[CRIER Munster High School
[
Issue 6 Volume 53 Jan. 25, 2019
8808 Columbia Ave. Munster, IN 46321
Behind closed doors
Students discuss the after-school policy
[photo by Lilia Brunetti]
NOTHING BUT TIME Waiting after school, Trinity Espinosa, junior, and Casey Wallace, junior, lean against the front entrance doors. Students waiting after school are told to wait in the vestibule for their rides. “I understand the purpose and the intentions of the policy because there’s a couple people who do inappropriate things while waiting, but at the same time I don’t think we should be locked in the vestibule—there should be a supervisor or two in the Commons or by the vestibule,” Casey said. story by
[Alexis Lindenmayer] Page Editor
More recently, the school has been imposing and enforcing more safety policies. Last month specifically, an email was sent Dec. 12 from Mr. Morgan Nolan, Assistant Principal. The email says that the school will be “cracking down on students who are loitering unsupervised in and around the building.” The email continues to say that any student caught loitering after 3:45 p.m. will be disciplined— beginning with a Saturday detention. While this isn’t a new rule, it is now being pushed for school safety, there are three types of students who have specific discomfort with the policy. Plenty of students are finding trouble in having to wait in the front entrance vestibule for an extended period of time. This is where all students are told to wait around 3:05 p.m. when they are still in the school and not with a club or sport. “My dad is a police officer, so he gets calls all the time and my mom works out in Crown Point, so it’s hard for me to wait for them,” Camryn Hayes, junior, said. “My dad’s calls could be from 45 minutes to an hour, so I’ll just be sitting there waiting for an hour.” Camryn describes the
[Inside look]
pg. 4
Crier Staffer reviews podcasts
alternative of walking to the library to be unpleasant. “I hear it’s packed there. It’s not a quiet library,” Camryn said. “Also, I don’t feel comfortable walking places by myself.” Next are the students who stay after school for extracurricular activities that may start later in the evening. Whether it’s a slightly later practice or club meeting, students express their annoyance with having to leave the school and then return for their commitment. “Jazz band is at 4:30 (p.m.) and people can’t go home because they don’t have a ride,” Chris Mathew, sophomore, said. “A lot of people stay after school to work on musical stuff, and a lot of people can’t get home because their parents have jobs.” Michael Collins, freshman, believes that it’s simpler to just wait in the school for his practice instead of walking somewhere else and then coming right back. “I just don’t understand why we can’t wait in the Commons,” Michael said. “If I have track conditioning around 3:40 (p.m.), it is a waste of time and energy to leave the school and then come back in 20 minutes.” In addition, there have been various complaints about how early the gates and doors get locked after school.
2:55 p.m.
3 p.m.
3:05 p.m.
HEADING HOME School ends and students leave or go to extra curriculars.
CHATTING IT UP Students waiting for a ride or activities sit in the Commons.
ABANDONING THE HALL As students asked to leave the Commons are empty. [photos by Lilia Brunetti]
Students who have their license are finding themselves walking long distances just to get to their car. “I believe the policy is a little bit flawed, especially for students who do extracurricular activities,” Emma Stricker, junior, said. “I frequently stay after school for DECA, debate, and Spanish Club, and the doors are always locked to get to the south parking lot and I can’t get to my car, without having to go through the front doors and walk around the school. It’s really a hassle to walk all that way, especially in the cold.” With all of these specific complaints begs the idea of whether or not the school will accommodate for them.
pg. 7
Freshmen playing on Varsity sports
LONG HAUL Max Lindenmayer, freshman, runs a cross country race as a freshman on varsity. “Finishing a race is so rewarding,” Max said. [photo by HR Imaging]
Mr. Mike Wells, principal, has already been notified about the gate issue and is working for a solution, but there is no indication of changing other aspects of the policy. At the end of the day, the policy is there for safety reasons. We live in an era where administration believes locking doors and strong supervision is completely necessary. “I understand (the policy) for the kids who are just sitting around waiting for rides because they aren’t supervised,” Emma said. “But for the people who are doing extracurriculars associated with the school, I think there needs to be another solution in regards to when and where things get locked.”
[Upcoming] Munster Dance Invitational tomorrow, Jazz starts at 9:12 a.m.
Improv night, tonight 7 p.m. in the auditorium
2 [NEWS] Sidenote
Munster High School Crier
Jan. 25, 2019
Best Buddies
Next Friday, the third Best Buddies Bowl will take place in the field house from 6-8 p.m. The Munster football team and Best Buddies will compete against one another in a flag football competition. “It’s to bring together different parts of the school and to show inclusion,” said Serena Marsh, junior. Many other teams will also be participating. The robotics team will show a demonstration with robots. In addition, the art club will be painting faces. During halftime the dance team will do a performance. “Our buddies are really excited, this is something they definitely look forward to each year,” said Serena. [photo by Lana Salahieh]
TALKING IT OUT To prepare for their upcoming competition at National Qualifiers, Deven Hawkings, junior, and Ricky Ballentine, sophomore, discuss evidence and ready their arguments. In a turn of events, National Qualifiers was delayed due to bad weather. “While I wasn’t going to the competition last weekend everybody else who was going was really upset about the cancellation and how far back the competition was pushed,” said Ricky.
