-
[CRIER Munster High School
[
Issue 9 Volume 53 April 5, 2018
8808 Columbia Ave. Munster, IN 46321
Concerning
our climate
Learn more about the state of our planet
[Read more on pg 6-7]
[on Pg 6-7]
[graphic by Charlie Hofferth]
[Inside look]
[Upcoming]
pg. 5
pg. 11
Crier staff explains and reviews K-pop
Student athletes discuss admissions scandal
HUM night Saturday at 6 p.m.
April 12 is last day to buy prom tickets access code: student ID #
2 [NEWS]
Munster High School Crier
April. 5, 2018
Sidenote
A piece of work
Poetry Club member Lily Leslie, senior, shares a poem she wrote Seasons of Love
Speech
when we meet it’s winter. we’re cold, but the snow is slowly melting away.
After winning State, Speech is preparing for events like Nationals in Dallas, Texas and the NCFL Grand Nationals, or CATNATs. NSDA qualifiers are Shreyas Iyer, senior; Sami Muhrez, Alyssa Nahnsen, Emma Higgason, Steve McDunn, Jack Sullivan and Noel Fary, juniors; Cynthia Chockalingam sophomore; and Charlie Mason, freshman. The selection process for CATNATs is much different. Each school is given a number of spots they need to fill for different events. Mr. Jordan Mayer, English teacher and speech coach, chose the members of the team that will be competing.
spring comes after. we begin to warm, your smile bringing heat to me like the sun does the earth. then it’s summer, your rays are soaked into my skin and I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. the best memories are created in summer. then comes autumn: the fallout happens quickly. sharp words and loud arguments, our relationship crumbling like dead leaves under feet. winter comes again, but without you it feels eternal. the sun never shows and the snow buries me until i can’t breathe.
Band in Hawaii
Over Spring Break, the Band went to Hawaii to perform at Pearl Harbor and explore the different sites of Honolulu. “The trip overall was an experience that really redefined my perspective of the world as a whole.” Gabe McKnight, senior, said. “It gave me an opportunity to do something with the band that essentially was not band heavy. We performed once and were living life.” After the trip, band members returned to Munster and some competed at State for Winter Percussion. The percussionists placed first for the second year in a row.
[photo by Lana Salahieh]
CHALK IT OUT Attending Poetry club, Coleman Berg, sophomore, helps write a poem on the board in Mrs. Kelly Barnes’ room. Poetry club meets every Thursday to read, write, and discuss poems.
Sippin’ and Slammin’ Poetry Club prepares for the annual Slam Poetry on April 13 at Sip Coffee House story by
[Zoe O’Shaughnessy] Page Editor
[photo by Lana Salahieh]
HANGING LOSE During their trip to Hawaii, band members Emily Malave, junior, Daniel Tabaczynski, sophomore, Erin Crawford, senior, Michael Parobek, senior, and Rachel Dawson, sophomore, find sea life in the water by the docks. The band spent their spring break lounging on beaches and dancing at a luau.
Corrections
In issue 8 of Crier, the front page for clarification, dual credit will not be discontinued. On page 2, in the “Preppy Pen Pals” caption, Bailey Broelmann, senior, was misspelled. On page 3, in the “Dream Machine”caption Serena Alvarez, junior, was not given a grade attribution. Also on page 3, in “Building the Dream Machine,” we incorrectly attributed the quote “You have 15-30 seconds, for the first phase of the competition where the robot has to run by itself only using code and then the second phase and competition is like two or three minutes long and it’s where the driver controls the robot using an box controller,” it should have been attributed to Hamzah Rafiq, senior. On page 9, in “From school to scrubs” Mr. Brad Docter was misspelled. On page 10, in the caption “Smart Passes,” Eric Jerge’s, senior, quote was cut off. Eric’s quote should read: “I just try to focus on winning the game and producing for my team and helping out my teammates like Nick Fies and making sure my family (team) is okay,” Jerge said. Crier regrets these errors.
Bring your notebook and buy some coffee, Poetry Club is holding a poetry slam night at Sip Coffee House next Saturday, April 13 at 5 p.m. “The Sip Slam is a poetry slam that we (poetry club) host at a coffeehouse to become more involved with the community,” Chrys Navarro, senior and club president, said. For this poetry slam, spoken word poetry, or Slam Poetry, is more common than the poetry students read in school. “It (the slam event) is different from
our regular meetings because we normally would recite the poems that we write or give a prompt. For slams, we tell the members to write, but we don’t tell them what to write. We tell them to secure a topic, revise it at home, and get feedback from the club,” Chynna Vaughn, junior, said. Later this semester, Poetry Club will hold another slam, but at the school, likely on May 15. “Usually people are really down to like go to the coffee place and like recite poems outside a of school setting because they feel more comfortable. Being in a place that’s actually known for being social it’s a little bit more
comfortable. Especially with slam, because I feel like that’s when people are willing to show up to an event outside of school. That’s when they show that they are passionate about it,” Chrys said. Lily Leslie, senior, plans on writing a poem for the slam. “I think it’s going to be one of the last poems I write for poetry club. So I think I’m going to try and write a farewell note to high school. I’m going to talk about all of the goods and bads that have come through the last four years,” Lily said. Whether you are in Poetry Club or not, Claire Powell, junior, believes that people should still come and listen to the poetry. “Students should come because they can inspire students to speak their voice,” Claire said, “It is also a chance to connect with people on a different level because the poetry expresses who the person really is and if others feel the same way, they can really connect to the poem.”
One for the books
Yearbook staff finishes final deadline, begins work on spring supplement story by
[Nadia Perdue] Page Editor
On May 16, students will finally be able to reminisce on their school year as they pick up their copy of the newest edition of the yearbook. The Paragon staff is in the process of wrapping up as the school year comes to an end. The staff finished the 176-page yearbook in February. Now they are in the process of working on the 32-page spring supplement. According to Ms. Sarah-Anne Lanman, Publications Advisor, this year marks the first time the supplement will be distributed alongside the yearbook. Last year, she said, students were given the supplement the following school year during MRT, while seniors had it mailed to them. Ms. Lanman explained that this initial method often confused students, and many would not even know what the supplement was. The deadline to buy a copy of the yearbook is April 19. After that, students are not guaranteed a copy of the book will be available to purchase. Unlike previous years, yearbooks now have to be paid for by a specific date.
“In the past, you could buy your book pretty much all throughout the school year,” Ms. Lanman said. “But now we’re cutting off sales to streamline the distribution process.
