TNL Issue Four

Underclassmen dominate boy’s swim team

Other Side makes cut

page 4

Panthers defeat Pike page 9

page 8

The Northern Lights North Central High School December 8, 2009 Issue 4 · Volume 54

Finals:

Your questions answered

www.nchslive.com

Is there going to be lunch?

Page 3

When will i go home?

When will I study?

2 NEWS

December 8, 2009

FROM THE EDITORS

Schedule changes, study sessions added ONG

PERRIN

There’s a big change coming our way at the end of this semester and it’s a confusing one, too. The finals schedule change is going to throw most students for a loop, especially those seniors who have been attending North Central for four years. Freshmen can consider themselves lucky because they don’t know what the old schedule was like.

The new schedule won’t consist of halfdays like in the past, but we will have an early release. According to state law, public schools must hold students for six hours to constitute a full school day so students are allowed to leave at 1:30 p.m. to study for their looming finals.

Having so much time in school on a final day can seem stressful but we won’t have any more finals than we’ve had in past years. Two finals a day, same amount of time allotted for each final with - this is new - individual study sessions in between finals.

There are two study sessions between finals on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Students will be allowed to choose where they go for these study

session by signing up outside the chosen teacher’s door which means you’ll have to sign up for two teachers for each day.

Only 30 students will be allowed to study with a single teacher so each student should decide ahead of time which teacher they’d like to study with so they can sign up quickly to ensure a spot in their classroom. These signup sheets will be available December seventh through eleventh.

Study sessions seem confusing but they’re probably going to help scores by forcing students to study for their finals.

After your first final each day you’ll go to study session A (or your first study session) with the first teacher you signed up for. After a designated amount of time probably around an hour, you’ll move to study session B (or your second study session) with the second teacher you signed up for. After study session B has ended, you’ll move to your second final of the day and it will end promptly at 1:30 p.m.

As long as students take advantage of the study sessions, finals could be easier

the year than they have been in previous years. Two hours provided to each student for studying could potentially greatly affect the finals grades and in turn raise the students overall grade.

Keep your eyes out for more information and hallway decorations further explaining the finals schedules and study session sign-up times. You class councils: senior, junior and student will be posting decorations around the school.

Senior class council will be decorating the D and K hall stairwell, there will be a commercial shown on the announcements created by the junior class council and the display case across from the bookstore will have all the information hanging in it courtesy of the senior class council.

Utilize the study sessions and the new finals schedule won’t seem so bad, it may even help improve test scores. There will even be plenty of time left for those students who would like to go home and continue studying.

OMBUDSMAN

Classes participate in community service Staal

Juniors vs. Seniors, the epic battle continues. Last issue there were multiple stories that showed the struggle for power between the classes of 2010 and 2011.

Penny Wars was the latest battle between the classes.

People dug deep in their pockets and blindly gave money to support their class, but wasn’t there a deeper reason for Penny Wars?

Our story delves into exactly how those pennies are being used. Senior Class Council and its issue with the replacement of most of its officers has not stopped them from succeeding.

Our story spotlighting the suspensions seemed to be one of the more popular stories of the issue.

Starting a club seems to be the new trend at our school. Last issue we introduced the Pro-life club, the Zombie Attack Survival Club, and Ambassadors for Children to our readers.

EDITORIAL POLICY The purpose of the Northern Lights is to serve the school audience, including administrators, teachers, faculty and staff, parents, community members and most importantly, the students as an established open forum.

Since this is a school newspaper, the content and character of the paper will cater to the student body’s interest and ideas by covering a wide variety of events and issues concerning the students of North Central High School.

The newspaper will serve as a medium for student opinions and ideas. The staff strives to achieve objective,

This issue we will introduce the Scuba Diving Club, the newest club at school.

Last issue had stories about open gym and the cross country team’s success at the County Championship.

Both basketball and cross country have shown progression since we last issued a newspaper.

This issue we revisit the basketball team, boys and girls, and write about the boys cross country team’s trip to the State Championships.

International Baccalaureate is the most prestigious academic program offered at our school. In this issue we investigate the addition of Human Geography to the IB program.

Started by Jeremy Moore as an AP class, Human Geography has become a popular course in the Social Studies department, so read the story to find out more.

Spec is one of the biggest highlights of junior year and the whole high school

accurate content to cover and feature a well-balanced variety of different students and their viewpoints.

Because school officials do not engage in prior review, and the content of the Northern Lights is determined by and reflects only the views of the student staff and not school officials or the school itself, its student editorial board and responsible student staff members assume complete legal and financial liability for the content of the publication.

The views of columnists are not necessarily those of the newspaper staff.

The goal of the newspaper is to have no errors; however, that goal is not easily accomplished. The staff

experience. A larger than average amount of Specs took part in Spec cuts, but still only four made it.

Unlike last year, there seems to be less complaints and questioning of the legitimacy of the Specs that made it past cuts.

In this issue one tradition is spotlighted. One of the many traditions at NC is the annual canned food drive.

National Honors Society, Key Club and Student Council took part in the ‘Stuff a Bus’ venture, which aids the canned food drive.

We hope that you enjoy our last issue for 2009 next time our newspaper will come out it will be 2010 and for seniors, it will be our last semester of high school.

Every issue the importance of feedback from our readers is stressed, so feel free to let us know what you think about the newspaper.

apologizes for such errors and will run corrections whenever possible.

Letters to the editor are welcomed and encouraged, but will only be published if they are signed. The Northern Lights reserves the right to edit letters for length, grammar and unacceptable content. Each issue will feature a lead editorial, which reflects the viewpoint of the majority of the staff. An editorial board consisting of the adviser, the editors-in-chief, the copy editor, the managing editors, the design editor and the photo editor will review the lead editorial and help edit it, especially in case of questionable material. Letters to the editor should be delivered to K634.

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Joan Ong Andrew Perrin MANAGING EDITORS Daniel Dorson Ashley Falcon PHOTO EDITOR Joe Tyler EDITORIAL BOARD Tim Dugan Beth Hannon Michael Hardie Rachel Potenza Chris Swarbrick STAFF MEMBERS Dakota Allen Jessica Ayers Calvin Boots Amit Boukai Ben Cardwell Noelle Carter Simon Elser Alicia Erwin Eva Goldfarb Shane Hanley Matt Hansen Daniel Hursh Tessa Judge Emily Keesling Elliott Kinney Emma Kotyuk Kennedy Long Morgan Loudermilk Emma Markey Thomas O’Farrell Ashley Parry Beau Scott Meredith Shevitz Dallas Shirley Isaac Smith Will Staal Savannah Wooten ADVISER Tom Gayda

WEB MASTERS Sam Alderfer Nick Panyard NORTH CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL 1801 East 86th Street Indianapolis, IN 46240 (317) 259-5301 phone www.nchs.cc www.nchslive.com

NEWS 3

December 8, 2009

Half days gone, new finals schedule instated Ashley Parry Reporter The end of semester final exams schedule has been altered.

Previously, the finals schedule was based on half days where students were released at 10:30 a.m. On half days, lunch was not served.

Legislation was recently passed requiring high schools to have a minimum of six hours per day at school, forbidding NC to continue having half days.

Next week semester exams will run differently than they have for the past 50 or so years.

On the last three student days of the semester dismissal will be at 1:30 p.m.

Lunch will be served to the students each day.

There will continue to be a maximum of two exams given per day, each exam lasting one hour and 45 minutes.

Day one of the finals schedule remains the same as previous semesters.

There will be an extended second period to take the second period final, and the rest of the day will run

on a homeroom schedule.

However days two, three, and four of the finals schedule will give students the opportunity in the middle of the day to attend two mandatory study tables of their choosing.

“We are trying something new and different for NC. We are opening the building up to students and making them responsible for their test preparation.

Every teacher’s door will be open for students to study for tests.

Students will not be limited to their teacher of record,” Principal C E Quandt said.

Each day there will be two separate study tables: Session A and Session B. Concluding the morning exam, Session A will begin.

Session A will last for roughly two hours. In order to avoid overcrowded rooms, there will be a sign up sheet for each teacher’s classroom.

Every student must sign up for a location to study by the Friday before finals week.

“Since we can’t have half days, Quandt helped us out a lot. He did well for what he is working with. I’m just

mad at Tony Bennett for taking away our half days,” senior Ana Mitchell said.

Quandt points out that some NC students are unaffected by the change of

Student Approval

No

28 Yes

12

= 10 people

schedule.

“Over one fourth of students don’t know any

differently because they are transfers or freshman,” Quandt said.

Freshman Izzie Miller is content with the new schedule.

“I had half days at Eastwood, but the finals weren’t as big of a deal. I’ll certainly miss my half days, but it doesn’t sound too bad,” Miller said.

Every school is required by state law to take attendance.

Quandt emphasizes that every student must be accounted for during the two study tables.

“Every student has to be somewhere. They are not to be in the hallways, the cafeteria, or the gym.

They may, however, choose to study in the library. We want students to make good decisions, but we will give students the choice to make these decisions for themselves,” Quandt said.

An early lunch will be distributed sometime between the two finals.

Students will have a choice of a veggie sack lunch or a meat sack lunch.

