Inklings

IN K [ ] LI N GS

Crown Point High School Crown Point, IN @InklingsCPHS November 10, 2020 Vol. 85 Issue 3

Jesse Mendez HE’S NUMBER ONE

Crown Point transitions to red schedule

Senior Kailey Kwilas plays traditional Chinese instrument

page 6

page 27

page 16

Junior Jesse Mendez claims his spot as the number one 138 lb. wrestler in the nation after winning FloWrestling’s “Who’s No. 1” tournament on Oct. 3 in Austin, Texas.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY SAM JANICKI

TABLE OF CONTENTS NEWS

04 REPORTING COVID-19 CASES 06 TRANSITION TO RED 07 FREE LUNCH

OPINION

08 EDITORIAL 10 PRO/CON 11 COLUMNS

FEATURE

12 STRAYER ADOPTION 13 STUDENT CNAS 14 FALL PLAY

SPORTS

MENDEZ & 16 JESSE GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY 18 FALL SPORTS WRAP UPS

ENTERTAINMENT

TACOS & 22 RICOCHET AMERICAN MURDER IN PARIS & 24 EMILY ENOLA HOLMES

PEOPLE

26 KAILEY KWILAS 27 MARIO SINER

THINK AHEAD Editor’s note Information is accurate at the time of publication.

Should any event cancellations occur or dates change due to COVID-19, updates will be posted on the website and Twitter.

Nov. 11

National Veterans Day As a federal holiday, Veterans Day honors those who have served in the military past of present.

It celebrates their patriotism and sacrifices in honor of our country.

Nov. 12 First Day of Shift to Red Schedule Crown Point’s secondary schools will be operating on a red schedule/ virtual learning until further notice starting today. Students should regularly check their daily Buzz agendas to ensure they are keeping up with school assignments.

[INK] L I N G S

1500 S. Main St. Crown Point, IN 46307 219-663-4885 ex. 11349 fax 219-662-5663 inklings@cps.k12.in.us online: www2.cps.k12.in.us/

Crown Point High School, IN

Vol. 85 Issue 3 - November 10, 2020

Inklings is a student publication created by the newspaper and advanced journalism students and distributed monthly to students, faculty and staff of Crown Point High School. Opinions do not necessarily reflect those of CPHS faculty, staff or administration.

Letters-to-the-editor are welcomed provided they are signed and submitted one week prior to publication and do not contain personal attacks. Inklings reserves the right to edit for space, clarity and legal and ethical concerns.

Advertising is subject to applicable rates available by contacting Inklings.

Inklings has been recognized as an Indiana High School Press Association Hoosier Star, National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker, Columbia Scholastic Press Association Silver Crown, and Quill and Scroll George H. Gallup publication.

Junior Jesse Mendez celebrates national win at FloWrestling tournament with family, friends, and fans. “After being named number one going into the high school season, I don’t think my mindset changes,” Mendez said. “I want to be the best in the world and the most dominant wrestler ever so I will continue to train to the same way I have been.”

PHOTO PROVIDED BY JESSE MENDEZ

Nov. 1315, 20-22 Fall Play

Nov. 21

Nov. 26

CPHS theater presents “The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge.” All performances will be in the auditorium and seating will be socially distanced.

NHS will be hosting a fundraiser at the Crown Point Chipotle on Broadway from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The flyer for the event must be shown to contribute.

Though COVID-19 may prevent large family gatherings and halt some travel plans this year, Thanksgiving is still the day to give thanks and eat a ton of good food, as well as watch some football.

Chipotle Fundraiser

Thanksgiving

co-editors-in-chief Nolan Chase Emily Helmuth Noah Thomas assistant editors Rosalie Degenhart Abigail Godsen sports editors Keeley Bernard Samuel Brewer photographer Gillian Gatley

Nov. 26-27 Thanksgiving Break

artist Hayden Coles staff Aubrey Banks Emily Briseno Trevor Frahm Olivia Helmuth Mary Marcinek Andrew Poeschl adviser Julie Elston

Nov. 30 Cyber Monday

Following the holiday, students will have a four day weekend, allowing them to take a break from school.

Online shopping deals can be found throughout the internet on this new age unofficial shopping holiday.

Nov. 27 Tree Lighting

Dec. 1 National Christmas Lights Day

Crown Point will begin its transition to the Christmas season with the annual tree and tank lighting at the square.

The unofficial first day of Christmas is a great time to go see Christmas lights.

4 NEWS

Students enjoy their lunch spaced out in the gym. This protocol was added to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to lessen the amount of contact tracing in response to a positive case.

PHOTO BY EMILY HELMUTH

Procedures on reporting COVID-19 cases; specific steps to inform public

BY ROSALIE DEGENHART ABBY GODSEN assisstant editors COVID-19 has had a heavy impact recently at Crown Point High School as groups of teachers and students have been leaving the school campus to quarantine for two weeks. This past week, CPHS has reported 196 staff and student quarantines, while the entire corporation has reported 683 staff and student quarantines. These cases and quarantines are reported through an email sent out to parents by Chief Human Resource Officer of the Crown Point Community School Corporation Arthur Equihua, who plays a major role in the pro-

cess of contact tracing. CPCSC uses three sources to gain advice on safety protocols during COVID-19.

“It’s actually sort of guidance from a number of entities that we lean on for ad vice on how to handle COVID officially.

The three main sources we use would be the CDC, the Indiana Health Department, and then our local Lake County Health Department,” Equihua said.

Communicating with these departments is an important step in accurately reporting COVID-19 cases.

“We have two individuals that are identified as official people to communicate with any of the health departments re-

garding our cases. That would be an administrator from any building and the nurse,” Equihua said. “We really want the nurse to be that initial point of communication, and there’s an interview sheet that she uses, each of our nurses in all of our schools, and, we’ve actually trained our substitute nurses to do this, to work through the standard set of questions that help us understand the case and the potential impact on our school campus sites.”

Even before the information of a positive case is released, Equihua comments on how that information is reported to the school in the first place.

“We may receive a report of a positive

case in a number of ways. Hopefully, families might lag a little bit from when we’re notified, or students, if it’s happening to them, we’re it depends on the complexity of the case, but hoping for and we ask that they call the school, usually within a couple of days,” Equihua said. and they are. Families are responding wonderEquihua’s job also includes updating the fully. They usually call the principal, it might COVID-19 chart found on the CPCSC webbe an assistant principal that receives the call, site. With the influx of quarantines, every efpossibly the nurse, but more than likely it’s go- fort is made to update it daily. The date chart ing to be an administrator at the school that is displays the number of positive cases and going to be notified,” Equihua said. quarantines at each individual school throughAccording to Equihua, information of a out the week. positive case in the CPCSC can also be report“I’m receiving information from all the ed to the CPCSC by the local health depart- schools, making sure that we’re following the ment. rules and doing a good job, and I’m trying to “You know, ‘Crown Point schools, we get the schools’ support if they need it to do have a positive case that we need to make you the contact tracing. Then, when I get the final aware of,’ and the reverse, so there’s a little bit reports, I’ll adjust the sheets. By the end of of redundancy in the the week, we want reporting, but I think to make sure for that that’s a good thing.

I’m receiving informa- week, we’re current, Normally, no, we cantion from all the schools, so that folks can see not share any informawhat’s happened that making sure we’re follow- week and what’s the tion that would identiing the rules and doing a impact,” Equihua fy an individual, that would a staff member good job, and I’m trying to said. or student, frankly,” It is important to get the schools’ support if Equihua that the data Equihua said. they need it to do the con- of cases and quarOnce a case has been verified at a antines is accurate tact tracing. school, administrators before updating the at that school begin chart.

Chief Human Resource Officer the process of contact “We try to upArthur Equihua tracing for that COVID date it throughout case. the week if we can.

“We have teams at every building that If I can make appropriate updates to it at the begin to break down the data and start to de- end of the day I try to. But, once again we termine and understand who’s been near that want to be as accurate as we can, so we aren’t individual, starting on X date,” Equihua said. changing the numbers all the time,” Equihua “We’re pulling out seating charts, bus charts, said. “It takes a lot to watch, I know there’s watching bus videos, talking to teachers, ‘did assigned seats, but we also know that students you change your student seating chart that sometimes change seats on the bus. We need to day? Did you do an activity that took you out really take our time, and we might catch someof your seats for that day?’ All these conversa- thing a day later, but we’re pretty good, getting tions are taking place.” it done in a reasonable amount of time.”

The process of contact tracing varies deWhile COVID-19 cases are reported to pending on how many people that person was parents and teachers, FERPA, the Family Edin contact with. ucational Rights and Privacy Acts, prevents “In some instances, it may be processed educational records, including medical, from rather quickly, there was no contact with any- being shared with the public. This means that body, easy peasy. In some instances, not so if a faculty member or student at a school tests much. We’re working on it for a day or two positive, the teachers and parents are not notior more. It just depends on the situation and fied who that specific student is, neither does the breadth of the potential contacts. What the email specify. we want to make sure though is that we try to “We are not able to share information inform the school community that is affected about a student file with anybody that doesn’t with an email.” have any legal or practical means to see it, Equihua is the source of the emails sent Equihua said. “We work with local authorities out to parents, which report recent quarantines on sharing student file information, that could in the corporation. be the police, child services, and, in this case, “That email, we want to push out when the health department. What we can share is we feel confident of those numbers, so that positive cases and quarantines per school.”

