Inklings April 2013

ink L

I

N

Crown Point High School 1500 S. Main St.

G

S

April 29, 2013 Vol. 78 Issue 8

Crown Point, IN 46307

Top 10 to be replaced by Latin honors

inklings@cps.k12.in.us

The current top 10 system used to recognize students with the highest GPAs will be fully replaced by the Latin honors system by 2017.

Though some changes have occurred already (the class of 2013 will recognize the top 12 students instead of 10), principal Chip Pettit has been working with the administration, parents and students to draft a new system that he believes would better honor those who have excelled academically.

“We wanted to adjust our student recognition program to account for some of the inconsistencies and unintended consequences that we were consistently finding in our current program,” Pettit said. “We intend to continue to recognize outstanding student achievement.”

The Latin honors system is a threetier program organized by GPA requirements. The bottom tier, cum laude, requires a GPA of at least 3.75. The next tier is magna cum laude, with a GPA minimum of 4.0. The top tier, summa cum laude, will include those with a GPA of 4.25 or higher.

“I’d prefer the new laude system actually. ... You feel like you have a better chance to get to the top because more people have that ability to get better than just 10,” senior top 12 member Cole Cartwright said.

With more of an opportunity to achieve the highest recognition, students can take non-weighted classes that appeal to their interests and personal strengths as well as AP courses.

“It’s important that students take advantage of the opportunities (course selection) that align with their post-secondary plans while allowing them to be well-rounded in a number of different areas,” Pettit said.

Though the change may take some getting used to after having an ordinal ranking system for 10 years, Pettit plans to phase in the laude system.

“We didn’t want to change the game on students already enrolled in high school,” Pettit said. “We wanted to be See Ranking on page 2

Senior Quentin Klingberg takes the cake in the pie eating contest at the Student Teacher Olympics Read about the results on page 3

Weed

‘em out

BY ABBY ELSTON MADDIE ADDUCCI

editor-in-chief reporter

Pigging out

Potential drug testing policy drafted for upcoming school year

BY SAM BEISHUIZEN DYLAN TALYOR

editor-in-chief managing editor

A

fter months of deliberation, a focus group has drafted a proposed drug testing policy that may be implemented next school year.

The group is now ready to publicize the policy and is preparing to propose it to the superintendent.

“We have a draft copy of a random drug testing program to be implemented next year for student drivers and students involved in extracurricular activities that are competing or performing,” principal Chip Pettit said. “We have had a focus group of students, parents, teachers and administrators working together on developing that program, and at this point we are ready to share the draft of that program with students and parents.”

The draft was informed by other drug testing policies at comparable schools to CPHS. “(In writing the draft) The administration took feedback from the focus group and wrote the draft and used some of our league schools as well as some of the state guidelines for this type of program as a template,” Pettit said.

The policy as it stands would lead to the random drug testing of student drivers and students involved in extracurricular activities that are competing or performing.

Proposed examples include athletic teams, theater and competitive clubs.

“School is required, and we have to allow it and offer it, but extracurriculars are a

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY AMY SCHUCH

privilege, and I think they’re a good place to start (instituting a program like this),” preforming arts department chairman Kit Degenhart said. “Students in the public eye, whether on the football field, on stage or at an academic competition, are not just representing themselves and their families but their school and community too.”

The draft outlines the program as testing anywhere between 20-40 students per month for nine months. An outside source will pull numbers in a lottery-style drawing that will be matched with students who will be pulled directly out of class to be tested within the school. Students will be monitored to ensure an accurate test.

In addition, any positive test will be

Pro/Con

News Let the games begin See who won in the Student Teacher Olympics

page 3

retested to ensure that the student did in fact use the suspected substance. A second positive sample would lead an associated doctor to contact the student’s parent to see if there is any reason for the positive test, such as prescribed medications. If not, the student will be enrolled in a substance abuse program and be retested each month to monitor progress. In addition to this, administration at the school will be on a “need to know” basis, and punishments would remain within the school and would not carry with the student beyond their immediate loss of privileges.

“Nothing will go on record,” Pettit said.

See Testing on page 3

Profile

Let’s get physical Should four years of gym class be required?

page 5

Lions and tigers and...ducks?

Read about the different and unique pets of students page 8

2 news

inklings 4/29/13

Students dance for those

who CAN’T

PHOTOS BY TINA WINFREY

Students dance with six-year-old Olivia Pierce who is a Riley’s Hospital patient (left). Pierce later told her Riley’s story and sang the students a song. Throughout the night, students learned dance routines to keep them going strong throughout the six hour dance marathon (right).

Student Council hosts annual dance marathon

BY OLIVIA ELSTON TINA WINFREY

reporters

Student Council hosted this year’s Dance Marathon for Riley’s Children’s Hospital Friday, April 26.

“There was dancing and basketball.

People were able to play bags and make cards for Riley’s Children Hospital,” Student Council sponsor Chloe Pugh said.

“It was all to raise money for Riley’s Children’s Hospital.”

Students could also donate money at the dance marathon through raffles which gave away items like athletic passes, Buffalo Wild Wings gift cards and Bloomingnails gift cards.

Their goal was to raise $5,000, but unfortunately they fell short. They were still able to raise $3,138.06 for the Riley’s Children’s Hospital.

There were two Riley’s families at the dance marathon who shared their personal stories and experiences at Riley’s with everyone at the marathon. Many students were inspired by the stories the families told.

“I think it’s a really good expierence because these kids are so inspirational,” sophomore Brooke Kiran said. “Having the whole school come together on this is even better than one person.”

Along with the Riley’s families, members from the Purdue University Dance Marathon group were at the event to help Crown Point have a successful night.

“We basically help out the schools by giving them fundraiser ideas, helping them learn the dance, and then we help out with other things during the marathon,” the co--chairman for mini marathons Justine Geisler said.

Ranking continued from p. 1 conscious of the fact that some of our students had already set their targets on the goal that we had laid out for them.”

Keeping the goal already put in place for current high schoolers is also important to math teacher Ryan Collier.

“I think that (phasing the system) is the way to do something like this. I think that aspect of it is good,” Collier said. “I don’t think it will completely remove the chase to be number one or to be in the top 10 by any means, but hopefully it should lighten up that burden a little bit.”

This may also encourage students to be more studious too, according to sophomore Angie Wells.

“Once they know they can achieve it (being at the top of the class), and it’s not an impossible goal, I think it’ll be the initiative they need to actually try,” Wells said.

Shaping the initiatives has been a process. The administration looked at aca-

demic recognition systems of other schools to help draft one for CPHS. The schools used for comparison included: Carmel Clay Schools, Noblesville Schools, Hamilton Southeastern Schools, Zionsville Community Schools, and Duneland schools, among others. Input from parents was needed to help.

“Parental participation in any parent group is always predicated on concern for their child and their immediate peers/ friends. In this case, the concern was that we properly measure and appropriately acknowledge the level of academic achievement of CPHS’ top performing students,” parent group discussion participant Rose Kendall said.

One of the biggest changes that will result from this system is that students will no longer be recognized numerically.

“I think hopefully what it does is shift the focus away from a number attached to a student and it makes it more inclusive, where instead of having your number

mayfacts •

Mother’s Day is the second Sunday of the month.

•

May is National Barbeque Month.

•

Star Wars Day is celebrated May 4 because of the phrase, “May the force (the fourth) be with you.”

•

The 98th Indianapolis 500 is the last Sunday of the month.

14-15 Spring Sing 7 p.m. in the auditorium

16 Senior Academic Award Night

The Dance Marathon had a good impression on some of the first time participants. Many enjoyed the variety of activities. Freshman Paul Dawley had a great experience.

“The music is fun; there’s basketball, and you can hang with your friends,” Dawley said. “I think it’s a really good way to support the kids in need.”

Student Council President Alexis Hesser feels that the dance marathon was a success. Hesser has attended both dance marathons CPHS hosted, and was happy to make a difference and was proud of what they accomplished.

“I think (the dance marathon) has been really successful. Everyone’s having a good time and enjoying themselves,” Hesser said. “It feels really accomplishing because that’s what it’s really about and raising as much money as we can for Riley’s.” one, or your number two or your number three, which is very exclusive in nature, it’s more inclusive to allow more students to be viewed as top tier students,” Collier said.

In addition to other changes, it will be inclusive by having a specific graduation cord for each laude tier by 2014. By 2017, the graduation speakers will be selected by application from the summa cum laude group, and the distinguished graduate program will be incorporated.

“The major benefit is that students who wish to achieve recognition in high school will be acknowledged for that effort irrespective of the personal decisions they made in order to do so,” Kendall said. “The laude system allows for the flexibility in the size of the group of the students who should be recognized.”

Some of these personal decisions may include taking a nonweighted course instead of an AP course.

“People would be more inclined to take classes that aren’t weighted as high as AP

maycalendar 19

intheknow National Honor Society inducts new members National Honor Society inducted current juniors and a few seniors on April 24.

An organized ceremony took place in the auditorium at 7:00 p.m. where over 100 students became members. In order to participate in the program, students must show leadership skills as well as maintain a 3.5 GPA while participating in extracurricular activities. Being able to balance the different requirements and embody the qualities of an extinguished senior are requirements.

The new members take the place of those graduating. They will meet regularly next year as they fill the role of the NHS.

Advanced Placement exams begin next week On Monday May 6, AP testing will begin.

The schedule is as follows: chemistry, environmental science and psychology on May 6; computer science A, Spanish language and art history on May 7; calculus AB and BC and Chinese language and culture on May 8; English literature and composition, Japanese language and culture and Latin on May 9; English language and composition, statistics and studio art on May 10; biology, music theory, physics B, physics C: mechanics and physics C electricity and magneticism on May 13; United States government and politics, comparative government and politics and French language and culture on May 14; German language and culture, United States history and European history on May 15; macroeconomics, world history, Italian language and culture and microeconomics on May 16; and human geography and Spanish literature and culture on May 17. classes. I would’ve,” Cartwright said. “A lot of the business classes I would’ve taken more often because there aren’t any honors classes for business.”

