munster high school Vol. 48 / Issue 1 / August 23, 2013 / Munster High School /8808 Columbia Ave, Munster IN
photo by Pam Muangmingsuk
crier INSIDE LOOK Tomorrow 89/66 Sunday 77/60
Up and coming Homecoming football game takes place tonight at 7 p.m. Classes end at 1:12 p.m. today for pep rally at 1:30
photo by Ali Bauer
IN STYLE Letting Mrs. Tammy Daughtery, English teacher, tease and put loads of hair spray, Morgan Papesh, senior, enjoys ‘80s workout day the most. SEEING DOUBLES Walking next to Max Lawson, junior, served as Dillon Pierie, junior, favorite part of Twin Day. “It’s funny getting weird looks from people.” IN CHARACTER Dressing up as a cow, Yiorgo Karnezis, junior, participates in Character Day.
photo by Cesar Camacho
photo by Pam Muangmingsuk
TRUE COLORS Showing off his Nerd Herd shirt, Luis Dominguez, senior, feels that Nerd day lets him share a different side of himself. “I got to show a few aspect of my character that I don’t show off often,” Luis said. “I feel it’s the same way for everyone.”
CHARACTERS UNITE
Students from all grades share opinions and discuss effects of Homecoming week Nikki Mammano Staff Reporter
FRESHMAN
Vrusha Patel News Editor
Holding a bouquet of pink flowers, Matt Treco, freshman, anxiously approaches a girl he wished to bring to the Homecoming dance during his lunch. Despite the fact that she declined to his proposal, it did not discourage Matt from finding a date and he continued to ask other friends at lunch. “I’m still going to go even if I don’t find a date,” Matt said, “No one’s going to stop me, I’m fearless. Why would I miss an occasion where I could have fun?” While Matt does not see it necessary to attend the dance in order to appreciate the full high school experience, he feels students should still go. “Just like going to the games and music programs, it (homecoming) is a part of the high school experience,” Matt said. “It’s not a matter of not having a date, it’s about going to have fun and enjoying yourself.” The minions from “Despicable Me” pose as the freshman theme. Chris Carillo, freshman, feels that the theme portrays his class well and the Disney theme in general brings back childhood memories. “The theme is good because we (freshman) are like minions to the upperclassmen,” Chris said.
SOPHOMORE When entering freshmen year Anna Riggs, sophomore, wanted to kick off her four years of high school with a bang by participating in spirit week full heartedly. “When I was a freshmen homecoming was really fun because it was a nice and interesting way to start the school year” Anna said. Mackenzie Peirick, sophomore, learned many people did not take it upon themselves to judge others during spirit week, which relieved some of her freshman jitters. It made her more confident in participating more and showing school spirit. “The Toy Story theme resembles the sophomore class because we are all different just like the toys in the movies,” Mackenzie, said.
JUNIOR With her whole class raving about having Monsters Inc. as their Homecoming theme, Maddy Purcell, junior, trembles in fear while finding the theme unpleasant. “I really like the Disney theme, but I’m not a fan of Monsters Inc,” Maddy said. “As a child I had nightmares of my door opening and Mike Wachowski would be there as a floating eye. It was traumatizing.” The week of Homecoming lifts up junior,
Katelyn Sanders mood when she spots costumes in the hallways and the cheerful hyper mood of her classmates. “The whole week is fun,” Katelyn said. “It’s not as strict as normal school and you can have fun by dressing up. It takes our mind off of all the work we have to do.”
Parade starts at 12:45 at Elliott Elementary School, ends at football stadium Chicken Barbecue today at 4:30--6:30 p.m. today
Seven period day Crier gives an in-depth look two the new seven period day
page 2 Fresh Faces New teachers reveal their story, why they became educators
page 4 Eye on the ball Boys’ Tennis prepare for season, looks for new leaders to step up
page 7
SENIOR Finally after years of waiting, Morgan Papesh, senior, got the chance to travel back in time to the ‘80s with all of her fellow seniors. “I’ve been waiting for senior spirit week since I was a freshman,” Morgan said, “I’m so excited that it’s finally here.” Morgan came prepared to sweat while working out in the commons dressed in bright neon colors and an ‘80s styled leotard. “It was really fun, hot, and overall a great time,” Morgan said. “During Homecoming week everyone gets a little closer and over the years we’ve grown closer as a class.” Renee Rumas, senior, also can not wait to participate now that she’s entitled to dress up in the senior spirit themes. “It’s really fun to dress up and see how many people show school spirit,” Renee said. “You wait all four years to be a senior and everyone looks up to you because we’re the only ones that get to dress like this.”
Sharing spirit
Community, students engage in parade ! ! ! ! !
Munster Police Dept, Munster EMS, Munster Fire Dept. JV Cheerleaders, JV Dance Team Best Buddies, Publications Queen Court Grades’ floats
Hype up
Student Government has planned activities ! ! ! ! !
