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Crown Point High School @InklingsCPHS Feb. 29. 2016 Vol. 80 Issue 6

S Read about the gymnastics team’s record breaking season on page 12.

C COUITIZENSH COUR AGE CARE RAGE IP

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Exploring meaning of college and career readiness

BY MAISA NOUR LAUREN MASSOW editor-at-large copy editor

Career

Trade

College

Armed Forces

It happens at every holiday dinner and family gathering -- the age old question, “What are you going to do after high school?” Crown Point High School aspires to prepare its students to be able to handle life in a post high school environment. With the college and career readiness program already intact, there is a broad spectrum of opinions regarding what “readiness” actually means.

For career advisor Johanna Hess, encouraging students to strive for college post high school is a leading goal. Counselors, teachers and advisors mentor students to achieve their desired career path whether it involves post secondary schooling or not.

“I think academically we do a really fantastic job. Our teachers really do a fantastic job of preparing our students for college level work. I think our counselors do an outstanding job of supporting our students and guiding them into taking the right course work to get to where they want to go,” Hess said.

Senior Maddy Canfield believes that the high school has not properly prepared her for what lies ahead.

“I do not feel I am college and career ready, even at this point in high school. I feel that we are taught more about why we should go to college and its benefits but not taught how to apply, get scholarships or really how to get the full benefit of college,” Canfield said. “I also feel that students graduating would be better prepared for career decisions if there were more broad choices

of elective classes.”

However, senior Ryan Bonaparte sees it differently. The Summa Cum Laude student stresses that the experiences he has endured and is enduring has better prepared him for what his post-secondary plans include.

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College students at each of the institutions I have worked for are expected to possess an intense level of maturity. Be on time, do your work and turn it in on time, be respectful.”

Daniel Hadary English Teacher “I feel like they’ve given me some rigorus courses in order to prepare for the advanded styles of college classes,” Bonaparte said. “For example, I’m in six Advanced Placement classes right now. Those classes are obviously college readiness courses. On top of that, we have the dual credit, which gives you lab hours.”

While the intentions of college and career readiness can be slightly hazy to some, the program doesn’t just focus on college but rather preparing students for whatever they choose to do after high school.

“When students come down and tell me that they don’t know what they want to

Feature

News A new “eggsperiment” Psychology students parent baby eggs for grade

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Lovin’ Loving Community joins to support teacher in cancer battle

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do, we start considering the different career paths that they are thinking about and what kind of credentials you would have to have to go down that career path,” Hess said. “I think what’s most important is that students, especially younger ones, need to start the conversation about their futures earlier rather than later. Let’s talk about that plan early and focus on what you need to do to get to where you need to be later on in life.”

According to guidance counselor Lauren Sandor, requirements for college have changed over the years as well. Professors expect students to have some background of what an advanced course looks like in order to be able to handle the rigor of a college level class.

“I think college professors look for students who take the most rigorous classes that they can. I would say taking classes that would help pertain to your career and making sure that they meet the minimum requirements (so that) you aren’t just slacking off in senior year,” Sandor said.

English teacher and part time college professor Daniel Hadary believes that students beyond the high school level possess certain attitudes that factor into their college and career readiness.

“College students at each of the institutions I have worked for are expected to possess an intense level of maturity. Colleges have higher expectations set upon their students,” Hadary said. “Be on time, do your work and turn it in on time, be respectful.”

Physical therapist and Nour Rehabilitation Center owner Mostafa Nour believes becoming academically successful is crucial to finding a career, but being “people smart” is vital to surviving modern day business.

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Inklings picks Oscars Staff creates its own picks for the Academy Awards page

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news february 29 , 2016

intheknow

Riley’s Dance Marathon registration to open

The annual Riley’s Dance Marathon will be hosted by Student Council on April 8, 2016 from 4-9 p.m. in the field house. In order to attend, students must register during their lunch period. The cost is $15 and includes admission to the event as well as a t-shirt. Student Council representatives will be collecting donations; all the proceeds collected will go towards Riley’s Chrildren’s Hospital. See Mrs. Fano in room C114 for additional information.

Changes in store for upcoming prom in April

Prom’s theme this year is titled “Meet Me in Paris” and is a dinner dance on April 23. Tickets will be sold online starting the week of March 14. There will be a link on the school website to lead students to the online ticket site. There is no extra charge to buy tickets online and the site will accept credit cards and checks. Tickets will be $70 each.

Upperclassmen will use their student ID numbers to purchase tickets. If they are bringing a sophomore or outside guest they will fill out the necessary forms and bring them to Ginny Zega in D138. They will then be issued an ID number to use to purchase their guest’s ticket. Tickets will be printed by the student and scanned at the door of the dance.

The doors for Grand March will open at 4 p.m. Pictures will be in the field house.

College fair coming to Valparaiso University

Representatives from 100 different colleges will be available at the Valparaiso Regional Spring College fair next month.

Students may attend this event on March 9th at Valparaiso University in the Harre Union Ballroom from 6:30-8:00 p.m. to talk about future college and career goals.

Admission to the fair is free.

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Cast and crew prepare for spring musical

BY JACKIE HAM feature editor

Performers are dashing from stage right to stage left. The smell of hairspray hovers in the air. Actors rehearse their lines and dancers memorize their steps.

With the upcoming spring season creeping around the corner, it is time for the thespians to showcase their talent once again with the annual spring musical.

Musicals like Bye Bye Birdie and Once Upon a Mattress have taken the stage in the past, but this year the theatre department is performing the award winning musical, Oklahoma!

Theater director Kit Degenhart is not worried about how the performers will do because his cast has experienced the pressures of performing a popular play before.

“We typically perform popular shows, and Oklahoma! is at the top of the popular musicals,” Degenhart said.

Oklahoma! is set in the early 1900s and consists of two different love stories.

One romance is between a cowboy Curly McLain and farm girl Laurey Williams; the other between cowboy Will Parker and his flirty love interest Ado Annie.

Senior Artie Equihua stars as Curly McLain and is prepared for people to see what the cast and crew has in store for their audience.

“People can expect to see a lot of cowboy boots and a hot cowboy named Curly McClain,” Equihua said. “The show has everything that people look for which is funny scenes, a good plot and dare I say it...kissing.”

The musical contains more than just the entertainers on stage. Costume designers, makeup artists and set makers are all involved in the production. Junior Emma Smith is Crew Chief of Light and Sound and helps give reality to the scenes.

PHOTO BY JILL KIDDER

Cast members rehearse their choreography routine for the upcoming musical Oklahoma!.

Performances will be on March 11, 12, 17, 18 and 19 at 7p.m. and March 13 at 2 p.m.

“I run the light board which controls every light change that you see. I control the difference between day and night or the effects of storms,” Smith said.

Songs are one of the main elements required in a musical and junior Emily Neu is a part of making the music happen.

“The pit provides all of the music for the show,” said Neu. “I like being a part of the pit because you get to spend time with your friends and you help to create an amazing show.”

The cast and crew rehearse four to six days a week trying to perfect the show while balancing the life of a normal high school student. Freshman Riley Miller, who stars as Ado Annie, knows the struggles of being a part of the musical.

“Let’s just say that preparing for the musical isn’t always sunshine and rainbows,” Miller said. “Some days it does get very stressful worrying about your lines and choreography, but in the end all of those worries vanish because you know that it’ll turn out to be great.”

The cast and crew encourage students to come and see Oklahoma! in its entirety on March 11, 12, 17, 18 and 19 at 7 p.m. and March 13 at 2 p.m.

“I think students should come see the musical because a lot of hard work goes into it,” Smith said. “It is a good time and different from watching a sports game.

Students can see people that they see in the hallways become a different person on stage.”

Work based learning changes help pin down career path

BY SAM BARLOGA online editor

As the school year winds down, the state of Indiana is planning to carry out some changes to the half-day program, including requiring new students in the program to take the Work-Based Learning course.

Assistant principal Robert McDermott says the changes will help the average student in the program prepare for the real world and help them find a job

that suits their career goals. The internship program is beneficial to students who want to go down a specific career path.

“What we are trying to do and what the state is trying to do is have the students work experience be part of what their ultimate career pathway is,” McDermott said. “We do that very easily with our internship program. In the internship program students tell us, ‘Hey, I want to be a lawyer’ or ‘I want to be a veterinarian’ and we assist them in finding intern-

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ship placement, and that directly relates to what they want to do.”

Previously, the course was not required, but the school has mandated the class for those going into the program.

“Students that are enrolling in the program have to take the preparing for college and career course prior to enrollment in the half day program,” McDermott said. “That is a course we have always offered here at the high school, and if students have not had that course already, then they

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will need to take the course in summer school and online.”

The change is coming from the statewide level to help students be more involved in an internship that helps them toward their future career goal. In the past, the high school did offer the course, but students were able to opt-out of it and continue in the half-day program anyway. This time around, if students want to be in the half day program going forward, they’ll need to find time to take the course.

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Daylight Savings Time Set your clock forward an hour!

Midterms will begin on March 22 and conclude on the 24.

St. Patrick’s Day

There will be no school March 25. On March 28, spring break starts. School will resume April 4.

“The reason being is that is a change in a state requirement,” McDermott said. “It is now a required prerequisite, and it used to be an encourage prerequisite.

In the past, they wanted students to take the course, but now they are requiring students to take the course.”

The change comes into effect for the 2016-17 school year, and more information on the changes, one can contact McDermott in the Guidance Office, or Ginny Zega in room D138.

countdown until Spring Break

18 school days countdown until last day of school

60 school days

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news february 29, 2016

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From over easy to over protective

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AP Psychology students experience parenthood through experiment

BY BECCA BURKE advertising editor

news

Northwest Indiana residents are buying water to donate to residents of Flint, MI in light of the water emergency. Many local markets are offering water at discount prices encouraging customers to donate and transport water.

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I think it’s great because it’s having citizens come forward and help other people. It shows hospitality.

over the last few years. College no longer means a four year traditional bachelor’s degree, it means earning any post secondary credential so that could be a certificate or a license, a four year degree or a two year degree,” Hess said. “College is not 100 percent for everyone, and that’s okay as long as the student has a plan in place post high school for their career trajectory.”

