9.20 Issue

hilite

CARMEL HIGH SCHOOL NEWSMAGAZINE VOL. 84, NO. 2 SEPT 20, 2019

FIRE

THE

PAGE 26 | GRACE XU, SOPHIA HAWKINS

WITHIN

table of contents

NEWS 6

6 NEWS BRIEFS 7 CLUB SPOTLIGHT 8 STOP THE BLEEDING 10 CUTLERY DECISIONS 11 A BREACH IN A HAYSTACK Students, parents react to recent security breach in school’s former database

FEATURE 12 12 STEP UP TO SEXUAL ASSAULT 14 WEIGHT ON YOUR SHOULDERS

16 UBIQUITOUSLY FUNNY OBSESSIONS

With Area 51 raid scheduled for today, students, staff analyze meme’s popularity, scientific backing

18 SAFETY SKEPTIC

STUDENT SECTION 22 22 HUMANS OF CHS 23 CHS’S GOT TALENT 24 ‘DOUGH’ MUCH LOVE CHS students share their favorite homemade cookie recipes

25 CAREER READY

COVER 26

26 WE DIDN’T START THE FIRE Given ongoing Amazon fires, students, experts grapple with ideas of activism in modern context

ENTERTAINMENT 32 32 ALL(EGRO) IN Allegro choir to compete as show choir this year

34 RUNNING THE SHOW 36 IN THE MOOD TO WRITE 38 MUSICIAN SPOTLIGHT 39 ENTERTAINMENT BRIEFS

Contact information: Mailing Address: 520 E. Main St. Carmel IN 46032 Phone: (317) 846 7221 Ext. 7143 Website: www.hilite.org Email: Staff members may be contacted by using their first initial and their last name appending @hilite.org 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 expresed in the newspaper are not necessarily those of CHS nor 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/ads-info.

Editor in Chief

Entertainment

Da-Hyun Hong

Tessa Collinson Natalie Khamis

Managing Editors Riya Chinni Aditi Kumar Angela Li Raphael Li Uday Lomada Hari Patel Karen Zhang

Front/TOC/JAM Robbie Ge Gray Martens

News

Josie Cruzan Pranav Jothirajah

Feature

Lillian He Wendy Zhu

NICK BECKMAN PHOTO

SPORTS 40 40 SOMETHING TO CHEER ABOUT 42 THE BEAT OF YOUR DRUM 43 MANAGER PROFILES 44 GOING FOR IT ALL CHS football looks for another shot at state championship

46 JUST KEEP SWIMMING 47 SPORTS BRIEFS

PERSPECTIVES 48 48 BRAIN HEALTHY

50 GRASPING AT STRAWS @hilitenews

@hilitenews

15 MINUTES 54 54 QUEEN BEE Sophomore Allison Pasheilich owns over 60,000 bees

@hilitenews

@HiLiteOnline

Sarah Kim Ashwin Prasad

Perspectives Marvin Fan Calina He

Litebox

Maddie Kosc Shruthi Ravichandran

Social Media

Kassandra Darnell Hannah Gretz Anna Klauz Lily McAndrews Marissa Ryan

Web

Livvie Hurley Avery Thorpe

Adviser

Jim Streisel

Kris Otten Angela Qian

Principal

Rhea Acharya

Michael Beresford

Cover

52 THE NAME GAME 53 THE PEOPLE SHOULD SPEAK

Brian Zhang

Student Section/15 Minutes

49 BETTER LATE THAN NEVER Editor in Chief Da-Hyun Hong and Cover Editor Rhea Acharya debate over the long-term effects of reusable straws

Ads Team

Sports

Thomas Harmas

Superintendent

Responding to the HiLite: Letters to the editor will be accepted for the Oct. 24 issue no later than Sept. 30. Letters may be submitted to Room C147 placed in the mailbox of Jim Streisel, emailed to management1920@hilite. org or mailed to the school. All letters must be signed. Names will be published. (Letters sent via email will be taken to a student’s SRT for them to sign). Letters must not contain personal attacks against an individual and may be edited.

Corrections and clarifications: The HiLite strives to correct its errors. If you notice any inaccuracies in this or past issues, please contact management1920@hilite.org.

CREATIVE COMMONS, DA-HYUN HONG FRONT COVER PHOTO

SEPT. 20, 2019

How difficult was it to receive the scholarship?

“It’s been something I have been working for since I was a little kid and began to ramp it up in high school and [school] got more serious. I have been working all day every day for years, so it was hard. I would just say work really hard at it and don’t give up.”

“My whole college recruitment process started after my sophomore year.

It began with me getting visits and being contacted by colleges. Then more and more offers came and I started playing better and progressing from there.”

Senior Ty Wise

“Getting an athletic scholarship can be difficult, especially at a higher level like Division 1 where coaches are recruiting early in high school and even in middle school. If you love the sport you play and want to play it at a higher level there is a spot for you somewhere.”

“I went to multiple camps at Duke before committing during eighth grade and freshman year, so I put too much pressure on myself to commit early. Looking back I would tell myself just to trust the process because everything worked out in the end.”

How would you describe your experience?

How difficult was it to recieve the scholarship?

How would you describe your experience?

ANIKET BISWAL, ROBBIE GE SPEAK-UPS, PHOTOS

CCS, MAXPREPS SOURCES

Senior Sarah Goddard

SPEAK UP!

ROBBIE GE GRAPHIC

To celebrate 50th anniversary of ESPN, learn about football at CHS, future athletic opportunities

Playing After School

04

Carmel Girls Track & Fields Parents Club

Carmel Football Alumni

Jack Badger Memorial

Ila Badgers Carmel Dad’s Club

Carmel Boys Basketball A.C.P2 Award

Carmel Basketball Backers, Inc.

Allan C. Chyba

Alan K. Miller Wrestling

Boys Only

All genders

SAT/ACT

GPA requirement

Essay requirement

Look at various athletic scholarship opportunites at CHS

Scholarships at CHS

Girls only

Additional criteria

Community/school involvement

FAFSA (Free Application For Federal Student Aid)

Receiving Yards P/G

52

129

Rushing Yards P/G

160

173

Carmel vs The Average

8

Total TDs

7

58

Tackles P/G

78

= National Average

= Carmel High School

The 2011 BCS National Championship Game becomes the most watched program in the history of cable TV

JAN. 10, 2011

See how CHS compares to average high school football teams

1984

ABC makes a deal for an 80% share in ESPN

SEPT. 7, 1979

ESPN’s initial launch

Chet Simmons appointed as the first president

JULY 18, 1979

ESPN made a deal with the NCAA

MARCH 14, 1979

ESPN The Magazine published

MARCH 11, 1998

Disney purchases ABC

FEB. 1986

ESPN incorporated for a fee of $91

JULY 14, 1978

ESPN Timeline

7

Sacks

5

3

Interceptions

5

Kevin Karns Memorial

Thomas R. Cunningham/ Booster Club

Thomas P. Wiley Award

Ray D. “Tub” McDonald Memorial Lineman

Pup Running Program

Pam Creek Memorial

Kopinsky Family

Jonathan A. Byers Athletic

DeWayne Akin CHS Girls Soccer Memorial

Dale E. Graham Memorial

Coach Chuck Koeppen Cross Country

Carmel Ice Hounds Hockey

Carmel Girls Volleyball

CHS Scholarships

news

SEPT 20, 2019

News Briefs

NATALIE KHAMIS BRIEFS

Sept. 20 GKOM Connection Session Sept. 20 Oktoberfest Sept. 23 First Day of Autumn Sept. 27-28 Homecoming

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Oct. 05 SAT Testing at 9 a.m.

Oct. 11 to Oct. 13 Fall Break Oct. 14 Columbus Day Oct. 16 PSAT Testing Oct. 18 End of Quarter One Oct. 23 to Oct. 31 Red Ribbon Week

Homecoming (Green) Day Schedule JOSIE CRUZAN GRAPHIC

B1

7:508:12 Dismiss to stadium 1:30

B2

8:228:45

B3

8:559:17

Homecoming Program 1:55-2:50

B4

9:279:49 Dismiss back to school 2:50

G1

9:5910:21

G3

10:3110:53

G2

10:5312:58 (lunch)

G4

1:081:30

A Lunch: B, H 200s, A 300s

A Lunch: 10:53-11:28

B Lunch: E 100s, A 200s, H 300s

B Lunch: 11:28-11:58

C Lunch: P, C, F, D wings, A 100s

C Lunch: 11:58-12:28

D Lunch: E 200s, B 100s, H 100s

D Lunch: 12:28-12:58

HILITE.ORG

07

Club Spotlight Green Action Club revamps structure, agenda RILEY TERBUSH Q & A, PHOTOS

Q&A maanya rajesh, green action club co-president and sophomore

Why did you choose to start the club?

The club was started by me and my co-leaders with the intent of being able to do our part in helping reduce CHS’s greenhouse gas emissions, and (what we’re doing to accomplish) that is a series of projects that are student-led (and are) different things that we can do. I think that if the government doesn’t do its part in reducing emissions, it’s up to the civilians to start doing that type of stuff.

Will the club try to advocate in local and state government?

We do want to (influence local government), and we need some approval, but we’re not really focusing on the political side of things; we’re mainly trying to focus on what we can actually do physically to help reduce our emissions.

Q&A by the numbers

1.62 degree rise in global temperatures per year

127 BILLION tons of ice lost in Antarctica from 1993 to 2016 NASA SOURCE

club co-sponsor sarah gillim

What are the club’s goals for this year?

The club is a group of students who are very interested in getting composting done at the school, so they’re going to be working real hard to get some of that implemented in the cafeteria, so that’s a goal. Another goal is to learn about solar power and to approach officials at the school, maybe the school, board-about the positives of solar power.

Why should students join the club?

I think it’s a really important club because everybody needs to learn more about sustainability, and I think one of the most important issues facing humanity is us learning to live more sustainably on our limited planet and stop climate change.

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green room Here are some tips to being more eco-friendly in the bathroom - 2 billion razors are thrown away each year - Plastics with the numbers 2, 4, and are considered environmentally safest - Plastic dumped into oceans kills one million sea animals every year - Plastic packaging accounts for 65% of household trash - There are approximately 269,000 pieces of plastic in the ocean JOSIE CRUZAN GRAPHIC ECOLIVING, SURFERS, GROUNDSWELL AGAINST SEWAGE, MIAMOLKIA SOURCES

Stainless steel razors are less wasteful due to their long lifespan DIY liquid products are cheaper and prevent plastic waste Wooden combs use less manufacturing chemicals and are recyclable Bar shampoos and conditioners last longer and prevent plastic waste

Read a story on climate change activism and slacktivism among student and community activists

08

SEP 20, 2019

Stop the Bleeding School district increases amount of Stop the Bleeding kits within school CADENCE ARMSTRONG STORY

L

ast year, each school in the Carmel Clay School District received a “Stop the Bleed” kit that goes inside every AED box in their school. These kits hold supplies to control bleeding from a traumatic injury.

According to Meredith Haines, Freshman Center nurse and registered nurse, each kit includes a tourniquet, gauze, a sharpie to write the time you applied a tourniquet, gloves, a survival blanket, instructional card and a dressing.

These kits are for a single use and help control bleeding until paramedics arrive. School Resource Officers (SROs), nurses and administrators know how to use these kits.

“The district requires that five people are trained on how to use them. We meet that requirement plus a several,” said Haines. “For now, SROs, nurses, and administrators are trained. Next year, the district will be offering free training to all staff members in the district

KIT WORK: Meredith Haines, Freshman Center nurse and registered nurse, takes out the Stop the Bleed kit out from the AED box. According to Haines, the doors are never locked and all students and staff members have access to use them at any time. She also said she believes that everyone, including students, should be taught on how to use the kit.

CADENCE ARMSTRONG PHOTO

that are willing to take the course.

Then, even more people will be trained and know how to use them.”

Increased access to training courses are among some of the changes CHS plans to make in a new effort to improve the utility of the “Stop the Bleed” kits.

D.J. Schoeff, supervisor of the School Resource Officers and Police Sergeant, said that CHS is also increasing the amount of kits available in and around the building.

Schoeff said, “We are training more people on how to use the ‘Stop the Bleed’ kits and increasing the amount of kits at CHS so we have greater accessibility to them. We hope that students and staff never see them but they are there if we need them. If in the event that someone were to experience a major trauma, our ability to respond to that is much better. Although we have fantastic nurses, seconds can count and sometimes it’s necessary for other people to be able to respond.”

Safety comes in layers, and we continue to layer and layer as much as possible.

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AMY SKEENS-BENTON

Deion Ziwawo, Speaker of the House, said that the changes to these kits make him feel safer.

Ziwawo said, “These kits are a great addition to the school. Any other efforts to that work to protect our students and staff in bad situations is such a beneficial contribution to the school.”

The first aid training is through the Bleeding Control Organization.

This organization is an initiative of the American College of Surgeons and the Hartford Consensus. It was created to provide credible information on how to stop and control bleeding. There is more information about the training program and how to become certified on their website.

Haines said, “Training everyday citizens is the key to preventing death by bleeding. We don’t ever want to think about a mass shooting or tragedy happening but it happens and we need to be prepared. Even if you don’t know what a tourniquet is, just learning about how to stop the bleeding with a sweatshirt could help save a life.”

Additionally, “Stop the Bleeding” is a national awareness campaign launched by the White House in 2015. It is also a call to action to bystanders to become

HILITE.ORG

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trying a tourniquet

S P EA K U P !

What are your thoughts on the addition of more kits?

“The kits will obviously be helpful in case of certain emergencies and they also will provide a sense of safety for the whole school in general”.

Junior Jack Snelling

One of the items inside the new “Stop the Bleed” kits is a tourniquet. Here’s how to use it.

If there is life-threatening bleeding, using a tourniquet may be necessary.

Tourniquets do hurt, so make your intentions clear before using it.

“The kits would most likely be helpful in case of an emergency but I’m sure most students have no clue how to actually use them”.

Sophomore Amit Manchella PRANAV JOTHIRAJAH SPEAK-UPS, PHOTOS

trained to help in the event of a bleeding emergency.

According to Haines, the district purchased these kits as a precautionary measure after the Noblesville West Middle School shooting. Now, with the improvements made, more people at CHS know how to use them and the accessibility rates are high.

“After the Noblesville West shooting, we started looking at ways to improve our safety measures. Carmel decided as a district that we want safety to be our number one priority. We worked with other districts and once Noblesville got (the kits), we said we would learn from them,” said Haines. “It hit way too close to home and talking with the health department, we decided this would be a good, preventable way to control a situation if we were ever in one where someone had a life threatening injury.”

Assistant Principal Amy SkeensBenton said, “Safety comes in layers, and we continue to layer and layer as much as possible to provide the safest environment for our students.”

Haines said, “Everyone now has access to the ‘Stop the Bleed’ kits.

AED boxes are never locked. All you have to do is open the door. Death

by bleeding can be prevented. Now we can stop the bleeding before the paramedics even arrive. This is something a nurse can do or an everyday citizen. These kits are simple to use but I think a lot of people don’t know how to use what’s inside.”

