MHS Crier | Issue 6 | 1.27.2023

reena alsakaji & josephine mittelberger

editor-in-chief & design chief

Calculating the score of the essay generated by ChatGPT, Mr. Steven Stepnoski, English teacher, mutters, ‘That can’t be right.’ Punching in the numbers into the calculator once again, he sighs in defeat as he writes “88.”

As an experiment alongside our ChatGPT coverage, Crier gave Mr. Stepnoski two essays to grade: one was written by Josephine Mittelberger, senior, and the other was generated by ChatGPT based on her essay. There was a 10% difference, and Mr. Stepnoski noted that the essay did not flow. While the ideas connected logically, the sentence structure and word choice lacked voice and style.

“Spotting the writing style differenc es would be a lot more challenging to do without knowing someone’s writing voice or style previously,” Mr. Stepnoski said. “It got repetitive, and that’s where my anten na went up: this sort of seems like an auto mated, voiceless style of writing.”

While creating the essay with ChatGPT, Crier found that, if not given the informa tion about the essay topic, the AI system was not accurate. Students such as Ste phen Glombicki and teachers such as Mrs. Brook Lemon found this same issue—the program would confidently spill out false information when asked about specifics in books or questions in regards to math.

“It thinks like a human.”

“It’s able to consume so much information at once. It does not write like a human, but I feel like it thinks closer to humans than most other things would,” Anthony Bellahcen, senior, said.

Since ChatGPT’s release in November, several school districts have rushed to block the program, according to the New York Times, claiming that it hinders student creativity. Currently, students cannot access any OpenAI program on their school laptops, both in the building and outside of it. According to a Crier survey of 218 responses, from Jan. 12-23, approximately 12% of students have used ChatGPT or another AI for an academic subject, and 37% of students know others do so. Sarah Espiritu, senior, finds the program conflicts with her values as she plans to become an English teacher in the future.

“So long as AI keeps advancing to know what professors want in papers, students are never going to learn how to be their own writer and have a voice. It’s just going to be the same—confined to a box,” Sarah said. “ Personally, but as a future educator, all I can do is encourage students to want to learn—not to just give them a deadline, or say you have to submit this because of the curriculum. I’m giving you a deadline because I want to instill a want to learn of the subject.”

“There

The overarching concern of teachers with ChatGPT is that rather than using it as a tool for learning, students will instead use it in moments of desperation when the deadline is too close to finish the work on

Homework turned automated

Following ChatGPT’s release in November, students and teachers discuss its implications for education and student creativity, as well as other AI

their own. Mr. Benjamin Boruff, English teacher, found that ChatGPT and other AI generating programs challenge teachers to encourage their students to learn how to struggle.

“It just makes it all the easier for someone to not learn and grow as a writer,” Mr. Boruff said. “I think this will be an issue moving forward in English classes everywhere, but learning will still happen. It’s hard to do, but to convince folks that there is an inherent value in going through the struggle to get to the end result. The more people I can convince of that, the less likely they’ll rely on something like this.”

While there are sources out there that can potentially detect if an essay was created by ChatGPT, because there is no guarantee that an essay was created with an AI system, it would be difficult to accuse a

student of cheating. Mrs. Brook Lemon, English teacher, compared this to accusing a parent of writing their child’s essay—unless a child says it, there is no way to prove that theory.

“I think it’s a really good point that teachers need to make sure they know their students and know what they’re capable of,” Mrs. Lemon said. “This shouldn’t be the first time they’re seeing their writing. They should know what their writing is like, but sometimes you just never can pick it out.”

Programs such as ChatZero have stated that they can detect plagiarism by ChatGPT. Increasingly, students have found their way around these issues. Students reported using the program for both essays and other extracurriculars, such as Science Olympiad and Debate.

A look into the essay

Crier gave Mr. Steven Stepnoski, english teacher, two sample essays. Below is one sentence written by one of our staff members, and the other is written by ChatGPT. Guess which one is which (answers on page 6.)

1. “This line serves as an introduction to the theme of the song, which is about the lengths that one might go to in order to eliminate perceived competition in a romantic relationship.”

2. “He follows the line by directly addressing the audience, the man he is in love with, which confirms the aggressive tone that was established in the narration.”

is an inherent value in the struggle.”

 COPY AND PASTE Printing out a mock essay from ChatGPT, Gaby Ruiz, senior, poses for a photo. Since ChatGPT’s release, school districts have feared that students will utilize this resource for plagiarism. (photo illustration by marianna young & reena alsakaji)

“Chat GPT, print my essay on...”

Sisters Rise Up: A program for new opportunities

are more bookshelves on their way to put more of our books up,” Ms. Hladek said. (photo by lexi villalobos)

Opening a new chapter

The Media Center has been fully renovated with new features, including the bookshelves and rooms for teachers and students to use. A new website for the Media Center can now be accessed by students and staff, too.

