Inklings Dec.2012

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Crown Point High School 1500 S. Main St.

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Hoop Dreams Young basketball squad experiences growing pains Basketball coverage on pg. 14

Dec. 21, 2012 Vol. 77 Issue 4

Crown Point, IN 46307

inklings@cps.k12.in.us

Administration responds to safety concerns

Social media postings put students, parents on edge

BY RAEANNA MORGAN

editor-at-large

Sandy Hook Elementary. That’s all that needs to be said to evoke sadness, uncertainty and vulnerability.

“Whenever there’s an unfortunate incident like this it always makes, not only us but all schools stop and take a look at what we’re doing,” assistant principal Robert McDermott said.

At Sandy Hook Elementary school in Newtown, Conn. last Friday, 20-year-old Adam Lanza shot and killed 20 young children and six teachers. As newspapers and news channels across the country reported the story to viewers, the safety of students in schools everywhere was called to question almost immediately.

“We have to make sure that what we have is considered the best practices in place for our school’s security right now,” McDermott said. McDermott serves on the Indiana advisory board for school safety as appointed by the governor.

Rumors of threats against the school appearing on Twitter and Facebook heightened the concern for the safety of the students today.

“Right now that’s all they are, are rumors. We’ve investigated every person that’s come forward, every tip that we have gotten, every Facebook and twitter lead that we have and right now there’s no substantive nature of those threats, but we’re continuing to ask students to come forward and let us know if they hear of anything,”

Pacing ourselves

McDermott said.

Administrators focused on the security of the school even more seriously than usual by altering the system already in place for this week.

“In the past, being the week before vacation we have allowed former graduates to come back and visit their teachers if they set up an appointment and we have put an end to that this week,” McDermott said.

“We just don’t think it’s the right week to have people coming in to the building from the outside.”

As word of the threats made its way through the halls and dominated social media, many students feared nothing could be See SAFETY on page 2

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Based on the information collected during the interviews with over 40 students and multiple parents, there is no evidence to lead us to believe that Friday will be any different than any other day at CPHS. Chip Pettit

Principal

Newly proposed daily schedule blends traditional, modified block By abby elston sam beishuizen

editors-in-chief

The times, they might be a-changin’, as Bob Dylan would say. In an effort to slow down pace, a schedule change has been proposed for the 2013-2014 school year.

Students would meet with all seven periods on Mondays and Fridays. On Tuesday and Thursday, students would meet with five of their seven classes. Students will meet with four classes on Wednesday as well as a resource period. By the end of the week, students would have attended each class they would be enrolled in four out of the five school days. This would allow for teachers to keep their classes all at the same spot in their lesson plan at the beginning and end of each school week.

The schedule change was prompted by the fast pace that CPHS maintains according to principal Chip Pettit. It also allows teachers a longer class period to instruct in so that they are able to go further in depth with certain topics.

“This (proposed schedule) is geared around slowing the pace down for students and faculty while inserting a resource The proposed schedule for the next school year consists of two traditional days as well as two block days and a late start block day.

Feature

Opinion Should finals be today?

Pros and cons to having finals before break

page 5

See SCHEDULE on page 3

A&E

A Year in Review Reflection on a year of news, pop culture, sports and more page 8

Holiday Episodes ‘Tis the season to watch the best holiday TV

page 12

2 news

inklings 12/21/12

School library adds e-books

BY PAIGE BUELOW

reporter

Technology is used to make life easier, more convenient and an overall better experience. It can span from the medical purposes for curing diseases to making toy dolls for little girls. One of the-up-and coming facets of the technological advancements of recent years is the creation of e-books.

Many libraries, including the CPHS Media Center, are incorporating “virtual shelves” for e-books in a move to modernize reading technology.

“Most libraries are going through with the change,” Mary Beth Nelson said, Media Paraprofessional. “It’s the new way to do books.”

At the library, these e-books can be accessed from a Kindle, iPad, iPhone or any other device that has wireless access.

Upon searching for the desired title, after following the proper directions, one can rent the book and open it to read on their electronic device.

If an e-book is available in unlimited amounts, anyone can rent it at any time. Some e-books, however, are limited to only a few copies, which may cause the reader a wait. All of the books are released for a period of two weeks, then after the time is up, it is automatically removed from the individuals’ accounts.

Counter to some methods or e-book renting, the program that is used at the library, Destiny, does not actually download the book onto the e-reader.

Rather, it saves information to an online account. This means that the books can be accessed as long as there is internet, but cannot be viewed where the Wi-Fi or phone service stops. No matter where, as long as there is internet, access the books can be read.

A benefit to this method is that the same book can be opened from a computer, then saved and reopened to the same place in the book on another device.

The library has about 140 e-books that are available, ranging from all reading levels in both fiction and nonfiction.

The e-books are promoted by libraries as being helpful to students on the fly. Some e-books also allow for virtual notes to be made in the margins, potentially helpful in a classroom setting.

However, there will always be those who remain true to the old-fashioned paperbacks.

“The idea of e-books is okay, but if I actually had one I wouldn’t like it,” sophomore Caroline Lodovisi said. “I like the feeling of being able to actually hold a book and have the ability to close it when you’re done, you cannot get that with an e-book.”

How to navigate the CPHS Media Center search engine:

1. Go to the CPHS web site (www.cps.k12.in.us)

The engine, Destiny, tracks thousands of books and also features texts helpful to research projects and essays for class.

3. Open the last bullet that reads “Destiny”

SAFETY continued from p. 1 done for their protection today.

“I’m scared to go to school on Friday. You should feel safe in your school, it should feel like a second home and right now that’s not what it feels like,” freshman Anna Eksten said.

In contrast to those who are still worried about today’s rumored events, junior Dana Musleh has faith in her safety at CPHS. “I feel pretty safe; especially after the

2. Select “Academics” under Media Center

4. Search, rent and read books

new things they’ve added this week like not letting in deliveries because you never really know who’s bad and who’s not,” Musleh said.

Principal Chip Pettit addressed the student body Wednesday afternoon regarding the credibility of the information that had been circulating. Pettit assured students that no one had been arrested, no firearms or weaponry had been confiscated and that the administrative staff along with the Crown Point Police Department have been investigating all rumors.

“Based on the information collected

Elvis Presley would have turned 78 on Jan. 8.

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January is National “Thank you” and Soup Month.

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Ditch New Year’s Resolutions Day is on Jan. 17.

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2013 is the Chinese Year of the snake.

LEAD Council collects clothes to give back this holiday season The LEAD council held a clothing drive on Dec. 19, 20 and 21. Students, teachers and faculty members brought in gently used clothes to school in garbage bags and brought them to the community room.

Members of the LEAD council stood outside the community room to collect the clothes, some even wearing Santa hats or ringing bells to encourage the Christmas spirit.

The clothes were brought in before school from 6:30 to 7:20 a.m. and from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.

The clothes were donated to the Salvation Army at the end of the clothing drive on Friday.

Band, choir, orchestra students perform annual holiday concert series

The Advanced Symphony Orchestra performs on Dec. 16 under the direction of James Deal.

‘Tis the season to be jolly-- this is what the band, orchestra and choir students try to convey as they put on their holiday concerts.

The band began the holiday concert series on Dec. 12. The orchestra played on Dec. 16 and featured the high school orchestras and the elementary and middle school orchestras.

The choir sang on Dec. 19 and featured multiple choirs, including QYP and Bella Voce.

a threat’ but that doesn’t mean we just drop it,” McDermott said. “We continue to ask students to come forward if they have any information and we would do that even despite what happened in Connecticut on Friday. It’s something that happens from time to time not only in our schools, but all schools and it’s something we have to take seriously.”

As of Thursday afternoon, three other school districts -- Duneland, Portage Township and Union Township -- had also dealt with unsubstantiated rumors according to the Times of Northwest Indiana.

januarycalendar

januaryfacts •

during the interviews with over 40 students and multiple parents, there is no evidence to lead us to believe that Friday will be any different than any other day at CPHS,” Pettit said.

Along with the announcement made during school to students, parents received both a phone call and an email. The administration took all of the information that was brought to their attention this week very seriously.

“Right now we can’t get to the bottom of them. We don’t have anybody that’s saying ‘yes, I specifically heard someone make

intheknow

7 School Resumes

19 Turnabout

Finals

15 1st and 6th hours 16 4th and 5th hours 17 2nd, 3rd and 7th hours

17 Improv Show

21 Martin Luther King Jr Day - NO SCHOOL

news

inklings 12/21/12

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Improv lab introduced to jazz students

BY ALAA ABDELDAIEM MAGGIE GELON reporter copy editor

Throughout the early years of their careers, musicians are often are taught to accurately follow notes and rhythms on sheet music. For classical performers, this notation serves as rigid instructions. In jazz improvisation, such instructions do not exist.

After learning the basic fundamentals of playing an instrument, the power over the emotional element shifts to the musician. The new CPHS Jazz improvisation lab introduces this creative transition to participating members.