“There is only a limited amount of space in the cafeteria, so students will

eat in their classroom while studying,” Quandt said.

Quandt realizes that the schedule will probably not run smoothly the first time it is administered.

“There will be glitches because it is the first time we have done something like this. We have never given students free choice. They have always followed the schedule given to them on a printed card,” Quandt said.

Teachers and students will collaborate together on how their study session will run.

“Students can study independently or in a study group. Teachers can walk around and help answer questions, or even hold a formal review session to provide additional support,” Quandt said.

Quandt has faith in the NC student body to study for their semester exams during the time given in school.

“Test week is about evaluation, and kids have always taken it seriously,” Quandt said. “I have confidence in our students, for they have never disappointed me.”

Schedule Monday: Full Day 2 period final Tuesday: 1 period final Study session #1 Study session #2 3 Period Final 1:30 p.m. dismissal Wednesday: 6/7/8 period final Study session #1 Study session #2 9 period final 1:30 p.m. dismissal Thursday: 4/5/6 period final Study Session #1 Study Session #2 10 period final 1:30 p.m. final Friday: No school, start of winter break!

Penny Wars bring in record donations Alicia Erwin Reporter Senior Class Council declared a class war, called Camo for a Cause, where each class’ pennies were its soldiers and the silver change and dollars were the ammo.

Entering into the weeks of Penny Wars, silver change and dollar bills become the enemies for each class because they automatically cancel out the pennies in the jug.

As the weeks progressed, the seniors crept into first place, while the faculty followed closely behind.

Seniors devised a strategy in order to assure their win for the war.

Many text messages

were sent out encouraging participation in Penny Wars, and the Senior Class Council informed the senior class on the statuses of each class’ position in the war. This way the seniors would know which class to use their ammo on.

Initially, the battle seemed to be specifically between the junior and senior classes.

“The junior class’ primary goal was to get as many pennies as we could and try to take down the senior class in the process,” Junior Class President Jacob Marc said.

While the seniors were primarily concerned with defeating the junior class, the race was close with the other classes as well.

“Ultimately, it turned out to be a very competitive war this year,” Vice President of

A student contributes to the cause during the Penny Wars fundraiser. Joe Tyler photo Senior Class Council Lea Norwood said. “Sophomores had a good showing, and were in the lead for the first day or so. The faculty and

each class showed great spirit, and really put an effort into making this the best penny wars we have had in quite a while.”

In the end, the seniors won the class war.

By winning the war, seniors won pride and a trophy of a large penny. “The seniors proved to be more penniful than us juniors,” Marc said.

Not only was this war to determine the best class, but the money was raised to donate to Washington Township families during the holidays. The money raised accompanies the Canned Food Drive by buying the perishable items for the families.

“I think this goes to show that behind competition, and behind rivalry, comes a drive to be the best a doing a good thing,” Marc said. “And for that, I have no regrets.”

This year Penny Wars raised $4052, which is over eight times as much as what

Penny Wars raised last year.

“I think his year there was a lot of advertising that led to the increase in the outcome of the penny wars,” Norwood said. “I would like to say it was solely because it was for a good cause and we all wanted to make a difference, but I know there was a bit of competition that gave…an extra push needed [to donate more money].”

Since 2002, the closest Penny Wars have come to raising $4000 was in 2003, which raised $1543.

“I can tell you I have never, in my seven years career as Senior Class Council Sponsor, seen $4000 raised,” Senior Class Council Sponsor Leslie Decker said.

“It’s a huge difference. The whole school is talking about it.”

4 NEWS

December 8, 2009

Four selected acts make it past Spec Cuts Alexis Kent Morgan Loudermilk Reporters A mixture of students, teachers and parents began to file into the auditorium Tuesday afternoon.

Anticipations were high for the 11 mini-acts viewers were to experience. Junior Class President Jacob Mark stepped out onto the stage from behind the curtain at precisely 4 p.m. to introduce what everyone was waiting for; Junior Spec cuts.

Junior Spectacular has been a tradition for many years and is put on by the junior class to raise money for prom. In order to attain the privilege of being in Junior Spec, a lot of work is needed. Juniors interested in writing an act have to attend a series of meetings and meet various important deadlines to even be considered.

On top of the hard work put towards the acts, writers are solely responsible for hosting try-outs, arranging practices and improving their actors.

Dedication and hard work is the key to being selected, and with 11 potential acts this year, these elements are critical

to become one of the chosen four acts.

The 11 acts that performed for Spec Cuts were Expectopatronum by Amy Katz, Emma Anderson and Kayla English; With A Pencil

by Chloe Thompson; Got Swag by Michael O’Neal; Boy Meets Bear by Paul Logan and Sam Wolfe; Finn written

by Hannah Fogle, Jesper Van Den Bergh and Michelle Kitsis; Jeremy Lewis and the Nintendo 64 by Zach Selby, Jack Conrad and Spencer Breeze; Brick by Danny Miller, Laura Miller and Brice Mossman; The Other Side by Grace Gallagher, Jimmy Mallon and Emily Watson; Now Boarding by Caitlyn Mills and Natalie Beesley; Knocked Out by Jessica Freemas, Grayson Becker and Emma Markey; Generic by Brent Eickhoff.

Although there was a large array of Specs this year, only four are allowed to be in the actual Junior Spectacular.

Expectopatronum, The Other Side, Knocked out and Brick were the surviving Spec acts after cuts were completed.

Expectopatronum is about a boy who meets a girl he likes at a party but has no idea how to approach her.

His brainy friend encourages

him to watch TV and get inspiration on spittin’ game from there.

The Other Side is about 2 girls that use a pair of “Kanye’s” (certain style of glasses) to transport through different television shows.

When the glasses break, the girls are left to figure out a way to get out of the television and back home.

Knocked out is about a popular girl who is really snobby to everyone until she falls and suffers from amnesia. Admiring nerds use her accident to their advantage and hang out with her to become popular.

Brick is about the third pig that doesn’t get killed in the classic “Three Little Pigs” folktale and his quest to seek vengeance on the big bad wolf that killed his other two brothers.

Every year, there is talk about the acts after the selection of the winning ones and this year was no different seeing that there were 11 acts.

“Naturally I like ‘Knocked Out’ because my brother is in it,” Freshman Maggie Cumming said.

Other students were not so content with the performance.

Actors from “Knocked Out” finish off a dance during Spec Cuts. Joe Tyler photo

“I’m mad that so many people were in multiple specs. I feel like they just wanted to be sure they were in a spec,” Senior Ana Mitchell said. “I think that was their downfall because it made all of those specs look exactly the same.”

Nevertheless, students

seemed to have an overall positive viewpoint of the performance.

“They all sort of seemed the same with a few that stuck out…like the one with the bear,” Senior Dieter Brubeck said The actual Junior Spectacular will be held in

the auditorium January 22, 23, and 24. From 11, four Acts were chosen as worthy for the performance and at the end of the Saturday performance, one spec will be crowned Best Spec Act of 2009-2010.

Freshmen, sophomores and seniors weigh in...

“I thought Brick was really funny. I think all the oness that made it deserved it.”

-Andrew Sullivan, 2013

“

We started out on the three main characters and then we practiced every day for the last three weeks before cuts.

”

-Jessica Freemas Writer, Knocked Out

“

Writing was hard, trying to be funny and getting the acting to be funny; getting everyone to pactice.

”

-Amy Katz Writer, ExSPECto Patronum

“

We practiced in Ms. Wendt’s room. We just pulled everything together at the last minute.

”

-Emilie ASDFNDS Writer, The Other Side

“I really wanted Boy Meets Bear to get in.”

-Maggie Cumming, 2013

“

Go over it many times. Bring people in who haven’t seen it before to evaluate it and give you feedback on it.

”

-Brice Mossman Writer, Brick

“Jacob Mark was really funny and his shoes made a lot of noise.”

-Vincent Hollaway, 2012 “A lot of them were really similar but a few stuck out. I like the one with the bear.”

-Dieter Brubeck, 2010 “I am mad that they were all in the same Specs. I feel like they wanted to make sure they were in a Spec. It made it seem like they were all the same.”

-Ana Mitchell, 2010

NCHSLIVE.COM... updated EVERY day!

NEWS 5

December 8, 2009

Students sniff up immunization Tessa Judge

Reporter Many school districts surrounding Washington Township have had significant attendance problems because of the H1N1 flu virus, or swine flu. NC, however, has been fairly successful in avoiding the increase of absences this year. Principal C E Quandt has not seen any changes in attendance.

“Attendance has been practically the same this year as it has been for the past 25 years,” Quandt said. “We’re healthy people around here.”

News of a student getting swine flu at NCcan be perceived as a big deal among the student population.

However, most students are not aware that the virus has not hit NC very hard compared to other schools.

“As of right now, 24 students have been classified with swine flu. Five were diagnosed through doctors,” Quandt said. “And 19 were diagnosed through mom.”

Freshman Suzy Fritz and senior Aaron Zelikovich both contracted H1N1. Fritz got the flu the Sunday before fall

break, missed those three days of school, and was not allowed out of the house until the following Saturday night.

Her symptoms were light headedness, fatigue, cough and sore throat, a runny nose, no appetite and a high temperature, the highest being 103.3 degrees. Fritz was diagnosed by her doctor and was given medicine.

