MHS Crier | Issue 2 | 9.30.2022

munster high school 8808 columbia ave. munster, indiana 46321 http://mhsnews.net

Getting into the groove

Saying goodbye to the days of parking lot dances and ideas “to-be-determined,” Lily He, junior, looks forward to her first normal Home coming dance. With seniors being the only class to experience a truly normal Homecoming, under classmen have only ever had a dance last year when it was in the parking lot by the tennis courts.

“I honestly have no idea how Homecoming is going to be inside,” Lily said. “I do feel like without covid everyone has been so busy and people have had less time to prepare for Homecoming, so I’m sort of winging it this year.”

Regardless of feelings, this year brought new traditions and old to the halls of MHS.

lauren hoogeveen story editor

MONDAY: NERDS & COUNTRY CLUB

SENIOR DISCOUNT Sit ting in a booth at lunch, seniors Lauren Barnes and Maya Madrigal dress as grandmas. (photo by lita cleary)

A BEARY HAPPY

HOMECOMING At the end of the school day, Chris Kub isty, sophomore, asks Jennifer Barajas, sophomore, to home coming with a sign. (photo by zoe clark)

NERDIN’ OUT

Talking to a friend, Riley Ka zragys, junior, dressed up for nerd day. (photo by damien salahieh)

TUESDAY: SENIOR CITIZENS VS. BABIES & NERDS

HOBBLING IN Dressing up for Senior Citizens Day versus Babies, Kaitlyn Bilinger, sophomore, walks into N151. (photo by zoe clark)

PICTURE

PERFECT Posing for a separate photo, seniors Makena Mendoza, Monika Swiatko,Sydney Fran tal and Janai Munoz take part in Nerd Day. (pho to by lita cleary)

EMBRACING SPIRIT Walking to seventh hour, freshmen Will Keegan and Bella Parker-Flinchum dress up for senior citizen day. (photo by zoe clark)

WEDNESDAY: RANDOM & BBQ DADS VS. SOCCER MOMS

PUMP IT UP Sneaking in a small workout, Clover Sarkady, junior, dresses as a soccer mom. (photo by josephine mittelberger)

THE SMELL OF BBQ Ready to grill at any moment, Delaney Craig and Josh Decker, juniors, dress up for BBQ Dad vs. Soccer Mom Day. (photo by jo sephine mittelberger)

A SPIN ON TEACH

ING Teaching his students, Mr. Ben Boruff, English teacher, dresses up as a unicorn for Random Costume Day. (photo by lauren hoo geveen)

WEDNESDAY: RAN DOM & BBQ DADS VS. SOCCER MOMS

YOU SHALL NOT PASS Dressed as Gan dalf the White, Rachel Speckard, senior, takes part in Costume Day with her friends. (photo by zuzu smith)

munster high school

JUST ANOTHER DAY Sitting outside of her classroom in her typical soccer mom gear, Mrs. Dawn Vidt, science teacher, watches pass. (photo by jose phine mittelberger)

Bridging the Divide

This year Student Government is mak ing some changes, by means of a new Stu dent Feedback Portal, accessed through the school’s website.

Historically, Student Government has been a no policy club, meaning they fo cus more on events like Homecoming and spirit week. Student Government plans to make some changes to the way they oper ate. With a new principal and superinten dent, they are looking to shift their focus toward policy and other concerns.

at a glance.

a page-by-page of today’s paper

“Being Mexican American and a woman, I get teachers that look at me differently and talk down to me because of my color, my back ground and the way that I talk.” read on page 3

“Seeing everyone on our sideline celebrate her after she made the kick [first Varsity point scored by a girl] was one of my favorite memo ries I’ve had as a coach.”

read on page 6

stay up to date

you can always read more news at mhsnews.net

“We wanted to try and bring a little more advocacy into student government, to try to bring the voices of the students to administration,” Ayush Arora, senior and president of Student Government, said.

According to Ayush, that is exactly what their new Student Feedback Portal aims to do. Although Student Government Spon sor Mrs. Kathleen LaPorte does provide aid to Student Government in this project, it is largely a student initiative.

“It’s very student-led. Which is kind of cool, to see students addressing the issues that other students have,” Mrs. LaPorte said.

Student Government seeks feedback

The portal will allow students to sub mit either a question, policy suggestion or concern, all of which can be submitted anonymously. Students are then prompted to select whether their policy is on a dis trict-wide or school level.

Because Student Government is a stu dent body, they are not at the administra tive level and can’t change policy. This por tal was intended as a way for students to voice opinions without the stress of setting up a meeting with an administrator.

