MHS Crier | Issue 5 | 12.16.2022

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

Crushed

crier

under the

weight

reena alsakaji & lauren hoogeveen editor-in-chief & story editor

When you first click on the webpage for Elevate K-12, the program MHS is using to provide an online teacher for anatomy courses, the first line that appears is: “Live teaching can solve your teaching shortage problem, as shown in recent news coverage.”

ions vary as to what the future of teaching looks like, Mr. Thomas Barnes, English teacher, considers it a cycle that will eventually result in a culture shift where teaching will become more popular again. But his biggest fear is education turned automated.

For the past two months, Mrs. Brianne Sabaitis’s anatomy class has had an online teacher in place of her while she is on maternity leave. On a national scale, the phrase “National Teacher Shortage” is everywhere—according to the National Education Association, schools are facing a shortage of 300,000 teachers and staff. Though teachers’ opin-

“There are a lot of things that you learn from a teacher without requiring you to give students piles of work,” Mr. Barnes said. “Teaching is a bit of an art. You either make connections with kids or you don’t. Students appreciate that a whole

kids—but that is not the purpose of teaching.To Mr. Barnes, the pandemic exacerbated the idea of ‘Why do we even need teachers in the classroom?’ A National Education Association survey found that 55% of educators are thinking about resigning earlier than they had planned—in recent years, some teachers find that there has been a culture shift in terms of being targeted for political indoctrination.

Nearly half of the nation’s schools were still struggling to fill a teacher vacancy in October

Since 2009, Mrs. Katie Harris, math department head, reports having consistent turnover in her department

Source: Education Department

lot.”Regarding his fear of teaching becoming automated, he finds that, at this point, he could simply monitor 30 or 40

“There’s been a lot of hate on teachers and misunderstanding about what we do as a job,” Mrs. Kelly Barnes, English teacher, said. “I think a lot of it started politically, with

63% of public schools reported too few candidates applying for positionsnon-teaching

As teaching progresses, generational differenc- es are believed to factor into the shortage—but not on its own. Ms. Robyn Brown, a new math teacher at MHS, finds that entering the profession in the time of a shortage means more opportunities. However, she had this passion since she was young, and acknowledges a cultural shift. To draw other younger teachers in, Ms. Brown wants to make education a positive experience for her students.

Critical Race Theory. But it does seem like in a lot of districts—not necessarily ours, we are for- tunate—parents are very scrutinizing of teachers. That puts so much more unneeded stress on the teachers who are just trying to help kids. Some people think we have a hidden agenda for what we’re trying to indoctrinate kids about. That has put a sour taste in people’s mouths about the ed- ucation system, and I think that makes people not want to stay in education.”

According to the Collective Bargaining Agree- ment for 2021-2023, the starting salary at Mun- ster is $51,000. In a recent decision from the state, staff is receiving up to $790 in stipends depending on rating, money already granted by the state. Toppled by issues with salary and increasing pressure, teachers are struggling with the workload placed upon them. Mrs. Barnes worries the issue will make its way into the dual credit system. The Higher Learning Commission wants dual credit teachers to have a masters in English—something only English teachers Mrs. Barnes, Mr. Benjamin Boruff, and Mr. Steven Stepnoski have. Teachers with a master’s degree receive a $2,000 year bonus.

“ How we view what the career of teaching might change someday. If this is how it is for the rest of my career, it’s going to become increasingly harder.”

“Since I was young, I always knew I wanted to be a teacher,” Ms. Brown said. “I was not deterred by the situation. The shortage is sad because I think there are a lot of people who have that passion for helping other people learn. But there are outside factors—if they are at a school where the administration is not supportive, or there is a cultural shift and maybe teachers are being respected.”less

mr. thomas barnes english department head

“The shortage has caused a rift in certain situations,” Mr. Morgan Nolan, principal, said. “We’ve been forced to hire teachers with a lot of experience, and some of them have bigger

salaries. They’re coming into a school district where somebody has been here for 13 or 14 years, and then someone hired in the first year here is making more than the person who’s been here. That’s new in education. Part of it is a teacher shortage issue. A lot of times those are people coming from other school districts looking to get into Munster, and that hurts other school districts.”

According to Education Week, shortages may be more prevalent in specific areas of the country. In the past, Mr. Nolan says, hun- dreds of teachers

“Teacher shortage is an interesting semantic because there is not a shortage,” Mrs. LaPorte said. “There are teachers everywhere—they are just leaving the profession. New teachers are overwhelmed with what is now on their plate.” 16 years ago, Mrs. LaPorte entered the teach- ing profession. The community then was much different—there were ideal benefits, many teach- ers stayed after school coaching sports, and teachers could see what the future looked like in terms of salary and teaching.

would apply for positions. Now, those numbers have dwindled down to around two or three. When it comes to the reasoning behind the na- tional teacher shortage, Mrs. Kathleen LaPorte, social studies teacher, believes it comes from a lack of interest in teaching for several reasons.

“I am really glad that I’m in the second half of my career,” Mrs. LaPorte said. “I hope it doesn’t change enough so that my 5-year-old can gradu- ate from MHS or any public school for that mat- ter. If that doesn’t sum up my fear for all of that, I don’t know what does.”

