Inklings

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No Shave Students put away the razor to participate in No Shave November

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Crown Point High School 1500 S. Main St.

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Nov. 30, 2012 Vol. 77 Issue 3

Crown Point, IN 46307

inklings@cps.k12.in.us

PHOTO BY AMY SCHUCH Security watches Victoria’s Secret’s Pink as Black Friday shoppers search for sales. The mall’s security force has been increased in response to the arrest of a teen who fired a gun.

Police make presence as shoppers buy presents by maggie gelon copy editor

Shoppers can expect to experience a different kind of holiday presence at Westfield Southlake Mall this season. Several security measures, including a zero tolerance policy towards any disruptive behavior, have been implemented in response to concerns regarding the safety of the mall and surrounding area.

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he police and security presence is always in place (at the mall),” Hobart police department public relations officer Lt. Jack Grennes said.

Grennes believes the publicity surrounding the Nov. 10 shooting has heightened awareness of safety in the mall, not just during this holiday season but during shopping endeavors year-round.

The incident was initiated by four boys, ranging in age from 14 to 16, who engaged in a dispute

over a basketball game at the mall.

One of the boys fired a gun into the ceiling.

“The shooting was an isolated incident caused by kids using poor judgment,” Grennes said.

Sophomore Valerie Jones was shopping in the mall at the time.

“We were in (Dick’s Sporting Goods) buying jackets, and a lady came on the intercom, and she was telling everyone to evacuate the mall as soon as possible. Then all these people started running

PHOTO BY AMY SCHUCH The Hobart Police Dept. patrols outside of JC Penney at Westfield mall. They play a part in mall security.

at us, and everyone was trying to push each other to get out of the mall,” said Jones. “It was crazy.”

The mall was promptly evacuated and closed down for the night by the police force, which resulted in congested traffic around the mall and the surrounding area.

“When we got out into the parking lot, it was impossible to

get out of there because there were so many cars. There was a bunch of police all around, as well as ambulances and fire trucks. It was just kind of scary,” said Jones.

Nearby stores and restaurants also reacted accordingly, locking their doors and alerting the customers.

“My brother had a birthday

A&E

I on Life College?

Students pursue other post-high school options

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party near Route 30, and they were shutting everything down.

Everything was on lock-down, and no one could leave because they couldn’t find the fourth person (of the group with the shooter),” sophomore Tiffany Gaeta said.

“I was just kind of freaked out, See Security on p. 2

Profile

“Lincoln” Movie retells Lincoln’s turbulent presidency page 12

Computer Whiz Senior Ahmed Shaaban programs computers

page 16

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inklings 11/30/12

fastfacts About three million Americans suffer from celiac disease.

intheknow Inklings earns Pacemaker at national convention

A 100 percent gluten-free diet is the only known treatment for celiac disease.

PHOTO BY AMY SCHUCH

Gluten is a protein naturally found in certain grains such as wheat, barley, rye and other oats.

Sophomore Gianna Kujawski reviews the new gluten-free menu. The new menu is celiac-friendly.

Cafeteria now offers gluten-free menu

BY TINA WINFREY

reporter

From pizza crust to hamburger buns, gluten can be found in most standard school lunches. As more students are diagnosed with celiac disease, the Crown Point High School lunch menu has accomodated these students.

According to Gordon Food Service director Pam Maloney, celiac disease is a disorder where an individual’s small intestine is harmed by gluten consumption, preventing essential nutrients from being absorbed.

“I can’t eat gluten because it gives me a really bad reaction, and I get really sick,” sophomore Gianna Kujawski said.

“It makes eating a hassle because I can’t eat the same foods as most other people.”

SECURITY continued from p. 1 because they were so close to us.”

There were no casualties or injuries and the fourth accomplice involved in the shooting was eventually taken into custody.

“The response and performance of our officers makes us proud,” Grennes said.

The situation has led some to rethink their holiday shopping strategies. Sophomore Trinity Ferguson was particularly worried about Black Friday.

“My mom said ‘well, we’re going to have to find a new mall in Illinois or something’ because she didn’t want to take that risk,” said Ferguson.

Gluten is a protein found in wheat and other flours. Common foods containing gluten include bread, crackers, pasta and many sauces. Many of these items are found in school lunches making it difficult for kids with celiac disease to find suitable lunch options.

“I received phone calls from parents who would like their child to eat in the cafeteria, but they have problems trying to decide what would be okay for their child to eat,” Maloney said. “I decided this was a good opportunity for us to put a menu together (from which) these students can eat.”

Specific food items such as corn pasta, chicken base and ranch dressing have been specially ordered for the menu through the school corporation’s food supplier Gordon Food Service. This way

Junior Seth Heidler, who had just entered the mall as the altercation began, was shocked by “(the perpetrators) being so young and having weapons, especially in a public place.”

“It’s really crazy to think about,” Heidler said. “When you go to the mall now you may second guess ‘does that 14-year-old have a gun?’”

While Jones does not plan on returning any time soon and will be doing her shopping online, she believes there will still be people holiday shopping at Westfield.

“I’m kind of scared to go back, especially if I were to go at night, but I think most people probably won’t mind it,” Jones said.

decemberfacts •

Taylor Swift turns 23 on Dec 13.

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Pearl Harbor Day is celebrated on Dec. 7 to commemorate the attack anniversary from 1941.

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Nobel prizes are awarded this month.

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The first flight by the Wright Brothers was made on Dec. 17, 1903.

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SAT Testing

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ACT Testing

the cafeteria can offer the same type of lunch foods that all the other students are getting.

“Although these new items had to be ordered, there has been no direct effect on our budget because they cost the same as regular menu items,” Maloney said.

“We’ve been able to keep the cost of the gluten free lunches the same as a regular lunch.”

Kujawski says that the new lunch menu has helped her a lot in deciding what she can and cannot eat.

“I don’t have to bring my lunch every day and eat the same thing over and over. I have more of a variety of foods that I can eat,” Kujawski said. “I like that the cafeteria recognizes the kids that can’t eat gluten and gives them an option to eat at lunch.”

Ferguson agrees. “(Westfield) is convenient if you don’t want to drive two hours just to go to the mall.”

In the meantime, measures are being taken to ensure that the compromise between safety and convenience is one that shoppers will not have to make.

“Increased patrol in the mall is our main response,” Grennes said. “Maintaining a police presence and enforcing the laws of our country, state and community, as well as assisting mall security in enforcing their code of conduct (are among the measures being taken).”

Posted rules of conduct signs within the mall will display a zero tolerance policy for threats, loiter-

At the NSPA/JEA National Convention at San Antonio, the Inklings staff wins a Pacemaker award. The Pacemaker is a national award given to publications that “set the pace.”

For the third consecutive year, Inklings has earned a national Pacemaker award.

The Pacemaker is awarded to high school publications who “set the pace” for other publications to emulate and break new ground in the field of student journalism.

Inklings was one of nine publications to receive the award in the 9-16 page broadsheet category; 18 were finalists for the Pacemaker.

Inklings joined Carmel’s HiLite as the only publications from Indiana to be honored as Pacemakers at the fall National Scholastic Press Association/Journalism Education Association convention in San Antonio, Texas.

Entries are judged upon coverage and content, quality of writing and reporting, leadership on the opinion page, evidence of in-depth reporting, layout and design, and photography, art and graphics.

In addition to the Pacemaker, Inklings also took fourth place in the NSPA convention’s Best of Show competition for Broadsheet Newspapers between 13 and 16 pages. Senior Sam Beishuizen, and juniors Yazzmyne Lopez and Ellie Burrell won individual honors in Write-Off competition as well.

ing or any disruption that may occur. Violators can be removed from the mall and banned for up to a year.

Junior Savannah Langbartels is employed at the Mrs. Fields within the mall and feels safe going to work due to the security precautions being taken.

“The cops handled (the shooting) really well. They evacuated the mall really quickly, and everyone at the mall cared. We let people come in the back of our stores and we all shut down our gates.

It was handled so efficiently,” Langbartels said. “Cops are always there on the weekend, especially during the holiday.”

Ultimately, the safety of the mall depends on the behavior, in-

tentions and reactions of all patrons. “(Individuals) will just have to take lots of precautions around suspicious behavior,” said Heidler.

Customers and employees alike are advised to be aware of their surroundings and behave in accordance with the 17 code of conduct regimens.

“The mall serves a purpose, and to avoid situations mentioned above go to the mall with that purpose. Avoid loitering in the mall. Follow the code of conduct as displayed at all mall entrances.

If approached in a confrontational manner immediately enter a store, advise an employee and request security or police presence,” Grennes said.

decembercalendar 12 16 Holiday Band Concert

Orchestra Concert

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Winter Break Begins

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Students promote love of reading Early childhood education class conducts Book Buddies program with preschoolers by raeanna morgan

editor-at-large

Reading and literacy are an important part of a young child’s life as he/she is first introduced to it. Family and consumer science teacher Ginny Zega’s early childhood education class started up its program Book Buddies again on Wednesday, Nov. 21. Zega’s fifth and sixth hour students get to have a part in introducing to children the art of learning how to read.

“My kids are early childhood education majors, this being a college level class, so they go out on Tuesdays and Thursdays each week to teach at the elementary schools. But on Wednesday afternoons, we bring in littler ones, three and under,” Zega said.