If not already discussed, Hess suggests that students find a means to talk about their future plans so they are able to get the career they aspire to have rather than just settling.

“Students need to realize that the days of just getting a job straight out of high school with a high school diploma are slowly fading away. So you do need to have something post high school. If your plan is not a four year college diploma then let’s talk about what your plan is and put things in motion so you can achieve your goals,” Hess said.

Emily Kamleiter Freshman

State

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views on

your egg won’t stop crying what do you do?’” Kelly said.

“So you had to write about what you did and how your parenting style helped with it.”

Parenting styles, chosen from a list offered as a resource for the project, varied according to personal preference and allowed the students to apply various parenting psychologies and strategies to better understand and reflect on the behavioral development of their eggs.

“I picked the authoritative parenting style because it’s demanding, it’s responsive, it explains reasonings and it allows the child input,” said Kelly.

In addition to the essay, students had other requirements more so geared toward the protection and handling of their eggs.

“They had to bring (their egg carrier) to class every day, make sure their egg was in good condition and always

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Having some type of college degree shows employers that you are capable of hard work and have expanded your knowledge post high school,” Nour said. “While of course a college degree isn’t necessary for every job in the world, it is for most. The few jobs that don’t require college degrees are slowing fading and filling up, so my advice to all students is to get that college degree as an insurance for your future.”

Becoming college and career ready can be defined by multiple people in multiple ways, but Hess warns students about how every little thing can cause a ripple effect into their future plans.

“Students who are not taking it as seriously as they should be...need to recognize that the decisions they make now do impact their future,” Hess said. “We don’t want you to get to your senior year and not be able to pursue your dreams because of something you made a choice to do in your freshman or sophomore year.”

Student reaction to events in our world

State Republican Senate leaders met privately Feb. 2 to decide the fate of a proposed bill that would make discriminating against LGBT hoosiers illegal.

This is in the wake of the backlash from RFRA, passed during the 2015 session.

You shouldn’t be able to discriminate but if it causes someone to violate their religious beliefs, that is an issue.

Hadary explains that students enrolled in college need to be engrossed in their work at school.

“College students need to be dedicated.

The students I have taught at the college level are intrigued by lectures (not bored by them.) They ask questions and engage in subject matter. They find a way to make everything digestible. If students struggle with material(s), they have to be proactive,” Hadary said. “I am used to being approached at all hours by my college students via email because of some sort of confusion.

The work is hard and the expectations are high, but the deadlines and due dates do not shift. If the student is struggling, they need to do what they need to do to figure it out ahead of time.”

Nour believes that with the constantly evolving world of business, not getting a college degree will cause students to go unnoticed by future employers.

“It’s what every employer wants to see.

Trevor Fahey

Sophomore

The U.S. unemployment rate fell below five percent for the first time since 2008, in January. The US economy added over 151,000 jobs in order to pass the threshold.

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It’s bad because when people are not working, the economy is going to fall because less people are making Gavin Stuckey money.

Sophomore

World

college continued from p.1 “College is always something that looks good on your resume that you should definitely strive to have, but it isn’t the only thing business owners look for,” Nour said.

“Business isn’t all just about numbers and being book smart, but rather it’s about the relationships you create with the people around you. When it comes to hiring people to work for me, it’s true that I look for some college degree or some credentials, but I also notice how they interview. How they talk, sit and carry themselves is huge advantage when it comes to maybe choosing between someone who is an average student but is very social, compared to someone who is academically superb but socially awkward.”

Hess presumes that preparing students for their future has evolved past the stereotype of having to complete the traditional four-year college but rather finding a path to success to meet your standards and needs.

“It (college readiness) has expanded

PHOTO BY JIILL KIDDER

Students create carriers for their eggs in hopes to protect the egg and their grades.

Nation

For many the thought of taking AP Psychology conjures up images of studying various parts of the brain and analyzing the thought processes of serial killers. However, thanks to a project being introduced this year, students now have the opportunity to have a hands-on approach to the science behind the development of the brain and the behavioral traits that come with it.

“The project is geared toward the social, cognitive and moral development and the different ways that those things change over time,” AP Psychology teacher Josh Graegin said.

The assignment is simple enough. The students receive an egg, keep it for a week as it “develops” and write a paper about it. However, there is just one catch. These eggs are the food equivalent of children.

“We’re seeing what it’s like to have to carry something around all the time and take care of it,” junior Stacy Kelly said.

Students had to accumulate research from famous psychologists and use their methods in relation to the development of the brain and use that research in an narrative essay.

“We had to look them up and describe which one we’re gonna use to deal with the problems. For the first day I used Erikson ‘Trust vs. Mistrust’ to take care of my egg so it has a trusting relationship,” Kelly said. “Each night we had to write a paragraph about the struggles we went throughout the day.

Paragraph prompts include questions and situations revolving around various psychological and behavioral problems associated with any given stage in the egg’s development.

“On the first day, it was something like ‘What if

taken care of by a responsible caretaker,” Graegin said.

Some students, such as senior Julian Castillo, took these requirements very seriously, even when faced with the necessity of going to work.

“If we couldn’t have it with us, we were supposed to find an egg-sitter,” Castillo said. “I couldn’t, so I took mine everywhere.”

Prior to starting their parenting, all students were required to give names and faces to their eggs, including personal features such as glasses and freckles.

“My egg’s name is Stacy, and I just gave her a little face and little eyebrows and a nose,” Kelly said. “But I chose not to give her [a personality]. It is an egg after all.”

While most students opted for the single egg experience, Castillo took his egg parenting to the next level and carried not one but two eggs with him.

“You only had to do one, but my dad made two eggs, so I just took the two eggs. I named them Pablo and Young Jeffe,” Castillo said. “I put faces on both of them then in class someone drew glasses on one and a mustache on the other one so the one was a nerd.”

Just like any actual baby, the eggs required special and constant attention. Although there weren’t any dirty diapers to contend with, students had to make sure their eggs were cleaned and not cracked or damaged. Kelly made the best of the situation by keeping a steady supply of fresh eggs.

“I just boiled a bunch of eggs on that first Sunday and each day I took a new one so it wasn’t all gross from not being refrigerated all day,” Kelly said.

This experience was interesting for students who participated. The completion of the project gave them a different perspective on parenting.

“I think it’s interesting,” Kelly said. “It definitely kind of opens your eyes to what it’s actually like to be a parent and have to deal with this stuff.”

An 11-year-old Afghan Wasil Ahmad who lead security forces into battle against taliban was killed by the militant group early in February. Wasil Ahmad had commanded a police unit for 43 days.

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An 11-year-old should be leading an armed unit, he’s way too young, they shouldn’t be relying on an 11-year-old boy. Selena Amdrade Senior

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opinion february 29, 2016

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Twitter, social media not school’s concern

BY KATIE PAWLOWSKI editor-at-large

Twitter is defined as a social media outlet for people to freely express what they feel and think.

It’s a place where they can find funny videos and start trends about a boy named Daniel.

This freedom to say what’s on one’s mind is what makes a social media site so desirable, and when schools interfere and punish certain tweets, it ruins the original purpose of the site.

Last January well-respected, smart, student-athlete April Gehl was suspended for five games of her basketball season because of a tweet. Gehl tweeted her feelings about an e-mail she received from the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association about the sportsmanship that is allowed at games.

The e-mail talked about the “increase in the amount of chants by student sections directed at opponents and/or opponents’ supporters that are clearly intended to taunt or disrespect,” and how “any action directed at opposing teams or their spectators with the intent to taunt, disrespect, distract or entice an unsporting behavior in response is not acceptable sportsmanship.”

In response, Gehl tweeted a screenshot of the e-mail along with some explicit language directed at WIAA, and once it was brought to the school’s attention, she suffered the consequences.

Though she did use explicit language, Gehl’s suspension was over the top and unnecessary. The school shouldn’t have had the power to determine whether Gehl’s tweets are acceptable or not in the first place. Voicing an opinion on chants at a high school game shouldn’t be punished and discouraged for any other students who may feel the same way as Gehl.

Besides this situation specifically, social media is always going to contain mixed reactions.

Any topic from Taylor Swift to the presidential election is going to have negative and positive reactions that just come with the discussion. Schools can’t control every tweet that may put them in a bad light, and they shouldn’t be able to because it doesn’t fall under their jurisdiction.

This is not just restricted to Twitter. Social media is powered by the public not the school corporation. What students do on social media should not be the schools’ biggest concern.

advantage of extracurriculars

High school can be four great years or four awful years. While many things contribute to the experience, a large factor in the quality of a student’s four years is extracurricular involvement. Taking full advantage of the opportunities the high school provides only benefits students.

A major purpose of high school is for students to try different activities that will help them find or form an identity. By trying different activities, students can get a feel of what they like and dislike.

In return, this discovery of interests might eventually help aid students in finding a pathway post-high school.

Not only that, but extracurriculars allow students to stand out in their college applications. College administrators hunt for a well rounded student who has experienced a lot when it comes to admitting members of their new class.

There is no harm in trying something new. The high school has a club for nearly every topic. There are electives ranging from various art courses to student run media programs and various student-led organizations. If there isn’t a club for a specific area of interest, students can create one. While clubs act as an outlet for students to explore their interests, they also provide an opportunity for students to grow and gain real-world skills like time management and interpersonal communication. For some, these skills cannot be taught in a classroom and can only be acquired by working with their peers.

In addition, strong friendships frequently begin through common interests. A fun way to create a meaningful bond with someone is by exploring shared interests. On the opposite side of the spectrum, a student could bond with a peer over trying a new club and disliking it.

Joining an extracurricular activity presents students with the opportunity to find a new sense of belonging within the school. Pep rallies and sporting events are not for everyone, but taking part in a club can help renew a student’s sense of school pride.

Clubs are fun. They are a way for students to relieve stress by laughing and having a genuinely good time with friends. By creating the perfect balance between educational and entertaining, extracurricular activities allow students to find any and all their interests.

