May 2010 - Crown Point Community School Corporation

INKLINGS
May 28, 2010
•
Volume 74 Issue 9 • Crown Point High School • 1500 S. Main Street Crown Point, IN 46307 • [email protected]
Road rage: Students struggle with anger while driving
page 9
Facebook groups: Groups based on Crown Point teachers and students
“IRON MAN 2”: Staffer reviews the much anticipated release of the movie
News
Fingerprints
replacing
lunch cards
New lunch line
system, involving a fingerprint
scan program is
expected to
increase
efficiency
page 10
page 11
A crude awakening
Gulf oil spill effects
continue to tally up,
raising concern
pg. 3
News
Foodstock
Upcoming charity
concert involves
student and
teacher bands,
with proceeds
going to the Food
Bank
pg. 3
Feature
Senior
memories
Seniors share
the top ten things
they’ll miss (and
won’t miss) about
high school.
pg. 7
Entertainment
photo by
By Lauren Cain
copy editor
While it may seem that the oil spill occurring
in the Gulf of Mexico is only impacting coastline
states, it is also directly affecting Northwest
Indiana as well. From the risk of oil prices rising,
to the fact that local workers were sent down to
help clean up, Crown Point is feeling the effects
of the oil spill.
On April 20, an offshore oil rig run by British
Petroleum (BP) exploded, causing 11 men to be
missing and presumed dead as well as the oil from
the rig to spew throughout the Gulf. BP reports
Designer
Desserts
A bakery in
Valparaiso offers
decorated
desserts.
D. Casillas
that the rig is spewing 5,000 gallons of oil a day,
yet independent scientists believe the spill may be
10 to 12 times larger than that. Despite its many
Johnson said.
While the oil is affecting the plants on the
coast, Johnson also said that it is affecting the
efforts, BP has yet to stop the oil from spilling.
To many of nature preservationists’ dismay, on
May 12, the oil started to wash up onto Louisiana
coastline, beginning to damage delicate wetlands.
According to Environmental Science teacher Dotty
Johnson, the effects of this spill on the wetlands
animals, as well as our food.
“The oil spill happened during spawning
and nesting season. Animals and fish that may
have left when the oil was first detected have a
biological imperative to have and raise their
babies there. There is also trouble with marine
are tremendous.
“When oil coats
marsh grass, it dies.
The
marsh
grass
is important when
hurricanes hit because
it helps to diffuse the
waves that hit the coast.
The roots of the marsh
grass also help to stop
shoreline erosion,”
300
11
Oil
Spill
statistics
5
25
,000
barrels spilled
a day
million dollars
estimated to be spent
on BP cleanup efforts
BP workers presumed
to be dead from oil
rig explosion
million dollar grants given to
four states affected by spill:
Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi,
and Florida
story continued on pg. 3
pg. 12
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Legislation passed for AP scores
By Kelly Rostin
opinion editor
At the end of every
Advance
Placement
(AP) course, a two
or three hour test
sums up all of the
information obtained
from the course based
on guidelines from the
College Board. Scores
are based on a scale of
one to five, five being
the highest and best
score you can get.
Most colleges accept
scores of only four or
higher in order to grant
a student college credit
for the corresponding
AP course. While some
colleges
currently
accept three’s, most do
not.
Now with the
passing of a new
legislation, any student
who receives a three
or higher on the AP
test will receive college
credit for any in-state
college or university
starting in 2011 for
the state of Indiana. This new legislation
will make it easier
for students to obtain
college credit hours,
but if a certain course
is part of a student’s
major, students may be
required to score better
than a three on the test,
but will still receive the
credit as an elective.
Sophomore Kelsey
Ingelhart, who is taking
three AP classes next
year, thinks this will be
very helpful.
“A three is a
realistic score to get on
the test,” Ingelhart said.
“It’s helpful to know
that after all that hard
work in those classes
I’ll have an even better
chance of benefitting
from the class.”
Regardless of if
the class is relevant to
a student’s major or
not, students can use
the AP credit toward
elective credit hours
if they score a three or
higher.
“The fact that
we can save so much
money for college from
this is a huge incentive
to actually take AP
classes,”
Ingelhart
said.
The new legislation
will help save students
money on their credit
hours. According to the
Indiana Department of
Education, roughly 45
percent of the students
who take AP tests score
a three, so the new
legislation will benefit
this portion of students,
and collectively will
save 44,000 college
credit hours. Junior
Nick
Ladowicz,
who
is
enrolled
in
three
AP classes this year
and three for his senior
year, sees this as an
excellent opportunity.
“I think this is
really great because
it allows high school
students
to
easily
rack up college credit
hours and save a lot of
money in the process,”
Ladowicz said.
AP Legislation
• Indiana
colleges must
accept scores of
3 or higher for
credit
• Some colleges
may require
higher than a 3
for actual course
credit
• If so, the college must still
accept the score
for elective credit
2
IN
News
May 28, 2010
Top ten senior students honored
the know
5.28
Stray Dogs improv show
5.29
Foodstock
5.31.
Memorial Day- no school
6.4
Last day of school
6.9
Graduation
6.14
Summer school classes begin
Students place fourth
at national BPA
leadership conference
BPA students took fourth
place at the BPA leadership
conference “Shoot for Success”
in Anaheim, California on May
5-9. Chapter members included
junior Fiona Alet, senior Lindsey Wacnic, and senior Thomas
Vanderplough. They joined over
5,650 other conference delegates
from across the nation to participate in national level business
skills competitions, workshops,
and general sessions.
BPA is a national organization for high school students
preparing for careers in business and information technology. BPA acts as a cohesive agent
in the nationwide networking
of education and business and
industry.
Crown Point’s BPA was
able to attend the NLC through
the financial support of Dr. William Forgey.
Optimist Club selects
ten senior students
Photo By M.K. LEMON
The top ten seniors pose at the Roots and Wings banquet. From left to right: seniors Nicole Arena, Ryan Farrell, Angela
Roberts, Elizabeth Szymanski, Branko Bibic, Corinne Kocher, Matt Smith, Mary Jacobs, Krysta Rodd, and Josh Glass.
Students recognize
most influential
teachers at banquet
By Matt Smith
co-copy editor
Competition exists in every
aspect of life.
School is no
different. Every day, students
compete to reach the highest
academic standard. And every
year, those who have climbed
the highest are recognized by the
school.
The top ten students are
decided on the basis of cumulative
grade point average. The Roots
and Wings Banquet, which took
place on May 20, honored these
students, recognizing them for
their academic performance over
the four years of high school.
“The banquet is a great way to
honor the top ten students, as well
as the parents and teachers that
most influenced their education,”
Roots and Wings organizer Karen
Rodd said. “The banquet always
helps the teachers to realize the
impact they have on students.”
Students attend the banquet
with their family and one teacher
who they feel influenced them
most to succeed.
The students and their
respective teachers are Josh
Glass and swim coach Doug
Norris; Ryan Farrell and science
teacher Dotty Johnson; Elizabeth
Szymanski and Latin teacher
Jeremy Walker; Branko Bibic and
English teacher Rachele Raloff;
Mary Jacobs and band director
Johann Sletto; Krysta Rodd and
math teacher Michael David;
Corinne Kocher and English
teacher John Lambersie; Nicole
Arena and science teacher Brian
Elston; Matthew Smith and math
teacher Jason McGee; and Angela
Roberts and science teacher Ken
Witt.
“I couldn’t have done it
alone,” top ten senior Mary
Jacobs said. “My family always
encouraged me to get good
grades, and my teachers taught
me so well. Without all their help,
I would never be in the top ten. I’d
be in a back alley somewhere.”
Aside from proper support
and guidance from parents and
teachers, many do not know
exactly what it takes to become
part of the top ten.
“It’s all about motivation,”
salutatorian Ryan Farrell said.
The
Top
10
by
the numbers
10
average number of AP
classes
6
average hours of
sleep each night
8
total number of extracurricular activities
2.5
academic hours outside of school
**stats per student
Finals Schedule
Not pictured: Chelsea Viers,
Needa Malik and Mitchel Adducci
The Optimist
Club of
Crown Point recognized ten seniors as the 2010 Spirit of Optimism winners. Pictured above,
they are Krysta Rodd, Kaitlyn
Whiting, Jenny Jacques, Blake
Zolfo, Dallas Schurg, Brenna
Wermers, Mary Allison Van
Cleef along with Optimist president Paul Wellman. Not pictured are Chelsea Viers, Needa
Malik, and Mitchel Adducci.
All were honored at a dinner at
White Hawk Country Club on
May 4.
Students are selected based
on the traits of positive attitude,
responsibility, honesty, initiative, sense of values, and consideration of others.
“If you don’t have the right mind
set, you won’t ever get anywhere.
If you actually want to achieve
more, you’re headed in the right
direction.”
While academic motivation
may be important, the top ten has
a large and diverse selection of
talent in other areas. The students
participate in a number of other
activities: band, orchestra, choir,
theatre, swimming, track, speech,
debate, and academic teams,
among others.
“I think it’s important
to do more than just study,”
valedictorian Josh Glass said.
“Being on the swim team has
definitely taught me how to
manage my time. If I wasn’t a
swimmer, I never would have
learned that skill. In the end, it
helped me get where I am.”
Sports, music, volunteering,
academics—these ten students
have done it all. Throughout their
schooling, they have achieved the
highest academic ranking while
still managing a host of other
activities.
“It’s a great feeling to be in
the top ten in the school,” top ten
senior Krysta Rodd said. “I know
I worked really hard to get where
I am, and it’s good to know that it
all paid off.”
June 2 cont.
I
Wednesday, June 2
1st hour: 7:55-8:19
English, Special Needs, Performing arts
2nd hour: 8:24-8:48
Thursday, June 3
Friday, June 4
1st hour: 7:25-8:30 (exam)
1st hour: 7:25- 7:45
2nd hour: 8:36-9:18
2nd hour: 7:51-8:56 (exam)
II
3rd hour: 8:53-9:17
Math, FACS, Art
3rd hour: 9:24-10:07
3rd hour: 9:02-10:07 (exam)
4th hour: 9:23-10:28 (exam)
4th hour: follow regular lunch
schedule
4th hour: follow regular lunch
schedule
5th hour: follow regular lunch
schedule
5th hour: follow regular lunch
schedule
6th hour 12:41-1:46 (exam)
6th hour: 12:41-1:16
7th hour: 1:52-2:27
7th hour: 1:22-2:27
** After 4th hour students proceed to 7th
hour or corresponding lunch. Students
spend one of the four blocks in lunch,
correponding to their 7th hour class.