“Maybe we can’t solve all the issues, but if kids don’t even feel heard, then we’re not doing anything right.” Mrs. LaPorte said.

This year’s new clubs

“Films in Wonderland” read on page 6

These [playhouse] themes have correlated with the Homecoming themes in the past, but this tradi tion has changed within the past couple of years.

Dungeons and Dragons

Dungeons and Dragons Club is a new, unoffi cial club to MHS with sponsor Mr. Ben Boruff, English teacher. More and more people have been playing the game because of its growing popular ity. The game itself contains collective, interactive storytelling where players create characters with fictional, predetermined abilities.

“It’s like simultaneously writing and acting in a fantastical stage play. It encourages cooperation, imagination and innovation,” Mr. Boruff said.

Overall, if you enjoy storytelling and writing, this club is something to consider.

Raspberry PI and Python

The Raspberry Pi and Python club are great for people of all experience levels of programming, sponsored by computer science teacher Mrs. Kou la Amanatidis. It’s useful to learn the basics of pro gramming, as well as more advanced projects.

“Many members may also just have an interest in programming itself and may want to learn the basics of programming.” Ajitesh Lalam, the presi dent of Raspberry Pi & Python, said.

If you have an interest in computers and cod ing, this club might just be the perfect fit for you.

Crier, Paragon win top state honors

Last year’s newspaper and yearbook were hon ored with Hoosier Stars from the Indiana High School Press Association. This awards goes to the best student-run publications in the state.

“It’s really nice to see our hard work pay off,” senior and Crier photographer Anna Evilsizor said.

What club is right for you?

Crier highlights new clubs this year, as well as clubs you may not know

1. What is your favorite subject in school?



MHS had a total enrollment of 1,588 students, with 25.6% being Hispanic. Compared to 10 years earlier in 2012, Hispanic students formed only 16.4%

read on pages 4-5 read on page 8

Band and color guard continue their season

 MAKE SOME NOISE

During the halftime perfor mance Munster football play er, Beckett Gideon, freshman, plays the trumpet with the band. They have only been per forming at the local MHS sta dium as well as home football games and they had their first competition Sept. 23 at Penn, where they placed second.

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT Performing a full run through, Isidora Pavlic, senior, and Wesley Harle, freshman, prepare for their upcom ing play “Breaking the News.’ The two news outlets at Presley High School take clear sides about Student Council president Christy: While one produces stories fawning over Christy’s cute First Boyfriend, the other digs through her report cards looking for scandals. But intrepid journalist Olivia wants to report real news, not puff pieces—and she may get her chance when a shadowy figure tips her off about a fund raising conspiracy that goes all the way to the top. Tickets can be purchased now online at munaud.booktix.com for $8, and at the door for $10. The show will run Oct. 6-9.

a. history b. math

c. English

2. What is one of your biggest strengths?

a. public speaking

b. technology c. story telling

3. What career do you see yourself in?

a. law/criminal justice/advocacy

b. STEM-related c. fine arts-related

mostly a’s: philosophy club, debate, mental health club, poetry club, DECA

If you chose a’s, chances are you an extroverted indi vidual who likes to speak to others, and would enjoy clubs where you can participate in intellectual thinking with likeminded individuals.

mostly b’s: raspberry pi & python, cyberpatriot, academic superbowl, science olympiad If you chose b’s, you might enjoy clubs where you can experiement with technology and compete academically.

mostly c’s: dungeons and dragons, poetry club, esports, crier, paragon You proabably enjoy the liberal arts, and would enjoy clubs where you can tell stories, play games and write.

corrections

In Issue 1 of Crier, on page 4, the lead-in under Ms. Alissa Scott’s photo should be “bienvenido.” On page 2, the photo A COLD TREAT was taken by Anna Evilsizor. On page 7, Elora Bliss is a freshman. On page 7, the football team’s record should have been 2-1. Crier regrets these errors.

illustration by damien salahieh

POLICY Students now have access to the new Digital Student Feedback Portal, a place where they can voice their concerns.

(photo by marianna young)

(photo by anna evilsizor)

(photo by marianna young)

The Influence of an Influencer

by

“If a woman is going out with a man, she belongs to that man, she’s his woman, so if she wants to do Only Fans she owes him some money, cause she’s his.”

At some point in our lives, we were all handed an iPad, a phone, a laptop or some other device by our parents.

Not only did these devices distract us from the occurrences around us, but they provided access to a magical place: the internet, and within it, influencers like the one qouted.

