Inklings march 2016 by CPHS Inklings

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Crown Point High School @InklingsCPHS March 24. 2016 Vol. 80 Issue 7

2 -3

hours for a single drink to leave the body.

Underage intoxication causes more than legal consequences BY JACKIE HAM NATALIE BRIGHAM

http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/ publications/Underage-

feature editor editor-in-chief

Drinking/UnderageFact.htm

In 2011

188,000

people under

age 21 visited emergency rooms for

alcohol-related injuries.

More than

1/5

of youth begin

drinking before the age of 13. https://www.dosomething.org/facts/11facts-about-teens-and-alcohol

35%

of teens have had at least one drink.

65%

By age 18 of teens have had at least one drink. http://toosmarttostart.samhsa.gov/teens/ facts/myths.aspx

Read about the boys’ basketball team’s run to the Elite Eight on page 12.

WASTED potential

It takes

By age 15

It all starts with one drink. The intoxicating properties are capable of consuming thoughts and leaving one with high blood pressure and an intense aroma lingering on his or her tongue. It is well known that alcohol impairs normal brain functions causing simple activities to turn treacherous within seconds. A night of celebration and laughter can come with consequences all stemming from the alcohol consumed earlier that evening. While it has been cited that alcohol consumption in teens has gone down, schools in the area have had issues in recent years. Lake Central had an incidence at one of their proms where several students came to the dance under the influence of alcohol. They were all seniors, and all were expelled from school. Because they were seniors, they all had to attend summer school due to the credits they lost from their spring semester. Assistant Principal Robert McDermott was employed at Lake Central during the prom incident and was associated with the enforcement of the current breath test system. This inculdes testing the breath of students entering the dance to ensure they are not under the influence of alcohol. The decision was made in 2008 and since that time, no one has been caught inebriated at any of LC’s school dances. The breath test allowed administration to manage students’ behavior while entering and exiting the dance.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY NATALIE BRIGHAM

“We knew as a school we had no control of what happened after the dance. But we knew we wanted students to arrive to our location not being under the influence and leave our location not being under the influence, and we were able to accomplish that,” McDermott said. While LC has implemented such procedures to control the intake of alcohol before school dances, Crown Point High School has no mandatory ruling regarding breathalyzing during school sanctioned events. If a student shows signs of intoxication in any particular situation, officers present at the time have portable breath tests and are allowed to test anyone they believe may be under the influence. Testing positive for alcohol consumption while attending any school wide event will result in con-

sequences handled by administration. The punishments may vary, but being intoxicated anywhere at a CPHS event is a violation of the school’s code of conduct. “Whether it’s at Valparaiso High School or the Halls of St. George for prom, they are all extensions of Crown Point High School, so in that case, the student code of conduct is in effect,” McDermott said. “Whatever would happen there, and (since) drugs and alcohol are zero tolerance, they would be suspended and possibly recommended for an expulsion from school.” While alcohol consumption for minors may lead to academic repercussions and legal trouble, it is known to cause physical harm. Alcohol hinders many simple bodily functions and operations. Michelle Nizam has worked as an emergency

room nurse for 22 years and has witnessed the issues alcohol presents in teens. Nizam recounted numerous occasions in which teen drinking impacted her life in the ER. One account that she remembers vividly was a drunken teenage boy and his intoxicated friends taking a limo on prom night where the teenage boy attempted to surf on top of the limo. The limo was going 40 mph, and the teenage boy fell off and endured severe head injuries resulting in the loss of his life. The image of his parents mourning the loss of their son is etched in her brain forever. Nizam sees about 1,200 cases a year regarding alcohol issues relating to teens. Every year around prom season and spring break, numbers of cases brought into the ER tend to go up. See alcohol on page 3

*Names of students have been changed for this story.

Feature

News They came, saw and conquered Latin club wins state convention for 12 years in a row page

A&E

Destination “the Region” Staying home for spring break doesn’t have to be boring page

Coding for the crown Freshman Daniyaal Rasheed wins Google coding competition page

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news march 24 , 2016

Latin club conquers at convention

intheknow Three Inklings seniors honored at symposium

PHOTO PROVIDED

Latin club poses with their awards at the annual state convention held at Indiana University. Students competed against other Indiana schools in academic testing, graphic arts, creative arts and spirit contests to win the overall sweepstakes.

Crown Point delegates take first place at state BY ALLY REKITZKE

co-chief photographer

For 12 consecutive years, Latin club has won their state convention. This year they received 47 first place trophies, 244 top five placing awards and 2,774 points to win state once more. Crown Point Latin club competed in the 63rd annual Junior Classical League State Convention at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana, on March 11 and 12. Forty-seven Latin club members went to state to compete in various events. State includes events like academic testing, graphic and creative arts along with games and activities. “There are graphic arts which are like art projects that all center around Greek or Roman. They have creative arts which are like performances so speeches. There’s academic testing,” Latin Club sponsor Sara Wietbrock said. “There are applicants who run for offices. There are basic general assemblies where we do spirit stuff, so we cheer and get points for that. There are educational things where they can learn

something, and then there are also some games and activities where they can learn a classical game, things like that.” Individual Achievement Trophies are given in the areas of Graphic Arts, Creative Arts and Academic Testing. Seniors Luke Perrin, Susie Szymanski, Emily Fender and junior Claire Dosen all received a trophy. Szymanski was also awarded the Eileen Johnson scholarship. “It’s actually my third (academic achievement trophy), so I have a bit of a streak since freshman year going. I wouldn’t say that I went in expecting it, but I definitely knew it was within reach if I worked for it,” Dosen said. In certamen, a Jeopardy-style game, all three of Crown Point’s teams advanced to the final round in their respective levels. The intermediate team placed second while the novice and advanced teams placed first. In addition to winning the overall sweepstakes trophy for large chapters, Latin club earned the first place trophy in the publicity contest, Delegate Spirit, the Helen Wampler Spirit Award, chapter T-shirt and

scrapbooks. They also placed first for the Sharon Gibson Community Service Award, which is based on the service activities the club does throughout the year. “The publicity contest is actually a binder we put together, but it tracks all the stuff we do throughout the year. The main goal of it is to publicize Latin so that the world knows what Latin is and so Latin doesn’t die out in our school systems,” Wietbrock said. Two students were elected into the league as Indiana Junior Classical League Officers. Sophomore Hannah Walley was elected as the 2016-2017 editor, and junior Casey Akers was elected 2016-2017 president by the schools who participated in the convention. Akers will be responsible for leading the state delegation, planning Fall Latin Day, running state board meetings and managing the annual membership campaign starting May 1. “I was really excited when I was elected,” Akers said. “It means that I could really help the people who I consider my second family.”

Seniors Sam Barloga, Natalie Brigham and Dylan Wallace were recognized at Indiana’s capital building on March 15 for their journalistic achievements. Bargola and Brigham were named as Indiana State Journalist of the Year finalists, and Wallace earned an honorable mention in a state sports writing competition.

Riley Dance Marathon April 8 in field house

The annual Riley Dance Marathon will be hosted by Student Council on April 8, 2016 from 4-9 p.m. in the field house. Student Council representatives will be collecting donations leading up to the event; all the proceeds collected will go towards Riley children’s hospital. See Colleen Fano in room C114 for additional information.

Students and teachers to battle in Student vs. Teacher Olympics

The annual student vs. teacher Olympics will be held on April 14 from 5:307:30 p.m. in the main gym. There will be dodgeball, hula hoop, basketball, volleyball, home run derby, pie eating, tug of war and minute to win it events. The cost is $5 for spectators, and all of the proceeds are going towards the Northwest Indiana Cancer Kids, or NICK Foundation.

Pulse starts pantry to collect toiletry items for peers in need BY JILL KIDDER

co-chief photographer

In an attempt to be more conscious of student needs, studentled organization Pulse has created a new program called the Student Store—a place where students can donate items, such as toiletries, to other students in need. Assistant Principal and Pulse’s head sponsor Russ Marcinek believes that the donating pantry will make a difference in students’ lives.

“The student could go and get these items for free. They don’t have to worry about getting them from somewhere else,” Marcinek said. “The idea is to make a difference and mainly to give back to others, to let people who are in need know that this is a friendly school, and that if they do need something, it’s available for them.” The store serves as an opportunity for students to gain access to necessities they do not have

April

School resumes Welcome back! We’ll see you at 7:35 a.m.

6 All City Choir Concert

available to them. If a student needs a toiletry item, he or she could go to a counselor, administrator or teacher and request said item. Once the item is donated, the guidance counselor would call them down to the office and give the item in the privacy of the office. “We don’t want to make anyone feel uncomfortable; we want them to understand that this is for the entire student body, and they shouldn’t be ashamed to ask

13 Half day

23 Prom

for help if needed,” Marcinek said. The original idea was presented by junior Bryan Hatami. He recalled a personal experience that inspired him to lead this pantry. “When I was younger, my brother had a friend whose mom was never home, and he didn’t have food or deodorant,” Hatami said. “He couldn’t wash his clothes because he didn’t have any of that. He started living with us, and I thought there might be oth-

27 NHS Induction Ceremony

er kids like that in Crown Point.” The Student Store is open for any student to donate and will start after spring break. Students can begin to contribute now to the donation bin in the bookstore. The donating pantry is planned to be continued in years to come. “We’re looking to make this a permanent fixture at Crown Point High School,” Marcinek said. “It (will become) a part of what we do.”

countdown until Memorial Day

39 school days countdown until last day of school

41 school days

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news march 24, 2016

Round two

Academic Super Bowl team takes DAC for second consecutive year BY MAISA NOUR editor-at-large