Not only would this system possibly open up new course opportunities for students, but it is also intended to help prepare them for college.

“We had already made removing class rank an option for students if it worked to their advantage in the college application process, and this falls in line with what many of our college and university partners do for student recognition,” Pettit said.

The cum laude group is projected to encompass the top 15 percent, the magna cum laude the top 10 percent and the summa cum laude the top 5 percent.

“I think there’s been a real game going on with a real negative side to it the last few years, and hopefully what this will do is kind of draw some of that away. Whether that does or not, I don’t know,” Collier said.

20 All City Honors Choir

Spring Sports Awards

27 Memorial Day—No School

news

inklings 4/29/13

3

Competing for a cause against cancer Students, teachers face off in Olympic games to raise money in NICK Foundation fundraiser

BY SHANNON ROSTIN asst. feature editor

Students and teachers went head-tohead during the Student Teacher Olympics.

Students competed against teachers in ten events including dancing, a hula hoop contest and an obstacle course. Approximately 20 teachers and 60 students signed up to participate in this event. The games ended in a tie.

“There are ten events that include basketball, volleyball, a pie eating contest, an obstacle course, dodge ball, dancing, a home run derby, tug of war, hula hooping and soccer. We put students against teachers and compete,” Dean of Students Russ Marcinek said.

This year was the fourth year of the student teacher Olympics. The competition was hosted by English teacher John Lambersie. The event was sponsored and organized by Interact, led by social studies teacher Brooke Yeager, and LEAD council, led by Marcinek.

Marcinek found the event to be a way for teachers to show their personalities in an environment outside the classroom.

“It allows the students to see our teachers in a different light, in more of an informal way, and have some fun with them,” Marcinek said.

Yeager also appreciated the informal competition between the teachers and students.

“I think it’s fun to watch the teachers and students interact outside of the class-

room where they can have fun with each other, and it’s a little more casual,” Yeager said.

The event required the involvement of both the students and teachers that signed up to participate. Students like junior Julia Abbott enjoyed the camaraderie.

“I thought it was really fun. I had a great time competing and seeing other students,” Abbott said.

Students were able to showcase their skills and strengths in the myriad of events while competing against the teachers.

“My favorite was during the tug of war, watching the teachers fall down as we pulled,” senior Quentin Klingberg said.

The event supported more than a healthy student—teacher rivalry. The proceeds of this event benefited the Northwest Indiana Cancer Kids foundation, an organization that assists the families of children with cancer.

“It’s a fundraiser for the Northwest Indiana Cancer Kids, or the NICK Foundation. They help families if their child has been diagnosed with cancer. Even if they just need transportation to the hospital or those kinds of things,” Yeager said.

Beyond assisting those in need, the event was viewed as being beneficial to the school and the student body as well.

“It’s a fun way to raise some money and get everybody involved,” Yeager said.

Marcinek also believes the event was beneficial beyond the scope of the school and reached out to the community as a whole.

Testing continued from p. 1 The draft also outlines the penalties for positive testing. The first positive test will result in the student having their parking privileges revoked until they pass the test, and those involved in extracurricular activities that compete or perform will need to sit out of the next 25 percent of their season. Pettit believes that the penalties ensure that the program will be a deterrent and not a punishment while aligning with the current athletic code.

“We wanted to make sure that we aligned the policy with some of the current policies lined up,” Pettit said. “We also needed to ensure that the punishment is appropriate.”

A self-report option was also included in the policy that allows for students to admit to taking a banned substance prior to being tested and enroll themselves into a substance abuse program. Pettit believes that including the

views on news

Area Man shot and killed by Calumet City police

PHOTO BY AMY SCHUCH

Faculty members, including Michael Bazin, compete against students in the tug-of-war.

“I think it’s good for our school, it’s sort of a community building activity that brings students and teachers together, and it’s good for the culture of our school to

self-report option was necessary. “(The self-report) was an important step,” Pettit said.

“We wanted to ensure the program works as an avenue to ask for help.”

Students can self-report at any time besides when they have been called to be tested. According to senior Chris Dietrich, a participant in the focus group responsible for the draft, this option is predominantly intended as an outlet by which substance addicted or dependent students can seek help.

“The self-report option only works if your number (the code by which a random drug test is determined) isn’t called,” Dietrich said. “It basically lets kids admit that they have a problem so that they can get help.”

Degenhart also appreciates the inclusion of a self-report option in the draft.

“I think that making a bad choice is obviously the

do that kind of thing,” Marcinek said, “It helps a good cause. It shows what our students can accomplish when everyone joins in and helps one another.”

person making the decision, but making poor decisions is a fact of life, and that is how people grow and learn,” Degenhart said. “I’m all about second chances, third chances, and fourth chances. I think (the self-report) allows for a good lesson; telling the truth clears up so much crap and minutia.”

The next step for the policy will be the recommendation to the superintendent. If that is passed then the school attorney will review it and a drug testing vender to assist with the program will be found. Once all of that is passed the testing can begin as early as next August.

“I do feel that when the process is completed everybody will feel like they can support it because of how it was handled, how it was developed,” Pettit said.

Program funding is still in the process of being determined, but administration is examining applying for grants or district funding.

Student reaction to events in our world State Convicted murderer argues attorney’s incompetence

Nation Boston bombing suspect charged, may face death

World

Victor Johnson, a 22-year-old Calumet City man, suspected of shooting another man, was shot to death by police April 23. Johnson allegedly pulled guns on the officers before they fired on. Johnson was pronounced dead at 5:30 a.m. that day.

The shooting occured on the 400 block of Freeland Avenue.

The attorneys of John Meyers, serving 65 years for murdering Indiana University coed Jill Behrman in 2000, argued that his original lawyer, Pat Baker, was incompetent.

According to the lawyers, Baker misled jurors, unethically solicited Meyers and told his defendant that he would have to pay for his appeal.

The Justice Department announced that Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev has been charged with “using a weapon of mass destruction against persons and property at the Boston Marathon.” The charge carries with it the possibility of a death penalty.

North Korea threatened to restart an inactive nuclear reactor to expand their nuclear arsenal in a series of threats directed at American and South Korean officials.

According to Secretary of State John Kerry, North Korea’s reactivation of the reactor is a “direct violation of their international obligations.”

It is horrible that it was handled this way. It shouldn’t have to come down to police killing the suspect.

That is a poor excuse to argue in court. When you commit a crime, you can’t put the blame on someone else.

It is a tragic event.

This really draws attention to how America really is not as secure as we thought.

‘‘

Justin Buersma junior

‘‘

Alex Alessia sophomore

‘‘

Kat Keller senior

Nuclear arsenal will be expanded, North Korea says

‘‘

Caity Dillon freshman

Their plans do not come off as a surprise. North Korea’s been threatening us for a while.

4 opinion

inklings 4/29/13

speakup

High school allows students to develop their own voice

Should the Latin honors system be used to recognize top academic students?

BY SAM BEISHUIZEN

editor-in-chief

After writing for Inklings for the past three years, this is my final column; my final chance to stand on my soap box and appeal to the masses of however many students at the high school actually read what I have to say.

I’ve learned a lot throughout my three years of student journalism, but the most important thing I have discovered is how important it is to find your voice.

It sounds cliché, but I believe that it is crucial in life to develop your own unique style of writing or expressing your views in some way. Your voice in writing, after all, is your personality—whether that be in your English class or even a tweet.

Write the way you speak.

Write the things you think. Just write. You might not ever truly find out who you are until you do so.

Schools get so caught up in developing a format, a system for writing, but that is destroying the writers we have. Imitation can be suicide because imitating a certain process of writing completely destroys the writer’s style.

Teachers need to give instruction on how to write, yes, but there needs to be a larger gray area for students to work with so that they can interject their own personalities into their writing.

This makes for not only better content, but also makes the work more enjoyable to read and write.

As a columnist and commentator, I have never strayed away from brutal honesty or telling things as I see them. I think that that honesty has been part of the reason for the success of my writing. Writing has brought me to the Super Bowl, the Indianapolis 500 and across the nation. It can open up doors and create relationships.

The world is getting smaller.

Social media and other communication technologies are making communication skills more important than ever. Teachers and students alike need to begin focusing on allowing students to learn to communicate with their own voices, because if you can’t write in your own voice, are you really even talking?

Through high school journalism, I was able to find my own writing voice, and that is something that I believe every kid should find during high school.

The opportunities that the school offers, whether it be in creative arts or writing, are something that students need to take advantage of while they can.

Thanks for the ride, CPHS.

V

Cartoon By ELLIE BURRELL

“No, because it doesn’t give students something big enough to strive for like the top ten.”

iew:

Volunteering should be done because one wants to help out cause, not to graduate

Giving back to the community by volunteering is of utmost importance. It is necessary to help out others when they need it most, and it feels good to be able to participate in such an act. However, it is hard to recognize this feeling and understand the reasons behind giving back when it becomes mandatory.

At our school, it is required to have 40 hours of community service before a student can graduate. This is not a state requirement; it is simply a CPHS requirement. Students are forced to volunteer in the community before they are able to walk at the graduation ceremony.

Although the intent behind the required hours of community service is admirable, simply the fact of requiring volunteering is a bit counterintuitive. Ideally, someone should volunteer out of kindness, not because that someone is afraid that he or she will not be allowed to walk across the stage at graduation if that requirement is not met. The act of volunteering is simply not genuine if it is required. Plus, students would be more likely to associate volunteering with negative thoughts if it was incited by a graduation requirement instead of the pure desire to help out. So, in some cases, they would be more likely to not volunteer again later in life.

Additionally, if students are simply focused on just fulfilling graduation requirements, they will never be able to understand the importance of volunteering. They will not understand the sense of community that surrounds the act of volunteering. They will not understand that cats at the animal shelter absolutely need those blankets and will continue to need more. They will not understand that they have made an impact on little kids’ lives when they were a camp counselor. They, for the most part and with few exceptions, will understand that they can check off another met requirement. Little reflection on what they did will take place.

In the simplest terms, volunteering should remain voluntary.

L

I

N

G

S

Crown Point High School, IN

Eric Kim sophomore “No, it should be the top ten because it’s a tradition and gives a special reason for kids to try their best.”