“I went to the doctor twice. Once on Monday morning and once on Saturday morning,” Fritz said. “To treat it, I took around 14 to 16 pills a day, cough medicine every night, slept a ton, and drank a lot of fluids.”

Zelikovich’s experience with the flu was different than Fritz’s.

He was diagnosed with H1N1 on Oct. 15. His symptoms were coughing, high temperature, extreme weakness and insomnia.

His doctor told him to stay home, take Tylenol and wait Andre Hoggard recieves his H1N1 immunization at school. The immunization was delieved to many by way of nasal spray. Jordan Lickliter Photo. it out.

“On Monday the 19th, so did the coughing. I went held a school-wide procedures as in years past.

I was feeling better and to the ER and found out I had vaccination at NC where free Students are still encouraged was planning to come back pneumonia, and was given vaccines were made available to wash their hands as often to school on Tuesday,” antibiotics. The antibiotics to all students. as possible and keep in mind Zelikovich said.

“Then gave me hives.”

Janitors and maintenance that the threat of the virus Monday evening, my On Dec. 3th, the Marion staff have been doing has not passed. temperature came back and County Health Department the same routines and

Shot or Spray?

What your fellow students are doing on vaccination day “I am not sure, but if I do anything, I will get the nasal spray.”

-Mai Smith, 9 “I am getting the shot.”

-Erin O’Farrell, 9 “I am most likely getting the shot.”

-Michelle Myers, 11 “I am getting the vaccination, but am not sure which one I will do.”

-Jon Edwards, 12 “I am planning on getting the vaccination” -Eric Hernandez, 12 “I am not planning on doing anything.”

-Alexis Nash, 11 “I am not sure which I am getting, but probably the spray.”

-Corey Turner, 9 “I am getting the shot on vaccination day.”

-Lauren Ahlrichs, 9 “I am not doing either.”

-Ben Alderfer, 9

Stuff-a-Bus helps needy families Noelle Carter Reporter

Jessica Hill, Amy Bercovitz and Kelsey Viehmann work at Marsh for Sudent Council’s Stuff-A-Bus for needy families. Joe Tyler photo.

Stuff-A-Bus is an annual canned food drive organized

by Key Club and aided by Student Council and the National Honor Society to help provide meals for needy families in Washington Township.

“We go to Marsh grocery stores and at the door tell people about Stuff-ABus and ask them to buy something extra to donate like a canned food product,” Amy Bercovitz, Student Council President said.

Sarah Brattain is the Key Club president and hopes that this year will be as successful as past years.

Brattain would like to help as many families in

Washington Township as possible while providing an opportunity for students to help out their community.

“Stuff-A-Bus helps roughly 150 families in Washington Township and it has been really successful in the past,” Brattain said.

Key Club will also collect canned foods from school by putting boxes in every first period class for students to bring in cans as well as money donations.

The three first period classes that brings in the most cans will win a prize.

Some teachers in past years have even offered extra credit or prizes for classes that bring in a certain amount of cans.

“Stuff-A-Bus is a part of student council where we

go to collect canned goods from people at grocery stores and all the collected cans and money goes to families in need Washington Township,” senior Stacy Edwards said.

NHS, Key Club and Student Council also plan to advertise Stuff-A-Bus in school news announcements, posters and flyers.

“I brought in cans today!

If everyone one brought in one can, we could help so many families,” junior Maddie Frangi said.

All donations will directly benefit Washington Township families so it is a great opportunity for students to get involved in helping their community by improving families’ holiday season.

FEATURE 6

Actors Quinn Barney and Patrick Dinnsen sing to their wife, Actress Rachel Geiger. Joe Tyler Photo

Damn Yanks Scores Kennedy Long Reporter NC’s theater department presented “Damn Yankees,” by George Abbott and Douglass Wallop.

“Damn Yankees” is the only successful musical about baseball, and the stage version was later made into an Oscar-nominated movie.

But the main theme of the musical comedy is not baseball, but understanding that you don’t know what you have until you lose it.

The musical is about a middle-aged man, who is a fan of the Washington Senators. He sells his soul to the devil, Mr. Applegate, played by Spencer Tew, in order to play for the Senators, and help them win the Pennant.

“Spencer was amazing as the devil, every role that he does he just perfects,” junior Sarah Bates-Scott said.

Once Joe Boyd, played by Quinn Barney, sells his soul he is transformed into Joe Hardy, played by Patrick Dinnsen.

“The white to black change was really funny I just didn’t expect that,” junior Nhyla Reid said.

The show had overall positive reactions. Some of the audience walked out of the theater humming “Heart.”

On Friday night even C E Quant was whistling the catchy tune while leaving the show.

“It was really good I loved Lola, she was hilarious.

This was on of the best shows that I’ve seen, and at a high school! If you didn’t go see it, you really missed out,” freshman Alexis Woods said.

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NCHS Live!

December 8, 2009

Q: What is your Favorite Country?

A: Russia Q: Why do you enjoy Russia?

A: It has always been my dream in life to be a Dictator of a Communist government, as well as having a Babushka.

Q: Have you ever split your pants?

A: Yes, it was during Counterpoints on nerd day when there was a council of people from IU judging us… I wasn’t wearing underpants.

Q: Would you say you have good accessories?

A: If by accessories you mean body parts then yes, I would say I have awesome ones.

Q: What would you say your spirit animal is?

A: My spirit animal would be my obese dog Marty whom we call the watermelon on toothpicks.

Laura Miller, why are you so funny?

Eva Goldfarb Reporter Note to Reader: To truly portray the hilarity that is Laura Miller a traditional feature story would not suffice.

Walking up the pathway in Laura Miller’s front door I was not prepared for the interview that was about to take place. I was greeted not only by Laura herself, but also by co-writers for Spec, Danny Miller and Brice Mossman.

Sitting down with Laura, I began to ask questions such as “Do you consider yourself

a funny person?,” receiving answers such as “No, I don’t think I’m funny just socially inept.” A response that is funny, but not funny enough.

The interview became interesting when Laura Miller found my interviewing skills to be inadequate and decided to interview herself. An unconventional approach, sure, but this interviewing system perfectly captured Laura’s humor.

It was at about this time that a stuffed cat-backpack was thrown at us from the second story window, where Danny Miller and Mossman

were.

Coming to retrieve the animal, Danny joined our interview. And when a bee stung Laura, Danny insisted on describing the pain of the bee sting.

ra and Brice Mossman.

While Laura is dedicated and passionate about her spec she also has great love for her tomato garden which she showed me, offering me a ripe tomato.

Q: Will you describe your bee sting?

A: It is kind of like Frieda Calla in the sense that she had a unibrow, but in this case the unibrow is a bee sting.

Q: Why are you so fond of your Tomato Garden?

A: To me tomatoes are like people: delicious but easily squish-able… and organic

Taking the cat-backpack, Danny retreated back upstairs to finish writing the script he co-wrote with Lau-

So to answer my question, why is Laura Miller so funny? ...Because she just is.

Scuba Club explores the depths Emma Markey Reporter On Tuesday, November 3 the Scuba Club held its first meeting. Elaine Wiggins, currently a performing arts teacher, is the adviser of the new club.

Wiggins has been scuba diving for more then 12 years, and truley loves it. She hopes to share an activity with students that she has personally enjoyed, and she also hopes studensts will be able to enjoy it as much as she does.

“I want to increase students’ interest in scuba diving,” Wiggins said.

She also received encouragement from students to start the club.

“Several students have come up to me and asked about scuba diving, and I

was asked to be the teacher sponsor,” Wiggins said.

Wiggins’ main goal is to get all members of the club certified in scuba diving.

Wiggins previously taught at Decatur Central, which offers a certification course.

Other school such as Warren and Carmel also offer scuba certification classes.

Wiggins has aspirations to get a certification class started at North Central second semester.

Currently Divers’ Supply Indy offers classes, which certify participants in scuba diving. Courses can be taught in a standard pool and Wiggins’ hopes if the lessons were taught at North Central, the convenience would encourage students to join.

Also, Wiggins plans to take the club on a trip to

scuba dive. The location has not yet been decided, but students love the idea.

“I think it would be cool to learn how to scuba dive, and then be able to put the skill to use. Especially since I have always wanted to go scuba diving in the Caribbean,” said junior Laura Nahas.

Other students were also excited when they found out about the scuba club.

“I just found out about the club because of all the flyers around the school, and I thought it sounded really fun,” said Alyssa Cox. Another incentive to join the club is the discount price of scuba diving to someone who is already certified. The bulk of the cost of scuba diving is carried in the lesson, so certified students could go scuba diving for

a less expensive cost. this would come in handy if a student was to travel and want to go scuba diving.

If the student had proof that they were certified in scuba diving then the cost would be significantly reduced. This increases any students likely hood of actually going scuba divung because the price will be more afforable.

Wiggins has no immediate plans as to what will be done at each meeting however, she plans to hold three to four meetings a semester.

The next meeting will be held on Tuesday December 2, after school the week after thanksgiving break. It will begin at 3:10 p.m. and will go on for about an hour. it will be held in H591.