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INTHEKNOW NHS hosting virtual food drive; goal of $5000 by Nov. 25

NHS will be hosting a virtual food drive now through Nov. 25.

The CPHS chapter’s goal is to raise $5000, and the money will go to the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana.

NHS’ directors’ official statement is: “With COVID-19, there are countless families who have been financially impacted. The holidays are coming up, and our chapter of the National Honor Society wanted to do anything possible to help. Our goal is to raise money to help feed families across Northwest Indiana.

NHS values our community, and we want to help our fellow Hoosiers” Donations can be made at https:// secure.qgiv.com/event/cphsn/.

Yearbook personal ads now available As of Nov. 5, seniors can now purchase yearbook personal ads.

These ads’ sizes range from a 16th of a page to a full page, with costs ranging from $35 to $400. All ad requests are due by Feb. 14. The form can be found in seniors’ school email inbox and can be turned in to Lisa Keene.

Student Council’s blood drive at First Methodist Church CPHS Student Council will continue to host its annual blood drive with the American Red Cross, but contrary to past years it will be at First Methodist Church instead of the field house. The drive will be from 1:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Friday Nov. 20. Students who are 16 or older can donate, but 16-year-olds need a parents signature to donate, while 17-year-olds do not. Donors must also weigh at least 100 lbs, with donors under 18 needing to fit additional requirements that can be found on the Red Cross website.

6 NEWS

Transitioning to Red

CP goes to red status after two weeks at green

BY EMILY HELMUTH co-editor-in-chief

Just two weeks after transitioning from the yellow hybrid learning status to the in-person green learning status, Crown Point High School, as well as Taft and Wheeler Middle Schools, will be transitioning to the red status on Thursday, Nov. 12. This red status has all students learning remotely from home. Superintendent Todd Terrill wrote in an email sent to parents on Friday, Nov. 6 the reasons this decision had been made.

“Adequately staffing schools for in-person learners has become difficult due to the number of staff quarantines,” Terrill wrote. “Temporarily moving to red is reset that provides time for both students and staff to finish quarantining. At this time, a switch to yellow would not alleviate our staffing issues.”

Terrill also wrote in the message that the district would further update parents and students going into this week, as he noted virtual learning this time would vary with the virtual learning students experienced in the spring.

Crown Point High School principal Russ Marcinek elaborated on how this would look at the high school in messaging to students, parents and staff.

“Students will be on a similar schedule to how we operated in yellow,” Marcinek said. “On Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday there will be learning opportunities for students in all classes. These learning opportunities can be flexible. It doesn’t have to be a different learning opportunity all four days. There can be reviews, lessons extended over two days, etc. Students will be encouraged to follow their daily schedules. Teachers will follow their current class schedule and be available during their scheduled class periods.”

Sophomore Nate Murphy says that he agrees with the district’s decision to move from green to red, and believes it should have happened sooner.

“I think the choice to go back to red was going to happen pretty soon anyways,” Murphy said. “I feel like the school just got

Students finish school work a week after returning to green. The district has made the decision to go to the red model, as there has been an uptick in COVID-19 related quarantines since returning to green, causing a shortage of staff in the building. As of Nov. 6, 8.64% of the district is quarantined.

PHOTO BY EMILY HELMUTH

back into green and they were hoping that the cases would lower over the days, which it didn’t. I don’t really blame them for not making it all e-learning sooner since it’s just more difficult on the teachers.”

According to Murphy, he personally has mixed emotions about the change, as he noted that although it will be easier for him to get his work done, he had concerns about some of his more difficult classes.

“The thing I’m looking forward to in e-learning is that once you are done with all your work you can just leave,” Murphy said. “It usually takes me around three to five hours to get all my work done on e-learning days. [Something] I’m going to miss from green is how it’s so easy to ask teachers questions about things you are confused about. Right now I’m in Pre-AP chemistry. I struggled so much at the beginning, and I’m worried it might go down because of e-learning.”

Senior Mariana Serratos says she is looking forward to the transition, as she believes it shows students how real this pandemic is.

“During the transition to red, I’m look-

ing forward to putting my family’s safety first, and reflecting on how serious this virus really is,” Serratos said. “I feel like people don’t take it seriously anymore, which is part of the reason we are going back to red.”

Marcinek said that Wednesdays would be utilized the same way they have been thus far this school year.

“Wednesdays will continue to be used as they are now,” Marcinek said. “Teachers will follow their office hours and use the time with their students as they see fit.”

Despite the transition to red, students will still be able to receive free meals from the school. Parents were sent an email from food service director Pam Maloney stating that meal pick up days will be each Monday starting Nov. 16 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. at Crown Point High School, Timothy Ball Elementary School, Jerry Ross Elementary School, and MacArthur Elementary School. Parents must reply to Maloney’s email with the names of their children, the school they attend, and what pick up location they want to pick up meals from by Friday, Nov. 13 if interested.

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CPHS offering free lunch due to COVID-19; all students eligible

BY ANDREW POESCHL reporter This year, there have been many changes in many aspects of our lives, as well as to the services we use. One such service is the lunches provided here at school. As many students here have discovered, the school is now providing free breakfast and lunch to all students. This new policy helps students who have been left in a financially unsafe position by the COVID-19 pandemic and helps to promote a healthier diet.

“With this meal plan our students will need to take three components for the meal to be free. We offer five components for a meal which are grains, protein, milk, fruits and vegetables,” food service director Pam Maloney said. “Grains and protein are together in the entrée, so a student would have to add an 8 ounce milk, or 6 ounces of any different fruit or

vegetable or they can take all of the components. As a nutrition department we would hope our students continue to take the variety of foods offered.”

This meal plan is part of a push to get students to eat more healthy food in school, and this new policy has been made with that in mind. Keeping a fully balanced meal has been significant in making this new policy.

“We are hoping our students take advantage of the free meals as they need plenty of food to fuel their bodies. A wide variety of foods will give them the nourishment they need to stay alert in class and keep them healthy from day to day,” Maloney said.

This will help encourage students who to try and eat healthier foods while at school, though it is not just our school participating in the new program.

“The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued a nationwide waiver to provide a safe and flexible meal service to our students during the Coronavirus public health emergency,” Maloney said. “This waiver allows us to offer breakfast and lunch meals free of charge.

relieve some of the financial stress put on families during this pandemic.

“This was done to help our families nationwide with any financial burden they may be experiencing during this time,” Maloney said.

But not only is the school providing a free lunch and breakfast to all students, the school is also We are hoping our steps to further the students take advantage taking quality of the food they of the free meals as they are serving here.

“You may see an ocneed plenty of food to fuel casional dessert made their bodies. with fruit,” Maloney said.

“We have a full time Chef food service director on staff, Chef Michelle Pam Maloney Kral, she is experimenting with different ideas made Any ala carte items such as with our fruit that we already Gatorade, chips, etc., will still offer. These items are specials have to be paid for. It only cov- and will be advertised before they are put into service.” ers a complete meal.”

With all the changes to the This reveals the new direction schools are going in for school lunches, they may just healthier students, and by pro- improve someone’s life in more viding free lunches is helping ways than one.

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VIEWS on NEWS [Students’ reactions to events in our world

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Nation

State

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I agree that people should stay within their states for now, but I don’t think that people in Chicago are doing so good with case numbers either.

Especially with the amount of rioting.

This hurricane season has faced 25 named storms already, forcing meteorologists to dip into the Greek alphabet for just the second time on record, according to The Washington Post.

Kadiel Rosario-Pizarro junior

I feel pretty bad for those people stuck in the hurricane.

We could probably get people out there to help them.

You can’t really stop a hurricane, so all you can do is just get people out of there.

As reported by The Guardian, parties in which young people try to catch COVID-19 to gain immunity could become the norm if the virus is not eradicated.

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World

Fox 59 reported that Chicago residents are urged not to travel to Indiana because of a rise in COVID-19 cases. Indiana is currently facing an over 15 cases a day average.

Chase Eckhart sophomore

I don’t think going to or throwing COVID parties would be a smart idea for anyone at any age to do, mainly because there isn’t enough information on COVID yet so we don’t really know the effects for anyone completely.

Mimi Vraniskoski senior

8 OPINION

EDITORIAL COVID-19 pandemic is far from over; government needs to take virus seriously As COVID-19 cases are on the rise, it is clear that something didn’t go right when handling this pandemic. Some of the blame for the case rises can be pointed at the irresponsibility from the people in the country but the government should be held to the utmost accountability for the current state of the country.

From the very beginning, the White House downplayed the severity of COVID-19 which led to a lack of transparency between the people in government. This lack of transparency and lack of planning was combated by the CDC but it seems it wasn’t enough to stop case spikes.

The CDC can only do so much when the leaders of the United States government try to downplay the dire nature of a global pandemic that has claimed the lives of over 200,000 Americans.

From the very start, we should have been hearing from government officials, including the president, of the severity of this virus.

The lack of clarity on what was going on has had a huge impact on many people’s decisions on how to handle the virus. Shutdowns were happening and people were losing their jobs and their livelihoods.

Even now, cases are rising and having effects on schools as well.

Across the nation, more and more schools are shutting down. In Crown Point, cases are becoming much more apparent and many students and staff have already been quarantined.

Many schools are not being directed properly to abide by safety regulations regarding COVID-19. They are also not getting the resources and funds they need from the government to run effectively during these times.