“A lot of jazz improvisation is just being creative with the music,” sponsor Jacob Adams said. “If a student can play a C major scale, for example, then they can improvise to some extent. It’s about building off of what they know. How can we alter what you know? How can we change the notes slightly so they sound differently?”

Band director Johann Sletto found that many band members were not strong improvisers. To help, Sletto met with Adams, SCHEDULE continued from p. 1 period into our weekly schedule where we can address things like college and career planning, drug and alcohol abuse, and cyber bullying, as well as providing an opportunity for students to receive additional academic assistance,” principal Chip Pettit said.

Social studies teacher Paula Barancyk is in favor of slowing down the pace.

“I’ve always been an advocate of changing the schedule. It is nice to slow down the pace for students and teachers,” Barancyk said. “I’ve been open to it probably 15 years ago when we talked about a possible change. I was excited to hear about it.”

Even though there are many positive aspects to a potential change in the schedule, some are wary of it.

“Nobody really knows for sure how it would go; it would just take some time getting used to it. But long-term, it should work

who majored in improvisation in college, with the idea of starting a jazz improvisation lab.

“Mr. Sletto thought that there was a need for students who are playing jazz here at CP to work on their skills with improvising,” Adams said. “He and I have been talking for some time about starting the club and this year it just worked out schedule wise.”

Improvising is not always

something that comes naturally without practice. “(Improvising) is a lot harder for many people than you might think,” senior member and bass player John MacNeil said. “You have to have deep, advanced knowledge of music theory. It’s a lot of practice.

Anyone can improvise, but it takes a lot of work to improvise well.”

Being able to “feel” music is

also essential to gaining a better understanding of improvisation.

“Jazz is a language,” Adams said. “It’s much like trying to learn Spanish or French. If you don’t hear the language spoken, you won’t fully understand it.

Similarly, we try to listen to a lot of jazz to pick up on the style and feeling of it.”

Because of its unique style, becoming accustomed to jazz

and its subgenres is not always easy. Unlike other genres of music, performing jazz involves incoporating more of an emotional aspect. “(Playing jazz) is difficult at times because jazz is a hard concept to wrap your mind around,” freshman Susie Szymanski said.

“You have to play freely while still following the rules of music. Jazz is something you have to have confidence in yourself to perform well.”

Once acquired, however, the skills required to play jazz provide several benefits for musicians going forward.

“Jazz is a gateway to more types of popular music,” Adams said. “If you can do more than just play what’s on the page, you’re going to be more comfortable in a wide variety of musical settings.”

As the club prepares for their performances at jazz festivals in January and February, MacNeil appreciates the time and effort members are contributing for an uncommon genre.

“Jazz has become more of a rare thing nowadays,” MacNeil said. “It’s not as mainstream as it once was. It’s just really good to see that there are still kids that have such a heart for jazz and that keep that tradition alive.”

out,” senior Zach Berrier said.

Another addition to the schedule that would take some “getting used to” would be the implementation of a resource period. The resource hour would be a chance for students to focus on college and career readiness and also sign out of their designated resource class to see a teacher for extra help.

“We would be able to handle student announcements at the beginning of the weekly resource period. Students will then have an opportunity to sign out of the resource period to visit a teacher for additional academic assistance if needed,” Pettit said. “If students opt to stay in the resource period, the Naviance program will serve as their college and career readiness anchor.”

Naviance is an internet based college and career readiness tool that assists students in developing, planning, and achieving their post-secondary goals, according to assistant principal Robert McDermott.

Lunch schedules would also

see a slight change. The school would scale back from five lunch periods to four. This would maximize the utility of available space in the lunch room and make scheduling slightly more flexible.

Additional lunch lines would be added to compensate for the additional students in the lunch room.

The schedule change is still in process, and before it can be implemented the school will still need to deliberate.

“Nothing is definite yet. We’re still seeking feedback. I hope that we have enough feedback, one way or the other, by the time we leave for the holidays,” Pettit said.

A concern regarding not meeting with every class every day has been brought to mind with the new schedule change.

“When we start talking about a modified schedule and the possibility of not meeting with students every day that school is in session, the three departments that tend to struggle with that notion are math, world language and performing arts,” Pettit said.

“Our math department has unani-

mously been behind a change in our daily schedule. Performing arts has been open to change.

World language-- I wouldn’t say that they’re unanimous, but they are willing to try something new.”

However some students still feel a bit skeptical about the possible change.

“Going to your class every day you have an opportunity to learn about the subject every day and build on it,” sophomore Alyssa Vajda said. “I like the schedule we have now. It’s just I’m used to it, so I’d have to try it (new proposed schedule) to know what it’s like and see if I like it.”

Another possibly over-looked demographic that could be affected less-than-positively by the new schedule is the students who thrive in the seven-period day.

“I personally don’t think that some students could handle it.

Higher-achieving students would be at a disadvantage because it could go too slow and they would just get less done and learn less,” Barrier said.

A committee of teachers was

formed to look at different schedules. The committee referenced twelve others and spent meetings discussing the pros and cons of each. The main two that were considered were a three week cycle block schedule and a hybrid block schedule. A mix between the two and our current schedule was made.

One of the goals of the committee was to keep the schedule at a seven period day so that students could continue to take the same number of classes.

“We didn’t feel like students or parents would want any variation that takes away from a student’s ability to take seven courses each semester. Many of our students enjoy the benefits of going to a large, comprehensive high school with many different course options,” Pettit said. “We don’t want to place limits on students.

However, we do want to try and slow the pace down for them as many of our students are here as early as 5:30 a.m. and aren’t home until well into the evening due to extra and co-curricular activities.”

PHOTO BY ANNIE SWANSON

Rehearsing after school, members of jazz improvisation lab practice with their instruments and work on their improvisation skills. The club will be performing at jazz festivals in January and February.

views on news

Area National Guard 713th awarded Quilts of Valor 94 members of the Indiana National Guard 713th Engineer Company were rewarded Quilts of Valor at the Radisson Hotel at Star Plaza on December 8. The veterans returned in October from a 10-month tour of duty in Afghanistan, during which the unit lost six members and other members were severely wounded.

Elizabeth Lennon senior

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It’s good to know they are welcomed back after such a tramatic experience.

Student reaction to events in our world State Chrysler Group introduces Getrag Transmission plans

Nation Gun policies debated after World U.N. launches aid to Syrian recent Newtown tragedy refugees in need

Three years after emerging from bankruptcy, Chrysler Group revealed plans to spend $162 million to finish building the never-completed Getrag Transmission plant in Tipton, IN and hire 850 employees to run it. In addition, up to 500 jobs may also be created in Kokomo, IN.

In the wake of shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, gun control policies have come under debate. White House spokesman Jay Carney said President Barack Obama was considering the reinstatement of the expired assault weapons ban.

More jobs are great for Indiana and the economy. This helps us be better suited when times are tough.

(More anti-gun policies) would be good. I don’t believe guns are necessary for the average person to own.

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Thomas Cooper junior

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Kelly Kislowski sophomore

To ease the suffering of the more than one million Syrian refugees who have fled the nation in the wake of airstrikes and mass violence, the United Nations has launched humanitarian efforts worth $1.5 billion.

Officials believe that that amount will help assist an estimated 4 million Syrians in urgent need of aid.

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Dallin Iler freshman

I don’t see what it will do. The money could be used for lot’s of other things to help the world.

4 opinion

inklings 12/21/12

speakup

Access to guns must be handled more carefully

What is your least favorite holiday song?

BY ABBY ELSTON

editor-in-chief

Twenty-six lives were lost a week ago, and twenty of them had barely even begun. Those twenty lives were completely innocent; most would not have even known that something this horrendous could even occur in their lives, much less in their school. How could something like this have happened?

Perhaps the question should be refocused to how to prevent something like this. Since the shooting at Columbine, 31 other school shootings have happened in the U.S., according to ABC news. What happened at Sandy Hook Elementary was due to the mental instability of one man.

However, if he did not have such easy access to guns, it would have been much harder to go through with this mass murder.

Obviously if someone is set on murder, he will go to any means to procure a weapon of sorts to execute his “task,” for lack of a better word. But think about it: had his mom not had a collection of guns at home, he would have had to find one by some other means, and by then, he could have been caught and jailed (or gotten some much needed mental help).

Plus, say that he could not obtain a gun at all; it would have been quite difficult to kill a number of people by single-handedly strangling them all or stabbing them with a kitchen knife (which may not have even caused death but only serious injury).

What I am calling for is not a ban on all guns. Guns are not the problem, people are. But it is possible that if guns were not so widely available, the use of them would not be so easily accepted.

What happened was a rarity, and this should not obliterate the possession of guns for all.

Perhaps what needs to be done is a more thorough background check for people who would like to purchase weapons that also includes a family background check. This way, a mother of a mentally unstable child would not have guns that the child could see every day and be tempted to use them for violence.