Melanie Komasinki junior “No, because students should be ranked by what they deserve and the top ten gives them more competition.”

Patrick Mudd senior “Yes, because it gives people recognition without being put against each other.”

editorial

ink

Courtney Bruder freshman

Vol. 77 Issue 8 April 29, 2013 1500 S. Main St. Crown Point, IN 46307 219-663-4885 ex. 11349 fax 219-662-5663 inklings@cps.k12.in.us

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.

Sam Beishuizen Abby Elston editors-in-chief RaeAnna Morgan editor-at-large Dylan Taylor managing editor Maggie Gelon Katie Sherman copy editors Molly Grace feature editor Shannon Rostin asst. feature editor

Alex McLean sports editor Kara Biernat sports asst.

Yazzmyne Lopez advertising editor Hannah Colby advertising asst.

Brittany Pedersen Amy Schuch Annie Swanson photographers

Ellie Burrell artist Alaa Abdeldaiem Maddie Adducci Alexis Berdine Emily Best Paige Buelow Olivia Elston David Kepshire Verda Mirza Tina Winfrey staff Julie Elston adviser

opinion 5

inklings 4/29/13

issue:

Are four years of gym necessary?

Do not shy away from getting involved in activities

BY ABBY ELSTON

editor-in-chief

Cartoon By ELLIE BURRELL

Pro:

Four year requirement of P.E. should be implemented

Con:

P.E. is beneficial but shouldn’t limit students from classes, interests

BY RAEANNA MORGAN

BY TINA WINFREY

editor-at-large

staff reporter

First Lady Michelle Obama has worked to fight against childhood and teen obesity during President Barack Obama’s time in office. With the rates of obesity in America on the rise, Mrs. Obama’s fight must be brought closer to home. Preferably right here in the high school.

As of right now, a student only requires one year of physical education under their belt in order to graduate. For this one year, a mild daily workout is fit into a student’s daily schedule. But what happens for the next three years? Students not involved in athletics are subject to finding their own method of the recommended daily dose of physical activity, which research has proven to be a difficult task for a vast majority of America’s population.

Implementing a requirement of four years of gym class to graduate would put a greater emphasis on the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Although some believe it would take time away from actual class time and create scheduling conflicts, which is worse? Not being able to take Ceramics II or becoming increasingly overweight and heightening one’s chances of being susceptible to diabetes and heart disease? The effects of obesity are right up there with smoking a pack a day in terms of how unhealthy they are and how detrimental they can be to the body.

Our school discourages students from engaging in unhealthy, risky behavior like smoking and drinking, especially now with the proposed addition of the drug testing policy to the 2013-2014 school year. As well as those two clearly very unhealthy choices, we should also discourage the destruction of one’s young body due to not exercising and gaining toxic amounts of weight.

CPHS should be promoting the health of a student, and the best way to do that is to require four years of gym. It will instill healthy habits that a student can take with them into their future, just like valuable lessons learned in the classroom. Both are of equal importance and should be treated as such.

It is already hard enough to fit all the required classes into a school schedule, so why try to cram in even more? By requiring a P.E. class all four years of high school, students would have one less slot open for a class they are actually interested in taking.

Our school requires a variety of classes to graduate and many students already find it hard enough to fit them into their schedules. While these students could be in the classroom learning about something they want to, or something that might help them later in life, they’re stuck outside running laps on a track. It is important to be healthy, but learning the rules of basketball will not help anyone achieve their dreams. Instead, why not fill the space with a class more specified for personal achievement than one generalized for students to be healthy.

Many schools offer a variety of different P.E. classes, but these schools need to leave it to the individual student to decide on whether they want to take one of these classes or not. A student’s health is their own responsibility, and if they don’t want to step up and rise to the occasion then they should not have to. Obesity may be on the rise, but it is only due to people’s personal actions.

Athletic students might not have a problem with taking a P.E. class, but by putting a four year P.E. requirement schools are leaving out the kids who don’t like to exercise in front of their fellow students. Even if students were forced into these classes, they may not even participate during the class. Many would rather take the ‘F’ than embarrass themselves in front of their peers by playing a sport they aren’t good at. In such case, the student would not be exercising, whether they were enrolled in P.E. class or not.

Many may argue that a required P.E. class would promote student health, but while recommending a healthier lifestyle through physical activity is much appreciated, there is no need to shove it down student’s throats. The decision to exercise should be a personal choice not something forced upon us by the school board.

6 Inklings staffers agree

19 Inklings staffers agree

Bill Dorulla

athletic director

Karen Cox

“I think there’s validity in four years of physical education. With childhood obesity and poor nutrition, I think a lot could be gained for a student by having four years of P.E..”

Yosef Elayyan

art teacher

“With any new initiative there are repercussions. If four years of P.E. became mandatory that would mean a lot of students won’t have the option to take other classes.”

freshman

“Everybody needs physical activity, and kids won’t usually do it unless they are forced to.”

Emily Southworth

junior

“My schedule is so full already, I don’t have room for (more gym).”

Study. Get good grades.

Prepare yourself for college. Take 177 AP classes. Study. Come to school on time. Make good decisions. Study. Help out the community by volunteering. Take the ACT and the SAT. Did I mention study?

We’ve all bee told to do these things by the administration and teachers so many times. Although these are all key pieces of advice to follow, one of the most important lessons I’ve learned in high school is to do what one is good at doing and wants to do.

Being involved in school activities and classes that I actually wanted to take has helped me so much, and not just in that I enjoyed them, but also in that they taught me many things that I could’ve never learned in any other setting.

For example, from being involved in orchestra, I know that it is vital to find some sort of outlet to relieve stress. Playing music requires so much focus and musicality (emotion) that it is impossible to think about anything else while playing.

Theater has taught me not take one’s self too seriously.

Don’t worry about looking like a fool—just have fun and laugh about it. When I was involved behind the scenes, I learned that sometimes so much work and detail will often go unnoticed— and it must be, because if it is noticed, that means that something does not look right.

And being involved in newspaper allowed me to learn how to stay informed and how to keep people informed. It taught me how to meet deadlines, which is an important skill to learn in life in general.

My point is that it is imperative to take classes and be involved in activities because they are interesting and appeal to a given student. These activities and classes will make that student happier and more experienced in one way or another. Unless it is something that the student absolutely hates, there is nothing to lose by trying.

So get involved. Don’t be afraid to try new things and meet new people. From the perspective of someone who is looking back on her high school career, I wouldn’t have changed a thing about my involvement in extracurricular and co-curricular activities. The only thing I regret is that I was unable to do more of them.

6 feature

inklings 4/29/13

PHOTO BY EVI LOVIN

Despite the Prom being held weeks earlier than usual because of AP testing, 777 students attended Prom, held at the Halls of St. George in Schererville, and crowded the dance floor.

i on life

PHOTO BY EVI LOVIN

Seniors Alex Nickla and Mackenzie Westgate were announced as Prom King and Queen at the Grand March.

A page dedicated to celebrating student life.

PHOTO BY EVI LOVIN

Dancing at Prom, junior Stephanie Boyd and sophomore Kevin Karamacoski slow down the pace.

Ahead of the game

Students graduate year early to jump-start college by tina winfrey

reporter

The road to graduation and the journey after can be gone about in different ways.

Junior Olivia Graham chose to skip her senior year and graduate early as a junior.

“The pace at which my classes were going wasn’t intellectually stimulating enough, and I thought that I needed to be going at a quicker pace in order to do better,” Graham said. “I just thought it was about time for me to challenge myself in a new aspect and a new environment.”

At the end of her sophomore year, Graham made the decision to fit all her required classes into her junior year.

“Since I was in my regular level of math, I had to take Algebra 2 online,” Graham said. “Otherwise, I just doubled up on my social studies and English classes.”

To double up on her classes Graham had to make some sacrifices like dropping journalism. While it was hard, she knew it was something she wanted to do.

“I didn’t want to stay in high school just for the sake of staying in high school,” Graham said. “I needed to push myself further.”

This June, Graham will graduate with the seniors and take summer college classes. From there she will head to Indiana University Bloomington to study policy analysis.

While Graham is enrolling straight into college classes, junior Abby Eineman is going into a program, at the University of Southern California, designed specifically for early high school graduates.

“I had to apply to both the regular university and the program because I’m an early entrant,” Eineman said. “I’m still a normal undergraduate, but I made it in to the separate honors college that handles the early entrants.”

Eineman decided to graduate early solely to get into the program.

It was never a formal decision she made but an action she had to take to attend the program, which she discovered after receiving a letter in the mail.

“I got a letter from them in August or September of last year encouraging me to apply,” Eineman said. “It was based on PSAT scores, so that’s how they found me.”

This got Eineman to take a serious look at going to USC, not only for the program but as a school in general. She thought she would like it there, so she applied.

“At first, I saw the application as a trial run for next year, to learn how to apply for college,” Eineman said. “When I was accepted I was really blown away because it’s a more selective program.”

Eineman did not have to double up on classes because she had taken summer classes both freshman and sophomore years. She had enough credits, with the exception of her fourth year of English. Even without this credit she is allowed to participate in commencement and get the CPHS diploma as long as she makes up the credit later.

There are some things Eineman wishes she would have been

bythe

numbers

this year about

35 seniors graduated at semester

able to do her senior year.

“There are definitely some things that I wish I could stay and do,” said Eineman. “I wish I could come back and do cross country and track next year, but I will keep running in college.”

Even with these sacrifices, Eineman said this program was a great opportunity and she looks forward to studying foreign relations at USC. Guidance counselor Ami Marcinek said there are pros and cons to graduating early.

“Our previous governor, Mitch Daniels, put in place a governor’s scholarship of $4,000 for any student who completes the graduation requirements in three years. There’s no grade point average requirement, they just have to have all of the Core 40 requirements in on time,” Marcinek said. “It’s a good advantage to have when going to college.”

However, Marcinek believes there are also disadvantages for student’s graduating as juniors.

