March 25, 2010 HiLite

15 Minutes of Fame Senior Ketki Tamhankar does classical Indian dance page 32

Check us out online @ www.hilite.org for the latest news, scores, video, polls and multimedia content

carmel high school • 520 e. main st., carmel, in 46032

march 25, 2010 • vol. 55 • issue 8

Bullying The line between

The line between…

march 25, 2010 • vol. 55 • issue 8 carmel high school • 520 e. main st., carmel, in 46032

Sports Rugby players first need to learn sport to succeed page 24

for the latest news, scores, video, polls and multimedia content

Check us out online @ www.hilite.org

Carmel High School • 520 E. Main St., Carmel, IN 46032

March 25, 2010 • Vol. 55 • Issue 8

Contact information

table of contents

cover story

Mailing Address: 520 E. Main St., Carmel, IN 46032 Phone: (317) 846-7721, Ext. 7143 Web site: www.hilite.org

Walk the Line

E-mail: Staff members of the HiLite may be contacted by using their first initial and their last name appending @hilite.org. For example, Michelle Hu will receive mail sent to mhu@hilite.org.

Responding to the HiLite

Letters to the editor will be accepted for the April 30 issue no later than April 19. Letters may be submitted in Room C147, placed in the mailbox of Jim Streisel, e-mailed to letters@hilite.org or mailed to school. All letters must be signed. Names will be published. (Letters sent via e-mail 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.

Line between bullying and team-building may sometimes be hard to discern

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

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

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

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

Staff Editor in Chief Michelle Hu Managing Editors Rosemary Boeglin

Sarah Sheafer Accountant Andrew Burke Acumen Arjuna Capulong

Jinny Zhang 15 Minutes of Fame Afra Hussain Artist Daniel Li

Rebecca Xu Beats/Calendar Emma Neukam

Amanda Nguyen

Laura Peng

Nina Underman Cover Story Sara Rogers Entertainment Maddi Bourgerie

Ellie Seta Feature Hera Ashraf

Rebecca Xu Front Page Tim Chai

Steven Chen Graphics Daniel Li News Susie Chen

Beverly Jenkins Perspectives Julie Kippenbrock

Jade Schwarting Photography Nick Johnson

Kaitlyn Lampe Special Projects Kelsey Binion

Amanda Nguyen

Min Qiao

Tracy Sun Sports Mackenzie Madison

David Zheng Student Section Lauren Burdick Web Mike Jiang

Nishanth Samala

Reporters Sally Bae Audrey Bailey Meredith Boyd Hope Boyer Maggie Brandenburg Andrew Browning Patrick Bryant Monica Cheng Ryan Duffy Cassie Dugan Yameen Hameed Grayson Harbour Kendall Harshberger Ben Lu Alex Mackall Photographers Gabrielle Bowers Arjuna Capulong Shirley Chen Stephanie Coleman Shokhi Goel Lizzy Grubbs Kate Grumme Stuart Jackson Emily Puterbaugh Daniel Smith Jinny Zhang

Advisers

Principal Superintendent

Faraz Majid Katie Norman Priya Patel Darlene Pham Thalib Razi Mitch Ringenberg Erum Rizvi Katie Walstrom Reuben Warshawsky Jackson Whiteker Celina Wu Michelle Yun Sarah Yun Caroline Zhang Web team Steven “Miin” Chen Michael Luo Pedram Navid Matt Pickard Michael Price Yusheng Zhu Video Marianna Cooper Parker Myers

Jim Streisel Jincy Gibson John Williams Jeff Swensson

news help Referendum to increase taxes could solve school budget problems

04 06

Skepticism over global warming prompts students to start club

feature

08

Chatroulette.com creates concerns about online security and safety

entertainment

10 12 15

HiLite staff presents spring fashion trends, mix-and-match for students Evolution of movies into 3D Aw a rd -w i n n i n g s h o w c h o i r s perform at annual “Evening with the Ambassadors”

student section

22

From past travels, Lauren Bangs sees negative steoreotypes of Americans

Cover>> ARjuna Capulong and Steven Chen / Photo Illustration

16

sports

24 25 26

Conrad Gregor faces tough decision between further education and playing professionally Unlike many sports, many rugby players are new to the game Tennis players practice all-year round to prepare for season

perspectives beStaffgoodperspective: Students must ambassadors of school

28 30

Steven Chen, Monica Cheng and Faraz Majid share their commentary about everyday life

15 minutes of fame

32

Ketki Tamhankar dances from high school to college

Corrections and Clarifications from the 2.25 Issue

In the feature story “Partyless Birthday,” Pat Hecox was mistakenly called “he” instead of “she.”

<< just a minute 03

HiLite â&#x20AC;˘ March 25, 2010

a brief history of recalls 1978

1982

Ford Pinto

Extra-Strength Tylenol

Fuel tank design defects made the Pinto susceptible to fire and possibly explosion in the event of a minor rear end collision.

After taking cyanide-laced capsules of Extra-Strength Tylenol, seven people died in the Chicago area.

2000

Firestone Tires

2009

Peanut Butter Peanut Corporation of America issued a recall because of fears of salmonella contamination. The recall was soon expanded to 3,918 products because the bulk peanut butter was associated with many other packaged foods.

Four people died due to tread separation in Firestone tires. Bridgestone/Firestone Inc. announced the recall of 6.5 million tires on Aug. 9 of that year.

2006

Spinach E. Coli bacteria contaminated bagged spinach and a recall was issued for all affected brands.

So far there have been 2010

Toyota Cars >>

Some cars accelerated uncontrollably. The event was first thought to be caused by sticky floor mats, but speculation into the computer systems have prompted investigation.

TWO

major errors in the recalled Toyota cars Brakes in the Prius have been reported to malfunction.

Steven Chen / Graphics abcnews, autosaftey.org, cpsc, fda, huffingtonpost and nytimes / Source

04 news >>

HiLite • March 25, 2010

State bill proposes later start to school year

T

by patrick bryant pbryant@hilite.org

he thought of the school year starting after Labor Day brings a smile to freshman class president Chris Johnson’s face. If a bill sitting before the Indiana legislature passes, it would require Indiana schools to start their year after Labor Day. If the bill passes, the change would go into effect for the 2012-2013 school year, Johnson’s senior year, something that he said he is very happy about.

“I would love to have school start after Labor Day,” Johnson said via e-mail.

The bill, authored by Mike Delph, state senator and 1988 CHS graduate, has passed the Indiana senate and will be voted on by the House next year.

In a survey of Carmel voters conducted by Delph, 78 percent of voters said that they agree with his proposal. Delph said the bill was written for many reasons. According to Delph,

Indiana’s adoption of daylight saving’s time and ISTEP no longer taking place in the fall warranted the need for a change in the calendar of Indiana schools. Delph said he felt that extending summer into the warm month of August would allow families to spend more time with each other, something he said is very important.

should focus on making a better funding formula for schools instead of changing the calendar.

got bills?

Despite Delph’s reasoning, not everyone supports his proposal. Math teacher K athie Freed, one of Delph’s former teachers, said she is angry that he would make such a suggestion.

To learn about the new federal health care bill, visit hilite.org to read Priya Patel’s story on the recent legislation

“The people in the statehouse have enough to govern,” Freed said. “Schools should be driven to make decisions locally.”

Delph, however, said he believes that education is the state’s responsibility. “We are in the public education business,” Delph said. “And the students and their families are our customers.”

“I was mad,” Freed said. “I honestly know for a fact that starting school based on the weather is wrong. You can’t win if you use the argument that kids want to swim in the nicer weather.”

Freed said that she opposes this bill in the interest of students. According to Freed, a change in the calendar would alter the way that classes prepare for final and AP exams. She said that she wants to allow students the most time for finals.

Freed also said she believes that the decisions should be made by school districts instead of the state. Freed said they

Freed said, “We want students to do as well as they possibly can.”

Taxpayers to vote on May 4 referendum to raise taxes, cut deficit by monica cheng mcheng@hilite.org

salary and benefits. The remaining 7 percent goes to supplies and other services.

get everything they deserve,” Pete O’Hara said. “This referendum is a great way for the people of Carmel to support the kids.”

According to Tricia Hackett, vice president of the school board, with the $1.5 million budget cut from 2009 and a $3 million reduction proposal this year due to recession, the Carmel Clay school district has already lost 60 teaching positions and is struggling to hire enough teachers to keep class sizes down, a struggle that is becoming evident in CHS.

The $12 general fund referendum, Hackett said, would pay for the $3 million of cuts proposed in October 2009 by former Superintendent Barbara Underwood as well as the $3.8 million budget cut directed by the Governor Mitch Daniels from January 2010. It would also compensate for the $2 million from the previous referendum, which will run out in 2012, as well as the $3.2 million needed to hire teachers and protect class size and programs.

According to Hackett, Carmel is the 10th largest district with the lowest income tax rate in the state. Yet, its school system has the fourth-lowest education funding of Indiana .

On May 4, the Carmel Clay community will vote on the general fund referendum that would increase local sales and income taxes in order to keep up with the deficit and continue to provide students with a quality public school system. That referendum, if it were to pass, would Pete O’Hara provide Carmel schools with an additional $12 million per year for a total of seven years.

“Every school budget in Indiana is made up of seven different funds to pay for the public school system. Six of them are supported by property and excise taxes,” Hackett said. “The state used to supply dollars to the general fund, the largest and most crucial fund, through local property tax, state sales tax and income tax. But now, the general fund can draw revenue from only state sales and income taxes, both of which may fluctuate depending on the economy.”

According to Hackett, 93 percent of the general fund goes to

“If this general operating referendum is passed May 4, 2010, the Carmel Clay School District will receive the funding in calendar year 2011. However, changes can be enacted well before this,” Hackett said in an interview via e-mail.

She also said that much of the current $3 million proposed budget cuts can be almost immediately reversed, beginning with the reinstating of teaching staff into classrooms.

Pete O’Hara, member of the Carmel Clay Education Association (CCEA) and social studies teacher, said he is in favor of the upcoming referendum.

“We want to be able to continue our high academic standards and make sure the kids

O’Hara said that even if the referendum were to pass and consequently raise taxes, Carmel’s taxes would still be the lowest in Hamilton County. “(The referendum) is a worthwhile thing,” O’Hara said. “This is for kids. I don’t think it’s digging so deep in our pockets that it’s going to hurt us as much as it’s going to help us.”

your vote counts: Assistant Principal Ronda Eshleman displays her support for the upcoming vote. The Carmel Clay community will vote on the general fund referendum on May 4.

