10.2.15

CRIER Vol. 50/Issue 2/Oct. 2, 2015

MUNSTER HIGH SCHOOL

Page 9: Boys’, Girls’ Cross Country prepare to compete at Conference tomorrow

8808 COLUMBIA AVE, MUNSTER IN 46321

School to offer internships Administration plans to incorporate internships into curriculum; students will have opportunity to sample potential careers

UPCOMING n Mustang

Cafe: Art Club sells coffee in concession stand near Athletic Office on Tuesday and Thursday mornings through month of October

n

Fall Musical: Auditions for the Munster Theatre Company Production, “Working,” Monday after school in auditorium

INSIDE LOOK

How can students participate in the internship program?

The Indiana Department of Education offers 12 Career Clusters for schools to choose from:  Agriculture  Architecture & Construction  Arts, AV & Communications  Business, Finance & Marketing

 Education & Training  Health Science  Hospitality & Human Services  Information Technology

 Manufacturing & Logistics  Public Safety  STEM  Transportation

For the 2016-2017 school year, MHS plans to offer internships from the Health Science and Education & Training clusters.

From these clusters, students will be able to choose from multiple pathways. The Health Science cluster includes the following pathways: Biomedical, Health Care Specialties, Nursing, and Dental.

The Education & Training cluster includes the following pathways: Early Childhood Education and Education Careers.

In order to qualify for the internship program, students will need to take certain prerequisite courses. For example, students will need to complete the following courses to be eligible for internships on the Biomedical Pathway:  Principles of Biomedical Sciences

 Human Body Systems

Once students begin their internships, they would likely travel to sponsoring locations, such as Community Hospital, in the morning and return to school to attend classes in the afternoon.

 Anatomy and Physiology

Students would receive three credits for completing a semesterlong internship.

sources: www.doe.in.gov, Mr. Mike Wells, principal

Jordan Szymanski Sports Editor

Page 3 New Debate team members prepare for beginning of novice season

Page 6 Students publish YouTube videos during free time

By the 2016-2017 school year, administration hopes to implement the College and Career Pathways Internship Program, a new internship program made up of career clusters that will aid students in preparation for their future careers.

The state of Indiana has 12 clusters of career pathways available, and students can pursue these pathways in order to discover their desired line of work; however, the school district will focus mainly on two.

“The pathways we are focusing on are biomedical and education,” Mr. Mike Wells, principal, said. “By taking specific courses in grades 9, 10, and 11, when they are seniors their first

semester, students will be able go to the hospital and follow a radiologist around, an RN (registered nurse), or possibly a doctor in order to find out what that particular job is like.”

One of the best ways to decide your future career is to be immersed in the reality of it, according to Mrs. Jessica Sanchez, Guidance counselor.

“There is no better way. You can read a million things or even talk to someone who is in that field, but being there and experiencing the work for yourself is the only way to know for sure,” Mrs. Sanchez said “You will either decide ‘This is exactly what I want to do’ or you will find you need to explore other things. Both of those are completely okay because high school is where you need to find your way. Yes, it is nice to know what direc-

tion you want to be headed in, but we all discover new things, especially at this young of an age.”

Participating in an internship program in high school has other benefits associated with it besides boosting students’ college application, according to Mrs. Sanchez.

“Being in a work environment teaches you a lot,” Mrs. Sanchez said.

“Responsibility is a big thing to an employer. Things like being polite, being on time (and), showing up dressed appropriately for work are all things you have to learn in a work setting, and this is an awesome exploration opportunity.”

The two main advantages to the program’s participants include freeing

Continued on pg. 7

Indiana schools forced to address teacher shortage State searches for solutions for statewide teacher shortage; Rep. Bill Fine explains causes, possible solutions Mariah Villaroman Copy Editor Schools across Indiana struggle to fill certain teacher positions, and the state government currently begins an evaluation of the shortage.

Rep. Bill Fine, District 12 State Representative, references teacher’s pay as a major contributor to the shortage, with Indiana’s average starting salary for teachers at $34,696, which is $239 below the national average of $34,935, according to the U.S. Department of Education and the National Education Association.

“People don’t want to spend four years in (a) pro-

gram and leave with all kinds of debt and not find a job or find a job and not keep it,” Rep. Fine said.

“There’s also the sense that are better economic opportunities out there, so people don’t want to necessarily go into something like teaching, which isn’t a very well paying profession.”

Indiana’s Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz started a 50-person committee to look into the shortage, and the House of Representative also held an interim meeting over the summer to study the issues.

“Once we have the wide range of what the problems really are, we’ll be able to really accurately ad-

dress the problem,” Rep. Fine said. “Because if you think it’s this because that’s your thesis of all the problems in education, and try to fix that and not look at the real reasons, we’re just wasting time. So it’s important that everybody can keep an open mind and look at all the causes that are taking place and come up with something that can really draw an effect.”

As the teacher shortage continues throughout Indiana, the importance of becoming educated about the situation remains critical, according to Mr. Michael Gordon, social studies teacher.

“If you want to fix schools, there’s two issues to look at,” Mr. Gordon said. “One is of revenue, which starts with the property tax cap, and we have to have a serious discussion about the purpose of schools.

They need to be the tool that prepares people for both the economy and polity.”

2 news

Crier/Oct. 2, 2015

Quick Notes GSA walk against suicide Gay-Straight Alliance hosts walk at Centennial Park to raise awareness Last Saturday at Centennial Park, members of Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) participated in a suicide prevention walk, organized by the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention.

“The LGBT+ community has one of the highest rates of suicide, so it kind of just fits with the cause of GSA,” club president Tim DeRolf, junior, said.

“The idea (is) to be an open and accepting environment for anyone.”

This walk, which Tim describes as a community event, involved participants from various parts of the Northwest Indiana area.

National Merit Seven students chosen as National Merit Commended Scholars Seven seniors were recently named National Merit Commended Scholars.

The students are John Archer, Arlo Detmer, Allison Dinh, James Han, Jenson Huang, Tyler Keslin and Vivian Reba.

Of the 50,000 highest-scoring seniors who received the qualifying scores on the PSAT taken in October of their junior year, approximately 34,000 are recognized as Commended Scholars, according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.

While they will not continue in the National Merit scholarship competition, Commended Scholars may be eligible for corporate or college scholarships.

ACT scores ACT scores highest in five years as school sees increase of test takers ACT testing scores in Munster this year are the highest in five years in English, Reading, and Composite. The scores that students earned are higher than the state’s average scores.

In Composite the most recent score recorded is an average of 25.6, 3.5 points higher than the state average. In English the most recent score is 25.7, 4.2 points higher than the state average. In Reading the average score is 26.1, 3.5 points higher than the state average.

“There’s obviously variables that affect (the scores),” Mr. Mike Wells, principal, said. “But our classroom instruction is outstanding, and we continue to focus on how we can improve our scores over time.”

Not only have the scores improved, but the number of students taking the ACT has risen from 210 students taking the test in 2014 compared to 252 students this year.

Corrections In issue one of Crier, Emma Trivunovic was not credited as a Crier photographer on page 3. On page 5, the photos were not credited to the photographers who took them. Rachel Bishop took the top left, top middle and bottom photos, and Mary Ellen Gilhooly took the top right photo. Additionally, senior Anna Bilse’s and junior Erin Maley’s names were misspelled. On page 6, the description of Matt Travis’ Spirit Week costume was incorrect. It should have been described as an 80-year old woman. Crier regrets these errors.

photo by Rachel Bishop

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT (from left to right) Putting finishing touches on their songs for Saturday’s competition, sophomores Ryanna-Kimberly

Pastrana, Ferrance Mittelberger and Jasmine Toor play their flutes. “We’re definitely improving, so the end results of competitions will be favorable, but we still have as long way to go,” Ferrance said.