7th hour: I 10:28- 10:58 II 11:04-11:34
III 11:40-12:10
IV 12:16-12:46 12:52-1:16
III
Social Studies, World Languages,
and Business
IV
Science, PE, Industrial Tech,
Anyone else
6th hour 12:52-1:16
5th hour: 1:22-2:27 (exam)
May 28, 2010
News
Finger scanning leaves print at lunch
photo by D. Casillas
Sophomore Brittany Styka scans her finger during her lunch period to try out the new technology that reads one’s fingerprints to purchase a lunch. This system will be fully implemented during the 2010-2011 school year.
By Abby Elston
guest writer
As an effort to change to a more
modern method, CPHS will be using finger
scanning at lunches replacing the use of
lunch cards beginning next year. It will be
the first time CPHS will be using the Touch
and Go System. The middle schools have
used the system for two years.
“There will be no worry about ID cards
or students coming in without an ID which
slows the line up,” Food Service Director
Pam Maloney said.
This new system is expected to have
many advantages in addition to making
the lines move faster. For one, it helps to
prevent “identity theft.”
“If you lose your ID, there’s nothing
stopping somebody else from picking it
up and using your account, which has
happened several times,” Maloney said.
The Touch and Go System has been
used at the middle schools for the past two
years and has been proven to be a success.
“In the middle schools it was definitely
a success. It makes the lines go faster and we
didn’t have to worry about making cards,
which takes a lot of labor. We also had to
wait for the pictures. [Overall,] it will be
less frustration for the cashiers, and it will
be more efficient and quicker. We will be
using more technology,” Maloney said.
Some see the Touch and Go System as
a technological advancement that reflects
the development of our generation.
“It is a sign of the times,” Cafeteria
Manager Missy Petelle said.
It may just be a “sign of the times,” as
the Touch and Go System uses a unique
number database system. The student
will scan his/her finger three times and
the scan creates a number for the student.
This number is saved in the database and
is used to identify the student when he/she
scans his/her finger to buy a lunch.
“I’m jealous that I won’t get to use it,”
senior Needa Malik said. “The lunch ladies
always make fun of me for forgetting my
lunch card.”
Though this system is brand new to
the high school, students are familiar with
it, even if they didn’t have it at the middle
school.
“I have used it at work at The
Fieldhouse in Merrillville,” sophomore
Justin Ham said. “It will be faster and
students won’t forget their lunch card.”
Oil spill
3
continued from pg. 1
mammals such as dolphins. When
they surface to breathe they are covered with toxic oil,” she said. “The scientists think it is possible that the baby
shrimp have been killed which will
impact future yields. ”
In order to help resolve this issue,
BP has been sending workers from
throughout the country down to the
coast in order to help with the clean up
effort. One of these workers is freshman Anna Keilman’s father.
“(My dad’s) position at the refinery in Whiting, Indiana requires him to
assist the company with various emergency response incidences throughout
the U.S. when necessary. He is down
there on a part time basis assisting BP
on an oil spill emergency response issue,” Keilman said.
According to Keilman, these issues include providing information
and assisting with requests from the
state of Alabama and local community
officials. Her father was deployed to
Alabama on May 3 and returned home
on May 17.
“It’s weird not having him at home
or there when I get up in the morning.
There is one less table setting at the
dinner table and one less person to
say goodbye to in the morning when I
leave for school,” Keilman said.
Keilman notes that BP is doing all
they can to contain the spill, protect
the shorelines and the wildlife along
the Gulf States.
While BP is currently doing as
much as they can, some students feel
that BP’s solutions are unreasonable.
BP tried lowering a large metal container over the spill in order to stop
it, yet due to the depths of the water,
the gas within the dome froze up and
clogged the dome.
“They should have known that
their containment apparatus wasn’t
going to survive the harsh conditions
of the Gulf floor. They should have
known it was going to encounter icing
and wouldn’t be able to survive pressures that some submarines cannot
handle, let alone BP’s last minute solution,” junior Jordan McRae said.
For students that want to take part
in the effort, Johnson offers advice on
what they can do.
“I feel you should write to your
congressmen and tell them laws need
to be enacted to prevent this from occurring again.”
Tomorrow’s Foodstock concert benefits local food bank
By Donnella Casillas
photographer
Satisfy your appetite for great music
while reducing the hunger of others
by attending this year’s second annual
Foodstock concert.
The concert is one that features both
student and faculty bands from Crown Point
High School, all while benefiting a local
food pantry by collecting nonperishable
food items.
The line up will include bands such
as The Sunshine Killaz, Cosmonot, Top Hot
Tuesday, Coffeehouse, Lethal Dosage, Tyler
Nimon and the Hazy Daze, Three Guys and a
Mike, in addition to music played by science
teacher Chris Gloff and principal Dr. Ban.
“I’m excited and nervous to be
performing, but it’s good to see students
looking to benefit a great cause,” Gloff said,
“I’m glad that I was considered to be a part
of Foodstock.”
Junior, and drummer for Cosmonot,
Danny Fabrici also thinks the same.
“I feel honored (to play at Foodstock)
and I’m glad I can help people out by
raising money and food for the food bank,”
Fabrici said.
Senior Hunter McKee is one of many
Senior Charlie Wood, drummer for the student band The Sunshine Killaz,
jams at the senior assembly. His band and others will play at Foodstock.
students who helped bring Foodstock
together for the second year in a row.
“Foodstock started last year as an AP
English project by graduates Jason Ban,
Rachel Kolavo, and Tom Ladendorf,”
McKee said, “I knew the students
personally, and they said that they wanted
to keep Foodstock going, so I asked Dr. Ban
to help me start it up for the second year
in a row.”
Admission to the concert is varied
between a food donation with a lesser entry
fee, or a pay without a donation at full
price. Both the food and money go toward
the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana.
“It’s $7 to get in, but if you bring a food
donation it’s $5,” McKee said.
A food donation only needs the
requirement of being a nonperishable food
item to be counted towards the discount
on ticket prices, but there are some types
of food that are suggested to be donated if
one is going to be giving food. Items such
as canned fruits, oatmeal, canned meats,
canned vegetables, macaroni and cheese,
and pasta are the most recommended foods
that the Food Bank of Northwest Indiana
asks for.
“There are always some types of food
that the food bank runs out of and those
are the kinds of food we hope to bring in,”
McKee said.
McKee also mentioned a goal that he
hopes to accomplish this year.
“Last year, Foodstock raised over $1000
after everything was paid for,” McKee
said.,“This year, I really hope we raise over
$1500. That means we have to spread the
word if we are to meet our goal.”
Foodstock is May 29 at the On the
Square Academy starting at 6 p.m.
4
Opinion
May 28, 2010
Technology keeps
us disconnected
Inklings
Inklings is a student
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Editors
Cori Novelli
Deanna Sheafer
editors-in-chief
Michele Bates
associate editor
Brittany Curtis
managing editor
Lauren Cain
Matt Smith
copy editors
Becca Duggan
entertainment editor
Kelly Rostin
opinion editor
Hunter McKee
sports editor
Milan Savich
Colin Likas
sports assistants
Anna Ortiz
graphics editor
Becca Iddings
advertising editor
Alyssa Blahunka
advertising assistant
Georgia Otte
chief photographer
Joe Nejman
Alex Parrish
Vinnie Needham
Mary-Katherine Lemon
Donnella Casillas
photographers
Staff
Ammy Easto
Arley Gomez
Garret Hogan
Lauren McCarroll
Danelle McCuan
Marwa Nour
Haajar Shaaban
Adviser
Julie Elston
By Garret Hogan
staff reporter
V
iew:
Labels given
to students
in high
school are
starting to
define them
more and
more each
day, but
students
need to
focus on
other things
editorial
Cartoon by Anna Ortiz
“See, that’s the problem with your generationyou’re obsessed with labels.” This quote is straight from
the mouth of Sue Sylvester, the bold faced critic from
“Glee.” While many times her comments are for comedic
value and not much more, this one sticks out as being
so incredibly true. In this time of our lives, where selfdefinition is essential, we are constantly surrounded by
people making that near impossible. By assigning labels
to individual people, definitions are simultaneously
distributed against one’s will, disabling them from
deciding if that definition is true of themselves or not.
Someone cannot simply be characterized as “gay”
or “straight,” “jock” or “nerd,” or “popular” or “not.”
By assigning a one-word label, it is being assumed that
someone is so transparent and one-dimensional that
those are the only things that define them. However,
upon closer look, it can be found that the same person
being labeled as a “nerd” can also be described as kind,
giving, selfless, and caring. The person seen as the
“dumb jock” may actually help others in his off time,
through community service and volunteer work as
opposed to the idea that all he does is sports.
These labels are not only unnecessary, but
unproductive. High school is known to be one of the
most trying times for some students where it is hard to
find out who they truly are. When there are others trying
so hard to tell you who you are, it makes it unfeasible
to find out who you are aside from their opinion. One
word labels are a huge social barrier in high school. For
the sole reason that one is seen as a “nerd,” the “jock”
may not speak to him. However, if these labels were
ignored, it may be found that the “nerd” and the “jock”
have more in common than they thought.
Instead of worrying so much about their opinion
on how others should be defined, maybe everyone
should instead focus on figuring out their self-definition.
Sticking with the “Glee” theme, Kurt said it best when
he told his father the importance of ignoring labels. It
is advice that everyone should take note of and apply
before they hand out definitions of other people.
Remember his words: “I’m not a box. There are more
than 4 sides to me.”
You seem to be
sitting across from
your friends at the
lunch table, however
you are not having a
conversation. They are
having a conversation
with someone else, by
texting on their cell phone. They proceed
to ask this other person how they are
doing, how the dog is, and if they picked
up the groceries. You sit there pretending
to have lunch with them, when apparently
they are having lunch with someone else.
How connected are you?
Most of us have been in the situation
where we are having a fun time with our
friends and then all of a sudden, they
get a text message. Right in the middle
of your story on the latest school gossip,
your friends whip out their annoying,
noisy cellular device and starts texting,
completely oblivious to what you are
saying. Or maybe if you’re socially
awkward, you have received a text
message and you completely read it the
wrong way. For instance, maybe someone
is calling you a name in which you don’t
usually like to be called and you didn’t
realize that they were being completely
sarcastic.
Technology keeps developing to make
it easier for us to stay connected, but all
it seems to be doing is making us more
disconnected.