MICHELLE HU / PHOTO

<< news 05

HiLite • March 25, 2010

TechHOUNDS robotics team heads into season’s final competition by priya patel ppatel@hilite.org Continuing in the steps of the original club started here in 2001 by teacher Dave Smith, TechHOUNDS will compete at the Atlanta International Championships on April 15-17 at the Georgia Dome.

techhounds / submitted photo

Breakaway Bots: Ryan Wilmes, TechHOUNDS member and sophomore, attaches a wheel to this year’s competing robot, which weighs 120 pounds and is 48 inches by 58 inches tall. The 2010 challenge for robotics teams worldwide competing in the Atlanta International Championships is to build a robot that can score the most soccer goals in two minutes.

This competition is the final in a series of the FIRST Robotics Competition hosted by the national organization, FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). Last weekend, the team was crowned 2010 Boilermaker Champions at the Boilermaker Regional held at Purdue; their robot won the Xerox Creativity Award, a judge-based award for unique and creative design.

The Atlanta competition is the largest of the competitions, with over 400 international teams from at least seven

different countries. Each team is given six weeks to build a robot from scratch to participate in a game. According to George Giltner, team sponsor and industrial technology teacher, this year’s game is a game called Breakaway.

“This year, the robots are on a basketball sized field that has two goals, one on each end. The field is divided into thirds by bumps and the robots have to score as many goals as possible in two minutes,” Giltner said.

M e e r a C h a n d e r, c o - c a p t a i n o f TechHOUNDS and senior, said, “Although our team is primarily student-led, we do all of this with the help of our skilled teachers and professional mentors who are engineers, scientists, technicians, and programmers from actual companies.”

Giltner said he agreed and said the

experts the students work with allow them to be exposed to the technology and science involved in engineering.

According to Chander, this year’s robot design was chosen because the team decided that it would be an effective, yet unique way to complete the engineering task presented. Chander said that during the competition, the team is allowed to enhance and improve the robot between matches; however, they are not allowed to make any changes to the robot in between the competitions.

Though the TechHOUNDS are a schoolsponsored team, funding is completely raised by the members. Giltner said, “Every competition has an entry fee of $5000 and we participate in three competitions.

The team has to raise all of the money, so they seek out local sponsors everywhere to get the funds necessary.”

Piano prodigy to perform benefit concert Saturday by nina underman nunderman@hilite.org Not many high schoolers can say they’ve played at Carnegie Hall in New York City. But junior Jingxuan Zhang has. Twice.

On March 27, Zhang, who has been playing the piano for 12 years, will again take the stage, this time at a more local venue. After learning of the devastating effects the proposed school district budget cuts might have on the performing arts department, he decided to plan a benefit concert to help.

The resulting concert is scheduled to take place March 27 at 5 p.m. in the Dale E. Graham Auditorium. According to Zhang, tickets will be sold at the door for $5, with all proceeds going directly to assist the performing arts department. The concert will last around 50 minutes.

“Since the performing arts department is very dear to me, I wanted to put on a benefit concert to raise money (for it),” Zhang said. “A lot of time has gone into the preparations.

Overall, though, I’m excited.”

Zhang started the piano at age 5 after his parents asked

him which instrument he wanted to play.

“At the time, I thought the piano was the coolest thing in the world, so that’s why I picked it,” Zhang said.

Twelve years later, his love of music and the piano has remained strong. At the concert, Zhang said he will be playing four pieces, most of which he has been working on since the beginning of the school year. The pieces include work by Beethoven, Schumann and Chopin.

Orchestra director Rachel Tookolo said the proposed budget cuts would devastate the per forming arts department. “We don’t know exact figures yet, but we’ve been told (the cuts) would be massive,” she said. “Obviously, programs across the district would be hurt, but here at the high school there would be a skeleton of the performing arts department as you see it now.”

Tookolo said, regardless of the budget situation, Zhang’s performance is worth attending. “Jingxuan is a phenomenal pianist with a huge gift,” Tookolo said. “Even if you don’t know a single thing about the budget cuts, if you want to hear good music you should go hear Jingxuan Zhang play the piano.”

playing for a cause: Junior Jingxuan Zhang practices for the concert Saturday. Funds from the concert go to help the performing arts department.

MICHELLE HU / PHOTO

06 news >>

HiLite • March 25, 2010

Toyota customers still faithful despite recalls

by Grayson harbour gharbour@hilite.org

In January, Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) recalled 5.6 million vehicles due to reports of sudden acceleration in some Toyota models.

Night after night, news stations covered and probed the industry, seeking a response that ensured consumer safety.

Cullen Bickle, Toyota car owner and sophomore, said he feels the negative attention Toyota has received lately is unnecessary. “Would I buy a Toyota again?

Yes, I think I would. The recall has scared a lot of Toyota buyers, but my entire family drives Toyotas and has driven Toyotas for Cullen Bickle many years,” he said. “I think that my family and I will continue to buy Toyota cars in the future, but we will look more closely.”

In an unstable economy, a massive recall can be extremely hurtful to a company’s profits. Economics teacher Michelle Foutz said, “I believe that the recall has affected the short-term stock price. However, I do not believe that it will turn into a long-term issue.”

In late January, Akio Toyoda, President of Toyota, visited the U.S. Senate for a congressional hearing to defend Toyota’s inferred negligence in quality that had caused several deaths, according to USA Today.

Also during that time, Toyota’s stock suffered with a decrease from $90 to about $40 a share. But, as Foutz predicted, stock value bounced back during the continuing months and currently rests at about $80 a share.

Nicco Ravena, first-time car buyer and sophomore, said he isn’t too concerned about this recall. He said, “I feel that when I look for a car, I’m looking for overall value based on the amount of money I spend. I’m not really concerned about the make. If it’s a Toyota, that’s just as well with me as any other kind of car.”

Foutz, who drives a Toyota Camry, said she went through the process of reporting a recall. “I called Toyota to schedule an appointment to have my car fixed, and I was referred to the Toyota Web site,” she said. “On the Web site, it instructs Toyota owners to wait until they actually receive the recall notice in the mail before scheduling an appointment. So I wasn’t extremely happy with the response that I’d received so far from Toyota.”

Representatives from local Toyota dealerships said they are feeling overwhelmed due to the large amount of repair requests generated by the recall. Butler Toyota of Indianapolis

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set up its own hotline to deal with recall information and repair appointment scheduling. Also, it temporarily shut down its online repair scheduling service due to the “increased traffic generated by the Toyota recall.”

Despite these recalls, some Toyota owners are still loyal to the brand. Foutz said, “I still believe that Toyota makes quality cars, and I don’t believe this recall will affect my overall perception of Toyota. I’ve always driven Toyota cars, and I’ve always been happy with them. I’m sure that my next car will be a Toyota too.”

Summer school changes format, length due to budget cuts

by Jackson Whiteker jwhiteker@hilite.org After the recent fear of budget cuts, John Newton, vice principal and administrator in charge of summer school made decisions regarding which classes would be offered this summer. The summer school program was one of the programs that was affected by the lower budget. Sophomore Kyann Rudd said she was put on the waiting list for summer school due to these cuts.

Despite the fact that the changes to the summer school program negatively affect Rudd, she still believes that they are reasonable. “As long as they have classes for students that need them not just to get ahead, then that’s okay,” Rudd said.

According to Newton, the changes to the program will be

rather drastic. “The majority of the classes will be taken on the internet with the use of the computer-based program NovaNET. Also, we’re going to basically focus on those kids who need to catch up rather than get ahead,” Newton said.

Rudd said she thinks that this is a good thing for the summer school program.

“I like the idea of it going online. Then we can access it anywhere. Like if we’re on vacation, it won’t be a problem,” Rudd said.

year. Whenever you have less time for a class, it gets more strenuous for the students,” Newton said.

Even though most summer classes were decreased due to the budget cuts, summer gym is a class still enrolling many students. Junior Aris Spenos said he plans to take the class this summer for his credit requirement. “I don’t have any gym credits, so I am just taking summer gym to graduate. It’s helpful that we have it,” Spenos said.

“We’re going to focus on those kids who need to catch up rather than get ahead.”

Newton said this is not the only part of the program that will change. “The classes will take less time. (Class will be) five weeks long, and each week is only going to be four days a week —Monday through Thursday. This will make the classes more difficult than last

Despite the need to cut the school’s funds, Newton said he still believes summer John Newton school should continue being offered to all students. “Summer school is a vital piece of what we do. We like having it around,” Newton said, “I do think summer school is needed.”

<< news 07

HiLite • March 25, 2010

Student starts conservationist club amidst growing skepticism about global warming

A

by thalib razi trazi@hilite.org

s Earth Day approaches in this recovering economy, students may wonder how they can help the environment without harming their pocketbooks. Junior Jeremy Weprich has

an answer.

Recently, Weprich helped start a club at this school called Carmel Green Lights to promote the use of compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs, which he said use 75 percent less electricity than even normal fluorescent bulbs, which themselves are quite efficient. Over the course of its lifetime, he said, a CFL bulb can save a homeowner up to $50 in electricity costs than if regular bulbs were used.

“We’re going to be giving out these bulbs for free to homeowners in Carmel, so we can reduce pollution and carbon emissions in the long run,” Weprich said.

The concern behind this project is the idea that carbon dioxide emissions are bad for the environment because they contribute to global warming. But a recent Pew Research survey found that the number of Americans who believe there is solid evidence of rising global temperatures has fallen by 20 percent since early 2007. This makes it harder for environmentalists like Weprich to promote energy efficiency.

The Pew Research survey found that as a “top priority” of Americans, the economy has surged at the expense of issues like global warming, health-care, immigration and crime.

Also, without the high gas prices of 2008, people no longer face such harsh consequences for using fossil fuels and are less likely to view them as culprits of climate change, according to Clark.

“There are consequences occurring globally; we have seen receding ice cover in the Antarctic as well as on Mount Kilimanjaro, where the melted ice is the main source of fresh water for a large number of people,” Clark said. “But nothing has affected us yet.”

In fact, nine states, most of which are located here in the Midwest, experienced “much below normal” summer temperatures last year, and support for global warming there was considerably weaker, according to the Pew Research study.

Junior Evan Gilmer said he heard on BBC Radio that overall global temperatures have actually decreased in recent years.