How could this be acceptable in any society? Obviously if a particularly violent person is exposed to guns on a daily basis, he is going to have particularly violent thoughts that could become very real. Add mental instability to the mix and you have a path for possible disaster.

Mental problems must be properly handled first, but any sort of weapons should not be within reach.

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Cartoon By ELLIE BURRELL

iew:

Proposed schedule change shows school constantly evolves to fit student needs

The proposed switch to a modified block schedule has come as a surprise to a number of students and faculty throughout the school, but the change to a modified block would allow the school to evolve and keep up with the everchanging academic system.

The schedule change would be made independent of the academic success of the school, not because of a lack thereof. There have been no findings that suggest that the schedule of a school would affect student achievement negatively or positively. The proposal was made in an attempt to improve on the success that the school has already achieved. If the school does not continue to evolve with the times, it risks falling behind. This would be a proactive change to continue the school’s current success, not a reactive change because of any struggling or decline in test scores or academic achievement.

Logistically, the schedule change would not be changing the time spent in class at all. Students would still meet in their class four of the five days every week, and they would spend nearly the exact amount of time in class as they would during the current schedule.

Having a committee of experienced teachers across the field of academic subjects and leaving it open to volunteers to discuss changes was exactly what needed to be done. This allowed for committee members to give their input so that the right compromises could be made to allow for most to walk away satisfied with the change. Many of the teachers even worked at other schools that operated under different schedules, so they would know which works better than others under certain circumstances.

Students should be involved with the continued planning before an official schedule commitment is made. They should work with those in charge of the scheduling groups to add their input to ensure that any change made would benefit them as well. Finding a schedule that meets both the needs of the teachers, students and administration should be a group effort.

Switching to the modified block would be a rather large learning curve for the students and faculty of the school, but long-term it would be a positive change for CPHS.

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“My least favorite is ‘Silent Night’ because it has a slower tune and is not in the Christmas spirit.”

Simone Siew sophomore “I don’t like ‘Do You Hear What I Hear’ because the guy’s voice is too deep.”

Colin Stein junior “I don’t really like ‘Happy Holidays’ because I don’t like the tune of it.”

Bridgette McCormick senior “My least favorite is ‘Santa Claus is Coming to Town’ because it is so overplayed, there are too many versions and I don’t think it’s that catchy.”

editorial

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Garret Shoemaker freshman

Vol. 77 Issue 4 Dec. 21, 2012 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 Alexa Grady sports editors 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 12/21/12

issue: It’s the final countdown: need a break?

Gun laws not to blame in Sandy Hook shooting

BY ALEX MCLEAN

sports editor

Cartoon By ELLIE BURRELL

Pro:

Con:

Final schedules before break puts students in better position to succeed

Current finals schedule reduces stress, allows for relaxing break

BY EMILY BEST

BY ABBY ELSTON

staff reporter

editor-in-chief

It is a yearly routine for CPHS to have finals after Christmas break. The school does this because they think that students will study over break, but realistically they do not. Changing the schedule to finals before break would cause some changes, but there would be many positives to the change as well.

First off, having finals after Christmas break allows time for students to forget; forget about the material they have learned and forget about studying.. Statistics show that after six days of not learning, people will forget up to 77 percent of what they had been taught.

Christmas break lasts 14 days, which is 14 days in which students could forget a good chunk of the material on their final exams. The solution to this problem is having finals before Christmas break. In this scenario, students would not have to worry about studying for finals.

Secondly, people are just too busy to study during Christmas break. People are already occupied with things like baking, Christmas shopping, spending time with family, etc. The holidays are a time to have fun and relax; students should not have to study, and most do not. Sure, it seems convenient to have two weeks off before finals to study, but realistically most students do not, and they should not have to. Having finals before break would eliminate this problem completely.

If we were to switch to finals before break, some changes would occur. A rival school of ours, Lake Central, is currently on the “finals before break” schedule. They will end the first semester on the 21st, and will be able to start the second semester as soon as they return from break. Things are a little different for them though. Their school year started over a week before ours, but they will get out of school at the end of the year a week before us.

Having finals before Christmas break poses many new positive opportunities. By doing this, the passing rate for final exams could increase, which is good for the school and individual students.

Christmas break is a break that students need and deserve. It is a time of relaxing and enjoying time with family. What a relief it would be to not have to worry about final exams all winter break.

Sitting by the fire, eating cookies, watching “Elf”—these winter activities seem much more enjoyable if finals have already been taken.

School is not a concern in the slightest because the semester has been finished. Yeah, that sounds nice—except that it is a bit too optimistic.

For starters, taking finals before break would just add to the stress of the holiday season. This year in particular, the start of our winter break is alarmingly close to Christmas Eve. So, students would just be on overload when other activities and assignments need to be accomplished before break as well as some holiday shopping. December is a joyous time of year, and students would not want to be overly stressed during this month.

Teachers would also be forced to submit grades sometime near the holidays, making their holidays less enjoyable. They would have to create a plan for the next semester during the holidays too. The counselors would also have to make sure all students’ schedules are ready for second semester right before (or even during) winter break.

Each student’s schedule has to be accounted for, and many of them are brand new by the time second semester rolls around.

The students would also have to immediately adjust to the new semester right after winter break. Some students have almost completely new schedules for the second semester, and it would be much easier to come back from break, readjust to their current schedules, and then adjust to a new schedule after a week or so.

In addition, if finals were before break, the school year would have to start sooner so that the end of the first semester would coincide with the last days of school before break. This would most likely mean that the school year would start around the time that the Lake County Fair is happening—the part of the summer that most students are trying to hold on to and make the most out of while they still can.

Would we really want to go back to school this early in the summer?

All in all, getting finals out of the way before break seems like a great idea, but it’s only great in theory. Were this idea to play out in reality, it would not make the holidays that much brighter and would end up stressing out those involved more than what may be anticipated.

15 Inklings staffers agree

11 Inklings staffers agree

Corey Kuhlman

Steve Strayer

junior

“I like having finals before break, everything is fresh in your brain.”

Kristi Quigley

math teacher

“Finals after break works fine. It gives students time to gather their bearings over break and to come back and review. “

special education

“Having finals before break is better, because we can just get everything done and over with.”

Lauren Duvall

sophomore

“It allows us more time to review for the tougher subjects over break.”

It has often been said that the experiences that a person has shapes their life. This sentiment holds true on a societal level as well. The more experiences we have, the more we can learn from them as a whole. The recent tragedy at Sandy Hook is a horrible occurance, but it is one that cannot be ignored. We must take this as a call to action for change in this country.

But what kind of change?

The immediate reaction was to bring talks of weapons bans to the table. After all, if the shooter did not have access to the weapons, surely this whole thing could have been avoided?

Not quite. No matter the restrictions, criminals will manage to find guns. In the state of Connecticut, 85 percent of gun crimes are committed by individuals who cannot legally purchase a firearm. So it cannot be assumed that changing the legal method for obtaining weapons.

So how do we fix this problem? There is one common trait of people who commit mass murders like Sandy Hook, typically they have some level of insanity or mental illness. Our country has a lethal obsession with handling the insane in one of two methods, sometimes both; drug them up and lock them up.

This cannot continue.

Tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of Americans suffer from some undiagnosed level of mental illness, whether it be some more docile form of anxiety or depression, or severe cases of bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.

Far too often people are afraid to get the attention they need because they fear some level of social ostricization and believe that there is just something inherently “wrong” with them. This is a horrible mentality to have.

After all, a mental disease is just like any other injury. If someone breaks their leg, he or she takes the proper measures to fix it.

While we know the name of the man who pulled the trigger, we are the ones to blame for this tragedy. Through our societal perception and handling of the mentally ill, we have let down the students of Sandy Hook, their families and community, and ultimately the country as a whole. From individual citizens to school systems to the president himself, we must take it upon ourselves to ensure this type of tragedy never happens again. Our future is in our hands. No one elses.

6 feature

inklings 12/21/12

PHOTO BY AMY SCHUCH Advanced symphony orchestra performs its annual holiday concert. The concert was played on Dec. 16, and the symphony orchestra performed at the concerts held at 2 p.m. and 7.

i on life A page dedicated to celebrating student life.

bythe

numbers

76% of women date men that are at least 5 years older

PHOTO BY AMY SCHUCH

Senior Jessica Lee goes on a date with boyfriend Brandon Bradbury. Unlike the traditional ways, more girls are driving to dates than before.

Traditional dating takes total turnabout

BY KATIE SHERMAN

copy editor

Back in the day, Danny would take Sandy out to the drive-in and give her his class ring or take her to the Frosty Palace malt shop.

Now, however, “Grease” days are over and dating has done a total turnabout.

Nowadays, some teens are going on dates in large groups and girls may feel more comfortable asking that “special someone” out on a date.

