Issue 7 - New Prairie High School

Volume 43, Issue 7
Sports
NCCA tournaments brings excitement
Caitlin Smith
Sports Reporter
For the second year in a row, the
Butler Bulldogs men’s basketball team
fell in the National Championship game.
The University of Connecticut won its
third national title in 12 years, silencing
the Bulldogs’ bark in an excruciating 40
minutes of play that ended with 53-41 on
the scoreboard.
Neither team could claim any
offensive bragging rights that
night. According to ESPN sports
analyst Dana O’Neil in an article
on espn.com, Connecticut’s 53
points were the fewest scored
by a winning team since 1949,
and their one out of eleven threepoint record tied Duke for the
worst in a national title game.
Butler had a shameful 18.8 field
goal percentage, which was the
worst by any team in any NCAA
tournament game since Harvard in
1946 against Ohio State.
In his analysis of the game
on espn.com, Pat Forde stated
that with 109 total points in two
games, UConn scored the fewest
total points in a Final Four for the
winning team since Oklahoma
A&M in 1946. During the Final Four, the
UConn Huskies make a whopping two
baskets from behind the arc, yet still went
on to win it all.
In the same article, Forde stated that
Butler only scored three field goals from
two-point range, the fewest ever in an
NCAA tournament game. UConn won the
game by outshining Butler at the defensive
end, blocking ten shots to Butler’s two and
pulling down 51 rebounds to the Bulldogs’
40.
The Huskies choked Butler’s shooting
ability, eliminating any possibility for
Butler to move into the paint, forcing them
to shoot from around arc. Three-point
shots accounted for over half of the shots
attempted by Butler, who only made nine
of their 33.
The Houston final was a rather dismal
performance for both teams, even after
decent showings in their semi-final
contests in which UConn ousted Kentucky
and Butler nipped hard enough at Virginia
Commonwealth University’s ankles to
bring the 11-seed’s shocking run in the
Kemba Walker celebrates with the National Championship. Photo courtesy of
CreativeCommons.org.
tournament to an end.
In the women’s final, held in
Indianapolis on April 5, upsets and
surprises were the order of the day once
again. The Texas A&M Aggies came
away with 76-70 victory over the Notre
Dame Fighting Irish. The bigger shocks
came from who wasn’t in the final at all.
The Texas A&M Aggies took out the
Stanford Cardinal and the Notre Dame
Fighting Irish ended the UConn Huskies’
impressive postseason run which spanned
three seasons. The Lady Huskies were
denied what could have been their third
consecutive title, and America was denied
seeing a rematch of last year’s women’s
nail-biter final between UConn and
Stanford.
According to an Associated Press
article on espn.com, despite Connecticut
forward Maya Moore’s 36 points,
the Fighting Irish paved their way to
Indianapolis with a 72-63 victory over
the Huskies. However, a majority home
crowd at the final could not give the
Irish the momentum they needed to
finish off the Aggies.
According to an article by Mechelle
Voepel, A&M’s Tyra White was
instrumental in taking out Stanford and
she kept that dominance going against
Notre Dame. White made an assisted
layup with three seconds left, aided by
teammate Sydney Colson, to take her
team to the championship game. Against
the Irish, White drained a beautiful three
pointer with 1:07 left in the game and
two seconds left on the shot clock. She
ended the game with 18 total points.
In the same article, Irish coach
Muffet McGraw was quoted as saying,
“That (shot) was a knife right in my
heart. It was an unbelievable shot. That
was the game, that play right there.”
A&M senior Danielle Adams had
her own amazing 30 points, 22 of which
came in the second half, to add to the
dominance, the second highest total
ever in a women’s NCAA title game.
Adams was named the Final Four’s most
outstanding player.
The Irish, with Skylar Diggins’ 23
points, battled and scrapped until the end,
but it just wasn’t enough to finish on top.
Cougar Chronicle
The
Photo by Courtney Barnard
Art by Alysia Palm
16
The Cougar Chronicle
May 3, 2011
The
Cougar
Chronicle
Volume 43, Issue 7
Letter
from
the
Editor
Let’s take a break and go back
to kindergarten for a second,
back when play time meant
playing pretend. Remember using your imagination and being
a princess or a racecar driver?
Well, that’s what this issue is all
about! No, we’re not talking
about putting on fairy wings or
waving a plastic sword around.
The incident is unWe’re talking about imagining
It’s important, however,
likely to result in a
what you want, imagining the
to remember that people
Chernobyl-like disasworld you want to live in, and
have lost their liveliter, but its impact will
creating it.
hoods and loved ones.
still be significant.
Imagine a world run
completely with nuclear power.
Imagine a world where instead
With impressive skills
of turning pages you touch
I really don’t like
and a little luck, he will a screen. Imagine a green
the school’s internet
now be engaging in the world. Can you imagine what
computers.
experience of a lifetime. we could do if we dedicated
ourselves to helping others and
creating this better world? We
hope this issue sparks your
Watch out, the
Lakers will threeimagination and gets you motigreatest rapper could
peat by beating the
vated to stop playing pretend
be white, just as the
and start making those imaginCeltics and send
greatest golfer could
ings happen.
coach Phil Jackson
May 3, 2011
News...3
Student Life... 11
Opinion... 7
Features... 12
A&E... 8
Sports... 14
be black.
into retirement with
12 rings.