Having only been recognized recently, the Academic Super Bowl have made their mark as two year consecutive DAC champions. For club sponsor and math teacher Jason McGee, bringing Academic Super Bowl to life was his goal, upon coming to Crown Point High School. “Before I took charge of it, no one really took it seriously, and we never really went to any type of competitions,” McGee said. “Even in the beginning, it was hard to get people to join, because no one really knew what it was. After teaching for a while, I was able to recruit some of my smartest students, and that’s when we really began to go to competitions and win awards.” PHOTO BY BRANDEN DWYER This past month Academic Super Bowl Seniors Blake Kanoy, Joey Krampen and John Sakaleros compete in annual DAC competition went to Valparaiso High School, VHS, at Valparaiso High School. to attend the annual DAC competition. CPHS has been collecting awards, at the “I was happy, with how we performed, as many subjects as possible, so those are DAC’s ,for the past three years; and contin- especially in math and interdisciplinary. definitely my goals moving forward.” ued their streak, with another win, this past We have some room for improvement in First year Academic Super Bowler Paul competition. science, but I am confident we’ll get there,” Dawley believes competing is a great way Senior John Sakaleros believes their Sakaleros said. “Going forward, my hopes for students to further their education. past competition at VHS went well but are to do well, in the area competition and “It (Academic Super Bowl) shows a thinks there will always be room for imwin overall, as well as to qualify for state in love and interest for learning especially if provement in the near future.

you do well in school,” Dawley said. When it comes to joining Academic Super Bowl, students can either go to call out meetings or can be recruited by McGee. “I usually recruit from my math classes, looking for students I know can do well in the competitions,” McGee said. Being a part of the team requires students’ commitment to study and understand the material they will be tested on, at competitions. “Students, who are on the team are usually students who excel in their classes, and those are usually the ones that do the best,” McGee said. “You can’t be on the team and not take the time to study the material and prepare before a meet. Just how athletes have to practice day in and day out. That’s how you bring back the awards.” Sakaleros believes finding a balance between school and extracurriculars can be difficult; but considers it to be well worth it in the end. “The most challenging part of it all is probably finding the time to study and make sure you know everything you need for the competition along with all the other schoolwork that you have to do,” Sakaleros said. “With other extracurriculars added onto that, it can be tough, but if you put in the work, it’s worth the success, in the end.”

alcohol continued from p.1 According to Nizam teens tend to attribute celebrations with drinking, and during these times, teens may drink more than they would normally, causing serious harm, to their bodies. Some alcohol effects, on the body are only short term hazards; while others may be detrimental, for future years. Nizam says studies show that those, who drink, during their teenage years have a higher risk of becoming an alcoholic, in adulthood. Long term drinkers are more susceptible to certain types of cancers. Other risks may include weight gain, diabetes and high blood pressure. Consuming too much alcohol for years on end may also cause trauma to certain fundamental organs, within the body. “Alcohol has a negative effect on many parts of the body, including...the brain, liver, gastrointestinal system (esophagus and stomach) and endocrine system (hormones),” Nizam said. “Alcohol is considered a depressant, so it slows down the function of the brain and spinal cord. It blocks messages trying to get to the brain. This will alter perceptions, movement, vision and hearing.” Yet despite the physical and legal conse-

charges. Being caught, in possession, of alcohol under the age of 21 in Indiana may result in fines up to $500 or the suspension of one’s license. Also, Nizam says that accidents due to intoxication may result in hospital attention costing the victim up to $20,000. McDermott is aware that students unfortunately partake in utilizing drugs and alcohol on occasion and says that his experience has affected his thinking. For this reason, McDermott is in favor for adopting breath testing policies similar to Lake Central’s. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with our process right now, but I think going to that next step guarantees that you don’t have anything going on. I think schools typically wait until there’s a relatively big incident to implement it. I think that tends to happen a lot-- schools tend to wait before changing protocol,” McDermott said. “We’ve never had that. We’ve never changed our protocol here. Would I be in favor of it? Yes because I think it works because I’ve been a part of it. I think my experiences sway my thought process on it.”

‘‘

I think that art is pretty important. If they build these statues, then it will make Crown Point seem more interesting, and more people will Kaylynn Klein freshman come.

Student reaction to events in our world

Two pipe bombs exploded in March in the town of Madison, Indiana. One targeted Jefferson County Superior Court judge Mike Hensley, and one across the street of the Madison Police Department. Authorities believe the criminal justice system is being targeted.

‘‘

That’s crazy. That is a little too close. I hope that doesn’t happen here. I hope everyone stays safe and is okay.

Jurnee Baublitz sophomore

Trump’s Mar. 11 Chicago rally was shut down by protestors opposing Trump’s presidential campaign. The rally was canceled by Trump’s campaign, citing safety concerns posed by protesters.

‘‘

I think Trump’s rally being shut down was kind of a rash decision, but I’m glad everyone was safe and no one was seriously injured. Jessica Barclay junior

World

Crown Point’s Redevelopment commission approved an $18,000 budget to cover the costs of promoting the Seward Johnson Sculpture Display. The display consists of 11 life-size sculptures and a 31.5 foot tall sculpture of Abe Lincoln.

parties or events containing mass amounts of people, some students resort to alcohol during times of despair. This is how Bob Johnson* got into the habit of drinking. Johnson started drinking during his freshman year. When he drinks, he says he does not think about how it affects him in that moment because it gives him a significant increase in confidence, which is his biggest thrill. While growing up, his view on drinking has changed, and he now sees how it may alter his future. “I feel as though my life could have been easier had I not started drinking, and I wouldn’t have been in as many difficult situations. It saddens me when I see freshmen and sophomores start drinking because I know that they have the possibility of going down the same path that I did,” Johnson said. “Alcohol has complicated my life in high school, and I can only hope that it doesn’t have as much of an impact, on my adulthood.” While health class warns students of the effects drinking has on the body, most do not inform them about the legal costs that accompany it, and those legal consequences often times equate to monetary

Nation

news

State

Area

views on

quences, underage drinking is still occuring in the community, and CPHS students find themselves, with a drink, in hand. Mary Doe* has been drinking, since she was 14 years old. Doe knows the consequences that come along with drinking, but they do not worry her. “I’m very aware of how it destroys my brain and body. In fact, it can destroy a lot more than that. I believe that my body is going to deteriorate anyway, so I don’t think too much about it,” Doe said. While Doe says she does not drink much anymore because she fears becoming an alcoholic, she does enjoy the occasional drink, within a social setting. John Smith* also drinks at social events; unlike Doe, he does not feel the need to quit. He believes there is a problem only when one cannot have fun while sober. “I’m not someone that has to drink every weekend, so if I needed to, I could stop,” Smith said. “I don’t want to feel that the only way to have fun is by getting drunk, so as long as I can still have fun sober, I do not feel the need to stop.” While alcohol is usually associated with

Belgian authorities raided a building on Mar. 15 to capture two terror suspects linked to the Nov. 15 terror attacks. One suspect died in a gunfight with authorities and one escaped, four officers were wounded.

‘‘

Terrorism is huge. This guy shouldn’t be allowed to escape. People should work together for peace and should pursue these terrorist, at Cameron Watson any costs. senior

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opinion march 24, 2016

Don’t end the year with unresolved drama

speakup

LA AC TIO A A Fa c NS mi aD ly dE MiHcIIPS Hea Hea life eAm lth lth thl C sH S y L eti ap y Bra ife cs py C in are Ha ers L bi i f t F e

How does substance abuse affect students’ lives?

BY KATIE PAWLOWSKI editor-at-large

After spring break we only have about two months left of school. That’s it. In two months, the seniors will be done with high school and preparing for college. The juniors will become the big bad seniors. The sophomores will become upperclassmen. And the freshmen will no longer be the youngest in the high school. The point is we are all big boys and girls so let’s not waste the last two months bickering over little things that aren’t going to be relevant in the future. Besides whatever is so important at this moment that you have to constantly worry and argue about is not going to be a concern this summer, next year or ever. Especially for us seniors, this is the last time you’ll see a majority of your fellow classmates before we transition to college and make new friends. Even as we move on to bigger and better things, that’s no reason to burn bridges and end friendships because of petty drama. Leaving high school with bad blood and unresolved tensions is just not the way you should end your high school chapter. For the juniors, sophomores and freshman you’re going to be with the people around you until you graduate. Make your high school experience fun by going out and trying new things around the school or town. Do you really want to spend your high school years worrying about who said what or do you want to spend time enjoying it while you can? Who knows, you may realize what you’re arguing over is insignificant to the friendship you spent time creating. This isn’t anything new, we learned how to talk and apologize for things when we were in kindergarten. It’s not worth it to spend time and energy fighting when the issue is so small. We only have a limited time left together, and it should be spent making memories rather than tearing each other down with our words and actions. Drama doesn’t need to be a part of our lives if we don’t want it to be. We can choose to not let ridiculous issues come between friendships, and we have the ability to talk and mend relationships when needed. Forgive and forget it’s time to be mature and move on.

CARTOON BY ABBY SOBEK

freshman

“Substance abuse, like smoking, effects how your lungs will work and how you run. Basically your ability to perform that task during a game.”

iew: Drinking’s

consequences exceed physical harm

From a young age we have been learning of the effects of drugs and alcohol from the mouth of a cartoon lion. The irony of the situation, though, is that drug and alcohol use is much more serious than a fluffy lion. The drug abuse resistance education program, or D.A.R.E., in elementary school was put in effect with the hope to educate children of the effects of drugs and alcohol. While the D.A.R.E. program has been successful for lessening the presence of heavy drinking and drinking and driving, a lesser discussed reality is that even casual drinking comes with a long term price. As the weather gets warmer spring break and prom are nearing. Spring break begins tomorrow, a vacation renowned for its connection to parties, drugs and alcohol-- an itinerary that calls for the reiteration of the lion’s teachings. For many, spring break is a celebration for surviving nine weeks worth of school, but is this week long celebration worth a lifetime of consequences? While both drugs and alcohol provide a temporary euphoric rush in their own respects, they can cause harm and damage to the body on a chemical level. In some cases, it can cause permanent liver damage, brain cell loss, increased risk for lung cancer, tooth loss and other various repercussions depending on the substance. This is only the beginning of the possible lifelong side effects. The physical health effects may rival the social consequences. Job loss, expulsion, arrestment or while driving intoxicated, vehicular manslaughter, are all very real possibilities in this day and age. All of these repercussions can persist for a lifetime and easily derail plans and aspirations for an aspiring, underaged student. What that future holds, whether that be college, a career, a trade or military, can all be foiled in the face of drinking. It doesn’t take a lifetime of heavy drinking and drugs. It doesn’t take a year. All it takes is one time. One drink at a party or on vacation. It would be wise to recollect the teachings of Daren the lion. While it is easy to get caught up in the exuberant rush of upcoming festivities, it is easy to lose sight of the oncoming future-- a future that is directly dependent on the decisions made now.

editorial

ink

Enrique Jimenez

Vol. 80 Issue 6 March 24, 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

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

Leha Lianaestes sophomore

“They do random testing in jobs, so if you are doing drugs you can get caught and fired and won’t be able to support yourself or your family. In college, you can be kicked out.”