The effects of this pandemic could have been less drastic if the communication at the beginning from the White House and government had been crystal clear on what this pandemic was capable of. Not only that, but it needed to be acted on much sooner than it was, as WHO declared the virus a global health emergency in late January, yet no major action was taken to stop this virus in the U.S. until it was declared a national emergency in mid March.

The effects of the pandemic were already in full swing before action was taken. The mishandling led many people to believe that they could live their normal lives without further thought as the effects were greatly downplayed. Even recently the president has deemed COVID-19 as something Americans should not be afraid of.

People should be afraid of this. Cases are rising and more people are dying and spreading this virus to others. This pandemic was greatly mishandled and directed from the beginning and it is still being mishandled. The United States will continue to see the drastic effects of this virus for some time.

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GRAPHIC BY HAYDEN COLES

SPEAKUP UP

Colton Lubbers freshman

“I’d say no because more people are getting it. Cases are increasing and plus some people are not following guidelines.”

“Based on the increasing number of positive cases in the state of Indiana, do you think Indiana should be at a Stage 5?”

Haley Bryant sophomore

“No. [Cases] are obviously increasing and if people wear masks it may decrease. I don’t think things should be open besides drive thrus.”

Thomas Betlow junior

“I don’t think that we should be at a stage five. We don’t want cases, so obviously we shouldn’t be increasing more social contact between people.”

Kylie Gurgevich senior

“Reopening everything would cause more people to be in more places, and I don’t think that is what we need right now.”

10 OPINION

PRO:

Pro/Con: If the FDA approves a COVID-19 vaccine, would you take it?

COVID-19 vaccine would ease anxious minds and lower cases

BY TREVOR FRAHM reporter

CON:

COVID-19 vaccine has minimal data and unknown side effects

BY NOAH THOMAS co-editor-in-chief

I would take a potential vaccine as soon as it is available. Having a larger number of people take a vaccine early is the best way to get the data needed to better the vaccine in the future.

For those who can’t get the vaccine, their only hope is that a vaccinated majority is enough to keep the virus from infecting them. Other safety procedures such as masks and social distancing help to stop the spread, but they don’t ensure safety to the degree vaccines tend to. Plenty of at risk people can’t afford to leave their jobs which can become problematic when they have long hours in high risk occupations like cashiers.

Working primarily with clients and co-workers that are vaccinated would undoubtedly put the people who risk the most at ease.

However, the benefits of taking the vaccine would have on our greater community is less in question than the potential negative effects it might have on the individual level.

These fears are not unfounded fears. The news that a potential vaccine is going to be rushed is legitimately alarming, especially when considering that a vaccine isn’t going to be an immediate fix to the pandemic. But the assumption that a vaccine with major unpredicted negative would be distributed nationwide without anyone knowing is a bit too paranoid to be a legitimate reason for me to avoid vaccination.

If this approved vaccine does come out, I would be opposed to taking it, especially right away. I’m interested in seeing when this does come out, as President Trump said it’ll be a few weeks, while others have said it’ll come out well into next year. There will be limited amounts given at high prices most likely.

What I’m concerned about is how effective this vaccine will be and what the side effects could possibly be. All these companies are rushing this vaccine out because people want the COVID-19 pandemic to end but it’s just not that easy. Rushing a vaccine may prove costly to those companies, because what if someone you know or love dies from this vaccine?

People are adjusting to this new way of life, so why rush this vaccine out when you can properly and effectively test it out and see how the vaccine works and affects different people. I’m not an anti-vaccinator, I believe in vaccinating to help our immune systems be immune to certain diseases, but it all comes to the demand and how these companies are rushing to the finish.

Deep down, I do hope this vaccine works and we can get back to our old “normal,” but in reality, this may not be possible for another year or two down the road. The country’s top infectious expert, Anthony Fauci, has said that masks and distancing will still need to be worn next year and maybe even in 2022.

IN THEIR VIEW: Would you take an FDA approved COVID-19 vaccine?

PRO:

CON:

“Yes, because I want to keep myself and others safe.”

“I would not get the rushed version. I will wait for the one developed by actual scientists.”

Colleen Fano teacher

Sarah Gardiner junior

PRO: “I would take it as long as it’s approved by scientists, so if a scientist says yeah this is good or a group of scientists say yeah it’s good.”

Luke Witham sophomore

CON: “It is like the flu shot. You are just increasing your chances of getting COVID.” Kevin Keith Burgess senior

COLUMNS

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11

All valid votes should be counted to ensure fairness

BY NOLAN CHASE co-editor-in-chief

On Nov. 3 the presidential race has looked closer than it ever has in recent years. Many Americans of both sides were worried their candidate wouldn’t win. On Nov. 4, we still don’t know the outcome of this election.

This is perfectly fine. Our democracy is at work and millions of votes are still to be counted. This system of democracy will take time and Americans must be patient as votes are counted and decisions on states are made. It is not over until every single vote is counted. It’s up to the voters.

Problems arise when our president, Donald Trump, prematurely declared victory while addressing his base while also suggesting that mail in voting is fraudulent and they should not be counted as actual ballots. These words from the president of the United States of America are a threat to the democratic processes that our country was founded on.

If every valid vote is not counted then democracy as we currently know it in the United States would die. This should be taken with the utmost seriousness and our president, the president of the free world is trying to undermine the democratic systems that

have been honored for centuries.

If every vote is counted, then according to the electoral college, it was a fair race no matter who wins. Regardless of who people want in office, the integrity of our nation must be kept if we are to move forward in a responsible way and honor our democracy.

If it gets out that votes were not counted and it has an effect on the election, our integrity as a nation of truth and democracy would be greatly diminished.

I don’t think it will happen but it is very concerning that we even have to think about it.

In a country where the American people decide who becomes president it is hard to think of having it any other way. Our democracy should never be threatened and certainly not by the president. Due to COVID-19, many Americans decided to vote by mail in this election and their votes are just as good as any.

Americans should not have to worry about their votes not counting towards the election. Americans must be patient and allow democracy to take place and that democracy should not be tested by any power.

Electoral College not accurate representation of voters

BY EMILY HELMUTH co-editor-in-chief

Created in the early days of our country by the framers of the Constitution, the Electoral College was a compromise between the framers, who debated between whether the president should be elected by popular vote or by Congress.

Well over 300 years after its original conception, it is clear to see that the Electoral College is an outdated and unreliable system. The Electoral College is supposed to reflect the interests of Americans, yet it has failed its job, as there have been five times in which the winner of the popular vote did not win the election. This alone completely destroys the credibility of the system.

The 2000 election is a perfect example of the unreliability of this system. Democrat Al Gore won the popular vote by half a million votes. Yet, he lost the election, all because his opponent had 537 more votes than him in the swing state of Florida.

A candidate could win the state of Florida, a state that has 29 electoral votes, by a million votes, ten thousand votes, or ten votes, and receive all of Florida’s electoral votes. Thus, the electoral vote of

swing states like Florida end up being an essential to winning an election. This should not be the case, as the power should not be left in any of the swing states’ hands.

Another problem with the Electoral College is its small state bias. The seven smallest states and Washington D.C. all have three electoral college votes. The population of these areas makes up roughly 4% of the country, yet has 8% of the electoral college votes according to Vox.com.

Wyoming, our least populous state, has around 580,000 people and three electoral votes. California, the most populous state, has around 39.5 million people and 55 electoral votes. Thus, in Wyoming one electoral vote represents roughly 190,000 people, while in California one electoral vote represents 718,000 people. This representation is unfair, as land does not vote, people do.

It is time to get rid of this system. It is outdated and a misrepresentation of the people’s beliefs. Ask yourself: if the Electoral College system is really that perfect, why has it failed us five times?

12 FEATURE

PANDEMIC PERFORMANCE CPHS theatre to perform play “The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge” with COVID-19 precautions of contact-tracing reaching cast members, every single role was either double-cast or understudied.

“There’s a lot of teamwork in theatre,” That time of year has finally rolled around again, and the CPHS fall theatre Degenhart said. “We’ve had to stress keepproduction is right around the corner. Al- ing on masks and breaking social distance though COVID-19 has thrown many ob- only when absolutely necessary.”

Even with major changes and restricstacles at the theatre department this year, the fall play will be just as exciting and tions, the cast and crew of the play have a very positive atenjoyable as prevititude about the ous years. Premierprocess. Cast memI think it’s really fun ing Nov. 13, CPHS’s ber senior Connor to have this big cast beproduction of “The Phutawon, believes cause I think the more, Trial of Ebenezer that having a largthe merrier. It’s always Scrooge” will hit er cast is beneficial, nice to have people the playhouse. This as he thinks that it gain more experience drama follows the makes the producfor years to come, and familiar Ebenezer tion even stronger. we do a good job keepScrooge, who has re“I think it’s reing things safe. verted back to his old ally fun to have this ways and is now subig cast because I ing Jacob Marley and senior Connor Phutawon think the more, the the spirits of Christmerrier,” Phutawon mas for the distursaid. “It’s always nice to have people gain bance they caused last holiday season.

Because of the pandemic, the CPHS more experience for years to come, and we theatre department has seen some changes do a good job keeping things safe.”

The increased quantity of members in their show production. The play itself was even chosen to flow with safety pre- doesn’t only go for the cast; the play’s crew numbers have also increased. Becautions.

“When I went into the fall play, I knew hind the scenes, stage manager senior I wanted to do a courtroom drama. Court- Grace Price and assistant stage managrooms are naturally distanced, with little er senior Colin Ridgway are in charge physical contact,” director Kit Degenhart of ordering lights, sound, and construction in place. Even though Price has consaid.

