Inklings

IN K [ [ ] L I N G S

Crown Point High School Crown Point, IN @InklingsCPHS November 30, 2018 Vol. 83 Issue 3

Read about ways to stay healthy during holidays page 6

][

“The Gift of Giving” pages 8 & 9

][

“AAU Sports Provide Collegiate Opportunities” page 11

]

EXPECTATIONS OF

YOUTH IN AMERICA Top 3

Youth aspire to affect change in future

BY LINDSEY BAEZA MORGAN TAYLOR co-editors-in-chief

I

n times of tragedies like natural disasters and school shootings, it’s hard to stay optimistic. Despite this, teens still strive to develop the skills and find the tools to make change for the better.

Although with pressures and expectations from older generations, this empowerment isn’t always easy to find.

These criticisms about the youth’s alleged shortcomings has been experienced firsthand by sophomore Sara Letting’s from her own family.

“It kind of seems like my whole entire family is telling me (younger generations) are poorly affecting America, like my grandparents, my father, my mother. They all think that phones, technology and all of that is ruining the old stuff. They think that we are less educated because we don’t act like they did back then,” Letting said. “They’re not used to it. They don’t understand the modern stuff of today so therefore, they think that everything is going to be bad.”

Concerning the topic of the youth’s access to technology, freshman Eliza Surdzial agrees that the older generation is critical. While she thinks technology has made things simpler in ways, she argues that

the older generation ignores that technology has also made things more difficult.

“They think that since we have all this technology and access to media that we automatically have to be better. What they don’t realize is with all this technology to our access, life’s gotten as hard as it has easier,” Surdzial said.

Older generations are also critical of teens’ ability to finance their own education and unjustly count on them to fix the economy according to Surdzial.

“They expect us to be able to easily not only make college but also pay for it when in reality the amount of work at minimum wage, the usual amount of money high school and college students make, needed to pay for college has only gone up,” Surdzial said. “The economy is hardly as good and functional as it used to be, and not only do they blame us for it, but they also expect us to be able to make it work when we don’t really know how. They aren’t helping us and are only making things worse with all the pressure they put on our shoulders. That pressure is causing us to grow too anx-

Issues Teens Feel Expected to Influence

1

ious, too doubtful and too depressed.”

Despite a perception that the older generation is setting overly high expectations for them, other adolescents do not understand why they are not working harder to create a new tone throughout the nation. Junior Kirsten Robinson recognizes the outlets there are to make this modification.

“Where we are as a generation, it is unacceptable that we aren’t changing the narrative. With the resources we are all surrounded by, if someone isn’t doing something to change the issue that they want to, they are being lazy,” Robinson said. “There are many programs, tons of social media initiatives and multiple rallies to eradicate the issues that many people feel strongly about.”

Robinson expresses the notion that not all teens are willing or wanting to make change. While some may not have an active role in influencing the future, sophomore Chase Hadu believes there are people that can.

“Obviously the people that

ate Tide Pods aren’t probably going to change a lot, but there’s actually people in our generation that could create change because we have a lot of brilliant minds,” Hadu said.

The strengths of today’s youth are embedded in their own desire to create change freshman Kadyn Smith adds.

Smith states that problems in the country can be solved if citizens begin to speak up.

“Most issues in the United States can be fixed by the willingness of people. Most people believe in something that is for the greater good and because of this if someone says the right things, the issues in the U.S. can stop,” Smith said.

Even if the younger generation has ideas on how to resolve issues, others sense there are still many pressures placed on them. Smith thinks that since youth is placed on a metaphorical pedestal, it is adding to the stress caused by the high expectations set.

“The younger generations are supposed to change the world,

All of the Above

Changing Job Market Sustaining Resources Financial Resources Crime and Violence Climate Change Political Climate Economy

2

Crime and Violence

3 Sustaining Resources

see youth in america on page 3 *out of 201 students polled

2

NEWS INKLINGS November 30, 2018

INTHEKNOW

Students, staff speak on importance of holiday safety, tools students can use to stay safe

Turnabout tickets sales are beginning

The turnabout dance is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 19 at Avalon Manor. Tickets are now on sale in room C234. Students can purchase tickets for 30 dollars during zero period and after school.

The sales will continue through December until winter break.

Guest endorsment forms are in the Assistant Principal’s office.

New graduation pathway released for high school seniors The Indiana Department of Education released new graduation pathways for high schoolers in the state in attempt to prepare them for careers and alleviate the stress of passing the ISTEP. Students can show evidence of career readiness by becoming involved in one season of an extracurricular, doing community service or proving that they have had a job during their time in high school. Students who did not pass the ISTEP would also have to take the ASVAB test as a replacement test. The Indiana Department of Education implemented these new options for graduation to promote college and career readiness in the state.

First snow make-up day scheduled Previously, on Nov. 26 power outages and poor weather led to the cancellation of school throughout the corporation. CPSC has built-in days in case of this past occurance.

All schools will be in session on Jan. 21 in order to make-up the missed snow day.

BY JESSI ALCORTA-ROBLES ARIANA SETLAK associate editor assistant editor

Being safe has always been a priority, but it can be more urgent during the holiday season.

With holiday shopping and seasonal events, people can be targeted for their purchases or because they are out more frequently. Taking precautionary measures, and also being alert and aware of surroundings can help to keep a person safe from an unfortunate situation.

“Always try and go with a group of people [when you go out holiday shopping]. Also try to park in a well-lit area, because there are people who will steal from your car. Be vigilant,” School Security Officer Sean Steffel said.

During this time of shopping more for the holidays, extra steps to ensure an individual’s safety can be made aware of to everyone as an option they have.

“If you feel unsafe going out to your car, you can ask the mall security to escort you to your car. Especially if you’re a female, criminals tend to single you out,” Steffel said.

Junior Morganne Manino has taken a self-defense classes out of preparation for any future situations that may arise.

“If one day I’m walking through the city or just anywhere alone at the wrong time and something doesn’t go well, I will need to know how to defend myself because you never

CPHS musicians accepted into All-State Orchestra

After auditioning on exerpts from Leonard Bernstein’s “West Side Story,” four CPHS students were accepted into the All-State Orchestra.

Members include: Michael Kowalke (Principal Viola), Jaden Wents (Cello), Ava Neal (Bass), Clarence Sanders (Trombone).

They will rehearse from Jan. 17-19 in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The final performance will take place on Jan. 19. All-State Orchestra features guest conductor Dr. Soo Han for the final performance.

STEFFEL‘S

suggestions If you feel that you’re in danger, call the police People loitering in empty parking lots Crowded rooms and leaving easily accessible items for pickpockets

THINK AHEAD Dec. 3-7

SPLAT Club is selling t-shirts and hoodies SPLAT club is selling one of a kind t-shirts for $5 and hoodies for $10. Students can purchase these items during lunch hours for five days.

know what could happen,” Manino said.

Similar to Manino, senior Allyssa Hennessey has taken a self -defense course.

Hennessey took karate classes for six years when she was younger.

“I think it is a great opportunity for anybody that would be able to take the class,” Hennessey said. “I would strongly recommend it for people that want to learn a new skill, protect themselves in case of emergency or just want to make new friends.”

Junior Isaac Ventura witnessed and assisted in an incident in the square this year involving younger teenagers and a man following them. He said by being there while police were called, he feels as though he has the knowledge of how to handle a similar situation.

“Now I know exactly what to do, who to call, and how to keep myself and those around me safe,” Ventura said.

When in any potentially dangerous situation, it can be a crucial step to call the police so they can assist to de-escalate the situation and make sure everyone’s well being is accounted for.

“Outside of school, if a student felt like they were being followed I would say that they should immediately call 911 and keep moving. Never stop and confront the person. Let the po-

Dec. 4

Girls track call out meeting

All of the girls interested in running track for the 2019 season must attend the call out meeting at 2:503:10 p.m. in the LGI room. If you cannot attend, reach out to a coach.

lice handle that,” Steffel said.

Even if a person thinks they can handle t h e problem they are

confronted with, seeking help can save their life.

“I think they should seek help because you can’t handle this situation by yourself. You have to think about yourself and your safety. Go to a place with a lot of people t o o , in case you need help. It will be easier to get it,” Ventura said.

If the situation a person is in escalates before the police arrive, there are hand-held devices that can impair the attacker while the victim can run away to a safe place.

“A good protection device could be mace. They sell that at many places like the gas station.

They also have stuff now that’s like an alarm on your keys,” Steffel said. “You pull something and it makes a loud sound. Those are both good for being in situations

Park in well it areas

what to

AVOID Seeing reoccurring strangers in public

Dec. 5

Holiday Band Concert This holiday concert will include all of the high school bands. It will take place at 7 to 8 p.m. and they will perform holiday favorites such as “Sleigh Ride.”

Dec. 9

Holiday Orchestra Concert The Orchestra will hold their concert on Sunday at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

PHOTO BY JESSI ALCORTA-ROBLES

For all encounters that someone may come across, having a cell phone to call for help or for the use of the built-in GPS System can greatly influence the direction that the particular circumstance goes.

“I also think it’s a good idea to keep the locator on your phone on, that way someone will have an idea of where you are,” Steffel said. “If it’s on, you’d be able to call 911 and not have to say anything and they’d still be able to locate you.”

Invest in mace or key alarms

Keep car locked

KNOW

where you’re by yourself.”

In the case where the attacker has already grabbed ahold of the victim, fighting them off may be the only other choice, and self-defense classes can be a way to prepare for that scenario.

“I feel familiar with the moves I was taught and think I would be able to handle myself, but it’s hard to say for sure because obviously it wouldn’t be something you’d be expecting,” Manino said.

REGION’S SELF DEFENSE CLASSES

Homann Karate DO Inc. Corral’s Martial Arts UFC Gym

People using unrealistic stories in attempt to lure others in

Tour of Lights

Cover shopping bags in your car when they are left alone

Don’t go out shopping alone

Leaving shopping bags or items of worth in an unlocked car

Dec. 11-14

Keep your phone’s location on

Dec. 19

Key Club Homeowners in Crown Point can showcase their homes Holiday Party during a three hour time period Key Club invites where a trolley takes viewers the Crown Point around to see the decorations. community to Dec. 13 celebrate all of the Holiday Choir Concert upcoming holidays.

This choir concert is being This will include held at 6:30 p.m. and will be many games, arts followed by another at 8 p.m. and crafts, and Santa Claus.

Dec. 22 Winter Break Students take this two week break to rejuvenate themselves and spend time with family. Many holidays fall during the break, leaving time for people to celebrate with loved ones.

NEWS INKLINGS November 30, 2018

3

New Art History Club is welcomed, appreciated at CPHS

BY JOHN JORDEN reporter

The newest addition to Crown Point High School’s after-school clubs is the Art History Club. This club is ran by art teacher Lindsey Harris, who teaches classes such as 2D Art, 3D Art, Printmaking and AP Art History.