We all know one of social media’s most controversial celebrities, Andrew Tate. He’s the radical “women beater” whose controversial opinions have been widespread through apps like TikTok and YouTube. We hear about his wild sentiments about women,

but what is rarely talked about is the effect of his statements, and the impressions they leave on young men. Tate has always promoted the age-old definition of masculinity—the view that men should be tough, not cry, not back down from a fight—and he says as much in numerous clips and inter views that have become quite popular on TikTok and YouTube Shorts.

Young children are very impres sionable and will often replicate what they see as cool or popular, especially when they see people like Tate gather such widespread attention. Andrew Tate has been searched 4,500,324 times in the last 30 days, beat only by Donald Trump and Queen Elizabeth, outranking famous celebrities like Tay lor Swift, Harry Styles and Elon Musk. They see how successful Andrew Tate is and they idolize him. They see the way he acts as a means to get the fancy cars and expensive houses he owns. He is impossible to escape and being sur rounded by ideologies such as his pro motes the kind of behavior that leads to abusive and toxic relationships.

Crier, Munster High School’s official student newspaper, may be reached via mail at 8808 Columbia Ave, Munster, IN 46321 or at (219) 836-3200, ext. 3443. Crier is published through the Advanced Student Media: Newspaper classes and extra-curricular involvement. Crier’s official website is mhsnews.net.

•The newspaper serves as a public forum and two-way communication for the school and community. •Published material will stress objective reporting except on the opinion page. All published material will stress accuracy, integrity, honesty, responsibility, objectivity, fairness and independence. Corrections, when necessary, will be published on page 2.

•Opinions expressed in the newspaper do not necessarily reflect those of the School Town of Munster, faculty or administration. All content is decided and produced solely by Crier staff.

•Letters to the editor and reader suggestions are welcomed.

On average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the United States. During one year, this equates to more than 10 million women and men according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. These kinds of relationships are even more damaging to young adults. Young adults who are subjected to violence like this are more likley to experience symtoms of anxiety and depression, engage in unhealthy behaviors like smoking, and doing drugs.

Every day, Andrew Tate is given a microphone and platform to talk. In fact, although Andrew Tate does not (and never has) owned a TikTok account, videos under the hashtag #An drewTate have been viewed 13.7 billion times. We view his videos, laugh at his antics, create memes and buy his shirts. However, the destructive behavior and abuse he promotes is not a laughing matter. When we indulge in his content we support him, we continue the cycle of influence on the young men of our generation.

All letters must be signed and should be emailed to the editor (reenaalsakaji@gmail.com). Letters must not contain personal attacks against an individual. Editors reserve the right to edit for length, clarity, and grammatical errors.

•Anonymous sources will be used if and only if the content matter is of high importance and if identification could bring any possible harm towards the individual or others.

our staff

Editor-in-Chief Reena Alsakaji

Guest Editor Josephine Mittelberger

Story Editor Lauren Hoogeveen

guest column by

The first time I figured out my culture wasn’t being represented was around fifth grade. One of my cousins told me that for Hispanic Heritage Month, his school did all these different things to celebrate. I asked, “You do this every year?” It felt like other people got to celebrate and observe it, and I haven’t even heard anyone mention it.

This column is the first time that I’ve ever actively seen celebration or any kind of observance of Hispanic Heritage Month in the School Town of Munster. I’ve been going to this school district since I was six and this is the first time—my senior year.

Being Latinx affected my experience in a lot of ways—not just at this school, literally my entire life. Being Mexican American and a woman, I get teachers that look at me differently and talk down to me because of my color, my background and the way that I talk. It’s very frustrating because I know that I’m a smart person, but there have been so many times where it has really held me back because everyone else is treating you like they think that you are less than. You don’t see a lot of repre sentation and think

“Why would I be proud of something that makes me different?” Growing up, I didn’t see anybody who looked like me who was smart, who was successful, who was able to just live their life and be happy. It was a lot of the drug dealer who is always getting into trouble and is no good. I want to see more representation in media about Latinx and indigenous success. I want to see people who look like me, happy and successful and because we’ve all seen stories of a Hispanic person struggling, upset and going through hard times. I want to see a Latina who worked hard for her success, who is living in a state of joy. I want to see people who look like me who are smart, who are proud and I don’t minimize their heritage so that they can fit into a stereotype.

To get to that point, it’s the little things. Let’s just incorporate Hispanic and Latinx Heritage into our curriculum. Why don’t we read stories in English about Hispanic heritage? Acknowledging Latinx history, ac knowledging the culture and making accom modations for first generation or immigrant students. It makes all the difference to know that it’s being acknowledged.

