Teen driving accidents on the rise

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Crown Point High School March 28, 2013 Vol. 78 Issue 7
1500 S. Main St.
Crown Point, IN 46307
[email protected]
PHOTO PROVIDED
Teen driving accidents on the rise
Junior Vinnie Bonaventura totaled his car in an accident in which he sustained several broken bones. Indiana leads the nation in teen road deaths among 16- and 17-year-olds.
BY DYLAN TAYLOR
managing editor
A
s easy as it may be to brush off prom
season Public Service Announcements about the dangers of irresponsible driving, statistics show that these dangers are nothing to ignore.
According to the Governors Highway
Safety Association (GHSA), teen driving fatalities, already the single leading cause of
death for teens, are on the rise - increasing
about 19 percent since 2012 across America
for individuals ages 16 and 17. Indiana leads
the trend, featuring the highest increase in
road fatalities for these teen drivers in the
nation.
Junior Vinnie Bonaventura, who experienced an accident on Feb. 6 that destroyed
his car and left him severely injured, was
nearly a part of this statistic.
“I was driving fast around 129th Ave.
when I skid off the road, hit a boulder and
flipped,” Bonaventura said. “I don’t remember anything that happened. My car was totaled, and I broke two bones in my arm as
well as my pelvic bone and tailbone. I had
a lung collapse, and there was nerve damage
in my foot. I was actually (unconscious) for
two days.”
Bonaventura, temporarily confined to a
wheelchair, believes that this accident could
have been avoided if distractions were eliminated.
“What I think happened (before the
crash) is that I was trying to change a song on
my iPod and swerved off the road,” Bonaventura said. “Now, I’ll try to keep away from
anything that’s distracting when I can drive
again. This whole experience was a wakeup
call.”
Senior Ashley Downing experienced a
similar close-call, rear-ending a truck while
eating and driving.
“I was driving down Broadway, eating
my lunch, distracted obviously, and a truck
was stopped pulling into Cold Stone (Creamery). I wasn’t paying attention, and by the
time I saw him, I couldn’t stop,” Downing
said.
Downing totaled her car and bruised her
collarbone in the accident. Downing’s mother, Susan Downing, witnessed the accident’s
aftermath.
“When (Ashley) had her accident, I went
through a wide range of emotion. First I
Feature
News
When in Rome
Latin students plan a
spring break trip to Rome
page 3
thought she was kidding, then as we were
driving there and I saw the flashing lights,
I got really mad and was furious when I saw
the car because I knew she wasn’t paying attention to the road,” Susan said. “Then I saw
the gurney and her red hair flowing over the
edge, and I forgot everything, including that
stupid car.”
Ashley, like Bonaventura, attributes her
accident to distractions.
“Inattentiveness and distractions are the
problem. (Teen drivers) should pay attention
to the road because all an accident can take
is two seconds of distraction. (The situation)
was just me trying to eat a sandwich, and two
seconds later it was me shoved into the rear
end of a pickup truck,” Ashley said.
Distractions at the wheel are, according
to resource officer Chuck Noonan, a large
contributing factor in the overall increase in
teen driving fatalities, but other factors are at
fault as well.
“Distracted driving is a major issue, but
this is a cultural problem,” Noonan said.
“Music and movies (that teens are witnessing)
are promoting recklessness, driving under the
influence and things like that. Peer pressure
See Driving on page 2
Profile
Half days are back
April Fools’! Read about
other great tricks for April 1
page 9
Taping prom attire
Junior Grace Wiley is making a
dress and tux out of duct tape
page 16
2 news
inklings 3/28/13
Guarding
the fine arts
intheknow
Student Council offers
reserved seating at prom
Reserved seats at dinner are being sold for
prom this year. Groups of 10 may purchase a reserved table for an additional $25. The reserved
seat tickets will be on sale April 8-12 in Ginny
Zega’s room, D138 before school.
Students who do not purchase a reserved
table will not be assured seating with specific
people. Non-reserved seating will still be available free of charge.
For more information contact Ginny Zega
or a member of the junior class student council.
Prom will be held April 20 at The Halls of Saint
George.
Colorguard shifts focus to
championship competition
scheduled for next week
BY VERDA MIRZA
reporter
As the marching season comes to a halt, winter guard
emerges. The CP winter guard team is already three quarters of
the way into their season with the championship competition
coming on April 6.
Winter guard is often referred to as the sport of the fine
arts. According to sophomore guard member Miranda Lyons,
the word guard has a significant meaning in winter guard.
“The word guard itself means the sport of the fine arts,”
Lyons said.
Winter guard involves the movement of flags, rifles, sabres
and dance. It is an emotional sport where the performers are
connected to their routine.
“You’re always emotionally attached to your music. If you
don’t have emotional connection, you won’t go far,” senior Karissa Mills said.
CP winter guard has competed in several competitions and
will be moving up another division next year because of the
team’s skill level.
“This year we are in the Scholastic Regional A, but next year
we will be moved up to Scholastic Regional AA because of our
improvements,” Lyons said.
They have improved each competition by scoring higher
and higher. In their first competition, they scored a total of
47.03, and in their most recent competition they scored a 77.45.
Junior Jessica Berwick is pleased with the team’s improvement.
“Our competitions have been going really well,” Berwick
said. “Since our season started, we have gone up 30 points.”
Throughout the season, the team has been either second or
third at its competitions. They have also scored higher than any
Driving
continued from p. 1
and distractions are a huge
problem as well.”
Noonan’s
viewpoint
about peer pressure and distractions are echoed in a recent study from the American
Automobile Association that
found that the chances of a
teen dying in a car crash increase with every additional
teen passenger in the car.
“So many kids are trying to be cool around their
friends and end up getting
distracted,” Noonan said.
Susan Downing agrees.
“A bunch of happy, jubilant, crazy teens all having fun
in a car is a recipe for trouble.
Not saying that it is done on
purpose, but the driver of that
car will have a difficult time
paying attention to the road
instead of his or her friends,”
Susan said.
Noonan attributes the
avoidance of these risks to
simple responsibility on the
part of the teen.
“A lot of precautions and
restrictions have been put out
there to try and minimize bad
driving, but it ultimately falls
upon that teenager to be responsible,” Noonan said. “If
they take their chances (with
driving), they’re really rolling
the dice. It comes down to the
responsibility, experience and
maturity of the teen.”
Still, Noonan is hesitant
to believe that many teens are
responsible enough to avoid
the risks of driving.
“(The government) has
changed the driving age in the
past few years and (students)
are getting license later, but
I think that a large majority
of these kids are still not ma-
aprilfacts
•
The first April Fools’ Day was in
1686.
•
President Abraham Lincoln was
shot and killed in a theater by
John Wilkes Booth on April 14,
1865.
•
The Titanic sank on April 15, 1912
after hitting an iceberg.
•
April’s birthstone is the diamond.
PHOTO BY ANNIE SWANSON
Junior Caity Rogers performs part of the winter guard’s show
routine, “Broken.”
of the previous CP winter guard teams in their last competition.
There are five categories that are judged in a competition:
equipment, movement, ensemble and two general effects categories.
“Equipment is basically how we spin the flags, the sabres,
the rifles and how the girls can handle them. Then there is
movement, which is how graceful they are in their dance. They
are also judged on ensemble, which is how they all work as
a team. Lastly, there are two general effects judges and (this
category) is judged upon how everything was put all together,”
coach Kelly Carpenter said.
Carpenter has done nine winter guard shows. She has been
coaching for about seven years, and this is her third year coaching for the CP winter guard.
Alongside Carpenter is the assistant coach Tyler Dillon. He
is now spinning in the independent winter guard division.
There will be a call out meeting for next year’s winter guard
team Thursday, April 25 and Tuesday, April 30 from 5-7 p.m.
ture enough to handle such a
responsibility,” Noonan said.
“(Examples of irresponsibility) include not getting to
school on time, not following
the rules of the road, driving
distracted, driving under the
influence. (Irresponsible teen
drivers) feel that if they hear
about it in music or see it in
a movie, it will be all right;
‘if they can do it I can do
it.’ That’s where the problem
starts.”
Susan Downing believes
that a teen can be responsible
on the road by utilizing common sense and courtesy.
“The best advice I could
give is to use your common
sense. If your common sense
is saying don’t (drive) that
way, don’t. If you know it’s
not right, don’t. It’s quite
simple,” Susan said. “One
other little piece of advice: be
kind. If you come to the stop
8
School resumes
10
Band Concert
7 p.m. in the auditorium
sign at the same time as someone else, motion them and let
them go first. A little kindness goes a long way at keeping you safe.”
In the aftermath of his accident, Bonaventura said that
he will try to avoid distractions and drive more responsibly.
“I would try to keep away
from anything that’s distracting. I’ll try to stay safe and
drive slow,” Bonaventura said.
To avoid her peers getting
into an accident like hers or
worse, Ashley Downing offers
some advice for her driving
peers.
“You are not invincible
and you can die at a young
age,” Ashley said. “Slow down,
put the phone down and stop
driving distracted; (it) only
takes a couple minutes to
change your life completely.”
Business Professionals of
America places at state,
eyes national competition
PHOTO PROVIDED
The Business Professionals of America chapter qualified to compete at this year’s national
leadership conference to be held in Orlando,
Florida May 8-12. Students qualified for the
chance to compete at the national level after
several placed at the top of the state in various events at the state competition earlier this
month.
The club’s Global Marketing team, made
up of seniors Nick Zaberdac and Alicia Perez
and junior Shelby Kiger, took first place in
the state to advance to national competition.
Perez also qualified for national competition
in her individual event, Presentation Management Individual. The school’s Small Business
Management Team, made up of senior Caroline
Doolin and juniors Andre Hatami and George
Mirabella also qualified to compete in national
competition.
BPA advisor Mary Bachnak was pleased with
her team’s performance and stressed the importance of the organization for aspiring business
students.
“Winning national placement is a terrific
honor for our students,” Bachnak said. “Participation in BPA is an experience all business
students should participate in to learn about
leadership, competition, skills and themselves.”
This year marks the third time that Crown
Point’s BPA chapter has advanced to national
competition. Teams advancing to state will be
spending the next weeks preparing for their
events.
aprilcalendar
20
Prom
6:30 p.m.
Halls of Saint George
24
NHS Induction
7 p.m. in the auditorium
28
Roots and Wings banquet
news
inklings 3/28/13
3
March events key for Key Club
BY ABBY ELSTON
editor-in-chief
PHOTO BY AMY SCHUCH
Science teacher Bryan Trippeer shaves his head for the St. Baldrick’s
foundation. He raised the most money during the “penny wars” and had
to shave his head.