“From my perspective, it looks like dating has become much more casual than when I was in school; it seems to be less of a ‘big deal’ than before. There seems (now) to be a lot more of just going out with groups of friends instead of only in couples, and more of dating someone for a short time, not getting too serious,” Spanish teacher Lori Ryser said. “When I was in high school, if you were dating someone, it was a huge deal.”

With such changes in the traditional way of dating, Ryser identifies the reason behind these new customs. “(I believe) part of it is probably with equality and women becoming more comfortable with asking guys out or having the courage to invite a guy out. I think so many of the traditional assumptions about who should do what or who should date who have fallen away,” Ryser said.

“Teenagers are more free to date different people or go out with someone that isn’t in your ‘typical’ group of friends.”

Today’s generation does not view the dating situation any different. Senior Taylor Cassady agrees with Ryser’s beliefs on relationships.

“People’s ideas have changed (on dating). Every generation has their own ways of perceiving the dating world,” Cassady said.

Junior Joe Samyn believes that the ideas of dating now are put in a negative light.

“I take dating seriously. It

(dating) is more laid back. It isn’t what dating should be,” Samyn said. “I think people think their significant other is just someone that they can run to whenever

‘‘

People’s ideas have changed (on dating). Every generation has their own ways of perceiving the dating world.

Taylor Cassady

senior

they need something.”

The changes do not end there. Where couples go on dates today differ from where couples went out together in previous decades.

“When I was in high school, people would go to the show (movies) and go to dance halls where they would hold discos,”

art teacher Dorothy Duffala said.

While the usual views on dating have changed, the view on who should pay is still debated.

“If both people have a job, than there is no reason one person should be paying for anything. In society, people are more equal,” social studies teacher Brooke Yeager said.

The age difference between a couple has also changed over time. While the guys used to be the older person in the couple, now often some girls are the oldest.

“My boyfriend and I are 11 months apart, with me being older. I drive my boyfriend and I around because he doesn’t have his license, but he pays for everything,” Cassady said.

Regardless of these changes from one generation to another, the love between the couple is still the same.

“We respect each other and we trust each other,” Cassady said.

“Without either of those things, I highly doubt we’d still be dating.”

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people have met their significant other online

80% of men date women that are at least five years younger

1in

8

chance a woman will go on a second date if she has not heard from him in 24 hours Facts obtained from grabstats.com

feature 7

inklings 12/21/12

The final countdown, or not

By sam beishuizen VERDA MIRZA

T

editor-in-chief reporter

he world ends today. Maybe.

At least, the Mayan calendar ended on today’s date, predicting the demise of the world as we know it. Along with that, philosopher Michel de Nostradamus also predicted that the world would be coming to an end around this time.

But if you are reading this, so far you are in luck.

Students may be enjoying their last hours before falling victim to an apocalyptic end. Then again, maybe the whole “predicting the end of the world” thing is all hype and those preparing for it are all just wasting their time reading science fiction novels looking for tips on how to outlast

everyone “Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy” style.

According to a Reuters survey of 16,000 people in 21 countries, at least 10 percent of the world’s population has genuine concern that the world will be wiped out.

Sophomore Patricia O’Brien believes that there is a real possibility the world might end today based on religious scriptures and current political climate.

“The bible says before the rapture happens there will be a war in the holy lands,” O’Brien said. “(Currently) there is a war in Jerusalem.”

Not all people share O’Brien’s concern over the end of the world.

“I do not believe in the world ending on Dec 21, 2012,” freshman Marie O’Malley said. “I do think that the Mayans were very intelligent people. However, maybe they just wanted to stop according the dates.”

Debunking the theories 1. The sun will kill us all- The current solar activity is at one of the “wimpiest” periods it has ever been, according to NASA 2. The planets will align- NASA has said that no planetary alignments will occur within the next few decades.

3. Planet X will collide with Earth- Planet Nibiru will not even get near the earth within the next year, according to NASA.

The prediction of the end of the world also has teachers weighing in.

“No, I do not think it’s going to end just because there’s only one deity,” math teacher Steven Gill said.

Even if someone believes the world is going to end or not, some might have a “to do” list of things to do before the world ends on Dec 21.

If Mayan prediction was right, O’Brien already has her plans.

“I will spend the day with my family and my friends,” O’Brien said. “(I would also try) doing stuff I never did before.”

Gill shares similar plans, but is still skeptical. “(I would) spend time with family and find a way to survive, but I’m not going to die,” Gill said.

Apocalyptic Mix-Tape The perfect playlist for your listening pleasure, giving a wink to the day’s theme “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”

“Help”

By Bob Dylan

By The Beatles

“Livin’ on a Prayer”

“Ready for the End of the World”

By Bon Jovi

By George Strait

“In the End”

“Bye Bye Bye”

By Linkin Park

By N Sync

“The Final Countdown”

By Europe

“It’s The End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)”

“2012 (It Ain’t The End)”

By R.E.M.

By Jay Sean Ft. Nicki Minaj

Source: The Huffington Post

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8 feature

inklings 12/21/12

O

ur 2012

best of

YEAR in review January 13- Cruise ship Costa Concordia partially sinks off coast of Tuscany, Italy.

18- The largest online protest was held for SOPA, stop online privacy act.

March 2- Tornadoes hit southern Indiana leaving 13 dead.

26- Chip Pettit is announced the next principal of CPHS.

4.

3.

May 2.

5.

5- Horse “I’ll Have Another” wins 2012 Kentucky Derby.

20- Bee Gees singer Robin Gibb dies at age 62.

July

1.

6.

1. Senior John MacNeil plays for the crowd at the fourth annual Foodstock. 2. Israel Mercado running for the boys track team in the 2012 season. 3. Senior Lauren Murphy walks across the field as she is announced homecoming queen. 4.

Dean of Students Russ Marcinek and Freshman Principal Mark Gianfermi participate in the Student Teacher Olympics.

5. Jason Tsirtsis wins four consecutive individual state titles. 6. Todd Aulwurn and senior Molly Grace perform a number in the musical, “Will Roger’s Follies.”

Say What?! memorable quotes of the year “You didn’t build that”

“A hero can be anyone”

President Obama

Batman

“Binders full of women” Mitt Romney

songs

“Nothing good happens after midnight” Principal Chip Pettit

movies

trends

1. Marvel’s The Avengers 2. The Dark Knight Rises 3. The Hunger Games 4. The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn 2 5. Skyfall

1. SOPA 2. Scientology 3. KONY 4. Yolo 5. Instagram 6. Pinterest 7. Lent 8. Obamacare

according to Zeitgeist 2012

according to the Box Office

according to Zeitgeist 2012

TOP

1. Boyfriend - Justin Bieber 2. Gangnam Style - PSY 3. Call Me Maybe - Carly Rae Jepsen 4. Somebody that I Used to Know - Gotye 5. Some Nights - Fun.

20- A shooting at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado leaves 12 dead.

4- The Higgs Boson’s, an elementary particle, discovery was announced.

27- The 2012 Olympics begins in London.

September 9- Chicago teachers go on strike for the first time in 25 years.

12- Apple released the iPhone 5.

November 6- The United States presidential election ends in Obama’s reelection.

16- Puerto Rico pushes for statehood in the United States.

February 11- Singer, actress and model, Whitney Houston dies from heart disease and chronic cocaine use.

5- The 46th Superbowl was held in Indianapolis, IN, between the Giants and Patriots.

April 1- Taylor Swift wins Entertainer of the Year at the 2012 Academy of Country Music Awards.

9- Facebook buys sharing application Instagram for $1 billion.

June 5- Diamond Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. 13- US Anti-Doping Agency brings charges against seven time Tour De France winner, Lance Armstrong.

August 5- A mass shooting took place at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin, killing six and wounding four.

12- The London Olympic Games 2012 ended.

October 22- Hurricane Sandy devasted the East coast leaving 253 dead.

9- Jerry Sandusky recieved a sentence of 30 to 60 years for his sex abuse case.

December 7- The US Supreme Court agreed to hear two same-sex marriage cases.

14- The Sandy Hook elementary school shooting left 28 dead.

inklings 12/21/12

A 2013

nticipating

“I’m excited to graduate. I’m going over to England

feature 9

to play soccer.” senior Alex Fenn

As 2012 comes to a close, students and faculty look to 2013 and predict what the year will (hopefully) hold.

New Year’s Resolutions “To not procrastinate as much as I do and be nicer to my older sister.”

“I’m looking forward to going to Boston for college visits.” junior Hannah Franchimont

“I’m looking forward to getting a letterman’s jacket.”

freshman Alyssa Guritz

“I want to become left handed because I think I was meant to be ambidextrous.” junior Dori Sotirovska

“To not cheat at board games.”

freshman Grant Pape

“I predict IU basketball will win the championship.”

English teacher Jacob Adams

senior Katie Fenn

“To survive junior year.” junior Rozi Karamacoski

“My daughter is expecting in June.

I cannot wait to have a grandkid.”