“I think one of the disadvantages is missing out on senior year activities,” Marcinek said. “Even though some students declare at the beginning of junior year, they’re still not quite treated like a senior and they miss out on what senior year is all about.”

Marcinek also believes students are missing out on gaining an extra year of maturity and growing as an academic student before going to college.

“The requirements are not any different than completing what you have to complete in four years,” Marcinek said. “Having seven periods a day, we have ample time to get this done.”

For the students who decide early on, Marcinek says it is easier to fit the required classes into their schedule. Students who decide later mainly end up taking classes online.

Despite the disadvantages, Marcinek understands why some students graduate early.

“Some students just feel they’re a little more mature and ready to move on to that part of their life,” Marcinek said.

29 credits needed to graduate with a Core 40 diploma

$4,000 offered by The Mitch Daniels Early Graduation Scholarship to those who graduate early

Displaying her letter of acceptance, junior Abigail Eineman prepares to graduate a year early.

Eineman will be attending the University of Southern California in the fall.

PHOTO BY TINA WINFREY

this year about

17 students will graduate after three years

feature 7

inklings 4/29/13

Scouts work to benefit community

Boy scouts work to master leadership skills,contribute to troop, community

BY VERDA MIRZA

reporter

To many young men worldwide, scouting is more than knots and camping.

Boy Scouts is an international program that helps youth build character and aid their community.

“The core of (Boy Scouts) is preparing young men for the world. It teaches basic skills—camping, being able to tie knots, cook—it’s all about taking what you know, teaching other people, and being able to lead them to do activities and projects,” junior Joshua David said.

The Scouts program encourages skills like these and promotes leadership amongst troop members. According to David, these skills are more difficult to achieve than it might appear.

“You think tying a knot is not a big deal and anyone can do it, but the ability to take that and teach someone else a skill— any skill like setting up a tent, cooking food over fire—it’s astounding how much you take out of that,” David said.

Boy Scouts also focus on service. In order for one to become an Eagle Scout, the most distinguished status in the Boy Scouts of America, one has to complete an extensive leadership project. Junior Alex Kutemeier knows firsthand how challenging achieving this can be.

“I was the leader of my project and had

PHOTO PROVIDED

Eagle Scout Patrick Stratton earned his distinguished rank his freshman year by organizing and leading an extensive service project. The now junior, installed a statue on the St. Matthias property grounds.

to make sure everything went through well, and the challenging part was I could only instruct and not be hands on because it’s a leadership project,” Kutemeier said.

Like Kutemeier, junior Patrick Stratton compiled a binder’s worth of planning ma-

terials dedicated to his Eagle Scout project in which he planned the construction of a statue on the property of St. Matthias Church. The planning was extensive, including everything from diagrams to safety.

“With that (Stratton’s project) you can

see the complexity that goes into it, and that’s really why I love the scouts. If you go through Crown Point there’s stuff you’d never imagine that was a Boy Scout project.

Its signs; its park benches; it’s everywhere,” Stratton said.

Among all these responsibilities scouts do have fun. They go camping, learn how to cook, learn first aid and of course their trademark knots.

“People always make fun of us for our knots and stuff like that, but the knots you learn in Boy Scouts are so cool. You can make bridges out of a rope; you can make towers, and all sorts of stuff. And you learn first aid, first aid that can save somebody’s life,” Stratton said. “It’s not as nerdy as everybody says it is. Wimpy kids don’t go on 20 mile hikes for fun.”

The benefits from being involved in scouting are endless and carry into a Boy Scout’s future. The National Eagle Scout Association gives away several significant scholarships to assist college bound Scouts.

Beyond school, such a merit can put one ahead as well.

“If you are an Eagle Scout and applying for a job and someone else isn’t (an eagle scout) employers will lean towards you because they know you have done a lot of work to get to that level,” Kutemeier said.

ScoutFacts The most often earned merit badges include: First aid, Swimming, Camping, Cooking, and Citizenship in the Community.

Boy Scouts familiar to the public include Charles Lindbergh, Norman Rockwell, Walt Disney, Bob Hope, Hank Aaron, Vince Lombardi, Charles M. Schultz and Neil Armstrong.

One out of every three of West Point cadets was involved in Boy Scouting as a youth, and 14 percent are Eagle Scouts.

Facts attributed to http://www.scouting.org/

CERTIFIED DRIVING SCHOOL 865 MADISON STREET CROWN POINT, IN 219-662-7733

• 201 N. Main Street • Crown Point, Indiana • (219) 661-0021 Station 21 provides an atmosphere where folks can gather to celebrate hometown victories while enjoying a brand new dining experience that features sacred firehouse recipes.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW: 30 HOURS CLASSROOM PLUS 6 HOURS OF DRIVING (HOME PICK UP FOR MOST DRIVERS) LICENSED BY THE STATE OF INDIANA’S BUREAU OF MOTOR VEHICLES AND DEPT. OF EDUCATION. STUDENTS MUST BE 15 YEARS AND 6 MONTHS OLD AND SHOW A COPY OF BIRTH CERTIFICATE.

Enjoy the Station 21 signature hot sauces and juicy 100% angus beef burgers.

Go Bulldogs!

CLASS OPTIONS: SUNDAY CLASSES:

Mention CPHS Inklings and receive a 10% discount per student at the table! *Must show valid student I.D.

*BEGINNING ON OCTOBER 7 SUNDAY 2 P.M.- 4 P.M. FOR 10 WEEKS

NIGHT CLASSES: MONDAY & WEDNESDAY

6:00 P.M.-8:00P.M. TUESDAY & THURSDAY 6:00 P.M.-8:00P.M. STARTING MID OCTOBER

WWW.CERTIFIEDDRIVING.COM

8 feature

inklings 4/29/13

Students opt for non-traditional pets

BY AMY SCHUCH TINA WINFREY photographer reporter

When hearing the word ‘pet’ most think of a cat or dog, but some students own animals of a more unusual variety.

Among these students is sophomore Kaitlyn Grubbe, who owns a chinchilla. Before buying one, Grubbe had thought they were ugly, but soon changed her mind while at The Ark Pet Shop one day.

“While shopping there (The Ark Pet Shop), I saw him (the chinchilla) in his cage just staring at me, and he looked super cute,” Grubbe said.

The Ark Pet Shop offers animals ranging from thepopular choices of dogs to rats and small rodents.

These unique animals can also make for a special gift. Junior Bailey Jurasivich got her White Dumpey Tree frog for her birthday in the eighth grade. Although one may see these creatures around in a backyard, they differ greatly in many ways.

“Most of the things you find outside are toads, with lumps on their backs,” Jurasivich said. “Frogs have soft backs, so you don’t find a lot around here.”

Just because these animals are not as common to find or buy, one can still gain some of the same benefits as owning other animals.

“They (chinchillas) are really fun and interactive,” Grubbe said. “My chinchilla also usually really likes people.”

Owning such animals is not always as easy. Challenges come with owning these unusual pets. Freshman Danielle Pace knows about these struggles from her experience of owning a skunk.

“I have to have a permit and get it renewed every year,” Pace said. “The DNR (Department of Natural Resources) has to come to my house and see where she is living.”

Contrary to what one may think, these pets do not always have to be contained to a cage or tank. Just like hamsters roll around in their wheels, these animals need exercise too.

“In the summer, I take her (the frog) out and

let her hop around the drive way,” Jurasivich said. “But I have to watch it because she can hop away.”

Having a frog as a pet is certainly unusual, much like senior Kendal Mores’ choice of pet, a hedgehog.

“It’s a small animal, kind of like a hamster with spikes,” Mores said.

These unusual pets may seem a bit out-there, but in reality they are similar to regular household pets.

“It (the hedgehog) eats cat food and it drinks water. It is a nocturnal though, so that’s a little weird, because it’s up all night and it likes to sleep a lot during the day, but so do cats and dogs,” Mores said.

Just like hedgehogs, chinchillas are also nocturnal. This may be a burden to some.

“I would not recommend a chinchilla to someone who doesn’t have a lot of time and isn’t willing to stay up late with them,” Grubbe said. “He is always keeping me up at night.”

Even though owning an unusual pet may seem difficult, to many, it is well worth it. The struggles can be overlooked to find the joy and comfort in these pets.

“I can take a

PHOTO PROVIDED

nap with my hedgehog and it will cuddle with me,” Mores said. “It’s really cute.”

Many people find these pets weird and are quick to judge them, but their owners care for them just like any other pet.

“When you tell people you have one (a hedgehog) they’re like ‘whoa that’s really weird.’” Mores said. “It’s kind of cool to have such a different pet.”

Above, senior Kendall Mores decided to get a hedgehog of her own after being exposed to one of her friend’s hedgehogs. Junior Bailey Jurasivich (left) holds her pet White Dumpy Tree Frog, Priscilla. Jurasivich plans on buying more frogs throughout the years.

PHOTO BY AMY SCHUCH

211 South East Street Crown Point, IN 46307 219-663-6551 www.carriagecourtpizza.com

FRIDAY NIGHT SPECIAL HALF PRICE PIZZA AFTER 9 P.M.

It’s a Strack & Van Til Thing.

DINE-IN ONLY

Come in after the game!

Go Bulldogs!

Crown Point (2 locations) 200 Franciscan Drive (219) 663-0304

10851 Broadway (219) 661-4144

Merrillville 7201 Taft St. (219) 738-2150

feature 9

inklings 4/29/13

Earth Day stirs school activism Inspired by historic ecological holiday, CPHS Green Machine club sells eco-friendly water bottles in conservation fundraiser

Earth Day timeline 1970

BY MAGGIE GELON EMILY BEST

First Earth Day events

copy editor reporter

1990

Earth Day reorganized

1995

PHOTOS BY AMY SCHUCH

Senior Tyler Hendrickson and junior Ben Macuga, both members of the Green Machine, sell a BPA-free water bottle to senior Paul Barenie as part of a Water Project fundraiser.

ing regarding the state of the earth is the root of where true change will stem from.

The Green Machine recently had a campaign to educate students on environmental facts like 11 percent of the world’s population lacks access to clean, safe water. In fact, the club has been selling BPA (Bisphenal A) free, reusable water bottles in an effort to combat that particular fact.

