Inklings march 2018

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Crown Point High School @InklingsCPHS March 23, 2018 Vol. 82 Issue 7

Read about the closing of the girls’ indoor track season on page 12

page 6

“Pet Adoption Options”: Ways to adopt new friends

KNOW your RIGHTS The First Amendment “Congress shall make no law...

religious freedoms respecting an establishment of religion, prohibiting the free exercise thereof; PHOTO BY ASHLEY REKITZKE Sophomore Ben Zirkle, along with other students, walks outside of the school with his fist in the air after leading the Mar. 14 walkout outside. The walkout was previously planned to be held in the gymnasium, but after Zirkle said he was going to physically walk out of the school, many of the students in attendance followed him out the doors.

Students use voices to create change in school

BY ALEXIA WOJCIECHOWSKI LINDSEY BAEZA TABITHA BEISHUIZEN online editor-in-chief assistant editors

“We demand change” and “Too many lives lost” expressed students’ feelings and concerns as they joined the national walkout on Mar. 14.

Although many uses of free speech used to enact change are permitted by the First Amendment, they are not always easily made. Some may even cause students to choose between using their voices and facing repercussions.

“A lot of students are almost at the age where they can vote, getting the word out there and letting everyone know. Especially to the kids that are going to vote soon, it is very important so that we can actually make a change in this country,” sophomore Katya Halstead said.

Halstead was the head of organizing the CPHS walkout. She found inspiration in planning the event from the eruption of widespread student movements surrounding gun legislation following the Parkland shooting.

The student organized walkout was supposed to occur in the gymnasium but was led out of the school and down by the tennis

PHOTO BY LINDSEY BAEZA Students sign a banner at the closing of the Mar. 14 walkout against gun violence in the gymnasium. The banner was sent to Parkland, Florida in support of them.

courts by sophomore Ben Zirkle.

The original plan was to have the walkout contained within the gym and for there to be activities like a memorial wall, sign making and a video.

“The day of the walkout I was on CNN and I was looking at all the other students outside protesting and I thought it was something we should all be doing,” Zirkle said. “Just because you’re nervous about something doesn’t mean it’s the wrong thing to do. There’s always something that you might be a little scared about doing, but if you believe in your cause, you’ll do the right thing to do.”

The Stoneman Douglas shooting on Feb. 14 was one of the major contributors for the

need for the walkout. Former Crown Point student Gabe Gavet moved to Parkland this past summer and was in the school at the time of the shooting.

“The day was pretty normal and then we had a fire drill around second period which was normal enough and went by smoothly.

Then we had another one fourth period which was the final one before the shooting happened and it happened at like 2:20. We all went outside and we weren’t even lined up in rows yet and the teachers were yelling at us to get back in,” Gavet said.

After over an hour of waiting in a classroom not knowing if the shooter was in their building or when they would get out, the door opened and the students and

teacher were led out of the room.

“Then police came in and they walked in and they had these automatic rifles, which were pretty scary,” Gavet said. “We all got up and they said ‘Come up with your hands up in the air’ and we all did that. We had to walk across the hallway to the other room and then we waited there and they did a head count of us, and there were about 172 of us or so in that one room.”

Although the experience was emotionally difficult, Gavet’s school has taken measures to ease the process of returning to school.

Support from other schools around the nation is aiding this.

“I think we are all recovering little by little but losing 17 has definitely not been easy. We were out of school for about 9 days not including weekends,” Gavet said.

“I definitely believe (the movements are helping), in fact my AP World History class has boxes of letters from people around the world for us.”

On a more local scale, senior Nicole Libiran started her own movement in the form of a petition. This addressed the changing of the current recognition of valedictorian, salutatorian and top ten, as well as Cum Laude protocols at graduation. see student voices on page 3

freedom of speech or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press;

use

your RIGHTS

or the right of the people peaceably to assemble,

petition YOUR rights and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”

For more information concerning the First Amendment Rights, VISIT: http://www. newseuminstitute.org/firstamendment-center/ Information provided by https:// www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/ first_amendment.

2

news inklings march 23, 2018

RoboDogs competes in St. Joseph district competition

intheknow

BY MORGAN COOPER STEVEN KVACHKOFF reporters

Journalist of the Year symposium

Wires, gears, and lots of metal. All of these components help to make up the robots within the RoboDogs competition.

There are lots of people involved in the process that help to keep it going and make it fun for everyone involved. RoboDogs sponsor Catherine Krohn has a huge part within RoboDogs and the many different activities they are involved with.

“My goal is to get the kids learning as much as they can and hopefully do well in the competition. I want them to learn more about how to work together with people, how to work with robots and how to build things,” Krohn said.

Krohn has also worked at previous schools with their own forms of robotic programs.

“I used to do it at the previous school I worked at. I understand the whole program of it, and they really needed someone to help them,” Krohn said. “I try to help with what I can.”

Along with administrative leaders, RoboDogs also has their own form of student leaders who help to keep things organized

Co-editors-in-chief of Inklings Audrey Gacsy and Andrea John were nominated for 2018 Student Journalist of the Year. On March 7, they travelled to the State House to receive their finalist awards.

Latin Club competes The Latin Club travelled to Indiana University for the State Convention where they received the Spirit Award for being the team with the most heart.

BPA qualifies for national convention

BPA traveled to Indianapolis March 11-13 to compete in their state competition. Seniors Hannah Carter, Lauren Costello, Alycia Pappenheim and Alexia Wojciechowski qualified for national convention.

Police station and city hall moving

The police station and city hall may be facing a move. Current plans are for the Lake County Florist and Greenhouse buildings to be demolished and replaced. The cost of building and destruction is between $10 million and $12 million.

and incoming students. As leaders they take it upon themselves to keep tasks interesting to the new members and have innovative creations for the judges.

“I got involved because one time I saw that they had a couple robots at Bulldog Rush, shooting around balls,” senior Noah Clark said. “It looked fun, so I asked them about it.”

Along with Clark, juniors Tyler Gibson and Connor Proudman have their own reasons for deciding to participate in RoboDogs by forming more of an involvement within the club.

“I joined RoboDogs because I wanted to learn how to build machines, such as robots, and problem solve,” Gibson said.

While Gibson has not been involved in RoboDogs for very long, Proudman has been involved in this club and activities like this club since his middle school years.

“I joined the club freshman year. One of the kids on my teams’ brother actually told me about the club,” Proudman said.

“I was on VEX in middle school, and this club is a lot different because it’s more interactive and more design-oriented while building your own thing.”

PHOTO BY MORGAN COOPER A few members of the RoboDogs team work on their robot for competition. From left to right the members are Tyler Gibson, Demetri Massow, Connor Proudman, Noah Clark, Jerry Spear, Angel Giraud, Patrick Rodgers and Daniyaal Rasheed.

As well as Proudman, Clark has had his own fun being involved with RoboDogs.

“I would definitely say the competitions have been the most fun for me because the amount of energy there is really cool, and to get to hang out with the team is really fun,” Clark said.

After their first district competition, RoboDogs placed 4th place after qualification round and their alliance took 3rd place overall. The team is planning on heading to state. Those on the team have high hopes for this upcoming competition season.

“My goal every competition season is to make it to nation-

als,” Proudman said. “This year I definitely think we could get there.”

While they’ve had their losses as well as their wins, people within the RoboDogs community share all kinds of things together. RoboDogs has a big impact on everyone involved. This club has given students who find building robotic dogs or taking them apart exciting, an output for that interest.

“We spend around 20 hours a week together, not including during competition, and collaborating to build something awesome at the end of the season really bonds us,” Proudman said.

Annual Hub Run attracts all types of athletes, goals beat by experienced runners

BY OLIVIA BUDZEVSKI ALEXANDRA SULEWSKI reporters Running events occur all over the world, but what draws citizens to the Hub Run is that it is located in Crown Point’s very own downtown square. The race will take place on Apr. 14 at 10 a.m.

“The 2k takes on average about 10-15 minutes,” Race Director Amy Lucka said.

“The 2k is basically a fun run/walk for younger kids and families, but we also have older adults or beginner runners participate in this one too. The 5k takes on average about 25-35 minutes. We usually have around 1,300-1,500 runners each year.”

Lucka believes that the race would not be possible without the help of others.

There are several tasks to be accomplished.

This is why many individuals are involved in the process. Many volunteers offer their help and many people in the community come out to the event.

“We rely on volunteers to help the race run smoothly. We need volunteers to help pass out t-shirts and bib numbers to participants, help with set up before, and clean up after the race,” Lucka said. “(We also need) volunteers to pass out water to runners along the course at our water stations, and pass out ribbons to our 2K finishers.”

Those taking part in the run have the

Think Ahead

Mar. 26-30 Spring BreakNo School All Crown Point schools will be closed during the last week of March for spring break. Students get this week off with school commencing on Apr. 2.

opportunity to receive a scholarship among other rewards. The money raised from the event goes back to people in the community who are unable to pay for memberships to the YMCA. “At the YMCA, we don’t turn anyone away with the inability to pay for membership or programs,” Lucka said. “Our income based scholarship program helps low income individuals and families afford a membership and programs at the Y. We also (give) scholarships to individuals in special needs organizations and families who have a spouse on active military duty.”

The results of the race determine the winners of each award. Runners are divided into groups based on age and gender.

Awards are distributed pertaining to these specific characteristics.

“We give a plaque and medal to the Overall Male and Female,” Lucka said. “We also give medals to all 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place male and female finishers in each age group.”

Participants run for a variety of reasons, but the end result is still a community coming together to work towards a common interest. It could be a tradition, a hobby or even an opportunity to get ready for upcoming events.

“I decided to take part in the Hub Run this past year because it happened to take

Apr. 1

April Fools Day

Easter Sunday

A day carved out for jokes and pranks calls on the first day of the month. Make sure to bring your best pranks out over the weekend and have fun laughing with others!

Easter Sunday is not only a holiday, but will feature the Easter Bunny hopping around giving out candy.

Make sure to hit the stores on Monday for some discounted Easter candy.

place during the beginning of track season, and my teammates and I thought it would be a fun thing to try,” junior Andrew Holok said. “We also used it to our advantage for track because it was a great training opportunity.”

Along with the return of the race, Holok reflects on his previous performance.

The fresh start allows him to construct the goals he hopes to achieve. It also offers him the chance to engage in friendly competition with his teammates.

“Last year, I placed 7th overall and 3rd in my age group,” Holok said. “It would be really cool to win the race this year. My teammate, Geno Christofanelli, won last year and I am hoping to be able to catch up to him this year.”

There is more to the run than prizes and one’s rank in comparison to others. In Holok’s eyes, it’s a time to advocate beneficial lifestyles and promote unification.

“I think it is important for people to take part in the Hub Run because it is a great way to stay active in the community and to stay healthy,” Holok said. “Even people who are not avid runners or not the competitive type of person should take part in the Hub Run just to try something new, keep themselves active, and show their support for Crown Point and our community.”

This marks freshman Josh Holbrook’s second year in the Hub Run, and he plans to increase his speed to exceed his past time.