Many teachers found the shortage to be pre- dictable, but for different reasons. Mr. Steve Lopez, social studies teacher, has seen the signs for many years. For Munster in particular, there was a change after the financial crisis—despite the fact that there were benefits to the Munster community, teachers still had to make a living. “The biggest change, in the years that I’ve been here, is the lack of ability to be autonomous,” Mr. Lopez said. “I got into teaching because I wanted to be able to control my own destiny— my schedule and life. Teachers can do that to a degree, but they’re also told by a line of directors: ‘We think you’re doing this wrong.’ It could be something drawing teachers away. The political perspective has been overblown. It’s more on the administrative level. They’re not hitting you on the content, the way that the state might suggest, but they are hitting you on method- ology.”

At MHS, Mr. Morgan Nolan reports that no certified applicant has applied for the position of assistant athletic trainer

UNDER PRESSURE Representative of the pressure teachers are put under, the National Teacher Shortage has consequences on teachers of all ages. (illustration by damien salahieh)

With talks of a National Teacher

Shortage, teachers and students discuss its implications at MHS, and what teaching today truly looks like

'The minute I walk in, my heart drops'

josephine mittelberger guest editor

Speech hosts meet

Munster Speech held a tournament Saturday, Dec. 10. Here is a look into the daily routine of those participating in events.

7:15 a.m. Tired students trudge into the LGI; instead of students working on homework or napping, Speech competitors do their hair, put on makeup and prepare for rounds. For Kam Hubbard, junior in prose and poetry, it is important to keep her energy up because the first round sets the trajectory for the rest of the day.

“Speech is about finding something that is important to you, and showing the world how this affects you in your daily life,” Kam said. “I chose code switching, which is when minorities adjust the way they talk around to fit in.”

8:37 a.m. Everyone scattered to their first round. Once settled, the doors to rooms are closed and all eyes are on the person who goes first in the round. The speaker nods their head to the judge, indicating they are ready to start the round, and melts into character.

“Some of the rounds I've competed at are ballrooms filled with people, and it can be really nerve-racking,” Anna Raycroft, senior in humorous interpretation, said. “The minute you walk into a round, your heart drops.”

The minute you walk into a round, your heart drops; but at the end of the day, when you get called to compete, it's a feeling not like anything I've ever done. anna raycroft senior

9:38 a.m. Round one ends, and there are seven minutes until the next round starts. Some students, like Anna, are double or even triple entered: during the hour-long rounds, Anna has to perform three separate pieces—running in between rounds in uncomfortably high heels.

“What helps me is the fact that my nerves are so high,” Anna said. “I could be totally drained, then it kicks in and boosts your

Debate enters post-season

After winning first in sweepstakes at Chesterton, Debate will compete at Fishers Jan. 7, which replicates circuits and rounds at State competitions. Entering the season as public forum’s novices and now on track to compete at State, freshmen Valeria Ceja and Krisha Chauhan, placed fourth.

“My favorite part is the final focus,” Valeria said. “It's only two minutes and it gets really aggressive.”

To prepare for a round, different events will meet and discuss topics and who they are competing against. According to Shreya Patel, senior in policy, seniors ehelp create blocks to prepare

for potential arguments. Afterwards, one student will read their impromptu rebuttal, and everyone else will give a negative speech to prepare for possible arguments. What makes waking up at 5 a.m. worth it for Paul Harkenrider, sophomore in Lincoln-Douglass, are the bus rides to and from competitions.

“I like the rush during the round, time seems to fly by,” Paul said. “It’s stressful, but it pushes me to do better.”

energy."

11:30 a.m. The third round begins. With the pressure high, Joaquin Gutierrez, junior in humorous interpretation, says not until the middle or end is he able to have fun with his piece.

“Speech allows me to be more free flowing,” Joaquin said. “I could be funny and more creative—I don't have to feel so serious.”

1:32 p.m. With the top six picked from each event, finals ensue. With a more physical role, Jordan Fefferman, sophomore in dramatic interpretation, stands out with her odd physicality as a 97 year-old Holocaust survivor. “I chose this topic just because it's something I'm really passionate about,” Jordan said. “I've always liked reading about Jewish history so I knew if I did a piece on that, passion would show through. I almost cried at Glenbrooks because I was like, ‘Oh my god, I get to show this piece to so many people.’”

Continuing his announcements daily, Mr. Morgan Nolan, principal, makes it a goal to highlight groups of students each morning. Teachers actively contact Mr. Nolan about information to be put in the announcements, which he then files through and determines what he should include. The goal of the announcements remains the same, and he began his Sunday newsletter to parents, “The Herd” to broaden his coverage.

“My stipulation is it’s gotta be impacting the entire school,” Mr. Nolan said. “The Toy Roundup about the entire school coming together. I also tried to highlight groups who have done something pretty special within their fields. I'm a big believer in highlighting groups of kids having success.”

Munster lights up town, raising money for schools

jones page editor

The Munster Education Foundation is holding their third-annual Merry & Bright Holiday Lights Experience from Dec 2-31. The event’s proceeds go to Munster schools, raising money for innovative educational experiences for students of all ages. People around Munster can enter their lit houses into this competition on their website munstereducationfounda-

tion.org. It costs $1 dollar per vote.