CHS has five of these kits located at various locations throughout the school. There is one in the freshman nurse’s office, the health center, one by door one in the lobby, one in the natatorium office, and one in the varsity gym on the upper level. They are in each AED box and have signs outside of every location. These kits can be used at any time of day, and are accessible to anyone.

According to Skeens-Benton, every administrator has their own “Stop the Bleed” kit as well.

Ziwawo said, “Of course, I’d never want to be in a situation where I might need one, but knowing that there are kits around the school to help if a bad situation would happen when the school nurses aren’t around definitely makes me feel a lot safer.”

Haines said, “I think that every school should have them and eventually every state in the United States will have a ‘Stop the Bleed’ program in their school.” h

Place the tourniquet two inches above the wound, and pull it tight.

Twist the handle until the bleeding stops.

Tuck the handle into the triangle to lock the tourniquet in place. That will keep the tourniquet in place until medical professionals arrive. Then, write the time on the tourniquet.

GRACE BELT GRAPHIC THE RED CROSS, STOP THE BLEED SOURCES

10

SEP 20, 2019

Cutlery Decisions Administration considers switching from plastic cutlery to metal at CHS KIERSTEN RIEDFORD STORY

R

ecently, Clay Middle School, West Clay and College Wood elementary schools made the switch from plastic to metal cutlery. According to Jennifer McFarland, the director of nutritional services for Carmel Clay Schools (CCS), these are the first steps in a larger plan to replace plastic cutlery in all the district schools by fall of 2021. McFarland said the goal of making the switch is to teach students to be more environmentally aware.

There is also a financial incentive. For example, according to McFarland, before the switch at Clay, the school was using over 150,000 pieces of plastic per year, which cost over $3,500. But when changing the utensils to metal, the school spent only $420 on 3,600 pieces of cutlery.

For now, the schools have focused on switching only spoons and forks.

The alteration to metal cutlery is the administration’s way of teaming with the Green Team, the parent and staff group which focuses on making CCS schools as environmentally friendly as possible.

McFarland said one of the goals of the shift is to show students what they can do for their environment.

“A lot of the schools shared the reasons why we are doing this, and it’s not just to save money; it’s really to partner with our Green Team and eliminate the plastic disposables,” McFarland said. “We know that we still have to have some plastics with how our meal system is set up, but if we can make small changes then it will still make a positive impact.”

Roger McMichael, the associate superintendent of business affairs of CCS, said, “(The switch) shows

students how one small change can make an impact. By switching at Clay Middle School alone, we are preventing 150,000 disposable utensils from reaching the landfill.”

The administration is still finding other ways to make the school more environmentally friendly besides changing plastic utensils to metal, a couple of examples already implemented being instead of using Styrofoam trays, students use washable trays. The administration took away straws since the 20172018 school year.

According to McFarland, the students should also be taking the initiative when they have the choice to do everyday things in an environmentally-friendly way. The Green Action Club at the high

MOUTH TO THE METAL: Senior Madeline “Maddie” Heath sits outside with her friends to eat her lunch.

She said she believes that switching to metal cutlery will help not only the environment, but it will create a better culture at the school in regards to a focus on environmental health.

DA-HYUN HONG PHOTO

school, for example, works to help the school be more aware of the changes that can benefit the earth here at the school itself.

Student body president and senior Madeline “Maddie” Heath said, “I think (the switch) is important in the same way that switching from paper towels to hand dryers is important. I think it falls into that same realm of doing something. We should be aware of the fact that there is something that we can be doing to create a culture for Carmel.” h

50

Check out an opposing perspective about the use of metal straws versus plastics straw.

HILITE.ORG

11

A Breach in a Haystack Students, parents react to recent security breach in database formerly used by school VIYANG HAO STORY

O

n Aug. 16, numerous news media outlets reported a security breach in the Carmel Clay District involving Pearson Clinical Assessment, a former online assessment the district used. The information taken included students’ first and last names and, in some cases, students’ birthdays as well.

The district sent out an email that day to affected students and their families, explaining the situation and offered a complimentary one-year membership to Experian’s IdentityWorksSM. This program provides protection to the user’s identity and help detect any theft that may occur; the email also provided information about signing up. The district also explained that other information, such as grades, were not impacted by this event.

Sophomore Ayaan Abbasi was one of the handful of students who received the email.

data breakout

“When I got the email, my initial reaction was me being pretty annoyed because it’s my information,” Abbasi said. “But as I thought about it more, mistakes are bound to happen, especially now.”

Abbasi said when his parents first read the email, they too felt annoyed. Abbasi’s mother, Shehzadi Ansari, said via email, “Breaches happen a lot anyway as more and more tech is introduced.”

Junior Katriel “Kat” Lin was another student impacted by the breach.

She said that she was initially confused about why she got the email but did not think too much about it at first. “(It now makes) me wary on how much protection the company is placing on their customers,” Lin said.

Lin also said that despite feeling wary, she acknowledged that the breach was Pearson Clinical Assessment’s fault and not something the school or the district could have prevented from happening.

Scan this to visit HiLite’s Instagram page to view the email CCS sent out regarding the breach that affected students at CHS.

Unlike Abbasi’s parents, Lin said her parents did not care much about the breach and that the information taken could not do much harm to their daughter.

Sergeant D.J. Schoeff had a similar opinion to Lin’s parents. Although Schoeff explained that this situation was not serious.

“I thought it was good that the school district felt it was important to communicate back out to parents,” Schoeff said.

He continued to explain the difference between saying “there was a security breach” and “there was a security breach but they only got students’ first and last names and some birthdays” and how they influence one’s reaction.

Similar to Lin, Schoeff said, “It wasn’t something that the school district could’ve controlled but I also thought data breaches happen so frequently right now.” He continued with, “It always seems like we hear something about that nature in the news.” h

As we begin to store more data online, data breaches have become a common and publicized occurrence in everyday life. Here are some of the most significant data breaches that recently occurred.

Biggest data breaches in recent history = 50 million users = 500 Hoosiers affected In Indiana...

Yahoo Here are some data breaches reported in Indiana First American Year: 2013-14 Financial Corp Community Health Network Franciscan Alliance Cause: Hacking Year: 2019 Users affected: Year: 2014 Year: 2019 Users affected: Cause: Cause: Poor Security Cause: Hacking Poor security Users affected: Users affected: Marriott International YMCA Indianapolis Year: 2017 Cause: Hacking Users affected:

Five Below Inc. Year: 2018 Cause: Hacking Users affected:

Facebook Year: 2019 Cause: Poor security Users affected:

Year: 2018 Cause: Hacking

Users affected:

EDWARD DONG GRAPHIC CNBC, INDIANA ATTORNEY GENERAL SOURCES

feature S E P T 2 0 , 2 0 1 9

Step Up to Sexual Assault

Administration, students focus on importance of new sexual assault prevention presentation KASSANDRA DARNELL STORY

L

ogan Sandlin, varsity track and junior varsity crosscountry runner and senior, sits among his teammates in the auditorium before practice as he listens to the “Step Up to Stop Sexual Assault” presentation. The presentation is a new program being presented to the athletics and performing arts departments and student government this year by the law firm Church Church Hittle + Antrim in coordination with the school’s administration. The program aims to define sexual assault, the elements of consent, rules and laws pertaining to sexual assault and how to identify unhealthy relationships.

“I think the whole sexual assault presentation is a good idea because it just gets that idea (of prevention) out there and it covered a lot of stuff that a lot of people might not have known before seeing the presentation,” said Sandlin. “It gave examples of different consequences, like if you’re convicted of sexual assault, you have to

LISTENING IN: The men’s tennis and football teams watch the “Step Up to Sexual Assault” presentation.

The presentation was shown to the athletics and performing arts departments and student government this year.

UDAY LOMADA PHOTO

go on the registered sex offender list and then that can destroy your life because you can’t get a job and a lot of schools won’t accept you.”

According to Superintendent Dr. Michael Beresford, the main mission of the program is to educate students so they will do the right thing when the time comes. Beresford said this is done by empowering students and equipping them with the knowledge to know when an uncomfortable situation requires action.

“The whole idea is to give tools where if (students) are in a weird situation where they feel uncomfortable, they can report it,” Beresford said. “Or if you have a friend who’s getting into a bad relationship or an unhealthy relationship, you understand that you WARMUP TIME: Logan Sandlin, varsity track and junior varsity cross country member and senior, does exercises during practice.

His participation in sports required him to attend the “Step Up to Sexual Assault” presentation this year.

VICTORIA NOPPORN PHOTO

by the numbers

57,329 children were victims of sexual abuse in 2016

2-8% of people in athletics are victims of sexual abuse.

10% of K-12 students experience school staff misconduct.

INSPQ, RAINN, US DOE SOURCE

have some tools to use to help. It’s another layer of school safety.”

While there was no specific change to spark the implementation of this program, Principal Thomas Harmas said that despite this school’s administration being educated about these issues for many years, this specific conversation still needed to be presented to the student body because of uncomfortable situations students might find themselves in.

“We talk about in high school that the interaction between classmates is often guess work. What we’re trying to do with (this program) is take the guesswork out of it and make it plain and simple,” Harmas said. “If (students) have the information, they know the difference between right and wrong, and so that grey area is taken away.”

Sandlin said he appreciates how the program outlines and defines what qualifies as sexual assault or sexual harassment because of how easily certain interactions between classmates can become inappropriate due to lack of information on the subject.

HILITE.ORG

“I think no matter what it’ll still be an issue, but I think the presentation clarified some things about sexual harassment that’ll make it less of an issue. Because some things that people think of as normal could, in the eyes of the law, be considered sexual harassment,” Sandlin said. “There are certain things that, in high school especially, that some people see as normal, things that could be considered sexual harassment.”

Scan this QR code for more student opinions

In regards to who the program is presented to right now, “Step Up to Stop Sexual Assault” is primarily being presented to the athletics and performing arts departments and student government as a way of testing student reactions to the program. While the formation of the program began during the second semester of the 2018-19 school year with several focus groups that included both students and adults, administrators decided that presenting the program to these larger groups will

unwanted situations Learn what to do if you find yourself in an uncomfortable situation

What is sexual assault?

If you are a victim

Sexual assault is any type of sexual behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient. Prohibited sexual behaviors include unwanted touching, dating violence, grooming, rape, stalking, sexting, hazing, advances by teachers and teachers requesting a relationship in exchange for good grades.

Develop a code word with friends and family to use in uncomfortable situations to ask for help.

What is consent?

Consent is when one person voluntarily agrees to the proposal of someone else or someone gives permission for something to happen or be done.

If you are a bystander: Create a distraction with a diversion of any type.

Talk to the person in the uncomfortable situation and try to reach out and help them.

Refer to an authority and address your claims to any security. Don’t hesitate to call 911 if you have to.

Contact others and ask them to come help the person in trouble.

LILLIAN HE, NATHAN HUANG GRAPHIC RAINN, JIM INSKEEP SOURCES

If you need to, seek out a medical professional as soon as possible.

Lie to try to create an exit for yourself and say anything you need to stay safe.

Think of the quickest way out.

Resources Tell an Adult CHS Counseling Center Report anonymously through the STOP!T app Call 911 Call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 Visit RAINN.org

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allow for more widespread feedback before deciding whether to make the program mandatory for the entire student body in the future.

Harmas said, “We thought that with how close those groups are and the opportunities those groups have for overnight stays and things like that, that those would be the good groups to start off with. We’re looking in the future to be able to present this to the student body in some way. (We’re) not sure exactly what that would look like at this point because of logistics, but look at it like this: With our athletics and our band and our performing arts groups, our Senate and House and so forth, we’re talking over 2,000 kids. Probably half of our population are getting (the presentation) at this point.”

Sandlin said that while sexual assault is an important topic that needs to be covered for every student, he hopes the program will be available for the entire student body in the future. At the beginning of each school year or athletic season, students who participate in certain extracurriculars and electives, such as a sport, performing art, or a form of student government, are required to sign consent form stating that if a student participates in an illegal activity, they will be removed from said activity. Because of this consent form, Sandlin said he believes members of these groups are less likely to commit sexual assault.

Beresford said a major detail that will need to be refined is how the program could be tailored to be presented to the entire student body in the future, hopefully starting with the 2020-2021 freshman class. For now, the administration is working to have an open night for any students who wish to see the presentation but have not already. In the meantime, the administrators mainly hope to see an increase in student safety from this program.

“We’ll do anything to help keep kids safe,” Beresford said. “People ask if students’ safety is a priority in Carmel Clay Schools. I say no, because priorities change. It’s a core value. Core values are things that h are important all the time.”

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SEPT 20, 2019

Weight On Your Shoulders Students, staff examine potential health effects of carrying heavy backpacks SARAH ZHENG STORY

F

or CHS students, backpacks are an essential part of their life, as carrying a backpack all day can be more convenient than putting textbooks in a locker, but according to a survey conducted by Consumer Reports, the average high school student’s backpack weighs 18.4 pounds, which can lead to problems.

Sophomore Emma Xiao has a backpack that weighs at least 20 pounds.

Due to her heavy backpack, Xiao said she deals with lumbar spondylosis, the tearing of spinal disks, but more specifically for Xiao, a fractured vertebrae.

“Although tennis and viola contributed to my condition, it was mainly wearing my backpack every day that caused the tip of my rib to fracture,” Xiao said. “Because my locker wasn’t very accessible, I usually had three textbooks in my backpack as well as notebooks and binders.”

In fact, back, neck and shoulder pain are common among students due to the weight of their backpacks. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, at least 14,000 children are treated for backpack-related injuries every year. Health teacher Adam Havice said he agrees that back pain is a common issue among students.

“There’s more lower back injuries than any other form of injury in the

don’t break your back Take a look at some backpacks with ergonomic designs North Face Big Shot Backpack - shoulder and hip straps to evenly distribute weight - $119

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NYMAG, ERGONOMICTRENDS SOURCES WENDY ZHU GRAPHIC

United States, but there are so many solutions to limiting many injuries,” Havice said. “One solution, which is a great one, is that a lot of our books are going electronic, so that should eliminate heavy textbooks.”

Rolling backpacks have been another possibility to help limit backpack weight on shoulders and prevent injuries. Senior Abby Kaufman brought a rolling backpack to school for a week to try to alleviate her heavy backpack issues.

“My backpack can get so heavy, and one time I was talking to my business teacher, and he told me to set my backpack down because it looked like it was going to break me in half,” Kaufman said. “So that’s when I decided I would bring my rolling backpack to school the next

by the numbers

60%

of teen students use backpacks >10% of their body weight

20%

of teen students use backpacks >15% of their body weight ARCHIVE OF DISEASE SOURCE

day. I found my back was hurting a lot less during that week.”

This problem is not unique to this country. Last November, the government in India announced a new law limiting the weight of school bags depending on a child’s age. Students in grades one and two are allowed to bags weighing no more than three pounds. For grades three and four, the limit is 6.6 pounds, and for grades up to grade 10, the limit is 11 pounds.