“I think the new Media Center is wonderful. It’s well received,” Ms. Hladek said.

New bookshelves have been in the Media Center, allowing the books to be put back and checked out. However, some bookshelves during transit were damaged. The cause of this damage was due to a small hole in the shipping container, letting water in. VS furniture company had the damaged items replaced.

The printing station has no printers or solution currently. The printers were not in the plan for the new design. For every decision, cost and benefits play a big role,

meaning figuring out the printers would weigh those. Some students have a difficult time not being able to print what they need.

“It sucks. I do not have a printer at my moms house so sometimes I’m left without a place to print. I have one at my dad’s house but I do not always have the time to go out of my way to get there to print, especially with extracurriculars and homework and stuff,” Jordan Fefferman, sophomore said.

Students are welcome to enter the Media Center for studying, as long as they have received a pass from Ms. Ellen Naumoff, study hall teacher. In addition, if a student is in their lunch hour and needs a more quiet atmosphere, they can get a pass from the Media Center. Students interested in staying during lunch all semester can get a laminated pass from Mrs. Hellen Fuller, dean.

Teachers can now reserve a room for

 WORKING HARD Now on new modern shelves, books of many different genres are in. Students are able to stop by and check them out. “There are more bookshelves on their way to put more of our books up,” Ms. Hladek said. (photo by lexi villalobos)

An update on the Media Center’s renovation, resources now accessible

class or extracurricular activities for a change of scenery. There are a total of six rooms that can be used and are encouraged to do so. Mr. Jordan Mayer, English teacher, has used one of the study rooms for Speech and Debate.

“I think it is a practical room and we are able to manage our practices more efficiently since there are more outlets and rooms for students to use. I highly recommend teachers utilize the learning spaces in the Media Center,” Mr. Mayer said.

Details about the rooms can be found on the Media Center’s website. To reserve any of these areas that spark interest, email or call Mr. Ray Palasz or Ms. Hladek.

To access the Media Center’s website, it is linked on Munster High School and Crier’s website. The website includes more information about the Media Center, books and for teachers there is a request form.

MHS likely to switch to block scheduling next year, Mr. Nolan says

MHS will likely switch to some form of hybrid or block scheduling next year, according to Principal Morgan Nolan. The goal of block scheduling had been one of Mr. Nolan’s endeavors since he began July 1, but it was put on hold as there was little time to make schedule adjustments. Most other school districts in the area follow a hybrid schedule, and Mr. Nolan says that following spring break, the administration will have a concrete idea of what the schedule will

Crier will cover this more in the next issue. Please give your feedback on this survey.

look like.

“There’s a benefit for having some extended chunks of time in classes,” Mr. Nolan

“Whether it’s labs, or more production access to work. The 48 minutes can be rushed. So giving students some opportunities, especially from a science and a humanities standpoint, where you can have some of these deeper conversations, spend some more time learning.”

reena alsakaji

ISSMA district solo and ensemble tomorrow

held at Northview Middle School in Indianapolis Feb. 25.

 RISING OPPORTUNITIES Standing with her student, Mrs. Koula Amanatidis-Radoicic, computer science teacher, and Leia Maduakolam, junior, who is a participant of the program, are preparing to take a photo. Leia won a gift card for her participation in the program. (photo by ethan pischner)

MHS offers its second year of the Sisters Rise Up, a free online mentorship for female students of color taking an AP Computer Science course. In this program, undergraduate students from University of Michigan direct Zoom calls to offer students help on their course material.

Leia Maduakolam, junior, participated in this program last year.

“I was informed of many other computer-science related opportunities by being in the program,” Leia said. “Over the summer, I was able to participate in a Python research study for the University of Toronto because of my engagement in Sisters Rise Up. I really enjoyed this program, the students were always supportive and the directors provided a lot of resources. I definitely recommend this program to other AP CS students.”

Theatre comes in second place at State

 ROARING REHEARSAL Conducting his first period band class, Munster High School’s band director, Mr. Ian Marcusiu, works to make sure his students are prepared for their upcoming competition at ISSMA. Since the beginning of the year, the band students have toiled tirelessly for the sake of their success in this competition (photo by connor mcdonald)

Scribbling notes onto her sheet music, Emma Kavalec, junior, gets ready to meet up with her ISSMA ensemble group. Also performing a solo tomorrow, Emma believes the hardest part has been time management. Over the past several years, the Regional level ISSMA competition has been held at MHS with time slots throughout the day for private performances. The instrumental solo and ensemble will be held tomorrow, while vocal and piano will be Feb. 4.

Students can choose to compete from group one to group five, with the former being the most challenging and rigorously judged. If a player receives gold in the group one category, they will move onto the State competition

With an increase in the number of students performing this year and over 1000 performances taking place throughout the day, dozens of volunteers and members of MHS band are needed to help organize. All classrooms throughout the school need to be set up as performance rooms and room numbers and times need to be communicated to over 40 other directors.