The Holiday Lights Fundraiser started in the Fall 2020 when the MEF was searching for special events to hold in the community during the pandemic. They found inspiration in the festive decorations in Crown Point and started a Christmas decorating tradition in Munster as well. The first Holiday Lights event was held in spirit to spread Christmas joy to families who aren’t able to spend the holidays with their relatives.

Science

Olympiad

prepares for competition tomorrow

Spending hours after school cramming more notes into their already overflowing binders, Science Olympiad has been preparing for the virtual Centerville Invitational tournament tomorrow. To study, most members have been setting aside three to four hours a day to work. They spend most of that time researching, working out equations and learning as much as they can about the topics. Depending on the event, members will either take a test, perform experiments, build something or a combination. Also, this tournament is helping members prepare for the in-person tournament at Penn State Jan. 14.

“Finding the will to sit down and study can be hard sometimes,” Ethan Loredo, junior, said. “A lot of the concepts I choose to study are really abstract and hard to find information on. There’s always a new level of depth you can go into.”

corrections

In Issue 4 of Crier, on page 5, “Twilight” is misspelled in the headline. On page 7, Cheer came in eighth place at Mount Vernon High School. On page 8, the clothes also came from Ms. Koula Amanatidis. Crier regrets these errors.

Mr. Nolan continues his morning announcements and “The Herd” newsletter

 ROLL STANGS As he makes the morning announcements, Mr. Morgan Nolan, principal, watches students scuttle in the doors late through his office window. (photo by marianna young)

 HIGH VOLTAGE In the science Olympiad lab, students Stephen Glombicki, sophomore, and Daniel Eriks, senior, test the voltage of a wire. (photo by ethan pischner)

reena alsakaji

lauren hoogeveen

 SPEAKING THEIR TRUTH In the LGI, Annabelle Spicer, junior, and Alicia Powell, senior, take a pause and practice their speeches before their next event. (photo by marianna young)





CIVIL FIGHTS In crossfire, Valeria Ceja, freshman, and Abhiram Kandregula, senior, practice debating their Public Forum topic, ‘The United States’ strategy of Great Power Competition produces more benefits than harms.’ Topics change every few months and will change for the majority of post-season. (photo by marianna young)

sydney

“

 LIGHTING UP THE BLOCK Participating in the Holiday Lights Fundraiser, the residents on the corner of Greenwood and Elliot display their decorations. If they win, it will be their second year holding the title. (photo by marianna young)

staff opinion Good morning, Mr. Nolan

At the end of the last school year, we published an editorial entitled “Dear Mr. Nolan.” Within the editorial, we covered the wide variety of changes we would like to see in the school—one of the changes we asked for was Mr. Nolan’s voice on the daily announcements. This would serve as a means for communicating directly with students about certain policies, rather than being limited to the announcements via email.

the email server going down—questions of uncertainty lingered in the halls: when would the issue be fixed?

our take

The morning announcements should include more important information to students

Our request was fulfilled. Every day, Mr. Nolan’s voice rings on the PA. While we appreciate this, it is equally important that some content be made the most relevant to students—our original intention with the request. Some first-hour courses especially do not have this time to waste in a 47-minute period. We are well aware that Mr. Nolan cannot encapsulate everything going on in the school—but, there are more timely issues that can be addressed in the morning.

A week ago, for example, students walked into the school confused about

opinion backtalk

Is your email down as well? This is one instance where communication was needed, and the announcements could have directly helped to alleviate these concerns, rather than having students play a waiting game. Moreover, highlighting groups such as Theatre was nice to hear, especially as we do not hear about them often—but rarely is this done on the announcements, and we’d like to continue to see these groups discussed.

Rather than reiterating the same rules daily, it would be nice to see a brief discussion on the club and athletic call-out meetings throughout the school, or an acknowledgment of some changes the school undertakes.

Students know about the no-phone policy, and they know to not wear hats in the building—what they may not know, however, is why they need to take out instructional time to change

their passwords during first period, or that they can donate cans to the food drive well in advance. Not only does our staff reflect these sentiments, but several students responded to our opinion backtalk question—the answers ranged, but most reported wanting the announcements to contain more substance. Though this is not just important for students—several teachers can find a benefit in being given general announcements directly related to them, instead of being confused via email.

One of the intentions behind the announcements was to give students a breather before the day begins—but in actuality, it serves as more of an excuse for tardiness. We know that a connection attempt is being made, and we are grateful to have that form of presence in the first place. But as they stand now, the morning announcements are not sufficient enough, nor do they establish this connection—even more, we would prefer that a goal is set to give others information in the most timely and concise manner possible.

Out of luck

I was sitting in my living room when I heard about the Biden administration canceling up to $20,000 of student loan debt. My sister had just graduated from college, and my parents were complaining that we could have paid for half of my sister’s tuition. I was mad too. We didn’t have the luxury of being secure enough in our finances to know that we could pay off those parasitic loans. I was also skeptical.

As sad as it sounds, being able to relieve millions of dollars of debt without push back from schools or legislation seemed nearly impossible. Even then, I thought the strides taken were too small—how would this help students with future loans? It also neglected to address how predatory student loans are, especially for low income students.