Band invitational occurs tomorrow Competition season continues with Tinley Park Invitational Joseph Bermudez Sports Editor The competition season for band continues as they travel to Tinley Park and compete in the Victor J. Andrew High School Invitational tomorrow. “(The competition) is going to be a bit rough considering we don’t have our show perfected yet,” Arlo Detmer, senior, said. “That’s kind of where all the other bands in the competition stand. We’re close to completely going through our routine smoothly but not quite yet.”

In order to perfect the show, Mr. Bret Winternheimer, band director, believes motivation is key to have during the rest of the practices.

“The motivation isn’t really towards competition right now, but mainly to get better,” Mr. Winternheimer said.

“We first have to improve individually before thinking about competition. Ev-

eryone is excited to start, but primarily the focus is self improvement.”

While self improvement is a main priority in order for a strong showing, Leo Ortiz, senior, believes self confidence is also a necessity in the competition tomorrow.

“We’ve got a good deal of the show down, almost all of it,” Leo said. “We’re working on the finishing touches at the very end of our performance. Nothing a little more practice can’t help. Other than that, we are pretty confident where we stand. ” Later in the schedule, Arlo Detmer, senior, feels that the competition at Concord High School in Elkhart County on Oct. 10 will be the band’s chance to show what they can do.

“Munster has been ranked second in the region behind Concord,” Arlo said.

“Mainly because of the size advantage they have over us. We have about 100 (band members), they have almost 250,

but every year we’ve gotten closer and closer to beating them.”

Leo believes that the band should have a focused mindset during competitions, but still should not forget to have fun.

“We all have to have a focused manner,” Leo said. “We are also pretty excited for what’s to come. It’s important to have fun. The first (competition) is always emotional. The first and last.”

Leo believes it is important to never forget the memories made along the years, especially during every competition, including tomorrow at Victor J. Andrew High School.

“What I’ll miss most will be the companionship that the rest of the band and I have formed,” Leo said. “It’s a group of guys that I’ve marched with for two to four years through sweat, tears and blood. Even the freshmen who I’ve just met, we’ve created a strong bond and it’s hard to forget that.”

Standardized tests add to list of changes PSAT, SAT changes will affect sophomores and juniors who take tests in October Chloe Wineinger Design Editor As the testing dates approach for sophomores and juniors to take the PSAT Oct. 14, College Board has released new details regarding changes in the test. These tests will also focus more on widely used vocabulary and evidence-based reading and writing.

These criteria have changed from last year’s general criteria because deductive reasoning from context clues are more helpful for college and career readiness than grammar and vocabulary skills. There will also be a heavier focus on reading because the PSATs and SATs will also include science and history passages that will count toward the critical reading grade.

Lastly, the scoring system will be

modeled after the SAT. Test-takers will not be penalized for answering incorrectly; test-takers will only be scored based on the amount of right answers they choose.

Changes in scoring is an effort on the College Board’s part to make the tests more high school friendly. Another factor they are implementing is their partnership with Khan Academy. Through their online program, students can take free practice quizzes. College Board also offers the option of texting students SAT questions of the day, as well as having study guides and practice tests on their website.

“The College Board is starting to realize that they are an entity that is a major influence in high school, so they want to create more accessibility and familiarity between them and high

schoolers,” Mr. Robert Snyder, assistant principal, said. “Their mindset is that the test should be completely demystified so there’s no surprises when you sit down to take it.”

Another change that sophomores will see in the future are the newly implemented ISTEPS during March. After changing vendors from CTB/McGraw Hill to Pearson Education, these tests have been added as a replacement for ECAs being used as high school accountability. Instead, ECAs will only be used as graduation requirements.

“It’s going to be a little tough for the sophomores who have to take three standardized tests in the spring,” Mr. Snyder said. “The tests aren’t as spaced out as they were last year, so those kids will have a lot of testing in such a small amount of time.”

news 3

Crier/Oct. 2, 2015

Debate novices

start season

New members prepare for Novice Debate Tournament Simon Pirok News Editor With their first meet coming up, Debate looks to start the season strong by taking first place at the Munster Novice Debate Invitational Oct. 10, according to Mr. Michael Buck, Debate coach.

“This first debate is really for novices, which are usually freshmen,” Mr. Buck said. “We invite other schools from around the area to send their novices to try and get over the first-time jitters that they might have, and it’s just for them to see what debate is all about. This meet is really about just having fun.”

While all students prepare for meets in their own ways, there are guidelines which they stick to, according to vice president of debate Vince D’Angelo, senior.

“Preparing for debate tournaments is hard, and it seems everyone has their own strategies, but for the most part we have the same rules,” Vince said.

“Competitive debate is an extremely research-based ‘game,’ and because you’re playing to win, you want to have the most evidence or best understanding of the topic as possible. Generally, this means a lot of late nights compiling your arguments and writing your cases.”

While this meet is designed for novices to learn what debate is about, there are some feelings of firsttime nervousness, Melissa Mardyla, freshman, said.

“I’m definitely nervous, but I’m also really excited,” Melissa said. “I’ve got a partner, Nicole Biestek (freshman), who is helping me prepare, and we help each other by coming up with strategies. We’re going to try and psych out the opponent by speaking in Polish before we start. We think we’re just going to say random things to make our opponents think that we’re going over our strategy.”

Not only will the novices be participating in the meet, but experienced members will be participating too, according to Mr. Buck.

photo by Veronica Bilek

EXPRESS YOURSELF Running through a practice debate, Rayyan Siddiqui, sophomore, prepares for an upcoming meet. “Debate is a good way to speak your mind-- you can say what you want and help build teamwork and communication skills,” Rayyan said.

“Our seniors are going to help out in this meet,” In order succeed tomorrow, members brainstorm, Mr. Buck said. “They’re going to be the judges, and research and structure cases to argue during the seathey’ll go into a separate room and determine who son, according to Mr. Buck. had the strongest argument. They’ll also be able to “My favorite part of the practices are the practice give some words of advice to younger members in debates. I enjoy being able to target points of my opdebate to help them become more ponent’s speech and try to prove comfortable with debating.” why they’re wrong.” Melissa It’s all about trying to While some novice debate memsaid. get them the tools and bers want to get used to debating, While inexperienced members knowledge to be successful, adapt to the daily routines of beothers are trying to start the season with a victory. ing debate members, they look to but communicating it “My goals are to place first this the seniors to assist them. in a way that’s easy to meet,” Melissa said. “My partner “Working with novices is understand.” and I want to have a good presenone of the most gratifying parts -Vince D’Angelo, senior tation, a good sense of formality, of debate,” Vince said. “It’s all and an overall good delivery of the about trying to give them the speech.” tools and knowledge to be successful, but communiThe team’s goal for the season is to move up in cating it all in a way that’s easy to understand. There tournament wins and place above third in state com- are things that we’re glad we knew (as novices), and petition, according to Mr. Buck. part of training novices is not only getting them that “The end goal is to make a good run for the State information, but bringing them into the fold of this Championship this year, but it’s also to re-qualify for new community, one that promotes discussion and the National Championships,” Vince said. argument, speech and free-thought.”

“

Former speech director receives award Mrs. Helen Engstrom, former Speech and Debate director and English teacher, receives prestigious Sagamore of the Wabash award Meena Kandallu Editor-in-Chief

Chloe Wineinger Design Editor

At a recent public meeting, Mrs. Helen Engstrom, former MHS Speech and Debate director and English teacher, received the prestigious Sagamore of the Wabash award.

District 12 State Representative Bill Fine, one of the early members of the speech team directed by Mrs. Engstrom, presented the award on Sept. 17.

This award is “a personal tribute usually given to those who have rendered a distinguished service to

the state or to the governor,” according to Indiana’s official website.

“I was totally astounded. I was shocked, to be honest,” Mrs. Engstrom said. “I had no idea that I was even nominated for it. I was honored to receive this award.”

Forty-nine years ago, Mrs. Engstrom created the speech team at MHS. Three years later, the program produced its first individual state champion. By the fifth year of the program, the team had won its first overall state championship.