Going for gold
story by
[Zoe O’Shaughnessy] Page Editor
[photo by Robert Young]
HARP ON Plucking the strings of her instrument, Zoe O’Shaughnessy, junior, performs onstage at Munster’s Got Talent. Zoe has been playing the harp since she was eight years old. “Leading up to actually going on stage, it was pretty nerve-wracking because I have really bad anxiety, so behind the curtains— it was terrible. I couldn’t feel my hands and I was shaking all over. Once I got on stage, I felt more comfortable and I could finally perform at my best,” Zoe said.
Munster’s Got Talent Last Wednesday, Munster’s Got Talent proved to be a successful night. With four experienced judges, an emcee, and a prize of $250, stakes were high for performers. Contestants were judged on stage presence, originality, and overall performance. Zoe O’Shaughnessy, junior and Crier staff member, scored highest in all three categories, and took first prize. “The other contestants were so amazing that it was hard to tell who was going to win,” said Zoe. Second and third place were claimed by Mia Buono, eighth grade, and Ariyah Jamerson, seventh grade, respectively. Mia and Ariyah showcased their talents through song and dance. Zoe did so through harp-playing. “It (winning) felt really good,” Zoe said. “I’m not the most confident person and it’s really nice having little achievements because, it makes me feel better about how I play and how I do.”
Corrections
In issue 5 of Crier, on the front page, we incorrectly identified Puerto Rico as a country. On page 6, Vanessa Vasquez’s quote was cut off. The entire quote reads, “My favorite part of winter is being able to have winter break and not having to go to school.”
After being forced to cancel the national qualifier this past weekend, Debate heads down to Indianapolis today with their eyes on the top prize. Last year, the team got third, losing to West Lafayette by half a point. “I think the competition is less stiff than last year but there still are a few good teams around,” Shreyas Iyer, senior, said. Last year’s final round, Public Forum, came down to an all Munster final. Shreyas and Connor Meyer, class of ‘18, came home with the title. With a new partner, Shreyas is looking to reclaim his place. “It’s really satisfying to know that the hard work you put in paid off,” Shreyas said. With 33 students going to State, they have their work cut out for them, practicing up to 10 hours a week leading up to the big day. While the students compete against each other, it is common to see them helping each other in preparation for state. “I feel like when it comes to state, we are already past the Districts tourna-
Debate heads to Indianapolis for state competition
ment, which is the national qualifier, suit that they might encounter. Comso it is much more of a team event. munication skills can help with job Everyone is trying to work together to interviews, developing and building try to get as many points as possible to relationships, conflict resolution, and try to beat Chesterton,” Aidan Chism, articulating their viewpoints to advocate for change,” Mr. junior, said. English teacher, Mr. What do you bring to ev- Mayer said. Debate is seen as an Jordan Mayer, feels that ery debate tournament? activity that is mainly this will be a successfocused on arguing, but ful tournament for the S “Skittles” according to Shreyas, team. Ricky Ballentine it’s not. “I feel that we have S sophomore “I think the hardest so many returning vetS part about debate is not erans back on our team necessarily being good that we have a great timer” at arguing, but rather chance for success this “ARon 3:14 Panigrahi junior being able to adapt to weekend, it is so hard the people you are preto predict how many senting to.” champions and who “Headphones” As the students focus will be champions, but Gavin Kenning on their cases for state, I can say that we will be freshman coaches . just as prepared as last “Our activity is basiyear and I think that we can do just as well as last year, or even cally academic Olympics or it’s similar exceed last year’s results,” Mr. Mayer to sports in the sense that students are competing at a high level for the entire said. While Debate is taken in a compet- year,” Mr. Mayer said. “They start reitive sense, it has other uses in every- searching and developing their cases in the summer. They prepare weekly. day life. “It (Debate) matters a great deal to They’ve attended tournaments across me as I believe communication skills the country in order to prepare for this can help students in any future pur- tournament.”