What I failed to recognize was how monumental this moment was in American history. Rather than giving money to large corporations, the President had given it back to everyday citizens—young adults fresh out of college who have to live below their means and parents who have taken extra shifts to avoid taking out more loans. The CARES Act did more than relieve a part of the debt—it paused payments for loans and dropped all interest rates to zero percent.

However in the past few months, federal courts have been attempting to block the loan cancellation. With the hearing being in February, I fear that, if the Supreme Court is able to strike down the Act, it will make future attempts at fixing the harmful structure of student loans a steep uphill battle. With student loans averaging at $30,000 and average fees having tripled, the system has cornered those who seek out higher education into a corner.

From Aug. to Oct., I filled out college applications alongside the rest of my peers, and I could not help but feel resentment for those who could afford to even think about early decision or Ivy league schools. Financial pressure limited my scope to only in-state schools. If I had a $20,000 cushion, I could even fully consider schools like IU Bloomington, who have better resources than the colleges I can afford. But the $20,000 will not be applied to my graduating year and beyond, so the only hope we have is reform.

announce-

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.

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

Higher education should be attainable for those with lower incomes. While there are cheaper alternatives like community colleges, Ivy Leagues and private colleges allow students to network with well-established people and inherently give them a leg up in the workplace. College is not a commodity only for the rich, but everyone who wishes to put in the work to achieve it.

“

“The intercoms definitely need to be fixed so you can hear the

ments better. They could be a bit longer and have more club information.”

Annie Fuller sophomore

“

“Upcoming things that are going on at MHS, special events, performances like the choir concert.”

Dorsa Farahani junior

“

“I would like to hear more about clubs, not just what when the call out is but what the club entails.”

Lauralyn Courtney senior

“

“I would be so astronomically pleased if we could hear jokes and have students of the week.”

Valeria Ceja freshman

Photography Trainer Anna Evilsizor

Adviser Ms. Sarah-Anne Lanman

Story Editor Lauren Hoogeveen

Page Editors Sydney Jones, Seamus Keegan, Dorothy Lakshmanamurthy `

Cartoonist Damien Salahieh

Business Manager Josephine Mittelberger

Photographers Zoe Clark, Ethan Pischner, Marianna Young

josephine mittelberger guest editor

illustration by damien salahieh

Rallying for the roundup

MHS celebrates 36th annual Toy Roundup, spending $4,000 at shopping event

Venturing off with their carts gathering Barbies, Nerf Guns and clothing, MHS students gathered at the Munster Target Dec. 12 for the annual shopping day for the Mustang Toy Roundup. These donations will be shipped off to the Salvation Army and local families that need help this holiday season. Mr. Leroy Marsh, health teacher and former head football coach, and Mrs. Jamie Marsh created the Mustang Toy Roundup almost 40 years ago, and it still is ongoing today.

live, and he had to live off of oxygen due to his undeveloped lungs. He constantly fought lung infection and ammonia, and he passed away at the age of 13 from Respiratory Syncytial Virus. The Marsh family received tremendous support from friends, community members and even complete strangers.

“ Ryan was at home on a ventilator, then this Santa came in—not alarmed by the medical equipment. He talked to us for a couple minutes and handed us an envelope of money.

“I thought my first year we would only get 30 or 40 toys, but it exploded,” Mr. Marsh said. “Pretty soon, the school and community got involved, and now we do about 700 to 1000 toys each Christmas.”

mrs. jamie marsh

Mr. and Mrs. Marsh started the Roundup two years after their son Ryan Marsh was born in 1984. Ryan was born prematurely with a 3% chance to

“Lots of people during the time supported us mentally and financially to get through his hospital bills, which ended up being over 2 million dollars,” Mr. Marsh said. “I remember one Christmas Eve, somebody knocked on the door, and it was a Santa Claus dressed up at the door. They handed me an envelope, and then ran away. The envelope was a thousand dollars of cash. There are a lot of these types of stories.”

With all the overwhelming support, they felt that they needed to do something in return. A toy drive sparked Mr. and Mrs. Marsh’s interest, and they thought it would also be valuable for Mr. Marsh’s

football team to get involved.

“Coach had a team that took life for granted a bit, and he felt like a project might help these young men and teach them life lessons,” Mrs. Marsh said. “When our son was living, people were so generous and so kind to us. We felt like we should pay it forward.”

Mr. Marsh had the football team pass out flyers and encourage others in the community to donate. He also started the toy shopping tradition exclusively for his junior football players, and ended up getting between $4,000 to $8,000 dollars worth of toys.

“The underclassmen players started to look forward to their turn to get to go shopping,” Mrs. Marsh said, “I remember the first time we did the toy shopping, and we sent the big ‘ol linemen to shop for the little bitty barbie dolls. That was so much fun to watch.”

Throughout the years, the football team, Student Government and Mustang Volunteer Project started helping with the shopping event. Mr. and Mrs.

Spirit of the season

‘Tis the “season of giving” when the holiday season puts emphasis on volunteering time and donating to charities. Izzy Boleski, senior, was inspired by the holiday spirit and her membership in the Mustang Volunteer Project (MVP) to volunteer outside on her own time. She began looking for places to volunteer at, and Campagna Academy sparked her interest. Starting her sophomore year, she partnered with Campagna Academy to collect hygiene donations for the children and young adults who live there for Christmas.