Disney Trivia Minute to win games Obstacle course Disney Karaoke Tug of war
source: Student Government President Eashen Kumar, senior
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NEWS Crier / Vol. 48 / Issue 1 / Sept. 6, 2013
Quick notes Project X
Project X will sponsor Spread the Love Peanut Butter Drive
Project X will collect peanut butter jars throughout the month of September for the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana’s Spread the Love charity. Northwest Indiana conducts the peanut butter drive as a part of National Hunger action month, according to sponsor, Ms. Leigh Ann Westland, English teacher. As the new Project X sponsor, Ms. Westland plans to continue with the projects done in the previous years, along with involving the club in new projects. “I would like to build a club that provides volunteers for people who really need it,” Ms. Westland said. CATCHING UP WITH FRIENDS Eating and enjoying lunch with his friends Connor Bubash, sophomore, feels as though lunch periods contain less time due to the fact that he waits in line longer to get his lunch. “There are too many people and it doesn’t work,” Connor said. photo by Gabrielle Dore
SEVEN PERIOD SHUFFLE With removal of lunch period, students, faculty adjust to new changes
said. Mrs. Vail believes the most common complaint is that a student did not acquire a class they asked for while The school must adjust to the new schedule and the scheduling. other changes to the lunches. “There is no way to choose classes by seniority. It’s Mrs. Sharon Vail, Guidance Counselor, believes that decided by your other five classes,” Mrs. Vail said. the problems with this schedule may be psychological. Mrs. Vail also hears complaints about the lunch “The time hasn’t changed and they’re feeling pressure schedules. to do more homework for more classes,” Hunter describes the scene in the Close knit lunch Mrs. Vail said. lunch room as “chaotic” . Hunter Standley, junior, believes that Contrary to popular belief, “There’s people everywhere fighting the extra class takes a toll on his study lunch room can seat up to over tables and by the time people get habits. their lunch the bell rings,” Hunter said. 650 students “I don’t have a lot of time in class to Mrs. Martha Silverthorn, Director of study. All the teachers are scrambling to Student Nutrition, believes that it takes students in A lunch more time for students and staff to get get everything done quicker,” Hunter said. “It doesn’t seem to prepare us for comfortable with the lunches. students in B lunch college. It’s just credit pushing and a lot of “The kids needed to learn what is for pressure on us.” lunch, where to sit, and which line is On the other hand, Stephanie Bulow, students in C lunch which,” Mrs. Silverthorn said. junior, maintains the notion that the extra However, Hunter believes that the Source: Mrs. Sharon Vail, class helps her. problem may not be with the actual Guidance Counselor “I like the extra class. It helps me take lunches themselves. the electives I want along with the requirements I need,” “It’s too crowded. There are too many people and not Stephanie said. enough tables,” Hunter said. “I feel like I’m being sufMrs. Vail saw at least 175 students in the first four days focated,” of the new school year. However, she believes that the In contrast, Mrs. Silverthorn believes that the new norm did not change with the new schedule. lunch schedules are working well. “This year is no different then any other year,” Mrs. Vail “I can see now that the students and staff are so much
Max Baker Staff Writer
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Speech and Debate
Speech and Debate team will host the annual Chicken Barbecue
Speech and Debate host their 45 annual Chicken Barbecue today at 4:30 p.m. in the cafeteria. Community members or students can pick up tickets at the main office until they sell out. Prices range from adult tickets costing $8.50, senior citizens tickets costing $7.50 and children tickets costing $5.50. Coach Jordan Mayer, English teacher, notes that not only him, but many members of the community look forward to the barbecue. “Although it’s a lot of work, I look forward to seeing so many friendly faces,” Coach Mayer said. “It really brings our community together.”
Policy Changes
Changes to backpack policy to take affect with the new year Principal Mr. Mike Wells and Media Specialist Mrs. Twila Marsh visited local venders over the summer to inspect backpacks equal to the Dell backpacks. Criteria sought out included padding on the bottom and all sides, strong straps and a designated area from the laptop. Mr. Wells and Mrs. Marsh marked down brand, price and store. Students can go to the school website for a list of backpacks they can use other than the Dell backpacks. After going to Target, Staples, WalMart and Best Buy, Mrs. Marsh still believes that the Dell backpacks, at a $40 value, serves as the best.