“Practicing for me always starts off with a tone warm up,” Emma said. “I always try to make sure I start off with my best sound so I’m able to apply it to the rest of my practice. Lastly, I work on whatever piece I need too. Whether that’s my trip piece I’m doing or my solo, I try to fit both of them into my practice time.”

 LIGHTS UP IN TEN Putting on their stage make-up, Isidora Pavlic, senior, and Marija Pavlic, freshman, prepare for MTC’s State performance of “Wit.” MTC placed second overall at State, the highest MHS has ever gotten in history. (photo by josephine mittelberger)

Performing “Wit,” Munster Theatre Company came in second place at State, scoring a 116 out of 140 points Jan. 2122. Pemi Ogunjimi, sophomore, received a superior award in theatre marketing. Clover Sarkady became a State Thespian Officer for Indiana, and she played the main role of Vivian Bearing in the play. Clover also won the Outstanding Performer Award. reena

corrections

In Issue 5 of Crier, on page 1, the stipends decision by the state was not recent. In corrections on page 2, Mrs. Koula Amanatidis-Radoicic’s name is spelt wrong. On page 5, the photo TEACHING THE TRADITION was taken by Marianna Young. On page 6, the book photos were taken by Damien Salahieh and Zoe Clark and the Starbucks photos were taken by Anna Evilsizor. On page 7, gymnastics is not an official sport at MHS. Also, in the photo IT TAKES TWO TO TANGLE, Liam Boyle is

a freshman and Anthony Paredes is a sophomore. Coach Zach Slosser’s name is misspelled in the Wrestling story. On page 8, under answers, Mr. Mike Wells is the former principal.

said.

alsakaji

lauren hoogeveen story editor

 NEW AND IMPROVED Now on new modern shelves, books of many different genres are in. Students are able to stop by and check them out. “There

emily dywan

Valuable, or a waste of time?

column by

I took Culinary Arts last semester. A lot of students in that class had no real interest in cooking. Students were constantly on their phones, and not paying attention to the chef’s instructions. She expected all students to invest themselves in the class and do what was asked of them.

One day, she had enough. She decided to speak only to the students willing to listen, and told them what we were going to do that day. She let the kids who chose to be on their phones do that. The rest of us did the assignment, and at the end of the hour she told the other students that they would be receiving zeros because they hadn’t participated.

If the kids taking the class had actually wanted to be there, none of that would have happened.

If you want to graduate from MHS with a Core 40 or Technical Honors diploma, you must take five credits of language and/or fine arts. Because those classes are required, some kids take them just for the credit, not because they actually enjoy the class.

Unfortunately, an enjoyable class such as culinary arts or technical theatre can often be ruined by other students who are less enthused about the course. Because MHS requires students to take one of these classes, a decent portion of the student population do not really want to be there. Kids goof off with friends, choose not to participate in activities and distract the class from their work.

Munster should make an art credit optional. Let the students who are interested in the class take it, and students who don’t want to take it don’t have to. This way, students can take the class with other kids who want to be there, providing a more enjoyable experience for both students and teachers. In addition, Munster should offer more classes directed at the arts. We are constantly adding business classes to our curriculum, but these classes don’t offer kids the creative focus they need. Fine arts classes are just as important if not more important than academic classes, and we should offer more of them and encourage kids to be creative.

crier

staff opinion

A double-edged sword

“Chat GPT can be used as a tool.” As we progressed through interviews for coverage on Chat GPT, and as we skimmed the several articles outlining both the pros and cons, we found this to be a consistent argument. Though Chat GPT has the potential to be used as plagiarism, the argument goes, the resource can be used as a form of studying.

GPT’s function in education, several students reported using Chat GPT as a baseline, rather than a form of academic dishonesty.

our take

The usage of ChatGPT as a tool can be harmful when not used properly

From the ability to generate human-like text, chatbots and virtual assistants to content creation, OpenAI has taken the world of natural language processing by storm since its release in November. Within the realm of considering Chat

opinion backtalk

what is your opinion of B lunch?

“

I think that it’s the best time because it gives me a good break between classes. I have AP Huge during that time, so having a break between that makes it so much easier.”

temi ololdade freshman

Chat GPT, like many AI-powered writing assistants, can be a double-edged sword when it comes to education. While it can be a useful tool for students to generate ideas and understand grammar or vocabulary, it can also harm them if they rely too heavily on it. For instance, some students may use it to cheat on homework or exams by generating entire responses or essays without fully understanding the material themselves, as shown by our data

conducted in a Crier survey. Most students who reported using Chat GPT or another AI primarily do so for English essays; moreover, 6.6% of students who use Chat GPT have conducted academic honesty before.

