Carmel High School newsmagazine
News
entertainment
Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 to be released Nov. 20
sports
Same-sex marriage is now allowed in Indiana page 8
page 32
page 40
Men’s and Women’s Basketball preview
November 14, 2014
Parting the parties Students at this school increasingly identify as politically independent compared to previous generations PAGE 26 | NATALIA CHAUDhrY
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contents
nov 14, 2014
contact information
Mailing Address: 520 E. Main St., Carmel IN 46032 Phone: (317) 846-7721, Ext. 7143 Website: www.hilite.org Email: Staff members of the HiLite may be contacted by using their first initial and their last name appending @hilite.org. For example, Helena Ma will receive mail sent to hma@hilite.org.
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responding to the hilite
Letters to the editor will be accepted for the December 12 issue no later than November 26. Letters may be submitted to 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.
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Credentials
The HiLite belongs to the Indiana High School Press Associations, 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/ads-info. Editor in Chief Helena Ma
Cover Story Aaron Shi
Managing Editors Madison Adzema Matt Del Busto Chrishan Fernando Aster Samuel
Feature Michelle Dai Cynthia Wu
Ads Team Ellen Peng Accountant Patrick Shaffer Acumen Lauren Lu Stephanie Zhang 15 Minutes of Fame Sarah Liu Beats/Calendar Natalia Chaudhry Katie Long Brielle Saggese Selena Qian Melissa Yap Alex Yom Jenny Zhao Creative Director Dennis Yang
Front Page Scott Liu Alex Yu Graphics Haley Bracken Jiva Capulong Olivia Jacko Akshar Patel Tiffany Xie GMN Liaison Arsalan Siddiqui News Christine Fernando Laxmi Palde Perspectives Maham Nadeem Sriya Ravi Photography Nivedha Meyyappan Alice Zhu Sports Emma Love Shakeel Zia
Social Media Sreeti Ravi Ally Russell Entertainment John Chen Lianne Yu Student Section Jessica Tao Web Adit Chandra Miles Dai Kevin Fei Aneesh Luthra Willie Zhu Online Directors Jason Klein Rushi Patel Writing Coaches Kyle Walker Miriam Hu Reporters Lucus Cheng Asim Dhungana Daniel Goldberg Matthew Han Nida Khan Jasmine Lam Katie Long Gabby Perelmuter Grant Smith
Katie Summitt Angela Sun Kari Truax Shiva Vallabhaneni Sitha Vallabhaneni Sreya Vemuri Gabriella Wang Annika Wolff Angela Wu Sara Yin Cynthia Yue Anni Zhang Grace Zhang Michael Zhao Matthew Zheng Photographers Divya Annamalai Kyle Crawford Miles Dai Mike Johnson Dara Levy Swetha Nakshatri Jaymee Stout Sara Yung Adviser Jim Streisel Principal John Williams Superintendent Nicholas Wahl
4|Just a minute Tips for improving memorization skills 6|news News Briefs 7|news Living Hope Club members to volunteer at trunk shows run by ByTavi on Nov. 14, 15 and 16 in order to help battle sex trafficking and prostitution
8|news Supreme Court upholds lift of ban on samesex marriage in Indiana
18|feature Students and teachers realize bias in history, try to recount it accurately
10|news Snapshots of several new clubs at CHS
22|student section Sophomore Darren Cheng spends his atypical Thanksgivings at a ping pong tournament
12|feature Student balances tolerance with tradition 16|feature Universities are starting to offer scholarships for e-sports
23|student section Students share interesting Thanksgiving traditions
nov 14, 2014
contents
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03
40
contents
54 24|student section A Black Friday survival guide 25|student section Students tweet their best Black Friday stories 26|cover story Our generation increasingly self-identifies as political Independents 32|entertainment “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Part 1” to be released on Nov. 20
34|entertainment Fall theatre production ‘The Beaux Stratagem’ to be different from past productions 35|entertainment Eminem to drop his fifth album, Shady XV, on Nov. 24 36|entertainment Super Smash Brothers for Wii U is released; competitive and casual players discuss the game
39|entertainment Entertainment Briefs 40|sports Men’s and women’s basketball preview 42|sports Hockey is slowly beginning to gain popularity with CHS students 44|sports Students are opting to play sports outside of school
46|sports Managing editor Matt Del Busto discusses recent NFL domestic violence
50|perspectives Writing coach Miriam Hu discusses Jennifer Lawrence’s response to nude photos
48|perspectives
51|perspectives Perspectives editor Sriya Ravi explores problems with labeling people
Staff Editorial 49|perspectives Sports editor Emma Love discusses the inequality in pay raises
cover photo illustration: kyle crawford, alex yu
52|perspectives Reporter Jenny Zhao takes a stance on donating to charities
VOL. 79, NO. 4
53|perspectives Graphic Perspectives 54|15 minutes of fame Senior Ari Roberts has been writing a fantasy trilogy since 7th grade 55|15 minutes of fame Words from passionate writers and readers 56|back cover Prepping for Spec
Just a minute
JUST A MINUTE
04
thoughts on memorization
nov 14, 2014
some thoughts on memorization based on a TED Talk by Idriz Zogaj
Let’s face it. Memorization is an ever-present part of our high school lives. And chances are, we despise it because it’s time-consuming, plus there’s the possibility that we’ll forget something that just happens to be on that next quiz. Here’s a principle that will not only speed up the memorization process, but help those facts stick.
not to scale
the brain is a ball of neurons. Billions of them, in fact. When we try to remember something, we make connections among neurons. The greater the number of connections, the stronger the memory.
the brain likes to have fun. When something is fun, it sticks in our mind more easily than if it’s not. If you want to study chemical reactions, you could Google the answers and stare at them. That’s not fun. What if a teacher demonstrated the reactions in class? You’d probably remember things better.
some suggestions
As students, we’re scared of forgetting things. That’s why we spend hours studying. It doesn’t have to be hours, though, if you know how to memorize things in a fun, engaging way.
ROY G BIV stimulate the five senses
teach it to someone else
use a mnemomic device or an acronym
group items by similar qualities
nov 14, 2014
thoughts on memorization
just a minute
05
TRY THIS: here are ten images: snail
door
flamingo
wall
weight
elephant
skier
giraffe
snake
sun
weight
elephant
skier
giraffe
snake
sun
let’s group them into five pairs
snail
door
flamingo
2
1
just a minute
wall
Now make a story with these pairs. Try to incorporate the five senses, and make the story interesting and vivid. Weird, even. This is a strategy used by people who compete in memory competitions, where you’re given numbers, pictures or words and you have to memorize as much as you can in a given time frame. Here’s an example for the ten images above:
3
4
5
1
You see a snail, and there’s a door in its shell. You open the door and go in because you’ve never seen the inside of a snail before. It’s all slimy and gooey. Yuck!
2
You come out the door and you see a flamingo building a brick wall. It doesn’t make any sense, but that’s okay.
3
After climbing over the brick wall, you see a big, strong elephant lifting a huge weight with its trunk.
4
You see a giraffe and you put on some skis to ski down the giraffe’s neck because it’s just so long. Sounds exciting, doesn’t it?
5
Finally, you reach the roof of the house. There’s a snake chilling on a lounge chair, sipping on some iced tea. Snakes are cold-blooded, so they like to bathe in the sun.
COME BACK A FEW MINUTES LATER AND TRY THE FOLLOWING EXERCISES: Try to remember the wacky journey that we took. Does your brain fill in the gaps?
?
Match the image with its correct pair:
?
GRAPHIC BY SCOTT LIU
write down the order of the images: 1. 2. 3.
?
?
4. 5.
?
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
NEWS
nov 14, 2014
Katie long
News Briefs
NEWS BRIEFS NOV. 13-15
NOV. 13-15
Marching band will participate in the Bands of America Grand National Championships at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
“I’M REALLY EXCITED (FOR BOA GRAND NATIONALS) BECAUSE WE PUT IN A LOT OF WORK. I THINK IT’S ALWAYS A GOOD EXPERIENCE.” LAUREN HAMILTON, CLARINET PLAYER AND SENIOR. Dara levy
WAVIN’ FLAGS: Color Guard member practices after school. This year, the marching band will participate in the National Championships at Lucas Oil Stadium.
From Nov. 13 to 15, “The Beaux’ Strategem” will be playing in the Studio Theater. People can order tickets online at ticketracker.com.
NOV. 17
From 12:30 to 3:30 p.m., the Carmel Clay Public Library is holding a blood drive. Blood donors must be over 17 years old and weigh at least 110 pounds. 1) Whole Blood For trauma, surgery
12
2) Plasma For anemia, blood loss
26
Cast Members
55 3
65
Crew Members
2
Student Directors
3) AHF For organ transplants, surgery 4) Red Blood Cells For burns, shock
4
5) Platelets For hemophilia
45 5
ChrisHan Fernando REDCROSSBLOOD.ORG / SOURCE
NOV. 27-30
DEC. 3-7
Thanksgiving will be on Nov. 27, and students will have no school Nov. 27 to 30.
Holiday Spectacular will be in the Dale E. Graham Auditorium. The show will start at 7 p.m. on Dec. 3 and 4 and at 2 p.m. on Dec. 6 and 7. Students can buy tickets either online or at the CHS bookstore. Main floor tickets cost $18 while balcony tickets cost $8, and back lecture room tickets cost $12.
DEC. 6 CHS Science Olympiad is participating in the Whiting Invitational, its first competition of the year.
DEC. 14 The orchestras will perform in the Dale E. Graham Auditorium from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.
PUT YOUR HANDS UP: Choir members rehearse during school. Holiday Spectacular will be from Dec. 3 to 7 in the Dale E. Graham Auditorium.
Sarah Liu
nov 14, 2014
Living hope club
NEWS
07
Deepthi Thadasina
KEEPING THE HOPE ALIVE
living hope club volunteers at trunk shows
F
ROM TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY, Center for Global Impact (CGI) will host a trunk show at the State Fairgrounds. According to Grace Miller, co-vice president and junior, members of the club will be helping out with trunk shows depending on which day everyone is free. “The volunteers will be helping to sell the products that the Cambodian women made, such as scarves, bags, etc. All the profits will go directly back to the women to help them raise a sustainable income to provide for their families,” Miller said. The brand of products club members will sell is called byTavi. It started when a woman named Tavi needed to support her family when her husband died from AIDS. Despite her culture’s acceptance towards human trafficking, she did not want to resort to it. Instead she came to CGI asking for help, and requested a sewing machine and seamstress training according to the CGI website. A couple of years later, she began sewing and inspired other women in her community to sew. Together the women started the brand byTavi. The project helps women reach their full potential and make them leaders. Women who were former seamstresses now manage the project.
Swetha Nakshatri Miller said members are helping out with the trunk show because they “believe in helping to end the cycle of poverty in Asian countries, and also that no one should have to resort to sex trafficking in order to make a living.” Club sponsor Diana LaRose said the club was started in order to spread awareness and stop female infanticide in India, and this project with CGI fits right in with that goal. “It is going right along with everything that the club is all about. It’s injustices to girls in particular,” she said.
CENTER FOR GLOBAL IMPACT’S BYTAVI PROJECT Where the money goes feeds a family for a week
$20
a student $250 trains for a month Christine Fernando CENTERFORGLOBALIMPACT.ORG / SOURCE
What CGI provides for byTavi seamstresses
Seamstress training and equipment
Regular meals and health checks
GIVING HOPE: Grace Miller, Living Hope club vice president and junior, designs posters for the the upcoming trunk shows. The shows will take place on Nov. 15 at the state fair grounds to raise money to stop sex trafficking and prostitution.
CGI also sells the byTavi products in stores across Indiana. Some of the retail partners in Carmel include The District Exchange, Halo Salon, Capstone Bookstore at Northview Christian Church and Moxie Salon. The products can also be bought online on its website. In order to host a trunk show, a person should sign up on the website, and CGI will provide all the items needed. The club had been looking into partnering with CGI since the beginning of the school year and it is one of the big projects the club is working on this year. Miller said she was finding ways to help out as it fits in with the club’s cause. Miller said, “The trunk shows are a great opportunity for people to support an incredible program against trafficking by purchasing items handmade by the women in the byTavi program. The products are good quality, and 100 percent of the profits go directly back to H the women.”
08
News
Nov 14, 2014
Selena Qian
Same-Sex Marriage
TIMELINE 1972: The U.S. Supreme Court dismisses Baker v. Nelson, one of three cases brought by same-sex couples 1973: Maryland becomes the first state to pass a statute banning marriage between same-sex couples
REDEFINING MARRIAGE
Supreme court upholds lift on BAN OF Same-Sex Marriage
1996: Defense of Marriage Act mandates unequal treatment of legally married same-sex couples 1999: Baker v. State of Vermont rules that samesex couples must be treated equally to different-sex married couples
2003: Goodridge v. Department of Public Health rules that the state constitution mandates the freedom to marry for samesex couples
2006: Lewis v. Harris rules that same-sex couples are entitled to all statelevel spousal rights and responsibilities
2008: Kerrigan v. Commissioner rules that same-sex couples are entitled to the freedom to marry 2011: Respect for Marriage Act overturns the Defense of Marriage Act
2013: California becomes the 13th state to legalize same-sex marriages, starting a chain reaction in which many states legalized it FREEDOMTOMARRY.ORG / SOURCE CNN.COM / SOURCE
SAME-SEX SUPPORT: Senior Corbin Flatford said the recent Supreme Court ruling to uphold the lift on same-sex marriage in Indiana will change families who, like hers, involve samesex relationships. According to Flatford, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruling is long overdue.
Alex Yom
Nov 14, 2014
News
09
Same-Sex Marriage
L
THE FACTS AST
MONTH,
THE
decided not to review a case on same-sex marriage. This decision upheld the ruling of the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals that had lifted Indiana’s ban on gay marriage. Back in March, three federal lawsuits were filed, Baskin v. Bogan, Lee v. Pence and Midori Fujii v. State of Indiana, all over the issue of same-sex marriage. In June, District Judge Richard L. Young ruled in favor of the same-sex couples, striking down Indiana’s ban on gay marriage. In September, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed his decision. The Supreme Court declined to review the case in October, effectively upholding the rulings of the lower courts. This decision has affected many CHS students, senior Corbin Flatford among them. Her parents are gay, and the ruling has recognized their marriage from another state. Flatford said the decision surprised her. “I was a little bit shocked because my mom came out two years ago, but then I was like, ‘Hey, you love who you want to love,’ and then she got married and now she’s having a baby in January, so I’m pretty happy,” Flatford said. Flatford said not everyone will support the ruling, but she is in favor of it. “I think that allowing people to marry who they want to marry is definitely going to change lives, and it allows families to just be a family by law,” she said. Jeremy Horner, Gay-Straight Alliance sponsor and chemistry teacher, said his emotions were a combination of surprised and excited. “It caught me off guard because I wasn’t expecting it. I mean, I just checked online and it was there,” he said. However, some students, like SUPREME COURT
A COURT CASE’S PATH THROUGH THE SUPREME COURT 1) The case 10,000 works through Parts in blue show the path of the case that has just lifted the ban on same-sex marriage
lower courts. 2) A party in the case petitions to send the case to the Supreme Court.