House Bill1432 enforces new bullying laws
STAND, Administration work together to follow new laws set in motion by the Indiana General Assembly
Vicky Avina Associate Editor Administration works with Socially Together and Naturally Diverse (STAND) to ensure that the school meets Indiana House Bill No. 1423 (HB 1423) requirements. HB 1423, signed May 11, mandates that all schools in Indiana establish a bullying prevention program. “Our prevention program is the STAND organization,” Mr. Morgan Nolan, Assistant Principal, said. “I think the only way we can decrease the bullying is for the bystanders to intervene.” Like Mr. Nolan, STAND President Laurel Curran, senior, feels that stu-
dents who witness bullying should intervene. She also encourages STAND members and students to talk to the victims afterwards. “You don’t always have to say something to the bully,” Laurel said. “Go up to the victim and say it’s okay. The bully is wrong and you are a wonderful person.” HB 1423 requires administration to provide bullying education to students, and training to school faculty. Mr. Nolan came to STAND about having Travis Brown, also known as Mr. Mojo, the founder of the anti-bullying program, Mojoup, as a speaker. After listening to Mr. Mojo speak to in eighth grade about bullying, Lau-
rel felt overjoyed to hear that he could come in and educate Munster High School students on bullying. “I walked out of that seminar like, ‘whoa’,” Laurel said. “He’s an awesome speaker.” Mr. Mojo will come in Oct. 7 to hold a seminar about bullying. After the seminar, Mr. Nolan hopes that students and faculty members get a better understanding of the definition of bullying and what to do about it. “Defining bullying is an issue,” Mr. Nolan said. “A lot of times we’re quick to decide that any disagreement between students or people is bullying. Bullying is the repeated harassment of someone.”
Effort to end bully set in motion According to HB 1432 each school must implement the following: !
Record instances of bullying and document them on the performance report.
!
Formulate rules for the investigation and reporting of bullying instances in school Devise a plan on steps and use of follow up and support services for the victim and the bully. Administer and educate the school employees on bully prevention.
!
! !
Enlighten the students about the annual bullying prevention program. Source: openstates.org
SPEAKOUT Crier / Vol. 48 / Issue 1 / Sept. 6, 2013
BACKTALK
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If you were principal, what would you change?
“I would add another lunch because it’s too crowded.”
“I would do what the middle school did with the student ambassadors.”
Tia Nichols, freshman
Danielle Oberman, freshman
editorial
WEIGHTED DOWN Struggling to keep his eyes open, a student attempts to finish his homework. Last year, he stayed up until at least 11 p.m. every night on work. This year, he stays up until 1 a.m., sometimes even two. After sleeping only a few hours a night, he then has to wake up the next morning and power through another day of school. The work proves strenuous. The anxiety caused by heightened stress levOUR TAKE els and a heavy work load makes it even harder for him to make it Seven period day through the day. does not benefit High school has caused stress in students; block teenagers for years; however, addscheduling proves ing an extra class at the end of each more beneficial day brings in more stress. School stress affects students more than home stress, according to stageoflife.com. Providing the ability for students to get ahead and manage another class is, however, beneficial to students. That is, if the organization of the classes and schedule
is manageable. Many juniors and seniors tackling AP and duel-credit courses do not have the time required to completely involve themselves in additional courses. Munster should transition to a block schedule in order to provide students with the time needed to achieve success as well as preparing them for college. If classes met every other day, students would have two nights to complete homework for each class, giving them the ability to juggle their classes and succeed in them. Block schedules also would provide students with a chance to prepare for college because in college, students have classes on only a few days a week, rather than on a daily basis. Change is not easy; however, making the switch to a block schedule would benefit students in the long run.
Athletes’ talent in question William Hatczel Sports Editor Twelve Major League Baseball (MLB) players were suspended for using Performance Enhancing Drugs (PEDs) last month. The players suspended include Ryan Braun and Alex Rodriguez, who have put up great statistics over their careers. Braun hit 1156 balls in his seven year career, while Rodriguez hit 2920 in 20 years. Both of these players put their statistics into question with their newly discovered use of PEDs. Drugs such as amphetamines, HGH, and testosterone are considered PEDs that athletes use to heighten their athletic abilities, according to medicaldic-
tionary.com. By taking PEDs, players give themselves advantages not only over the other team, but even their teammates. PEDs prevent others from seeing the player’s true talent. The integrity of any sports game tarnishes by the use of PEDs. Fans lose respect and trust in the players who use PEDs and the entire league itself. Studies suggest that not only professionals athletes take advantage of PEDs; five to 11 percent of high school boys and .5 percent to 2.5 percent of high school girls have tried PEDs, according to saintvincenthelth.com. Munster requires random drug testing of students and athletes, but who knows if they test them enough to
Crier Crier, Munster High School’s official student newspaper, may be reached at 8808 Columbia Ave, Munster, IN 46321, phone 219-836-3200, Ext. 3265; Fax: 129-836-3202. Published by the Honors Newspaper Advanced Writing and Editing classes, and extra-curricular involvement. •The newspaper serves a public forum and two-way communication for the school and community.•Crier is a source of information, entertainment, advertising and opinion for the student body, faculty, administration and community •Published material will stress objective reporting except on the editorial page where opinion writing will be featured. •All published material will stress accuracy, truthfulness, integrity, honesty, responsibility, objectivity, fairness and independence.
catch any offenders. Cheating in sports should be taken more seriously not only in professional sports, but also at the high school level. Not everyone can make it to the professional leagues, but that doesn’t mean athletes should go above and beyond to desperately become better by using PEDs. Athletes who take PEDs may enjoy playing better and even winning that State title. However, it will haunt them the rest of their lives knowing that they cheated and did not deserve all the success that came their way. The solution to stopping PED usage in high school sports is simple. High schools just need to have mandatory drug testing on athletes biweekly.