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editor-in-chief Natalie Brigham editors-at-large Maisa Nour L I N G S Katie Pawlowski Crown Point High School, IN Chris Rekitzke Inklings is a student publication created by the newspaper and advanced online editor journalism students and distributed monthly to students, faculty and staff of Sam Barloga Crown Point High School. Opinions do not necessarily reflect those of CPHS faculty, staff or administration. copy editor Letters-to-the-editor are welcomed provided they are signed and submitted Lauren Massow one week prior to publication and do not contain personal attacks. Inklings opinion editor reserves the right to edit for space, clarity and legal and ethical concerns.

Hannah Bauner Advertising is subject to applicable rates available by contacting Inklings. arts & Inklings has been recognized as an Indiana High School Press Associaentertainment tion Hoosier Star, National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker, Columbia Scholastic Press Association Silver Crown, and Quill and Scroll George H. Gallup editor publication.

Maria Leontaras

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Hazim Chughtai freshman

“To be college ready means that you’re prepared for the final stage of your school life. You’re ready to go off into the world on your own.”

iew: Students should take

Vol. 80 Issue 5 February 29, 2016 1500 S. Main St. Crown Point, IN 46307 219-663-4885 ex. 11349 fax 219-662-5663 inklings@cps.k12.in.us online: crownpoint.highschoolmedia.org

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What does it mean to be college ready?

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I should join the soccer team.

It would be fun, and it could help me make new friends.

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Victoria Gjikoski sophomore

“Being college ready is knowing what you want to do for your future.”

Luke Adams junior

“To be college ready is to be able to pick a college that would be best fit for what you want to do for your future.”

Angie Swanson senior

“It means to have plans for your future and know what you want to do with the rest of your life.”

sports editor Dylan Wallace assistant sports editors Tommy Frame Dominic Tomich feature editor Jackie Ham design editor Grace Cleland chief photographers Jill Kidder Ally Rekitzke art director Abby Sobek

artist Destiny Kogler advertising editors Becca Burke Audrey Gacsy staff Yousef Abdeldaiem Tiffany Curtis Jeremy DeBold Branden Dwyer Andrew Gianfermi Matt McConnell Alexia Wojciechowski adviser Julie Elston

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opinion february 29, 2016

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Should freshmen be in AP classes?

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Humanities important in education

Man, if I could take A.P. classes, I could excel in my academics.

BY NATALIE BRIGHAM editor-in-chief

CARTOON BY ABBY SOBEK

Pro:

Con:

Not allowing freshmen to take AP classes holds back students

Freshmen are not prepared for the stress, work necessary for AP classes

reporter

reporter

When fishermen cast their nets into a school of fish, they will catch most of the floundering, desperate mass. However a few lucky ones will burst through the twisted metal that spells their doom. A morbid metaphor but one we need to consider nonetheless. Like the fish to the net, many freshmen are able to break the restrictions that would normally slow their academic progression. We cannot judge an entire group based on assumptions we have about them.

The main argument is that freshmen are not mature, or capable of having these challenging classes in their schedule. Not every person is the same, and with that many freshmen are far more able than many of their peers. They have been toiling away, arched backs and cramped hands all sculpting a beautiful future for themselves. If we deny people who show exemplary skill simply because of their age we are guilty of prejudice and inherently we limit those who can accomplish so much, if only they had the proper tools.

Not only this but as freshmen see their peers succeed they may be encouraged to take AP courses themselves. With how “college-ready” Crown Point High School tries to make its students, it would benefit the school to allow these students to enter high level classes. Once freshmen are exposed to select AP courses and get their first AP test jitters out of the way, they will perform better in the future.

Most of the time students are barely able to prepare themselves in time for these test because junior year is when they are first exposed to it. If freshmen can take some, maybe no more than two or three AP classes and then allowing further options open as they progress, they will be more able to handle work that they are used to. This will also reduce student anxiety, as opposed to the massive build up of difficult classes in the last two years, college preparation can take place over a long period of time.

It’s a school’s duty to educate and help students perform to the best of their abilities, the first time a child walks through it’s doors.

The average expectations for students are rising. It seems every year students need to learn a little more, meet just one more standard or test just a little higher. These increased expectations push students to take harder classes, and these expectations seem to be pushed on freshmen more than anyone.

In many cases, students are encouraged to take advanced courses by staff at CPHS, and why wouldn’t they? On paper they further students’ educations, help prepare them for college and develop a strong work-ethic. However, it is no secret that many Advanced Placement (AP) courses are challenging and work-intensive. For many students, going from regular high school classes to AP classes is hard enough, but for many incoming freshmen, it is an entirely different world.

AP classes are more than just a few steps up from the traditional middle school classes. They are college level courses, which for a freshman, is a four year leap in education. In addition, freshmen often have a lack of understanding in what an AP course entails and what makes it different from normal classes is that AP courses have intensive workloads with numerous time consuming assignments. It is not uncommon for seniors and juniors who have a greater level of academic maturity to struggle in AP classes. Expecting freshmen with little to no experience in a traditional high school class to be able to keep up is unrealistic.

Unlike most traditional classes, AP courses prepare students for an all-encompassing exam at the end of the year that evaluates a student’s knowledge of the course and determines if a student will have the opportunity to receive college credit. Most freshmen simply are not able to deal with just the stress that accompanies arriving at a new school with more rigorous courses, let alone the stress that comes with an AP class.

Overall, incoming freshmen have a lot to handle already, and it is unrealistic to expect them to learn at a collegiate level, much less pass the course. It is simple, freshmen should not be able to take AP classes for their own well being.

BY ANDREW GIANFERMI

14 Inklings staffers agree Caleb Smoot

senior

7 Inklings staffers agree

Amelia Claus

“Yes, I think freshman should be able to take AP classes. It doesn’t seem right to hold them back.”

Jim Inglehart

BY JEREMY DEBOLD

math

“No, because I think freshman need the experience of taking a regular high school class. Putting them in AP classes is essentially pushing them four years ahead.”

social studies

“Yes, because some AP courses are semester courses, and we stretch them out over the year to adjust students to harder college level classes.”

Shea Dixon

junior

“No, because at that point I feel like they are still too young to think about what they want to do in college.

I was intrigued to see that Taco Bell recently announced that they will be giving away a scholarship. The Live Mas Scholarship is advertised as a monetary award that is, “not based on your grades or how well you play sports” for those interested in pursuing a secondary education.

Unlike the typical scholarship based upon merit, this is a “passion based scholarship program.”

Most modern scholarships are based largely upon ethnicity, gender and academic performance in areas specific to math and science. Corporations and high school administration alike present impressionable students with videos promoting careers in science laboratories so futuristic they could only exist in a realm or galaxy far, far away. This push for students to embrace Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (also called STEM) jobs is so forceful that it is as tangible as a student’s high school diploma.

While these jobs are predicted to be quintessential and abundant, the dramatic movement towards STEM careers has left many students arriving at the conclusion that humanities and similar areas of study are of little to no valuable. Ultimately, though, the humanities are necessary to create a society while technology and science enhance society. We would be lost if it weren’t for the humanities. They help create a fair and balanced society. Studying humanities prevents us from repeating history and defaulting to a world in which technology rules. Studying culture enables future generations to see reoccurring issues with a renewed perspective.

Studying the humanities enables us to see the flaws in society. Only after we identify these imperfections can we improve science. Future generations cannot be taught that it’s okay neglect to understand this world if they aim to better it with science, technology, engineering, and math.

Math and science aren’t for everyone. Schooling is meant to create a better educated, well rounded pupil. Being able to recite, “The mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell” is not growth. It is simple, formulaic memorization.

It’s puzzling to me why students are being guided towards areas that aren’t necessarily right for them. If Taco Bell can see the issue, why don’t those influencing educational policy?

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Behind the screens

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Technology allows students to build skills and create

PHOTOS BY JILL KIDDER

PHOTO PROVIDED

PHOTO PROVIDED

RoboDogs and Computer Aided Drafting students work on their most recent project involving designing and building a competative robot or multitasking crane.

BY JACKIE HAM feature editor

With a swift swipe of the mouse and the vigorous click of the keys, technology is expanding into everyday life situations. Computers are used to create a design or control a product, but the strenuous work of a technological project can go unnoticed because the final result is all that is seen. Working to take an idea and bring it to life is what certain students strive to do, and sometimes it is all done in front of a computer screen.

RoboDogs is a Crown Point High School club that creates robots through many stages of computer designing, programming and mechanics. Junior Moiz Rasheed uses his widespread computer knowledge of programming to contribute to the team.

“Programmers like myself write the instructions, code, of which machines must follow,” Moiz said. “When writing code for the robot we use inputs from the sensors from the robot and inputs from our drivers to decide how the robot should behave.”

Before the actual build commences, the team uses a computer program called Inventor to draw up their ideas on how the robot should look and how all the pieces will work together.

“I find that before I actually start building anything, I like to visualize it first. We do this by creating a 3D model of our robot. It gives us an idea of what the di-

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mensions of every piece will be,” Moiz said.

The robotic process is not all that the team works on, senior and team captain Danielle Pace also runs the club’s main website which she designs herself.

“I learned how to do basic HTML programming in middle school. That’s why I began working on the website and communications side of RoboDogs,” Pace said. “I redesigned our old (RoboDogs) website with a new website builder that allowed me to mix HTML programming, the basic website programming, with preloaded design features to create a more professional looking site for the team.”

Being in tune with technology since freshman year, Pace plans on using what she has learned in RoboDogs to ultimately better her future.

“I’m not sure if I will be specifically working with robots in the future, but I do plan on using technology,” Pace said. “I’m heading to Purdue West Lafayette this fall for pre-veterinary medicine. There is a large amount of technology that goes into any medical field.”

RoboDogs is not the only way to showcase computer knowledge. Freshman Daniyaal Rasheed won national recognition through an internet contest all by using his computer to code.

Daniyaal has other ideas as well which includes creating an app for Inklings so everyone has access to it on their smart phone. He finds doing things in the technical field benefit so many people.

1 million computing jobs by 2024

2.4% of college students graduate with a computer science degree

“To me I just like the logic part of it.

Everyone has a computer and a smart phone, and you are writing a software that everyone can use. It is just exciting,” Daniyaal said.

Students who want to be more involved in technology and computer design can also sign up to be apart of the Computer Aided Drafting, CAD, class. This allows students to use computers that would benefit them in the future.