In addition to this, due to the high risk cerns about the changes COVID-19 has

BY MARY MARCINEK reporter

‘‘

Pictured from left to right, seniors Connor Phutawon and I of “The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge.” The show is set to pre CPHS theater site.

PHOTO BY ROSALIE DEGENHART

brought, she still has an optimistic outlook on the play.

“We have eight hour sessions on Saturdays usually, which is a long time to be wearing a mask and social distancing,” Price said. “There’s a lot of things we’d like to do that involve actors being close to each other, but we can’t because of COVID.” A main concern of this production is the audience itself. In order to keep the theatre a safe space, audience restrictions have been put into place. Degenhart voiced concerns about possibly even coming up short

INKLINGS

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Sophomore Grace McBride (front) and junior Evan Parent (back) work the sound board during a tech rehearsal.

PHOTO BY ROSALIE DEGENHART

d Jonah Peterson, freshman Andrew Evanich, and junior Ali Lucas perform an emotional scene at the end of Act emiere on Nov. 13. Seats have been limited to promote social distancing and tickets are currently for sale on the

with ticket availability, considering this is a holiday play.

“We’ve had to increase our performances, going from the usual four performances to six, just to get in what we believe the number of audience members to be,” Degenhart said.

The governor ruled that 50% capacity of the theatre could be used, as long as there is social distancing. Unfortunately, the CPHS auditorium would not be able to use a full 50% of their seating with social distance in every direction. Despite this,

Degenhart believes that the play will still be able to host a good amount of audience members.

“We’ve worked out about 200 seats social-distanced, including some family units,” Degenhart said. “We’re hoping to accommodate everybody.”

Degenhart explained that most courtroom dramas are serious, but he picked “The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge” because it’s a comedy.

“I’m actually kind of glad, because without COVID, I don’t think I would’ve

Junior Claire Dillon (left) and senior Bailey VanDenburgh (right) measure a mid-19th century vest during a costume crew session.

PHOTO BY ROSALIE DEGENHART

chosen this drama,” Degenhart said. “I think it has a really nice message and even a couple of good twists. I like it, I think it’s funny and charming, and I think people will relate to it.”

This play is coming in perfect timing to lift the spirits of the Crown Point community amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tickets are currently for sale online, with prices being $11 per adult, $8 per student, and $8 per senior citizen. Performance dates are Nov. 13, 14, 20, and 21 at 7 p.m., and Nov. 15 and 22 at 2:30 p.m.

14 FEATURE

Strayer family celebrates adoption of daughter Charlotte Sue Ann Strayer

BY OLIVIA HELMUTH reporter

The Crown Point Fire Department added a Safe Haven Baby Box in November of last year, allowing mothers to anonymously surrender their babies and notifying the fire department when babies are placed there. This new addition quickly proved itself to be useful, as less than a month after its original installation the first baby was dropped off there.

Math teacher Steve Strayer and his wife, Jennifer, fostered the first baby left there, and later adopted the baby, Charlotte, in August 2020.

According to Strayer, adopting a baby was not his original plan when him and his wife began fostering.

“We originally planned on adopting a five, six, or sevenyear-old, not a baby,” Strayer said. “One day, our case manager called us and asked us if we were interested in adopting a baby left in the baby box,” Strayer said, “We chose to foster her and later chose to adopt.”

The Strayers first decided to look into fostering in November of 2019. According to Strayer, they were inspired to get into fostering after experiencing personal loss, and decided to begin searching for a way to fill that emotional gap.

“We had experienced multiple deaths in the family, and we felt like we needed a family to support and count on each other,” Strayer said.

After going on to the official Department of Child Services website, Strayer stated that had only strengthened their desire to foster.

“It absolutely broke our

Math teacher Steve Strayer and his wife Jennifer pose with their recently adopted daughter Charlotte Sue Ann Strayer. Charlotte was the first baby left in the Crown Point Fire Department’s Safe Haven Baby Box, and the Strayers have been fostering her since January 2020.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY STEVE STRAYER

hearts,” Strayer said. “Seeing all of those kids without parents and a family of their own.”

During their experience as foster parents, Strayer says he and his wife have learned firsthand about the amount of time and commitment it takes to be a foster parent, as well as how enjoyable it can be.

“It is a 24/7 job,” Strayer said. “There are lots of things that I just can’t do because of the time it takes. That being said, the stress that comes with

it is sort of a good stress.”

According to Strayer, one of the things he enjoys most about fostering kids is bonding with them. He notes that this played a role in him and his wife’s decision to adopt.

“You come to care about the kids and they make you smile.

It’s so cool seeing the kids develop and grow,” Strayer said.

The Crown Point Fire Station’s Safe Haven Baby Box is one of 25 that have been implemented in Indiana. These boxes

are created in cooperation with the Indiana Safe Haven law, which allows mothers, such as Charlotte’s birth mother, to safely and anonymously give up their babies without facing any legal charges. Strayer says that admires Charlotte’s birth mother for her decision.

“I really like that the baby box gives a choice,” Strayer said. “And I think that the mother is the hero of the story because I wouldn’t have met my daughter without her.”

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MAKING THEIR MARK

Students aspiring to be nurses gain job experience working in hospitals as CNAs

BY EMILY BRISENO reporter

As CPHS students reach their senior year, they are offered more opportunities to get ahead of the curve in entering the workforce and preparing for college. Some of those students who have an interest in nursing are able to pursue this interest through the internship program available senior year. They work as certified nursing assistants, or CNAs, in hospitals or nursing homes.

The process of becoming a CNA differs depending on which training classes are being used. To become certified, it takes about one week of being in a classroom and around two weeks of clinicals which can take place at a hospital or nursing home. A multiple choice state exam and a procedure exam must be passed to receive the certification.

One of these student CNAs, senior Taylor Gearhart, works at Crown Point Christian Village nursing home twice a week.

Gearhart explains what sparked her interest in nursing.

“I’ve always known that I liked anything that was dealing with hospitals or medicine and I thought nursing would be a good path for me,” Gearhart said.

Senior Philip Branoski, who works as a CNA at St. Anthony’s, says that his job ranges from delivering lunch and dinner trays to residents to helping them eat and get cleaned up. Branoski believes his early exposure to working in a hospital setting will be beneficial to him as he continues to purse nursing.

“My experience working in a hospital will help me in the future because I’ll be in an environment that I’m familiar with and feel accustomed to,” Branoski said.

Another CNA, senior Allyson Harris, has mapped out her future and plans for it to revolve around the medical field. Like Gearhart, Harris currently works at Crown Point Christian Village.

BY THE #s

CNAs 1,564,200 CNAs employed in 2018

9% The American Red Cross CNA training program has a length of

is the BLS’s projected employment growth for CNAs from 2018 to 2028

4-8 weeks

According to the BLS, in 2019 the average CNA had a salary of

$29,660

38%

of CNAs are employed by nursing care facilities

statistics provided by https://nurse.org/resources

“I plan to go to Purdue and go into nursing and then become a neonatal nurse or get my masters in nurse practitioning,” Harris said.

Harris notes that becoming a CNA was an easy decision for her to make, as it allows her to follow in her friends’ and family’s footsteps.

“Some of my friends are CNAs so they got me interested into doing it, and some of my family members are in the medical field,” Harris said. “Learning the stuff that I am now, and being a CNA will make me a better nurse in the future knowing what the CNA has to do.”

Branoski reflects on his decisions to become a CNA. “I wanted to be CNA because it is a great entry way into the nursing field and I feel like it’s a great experience for all of those who want to go into the nursing field,” Branoski said.

One thing that they all agree on is that spending time with the residents is a favorite part of the job.

“The most memorable part of my job is getting to meet all the residents there and coming back to the same people every day and learning about their life,” Gearhart said.

Harris agreed with Gearhart, as she noted one of the favorite parts of her jobs was getting to know the residents and learn about their experiences.

“The downtime talking to the residents and hearing all of their stories and what they’ve been through. Most of them are in their 90s so they’ve been through it all so they give you advice and tell you stories of what they’ve been through,” Harris said.

According to Harris, she has no doubt in her interest in the medical field and is looking forward to pursuing a career in this field.

“My whole life I wanted to go into the medical field,” Harris said. “It’s always been something I’ve been interested in and I never wanted to go any other way.”

16 SPORTS

Mendez wins “Who’s No. 1?” national tournament in Austin, Texas

BY SAMUEL BREWER co-sports editor On Oct. 3, junior wrestler Jesse Mendez gained a title many athletes dream of, but few can obtain. After competing at FloWrestling’s “Who’s Number One?” tournament held in Austin, Texas, Mendez was ranked as the number one wrestler in the entire country in his 138 pound weight class. Mendez was happy to get the opportunity.

“I enjoy getting to wrestle against the best in the country and getting to prove myself. I’m always one to chase the best competition so when I was invited to WNO again I was super excited to get to scrap again after this pandemic,” Mendez said.

A large difference between this year’s event and that of years prior was the absence of crowds. Even without the crowd noise, Mendez’s coach Bill Hawkin was surprised and appreciative of the work that FloWrestling did to create suspense in the event.

“It was different. If you wrestle in an event like that there is usually a big crowd, people are cheering and yelling your name.

This event was held in a convention center, but they still had the music and the smoke.