“All our proceeds will go to the Water Project. (The Water Project) digs wells in Africa and creates clean, safe water for them to drink,” Vice President of the Green Machine junior Renae Noonan said.

However, it is important to understand that one does not have to save Africa to be an environmentalist. The little things one can do on a local – or even household – scale make a difference.

“It is becoming more common and less expensive to purchase items for the homes that are ‘green,’” Housing and Interior Design Instructor Leslie Bonner said. “I believe that it is the responsibility of the (students’) generation to be as ‘green’ as possible when the time comes for (students) to purchase their first home.”

While purchasing a “green” home may be well off in the future for a high school student, there are still positive things students can do for the environment right now.

Noonan recommends using reusable water bottles and recycling every day.

“It’s a really easy way not to litter. If you throw it away at school and it ends up in a landfill, it is there forever,” Noonan said.

“Recycling every day is really simple, but in the end it saves a lot of (resources).”

Johnson agrees that recycling is a vital part of the three R’s – reduce, reuse, recycle.

“Everybody can look at their daily life and find something they can find another use for or something with less packaging and distinguish between their wants and needs.”

As insignificant as turning off the water when you brush your teeth may seem, those that turn off the faucet while brushing their teeth both day and night can save 8 gallons of water a day – that is roughly 73 bath tubs worth of water. Eco-friendly lifestyle changes are simple but undeniably impactful and student friendly.

“The environment effects (students) in every way, whether they know it or not.

When we think of the environment, we think ‘trees and grass,’ but it’s so much more than that,” Sulka said. “Everything is all interconnected in a fragile circle, and we are in that circle. We have to do our part and take care of what we have.”

Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson receives Presidential Medal of Freedom

2000

500 groups from 184 nations participate in Earth Day activism

C rown C ollege of C osmetology I nc.

192 W Joliet St Crown Point, IN 46307 (219) 663-9444 Juniors talk to your counselor about signing up for a course to get your cosmetology license by senior year!

Facts attributed to http://www.earthday.org/

While some may identify an environmentalist as a hippie who takes a weekly communal shower to conserve water, the fact of the matter is that an environmentalist simply respects and protects the world around them. Earth Day gives people an annual reason to channel their inner environmentalist—communal showers optional. “(Earth Day) started in the 70s, which was somewhat of a hippie era, and it’s when environmentalism started becoming much more of the thing to do,” AP environmental science teacher Dotty Johnson said. “People were realizing things were happening to the earth. Rachel Carson wrote her book ‘Silent Spring’ in the 60s; more people read that and stopped, looked around, and said ‘we have to do something about what’s occurring.’”

Though the environmentalism movement began in the 70s, it has not lost momentum. Earth Day offers just as much of a chance to educate one’s self and make a difference today as it did three decades ago. “(Earth Day) is important because it’s a day to kind of reflect on the state of the Earth – how it is now, how it could be better, how it is beautiful in some ways. It’s like an Earth appreciation day,” Green Machine President senior Megan Sulka said.

Students who shared the same mindset of Sulka are those who, along with Johnson their sponsor, founded the Green Machine club this year. While the club is still young and developing, its direction is definite. The Dr. Seuss quote printed on the back of their club t-shirts sums up the Green Machine philosophy, “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

“Our goal is to make people aware of the various parts of the environment,” Johnson said.

The club has done just that, as they recognize that knowledge and understand-

10 feature

inklings 4/29/13

Blazing the

Trail Plans to improve the Erie Lackawanna trailheads are in review for construction beginning this summer.

BY ELLIE BURRELL reporter / artist

The future of Crown Point’s transportation is now, and it’s riding in on two wheels with miles of trails ahead.

The Erie Lackawanna Trail, connecting Crown Point to Hammond along an old railway, provides a unique method of travel across Lake County.

The 9.5 mile route has two trailheads, entrances to the bike path, in Crown Point. Both trailheads on Summit St. and W. 93rd Avenue are planned to be paved and renovated in the upcoming year.

“The city is able to start this work due to money from a grant and an agreement with NIPSCO,” Crown Point Parks and Recreation director Jennie Burgess said. “The trailhead on Summit is on NIPSCO property, so city departments have been working with the state to come to an agreement about when to start work.”

The City of Crown Point released a bicycle plan in late 2007 that proposed these changes as well as others to improve Crown Point’s standing as a bike

friendly city. However, only the trailhead renovations have been successfully petitioned into action.

The bike path entrance behind the Walgreens at Summit Street and Main Street will be the first to be refurbished. A paved parking area and shelter would be added to create easier access to the path.

‘‘

I think the trail is important because it connects the community to the environment.

Michael David

math teacher

“Improvements will include 22 paved parking spaces, bathrooms, light fixtures, benches and bike racks,” Burgess said.

These changes are appreciated by all users of the trail, from teachers to students.

“Improvements would really benefit the trail,” math teacher Michael David said. “The parking area gets very muddy after any rain. Paving that area would help to draw people to the trail and encourage them to stop parking at the Walgreens.”

Although these welcome changes to the Erie Lackawanna Trail are planned to start later this year, students already take full advantage of the trail’s varying scenery and connection to other cities.

“I go on the trail all the time,” sophomore Catherine Berger said. “It’s an innovative addition to the community, and its eco-friendly, which is really cool.”

“The trail creates the perfect space for exercise,” senior Alli Jostes said. “It’s good for training due to the markings along the way.”

Training athletes, students and even mothers with strollers can all be seen on the trail. This convergence of people from across the region is what draws many to the trail.

“I think the trail is important because it connects the community to the environment,” David said. “So much of Crown Point is built up; it’s nice to be somewhere in the country that we can all enjoy.”

PHOTOS AND GRAPHICS BY ELLIE BURRELL

Tale of the Trail The Erie Lackawanna Trail follows Erie Lackawanna Railway tracks no longer in use. This “Rail-Trail” partially follows along the path of the EL line that went from Chicago to the Mid-Atlantic States.

The trail crosses several train tracks, including a set of 13 tracks in Griffith that was once considered some of the busiest tracks in the U.S. Cyclists must be cautious of frequent train crossings and high traffic.

The 9.5 mile trail connects Hammond to Crown Point.

inreview “Native” by OneRepublic OneRepublic does not disappoint with their third studio album. It still has touches of their old albums but new and improved.

With slow or upbeat songs and having meaningful lyrics, this album is definitely one to listen to.

“Come & Get It” Selena Gomez Even with a debut performance on the MTV movie awards, this song didn’t quite fit the overthe-top expectations Gomez put out for this song.

While there is an interesting choice of background music, the lyrics and style of this song aren’t exactly up to par. Skip this single and hope for more from Selena’s upcoming album.

“Floating Coffin”

by Thee Oh Sees The latest album from the most gut-bustingly brutal indie act in America slathers their frenetic psych-punk with morbid, creepy lyrics and even creepier sound effects.

“Floating Coffin” is an endurance exercise in Halloween-ready horror-

S.D.S by Mac Milller S.D.S., the first single off Mac Miller’s upcoming album “Watching Movies With the Sound Off” leaves fans wanting more.

With it’s catchy beat and rhythmic rap lines this song promises an amazing album from Mac. ‘Somebody Do Something’ and go listen to this song.

“

inklings 4/29/13

a&e 11

“42 steals hearts with true story

BY PAIGE BUELOW

reporter

Stealing home in the heat of the eighth inning may sound like a pickle, but is nothing compared to the heat that Jackie Robinson had in fighting for racial equality. The movie “42,” starring Chadwick Boseman as Jackie Robinson, is based on the true story of Robinson’s baseball career and his efforts to overcome the racial inequalities that controlled baseball in his day.

Director Brian Helgeland, known for his writings in Robin Hood, portrayed the ideals of the late 1940s, including the deep segregation that had even seeped into the world of baseball.

To most, the idea of sitting through a two-anda-half hour long biography sounds as cruel as corporate punishment. However, the passionate story of Jackie Robinson is one that not only inspires viewers, but also allows them to travel back in time to see the world through the eyes of a young man who just wanted to play ball.

In order to fully ap-

preciate the complexity of the film, a simple background of Robinson always helps. Starting his career with the Brooklyn Dodgers, Robison was forced to blaze the trail for African American baseball players everywhere. However, this was no easy task. Robinson faced trial after trial when dealing with the racism of not only other teams the Dodgers played, but even the men on his own team.

Regardless of the immense talent he would bring to the team, he was the victim of harassment and bullying. “42” walks through the major events of Robinson’s budding career, all while capturing the controversy felt among baseball fans, and players, everywhere in the late 1940s.

Not alone in this challenge, Robinson was guided in this historical moment by the owner of the Dodgers, Branch Rickey, played

by Harrison Ford. Rickey, serves as the founder of the integration idea, and walks alongside Robinson every step of the way. Branch Rickey maintains the calm and controlled hand in the matter throughout the rise

comments makes this a movie that is best for a mature audience. However, those of age to enjoy the movie will note that the content only heightens the tension and adds to the overall lasting effect of “42”, providing it with

accurate feelings from all of those who lived in the time. From the very beginning of the film the audience sympathizes with Robinson but by the end most will be cheering him on as he fights for a cause much bigger than baseball.

“Wheelhouse”negatives outweigh positives

BY KATIE SHERMAN

copy editor

Brad Paisley has never been afraid of taking risks while experimenting with music.

Whether it be implementing comedy into his music like in “Online” or his extensive guitar instrumentals, Paisley has seemingly always managed to let his southern, happy—go—lucky personality out through is music.

In his first self-produced album, “Wheelhouse,” Paisley continues to take risks

Awkward Season 3 While the plot line of this season’s first two episodes was entertaining, it also was really hard to follow.

With all the ‘Jamara’ and ‘Jatty’ drama, rumors about Sadie, and the death of Ricky there was too much going on for just two episodes. Watch to see how all these problems get solved Tuesdays on MTV.

of Robinson’s career, even when Robinson threatens to crack under the immense pressure.

