MHS Crier | Issue 7 | 1.24.2020

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issue seven

volume 54

CRIER

munster high school

8808 Columbia Ave. Munster, IN 46321

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Jan. 24, 2020

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10 10 1 0 10 01 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 10 10 1 1 01 1 0 0 0 01 1 10 10 0 In today’s age this storage of data is common.

0 1 1 01 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 Characterized by technological advancements and online 1 0 01 0 1 10 1 01 01 0 10 1 10 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 industry, society is currently in what many refer to as the 0 01 1 01 0 0 1 01 0 10 10 0 1 101 0 1 0 1 1 1 1 “Information Age”. This means that information can be 0 0 0 1 0 1 01 1 0 10 1 0 0 1 0 10 1 0 11 1 1 1 1 shared and transmitted more easily than ever before.

0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 10 0 0 10 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 The introduction of groundbreaking devices, such as 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 01 0 1 1 0 1 smartphones, has impacted virtually every aspect of the 01 0 0 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 01 1 1 1 world as we live in it today; it has created a new field of 01 10 0 0 10 01 10 1 0 0 10 1 1 01 1 10 0 0 opportunity as well as made life more convenient. However, 01 10 01 1 10 01 01 we may be giving up more than we bargained for.

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eyes on you

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Munster High School Crier

Jan. 24, 2020

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All eyes on you Continued from front

As the world of smartphones grows larger, and the business behind it more lucrative, the amount of privacy given up in exchange for convenience is becoming more apparent. With every app downloaded, and every “terms and conditions” policy gone unread, smartphone owners are made more vulnerable. A recent New York Times article revealed that there are over 7,000 faceless companies involved in the buying and selling of location data to third parties.

“Facebook has been doing the selling of information to other companies for a while,” Rajiv Kalluri, junior, said. “But with location that can be a lot more dangerous.”

Although many location-based apps are self-explanatory (think Google Maps or any other GPS application), other apps are less direct and hide their motives behind complicated and often long-winded privacy policies.

“Security is a huge issue that I feel I don’t personally address on a daily basis,” Mrs. Kim Peirick, AP computer science principles teacher, said. “(An example would be) going to certain sites when you have to click on their policy of privacy and say that you

registered. Like I tell my English 10 kids, for me — or really any of us — it’s not a matter of what is (the state of our privacy), because we all know it’s really done for marketing purposes and we’re all so used to that now. That doesn’t affect us. I think the concern is really of what could be if that information was in the wrong hands.”

Despite this, the fear of being watched remains.

With past scandals involving government monitoring, such as the National Security Agency’s (NSA) surveillance of phone conversations during the aftermath of - Mr. Tom Barnes the 2013 Boston Bombing, English Teacher the possibility of location surveillance is not improbable.

For many, the concern for privacy is Internet monitoring by the NSA not what data these apps are storing, even continues to this day, garnering but why. As of now, most companies attention and backlash. Aside from use these location-based services in government surveillance, there order to generate ads more unique are numerous faceless third party to a particular user; perhaps an companies gathering smartphone advertisement for fitness gear shows data. up on your Instagram feed a day after “I feel like if you know that you’re you went to the gym. Although oddly going to trade your privacy, then precise, this is a common occurrence. sure it’s a fair trade,” Isaiah Rosinski, “I try to keep my location services sophomore, said. “But a lot of people off as much as I can,” Mr. Tom Barnes, don’t actually read the terms and English teacher, said. “But no matter conditions and don’t know what what you do, you end up getting they’re giving up.” accept their terms. I often talk about it in my class, that those documents are so long, how many really read them?

It’s very few. It’s a little unnerving to think about what we’re agreeing to just to play a game or enter a shopping site.”

“

The concern is really of what could be if that information was in the wrong hands.

SIDENOTE

Best Buddies Bowl and food fundraiser takes place today Today, Best Buddies is holding a game against the football team from 6-8 p.m. in the Fieldhouse. It is free admission to watch the game, along with the cheer team encouraging both sides and a performance by the dance team at halftime.

“Best Buddies Bowl is one of our largest events of the year,” Ms. Hannah Fus, ASL teacher, said.

“We’re really promoting.”

Both sponsors, Ms. Fus and Mrs. Anne Copp, exceptional needs teacher, expressed their excitement for the Best Buddies Bowl and for the club itself.

“This has been much more enriching than I ever thought it could be, seeing those friendships being formed with all the students and then seeing those relationships flourish,” Ms. Fus said. “It’s rewarding.”

Both sponsors are eager to have more participation in Best Buddies and Best Buddies Bowl. Students can support by going to Best Buddies Bowl or by attending the food fundraiser at Potbelly from 4-7 p.m.

“Get involved. You will not regret a minute of it,” Mrs. Copp said.

Always watching With majority students owning smartphones, survey demonstrates concerns about privacy Do you read the terms and conditions of apps or websites?