Opinions expressed in the newspaper do not necessarily reflect those of the School Town of Munster, faculty or administration. Letters to the Editor are welcomed, but should be limited to 250 words. All letters must be signed and should be given directly to any staff member or delivered to the Pub, N155, one week prior to publication. Letters must not contain personal attacks against an individual. Editors reserve the right to edit for length, clarity, and grammatical errors. Crier will accept letters from anyone, provided that the content pertains to school/ or school issues. Subscriptions cost $4 per semester or $6.50 per school year. Mailed subscriptions cost $15 per year. Ad rates and policies are available to anyone upon request. Crier is published 13 times a school year. The Staff Editor-in-Chief Cassie Eberle
“I would probably get rid of summer reading.”
Alex Reich, sophomore
“I would change it back to four lunches because there’s too many people.” Brandon Johnson, junior
“I would make passing periods longer so kids can relax in between classes.” Elizabeth Beckman, senior
“I would take away the seven period day and bring back study hall since a lot of people still took it.” Jocelyn Rivera, sophomore
“I would make a rule that students could use their phones during passing period and lunch.” John Hulsey, junior
“I would go back to six periods and study hall.”
Mr. Dusan Vidovic, Math teacher
Managing Editor Jordan Cockrum Associate Editor Victoria Avina Lifestyles Editor Meena Kandallu Infocus Editors Lauren Rouse Sports Editors William Hatczel, Carly Kennedy News Editors Vrusha Patel, Maxwell Baker Staff Reporter Nikki Mammano Head Photographer Gabrielle Dore Photographers Alex Baker, Ali Bauer, Natalia Bilek, Cesar Camacho, Chelsea Eickleberry, Casey Gouwens, Gage Knor, Lauren Koultourides, Pam Muangmingsuk, Alisha Muñoz, Cartoonist Hannah Fischer Advisers Sarah-Anne Lanman
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INFOCUS Crier / Vol. 48 / Issue 1 / Sept. 6, 2013
FRESH FACULTY Fresh faces join Munster’s teaching faculty this new year Ms. Riddell Max Baker News Editor Ms. Katherine Riddell, math teachers, changed her master’s four times. First from biology, to health education, to nursing, before settling on math education from Purdue University. “I wasn’t enjoying my classes I was taking.” Ms. Riddell said. “They didn’t intrigue me.” Ms. Riddell believes her urge to transform herself into a teacher stems from the influence her math teachers had on her. Ms. Riddell believes that the role of a teacher is to encourage students. “That’s what a teacher does.” Ms. Riddell said. “They push students to be the very best they can be.” The transition to Munster was a challenge Ms. Riddell was willing to accept, claiming that Munster was the best around. “I heard all these wonderful and
great things about Munster. While working at Bishop Noll, they would always reference Munster’s ECA and SAT scores.” Ms. Riddell said. “It seemed like we were always trying to be Munster.”
Mr. Knight Max Baker News Editor
After graduating from Munster in 2008 and Purdue in 2012, Mr. Mark Knight, math teacher, returns to his home town and high school. “During college I knew I wanted to be a math teacher.” Mr. Knight said. ‘I kept my major the same all four years of college.” Mr. Knight believes that his own high school teachers, notably Mrs. Pat Premetz, helped him develop his own unique style of teaching. “They (his high school teachers) were great and always willing to help me,” Mr. Knight said.
photo by Gabrielle Dore
FUN WITH ALGEBRA (Above), Ms. Riddell writes out an equation and looks for student with the answer. “I always try and keep the kids entertained and engaged.” Ms. Riddell said. “I try to mix things up by playing Jeopardy and having team competitions.”SOLVING THE EQUATION (Right), Mr. Knight enjoys teaching his class. He claims that tutoring students helped influenced his decision to teach and that he wanted to come back and service the community that serviced him while he was in high school. “I like helping people,” Mr. Knight said. I also like helping people understand the way things work which is why I chose to teach math.”
photo by Natalia Bilek
Ms. Germann Carly Kennedy Sports Editor After teaching at Highland and working at Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, Ms. Cara Germann, Earth-Space teacher, makes the transition to Munster High School and starts her third year of teaching. “It’s interesting with the computers and dealing with the textbook issues,” Ms. Germann said, “But other than that, it’s fun.” Ms. Germann tries to interest her students in science and the world around them. “My hope is that students apply science in general,” Ms. Germann said. “It’s stuff we see every day and knowledge they cause.”
photo by Gabrielle Dore
PROBLEM SOLVING, (Top) Ms. Germann helps a student on their laptop. “I do a little bit of lecture and video clips for different learners. It all ties in with hands on learning,” Ms. Germann said. MAKING JOKES (Right) Ms. Rubesha laughs during class. One of my favorite teachers was my biology teacher,” Ms. Rubesha said, “his class made biology fun and I want to do the same.”