This can lead to a lack of critical thinking skills and a lack of personal responsibility for their own learning. Chat GPT is a tool, not a replacement for education and critical thinking; students should be encouraged to use it as a support and not a replacement for their own thinking. Educators and administrators should consider the potential consequences of using AI-powered plagiarism detection software, and be transparent about the use of these tools with students and other stakeholders: for example, Crier used this Chat GPT to create this editorial.

“

“I actually really like it because I get a break, but it’s annoying when I have to stop in the middle of it.”

morgan grogan sophomore

As the bell rings

column by josephine zangrilli photographer

Settling down into my To Kill a Mockingbird quiz, the B lunch bell rings and my quiz pauses on the fourth question. My teacher instructs the class to leave their laptops in the classroom during our break. Preparation isn’t capable of relieving the anxious thoughts

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.

“

It has positives and negatives. It is nice to be able to take a break in the middle of class, but it can disrupt your focus and learning.”

dorsa farahani junior

streaming throughout my mind. “Will I forget everything once I return to the quiz?” I ask myself.

Now that my schedule has been changed to C lunch, I am able to grasp how much B lunch has affected my learning. Taking quizzes in my fifth-period class was troublesome. Having to leave during a test or quiz can induce anxiety into the nearly one and three kids who suffer from the disorder. Students aren’t the only group who are affected by B lunch. I recently spoke to my first semester English teacher, Ms. Holloway. B lunch specifically interrupts the flow of her fifth period class.

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

Design Chief Josephine Mittelberger

Story Editor Lauren Hoogeveen

“

I think B lunch is nice; just having any break during class is a good thing.”

aidan torabi senior

She mentioned that taking quizzes and tests are extremely difficult, especially for students who take longer to finish.

On days that the class is not taking assessments, lessons are also interrupted. Once the class moves into the lesson, the bell rings. This makes it difficult for her class to pick off where they left off. Once the class returns, recapping what they learned before lunch takes time that they should not have to use.

Entering the second semester of the 22-23 school year, I hope the administration is looking to find a way around the issue of B lunch.

Photography Trainer Marianna Young

Page Editors Seamus Keegan, Dorothy Lakshmanamurthy, Emily Dywan

Photographers Zoe Clark, Ethan Pischner, Marianna Young, Connor McDonald, Josephine Zangrilli, Lexi Villalobos

Business Manager Josephine Mittelberger

Cartoonist Damien Salahieh

Adviser Ms. Sarah-Anne Lanman

seamus keegan page editor

illustration by damien salahieh

“Let the students who are interested in the class take it, and students who don’t want to don’t have to.”

MIX AND MATCH

Staffers review Netflix’s new “Kaleidoscope”

“Kaleidoscope” is a series where the viewer can watch episodes in any order, and the episode titles correspond with colors. The circles indicate the order of episodes the staffer watched the show.

Through

If you enjoy shows like Black Mirror: Bandersnatch and Minecraft: Story Mode, then Kaleidoscope is just the show you have been waiting for. Although you can’t change the events that will take place in this action-packed bank heist, you can choose the order in which you experience Netflix’s original series. Every episode’s name is inspired by one of the eight hues of the rainbow, which will be seen in a symbol near the end of each hour-long interlude.

While watching the series in chronological order, I was able to meet all of the main characters in the way they were intended to be introduced. Throughout all eight episodes, I didn’t encounter any confusion with any of the events. But this made me question, would this have been different

if I hadn’t viewed the show in this order?

Let’s say you started with Pink, six months after the heist. You would have already known how the whole series would play out and where everyone would end up.

I also felt that watching White (the day of the heist) before Pink and Red (after the heist) didn’t give me the opportunity to experience the “ah ha!” and “that makes sense!” moments. I suggest making one edit by watching White last. Beware: the characters aren’t given any room to grow with the script they are given. At the beginning of every episode, each character is almost reintroduced in the circumstance that it may be the viewer’s first time watching. You aren’t able to grow an emotional bond with anyone because of this. This ultimately leads to the ending being anticlimactic and unsatisfying since you don’t feel much sympathy for anyone.

A Colorful Heist 5/5

seamus keegan

page editor

I watched the series in what Netflix called a “Tarantino” style. The plot was very intriguing, and the ability to watch the show in any order was a truly unique and enjoyable experience.

I enjoyed the character development of Ray and Roger, and how their motivations and backstory were revealed in small pieces, one at a time. I

also liked that the ability to switch the order meant the typical heist genre trope was dismantled, allowing for less of a cut-and-dry chronology. While it wouldn’t be detrimental to your viewing experience if you watched them earlier on, you should watch the Violet, Red, and White episodes last so as not to spoil some events and make the series less captivating.

emily dywan

page editor

I would highly recommend Kaleidoscope for an audience who loves deciphering puzzles and the thrill of a grand picture coming together. Although the plot could just be seen as a dull heist series, the character development and tension built throughout the course of the series kept me on the edge of my seat.