Although we know technology
provides many benefits, we tend to rely
on it too much for important interpersonal
communication. It’s a paradox. Technology
helps us get in touch, yet it prevents us
from being in touch. It helps us save time,
yet many people can admit that they
waste too much time on Facebook. It helps
us correspond, but at the same time it
prevents us from being understood.
By reading this, people will want a
solution instead of a rant about how we
are living in a world in which we are
unsocial couch potatoes. Yet, the solution
is quite simple. People will still use
Facebook, as they will still text message
left and right. But perhaps from now
on try to use more self-control, wait to
answer your text until after your friend
leaves. Or maybe call your friend instead
of waiting for them to be on Facebook or
MySpace. Let’s all try to get back to the
more connected world in which we used
to live.
heard in the
halls
Gulf Oil Spill
“I think (the oil spill) is really bad and
that they should do something about it
because all the animals are dying.”
freshman Jordan Tromp
Summer
“I am really excited for summer but
finals are really stressing me out.”
junior Catherine Myers
Field Trips
“I want to take Physics next year so I
can go to Six Flags.”
sophomore Jon Maginot
Tardiness
“I think it’s awesome when Dr. Ban
drops the ‘Ban Hammer’ on late
students in the morning.”
senior Tony Cortina
Opinion
May 28, 2010
Learning
from self
reflection
By Matt Smith
co-copy editor
Cartoon by Dani McCuan
Should teachers prohibit cell phone use?
By Lauren Cain
co-copy editor
Frequent
problems
with students
using cell
phones
during class
have people
searching
for solutions
to the issue.
Would a
crackdown
on cell
phone use
solve the
problem or
make matters
worse?
By Kelly Rostin
opinion editor
Everywhere you look in a high school it seems
that there is always someone who is on their cell
phone. A lot of times it’s solely for socializing and
curing boredom, but every so often an emergency
comes up where it’s necessary to communicate
with outside sources. Whether the emergency is
life threatening or something as little as letting
your mom know you have to stay after school for
extracurricular activities, cellphones are necessary.
The restrain of cell phone use in the classroom
should be up to the individual teachers to take care
of, depending on if it interferes with the actual
learning process. Cell phone use in the hallways,
at lunch, and during downtime in the classroom
is harmless. Cracking down will only provoke
students who want to break the rules out of
immature spite. Unnecessary cell phone use would
get out of control, and the whole crackdown would
be counterproductive.
Another point is that the administrators
themselves are on their cell phones during school
hours. By getting angry at students for doing the
same thing with their phones is hypocritical, and
I don’t think that teachers would appreciate their
phone usage being censored during school hours
either.
The fact is, there are so many more important
issues than cell phone usage that administration
could put their efforts towards. Students will
just want to rebel and use phones more if teachers
become unfair about when cell phone usage is
appropriate. As long as cell phones don’t interfere
with teaching and learning (or contribute to
cheating) they really are harmless.
Tom Fisher
“It will be faster
and easier in general, and the lunch
lines won’t be as
long.”
Junior
Freshman
Sophomore
While I believe phones should be prohibited
during school hours, I must be honest saying that
I am an avid texter. Anyone who knows me knows
I probably have my phone no farther than two feet
away from me at all times; this rule is not discredited
during class either. However, the real reason I text
during school is simple: because I can.
If you give a mouse a cookie, he’ll want a glass
of milk. If you give students the ability to text
during school, they’re going to. It’s this simple, age
old philosophy that is behind texting during school
hours. However, if the school cracks down by taking
cell phones away from students, it eliminates the
temptation and will bring success for students and
the school alike.
Students obviously would benefit from this for
the sole reason that it decreases distractions and
instead focuses their attention onto what’s really
important between 7:25 and 2:27. Without the ability
to text during class, students have no option when it
comes to focusing on their education during school
hours.
In turn, the school would benefit from this as
well. With increased student attention comes higher
test scores. End of Course Assessments would be
much easier for students if they had focused more.
If more students pass the test, then more students
qualify for graduation.
In all, the benefits are momentous for
prohibiting cell phone use during school.
Distractions are reduced, focus is increased, and test
scores improve. The lesson is simple: if you never
give the mouse the cookie, he won’t be asking for his
glass of milk.
speak up
Is the use
of finger
scanning
system a
good idea?
I
ssue:
Cell phones should not be
taken away unless they are
interfering with learning
Aly Ahrens
“I think that it’s a good
idea, but it might slow
us down next year. We
will probably have to
rescan our fingers.”
Four
years, full of
classes, extracurriculars,
Friday night
football
games, and
weekend
parties. Each day, students
are bombarded with differing
thoughts, ideas, and opinions.
Parents, teachers, counselors, and
classmates—all are in a constant
battle to communicate their own
ways of thinking and spread their
own influence. In the presence of
this confusion, the line between
independent thinking and
mindless following becomes
increasingly unclear. The only
way to keep this line in focus is
through conscious questioning
and self-reflection.
Introduction to new ideas
and opinions is important,
but without proper caution, it
may hinder development as an
individual. However if a student
reflects on his own opinions, he
is able to filter these ideas and
narrow them, gaining a fuller
understanding of others’ views,
as well as individual beliefs. The
difficulty is finding a way to
uncover this understanding and a
way to focus on reflection.
An effective method of selfreflection is embodied in the
simple act of journaling. Some
may see journaling as childish.
Others view it as a violation
which merits confiscation of the
“man card.” In reality, it is one of
the best ways of solidifying ideas.
By translating thoughts into
words, ideas become clear. The
thoughts become tangible. One
can truly examine his own beliefs,
sorting through the confusing
onslaught of outside influence.
This examination inevitably
leads to self-knowledge and
understanding.
Whatever method is used,
self-reflection remains an
important practice. If one does
not reflect on his own ideals,
he will melt into the collective
societal goo that plagues the
world today. He will remain
a static, unchanging character
across the span of his lifetime,
and will slowly wander across
that hazy line from independence
and individuality to drone-like
brainwashing and acceptance of
others’ beliefs and opinions. He
will never become a part of the
rapidly decreasing minority that
has achieved what school was
supposed to teach us our whole
lives—to think on our own.
Senior
Taking cell phones away
stops the problem at the
root of the issue
Marija Cacovski
“It’ll keep other from
using people IDs that
are not their own.”
5
Chris Klein
“It’s kind of an
invasion of privacy
because your
fingerprint is out
there.”
Perform
Senior Justin
Budde performs
his senior solo at
the Spring Sing
concert.
I
on
life
Ask
Laugh
Explore
Wonder
Inspire
May 28, 2010
Planting
ng
i
6
Key Club sponsor Russ Marcinek instructs members where to plant flowers around the campus to
celebrate the coming of warmer weather.
Professional help aids in suicide prevention
by the
numbers
Over
33,000
people in the United
States die by suicide
every year.
Suicide is the
11th
leading cause of death
in the United States.
P hoto Illustration
By Haajar Shaaban
staff reporter
He twists the cap off the bottle, determined
to end the pain. He starts to take one, then another. He finishes the entire bottle of pain killers
and drifts in and out of consciousness, believing that he is ending his life.
Suicide is the eighth leading cause of
death for all persons regardless of age, sex,
or race. It takes approximately one million
lives every year. Of the one million, 30,000
are American, with 5,000 of those being
teenagers. According to a Northwest Indiana Times article, in Porter County, there
have already been nine recorded suicides
in 2010.
“Suicidal teens are a heterogeneous
group and therefore, reasons they attempt
to end their lives vary,” psychiatrist Kim
Simic of St. Anthony Medical Center said.
Simic has offices of psychiatry in both
Crown Point and Valparaiso.
A recent incident of teen suicide that
has been widely publicized is the suicide
of Phoebe Prince, a Massachusetts teen
who was bullied relentlessly until she took
her own life. However, teen suicide hits
much closer to home.
One student at CPHS had to deal with
the hardships of managing a friend on the
verge of suicide.
“It was tough. I had no idea what I
should be doing or how I should be handling the situation, but I kept being told
from him that I shouldn’t tell anyone. Ignorantly, I obeyed. I realize now that this was
a horrible decision on my part, and that I
prolonged the suffering by not branching
out and finding help sooner,” she said.
Although she never thought about
taking her own life, other students have.
Student X has attempted to commit
suicide multiple times. He has tried to
overdose on pills and has even once tried
to hit a vein with a knife.
“I just felt so much anger and mass depression–I didn’t think anyone would even
remember me after a few weeks,” Student
X said.
Some factors that could contribute to
suicidal thoughts are drug abuse, household problems, and of course mental disorders.
“Common precipitants to suicidal behavior include parental conflict, rejection
by peers- including break-up of a relationship- and academic difficulties,” Simic
said.
Many factors in Student X’s childhood
contributed to his attempted suicide, including family and legal issues.
“(And then) when I got to high school,
things got much worse. I felt the school
was just filled with people who don’t care:
lying, cheating, and backstabbing people,”
Student X said.
The lack of relating to other teens
could evoke feelings of loneliness which
can ultimately push one to feel suicidal.
“(Suicidal teens) often feel progressively more alone, hopeless, and helpless,
in a black hole with no way out,” Simic
said.
Depression is the most common cause
for suicide, with 75 percent of individuals
who commit suicide being depressed. Depression is defined as a condition of general emotional dejection and withdrawal.
Some signs to look for in a suicidal
teen include the individual experiencing
dramatic mood changes, loss of interest in
most activities, differences in personality,
disruption of eating and sleeping habits, or
a withdrawal from family and friends.
“As (a teen’s) depression progresses,
they may become socially withdrawn and
pull away from vital friendships, or theyt
may become irritable and push others
away,” Simic said
However, it is never too late for someone to get help, whether they suffer from
depression or even suicidal thoughts.
“Many, many other ways are available
for people to relieve emotional suffering,
depending on the cause,” Simic said.
Students suffering from depression
should find healthy outlets to expel emo-
by
Georgia Otte
tions such as exercise, counseling, and
therapy.
According to Simic, if a friend admits
that he or she may be feeling suicidal, it is
crucial to refer them to a professional immediately.
“No matter how much influence you
think you have over your friend’s mental
well-being, if they are intent on ending their
life, your words may pass through their
mind unheeded,” Simic said. “I would let
the school social worker know about your
friend because he or she is most equipped
to handle your friend’s problem.”
Counselors can help students deal
with any suicidal thoughts and can recommend them to a professional if the student
indicates the need.
“As a counselor, I refer students to
professionals and make sure the person is
better able to adjust back into school after
being helped,” counselor Kim Swan said.