18.5 % yes

Should apps have access to your location for ad-based purposes?

Do you worry about your privacy?

80.7 % yes

photo by Chloe Lambert

27.9 % no

19.3 % no 81.5% no

72.1% yes source: Googleforms survey of 469 students from Jan. 14-23

Out with the old, in with the new DECA faces new sponsor and new rules Alexis Perez Page Editor

With a new year and new beginning, Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) is seeing some changes this year. Although it is not well-known among incoming high schoolers, many kids are interested in it. This year, however, it is only offered to returning students who participated last year.

“It (DECA) has given me an opportunity to travel across the country, learn a lot of business terms that I could apply in college and meet a lot of amazing people,” Kathir Venkat, senior, said.

Aside from the new rule only allowing returning students, DECA

also has a new sponsor. Although Ms. Rebecca Scotland, FACS teacher, has had experience teaching youth groups, she has not sponsored DECA in particular. She has sponsored 4-H, FCCLA and Girl Scouts. “(I have advised) several different youth clubs over the years,” Ms. Scotland said. “All of those (clubs) sort of lead themselves into any youth organization.”

Currently, DECA is trying to meet their deadlines. Prior to this, they went to the District Competition in which Anushka Majety, Mallika Keralavarma and Sammy Fuller, sophomores, Grace Gozdecki and Kathir Venkat, seniors, placed first in their category. Everyone who went to Districts is going to State. “(They are) a group running themselves,” Ms. Scotland said. “They are very organized, and they’re just the leadership (of the club).”

photo by Max Lindenmayer

BE THE FUTURE At the DECA meeting on Jan. 15, Roman Garcia, senior, selects his DECA event in the cafeteria. DECA went to Districts Jan. 11. “I feel DECA allows students with interests in entrepreneurship (to have) a unique opportunity to get a deeper understanding of the business world,” Roman said.

JUST DESSERTS Decorating cookies at the Dec. 15 Best Buddies December event, Michael Chaimberlan, senior, takes part in the festivities.

Band , Choir, Orchestra prepare for ISSMA Feb. 1 and Feb 8 Choir, Band, and Orchestra members alike have been preparing for their individual solo or esemble preformances. Febuary 1 is the vocal and piano event, while Febuary 8 is for wind, percussion, and string instrument players. All of the musicians will be given a gold, silver, bronze or participation award for their work, along with feedback for future reference.

Music is ranked from groups one to five, group one having the hardest difficulty. Students like Iris Gong, sophomore, have decided to take on the challenge, performing in a flute solo, trio, and ensemble.

“I’m going group one this year. It’s always exciting but nerve wracking, especially in the days leading up to (the performance),” said Iris. “But I think this event really helps improve my preformance ability and gauge where my skills are.”

Corrections In issue 6 of Crier, Taylor Swift was incorrectly spelled. On page 4, Hope Meierkort and Cali Petersen’s names were misspelled. On page 7, Aidan Smith is swimming a 200 meter Individual Medley. Crier regrets these errors.

Jan. 24, 2020

Lifestyles of the rich and famous

Munster High School Crier

3o p i n i o n

opinion by Lauren Morris

We as a society have a fascination with the lives of multimillionaires. Jeffree Star and Nate Shwandt broke up. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle left the royal family.

The latest relationship scandal, the most recent coaching switch up, the latest political debate. But what impact do these people leave on us? Ricky Gervais took a swing at the brutal reality of pop culture at the Golden Globes, claiming that the present actors and actresses have no position to lecture the public about anything due to their lack of knowledge about the real world.

With every scandal revealed, we flock to social media to see what is going to happen next. A celebrity’s life is always in the public eye, causing them to put on a face to the public, typically one that places them in an altruistic light. However, in many cases, it is found that they do not practice what they preach. By being caught in the limelight of media and societal expectations, influencers become blind to the harsh realities of the world.

One recent case is Kylie Jenner posting an image on her Instagram story of mink slippers while simultaneously posting about the devastating effects the Australia fires have had on animals. This created a backlash, pressuring her to donate $1 million towards Australia bushfires.

Whether it’s ignorance or society’s hypocritical tendencies and high expectations, celebrities seem to continually fail to provide genuine support. A study by the United Nations climate scientists found that $300 billion is the amount of money needed to stop the rise in greenhouse gases and buy up to twenty years of time to fix global warming. In comparison, by the end of 2019 the Bloomberg Billionaires Index tracked the world’s 500 wealthiest people and found their net worth to be $5.9 trillion. What does this have to say about society’s priorities?

Many people today idolize celebrities, therefore the actions of those idolized are reflected within society. By celebrities wearing a fake persona, the focus is taken away from the genuine issues and pushed towards the scandal at hand. If celebrities pay genuine attention and concern to ongoing societal issues it will create a movement within society for a positive cause.

So next time you are scrolling through your favorite YouTuber’s merch or looking at the latest Kylie cosmetics, think about donating a portion of that money to a fund that will directly impact lives instead of expecting a person of high societal status to do it for you.