Photography Trainer Anna Evilsizor

Page Editors Sydney Jones, Seamus Keegan, Dorothy Lakshmanamurthy

Photographers Zoe Clark, Ethan Pischner, Marianna Young

Business Manager Josephine Mittelberger

Cartoonist Damien Salahieh

Adviser Ms. Sarah-Anne Lanman

‘Why would I be proud of something that makes me different?’

“It makes all the difference to know that it’s being acknowledged.”

abbey salamanca senior

illustration by damien salahieh

HESITATION IN REPRESENTATION Young Latino children watch as inaccurate characters are sprawled across the media they consume. In light of Hispanic Heritage Month, which takes place Sept. 15-Oct. 15, Crier chose to highlight student voices. Many students, such as Abbey Salamanca senior, reported identifying with Hispanic representation in media.

Rewind to Homecoming’s Past

A look back at old yearbooks

Although some students seem resistant to the spirit day changes, there have been many broken Homecoming traditions in the past. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, it was com mon for seniors to sneak up on freshmen and smear lipstick on their face during the week leading up to Homecoming. Also during that time, there was an ongoing tradition of having a pie eating contest at the pep session.

“Classes would design t-shirts around the theme, so one of my class t-shirts was ‘Bam Bam the Warriors’ because the theme was Flintstones,” Mrs. Kathleen LaPorte, social studies teacher, said. “The biggest tradition I miss is spirit trucks. We always had half days, so each grade would rent a huge truck that people could stand in”

continued from front

For the first time since 2019, Student Government will decorate the fieldhouse the morning of the Homecom ing dance. Arriving at the fieldhouse at 8 a.m tomorrow, members get to see their vision come to life.

“Homecoming is such a staple of high school and it’s so fun to be a part of it,” Asha Patel, sophomore, said. “I’m really looking forward to setting up all the decorations with the other members of Student Government and making the dance feel special.”

In addition to changes with the dance, switching spir it days has also been a topic of discussion. Traditionally, seniors have the same spirit days for the week leading up to Homecoming—nerd day, senior citizens, random cos tume, 80s workout and college. Once some seniors post ed the new spirit days, it sparked controversy on whether or not the tradition should change.

“At first I was frustrated because I wanted to continue

traditions that have been followed for years,” Brooke Vivian, senior, said. “I have been looking forward to those days since freshman year. However, now that we have two sets of spirit days, hopefully there will be more participation.”

As a result of the conflict between seniors, many different versions of the senior spirit days spread across social media plat forms. On Monday, there were students dressing up as multiple different spirit days. In the middle of the day, administration sent an email confirming official senior spirit days—country club, nerd, random costume, 80s workout and jersey day. Al though the senior spirit days are typically orchestrated by a student while Student Government organizes days for the rest of the school, some students believe that new ideas should be incorporated.

“Thank god we still had the 80s workout,” Costa Tsakopou los, senior, said. “That’s like a special senior tradition. It’s better to have the decades be 70s and up because rarely anyone dressed up when it was 50s or 60s day, so there are more options now.”

 AIR DELIVERY Scoring a victory for the freshman team in 1989, Mark Palmer volunteered to participate in the homecoming 15yard water balloon toss on the field. GOTCHA Targeting the freshmen, seniors followed the tradition by writing on freshman Giane Salvacion’s face in red lipstick during the 2002 homecoming week. PIE FACE As the timer arrives at zero, Cojaun Bradley, freshman, finishes his fruit-filled pie at the 2007 homecoming pie eating contest. DOWN TO THE WIRE Constructing their floats, Mr. Joe Sokol helps seniors Mike Dovelles and Adrian Gutierrez wire up their float for the 2010 homecoming parade. (photos from Paragon)

 IN FLAMES With school spirit still in the air after the homecom ing parade, students in 1974 would take the parade floats and burn them for a celebratory bonfire. Afterward, the fire department would swoop in to help put out the huge fire. (photo from Paragon)

Country Club

Senior Citizen

Who Wore it Best?

Comparing and contrasting various spirit week outfits

Nerd Day

Reconstructing Traditions

BBQ Dad

CEC works on their annual playhouses, possible discontinuation next year

dorothy lakshmanamurthy page editor

The smell of fresh paint takes over as CEC members meet together to create their dis tinct themed playhouses. Throughout the week, the sophomore, junior and senior CEC members have been working on their annual playhouses which will be showcased today in the Homecoming parade and at the Homecoming game.