December 8, 2009

Student battles cancer Emily Keesling Reporter Sophomore, Eliza Whitmoyer, currently has a Desmoids tumor. This will be her second time getting cancer. The first time she was diagnosed with cancer was when she was thirteen.

In Febuary 2008, Whitmoyer was shopping with her mom at Target for bikinis and she noticed a lump on her abdomen. She showed her mom and went to a hospital immediately for tests.

At first, they thought it was a hernia. A hernia causes your abdominal muscles to rip and requires extensive surgery.

Whitmoyer got a CT scan but the doctors were not sure of what it was.

She underwent an open biopsy for a tissue analysis in March. It was declared a tumor and she needed surgery to remove it.

Whitmoyer’s second surgery to remove the tumor was more extensive. The doctors planned to remove the tumor along with half of her abdominal muscles.

In April they used Gortex, in place of her abdominal muscles to hold in organs.

She was bed ridden through spring break. The first thing she was able to do was swim.

“I worked so hard to get back into shape to play soccer. I ran about 3 miles a day and then roller bladed about 6 miles a day. It was the most painful few months of my life but it paid off in getting cleared a whole two months early to play in full contact in soccer,” Whitmoyer said.

She was never pronounced completely cancer free. Every year she will have to go back and get checked for tumors. Whitmoyer has pain everyday and it is hard for her to do every day things. Her favorite thing to do is exercise.

“I can’t stand not being active. I would ride my bike to Broad Ripple and go miles down the Monon and then run at dusk. I live for that burn. It’s the best feeling in the world. I can’t even explain how passionate I am in athletics.”

Whitmoyer said.

As soon as she is healthy, Whitmoyer wants to run cross-country and join the pro-life club. Her freshman year she did best buddies. She would love to be involved but she does not have the energy.

This year during gym class she noticed her left leg was swollen and discolored.

Whitmoyer was diagnosed to have a soft tissue sarcoma which should not rapidly

spread through the body.

These tumors grow aggressively and can affect adjacent organs and cause fatal harm. Operating is not an option because it is not safe.

Swelling comes from the lack of blood flow blocked by the tumor. It is unsafe because if any mistake is made, or a cut is too close to the vein, she could loose her leg or her life. Instead of cutting, she has to go through chemotherapy.

Cancer disrupts Whitmoyer’s education, social life, sports, family, and psychological wellbeing.

“You wouldn’t think so, but it’s actually really depressing, and it can be really hard seeing a point to anything because you just don’t know what’s going to happen next,” Whitmoyer said.

She spends half her time at hospitals and rarely has energy.

“Because of all the drugs I’m on, I’m a complete airhead. My brain refuses to process,” Whitmoyer said.

The 24 hours before chemotherapy, Whitmoyer has to take steroids, Benadryl and nausea medication to prep her. They prick her, draw some blood to test for counts, and then start the chemotherapy. She sits for 8 hours watching movies or sleeping.

FEATURE 7

After shaving her head she cannot wait to have her hair back. Whitmoyer does not regret cutting it because she has never felt more loved, beautiful, or closer to her friends and family. It was an amazing experience for her with her friends and family holding her hands through it all.

After having cancer Whitmoyer realized that she is never alone. She believes great friends come from unexpected places, it’s the thought that counts, and that there is always someone who has it worse than you. She does not believe in wallowing.

FHS bakes to supply African hospital Eva Goldfarb Noelle Carter Reporters

FHS members sell holiday decorations to raise money, in addition to baking cookies. Photo by Joe Tyler.

Every year the French Honor Society hosts a number of fundraisers that go towards project they choose at the beginning of the year.

This year FHS decided to build a maternity clinic in Africa and buy mosquito nets to help communities prevent malaria.

Over the year the members of French Honor Society raise money by selling wreaths, cookies and hosting a Soiree. Recently, the French Honor Society students have been busying themselves with baking and selling-

cookies.

“Every year cookies are our main fundraiser,” senior Abby Robinson said. “They were 50 cents each and were really good!”

The baking and selling is done entirely by the FHS with help from a few parent volunteers including Marnee Lerums and Janice Johnson.

After school members met in one of the cafeteria kitchens where they made and shaped the dough, baked, then iced the cookies.

“We get together and bake after school and during 10th period,” senior Katie Hunt said. “All the money goes to help our project of building and supplying a maternity

clinic in Senegal, Africa.”

The goal of building a maternity hospital for the South African country gives the members of French Honor Society an opportunity to help and learn about a different community.

“We are also supplying Mosquito nets to surround the clinic,” senior Rhianna Campbell said. “The nets help decrease malaria which is a common disease in Africa.”

Malaria is widespread in tropical areas because it is transmitted by mosquitoes. Children are the most severly affected by malaria and suffer from fever, headaches, even coma and death

in sever cases.

To build the maternity clinic and buy nets, French Honor Society also sells wreaths in October and hosts a Soiree.

“We raise money for our project by having a Soiree,” junior Elise Johnson said.

“We bring in drummers and perform dances. The whole thing is a really fun dinner.”

The Soiree is the final fundraiser that FHS hosts.

It is an African-inspired dinner that not only helps raise money for the FHS charity project, but also gives FHS members the chance to experience a little bit of African culture through music, food, and dance.

8 SPORTS

December 8, 2009

What’s a fan?

Will Staal Reporter

Senior Casey Crist swims the butterfly stroke at practice. He is the only senior swimmer on the team. Joe Tyler photo.

Young team struggles Cal Boots Reporter The boy’ swimming and diving season started on Nov. 24 at home. The team played host to Lafayette Jefferson at 6 p.m. to begin a season that many team members are looking forward to.

“This season we may not be the best but I know we’re going to have fun,” junior August Van Allen said. “ Just

because we’re young isn’t an excuse to have a down year for the program, we’re still going to try as hard as we can.”

Some say that the two main problems with the team are their youth and that there simply aren’t very many swimmers on the team.

There is only one senior on the team that swims and many of the swimmers are freshmen and sophomores.

This years key swimmers are August Van Allen, Zech Banks, Casey Crist, Will Thompson, Andy Krahulik, Alex Hayden, Wade Costin and Connor Horne.

“All these young kids on the team are going to have to compete this year,” junior Will Thompson said.

The Marion County swim meet is Dec. 18 at the IUPUI natatorium.

One thing that I have noticed throughout my high school experience is how many types of fans are at our school, so I have categorized them appropriate.

Whether it is someone who likes IU basketball and Notre Dame football or always likes the Super Bowl champs, our school is full of them. College fans are easier to categorize than professional sports fans.

It is easier to obtain the status of an Indiana Hoosier or a Purdue Boilermaker by simply attending the university or living in the state where the college is located.

Only the few percent of the population that actually makes it to the professional status of an athlete can be an Indianapolis Colt or a Chicago Bull.

The first type of fan I have noticed is the dual supporter.

This type of fan is someone, who is for example, a Purdue football fan and an Illinois basketball fan.

They usually choose a team that is traditionally good at basketball and another that is traditionally good at football.

These fans show no loyalty to a specific school, but at the same time always brag about how the school they support is the best.

Some advice to these dual fans would be to pick a side because life is not like the Hannah Montana Movie- you cannot have the best of both worlds. This type of fan is somewhat respectable because at least they stay loyal to two teams, which is better than the bandwagon fan.

Traditionally the bandwagon fan gets the most heat for being a fake fan. This person will like the team that is best, and talks a lot of trash to the true fans and even the dual supporters. He is most prevalent during the football bowl games and the NCAA basketball tournament.

I feel sorry for these fans, because their closet is full of t shirts they probably will not ever use again.

Bandwagons fans need to figure out who they are, because in life you cannot always get what you want.

The ignorant fan likes a team or teams and shows their support through their apparel.

This type of fan is clueless to the facts and present state of their team and pays no attention

to how their team’s performance or a lack there of. A simple test can be done to identify this type of fan, simply ask them how there team is doing. Their silence will speak volumes to exactly how much they care. I know powder blue and gator apparel might be cute, but at least know something about the logos and colors you sport.

The last type of fan is the legitimate fan. The legitimate fan stays with their school through the good times, lets say a Big Ten championship and an appearance in the NCAA championship game, and the bad times, for example starting out 1-3 when you went to the best non-BCS bowl game the previous year. These people are respectable and loyal, and usually are the ones who call out the fake fans (remind you of a certain columnist?). Their wardrobe usually is made up of one color, for example green and white.

Now all of you can go through the hallways and know who is what kind of fan… or maybe the types of fans I classify them as.

Take into consideration that I am a very loyal fan and might be a little biased in my classifications.

Junior’s hockey career brings him to Indy Matt Hansen Reporter “The best players start skating when they learn to walk,” sophomore hockey player Kellen Miller said.

“He must be really good since he started so young.”

Although Miller has never met Hunter Long, he can tell from the description of Long’s hockey career that Long displays talent that is rare, especially for a junior in high school.

“I started playing hockey

when I was three years old,” Long said. “I got my beginning in Lexington but I soon moved to Nashville to continue playing.”

Long has been playing hockey for the majority of his life and it’s because of hockey that he moved to Indianapolis.

“I tried out for a prospect team up here during the summer,” Long said. “I got on the team so I made the move to Indianapolis to carry on my hockey career.”