CRIER

Generation z

cartoon by Mercedez Williams

Editorial

Meme the pain away Less than an hour after the announcement of the United States government’s killing of Qasem Soleimani, Iranian major general, social media was flooded with confusion, shock, and oddly enough, memes. The memes kept coming for days after the news, only to restart with more intensity once Iran order missiles strikes on US air bases. The jokes range from tweets on how to avoid the draft to Tik Toks of people pretending to be in the war. As tensions rise between Iran, Iraq, and the US, our generation continues to make humor of this serious world event.

Our generation grew up in a flawed world. We grew up with mental health deteriorating. We grew up with the ever looming threat of school shootings. We grew up with climate change, pollution, and never ending wars. These are not ideal circumstances to come of age in. However, a larger component that differentiates us from other generations is that we grew up with the internet. We grew up with access to any information, but also the ability to post anything for the world to see. Growing up with all this tragedy and freedom has significantly affected the way that Generation Z chooses to cope: jokes posted to the internet.

A 2011 study done by Stanford University psychologists examines humor as a coping mechanism. After showing a series of disturbing images, the individuals felt less saddened by what they saw when asked to make jokes, negative or positive, about the images. The study concluded that “humor exerts its psychological effect by forcing a change of perspective.”

Meaning, people are able to crack jokes and

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 219836-3202. 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

laugh about the awful circumstances in order to change their own outlook on it. If a situation is bad, why make it worse by thinking about it in a negative light?

So maybe we’ve become desensitized to tragedy. A World War III meme may be humorous to us, but seems immature to older generations. But meme culture stems more from kids being juvenile. Believe it or not, we actually do care about the state of our world and what happens to it.

We make jokes about avoiding the draft because a lot Older generations of us genuinely do not want to be should not belittle Gen Z drafted and are because of the medium terrified of this we use to cope with our serious threat of mental health war. We humorize political situations because sometimes the situation is ridiculous.

Satire has always been an acceptable way to critique topics and events, and aren’t memes basically just satire?

If we care so much, why don’t we do something real? Well, when we try to make a difference, we are told we are too young.

Just last month, President Trump tweeted out that Greta Thunberg should “go to an oldfashioned movie with a friend” in response to her winning Time Person of the Year.

Generation Z is criticized for stepping up and trying to make a difference, and criticized for acting our age. We must be taken seriously.

must be signed and should be either emailed to the editor (alexislindenmayer@gmail.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 anyone, provided that the content pertains to school or school issues. Feedback may also be submitted on Twitter @munstermedia.

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Our Staff

Editor-in-Chief Alexis Lindenmayer Managing Editor Alyssa Bass

Our take

Executive Editor Mercedez Williams Design Editors Lilia Brunetti, Adam Klaich Copy Editor Atarah Israel Page Editors Gage Hoekstra, Alison Lee, Alexis Perez Erianna Sims Director of Photography Charlie Hofferth Head Photographer/Graphics Editor Robert Young Chief Photographer Lana Salahieh Photographers Madi Green, Henry Hofferth, Max Lindenmayer, Lauren Morris, Cali Petersen, Anthony Young Adviser Ms. Sarah-Anne Lanman

o p i n i o n4

Munster High School Crier

Jan. 24, 2020

Reshaping your goals A review on new year’s resolutions

Erianna Sims Page Editor

A new year can represent a chance to indulge in various new and exciting opportunities. Many people create lists of goals to accomplish in the new year, to help them improve in a variety of areas.

New year’s resolutions, in recent years, have become a very common trend. These are specific goals you want to achieve, and staying engaged to never break them can be a challenge. I decided to cover the good and bad of some common resolutions.

Positive food choices

New beginnings With the start of a new year, survey of 469 students demonstrates engaging in new year’s resolutions.

Do you typically stick to your resolutions or break them?

50.3% of students participate in New Year’s resolutions, 47.1% but not everyone 34.3% Don’t participate sticks to them Yes

The start to a new week can be refreshing, but it can come with the habit of engaging in the same routines. For many of us students, we spend an entire day at school, and hours after with an extracurricular. I personally am very active outside of school, so I get home late each night.

I realize I haven’t eaten since noon, and by now it’s 9 p.m. I go to my kitchen looking for something quick to eat, but also something filling.

I pull out drawers filled with fruits and vegetables, but I’m ultimately drawn to a Chinese food menu sticking on the outside of my refrigerator.

Deciding on greasy, fattening foods is indeed a faster solution to your hunger, but it is not the best alternative. Healthier options like cooked greens, corn, beans, baked chicken, and things of that nature, will help keep your body on the right track. Your diet influences your overall health significantly, so remember that the next time you want a bag of potato chips, decide on a piece of fruit instead.

Ways to de-stress

Stress is something that affects everyone at some point in their lives. No matter how big or small a situation might be, it is always beneficial to know how to effectively cope with, and manage your stress.