Attendance Secretary Carol Burkholder

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10 feature

inklings 12/21/12

The name game

Students share experiences with uncommon names

BY MOLLY GRACE

feature editor

In Shakespeare’s famous play, a love-stricken Juliet asks, “What’s in a name?” As it turns out, a lot is. This is even truer for those with unique names. A name can be chosen for ethnicity, ancestry or some personal attachment the parents have to a specific name.

While this may be a point of pride for some teens, it can also be a nuisance for others, at an age when peer pressure can often make them feel the need to fit in.

When the center-most thing that makes you you is the thing that sticks out, it can make fitting in difficult, something that is tough to cope with for some students.

Junior Laurentia Bivol moved here from Romania when she was eight years old. Although Laurentia is her birth name, she now goes by

Lauren.

“I kind of wanted to Americanize it since I’m here now and it’s easier for people to say ‘Lauren.’ All my teachers used to have trouble saying ‘Laurentia,’” Bivol said.

Bivol says that her parents wish more people would call her by her given name, but they understand that some people have trouble pronouncing Laurentia correctly. However, they refer to her as Laurentia.

“They always call me by my real name and so does the rest of my family. They love my name.

It’s a part of me and my heritage,” Bivol said.

Junior River McCollum was named not for his heritage but for the type of person his parents hoped he would grow up to be.

“My parents named me River because they wanted me to

have a sort of flowing personality,” McCollum said.

Often, however, having a unique name can lead to teasing, especially when children are younger.

“I got teased a lot for my name,” McCollum said. “People would make jokes about my name. They’d call me other bodies of water like lake, ocean or stream, stupid stuff like that.”

Sophomore Mihailo Bradash can sympathize.

“I’ve gotten teased for my name and people mispronounce it a lot,” Bradash said. Despite this, he remains proud of his name and what it represents.

“My grandparents came from Germany and Serbia, and my name is a typical Serbian name, it’s actually a form of ‘Michael,’” Bradash said.

Bivol’s

name is not commonly used as a first name for a girl, even in Romania. However, her parents wanted to name her after an angel, and liked the story of the angel Laurentia.

“They wanted a name that was special and related it to someone who was special,” Bivol said.

A person’s name is his or her own individual identity, so it’s important to be comfortable with it, even if it brings on teasing or rude remarks.

“The teasing didn’t really bother me. I like my name,” McCollum said.

Bradash agrees that, despite teasing, a name should be a point of pride. A name can be not only who one person is, but it can represent a whole part of his or her family’s history.

“My father and grandfather both have that name,” Bradash said. “I’m proud of my name because it’s part of my heritage.”

Top names of the 1990s The most common names when current students were born

Males

Females

Michael

Jessica

John

Ashley

Matthew

Emily

Joshua

Sarah

Jacob

Samantha

Nicholas

Amanda

Andrew

Brittany

Daniel

Elizabeth

Tyler

Taylor

Joseph

Megan

Brandon

Hannah

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration

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a&e 11

inklings 12/21/12

inreview “Feel Again” One Republic One Republic is out with their newest single, “Feel Again.”

With a very cheerful, upbeat sound, One Republic has made another great hit. They keep their sound fresh, and also have lyrics with meaning behind them.

“Feel Again” is definitely a hit.

Merry Giftmas

The perfect gag gifts for anyone light up slippers

BY OLIVIA ELSTON

reporter

It is already December 21, and if you still need to buy gifts, never fear. A quick trip to a local mall will insure success for those hard-to-buy-for people on your list. These unique ideas are a sure way to please anyone as a last-minute present.

Finding your way at night can be a hassle. Being able to have slippers that can serve as a guide light is what that special someone just might want for the holidays. Light up slippers allow the user to see in front of their feet while walking.

It’s the next best thing to light up kid shoes that have been grown out of.

Black Ops 2 The highly anticipated video game is finally here. On Nov. 13 stores released the game at a midnight opening. The maps offer various environments for one to explore. Gamers have the opportunity to include personalized gadgets and weapons in their class. Black Ops 2 has good graphics that will please any gamer.

chia pets Who needs a Christmas tree when you have a chia pet?

Chia pets bring the special feeling of the holidays by coming in different icons like President Obama or Spongebob. Nothing is better than watching a favorite icon grow a full head of chia plant that resembles an afro. It is not the holidays without Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia pets.

Lately printed/textured jeans have become popular, but when it comes to leather jeans it is best to leave them in the 80’s.

Instead of leather, try going for a softer look by buying a pair of comfy jeggings or printed tights.

Boot Socks A new trend this winter are boot socks.

Not only are they super cute, but they are good at keeping your legs warm. They compliment any outfit and are cozy for this cold winter season.

Singing Toothbrushes Found in convenience stores such as Walgreens and CVS, the singing toothbrush has become quite a popular gift this Christmas. This gift is overpriced and just plain annoying. The price runs around 10 to 13 dollars because of the fact it plays music. You would be better off buying a regular toothbrush for a mer 99 cents.

Do you ever get bored while doing your daily “business?”

Pot N’ Putt fixes that problem. This gizmo allows you to practice putting skills by doing some golf on the toilet. Pot N’ Putt comes with a small putting green, a golf ball, a putter and a door hanger. You can become the next Tiger Woods.

Not being able to have a pillow smile back has been a serious problem. Try the pillow with One Direction’s Harry Styles’ face enlarged on it. If feeling down, the user has the chance to talk to Harry, who will smile back no matter what. Waking up to see his face staring at you is the perfect way to start the day on the right foot. This pillow will definitely makes someone stay “Up All Night,” even resembling the iconic Grinch smile.

Justin Bieber duct tape

character footie pajamas

If ever in a sticky situation, just whip out some Justin Bieber duct tape. Broke a window? Use JB duct tape.

Anything can be fixed with this duct tape if you only “beliebe.”

Leather Jeans

pot n’ putt

Harry Styles pillow

The cold weather has arrived so warm clothing articles are great sellers, especially footie pajamas. They allow anyone to walk around your house in a full body suit that keeps you cozy.

The feature that makes them on the Christmas list is that they are characters from popular shows. Now you can curl up by the fire looking like Scooby Doo or Perry the Platypus.

“The Hobbit” unexpectedly entertaining ALEX McLEAN

sports editor

It is said that a journey begins with a step. With “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”, director Peter Jackson has taken several big steps forward in continuing the epic legacy of J.R.R. Tolkien’s writing on screen.

Set 60 years before The Lord of the Rings, “An Unexpected Journey” follows the adventure of Bilbo Baggins (Martin Freeman) and his unusual band of exiled dwarf warriors and the familiar character Gandalf (Ian McKlellan) on their quest to take back the dwarves kingdom in the Lonely Mountains from the dragon Smaug. On their way, the group encounters a number of foes, including a group of Three-Stooge like mountain trolls and a glutinous Great Goblin. The action

social

life A section devoted to social media

peaks in a watery cavern, where Baggins encounters Gollum in a battle of wits to decide the fate of the hobbit hero, and ultimately of Middle-Earth itself.

Filmed in the beautiful and familiar landscapes of New Zealand, the stunning cinematography keeps viewers engrossed for the full 169 minutes. After a slow intro reprising “The Fellowship of the Ring”, the movie takes off into an intense series of action that ensures moviegoers will not lose interest. Battle scenes between CGI created villainous goblins and orcs and actual actors portraying hobbits and dwarves are entirely realistic thanks in large part to Jackson’s decision to film the movie in 48 fps (frames per second). However, this framing decision makes certain scenes seem almost too high defiinition,

and many sets at time seem fake.

Perhaps the most refreshing change from The Lord of the Rings to The Hobbit is the lead acting. Elija Wood’s interpretation of Frodo Baggins made him mainly a character for the viewer to pity and feel empathy for. Freeman’s witty and humorous, yet still timid portrayal makes Bilbo both the most relatable and likeable character in the film.

Many critics of the film claim the movie stretches out far too much. “The Hobbit” is 310 pages, making it shorter than a single “Lord of the Rings” novel.

Jackson’s decision to make “The Hobbit” into three separate films raised eyebrows among critics.

However, where the “Rings” series was limited by how much information could not be included, the “Hobbit” series will have seem-

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I CAN’T WRITE with these eraser shavings on my paper...now they’re all up in my thinking space! junior Julia Abbott

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If the apocalypse doesn’t happen tomorrow, don’t worry. It’s not the end of the world.

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ingly endless room for Jackson’s creative genius to expand on Tolkien’s world of Middle-Earth.

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12 a&e New sushi restaurant worth a try

inklings 12/21/12

Getting in the spirit with television

BY MOLLY GRACE

feature editor

When asked what they like to watch during the holidays, many people point to movies. However, holiday episodes of TV shows can be just as good at getting one in the holiday spirit.