Long plays with the Indianapolis Ice recruiting

team. Seventeen other boys comprise that squad.

Since he has joined the team, Long has become friends with senior Oliver Wenck.

“I moved in with Oliver and he has been the most supportive person with this move,” Long said. “He is on the team with me and is around me at school so he helps me fit in and make new friends.”

Long also grew up playing golf and baseball.

“These sports were just for fun because I always wanted

to play hockey but they were there to fall back on in case hockey didn’t work out,” Wenck said.

So far, Long doesn’t feel like he needs to play baseball or golf because he is pleased with his success in hockey.

“This is the first major stepping stone for the rest of my hockey career. I would love to play professional hockey and my dream would be to play for the Carolina Hurricanes,” Long said.

Moving away from his family in Tennessee was at first a dissuaded Long from

coming to Indianapolis.

“My family misses me but they understand that in order to fulfill my goals, I needed to play hockey with the prospect team. It took a lot of maturing to come up here but it was good to venture out and experience new situations,” Long said.

“Oliver also helped me with maturing. He is the biggest person I look up to here.”

Long has learned not only about hockey through this move, but also about himself.

“He’s not only a good

hockey player, but a role model and a nice person,” sohopomore and friend Karen Strunk said. “I can tell he is becoming more comfortable with being independent.”

To Long, the move looks to be an overall success.

“The move to Indianapolis has been good for me because of hockey and also the factor of growing up,” Long said.

“I’m playing with the Ice and I’m figuring out what it takes to be an adult. My hard work is finally paying off.”

SPORTS 9

December 8, 2009

Boys basketball starts strong Beau Scott Reporter After one of the most successful regular seasons in school history, the boy’s basketball season is under way. After a disappointing loss to LN in last year’s sectional championship, the Panthers return many valuable players and want to make a state championship run.

“First and foremost our goal is to win state,” senior Aaron Zelikovich said.

“Second is to win every game we play.”

The team will only miss four graduating seniors from last year’s team, returning a strong core of elite guards including Purdue commit Terone Johnson and sophomore phenom D’Vauntes Smith-Rivera.

Smart, versatile guards and quick, athletic big men contribute highly to the team’s up-tempo playing style that Coach Mitchell has recently adopted. This style

requires an effective full court press and a deep bench to spell fatigued players.

“We will want to push the ball as much as possible and use the press to our advantage. We are stronger and faster than most other teams,” Zelikovich said.

Johnson and fellow senior Trip McFall each have three years of varsity experience and have emerged as leaders for the team. Some team members believe that this leadership will be especially important against rivalry teams like Lawrence North.

“We like winning every game, but we especially like beating Lawrence North,” senior guard Jack Altice said.

A fierce rivalry emerged beginning with NC’s Jason Gardner matching up against LN’s Chris Hill and John Stewart. Later, future professional player Eric Gordon squared off against fellow stars Greg Oden and Mike Conley.

The Panthers expect many

new players to contribute to the varsity team this season.

Junior Tim Bass and Altice are expected to compete with eachother at the point guard position. Ronnie Johnson will also be valuable for the Panthers. Additionally, freshman Jon Murry may contribute off the bench for the Panthers. Senior Aaron Bluit is expected to contribute as well after a year of playing at Bishop Chatard.

The major concern for the Panthers is their lack of size on the inside. With the graduation of Justin “Juice” Reid, Javier Williams and Julian Chambers, the team is left very thin in the middle.

Senior Aaron Zelikovich and junior Anthony Massengill figure to be the top two options, although both have minimal varsity experience.

Junior guard Dedric Griffin is still confident about the team’s inside players.

“I’m not worried about them at all. We work well as a team and they will get the job done,” Griffin said.

Thomas O’Farrell Reporter

Ronnie Johnson plays against Pike. photo by Connie Dann

Veteran runner misses Foot Locker regional Matt Hansen Reporter Hidden away and closed up in an upper L hall locker is an unused race number.

The number one. It can represent the number one runner in the state or the number one returning runner for the national meet but it ultimately stands for the one race he didn’t run.

Futsum Zeinasellassie, a sophomore, did not compete in the Foot Locker Cross Country Midwest Regional race on Saturday November 28. He was the heavy favorite to win the race.

“I didn’t run because my knee was bothering me and I didn’t want to risk an injury,” Zeinasellassie said.

“I didn’t run the last three weeks after the state meet.”

A l t h o u g h Zeinasellassie has not been running, he is still working on getting back to full

Girls team hopes to grow

health.

“I want to get it strong for track season,” Zeinasellassie said. “I’ve been working on getting my knee stronger and stretching a lot.”

The news came as a surprise to many.

“When I first told Coach Stover, he was surprised,” Zeinasellassie said. “He was surprised because he thought I was great coming off of a state victory. He kept asking me what the problem was for a week but I finally told him about my knee. He wanted to do what is best for me.”

Stover, although shocked, understands the reasoning for Zeinasellassie absences.

“I was surprised,” Stover said. “He was the number one returning runner so it was even more surprising.

However, He’s only a sophomore and he has goals for Foot Locker in the future.”

His family also took the news surprisingly.

“My family didn’t support

my choice the first time I told them,” Zeinasellassie said. “They were surprised and a little mad but when I explained the reasoning, they understood.

Zeinasellassie laments about not running the race.

“I wish my knee was better so I could run the race,” Zeinasellassie said. “I feel bad for letting down my supporters. “ Missing the race won’t be a factor for Zeinasellassie during the up coming track season.“The race won’t affect me for track,” Zeinasellassie said.

Stover will prepare Zeinasellassie to get back on track. .“We’ll take this Foot locker year off to get his knee better,” Stover said. “Futsum has a great future ahead of him for being one of the best in the nation. We have to be patient and do things the right way to ensure that he can be the best that he can be.”

The girl’s basketball season is underway once again. The team will be lead by seniors Paige Williams, Tunny Motley and Jasmine Tracy.

“Our team chemistry will help a lot with the difficulties this season will produce,” Motley said. “A lot of us have been playing together since middle school so that will definitely help a lot.”

Assistant Varsity coach Jeremy Moore knows the difficult schedule will help them tremendously in the long run.

“We play normal teams like Carmel and Ben Davis, but then we play in a tournament in Chicago that features nationally ranked teams,” Moore said. “That tournament will really show us just how well we have progressed throughout the year.”

Senior Paige Williams hopes the panthers will improve and grow after every game they play.

She believes that to make a competitive run at the state championship will require a lot of effort and teamwork.

“If we want to be a contender at the end of the year we will have to come together as a team and play with a lot of discipline.” Williams said.

“If we can accomplish all of this we will be right in the mix of things at the end of the season.”

Aside from the ultimate goal to win a state championship, Assistant Coach Jeremy Moore has other goals for the team this season.

“I want our team to be playing our best basketball at the end of the season,” Moore said.

“We have a young team and I want us all to grow together and improve throughout the year.”

1

10 SPORTS

December 8, 2009

Boy’s XC races to state Daniel Hursh Reporter

S

aturday Oct. 21, the boy’s cross country team competed in the state tournament finals, for the second year in a row, against 24 other teams. The team came in 3rd place overall and Futsum Zeinasellassie made up for last years shoe debacle and won with a time of 15:51. He beat the 2nd place finisher by about 10 seconds.

“Futsum broke away at the 2500 meter mark and a few runners tried to stay with him, but they quickly fell back into the pack. With the race Futsum ran I think he could have broken 15 minutes if the track was in good condition,” Rick Stover, head coach, said.

Stover was very proud of the way his team performed.

Zeinasellassie and senior Connor Geshay, who finished in 11th place, both made the Indiana all-star team for being top-15 finishers.

Aditionally, junior Filimon

Adhamon was named to the all state team for finishing 25th.

Zeinasellassie and Geshay will be competing in the all star meet in Ohio on Nov. 21, which pits the top runners from Indiana and Ohio against eachother.

The state finals race was Geshay’s last official high school race in Indiana, but he has at least two more because his time at the state finals also qualifies him for the national meet.

“I’m very proud of our team; this is the first time in a long time that we had 3 people in the top 25. Also with the way Columbus North ran there was no way we could have beaten them even if we didn’t have to deal with illnesses,” Stover said.

Other NC finishes at the state meet were Matt Fox, who came in 90th, Corey Turner in 117th, Jared Burress at 136th and Julian Toumey in 171st places. For most of them it was there second consecutive year running in the state finals.

Next for the team is the Footlocker national meet,

Shane Hanley Reporter

The boy’s cross country team jogs to warm up before a practice. Cody Allen photo. which Zeinasellasie finished 7th in last year. Futsum, Geshay and Filimon will officially be running in this race, but Stover is not positive on the status of the other runners.

On Nov. 21 there is a

Boxla begins Dallas Shirley Reporter The outdoor lacrosse season starts in March but few know that there is an indoor league going on right now.

This version is different from its outdoor counterpart in that there are only seven members of each team on the field at a time. In an outdoor lacrosse game there are typically 10 players from each team on the field at any giver time. The indoor field is also smaller than outdoor fields.

Lacrosse is a relatively new sport that is slowly creeping its way westward through the United States coming from Europe. Box lacrosse, or indoor lacrosse sometimes shortened to ‘Boxla’ - originated in

Canada and has become the most popular form of the game there.