Graham Votaw junior

“If a parent is too drugged up to take care of their kids then kids are forced to grow up early, and the kids can’t handle that stress.”

Hailey Bengston senior

“In academics, I feel like substance abuse will kill your brain cells, and it will effect the way that you think.”

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 march 24, 2016

Does technology hinder social skills? Blake

Messages

Details

Trump rally recipe for disaster

i like u

Whut?? BY JEREMY DEBOLD

Delete! Delete! Forget that message

reporter

CARTOON BY DESTINY KOGLER

Pro:

Con:

Technology needs to be handled correctly to avoid miscommunication

Technology does not limit communications due to new platforms

reporter

copy editor

BY ANDREW GIANFERMI

BY LAUREN MASSOW

The world is evolving into a more robotic place. Technology that seemed science fiction 40 years ago is now as commonplace as the air we breathe. From the development of computers to social media, people are interacting in ways never before seemed available to the common man. However, this advancement of technology has begun to warp how we interact. People say that technology helps people who are not able to usually interact with people. This, however, isn’t the case. It doesn’t increase socialization. The virtual world is an entirely different zone compared to the outside world. Therefore there are different rules and holes in interaction that wouldn’t be found in a face to face conversation. Someone could spend hours in a chat room yet still be unable to muster up the courage to have the ability to talk to people in real life. What this does is create shut ins, who instead of being able to address the very thing making them anxious are locked in a cycle of fear and what if’s. Some people will not be able to form intimate relationships or manipulate others. The MTV series, Catfish, where people are lead on by fake accounts with equally scared people on the other end, is a great example of this. Instead of embracing the flawed world by letting their freak flag fly and trying to let someone accept them for who they are, the catfishers often are trying to fit the mold that other people define as perfect. A lofty goal for even those closest to it. Often cell phones, computers and social media make people dependent on technology. Whether it be simple calculations or carrying around a smartphone technology can inhibit people’s learning ability as it also improves it. There are only so many times someone can use a device before the battery dies out. After this happens you have to rely on your wit and personal knowledge. However, the costant use of technology makes people relient on machines, where the human mind would typically be used. Of course we shouldn’t break our backs chopping down trees, or other jobs made efficient by machines, but we shouldn’t allow machines to guess on what person we should spend the rest of our life with based on a cold algorithm. Just because your phone has a light don’t think that alone it will lead you through this dark world.

Even though our parents feel like they’re fighting the battle between our screen time and face time, in this age of technology there are benefits relating to a person’s social skills. People prone to social anxiety may be concerned with face-to-face interactions with others, but technology can eliminate this fear. People are able to communicate freely without worrying about what they have to say, due to having total control of their response time. They can interact in an online environment to a degree that is comfortable to them. One does not have to worry about awkward conversations that they may experience in person. Online, someone can just choose not to respond. Before we became an “on demand” society where we could send a text whenever, conversations were limited face-to-face communication. With advanced technology, multiple conversations can take place at once. A group of people can talk to one another without the struggle of coordinating in person. While some think that technology limits faceto-face communication, it actually enhances it. With technology such as Skype, a person can talk to people from not only in their region but from all over the world. This is great for education purposes because one can become more cultured from their experiences of talking topeople from other states or countries. Through social media, one can learn about their peers in a new light out of school. What one person sees as an acquaintance at school could be completely different from what they are like outside of school. One may learn that a peer who is quiet in the classroom is actually outgoing and enjoys adventurous activities. Technology allows students to be more in touch with their peers. If someone doesn’t have the contact information for another student, technology enables students to direct message someone to contact them instead of calling or texting that person. Technology has given us new opportunities as a whole. It has expanded learning, not limited it. Technology has increased the boundaries set for communication. One can now talk to multiple people at once even if they are halfway across the continent. Don’t let people take away the benefits from FaceTiming for multiple hours at a time.

15 Inklings staffers agree

9 Inklings staffers agree Vince Lewis

Sam Kekelik

“No, it promotes social skills in a modern context by giving people new avenues to connect with different people.”

“Yes, it effects it a lot. Especially with social media because if students do have it they are less connected with the outside world.”

Susan Mendor

social studies

mathematics

“I feel like it can because when we use technology to communicate, we don’t get the tone of the message and social skills.”

Blake King

sophomore

“No because either way you still get communication online through social media.”

After attending businessman and real-estate mogul Donald Trump’s political rally in Chicago, it was difficult to keep from wondering who in line was there to support Trump, who was standing in line to protest and who just wanted to see the show. One person in line shouted to those next to him, “We are going to be Trump supporters right up until he gets on stage, then he’ll see.” After waiting in a line that stretched along countless corners, the tension was painstakingly obvious. TSA and Secret Service agents manned the doors, checking every nook and cranny of peoples’ wallets, phones and purses, scanning visitors with metal detectors and even patdowns if necessary. Recent Trump rallies have been painted as ludicrous madhouses, but after visiting the Trump rally in Chicago, underneath the fury and rage there is a gloom. Ralliers voiced concerns of terror threats like ISIL and al-Qaeda, genuine concerns about the future of the country and the people who lead it-- the fears carelessly quelled by skewed, grandiose messages of grassroots patriotism and strength. Waiting in line, one rallier said, “Who else can we vote for? At least Trump tells it like it is.” Rally attendees had an aura of hopelessness, and it was painted on their faces. It was clear this was more than just a show or a rally. It was a tinderbox stuffed with angst, disheartenment and blind muscle. The rally uncovered something else, the United States’ dark past of segregation and lack of education on others’ race, culture and religion as if it were a mass convergence of people that knew only half the story. AfricanAmerican protestors bickered with the mostly white, middle-age rally attendees, blaming “whiteprivilege” for racial divide and called out Trump as a role model for it. Xenophobia--the fear of people from other countries-- was rampant; ralliers openly said things like “Muslims and refugees might be terrorists,” “Immigrants are criminals” and “immigrants are stealing our jobs” showing their support for Trump’s plans restrict immigration from Mexico and Middle-Eastern countries. The political rally, which was supposed to put Donald Trump on a pedestal, shined a spotlight of scrutiny on the American people. This was not “Making America great again,” but rather, it is demonstrating that America still needs fixing. We are an America divided.

feature march 24, 2016

i on life

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experiencing a different perspective

Battling body image

External and internal factors contribute to creation of ideal image among all ages BY MARIA LEONTARAS

arts & entertainment editor

Whether it be in a window, a stainless steel appliance or a mirror, one always takes an opportunity to glance at his or her reflection. That reflection can bring happiness to its viewer or it can cause a desire for change based on the viewer’s ideal body image. Body image is one’s view of his or her body shape, size and attractiveness. The development of this image begins at a young age and continues throughout adolescence. “A child internalizes messages he or she receives first from family and caregivers. As someone enters adolescence, he or she pays more close attention to feedback from peers, using others’ opinions as a mirror and is prone to developing a negative body image if teased or differences are pointed out,” school psychologist Kathryn Huls said. Taking the influences one has received during adolescence can result in a push towards what they deem as the perfect body image. For sophomore Morgan Chacon, the ideal body image is simply a reflection of what she has done. “I want my body image to reflect how hard I’ve worked at my sport and really I just want to feel healthy,” Chacon said. Similarly, junior Shelby Byrne strives for an image that she can be happy with disregarding what others may think. To her, personal satisfaction outweighs the opinions of others. “My ideal body image is probably just being happy with how I feel,” Byrne said. “Yeah, I want to be toned and look good (for my) public image, but if I’m happy with how I feel, then I’m happy with my body.” Some simply choose to maintain a certain body image solely for themselves while others choose to strive for an image that would appeal to a significant other. One such person is senior Alec Fletes, who takes possible opinions of others into account when striving for his particular body image. “Ideally, I’d like a toned body, no fat,” Fletes said. “What influences (my body image) is probably some girls. I hear girls wanting a guy that’s fit and toned, and I kind of want to go for that.” For some, it is those who surround them as well as the constant presence of the media that influences their ideal image. The media plays a definite role in the influencing of society’s decisions, and many view it as an unrealistic reference for unattainable perfection. “My ideal body image would be somewhat

The #

7-in-10 girls believe they do not measure up in some way including their looks

90% of girls ages 15-17 want to change at least one aspect of their physical appearance

similar to the Rock or Terry Crews,” junior Renz Buenavista said. “What influenced me was that a lot of people are obsessed with being really muscular and really toned. Some girls aren’t really into that, but to me, always growing up, I’ve been influenced to be macho through my experience in martial arts, TV and magazines.” Huls also sees the emphasis placed on body image in society, stating that society conditions people to care about their body images. This can ultimately damage mental health. “A negative or distorted body image may affect a student’s mood, confidence level, willingness to interact with others and eating habits, particularly if a student is restricting food intake. A distorted body image can lead to significant eating disorders,” Huls said. Though there is little one can do to change how they look, there is still a healthy way to alter one’s appearance. Physical education teacher Chris Seibert never saw his body image as an issue while in high school. After he graduated and his participation in athletics dwindled, Seibert realized he needed to change. “When I no longer was competing in sports on a regular basis, I had struggled with weight issues and was not happy with my body image. I eventually made a conscious choice to change my lifestyle and start eating healthier and working out on a regular basis,” Seibert said. “I have been able to improve my body image and more importantly to me, improve my overall level of health over the past five years.” While his achievement of a healthier image was not directly influenced by TV and magazines, Seibert recognizes that these factors are significant to forming one’s ideal body image. “(Body image) can be influenced by television or media, your friends or colleagues or your individual pre-conceived notions as to what the ideal body image is,” Seibert said. “Many students have unrealistic views of what an ideal body image is as a result of the media and the promotion of certain ideal body images.” Seibert believes that seeking out an ideal body image can serve to motivate one to live a healthy life, but it is important to set realistic expectations for oneself, acknowledging that pushing oneself too far for an unrealistic image can result in eating disorders or other health related issues. “The biggest piece of advice I could give is that you are much better focusing on your overall health than worrying about a specific body image. All people are unique and have different body types,” Seibert said. “Body image is not a one-size-fits-all box that you can place people in. You must set realistic goals for yourself and be comfortable in your own skin.”