Paragon power
Staff shares favorite part about the working on the yearbook
I love being able to see all my effort and energy finally pay off. Holding the yearbook in my hands after months of only seeing it on a screen is incredible. - Abbey Burris senior
I love photography so being on Yearbook allows me to focus on improving my skills and learning ways to take better pictures. - Chloe Lambert junior
After April 19, if we still have books to sell, you will have to wait to buy on May 16 or after.” The staff had an extensive creative process when it came to generating ideas for the yearbook. They perused
through various sources of media to serve as muses for the yearbook’s theme, ‘from me to you.’ “We wanted to make the yearbook very personal and involve a large majority of the student body in it while creating it,” Demetrios Fotopoulos, sophomore, said. “We tried to show that everyone is connected in one way or another.” Kammy Moore, senior and Editorin-Chief of Paragon, says that the initial process of creating and developing the theme was difficult. “It took a lot of back and forth, and a lot of different ideas, and nothing we came up with was right,” Kammy said. “Finally, we realized all the things we were coming up with were kind of the same concept; we just needed to verbalize it in some way.” As the release date inches closer, staff members like Demetrios say that they await students’ reactions to the book. “I really can’t wait to see our book once it’s published and in the hands of the student body,” Demetrios said. “It’s going to be such an amazing feeling to see people enjoying something, and in the end, (realizing) that I was a part of helping to create that something.”
Munster High School Crier
[NEWS] 3 April 5, 2019
[photo by Elizabeth Fonseca]
ARGUE AGAINST Yesterday the organization, Appeals on Wheels, brought three panel members to listen, the scheduled panel members were (from left to right) Judge Melissa S. May, Judge Terry A. Crone, and Judge Elizabeth F. Tavitas.
Making a case Government and AP History students attended an appellate court case yesterday story by
[Alyssa Bass] Copy Editor
Two years ago, Ms. Laketra Spinks went to a hair salon in Indianapolis with her boyfriend and her baby, she was unhappy with the turnout of her braids and argued with the stylist and salon owner, according to Courts.in.gov. She then took out a gun and fired it in the salon, leading the State to charge Ms. Spinks with criminal recklessness, which is a level 5 felony, and carrying a handgun without a license, a Class A misdemeanor. “It was rather interesting,” Eddie DeMars, junior, said. “I would consider myself someone who has an above average knowledge of our court system so it was intriguing seeing everything I knew take place in front of me.” All students who have taken gov-
ernment, whether that be this or last semester, or over the summer, and A.P. U.S. History classes will be able to attend to watch this case being argued in appellate court. The organization, Appeals on Wheels comes to schools to help Hoosiers learn more about the judiciary’s indispensable role in Indianas government. Appeals on Wheels has done more that 400 cases between 2001 and June 2013. “I think there’s a fundamental challenge in education to find ways to go beyond discussion and into interaction,” Mr. Michael Gordon, government teacher, said. “Being able to see what we do in the classroom is a powerful educational tool. Being able to experience this process is about that dispositions, that’s where real education takes place.”
Yesterday is the first time that MHS was able to host Appeals on Wheels, but several years ago and Mr. Gordon was able to take students to Merrillville High School. “I think it was good opportunity that I am thankful we had,” Eddie said.
Double up on dual credit story by
[Mimi Brody] Editor-in-Chief
[photo by Elizabeth Fonseca]
READ UP ON IT While in Mr. Jordan Mayer’s English 11 class, Kyle Adams, junior, reads “Fahrenheit 451.” English 11 is offered as a dual credit course to juniors, an option provided free of cost under Ivy Tech. However, due to forces outside the school, this free college credit will likely be going away in the future.
[photos by Lauren Morris]
COVER A LOT OF GROUND (top) During government class, Mr. Micheal Gordon, government teacher, discuss with his students about the trial that Appeals on Wheels covered. AS THE CASE MAY BE (below) During fourth hour government with Mr. Gordon, students, Scott Farmer, Michael Schassburger, Emily Eggebrecht, seniors, debate the case, Spinks v. State.
Crier reported last issue that most dual credit classes would not be offered because teachers did not meet the requirements mandated by the Higher Learning Commission. New requirements mandate that teachers have a graduate degree in their subject area, or 18 additional credits in their subject area. Students and parents may then be wondering why teachers don’t fulfill the requirements from the state. Based on this year’s courses, Non-AP English, Math (with the exception of AP Statistics), Social Studies (with the exception of AP U.S. History) and possibly Spanish will not be offered for dual-credit the ‘22-’23 school year. Data shows that most Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers meet the requirements already, but liberal arts subjects are significantly behind. This holds true at MHS. While all CTE classes would retain their dual credit, most social studies and English classes would not. Although programs for teachers to obtain Master Degrees are subsidized by IUN, there are two main reasons teachers don’t complete them.
“Since we’re a peaceful wealthy suburban town, we don’t have much of a reason to experience any part of the legal process, yet alone trials. We especially don’t get to experience appeal trials since they normally take place downtown Indianapolis.”
First, the extensive time commitment. Secondly, the lack of incentives. Teachers are reluctant to obtain higher degrees because of the elimination of state incentives, including no additional compensation for earning higher degrees. While the policy does not look like it will change anytime soon, Mr. Bob Snyder, assistant principal, hopes the blowback when it happens will be enough to revise the policy. As for possible ways to continue offering college credits, Mr. Snyder does not see a possible way to work around the requirements and do anything outside of offering AP classes. “AP courses tend to help the kids who will go into those courses,” Mr. Snyder said. “What’s unique about dual credit is it’s helping kids who maybe don’t necessarily consistently score out threes or higher on those exams.” Despite this, Mr. Snyder is hopeful that after the policy is implemented and parents see the effects, parts of the decree will be rolled back. “I wonder if the reaction piece will happen in like 2024 or 2025 when people take it to their legislators— I think change can be a little slower that way,” Mr. Snyder said. “I think everybody’s hoping there’s going to be this last gasp and Superman’s going to get the woman off the railroad tracks, and I don’t think that’s the case.”