He said he is skeptical of the imminence of a global warming threat. He said he believes the planet undergoes natural temperature cycles over time and human impact is actually quite minimal.

“The factories and cars the global warming activists are aiming at don’t produce nearly as much carbon dioxide According to Patricia Clark, PhD, ecology professor at IUPUI, emissions as everyday things like the exhaling of the entire the struggling economy may be the main reason as to why human population or methane produced by cows,” Gilmer more people are treating global warming with indifference, as said. “So if it’s really as bad as they say, we’re probably already they worry about their houses and jobs and don’t have time screwed.” But according to Weprich, even if man-made to worry about the planet. global warming has been overblown by the media and poses no real threat in the immediate Become enlightened about the difference between regular (incandescent) and energyf u t u re, t h e v a l u e o f efficient compact fluorescent light (CFL) light bulbs conserving the planet’s limited resources still Regular Light bulbs CFL Light bulbs stands. Energy efficiency 40w While regular light bulbs = 10w will keep the air clean, 60w use heat to produce light, = 13-15w homeowners prosperous 75w CFL bulbs create light in an = 20w and the environment 100w entirely different way, which = 26-29w beautiful, he said.

150w is proven to be four to six = 38-42w

What’s the difference?

times more energy-efficient.

250-300w

=

55w

gelighting.com / source

“As a community, Carmel values art and beauty,

daniel smith / photo

BRIGHT IDEA: Juniors Jeremy Weprich, president of Carmel Green Lights and board member Devika Chakrabarti talk to students at the club’s call-out meeting. Weprich said the club will soon begin distributing free energy-efficient light bulbs. with all of our new buildings and our art center and statues,” Weprich said. “So think about (the planet) as your home. If someone told you, ‘Well, you’re going to have your house forever,’ would you say you wouldn’t have to clean it or take care of it?”

In agreement, Gilmer said energy-efficient technology like CFL light bulbs and household insulation benefit both the planet’s resources and the world economy. However, he said he does have a problem with “green-brand” innovations like ethanol-powered cars, because developers destroy emissionreducing rainforests to plant ethanol-producing crops.

“Scientists in the future may decide one way or another about global warming,” Weprich said, “but frankly, science plays the smallest role for me. I just feel like we owe it to the planet that provides everything for us to use as little as possible in the most efficient way, with the least impact on the plant and animal species we share it with.”

08 feature >>

HiLite â&#x20AC;˘ March 25, 2010

Chatroulette:

Fun or Freaky?

More and more people visit the stranger webcam chat site, Chatroulette, raising concerns about Internet safety

Rebecca xu / graphic

<< feature 09

HiLite • March 25, 2010

J

BY Darlene pham dpham@hilite.org

unior Sara Zhang sees and talks to people from all over the world, people she’s never met that is. By using a social web site called Chatroulette, Zhang is randomly paired with strangers and converses with them.

“I only ever go on it if my boredom is ridiculous. It quickly became an addicting Web site. I got my friend hooked on it too, and we would go on it occasionally to mess with people or just have fun,” Zhang said.

Chatroulette, a social networking site created by 17-year old Andrey Ternovskiy in November 2009, is designed to allow users to be paired up with other users at random. Once users have been paired up with each other, they can proceed to talk to or “next” the partner. By nexting someone, users can pick and choose the person with whom they communicate.

While this feature is available to allow users to protect themselves from undesirable people, there is still a possibility of danger as with any social networking site.

Sergeant Phil Hobson, the school’s resource officer with the Carmel Police Department, said he agrees. “I feel like as with any internet usage, there are risks involved. There’s a lot of anonymity on the internet and it’s hard to verify who you’re talking to,” he said.

According to enough.org, a Web site sponsored by Enough is Enough which advocates internet safety for children and families, 52 percent of teenagers have given out personal information to a stranger online.

Hobson said this is one of the biggest dangers of internet usage. “Any information you wouldn’t post on a bulletin board in your school or living room at home, you shouldn’t place on the Internet because once you do, you can’t get it back,” he said.

Zhang said Chatroulette is only dangerous if users give out their personal information; otherwise, it’s safe. “There’s no way for them to know anything about you unless you tell them. It could be dangerous, but only if you’re stupid. I don’t think most people out there are out to get you,” she said.

Junior Olivia LaMagna, however, disagrees. “I think it’s disturbing. I think it is begging child molesters to talk to young kids. I think unmonitored, it can get pretty dangerous.

I’m afraid to go near a computer that has it on it,” she said.

The site does take measures against inappropriate behavior to prevent predators. According to chatroulette.com, the official Web site of Chatroulette, users must be 16 years or older to use the Web site. Users involved in obscene, offending or pornographic material will be blocked and reporting a user will let the administrators know to take the appropriate steps to deal with the reported user.

There is, however, a discrepancy as the site only blocks users broadcasting offensive material for 10 minutes. Also, Hobson said that there is no way to enforce these rules, especially the age requirement.

pairing people up is unsafe. There’s no way to monitor that to make it okay. If I was a parent, I would never let my child near something like that. With so many uncontrollable variables, it’s asking for trouble,” LaMagna said.

“Parents have to enforce these rules for children because they can just lie about their age. The security measures by the company are not efficient because they’re unenforceable,” he said.

Hobson said that while it can present several dangers, Chatroulette could be a great way to meet new people if used responsibly.

“I don’t think the Internet is a bad thing as long as you’re responsible. It’s a great tool for educators and information, but with the large number of users, it provides predators with a large number of potential victims,” he said.

“It could be dangerous, but only if you’re stupid. I don’t think most people out there are out to get you.”

LaMagna agrees. “That’s not even a slap on the wrist. They can’t even enforce that,” she said.

Although Zhang said she acknowledges there are users who broadcast obscenities, she said she believes most people are normal.

“I think it’s a lot like real life. I mean, you see creepy old men in real life and it’s not that different. It’s okay as long as you trust them. I talked to a professor of Communications and Technology at Purdue and she said Chatroulette is very similar to social interaction, more so than instant messaging or texting. You get a good representation of what someone is like,” she said.

LaMagna said Chatroulette is completely different from meeting people in real life. “I think by nature, randomly

According to Hobson, avoiding giving out personal information is the best way to Sara zhang prevent Internet dangers. “A lot of it is just being responsible and keeping open lines of communication with your parents. I would go to say if you have to keep it a secret from Mom and Dad, there’s probably a good indicator you shouldn’t be doing that. Never provide personal information such as names, addresses, photos and phone numbers to strangers,” he said.

While it could be potentially dangerous, Zhang said she maintains it’s a good Web site.

“It’s like exercising judgment in real life,” she said. “It’s not that different from meeting someone in real life.”

Chatroulette basics

1

“Nexting”

If you don’t feel interested in the person, click the “Next” button or press the F9 key to be randomly paired with another stranger.

2

Reporting Click the “Report” button or press F2 to report obscene material and automatically disconnect from the person.

3

Chatting

Once you’ve found a keeper, you can chat with him or her through typing and webcam. Users have the option of turning off the webcam and/or sound.

Sara zhang / submitted photo

SMALL TALK: Junior Sara Zhang (bottom) demonstrates some of the features of Chatroulette as she chats with a stranger. Zhang said she believes the Web site is harmless as long as one does not give out personal information.

basic BOLD

10 entertainment >>

to

Spring trends represent the convergence of many ideas.

Pairing modern styles with vintage-inspired pieces creates fresh spring looks Photos by Arjuna Capulong Styled by Tim Chai and Rosemary Boeglin Clothes provided by Out of the Closet Modeled by Hannah Lencheck and Maddi Bourgerie

W

from

hen designers presented their 2010 Spring/ Summer collections last fall, economists were projecting an end to the recession by that time. In that same spirit of optimism, especially after the previous collections during the worst of the recession, designers responded with an exuberance of life and ideas. From the clean minimalism of Francisco Costa’s Calvin Klein to the late Alexander McQueen's beautiful amalgamation of colors and patterns, the major trends of the season were in many ways polar opposites.

As we know (or at least my wallet is painfully aware of ), we're not completely out of the recession yet. You'll notice that we pulled many off-season and vintage pieces for the shoot, and we didn't include any brand information for the clothing. Indeed, our goal isn't to tell you what to buy or what to wear—but simply provide you ideas to get the most out of the clothes you probably already have in your own closet.

HiLite • March 25, 2010 1. While colors were liberally allocated this season, designers like Phoebe Philo of Celine rang in the new decade with simple and minimalist silhouettes. Take a simple dress and have some fun with clunkier accessories.

2. With so many trends this season, the overarching theme laid at the point of intersection between them—mixing together different ideas in high-and-low. Here, we put a bright pop of color with the top designed by a venerable Swiss label with some cowboyesque cut-off shorts.

2.

1.

>>

HiLite • March 25, 2010

3.

4.

6.

entertainment 11

5.

3. Robert Browning’s poem “Andrea del Sarto”made the phrase “less is more” famous. Designers proved this season that, when it comes to patterns, more is definitely more. Just make sure to keep everything else simple to avoid seizures (please).

4. It isn’t spring without color, and bolder is usually better. One-piece styles have been experiencing a revival over the last few seasons, and while it may be a unique style that won’t be right for everyone, it was perfect when we found this bright-blue romper, paired with gold chains for a modern look.

5. Karl Lagerfeld took the pastoral trend most literally at Chanel, turning Paris’ Grand Palais into a giant barn. You don’t need to be that dedicated, but it can be as easy as a simple frock. Add some colorful embellishments, and you’re good to go.

6. Miranda Priestly (sarcastically) said it best: “Florals? For spring? Ground breaking.” Mix it up by changing the floral pattern. In our case, we journeyed across the globe and took inspiration from Asia.

7. Spring is known as the season with unpredictable weather. When the days turn cloudy, it just sometimes doesn’t seem right to deck out in full color. As an alternative, you can play around with different materials and shades of neutrals.

7.

D 3

12 entertainment >>

Phenomenon

U

By Mitch Ringenberg mringenberg@hilite.org

ntil the massive success of James Cameron’s “Avatar,” the concept of a 3D film was regarded as somewhat of a gimmick, reserved for movies targeted at kids under ten. However, with “Avatar’s” record-smashing box office take and the subsequent success of “Alice in Wonderland,” which raked in a shocking $116 million, movie studios are already in the process of creating the next 3D blockbuster.

HiLite • March 25 , 2010

Movies in 3D are becoming a common viewing choice for movie go-ers, perhaps leading to a revolution in the film industry making it seem like it was the studio’s idea rather than Burton’s.