Every Wednesday, parents bring their child to the high school. The learning experience goes both ways-- the student and

child each benefit from interacting with each other. Jeanine Letcher’s son Jonathan has participated in the program for two years now.

“I think the program is a good idea for the students here to get practice with the kids, and it’s also good for my child to get out and have other influences and mentors,” Letcher said.

Book Buddies was built off of the other program offered by the child development classes, Little Bulldog Play School Preschool.

“I read about Book Buddies in the newspaper last year, and we participated in the fall and spring.

I paid more attention this year and watched for the sign-up date,” Letcher said.

As Book Buddies is a smaller group of kids, there is a better student-to-child ratio which allows for more one-on-one time with the children.

“Just working with the little kids and getting the interaction

PHOTO BY ANNIE SWANSON

Interacting with preschool kids, junior Jordan Brite takes part in the CPHS Book Buddies program.

with them is a great experience,” junior Makenzie Miller said.

Although the kids are too young to begin to learn to read, Zega’s students can still read to them so they can be introduced to words and letters.

“My students read a book to them and then do a little activity

that goes with the book depending on the age of the little one.

After that, they play the rest of the hour,” Zega said.

Not only does this two-hour period help introduce reading to young kids, but it also gives the students taking part in the early childhood education class get a

head start in preparing for their future.

“I want to be a first grade teacher, and I love this class because Ms. Zega gives us many opportunities to be with the kids in different settings, so it really prepares me for my future career,” Miller said.

School receives first-ever “A” on statewide report card by katie sherman

copy editor

The students are not the only ones at the high school taking home report cards; the school itself has earned an A from the Indiana Department of Education based on the school’s recent academic achievement.

The A-F grading system is used to determine a school’s letter grade.

“The A-F system is the Indiana Department of Education’s accountability metric to measure high school effectiveness. It’s based on four components that the DOE uses for communication purposes,” Principal Chip Pettit said.

For marketing purposes, the phrase ‘90-25-90’ has been adopted. The first 90 addresses Algebra 1 and English 10 end-ofcourse assessments. Schools must have 90 percent of their sophomore class pass the Algebra 1 and English 10 end-of-course assessments to receive a grade of A. The 25 addresses the percentage of graduating seniors that have scored a three or better on an AP exam or have earned at least three college credits while in high

views on news

Area St. John teen dies in hit and run accident Jonathan Guzman, a 15 year old student from Lake Central, was killed in a car accident. Alcohol and other controlled substances did not look to play a part in the accident, but the accident remains under investigation.

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school. The last 90 refers to the graduation rate. The senior class has to have a minimum 90 percent graduation rate to receive a grade of an A. “I am pleased to report that CPHS received an A in all three categories,” Pettit said.

According to the IDOE, the system is a new and better way of measuring and reporting school performance each year, as required by state law. The department of education believes that giving schools letter grades for their performance ensures parents, students, educators and communities to be able to understand how their schools are performing.

“The system is being used due to the State Superintendent and legislature wanting to put additional accountability metrics in place to measure school effectiveness,” Pettit said.

Glenda Ritz, who was elected new Indiana Superintendent of Public Education and takes office in January, disagrees with the grading system that Dr. Tony Bennett, current state superintendent, put into

CPHS’s success is a reflection of its students.

“It shows we have a lot of strong, academic and dedicated students,” Fitzsimons said.

Like David, Pettit is happy that CPHS received an ‘A’ but knows that we as a school need to continue to succeed and improve.

“I’m happy for our students and our teachers. We believe in what we do here at CPHS. It isn’t unlike a student bringing home a report card home. It’s validation that we are working at the highest level,” Pettit said. “I’m happy that we earned an A, but I think we all know that there is a lot more to educating students than standardized testing in English 10 and Algebra I.” In spite of the school’s success, David will still continue to push his students to strive to achieve.

“The focus has always been on doing the best that we can for students. Even with an A, we know we still have to improve because we still don’t hit everybody where we need to get them,” David said.

Student reaction to events in our world State Police leader says state should legalize marijuana

Nation Arizona forms new laws for World Ten children killed during immigrants. bombing in Syria

Indiana State police Superintendent Paul Whitesell said he would favor the legalization of marijuana if it is taxed. The officer believes that recreational cannabis use is commonplace, so the state should legalize it and use the taxs benefits. He believes, however, that its sale should have age limits.

Arizona has passed a new law that does not allow illegal immigrants to be hired by any buisness. This has caused many Mexicans to leave the state and flee back to Mexico. U.S. citizens with parents from Mexico are moving back to Mexico because of job losses.

Ten children were killed while playing at a playground when the Syrian government reportedly bombed the area to retaliate against rebels. The rebels have taken over a military airport in protest of government.

While the building was unharmed the surrounding town was severely damaged.

The new laws are a pretty good idea.

It’s not fair for illegal immigrants to come and take our jobs.

(A government) shouldn’t be able to do that. They should think of other ways to control the country and keep their people safe.

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It’s terrible that something like that can happen to an innocent kid.

Johnny Lynk senior

place. She believes the system hurts school districts more and eliminates local control.

The IDOE is not sure if the system will be in place for next year.

“I would say that teachers and administrators welcome accountability, but we would like to be involved in the conversation as to how we can best make that determination (grading system being used or not),”Pettit said.

Even though the new system might not be in place for next school year, math teacher Michael David expected nothing less than for CPHS to receive an A for this school year.

“I would be surprised if we hadn’t received an A. I’ve worked here for a long time and felt like we have a quality program, and we do good things to help students succeed,” David said. “Unfortunately a lot of the things we do to help students succeed aren’t necessarily reflected in that ‘A’ because it’s based on statistical things rather than what it is we do to help students succeed.”

Junior Alexis Fitzsimons believes

Abby Duvall sophomore

(Whitesell) is just showing that more and more people are thinking marijuana legalization is okay.

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Mike Schalasky junior

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Nikki Merrel freshman

4 opinion

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speakup

News networks need to roll back the bias

Will recent events at the mall affect your shopping?

BY DYLAN TAYLOR

managing editor

In a political climate marred by super PACs and big donations, watching major news networks can often result in a struggle to separate bias from objective journalistic fact. Whether it be FOX, CNN or MSNBC, the presentation of real political issues has increasingly downgraded to a heterogeneous brew of agenda-churning “commentary,” sensationalism and issue-hype – a dangerous and unfortunate mixture that, increasingly, is being taken as fact by viewers.

This problem came to the burning forefront on election night with a particular incident on FOX. As the election drew to a narrow close, the network, often viewed as having a conservative slant in their political commentary, became noticeably tenser until Ohio was called for Obama, an occurrence that gave him the winning electoral count.

Almost on cue, GOP ideologue and organizer Karl Rove announced that Romney could still win, at that point virtually a mathematical impossibility. His FOX commentary, watched by millions waiting to be informed of the electoral results, remained in denial of an Obama win until it was impossible to ignore the calls of other news networks and an Obama victory speech to boot.

From a journalistic standpoint, this is unacceptable.

Rove, a primary GOP/Romney fundraiser, had such vested interest in a Republican win that he gave statistically unreasonable information to a television audience in a sad attempt to sustain a reality that was not legitimate. In this case, viewers were lied to in the name of a conservative bias.

If this situation displays anything besides Rove’s incompetence as a reporter, it is that commentary is not always real, factual journalism and that it is irresponsible to assume that it is. Fact can be determined by objective reporting, but as long as there are agenda-minded commentators interrupting the flow of facts, viewers looking for real news will continue to be misled.

What needs to occur is a return to journalistic integrity.

Instead of ranting about why something happened or how something should have happened, news networks need to report, first and foremost, what actually happened. Without this, electorates and individuals looking to be informed will only be deterred by the growing mess of bias and agenda that is poisoning the quality of factual reporting.

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Cartoon By ELLIE BURRELL

iew:

Although reckless behavior causes justifiable concern, response should calm fears

In lieu of the altercation between teenagers involving a gun shot that took place at the Westfield Southlake Mall on Nov. 10, many former mall-goers are feeling somewhat skeptical about going back. It is feared that a similar or worse incident will happen again, but that fear may not be warranted.

The fact is that it is not the mall’s fault that an outside argument took a violent turn there. The teenager could have shot the gun anywhere; it just happened to occur at the Southlake Mall. The security responded immediately and is now reacting appropriately by maintaining a strong presence. If anything, people should feel relieved that the security team is effective enough to react accordingly.

The mall is not to blame. Consider this-- people are constantly surrounded by possible danger. Most people either drive or ride in cars daily. However, people do not avoid using cars because car accidents have happened before.

The same logic holds true for going to the mall.

The recent incident was unfortunate, and people were justified in reacting to it like they did. When shoppers go to the mall, they go with the hopes that they will not be harmed in any way. Because of this, putting an emphasis on keeping the mall safe after a shot was fired is understandable.

However, adjusting to what happened and overreacting to the situation are two completely different responses.

In any public setting, hazards may be present. Unfortunately, random violent and ignorant behaviors will not cease to exist, and there is not a specific place where they will all erupt.