“The success of the speech program was not com-

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pletely due to me, but (to) the quality of the coaches who have worked in the program with me, which makes all of the difference,” Mrs. Engstrom said. “It’s really a collaborative effort. Yes, I started it. Yes, I had to recruit the coaches all by myself. But the coaches are the ones who have to produce and keep up on the good job we’ve been doing, so it’s important to pass the credit around where it is due.”

Since she created the team in 1965, Mrs. Engstrom has continued to work with the team in some capacity, including serving as a coach for 20 years after her retirement and continuing to volunteer her time for the past two years.

“I purely enjoyed it,” Mrs. Engstrom said. “I enjoyed working with young people. They treated me beautifully and appreciated me. They were fun to be around. They kept me young. I feel more in touch with the younger generation and what’s going on in their world.”

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4 spotlight Thinking outside

Crier/Oct. 2, 2015

the box office

Movies “Limitless,” “Minority Report” debut as TV series, attempt to match up to original films Ian Brundige Student Life Editor

“Limitless”: Untapped potential The words “adaptation” or “remake” often create immediate concern from fans of the franchise that is being revisited. However, when the original movie did not hit the mark but presented a creative concept, the thought of an adaptation can be encouraging.

“Limitless” is just that. The 2011 scifi thriller has an innovative but flawed premise. Bradley Cooper’s character, Eddie Morra, lives in a world where he can only access 20 percent of his brain until he is given NZT-48, a drug that allows him to access all 100 percent of his brain.

“Limitless” places itself in reality through an appropriately populated setting and plausible characters. When Eddie is on NZT-48, the story relies on the narration from the reflective Eddie at the end of his story. The movie uses innovative editing techniques to show Eddie’s quickly moving mind and brighter colors to contrast the dull mood of when Eddie is sober.

The “Limitless” movie succeeds at delivering innovative visuals that aid the plot in every scene and connect a variety of locations. Characters’ decisions are believable but often one-tone.

Now, four years later, Bradley Cooper is the executive producer of the “Limitless” T.V. show. The pilot recreates the entire original movie, starting with a captivating action sequence explained by a smart narrator, leaving only the question, “What is next?”

An hour-long T.V. show is what the “Limitless” narrative needed to fix its problems. More time allows for more story, Eddie made understandable decisions in the movie, but they had no purposes beyond getting the NTZ-48 and money. The show introduces characters who are more relatable .

It has dynamic characters and a fun plot, unlike the movie, which was hurt by an underdeveloped plot and time constraints.

“Minority Report”: Old school cool In a world where murderers are arrested before killing their victims, “Minority Report” uses all the gadgets of

photo provided by John Baer/Dark Fields Productions

BACK TO THE START Robert DeNiro and Bradley Cooper play Eddie Morra and Carl Van Loon in the sci-fi movie “Limitless” in 2011. Cooper is the executive producer of the “Limitless” TV series adaptation on Fox.

a sci-fi movie, eye-dentification, holograms and self-driving cars, making ‘Minority Report” a classic but cliché.

Three beings known as PreCogs see images of future murders. Chief John Anderton, played by Tom Cruise, quickly manipulating a futuristic 3-D screen, to find details of murders.

“Minority Report” tries to do a lot with individual compelling scenes and complete world building. Most of the scenes are executed clearly and in an interesting way. It is the connections of those scenes that show the flaws of the movie: disconnect and confusion.

The 2015 TV show picks up in 2065, 11 years after “Minority Report,” the

movie. Opening with the story of the PreCogs, viewers immediately know more about these mysterious characters than they did from the movie.

One of the best parts of the show is Dash, a PreCog and the show’s main character, coping with meeting people whose deaths he predicted. The mix of emotions he shows in each of these situations is comical from an outside perspective but concerning for the character as he is plagued by internal conflict and guilt.

“Minority Report” has updated to a more modern look, but it appears to be one-tone and boring, especially in the first half of the pilot.

speakout 5

Crier/Oct. 2, 2015

CRIER Munster High School

Crier, Munster High School’s official student

newspaper, may be reached at 8808 Columbia Ave, Munster, IN 46321, phone 219-836-3200, Ext. 3443; Fax: 219-836-3202. Crier is published through the Honors Newspaper Advanced Writing and Editing classes and extra-curricular involvement.

Standard Deviation In Ancient Egypt, the cubit was widely used to measure length, and it was defined as the distance along the forearm from the elbow to the fingertips. Unsurprisingly, the actual length of the cubit was highly variable and highly dependent on the length of the measurer’s forearm.

Since the days of the cubit, standardization has come a long way.

We now set our clocks based on OUR TAKE the combined figures from a time Standardized tests scale that gathers its data from 200 lose their validity atomic clocks and a time scale that when they change every year measures the pace of Earth’s rotation. We measure mass based on the international prototype of the kilogram, which is housed in multiple carefully monitored glass cylinders in Paris.

In short, we standardize everything.

For students, this tendency toward a more standardized world is most evident through the existence of standardized intelligence tests.

Yearly, students in every grade level spend hours taking such exams, including the ECA,

ISTEP, PSAT, SAT and ACT. In theory, these exams are used to measure students’ academic progress and to compare different students’ aptitude and achievement. But how can we be sure that these comparisons are valid?

These exams derive their validity from their standardization, but are they really standardized?

This year, students face many changes to the standardized tests including a redesigned PSAT and SAT and a switch in the ISTEP vendor.

These changes are, of course, well-intentioned attempts at improving the highly contested standardized testing system. But who is to say that any of these changes are actually better?

Measuring students’ intelligence with an ever-changing test is like measuring their height with an ever-changing yardstick: it is illogical, and it defies the very definition of standardization.

With every new modification, standardized intelligence tests are slowly becoming the modern day cubit, a unit of measure that is constantly changing and impossible to rely on.

A new generation of voters Sofia Navarro News Editor How can a 74-year-old socialist gain favor with America’s youngest voters?

This has been the question on everyone’s mind while watching presidential candidate Bernie Sanders rise to fame prior to the 2016 election.

Despite what people believe our peers stand for—Twitter, Tumblr and Facebook—a new, self-aware, open-minded and inspired population of teenagers has had a huge role in his success. Our older generation may fail to realize that social media is becoming progressively more powerful. How it can aid in determining our future is entirely up to us.

The youngest voters are running Sanders’ campaign. A few months ago, few people had heard of Bernie Sanders, but now he has become a household name. I have trouble scrolling through

my Facebook feed without seeing a clip or article praising him and his publicity.

This same type of attention is working in reverse for his opponent, Donald Trump. The attention he receives is either generated from his presence as a celebrity or his controversial stance on immigration, both of which attract the same shock value one would get from a scandal magazine at the grocery store.

The buzz surrounding this election is understandable, though, seeing how extreme each side of the political spectrum is. On one side is Sanders, an unapologetically liberal socialist, and on the other, Trump, a billionaire businessman who wants to build a wall between Mexico and the United States. While this seems like an unbelievable proposition, Trump stands as the most successful and outspoken republican candidate, and Sanders is his most publicized rival.

So, when it comes to electing our fu-

ture president, who should a high school student be supporting? Consider this: the average debt for student loans in 2015 is $35,000, a number which has only grown larger in past years. The Sanders plan, which was released last May, aims to make all public colleges and universities tuition-free. This plan would eliminate federal profit from student debt and enable students to be more financially secure once they graduate.

As for Trump’s stance, he claims he can create jobs so people “can get five times what the minimum wage is,” a proposal which, while beneficial to repaying student debts, does not help a college student balancing between work and studies. At the same time, Trump does not plan to raise the minimum wage.

When supporting a candidate, think of how their plan for our educational and financial well-being will aid us in our future.