Another crucial character to the story is Wendell Smith, an up-andcoming African American sportswriter, as played by Andre Holland. Smith’s role shows the struggle for equality from another perspective. Smith, as a sports writer, would typically sit in the press box, but due to his race, was forced to sit with his lap-size typewriter along the third-base line in the colored only section. Smith is assigned to Robinson to catalogue his story as well as serve as a friend and brother in the fight against racial inequality.

This emotional drama creates an environment that can be enjoyed by a diverse crowd. Baseball fans can appreciate the rich history of the momentous event, while those that enjoy watching a hero overcome great circumstances, will also be on the edge of their seats.

Given a PG-13 rating is apt for this film. A wide range of racial slurs and

social

life A section devoted to social media

while still managing to put out an album longtime fans will enjoy.

The seventeen track album has what you would expect out of one of Paisley’s works. It is full of comedic southern tales (“Death of a Married Man”), radio friendly love songs (“Beat This Summer”) and country pride (“Southern Comfort Zone”).

Although “Wheelhouse” is far from his best work, Paisley manages to have some shining moments throughout. “Beat This Summer” is the best from the album. In this song, Paisley depicts a summer romance that he feels slippping away as summer is transitioning into fall. Such a story line gives listeners a heartwarming and pleasing feeling.

Paisley experiments with incorporating unique samples throughout the album. The opening full length song, “Southern Comfort Zone,” samples NASCAR radio coverage and the Andy Griffith show, setting the tone for the entire album.

The one noticeable hole in the entire album is “Accidental Racist.” Although Paisley’s willingness to touch on sensitive topics is admirable, the song came off as ignorant and simply ridiculous. Touching on the topic of racism in a country album full of

best tweets @sydddd15

CAPTURED!!! The hunt is over.The search is done.

The terror is over. And justice has won Boston Police

Candy Crush Saga

@Boston_Police

Today is another day to try and shed as much positive light into the world! <3 Kat Von D

@thekatvond

Having 2 redbulls yesterday that had absolutely no effect on me worries me slightly

Senior Matt Sapita

“Southern Comfort Zone” Track #2

“Beat this Summer” Track #3

“I Can’t Change the World” Track #6

Southern pride is still a very sensitive subject.

The trend of mixing hip-hop with country music is welcoming, but this is one song that the two did not mix well.

“Wheelhouse” will not be remembered as one of Brad Paisley’s best works. Although some songs in the album are great, there are just too many below average pieces. He deserves some slack since it is his first self-produced album, which gives fans something to look forward to next time now that he has had the experience.

best apps

Opened my window so I can hear the rain & birds #peaceful #relaxing Junior Syd Harris

Top Tracks

@matipas27

SAT QOTD

Have a sweet tooth? Take a delicious journey through a candy filled land in this tasty and addictive matching game.

This free app offers a question each day to help you prepare for your SAT. It can even just provide an extra academic edge.

best follows @1890probs If you want old fashioned humor, this is the page to follow, in your horse and carriage of course!

@omgthatspunny You can follow them like a dead battery (free of charge) for everything that is punny.

12 a&e

inklings 4/29/13

Rue 21 offers affordable style New store ecclectic stop

BY DYLAN TAYLOR

managing editor

BY MAGGIE GELON

copy editor

If a mad scientist channeled the quirk and grit of Hot Topic and mixed it with the femininity and affordability of Forever 21 the concoction would result as rue21.

Considered a “fast fashion” store, rue21 is committed to keeping up with the latest trends much like H&M and Forever 21 (the two “21” stores are independent of one another). The benefit to promoting clothing that is “in” is that the clothing does not have to last a lifetime, only as long as the trend lasts, and the affordable prices reflect that.

One can run in and grab an on-trend, inexpensive maxi skirt and have money left over to grab what’s hot next week. Unfortunately, because the store is so trend-savvy, it lacks a clear point-of-view beyond “youthful” and “trendy.” Because rue21 attempts to appeal to such a wide audience, it consequently may lose customers who better identify to stores with a consistent, definite style.

The prominent trends and smile-inducing price tags attract a bustling crowd. While the friendly employees do a commendable job keeping such a lively store clean and organized, the nature of the store is somewhat cramped. The atmosphere is busy and the racks are brimming with rainbows of pastel pants, textured tees and eclectic dresses; so,

PHOTO BY TINA WINFREY

Tucked in the lower level corner near JCPenney of Merrillville’s Westfield Southlake Mall, the new rue21 clothing store attracts a variety curious customers.

the shopper with claustrophobic tendencies should probably take caution and mentally prepare themselves for a bustling environment.

Rue21 is not only wallet friendly - it is also earth friendly. Revert, a fragrance sold at rue21, is sold in eco-friendly packaging made of recycled materials. Be it through LED energy saving lights or a commitment to recycling, the company itself is committed to being environmentally responsible and strives

to implement energy saving enhancements.

The deals are sweet, and the shoppers can feel good about doing the earth a favor; but, for the shopper with a distinct style that does not waver with the trends this may not be that shopper’s go-to store. On the flip side, because the store carries such a variety of items from quirky graphic tees, to feminine, flowery dresses, to skull-and-bone accessories, if one has the time to sift through the racks, odds are one may trip on a treasure of a buy.

On-screen legends disappoint in new film, Oblivion

BY RAEANNA MORGAN

editor-at-large

When a movie poster has the faces of Tom Cruise and Morgan Freeman plastered on them, one would think the film is destined for greatness. Unfortunately, “Oblivion” turned out to be quite the opposite.

Looking back, the words drawn out and anticlimactic come to mind when thinking of the two hour long film that seemed to drag on. Cruise plays Jack Harper, one of the last humans left on Earth after an attack sixty years ago left the planet uninhabitable.

While spending his days working for the “government” that is now in place on Titan, one of Saturn’s moons where the human race was forced to relocate. During the five years he spent roaming the vacant Earth, Harper figures out the government’s secrets piece by piece.

Slowly but surely each detail unravels and links together and somewhere along the way the audience figures out the confusing,

2 3

misleading plot. After several similar battle scenes that mock what should have been the climax of the plot, the movie finally ended happily for the characters and tied up almost all the loose ends.

Cruise does a mediocre job at portraying the picturesque, heroically cliché Tom Cruise. Freeman shined a brief glimmer of hope when he made an appearance halfway through the already tarnished film, and not even he could save it. For gracing the movie poster and trailer with his presence, Freeman was hardly in the movie at all which came as a huge disappointment.

“Oblivion” was just like every other scifi movie. Portrayed to be a decade defining film, but in the end was nothing more than a slightly altered version of successful futuristic films of the past. The highly anticipated action sci-fi film ultimately boiled down to slightly above average action sequences and an almost too complex storyline that made the entire experience unenjoyable.

All in all, “Oblivion” was a letdown.

our FAVES

1

Ebert’s legacy lives on despite his passing

1V

ans

No longer will devoted customers have to scavenge stores that carry Vans or order online to purchase the perfect Vans for them. Vans finally has its own convenient space in the Westfield Southlake Mall. The store is home to a wide variety of both classic and unique kicks. The Vans line has a distinct relaxed, easy living vibe, and customers who appreciate that attitude in the shoes will love how the vibe translates into the clothing and accessories.

2S

ally

Hansen Magnetic Nail Polish

This classic brand of nail polish has revamped its original style. Recently they came out with a polish that with the use of a magnet gives the polish a metallic finish. One no longer has to make appointments with a pricey salon because that chic salon finish can be bought at Walgreens and done in the comfort of your home.

3A

laddin

Pita

Nestled in an inconspicuous Merrillville strip mall, Aladdin Pita offers a local taste of the Middle East. The restaurant’s many charms include an informal atmosphere, quick service, cheap prices and the best hummus this side of the Sahara.

Twenty-five days ago, America lost the King of film criticism—Chicago’s beloved Roger Ebert—at age 70 following a battle with cancer. Immediately recognizable for his longtime, Pulitzer Prize-winning work with the Chicago Sun-Times and his trademark “thumbs up, thumbs down” rating system, Ebert practically defined film criticism, defying the genre’s elitism by fashioning it for the average reader and injecting it with an unmistakable emotional quality.

Ebert didn’t simply review films. He analyzed them for what they were trying to thematically accomplish, and built his opinions around how well their intended message was realized.

To Ebert, every movie was a shot at saying something, anything— good films were just the ones able to communicate the best.

When Ebert was diagnosed with cancer of the thyroid and salivary glands in 2002, he took to the blogosphere, focusing much of his writing on providing a complex perspective into his life as a cancer patient. Even when his jaw was surgically removed, rendering him unable to speak, Ebert’s voice never wavered. His mastery of social media turned him into a Twitter sensation in the last few years of his life, introducing his hyperintelligent quips to completely new audiences. And even in the face of terminal illness, Ebert remained ever optimistic—his last words, written for his beloved Times readers, read: “I’ll see you at the movies.”

In the last piece he ever wrote, a positive review of the upcoming film “To the Wonder,” Ebert complimented director Terrence Malik’s ability to “reach beneath the surface and find the soul in need.” Whether reviewing the latest blockbuster, ranting about politics or raising cancer awareness, Ebert was always able to do exactly that.

Roger, I give you two thumbs up.

we’re SO over

Derrick Rose’s ACL Chicago Bulls star point guard Derrick Rose is hurt; or so he thinks.

Despite doctors clearing him to play last month, Rose continues to sit out citing that he will not return until he feels ready despite teammates playing through injury.

He is no longer hurt.

He is mentally scared.

Man up, Rose.

sports13

inklings 4/29/13

serving up

singles

‘‘

Amber works like no other on the team. From the first day of practice, she showed seriousness in what she did.

Chris Korzeniewski

asst. tennis coach

Senior Amber Haworth leads team as No. 1 singles

BY ALAA ABDELDAIEM

reporter

With the end of the third set inching closer in her DAC match last year against Valparaiso’s Caitlin Kennedy, Haworth remained calm. She was down 1-4 and her calf was in pain, but her mind was on neither. Be patient, she told herself. Wait for the offensive move. Kennedy would not score another point that match.

Haworth had overcome, walking away with a 6-4 victory.