After Student X’s most recent attempt,
he got medical help, enabling him to effectively find ways to deal with his emotions.
There are countless ways to get help
for a suicidal teen. The web site www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org offers a variety
of ways to help people who are suicidal.
There is also a national suicide prevention
hotline that can be called with complete
confidentiality at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Psychiatrists, psychologists, and school
counselors are available to talk with during rough times.
Finally, Simic emphasizes the idea of
never losing hope.
“(If a friend acts suicidal) I would reassure them and let them know that even
though it seems hopeless and it feels like
there is no way out, there are therapists
who can help them,” she said.
A student’s personal experience proves
this.
“From dealing with my friend, I
learned that no matter what, a person can
get better. They may claim over and over
that there is no solution to their problems,
but I know first hand that they can get the
help they need,” the student said.
A person dies by
suicide about every
16
minutes
in the United States.
90
percent
of all people who die by
suicide have a diagnosable
psychiatric disorder at the
time of their death.
Suicide is the
3rd
leading cause of death
among those 15-24
years old.
An attempt of suicide
is estimated to
be made every
60
seconds
All facts from the American Foundation for
Suicide Prevention
7
Feature
May 28, 2010
As upperclassmen wrap up their final year in high school, they reflect on
what seniors will miss the...
Least
Most
James Haworth
&
James Haworth
“I’ll miss all my underclassmen friends who won’t be
graduating with me the most.”
Mike Laus
“I’ll miss choir the most because of all the
memories I’ve made with my friends.”
“I won’t miss waking up at 5:30 a.m. to get to school.”
Mike Laus
“I won’t miss my Anatomy and Physiology class.
It’s the hardest class I’ve ever taken.”
Lucas Groff
Lucas Groff
“I’ll miss getting publicity for Not So Casual Friday
the most.”
Andrea David
“I’ll miss the soccer sleepovers and summer
pole vaults with freezy pops the most.”
T.J. Lang
“I won’t miss staying up all night for the Legacy Project.”
“I’ll miss everyone at school once we’ve all gone different ways the most.”
Andrea David
“I won’t miss being in a place where everyone
knows me. I’ve been around people I’ve known
since kindergarten.”
T.J. Lang
“I won’t miss the homework load.”
Cally Kline
Cally Kline
“I won’t miss the seven classes every day.”
“I’ll miss our theatre bunch and all the memories we’ve
made being in the shows the most.”
Kevin Topp
Kevin Topp
“I won’t miss my classes. I’m not going to need the (information) that I’m (currently) studying since I’m going into
film in college.”
“I’ll miss the friends I’ve made in high school the most.
They’re the best friends I’ve ever had.”
Chelsea Viers
“I won’t miss waking up at the same time everyday and going to the same classes. I won’t miss
the daily high school routine.”
Chelsea Viers
“I’ll miss my friends the most. I won’t see a lot of
them after we graduate and go to different colleges.”
Amanda Reid
“I won’t miss the crowded hallways with everyone running into each other.”
Amanda Reid
“I’ll miss the relationships I’ve made with people over the
years the most.”
Mitchell Adducci
“I won’t miss the ridiculous traffic when trying
to leave school.”
Mitchell adducci
“I’ll miss all the teachers who will go out of their way to
help me or just talk to me.”
Kaitlin Vass
“I’ll miss seeing my friends every day. I’ve had the same
group of people in my classes since 7th grade, and I’ve
developed really strong bonds with them.”
Kaitlin Vass
“I won’t miss the group of people who stand in the middle
of the hallway and give you dirty looks when you walk
through them.”
By Cori Novelli - co-editor-in-chief
Keeping in touch after graduation
Communication can be found
in most documented forms of
history. This can include carrier
pigeons delivering messages in
times of war, messages sent in
smoke by American Indians, to
even the discovery of moveable
type in Germany.
Communication,
(defined
as the exchange of thoughts by
speech, writing, or signs by Merrium Webster’s dictionary) has
always been an important part of
society. While we’ve come a long
way from cavemen drawing pictures on rock walls as apposed
to the people of today texting on
their iPhones, humans have found
multiple ways to communicate.
With seniors moving away to
college and the year coming to a
close, many people are looking for
different ways to keep in touch.
“Facebook plays a big role (in
staying connected). Otherwise,
I’ll try to see friends on weekends
if possible. Staying in touch is still
going to be pretty hard,” sophomore Courtney Schmidt said.
Facebook is a site that is accessed by over 100 million people; its growing popularity has
expanded the amount of people
that can be contacted and kept in
touch with through that site.
Another popular site for staying in touch is Skype, which lets
you video chat with people all
over the world.
“I am going to use Skype all
the time; it gives me the opportunity to see my friends and catch
up with them even though we are
miles away,” sophomore Dominique Bass said.
Besides technology alone,
some people, such as freshman
Mackenzie Shelley are going to
“
I am going to use
Skype all the time; it
gives me the opportunity to see my friends
and catch up with them
even though we are
miles away.
“
By Lauren McCarroll
staff reporter
sophomore
Dominique Bass
use their sport as a way to keep in
touch with their friends.
“I plan on playing tennis with
all of the senior tennis girls over
the summer, and maybe hanging
out at their dorm on the weekends,” she said.
Apart from underclassmen
attempting to stay connected with
graduating friends, there are also
many seniors who hope to stay
connected after school ends, as
well.
Seniors Xia Meng Howey and
Angela Roberts plan to stay in
touch over the summer by doing
a 90 day workout.
“Even though it will be really
intense, (we’re going to make Tshirts for it!) it will be a great, fun
way for us to hang out over the
summer when we won’t be seeing
each other every day at school,”
Howey said.
Nevertheless, when college
hits, it will be harder for underclassmen to see their older
friends. This is where the internet
can come in handy.
“I am really going to miss all
of my friends after I graduate. But
Skype is great because it is a way
for me to keep in touch, especially
with people from other schools.
I use it now and love it,” senior
Kyle Davis said.
For many graduating seniors,
driving home is not an option, so
technology will be one of their
main forms of communication.
“I will probably go on Facebook to keep in touch because I
won’t be able to drive home (since
freshmen at Purdue are not allowed cars), but I would like to
visit as much as I can,” senior Andrew Facemeyer said.
Instead of technology and
athletics some students, such as
sophomores Caroline Hamilton
and Todd Aulwurm, are using
music to stay in touch. Both of
them play the cello.
“The only time we work on it
(their duet) is after orchestra class
but we will have to get together
during the summer to keep working on it,” Aulwurm said.
Whether it’s a message sent
in a bottle or a quick text message,
there are many ways that students
may use to keep in touch.
Feature
8
How-to on group-work
By Garret Hogan
staff reporter
Often times, when a
teacher says that you are
going to be doing a group
project, the class is suddenly filled with hushed
whispers and sighs of relief.
Then, within the next three
to four seconds, the groups
are already predestined by
quick glances of students
back towards their friends,
or to the smartest kids in the
class. However, when students are in groups, it ends
up being somewhat of a disaster most of the time. They
socialize too much and run
out of time, only to find out
when it is too late they have
received a bad grade. Here
are some tips to help stay
focused and get the entire
group working to receive a
grade that you deserve.
“When my teacher
says that we are going to
work on a group project,
I used to look at my best
friend and we agreed to
be together, but now I
think before I choose my
partner because I want to
choose someone who I get
along with well, but who also won’t slack off and will help me get a good grade.”
freshman Katherine Szymanski
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May 28, 2010
“I try to do more different
activities that involve group work.
I try them out on my students
and then I tell other teachers how
successful they actually were. I do
group quizzes, character profile
activities, and individual group
reading. I feel that when students ask
their friends questions that they would
usually ask me, they learn better communication skills
along with having fun.”
the
best
tips
English teacher Allison Malloy
“Don’t create a bad environment with your group.
If you do, things tend to be
more stressful and harder
to work on, and if you’re
stressed out so often you
won’t get any work done.
The best thing is to have
patience with one another, make
sure that responsibility is a key element in the
group, and to have fun while working together.”
sophomore Robert Ebbens
1302-3 N. Main St.
Crown Point, IN 46307
219-661-1090
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Saturday-Sunday 9-5
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Student I.D. Required
Feature
9
Avoiding
road
rage
rampage
A behind
May 28, 2010
How to
Avoid
Road Rage
the wheel
look at the
fast and
the furious
Attitude
Try to stay calm
and maintain
your cool even
in difficult
situations.
By Anna Ortiz
graphics editor
As students cross the
line from street-side pedestrian to licensed driver,
they enter into a jungle of
pavement and traffic lights.
And like all wild terrain,
it can prove to be just as
competitive and chaotic
as, well let’s say, the high
school hallways. And if
passing period is anything
to indicate the outside traffic customs, then road rage
is an inevitable obstacle.
“Road rage is a problem
among teens, and part of it
deals with not paying attention. They may be ignoring
the road and texting while
driving and then end up
bumping another car and
later engaging in an argument with the other driver,”
officer Milan Damjanovic
said.
Students such as senior Sam Boyd admit that
they’ve found themselves
overly frustrated and even
in some cases furious while
driving. The issue started
when she first began driving this past winter.
“I think it was mostly
because it was winter and
I felt on edge,” Boyd said.
“If something happened, I
would just start screaming,
even if I knew they couldn’t
Tailgating
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY GEORGIA OTTE
hear me, I would just yell at
them for like five minutes
afterwards.”
Boyd admits that her
mother and grandfather
both experience road rage.
She also notices that she
feels edgier listening to certain music.
“For example, if I was
listening to System of a
Down, I would probably
react more angrily,” Boyd
said.
According to psychology teacher Brett St. Germain, there are internal,
external, and environmental (as in one’s immediate
surroundings) issues that
affect a driver.
“Music has a deep impact on a person’s emotional state,” St. Germain said.
Other students find
that their trigger is pulled
every time they put the key
in the ignition.
“Every time I’m driving, someone is doing
something wrong. Then I
find myself swearing my
head off in traffic,” senior
Aaron Hensley said.
Senior Andrew James
has specific annoyances in
mind.
“When people are driving too slow or cutting me
off, or really any tom-foolery on the road gets me angry,” James said.
Yet road rage has more
serious consequences than
blaring horns and inappropriate gestures. The American Automobile Association
reports that in 2009 “an average of at least 1,500 men,
women and children are in-
jured or killed each year in
the United States as a result
of aggressive driving.” Yet
if those statistics don’t cause
extra caution, then the legal
stipulations will.