“The Art History Club is a new club where we cover a different theme each month, such as sculptures and clothing throughout history, and we’ll do activities related to that theme,” Harris said.

The Art History Club started from Harris’s passion for artwork throughout history and the conversations she would have with students from her art history class.

“I had a lot of students who took my art history class and came to me after school to talk about what they learned. I also enjoyed

American Youth it is said almost everyday in things you watch, see or read. It targets the younger generations by complimenting us giving us reasons to prove we are the superior generation that will stop all the issues in the world,” Smith said. “But that causes a lot of stress on this generation because of the way things are put.”

Understanding why the older generations place pressure on youth, senior Michael Florek believes it is reasonable due to the hard working nature of elders.

“I think it is fair because the younger generations are getting to the point where they have everything, and they don’t know what else to do. We have so much so what else can we gain or accomplish? We have a lot of pressure on us to build a better nation and fix the things that are going on,” Florek said. “I believe it is understandable because the older generations, like the baby boomers, they were all definitely hard workers. Most of them you see doing hard labor. Nowadays, most people don’t want to do that. No one really wants an intense, important job.”

Feeling like today’s teens are not into the bigger issues, Florek comments on his differing views from his peers.

“The older millennials are more in depth in politics than the next generation. (The next generation) is more into just what’s cool at the time. They

listening to podcasts discussing art history as a whole,” Harris said.

The club members are happy to have Harris running the club and enjoy her company during meetings. Freshman Ella Day appreciates Harris’s personality and likes how they are able to do what they want to do.

“Miss Harris is a really nice sponsor.

She’s fun, down-to-earth and she knows what we want to do,” Day said.

Day has also expressed her enjoyment of the company of her fellow club members.

“Everybody there is very open and kind, and we are there to just enjoy and make good art,” Day said.

While the club has only started recently, members of the club are interested to see what Harris has planned for the future. Senior Russell Sapinza shares this excitement

for the start of the new club.

“There’s only been one meeting so far, but the things [Harris is] planning seem fun,” Sapinza said.

Since club members are able to freely express their love for art history, they take pride in the club.

“I’m really proud of the Art History Club. I think it’s a nice place to talk about your passion and we’re all very proud of it because of that,” Day said.

This club also gives Harris the opportunity to meet more students who share similar interests while expressing her love for artwork much more freely.

“I love getting together with like-minded students who share the same interest in art history. I also enjoy teaching more about art history than the things I am required to teach in my AP Art History class,” Harris

continued from page 1

have their opinions, but they leave it up to other people to deal with it,” Florek said. “They don’t feel like it’s their problem.

They care more about their lives, which I do too, but I have my opinions, and I will vote when I’m 18. They just don’t see (life) the same way that older people do.”

Despite the stress that teens are experiencing, freshman Mikenzie Lilley acknowledges current issues. Specifically concerned with the environment, Lilley has ideas on simple solutions to reduce the problem.

“I feel that we can (influence) climate change to be at normal levels so that the earth can function normally by reducing our carbon footprint on the earth. We can change sustaining our resources by informing the people, helping them make the change and ultimately sustaining our resources in a more efficient way,” Lilley said. “We can change our pollution problem by educating the public about how they are polluting the earth, how this affects the world, how it affects future generations and how we can stop them.”

Regarding what can be done to reduce crime and violence throughout the United States, junior Kenzie Oost has several ideas.

“Stop insane people from having (guns). Only the military and higher ups (should have

them). People you can trust, not just some random dude that is going hunting,” Oost said.

Recent issues of gun control, Florek argues, is part of what is causing tension in politics. He states both parties must find common ground in order to maintain good government.

“The next couple years are going to be very stale because of The House of Representatives and the Senate since they’re split between Republicans and Democrats. It’s just going to be a lot of trying to pass something and having it be declined. It’s the fact that they’re very split. I think it would be better if they came to a compromise,” Florek said. “It’s finding the middle ground that everyone can agree on, and that’s the hardest part of working in politics. I’m hoping within the next few years with all these new people coming up there’s going to be some type of big change.”

In an attempt to influence current issues despite impeding circumstances, senior Clarence Sanders still understands he is only a part of a bigger movement.

“Maybe what I say will matter and cause change, and maybe it won’t. I can only try, which I plan to. I think that just being involved makes a difference,” Sanders said. “If someone sets out to gain knowledge and voice their opinion, that enough can cause some change.”

said.

Students who are interested in but not able to take AP Art History as a class are also given the opportunity to learn about the subject outside of school.

“My friend was taking AP Art History, and I didn’t have enough classes to take the course so I joined the club to learn more about art history,” Sapinza said.

Despite the club already having had its first meeting, Harris is still willing to accept new members into the club and even encourages those who are interested in the club to join.

“We meet on the first Friday of every month in the SGI room until 4 p.m. It’s not a huge time commitment; it’s just a chance to learn more about art history and meet like-minded people who are interested in art history,” Harris said.

Proof for the Present Suicide death rate last year was the highest it’s been in

50 years

The most recent national estimate of

homelessness in the United States identified 553,742 people experiencing homelessness.

Between 2016 and 2017,

Women working as

robbery decreased by

physicians and surgeons

4 percent

are paid

$19 billion less annually than if they were paid

the same as men.

The planet’s average surface temperature has risen

1.62 degrees Fahrenheit since the late 19th century.

18-29 citizens indicated they 40% ofwere likely to vote on Nov. 6 https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/ http://iop.harvard.edu/spring-2018-national-youth-poll https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2017-crime-statistics-released-092418 https://www.aauw.org/research/the-simple-truth-about-the-gender-pay-gap/ https://endhomelessness.org/homelessness-in-america/homelessness-statistics/state-ofhomelessness-report/ https://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/suicide-50-year-peak-pushes-us-life-expectancy-59486753

VIEWS on NEWS [Students’ reactions to events in our world

‘‘

Chloe Jackson junior

It’s better than having to take ISTEP. It’s better furthering the kids to get better jobs instead of taking ISTEP.

Molly Karachi sophomore

US military forces sprayed tear gas at Mexican immigrants crossing the national border at Tijuana. In the process, they also arrested many illegal immigrants. Top leaders at Customs and Border Protection in San Diego now have this incident under internal review.

‘‘

It was pretty wrong for them to throw tear gas, but at the same time, they shouldn’t be doing anything illegal. They shouldn’t do it in the first place, and then it Hunter MacDonald wouldn’t happen.

senior

A new global climate change agreement, deemed “Paris 2.0,” is rumored to be implemented to stall global warming and toxic emissions worldwide.

World

State

Area

‘‘

That’s super cool.

I didn’t know that.

I think it’s cool that we are helping them, like people from our area.

Nation

The Indiana Department of Education released new graduation requirements for high schoolers which would replace the ISTEP test with other pathways such as involvement in jobs and extracurriculars.

Firefighter’s equipment that was made in Northwest Indiana is being used by firefighters in California to combat the deadly “Camp Fire.” Almost every product made by the Valparaiso company Task Force Tips is used as a standard in the state.

‘‘

I think it’s a good thing. We need to survive and make this Earth live as long as possible because we are already destroying it.

Ian Bingham freshman

4

OPINION INKLINGS November 30, 2018

COLUMN

COLUMN

The press is not the enemy of the people

How to deal with difficult dinner topics

BY MORGAN TAYLOR

BY LINDSEY BAEZA

co-editor-in-chief

Recent happenings, like Jim Acosta getting his press pass revoked, has forced me to do some thinking. I am beginning to question why journalists are considered the “enemy of the people” and want to figure out what can be done to end this government-created stigma.

As a student journalist, I’m obviously fairly interested in current events and keep up with the latest news but ever since Trump was elected, I cannot help but notice how the national opinion of journalists has changed since the beginning of his administration. Resurrecting the term “fake news,” it was obvious that Trump really doesn’t like us journalists, but it isn’t too hard to just look past one man’s opinion. But now Trump is actively trying to oppress a journalist he doesn’t like.

In early November, CNN reporter Jim Acosta’s press pass was revoked by the White House after Acosta challenged Trump on his opinion of a caravan of Central American migrants that were traveling to the U.S.Mexico border, which prompted an intern to attempt to pull the microphone from Acosta’s hand. Shortly following these events, Sarah Sanders tweeted the announcement of his temporary ban with a video showing what had taken place. It was later proved that the video she posted had been doctored to make Acosta look more aggressive towards the intern and I just want to understand why our government is so set on making a good journalist look bad.

I do not understand how a country based on the the idea of free press has gotten to such a negative, childish way of handling things like this. How can we as a country allow this slander towards good people continue to happen? Journalists are simply doing their job by reporting current events, in addition to questioning leadership and searching for the truth, even if those realities aren’t things you want published, Mr. President.

As a student journalist I cannot sit idly by and let these people get defamed by the leader of my country. Journalists need to serve as watchdogs and can only do that by making the press as it should be: free. I will no longer sit back and watch this happen. I will march the streets until justice is served. I will write as much as I need to until people start listening. I will make change, even if it kills me.

co-editor-in-chief

CARTOON BY MADELYN WHITAKER

Underestimating small actions lead to missed opportunities on creating change EDITORIAL

Being teens ourselves, we know better than anyone what it’s like to feel overwhelmed with responsibility yet still not know how to cook our own food or fold our own clothes. Or while our significant other breaking up with us may seem like the end of the world, so does the upcoming election you may now be eligible to vote in.

It’s understandable that teens might not be actively involved in politics, especially when they probably even have trouble staying awake in government class, but serious topics like climate change, crime and violence, etc. have more of an impact on our future than a bad test grade. Now is the time for change and our generation needs to come together to fix the problems the older one percent has created for us. We all need to work harder for reform because we’re all extremely capable of making it.

As we grow up the amount of eyes on us seem to grow as well. These pressures aren’t meant to scare us. They’re intended to inspire us to put our mark on the world and find our sense of empowerment. This can be and is positive pressure, however, there is also more things the older generation can do to help us out. We both should be more conscious about who is being blamed.

Instead of being bitter about who did what, let’s focus on what we can do to fix it. There are too many issues to tackle at once, but find what is most important to you and attack it. If you’re concerned with our carbon footprint, publicly protest large corporations who pollute our planet or just use a refillable water bottle. If you’re concerned with crime and violence, take time to write our local politicians about your ideas for reducing such crime or just be conscious of your surroundings.

While our actions feel small on this massive planet, our collective efforts add up to much more than we may think. We each have to do our part to add to the greater good and in turn influence the future. We must not sit around and wait for change to happen, we must get out there and demand change now.

SPEAKUP

Matt Woods freshman

“Be involved.

Gun violence is bad, so speaking up, volunteering and doing community service helps.”