Not much has changed for Haworth since that May afternoon. She is the Bulldogs’ No. 1 singles for the second year in a row and, for the second consecutive offseason, Haworth did not focus on only the physical aspect of her game.

Her attention was directed to the mental side as well, a part she has learned to value since her match against Kennedy.

“If you don’t keep up

mentally, you get frustrated easily,” Haworth said.

“Opponents can easily take advantage of that. If you don’t believe you’re good enough, you’re going to keep beating yourself down and won’t accomplish your best.”

Her best is what Haworth always expects. From as early as six years old, Haworth has always been competitive, wanting to best her older brother James at everything they did. Tennis was no different.

“My brother was No. 2 singles for the Bulldogs his senior year,” Haworth said. “As a kid, I always wanted to beat him at everything. Tennis was just another one of those things I wanted to be better than him at.”

With the determination to prove herself, Haworth began making tennis her focus during her time off. In the offseason, Haworth’s day would begin

at 6 a.m. with a morning run.

Later that day, Haworth met for group and private lessons with tennis coach Chris Korzeniewski, and from the moment she began practicing with him, Korzeniewski knew Haworth was capable of great accomplishments.

‘‘

It does not matter who I end up playing against. I’m ready to take on any challenge that comes my way.

Amber Hawoth

senior

“Amber works like no other on the team,” Korzeniewski said. “She puts a faster pace on the ball than most girls, but she also has the capability to create

speed changes and spins that will frustrate her opponents. From the first day of practice, she showed seriousness in what she did. You could tell she wanted to be the best.”

Such strengths in Haworth’s physical game and work ethic have pushed the Bulldogs towards their recent success. For 18 straight seasons, the Bulldogs have been crowned sectional champions, a trend the team looks to continue this year. Their road to the title has been delayed, however. Several of the team’s matches have been cancelled due to the poor weather conditions, a situation head coach Brian Elston believes is a setback his team must overcome.

“Because of the weather, we are put in a position where we play a match every day,” Elston said. “That leaves no time for us to practice on things we need to improve on after matches.”

Nevertheless, the team is

not making any excuses. The Bulldogs are looking ahead to key matchups against Highland and Munster, two matches that Elston hopes can prepare them for the postseason.

“Both teams are tough to play,” Elston said. “Highland has (No. 1 doubles) Aby Madrigal and Vanessa Madrigal back, two studs we have to watch out for. Hopefully we can use these matches to see what kind of changes we need to make before the regionals.”

As for Haworth, her sights are set on redeeming her regional loss to Munster’s Jessica Rooth, a junior who Haworth struggled to compete against last year.

“I’m hoping my training over the years has improved my chances at making it further than regionals,” Haworth said.

“It does not matter who I end up playing against. I’m ready to take on any challenge that comes my way.”

14 sports Boys golf remains consistent

inklings 4/29/13

Baseball looks to build early momentum

BY ALEX MCLEAN reporter

One year after ending Boone Grove’s five year sectional championship streak, the Bulldog golf squad is looking to end the season even stronger.

“It’s still pretty early on in the season, but it’s hard not to think about the postseason. We have a very good chance to be sectional champs, but our real goal is to place in the top three at regionals and advance to state and place well,” senior Matt Mudd said.

The team faced off against one of the toughest teams in the area, Valparaiso, along with Chesterton last Thursday. The ‘Dogs outshot the Trojans, but the Vikings came out on top overall, put up a 145, compared to the ‘Dogs score of 149.

This was following up on another strong showing against Merrillville earlier in the week. The team posted their lowest team score in four years, taking the meet 145-202.

“We really showed off our consistency in that meet,” Mudd, who shot a 36, said.

“All of our varsity players are good enough so that one of us can have a bad meet and the others will make up for it. We were just all on our game that day.”

The boys travelled to Lebanon for a tournament this past Saturday, but results were unavailable at press time. Next up for the ‘Dogs is a tournament in Lafayette this upcoming weekend.

“There are going to be a lot of really good teams at this tournament,” senior Luke Lambert said. “It gives us a good opportunity to see how we stack up against some of the better schools.”

After this weekend the Bulldogs will begin seeing some DAC action. The conference is filled with good competition, but the team is confident they will succeed nonetheless.

“There’s some tough schools in the DAC this year, but I think we have it in us to go undefeated. Once we get that out of the way, we’ll start looking towards the postseason,” Lambert said.

PHOTO BY AMY SCHUCH

Senior Ronnie Plesac winds up in a recent game against the Portage Indians. The boys defeated Portage with a score of 4-3.

‘Dogs winning streak continues despite cancellations

BY ALEXIS BERDINE reporter

Racking up victories early on in the season is a huge goal for any sports team.

Statistically speaking, it is crucial to create that kind of cushion. Even more so it is vital to prematurely establish that positive momentum and hype. This is just what the Bulldogs have been doing.

“We got a big win against the defending state champions (Lake Central) early on, and that built up a lot of positive momentum for everyone. Winning consistently early on in the season generates a lot of excitement and momentum. It gives the team a confidence boost and mentally, that helps us play a lot better,” sophomore Noah Burkholder said.

The rain has created a few obstacles for the ‘Dogs. The less than ideal weather has made it challenging to get in the training, delaying and even cancelling a few outdoor practices and games.

“The weather has made it really hard to get out on the field to practice and play. A few of our games have either been delayed or cancelled with the high amount of rain

we have been getting recently,” Burkholder said.

The Bulldogs hosted Portage on Thursday night and pulled off a 4-3 victory in the bottom of the seventh. Senior Ronnie Pleasac pitched five innings and senior Zach

‘‘

Winning consistently early on in the season generates a lot of hype and momentum.

It gives the team a confidence boost and mentally, that helps us play better.

Noah Burkholder

sophomore

Pleasac pitched closing off the final two.

The game was tied until senior Johnny Lynk knocked off a sacrifice fly to center field to score senior Chris Dietrich, racking up another early DAC victory for the ‘Dogs.

“It was a great team win against a good team. We came together just when we needed to,” Burkholder said.

The Bulldogs currently are sitting on an 8-1 (5-0 in the DAC) record and they hope to finish the season with at least 21 wins. They also are hoping to win conference and sectionals. The ultimate achievement would be to be able to advance to state.

“We have been preparing to meet these goals by trying our best to practice, in regards to the weather. However, we’ve already have had six games cancelled or rescheduled due to the weather. As a result, it’s a little bit harder to know what to work on at practice. This miserable weather has made the beginning of the season rather frustrating,” head coach Steve Strayer said.

The ‘Dogs hosted Hamilton Southeastern and Belmont in a home double-header this Saturday, but results were unavailable at time of press.

“Everyone is focused and is making strides every day to get better. We are working hard, winning one game at a time and striving to make a run to the state championship,” junior Jake Jatis said.

Lady ‘Dogs softball squad battles weather and opponents Despite adverse conditions, ‘Dogs remain focused on season goals

BY DAVID KEPSHIRE reporter

As the Lady Bulldogs begin to get into their conference schedule, the weather has become a big part of stopping any momentum that could be built.

The ‘Dogs had all of their games cancelled in one week, which forced them to schedule a five game week. They got to play two innings against Michigan City two weeks ago, and their last full game before the rain hit was against Lake Central three weeks ago.

The Lady Bulldogs lost against the Lake Central Indians with the final score of 3-0. The game started with the weather being nice until a cold front came in and dropped the temperature. This weather change threw off the ‘Dogs focus.

“Our minds weren’t in the game,” senior Courtney Holm said. “With the weather being warm in the beginning of

the game and then turning cold, we lost all our focus.”

The girls couldn’t find any offense only having two hits against a skilled Lake Central pitcher.

“The pitcher had a very good rise ball,” senior Kendall Mores said. “She kept us off balance by mixing up speeds and locations.”

“We tweaked a few hitters’ stances,”coach Ginger Britton said. “It was hard to adjust against that good of a pitcher on the mound.”

After the game against Lake Central, the rain came in and forced many game and practice cancellations.

“It has been a good and bad thing,” Britton said. “With all the rainouts, we have spent a lot of time in the cages perfecting our swings.”

Since many of the games were DAC games, they had to be rescheduled. With all this time off the ‘Dogs got to work on

their weaknesses.

“The rain has kept us from getting to practice on our field,” junior Bailey Mores said. “We have taken this opportunity to work on our swings since we’ve been practicing indoors.”

They finally got to play last Monday against a very young Merrillville Pirates team. The Bulldogs offense scored one in the first inning, but then exploded with an eight run second inning. They drew five walks and had three hits with the big hit being a grand slam from junior Amanda Rock.

“She did a good job of executing with two outs,” Britton said.

The rain then prevented them from travelling to Valparaiso on Tuesday but the ‘Dogs were able to continue action on Wednesday against LaPorte.

The Bulldogs beat the Slicers in five innings with the score 14-0. Holm led the offense with three hits and freshman

Miranda Elish threw a complete game shut-out. “(Elish) threw a great game for us,” Holm said. “We helped her out by putting together great at-bats and getting runs on the board.”

With the field still being wet from early week rain, the Bulldogs were forced to play a “home” game at Portage. The ‘Dogs jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, but the Indians offense exploded with nine runs to beat the ‘Dogs 9-3.

“We couldn’t string hits together,” Kendall said. “We made good contact we just couldn’t get the ball out of the infield.”

On Friday, the Bulldogs faced Chesterton, but results were not available at press time. Heading into the game the girls were optimistic.

“They are our biggest competition so far this year,” Holm said. “If we stay 100 percent focused we are tough to beat.”

sports15

inklings 4/29/13

a second with

ALEX

BY ALEX MCLEAN

sports editor

When the going gets tough, keep running At the beginning of the month, it seemed the biggest issue in sports safety would be concussions. With the NFL being brought to court by thousands of former players, nobody thought the biggest safety risk would turn into the overall security of the events themselves.

Two explosions went off at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Three lives were taken and well over a hundred were injured. In the ensuing days, the alleged bombers were located and brought into custody. This isn’t anything you probably haven’t heard, though. Now it’s time to begin the process of moving on.

What we need more than ever is a return to the ordinary.