They had the commentators for FloWrestling in the same room. It was still a high energy, high emotion event,” Hawkin said.

Hawkin, along with other coaches at the Region Wrestling Academy, has been working with Mendez since he was seven years old, where he immediately saw someone special.

“At an early age we saw signs of a lot of talent there. His work, ethic and his talent level were at another level even when he was young,” Hawkin said.

The WNO usually puts the two top wrestlers in the country against one another, but Mendez’s weight group was different, so they brought the top three wrestlers in the country to compete, Mendez

Junior Jesse Mendez takes down opponent Joel Van during the FloWrestling “Who’s Number 1?” tournament. M in this weight class. Mendez plans to continue his wrestling career at the collegiate level and hopes to qualify fo PHOTO PROVIDED BY SAM JANICKI

coming in at the number two rank.

Instead of only needing to beat one of the best wrestlers in the nation, he had to defeat two. After beating third ranked Jordan Williams of Oklahoma, he had to face off against top ranked Joel Vandervere of Illinois for the title of number one.

Mendez was in trouble in the final period, he was down 3-0 and very close to losing his chance at becoming number one in the nation, but his confidence never faltered and he mounted a stunning comeback victory in overtime of the match.

“His mindset was ‘I’m gonna win the match, nobody’s gonna stop me’. Jesse had the mindset, the motor, and the conditioning to get it done. He said ‘I’m not going to

stop wrestling, I’m going to win the match, I’m in better shape, and I’ve out worked everyone.’ That’s just the mindset he has,” Hawkin said.

After becoming number one in the nation, many would feel pressure to hold on to this title, but Mendez doesn’t think anything changes.

“I don’t feel much pressure. I love this sport and I love competing so even though I have a number one ranking to protect I’m still going to give it everything I’ve got,” Mendez said.

After this win, Mendez was crowned number one in the nation for his weight class. Once he returned to Crown Point, he was welcomed with a parade around the

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Burgos reflects on senior season, looks forward to running at Purdue

BY SAMUEL BREWER co-sports editor

Mendez won the tournament’s 138 lb weight class, securing his spot as the No. 1 high school wrestler in the nation or the Olympic games in the future.

square celebrating his accomplishments.

“When I came back to the square in Crown Point getting to see everybody that has supported me throughout this process was awesome. It’s really cool to see that the community is behind what I’m doing and it makes it that much easier to keep grinding for the long term goal,” Mendez said.

Even with all of the accomplishments he has achieved, he is not yet satisfied. According to Mendez, his goals are to compete for national championships at the Division I level, and eventually compete in the Olympics.

Hawkin is confident that Mendez will achieve his goals and believes that Mendez’s work ethic is what sets him apart.

“He’s always doing something to better himself,” Hawkin said. “He puts so much time, effort and hard work into this sport.

Jesse outworks everybody, bottom line. If we go for a long run, he wins the run. If we run sprints, he wins the sprints. If we swim laps he’ll win the laps. He’s a super competitive kid who has a deep desire to win.”

Even though Mendez has competed and dominated at the highest level that he can at his age, he is still striving to improve as a wrestler.

“I don’t think my mindset changes,” Mendez said. “I want to be the best in the world and the most dominant wrestler ever so I will continue to train the same way I have been.”

The girls cross country team finished their season with a ninth place finish at semi-state on Oct. 24. The team had an average time of 20:34 at the meet. While Coach Allison Florek is sad that the team’s season is over, she is happy with the way the team competed this season.

“Qualifying for state as a team was one of our team goals this season. Therefore, it was disappointing that it did not happen.

However, I am proud of how we performed throughout the season. The athletes continued to improve and work through challenges each meet,” Florek said.

Senior Jaelyn Burgos has verbally committed to running cross country at Purdue University. Burgos notes that although she is looking forward to competing at the collegiate level, she will still miss her high school cross country experience.

“I’ll miss my teammates and my coaches. The sport itself has given me so many memories that I’ll remember forever. It’s made me into the person I am today and has taught me so many lessons that I can apply to life,” Burgos said.

While the team finished their postseason at semi-state, Burgos qualified individually for the state meet. Burgos placed 74th at the state meet.

“It was exciting for me individually but I really wish my whole team made it because it would’ve been a more fun experience. I brought along two other teammates to train with me so I wasn’t completely by myself. It was fun . We had a lot of laughs,” Burgos said.

Florek attributes a lot of leadership in the team to Burgos.

“Jaelyn is a leader on our team. She has run varsity and been one of our top finishers since starting her high school career. She is someone that other athletes on the team look up to. It is nice to have fast runners, but it is more important to have athletes who are good teammates. That is Jaelyn,” Florek said.

18 SPORTS

Seniors look back on career as football team ends season 4-3

BY KEELEY BERNARD co-sports editor

Senior quarterback Will Pettit prepares to hand the ball off against Portage on Sept. 11.

PHOTO BY GILLAN GATLEY

The football team’s season ended against Merrillville in the sectional semifinals on 0ct. 30, where they lost 39 - 0. Despite the loss, Coach Kevin Enright is proud of the hard work his team put in this season.

“We feel all members of our group worked extremely hard through difficult and unprecedented adversity to reach its potential, and we’re proud of that,” Enright said.

Although Enright feels all members of the team worked hard, he highlighted the leadership from the seniors as important to the team’s success.

“Our seniors lead our group with the courage and determination that exemplifies success,” Enright said.

“Their willingness, selflessness, and sacrifice for the goal of playing football with their buddies was, without a doubt, inspirational for everyone.”

Senior captain Matthew Walters reflected on the last game against Merrillville and the team’s season as a whole.

“I think that the team as a whole could have performed better against Merrillville but not playing any games for almost a month definitely took a toll on all of us,” Walters said. “But the team’s overall season I think went pretty good given the situation we were dealing with and I think everyone got better every week.”

With this season over, Enright looks forward to next season and what his team will be able to do.

“We will continue to challenge all members of our football program to develop an unbelievable work ethic, and a willingness to accept personal differences, for amazing team chemistry,” Enright said. “ If we accomplish this, we will achieve true success, and reach our potential both academically and athletically.”

Girls golf wraps up season with 11th at state

BY NOAH THOMAS co-editor-in-chief Girls golf ended their season on a high note, finishing 11th at the state meet at Carmel. The girls assistant coach Johanna Hess says the girls were successful this season due to their teamwork and cohesiveness.

“Our team put in a lot of hard work over the season. It took a lot of determination, skill, and smart course management to get to that level of play, especially on a very difficult state course. Our team this year, including everyone from the number one spot to the JV squad, functioned as a great cohesive unit,” Hess said. “When one person didn’t play their best round, someone else stepped in to fill the role we needed that day. We didn’t have any athletes that were out for themselves – everyone was focused on what they could do to help the team. Even though golf is in many ways an individual sport, it is still very much a team effort. We needed everyone to play a consistent game this season to get to the point

where we won our sectional and qualified for state.”

Senior Isabella Weiss helped contribute to the state team this season, looked back to the last four years she was on the team and how that contributed to her season to the hard work her teammates and herself put in.

“We practiced everyday with each other and on our own and I think of hard work and just trying to have fun while doing it,” Weiss said. “We are a very competitive team so just competing against each other and ourselves really helped. We have had a very successful four years being able to compete at state three times which is a huge accomplishment for me and the twins [seniors Delaney Adams and Madelyn Adams].”

The issue facing all high school teams this year was the COVID-19 pandemic.

Though golf is a non-contact sport, the pandemic’s danger still lies. Sophomore Jasmine Harper believes the team handled the pandemic in a very safe manner.

“I feel we navigated the pandemic very well. We all would socially distance whenever we could, wore masks around others, stayed home if we didn’t feel well, and didn’t go out with large groups. Golf is a team sport, but it is also very independent.

We were able to practice safely very easily because we don’t need to be near each other to practice,” Harper said.

The future of the program will have to replace seniors Delaney Adams, Madelyn Adams, and Isabella Weiss next season.

Harper believes her and the other underclassmen are up to the task.

“I feel very confident about the future of our program. I think we can get to state again with our girls we have now and the ones coming up. Our coaches and teammates really push us to get better. Although, the seniors were a huge part of our team, and I think we all are going to really miss them. They were phenomenal varsity players all four years, and they really lifted our team mentally and physically,” Harper said.

INKLINGS

Boys cross country celebrates state 12th place finish

BY KEELEY BERNARD co-sports editor The boys cross country team is coming off of a successful season with a win in DAC for the second time in school history, a first place win at sectionals, a first place win at regionals, a third place finish at semi-state and a 12th place finish at state.

Coach Erik Forehand believes that the team’s success was due to training.

“The boys were consistent in their training,” Forehand said. “When track and school were shut down on March 13, we focused on the cross country season - that was 233 days of training. The boys did some virtual racing with some great teams throughout the spring and continued that momentum into the summer. Distance training is highly complex from a physiological standpoint and yet also very simple in that ultimately you get out of it what you put into it.”

Training and practice are very important aspects of cross country because it allows athletes to learn. However, athletes are not the only ones who train and learn.

With former head coach Keith Iddings retiring from coaching after 23 years, Forehand has had to use his first season as head coach as a learning experience.

“It’s been a great learning experience and I look forward to improving off year one,” Forehand said. “The season was initially anxious, occasionally overwhelming, and eventually exhausting, but I am definitely very pleased with the season. Between coaching and teaching, it’s been a seven day per week process dating back to early August. My level of respect for those who coach at the high school level and

Junior Cameron Zimmerman runs at sectionals on Oct. 10.