Havice said this would be difficult to monitor here at CHS, but the law passed in India is a great idea because if someone is small, they don’t need to be carrying around 100 pounds worth of books, making them prone to injury. Some students athletes have to carry around two backpacks,

S P EA K U P !

Does the weight of your backpack affect your well-being?

Yes, it does. Personally, I think we’re all going to have back problems when we’re 50 because our backpacks are too heavy. My backpack is super heavy because I have to carry around three textbooks, which is a lot.

Freshman Embry Horal

WENDY ZHU SPEAK-UPS, PHOTOS

I think my backpack weight affects me because I have to walk to and from school, so having a really heavy backpack just gives me back pain. It’s really irritating throughout the whole day since I have to carry a lot of textbooks around.

Sophomore Kaitlyn Varghese

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which is double the weight, giving students more to worry about.

Also, the well-being of students can be affected by overly heavy backpacks. Xiao said the feeling of more weight on her shoulders from her backpack makes her feel more stressed mentally as she said she feels like she has more work to do.

“Physically, (backpacks) obviously affects students’ well-being because of the excess weight on your shoulders, but also it affects students’ mental well-being because if you have a heavy backpack, it feels like you have a lot of work to do even if you don’t,” Xiao said. “An overly heavy backpack mentally adds unnecessary stress which can affect students’ well-being.”

Research has also shown the various physical impacts of carrying heavy backpacks. According to a study in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, researchers accessed the backpacks and back health of 1,403 students from ages 12 to 17. One in four students said they had suffered back pain for more than 15 days the previous year. Scoliosis, the sideways curvature of the spine, accounted for 70% of the pain. The remaining 30% had either lower back pain or contractures: continuous, involuntary muscle contractions.

“When I had the fracture, I had to wear a brace all day, and before I had the brace, every time I sat in a chair I could feel excruciating pain. Luckily, while wearing the brace, I was still able to participate in activities, some people with back pain aren’t as lucky as me,” Xiao said. “Being aware if you (are) having back problems is the best advice I can give for students using heavy backpacks.” h

15

watch the weight ADITI KUMAR PHOTO ILLUSTRATION ANGELA CHEN PHOTO

Learn about the health effects of excessive backpack weight and what a suitable weight is

1

ROUNDED SHOULDERS: The weight on the shoulder bones can cause them to become sloping and rounded

3 NECK MUSCLES:

2 COMPRESSED

Weight pulls on neck muscles causing headache as well as shoulder, neck and back pain

NERVES: Tight straps can cause nerves to be pinched leading to tingling and numbness in extremities

4 DISTORTED

CURVES: Lower and middle curves are distorted leading to pain in back muscles and rib cage

i i

Backpacks should be 5-10% of your weight

Backpacks should not be >4 in below the waist KIDSHEALTH, NSC SOURCES

My backpack weight affected me more during freshman and sophomore year because I was carrying a lot of stuff.

My back hurt because I was carrying it for extended periods of time, and I also had classes in the A Rooms, but this year I’ve gotten used to it.

Junior Lalith Roopesh

Yeah, I would say it does.

Especially when I’m walking up the trail, I can feel it weighing down on my back. It feels really nice to just take off my backpack at the end of the day before I get into the car.

Senior Paige Fulkerson

16

SEPT 20, 2019

Ubiquitously Funny Obsessions With the invasion of Area 51 memes across all social media, students and teachers analyze possibility of real-life alien invasion GRACE XU STORY

O

SOWMYA CHUNDI, VERONICA TEETER PHOTOS

WENDY ZHU PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

ver the summer, junior nificant amount of our pop culture, Daniella Richardson went with no lack of references from the on Instagram to catch up Star Wars film series to radio antholoand unwind as usual before coming gies to today’s memes. According to across something decidedly unusual: William Turner, astronomy teacher an Area 51 meme. and CHS’s planStrange, she thought, etarium director, and she just kept scrollsaid the interest People ing. And scrolling. But surrounding exthe memes didn’t stop. traterrestrial life want to The meme, titled often stems from think that “Storm Area 51, They people’s curiosity Can’t Stop All of Us,” about the unknown. we’re hiding encouraged people to “It’s fun to specualiens or run en masse “Naruto” late,” Turner said. “I atstyle toward the Area 51 tended the original Star something military base in Nevada.

Wars in 1977, and I reThe event was schedthere, and it member seeing a Luke uled to occur today. longing to makes for a Skywalker “I was like, ‘What leave his planet, and is that? Why are there there was a twin sunset. fun story. so many (memes about And I just thought how WILLIAM TURNER, this event)?’” Richalien, how wild that ASTRONOMY TEACHER ardson recounted. “I looked. That could AND PLANETARIUM found it a little bit never be a real thing, DIRECTOR strange, but at the right? Now, astronosame time, it doesn’t mers speculated that really surprise me, with our culture.” probably wouldn’t happen; however, The Area 51 meme is just the latest within the last 10 years, we’ve found a in a number of different alien-related gas giant that orbits two stars.” references to show up in social media In fact, the existence of alien life and elsewhere. Aliens make up a sigis one of the most popular conspira-

ALIEN TIME: (ABOVE) Junior Daniella Richardson views an Area 51 meme on her phone.

She said she first noticed the rise of the memes over the summer.

(LEFT) Claire Van Meter, Conspiracy Club president and senior, explains aliens at a Conspiracy Club meeting. Club members met on Sept. 5 to discuss Area 51.

cies, simply because of the vast possibilities of the universe. The scientific aspect of aliens may be what sets this conspiracy apart, contributing to the Area 51 meme’s popularity.

Claire Van Meter, Conspiracy Club president and senior, said most conspiracies are simply speculations that sprout from a few factual roots.

According to her, Conspiracy Club is a fun-loving club where members can discuss such speculations without taking themselves too seriously. She also said the whole Area 51 trend is quite similar in that it started out as a joking meme vaguely based on logic.

“Just with the vastness of the universe, it is very possible that there are other life forms out there,” Van Meter

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unidentified occurrences

17

Take a look at some well-known UFO sightings across the United States

In September of 1961 in White Mountains, New Hampshire, Betty and Barney Hill believed their car was being chased and woke up the next day disoriented. After undergoing hypnosis, the two claimed they were abducted by gray aliens on that night.

One of the earliest UFO sightings in the U.S. occurred on June 24, 1974 while pilot Kenneth Arnold was on his way to Seattle.

Arnold claimed he saw nine blue, glowing objects flying at about 1,700 miles per hour in a V-formation.

On Dec. 5, 1948, two different plane crews reported seeing green fireballs near the Los Alamos and Sandia atomicweapons laboratories in New Mexico. These sightings continued all throughout the month of December. Since then, there have been several green fireball sightings.

said. “I just think even from a scientific standpoint that it is very possible, and it’s just fun to theorize about (aliens)...

Personally, I don’t think there are little green men walking all over the world, but it is fun to talk about it.”

However, Turner added that even if alien organisms do exist, perhaps one of the reasons mankind isn’t yet aware is because of how hard it is to actually detect human life. He brought up the Galileo spacecraft that was sent to orbit Jupiter but also remotely studied Earth, with the goal of seeing how signs of life might appear. Turner pointed out that many of those identifiers of life, such as unnatural wave transmissions, can only arise from complex civilizations, so it would be hard to spot primitive organisms on other planets if they did exist.

Yet Richardson said the scientific aspect and difficulty of actually identifying life doesn’t take away the fun of imagination—after all, the Area 51 raid lost no popularity whatsoever, even as government spokespeople came out with statements debunking Area 51’s alien life.

“I feel like once we get a straight answer for things, we don’t necessarily

University colleagues observed V-shaped formations of blue-green lights in Lubbock, Texas on Aug. 25, 1951. There were about 15 to 30 lights per formation, and the lights appeared twice that day.

by the numbers

54%

of U.S. adults believe the government is hiding information about UFOs

2

MILLION Facebook users have signed up as “going” to the Area 51 raid

2013

is when the CIA first publicly acknowledged Area 51 FACEBOOK, CNN SOURCES

want it to be over,” Richardson said.

“So we’ll create our own conspiracies.

Like, ‘Actually, this is what’s happening and you need to think about it,’ when in actuality, it’s probably not real. But sometimes, it’s also a good thing we are that way because questions should always be asked.”

In the particular case of Area 51, arguably the Air Force’s most famous and infamous training ground, Turner said much of the speculation may have its roots in the Cold War when countries were very secretive about technology. He added that back then, UFOs weren’t synonymous with aliens but simply stood for unidentified flying objects—presumably of human origin.

“I think (Area 51) was the Air Force testing some high altitude balloon type things, and part of one of those crashed, and they were blocking off the area because they didn’t want people to see,” Turner said.

“Speculation, you know, and things just keep adding up. So now the Area 51 thing—it’s just kind of little legend. It’s grown. People want to think that we’re hiding aliens or something there, and it makes for a fun story.”

WENDY ZHU GRAPHIC HISTORY.COM SOURCE

According to the Area 51 raid’s Facebook group creators, a fun story is all it is intended to be. Van Meter said the joke likely spread so fast due to today’s meme culture rather than a genuine belief in the prospect of aliens.

“I think that society, especially gen Z and millennials—we like to latch onto ideas. We especially like memes and things that we find funny,” Van Meter said. “Even if (those memes) are for a very short period of time, that they can spread so rapidly that all these wild ideas can get really out of hand and really crazy. But honestly, I’m here for it.”

Despite her beliefs that aliens do exist, in the end, Richardson said she’s well aware of the fact that the Area 51 meme is simply that—a meme.

“I think that aliens are, in fact, real. However, they may not be in Area 51, and the raid just might not be a good idea,” Richardson said.

“We’ll make a party out of it.” h

Scan this to read a cover story about conspiracy theories

18

SEPT 20, 2019

Safety Skeptic New fire drill policy, Carmel revoted safest place to live in U.S., raises questions over how prepared students are for emergencies LESLIE HUANG STORY

RAY MO PHOTOS

K

nown by some as the “Beverly Hills of the Midwest,” Carmel has been named time and time again as one of the safest places to live in America, most recently in August 2019. According to AreaVibes, Carmel’s crime rate is 72% lower than the national average. Despite numerous credentials proving its safety, there is still a concern that the unexpected may happen and that living in Carmel has caused residents to believe they are immune to crime.

At CHS, it is mandated by state law to have emergency drills and practice those drills with students

in case of a fire, intruder, earthquake or tornado.

Recently, the Indiana legislative passed a new law which allows teachers and their students to wait up to three minutes before evacuating when they hear the fire alarm. The law went into effect on July 1 and has been implemented at this school.

School resource officer (SRO) Shane VanNatter said the reason for this law is to ensure no intruders or shooters pulled the alarm to draw students out of their classes.

“It gives a chance for police to figure out where the alarm was pulled and whether its a real or

emergency preparedness

by the numbers

4,000 school building fires occur each year

28

tornados in Hamilton County from 1950 to 2018 USFA, WEATHER SOURCE

LAASYA MAMIDIPALLI GRAPHIC IN DOE SOURCE

Take a look at the Indiana Department of Education’s suggested practices to prepare for emergency situations Fire Drill Invite the local fire department to participate in drills

Review evacuation routes with local fire department

Specific staff should receive fire extinguisher training Lockdown Drill

A “soft lockdown” keeps students in classrooms as prevention during a low level crisis

A “hard lockdown” deals with potential violence in the building or nearby areas

Severe Weather Identify tornado safe areas in the school (away from windows) and along bus routes

fake alarm,” VanNatter said. “Nobody has died in a fire in a school in america since 1959 so you’re very safe in the school. However, there have been people killed (by shooters who use fire alarms as a way to get students in the halls), so the legislature has decided to give an option to wait out the first three minutes and wait for instructions.”

This year, the school has also implemented an extra set of doors between the freshman office and the freshman center. VanNatter said those new additions are meant to strengthen safety measures and that a set of doors will also be built by the attendance office.

VanNatter said the number-one priority in an emergency is to get the students out safely. He said students should be aware of what to do in any situation and should be prepared mentally in case of an emergency Senior Caroline Ramsey said she has never felt unsafe at this school, but she said she agrees that it is vital to know how to act in the case of a crisis. However, she said following an exact plan is not always the best option in some circumstances.

“The best way to deal with a problem is to understand the problem.

Every response should stem from what you know, nothing should be based off of emotions in emergencies,” Ramsey said. “I think it’s more important to have an awareness of what to do and understand why it is done.”

Amy Skeens-Benton, assistant principal and school safety specialist, said the way drills are prepared by the school is through a meeting

consisting of officers, the board of principals and administrators.

“Every month, the department of education directs schools on how they should have drills and safety measures,” Skeens-Benton said.

She said every school is required to have at least one Indiana school safety specialist.

However, while Ramsey said having plans and drills are extremely important, she is skeptical about their effectiveness.

“Drills are both smart and ineffective,” she said. “I do believe that we need to have a plan but that the current plan is extremely outdated and that the last time any student in the United States died in a school fire was 1959.

Currently in the atmosphere of school shootings it is more dangerous for us to continue with our current plan than it is to make a new one.” She added that instead of doing drills, students could be taught basic triage ideas to help people who are injured instead of having to wait for responders.

Additionally, Ramsey said she does not pay attention during the

drills because they have been repeated multiple times. She said she believes it is better to understand why the drills are being done and not just have those routines memorized.

Despite those concerns, VanNatter said students should always be in the right mindset and should be prepared in case of an emergency, no matter where they live.

LUNCH TALK: School Resource Officer Shane VanNatter holds a casual conversation with several students during his lunch period. VanNatter said building rapport with students is important to help them feel safe and trust him in the case of an emergency. This simple practice can help keep CHS safer.

CRASH COP: Student Resource Officer Shane VanNatter directs buses and traffic in the morning.

VanNatter said a crash could easily occur while the buses are exiting the school.

“(Students) always have the ability to come and talk with their school resource officers especially if they any belief that a student might be a threat,” VanNatter said.

“Our students are our first line of defense because they’re going to know about these things before we do. Students are responsible for the h safety of the school.”

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Y E H !

3 THINGS:

1. Remember to get a yearbook! Having a yearbook is always a great way to reflect and remember all the memories you created at CHS. Order at www.yearbookordercenter.com search for Order Number 17177 OR pick up an order form at room C145.

Price: $52

DEADLINE IS FEBRUARY 14, 2020

SENIORS:

2. Get your headshot taken at PRESTIGE PORTRAITS! Call (317) 564-2592 to book an appointment.

DEADLINE IS OCTOBER 9, 2019

3. Buy a senior ad! They’re an amazing and unique gift to any senior. Go to www.carmelyearbook.com OR pick up a form outside of C145.

DEADLINE IS DECEMBER 6, 2019

Online Registration Now Available!

student section

AA Indiana Driving School SEP 20, 2019

SOPHOMORE KATELYN MA

IN BUSINESS SINCE 1945

Online • In-Car Instruction • Road Test www.indianadriving.com Wilson Office Plaza 949 Keystone Way Carmel, IN 46032

“I prepare for fall by changing my closet. I start wearing more sweaters and warm clothes. I love going to apple orchards, pumpkin patches, and I get really excited for football games. I associate fall with the start of school so it’s definitely not my favorite season, but there’s always fun things to do.”