Number of petitions the Supreme Court receives yearly
75-80
5
States where gay marriage bans have been overturned, but appeals are in progress
27 percent of Americans thought same-sex marriage should be legal in 1996
Number of cases Supreme Court hears yearly
3) Four of the nine Supreme Court Justices agree to hear the case.
3) At least four of the nine Supreme Court Justices do not agree to hear the case.
-Supreme Court decision stands, regardless of Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals.
-Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals decision stands. -The 12 regional circuit courts give individual rulings.
Christine Fernando
32 states have legal same-sex marriage
USCOURTS.GOV / SOURCE
senior Claire Mitchel, are less supportive of the decision. “I’m not really for it,” Mitchel said. “I’ve kind of got mixed feelings about it. For my beliefs, we (people of my faith) are against it because it’s not procreative, so you can’t really create a child with two men or two women. And, it’s kind of saying that if two men get married the mom’s not important and vice versa.” Horner said the ruling will impact students in two main ways. He said it will not only give legal recognition but also change the perception of same-sex marriage. Flatford said the decision will bring better awareness and help people to accept gay marriage. Mitchel, though, said it will continue to be a sensitive issue. “I know that a lot of people react differently so I feel like you just got to be careful if you bring up the topic with friends, and don’t expect them to believe the same things that you believe in,” she said. Horner also said the issue has not been resolved because many people do not understand that the Supreme Court hasn’t actually made a decision. “Certainly that has meaning, in a sense they made a decision by not making a decision, so it’s sort of weird, and I think there’s a lot of confusion about that, so I don’t think this issue’s necessarily gone away and I think that we will see H it again,” Horner said.
55 percent of Americans think it should be legal now
17
Countries worldwide where same-sex marriage has been approved in the entire country
3.5 percent of Americans identify themselves as LGBT
646,464 Households with same-sex couples in the U.S. in 2010
80.4
Percent growth of U.S. samesex couple households between 2000 and 2010
25.3 percent of same-sex couple households in the U.S. in 2012 with children living with them
1138 Akshar Patel
Number of federal benefits to marriage
10
News
nov 14, 2014
Katie Long
New Clubs
NEW BEGINNINGS
New Clubs start IN the 2014-2015 School Year YOUTUBE CLUB
President: Junior Miles Minnaar Sponsor: Communications teacher
Anna Kaiser When: Tuesdays until 3:45 p.m. What It Is: “Our club—we pretty much just have a good time. We make short videos, and then we’ll share them. It’s really relaxed, we try not to have too high of standards, it’s all just kind of to come out, get together and have a good time.” Why It Began: “I created YouTube Club just because I thought it would be a good experience for me and other people. I really wanted to spread what I liked to do and see if I could find other people who like what I do,” Minnaar said. “You just need to come in, have a good time. It’s free,” Minnaar said.
FILMING FOR FUN: YouTube club members make a video. President and junior Miles Minnaar said the club works together to make YouTube videos.
WHERE TO FIND THESE CLUBS The clubs listed meet in the corresponding highlighted rooms.
C128
S
C142 C139
C147
C148
H207
YOGA CLUB AND YOUTUBE CLUB
H208
R
C132
C133
C150
B105
B164
H220 H219 H218 H217
R R
H221
H205
C146
C149
C119
NATIONAL HISTORY CLUB H216
C145
C136
C129
R
C144
C140 C122
J201
H206
C127
C141
C151
H209 R: Restrooms S: Stairs
S
H222
R
S
H227
H215
R H214
H224
S
H213 H211
H210 Christine Fernando
nov 14, 2014
New Clubs
News
11
Swetha Nakshatri
TO START YOUR OWN CLUB
Laxmi Palde
Gather the following information 1. Name of club
4. Cost/dues
2. Description and purpose of club
5. Meeting frequency and dates
3. Membership eligibility
6. Name of possible sponsor
Submit the listed information to the student services office by March 2 CCS.K12.IN.US / SOURCE
YOGA CLUB
President: Senior Lexi Tokarski Sponsor: Communications teacher
Anna Kaiser When: Most Thursdays 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. What It Is: “Well, we do yoga. But really, we want this to be an outlet for students who maybe feel stress from school, or from work, or from balancing all these things. They can come here, we dim the lights, and we just kind of relax,” Tokarski said. Why It Began: “. . .We also want it to be a place where people—and this is going to sound maybe silly— feel happy, and they can come with their friends or they can meet new people here. And it’s really about leaving feeling refreshed, reenergized and happy. No negative thoughts, just a lot of positivity and just feel better,” Tokarski said.
STRETCH IT OUT: Yoga club members do yoga during a club meeting. Sponsor Anna Kaiser said members can enjoy numerous mental and physical benefits of yoga during meetings.
NATIONAL HISTORY DAY CLUB
ONE FOR THE HISTORY BOOKS: National History Day club members discuss upcoming projects during a club meeting. Kelly said the club will continue to work on thesis statements for the History day competition.
President:
Sophomore Sitha Vallabhaneni Sponsor: Social studies teacher Katie Kelly When: After school one or two Wednesdays a month. What It Is: National History Day Club meets to prepare projects for the National History Day competition. Current Events: “Currently, with National History Day Club, they are writing their thesis statements for their projects. The theme for this year’s projects is ‘Leadership and Legacy and History,’ and so what they are doing is coming up with a topic that they can either use and make a documentary, a performance, a paper, an exhibit, or a website,” Kelly said.
Feature
NOV 14, 2014
Kyle Walker BEST OF BOTH WORLDS: Senior Kathleen Muloma (middle) talks to her friends during SRT. Although Muloma said she has many traditions at home, she is tolerant of people of different backgrounds and traditions.
Tolerance vs. Tradition
nov 14, 2014
Tolerance vs. Tradition
Feature
alice zhu
MEETING HALFWAY CHS students balance tolerance with tradition
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14
Feature
nov 14, 2014
Tolerance vs. tradition
H
FROM KENYA, senior Kathleen Muloma said her parents have instilled in her the importance of certain traditions. “We are always having family and friends stay at our house. Providing food and a place to stay is a very important aspect of the Kenyan lifestyle,” she said. Tradition plays a significant role in shaping the beliefs and customs of the average person, but it is not an uncontested influence on the way people see the world. A recent study by the Pew Research Center highlights a political divide between emphases on tolerance and tradition, with liberals focusing on the former and conservatives focusing on the latter. According to history teacher Will Ellery, the root of that conflict lies in differing viewpoints on progress. “They do hearken to different perspectives on progress, whether it’s rooted in change or it’s rooted in adjustment,” he said. “Tradition, it would seem, holds an idea that there are fundamental values in place that should not necessarily be changed. The modern perspective of tolerance is that those values aren’t necessarily concrete, that they’re malleable, that they can be adjusting with the times.” A partisan divide does exist in the emphasis on different values, he said, but the division may be generational. “Youth tend to skew toward the tolerance end, and older voters tend to skew toward the tradition end. It’s always been that way. The perspective of ‘What is tolerance?’ changes,” he said. “We go back to that quote that ‘If you’re conservative when you’re 20, you have no heart, and if you’re liberal when you’re 60, you have no mind.’” According to Robert Robinson, sociology professor at Indiana University, a divide between favoring tolerance and tradition is often visible in political party association. “Generally speaking, Republicans tend to be more for tradition, while AILING
TEACHING TOLERANTLY: Social studies teacher Will Ellery (right) makes a joke with Savannah Meiss, IB History of the Americas student and junior. Ellery said there is a tradition of tolerance in America.
Democrats tend to be more for change,” he said. “These trends are continually being fought for by both sides—by those who want to maintain tradition (conservatives) and those who want change (liberals), although what constitutes ‘change’ can have different meanings.” According to Robinson, although society cycles from emphasizing one value to another, it embraces change more so than tradition. “I’d say the overall trend is in favor of change,” he said. “This is especially true with regard to matters of race, gender, and sexual orientation. In all three of these cases, the predominant trend has been toward greater acceptance and equality.” Muloma said she agrees that the current societal trend is toward social liberalism. “With (events like) the recent legalization of gay marriage in Indiana, there is a clear depiction of the shift in views of our leaders and society. Although my belief system does not line up directly with some aspects of the liberal world view, I am so glad to see the shift in my generation where it is becoming less and less acceptable to be rude and bully someone because
Alice Zhu they are gay or because they have mental disabilities or because they are transgender,” she said. “I am so proud on how far our generation has come and the direction it’s going in loving people despite differences and views.” According to Ellery, the most important issue in politics is the economy, despite the prominence of social issues such as gay marriage. “Day to day, if you walk the halls of Carmel High School, people are not talking about the economy, but if I ask a class about gay marriage, I’ll get an instant response. If I ask about abortion, I’ll get an instant response. If I ask about legalization of marijuana, I will get an instant and overwhelming response one way or the other. It will continue to be, but only in the sense that they are surface issues,” he said. “When it comes to elections, we just had the most costly midterm election we’ve ever had. (There) are economic issues at play, and that will continue to drive the elections.” However, in terms of ideological conflict, he said he doesn’t believe tolerance and tradition are mutually exclusive. “There is very much a tradition
nov 14, 2014
15
Feature
Tolerance vs. tradition of tolerance in America; it’s just been evolving, but it’s still rooted in fundamental principles of every man, every woman, every person, constitutional rights. It’s how you apply those constitutional rights on an issue-by-issue basis that is evolving within society,” he said. Muloma said she agrees that the definition of tolerance is a key element of the debate. “To me, tolerance is acknowledging and seeing differences between you and others, whether that be in belief system or preferences or past experiences and choices, and regardless of those differences, treating each other with respect, kindness and love,” Muloma said.
88%
of liberals think teaching children tolerance is important, while 41% of conservatives think so. PEOPLE-PRESS.ORG / SOURCE
Ultimately, the ideal result in the conflict between tolerance and tradition, according to Muloma, is a balance between them. “We have new traditions to make, new chants and dress-up days and festivals to create, and we also have moral responsibilities. How we teach and act toward people creates an irreversible ripple effect, to which we are all responsible,” Muloma said. “You’re one choice away from someone’s situation, and you are one step closer to continuing a legacy set before us by those before us. Both are our responsibilities and it’s H honestly up to us what we do with it.”
LIBERALS VS. CONSERVATIVES Liberals and conservatives differ in other ways besides views on tolerance and tradition. The democratic, communist and labour parties all aim towards society rather than individual.
People who vote for the liberal politicians seek fairness, help those in need and are positive role models.
PARTIES
PEOPLE WHO VOTE
abortion rights: 66%
tax cuts: 24% same-sex marriage: 43% God: 78% unmarried sex: 90%
People who vote for the conservative politicians seek to uphold order, help those who help themselves and are strong role models.
gay rights: 44%
gay rights: 54%
war: 34%
The republican, conservative and nationalist parties all aim towards the individual rather than the society.
abortion rights: 43%
SUPPORT
war: 91% tax cuts: 84% same-sex marriage: 12% God: 87% unmarried sex: 80%
matthew han NEWS-QUALITY.COM / SOURCE
16
Feature
NOV 14, 2014
m e l i s s a ya p
e-sports
GAME AWAY
New e-sports scholarship requires students to play well and study well
S
OPHOMORE
TOMMY
ROBERTS clicked on a blue
icon with a yellow “L” in it on his computer. When it opened, he scrolled through a window labeled “Champion Select,” down rows of portraits of characters that looked as though they could have stepped out of a fantasy novel. Roberts was playing “League of Legends” (LoL), the most popular e-sports game in the world. Roberts is one of many high school LoL players who have their eyes on e-sports scholarships now being offered at colleges across the country. According to The Wall Street Journal, in June, Robert Morris University in Chicago was the first college in the United States to offer varsity athletics scholarships for an e-sport, in this case, LoL. “For a college to offer a scholarship like this one, it’ll really open up e-sports to the public,” Roberts said. LoL is an online game similar to Capture the Flag. Two teams of five players each choose characters to duel in a fictional battleground. Players on each team then try to capture the other team’s base. Roberts said that to play well in LoL, it is imperative to have a quick reaction time and the ability to work with one’s team. According to an October New York Times article, the LoL scholarship covers half of Robert Morris’s tuition and room and board and also gives students positions on the university’s
competitive gaming team. Coaches evaluate participants by looking for how well they play their positions, their winloss records and their ability to cooperate within a team. Kurt Melcher, Robert Morris associate athletic director, said the LoL scholarship serves to engage the students in activities outside of the classroom. “Studies show that these kinds of students tend to graduate at a higher rate than ones who don’t. It’s a plus that our scholarship students are engaged in something they’re excited about: playing LoL,” he said. Roberts, however, said he feels gaming does not have any academic benefits.
MIKE JOHNSON
LEGENDARY GAMING: Sophomore Tommy Roberts plays League of Legends. He said an e-sports scholarship is a good supplementary, but still considers academics first.