He believes that it will assist him when he takes part in cross country.

“Last year I made the goal to break 19 minutes at the Hub Run this year, but as it approaches the goal keeps on getting bigger,” Holbrook said. “If I run a 19 in April, it proves that I set myself up and can train in order to break 18 for a 5k in the fall Cross Country season.

As well as having personal reasons for being in the race, Holbrook believes that there are other benefits from participating.

“I think the Hub Run is important to fundraising our local YMCA,” Holbrook said. “In general I think that running is a way to stay healthy, and it’s important to be living a healthy life. So by running the Hub Run, in a way you are trying to stay healthy” Each person who attends the run experiences the day differently. Holok represents someone who finds pleasure in the event and the impact it has on the community.

“I really enjoy the atmosphere,” Holok said. “Seeing all of those people, not only from Crown Point, but from all around the region coming together for the Hub Run is a pretty awesome experience.”

Apr. 7

Apr. 23

The most important thing is your health, so use this day to make sure you are taking care of your body. An apple a day keeps the doctor away.

Worried about asking someone out?

Scared to try something new? This day is dedicated to taking a chance and trying something new.

World Health Day

Apr. 15

Income Taxes due

Make sure to have your taxes ready and in on this date. If you have a income from a job then you are required to file taxes and submit them to the government. Just wait, you may get some money back.

Take a Chance Day

Apr. 26

Apr. 27

Bring your daughter to your workplace on this day.

A holiday in which individuals and groups are encouraged to plant trees.

It’s a day to go green.

Take your daughter to work

Arbor Day

Think Again “Give me liberty...”

Speech

On this day in 1775, Patrick Henry proclaimed the famous quote, “Give me liberty or give me death.”

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Snapchat @CPHSinklings

Website

www2.cps.k12.in.us/ Inklings

news inklings march 23, 2018 Student voices continued from page 1 “First, I made the spreadsheets and printed it off on my own. Then I went around and got signatures, then presented it to the principal,” Libiran said. “I was able to collect about 500 signatures.”

After collecting support, Libiran along with other members of Summa Cum Laude met with members of administration to state their case. They were unsuccessful in changing the issues addressed in Libiran’s petition, one of the most discussed being the order for walking at graduation.

“I learned that sometimes things don’t always work your way, and although standing up for what you believe in is important, it can also be emotionally draining and stressful to one’s life,” Libiran said.

Like Libiran, senior Sherry Zhang also created a petition. Her petition was created in order to change the orchestra concert from the gym to the auditorium, as it had been in previous years.

“A lot of people were upset about this and it just made no sense, other than to

save space and time. A lot of my classmates and parents were upset and felt cheated, so I decided to make this petition in efforts to really push the directors to move it back,” Zhang said.

Zhang was able to collect over 300 signatures total from her online and paper petition. She met with orchestra directors from the middle schools as well as from the high school and principal Chip Pettit.

“I talked to my peers in the advanced string orchestra and many of them felt upset about the end of the year concert.

Almost all of them signed my petition,” Zhang said. “I also talked to parents because they are also important in this conversation. Many of them supported me and offered me advice on what to do with this petition.”

Zhang’s petition was successful, and the concert has been moved back from the gymnasium to the auditorium.

“I learned that teamwork is the key to success … in the end, my petition won and

our concert was moved back to the auditorium. It goes to show that we are stronger together,” Zhang said.

There are many resources that exist for students to learn what rights they hold in creating their own student movements.

Gene Policinski, the Chief Operating Officer of the Newseum Institute in Washington D.C., helps create some of these resources.

“I oversee all the partnerships and educational efforts around the Newseum those range from First Amendment issues in the Supreme Court to religious liberty,” Policinski said. “(The Newseum) reaches about 10 million students a year who are online through Newseum education programs.”

Policinski believes that educating students in their rights is very important and that they should know how they can use them. He also recognizes the limits to these rights.

“It’s important to note that even in (Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Com-

3

munity School District) there were two exceptions. One that those free speech rights did not disrupt the school teaching abilities, and they cannot override the rights of other students,” Policinski said.

With these rights and limitations, Policinski recognizes that other factors may prohibit speech. He says this can be seen on a high school scale.

“We hope that administrators will keep that in mind but that doesn’t mean they have to support or oppose legislation ... it is just a valuable moment in our country’s history when younger citizens decide to become engaged in a matter of public interest,” Policinski said.

Even with some prohibitors, Policinski believes that it is important that students utilize the rights they have. These rights allow for the creation of movements.

“We don’t have First Amendment Rights so that we can grunt,” Policinski said. “We have First Amendment rights so that we can talk about serious subjects.”

Muslim Student Association’s annual Fast-a-Thon unites participants Unity, solidarity and indivisibility––three characteristics the Muslim Student Association (MSA) is known for strengthening.

MSA is a club that includes Muslims and non-Muslims alike that set up events to break the negative stereotypes that surround Islam and Muslims. Sophomores and co-presidents Beelal Tebry and Shaza Hussein believe that having an MSA is vital and very influential.

“It is important to have an MSA because Muslims are a minority here and without it, we lose all representation,” Tebry said.

“We want to create a positive image for the club and also have fun while doing it.”

The presidents are not the only ones who believe in the importance of the MSA. Club members feel the same way.

“Having an MSA is extremely important especially in today’s world where Islam and Muslims are always shown negatively,” junior Nibal Fares said. “It helps us correct those inaccurate representations.”

Although negative representation is an influence for these

members, being a minority is also a significant factor.

“Having an MSA is very important. It’s important to bring the minorities together and since the club is open to non-Muslims as well, it’s a great way to reverse the negative light that is constantly being shone on us,” junior Sarah Hussein said.

As Presidents of MSA, Tebry and Hussein are responsible for setting up meetings, planning events and spreading the word.

“I serve as one of three people in charge of the MSA,” Tebry said.

“I mainly work with more technical stuff like making flyers and helping set up meetings. Most of the things we do is a group effort.

I try to do my best in helping with ideas and trying as hard as we can to implement them. We also try to have the whole MSA involved on what to do by taking opinions from them. This way we have multiple ideas from multiple people.”

Every year, MSA holds their annual Fast-a-Thon. Although it’s not a requirement, club members fast throughout the day and then meet at the high school in the community room for an evening of cultural foods, free of charge.

Club members, both old and new, look forward to the Fast-a-Thon

views on news

Area

‘‘

I think it would be good for the community because then we would have more options to eat and shop.

Legislation has repealed Indiana’s Prohibition-era ban on Sunday alcohol sales at liquor, grocery, drug and convenience stores. Carry-out alcohol can now be sold between noon and 8 p.m. every Sunday.

‘‘

Emma Smiser freshman

PHOTO BY ASMAA ABDELDAIEM At the end of a full day of fasting, Muslim Student Association members along with outside participants gather in the community room to break their fast together.

me means that I can come together with my fellow brothers and sisters in Islam and communicate and have a good time with them. It brings our culture and the people in our religion closer together.”

Club members aren’t the only ones who think having an MSA is a good idea. MSA advisor and psychology teacher Matthew Barno believes in the club’s positive traits, too.

“This is my first year as the MSA advisor,” Barno said. “I was approached by a couple of students and thought it was a good

way to support them outside of the classroom.”

As the club grows and more meaningful connections are made between students, Barno says he would like to continue his work with MSA. The feeling is mutual between the co-presidents.

“I would like to continue my role and hopefully continue to expand on the club as much as possible,” Tebry said. “I’m hoping in the future, community service as a club and have fun while giving back to the community that we grew up in.”

Student reaction to events in our world

State

A project called “Fountains” is planning to build on 109 acres at the corner of Interstate 65 and U.S. 231.

Allegedly, the completed project will include an outlet mall, restaurants, a theater, two hotels and more.

each year.

“This year will be my first year and I am excited to see how it plays out,” sophomore Malak Safadi said. “Everyone always tells me it’s a great experience filled with cultural foods and meeting new people in your community whether they are Muslim or not, and I think that’s amazing.”

Fast-a-Thon has a purpose other than trying new foods, however, it is meant to bring people together. While Muslims fast for various personal reasons, the most common purpose is to experience the feeling of not having food and practicing self-discipline. Such fasting can have a deep, meaningful and personal effect for Muslims.

“Personally fasting has done a lot for me,” Tebry said. “It has taught me some self control. It has also taught me how to humble myself.”

Although MSA is still a relatively small club of just 15 people, club members still feel a sense of fulfillment and enjoyment by taking part in the group’s planned activities.

“Having an MSA is an amazing idea because it brings our people in Islam closer together through fun activities,” sophomore Ali Shahzad said. “MSA to

I don’t think it really matters if they sell it or not, people will still go to the border of Illinois to buy it.

President Donald Trump has dropped the calls to raise the legal age to buy semi-automatic rifles to 21. Trump tweeted that there is little political support for raising the minimum age on weapon sales.

World

reporter

Nation

BY ASMAA ABDELDAIEM

‘‘

Milton Roberts senior

As long as they have a thorough background check, then I think (the current legal age) is fine the way it is.

The World Health Organization has added a new disease to the list of diseases that may cause an international epidemic. Currently called “Disease X,” this disease has no vaccine and unknown origins, although some suspect it may be man-made.

‘‘

Kiersten Peña sophomore

We over-prescribe antibiotics... which boosts everyone’s immunity to those antibiotics creating superbugs, so I think it’s possible.

Jared Wood junior

4

opinion inklings march 23, 2018

column

BY ANDREA JOHN co-editor-in-chief

Inaction regarding school shootings has cost the nation too many lives Seventeen. The amount of lives that were stolen by the horrendous attack on Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Flordia. And that is seventeen too many.

The day after the tragedy my fellow editors, adviser and I sat and watched President Trump’s press conference addressing the school shooting that occurred on Feb. 14. Valentine’s Day, a day meant for love and appreciating those close to oneself, has been tarnished with the bloodshed of innocent citizens whose only worry should have been what they would wear to school or whether or not they completed their math homework.

Students and teachers should not wake up in the morning and fear for their lives the minute they step past the schoolhouse gates. School is meant to be a safe haven to educate oneself to work towards their future. Some of those bright futures were stolen too soon.

There are businesses and organizations heading in the right direction. Dick’s Sporting Goods and Walmart are two places that have thrown their hats into the national debate regarding gun control. Walmart and Dick’s announced they

would not sell a gun to anyone under the age of 21, and additionally Dick’s ended sales of all assault-style rifles in stores.

Multiple companies have also ended discount programs and other services to the National Rifle Association which have been met with backlash by 2nd Amendment proponents.

This is a positive start in the right direction, but it must not end there. As a person who grew up around firearms and hunting, I believe and respect the right to bear arms. But my right to live far outweighs someone else’s right to carry a weapon.

Enforcing a complete ban on guns would never work.

There is so much that can be done without taking weapons away from law-abiding citizens.

Background checks need to be strengthened, and in many TV shows, video games and movies a shoot out is just another day at the office. I enjoy a great action scene, but the line between something from the movies and reality has become practically invisible.

We need to start learning our inaction has consequences.

Until then, there will be heartache after heartache in the headlines.