How could you make change as a teen or what do you feel could be changed in America?

Kiyana Nunez sophomore

“Take care of the environment. But you can’t control or change people, so you can try to tell them to recycle.”

Alexis Proudman

Ben Baker

“You could advocate for it.

Bringing more awareness to the subject by videos or pictures would help.”

“With the car emissions I feel like there should be a lot more regulations on semi and other stuff.”

junior

senior

Your friends are fortunate enough to where the holidays only bring twinkling snowmen, generous gifts and jaunty harmony, however, you aren’t as lucky. Instead these special occasions are contaminated with an abundance stress, particularly the stress of mingling with your overly enthusiastic uncle who insists on turning every conversation into a political debate. You’re actually quite impressed by him, so impressed that you would even call it a talent. He could turn a quick exchange about how lovely the sweet potatoes are cooked into a full on deliberation about the latest Trump tweet. This season you decide you’re going to try and dodge his yearly analogies comparing lawmakers and blind donkeys, and you begin to fill your Google history with links on “How to cancel the holidays.”

But then something happens.

You stop searching. You found this column with a convenient list of rules that may help you get through those painful encounters.

First take it from me, it’s best to not antagonize. No matter how much they pester you about how terrible Obama was during his time in office or how god awful the Trump administration is, you will regret it. It’ll only bring things bubbling to a heated debate that will end in the two of you casting glares at each other for the next two months.

This leads me to my next word of advice. Avoid debating. What do you have to prove anyways?

Just let old Uncle Tom carry on his conversation by himself. He can’t debate if there’s no counter argument you know. On the other hand, I know it’s pretty difficult to resist saying a few things to let him know he’s not “winning” anything. So if you do happen to involve yourself in his comments, take the logical route.

Listen and ask questions. (Even better, listen and ask questions that he can’t answer. You’ll have him proving your point for you.)

Remember to be mature about his claims, and then pray that he’ll be mature about yours. Keep your composure to encourage him to keep his.

Now if you follow these rules, there should be no need to worry about the food for thought around the dinner table, just the food in your belly. However, if worst comes to worst, a pair of ear plugs are pretty cheap to buy nowadays. In fact, I’ll even lend you mine.

OPINION

INTHEIR

V I EW

INKLINGS November 30, 2018

5

Should Crown Point students be required to wear school IDs while in the building?

L

I

N

G

S

Crown Point High School, IN

Vol. 83 Issue 1 - September 28, 2018 1500 S. Main St. Crown Point, IN 46307 219-663-4885 ex. 11349 fax 219-662-5663 inklings@cps.k12.in.us online: www2.cps.k12.in.us/inklings

Jake Spudic senior

PRO: “I don’t think

kids should have to wear their student IDs during school I think that’s a little invasive of their privacy. I think it’s kind of weird.”

CARTOON BY DOMINIC THEPHASDIN

Abigail Schuett sophomore

CON: “Students

should not have to wear their student IDs because no one would want to wear it. I know I wouldn’t.”

Mary Lux teacher

PRO: “Yes I do

think students should have to wear their IDs because we need to know if they belong here or not. There are too many kids here.”

PRO:

IDs create easy identification, reduces the possibility of an outsider gaining entry

BY EMMA FRANK assistant editor

With the increase in school security anything that can help ensure the safety of students seems to be worth it. When IDs are passed out many students throw them to the bottom of their bag and never utilize them again. Being able to identify members of the school can provide ease, knowing that everyone who is in the school should be.

As you walk around the building many of the staff members are wearing identification, so what makes requirements for faculty and students different? According to the National Center for Education Statistics, 68 percent of public schools in the United States require faculty and staff to wear badges or photo ID. While on the opposite only seven percent require students to do the same. Even though having ID cannot insure that everyone in the facility will not pose a threat, it can reduce the likelihood of an outsider gaining access to the building.

Many hypothetical situations could be easier to deal with if students had identification on at all times.

CON:

IDs do not eliminate chances of threat, identification checking is not practical

BY ASMAA ABDELDAIEM

Ryan Collier teacher

CON:

“I don’t think

students should have to wear their student IDs during school because I just don’t think it will make you a whole lot safer.”

WHATWE

THINK PRO: 6 Inklings Staffers CON: 20 Inklings Staffers

Imagine if a student passed out in the hallway and no one knew who it was. If they had an ID the faculty could identify the individual and contact their parents.

Costco and Sam’s Club require ID and a membership to shop in their stores and it seems to make a difference in the safety. It has become common to hear about a school shooting, but a setting that requires IDs are less likely.

IDs can help to create a sense of community throughout the building. With everybody’s name being visible the awkwardness of having a conversation and not knowing the other person’s name can be eliminated. If everyone has an ID no student can feel superior to one another because of their status. Teacher aides and members of certain clubs get their own passes during the school day, but regular student IDs could fulfill the roles of these as well.

Posing possibilities for a safer environment, there is no reason that students should not be required to have their IDs. Having your student ID does not take away from the quality of education you receive, but can turn out to improve your quality of safety.

reporter

As more school shootings occur, improvement in school security is on the rise. Every school has their own way of updating their security in order to ensure their students safety. Having more police officers on site is a great way of doing that but forcing students to wear their IDs is not. The IDs are small pieces of plastic that include your name and photo in such microscopic writing that you wouldn’t be able to read the names nor would you be able to recognize whether or not that is the person in the photo.

Realistically no faculty or staff member will stop a student in the hall simply to observe their ID. It is also impractical and inconvenient to have each student provide their ID upon entering the building.

Although some may argue that proof of enrollment in the school can decrease the chances of a tragic incident, it does not prevent current students from acting on violent thoughts. According to Campus Safety magazine, in 691 incidents the shooter was a current student at the school. This is an issue that IDs will not solve.

Since most students more than likely won’t bring their IDs with them, they will be punished for not following the rules. This is problematic because more students will have to be disciplined for a smaller issue which takes time away from faculty and the students themselves.

These IDs are not reliable because they are incredibly easy to lose. This will cause further problems and takes up more time when students lose their IDs and in turn need new ones. This can also cause issues if a student happens to find someone else’s ID since a stolen ID is very dangerous. Also, if students forget their IDs at home they would have to return to receive it before entering the school.

Essentially the school would be denying students an education until they have a hold of a small piece of plastic. There’s no point in spending funds to make and constantly remake IDs that no one will wear or use properly anyway. The school has tried before. If this rule is no longer in place then it must not have worked. It’s an inconvenience that will cause issues to arise without actually helping anyone or solving any problems.

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

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

Advertising is subject to applicable rates available by contacting Inklings.

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

co-editors-in-chief Lindsey Baeza Morgan Taylor editors-at-large Tabitha Beishuizen Ashley Rekitzke associate editor Jessi Alcorta-Robles assistant editors Olivia Budzevski Emma Frank Erin Muller Ariana Setlak Alexandra Sulewski sports editors Timmy Abbott Henry Withrow assistant sports editor Gwyn Isaacs online editors Dominic Thephasdin Madelyn Whitaker social media director Cat Padilla advertising editor Elizabeth Gonzalez staff Asmaa Abdeldaiem Nolan Chase Emily Helmuth Jackson Hillman John Jorden Andrew Poeschl Noah Thomas Haley Thornberry Holly Wagner adviser Julie Elston

6

experiencing life beyond the building

FEATURE INKLINGS November 30, 2018

iL ION FE

PHOTO BY CAT PADILLA With common holiday food items being filled with calories, carbs, sodium and fats., healthy alternatives lead to better nutrition and positive health during and after the holiday season ends. Vegetables, lean meat and other nutritious options showcase a plentiful meal for a holiday dinner.

Finding mindful alternatives during season of unhealthy eating

BY CAT PADILLA ANDREW POESCHL

social media director reporter

The holiday season is here, and while most people think this is the time to eat all the food they can and not worry about calorie intake, others find a way to make their holidays healthier.

For Junior Bridget Rayonec watching what she eats does not just happen over holidays. She also incorporates a healthy lifestyle in her everyday life as well.

“I’ve been voluntarily eating healthy around the holidays and everyday life for about three years now,” Rayonec said.

Being on a sports team requires an active lifestyle and sophomore Anthony Saberniak knows that part of being a good athlete is maintaining a healthy diet. He has been trying to be in good shape for a few years.

“I’ve been trying to eat healthy since I started cross country at the high school when I realized that to be able to compete with the faster guys, I needed to do everything they did and more, and that included eating right,’’ Saberniak said.

While it may seem harder to find better options to eat over holidays with all the fattening foods around, Rayonec has found that making her own food is a better solution. Healthy homemade gives an advantage to those who want to know what they are eating and how it will affect their bodies.

“My tip for eating healthy around the holidays is to look up recipes and cook your own food. I watch YouTube of people make a videos resolution to lose and

45% weight

go on Pinterest to find new recipes all the time,” Rayonec said. “It makes me excited to cook, and I look forward to my healthy meals every day.”

Saberniak knows that eating healthier can be difficult if you do not know how to start. He believes that having and sticking to a routine will make this process easier.

Once a routine is set, it will become a part of everyday lives and make it easier to eat healthier.

“Staying motivated to be healthy is a pitfall many don’t recover from, but I find that a routine makes it a lot easier. Once you have it, it’s hard to break it because you’re used to doing it all the time,” Saberniak said.

Maintaining a steady health routine can make it easier to know when you become full. This can be done by trying to eat at the same time every day, but maintaining a good schedule is not the only part of staying healthy.

“My take to staying healthy over the holidays is watching that I’m not eating more than what makes me full,” Saberniak said. “Just because everything is there, doesn’t

mean I need to eat it all.”

Making sure to stop eating when you become full is an important factor in being trying to eat better. Overeating can lead to more calories being put into our systems than needed which can affect someone’s desire to try and be healthier this holiday season.

“Watch your caloric intake. Do not overeat. As soon as you become full stop do not just keep eating just because there is food in front of you,” Health and PE teacher Blake Yeager said. “If you are bored and you are hungry, drink some water or eat a healthy snack.”

One way to keep you motivated to stay healthy during the holidays is through resolutions. Yeager is aware of the fact that most people struggle to eat healthy over the holidays, and he knows that although many people make a New Year’s Resolution to become healthier, most if not all of them, will not stick with it due to the difficulty of keeping the resolution.

“A lot of people want the resolution to work out and lose weight, and if you go into the holidays eating a lot it is going to make it a little more

BY

THE

21%

of adults consumed recommended amount of fruits a day

1/2

By 2030, of all adults in the United States will be obese

#

Studies show people gain

1.3 pounds

during the holidays

39 million workdays are lost to obesity-related illnesses each year

33%

of American adults eat the recommended amounts of vegetables a day 10 days before Christmas to the 10 after, weight increases by another

0.4 percent

difficult to lose that weight,” Yeager said.