“I

I

“I believe helping others is important because you never know how much of an impact you can make in someone’s life,” Izzy said. “Campagna Academy

Marsh give groups for.

“Shopping for nate my time to a said. “It’s a great kids. After seeing that are given every Mr. and Mrs. roundup for 36 from it; so many dent on the donations time of the year. of donations they community, and

“It is kind of I coached football,” coach, it can’t be sion. And this has We don’t do any til this is complete. ant to us because faces, and I love

Staff and students discuss opportunities in the area

thrives on these day-to-day essential needs. Just by donating something or even giving a hand, could benefit others greatly.”

Donating to a different charity for the past 17 years, Ms. Kristen Szafasz’s family hosts a Charity Brunch with their family and friends to collect items for a charity of their choosing. In the past, they have donated to the humane society, art schools and women shelters. This year, they will be collecting pasta, sauces and easy packable items to give to St. Joseph’s Parish Church in Dyer to give to people in need.

Food drive in attempts to help those in need, Student Government set a 5,000 can goal.

3,121 cans were donated and about 1,650 cans came from Mr. Matthew Kalwasinski’s classes.

to help for swim.

“It is a big get together during the holiday season

 TIMELY TUTORING Staying after school, seniors Nick Hanas and Paige Sideris help tutor Cynthia Ortiz, junior.

like the opportunities

have to help people,” Nick said. (photo by anna evilsizor)

because we are to have what up in a family struggles that



dorothy lakshmanamurthy page editor

dorothy lakshmanamurthy page editor

 MAKING A DIFFERENCE Participating in the annual toy roundup event at Target, juniors Jackson Collard and Anthony Ornelas pick out a toy to give a child for Christmas .“I feel heroic knowing that the gifts I personally picked out will make an impact on a child’s holiday season,” Anthony said. (photo by anna evilsizor)

 A TRIP DOWN MEMORY

LANE Walking down the halls of Bibich Elementary in Dyer, 11 year old Ryan Marsh, because of his lung condition, has to carry his oxygen tank with him. (submitted by mr. leroy marsh)

“I don’t want to feel lesser than”

Students discuss food and financial insecurity

event

groups assigned toy categories to shop

the toys is always a fun way to doa good cause,” Aidan Torabi, senior, program and truly helps so many seeing the amount of toys and donations every year, it always amazes me.”

Mrs. Marsh have been running this 36 years now and cannot stray away many kids and families are now dependonations that they bring in during this They are grateful for the outpour they receive from the schools and the it has grown to be their passion.

like coaching a sport, like when football,” Mr. Marsh said. “As I say to your hobby, it’s got to be your pashas become my wife and I’s passion. holiday shopping in our family uncomplete. This is something that is importbecause we see so many of the children’s seeing the smiles and excitement.”

are so fortunate as a family and friends we have,” Ms. Szafasz said. “Growing family that didn’t necessarily have a lot of the these places have made me want to give back. If you can give, give. If you can, you should.”

Ms. Leigh Ann Westland, MVP sponsor, explains the various ways to help volunteer within the community. If members like working with kids, the Munster Parks and Recreation has many kids events along with volunteering opportunities at the elementary schools. If they like sports, they can help score town league games or timing

Walking into Whole Foods a month ago for the first time, an Anonymous source felt like they had entered a whole new world. The prices on the shelves were shocking, and the amount of money that their friend’s parents spent on groceries was unfathomable. They saw delicious food samples being given out for free, and glancing down, they were surprised by a price tag reading $16 for a container of salsa. They could have cried.

34 million people in America struggle with food insecurity and ways to provide basic needs for their families. In Indiana alone, that number is around 730,000 people, meaning 1 in 9 people face this formidable lack of access to home-cooked meals, which can get expensive.

borhoods he had lived in years before, Munster was extremely safe. Sonny finds that people who live in Munster do not necessarily know what it is like to live in lower-income neighborhoods.

“I couldn’t comprehend what they meant when people told me I lived in the ‘ghetto of Munster’,” Sonny said. ‘Because I was like, it’s Munster. You guys have zero idea what a ghetto actually is.”

Losing produce

“I can’t remember the last time I’ve had a homecooked meal, unless it was from my friend’s house,” an Anonymous source said. “We always get those microwave dinners, and I get embarrassed when I talk about it. I know people’s parents cook for them, but it’s just so expensive.”

Their experience doesn’t stand alone. 18% of Munster students receive free school lunches and 5% of students receive reduced lunches, says Hans Oksam, Director of Food Services. Sonny Hoekstra moved to Munster five years ago, and while his family is better off now than they were before moving to Munster, he says Munster was a totally different experience.

“When I moved to Munster, it was an extreme culture shock. I lived in a very poor neighborhood, with a lot of food insecurity,” Sonny Hoekstra, senior, said. “My family was unsure about where we might get our next meal for a long time before coming here.”