“(A consequence of
road rage is) being arrested;
it’s a felony. For example
if you are using a car as a
potential weapon or if an
argument leads to battery,”
Damjanovic said.
While a driver can’t
control the other cars on
the road, they can control
how they react. Sometimes
avoidance is how students
keep from flying off the
wheel. Senior Corey Ohlenkamp tries to keep away
from confrontation.
“I try to avoid situations that would make
me angry. I leave the high
school parking lot early to
avoid the stress and take
the same back routes that
have less traffic,” Ohlenkamp said.
St. Germain agrees that
drivers “should try to block
out external factors while
driving that can have a negative impact on your mental
state” to avoid risks.
Boyd has noticed that
with better weather her
mood has improved on the
road and takes steps to remain calm.
“I take a deep breath
and don’t yell as much,”
Boyd said. “I like to try to
put myself in the other driver’s shoes now. I think about
how if I was driving slower
and someone was riding on
my bumper, I would probably feel scared.”
Give others
some space.
In addition to
being
dangerous,
tailgating
annoys other
drivers.
Gestures
Obscene
gestures are
rude and
unnecessary so
don’t go there.
They’ll make a
situation even
worse.
Feature
10
May 28, 2010
“Face”-ing up to the challenge
When most people sign up for a Face-
“1,000 members and Mr. Rosenbaum book account, the last thing on their mind
will grow a sweet moustache!!!!”
is the prospect of having a group started
Last year, German teacher David Rosenbaum
showed students his 1980s-era passport in which he
proudly sported a mustache. Since then, junior Nathan
Byrd says that he and his classmates have been telling
their teacher to bring it back.
Byrd and fellow junior Kyle Wasserott, both student aides for Rosenbaum, recently started a petition
on the classroom’s white board during first period.
“We did (the petition) as a joke for a day,” Byrd says.
By the end of the day, Rosenbaum says that
there were 103 signatures. However, Rosenbaum
would not accept it due to the abundance of fake
names.
Sophomore Ryan DeBattista, one of Rosenbaum’s students, made a deal with the teacher: if he
could find 1,000 supportive people, Rosenbaum would
grow the mustache.
DeBattista decided to take the campaign online.
The Facebook group “1,000 members and Mr. Rosenbaum will grow a sweet moustache (sic)!!” was born.
The group, featuring the infamous passport as its main
photo, grew rapidly.
The group reached 1,000 members on Tues., May
11. Rosenbaum said he was “absolutely astonished” by
the group’s success.
Rosenbaum is keeping his promise about the mustache. However, he believes that his students “will
have to pay the price by seeing (him) with a cheesy
mustache.”
about them. Nevertheless, that is exactly
what has happened to several people at
Crown Point High School.
“Not So Casual Friday”
Not-So-Casual Friday started as a joke between
friends Matt Smith, Lucas Groff, and Anthony Rettig, all
seniors. “All teachers have casual Fridays where they wear
their jeans and t-shirts. We, in our rebellious teenage states
,wanted to do exactly the opposite,” Smith says.
“Plus, I look fantastic in a suit,” he adds.
Smith and Groff made a Facebook group and used it to
announce upcoming Not-So-Casual Fridays. Their friend
and fellow senior Justin Kaplan is also an administrator of
the group. “Making a Facebook group seemed to be a logical step because so many people have Facebook profiles,
and it allows us to communicate with all the members conveniently,” Groff says.
Groff says that Facebook has been very helpful to
Not-So-Casual Friday. Groff says that “many people who
check their Facebook messages before bed find themselves
reminded of an upcoming Not-So-Casual Friday, which
helps spread the word and increase participation.”
“Jen Zarate and Kevin Nichols PROM ‘10!”
One could hardly call junior Jen Zarate and sophomore Kevin Nichols friends. Nichols, a sophomore, is a
member of Crown Point High School’s swim team. Zarate,
a junior, is a manager. Zarate said that they “started talking
half way through the (swim) season.”
Nichols says that his “treating (Zarate) pretty silly” inspired him to ask her to prom.
Zarate says, “The first time (Nichols) asked me, I
thought it was a joke. By the twentieth time, I started taking it a little more seriously.”
“Jen Zarate and Kevin Nichols - PROM ‘10” was started on Facebook. Dozens of people began to join. Zarate
says, “The 200 people in the group started telling me everyday to go (to prom with Nichols).”
Nichols was amused when he saw the group.
“When I saw (the group), I thought that it was absolutely hilarious.”
After the group had reached over 100 members,
including some that did not know the two, Zarate
agreed to go to prom with Nichols. “It was amazing to
see how many people actually cared about it,” Nichols
says.
Zarate was optimistic about prom. “It was right
about what I expected it to be,” Zarate said. “(Nichols)
was more polite than I expected.”
“It really surprised me how nice of a girl Jen is,”
Nichols says. He says that the two are friendlier now.
“When I asked Jen to prom, I really should have
thought about how much money it was going to cost,”
Nichols says.
He adds, “The only negative thing that came from the
Facebook group is the hole in my wallet.”
“6,000 members and Nick
Vlassopoulos will shave his armpits”
By Mary-Katherine Lemon - photographer
However, not every group can reach their goal.
Senior Nick Vlassopoulos and one of his friends were
debating about armpit hair on males. “She thought it
was gross,” Vlassopoulos says. “We took it to Facebook
because we wanted to see how many (people) would
agree with her comment.”
“If this page gets 6,000 fans Nick will shave his
armpits!” was started. Vlassopoulos says that “the
number 6,000 was randomly decided upon.”
The group is a few thousand members short of
6,000 person goal. “I would say it was kind of successful. There isn’t anywhere near 6,000 people in the
group but around 500 (people) have joined,” Vlassopoulos said
Arts & Entertainment
May 28, 2010
myview
Miley Cyrus
too exposed
11
Sequel irons out competition
“Iron Man 2” proves to be a good sequel, unlike some
By Brittany Curtis
managing editor
By Marwa Nour
staff reporter
As a kid, I remember loving Lindsay Lohan. I recall the
days of her innocence, before
the alcoholism and alleged
drug use, before all of the notso-flattering pictures of her
getting out of the car, before
all of the feuds and drama and
warrants for her arrest. Now,
to put it lightly, she’s a train
wreck. The girl who I used to
look up to is gone.
Lately, Miley Cyrus has
been gaining attention for her
newfound sex appeal, following in the steps of her predecessors like Lindsay and Britney. Her new video, “Can’t Be
Tamed,” marks the breakaway
from her innocent Disney image. With “Hannah Montana,“
ending in 2011, it seems as if
she’s doing everything she can
to shed her alter ego. The video shows her in a giant birdcage, symbolizing the way her
celebrity makes her feel like
a specimen to the public. She
proceeds to pole dance and
wear a racy bodice complete
with expansive wings. The
entire video leaves little to the
imagination, and I find myself
wondering why I’m watching
a 17-year-old gyrating against
a pole.
Maybe I should have seen
this coming; it was just last
year when her performance
at the Teen Choice Awards in
which she danced with a pole
on an ice cream truck was
highly criticized.
Another child star that
seems to be growing up far too
quickly is Taylor Momsen. The
little girl that we were first introduced to as Cindy Lou Hoo
and then later knew as little
Jenny from “Gossip Girl” has
recently been photographed
smoking, performing with her
band “The Pretty Reckless” in
lingerie, and was accused of
drug use. It is rare to see her
with her eyes not caked with
eye makeup and long blonde
extensions.
I know that Miley and
Taylor won’t be little kids forever, but is it necessary for
them to be quite so grown up
this soon? They went from one
extreme to another overnight.
Maybe it should be more of a
gradual change, instead of Disney princess one day to pole
dancer the next.
After months and months of
anticipation, the day that has been
marked on my calendar has finally
graced us. Marvel Entertainment
has done it again with “Iron Man
2,” and this time they managed
to blow “Avatar,” “Star Trek,”
and “The Dark Knight” out of the
water.
While waiting patiently in
line at the Showplace 12 theater in
Hobart to buy my ticket to view
the movie that has been talked
about since its predecessor made
a splash, I thought to myself, “I
really hope this doesn’t suck.”
Well, the superhero Gods must
have been listening because I was
absolutely blown away by “Iron
Man 2.”
This time around, Marvel
has managed to stick to the basics
while letting Robert Downey
Jr. bring his own charisma to
the character of Tony Stark. The
smooth talking, quick witted
genius inventor that we have
come to know as Tony Stark has
come back to the silver screen, and
this time the world is aware that
he is the superhero known as Iron
Man. Stark is put under pressure
from the government, public and
press to share his secret to the Iron
Man suit with the military, but he
refuses to release the information
because he’s afraid that it would
get into the wrong hands and,
of course, because the suit is
rightfully his.
Everything seems to change
for Iron Man when Ivan (Mickey
Rourke), who bears a serious
grudge against the Stark family,
shows up with self-made iron suits
equipped with electrically surged
whips that easily slice Tony Stark’s
Rolls Royce in half. I, of course,
barely blinked as Robert Downey
Jr. combined James Bond, Dean
Martin and Rico Suave into one
charismatic, world-saving hero.
But I was greatly disappointed
when Don Cheadle appeared on
the screen as “Rhodey” instead of
Terrance Howard.
Apart from the awkward
character switch, this movie has
a little something for everyone.
There’s the undeniable romantic
tension between Pepper Pots
(Gwyneth Paltrow) and her
superhero boss Tony Stark which
is slightly unconventional since
it is mostly made up of quirky
comebacks, but their characters
complement each other and leave
viewers waiting to see what will
happen next.
Obviously, just like in any
superhero movie, there is quite a
bit of action involved in the movie,
combined with the mild romance,
this could easily be a date movie,
so no one has to go to the latest
romantic comedy and pretend
to be surprised when it ends like
every other romantic comedy. This
movie has much more destruction
than its predecessor and includes
multiple scenes of characters
walking away from a massive fire
without looking back. “Iron Man
2” has lived up to and exceeded
the hype and to my extreme
pleasure and contentment, they
have officially announced the
making of an “Iron Man 3.” If it is
anything like “Iron Man 2” then
my nine dollars and 50 cents will
not be wasted.
Chatroulette adds a spin to online chat
By Michele Bates
associate editor
By simply typing in the web
address and clicking a button,
I entered the newest social networking site that everyone has
been talking about. According to
the San Francisco Chronicle, Chatroulette was created by 17-yearold
Andrey
Ternovskiy just sixth months ago.
Since then, it has gained tremendous success with over 1.5 million
people from all over the world
using the social networking site.