Mr. Barba
Ms. Rubesha Meena Kandallu Lifestyles Editor
photo by Alisha Muñoz
Carly Kennedy Sports Editor Mr. Jaime Barba, German and Spanish teacher, fourth year of teaching commences, after moving to the United States only one month ago from Spain. The transition has been busy but fine, according to Mr. Barba. Mr. Barba teaches two of the five languages he speaks; English, German, Spanish, Russian, and Bulgarian. Mr. Barba claims that his goal is to help his students learn and understand the language.
Mr. Lilley Meena Kandallu Lifestyles Editor Mr. William Lilley, Munster’s new resource teacher, remembers a former job as a day camp counselor and cites
To first-year biology teacher, Ms. Brianne Rubesha, a former Munster High School student, teaching serves as more than just a job. It serves as a way of giving back. “I had really great teachers in the past that pushed me to want to be a teacher,” Ms. Rubesha it as one of the reasons for choosing teaching. “I loved being around kids all day and just getting to have fun,” Mr. Lilley said, “That’s really my favorite part of teaching.” For Mr. Lilley, teaching serves as more than just an academic job. “I think I have a lot to teach when it comes to life skills, which are very important for students to have,” Mr. Lilley said. After working as a job coach in Penn High School in South Bend, Mr. Lilley strongly believes in the importance of life skills. “That job was all about real-life and vocational skills,” Mr. Lilley said, “I realized how important to be prepared for life after high school.” Mr. Lilley believes Munster provides a great environment for teaching and learning because of its supportive staff.
said, “They instilled in me what a good education is and I think it would be a great accomplishment to be just like them.” Ms. Rubesha not only credits her choice of profession to former teachers, but also the subject she chose to teach. “One of my favorite teachers was my biology teacher,” Ms. Rubesha said. “His class made biology fun and I want to do the same.” Many of Ms. Rubesha’s former teachers now work with her because she graduated from Munster High School. “It’s a great experience to work with the people who inspired me to be a teacher and it’s nice to finally be on the other side of things,” Ms. Rubesha said. Seeing the different personalities of students proves as the best part of teaching, according to Ms. Rubesha. “Every single student has their own way of learning and thinking,” Ms. Rubesha said, “and I love seeing them thrive.” Ms. Rubesha feels although she only recently started teaching and cannot predict how the year will go, she has coworkers who she can count on. “I’m really looking forward to the rest of this year,” Ms. Rubesha said.
WRITING IT OUT (Right) Mr. Barba writes on the board in German during class. “My hope is that my students will learn from me,” Mr. Barba said. TYPING A WORKSHEET (Bottom), Mr. Lilley glances down at another paper. “In undergraduate school, the experiences were too shallow and didn’t really allow me to interact with students,” Mr. Lilley said, “The students brought me back to teaching.” photo by Casey Gouwens
photo by Casey Gouwens
INFOCUS Crier / Vol. 48 / Issue 1 / Sept. 6, 2013
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ADMINISTRATION
ADJUSTMENT
This school year brings in two new deans, Mr. Melby, Ms. Moore, along with Mr. Wells moving up as principal
you,” Mr. Wells said. “I think it’s why we go into education; those are defining moments in any teacher’s life.” Six years after returning to Munster as an assistant principal, Mr. Wells received the chance to step up as principal. Mr. Tripenfeldas moved to central office, and the selection of a new principal took place. “The first thought going through my head was that I wished I could have called my mom to tell her I got the job,” Mr. Wells said. “She would have been proud.” Mr. Wells sees his job as teaching in some aspects; he teaches new teachers how to do their job to the best of their ability. “Being a principal in a way is still teaching,” Mr. Wells said. “I hope to bring out the best in them (new teachers) as a teacher does to new students.” However, with the addition of new administration as well as Mr. Morgan Nolan, assistant principal, and Mr. Robert Snyder, assistant principal, moving to new positions, Mr. Wells feels that this year’s main goal stands as learning. “This is a learning year,” Mr. Wells said. “I’m learning something new every day.” The school hired Mr. William Melby and Mrs. Denise Moore as new deans this year. Mrs. Moore’s first day of school proved impressive; she did not expect the students to be as courteous as they were. “I was in a state of shock. I think how well-behaved these students are,” Mrs. Moore said. “I had lunch duty and I didn’t even have to tell anyone to take care of their garbage. And so many teachers asked about my first day, which is always a great feeling.”