“I don’t think the scholarship could benefit education at all,” Roberts said. “It’s just a supplement. Playing LoL is like any other sport; you don’t get smarter by just playing football.” Like in all scholarships, students might focus too much on their sport or activity and end up neglecting their grades. According to Melcher, Robert Morris’s LoL coaches ensure students finish their homework and maintain a passing GPA. If a student is struggling in a subject, the coaches help him find a tutor. “Our scholarship students are student athletes, but the ‘student’ part comes first,” Melcher said. For Roberts, applying for an e-sports scholarship would be
nov 14, 2014
17
Feature
e-sports
lianne yu
RIOTGAMES.COM, NPR. ORG, ONGAMERS.COM, THEVERGE.COM, KOTAKU.COM / SOURCES
THE SCHOLARSHIP GAME
THE GROWING NUMBER OF GAMERS HAS PROMPTED ROBERT MORRIS UNIVERSITY (RMU) TO OFFER SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS TO LEAGUE OF LEGEND (LoL) PLAYERS
U.S. GAMERS WATCH OR PARTICIPATE IN E-SPORTS 2.15 TIMES SIZE OF LoL FINALS AUDIENCE VS. MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL WORLD SERIES (2013)
8.5 M 2M
LoL (2013)
RMU WILL OFFER AROUND
$19K
50
percent OF TUITION AND ROOM AND BOARD
WILL PLAY AND COMPETE FOR NORTH AMERICAN COLLEGIATE CHAMPIONSHIP AND $100,000 PRIZE
WHY DID RMU CHOOSE LoL? PER MONTH
DOTA 2 (2014)
70
STARCRAFT II (2012) 100 K
CONCURRENT VIEWER COUNT OF THE THREE MOST POPULAR eSPORTS CHAMPIONSHIPS
THREE RECRUITED TEAMS
MILLION PLAYERS 65 INCH FLATSCREEN TVS
MAKING IT THE MOST POPULAR GAME IN UNITED STATES AND EUROPE (2012)
THE PROGRAM
E-SPORTS “BALANCE IS REALLY IMPORTANT; TO ACTUALLY HAVE A SHOT AT GETTING THE SCHOLARSHIP, YOU HAVE TO DEVOTE YOUR TIME TO THE GAME, BUT YOU CAN’T LET YOUR SCHOOLWORK DROP OFF.” SOPHOMORE TOMMY ROBERTS secondary to pursuing his field of study. Roberts said he thinks of an e-sports scholarship like a pleasant side effect. Like many high school students choosing colleges, Roberts considers
PLAYERS PLAY ONE BILLION+ HOURS MONTHLY
scholarships when deciding on a school to attend. “When I’m choosing a college, I’m going for the academics. After you graduate, unless you’re going to become a pro gamer, the workplace isn’t going to look for how good you are at playing e-sports,” he said. Even though Robert Morris’s LoL scholarship students need to keep their grades up, they also have to practice, so as not to let their gaming skills decline. The scholarship team practices on Mondays through Saturdays from 4 to 9 p.m. According to Melcher, students need to know how to
balance gaming and school. “You can excel at LoL, but you also have to maintain grades because you have to have those to go to college. You have to strike a balance between what you want to do and what you want to accomplish,” he said. Roberts said, “If people really want to pursue playing e-sports into college, then they need to balance their lives, school and gaming well. Balance is really important; to actually have a shot at getting the scholarship, you have to devote your time to the game, but you can’t let your H schoolwork drop off.”
18
Feature
nov 14, 2014
asim dhungana
truth about history
THE TRUTH AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH students, teachers realize bias in history, want to hear both sides of the story
T
HE
SECOND
MONDAY
and in most historical examples is largely inevitable. “I think almost every time (in history) is told from the perspective of the victors, especially initially,” Kelly said. “As soon as the event is done, the people who won want to justify their victory, either the negative things they did to win or just to celebrate the fact that they did win. Sometimes, later on, people are good at going back and reassessing the history they told,
Sara yung
MAKING HISTORY: Katie Kelly, AP World History teacher, teachers her class about the Aztecs. Kelly said bias in history is inevitable.
Sara yung
OF OCTOBER, commonly known as Columbus Day, had a more solemn tone this year in Seattle. The city is now among the growing number of cities in the United States, including Minneapolis and Berkeley, CA, which now celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day instead of Columbus Day. The Seattle City Council unanimously voted on Oct. 6 to rename the holiday, acknowledging that natives had lived in the Americas before Christopher Columbus’s arrival. This change exemplifies the shift these days toward recounting history more accurately and interpreting bias more critically. In addition, people are realizing the inherent bias when victors or those in power tell stories of war and discovery. Kaya Mernitz, AP European History student and sophomore, said she agrees with the renaming of Columbus Day because it conveys a truer perspective of history. “(Indigenous Peoples’ Day) is probably a little more accurate, because it wasn’t actually Columbus who was the first one to stumble upon the Americas,” Mernitz said. “He was just the first one to claim it as his own. That’s
one of the misgivings of history being told by the victors. At the time, it was Europe who wanted everyone to know how mighty they were, and so they wanted to take credit.” According to Mernitz, changing the holiday’s name may also make people forget the significance of that day in history. Katie Kelly, AP World History teacher, said she thinks the kind of bias in the previous example
nov 14, 2014
19
Feature
truth about history
but initially, it is almost always told by the victors.” Mernitz said she thinks this reassessment is all part of a trend trying to create balance among all the facets in history. “It’s almost like a second Enlightenment,” Mernitz said. “People are trying to learn more and they want to know even more about the past than we ever have before, so people are looking to see the whole truth, and not just the one perspective.” According to Dana Wang, U.S. History student and junior, this trend is apparent in her history class. “My history teacher always makes sure to tell us both sides of the story, which helps us research better information,” Wang said. A group of protestors from a school in Colorado has also recently criticized the College Board’s new AP U.S. History curriculum for focusing too much on the events that glorify the United States and de-emphasizing the unflattering ones. However, according to Kelly, the College Board effectively incorporates a variety of events in history classes, especially world history. “(History) is inherently sided toward what we know, and so I think the AP program is trying to bring in history that people don’t already know.
A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE
matthew han
Some have claimed it is wrong to name a national holiday after the man who “brutally” colonized indigenous people, leading some states to change Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day. WA
MT
ND MN
OR
ID
WI
WY
UT
MI
IA
NE NV
ME
SD
IL CO
KS
NY PA
OH
IN
MO
WV VA
KY
CA AZ
OK
NM
TN
AR
NJ MD
VT NH MA CT RI
DE
NC SC
TX
MS
AL
GA
LA FL
KEY: States that still celebrate and call it Columbus Day States that celebrate the day, but renamed it to Indigenous Peoples’ Day timeanddate.com / source
States that do not celebrate Columbus Day like the national holiday, but keep it in local observance
With world history in particular, they really focus on bringing in the history of Latin America, history of Africa and history of Asia to try to balance out the Western focus,” Kelly said. “I think the AP program is doing a good job of trying to balance out what, in some instances, has been an imbalance. It’s been the story of rich white men, and now (the AP program) is saying, ‘Well, rich white men did a lot of things, but that’s not
Daniels vs. Zinn During his tenure, former Governor Mitch Daniels attempted to bar late historian Howard Zinn’s textbook A People’s History of the United States from being used for pedagogy in Indiana. Critics of Daniels’ action claimed it was an act of censorship. Daniels was opposed to the use of Zinn’s textbook because it is widely considered to be an example of “revisionist” history—that which strays from traditional American historical interpretations that emphasize American influence on the world. Daniels said that Zinn was an “anti-American” and that he portrayed an inaccurate picture of American history. On the other hand, supporters of Zinn’s
Did you know that Berkeley, CA was the first city to switch to Indigenous Peoples’ Day in 1992? TIME.COM / SOURCE
chrishan fernando textbook praise it for not placing a large influence on America’s role in history. In particular, the textbook is known for portraying history through the perspective of commoners as opposed to prominent historical figures. Furthermore, some in the academic world including the American Historical Association have criticized Daniels for singling out a particular textbook for denunciation. Some people claim Daniels’ actions are a blatant act of political censorship. In the end, Daniels’ desire to ban A People’s History of the United States has not come to fruition and educators may still use the textbook in classes. H
the whole story of America.’” Mernitz said while bias is unavoidable, it is much more limited in her class. However, history books are always going to have some bias because Americans, who have won most wars they participated in, write them. Wang also said, in the defense of the protestors from Colorado, learning from failures is an especially integral part of history. “If you don’t emphasize failures, then they’re bound to be made again in the future. Even if you emphasize them, they’ll still probably be made again in the future, but we’ll be more aware of (them),” Wang said. Kelly said while it would be great to increase objectivity in history, it is a very difficult goal, despite the progress in these past years. “Balance in history is one of the hardest things to create, because every time you bring up a new person, a new viewpoint, a lot of times that changes how you have to look at other viewpoints,” she said. “So, maintaining that balance is a H constant struggle.”
Online Classes Now Available!
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Starting Dec. 20 (Please call for details regarding exact days)
317-573-0012
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www.indianadriving.com Wilson Office Plaza 949 Keystone Way Carmel, IN 46032 (317) 844-5542
NOT VALID WITH OTHER OFFERS. VALID THRU 12/4/14
Students must be 15 years old to register
don’t look here. (Can’t resist, Can ya?) see how effeCtive it would be to advertise in the hilite?
visit
www.hilite.org for more info
BUY YOUR
2015 PINNACLE
YEARBOOK when is it due? The yearbook order
deadline is Jan. 9, 2015. Buy your yearbook today for $52!
how to order: To order, pick up a form in C145 or order online at www. yearbookordercenter.com or your myCCS portal.
SENIOR ADS: Ads must be received by Friday, Dec. 12, 2014. Pick up an order form outside of room C145.
student section
nov 14, 2014
jenny zhao
untraditional traditions
TURKEY WITH A SIDE OF PING-PONG d i v ya a n n a m a l a i
T
is typically a time for big family gatherings and a classic Thanksgiving dinner. However, sophomore Darren Chang does not participate in a traditional Thanksgiving celebration. On Thanksgiving Day, Chang goes on a two-hour car ride to northern Indiana where he participates in the Butterfly Thanksgiving Open, a ping-pong tournament. Chang has participated since the competition started three years ago. “This competition is actually a team competition with different teams of three to five people competing against each other in a team tie; it’s round-robin competition, meaning that there’s a couple of groups, and each team is presorted, and they play against each other to see who will have the best win and loss record to determine the placing,” Chang said. HANKSGIVING
PING-PONG POWER: Sophomore Darren Chang prepares for a serve. He started competing in a Thanksgiving ping-pong tournament for three years ago.
The players are ranked on a national rating system, according to Chang, and the teams are then sorted into groups according to their ranking. “I’m [ranked] 1916; a nationally ranked player, someone who would play for the Olympic team, would be about a 2600,” he said. Although the tournament begins on Nov. 28, the Chang family drives up to the competition site a few days earlier, which this year is in Hobart, to see the playing conditions as well as meet with coaches and friends. As for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, Chang said they usually just stop at a fast-food restaurant. Chang said, “In general, we’ve never had turkey anyways, but it’s affected us in that we don’t have a large Thanksgiving dinner or a huge family gathering. For Thanksgiving dinner, we usually just eat whatever we can find. One
time, it was Subway, and last year, it was probably Burger King. It’s pretty sad, but we get used to it.” However, lacking a traditional Thanksgiving celebration, Chang said he enjoys going to ping-pong competitions more than he would a typical Thanksgiving family gathering. “I prefer going to ping-pong competitions,” Chang said. “I enjoy seeing my coach and seeing other players that we’ve known for years and years and competed on circuits together with, and I hope to enjoy the experience and play well. My mom and dad both go with us; my dad coaches me sometimes along with other people, and my mom is there for moral and emotional support. It’s definitely a little different compared to most families, but all in all it’s a good experience that our family goes through.” H
nov 14, 2014
student thanksgivings
student section
j ay m e e s t o u t
23
selena qian
STUDENT SPEAK-UPS:
What are some of your family’s Thanksgiving traditions?
Freshman Jules Henig “I’m Jewish, so there’s kind of a different thing that we do. Instead of giving thanks, we will say a couple of prayers for our meal. Then we go to the temple for more prayer.”
THANKSGIVING BRIEFS upcoming events NOV. 27
bolt for the heart 5k Sophomore Connor Inglis “My grandma always comes over and every year we make noodles from scratch. We make the dough, we lay them out overnight, let them dry and cook them. Basically, for most people it’s turkey, for us it’s noodles. We’ve had it for generations.”
Junior Max Fellabaum “I go to my cousin’s house in Illinois and do a fun run”.
Senior Sophia Gould “We go to my grandparents’ house, and my grandmother cooks certain things, like we have pretzels with milk chocolate melted on it and M&M’s on top of it. It’s really good.”
Participants can register online at http://www. boltfortheheart.com/index.php. Late registration extends until Nov. 25. Packet pick up will be from 12 to 7 p.m. on Nov. 26 at the Runners Forum in Carmel as well as from 7:30 to 8:30 a.m. on race day. The race begins at 9 a.m. on Nov. 27 at the Palladium. Proceeds from the race will go to HeartReach Carmel to help pay for automated external defibrillators in central Indiana.
NOV.27
drumstick dash
Participants can register online. Online registration ends Nov. 24, but runners can still sign up during packet pick-up on Nov. 26 and 27. The race starts at the Broad Ripple BlueMile at 9 a.m. for the 4.5mile and 2.75-mile runs and at 10:15 a.m. for the Lil’ Gobblers’ Run. Money raised for the run will go through Wheeler Mission to provide the homeless with meals.
NOV.27
thanksgiving dinner The Mansion at Oak Hill will be serving food from 12:15-2:45 p.m. The price is $27.50 for adults and $18.50 for children. Reservations are required and can be made over the phone at (317)-843-9850.
24
Student section
nov 14, 2014
Survival is the New Black (Friday) angela sun
b l a c k f r i d ay s u r v i va l g u i d e
“WAR DOES NOT DETERMINE WHO IS RIGHT—ONLY WHO IS LEFT.” – BERTRAND RUSSELL. Russell could not be more correct, especially when “war” is the annual shopping phenomenon Black Friday. The day after Thanksgiving has become a metaphor for the bloodbath that tests the endurance, strength and mental capacity of even the most elite shoppers. Black Friday is a day of deals that literally only comes once a year and, for many students here, can’t be missed. Get ready for war.
1. devise a battle plan Successful Black Friday shopping requires meticulous planning; that means figuring out when, where and how to shop. If possible, even plan to avoid the dangerous maze known as the mall parking lot. Try to get a family member or a
friend to drop you off because Black Friday road rage is a real thing. However, getting in is just the first step; have a general idea of what sections of the mall to shop at. With a set battle plan, there is not way to lose the war.
2. have a plan of attack
This step is very important, or else there is no way to win the war that is Black Friday. Know exactly what you want before leaving the house. Without a solid shopping list or plan, this will be a huge temptation to spend money on unnecessary items because of the exhaustion and stress of Black Friday. It’s a grab-and-go day; there is no time for long decisions. Here are some ways to categorize the shopping list. · Gifts: For gifts, write a list of all the people you are buying for. This way, you can check off who receives what, which also organizes a method of efficient holiday shopping. · Yourself: This is a day of pure selfishness; take advantage of all of the great deals and
promotions. Think about what you actually need, or else you get something that was a great deal, but it just sits in the house unopened forever; know exactly what you want to do with the stuff you plan to buy. · Plan your budget: This is important due to the danger of impulse buying. With every item you plan to buy, write down the price and total everything up to see how much is spent at the end of the day. Decide how much money you want to spend, and stick to that amount.
3. dress for combat
If efficiency is your goal to get out of this war zone, then playing your shopping outfit carefully to help save time can be very crucial. Put on an outfit that are easy to slip off and on. Avoid buttons, shoelaces, zippers and tight clothing. This is all to save time waiting in line for a fitting room because you can just slip on clothing if front of a mirror quite easily and save a lot of time. Also, if camping out is an option, dress in layers. During this time of year, it will get very cold overnight.