“It is beneficial for any students who wants to get into any kind of architecture, engineering or interior design,” CAD teacher Scott Rettig said.

The CAD class will change to a Project Lead the Way program next year which will allow students who are college bound and ready to experience situations hands-on projects involving engineering and design processes.

Figuring out major skills in high school to plan classes and extracurricular activities around may allow students to find joy in new interests and hobbies.

“I would encourage people to join this field because kids who find themselves good in science or math and have a curiosity about how things work, may find they enjoy expressing themselves by creating things,” Moiz said.

1-in-4 of schools teach computer programming

PHOTOS BY JILL KIDDER

From Screen to Reality

The pictures below are blueprints of the RoboDogs robot that they designed to build for competitions.

PHOTOS PROVIDED

a computer science major can earn up to

40%

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Community rallies to aid in Kelly Loving’s fight with cancer

BY NATALIE BRIGHAM editor-in-chief

Science teacher Kelly Loving is known for many things.

Some know him as an avid cupcake baker, others a father and others a jokester. To an observant few, he is the teacher with the “monkey feet” shoes. Loving hopes to add another defining characteristic to the list—cancer survivor.

Loving, a 22 year teacher at CPHS, was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a highly aggressive form of brain cancer, after a trip to the emergency room on January 3.

Already his cancer has altered his life in many ways.

Many simple, everyday activities now present him with challenges. Despite this, he finds ways to maintain his humor. He says his most prominent issues deal with his vision.

“I have left visual field defects. It’s very weird and difficult for a normal person to understand. Even I don’t get it. I can see, but for whatever reason, my brain tends to ignore things on the left side,” Loving said.

While talking about his visual difficulties, he laughed and said he no longer drives because he would feel guilty for accidentally mowing down pedestrians in his blind spot.

“My mom and my dad drive me to school and from school pretty much every day. It’s like I’m in high school again,” Loving said.

Doctors have been unable to be give Loving specific information because glioblastoma is a form of cancer that can grow rapidly but varies in each case.

“My prognosis when they first told us was ‘Well, it could be two months untreated, maybe five years.’ Ten percent of people with my cancer, glioblastoma, make it out of their first year. I plan on being one of those,” Loving said.

Although his prognosis is vague, Loving is determined to have a positive outlook towards his future.

“That’s my attitude. I plan on being one of the survivors. I’m trying to take the attitude that my brain is simply just going to have to get over this and that I’ll have to adapt.”

Loving admits to having times of deep thinking, but he is trying to think towards his future.

“I don’t spend a whole lot of time bemoaning. There’s some very dark, introspective moments, but for the most part, I’m doing my best to try to stay positive and think of the future. I’m trying to think about my next step,” Loving said.

Many of his students, past and current, have rallied together to support Loving during this time. Senior Sara Kwiatkowski is one such student. After emailing him pictures of funny cats to spark up his humor, Kwiatkowski and other students brainstormed ways to help Loving and decided to create a GoFundMe account, a website designed to collect donations, to help pay for his medical treatment.

Initially, she was uncertain their efforts would be noticed.

“I didn’t think he would see it because we star­­­­­­ted the goal so low, and so we thought it would just stay under the radar. But then we noticed that his wife commented (on the page) saying that she read the comments (from donors) to him, so we figured out that he saw it,” Kwiatkowski said.

Kwiatkowski also did not realize how successful the GoFundMe account would be.

“I was shocked by (the amount of money raised) actu-

9111 E. 109th Avenue

Science teacher Kelly Loving’s GoFundMe account was created by Sara Kwiatkowski in January. With the donations of over 500 people, the $30,000 goal has been met. The money is going towards Loving and his medical expenses.

PHOTO BY JILL KIDDER

Junior Brittney Riordan purchases a carnation from sophomores and Spanish club representatives Dimitri Kardoulias and Hugo Rodriguez. The fundraiser for Loving raised approximately $400.

Winfield, IN 46307 • • • • • • • • • •

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Ten percent of people with my cancer, glioblastoma, make it out of their first year. I plan on being one of those.

Kelly Loving teacher ally. I thought that the $10,000 goal we had at first was a lot, but then I realized it was reached in two days. We had to keep raising it,” she said.

Kwiatkowski has helped raise over $30,000 for Loving.

Many of the donors are past students and have taken the

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opportunity to write to Loving on the GoFundMe account, saying how impactful his teaching has been on their lives.

“I love the comments on there. As a teacher, you don’t expect to ever hear from your past students. They move on.

Hearing a lot of those names, being like ‘Oh I remember this person and that kid,’ having those memories, being told how influential you were, it’s very touching and very humbling to me,” Loving said.

Kwiatkowski encourages other students to do what they can to help Loving.

“I think Mr. Loving needs all the support he can get because he’s done so much and impacted so many people…

I hope we can give to him like he’s given to us,” she said.

Spanish club president senior Michaelangelo San Juan led a fundraiser for Loving held by the Spanish club. San Juan says the fundraiser—which involved purchasing carnations for students and teachers alike—was inspired by Kwiatkowski and foreign language teacher Michael Gonzalez.

“The idea to sell carnations was a group effort from Spanish club. Spanish club was able to raise $400 for Mr. Loving which is about 200 carnations. While we had the fundraiser, people wanted to donate money and not even buy flowers,” San Juan said.

Loving is grateful for all the efforts being made on his behalf by the community.

“I’ll have a great debt to pay forward once I get through this because I plan getting through it… I had been rather cynical to some degree, but this is incredible to me to see people (being) so generous. It’s just stunning,” Loving said.

Loving hopes that this experience reminds others to be conscious of their time.

“Being given this diagnosis doesn’t dictate how much time I have left,” Loving said. “You literally never know how much time you have left—even with me. Live your life.

It’s the only one you get.”

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Principal Chip Pettit jots down notes in preparation of a meeting. The Star Wars fan has a life-sized cut out of Chewbacca personalizing the decor of his office.

PHOTO BY ALLY REKITZKE

The program of Pettit

Reporter views principal’s role with newfound appreciation

BY CHRIS REKITZKE editor-at-large

“A Day in the life of…” used to be a regular feature for Inklings, but it has since been phased out. The concept was simple. A reporter would follow a staff or faculty member of the high school and report on their daily activities. Due to Pulse’s “A Night With the Principal,” in which Principal Chip Pettit answered questions and spoke on an array of school topics and issues, the Inklings staff found it timely to resurrect the feature, to find the answer to the question: “What does Chip Pettit do here day to day?”

On Feb. 16, I took this journey and spent nearly the entire day with Pettit, getting to know him not only a professional level, but a personal level. I learned that on any given day on average, Pettit can receive anywhere from “100-140 emails.”

But I also learned he is an avid Star Wars fan, and his list of favorite movies “in no particular order” included both “all the Star Wars films and all of the Harry Potter films.”

If the quote wasn’t evidence enough, there is a Chewbacca cutout in his office, a Chewbacca Pez dispenser on a bookcase and a Yoda action figure resting above his computer keyboard. His office, which unbeknownst to me, was housed in the guidance office and has been for the last two years.

“I like it better having my office here in guidance,” Pettit said. “When I was working out of the front office, I felt isolated from the rest of the team (other administration and guidance counselors)” In his office, Principal Pettit allowed me to sit at his desk and view an itinerary he had compiled. It was a typical schedule consisting of multiple meetings, which in between Pettit would have the opportunity to answer emails or plan out his calendar.

At the top of the schedule was my name in full, followed by a safety meeting in the main office, a meeting with math teacher Erin Rawls pertaining to National Honors Society, a conference call about ACT testing, followed by lunch supervision and finally a meeting with math teacher Susan Mender.

However, before that commenced, Pettit and I took to the halls by foot.

“A lot of times this (and lunch) is the only time students see me… If not for this, I would just be a disembodied voice on the end of the week announcements,” Pettit said.

Zero period soon ended, and from there the Principal and I made our way to the front office where Pettit and other administrators gathered in the conference room behind the secretaries’ counter for their weekly safety meeting while I waited in the main office.

ball only. I taught for six years: history, world history and AP US History. Then I moved into school administration as a dean of students for five years, and now I’m completing my fourth year as principal.”

Rawls soon came, and their meeting commenced in which the two examined the handout she had designed for NHS. Afterwards, our conversation continued.

Lauded as the football coach prior to his current tenure as principal, I was curious if his time as a coach has influenced the way he approaches his current

‘‘

By and large, I like my job, both the instructional leadership role, and the team building (which) I like the most. I still love working with students, but unfortunately i seem to work more with adults in this field.

Chip Pettit Principal Afterwards, Pettit and I made our way back to his office where nearly 30 emails already awaited him. It was there in between meetings where I learned of Principal Pettit’s journey through the ranks of teaching, administration and now serving as principal, beginning in uncertainty while attending Valparaiso University.

“I remember going to my freshman year of college still not knowing what to do. It came time to declare a major, and I had always liked history and my mother had been a teacher, so I was familiar with the lifestyle. I knew that I liked working with kids,” Pettit said.

“My first year out of college, I did not find a job. My first teaching job was at Taft as the inschool suspension supervisor and athletic director. Then I taught seventh grade history and doubled as the athletic director,” Pettit said. “I coached at the middle school and the high school.

After two years, I took a job teaching and coaching at Wheeler High School. I was there for two years. Then I came back to CPHS to teach and coach, coaching foot-

position and moreover if it encouraged him to pursue administration.

“I do think so. The aspect of bringing a team together, a team of students, a team of faculty, a team of teachers,” Pettit said. “By and large, I like my job, both the instructional leadership role, and the team building (which) I like the most. I still love working with students, but unfortunately I seem to work more with adults in this field.”

Pettit admits his focus has changed since becoming an administrator in 2007.

“As a teacher and a coach, your charge is to work with the students in your class or on your team. As a principal, your charge is to look out for all students. I take the ‘all’ part of that very seriously. It’s not just the honors students, the athletes or the band kids… it’s all students. I need to make sure that all students have equal opportunities to chase their dreams,” Pettit said.

Pettit’s goal as principal as he explained, “is (to be) an advocate for students. I work for the students.”