4[OPINION]
Munster High School Crier
April 5, 2019
Opinion
Needing New Ideas
story by
[Adam Klaich]
Social Media Manager
Disney is one of the most successful and well respected companies in the world due to the number of classic movies they’ve produced, their world famous characters, and amusement parks, but is Disney getting lazy with its craft? In the past decade, fans have seen some of their favorite Disney movies be remade into live-action films. Few films stick to an original movie’s plot, such as the live-action versions of “The Jungle Book” and “Cinderella.” On the contrary, other movies such as “Maleficent” tell a different side of the story, but I think these movies have become lazy. Since 2010, Disney has released seven live action remakes with five more in the works. The next in line being “Aladdin,” which comes out May 24. Since I was a child, I have adored Disney and Pixar movies, but my opinions on their movies have started to change. I am disappointed with the studio’s inability to come up with new ideas and the lack of effort they’ve displayed. Like I said before, these remakes are lazy attempts and are completely unnecessary. To me, spending time and money to remake a classic movie when one can watch the original, and much better, version which is the way the stories are meant to be told. Another issue I have with the live action movies is the computer generated imagery, or CGI, used for characters such as the animals in “The Jungle Book” and Will Smith’s depiction of The Genie in “Aladdin,” which has been blasted on the internet. The CGI makes the movies seem more serious and prohibits characters from truly expressing themselves and making certain movements or expressions they could in the original versions. Overall, I’m disappointed in the lack of creativity Disney has showcased within the past few years. I understand that it’s hard to find new ideas that will break the box office, but the surplus of live-action remakes is now seen as a half hearted attempt and as a cash grab. I think Disney needs to start focusing on new stories that capture wonder like the original movies being remade used to do.
[CRIER]
Editorial
[cartoon by Mercedez Williams]
There’s No Planet B Back in November, the Sunrise Group (a youth-led climate advocacy group) held a sit in at Sen. Nancy Pelosi’s office, demanding she push a green agenda when she assumed her position as Speaker of the House in January. Four months later, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced a bill dubbed, “the Green New Deal,” which was aimed at eliminating global carbon emissions by 2050 through a series of economic and social changes. Upon release, it was met with widespread criticism: even Rep. Ocasio-Cortez’s Democratic party refused to embrace the bill. It was called a socialist proposal and criticized for being unrealistic, Republican Sen. Tom Cotton even suggested it would require Americans to “ride around on high-speed light rail, supposedly powered by unicorn tears.” While the Green New Deal may not be practical, what else do we have? Scientists have suggested we have until 2030 to drastically reduce our waste and carbon emissions, change our ethos to conservation rather than consumption. So that may not be the Green New Deal, but what is it? Our government has not passed mean-
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
ingful climate legislation in years, despite warning after warning, only 64 percent of republicans even believe in climate change. But that is political, and this goes beyond politics. If we want to secure a meaningful future for our generation, and those to come, something radical needs to change. Citizens need We can be that radical change. to view climate It is not unreachange as a real sonable that we threat and do their as citizens depart to reduce mand our legwaste islators to take climate change seriously. Even if the Green New Deal is not practical, as it goes through legislative channels, it can be altered to make it more feasible. We should not refuse to take climate change seriously just because a bill is too ambitious. We can also do our part to be more mindful of the volume of materials we consume. Conservation is not political, it is not pretentious, it is not unattainable. It is not easy, but it will be easier than the alternative. Demand change, be change.
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
[Our take]
Social Media Manager Adam Klaich Alt-Copy Manager Mercedez Williams Page Editors: Atarah Israel, Alexis Lindenmayer, Ava Lukacsek, 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
Solving forX
Munster High School Crier
[INFOCUS]5 April 5, 2018
Indiana may offer alternate gender option on driver’s licenses
story by
[Atarah Israel] Page Editor
For the first time in Indiana history, moment for the LGBTQ+ community non-gender conforming drivers are but, considering Indiana’s track allowed the “X” option on their driver’s record with the LGBTQ+, a license in place of male or female. possible turning point for the state. Provided by the Bureau of Motor “(The ‘X’ is) way better because, a Vehicles, drivers are eligible to lot of people try to hide that aspect apply for the third option, as long on their license because they’re as proof of a permanent gender embarrassed,” Emily Guerrero, change is provided. However, it is sophomore, said. “There’s a lot of still controversial in legislation, homophobic people in Indiana so leaving some anxious for the result. when they find out, they’re like Among the attempts to eliminate ‘why are you presenting yourself the “X” includes amendments that way, that’s not right’. I think made by Indiana Senate devised it’s really nice but we live in a very to complicate the process of conservative place so if it’s not obtaining an “X” on one’s license. passed that’s very disappointing.” In light of the “X”, GSA (GayWhile many say the addition is Straight Alliance) members offer their a step in the right direction, some opinions on the claim the turn of events. “X” may be It’s a sad attempt at trying to “I think it’s an in bad taste. give the LGBTQ+ community “It’s good important step for the world to start what they want and totally we’re trying to accepting people give another missing the mark. because you can option beside tell someone that and Lily Leslie male it (their identity) female, but to senior doesn’t exist but, just have it as you can’t tell them that they can’t feel an ‘X’ is sort of demeaning,” that way,” Caleb Erke, senior, said. Lily Leslie, senior, said. “I feel like “Even if you don’t agree with it there it can also cause confusion too should be something for that person.” because when somebody looks at Indiana wouldn’t be the first state to your driver’s license, what does that allow this option, with 11 other states ‘X’ mean for them? Is it trans? Is it offering a non-gender binary choice. binary? Is it gender fluid? There’s If Indiana were to join this group of so many options that it can be, so states, not only would it be a major it’s not really a great solution. It’s
“
”
Reality Associates
Mary Powers Broker Associate
(219) 682-8703 (219) 961-8178 (219) 961-8179
not even a solution, I feel like it’s a sad attempt at trying to give the LGBTQ community what they want but totally missing the mark.” In terms of the “X” passing legislation, some do not have high hopes. Between Indiana’s past reputation of traditionalism and the state’s predominantly conservative consensus, certain spectators feel skeptical. “They won’t even pass hate crime legislation in this state,” Lily said. “You can’t be charged with a hate crime in Indiana no matter if it’s race ethnicity, religion, or sexuality. If they can’t even pass that, then I don’t think they’ll pass this.” Despite Indiana’s traditionalist past, there have been recent steps made toward understanding the LGBTQ+ community, reflecting the erasure of certain stigmas nationwide. Initiatives fought for by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have created programs and projects for the advancement of minorities, including the LGBTQ community. The LGBTQ Rights Project, part of the Indiana chapter of ACLU, highlights Indiana’s growing attempt at improvement. “In the past Indiana was a lot more anti-LGBT, it seems a little bit better now,” Caleb said. “Everywhere is getting more progressive.”