Cutting edge
Science Olympiad prepares for competition at Lake Central
story by
[Finn Manion] Page Editor
Science Olympiad is working to prepare for their state qualifier competition. The recent Northridge Invitational competition was canceled due to bad weather. Since the team has attended only one tournament this season, the pressure is on. The team works to ready themselves for their upcoming events. “So it’s (studying for events) basically how you would study for a general test. But, it’s a really big one and also involves a partner,” Srija Thipirneni, junior, said. Darrell Schreiner, senior, finds his own way to prepare. “I typically just study at home on my own free time. I normally go through
the rule list for each event I’m in.” Darrell said. The competition focuses on all areas of science including protein modeling, thermodynamics, chemistry and astronomy. “It covers pretty much like everything, in a sense, because building is the engineering aspect of science,” Srija said.“My event has to do with the planet, so it talks about physical science because we’re talking about glaciers and stuff like that.” There are several different team captains. Some of them help with communication for practice times and events. “The captain’s basically take care of the things like questions, and have other responsibilities. We also use Discord and GroupMe if we need anything,” Srija said.
[photo by Lana Salahieh]
SHAPED FOR SUCCESS Twisting a protein model, Mira Fefferman, junior, works after school to prepare for her protein modeling event. “You have to build a protein in under fifteen minutes. Visualizing how proteins fold and form themselves really helps us in preparing for the test part of the competition,” Mira said. “This year I hope we win state. It’s definitely going to take some hard work and effort, but I believe that with motivation and determination, we can pull through this year.”
[OPINION]3
Munster High School Crier
Opinion
Jan. 25, 2019
YouTube drop outs
story by
[Alexis Lindenmayer] Page Editor
In 2005, YouTube.com was first launched as a platform to freely upload videos. Fourteen years later, this global phenomenon has offered people with ways to make money and even base their careers on. The fact that individuals can make money off being a YouTuber is nothing new, since people have been earning income off of the videos they upload for years. However, I’ve noticed a wave of people like Emma Chamberlain or Antonio Garza deciding to drop out of high school so they can create videos and upload full time. This idea that people are willingly deciding not to finish high school is concerning and a poor life decision. The main issue with this is that a career on YouTube is extremely inconsistent. Trends come and go, and even the most popular of videos will eventually lose their buzz. Our generation is always moving on to the next viral video, so popularity is simple to lose and difficult to guarantee. So, if one loses their income from YouTube, where do they go from there? It can be argued that with all jobs come an idea of uncertainty since people truly don’t know if their current job will continue to provide for them in the future. The difference is that those people will have finished their high school education and will have received a diploma. If a person’s internet popularity wears off in a few years, they have no diploma and therefore not even a firm base to stand on in order to find a new career path. I am not saying that YouTube is not a plausible career to work towards. There are intelligent and talented people everywhere on the platform. However, following a famous YouTuber in the path of dropping out of high school purely for the fact that it worked for them is kind of like blowing all your money on lottery tickets because you heard of someone who won the lottery. Don’t let a high school education be put second to a tough career choice. Graduate first, then pursue.
[CRIER]
[cartoon by Mercedez Williams and Robert Young]
ANYBODY GOT A MAP? After school, getting to the south part of the building can feel like following a treasure map. Students are always unsure of which gates may be open, and end up circling the building to try to find a way out.
Editorial
After Hours While not explicitly related to the newly enforced loitering policy, the policy has sparked conversation about what gates are closed after 2:55 p.m. Many students involved in sports or extracurriculars are upset by the seemingly increasing practice of sections of the school being gated off after hours. While this may seem like an inconsequential issue, it has created extra hassle for students. Administration, upon being made aware of the issue, is currently working to find a The best way to solution that prioritizes concerns, create a path from student’s North to South after while still ensuring hours is through parts of the school are closed off after hours the Auditorium or for saftey. through Door Q As members of the schools’ newspaper, a school activity that generally requires late hours, we feel we have unique perspective on potential courses of action administration can take. Publication members do the bulk of their work in N155, which is about as far North the building extends. When we finally submit the paper on Thursday nights, it is not uncommon for it us to be grinding away until 9 p.m. Physically and emotionally strained from
[Our take]
Crier, Munster High School’s official student newspaper, may be reached via mail at 8808 Columbia Ave, Munster, IN 46321; via phone at 219-836-3200, ext. 3443; or via fax at 219-836-3202. Crier is published through the Honors Newspaper Advanced Writing and Editing classes and extra-curricular involvement. •The newspaper serves as a public forum and two-way communication for the school and community. •Crier is a source of information, entertainment, advertising and opinion for the student body, faculty, administration and community •Published material will stress objective reporting except on the editorial page where opinion writing will be featured. All published material will stress accuracy, 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. Letters to the editor and reader suggestions are welcomed, but should be limited to 250 words. All letters must be signed and should be either emailed to the editor (miryambrody@yahoo.com), given directly to any staff member or delivered to the Publications room, N155, one week prior to publication. Letters must not contain personal attacks against an individual. Editors reserve the right to edit for length, clarity, and grammatical errors. Crier will accept letters from
staring at a computer for six hours, members leave newspaper dreading the walk in the cold to get to their cars in South. We could, if gates were open, go directly from North to South with minimal exposure to freezing temperatures. This is not just Newspaper. Students in Speech and Debate, DECA, Science Olympiad, and virtually every sport have encountered similar issues. While the walk is not that bad during warmer months, it has now become more annoying due to the drop in temperature. While it is understandable that administration would want to section off parts of the school due to previous incidents involving damages and vandalism, there are ways to do this without closing every access point. The two most feasible paths from the North end of the building to the South lot are to go from the Commons to the lunchroom and out door Q, or from the Commons to the language hallway and through the auditorium doors. Either option would allow students safe passage to the South lot without compromising areas of the school. As temperatures continue to drop to single digits, it is becoming necessary that students and administration work together to find an alternative to walking around the building.