Resolutions can be about working out more or trying to eat fresher foods. Many people find it difficult to keep their resolutions, but many recommend keeping to a schedule. Yeager recommends working out a couple times a week to help maintain physical wellness. ‘’A couple of things you can do is, one is to eat a balanced diet, and two is working out, try and work out at least 3 times a week if not more. You can do anything between cardio, weightlifting, anything that gets the heart pumping even if it just going to the Y to play basketball would work,’’ Yeager said.

It may seem to Rayonec, by being a vegetarian, like she has fewer options when it comes to holiday dinners, but since she cooks her own healthy meals she can control what she eats and how much she eats.

“Since I’m vegetarian, my holiday meals are usually very different than others.

One of my favorite holiday dishes is quinoa with roasted mushrooms, peppers, and cauliflower,’’ Rayonec said. ‘’If I want dessert I like to make everything homemade, so I know exactly what I’m putting into my body.”

As a kid, Rayonec was not a big fan of eating healthy and not having the junk food most kids liked to have, but now she is grateful for her family pushing her to eat healthy because she has seen how unhealthy habits have affected people.

“I used to hate that all I was allowed to eat was healthy food when I was younger, but now that I’ve gotten older, I’ve seen the effects of an unhealthy lifestyle,’’ Rayonec said.

90%

of Americans eat more sodium than is recommended for a healthy diet

FEATURE INKLINGS November 30, 2018

7

Sleep deprivation poses risks to health, academics

BY ALEXANDRA SULEWSKI NOLAN CHASE assistant editor reporter

Whether it be finishing homework, studying for a test or working a job, there are multiple reasons for students to miss out on their needed sleep each night. Although studies can seem more important than getting a full eight hours of sleep, there are negative effects from lack of sleep that should not be overlooked.

According to the American Sleep Association, sleep deprivation can lead to fatigue, clumsiness and weight gain or loss.

In the long term, it can also be attributed to increasing the likelihood of experiencing depression, or developing Type 2 diabetes.

Lack of sleep is visibly noticeable in some students throughout the school.

Health teacher Nick Bruno has observed the effects of this with his students.

“You can tell students are worn out from the week. Especially if they had a bunch of homework for AP classes, or they are in clubs or in sports,” Bruno said. “Students with jobs often talk about how late they stay up.”

Bruno believes that obligations after school such as sports or clubs may make it harder for students to find time to finish homework. Students might not be able to finish their homework until late at night.

“I think students in sports or even just students with things going on after school are less likely to get sleep. Anybody with stuff going on after school, it would be harder for them to get the amount of sleep they should be getting or close to it. It puts off homework and teachers expect that to be done,” Bruno said.

Even though sleep deprivation has been seen to take a toll on the appearance of students, it may also impact the test scores of students. Bruno believes that if a student is sleep deprived, they may be at risk of lower test scores.

“I think it could have an effect on that just because, if you are sleep deprived your body isn’t functioning at the level it could be if you got more sleep,” Bruno said. “You should be trying to get as close to eight

hours of sleep or as close to that as pos- vidual can actually develop psychotic symp- who gets a consistent amount of sleep every sible.” toms, such as hallucinations or paranoia.” night. It affects everyone and everyone has In addition to lower test scores, a lack Another consequence is the impair- to deal with it, ” Welsh said. “I fell asleep of sleep can also cause students to be unfo- ment of judgment. Huls finds that students during my physics test a couple of weeks cused and unable to pay attention in class. often deal with sleep by consuming caffeine ago because I was up late studying for it the Psychology teacher Rebecca Magee has no- filled drinks instead of getting more sleep. night before.” ticed when students in her class are tired.

“In an overtired state, a student is likeFriendships and relationships are also “For the most part, [I] can tell on a ly more at risk for making poor choices, at risk for someone who lacks sleep at daily basis which kids got enough sleep and which kids need a lot more sleep,” Magee such as drinking energy drinks or taking night. Welsh shares his experience with a other substances to lack of sleep when it comes to his friends. said. “But it also remain alert,” Huls “I’m definitely more irritable and my changes with what a In an overtired state, a stu- said. “A student may friends are more careful around me when I student is doing in dent is likely more at risk for also choose to stay their lives. For exdon’t get enough sleep,” Welsh said. making poor decisions, such home, avoid classes, ample, a kid that just Though negative consequences have finishes like a sports as drinking energy drinks or or sleep in class when been seen in a lack of sleep, Huls says that season is going to be there are certain methods to ensure enough taking other substances to overtired.” able to get more sleep In addition to sleep can be achieved. remain alert. . . . (than) an athlete the teachers noticing “There are many great resources on who starts their new changes among their improving sleep habits,” Huls said. “A few Psychologist Kathryn Huls season.” students when they simple tips include taking time to wind Magee attributes sleep deprivation to the stress that students are sleep deprived, students themselves have down, away from electronics or stressful deal with on a daily basis, as well as the realized the impact a lack of sleep can have. situations, at least 30 minutes before bedpresence of technology. She finds that the Junior Riley Welsh shares his opinion on time, avoiding caffeine for six hours bedistractions of school work and social me- the matter and the changes within himself fore bedtime, setting a consistent sleep and dia prevent students from getting to bed at when having a lack of sleep. wake time and incorporating relaxation a reasonable time.

“I think students are very busy with techniques such as deep breathing or pro“You are supposed to be planning your their lives and school. I don’t know anyone gressive muscle relaxation.” future and figuring out what you are going to do ten years from now, let alone tomorYour Body’s Response to Sleep Loss row,” Magee said. “So when you’ve got all that piled on, you’ve got the stress of just being a teenager in today’s world, and trying to keep up with everything. It gets a little overwhelming, not to mention the fact that screen time is very distracting.”

Mind Heart Besides in the classroom, there are Mood swings, forgetfulness, Likelihood of heart disease other visible effects that a lack of sleep can irratibility and depression and stroke increase with become more common with consistent sleep loss. contribute to. According to psychologist sleep loss.

Kathryn Huls, mental health and overall mood are also affected, which can lead to Immune System Digestive System more serious problems if periods of fatigue The immune system is Lack of sleep can cause weakened when sleep is continue. hunger and weight gain or lost which limits the body’s loss, and in more serious “Some of the most common effects of response to infection. cases, diabetes. sleep deprivation include irritability, increased stress and difficulty concentrating,” Motor Function Huls said. “Headaches and decreased reacOverall Growth Frequent sleep deprivation slows the body’s ability to In adolescents, sleep tion time are also common. When someone move and respond to deprivation stalls the stimuli which poses release of growth is deprived of sleep or has very disturbed problems when driving. hormones which aid in sleep for longer periods of time, mood repairing damaged cells. swings can be both a cause or a result. After Information from the American Sleep Association long periods of time without sleep, an indi-

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8

FEATURE INKLINGS November 30, 2018

FEATURE INKLINGS November 30, 2018

‘‘ The

9

Donation Destination I donated to the peanut butter drive because it is a great feeling to give back to the community during the holiday.

senior Kayla Perry

GIFT of

PHOTO BY ASHLEY REKITZKE

‘‘

GIVING PHOTO BY TABITHA BEISHUIZEN

I love donating every year to an angel tree child because the feeling of giving back never gets old.

senior Mia Gonzales

Seniors Maddy Berger and Lindsey Labuda ring bells and sing Christmas songs outside of Strack and Van Till’s in hopes of raising as much money as they can to get donated to the Salvation Army.

PHOTO BY ASHLEY REKITZKE

Toiletries

Dental Hygiene Products

Essential Items to Donate First Aid Items

Diapers

Community participates in charitable giving, volunteer activities during the holiday season

BY TABITHA BEISHUIZEN ASHLEY REKITZKE DOMINIC THEPHASDIN editors-at-large co-online editor

For many people November and December are months filled with happiness, family, and gift giving. Between Thanksgiving, Christmas, and various other holidays, there is constantly something going on and activities to do to fill the days. However, this isn’t the same for everyone, especially when it comes to the less fortunate who struggle to make it through the winter and holiday season. Many of these struggling families rely on the charitableness of others to help them though the season. “(Donating) makes people feel grateful for what they have and want to donate and to be good people for the holidays and everything,” senior Maddy Berger said. “They know it is going to a good cause.”

One way to help would be to donate clothing and nonperishable food items to various organizations and food drives. Through December 14 CPHS is hosting a peanut butter drive where students can donate unopened

jars of peanut butter to their 1st hour class. The recent CPHS food drive collected over 800 cans with English teacher John Lambersie’s first hour class collecting the most cans.

“In past years I have basically every day asked my students ‘Who wants to donate to the food drive.’ But I don’t just ask my first hour class, I ask all of my classes. If a student gives $10, I will bake them a brownie,” Lambersie said. “While a brownie is not worth $10, it is my gift for their generosity.”

Another charity that CPHS has been hosting is Angel Tree. Through the Salvation Army and National Honors Society, students received a Christmas list of needs and wants for either a child or a grandparent in the community and bought all the gifts for them.

“I decided to adopt an angel because I remember doing angel tree in elementary school too so I thought it would be something that I could do to help the community and it would be kind of nostalgic I guess,” junior Ben Tufts said.

Not only does donating make the person getting the donations feel good, but also the donor. When it comes to Angel Tree, the donor is making some-

one’s Christmas wishes come true and allowing them to experience the magic of the season.

“It makes me feel great to know that a kid out there is going to have better Christmas and maybe get some things they otherwise wouldn’t because of me,” Tufts said.

Bell ringing is an additional charitable action that both students and adults can participate in this holiday season. Outside of many stores there are red buckets for customers to donate their spare change to be donated to the Salvation Army. The bell ringer’s job is to donate their time and show holiday spirit by greeting customers walking in and out of the store and ringing bells. There is a dire need for bell ringing volunteers as there are more and more stores hosting bell ringers this season.

“There is a need for people to do it and it seemed fun and my friends wanted to do it too,” Berger said.

“We were all planning on doing it together to do good community service and also to be good representatives for National Honors Society and the school.”

There are many store locations across the city where donations are

being accepted, with CPHS National Honors Society members being stationed at 3 different store locations across Crown Point. They are set off with the goal of raising as much money for the Salvation Army in their time slot as they can.

“I think that seeing the people outside the stores makes customers a lot happier when the bell ringers are singing Merry Christmas and stuff,” Berger said. “And it makes people happy when they are donating money for Salvation Army because they can think about the good cause and how the money is going to help the less fortunate.”

The holiday season is full of joy and spirit and even more joy can come from giving. Whether it is as small as a jar of peanut butter, a whole Christmas wishlist, or just donating one’s time, there are other people who need help and there are many options for how to help.