“If a student wants to experience

something in high school, they’re going to get it here. We have to be supportive to all student interests,” Pettit said. “Opportunity and equity are what we try to keep at the forefront.”

By this time, the conference call was minutes away. I was allowed to sit in on the call, learning that CPHS has something of a “...unique relationship with ACT… [we’re like] a research lab, we’ve developed our own growth model to help us in our school improvement efforts,” Pettit said.

Lunch followed the conference call which meant it was time for lunch supervision; I would learn this was his least favorite part of his job.

“But I do think it’s important for me to be visible during the school day.

Students need to see me, if for no other reason, than to know they can approach me if they need help. While supervising before or after school, or during lunch periods. I try to be supportive,” Pettit said.

As Pettit and I walked around, I began to feel the eyes of students turn, weary of the administrator.

“The most I ever do is make sure students throw away their trash, and I would say 98 percent of students do well with this,” Pettit said. “Lunch is a time for kids to be kids with their friends, not for me to try and make awkward idle talk.”

After thirty minutes passed, lunch ended, and to his office we returned. Pettit’s meeting with Mender would be brief and close out the day’s events. Afterwards, the last thing Pettit would have to do was to record the weekly phone call. Before this, however, I was able to ask one last question. One that would succinctly state what Principal Pettit does here.

“My job here is to ensure that students reach their potential with nothing here holding them back. Sometimes, students think the principal’s job is to tell them what they can’t do. I think it’s just the opposite,” Pettit said. “High school should be a springboard to bigger and better things. I prefer to focus on what students can do.”

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I like my birthday because it’s something different and because other people don’t have that same uniqueness.

years

Katrina Baker sophomore

Sophomore celebrates rare birthday

Balloons, cakes, gifts and birthdays. They all typically come once a year, but for few, they come only once every four. This is the case for sophomore Katrina Baker who was born on leap day.

Baker is one of the over five million uncommon people out of over seven billion in the world born on Feb. 29 and is the only person at Crown Point High School born on this day.

“It’s cool. It’s weird when I think about it. I know other people who were born on the same day,” Baker said.

This year, Baker’s birthday is on its true date. This is only the fourth birthday she has had on Feb. 29.

“This birthday is more special because when I have it on the actual real date, it’s a more special occasion,” Baker said. “I’ve only had four of them, so we do have a big party.”

On years that Feb. 29 does not show up on the calendar, Baker celebrates her birthday on Feb. 28 instead to

By

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218,275

Americans with a leap day birthday.

keep it within the same month.

“I celebrate my birthday the same way, but (when it’s not a leap year) I celebrate on the 28. I’ll go out with friends or have friends over just like my normal birthday,” Baker said.

As a child, Baker never paid much attention to the date of her birthday. As she grew older, she noticed it wasn’t on the same day as the when she was actually born.

“When I was younger, it was just my birthday. I never really paid attention to the date. My mom would just tell me that it was my birthday, but then as I got older, I was like ‘Oh, it’s a different day,’” Baker said.

People often joke about Baker’s age. If her age is by the date, she would be considered four this year, but Baker is turning 16. Her younger brother jokes that he is older than her.

“People usually say ‘Oh, you’re a really big three-yearold,’” Baker said. “Sometimes my brother will say stuff like, ‘Oh, I don’t actually consider (the 28) your birthday, so in that case, I’m older than you.’”

Bringing up Baker’s birthday in conversation keeps it

March 1

BY ALLY REKITZKE

co-chief photographer

Legal birthdate of those born on a leap day in most states.

lively and interesting.

“When people ask when my birthday is, we talk a lot about that, and it will turn it from being a bland conversation,” Baker said.

Baker has favorite memories of her actual birthday throughout the three years it has occurred. One was when she younger in elementary school and another in middle school where she celebrated with friends.

“When I was in about second or first grade, it was the actual day, and I got to bring in ice cream. All the teachers were really nice to me on that day,” Baker said. “When I was in sixth grade, my friends threw a surprise party. We stayed up until midnight because it was on the 28 that I spent the night.”

Baker enjoys her unique birthday and would not choose to be born on a different day because it makes her different from everyone else.

“I like my birthday just because it’s something different,” Baker said. “I like it because other people don’t have that same uniqueness.”

Number of people with a leap year birthday worldwide:

5,002,053

0.07%

of the Earth’s population has a leap year birthday

Need Money for College?

After graduation, do you plan to attend college or vocational school?

You may be eligible for scholarships starting at $500 administered through the Crown Point Community Foundation.

Apply online by visiting https://cpcfscholars.communityforce.com or follow the link on the Foundation website, www.thecpcf.org Deadline to submit application: March 18, 2016

115. S. Court Street, Crown Point, IN 46307 P.O. Box 522, Crown Point, IN 46308 p 219.662.7252. e info@thecpcf.org

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Coloring to cope

Students find outlet in adult coloring books finds that coloring is a great opportunity for people of all ages.

“I think it’s kind of nice and allows adults the freedom and opportunity to find time to be creative,” Cox said. “If they don’t have much time, the designs are already there for them.”

Studies by Aurora University have shown that coloring can increase focus, concentration, organizational and problem solving skills to improve brain power. For junior Sam Surufka, this is one of the most enjoyable parts of coloring.

“Just watching the wax tip (of the crayon) smear inside the black, crisp lines makes me lose all thoughts of my surroundings and focus in on making art,” Surufka said.

Although there are differences in coloring styles, all techniques provide the same sense of relief.

“I’m sort of a perfectionist and these things are easy to be like that with,” Kral said. “It just interests me.”

A major advantage of coloring books is their ability to fit into any schedule. One can spend either hours or minutes filling the pages with color before continuing on with their day.

“You can read, watch TV, do cross-

BY HANNAH BAUNER MORGAN TAYLOR opinion editor reporter

Crayons, markers and colored pencils were once reserved for the kids’ table, but now the utensils have migrated to the grown ups’ side with the emergence of adult coloring books. Many students have begun to utilize adult coloring books as a unique method to occupy time, whether it be a cure for boredom or a way to express creativity.

“Sometimes I get bored watching T.V. or movies, especially if nothing is on,” sophomore Reece Kral said. “It’s something different to do that you’ve loved since you were a kid, but now it’s in a ‘grown up’ way.”

While some view sports or reading as a good way to cool off, others prefer coloring as the way to relax and relieve stress at the end of the day.

“I have coloring books because I feel it is a good stress relief from the crazy day. It’s a time to unwind,” senior Abbey Wellman said.

High school students are not the only ones who have picked up on the coloring trend. Art teacher Karen Cox

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word puzzles or sudoku, and coloring books are just another aspect for people that don’t have much time,” Cox said.

“It’s something that you can start for five minutes, put down and come back to.”

Coloring allows one to express their creative side without worrying about pleasing others.

“My favorite thing about coloring is the freedom you have and how nobody can judge you for what you color,” Surufka said.

Relaxing and showing creativity has been made easy with adult coloring books.

“Usually when we’re anxious, we focus on situations we cannot control or change,” school psychologist Kathryn Huls said. “Coloring is an activity most people can highly control without negative consequences.”

Because adult coloring books are becoming more popular, they are available to many people as a stress relief method.

“It gives everyone an activity to do that isn’t stressful and lets you express yourself through a picture,” Wellman said.

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We’re all excited and confident. We know that if we play the way we’re capable of we can win sectionals.

- senior Leo Zdanowicz

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Believing to achieve: Athletes share sports superstitions

BY DOM TOMICH

assistant sports editor

What often gets overlooked in sports is what happens off the court or field compared to on. Whether it’s throwing chalk up in the air or listening to your favorite songs, certain athletes find performing their best comes hand in hand with personal pre-game rituals.

Crown Point High School is no exception to these superstitions. Although overlooked, these rituals vary from sport to sport of both genders. Some athletes feel without their rituals they can’t live up to expectations they set while playing.

“Ever since my freshmen year, I’ve been doing the same thing, and without it I don’t feel the same. I suit up the exact same for all my basketball games, I wear the same socks, compression shorts and sports bra every game,” senior Hannah Albrecht said.

Despite not being undefeated or never having a disappointing performance, Albrecht uses her same ritual not expecting perfect results, but to be as properly prepared as possible.

“I never think about changing what I do,” Albrecht said. “Even after a tough loss or bad game, I stick with it knowing that it works for me.”

Not all superstitions coincide with clothing. Some come from the ones who are closest to you, which is the case for junior Donald Schuch.

“Before every football game I run over and get a head butt from my dad. I’ve been doing it since I was six years old,” Schuch said. “I believe it helps because my dad has been with me since the beginning, and he knows the right thing to say to get me ready for every game. Talking to him beforehand has me concentrated on what I need to do when I’m out there competing.”

‘‘

I never think about changing what I do. Even after a tough loss or bad game, I stick with it knowing that it works for me.

Hannah Albrecht senior These superstitions aren’t limited to the basketball court or football field. No matter what sport, athletes always find a way to get themselves ready to play or in certain cases, swim.

“I’m pretty superstitious when it comes to racing. Two things I have to do before every competition is have my

nails painted and put on my waterproof mascara,” junior Hannah Kukurugya said. “If I get a good manicure, I know I’m going to kill it at my meet. There is something about having my nails done that makes me feel a sense of confidence.”

Although swimming has nothing to do with the color you paint your nails, every superstition is different-- that’s what makes them unique.

“Sometimes I see my superstitions as silly, but when you’re trying to reach a goal, I believe they can help you accomplish them,” Kukurugya said. “I put on my waterproof mascara before meets to make myself look less tired when I get photographed at the end of my races. Now it has become a habit and putting on the mascara mentally signals that it’s race time.”

To go along with Kukurugya’s pre game looks, she also does the same routine to physically prepare herself before she swims.

“Before I step on the blocks I do the same pre-race routine every time,” Kukurugya said. “It’s pretty much a dynamic warm up because this warm-up has become a habit.

I feel that if I don’t do it that I won’t swim fast.”

In spite of superstitions not always turning out positively, even the smallest rituals can affect the performance or at least the mindset of athletes. The importance of athlete superstitions shouldn’t be overlooked and play a strong role in how an athlete performs.