The more dedicated lacrosse players from North Central play indoor lacross at Sports Zone in Pike school district. Senior John Parry, varsity lacrosse player, has been playing for more than four years. The players who participate in indoor lacrosse during the winter off-season have the chance to train and improve before their outdoor, club season begins.

“For experienced players, this is a new challenge to keep you going in the offseason. “It’s extensive. It is better for experienced players who love to play the game.” John Perry, senior, said.

This serves as a tremendous way to upkeep

Wrestling team hopes for big things

the skill of the game during a time when it is too cold to play outdoor field lacrosse.

Much like the soccer players who play indoor soccer during the winter, the lacrosse players have fun playing and increasing their team bonding.

Parry would like the new players to know they should not be discouraged from going to see the games because they can gain good techniques that they can try themselves from seeing the more experienced players on the field.

“We play on Sunday nights at Sport Zone in Pike,” Perry said.

You can go to www. empirelax.com for information, directions and a schedule for all games at Sport Zone.

qualifying meet in Wisconsin.

If the team make it out of the qualifier then they will be eligible to compete in San Diego for the national meet.

“This team has left us with a lot of thrills, and a tremendous amount

of memories. They have definitely left their mark on NCXC history,” Stover said.

The team will only lose two runners who ran in the state finals – Geshay and Toumey are seniors.

IM: a slam dunk Dallas Shirley Reporter

The intramural basketball season has kicked off and it has seemingly generated as much hype as expected with lots of players getting excited to play.

The first games have been played and teams are getting a good feel for how their opponents are doing.

Director of the intramural basketball league Leo Hodes says that the league has 10 teams in the upperechelon league, or the “A” league, and several more in the “B” league.

The A league is shaping up to be a highly competitive season because the reigning champions have all gone off to college and the title is up for grabs.

In B league there is also a highly competitive challenge to try to

overthrow the returning champions.

“It’s all about having fun and getting some exercise,” Hodes said.

Junior Jamal Edwards captains an intramural team in the A league. He signed up for recreational purposes.

“I play so i can have fun with my friends,” Edwards said.” “I take it serious but i won’t get really upset with my teammates if we lose.”

Teams compete up until the end of winter and finish with a tournament.

Junior Jared Burris believes that his intramural team will be a force in the A league.

“I think we are getting better as a team,” Burris said. “We are getting more accustomed to each others styles of play and will be very solid at the end of the season,” Burris said.

The wrestling team is looking forward to a prospectively successful season. Head coach, Louis Silverman, thinks the team will win their section this year, as well as succeed at several regular season tournaments.

“I would like to see our team finish in the top 5 in the Connersville tourney out of 32 teams and top 5 in the Marion County tourney,” Silverman said.

There are three varsity starters returning to the team this year. They are seniors Ibrahaim Komilov in the 189 weight class, Kevin Gaughan in the 215 weight class, and Kieno Scott in the 112 weight class.

The team has now started practice for and Silverman is looking forward to the large amount of boys they have on the team.

“Our first practice was on Nov. 2, and we are approaching 50 kids this year which is 20 more kids than last season,” Silverman said.

The first match of the season is approaching for the Panther team. “Our first tournamant this season is on November 21 at Hamilton Heights,” Silverman said.

The first home match of the season is on Dec. 1 against Pike.

There are some schools that the team should look out for if they want to do well this year.

“Teams like Cathedral, Lawrence North and Carmel will always be a challenge for us if we want to go far,” Silverman said.

The team is under the radar this year but is looking to surprise their opponents.

“Our team is not ranked right now in the state, but we have Mike Smith ranked 6th individually in the state at the 171 weight class,” Silverman said.

OPINION 11

Time to spread the holiday cheer North Central only has seven days until winter break! With the holidays already underway, it’s time to start thinking about the mac daddy of all holidays. The image of snow falling softly outside the window, sitting in front of the fire with hot chocolate and marshmallows conjures up a warm, happy sentiment in most people. This is the sentiment that drives people to lend a hand to the needy in their community. It can be contagious, and our school has proven to have this “holiday fever.”

The community service our school participates in is always excellent, but this year it is exceptional.

Many clubs are performing their own acts of kindness, but the real heart-warmer is seeing all sorts

of clubs coming together for a common goal: feeding the needy families is Washington Township. The representative councils all run separate programs to raise money allowing every student and faculty member to donate money.

Senior Class Council runs penny wars. Student Council runs stuff-a-bus. Key Club runs a canned food drive. The councils spend time bagging cans to give out to the needy. All the students make this happen through donations. North Central has a giving heart that is on fire this year. We hope the student body catches the fever and gives back through the school provided community service and through its own efforts.

Sign your name and don’t be anonymous Daniel Dorson

The other day I walked into the journalism room and found a hand written letter in the back. Immediately I got excited because getting feedback from readers is incredibly satisfying.

Getting any sort of feedback makes me feel good because it’s proof that people are actually reading

what we write and care about the topics.

I read the letter and it disagreed with many aspects of the newspaper specifically parts of my story. That’s fine.

Everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, plus whoever wrote it made some valid points.

As I got to the end of the letter I was excited to see who wrote it. The letter was signed Anonymous.

It’s so frustrating when someone writes in and doesn’t sign their name.

Clearly you care enough about the subject to write a letter about it so why does

it hurt to sign your name?

Unless you want it to be in the paper, only students in publications will have access to it, and only newspaper staffers will care.

If several students in newspaper can write four hundred words about their opinion and publish it for the whole school to see, why can’t you sign your name to a letter that only 30 or 40 people will see?

Last year one columnist wrote a very conservative column. It made sense that someone would disagree with that. One person disagreed so much that

they wrote a six page typed letter complete with charts and graphs. It was signed Anonymous.

I don’t get it. That must have taken so long to compile that information, yet the person didn’t even bother to put their name.

The columnist never took the letter seriously. If you’re going to spend so much time expressing your opinion, make sure people know you’re serious. Sign your name.

It was pretty clear last year that I was upset about my spec getting cut. I attacked some writers of another spec

pretty viciously. Again, I apologize for that.

One particular writer was very angry with me.

Understandably. I wrote some mean things. She didn’t just send in a letter. She confronted me and talked to me about the issue. It takes a tremendous amount of courage to do that and I have to say I was impressed.

So from now on if you disagree with something I or anyone else on the newspaper writes, feel free to send in a letter telling us how you feel. Just please don’t hide behind the word Anonymous.

Here’s what TNL is ranting and raving about...

No half days Thanksgiving has passed Notre Dame losing College applications Moot court Rude people Brick’s arrogance Finals Walking slow in the hall My shadow left me ACP English Skull Flickers’ loss Administration Finals schedule School internet Spec Cuts Juniors Thanksgiving is over Shaking up in stairways Standing in doorways Spanish Purdue

rants+

Editorial

Charlie Wies Ceramics class Obama Candy Canes Notre Dame losing Snowball fights College Knocked Out Colts record of 11-0 Toby Gerhardt Winter Break Sledding Christmas Beau Scott’s Eyes Yummy smelling markers My English boyfriend Seniors won penny wars Farmville Bejeweled Blitz Prom Hanukkah Getting into college Second Semester

raves

December 8, 2009

In 200 words or less: describe the experience of Junior Spec cuts Every junior is excited for their junior year for two main reasons: prom and Junior Spectacular. Junior Spec is always something that most of the junior class participates in. I have been waiting for my chance since I saw my brother’s in 2004.

Although junior year is academically important, Spec becomes a priority for a lot of students. Being in a Spec with friends is part of the junior year experience. You have fun with friends and get to crack inside jokes. Getting shirts and hoodies, and firing up the competition between the four Specs is all part of the excitement Spec brings. Until January, the rivalry between Specs Amit grows. Being in Spec is an Boukai adventure, which I believe TNL staff member every junior should go on.

At first I felt compelled to participate in Spec. Junior year is special because of such activities like Spec and prom. I hoped to spend time with a variety of people, and felt discouraged when everyone divided up into the same social groups we’ve had since freshman year. I realized that I just didn’t have the time necessary to commit to Spec and didn’t want to do it half-heartedly. Spec fell to the bottom of my list of priorities. I was trying to manage a job, rigorous academics and other school activities.

This is the year I really need to impress universities.

Honestly, I don’t feel I have missed out. I still plan to attend Junior Spectacular and support my class, but I don’t feel that participating in a Spec is crucial to TNL staff member support my class and show my school spirit.

Noelle Carter

Spec was interesting to say the least. When Michelle, Hannah and I started writing Finn last summer, I feel like we underestimated the commitment it would take to do Spec. We wanted to write a fun act that would make people laugh, but it takes a lot of effort to make a really great act. We did a good job. We had fun, and that’s all that matters. I congratulate the acts that made it, but I’m not sad Finn didn’t make it. A word of advice to future act writers: be prepared for some work. I loved Spec. It helped me find out things about myself I didn’t know before. I found out I’m kind of a big deal, too. All thanks to Junior Guest writer Spectacular!