“We all come together, play music and work on the playhouse,” Pranshu Aryal, ju nior, said. “Usually people just jump in, start painting and adding designs to the house that fit with the theme we voted on. It is re ally exciting to see our vision come to life.”

The freshmen members did not build a playhouse. Instead, they decorated the Com mons for pep and school spirit.

“Making decorations is really fun but it also takes a lot of planning. My favorite part of making posters is painting them. I look forward to CEC every week, and I can’t wait until we get to see our hard work all come to gether when we hang everything up,” Avalyn Walker, freshman, said.

For the playhouse themes this year, the

If you were Queen for a day, what would you do?

“I would make sure to get an unnecessary amount of corgis and drink an unhealthy amount of tea. Maybe talk in an accent, too.”

seniors created a Disney themed house, the juniors did a Gingerbread theme, and the sophomores built a Haunted House themed playhouse. These themes have correlated with the Homecoming themes in the past, but this tradition has changed within the past couple of years.

“When the playhouses first began, they originally correlated with the dance theme,” Ms. Kristen Szafasz, junior CEC sponsor, said. “However, as time has gone on, we wanted our students to express more cre ativity for their playhouses. Choosing any theme as a class allows for more unique ideas and different houses.”

These playhouses will go up for bidding in a silent auction to raise money for a char ity of each class’ choice. However, there are conversations about whether these play houses will still continue after this year due to their decreasing popularity. At this time, there has not been a final decision made.

“No one wants playhouses anymore. They have run their course. It is also good to try new things.The discussion is still on going,” Ms.Valerie Pflum, sophomore CEC sponsor, said.

What does it mean to be nominated?

“The fact that I get to rep resent the whole school with an awesome group of girls!”

Tatum Hernandez

What is your favorite homecoming tradition of MHS?

“My favorite homecoming tradition of MHS is the students versus teachers dodgeball game.”

What does it mean to be nominated?

“Being nominated for court has been such a fun experience. It’s insane to think that enough of my peers voted for me to have the chance to partic ipate in this. I’m so grate ful for this opportunity.”

Daniella Nahnsen

What does it mean to be nominated?

“Mr. Kalwasinski said this is my peak and enjoy it, so that’s what I’ll do.”

Aniqa Ali

If you were queen for a day, what would you do?

“I would wear my crown and I would pass it over to my friends Gisele, Skye, Nyla and Diana wear it, so I could share this experi ence with them as well.”

THE FIRST COAT Painting the first coat of the junior playhouse, Hannah Kotvasz, junior, adds final touches after the first day of painting. (photo by anna evilsizor)

Anna Raycroft

Anna Castillo

Gracie Kisala

photos by zoe clark, marianna young, and lauren hoogeveen

Lexi Perez, senior

Lucy MacDonald, senior Paul Harkenrider, sophomore

Joyce Yao, freshman

Giselle Rivera, junior

Cavin McNulty, sophomore

Evanthia Fotopoulos, junior

Benjamin Torres, junior

Films in Wonderland

Falling into Love: Enchanted

“Enchanted” puts a spin on the classic cartoon Disney movie. The movie starts with the typical, whimsical car toon. She’s in her tower singing to her animals about her dream prince. The prince overhears her singing and they fall in love. She is then sent to a different dimen sion (New York City) by an evil witch so her stepson wouldn’t fall in love with her. She has no idea the prince has followed her into this strange world in hopes of finding her and getting mar ried.

The creators did a good job of plopping these fairytale characters into our real and scary world. Overall the movie was quite a nice change from reg ular old Disney princess movies although it still has recognizable aspects of previous movies such as “Cinderella,” sprinkled throughout which tied it to the Disney genre. The film is charming and has ever so loved, happily ever after.

Curse of Misfortune: Into the Woods

If you loved fairy tales as a young er kid, you’ll certainly enjoy “Into the Woods.” The film is a movie adaptation of Stephen Sond heim’s musical, which cen ters around a young couple trying to rid a curse placed upon them by a witch. It inter twines a number of classic fairy tales while providing a hefty amount of song. Having a bunch of childhood stories all brought together is certainly nostalgic.

At the end of the film, it takes a sharp turn and overturns the traditional “happily ever after” trope. While this last portion of the movie seems a bit detached from the rest of the film, it is an interesting take on the classic fairy tale ending and it provides a unique conclusion to an otherwise predictable plot.

Overall, it is a good watch in the moment, but it does not provide much of a lasting impression afterward.