Giving back and being involved in community service
activities is the mission of Key
Club, and that mission is especially being fulfilled in March.
This month, Key Club was
involved with the Volunteer Fair,
“penny wars” and the St. Baldrick’s event in Schererville. Key
Club assisted the LEAD council
for the Volunteer Fair.
“The Crown Point Community Foundation is the group
that has hosted (the Volunteer
Fair) the past four years. Their
only agenda is to get more people, young and old, involved
with giving back to the community,” Key Club sponsor Andrew
Shih said.
According to Shih, the Volunteer Fair provided an opportunity for students to learn about
different organizations and how
to get involved with them. It can
help students who need community service hours.
“Regardless of the turnout,
if one person ends up volunteering because of this, I feel like it
was a success,” Shih said.
Science teacher Bryan Trippeer also achieved success when
he volunteered to help St. Baldrick’s. During the week of
March 18-21, students donated
money to teachers who volunteered to shave their heads for
St. Baldrick’s, whose funds go to
cancer research. The teacher who
raised the most money had to
shave his head, and this teacher
was Trippeer.
“There were immediately
quite a lot of people who said
they would donate a lot of money, so I thought I had a pretty
good chance of winning, but as
it got closer to the date, I was getting a little more scared,” Trippeer said. “I found out (March
22) I won. It was actually kind of
an honor to win. So I look at it
that way.”
This is the first time that
Trippeer has shaved his head for
St. Baldrick’s, but Key Club has
been helping out this organization annually. To help raise even
more money for St. Baldrick’s,
the Key Club also helped out at
the Northwest Indiana Cancer
Kids (NICK) Foundation’s event
in Schererville on March 24.
“The adults shaved their
heads while we had games for the
kids to play,” Key Club president
junior Emily Southworth said.
There were many other activities happening that people
participated in during the event
itself.
“There was a fun fair for the
kids hosted by Key Club. There
were raffles for gift baskets and
silent auctions. There were also
vendors selling items. There were
several people and teams shaving their heads. There were food
vendors as well,” Shih said.
The event was successful; the
goal of $20,000 was surpassed.
About $26,000 was raised at
the event, and Key Club raised
around $1500 of it according to
Shih.
Key Club also collected $150
from the “penny wars” held last
week. These involved students
and teachers donating money to
one of the teachers who volunteered to shave his head for St.
Baldrick’s. The members of Key
Club sold bracelets and lucky
charms to help raise money for
St. Baldrick’s. The people who
participated in these events
seemed to be happy about their
involvement.
“I’ve known a lot of people
who’ve died of cancer in the
last couple years, so when I first
heard about (the penny wars),
one of my students asked me if
I’d throw my hat into the ring to
volunteer, and I said absolutely,”
Trippeer said. “To me, watching
people suffer from that disease,
if I could do anything to help
them out, this is the least I could
do. It’s a pretty easy decision.”
Latin students to leave for Rome trip tomorrow
BY SAM BEISHUIZEN
editor-in-chief
There is only so much that students can
learn in the classroom. Reading and being
taught lessons on any subject can only go
so far in helping students learn. In response
to that, the Crown Point Latin program is
hosting the opportunity for 14 Latin students to travel to Italy over spring break for
nine days to study ancient Rome and the
surrounding areas of Italy first-hand.
This year will be the first time that the
school’s program will be traveling without
the help of the state during spring break. In
previous years, the trips have been planned
and taken in collaboration with the state
Latin program and held during the summer.
The switch to the spring trip comes
views
on
news
Area CPTV participates in Shop
Local program
In a joint effort with the Crown Point
Redevelopment Commission, Crown Point
High School and the business community,
CPTV will be filming free promotional
videos for participating local businesses.
The infomercials will be hosted on U-Verse
Channel 99 and Comcast Channel 26.
‘‘
Justin Waran
sophomore
Families of students (support)
local businesses,
so it only makes
sense students
promote them.
from a combination of timing and cutting
cost. This year’s trip will be nearly $1000
cheaper for students than the previous summer trips.
“The trip was a lot cheaper than it
would have been otherwise,” junior Renee
Brigham said. “(Latin club advisor Jeremy
Walker) has really helped to lower the cost
and is doubling as a tour guide.”
Walker has planned as much as he
could into the nine day trip so that the
students get the most of their experience.
From the very beginning he believes the
trip will be exciting for his students.
“Our first thing will be the archeological museum in Naples,” Walker said. “The
museum will be some of the highlights of
the trip. They will see the paintings from
Pompeii, the frescoes, the different mosaics
and they will see them and be like, ‘wow
this is amazing.’”
Among the various stops will include
is a visit to the house of Lucius Caecilius
Iucundus, a banker who lived in Pompeii
between 20-62 AD, whose house remains
partially destroyed after the eruption of
Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. Caecilius and
his family are among some of the characters that the students learn about during
their first and second years of taking Latin.
“They read about this stuff,” Walker
said. “They will be walking through Pompeii, and they will realize this is where the
stuff actually is. I can already imagine the
reactions (of the students).”
Another attraction in store for the students is a trip to visit Vatican City which
will be busy after the recent selection of the
new Pope Francis.
“Going to Italy over Eastertime with
the new Pope is exciting,” Brigham said.
“It is really interesting, and I know that he
is out and doing stuff now so that will be
exciting if we get to see (Pope Francis) out
there.”
Although a lot of work has been put
into organizing, filling up the schedule and
finding ways to find funding, Walker believes all of the work will be worth it in
the end.
“We packed everything into these nine
days,” Walker said. “By the end of the trip
they will be glad to be away from me, but
years later they will look back and be like
‘I’m so glad we did that. It was so much,
and it was so good.’”
The club will be flying out for their
trip to Italy tomorrow and will return
home back to the United States the following Saturday.
Student reaction to events in our world
State Man fatally shoots Fort
Wayne woman on bus
Nation Sequester deadline
reached, cuts in effect
World
A man pulled a woman from her bus
seat, fatally shot her and took her 3-yearold son hostage in Fort Wayne on March 20.
The police carried the child from the house
later that evening, and the suspect, 45-yearold Kenneth Knight, was announced dead.
Police stated that the shooting did not appear
random.
The stipulations of the Budget Control
Act of 2011 were taken into effect March
1 after they were averted at the beginning
of 2013 during “fiscal cliff ” negotiations.
Congress was unable to compromise by
deadline, and automatic cuts to defense,
Medicare and other programs came into
play.
Cardinal Jorge Mario Beraglio of
Argentina was elected by the conclave
after the resignation of now Pope Emeritus
Benedict. Beraglio, now Pope Francis, is
the first non-European pontiff in recorded
history. During his installation, Francis
pledged to serve “the poorest, the weakest,
the least important.”
‘‘
Kendall Mores
senior
Shootings are detrimental to society.
They are happening
all over the US and
need to be dealt
with.
‘‘
Charles Liodos
freshman
(These budget
cuts) are really
going to hurt the
economy and people
financially.
Francis elected as first
non-European Pope
‘‘
Ben Miller
junior
It’s a welcome
change that the
Pope is from
somewhere other
than Europe.
4 opinion
inklings 3/28/13
speakup
Refusing to say
pledge does not
insult patriotism
Who is your
favorite person
to prank on April
Fools’ Day?
BY DYLAN TAYLOR
managing editor
Almost every first hour class
has them - the smug-faced rebels
that, for whatever reason, refuse
to say the pledge. Some stay
seated, some simply zip their lips,
but nearly all are faced with an
occasional dirty look from their
‘patriotic’ classmates. Contrary to
any knee-jerk reactions of calling
these students un-American or
bad citizens, there is nothing
heretical about refusing to say the
pledge; the fact that the pledge
can even be refused is of more
importance to the American ethic
than the pledge itself.
All of these students have
individual reasons for not saying
it. Some atheists may be turned
off by the “under God”, other
students may be discouraged by
fact that the pledge was proposed during the McCarthyists’
anti-Communist crucible and
still others may abstain out of
sleepy disregard. Historically,
students have refused the pledge
to protest war or as a general act
of rebellion. As the First Amendment of the Constitution states
that free speech and the ability to
peaceably protest and petition the
government are rights inherent
to all Americans, pledge abstention is simply an act of exercising civil rights. Acknowledging
the freedoms granted by the
U.S. Constitution, our country’s
supreme law—how un-American
is that?
Beyond this, the semantics
of the pledge imply an allegiance
to “the flag of the United States,”
“one nation under God” and
the notion that the American
republic exists for the purpose
of “liberty and justice for all.”
While, to many, these ideas are
absolutely worth acknowledging every morning of the week,
it is integral that pledge-sayers
understand that others could
find plenty to disagree with or
otherwise find irrelevant. After
all, in America, people simply do
not have to agree with each other
all the time. The principles of
freedom rest on the back of tolerance and acceptance; and denying
an individual their uniquely
American Constitutional rights
is inarguably less ‘patriotic’ than
refusing the pledge altogether.
Refusing to say the pledge
does not necessarily make one a
Constitution-trampling, babyeating Communist hell-bent
on stuffing anarchist slogans,
granola and pot smoke down the
throats of honest, obedient citizens. It simply means that such
students are mindful enough
of their American freedoms to
understand that they do not have
to say it.
V
Cartoon By ELLIE BURRELL
“I like to prank my brother on
April Fools’ because he is easy to
prank and he falls for everything.”
iew:
Students must be wary of
dangers faced while driving
Prom is once again on the horizon. Students will be getting tans,
buying tickets and figuring out their after-the-dance plans. But just as
all the festivities make their annual return, so does the preaching from
the administration and other adult figures about the dangers of driving
recklessly, especially under the influence of alcohol.
Students can brush off the advice of administrative figures and
other adults as much as they want, but the fact of the matter is that
dangers for teen drivers continue to exist. The proof is in the numbers:
according to a Governors Highway Safety Association, Indiana ranks
as the single most dangerous state for drivers ages 16 and 17. CPHS
students are not immune to this.
Therefore, it is important that students take note of driving horror
stories from around the country and the grave annual drunk driving
videos shown weeks prior to prom at CPHS. Apathy is problematic, but
choosing to act irresponsibly by disregarding these very real dangers is
simply ignorant.
Students need to understand the dangers involved in driving and
work to prevent any deaths or injuries that could result because of
poor decisions. This understanding should not solely be present on
prom weekend but all the time. Students drinking at any time, prom
or otherwise, should never drive or be driven by someone under
the influence of alcohol or any other harmful substance under any
circumstance. When did it ever become “cool” to drive without a seat
belt? Whatever discomfort that may result from safety precautions is
well worth the insurance that any deaths or injuries may be avoided
during accidents.