So go to the mall. Be aware of your surroundings. Obey the posted rules and report those behaving inappropriately. Frown upon those who cause trouble. But do not alter any holiday shopping plans due to thinking that the mall environment is a threat to safety. The security team has handled and reacted to the situation appropriately. Attend the mall with a bit of ease knowing that the security is prepared to handle a situation appropriately.

Richelle Bellman freshman “No because I feel like since the incidents were just over a fight they won’t happen again.”

Noah Thiel sophomore “I’m scared to go to the mall now.

You never know if there’s going to be another incident where you could get hurt.”

Beth Muller junior “I’m not afraid to go to the mall because the security at the mall is strong enough to protect everything.”

Bobby Morgan senior “I feel like the incident at the mall was a one time thing and that the security can handle any new issues.”

editorial

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Crown Point High School, IN

Vol. 77 Issue 3 Nov. 30, 2012 1500 S. Main St. Crown Point, IN 46307 219-663-4885 ex. 11349 fax 219-662-5663 inklings@cps.k12.in.us

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

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

Advertising is subject to applicable rates available by contacting Inklings.

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

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

Alex McLean Alexa Grady sports editors Kara Biernat sports asst.

Yazzmyne Lopez advertising editor Hannah Colby advertising asst.

Brittany Pedersen Amy Schuch Annie Swanson photographers

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

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issue:

Should states take “high” road?

Let us keep regurgitating the retro

BY RAEANNA MORGAN

editor-at-large

Cartoon By ELLIE BURRELL

Pro:

Con:

The FDA should be the only reason states aren’t legalizing marijuana

Marijuana legalization is negative no matter what the voters say

BY DYLAN TAYLOR

BY SAM BEISHUIZEN

managing editor

editor-in-chief

With marijuana now legalized for recreational use in Colorado and Washington, there is more to applaud than a victory for civil liberties or a ticket to worry-free grass-puffing; the benefits of such a decision will be noticed in the economy, in citizen safety and in the legal sphere as well.

Most have heard the classic arguments for pot legalization – it’s less harmful in moderation than tobacco and alcohol, it has many medicinal uses, etc. Only recently though, with the consumer potential of marijuana having been more closely examined by economists, has legalizing it seemed so sensible. First off, a recreational cannabis industry, if appropriately taxed by states, could bring in boatloads of recession-lifting tax revenue; if legalized in California alone, marijuana tax revenues could reach 1 billion per year. That doesn’t even take into account the slew of retail, manufacturing and marketing jobs that cannabis, a plant that has multitudes of uses, could create.

Beyond economics, marijuana legalization for all uses would result in a safer population. No longer would marijuana users be branded as criminals, and drug-related crime would plummet. Besides, what drug dealer can compete with a purified, legally-regulated marijuana product? Thousands of health problems occur every year involving individuals using contaminated or laced marijuana for recreation – mandates on production could obliterate that statistic. On a more international scale, what better way to curb ultra-violent drug cartels than to manufacture a profitable, multi-use cannabis crop in the United States?

No sweeping moralistic objection to the possibility of people getting legally stoned (this just-in: they’ve been getting stoned anyway) can begin to account for the socioeconomic benefits of legalizing and decriminalizing cannabis use. As federal law becomes increasingly in tune with the changing national opinion on marijuana, states should follow Colorado and Washington’s suit as soon as they can.

Marijuana being legalized for recreational use in Colorado and Washington leads to the belief that voters and whoever decided that legalization at the state level was a reasonable idea were as high as Snoop Dogg pretending that he was in high school with Wiz Khalifa on the music video for “Young, Wild, and Free.”

Getting the obvious out of the way, one out of six kids who begin using marijuana become active users according to WebMD. According to the site, it can also lead to direct IQ loss around eight points, and like the use of alcohol, can lead to serious accidents like car crashes which can result in non-users losing their lives.

Those in favor of legalization often point out that alcohol is a similar product which can be controlled. But with alcohol, we have a breathalyzer test with legal limits set in place. There is currently no way that law enforcement can measure a level of “high” on the spot to control the use. This can lead to a number of people roaming public areas under the influence putting the general public in danger.

Major industry would commercialize and promote the use of marijuana to kids like it has alcohol and tobacco. They argue that age limits would stop the kids from using it, but alcohol laws have the starting age at 21 and somehow minors still manage to get a hold of it for their Saturday night parties.

Sure, taxing it would bring in some money, but it would not be worth the lost productivity, accidental injuries and medical fees.

The last overwhelming fact is that although the states have legalized it, federal law could still override it. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Department of Justice are still in review of the ballot initiatives, and at any time could roll up and crash the party.

Marijuana users may have to get off their high horse soon because legalization may not work out as planned. It may seem great now, but just as marijuana users know, eventually the high will wear off and everyone will need to face reality.

16 Inklings staffers agree

10 Inklings staffers agree

Mimi Nikoovska

Daniel Hadary

sophomore

“Yes, they should legalize marijuana because it would lower crime rates.”

Griffin Rushton

English teacher

“No, I see (marijuana) as a gateway drug. It can be abused.”

junior

“Yes, I support it because I think people should be able to do what they want.”

Elizabeth MacPherson

sophomore

“States shouldn’t legalize marijuana because it’s just asking to have it misused. It has too many poor side effects.”

Society has gone greenmeaning as a whole we have increased the amount of products we recycle, adapted our goods so they are more environmentally friendly and we reuse old products to make them new again.

Not only has society done this with your everyday household items, but they have unknowingly done it with fashion as well.

Remember 1985? Big hair, stretch pants, mom jeans, oversized sweaters, denim everywhere?

That has all recently made a comeback.

What was once popular 27 years ago is back in. That’s right, teased hair has been recycled.

Although the little elements of the overall trends aren’t exactly the same, they were revamped and are ready to be worn.

For instance, you will still most likely be able to see those biology notes on the board even if you’re sitting behind a girl with a massive amounts of hair on her head. You’ll also still be able to tell where one’s torso ends and their legs begin because, let’s face it, high-waisted pants in the 80’s were a little extreme.

The style of the 1950’s has also been tweaked for the 21st century. Saddle shoes are seen more often, skirts just above the knee are back in instead of skirts five inches above and Peter Pan collars have even come along for the ride.

Fads from as far as back as close to 100 years ago are coming back into style. Most might not think about it this way, but the maxi skirt that has lately been a popular trend is similar to the floor length skirts worn on a daily basis by women in the late 1800’s.

Paper and plastic aren’t the only things people are reducing, reusing and recycling these days.

Even if it isn’t a widespread trend yet, people are still dressing like the days of old. Bell-bottomed jeans, the sunglasses John Lennon made popular, and even paisley can be seen if you just take a stroll down the street. Fashion trends of all kinds are being brought back to life.

No fashion statement or trend will ever truly go out of style. Eventually, somewhere down the line, someone will breathe life back into that sweater stuffed in the back of the closet.

It isn’t always the piece of clothing that makes the impression on everyone else, it’s how you choose to wear it and make it unique.

6 feature

PHOTOS BY OLIVIA ELSTON

inklings 11/30/12 Left: Sophomores Lauren Adams, Jordan Embry, Emily Dawley and junior Rebekah Dawley prepare ornaments to hang on the tree for student council.

Center: Junior Francesca Bass and senior Courtney Farrell decorate the tree in the school lobby.

Right: Custodian Danny Kacmar secures the top of the tree.

i on life A page dedicated to celebrating student life.

Students stray from four year post secondary school plan and opt for other opportunities

PHOTO BY BRITTANY PEDERSEN

Working in Brian Trapp’s machine shop course, senior Dominic Guevara enhances his machining skills. Guevara plans to take an alternative route by joining the Marines and work with machines while in service.

Challenging the collegiate norm

BY ALAA ABDELDAIEM MADDIE ADDUCCI

reporters

As students progress through their high school years, the topic of post-secondary education is mentioned several times.

An assumption is that attending a four-year college or university is the typical option. In reality, however, the possibilities extend much further.

Intern counselor Ryan McSparin works with students whose interests do not include a traditional college experience. Depending on what skills they possess, McSparin presents them with several alternatives that better fit their strengths.

“College isn’t for everyone,” McSparin said.

“For those who don’t want to attend college, they have options like going for an apprenticeship for industrial technology, attending

culinary school, vocational work, working in a trade or getting a job right out of high school.”

Classes such as auto service technology, cabinet and furniture making, construction processes, and precision machine technology are offered to help students who plan on taking an alternative route after high school. Machine shop teacher Brian Trapp urges those interested in attending a trade school to take advantage of such courses that can help make their transition easier.

“The classes offered here are not available in every school in the area,” Trapp said. “These classes can help students get a taste of what it would be like to work in an actual trade.”

Seniors Dominic Guevara and Mike Gall both enrolled in Trapp’s machine shop class in previous years.

Instead of attending the tra-

ditional four-year college, Guevara plans on joining the Marines to contribute by working on machinerelated tasks. Gall, however, is not waiting until graduation to start his career.

“Come January, my dad is going to take me to the steel mills to become an iron worker,” Gall said.

“Machine shop has given me good training, and it’ll benefit me going forward.”

While some students look to start their careers directly after high school, others like senior Mitchel Kalinowski look to join the services and help the country.

“I’ve always wanted to join the service,” Kalinowski said. “By joining the Air Force, I can serve my country and benefit myself later in life.”