1/4 of girls would consider undergoing plastic surgery

12% of teenage boys are using unproven supplements and/or steroids

statistics provided by http://www.heartofleadership.org/statistics-on-body-image-self-esteem-parental-influence/

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Carrying on

feature march 24, 2016

Color guard continues season without coach BY BECCA BURKE

advertising editor

Sophomore Chloe Garces practies for the color guard’s first competition without their coach.

To an outsider, knowing that the color guard lost its coach may not be ground breaking. To the group of 15 girls who have dedicated countless hours to training, spinning and perfecting their art, quitting was not an option. “It was just a regular practice, but then I went to pick (my daughter) up. She had texted me to come in because they were ending guard,” chaperone Deanna Nowakowski said. Despite receiving the news that their coach was leaving, the color guard continued on without their coach but with a new outlook on the season. “We all still really love guard, and we all wanted to continue with all of the other people who still really wanted to continue it, for everybody in general-- we all wanted to keep it going,” senior and guard captain Maddie Canfield said. As when any team or group loses a figurehead, the next step was for the girls to figure out what their goals were. “We all wanted a better experience in guard,” senior Bree Rhodes said. “We wanted to be able to enjoy coming to practice, and it became a whole decision. We love this sport, and we really wanted to continue with it and with each other.” Nowakowski was one of the parents who took this goal head on and made it possible for the girls to continue on with their sport by becoming their chaperone. “I did color guard when I was in high school as well, so it kind of hits close to heart. I also know how these girls love doing what they’re doing,” Nowakowski said. “They love it whether it’s marching band season or its winter guard season. They truly love what they do, and what happened wasn’t fair to them.” Taking over the leadership role and stepping up was

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not a mistake for Nowakowski, especially to members like Rhodes who recognized the importance of having a familiar face in the middle of their season. “She was the one who knew the guard the best. She knew the routine of getting on and off the floor while we were at competitions. She had it down pat, and she was the one that would be able to help us,” Rhodes said. “Even though we were all still together, she understood what needed to be done and how to get us back on track.” However, simply having a chaperone and continuing with the same work wasn’t enough for the guard. Change and improvement was needed, and the captains were the ones to step up and initiate it. Nowakowski says that her captains largely are the ones to change or add to the routine where their old coach had left off. Working as a team is a major component in making these changes come together. “We’re changing anything that we think needs to be changed--any gaps or places where we’re just holding our equipment instead of actual spinning,” Canfield said. However, Canfield has found that sometimes making changes means having to juggle many things at once. “Last week we decided that I would figure out one part (of the routine) and (Sam Nowakowski) would go home and figure out another part because we all have a really busy schedule, and it gets hard,” Canfield said. Though the team did not do as well as they hoped in their most recent competition, Canfield believes that the recent changes have had a large impact on the team’s performance. “It was just a really big transition week for us, so I think as we go along we’ll fix the show and the work and get everybody on the same page,” Canfield said. According to Nowakowski, there is one thing even more important for the girls than moving on and improving with the show. “The biggest thing is for the girls to have fun and still continue to enjoy doing what they’re doing,” Nowakowski said. “(To) be able to keep color guard alive for the freshmen, sophomores and juniors in a way that they’re going to want to continue doing this.”

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feature march 24, 2016

MARCHING through

Disability Awareness Month

Best Buddies promotes friendship, acceptance BY TIFFANY CURTIS ALEXIA WOJCIECHOWSKI reporters

The student body sees them everywhere. They are playing basketball. They are having parties. They are eating together at lunch. They are the Best Buddies. They are one part exceptional learners, one part student volunteers, and together they make a team that focuses on acceptance and friendship. Crown Point High School is on its seventh year partnering with Best Buddies and is one of the only schools in Northwest Indiana to partner with the organization. According to the Best Buddies International website, its mission is to establish a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. “I think Crown Point High School is one of the few school corporations in the area that has full inclusion of all our kids that are always involved with every activity,” Liz Hanlon, one of the exceptional learners teachers and the sponsor of Best Buddies, said. March is Disability Awareness month, and the Best Buddies at Crown Point are dedicated to celebrating their commitment to friendship and kindness. Every Wednesday and Friday they wear T-shirts to advertise Disability Awareness month, but their celebration goes on far past a single month according to Hanlon.

“I really feel like Crown Point has the awareness every single day. We recognize it for a month, but I think the neat thing about CPHS is that everybody is accepting and everyone knows the kids so Crown Point does it every day. I think Best Buddies has brought that positive awareness to Disability Awareness month,” Hanlon said. Disability Awareness month allows for students with mental and developmental disabilities to be honored in a positive way not only by wearing shirts all throughout the month of March but by making them feel special and recognized. “I feel happy because people know more about me. Disability Awareness month is important to me because it makes me happy and excited,” exceptional learner Sadie Sergent said. Sergent and her Best Buddy Abby Van Prooyen, president of the Crown Point chapter of Best Buddies, have been buddies for the past year. To Van Prooyen, Best Buddies is not about focusing on differences between people but rather seeing their similarities. “It has seriously taught me that we are actually all the same with the same feelings and experiences, and the friendships and bonds you are able to make is one of my favorite parts,” Van Prooyen said. It is not only the spirit of friendship that Best Buddies invokes but the spirit of offering a helping hand and having patience that leaves lasting effects on the people involved in the organization. “It has brought me love, friendship,

acceptance. The thing that amazes me is I just see people all day long helping people. Everyone is friends and there are no differences. I’m just really proud of how all of the students and administrators and everybody in this school are so accepting of everyone,” Hanlon said. For Van Prooyen, it has given her a new perspective on life--seeing it through the eyes of different people. “It made me aware of things I would have previously been ignorant of--especially seeing different people’s challenges and obstacles they have to overcome,” Van Prooyen said. Best Buddies holds monthly events that range from a Mexican Fiesta where students bring in different Mexican dishes to a holiday movie night. According to Van Prooyen, the goal is to provide a place for all the kids to relieve stress from the classroom. Coming together once a month allows everyone to enjoy the company of friends and new people they have yet to meet since the events are open to the student body. Sergent even says that her favorite part about Best Buddies is hanging out with her friends. “You can join Best Buddies by either talking to one of the officers, going to Mrs. Hanlon in her room or directly signing up on bestbudies.org and creating an account there. Everyone is welcome to join,” Van Prooyen said.

Senior Abby Van Proyen sits with her Best Buddy Sadie Sergent. They have been buddies for the past year and love hanging out.

The world’s largest organization dedicated to ending the social, physical and economic isolation of the

200

million people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD)

Secures jobs for people with IDD, allowing them to earn an income, pay taxes, and support themselves

Educates and EMPOWERS people with and without IDD, to be leaders, public speakers and advocates

MERRILLVILLE Michael Bauner 4450 E. US 30 Merrillville, IN 46410

General Manager

219-947-3325 Fax 219-942-2530

www.toyotaofmerrillville.com email: mbauner@toyotaon30.com

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feature march 24, 2016

Shaving for the cure

PHOTOS BY ALLY REKITZKE

www.teamhondaon30.com

Crown Point residents shave their heads on March 17 at the firehouse for the annual St. Baldrick’s event. St. Balrick’s donates all the proceeds to childhood cancer research.

Community gathers in St.Baldrick’s annual head shaving event BY AUDREY GACSY advertising editor

What began as competition between friends over a decade ago has evolved into a life changing charity that has helped in the fight to conquer childhood cancer. In a restaurant in New York City, three friends decided to start the trend in making a difference. Ever since March 17, 2000, people across the country have taken the leap towards the cure and have gotten their heads shaved for St. Baldrick’s. Colonel John Wheeler Middle School LRE teacher Kate Perschon proves just how close to home childhood cancer really is. Her son, Drew, was diagnosed with Stage four Neuroblastoma at just 22 months old. Three stem cell transplants, five rounds of chemotherapy and 20 rounds of radiation later, Drew is a healthy ten-year-old honors student deeply involved in sports. “We felt like if we were blessed enough to get to keep Drew, we had an obligation to use our bad experience for good and give back,” Perschon said. In 2009 the Perschon family started the Northwest Indiana Cancer Kids Foundation, otherwise known as NICK. With the help of organizations like St. Baldrick’s, NICK has been able to help over 100 families in our area dealing with the struggles of childhood cancer.