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The Staff Editor-in-Chief Meena Kandallu Design Editor Chloe Wineinger Copy Editor Mariah Villaroman Associate Editor Danie Oberman Media Editor Jordan Szymanski Opinion Editor Danie Oberman Sports Editors Joseph Bermudez Anthony Gonzalez Jordan Szymanski News Editors Sofia Navarro Simon Pirok Infocus Editors Gavin Hamilton Alexandria Shinkan Student Life Editor Ian Brundige Cartoonist Ian Brundige Head Photographer Rachel Bishop Business Manager Mary Ellen Gilhooly Photographers Veronica Bilek Elisa Del Toro Mary Ellen Gilhooly Olivia Hesterman Brandi Hoover Danijela Kaurin Sidney Milne Emma Trivunovic Easan Venkat Adviser Ms. Sarah-Anne Lanman

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Crier/Oct. 2, 2015

Press

Pl y

Students film, edit YouTube videos about their various interests, hobbies, viewpoints Alexandria Shinkan Infocus Editor

Mariah Villaroman Copy Editor

On camera

Lights. Camera. Action.

Inspired by movie directors, Cody Reinsma, sophomore, creates short action and comedy films for his YouTube channel, DOPFilms.

Cody started creating videos in elementary school after he watched YouTube videos with his brother. 0After that, he thought they should try filming their own videos.

“I wanted people to see me and my creative ideas so I could share them and make people laugh,” Cody said.

His most recent project is an action movie trailer called “Fallen.” It will require his hard work and time, as this is the first time he will use a full script with the video.

“I am very nervous that the final project won’t be as good as my vision,” Cody said. “I decided on a full script because I wanted to make sure everything has a planned-out vision and my actors know fully what to do.”

Cody has always wanted to work behind the camera. He personally selects cast members instead of holding auditions because he prefers to find reliable people that fit the role.

“I choose parts according to their capabilities,” Cody said. “I really hope in the future I can get further help.”

He creates his videos because it is an after school project he enjoys doing and looks forward to everyday.

“Most people question why I do my videos,” Cody said, “but I just think, ‘When do people not want to see a video and be intrigued or amazed or laughing?’”

Makeup ready

With her favorite makeup products ready to use, Megan Wolski, sophomore, hits the record button on her MacBook to film her “Everyday Makeup Routine” video.

“I idolized (professional makeup artist) Jaclyn Hill, and I liked her YouTube channel so much,” Megan said. “I thought it would be fun to make my own videos. I don’t do it to gain subscribers. I make the videos for the con-

photo by Olivia Hesterman

BEHIND THE CAMERA Outside the Auditorium, Cody Reinsma, sophomore, films a scene with fellow students, Joseph McCraw, freshman, Camille Jancosek, senior, and Ben Peters, freshman, for his new trailer, “Fallen.” For this trailer, Cody received his inspiration from the television show “Supernatural.” “I’ve always been fascinated with sci-fi type of filming and have never done a video like it before,” Cody said.

tent, not the popularity.”

Megan began her YouTube channel “Megan Wolski” at 14 years old to provide easy, innovative makeup tutorials and inspiration for her subscribers.

“I’m not afraid to say ‘I have a YouTube’ anymore. I was kind of shy about it (at first) because people made fun of me,” Megan said. “They just thought it was weird or they would purposely try to embarrass me. I wanted to delete all my videos. They were watching my videos at lunch and laughing, and were

like, ‘Megan’s videos are so funny,’ but they aren’t supposed to be funny.”

Learning to ignore the teasing, Megan decided to use the initial negativity she received to build her channel into one she became more proud of.

“I just didn’t care, basically,” Megan said. “I kind of rethought the videos I was making. I thought more about what I was saying in the videos. It helped me in a positive way because I started to create better videos.”

Whether it is helping a young girl using makeup for the first time or an older teenager who wants a new makeup style, Megan comes back to her YouTube channel for the same reason each time.

“I have a love for makeup,” Megan said. “I don’t have to wear makeup every single day, I just love doing it and messing around with all the colors. I want to teach it to others and express my passion.”

Latest fashion

One hundred seventy-two videos of health, beauty and whatever else sparks an interest in Nureya Miller, senior, fill up her YouTube channel.

“My channel is a mixture of all the

things that I like talking about or are important to me,” Nureya said. “I had watched beauty videos since probably the seventh grade, and I started my channel sophomore year. It looked like fun, and I liked editing videos. It’s just fun putting it altogether.”

Nureya films and edits a variety of videos for her YouTube channel “Nureya Alexis,” using it as a creative outlet for her quiet personality.

“I’m a pretty shy person, and I think YouTube gave me a chance to express myself,” Nureya said. “You’re putting yourself out there, but not completely.”

Wanting others to hear about it through word of mouth or from her friends and family, Nureya does not openly promote her channel.

“I make videos for myself, but when I get new subscribers I get excited, of course. I want my channel to grow,” Nureya said. “Right now I don’t have too many (subscribers), but that’s not important. I do it mainly for fun and not the subscribers.”

Nureya’s channel currently features lifestyle videos such as vegan meal plans or summer makeup ideas. She hopes to eventually grow her channel

into more than just tutorials for viewers.

“I definitely want to have girls follow me and look up to me and be a role model for them,” Nureya said. “I want to make advice videos and have a channel that has an overall positive vibe to it.”

For now Nureya plans to keep her YouTube channel past high school and into college, enjoying how it has given her an alternative way to represent who she is.

“I can’t really pick one favorite video,” Nureya said. “I think all my videos

reflect who I am, just different parts of me. My channel as a whole is what I’m really proud of.”

Virtual world

Michael Riley, junior, is currently the partnership manager for CJMNetwork. In 2010 CJMNetwork started as a gameplay channel, and now collaborates with other YouTube gaming channels and produces tutorials for games such as “Minecraft” and “Left 4 Dead 2.”

“Currently we are contracted under TGN, The Gamer Network, a YouTube network that is owned by Broadband

TV,” Michael said.

Michael first joined YouTube in 2009 through his personal channel IRuletech in order to help others with computer problems. He decided to do gameplay because it received more attention.

Michael thought he would have time for his personal channel and CJMNetwork, but sharing channels took a lot of time.

“I’ve been on hiatus working with a non-profit corporation on setting up something really big in terms of online learning that will probably change a lot of people’s perception on what online learning can do,” Michael said.

At CJMNetwork Michael handles interactions between TGN and other members.

Michael is proud of the accomplishments his personal channel has brought, and he knows his fans eagerly await his return.

“I don’t post a lot because I just don’t have the time,” Michael said. “It was a real struggle to get to this point, but the work has paid off.”

infocus 7

Crier/Oct. 2, 2015

photos by Rachel Bishop and Mary Ellen Gilhooly

SPINNING TRACKS (above) Standing over his turntable, Sky Flores, junior, plays a track from his new mix. He first started DJing when he went to a party and did not like the music the DJ played. This experience inspired him to DJ and play music that everyone would enjoy listening to. “I went to a big party and the DJ was garbage,” Sky said. “I hit head-on with the music, and I’ve been DJing for about two years now.” MIXING IT UP (right) Learning DJ techniques, Andrew Vicari, junior, practices how to make mixes at the company he works at 219 Productions in Highland. Even though Andrew sets up lighting for 219 Productions, he wishes to produce music in the future. “Though I haven’t started my producing career yet, I still love making people’s events memorable by working at 219 Productions,” Andrew said.

Scratching the surface Students work in DJ industry, mixing popular songs Alexandria Shinkan Infocus Editor Ten gigs and 1,600 SoundCloud followers later, Sky Flores, junior, pre-

pares for the upcoming venue that he will DJ at.

Sky has been DJing for two years and he performed his mixes for WJOB radio station for the Next Generation Show. He was nervous his first time on WJOB because it was his first time on the radio. However, his nerves went away because his family is friends with the host, Angel Jimenez.

“When I first went on WJOB, I got super nervous, and even got butterflies, even though I prepare as much as possible and plan out everything,” Sky said.