Relaxation methods such as listening to music, getting a full night’s sleep, or even reading a book are all ways to help calm the mind and restore a healthy mind, body and soul balance.

Sometimes crying, drinking warm herbal teas and ciders, or simply being around loved ones can be simple methods to aid in stress filled situations.

Whenever you feel stressed or overwhelmed, just take a moment to think about what methods might help you relieve stress. You could create your own routine that helps you stay above water when situations arise or life takes a sudden turn.

18.6% No

in new year’s resolutions

Trying something new I am someone who is always interested in new experiences and new opportunities. I wouldn’t say I’m a risk taker, but I do love being able to experience certain joys of life. I am always open to trying new things.

Trying something new is a new year’s resolution for many people, and there are so many ways to fulfill it.

If you’ve never traveled before, strive to see a new place this year. If you’re a clothing and shoe addict, like me, experiment with different styles and see how you can manipulate your clothing in new ways. This has been a big resolution for me. I tend to wear pattern clothing, and I’ve started to lean towards more solid colors with a bold shoe, and let me tell you, not only is it easier waking up in the morning to get ready, but I think I look just as good as I did when I wore my clothes differently.

Creativity is always a huge part of doing new things, and it is never clear how far it will take you. It’s 2020, a year that many consider to represent ‘going in new directions,’ so encourage yourself to do just that.

Personal hygiene

As obvious as it may sound, being clean and sanitary is very important.

It can be very tempting for some to slack off, and stop keeping up with their personal hygiene. Although you may not see significant changes early on, you are definitely making a negative impact on your body.

Taking showers or baths, washing your hands after using the restroom, and even covering your mouth when sneezing or coughing can help prevent severe illnesses or the spreading of bacteria.

Many don’t stop to realize how crucial the little things are. Having a hygiene routine or simply remembering the importance of cleanliness is not only a great new year’s resolution, but an overall life resolution as well.

photos by Cali Petersen Survey source: Google Forms survey of 469 students from Jan. 14-23

Come support Girls’ and Boys’ Swim Jan. 25 - Conference meet at 1 p.m. at home

Want to place an ad in the Crier?

Email CrierMunster@gmail.com

Jan. 30 - Chesterton meet at 6 p.m. at home

Feb. 6 - Girls’ sectionals, at home Feb. 20 - Boys’ sectionals, at Lake Central

$6 entry to meets

PARAGON 2019 Yearbook and senior ads On sale now!

yearbook ordercenter.com order code: 3357

Jan. 24, 2020

Munster High School Crier

5i n f o c u s

A rocky relationship

With rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran, and the mass hysteria of a war occurring, Crier and teachers discuss the unraveling of events

photo illustrations by Mercedez Williams

OPPOSING SIDES American President Donald Trump and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani

Mercedez Williams and Lilia Brunetti

Pinpointing the position

139 students fill out a survey on where they 23% of s the world rang in 2020, the media exploded believe Iran and Iraq are located

Executive Editor and Design Editor

A

with headlines surrounding IranianAmerican relations. On Jan. 3, Trump ordered a drone-strike that assassinated Qasem Soleimani, a major military leader of Iran. Some social media users, particularly those on Twitter, swiftly assumed this was the start of World War III, but have little knowledge on relations between the two countries, or even the difference between Iran and Iraq. This page will enlighten different aspects of this ordeal.

students identified Iran correctly

Turkey 1

2

Iran

3

Iraq

4

Egypt

Professor projections

5

Saudi Arabia

What are the odds of going to war?

“

I would say it’s very minimal at the moment, and this is because we have certain nations that I believe would step forward and be mediators. Whether that arbitrator could be Russia, whether that arbitrator could be China, the United Nations, we have the means in which we can prevent this from getting escalating out of control. Also, the fact that Iran doesn’t necessarily have strong allies, which could be brought into a global conflict, it would be more or less a proxy-based conflict where they would be supporting paramilitary groups, terrorist groups or terrorist organizations.

”

-Mr. Steve Lopez, history teacher

Were Trump’s actions justified?

“

I don’t think anybody could give you a definitive answer with the information we currently have. On the one hand, there is certainly a precedent with U.S. presidents using drones to take out leaders associated with terror. President Obama did it, President Trump has done it. We certainly even accept a degree of collateral damage that comes with it. There is a general prevailing belief that there ought to be a demonstrable imminent threat. It’s also hard sometimes for the executive branch to make it clear what that evidence was. It’s not conceivable for the President to bring Congress into the decision ahead of time, the War Powers Resolution requires them to be notified after the fact. But the problem really becomes a world of trust. Is there enough trust in the Trump administration and then in knowing that imminent danger existed or not? And quite frankly, I don’t have the answer to that question.