Jordan Cockrum Managing Editor Over the course of his 20+ years in education, Mr. Mike Wells, principal, gradually made the transition from teacher to assistant principal to principal. When he started teaching, Mr. Wells never set out to become a principal; rather, he found himself encouraged to take on jobs in school administration. “I never had ambitions to be a principal,”Mr. Wells said. “It was just a natural progression of where I felt I needed to be. I would have enjoyed being a teacher the rest of my life.” Before making the transition from teacher to administrator, Mr. Wells had to make the decision to take on teaching. This decision stemmed from volunteering as a counselor for a camp. “Seeing the changes they (the campers) went through and just having an impact on their lives made me choose that career,” Mr. Wells said. “I was able to impact their lives in a positive way.” Mr. Wells started off his teaching career in 1997 in Merrillville, and started at Munster as an Earth Space and Biology teacher four years later. His years as a teacher provided him with some of the most significant experiences of his career. “One would be when a kid would come back to you for whatever reason and thank
photos by Gabrielle Dore MOVING UP (Top) Watching over the students during lunch, Mr. Wells feels honored to accept the position as principal. “I get to see a lot more of the positive aspects of the school than the negative things that happen,” Mr. Wells said. WATCHFUL EYES (Bottom) Mr. Melby and Ms. Moore converse while supervising during lunch. “This is the one time we get to see the large student body instead of having to work in our offices,” Ms. Moore said.
Time Flies
18 years before Mr. Wells accepted the position as principal, he started his journey as a teacher working his way up through the ranks First year teaching at Merrillville High School as a science teacher 1999 1995 Started teaching at Munster High School
Transferred to Chicago Public Schools
Accepted position as principal of Munster High School 2006 2013
2003 Returned to Munster as Assistant Principal
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LIFESTYLES Crier / Vol. 48 / Issue 1 / Sept. 6, 2013
In the
spotlight
With the impending announcement of homecoming queen, nominees reveal their feelings, escorts Amber Caldwell Game Escort: Alex Courtney, senior Parade Escort: Steven Herndon, senior “I was really shocked but also really excited to be on court.”
Itxel Carlos Game Escort: Sam Bell, senior Parade Escort: Ricky Delgado, senior “Its an honor to be on court. I can only hope for the best.”
Deeva Khatiwada
Game Escort: Tommy Bolanowski, senior
photo illustration by Casey Gouwens
BATTLEFIELD GLORY
With the Battle of the Bridge game tonight, students, teachers reminisce about celebrations of the past, present colors, according to Coach Marsh. “It’s really sad that this tradition has been lost,” Coach Marsh said. “It was The Battle of the Bridge compares to never legal, they didn’t really take acno ordinary football game, according tion against students.” to Coach Leroy Marsh. It serves as the As long as students repainted the culmination of the epic, bridge its original color, long-standing Munster- Bridge battles the police looked the Battle of the Bridge Highland rivalry. other way regarding For over four decades, through the decades vandalism laws, accordthe champions have won 1966-1975 ing to Coach Marsh. more than just a trophy: “I still think the Munster: 8 wins, 2 losses they have won a bridge. towns (Highland and 1976-1985 Coach Marsh reMunster: 8 wins, 2 losses Munster) should almembers the winners low the winning team of the yearly Battle of 1986-1995 Munster: 7 wins, 3 losses to have a little fun the Bridge game sprayand paint the bridge,” painting the Munster- 1996-2005 Coach Marsh said. Munster: 6 wins, 4 losses Highland Bridge with Teachers, coaches 2006-2012 school colors. and administrators alMunster: 7 wins, 0 losses ways frowned upon the “Decorating the bridge was really a neat, bridge decorating, but it fun tradition,” Coach Marsh said. “It remained a tradition for years, accordbrought students together and intensi- ing to former Munster football player, fied school spirit a lot.” Mr. Robert Shinkan, math teacher. Over the years, police enforcement “Everyone knew this was something of vandalism laws gradually grew they shouldn’t do, but it still happened stricter and now prevents students ever year,” Mr. Shinkan said. from painting the bridge with school Coach Marsh remembers one partic-
Meena Kandallu Lifestyles Editor
ular year in which students painted the bridge while floating down the river in rafts in order to remain unseen by police, who had parked on the bridge. “I think the police didn’t really want to stop this tradition, but inappropriate things were being painted instead of school colors and vandalism was becoming a problem,” Coach Marsh said. “It’s disappointing, but the police did what they had to.” Although students cannot paint the bridge any longer, they try to keep the tradition going as best as they can by taking pictures on the bridge instead, according to senior, Sam Helmer. “It’s really cool for the seniors to be able to go to the bridge and take pictures,” Sam said. “But I’ve heard a lot of stories about the bridge painting and its disappointing not being able to participate in such a huge tradition.” Coach Marsh believes that police should allow students to bring back the bridge-painting tradition. “It used to be a great way of increasing camaraderie and school spirit,” Coach Marsh said “And it’s sad to see it gone.”