PHOTO BY GILLAN GATLEY

teach grew immensely this season.”

Coaching is vital for a team’s success, but so is the leadership from members on the team. Forehand highlights the leadership from the seniors.

“The seniors provided a tremendous amount from leadership and competitive standpoints,” Forehand said. “The seniors were vital in the team’s success this season and will be missed. Their leadership in keeping everyone on the team accountable when we weren’t able to meet up was outstanding.”

One of the seniors vital to the team’s success was Cole Simmons, who managed

19

to place 36th at state.

“I was happy with my individual performance at state, and am happy I ended my high school cross country career the way I did,” Simmons said. “At state, I placed 2nd among boys in our regional and 3rd in the semi state. While all state would’ve been nice, I’m proud of what I did and finished first on our team in the process. Overall, we had a very successful season. “ With the success of this season, the current underclassmen will be looking to replicate or possibly better the results next year.

“In the future I can see next year’s team qualifying for the state meet down south and having some really fast new incoming guys,” junior Cameron Zimmerman said. “My goal for the team is to have us qualify at semi-state for the state meet and also have an undefeated season. My personal goal for next season is to go low 16, possibly even sub 16 and go to state.”

Sophomore Evan Turner, who finished 146th at state, also shares high goals for the team and himself.

“I would like to win sectionals, regionals, and semi state as a team and get top 10 at state,” Turner said. “If we can stay healthy, injury free, improve times and be consistent then we should do well next year.”

Forehand hopes that his team can build upon their goals and also their success from this season.

“We’ve had a lot of success this year and in recent years under Coach Iddings,” Forehand said. “Success starts with learning to be a high character individual first.

If we are a team full of high character individuals, success will take care of itself.”

Boys tennis looks ahead succeeding loss in sectional finals

BY SAMUEL BREWER co-sports editor On Oct. 1 the boys tennis team lost the sectional final to Hanover Central in a very close 3-2 competition. Junior Seth Gozo was upset with the way the season had ended, as the team had worked hard.

“The team was very sad and upset that the season had to

end that way. We worked hard all season, everyone improving their game,” Gozo said.

Although senior Tyler Kuss was disappointed with the way the team ended their season, he was grateful for the memories his tennis career gave him as well as his teammates.

“Even though we didn’t win sectionals this year, I’d say that my favorite memories

were when we won sectionals the three years prior. Everyone on the team was always really happy and we were all proud that our hard work all season paid off,” Kuss said.

Now that the season is over, the juniors are ready to step up and compete for a deep postseason run. Only one senior had graduated off of the varsity team. Gozo is ready for

the challenge.

“I’m expecting our team to be at its best. Everyone’s training hard during the off season and we’re not gonna lose another sectionals title. My plan is to continuously practice year round and compete in higher leveled tournaments around the Midwest,” Gozo said.

Head coach Carl Davis was unavailable for comment.

20 SPORTS

Boys soccer loses sectional finals in shootout

BY KEELEY BERNARD co-sports editor

The boys soccer team faced Chesterton in the finals of sectionals on Oct. 10. The game was tied 1-1 in regular time and went to penalties, in which Chesterton converted from the spot four times while the bulldogs only converted three times. Even though the loss is tough to cope with, coach Michael Bazin sees the positives with the game’s results.

“It was heartbreaking for everyone to lose on penalties, but we played great,” Bazin said. “Our goalie, senior Jared Hecimovich, played the game of his life. I was so happy that he was able to perform at his best under the pressure of the situation.”

Hecimovich managed to make 14 saves during the game and was selected player of the game. He reflected on what his performance means to him.

“It means a lot being selected player of the game and playing one of the best games of my life in the final game of my career. I was just dialed in and hoping to give my team a chance to win the game,” Hec-

Midfielder senior Kobe Perez fights for the ball with a player from Hobart during a game on Oct. 7. The bulldogs won the game 4-0.

PHOTO BY GILLAN GATLEY

imovich said. “I gave it all I had and I’m proud of the way we played. I felt we played really well against one of the best teams in the state. We had a good season.”

The end of the season al-

lows for players and coaches to look ahead to the future. Saying goodbye to the seniors and transitioning into a new season is tough, but Bazin recognizes that his team has talent at every grade level.

“We will miss our seniors dearly, but we are a program that always has quality at each grade level,” Bazin said. “This year’s juniors will be ready to fill the outgoing seniors shoes next year. Gavin Stagg and Kyle Alb will be our returning players with the most minutes from this year. They’ll be looked to as leaders for next year’s team.”

Alb is looking forward to being a leader next season.

“Next season I will try to lead the team the exact same way I did it this year: work hard with them and always be someone that they can ask questions to if needed,” Alb said. “I will be good at being a positive senior that the underclassmen will look up to.”

Alb hopes that in his senior year he will be able to lead the team to a sectional championship.

“My team goals for next season is to win a sectional championship because we have yet to win one in the past three years,” Alb said. “I definitely think we have a great chance at sectionals next year. I think the team will have a good next season.”

Volleyball says goodbye to seniors after regional loss

BY SAMUEL BREWER co-sports editor The girls volleyball team finished their season in the regional finals against Munster High School in a 3-2 loss. While the team was disappointed with the result against Munster, coach Alison Duncan is happy about the success they had with their performance in sectionals and regular season tournament wins.

“Losing in the postseason is always difficult, and it doesn’t matter if it was close or by a large margin. It is always emotional and we never like losing to Munster because we have a very competitive environ-

ment between our two programs. We had a really strong season, we won three tournaments this year, which is something our team has never done before,” Duncan said.

Junior Rachel Rossman was also happy about their sectional success, and knew that the team did what they could to compete in regionals.

“We were all so happy that we had the opportunity to play, and were so thankful that our season didn’t get taken away. We all believed that we could have gone farther this season, but left everything on the court,” Rossman said.

The conclusion of this season causes the volleyball team to say goodbye to their

seniors. One of those seniors is Kylie Gurgevich, although she wishes they won regionals, she is grateful for the time she has had playing at the high school.

“I will remember the great memories of the program I got to be a part of. It truly is a family,” Gurgevich said.

Even with the loss of the seniors, Duncan is very confident in the ability of the strong junior class that will be coming back next year.

“Our junior class is really strong across the board, we have every position filled almost in the junior class right now.

They command a lot of the playing time right now,” Duncan said.

INKLINGS

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Girls soccer ends season with sectional championship, misses out on regional title

BY NOAH THOMAS co-editor-in-chief The girls soccer team finished 13-5-1 this season and lost in regionals to Chesterton 3-2 in overtime. And while the girls were eliminated, Coach Mirkut was impressed with the season and the effort the girls gave this season.

“It was an outstanding season. We finished 13-5-1 with our losses to the number three,four and five teams in the state rankings and Chesterton twice in overtime. The girls worked extremely hard all year and accomplished some of the big goals we set at the beginning of the year for them,” Mirkut said. “We talked about the season as a whole and all that was accomplished. We laughed together, cried together, and celebrated together as a soccer family, and the memories made over the years they were in the program is what we will talk about in the future, not the loss.”

Senior Grace Wells says that although she is sad her career is over, she was happy to still have a full senior season throughout the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“I think the season went good considering we weren’t even sure we’d get a season let alone make it all the way through,” Wells said. “Losing to Chesterton affected me because it became real that this was the end of our season and that I’d never play high school soccer again, it was sad.”

The girls varsity soccer team got a scare earlier in the season when a girl on the JV team tested positive for COVID-19 and the JV season ended two weeks earlier than planned as a result. Mirkut thanks the COVID-19 protocols put in place that prevented the spread and protected the players’ health.

“There’s no question that we were concerned about the season ending, especially when the JV finished two weeks early. The coaching staff was happy that the positive case was contained to one player and that by following the protocol no other players had to be tested. I was sad for the girls for their season ending early, but their health today and in the future is the most important thing we wanted to protect,” Mirkut said. “The girls were great about follow-

Fullback junior Abbey Chidsey makes a play during a girls soccer game on Oct. 8. The lady bulldogs finished their season with a 13-5-1 record after losing regionals to Chesterton in over time.

PHOTO BY GILLAN GATLEY

ing all the protocol at CPHS as well as at the protocols at other schools we played at.

The girls understood that our season was at stake and if they could follow the rules we could make it through the whole season, and we did. I’m not going to lie, it was very stressful, especially towards the end of the season, but it was worth it in the end.”

Looking to the future of the program, the girls soccer team will be losing ten seniors due to graduation, and will be looking

to fill the hole that these seniors are leaving behind. Junior Emma Adams looks to step up along with her underclassmen teammates.

“We have great underclassmen who will definitely step up and fill in the spots of the seniors we are losing. I can tell they are excited and ready to give it all next season. I’m excited to be a senior next year and hopefully lead our team to another sectional championship,” Adams said.

22 ENTERTAINMENT

INREVIEW

BY EMILY HELMUTH co-editor-in-chief

The Imagineering Story This six episode documentary is a must watch for any Disney Parks fan. It is a beautiful display of the work Disney’s architects, artists, engineers, and more have done over the last 70 years, as it shows viewers just how much heart is put into these seemingly simple theme parks. Seeing the way the Disney company revolutionized the theme park business starting one man’s dream is truly inspiring.