The Chronicle is....
Editor-in-Chief
Kiersten Witkamp
Opinion Editor
Danielle Webb
A&E Editor
Chelsea Purkal
Features Editor
Danielle Faczan
Student Life Editor
Laura Schulte
Sports Editor
Tony Koch
Photo Editor
Courtney Barnard
Art Editor
Alysia Palm
Adviser
Chrystal Wilkeson
Staff
Sammy Bellis
Alicia Blint
Elsa Kern-Lovick
Deanna Menke
Alex Nekvasil
Andy Schoff
Caitlin Smith
Matt Smith
Zak Zahrn
The Cougar Chronicle’s Editorial/Opinion
Policy
The Cougar Chronicle is an official publication of New Prairie
High School. The Chronicle is dedicated to providing the staff
and student body with a medium that delivers the news surrounding New Prairie High School in a timely manner. The opinions
expressed on the Chronicle’s Editorial/Opinion page are not
necessarily the opinions of the Chronicle, of New Prairie High
School, or of the New Prairie United School Corporation.
Sports
The Cougar Chronicle
15
NFL players prepare for lockout
Nate Arndt
Cody Webb
Aiden Cotter
Garrett Ruiz
Eric-Blake-Etheridge
Camille Goethals
Jake Stafford
NPMS Guest Reporters
he received Honorable Mention AllAmerican Honors.
So Gates, a power
The National
forward, could
Football League
be on the radar
is in a lockout
for the National
because of
Basketball
money issues
Association scouts.
between owners
Tom
and NFL
Zibikowski, a
players. Some
NFL safety for
NFL players
the Baltimore
are playing
Ravens, has gone
multiple sports
to the boxing ring
which has
since the lockout.
also caused
Zibikowski has
some conflicts.
three wins and
Here are some
zero losses with
players who
two amazing
have or might
knockouts. The
change sports
25 year old from
due to the
Notre Dame has
current status
beaten Robert
of the NFL
Bell, Richard
organization.
Bryant, and Celeb
Chad
Grumment. Who
Johnson, who
knows, Zibikowski
plays for the
could be the next
Cincinnati Bengals,
This is what NFL fields could look like if a lockout presents itslef. Photo coutesy of CreMuhammed Ali.
ative Commons.org.
changed his name
It’s easy to see
to Ochocinco which
that this lockout
refers to his uniform
has or will open
the local game.
number in Spanish. He then tried out for
many
other
doors
of
opportunity
for some
NFL tight end, Antonio Gates,
the Kanas City Wizard’s MLS soccer
NFL
players.
The
question
that
many
fans
could easily go back to playing basketball.
team. Ochocinco said in an interview with
are
asking
themselves
is
how
will
this
Gates attended college at Kentucky State
Sports Illustrated, “The only thing I can
change and affect NFL teams? We will all
and his senior year averaged 20.6 points
offer is this, I am fast.” Ochocinco got his
just need to wait patiently until the lockout
and 7.7 rebounds per game. That year
wish to play reserve with the Wizards for
is over to find out!
14
The Cougar Chronicle
Sports
NBA set for exhilirating playoffs
Chicago Bulls rolled with 62 wins to take
the one seed. They will play the Indiana
Tony Koch
Pacers, who with a record below .500 are
Sports Editor
just satisfied to be in the playoffs. Chicago
is led by Most Valuable Player candidate,
guard Derrick Rose.
The National Basketball Association
The Miami Heat will play the
finished the regular season on April 13
Philadelphia 76ers in another lopsided
and the playoffs are scheduled to begin on
match-up. Miami will be led by two-time
April 16. The 2010-2011 season featured
MVP forward LeBron James and all
many magical moments, terrific
star guard Dwyane Wade. The 76ers
performances, and unforgettable games.
will be hard pressed to stop this
The NBA playoff format includes 16
duo and will also have to deal with
teams from the Western and Eastern
forward/center Chris Bosh.
conferences. Each team is seeded one
The defending Eastern
through eight by overall record during
conference champion, the Boston
the 82 game regular season. The three
Celtics struggled the entire second
division winners from each conference
half of the season and will be
are seeded one through three based on
challenged by the new look New
overall record. Each series is contested
York Knicks led by Anthony
in a “best of seven format”, where a
and center A’mare Stoudimire.
team must win four games to advance.
According to Yahoosports.com,
In the Western Conference
this series could come down to the
the San Antonio Spurs are the top seed
wire, but expect Boston to advance
and will face the eight seed Memphis
because of their experience.
Grizzlies. According to ESPN.com, San
Finally, the Orlando Magic
Antonio is heavily favored because of
and Atlanta Hawks round out the
the injury Memphis’ star guard Rudy
quarterfinals. Atlanta will have
Gay sustained numerous weeks ago.
to stop center Dwight Howard if
Gay will miss the entire playoffs.
they have any hope of winning.