CARTOON BY MADELYN WHITAKER

The powerhouse of change shifts from adults to students editorial

column

BY KIRA SCHUELKA associate editor

Social media expands the world; Vine the best comedy app made Social media apps have been considered a negative item for teens to have on their phones.

Yes, some people go too far on these sites sending threats and hatred to others or posting things that should not be put out in the world, but overall they have many positive attributes.

The vast majority of users have these apps for good ideas, not to be mean.

Vine has gained fame, mostly after its end, with teens quoting famous ones and twitter using them as memes. Vine was one of the best things to happen because it reinvented humor. Creators had to fit a story into 6 seconds or sometimes just be funny for no reason. Many current social media ‘influencers’ came from vine but the best vines are by the random accounts.

I think Vine was the best thing for our generation. It was hilarious and introduced a lot of people into comedy. They are still being quoted today, proving its longevity.

A lot of people also make friends over social media.

Through Twitter and Instagram

online friendships have formed between fans of a similar topic.

Some people even have fan accounts dedicated to a specific person or group allowing them to express their interests. A lot of people going to college can use these apps to possibly find a roommate.

Social media spreads a small town teen to someone across the world. I am not naive to the fact that there is a lot of danger on the internet and it has probably made us a less personal society, but it keeps us social. It keeps the world always spreading ideas and information moving.

Too many kids have used it as a way to bully others when it should be used with the intent to spread information. There is a lot of good that can come from meeting new people so don’t give up on the positives social media brings.

Whether it is Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat or some other app, there is something good that came out of it. Don’t let all the bad things that have happened ruin the good uses it had too.

Students were once the followers of rules implemented by adults, but now we are the power behind legislative change.

Schools have been the targets of anger and terrorism for too long.

Now is the time to demand change.

Laws are not always set in stone and today, students are the leaders of these changes. Their voices are making a difference now more than ever. They utilize their strength in numbers and their right to advocate against issues that plague not only our nation, but even international issues.

Currently, many students have started protests and demanded stricter gun laws after the tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

At a certain point, age becomes simply a number that holds people back legally. But age is no longer holding back students.

Those who are too young to vote are still making impactful changes. Through the power of protest and vocal expression, the world is changing.

These students are breaking the constraints of their age and doing what they can to shift the focus towards better legislation.

They are not staying quiet about what they believe in and will not be silenced until change occurs.

Protests have been a key part in American history. We live in a society of those who refused to pay higher taxes to a King in England. We have a legacy of people like Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. who demanded the end of segregation. These protests, while influential, were all led by adults fighting for a better life. Now, these protests are led by children who are scared for their lives and the future of the nation.

As students, we must realize that the actions of today will most definitely be reflected in the history taught tomorrow.

Standing up for what we believe in isn’t just a motto anymore; it is now an essential component of how our society will move forward.

We are supported by many peers and adults. There are adults that are becoming more and more impressed with our efforts to stand for what we believe in and fight for what is right. We are peaceful protesters and we are demanding change through our voices and powerful collaborative efforts.

speakup

What results will student movements have on the nation?

Lydia Caldwell

Rohan Parikh

“I feel like these kids are trying to put themselves out there and make sure they are noticed. We should try to notice them and help them.”

“I feel like since we are the younger generation we’ll have a big impact on the nation especially because our generation is all about being successful and starting to make a change.”

freshman

sophomore

Michael Florek junior

“I feel that student movements will bring attention to some issues to have them solved. It will bring attention and move people forward to the options.”

Lily Reiners

senior “It will help create a change because people and the government right now don’t really do anything so it will help create change in the younger generations that actually care.”

opinion inklings march 23, 2018

Intheir View

5

ink

Should teachers have access to weapons while on school grounds?

LL

. II . NN . GG . SS

Crown Point High School, IN

Vol. 82 Issue 7 - March 23, 2018 1500 S. Main St. Crown Point, IN 46307 219-663-4885 ex. 11349 fax 219-662-5663 inklings@cps.k12.in.us online: www2.cps.k12.in.us/inklings

William Woods choir teacher

Pro: “If they al-

low teachers to carry weapons, then I don’t see anything wrong with it.

If they have training and feel comfortable with it, that’s great.”

Holly Hume librarian

Con: “Ifeelwouldn’t comfort-

able with teachers carrying guns because I personally would never want to harm anyone.”

Haley Canfield senior

“I think it’s a good idea that they should have a gun in the classroom, but I think they should go to training and rules on how to take care of the gun and what you can do with it.”

Pro:

CARTOON BY DOMINIC THEPHASDIN

armed teachers will deter violence Pro: Having from schools, promote feelings of safety

BY DOMINIC THEPHASDIN reporter

The world is very different from what it once was.

Teachers can either choose to adapt, or be unprepared in a crisis. After the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the question of arming teachers has been argued heavily in schools and the media. To protect the lives of so many students across the nation, the answer must unequivocally be yes.

The four deputies at Marjory Stoneman failed to act in the time when they were needed most. The shooting lasted six minutes, and they waited to enter the school for four minutes. The national average police response time is 11 minutes. These precious seconds are necessary, and when the first responders fail to defend us, we must be the ones to help ourselves.

Legislation that limits access to weapons is not the answer to this.

Not only will we have an instant response to threats, armed teachers will provide a deterrent to would-be shooters. A school where teachers are armed is signifi-

cantly less likely to be targeted than a school in which teachers are unarmed.

Those opposed say that arming untrained, unwilling educators will only endanger students further. However, no piece of proposed legislation forces teachers to be armed, and no bill plainly hands over a weapon without the necessary training. A Florida bill proposes that 10 teachers be trained to carry a gun in every school statewide. According to the Tampa Bay Times, “the state would cover the costs of background checks, drug testing, psychological exams and 132 hours of training. The bill does provide a one-time $500 stipend for those who volunteer to have a gun.”

There is no doubt that this would be an expensive application for the state, but there is no greater cost than the lives of our youth. Lawmakers and teachers have a moral obligation to protect students at any cost. Though some may not like it, the world isn’t the same as when schools could leave the doors unlocked. Now we have school shooters. We can choose to take our lives into our own hands, or lose them.

Con: Armed teachers will contribute to violent

school culture, create responsibility conflict

going to improve anything, improve the quality of life for the students like better, more useful needs around the school.”

What we Think Pro: 1 Inklings Staffer

Con: 29 Inklings Staffers

Flip the FOCUS

reporter

The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting has opened up a nationwide debate on whether or not teachers should be armed.

Most teachers by nature are considered nurturers and would not react in the defensive way required of someone carrying a firearm. If a school shooter is a student and a teacher is told to shoot the student, how will the teacher be mentally and emotionally prepared to shoot a student they may know?

The cost of school districts having to purchase firearms for their employees and paying for their training will be a large sum taken out of schools. According to The Washington Post, even if teachers went through the minimal training and received discounted guns, it would cost around $251 million to arm 718,000 teachers, which is the target number President Trump has set. America’s education system is underfunded as it is. Is spending even more of its money on something that the majority of

teachers speaking up claim they would never use anyway?

Also, it is not mandated for teachers to get regular mental health checks to hold their job. Who’s to say that we are not putting a weapon in the hands of someone who could be potentially dangerous to the children. If a teacher had a mental break while also having access to a weapon, the outcome could possibly be more deadly than that of a student shooting.

People may argue that teachers should carry weapons due to the average school shooting ending about five minutes before first responders arrive. This point should be addressed, and even though teachers should want to protect their students, it should not be considered their job to take on the role of local first responders. They signed up to protect the citizens, whereas a teacher agreed to be a mentor and further the education of students.

There should be more effort put into shortening emergency response times than trying to put weapons in the hands of teachers. Teachers carrying weapons is not the best solution, and other options should be considered.

+ March Madness competition + Looking forward to Easter candy + Preparation for April Fool’s Day fun

Cons

Con: “If they are

BY CAT PADILLA

Pros

Jack Lewis junior

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

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

Advertising is subject to applicable rates available by contacting Inklings.

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

co-editors-in-chief Grace Cleland Audrey Gacsy Andrea John online editor-in-chief Alexia Wojciechowski associate editor Kira Schuelka assistant editors Lindsey Baeza Tabitha Beishuizen Ashley Rekitzke Morgan Taylor advertising editor Jessi Alcorta-Robles sports editor Henry Withrow assistant sports editors Timmy Abbott Jake McCallister staff Asmaa Abdeldaiem Olivia Budzevski Morgan Cooper Emma Frank Elizabeth Gonzalez Gwyn Isaacs Maria Jeffirs Jacob Johansson Steven Kvachkoff Emmie McConnell Erin Muller Cat Padilla Luke Raiser Ari Setlak Alexandra Sulewski Dominic Thephasdin Madelyn Whitaker adviser Julie Elston

- Grass remains brown and squishy - Unpredictable weather - Hotter days with colder evenings

6

feature inklings march 23, 2018

i on Iife

experiencing life beyond the building

By

The

#

Nearly

62%

of Americans have pets.

Inbreeding causes painful and lifethreatening genetic defects in “purebred” dogs and cats.

At least

25 percent

PHOTO BY GRACE CLELAND Senior Lauren Bunchek plays with her puppy Lyla in her backyard. Bunchek and her family adopted Lyla from a breeder about a year ago after putting down their previous beagle Zoe.

Pet adoption process involves more in depth applications, options vary

BY GRACE CLELAND ELIZABETH GONZALEZ JACOB JOHANSSON co-editor-in-chief reporters

New people, places and spaces are all things that call for fresh starts. Some decide to bring animals in their lives to add a different dynamic to the mix, but there are many options when it comes to adopting a furry family member.

The adoption process for animals can be very overwhelming for some. There are many different options whether it be adoption via shelter, adopting via breeder or adopting the stray that showed up at the front door. Each person will find their own way of adopting and what they are comfortable with. For senior Lauren Bunchek and her family, adopting via breeder after losing their previous beagle was unexpected.

“We really didn’t want Lyla; we didn’t really want a dog after Zoe died. When my dad saw a picture of her on Facebook and then we just decided to get her because she was cute,” Bunchek said.

Some families find it beneficial to adopt from both a breeder and a rescue for many different reasons. For guidance counselor Ami Marcinek and her family, adopting from a rescue after losing their lab was the choice best fitted for them.

“After we lost our lab over Christmas break, we knew we were going to find a dog at some point, but we decided to just do a rescue because there are just so many dogs and it’s kind of silly to just keep going to a breeder,” Marcinek said.

The adoption process can be very extensive and at times, very patience oriented. According to Lowell Animal Hospital owner and veterinarian Dr. Stephanie Wise, there are many applications that need to be filled out and references are usually called to give the shelter or rescue information about the family the animal will be joining.

“Every rescue and breeder is different but most follow similar guidelines. There is typically an application and questionnaire process that must be filled out with references to vouch for that person’s ability to care for an animal,” Wise said. “Some places follow up with the provided veterinarian information to ensure that any other animals in the home receive proper medical care.

They also might do a home check to make sure the house is suitable to raise an animal. If these steps are met, they will try to find an animal that best meets the individual’s wants and needs.”