4. pack your ammo
While packing light is key, it is important to bring the essentials; for a long day of deal searching, being energized is important. Pack some food with sustenance, such as granola bars and fruit, because the food court will be an entire war zone itself, and there’s no time for that. Also, in terms of organization, make sure there is a secure spot for credit cards, cell phones and coupons; if these are easy to access, then there is no way to lose the war that is Black Friday.
5. prepare to go awol Since this is reality, there are bad moments. In a worst-case scenario, do whatever is needed to reach your goal. For emergency purposes, bring an air horn if the bloodbath becomes too intense. Blast a few times in order to create a path through the crowd and head directly to your destination of deals. jiva capulong
nov 14, 2014
b l a c k f r i d ay: s t u d e n t s’ o p i n i o n s
Student section
25
katie summitt
STUDENTS’ BLACK FRIDAY TWEETS We asked you to tweet your best Black Friday stories, and you responded: BLACK FRIDAY IS A FRIDAY THING.
earlier shopping times are unnecessary.
W
ELCOME TO THANKSGIVING. It’s the holiday where we join with friends and family to eat, give gratitude and buy big-screen TVs. Black Friday has turned into a day that is much bigger than Thanksgiving. The joy that came with the Thanksgiving holiday has long since been erased by the time Black Friday approaches. Lucky for all you adrenaline junkies, many companies including Best Buy, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Target will be opening 6 p.m. Thanksgiving evening. The idea of hundreds of people storming a store often brings the mind to survival mode, rather than a joyous shopping trip. Black Friday has become a competitive race, facing new challenges this upcoming holiday season. I am not so thankful for the interruption of this rambunctious shopping day. Instead of losing family members to the close following of Black Friday online, I prefer to spend quality time
together and share conversation. Searching for coupons and bargains specifically for Black Friday seems ridiculous, this is not the only day available to buy a discounted TV. Contrast the interruption of the Black Friday fad with another more promising trend I’ve seen emerging in recent years: People listing on Facebook, in the days of November leading up to Thanksgiving, one thing they are grateful for each day. Instead of thinking about buying more stuff on Black Friday, these people are savoring the blessings and family they already have in their lives. And that’s a spirit we could use more of these days in our culture. The American character has always been restless, driven and ambitious. Those kinds of traits drove the Pilgrims to stay here; the pioneers to seek new and farther lands; and the diverse waves of immigrants to continue to come from all over the world for a chance to experience the American Dream. It’s what’s made
According to CNN Money, the overall sales for Black Friday 2013 in America rounded up to $12.3 billion.
us a nation of hard-working and imaginative entrepreneurs. But if we are always focused on the next purchase, we’re working toward a series of ends in which we never allow ourselves to savor our achievements. More valuable than a big-screen TV is realizing what you currently have. That’s the gift everyone should give themselves this Thanksgiving night. H
The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Katie Summitt at ksummitt@hilite.org.
FAMILY MATTERS THE MOST.
2 6
An Independent Train of Thought
More students take an Independent stance on politics as a part of a growing trend in the Millennial generation. Natalia Chaudhry
Ally Russell
Scott Liu
2 7
hen senior Johnny Lawless, who identifies as politically Independent, turned 18 on Oct. 21, he registered to vote. However, Lawless truly became politically involved his junior year once he became aware of impending adulthood and wished to be more involved with life around him. While he does have an in-depth understanding of his standing on a multitude of issues, he does not identify as a member of any major political party. According to Pew Research Center, he is a part of a trend amongst the millennials, a generation ranging from 18- to 33-year-olds that is already known to deviate from the norm, as he expresses a perception of singularity in the political arena. According to the Pew Research study published in March 2014, half of all millennials regard themselves as partisans free from the outlines of the Democratic or Republican parties. Another extension of this study also notes this generation features the highest number of Independents in comparison to older generations. The increasing popularity of the Independent political ideology also manifests itself in
W
the halls of CHS with students like Lawless, who originally expressed more traditional political views. “When I was growing up, I was pretty conservative, but I’m pretty middle-of-the-road right now,” Lawless said. “There’s some policies on the left I do identify with, like pro-choice and freedom of choice for abortion and whatnot. I’m not religious very much, so I tend to lean more intellectually to the left. I’m fiscally conservative…but more socially liberal than conservatives would be. So really I would say I’m an Independent.” Junior Kelly Harris also associates with an Independent political status but accepts her stance as the same one her parents hold. She said while her parents also describe themselves as Independents, her family does not discuss politics. Coming two her own conclusion concerning her political identity, she said her parents did not try to influence her judgment as they have contrasting ideas even under the same label. “I see a lot of kids who follow what they were told and exposed to…because they just don’t know another way of thinking or of change. Regardless if they agree with me personally, I think kids
2 8
A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE THINK THAT DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS ARE JUST LIKE TWO DIFFERENT PARTIES.
I WOULD SAY THEY’RE TWO SIDES TO THE SAME COIN.
should think for themselves and have their own opinions,” Harris said. “I found myself agreeing with certain parts of both parties and then also not agreeing with both. And then I had people asking me where I fell…I figured I should put a label on it. And so here I am.” With the increase in Independent voters over time, Lawless attributes the growth to the lack of satisfaction with the current affair of politics in Washington D.C. However, both he and Harris acknowledge that two parties are vital to the government’s operations. Lawless said, “American politics still needs the two parties. I mean it wouldn’t work with hyperpluralism. It’s not going to change any time soon, but we can at least try to move the process along a little faster.” AP Government teacher James Ziegler also concurred with Lawless and Harris and said he noticed this growth in Independent voters. “First of all, there’s division with the two main parties. Voters want someone who represents their perspectives, so they having to pick a single party can prove to be difficult. The parties have their established principles, while those of the voters change. The parties do represent the public, but more voters don’t want to just associate with a single group,” Ziegler said. “It just comes to whoever they see as more fitting. Secondly, I really do think that people are moving away from just taking on the political votes of their parents. In an area like Carmel or even Indiana, where we might see more Republican voters traditionally, there has been a change with more people voting differently than their parents.” Despite what Lawless said, however, Indiana’s Republican House of Representatives candidate still garnered the majority of the votes. According to balletopedia.org, the Republicans, with the recent election that took place on November 4, now control both the House and the Senate. In Indiana Republicans control 7 of the 9 congressional seats. The other two seats are controlled by Democrats with no third-party incumbents. According to the Associated Press, this trend was not as evident in the recent election as the House now features 244 Republicans, 180 Democrats, but no Independents. Chard Reid, IB business teacher and Libertarian candidate for the 2012 district elections, also said the main
Democratic and Republican parties have their faults. He reasons these self-contradictions within the parties cause some individuals to pursue other political principles. “I don’t think either party is consistent with their view of the size of the scope of government. Republicans claim to be small government, but they’re only small government in terms of economic policy. They’re very large government in how they want to regulate people’s lives. Democrats on the other hand, are very much big government when it comes to economic policies, and I’m small government for both,” Reid said. “A lot of times people think that Democrats and Republicans are just like two different parties; I would say they’re two sides to the same coin. They’re both big government. Libertarianism is all about small government and maximum freedoms for citizens.” However, when it comes to voting, many voters default to voting for either a Democratic or Republican candidate instead of a third party. Lawless said, “It’s something called voter apathy, where you know that, ‘Hey, if I vote for a third party or a minor party, most likely they’re not going to be elected,’ so you have to pick one of the major parties to go with and vote for whoever you think has the best platform that you agree with. I would just vote for which candidate I hate the least… If you’re voting for a third party, you’re basically wasting your vote, so you kind of align yourself to a Republican or Democratic candidate because, even though you don’t agree with all of their platform, you might agree with one more.” Ziegler said Independent voters do usually vote for a major political party for the same reasons that Lawless cited. “Independent candidates have had a sort of disadvantage with their support base just because the Democratic and Republican parties are so much larger and popular thus far,” Ziegler said. “A vote for an Independent kind of proves to have less effect in the end in the sense that it would be very difficult for such a candidate to gain enough votes in comparison to the other parties. However, as Independent political views become more popular, more people are educating themselves on the subjects at hand.” When it comes to deciding what political values she aspires to uphold as an Independent, Harris said she bases most of her beliefs on her own morals as well as what she thinks would ameliorate the nation in
CHARD REID
The percentage of americans who:
31%
see great deal of difference in what the Democratic and Republican parties stand for consider themselves political Independents are absolutely certain they believe in God
50% 58% 51% 49% 36% 32% 53%
describe themselves as a supporter of gay rights describe themselves as patriotic describe themselves as religious describe themselves as environmentalists believe they do not earn/have enough, but will in the future
THe millenial generation Born: After 1980 Age: 33 and younger 27% of U.S. population
Generation x Born: 1966 to 1980 Age: 34 to 49 27% of U.S. population
2 9
The baby boom generation
A recent study by Pew Research shows that our generation’s attitude is different from those of older ones.
53% 30% 15% 2%
44%
42% 42% 32%
36%
61% 55% 52%
32% 33% 37%
51%
74% 73% 69% 58%
32% 37% 39% 50%
58% 49% 43% 31%
Born: 1928 to 1945 Age: 69 to 88 12% of U.S. population
the portrait of a millenial 49%
The silent generation
81% 75% 64%
Born: 1946 to 1964 Age: 60 to 68 32% of U.S. population
PEWRESEARCH / SOURCE
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the long run. Because she does not belong to a major political party, it is up to her to define her own pursuits and criteria for candidates. “I would like to say (I would vote) based on what is best for the country and the goals that candidate has, but my personal opinion does create bias,” Harris said. “An easy example is with a social issue: gay marriage. I fully support gay rights. This falls under my personal beliefs, but I support it because there is absolutely nothing wrong with it in any way in my eyes.” Reid also said he agrees that Independents can waver in how they vote in the end, as they do not have explicit guidelines, but recognizes the victories of a third party candidate may neither be widespread nor reasonable. “Well, an Independent could be very liberal or very conservative. They don’t have a set of ideals or beliefs. . . You know about having a party. You’re saying, ‘I have my own unique way of thinking,’” Reid said. “Truthfully, the voters aren’t ready to elect a third party. Too many voters pull a straight ticket and don’t even think about who’s running in a given race.” With millennials especially, Lawless suggests the desire to be unique causes some people to follow the route of political independence. “Our culture now fosters ‘hipster-dom,’ and some people want to be political hipsters and be like, ‘Oh, I voted for a third party’ or ‘Oh, I don’t identify with Republicans or Democrats’ just because they want to be their own,” Lawless said. Harris also offered alternative reasons as to why others may regard themselves as Independents, but her personal justifications for her own ideology differed. “I think (political stance) varies from person to person. (More millennials distinguish themselves as Independents) maybe to be rebellious or maybe because the generation’s beliefs tend to be different,” Harris said. “I’m not going to agree with any candidate completely, but the parties and labels they identify with don’t matter as much as the details and what they are planning to do as a leader.” While Lawless confirms that he is a unique individual beyond facets pertaining to his political thoughts, he said he makes no conscious effort to mold his personality or his ideologies in a certain way. He said his political values are rooted upon his own knowledge of the democratic system instead of upon the “hipsterdom” culture he mentioned earlier. “Do I follow the norm? Not really. I don’t play football; I play rugby. I fly airplanes. I do little different things than normal teenagers do, so I’m a little bit off the curve,” Lawless said. “I don’t try to be different, just like I’m not Independent merely because it’s something different.” Harris said she agreed with this outlook. She said
I THINK BEING INDEPENDENT LETS ME AGREE WITH WHO I AGREE WITH REGARDLESS OF LABLES THEY HAVE. KELLY HARRIS
while she tried to change herself in order to stick out in the past, this is no longer the case. Because of this transition in her thought process, she said she is comfortable identifying as politically distinct. “People aren’t going to like me. Cool. I used to really try to be unique and to be liked, but honestly now I just don’t give a crap. It’s exhausting, and it literally gets you nowhere closer to where you want to go in life,” Harris said. “I think being Independent lets me agree with who I agree with regardless of labels they have when others can sometimes feel forced to agree because they are under the same party as them. It does affect other aspects of my life.” As an Independent, Harris also recognizes some of her policies on issues vary from those of her peers. Even though she resides in a predominantly Republican area, Harris said she respects the perspectives of others and values political discussion if contentions are well supported. However, she said the same luxury is not always afforded to her. “I am also quite passionate about certain topics, but without hearing another side of the story, I think people won’t be educated enough about that topic. So discussing politics…is a learning opportunity. It helps me have a wellrounded view on politics and…understand views that are not my own,” Harris said. “Being told I’m only Independent because I’m not smart enough to make a real decision does affect my relationships with others.” Also aware of the sensitivity of political issues, Lawless said he is cautious when discussing politics with others. “My dad is extremely conservative…I tend to agree with them on a lot of things, but some things we don’t see eye-to-eye, so we don’t talk about it,” Lawless said. “Between me and my friends, we talk about politics, but it’s not like a major talking point for me. I just try to keep it to myself after learning that people have different opinions, and they can get really offensive about their opinions.” Lawless said despite the types of political mindset prevalent in his household, he appreciates the type of atmosphere he was provided, because it allowed him to develop his own attitudes. “Just being raised in a family where I can listen to things influenced me. I started listening to talk radio when I was a little, and the Internet is definitely a really good resource to start reading on the things that are happening in the government,” Lawless said. “It’s also important to read on your own time and not just going through school and doing your own research on things; it definitely helps.” Ziegler attributes this political trend to the type of research people like Lawless are doing. He said as
Nivedha Meyyappan
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voters educate themselves on their options, they begin to develop their own viewpoints. “A lot of this can be associated with how this current generation has more access to technology. So they can do their own research and decide which candidate truly supports their views instead of just joining one political party,” Ziegler said. “With these more Independent voters, we can see that they go through this process of comparing their stances with those of the candidates to decide which one to vote for.” Regarding the growth in the amount of Independent voters, Ziegler also said this could lead to beneficial changes in the government that would help the democratic system prosper. “If anything, more Independent voters would mean there would be a greater mix of Republicans and Democrats in government positions,” Ziegler said. “This would actually represent the Democratic mindset better
Chard Reid, IB business teacher and Libertarian candidate, poses with his campaign poster. According to Reid, voters are not yet ready to elect a third party.
because with these differing opinions…there would have to be much more compromise. Decisions would reflect the ideas of the people with a greater variety brought to attention.” As divergence from political beliefs that are outlined more clearly increases, Lawless said individuals are given the opportunity to mold their political creeds on a more personal level. Since he said such freedom mirrors the open mentalities of millennials as they are exposed to so much more than previous generations were at their age, Lawless joins the ranks of Independents who allow their open-mindedness to bleed through to other layers of their lives. Lawless said, “I just do me, and other people do them; it’s whatever people feel like they need to do. Take a stand on something you believe in and vote for it and nurture that kind of political independence H on your own.”