The Los Angeles Lakers are
According to NBA.com, Atlanta
the two seed and are the two time
will have a big problem trying to
defending NBA champions. Los
stop center Dwight Howard and
Angeles will square off with the New
must find a way to limit his scoring
Orleans Hornets. Though the Lakers
and rebounds to conquer the Magic.
have struggled at times this season,
Kobe Bryant and the Lakers won it all last year,
Who will win the NBA title
many fans believe they will most
can they three-peat? Photo by CreativeCommons. this year? There are many different
certainly make their fourth straight trip
org.
opinions among basketball fans.
to the NBA Finals this June.
“Lakers will three-peat by
“It’s different this year because
beating the Celtics and send coach
we’re a two seed, but LA has so many
Phil Jackson into retirement with 12
weapons offensively and they also have
The final first round matchrings,” Arndt stated.
Kobe Bryant who is hungry for his sixth
up in the West is the three seed Dallas
The NBA season will come to an
title,” said Lakers fans sophomore Nick
Mavericks and the upstart Portland Trail
end in June and nobody knows for sure
Arndt.
Blazers. According to ESPN.com, Dallas
who will be left as champion. But the fact
According to NBA.com, the most could easily be upset by Portland’s big
remains that unpredictability helps catch
anticipated match-up will be between the
men LaMarcus Aldridge, Gerald Wallace,
fan’s attention.
Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver
and Marcus Camby.
Nuggets. Denver has flourished since
In the Eastern Conference, the
trading away forward Carmelo Anthony to
the New York Knicks. Their new players,
three point specialist Danilo Gallanari,
forward Wilson Chandler, and point
guard Raymond Felton, have fit in nicely.
The Thunder are the youngest team in
the league and will be led by this year’s
scoring champion, Kevin Durant.
News
The Cougar Chronicle
3
Nuclear power poses no
threat to U.S.
How a nuclear
reactor works
Zak Zahrn
News Reporter
Last month on March 11,
an 8.9 earthquake hit Japan,
and
caused
a
nuclear
power
plant in
Fukushima
to
experience a
meltdown.
The
earthquake
broke
water
lines
to the
reactor
used to
keep it
cool,
causing the
whole
plant
to heat
up.
There was no fear of explosion, but many officials were
quick to try and solve this
problem. There was fear of
nuclear atoms being released
into the atmosphere and causing many problems for the
people around the area.
Forbes Magazine said The
International Atomic Energy released the news to the
country that 3 reactors had
backs and problems, however
there is nothing to fear here in
America.
“The radiation in the clouds
that reached the U.S. isn’t
enough to do any damage to
us. I am worried
for them however,” said junior
Jacob Glossenger.
According to the
L.A. Times, health
officials in California said they were
doubtful that harmful radiation would
be able to flow
50,000 miles to the
West Coast. Some
radiation did reach
California, but a
diplomat in Vienna
said the readings
were “about a billion times beneath
levels that would be
health threatening”
said CBS News.
Radiation
is measured in
millisievers. The
average exposure
to humans is 3.26
millisievers (msu)
Art by Alysia Palm. a day. It takes an
amount of 20 msu
is a fear of a nuclear
in one dosing to do a person
meltdown, and a release of
any real damage which is very
large amounts of radioactive
unlikely to happen unless you
atoms. Taking caution, already
are directly exposed to nuclear
180,000 people have been
material.
evacuated from the area.
Though Fukushima is
ABC Science states that the
experiencing a major crisis,
incident is “unlikely to result
citizens of America have nothin a Chernobyl-like disaster,
ing to fear. There is no way for
but its impact will still be significant”. Already many people enough radiation to cross the
in Japan are experiencing setPacific Ocean to do any harm.
automatically shut down as
a safety precaution after the
earthquake. However, because
of power outages, cooling
systems have failed and there
- Fuel rods enriched to
only 7% uranium 235
are put in the reactor
-This is the perfect
amount so that if there
is a problem, no explosion will happen
- Safety rods are placed
inside the reactor core
with fuel rods
-Absorb enough
neutrons to control the
reaction
- One neutron splits an
atom of Uranium 235
-The split atom
creates Barium 56+
Krypton 26+energy+3
neutrons
- Safety rods absorb
some of the neutrons,
not allowing them to
split more atoms of
Uranium 235
- This reaction creates
1100 megawatts of
energy
-Can be used for the
same products as a coal
plant
4
The Cougar Chronicle
News
Disaster strikes the South
Kiersten Witkamp
Editor-in-Chief
On Wednesday, April 27th,
tornadoes reaching strengths
of at least F4, the second
highest category of tornadoes, ripped through six
states in the southern United
States, reported the Huffpost
Green.
As of Friday,
April 29, the death toll had
reached 300. Of those, 210
deaths occurred in Alabama,
the state hit the hardest by
the storms, according to
ABC News. Death totals
reached 33 in Mississippi
and Tennessee, 15 in Georgia, five in Virginia, and one
A F5 tornado ripped through Alabama on Wednesday April 27 and left thousands of homes in ruins. Photo courin Kentucky.
tesy of creativecommons.org.