The great philosopher Drake of Young Money said it best: “You
only live once.” To avoid exemplifying these words, safe driving,
attentiveness and responsibility at the wheel are absolutely necessary.
Not doing so may very well lead to deadly results.
L
I
N
G
S
Crown Point High School, IN
Jordan Embry
sophomore
“I would prank my sister because
she can get really irritable from
pranks.”
Dominic Peretin
junior
“My favorite person to prank is
my best friend Carson because
he overreacts to everything.”
Amber Haworth
senior
“I love to prank my mom because
she believes in anything, especially pranks.”
editorial
ink
Joey Krampen
freshman
Vol. 77 Issue 7 March 28, 2013
1500 S. Main St. Crown Point, IN 46307
219-663-4885 ex. 11349
fax 219-662-5663
[email protected]
Inklings is a student publication created by the newspaper and advanced
journalism students and distributed monthly to students, faculty and staff of
Crown Point High School. Opinions do not necessarily reflect those of CPHS
faculty, staff or administration.
Letters-to-the-editor are welcomed provided they are signed and submitted one week prior to publication and do not contain personal attacks. Inklings
reserves the right to edit for space, clarity and legal and ethical concerns.
Advertising is subject to applicable rates available by contacting Inklings.
Inklings has been recognized as an Indiana High School Press Association Hoosier Star, National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker, Columbia
Scholastic Press Association Silver Crown, and Quill and Scroll George H. Gallup
publication.
Sam Beishuizen
Abby Elston
editors-in-chief
RaeAnna Morgan
editor-at-large
Dylan Taylor
managing editor
Maggie Gelon
Katie Sherman
copy editors
Molly Grace
feature editor
Shannon Rostin
asst. feature editor
Alex McLean
sports editors
Kara Biernat
sports asst.
Yazzmyne Lopez
advertising editor
Hannah Colby
advertising asst.
Brittany Pedersen
Amy Schuch
Annie Swanson
photographers
Ellie Burrell
artist
Alaa Abdeldaiem
Maddie Adducci
Alexis Berdine
Emily Best
Paige Buelow
Olivia Elston
David Kepshire
Verda Mirza
Tina Winfrey
staff
Julie Elston
adviser
opinion 5
inklings 3/28/13
issue:
Social equality
should not
continue being
optional
Is reality TV exploitative?
BY RAEANNA MORGAN
editor-at-large
Cartoon By ELLIE BURRELL
Pro:
Reality television is exploitative at
worst, tasteless at best
Con:
Reality TV champions and connects
humanity, does not exploit
BY DYLAN TAYLOR
BY MAGGIE GELON
managing editor
copy editor
Before the age of duck faces, MTV and racial slur-appropriating white rappers, old TV shows and cartoons like “Charlie
Brown” or “Scooby Doo” often provided young viewers with more
than a simple break from the daily grind - a healthful dose of
simple, grain-of-salt moralism.
These days, however, many television viewers prefer to spend
their precious time (and brain-cells) on a different kind of programming: a genre of television that has sacrificed the furthest
extent of its meaningfulness in favor of perpetuating everything
from stereotypes about pregnant young women (“Teen Mom”) and
African-Americans (“All My Babies’ Mamas”) to exploiting unassuming children (“Honey Boo Boo”). Folks, welcome to the dark
world of reality television.
These shows revel in all flavors of dishonesty and degradation,
broadcasting the dumbest and most shocking examples of our culture to the controversy-hungry American populace. Reality television plainly exploits the viewer; it portrays something as “reality”
that is usually heavily scripted. Programs also only display the
most “profitable” behavior that their stars can muster - behavior
that is often coerced and unrealistic. The idea that the stereotypeheavy chaos of a show like “The Real World” is an honest reflection of anyone’s “real” life is ridiculous.
With this “real” TV spilling exaggerated cultural ideas into the
minds of all that watch it, non-viewers are left only to cringe when
a 13-year-old, hair dyed to mimic the last Bachelorette, repeats a
cruel joke about teen pregnancy, obesity or minorities that they
saw on MTV.
As long as viewers maintain a brain-dead acceptance of the reality madness, shows like “Honey Boo Boo” will continue to exist.
Meanwhile, those of us that don’t wish to hemorrhage our brain
cells for Kim Kardashian can turn off the ridiculous shows. And
maybe read a book. And hope for the future of humanity.
Tears. Controversy. Drama. Viewers crave it. Reality TV is the
epitome of all of the above and has generated ratings like never before, but it’s not on account of the spray tans. The human elements
and lessons presented intrigue, challenge and most importantly
keep the audiences tuning in.
No one who signs a contract is being exploited. Participants are
making the personal decision to televise themselves, and no one is
flogging them until they smile.
Those that denounce reality TV argue that the morals reality
shows promote are less than desirable for the youth of America to
be soaking in. Yet scripted shows like “Glee” and “Secret Life of
the American Teenager” tackle controversial topics as well. So what
makes a sensationalized script more appropriate for youth than
reality? Nothing. If anything, happy ending scripts are distorting
teens’ views on controversial topics. “Teen Mom” may not be a
fairytale, but at least it’s honest.
That goes for all reality TV; it is the human element that no
script can accomplish that attracts the viewers. The ability to relate
to a contestant chasing his dreams on “American Idol” or the
vulnerability felt by the survivor on a deserted island is what makes
reality TV golden. It’s fair to say not all reality TV is highbrow, but
neither is life. Snooki is by no means being exploited; for better or
worse she’s being herself, and if that doesn’t appeal to viewers then
turn it off.
In the mean time, those who tune in are exposed to lifestyles,
cultures and experiences via reality TV in a way no stuffy historian
or scripted adventurer could ever accomplish. What other genre of
television could build homes for those in need (“Extreme Makeover: Home Edition”) or help people regain their healthy lifestyles
(“Biggest Loser”) like reality? Viewers tune in to watch and feel a
part of humanity triumphing. Contestants benefit from the experience, and networks earn solid ratings. It’s a win-win-win.
10 Inklings staffers agree
15 Inklings staffers agree
Nicole Shelpman
English teacher
Katie Dillion
“I think the main problem is the use of the
term reality because it is clearly not an
accurate representation of reality.”
Garrett Thompson
junior
“No, (participants) have seen reality TV,
they know what happens, and they sign
up for it.”
senior
“They’re (the makers of the show)
filming whatever appeals to viewers.
There is no real art in today’s TV. It’s
just garbage.”
Chelsea Stinnett
sophomore
“I think that reality TV stars sign up for
everything, including pay, and if they end
up exploited, than it’s their own fault.”
We live in a world where
equality is supposed to be a right.
Every member of the human
race should be treated fairly and
justly without discrimination. St.
Patrick’s Day brought to light
that the issues of equality are
much closer to home than the
fight for women’s rights in the
Middle East.
In Cincinnati, Ohio, a
parade was held to celebrate St.
Patrick’s Day, a Catholic holiday.
Three days prior to the event,
The Gay Lesbian Straight Education Network got a call that they
were not allowed to participate
in the parade as planned, on the
grounds that they are supporters
of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and
transgender community and that
this was a Catholic holiday and
against their beliefs as sponsors
of the parade.
The fact that certain people
are not allowed to participate in
something as simple as a parade
because of their sexual orientation is ridiculous. Sure, the
respect for another’s religious
belief is also important and a
part of our constitution, but
discriminating against an entire
group of people yet again is only
pushing society back further into
the past. Was Hitler exterminating the entirety of European Jews
okay? Or, more recently, how
about the extreme discrimination
against African Americans in the
South by white supremacists in
the 1960s--was that acceptable?
The answer is no. Society
eventually realized its wrongdoings and made up for it the best
it could. But with past examples
this shouldn’t still be happening.
By hiding behind one’s
religious beliefs, we allow these
terrible discriminations to be accepted. Being a Catholic myself,
I find it difficult to see where
the clear cut line can be drawn
between being accepting of the
LGBT community and calling it
a sin. The Bible does say that a
man lying next to another man
is a sin, but it also says that God
is loving and accepting of all his
creatures. That being said, not
even the Bible can make up its
mind about the subject.
Is it so impossible that for
once a group of people that
stray from the norm can be left
in peace? What good does it do
to exclude an entire community
from a holiday parade? All it
does is reinforce the idea that
not everyone is equal, which in
this day and age should be a very
false statement.
6 feature
inklings 3/28/13
i on life
PHOTO BY TINA WINFREY
The cast of “Guys and Dolls” take a bow at their final curtain call during their last performance of
their show. The cast and crew prepared the musical for two months before performing for audiences
in the school’s auditorium over the last two weeks.
A page dedicated to celebrating student life.
bythe
numbers
19%
of
Indiana’s
population is
composed of
children with
disabilities.
1
in
50
PHOTO BY ANNIE SWANSON
Helping her with her drawing, senior Desi Blastic works with senior Katie Chimitris during special needs teacher Branden Lorek’s peer tutoring class. Blastic is one of 34 students working as a peer tutor in Lorek’s class.
A special type of friendship
Peer tutors, special needs students bond over learning
BY KATIE SHERMAN
ALAA ABDELDAIEM
copy editor
reporter
March is Developmental Disability Awareness
Month, a time dedicated to students with learning disabilities. Peer tutors, however, do not just recognize special needs students one month of the year. Those with
disabilities are their focus every day of the school year,
seven hours each day.
Special needs teacher Branden Lorek and his peer
tutors spend their time working with students with
learning disabilities. Lorek believes the time spent working with them does not only benefit the students themselves, but also him as a teacher.
“There are 14 students in the class with different
ability levels,” Lorek said. “Some kids are visual, some
kids are hands-on. That helps give me more perspective on working with students who are all at a different
pace.”
Lorek also views this class as an opportunity to provide peer tutors with experiences they do not encounter
every day.
“I believe the class allows the peer tutors to see a
side of life that they do not normally see,” Lorek said.
“They see that these special needs kids are just like anyone else. They like to joke around, play video games, go
on Facebook—all things other people do.”
Though many want the position, not anyone can
be a peer tutor. Students must have certain qualities to
work well with students who have disabilities.
“You have to have an open mind,” senior Desi Blastic said. “You can’t have any temper problems, no anger.
You have to be able to handle a lot.”
These qualities help build strong relationships, such
as the ones Blastic has formed with many of the special
needs students.
“(Working with the special needs students) makes
my heart feel good and complete,” Blastic said. “I love
working with them. I’ve grown so close to all of them.”
Senior Katie Chimitris values the help Blastic has
provided throughout the year. Chimitris does not view
Blastic simply as a peer tutor but as a person she can go
to for anything.
“(Desi) is my friend,” senior Katie Chimitris said.
“She helps me (in gym class). We hang out. She is easy
to talk to and is always there for me.”