With all the “hype” surrounding
Chatroulette, I decided to give the
site a try.
For those of who are unfamiliar with the concept of Chatroulette, the site pairs you up with
a person to chat with through a
web cam and instant messaging.
I was a little hesitant to begin the
myview
IKEA
Anyone who has been thinking of redecorating a room
in their house should consider visiting IKEA. Opened in
1958, IKEA was originally founded in Sweden. The home
store has a wide variety of products such as bedding, furniture, and kitchen items for a low price.
IKEA’s food court also allows its visitors to sample
some of Sweden’s well-known foods. Swedish meatballs,
cream sauce, and Swedish pancakes are just a few of the
items on the food court menu. For more information visit
IKEA in Bolingbrook, Illinois (only 48 miles from Crown
Point) or ikea.com.
process, but I made sure to consider my safety while using the
site. I didn’t give out my name or
where I lived when chatting with
any of the users. Chatroulette
first paired me up with a college
student from the U.K. who was a
huge fan of Lady Gaga. He was
sporting a Lady Gaga concert Tshirt and proudly admitted that
he had been to three of her concerts. I asked him what his favorite Lady Gaga songs were and he
named about all of them. When I
decided that I have heard enough
from the “Lady Gaga’s Number
One Fan,” I decided to let Chatroulette pair me up with another
user.
While waiting for the next
user, I was curious to see if I
would be coupled with any of the
celebrities that have been sighted
using Chatroulette. Kelly Osbourne, Ashton Kutcher, Jessica
Alba, and Joel Madden are just
a few of the celebrities who have
admitted to using the site. Singer
Ben Folds has even used the site
by making up songs for the Chatroulette users he has been paired
up with. However, my hope for
chatting with a celebrity was soon
crushed. My partner turned out
to be to a sixteen year old girl
who couldn’t stop talking about
Miley Cyrus’ “great” new video,
“Can’t Be Tamed.” The girl said
that she aspired to be like Miley
and our conversation didn’t last
very long. Miley Cyrus was the
last person that I wanted to hear
or talk about.
After signing off Chatroulette, I realized that the newest
social networking is not exciting
as the media makes it. Though it
is fun to use, I doubt Chatroulette
will become the next big social
networking site. It was fun for the
first few minutes, but it got old after a while.
a few of our
favorite
things
Towle Theatre
Located in Hammond, the Towle Theatre is a
community theatre that is owned and managed by
the Hammond Development Center. Seniors Blake
Zolfo and Brenna Wermers will be starring in the
upcoming production of “Rent” on July 9-11, 15-18,
and 22-25. Purchase tickets for “Rent” by calling
219-937-8780, or get them online at towletheatre.
org.
Chatroulette
Related Sites
• Chatnextu
Chatnextu has the same
features as Chatroulette,
but claims to be more
‘safer’ than its competitor. The age limit is a lot
younger and as become
popular with the Young
Hollywood scene.
• RandomDorm
RandomDorm is one of
the newest social networking sites for U.S. college students. Users must
have a college e-mail to
participate.
Sony Reader
Last August Sony unveiled
two new models of their Sony
Reader products. Coming in colors
such as rose, silver, and black, buyers can choose between the Sony
Reader Touch Edition ($199.99) or
Pocket Edition ($169.99). Features
include the eBook online store
which allows shoppers to look
for a wide variety of books that
range from $9.99 to $11.99. The
store also allows users to check out
digital eBooks through their local
public library. The Sony Reader is
available for purchase at both Best
Buy and Wal-Mart.
Information compiled by
Inklings Editors
12
Arts & Entertainment
Creativity takes the cake
Desserts win over customers who crave beautiful creations
May 28, 2010
Short-lived
hits still
remembered
By Dani McCuan
staff reporter
PHOTO BY B. CURTIS
By Brittany Curtis
managing editor
Walking into Designer Desserts of Valparaiso, I didn’t know
what to expect. In my mind I
had conjured up images of what
I would see when I walked in:
would it feature the intricacy
of the desserts I see on “Ace of
Cakes,” or perhaps it would be a
quaint coffee shop-esque environment? Would it look like Hello
Kitty and Strawberry Shortcake
got together to create a bakery?
The anticipation of what to expect
was exciting, and upon entering
Designer Desserts, I came to find
that it was not any one of these
images I had in my head. It was
all of them.
Walking into the store, the
first thing that I saw was a display
case full of cupcakes. Rows upon
rows of differently flavored and
elaborately decorated cupcakes
were displayed.
While my mouth was watering at the sight of all of the cupcakes, I knew that I had to actually eat a substantial meal before
my dessert.
The menu featured sandwiches, salads, and soups, all of which
were reasonably priced. I ordered
the Turkey Club, which was good,
but eating it was similar to seeing
the opening band for a concert
when you really just want to see
the main event. One aspect that
added charm to the experience
was the fact that they brought out
my food on a cake pan, never letting me forget that I was, in fact,
eating at a bakery.
After that, the time I had been
waiting for finally came: cupcake
time. It was so hard to choose
which one I wanted to eat. There
were so many flavors of cupcakes. Their selection consisted of
chocolate, vanilla, chocolate chip,
mocha chip, German chocolate,
strawberries and cream, carrot
cake, banana, cookies and cream,
red velvet, and pineapple. There
were also many other desserts to
choose from, ranging from candy
to cheesecake to cannolis, and
there was even pink hot chocolate. After much careful thought
and deliberating, I finally decided
on the chocolate cupcake.
The cupcake was fairly large,
and I had to take it home because
I couldn’t finish it. I almost didn’t
want to eat it because it looked so
perfect, complete with pink frosting, sprinkles, and a cherry on
top. The cupcake itself was great:
it was very moist, and the frosting was delicious. I’m fairly picky
about my frosting, and I usually
scrape it off most cakes and cupcakes, but this was tasty and not
too sugary. I was more than satisfied with the taste of the cupcake,
and I can guarantee that I will be
going back soon.
But it isn’t just the quality of
the food that
makes Designer
Review
Desserts great;
it’s the environment that accompanies it. The restaurant is quaint
and charming, with great care put
into every detail. Another benefit
was the low price range that accompanies the high quality. The
cupcakes were amazing, and it
was fun watching people pick up
their intricately designed cakes as
we ate our food. All in all, I can
definitely say that when it comes
to cupcakes, Designer Desserts
takes the cake.
the crowd into her performance.
The other band members performed acrobatic jumps on stage
and interacted with the audience,
blowing kisses and sitting on the
edge of the stage right by the
fans.
All the fans seemed enraptured by Williams’ presence and
voice, displaying multiple posters
that bore her name and cheering
for her at every pause. Truly, Paramore was a band that was made
to be live because the energy in
the arena was enough to power an
entire city. Additionally, Williams’
voice was just as good live, if not
better, as it is on CD.
Before Paramore opened,
Relient K played. Relient K is a
Christian pop/rock band led by
lead singer Matthew Thiessan.
They played their music that fell
into the rock genre to fit with Paramore’s style. Thiessan proved to
have brilliant stage presence, and
his voice sounded better live as
well. However, it was clear from
the audience’s reaction to Paramore’s entrance who they were
there to see.
The other opening band was
one called Fun, which was an
interesting addition to the roster. The band fully lived up to
its name by performing playful
songs with unique instruments,
such as a trumpet. The keyboard-
ist wore a marching band conductor’s hat, showing another side of
the band’s fun-loving theme. The
band only had a few songs to perform, but they helped set the perfect mood for Paramore.
Paramore’s vivacity, ability to
enliven the audience, and highquality music resulted in them
stealing the show. Williams made
sure that the fans felt the energy
from the music. Paramore ended
by pretending to leave early, only
to wander back to the stage moments later after the calls of their
fans. They closed with the number “Misery Business,” making
the night an unforgettable one for
all who attended.
Paramore performs with rock attitude
By Becca Duggan
arts & entertainment editor
Hayley Williams would not
let a soul forget that the fans were
attending a rock
Review concert on May 7.
Williams of
Paramore performed at the i wireless Center in Moline, Illinois with
Relient K and Fun.
Paramore opened with the
song “Looking Up,” a lively song
about happiness that the band
brings to its members. The entire
time while Paramore was playing,
Williams energetically jumped,
danced, and twirled around the
stage, drawing the energy from
What’s on
your iPod?
Ryan Keyl
freshman
Shannon Sum
sophomore
Jeff Arseneau
junior
Not very long ago, it was
inevitable that an individual
would turn on the radio in
their car and hear “Bad Day”
by Daniel Powter on nearly
every station. After the song’s
release in 2005, it reached number one on the Billboard charts,
was the season 5 farewell
song for the television show
“American Idol,” and was even
nominated for a 2007 Grammy
Award. In many cases, success
of this level usually opens the
door to a promising career,
but in Powter’s instance, that
is not true. None of his other
songs have managed to break
into the music charts. However, Powter is not alone in his
circumstances. A multitude of
other recording artists also join
Powter on the list of “one-hit
wonders.”
By strict definition, a onehit wonder is classified as “an
act that has won a position on
Billboard’s national, pop, or
Top 40 just once,” but it is more
frequently used to describe
musical acts or artists with one
song that has reached widespread acclaim. When the term
is looked at from this perspective, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin,
and Rush would all fall into
this category, despite the strong
influence that their music has
had over the years.
On the other hand, the
more common definition of
“one-hit wonders” includes the
likes of Bruce Willis, Toni Basil,
and A-ha! Despite achieving only one success in the
musical community, they have
managed to branch out and
make other accomplishments.
A-ha! has become renowned
throughout Europe, Toni Basil
has worked as a choreographer for major Hollywood
productions, and Bruce Willis
has become a well-known
actor. Other one hit wonders
have also made similar career
strides. In fact, Linda Perry, the
lead singer of 4 Non-Blondes,
went on to write and produce
music for Christina Aguilera,
Gwen Stefani, and Pink, three
of the most well known musicians of our generation. This
goes to show that while the
name of a one hit wonder may
be forgotten in a short amount
of time, their achievements will
live on for years to come.
Jodie Biella
senior
Not Afraid
Eminem
Kiss and Tell
Ke$ha
Forever
Drake
When I Look at You
Miley Cyrus
Psychosocial
Slipknot
According to You
Orianthi
Renegade
Styx
Do I
Luke Bryan
Riot
Three Days Grace
Someday
Nickelback
Bohemian Rhapsody
Queen
In My Head
Jason Derulo
Sports
May 28, 2010
Softball takes first in coaches poll
Lady Bulldogs earn first DAC title; win first round of sectionals
By Hunter McKee
sports editor
Finishing their season with a
record of 25-1 [14-0 in the DAC],
capturing the first ever DAC
championship in team history,
and a number one ranking the
state by the Indiana state coaches poll, the Lady Bulldogs now
have their eyes set on their sectional playoff.