One of his strengths as a director lies in his ability to create an imaginative, and often creepy, sense of fantasy while managing to appeal to both kids and adults. Here, though, Burton finds it necessary to instill what could have been a great film into merely an okay one. The plot is filled with seemingly obligatory Disney clichés and uninteresting characters. While the film’s look is well made, it is simply a lackluster version of the type of universe we have come to expect from Burton.

While Johnny Depp’s presence can be mildly amusing, his character quickly grows old, however, this is mainly the writer’s fault, as Depp has proven his talent as an actor in countless films. However, the fact that “Alice in Wonderland” beat “Avatar’s” opening weekend The 2010 FIFA numbers is certainly impressive, but World Cup and Sony the numbers are likely to sharply will broadcast 25 decrease as people realize that the matches in 3D from movie isn’t all that great if you’re South Africa this not in elementary school or under summer. intense hallucinogens.

DID YOU KNOW?

While the success of “Avatar ” was not altogether surprising, “Alice in Wonderland’s” opening weekend proved that audiences are willing to fork over an extra four bucks or so to watch their film in 3D, or “RealD,” as they like to advertise it. Already, certain television stations are planning to convert their viewing format to 3D. As ridiculous as this may seem, this format is viewed by many in the movie industry as the next big step in filmmaking.

Director Tim Burton’s re-imagining of “Alice in Wonderland” is an interesting, although ultimately unsuccessful, attempt to repackage the famous story to a younger generation.

The film’s use of 3D seems tacked-on and unnecessary

Up and coming 3d movies How to Train Your Dragon - Mar. 26 Clash of the Titans - April 2 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Nov. 15 Smurfs 3D - Dec. 17 Glassfree3dtv.com / source

freshwap.net / PHOTO

The upcoming “Clash of the Titans” remake is expected to be the next 3D cash cow, and if that does well, don’t be surprised to see a lot more films in 3D these next coming years. Recently, Lionsgate Studios announced that “Saw VII” will shift the series in a different direction by being screened in 3D. This move proves to be risky, though, as audiences may not be ready to watch a man have his eyes gouged out up close and personal.

With special effects constantly improving at an increasing rate, filmmakers will always be looking for ways to entertain moviegoers and change their perspective. On the other hand, 3D is a technology that should be used sparingly on films. When you add in 3D at the last minute for quick cash, you end up with a second-rate job like “Alice in Wonderland.”

avreview.co.uk / PHOTO

BREAKTHROUGH TECHNOLOGY: As the most profitable movie in 2009, much of the revenue from James Cameron’s “Avatar” came from its 3D sales. Cameron, above, filmed scenes twice and place the images sideby-side to imitate the way human eyes perceive the world in 3D.

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<< entertainment 15

HiLite • March 25 , 2010

Award-winning choirs perform tonight at annual ‘Evening with the Ambassadors’

By Min Qiao mqiao@hilite.org Tonight, the Ambassadors, along with the Accents girls’ choir, will hold their annual “Evening with the Ambassadors” concert at 7 p.m.

According to choir director Lamonte Kuskye, the show will consist of two acts and the concert will last about two hours. They will perform the same show tomorrow at the same time. Their opening night tonight is also “Pack-theBalcony” night where students can get their tickets for balcony seats for $5. Regular ticket prices range from $8 to $12 depending on the seats.

REBECCA PETERSON / Submitted photo

Bravo: Rebecca Peterson and Jack Sullivan, Ambassador members and seniors, perform during competition finals.

The Ambassadors earned the Grand Champion title.

Reality Check

“We will definitely perform our entire competition set, which is about 15 minutes,” Rebecca Peterson, member of the Ambassadors and senior, said.

The Ambassadors will open the show with “Spark of Creation.” Other numbers include “Boy from Oz,” “Show

People,” “Listen to My Heart,” Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat,” “Come Fly with Me” and another song titled “Higher”

by David Phelps, the Christian rock artist who performed here last year with the Ambassadors.

As for the Accents, Kuskye said their numbers will include “Big Time,” “Occapella” and “Flight.”

Jack Sullivan, member of the Ambassadors and senior, also said while the Ambassadors will not perform any songs with the Accents, the show will be a mixture of the two groups.

Both the Accents and the Ambassadors are fresh off their competition season and, according to Peterson, they have had a hectic rehearsal schedule. Peterson, who is also in the spring musical, said they rehearse two nights a week and sometimes on Wednesday mornings.

“We’ve been training hard and working hard. It’s been overwhelming,” Sullivan said. “But this show is going to the best night of your life.”

Though the “reality” of reality shows are questionable, a few actually put real life into perspective. By Min Qiao

‘Undercover Boss’

‘Blood, Sweat & T-shirts’

For those of us who often imagine our bosses or managers crying if they had to do our jobs, “Undercover Boss” depicts our ideal world. The premise of the show is to take a millionaire executive of a big company and send him or her undercover to do one of the entry-level jobs of his company. The explanation for all the camera crew is that the executive is a part of a documentary about entry-level workers in various industries being filmed as part of a documentary about workers in a particular industry. At the end of the show, the boss reveals his or her identity and talks about what he has learned from this experience.

office has lost touch with much of what goes on in the factories and restaurants and he finds himself having trouble doing a lot of the work that he demands of his employees.

One of their episodes features Dave Rife, an executive at White Castle who goes undercover as an associate in one of its restaurants, a bun-packer in a factory and a night-shift worker. He soon finds that his

What really makes this show moving is not the actual journey of the executive; it’s seeing those entry-level workers at their jobs, hearing about their stories, and learning about their problems.

Although at some points the show might seem contrived like most other reality shows, “Undercover Boss” is still an all-around feelgood show that takes a look at the inner workings of some of the toughest jobs in America. Every episode seems to conclude with some sort of revelation on the part of the executive where he learns about some of the problems on how the company operates and gains a lot appreciation for the “lowerrung” workers.

The immoralities and efficiencies of child labor and sweatshops have been debated for decades, but for most of us, sweatshops are more of a terrible idea than a reality.

“Blood, Sweat and T-Shirts” is a show that presents to us the world of child labor and sweatshops in its rare, raw form that we all know exists but we try to ignore.

The show features six young British “fashion addicts” ages 20 to 24 who have been taken to India to work in factories and cotton mills so they can learn the truth about the conditions in which high-end clothes are made. Although the show does give an insider look at some of the worst working conditions in India, one would have to live under a rock to be actually shocked by the information revealed.

What is shocking, however, is how ignorant and heartless this group of fashionistas from Britain are. Most start off with little or no respect for these sweatshop workers

and are of the opinion that these workers are poor because they are just too lazy. Others, like Amrita from the first season, simply did not care about who made her clothes, “even if it was a 3-year-old.”

While this show does open up all of our eyes and especially those of the six British youths, the more important lesson here is that it opens up the audiences’ eyes as well, the eyes of the consumer. “Blood, Sweat and T-Shirts” does not try to push a moral lesson or an opinion on its audience, but perhaps just seeing the conditions of the workshops would be enough to make an impact.

16 cover story >>

HiLite â&#x20AC;˘ March 25, 2010

n e e w t e b e n i l e h t g n i n fi De

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<< cover story 17

HiLite • March 25, 2010

WHAT WE KNOW:

On Jan. 22, a presently undefined event, categorized by most media outlets as “bullying” or “hazing,” occurred on the team bus coming home from a men’s basketball game. On Feb. 15 the CHS administration was made aware of the incident. Although the formal investigation is still underway, according to officials, additional instances of bullying, not dissimilar to what transpired on that bus ride home, are being looked into.

WHAT WE WONDER: These facts may leave students here with many questions; some of those specific questions may be answered in the coming weeks in regard to the men’s basketball team. But some larger questions remain. Namely, what is bullying? Who defines it? What should students do if they witness bullying or are victims of it themselves?

The answers aren’t as easy as they seem. …

Story continued on next page

>>

18 cover story >> << Story continued from previous page DEFINING BULLYING Just ask Jane Wildman. She should know. Wildman, a social worker here, has had training in ways to address instances of bullying through the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, a well-known program in the United States, and has also participated in several other training programs throughout the state.

While she did not speak specifically about the recent case involving the men’s basketball team, she did speak in general terms. Wildman said that what is and is not bullying can be difficult to determine in a given situation. Although, the Olweus definition states that “a student is being bullied when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more students.”

A recent study conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice found that the percentage of children ages 2 to 17 that reported being physically bullied over the past year has declined from 22 percent in 2003 to under 15 percent in 2008, however, reports of hazing and bullying on sports teams are still being reported.

As recently as Feb. 4, Illinois’ Prairie Ridge High School’s wrestling team was under investigation for widespread physical bullying. According to NBC, the harassment charges included allegations that some wrestlers participated in restraining teammates to repeatedly smack their stomachs and, other times, grope their “private areas.”

In an interview with Sports Illustrated, Hank Newur, an assistant professor at Franklin College and author of four books on hazing, said the broad definition of bullying is maddening.

Because bullying can encompass such a wide range of behaviors, from “putting on silly clothes to sodomy,” it is difficult to pinpoint it, according to Newur.

While instances, such as what occurred at Prairie Ridge High School, may clearly violate school rules and state laws, the precursors to serious and violent bullying are not always black and white. Many practices that share a great deal with hazing rituals and bullying are harmless, and picking out those practices that cross the line is often difficult, according to Wildman.

HiLite • March 25, 2010

The line separating ‘Rite’ from wrong As part of its hazing prevention program, the NCAA offers a list of questions to distinguish acceptable from unacceptable team rituals and initiation rites. “Yes” answers indicate the action is probably considered hazing.

1.

2.

3.

Are alcohol, drugs or other illegal substances involved in the activity?

Will active/current members of the group refuse to participate with the new members and do exactly what they’re being asked to do?

Does the activity risk causing emotional or physical abuse?

4.

5.

6.

Is there risk of injury or a question of safety?

Do you have any reservation describing the activity to your parents, to a professor or a school official?

Would you object to the activity being photographed for the school newspaper or filmed by the local TV news crew?

NCAA.org / source

whether something falls under the term “bullying,” students should follow one easy rule: “Try to put yourself in the other person’s shoes,” she said. “If you see something you know is inappropriate, you really need to report it. Everyone has a different sense of morals and what is right and wrong.

Bottom line, (students) should do what they know is ethically or morally the right thing.”