[photo by Robert Young]
Tracking the ch nge A time line of recent LGBTQ+ milestones and events in Indiana
2015 Religious Freedom Restoration Act changed to include LGBTQ+
2016 Kokomo, Indiana joins other Indiana communities in alliance with the LGBTQ+ community
2018 Anti-LGBTQ+ language removed from Indiana sex-ed bill [source: ACLU of Indiana]
The highest compliment I can receive is the referral of friends and family Thank you for your trust
Mary Powers
Cell Office Fax
1544 45th St Munster, IN 46321 Mary.powers@remax.net
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6[INFOCUS]
Munster High School Crier
Munster High School Crier
[INFOCUS] 7 April 5, 2019
April 5, 2019
Earth day is April 22, students and staff discuss the future of the planet
smoke
”
Up in
W
150 - 200 species go extinct
every
24 hours story by
[Alexis Lindenmayer]
1,000 times greater than
the natural rate
Page Editor
the background
[source: nationalgeographic.com]
e are more sure that greenhouse gas is causing climate change than we are that smoking causes cancer.” NASA atmospheric scientist Kate Marvel gave this insight into scientists’ opinion during a panel talk at a convention in New York this October. The “greenhouse gas” Marvel mentions is referring to the gases, primarily CO2, which contribute to a rise in atmospheric temperature. When humans burn fires or drive cars, excess CO2 is released into the atmosphere. Think of the atmosphere as a greenhouse. The glass of the greenhouse is made up of mostly water vapor, but also gases like methane, nitrogen, and CO2. When the sun shines on the greenhouse, the glass absorbs the heat, making the
inside of the greenhouse warm and ideal for growing. Likewise, when the sun shines on Earth, our atmosphere absorbs the sun’s heat, resulting in a hospitable temperature for life on Earth. The greenhouse effect is amplified when excess CO2 is released into the atmosphere, bringing the global temperature higher than the average needed to sustain life. In the past 100 years, our average global temperature has risen 1.4 percent. While this may seem insignificant, many cite 2 percent as the tipping point- the point where the world would see lower crop yields, less freshwater, and higher sea levels. This parameter— keeping emissions under 2 percent— is the chief goal of the Paris Climate Accord. When asked about climate change, many people’s initial association is to
“save the polar bears.” But, it is not just the polar bears in danger. Rising sea levels have the potential to devastate coastal regions or those with low altitudes with flooding, erosion, and tropical storms. There are multiple contributors to rising sea levels. First, when water is heated, it expands, literally gaining more area. Second, warmer temperatures causes glaciers to melt and their runoff enters the ocean. Despite Marvel’s certainty, many Americans are hesitant to join the 97 percent of scientists that believe climate change is occurring and is directly linked to human behavior. A joint poll conducted by the University of Chicago and the Associated Press cite that 71 percent of Americans consider climate change a real, human- made problem.
story by
[Mimi Brody]
who’s to blame?
Editor-in-Chief
fact or myth? Mr. Keith Koszut and Mr. Larry Hautzinger, science teachers, discuss opposing views on climate change
Mr. Koszut on... Carbon emissions
Mr. Hautzinger on... Carbon emissions
“We breathe it out and trees take it in. Okay, so we store carbon dioxide entry. So if we’re nervous about carbon I said plant more trees. They’ll they’ll they’ll start there. (The impacts of carbon dioxide on the envirnonment are) Probably negligible. We’re not even anywhere near the highest carbon content that we’ve ever had.”
Rising sea levels
“The glaciers are melting in some areas but they are others where they’re getting bigger. I teach Project bio. We have to camp on Big Pine Key. Now Big Pine Key is Key Largo limestone, that’s basically an old coral reef. Coral doesn’t grow above water. It grows best between 20 to 30 feet or most 60 feet. That tells us that the oceans at one time we’re 60 feet higher than they are today.”
Earth’s temperature
Most temperatures were taken at some airfield on some grass strip. Well, now they’re taken at O’Hare with lots of cement. What do you know about cement and summertime? It gets hotter. Now, having said that, What would we expect our temperatures to become? I’m guessing higher than we had back in 1900. You would think if it was getting hotter you’d have a lot more high temperature records, right? There isn’t.”
Climate Change Skeptics
[your take]
on climate change
Annie Ostojic junior
The government is definitely not doing enough to combat climate change. The Paris Agreement that President Trump took us out of— taking us out was wrong. We need to reverse emissions.
“
“
“
“
I do believe in climate change because there’s a lot of resources currently out there that really proves it does exist. I think a lot of people, especially a lot of other countries, like Europe are taking initiatives to really try and combat climate change. I think that the US is getting to that point where we’re just not fully there yet.
Mercedes Maldonado senior
“The data is coming in. It’s showing it’s not but now everybody’s got their mind made up Just because 95 percent they said that the sun was the son of the the solar system or this or that or the the universe. Not true, but that was the consensus. You got it. And now they’re trying to say shut that the skeptics up. That’s not science. I just want people to listen and actually investigate it by themselves.”
Earth’s Temperature
“Changes that occur over shorter timescales we call weather, but changes over long time scales are referred to as climate. We have our annual weather cycle, so temperatures are warmer in the summer than they are in the winter. Then you get things like annual weather events, like El Ñino or La Ñina, which are related to certain kinds of ocean currents in the Pacific. So that’s what some of the extreme peaks and some of the extreme lows are. But the average is what the red line spells out, and the average temperatures are increasing.”
Climate Change Skeptics
“The so called Global Warming debate has two components. There’s a scientific one. And then there’s a policy making/ political one. And so it’s students at Munster High School should realize that in the scientific one, there is no debate. It’s purely scientific question. The globe is warming. And it seems blindingly obvious that human beings contribute a meaningful chunk of that warming.”
1 out of 8 deaths 4.2 million
the world’s 91% ofpopulation lives
deaths every year as a in places where air quality result of exposure to exceeds World Health air pollution Organization guidelines [sources: web.unp.org and who.int]
.1%
China
U.S.
India
Russia
Japan
Methane
greenhouse gases
6%
Carbon dioxide
[source: UCSUSA.org]
as students At the young age of 16, Greta Thunberg, has already spoken at a United Nations climate conference, been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, and continues to lead an international movement to try and diminish climate change. As Greta continues to prove that the opinions and actions of this younger generation matter, students share their wide variety of strong thoughts on this prevalent issue. “We see this surge in the younger generation to want to preserve the planet that they live on,” Jack Stork, junior, said. “Young people standing up to protect the environment is admirable” Others are still skeptical on how big of an issue climate change actually is. “The earth used to be covered in ice at one point, however, that all melted, not due to human interference, but due to natural causes,” Brink Wolak, sophomore, said. “So the idea that the human race needs to take on this monstrous task of stopping a natural processes that is exactly something I’m not going to support.” Taking action now may be beneficial for the future. “I think that it (climate change) is overblown by politicians and the media to create this idea that it is a bigger issue now, so it won’t become a bigger issue later down the line,” Jack said. Caroline Chael, junior, argues if there really is anything individuals could do to help the climate.