This order sends the watcher for an

exhilarating loop between the past and present. I would recommend starting off with an episode with little plot context, like episode Blue or Yellow. I thought this sequence was a fun watch but some episodes could’ve been pushed further on. I felt as if watching episode Violet earlier on revealed too much too soon about the character’s motives. I would definitely recommend saving episodes Red, White and Pink as your finale!

TICKETTICKET

Date or dip

lauren hoogeveen & dorothy lakshmanamurthy story editor & page editor

Ice skating date - 3/5

Seen as a picturesque and straight out of a movie type of date, ice skating can be a memorable activity to conquer with your date. Staffers found that it can be embarrassing if you are not a pro skater, but can break one another out of their shell. It can be quite the challenge and your feet will start to hurt easily, but one fall on the ice can make the perfect laugh. This date, is not recommend as the first, but could be enjoyable once you start to get comfortable with one another.

7 YEARS BEFORE 6 WEEKS BEFORE 3 WEEKS BEFORE

24 YEARS BEFORE 5 DAYS BEFORE THE HEIST MORNING AFTER 6 MONTHS AFTER

Through the Tinted Glass

Not many shows take the concept that “Kaleidoscope” did: a puzzle show. As you proceed through the show, there are many intertwining puzzles.

The show was confusing at first, but there were some items that made sense, such as the orchids in the Blue episode. One of the puzzles is trying to figure out what the symbol is for each episode. As you go through the show, you figure out what the orchids were for. The symbols for each episode are very well hidden as to what the actual

ethan pischner photographer purpose of it is. I like the use of the symbols because of how well they were hidden and because you actually had to look for them in the show. The plan for the show was executed very well on how Netflix wanted it to go. I really enjoyed the use of the colors in the show. Each episode had their own color coordination to the theme of that episode. Watching these three episodes already makes the first couple of episodes make way more sense. After I finished all eight episodes I realized that I might have watched some of them out of order.

With Valentine’s Day approaching, Crier staffers review date ideas

Movie date - 1.5/5

Although this is typically seen as more of a “grown up” kind of date, a coffee date seems to provide the perfect environment for when you’re just starting to get to know someone. On a mock date, we found Sip to be very comfortable and relaxing. Staffers found the lively yet quiet environment provided a great space for conversation and easy conversation starters. If you’re someone who worries about eye contact, having a drink in your hand to occasionally sip on is the perfect solution.

TICKETTICKET

While widely shown in the media as a picture perfect first date, movie dates have been proven to be the exact opposite. Although the mock date was fine since staffers know each other well, they could imagine that it would be ten times more awkward if you don’t know the person well. Staffers agreed that nobody felt obligated to talk the whole time was fine because they’re comfortable together, but it would have been weird with someone they barely know. The whole purpose of a first date is to get to know each other, not to make weird side-eye contact while you pretend to pay attention to the movie.

josephine zangrilli photographer

illustrations by josephine mittelberger

Hammering out the progress

A closer look at new developments in Munster



In recent months, Munster has been making strides towards positive growth. Centennial Village is well into development, and a new South Shore Line is being constructed. With the bar set for the future, what can we expect to see in the next few years?

Munster’s Expectations for the Future

In December 2022, MHS’ Student Government and the Civics club were invited to a planning meeting to receive feedback from residents about communal changes they envision for the future of the town.

“Seeing as there is a high percentage of kids who return to Munster as adults, the goal for these students was to give a fresh, young perspective on Munster’s infrastructure and long term plan,” Asha Patel, sophomore and student government and Civics club member, said.

The majority of attendees agreed that Munster has no area designated for teens or students, like a downtown.

“One of the most prevalent ideas of the meeting was the topic of a community center or downtown region of Munster,” Asha said.

South Shore Line Railroad Extension

Currently, northwest Indiana is serviced by the South Shore Line, providing transportation to the Chicago and Cook County areas. As of 2015, the Northwest Indiana Commuter Transportation District has proposed the West Lake Corridor Project as an extension of the South Shore Line route to reach areas in Lake County, Indiana, Munster and West Lakes. The Project will expand the ability to reach Chicago easily, and provide transportation for students and community members to and from the city.

“I’m not to happy about the new line,” Kyle Farnell, junior, said. The new line will run right behind his house. “I see it as a waste of resources, several years ago it was decommissioned because there wasn’t really a need for one, so I don’t see why it’s back.”

Maple Leaf Crossing

Local developer Jay Lieser with 1st Metropolitan Builders has begun work on a four story office and retail complex. The complex will feature a design inspired by metal shipping containers. It will consist of two office buildings, a restaurant, and The School of Rock, a school of music for kids and adults.

“Munster is known for it’s first-class schools, homes and healthcare. With Maple Leaf Crossing, we will add professional and retail space to the list,” Lieser said on their website. “I live here, work here and raise my kids here. I am proud of our community and want to do my part to improve it.”