SENIOR PAIGE FULKERSON

(317) 844-5542

“I start wearing pants and jackets when it gets windier and colder outside. I do a lot of homework during fall since it’s the beginning of school and I don’t want to be behind. I also have crosscountry and work after school every day, so that’s a big part of the season. When I think of fall I think of the falling leaves since I love being able to walk on them and hear the crinkling under my feet.”

Students must be at least 15 years old to participate

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80 100

40 20 0

Humans of CHS

Scan this to look at other Humans of CHS stories

CHS students reveal their favorite parts of fall THEA BERTOLINI SPEAK-UPS, PHOTOS

SOPHOMORE ALESE MCFADDEN “I love fall; it’s the weather and Christmas is coming up and you’re going to get a lot gifts from that. I love Halloween because you get to dress up. It’s the best time ever. Spongebob Squarepants also sings a song about it, so you gotta love it. Autumn colors are also why I love fall because they’re so pretty.”

JUNIOR ALEXIS CUSTER-TOPAI

“I usually start wearing Halloween socks in July, just to make sure I’m in the spirit and hype myself up. I really like fall since Halloween is my favorite holiday and that’s what I normally associate it with. I also think of toilet papering people’s houses since it’s harmless and fun. Fall is also super windy and not hot, which is a really nice change from summer.”

student section

SEPT 20, 2019

23

CHS’s Got Talent

In honor of season 14 finale of “America’s Got Talent” (AGT), we talked to students on Expressenz dance team who took part in season 13 last year MARISSA RYAN Q & A, PHOTOS

Q&A

Q&A

freshman adare haas

senior lily claymon

What was the most difficult part of your experience?

How did going on AGT impact you personally?

The most difficult part of the experience was the practices that we had in LA. We had lots of rehearsals that were super intense and hard because our instructor wanted us to perform our best. I am grateful that she pushed us because we performed the best we ever had.

Personally, it just made me feel like all my hard work was paying off. Like I said before, we train for 25 hours every week, so sometimes it can feel like all of your hard work is for nothing. This experience showed me that hard work really does pay off.

What was the process to get on AGT? The process was definitely longer and more complicated than TV makes it seem. We were contacted by a producer around October, and we started the long process of choreographing dances, sending videos to the producers and changing things that the producers didn’t like. Before the actual audition episode, there are actually many rounds before. If you get through all the rounds, they schedule a time for you to come out to LA and perform in front of the judges and live audience.

What was the most rewarding part of your experience?

The most rewarding part was 100% the performance.

It was the most surreal thing I have ever experienced and I can’t describe it. It was the biggest audience we had ever performed for. We were dancing in front of people like Simon Cowell, and we got a standing ovation and four ‘yeses.’ Sadly, the producers decided to cut us afterwards since they get the final say on everything, but it was still an amazing experience.

How was this competition different from others Expressenz has participated in?

It was extremely different. For starters, we normally only compete against other dancers. But at AGT, there were all different types of acts, and you never know what the judges are going to like.

Did this experience alter your feelings toward dance in any way?

Yes, after this experience I realized that even if you do your best in anything, you don’t always get what you want. I also realized that you should always be as “full out” as possible because there are many amazing opportunities that could come your way.

How did this experience impact your entire team both physically and mentally?

It impacted my team physically because we were dancing our normal 25 hours a week plus extra AGT rehearsals. We were all pretty exhausted, but knowing that we were going to LA was exciting. It made us realize that we were working hard for a really good reason.

STAGE READY: Senior Lily Claymon poses with the Expressenz team. The team competed in season 13 of the show, but their performance never aired.

LILY CLAYMON SUBMITTED PHOTOS

24

SEPT 20, 2019

‘Dough’ Much Love

CHS students share their favorite homemade cookie recipes in honor of National Homemade Cookie Day on Oct. 1 HANNAH GRETZ STORY, PHOTOS

Macadamia White Chocolate Cranberry Cookies

FRESHMAN AUDREY HOCKINS Soft and Chewy Chocolate Chip and M&M Cookies Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/3 cup brown sugar 1 large egg 2 tsps pure vanilla extract 3/4 cups M&Ms 3/4 cups chocolate chips

Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

3. In a separate bowl, beat butter, sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla extract. Mix in the dry mixture.

4. Stir in some of the M&Ms and chocolate chips.

5. Place small balls of dough on the sheet with an inch between them. Press the remaining M&Ms and chocolate chips into the cookies.

6. For a soft cookie, bake for 8 to 11 minutes. For a crisp cookie, continue to bake for another minute or two.

7. Place the cookies on wire baking racks to cool.

Ingredients: 1 cup butter, softened 1 cup light brown sugar, packed 2 eggs 3 cups flour 3/4 tsp baking soda 3/4 tsp salt 3/4 cup white sugar 1 tbsp vanilla extract 1 cup white chocolate chips 1 cup chopped macadamia nuts 1 cup dried cranberries

Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.

3. Cream together white sugar, light brown sugar and butter. Stir in beaten eggs and vanilla extract.

4. Add flour mixture. Stir in nuts, dried berries and white chocolate chips.

5. Drop dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 10 minutes.

SENIOR GABRIELLA SMITH

No Bake Cookies Ingredients: 1 3/4 cups white sugar 1/4 cup milk 1/4 cup almond milk 1/2 cup butter 4 tbsp cocoa powder 1/2 cup peanut butter 3 cups oats 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions: 1. In a saucepan combine sugar, milks, butter, cocoa powder and peanut butter on high heat. Bring to boil.

2. Remove from heat, add vanilla and stir.

3. Add oats and stir.

4. Use an ice cream scoop to make even sized balls and place them on a sheet of wax paper.

5. Let cool/harden for at least 30 minutes and enjoy.

JUNIOR MADDIE STEPHENS

SENIOR MEGAN SOYKA Family Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies Ingredients: 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened 3/4 cup granulated sugar 3/4 cup packed brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 large eggs 2 cups chocolate chip *Optional- nuts

Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2. Combine flour, baking soda and salt.

3. Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla until smooth and creamy.

4. Add eggs, beating well after each is added.

5. Sift flour and gradually add it to the mixture.

6. Mix in the chocolate chips and nuts (optional).

7. Scoop a rounded tablespoon onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

8. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until turning golden brown.

9. Cool on a baking sheet for 2 minutes then move to a wire rack to cool completely.

HILITE.ORG

25

Career Ready

Senior Lexi Dungey discusses her experience in the J Everett Light program (JEL) ANNA KLAUZ Q & A, PHOTO

What is JEL?

What made you choose JEL?

It’s a program where students can learn more about different careers that they may be interested in and get training for the job they want to do. It’s at North Central High School every day of the school week for three hours per day.

Being able to have the opportunity to explore a career and getting a head start with real life experienwce is something that I value, so as soon as my counselor suggested JEL for dental hygiene I knew it would be a great fit for my senior year so I can help better prepare myself for future years in that profession and get a head start in a sense.

What are you studying?

I am studying to be a dental assistant but they also offer the opportunity to learn to be an office manager or work in a dental lab.

How did you find out about it?

My friend participated in the program two years ago and had a very positive experience so it sounded like a good fit for me too.

What do you do in JEL? In the first semester we actually sit in a classroom and cover some basework that consists of learning the dental anatomy, terminology and nutrition that affects oral health and oral diseases.

By second semester we are actually in a clinic with professional dental assistants.

the road to success

What is your favorite part about JEL? Being able to get a head start in my future career and being able to get hands on experience from early on.

J. EVERETT LIGHT LEARNING CENTER SOURCE EMILY SANDY GRAPHIC

Take a look at all of the programs that JEL has to offer to students looking for career opportunities.

JEL - NEXT EXIT

Advanced Manufacturing Technology

Cosmetology

IT: Security, Networking, & Coding

Airport & Avation Management

Culinary Arts

Law Enforcement

Animation & Film Production

Automotive Collision

Automotive Maintenance & Detailing

Automotive Repair and Refinishing

Automotive Service Technology

Dental Careers

Digital Design and Advertising

Educational Careers

Emergency Medical Technician

Health Career Exploration

Media Arts Production/ NC News

Medical Assisting

Music & Sound Production

Veterinary Careers

Welding

26

SEPT 20, 2019

We didn’t

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start the fire.

In light of Amazon Rainforest fires, Carmel community circumvents bystander effect to have impact on global issues

GRACE XU, SOPHIA HAWKINS STORY

RHEA ACHARYA, CALINA HE PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

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SEPT. 20, 2019

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n the psychology realm, there’s to help. However, the study clarified an intriguing phenomenon that there wasn’t necessarily a decrease dubbed the “bystander effect,” in bystander mindset, where people in which the presence of more bystandbelieve their own help isn’t necessary ers around an incident causes fewer because of others nearby. people to actually help. Now, imagine Junior Isabella Fallahi, director this effect on a much greater scale—say, of communications for youth-led perhaps, the recent Amazon Rainforest climate activist group Zero Hour, fire—where, arguably, any informed is someone working to fight that person could be considered a bystander, bystander mentality. In fact, she and the so-called incihelped organize dent isn’t a one-time a youth climate occurrence but an on- did you know? summit, #strikewigoing issue. thus, taking place The bystander effect was In fact, news of the today nationwide. originally named due to Amazon burnings sud“Regardless of denly spread like wild- the circumstances of the whether three peofire during late August murder of Kitty Genovese, ple speak up on an of this year. Although as 38 witnesses reported issue that’s importhe fires which are of- seeing her murdered tant, such as climate ten caused by humans outside her New York City change, when it have been happening apartment and didn’t do does come to it, the for decades—TIME anything to help. message of a million magazine reported on people is going to be THE GUARDIAN SOURCE the Amazon burnings more effective and as a cover story back in heard than the mes1989—very little action was taken unsage of three. That’s the easiest way to til recent weeks. Could this possibly put it,” Fallahi said. “You need to care.” have been a result of the apathy of the While bystander mentality is cerbystander effect suddenly reversing? If tainly prevalent in an activist context, so, how? according to Melinda Messineo, proPerhaps it’s because the bystander fessor of sociology at Ball State Unieffect isn’t completely true to begin versity, it can also be seen in different with. A recent, comprehensive study contexts such as voting. She added that published by American Psychologist it isn’t always a physical issue either; byconcluded that a greater number of bystander mentalities can actually be seen standers is actually linked to a greater on social media as well in a more nonlikelihood that someone will decide traditional sense.

BEAD IMPACT: Sophomore Varsha Chandramouli makes a bracelet out of letter beads.

Over the summer, she started making and selling these bracelets on Instagram to raise money for the Marine Conservation Institute.

MADDIE KOSC PHOTO

bystander effect See some pyschological traits that contribute to the bystander effect

PLURALISTIC IGNORANCE “I shouldn’t help because no one else is helping so it’s probably not a good idea.”

LIFE-THREATENING SITUATIONS INDUCE FEAR “Oh no! Is that a fire? I should stay back. I don’t want to die because of this. AAAH! Maybe I should leave?

DIFFUSION OF RESPONSIBILITY “There are so many other people here that it won’t matter if I help or not”

PYSCHOLOGY TODAY SOURCE RHEA ACHARYA, CALINA HE PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

“If you’re just liking (a post) in social media, you probably have a really superficial understanding of it, so that is definitely a risk about being a bystander,” Messineo said. “Let’s say I know that there’s a protest happening in Indianapolis this weekend. I was really excited because three of my friends were there, and I put likes on their Facebook page… I am feeling a false sense of engagement although I’m not physically there. Maybe I’m supporting my friends to be there, but my body is not there. It’s not being counted.”

Yet sophomore Varsha Chandramouli is someone who has taken matters into her own hands rather than standing back. This past summer, she began selling handmade bracelets to raise money for the Marine Conservation Institute, advertising her project through social media. In her eyes, the bystander mindset isn’t entirely illogical, as she said it isn’t possible for one person to help out on everything.

“In terms of issues and social issues, I think you can definitely focus on another problem and help because in the end, it’s all just help,” Chandramouli said. “But if it’s to a point where it’s not going to be productive—like if someone drops a book and there are 50 people around them, it’s not productive anymore. I think people should always do something, but they should focus on what they’re passionate about, not what other people are doing.”

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Chandramouli said she was able to find that passion with marine conservation, and in doing so, she was able to use social media to her full advantage in advertising her charity bracelets; however, networking sites aren’t always helpful in furthering activism.

Joshua Brinkman, vice president of the Young Republicans Club and junior, pointed out that posts on social media don’t always equal action, even if they’re intended to. “Social media’s a really good tool to get out information about taking action and about certain events that you could get involved in, but it is a sad reality that a lot of people don’t partake in these events,� Brinkman said. “I believe people should get involved and help people.�

This sort of passive social media activism is a relatively new phenomenon dubbed “slacktivism,� or “clicktivism,� as more and more people turn to social media as a platform for activism. Whether this development is positive or negative, however, is a much-debated topic.

According to The UX Review and a study published by CyberPsychology, slacktivism often arises out of a desire to present a perfect online presence, which can translate to people supporting what they believe to be “correct� behavior, but on a surface level.

Because of the work she’s done on networking sites, Fallahi said she’s familiar with desires to present a perfect self. In particular, she said activism has become more “glamorous� recently, resulting in clicktivism that often arise out of ulterior motives. “We see this more and more recently; people are just doing (activism) now for college apps,� Fallahi said. “It’s a thing for students to get into colleges and look prestigious. Something I’ve been educating myself more on recently is the fact that so many ‘organizers,’ per se, are going off and forming these organizations that are doing the same work that other grassroots organizations have done—all for the sake of putting it on their college apps.

What it does at the end of the day is, it doesn’t advance a movement, it doesn’t progress an issue. All it does is make resources more scarce.�

Scan this to read about the impact social media has had on activism

Yet some people participate in slacktivism simply to boost their own selfregard, especially as social media has become increasingly associated with mental health. For instance, Messineo said one can feel accomplished from a simple tap, decreasing motivation to take physical action. “This idea of clicktivism or slacktivism—it’s very powerful in terms of generating awareness, but the translation to action isn’t always there,� Messineo said. “(When) commitment is low to the issue, whatever kind of motivation they had to be active is satisfied

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by feeling like, ‘Oh, well I have voiced my support for this issue. Good for me, I’m done. I made an impact. Let me move on to the next thing.’�

However, social media doesn’t always have negative implications, as the aforementioned CyberPsychology study pointed out the benefits to socalled slacktivism as well. It concluded that if social media users have intrinsic motivation when supporting an issue online, they are much more likely to later take meaningful action.

In a similar vein of thought, Messineo added that with today’s

the advocacy itch Take a look at how people satisfy their urge to help out causes through social media slacktivism

<

slacktivists of Instagram

...