NOV 14, 2014
entertainment GRACE ZHANG
M o c k i n g j ay
THE THIRD TRIBUTE
‘HUNGER GAMES’ FRANCHISE EXPERIENCES SUCCESS WITH ITS FILMS
T
HE THIRD INSTALLMENT of
the ‘Hunger Game’ franchise, “Mockingjay Part 1,” will make a fiery entrance on Nov. 21 in theaters across America. Like many recently released movies, “Mockingjay” returns its focus to a dystopian society: the Capitol. According to Celia Germann, “Hunger Games” fan and sophomore, the movie adaptation is highly anticipated. “I want to see the ending. I want to see the final war. I want to see Peeta and Katniss. I want to see the characters grow,” Germann said.
SCOTT LIU
“Mockingjay” revisits many of “People love the idea of its renowned actors and actresses dystopia, and (“Mockingjay”) is a from previous titles in the series, very creative kind of catastrophic including Jennifer Lawrence, story. This is where society who will return as Katniss will be if we totally fail. Everdeen, the protagonist, (“Mockingjay”) is the most Josh Hutcherson as rugged. The society (that) Peeta Mellark and Liam reverts back to barbaric Hemsworth as Gale ways is scary for us Hawthorne. The film because we live in a will also debut many new civilized world. To think actors including Julianne that one day we could Moore, who will portray be back there is mindPresident Alma Coin. blowing,” Jolly said. Based off the book Allyson Wells-Podell, from the “Hunger Games” Honors English 10, IB trilogy, the film continues English and Theory DID YOU KNOW? its plot with Katniss waking According to Tom of Knowledge teacher, up in District 13. Under O’Brien, co-creator of the said she agrees with the the leadership of the rebels attractiveness of the idea mockingjay symbol in and President Coin and the of dystopia. the trilogy, the emblem advice of her family, Katniss “(In) these dystopian represents the toughness spreads her wings in order societies, it seems like while and beauty of Katniss, the to fight to save Peeta, her we escape from reality, there main character. family and the nation, all are still things, whether it NYDAILYNEWS.COM / SOURCE inspired by her courage. is characters or conflicts, According to Max Jolly, that we can relate to,” “Hunger Games” fan and junior, Wells-Podell said. “Even though the dystopian themes are very “hot” societies may be largely different on a right now. surface level, there are still things we
NOV 14, 2014
Entertainment
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m o c k i n g j ay
THE FRANCHISE NUMBERS Dollars (in millions)
200
“The Hunger Games”
150
“Catching Fire”
100
$130 MILLION
50
0
$185 MILLION
Total Budget
“THE HUNGER GAMES” MADE $67 MILLION ON ITS OPENING DAY.
MARCH
OPENING WEEK OF “THE HUNGER GAMES” RAKED IN ABOUT $190 MILLION.
$1,944.44 IN 5 MIN.
THAT MEANS $2.8 MILLION PER HOUR.
“Catching Fire”
Domestic Box Office
“The Hunger Games”
Worldwide* Box Office
fire’ is that they originated as (books). I think that literature is kind of a way to escape,” Wells-Podell said. Wells-Podell added that a strong female lead is another attribute to the popularity of “Hunger Games.” According to Wells-Podell, a strong female lead in “Hunger Games” is proof that women can also be both strong and powerful. “So often in the past I think that the strong main character has been a male, especially when we think about superheroes and all those strong characters. There’s Superman and Batman and Spiderman. But now you have characters like Katniss who are strong. They’re powerful. They think for themselves. It finally provides for both males and females with the idea that females can be just as strong and just as powerful as men can,” Wells-Podell said. Germann said that while every dystopian fiction has the same premise, they go about it in different ways. “You just have to find the most engaging journey to get to the ending,” Germann said. “(The “Hunger Games” franchise) is wellwritten, and the characters develop really well. They are very relatable. You can empathize with them a lot, and that helps boost their popularity. Katniss loses everything she holds dear, and she still has to stay strong for all the people depending on her. That (in) itself is H inspiring and different.”
0
400
Dollars (in millions)
*Combines Domestic and International Box Office
800
THE-NUMBERS.COM, PRO.BOXOFFICE.COM / SOURCE
ellen peng
can relate to. That’s appealing to us as readers or movie-goers.” According to media specialist Terri Ramos, “what’s old is new again.” Dystopian is merely another phase in literature and film. Previous trends have included “scifi”, “criers” and “vampire novels.” There are still people reading these types of literature, but it is not as popular as it was five years ago. “I see it as an ebb-and-flow. What’s the new big thing? People just kind of get on board. One person starts talking about it, word of mouth,” Ramos said. Germann has her own reasoning as to why “Mockingjay” will catch on fire. According to Germann, the popularity of the book trilogy attributes to the success of “The Hunger Games” franchise. “For some people, it will always be just another movie to go see at the theaters when you’re bored,” Germann said. “But (for) the people who love to read and have read the series and have stuck with it from the beginning, it’s really important. Especially here in Carmel, there are a lot of people who do enjoy reading and have read the books and followed them from the beginning.” Wells-Podell agrees that the success of the “Hunger Games” book trilogy also contributes to the franchise’s success. “One of the things I think that is interesting about a lot of these dystopian movies that are ‘catching
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entertainment
NOV 14, 2014
SITHA VALLABHENENI
THE WORLD’S A STAGE
“The beaux’ strategem” JAYMEE STOUT
Fall production features new set-up and style
T
HROUGH
TOMORROW,
CHS Theatre will perform this year’s fall production “The Beaux’ Stratagem.” According to senior Aaron Jacobs, who portrays Tom Aimwell, with changes in the stage set-up and a unique genre, “The Beaux’ Stratagem” will be a very interesting play to see. The fall production will be based on an adaptation by playwrights Thornton Wilder and Ken Ludwig instead of the original 1707 play by George Farquhar. According to senior Duncan Moran, who portrays Jack Archer, the comedic play was rewritten to make the language a little more modern, so current audiences can understand it.
Tickets:
Price - $10 Location - TicketMaster.com
Showings:
Nov. 14 - 7:30 p.m. Nov.15 - 2 p.m., 7:30 p.m.
Director Jim Peterson said the original play by Farquhar was also very sexist. “There was a lot more male-centric, the ‘women belong in the kitchen’ kind of talk,” Peterson said. “There is still a little bit of sarcasm towards marriage, some comments about how marriage works, but that was indicative of the Restoration period. There is kind of a little tongue-in-cheek message about marriage.” Another clear difference will be in the stage set-up. While using theatrein-the-round in past productions, this year’s fall production will be using a raked stage which slopes upwards away from the audience. Many of the performers in the production, like Jacobs, have not performed on this type of stage, but are excited to have the opportunity to do so. Senior Kristin Barnes, who plays Dorinda, said, “It was tough at first (to perform on a raked stage), but once you kind of get your balance and
DO OR DIE: Senior Duncan Moran, who portrays Jack Archer, points at senior Jack Coleman, who portrays Gloss. In this scene, the character Jack is deciding if he should kill Gloss.
your feel for it, it’s basically the same as any other show. The first couple of days when you run on stage, and you go from a flat surface to a slanted surface, you kind of stumble a little bit. It’s a really interesting obstacle, but it make the visual look really cool (to the audience).” According to Peterson, CHS hasn’t done a Restoration comedy since 1998. Moran said this year’s production also contrasts with last year’s fall production, “The Crucible,” one of the 10 high school productions he participated in. He said, “I would say in comparison to last year, we had a more serious play that left the audience feeling sad or angry because it conveyed a message that would bring you to that. This play is very comedic. It has a message, but the message is not one that would bring you down. It is one that would make you happier and bring laughter to you. It’s definitely a lightH hearted show.”
NOV 14, 2014
EMINEM COMEBACK
MATTHEW ZHENG
Mike johnson
CALL IT A COMEBACK eminem’s new album to come out nov. 24
A
release of “The Marshall Mathers LP 2,” Eminem will release his new album, “Shady XV,” on Nov. 24. The album commemorates the 15-year release of his debut, “The Slim Shady LP,” and will feature two discs. One will consist of Shady Records’ greatest hits, and the other will highlight new material from the label’s artists, including D12 and Slaughterhouse. Eminem released the first single of the new album, “Guts Over Fear,” which features Australian singer Sia, on Aug. 24. Although the song deviates from Eminem’s traditional rapid flow, its emotion-laden lyrics have been the biggest surprise to fans. The naturally critical rapper laments the repetitiveness of his songs and regrets the pain he has brought to others with his rhymes. That said, it is no surprise Eminem is evaluating his personal identity, comparing himself to a “modern-day Genghis Khan” because of widespread censure over his violent lyrics, depicting an alternative transition in his career. Based on “Guts Over Fear,” the new album is expected to represent a more realistic portrayal of Eminem. According to the song’s bridge, “it’s YEAR AFTER HIS
too late to start over.” Eminem has reached a point in his career where he is trying to distinguish himself from his greatest hits. Despite the song featuring Sia being released in advance, not much else is known about the new album. Its cover art features two chainsaws crossing over a red striped hockey mask, reminiscent of the horror movie “Friday the 13th”. To many fans, the menacing cover is more indicative of Eminem’s musical style. Many reviewers praised Eminem’s most recent album, “The Marshall Mathers LP 2,” for its lyricism and witty wordplay; however, the album still possessed a hateful tone. Listeners will notice, above all, that Eminem’s character has certainly changed through his lyrics. After years of experiencing much criticism for his violent and discriminatory lyrics, Eminem seems to have become immune to so-called “haters”. Nevertheless, Eminem continues to produce many successful albums. H
“SHADY” HISTORY Eminem’s album releases beginning from his very first album:
1997 SLIM SHADY EP
1999 SLIM SHADY LP
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entertainment
2000 2002 THE MARSHALL THE MATHERS LP EMINEM SHOW
FRESHMAN AAKASH ROY SHARES HIS OUTLOOK ON NEW EMINEM ALBUM
A
AKASH
ROY,
AVID
HIP-HOP
FAN
AND
FRESHMAN,
says Eminem’s style and prominence has declined. “Before, (his music) was a lot broader; it appealed to more people. Nowadays, you don’t say, ‘Hey, I’m just going to listen to Eminem.’ You hear Eminem, and you (say), ‘Ah, OK.’ You settle,” he said. Although the rapper’s music has become more mainstream over time, Eminem’s distinguished reputation still precedes himself. Roy said he was looking forward to Eminem’s content in his new album, “Shady XV.” “He hasn’t released any music for a long time,” Roy said. Eminem has been widely criticized throughout his career because of his aggressive lyrics. Roy said, “Now, he just talks about changing. It’s all about his change in identity. He used to be this violent person. Now he’s trying to improve his public image, and it really shows.” Despite these character adjustments, Roy said he feels Eminem’s older albums were better than his current albums and that the rapper still has room to perfect his skill. “I think he can always improve himself on his flow. (Such as) Jay-Z and Kanye West—their flow is a lot better than Eminem’s. Flow is how well you can string together words and make them sound musical. It makes rap sound good,” he said. Roy said he thinks “Shady XV” will be a new beginning. He said, “Even if it has bad H songs, it’s still Eminem.” RECOVERY
ENCORE
2010
2004
2009 RELAPSE
SHADY XV
2014
2013 THE MARSHALL MATHERS LP 2 LIANNE YU ARTISTS.LETSSINGIT.COM / SOURCE
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entertainment
NOV 14, 2014
Anni Zhang
I
Smash bros
THE NEWEST ‘SUPER SMASH BROS’ RAISES HOPES, CONCERNS among players
with a small budget, simple mechanics and an idea to mash together several Nintendo characters of varying notoriety into one, crossover fighting game. Nintendo created “Super Smash Bros.” (Smash) out of this idea, released with very little fanfare and originally distributed only in Japan. It was just supposed to be a fun, party game to be played with friends. Today, according to entertainment news website IGN, “Smash” is one of the most played video game series of all time, with “Super Smash Bros. Melee” (Melee) being the most sold game for the Nintendo GameCube (and having a robust competitive scene to boot) and “Super Smash Bros. Brawl” (Brawl) being in the top 10 most sold Wii games. On Nov. 21, Nintendo will release its newest game for its newest game console, “Super Smash Bros. for Wii U” (Smash 4). Smash 4 will feature 15 new characters, increase the multiplayer option from five to eight people and include customizable features for personalized gameplay. However, while some CHS students cannot wait for these new changes, others will continue playing the older versions. For Tyler Patterson, competitive Smash player and senior, Smash 4’s new features were a bit of a let down. “I was excited. I was hoping they would make the game more towards the Melee side than Brawl, but it turns out it was the other way around actually,” he said. The issue with the new game for competitive players like Patterson is that they are afraid Smash 4 will be another slow-paced game like Brawl. Patterson said when Melee first came out, it was meant to be a casual multiplayer game, but players soon discovered that it had much more depth. “There were many advanced intricacies found within the game, and it grew really quickly because the things that were found made it have a lot more depth, and there are lots of ways to play it, lots of different characters, lots of different variety and different styles of playing each character,” Patterson said. Brawl, however, was much slower and catered towards casual players who played for fun. Jordan Barkley, CHS Smash Club president and senior, said while Melee is huge among competitive players, Brawl failed to ever break onto the scene. “The people who play (Melee) are less focused on the graphics and more so on the game play. So even though Brawl looks nicer people don’t like it as T ALL BEGAN IN 1999
SMASH BRO: Tyler much.” he said. “There Patterson, Smash was a Brawl tournament player and senior, and the only people that showed up to it were the plays “Super Smash Bros. Melee.” The two best in the world. lack of inclusion And it was one game.” of some advanced In addition to elements in “Super Smash Bros. For worries about Smash 4 Wii U,” such as being made more for wavedashing and casual players, there L-canceling, makes is also an economic competitive players issue that comes with like Patterson wary. the game. According to Nintendo, the Wii U is $300, $200 more than a regular Wii. “Not many people have Wii U’s, so you have to wait to see if someone big in the (Smash) community to say, ‘This is cool. We should try it out,’ then people
A SMASHING GOOD TIME
A history of the Smash franchise before “Super Smash Bros. For Wii U” Super Smash Bros. Nintendo 64 1999-2001 The game that started it all. While the solo mode was meager and there was only 12 characters, it’s simple fighting system and fun mechanics made it popular.
NOV 14, 2014
entertainment
37
Smash Bros SARA YUNG
Super Smash Bros. Melee GameCube 2001-2008
Super Smash Bros. Brawl Wii 2008-2014
Project M Wii 20112014
This achieved suprising popularity as a competetive game, with tournaments springing up Japan, Europe, and the United States and the formation of an entire gaming culture.