Until it is time to graduate, Kalinowski must focus on his high school academics in order to be eligible

for the Air Force. Recruiters advise students interested in joining the services to stay in shape while maintaining high grades in school. Staff Sergeant Paul Morehead believes that if students prepare as advised, it is easier to give them the job they are best qualified for.

“We try to match soldiers with the job that fits them best,” Morehead said.

“That way they can learn while serving in a job they care about.”

Regardless of the path students decide to take, knowing the options provides a base for a student’s success.

“It’s important to know the opportunities available after high school,” Morehead said. “Learning as much as you can about your options now and staying focused on your goals will help lead to success, whether that includes college or not.”

bythe

numbers Post-secondary plans of high school graduates 3%

4-year college

7%

2-year college

15% No higher education 15%

60%

Vocational school Military

13

featured trade schools in Indiana

5

different branches of the military

feature 7

inklings 11/30/12

PHOTO BY ANNIE SWANSON

Dancing the tango at Ballroom Dance Club, senior Katherine Burrell and junior Steve Bazin spin through a sequence. Ballroom Dance Club meets in the black box every Monday.

Ballroom Blitz

Newly formed ballroom dance club teaches students how to dance without the stars

BY MAGGIE GELON VERDA MIRZA

copy editor reporter

T

he wobble is our generation’s waltz. Yet, classic ballroom dance is by no means dead. In fact, Ballroom Dance club can be found practicing their promenades every Monday in the black box.

“The nice thing about Ballroom is you don’t have to be a dancer to learn it. It’s a nice social skill to have,” Ballroom Dance club sponsor Nicole Shelpman said. “My grandparents used to dance all the time in little club competitions with swing, and my parents know a little bit about dance, but I feel like with our generation, they don’t know as much.”

While ballroom dance may seem intimidating to those whose experience with it goes no further than watching “Dancing with the Stars,” the club’s vice president, senior Angel Barraza, ensures the pace of the club is much more suitable for eager beginners.

“You’re not going to get lost. (Ms. Shelpman) explains it really well and multiple times so anyone can really pick up on it,” Barraza said.

Shelpman has experience as she competed with a ballroom team at IU for threeand-a-half years, participating in 21 competitions.

“I’d never done (ballroom) in high school, but I’d always done other dance

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growing up since I was a toddler – ballet, tap, point, musicals, show choirs, all of that – and I wanted to try something different in college,” Shelpman said. “I’ve been involved in the more formal competition sense, but I’ve also done the club stuff. At IU we would just teach lessons for anyone who wanted to come and learn some things, and I saw that they really enjoyed it.”

From there the enjoyment has spread.

The club has boasted healthy levels of participants, each of which seem to be learning and enjoying the process.

“I love the jive and the swing because you can do them to so many styles of music and they are really upbeat. Even the slow dances are graceful,” junior Madi McGuckin said.

Although the club is centered on the basics, even beginners master much more than a sidestep.

“It’s not like we are just getting through a few boring steps. We get through a really nice sequence, something that should be fairly easy for (students) to remember and be fun to do,” Shelpman said. “We’ve

C rown C ollege

of

done cha-cha, swing, fox trot and a variety of faster Latin dances.”

Each meeting lasts for about an hour, and the club spends two weeks on each style of dance. Junior Michael Keller is particularly fond of the tango because it’s “really fast and you do a lot of cool turns.”

“The overall goal is basically just for people who are interested to have an opportunity to learn some of these steps because it’s not something that’s necessarily accessible,” said Shelpman. “Lessons generally tend to be very expensive if you can even find places to learn it. So I’m just glad it’s an opportunity for (students) to learn (ballroom).”

President of Ballroom Dance club, Nina Rettig, feels as though ballroom dance is simply a great skill to learn sometime in your life and encourages students to give it a try.

“It’s a very relaxed club. We have an open door policy; you can come whenever, and you don’t have to bring a partner. It’s very basic; you don’t have to have any experience, just come and have fun,” Rettig said.

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8 feature

inklings 11/30/12

LOCKS are KEY

PHOTOS BY ANNIE SWANSON

Happy to help out the Locks of Love organization, freshman Micayla Watroba donates her hair to be made into a wig.

Students donate hair to make wigs for child cancer patients

BY TINA WINFREY

reporter

The sound of a scissors’ snip can be heard as inches of hair fall to the ground.

For two-and-a-half years, freshman Micayla Watroba battled against Leukemia. She had to go through rounds of therapy, and this caused her to lose most of her hair.

“I feel bad for the kids that have to go through this because I know how they feel walking around without hair on their head,” Watroba said.

Watroba remembers going through a constant struggle with how she felt about herself without hair. She had a hard time accepting how she looked in comparison to everyone else.

Being a survivor, Watroba decided to dedicate her time to helping other kids who struggle to cope by raising money for various cancer-related organizations.

“Last year, I went to the St. Baldrick’s charity, but they said I couldn’t raise money because I was a survivor,” Watroba said. “I didn’t like that, so I decided to find a new way to raise money.”

Watroba decided to pair up with the charity Locks of

Love. Locks of Love is a non-profit organization that gives wigs made of real hair to children whose parents cannot afford them. Recently, she organized an event where five stylists cut donors’ hair off, and many others signed up to give monetary donations.

“Many of my family members, friends and past teachers signed up to help the cause,” Watroba said. “It really means a lot to me.”

Freshman Maggie Krawczyk is one of the people donating her hair.

“Micayla is one of my closest friends, and when I heard about all that she had to go through I knew she was such a strong person,” Krawczyk said. “I want to help her contribute to Locks of Love and help kids feel better about themselves.”

While some people could not imagine parting with their locks, Krawczyk does not mind it.

“I’m not too upset about cutting my hair because I know it’s for such a good cause,” said Krawczyk. “This will be my first time, but I’m going to continue to do it every time is grows out because it’s for such a good cause.”

To donate hair to Locks of Love a few requirements

must be followed. The hair has to be a minimum of ten inches long. It should be clean with minimal split ends, and it cannot be bleached. The charity will accept the hair even if it is permed or colored.

According to the Locks of Love website, the hair must be cut off in a ponytail or braid and bundled together.

From there the hair can be sent in an envelope through the mail to their headquarters in West Palm Beach, Florida.

When the hair is received, it will be sent to their manufacturer to be made into a real hair wig. While Locks of Love keeps its receivers private, they ensure that the hair donated will be put to good use.

Locks of Love estimates that 80 percent of the hair donated to the charity is from children trying to help other children, much like Watroba.

Watroba hopes her efforts in donating to Locks of Love help out children battling confidence issues, and she looks to continue to support the charity.

“I just want to help out because I know how these kids feel,” Watroba said. “The best advice I can give to them is to stay in there and not have negative thoughts about themselves. It just makes the whole situation worse.”

feature 9

inklings 11/30/12

No shave, no shame Students participate in annual No Shave November by molly grace

feature editor

November is the month for cold weather, holiday shopping and picking the errant piece of Thanksgiving turkey out of your overgrown beard. It is No Shave November, a month-long event in which participants have to refrain from shaving until Dec. 1. For many students (mostly male), No Shave November is a challenge to be bested, with the prize of winning being pride, proof of masculinity and bragging rights.

“I think the appeal is that I can be lazy, and it’s acceptable,” senior Kosta Leontaras said of the event, which he participated in for the first time this year.

The history of No Shave November is a little elusive. It was supposedly inspired

by Movember, or Mustache November, a charity that was started to benefit prostate and testicular cancer initiatives. The point of Movember is to grow a well-groomed mustache to raise funds and awareness. It

has grown substantially since its 30-person participation in 2003. People from countries all over the world participate, calling themselves “Mo Bros” and “Mo Sistas.”

No Shave November appears to be Movember’s scruffier cousin. There are a few places in the United States that hold No Shave November fundraisers, but the majority of student participants seem to be in it for the fun and ease of not having to shave for a whole month.

Leontaras grew an impressive beard over the course of a month, citing as his reason for participating that we “must save money on shaving supplies in these tough economic times.”

Many people make the pledge to stay shave-free for the month, but a good portion of them end up throwing in the towel when they find that harvesting a fullblown beard is harder than it may seem.

Leontaras started the month with a group of friends who were participating with him,

but many gave up before the month was over.

“I started with a lot of friends but they weren’t all man enough to handle the rigors of No Shave November,” Leontaras said.

Despite Leontaras’ accusations, some of those who gave up on No Shave November did it for legitimate reasons.

“I had to shave for work because they’d yell at me. I was looking pretty terrible,” senior Joey Gawor said Junior James Moore is one of the tough few who has powered through the challenge. Even more impressive, he started growing his beard long before the beginning of November and has no plans of shaving it come December.

“I feel like it’s an expression of dedication and effort. Every man should have one,” Moore said of his beard.

Public opinion of No Shave November and its participants varies widely; some think it is a fun, harmless thing to do to pass the time until the end of the month,

which brings on Thanksgiving and the introduction of Christmas music on the radio.

“There is a great American tradition of people not shaving. Just look at Abraham Lincoln,” English teacher Jacob Adams said.

Some, however, are of the belief that it is pointless, distracting and, well, kind of dirty.

“I think that No Shave November is kind of silly because I feel like it’s a way for teenage boys to pretend they’re men,” junior Rachael Bokota said.