Token Activism

The spread of a video of a turtle harmed by a straw led to purchase of metal straws

matter

The viral Ice Bucket Challenge raised $115 million for the rare disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) Many users reposted posts that promised to donate money, meals or plant trees for likes, follows, or reposts

=$ # black lives

People across the internet changed their profile picture to blue to raise awareness for ongoing violence in Sudan

Go Vegan

Online petitions like those from change.org seem involved, but do not necessarily lead to actual change Buying bumper stickers and wristbands can raise money for a cause and may spread awareness

Popular hashtags raise awareness for causes

RILEY TERBUSH GRAPHIC NEW YORK TIMES, LOS ANGELES TIMES SOURCES

30 S E P T 2 0 , 2 0 1 9 starting the fire Take a look at the causes of the Amazon Rainforest fires Experts attribute the primary causes of the fires to “slash-and-burn” deforestation practices Consequences of this approach include: Deforestation Accidental fires Uses up nutrients quickly, requiring farmers to repeat the process in a few years

In this process, people clear out large areas of the rainforest and burn remaining vegetation prevalence of sites like Instagram or Facebook, online mediums can be very successful in mobilizing groups of people with kindred intentions. Rather than wanting to display a perfect persona, people might participate in online activism simply to contact others with like-minded attitudes who respectfully share their stances on social or political issues.

“We usually are connected with people on social media who share our same values,” Messineo said. “If you and I are concerned about the environment and you care about it—the fact that you are someone I know and I trust your judgment and you care about an issue—that’s going to make me more interested in it than if some stranger made it come across my feed.”

In fact, Chandramouli said she was quite aware of the virtual familiarity social media can create between users, and utilizing that understanding, she actually created tangible results. By using Instagram as her advertising platform, Chandramouli was able to sell her charity bracelets.

“I put (the bracelets) on my story at first, because I just thought it would be a good way to get attention,” Chandramouli said. “Social media works better than word-of-mouth to spread things…

This leaves behind a nutrient-rich layer of ash to fertilize crops JACKIE HUR GRAPHIC ECOLOGIC, WASHINGTON POST SOURCES

by the numbers

2.3

MILLION square miles in the Amazon Rainforest

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MILLION participants in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge

80%

increase in fires in Amazon from 2018 to 2019

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THOUSAND fires in Amazon in late August CNN, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC SOURCE

and then my friends reposting it—I thought that was good, because of people, friends of my friends, (would) trust my friends.”

She wasn’t wrong. After one day, over 60 orders came in. Soon after, it became successful enough that she shifted from simply selling $1 bead bracelets to more expensive friendship ones made of thread.

S P EA K U P !

However, for those who aren’t able to create that kind of tangible outreach from online networking, Fallahi heavily emphasized the importance of taking tangible action whenever possible, rather than simply passively supporting on social media.

“I can call attention to climate change all I want by posting on social media,” Fallahi said, “but what’s really going to work is if I call my representatives. If I send them letters. If I schedule meetings with them. If I sit down with them, and I tell them the way that climate change is affecting me, my friends, my family, and our future is youth.”

In fact, as an individual, being aware about what issues to prioritize might be enough to make a difference.

Brinkman said ideally, people would easily translate awareness into action.

“It takes a very unique person to actually go out and solve the world’s problems,” Brinkman said. “For the people that do take action, that’s phenomenal. We need more of that in society. For those that decide to just view the issues and not do anything about it, sure, you can go that way, but when you have a problem in your life and need others to help you, just think about whether people would be willing to help you.”

Do you repost awareness posts on Instagram or other social media platforms?

“I don’t repost things on Instagram for activism because I’m too lazy to do that but also I don’t want to repost something that will potentially give people a wrong impression of me.”

Junior Chloe Chui “I don’t like to repost things on Instagram because I don’t think those posts are very credible. If I want real information about those topics, I go to the biggest and more credible sites outside of social media.”

Senior Rebecca Counen RHEA ACHARYA SPEAK-UPS, PHOTOS

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Despite all the bystander mentalities that might exist on the worldwide web, as people often ignore issues they see, taking action is possible as well, and it doesn’t necessarily exclude the prospect of social media. Although such activism is often linked with slacktivism, perhaps social media could actually be used to an activist’s advantage in decreasing bystander apathy.

For those that decide to just view the issues and not do anything about it, sure you can go that way, but when you have a problem in your life and need others to help you, just think about whether peoople would be willing to help you.

JUNIOR JOSHUA BRINKMAN

FRIDAYS FOR FUTURE: A group of protesters watches activist and junior Isabella Fallahi speak at a march protesting climate change on March 15. Fallahi said it is important to raise awareness even for global issues because it can provide encouragement for others affected by it.

MADDIE KOSC PHOTO

“Social media is definitely a part of a way of how we get our word out,” Messineo said. “But it’s a means to communicate our message, it is not the activism itself. It is the conduit, it is the bridge, but it is not the social action. I think that’s the distinction they’re trying to make between clicking something online as your social activism versus using social media as a way to get engaged with other people who are active in social issues.”

Ultimately, all agreed that it is better to take action in some way—whether that be virtutally or in real life—than to do nothing and be a bystander.

And as Brinkman simply put it: “I think, taking action, especially in today’s youth, is very important. There are many problems in the world, like I stated before, and prioritizing which ones you want to try and solve or try to at least help solve, it would be better for the future, because then we would have less to worry about in terms of problems that need to be solved, and we would have a better world once we grow up.” h TELLING THE STORY: Activist and junior Isabella Fallahi gives a speech at a climate change protest.

She is the director of communications for Zero Hour, a youth-led climate activist group.

MADDIE KOSC PHOTO

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Scan to read a story about this specific march junior Isabella Fallahi was involved with this year.

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SEPT 20, 2019

All(egro) In

Carmel Choirs adds second all-girls competing ensemble this school year EMILY CARLISLE STORY

T

RICHA LOUIS PHOTOS

he choir program has added a new competition choir to the mix. As of last year, there were three show choirs: New Edition, Accents, and Ambassadors. This year, CHS launches a fourth group, Allegro, into the competition world. While Allegro, an all-girls intermediate choir, has existed for several years, this year the group will participate in one competition in addition to the “Evening of Show Choir” (Evening) event in March.

Lindsay Vrobel, two-year member of Allegro and junior said last year Allegro was like a home to her.

Vrobel said, “I love the community within Allegro. Everyone is really nice and fun to be around and we are really just like a big family.

Class time is always really fun and it’s just a good experience.”

Now her home has expanded in ways the girls in Allegro did not necessarily see coming. Most people in the choir had heard rumors before this change was announced.

LEARNING CHOREO: Sophomore Meg Shaffer (left), junior Lindsay Vrobel (middle) and sophomore Ava Reynolds (right) practice the choreography in class. Vrobel said Allegro will learn new choreography this year to perform at concerts.

However it was not until after auditions they discovered they would both participate in a competition and perform at Evening, a show which continues to expand as New Edition joined the festivities last school year.

While time will limit Allegro to only one competition this year, associate choral director, Kyle Barker, said the directors hope the competition gives them the experiences the girls deserve but also stays true to the low number of mandatory out-

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ONE STEP AT A TIME: Professional choreographer Jeff Jordan runs through the choreography for the upcoming concert with Allegro. The concert will showcase both the concert choirs and show choirs and will take place on Oct. 2 in the CHS Auditorium.

side rehearsals. Barker said the directors know some girls have other commitments so having fewer out of school rehearsals is best for them.

Barker said, “We are only doing one competition with (Allegro) but it should give them more experience in the dance side of things to help prepare them for either a career in performance or their future within our program. We have a lot of people there who are in athletics or in other activities, who don’t want (to) or can’t give the amount of time to be in one of our busier competition choirs.”

Vrobel said the members of Allegro are excited about the opportunity to compete.

“I think it will be a lot of fun and a great bonding experience for all of the girls,” Vrobel said. “I know that competitions are a great way to get to know everyone since you are with them from like 6 a.m. to

Scan this to buy tickets for the upcoming choir concert

almost 1 a.m. the next day. And I’m really looking forward to that.”

Like Vrobel, Elizabeth “Liz” Winders, another two-year Allegro member and junior, said, “I am really excited for (the competition). I think we are going to do really well with this new challenge this school year.”

Barker said the challenge is exactly why the directors made this shift.

“Within the last few years, the choir program has grown by over 100 students, which has raised the bar for us as groups continue to improve. One of the ways that we wanted to raise the

choir vs. choir Show Choir Type: Competitive Performs: Concert choir and show choir literature Type of music: Variety and original, solo CHS Choirs: Allegro, New Edition, Accents, Ambassadors Concert Attire: eye-catching costumes, multiple outfit changes Concert Choir Type: Non-competitive Performs: Concert choir literature Type of music: Variety and original CHS Choirs: Expressions, Counterpoints, Blue and Gold, Rhapsody, Select Sound (a cappella) Concert Attire: Simplistic dresses, standard tuxedos MICHELLE LU GRAPHIC CARMELCHOIRS SOURCE

bar for the girls in Allegro was to compete with them a little,” Barker said.

Some people would see this as a shift from Allegro being a “concert” choir to a “show” choir. But within the Carmel Choir’s program, the directors say they try to break down those connotations by giving almost every choir the chance to dance at least once a year.

Barker said, “I don’t classify our choirs as show choirs or concert choirs. I believe they all need to be well rounded and do a little bit of everything. Allegro was sort of already doing that year ‘round, so this shift made sense.”

Allegro’s current set is one Barker said he believes will significantly impact the girls in a positive way. He said the music is all about being your best self and letting your true self shine.

Barker also said this idea is often lost in people’s lives, especially teenage girls. It is also different from many show choir sets in the fact that there is not a set ‘theme.’ There is a connecting idea but no overarching plot to the set. “(The set) is a jukebox style show,” Vrobel said. “There is no strong theme that holds our set together.

Much like New Edition’s set last year (Bunnies), it has no real plot but the big idea is positivity and being true to yourself, which I think we are really going to connect with.” h

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SEPT 20, 2019

Running the Show Studio One Acts student directors elaborate on creative liberties while producing show BIANCA TEMPLETON STORY

VERONICA TEETER PHOTOS

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tudents involved in Studio One Acts are in the process of rehearsing four separate plays on Oct. 5, 6 and 7. Students will perform a different one-act play each time. The plays are “The Rental” by Mark Harvey Levine, “The Last Hat” by Kyle John Schmidt, “No More Mr. Nice Guy” by Jonathan Rand and “May the Best Fan Win” by Jonathan Rand. All performances will be in the Studio Theater.

From casting, acting and costume-designing, Studio One Acts gives four seniors the opportunity to direct and produce a one-act show. Piper Williams, Studio One Acts student director and senior, directs “The Rental.”

Williams said directors like her pick a short 10 to 15 minute one-

act show and they do everything directors do in a play.

“We cast it, do the set design, (make) the props, (design) the costumes,” she said. “There are four one-acts that are presented. They’re all funny, comedy shows.”

Theatre Arts director Jim Peterson said via email, “There is a lot of creative freedom in this production. We also have some constraints that we need to adhere to so (the students’) creativity is challenged.” In addition to this liberty given to student directors, Peterson added, there is always another factor they need to consider.

“There’s also the responsibility of producing something for a paying audience.” Peterson said. He said he is available as a resource and ob-

prep to perform Take a look at the process that leads up to the Studio One Acts performances

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First, students submit an application to be a director for the acts. They are then selected to be student-directors for the shows.

This year there are four student-directors: Delaney Kibler Kyle Fleckenstein Piper Williams Maddie Nagel

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OLIVIA CHILDRESS GRAPHIC JIM PETERSON, DELANEY KIBLER SOURCES

server. “When directors have questions or seek advice,” he said. “I’m there to offer support and guidance.

I’m also there to remind students of all of the different aspects that go into producing a show.”

Delaney Kibler, Studio One Acts student director and senior, said she interested in pursuing directing in the future. “(Directing has been) a passion of mine that I have been doing for the past two years,” she said via email. “I have been involved in theater for the past six. I enjoy every aspect of directing and it is definitely something that I’m going to pursue to my fullest capabilities.”

“In the past I have assistant directed many shows,” Kibler added, “but I have not had the chance to

The directors have to make several different versions of their scripts including:

The student directors must then choose a script with a cast of characters that can work for the actors available.

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BEHIND THE SCENES: (ABOVE) Piper Williams, Studio One Acts student director and senior, discusses the show, “The Rental,” with two student actors. Williams said, “Theatre is always going to be a part of my life, so I’d like to direct a smaller community theatre for sure.”

Studio One Acts will present four separate plays starting on Oct. 5 in the Studio Theater.

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s nd s bloctage king soulight and audition exerpt

The directors then run auditions and cast the shows to create a workable cast and test the chemistry of the actors.

Then, the directors must work out design elements with the tech director. They all design their own set and create a list of props and set pieces required for the show.

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The directors must block the show with the actors during rehearsals. By Oct. 3, the show is ready to perform!

Scan this to buy tickets to the Studio One Acts shows starting on Oct. 5 DIRECTOR’S CUT: (RIGHT) Delaney Kibler, Studio One Acts student director and senior, reads through a script during rehearsal after school. Kibler said her role as a director is to cast actors, create props and costumes and to design the set for each one-act show.

solely direct my own show. Being a director for the one-acts allows me to see what my job in the future will be like start to finish without having the help of a teacher. Our theatre teachers have helped us here and there with any questions we might have, but for the most part we are doing it by ourselves.”

Kibler said in her show they start with a read-through and then build on characters. “I read a novel over the summer about acting and how to build a character and I made those tips into a worksheet that I read to my cast and we worked through our characters together,” she said. “After everybody had a good character, we began to block everything. Throughout the process of blocking there were a lot of questions about the character choices,

as it was a confusing show with a lot of complex characters, but we just work through those questions together and we came up with good conclusions on the characters.”

With Studio One Acts, Williams said, “It’s a lot of fun, I’ve helped

direct before, but I’ve never had the liberty to do whatever I want…

I definitely have gotten help from the people in my cast and we collaborate together, and we come up with ideas that will make the show the best it can be.” h

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SEPT 20, 2019

In the Mood to Write With Oct. 3 as National Poetry Day, writers reflect on how emotions impact writing CHRISTIAN LEDBETTER STORY

KIMMI VASIL PHOTOS

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s Erin Takahashi, student writer and senior, goes throughout her day, she feels emotions as any other human being does. However, for her, those emotions become a catalyst for story ideas. Before the idea fades, she quickly writes it down somewhere and puts it away to mull over.

Later on, this idea may shift in another direction or change entirely. The end of the story might even change, simply because of one thing: her emotions at the time of writing.

Takahashi’s method is not unique.

Jessie Godfrey, student writer and sophomore, said she may change an idea based off of feeling as well. When Godfrey begins to write a poems, for example, she said she often uses notes taken from phrases or words spoken in conversations she’s in; however, her writing process is quite flexible. “(My process) sounds really random,” Godfrey said. “(My poems) usually morphs into something completely different from what I originally intended.”