Girls swimming cracks top ten with sixth place finish at state

BY DYLAN WALLACE sports editor

The field was set in Indianapolis, Indiana when the girls swim team traveled down to state meet to try and prove themselves against 40 other teams. They did just that finishing sixth overall.

“On paper we were projected to score about 120 points and we did just that,” head coach Bryon Angerman said. “Our goal was to be in the top ten so I think we really maximized our points.”

Many of the girls that competed walked away with season best times. Junior Hannah Kukurugya, although not pleased with her individual places, thought the team performed well.

“I think personally I swam fairly well.

I didn’t place the way I wanted to, but I walked away with best times so I can’t be upset,” Kukurugya said. “As a team I think we did really well, placing sixth in the state with the amount of girls we had is pretty impressive.”

Senior Mackenzie Artim believed the team could have done a little better and stresses the fact of how difficult it is to race on a relay.

“I believe we could’ve done better as a team and it’s really frustrating when you swim an all time best on a relay but another person might not, because either you all kill it or you don’t. It’s kind of like do or die to be completely honest,” Artim said.

Indiana is known to be one of the faster swimming states in the country and

Kukurugya loves the competition that this state brings.

“Indiana high school swimming is really fast compared to other states, so the state meet is always very exciting,” Kukurugya said. “I love this meet because even though there is a lot of pressure on you to perform, the adrenaline rush is at such a high.”

Artim also expressed how amazing the atmosphere is for postseason races.

“The whole aspect of sectionals and state and the atmosphere is like nothing I’ve ever known before,” Artim said. “I’m just obsessed with the idea of racing, winning and having a blast with my whole team.”

Both girls talked greatly about how much it means to swim at these meets with

their team and represent their school.

“To make these meets even better you are really swimming for your school and team, you not only want to make yourself proud but your teammates proud as well,” Kukurugya said. “I think we accomplished that goal this season. I’m very proud of the way my teammates swam this season, a lot of girls had a breakout year and as a teammate that is really exciting to see.”

Artim agrees with Kukurugya and expresses her love for her team.

“Team is such a big thing for me and at those two meets we always seem to come together and cheer our butts off,” Artim said. “It’s an amazing feeling swimming your best and having the whole team behind you, they were everything to me.”

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Season to remember Second in DAC Chesterton Invitational champs Three 9.0’s and above on bars

PHOTO BY BRANDEN DWYER

Freshman Evan Holland celebrates after his win at sectionals advancing him to state.

Boys swimming takes second in sectionals

BY YOUSEF ABDELDAIEM reporter

PHOTO BY JILL KIDDER

Senior Hannah Best balances on the beam on one foot in preparation for her next move to try and score points at the conference meet.

Gymnastics strives for second state appearance

BY MATT MCCONNELL reporter

The records keep piling up for Crown Point’s gymnastics team. Meet after meet the girls continue to shatter records left and right and don’t seem to be looking back with the ultimate goal being to make it to state as a team.

“Our biggest goal right now is to make it to state as a team which is something that has only been done once in Crown Point gymnastics history,” senior Lainey Kowalczyk said.

The realization that this goal could become a reality began when some of the younger talent on the team started to take the next step.

“I knew this season was going to be a good one with the

addition of Kowalczyk and junior Shannon Harrison, but when freshmen Emily Kamleiter and Kaleigh Stack along with sophomore Sydni Weisbrodt starting doing so well, it sent my expectations to a whole other level,” head coach Ami Pysh said.

So far this season the ladies have won the Chesterton Invitational and finished second in the DAC. Also this season they have produced the top two team scores in Crown Point history as well was have three 9.0’s or above on bars, which is also a school first.

“It’s exhilarating,” Kowalczyk said. “It makes coming to practice so much easier because we are all so motivated to continue making school history.”

Senior Hannah Best looks to re-break her floor record of a 9.8 but is ultimately focused on doing what she can to help the team.

“I really want to re-break my floor record but my main goal is just to do the best I can do to help my team go as far as possible,” Best said.

As for Kowalczyk she has broken the all around and bars records and has tied the vault and beam record and looks to break the ones she’s tied.

“I would love to break all the records I’ve tied this season,” Kowalczyk said.

Under Pysh’s reign as head coach, Crown Point has only made it state once and placed fifth. With the regional rules changed, Pysh believes they

have a good shot this year.

“Northwest Indiana gymnastics is notoriously strong, and we have been 3rd at regionals four times when they take only the top two to state,” Pysh said. “Now it’s the top three from regionals, so the reality of more history making is really hitting us.”

Pysh is impressed and satisfied with her team this season and in her fifteenth year of coaching, she is prepared to make a second state appearance.

“Now that we have broken all three top team records, we go into post-season with the confidence that a state team appearance is in our reach,” Pysh said. “In my fifteenth year of coaching here at CP, this has been a dream season for me.”

Seniors say farewell after successful season

BY TOMMY FRAME

assistant sports editor

One game.

That is all that stood in the way of the girls basketball team winning a sectional championship in head coach Chris Seibert’s first year. With a loss coming to Merrillville Saturday night, Feb. 6, the Dogs came up eight points shy of a sectional championship. Looking back on the year as a whole, there was nothing to be looked at as failure.

“I was very pleased with the success we had as a program this year,” head coach Chris Seibert said. “We made a lot of people believers in our team. We were

picked to finish seventh in the conference and were not in any pre-season top ten polls in the area, and it definitely served as motivation throughout the season.”

Senior Hannah Albrecht, a four year starter, ended her final season as a bulldog with a second place finish in the DAC and runner-up in the sectional championship.

The team had six seniors who have been together since the beginning, building a great chemistry on and off the court.

“Having been with the other seniors since we were young really created a good friendship on and off the court,” Albrecht said.

“Whenever you lose six seniors there is definitely going to be shoes that needs to be filled,” Seibert said. “Mya Scheidt and Sydney Taylor are both two year starters, and their roles as ball handlers and scorers will definitely continue to increase.”

“I am going to try my hardest to be a big leader for the team next year,” sophomore Mya Scheidt said. “We will definitely have a younger team having lost those six seniors, so hopefully Sydney (Taylor) and I will be able to fill the leadership roles and be able to lead by example like the seniors did so well.”

The year is over, and though they did not win a sec-

tional championship, or a DAC championship, they achieved a 6-1 conference record, along with a 20-6 record overall which is the most wins for the program in over 15 years. The Dogs proved any doubters wrong.

“I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to start my career at Crown Point with this particular group of players. Having the seniors we did that each led and contributed in their own unique way was what set the tone,” Seibert said.

“They understood the season is a marathon, not a sprint, and their dedication and passion for the game of basketball was always evident. It was a great year.”

The Crown Point boys swimming team’s season came to an end as the Dogs came in second overall, finishing behind Munster by only 26 points on Feb. 20 at the sectional meet. Head coach Bryon Angerman was proud with the team’s performance.

“Coming into the meet we were almost down 100 so for us to make up almost 80 points it was great,” Angerman said. “We fell a little short at the end, we just didn’t have enough swims in the final heats to compete with them. To finish second against them and to have five individual swimmers and three relay swims going to the state meet, so our goal is to finish ahead of Munster and Lake Central down there, and hopefully finish in the top 20.”

Senior Austin Sepke was one of the swimmers who qualified for the state meet, qualifying in the 200 freestyle, 200 free relay and the 400 free relay.

“To qualify for the finals I need to be in the top 16 and right now I believe I am 24th,” Sepke said. “I have to drop another second or two if I want to make it . That won’t be easy, but I believe that I can do it.”

Despite finishing second in the medley relay and the 50 freestyle at sectionals, senior Cameron Watson fell just short of qualifying for the state meet.

“I thought I swam pretty well but honestly was expecting a much faster time coming out of the prelims,” Watson said. “At the same time, I was still able to set personal records.”

As the final year of his high school swimming career comes to one last race, Sepke plans on leaving it all in the pool.

“I know that this will be my last swim unless I swim in college, so I am going to swim without regret,” Sepke said. “I don’t want to come out of the water thinking I could have done this or that differently. I am going to try my best to make it a flawless swim with maximum effort.”

Although Angerman has confidence in the swimmers’ abilities, he still believes they may face some challenges at state.

“We’ve got three freshman and four seniors going down. Some of the freshman have never been there before and the seniors, to swim this many relays, they are not used to swimming so many events,” Angerman said. “The biggest challenge will be getting fast swims on Friday to get us back to swim on Saturday as only the top 16 come back to swim on Saturday.”

At press time the results of the state meet were unavailable.

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13 Wrestling takes four down to state sports february 29, 2016

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In the game

with T-Frame

Dogs make statement in Vlink’s final year

BY TOMMY FRAME

assistant sports editor

BY KATIE PAWLOWSKI

Madness is in the air

editor-at-large

It’s that time of year again.

After months of watching upset after upset, the smell of madness is in the air. Now is the time when everyone and their mother tries to predict what exactly is going to happen. What teams will beat who, who will end up in the final four and who will take it all?

The truth is, anyone’s guess is as good as the next guy, especially this year.

With there being four of the AP top five teams losing last week alone, playing into March is sure to be a wild ride.

The defending national champion Duke Blue Devils will be lucky to receive a four seed, and the runner-up Wisconsin Badgers could possibly miss the cut all together. That being said, here is what you need to know: 13 different teams have occupied the AP top five through 16 weeks of play. That means that at some point throughout the season there have been 13 different teams that have taken up one of those top five spots for at least one week out of the season. With four of five of those top five teams losing last week, that number is sure to go up.

All of these numbers and rankings are sheer analytic chatter, as all this really means is that the field is very even this year.

Your odds of making a perfect bracket are one in 2.4 trillion. In fact, you are more likely to get struck by lightning 533,000 times in your life than to produce an impeccable NCAA Tournament bracket.

Selection Sunday is Mar. 13, that’s when all the first round match ups get set up and revealed to the world. After that, everyone will have three days to print out their brackets or join leagues to attempt to predict their perfect bracket before the madness gets underway.

In a season with more upsets and ranking changes than we have seen in most recent years, your guess is as good as mine. So get out your pen and paper kids, we are sure in for a March filled with madness.

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State--the biggest stage for any high school athlete. Hundreds of fans turn into thousands and calm athletes start to sweat under the high pressures they’re put under.