”

-Mr. Michael Gordon, government teacher

Each number corresponds with its respective country

Israel 1 Lebanon 2 Syria 3 Jordan 4 Kuwait 5

Qatar 6 U.A.E 7 Oman 8 Yemen 9

Source: Paper Survey of MRTs of 139 students from Jan. 13-17, USATODAY

31% of students identified Iran correctly

6

Iran

vs. Iraq

The two countries are mistaken and mixed up often, here are some key differences.

Was once Persia

Was once Mesopotamia

Speaks Persian

Speaks Arabic

Predominantly Shia Muslim

Predominantly Sunni Muslim

Not allied with the U.S.

Allied with the U.S.

7

The most incorrect 8 answer for Iran was Iraq 9 with 24.5% of answers The most incorrect answer for Iraq was Iran and Syria with a combined 31.7% of answers

. draft, and all men from 18-26 All men who turn 18 must sign up for the can be drafted, even though the maximum is subject to change with each war, but the chances of a draft happening soon is very small.

In the long run A timeline of relations between Iran and America

1979-81

1985-86

Iranian Revolution, Iran-Contra U.S. Embassy Scandal hostage crisis.

U.S. begins imposing sanctions on Iran

1988 USS Vincennes shoots down Iranian passenger flight

2015

2018-20

JCPOA, or the Iran Nuclear Deal is formed

U.S. leaves JCPOA, assassinates Qasem Soleimani

Source: Public Radio International

s p o r t s6

Munster High School Crier

Jan. 24 2020

The final stretch Boys’ and Girls’ Swim prepares for final meets and post season Alexis Lindenmayer Editor-in-Chief

Nearing the end of their never-ending season, Boys’ and Girls’ swim prepare for their final regular season meets and post season. With Conference tomorrow, and the Chesterton meet on Thursday, the teams express their desire for support from students.

“Not often do we have supporters besides family or the occasional friend, so it’s nice when we finally have a student section and people who can obviously cheer us on,” Martin Barnard, senior, said. “You look at the support for other sports like basketball, we don’t really have that, ever. And I get it, it’s a different environment, but it’s still nice to support your school.”

With their home Conference meet tomorrow, both teams have been keeping up with their consistent practices in order to prepare.

“We’re excited because it’s good that we’ll be able to see some competition in our Sectional, and we’re looking forward to be able to race faster,” Elizabeth Hanas, senior, said. “We should do pretty well. We’re starting to come down to the end of the season, so we’re starting to do better and work more as a team.”

Boys’ Swim has high hopes for their post season.

“We’re probably projected to be top three (at State),” Holden Raffin, senior, said “but I’m hoping

photo by Lana Salahieh

METER AFTER METER Swimming at their home meet on Jan 14, Isaac Martin, freshman, swims freestyle. At meets, Martin will swim the 100 meter butterfly and the 50 meter freestyle. “(The season) is going pretty good,” Martin said. “I think we’ll probably be State contenders.”

photo by Lana Salahieh

AGAINST THE CURRENT After school at practice, Safia Shad, junior, swims freestyle. The girls team is preparing for their home Conference meet tomorrow a 1 p.m. “(The season is) going really good. I’ve gotten better as a swimmer,” Shad said.

“I love the coaches.”

that we’ll get runner-up at State and we’ll win high school years of swimming.”

Sectionals this year, too.”

As a senior and team captain, Raffin works to Girls’ Swim is striving for greatness for their demonstrate leadership in and out of the water. upcoming meets.

“I think a lot of leadership is just the simple “We’re really looking things like doing things right forward to Sectionals and Putting in the hours at practice,” Raffin, said. “So hoping to be able to win, Swim weekly practice schedule not skipping out on stuff and that’s our goal for the season,” motivating other teammates.

Monday 5:45 - 7 a.m.

Hanas said. “We’re hoping There’s obviously also the meet 3:15 - 5:30 p.m. that everybody has some good stuff like leading the cheers and swims and is able to do their getting everyone ready.”

Tuesday 5:45 - 7 a.m. best. Then we’re trying to Through consistent team 3:15 - 5:30 p.m. qualify for State in our relays.” bonding sessions, the Girls’ On Jan. 30, Munster Swim is keeping a tight knit Wednesday No morning practice is hosting a home meet bond.

3:15 - 5:30 p.m. against Chesterton for their “We have pretty good bond. final regular season meet.

We try and get everybody to feel Thursday 5:45 - 7 a.m.

Chesterton and Munster have included and work together,” 3:15 - 5:30 p.m. always had a rivalry, dating Hanas said. “We’ve had back to over 50 years ago. As breakfast and we have gone to Friday 5:45 - 7 a.m. two of the top teams in the people’s houses and had pasta 3:15 - 5:30 p.m. state, tensions are obviously parties before big meets.” high for Boys’ and Girls’ Swim Overall, both teams are Saturday 7:00 - 9:30 a.m. upcoming meet on Thursday. looking for a successful ending source: Martin Barnard “This past year we lost our to another year of swim. head coach, of over ten years, “This year is the biggest the The double practices help us with our endurance. Meets take a lot of energy team has ever been and we hope to Chesterton,” Barnard said. because everyone usually swims four to achieve even bigger things “So now it is a meet that events. So having to swim that much and come post-season,” Barnard signifies a bit more than just get fast times in every event includes the old days’ rivalry. It is us said. “With 15 seniors on the a lot of hard training in the morning and going against what many of team, the level of leadership afternoon.