“We have been looking forward to the post-season all year.
It is what the girls have focused
on from the beginning,” head
coach Brett Crutchfield said.
The girls’ plan for the postseason will remain the same as
the regular season’s, taking it
game-by-game.
“We are taking our sectional
game-by-game this year,” senior
catcher Katrina Klingberg said.
“We are just trying not to get
down on ourselves; we know
that we have the talent to do well
in sectionals.”
In the first round of sectionals the Lady ‘Dogs continued
their success by defeating Michigan City 4-0.
Senior pitcher Taylor Perry
dominated her opponents by
only allowing two hits and striking out ten.
Offensively the girls only
amassed four hits, however,
they were able to capitalize and
scored on each of them.
In the last DAC match-up
of the regular season, the Lady
‘Dogs were victorious over
Michigan City 8-4, giving the
girls a perfect conference record.
Freshman Lexie Rolff showed up
huge for the Lady ‘Dogs going
3-3 with three RBIs. Also senior
Jackie Beilfuss went 3-4 with two
RBIs.
On May 14, the Lady ‘Dogs
were victorious over LaPorte 9-0
to capture the first DAC championship in team history.
The Lady Bulldogs seemed
to lock in on the ball as they recorded 14 hits.
Klingberg went 3-4 with
photo by j . nejman
Sophomore Lexie Rolff bats in a game against Andrean on May
19. The Lady Bulldogs were victorious 4-2. The girls played
against Portage yesterday, however, the results were unavailable at press time.
three RBIs. Sophomore RaeAnna Jenks went 1-3 and drove in
three runs. Senior Taylor Perry
also added to the field day with
two hits and runs batted in.
On May 7 and 8, the Lady
‘Dogs traveled to Monticello for
the five game Twin Lakes Tournament.
Against Frontier, senior
pitcher Jackie Beilfuss threw a
no-hitter through five innings to
help the ‘Dogs win 11-0.
Offensively the Lady Bulldogs found success from juniors
Gabby Raspopovich who went
2-4 with two RBIs and runs, and
Victoria Connelly who recorded
three hits and three runs.
In the second game against
Maconaquah, runs for the Lady
‘Dogs came at ease as they defeated Maconaquah 15-0. The
girls tallied up five runs in each
of the first three innings. Jenks
went a perfect 4-4 in the game
and batted in five base runners.
Perry pitched five innings
allowing two hits and striking
out 11.
Against McCutcheon continued their stellar defense defeating them 6-0.
Perry allowed two hits and
struck out seven. Beilfuss was
recorded with the save, as she
pitched two innings and allowed
one hit and struck out three.
The game against Twin
Lakes was no different from the
others. The Lady Bulldogs again
kept their opponents scoreless as
they topped them 6-0.
Both Beilfuss and Perry were
big offensively for the girls. Perry went 2-3 with two RBIs, and
Beilfuss recorded two hits and
runs batted in.
In the championship game
against Andrean, the girls ended
their streak of scoreless opponents. Nonetheless, the Lady
‘Dogs still came out on top 8-2.
Klingberg proved to be a
huge help offensively, as she
went .500 in the game and batted
in three RBIs. Jenks also helped
the cause as she went 3-4 with
two runs scored and one RBI.
On May 15, the girls again
played Andrean in which the
Lady ‘Dogs were in a more competitive game this time. Yet, the
girls were still able to defeat the
59’ers 4-2.
The Lady ‘Dogs played in
the sectional semi-final against
the Portage Indians yesterday;
however, the results of the game
were unavailable at press time.
“Right now, our only goal
is to get through our sectional.
If we can do that then anything
is possible in terms of the rest of
the state tournament.” Crutchfield said.
The winner of the Crown
Point-Portage game will advance to the sectional final to
play against the winner of the
Chesterton-LaPorte game.
“The key to sectionals is that
we cannot look past any team,”
Klingberg said.
S
13
scoreboard
Baseball
CP-14
Valparaiso-0 (May 5)
CP-0
LaPorte-10 (May 11)
CP-14
Merrillville-0 (May 18)
Lake Central-4
CP-1 (May 20)
Softball
Chesterton-9
CP-1 (May 6)
1st @ Twin Lakes Tournament
(May 8)
CP-8
Michigan City-4 (May 18)
Boys Track
7th @ DAC Championships (May 12)
5th @ Sectional (May 20)
Girls Track
5th @ DAC Championships (May 11)
1st @ Sectional (May 18)
Girls Tennis
Win vs. LaPorte (May 6)
Win @ Lake Central (May 11)
1st @ Sectional (May 24)
Boys Golf
Win vs. Portage, Loss @ Chesterton
(May 4)
Win vs. Lake Central, Win @
Michigan City (May 20)
5th @ DAC Championships (May 26)
14
Sports
May 28, 2010
Girls track advances six to state meet
By Milan Savich
asst. sports editor
It’s been said before
and it will be said again:
there’s no “I” in “team”.
But, then again, there’s no
“I” in “learn” either, and
there’s no better way to describe the Lady Bulldogs’
track season other than a
learning experience.
After a successful season, the girls’ track team
came out of the sectional
on top by beating Merrillville, who they lost to by
one point at the conference
meet.
“I knew we had the
potential to beat Merrillville; we really learned a lot
over the season and grew
as a team,” coach Lindsay
Hattendorf said. “We had a
good season. A lot of girls
improved since last year
and we also had a major
impact from a lot of new
girls.”
The Lady ‘Dogs had
six individual victories at
sectionals, including one
coming from senior Ashley
Torres in the long jump.
“Sectionals showed us
what we were really capable of as a team and as individuals,” Torres said. “It
was our team goal to beat
Merrillville in sectionals
and try to advance everyone to regionals.”
Junior Augusta Schrader came in first in the 300
meter hurdles and junior
Laciee Pierce won both the
1600 and 3200 meter runs.
Freshman Bailey Beckham
won the 400 meter dash,
and the 4x800 meter relay
team consisting of Pierce,
seniors Morgan Kleinaman
and Xia Meng Howey and
sophomore Lauren McCarroll won at sectionals.
“I thought everyone
did a great job at the sectional meet. Everyone
stepped up, and having
six individual victories allowed us to score some
major points,” Hattendorf
said. “It was great to see the
girls celebrate a sectional
championship.”
During
sectionals,
Pierce helped lead the Lady
‘Dogs to victory while also
setting two Crown Point
girls’ track records by
breaking old times in the
1600 meter run and 3200
meter relay.
“It feels good just to get
the sectional victory after
losing at conference. Breaking the two records was just
an extra perk,” Pierce said.
“We all came together and
showed up [at sectionals],
and winning is definitely a
big confidence booster going into regionals.”
Pierce, who normally
runs three events, competed only in the 4x800 relay
and the 3200 meter run at
the regional meet.
“I was excited just to
focus on my main race [the
3200 meter run],” Pierce
said.
The Lady Bulldogs
took fifth place overall at
regionals. Beckham took
first place in the 400 meter
dash and advanced to state
while junior Zarah Cecich
advanced in the high jump,
Pierce took second in the
3200 meter run and also advanced to state. The 4x800
relay team consisting of
Pierce, Howey, McCarroll
and Kleinaman took third
place and will advance to
state while Schrader took
fourth in the 300 meter
hurdles.
“Coming into sectionals and regionals showed
us that the endless hours,
sweat and pain we put
Golf continues
strong season
By Sam Beishuizen
guest writer
photo by
L Titak
Sophomore Katelin Krenzke pole vaults in a meet against Chesterton and
Portage. The girls’ track team recently finished first at sectionals and fifth
at regionals. Six girls advanced to the state meet in Indianapolis.
in over the what seemed
never ending months really
pays off,” Torres said. “We
learned that some of the
younger girls and even the
veterans really knew when
to step it up and give everything they had for the team.
When you run for the team
you do your best.”
Even though a large
senior class will be graduating this year, the team
will still have many experienced girls returning next
season.
“The graduating seniors were a big part of the
team,” junior Jamie Hovanec said. “They kept us
together as a team and will
be greatly missed. We will
have to work harder than
we have in the past to make
up for the loss of graduating seniors.”
“The new girls learned
what it was like to be team
sectional champs and, even
though the team is losing a
great senior class, I know
the younger girls will want
to keep feeling that victory
next year,” Torres said.
Torres will be running
track for Butler University
next spring.
“I’m excited to continue improving and running
for Butler next year and I’m
so proud to be a captain of
my team,” Torres said. “All
of their hard work is more
than I could ever ask for and
I’ll miss them so much.”
Girls track regionals
will take place on Friday,
June 4 in Indianapolis.
The boys’ golf team is
approaching the end of the
regular season and hopes
to take the success they
have been showing into
the post-season.
The ‘Dogs are heading
for fourth place in the DAC
standings, with a current
record of 15-6 (7-4)
The team performed
well in the Kankakee Valley Invitational, placing
fourth. The team was led
by junior Nick Grubnich
who shot an 80, and sophomore David Raymond,
who carded an 88.
In the Rensselaer Invitational, Grubnich took
medalist honors with a 76,
but the team failed to capitalize on good play from
both Grubnich and junior
Matt Moehl, who turned in
an 81.
The ‘Dogs then entered
the most prestigious high
school golf tournament of
the year, The Uebele. The
team finished with a final
score of 338 which was
good enough for 9th place.
Freshman Casey Kitchen
continued to impress with
an 83.
“We played very well,
especially with the number
of teams that were there,”
coach Del Kutemeier said.
Kitchen went on to
shine against Michigan
City and Lake Central,
carding a team best of 37.
It was the first time all year
that another varsity player
was able to beat Grubnich.
The ‘Dogs also competed in the DAC championship at the Brassie
Country Club. The team
shot a 327, but finished in
fifth place in a very competitive field.
Sports
May 28, 2010
Baseball on
to sectionals
By Alex McLean
guest writer
The baseball team has
wrapped up their season
with a 26-4 [10-4 in the DAC]
record and finished tied for
the number two spot in the
state in 4A, according to the
IHSBCA coaches’ poll.
On April 30, Crown
Point traveled to Lansing,
Illinois for a game against Illiana Christian and claimed a
14-4 win.