LYRICS AND POETRY: (BELOW) Sophomore Jessie Godfrey writes song lyrics in the library during SRT. Besides writing poetry, she writes songs and music. Godfrey said she plays guitar and is inspired by many musicians.

LOOK IT UP: (RIGHT) Godfrey browses through novels to read for inspiration. Godfrey said she enjoys poetry and creative writing and she hopes to take the creative writing class in the future.

Similarly, Takahashi said her writing is also subject to change, especially when she has a bad day. She releases those emotions through her stories, which often change to a negative tone.

For example, she said she might write a story of a person with amnesia and use methods like addressing the audience to establish a creepy mood.

“Every time the audience questions the character in text, the char-

acter will respond with unsettling answers,” Takahashi said, “and the character will constantly ask why the audience asks those questions.”

According to Jillian VonderoheSchmidt, advanced composition teacher and Just Write Club sponsor, outside influences do play a major role in writing, emotional or otherwise.

“I think (students) have higher expectations for the things they read in

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inside the brain Take a look at how different parts of your brain process your emotions and affect your actions PREFRONTAL CORTEX controls decision-making in response to emotions

CINGULATE GYRUS plays a role in remembering emotionally charged events

HYPOTHALAMUS controls physiological reactions to emotions AMYGDALA the center of emotional processing, responsible for multiple emotional responses like love, fear, and anger

HIPPOCAMPUS a memory processing center, interacts with the amygdala when a person has memories with emotional ties

VENTRAL TEGMENTAL AREA involved in emotions and love, especially how a person perceives pleasure CHLOE SUN GRAPHIC JAVI A. MORALS, PH.D. PHYSICS & NEUROSCIENCE, LIVESTRONG, HEALTHLINE SOURCES

class,” Vonderohe-Schmidt said, “(as saying trends in media might also crewell as) for the type of references we ate a general shift in writing style. make in class and they are inherently “I would say especially how I see just more exposed to that depth.” (this change) in media with the rise Takahashi is one such student of streaming services that allow us to with high expectation. Besides being binge watch more and more series heavily influenced by emotions, she rather than just going to the movies said she has high standards for how and seeing an hour-and-a-half-long she presents those feelings through story,” Vonderohe-Schmidt said. her characters as well.

“We get so much more “In recent movies, depth because we can just the form of writing hang onto those charwe can hang acters in general (in scripts), for days, instead I’ve noticed that (the of an hour and a half onto those writers) focus more or two hours. So (new characters on setting instead of media) allows for characters, most of the much more complexfor days, time, so characters lack ity and many more instead of expression or character,” subplots than the Takahashi said. “It’s all an hour and usual movie has the right to have an interability to have.” a half or esting setting, but you Yet, both Takahashi have to show some and Godfrey said a two hours. kind of emotion. Even good writer must be JILLIAN VONDEROHEif they’re emotionless able to put in as much SCHMIDT characters, you have to of their emotion as present them in a way possible.

Takahashi where they’re described as emotional.” said while one could write based off Takahashi credited this recent phetrends and that writing may even be nomenon to the Hunger Games series successful, it often ends up rather and its large following, but added it dull, as the writer may not feel concould just be her being “personally benected to that story. ing picky about stories.”

“Blandness can be overshadowed Vonderohe-Schmidt added onto by interesting settings or just a very Takahashi’s reference of pop culture, popular archetype and that can over-

shadow everything bad, too,” Takahashi said, adding that overplaying the setting is just one recent trend that she’s noticed.

Godfrey said having a narrow mindset while writing is never beneficial, whether it be limiting oneself to a trend or otherwise. “(I think) starting with a title is an awful idea,” Godfrey said, elaborating that it already sets a course for a story that may not otherwise have gone down—thus trapping an idea.

For Takahashi, the best way to overcome writer’s block is to connect with her emotions throughout the process.

“It’s because I as a person don’t like to express a lot to a lot of people as I have an isolated personality.

With writing, I get to be as expressive as I can,” Takahashi said. “It’s just easier that way.” h

A BIT OF GUIDANCE: Jillian Vonderohe-Schmidt, Just Write Club sponsor and English teacher, helps a student with a creative writing assignment during SRT. She said she always wants students to feel as if they can ask her for help because she knows through guidance each student can find their technique for writing well and efficiently.

38 S E P T 2 0 , 2 0 1 9

Musician Spotlight Musician and junior Cydney Combellick describes her experience with music VALLIEI CHANDRAKUMAR Q&A, PHOTO

What inspired you to start exploring music?

Music was just kind of a good way to get a lot of my emotions out that you can’t really get from just talking to someone, or drawing or doing different athletic activities. It speaks to people in a different way. It not only helps you but it can help other people.

How does music impact your day-to-day life?

It definitely takes weight off my back because it is a really good release. That’s what I would say because school can be really stressful and people can be stressful. With music, you can always just have a good minute away from it all.

What message do you hope to convey through your music?

I just want everybody to feel seen and feel important because in a big school like this, (there are) not very many people who feel important. Even if it’s just for a second, everyone should feel seen.

What do you tell yourself before you perform?

I think about how it doesn’t really matter if I do well or if I don’t do well. From where I have started, I have gone really far.

Personally, I’m proud of that. I don’t think about what other people are going to think. I just think about what I want to get out of the performance.

Describe your thinking process when you come up with new music.

I usually think about things that I wish I could say to people that I can’t, and things that I think about that are hard to put into words in a conversation. With music, you can describe yourself in ways that would be really weird in a conversation.

Music allows people to think, “Oh, I relate to that.” I understand what they’re feeling.

WISE MEN SAY: Singer and junior Cydney Combellick sings a cover of “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley for Carmel residents at Peace Water Winery on Aug. 30. Combellick sings there every Friday from 6 to 9 p.m.

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Entertainment Briefs PERFORMING ARTS SUNDAY ORCHESTRA SENIOR CONCERTO

OCT. 4 CHS COMMUNITY NIGHT

Room P118

Football Stadium

OCT. 15 FALL ORCHESTRA CONCERT

OCT. 23 FALL CONCERT BAND

CHS Auditorium

Football Stadium

3 P.M.

6 P.M.

TESSA COLLINSON BRIEFS

THEORETICALLY SPEAKING: Orchestra teacher Thomas Chen teaches music theory to a freshman orchestra class on Aug. 30. These concert orchestra classes focus on essential string techniques and elaborate on practice and performance skills.

Students will then take a playing test to assess their progress in March.

6 P.M.

6 P.M.

VALLIEI CHAN­ DRAKUMAR PHOTO

Q&A chs’ new choir director anna debard

What roles do you have?

I’m the lead director of New Edition and Rhapsody, I am one of the directors for Expressions, I am the lead teacher for applied music classes and I will direct the musical.

What excites you about working at a school like CHS? All of the students and all of the different opportunities that I get to give those students in a program like this is really incredible. In Applied Music, (I am) getting to work with individual students on solo pieces, but at the same time (I am) getting to work with big groups like Expressions.

EMILY CARLISLE Q&A

SHRUTHI RAVICHANDRAN PHOTO

What were your reasons for deciding to teach music?

I grew up with a band director mom... so I went all through high school in choir and band... Even in high school, I was starting to help my peers with their vocal parts... and just found that I really, really loved it.

Do you have any fun stories or facts about yourself?

I broke my foot in high school doing a swing dancing flip and hadn’t flipped since, (but) then I did this past summer at the (show choir) retreat.

sports

SEPT 20, 2019

Something to Cheer About CHS welcomes new Unified Cheer team for 2019-20 school year ADAM SPENSLEY STORY

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MADDIE KOSC PHOTOS

his year, this school has added a new unified team to its list: Unified Cheer.

Along with this addition, CHS was one of just 34 schools across the nation to be put on ESPN’s honor roll for inclusion of unified sports programs. The team will cheer on the Unified Flag Football team at its games throughout the season. The athletes, their partners and coaches will participate in sideline cheers, chants and stunting at games. The team consists of three coaches and seven athletes. Joining the athletes will be two to three partners who

will assist in performing the cheers and stunts.

Gabri Beidl, Unified Cheer coach and senior, said inspiration for the founding of the team came from her mother’s experiences with special needs students.

“My mom works with special needs kids at Creekside (middle school), and they always ask my mom when they can cheer with us at basketball games.

I wanted to start a program where they could have their own team; I love helping them,” Gabri said.

Kaitlyn “Katie” Suder, Unified Cheer coach and senior, said she agrees.

CHEERING TOGETHER: Unified Cheer athlete Maddy Paxton practices her routine with her pom-poms.

Katie Suder, Unified Cheer coach and senior, said she believes cheer is a fun sport that anyone can participate in.

Paxton is one of many athletes to join the Unified Cheer team.

“I’ve been a part of Unified Sports pretty much all of high school and since I didn’t try out for football cheer this past year, I thought it would be a great opportunity to get (Unified Cheer at Carmel High School),” Suder said.

The team has experienced a large turnout, more than Candace Beidl, cosponsor of the team and Gabri’s mother, said she could have anticipated.

“We have a waiting list for partners because there’s been a lot more interest than we thought there would have been…which is great because there’s been way more in-

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SNAP A SELFIE: (LEFT) Ava Wetzel, Unified Cheer partner and senior, takes a selfie with her paired athlete, Laryn Weninger. Candace Beidl, team co-sponsor, said the interest in Unified Cheer was greater than she could have ever imagined.

terest than we could have thought at the beginning of the year,” Candace said.

Gabri said she also agrees.

“This is the first year we have had a Unified Cheer team and I feel like it has already been a huge deal. We have had so many people that were interested in being partners in Unified Cheer.”

Throughout the several practices the team has had so far this season, Candace said she has been able to see the development of the athletes and how participating has brought many benefits to them.

“We have seen these kids just blossom, and it’s been amazing, honestly. They went from being very quiet the first couple of practices, and now they just are so happy and confident in what they are doing,” Candace said.

Suder said she has also seen the positive impact of Unified Cheer. “(Unified Cheer) is another sport that allows the community to participate in cheering for their school that otherwise wouldn’t be able to,” Suder said. “And it involves creating so many friendships that are unbreakable and I love being able h to do that.”

PICTURE TIME: (BELOW) Unified Cheer athlete Michael “Mike” Herod takes a photo with Marie Pelletiere, his paired partner and senior, before practice. Gabri Beidl, team coach and senior, said that Unified sports has always been a fun way for people to make new friends.

by the numbers

82%

of family members reported their athletes had higher selfesteem after participation in Unified Sports

79% of Unified Sports partners said they had a better understanding of people with intellectual disabilities after participation in a Unified sport SPECIAL OLYMPICS SOURCE

41

S P EA K U P !

What do you enjoy most about Unified sports?

“I really enjoy doing Unified Track because I like including all students. It has always been a big part of my life, even since elementary school where my mom was a special-ed teacher.”

Aida Niese, Unified Track partner and junior “I love participating in Unified Flag Football and Track because I love being part of a team that includes all types of people and promotes physical activity and competition.”

Eshan Selvan, Unified Flag Football partner and senior SARAH KIM SPEAK-UPS, ISABELLA WHITE PHOTOS

42

SEPT 20, 2019

The Beat of Your Drum Marching band members, director deliberate over recognition of band compared to sports ANIKET BISWALI, KAROLENA ZHOU STORY

J

enna Kellermeyer, marching band member and junior, said she is aware how much physical and mental work is involved to put on a performance, like the one for the Regional Competition which is set to take place tomorrow. This is why she said she is frustrated that marching band is underrated by her peers and not recognized enough compared to IHSAA-required sports.

Kellermeyer said, “Marching band puts in an enormous amount of work and hours. A key piece of band is being able to repeat your actions, so we work strenuously in order to perfect that.

We often fall into a stereotype of ‘band nerds,’ but in the end, we are some of the hardest working kids at the school.”

Other marching band members said they agree with Kellermeyer. Rory Bowers, marching band member and sophomore, said he feels like the marching band should be held at the same degree of recognition with sports such as football.

“I believe marching band and sports should be held at the same level of respect as one another because the amount of work in both marching band and sports that is required to get to the high levels

of excellence here at Carmel (is the same),” Bowers said.

Still, people like Kellermeyer acknowledge that even many of her marching band peers do not share her sentiment. Most performers speculate that this is due to the amount of practice hours exceeding the IHSAA maximum. Others say that it is due to the fact that athletic ability is second to the art of performance.

“While band follows the definition of a sport, many band kids struggle to call it one. We have longer hours and still have conditioning, but (marching band falls) under the category of a performing art,” Kellermeyer said.

While Kellermeyer and Bowers said they feel slighted, marching band director Michael Pote said he has never had the impression by the administration or student body that the importance of what marching band students do is considered any less than athletics.

“I don’t want (marching band) to be a sport. We are a different animal, a different experience than sports.

We don’t talk about ‘winning’. We just want (marching band students) to do the best they can, and rewards are just something nice that comes along,” Pote said.

DRUM TIME: The percussion players lead the procession of marching band performers at the halftime performance of a home football game. Jenna Kellermeyer, marching band performer and junior, said she wishes that marching band would get more recognition like sports such as football and basketball.

NICHOLAS BECKMAN PHOTO

Still, in terms of the strenuousness and physicality of marching band, Pote said he acknowledges its demands compared to other sports.

“We make our kids go under extremely difficult physical demands as well as musical demands. We practice at a tempo of around 186 beats per minute, which is really fast. We need our kids to be able to play at that tempo but also move their feet and contort their body that fast as well.”

Even though marching band is not officially designated as a sport, Kellermeyer said she thinks it would be nice for marching band to be given a little more recognition.

“In a perfect world, it would be amazing to see other sports teams come to a performance of ours, especially given we attend every football game and support the football team. Perhaps even announcing our placements on the announcements like they do for basketball,” Kellermeyer said. “(However,) I adore (band). Band has made my high school experience exponentially better. It’s not for everybody, but ultimately, I couldn’t be more thankful for the opportunity to be part of such an incredible program.” h

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Manager Profiles

43

Managers, coaches describe team managers’ responsibilities and importance ANDREW CAITO WORDS

OLIVIA CHILDRESS PHOTOS

Q&A

katie kelly, assistant women’s cross-country coach

How do the managers help the team?

I think it’s fun because our managers are girls who are really interested in our sport and it gives them the chance to stay involved and it allows us as coaches to not have to all the managerial tasks and we can focus on helping individual athletes and developing the team to practice and for races. I really think we could not do what we do without our managers and they are essential for our efficiently operating team.

What are the managers’ main responsibilities?

Our managers are very essential for our team. They help keep attendance with over 150 girls; it is very important to keep accurate attendance and keep track of our uniform check-out because they have special varsity uniforms and they have to check them back in. They also keep track of our stats after our meets. They put all the girls’ times into spreadsheets to keep track of their personal best race and also to keep track of if they’re stronger or if they’re struggling. It helps us place girls on a team throughout the year.

gillian thompson, women’s cross-country manager and sophomore

“Managers for the cross country team are in charge of attendance, setting everything up, and setting out the wickets for speed training when the girls do that. Wickets are pretty much these little hurdles and every about two step distance so the girls can practice running through them for speed.