Sonny also says another severe adjustment for him was the attitude of his friends when he mentioned where he lived. They perceived his neighborhood as the “ghetto of Munster,” but to him, Munster was the farthest place from the “ghetto” one could be. Compared to the neigh-

He conveys that there is a strong stigma and misconception that poor people are lazy because they do not have as much money; in reality, they are some of the hardest-working people he knows. The misconceptions that Munster residents possess lead people like the Anonymous source to feel uncomfortable talking about financial issues, even with trusted teachers. Anonymous felt this way while joining clubs, a lot of which here at Munster cost money in order to join and participate.

Most students are able to front the money, and oftentimes think nothing of it.

For our anonymous source, it was more than just a simple fee, and they struggled to ask the sponsor for more time to pay.

“I just feel like an idiot,” Anonymous said. “I’ve learned to tell the sponsor, but it always feels like I’m asking too much.”

As hard as it is to talk to adults about money and financial issues, Anonymous finds it is even harder with friends. They feel alienated and fear friends wouldn’t understand the hardships they go through because there is a stigma attached to being poor in Munster.

“It’s embarrassing, so I keep my mouth shut when people complain about issues that are monetary,” Anonymous said. “They don’t seem to realize their privileges. I’ve never been able to experience what they’re experiencing, and it feels awful.”

For Anonymous, it is easy to look at friends or peers and long for what they have. They explain that while they try not to let their envy affect their interactions with others, it is difficult to restrain from being jealous or having animosity towards friends who are better off.

sydney jones and seamus keegan page editors

Average weekly earnings have risen by 4.2% from a year earlier, but when adjusted for inflation, have fallen by 4.4%

Inflation and weekly earnings cause people to pay more for the same product

Handing out individu alized tickets to students who participated in the toy round up Mr. Leroy Marsh, health teacher continues the forty year old tradition (photo by anna evilsizor)

 DOWN THE AISLE Posing for a photo in Jewel-Osco, Sonny Hoekstra, senior, reflects on his personal struggle with food insecurity. When he was younger, his family would only buy food in bulk: he recalls having to buy lots of raw ingredients to make everything from scratch. The photo simulates how overwhelming shopping can be. (photos by josephine mittelberger)

Source: Consumer Price Index and Wall Street Journal

Bundle-up with books

It Should have Ended Earlier

‘It

Ends With Us’ by

Colleen

Hoover: One of the most popular books of 2022, “It Ends With Us” by Colleen Hoover was a breath of dingy air. Its popularity infect ed BookTok, and I decided to jump on the trend and read this “romance” novel. Quick ly realizing my mistake, I be gan hate-reading this poorly constructed novel.

This book is based on il logical notions, such as rich people wanting to work for free, and follows this “will they-won’t they” romance between the main character, Lily, and love interest, Ryle.

While the premise is fine, it details unrealistic abusive rela tionships: something that was never mentioned on TikTok. Ryle’s abuse is excused with a comical backstory that causes him to “blackout” and “lose control.” In these blips, Ryle abuses Lily in every way; instead of it being an ex ample of how abusers will create excuses for their actions, Hoover writes this as something that should be sympathized with. 1/5

Where The Crawdads Don’t Sing

seamus keegan

‘Where the Crawdads Sing’ by Delia Owens: Kya Clark spends her days living in the marshes of North Carolina. Abandoned by her family and isolated from the town around her, she turns to nature for comfort. However, when a well-known boy from town is found dead, Kya becomes a suspect.

“Where the Crawdads Sing” is an intricate novel that, despite its inaccuracies, dabbles in a number of genres and appeals to a broad demographic of Americans. It is a profound coming-of-age story that deals with romance, abuse and murder while being thought-provoking and moving.

The scenic writing style was great, but the character development was lacking, and I

Despite the flaws, the book was fascinating and worth the read. 4.5/5

A sip of the season

4/5 The Sugar Cookie Latte is Star bucks’s first dairy-free holiday drink. The simple drink’s sugar cookie syrup does not overpower the taste of coffee. However, the sprinkles were care lessly thrown on top, and I found it more irritating than festive. damien salahieh

2.5/5

Peppermint mocha has been praised as the best drink during the winter time: this is far from true. The first few sips are enjoyable, but it is impossible to finish. The drink does not even taste like coffee.  alsakaji

‘It Starts With Us’ by Colleen Hoover: The sequel to “It Ends With Us,” the book “It Starts With Us” follows Lily and Ryle in their post-divorce life, how they deal with custody over their child and Ryle’s controlling nature.

Since the sequel came out in October, I decided to see if the series got any better. To my surprise, it was slightly more interesting than the first book. Since each chapter alternated perspectives between Lily and Atlas,

I’d Hate My Mom Too

sydney jones

‘I’m Glad My Mom Died’ by Jennette McCurdy: I read Jennette McCurdy’s book, “I’m Glad My Mom Died.” Jennette tells her life story and gives readers a unique perspective on her less than good feelings about child acting. She expresses her struggles with eating disorders and the role her mother had in her life. The vulnerability and rawness of this book gives the reader a real sense of connection with the author. I listened to the book on Audible instead of reading it and I thought it was neat how Jennette herself read the book. I liked the experience of her reading it rather than some random lady because I felt it was more genuine.