- Sam Buffano and comradary is extraordinary. the seniors or juniors have senior We’ll be sure to reach our goals.” ever known for the all their

Staying on top

“

ing positions according to injuries, and practice every day. There were several injuries, but one cost the team to lose a player for the entire season.

“We lost Aleena (Mongerie, junior) one of our Girls’ Basketball plays Conference top players, I think six games into the season, and game tonight at 7 p.m. at Highland she’s probably going to be out the rest of the year,” Alison Lee Coach Jim Davidson, PLTW teacher, said. “Even though we’ve had some injuries and stuff like that, Page Editor Sixteen. A number that easily overshadows four, we still feel like we’ve got a really good chance (at which is the amount of games Girls’ Basketball has Sectionals).”

The setbacks have motivated the team to work won, compared to only four losses. The Girls’ Basketball team has had an overall successful season and harder and fill in for various injuries that players is looking forward to ending strong. Despite several have endured. This helped the team to exponentially advance and progress, injuries, they made it to Conand they have high hopes for ference and hope to win Sectoday’s game. tionals. Conference is today at One in the region Sara Zabrecky, senior, received “The girls have worked real7 p.m. at Highland.

“This is the best season McDonald’s All-American nomination ly hard this year and we’ve had a lot of success, more success we’ve had in a long time,” Emily Eisha, senior, said. “I think I am very honored and grateful to have than we’ve had in past years,” it’s such a great accomplish- received a nomination for the McDonalds Coach Davidson said. “The girls ment because all of our sea- All American Game. I will continue to would love it if we could get sons have always had a losing strive for greatness and never give up some more fan support at some of our big games, that would be record. Everyone was like, ‘Oh, on my teammates and myself - Sara Zabrecky awesome to get some support. I Munster. Such an easy game.’ senior think they really deserve it.”

But now it’s like, ‘We have to The team has grown not only play Munster. We don’t want athletically but also in terms of their bond with one to play them.”

The team have pushed game after game, rearrang- another. As part of their bonding, they have pre-

“

game rituals. New and returning players alike participate and grow together.

“I know they obviously love to listen to music,” Coach Davidson said.

“One of the big things that we’ve said this year is family. Now I know we really have stressed that every time after we practice anytime we have a group huddle, anything like that it’s always family. So I think that’s been a big thing for this group; is the fact that they’re just very close. They enjoy being around each other and that always helps.” photo by Anthony Young

HOOPS FULL OF HEART Running a drill at practice, Grace Clark, sophomore, shoots a layup. “The thing I like most about the team is definitely the friendship within,” Clark said.

“The best thing about practice is just being able to play the game I love with amazing girls.”

SIDENOTE Cheer prepares for Turnabout on Feb. 22

As January comes to a close, the cheerleaders continue to cheer on the Girls’ and Boys’ Basketball teams for their home and away games.

“Our season is going well for how it started off in the beginning,” Meli Chioros, senior, said. “It was a really rocky start, with transitioning from three different coaches. Obviously, it was going to have it’s rough moments, but I think the girls took it very well and we are so happy to be cheering on the Girls’ and Boys’ Basketball teams as they are doing so well.”

With eight seniors, each girl finds a way to demonstrate leadership for the rest of the team.

“Since almost every single one of us have been through this program for the last four years, it’s makes our leadership stronger than ever and we can only hope that the underclassmen learn from our mistakes and remember that communication is key for a team to become a family,” Chioros said.

Cheer is currently preparing for Turnabout, their biggest fundraiser of the year, on Feb. 22.

Dance enters their competition season

The Dance team has entered their competition season and are practicing to achieve their goals. Although the girls lost a significant amount of seniors last year, they have not stopped working hard and improving upon their abilities during the season.

“What motivates me to perform at my highest potential is the people around me,” Payton Poulston, senior, said. “What makes dance so special to me is being able to let go and express your emotions through dance.”

Dance also performs during each home game halftime show for Boys’ Basketball. The biggest events of their season are approaching with Nationals are March 6-8, and State is March 14.

“I never thought being on MVD would come to an end,” Poulston said.

“I am so sad to leave all of the girls because there have been so many memories made throughout the years.”

Wrestling enters postseason; girl wrestler wins state

Wrestling has officially entered their postseason with their Conference meet taking place last Saturday on Jan 19. At the meet, Gabe Tienstra, sophomore, Leo Tsirtsis, junior, and Will Rojas, senior, all placed third.

The team has high hopes for the post season.