“It used to be about the intrinsic motivation of winning, but since then, it’s just about helping others,” Lambersie said. “I feel like if I don’t even make an attempt, then some people are going to be missing out on some food.”

PHOTO BY ASHLEY REKITZKE

10

FEATURE

INKLINGS November 30, 2018

Best date ideas for cold weather include cooking, skating

‘‘

The perfect date for me would be something fun and simple rather than extravagant.

I think going out and doing something like skating or hiking. senior Max Garcia

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The definition of an ideal date differs among individuals of various personalities and experiences. Depending on the relationship, couples may decide to go all out or simply enjoy each other’s company. There are many places to visit and things to do to keep it interesting.

“I feel like a perfect date for me would require nice weather and probably some flowers,” senior Enrique Jimenez said. “I’d say a dinner date is like the goto, but nothing too fancy. I’d probably go to Olive Garden, honestly. They have got some good deals for partners and stuff.”

Jimenez also believes that a homemade meal can make for a successful date. He feels as though it should not be about the material items. Spending time with this special person matters more than any expenses.

“I also feel like dinner and a movie is a classic combo. I’ve cooked food at home for my girlfriend, so that’s some stuff we do,” Jimenez said. “If you’re trying to save up money, you could just always cook at home.

A nice mac n’ cheese or ramen doesn’t hurt.”

The changing seasons introduce unique qualities for new date ideas. Freshman Lena Wright utilized the month of October and its festivities to make her date memorable. The local events at that time of year presented a favorable opportunity.

“I went to the Crown Point haunted house,” Wright said. “I liked that date the best because

opinion about certain types of dates. While many people may find pleasure in one specific activity, not everyone feels the same way. Senior Max Garcia represents those who prefer the adventurous route.

“The perfect date for me would be something fun and simple rather than extravagant,” Garcia said. “I think going out and doing something like skating or hiking is more fun than going to a movie since you don’t really get to interact with the other person.

Don’t get me wrong, I like watching movies together, but it shouldn’t take up the majority of your time together.”

There are some activities that might not fit under the category of a date with a partner, but work for a group of friends. It all depends on the interests of the individuals who make up the group.

“When I’m with my friends, I like to go to the mall with them or have sleepovers PHOTO PROVIDED BY ANNA DEMARS where we talk and have movie Seniors Anna Demars and Max Garcia spend their two year anniversary skating at marathons,” senior Anna Dethe roller rink in Valparaiso. The couple follows it with a nice dinner and a walk.

Mars said. “Anything with my there were a lot of people so it rushed, I feel like that’s when friends is fun for me, even if was fun to go through a scary it’s not good. If the person is it’s running random errands or experience with them. There just trying to get through it, I talking in the car.”

DeMars and Garcia agree were a lot of different couples feel like it’s not even worth it at that they have done many sponwith us, too.” that point.” taneous and exciting things toThere are several compoFor students like Junior Alnents that go into the process of lison Betts, dates out of the or- gether. However, at the end of planning and executing a date. dinary are more intriguing than the day, they still value each While there are good dates, the ones that are most common. other’s presence over the tasks there are also some that do not “I’ve always wanted to go or the location.

“Our favorite thing to do satisfy one’s expectations. on a picnic,” Betts said. “It’s “A bad date would be one something not everyone does together is probably just doing where my plans don’t go right. because everybody usually goes something rather than staying Maybe I don’t have enough out to dinner with their sig- in,” DeMars said. “Honestly money for the date or I found nificant other. It’s something a just being around each other, out on the day of,” Jimenez little bit different that you can’t whether ice skating, rollerblading, going on a walk or going said. “Another bad date would do all the time.” be if it’s rushed. If a date is Every person has their own out to eat, it’s still fun.”

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BY OLIVIA BUDZEVSKI ERIN MULLER assistant editors

11

EXTRA POINTS

SPORTS INKLINGS November 30, 2018

‘‘ All that matters is that Crown Point wins and if we have that mentality then we’ll be set. We have a lot of confidence in ourselves going forward.

Alyna Santiago sophomore

POLL Should all high school sports make cuts and have tryouts?

98 yes 14 no OUT OF 112 STUDENTS POLLED

HOT TAKES

“The Philadelphia 76ers will make the playoffs and win the finals. With Jimmy Butler they can beat the mighty Golden State Warriors in the Finals.”

-Noah Thomas, reporter

My moment of the month ... “...scoring 30 points and 5 rebounds against Northridge.

Beating a team as good as Northridge really helped out our confidence as a team.”

Freshman Jessica Carrothers

Basketball

PHOTO PROVIDED BY ORION WHITE Sophomore basketball player Orion White participates in a game for the Indiana Game. White plays AAU basketball to help stay in shape during high school’s offseason.

AAU and its relationship with high school athletics

BY ELIZABETH GONZALEZ advertising editor Throughout high school, many students aspire to be on the varsity sports team of their choice. Some of these students take it a step further and also join an AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) team.

Established in 1888, AAU sports focus on shaping their players to be equipped to compete on a national level. These teams tend to be costly to join, and require extensive travel commitments beyond most high school teams.

Sophomore Orion White, like many other athletes, uses AAU to help prepare him for the high school sports program he belongs to.

“I play for the Indiana Game, and for a season it costs $400. It might be a lot, but the things I have learned in AAU have made me a better player for high school. It exposed me to the fast pace of play that you get playing high school basketball as a kid,” White said.

White attributes the skills he learned in AAU as part of the reason he is where he is at now in his high school career.

“What I took from AAU, I was able to transfer unto the high school basketball court. It definitely built my confidence. I’d say that starting young in AAU sports can give you a competitive edge,” White said.

Having the opportunity to experience AAU has been beneficial for some. For sophomore Anna Holloway, a Notre Dame softball commit, starting young in travel ball is something she is very fortunate to have been able to do.

“I started playing travel when I was 10, and juggling both (high school and travel) is 100% worth it. I love both travel and high school in their own ways and I definitely couldn’t be the player I am without playing in both of them,” said Holloway.

It is the common consensus among AAU athletes that high school sports give a level of camaraderie that cannot be replaced. Holloway described it as “being able to play with your best friends you have known all your life.”

“High school sports bring in a whole new community aspect to the sport. During high school, you not only play for your team, but for your school and community around you,” Holloway said. “In travel softball, that doesn’t

really happen. In high school I get to see all of my teammates every single day and practice with them to work towards our goal. But in travel, I usually only get to see my teammates once a week to practice or play.”

During the time frames that an athlete’s high school sport is not in season, AAU teams serve as an outlet for high school players to better themselves for upcoming seasons.

“I played for the Illinois Defenders because I

21.5 million kids between 6 years old and 17 years old play on team sports

51% of 3rd-5th grade boys play on 3 or more sports teams while 36% of 3rd-5th grade girls play the same amount

Roughly 1 in every 14 high school students play college sports at a varsity level statistics from scholarshipstats.com

knew that the work I put into basketball during the offseason would not only help me, but all girls on the team. Being able to play both AAU and high school has not just made me better, but it has made me love the game more,” junior Sydney Goodman said.

Most high school coaches encourage their players to seek other means of play outside of the season, with the belief that they will come back as stronger players for the next season.

It is important to recognize that AAU is used to prepare players for collegiate and professional sports, and different AAU teams have certain commitment requirements.

“I never balanced high school and Academy

at once. When you play Academy soccer you are not allowed to compete in high school soccer.

It is a year round season,” said senior Karsen Henderlong.

Having played soccer for Crown Point High School during his freshman year, he got to know and love the atmosphere of high school sports.

However, when the chance to play for Indiana Fire Academy presented itself, he could not pass it up.

“I play and practice with the best players in the state that are all very serious about soccer, I knew that would benefit me as a collegiate player, which is why I made that decision,” Henderlong said.

Henderlong will continue to play soccer starting next fall for Xavier University.

The type of commitment that the player is looking for can affect what team they choose.

In Henderlong’s case, with knowledge that pursuing college soccer was the goal, Indiana Fire Academy was the best fit for him.

Freshman Jesse Mendez has had the opportunity to travel to Colombia and South America with his AAU team, Bulldog Premier. He competed in the Pan-American games and received gold in Greco and bronze in Freestyle.

“I knew Bulldog Premier was the right AAU team for me because I wanted to be able to compete not only on a national level, but a worldwide level -- while still wrestling for high school,” freshman Jesse Mendez said.

AAU teams prices can range from 400 to 4,000 dollars per summer season. Taking hotel rooms, admissions, food, and transportation into account, these teams can be more than what the average family can handle. With that in mind, organizations such as Basketball Stars of America and individual teams have fundraisers.

Participation in AAU sports is a decision that has many factors that fall into it. Although it has built people into better players individually, it also contributes to the success of high school teams. The time commitment, travel and costs are things families are mindful of when deciding if the strengthening of their players skills is worth those expenses.

With or without AAU, high school sports provide a feeling of community and memories that last for years on end.

12

SPORTS INKLINGS November 30, 2018

Girls basketball off to undefeated start through eight games

COLUMN

BY TIMMY ABBOTT co-sports editor

Victory has been a common theme so far this season for the girls basketball team. In fact, through the team’s first eight games, it’s been the only result they’ve experienced to this point.

The Bulldogs (8-0) began their regular season with a stretch of seven straight games on the road against non-conference opponents.

They were able to take care of most of those teams by comfortable margins; they defeated Morton by 64 and Hanover Central by 45, among other similar results.

Last Friday night, the Bulldogs got their first taste of conference action in a game against LaPorte. The score was lopsided in Crown Point’s favor throughout the entire contest, and the game ended in a final score of 85-24. While non-conference play is important in the eyes of head coach Chris Seibert, he knows the magnitude of those games isn’t quite the same as ones against DAC opponents.

“Pretty much our first 6 games were all to get ready for LaPorte,” Seibert said. “All of our conference games are definitely the most important in the regular season to us, and being able to get that big road win at LaPorte was big for our program.”

On the offensive side of the ball, Crown Point has scored 52 points or more in each of its first 8 games. Leading the way for the Bulldogs in points scored is freshman Jessica Carrothers, who is averaging 23.9 points per game.

Sophomore Alyna Santiago believes she’s been a great piece for the squad.

“I think (Carrothers) is doing very well.

We’ve been playing together for a while now and we have a lot of fun together too,” Santiago said.

Outside of Carrothers, the Bulldogs have received scoring from many other players such as senior Ellie VanDeel and junior Abby Stoddard, who both average nearly 10 points per game. This has created problems for defenses, as the Bulldogs have more than one player who can be relied on to put numbers on the board.

“We’ve been really balanced offensively.

Obviously, (Carrothers) is our leading scorer, but we’ve had two to four players in double figures along with her every game. On any given night, players have stepped up and shot the ball well so teams can’t just focus in on (Carrothers), but instead have to worry about us as a whole,” Seibert said.