The first chapter is an amazing attention grabber and lured me in. She explains her struggle with processing the emotions she experienced towards her mother while on her deathbed. It contains a cliffhanger that convinced me to keep reading.

I wouldn’t say it was necessarily fun to watch

Jennette grow up, because most of her life was sad from an outside perspective, but I enjoyed seeing things from Jennette’s perspective rather than just watching her on Disney Channel. The only downfall for me was that there were some sexual scenes that made me a tad uncomfortable and went into a little too much detail for my liking. With all of that, I would recom4.5/5

Lily’s new (but also ex) love interest, the book was slightly more bearable to read. The storyline following Atlas about his long-lost brother gave me a break from the cringeness of Lily. Reading this series has made me feel more second-hand embarrassment than anything else I’ve experienced in my life.

My main issue with Hoover’s writing is how unoriginal it is. If someone were to give me a list of dialogue from any of the female characters and asked to specify who said what, I would not be able to. The characters are poorly developed and makes her writing seem juvenile and bland. I can understand why some people may enjoy her books, but seeing people deem her “the modern Jane Austen’’ is just shameful to real readers. 2/5

3.5/5

While the cold brew was tasty enough, it did not quite hold up to scrutiny. The cream itself was delicious, but the cold coffee didn’t get me feel ing warm and toasty like you might expect from a holiday drink. seamus keegan

2/5 One of the drinks on the holiday menu: the under whelming caramel brulee latte. It had a sweeter taste than ex pected and the carmel had a faint flavor. Over all, the coffee tasted like every other coffee. evilsizor

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11 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Sugar Cookie Latte

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Staffers review some of most read Goodreads stories of 2022

Nothing

but net

Boys’ Basketball team looks forward to game tonight

lauren hoogeveen story editor

Scoring approximately half of the 65 points scored, Brandon Trilli, senior, helped his team win the Nov. 26 game with their starting point guard, David Cundiff, junior, out sick. Despite illness spreading throughout the team early on in the season resulting in missing players, the team preserved and beat Portage 65-51. Tonight, the team plays at home against Crown Point at 7 p.m.

“I’m really proud of how far the team got last year, including our win at Sectionals, and hope that we can do it again this year,” Jermaine Coney, junior, said.

At practice, the boys have been focusing on handling the ball under pressure and making sure they are active on defense. Specifically, they want to improve defense when guarding the ball and keeping it in front of them. The team wants to keep improving throughout the season on their rebounding and offensive sets. With a current record of 5-0, Ethan Walker, junior, believes the team’s ability to play smart and aggressively has helped them with their successful season.

“I believe our team is built around these two things, and I think it is what makes us so successful,” Walker said. “We always have to focus on being mentally tough enough too, not just physically.”

Establishing a sense of community and improving relationships between individual players has been a priority, since there are many new players on Varsity. The team believes that having strong personal relationships with each other will help them effectively work together and make practice more productive. One thing they do to help with team bonding is going out to breakfast together after Saturday morning practices, typically Commander.

“We go out to eat sometimes but other times we just chill somewhere,” Yaw Awuah, senior, said. “It’s nice to just be able to play with my teammates. I love those guys.”

A general goal that Coach Michael

Hackett has is to continue to improve throughout the season so that they are at their best by the last few games. Also, the team wants to defend their NCC Conference championship title. In particular, Nolan Kinsella, junior, has also stood out this season with his defense, averaging 15 points per game. With Trilli averaging 7 rebounds and

27 points per game, he has also shown to help lead the team.

“I love being around the kids and being a part of a group where we all are motivated to accomplish something,” Coach Hackett said. “We have a starting point and we just keep working and working. Together we figure out how to be successful.

Wrestling prepares for super duals

The Wrestling team has started its season with a record of 7-4. This season, their team has nearly doubled, going from 28 students to 40 on the roster. Their next event will be Munster Super Duals, taking place tomorrow.

“A lot of our kids are very new to wrestling,” Coach Zach Slosser said. “But they’re hardworking. We work hard, and we just don’t stop, and that’s what gives us an edge.”

The team is currently working on developing the younger wrestlers into hardworking, effective athletes. With the help of more experienced wrestlers like Lex Borrero, senior, and Chris Bohn, junior, —who both have eight years of experience under their belt—the newer team members are catching up quickly. Coach Slossler says Munster is making a name for itself, and it feels good to be recognized at meets and events.

Upcoming events

Girls’ Basketball- home game vs. Washington Township Dec.20 at 7p.m

Boys’ and Girls’ Swim- meet at Hamilton South Eastern tomorrow at 10 a.m

Boys’ and Girls’ Dive- meet at Hamilton South Eastern tomorrow at 8 a.m

Boys’ Basketball- home game vs.Crown Point tonight at 7 p.m

Gymnastics- meet at Lowell tomorrow

Wrestling- super dulas at home tomorrow at 9 a.m

Flipping into the season

Starting off practices with warming up handstands and cartwheels, drilling their complex routines and skills, and then advancing to upskilling and new skills, the Gymnastics Club prepares for the first competition of their season tomorrow in LaPorte.

“Sometimes during practice, I get stuck on one skill for what feels like forever, and I can’t move on until I finish it or make a routine without falling, which makes me super frustrated,” Mikayla Southwell, senior, said. “I just have to remember to be motivated and

determined so I can finish everything without getting discouraged along the way.”