On Wednesday
when the worst of the storms
last time such an elaborate system of
started, the National Weather Service
shelters was set up was after Hurricane
received 137 tornado reports, bringing the
Katrina in 2005. Alabama’s governor,
grand total to 300 tornadoes across the
region since Friday, April 22, reported The Robert Bentley, told The Telegraph that
a million people were left without power
Telegraph.
after the storms came through.
These storms were the worst
Currently, there is a massive
storms to hit the country since 1947 when
relief operation underway in the South.
148 tornadoes hit and death totals reached
More than 2000 National Guard troops
310. One tornado was caught on tape and
have been deployed in Alabama. Churchwas measured to be a mile wide, 20 times
es, sororities, and other volunteer orgalarger than the average tornado. Alabama
nizations were working alongside emerwas struck by an F5 tornado, estimated
gency officials to help.
Storm Prediction Center research meteo
Friday, April 29, President
rologist Harold Brooks in the St. PetersObama visited the disaster stricken Alaburg Times. This is the strongest category
bama to survey the damage. According to
of tornado with winds reaching speeds of
The St. Petersburg Times, he called the
more than 200 mph.
destruction “nothing short of catastrophic”
Across nine states struck by the tornados,
and has pledged the federal government’s
more than 1680 people spent Wednesday
assistance.
night in Red Cross shelters, said Attie
Poirier, a Red Cross spokeswoman. The
“
Our hearts go
out to all those
who have
been affected
by this devastation. we
commend the heroic efforts of those who have
been working tirelessly to respond
to this disaster.”
-President Obama
“
Student Life
The Cougar Chronicle
Generosity reaches Japan
13
Deanna Menke
Student LIfe Reporter
A magnitude 8.9 offshore
earthquake struck Japan on
March 11, 2011, according to
Fox News. The after effects
of this earthquake included a
23-foot tsunami and more than
50 aftershocks in the hours that
followed, some
exceeding a 6.0 magnitude.
The earthquake also caused a
power outage at the Fukushima
Dai-ichi nuclear plant,
resulting in a scramble to
prevent a nuclear meltdown,
according to NPR.
If a person turns on the
news, one will probably see
commentators analyzing how
the situation in Japan will
affect our economy, how safe
nuclear power is, and whether
any radiation will reach the
California coastline. It’s
important, however, to remember that people have lost their
livelihoods and loved ones. In
the same way people
reacted to the earthquake that
hit Haiti in 2010, it’s important
to remember to ask, “How can
I help?” because there
is always a good answer.
Google has a site called
Google Crisis Response. As
soon as the page loads, there is
a “Make a Donation” box
in the center of the page. It offers links to such organizations
as the Japanese Red Cross
Society, the International
Medical Corps, UNICEF, and
Save the Children. Also on
the page is a Person Finder for
those trying to locate
loved ones. Shelter locations
People of Japan come together and remember what they lost in the recent disasters. The cranes
symbolize faith, hope, and peace, and are being held throughout Japan. Picture courtesy of Creative
Commons.
are shared. For the sites appearing in Japanese, Google
even offers a link to download
Google Translate for Android.
A charitable group called
ShelterBox is also pledging to
help Japan. According to their
website, ShelterBox
provides shelter and supplies
for families struck by disaster.
Families receive relief tents,
blankets, water storage
and purification equipment,
cooking utensils, and other
lifesaving supplies. By clicking
on the donate tab on their
website, a person can donate
as much as they wish. Even celebrities are getting involved;
recently, author Maureen
Johnson led other authors on
Twitter to create a contest for
participants to win special copies of their books. To enter
the contest, one had to donate
to ShelterBox first. According
to Johnson’s blog, they raised
over $15,000, enough for
16 boxes.
Americans often exceed in
empathy and generosity. They
can imagine themselves at the
center of a tragedy, feel
a person’s pain when they’re
halfway around the world, and
give as much as they can. New
Prairians also need to
remember that they can make a
difference. To donate, be sure
to check out the Google Crisis
Response website at
http://www.google.com/crisisresponse/japanquake2011.html
and ShelterBox’s website at
www.shelterbox.org.
12
The Cougar Chronicle
Student Life
Reflecting back on prom Laura Schulte
Student LIfe Editor
Prom is an important night for
many teens. Some regard it as a right
of passage that every teen experiences
in high school. It’s a night of dreams
that come true, with fancy dresses and
dancing. With New Prairie’s prom
already past, the students are all talking
about it. Who went? What did they
wear? Who did they go with? With all
the anticipation before, it’s hard not to
talk about it after. Students are making
plans for what some consider to be the
biggest night of the year.
“I’m went out to eat with a bunch of
friends, then went to prom. Afterwards
we had a bonfire,” said junior Caite
Gonzalez. “Then the next day we went
to Chicago for lunch and then Shed
Aquarium.”
Senior Taylor Surma also planned
prom with friends. “I went with friends
and dates. Then the next day we all
went rock climbing.”