I chose to be a manager because I’m focusing on training for track in the spring but I still wanted to be apart of cross-country. It was such a good team experience last year so I wanted to be a part of it even though I am not running.”

TEAM PLAYER: Joseph Duncan, men’s soccer manager and sophomore, sits on the bleachers and watches the team play.

Duncan said that he enjoyed being able to aid the team in setting up various drills.

What other tasks do the managers handle?

They help us prepare ice baths for the team, they prepare our bags for meets, and they get water for our girls at practice, especially on hot days when they’re doing hard workouts. We would not be able to do what we do without them. With practice, they just are there to help be supportive. They participate in team meetings and when they go to meets they help give out race bibs and keep track of who needs ice. They also help with first aid when there are injuries.

MANAGING DUTIES: Gillian Thompson, women’s crosscountry coach and sophomore, organizes the cross-country athletes’ timing chips after a race.

Thompson said that she likes being part of the team dynamic.

joseph duncan, men’s soccer manager and sophomore

“At practice, I help coach set up cones and drills. On game days, I am always with the boys on the field warming up. I love being a part and traveling with the team and just having a good time.”

44

SEPT 20, 2019

Going For It All CHS football aims to use last season’s championship defeat as fuel to attain new heights ASHWIN PRASAD STORY

L

VERONICA TEETER PHOTOS

inebacker and senior Ty Wise has not forgotten the way last season ended for the CHS football team.

Nor has quarterback and senior Gabe Quigley, head coach John Hebert or anyone else on the team.

The 2018 CHS football season was exceptional by any measure. The Greyhounds racked up an 11-3 record and advanced to the State Championship game in Lucas Oil Stadium. Their season, however, was marred by two blowout losses to undefeated Warren Central, including a 7-27 defeat in the Championship game.

“We were shooting for that state championship game all summer but to come up short was very very disappointing, this season we’re working to make sure that won’t happen again,” Wise said.

“I woke up the next morning thinking ‘oh, I never want to feel this way again,’ and I know the rest of the team felt the same way,” he added.

Hebert detailed the road to the season, and said preparations started immediately after the game ended with an eye toward avenging last year’s defeat.

“The last two years we have started a winter conditioning program, starting in February. We had a new spring ball, we had five practices this April which helped us get a head start. We also had 12 practices in the summer and took 60 team members (first- and secondstringers) to Champaign, Ill. to scrimmage. We wanted to keep our team fresh, while keeping our standards the same,” Hebert said.

Hebert also detailed the mental challenges of the long off-season, and said the upperclassmen realized the importance of the most basic drills and exercises because of that loss.

“We had to start over but also use that negative experience for our advantage, which means not getting complacent and not procrastinating and not missing opportunities or intangible things which you (need to) learn the hard way. We have 14 returning starters and every one of them remembers how it ended, and they want something different. It’s easier for these players to understand what we’re doing and how important it is,” Hebert said.

The bitter taste of that loss ended up powering the team’s off-season,

LET’S GO: (TOP) Senior quarterback Gabe Quigley celebrates after a score. He struggled in last year’s championship game, and said he’s motivated to right that wrong.

(LEFT) Senior linebacker Ty Wise makes a stop against Noblesville. Wise played on last year’s team that allowed 68 points in two games against Warren Central.

spurring them to work harder than ever during conditioning classes, training camp and scrimmages during the long summer months. Wise and Quigley singled out the younger players for their effort, noting they had not seen such spirit in previous years.

“All of our younger players have been really strong and holding their ground this summer. They’ve been making big plays that you don’t see out of young players, (they are) carrying the team right now. it will be very cool to see what they will do during the season,” Quigley said. “(With) the young kids it’s just different than I’ve ever seen before, they are so, so hungry, and that will reflect positively on our team,” Wise said.

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Both seniors reflected on their leadership roles within the team, with Quigley leading the offense and Wise manning the defense.

“It’s something I never really understood as a sophomore and junior, but it’s cool that the team is behind me now,” Quigley said.

Wise said he tries to emulate previous leaders such as Joey Schmidt, Beau Robbins, and Nate Frey (all 2019 graduates).

“Being a senior and one of the top players on the defense, everyone’s looking at me so they respect what I say, what I do, that’s a lot

on my shoulders but I think I can handle it and help all the young players and the team.”

Hebert echoed his players’ optimism over the upcoming season, while also cautioning them over the trials and tribulations that are inevitably in store.

“Everybody in here believes this team has the capability to win a championship. I’m very optimistic about that, they’ve indicated that they have that intangible, but you have to go through it anyway, and it has to be proven and ‘reproven.’

“That’s what makes winning and winning championships so hard: you

TEAM WIN: Head coach John Hebert addresses the team after a win against Noblesville.

The Hounds’ remaining schedule includes historical rivals Ben Davis and Warren Central, and Hebert said any let-up would be exploited by those teams.

45

really have to have everything come together at the right time.”

Hebert warned that complacency will be punished against other strong programs such as Warren, Trinity, Center Grove and Ben Davis. “At times, we may conclude that we’re pretty good, but that’s not enough. It never is.”

Wise said, “This team has the potential to be great, can’t really say that about a lot of teams. If you ask any team we’re going to play, they know. They know we’re going to be legit this year.

“We’re legit every year, but this year’s just different.” h

holding the line

Learn about the role of the outside linebacker (OLB), Ty Wise’s critical defensive position

Positions of the outside linebackers in a 4 linebacker set, highlighted in blue.

Rush Passers (blitzing)

Pass Coverage

Blitzing (rushing) the quarterback is one of the OLB’s primary roles. Even average quarterbacks can make good passes given enough time, so the OLB’s role in blitzing is crucial to the team.

OLBs are also often needed for pass coverage (covering the opponent’s receivers to prevent them from catching).

Making Tackles Linebackers, including OLBs, usually lead the team in tackles.

They need to quickly read plays being made and move into position to stop the ball-carrier.

EDWARD DONG GRAPHIC LIVEABOUT, SPORTINGCHARTS, ESQUIRE SOURCES

46

SEPT 20, 2019

Just Keep Swimming CHS swimmers make a splash at Junior Worlds in Hungary SATVIK KANDRU STORY

VERONICA TEETER PHOTOS

SENIOR WYATT DAVIS

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s a freshman entering high school, Wyatt Davis was an accomplished young swimmer, but his dream was to compete for a gold medal. Just this past fall, Davis accomplished that goal at one of the highest stages in junior swimming.

The Carmel High School senior swimmer won in style, coming back from fourth place to win a gold medal in the 200-meter backstroke at the Aug. 25 World Junior Championships in Budapest, Hungary.

“The 200 back has always been one of my favorite events, and being able to trust my training and my race strategy to be the first to touch the wall for Team USA was a very special moment for me,” Davis said.

Davis attributes his success to his “underdog mentality.”

“As long as you have a lane, you have a chance to win, or at least move up in places,” Davis

SENIOR JAKE MITCHELL said. “So to me, it didn’t really matter all that much what I was seeded. I just knew that if I had a lane, I had an opportunity to do something great.”

The win gave Davis six medals for the World Juniors, which stretched from Aug. 20 to 25.

“To be honest, I was not expecting to get a medal at all,” Davis said.

“I was going into the meet hoping for a few new best times and to enjoy (Junior Worlds). Never would I have thought the week leading up to the meet that I would have walked away with six. I just learned to attack every race with the utmost confidence and to trust the process that got me there.”

Davis picked up a gold in the 400-meter mixed medley relay. He also earned a gold medal for being in the prelims for the 800-meter relay team.

He earned silver in the 50 backstroke and 400 medley relay and a bronze in the 100 backstroke.

S

wimmer and senior, Jake Mitchell was on the U.S.’s winning 800-meter relay team at the world junior championships in Budapest, Hungary; his performance set a world junior record. He gave the Americans the lead in the third leg. He also placed fourth in the 400 meter backstroke and seventh in the 800 backstroke.

Mitchell said cheering KICKING OUT: for Team USA was his favor- Senior Jake Mitchell ite part of the experience. looks on as he finishes “Surrounding myself a drill. Mitchell with swimmers that work helped set a world equally as hard, if not junior record in the harder than me was eas- 800-meter relay, ily one of the best parts of swimming the third leg.

Junior Worlds,” Mitchell said. “To cheer for the United States was the most exciting experience I ever had.”

(Both Davis and Mitchell are committed to swim for the University of Michigan next fall).

It was something each of them worked diligently for... We are extremely proud of them.

HEAD COACH CHRIS PLUMB FREESTYLIN’: Senior Wyatt Davis works on his freestyle. Davis won a gold medal in the 400-meter mixed medley relay.

HILITE.ORG

SPORTS BRIEFS

47

ASHWIN PRASAD BRIEFS

TODAY WOMEN’S GOLF

MEN’S SOCCER

What: Sectional When: 8 a.m.

Where: South Grove GC, Indianapolis

What: Varsity vs Homestead When: 6 p.m.

Where: Homestead HS, Fort Wayne

TOMORROW MEN’S TENNIS What: MIC Championships When: 8 a.m Where: Ben Davis HS

What: Varsity vs North Central When: 6:30 p.m.

Where: North Central HS

What: Varsity vs Lawrence North When: 7 p.m.

Where: Fishers

MONDAY

CROSS-COUNTRY

WOMEN’S SOCCER

What: Flashrock Invitational When: 8 p.m.

Where: Northview Church

What: Varsity vs Noblesville When: 5 p.m.

Where: Murray Stadium

TUESDAY VOLLEYBALL

FOOTBALL

MEN’S SOCCER What: Varsity vs Pike When: 7 p.m.

Where: Murray Stadium

WEDNESDAY VOLLEYBALL What: Varsity vs Noblesville When: 7 p.m.

Where: Noblesville HS

MORE SPORTS ONLINE Want to access more coverage of Greyhound sports? Check out the Sports section on HiLite.org to explore content beyond the publication. Beat writers file reports on every varsity sport during the year, and social media provides up-tothe-minute coverage on the biggest sporting events of the school year.

This year, immediate recaps of important games can be found on the website. Overall, HiLite’s commitment to quality sports coverage has never been higher, allowing fans of the Hounds to keep up with this school’s teams.

SCAN THIS For more scores, updates and recaps, go to HiLite.org

perspectives

SEPT 20, 2019

Brain Healthy Administration hires first mental health coordinator to respond to crises in schools, benefit students HILITE STAFF EDITORIAL

I

n June 2019, the Carmel Clay board of trustees hired the first mental health coordinator in our district, Stephanie Whiteside, to further its initiative of addressing mental health issues among Carmel Clay students. Whiteside will be responsible for providing critical advice about mental health, supporting counselors and social workers and overseeing the district’s actions in addressing mental health issues. While the HiLite staff fully commends the school board’s decision to hire a mental health coordinator, we also encourage students to take the services she will oversee seriously.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one-fifth of American children ranging from ages 3 to 17 suffer from a mental illness, but approximately 80% get no treatment. Although CHS has already implemented programs to combat the issue, such as Mindfulness Minutes and the Culture of Care campaign, the hiring of a professional proves the district is serious in addressing mental health in schools, environments notorious for negatively impacting students’ mental health. In fact, a study conducted by the Pew Research Center in 2019 found that academics are the leading cause of stress correlated to mental illness among teens, followed by fitting social norms and participating in extracurriculars. Thus, with a trained mental health coordinator on staff who possesses extensive knowledge about mental health as well as our stance skills to help address mental We commend the district health issues, this district has a hopeful future. on taking more steps to In response to the promote mental health and hope students utilize school’s efforts, however, students need to utilize the resources available the new resources, as to everyone. well as help remove the toxic stigma surrounding mental health issues. According to the Social Science and Medical Journal, school-level stigma is negatively associated with medication use, counseling and therapy visits and to a lesser degree, emotional support. Often, the stigma is present because the students are ignorant about issues surrounding mental health. According to a national survey conducted by Michigan State scholars, 54% of people could not identify anxiety and 37% could not identify depression, resulting in 71% of

S P EA K U P !

Why did you choose to start mindfulness minutes?

“It started out with me being interested in it myself.

Mindfulness and meditation helped me relax and focus on my work, especially if something was stressing me. So I started doing it with students.”

Science teacher Sarah Gillim “I think they’re fun and important because taking time to get your mental health straight is as important as physical health, so I think it’s important for everyone to take those few moments to relax and be conscious of your mental well being.”

Science teacher David James “My students enjoyed the experience and I felt that they were getting a lot out of the idea that being aware of how our brains are working can help find success in life.”

English teacher Kathleen Overbeck ANDREW CAITO SPEAK-UPS, PHOTOS

Fill out this form to request to see CHS social workers

people expressing stigma about mental health. Luckily, Whiteside said she plans to increase awareness and educate others on mental health, consequently removing any toxic stigmas or stereotypes that students in the district may believe. We only ask for students to take the school’s actions in addressing mental health seriously, utilize the services provided if needed and be sensitive toward others. From this, the Carmel Clay district can create a positive environment for students and become a safe place for those in need.

Thus, with mental health becoming a more pressing issue on school grounds, the HiLite staff commends the school board for its efforts. We look forward to the h plans Whiteside has.

HILITE.ORG

49

Better Late Than Never College Board’s new registration date for AP tests restricts students’ flexibility for decisions RIYA CHINNI COLUMN

C

ollege Board recently announced the registration deadline for AP exams, which take place in May, will now be on Nov. 15.

In previous years, College Board set the AP Test Registration deadline in the early spring, granting students significantly more time to decide whether they wish to take the test. By keeping a deadline that is much closer to the actual exam itself, students have the opportunity to experience the course for a little more than a semester before committing to hours of test preparation, paying the hefty exam fee—which can cost up to $94—and taking the approximate three-to fourhour exam in May, which can cause students to miss coursework in other ongoing classes during the time of the exam for scores they may or may not want.

When it comes to committing to an AP exam, my experience has been the more experience with the class, the better. Throughout my time here at CHS, I have taken a fair amount of AP classes and subsequent tests, and while I did not change my mind about registering for an additional exam in the spring, I definitely did appreciate having more time during the second semester that allowed for better understanding of the material that would be covered in the exam. With a better idea of what I could expect when test day rolled around in May, I felt pretty comfortable signing up for my exams.

However, in courses such as AP Chemistry or AP Calculus AB, for example, you do not learn about titrations or integration until second semester, and these are

GIVE ME A 5

by the numbers

5.1

MILLION AP tests taken in 2018.

2.8

MILLION students took AP tests in 2018.

COLLEGEBOARD SOURCE

get moving two months until moving

integral components of each subject’s exams. In the past, if students struggled with these topics to the point of not wanting to take the exam anymore, they would have had the opportunity to not commit to the exam and simply complete the course in school without the stress of taking the AP test.

This year, however, students will have to commit to taking the exam without knowing many of the concepts on the AP test. They will not even have a whole semester under their belt by the time the November deadline rolls around. For second semester classes like AP Microeconomics, students will register for the exam before they start the class.