“A few years ago, we raised around $50,000 at one of our St. Baldrick’s events. The President of the organization, Chuck Chamness, came. He was the most social person, just sitting with the families and talking to them, making them feel like they were family. It was so special to see someone just sit with these struggling families and have a cup of coffee,” Perschon said. “He was there to really listen.” According to Perschon, her favorite part is just seeing the people involved. “Watching a family hold hands and get their heads shaved for a child they lost is the most touching, impactful thing. It’s something you never forget,” Perschon said. People from all aspects of life take part in the monumental step to going bald for childhood cancer, some include students at CPHS. Sophomore Emily Carlin is on her third round of going completely bald for the cause. “Cancer runs in my family. My aunt battled cancer for eight years before she passed away. I shaved my head for the first time before she passed away, and again right after,” Carlin said. In the past, Carlin’s efforts have even influenced others to participate. She’s also been able to make connections with the families and cancer patients involved with St. Baldrick’s.

“The second time I participated, my best friend did it with me. That year I was able to raise $900, so it was a really big deal for me. Over the years, I’ve even gotten close to some of the families, which makes it that much better,” Carlin said. This year at CPHS, a group of students had their own friendly competition, each having someone else’s picture on the bag. Whoever’s face was on the bag with the largest amount of money had to shave their head. St. Baldrick’s has given people the opportunity to support the research of childhood cancer. According to the Kids versus Cancer organization, the average age of death for a child diagnosed with cancer is only eight, meaning that an average of 69 years is lost. Cristine Lovato from the St. Baldrick’s Foundation notes that their mission is to change the statistic. “The St. Baldrick’s Foundation believes that kids deserve the chance to be kids–- carefree, refreshingly honest and always a little goofy-– and deserve the chance at a healthy future,” Lovato said. “Donations raised by St. Baldrick’s fundraisers have made it possible for St. Baldrick’s to fund the most promising childhood cancer research that not only finds a cures but gives survivors long and healthy lives.”

Michael Bauner mbauner@hondaon30.com 4613 East U.S. 30 Merrillville, IN 46410 www.teamhondaon30.com

219-947-3900 800-653-0065 Fax 219-947-0912

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feature march 24, 2016

Roam close to home

Experience new attractions near the region this spring break BY JILL KIDDER DESTINY KOGLER

St. Joseph, Michigan

co-chief photographer reporter

Spring break is a chance to visit family or go on vacation. But for those that are staying home in the region, enjoy your staycation at one of these local hotspots. These places may substitute any boredom that might come with having a lack of plans during spring break.

Shedd Aquarium 1h 11 min. $8- Adult

Fair Oaks Farm

Weekdays: 9am-5pm Weekends: 9am- 6pm

Restaurant/Store Tues.-Sun Tours Mon.-Sun.

From dining to animal tours, Fair Oaks Farm consists of many activities. They have a birthing barn so people can experience live cow birth, as well. Fair Oaks makes their food mostly from their own crops and animals, so it is fresh and natural. Over the course of spring break, Fair Oaks farm will offer free ice cream to anyone wearing school spirt attire.

Photo by GoChicagoCard Blog and retrieved on March 15, 2016. https://www.flickr.com/ photos/gocardusa/2083818979 Photo illustration by Jill Kidder

With 32,000 animals, the Shedd Aquarium showcases a variety of aquatic creatures. Watch a dolphin show as they jump and spin up to 20 feet into the air, or look into their new Amphibian exhibit with 40 different species of frogs. The Shedd Aquarium has six different exhibits from all ecosystems of the world.

32 min.

Orland Park Mall 1h 2min.

Monday to Saturday 10am-9pm Sunday 11am-6pm

Take the extra hour to shop at stores that are not common in Crown Point. The Orland Square Mall in Orland Park, Illinois has large name brand franchises like Apple, Dave & Buster’s and Lego. It is the largest mall southwest of Chicago. With 150 shops, the mall has special features besides shopping to enhance your entertainment throughout the day such as The Cheesecake Factory

Erie Lackawanna Bike Trail 8min.

Explore the landscape of Indiana by traveling across this 17 mile bike trail. Although hoverboards are not permitted, one can use the trail by biking, walking or skateboarding. The beginning of this trail is right next to the Walgreens on W. Summit Street and ends with the intersection of Sibley Street in Hammond.

9111 E. 109th Avenue

Photo by Scott Akerman and retrieved on March 17, 2016. https://www. flickr.com/photos/sterlic/5822747922 Photo illustration by Jill Kidder

1h 25 min. Although you may not be traveling to the Caribbean Islands or a Coastal resort, spend a day exploring St. Joseph, Michigan. St. Joseph, Michigan has many hotspots like Silver Beach County Park and the St. Joseph lighthouse. This waterfront town also offers boat rentals, so one can explore Lake Michigan’s Southwest coast. This lakeshore can spiceup an Instagram post.

Indiana UniversityBloomington

3h 5min.

After high school, some students may be headed for college. Enjoy the opportunity to explore a college campus in the spring weather. IUB offers three hour tours on most weekdays and Saturdays. IUB suggests to schedule a visit when classes are in session. In addition to exploring this college campus, scout out Bloomington and it’s attractions and restaurants like Mother Bear’s Pizza. Schedule a visit from: https://admissions.indiana.edu/ visit/

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219-663-4456

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sports march 24, 2016

We practice and put in a lot of work, it never stops, we have great team chemistry.

in the

huddle

- junior Luke Adams

‘‘

Crowd Control

PHOTO BY ALLY REKITZKE

A police officer holds the crowd back, after junior Sasha Stefanovic hits a shot, at the buzzer, to tie the score and send the Dogs, into the first overtime, of the sectional championship.

Administrators aim to keep fans from becoming fanatics BY DYLAN WALLACE sports editor

Sports would be nothing, without the fan base that’s behind it. The student section is what sparks the team and gives them the support they need. Despite student sections being known for creating energy and backing their team, sometimes they can get out of hand. This was the case for a boys basketball game between Bishop Noll and Andrean where racial comments were chanted, much offense was taken and numerous students were ejected. This altercation between the two teams’ student sections led to a huge buzz surrounding them over social media but not in a way anyone wants to be talked about. Crown Point Athletic Director Bill Dorulla believes that it’s on the administrators to prevent student section outbreaks like these, from happening. “I think that when you are at a varsity game whether home or away the administrators need to be there from the visiting school in order to control their student section,” Dorulla said. One of CP’s leaders in the student section this year, senior Logan Pitts, thinks he did a good job getting the crowd into the games but admits that sometimes the game would get the best of him. “It’s definitely difficult to sit and watch a game when the opposing team deliberately holds the ball and even more frustrating watching a poorly officiated game,” Pitts

said. “I believe through good and bad our student section was amazing, always trying to do the right thing to motivate our team to get back in the game. Without a doubt our student section, was the best, in the region.” The controversial strategies Pitts mentioned took place in some of Crown Point’s sectional and regional games where the opposing teams would hold the ball for an extended amount of time causing impatience throughout the student section. “Fans can get frustrated,” Dorulla said. “At our regional we were playing a team that was very disciplined and they slowed the ball down and you have to give them credit for what they did. Our fans were getting frustrated with that, and our student section was getting a little frustrated with the officials, so we had to deal with a couple of students in our section that we felt were getting a little out of control and we dealt with them.” Before every game Dorulla along with Assistant Athletic Director, Mike Malaski, talked to a few of the student groups at CPHS and let them know the expectations for the game. “We try to talk to them (the students) in our athletic council with our leaders and with the Pulse group about being positive and not trying to get negative,” Dorulla said. “Don’t chant negative things about the officials and the other team. Anytime you get into that you’re running the risk of causing your school some harm. Any type of sign that could be offensive should not be in the student sec-

tion. Use of bad language should not be used, so our criteria that we use is tell our kids to be positive and to cheer for our team, lets not talk about the other team.” When the fans start to get away from cheering for their team and getting out of line they are not only affecting their school but negatively affecting their team and everyone around them as well. “I think anytime you have one group of people being racist to another or saying harmful things it is harmful to everybody whether on the court or in the crowd and it has to be dealt with immediately,” head basketball coach Clint Swan said. Maintaining good sportsmanship is something Crown Point takes pride in and anything opposite of that is unacceptable. “We keep a close eye on it, we don’t want anything to reflect bad on our school, in the media or with the other school that we’re playing. We want to maintain good sportsmanship,” Dorulla said. The past couple years Crown Point has received an A+ in sportsmanship and hopes to continue that for this year. “We use the IHSAA guidelines for sportsmanship, every year we get a sportsmanship grade of an A+ and this year we’re trying to get the same thing,” Dorulla said. “We really feel that this year through football and through basketball our student section was one of the best in terms of how they handled themselves, how they represented Crown Point and how they backed our teams. I think that our students this year were really good, in being positive.”

Boys track ready to take on all contenders in West Lafayette BY TOMMY FRAME assistant sports editor

Run. That is the only thought going through runner senior Rob Harrell’s mind, as the gun goes off. “I just want to win the race,” Harrell said. “Being the first one out of the block and driving as hard as I can until I hit my top speed.” Harrell is one of few that qualified for this weekend’s indoor state meet at Purdue University down, in West Lafayette. The event being the 60 meter dash, his qualifying time was 7.07 seconds. Along with the 60 meter dash, his 4x200 meter relay team also qualified, for the meet, with a time, of 1:34.04.

“My teammates and I worked hard, plain and simple,” Harrell said. “Everyday after school, in the weight room, practicing starts and handoffs, but ultimately being able to put our trust and belief in one another.” The rest of the relay team is comprised of Shane McCormick, Salih Muhammad and Garret Shoemaker. Their qualifying time coming into the weekend is ranked 17, in the state. “We feel very confident going down to Purdue this weekend,” McCormick said. “We put in a lot of work between practices and the weight room, and that is what put us in the position to compete at state.” Obviously, speed is the biggest factor of a successful relay team. However, it’s the

little things that can make the biggest difference. “It all matters. We have a great and fast release, but we have got the handoffs down pact,” Harrell said. “We just have to have perfect timing, because ultimately in this relay race it’s the team with the perfect handoffs and fastest releases that will win that day.” “We feel like we have cut down a large margin of error to give us the best chance to win,” McCormick said. At the conclusion of this weekend, the indoor track season will come to a close, and the boys will get ready to run outside. “As far as the upcoming outdoor season goes, I have to come in with the same mindset. My trust in God and work ethic

is what has gotten me to this point already, and the outdoor season is a chance for me to stand on some more podiums with my teammates,” Harrell said. The first meet of the outdoor season for the Dogs is next Thursday, March 31 at Munster. “We feel like we can compete with anyone down state, but we can only perform as well as we have prepared,” McCormick said. Heading into the weekend, hopes are high as the boys will put their hard work, to the test. “We have a chance to beat Ben Davis, the number one team in the state right now,” Harrell said. “I’m hungry to win, and our hard work put us in the position to do just that.”

ink

sports march 24, 2016

PHOTO BY ALLY REKITZKE

Freshman Caitlyn Phillips practices her fielding technique.