Blastic and the other peer tutors notice the impact
they have on Chimitris and other special needs students
from the moment they walk in the room. The students
greet them with appreciation, looking forward to the
hour ahead with their peer tutors.
“(The special needs students’) faces automatically
light up and they put on this big smile,” Blastic said.
“It’s really warming.”
When Blastic is absent from class, Chimitris looks
forward to her return, wanting to share more experiences with her friend.
“I always think about when (Blastic) is coming back
when she is not there,” Chimitris said. “I miss her when
she is gone.”
Regardless of their disabilities, Blastic holds a strong
belief that special needs students should be regarded just
like everyone else, that their disabilities make them no
different than the average student.
“They’re just like us,” Blastic said. “They
may
have a disability, but it doesn’t matter. Nobody is perfect.”
children have an
autism spectrum
disorder.
13%
of
people ages
13-17 have a
developmental
disability.
34
students
work as peer
tutors in Lorek’s
special needs
class.
75%
of
special
education
students have
difficulties in
language and
reading.
facts compiled by the Inklings staff
feature 7
inklings 3/28/13
I’m gonna
pop some
TAGS
Students take to
thrift shopping
to find deals and
make affordable,
unique purchases
PHOTO BY AMY SCHUCH
Freshman Jenna Zajac looks through clothing at a local Goodwill. Teens browse thrift shops to fill vintage wardrobes.
BY SHANNON ROSTIN
asst. feature editor
In the song “Thrift Shop,” Macklemore sings
about his appreciation of thrift shopping. While
the tune is becoming widely popular, the actual
trend of “thrift shopping” is gaining popularity
among high school students looking for deals on
rare finds and vintage styles. The trend of going
shopping for used clothes is ideal for reasons ranging from the next-to-nothing price to the outdated
or vintage looks that can be found on a shopping
adventure to a local thrift store.
“I thrift shop because it’s fun and you can
find cute stuff. There’s kind of a taboo on it, but
if you go and actually look, you find cool stuff,”
senior Hope Hobgood said.
Hobgood views thrift shopping as a challenge
to find various used items to purchase and make
her own.
“Thrift shopping is a scavenger hunt for
something you don’t know you want. You’re find-
ing yourself in the clothes of others,” Hobgood
said.
Junior April Sirbas also appreciates thrift
shopping. Sirbas views it as a way to purchase oneof-a-kind clothing for less money.
“Thrift shopping is a cheap way to find cute
and quirky clothes,” Sirbas said.
Sirbas also donates her used clothes when she
is finished with them.
“It provides the opportunity to be able to recycle clothes instead of throwing them away. It
gives them a chance to be reused by other people
who could use them,” junior Nathan Fletcher said.
There are many local options for thrift shoppers, including Goodwill and the Salvation Army.
“I usually go to Goodwill or the Salvation
Army, but my favorite place to go is The Village.
It’s thrift shop heaven,” Hobgood said.
Hobgood, as well as many other shoppers,
appreciates the variety of items offered by thrift
stores.
“(The Village) has an entire aisle of ugly sweat-
ers. Nothing is better than an entire aisle of ugly,
used sweaters,” Hobgood said.
There are many other aspects that shoppers
find ideal about shopping for used clothing. The
price is convenient and ideal for shoppers looking
to save money on the price of their clothing, as
opposed to spending large amounts of money on
similar styles.
“Thrift shopping offers people on a budget
the opportunity to buy anything from children’s
toys to clothing at a very reduced price. While
not all the products are in great conditions, it is
a great alternative for those looking to save some
money,” junior Stephen Jeffirs said.
The styles of clothes found in thrift stores are
another reason for the growth of interest in this
trend. It is common to find vintage or outdated
clothing to fit the idea of the popular trend.
“It’s convenient because it’s affordable and
because more people are going for the older or
vintage kind of look, so it fits the culture,” junior
Camille Laxamana said.
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8 feature
inklings 3/28/13
Extracurricular interests take the cake
Teacher hobbies include: Creating galas, deejaying and drumming outside of the classroom
BY OLIVIA ELSTON
TINA WINFREY
reporters
Many students think of their teachers
solely as teachers and are shocked when
they see them at local grocery stores. Some
students may be shocked to know they lead
double lives.
Math teacher Adam Piaskowy is a
teacher by day and a disc jockey by night.
“Back when I was in high school, a guy
in my youth group was a DJ, and he needed
somebody to do some roadie stuff, like carrying speakers and helping set up,” Piaskowy said. “I helped him out, and I started
thinking how cool it was to get paid to play
music and entertain at parties.”
Piaskowy found his passion for deejaying by starting small. From there, Piaskowy
got started on his solo DJ career during his
college years.
“In college, I started doing my own
thing, and even after college, I kept going
by doing weddings in the summer, school
dances and other private parties,” Piaskowy
said.
While now is a down time for business
because of lack of events, Piaskowy does
not mind because it gives him time to focus
on school. Piaskowy looks to deejay more
school dances, like prom. He has deejayed
the past two homecoming dances at CPHS.
“I have a lot of fun doing school dances,” Piaskowy said. “I can get a little bit
more creative with the set list and play the
top 40, like B96 or KISS-FM with a little
more mixing.”
Piaskowy is not the only teacher who
has another interest. German teacher Heidi
Polizotto enjoys creating galas when not
teaching.
“It started because I do a lot of fun
fundraisers, and I started thinking bigger
to see what I could do to help out more,”
Polizotto said.
Polizotto used her kid’s activities as inspiration for her next big project.
“My kids were really involved with the
arts outside of school, so I created a gala
called Leap into the Arts,” Polizotto said.
Leap into the Arts is a fundraiser that
features fine art performances by kids
around the area. There are many raffles, a
wine pool and silent auctions. Past performances have included: jazz bands, ballet
dances, orchestras and choirs.
“This was our fifth year of doing this
fundraiser,” Polizotto said. “Between my
committee and me, we were able to raise
about $120,000.”
This money was divided between the
groups that participated in the events.
Along with the Leap into the Arts event,
Polizotto has helped out other causes.
“At my old school, I was the class sponsor, and every summer I had secured them a
spot at Pierogi Fest (in Whiting),” Polizotto
said. “And when I left there, I was able to
leave them with $28,000 to use for prom
and their senior trips.”
With the money Polizotto raised from
the gala for the senior class they were able
to go to Florida for their senior trip.
While Polizotto creates galas, anatomy
teacher Kelly Loving creates baked goods.
“I’ve baked forever, sort of as a defense
mechanism because my mother is not a
very good cook,” Loving said. “Later on,
I went to a class on cake decorating, and I
kept doing that for a few years.”
For the past couple years Loving has
been at the Chesterton European Market
selling a variety of baked creations. Many
of these treats are well known, but Loving
also cooks up some unusual sweets.
PHOTO BY TINA WINFREY
Anatomy teacher Kelly Loving also has a passion for baking. He has baked cakes for
special occassions as well as unique cupcakes.
“I’ve made an avocado cupcake before
and also some with bacon on top,” Loving
said. “They were actually pretty popular.”
While the school year is from Sept. June, the European Market is open from
May - Oct. Loving likes that his two interests do not interfere. On the other hand,
guidance counselor Peg Shaffer uses drumsticks for her hobby.
“My dad was in a big band back in the
day, so the drum set was always around,”
Shaffer said. “When I was a wee girl, he
would show me the basics, and I just absolutely fell in love with it.”
Shaffer played through high school,
and received a scholarship to Indiana State
for teaching. Even though she recieved a
degree for teaching, Shaffer did not stop
her love for music.
“I decided to incorporate my love for
music by teaching music (band) at Crown
Point,” Shaffer said.
Even though her full time job is a guidance counselor, Shaffer plays the drums to
this day.
“I’m part of a band with some retirees,” Shaffer said. “We play a wide variety
of music from Steely Dan to Quincy Jones
and Stevie Wonder.”
The band plays a maximum of three
times a month on the weekends, so it does
not interfere with her school life.
“My favorite part of music is that when
you’re playing you don’t think about all
Loving bakes an assortment of
cakes for various events ranging
from weddings to birthdays.
PHOTOS PROVIDED
211 South East
Street
Crown Point,
IN 46307
219-663-6551
www.carriagecourtpizza.com
FRIDAY NIGHT SPECIAL
HALF PRICE PIZZA AFTER 9 P.M.
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(2 locations)
200 Franciscan Drive (219) 663-0304
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Merrillville
7201 Taft St. (219) 738-2150
feature 9
inklings 3/28/13
Just Foolin’ Around
Taco Bell
In 1996 Taco
Bell took out
ads in several
big newspapers
announcing that
they had bought
the Liberty Bell
in order to help
reduce the national debt and
had renamed it
the “Taco Liberty
Bell.”
April Fools’ is just
around the corner and
the pressure is on for
pranksters of all kinds
BY MOLLY GRACE
feaute editor
A good prank can be complicated or simple.
All that matters is that it is pulled off well and
leaves the prankster laughing and victorious (and
the victim with a good story that, hopefully, can
be laughed at one day).
“When I was younger, probably about 12, I
took Saran wrap and I put it over my sister’s doorway. I put it really tight so there were no wrinkles
and it was completely see-through. I did it in the
middle of the night, and then she woke up all disoriented and she ran right through it and freaked
out,” senior Emily Papamihalakis said.
Siblings are common targets for April Fools’
trickery, but pranks are not limited to family.
“Last April Fools’, I had a group of friends
over the night before. I took a shower and I did
not hear the door open, and all of a sudden this
white stuff was everywhere—they had taken flour
and poured it inside the shower and it got all over
me. And that was not even the best part. I got out
of the shower after I washed it all off and I wiped
off the mirror and I looked in the mirror and
there was a face right next to me, so I screamed
and fell down. On the towel hook they had hung
a mask. It scared me so bad. Then they made me
breakfast to make up for it, but instead of putting
sugar in the pancakes, they put vinegar and salt,
so I ate vinegar and salt pancakes. It was the worst
day of my life,” said junior Tatyanne Rodriguez.
A simple prank to pull on a friend that is likely to give them a little scare and give the prankster a good laugh is to put a note on the friend’s
car saying “sorry about the dent.” Leave a phone
number and a fake name on the note, and make
April Fools’
pranks
done right
Google
PHOTO BY BRITTANY PEDERSEN
Junior Marissa Schoedel is shocked to see her car has been dented, but laughs upon realizing only a
prank has been pulled.
sure to be somewhere nearby to be able to watch
the friend search frantically for a dent.
Pulling pranks is not just for young people.
Parents have been known to pull some pretty funny shenanigans from time-to-time.