“I’m excited to see some of the JV guys compete because, during Conference, they have a JV tournament and I think they will do well,” Tsirtsis said. “Also, for our Varsity guys, if nerves don’t kick in we should do really well in (the postseason).”

Additionally, the team have also experienced a girl wrestler winning State for the first time. Trinity Malave, sophomore, has been wrestling since she was five and is very proud of her accomplishment.

“It feels great. I’m happy I was able to bring a State title home for Munster,” Malave said. “I’m also glad I was able to take the opportunity to show other females that they can do anything that boys do.”

Jan. 24, 2020

Munster High School Crier

The best in the business

7s p o r t s UP AND OVER During a home game against Lake Central, Luka Balac, junior, shoots a three pointer over a defender.

The team won the game on Jan. 3.

“During games, I try to stay focused on whatever is happening that moment whether that is trying to get a stop or help my team score,” Balac said.

Student and coach discuss the Boys’ Basketball season

eight seniors so a lot of kids that are juniors, which is about Design Editor six or seven, were on our JV team After a Sectional winning season last year, so they have had to get last year, Boys’ Basketball is in the adjusted from the JV to the Varsity middle of this year’s season with a level. They’ve done an outstandcurrent record of 11-1, with one loss ing job,” Coach Hackett said. to Hammond High School. The team According to Coach Hackett, is also coming off of a holiday tourna- team chemistry is one of their ment championship and looks forward strengths with players working toto a successful rest of the season. gether like a well-oiled machine.

“We’ve just started our conference The seniors this year have also had season,” Coach Mike Hackett said. to adjust to their new roles as the “Over break, we won the Highland leaders of the team.

Holiday Tournament and we won last “I didn’t play that much last year so we were defendyear because Howthe thegame game ing champs of it. That How there were a lot stacks was our first goal.” of seniors, but stacksup up The team won the now I’m a Records of other teams in tournament in a big Munster’s conference starter,” Kagame, beating Lake tona said.

Central High School, Andrean: 4-5 “I watched 47-38. They primari- Highland: 7-6 the seniors ly focus on three goals Hobart: 6-5 last year and throughout the season, Kankakee Valley: 3-9 I learned which are to win the Lowell: 6-5 from them Highland Holiday Tour- Munster: 11-1 and I’ve nament, win Confertried to be source: MaxPreps ence, and win Sectiona leader.” als. The team was able to complete all The team is happy with of those goals last year and they will the way their season turns not let any pressure affect their play- out and is looking forward ing style or season. to hopefully win Con“Obviously we want to go back to ference and Sectionback,” PJ Katona, senior, said. “We als. The team will don’t really feel the pressure, but there also play Gary West are high expectations.”

Side and Chesteron on Of course, every new season says February 14 and 15 which are exgoodbye to old players and welcomes pected to be interesting and competnew ones. The team has accepted itive games. many new players from the JV team “We are only halfway through the and are satisfied with their perfor- season and we are trying to go week mances. by week and get better every week,” “Last year, we graduated seven or Coach Hackett said.

Adam Klaich

Getting in formation

photo by Todd McKechnie

Students and coach discuss the Winter Guard season Gage Hoekstra Page Editor

With the first performance of the season quickly approaching, Winter Guard is gearing up for an exciting new season. While Jan. 25 marks the official beginning of the Winter Guard season, preparation is already in full swing. Averaging three to four practices a week, Winter guard is no stranger to hard work, now so more than ever.

“The things that we’re asking them to do, especially this year, are far more difficult than what they’ve done in previous years or what they’ve been expected to know how to do at any point in time so far,” Coach Lyndee Govert, math teacher, said.

Even with the amount of practice time ramping up, with sessions often lasting as long as three to four hours of doing their routines, Winter Guard continues to focus on improvement.

“We’re working harder, we’ve moved up a class, so that now we compete against better teams, and we’ve

photo by Madi Green

FLY THE FLAG In preparation for the invitational, Brook Maul, sophomore, catches her flag. The team is training to perform at the Winter Guard International Regionals competition, which will be held tomorrow (at Jacob’s High School). “The season is going really well,” Maul said. “Our first competition is this weekend so hopefully all of our hard work will pay off.”

just been getting challenged more and more,” Jordan Garrison, sophomore, said.

There’s more that goes into Winter Guard than just hard work, as Austin Beetson, freshman and new member, would put it, “It’s really kind of like a big family. Everybody really cares for each other and as a team we want to evolve and get better.”

With their combined sense of unmitigated determination and a spirit of belonging and cooperation, the Winter Guard team is certain to experience an exciting and successful season.