For junior Jonathan Moran, his first journey to state created an atmosphere like no other. All the excitement around Moran created a valuable learning experience.

“Being in front of 10,000 people was an unreal feeling. I was excited, maybe a little too excited.

My nerves were all over the place,” Moran said. “It was good to get that experience though so next year it won’t be brand new to me.”

Of the four athletes representing Crown Point, senior Daylan Schurg was the only one who had been down to state before. Schurg, who finished fourth at 138 pounds, used his experience to his advantage by helping freshman Jacob Moran, who finished eighth at 106 pounds.

“Coach Vlink had me kind of show them the way since he couldn’t be next to us the whole time. They were just taking in the whole experience while trying to stay focused,” Schurg said.

Though the Dogs had a successful season, head coach Scott Vlink has made it known that he will be retiring. Vlink has had very successful career at Crown Point with winning 7 Lake Suburban Conference titles, 8 DAC Championships, 22 sectional championships, 13 regional championships,

PHOTO BY JILL KIDDER

Junior Jonathan Moran attempts to pin down his sectional opponent who he defeated to pick up the victory.

the 2009 team state championship and coached 106 state qualifiers of whom 47 were medalists, 8 were runner-ups and 9 were state champions.

“I enjoyed all of it. It was just time. Just little things along the way told me it’s been enough.

You know 36 years as a head wrestling coach at Crown Point High School is enough. We’ve been very successful, fortunately. I dealt with great kids. I dealt with great parents, with great administrators and we’ve got a great team coming back next year. The program is in good shape from top to bottom.

We’ve got the kids that could help make the next coach successful,” Vlink said.

Once Vlink knew it was time to step down, his regular routine of coaching and teaching was about to change, and Vlink knew he was going to miss the better

parts of it.

“I guess like the old saying ‘you won’t know what you got ‘till it’s gone.’ Maybe I will find, six months from now, exactly what I miss. I think teaching wise, maybe seeing kids accomplish something and being excited when they do accomplish it or they reach a certain goal. That I think I will miss.

I don’t think you can replace that outside the educational field,” Vlink said.

Looking back on his successful career, Vlink can only describe it in a few words.

“It’s really been enjoyable. I feel fortunate,” Vlink said. “The newspapers, when they found out that I was retiring, they would want my to sum up my career.

The only way I can sum it up, very simply, is lucky me. That’s it.

Lucky me.”

PHOTO BY JILL KIDDER

Sophomore Oszkar Kasch gets his hand raised by the official after he came out victorious in his match up at sectionals.

Boys basketball gains momentum heading into postseason

BY DYLAN WALLACE sports editor

Competition is heating up in the DAC. Last year the Dogs traveled to Lake Central to take on the Indians who themed the game as a funeral for our smashed Bulldog, George. This year the Indians traveled to Crown Point in front of a rowdy student section who themed the game a blackout. Despite the different themes the two games ended in the same result: the Dogs handling the Indians with ease.

In the first half the Dogs were led by junior Sasha Stefanovic who sparked the Dogs first half run to a

Should Peyton Manning retire? out of 87 students polled

big lead and since then they never looked back.

“My teammates were getting me the ball in spots I could score,” Stefanovic said. “All of us played great team basketball that helped us get an early advantage.”

Stefanovic finished the game with 28 points and senior teammate Grant Gelon had the crowd going with his deep three point shooting including one from way downtown to close out the first half at the buzzer.

“We really got the crowd going in the first half with our three point shooting,” Gelon said. “It

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was a great way to close out the regular season at home with that kind of win.”

This 60-44 win improves Crown Point’s record to 6-2 in the DAC and 14-8 overall. The only losses in the DAC came against Valparaiso and Michigan City and rightfully so, the Dogs drew the Wolves for the first round of sectionals.

Despite losing to the Wolves in the regular season by only three points, the team is confident they will be able to overcome them for the postseason.

“The Michigan City game will

be a tough one, they are a good team,” Gelon said. “Our game against them earlier in the year was our first conference game and I think we were just starting to find ourselves as a team. This time around they will be seeing us at our best, and on our home floor.

Should be an exciting game.”

Last year the Dogs made it to the regional finals, which is the farthest they’ve reached in the past couple years, but before the postseason gets underway they still have one more regular season game against Lowell. Results of the Lowell game were unavailable.

My moment of the month ... “... was wrestling in Bankers Life Fieldhouse in front of 30,000 people.”

Junior Jonathan Moran

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arts & entertainment february 29, 2016

inreview

“Me, Myself & I”

By G-Eazy X Bebe Rexha

This song is a great combination of G-Eazy’s rapping style and Rexha’s powerful singing voice that entraps anyone into listening to it.

The song appeared last December when G-Eazy’s album, “When It’s Dark Out” was released and has been moving up the charts ever since.

This song is definitely one to make sure to listen to.

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Super Bowl 50 Commercials As expected, the Doritos commercial kicked off the advertising extravaganza.

Even though there was no tear jerking Budwiser commercial with puppies and clidesdales, the ads during the 2015 Super Bowl did not disappoint. The various car and beer commercials paired with the Hienz condaments equated to a great night of ads.

- Pierce Brown “Red Rising”

“Red Rising” has a stereotypical plot line of the chosen one who starts a rebellion to change the world.

It’s a trope that has been seen and done too many times to count in young adult literature. However, despite the author Pierce Brown’s flaw in relying on overdone stereotypes and cliche endings, his debut novel is detailed and deep enough to push past its errors.

The plot centers around Darrow, a miner working on Mars, and a Red, the lowest class in the color-coded society he lives in. He spends his days trying to make the planet inhabitable for future generations, but as the novel unfurls, it is revealed that the upper class have been using the Reds as slaves. The Golds have been secretly flourishing on Mars for generations living lavish lifestyles. Darrow eventually tries to infiltrate the Institute, the Gold’s academy where they train future members of their caste, to take down the caste system within the ones oppressing him and his people.

This novel was surprising, not because it was unique from the typical dystopian plot, but because the writing Brown was able to accomplish leaves readers feeling every emotion Darrow feels. His writing is very submersive and allows the reader to truly feel like they’re in the story.

However, this novel was frustrating mainly because of the main character. Darrow is perfect, which may sound like a virtue, but it’s not. His body is perfectly toned from working in the mines his entire life, he makes zero mistakes and despite never being educated, he is completely brilliant. When he needs to compete against the Golds, the smartest, strongest and the most powerful people of his society, Darrow exceeds everyone’s expectations. While being aware that his perfection is needed to truly make him into the symbol of his people, it also makes Darrow seem distant and

“Work”

By Rihanna

The most vulgar song that ever came from a former boy band member has appeared. With out a full year even passing, former One Direction member Zayn Malik made his debut with his own single, “Pillowtalk.” The song is full with profanity that can really drag you down. The good boy gone bad is the only reason this song made it to number one.

Man cannot be freed by the same injustice that enslaved it.

reporter

Agents Mulder and Scully make their triumphant return to the small screen in this six episode revival series featuring strong writing and near flawless returns to the characters for leads Duchovny and Anderson despite a seven year gap for the actors.

“Pillowtalk ”

By Zayn Malik

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

BY TIFFANY CURTIS

“The X-Files: Season 10”

Just when Pop music seems to showcase diversity and a memorable new sound, Rihanna disappoints with her latest single, “Work.”

With terrible lyrics and mainstream beats, Rihanna creates a song that will only go down in history for being awful.

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unrelatable to actual people reading this, who are rash with their decisions and not inherent geniuses.

Another downside of the novel is Brown relying on the stereotypical trope of the “chosen one.” Because no else could possibly start a revolution instead of 16-year-old boy, right? “Red Rising” loses some of its originality by relying on the stereotypical tropes, but Brown completely makes up for it with his incorporation of science-fiction. To infiltrate the Golds, Darrow must now become one which seems simple enough, however, the thing that separates the Golds and Reds is their genetic makeup. The Golds are genetically better than the Reds, so to become one, Darrow must alter his body to fit in undetected. The way Brown writes Darrow’s transformation is bloody and bizarre and truly makes you realize the wide gap that separates the different castes in this system.

Despite all of this, the most enjoyable part of the novel is the way that Brown treats his audience. Never once does he spoon feed them or lead them in a certain direction. He throws them into the world without telling them how unfair the caste system is, and he expects them to deduce their own way through the world. Brown also keeps the story mature through the “dog-eat-dog” world.

He doesn’t try to downplay it to appeal to younger audiences. Darrow’s story is gritty and bloody. It’s also refreshing to find a young adult novel that isn’t centered around romance. The romance in the novel is minimal, and it isn’t the “I found my soulmate at 16 years old” romance that are typical in novels. This novel truly is centered around a corrupted government and the rebellion against it, not dramatic kissing in the middle of an actual war.

Red Rising is truly a great young adult, sciencefiction novel that will thrill you. It’s light on romance, but heavy on great writing and an interesting, if not a tad bit stereotypical, plot line.

“Wonderful Crazy Night” falls short from wonderful

BY AUDREY GACSY reporter

It’s a name we’re all familiar with, but it may not be one that comes to our minds when we scroll through the songs on our app store wish list. Sir Elton John made his debut in the late 1960s and with his 32 solo studio albums, many consider John to be an influential factor in our world today.

His most recent release, “Wonderful Crazy Night” has brought a whole new sound from John’s classic vocal style while still being recognizable. His intricate piano playing is wondrous, and his articulate word choice makes each and every song impressive to listen to. In an impressive 17 days in the studio, this album was able to bring not only talented lyrics but a variety of sounds.

“Wonderful Crazy Night” opens with an electronic vibe most listeners wouldn’t be expecting, but the skillful pianist compensates for the surprise with feel-good lyrics. The best song

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on the album brings back a sense of John’s classic 1970’s tunes. “A Good Heart” gives the listener a flavor of passion and emotion. Other emotionally heavy, yet cheerful songs include “Looking Up” and “The Open Chord.”

To positively contrast the deep emotion of the other songs on the album, songs like ”In The Name Of You” and “Tambourine” give a feeling of a more optimistic, progressive approach. The polar opposite themes may be due to T Bone Burnett’s contribution in the studio.