Jesper Van Den Bergh

12 OPINION Noelle Carter

December 8, 2009

Dorson’s Top 7:

Editorial Cartoon

Daniel Dorson counts down the top 7 ways to celebrate the coming of winter: 1. Go for a horse-drawn sleigh ride. Or go sledding.

2. Sip hot cocoa by a raging fire. Make sure to have lots of marshmallows on top. One could also roast chestnuts over said fire.

3. Go caroling with friends and family to spread holiday cheer.

4. Shop for presents to give to loved ones.

5. Hang mistletoe and wait for an unsuspecting victim to walk under it.

6. Build a large snow fort or igloo then challenge your siblings to a snowball fight. Remember add water to the snowballs. Ice hurts more.

7. Bake many sheets of gingerbread to build architecturally sound houses.

Why I love winter time The leaves have fallen.

The branches, stripped of their colorful garments, reach up towards the cool blue sky. The crisp breeze has swept in a contagious feeling of anticipation.

I can’t help but sense a sort of excitement. This time of year always seems to warm my heart. Maybe it’s sifting through my fall wardrobe, bundling up in coats, scarves, gloves, and hats, or perhaps sipping hot drinks at Starbucks.

With winter comes snow, frosting the branches and streets with a glittering white blanket. Running outside when it’s snowing to catch snowflakes on your tongue and lying in the cold snow to make snow-angels. Then, going inside and savoring hot cocoa and admiring the beautiful white scene before me. Getting out holiday decorations and listening to songs like “Winter Wonderland” seem to stir a warm sense of content and happiness. Winter break is rapidly approaching and I will be free from the stress of school, my mind can just focus on the simple pleasure of preparing for holiday celebrations, Most students see winter as a depressing period in which we must wake up to cold darkness and outside school the scenery is gloomy and desolate. However, I would argue that the winter is very exciting. With the holidays and New Year’s drawing near, parties are generally are in full swing, and shops are decorated enticing consumers to buy their merchandise. Families and friends come together to celebrate and enjoy each other’s company.

Fall is a joyful prelude full of excitement and hope.

Remember a few of these reasons to love winter, and waking up every morning to darkness might not seem so bad.

Don’t join clubs just to bolster résumé Tim Dugan

High school is thought of as a stepping-stone used for the sole purpose of getting into a college or a university. Undergraduate schools search the globe in an attempt to find students who would be best suited to represent their respective institutions. Because of this, students study hard and devote their time to extracurricular activities

that portray their well roundedness as a person.

This practice goes too far.

It used to be that people joined clubs and played sports because it is what they wanted to do. Now with the pressure and difficulty of being admitted to certain schools, students participate in activities just so they can put it on their resumes.

I can’t understand why people would do something they don’t even enjoy just to make themselves look better on paper. You say that you are trying to be more wellrounded, but is faking your identity really a characteristic that corresponds to being

“well-rounded?” Is that really the kind of person a college looks for? I hope not.

Because if it is, our world has lost sight of what’s really important.

I’m a firm believer in being yourself and in doing what makes you happy. It makes no sense to be miserable just because you want to impress a specific school. I understand the desire to get into a top university, but I also believe that where you go to college doesn’t define you. This is America, the land of opportunity. You have the power to make your own success and the name on your diploma will

not limit you unless you let it do so.

I think there’s a reason why everyone is not good at everything. This may be too optimistic for our current era, but I’d like to believe that colleges want to see what you like to do, not just what you think you should be doing. They should want to pick you because you are unique, and you are not just assimilating yourself into what other people are doing.

I think it is very important to not lose sight of who you are, because that would be a much greater loss than not getting into your first choice of schools.

Coffee red alert signal

The holiday spirit

By Cathryn Brizzi

By Moli Hall

There are few things I hate more in this world then getting up in the morning. There is nothing quite as awful as the feeling of leaving my warm bed at 6 a.m., knowing that I am heading to nothing more exciting then that biology test that I forgot to study for. However, I have one, sole comfort that helps to carry me through this misery, and that comfort is a strong, hot cup of coffee.

Instead of getting up 15 minutes early to make and enjoy this cup of coffee before leaving for school, I will, on occasion, put the coffee into a mug, put it into my backpack, and take it with me to school. The first time that I did this, I innocently walked into...

So Thanksgiving is over, and it’s officially time to break out the Christmas lights and dreidels. Now when you’re leaving a store, you’ll see people outside asking for donations to the Salvation Army. Many people will drop some spare change into the crimson bucket and proceed to feel good about themselves. Yes, their donation helps, but people are in need throughout the whole year, not just during the holiday season.

The holiday spirit causes people to feel more giving and charitable than usual. Also, during the holidays, people are kinder than they normally are. Instead of yelling at someone for cutting them off, they let it go, because...

To read entire blogs, visit our website NCHSLIVE.com...

Morgan

Loudermilk

Guidelines for Facebook There are guidelines for everything. But one thing seems to go unnoticed when it comes to rules, and that’s Facebook. We all have the friends that annoy us with constant status updates, weird names and stupid incomprehensible typing.

I’m going to call these people out because it’s annoying.

I can always count on a few of my Facebook friends to let me know what they were doing every hour of the day through status updates.

Just to let you know, no one cares that you were “hangin’ with the boo!” and then 15 minutes later “my boo is too cute!” and then 15 minutes later “me and my boo are going to get married!” Legit, I don’t care, and neither does anyone else. It’s annoying and makes you look desperate.

Other annoying statuses include those that are meant for showing off. “Sittin’ in class and on Facebook on my new iPhone.” Cool.

Seriously, just stop wasting my valuable creeping space by constantly updating Facebook about your life. Get a Twitter.

I’m good about deleting Facebook friends that have extremely obnoxious names. I had no idea I knew someone by the name of “Koo-Koo Pooh Bear <3XTR@ CRuT3>.” Oh wait, I don’t. Whoever started this trend needs to take a good look inside and consider why they would ever think something like this is cool.

The point of Facebook is to connect with people, how am I supposed to know who “B@BY G0TT@ <D0NKK>” is?

Everyone has heard of unwritten rules and those apply to Facebook. The things I’ve listed are merely guidelines one should follow while using the site. Failure to do so causes animosity towards you and just makes you look stupid.

OPINION 13

December 8, 2009

Senior Wisdom Senior Wisdom

Editorial Cartoon

TNL asked senior guest writers Eric Phillips and Max Selby for advice on finals...

“Begin with the end in sight. Boom.

Ace in your face. Remember. If you keep cutting corners, you’ll end up going in circles.” — Phillips

“Finals are coming up. You know what that means. It’s bribing time.

Chocolates, roses and back massages are all weapons in your arsenal. Don’t serenade your teacher ourside her window. Trust me.”

— Selby

A call for the presence of our leader Chris

Swarbrick

Are you feeling like your school can’t protect you from a lunchtime robbery?

Hanging out with the band in a euphoric state of mind?

Or maybe you’re beginning to feel uncomfortable as an administrator judges whether your outfit is appropriate or not? If one of these things applies, then

you are at no other school than North Central.

Lately, our school has begun to look more like what is perceived of IPS than what it has been in the past. Instead of focusing on positive things like the fact that NC is academically one of the top 500 schools in the nation, we have begun to consume ourselves with issues such as the lunchtime smash-and-grab.

I’m not saying that we shouldn’t talk about these things when they happen, but that we should put our energy to fixing the issues so we can get back to focusing

on the positive.

In times like these, when our school has evolved into something different from what it has had in the past, a finger can be pointed at no one person. Yet it can be pointed at one body, one controlling entity – the administration.

As students, we attend a school where our powers through the student body, clubs, sports and other things, are virtually nonexistent. Thus, it is up to the administration to protect us, educate us and provide us with what is deemed as “excellence” by a certain

mission statement.

The administration is full of capable people, lead by a man who has dedicated most of his professional career to this township and has lead our school to be the paramount of excellence in education and character.

Yet as of the late, the mutual captains of our ship could use a little extra guidance in steering us in the right direction.

Is it good for the student body if we have to constantly be worried about our safety being compromised by non-students entering the building?

So now is the time for all of the administration to step up and better our school.

By law we are a captive audience – so the duty of protection and education immediately fall to this body of adults.

You are the desired leaders at this school, despite a select few of you, so please prove to us that you have a likewise desire to lead.

Please fix the culture that has become our school and clean up the mess, before our cafeteria becomes a medium for drug money and we are surrounded by felons.

Favorite Villian

Lady Gaga is...

Lil Wayne’s arrest is...

Count Chocula

Everything I wish I was

Good

Cody Allen

Mr. Dickerson

The love of my life

Expected

My taser

The Joker

Panther Culture Grid Panthers Alex Pappas

One thing you can live without

My skateboard

Junior

Anisa Baisa Senior

Kevin Pasciak

Annoying

Disappointing

Uniquely strange in her own way

About time

Sophomore

Mai Smith Freshman

Facebook

Sue Sylvester

Alexis Kent

Please kids, walk faster You know what really grinds my gears? When people walk on the wrong side of the hallway, stop in the middle of the hallway to “shake up” and walk too slow. It’s not that much to ask. It is common sense and common courtesy. Why cant you just walk with the crowd of people that’s going the right way? This isn’t Europe, we’ve always stayed to the right.