The ‘Dogs continued
this success by beating Portage 12-2 at home and Valparaiso 14-0 in Valpo. They
won the next three games
before a huge match-up with
the LaPorte Slicers. The boys
came up short and lost 10-0.
Following the loss to
LaPorte, the ‘Dogs won three
consecutive games against
Michigan City, Boone Grove,
and Merrillville. The team’s
most recent loss came at the
hands of Lake Central on
May 20 by a 4-1 margin.
On May 24, the boys
took first in the Benton Central Tournament, with an
11-9 win over host Benton
Central.
The ‘Dogs had a strong
regular season, but head
coach Steve Strayer was not
satisfied.
“It went okay. We had a
26-4 record, but we were hoping to win the DAC and came
up short,” Strayer said.
This past Thursday,
Crown Point hosted sectionals. Results were unavailable at press time. In the first
round, the ‘Dogs played Valparaiso.
On April 15, the boys defeated Valparaiso, with Josh
Negele picking up the win
and driving in a run. On May
5, they crushed the Vikings,
14-0. In that game, senior Jeff
Limbaugh was 4-for-4 with
two home runs and six RBI’s.
The team looks to continue its
success against the Vikings.
After Valparaiso will
be either Chesterton or
LaPorte.
The ‘Dogs have had
mixed results against the Trojans, going 1-1 in their two
contests. If LaPorte claims
victory over Chesterton, the
boys will get the chance to
battle the Slicers to prove who
deserves the number two spot
in the state poll. Similar to the
games against Chesterton, the
match-ups between the boys
and LaPorte were split 1-1.
Girls tennis wins 16th straight sectional
Lady ‘Dogs beat Lowell in sectional, fall to Highland at regional
By C. Likas and F. Strino
asst. sports editor
and guest writer
Another season, another sectional title for the girls’ tennis
team.
The Lady ‘Dogs picked up
their 16th consecutive sectional win last Monday, defeating
Kankakee Valley 4-1 in the opening round and Lowell 3-2 in the
finals.
“Number two singles and
doubles were key spots in sectionals,” head coach Brian Elston said.
“Lowell wanted to turn it around
there, but both of them played really well.”
The girls finished the regular
season at a 11-10 mark overall, including a 3-4 record in the conference. The month of May was filled
with important matches that filled
out the Lady ‘Dogs’ final record.
The girls competed in the
New Prairie Invitational on May
1, coming out of it with a second
place showing.
Senior Needa Malik picked
up a victory in number one singles, while freshman Amber Haworth took second in number two
singles. Senior Hanna Tokoly and
junior Kelly Gross were winners
at number one doubles, and senior Emily Briggs and freshman
Mackenzie Shelley placed first in
number two doubles.
The Lady ‘Dogs also had four
conference matches this month,
tying 2-2 in them.
The first of these matches
was against Chesterton. The girls
came out on the losing end, falling 4-1 to the Lady Trojans.
The results of the meet against
LaPorte on May 6 were much different, as the team took down the
Lady Slicers by a 5-0 margin.
The girls continued their winning ways on May 11 against Lake
Central, topping the Lady Indians
3-2.
“The Lake Central match
turned us around,” Elston said.
“The matches were tough, and
there was a sectional-like atmosphere.”
The conference portion of the
season was completed with a 3-2
loss to Valparaiso on May 13.
The sectional matches were
scheduled to be held on May 20,
but inclimate weather forced them
to be delayed.
Although the score versus
Lowell was 3-2, Elston believed
that the contest “wasn’t that
close.”
The Lady ‘Dogs’ season ended in the regional round, as the
girls fell to Highland by a score
of 5-0.
photo by v . needham
Senior Needa Malik warms up before a sectional match. Malik
sealed the sectional victory for the Lady ‘Dogs over Lowell.
Boys track in midst of post-season run, looking towards state
By Colin Likas
asst. sports editor
In track, when the post-season begins, teams and individuals
are given a clean slate and chance
to take their hopes to the state finals.
For some individuals on the
boys’ track team, that is quite a
possibility.
“I am extremely confident
that they [those still competing
in the post-season] will do their
best,” head coach Keith Iddings
said.
The regional contest, which
took place yesterday in Valparaiso, will determine if some
of the ‘Dogs’ relay teams and solo
runners/field event participants
will get to compete at state. The
results of the meet were unavailable at press time.
There were a couple of meets
that took place before Thursday’s competition, however. One
of those was the sectional meet,
which decided the field for the regional meet.
The boys opened the month
of May with an invitational in
Kokomo. The ‘Dogs came out
with a fourth place finish as a
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15
team.
The all-freshman sprint medley relay team of Travis Kucic,
Sam McLean, Daniel Walters, and
Larry Pilarski took home the only
blue ribbon for the boys. Other
strong showings were turned in
by the 400 meter relay team, consisting of juniors Kevin Bacon,
Capone Shannon, and Israel Mercado and freshman Zack Sneiderwine (2nd) and the mid-distance
medley relay team, consisting of
Mercado, Sneiderwine, and seniors Kyle Davis and Andrew
Facemyer (2nd).
The sprint medley relay team
of Mercado, Sneiderwine, and
sophomores Matt Netluch and
Tyler Wells also picked up third
place in the event.
Athletes who did well in individual events at the meet were
Davis in the 1000 yard run (3rd),
senior Chris Shellenberger in the
3200 meter run (3rd), and senior
Zach Breuckman in the shot put
(2nd).
Following the contest at
Kokomo was a dual meet against
Portage. It was also the final DAC
contest of the season for the boys.
The ‘Dogs fell to the Indians, putting their final mark in the confer-
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ence at 1-6.
Redemption came about in
the team’s final meet before the
post-season, the Gene Edmonds
Relays. The boys repeated as the
team champion of the meet.
The ‘Dogs captured victories
in six relays: the varsity and froshsoph sprint medley relays, the
frosh-soph distance medley relay,
the varsity and frosh-soph 4x100
meter relays, the 4x800 meter relay, and the 4x400 meter relay.
The conference championship meet was held at Chesterton
on May 12. Much like the conference meet season, the event was
a bit of a disappointment. The
‘Dogs finished in seventh of eight
teams.
Even though the team finished towards the bottom of the
pack, there were some solid performances turned in.
Mercado was the conference
champion in the 200 meter dash, as
well as the conference runner-up
in the 100 meter dash. The 4x400
meter relay team of Sneiderwine,
Davis, Mercado, and Wells took
third in the meet as well.
After the unscored junior
varsity conference championships the following Saturday,
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the boys moved towards the sectional round. The post-season
contest took place at home on
May 20. Poor weather dominated
the event, as rain and wind were
major factors in several races. The
meet officially didn’t end until
two days later, as the pole vault
was postponed twice because of
the conditions.
The ‘Dogs picked up a fifth
place finish as a team, falling in
behind champion Hobart, Merrillville, Andrean, and Lowell.
The 4x400 and 4x800 meter
relay teams advanced on to the
regional round. The 4x400 team,
consisting of Mercado, Sneiderwine, Davis, and Wells, finished
in fourth to earn the last qualifying spot, while the 4x800 team of
Davis, Facemyer, Shellenberger,
and junior Ryan Santelik took the
runner-up position.
Mercado also moved on to
regionals in the 100 and 200 meter dashes, finishing fourth and
second in the events, respectively.
Shellenberger will be moving on
in the 1600 meter run (2nd), while
Breuckman will compete in the
shot put at regionals, and fellow
senior Brad Pusateri will throw
the discus at the meet.
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Educated Advice Columnist
Post-Tribune
Personalities
16
Three educators leave behind careers, legacies
May 28, 2010
Getting to know...
Senior Dan Corning
photo by G. Otte
photo by A.Parrish
Math teacher Janet Lowery, counselor Coral Penzato and assistant principal Dave Templin will retire after
this school year with a combined total of 56 years of service to Crown Point High School.
By L. McCarroll and A.Gomez
staff reporters
Seasons come and go, as do
school years, along with students
and faculty. As departing seniors
progress into the next stages of their
lives, a select few of the faculty members will be joining them in their departure.
Among those leaving is Guidance counselor Coral Penzato, math
teacher Jan Lowery, and assistant
principal Dave Templin, all of whom
are retiring at the end of this school
year.
Penzato has been a counselor at
Crown Point for 16 years and previously was a counselor at Hammond
Gavit Middle and High Schools.
Throughout her years of providing guidance for students, they have
also guided her as well.
“They have taught me that I am
not always right, and that individuals can overcome a lot of obstacles in
their every day lives,” Penzato said,”
Every student is capable of success.”
Though retirement may be an
exciting event for most, there are still
experiences that Penzato will miss
leaving behind.
“I will miss the satisfaction of
seeing students who come here as
freshmen and take advantage of the
many academic and extra curricular
opportunities and graduate excited
about their future. I wish that for
each and every student,” Penzato
said.
Down the hall and up a flight
of stairs, Lowery is also wrapping
up her career after 37 total years of
teaching math. Though happy to
start a new chapter in her life there
will be moments that she will miss
as a teacher.
“I have mixed feeling about
leaving. I will miss teaching and the
students, but I am looking forward
to spending time with my grandchildren and traveling,” Lowery said,
“I really enjoy teaching. I love to
see students when they have finally
grasped a concept and seeing their
eyes light up.”
After being in education for 40
years and being in administration
for 15 years, Templin is saying his
good-byes after spending three years
in Crown Point.
“I will miss many friends and a
great group of students,” Templin
said.
He has plans to move to Arizona
to be close to his children and grandchild.
“It is sad to see so many people
from our school leaving, I think we
forget that teachers aren’t always going to be here even if we come back to
visit,” junior Stephanie Burke said.
If you could travel anywhere in the world,
where would you go and why?
I would travel to Ireland because a lot of my
heritage is there.
Who are three people you would love to
spend a day with and why?
Victoria Beckham, because I believe she is gorgeous. Michael Jordan, because he is my idol.
And Jessica Alba because she looks very nice
in all of her movies.
What is your biggest pet peeve and why?
People who do not hold up their end of the
deal. It just really bothers me when someone
does not do what they said they would.
Name a major issue that you think teens deal
with everyday.
Drinking and driving because it kills thousands every year.
What type of music are you interested in?
I really enjoy rap, country, and R&B. My
favorite artist are Lil Wayne, Rascal Flatts, and
Jerimih.
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SATURDAY, JUNE 5TH, 2010
MIN. 15 STUDENTS NEEDED
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SUMMER CLASSES:
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START
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