While this game was popular among a casual crowd, high-level players were dissapointed at the slower, simplified mechanics. Melee still remained the go-to game for competitions.
This is a community modification to Brawl made by those who wanted a more competitive game. Melee-style gameplay was added, old characters were brought back, and new ones SMASHPEDIA / SOURCE were changed.
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entertainment
NOV 14, 2014
SMASH BROS
will go buy Wii U’s,” Barkley said. Despite skepticism from highlevel players, more casual “smashers” cannot wait for the game to come out. Peter Milstone, Smash Club member and sophomore, is one of them. “I’m very hyped. Sure the last game wasn’t the best, but the newest one looks a lot better, feels a lot better and there is a lot of hype around it,” he said. In response to the economic issue posed by Barkley, Milstone offers a different explanation. “The problem with the Wii U right now is that it doesn’t have ‘The Game,’ to sell it. The GameCube had Melee, the Xbox had ‘Halo.’ The Wii U right now doesn’t have a killer app, except for ‘Mario Kart’ that just came out recently. I think the release of Smash 4 will raise the sales of it drastically and make it a household game,” Milstone said.
And while competitive players are not as receptive to the new game, Milstone said that only about 20 percent of Smash players play the game “SURE, YOU competitively. The remaining CAN PLAY 80 percent, he said, are ecstatic for the prospects that Smash 4 COMPETITIVELY, will bring. BUT WHEN IT “When the community COMES DOWN found out about the release of the game, they went insane. TO IT, YOU CAN I’m part of the (Super Smash PLAY WITH Bros) subreddit and everything FRIENDS.” was going crazy. I think we crashed a site or two, especially TYLER when the new characters were PATTERSON, announced. Everything just SMASH PLAYER exploded,” he said. The aspect of the game AND SENIOR Milstone said he is most excited for is the introduction of new characters, in particular Pacman and Megaman. “It’ll bring more people from
CHECK THE TECHNIQUE = Competitive Changes = Casual Changes
Character speed will be not too fast or too slow to accomodate for both casual and competitive players.
Players can now choose customizable moves for their characters and wear custom parts that alter a character’s properties. However, these parts are currently banned in tournament play
Large and small characters now have a greater difference in size.
different fandoms to this new game. Pacman is in the new game; everyone loves Pacman. Megaman is in it; everyone was crazy about Megaman. It’ll bring all those people who loved Megaman, Pacman and other new games being introduced all into the community and see what is going on in the community,” Milstone said. Although Patterson said he would not take the new game as seriously, he said the “Smash” community is extremely excited for “Smash 4’s” release. “’Smash’ in general is really, really big. Most people have at least played Super Smash Brothers. The competitive scene, however, is more of a niche,” he said. “Sure you can play competitively, but when it comes down to it, you can play H with friends.”
The new “Super Smash Bros for Wii U” brings with it many changes to both the competitive and casual scene. Here are a few of the alterations made. Marth, a playable character from the “Fire Emblem” franchise, has a reduced sword length.
The graphics are much improved, with clearer textures and more vibrant colors.
AKSHAR PATEL Most attacks have a higher base knockback, or how much they launch other characters upon impact.
There is greater hitstun than Brawl, so characters are more helpless after getting hit. This means that strings, or chains of moves, are easier to land SMASHPEDIA / SOURCE
nov 14, 2014
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entertainment
Entertainment briefs
john chen
Entertainment Briefs CELEBRATION AT THE CIRCLE
The annual holiday tradition, THE CIRCLE OF LIGHTS, will be returning to downtown Indianapolis from NOV. 26 TO 28. The Soldiers and Sailors monument will become the largest man-made christmas tree in the world, adorned with 52 garland strands and 4,784 colored lights. However, only one adolescent will be able to flip the switch that lights up the monument on Nov. 26 .While many wof our readers are regrettably too old to qualify to be this lucky child, this shouldn’t discourage them from attending, as the event is completely free of charge.
DOWNTOWN INDY / SOURCE
A Legendary Return movie madness
The third generation of Pokémon will be given a face lift on Nov. 21 with the release of “Pokémon Omega Ruby” and “Pokémon Alpha Sapphire.” This is more than just a touch up, however. While new and improved graphics are here thanks to the use of the “Pokémon X and Y” game engine, new elements are present as well. More mega evolutions, the ability to fly to individual routes, and other improvements have been included. IGN / SOURCE
SOMETHING TO BE THANKFUL FOR The annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will march into New York on Nov. 27 this year. The parade will include floats, cheerleaders, clowns, marching bands, Broadway shows, celebrities and its infamous, giant balloons. Well-known characters such as Hello Kitty, Spider-man and Spongebob will be featured in this lineup. MACYS.COM / SOURCE
Nov 14: “Dumb and Dumber To” Nov 21: “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1” Nov 21: “Penguins of Madagascar”
IMDB / SOURCE
Sports
nov 14, 2014
arsalan siddiqui
WORKING TOWARDS WINNING men’s basketball team prepares for season, looks to improve
L
AST SEASON, THE MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM won the Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference (MIC) championship, had a 20-1 regular season record and had the top ranking in the state at the end of the regular season. Even so, the Greyhounds ultimately fell short of a third consecutive State title in a heartbreaking loss against Hamilton Southeastern in the Sectional championship on March 8. “Obviously, we were all disappointed that our season ended earlier than we expected. But if you look at the big picture, we had a great season,” Head Coach Scott Heady said. Despite the early tournament defeat, the Greyhounds are moving past last season and are looking forward to the upcoming season. Ryan Cline, point guard and senior, said that the team has to move on from that loss and continue to get better as a team. During the summer, Cline committed to Purdue University and won the MVP of the Adidas Uprising Super 64 Invitational. “You always have to move on, but we never want to feel like we did after that loss,” Cline said. The team ultimately decided to move on and wasted little to no time to prepare for a new season. Ever since spring break of the past school year, the men’s basketball team has had workouts twice a week at 6 a.m along with the players having a scrimmage once a week. While the average high school student would relax in the summer, the Greyhounds intensified their workouts. Cline and Heady both agreed that the Greyhounds are working hard for the upcoming season. “We are all working to just get better as players and as a team,” Cline said. According to Heady, the coaches have been working with the players, both individually and as a team. Although Cline said he improved on his game to be a more well-balanced player last season, he is working to be the best player that he can be. In addition, forward and senior Keegan Culp is also working his game. “I have been working on every aspect on my game like
defense, shooting and dribbling,” Culp said. Heady said that the team established a good culture for the basketball program, as the team won back-to-back State championships in 2012 and 2013. He also said that the players work hard on the team and are good teammates. Hard work, toughness and defense, he said, serve as the basis for the team. “It’s not about what we’ve done (before) but it’s about how we’ve done it. We try to look at how we accomplished those things and try to continue the work ethic we had,” Heady said. As mental toughness and defense served as the recipe for success for the Greyhounds for the past three years, Heady said the team plans to follow the same method to continue that success. In addition, according to Heady, players like Cline and Culp will provide for most of team’s scoring, but the team must play with intensity to move forward. “We got a good core group that’s coming back and we have a lot of younger guys that are working hard, which I’m really excited about,” Heady said. “We got a great group of guys with great attitudes and (they’re) H working really hard.” JUMPING AHEAD: Senior Liam Duncan shoots a basket during a preseason workout. The team will scrimmage Lafayette Jefferson HIgh School on Nov 21.
men’s basketball
Sarah liu
nov 14, 2014
women’s basketball
Sports
41
angela sun
women’s basketball gains new coach, Attitude For Upcoming Season
T
HE UPCOMING WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
SEASON
is going to come with some changes. According to Ali Thrasher, women’s basketball team member and sophomore, there is a brand new coaching staff, including the Head Coach Tod Windlan. “This year the coaches have really increased the intensity of both play and practices. I remember last year when I was on the freshman team, we only had practice about two to three times a week, but this year we are looking at about five times a week that are all a lot more intense,” Thrasher said. According to Windlan via email, the ultimate goal is to aim for the IHSAA Sectional championship, and become a
Sarah liu
major contending team for the IHSAA State championship. “Our main goal is to never be out hustled, win the loose ball and 50/50 ball during a game. We want to play an exciting and high possession game and hope to see a lot of Carmel fans in the stands cheering the girls on,” Windlan said via email. These goals especially affect players on the team such as Andi Kwasniewski, returning varsity player and junior, who are playing for such titles. “I feel that this year we definitely have more of a chance because of the new coaching staff, which brings a lot more intensity and a whole transformation to our playing style. I feel that this season we are playing a lot faster and at a higher pace than before. The aggression level is definitely higher too,” Kwasniewski said. The team dynamic this season will change as well. According to Kwasniewski, due to the increased frequency of practices, the team seems a lot closer this year. With this new team dynamic improvement, Windlan hopes to have a tough-minded team. This means Windlan wants the team to dictate the tempo of the game and play aggressive pressure defense, which requires teamwork. “We are really looking forward to starting this season with a new coaching staff and a new state of H mind,” Windlan said. COACHING THE WAY TO VICTORY: Assistant Coach Alexandria Guyton watches a preseason workout. Guyton, who played for Purdue University, is new to CHS this season.
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Gabby Perelmuter
cool as ice
COOL AS ICE icehounds gain popularity among chs students
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N RECENT YEARS, the increasing popularity of hockey has had a major effect on athletics at CHS. The hockey team kicked off the season with its first home game on Oct. 4 with the stands packed. The amount of people in the stands has grown exponentially in the past 10 years. According to juniors Danny Anderson and Tanner Plotkowski, who both play on the Icehounds gold team, the larger turnout has helped them with their game and kept them focused. Hockey is unlike other sports at CHS because it is not school sponsored; it is a club sport. The Icehounds have two teams, Carmel gold hounds and Carmel blue hounds. The gold hounds is varsity and the blue hounds is junior varsity. According to Athletics Director Jim Inskeep, the sport is becoming more popular now because more people are realizing that there is a hockey team that is not directly sponsored through the school. “From my freshman year to now, being a junior, the popularity has definitely increased. (The games) went from just a few people being in the stands to now where the stands are almost packed, and it’s a really fun time,” Anderson said. The attendance is expected to only grow as the season goes on. According to a recent article on Yahoo Sports, research has been found that hockey is as popular as men’s basketball in the United States. The article also mentioned the NHL is growing every year in popularity, while men’s basketball statistics have stayed the same in recent years. The Bleacher Report said that the NHL grows more and more every year because of the increasing global growth of hockey. Football is very common in the United States; however it isn’t played in very many other countries. Hockey is an Olympic sport, unlike football, so the popularity may also stem from that. With a larger crowd, the emphasis on winning is higher than that of a smaller crowd. Plotkowski said the bigger crowd gets the team amped up for games and makes the players want to play better for people they know. According to Anderson, a big crowd only adds to
the excitement he believes the team already has. “The team really likes to have a lot of people come out to the games. It has made it a lot more fun for us since we really enjoy to do what we do, and playing in front of everyone shows what the team is all about,” Anderson said.
Inskeep said when he was in high school, hockey games were a great place for him and his friends to go on Friday nights and to have fun interacting and watching their friends and peers play. He believes that the situation now is much of the same. In addition, he also said the personalities of the team members affect how many people show up. If the players are more outgoing, more people are likely to show up than for players who are less outgoing. Inskeep said, “More than anything, (the turnout) has to do with the personalities on the team. We have had several good teams go through here in a variety of sports, but if the personalities on the team aren’t such where they have a broad base of friends or connect with the student segment of our population here, then student attendance at the games is not as high.” The amount of people in the stands also depends on whether the team is JV or varsity. Both Anderson and Plotkowski said the number of people that go to the JV games is a lot lower than that of the varsity games. However, both teams are seeing larger attendance at every game. “I started off on blue, so that’s JV, and you don’t see a whole lot of people come to the games. When I jumped up to varsity sophomore year, there was a lot more people,” Plotkowski said. “Any of our sports teams play better when there is more excitement. If you are in the rink and you have a lot of your friends and peers there,” Inskeep said, “it is more likely to spark excitement and aggressiveness vs. playing somewhere else on the road, not having any fans there other than a few parents watching and cheering for you.” H
nov 14, 2014
cool as ice
sports
A l ly R u s s e l l
POPULARITY ON ICE: Two team members face off during practice. Team members said the increased popularity makes the team want to play better.
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sports
nov 14, 2014
kari Truax
school vs club sports
WELCOME TO THE CLUB Rise in club teams leads to student athletes opting out of school athletics
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YEAR junior Stasia Mallin made the decision to give up school soccer to strictly play club ball. According to Athletic Business, a magazine geared toward the sports industry, a growing number of athletes like Mallin have to make the same decision about the sports they play and where they play it. The school seasons and some club seasons overlap, not allowing student athletes to play both. Mallin said the benefits of the club outweighed those of the school team. “Playing club soccer makes it easier to be recruited by college coaches because you travel to more tournaments out of state and you have more time to practice. Club soccer also allows me more time to study because I don’t have practice right after school every day,” Mallin said. Athletic Business stated that club sports were originally designed to support high school athletics but that they may eventually take over high school sports. According to Assistant Athletic Director Bruce Wolf, club sports have impacted school sports, but won’t take over. “In some cases, club sport coaches have successfully convinced athletes that they should not play school sports, but rather just concentrate on the club sport,” he said. “Overall the number of students is not large. For some coaches however, it is AST
SOCCER SKILLS: Junior Stasia Mallin practices by herself since her club practices in Ohio. She said playing club soccer makes it easier to be recruited by college coaches.
frustrating for an athlete to not continue in a school sport where the team was counting on them to fill a particular role.” Unlike Mallin, Olivia Christy, sophomore and basketball player, participates in school sports. She said she is able to play both club and school sports and enjoys the benefits of the school team. “Playing school ball is great because you know you’ll get to play every day and there are more coaches available to make you better. I get to spend a lot more time with teammates and coaches,” Christy said. Athletic Business said soccer has been hit the hardest with athletes having to choose between the school and club team, and athletes are not getting the high school sport experience. Wolf agreed that soccer has been hit the hardest, but said there are other sports in the same situation. He said, “It occurs most frequently in soccer, but also has happened in individual sports such as golf and tennis. Some of biggest benefits on playing on a school team are being able to play in front of friends and peers, and represent your school and community.” Mallin said she enjoys playing for her club team but she sometimes feels as though she is missing out on the high school team experience. Unlike school players, Mallin doesn’t compete in state tournaments and is constantly traveling on weekends.