Despite all of the statistical averages and the praise she has received, Carrothers doesn’t yet believe her game is without flaws. She mentioned how improving certain aspects of her game will impact other ones too.

The Indianapolis Colts will sneak into the NFL playoffs

BY NOAH THOMAS reporter

PHOTO BY JESSI ALCORTA-ROBLES Sophomore Alyna Santiago pushes the ball up the court to set up a score for the Bulldogs against Lowell.

“Personally, I think I can work on shooting and endurance a bit more. Endurance will always be something that I’ll need to work at,” Carrothers said. “Through working on my shooting, I can make more shots in the game. I feel that as I make more shots, my confidence goes up, causing me to play better.”

Defensively, the Bulldogs have been solid according to Seibert. His opinion comes to life within the box scores of the games they’ve played so far, as Crown Point has held their opponents under 40 points in every game except one. Seibert credits the defense for creating a lot of the team’s offense, especially in transition, but he still believes that it can improve in its rotations and help-side defense.

The undefeated Bulldogs could not ask for a better start to the season through its first eight games, at least in regard to its record.

Seibert is doing his best to make sure the team doesn’t get too high off of its early success.

“It feels great (to start the season undefeat-

ed) and in a positive manner and to win some big games, especially 7 games on the road. But we don’t worry about being undefeated, we just take it one game at a time. We’ll try to just focus on the one opponent and then move onto the next one,” Seibert said.

Last season, the girls basketball team started off with a 3-5 record, so this year’s improvement on that is causing the team’s excitement level to soar.

“The locker room couldn’t be any better; we always have the music blaring and have such a good time,” Santiago said. “To begin conference play with a win is a pretty good start for us and the atmosphere is so positive it’s unreal.”

Santiago and the rest of the Bulldogs are hoping to translate that positive energy into more success going forward. They will put their undefeated record on the line again tonight in a home game at 7 p.m. against Portage.

Wrestling team looks to feed off of last year’s success

BY JACKSON HILLMAN reporter

After last year’s sectionalwinning season, the Bulldogs are ready to challenge for both conference and state titles.

This season, the wrestling team has five returning semi-state qualifiers and has added Michigan’s wrestling state champion at 106 pounds, Riley Bettich. The coaches are hard at work in preparing the wrestlers for a long season and the wrestlers are conditioning to maintain weight while building up muscle.

One wrestler who has extensively prepared for this season is junior Matt McElroy. He and his teammates have trained throughout the entirety of the offseason

in order to be competitive in the DAC and win upcoming tournaments.

With last year’s seniors departing, wrestlers like McElroy will step into a varsity role this year. He believes that he is ready for the challenge.

“This year is my first year wrestling as a varsity starter, so the season is going to be a little more challenging. I have full faith in my coaching staff; they have prepared me and the rest of the team for the season,” McElroy said.

The coaching staff has received a high amount of praise from this season’s wrestlers. McElroy admires the hours and passion the coaches put into getting the team in shape to perform.

“Our team this year is look-

ing really solid and I am excited to see what this season has in store for us as a whole,” McElroy said.

“I believe our whole coaching staff deserves a shout out because they work their long day jobs and then spend many hours preparing us for wrestling and life.”

The coaching staff has helped the team become a top contender in recent seasons; the Bulldogs finished 16th out of 104 schools at state last season.

This season, coach Branden Lorek is expecting to win the conference championship and compete at a high level at state. He is very proud of the team’s work ethic and believes it will be a big factor in its success.

“The team goal is to win the conference championship and a

state title. My expectation for the team is that all CPHS wrestlers compete with pride, passion, and respect for the team, and as individuals. We changed our schedule this year and will be competing at the Shamrock Duals at Westfield High School and The Al Smith Invite at Mishawaka High School.

We also have 6 home dual meets and a few special events,” Lorek said.

The coaches and players are both eager to begin, and the team believes the constant training and conditioning they’ve embarked on should translate into a fun and competitive season.

They’ll kick off the season tomorrow morning at Westfield High School, where they’ll compete in the Shamrock Duals.

The Indianapolis Colts have had a crazy season up to this point. Even before they started with a 1-5 record, everyone was talking about quarterback Andrew Luck’s return to football. Many thought he wouldn’t be the same quarterback who led them to the AFC Championship game back in 2014.

Luck has shut those rumors down thus far, totaling 3,112 yards passing, 32 touchdowns (2nd in the NFL) and 11 interceptions through Week 12. New head coach Frank Reich has led them to a 6-5 record by winning five straight games. He’s installed a fast paced spread offense to get the ball out of Luck’s hands quickly.

Running back Marlon Mack has also been a huge part of their recent successful stretch of games, receiving help from what has been a very good offensive line. The Colts offensive line has been one of the most improved in the NFL this season, which is especially important because keeping Andrew Luck upright will be huge down the stretch.

The receiving corps has been below average due to injuries, but newly signed wide receiver Dontrelle Inman has solidified his place as their second wide receiver behind T.Y. Hilton. In addition, newly signed tight end Eric Ebron (who has more touchdowns this year than his 4 years combined in Detroit) has been a welcome surprise.

Their defense was good for the first 4 weeks, but since has fallen to an average unit at this point. They drafted linebacker Darius Leonard in the second round of this years’ draft and he has proven to be a steal. He leads the NFL in tackles with 114, and he’s forced 4 fumbles and six sacks.

The Colts play an important division game against the Jaguars on Sunday. Next, they’ll face the 8-3 Texans in Houston, which will be a pivotal game. After that, they have an easy schedule to finish out the year. They play the struggling New York Giants and the Dallas Cowboys at home, and then the Titans in Nashville.

With the way the Colts and Andrew Luck are playing, I can see them winning at least their final 3 games, stealing a playoff spot and even winning a playoff game or two.

SPORTS INKLINGS November 30, 2018

Girls swimming aspiring to place top 3 in sectionals

Boys basketball starts 1-0, defeating Bowman Boys swimming

to rely on veteran talent for a successful year

BY GWYN ISAACS assistant sports editor

BY NOAH THOMAS reporter

The girls swim team is looking for another year of success after finishing third in sectionals last year. They are looking for seniors Kate Ryan and Brianna Tetzloff to make the jump this year. They both helped Crown Point finish third at sectionals last year.

“This year, my goal is to redeem myself from last year because I did not perform as well as I had wanted to. I worked a lot on my turns and underwaters. I think the team will have a great season and really put up a fight against teams like LC and Munster, especially because all of us are so close, Tetzloff said.

Twenty-six year head coach Bryon Angerman has big expectations for the team this time around.

“My expectations this year are to place top three in DAC and sectionals. Our goal is to go 9-3 in dual meets. We have 12 freshman on the team and only six seniors, so there is a lot of young talent and the next few seasons we will increase our depth,” Angerman said.

This year’s group of girls is more on the younger side than usual, as three freshmen are expected to swim on varsity.

“The freshman class is one of the larger groups we’ve had in a long time, and I’m looking forward to seeing what they can do. Freshmen Emma Barr, Abbey Werner, and Mia Vanderwoude will make an impact in the varsity lineup this year.”

Getting top three in the DAC will be a challenge as Lake Central, Chesterton, and Valparaiso all made it to the state while placing in the top twenty-five last season. Senior Kate Ryan knows how competitive those teams are and thinks the team’s newcomers will contribute to their success against them.

“I think the freshmen are going to do great. I think they’ll handle the pressure of swimming both individually and as a team really well, and that come sectional time, they will really have shown how much work they put in swimming this year,” Ryan said. “The girls swim team will be able to really compete against our toughest competition because of our work in and out of the pool.

As a whole, the team will thrive because all of the girls motivate each other and all of us want everyone to improve.”

The girls swim team feels motivated and will look to find success against an experienced DAC. They’ll hope to have a good start to their season, beginning early in December.

13

PHOTO BY JESSI ALCORTA-ROBLES Sophomore Ty Smith brings the ball up, waiting for coach Clint Swan’s play call. The Bulldogs face off against Penn on Saturday.

BY HENRY WITHROW co-sports editor

It’s that time of the year again. Snowfall, Christmas, and high school basketball take over Indiana during the winter time and this year is no exception.

The Crown Point boys basketball team tipped off their season with a 49-44 win at Bowman Academy in Gary. With hopes of adding on to their 1-0 start, the team will head to Penn High School on Saturday, Dec. 1 to face off against the Kingsmen.

“Bowman is a very talented team and to win your first game against a tough team always helps the team’s confidence. We need confidence to be at the top of our game against Penn next week who is one of the best teams in the state,” senior Matt Hanlon said.

Despite their positive start, the Bulldogs plan on taking practices one day at a time. Senior Sam Decker does not want the team’s first win to get to any of his teammates’ heads.

“I think we should be coming in to practice every day and working just as hard as we have been since June. We can’t let one game get to our heads.

We just have to move forward as a team and keep getting better,” Decker said. “Our goal every day is just to get better every practice and make sure we never waste a rep. Everyone in our program wants to succeed and we trust our coaches to help us get to where we need to be.”

With a jam-packed schedule of hard competitors such as Valpo’s Brandon Newman, the boys train as hard as they possibly can. For Decker, he has big

matchups game in and game out and doesn’t fear any specific opponent.

“Personally, when I end up in front of someone bigger than me in the post, I guard them the same way I would guard anyone. We play to our principles and don’t let anyone change the way we want to play,” Decker said.

With each of the five starters set to graduate next June, they and the coaches will also aim their attention at giving the younger players as much experience as they can get before they become next year’s veterans.

“The biggest thing we do for our younger guys is that they have to practice against the seniors every day. We are going to rely on our seniors and Ty this year, but we need younger guys to be ready,” Hanlon said.

A factor within the team’s drive is improving off of their previous season. With a deeper roster and an extra year of experience, the team believes they can perform at an efficient rate and get better with every practice.

“I think we did great (last season). Even though our record wasn’t the best we were basically a team with all juniors with minimal experience and now returning most of our guys from last year we’re looking to have a big year. We’re going to want to improve in every area of the game, but most importantly, we’ll have to close games out this season if we want to win,” senior Sam Snodgrass said. “Expectations will be the same as every year: to get better every day and to take it one game at a time.”

Football falls to Valpo in regional matchup

BY JACKSON HILLMAN reporter

Crown Point football is no stranger to the competitive football scene, as they won sectionals for the third time in a row this season before falling in the regional final.

The Bulldogs defeated Merrillville to reach regionals, but lost to Valparaiso by a final score of 23-6. Junior Noah Hollendonner and his teammates feel accomplished after earning a tough win versus Merrillville, a team that defeated them earlier in the year.

“This season has been great.

We were looking for our 3rd sectional title in a row and we accomplished that while proving everybody wrong. Our coaching staff, captains and coach Garrett always pushed us to do our best on and off the field. Moving on to next year, we’re hoping to accomplish our 4th sectional title in a row, and from there we’ll see what happens.”