PHOTO BY GRACE CLELAND Lyla pauses while playing with her toys in the yard for a photo. Bunchek is happy her family adopted Lyla and believes Lyla has brought a lot of cheer into the family.

On the other hand, there is always the option of adopting via breeder. With breeders, certain breeds can be bred together to create an intentional mix or to create a purebred. Breeding can commence once the animals are of a certain age. For sophomore Savana Asche and her family, breeding is in the future for their two bulldogs.

“He (Savana’s father) has always had the plans even before we got the bulldogs. When they are old enough they are definitely going to be bred to sell,” Asche said.

According to Dr. Wise, health issues are in both rescue and breeded animals and as the animals get into home settings, illnesses and diseases affect both shelter dogs and breeding dogs the same.

“One of the most common diseases we see in both rescue and breeding animals is intestinal parasites, especially in puppies. Most shelters and breeders will give a broad spectrum dewormer to help rid of some of the more common parasites,” Wise said. “Other common illnesses seen including respiratory infections and skin infections.

We tend to see these more commonly in rescue animals first adopted due to their environment.

Shelters tend to be overcrowded due to pet over-

population issues, so even with the best management, highly contagious pathogens will spread.

However, many of these are easy to treat with a course of medications.”

Even though a breeder and shelters health risks are ultimately the same according to Dr. Wise, breeders do have the benefit of allowing an individual to pick exactly which breed works best for their family.

“I do think buying from a breeder can decrease the chance of health risks. Since most of them know what they are doing. Some dogs at shelters could be mutts and strays so they might have some genetic defects that breeders avoid,” Asche said.

In junior Jared Wood’s case, breeding was a decision that his family made based on their previous experiences of rescuing two dogs, Pancho and Roxie.

“I adopted from a breeder because my two previous dogs were rescued and were so violent to the point we had (to) euthanize (the dogs). From breaking my foot and almost biting my brothers fingers off, we did not have a good rescue experience,” Wood said.

After Wood’s experience, his family wanted to try out a breeder. Wood describes his new goldendoodle Maggie as the sweetest dog ever and as of right now, she has no health issues. Although Wood and his family did not have a quality experience adopting from a shelter, Wood has no hard feelings towards them.

“I very much am sympathetic towards shelters and completely support all people who want to rescue dogs and other animals; however, I myself have had much more success from adopting from a breeder,” Wood said.

Adopting is not always just about the dog, but about the lifestyle of a person or the family.

Many live different lifestyles and certain breeds of animals are more suited to one lifestyle than others. Likewise, there’s also a wide range of ages to choose from as well.

“By far, the most important factor when choosing an animal is lifestyle. It is extremely important to pick an animal that best fits into the family,” Wise said. “Most people will make an impulse decision and choose an animal because it looks cute or has a sad story behind it. However, they don’t take into account the important aspects such as long term health care, maintenance, exercise requirements, general temperament, etc.”

of the dogs in animal shelters are purebreds.

4,232

animals rescued from harm during rescue operations in 2016.

10,578 animals rescued and/ or assisted in 2016.

250,000

animals

fall victim to hoarding annually.

85,151

spay/neuter surgeries performed

by ASPCA in 2016.

1.2

million dogs are euthanized in shelters every year because of a lack of space, resources and people who are willing to adopt these animals. statistics provided by https://www.peta.org/ issues/companionanimal-issues/pet-trade/ breeders/, https://www. aspca.org/, http://www. onegreenplanet.org/ animalsandnature/whybreeding-dogs-is-a-problem-even-if-the-breeder-isreputable/.

feature inklings march 23, 2018

7

The

Price is

Right Students find ways to budget for prom Going to prom is said to be a right of passage for any upperclassmen, but with the prices of the things needed to attend, many are unable to go. The price of one person to go to prom is $70, and adding the cost of attire, flowers, appearance, and dinner is simply not an option for some students.

“Yes, I pay for everything because I think if you can’t afford to take a girl on a date then don’t take them at all. If the girl pays for the dress that’s so expensive, then makeup and shoes.

They don’t need to pay for everything afterwards too,” senior Chase Hawkins said.

On top of paying for the whole date, the guys usually have to wear a tuxedo. This can be costly, so an alternative to buying could be renting.

“Renting is a good option, maybe from Duhill or Louie’s in the mall. If

find the same dress cheaper,” Krcoski said.

Sometimes, dress shops will have sales around the times of dances to make the dresses more affordable for all students.

“I have bought a prom dress from a shop but not for full price. The shop had a sale on a lot of their dresses,” Spangler said.

Some of the girls’ favorite parts of preparing for prom is dress shopping, but finding a reasonably priced dress online can be a option too.

“I do not think buying a used dress should or would affect my time at prom. As long as you find something you feel confident and beautiful in you should have the time of your life,” Krcoski said.

Other ways to save money on prom could be finding ways to reuse items from previous dances.

“There are a couple of places you could rent shoes online which are great. I

PHOTO BY JESSI ALCORTA-ROBLES Sophomores Hannah Heminger and Kaitlyn Doughney blow a kiss to the audience while modeling for the Spring Fashion Show. Participants were offered 15 percent off of their dress purchase.

Facebook, Postmark, etc. so no matter your size you can find one,’’ senior Monika Krcoski said.

For Spangler, finding a dress in her size was not too complicated.

“Yeah it was pretty easy finding one in my size. It only needed to be altered a

little bit,” Spangler said.

Others may want to have the whole dress shopping experience by going and trying on dresses, but without the price tag.

“I am thinking about going to a boutique and trying on dresses and then going online and trying to

personally like to buy a pair and I usually wear them for many occasions such as weddings and birthdays,” Krcoski said.

The tradition of buying flowers or a corsage for prom or other dances can become expensive, so finding other ways to purchase them could be a better alternative.

Hawkins said he goes to any store that is close by, but last year his mom’s friend made the bouquet and corsage for his date.

After prom, there are not many opportunities to rewear the outfits. Renting, making and creating things instead of buying may be better options for one night dances.

“I have bought dresses for full price from dress shops before, and have often regretted it because there’s not many occasions where you can randomly walk in a prom dress,” Kcroski said.

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you rent (a tux), the shoes and the tie come with it,” Hawkins said.

For girls, they have to buy dresses, shoes and take care of their hair and makeup. These costs can add up, especially for high schoolers. Instead of going to a dress shop, girls may be able to buy a used dress from another girl.

“I bought my dress from someone else mainly because it didn’t cost as much. The dress I bought was for prom, and since those dresses are really expensive I think I saved about $200-300,” senior Serena Spangler said.

Instead of buying a dress at a store, look for local people that are selling their dresses. Although finding the right size may be thought to be a challenge, but now has become less of a challenge due to available online resources.

“I think it would be easy to find a dress because there’s many options on

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8

feature inklings march 23, 2018

Caring contributions for community Students surpassing school community service requirements speak on personal impact

BY JESSI ALCORTA-ROBLES LUKE RAISER advertisement editor reporter

To some students, community service can be looked at as a boring requirement.

However, it doesn’t always have to be. Most of the students know that there are 40 hours of community service required to graduate.

Whether students complete 40 alone, or go above and beyond to complete many more hours, there is no getting past them.

“The experience that students get is really invaluable if they put the heart and energy into it, it’s a benefit,” guidance counselor Ami Marcinek said. “I think it’s helpful to step outside of your own self and look at how you can help your community or other people.”

Sophomore Erin Tien has completed 247 community service hours. Tien was able to tie in her love for theatre with accomplishing community service hours, as well.

“My favorite community service opportunity was probably over the summer.

I got 100 hours from doing a production at Memorial Opera House of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” Tien said.

Joining Tien, junior Reagan Beckham volunteered at Memorial Opera House over the summer. She used her time there as a learning experience.

“Myself and a few girls who are also on costume crew at CPHS volunteered. Our jobs were to make and alter costumes, do makeup, style hair and wigs, and dress the actors backstage on show nights,” Beckham said. “I learned a lot about hard work, long hours, time management and working with others.”

Along with a high amount of community service hours, Beckham also has 40 C-Notes, one of the highest of her class. According to Marcinek, students can earn C-Notes by being in a club or

GET YOUR HOURS

PHOTO BY JESSI ALCORTA-ROBLES Juniors Jocelyn Chang-Stroman (left) and Isabelle Kalil (right) earn community service hours by packing boxes with chocolate Easter eggs to sell and raise money for Tri Kappa community organization fund.

sport, having perfect attendance per each semester, being on the honor roll, being named student of the week and meeting 10 community service hours per year.

“The six C’s stand for citizenship, creativity, college, career, culture, and courage,” Marcinek said. “With C-Notes we are trying to embody a well-rounded student if you meet all of these criterias.”

Senior Sean Ives along with having over 100 hours of community service has 67 C-Notes. He finds most of his community service at his church.

“I play organ for my church, it’s honestly super cool,” Ives said.

His motivation for his hours is very

straightforward. According to Ives, he only gets his hours because the school and National Honor Society requires him to.

However Ives thinks having the hours does benefit you.

“Yes it kind of does (benefit students) because it gives you a sense of serving others but I think that sometimes high schoolers need to focus on other things first,” Ives said.

Not only do some students go above and beyond getting their hours, but some have done interesting jobs to acquire their community service. Senior Ian Cavanaugh has done musical services within the community to get his hours.

“My favorite opportunity was working

with the incoming band and orchestra kids over the summer,” Cavanaugh said. “I liked it because I want to be a music teacher actually, so this is the ideal way for me to enjoy getting my hours.”

Along with giving out wreaths to those who ordered them during Christmas time he also played festive tunes to spread cheer.

Cavanaugh was able to get all 40 hours easily by doing things he enjoyed.

“I already have roughly 120 hours,” Cavanaugh said. “But I keep on doing things just because I can I suppose, and its fun so why not?”

Cavanaugh also believes that friends make the whole experience worthwhile.

“I always make sure I’m doing any community service with friends,” Cavanaugh said. “When I do that it feels more like hanging out with friends rather than going somewhere to just turn in those hours at the end of the year.”

No matter what way students prefer doing their community service, they still have to log in those 40 hours. There are multiple ways of going about getting your hours. Emails are sent to students every so often about people in the community who are offering service hours.

“During spring break the nursing homes may be happy to have help because family members may be on vacation and they’ll get less visitors in. As the weather gets warmer, working at the animal shelter and taking the dogs outside is a good opportunity also,” Marcinek said.

“Checking your school email is a good place to check for community service hours. Everything that gets sent to us, we send to all of the students.”

Tien enjoys the community service work.

“My motivation for getting hours is a lot of hours look good on college applications and scholarships,” Tien said.

“I also really enjoy volunteering in the community and helping other people that need it.”