anyone, provided that the content pertains to school or school issues. Feedback may also be submitted on Twitter @munstermedia. Mailed subscriptions cost $25 per year. Crier’s website is http:// mhscrier.com/ Digital issues can be found on issuu.com. Crier is published 12 times a school year.
[Our Staff] Editor-in-Chief Mimi Brody Copy Editor Alyssa Bass Design Editor Megan Szymanski Graphics Editor Robert Young Web Editor Lilia Brunetti
Social Media Manager Adam Klaich Alt-Copy Manager Mercedez Williams Page Editors: Atarah Israel, Alexis Lindenmayer, Ava Lukascek, Finn Manion, Zoe O’Shaughnessy, Nadia Perdue Business Manager Kammy Moore Head Photographer Elizabeth Fonseca Chief Photographer Melanie Powers Chief Social Media Photographer Lauren Kozy Photographers: Charlie Hofferth, Lana Salahieh, Lauren Morris Adviser Ms. Sarah-Anne Lanman
4[REVIEW]
Munster High School Crier
Jan. 25, 2019
Crier staffer recommends podcasts based on personal interests, personality
w
THE
What is your favorite school subject?
PICK YOUR PODCAST
English/ History
QUIZ
What is better: the book or the movie?
stories by
[Mimi Brody] Editor-in-Chief
START HERE
[graphics by Robert Young]
Old music or new music?
Book Movie Night owl or early bird?
Early bird
After school, I...
No
Night owl
Yes
What movie genre do you prefer?
Comedy
YouTube or Instagram
Old
Talk
YouTube
Sports
Video games
Drama
Reality
New
Sports or video games?
Go home Am in extracurriculars
Have you listened to podcasts before?
Reality TV or scripted?
Scripted
Math/ Science
Text or talk?
Text
run time: 50 minutes host: Terry Gross
run time: 30-50 minutes host: Jonathan Van Ness
run time: 30-55 minutes host: Leon Neyfakh
run time: 40-80 minutes hosts: PJ Vogt and Alex Goldman
Typical of NPR podcasts, “Fresh Air” takes listeners deep into the heart and history of social trends and current news. Despite being extremely meticulous and informative, the guests that join Terry Gross in the studio keep the podcast somewhat light and entertaining. Overall, however, “Fresh Air” does feel heavier than most podcasts. Often, the podcast will feature celebrities working on new projects, and these guests have ranged from John C. Reilly (think “Talladega Nights” or “Stepbrothers”) to Kevin Hart. While “Fresh Air” is not a podcast I would turn on to relax, it is a great car podcast, or a great go to podcast to stay in the general loop of news and culture.
Getting Curious (yes, it’s Jonathan from “Queer Eye”) was the podcast I did not think I needed, but I was so, so wrong. Jonathan tackles a wide range of topics, ranging from trade unions to astrology, and approaches them with enthusiasm. I think my favorite thing about “Getting Curious” is Jonathan’s honest curiosity in his guests and their opinions. It is rare to tune into podcast without hosts trying to assert their intelligence. Jonathan is the exception. Of course, another major draw is Jonathan’s exuberant and sassy personality, which keeps the show thoroughly entertaining even when dealing with duller subjects.
Like the name may suggest, “Slow Burn” takes patience. However, the podcast returns on listener’s investment. This season follows the Monica Lewinsky scandal and all of its intricacies. Leon Neyfakh takes listeners into the courtroom, the Oval Office, and behind the scenes of Ken Starr’s infamous investigation. The careful consideration for not only details of the case, but also the humanity of the people involved make an already interesting story extremely compelling. In dealing with a hyper-politicized period of our history, Neyfakh’s emphisas on storytelling offers a refreshing take on a seemingly tired subjet.
“Reply All” may be one of my favorite podcasts of all time. “Reply All” blends the complexity and nuance of more serious podcasts with the relevancy of expanding social media and cultural trends. Ambitious topics have ranged from snapchat hacks to NYPD scandals. No matter the topic, enigmatic hosts PJ Vogt and Alex Goldman keep the show simple and light. I am not in touch with technology, but “Reply All” makes it simple and interesting. The style reminds me a lot of “Serial”, where hard research is mixed with interviews and audio from other news sources. Well written, well hosted, and well produced, you really cannot go wrong with “Reply All”.