“I am so excited and just being on the court, I already feel like a winner.”
Samantha Koufos Game Escort: Luke Wuchenich, senior “I think its really cool that students picked me to be on the court.”
Elaina Etter Game Escort: Demetri Georgalas, senior “It was just so unbelievable at first. Its something I think every little girl wants and I’m so honored.”
Judie Muhrez Game Escort: Rathnam Venkat, senior “I’m just happy that my fellow students thought I was worthy enough to be on the court. I’m really honored.”
SPORTS Crier / Vol. 48 / Issue 1 / Sept. 6, 2013
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NEW YEAR NEW FACES Boy’s Varsity Tennis begins new season while looking for players to fill in leadership gap with loss of Fab 5 William Hatczel Sports Editor
photo by Cesar Camacho
photo by Gabrielle Dore
SERVES UP (Top) Swinging his racket as he jumps in the air, Arlo Detmer,sophomore, plays in a doubles match with Patrick Toth,junior “To serve the ball properly, you have to decide where you want to hit the ball,” Detmer said. UNDERHAND (Bottom) Lowering his body, Colin Richter, senior, prepares to return a serve. “Focusing on a return and is all in reading the spin and pace on the ball,” Richter said. “Then get your position and bend you knees.”
Nikki Mammano Staff Reporter
Looking out on his new team practice this year, Coach Steve Lopez, Social Studies teacher, sees a whole new group of boys after losing the “Fab 5.” “They’re not trying to reproduce the “Fab 5,’” Coach Lopez said. “They were a huge part of the team, but these guys have to look at how they are now the core of the program and form their own identity.” In order to find their new identity, at practice, the boys’ compete against each other to figure out where they rank on the ladder, according to Coach Lopez. “There has been a lot of competition,” Coach Lopez said. “It requires a lot of conditioning and intensity, but when they play against each other they can’t wait to play against the other teams.” To insure the team’s success, they must find the right combination of people to play together for their lineup, according to Alex Wisniewski, junior. The boys have also recovered by having the junior team step up and the senior class pull the team together, according to Wisniewski. “It (losing the “Fab 5”) was weird at first because they were a vital part to the team,”
Alex Wisniewski said. “However it’s benefiting us because it is making other guys step up so they can perform better and we can fill their shoes.” The “Fab 5,” gave great examples to the team, whether it was just at practice or playing in a match, according to Captain Marty O’Shaughnessy, senior. However, O’Shaughnessy feels that losing them has not taken an extreme toll on the team. “Something about them brought the whole team together,” O’Shaughnessy said. “They were great players but it is not going to affect us to the point where we won’t win, we’re still a good team without them. It is just the social aspect.” One of the main challenges they will face this year will arise during regionals when they play against their rival Crown Point, according to Wisniewski. “They think they’re going to take our regional title away from us because they have five seniors that stayed when we lost five,” Wisniewski said, “but we’re not going to let that happen.” At their most recent match against Highland yesterday they won 5-0. The team almost played to perfection, according to Colin Richter, senior. “We handled Highland pretty easily,” Richter said. “Almost everyone won 6-0, 6-0.” In order to play close to perfection, Richter believes it came from playing like they usually do. “We played our game and did what we practiced,” Richter said.
Weekend sacrifice for team success Girls’ Varsity Golf to play at invite instead of going to Homecoming Dance this weekend Lauren Rouse Social Media Director The Girls’ Golf team will play at the Lafayette Jefferson Invite at Battle Ground Golf Club tomorrow morning. “Battle Ground Golf Club is where our Regionals will be played at the end of September,” Jill Osterhus, senior, said. “I’m not worried about not going to Homecoming though even though it’s my senior year. There are plenty of dances and I would rather golf than go to Homecoming.” Despite the invite falling on the same day as Homecoming, Coach Bill Smitka, social studies teacher, believes that it remains worth it. “I got us into this invite for a couple of reasons,” Coach Smitka said. “First of all, we will get to play on the course and practice it. Then if we get to Regionals, we will be more prepared. Secondly, it’s the same teams that will most likely play in regional competition.” A difficult endeavor for the team, the Battle Ground course remains longer than most courses, which in turn, generates a harder and longer game. In order to prepare for this match, the team practiced their short game or putting skills and honed their current techniques, according to Natalie Vellutini, junior. “In the past couple of weeks we had more practice time,” Vellutini said. “We were then able to develop new shots and didn’t have to worry about the pressure of matches. Compared to last year, our team has really improved and we’ve posted lower scores, which is great.”