For WJOB and other events, Sky takes songs that were already made and transitions them together so there are no pauses between songs. Sky enjoys to mix Electronic Dance Music, Dance, Future House, Deep House and Melbourne Bounce because they are the only genres he enjoys mixing.

Sky has performed at birthday parties and graduation parties. His first

big gig was a graduation party and he ing how to edit videos and work with recalls that he was nervous, but he ig- computer software,” Sky said. “Second nored the nerves and played his music. semester, I will learn how to work in a “(I was) trying to take requests movie studio.” and please most of the Like Sky, Andrew Vicrowd,” Sky said. “I Phrasing it their way take my gigs very se- DJs have their own cari, junior, works at 219 riously because I will dictionary for making, Productions in Highland. make memories of my playing music However, he is interested own and be (a) big part in producing music in the in making memories for Cross Fader: future. For now, he works A box that controls different others.” at 219 Productions, speAs of right now, Sky aspects of a song cializing in lights. interns at 219 Produc- Scratching: At work, Andrew has to tions, a DJ Company, Moving a record and a cross carry in the lighting and in Highland. It is not fader while the song plays truss towers, which hold something Sky enjoys Truss towers: speakers up, and then he because he has not Beams that hold up the sets up all the lights. Setgotten to play for any speakers and lights ting up lights could be difevents. Instead, Sky has ficult or easy; depending WiFly boxes: learned how to scratch, Boxes that connect computer on if the WiFly boxes are a technique that in- and lights wirelessly connected properly, acvolves moving a record cording to Andrew. sources: juniors Sky Flores and cross fader while a “If the photographer is and Andrew Vicari song is playing. using wireless flashes and In the near future, his signal is on the same Sky hopes to start a YouTube channel channel as the signal between the Wiso people can watch him perform live. Fly boxes, it will make the lights go “I should have my first video up crazy,” Andrew said. after first semester because I’m learnAndrew’s first glimpse of what his

‘School to offer internships’ Continued from pg. 1 students’ time constraints and offering previews to the careers that students believe they want to pursue, according to Mr. Wells.

“Our students are involved in so many different things (that) they really don’t have too much time to get jobs,” Mr. Wells said. “The program would allow them to gain that work experience in a field they may be interested in. It will also allow them to see if that’s really the career field they

want to be a part of before they go and make that decision in college and spend money and find out that is not something they wanted to do.”

In order to implement an efficient system with a lasting impact communication is key, according to Mr. Robert Snyder, assistant principal.

“As we work on the details and establish what the internships will be, we will share the information with students,” Mr. Snyder said. “I think we try to use student interest to create opportunities, so I think the impact will be determined by how many

students are interested in trying this.

It’s something new, so I am sure that participation will fluctuate initially.”

As the program progresses, the school must weigh the pros and cons of the program like losing in-class time or inability to participate in certain desired courses, according to Mr. Wells.

“We don’t know how well received (the internship program) is going to be with the students,” Mr. Wells. “A lot of these kids take AP classes, so the question is, ‘Will they be willing to sacrifice three AP classes their senior year in order to do this program?’ Those three college credits are the deciding factor because that will be something they

job would be like was at Lake Central’s Winter Formal. The company Andrew works for does various events, including Quinceañeras, weddings, and Valentine’s Day dinners.

Andrew will save money from his job to purchase the Novation Launchpad, a DJing application that will help him with becoming a DJ. The Novation Launchpad hooks up to a computer, and the buttons play clips of songs. It is an 8 by 8 button device that is paired with Ableton Live, a music-making software. It plays certain sound clips when a certain button is pressed, according to Andrew.

Even though he does not have the Launchpad now, he hopes to purchase it soon.

“I got into the Launchpad mainly because one of my idols, M4SONIC makes music with his Launchpads,” Andrew said. “His music ranges from mash-ups to original songs.”

Andrew wants to become a producer because he likes electronic music.

When he becomes a producer, he plans to make remixes from electronic music.

Andrew hopes to start his career soon as he can. For now, he continues setting up lighting for 219 Productions.

“I started wanting to be a producer because I had always loved music from a young age,” Andrew said. “I have always believed that music is the best way for people to express themselves.” are sacrificing.”

Nonetheless, Mrs. Sanchez is certain college admissions officers look favorably upon students who have decided to pursue these opportunities.

“From a college admissions perspective, these students will be looked upon highly,” Mrs. Sanchez said.

“These students have been in the field, and the knowledge and skills they gained there puts them a step ahead.

Even coming out of college, your internship year is where you learn how everything works. Instruction and classes are very beneficial, but your internship year is golden, and being a high schooler and experiencing that is a great opportunity.”

8 infocus

Crier/Oct. 2, 2015

Making connections

tagram and see what a fun time people are having, making them want to join as well,” Ally said.

One of the ways Project X plans to use its Twitter account is to send reminders to students who signed up for specific events, such as collecting recyclables after school, the club’s most popular volunteer option, according to Ally.

“Social media makes it easier to reach out to people for reminders and to post call outs for more people to sign up for things,” Ally said. while introducing new Instagram and Twitter pages Chloe Wineinger Other clubs like Best Buddies not only use social in order to increase their school-wide presence and Design Editor media to remind members about specific dates of attract more members. Along with their Facebook upcoming events, but also to inform students of the Deciding what filter best suits the students in Proj- account, these accounts will post information about club’s main mission. events, as well as photos ect X, president Ally Szakacs, senior, updates the InAlthough Best Buddies fell short in using its Twitfrom the events, acstagram account that Project X recently started. ter account last year, implementing it to its fullest cording to Ally.

As different clubs explore the options social media capabilities could improve the club’s publicity, ac“Our hope is has to offer, Project @BestBuddiesMuns cording to Best Buddies sponsor Mr. Brent Barton, that students X will continue We hope everyone joins Westlake teacher. who aren’t in to run its al“It’s a positive way to spread our message,” Mr. this year!

Project X can ready estab@MHS_ProjectX Barton said. “Part of Best Buddies is to inform the Sept.

4, 2015 see the pictures lished Faceschool population about students with disabilities, Prostate Cancer Awareness we post on Insbook page so I would like to utilize our Twitter more towards game last Friday was a sucthat. Hopefully, we can make more people aware of cess. Know your number!!!!! what we stand for and the message we’re trying to Sept. 6, 2015 get across.”

Though Best Buddies’ social media presence is not in full effect yet, Twitter is currently the best platform for spreading information because of its @MunsterMedia usability, according to Mr. Barton.

MUSTANGS TAKE DOWN “My officers felt (Twitter) was the most THE 59ers. 31-7 Congrats boys widely used platform,” Mr. Barton said.

“It’s the easiest, best, and we get the most you had quite the appetite out of it.”

Compared to clubs that have their own Sept. 11, 2015 social media accounts, Student Government relies on its individual members to promote events, which comes with its own difficulties.

However, if Student Government were to have a social media presence, they would use Twitter and Facebook because they are the most widely used, according to Student Government Public Relations officer Lauren Adams, senior.

“Usually it’s pretty difficult to spread the word, Munster High and we always have kids saying that they have School Art Club never heard about it, but it (having members proCall out meeting after school mote events on social media) is better than nothbrought some new faces and ing,” Lauren said. excited return[ing] members.

Regardless of how the club utilizes their accounts, the purpose of social media is to allow Tomorrow we get back to work their members to have easier access to the club’s on the mural! information about upcoming events, according Aug. 24, 2015 to Ally.

“We’re such a big club that it’s kind of difficult to reach out to everyone individually and give them the information they need,” Ally said. “Everyone goes on social media. We thought it would be easier to open Facebook and see the information you need on your feed than to go out of your way to check the

KEEPING POSTED Different clubs find social media accounts helpful to let student members know about upcoming Moodle page.” events or updates. The bubbles above display real status updates from Art Club, Best Buddies, Project X and Publications.