Good luck to all the Munster Mustangs on a successful 2018-2019
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Munster High School Crier
[INFOCUS]5 Jan. 25, 2019
The rise of streaming Students discuss prominence of streaming services and their increasing popularity story by
[Adam Klaich] Social Media Manager
Every year, streaming services such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime increase their numbers and become increasingly popular with the public. These services allow users to watch a variety of shows on their TV, computer, or smartphone. According to CNN, Netflix reported over 137 million users at the end of last year. “I think they’ve become popular because it’s extremely convenient for people to watch their shows on their phone or on their laptop,” said Matt Cortez, junior, Netflix and Amazon Prime user. “Before, you would have to record a show and go back to it which could get irritating.” Matt likes to watch shows such as “The Crown” on Netflix and “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” on Amazon Prime. His family has stopped paying for cable and only uses these services. “We did that (stop paying) because we only watched four or five channels so there was no need to pay for a hundred other channels,” Matt says. As this trend becomes more prominent, some expect streaming services to take over Cable TV. In 2017, Business Insider found that for the first time in history, more people subscribed to Netflix than cable television in the U.S. “Cable is too expensive and my dad wanted something cheaper and he knows we usually use Netflix and Hulu,” said Angela Ortega, junior, Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime user. Angela primarily uses Netflix and her favorite show to watch is “The Office.” She also likes to keep Netflix on while using her phone to fill the silence. “I think it’s (streaming taking over TV) kind of happening,” Matt said. “You see it at the Emmys and the Golden Globes a lot and even Netflix is in the Oscar race now.” According to TV Guide, Netflix has 14 nominations in this year’s Academy
Awards. Their original movie “Roma” is their first original film nominated for Best Picture. Although Netflix has accumulated the most nominations, some users prefer other platforms such as Hulu. Alisha Evans, junior and Hulu user, prefers Hulu because of the shows it offers. “I watch ‘Adventure Time’, ‘Regular Show’, ‘Steven Universe’, and ‘Gotham’,” Alisha said. One major difference with Hulu is that the service offers a $5.99 subscription with commercials and a $11.99 subscription without commercials. Ads or no ads, users enjoy the services because they are able to watch what they want, when they want. “You get so many different TV shows from so many different channels,” Matt said. “You have Netflix originals, you have stuff from Fox, and FX for just $11 a month.”
[photo illustration by Mercedez Williams and Charlie Hofferth]
It’s just business
According to Business Insider, Netflix was more popular than Cable TV for the first time in 2017; services have been increasing in popularity for the past decade
Netflix
NETFLIX VS. CABLE SUBSCRIBERS IN U.S.
At the end of 2018, Netflix reported that they now have about 137 million subscribers and is the most popular in the industry.
60M
Amazon Prime Amazon Prime reported the service has
50M
more than 100 million subscribers which ranks them as the second most popular service.
40M
Hulu
30M 20M
Cable
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
[source: Business Insider]
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According to Hulu’s press release on Jan. 9, the service now has 25 million subscribers which ranks them as the third most popular option. [source: CNN and Hulu]
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6[INFOCUS] Sidenote
Munster High School Crier
Jan. 25, 2019
Girls’ Track
After seven months without a coach, Mr. Carl Fields, art teacher, and Mr. Larry Hautzinger, science teacher, have been named as the new Girls’ Track coaches. “There wasn’t a interest. They (the school) had a hard time getting coaches. I talked with a friend of mine (Mr. Fields) and we were like, ‘Well, we can try that,’” Mr. Hautzinger said. This year will be different for track members due to new leadership. “This year, I feel like it’s going to be a lot more work because now we have to re-prove ourselves to the coaches,” Bree Karl, senior, said. With over 80 people interested and 4 coaches, Mr. Hautzinger is hopeful for a great season.
Boys’ Basketball Currently Boys’ Basketball has a record of 13-1 and continues the season with high and victorious spirits. “The whole team feels pretty good about it (having a good record),” Tyler Zabrecky, senior, said. “We would like to have that 14-0 but we had a slip up against Crown Point. We all kind of hate to lose but then it ended up helping the long run just because it (losing) keeps us on our toes and reminds us nothing will be too easy.” Starting in the last week of February they will be playing in their Sectional games and have started to prepare for those games. “We always kind of keep Sectionals in the back of our mind because that’s one of our main goals this year,” Zabrecky said.
[photo by Lilia Brunetti]
DRIBBLING TOWARDS VICTORY During a game, Luka Balac and Jeremiah Lovett, sophomores, dribbles towards a teammate during a game on Jan. 19 against Hobart.