Getting back into the swing of things BY MATT MCCONNELL reporter

PHOTO BY ALLY REKITZKE

Junior Sasha Stefanovic watches the play develop as the Dogs attempt to score a basket against Valparaiso in the sectional championship.

Dogs fall in regional final once again BY DYLAN WALLACE sports editor

It was just a year ago when the boys basketball team lost a heartbreaker to South Bend Riley 77-74 in the regional finals, with revenge on their mind the field was set for regionals this time around. After an intense double overtime win to clinch the sectional title over Valparaiso, the Dogs took their talents to Michigan City to take on East Chicago Central and a win would have them play later in the night against the winner of Warsaw and South Bend Riley. In the first game of the

day Warsaw took the defending regional champs to double OT to knock them off 79-74. After that the Dogs took the court and took care of business against ECC 67-52, with that the championship game read “Warsaw Tigers vs Crown Point Bulldogs”. “Our mentality was to just give it our best shot,” senior Blake Bonin said. “We did not know to much about Warsaw but we did know we would be ready to play. We were just excited to be there two years in a row.” The game started out with a slow pace. With Warsaw hold-

ing possession of the ball for most of the first half, the Dogs had few chances to score but were able to hold tough on defense making the score 13-9 at halftime in favor of the Tigers. “We liked where we were,” head coach Clint Swan said. “We have been in this position before. We just told the guys we didn’t want to rush shots and do just continue to do what we do. The second half picked up though, the pace was much faster than the first but every run the Dogs would make would be answered quickly by Warsaw who extended their lead by the

end of third 34-24. “We knew being down ten with eight minutes to go would be hard but we knew we could do it,” Bonin said. The Dogs had eight minutes to go and came out firing, but unfortunately for the Dogs the shots wouldn’t fall and Warsaw was living happy at the free throw line. The lead got too big and the time got too low. Warsaw had knocked off the Bulldogs 46-33 ending their postseason run. “To make it to the final eight is nice,” Swan said. “We are knocking on door, we would like to get to the final four.”

The excitement is high and the goals are set higher for the Crown Point girls softball team heading into this season. “Our main goal for the season would be to go farther in the postseason that we have in the past few years and finally prove to the region how much talent we have,” senior Morgan Matalin said. In order for the Lady Dogs to be making waves in the postseason, their fundamentals have to be down. “Going into the season our practices have been pretty intense, we have been doing a lot of conditioning to make sure we are the fastest team in the area,” Matalin said. “We have also been doing lots of repetition during drills everyday to become a better team mechanically.” And as the mechanics get easier, the game does as well. “Going into the season we really have been working on the little things and just trying to keep it simple. Catch and throw the ball, score a couple runs and get 21 clean outs,” junior Alexis Holloway said. The girls are in a great position as of the beginning of the season, as the team has a mix of fresh new talent, along with a mature upperclass to lead them to victory. “Our team looks strong, we only lost two seniors last year so we have the perfect combination of experience and young athleticism on the team,” Matalin said. Minds are headed in the right direction as the process is becoming a reality for the new year. “Our team is the strongest it has ever been in my four years of high school,” Matalin said. “Our great talent will show on the field.”

Girls track preps for HSR state finals BY DOM TOMICH

assistant sports editor

PHOTO BY JILL KIDDER

Seniors Diamond Previs and Kirsten Mazzaro lead the pack during their workout.

There is no such thing as spring fever for the girls track team. As the weather gets warmer the girls track team is eager to begin the outdoor season. However, one last meet remains, indoor state. One thing is guaranteed, the track team isn’t overlooking all the hard work put into the indoor season and all focus and preparation is fixated on Saturday’s meet at Purdue. “The whole team is focused on running this weekend, we’ve been working hard all this week looking forward to getting good results on Saturday. Everyone sees this as a final opportunity to put it all on the line for an indoor meet,” junior Kristen LaCosse said. The team continues to hope for the

best at the upcoming meet, knowing that they’re prepared for what lies ahead. “In order to qualify for the HSR finals you have to run in one of the qualifying meets. We competed in two of them and you have to post a time or distance that’s in the top 24 out of schools that are 4A, 5A, 6A. I’m hoping we have all the relays that qualified 4x200, 4x400, 4x800, DMR, LaCosse in our 60m hurdles and 60m dash finish well. Our goal is for every girl competing to get a medal this weekend,” head coach Lindsey Moscalick said. The teams going into the meet with high hopes respectively along with Coach Moscalick. “I’m ranked 1st in the 60m hurdles going into the meet so I’m hoping to finish first and possibly break the indoor state record. I’m also ranked top 8 for the 60m dash and am hoping to finish with a medal

in that also,” LaCosse said. The team knows this is an opportunity to size up some of the best teams in the state, and expect to make their mark. “For the indoor state meet, as a team we want to break the DMR record and see how well we can do against the best competition in the state,” Sophomore Hannah Wylie said. Already seeing a majority of the competition for this year, the team feels good heading into what seems to be another promising season. “We saw all our conference except LC and Valpo and we are neck and neck with those teams,” Moscalick said. “Granted it’s not all events like outdoors like open 200 and 400 but from a relay standpoint we look pretty well off considering we are looking better than last year’s team and hope to win more in the postseason.”

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sports march 24, 2016

Raising the bar

On the ball

with D-wall

BY DYLAN WALLACE sports editor

Shot clock supplies simple solution Crown Point clashed with Valparaiso for the boys basketball sectional championship a few weeks back in what was a game for the ages. The crowd was electric, the defense was intense and the ball was held for two minutes and 22 seconds? As unlikely as that seems, it did happen, and the Vikings kept possession of the ball for two minutes and 22 seconds in overtime in an attempt to take the last shot and win the game. Unfortunately for the Vikings, they missed and double overtime ensued. Although the strategy was smart, not giving the Dogs the ball back and dismissing any chance for them to take the lead, it made for some restless fans and extremely boring basketball. The NBA and NCAA initiated shot clocks in their gameplay with the NBA allowing 24 seconds to get a shot off and college allowing 30. Shot clocks establish smooth gameplay; teams aren’t forced to rush down the court to try to score but also don’t have the opportunity to stall the game. High school basketball has no shot clock, and this rule should be changed immediately. With high school athletes, there’s no reason to make it as short as the NBA or college, but there should be one nonetheless. College’s shot clock used to be 35 seconds, but this is the first season at 30 for the purpose of making it closer to the NBA’s for college athletes to prepare for the pros. With that said, high school should install a shot clock to get the athletes who are playing at the collegiate level more used to the gameplay. A shot clock around 40-45 seconds suits the high school level perfectly. Valparaiso did nothing wrong; they simply took advantage of a flaw in the system. High school basketball has been in the talks of introducing a shot clock for the last three to four years but have yet to pull the trigger. Hopefully, this game showcases the necessity of shot clocks at every level for efficient basketball.

extra

points

PHOTO BY JILL KIDDER

Junior Shannon Harrison performs her floor routine at the DAC meet at Valparaiso high school where the team placed second.

After 11 year drought, gymnastics places fourth at state BY YOUSEF ABDELDAIEM reporter

It was a record-breaking season for the Crown Point gymnastics team all year long. The gymnasts broke the team record of 110.7 from 2005, five times over, with the highest being 112.55. “These scores of over 110 consistently are significant because many times in the past (these scores) would have won state,” head coach Ami Pysh said. The team’s success was not limited to the regular season as the Dogs placed second in regionals, qualifying them for the state meet for the first time in 11 years. “When Lainey Kowalczyk decided to join the team, and Shannon Harrison came in healthy as a junior, we knew we had a very good chance of making it to state for the first time since 2005 and only second time in school history,” Pysh said. “We had much more depth this year. Three scores count on each event for the team score, so we had back-up on each event from freshmen Emily Kamleiter, Kaleigh Stack, sophomore Sydni Weisbrodt and junior

Natalie Thiel.” Preparation is always different when there’s more at stake. When it comes to a state meet, everything comes down to one last performance. “I think it made us work even harder because that was our goal all season,” Best said. “We finally got what we were working for and it was our dream, so we pushed ourselves.” Pysh agrees that the team physically pushed themselves, but that was not her main focus going into the meet. “The gymnasts were ready for state physically, but the mental preparation was the focus,” Pysh said. In a split second in gymnastics, things can go wrong, so to keep them focused and to believe in themselves was key. I had to keep them in the mind-set that everything goes out on the mat and leave nothing behind. No regrets ever because a slip in concentration can change the outcome in a second.” Senior Hannah Best has had experience on the big stage, making it to state as an individual every year since her freshman year and medaled four times. “It is very tough, lonely and pressure filled

to go at it alone at Ball State, so Hannah really wanted her team with her this year,” Pysh said. The team finished fourth overall at state, making it the first time the team has brought back medals in school history. “The gymnasts had a very good state meet. Vault, bars and floor were hit 4 for 4, but beam was shaky and two falls were counted, which would have put us at 3rd place,” Pysh said. “Gymnastics just keeps getting better and more difficult, so to hang in there with the best with such high scores, was particularly gratifying.” With the season over, senior Lainey Kowalczyk is grateful for a storybook ending to her high school gymnastics career. “Our goal all season was to go to state as a team so having the opportunity to go down and not only compete, but also place fourth against some very competitive teams was surreal,” Kowalczyk said. “Being able to stand on the podium next to all my teammates with medals around our necks was the perfect way to end senior year.”