BY RAEANNA MORGAN

editor-at-large

Indiana can become quite limited as far as food choices go at times. Corn lurks around every corner and the variety of fast food chains is not as vast as one might hope. Recently, sushi has been added to the area’s menu. BC Osaka, a buffet and hibachi grill, just opened in Hobart on Route 30 near Westfield shopping center.

Customers have two choices: a buffet filled with all sorts of popular Asian dishes or, on your left, there is the choice of a hibachi grill. For those seasoned in Indiana’s take on Asian culture, think House of Kobe. The same table/grill ensemble is gathered around to watch your food be prepared by chefs skilled in the art of knife music and shrimp throwing. Both will leave you satisfactorily filled.

While the food gives the taste buds a run for their money, the atmosphere was a bit of a letdown. Thinking that sushi is some sort of glamorous food group only the rich and famous can stomach I assumed I would be surrounded by all sorts of chic décor so unlike what is found in every day diners. Well, you know what they say when you assume something… Let’s just say with all the leftover space they weren’t using they could have made like their food, and spiced up the dining area quite a bit. It was very dull and not much set it apart from any other Asian buffet in Northwest Indiana.

BC Osaka got it half right.

They have potential to be a restaurant that would stand out in one’s mind. Put a little zest in their decorating skills to match that of their cuisine and they would be set. Hopefully with time it will only improve, but as for now it’s definitely a place worth checking out on your next date night.

1

Seinfeld – “The Strike” Even those who have never seen this one have likely heard of the holiday “Festivus” that was popularized in this episode. That is what makes this one a classic and the king of all holiday episodes, because no matter what you celebrate, there is always “Festivus for the rest of us.” The holiday comes from George’s father, Frank.

Festivus, Frank explains, was created as an alternative to the commercialism of the other big holidays. Kramer likes this idea, and dedicates himself to celebrating Festivus, even going on strike when he cannot get time off work for the holiday. Later at Frank’s house, everyone gathers for the celebrations of Festivus, which include the Festivus pole (an undecorated aluminum pole) and the Airing of Grievances, which is when, as Frank puts it, “you gather your family around and tell them all the ways they have disappointed you over the past year.”

The Office – “Christmas Party” The Dunder Mifflin employees plan a Secret Santa gift exchange as part of their Christmas party. Of course, introduce Michael Scott into anything normal and traditional and he will find a way to wreak havoc on everyone’s moods and lower morale.

Michael believes how much a gift costs determines how good the gift is, so when he receives a hand-made oven mitt from Phyllis, he gets upset and turns the Secret Santa into a Yankee Swap. This is enough to sufficiently depress everyone, and they all traipse about the office in their usual unanimated way, listening to Christmas music while a guilty Michael tries to make things right. The moments that make this episode a holiday winner: Angela’s ornament-crushing meltdown, the terrible gifts everyone gets their Secret Santas and Dwight helping Michael lead the festivities in his elf hat and giant ears.

Saturday Night Live – “Jimmy Fallon/Michael Buble” What makes this episode so great is that Jimmy Fallon totally called it. In the 1998 Christmas episode, when he was just a cast member, he appeared during Alec Baldwin’s monologue as the “Ghost of Hosts Future” and predicted that he would host the 2011 Christmas episode. The episode features a few hilarious Christmas sketches, including an ad for Michael Buble’s fake “Christmas Duets” album, where Buble sings with other popular singers, such as Ke$ha doing her own fun spin on “The Twelve Days of Christmas” and a dancing, winking Justin Bieber. The episode goes on to include the reunion of Jimmy Fallon, Horatio Sanz, Chris Kattan and Tracy Morgan performing their famous “I Wish it Was Christmas Today,” and ends with Fallon saying his goodnights on the ice rink of Rockefeller Center, in front of the big Christmas tree.

Stewart’s album proves new holiday must

BY SHANNON ROSTIN

asst. feature editor

Rod Stewart is no stranger to the world of music. However, until this recent holiday season, he has not made a Christmas album.

Stewart debuts his first Christmas album with the festive title track “Merry Christmas, Baby.” The album consists of Stewart performing traditional Christmas hits. The feeling is classic and festive, and it will be appreciated by both old and new fans of Stewart. The album will be enjoyed by Stewart fans and Christmas music lovers alike.

Though it is much different than his

our FAVES 3

2

Friends – “The One with the Holiday Armadillo” The creation of a new holiday icon is the selling point of this episode. Ross wants to teach his son Ben (played by a young Cole Sprouse) about Chanukah, since he is Jewish.

However, when he finds Ben more interested in Christmas carols and Santa Claus than the Maccabees, Ross enlists in the help of a never-before-heard-of holiday character: the Holiday Armadillo, “Santa’s representative for all the southern states.”

Ross, in his armadillo suit (rented because Santa was not available so close to Christmas), waddles into Monica’s apartment to talk to Ben, bearing a sack of presents and a story about the fascinating history of Chanukah. He sits down to tell Ben the story. With the help of Chandler in a Santa suit and Joey in a Superman costume (trying to add to the holiday spirit in his own way), Ross finally gets Ben excited and they all gather to light the menorah, a nice holiday moment.

usual sound, it is an enjoyable holiday treat. It is refreshing to witness an artist experimenting out of his usual genre and have a successful transition, such as Stewart has done with this Christmas album. Stewart delivers Christmas favorites such as “Let it Snow”, “Auld Lang Syne”, “White Christmas” and “Silent Night.” The songs were all kept to a traditional standard, being performed in a classic way; however, Stewart’s personal style can still be sensed through the album.

Familiar voices collaborated with Stewart, such as Michael Buble on “Winter Wonderland.” The two made a wonderful and well-blended duet. Stewart collaborates

with singer Cee Lo Green on the title track “Merry Christmas, Baby.” This is another decent combination of voices and a catchy Christmas performance. A special duet of Stewart and the late Ella Fitzgerald is featured as well. They pair on the song “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?” The track also offers an original song “Red-Suited Super Man.” This song will become a holiday classic with its fun tempo and styling of Stewart. While this is the first Christmas album he has made, it has been done well. The album offers Stewart’s take on beloved holiday songs. This will be an album for easy listening during this holiday season.

1 $2 Subway Subs

In order to celebrate Customer Appreciation Month, Subway has decided to add two dollar six inch subs to the menu. All throughout December you can get a Cold Cut or Meatball sub for just two dollars. The Meatball sub includes meatballs dipped in Marinara sauce, and the Cold Cut sub includes turkey, ham, salami and bologna. The special runs through the end of December.

2 Infinity Scarves

Staying warm during the winter months just got a lot easier.

The scarves come in a variety of fabrics, colors and patterns to match every type of outfit. They can be used to accessorize an every day outfit or to keep you warm while doing last minute holiday shopping. Infity scarves can be found at places such as Charlotte Russe and Charming Charlie.

3 Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate Mix

A warm glass of hot chocolate can easily be made at home.

Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate can be mixed with milk or water that is heated in the microwave or on the stovetop. It comes in individually packaged servings that are the perfect size for a single cup of hot chocolate. The packets come in flavors such as milk chocolate, dark chocolate and french vanilla. Hot chocolate is always a great way to warm up on the winter holidays.

we’re SO over PDA IN THE HALLWAY Although being in a relationship is viewed as cute and romantic, during school hours displaying affection should be kept to a minimum. Everyone is very happy for you and your significant other; however, it is beginning to become a disgusting distraction during the school day.

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inklings 12/21/12

Making

WAVES

Senior Johnny Lynk and junior Holly Schuster help lead the swim teams to be top programs in the area PHOTO BY OLIVIA ELSTON

BY DAVID KEPSHIRE Alex mclean

reporter sports editor

Swimming competitively is something that has been very important in senior Johnny Lynk’s life.

Starting at a young age, Lynk began to excel in the Crown Point Swim Club. Now, after four years of high school experience, he is ready to take his swimming to the next level.

“My goal is to perform better than I am right now in college,” Lynk said. “Ideally, my hard work will transition into an Olympic Trial, which is my ultimate goal.”

However, his goals will have to wait until after this year. Lynk has gotten off to a fast start his senior season and his coaches are taking notice.

“Johnny has learned all the lessons about training,” head coach Doug Norris said. “If he continues to excel in his training, he will be ready for a great postseason.”

Norris has been Lynk’s coach since his freshman year and has seen Lynk grow from the minute he stepped into the pool.

“As a freshman, he made it down to the state meet,” Norris said. “As a sophomore, he had his best time of his career.”

The time referrenced by Norris is Lynk’s 47.7 second lead leg time of the 400 free relay at the state meet. This performance helped lead his team to a sixth place finish in

JohnnyLynk

the meet overall.

Since that race, Lynk has focused not only on becoming a better swimmer, but also a better role model for his swim team.

“Johnny is the first one in the pool and the last one out,” senior Brenton Yeager said. “He sets a prime example for the younger kids who will hopefully carry on the tradition.”

“I always try to get the team pumped up before each race,” Lynk said. “I came up with the saying ‘strive for the desire, the vision, and the dream to become a championship team’ and say it before each meet.”