“When I was nine, we went to Aruba for
spring break, and it was April Fools’ Day. We were
all lying on the couch, and my dad came running
out of the bathroom screaming that there was an
iguana in the shower, and we all screamed and ran
out of the hotel room. Then he got us locked out
because we freaked out that there was an iguana in
our room when there wasn’t,” sophomore Nadia
Giedemann said.
A fun way to retaliate when a mischievous
parent pulls a prank is this: Go to the sink and
wrap a rubber band around the handle of the
spray nozzle so that it is pressed down and wait
for somebody to turn on the sink. When they do,
instead of water coming out of the faucet it will
come out of the nozzle and spray them. Be sure to
only pull this prank on parents who have a sense
of humor and an appreciation for pranks.
Senior Quentin Klingberg had an experience
where his whole family banded together to trick
him, managing to keep up with the joke long
enough to get him to leave for school during the
nighttime.
“I went to bed about 6 p.m. because I was
wiped, and my family changed all the clocks
around the house to make it look like it was 7
a.m. They freaked out and said that I was late for
school. I did not realize it was 9 p.m. until I was
already in the car and out of the subdivision,”
Klingberg said.
Celebrate this April Fools’ Day the way it was
meant to be celebrated: With a good prank and a
good laugh (and watch out for payback).
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OUR
ADVERTISERS
In 2007 Google
promised a new
service that
would allow
users to add
emails to a “Paper Archive” that
Google would
print out and
ship to the user
at no cost.
Burger King
In 1998 Burger
King released
an ad stating
that they would
be selling a
“Left-Handed
Whopper,” with
all the same
condiments
as the original
except that they
were rotated
180 degrees.
Information by about.com
10 feature
inklings 3/28/13
PHOTOS PROVIDED
Drama students, recommended by theater department chair Kit Degenhart, participate as extras for the independent film “Johnny.” Students were requested by production company
owner Beth Reiners. Students shown above are seniors Casey Kitchen, Katie Fenn, Molly Grace, Angel Barraza and Nina Rettig and juniors Maddie McGuckin and Ryan Kelleher.
Students, faculty aid film productions
Theatre members, teachers participate in independent film-making
BY RAEANNA MORGAN
editor-at-large
Glamour surrounds the movie-making
business. The fame and fortune seen from
afar is something a select few in our society are able to truly experience. Through
their past and present involvement with the
theatre department, participants in CPHS
theatre program were able to get a small
taste of what the film business is really like.
The independent film “Johnny” was in
need of skilled extras. Junior Sophie Reiners’s mother owns a production company,
and when asked to supply extras, she asked
fine arts department chair Kit Degenhart to
direct her to students heavily involved with
the program.
Reiner’s mother, Beth, took the students interested in helping out on set to
Chicago for a day of filming. Participating
as extras, they all had different background
roles.
“They asked my mom if she knew any
theatre people who wanted to come down
and get their feet wet for acting in movies.
So we went down there, and we filmed a
couple scenes and some played people who
played musical instruments in the back-
C rown C ollege
of
ground. I sat in the background at a table
in a diner. We were in a couple scenes in
two different locations. One was downtown
Chicago in the industrial part of town and
the other was in a set made to look like a
diner,” Reiners said.
The behind the scenes aspect of movie
producing made several surprising differences stick out to Reiners.
“I definitely didn’t know how many
extras went into a movie and how much
work it took. It took probably four hours
to film a three minute shot,” Reiners said.
“There’s also a lot of work that goes into
location, hair, makeup, cameramen, there
are so many people that are required to be
there for a three minute scene to happen. It
really opened up my eyes and gave me more
respect for the theatre arts.”
Senior participant Angel Barraza
agreed, commenting on the aspect of length
time when referring to the experience.
“It just took a lot longer than I originally thought. I thought movies were sort
of like you just kind of go with it, but we
did the same scene like ten different times
from all different angles.”
Being involved in and experiencing
two different sides of the acting spectrum,
Barraza tended to lean toward his on stage
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roots.
“I’m more inclined to theatre on the
stage versus the movies just because I think
being on stage is more organic. You really
have to rely on your improvisation skills,
‘‘
I definitely didn’t know how
many extras went into a movie
and how much work it took. It
took probably four hours to film
a three minute shot.
Sophie Reiners
junior
your memorization skills and your acting
skills. In the movies, you can retake a shot
as many times as you need, but on stage
you have only one shot to get it right.”
Reiners felt similarly on the subject
and recognized the differences between the
two types of performances.
“You have a lot more time to rehearse
your lines. It’s not like you go out on stage
and you do it right then. If you mess up
while filming, you can go back and do it. It
isn’t as much improvisation, and you have
a lot more time to memorize your lines, so
it differs in that aspect.”
The involvement with independent
films does not stop at the theatre department. Social studies teacher Paula Barancyk’s home had a minor role in the independent film “You Don’t Say” this past
summer.
“The filmmaker is a friend of my
brother-in-law, and he liked the house on a
previous visit,” Barancyk said of her home
being chosen for the set of the movie.
Barancyk’s husband, a film teacher at
Hobart High School, found the experience
interesting and informative, while Barancyk
was not the biggest fan.
“It was very crowded, and while my
husband stayed to watch, I tried my best to
stay out of it. I felt much attached to my
furniture and things, and watching them
move everything around got annoying after
a while.”
The movie’s official premiere is set for
mid-April in Chicago, but Barancyk was
given a screening beforehand to see her
home on the big screen.
“It was very cool to see my home on
film and watch the filmmaking process,”
Barancyk said.
a&e 11
inklings 3/28/13
inreview
New restaurant
“Mala” by
Devendra Banhart
spices
up Winfield
On his latest album,
Venezuelan freak-folk guru
Devendra
Banhart
sheds all
patchouli
hippyisms
for an
endearingly wacky, highly
listenable style featuring
retro electronics, hilarious
lyrics and breezy rhythms.
BY PAIGE BUELOW
reporter
“Catch My
Breath”
Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson has
come out with yet another single.
“Catch My
Breath” is a
refreshing
new sound
from Clarkson and is very
upbeat and has catchy
lyrics. “Catch My Breath”
definitely is one of her better songs.
CPHS presents:
Guys & Dolls
The CPHS theatre
department wrapped their
rendition of “Guys &
Dolls” this past Saturday.
All six performances were
filled with the casts’ impecable vocals and choreography. Not to be ignored was
the amazing set built by
the crew and the live music
from the pit members.
Hats off, cast and crew.
You’ve done it again.
Silver Linings
Playbook
The Oscars were well
deserved
in this
film.
Bradley
Cooper
and
Jennifer
Lawrence
gave the performance of a
lifetime and the plot was
flawless, filled with just the
right amount of humor,
drama and tear jerking
elements. So far this is the
must see movie of the year.
2013 NCAA
March Madness
Tournament
It dominates every
TV set in the country.
It lingers in the minds
of basketball fanatics
everywhere. March
Madness season is back.
The tournament has
already had its share of
shocking of upsets. Keep
watching for more nailbiting games that are
sure to be ahead.
PHOTO BY PAIGE BUELOW
Three Cheese Enchiladas with rice, beans and chips is a filling El Jimador classic.
9071 East 109th Ave., Crown Point, Indiana
Authentic Options
Lengua (tongue)
Tripa Tacos
Chilaquiles Desayuno
Gorditas
Menudo
Milanesa
Hidden away, off of 109th
Avenue in a small building complex, lies a restaurant gem waiting
to be discovered. El Jimador
Mexican Cuisine recently opened
its doors and began to quietly
cultivate a fan following. El Jimador is worthy to be any foodies’ favorite spot for a good-eat.
Though small in size, the range
of seating, from a breakfast bar to
booths allows for easy conversation and a friendly atmosphere.
Similar to most spots that
serve Mexican cuisine, loud
music also plays a part in the experience of El Jimador. Two large
murals decorate the walls while
the remaining area is occupied by
a large open kitchen where the
chefs put on a show while preparing the many dishes.
After sitting down, the wait
staff promptly brings over fresh
chips and homemade salsa to
work on before the official dish
decision is made. Offering over
75 options, for breakfast, lunch
and dinner, there are enough options to satisfy even the pickiest
of eaters. The menu allows flexibility throughout many different
meal customizations. With each
dinner selection, the customer
can pick his or her own meat and
side, although the standard rice
and chips hold their own against
the other options.
El Jimador’s also satisfies
even the hungriest of customers. The large portion sizes leave
plenty to fill a doggy-bag to
enjoy later. If there is not enough
time to sit down for a meal, El
Jimador’s offers all of their meals
and homemade salsa for carryout
orders that can be picked up in
the store.
Overall, as a new business, El
Jimador hits the spot with great
customer service and even better
food, both of which make up for
the small space. From the personable chef who not only makes
the food but also checks on the
quality of the food to the fun
atmosphere, El Jimador is a Mexican destination that is definitely
worth the drive.
“The Last Exorcism Part II” musters disappointing returns
BY EMILY BEST
reporter
In August of 2010, “The Last Exorcism”
came out in theatres and was not liked
among most viewers. The plotline was plain
dumb, and the acting was terrible. “The Last
Exorcism Part II,” which came out March
1, is definitely better than its prequel, but
the movie had a stupid ending and the scare
factor was pathetic and disappointing.
The movie follows the main character,
Nell Sweetzer, (Ashley Bell) who has been
sent to a home for girls after the events in
the previous movie. She believes she was
possessed but convinces herself it was all fake.
After arriving at the home, Nell improves
tremendously, claiming all nightmares of hers
have stopped and she feels like her normal self
again.
But soon after, her nightmares begin
again, and she believes she is being stalked by
the demon that once possessed her, “Abalam,”
(King of Hell.) The man who runs the home
Nell is living in, Frank Merle, tells Nell if she
doesn’t stop acting crazy he will have to send
her to a psychiatric hospital. (At this point
in the movie, no one believes Nell is actually
possessed.) Nell only gets worse, and one
social
life
A section devoted
to social media
night comes across a woman named Cecile,
who claims she has been Nell’s “watcher”
and wants to help her. (This part gets kind
of weird; how would a random woman know
what Nell is experiencing?) While at Cecile’s
house, Cecile summons “Abalam” and Nell
best
tweets
best
apps
104.22% in ‘Merican Lit. So proud to represent my
country in an English class
Junior Chelsea Snedden
@Chellllsseaa
Snow...Come on, Snow not now. Snow? Stop. Stop!