Down the Rabbit Hole: Alice in Wonderland

reena alsakaji editor-in-chief

A well-renowned childhood classic, “Alice in Wonderland” follows Alice’s journey into a new world as she follows after the White Rabbit. The 1951 film is an enjoyable one for all viewers, from the joyful soundtrack to the captivating visuals. However, other aspects of the film remain dull in compar ison, as the film starts out strong before slowly unraveling in potential.

The viewer is initially enticed by the enchanting feel and comforting scen ery, desiring more of the calming, serene feel of the characters, voices and visuals. Quickly, the viewer is entranced by Alice and her first song, arguably the greatest

in the film. But the rest of the scenes do not compare to the introduction. Following this, the events are difficult to keep up with, and while this is important to the nature of the film, it is still off-putting to new viewers. It is a solid choice to watch in the background, but there are several points where the story drags on, especially when Alice is off-screen (but the Cheshire Cat almost makes up for it).

Despite these downfalls, it is no surprise that the children’s film is a nostalgic classic. The animated version retains the feel of “en chanted garden” that its live action counter parts lack, and modern renditions of the film do not do the aesthetics and overall concept justice.

Down Memory Lane: The Princess Bride

dorothy lakshmanamurthy page editor

Mix together a clas sic fairytale, comedy and a love story all together, and the result would be the 1987 film, “The Princess Bride.” This mov ie takes the viewer through the tale of the spontaneous kidnap ping and adventure of a princess named Buttercup. The mood of the movie is unique in the way that it incorporates elegant scenery and medieval costum ing with cheesy and quirky humor.

Along with the tacky humor, the actors themselves seemed very awkward and

How well does it “Enchanted Garden”?

alice in wonderland

In terms of the film fitting the “Enchanted Garden” theme, it has the same issue as the movie overall. The film starts off with a serene and angelic enchanted garden aesthetic, but as the movie progresses, it transitions into chaos.

into the woods

While the movie does not feature an actual enchanted garden, it does still fit the theme. It contains fairy tale characters, takes place in a mystical world, and although it isn’t called Into the Garden, it does feature a set with lots of nature, enchantment and wonder.

enchanted

It starts out as a very classic Disney movie with a theme that fits the enchanted garden perfectly. However, that only lasts for a couple of minutes until she is in New York. Still, even when she’s in the city, she still sings with her animals and very much acts like a princess.

unsettling. It could be the fact that Buttercup and Westley look like siblings, but even just the acting and dialogue is delivered poorly. The movie is also fast paced, with unexpect ed twists and turns throughout the story. The unpredictability of the film keeps viewers intrigued. However, looking away from the screen for even one second can cause the viewer to lose track of the storyline. New characters would pop up out of nowhere that were not very helpful to the overall plot. At a certain point, the movie became more of a mind puzzle to keep track of, but the story at its core is enjoyable and amusing.

princess bride

There is no specific garden in this movie, but it does have an enchanted feel. The classic princess fairytale movie, besides its unique ness, is elegant and enchanted. The medieval and classy costumes combined with the vast fields and mountainous scenery adds to it.

In light of this year’s Homecoming theme, “Enchanted Garden,” staffers reviewed similarly-themed movies on Disney+

illustration by damien salahieh

illustrations by damien salahieh

The

Staff

Garden” Homecoming theme.

Back in the Game

The Football team prepares for the Homecoming game tonight

seamus keegan page editor

The smell of popcorn, the lively splendor of the band, and the school spirit shown through nightly themes all contribute to the excitement of Friday nights. Football Fridays have always been a tradition at MHS, and the support this year is greater than ever. The Mustangs are off to a better start than in previous years, with a record of 3-4, and tonight’s game against Andrean will either solidify support or yield a significant drop in morale.

“Our boys love the support they get from their classmates,” Coach Jason Grunewald said. “They feel that appreciation because they put in a lot of hard work through the week and through the years. So I know they really appreciate all the support they get.”

The team has stepped up their game in comparison to recent years. Coach Grunewald attributes a lot of that success to the players of this year’s seniors. Most of these seniors have been playing with Coach Grunewald since freshman or sophomore year, and he hopes these players and their success will serve as a stepping stone for the next year’s players.

“Hopefully our juniors or sophomores

and freshmen can see if you can be like this group and hold your teammates accountable to that standard you can have success like they did.”, he said

Success has also been attributed with a shift in morale within the team. With team camaraderie being more solidified than in previous years, hidden gems like the defen sive backs motto “DBQ” shine, especially during strong plays. Wing Isaiah Ramirez saw a big morale boost during a football camp over the summer, where most of the football team attended.