Wildman went on to say, though, that there is not always a concrete way for students to identify bullying when they see

it. “There’s no way to say ‘this is bullying and this isn’t.’ There is a gray area,” she said.

HOLDING THE LINE BETWEEN BONDING AND BULLYING Colleen Thomas, cross-countr y runner and senior, said the women’s cross-country team is like a family.

According to Thomas, everyone on the team participates in and promotes spirit days and activities.

‘There’s no way to say ‘this is bullying and this isn’t.’ There is a gray area’ Social Worker Jane Wildman

michelle hu / photo Wildman said that while determining

<< cover story 19

HiLite • March 25, 2010 “When I was a freshman the Friday before State (meet), we had a big breakfast at a senior captain’s house.

We all wore our cross-country shirts and got Saran Wrap skirts. We keep doing it every year,” she said.

The women’s cross-country team is far from the only group of athletes here that participates in team rituals or dressup days. The members of the men’s swimming team take their rituals up a notch by dying and shaving their hair leading up to the State meet.

‘(Students) can talk to an adult when these things come up here’ Principal John Williams

And while team members aren’t required to par ticipate, Char les Williams, a member of the Carmel Swim Club for 10 years and senior, said that not participating in the tradition leads to scrutiny from other members of the team.

“We get mad and just don’t think as much of them. It’s not that we don’t include them as much, we just kind of think less of them,” Charles said. “It’s like we’re all looking like fools and you’re the only one who isn’t.”

michelle hu / photo

Chris Plumb, head coach of both the men’s and women’s swimming and diving teams here, said that activities such as hair dying and shaving help to build up the team and do not cross the line of bullying.

“A simple distinction (between hazing and team-building) is when a team member is expected to do something that all of the athletes are willing to do at that moment, then generally it is teambuilding,” Plumb said via e-mail. “If it is an activity that only certain groups, i.e. freshmen, rookies, etc., are expected to do, then it is hazing. The hair dying and shaving traditions are good examples as all of the guys participate; it is not something that is to be endured by a select few. It also creates a sense of shared identity of team members within the school and community.”

some form of hazing. Charles said that while this year there is no hazing on the team, in past years there has been some.

“We weren’t really bullied,” he said, “but (the upperclassmen) were rougher with the underclassmen than we are. But everyone was still friends. It taught me they had seniority over me and to treat them with respect.

This year we don’t have as much control over the kids, which isn’t good.”

“Everyone has a different sense of morals and what is right and wrong. Bottom line, (students) should do what they know is ethically or morally the right thing.”

Plumb added that while he feels the activities the teams do together play a crucial role in their success, it is the way team members treat one another regularly that is most important and closely monitored.

That’s not to say that some athletes haven’t experienced

Jane Wildman

Although these activities may be viewed as harmless, Nuwer said they can turn ugly in a heartbeat and can escalate in a single year with a single suggestion. This is not to say, though, that hazing just happens out of nowhere. Nuwer said experts generally agree the culture and general atmosphere on a team does much to determine the likelihood that bullying and hazing will or won’t occur.

Students Stay Silent In 2000, Alfred University issued a national study of high school students about their exposure to and perceptions of hazing.

40 percent of students said they would not

report incidences of hazing to an authority figure or an adult.

Those 40 percent were then asked why they responded how they did. Each student could check multiple answers.

36 percent of those said they have no one to tell or would not know who to tell.

27 percent said adults wouldn’t know how to handle the incident.

24 percent said other students would“make their lives miserable.”

Because hazing does not occur spontaneously, Wildman said there are

24 percent said, “I just wouldn’t tell on my

>>

Alfred University / source

Story continued on next page

friends no matter what.”

20 cover story >> << Story continued from

HiLite • March 25, 2010

previous page

‘We are committed to creating an environment where the student-athlete can excel and feels encouraged to do so’

ways to monitor behavior to prevent the escalation of bullying.

“There should be continual awareness of activities in the halls, classrooms, locker rooms, etcetera. The staff should talk about it,” she said. “Everybody should be more aware of what is happening around them.

TEAM LOYALTY V. MORAL COMPASS W i l d m a n s a i d t h a t i f a s t u d e n t witnesses or is being bullied they should talk to an adult, whether the dean, a counselor, a coach or an official such as herself. In short, they should report it to someone.

Head Swim Coach Chris Plumb

“We can’t help them if we don’t know about it,” Wildman said. But in neither the football team hazing incident nor the incident at this school did a team member or victim approach an adult, parent or coach about the bullying.

michelle hu / photo

abuse committed by their teammates.

Principal John Williams said it was the mother of a Carmel High School student who had no connection to the team, who brought the incident to the school’s attention.

And that’s not unusual.

The 2003 Spor ts Illustrated feature recounted the extreme physical and sexual harassment that occurred on a New York high school football team during summer training. Although members of the junior varsity team expected to be hazed, medical attention was necessary for some and the story was eventually uncovered.

Additionally, high schools can be the site of especially malicious hazing. Because most bullies or hazers in high schools would be legal minors, and because of a lack of maturity, hazing can be unusually intense there, according to the article.

“(Team-building) also creates a sense of shared identity of team members within the school and community.”

It was not the victims, though, who repor ted the incidents. According to t h e a r t i c l e, t h e s e s t u d e n t s fe l t ashamed, embarrassed and threatened with additional violence. Rather, it was the doctor who treated a player for an injury related to the hazing who ultimately made authorities aware of the incident.

Wildman also said, though, that the degree of difficulty in coming forward with information about bullying varies from person-to-person. According to the Sports Illustrated article, most incidents of hazing or bullying are unreported because of the victims’ fears of reprisal or isolation for revealing the

Chris Plumb

Be in the know Still, athletes like Charles said that he and other members of the swim team know how to keep bullying in check.

“As a whole we know the fine line of what is bullying,” he said. “If we see a teammate or senior bullying, we tell them to quit it because we’ll all get in trouble. If one of us bullies we all get in trouble for it.”

Holding one another accountable for activities and attitudes, as Williams said the men’s swimming team does, is an additional way to reign in bully-like behavior.

“Most, if not all, of the time students hide these activities,” she said. “ They don’t (bully) when a staff member will see it because they don’t want to get caught,” she said. “ Things go on that staff members cannot always see or be aware of.”

Other Options: e-mail hotline Michelle Hu interviews Deanna Cummins, coordinator of Noblesville High School’s confidential e-mail account, which provides a resource for students to report dangerous or destructive behavior.

Q: From where did the idea for an e-mail hotline come?

A: Instances of vandalism and hit and run accidents in the parking lot started some discussions with concerned parents. We were looking for a confidential way to report incidents. After investigating the cost of a maintaining a phone line designated for tips and information, we determined that an e-mail account was more cost effective and just as useful as a phone hotline.

Q: Have you ever come across students who were uncomfortable talking to someone in person but completely okay with e-mailing their problems in?

A: Definitely. This is one of the reasons we developed this system. Some people feel comfortable passing on info in person and some don’t. This offers a system for those students who would not be comfortable coming into an office to talk to a principal or a counselor.

<< cover story 21

HiLite • March 25, 2010

(You’re not) welcome to my life The fine line between freedom of information and right to privacy of the three seniors, which were not revealed by any of the television stations or The Indianapolis Star, but by people who commented on the stories. These people were not professionals who had interviewed the administration or those directly involved with the incident.

When the story of the basketball team broke back in February, people who followed the story wanted to know everything from details of what happened to the two freshmen to the consequences dealt out to the three seniors and even the employment status of one seniors’ family.

Once the administration responded, but with little specifics, the anonymous online community sparked debate after debate on news bits that were merely speculation. Some called for the coaches’ resignations, some hoped Principal John Williams would never hold an administrative position again and some stated that the administration was holding back on details because it was concerned about the status of one of the state’s best men’s basketball teams.

Most incendiary were the comments related to the identities

Regardless of their intentions, what most of the commentators were not aware of was that the administration was bound, by federal law, to not release any information that would give away who the students were.

Though tragic, this incident can also teach current students an important lesson on privacy rights. According to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), no matter how old a student is, the school is not at liberty to release any information without the student or parent’s permission. However, there is information that the general public can know: the details of a filed police report, which must be released but can be “redacted,” or censored, based on legal rights. This is what the media typically asks for, and if charges have been filed, the identities of the seniors who are over 18 may be released.

Michelle Hu is editor-in-chief for the HiLite. Contact her at mhu@hilite.org.

You and Privacy: What are YOUR Rights?

Action: The administration doesn’t release the seniors’ names or details, even though some were over 18. “We could’ve solved a lot of rumors out there by violating students’ privacy,” Williams said.

Reasoning: Students, regardless of age, are protected under federal privacy laws by the school

“

The law says that your academic record, which includes your discipline record, your attendance record, cannot be shared by schools with people who do not have an educational interest (in you).

— Principal John Williams

However, there is some information that must be released:

“

Let’s say that they created their own internal report about this assault. If you requested that report but specifically said ‘We’re not asking for any personally identifiable information,’ under the Indiana State Open Records Law, they’re obligated to provide you that record with that information removed from it.

— Mark Goodman, Kent State Journalism professor and former Student Press Law Center Director (SPLC)

”

” “ “ ” ”

The Laws and what you can find out:

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

Freedom of Information Act

It’s a law that’s so overbroad in its scope that it prevents us from learning about all sorts of things that are important to our safety. But the school isn’t wrong in their interpretation of it.

— Adam Goldstein, Attorney Advocate for the SPLC

If this was reported to the local police, there’s going to be at least some log entry that they’re going to have to provide, and maybe more. There’s a little gray area (in ongoing investigations) but they still have to release the initial log entry.

— Mark Goodman

22 student section >>

HiLite • March 25, 2010

Number 214 of 4,464 travels...

Around the Globe Senior Lauren Bangs experienced the problems of American stereotypes through her international travels

E

by caroling zhang czhang@hilite.org

urope, Japan, I taly, South America, China and Australia are only six of the places senior Lauren Bangs said she wants to visit in her lifetime.

According to Bangs, traveling can greatly add to a student’s educational experience.

“It gives students the chance to open up their minds and learn about culture in other places.

You have to know about the world and history in order to live,” Bangs said.

relations in her travels. “I know when I went to Europe, I didn’t always say I was American because our relationship with Europe wasn’t that good at the time,” she said. “Before we went, my dad told me ‘don’t be the stereotypical American tourist.’ We didn’t want to be viewed differently.”

“(Traveling abroad) gives students the chance to open up their minds and learn about culture in other places. You have to know about the world and history in order to live.”