STOOOPPPPPP NOOOOOO
STOPITSTOPITSTOPITSTOPIT
Senior John MacNeil
Fitness Pal
@John _SmackNeil
I had a dream that the lochness monster and I were
playing just dance 4 and he won #wtfman
Seniot Kaitlin Watts
@_katelovescats
Woah, CPHS DOES believe in delays... #noway
Junior Katija Tarailo
claims that he is present. Cecile comes to the
conclusion that the demon loves Nell and will
do whatever it takes to have her. Cecile calls
over two men from “The Order of the Right
Hand” and they try to drive the demon out of
Nell through an exorcism.
The film was rated a C+ on Cinemascore
and received a 14 percent on Rotten
Tomatoes, which is pretty accurate. The film
had potential, but the ending ruined any
chance this movie had of being good. With
any good horror movie, the ending leaves the
viewer in shock. The ending of this movie did
anything but that. Up until the ending, the
movie was okay. It still wouldn’t be considered
great, but it had brief moments of the
qualities a great movie holds. Then the ending
happened, and the movie was ruined.
The acting was average. It wasn’t bad but
it wasn’t spectacular. Ashley Bell did an overall
good job of portraying Nell as “possessed,”
but the other actors lacked emotion and were
dull. This movie had an overall eerie effect,
but the movie wasn’t that scary. Many horror
movie fanatics thrive off the fear a scary
movie brings, and this movie was very lacking
in that area. “The Last Exorcism Part II” is an
overall bad movie and definitely not worth the
$10 to see.
@bigKAT_22
Songza
Personalized to the individual,
Fitness Pal is an app that
counts calories and also takes
into account the amount one
excerises as well. This app is a
great way to help you stick to
healthy eating habits.
Want an app that plays music
according to your mood, time
of day or day of the week?
Songza does all three of those.
With hundreds of different
playlists to choose from,
Songza is always on point.
best
follows
@yaaboysloth
Check out this sloth sensation
for a feel of what the lazy life is all
about.
@_Snape_
Watching Harry Potter is no
longer needed for one’s daily dose
of Snape.
12 a&e
inklings 3/28/13
Bewitched by the amazing “Oz”
BY VERDA MIRZA
reporter
Before any excellent story, there is always a past: a past that tells
how something came to be. “Oz the Great and Powerful” focuses on
the famous wizard, Oz, and how he became the powerful wizard of
Oz.
Three years after recreating the classical movie “Alice in Wonderland,” Disney comes back stronger with its remarkable movie “Oz the
Great and Powerful” directed by Sam Raimi.
“Oz the Great and Powerful” is the prequel to the popular 1939
classical movie “The Wizard of Oz.” Both these outstanding movies
were based on the Oz series by L. Frank Baum.
The film stars James Franco as Oscar Diggs, commonly known
as Oz. Everyone knows Oz to be a father figure in the Land of Oz.
However, that was not always the case.
Oscar Diggs is a well-known liar and womanizer. He was a smalltown Kansas manipulative magician whose life turns upside down one
day after a storm hits the town. He later wakes up in the vibrant Land
of Oz. There he encounters three witches Theodora (Mila Kunis),
Evanora (Rachel Weisz) and Glinda (Michelle Williams).
Here he discovers that an evil witch is destroying the Land of Oz,
and it is up to him to stop her. This begins his journey to discover
himself to be a great wizard and a great man.
Franco did an outstanding job of playing this quirky and wonderful character. Not only that, he was a good looking wizard. Sorry Mr.
Potter, but Oz takes this point from Gryffindor for most handsome
wizard.
To any good movie there must always be a twist that should have
the audience sitting at the edge of their seats, and “Oz the Great and
Powerful” certainly has it.
What is a movie without romance in it? Even with Oz’s mischievous ways he still finds true love. However, with the numerous
amount of women in this movie one does not know who he will fall
for until the end.
BY MADDIE ADDUCCI
reporter
It has all the elements that a good movie has. It is comical and
adventurous.
“Oz the Great and Powerful” is an amazing movie that will bring
a smile to anyone’s face.
Justin Timberlake’s “20/20 Experience” a perfect 10/10
BY SAM BEISHUIZEN
editor-in-chief
Justin Timberlake is back.
Two months ago he told
us he was ready, and after taking an almost seven year-long
hiatus from music, the man
who brought sexy back himself
has finally released his highly
anticipated third album, the
Timbaland-produced “The 20/20
Experience.” Fans will be happy
to know those seven years off
have failed to create any sort of
slump.
This album nearly mirrors
Timberlake’s “FutureSex/LovesSounds,” but don’t expect fans
to mind that. It plays like an
extended play list of “FutureSex/
LoveSounds” that just happened
to come seven years late. Despite the lack of drastic creative
1
changes to his music, it is hard
to find anything wrong with the
album.
The album consists of 10
songs that average nearly seven
minutes in length. With any other artist, radio stations would be
complaining that the length is a
problem, but for whatever reason,
it works when Justin Timberlake
does it. In typical JT fashion, just
when the listener thinks a song
our
FAVES
2
3
“Olympus Has
Fallen” brings
down the
(White) House
is winding down around the four
minute mark, an entirely new
combination of sounds and tones
come laced together to create
Timberlake’s R&B ballads that
become nearly twice as long as
typical pop tracks.
The stand-out song off the
album comes right from the beginning with “Pusher Love Girl.”
The song opens like the start of a
New York symphony but morphs
into a soulful ballad that manages to relate love with a drug addiction while keeping a smooth,
R&B feel. JT has certainly come
a long way since his days with ‘N
Sync.
If the seven year break was
too long for fans to handle, relief
may come in knowing that, following his upcoming world tour
with “Suit and Tie” featured artist Jay-Z, Timberlake is expected
1
Top Tracks
“PUSHER LOVE GIRL”
Track #1
“MIRRORS”
Track #9
“BLUE OCEAN FLOOR”
Track #10
to drop a follow-up album this
fall.
Don’t expect any radical
changes in that album either; as
Timberlake preaches “baby please
don’t change nothing because
your flavor is so original” to his
lover in “Strawberry Bubblegum,”
“The 20/20 Experience” makes it
clear that the best things should
just be left alone.
tri kappa chocolate easter eggs
These chocolate eggs are back just in time for the spring
season. The local Tri Kappa chapter has made their annual supply
of chocolate Easter eggs. The eggs come with a variety of fillings
including: peanut butter, coconut, raspberry cream, chocolate
cream, maple nut crunch and caramel. The proceeds from these
eggs priced at just $4 each will go to local organizations or towards
scholarships for Crown Point students.
2
rain boots
Puddles and mud caused by those pesky spring showers will
no longer be a problem with a pair of rain boots. These boots can
come in a variety of colors. Two popular fashion rain boot brands
are the Rockfish London and Hunter boots. The Hunter brand
averages around $135 and the Rockfish brand averages around $60.
3
clear phone cases
Clear phone cases allow for inevitable creativity. Any photo
or picture can be printed the size of the back of one’s phone and
placed under the clear case so that the photo of choice becomes the
user’s new phone case. Plus, photos can be switched any time.
A good movie draws emotion
from its audience while engulfing
them in the plot. The characters
do not merely come across as actors and actresses, but real people
learning an important life lesson.
“Olympus Has Fallen” does all of
this and more.
Actor Aaron Eckhart plays
President Benjamin Asher as
the White House is taken over
by a radical militant group
from North Korea. His former
Secret Service Guard and close
friend, Mike Banning, is played
beautifully by Gerard Butler.
After playing the villain in “Law
Abiding Citizen,” Butler proves
his abilities to play the role of an
American hero in this film.
Morgan Freeman and Angela Bassett seal the deal as their
characters, Speaker Trumbull
and Secret Service Director Lynn
Jacobs, work together to save the
president and protect the nation.
They struggle to make a decision
when the leader of the enemy
wants all U.S. forces to withdrawal from the demilitarized
zone located between North and
South Korea.
The film is full of action, yet
the plot is well thought through
and brilliantly executed. The
graphic violence earns its R rating; however, the picture looked
great and at no point did the
killing occur just for the sake
of blood. There was a purpose
to every scene which held the
audience’s attention. Plus the
subtle humor in the script and
love among the families provided
the touch needed to balance an
intense action film.
Watching an enemy force
capture the White House and
kill hundreds of Americans
was an emotional experience.
However, “Olympus Has Fallen”
left a thick air of patriotism in
the theatre after the U.S. came
back from a near unredeemable
situation. This movie is a realistic
portrait of the bravery and courage found in America’s finest.
we’re
SO
over
the weather’s
mood swings
Hey Mother Nature,
you need to get with
the season. Spring just
started and we do not
like this cold weather.
You had your chance
to bring us the snow
over winter break, but
now it is over. Spring
break starts tomorrow,
and you better not let
us down with more cold
weather.
sports13
inklings 3/28/13
Swinging for the stars
State ranked ‘Dogs set sights
on state championship run
‘‘
BY ALEX McLEAN
KARA BIERNAT
sports editor
asst. sports editor
As the baseball season gets
under way, the Bulldog varsity
squad is gearing up for another
deep postseason run. The Bulldogs once again find themselves
on top of the preseason state
rankings sitting at number ten,
according to the Indiana Coaches Poll. The team is prepping to
maintain their ranking and come
out on top at the end of the season.
“We always like to have a 20
win season, and with this team
this year we might be aiming for
25,” head coach Steve Strayer
said. “We’ll be trying to come
out as conference champions
and then sectional champions
and take each step from there.”
Last season, the ‘Dogs ended
their season going 27-5 after losing to Valparaiso in the sectional
semi-finals. The boys are taking
last year as motivation to pursue
their main goal this year; winning the state championship.
“We trained so hard and it
just didn’t work out in the end.
The loss definitely left a bad taste
in our mouth, but we’re putting it toward motivation for
this year’s season,” senior Bobby
Morgan said.
Not only did the boys lose
the sectional game, but the team
also lost six seniors. Losing
leadership can affect a team immensely. However, after rebuilding in the offseason, the ‘Dogs
have ten seniors this year to lead
them to victory.
“We have a very experienced
team this year. We want to come
out stronger than any other team
and minimize our mistakes. It’s
going to be up to our seniors to
share their experiences with the
younger kids to help them from
making the mistakes they made
in years past,” Strayer said.
We know we
need to work hard
to reach our goals,
and we’re prepared to do that
senior Zach Plesac
Looking to step up among
the seniors and lead the team to
success is senior Zach Plesac. As a
starting pitcher, Plesac is looking
to improve from last season’s 8-2
record where he held 92 strikeouts, 29 walks, a WHIP of .98
and an ERA of 1.08.
“Plesac can be one of the
best pitchers in the state if he can
locate all his pitches. If he can
keep his composure throughout
the season, he’s going to have a
great year,” Strayer says.
Morgan is also looking to
step up and lead the team after
hitting .431 with 20 RBIs and
two home runs. While many
would consider these numbers
impressive, Morgan is working
to keep improving. Morgan has
been putting in time working
with Detroit Tigers hitting coach
Lloyd McClenden to fine tune
his game.