“Our coach took away our phones for the entire camp, I think that forced us to get closer and play more as a team,” Ramirez said. “That’s where I found my love for foot ball and for all the guys, we just got really close.”

Whether their success can be attributed to a great senior class or high morale, this foot ball season is off to a great start, especially since at this time last year their record was 0-2. The team plans to keep the wins cruis ing, and they’ve focused a lot recently on spe cial teams—the section of the team respon sible for scoring extra points. They made this decision after their loss at Kankakee Valley, a game where their special teams were scored on twice.

After the hard loss at Homecoming last year, players and coaches alike are ready to do their best to ensure a victory tonight. They’ve been spending time working hard at practice and preparing on their own.

“We’re preparing every day in practice, like we’re going after it. We’re really motivat ed because last year, our homecoming didn’t go too well. So we’re trying to bounce back.”

Daniel Asgedom, junior, said.

Football Record

Aug. 19 against Lake Central

Aug. 26 against Griffith Sept. 2 against East Chicago

Sept. 9 against Morton

Sept. 16 against Kankakee Valley

Sept. 23 against Highland

From Shin Guards to Shoulder Pads

Newest football kicker, Savannah Nuetzel becomes first girl to score a Varsity point

lauren hoogeveen

story editor

Turning to face her coaches and teammates on the sidelines, Savannah Nuetzel, sopho more, beamed with excitement after scoring her first varsity point as football kicker—the first girl to score one in MHS history. Al though soccer, basketball and track have al ways been her sports of choice, Nuetzel took up the offer to join the team after a conversa tion with her track coach Mr. Dillon Pierie, also assistant football coach.

“Everyone was super excited and pumped,” Nuetzel said. “I felt extremely grateful that the team and everyone was so supportive. I was super excited in general to not only be the girl to score, but just to score in general. I felt like everyone was just super happy for me.”

Starting her soccer career at age three, Nu etzel believes the skills she has learned over the years has helped her adapt so quickly to football. Since her younger brothers play football, Nuetzel has also made connec tions with her teammates, such as AJ Prieboy, senior, while helping the younger teams. Despite being the only girl on the team, her ini tial worries were mostly her perfor mance during games and balanc ing both football and club soccer practices. As a self-proclaimed perfectionist, Nuetzel hopes to become more consistent with scoring points.

“The coaches have been so helpful,” Nuetzel said. “Whenever I need to take a practice off and go to soccer practice or

if I need to leave early or come later, they’re very understanding and accommodating.”

A MHS football alumni, Coach Pierie reflects on playing with the last girl on the football team, Amber Kim brough, class of 2014. Remembering her determination to do her best and care for her teammates, he appreciates these traits being carried on by Savannah.

“Savannah has already accomplished so much just by deciding to join our team,” Coach Pierie said. “Seeing ev eryone on our sideline celebrate her after she made the kick [first varsity point scored by a girl] was one of my favorite memories that I’ve had as a coach. I hope that other MHS students can look to Savannah as an inspi ration to be fearless and try new things.”

Girls’ Golf Finishes Season

Ending off their season on a bitter note, Girl’s Golf did not make it out of their Re gionals last weekend as they came in 6th place. Only the top three teams continue onto the next competition. Despite the dis appointment, the team still had a good sea son as a whole, having won sectionals.

“I did not do my best at our regional but golf is such a mental sport so it’s very easy to have good and bad days,” Cate Stephan, junior, said.

 TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK As the team walks onto the field, senior AJ Prieboy and junior Matt Opat shake hands before a play. On Sept. 23, Munster lost to Highland 7-12. (photo by marianna young)



HITTING THE CLUB Standing on the green, Alexis Schmidt, junior, lines up her shot. (photo by lita cleary)

dorothy lakshmanamurthy

editor

Savannah Nuetzel, sophomore (photo by zoe clark)

KILLA’ KICK Practicing by herself, Savannah Nuetzel, sophomore, follows through on her kick. Tonight, she will be kicking at the Home coming game. “I get nervous before I kick be cause I don’t want to mess up, but I just try to remember that I make more than I miss,” Nuet zel said. (photo by zoe clark)

“Sports day. Because It’s fun and I get to dress in sportswear all day.”

Uncovering an Identity

Students reflect on representation in light of Hispanic Heritage Month Sept. 15-Oct. 15, and discuss how they celebrate

reena alsakaji editor-in-chief

To Luna Gutierrez, sophomore, National Hispanic Heritage Month has always represented her family’s sacrifice.