When people walk down the wrong side of the stairs I think to myself, how dumb are you? It must make so much sense to walk up where everyone is going down. Students that do that deserve to get pushed down the stairs or yelled at for being stupid. It is actually a lot faster to go down the correct stairway because then you don’t have to push through people and everyone is happy.

Why do people feel the need to stop in the middle of the hallway? Either keep walking or lean up against a locker and talk to them.

Couples aren’t that bad because they meet up in their corners or by trashcans.

They don’t just start making out right in the middle of the hallway. Is it really necessary? I mean you see these people everyday. We aren’t in middle school anymore, so stop making up handshakes with people and stopping in the middle of the hallway just to show everyone how lame you are.

We have seven minutes to get to class. Some people abuse the seven minutes by taking their sweet time and walking slow. It’s annoying and the people behind you are going to complain loudly until you realize what you are doing and speed up.

Or they are going to push through you. And don’t get all upset when that happens because if you get pushed you most likely deserved it because you walk slow.

14 ENTERTAINMENT

December 8, 2009

Member Profiles

SPLAT

Brent Eickhoff, Junior Favorite Instrument: Piano Greatest Influence: Anything that’s piano pop-rock Favorite Bands: Snow Patrol and Jack’s Mannequin

Ben Tamir Rothenberg, Senior Favorite Instruments: Guitar and Bass Fun fact: Records music on LogicPro Eickhoff and Rothenberg practice some of their songs. The two have been creating their unique genre of music since middle school. Joe Tyler photo

Splat explodes onto local music scene Alexis Kent Elliott Kinney Reporters Many musical geniuses have walked through the North Central halls such as Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Joey Zehr from The Click Five and the members of the up and coming band Splat. Ben Tamir Rothenberg, senior and Brent Eickhoff, junior are the founding members of Splat and have been collaborating for more than a year while perfecting their band to make music history.

“Imagine a dragon cross-mixed with a unicorn. Then two souls are implanted into the beast. Then that explodes and that’s Splat.” Eickhoff and Rothenberg said in unison.

Rothenberg has been beat boxing since the of other songs like Something Corporate’s seventh grade and Eickhoff has been playing ‘Constantine’, only our song is called Wolthe piano for most of his life. verine.” Rothenberg said.

On average they spend about 30 minutes Splat is a very dedicated band and praca day for a month on one song until they con- tice anywhere there is a piano. sider acceptable it for a performance.

They even practice at school in the piano Splat is a very unique kind of lab or Joe King’s room. King music. is practically Splat’s number “When we sing They play anything from one fan. sometimes, we “emo” to rap to ballads. Eickhoff “Oh I support them, they plays the piano and sings while think we can fly” make a very unique brand of Rothenberg beat boxes and adds music.” King said. his own vocals from time to What makes Splat differtime. ent from other bands is that their stage pres“We are both really creative people. We ence is really strong. take humor and things from everyday life They include the audience as much as for song ideas. We have a song called “White they can while performing and make sure Boys Can Rap Too”. We also do parodies everyone is having a good time.

Check out nchslive.com for more entertainment stories and other NC news updates!

Rothenberg and Eickhoff have many supporters. They hold concerts for their friends and at parties.

“I saw Splat perform at Ben’s house. It was absolutely hilarious and very entertaining.” Lea Norwood, senior, said.

Splat plans on performing in NC idol this spring and Rockin’ for Riley.

In the past they have made appearances at Bound for Broadway and the Spaghetti Sauce Cook Off. Anywhere they can perform, they vow to be there.

“You can catch us pretty much any weekend at the McDonalds in Broad Ripple singing and playing the piano.” Rothenberg said.

“When we sing sometimes we think we can fly.”

ENTERTAINMENT 15

December 8, 2009

Hot gifts for the Holiday season

Fill in the caption

Michael Hardie Reporter As the holidays approach, TNL has all the hottest gifts for 2009 to help you fill out your wish-list: Kindle Wireless Reading Device Developed by Amazon, the Kindle is one the newest innovations in the booming entertainment technology business. The Kindle is a digital portable device that holds up to 1,500 books in its large library. Its 3G wireless feature allows for the user to purchase and download books, newspapers, and magazines to their Kindle in less than sixty seconds from the online store, which contains over 350,000 books. It weighs only 10.2 ounces and measures only 1/3 of an inch thick. The Kindle’s display reads like real paper without glare. The device is available for purchase at Amazon.com in both six inch and ten-inch wide models.

DJ Hero From the makers of Guitar Hero, comes the newest instillment in music gaming.

DJ Hero features music from a wide variety of genres including 80 plus mixes that is sure to satisfy all. The game comes with a turntable that allows you to battle your friends or mix tracks together. Game play closely resembles that of Guitar Hero with three modes of play; DJ vs. DJ, DJ + DJ, and DJ + guitar that allows you to play online as well. DJ Hero is available for Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, PS3, and PS2 wherever gaming consoles are sold.

Roll and It is faces. from

Roll n Go Keyboard Tired of hearing clicking computer keys? PB Teen has the solution with its n Go Keyboard. The full size keyboard can be rolled up for compact storage easily unrolled to provide the user with a quiet and portable workstation. made of waterproof silicone and compatible with both PS2 and USB interThe Roll n Go keyboard is available navy, charcoal, pink, and sky blue PBteen.com.

The Nano lows you tual radio with all ates playl7,000 photos. black and is

iPod Nano This fifth generation iPod Nano comes with plenty of new features. now has a built-in video camera along with a voice recorder that alto film movies on the go. It also has a larger screen and comes with virtuner that allows the user to listen to their favorite radio stations. Along these features, the Nano has a pedometer and a Genius option that creists for you. The Nano can play up to 132 hours of music or store up to It comes in pink, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, silver, and available wherever Apple products are sold.

G a r m i n nuvi 255w If you just got a car, then a GPS device is the perfect present. The Garmin nuvi 255w is one of Garmin’s latest models and is full of helpful features. Its 4.3-inch color screen is also a touch screen that allows for easy navigation. The nuvi 255w comes preloaded with maps of the United States and Canada to make sure you find your way on all your road trips. Other features include a turn-by-turn voice directions and automatic rerouting. Another helpful feature is the speed limit indicator, which displays the maximum speed on all major highways. The nuvi

The best present I ever got...

-Trip to Mexico -Brass knuckes -Trampoline -iPod -Angel Barbie -Computer -Madden ‘10

-Xbox 360 -Puppy -Dollhouse -Razor scooter -New Phone -Skis -Piano

This picture is from the 1995 NC yearbook. Go to nchslive.com and tell us what you think the caption should be

Playlist of the issue Simon Elser Reporter This issue TNL asked senior Matt Bloom-Carlin what his favorite songs were: Otherside – Red Hot Chili Peppers Chili Peppers, what more needs to be said.

Amazing bass, guitar riffs, everything. This song is pretty much constantly stuck in my head. Just really good music.

Start Wearing Purple – Gogol Bordello It’s hard not to like this song by Gogol Bordello (a band self described as being gypsy punk). It’s just goofy and fun. All your sanity and wits…they will all vanish, I promise, it’s just a matter of time.

Castles Made Of Sand – Jimi Hendrix Again just like Floyd, there is so much Hendrix

songs to choose from, but its got to be this one that is my favorite. The message that all things come to pass is a good one too; I think it was written in ’67 or in ’69.

Also there is nothing like a backwards guitar solo.

Wish You Were Here – Pink Floyd Also there are a lot of good songs to choose from

by Pink Floyd, but this one has got to be my favorite.

This song is made to sound like it is coming from a radio. It’s pretty tight.

White Rabbit – Jefferson Airplane The best way to describe White Rabbit is as follows: Drugs, Copious Amounts of drugs, more drugs and drugs stuffed inside a rubber goat and hurled into the sun (Why? Just cause) This song, vaguely about Alice In Wonderland, is the very essence of psychedelic rock.

16 FEATURE

December 8, 2009

Andrew Lorinci does the stanky leg in the spec “Jeremy Lewis and the N64” while Monica Kennedy and others are cheering. This spec, along with six others, was cut.

Meredith Shevitz Beau Scott Reporters Eleven Specs competed for four spots on November 24. A panel of teachers from many different departments acted as judges for the Specs, that presented many unique plots.

ExSPECto Patronum offerred an array of With a Pencil put a Junior Spec twist on the the board game Clue.

President Obama was split in two in Got Swag, and even visited a swag dealer. Will Klein portrays a bear that Ben Casey brings home as Photos by Joe Tyler

his new girlfriend.

Other acts included Finn, a quest to find a special Dr. Pepper. Jeremy Lewis and the N64 included Zach Selby raising money to buy a Nintendo 64. Brick put a new spin on the fairy tale of the Three Little Pigs. In The Other Side, two girls are transported into the TV and explore many popular TV shows. Now Boarding depicted the craziness of boarding and flying a plane. Generic portrayed a director’s search for actors in his last minute attempt to produce a play.

Top Left: Juniors Jack Atterholt and Casey Farrington act in the play being put on in “Generic.”

Top Right: The bear, Will Klein, growls after attacking his boyfriend’s mother in “Boy Meets Bear.”

Left: Blair Heidenreich is a lioness about to be mauled by Ryan Vincent in “ExSPECto Patornum.”