Boys’ Track The boys track team has a new coach for winter conditioning and possibly the upcoming season. LaRence Crowder, Class of ‘13, who was also a member of the track team and has acted as the hurdle coach for the past 3 years. “He’s really persistent with our workouts and drills to make sure the fundamentals are key so when we have to apply the speed, power, and endurance to our races, we improve over the years,” Deven Hawkins, junior, said. As of now, it is confirmed that Crowder will be the head coach for the rest of the track season. Hawkins said there is going to be a competition for the coaching jobs to prepare for the season.
Seahorse Territory [photo by Todd McKechnie]
RIDING THE WAVES Competing in a meet, Brisa Bohling, senior, reflects on the best and worst parts of being on the swimming time.“The best part of swimming is definitely being around many amazing athletes and friends. It’s nice to be able to work towards a common goal together with the team,” Bohling said. “Getting a team win is always the best feeling because we train hard everyday. The worst part about swimming is the early morning practices because it is hard to balance academics and athletics.”
Girls’ Swim and Dive at Sectionals Thursday story by
has many new swimmers this year. “This year they think that they can win,” Vanek, said. “ Page Editor We’re hoping that we still have a lot more depth than them With the impending realization of Sectional meet, and we can pull out a win.” swimmers have been feeling excited and nervous. The Physically, throughout the swim season, the girls have girls need to do well in their events and get a good spot done a lot. Recently the girls have begun to do less to prepare in order to make finals. for their events, “If everyone just does their part “Usually at practice in the middle of the seaand we get all three swimmers in son we do 5,000 to 6,000 yards, right now we just the top eight, we should be able to Senior Leah John’s record started tapering so it’s dropped down to 3000 win Sectionals,” Lindsy Vanek, se- for 100 yard butterfly and it’s getting lower as Sectionals approaches,” nior, said. Vanek said.“Physically it’s hard but it gets better.” stroke is 1:00.29 This year swimmers are worried The girls have been under a lot of stress reabout the Lake Central girls’ Swim What else happens in cently. The preparations have taken a toll of and Dive team. Lake Central has 1 minute? their physical health, as they are very sore after always been one of Munsters ripractice. It has also had an effect on their mental vals. However, in recent years the Usain Bolt can cover health as well, because of the want to perform to Lake Central and the Munster Girls the best of their abilities. 745 meters swim and dive teams have been ex“Mentally it’s hard,” Vanek said. “You kind of tremely close in competitions. have to set your goals and know how to achieve “Sectionals kind of makes me Google processes over them” nervous ,” Savannah Frazier, soph- 3.8 million search The coaches are ones a lot of comfort to their omore, said. “We have a lot of good queries swimmers recently. competition this year, especially “Luckily, I have such a great coach that menLake Central.” tally she helps me to relieve some of my stress. [source: google.com] With the loss of previous seniors She calms me down.” Moira Glowacki, senior that were incredibly strong swimmers, Munster has said. “She tells me to forget about my past dives and to focus steep competition against Lake Central. Lake Central on my new ones.”
[Ava Lukacsek]
In a minute
Making the cut
Wrestling competes in Sectionals Jan. 26 story by
[Atarah Israel] Page Editor
With Sectionals just around the corner, Wrestling is preparing for the competition that can take their team to Regionals. Playoffs are tomorrow at East Chicago Central, marking the date that will determine most of Munster’s wrestling season. “I think we have a solid six people who are going to make it to Regionals,” Leo Tsirtsis, sophomore, said. “I think I’m going to make it.” According to Ethan Castillo, sophomore, although the team is not under any special preparation, members are still going to give it their all. “They’ll do as well as they can,” Castillo said.
[photo by Elizabeth Fonseca]
CRUSHING THE COMPETITION In a past meet, Luke Hermansen, junior, topples the opponent in a wrestling match. “I think the season is going well, we have a lot of new guys but they’re picking up some things quickly and they’re really trying their hardest,” Luke Hermansen, junior, said.
Aside from the team’s hopeful prospects, there is training time remaining, as well as multiple practices. Wrestlers are expected to be present at every session, prepared to work. “We have to, or it’s going to be even worse when we do, eventually, go,” Castillo said. Aside from their workouts, wrestlers also have to keep their weight in mind. For Castillo, weight cuts mean
less food. “Not eat, in order to make weight. Just, not eat.” Castillo said. Despite the daily practices and continuous weight cuts, Munster Wrestling seems to be preparing for promising results this season. “I could become a part time marathon runner because of how much I have to run,” Tsirtsis said. “It’s fun though.”