School clubs create social media accounts to interact with students, provide information about upcoming events

Follow us on Twitter @munstermedia and Snapchat at munstermedia

745 Ridge Rd. Munster, IN 219-836-4009

Carry Out Available

sports 9

Crier/Oct. 2, 2015

Going the

distance

Meena Kandallu Editor-in-Chief Girls’ Cross Country enters the Conference meet at Lowell tomorrow with a single goal: defending the title they earned last year.

Last year, the team won Conference for the first time since 2009, and this year, the team attempts to accomplish the same feat, according to captain Melanie Mooney, junior. “(Winning last year) definitely motivates us,” Mooney said. “It made us realize that we could actually win Conference and that it isn’t an (impossible) goal.”

Throughout the season, the team’s strength has been depth. The large number of runners who have been running similar times have pushed each other to keep up and to improve, according to Coach Kyleen Nolan, sci-

Girls’ Cross Country competes in Conference Across the board meet tomorrow; hoping to defend title Girls’ Golf

ence teacher.

“Overall, we’ve had some good success with a lot of good times,” Coach Nolan said. “There are still some teams we haven’t been able to beat, like Lowell, and we are still trying to beat them.”

In addition to attempting to improve their times to prepare for Conference in the near future, the team has also had to adjust to changes in the Conference scoring procedure.

In past years, certain meets throughout the regular season had been factored into the scores that were used to determine the Conference champions.

This year, however, these regular season meets have been eliminated, and the Conference title will be based solely on teams’ performances at the Conference meet tomorrow.

“We all are really focused on winning Conference this year,” Mooney

said. “It’s a lot different going into the meet because it’s the only thing that counts (in determining the Conference champion).”

Despite this pressure, Coach Nolan believes that the team has the ability to win Conference.

“Especially (from) a coaching (perspective), I think the girls feel that pressure, but they’ve trained well, and if they come mentally prepared, we should win,” Coach Nolan said.

For captain Jill Ylo, senior, winning Conference is more than an opportunity to gain another Conference title; it is an opportunity for both Varsity and JV runners to prove to themselves that they can succeed.

“We’re such a close-knit team, and every year we strive to be a family,” Ylo said. “We just want to see everyone succeed, and one way we can do that is by keeping the streak alive.”

Run them out of town

Boys’ Cross Country will travel to Lowell for Conference tomorrow; heads into Sectionals next week Mariah Villaroman Copy Editor Tomorrow Boys’ Cross Country will compete in Conference at Lowell High School, their last regular season meet before the post-season begins next week with Sectionals.

“We’ve been training really hard,” Tyler Keslin, senior, said. “We’ve lost a lot of (runners) that were seniors last year, and our team is really young. We

have to train really hard to improve.”

To compensate for team members they have lost, the team trains with a schedule focused on balance each week.

“Our general schedule is working really hard in the beginning of the week and then relaxing towards Friday for the meet the next day,” Keslin said. “However, we’re still pushing hard throughout the whole week, just with minor differences at the end.”

Coach Aaron Brown, WWMS teach-

photo by Veronica Bilek

EYES ON THE PRIZE At practice, Tyler Keslin, senior, runs on the track with teammate Theo Burgwald, senior, behind him. “(We’ve been performing well) mostly because of our coaches’ hard work and our own hard work as well,” Keslin said. “The coaches are really pushing us to be good this year.”

er, did not change the training regimen for Conference, focusing on keeping the team healthy and competitive “Our top two runners have been doing really well, and our next three have been improving and getting better,” Coach Brown said. “There’s been improvement, and we should really see a lot of improvement in the last couple of meets we run this year.”

With Keslin and senior Theo Burgwald as team captains, upperclassmen help to run practices and motivate the team for upcoming meets.

“Tyler (Keslin) and I definitely provide leadership,” Burgwald said. “Our team has a lot of freshmen, and they look to Tyler and me for leadership. Juniors have significantly taken a step in the leadership direction as well.”

The schools the team faces in Conference tomorrow include Kankakee Valley, Andrean, Highland, Lowell, Griffith and Hobart.

“Our biggest competition is Lowell,” Keslin said. “At the meet at Lowell (Sept. 12), we were 11 points away from beating them. We’re looking to close that gap in time for Conference.”

Burgwald foresees the team performing well at Conference, having had the season to compete against each team they will face tomorrow.

“I mean you always want to end on a good note, but if we did badly, we’d have a week to improve (before Sectionals),” Burgwald said.

While Coach Brown hopes to defeat Lowell tomorrow, he believes the boys’ mindsets should concern their achievements.

“You want to keep improving. It’s not going to be gauged on whether we win or lose. It’s going to be based on our improvement,” Coach Brown said.

“I really appreciate their efforts so far, and I hope they put that kind of effort into everything, not just running.”

Girls’ Golf placed seventh in Regionals and finished third in Sectionals, with Nicole Howard, junior, placing second individually and Gabie Ingoglia, sophomore, receiving a score of 96.

Any score under 100 is great, according to Coach Bill Smitka, Social Studies teacher.

“Lake Central won the sectional, Crown Point came in second. They played a little bit better than us this year,” Coach Smitka said. “Perhaps they have a little bit more firepower than us, but we’re going to close the gap. We don’t have a senior on the team so hopefully we’re going to continue getting better. As long as we keep working, we’ll be okay.”

The team this year had a 10-2 record and a 6-0 record in Conference, which led to them to Regionals, in which Nicole Howard missed State by 1 point.

“It it was a good year,” Coach Smitka said. “The girls are coming back.

With the way this year finished, we’ll have a pretty good next year.”

Tennis court The high school, through donations made from the Booster Club, recently fixed the five tennis courts by filling in and painting over the cracks.

The cracks were beginning to enlarge, disrupting play and possibly hurting players, according to Mr. Brian Clark, Athletics Director.

“It was real nice that we got the donation and the Booster Club helped out,” Mr. Clark said. “It was just important that they got fixed so the playing surface would be fair and safer. A lot of our community members use the tennis courts too, so we would want them to be a quality facility for everybody. We’re very lucky to receive the donation.”

Whether or not the repairs last long term depends on the severity of the weather this year; however, the repairs should last for the rest of the school year, according to Mr. Clark. The courts have been resurfaced, but the plan is to finish all the courts fully within the next year, according to Mr. Clark.

Volleyball Volleyball heads towards the end of the season with only a few games left and Sectionals to start in two weeks.

The team has been playing well and are still undefeated in their Conference and have a combined record of 15-3. The goal is to go further into the post-season than the team has ever gone before, according to Lauren Adams, senior.

“I don’t think there is one specific key to success; it is several things put together,” Adams said. “As a team we are all close and we get along really well. We all set goals for ourselves and for the team, and whenever we feel like we may be falling short of the goal we have a meeting to talk about it and re-evaluate.”

As a captain, Adams believes the team can reach their end of season goal. With six games left of the regular season and Sectionals following, she believes they will stay strong throughout the remaining competitions.

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A fighting chance Football regular season nears an end while assets for next year emerge Jordan Szymanski Sports Editor

photo by Danijela Kaurin

HUSTLE Prior to the start of their match Sept. 23 against Merrillville at home, Collin Sharpe, senior, and teammate, Aleksander Balac, senior, warm up. In order to perfect his performance, Sharpe prepares by recalling his fundamentals essential to executing a play properly, “Mentally, I want to make sure I stay focused and stay confident,” Sharpe said. “I think it’s important to get my feet moving and to focus on my form.”

Different year, same goal Boys’ Tennis continues with Regionals; looks for victories throughout post-season, redemption of last year Simon Pirok News Editor Boys’ Tennis won Sectionals last night and looks to continue with a strong performance next Tuesday at Regionals. They reflect on the near perfect season that got them to where they are.

“This season, we’ve gone 15-1, with our only loss being to Culver Military Academy, which was a really tough loss,” Coach Steven Lopez, social studies teacher, said. “We had some really close matches (at Culver). In another invitational, the boys finished third in their division, and they finished ahead of two top ten teams. It was a nice surprise, and they played above my expectations.”