“Last year was a good year
for me, but I want to do better
this year. I’ve been putting in
a lot of time with my hitting
coach. Getting help from a professional coach has definitely put
my game over the top.”
Plesac and Morgan have
stepped up this year and are striving to lead the team to a successful season. Leadership is a key
element between the lines and
contributes to the team’s overall
success.
Both players have their futures in baseball lined up, with
Plesac attending Ball State in the
fall and Morgan moving on to
John A. Logan University junior
BobbyMorgan
Age: 17
Height: 6’2’’
Grade: Senior
2012 AVG: .431
2012 RBIs: 20
2012 Homeruns: 2
2012 OBP: .513
Season Goals:
Win State
college to continue to improve his game.
“Baseball’s been such a huge
part of my life since I was little.
I’ve grown such a love for it. I’m
just happy I can continue to play
at the next level. I’m hoping to
work hard enough to one
day get drafted,”
Morgan said.
Plesac, however, has
not put
more thought
into his future in
baseball beyond this
season.
“I haven’t put too much
thought into college yet, we
still have to get through this
year. Once high school basbeball gets taken care of, then I’ll
start worrying about college,”
Plesac said.
For this year, the ‘Dogs
have one goal in mind: the
state championship.
“We’re going to try to stay
at the top of the state all year
and work up to the big prize,
the state championship,” Plesac
said.
The Bulldogs had to delay
the start of their season this
week due to weather. Games
against Elkhart Central and Warsaw were cancelled and are currently pending reschedule.
From here, the boys have
Elkhart Memorial to look forward to this Saturday and Bishop Noll this upcoming Tuesday.
The team will be looking to get
as many wins under their belt
before heading into conference
play.
“We’re just looking
over the different situations we could be in. We’ll
be approaching this season with
a competitive mindset. We know
we need to work hard to reach
our goals, and we’re prepared to
do that,” Plesac said.
PHOTO BY AMY SCHUCH
2013Schedule
Sat. March 30
Tues. April 2
Thurs. April 4
Sat. April 6
Tues. April 9
Thurs. April 11
@ Elkhart Memorial
@ Bishop Knoll
@ Munster
@ Mount Carmel
vs Lake Central
@ Merrillville
Mon. April 15
Fri. April 19
Sat. April 20
Thurs. April 25
vs Michigan City
@ Chesterton
@ Bishop Noll
vs Portage
ZachPlesac
Age: 18
Height: 6’2’’
Grade: Senior
2012 Record: 8-2
2012 ERA: 1.08
2012 Strikeouts: 92
2012 WHIP: .98
Season Goals:
Win State
14 sports
inklings 3/28/13
Hockey team falls in state finals
Dogs go on end of season run
to finish with 13-17-6 record;
lose to South Bend Adams at state
BY ALEX McLEAN
sports editor
Throughout the course
of a season, teams of every
sport go on hot or cold
streaks. The Crown Point
Hockey squad’s season was
filled with streaks on both
sides of the win-loss spectrum, but the Bulldogs
managed to put together
a hot streak when it mattered most to make a run at
the state title earlier in the
month.
The Bulldogs got the
season started with a bang,
going 6-1-1 in their first
eight games. The season
took a downhill turn from
there, as the ‘Dogs went
1-11-4 in the next 16 games.
They scrapped together a
6-5-1 run to end the season
with a final record of 13-176.
“Other teams didn’t really expect us to do all that
great,” senior Mitch Witham said. “We came out really strong in the beginning
of the season and it caught
a lot of teams off guard.
When we started playing
teams for a second or third
time, they were ready for us
and we struggled a bit. But
we still managed to put it
together at the end of the
year.”
Last year’s season’s end
saw the departure of five
key senior leaders. This
resulted in a wave of new
faces for the team, with less
experienced players getting
more ice time than in seasons past and new players
having to rise to the occasion to be team leaders.
“I was surprised by how
many new kids turned out,”
senior Timmy Yokovich
said. “A lot of them weren’t
used to the fast paced varsity games and it definitely
gave us some chemistry issues at the beginning of the
season. But the more we
played the more we gelled as
a team and I think that had
a lot to do with how well we
finished the season.”
The Bulldogs looked
to start off the postseason
with a Roper Cup Championship title-an honor they
earned each of the past
two seasons. Their road to
a third straight victory was
cut short, however, in a 2-1
overtime loss to rival Munster.
“We had our minds too
much on state. Munster is
a good team and they just
outplayed us,” senior Rob
Mazzaro said.
With the regular season
and Roper Cup completely
behind them, the Bulldogs
looked ahead to the state
tournament. The team
found themselves in the 2A
Division and opened with a
game against Carmel Blue.
Carmel drew first blood,
but the ‘Dogs clawed back
into the game to beat the
Icehounds, 3-2.
“Carmel’s given us
trouble before, but we really
just went back to the basics. We had good passing
and tight defense and that’s
what really helped us win,”
Mazzaro said.
Next up the team faced
Bishop Dwenger. Despite
goals from Witham and
senior Jessie Slawinokoski,
the Bulldogs were unable to
stop the Saints attack and
fell 4-2.
“Our offense just wasn’t
clicking. We couldn’t really
get many good shots,” Yokovich said.
Heading into the final
game of the Round Robin
tournament, the Bulldogs
needed only a tie to advance
to the state finals. The Bulldogs matched every South
Bend Adams goal, however,
and Witham found the back
of the net with seven minutes left to play to solidify
the 4-4 tie and advance the
team to the state finals.
“It was a really intense
game. We battled hard and
focused on keeping our
PHOTO PROVIDED
Senior Mitch Witham fights for faceoff against Carmel Blue in the second game of the 2A
State Championship tournament. The Bulldogs went on to win the game 3-2.
defense strong once we established the tie,” Yokovich
said.
The
championship
game put the team against
South Bend Adams once
more, but this time the Eagles would not be denied. A
late goal from junior Spencer Pilarski was the only
scoring the ‘Dogs could
achieve, falling 3-1.
“It was a tough loss,”
Yokovich said. “We weren’t
really clicking like we had
in previous games. We let
them get too much of a
lead and couldn’t get back
into it.”
This was the third time
the senior class found themselves in the state finals and
left for home without a trophy. Despite this, Yokovich
is still pleased with how the
season went.
“It’s always hard to
lose in the championship
game. It definitely stings a
bit,” Yokovich said. “But
I’m still proud of my team.
We really did have a great
season.”
Bulldog track squads prepare for outdoor season
BY DAVID KEPSHIRE
reporter
As the outdoor season approaches, the Crown Point
boys and girls track teams get ready for the long outdoor
season ahead. Both teams have just finished their indoor
season, one meet being the Duneland Athletic Conference
meet and the other being the state meet. Both the girls
and boys team were able to come out strong in these meets.
The boys track team comes into the year having many
seniors remaining on the team from last year. Many of
these seniors are main contributors to the team. These
seniors bring a sense of leadership that can really help the
younger kids during the season.
“We have lots of talent that we have been trying to
develop since the start of the season,” head coach Keith
Iddings said. “The seniors have been a big help since they
have been through this before and can bring that leadership we need.”
One of the senior leaders on the team is Travis Kucic.
He, along with teammates senior Daniel Walters, junior
Zach Seamon and sophomore Luke Voss, placed eighth in
the state meet and came in first in the DAC meet with a
time of 8:23.61 for the 3200 relay.
“Our goal is to get in the top three for state,” Kucic
said. “We’ve been training hard and have been taking no
days off in order to get better.”
Another bright spot on the ‘Dogs team is senior Zach
Sneiderwine. Sniderwine was forced to miss all of last season because of a knee injury. This season, he has been sick
for most of the early season practices with mononucleosis
and has been training hard to get back into top shape.
“Dealing with mono messed up my whole training
schedule,” Sneiderwine said. “I’ve had to train harder to
get back into shape and hopefully the hard work will pay
PHOTO BY AMY SCHUCH
Senior Bailey Beckham prepares for the outdoor season
in a recent practice. Beckham will run the 400 and be a
part of the 1600 relay.
off in the end.”
Sneiderwine along with junior Nick Faso, Seamon and
Kucic placed second in DAC for the 1600 relay with a time
of 3:33.75. Sneiderwine also was the 200 meter run DAC
champion with a time of 23.39.
“A sectional title is a very big possibility for us,”
Sneiderwine said. “I’m trying to push people as hard as I
can in order to make them better runners.”
On the girls side, the team is being led by senior Bailey Beckham who is going to be running track for Butler
University next year. Beckham, along with senior Allison
Wortel, junior Kayla McGurk and senior Mikayla Marcinkowski, finished ninth in state for the Distance Medley
Relay. They were seeded twentieth in state, won their heat
and ended up finishing ninth.
“The indoor season really helps us with our conditioning,” coach Adam Piaskowy said. “It allows us to focus
on getting everybody in shape so we can attack during the
outdoor season.”
In the indoor DAC meet, the 1600 relay team took
first place and set a Crown Point record with the time
of 4:25.5. This team consisted of Marcinkowski, McGurk,
sophomore Abby Baker and Beckham who took the place
of sophomore Katelyn Mellady who was sick on race day.
“I just try to lead by example and make sure people
are always doing the right thing,” Beckham said. “I hope
to help people push themselves in practice and visualize
for success.”
Beckham, whose main race is the 400, is hoping to
break the Crown Point record in her senior season.
“The record is 58.03,” Beckham said. “Right now, I
run a 58.82 and my goal is to drop a whole second and
take that record.
Both the boys and girls teams are hoping for a successful season. The way the indoor season ended, there are
many reasons for optimism going into the outdoor season.
“My goal is to have our runners improve from where
they are today,” Iddings said. “We have no control over
other teams so if we keep doing better the wins will come.”
sports15
inklings 3/28/13
Girls softball looks toward new beginning
a second with
ALEX
Lady ‘Dogs look to build on last season’s success
team as well.
“We’ve got a lot of returning
players and a couple of new girls
coming in,” Britton said. “The
girls are ready to pick up where
we left off and hit the ground running.”
One of the new members includes freshman Miranda Elish, a
stand-out pitcher who has already
committed to play for Oregon.
Britton believes Elish will play a
big role this season.
“(Elish) is going to make an
immediate impact in the rotation
for pitchers,” Britton said. “She
adds a lot of depth to our group,
and that will be a benefit going
forward.”
Despite it being her first year
on the team, Elish believes her
preparation will help her achieve
the high expectations and overcome the pressure.
“My expectations are high, so
that puts a lot of pressure on me,”
Elish said. “I know I can do it,
though. As long as I continue to
do my best at practice, I’m confident I can take on that pressure.”