Leontaras holds No Shave November in great respect, in spite of the critics.

He believes that it is not merely an event to participate in, but it is the quest that is symbolic of the very fundamentals of masculinity.

“It provides us with an opportunity— an opportunity to embrace our manhood.

We can let the beard go without having to feel the harsh judgments of society.”

name that

beard A. _________________

Can you identify the person by his facial hair?

B. ________________

C. _________________

D. ________________

E. ________________

A.Former President Abraham Lincoln B. Math teacher Adam Piaskovy C.Senior Kosta Leontaras D. San Francisco Giant Brian Wilson E. English teacher Jake Adams

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10 feature

inklings 11/30/12

Mic’d Up Creative writers showcase their work in oration

BY MAGGIE GELON

copy editor

Forget hipsters in a secluded coffee house snapping their praise to subpar haikus; Windfall’s open mic night redefines the average poetry reading. Some run off their steam on the track or find solace in playing a character on stage, but some find an outlet in creative writing. Windfall, a creative writing club created by English teacher Vince Bauters, allows for exactly that.

“There is nothing like (Windfall) at the high school. In fact, I’m not sure if there is anything like this in the whole region. We are student driven. We are publishing magazines, performing once a month, and pressing audio versions of our art pieces. We cover it all,” Bauters said.

Windfall hosted its first open mic night of the year in the LGI on the evening of Nov. 15.

The night consisted of a variety of live performances.

“The first open mic was a triumph! We had a sizable turn out, in spite of a date change. We had an inspiring range of writers, poets, and musicians all share their work. Our variety of performers, and their unique talents, made the night a smashing success,” Bauters said.

Each performance ranged across the emotional spectrum; some performances were humorous and witty, and others were honest and raw. Regardless of the style presented, participants had the opportunity to share their pieces of distinct work.

“It’s exciting (to perform live). I’ve done it before in Windfall meetings, but now there’s more people, so it’s exciting,” sophomore Simone Siew said. “I appreciate getting to share what I really think and getting feedback.”

While participants welcomed the opportunity to perform their work, performing live also came with new rewards and challenges.

While participants welcomed the opportunity to showcase their work, performing live also came with new rewards and challenges.

“For me, (the challenge) was eye contact.

I was a little bit more nervous reading to a group of people because I’ve been reading to the same group of people every week for about two months, and you get comfortable around them,” junior Steven Bazin said.

Junior Griffin Rushton was pleasantly surprised by the quality and intensity of the pieces.

“I would go again. It makes me giddy to know there are students writing professional level stuff,” Rushton said. “Don’t expect mediocre. I was surprised by the intensity and the emotion in the poems.”

The development of individual voice is a key goal Windfall participants strive for.

Bazin describes the concept of voice as distinct and expressive.

“For me, voice is being able to say things that you couldn’t say through a conversation. There are times when you have a thought or feeling that you can’t express through normal words. That’s what my voice is when it comes to writing,” Bazin said.

The club hopes to hold open mic nights once a month in the future and encourages people to come out, listen, snap and participate if they wish.

“All students are invited to perform.

Windfall members are allowed to perform for free. All other performers are allowed to participate for the cost of $1.00. In addition, all performers must sign a waiver.

This waiver can be found in room C110.

We invite three musicians (maximum) to perform during each open mic. We

have limited space and time, so all performers are accepted on a first come – first served basis,” Bauters said.

“It’s definitely worth it if you want to start writing or grow as a writer. It’s a great way to find your voice and see who you are as a person,” Bazin said.

During the open mic night, sophomore Josh Mazur recites a poem. It was the first open mic of the year.

PHOTO BY JULIA ABBOTT

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inklings 11/30/12

inreview

Making movies convenient

“This Christmas”

Movie renting mediums expand in number

While this is not their first time singing together, Olivia Newton John and John Travolta have finally come together again to create a Christmas album full of everybody’s favorites. Along with their merry lyrics, the nostalgia of the experience puts this album over the top. It is sure to put anyone in the holiday spirt.

Fat Burrito Authentic Mexican food makes a spicy new addition to Main Street cuisine. Their traditional Mexican menu is delicious and more than reasonably priced. The menu boasts a variety of options from breakfast to dinner, but the fat burrito reigns supreme.

The casual, fiesta-like atmosphere is a great place to grab a bite, and their take-out is super speedy!

“Diamonds” Rihanna Rihanna’s newest single does not shine bright like a diamond. It consists of a monotonous tone, and the only good thing going for the chorus is that it gets stuck in your head. Hopefully, the next single will be much more “diamond” worthy.

Starbucks Lattes Starbucks has officially brought out the Holiday menu featuring three different treats. Peppermint Mocha, Caramel Brulée Latte and Gingerbread Latte all are delicious drinks to warm up with this winter.

The decorative red cups also add a festive punch to get in the Holiday spirit.

iHeart Radio iHeart Radio is a free online radio that lets you listen to over 1500 live stations.

You can also create your own station based on genres of music, artists or specific songs you enjoy.

This online radio also is an app available for smartphones.

BY PAIGE BUELOW

reporter

W

ith rainy days upon us and money tightly budgeted for holiday shopping, it helps to know how to continue keeping up with new movies, while still saving a buck. Among many options available, movie rentals and movies on demand are becoming more popular than ever.

Businesses such as Netflix and Redbox have responded to this recent demand. If one is up for the rental wait, a decent amount of cash can be saved for the effort.

Redbox, which has been recently popping up, with a surprising seven boxes in Crown Point alone, is providing a new opportunity for movie-lovers of all ages and genres.

For only $1 per rental, Redbox offers horror, comedy, family, action, drama and many more genres. Redbox also has a texting program that alerts one about the new rentals available as well as sends the occasional freebies and coupons. Another plus is that no matter what location the movie is rented from, it can be returned to whatever location is most convenient.

N

etflix is another program that is capitalizing from the convenient factor. With movies sent either in the mail, or to a TV, it makes it easier than ever to enjoy movies.

Netflix offers this all for a flat rate of $7.99 a month and can even be used directly with the Xbox360, PS3, Wii or iPhone. Netflix allows for unlimited movies and TV shows that are streamed instantly to the device. If the movie is rented via mail, there are no late fees, and one is allowed to have one movie at a time out. Once the first movie is returned, renters can request another one.

Feeling the pressure of competitors, television providers began to offer movies directly, for a price of course. Some providers offer movies free, while others will have a reduced price for those with a contract. The drawback with the television provider’s method is simply that you have to have the right p r o -

vider. For example, if one has Direct TV they will not be privy to the perks that say Comcast might offer.

This has the potential to work for people but is not nearly as universal as the creators may have hoped. or the occasional movie watcher, Redbox poses the best option with no contract and a one-time-only transaction.

For the movie-lovers that enjoy saving a dollar-ortwo, Netflix is the way to go with a flat rate and unlimited movies and shows, as well as the by-mail rental option. The best option for some may be to simply look into their television provider options and see what they have to offer.

Lastly, for those who want a movie the day it comes out or simply the experience they cannot get at

F

home and do not mind paying a pretty penny for it, the theater is always best. ith the economy tight as ever, the ultimate option for most people is to use either Redbox or Netflix. Between the two, one is able to fulfill most if not all of their movie desires. The companies are both well designed and readily available for customer convenience. The creation of these has and will continue to recreate the age of movies as we know it.

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PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ELLIE BURRELL

Spielberg’s “Lincoln” is history artfully reconstructed

BY DYLAN TAYLOR

managing editor

Take the struggle to ratify the 13th amendment, the life of Abraham Lincoln and the politics of the Civil War and you get a history lesson. Add Daniel Day-Lewis’ impressive lead acting, Steven Spielberg’s imaginative direction and Tony Kushner’s intensely detailed, riveting screenplay and you get a classic, massively rewarding film.

Like a portal to another point in history, every element of “Lincoln” appears to be deeply authentic, with names, situations, personalities and even costumes and sets obsessively researched and recreated. It is simply a beautiful film to watch; Spielberg’s cinematography, even when its sequencing is somewhat clunky and awkward, is rich with color and aesthetic simplicity, as if life

social

life A section devoted to social media

was breathed into the grave sepia photographs from Lincoln’s time and recorded for the silver screen.

The real triumph in “Lincoln” is, however, the acting and screenplay. A dense story covering the political intricacies of the abolition of slavery amidst (and as a tactic to resolve) the Civil War, the film tracks the cool, collected, strikingly informal personality of Abraham Lincoln through struggles in Congress, issues with his emotionally unstable wife (played

by Sally Field), tense negotiations with Confederate officials and the ever-present problem of abolishing slavery in a country in which much of the voting populace saw blacks as inherently unequal to whites. Daniel Day-Lewis’ portrayal of Lincoln is directly in tune with the earnest, witty practicality that history and American consciousness has always imagined of

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him, but the real triumph comes, again, in compassionate attention to detail. Lincoln was a self-educated, Midwestern common man, ambitious but lacking in the social etiquette of his more privileged political colleagues, and DayLewis captures this with theatrical virtuosity, from his convincing recreations of Lincoln’s rambling, informal storytelling and sincere, clever quips. Also, a supporting cast of colorful characters like Thaddeus Stevens (Tommy Lee Jones), a radical abolitionist and leader of the push toward the emancipation of slaves, and Secretary of State William Seward (David Strathairn), Lincoln’s best friend and most invaluable assistant, also work to keep the film consistently interesting.