Coming up:

Crown Point Fire Department Charity Dodgeball

Crown Point Christian Village Nursing Home

Other Local Places to Check Out:

Where:

Who:

The Sparta Dome

Contact Mr. Reed

1355 E. North St.

to confirm volunteering

6685 E 117th Ave.

with bingo games,

- food pantries

Crown Point, IN

mreed@crownpoint.in.gov

Crown Point, IN

amongst other activities

- retirement homes

Where:

What:

Crown Point Christian Village Volunteers would help

- animal shelters

When:

When:

- churches

Saturday March 31, 2018

Anytime

-homeless shelters

3:30 PM to 10:00 PM

feature inklings march 23, 2018

9

Spring Cleaning: Off your back

Students, staff members open up their bags; get advice on how to de-clutter

BY AUDREY GACSY co-editor-in-chief

New seasons bring with them the concept of new changes. With the closing of the winter months, many turn to cleaning as a way to wash away the season. For students and staff members, the bags they carry with them throughout the day can become home to accumulated waste and unnecessary items, weighing them down. The solution may be some spring cleaning to get the weight off their backs.

Clear garbage and wrappers out of smaller compartments.

Check to see what is no longer necessary and discard old or expired products.

Be sure that main compartments can close properly. If not, take out the contents of the bag and re-evaluate the necessity of carrying these items.

Clean out the bottom of the bag where papers or debris may be built up.

Checking this can alleviate some weight.

Adjust any straps that may have become too loose or tight from wear.

Tips from the teacher Leslie Bonner Housing and consumer sciences teacher Leslie Bonner has three easy steps to organizing school bags.

“Work on one section at a time, that way you don’t get overwhelmed.”

“Keep any food items in large zip-up plastic bags.

Any food that spills can be bad for your bag.”

“Wash the bag periodically.

But check to make sure you haven’t left anything in there first, like pens.”

Bags Building of the

What do people around the school have in the bag?

Catarina Birkenfeld

Junior

Skylar McClure Senior

Cheyenne Jones Sophomore

English teacher

Word to describe bag: “Nit-Picky”

Word to describe bag: “Switches”

Word to describe bag: “Messy”

Word to describe bag: “In-between”

How often bag gets cleaned out:

How often bag gets cleaned out: “Never”

How often bag gets cleaned out: “Zero to none”

How often bag gets cleaned out: “Maybe twice a month”

“Every opportunity I get”

Jacob Adams

10

feature inklings march 23, 2018

in the

DAY LIFE

Freshman principal Sabrina Ramirez details administrative duties

BY MADELYN WHITAKER reporter

Often feared by their students, administrators are known for the punishments they give as opposed to the work they do to improve the students’ experience at schools. Some students overlook the contributions that administration give to the school and acknowledge the discipline that they give.

Freshman principal Sabrina Ramirez’s day begins at 6 a.m. when she arrives at the school to begin her day. While she may have a schedule of what her day may be like, she notices the need for adaptability as an administrator and comes in with readiness to tackle whatever that day may bring.

“It’s interesting, the day in the life of an administrator, that you kind of budget your day.

You have all of your meetings scheduled and then you deal with things that come up in the spur of the moment, so you definitely have to be very flexible and able to manage your time,” Ramirez said.

Although Ramirez may see many disciplinary incidents throughout the day, she also relies on her freshman teachers who she notes are very capable of resolving most of the conflicts that may arise.

“I get to work with this really talented group of teachers who are dedicated to helping with the process of moving from middle school to the high school and then throughout the four years of high school,” Ramirez said. “I think we have a really strong core of freshman teachers who make

strong connections with their students so they are able to remediate situations in their classrooms a lot of times on their own which I really think is a testament to their strength as leaders.”

Recognizing her favorite aspects of her role as freshman principal, Ramirez notes that by interacting with younger students, she gets to see their evolutions as students and individuals.

“I do really like the fact that we’re getting students on solid footing for the rest of their high school career, and we get to work with them for the rest of their four years so that we’ll be able to see the progress that they make,” Ramirez said. “As freshman principal, I am able to take a handson role in helping in the transition from middle school to high school.”

Ramirez notes that the importance of setting up a strong foundation when students are transitioning from middle school to high school. Contributing to that, she commends the summer engage program for aiding students who may need extra assistance in their transition.

“It’s even interesting to see- we run a summer engage program for some eighth grade students who may need additional support academically or behaviorally- them develop from summer to now in the second semester of their freshman year,” Ramirez said. “I think that a strong freshman year helps them be successful for the rest of their high school career.”

Working as part of a team of administrators, Ramirez compares her roles to those of the other administrators in the building.

PHOTO BY ASHLEY REKITZKE Freshman principal Sabrina Ramirez speaks to senior Blake King during her supervisional lunch period. Ramirez said she enjoys working with and preparing incoming students and seeing them progress throughout their duration in high school.

“Each administrator has a variety of responsibilities that we take the lead for and then we utilize our time to take care of that,” Ramirez said. “I’ve been spending a lot of my time 9/10 RTI lab making sure that our students are using that wisely. I do grade checks every week to make sure that we are using the resources that we have in the building to address students that may have multiple Ds or Fs.” RTI teacher Laura Neal acknowledges the efforts that Ramirez has made to properly utilize the resources that are available in the high school for those in need of extra assistance.

“She has been very active in getting the RTI fully staffed so

that there are the resources available for the kids, and she’s been helping identify kids who could most use the RTI services,” Neal said. “She has been very invested in making sure that this program runs as smoothly as possible. It’s been a wonderful thing to have someone who is devoted to making sure that the freshman have the smoothest transition as possible.”

She appreciates the challenges and successes that she has each day as that is what she enjoys about her job. Ramirez notes that the team aspect of her allows for more improvements and helps make the school a better environment.

“My favorite aspect of the day

is when I have the opportunity to have a successful interaction with a student, parent or teacher, and we are able to collaborate to solve a problem or address an issue to make things better,” Ramirez said.

Ramirez acknowledges the challenges that she has faced in her new role as freshman principal, but reminds herself of her goals to remain successful in the workplace.

“I think when I wake up that I am looking to help people that are so instrumental to making the high school what it is,” Ramirez said. “I am very fortunate that I’m not in this alone and I have so many people I work with. The team approach to everything that we do makes us so successful.”

sports inklings march 23, 2018

extra points

BUSTED

‘‘

BRACKETS

This season will be tough for sure and we can’t take anything for granted. Our team is well fit and we have to take games day by day.

Delaney Adams freshman

upcoming games girls track

Hoosier State Relays 3-24

‘‘

March Madness is fun for everyone because it is so unpredictable. You think you know who will win, but you don’t actually know who will play good and win the games.

Keegan Govert junior

West Virginia

Kansas St. Kentucky

Loyola Chicago Nevada

11

March Madness 2018

Villanova

Texas Tech Purdue Clemson

Florida St.

Kansas

Gonzaga

Syracuse

Texas A&M

Duke

Michigan

boys track

Hoosier State Relays 3-24

girls softball @ Hobart

Crown Point students participate in March Madness traditions

3-26

boys baseball Hanover Central 3-27

POLL

Will a first seed win this March Madness?

15 yes 60 no

OUT OF 75 STUDENTS POLLED Photos provided by https://creativecommons.org/

My moment of the month ... “...being in the top 10 for long jump. I really don’t realize it though because being in state last year was a lot more stressful.

Senior Nick Ryan Track & Field

BY HENRY WITHROW sports editor

Madness has come to life once again this March. Every year, college basketball teams compete for the title in the massive 64-team NCAA tournament. With four regions composed of sixteen teams each, truly anything can happen. To add to the excitement of the games, people have March Madness traditions as well. Millions of brackets are created each tournament with the goal of predicting the outcomes of each game.

Compiling a bracket is typically a key component to the excitement of March Madness. From viewers to players, anybody can create a bracket.

Brackets are made for just about any reason imaginable and according to junior Molly Angel, they allow for a competitive spirit within anybody competing.

“I started making brackets because of my brother in sixth grade. I wanted to see if I could make a better bracket than him and his friends, so I’ve continued to make them ever since.

I think making brackets for March Madness is so appealing because you can be competitive with your friends and it allows people who typically don’t watch sports to get involved with it,” Molly said.

Bracket pools are another activity to partake in during March Madness.

Instead of creating one bracket for one’s self, a person can compete with friends, teammates, work colleagues, or really anybody to see who created the most accurate bracket. Many students at Crown Point participate in bracket pools and have been for years.

Junior Keegan Govert has been hosting bracket pools since middle school and is hosting one this year as well.

“I started making them in 7th grade because everyone kept arguing about who knew college basketball the most, so having the best bracket would prove who does,” Govert said. “March Madness is fun for everyone because it is so unpredictable. You think you know who will win, but you don’t actually know who will play good and win the games.”

Each person roots for their favorite team to win when possible. However, when that team does not make the tournament or gets knocked out, there are other options to turn to. Underdogs typically win people’s hearts. For example, UMBC was the first 16 seed to beat a one seed. Another option is to cheer for teams that a person picks to win on their bracket.

“Once my team loses, I typically root for the underdog because I don’t want teams that other people picked in their bracket to win. March Madness is so appealing because making brackets allows you to cheer for teams that you wouldn’t normally cheer for,” Molly said.

Angel’s brother, Timmy, also hosts bracket pools every year to celebrate March Madness festivities and has a few strategies of his own to help.

He believes that judging past tournaments is a factor for the outcome of his predicted games.

“My strategy is to go by past tournaments and see what seeds have had success versus others and usually by what conference teams play in. I always root for teams I pick to go far in the bracket, then once my bracket gets busted, I just root for underdogs to win,” Timmy said.

Along with that, bracket pools can be created to raise money for charities and other reasons pertaining to donations. Junior Hunter MacDonald has started a bracket pool this year to raise

money for the Alec Matalin Scholarship Fund.

“Regarding the brackets, I’m having everybody who plays fill out a bracket through the ESPN Tournament Challenge App. That way, I’m able to see who’s ranked where based off of the points they’ve scored. I’ve never hosted a tournament challenge before, but I figured why not do it for the scholarship fund? You know he would’ve participated in a bracket challenge this year and would’ve done everything he could do to win,” MacDonald said. “I think it’s a cool thing to do especially because March Madness is so popular, then everyone would like to participate, compete, and do it for Alec.”

MacDonald hopes this charity bracket for Matalin will become a student led tradition, no matter how much money is raised.

“Every dollar counts in my eyes.

There isn’t a set goal on how much I plan to raise. I’m just doing it for him. I’m hoping to raise a lot, especially if it’s for the Matalins and their new fund. Every amount matters and I think they’ll appreciate this greatly,” MacDonald said. “Honestly I’ve been trying to think of ways I could help out the Matalin family as much as possible. I couldn’t imagine a day in their shoes right now. So I thought why not incorporate a fund raiser with March Madness? I’m really excited to do this especially for such a great cause. Hopefully I can make this an annual thing if all goes well this year. I’d host one every year for him.”

For years, March Madness has been deemed by sports fans as one of the shining moments in college sports and sports in general. Anybody can participate in the festivities for various reasons whether they are a fan of a team or not.

MAD FACTS UMBC is the first 16 seed to beat a 1 seed.

There were five teams named the Wildcats in the bracket.

This year holds the third highest sum of sweet 16 team seeds.

The odds of creating a perfect bracket are one in nine quintillion.