Bean Me Up Roastery

Bean Me Up, one of Centennial Village’s new featured businesses, is a newly opened cafe run by couple Michelle Mirelez and Nick Elizalde. The cafe opened in December, gaining traction from local families and park goers.

“Centennial Village was our first choice because it was right next to the park and there’s a lot of development happening in the area over the next few years,” Michelle said. “We wanted people to be able to walk to our shop and this location was able to satisfy that.”

Michelle and Nick both graduated from Lake County schools and hope to encourage students to visit their growing business.

“We want all students to know they are welcome here,” Michelle said. “If you bring your ID in, you can get a discount on your drink.”

While the immediate reaction of many involves concerns over shortcuts and plagiarism, other teachers find that this content can be helpful—or, rather, schools should be working with the program rather than against it. Mr. Ryan Popa, cybersecurity and business teacher, initially wanted to use the program for his business class—with business teaching, “time is money.”

“My first thought was, education is over as we know it. Students cheated enough,” Mr. Popa said. “But why not take advantage because you can’t put the genie back? The big thing is, how do we teach with the genie and make it useful. Going forward, there’s going to have to be some marrying of the two. If we’re going to truly educate you to move on into careers, those careers are going to be using bots.”

“Don’t Ban ChatGPT in schools, Teach

with it” published by the New York Times stated that banning the program was the wrong move for several school districts— primarily because the attempts would not work in the long run or real world and partially because it can be used as a resource for teachers.

Besides being used for academic purposes, Chat GPT has been a powerful tool in helping those with errors in their code, fix the small bugs. Stephen Glombicki, sophomore, takes it one step further and uses a sister program to help write up to half of his code: all he has to do is push “tab.”

“I think it is powerful and I like the tool a lot, but it definitely has its bad side,” Stephen said. “It has to have better content moderation, you can’t ask it stuff that is harmful. It is a cybersecurity threat. A bunch of people have been asking it to write vulnerabilities.”

“You can’t make a dataset out of someone’s brain.”

Another form of AI on the rise is AI art like Dalle-E 2, which has split the artist community. AI art is created through instructions on how to replicate certain aesthetics;

some systems will take existing images to create new pieces of art. There are systems that claim that what they create is unique, like AICAN—which does not pull from photos like other AI systems, but is instead fed tens of thousands of photos to learn different styles that spans over multiple centuries. As someone who is a part of smaller artist communities, Jemma Jacobsen, senior, is afraid of the implications that AI art holds with stealing the work of other creators.

“Art is a strong expression of all of my feelings,” Jemma said. “I draw things that I believe are beautiful. It’s all like coming from inside my brain, which you can’t make a dataset out of. A lot of people expect art to be free and do not realize the amount of time and effort that is put into creating

AI versus human-made: which is which?

To the left, guess which piece of artwork is AI-generated versus human-created. On front, guess which sentence was created by ChatGPT. Turn the paper upside down for the answers.

On this page, sentence #2 was produced by ChatGPT

The blue mountain piece generated by Dalle-E

The flower piece was created by Jemma Jacobsen, senior Answer Key

quality artwork. Everyone can create art, and that is beautiful. I think that we’ve lost sight of the fact that just because it is a commodity doesn’t mean it’s not valuable.

The dystopian novel “1984” by George Orwell demonstrates a manipulative totalitarian goverment that dominates its citizens with the use of propaganda and surveillance.

2 Hours:

Mon.

-

-

“But why not take advantage because you can’t put the genie back?”

continued from front.

Girls’ Bowling Club qualifies for Regionals for first time

In the fast lane

Tapering down and doing less yardage at practice to focus on the proper technique of their arm placement and strong kicks, Girls’ Swim prepares for their Sectionals at Lake Central where they will compete at sectional prelims Feb. 2 and sectional finals Feb. 4. Boys’ Swim will have their sectionals at Munster with prelims Feb. 16 and finals Feb 18.

“Our goal is to send as many people down to state as possible this season,” Angelica Rzeznikowski, senior and a girls’ captain, said. “I have been pushing my team to build their strength and endurance by encouraging them to come to as many practices as possible.”

Putting their hard practice work into action, both the girls and boys teams won their conference meet in Hobart Jan 21. They use conference to seek out what they need to focus on as they approach Sectionals, such as, remembering to hold tight turns,

Girls’ and Boys’ Swim prepare for sectionals

proper kicking technique and to hold a streamline.

“Working on these little things will make our swimming even better, and the conference meet showed us how good we can do at Sectionals,” Addi Sanow, junior, said. “The captains of the team also push us to be our best.”

To further prepare for these important meets, the teams recently got off of winter training which included more intense practices to build up their strength and endurance. The swimmers completed high intensity sets with very little rest between reps, or they do repeated max effort reps with a decent amount of rest between each one. These sets help the team withstand fatigue and practice how they need to race.