Prom wasn’t just a night for the girls,
either. Guys also made plans for a great
Art by Alex Nekvasil
evening. “I went to dinner with my date, then went
to the prom,” said senior Mike Peck. “The
next day we went to Indiana Beach.”
“We rented a Hummer stretch limo,
went to dinner, and we considered
going bowling,” said senior Ricky
Cody. “Then we went to prom.”
Students had high expectations for
prom night. Everyone may have had
different plans, but the expectation for a
good night was still there.
“I’ve never been to prom, so I wanted
it to be legit. I wanted it to be my best
senior experience,” said senior Jessica
McFarland.
“I expected the decorations to be
really good,” said Gonzalez. “And the
music should have been good too.”
“I expected to just have fun,” said
Surma.
“I just wanted this year’s prom to be
better than last year’s,” said Peck.
“I wanted it to be good!” exclaimed
Cody. “It was my senior prom, so it had
to be good.”
Prom took place on Saturday, April
30th at Heston Hills Banquet Center.
For everyone who attended it was surely
a night that they will always remember.
Laura Schulte
Student LIfe Editor
School spirit is an
important part of high school
sports. The pom and dance
team is always showing
their support through the
performances they give at
half-time shows during the
football and basketball seasons
every year. This issue, the
Cougar Chronicle is proud to
present the spirit award to an
outstanding member of the
team, Brynne Pokuta.
Q: How long have you
been on the poms team?
A: Since my freshman year.
Q: How long have you
been dancing?
A: Since I was in seventh
grade.
Q: Why did you join the
poms team?
A: I joined because ever since
I started going to football and
basketball games when I was
little, it’s been my dream to be
out there.
Q: What is your favorite
part of New Prairie?
A: How the students get
involved with the team at the
games.
Q: What has been
your greatest
accomplishment in
poms?
A: Making team captain and
getting the Most Valuable Pom
award.
Q: What did you do
to get to nationals this
year?
Photo provided by Yearbook Staff
And the spirit award goes to... A: We practiced really hard,
and competed at Six Flags to
get a bid for nationals.
Q: What do you do to
show your school spirit?
A: I show my spirit by
supporting all of the teams and
cheering them on. I’m always
5
The Cougar Chronicle
Voice
A string of tornadoes hit Xena,
OH when I was in elementary
school and I drove through it so
I know what it looks like. They
need government help with the
relief. -Senior Patrick Andrews
The last outburst of anything close to this was in
1942. For sure, this was
the deadliest outbreak in
Alabama and the second
deadliest in the country in
more than four decades.
-Senior Ricky Cody
The storms in the south created
widespread devastation that
affected millions of lives in the
south. -Senior Chad Wines.
The FEMA response is better than Hurricane Katrina. They made it down
there [Friday April 29, 2011]. Katrina
took them a while [to get to]. -Senior
David Pietrzak
$10 per
team! Join
today!
9&
May 1
I feel bad for the
people that got hit
by all those storms.
-Senior Sebastian
Heyn
:45
t2
20th a
Minute to
Win It!
The devastating casualties will have a great
impact on our society.
-Senior Heather Macher
Come support
your team!
$2 admission
fee goes to help
find a cure for
cystic fibrosis
6
The Cougar Chronicle
Opinion
Demanding nuclear
power in my backyard
nuclear energy wouldbe that it would help
create jobs, which is essential for helping
Danielle Webb
our country try to recover from its debt.
In 2009 The National Academy
Opinion Editor
of Science reported that the cost of nuclear
power is equal to or lower than natural
America is one of the most
gas, wind, solar, or coal with carbon per
industrialized countries in the world.
capita. The nuclear energy reactors last up
We have more advanced technologies
to 80 years, while wind and solar power
than other countries, more economic
only last up to 25 years. Also, they use the
perfect amount of 235 Uranium
to make sure there are no possible
explosions.
People need to understand that
depending so much on oil is not
responsible, environmentally
or economically. Oil is a nonrenewable resource. Therefore,
we will run out of it one day,
and it is time now to change our
ways. Changing to nuclear fuel
is the best option. It is virtually
unlimited. There is no drilling
involved, and not as much
dangerous mining. We can even
safely recycle the waste and
possibly turn it into more fuel.
The Obama Administration has
the means to get America back on
track as one of the most prominent
industrialized nations.
The United States is responsible
for using 25% of all the energy in
the world. It is time we try to fix
Nuclear energy plants such as these are beneficial to society in numerous ways. Photo courtesy
our mistakes. Nuclear energy has
of creativecommons.org.
too many positive factors that we
carbon
emissions.
It
also
has
the
cheapest
can
no
longer ignore. It is better for our
opportunities for all people, and a great
electricity
cost
of
countries
such
as
Italy,
environment,
can provide more jobs, as
education system. Even with our leading
Britain,
Finland,
and
Eastern
and
Western
well
as
be
less
expensive than using nonways, we’re at the top of the list for
Europe.
renewable
resources.