The highest seed to win the tournament was the 1985 8 seed Villanova Wildcats.

Information provided by https://thebestschools. org/magazine/25-fun-factsabout-march-madness/ and https://www.foxsports. com/southwest/gallery/21fun-facts-about-marchmadness-031814.

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sports inklings march 23, 2018

Pitchers to lead the way for the Dogs this season

BY JACOB MCCALLISTER assistant sports editor

High school baseball is a lot different now than it was 10 years ago. Balls used to fly off of bats consistently as the best hitters on every team would hit 5-10 home runs a year. Now with new bat rules the best players usually only get 1 or 2.

With the overpowered hitting era over in high school baseball, Crown Point’s dominant pitching staff looks to set the tempo for the team this year.

Crown Point’s pitching staff is locked and loaded from top to bottom. Murray State commit Ryan Fender is at the top of the staff along with senior Ryan Bolda. Both pitchers are tall lanky guys that can bring the heat. Junior, Marek Bauner is not as tall as those two teammates, but he throws a bit harder. The staff is rounded out with sophomore, Gene Kolarik, senior Andrew Loewe, and senior Evan Georgas.

Pitcher is arguably the most important position on the field. If a team plays bad, as long as their pitcher does his job, they can still win. There is a lot of pressure.

“My mindset when I pitch is that I’m the best,” junior Marek Bauner said, “Not in an arrogant way, but more of a confidence boost. I tell myself I’m the best and nobody can hit me when I’m on the mound.”

It’s very important for pitchers to be on their game.

They can’t leave pitches out over the plate. If they miss their spots just by a little a

lot of times the batter will slap a double down the line.

“The pitchers are the ones who control the tempo of the game, and thus the game goes on how well they pitch for the team. If a pitcher goes out there not ready to go, then they’re hurting us because giving up runs to the other team would put us in a bad spot,” senior Ryan Bolda said.

Pitcher is 1 of 2 positions in baseball that are involved on every play. They get to stay in control. There is no clock in baseball, so they get to control the time they take in between each pitch. They are able to get the batters out of their rhythm.

“My favorite thing about pitching is being in control. I like being out there locked in and just being in my own little world out there on the mound,” Bauner said.

And if you ask any of these pitchers, they would give the tribute to their success to their catcher.

“Keeping the pitcher in the game is something I have to deal with. As a catcher you have to be able adapt to any possible situation. You need to be able to anticipate what’s going to happen and make adjustments on the next play,” senior catcher Johnny Vittori said.

At the end of the day CP’s staff may be one of the top in the region. The pitcher’s are ready to lead the way this season. Crown Point’s first game is Tuesday, March 27 at home.

First pitch is at 4:30.

Kostouros prepares for his final golf season

BY TIMMY ABBOTT

assistant sports editor

Sectional champion.

Regional champion. DAC Tournament champion.

Record-holder for the best round at a DAC Tournament. These are all things that can be said about senior Yianni Kostouros, who is deep in preparation for the upcoming Golf season.

Those titles were big for Kostouros during his recruitment from multiple Division 1 colleges. In November, he signed his letter of intent to continue his career at Ball State University.

“One reason I committed there is their great schedule. BSU plays against the best teams in the nation and travels to top tournaments,” Kostouros said.

“Another is that they built a million dollar indoor golf facility for the team. Also,

the coach is amazing and I love his coaching style.”

Similar to many other successful athletes, Kostouros’ passion for golf started in part due to being introduced to it at an early age.

“When I was about 2 years old, my dad gave me a little plastic club that I would always swing around.

Also, my older brother was really good, and I wanted to be like him, so I continued to play,” Kostouros said.

For now, he says his focus is solely on making his final high school season a successful farewell tour.

“I’ve been working so hard and I want to show Indiana that I am good enough to win every tournament I play in. As for the team, I believe we have enough talent to compete against the best teams in the state if we all do our part.”

PHOTO PROVIDED BY EMMA FRANK The Dance team poses at the close of the state competition. They placed first in their kick competition and second in the pom competition.

Dance brings home kick state championship

BY GWYN ISAACS reporter

Without missing a beat, the dance team ended their season as state champions. The girls competed on March 10 at Newcastle High School and placed first in kick and second in pom. The team improved their title from their previous state competition, when they placed third in kick and second in pom. Coach Chloe Hoffman believes the team was able to achieve such success with their determination to win.

“They did great this year and we were really strong this whole season.

This year the team did extra things like coming in for morning workouts and for Saturday conditioning,” Hoffman said.

Making minor changes to the team’s conditioning routine made a major impact for the girls.

“So because of that we were a lot stronger we did the same thing we usually do but in the beginning of the year we did a better job of making

them condition and become stronger so they performed with more attack,” Hoffman said. “It is key to really presenting an amazing performance. “ Even though the team was thrilled with all of their success, it was no surprise that they came out on top. All their hard work put them in a good place to be state champions.

“We did really well in regionals so we went into state expecting the same result. They all felt like they were ready and felt like they were going to get first. I think it was one of those things where they had their mind set on the right level and they executed their dance that day,” said Hoffman.

Winning state has become some of the dancer’s favorite memory from being on the team. Teammates such as Junior Olivia Wagner believe this to be true. ““We had worked so hard all season to get to that point and it was all worth it in the end, and I loved sharing that moment with all of my best

friends,” Wagner said.

With the support of the captains, the girls were able to stay motivated and keep concentrated on their goal, winning state.

“The captains are key in terms of motivation. They’re great role models and are great at correcting aspects of their techniques. The big thing they do is near a big competition they motivate the team and push them to try at every single moment of practice,” Hoffman said.

All the long practices and intense conditioning put pressure on the girls to succeed. But, the more they practiced the more they became determined to dominate their competition.

“If there were the right words to tell you what we did to be successful, it would be ‘Work!’” Winter said.

“We didn’t have much time outside of dance this past season, because we were all so motivated to win and had a special drive. We listened to our coaches and believed in ourselves, just like they did.”

New head coach hopes to lead girls’ track team to success at Hoosier State Relays at Indiana University

BY EMMIE MCCONNELL reporter

As the indoor season draws to a close, the girls track team looks back on the season so far. New changes have been pushing the girls to challenge themselves even more than before. One adjustment the team has had to make is Allison Florek’s move from assistant coach to head coach.

She has been trying to create a more positive and motivating team.

“We’re working on building up the team and preparing everyone. So, most of the indoor season was getting the nerves out of freshman and other new runners,” Florek said. “The season is going pretty well. Basically, I see indoor meets as a way to practice and see where we are at.”

The positivity being coached to the girls has really helped the team come together as one. Senior distance runner Hannah Wylie has seen a change in the bond within the girls.

“Coach Bickel (Florek) is really stressing a positive team atmosphere and I think it’s showing. She’s more concerned about us being good people who care about each other than winning,” Wylie said.

Other teammates have also noticed the shift in the team bond. Junior Kirsten Macintyre believes having the bond with her teammates will help them work hard for one another.

“The team works together well and all the girls have a great connection and friendship,” Macintyre said. “With all the changes with this year’s team I think our closeness

PHOTO BY ASHLEY REKITZKE Senior Danielle Altpeter running laps to prepare for the state meet.

with one another is what is going to take us to the next level.”

This attitude is helping drive the girls forward in the indoor season. Their eyes are now on the biggest meet of the indoor season: Indoor State. Two relays have qualified for the state competition and have lofty goals.

With indoor state coming this Saturday, Macintyre has high expectations for the team.

“We are all super excited to race this Saturday and just see if we can run up to our expectations we have set for one another.”

sports inklings march 23, 2018

Softball welcomes next Elish sister

13

column

BY JAKE MCCALLISTER assistant sports editor

The NCAA should pay college athletes for playing

BY TIMMY ABBOTT

assistant sports editor

The Softball team is gaining a (very literally) familiar face this upcoming season. Freshman Madi Elish will make her debut as a Bulldog on Monday when the team travels to Hobart to kick off their regular season.

Madi is the sister of the former Crown Point softball star, Miranda Elish. During Miranda’s high school career at Crown Point, she was named a Gatorade Player of the Year three times and was also ranked as the #1 softball player in the nation during her senior year.

She is currently pitching at Oregon University, where she posted a 12-0 record as a freshman.

Elish is following in her sister’s Division 1 footsteps, as she made her early commitment last November to continue playing softball at the University of Arizona. Having an older sister like Miranda is extremely valuable to her in many ways, on and off the field.

“My older sister has had a huge influence on me.

She’s one of my biggest inspirations,” Elish said. “She’s so headstrong and is so courageous. We are both pitchers, so looking up to her for that is such a help with me being a pitcher as well.”

Arizona didn’t seem like a very tough choice for Elish to make. There are many parts of the university that she adores, and she anticipates her time there very often.

“I was extremely happy to commit to Arizona because the setting of it is just amazing and the coaching staff of the softball team is also so amazing and it was a huge part of why I fell in love with the school and chose it,” Elish said.

To the naked eye, being committed to college as a freshman seems like it’d make high school a breeze and would allow one to slack off more than the usual athlete. However, Elish understands that it is now her duty to keep improving if she wants her game to translate to the next level.

“Me being committed means I have to work even harder than I did before I was committed,” Elish said.

INKLINGS FILE PHOTO Former student Miranda Elish now plays for Oregon University posting a 12-0 record as a freshman. Elish’s sister, freshman Madi Elish has verbally committed to play for University of Arizona.

“I’m constantly working to better myself for the University of Arizona because they are depending on me to do just that.”

Arizona’s softball team is currently ranked 9th overall in the nation by the NCAA. The addition of Elish will likely round out their pitching staff, which magnifies the importance for Elish to keep up her work ethic.

After winning the state championship last season, the Bulldogs are working hard to replicate that success this time around. Elish believes their chemistry will have a lot to do with their ability to reach their goals.

“We truly have an amazing coaching staff and a great team that supports each other and never lets any one of us get down on ourselves. We all get along so well on and of the field and I believe that gives us a great chance,” Elish said.

Spring is just about here and you know what that means. March Madness. The absolute most wonderful time of the year for most sports fans. 67 whole games with spreads and lines. 67 games Americans gamble on. The NCAA Tournament is a 9 billion dollar tournament alone, yet the athletes make no money off of it. Where is their reward?

I used to think that getting a free education is enough, but after doing research I realized how much the NCAA makes off these young adults. The NCAA makes nearly one billion dollars a year. These athletes make zero money off their team’s revenue. They practice every day sometimes twice a day. Even if they wanted to make money they really cannot because even in the offseason student athletes are required to be at team workouts, team practices, and to practice on their individual skills.

I do not see a perfect way to do it, because some kids make more money for their school than others, but each athlete should be paid fairly.

Look at guys like Trae Young from Oklahoma and guys in the past like Jimmer Fredette who went to BYU, both these

athletes helped put their respective schools on the map.

They deserve a percentage of what the NCAA and schools they went to made off of their hard work.

Like I mentioned, I do not see a perfect way to do it, but I believe paying college athletes would help fix college basketball.