“But by completing these sets, the swimmers push themselves to the limits of their endurance in practice so that when it comes time to race, they know how to give their all,” Mr. Michael Bakker, assistant swim coach, said. “Both types of sets often have

Hitting the mat

Wrestling heads to sectionals as season closes out

the swimmers laying on the pool deck gasping for air.”

As the teams continue to strive and keep improving for Sectionals, the team works together to help one another strengthen their weaknesses.

“We have been working very hard on pushing off the walls because that is our competition weakness,” Casey McNulty, senior and a girls’ captain, said. “We know that we have to pull together as a team if we want to be successful. The team is the closest it has ever been this year, so we have high expectations of each other.”

Tips 1 2 3 4

 STRIVING FOR STRIKES At their Sectionals, Abigail Martin, junior, prepares to bowl. “I feel fantastic because this is a first,” Martin said. “The girls have never gone to regionals before.” (photo by jaylyn fassoth)

For the first time, Girls’ Bowling qualified for Regionals, which was held in Michigan City Jan. 21. The girls placed twelfth, not moving onto Semi-state. The Boys’ qualified seniors Ty Pappas and Casey Knor for individual competition at Regionals. Knor placed seventh, moving him onto Semi-state this Saturday.

“We found out we made it to Regionals, and we were going ballistic,” Alyssa Torres, sophomore, said. “The energy was off the walls.” dorothy lakshmanamurthy

Freshman Gracyn Gilliard breaks MHS Girls’ Basketball record

emily dywan

page editor

The wrestling team recently finished their regular season with a 12-7 record. Now, the squad will focus towards the upcoming sectional tournament. As the team’s season ends, the team charges towards their upcoming

sectionals this weekend. Head Coach Zach Slosser plans to keep the same routine to get ready.

“We are going to keep our conditioning up and focus on our positioning,” Coach Slosser said.

Beyond the team’s intense application, Coach Slosser credits both team

Streamline off the walls to glide fast and create minimal resistance.

Have high elbows to ensure there is no drag in your stroke.

Kick downwards but maintain a pull up on your legs. Pull the water straight in front of you by not crossing your arms.

and individual success to the goals they have set and accomplished.

“A lot of the goals we set are individual goals,” Coach Slosser said. “When those individual goals are met, team accomplishments are met.”

Sophomore wrestler, Jack Foreit, shares his own objectives for his first wrestling season.

“Some goals I have set for myself are to learn the sport in depth,” Foreit said. “Another goal would be getting in better shape and conditioning.”

As for the junior varsity team, they finished their final meet of the season at New Prairie last week. Freshman Ava Walker is one of the two new females, including Noemi Cabrera Gonzalez, on the team. Despite minor injuries, both girls represented their team strong through their first season.

“Being [one] of the only girls on the team is definitely scary,” Walker said. “I feel like our team expects a lot from us, but also expect us not to be as good as them. Coach puts a lot of extra time in for us by finding girls tournaments, which makes us feel included.”

Glancing over to the sidelines, Gracyn Gilliard, freshman, watches her coach flash up two fingers and mouth the words “two points.” He was referencing breaking the record of most points scored in a game. Passing Ellen Blackmun’s 36 points in 1989, Gilliard scored 38 points at the Dec. 20 game against Washington Township.

“The pressure of making two free throws was crazy, especially since I’d never been the best at free throws,” Gilliard said. “Coach called a timeout, and everyone was cheering and dumped water on me after.”

lauren hoogeveen

Hockey Club prepares for State Championship Feb. 24

 ON THE FLY During their game against Brebeuf Jesuit Prep, Brenden Budeselich, senior, chases after the puck. Ending with a 4-4 tie, the team nears closer to their State Championship Feb. 24. (photo by marianna young)

With the Munster Hockey Club nearing the end of their season, the team is looking forward to the State Championship Feb. 24. The team’s biggest goal is to win another championship after their previous State win in 2021. As nine seniors will be leaving the team after this season, the Mustangs are looking to end the season on a high note.

“Coming off of our State win in 2021 wasn’t great and we are finding this year to be the same way,” Ben Riffice, junior, said.“I think we can pull back and win State.”

josephine zangrilli

 SURFACING Coming up for air, Arantxa Rivera, sophomore, finishes her stroke. Rivera swam the 100 butterfly at the team’s senior night on Jan. 19, against Lake Central. “My main focus while swimming butterfly is keeping my breathing pattern constant and for as long as possible,” Rivera said. (photo by haydn howell)

 HEAD TO HEAD Wrestling for results, sophomores Sorvino Chansiri and Anthony Paredes practice for their upcoming sectionals. The wrestling team has spent the year working hard to ensure their success in their matches. (photo by connor mcdonald)

 GAME ON Preparing for a pass, Gracyn Gilliard, freshman looks for an open player on her team at the Oct. 29 scrimmage against Oregon Davis. (photo from gracyn gilliard)

Junior Jasmine Wegman’s top 4 reminders while swimming

january 27, 2023

What are your 2023 predictions?