Munster High School Crier
[SPORTS]
Starting strong
Jan. 25, 2019
7
Students discuss the benefits and struggles about being a freshman on varsity story by
[Alyssa Bass] Copy Editor
[photo by Emma Trivunovic ‘16]
HEAD START After playing on varsity soccer her freshman year, Addy Andello, senior, has continued being on varsity since then. “I’ve played since I was four years old and then I played freshman through my senior year of high school,” Andello said. “I never told myself ‘Oh, you know I’m already on varsity,’ but I pushed myself to prove the point that I deserve a spot.” TO START WITH Warming up for a cross country meet, Max Lindenmayer, freshman, prepares to compete in a race. “I joined track because I was able to compete well in it,” Lindenmayer said. “I like that in track races, you can only hold yourself reliable. I can’t blame anyone if I lose.”
Starting at a new school while also playing on a varsity team is something that not all freshmen accomplish. Students like Max Lindenmayer, freshman, has had to go through balance for their new workload and playing for a varsity team. “I didn’t take any study hall,” Lindenmayer said. “I just did my homework during MRT, classes or at home. For cross country, we had a lot of really early meets, like at 7 a.m. and they’re like an hour away. We had to get to school by 5:30 (a.m.).” Though there might be hardships of being on varsity during your freshman year, it can be beneficial in the long run, according to Addy Andello, senior. Andello has played on the varsity soccer team all four years of high school. “In the beginning, my goal was to start a game as soon as I could,” Andello said. “I really had to push myself during practice and prove a point that I deserved a starting position up top. I was so nervous, but everyone was so welcoming. That’s the one thing, playing a sport, especially freshman year going into high school, you just already have an abundance of friends.” Though playing varsity is most student athletes’ goal, once there, is still much that can be improved upon. In addition to skills being improved, an attitude towards a sport can mature, according to Grant Afman, junior, who has been
Get off on the right foot Addy Andello, senior, talks about her four years on Varsity Soccer How was your first year on varsity? “100 percent me on the varsity team freshman year really taught me to be honored, and I gained a respect for everyone older than me. I pushed myself to make them appreciate me more for being a freshman stepping up.”
on varsity swim for since his freshman year. “Since freshman year, my work ethic has improved and I’ve taken a different perspective over me,” Afman said. “My freshman year was more about winning, I didn’t really think about my times. Now I do, like ‘If I go this (time) my whole season, then I’m going to get a good time State.’’ Another benefit of being on varsity as a freshman might be the experience gained from the first year. That way the second year you know what to expect, according to Afman. “If I was not on a varsity team my freshman year I would have had the same experience my sophomore year,” Afman said. “I would just be set back a whole year behind right now, so because of that I’m on track to doing really good at State.” Although being on a varsity team can be valuable to student athletes, the hard work you have to put in can be tough, according to Andello. “My freshman year, the starting spots was already taken by someone who was going to be a senior,” Andello said. “I really focused on the way that she plays and to try and work together. I had to work to be faster, and that high schoolers were so much bigger than me, so I had to get stronger and tougher on the ball.” Regardless of all the hard work needed to put into being on varsity, students who are already on the teams recommend for other students to try out for varsity. “Just try your best,” Lindenmayer said. “Stay committed and always participate.”
What advice do you have for freshman who are thinking about joining varsity?
“Don’t question yourself that you can’t do something because if you dream it, you can do it. Fight for your spot, and don’t give up, for sure.”
What have you learned from being on varsity since freshman year? “From being all four years on varsity I understand the freshman, when eighth graders try out, I know how they felt because I was in the position.”
[photo by Charlie Hofferth]
Getting a head start
Girls’ Basketball prepares for sectionals story by
[Mercedez Williams] Alt-copy Manager
The Girls’ Basketball season has had many difficulties over the course of the season. Their record is 14-8, but the team has overcome their obstacles and continue to play with full force. With Sectionals coming up, the team reflects upon the trials and tribulations of the past season. “We have had a few problems, like a few ups and downs, but we have grown from the challenges that we have had to face a lot,” Maddy Lakomek, senior, said. “Overall, we have been doing pretty well playing against difficult teams.” With the newfound hope, Lakomek also has con-
tradictory feelings, as this is her last year playing for the basketball team. “I am kind of nervous for Sectionals but the team is also very excited because we have improved a lot,” Lakomek said. “We have been working really hard to put out the best players on the floor at the right time. We are working really hard to improve our skills. It is exciting that Sectionals are coming up but also sad, because it will be the end of my basketball career.” Mr. Davidson, PLTW teacher and Girls’ Basketball coach, also reflects on losing important members of the team in the past years. “Last year we lost two starters,” Mr. Davidson said. “That is part of building a program. You make sure that your younger kids are prepared doing the things they need to do, and building their skills, so we feel really good about the younger kids and the way things are going.”