A lack of familiarity on the course will hurt the team. Rachel Jones, junior, believes that how fast the ball travels across the green, the speed of greens, and trouble spots remain a huge disadvantage. “We just have to figure out the course when we get there,” Jones said. “Then I think if we keep calm and have confidence in each other, we’ll be able to do what we normally do. I’m personally not trying to make it a big deal because I know how to perform at my best.” Along with the unfamiliar greens, the girls also must deal with the competition from other teams. Vellutini believes that this match acts as a judge to where the team stands in a match, such as Regionals. “It’s going to be some stiff opposition,” Vellutini said. “Then if we make it to Regionals, we have to deal with Lake Central and Crown Point, our biggest competition, which is a decent challenge.” Osterhus believes that team created a bond that will help them forget about the stress and win in their games. “We all get along really well,” Osterhus said. “We did bonding time and there’s not a lot of drama on the team. We have good practices and don’t have to worry about much when it comes to if the team gets along.” Coach Smitka believes that the team performs better due to this bond. “This is a great group of girls,” Coach Smitka said. “I look forward to practice because they all get along really well. They tough it out and always do their best, and I’m proud of them for that.”
Beginner’s Guide Coach Smitka’s tips for golfers just starting out
1.
Set up to the ball the same way every time.
2.
Must keep head down and swing easy.
3.
Always use natural momentum in swing to get solid contact with ball
4.
Find and keep same pace in every swing
5.
Concentration required to set up tempo of swing Source: Coach Smitka
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SPORTS Crier / Vol. 48 / Issue 1 / Sept. 6, 2013
photo by Natalia Bilek
BREAKING AWAY Pushing through the crowd, Anothony Conroyd, senior, tries to get around Lake Central’s offensive linemen. “You need to rip your arm through and dip your shoulder to try and split them,” Conroyd said. “It is not really easy if they have a better position on you.”
photo illustration by Gabrielle Dore
ALL OR NOTHING Boys’ Varsity football attempts to claim rivalry trophy; bridge tonight in Homecoming game
photo illustration by Gabrielle Dore
William Hatczel Sports Editor
Joe Jumonville,senior
5’11 Passing Comp 6
175 lbs
Att 18
Yards TD 65
1
TD
Long
Rushing Att 25
Yards
82
1
11
Int 1
Stepping on the field for the first time before the Chesterton game and hearing the band play, Quarterback Joe Jumonville, senior, feels the adrenaline pumping through his body while trying to focus on how to read the defense and remember the plays. After losing to Chesterton on Monday, the team now shifts their focus on their Homecoming opponent, Highland. Pressure rode high on the boys this week as they prepared to face a rival like Highland during the week of Homecoming, according to Safety Adam Ostoich,junior. “It (the game) is one of the top three games of the season,” Ostoich said. “Lake Central is our biggest rival, but Highland, is up there. There is a lot of pressure because they are our rivals and it is Homecoming week.” Despite the pressure leaning on them, Ostoich enjoys the atmosphere on game night. “It is nice because the entire town comes to this game,” Ostoich said. “Being a junior, I want to do it (win) for the seniors.” Coach Leroy Marsh, health teacher, believes that players feel more pressure and distractions with all the celebrations that occurred during the week and the larger crowds that usually come to the Homecoming game. “I think players want to play well in front of fans, friends, and alumni,” Coach Marsh said. “It (the week) is more distracting for players with the dance, Powderpuff game, and the parade. We have to make sure that we do not fall into the trap.” While celebrating Homecoming week and dealing with all the distractions this week, running back Seth Gutwein, junior, feels the team needed to try to remember the task at hand, the game. “There are a lot of obstacles to get over because of everything that is going on,” Gutwein said. “It is hard to stay focused with the parade and all the dressing up.” Coach Marsh feels that the defense just needed to continue working the simple parts in their preparation for tonight. “We just needed to keep working on fundamentals such
as tackling and attacking the football,” Coach Marsh said. In order to have a productive night, the offense will need to play well in two particular areas, according to Coach Marsh. “We need to continue running the ball effectively and stretch the field horizontally,” Coach Marsh said. Along with running the ball with success, Gutwein Hunter Rycerz, feels the offensive line needs sophomore to make sure they do their job tonight. “The coaches consider the senior linemen as leaders,” Gutwein said. “The offensive Comp Att 3 4 line has to be good. If they are then the rest of us will be Yards TD Int fine.” 25 0 1 Jumonville knows he needs to perform well in order to win. Att Yards TD “I need to complete a lot 50 0 of my passes and make au- 4 dibles during the game,” Ju- *Stats from monville said. Lake Station game Every year, both teams face Sources:NWItimes.com each other and they know the two prizes they can claim if They come out victorious, according to Ostoich. “If we win, the seniors will stop at the bridge (that connects Highland and Munster) and take pictures,” Ostoich said. “We can also win a trophy for the rivalry.” While Ostoich enjoyed all of the aspects of Homecoming week, he knows that the biggest challenge of the week stands in front of him now. “It is nice to do what we do up to the game like the parade and having fun at school,” Ostoich said. “I woke up excited, but at the end of the parade you think it is closer to the beginning of everything.”
5’10 145 lbs Passing
Rushing