Every year we get these stud “one-and-dones.” These guys that play one year then go to the NBA draft are making the college basketball talent uneven. The best freshmen go to the same schools as the guys who are a year older than that leave for the NBA. So every year we see Duke, Kentucky, Kansas, and North Carolina get the top guys. If players were compensated, they might have a reason to stay for more than one year.

Which would make younger guys want to go somewhere they would play, creating a more balanced league.

Not only would paying college athletes help the game, they actually deserve to be paid. It may give smaller schools a bigger chance to land these top players. They put a lot of work in for it.

There is a lot more going on than just games and March Madness. It’s a year round job. Pay the kids.

Boys track heads to indoor state Seniors to lead way for tennis

BY ELIZABETH GONZALEZ reporter

This season is flying by as the boys’ indoor season seems to be turning the corner on its last straightaway to indoor state. Last week at the DePauw qualifier the boys placed first in the DMR (1200-400-800-1600m) and sophomore Geno Christofanelli took 4th overall in the 3200 meter run.

Looking forward to state which will be tomorrow at Indiana University,

the boys prepare by keeping everyone as physically and mentally healthy as possible, so that when they arrive on Saturday they are ready to go.

“We try and work our hardest at practices and give them the same efforts we would give meet days.

This way when we go into important meets like state this Saturday, it is no foreign concept to us what the competitive environment is like,” Christofanelli said.

They are expecting

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some good competition, but nothing the dogs cannot handle. Since they placed first overall scoring 79.24 at the Maverick Purdue qualifier, a good outcome is expected on Saturday.

“I have no idea where we will stand tomorrow because there are so many great athletes in state it will be insane. I am expected to take 6th in long jump, but other than that it is any man’s game,” senior Nick Ryan said.

BY GWYN ISAACS EMMIE MCCONNELL reporters

A strong leadership role from the seniors is going to be the driving factor for the girls Tennis team this year.

With seven returning seniors, the girls are bringing back strategy and experience to the team.

One of the Seniors, Ana Maksimovich, is excited to use her maturity to lead the younger players.

“This being my last season, it is important to the other seniors and myself to be leaders, especially this year, and try to make sure everyone is working hard, but also having fun,” Maksimovich said.

Excalibur Yearbook Order the 2017-18 yearbook for $75 now through April 1, 2018 on the CPHS website shortcut.

Checks made out to CPHS Excalibur can be brought to the main office or journalism lab, E109.

Even though the Seniors have to support the rest of the team, they also have to remember to enjoy their last year playing for Crown Point.

“This season, I’m really not trying to think of it as my last one and that I have to make it the best. It just adds unnecessary pressure. I’m just enjoying it as much as I can with some of my best friends, and we are having so much fun,” Maksimovich said. “We are just trying to be ready for tough matches and go in with a great attitude.”

With the help from senior leadership and talent, the team prepares for the looming season. The girls will be starting their season on April 9th at Hobart High School.

14

arts & entertainment inklings march 23, 2018

inreview Life Sentence

Lucy Hale, who is famously know from the ‘Pretty Little Liars’ series, stars in this show about a young girl who has cancer. In the first episode Hale’s character learns that she is cancer free and no longer has to live a life worrying about death. The show is boring and tries to be funny when it isn’t. Hale’s supporting cast does not have the best acting either, making it seem very cheesy.

Which local ice cream option tastes the best?

BY KIRA SCHUELKA associate editor

These sweet treats come in small pint sizes and the unique names make it seem like the makers love what they do. There is an added interest when some flavors are named after celebrities like “Stephen Colbert’s Americone Dream”. The company is established and makes incredible ice cream that will be in freezers for many years to come.

4 scoops

TCBY

As far as cream and texture go, Oberweis wins it all. They have some of the best quality ice cream out there. With so many options to choose from it is clearly a hot spot for ice cream fans. Unfortunately there is not one located in our town so a drive is required. Also, their prices could be considered high meaning it may not be a viable option for all.

TCBY is technically not ice cream but tastes just like it and is still just as good. There is a lot of flavor in their options and everything seems creamy and fruity. Unfortunately, there is only a small shop in the mall with limited options. Still the prices are fair and it is a great treat. Hopefully, the small shop in the mall stays so that everyone can get some ice cream as they shop.

3 scoops

Dairy Queen DQ seems to have been around forever and their signature move is turning your blizzard upside down. In previous years DQ seemed to have many notable flavors but have since downsized to just a couple on the board. Also, they have flavors of the month but then those treats disappear making fans upset. Personally, I wish there were more blizzards that had chocolate ice cream than vanilla.

“American Utopia” by David Byrne

3 scoops

Cold Stone Cold Stone is very similar to Baskin Robbins and Oberweis in that they all three have many different options of ice cream. Cold Stone does have specialty blends pre-planned and some are very good.

Unfortunately, they have very high prices and each add-ins cost extra money. They do have very strong flavors and the ice cream seems sweeter than some others.

2 scoops

2 scoops

Baskin Robbins

Accomplished singer David Byrne has released a new album that takes to a slower pace. Byrne has a very unique style with every song seeming very different than the one right before. The album has only ten songs, which is more than enough because this is not Byrne’s best album.

Baskin Robbins has a vast array of choices from simple chocolate to fruitier mixes. Everything seems tasty there and they have shakes and other treats for non-ice cream lovers. The main problem with Baskin Robbins is the small sizes of servings so if a customer wants a lot they must spend more money.

Halo Top There are some good flavors in their pint sizes but Ben and Jerry’s has healthy options too. A lot of places actually have ice cream that can be considered healthy and they are much better. Halo Top has little taste and there is no real substance to their product.

The flavor lacks something to make it worthwhile to buy.

1 scoop

McDonald’s Many may not know but McDonald’s does do the basic vanilla ice cream cone. There is nothing very notable about the experience of trying their one flavor but it is cheap and simple. On a hot day the ice cream melts in your hands because they only serve it in a cone.

Fortnite

A movie about assassins seems unoriginal. Jennifer Lawrence brings to life the story of a Russian spy who uses her body for information. She takes on a Russian accent and a stone cold look making her look very intimidating. Overall, a good performance and an entertaining movie.

Culver’s is unique because it has custards not ice cream meaning it has a richer taste. To get the best bang for buck a one dollar waffle cone with vanilla, chocolate or the flavor of the day is the way to go. They have many different ‘flavor of the day” with the best being Chocolate Oreo Volcano.

For the picky eater, they can create their own blend of add-ins making Culver’s fun and tasty.

Oberweis

This new song has an extremely sultry beat with Puth’s beautiful voice. The song is nice and fun to listen to while driving but the lyrics don’t have any impact. The beat seems too similar to previous Puth songs which is both good but boring. The pairing between Puth and Kehlani is an amazing mashup of two voices. It is overall a fun song, just typical.

Red Sparrow

Ben and Jerry’s

4 scoops

“Done for Me”

by Charlie Puth ft.

Kehlani

It seems that everyone is playing Fortnite any and everywhere. The game blew up last month but now has even gained fans who wrote it off as silly in previous months.

The reason it is so popular is because it has so much packed into it. There is shooting and building but also the drive to land in first place.

Culver’s

1 scoop

Arctic Zero With all the things removed from it, Arctic Zero does not have much in it. It is lactose free and gluten free, making it not seem like ice cream. The packaging looks cute and it is good for those who can’t have ice cream, but it tastes very artificial. The best advice is to keep the cute packaging but add more flavor.

0 scoops

0 scoops

Scotty McCreery releases new upbeat country album

BY ERIN MULLER reporter

The 2011 American Idol winner, Scotty McCreery, has just released his brand new album, “Seasons Change.” McCreery won the hearts of so many American Idol fans, but it’s been five years since fans has heard from McCreery. His last album, “See You Tonight,” was released in 2013. He is officially back and better than ever with this invigorating country album.

This album showcases his unique country style and incredible voice. It is the same sound fans fell in love with back in 2011.

The album was released on Mar. 16 and really shows what is to come in the future and the type of style McCreery has.

A early listen of “Five More

Minutes” was released in May 2017. The death of McCreery’s grandfather inspired him to write this emotional song. This song was actually written in early 2015 and describes all the emotions he felt and all the words he wishes he could have said to his grandfather.

“In Between” fits right into the mix of this album. It is a sweet song with the perfect amount of contrast. It is all about being the person who fits in right in the middle. He isn’t a drunk or perfect man, but just an average guy.

It shows the man McCreery wants to be.

“Seasons Change” is the title track song. This song is so refreshing and really brightens the mood with a positive and light tone. It is a great start to the album and showcases his voice nicely. The

beat is happy and the lyrics make it a fun listen.

“Boys From Back Home” is another song that is included in the album. This song really hits home talking about friendships and how your close friends will stay your close friends no matter how much you get to see them.

This song is very easy for teens to relate to and a very easy song to listen to.

The sixth song in the album “This Is It” is about his proposal to his current fiancé. He wrote it alongside of Aaron Eshuis and Frank Rogers just two weeks before proposing to his fiancé in California in 2017. The song describes the nerves he was feeling as he was climbing up to the top of the mountain where he proposed.

After the engagement, McCreery played this song to fiance, Gabi

Dugal and family, and there were definitely some tears shed. Overall, this song is very sweet and a touching story. It is straight from his heart and expressing the emotions of being in love.

Finally, “Home In My Mind” has a classic sound to it. This song is mainly about him missing his home which many can relate to.

This song gives listeners a glimpse into McCreery’s thoughts about his past and the feeling of missing home.

This was a great album for country music fans. It gives listeners insight of who Scotty McCreery is and what he loves. It is real, fresh and invigorating for those who are into country. Fans should definitely be excited for the future of Scotty McCreery, but for now this album is available on Spotify, YouTube and Apple Music.

Try Buy

arts & entertainment inklings march 23, 2018

before the

Nexxus hair mask smoothes damaged hair

after before

Nexxus Keraphix Masque for Damaged Hair claims to be “...a deep conditioning masque that envelopes the hair surface with an ultra-fine film to restore the protective barrier. After one use, hair is stronger and visibly healthier when used with the full Keraphix system. KERAPHIX Masque helps heal roughness and brittleness for smooth and healthy-looking hair.”

BY EMMA FRANK reporter

BY ASHLEY REKITZKE assistant editor

Before the hair mask, my hair was dead from always using heat tools known for damaging one’s hair. I had stopped using conditioner because it would cause my hair to become oily, but the ends of my hair would be super dry. I would try to rub conditioner on my ends but nothing helped so I came to the conclusion to buy a hair mask.

After the hair mask, my hair smelled like a musky spice that will make one want to smell it endlessly. My hair has been looking healthier than before, and the ends aren’t as dry. Although I still use heat tools, that means I use the hair mask more frequently like two times a week. After every use, my hair feels smooth like butter and feels refreshed.

Before the hair mask my hair was dry and frizzy. My curls are loose and undefined from being styled in buns and braids so often. The softness from any conditioner usually only lasts until my hair fully dries. I try to stay away from using heat tools on a day to day basis because my hair is already so dry.