11%
of the atmosphere is made up of
81%
Rising sea levels
“We seem to be have reached a point where we are going to exceed our current global average temperature by two or maybe more by the end of this current century, to the point where the effects will be drastic. You’re going to have sea level rise. You can look at about half dozen to 10 different lines of evidence besides just what the temperature is every year for the globe, including sea level change and ice coverage.”
effect on us are due to air pollution
1 car = 1 million metric tons of CO2 emissions from fuel combustions
“Though the increase the amount of carbon emissions into the atmosphere by human sources has only increased, there’s been some trimming back of the increase. But, that’s like saying if I give you $2 a day, your amount of money is growing, isn’t it, but then suddenly give you only $1 a day, then the increase is cut back. But, you still getting more money. So it’s a little bit disingenuous to argue ‘look at the small fraction that carbon dioxide is of the atmosphere,’ what counts is what it’s doing.”
all in the air
“Big corporations play a huge part in a climate change,” Caroline said, “Politicians love to say that the people themselves can change climate change but if you look at real numbers and statistics, the cause of climate change is coming from these large corporations and their admissions. There is heavy criticism on The Green New Deal, one of the only recent major legislations that the government has proposed to help the environment. “It (The Green New Deal) creates a bigger problem and it’s something that’s going to cost way too much money and implement things that have absolutely nothing to do with climate change,” Brink said. “When you read into it, you can clearly see that it’s not just about climate change, it’s about implementing policies that are going to fail the American people.” When considering future policies, Caroline Chael, junior, firmly believes that scientists should simply be in charge environmental agencies. “I think we should listen to scientists more because usually they’re unbiased towards like political things and they’re the ones that are doing the research on these things are trying to stop climate change are happening.” Caroline said, “These people have degrees in science, which is what they would be making all these decisions about versus politicians who are just doing it for the job.
Nitrous Oxide
3% Fluorinated Gases Americans generate
254
tons of waste per million year
[source: epa.gov]
wasting away
80% of items in landfills are recyclable only
9%
of plastic is recycled
[source: epa.gov]
8[INFOCUS]
Munster High School Crier
April 5, 2019
[photo illustration by Lauren Kozy and Charlie Hofferth]
APPLYING THE PROBLEM One common example of toxic masculinity is that boys cannot do “girly” actions such as wearing certain clothing or wearing makeup. story by
[Adam Klaich] Social Media Manager
S
ince the beginning of modern society, men have been held to certain standards and stereotypes: they can’t show emotion, they can’t act “girly,” they have to be athletic, they can’t ask for help, etc. The concept of men being expected to be characterized like this is called toxic masculinity, and it can go under many definitions. “It’s a difficult thing to define,” Brendan Bleza, senior, said. “There’s not really a set definition.” After writing a research paper on the subject for AP Composition, Brendan interprets toxic masculinity as devaluing a man’s masculinity by his male peers through his menial characteristics including the way they act or the way they dress. “I think it definitely puts a bad rep on guys in general, the term really generalizes a lot of guys,” Brendan said Students, like Jack Sullivan, junior, are used to seeing forms of toxic masculinity throughout their daily lives such as the belief that men aren’t able to show much emotion. “Your best friend is probably like ‘alright, shake it off pal,’” Jack said, “but other than that you don’t really get anything else. People just want you to get over it and they don’t really want to be associated with the guy crying in the corner.” Jack said
Brendan also claims there is an argument that toxic masculinity doesn’t exist or that society doesn’t know what it actually is. “I’m in the middle (between both arguments), I was just exposed to the argument of it not existing, but
Boys
don’t cry
Students discuss toxic masculinity the base of the argument was that toxic masculinity doesn’t exist because we don’t have a good grasp of what masculinity is,” Brendan said. Many, including Mr. Matthew Kalwasinski, AP. Psychology teacher, said he believes that toxic masculinity is rooted from the home and a boy’s childhood experiences. “It’s like, here’s a kid, what is expected of that kid to behave, what kind of sports should they be involved in, and it’s other simple things like that begin with
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the home and what parents push their kids to do,” Mr. Kalwasinski said. In Mr. Kalwasinki’s point of view, he sees toxic masculinity as the belief that men are seen as supposed to be seen as “macho and bravado.” He also thinks that this belief can raise problems when a boy wants to follow a different path other than the stereotypical one set for him by society. “If you have this kid and they’re more artsy, they want to work on art and paint, but some people say they shouldn’t,” Mr. Kalwasinski said. “Others say they should be in sports like football and soccer.” Mr. Kalwasinski has also seen the term “masculinity” change in recent times. He recalls differences such as how men in the 21st century now get pedicures or wear satchels that could be seen as a purse. “I think people have opened their eyes about what it means to be masculine or not,” Mr. Kalwasinski said. He would prefer the world seeing each person as just a person and nothing more, but he believes that men and women will always be judged or held to their gender. Boys around the school can bring up certain scenarios when toxic masculinity is present and while some don’t see it as a big issue, some see it as a controversy that needs to be dealt with because it forces men to be someone they’re not or don’t want to be. “I don’t think that’s (toxic masculinity) acceptable in a society that’s as progressive as we are today,” Brendan said.
K-pop on top
Munster High School Crier
[REVIEW] 5 April 5, 2019
K-POSITIONS In K-pop groups, each member is assigned various roles, which are main, lead and sub: rappers, dancers, vocalists, leader, visuals, face of the group, center, and maknae, below, these roles are explained.