Furthermore, if a student does not plan to not take an exam and then later changes their mind, they would not be able to do so after November. For example, I made the choice to self-study for the AP Psychology exam during winter break, and, fortunately, because AP exam registration was just a few months after I made that decision, I was able to sign up to take that exam.

The new AP exam registration deadline in November removes the flexibility of a later date from students. By forcing students to complete only a small portion of a class, often only the fundamentals of a subject, before signing up or permitting them to change their mind about taking or not taking an exam in the spring, the College Board’s decision will have negative ramifications on AP test-takers this year. h The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Riya Chinni at rchinni@hilite.org TESSA COLLINSON GRAPHIC PERSPECTIVE

after cleaning seven weeks later

realization that I still need to pack

50

SEPT 20, 2019

Grasping

Reusable straw movement sparks good conversation about plastic consumption, encourages mindful changes to reduce waste RHEA ACHARYA COLUMN

I

10

col so waiters only provide disposable am the proud owner of metal straws upon request. Customers can straws—six of them to be exRead a story help with this initiative; for example, act. My family keeps the set in on the switch if you go to a restaurant without a our car, and whenever we go someof some request-only policy, I encourage you to where we try to use it instead of CCS school tell your waiter you don’t want a straw plastic alternatives. In case we forget cafeterias before they set it on the table. to bring them, we simply don’t use from plastic But while small steps like these a straw and drink straight from the to metal can make a difference, I still wonder container. It’s really not that bad. silverware if there is a better solution. Why, for Now, I’m not saying you should example, are metal straws not counted order your own set of metal straws as a standard part of cutlery such as a off of Amazon immediately. Inmetal spoon or fork? To be fair, manstead, I simply encourage you to ufacturing one metal straw uses up incorporate habits more mindfully about 100 times more energy than into your life that consume less a plastic one, but because each of plastic, thus keeping landfills and these straws can last much longer, oceans cleaner. especially if reused for years, this Using reusable straws—as endeavor makes the most sense well as reusable shopping bags from an energy standpoint. and water bottles—only takes More importantly, this will a couple seconds of planning greatly reduce the amount of and is much better for the plastic waste released. environment than regularly usThese changes have an iming their plastic counterparts. pact. According to The New According to The Telegraph, HERE’S THE TEA York Times, Americans use beplastic straws take around 200 years to decompose in landfills, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization Take a look at the features states 100,000 marine animals and of the new nitro lids from Starbucks one million seabirds die from plastic entanglement every year.

There is a small There is a raised rim Due to this, I applaud Starbucks’ hole to allow air to with an open, wide recent efforts to combat the issue by hole to drink from flow in and out and incorporating nitro lids into their (no hole for straws) allow faster drinking stores. In most restaurants, the waiters are trained to give the guests plastic straws with drinks, so whether or not they are used, they are often thrown away when the table is cleared. However, Starbucks is making strawless the norm, as customers have to request to receive straws, forcing them to reconsider if a straw is really necessary.

I hope other restaurants learn from this and change their training proto-

time to cap

tween 170 to 390 million single-use plastic straws every day. According to BBC, Starbucks’ straw ban alone will cut down on an estimated 1 billion straws a year, or 2.7 million straws every day. Especially when coupled with similar initiatives from major companies like Disney, McDonald’s, Hyatt and some airline companies, among others, these changes will not only reduce the blind usage of plastic straws but also open up the conservation on reducing our consumption of plastic as a whole.

So, the next time you go to a restaurant and order a soda, think of Starbucks and skip the straw or bring your own. You would not only be eliminating one more straw from going to the landfills or ocean but might even encourage other people to do the same. h The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Rhea Acharya at racharya@hilite.org.

CALINA HE PHOTO ILLUSTRATION WFMY NEWS 2 SOURCE

There is now a deep indentation from the rim in order to prevent the consumer’s nose from bumping the lid The new lids use about 0.32 to 0.88 more grams of plastic (by weight) than the old lid and straw combinations

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at Straws

Reusable straws trend may raise awareness but won’t make lasting impact in the greater scheme of environmental issues DA-HYUN HONG COLUMN

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ward providing more environmenis less plastic than the new lids by did you tally friendly products. mass. However, just because the know?

I’ve seen nitro lids around store provides this option doesn’t Around eight Carmel as well, but I’ve yet to see mean all customers’ preferences will million tons paper straws become the norm in change. I’ve noticed some customof plastic are most local stores. To be honest, ers either don’t understand the purdumped in they aren’t ideal for most Starbucks pose of the new lids or don’t actually drinks. Although I respect the atwant to use them correctly. I have the oceans tempt to help the environment, the witnessed countless people putting every year. paper straws are too flimsy; the a plastic straw into their nitro lid, PLASTIC OCEANS sharp edges of the hole where you completely defeating the environSOURCE insert the straw cuts into the mamental purpose of the design. terial and causes the straw to bend I think it’s wonderful that people or break, especially once the paper are using social media platforms to gets soggy from your beverage. I spread the message of environmenfind myself needing to take an extal awareness. However, as the intra to replace the original one ternet tends to do, this concept after 15 minutes. is taken too far at times. I’ve According to Starbucks’ seen multiple apologies from news website, which I did influencers after they were not know existed, the new essentially bullied for using a lids “[use] 9% less plastic plastic straw, which is ridicuthan the former lid and straw lous. Most times, people just combined.” Other reports, forget to carry them around however, say the opposite waiters in restaurants are STOP BEING THIRSTY or that the lid and cup weight trained to bring straws along with your drink. The reality is, although the internet’s mindset towards plastic straws may have CALINA HE GRAPHIC Take a look at the primary changed, the real world is much OUR WORLD IN DATA SOURCE plastic production by industrial sector in 2015 slower to adjust to the change.

I’m not trying to say this whole 161 Packaging “banning plastic straws” movement 72 Transportation is pointless, but until the city of Carmel bans plastic straws like 65 Other Sector New York City and Seattle, most 52 Textiles stores will continue to provide them and customers will continue 47 Consumer Products to use them.

30 Transportation Last but not least, how am I supposed to stab my boba cup with Electrical/Electronic 20 a collapsible straw? h The views in this column do not necIndustrial Machinery 3 essarily reflect the views of the Hi150 200 50 100 Lite staff. Reach Da-Hyun Hong at Plastic Production by million tons mhong@hilite.org.

don’t own a reusable straw; please don’t shun me. When the video of a plastic straw being pulled out of a turtle’s nose went viral on social media, using metal straws became a trend. More and more videos of YouTubers, Instagram Influencers and TikTok users sticking their collapsing reusable straws into a cup, usually accompanied by the caption “save the turtles,” would appear on my feed.

I understand the importance of being environmentally conscious, but buying a set of metal straws doesn’t seem like an enduring solution.

The first time I realized this plastic straw-hating concept was more than just a temporary trend was when I walked into a Starbucks in Orlando, Fla., over the summer. I immediately noticed all the iconic green, plastic straws had been replaced with paper ones, as well as nitro lids. It was clear Starbucks was making a conscious effort to-

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SEPT 20, 2019

The Name Game Students should make effort to learn classmates’ names to make them feel appreciated EMILY CARLISLE COLUMN

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ast year, I interacted with a For example, when I worked at a person at least once every retail store, someone, with whom I other day, but I knew his now share a class but had never talkname long before he knew mine. In ed to before, said hello to me by adfact, it took him almost the whole year dressing me by name. I was stunned to learn my name, and he learned it because I had no clue she knew who eventually only because of a muI was, but it felt nice to know that tual friend. Now, he says since people know who I am. we are friends, he “has a reaIt is easy to feel forgotson to know it,” but was I, ten in a school of 5,600. a person he often interMaking an effort to get acted with, not a good to know someone can enough reason alone really make their to learn my name? day. Next time you I am an outgocome face-to-face ing and friendly with someone you person; however, I don’t know, take will admit it can the time to get to take me awhile to know them. Who learn names. That knows, they could being said, I always REMEMBER MY NAME become your new h try my best to rebest friend. member who people The views in this column do not necare. I do this because I feel appreciated essarily reflect the views of the HiLite when someone I don’t know that well staff. Reach Emily Carlisle at ecarlcares enough to address me by name. isle@hilite.org.

How to Remember a Name

1) Make a commitment to remember 2) Practice the name 3) Use the name for every interaction 4) Don’t rely on nametags 5) On the phone, ask for name early & write it down 6) Use names when emailing 7) Ask for pronunciation 8) Use the name given to you

lockers over the years Freshman Year

Sophomore Year

WASHINGTON POST SOURCE CALINA HE GRAPHIC

THEA BERTOLINI GRAPHIC PERSPECTIVE

Junior Year

I HAVE A LOCKER???

Senior Year

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The People Should Speak Students should educate themselves civically, consider compulsary voting laws

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he United States is founded on the principles of democracy and the people governing themselves. As a result, one might think voting is something most Americans prioritize in their lives, and it is.

According to the Pew Research Center, 70% of Americans said that high voter turnout in presidential elections is very important. But this mindset doesn’t necessarily translate into action. Voting is, in reality, something that Americans, particularly young Americans, do not do, and with the voter registration deadline for elections in Indiana on Oct. 7, it is even more pertinent that people are registered and able to vote.

According to the Pew Research Center, the United States ranks 26th for voter turnout and registration of the 32 countries in the Organization GET OUT for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), with just 55.7% of the voting-age population voting in the 2016 presidential election.

This has been occurring for many reasons, one of which is that American citizens are not taught to become active members of their community, especially as young people, to the point where a 2018 survey by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation (WWNFF) found that only 36% of American adults could pass a U.S. citizenship test, with only 19% of Americans under 45 passing. It is not just for today’s young people that the importance of voting and active political participa-

JOSIE CRUZAN COLUMN

tion is underemphasized. My own mother recalls her high school government teacher telling her class to not even register, because voting, she said, didn’t matter.

However, among OECD countries, many of those with the highest voter registration and turnout numbers have laws in place that either automatically register citizens to vote or require all eligible citizens to vote. For example, in Australia, where voting is compulsory under federal law, 91% of the voting age population voted in the 2016 federal election. If the United States passed laws that automatically registered people or required them to vote, there would be a significant increase in voter turnout, something that is currently a blot on its reputation of having a government that is by the people AND VOTE and for the people.

However, since that is not a change that can be made immediately in America, the CHS community, especially students who will be able to vote in the next few years, should consider educating themselves on the issues facing our country today and registering to vote.

Voting is the most important and fundamentally American thing a person could do, and it should be done by all citizens. The act of voting is one of the biggest things I’m looking forward to in my adult life. h The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Josie Cruzan at jcruzan@ hilite.org.

how to register Learn important information about how to register to vote in Indiana and what to bring on election day for those who will be 18 years old by election day Nov. 5 register to vote online -Scan the QR code on the right to get to indianavoters.in.gov -Click “Register to Vote” -Enter in key information about yourself (e.g. driver’s license number, home address) and submit it -Make sure it gives you confirmation about being registered register to vote by mail

Scan the QR code on the left to open a form and mail it to:

* must be received

by Oct. 7

Hamilton County Square Suite 13 Noblesville, IN 46060*

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: OCT. 7 ELECTION DAY: NOV. 5 election day information -Double check your voting location at indianavoters.in.gov -Voting hours are 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Indiana (the line can take several hours to go through, so arrive very early) -Bring a valid government issued photo ID RHEA ACHARYA GRAPHIC STATE OF INDIANA GOVERNMENT SOURCE

15 minutes of fame

SEPT 20, 2019

Queen Bee Q&A with beekeeper, sophomore Allison Pasheilich ANGELA QIAN Q&A, PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

How did you get into beekeeping?

What are your goals in beekeeping?

(My grandpa) lives up in South Bend, and he basically found out that he (was) allowed to have bees. It was kind of a thought in my head, like it would be cool to be a beekeeper, but (after) my grandpa got bees and I was really able to get into a hive for the first time (last summer) and actually see it, then it really clicked like, “Yeah, this is what I want to do.”

I want to get more bees, obviously. That’s always the goal, but I really want to help educate people about bees because they’re dying, and they’re really important. I’m actually doing my (Girl Scout) Gold Award project (on bees). I’m trying to educate the public about bees. For my Gold, I made an educational booklet to teach kids about these through (things like) mazes, crosswords and word searches to make it fun for them to learn about bees, and then I handed those out. Cool Creek Park does a summer concert series, so I was at a couple of those concerts handing out my booklets.

What qualities do you need to be a beekeeper?

A lot of patience and self-control. Patience because (bees) don’t work (in an instant). They don’t necessarily work slowly, though, because there’s a lot of them. It takes them a hot second to do stuff, so you can’t go put a brand new box on and then expect to come back the next week and it’s full of stuff; that’s just not how it works.

And then self-control to not get into the hive every day because they don’t like that.

What are some common misconceptions about beekeeping?

People are scared of bees, and honestly, they’re super chill. They’re really fun. My bees are really relaxed, but it all depends on the queen.

If the queen has good genetics, then the whole hive is going to be nice. If the queen is angry for whatever reason, the whole hive is angry.

People (are) scared of bees when in reality, they don’t like to sting. They die (when they sting).

They really don’t want to die.

What has beekeeping taught you?

It’s obviously taught me about bees. It’s introduced me to a whole new group of people.

I’m in a bee club, North Central Beekeepers.* It meets at Cool Creek; it’s pretty cool. I’m the youngest person there by like 20 years at least.

It’s this whole new crazy group of people. I don’t know if it’s really necessarily taught me anything (other than) self-control and patience, but people skills, I guess. You go out and talk to people like, “Hey, my bees are doing this. Is that normal?”

Any last thoughts?

Save the bees. What you can do to help save the bees is plant bee-friendly flowers. There’s a lot of online resources (like thehoneybeeconservancy. org) where you can find what good, bee-friendly flowers are. Don’t use pesticides; they kill bees.

Don’t kill a bee if you see it. You can go out and put out water sources for bees.

*CHS does not have a beekeeping club. Pasheilich said she is one of the only beekeepers in the city.

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HONEYBEE: Bees produce 1 pound of honey for every 2 million flowers they visit.

FRAME: These are for bees to build wax onto.

CAPPED HONEY CELL: These cells contain honey. Bees cap the cells with a film of beeswax to stop water from evaporating and keep the cells sealed from predators.

HONEYCOMB: Bees build comb to create and store honey. In the Midwest, it takes about 60 pounds of stored honey for a hive to survive the winter.

BOX: Bees raise their brood in the boxes at the bottom of the hive. They store their nectar, which becomes honey, above the brood.

HONEYBEESUITE, BEEMANIACS, BETTERBEE, PERFECTBEE SOURCES

litebox

SEPT 20, 2019

Game, Set, Match!

Carter Novak, junior varsity menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tennis player and senior, plays a practice doubles match against fellow CHS team member on Aug. 30. The varsity menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tennis team will compete in the MIC Championship at Ben Davis tomorrow, Sept. 21 at 8:30 a.m.

RAY MO PHOTO