“I feel left out because high school soccer was so much fun last year and it’s hard not being able to do it this year and having to choose one over the other. I still am good friends with everyone on the team but I definitely miss the experience,” Mallin said. For Christy, not only is playing school basketball enjoyable but it also offers her the chance to play year round and allows her to become a better player. She is able to play with girls of all different ages and experience tournaments such as Sectional that club athletes don’t get to take part in. “I feel as though I get a lot better and smarter during school season because I am playing with girls (who are) potentially two years older than me,” Christy said. “It is a much greater commitment because we practice every day after school and sometimes before school during the season, but we get to travel to college camps together and play in a league over the summer.” Both Mallin and Christy said they see the benefits of both club and school sports. For Mallin, playing club ball is offering her more chances to play in college and outweighs the benefits of high school athletics. Mallin said, “Playing club will help me because coaches will be able to see me play that may otherwise not get the opportunity to. I also am training more on my own which teaches me to be more independent and responsible. Although school soccer was really fun, club soccer H benefits me more.”
nov 14, 2014
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sports
school vs club sports
WORK HARD PLAY HARD: Junior Stasia Mallin practices her skills for her club team. Mallin said the benefits of playing for a club team outweigh those of a school team.
mike johnson
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nov 14, 2014
matthew del busto
OPEN YOUR EYES
Don’t let the actions of a few players define your view of an entire organization.
H
akshar patel IBAAWARDS.COM, PHILANTROPY.COM, CHARLESTILLMAN.ORG / SOURCES
Recently, the malicious actions of a few NFL players have put a negative connotation on the entire league. Here we contrast some of the actions of current NFL players.
IS IMPACT IS FELT FAR BEYOND HIS
In the off-season, he has traveled across the world to Africa, India and the Philippines (just to name a few) for mission trips. He has made tours to visit soldiers overseas and has established a memorial fund for his mother, who died of breast cancer. The Rotary Club of Tulsa selected him as the 2014 Henry P. Iba Citizen Athlete Male Recipient. The award, according to its website, ibaawards.com, “recognizes an influential male and female athlete for their success in their sport and more importantly, for being positive Love the game, role models who give back to hate the crime their communities.” And the list goes on. This is Larry Fitzgerald, wide receiver for the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals, an eight-time ProBowler and one of the best in the league. He plays for the NFL, the same organization that supposedly breeds violence and abuse, evidenced by Ray Rice, former Baltimore Ravens running back, who punched his then-fiancée in the face and unceremoniously dragged her out of an elevator. That video is awful—a cringe-worthy and terrible example of domestic violence. Managing Editor I’m sure you’ve also heard of Vikings running back Matthew Adrian Peterson, one of, if not, the best running backs Del Busto in the NFL in recent years, who is on trial for reckless or negligent injury after beating his 4-year-old son with a tree branch, leaving lacerations. This brutal beating by Peterson and the gross domestic abuse by Rice, both prominent NFL players, have overshadowed the entire organization of the NFL as a league of violence, which grossly misinterprets the league. It is important to remember how enormous the NFL truly is. According to an August 2013 article from Forbes, the NFL’s revenue was predicted to be “somewhere just north of $9 billion.” The NFL has an absolutely monstrous market. It is an economic powerhouse. With
open your eyes
Ray Rice: Punched his wife (then-fiancée) in the face and dragged her out of an elevator
SPORT.
Suspended indefinitely by the NFL and cut from the Baltimore Ravens’ active roster Adrian Peterson: On trial for reckless or negligent injury to his 4-year-old son after beating him with a tree branch Required by the NFL to “remain away from all team activities”
this enormous market and fan base, every single player’s actions, especially an exceptionally good player like the aforementioned Rice or Peterson, has the tendency to get blown incredibly out of proportion. Yes, what Rice and Peterson did was wrong. Both of their acts were downright malicious, but there are 53 players on each active roster of the 32-team league. So, they are just two of more than 1500 players on the NFL roster (or were, rather, now that Rice is serving an indefinite suspension). This is less than one percent of the entire league. I am not condoning either Rice or Peterson’s actions a single bit, and I know they are not the only ones, but it imperative to not allow the actions of a few players define an entire league. I point again to Fitzgerald and all of his off-thefield charitable works. He is a phenomenal NFL player and citizen. He’s no monster; in fact, he seems like a pretty darn good person. And he’s not the only one. How about Peyton Manning, who not only is a record-
nov 14, 2014
sports
sports briefs
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shiva vallabhaneni
Peyton Manning: Started the Peyback Foundation to help disadvantaged kids and is partners with The Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital
SPORTS BRIEFS UPCOMING EVENTS NOV. women’s basketball 15 CARMEL VS CATHEDRAL
Larry Fitzgerald: Makes regular mission trips, makes tour overseas to visit soldiers and has established a fund for his mother, who died of breast cancer 2014 Henry P. Iba Citizen Athlete male recipient Charles Tillman: Organizes, runs, and advocates numerous charitable functions such as the Cornerstone Foundation to provide opportunities and resources to children Awarded the 2013 NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year Award shattering, top-notch quarterback, but also started the Peyback Foundation to help disadvantaged kids? Not only is Manning not a criminal, but he is a great role model. We have a hospital right here in Indianapolis named “The Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital.” Or what about Charles Tillman, who is a cornerback for the Chicago Bears? Tillman’s Cornerstone Foundation, founded in 2005 provides “opportunities and resources to children and their families in need” according to charlestillman.org. The truth of the matter is, like in any organization, there are the good and the bad. In the NFL, it is no different. While Rice and Peterson may have stained the league’s good name, there are more players like Fitzgerald and Manning who have quietly been doing good for a long time. Often, evil actions overshadow charitable ones. Don’t let the actions of a few individuals blind you to H the league as a whole.
The women’s basketball team will play its second game against Cathedral on Nov. 15. They hope to bounce back this year and make it to State. With a new coach this year, the team hopes to excel and play strong.
“WE’VE HAD A LOT OF TRAINING THIS SUMMER AND THIS FALL SO, I FEEL LIKE WE’LL BE REALLY READY FOR THIS SEASON,” - JUNIOR CELENE FUNKE
alex yom
NOV. 25
wrestling
CARMEL VS LEBANON
The wrestling team has its first big match on Nov. 25 against Lebanon. They plan to play hard and come out strong this year. The team hopes to build up momentum in its first match and carry that on throughout the season. “I EXPECT THAT WE WILL DO GREAT THINGS THIS YEAR, WE WON REGIONALS LAST YEAR, AND WE HOPE TO KEEP THAT STREAK ALIVE,” - JUNIOR DANIEL ELRITE
alex yom
Congratulations to the women’s soccer team for finishing runner-ups in the State. They played Fishers on Nov. 1 and the score was 0-1. The last time the women’s soccer team reached State was in 2011 when they won. e m i ly a b s h i r e
perspectives
nov 14, 2014
STAFF EDITORIAL
STAFF EDITORIAL
Election Season
Be more cognizant of your local government.
A
that less than one-fourth of Americans between the NATIONAL ages of 18 and 30 “definitely” planned to vote in the reports that 59 midterm elections. Exit polls show that ballots from percent of American teenagers know the names people under 30 comprised only 13 percent of Nov. of the Three Stooges, 95 percent know the Fresh 4 votes. Prince of Bel-Air, 75 percent know which city has the What this necessitates for the political system and zip code 90210 and 90 percent know the star of the for the country in general is a national film “Titanic.” conversation between American The same study states that of these youth and the U.S. government. The same teenagers, 41 percent know LOW TURNOUT results of the Institute of Politics the three branches of government, IS A PROBLEM poll can be explained by the seeming 2 percent know the Chief Justice of lack of relevance of current debates the Supreme Court, 25 percent know PARTICULARLY in Congress to young people, who where the U.S. Constitution was IN THE UNDER-30 are most concerned right now with written and 74 percent know the vice DEMOGRAPHIC, issues like wealth disparity in the president of the United States. United States and student debt. It Although this study was A GROUP OF is important for the government to conducted and published more PEOPLE WHOSE address issues that are of concern to than a decade ago, there is reason PARTICIPATION younger people. to believe there is truth remaining At the same time, with rights come IN ELECTIONS to its message: American citizens, responsibilities. The people should particularly teenagers, know much IS DOWNRIGHT be heard—therefore, they must less about their own government ABYSMAL EVEN take the time to educate themselves than they do about popular culture. IN COMPARISON on the on-goings in Congress and This issue is never more relevant than get involved in the process to elect at the time of midterm congressional TO THE REST representatives who care about their elections. OF THE U.S. concerns. The original Constitution According to the Pew Research POPULATION... dictated direct election by the people Center, 57 percent of the voting-age only of the House of Representatives. population cast ballots in the 2008 EXIT POLLS SHOW Since then, government has become presidential election; this number, BALLOTS FROM more and more democratic with the low in comparison to that of other PEOPLE UNDER increased use of direct election and democracies, demonstrated the with enfranchisement of women highest level of voter turnout in 30 COMPRISED 13 and minorities. It is impossible to the United States in four decades. PERCENT OF NOV. overstate the importance of strong In 2010, the percentage of adult 4 VOTES. participation by voters to the Americans voting in the midterm democratic process. elections dropped to a disappointing Many CHS students are not yet 37 percent. This number, according to of voting age, but most soon will be, a report by Al Jazeera, dropped in the and in any case, it is never too early for them to start Nov. 4 midterm election to 34 percent of the registered learning about and participating in government. Every voting population, which doesn’t even account for the day, a group of intelligent, driven students populates 70 million adult Americans not registered to vote. this school’s hallways, a group from a generation Low turnout is a problem particularly in the that will soon be in charge of managing the country. demographic under the age of 30, a group of people It’s safe to say that the workings of the government whose participation in elections is downright abysmal will have more bearing on them than will the Three even in comparison to the rest of the U.S. population. Stooges and the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. H A Harvard University Institute of Politics poll shows 1998
STUDY
BY
THE
CONSTITUTION CENTER
nov 14, 2014
Perspectives
THE CASE AGAINST KARMA
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EMMA LOVE
The Case Against Karma
T
Why women should take action and disrupt the status quo.
Trust the system in which men get paid more than equally capable women in virtually every profession. This is the idea that Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, conveyed to a group of women technologists at the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing on Oct. 9. “It’s not really about asking for the raise, but knowing and having faith that the system will actually give you the right raises as you go along,” Nadella said. “It’s good karma. It will come back.” Not surprisingly, the audience was not thrilled with this statement. Nor was Maria Klawe, a Microsoft director, who was interviewing Nadella. Klawe immediately told Nadella that she disagreed with him on the raise issue. The audience welcomed Klawe’s statement with much more enthusiasm. Following cheers and applause from the crowd, Klawe offered some of her own advice to women: do your homework and role-play negotiating compensation. If all women took Nadella’s advice, I would argue that they are being naïve. In the current workplace, which is increasingly political and competitive, women cannot trust that their merits will be rewarded without any self-promotion. If women were rewarded solely based on their performance, then today’s workplace would be considered a meritocracy, which is far from the truth. Instead, stereotypical beliefs that are ingrained in our business leaders from an early age often overshadow unbiased evaluations. Hopefully one day we can achieve objective assessments for all workers, but today we are far from that. According to the American Association of University Women, last year women were paid 78 percent of what equally qualified men received. This statistic clearly illustrates the unfair disadvantage that women are faced with, simply because they are female. Shortly after the interview, Nadella apologized for his statements, saying that he had been “inarticulate.”
However, his word choice is not the issue. The issue is that, when asked a question on the spot, Nadella expressed that he feels the current system is efficient and women are properly paid. Coming from the CEO of one of the world’s largest corporation, this is troubling, if not predictable. There is no doubt the well-off (earning over $80 million per year) and well-educated (three degrees to his name) Nadella feels he is an enlightened being, someone who could never be prejudiced towards women. Therein lies the problem. As much as we would like to deny it, even the best of us are guilty of stereotyping. It is still prevalent. In order to see change, everyone must be cognizant of this problem and promote change. Like Klawe said, women must research and know what the appropriate salary is. With this in mind, women must sit down with someone trusted and practice asking him or her for a raise. This will allow working women to be able to confidently promote themselves. Passively waiting for the system to reward everyone fairly has never worked. Rosa Parks was not passive when she refused to move to the back of the bus. Susan B. Anthony did not wait for “karma” to give women the right to vote. Every major social change throughout history has resulted from action and increased social awareness, not from hoping those in charge will do the right thing. Women must stop waiting in order to bridge the gender gap. They must disrupt the status quo. They must stand up for what they believe in. And they must stop letting outdated and unfair stereotypes suppress their full potential. H
RUST THE SYSTEM.
INDIFFERENCE IS KEY
April 14, 2015 Is the next Equal Pay Day. It shows how far into next year women must work to earn the same amount a man earned the year before.
Paycheck Fairness Act Failed in Senate on June 5, 2012 with a 54 to 47 vote. Senate Democrats plan to bring the act forward again this year.
The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Emma Love at elove@hilite.org.
72% of 61% women of men
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BELIEVE THE U.S. SHOULD CONTINUE MAKING CHANGES TO GIVE MEN AND WOMEN EQUITY
FULL-TIME WORKING WOMEN EARN 77% OF WHAT THEIR MALE COUNTERPARTS
WOmen earn 82% of what men make a year after graduating from college even though women attend college at higher rates
men $42,918 women $35,296
WOMEN HAVE TO WORK APPROXIMATELY 3 EXTRA MONTHS TO EARN THE SAME AS MEN PEW RESEARCH / SOURCE
S r i ya r av i
50
perspectives
Nov 14, 2014
Miriam Hu
lessons from jlaw
Lessons from Jlaw
Naked bodies are not public property.