Bangs, who previously visited Paris and London, may get a warmer welcome in some countries than she would have only one or two years ago.

According to the survey “Restoring America’s Reputation in the World” published in March of 2010 by Pew Research Center, a non-partisan center providing information on changing trends and attitudes, favorable opinions of Americans, which had declined this past decade, rebounded with the election of President Obama.

While U.S. involvement in the war in the Middle East caused favorable ratings to decline in those countries, the trend was seen elsewhere. In Germany, 78 percent viewed Americans favorably in 2000.

By 2007, that number had declined to 30 percent, but by 2009, it had increased to 64 percent. In Spain, U.S. approval declined from 50 percent to 23 percent in the period of 2000 to 2006 before rising to 58 percent in 2009.

World languages teacher Stephanie Stacy attributes these numbers to U.S. foreign relations. “I think politics definitely plays a role,” she said. “The United States is often in the news for political reasons. People think we’re either involved too much or not enough.”

Bangs said she noticed the state of American-European

senior Lauren Bangs

Hanna Brehmer, German exchange student and senior, said she thought Obama’s election as president had a positive impact on Germany’s opinion of the United States. “It was a very big thing when Obama became president,” she said. “Personally, I think Germany’s relationship with America is pretty friendly. We like Americans. It’s why I came here.”

Daniel Li / Graphic

World’s top 10 Tourist destinations (2006) Country

Number of visitors

1. France 2. Spain 3. United States 4. China 5. Italy 6. UK 7. Germany 8. Mexico 9. Austria 10. Russia

79.1 million 58.5 51.1 49.6 41.1 30.7 23.6 21.4 20.3 20.2 infoplease.com / source

According to Stacy, the world language department had planned a trip to Costa Rica for students over the summer. Stacy said U.S. approval in other countries may have influenced her choice to travel to Costa Rica.

“I think a lot of countries like Costa Rica depend on tourists for economic well-being. They tend to view the U.S. in a good light,” Stacy said.

Bangs said Americans could also change the foreign view of the U.S. on an individual level. “People in other countries hear stuff in their media and they assume,” she said.

“I guess (Americans) can prove the stereotypes wrong.”

Bangs said she expects most people will give her the chance to introduce herself as an individual. She said, “If I meet new people (in other countries), I think most people will be patient and first try to get to know me.”

shokhi goel / photo

THINKING GLOBALLY: Senior Lauren Bangs reads up on the cultures of other countries and their ways in the Media Center at this school. Bangs said she hopes to visit multiple continents during her lifetime to better broaden her horizons.

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24 sports >>

HiLite • March 25, 2010

Caught in a squeeze play

Senior baseball player Conrad Gregor faces tough decision between academics and athletics

S

By Reuben warshawsky rwarshawsky@hilite.org

enior Conrad Gregor played his first varsity baseball game as a freshman. As this school competed against top-ranked Center Grove, Gregor stepped up to the plate and hit a home run to win the game.

Since then, Gregor’s abilities have matured, which is the primary reason he is a potential first-round pick in the 2010 Major League Baseball draft. Gregor also has a partial, closeto-full ride, scholarship to Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. If he chooses to go to Vanderbilt, Gregor will forfeit his eligibility in the MLB draft until he is 21 years old.

Gregor said, “Ultimately, the decision whether to sign or not will come down to what the team will pay me and which team drafts me. It would have to be a special situation with a guaranteed signing bonus.”

According to the MLB official draft rules, high school players are only eligible if they have graduated from high school and have not yet attended college or junior college. Therefore, players drafted immediately out of high school are in a predicament. They must choose between their immediate education and the chance of

a lifetime. However, according to the MLB draft history, the vast majority of players selected in the First-Year Player Draft will never play in a single MLB game, including many first-round draft picks. Only 31 of 53 firstround draft picks in the 1997 draft ever played in a MLB game.

According to Head Coach Eric Lentz, “Conrad is a responsible and good student. He shows good leadership and interacts well with everyone. He is a good prospect. I know if he is drafted he will make the correct choice (for himself ).”

many more opportunities have been available for me.”

“Ultimately the decision whether to sign or not will come down to what the team will pay me and which team drafts me. It would have to be a special situation with a guaranteed signing bonus.”

Gregor said scouts come to this school’s games because of its baseball success, and he was able to showcase his talent to these scouts. Lentz said, “(Conrad) will have the opportunity this season to prove to the scouts his abilities. He is a good prospect because of his athletic ability, hitting and throwing.” Gregor added, “It helps to do well in the classroom. By working hard in the classroom,

In the past few years, more athletes have chosen the academic pursuit over the athletic one. Potential professional football player Myron Rolle was both a college football star and the Rhodes Scholar, but Rolle decided to take a year off of football to pursue his academics overseas. A college degree offers many benefits. According to a University of Maryland study on the benefits of a college degree, a college graduate’s salary is double that of a non-college graduate’s salary and a college degree greatly expands one’s social horizons.

According to a scouting report by Perfect Game USA, Gregor is a big guy with tools and serious hitting ability. The average guaranteed signing bonus for a first round draft pick is approximately $2 million according to BaseballAmerica.com. A full-ride scholarship to Vanderbilt for four years is worth $55,000 annually. The major league route is more financially secure.

Conrad Gregor

According to bleacherreport.com,17 high school players drafted in the first round of the 2007 draft, none have reached the major leagues. According to Baseball Prospectus, players drafted out of college are more likely to reach the major league level and more likely to become a star player.

Here at this school, Gregor has taken advantage of his multiple opportunities. One of his most memorable experiences occurred last year when he was selected to play in the AFLAC All-American team, which consists of the top 30 baseball players of the 2010 Class in the nation.

Before the game, Gregor enjoyed practicing with the other players as well as volunteering in the community where the game was held. Gregor said, “I enjoyed giving back, and I enjoyed the satisfaction that all my hard work and dedication had paid-off. It was a great experience.”

Megan Gregor / submitted photo

ON THE BALL: Senior Conrad Gregor steps up to catch the ball during the 2009 AFLAC All-American baseball game. The nation’s top baseball players competed in this game, which took place last year at PETCO Park in San Diego.

Gregor has both a college education and the chance to be a professional athlete beckoning him. Fortunately for him, he can do both. To this Gregor said, “It is easy to stay humble. I have been blessed with a lot of gifts, so I try to be nice to everyone.”

<< sports 25

HiLite • March 25, 2010

Rugby players first need to learn sport to succeed

By Faraz Majid fmajid@hilite.org Junior Dominic Deganutti joined the rugby team his sophomore year. Like most players, he had no previous knowledge of the sport before joining the team but he quickly caught on.

“I didn’t have much knowledge at all before playing,” Deganutti said. “I had some friends play freshman year and so I joined sophomore year.”

First year rugby player and sophomore Samuel “Sam” Price joined the team for the same reason, “(I joined) because my friends were playing it,” he said. “(I became interested) because there are not very many rules.”

Because rugby is not a common sport in elementary or middle schools, many players come into high school without any prior experience or knowledge of the sport.

However, rugby has gained some popularity over the years.

For example, rugby is set to be an Olympic sport for the first time in the 2016 Summer Olympics. According to Blake, rugby is played in more countries than any other sport except for soccer. But here, rugby is still a sport being learned by a bulk of the rugby players on the squad.

“The majority of the kids don’t have any experience,” Blake said. “Especially seniors come out and a lot of them have not really played before.” In fact, more than half the team is rookies with 10 being rookies. Including the seniors, 35 out of the 69 total rugby players are rookies, which is more than half the team. Blake said that 20 seniors from last year’s team graduated and there are only two returning starters.

Rebecca xu / photos

PRO TIPS: Head Coach Baird Blake teaches the rugby team proper formation. Because most rugby players gain their first exposure to the game in high school, Blake has to teach the basics before working on teamwork aspects of the game.

New players are usually taught the basics of the game early on. “For new players we start with conditioning,” Deganutti said, “The new and old players are separated (during conditioning) so the new players can learn the basics.”

Price said, “ They split you up into experienced and inexperienced. We run drills but they (the coaches) help out the less experienced players more.”

According to both Price and Deganutti it is much easier to learn rugby in a game situation.

“We do a lot of scrimmaging, it is a lot easier to learn in a game scenario than in a drill,” Deganutti said.

Price agrees and said, “When you are actually playing the game it is less organized, and when your practicing it is all planned out and it does not work that way in a real game.”

TOUGH TACKLE: Junior Dominic Deganutti tries to break free from a tackle during practice. Deganutti started rugby his sophomore year because some of his friends played.

Experienced players tend to help out the new players as well. “If I see something blatantly wrong I’ll help them out (the new players),” Deganutti said. “Usually when we scrimmage or in drills if they (the more experienced players) know something is wrong they will help you or the coaches will.”

Price said he has been helped by more experienced

players before, “I was playing wing and I was supposed to follow a kick and I didn’t know it,” he said. “Another (more experienced) player told me to go and get the ball.”

However, there are also indications of rugby growing in popularity. “We actually have a program that goes down to the 5th and 6th graders, we’re actually moving it down this year and our eighth graders actually started tackling last year,” Blake said.

“I went to school here in Carmel, Carmel Elementary, Carmel Middle School, CHS,” Blake said. “Carmel’s (rugby) program has been here a long time, but there was no rugby when I was growing up, in high school at least.”

Blake said he also tries to encourage his players to watch professional rugby matches on television.

“If I find out there is a game on I’ll try watching it,” Deganutti said. “Our coach (Blake) sends out e-mails about the rugby game schedules,” he added.

Even though there are a lot of new players on the team, Blake said the new players will catch on quickly. “We’re in a rebuilding year, we have a lot of new and inexperienced guys,” Blake said. “But I guarantee by the end of the season they’re not going to be rookies anymore.”

26 sports >>

HiLite • March 25, 2010

Team title doesn’t slow training Women’s tennis team avoids complacency, continues working hard in pursuit of repeat

J

By Andrew Browning abrowning@hilite.org

unior Courtney Wild spends two to three hours a day year round working on becoming a better tennis player. Every day of almost every week she is out on the court trying to improve different aspects of her game.

In addition, to help her conditioning she said she runs five miles every other day, a habit that sounds more fitting for a track runner than a tennis player.

This is all part of a training regimen for a girl who returns as the Number-1 singles player for the defending State champion CHS women’s tennis team. If the Hounds’ motivation following their State Championship was in question, learning about Wild’s year-round workout plan should quell any doubt that the Hounds are working hard towards a shot at a repeat.