“It’s definitely taking a lot more practice to get it,” Coach Gover said, “but they’re determined, and they’re hungry, hungry for a really good show and for a win.”

s t u d e n t l i f e8

Munster High School Crier

Jan. 24, 2020

BAC K TALK

“First U.S. case of potentially deadly Chinese coronavirus confirmed in Washington state”

“Northern California fire grows to 74,300 acres as crews battle shifting winds” “‘Racism is a taught behavior’: High-schoolers disciplined for wearing white robes and a hood” shootingaftershocks survivor: Puerto school Rico earthquake “Historic impeachment trial of Trump“Florida begins in the Senate” 'I heard a girlcoastline screaming for help, again rattle as residents afterdoor.'” disaster anddeal wewith can'tdisaster open the ‘We are just destroying these

Flight, fight

Tomorrow is national Florida Day. The ‘Florida man’ meme was created from headlines of crimes Florida citizens committed. What Florida man crime was committed on your birthday?

or laugh?

kids’: The foster children “‘There’s something terribly wrong’: growing up inside detentionAmericans are dying young at alarming rates.” centers

“A billion animals have been caught in Australia’s Headlines fires. Some may go extinct.” from The “The terrible honesty of World War III memes”

Students and faculty discuss memes and humor as coping mechanisms for problems in today’s society Alyssa Bass Managing Editor

P

olice brutality. Threat of nuclear war. Global warming. Neo-Nazi Rallies across the U.S. Countless school shootings. Growing tensions in Iran/Iraq. The response? “Ugh I want to kill myself.”

This generation, growing up in the digital age, has always been open with their mental health, posting feelings on social media or sharing a memes. Everything from global warming to conflicts in the Middle East, has been made into memes.

“Do I make fun of these same serious topics? That’s not even a question for me, of course I do” Tim Kaufman, senior, said. “ It both makes that topic easier to talk about and means that, though the fact that something catastrophic exists is miserable, I don’t have to be miserable myself.”

The introduction of this dark humor has served as a way to make such heavy, uncomfortable topics, like mental health and suicide, into something light. Making these dark topics easier to reach out for help and discuss problems with friends, according to Tim. “I have had plenty of conversations with people where they may joke about how downhill things have been in their life and it acts as a smooth transition for them to vent and get issues off their chest,” Tim said. “This serves as an opportunity for help to be received, whether that be in the form of a new friend or being able to sleep better because you’ve lifted that weight off of your chest.”

Although the usage of humor and memes to cope with severe situations can be used to help someone, it can also blur the lines between someone who is just joking and or someone who actually wants help.

“I think people do a lot for shock value and that is easy to do when you don’t have to face your audience,” Mr. David Dausch, social studies teacher, said. “If you can’t make a joke in front of a room full of your family or peers, then you shouldn’t make that joke from behind a computer or phone screen.”

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders affect 25.1 percent of children between 13 and 18 years old, over one in four. Those numbers only represent those who have been officially diagnosed. With the growing openness of mental health and social media shining a spotlight on all things bad in the world, our generations laughing may just be trying to keep us from stressing.

“I think that the openness this generation has with mental health isn’t the reason that you see memes as often as you do,” Tim said. “But

Washington Post articles

rather is a symptom of both underlying frustration and really just wanting to have something funny to laugh at in an age dominated by social media. This frustration could be attributed to many things such as divisive politics and global problems that connect back to older generations.”

Many of the serious issues that are joked about include things that people feel helpless about.

“I think people use memes and jokes to help cope with these issues because we are looking at issues that are far larger than any of us, so we don’t have any real emotional attachment to them,” Tim said. “Not only that, but like I said before, a serious topic is much easier to talk about when you’re able to reduce its potentially overwhelming weight.”

Overall, memes and jokes about serious and taboo topics are beneficial. These memes make uncomfortable topics easy to talk about and help people cope with their severity.

“A lot of people I know are generally nervous to talk about (things from) taboo to even dark subjects; memes help us open up, even if (we opened up) just a little bit,” Andrew Wittkamp, junior, said. photos found on Reddit, Instagram, and Twitter

March 9-Florida man who attacked McDonald’s worker over straw, sentenced to jail.

- Andrew Klaich freshman

Aug. 11- Judge says Florida man can no longer order pizza for ordering too much pizza.

- Trinity Hogge freshman

Sept. 22- Florida man rides manatee, dares police to arrest him, gets arrested.

March 24Florida man ticketed after eating pancakes in middle of intersection.

- Keira Hawk sophomore

- Blake Siurek sophomore

- Ashley Nita junior

Sept 16- Florida man starts house fire while baking cookies on George Foreman grill.

- Peyton Specht junior

March 18-Florida man shoved woman because he wanted to eat egg rolls in her house.

- Roman Garcia senior

June 28-Florida man back in jail after not paying for taxi that picked him up from jail.

- Leah Patterson senior

Aug.18- Florida man dressed as Fred Flinstone pulled over for driving a ‘footmobile.’

May 21- Florida man caught searching for threatened gopher tortoises to eat.

Feb 18- Florida man allegedly slaps woman with a bowl of chili.

illustration by Henry Hofferth and Max Lindenmayer

- Mrs. Venkataramanan math teacher

- Mr. Koszut science teacher