So stop saying “Not
something not so good. America is one
Not
only
would
using
nuclear
In
My
Back
Yard’
or
“NIMBY”
and start
of the front-runners in the production of
power
as
a
main
energy
source
lower
our
chanting
“In
My
Backyard”
carbon dioxide waste right behind China.
per capita in carbon dioxide emissions,
Because our country is so
but it would also create large amounts
advanced it is time we become more
of inexpensive electricity that is reliable.
nuclear power proficient. People fear
Another major advantage from using
Scoring goals in Honduras
Danielle Faczan
Features Editor
Question: Can you describe the opportunity that has been given to you?
Answer: I’m going to Honduras for
soccer. I’ll be practicing with a national
college team, but I’ll probably play for the
youth 16/17 there.
Q: How did it happen?
A: My uncle was telling the coach about
me because I played for the Indiana Invaders and really like soccer. Then the coach
saw a video of me and was like, “Cool, I
want him to come play with us.”
Q: What else will you be doing while
you’re there?
A: I’m going to go to school for Spanish because mine has gotten pretty bad.
[laughs]
Q: When will you go?
11
It’s not every day that an average teen is invited to another country to play soccer, especially with its national team. However, sophomore Sebastian Enamorado has been given
that exact opportunity. With impressive skills and a little luck, he will now be engaging
in the experience of a lifetime. The Cougar Chronicle had the chance to sit down with
Enamorado and discuss the upcoming excitement.
A: Right after school gets out for summer
vacation.
Q: Did anyone inspire you to do this?
A: My cousin, I guess. He told me how
good it would be to practice with them. I’d
get better and learn more.
Q: How long have you been playing
soccer?
A: Pretty much my whole life!
Q: What kind of experience do you have?
A: I played for the Indiana Invaders,
practice in South Bend at the park, and
play with kids from Elkhart. I play for the
New Prairie Soccer Club too, but that’s
not [an official] team.
Q: Why do you enjoy playing soccer so
Photo of Sebastian Enamorado
taken by Courtney Barnard
what they do not know. With the recent
tragedies happening in Japan, and past
events like Chernobyl and Three Mile
Island, people have become hesitant about
returning to nuclear energy.
France, however, has overcome
doubts about nuclear energy and benefited
from it. Eighty percent of France is
using nuclear power, and the country
has the lowest number per capita of
Features
The Cougar Chronicle
much?
A: I don’t know, it just makes me feel
important.
Q: Do you plan on going pro?
A: Yeah. I want to play for Barcelona,
Real Madrid, or Red Bull.
School shootings in Indiana
Danielle Woodcox
Megan Sheely
Malinda Jack
NPMS Guest Reporters
On March 25, at approximately 8:10 AM, a sixteen
year old was shot and killed in
the parking lot of Lew Wallace High School. He was
shot twice in the stomach and
once in the head in front of
other students. The shooter
was seventeen and had been
expelled the week before the
attack. Many schools are now
wondering what they can do
to prevent future shootings in
their schools.
Indiana alone had forty-four
school shootings in 2010, with
eleven of these shootings being
fatal. Most of these happened
similar to the one in Martinsville. Just after 7:00 AM
Chance Jackson, fifteen, was
shot. He is currently in stable
condition and the shooter is in
custody. Friends of the shooter
have said that the morning of
the attack the shooter posted
on Facebook, “Today is the
day.” Now, after the shooting,
he is constantly being tagged
on Facebook with things like,
“Why?”
Though the attacks seem
sudden, there are always ways
to get a warning beforehand
if you look at certain clues.
People who attack other students can be any age, any race,
or from any family situation.
Contrary to the assumptions
that the youth just snap, we
know that they don’t - they
plan. Most school attackers
show some kind of troubling
behavior before the attack, but
they are also likely to show
behavior not connected to the
incident. More than threefourths of school attackers
threaten to kill themselves or
make suicidal hints before the
attack. In one case a student
wrote poems about suicide as
a solution to feeling hopeless.
School authorities often decide
that it’s just a family problem
and don’t intervene. A problem
Art by Molly McFadden,
Emmy McLaughlin, and
Bryana Sanders
in preventing violence like this
is determining how and when
to respond to youth who are already known to cause trouble.
10
Elsa Kern-Lovick
The Cougar Chronicle
Features
Opinion
Being green on Earth Day
Features Reporter
1. Unplug.
Unplug your computers, chargers and appliances when not in use. They consume a lot of
energy even when they are not in use.
Andy Schoff
Water heaters consume large amounts of energy in homes. Try using cold water whenever
possible, or try catching running water to use for watering plants.
3. Switch light bulbs.
Compact Florescent light bulbs save large amounts of energy. Just remember to dispose of
them properly.
4. Drive Less.
Art by Alex Nekvasil
Take the bus, walk, bike, or carpool. We all know gas prices are going up, so this tip not only helps the environment, but saves you a
lot of money.
5. Buy local, organic, or grow your own food.
Buying local supports local business, buying organic prevents ingestion of pesticides, and growing your own is always a healthy and
cheap alternative.
6. Buy with less packaging.
Look for products with the least amount of packaging materials, and look for recyclable packaging.
7. Recycle.
Recycle all that you can, try to cut down on plastic bags or bring your own cloth bags to the grocery store, and compost your leftovers.