With the rise of K-pop in the US, Crier discusses different messages in K-pop songs story by
[Mercedez Williams]
K
orean pop, or K-pop, originated in the early 1990’s with a group called Seo Taiji and the Boys. After their immense success domestically, many more korean groups began to emerge, with one of the biggest of the early 2000’s being S.E.S, an equivalent to Korea’s Destiny’s Child. K-pop also houses many soloists as well as groups. The biggest soloists in the genre include IU, BoA, Ailee, Sunmi, Taeyeon, PSY, etc. The biggest groups include BTS, Exo, Twice, Blackpink, Seventeen, Red Velvet and Big Bang. K-pop is also split into generations. Although they are not exact, the first generation is to be thought of have started in the early 1990’s and ended in the early 2000’s, while the 3rd generation starting in the early 2010’s and ending around 2018/2019, and that commences the fourth and current generation,
BTS
While Korean pop, or K-pop may be seen as simply catchy beats, but many songs are actually socially conscious and convey the message of the group, these themes include but are not limited to; pressure on the current generation, self-love, female empowerment, and problems caused by technology in today’s society. BTS are the biggest K-pop group currently and are partly known for their songs that tackle social issues. Their top songs include: “Fire,” “House of Cards,” “Outro: Tear,” “Dope” and “Turn Off Your Phone.” Video recommendation: “Idol”
Mamamoo
Known for their confidence and songs about female empowerment, Mamamoo were able to come from a small company and become an established group in the K-pop world. With their power vocals and massive stage presence, they portray a message of female empowerment in a country in which that is not very prevalent, “If I were to describe myself/ I’m a confident woman” (Yes I am). Their top songs include: “Yes I am,” “Wind Flower,” “Midnight Summer Dream,” Better Than I Thought” and “1cm.” Video recommendation: “Egoistic”
Exo
The second biggest K-pop boy group is Exo, with many deep meaning in their songs that tackle things such as the lack of intimacy in today’s society, and this, they say, is due to technology and having your personality defined by “0’s and 1’s” Their top songs include: “Overdose,” “Monster,” “The Eve,” “Blooming Day” and “Cloud 9.” Video recommendation: “Monster”
Twice
Seungyeon of CLC
Alt-copy Manager
Known for their ultra-catchy songs and cute personas, Twice is one of the top girl groups in Korea, while on the surface their songs may seem shallow and without meaning, their songs, such as “Likey”, have a deeper meaning that conveys a message about having to put on a fake, brighter persona for social media. Their top songs include: “Truth,” “Like Ooh Ahh,” “Signal,” “Likey” and “Chillax”. Video recommendation: “Like Ooh Ahh”
LE of Exid Leader: usually oldest member of group, motivates and takes care of members HOPE ON THE STREET Member of boy group BTS, J-hope poses in an aeygo pose, or an excessively cute pose
Jungkook of BTS
CLC
As one of the most versatile groups in K-pop, CLC preaches about women empowerment, with songs about consent as well as being unique and staying true to ones self. “Forget ways to look more ‘beautiful’/ Screw how you feel/ So I can look more like me’ (No) Their top songs include: “What Planet are You From?” “Black Dress,” “Bae,” “Where are You?” and “Cafe Mocha.” Video recommendation: “No”
Loona
Recovering from heartbreak, for most, is a challenging task that takes a lot of time and effort, but with lyrics such as “From now on, I’ll love myself/ Instead of you, I’ll live on/ Take, another step/ To hold myself, and give myself all/ Love myself today”, self love are sought about in their music. (Egoistic) Their top songs include: “Heart Attack,” “Satellite,” “Stylish,” “Singing in the Rain” and “Eclipse.” Video recommendation: “Butterfly”
K-pop terminology Let Mercedez Williams school you in K-pop
Center: member who is put in the middle during photoshoots, performances, etc, gets most attention Solar of Mamamoo
Face of the Group: member who brings in attention from the public, usually the most popular member
Baekhyun of EXO
<3This is a substitute for a hand heart and is commonly used in K-pop and across Eastern Asia.
Bias: favourite member of a group Big 3: three largest companies in K-pop (SM ent., YG ent. JYP ent.) Comeback: when an artist releases new music, usually a single and/or an album Concept: The “theme” of a comeback, usually changes more with boy groups Daesang: prestigious award giving to certain groups for achievements Idol: A person who goes through extensive periods of training from an entertainment company to debut, interchangeable with “K-pop star” Title Track: the song promoted most heavily on an album Trainee: a person who is the pre-K-pop idol stage, is training with their company
Source: Wikimedia
Main Rapper: member(s) with the best rapping skills and flow, sometimes write their own lines
Yeonwoo of Momoland
Visual: member(s) who are the most physically attractive according to Korean beauty standards
Momo of Twice
Main Dancer: member(s) with the best dancing skills, usually get solo parts in performances
Lisa of Blackpink Main Vocalist: member(s) with the best vocal technique, tend to get more lines in songs
Maknae: youngest member of the group Sources: Wikimedia
10 [SPORTS]
Munster High School Crier
April 5, 2019
Changing it up
Opinion
Dueling teams
Boys’ Track discusses coaching changes story by
[Zoe O’Shaughnessy]
Page Editor
After Mr. Johnathan Stamper decided to step down as head coach last year, it left a hole in the Boys’ track coaching staff. “There’s been a lot of new coaches and switches in the coaching positions,” Ben Blaesing, junior, said. “I’d say the season has been looking up with the arrival of a new staff, since we’re all working a bit harder under their command. We’ve been going more in depth and ultimately working harder. And in all, while there’s been a big overhaul, I’d say it’s for the best and things are looking up for us.” With Mr. LaRence Crowder as the new head coach and several other new assistant coaches being able to help out with the team, the members look ahead to the new season. “We only lost our head coach,” Jaden Warner, senior, said. “Our assistant coach from the past three seasons replaced our old head coach. They have the same coaching style, which is great.” The season has just started but it may feel different to the members. “It’s a lot more laid back, but I also feel like they still push us to do better and to have more team camaraderie than we did last year,” Will Latinovich, senior, said. Blaesing believes that with the new staff and members, the team will be successful. “I think they (the new members) will really contribute to the team’s success and the upperclassman have been working hard as well,” Blaesing said. “With the new coaching staff, this should lead to some pretty good results once outdoor competition season begins,” According to Warner, the team is on a rebuilding year.
story by
[Alexis Lindenmayer] Page Editor
[photo by Todd McKechnie]
TAKING LEAPS Jumping over a hurdle, Cesar Castro, sophomore, participates in a scrimmage track meet. Track practices every day after school and averages two meets per week.
“We have a lot of new guys this season who have a lot to learn. But with all of the veterans. I feel like we should be able to leave this year on a good note and continue to be better for the next,” Warner said. Blaesing wants students who judge track to know that it’s not as easy as it looks. “To everyone that doesn’t run track, don’t knock it till you’ve tried it,” Blaesing said, “You all might think running a couple of laps around a track seems easy, but I’d bet if you actually tried it you’d see it’s one of the hardest sports there is.” With being his last year, Will offers the younger teammates some advice. “Be able to form a bond with not only your event but with the whole team,” Latinovich, “Strive to do better after every practice and meet.”
