu Maham Nadeem Laxmi Palde Deepthi Thadasina Cynthia Yue COVER STORY Lauren Lu ENTERTAINMENT Miriam Hu Joseph Lee

FEATURE Crystal Chen Rushi Patel FRONT PAGE Connie Chu Dennis Yang GRAPHICS Jiva Capulong Rachel Chen Anthony Ko Omeed Malek GMN LIAISON Isaac Warshawsky NEWS Chrishan Fernando Helena Ma PERSPECTIVES David Choe Aster Samuel PHOTO Mikaela George Nivedha Meyyappan SPORTS Matthew Del Busto Arsalan Siddiqui SOCIAL MEDIA Elyse Goldberg Caitlin Muller STUDENT SECTION Madison Adzema

WEB Patrick Tan Adit Chandra Kevin Fei Willie Zhu WRITING COACHES Kyle Walker Cynthia Wu REPORTERS Tyler Baumann Haley Bracken Bobby Browning Natalia Chaudhry John Chen Michael Cheng Lucus Cheng Michelle Dai Christine Fernando Danny Goldberg Nida Khan Jasmine Lam Joyce Lam Michael Li Sarah Liu Emma Love Jill Massengill Laxmi Palde Akshar Patel Ellen Peng Sreeti Ravi Sriya Ravi Sarah Seo Aaron Shi Grant Smith Molly Surette Jessica Tao Deepthi Thadasina

Kari Truax Sreya Vemuri Ai-ning Wang Annika Wolff Ryan Woock Jacob Worrell Angela Wu Christine Yang Alex Yu Lianne Yu Cynthia Yue Anni Zhang Stephanie Zhang Michael Zhao Shakeel Zia PHOTOGRAPHERS Sophia Brewer Kyle Crawford Miles Dai Scott Liu Swetha Nakshatri Ally Russell Jaymee Stout Karen Swedo Karthik Thadasina Alex Yom Alice Zhu ADVISER Jim Streisel PRINCIPAL John Williams SUPERINTENDENT Nicholas D. Wahl

PAGE 32 | 15 MINUTES OF FAME | HILITE | HILITE.ORG | OCT. 11, 2013

[15 minutes of fame]

To watch Milstone eat glass and find out more about his hobbies go to hilite.org

SUBMIT15MINUTESOFFAME@HILITE.ORG | HILITE.ORG/15MINUTESOFFAME

CAUTION: Contains Glass

Senior Sam Milstone shares his hobbies of eating glass and styling his mohawk

BY NAOMI REIBOLD nreibold@hilite.org How did you get your mohawk?

Well, of course, it grew out of my head– that’s the pretty easy answer–but I was in seventh grade, and I kind of decided that I was kind of boring. I was kind of a very bland individual, so I wanted to change. I wanted to become someone different, so I guess I grew this mohawk out because it forced myself to be eccentric and be different.

WAVING FLAG: Sam Milstone flagpoles on a tree. Milstone has learned many unusual skills such as flagpoling, eating glass and breathing fire.

KYLE CRAWFORD / PHOTOS

What’s in it?

“A little bit of gel,” he said, and a 21-ounce can of hairspray each week.

10 inches tall

How do you get into a car with your mohawk?

I don’t really pay attention to it anymore because I do it every day now, but I put (the chair) all the way back, sit down and lean as far back as I can without being unsafe and buckle in. It’s not the most comfortable position, but you have to make sacrifices.

Why did you start eating glass?

I watched an episode of “My Strange Addiction” where he’s addicted to eating glass, and I’m like, ‘Wow, that is so weird,’ because he looked like such a normal person.

He looked like a guy who had mutton chops and a mohawk and I was like, ‘That’s really odd that someone just so normal can do it.’ Then I kind of looked into it. I realized, I have this opportunity, I need this side show act for my haunted house to be this clown, so I decided maybe eating glass would be cool and I just did it.

What is eating glass like?

Eating glass, in a one-word description, would just be weird. It’s very odd, like not natural at all. What usually happens is you take a piece of glass, usually curved, at least a light bulb. What you do is you put it inside (your mouth) and you crunch it and you just start crunching, and it turns into sand almost. Then you just swallow it, and you’re fine. You’ll be picking it out of your teeth for a while, but it turns out everything is okay.

What’s in it?

Light bulbs consist of silica, trona (soda ash), lime, coal and salt.

MINERALSCOALITIONEDUCATIO. ORG / SOURCE

What is your favorite food combination with a light bulb?

I really liked Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce for a really long time. Their wedding was just perfect.

It just made this sweet harmony on the roof of mouth and I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed it.

*With his mohawk, Milstone is 7 feet, 2 inches.