8. Plant trees.
There is no better way to give back to the environment. If you don’t have the space for a tree, many organizations take donations
which allow them to do it for you.
9. Use green power.
Many states give you the opportunity to purchase renewable energy from local power companies. If
this isn’t possible, try buying solar powered products.
10. Encourage Others.
Spread the word of the green effort to friends and family. Everyone’s efforts make a difference.
7
Should school
computers have
internet filters?
On Earth Day, April 22, many people across the country and even the world make an effort
to do their part to conserve energy and be “green”. Though being eco-friendly is something that
everyone should make an effort to do everyday, Earth Day calls attention to the effort. Here, in
honor of Earth Day, are the top ten most effective ways, as listed by Greenopolis.com, to do your
part this Earth Day.
2. Don’t waste water.
The Cougar Chronicle
Opinion Reporter
If you’ve ever used a computer during
school at one point or another, chances
are you’ve been blocked from a site that
you wanted to go to. www.ncsl.org states
that federal law requires all schools that
receive government funding for internet
access must apply internet filters to their
computers. Though most people would
agree that internet filters at school are
necessary.
Junior Trent Mellinger said, “I really
don’t like the school’s internet computers.
I can’t ever go to the websites I want to
go to.”
According to www.enotes.com,
internet filters are software programs that
control what is shown while someone
is viewing pages on the internet. Most
internet filters are designed to block
people from seeing websites that contain
offensive material. Though they’re
designed to only block offensive material,
sometimes filters block websites that
contain no offensive material. This raises
problems, as some websites that contain
useful needed information, are blocked.
According to www.internet-filters.
net, there are two main ways that most
internet filters work. One way is by
comparing browser requests with a list of
unsuitable website names, then blocking
the request if it matches with a URL on
the list. Another way that internet filters
work is by scanning incoming data
from websites and blocking the site if it
contains unwanted keywords or file types.
This screen is a common occurence on school computers. Photo by Courtney Barnard.
This method of blocking websites could
be a problem in itself, because content that
might be offensive to one person might
not always be offensive to another.
In conclusion, internet filters are
necessary for clean surfing of the web
in schools. Though they’re not perfect,
the amount of websites that filters find
suitable certainly outweigh the suitable
websites that internet filters block. As long
as computers with internet access exist in
schools, students will likely have to learn
to live with filtered internet access.
Hey Cougars!!!
The Cougar Chornicle encourages readers to write in to the
paper.
Suggestions, comments, or questions?
Give your written letter to a
member of the Cougar Chronicle
Staff or Mrs. Wilkeson in room
41.
Arts &
Entertainment
with Wi-Fi and 3G connection you are
able to download a
book in sixty seconds
or less. Countless and
new features for the
hand-held device are
incredible!
The iPad can be
used for numerous
things, but according
to apple.com, with a
touch on the screen you
can instantly download
applications for reading
in the palm of your
hands. The iBook
application is currently
at the top of the charts
for free book apps. on
According to amazon.com, the Photo by: Sammy Bellis iTunes. The iBook
application allows an
Kindle has a six inch, no glare
iPad owner to browse
screen with a built-in keyboard.
the
iBookstore
where
they can download
It has over 900,000 best-selling books to
the
latest
best-selling
books
at any time.
choose from along with newspapers and
A
user
can
also
read
a
free
sample
of any
magazines. A lightweight Kindle can
book
in
the
iBookstore
before
making
hold up to 3,500 books at one time and
their purchase. This application also
contains many more features and Apple
offers many other applications with a
single book that cannot be found in the
iBookstore.
Imagine a world without having the
feeling of holding a book in your hands.
Instead it would be replaced by an
electronic device with your book inside.
New Prairie students speak out on what
they would rather be reading out of.
“I would rather have a book in my
hands because there’s more feeling
from a book than clicking buttons on an
electronic device,” explained senior Chad
Wines.
“Either way doesn’t matter to me, but
it’s easier to read off my Kindle because
it’s easier to carry around and I’m able
to have as many books as I want on it,”
commented junior Myranda Smeltzer.
The NOOK, Kindle, and iPad have
become increasingly popular to read
books with over the years. Even though it
may sometimes be easier to carry around a
much smaller device compared to a book,
some still prefer to have the pages in their
hands.
Alicia Blint
A&E Reporter
Getting pregnant as a teenager can
spell “DISASTER”. It would ruin
reputations and affect their entire lives.
However on one of the most viewed
television shows on MTV, pregnant teens
are given the opportunity to tell their side
of the story of when they got pregnant and
what happens next!
In 2009, MTV broadcasted the first
series of Teen Mom, a show produced as
a spinoff of 16 and Pregnant,
where it continued to follow
four young moms as they
struggle with the challenges
of their first year of
motherhood. Again in 2011,
MTV broadcasted a second
series, Teen Mom 2, with
four entirely different teen
mothers. The series showed
every step that each young
mother took to stay strong
and grow up to take care of
their children. There were
many struggles along their
journey that made it difficult
for them to cope with being
a young mother, making the
show the best hit show for
teens, according to People magazine. But
with every great show there is always a
slight set back.