For the post-season, the team focuses on maintaining the way they have played throughout the regular season.

“For us to be successful in the post-season, we’re going to have to make sure we play our best and play to our potential,” Coach Lopez said. “If we can make sure of these, we’ll have as good of a chance to make it to Semistate as Crown Point, the favorite (to qualify for Semi-state).”

The team looks to feed off the experience of the seniors in order to help younger team members feel comfortable at Regionals, according to Coach Lopez.

“The seniors are definitely important to the team, but in tennis, every player is equally valuable,” Coach Lopez said. “The seniors really help by using their experience, because the seniors made it to Semi-state when they

were sophomores. They really help out to redeem their loss in last year’s by calming the nerves of the younger, post-season against Crown Point. more inexperienced players.”

“Our biggest challenge going into This season, some team members post-season is playing Crown Point,” tried to focus on improving themselves Detmer said. “They have a really strong as players, while other members tried team, and we’re going to be playing to improve their skills as leaders, ac- them in Regionals. Last year we lost to cording to Arlo Detmer, senior. them (in the post-season), and we want “This season, I tried to elevate my to do better than last year.” personal play, to do better against othThe team wants avenge the loss the er players by playing close matches, a team faced in last year’s Regional comlot of which have been split sets. I’m petitions, according to DeLuna, getting closer to play“It’s a big deal for ing at the level I want us,” DeLuna said.

Bag of tricks to play at,” Detmer “This year we wanted said. “I also tried to im- Tennis players use multiple to focus on redeemprove my skills as the techniques for different shots ing our loss to Crown team captain alongside Point. I think we can n Topspin: Powerful, fast forehand Trey (DeLuna, senior). beat them if we just hit that is the most often seen I wanted to help the stick to the way we’ve during the match younger players stay been playing and we focused on the main n Backspin: A controlled, slow hit stay focused on what goal of making it far that keeps the ball low and is for our main goal is. into post-season play.”

Crown Point is a good changing the tempo of a rally While improving team. They’ve got a reon their game, it is n Sidespin: A trickier shot, makes ally skilled team that is important to perform really dangerous.” the ball go in the opposite direcwhen it matters and The team is looking tion after hitting the ground take advantage of opto obtain more expeportunities during n Dropshot: A shot meant to gently rience for the younger practice. fall and sometimes bounce back- team members during “We’re pretty confiRegionals in order to wards from the path first taken dent we’re going to do source: Ducksters.com better their game, acwell in post-season,” cording to Coach LoDeLuna said. “We‘ve worked a lot pez. during practice, and I’m confident that “The younger guys on the team have it is going to translate to post-season a lot of talent. The only thing they are success. Our main focus was working lacking is post-season experience,” on our forehands, and the weaker side Coach Lopez said. “We’re looking to of our ground strokes, and to try and get them as much playing time as posget flatter with some more pace.” sible to make sure that they feel comThis post-season, the team looks fortable in post-season play.”

Football continues towards end of conference season with a win against Griffith last Friday night.

The team holds an undefeated record in conference, and this victory advances their chances in winning the conference title as they gear up to play at Hobart High School tonight.

“If we win the game tonight, we have a much better chance of winning the conference title,” Coach Leroy Marsh, health teacher, said. “We are undefeated along with Lowell in the Conference right now, and winning against Hobart gives us a better chance.”

The team comes off a big win as the underclassmen stepped up last Friday against Griffith when they suffered a setback: running back, Jeff Proctor, senior, was injured and unable to play, according to Coach Marsh.

“It was another step in the season, and we had an opportunity to progress a little. Danny Stanley (junior) took over,” Coach Marsh said. “Danny finished with over 200 yards rushing in the game. Quarterback Andrew Jumonville, (junior), played very well.

Both are juniors, which means we have two pretty good offensive weapons coming back.”

With a strong offensive line and a developing defense, the team practices hard throughout the week to prepare for tonight against Hobart, according to Coach Marsh.

“Hobart is a big, strong, physical football team with no real stars, just one solid team,” Coach Marsh said.

“This makes it more difficult because you can’t really keen in on anybody.

But whether we win or lose won’t change anything for Lowell.”

The team sees Hobart as another team they must conquer towards the goal of a conference title. Their final challenge will be Lowell on Oct. 8.

“This game (Hobart) is an important stepping stone for conference title because we are undefeated in Conference right now,” Logan Armagast, senior, said.

Armagast believes, that as the team’s outside linebacker and tight end, he has a responsibility to keep the team alert and sharp mentally.

“My job is to make sure our team is focused and we do not make mental mistakes,” Armagast said. “My main focus is to perform my duties in my defensive unit and keep us all together.”

The team finds confidence in this year’s chances of winning the title, which would be the first time since 2009, according to Armagast.

“Yes, we definitely have a chance of winning because we have a strong team this year,” Armagast said. “The intensity we bring to the game is our wild factor.”

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Crier/Oct. 2, 2015

Turf wars Boys’ Soccer finishes regular season in game tomorrow against Valparaiso Sofia Navarro News Editor Boys’ Soccer faces Valparaiso tomorrow for the final game of their regular season.

“When the time comes to play the last regular season game, I think I am finally going to understand how much I have grown,” Clay Arnold, senior, said.

“I have been on Varsity for the post-season since I was a freshman. It is my fourth year, and I still feel like the same young kid that I was my freshman year.”

Arnold believes the team’s chemistry and skill has improved significantly throughout the season, allowing for a strong Valparaiso game.

Field assignment

Each player has a specific region they are responsible for when playing a 4-3-3 formation Rightback Right Forward Right Center Midfielder

Center Forward

Right Centerback

Goalie

Center Midfielder

Left Center Midfielder Left Forward

Left Centerback

Leftback source: www.SI(SportsIllustrated).com

photo by Rachel Bishop

SQUARED OFF During a play, Scott Fischer, (14), junior, steals the ball away from a Highland opponent in a swift motion. Fischer focuses on precision and accuracy, especially during a face off. Fischer does not shy away from physical contact during a play, yet considers fair play to be essential, “During a face off, I focus on trying not to hurt the competitor too much because I strongly support sportsmanship,” Fischer said.

“No matter what, every season they bring on a fight. I played under (Valparaiso) Coach Jeftich, and I know that he coaches his kids very well,” Arnold said. “They are always in top shape and ready to compete. Valparaiso is very technical with their play.

I’ve played with many of their players on club teams, and know they know how to play.”

The team has high hopes for a successful end to their season, and Austin Andello, senior, believes their experience will benefit them greatly.

“Being our last game of the season, I think we are going to come in there on fire. We want to go into the post-season with a win and be on a high,” Andello said. “Also, since it is our last game, we will be more experienced and our chemistry will be higher.

We are coming along greatly, and I expect to see big improvements.”

As for the rest of the season, Arnold believes Bishop Noll has been their biggest competition thus far.

This year, they won against the team 7-0.

“I would say the season has been interesting. There are young players and a lot of new things we’re trying,” Arnold said. “Our biggest win was probably Bishop Noll. We played them in recent years and normally win by 1-2 goals.”

The team reflects upon mistakes made and looks to improve for the post-season, according to Andello.

“So far, this season has been one of the best for me

out of my four years. The team has built such strong chemistry on and off of the field. We are able to mess and joke around, but at the same time give it 100 percent of our effort,” Andello said. “The biggest win this season for me personally is the win against Bishop Noll. They always give us a tough game every year, and to be able to beat them and make a statement early on in the season is awesome.’”

Although the majority of the team’s season has proved successful with a record of 8-3-1, they have still competed against, yet lost to, many tough rivals, including Lake Central and Crown Point.

“We lost to both of them by one, but they’ve allowed us to see what we need to improve on,” Arnold said.