Once the club arrives at their competitions, they warm-up, stretch and compete as everyone yells and cheers for each other. They compete in four categories: floor, vault, bars and beam.

“I’m looking forward to competing again since last year,” Giovanna Ferrante, sophomore, said. “It is exciting to not only compete, but to watch my teammates and be able to cheer them on. Everyone at the meets is super supportive, even if you’re competing against each other.”

Southwell’s goal for this gymnastic’s season is to have fun since it is her last year at MHS. The club initially started because of her passion for gymnastics, and her dad, who is currently the coach. After middle school, she was debating quitting gymnastics because the team she was on at the time was very strict.

“My dad did not want me to give up on something that I love so much,” Southwell said. “Now, it’s crazy that it’s going to be my last competition season ever, so I want to make it count. It will be our last season together, and I know I am going to miss my teammates after I graduate.”

DUNKED ON Jumping to make the basket, Jermaine Coney (5), junior, dunks on Fritz Olthof (31), senior from Illiana Christian. Playing Illiana Christian Dec. 2 at home, the team won 70-46, adding to their current streak of 5-0. (photo by zoe clark)

dorothy lakshmanamurthy

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seamus keegan page editor

TAKING THE LEAP Trying to keep her balance, Jenna Skipper, senior, preforms a split jump on the balance beam. ”I try to foucs on one thing so I don’t fall,” Skipper said. (photo by zuzu smith)

IT TAKES TWO TO TANGLE Executing the push down drill Liam Boyle and Anthony Paredes, freshman,warm up for practice (photo by anna evilsizor)

Error Error 4. Trash or Treasure

EYE SPY around the school

Stressed out by finals? Need something to take your mind off all that you gotta do? Take an easy brain-break

9. The “Matanic horse” was brought in by her former theater arts class student to act out the Trojan War. The student said the horse was better off in Mrs. Matanic’s classroom. “Since we are the Mustangs I agreed,” Mrs. Matanic explained.

8. This is a sticky note from the “moral message sticky note board.” A project Student Government proposed this year; Gaby Ruiz, senior, worked to initiate it. The sticky notes range from kind statements to small compliments, with the goal to brighten students’ days. The sticky notes will be replenished today.

7. This is the broken teachers’ lounge lock. Both locks in the North teachers’ lounge have been broken. -Mysterious ly, only a few keys work. Coincidence? Currently, the sign reads, “Please use the other door. Your key might get stuck in this lock. New lock on order.” The note was taken down but recently put back up.

6. This is the mural in the south. An artitstic staple at MHS even before the creation of the North Mural. The mural was also created by Art Club for the 50th years of school. Take a good look at the mural next time you cross paths with it. You will come to find unique clubs and classes MHS used to hold.

5.This is the Ceramic display found outside the cafeteria Showing off his students’ impressive work, Mr. Carl Fields’ presents ceramic projects of his current students. Take a good look at your fellow peers’ artwork sometime soon, you might find inspiration for your upcoming finals here.

What is your holiday hot take?

“The elf on the shelf is weird.”

“Gingerbread houses are the most senseless creations. It takes so much work just for it to taste bad.”

photos by marianna young and ethan pischner, information gathered by reena alsakaji and josephine mittelberger

4. This is the mysterious artifact of a mammal bone structure found in the entry way of the north. To answer all the questions we’ve had for the last few years, the information has -fine ly come out. Mr. Mike Wells found the artifact at a yard sale. -Au thentic or not, is yet to be determined by an archeologist.

3. This is the Starbucks machine. Operating for a couple weeks, the Starbucks machine in North was quickly turned off with an “Out of Order” sign posted on the coffee stained glass. It broke because the smaller cans ejected wrong, hit the uncushioned -bot tom and disrupted a few mechanisms on the bottom. Pepsi workers came into the school to repair the vending machine, and it was refilled on Monday.

2. This is the North .Mural Begun by Art Club in 2018, the mural was a collaboration of members’ artwork and its -com pletion was pushed back due to COVID-19. Art club was spotted earlier this week working on it.

1. This is the screeching study hall door. The recently replaced study hall became Mrs. Ellen Naumoff’s newest pet peeve. The door did not shut on its own, and Mrs. Naumoff suspects that it may be due to some sort of air pressure resistance.

answers

“Gingerbread cookies are gross.”

“Peppermint mochas are the perfect holiday drink. It’s almost a combo of hot chocolate and coffee, with the peppermint holiday touch.”

“Going out to big events for new years eve is overrated. It is crowded, there’s a ton of people. My ideal new years is with my family on the couch.”

“I hate the Grinch song.”

“Egg nog is awful.”

“Egg nog is the worst holiday drink.”

“Ugly Christmas sweaters are overrated.”

“I like long lines at stores/crowded stores because the commotion is exciting.”

Raghu

Nachuri, freshman Juliana Olivencia, freshman

Richie Andrzejewski, sophomore

Dorsa Farahani, junior

Paige Sideris, senior

Martin, junior

senior

Dillon Thompson science teacher

Asha Patel, sophomore

Mr. Jordan Mayer, English teacher