Since the start of MTV’s television
show there have been several debates
whether the show is a good influence or
not. To support such a statement, MTV
recently discovered that three friends of
one of the teen moms on the show got
pregnant. Critics believe that Teen Mom
is encouraging teens to become pregnant
for the fame. According to EW News, the
rumors of young teens getting pregnant
to become famous are false and they are
simply a result of their own actions.
One of the debates is whether to
Art by: Alysia Palm
it really
is like
to get
pregnant and take on such a
responsibility.”
“Maybe MTV shouldn’t show Teen
Mom, but it does give an insight on what
really goes on in a pregnant teens’ life
and maybe give other teens a reason to
practice abstinence”, added junior Holly
Lindborg.
The young moms made their choice
to be on TV merely for the purpose of
telling their story not to encourage teens
to become pregnant for fame.
continue Teen Mom or not. It’s still
in question according to ABC News.
However could you imagine what would
happen if the show was continued?
“I think that Teen Mom is a positive
influence on other teens. The show
shows how hard it is to continue school
and to take care of a baby.” stated junior
Nichole Woods.
Freshman Alexis Luke-Gauger said,
“Teenagers shouldn’t get pregnant and
become moms. It’s a responsibility that
we are not mature for just yet.”
“The show is not a negative influence
on teens,” started senior Paige Zirkle,
“but a positive one to show them what
Teenage Mutant Ninja Rapper, The
Being white doesn’t mean you can’t
Underclassmen, Optimus Rhyme, and Best
rap. Yet only Eminem and Asher Roth
in the Burbs. Webby and Mac Miller have
are the only well-known white rappers,
even collaborated on a track called, “I
until Mac Miller, Chris Webby, and
Need a Dollar”.
Cam Meekins got on the mic. These
Sam Wisner, a.k.a. Sam Adams’
three guys are breaking the color barrier
mixtape Boston’s Boy has topped the
in the hip
iTunes download chart ahead of Lil’
hop industry,
Wayne and DJ Khaled. He was accused
similar to
of buying his own albums from iTunes
Tiger Woods
but after some research iTunes said
breaking the
that it wasn’t possible, and that all the
color barrier in
downloads were from across the country.
golf, a “white
He currently is signed with One Sound
man’s sport”.
Records according to the Boston Phoenix.
Pittsburgh,
And is working on a new mixtape called
Pennsylvania’s
Party Rock Mixtape.
Mac Miller,
The least popular of the three, Cam
born under the
Meekins, is from Newton, Massachussetts.
name Malcolm
McCormick, Photos of Chris Webby and Mac Miller He is still enrolled
in high school and
has taken the
currently released his
hip-hop game courtesy of creativecommons.org
by storm.
He started his rap career in a group
called The Ill Spoken. Before signing
with Rostrum Records, Mac went by
the name, “Easy Mac”. He signed
with Rostrum when he was 18 and
then released a mixtape, K.I.D.S. In
august 2010. Mac recently released
to his fans another mixtape called
Best Day Ever. Which included his
most famous song so far called,
Donald Trump. Mac has started many
mixtape, 1993, which lead to him signing
trends in the rap world. Representing
with 1881 Records. He works with
snap-back hats, crew neck sweatshirts,
famous producer Matty Trump according
classic Nike’s, and Ray-Ban Sunglasses.
to datpiff.com and has three famous songs
Christian Webster, a.k.a. Chris
entitled, “Rain.” “Fast Lane (Featuring
Webby, from Norwalk, Conneticut is
Chris Webby)” and “Taken Off”.
still unsigned according to chriswebby.
These four rappers are taking over the
net, but recently his underground
hip hop industry. So instead of everyone
mixtapes have hit the mainstream. They
just thinking that Eminem is the only good
have brought Webby some unexpected
white rapper, think about Mac, Webby,
fame, so fast he crashed the download
Sam, or Cam and how fast they’ve taken
site datpiff.com by having so many
the hip hop game by storm. Watch out, the
people download his LP at one time.
greatest rapper could be white, just as the
The LP was titled The White Noise LP.
Webby has released four other mixtapes, greatest golfer could be black.
Matt Smith
A&E Reporter
Does Teen Mom mean White rappers
e
s
i
r
e
big break?
on th
Technology has become highly
advanced over the past decade with new
cell phones, television sets, video game
systems, and computers. Now, books
have made the next enormous step in the
technology world. Devices such as the
NOOK Color by Barnes and Noble, the
Kindle by Amazon, and the Apple iPad
give people the power to purchase, store,
and read multiple numbers of books at
one time on one handy device.
According to barnesandnoble.com,
the NOOK Color by Barnes and Noble
has a “spectacular seven inch VividView
color touchscreen which makes reading
more engaging than ever!” The NOOK
provides over two million books to choose
from. It is also the first reading device
to offer all your favorite newspapers and
magazines in rich, full color. Built in WiFi helps explore the internet and purchase
new books instantly.
The Kindle by Amazon is similar to the
NOOK Color, but with different features.
Chelsea Purkal
A&E Editor
Technology flips through the pages
8&9
The Cougar Chronicle