Regardless of success or failure, the team still believes they have formed inseparable friendships. The team believes their bond will aid them in defeating Valparaiso at tomorrow’s game, according to Andello.

“I have seen the team come a long way this season,” Andello said. “From the first game at Portage to right now, we have improved tremendously. No doubt about it, we are a team that is able to compete.

I’m going to take in as much as possible, play every game like it’s my last, and be the best I can be. We all trust each other on the field, and that’s all that matters.”

Every last second matters

Girls’ Soccer becomes NCC Conference champion with win against Andrean; Sectionals start Tuesday at home Danie Oberman Associate Editor Girls’ Soccer defeats conference rival Andrean and clutches the NCC Championship for the first time in years.

“We went hard from the very first minute,” Saveda Majety, junior, said.

The team begins their post-season with Sectionals Oct. 6 against Morton, a school they are not familiar with because of their lack of exposure to the team.

“We’ll just go in and play our normal game,” Coach Valerie Pflum, math teacher, said. “Try to play quickly and high-pressure until we can settle in and figure out how they play.”

The team is number one in the area, and the title comes with a price, according to Maria Sirounis, senior.

“There will always be a target on our backs because (other teams) want to beat us. They will try extra hard because we are the best in the area,” Sirounis said.

The team did not expect their current success at the beginning of the season, due to graduating their “core group” last year, according to Sirounis.

However, the talent lost was replaced by this year’s team.

“We weren’t supposed to be that good because we lost those seniors, but we all stepped up because we knew what had to be done,” Sirounis said.

The team did not expect to be this successful after graduating so many of the team’s essential seniors. This year’s ability to make up for lost players gives Majety hope for next year.

“It’ll be another hard loss (losing the seniors), but I think, just like this year, we have a lot of younger players that are coming up as well.”

Coach Pflum chooses not to dwell on losing this year’s seniors because she does not plan on saying goodbye until Oct. 31, the date of the State Championship.

However, she does not deny that it will not be easy.

“You’ve been with them for four years, so they’re family,” Coach Pflum

said.

As a graduating senior whom has been with the same group of girls for four years, Sirounis understand the emotion associated with her final moments on the field.

“It’s definitely sad that this is the end, but it gives us a chance to make a statement and finish off with a bang,” Sirounis said.

While Sirounis hopes the post-season is a long one, she recognizes that nothing is guaranteed and any team can win at any given moment, and advises her team to keep that in mind.

“We just need to try hard in every practice and every game; play it like your last,” Sirounis said.

12student life

Crier/Oct. 2, 2015

Running out of energy All work, minimal sleep cause students, teachers to turn to caffeine for quick energy boost throughout the day Chloe Wineinger Design Editor As weeks go on, she becomes more aware of the inescapable end of the first quarter. As she works toward higher grades, she notices that the clock displays later and later times each night. With the more erratic sleep schedules come the bags under her eyes, the sluggishness in her walk, and the sheer difficulty of keeping her eyes open for just one more minute of class.

This sounds all too familiar to Samantha Chua, junior, who can already feel the pressure of junior year weighing her down. There is one remedy for this, however, that she finds herself turning to. With October recognized as Caffeine Addiction Recovery Month, this month’s theme is all too relevant for many students besides Samantha.

Drinking coffee, which Samantha once drank for enjoyment, is now done out of necessity, drinking as much as three cups of coffee to get herself through the day.

“I have been drinking coffee since middle school because I just liked to drink it, but now I drink it because I actually need it,” Samantha said. “I’ll stay up until at least 12 or 1 a.m. on most nights. Nights are the prime time for me to get my work done, so I have two cups of coffee to make sure I’ll stay awake.”

One of the best aspects of coffee for Samantha is that it is available almost anywhere.

“I feel like coffee is the most convenient source of caffeine,” Samantha said. “I can make my own, get it at drive-by gas stations, or have some at a restaurant or even at the school.”

While Samantha enjoys a warm cup of joe to wake her up, others prefer just a caffeinated can of soda, like Connor Meyer, sophomore. Sometimes, however, he can take it to the extreme, like when he bought a brand of soda from Amazon that was discontinued for its high amount of caffeine.

“It really stimulates my mind when I need to do home-

Average Joe

work, and it just tastes way better than soda without caffeine,” Connor said.

A so-called “Mountain Dew Junkie” herself, Mrs. Samantha Ebert, science teacher, understands and sympathizes with students’ use of caffeine as a stimulant, having used it often herself.

“It’s a quick fix for sleep deprivation,” Mrs. Ebert said.

“Whether they’re tired from staying up doing homework or gaming, they don’t sleep very much. Students have long days and then sometimes clubs or athletics after school, so they use it to get through a long day. I know that’s why I do it.”

Mrs. Ebert has been drinking Mountain Dew and other sodas since before she actually needed them to keep herself awake during the day.

“I’ve drunk (soda) since I was little,” Mrs. Ebert said.

“It had always been in my house since I was little. It was always a thing that we had, so I always drank it without thinking about it.”

While caffeine can be used as a quick wake-me-up, Connor encountered the negative side effects of caffeine when he first became addicted to drinking caffeinated soda and began experiencing major withdrawals.

“Well one time when I was with my friends, I drank like 14 cans of Mountain Dew, so now I’m kind of addicted to caffeine,” Connor said. “Like if I go more than a few days without caffeine, I get ridiculous headaches.”

Between soda and coffee, soda comes out last as far as caffeine content, with coffee (depending on brand choice) coming in a close second to caffeine pills, such as No Doz Alertness Aid. Though soda can cause withdrawals, Mrs. Ebert prefers drinking soda to coffee because the withdrawal effects are less severe.

“The nice thing about pop is that it’s not very concentrated (in caffeine),” Mrs. Ebert said. “It’s mostly empty calories. If you’re actually going for caffeine, go for coffee or tablets. But (soda) is nice if you don’t want to get hooked onto a habit. The higher intake you (have) of caffeine, the worse the withdrawal will be, so if you don’t want to get hooked, pop may be the best route.”

“I would have a huge pickup truck and give it a girly name like Jessica because it’s ironic.”

Samantha Barraza, freshman

“I would name it Brad because I loved Brad, but then I totaled Brad.”

Alex Weakland, sophomore

“I would name it Kylizzlemynizzl.

I would name it that because Kylie Jenner’s snapchats are legendary, and I look up to the Kardashians and Jenners.”

Jacob Van Woert, freshman

“I would name him Herold because it’s a wise name, and I need my car to be wise because otherwise I would get in a car accident.”

Alex Wright, sophomore

Students spend an average of

56%

$10.21

of students get caffeine from soda

Coffee of students get caffeine from coffee

Tea

41%

of students get caffeine from tea

on caffeine weekly

34%

of students get caffeine from energy drinks

Note: totaled percentages do not equal 100 because surveyed students were allowed to choose more than one caffeine source

22.8%

of students say they regularly need caffeine to feel awake

12.0%

of students drink caffeine once a day

enhanced improved cognitive performance auditory vigilance reaction time

feeling of well-being concentration energy

32-200mg

200-300mg

of caffeine

of caffeine

“I’m going to inherit an Explorer, and her name is Dora for obvious reasons.”

“I would name it Curry on Wheels because I’m brown and what’s life without curry?”

Brandon Cordero, junior

Gurkiran Kaur, junior

“I will name my black 2Jz-GTE Twin Turbo Supra ‘Black Death’ after the pandemic, since it will kill all the other cars on the road.”

'I would not name my car. It is a tool to get me from point A to point B.”

Daniel Spencer, senior

Mr. Keith Koszut, science teacher

of students drink caffeine multiple times a day

increased

Energy Drink

15%

Today is National Name Your Car Day. If you had a car, what would you name it?

Students drink caffeine from variety of sources

Soda

54%

BACKTALK

anxiety nausea jitteriness

over 400mg of caffeine

Source: ncbi.nlm.nih.gov; survey conducted by Crier of 591 students from Sept. 21-24 on Google Forms