I
F YOU’VE BEEN ANYWHERE NEAR the Internet in the
past few months, there’s a good chance that you’ve heard of an event dubbed “The Fappening” or “Celebgate,” where an anonymous iCloud hacker uploaded nearly 200 nude photos of multiple celebrities, including Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Upton and Victoria Justice, to 4chan. The photos soon made their way to sites like Imgur and Tumblr, where they were re posted far more quickly than they could be taken down. Reactions from the Internet varied. There were a few dissenting voices, like the ones who lambasted Perez Hilton when he shared the photos on his blog. But from what I saw, the vast majority of the web not only condoned the hacking but also enjoyed viewing and sharing the stolen images. Within a day of the original posting, more than 100,000 Reddit users subscribed to the subreddit, which is a content entry organized by area of interest, used to share leaked photos, and it received more than 250 million views before Reddit banned it, according to a September 2014 article on Forbes. I find it ironic that these are likely the same people who complained when the National Security Agency (NSA) spying scandal was revealed to the public. In fact, according to a June 2013 Gallup poll, 53 percent of Americans said they disapprove of the government’s tracking of telephone call logs and Internet communications. How can we as a society praise Edward Snowden for revealing the NSA’s invasion of privacy while in the same breath, celebrate over the release of private photos of Jennifer Lawrence naked? Lawrence recently did a cover story with Vogue calling the hacking “a sex crime”, which at first seems like a strong condemnation—perhaps too strong. After all, she’s famous enough to know the risk of leaked photos. Doesn’t that make it her fault in the first place? This line of thought hearkens back to victimblaming. It doesn’t
AFTER ME, THE DELUGE
matter who took the photos or why. Posting anyone’s nudes without permission is a blatant, sickening and creepy violation of privacy. Suppose Jennifer Lawrence wasn’t an Oscar-winning actress, but your girlfriend, sister or close friend. Wouldn’t the leak make you sick? Wouldn’t you feel deep, compelling disgust for those who found and shared IT DOESN’T the photos? The fact that she’s a celebrity MATTER WHO doesn’t make a difference. Being an A-lister TOOK THE PHOTOS doesn’t make her any less of a human being OR WHY. POSTING with a right not to have her body exploited. The “Celebgate scandal” is just one ANYONE’S facet of a widespread epidemic, though. As NUDES WITHOUT mobile tech and apps like Snapchat (which PERMISSION by the way, definitely doesn’t make your photos “disappear forever”) become more IS A BLATANT, popular, they make sexting easier. A study SICKENING published in the July 2012 issue of Pediatrics AND CREEPY & Adolescent Medicine found 28 percent of 14 to 19-year-olds have sent naked photos VIOLATION OF of themselves over text or email. With this PRIVACY. comes the very real possibility of revenge porn, when exes post explicit images of former partners online without consent, usually with the intent of shaming the victim. One of the first revenge porn sites, IsAnybodyUp, averaged between 150,000 and 240,000 unique page views per day in 2011 before being shut down, according to a 2012 article by The Village Voice. That could be 240,000 people looking at a photo intended for one person to see, and given that the photos were often accompanied by personal information like full name and address, harassment was certainly an issue as well. Twelve states have already passed laws criminalizing revenge porn, but Indiana is not one of them. It seems obvious that there will be more leaks in the years to come—both of celebrities and everyday people. We have yet to realize bodies are not public property. Next time you’re tempted to click on an explicit photo that you don’t have permission to view, stop and think about how you would feel if the person in the photo was someone you cared for deeply. Or better yet, just do the straight-up decent thing and remember that whoever is in the photo didn’t give consent for you to look at their naked body. H Then X out. The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Miriam Hu at mhu@hilite.org.
Nov 14, 2014
perspectives
get to know each other
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S r i ya R av i
Get to know each other
A
People should look past labels and embrace their identity. COUPLE WEEKS AGO, I WAS APPALLED
when a student who sat next to me asked me before I even had a chance to sit down whether my parents were doctors or owned a Subway. Does the fact that they’re Indian limit them to having two choices in occupation? When I mentioned that my parents are neither and are actually software engineers instead, he continued by saying “That was my third guess.” I understand stereotypes are going to exist regardless of where we live, but it’s not reason enough to state a question the way he did. If he had been asking someone who wasn’t Indian, he most likely would have just asked “What do your parents do?” In a community that prides itself for its diverse community, people should not be so stereotypical. Even in situations where I do no wrong, I feel like I have because I feel judged for fitting or not fitting a certain stereotype. That same day, I got told to “go make a sandwich” when all I had done was contribute to a group worksheet. It’s hard to feel like you can fit in when you are constantly compared to an image that you’re supposed to fit. Labels will always exist, and people will constantly be categorized into them, but do they really mean anything? I fall underneath the label “Indian,” and while I am, how much does that define me? I’ve lived in America almost my entire life, but that doesn’t end up being reflected in my “label.” Recently, actress RavenSymone, in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, said, “I’m not an African American. I’m an American.” When Winfrey prompted Symone to explain her comment, Symone said she is an American despite her darker skin and her “nice interesting grade of hair.” She does not know her country of origin in Africa, but she said she knows her roots are in Louisiana, which
HAPPINESS IS REALITY MINUS EXPECTATIONS
8 Ways Stereotypes are Enforced 1. Jokes 2. Namecalling/labels 3. Oversimplified statements to all people in a group 4. Stereotypical descriptors 5. Personal assumptions about individuals 6. Viewing one individual as the spokesperson for an entire group 7. Descriptors that envoke stereotypes because they are the opposite 8. “Statistical” stereotyping based on a real or perceived statistic.
WORK FORCE DIVERSITY NETWORK / SOURCE
makes her an American and therefore a “colorless” person. Since then, she has faced backlash from many who say she shouldn’t run away from her identity. While Symone is definitely making a point about defying labels, it does not mean that she needs to completely forgo her African identity. She should embrace her identity as a whole. But part of the problem lies in our hands; We need to see beyond these labels and get to know a person before making assumptions. A study conducted by the American Association for the Advancement of Science showed that children in the United States come to understand race and ethnicity concepts by the ages of 3 and 4. By around age 6, children become accurate at sorting people by ethnicity. At this point, they have also established firm views about blacks, women and other social groups. At around age 7 or 8, they understand that race and ethnicity do not change. This shows that stereotyping starts at a very young age, before most kids can read or write. Studies have shown that we all unconsciously stereotype people all the time. It’s become a human instinct to sort information into mental categories. There’s no cause for stereotyping, but it’s become a phenomenon. A lot of young children take after their parents, and stereotyping is one of the results. Openmindedness is the key when dealing with stereotypes. We are all unique and that shouldn’t be lost. Kids need to taught to keep an open mind. Next time you find yourself stereotyping someone, make a conscience effort to realize it, and then get to know them before you make assumptions. Negative stereotypes about racial groups bombard us every day in the mass media and it leaves a mark on us forever. But we can be influenced for the better. For all you know, they could be the polar opposite of what you expected. I cannot ever imagine separating myself from who I am: an Indian American. There may be stereotypes that come with that, some good, some bad, but ultimately the choice is mine. I decide who I want to be. But it’s also our duty to make sure we don’t give others a standard they need to be above or below. There’s a whole story hiding behind those labels. Go H learn about them. The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Sriya Ravi at sravi1@hilite.org.
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perspectives
NOv 14, 2014
Forget About THe Money
Jenny Zhao
FORGET ABOUT THE MONEY.
We should raise awareness for causes that matter.
O
N OCT. 14, MARK ZUCKERBERG announced
on Facebook that he donated $25 million to help fight Ebola. The reactions that ensued were largely focused on the large sum of money and thus what an incredible man Zuckerberg must be. While the money undoubtedly helps and Zuckerberg is very respectable, we should be more focused on awareness rather than the actual sum of money. For example, instead of a discussion about the money, the commenters could have discussed the link that Zuckerberg posted on how Ebola spreads and why it is THE so deadly. Alas, this is the not type of reaction that AWARENESS typically occurs. Rather, GIVEN TO this usually happens: A CAUSES IS celebrity donates large sums INCREDIBLY of money to a commonlyknown cause such as cancer UNBALANCED. research, and the general public idolizes the celebrity and their money as the center of the philanthropic act rather than the cause of the disease, which should hold center stage. The awareness given to causes is incredibly unbalanced, and while there is no way all causes in this world will ever be given equal awareness, we should at least try to balance the emphasis given to different causes. Although it’s good that we’re constantly being reminded to donate money to and support widely-recognized causes such as breast cancer awareness, many people jump on the bandwagon and don’t rally for a cause that actually matters to them. The already-forgotten ALS ice bucket challenge is one example. I’m guilty of it myself; I did the ice bucket challenge for the sake of having something to post on a social media site, and donate a few dollars any time someone enthusiastically asks me to support cancer research. Cancer and ALS haven’t affected my family at all, but Alzheimer’s definitely has. Why isn’t Alzheimer’s, which needs just as much attention as cancer, as focused on as cancer? It may be because there are no heart-warming stories of people battling Alzheimer’s and surviving, and it may be because it’s mostly prevalent in the elderly, but watching someone you care about slowly fade away because of a degenerative brain disease is just as miserable as seeing someone you care about battle cancer. Yet, I have never spoken up or done anything to raise awareness. In fact, this is the first time I’ve ever even
DID YOU KNOW?
Mark Zuckerberg announced on Facebook that he donated $25 million to help fight Ebola.
Up until now, $100 million have been raised for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
In 2013, approximately $4.9 billion per year, were spent on cancer fundings.
WWW.ALSA.ORG. WWW. CANCER.GOV/ SOURCES
mentioned to anyone that Alzheimer’s affects my family. There are probably thousands of worthy causes that very few are aware of. This should not be the case; it’s important to raise awareness for causes that actually matter to us. If you’re passionate enough about something, the money will follow. Yet, the typical student at CHS probably cannot donate the millions of dollars that celebrities typically do, or even the hundreds that perhaps our parents can, but rather than goggling at the magnanimity of respected individuals, we should focus on donating our time and effort. A Pew Research study from 2009 showed that teen volunteering is steadily rising, a trend that should continue. Time is just as valuable as money, and while you may think one person taking the effort to speak up about a cause they believe in is not as valuable as someone famous donating another billion dollars, it is. Time, along with effort, can be extremely valuable. Even within the school, there are countless clubs that raise money for specific causes or offer volunteering opportunities. There are many more ways to give than to give money: join a club, volunteer, commit to and spread awareness for a cause that matters to you. We need to change our viewpoint on charity from something money-based to something cause-based. It’s much better to raise awareness and volunteer for a cause that is close to the heart than to give money to a cause you know little about. Although the media idolizes celebrities who give huge donations, making a difference doesn’t require money. The average teenager probably cannot donate even much, but he or she definitely can find time to volunteer or speak up about a cause that matters to them. You may not be a millionaire, but there are many more ways to give than to give money: join a club, volunteer, commit to and spread awareness for a cause that matters to you. H The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Jenny Zhao at jzhao@hilite.org.
BETTER LATE THAN NEVER
Nov 14, 2014
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perspectives
GRAPHIC PERSPECTIVES
THANKSGIVING THEN
NOW
Haley Bracken
ASTER SAMUEL
Jiva Capulong
15 Minutes
Nov 14, 2014
A NOVEL HOBBY
Senior Ari Roberts has been writing a fantasy trilogy What made you want to write a book? I’ve always liked fantasy and such. I’ve always loved to read. My parents also love to read, and they were big fantasy people. I was introduced to The Lord of the Rings when I was very young. I like to tell people that my parents raised me on the Bible first and Tolkien second. But in seventh grade, I had a very good English teacher who put a strong focus on creative writing. She encouraged us to write every day—which I still struggle with, but I’m trying—and she encouraged us to carry a notebook everywhere we go, just to have that to write whenever we wanted to. I do that to this day. That’s where my main inspiration came from. What made you want to continue writing it? I have not been writing the entire time. It’s more just been scribbling out ideas (and) scribbling out characters. It’s the characters mainly that drive the whole thing. I made these characters and got really attached to them. Even now, all of them have changed so that they are nearly unrecognizable from their seventh grade state, which is good because I was not good at making characters in seventh grade. But I just didn’t want to let go of them. I loved telling their stories, and I’ve been working on it (for) so long at this point it seems better to change (them) than to let them go.
Here’s her preview of one of her characters, Sasha Elery “Sasha lives in a country called Maridonas, the second country that is invaded. But since her mother is a government official, she has a unique perspective on the entire fiasco. Driven primarily by curiosity and with confidence backed by government connections, budding magical abilities and juvenile ignorance, she begins to dig up classified information. Predictably, this goes horribly, horribly wrong, but I’ll leave that for you to imagine,” Roberts said.
What are your main inspirations for this book and trilogy? Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings (because) I love the massive fantasy world and the long journeys. NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) is another one. I can just talk about Tolkien for days; I freaking love (The Lord of the Rings). C. S. Lewis is another one, although less so. I am a Christian, so I do want to try to figure out how to try to incorporate some religious aspects in my novel. I haven’t figured out how to do that yet because it’s very, very difficult, but I think it might take a C. S. Lewis-esque form (and) maybe have (an) Aslan in there somewhere as a cameo. There is some kind of steampunk-y elements in there I guess. The Mainland weapons and stuff kind of have that aesthetic. Those are the big ones. Basically, every time I read a book, I have to be careful what I read. Because if I read a book, anything I try to write or create for months afterwards will look like that book. I try to be careful with what I read, especially for NaNoWriMo. Visit www.hilite.org/archives/38576 to read the rest of the Q&A.
Sitha Vallabhaneni Kyle Crawford
Nov 14, 2014
15 minutes
Greyhound Town
Jenny Zhao
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sarah Liu
GREYHOUND TOWN
November is National novel writing month. It’s time to hear from ardent writers & readers.
CREATIVE WRITING CLUB
“SOME OF THE KIDS HAVE WRITTEN FULLLENGTH NOVELS, LIKE 50,000 WORDS. SO I THINK THAT’S REALLY INTERESTING BECAUSE IT SHOWS ALL THE HIDDEN TALENTS. YOU CAN BE OK IN THE CLASSROOM, BUT YOU CAN SHINE IN OTHER ASPECTS WITH WRITING.”
“I LIKE TO WRITE FOR FUN, AND IN CREATIVE WRITING CLUB, THERE’S NO STRESS ABOUT IT, SO IT’S NOT LIKE YOUR NORMAL PAPERS WHERE YOU HAVE TO HAVE A SPECIFIC STRUCTURE, AND YOU HAVE TO ANALYZE DIFFERENT CHARACTERS. IT’S MORE ON YOUR OWN, AND WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO.”
Senior Jenna Fattah
Junior Gloria Xue
READERS OF THE MONTH
“I LIKE READING ROMANCE NOVELS; THEY’RE MY FAVORITE. I DON’T KNOW WHY. I JUST REALLY LIKE TO READ ROMANCE.”
Freshman Youselie Joseph
NOMINATED FOR AUGUST AND SEPTEMBER
“I LIKE TO READ SCI-FI AND FANTASY BECAUSE IT SEEMS SO DIFFERENT FROM REAL LIFE. IF I WANTED TO READ REALISTIC FICTION, I COULD JUST GO OUT AND DO IT MYSELF.”
Junior David Baldwin NOMINATED FOR AUGUST, SEPTEMBER AND OCTOBER
Know a 15 Minutes of Fame candidate? Tweet your suggestions to @HiLite_news using #15minutes or contact 15 Minutes of Fame editor Sarah Liu (sliu1@hilite.org).
Prepping for Spec
nov 14, 2014
Kyle crawford
LiteBox Blue and Gold Company members learn choreography for the 2014 Holiday Spectacular. Holiday Spectacular will take place on Dec. 3,4, 6 and 7 in the auditorium.
BACK COVER
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