Breaking new ground Baseball prepares for game tonight at Valparaiso 4:30 p.m. story by
[Mimi Brody] Editor-in-Chief
[photo by Robert Young]
PERFECT PITCH Playing against Hammond Clark, Matt Tripenfeldas, senior, pitches to the opposing batter. Munster went on to defeat Hammond Clark in a slaughter with a score of 15-2.
Baseball is actively fundraising so they can purchase new equipment. Donations would go towards buying the team baseballs, L-screens, pitching mounds and landscaping tools. In exchange for the donations the team is donating their time to different charitable causes throughout the community. “We are actually teaming up with this cancer research program and we’ll be playing home games against different teams and all the money we bring in with ticket sales and all that is going to be going towards cancer research,” Nick Hamilton, senior, said. “We are also going to be wearing special jerseys for those games and we will be generally helping out too.”
Big numbers
Tony Bohling, senior, talks about his 12 Varsity letters
4 in Cross Country 4 in Swim 4 in Track “They (letters) are lot of hard work, passion because it takes a lot, with all of the sports I do, to put full commitment in.”
[photo by Melanie Powers]
While they are working off the field, the Mustangs have also been working on the field. Over Spring Break, the team won against Thornton Fractional North, 13-0. On Wednesday, the team also slaughtered Hammond Clark, 15-2. Tonight, the Mustangs go head to head with Valparaiso. The game should be close according to Hamilton. “Valpo is always normally pretty competitive, but we are excited and I think it should be a really good game,” Hamilton said. “We don’t know a lot about them, but we will be ready to play come Friday.” In order to be successful tonight and throughout the season, the team plans on playing to their strengths: pitching and team chemistry. “I think our team is very close chemistry wise. We have a lot of young guys, but I think we all bond well together which is a big strength for us,” Hamilton said, “I think our pitching is also really good this year and should be a big key to our team.”
To most people, spring time just means warmer weather. However, to Chicago baseball fans, spring means late nights at Wrigleyville, fireworks at Guaranteed Rate Field, black or blue attire and all around enjoying the glory of baseball season. When looking at the Cubs franchise over the past year, one important aspect is evident: momentum. Yes, the team had their big World Series win in 2016, but they have also managed to make post season every year since 2015 and keep their average above .500 since 2014. Each year they continue to reach their goals and play all around good baseball that could not be done without talented players. While their 2018 record of 64-100 may not show it, the White Sox have a good team, especially offensively. José Abreu, Yoan Moncada and Yonder Alonso are already showing high numbers in home runs, batting averages and RBIs. Another pro is surely the team’s placement in the American League Central Division. This is one of the weaker division as no team, besides the Indians, had a record even close to .500 last season. Yes, the Sox were right there with them, but if they can somehow gain any momentum, the competition is not that drastic. When looking at cons of the current Cubs team, pitching is a rough spot. The rotation of Cole Hamels, Yu Darvish, Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks and Jose Quintana, looks great on paper, just so far not on the mound. With Darvish finally being back in condition to pitch, his games have been reminiscence of how he pitched last year: disappointing. And everyone knows that the bullpen hasn’t been ideal since the 2016 season. The bigger factor that could sabotage the Cubs is the quality of the other teams in the Central Division. The Brewers kept most of their dominant bullpen and are already steamrolling through the season with 6-1 record. The Reds, Cardinals, and Pirates have made changes during the offseason and are all going to be hassle for the Chicago team to overcome. Like the Cubs, the White Sox are having trouble in the pitching area. The starting pitchers are having issues finding their groove and are getting taken out of the game earlier than preferred. While it’s not awful, the bullpen lacks power and big names that would really give the Sox an edge to their playing. With it being 10 years since the White Sox last made the postseason, the team has the exact opposite of momentum. Despite any predictions, baseball season is here and there is no better way to spend than watching Chicago baseball teams as they begin this long season.
Munster High School Crier
Rise
[SPORTS] 11 April 5, 2019
THROWING A CURVE BALL (left) During baseball practice, Cris Aguilar, junior, throws out a runner at first base. “Baseball is something that I always found fun even when I was younger,” Aguilar said. “It was the first sport that I ever liked to play.” CHEER UP (right) Cheering during a basketball game, Jorianna Hazel, junior, stands in line with the rest of the cheer team. “When you’re a freshman it’s kind of just like thrown at you,” Hazel said. “You’re expected to be like everyone else, but you don’t know what’s happening. But then once you have that year of experience, it gets easier.”
and
grind
Student-athletes discuss balancing work, admission scandal
[photo by Robert Young]
Despite the fact that being a student-athlete can have it’s hardships, story by Sammy Sellers, sophomore, thinks [Alyssa Bass] that it’s important for students to be Copy Editor on a team. Tomorrow will be 32 years since the “I like being part of a team— you first National Student-Athlete Day always have friends at school,”Sellers (NSAD), which was a was recognized said. “Plus the games are really fun. as a national day in 1987. NSAD was You do fun little things throughout the created by the Naseason.” tional Consortium NSAD comes at a for Academics and Student-athletes explain what time where an imSports (NCAS) to they would like people to know portant thing was honor high school about them brought to light, the and college kids “Being a student athlete is not easy. It’s college admissions who have done well really not easy. It takes work, it does.” scandal that involved academically and -Jorianna Hazel everyone from high junior born celebrities to athletically. “I think (being a “If you have a friend that’s a student wealthy parents. Fifathlete, It’s not that they may not want student-athlete) is to hang out with you. It’s just they don’t ty people— including a lesson that a lot have the time to do it.” 33 parents, severof people should -Cris Aguilar al coaches, William junior Singer, the college learn,” Jorianna “If I look tired, or like a mess, you know Hazel, junior, said. why.” admissions consul-Sammy Sellers tant who confessed to “Like teamwork and sophomore cooperating with being the mastermind other people, everyof the scandal, and a one should learn.” man who Singer paid to take college Although being on a team can teach admission exams for students, have all cooperation and allows you to make been charged for cheating their kids friends, being a student-athlete can into prestigious colleges. Singer adcome with hardships like balancing mitted to compiling bogus documents homework, according to Hazel. showing some students’ athletic ac“With cheerleading, our coach says complishments and doctored photos, ‘Student comes before athlete,’ so if which showed students competing in you have homework to do, she’ll put sports. the homework before the practice,” “I’m glad it’s finally coming out that Hazel said. there is corruption in more than just
[photo by Lilia Brunetti]
politics,” Cris Aguilar, junior, said. Two Stanford University students, Erica Olsen and Kaela Woods, filed a federal class-action lawsuit against eight of the colleges that have been caught in the scandal. The Stanford students are suing because they say they were denied a fair opportunity
to gain admission to their choice of a top college and that their Stanford degrees were devalued by the ability for others to pay their way in. Along with devaluing one’s degree, it also may bring a bad wrap to student-athletes as a whole, according to Aguilar. “(Motivation) depends on the person,” Aguilar said. “Someone can become unmotivated because they might not be able to get into the school they want to go to because someone else can just pay to get in.”