Making their voices heard

A look into the inspiration, origin and production behind various student run podcasts

“One Direction will get back together.”

“Arsenal will win the premier league.”

“Elon Musk gets sued for Tesla auto crashes.”

Chatting with one another after school about the highs and lows of their days along with some humor sprinkled in, seniors Juliette Miranda and Rose Spencer wanted others to be a part of their conversations about the true high school experience. Found on Spotify, Apple Music and Anchor, they created their podcast “Tabletalk” to highlight this.

“After a club meeting after school, one of us jokingly floated around the idea that we deserved our own reality TV show,” Juliette said. “We decided a reality TV show might be a bit much, but what about a podcast? We went running with this crazy podcast idea that just might work, and it did. I’m hoping we can be that guide for other people via sharing experiences.”

being stressed during this time is normal.

“The audience was my best friend and someone I could just talk to,” Kameryn said. “Learning how to deal with your emotions is important, and in a way I feel like my podcast actually helps me with that more than it helps others. I hope others will just feel like they’re not the only ones who experience these emotions.”

“Sharing what we believe in and providing a safe space to share different experiences with the public is very important because it provides an opportunity to hopefully help some of our listeners.”

Juliette Miranda, “Tabletalk”

Also aiming to be a guide for others, Kameryn Hubbard, junior, spent her time constantly looking for ways to reach out to her friends during quarantine. Feeling isolated, she wanted to express her feelings so that other teenagers could relate. She created her Spotify podcast “Teenage Audience” to discuss these struggles. Kameryn believes that teenage years are a very significant time in our growth, and it is important to address that

“It is important to stay informed and know how to control your emotions because that will benefit you in the future. A lot of us often put our feelings to the side, and they build up and out of nowhere we have these outbursts.”

Kameryn Hubbard, “Teenage Audience”

Before graduating early in December, Oby Adindu started her Spotify podcast “Oby’s World” as an outlet for women, specifically women of color, to speak out on issues that affect them as a collective. Each episode is dedicated to a specific topic, such as whitewashing, dieting, self confidence and cancel culture. When choosing what to talk about, Oby thinks about what brings women together. She believes that using too many labels may separate women, when said topics affect all women, no matter of race or ethnicity.

the media, a lot of issues get simplified and watered down,” Oby said. “But being a woman is a lot more complex. It is not only a physical reality, but it is an emotional, mental and economic reality. I will continue to strive for the rights of all women to live as individuals and educate us as women in order to empower us and create further liberation of women globally.”

At a meeting last school year, Film Club decided to create a podcast. They put the plan into action this year, recording their first episode in the Fab Lab and releasing it on Spotify Dec. 19. Their podcast, “MFC Podcast,” covers current news, pop culture, true crime and trending films and music that any member is passionate about.

“It is important because education is key to a society’s advancement. For a group of people to be more educated on issues that affect them, or could possibly affect them, the better they are prepared for the situation.”

Oby Adindu, “Oby’s World”

“When women are talked about in

Suggesting similar stories

Popular podcasts that are similar to student run podcasts

“I feel that student voices are often silenced and not always considered,” Kourtney Veals, senior, said. “Yet with our podcast we actually have the freedom to speak out, and I think that’s really important to do when it comes to things that you care about or with topics like social injustices.”

“Chicago Cubs make the playoffs.”

“Kylie

will

“TikTok will become banned on school campuses.”

“Barbie will be the best

"Mr. Nolan is going to reveal he is Canadian.”

“Pete

dates Taylor Swift.”

“I think the Chicago Bears first round pick will be a bust.”

Jenner and Travis Scott

re-marry.”

movie of the year.”

Davidson

Valeria Ceja, freshman

Ashley Kim, freshman

Cece Mason, sophomore

Peyton Reynolds, junior

Michael Casner, senior

Ms. Alissa Scott, spanish teacher

Kara Vitale, junior Alexis Perez, senior

Mr. Thomas Barnes, english teacher

Harry Kent, sophomore

 WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND? Speaking into the microphone, Kameryn Hubbard, junior, mock-records an episode of her podcast, “Teenage Audience,” in the Fab Lab’s podcast room. She records the episodes using a microphone that connects to her phone. “I love being able to express my beliefs by talking to other people about it because while helping myself, I can help others,” Kameryn said. (photo by zoe clark)

lauren hoogeveen & dorothy lakshmanamurthy story editor & page editor

with Kameryn Hubbard

like “Oby’s World” with Oby Adindu

“Tabletalk” with Juliette Miranda and Rose Spencer

the “MFC Podcast” with Film Club