Lynk has been working hard to be the leader that this team needs after losing the two senior captains of last year. This has helped create a smooth transition with the departure of Mike Kukurugya and Danny Kvachkoff. “(Mike and Danny) always knew how to separate fun from work, and I think that Johnny has continued their legacy,” junior Andrew Kvachkoff said. “Johnny’s been there before, so we just follow his lead.”

Lynk’s experience has helped him early on this season as he swept both his events against Rensselaer last Thursday night. Adding to the Bulldog victory with wins were Kvachkoff winning the 200 IM and senior Joel Gintzler winning the 500

free.

“Hopefully our hard work will pay off in the end as sectionals are only a stepping stone for us,” Norris said. “We are not setting limits, but setting goals where state is the ultimate goal for us to become champions.”

On the girls side girls of the pool, junior Holly Schuster is working to step out from her sister Hannah’s shadow and establish herself as a strong swimmer.

Now that Holly is the lone Schuster on the swim squad, she is putting it up to herself to prove her worth.

“People always have compared me to my sister,” Schuster said. “It was great swimming with her, but I’m ready to step out and show everyone what I can do.”

Coach Bryan Trippeer thinks that Schuster has what it takes to be a better swimmer than her sister.

“Both Schuster’s have incredible work ethics. They’re two of the more reliable swimmers I’ve ever coached. Holly has such great potential; sometimes we wonder if we’re pushing her hard enough in practice,” Trippeer said.

Last season Schuster made it down to Indianapolis to compete in the state meet. She helped the relay team of sophomore Aly Tetzloff, junior Rachel Bukowski and recently graduated Hannah Raspopovich to

a fourth place finish in the 200 medley. Schuster’s clocked a 26.19 second split to contribute to an overall time of 1:46.65. Schuster also placed 14th in the 200 IM with a time of 2:09.20. Schuster, however, was not pleased with her performance.

“I definitely could have done better. I don’t think we practiced as hard as we could have,” Schuster said.

This year, Schuster’s main goal is to improve on last season’s performance and place even higher at state.

“The talent is definitely there for (Schuster) to do very well. We thought she was disappointed with how she did last year, but this season looks to be her year,” Trippeer said.

The Lady’ Dogs have been dominating most of the teams they play, with big recent wins over Rensselaer and Merrillville. While they have not had any trouble with most of their opponents, the girls have not found a way to top Chesterton or Munster.

“We’ve done a good job against most opponents this year,” Trippeer said. “Munster and Chesterton give us trouble every year. Both were better than us on paper, but we swam up to them and I’m proud of how the girls did. We’ve got some challenges ahead, but we’re going to have a great year.”

Age: 17

Age: 16

Height: 6’2’’

Height: 5’8’’

Grade: Senior

Grade: Junior

Goals: Place in the top at state Biggest Accomplishment: Making state three straight years

Goals: Improve on last year’s state run Biggest Accomplishment: Placing first in state her eighth grade year

HollySchuster

14 sports

inklings 12/21/12

PHOTO BY AMY SCHUCH The student section cheers on the boys basketball squad in a game against LaPorte. “Our student body is incredible,” head coach Clint Swan said. “The atmosphere at our home games are just great.”

HOOP! There it is

Boys basketball looks to keep improving over remaining schedule BY kara biernat

asst. sports editor

Along with improvement comes success. As the boys basketball team reaches the midst of their season, they strive to improve from here on out.

Starting out the season 2-4, the team’s main focus is to improve and take something out of each game.

The ‘Dogs hosted the Michigan City Wolves last Friday and fought till the end of what ended up being a close game.

Starting off the game strong, the Bulldogs took a quick 13-10 lead by the end of the first quarter, with senior Tom Bardeson contributing 11 of the ‘Dogs points in that quarter. Heading into the second half, the Bulldogs led the Wolves by two.

A heated second half saw several lead changes until Michigan City knocked in

PHOTO BY AMY SCHUCH Senior Braxton Rice goes up for a dunk against the Slicers, ending in a 52-49 Bulldog victory.

back-to-back three pointers to solidify the 46-45 Wolve victory.

“We weren’t hitting the basket and it’s hard to win when you have that problem,” head coach Clint Swan said. “It came down to the stretch and was just a matter of execution at that point.”

The boys are working to become closer on the court for the future games.

“We need to talk more on the floor and all be on the same page,” senior Zach Plesac said.

Plesac finished with five points, eight rebounds and four assists against the Wolves.

With four seniors on the team this year, leadership plays a big role in their performance. Plesac believes each team member should contribute to team leadership.

“The perfect example is by leading by example,” Plesac said. “It’s just being a good example by hustling on and off the court and staying focused.”

Good leadership contributes to the goal of improvement, but there are many aspects of improvement to work on.

“We need to get better on the glass and get better offense efficiency. We need better shot selection and we need to limit turnovers,” Swan said.

The ‘Dogs travelled to Griffith Tuesday to test out their improvement against the Panthers.

The ‘Dogs again took an early lead of 11-0 in the first quarter, and never looked back. Sophomore Nick Jeffirs had the team high with 21 points, along with junior Bret Barclay having a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

The team walked away with a 75-44 victory over the Panthers.

The ‘Dogs will host Merrillville tonight. They are going into the game looking to improve on what they struggled with in their past games.

Hoping to play a 5-on-5 game, there are many fixes Swan would like to critique to keep up with the Pirate’s offense.

“We can’t let them run the court on us, we need to limit turnovers and stop their fast break,” Swan said. “Then it comes down to shot selection, we need to take care of it all.”

Young girls basketball squad prepares for second half of season

BY ALExis Berdine

reporter

Young teams often struggle to acquire the chemistry and experience demanded to win. With a record of 3-7, the girls basketball team has a lot to prove.

The Lady ‘Dogs put the struggle on hold as they traveled to Valparaiso last week.

The Vikings were no challenge for the girls, who took the game 62-43, demonstrating how much a little experience can improve a team.

“Our biggest challenge is our youth and inexperience. The more games we play the more experience we get. We are taking it one step at a time,” head coach Annie Equihua said.

The seniors have been stepping up this season leading this young team and establishing the team chemistry necessary to succeed.

“I can always count on my teammates to be there for me, especially my seniors. Taylor (Equihua) and Sarah (Rivich) have transformed our team into a family,” sophomore Ashley Cunningham said.

Freshmen Miranda Elish and Hannah Albrecht are the newest additions to the team. They have been working to prove they are deserving of a spot in the starting rotation.

“As a freshman you’re looked at as an underdog but I’m always pushing myself to improve,” Elish said.

It takes more than skill to be part of the ‘Dogs program. The girls need to be good teammates, students and community members as well, according to Equihua.

She looks for these traits in her athletes and believes that they will allow them to overcome the disadvantages lack of experience will throw at them.

“I’d rather have kids that want to learn and are good people than have athletes that are terrible teammates and think they don’t have to follow rules. The girls we have are on the team because they do what is expected of them. I wouldn’t trade them for any other athletes,” Equihua said.

The team aspires to be successful enough to make it to the sectional final.

Last year they brought home the title and

PHOTO BY AMY SCHUCH Sophomore Katie Howarth puts up a shot against Lake Centeral. The ‘Dogs lost 46-35.

hope to continue the streak.

“Our goal is to get to the championship game in sectionals. We achieved it last year and are hoping to do so again.

It is a different team this year, being so young and inexperienced but it is not out of reach,” Equihua said.

Most recently, the girls travelled to Hobart. Although they stepped up in the second half, the girls fell to Hobart 47-33. Junior Abby Kavachkoff led the ‘Dogs scoring with 8 points and added 4 rebounds in the effort.

The ‘Dogs host Merrillville tonight, hoping to gain experience and a chance to redeem themselves from last year’s loss of 63-55.

“Even though we are young and rebuilding, we still can make it into the sectional championship game. Coach Equihua is giving us the tools to succeed.

We’re prepared for Merrillville tonight.

Every game is a chance to gain experience,” sophomore Katie Howarth said.

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inklings 12/21/12

My view from the Student Section

BY SAM BEISHUIZEN

editor-in-chief

Football’s true Coach of the Year

More than strength

Penn State head coach Bill O’Brien should have been NCAA Coach of the Year.

He did what nobody thought he could, something much more daunting than beating an SEC team. He made you forget that Penn State was a crime scene.

He was faced with unprecedented obstacles.

He lost twelve of his players before even blowing a whistle who had all jumped ship the second the bowl games were taken away. The fans had instant distaste for him because his name wasn’t Joe Paterno, and at the start of the year, most students could not even recognize him if he had taken a seat across from them in Chemistry 202. O’Brien changed that quickly.

He started from ground zero. He put the names on the back of the jerseys and installed a new system. He might as well have told the mascot to go home too.

If what a coach has done with his team’s expectations and talent level is what really matters, then how could anyone argue against O’Brien?