“To be honest, I kind of relaxed after we won,” Wild said.

“Then I hit it hard and this year we want another (State title) so hopefully we can win it again this year.”

Head Coach Sharon Rosenburgh said she thinks that the thought of defending last year’s State trophy could motivate the team more than an ordinary season. “Defending a State title is more fun than coming in and trying to take the title away from someone else,” Rosenburgh said via e-mail. “The team will be more determined to keep the title, or go down fighting. We like the ownership.”

hopes to add an individual State title her to her already impressive résumé.

“I hope I get it this year,” Wild said.

“It’s pretty tough because we go pretty far in the team tournament and (to advance) you have to win every single match with your team.

It’s a lot of pressure.”

Although all roads ultimately lead to the State tournament for every team in Indiana, Wild said she didn’t want to get too caught up in the talk about June. She said that she thinks the team will play better during the season and eventually peak in the tournament if it approaches each game with an easygoing and optimistic attitude. “I think we should kind of just go out having fun, then get more competitive as we get into State,” Wild said. “I think we just need to be relaxed going into the tournament.”

“We succeeded last year as players accepted their roles and worked the best they could with the skills and experience they had.”

Although Wild said she will work toward the goal of an individual State title this year, and the CHS duo of Renninger and current junior Olivia Trancik won the State doubles title last season, Rosenburgh said that her players still have an incredible passion for the team play aspect of tennis and are truly dedicated to the group as a whole.

“All the players are devoted tennis players, and truly dedicated to our team tennis,” Rosenburgh said. “We succeeded last year as players accepted their roles and worked the best they could with the skills and experiences they had.”

Wild said that although she is currently looking into athletic scholarships at schools like Iowa State and Xavier and still has an individual title to push for, she said that at the end of the day what keeps her motivated is the possibility of the Hounds returning as State champions.

SHARON ROSENBURGH

“(Individual) high school tennis for me is more of a practice,” Wild said. “I loved winning State, that was awesome. The team thing, that’s what’s most important to me.”

The team graduated two seniors from last year’s squad, Elizabeth Trancik and Megan Renninger, who played Number-3 singles and Number-1 doubles, respectively. Wild said last year’s squad achieved success because of a balance of work ethic and natural talent, and she said she hopes this year’s players, even without Trancik and Renninger, are the same way. “(The team) looks pretty much the same, but it could be different also,” Wild said. “We have different types of players coming in this year. It depends if they can really perform, like my sister (freshman Hayley Wild) sometimes is a little lazy so we’ve got to push her.”

Courtney may give her sister a hard time about not having an equally disciplined work ethic, but Hayley has nothing to be ashamed of. Courtney’s willpower is tough to match, seeing as she had already become the Number-1 singles player for this school and earned a State Championship ring by her sophomore year. However, Courtney said she believes that her work is not over. She said this season she

Mackenzie Madison / Photo

AFTER HOURS: Junior Courtney Wild even stays after practice to hit around with her sister Hayley to improve her game.

The Wild sisters, along with the rest of the women’s tennis team, put in countless hours outside of practice and during the offseason to ensure success when the season starts up in the spring.

<< sports 27

HiLite • March 25, 2010

Athletes spend a year on the green State Success Men’s swimming team wins its Track competitors use spring season to prepare for other sport seasons 12th State championship

By Maggie Brandenburg mbrandenburg@hilite.org When junior Trent Hall steps out onto the grass this season, he won’t have to worry about protecting any other players or controlling the rush. Hall’s only goal will be to hurl a metal ball as far as physically possible through his strength alone. As a shot putter on the men’s track team, he will be competing by himself for about a third of the school year, and that’s what he prefers.

ALL SMILES: Members of the men’s swim team stand atop the podium as they are crowned State champions. The team edged out second place Munster 245-217 to win the State title on Feb. 27.

Like Hall, as the spring sports season rolls around, many athletes will compete in track as a way to keep in shape and focused for their fall or winter seasons. For several athletes, a track season presents the opportunity for them to focus on skills that will transfer over to their primary sport. For Hall, he said it’s a perfect chance to hone his footwork for his football position as offensive guard come fall season. “I was interested in track because I’ve been doing shot put since I was in sixth grade,” Hall said. “A lot of it is balancing and working on your glide technique and your explosion with your hips, so with my position it takes a lot of those abilities.”

This unique opportunity to train while still competing is what draws athletes like Hall and sophomore Lauren Kahre to the sport during her off-season from cross-country. Kahre chose to run track as a supplement to her cross-country season to make sure she is in the competitive mind set year-round.

is a special concern. “Right after the track season, you go immediately into the cross-country training. So if you do get injured, you’re only taking away from the cross country training,” Kahre said.

One of the big differences for athletes competing in multiple sports is the way in which the team dynamic works.

Unlike sports such as football and soccer where teammates constantly rely on one another throughout the game, according to Ellery, track provides a unique contradiction of competing for yourself and seeing your progress in clear numbers while also contributing to the team’s success . “(In track) you get not only to challenge your opponents but yourself too,” Ellery said.

For Hall, he said the combination of football and track is the perfect fit and said he will continue to compete in both throughout his high school career. However given the choice between competing in football or track in college, Hall said he would choose football.

“That’s a tough (choice). I’d say football, because I love football,” he said, “It’s my main sport that I want to do. I really want to go far in football.”

“First of all, there’s the competition so it makes you strive for something and to have a goal therefore your practices will be more fruitful in the fall and you’ll just be in better shape,” Kahre said.

ERICA ERNST / Photos

VICTORY DIVE: The men’s swim team celebrates its victory by jumping into the IUPUI Natatorium pool.

More photos online To see a slideshow of pictures from the State Championship meet, go to www.hilite.org

Despite track being a secondary sport for many athletes, according to Will Ellery, men’s head track coach, this doesn’t stop them or the athletes who designate track their primary sport from working hard throughout the season. He said, track becomes the primary sport for the athletes during the season, as that is where their attention is focused for the time being. “(That the athletes are) doing (track) is commitment enough and once they start doing it, they’re committed,” Ellery said.

Year-round training can be beneficial for many athletes whose sports start soon after the spring season ends, but for others this constant training can also lead to burn out and injury especially among long distance runners who move directly from their spring season into summer training for the fall.

STUART JACKSON / Photo For Kahre, who moves from her cross-country season to full-time winter training and then into her track season, she said keeping herself healthy throughout the whole process

THROW IT OUT: Junior Trent Hall throws the shot put as part of his daily practice routine. Hall competes in track to stay in shape for the football season in the fall.

28 perspectives >>

HiLite • March 25, 2010

staff perspective

T

With freedom comes responsibility

he meaning of the phrase “think before you act” has amplified itself around CHS in recent events. In an assembled and united body of people such as Carmel High School, every one of its members acts as an ambassador and representative of the school.

This is a responsibility that every student here carries with him, whether conscious of it or not. And as witnessed lately, mishandling that responsibility can be detrimental not only to an individual, but to the entire embodiment of the institution.

This school is renowned for its athletic, academic and extra-curricular excellence.

The women’s swimming team just took home its twenty-fourth consecutive state championship. I t has been reported that the number of National Merit Scholars here is on a steady rise each year. This school’s communications publications and outlets, musical groups and competitive academic clubs consistently rank not only top in the state, but in the nation as well.

between faculty and students from years ago. Most of us do not remember or know about those older incidents, but they’ve been immortalized not only in the news but on the Internet as well.

Such is the consequence of technology: if even one minor problem arises at this school, the public relations necessary to build our reputation back up takes more effort than the effort to become a great school in the first place.

Having our good name take a plunge is frustrating, but living under the spotlight of the public is gruesome. Brutal comments fly and uneducated sources only add fabrication to the rumor mill. Getting constant jokes and nasty remarks thrown your way and always having an outsider breathing down your neck wanting more information is exhausting. And is something that frankly, the student body here does not deserve. The actions of few should not crumble the efforts of many.

Our stand

As students here, we are ambassadors of the school and should represent CHS in a positive way.

Although negative events tend to overshadow positive ones, students are adults now and should act accordingly.

We even top the charts when it comes to philanthropy, with this year ’s Carmel Dance Marathon raising $174,545.72 for the kids at Riley Hospital for Children. The publicity that comes with this success is undoubtedly large and deserving..

Unfortunately, however, the attention that comes handin-hand with one slip in judgment is astronomical. And while it does not completely erase the reputation this school has built for itself, it does hinder it severely and negates some of the hard work students have put forth into making this school what it is.

Last fall, when the band volunteer was found guilty of having inappropriate relations with a student, the incident set off another round of jokes and reminders of scandals

Considering all repercussions, the congregation of students here should continue with their award-winning work, but also use discretion in their actions and thoughts, because it will affect everyone else.

Nearly all of this year’s senior class will have turned 18 by graduation, legalizing their adulthood. As a legal adult now, it’s time to act like one. Putting other’s needs above your own personal motives, considering the aftermath of your actions and in the end, taking full responsibility for those actions are all examples of displaying adulthood.

As teenagers removing ourselves from our adolescent years, we expect to be treated like adults, but with that comes adult standards.

Above all, upon entering the “real world” we seem to want nothing more than to have the freedom an adult.

But as former first lady Eleanor Roosevelt stated, “With freedom comes responsibility.”

speak up!

Compiled by Katie Walstrom

How has the incident with the men’s basketball team affected you?

“With all the news reporters here, it’s harder to learn because that’s all everyone is talking about.”

Sophomore David Owens

“I feel sorry for the freshmen.”

Junior Brittany Gardner

“When I walk down the halls, I don’t feel as safe as before.”

Junior Ryan Calloway

<< perspectives 29

HiLite • March 25, 2010 graphic perspective

More Opinions Online www.hilite.org

faraz majid Dealing with disappointment

Rebecca xu / Art

“Dealing with disappointment is always a tough task but there are other ways to deal with it without bitterness.

Making big time games such as the Super Bowl and state championship are major accomplishments.”

The calculated formula of how to “choose” the news to make a profit. Though the HiLite cannot make any profit, the way we determine what’s newsworthy holds true as well.

michelle hu I bet you’re sick of hearing about the basketball team incident.

Though the media storm broke out over a month ago, you probably still remember seeing all the television stations’ trucks idling outside, waiting to ambush a poor parent in the carpool lane for an impromptu interview.