Being a first generation immigrant, Luna has always felt gratitude for the sacrifices her parents made to come to the United States. From going to parades for Mexican Independence Week to reading an online version of the bill that designated Hispanic Heritage Month as a federal holiday, Hispanic Heritage Month is some thing Luna takes pride in and actively celebrates.

“Sometimes I feel like my parents didn’t sacrifice so much to come here for me to be average, and I feel the necessity to excel or make my people proud,” Luna said. “Hispanic Heritage Month is more than just a celebration of my culture. It’s a celebration of the hard work that has been put in place and now I get the privilege to celebrate.”

Hispanic Heritage Month cele brates those whose ancestors come from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America, meaning its official designation includes both Hispanic and Latinx Americans.

At MHS, according to the Indiana Department of Education, MHS had a total enrollment of 1,588 students, with 25.6% being Hispanic, the second largest race following white students. Compared to 10 years earlier in 2012, Hispanic students formed only 16.4% of the population.

“I like to say I am specifically Chil ean because whenever I say Hispanic, I usually get two responses. One is

‘are you sure’ because I don’t look Hispanic. Number two is ‘oh, you’re from Mexico?’”

Juliette Miranda, senior, said. “Chilean Inde pendence Day means more to me now than it did when I was little. I have more background as to where my original family was from now and I can understand where that’s coming from.”

“Hispanic people are just as intelligent as everyone else. Why is it that we lack in some of these classes, courses and profes sional degrees? I think that is something that makes you question so much about yourself, especially because Latina women make less compared to the white man’s dollar out of everyone else.”

Balancing issues of labels and identities poses difficulties for some students. There has been recent discussion on whether or not the month should be designated as Latinx Heritage Month, and there is an added layer of cultural confusion when it comes to mixed students. Finding a balance between being both half-Pakistani and half-Mexican was a personal struggle for Aniqa Ali, senior, but she took pride in both cultures and was eventually able to feel secure.

“The two cultures, they’re very differ ent,” Aniqa said. “Sometimes they clash, and sometimes I feel like I have to choose one over another. Going back to my home countries helped a lot. I got to see firsthand and I felt like it was a piece of me that got failed.”

“I would pick Adam Sandler day because he is top eight peo ple.”

“Adam Sandler day because you get to dress comfortable, and swag the halls of the high school.”

“Probably the BBQ dad vs soccer mom because I feel like that one is the most nor malized. I wouldn’t want to walk around as a nerd or a baby.”

source:

As MHS has become increasingly diverse, students disagree on whether MHS is doing enough to acknowledge its Hispanic popula tion. Luna recommends Spanish translators in classes and lectures, after having to translate both math and english for a year. Also, she believes it is important to hire more teach ers of color and acknowledge the academic strides of Hispanic students. Being one of the only Hispanic students in her honors classes has given her feelings of impostor syndrome.

“When people see me in these APs, they’ll see me as being abnormal,” Luna said.

While Aniqa does not actively observe the month, it does hold meaning to her. Celebrating the month looks different for a variety of students, but it remains import ant for its celebration of Hispanic culture and history.

“My cultural identity has made me much more secure with who I am,” Lucia Salazar, sophomore, said. “At first, I wanted to fit into the norms of what I was around or what was beautiful for me. My grandparents and my mom were a huge part of me accepting that I am Latina and Latina is beautiful. It made me more confi dent as a person that I shouldn’t have to be ashamed of who I am.”

“I would do costume day for the rest of my life because I can dress as a giant hot dog.”

"Air Force fighter pi lot for the rest of my life.”

If you had to pick a spirit day for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?

“Pajamas, because I want to be cozy.”

“Nerd day. I feel like I can rock some glasses and pigtails.”

“I would choose char acter day because that way we could choose any character and it’s not the same thing ev ery single time.”

“I would dress for nerd day because I could wear my gog gles all day and carry around my calculator and it’d be normal.”

Sahej Sran, freshman Rhagu Nachuri, freshman

Abby Mena, sophomore Sophie Salazar, junior

Brooke Vivian, senior Mrs. Dawn Vidt, science

Ini-Obong Edet, junior

Eric Vasser, senior

Mr. Larry Hautzinger, science

Seamus Riley, sophomore

What

UNITED To bring attention to the diversity in Hispanic roots, Adriana Hernandez and Christian Villarreal, freshmen; Adrian Chavez and Arantxa Rivera, sophomores; Aniqa Ali and Lauralyn Courtney, seniors, come together to represent their Hispanic Heritage. (photo illustration by marianna young)