We have lived in a time where there was a great sense of security at sporting events. The most hazardous occurrences most crowd members faced were rogue foul balls dropping in on them. That time might have come to an end.

It is, however, still too soon to make that distinction with any level of certainty, which is why we must strive to return to our normal lives while still remaining mindful of this tragedy. And what brings people together better than sports?

Now to some, that mind sound like a weak call to action for the sake of having one. But watching the National Anthem being sung at TD Garden the night the Bruins hosted the Sabers gave me hope. I’ve never heard the Anthem sung with such power as I did in that game, the first home game held following the event. My goosebumps didn’t go away until the end of the first period.

Terror attacks are meant not only to inflict pain, but fear. But we must not be afraid.

So no matter what team you root for, root with more passion. Love with more fervor. In times like these, we must always remain Boston Strong.

PHOTOS BY AMY SCHUCH

Senior Rachel Smith (left) throws a disc in a recent home meet against LaPorte and Valparaiso, while freshman Anna Eksten (right) launches into the long jump pit, both scoring points in the field events. The girls pulled out a victory over LaPorte, but fell short to Valparasio.

Relays anchor girls track success

BY ALEX MCLEAN sports editor

Tough competition breeds tough competitors. The DAC is widely considered to be one of the tougher conferences in the state, and this year the Lady ‘Dogs track team is looking to step up to be one of the area’s top competitors.

Stepping up to lead the girls is the 1600 meter relay team of senior Bailey Beckham, sophomore Abby Baker and juniors Kayla McGurk and Mikayla Marcinkowski.

“The 1600 is already looking to be one of our better events, but the competition in the area is tough. The rest of the DAC

BY KARA BIERNAT asst. sports editor

While many other sports have been cooped up indoors due to weather cancellations, the track has proven it can withstand just about anything. The boys have started the season completely unaffected by the brutal weather, holding an undefeated record of 5-0.

The weather has been an ultimate factor to those competing on the track. With strong winds, heavy rain and chilled temperatures, the ‘Dogs are learning to

21 Boston Red Sox

17

Colorado Rockies 18 10

15

illness, and the Trojans took the meet, 88-43.

“It was a tough loss, but there’s still a lot we can take from it,” Piaskovy said. “Chesterton has a great team and we just didn’t run as well as they did.”

From here, the girls will be focusing on improving their game and cutting their times to get themselves ready for a solid postseason run.

“We’re going to try to send as many girls as we can to regionals and hopefully from there we can move on to state,” Piaskovy said.

“We have some great athletes who have the ability to post some great times.”

adjust to the conditions and continue their winning record.

Seniors Travis Kucic and Tommy Cierniak have consistently been racking up points to contribute to the boys’ current success, beating Valparaiso, LaPorte, Portage and Chesterton.

“We’ve been putting everything we have into practice and it’s been paying off in meets,” Kucic said. “Although, we still have a long way to go.”

With the conference meet close, the boys raced within the DAC Tuesday evening hosting

Chesterton in honor of senior night. They came out on top beating the Trojans 84-48.

Kucic competed in the 800 meter dash, the 1600 meter relay and the 3200 meter relay. After taking fourth and second in the 800 and 1600 meter relays, Kucic, Cierniak, senior Daniel Walters and junior Zack Seamon took first in the 3200 meter relay with a time that put them at the number two seed in the region rankings.

Besides the seniors, the underclassmen have stepped up in numerous events, one being the

400 meter relay team of juniors Tristan Peterson, Nick Faso and Christian Rodriguez and sophomore Wes Honacker. They got a victory over Chesterton running a time of 45.02 seconds.

The boys are looking forward to the DAC meet and are training in hopes of remaining undefeated.

“Like any race we go to, we keep our normal preparation. We get in solid training and know what teams are out to beat us,” Cierniak said. “With our confidence and training, I think we will keep our undefeated streak.”

pick up Mike Napoli leads their offense and the return of David Ortiz looks to make it stronger.

Another American League team with a hot start are the Texas Rangers (15-7). With the departure of Josh Hamilton, the Rangers made moves by signing veterens Lance Berkman and A.J. Pierzynski.

Finally, the Colorado Rockies have suprised all of Major League Baseball with a record of 14-8.

Their stars Carlos Gonzalez and Troy Tulowitzki are both healthy and ready to lead this squad.

Alex says “After such a miserable year last year, the Red Sox are right back where they belong: on top of the AL East.

Ortiz is finally back to the slugger he used to be. Expect great things out of Boston this year.”

David says “No expert thought the Colorado Rockies would get off to this hot start.

Having said that, the Braves are just to good. Players like Jason Heyward, Freddie Freeman and Andrelton Simmons haven’t even played up to expectations.”

inside The MLB

Texas Rangers

5

the girls participated in the Little 5 at Hobart High School. Beckham took first in the 400 meter dash and senior Allison Wortel took second in the 1600 meter run to help propel the girls to take first place with a score of 178.5, 60 points higher than second place Hobart.

“Getting a big win like that definitely helped the team’s confidence and showed us we are capable of winning if we put in the right amount of effort,” Wortel said.

This past Tuesday, the girls travelled to Chesterton for a meet against the Trojans. Beckham did not race in the meet due to an

Boys track team on winning streak with 5-0 record

Which MLB team is off to the best start this season?

Atlanta Braves 39

0

schools also have great relay teams,” head coach Adam Piaskovy said.

The relay team’s season best came in the senior night meet against Valparaiso and Lake Central. The girls posted a 4:12.38, which was enough to grab first place. McGurk also clinched first in the 800 meter with a time of 2:31.14.

“We tried to come out even stronger to get a good race in for the seniors,” McGurk said. “We all ran our hardest, but I still think we can get better. We can drop our times a lot if we push ourselves.”

One week prior to the meet,

20

25

out of 95 students polled

30

35

40

One month into this early Major League Baseball season, teams are looking to get in hot starts. There are a couple teams that stand out after the first month.

The Atlanta Braves (15-6), who many thought would be National League champions are off to a terrific start. There offense is lead by brothers B.J. and Justin Upton. Justin leads the league with home runs with 11.

The Boston Red Sox (15-7), after a forgetful season last year, are off to a great start. Free agent

16 people

inklings 4/29/13

take

From school to the station

Junior Travis Kovacic

Senior Anthony Flynn volunteers as he trains to become an EMT

Bored Beatboxer

PHOTO BY ANNIE SWANSON PHOTO BY ANNIE SWANSON

Taking junior Alec Wells’ blood pressure, senior Anthony Flynn interns with the Crown Point Fire Rescue. Flynn aspires to work as a firefighter for the city in the future.

BY MOLLY GRACE

feature editor

Bravery is what sets firefighters apart from the general population. Quite often, firefighters have to put themselves in dangerous situations for the sake of helping complete strangers. Because of this, the decision to become a firefighter is not one to be taken lightly, and is a decision that usually spawns from a lifelong desire to help people.

Senior Anthony Flynn is an intern at the fire department, and on a regular basis puts himself in situations that most people who are still in high school would never even imagine being in.

“I’m a CPR instructor; I’ve done CPR in the ambulance about six times. I’ve been on really bad rollovers and house fires and done all that without even graduating high school,” Flynn said.

Being a firefighter requires a lot of dedication and a willingness to work in high-pressure situations. A firefighter has to under-

5

stand that their job is dangerous and that they need to be prepared to deal with danger.

“Of course you’re always worried about getting hurt or killed.

But so many deaths are preventable if you train, stay healthy and always are aware of your surroundings and abilities,” Flynn said.

Flynn is the first person in his family to be involved with the fire department. Even so, being a firefighter was something Flynn had always wanted to do.

“I like to use the analogy of when I was a kid whenever the fire department came into the kindergarten class and said ‘who wants to be a firefighter?’ Everyone raised their hand and I just kept it raised.”

Flynn started out as an EMT student, taking half days to become an intern. As an intern, he has a variety of responsibilities, such as helping with routine maintenance, continuing his studies by going to EMT class and even responding to emergency calls.

When he graduates, Flynn

will be going to Purdue Calumet to study human resource management while working part time with the Crown Point Fire Rescue.

During his junior year of college he plans to start paramedic school and begin applying for a fulltime position at various fire departments, all the while continuing to work part time for the Fire Rescue.

Looking to the future, Flynn says that if he had a choice, he would like to work full time for the Fire Rescue once he finishes college.

“It would mean a lot to me because that’s my hometown department and I’ve been around the station enough to know the guys and how it operates.”

Flynn adds that if he did not work in Crown Point it would be interesting to work for the Purdue University or Notre Dame University fire departments.

What Flynn likes about this job is that he gets to help people, saying that one of his favorite things about being a firefighter

is “the fact that you can come in on someone’s worst day ever and kind of try to bring it back to normal.”

Another thing that Flynn likes is how close the firefighters all are, saying that he is very close with the firefighters that he works his shift with.

“Everyone’s like a brother to everyone,” Flynn said.

Flynn has had to put in a lot of work for this job. He has had to balance studying for EMT class with studying for school. He also has to work in scary situations and put in a daily effort towards this job, but he believes all that is worth it because he gets to do what he loves.

“It doesn’t pay, but if you’re passionate about it, if it’s something you want to do, just come in with the right mindset. Don’t go in there and just sit around; go in and learn as much as you can and make yourself the best,” Flynn said, adding, “There are a lot of good people in there, and it’s very rewarding.”

I got into beatboxing because I had extra time on my hands and thought that it would be something I’d be interested in.

Family Secrets My dad was native to Croatia and lived there for 30 years before coming to America. He never told me, though, why he came over here.

You’re Wrong My biggest pet peeves are grammatical errors.

I can’t stand it when people misuse “you’re” or “too.”

Algebra Too I love algebra because I’m really into problem solving and puzzles.

Sandman My favorite things in the world are probably either food or sleep. Probably sleep.

Before this school year comes to an end, I want to...

David Dick freshman

...raise my GPA to a 4.0

Michael Lopez junior

...enjoy a sunny day.

Meghan Morason sophomore

...just survive.

...ride in the school elevator.

Emma Ogden senior