Many underclassmen earned valuable playing minutes this season. Injuries prevented many players from playing the entire season, and coaches believe this is why the Dogs may have gotten off to a rough start, but prevailed in the postseason.

Head coach Kevin Enright was impressed with how the team persevered, considering his belief that the beginning of the season was a little rocky.

“Similarly to past years, the Bulldogs entered their season with much anticipation and excitement. We returned an experienced group on defense and replaced all eleven starters on offense. The first half of the season was a roller coaster for us as our group experienced the challenges associated with inexperience and youth. Early season mistakes and a lack of consistency proved challenging as our group struggled to develop an identity that is consistent with success,” Enright said.

The team came into the sea-

son with high expectations, and even though they didn’t speed out of the gates, they feel as if they exceeded expectations by winning their third straight sectional.

“We did not end our regular season with a win-loss record we had hoped for,” Enright said.

With the highs and lows of a challenging regular season behind us, our group came together to fight through adversity and found the grit and determination to avenge early season defeats against conference opponents with exciting victories against conference foes Portage and Merrillville to secure a third straight sectional championship at Merrillville.”

The players and coaches took a lot of knowledge away from this season and are excited for next season.

They are hoping to win sectionals for the 4th time in a row next season, hoping to reach its full potential that it revealed in flashes during this season.

After months of offseason preparation, the boys swim team is ready to start competing. Although last season proved to be successful, the team is excited to get back in the pool to go even further. Senior Christian Mikrut believes he will take on a leadership role during his last season to help guide the team.

“I am super pumped for my last season, I will be more of a team leader than ever and I think I can take a few records as well. The swim meets are the best part and I’m looking forward to the energy at them,” Mikrut said.

The upcoming season will also come with some new changes. New swimmers will be seen in the water this season. The team also kept many seniors, which coach Bryon Angerman believes will help keep the team consistent with their success.

“We got lucky and did not graduate a ton from last year’s squad, so we are expecting some big things this year. We will rely on our seniors Christian Mikrut, Zeke Huls, and Evan Holland throughout the season,” Angerman said. “We are making sure we work on the little things that will hopefully pay big dividends at the end of the season.”

The team has been preparing for months now. They hope that work ethic will ensure that they will have enough experience before they begin the meets that count.

“Many of the high school swimmers have been in the pool since the first of September swimming for the swim club.

Therefore, they have a good base coming into the season. The boys have been working hard in the pool and weight room.

Right now, the swimmers are doing 10 practices a week. That varies from swimming, running, ab workouts, and weights. Our first meet is Chesterton who is the powerhouse of the DAC,” Angerman said. “We are hoping to go in and have some good competitive races and use that meet as a momentum builder for a tough three week stretch where we swim roughly eight meets.”

Not only is the team excited to have fresh, new faces on the team, but they are also excited to face new competition. The team has been training against each other for quite some time now, so they are more ready than ever to face their opponents.

“The team is ready to get going with meet season. Swimming in practice everyday against the same people and teammates gets a little old and boring, so going to face new competition is always an exciting time,” Angerman said. “They have team and individual goals this year that are definitely attainable with hard work and team spirit.”

14

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT INKLINGS November 30, 2018

INREVIEW “The Holiday Calender”

Staff cookie recipes compete for best flavor

BY ASMAA ABDELDAIEM HOLLY WAGNER reporter

Kat Graham stars in the new Netflix Original Movie “The Holiday Calender” that fails to embody the spirit of a true Christmas movie. It was predictable from the beginning and lacked character development and acting skill.

Little Mix Album “LM5” Little Mix’s new album is full of motivation as the band shows their evolving musical style and their sophistication as singers.

All songs on this album are great for workouts or when a pickme-up is needed.

Pumpkin Pie Poptarts As an attempt to be festive, Pumpkin Pie Poptarts were released as a limited edition autumnal flavor.

However, they were excessively sugary and failed to emanate the true feeling of fall and the Thanksgiving season.

Layering T-Shirts Over A Hoodie Warmth is a priority during the winter but it shouldn’t have to sacrifice fashionability as well. Layering long sleeves and T-shirts are fine, but shirts belong under sweatshirts. It is also inconvenient because the over shirt would need to be huge in order to fit over the hoodie. This is not 2003, the trend will not be revived.

Eternal Sunshine App Although this app can sometimes be a little cheesy, overall, it gives those who have it positive reminders daily. It leaves it’s audience with a small phrase or a positive saying to brighten their day.

The app features daily inspiration, meditation exercises and inspirational podcasts.

People would like to believe that their family owns the recipe for the best-tasting homemade cookie. The Inklings staff decided to try a variety of homemade cookies in order to determine who truly had the best tasting cookie. These cookies varied from sweet, salty and even vegan options. These cookies contain elements from an average cookie while putting a unique spin on it in order to make it original. Some

STAFF PICK: Oreo Truffle

The Oreo truffle had an Oreo and cream cheese filling covered in dark chocolate.The truffle had a very rich chocolate flavor with a hint of salt while maintaining a fudge-like texture.

Potato Chip Cookie

The potato chip cookie seems like it would just be a salty cookie, but it keeps a balance of salty and sweet. It’s a different take on some common flavors while still being a light well balanced cookie.

interesting ingredients used within these cookies include potato chips, sea salt, and Reese’s peanut butter cups. Ingredients such as these can change the cookie tremendously.

By adding certain ingredients one can easily change the texture of the cookie from soft to crunchy or change the flavor from sweet to salty. For example the Oreo truffles added a slight salty taste because they included sea salt. Creating an intriguing name to a cookie can also change the game and give insight to the special ingredients used. For example the snowball cookie included light but sweet

powdered sugar. Each staff member believed that they had the best homemade cookie brought in. Their sweet treats competed with one another in order to conclude who in fact did have the best cookie. Each competitor believed they were going to be the winners until they had a taste of everyone else’s. Some still held their ground, convinced they were going to win. Others immediately changed their minds, admitting their treat was not as great as they thought. The staff members voted on which cookie was their favorite, leaving the Oreo Truffle as the winner.

Doubletree Cookie

Reeses Peanut Butter Cookie

The doubletree cookie was a good balance of walnuts and chocolate chips. In a way, it tasted similar to a oatmeal cookie but it also gave a sense of a better chocolate chip.

The Reese’s Peanut Butter cookies were the perfect mix of peanut butter and chocolate flavor. They were very soft and fluffy with a good texture.

Peanut Butter Kisses Cookie

The peanut butter Kisses cookie is perfect for peanut butter lovers. The cookie has a hint of sugar and the Hershey Kiss adds to the cookie to balance the bold peanut butter flavor.

Vegan Sugar Cookie

Snowball Cookie

Snickerdoodle Cookie

These were overall good, simple cookies. Sprinkles were added and gave the cookie a pinch of color. While this was pretty looking cookie the texture was crunchy and hard to bite into.

The snowball cookie had a was a good simple cookie. Although the cookie did not have much flavor, it did have amazing hints of nuts and powdered sugar dusting.

This cookie is great for someone who is looking for an untraditional sugar or chocolate chip this cookies has the right amount of cinnamon to sugar ratio. It gives a Christmas feeling hwne it is bitten into.

Recipes will be posted on the Inklings website, www2.cps.k12.in.us/inklings/

“Ralph Breaks the Internet” provides warmth, relevancy

BY EMMA FRANK

Vanellope really wants is to race in a game called Slaughter Race.

Vanellope’s going against the status quo and not joining the princesses is a recurring internal rebellion. In the original movie, “Wreck it Ralph,” the relatability to Ralph comes from the label he has and how he is misunderstood. The sequel, “Ralph Breaks the Internet,” also allows audience members to relate to Ralph because all he strives to do is make Vanellope happy and worries that he might be holding her back from her dreams. Friendships in high school can relate to that of Ralph and Vanellope along with the sacrifices they make for each other.

assistant editor

Former villain, Ralph, and the wrongful outcast “glitch,” Vanellope, have been best friends since audiences last saw them in “Wreck it Ralph.” After years of the duo having a repetitive daily routine, Vanellope is eager for a change in pace. When circumstances bring the pair onto the internet, Vanellope’s desire for something different is fulfilled and Ralph finds himself feeling insecure about himself. This is almost a parallel to Ralph’s feelings in the first movie when he originally felt trapped in his role as a villain and needed to search for validation for the good he had inside of him in another game.

“Ralph Breaks the Internet” is full of brands, social media and lots of Disney. As soon as Ralph and Vanellope are flying over the skyscrapers and buildings of the internet world, they see names of companies like Twitter and Google. These media platforms that have never

appeared so prevalently in a Disney movie were a constant in this sequel, however it added to the story line and made it relatable rather than making it feel too modern or out-of touch. While it did add some everyday similarities, they could have toned it down a bit for the sake of how it could come off as too much.

Not straying too far from the classic Disney path they incorporated themselves into the story.

The scene from trailers where Vanellope hangs out with the classic princesses and audiences get to see them in outfits other than their gowns did not disappoint. According to the other princesses Vanellope meets the criteria to join them, but what

The ending was emotional and heartwarming, so I would recommend taking some tissues. Viewers got to see the development of the individual characters from the first movie through this sequel. Ralph and Vanellopes’ individual growth secured their friendship forever, which made the perfect ending to this movie.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT INKLINGS November 30, 2018

Comparing winter fashion of various prices

COLUMN

15

Sherpas

BY HALEY THORNBERRY reporter

Winter fashion trends come and go year to year, but there some versatile items that can be reworn and preserved for the future. For both, puffer jackets and a beanie have dominated the outerwear style. Comfy scarves and warm gloves are a necessity, as well as festive comfy socks. A staple piece of clothing paired with these are boots. Plaid is unisex and can be used during the winter as well.

Forever 21: $34.90 Walmart: $32.79

BY JESSI ALCORTA-ROBLES associate editor

American Eagle: $69.95

Dress how you want to be perceived

Sherpas are a popular piece in fashion this winter as they are fuzzy and comfortable enough to keep you warm in the severe weather. One of the flaws is the upkeep of the material and quality of the jacket. The inconvenience of not being able to dry it with other clothes is a hassle.

The way someone dresses says so much about them. Let’s be honest: often, the first thing we notice about someone is their outfit. Fashion is one of the most common forms of self expression. We all have outfits that we wear for different reaForever 21: $22.90-27.90 sons. We have an outfit for almost every occasion, even if it’s just something like sweatpants Walmart: $16.99-$24.99 for a lazy day in. Once I saw a quote that said “When you feel American good, you look good.” And for $59.95-$79.95 Eagle: the most part, it’s true. When you are confident in what you’re Flannels are a unisex piece of clothwearing, you feel confident. ing that goes perfectly with jeans or When I was young, for leggings in the winter. You are able my first years of schooling my to layer up with a nice flannel to mom picked out my outfits, like Vests are stylish this season and a good item shield from the cold outside.