After the hair mask my curls were turned from a shaggy wave to a beachy wave. After trying many different frizz control products, one use of this mask made a noticeable difference. I can assume that incorporating this mask into my weekly or monthly regimen would only make my hair better. While I think this mask has given my hair more moisture, I have not noticed my hair being softer than it seemed to be before.

“A Wrinkle in Time” fails to capture childhood wonder of the book series

BY ANDREA JOHN co-editor-in-chief

A journey through the universe, family and finding oneself are all integral parts of the classic book by Madeleine L’Engle “A Wrinkle in Time”. The children’s novel has been turned into a visually beautiful but confusing film.

“A Wrinkle in Time” follows Meg Murry (Storm Reid), the daughter of two scientists, her precocious younger adopted brother Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe), and Calvin O’Keefe (Levi Miller), a boy Meg goes to school with.

The trio embark on a journey through the universe in search of Meg’s father, Mr. Murry (Chris Pine) who disappeared four years ago.

Mr. Murry’s passion for the universe led to his long-term disappearance, leaving his family in turmoil. Meg is lovable but has a difficult time in school and with people since Mr. Murry left. The family receives a strange visitor who is friends with Charles Wallace and calls herself Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon). She startles Mrs. Murry by saying the tesseract does in fact exist, which is a “wrinkle” in space and time that is used to travel through dimensions in great distances. The wrinkle is how Meg and the others travel through the fifth dimension in search of her father, who discovered the tesseract.

Joining Mrs. Whatsit are her companions Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling) and Mrs. Which (Oprah Winfrey) who claim they are warriors of the universe who help those who are in need. The Mrs. Ws claim the cry for help brought

them to the Murry family, and they believe the plea is from Mr. Murry himself.

The companions tesseract to different planets other than earth in search of their father. The cinematic effects are indeed beautiful, but are too fantastical for the classic novel that has more of a sci-fi feel. The Mrs. Ws’ drastic costume and makeup changes with every tesseract turn the movie into an intergalactic fashion show rather than a journey through the universe.

The explanation of “physics”

as to how unearthly things such as tesseracting and the evil, allconsuming darkness called “It,” got old very quickly. Any in-depth explanation of how physics created tesseracting and the Mrs. Ws would give the film more credibility and would have been less cheesy. Indeed, it is a children’s movie but many fans of the original book series are adults, as the first book was released in 1962.

Fans of the series will be disappointed with the director Ava DuVernay’s interpretation of a classic. There are many plot holes in the movie that are confusing to first-time viewers with no background of the series. At one point, Charles Wallace disappears while Meg and Calvin run for their lives, and then turns up unharmed with no explanation as to where he went later on.

The movie also fails to explain how Calvin came along on the journey. He plays more of a role of a friend and confident to Meg in the books, but in the movie he seems unnecessary and only gets in the way. Viewers will wonder why Calvin is in the film in the first place.

The film does portray Meg’s development of identity and selfconfidence. She learns to accept her faults and use them to her advantage instead of burrowing them underneath teenage angst.

Storm Reid is a talented young actress who will continue to be casted in large films.

Each actor played their role well and the chemistry between them was genuine. Hollywood is giving the United States what it wants: gender and racial diversity.

The book is always better.

15

column

BY ALEXIA WOJCIECHOWSKI online editor-in-chief

The world of “likes” and social media does not define self-worth Merriam-Webster defines authenticity as being true to one’s own personality, spirit or character. In today’s social media-crazed reality, I believe that we have all lost authenticity.

I’ve found myself losing interest in Instagram because it has turned into a popularity contest on how many likes your post can receive. I know people who have a specific time that they post their pictures so that they will get optimum likes. I know people who will delete posts if they do not get a certain amount of likes. I find the factual nature of this sad.

The same goes for other social media outlets like Twitter. The hype around being “Twitter famous” has caused people to tweet things purely in hope of gaining thousands of likes and retweets.

It definitely has caused a loss in authenticity to tweets, and some people will even steal the tweets of others so that they can maybe become famous off of stolen material.

This takes away the whole point of a post.

Luckily, Twitter has added precautions to make

sure these accounts are not available to steal tweets as easily. Recently, they have even suspended accounts notorious for stealing other’s tweets.

I hope that this eventually deters anyone from stealing tweets.

Even so, it is not entirely the fault of those who are like-obsessed. As a society, we have been brought up to want to be like others. We worship celebrities and buy products because they are endorsed by them. This has directly translated into social media.

In order to become ourselves again, we need to forget what others think and focus on what makes us happy. I am not saying you should never have a role model or borrow others ideas, but you should let most of you come from you.

Social media is great thing, but only when used correctly. It allows people from all over the world to connect. So get back that authenticity and post whatever and whenever you want. Be happy if your post gets five thousand likes, and be just as happy if your post gets five likes.

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Taco Bell $2.39

Planners and Agendas Instead of setting annoying phone reminders, try writing it down and feel accomplished once it is crossed off.

Target $9-25

Peeps A delicious, mouth-watering treat sure to make anyone excited for springtime.

Walgreens $5-12

WE’RE SO OVER

Screaming in the hallways There is absolutely no need to scream in the hallways, even if it is as a joke. The only applicable times for screaming is during emergency situations. It isn’t funny to scream a random word in the hallway when there is testing going on or even during a passing period while students are trying to get to their next classes.

best app

#TRENDING

A section devoted to social media

best tweets

If you are a group of 5 teenage boys that pay their $40 bill in all quarters and leave me a 30 cent tip, here’s MY tip to YOU: stay home senior Shannon McCloskey @shanlmccloskey

The fact that @btland_ isn’t playing Ariel in the musical is disappointing... @Handley35 senior Ty Handley My grades are slippin so bad spring break better come FAST @Madelyn_Rae11 junior Maddy Meyer

Adobe Scan Is the scanner broken?

Need to make a PDF of a paper document? Adobe Scan is helpful for all scanning needs. With a quick camera snapshot a PDF file is created in seconds.

best follow

best game Sporcle Sporcle is composed of solvable brain teasers from geography to sports.

New challenges and quizzes are added daily.

@TEDTalks Watching Ted Talks can make one feel like they can change the world. Get a dose of “ideas worth spreading” every time the news feed is updated.

16

people inklings march 23, 2018

Up and running

Florek readies for upcoming marathons, balances classroom and training

BY MORGAN TAYLOR assistant editor

For some, the mere thought of going to the gym is brutal, but for others exercise is invigorating. Ali Florek is an English teacher by day and marathon runner by night. She has run four marathons already and is currently training for her fifth.

Florek has been an athlete ever since she was in high school. She never saw running as a chore and typically enjoyed it as her way of staying in shape.

Throughout college she stayed active and it eventually led to her becoming a marathon runner.

“I did softball and other sports in high school so running was just something I did to stay in shape. When I was in college I did the Little 500 and started cycling so that is where the endurance and athlete part came out,” Florek said. “After college, I just decided to do a half marathon and then said ‘Hey maybe I will try a full one.’

It was not something that I have done my entire life. When I started coaching cross country here I got more and more into running and things just kind of fell into place that way.”

Running a marathon takes a ton of extensive training.

Luckily for Florek, she is able to get some of her workouts in through coaching the girls’ track and cross country teams.

Florek trains almost constantly to ready herself for her upcoming marathon.

“It is kind of nice because I will run sometimes with the

PHOTO BY ASHLEY REKITZKE English teacher Ali Florek trains for her next marathon with the girls’ track team.

She also works with the team as their head coach during the track season.

girls for either cross country or now we are in track season so sometimes I will get in my runs and some workouts with them,” Florek said. “My long runs consist on Sundays of either 12 miles to 20 miles and then usually two workouts per week and getting in mileage throughout the week. The mileage is usually upper 30s to low or mid 50s.”

Every runner is different when it comes to how much training one needs to do to prepare for a marathon. Florek suggests a couple months of training minimum but it all de-

Who

Club Culture

Business Professionals of America

pends on what the athlete wants their run to end up looking like.

“It just depends on how well you want to do. But I would say normally you want to get in at least a few 20 milers prior to doing a marathon just to make sure your body can handle it,” Florek said.

One might think the actual act of running a marathon would be the most challenging part, but Florek feels otherwise.

With being a teacher and a coach she feels it can be nearly impossible for her to juggle it

Senior co-presidents, Hannah Carter, Alexia Wojciechowski, Lauren Costello and Alycia Pappenheim pose with their second place plaque at state convention.

Co-president Lauren Costello says, “BPA stands for Business Professionals of America and involves freshman through seniors who compete in business related events and tests at the regional, state, and national level.”

all at times.

“Balancing training with coaching and school for me has been the most challenging because when I have done the Chicago Marathon in the past I had been able to train throughout the summer,” Florek said.

“I started around January, right after the new year was when I started training. But just having it this year in April has been hard because I have been doing all my training during school, so balancing everything can be tough. The 20 mile runs are also just awful at times, sometimes they go better than others so weather can be a challenge as well.”

Although Florek must endure many challenges when it comes to training for a marathon, she thinks that the feeling one gets after crossing the finish line is what makes it all worth it. After balancing life and going through rigorous training, reaching her goal at the end of the run lets her forget about the pain it took to get there.

“When you finish there is a huge feeling of accomplishment. It was cool because the last one was my personal best and so just that feeling of being able to accomplish something I never would have seen myself doing even seven or eight years ago is really cool,” Florek said.

“Just knowing that you sacrifice other things to challenge yourself and obtain a goal is really cool.”

What

“The events which students partake in can be both group or individual. Events include topics such as small business management, extemporaneous speech, global marketing, financial analyst, etc.,” Costello said.

Just the Facts: Only

0.5 percent of

the population has run a marathon

There are

26.2 miles in a marathon

On average a person burns

2,880 calories during a marathon

Training usually consists of at least

40 miles per week

https://www.statisticbrain.com/marathon-running-statistics/

When

“We just returned from State convention. Nationals is held in the beginning of May and this year will take place in Dallas, Four seniors including myself, Hannah Carter, Alexia Wojciechowski, and Alycia Pappenheim qualified to compete at Nationals.” Costello said.

Fast five Brianna Morton

“I would solve world hunger. I would make a whole bunch of food with my magic wand.”

-Junior Emily Ruess

“I would probably strive to inspire people to motivate themselves economically and take themselves to better positions.”

-Sophomore Adam Lindemer

“I would change it by having no war because I feel like without war there would be a lot of nice positive energy.”

-Freshman Dylan Trathen

?

What Do You

Think

If you had a magic wand, what would you change in the world?

Sophomore

“I would want to change the increase in school shootings because innocent people’s lives are being taken.”

-Sophomore Hailey Escoe

Quite a Fright I got chased by a swarm of bees.

Meal of a Lifetime My mom’s baked mac and cheese because it tastes so good!

Island Re-treat I would take a book, a flotation device of some sort and my mom.

Upsides and Downs

“I would want renewable energy for the world and for electric cars to become more usable.”

-Senior Alex Drakulich

My favorite part about high school is theatre and my least favorite is the G wing.

Career Calling I would love to design on Broadway and travel the world with a Broadway show.