Baseball prepares for new season with renewed goals BY SAM BARLOGA online editor

After a season of ups and downs, the Crown Point baseball team is back at it, looking to build on their 2015 successes. Junior Charlie Patrick is back after being one of just a handful of underclassmen to play on the varsity level for head coach Steve Strayer. Patrick is looking forward to getting back on the field, and getting back in the swing of things early on. “I think we’ll be outstanding this year, honestly,” Patrick said. “We have great potential (at) 1-10.

Which #1 seed has the best chance to win the National Championship? out of 100 students polled

We have great power throughout the lineup. Our fielding and outfielding is both stacked.” Crown Point is also dealing with injuries at several positions, and coach Strayer’s absence, which is expected to be temporary. Despite this, Patrick believes the team will be able to recover. “We’ve had some injuries, Will Culture tearing his labrum, Kyle Robinson actually just hurt himself Saturday at practice, obviously Coach Strayer’s (situation) on Friday morning shook us up,” Patrick said. “We start the season Thursday and personally I believe

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that if we stick to it we can have a great season.” Assistant coach Matthew McCaleb has filled the shoes of coach Strayer in the days leading up to the season, in which he has taken on an interim head coaching role, but coach Strayer is hoping to be back in the dugout shortly to coach the team this season. “Coach Strayer is feeling really well, and he is looking forward to getting back to coaching,” McCaleb said. Junior Luke Adams stated that if the team wants success, the Dogs can’t fall behind in the early in-

nings like they did several times a season ago. “Once you start good, you keep playing good, and once the team starts to gel more then it’s kind of self-explanatory how the team will go from there. We really need to come together as a whole. We put in constant work every single day of the week, and we’re just trying to get better at every point possible,” Adams said. The Dogs begin their season with a scrimage against Griffith this afternoon at home after school at the main baseball field behind the south side of the school.

My moment of the month ... “... was hitting a shot at the end of regulation to force overtime and help our team win a sectional championship.” Junior Sasha Stefanovic

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arts & entertainment march 24, 2016

inreview

‘‘

“Untitled Unmastered” by Kendrick Lamar King Kendrick (Lamar) sprung a surprise album on the world nearly a year after his release of “To Pimp a Butterfly.” The album reminds audiences Lamar is firmly roosted on top of the rap game, upon a throne built on jazz influenced golden lyricism and stellar instrumentals.

BY HANNAH BAUNER opinion editor

Talking animals with hopes and dreams-- what more could one ask for in a Disney movie? Disney’s most recent blockbuster “Zootopia” has more to offer than what meets the eye. The story centers around Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin), a bunny who dreams of becoming a police officer. All her life she had been told that bunnies cannot be cops because they are too small, but she was determined to defy the odds. After landing a job in Zootopia, a place that she has been dreaming of going to since she was little, Judy Hopps packs her bags and moves to the city. Once she arrives in Zootopia, she realizes it is not the perfect place she has always dreamed of. The police force doubts Judy’s ability as a bunny

‘‘

cop, and she is quickly given the task of finding missing animals to prove her abilities. After enlisting the help of fox con artist Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman), Judy sets out to find the animals in a 48 hour time frame given to her by the police Chief. This hunt takes place in Zootopia, a city where predators and prey live together in peace. Predators have evolved from their “savage” hunting tendencies and no longer hunt the prey. The city is cleverly split into different zones where different species would live, such as Sahara Square, Tundratown, Little Rodentia and the Rainforest District. Each zone varies in its climate, architecture and topography which adds another layer to the immersive world created by Disney. “Zootopia” addresses stereotypes through its diverse use of animals. The foxes are deemed untrustworthy, the sloths are extremely slow and the bunnies are viewed as simple. As

the story progresses these stereotypes are challenged and a message of acceptance is portrayed to the viewers. As with all Disney movies, a positive life lesson is offered for people of all ages, not just children. People are taught to accept others for who they are and not judge them based on a stereotype that may be associated with them. In addition to personal relationships, the outside world is also addressed in this movie. Judy learns that a perfect city full of citizens living together in complete harmony is a myth. Tension and conflict will always exist, but these things do not have to be deciding factors in life. Overall, “Zootopia” is a family friendly movie that teaches good life lessons backed by humor and a creative plot line full of twists and turns. Even though it may be seen as a “little kid movie,” people of all ages will be impressed by the quality of the film.

Aging Stefani fails to impress with immature album BY ABBY SOBEK art director

After several years in the music business, it is not entirely uncommon for artists to reinvent themselves. The Beatles had “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” Pink Floyd with “Dark Side of the Moon”-- the list goes on. At the very least an artist is expected to grow up a little. Gwen Stefani is not one of those artists, and “This Is What The Truth Feels Like” is not one of those albums. Stefani’s new album consists of 12 songs, all of which contain the same childlike tone like her past albums. Stefani’s latest release heralds from the likes of her first album, “Love. Angel. Music. Baby.” which is known for one of her most popular songs, “Hollaback Girl.” Many of the songs on “This is What The Truth Feels Like” contain upbeat tones that many listeners can enjoy, however the lyrics are annoying, deprave and childish. They also have a tendency to get stuck in a listener’s head. Stefani appears to be stuck in 2004 as if she just

“Fuller House” Whatever happened to predictability? “Fuller House,” the spin-off of “Full House,” was recently released on Netflix. Talk about the series has blown up all over social media, but the new series is highly disappointing. “Fuller House” creates crude humor and mature situations that takes the innocence and fun out of the show.

Disney’s latest hops to the top

The Student Section

Hailee Steinfeld first released her song “Rock Bottom” in November of last year on her EP, “Haiz.” However, she re-released the song with partners DNCE. DNCE adds another element to the already catchy song and relatable subject matter. The conflicting, relationshiporiented lyrics sound more convincing with two different voices expressing them.

- Nick Wilde “Zootopia”

Roars

“The Sound” successfully breaks the band from the confinements of their debut album’s sound. The synthetic beats bring listeners back in time to the 80s. This track has definite traces of the typical pop song with catchy lyrics and an upbeat tempo. “The Sound” may not please old fans, but the 1975 have created a hit.

“Rock Bottom” by Hailee Stienfeld feat. DNCE

It’s called a hustle, sweetheart.

“Zootopia”

“The Sound” By The 1975

Two sections of bleachers were filled top to bottom with students during the boys basketball sectional championship. The energy was through the roof and made the game so much more enjoyable. The sea of red elevated the game and (probably) led the boys to victory.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

life social

A section devoted to social media

began her solo career and hit it big. The fact of the matter is Stefani did not just hit it big. Her solo career has been going on for over 10 years. Stefani is now 46-yearsold, but her lyrics would suggest otherwise. Most of the songs featured on the album contain repetitive and meaningless phrases. Her lyrics pertain to almost nothing, not even to each other. After 12 years of producing music, she has not improved one bit. Although she has varied from pop, R&B and hip hop with the combination of electronic music and acoustic sounds in her career it all seems to be the same types of songs that try to deliver the same message. The message being a sensual one that usually involves fooling around with men and acting young and stupid, which Stefani is only one of. One of Stefani’s songs on this album “Send Me A Picture” just by reading the title it is obvious that she does not act her own age. The entire song is about her wanting guys to send her inappropriate photos.

best tweets

Although most of the songs have a redundant tone of immaturity, Stefani’s first single released off this album, “Used To Love You,” shows fans her true emotions towards an old love. “This is What The Truth Feels Like” came out after her recent breakup with her husband, and this song can be seen as Stefani’s way of expressing her emotion towards him. The powerful drum beat that is played during the chorus shows the intensity of her emotion. It is perhaps the only redeeming quality of the album. Stefani’s few good hits tend to be overpowered by the childish songs that she has written. Being a mother of three children, she should be writing more mature songs that fit her age. When her children get older, they will constantly be reminded of songs that talk about their mother doing the nasty with strange men. When Stefani first hit the scene, this sort of behavior was to be expected, but now that she is almost 50 and has children, she needs to let go of these immature and inappropriate songs and act her own age.

best app

best follow

MSQRD Filters & Face Swap With 40 of its own filters to alter your face, MSQRD lets you choose to look like anyone from the Joker to Harry Potter. Add funny elements to your photos and videos with this app.

@camera_duels Cole Sprouse has had enough with the secretive photos. He has taken to Instagram to take sneaky photos of people taking sneaky photos of him with long captions describing their duel.

nothing like sprinting through the cphs parking lot to rightfully get the shotgun you called as other people stare crazily at you sophomore Lily Reiners

@lilyelyce

When Cailey admits she cheered harder for Sasha’s shot than she did for my goal at state. She’s all yours bub. @Sash_Stefanovic junior Brad Kurtz

@bradkurtz07

Gunna go to prom with myself senior Adrian Flores

@FloresAdrian47

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arts & entertainment march 24, 2016

Lose the battle, win the war

BY SAM BARLOGA online editor

Second season of series comes out swinging BY BRANDEN DWYER reporter

For some, “Daredevil” may look like a blind, second rate, generic brand Batman. After watching both seasons, one can clearly tell that there is a vast difference between both characters. Compared to other superhero shows on television right now, the Netflix original series has a better production quality that makes it truly stand out among others, in the genre. The first season of “Daredevil” artfully detailed the origin and creation of Matt Murdock’s, played by Charlie Cox, superhero persona Daredevil while also constructing a dark, dysfunctional world in the fictional city of Hell’s Kitchen, but its slow

pace and often dragged-on story ultimately held the season back until its exciting finale. The second season picks up where the intense end to the first left off. The new season examines how the city and police department have grown and operate as they become accustomed to a life with vigilantes. Season two also introduces two new characters to the series, the Punisher and Elektra, both of whom are fan favorites. The first half of the season primarily focuses on the introduction of the Punisher, played by Jon Bernthal. His story line is what grasps the audience’s attention along with his introduction which starts out with a bang-- literally. His interaction

with the main cast is one of the many highlights, in the season. The Punisher’s brutal one liners and complex background leave viewers wanting more. However, by the end of the first half of the season, the Punisher’s story arc falls flat and is often burdened by chunks of dialogue to give exposition to events that would’ve been better examined, in flashbacks. However, the second half finds a new way to keep the viewer watching by introducing Murdock’s mysterious and elusive ex-love interest Elektra, portrayed by Elodie Yung. The season becomes riddled with mysteries once Elektra steps into Hell’s Kitchen. Her introduction adds a James Bond-esque vibe to

the already dark and edgy series. With her twisted charm, Yung steals every scene Elektra appears in. Multiple story lines and small events that have occurred prior to her introduction become tied together, and in doing so, connects the season’s frontrunners-- Daredevil, Punisher and Elektra-- creating more drama for the protagonists and leaving viewers on edge. Overall, the second season of “Daredevil” is a vast improvement from the first season. The series is flushed out with continuity to the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe. “Daredevil” is not overwhelmed with action and strikes a healthy balance with solid drama. The second season of Daredevil is a must watch.