While many young kids. I remember used for layering in the colder months. They it is good for overlapping to stay Forever 21: $19.90-$22.90 the first outfit I was able to pick don’t give as much warmth as a regular jacket warm, it often wrinkles whatever out for myself and how excited or sherpa, but they keep your upper body warm shirt you have underneath, as well I was that I had done it all on Walmart: $9.97-$13.94 enough through the day and allow you to wear as it makes it difficult for wearing my own. Looking back on it them even at school without having to drag other long sleeve shirts under it, as now I’ve realized that nothing American around a hefty coat when it gets cold during the it causes you to continuously pull $45.95 matched but it was the action of Eagle: school day. on the sleeves. being able to do it myself.

I still get excited when I get a new outfit when I get to show it off. It’s important to choose clothes that bring you a patient employee that anticipate to taste. it. After drinking the high school students joy. Whether the joy sources

BY MADELYN WHITAKER waits for a decision, and The location was spaoverly healthy smoothie, would have finding other, from the color of the item or co-online editor the store, which is located what the brand stands for, when cious and dimly lit for a a sudden urge comes to cheaper option such as off of Summit Street in very comfortable envieat something saturated Smoothie King which you wear something you like, People buy into Crown Point, was very ronment. If the quaint with sugar and chocolate is much cheaper for the it shows. Wear clothes that you convenience and efficlean and well-kept. and socially-encouraging to even out its healthy sizes that they offer. feel confident in. Make a board ciency when it comes to Overall, Smartbelly location were paired with effects.

Smartbelly offers one, on Pinterest of outfit ideas that physique and health. They Smoothie Co. was very more affordable smoothSmartbelly Smoothie small size of smoothie inspire you. Start with simple will pay for the miracle expensive and the taste ies options, the shop Co. also sells a variety of and the prices only go up items like basic t-shirts and jeans supplement that claims of the smoothie did not would be more intriguother drinks and juices from $7.75. and use accessories and colors to that it will make them ing and inviting towards along with acai bowls that match its cost. This would build your outfits.

Expecting the trusty ten pounds slimmer and be a perfect option for those who would support are seemingly intended stand-by smoothies such All in all, the way you dress more recently people have those wishing to get in it on various social media more for those are very as strawberry banana or reflects who you are as a person. been replacing their meals platforms. serious and detail-oriented shape and rid their diet blueberry, customers are As shallow as it sounds, people with shakes and smoothof taste and calories.

Typically, smoothies when it comes to health greeted with recipes that tend to judge you off the way ies that are loaded with The shop was rustic and are velvety and blended and fitness. All smoothhad unnecessarily added you dress.

If you want to look vitamins, nutrients and sparsely lit to add to its well, while the “Alright, ies are accompanied by vegetables that promote a certain way, you dress for the proteins that will “proaesthetic and the service Alright, Alright” was their caloric content and health but did little to part.

For example, you wouldn’t mote mental and physical was fast and amicable, thick, grainy and very protein intake on the contribute to taste. For wear sweatpants to a job interhealth,” such as the ones hard to swallow withboard so those who are instance, the “Alright, but the shop would most view. If you want to be treated from Smartbelly Smoothie wishing to tone or slim Alright, Alright” smoothie out being greeted by a likely do better if its professionally, you should dress Co. was filled with spinchunk of an unfamiliar their figures. professionally. Don’t get me service and display was For teenagers that Although the smooth- met with various, cheaper wrong, there is nothing wrong ach, avocado and other vegetable. The poor taste more often than not work extraneous vegetables ies were not the most deli- smoothie options that are with showing up to school in outweighs the supposed minimum wage jobs, a cious or practical, the serthat smothered the sweet health benefits that the sweatpants, but there is a place more recognizable and smoothie that is at least vice was fast and friendly. flavors of the kiwi and green smoothie will proand a time to dress that way. flavorful. $7.75 is one that many Customers are greeted by banana that people would vide to those who drink

Vests

Flannels

Smartbelly offers expensive meal replacement options

P L AYI N G FAVORITES Touch Screen Gloves Perfect for the winter and accessing any device, gloves with touch screen capabilities keep hands warm in the cold and remove the hassle of having to take them off any time access to a phone is desired.

Amazon $6

Popsockets

Not only do Popsockets decorate a phone, but they also provide a kickstand option for viewing videos and taking pictures. Popsockets are customizable and are the perfect cure for boredom and fidgeting.

Target $5-15

WE’RE SO

OVER

Lunch Room Traffic Whenever lunch is going on, there is basically no way to get through the lunch room. Between the long pizza line and students trying to get to class, there is no practical way to get from the front of the school to the other wings.

#TRENDING

BEST APP Bitlife Bitlife is a trending game that is popular amongst teens. It allows you to pass time when you have free time or when you’re bored. Each person is assigned a character to make real life decisions.

BEST FOLLOW

BEST TWEETS

A section devoted to social media

@COOKIETHENEWS @cookiethenews takes current news events and posts a time-lapse of them being piped on a cookie with royal icing. This cookie creation is fun way to keep up with the news on Instagram.

“anyone wanna make me a khan academy on how to do fancy fonts on twitter?” freshman Evan Parent @Epare03

“Instead of having many freckles I wish my whole body was covered by a single freckle so I looked tan”

senior Steven Harsh @ stevenharsh01

“I might not be perfect but atleast I don’t smell like the backs of earrings”

junior Emily Rhee @emrheee

“if i can’t walk outside in a tshirt, it’s winter idc” sophomore Kendyl Hill @ hill_kendyl

16 Gonzalez makes YouTube videos to teach Spanish PEOPLE INKLINGS November 30, 2018

BY EMILY HELMUTH reporter

Around the country, thousands of teachers use videos to enhance the educational experience for their students. A small number of these teachers take their own teaching to the next level and create videos themselves to be used by others. Starting about two years ago, Spanish teacher Michael Gonzalez decided to join this trend of creating videos and began making his educational Spanish music videos.

“I wanted to have something that (the students) could not only use in class but they can have access to outside of class,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez, who has been teaching Spanish for 12 years, was already using songs as a part of his teaching method. Two years ago, he came up with the idea to create videos to go along with certain songs.

According to Gonzalez, each video takes about two months to produce. He starts off this process by choosing the beat.

“I search songs that are popular or were popular at one point,” Gonzalez said. “I try to have an ear for what I think would go with the song.”

After he chooses the song, he picks a grammatical concept to center the song around. He has covered concepts from preterite irregulars to imperfect

endings.

“The videos that I do are ones that are very difficult grammatical points, so I try to come up with some type of way to memorize those difficult ways of learning the grammar,” Gonzalez said. “I feel like with the videos and the songs that would’ve been one of the best things for them.”

Once he writes lyrics to go with the song, Gonzalez goes to the studio with senior Evan Holland and records it, with the help of some of his students who sing the song with Gonzalez. He then films the video with his students, who also star in the video along with him.

To finish the process Gonzalez edits the video with the help of Holland, who is an experienced video editor due to him being a member of CPTV. “He brings a flash drive full of videos to me that I piece together into a full video. Then we review it, change it a little, and add subtitles and graphics if necessary, then I bring him the flash drive back with the final copy of the video,” Holland said, “He uploads it to Youtube and it’s done.”

Holland has been helping Gonzalez since Gonzalez first started producing the videos.

“I began helping (Gonzalez) with his videos when he randomly asked in class one day if anyone

PHOTO PROVIDED BY MICHAEL GONZALEZ Gonzalez and students pose for his latest teaching video, which covers Spanish conditionals and 11 of the irregular verbs that go with the concepts of the video.

knew how to edit,” Holland said, “I told him I did because I was in CPTV and we worked on the first video together. I guess it was just luck that he just so happened to ask during my class.”

As a former student of Gonzalez, Holland believes Gonzalez’s videos have helped him memorize certain grammatical concepts of the Spanish language.

“His videos definitely help me, but I also have to listen to the song over and over again while editing, so the struggle usually is getting the song out of my head,” Holland said. “I can never listen to the real version the same again.”

Besides Holland, other students of Gonzalez like sophomore Mariana Serratos, who also participated in his latest video, feel that Gonzalez’s videos have

also helped them gain a better understanding of Spanish.

“I feel like his videos really helped me out. The songs are super catchy, which helps me remember the concepts better,” Serratos said. “In my class, we are always asking him to play his songs for us while we work on our homework.”

Gonzalez’s videos are used by several teachers around the country, as some of his videos have thousands of views. He plans on making more videos, but Holland will not be helping edit and create them anymore after he graduates.

“I really enjoyed how he teaches his class, and I enjoy editing videos, so when the two worlds met it was a great and fun opportunity,” Holland said,

“I do not plan on helping with the videos after I graduate, but I am beginning to show Mr. G how to edit his own videos. It’s a cool thing he’s doing and I don’t think it should stop just because I’m graduating. It gives him a little more freedom and understanding into what goes into the videos.”

Gonzalez has high hopes for his future videos. He posted his most recent video a few weeks ago, and is already working on his next one. His main inspiration that gives him the motivation to create these videos are his students.

“I want to help teachers and students across the nation learn this and have fun in class, and to be apart of something,” Gonzalez said. “I just want to leave something behind.”

Student Spotlight

I am currently the Chair of the North Central Regional Executive Committee. I basically delegate tasks for the rest of the committee to do. Each person on the committee trains another person to help put on a camp or event. These events are for Muslim youth to spend sometime around other kids just like them and learn more about their religion in a fun setting.

Working with MYNA affected me greatly. It gave me the opportunity to inspire others the way MYNA has inspired me. In a society where Muslims are always shown in a negative light, it’s so helpful to have an organization that strives to bring young Muslims together. It gives hope.

to

Success:

Gonzalez’s Seven Steps to Making His Educational Music Videos

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

find the beat write lyrics record the song create video concepts find participants combine and edit footage post to YouTube

What Do You

junior Beelal Tebry I have a deep passion for MYNA. MYNA stands for the Muslim Youth of North America. It’s an organization for the youth by the youth. This means that it’s planned by kids from ages 1219. They put on multiple events for youth the same age as them.

Steps

THINK?

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[

What is your favorite genre of music at the moment?

I like Juice Wrld because I really like that genre of music (rap) in general. sophomore Tania Tamayo

]

]

Rock because it helps me stop thinking about what I am at the time. I like Nightcore because it mellows me out.

[

junior Zachary Rauh

]

My favorite genre at the moment would be R&B Soul just because the emotional connection and the way it really makes you feel the emotion that can be hard to feel sometimes. senior Brendon Zobel