Like all great films, “Lincoln” is passionately and painstakingly constructed to make it as riveting

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Somewhere, Clint Eastwood is still yelling at that chair.

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as possible. Spielberg and his cast have made the story behind the story of the Civil War impossible to ignore. “Lincoln” is a beautiful, must-see historical drama that will likely prove a benchmark in quality for historical realism and biographical film.

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This program allows users to use their internet connections to map the stars. Users can see the names of different stars, constellations and planets.

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@TacoBell This fast food restaurant likes to “live mas” in twitter as well.

12 a&e Sun sets on Twilght series

BY EMILY BEST

reporter

It all started with a dream.

Stephenie Meyer woke up from a vivid dream during the summer of 2003, and it was this very dream that served as inspiration for the Twilight series.

In the dream there are two people sitting in a meadow, one an average girl and one a boy who is a vampire. The two are discussing the difficulties of a romantic relationship between a human and a vampire. This vision would later become chapter 13 of the book Twilight.

Since the release of the first book back in October of 2005, five movies have brought the novels to life: “Twilight,” “New Moon,” “Eclipse,” “Breaking Dawn Part 1” and “Breaking Dawn Part 2.” The final addition to this list made its big screen debut on Nov. 15, and brought many Twilight fans to bittersweet tears.

“Breaking Dawn Part 2” is the best movie of the five in the Twilight series. In the movie we are introduced to Edward and Bella’s half-human, half-vampire daughter, Renesmee. While all of the actors and actresses do a brilliant job at portraying the characters, ten-year-old Mackenzie Foy, who plays the darling Renesmee, does an especially wonderful job. The plotline is mostly true to the book, but there is a huge, surprise twist fans will not see coming. The movie is definitely worthwhile to go see, if only for the last 15 minutes of heart-wrenching, reminiscient flashblacks.

The opening weekend alone brought in over $340 million dollars. The fictitious characters of Edward and Bella have certainly done it again. On opening weekend, it is estimated that millions of fans went to see the movie. Since then that number has only increased.

“Breaking Dawn Part 2” is the ending to a phenomenon that influenced the beginning of the 21st century. It’s now time to say goodbye, and some “Twi-hards” are brokenhearted due to the fact there are no more movies and no more books to look forward to. Still, many teenage girls will forever smile when they think of the boy that sparkled and the girl from Forks.

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ew games earn high, low scores Gamers rejoice for new releases, keep money in pockets for others

BY ELLIE BURRELL

reporter / artist

HALO 4 Master Chief returns in one of the most anticipated titles this year. The latest game in the “Halo” series does not disappoint. New enemies and weapons along with a complicated plot create the perfect campaign with a multiplayer platform worth spending hours exploring. Multiple jarring plot twists are sure to keep players fighting all though Christmas break and improved gameplay creates a challenge, especially on the “Legendary” difficulty. “Halo 4” may be this season’s best first-person shooter, even if it takes twenty times to beat the final boss.

ASSASSIN’S CREED 3 In the latest installment of the “Assassin’s Creed” series, players are taken to an entirely new setting. “Assassin’s Creed 3” takes place during the American Revolution. The main character Connor has a grudge to settle with the British. Although gameplay has improved, this installment lacks in backstories and activities. Connor has a very dull character compared to the main characters of past games, and players are forced to endure boring mini-games and cut scenes. Fans of the series will appreciate the new story, but those new to the Brotherhood’s creed may want to experience the original game first.

PLAYSTATION ALL-STARS BATTLE ROYALE Save your money for titles other than this train wreck. “PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale” is a crossover fighter for fans of PlayStation games, but players may be seeing double within the fighting platform. Basically, this is a carbon-copy of “Super Smash Brothers” with Sony characters such as Cole MacGrath from “Infamous” and Kratos from “Gods of War.” Although they are notable, newer fans may be confused by characters like PaRappa the Rapper or Toro, the Sony mascot.

This mouthful of a game is definitely not worth the $59.99 price tag.

One Direction strikes home with sophomore album

BY OLIVIA ELSTON

reporter

The British boy band One Direction takes another leap in the right direction as they released their sophomore album “Take Me Home.” With two singles off of “Take Me Home” reaching number one on iTunes already it is safe to say that One

our FAVES 3

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inklings 11/30/12

Direction will go far. They have been making history this past year by becoming the only British band to have the number one status on the billboard charts in the United States for as long as they did, beating out The Beatles and Rolling Stones. So, it seems the sky is the limit for One Direction’s new album.

The second album definitely beats out their first album “Up All Night” with many more dynamics in the songs that are featured. One Direction has fast, upbeat songs like “I Would” and “Heart Attack” that make you want to dance, but they also have slow, sweet songs such as “Little Things” and “Last First Kiss” that are heartwarming. The boys now have deeper voices that fit

1C

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perfectly with the music and each other. It is hard to blend five different voices together, but One Direction has done it flawlessly.

The members of One Direction are a year older, and it shows in their new album. All of them helped write some of the lyrics to the songs on the CD such as “Back For You,” and they also worked with other British singers like Ed Sheeran. The boys were more involved this time around by not only writing their own lyrics, but also having member Niall Horan play the guitar for the background music. Along with Horan, member Zayn Malik also helped by showcasing his drawing skills and doing some of the art for the album booklet.

Whether a “Directioner”

Cane Chill

The taste of fall has given way to the taste of winter. The Candy Cane Chill blizzard has returned to the Dairy Queen menu just in time for the holiday season. The limited addition blizzard includes the traditional holiday treat, candy canes, with a mix of vanilla ice cream and chocolate chunks.

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nitted

Sweaters

It’s getting colder outside, and a knitted sweater is just the thing needed to stay warm. Not only are they a top pick in Seventeen magazine, but tons of stores are selling them now. The knitted fabric keeps one warm while being comfy. The sweaters come in a variety of colors, and can be found at many stores such as American Eagle, PacSun and Macy’s (and Goodwill, of course).

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opUp

Popcorn Bowls

Everyday popcorn has taken a new, convenient spin. Select brands now sell their microwave popcorn in pop-up bowls. This allows for the convience of taking a popped bag on the go. There is no longer the hassle of trying to find a bowl to fit all of the popcorn, and after all the popcorn is gone, the bowl can be simply be thrown away.

Top Tracks “Live While We’re Young” Track #1

“Little Things” Track #3

“Heart Attack” Track #6

or not, “Take Me Home” is an album that is hard not to like.

One Direction has once again made a CD that will make the girls go crazy, but it also appeals to a bigger audience this time.

This album is definitely one that should be taken home.

we’re SO over Tanning in the winter Winter is approaching and the temperature is dropping.

Below freezing temperatures are not ideal for going outside to tan. One can always turn to tanning booths, but these are bad for you and can have negative health effects on skin cells and bodily systems in the long run. It is neither healthy, wealthy nor wise to tan in the winter.

sports13

inklings 11/30/12

sharing

A double vision PHOTO BY AMY SCHUCH

Wrestling each other at practice, senior brothers Tyler and Trevor Burlison share the same dream. The twins have been wrestling together for 12 years and are looking forward to the season.

Burlison twins share goal of reaching state

BY KARA BIERNAT

asst. sports editor

Teams are only as good as the athletes constructing them. Having more than just an athletic bond, the Burlison twins have spent their whole lives as teammates, on and off the wrestling mat.

Revolving their lives around wrestling for twelve years and still going, seniors Trevor and Tyler Burlison have been key additions to the Crown Point wrestling team after moving here from Illinois their sophomore year.

“We’ve always been serious about wrestling,” Tyler said. “Crown Point is a great program and we couldn’t wait to be a part of it.”

The boys made their season debut by competing at the Warsaw Duals to kick off November. Sweeping all four teams there,

the ‘Dogs held all of them to single digits while scoring in the 60’s and 70’s.

Trevor Burlison contributed to the team victory by going 3-1 at 132 lbs, while Tyler Burlison followed at 138 lbs. going undefeated at 4-0.

“I was pretty pleased with my results,” Trevor said. “I hope to keep improving throughout the year.”

Both brothers were satisfied with themselves individually and the team as a whole.

“We did very well because we’ve been working since March and through spring in hopes of continuing to do well,” Tyler said.

Having each other by their side during season and in the offseason makes it easier to keep motivated and training. Trevor and Tyler warm up together before meets, which contributes to both of their pre-meet

mentality.

“Having a brother on the team benefits my wrestling. We drill a lot, cut weight before meets and stay after practice together,” Trevor said.

Coached under Scott Vlink, the Burlisons have one goal on their minds. Placing at state has been a common occurrence for the ‘Dogs in previous years and they are determined to keep the streak going.

“My main goal is to be a state champion and keep pushing myself to keep improving,” Trevor said.

The Burlisons spend a majority of their time up in the wrestling room working with one another and former teammate, four time state champion Jason Tsirtsis.

“The Burlisons work really well together. They have chemistry,” Vlink said. “They are definite leaders and were an excellent

addition to the team.”

Vlink was satisfied with the boys’ results at the meet, along with the team’s.