It was covered for weeks, almost like a daily ritual on the 6 p.m. news, and though there wasn’t really anything new that came out from day to day, it was still there.

Though it may have seemed unnecessary, there was good reason for the nightly news to discuss the story daily. It’s important, first of all, to establish the fact that the media industry is not out there to “inform,” as many claim, but to make money. Like any other company, newspapers and television stations are run by presidents and CEOs, and the main goal is

The reason why the basketball incident was considered news each night was for a few reasons: proximity, prominence and possible future impact. As you may have noticed throughout your time at this school, whenever something scandalous or interesting occurs here (such as the racist ad the HiLite inadvertently ran back in November), the news jumps all over it. This phenomenon results from prominence: with such a clean record and relatively few controversial incidents, the presence of just one provokes the public in such a way that shouts, “Hey, everyone!

Look what Carmel’s up to now!”

more curiosity means more revenue.

The basketball incident also held many implications. If such a horrific situation could happen at a school like Carmel, then is it happening elsewhere? Is there an issue of oversight at the school? Are students safe? For community members in Carmel, these questions and possible answers are critical, because many have children in the school system.

That’s why the news stations came every night. And the fact that it was only a half hour drive from downtown Indianapolis meant the story was close to home, which also draws in viewers.

“The reason why the basketball incident was considered news each night was for a few reasons: proximity, prominence and possible future impact.”

Consider this: when a random member of society, someone who has no claim to fame, is involved in an extramarital affair, the local news isn’t going to investigate and speak to the mistress. But when it’s someone like Bill Clinton or Tiger Woods, people who do have a claim to fame, everyone suddenly wants to know what happened. After all, prominence means more people care, and

Perhaps there are issues and events that you think should have been covered, but it’s impossible for a news station to report on everything. With limited resources, simple economics dictates that there must be a list of priorities. That list, ultimately, will determine how successful the media industry is in terms of money.

Michelle Hu is editor-in-chief for the HiLite. Contact her at mhu@hilite.org.

30 perspectives >>

HiLite • March 25, 2010

Ice skating in the Olympics is a legitimate sport

monica cheng Spinning and jumping, spirals and laybacks, passion and dedication. These words seem to be most likely a representation of an artistic sport or activity. Some may attribute these words to ballet or gymnastics. But while those two may have these characteristics and qualities, no sport can possibly satisfy them all, except for one: figure skating. Although it isn’t often, I have heard from peers who occasionally commented or remarked at one point that figure skating should not qualify as a sport. In their minds, ice skating is not “extreme” enough.

Maybe it’s the fact that skating doesn’t completely fall under the general umbrella concept about sports, which contends that players work cooperatively with other members of the team, or that it doesn’t look challenging enough. As a figure skater myself, it’s sometimes frustrating to hear this disparity

about the sport I feel so passionate about.

wrong, to Plushenko’s outrage.

Many of the sports played and celebrated today have their roots in various kicking and running ball games played throughout medieval Europe. For this reason, it’s understandable that some may come to view figure skating as more of an artistic activity than a sport. While ice skating may lack in areas of team effort and collaborative activity, it makes up for that deficiency in other, far more important aspects.

Figure skating is unlike most sports. It’s artistic in style. It grows increasingly competitive by levels. It’s a sport that includes an uphill struggle that can be both challenging and rewarding. Most importantly, figure skating, just like any sport, is a passion and isn’t just about winning. Some may still stubbornly believe that figure skating should not qualify as a sport. But at least they now have a better understanding of ice skating and that, like any sport, it requires time, perseverance and dedication.

The skaters may make their movements look so smooth and graceful, but what those casual viewers may not understand is how athletically difficult it is to make their skating look so effortless.

“Figure skating is unlike most sports.

It’s artistic in style. It grows increasingly competitive by levels. It’s a sport that includes an uphill struggle that can be both challenging and rewarding.”

When people watched the world’s most talented figure skaters perform in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, few realized the hard work and dedication skaters had to go through in order to execute that perfect, clean short or long program, or land the quadruple toe loop like Evgeni Plushenko did. In fact, one of Plushenko’s recently most publicized mantras is “no quad—no gold,” though Evan Lysacek did prove this belief

Still, on a number of occasions, in the midst of my everyday life, I hear bits and pieces of conversation that question the legitimacy of figure skating as a sport.

Although I haven’t heard these arguments very often recently, I’m certain that notion occasionally crosses some people’s minds.

It’s not an outspoken thought, but it’s still there. And it’s time that thought was finally addressed.

Monica Cheng is a reporter for the HiLite. Contact her at mcheng@hilite.org.

Technology proves to be more distracting than helpful in research and advance my knowledge, it sometimes pull me away on a tangent until I finally realize how far I am from what I wanted to accomplish.

steven chen Sometimes after a long, tiring day after school, I go home and expect to recover. But oftentimes instead of taking a nap, getting a bite to eat or even slouching on the couch to watch television, I head to my laptop and surf the Web. The plethora of technological devices that entangles us into new forms of social interaction has made it harder and harder to get away from such ubiquitous objects. The twenty-first century has introduced into our lives devices that can relay information from the other side of the globe in a matter of seconds. However, when I am trying to research information for a paper or read up on my news, I get distracted by other links and eventually dwindle my time away until I realize I have to go to sleep. When I try to use the Internet as a tool to aide me

According to the World Bank, 73.6 percent of all Americans were considered Internet users in 2008. In contrast, only 21.3 percent of the world population used the Internet. And the trend is steadily increasing on both graphs. This means either the Internet is becoming more prevalent in our lives as a social and communications medium or people opt out of other activities to browse the millions of Web pages.

However, along with this conglomeration of activities that new technology provides, some feel the need to experience them all. This is where the other problem introduces itself. We cannot possibly manage all the tasks and continue on with our normal lives. And if we still want to include them in our lives, we have to find a solution rather than return to the previous state.

Time management plays a key role in this matter. Facebook, Twitter and e-mail cannot rule people’s lives. We must delegate time to attend to each of these online profiles but also realize that reality is right in front of you. The tangible always supersedes the digital.

A South Park episode premiering nearly two years ago effectively demonstrates and exaggerates the dominance of the Internet in people’s lives. Titled “Over Logging” (episode 1206), the residents of the town find that one day the Internet has stopped working. The entire nation is portrayed in absolute chaos. Even the news cannot report information due to the fact that the Internet is down. Although the episode exaggerates the role of the Internet, it foreshadows what might happen in the future if people keep relying solely on the Web. Although the Internet must be a acknowledge factor in our lives nowadays, it cannot be the driving force. Students, teachers, parents and almost everyone in the entire world must delegate time to other things in life.

Press pause for a few minutes each day and take a deep breath.

Think about what goals you need to accomplish. Take a walk to clear your thoughts. Come back and decide whether you really need to spend that extra five minutes on Facebook or idly loitering on some other Web site. Make long-term goals and pursue them.

Steven Chen is front page editor for the HiLite. Contact him at stevenchen@hilite.org.

<< perspectives 31

HiLite • March 25, 2010

Sometimes photos are for people who can’t remember

graphic perspective

out with friends, because I was the kind of person who felt scared of forgetting most memories. If my mom did not photograph the moment my friend Matthew kissed me on the cheek when we were both four, I would have forgotten that the event had ever occurred.

jinny zhang I was watching Jason Reitman’s Academy Award nominated comedy-drama “Up in the Air,” and a main theme in the film is commitment (or the lack of it in some people’s lives).

One line from the film that stood out to me was by George Clooney’s character Ryan Bingham, about being too attached to the past.

He asked what material items people would save first if they found out their house was going to catch on fire. Many people would choose photographs, but Ryan’s response was, “Photos are for people who can’t remember.”

This photo is important to me because it reminds me of significant times in my childhood.

However, “Up in the Air” encouraged me to be the person having fun instead of sitting in the sidelines and taking pictures. I should enjoy the moment, instead of reviewing old images and attempting to live the memories later.

“Since I’m a photographer, I will still appreciate photography and take some photographs. But for now, I will simply focus on having fun.”

In context, Ryan Bingham was giving motivational speeches to a group of recently laid off workers, and making a point of moving on and not letting things in life weigh you down.

I used to like taking dozens of photos whenever I hang

Sometimes you just need to live and love the moment you’re in. When I went skiing with some old friends and new acquaintances, I packed my camera and extra batteries, but I had such a good time that I didn’t have time or feel the need to take a single photo.

I didn’t need photos to remember all of times I wiped out while skiing, or the late night stop at Steak n’ Shake.

Since I’m a photographer, I will still appreciate photography and take some photographs. But for now, I will simply focus on having fun.

Jinny Zhang is a photographer and Acumen editor for the HiLite. Contact her at jzhang@hilite.org.

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32 15 minutes of fame >>

HiLite â&#x20AC;˘ March 25, 2010

v.

Senior Ketki Tamhankar dances to both modern

and classic Indian styles

By Erum Rizvi erizvi@hilite.org When did you first start dancing Lessons?

I started dancing around four years ago. I guess starting in gymnastics first led me to transferring over to dance. For example, we did ballet dancing in gymnastics and that helped me with dancing later on.

Is there someone who inspired you to dance?

Not really anyone in particular, but I spend a lot of time on YouTube watching videos of dancing and some of the choreographers in those are pretty inspiring.

What kinds of dancing do you Practice?

I do several different types of dancing such as Bollywood inspired dances and a classical type of dance known as Kathak. It originated in north India but was popular in the Mughul court and incorporates some Muslim and Hindu dancing.

what is The typical atmosphere of a performance?

It is different every time because it depends on the occasion and type of dancing. sometimes there is a fusion of dances like when we combine the Kathak dance with the Bollywood type.

Are you on a dancing team in your community?

I am not exactly on a team, but my dance teacher has a kind of school of dance at her home where she teaches several students..

Dancing in a group is different because of the classical type of dance in which you have to follow guidelines.

How do you prepare before a show?

We usually warm up by listening to the music several times through, do all our makeup and put on our costumes.

Our wardrobe usually consists of an angarakha and a lehnga, which we wear interchangeably for Kathak dancing and bollywood type dances. The angarakha has a top dress with pants and a vest with a veil, while the lehnga is a long embroidered skirt with a top.

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What is your most memorable experience?

Recently, I had a duet performance with my teacher, which was terrifying but exhilarating at the same time. I was really nervous because I had to try to live up to my teacherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dancing skills, however I felt honored to be given the chance to dance with her.

Jinny Zhang / photos