“Viceland” brings indie news to cable television BY CHRIS REKITZKE editor-at-large

“This week on VICE” has now become an everyday possibility with the addition of the new channel, “Viceland.” The Brooklyn based worldwide media agency VICE has broken into the mainstream broadcasting. The collective of broadcast journalists delve into modern issues, and provide their audience, with insightful information regarding each topic. As of now, “Viceland” has five original programs. “B. Deep,” a show that explores various subcultures, “Weediquette,” a program that interviews those using marijuana in medicinal applications as well as the current state of the growing marijuana market in the world, “Flophouse,” a series, that documents a household full of comedians, a food discov-

ery show hosted by rapper Action Bronson and “Gaycation” a show hosted by actress Ellen Page that examines the social challenges of homosexuals and transgenders, around the world are facing. All of the programs are told and shot in a documentary style, immersing a host in a situation and emphasizing the effects of the situation and the environment. While the host is a part of the story, the host is not the story. The switch to cable television has been a positive thing, but the production value is not on par with the media agency’s HBO series. However, it is still significantly better than any reality TV show. Of the five series the channel has currently, “B. Deep” hosted by Thomas Morton and “Weediquette” hosted by Krishna Adovalu are by far the most enticing.

One of their most popular series, “B. Deep” provides an introspective view on world cultures. Host Thomas Morton immerses himself in the world of Pentecostalism, the Islamic holiday Ramadan and the daily activities of a Tugboat deckhand, and “Weediquette” challenges stereotypes surrounding marijuana. It also offers stories of its medicinal use, as well as the effect its ban has, on the legal system. Its sources include children and families facing terminal illness, veterans struggling with PTSD and those advocating, for its legalization. VICE has revolutionized how society watches and intakes news. It is far more hard hitting and revealing than mainstream media; and often focuses on harsh, real world issues. “Viceland” is worth the watch as, it transitions to cable.

favorite things Chuck Taylor All Star II

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Twix Candy Bars Whether it be the left or the right, Twix always hit the spot. drug stores $1-2

Get the classic look, with upgrades more suitable, for revery day wear. All Star II’s have Nike Lunarlon insole cushioning, padded non-slip tongue and micro-suede lining. converse.com $75

Girl Scout Cookies Spring is starting, and the Girl Scouts have done it again. Eat some yummy cookies while supporting your local Girls Scouts. Girl Scouts $4

teacher meetings on days other than Wednesday It’s an inconvenience when students come in early on days other than Wednesday to get help from a teacher, but they cannot, due to teacher meetings. What happened to the “no more late starts but there are teacher meetings on Wednesday mornings?” After school isn’t always an option. Not all students drive, so it’s hard for some to stay after school to finish an assignment or make one up if they are not able to get a ride home.

Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders may not be the Democratic Party’s nominee in 2016, but his effect on the party and on the American political process will continue for decades. The future of the Democratic Party is set. It’s unapologetically leftist and ready for radical change. In Iowa, Sanders won 85 percent of caucus-goers between the ages of 17 and 29, and he secured an even bigger rate in New Hampshire. Throughout the Deep South where Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton won by huge margins, Sanders still won a majority of millennials in most of those states. Senator Sanders also won independents in almost every state that has voted so far, and that voter group pushed him over the top in Michigan where the Brooklyn-native won 71 percent of independents compared to Secretary Clinton’s 25 percent. To Clinton’s credit, she’s kept the party’s older base, winning those 40-or-older in every state except New Hampshire so far. In Michigan, she won twothirds of senior citizens. However, at some point that won’t work. The party’s base that is supporting Clinton will soon be gone, and even though many young Sanders voters may have moderated some of their views over time, the social democraticwing of the Democratic Party will be the portion that controls the agenda in just under 20 years. For me, this is the moment where I think the changes we need the party to adapt can take place. Where we can be who we a want to be: A radical, respectful and winning faction of the American left. Young people keep voting, keep up your activism and strive toward creating a better America for each and every one of our citizens. However, don’t throw around baseless attacks. No matter who our nominee is in November, we must rally together to defeat Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, John Kasich, Paul Ryan or whoever the right-wing Republicans end up nominating. Remember that although the war for control of the Democratic Party is nowhere near won, we, the transformative left, have won the first of many battles ahead even if Secretary Clinton is our nominee.

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people march 24, 2016

Coding Champion

TAKE

senior

Matthew Muller Perfect pizza Pepperoni and bacon because I’m more of a meat eater. I’m not a veggie guy. Bacon is amazing and pepperoni gives that perfect twang of flavor. PHOTO BY ALLY REKITZKE

Freshman Daniyaal Rasheed examines codes for the Inklings website he is designing

Rasheed wins trip through national Google contest BY JACKIE HAM feature editor

It took 50 days, 65 countries and 980 competitors for this year’s Google Code-in internet competition. Google Code-in is a contest Google has hosted for the last 5 years which invites kids ages ranging from 13 to 17 to work with real software programs by completing tasks they are instructed to do. Tasks may include fixing bugs, coding or research. Being among the top 28 competitors allowed freshman Daniyal Rasheed to win a trip for four days to San Francisco, California. Rasheed will have the opportunity to visit the Google campus and meet the engineers employed there. When Rasheed was younger, he did not think much of computers and did not see the importance of them. His love for technology and the science field blossomed when he was in middle school. “In Science Olympiad, there was an event called Shock Value, and I was always interested in electricity but not really computers. I started learning a lot about electronics and got pretty into it,” Rasheed said. Working on electronics and becoming familiar with their content gave Rasheed the chance to learn programming and found he really loved it. His new found love and skills lead him in the path to participate in this annual contest.

What is your lucky charm?

When he was 13 years old, Rasheed entered the contest for the first time along with his brother, who informed him about the competition. He did not walk away with any prize the first time around. “I tried it last year and I failed at it because I only did two tasks,” Rasheed said. “I did not get any prizes because I was that bad.” Rasheed did not let this defeat overcome him. He began to research certain programs to increase his skills and hopefully do better the next year. This even lead him to practice in making an app that can be downloaded from the app store for the iPhone. “I did not understand a lot of the terms they were using and I did not know a lot of commands to interact with the terminal. After that I started reading up on the Linux system (computer operating software),” Rasheed said. “I started reading a book about the system, and I got a better understanding of it. I kept programming everyday and it just got easier.” When the time came for the competition to start again, Rasheed gained more knowledge on programming which allowed him to keep up with the top competitors. He specialized in bug fixes which means that people using the software would report problems with the system and he would fix the program to make it work correctly. Rasheed was surprised when he received notice that he won the competition because

“I wear my shark tooth necklace before every race because I feel faster with it on.”

Alec Gerlach Senior

he was in 6th place in terms of the number of tasks that he had done. He now looks forward to the summer trip and meeting the other 27 winners. He plans on being a part of the competition again, but he is still indecisive on if he want to compete again or become a mentor for other kids competing. Mentors are volunteers for the multiple organizations that the contestants work for, and they are available to help with any problems that the competitors might have. “Once you are a Grand Prize Winner you cannot compete in the same organization so you have to choose another one. I might choose another one or you can apply to be a mentor, but I would have to apply to get a Ubuntu (the organization he worked for) membership first,” Rasheed said. Rasheed also has other plans in the future regarding app and software construction. He finds joy in making things for other people and hopes he can do more of that in the future. “It is different from making something for yourself because you know exactly how it works. It does not matter if it looks bad or it is hard to use because it is easy for you,” Rasheed said. “When you put it out of other people to use you have to do a lot more it make sure it is simple to use and people can get it easily.”

Netflix and chill I love going and watching old episodes of The Office. My sister and I watched the whole thing a couple of times and grew attached to all the characters. Festive food My favorite place to eat out is House of Kobe because you get the same type of food as P. F. Changs while also receiving great entertainment. Best advice Be confident in everything that you do. Always have reasons to back up your actions. Fall favorite Fall time because it’s not too hot and it’s not too cold. The trees are beautiful. It’s wonderful to be outside.

“Whenever I play in a sporting event, I have to wear my tall black socks.”

“I wear long neon socks before every big game because I feel like it gives me good luck.”

“I have a pearl ring that my grandma gave me that I stick in my sock before every game.”

“I wear a bracelet because I coach a soccer team and the boy who gave it to me died last year.”

Alex Ristovski

Dale Schoettle

Sam Szyndrowski

Jacki Meleckar

Junior

Freshman

Junior

Sophomore

“I wear a specific necklace that I wear when I’m having a bad day. I feel like good things always happen when I wear it.”

Kelly Mangan Junior