John’s last studio album, “The Diving Board,” deeply involved Burnett, so this album ideally has many of the same emotions.

Unfortunately, this album did fall short on some of the expected notes. None of the songs sounded like hits, and they won’t be seen on any of John’s greatest hits albums in the future.

A lot can be expected from Sir Elton John, but it seems like the talent fell a bit short and became repetitive towards the end.

Thankfully, the album did deliver some en-

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joyment to the listeners and gave a little more insight into John’s thoughts. The songs were well thought out and avoided annoying lyric repetition; however, the album overall seemed to overlap itself at times. Many of the songs had the same feelings and ideas, making it seem like a flowing sonata rather than individual songs.

Some might categorize John’s work into a specific decade for its popularity, but his work has made him a timeless contributor to society. Not only has his music given us decades of amazing entertainment, but his charity work and involvement in revolutionary movements has given society a clearer, more equal way of looking things.

This album reflected his revolutionary style well, with the varying tunes and lyrics, however it didn’t give the listeners any hits to get stuck in their heads. A few of the songs brought the classic John style into light, however there were too few of the songs like that.

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“when a person tells you that you hurt them, you don’t get to decide that you didn’t” sophomore Abbie Gelon

junior Rileigh Haas

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I’M GOING TO SEE BEYONCE AND I SPENT MONEY I SERIOUSLY DO NOT HAVE TO DO IT senior Tyler Jeremiah

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“I didn’t mean to call you the worse babysitter. I just lost my mind for a little bit”- my 6 year old cousin

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Stop - Categories Word Game Challenge your knowledge by randomly selecting a letter and typing a word that starts with the chosen letter that fits the five categories.

@beautfilm Find screencaps and quotes from your favorite movies and characters on this Twitter, Favorite Films.

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INKLINGS ACADEMY AWARDS

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Staff choose their picks for Oscars

Best Film The Martian Though not all the science is accurate, “The Martian” stuns with possibilities for the future of space travel. The cast blended together seamlessly and the camera work is stunning. Viewers feel every emotion possible when viewing “The Martian,” making it the year’s best “must see.”

BY MARIA LEONTARAS

arts & entertainment editor

Once a year, Hollywood’s greatest gather to celebrate the art of filmmaking. While the awards are a highlight for movie buffs, everyday citizens may be disappointed by the lack of variety in the potential victors provided for each category.

Though the winners have already been chosen, a few members of the Inklings Staff handpicked their film favorites from the past year disregarding the Academy’s set candidates.

Best Actor Leonardo Dicaprio

Dicaprio’s commitment to his role in “The Revenant” shows in his actions throughout the film. This lead him to sleeping in animals carcasses, experiencing minor frostbite and eating a raw bison liver just to add authenticity to his character. This man needs to receive this award now before he kills himself due to immersing himself in a role.

Stallone delivers a magnificent performance as his most memorable character, Rocky Balboa.

Stallone maintains his persona throughout the difficulties Balboa faces in the film and holds his own as a supporting actor. His time in the ring may have come to an end, but Stallone knocked expectations out of the ring.

The Good Dinosaur The idea seems silly. The meteor misses, dinosaurs never went extinct and they are the dominant species of the Earth.

What can one possibly do to make this idea coincide with the average Disney tale? Kill off a parent and create an atmosphere where the main character can overcome his fear, obviously. The heart wrenching plot creates a stunning film that deserves recognition.

Female Support Emma Stone Stone portrays a fighter-pilot who monitors Brian Gilcrest (Bradley Cooper) while he takes an assignment in Oahu, Hawaii. Acting alongside Cooper could be a difficult task, but Stone holds her own. Whether it be a moment of seriousness or comic relief, Stone does a magnificent job.

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Johansson creates a powerful woman figure that kicks butt but also presents herself as a sophisticated female. She battles alongside of her crime fighting team while not holding anything back and proves she too can save the day. Johansson is a phenominal actress who deserves an award for leading the way for females in action films.

Sylvester Stallone

Animated Film

Microwave Popcorn popopopopopopop The sound of happiness. supermarkets $3-5

School should start later in the morning

Scarlett Johansson

Male Support

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Best Actress

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we’re so over not having academic assistance We have academic assistance so students can get help from their teachers, but students cannot get the help if we have successive weeks when we can’t go see our teachers because of other programming. Resource period may be the only time students are able to see their teachers and make up tests, so keeping academic assistance time benefits the students the most.

BY MAISA NOUR editor-at-large

Imagine waking up refreshed and unbothered by the fact that you have to go to school. Yes it seems a bit far fetched to be unbothered by going to school but an hour or two in the morning could mean everything.

Students coming in after a possible all nighter studying for a test, after hours of practice, club activites or any other extracirrcular could potentially lose their focus for the first few classes of the day.

Now I’m not saying start school at noon, all I’m asking is some consideration when it comes to schedules.

Many students carry after school jobs along with multiple AP courses in order to become “successful.” Having to wake up around 6 a.m. every day can be extremely draining when you slept at one or two in the morning.

So students lose the benefits of their morning classes because they are humans who need sleep to function.

This also leads to the horrible down-fall of some students GPAs. Getting some students to focus on a good night sleep is hard enough, so imagine what happens to those who are coming in through CPHS doors on three or four hours of sleep.

Then when students try to fix this issue with taking unhealthy amounts of coffee they are ridiculed for it.

Is there no way to win?

I personally take at least two cups of coffee every morning just to make sure I am not falling asleep on the drive to school. So telling me to get eight hours of sleep, get four hours of homework done, be social, join clubs and wake up refreshed for school is just plain wrong.

Some may read this and think I am just ranting and acting childish because I am not taking into account the school day requirements.

Yes I am aware that we have to be in this place for a certain amount of time by law.

But who said we couldn’t just push the hours to later on in the day?

Waking up around eight a.m. and starting school around nine. Is that so much to ask?

Just imagine how happy everyone would be if we had a two hour delay everyday.

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people february 29, 2016

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Man Simran Sandhu Medicinal motivation Since I was little I wanted to go into the medical field, and last year I decided I wanted to be a pharmacist.

PHOTOS BY BRANDEN DWYER

Senior Micayla Watroba develops her second novel at the Crown Point High School library which is anticipated to be published at a later date this year.

Across the sea

Watroba finds outlet for emotions in creative writing

The most exciting thing to happen to me was moving from India to the United States because I have more opportunities here.

Writing herself into recovery

BY ALEXIA WOJCIECHOWSKI DESTINY KOGLER reporter artist

Her story started in the doctor’s room. At only age seven, she learned she had leukemia, a type of cancer that hinders the body’s ability to fight infection. Senior Micayla Watroba underwent years of chemo, enduring the treatment from her doctors and the bullying from her peers. After two and half years, her cancer was gone, but the scars of bullying still affected her in her adolescence. Watroba decided to prescribe herself her own form of treatment: writing.

“I was running out of books to read, so instead of finding more, I decided to start writing,” Watroba said.

After years of battling bullies and cancer, Watroba had enough to write thousands of words, each one filled with her personal experience of pain and sadness.

“When I first started writing, I was taking all the pain from enduring bullying and cancer, and everything was just thrown onto the page. The writing was so violent and harsh because that’s how I was feeling,” Watroba said.

Eventually, Watroba’s writing evolved into something bigger than just her expressing her emotions on a page. She started to write a

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Who would you be if you were a celebrity for a day?

novel that centered around the main character transforming into a better version of herself.

“It centers around this girl who starts out on her own because her parents died. She is in the foster system and has also endured bullying at school. Eventually, she grows into a leader who leads a group of people to deflect a war. She grows into such a strong person, and I hope that is how people see me and my growth as a person,” Watroba said.

Watroba’s book, Reckless Abandon, was published Nov. 9, 2014, but she had battled herself on which method of publishing she would choose. The choice to work with a publisher or to self-publish her story was a decision she grappled with for months, but eventually, her choice became something very personal to her.

“I chose to self-publish. When you go to a publisher, they get some of the rights from your book. I did not want that. It is my book.

I worked hard to get it done, so I wanted to make sure that all the rights and profits went to me,” Watroba said.

Self-publishing websites have a reputation for being unreliable, so Watroba insisted on researching and finding a website she trusted.

She eventually settled on The Book Patch, a website designed to allow authors to self-pub-

“I’d be Nicki Minaj because I think she is so pretty and talented.”

“I’d be DJ Khaled because I’d be able to say anything I want on social media and still have people follow me.”

Leah Bruce

Alex Tavrides

Senior

Sophomore

lish their writing and other art.

“I spent probably two weeks looking at it before deciding anything. I can self-publish writing and upload pictures to put into my book also,” Watroba said.

Watroba’s next novel, The Purest Heroine, is set to be published by her graduation this year. However, after high school, Watroba does not plan to go into writing, but plans on going to college to become a teacher.

“I really love working with kids, and I really want to be an elementary school teacher.

Writing as an occupation is so hit or miss. If you think about how many books are published each year, the amount of authors that actually get any recognition for it is very minimal. I would love to [write], but I can’t since, a lot like art, you never know if you’ll get any acknowledgement or not,” Watroba said.

However, Watroba does not plan on stopping writing. She hopes to combine her writing skills to help benefit her as a teacher in the future.

“Teachers a lot of times, when they first start out, are not making a lot of money. I would love to have some sort of blog that will help to bring some money in. That way I can actually end up paying for things for my classroom,” Watroba said.

“I’d be Selena Gomez because she is pretty and awesome. She’s a great actress and a singer.”

“I’d be Chris Evans because I’ve watched all of his movies and I love his style of acting.”

Marija Todoroska

Ethan Renstrom

Freshman

Junior

Hope for change If I could change anything about the world, I would make everyone equal. A world without hate.

Basketcase My favorite sport since I started watching T.V. is basketball. I play it everyday.

On the road My ideal road trip would be from Alaska to South America going down the Pan American highway, so I can see all of America.

“I’d be Beyoncé because she is queen, and she has a great life and a cute kid.”

Sarah Valtierra Freshman

“I’d be Leo DiCaprio because he is old school cool and does a lot for charity.”

Joey Karczewski Senior