Hubie Halloween Adam Sandler sought to make audiences laugh in this horror-comedy flick, and he did not hesitate to hold back anything. With Sandler pulling in his usual crew of Hollywood friends as well as former Disney Channel stars, Hubie Halloween looked like it was going to be a hit. The movie missed its mark, as although it had its comedic moments, it was not as funny as past Sandler films.

Despite that, it is always entertaining to watch Sandler goof around with his friends for an hour and a half.

Ricochet Tacos offers new and original take on classic tacos

BY EMILY HELMUTH co-editor-in-chief The new Ricochet Tacos restaurant on the square is far from your average taco joint.

With its out-of-the-ordinary tacos and amazing service, Ricochet is a must visit.

Contrary to the first Ricochet Tacos restaurant in Valparaiso, the Crown Point location has a slightly different interior, as it is two stories and has a stunning view of the court house and square. Despite that, the differences end there, as the great tasting food was preserved in the expansion to Crown Point.

One of the things that sets Ricochet apart from other taco restaurants is its menu.

Ricochet’s menu pushes the boundaries of tacos, as their tacos are inspired by various international dishes. Most of the tacos are $5 to $7, which is slightly pricey in my opinion. I can confirm that the price is worth the flavor.

I decided to order the “Handlebar” and the “Surf Ninja” tacos. The “Handlebar,” a steak taco with avocado, Napa pico, pickled red onion, smoked serrano salsa, queso fresco, potato haystack, and cilantro was my favorite.

This unlikely combination of food was like heaven in a taco, and it was the perfect amount of spicy and savory.

The steak and avocado complemented one another extremely well, and the Napa pico added a spicy kick to it.

This taco was out of my comfort zone, but it was worth the venture out.

The “Surf Ninja,” a blackened gulf shrimp taco with avocado, Napa pico, spicy

Pictured from left to right are two of Ricochet Tacos’ menu options; the Surf Ninja taco and the Handlebar taco.

PHOTO BY EMILY HELMUTH

mayo, BBQ sauce, poblano tomato salsa, cilantro was another solid menu option. It was not as good as the “Handlebar” in my opinion. The spicy mayo was overpowering and almost over took the savory but sweet flavor of the taco. Despite the spice, I did enjoy this taco.

Ricochet offers a variety of dips, and I couldn’t go to a taco place without having some guacamole and chips.

The guacamole was a little pricey, as it was $9 for a bowl, but we were given a generous amount. Despite the price, Ricochet served a solid bowl of guacamole. It was the perfect consistency and the ingredients balanced well, as none overpowered the others.

It had a very mild taste to it that worked excellent alongside the chips.

The icing on the cake of my Ricochet visit was desert.

My table ordered a churro basket, which was one of the

more reasonably priced items there at only $5. The fu man churros came with cookies and cream dipping sauce.

The churros were hot and fresh, which contrasted nicely with the coolness of the dip.

The cinnamon sugar coated churros and the sweetness of the cookies and cream tasted heavenly together. I typically do not order dessert, but Ricochet’s churros are a necessary exception.

I would recommend going to Ricochet Tacos. If you are a picky eater, this may not be the place for you as most of their menu items are very non-traditional. The “Handlebar” taco is a must for any steak lover and the desert alone is a reason to visit. Ricochet’s service staff is friendly and quick, making the trip even more worthwhile. If you are a fan of living on the edge and do not mind paying a few extra bucks, Ricochet is the place for you.

“American Murder: The Family Next Door” INKLINGS documents the tragic story of the Watts family

BY AUBREY BANKS reporter

“American Murder: The Family Next Door” informs viewers of the horrific murders and disappearance of Shanann Watts and her two children, Bella and Celeste. This Netflix documentary shows actual footage of the real Watts family and how the murders took place. The documentary may be graphic for viewers who don’t like blood and foul language.

The documentary shows the many secrets that the family held. The family had a dark history that even their neighbors don’t know of. After Shannan and her children went missing, police soon discovered that the neighbors didn’t see anything at all. From the surface, it looked as if Shanann and her children had vanished into thin air.

This documentary does a great job of uncovering what happened at the right time.

It was very easy for me to go along with the film because it tells how the events happened in chronological order. I could watch the film without being confused about what or how something happened.

There were a lot of shocking moments in this film that made my jaw drop. From uncovering personal family matters to finding out who did it.

It was a very enjoyable film to watch. I was on the edge of my

P L AYI N G FAVORITES

seat throughout the documentary and couldn’t take my eyes off it.

Although the documentary was enjoyable to watch, I found that it could be a bit boring at times. I’m not new to murder documentaries, as this one was boring in the sense that it followed cliches that anyone would guess. It would be nice to see a murder film presented in a new way, a way that everyone is not used to.

This documentary speaks the message of “this could happen to anyone,” which is true.

It’s very scary to think that this could happen to any normal person. This fear makes the film more entertaining. It’s even scarier that the neighbors didn’t see anything, which is very shocking. Someone would hope that somebody saw something, but no one did. This fact made the disappearance of Shannan even more frightening and added to the sense of urgency to find her and her daughters.

One great thing about the production was the storytelling and narrative that followed the police on their journey to finding Shanann. The producers did an excellent job showing what the police and neighbors did, such as posting flyers around town. It was good to see these things happen in the town’s perceptive of finding Shanann.

Although “American Murder: The Family Next Door”

was a bit boring, it did do a great job of showing what happened to Shannan and her children. There were many plot twists in the film that I wasn’t expecting, which made the film a lot more enjoyable. I would recommend this documenta-

Magic Candle Company Air Fresheners These air fresheners are a must for any Disney Parks fan’s car, as this company sells various scents themed to the Disney Parks, ranging from “Pineapple Whip” to “Haunted.” The high quality smells bring a sense of magic to one’s day.

Magic Candle Company 4 for $19.95

WE’RE SO

O V E R

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ry to anyone, especially those who may be new to murder documentaries because of its basic and easy to follow plot line. I would also recommend this film to anyone who likes the unexpected and is prepared to see a lot of plot twists.

Judgemental People With the pandemic, people have become a little stir crazy from being around the same group of people all the time. Lots of people seem to be judgmental and not being kind to one another. Everyone needs to treat each other with kindness.

24 ENTERTAINMENT

“Emily in Paris” hooks viewers with addicting plot line and romantic setting

BY ROSALIE DEGENHART assistant editor “Emily in Paris,” a new Netflix original series, has all the components of a well-crafted TV show. It has romance, comedy, drama and worthwhile characters set in the extraordinary city of Paris. Emily Cooper, the show’s namesake, is the ultimate Heather. She has a successful job, moves to Paris for that job, wears the cutest and most unforgettable clothing, and meets the handsomest men in the city of love. She is bold, creative, and her love for her job makes you eager to see what she’ll accomplish next.

Moving from Chicago to Paris, Emily’s job is to give an American perspective on how to promote the luxurious French marketing firm, Savoir, through social media; she is in charge of coming up with creative and modern ways to promote products. Her vivacity makes her likable to the friends she makes in Paris, Camille, Mindy, Gabriel and work friends Julien and Luc, but her boss at Savoir, Sylvie, is not a fan with Emily’s presence and doesn’t want her American input. Eventually, stubborn Sylvie learns to tolerate Emily as Emily’s social media strategies build up the success of Savoir.

Through the span of ten episodes, Emily comes in contact with a variety of people. When she first arrives in Paris, she meets her neighbor named Gabriel, who lives on the floor below her apartment. Gabriel and Emily have obvious romantic tension when they first meet, and I shipped them immediately because they looked so cute together. Then, Emily meets

Mindy, a nanny who moved from China to escape her family’s predestined future. Mindy is brutally honest, but extremely funny, and acts as Emily’s moral compass and gives her advice on how to persevere through the new, intimidating French society and culture. Camille is Emily’s kindest, happiest and most loving friend and character in the entire show, and I couldn’t help but love

her. Emily and Camille are the ultimate dynamic duo, but something creates a silent drift between them that remains a central problem throughout the show. The personalities of the characters and their relationships with Emily are so entertaining they make you want to watch it all in one night, like I did, because it is addicting to see what unfolds in the relationships.

All of the characters in “Emily in Paris” are casted perfectly. Lily Collins plays Emily with sophistication, sass, and style. Her beauty and generosity off screen is shown in her role as Emily; casting Collins was the best choice, for her superb acting brought the show to life. Julien and Luc, played by Samuel Arnold and Bruno G, are quirky with their witty and comical qualities. Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu plays Sylvie with the exact amount of sternness and disagreeableness that keeps Emily’s job complicated.

Lucas Bravo plays Gabriel with charm and sweetness, qualities that make Emily (and the viewers) fall for him more and more as the series progresses. Overall, all of the characters contribute a unique aspect to the show that keeps it interesting to the viewers.

Though the character romances and drama kept me really hooked on the series, the luxury of the Paris life was intriguing. The charming cafes and fashionable clothing made me long for a European vacation during this pandemic. The show was modern with Emily’s job as a social media promoter, and she’s around such rich people that it’s almost too good to be true. I mean, her job is a dream; she works in Paris, eats delicious food at luxurious restaurants, meets the most handsome men, and posts on Instagram to make a living. Not to mention, she has an instagram account called “Emily in Paris” that goes viral. Her life is irresistible. This is a series that should be on everyone’s Netflix list. It has drama, romance, and comedy, everything needed for a balanced TV show.