“They did very well for an early season meet. They had solid fundamentals, aggressive attitude and a great mental aspect on the meet.”

Vlink strives to coach the boys to perform to the best of their ability.

“The Burlisons have been with us for three years and immediately embraced our philosophy,” Vlink said.

The Burlisons are looking forward to having a successful season this year with high hopes of reaching their goals at the state meet.

The team competed at LaPorte this past Wednesday, but results were not available at the time of press. The ‘Dogs will next compete this Saturday at the Stagg Invite.

TylerBurlison

TrevorBurlison

Age: 17

Age: 17

Weight: 138 lbs.

Weight: 132 lbs.

Grade: Senior

Grade: Senior

Goals: To place at the State Meet

Goals: To get State Champion Title

Role Model:

Role Model:

Jason Tsirtsis

2-Time Olympian John Smith

2011-12 Record:

2011-12 Record:

26-12

33-8

Accomplishments:

Accomplishments:

Getting 2nd place at team state last year

Winning individual state last year

14 sports

inklings 11/30/12

Swim teams on track for success

Bulldog hockey looks to repeat prior success

BY ALEXA GRADY

sports editor

PHOTO BY AMY SCHUCH

Practicing her breaststroke, junior Alyssa Barancyk swims across the pool at a recent practice. Barancyk and the team look to continue their recent success.

BY ALEXIS BERDINE

reporter

Losing leaders takes a toll on any team.

Last year the boys swim team saw both of their captains graduate, leaving large slots in the roster to be filled. However, the team is confident they can overcome the loss and succeed this season.

“A lot of kids have been stepping up tremendously to fill the giant shoes last year’s captains left,” junior Andrew Kvachkoff said.

An emphasis has been put on weightlifting, and constant practices are preparing the boys so that the Bulldogs can bring home a sectional title.

“The team has been practicing up to four hours a day. In addition to that we have been introduced to (head coach Doug) Norris’ new workouts, that seem to have been really working. The team’s goal is to be sectional champs this year,” senior Brenton Yeager said. “This season is going to be tough, especially with the loss of our seniors, but I have a lot of faith in my teammates and I think we can pull together and

prosper this year.”

Norris has been very pleased with the team so far this season and is looking forward to watching the rest of the season unfold.

“Everybody is right on track, and I am extremely proud of the seniors this year for leading by example,” Norris said.

The girls swim team is also taking steps to help ensure their success this season.

“The entire team has been working hard to win DAC, sectionals and be top eight at state this year,” junior Racheal Bukowski said.

Last year, the Lady Bulldogs brought home a sectional title. However, they fell short of their goal to beat their rivals, the Munster Mustangs.

“Munster has always been a hard team to beat. We have fast swimmers, but Munster has the depth that we are training to gain this year,” sophomore Aly Tetzloff said.

As DAC, sectionals and state approach, the girls have been keeping their objectives in mind while training and practicing.

“Everyone on the team is stepping up and working even harder. We practice every day and go to workouts with (coach Mark) Garret. We keep ourselves motivated by reminding each other of the goals our team has set for ourselves,” sophomore Alex St. Amour said.

The Lady Bulldogs are not only physically training, but they mentally training as well.

“We are constantly being optimistic towards all of our teammates and encouraging each other. It is much easier to succeed when your teammates are cheering you on all the way,” sophomore Jackie VanDerWey said.

Head coach Bryan Trippeer has been trying to inspire team optimism from the top down.

“Our swim team has 30 girls and we want everyone to better their time, finish the season in good standing and ultimately have fun,” Trippeer said.

The ‘Dogs will travel to LaPorte this Saturday to compete with the Slicers in DAC competition.

Constant success is hard to achieve,--but then again the boys hockey team is still insisting that they will not stop the victories now. Crown Point hockey has taken the Roper Cup home twice and is eyeing a record third consecutive title.

“We’ve won the Roper Cup the past two years, and we’re looking to win the cup again three years in a row,” senior Mitch Witham said.

Captain and wingman Witham set the team’s goals even though the team has been struggling this season to gain their momentum. The boys have made their way to state the past two years ,and they hope that they can make an appearance there again despite the loss of some key players.

“Last year we lost a lot of our skilled forwards from the beginning of the season, but we seem to be more of a defensively strong team,” Witham said.

The boys currently carry a record of 6-7-3. Despite the seven losses, the boys try to keep their hopes up when it comes to making history.

“Winning the Roper Cup consecutively in a row has only been done twice before since the cup began,” Witham said.

The ‘Dogs enter into the rink every game with their heads up, but with seven losses, they haven’t been placing on top.

“We’ve had a lot of trouble playing as a team and also playing to our full potential. We’ve shown glimpses of what we are capable of, but can’t seem to pull a string of consistent games together,” Witham said.

The boys play this Saturday at home.

Young Bulldog team begins conference action

BY ALAA ABDELDAIEM

reporter

Change is a normal occurrence that sports teams face from one season to the next. Players are lost and others are gained.

Coaches may return while some may be replaced. For the Lady Bulldogs, saying they have changed is an understatement.

The ‘Dogs lost six seniors coming into this season including point guard Courtney Kvachkoff, one of the team’s leading scorers. As a result of her loss, the girls had to take over her role and make up for lost points.

“Last year, we averaged about 50 points a game,” head coach Anne Equihua said.

“Forty-five of those 50 came from seniors who have graduated. We’re going to have to make up the offensive output in scoring.

It was rough the first couple of games, but I think people are stepping up and helping the cause.”

Offense was not the only thing the Lady ‘Dogs lost during the offseason. This year’s team has only two seniors. With most of the team inexperienced, senior Taylor Equihua knows it is part of her job to be a leader.

“It’s important for the returning players to step up and be team leaders,” Equihua said. “That’s what Sarah Rivich and I are set to do this season.”

While having a young team has its

PHOTO BY AMY SCHUCH

Shooting over two Lowell defenders, freshman Miranda Elish fades away in a home game this past Tuesdsay. The Lady ‘Dogs lost the game by a score of 44-28.

disadvantages, coach Equihua also believes it has its positives.

“The advantage of having a young team is that they’re very eager and they want to learn,” Equihua said. “They’re soaking up as much as they can. The desire and heart is definitely there.”

Freshman point guard Hannah Albrecht is an example of the young yet eager members on the team. Albrecht

comes from a family known for excelling in the sport. Her brothers Michael and Steven were key members of the Bulldogs’ offense during their time in Crown Point and earned Division I scholarships.

Despite her inexperience with the team’s system, Albrecht has contributed to the ‘Dogs offense and continues to learn from her mistakes. Spending some extra time shooting in the gym is something Albrecht

tries to do regularly, helping her improve from game to game.

“Practice is key,” Albrecht said. “I shoot around after practice and spend extra time so I can get better.”

Albrecht is not the only one who is improving as the season goes on. After letting Munster rally back in the fourth quarter earlier in the season and giving up 23 points off of turnovers in the 52-50 loss against Chesterton last Wednesday, coach Equihua made sure her message to the team last Saturday was clear: finish the game. The Lady ‘Dogs did just that, scoring 17 fourthquarter points in their 61-52 win over East Chicago and showing much improvement from their previous losses.

“The difference between Wednesday’s game against Chesterton and the game against East Chicago is that we handled the pressure a little bit better,” Equihua said.

“Each game we’re gaining confidence and our young players are stepping up and not making the same mistakes.”

Despite the changes the team has made, the girls’ goal of winning the sectional title will always remain the same.

“Our goal is always to win sectional,” Equihua said. “It may be a different team, but it’s the same goal. I think we’re capable of getting to that championship game.

We’re going to have to play really well, but I think we’ve got what it takes.”

sports15

inklings 11/30/12

a second with

ALEX

Boys basketball towers over competition

Bulldog squad aims to bounce back from last year’s early postseason exit

BY Alex McLean

sports editor

BY Alex McLean

sports editor

Hoosier basketball back on top Before last season, Hoosier basketball was getting most of its attention from a recruiting scandal that saw the forced departure of their head coach and the disappointing play that followed.

All this changed when Christian Watford hit a buzzer beating three pointer to dethrone undefeated Kentucky early last season. The 27-9 season that followed and preseason number one ranking put pressure on this year’s Hoosier squad to perform.

The team is bringing back four starters from last year but is also seeing major contribution from underclassmen.

Freshman Kevin “Yogi” Ferrell is already seeing major playing time and helped lead the team to an overtime victory over Georgetown, earning himself Big Ten Player of the Week recognition.

The leader of the team, however, is Jordan Hulls. At the Progressive Legends Classic, Hulls averaged 15.5 points per game, and earned himself MVP for the tournament.

Indiana finds itself in one of the nation’s toughest conferences. Ohio State and Michigan are ranked right behind them at third and fourth, with Michigan State not much further behind at fifteenth.

All season, teams will be fighting to be the one that knocks the Hoosiers down.

The target has been firmly placed on their backs.

But this is Indiana. The most surprising part of the story is not that we are now the target; it’s that for a little while, we were not.

Besides, if Indiana were a team to not match up to the hype and crack under pressure, wouldn’t we call them Purdue?

PHOTO BY AMY SCHUCH

Playing in the Bulldogs Red/White Scrimmage, sophomore Noah Burkholder puts up a shot over senior Tom Bardeson. The ‘Dogs currently sit on a 0-1 record and open DAC play tonight at home against the LaPorte Slicers.