An open secret
Starting season
Girls’ Tennis season starts, players talk about why they play
story by
[Finn Manion]
Page Editor
The Girls’ Tennis competitive season has almost begun. Tomorrow they will have matches at North Central and Terre Haute South Vigo. The team practices everyday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., at the tennis courts between the high school and middle school. “So during practices, we do warm up for the first 15 minutes, we run a lap around the middle school, then we warm up and
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[photo by Lana Salahieh]
TOUCHING BASE During softball practice, Sammy Sellers, sophomore, catches a throw from third baseman for a force out at second base, called groundball drills. “I love being a part of a softball team,” Sellers said. “We are just so energetic and such a family. Also I love the feeling of getting a good hit or making a diving catch.”
he (The Coach) assigns us a court and who we’re are playing with,” Karolina Sroka, senior, said, Team members also practice after school on their own time, they also go to the gym and do physical activity to make conditioning easier on themselves. “We kind of did conditioning a little different this year,” Sroka said. “Not a lot of girls showed up. But part of the reason that is, a lot of the girls go to their
tennis practices every day, so they have their own club.” Some high school tennis players have been playing a long time before high school. “I started ever since I could hold a racket with my mom, but I’ve been playing all throughout high school,” Monica Fronczek, senior, said. “It’s a fun sport and especially with my friends being on the team— all the girls are super nice and super welcoming.”
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sales end April 19 Get your yearbook for $70!
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12[STUDENT LIFE]
Munster High School Crier
April 5, 2019
[BACKTALK] Unpopular opinion:
“Watermelon is actually good with salt.”
Hit or miss [photo by Robert Young]
STRIKE A POSE Clad in an outfit inspired by the popular clothing trends of TikTok, Natalia Djuraskovic, sophomore, recreates a pose from the “hit or miss” TikTok, originally created by user nyannyancosplay. “I saw a lot of (TikTok) memes on Instagram, and I thought it was funny,” Natalia said. “So I kind of wanted to see what it was about.”
Students and staff discuss growing popularity of video sharing app TikTok story by
[Nadia Perdue] Page Editor
Admit it: If you’re currently a high school student, chances are that you or a peer of yours had a Musical.ly account back in middle school. In the past few months, the social media platform has made a comeback in the form of TikTok. Since then, the songs, videos, and memes from the app are rapidly turning TikTok into a cultural phenomenon. TikTok is Musical.ly, reincarnated. Both apps allow its users to record themselves lip-syncing or dancing over music or other audio. TikTok is the birthing place of various Internet trends. The “Hit or Miss” trend, arguably the app’s most notable, brought the success to the rap duo “iLOVEFRiDAY”, after countless users lip-synced their song “Mia Khalifa.” With the demise of the revolutionary video sharing app Vine, some people see TikTok as its newest replacement. With the abundance of “ironic”, or humorous, videos on the app, Natalia Djuraskovic, sophomore, is one of the many users that views TikTok as a successor to the six-second video app. “It’s kind of like the new Vine, honestly,” Natalia said. “There’s a lot of jokes on (TikTok)...it’s like the reboot honestly made Musical.ly into Vine. That’s why I got it.” While the app has gained popularity among high school students, especially freshmen and sophomores, TikTok has a very young audience, as well. In addition to these age groups, older users also make up a large demographic. This dramatic age difference between TikTok’s most active users, said Ava Whitney, freshman, could pose a potential
threat to young children on the app. dren about Internet safety. While watching an advertisement “Teaching your children responsifor TikTok, Ava recalls her feeling of bility, (and how to) not just safely use seeing one video involving an older the Internet, but how to respectfully man doing a coluse the Internet, and how laboration video, to protect yourself and or “duet,” with a Some of the most notable others while you’re online, younger girl. songs from TikTok, used for is something that we are, “That kind of challenges, dances, and memes unfortunately as a society, made me feel unmissing,” Mrs. Govert said. comfortable,” Ava horses in the back While TikTok seems to said. “If you’re “Old Town Road” be at an all-time prime at meeting people Lil Nas X the moment, Natalia says I was busy thinking ‘bout online with such that the lip-syncing trend “Boys” a huge age differmay not last. In the same ence, there might you was at the club Charli XCX way that people eventualbe some conflict, “Bottoms Up” ly forgot about Musical.ly, The Boyboy West Coast right?” she says that people may Mrs. Lyndee this right here is my eventually treat its succesGovert, math “Pretty Boy Swag” sor the same way. Soulja Boy teacher and moth“I just feel like people er of a 10-year old, microwave challenge are going to get over it, primarily created “SLOW DANCING kind of how they did beher TikTok account IN THE DARK” fore,” Natalia said. “It’s goJoji [Source: Natalia Djuraskovic] to be aware of her ing to burn out, honestly.” son’s Internet activity. With the prominence of predators, in addition to the various other threats on social media, Mrs. Govert says that education of Internet safety should be further enforced. Nonethe- Kevin Chinnam and Xavier less, parents should ultimately be held Martinez-Scott, seniors, don accountable for educating their chil- outfits similar to those worn by
“Milk is actually disgusting.”
Lucas Vesolowski, freshman
Amaya Dandridge, freshman
“Samsung is better than Apple.”
“Pink Starbursts are gross.”
Alyssa Lebron, sophomore
Andrew Wittkamp, sophomore
Earworms
Dress code
“eboys,” an emerging dress from TikTok
style of
“Santa Claus is real.”
Nico Hernandez, junior
“The Office isn’t funny.”
Allison Rusnak, senior
“Guacamole is bad.”
Mollie Clark, junior
“High school athletes should get paid.”
Justin Singh, senior
with an undershirt (e.g., turtleneck or sweatshirt) Let it roll with cuffed jeans or windbreakers
“Dad jokes are absolutely hilarious.”
“The Kentucky Wildcats are the greatest basketball team of all time.”
Stand out with Vans [photos by Robert Young]
Mr. Raymond Palasz, theatre teacher
Mrs. Crystal Blanton, math teacher