“Enola Holmes” offers new young adult take on “Sherlock Holmes”

INKLINGS

25

INSIDER PICKS

BY TREVOR FRAHM reporter

BEST APP

Sherlock Holmes has always been one of my favorite fictional characters and because of this I went into “Enola Holmes” with relatively high expectations. Being released on Netflix at the end of September “Enola Holmes,” following the titular character of Enola the younger sister to the already famous detective Sherlock Holmes.

The movie aims to be a young adult take on a Sherlock like story.

The result left me disappointed in most regards due to the movie, for the most part, not resembling even the atmosphere of the original Sherlock Holmes stories. That being said the movie is not without its own merits albeit hidden behind bad pacing and a convoluted plot.

Though being convoluted is often used advantageously in mystery movies “Enola Holmes” is not your standard mystery. Instead of following one central mystery, the movie follows two largely unrelated ones, the disappearance of Enola’s mother and an attempted political assassination.

The two overarching mysteries of the movie have different starting points, conclusions, and motivate Enola in different ways. The first mystery has very little importance to the plot outside of an inciting incident for Enola because even when solved it didn’t end with a satisfying conclusion. And since it takes up a solid half of the movie it takes away from the other half of the movie that has a very separated plot and characters.

Despite the fact that the plot is unarguably cluttered, the movie had an interesting and unique character.

Enola can sometimes come off as annoying, like when she breaks the fourth wall to talk directly to the audience whilst the world moves on without noticing, but through the great acting of Millie Bobby Brown she comes through as genuinely lik-

This game has broken the internet, and rightfully so. Players work together as a crew on a spaceship, with one or more imposters among them. The imposter’s goal is to kill off the crew without getting caught, and the crew’s goal is to complete all their tasks. This game is very entertaining and exciting, as players are on the edge of their seats at all times.

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junior Cooper Vickers

@pikachoochie

able.

Furthermore Enola Holmes never feels like just a younger female Sherlock, but her own character with her strengths and weaknesses. Enola doesn’t have the experience that Sherlock has in detective work and they have noticeable different ways of solving the same mysteries.

Ultimately, “Enola Holmes” is

no Sherlock, but it didn’t have to be. The sloppy pacing keeps it from being a recommendation for everyone, but it’s a fun enough young adult film. With its initial release being on Netflix it makes for a nice movie night. If you’re watching for Henry Cavil’s portrayal of Sherlock Holmes, you’re better off looking up clips online.

“From working at dq a lot tells you about a person by what they order. If you order a large blizzard I automatically hate you.”

junior Bri Rusin @ bri_rusin

26 PEOPLE

UNEXPECTED RIDE

Quarantine leads Siner to discover new hobby

BY AUBREY BANKS reporter Students were given an unprecedented amount of time at home in the spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This extended time at home led many students to discover new hobbies. One of these students, junior Mario Siner, discovered a love for BMX during this time.

According to Siner, his friends led him to finding his passion for BMX. “I first started because my friend wanted to have a little fun at the skate park,” Siner said. “I was a little uneasy about going up there because I thought I’d be embarrassed.

I started getting into it and it kind of clicked with me and I couldn’t stop at that point.”

Siner explains how long it takes for him to learn a new trick, and how and why he makes changes to them.

“Depending on if I dedicate a whole day to it, it takes maybe two or three days to learn it. After that, it kind of sinks in and I can start making variations to it if I want,” Siner said.

Siner believes it is important to stay motivated for a practice intensive hobby like BMX, and says his friends’ progress inspires and motivates him to work at being a better BMX rider.

“I actually look at my friends’ Instagrams. I see that they’re all having fun on their bikes and I want to be able to do the same things that they can,” Siner said. “They have about a year [more] worth of experience than I do and I’m trying

Junior Mario Siner practices his BMX tricks. Siner picked up the hobby from his friends, and picks up motivation from them when it comes to learning new tricks.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY MARIO SINER

to catch up with them. With the help of my friends I’ve gotten pretty far with it.”

Outside of BMX tricks, Siner took on the project of assembling his own customized BMX bike.

“Initially, I had this really bad bike, and I was learning my tricks with it. My friends

that were down with the skate park with me that day gave me a brand new professional BMX [bike]. I thought that it needed to match my personality so I started taking off its parts and trying to make it to where I could ride it,” Siner said.

Siner says that although the final pieces of the bike will be

here soon, he believes that it will be awhile before the final project is finished.

“So I just ordered the last two pieces for it. One should be coming in about a week and the last part should be coming in about 2 - 3 weeks. The final project might take a while to get done,” Siner said.

STAYING IN TUNE

INKLINGS

27

Kwilas teaches self how to play traditional Chinese instrument

Senior Kailey Kwilas plays traditional Chinese music on her guqin. “My favorite song to play on the guqin is ‘The Song of the Pipa,” Kwilas said.

“It’s my favorite song because of the story it tells and its historical meaning.”

PHOTO PROVIDED BY KAILEY KWILAS

BY ABBY GODSEN assistant editor When one hears the word “instruments,” usually the piano, guitar, and violin come to mind. To senior Kailey Kwilas something slightly different comes to mind.

Kwilas recently began learning how to play the guqin, a traditional Chinese instrument.

“The guqin is a seven string Chinese instrument, known as one of the oldest instruments in the world. It’s a little over four feet long, so I had to buy a special hollow table to put it on to amplify the sound,” Kwilas said.

To obtain a guqin, Kwilas had to work through a series of transactions to get one shipped from China as this is not a common instrument one can buy from a U.S. company.

“I got one by ordering it through a traditional music company located in China.

I then spent a few weeks communicating with the owner as the instrument was built and customize,” Kwilas said. “It had an interesting trip through US customs and the instrument itself cost $4,500 before shipping.”

To have a deeper understanding of the instrument, she had to take the time to understand the culture surrounding the guqin.

“As someone from a western country, learning the guqin has been a cultural shock. It’s about way more than just learning how to play the instrument. You have to invest yourself in learning more about the culture surrounding it, like the language, meaning, and emotions behind different pieces,” Kwilas said.

Kwilas wanted to challenge herself to learn a new instrument after seeing a video of a guqin on the internet, adding it to the ten instruments she had already learned to play prior.

“I bought it last year after I saw a video of one and was super interested in learning how to play it. I already play about ten instruments, so I’m a pretty musical person and like the challenge of learning new instruments,” Kwilas said.

One of the struggles she has had with learning how to play this instrument is learning how to read Chinese sheet music, as it doesn’t have a staff and doesn’t use notes like western sheet music that most are used to seeing in the U.S. “I had to learn Chinese to read the sheet music, which I still struggle with at times,” Kwilas said. “Chinese sheet music doesn’t use a staff, but mostly uses Chinese characters instead of notes. Also, if the music is in a certain key, you have to tune the

entire instrument to that key.”

Kwilas taught herself, which added to the difficulty of learning a new instrument, but one of the easiest parts was learning scales even though it is a different type of sheet music.

“I taught myself to play using a book and listening to pieces that I’d try to imitate,” Kwilas said.

Kwilas didn’t only find the uniqueness of this instrument intriguing, but also the Chinese culture and history surrounding the guqin.

“I find it interesting that although the guqin is one of China’s oldest instruments, it’s rarely seen in modern Chinese orchestras and is usually only seen in historical movies. It’s as though the instrument has been forgotten along with other Chinese traditions as the country has industrialized and developed over the years,” Kwilas said.

For those looking to learn how to play the guqin, Kwilas says to be patient and to keep going.

“My advice for someone learning to play the guqin would be: don’t get frustrated, learning to read the music will take a while and once you do, it’s worth it. Also, have fun with it. The instrument’s history has been built upon improvisation. There really is no right or wrong,” Kwilas said.

STUDENT

SPOTLIGHT ZACH DEVENPORT SOPHOMORE

Q. What are your thoughts on CPHS transitioning from the hybrid model to the green model?

A. [It’s nice] that I’m able to see more of my friends, but there’s no breaks to take off your mask during class.

Q. What will you be doing now that Indiana has entered stage 5 of its plan to reopen?

A. I’m probably going to continue to stay home and continue to do what I’ve been doing. I want to prevent the spread of the virus.

Q. Why did you join the Vex Robotics team?

A. My brother told me that it was a fun experience and that I should join. I really didn’t have a lot of expectations otherwise.

Q. What are your current plans for after you graduate high school and enter the career field?

A. The path I chose is business and financing. My parents have always told me that I’ve been good at math and I’m not as good in English or science so business plays more to my strengths.

Q. What are ways you stay connected with others in times of COVID-19?

A. If I hang out with friends in person I make sure to wear a mask. I also interact with people online using snapchat and discord and play video games online with them.

Q. How have your holiday plans been influenced by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic?

A. It has made it so instead of traveling for the holidays, we will be staying home and have a family dinner.

INKLINGS

28

What Do You

THINK?

What is your favorite fall activity?

“Decorating for Halloween is my favorite activity. This year my dad and I made a giant spider web in the front yard. We also add to it every year, making it bigger and bigger. ” junior Rachel Clausing

“I like to play in leaves during the fall.

At my new house, we are growing trees so that we can play in them.” sophomore Kara Kutkowski “My favorite fall activity is to go outside and look at all the trees changing colors, because it only is like that for a few weeks of the year so I enjoy it while it lasts.”

senior Jake Oostman

“I like to light fires with my family and friends so that we can keep warm during fall and winter.” freshman Nick Carlson

“I like to go to haunted houses with my friends.” freshman Jaden Zlaich