After a rough and abrupt end to last year’s season in the first round of sectional play, the boys basketball team is refocused and has high hopes for success this season. “(Losing to Chesterton) taught us not to take any team for granted. Chesterton really handed it to us, and we’ve got to learn from it,” head coach Clint Swan said.

Last year’s regular season came to an end with Chesterton putting a halt to the Bulldogs’ seven game win streak.

“We had gone on a run and gotten a little complacent,” senior Alex Nickla said. “This year we can’t take any DAC team for granted.”

The Bulldog’s strength this year comes from their height.

With four starters over 6’-5’’, the ‘Dogs tower over the rest of the conference.

“Our height gives us an advantage rebounding. We’ve got good length so we’ll get more deflections we wouldn’t get otherwise,” Swan said.

Beyond their height, Nickla is confident this team has better mental preparation than past Bulldog teams.

“We’re all coming together this year. Guys talk about playing well as team. We’re actually doing it. We still need to get more used to our roles if we want to succeed,” Nickla said.

The ‘Dogs made the travel to South Bend for the season opener

against Washington. The Panthers struck early, jumping to a 21-9 lead at the end of the first quarter.

The Bulldogs managed to narrow the lead in the second quarter, but could not pull ahead, losing in the end 76-57.

“We weren’t taking our shots ,and our offense was not really clicking,” senior Tom Bardeson said. “We need to work on being more patient.”

Bardeson led the scoring with 26 points. Bardeson is coming off, a season where he led the ‘Dogs scoring last year with 17 points per game. “(Bardeson’s) a great player ,and scoring lends itself to him, but we’ve got a lot of great players who can step up and get us buckets when we need them,” Swan said.

Tonight the Bulldogs will have their first DAC matchup against LaPorte. Last year, the ‘Dogs beat the Slicers in both of their regular season games, but Swan is not taking that for granted.

“We always have to watch their guards. (LaPorte) has some really great shooters. If we cover them and can keep up with them on the post, we should be able to come out on top,” Swan said.

The Slicers game tonight is also the Bulldogs’ home opener.

Swan hopes that the crowd will be able to make themselves heard. “(Home court advantage) is definitely a huge help. We need our fans out to make it loud and hopefully it gets us a little bit of an edge,” Swan said.

‘Dogs set their sights on improving their record with hard work

Girls gymnastics prepares for upcoming season

BY DAVID KEPSHIRE

reporter

Hard work and preparation are key for any sport. This year the gymanstics team is embracing that philosophy. The ‘Dogs look to use this year’s training in hopes to have a strong season.

“In conference meets, we went 3-4,” head coach Ami Pysh said.

“This year’s team looks more prepared and in a better shape than last season’s team.”

Having only lost two seniors, the Lady ‘Dogs have many returning key gymnasts to lead this year’s team. They also have

of things.

“The girls are picking up right where they left off from last year,” Pysh said.

The girls hope their training will pay off when they head into DAC competition. With teams like Valparaiso, Merrillville and Chesterton, the DAC is one of the toughest conferences in the state.

Having these teams in their conference presents a challenge for the Lady Bulldogs. Even with this tough competition, goals are still set for beyond sectionals.

“The goal is to make it to regionals,” senior Megan Supan

said. “Merrillville will be our toughest competition, but with the hard work we put in during practice we think we can compete with any team.”

With only the top three teams moving on to regionals, the girls hope to use their hard work to advance through their sectional competition.

“I have high hopes for this year’s team,” Pysh said. “The girls seem to be headed in the right direction and I’m excited to see what they can do this season.”

The girls open up the season with a Dec. 15 meet at LaPorte.

inside NCAA Football

Who will win the Heisman?

56

Johnny Manziel Manti Te’o

gained a few freshmen that look to contribute points. This mixture of talent and experience looks to put the Lady Bulldogs toward the top of the conference.

To get ready for this season, the girls have trained harder than they had in past years.

“We have been conditioning with coach (Mark) Garrett,” senior Emily Langston said. “We started earlier than last year by coming in during the summer and now continuing the workouts as the season approaches.”

Pysh agrees and notes how the girls are back into the swing

46

Collin Klein 10 Braxton Miller 16

As the NCAA football season draws to a close, debate is already starting over who will win this year’s Heisman Trophy. While the candidates are clear, the winner is not.

Johnny Manziel led Texas A&M to a 10-2 record, finishing the season ranked ninth in the BCS Standings. Manziel has racked up over 4,600 total yards, which passes the previous record held by Cam Newton.

Manti Te’o was the heart

and soul of the Notre Dame defense. This season he has seven interceptions and 103 tackles.

Kansas State’s Collin Klein has put up 2306 yards through the air this year and 14 touchdowns, leading the Wildcats to an 11-1 record.

Braxton Miller ran the Ohio State offense as they capped off an undefeated season. Miller earned the Big Ten’s Offensive Player of the year award, with 2039 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Alex says “Johnny Manzeil has had an incredible season.

His numbers dwarf the other candidates. There’s no way any other player is going home with the Heisman.”

David says “Although Manzeil has had great numbers as a freshman, without Te’o, Notre Dame’s defense would not be as dominant. I would give the edge to the senior from Hawaii since Manzeil has years to come.”

16 people

inklings 11/30/12

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the

take

[[]/ ][-

Junior Jacob Gulka Defying Gravity I particularly like physics because it explains everything in the universe.

Photo by annie swanson

Despite now focusing on coding and programming, Shaaban has been experimenting with various forms of technology since the age of six.

Physics Fan

Dissembling appliances evolves into passion for technology

BY ABBY ELSTON

editor-in-chief

Being the 21st century, iPhones, apps, computers and similar devices have become commonplace household items. Senior Ahmed Shaaban, though, prides himself in knowing them better than most.

“Basically when all the other 6-year-old kids were outside playing, I would be inside the garage taking apart blenders and stuff,” Shaaban said. “I just wanted to know how they worked, and it just intrigued me in that respect. I just wanted to figure out why the blades turned.”

This curiosity led Shaaban to experiment with other larger, more expensive devices.

“Once I figured out (how the blender worked), I would take blenders apart and assemble series of electric motors with the blenders ... and that kind of led me into more complex stuff after I figured out how a blender worked and moved onto like a $3,000 com-

puter in my garage and destroy it, and my parents would get mad at me because I destroyed their $3,000 computer, but I figured out how it worked,” Shaaban said.

This then sparked an interest in how to program them.

“I think that (programming) removes constraints. It’s like the ultimate freedom, sort of, on a computer,” Shaaban said. “I can make anything I want in a program. Like if I need a computer to do something for me, and there’s not a solution out there already, I can make that solution for myself.

It’s like a box of Legos with like a million different choices.”

Not only can Shaaban program computers, but he can also design apps.

“I have an app released right now for Android, PhysCalc Kinematics Calculator, that does physics calculations. (I thought of this idea) probably out of boredom,” Shaaban said.

Though most would not invent apps when bored, Shaaban enjoys working with logic.

“I’m good with logical structure. I’m good at physics, I’m good at stuff that has a very defined way of working out, and when you have that level of control…like the physics app I wrote, I understand physics,” Shaaban said.

According to Shaaban, this self-proclaimed logical structure of his mind has aided in his ability to create the app.

“I map out the logic of how to solve a problem once; I map out all of the possible logical cases on it, and I have a better understanding of this concept, this schematics concept, than I could ever have in a classroom,” Shaaban said. “I mapped out all the possible logical progressions of stuff a user could put into this app.

So, now that I have the logical framework there, I don’t need to worry about making mistakes as far as math goes because the program does that for me. So I get it right once and it’s always right afterwards.”

Aside from designing an app,

5

Shaaban has also designed the old CPHS Latin club website and is currently working on the guidance office’s app. Even though it seems that his knack for programming is just a hobby, he plans to pursue this interest as a future career.

“I’m planning to go be a computer science major in college.

Well, my dream is to actually own my own company,” Shaaban said.

“If my entrepreneurial ambitions don’t work out, I probably would want to work at Google. That’s my second choice because it’s just an amazing place to work at.”

Google has, in a sense, taught Shaaban a large portion of what he knows about technology.

“The way I learn programming is by doing it. I’ll start creating a program, even if I have no idea how to use (a particular) programming language, and then I’ll use Google and eventually pick up on all this stuff,” Shaaban said.

“I just kind of teach myself, and I really didn’t read books. I just Googled how to do stuff. Eventually that adds up.”

My favorite author is Stephen Hawking because his novels have taught me so much about theoretical physics.

Star Bores George Lucas has ruined the sanctity of Star Wars.

Instead of Harrison Ford playing Hans Solo, it’ll be Zac Efron.

Music Man I like musicals, classical music and marches, just not dubstep.

Bazinga I like to watch the Big Bang Theory. I can understand all the things they say, and Sheldon is such an amazing character.

My favorite way to give back is...

Ryan Charlebois freshman

...helping the community by cleaning up garbage and recycling.

Michael Kopman junior

...donating food to food drives.

...for football, we buy Christmas presents for families in need.

...volunte er at the St ing . Jude House d uring free time .

Breanna Allen sophomore Elizabeth Thornberry senior