Elish is not facing the pressure alone. After finishing 25-8
last season, the team as a whole
enters the season with high expectations.
“We’re expected to play well,
BY ALAA ABDELDAIEM
reporter
BY Alex McLean
sports editor
Sifting through the
madness
Brackets have been busted.
Ink has been wasted and paper
shredded. It is said every year,
but this past weekend lived up
to the name March Madness.
We learned a lot about a lot of
teams, so let’s take a second to
recap.
We learned that Gonzaga
isn’t quite the team many expected them to be going into
the tournament. We learned
that Louisville is the team that
many expected it to be going
into the tournament.
We learned that you can
never really count Tom Izzo
and the Spartans out in March,
but we should’ve already known
that. We learned that the Big
Ten really is the dominant
league in this tournament. We
learned that Victor Oladipo and
Aaron Craft can hit a clutch
three-pointer to win big games.
We learned that Michigan
can be one of the best teams in
the country if they are on their
game, and hey, did anybody else
recognize that little white guy
doing work for the Wolverines?
A week ago we learned that
Florida Gulf Coast is in fact
a team, and this weekend we
learned that not only that, they
are a real good team.
So what can we expect out
of the tournament from here?
Will Jordan Hulls step up to be
the leader the Hoosiers are used
to? Or will his shoulder injury
lead to him being a non-factor
like in the Temple game?
Two of the best coaches
cross paths in the Duke-Michigan State game. Will Coach K.
or Tom Izzo come out on top?
Can Sherwood Brown
keep the Eagles rolling against
a tough Florida team? And will
the Shockers continue to live
up to their name, or will LaSalle
be the first 13 seed to make the
Elite Eight?
No analyzation will answer
these questions. The only way
we’ll find out is by buckling in
and watching the games.
With the start of every season,
teams often stress the importance
of putting the past behind them.
The events of last season were last
season. This is the message firstyear head coach Ginger Britton is
sending her softball team.
After Brett Crutchfield resigned as head coach last May,
Britton took over, looking to continue the team’s recent success.
The girls could not close out the
season the way they had hoped,
however, losing in the sectional final and falling short of their goal.
As a new season unfolds, the team
has put their past behind them
and directed their attention to the
games ahead.
“Losing in sectionals was a
heartbreaker last year,” senior Siena Gyure said. “We’re really hoping we can finish off strong and
get that title this year. That’s what
we’re focused on.”
The team’s road to sectionals will be approached with many
familiar members. The girls lost
only two seniors and have many
of last year’s members returning.
Despite having most of their players back, the girls have also welcomed some new additions to the
Golf squad looks to improve
upon last year’s sectional title
The Bulldogs
golf squad
kicks off its season with the Hall
of Fame tournament at Rock Hollow golf course in Peru, Indiana
next Friday. The boys have been
training hard to prepare for this
tournament.
“Our tournament preparation is simple. We just work hard,
practice our swings and just try
our best to get better as a team,”
sophomore Mike Lee said.
Last year, the Dogs’ finished
the season by earning themselves
a sectional championship. This
year, they are raising their goals
even higher with the hopes of winning state.
“We have a whole season
ahead of us, and as a team we are
BY ALEXIS BERDINE
reporter
At the beginning of every
sports team’s season, there are always new challenges to be faced.
New members are introduced
and senior members leave, so rebuilding team dynamic is always
emphasized early on in a team’s
season. The boys golf team just recently started its season and is currently focusing on reshaping itself
and preparing for the upcoming
year.
“Things are looking really
great so far for the new season. We
have a lot of really good young
talent,” sophomore Matt Kish
said.
48
Florida Gulf Coast
10
31
23
20
aiming to ultimately win state this
year,” Lee said.
This is the boys’ first time
playing in the Hall Of Fame tournament. This course will provide
a lot more difficulty than what
the ‘Dogs are typically used to.
“This tournament will be
more challenging because the
course is a lot closer to collegiate
level distance in comparison to
the courses we normally are golfing on,” head coach Jonathan
Haas said.
Haas is taking over the head
coaching position after Del Kutemeier stepped down from the position last year. With help from
assistant coach Brian Trapp, Haas
is now the head of both boys and
girls golf teams.
“I think that all this change
will end up being for the better.
Haas is going to help us improve
as a team this year and in years to
come,” senior Pat Mudd said.
inside The NCAA
LaSalle
0
and that definitely puts pressure
on us, but we’re taking it positively,” Gyure said. “We’re physically
and mentally preparing ourselves
and looking to do our best, and I
think that will take us far.”
Boys golf prepares to tee off regular season
Which low seed has the best chance
to advance to the Elite Eight?
Oregon
PHOTO BY TINA WINFREY
Preparing for their first game, sophomore Haley Sanders slides to the
base as junior Allison Rock tags her out at practice.
30
out of 102 students polled
40
50
Upsets are part of what
make sports surreal. The opening
round of the NCAA Tournament
proved just that. With the Sweet
Sixteen round starting tonight,
three teams below the 12 seed will
be looking to advance. We asked
students who they think is most
likely to continue their success.
Oregon raised some eyebrows
when they were given a 12 seed
to begin the tournament. They
played with a chip on their
shoulder and it paid off. With
big wins over Oklahoma State
and Saint Loius, the Ducks could
prove to be a challenge for top
seeded Louisville.
LaSalle had to struggle to
cling to their lead against Kansas
State before beating Ole Miss with
a buzzer beater. The Explorers
have to get past another surprise
team in Wichita State to advance
to the Elite Eight.
Florida Gulf Coast University
was the biggest surprise of
the year. After neutralizing
future lottery pick Otto Porter,
the Eagles blew through San
Diego State and now face Billy
Donovan’s Florida Gators.
The transition process to
a new coaching staff has been
slowed due to winter conditions
lingering longer than exprected.
The harsh weather has provided
some early obstacles for the boys
to overcome. The boys home
course, Youche Country Club, has
been unable to open, forcing the
boys to play at Oak Knoll.
“The weather has created a
huge disadvantage for our practices. It’s difficult to practice a
spring sport in winter weather
conditions,” Haas said.
Despite early struggles, the
Bulldogs are looking forward to
the upcoming season and are anxious to travel to their upcoming
tournament.
“We should be pretty good
this year. Everyone is really excited, and a lot of good golfers are
back this season. All of the boys
are antsy and ready to get out and
play,” Haas said.
Alex says “LaSalle might
have the easiest match up,
but how can you root against
FGCU? Watch the Eagles take
dunk city all the way past the
Gators. I like Florida Gulf
Coast to advance.”
Kara says “Even with
FGCU’s recent hot streak, the
Eagles have a tough route to
advance. With Lasalle having played in opening round
play, Marshall Henderson will
lead the Explorers to the Elite
Eight.”
16 people
inklings 3/28/13
Sticking
out of the crowd
BY MAGGIE GELON
copy editor
‘Twas the night before prom and it need
not be said that visions of taffeta danced in
girls’ heads. Junior Grace Wiley’s vision was
much - stickier. Forget chiffon and satin; Wylie will be donning a duct tape gown to prom
this year.
Duck brand duct tape holds a scholarship contest called
Stuck at Prom
each
year.
Contestants
take
Junior designs dress
made of duct tape
for national contest
must create an outfit for prom out of duct
tape and are judged equally on the workmanship, originality, accessories, use of color and
use of duct tape.
“It’s a great scholarship opportunity,” Wylie said of the $5,000 scholarship grand prize
that she and her date could win.
Though the contest offers monetary opportunities, the creation of the dress itself has
provided Wylie with a creative outlet.
“I’ve been doing stuff with duct tape since
third grade when someone taught me how to
make a duct tape wallet. I started making
PHOTO BY AMY SCHUCH
Adding detail to the bodice, junior Grace Wiley constructs the duct tape prom dress she will be
wearing to the Grand March. “It’s what I want to do with my life,” Wylie said. “It’s my passion.”
(duct tape) flowers when I was in middle
school,” Wylie said.
Wylie ultimately settled on creating a
shorter base of a dress with an ornate train attached to the back where she incorporated the
duct tape flowers and manipulated the colors
to create an ombre effect.
“(The dress) is peacock colors, and the
front has a scale look to it. On the back there
are flowers that look like roses and lilies, and
they transition from dark green to light green
to a bluish color,” Wylie said.
While Wylie has worked with duct tape
since childhood, her skills in fashion technique and construction were imperative. She
is no stranger to the fashion world and often
makes her own clothes and dresses for dances.
“I’ve been sewing since I was 10,” Wylie
said. “(For this dress) I’m making a corset
back, and I put cuts in the skirt (to make it
move).”
Though constructing her own prom dress,
the price tag has not disappeared. While the
base of the dress only consists of about twoand-a-half rolls, the details quickly add up.
“I will probably use at least 100 rolls (of
duct tape). It is expensive, but I’ve been using
coupons at JoAnn’s Fabric and Craft stores to
buy them half off,” Wylie said.
Wylie has spent about two hours each day
working on her dress for the past few months
and hopes to have the dress done in her independent art class before spring break so that
she can begin the suit for her date, junior Michael Keller.
“I think it’s going to look amazing,”
Keller said. “I think this will show (Wylie’s)
talent, and it’s very hard to make, so it will be
pretty awesome.”
Wylie plans on making the two outfits
cohesive by incorporating complimentary
green stitching into the suit and adding a
signature flower to his pocket.
“It’s challenging to make pants and
sleeves. The problem with duct tape is that
you need to be able to bend,” Wylie said.
Because duct tape is a heavier and less
breathable textile, the couple will only wear
their outfits to the Grand March where they
will take the pictures that Wylie will enter in
the scholarship contest.
This experience offers an opportunity for
Wylie to develop her fashion repertoire and
prepare her for her future in design.
Sophomore
Chance Shea
Veggie Boy
My favorite food is a
cucumber. I can eat a
cucumber like an apple,
except I don’t eat the
skin.
Art in the Dark
My favorite project we
have done in art class
was prehistoric art. We
crumpled paper and
drew with chalk in the
dark like cavemen.
All in the
Family
I’m part of a family of six
kids. It has its ups and
downs. I’m never lonely
or bored, but sometimes
space can be an issue.
Weird Words
If there are two words
that bother me they are
“swell” and “moist.”
Hair that Cares
My mom and I call my
bangs “protection bangs.”
They make me feel secure.
As spring break begins, I need a break from...
Nathan Hanlon
freshman
Maddison Lawson
junior
...the same
daily routine.
...football
workouts.
...people in
general.
Samantha Gawlinkski
sophomore
5
...tons of
tests.
Emily Dykstra
senior