FULL COURT PRESS Teammates and fellow sophomores Alice Foley and Aleena Mongerie take part in a defense running drill at practice. Much of the Girls’ Basketball practice is running each drill multiple times, striving to achieve perfection in each step. “They (drills) help you focus on individual skills you need to improve and give you a lot of practice,” Foley said. [photo by Lauren Morris]
BUY YOUR YEARBOOK! (and your senior ads)
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8[INFOCUS]
Munster High School Crier
[BACKTALK]
Jan. 25, 2019
80 percent of New Year’s resolutions fail by February. What was your resolution and how is it going?
“To go to bed earlier and I already failed.” Parker Olsen, freshman
“To stay with the friend group I’m in. I really appreciate them.” Cali Petersen, freshman
[photo illustrations by Charlie Hofferth]
DRIVEN TO DISTRACTION Henry Hofferth, freshman, and Jack Stork, junior and Publications staffer, sit in the car exhibiting many modes of distraction for drivers. Food, phones, and friends are just a few of the various interruptions behind the wheel.
New road order story by
[Nadia Perdue] Page Editor
State considers passing new driving law, stricter penalties
“My New Year’s resolution is to save more money, and it is NOT going well.”
Andrew Wittkamp,
Last October, in Rochester, Ind., four children—a sophomore sixth grade boy, a nine-year old girl, and her six-year old twin brothers—started crossing the road to board a school bus on a highway. Suddenly, a car drove by and crashed into the four of them, killing the three Top distractions siblings and leaving the other child injured. In light of this tragic event, the state plans to decree pass strictthat cause accidents er driving laws. on the road Laws will apply to obeying extended stop signs and creating more severe penalties for “My New Year’s distracted drivers. The bill suggests a miniresolution was to mum fine of $300 and a second fine of $750. stop my fear of Shannon Coughlin, junior, believes that fruits, and it’s going okay, but not the previous laws did not enforce driving incidents strict enough, and law enforcement did 62%: Being lost in greatest.” not take it as seriously. Erratic drivers, she thought or Sydney Foster, says, should be sentenced to “more junior daydreaming than just a warning or a ticket.” “I know that there’s not a lot of cops around sometimes, but they should patrol more often,” Shannon said. “I see cops that are not on 7%: Outside duty, and they don’t pull over people person, object, 12%: Cell who are going way over the speed limit. I’ve seen that many times, and it bothers me because I know that or event phone use they (a driver) can cause a crash and nothing would “My New Year’s happen.” resolution was to 5%: Other When many young drivers hear the phrase diswork on my health occupants tracted driving, they may presume that this only apand I’m not doing well because I’ve plies to texting while driving. Of course, cell phones 2%: adjusting audio had like 10 quarter can be considered a major distraction on the road; or climate controls pounders this however, there are many other things that can divert (fixing the A/C) week.” a driver’s attention. Although Shannon sees phones as Linda Plebanski, a big issue, she said that billboards and other people senior can also disturb a driver’s focus. Luke Davidson, senior, says that bright lights or loud music can also be distracting. 2%: eating Some drivers, like Luke, would argue that people, or drinking [Source: safestart.com] have learned how to get better at texting while driving. With the emergence of various technological advancements, such as Bluetooth and text-to-speech, people can avoid getting into accidents much easier. “I think the numbers (of distracted driving incidents) have started decreasing and with Bluetooth technolo“I don’t believe gy and being that you can talk to your phone, I think Offenses based on Rep. Jim Pressel’s House Bill in New Years it makes it easier for drivers to send out a message or 1340 Resolutions. If I stay off their phones,” Luke said. want to make a According to Shannon, drivers can utilize technolo- “failure to comply with school bus stop arm regulations” change, I’ll do it.” gy hands-free, but distractions still remain. “(A) holding or handling an electronic communications “Talking on the phone has worked so well, because device; or (B) viewing, recording, or broadcasting images you could connect it with your car, and you don’t need or video; while operating a motor vehicle. (3) Adds types and to look at your phone,” she said. “But sometimes peouses of devices that are excepted from the regulations” ple want to go on social media while they’re driving. “violations of reduced speed limits in critical work zones”. I’ve seen people go on Facebook and Instagram, and Mr. Matt Kalwasinski, I’m like, ‘you’re driving.’” social studies teacher [Source: Indiana General Assembly]
“My New Year’s resolution was to procrastinate less, and I’m pretty sure I’ve failed because I haven’t done my homework yet.” Uyai Edet, sophomore
Sidetracked
Rules of the road
“To start writing more. I’ve finished two chapters of a book I’ll probably never publish, so I’m doing pretty good.” James Shelton, junior
“I’m trying to get swole at the gym. I just started.”
Will Teske, senior
“I am making an extra effort (to spend) more time with friends and family. We all get caught up in being ‘busy’ and I am making sure the people I care about know they are a priority.” Mrs. Kimberly Peirick, business teacher