Penn State had no expectations. The fact that they even had enough talented players stick around to fill out a team was surprising enough.

He motivated his players to a championship level when they had no trophies to play for.

O’Brien led the Lions to an 8-4 record, but each win helped heal a team, a school and a community.

O’Brien may not have a shining resume. He may not be the smartest head coach in the NCAA and maybe Brian Kelly’s undefeated season is more worthy. But O’Brien did something that didn’t seem possible; he brought the happiness back to Happy Valley.

PHOTO BY BRITTANY PEDERSON

Wrestling at a meet, senior Dustin Schurg faces his opponent from Merrillville. The Bulldogs look to continue their recent success as they face Merrillville and Portage the week after break.

Wrestling looks to keep making history

BY ALAA ABDELDAIEM

reporter

Heart, mental toughness and effort—three of the most important qualities head coach Scott Vlink looks for in members of the CPHS wrestling team. Such qualities are what keep the team motivated as the season goes on, and such are the qualities this year’s team has shown.

The wrestling team’s history at Crown Point is highlighted with several state recognitions. The past has constantly put pressure on teams in the future, pressure that Vlink believes this year’s team has handled well.

“We have established some high expectations for our kids and for our program,” Vlink said.

“We expect a lot out of them, but they always step up and respond.”

BY ALEXA GRADY

sports editor

With dedication comes hard work and with hard work can come reward. The girls gymnastics team showed that their hard work was not for nothing when they took first place overall in the LaPorte Pairs invitational this past Saturday.

“For the whole week prior to the meet, we focused on the two events that we were competing in, so we would be ready to preform to the best of our ability,” junior

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representing their school and team. Despite these changes, the Bulldogs’ goal still remains the same.

“Once we get to the sectional, our goal is to get as many individuals as we can to the individual state championship,” Vlink said. “In the past, we wanted all 14 to survive during the last week of the season.”

Regardless of the outcome of next week’s meets and the overall season, Vlink is proud of what his team has accomplished, and as long as they keep their high level of motivation, Vlink believes the Bulldogs can overcome any obstacle that may arise.

“I’m always really proud of their efforts,” Vlink said. “If the guys never quit, always stay in there and have heart and desire, things can be fixed really easily.”

Natalie Groff said.

In addition to winning first place, senior Megan Supan and freshman Hannah Best brought home third place by participating in the pairs division.

“I got second on floor in the whole meet and Hannah placed second on bars which resulted in the both of us taking third place,” Supan said.

The girls were a head of the game when their head coach Ami Pysh decided to prepare the girls for the new adjustments that were put into effect for this year.

“There are more connections of jumps on floor which makes it harder for all of the teams to get all their points,” Supan said.

The Lady Bulldogs were ready for the new requirements before all of the oposing teams which helped them take the title of first place.

“Our coach helped us with all of the new requirements needed year this and we knew that a lot of the other teams would not be as prepared as we were. That definitely gave us an edge on the competition.” Supan said.

Along with being previously prepared, the girls carry much strength this season including their consistency.

“We have been really concistent with our routines in practice, which carried over into the meet. We made very few mistakes while we were competeing, and our scores reflected how well we performed,” Groff said. The team will prepare over break for the upcoming meets.

The girls will travel to Valparaiso over winter breakfor their first DAC meet of the season.

inside NCAA Football

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a lot of drills after practice and do everything we can to the best of our ability.”

Practicing hard is something the boys must continue to demonstrate in the upcoming weeks as they prepare for two critical meets against Merrillville and Portage.

“We have a critical week coming up after Christmas where we wrestle against Merrillville and Portage, which is important for our immediate goal which is to win the DAC,” Vlink said. “If we beat both of those teams, we have a real leg up on our opposition to be the DAC champs for the seventh year in the row.”

Unlike previous years, the state champion will not be determined by all members of the team. Wrestlers will compete in individual championships,

Girls gymnastics prepares prior to first DAC meet

Who will win the NCAA National Championship?

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With a record of 11-1, much of the boys’ recent success has come from a demonstration of determination and leadership.

Senior Dustin Schurg has taken on a leadership role, emphasizing the importance of always practicing hard to reach the teams’ goals.

“Practice hard and do not let a day escape you,” Schurg said.

“Sometimes that’s all you can really do—practice hard every day and just work to achieve your goals.”

Schurg is not the only one determined to give it his all.

Senior Patrick McLaren knows that his team’s success depends on the efforts of all of the individuals.

“We always want to help our team to do the best they can,” McLaren said. “We just try to do

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out of 140 students polled

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With the regular season having been completed, NCAA football is primed to start bowl season. Most proniment among the bowls is the National Championship game. The two teams ranked highest at the end of the year, Notre Dame and Alabama, will play for the title in Miami on Jan. 7.

After Notre Dame defeated USC in their long-standing rivalry, the Irish finished their season going undefeated 12-0.

They are ranked number one, and have been consistent with their wins all season. Heismen candidate Manti Te’o has kept the defense heated throughout the year.

The Alabama Crimson Tide finished their season with one loss due to an upset from Texas A&M. Going 12-1, the Tide has been lead by Eddie Lacy, who has racked up 1182 yards on the ground this year on top of 16 touchdowns.

Alex says “The SEC practically breeds championship winners. Alabama’s run game is just way too strong for the Irish to stop. The Crimson Tide will come out on top in this one, 2414.

Kara says “Alabama is going to be a challenge for the Notre Dame defense. With their vertical running game, the Irish are going to have a lot on their plate. Alabama wins, 20-7. ”

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take

Family presents holiday donation

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French teacher gives back to third world family in need PAIGE BUELOW

Kristen Cunanan

reporter

As the season of giving begins to approach the minds of many, questions can arise as to what the Christmas season is all about. For French teacher Amy Berchem it is much more than candy canes and reindeer.

Working through a company called Compassion International, Berchem and her husband have been sponsoring Ntibeshya Sivani, a boy in Africa, since June.

Sponsoring him was a natural fit because Berchem was born in Zambia, Africa. Her parents were missionaries who encouraged her to spend her time caring for others just as they had done.

“From a young age, both of my parents knew that they wanted to help people overseas, working and living, in Africa was there way of doing this,” Berchem said.

Inspired by the spirit of her parents Berchem remembered how she was raised, so when the opportunity to help someone from the very place she grew up came knocking, she answered.

“I am aware of the needs and poverty of Africa, so naturally I wanted to sponsor someone from that continent,” Berchem said.

Taking residence in Rwanda, Africa, an eight-year-old boy named Ntibeshya Sivani is provided with school supplies, doctors’ visits and an occasional toy, all because of Berchem and Compassion International.

Striving to go above and beyond for the boy, who also has five siblings, Berchem developed a goal.

Pet Peeve My biggest pet peeve is definitely people that chew with their mouths open.

Bookworm Photo by aMY ScHUCH

Putting money in a glass jar, French teacher Amy Berchem contributes to the effort to send a monetary gift to Ntibeshya Sivani, a boy in Africa.

Berchem, who partnered with the French Club, came up with the goal to raise money so that she could send an additional gift to Ntibeshya. This gift could be anything from toys to food or even livestock. The added benefit of this system is that while the monthly support that Berchem and her husband send is used for Ntibeshya, the Christmas bonus can be shared with his family.

“The Sivani family works each day collecting firewood and selling it at their market, through this they can earn about $18 each month,” Berchem said. “We raised $492 which was more than our goal we hoped to have raised.”

However, Berchem knows that the organization that she is working through must take caution to avoid overwhelming Ntibeshya and his family with the sudden surplus of money.

PHOTO cOURTESY OF AMY BERCHEM

African boy, Ntibeshya Sivani, receives donations from Berchem.

“For us to send all this money over at once and just tell them to do with it as they please is comparable to someone in America winning the lottery” said Berchem.

In order to make sure that the

Sivani family does not waste the surge of money on impulsive purchases, the Compassion International works as a bank that holds onto the money and allows the family to use it for items that are specified beforehand. Such specifications vary, but they say that the money should be used for farm animals, such as cattle and goats, or for food to eat.

Through fundraising, the money was not only raised, but lead to a more broad perspective of the holiday season.

“One of the most rewarding things about sponsoring another child is that you are exposed to a whole new culture and way of living,” Berchem said. “You begin to grasp a concept much more important than what is going on here; you learn to truly appreciate what you have and the life you live.”

One of my hobbies is reading. When you read a book you can escape reality.

Directioner My favorite band is One Direction. I find their music really catchy and just cute.

Break up Losing a friend is tough because you can’t really do anything about it.

Giving Back Key Club and Student Council are great clubs.

I joined them because I want to help others.

If the Mayans were right, I would...

Mark Fisher junior

Yousf Elayyan freshman

...hang out with my family

...go to a party

Shelby Winters sophomore

...live if it was like any other day

...spend time with my brother

Mackenzie Gray senior