December 2009 - Crown Point Community School Corporation

INKLINGS
Dec. 18, 2009
•
Volume 74 Issue 4 • Crown Point High School • 1500 S. Main Street Crown Point, IN 46307 • [email protected]
MUST DO ACTIVITIES: Keep busy this winter break.
AVATAR MOVIE: Check out this new movie’s review.
page 10
page 12
INFORMATION OVERLOAD: Are we becoming immune to the news?
Feature
A Decade in
Review
page 4
Deck the halls, and houses
Elaborate house lights and holiday cheer found all over town
Check out
highlights from
each of the past
ten years.
pgs. 8 and 9
News
Charity Help
Proceeds from
science teacher
Kelly Loving’s
baked goods
sale donated to
cystic fibrosis
charity.
pg. 8
I-on-Life
Operation
Beautiful
Website has
ways to improve
self-esteem for
girls across the
nation.
pg. 6
Check it Out!
Inklings has a
music blog!
With a wide
range of music
updated
regularly,
you’re sure to
find something
you like at...
http://inklings
music.blog
spot.com
photo by GEORGIA OTTE
As one of the many festive houses around town, this home lights up Court Street spreading joy and good cheer in its wake. This year,
numerous houses around town have gone above and beyond the average holiday decorations with lit up wise men and camels, pretend
ice skating rinks with cutouts of children skating merrily, and even a full length music and light show. Full story of all the lights and holiday
cheer around town on page 7.
Major state funding cuts
Indiana governor cuts $450 million from state schools
By Michele Bates
associate editor
Seniors applying
to college might notice
a slight increase in state
college tuition. Governor Mitch Daniels recently announced that
$150 million would be
cut from state colleges
due to revenue losses.
Also, at press time, it
was announced that an
additional minimum of
$300 million will be cut
from grades K-12 as a
“last resort” mechanism.
According to an
article published in
the Evansville Courier
Press, Daniels said that
he regrets making the
decision, but feels that
it is crucial. The state
brought in $144 million
less tax money than
revenue
predicted.
Plus, predictions claim
that during the course
of the upcoming year,
Indiana’s projects will
take in $1.8 billion less
than expected just six
months ago.
As published in
the Indianapolis Star,
without spending cuts
to match the losses, the
lost revenue is projected to reach $1 billion by
the end of a two-year
$27.6 billion budget.
Indiana University’s Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer
Neil Theobald said he
does not yet know the
scale of these cuts and
how it will affect IU.
“(Indiana
Uni-
College
Quick Facts
• Average
cost of U.S.
Public College:
$7,020
s
versity)
appreciates
the fact that the state
has implemented other
cuts before addressing higher education
funding. We accept the
reality that we cannot
expect to be immune
from the consequences
of this economic down-
funding
tate
turn and its impact
on state revenues,”
Theobald said.
Guidance counselor Brenda Wolski said
that a budget cut is going to affect students.
However, there are
steps students can take
to prevent suffering
Cartoon by Anna Ortiz
from the budget cuts.
“Obtaining scholarships, grants, or financial aid doesn’t
have to be a difficult
process, but you have
to be persistent. You
have to continue to
continued on pg. 3
• 32 percent of
full-time 4 year
college students
attend institutions that charge
tuition/ fees
between $3,000
and $6,000
• 31 percent
of all full-time
students attend
public two-year
colleges.
information according to
www.collegeboard.com
2
News
IN
Teacher fundraises for charity
1.4
Return from Winter Break
1.15
Students ~ ABC Society:
Combeferre – Casey Kitchen
Courfeyac – Ethan Gresham
Feuilly – Patrick Kvachkoff
Grantaire – Ryan Ternes
Joly/Sentry 1 – Ethan DeLaughter
Lesgles –Blake Pals
Prouvaire – Justin Budde
End of First Semester; No School
1.18
Martin Luther King Jr. Day;
No School
1.22-1.23
Purdue Jazz Festival
photo by J.REX
ISSMA Solo/Ensemble
Senior Kaitlyn Vass buys a baked good from science teacher Kelly Loving. Loving plans on
donating the proceeds he makes to a Cystic Fibrosis charity.
End of semester finals
schedule announced
By Alex Parrish
photographer
•
Tues. Jan. 12, 2010
Period 1 : 7:25 a.m. - 8:25 a.m.
(Exam) Period 2:
8:31 a.m. - 9:16 a.m. Period 3:
9:22 a.m.- 10:07 a.m.
Periods 4-7: Normal Schedule
•
Wednesday. Jan. 13, 2010
Period 2: 7:55 a.m. - 9:10 a.m.
(Exam) Period 3: 9:20 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
(Exam) Lunches
A:
B:
C:
D:
10:35 a.m. -11:05 a.m.
11:15 a.m. -11:45 a.m.
11:55 a.m. -12:25 p.m.
12:35 p.m. - 1: 05 p.m.
Period 4: 1:15 p.m. - 2:27 p.m.
(Exam) •
Thursday. Jan. 14, 2010
Period 5: 7:25 a.m. - 8:50 a.m.
(Exam) Period 6: 9 a.m. - 10:20 a.m.
(Exam)
Lunches
A:
B:
C:
D:
10:25 a.m. -10:55 a.m.
11:05 a.m. -11:35 a.m.
11:45 a.m. -12:15 p.m.
12:25 p.m. - 12: 55 p.m.
Period 7: 1:05 p.m. - 2:27 p.m.
(Exam)
The extended Wednesday and
Thursday lunch periods will
consist of a homeroom and an
additional activity period.
Specific information will be
given prior to administration
of the final exam schedule.
•
Friday, Jan. 15, 2010
No school for students
Teacher records day
•
Monday, Jan. 18, 2010
Martin Luther King Day
No School
“
Annually 2,500 newborn
babies in the United States
are diagnosed with the life
endangering
disease
Cystic
Fibrosis. Cystic Fibrosis, or CF, is a
genetic disease that fills the lungs
of infants with mucus, therefore
making it difficult for them to
breath. For science teacher Kelly
Loving this particular disease hits
a little too close to home.
Loving has members of his
own family struggling to live with
the painful disorder. Loving’s
few- month -old nephew and sixyear-old niece both have CF. For
this reason, he is selling assorted
baked goods until Christmas
break with all proceeds going
towards a Cystic Fibrosis charity.
“My nephew has Cystic
Fibrosis and we’ve known about
it since he was born,” Loving
said. But something that his
sister’s family doesn’t know about
is what Loving is doing for the
cause. Loving is currently selling
cupcakes and other assorted
sweets in order to raise money for
CF.
Loving said that his family
responded to the news of disease
“with dismay.”
It is bad enough to have
one child with CF, but
to find that you had
another child who was
previously undiagnosed,
that makes it much
worse.
“
Because there will be no
half days, semester finals will
be on a different schedule this
year. The final schedule is as
follows:
Spring Musical
“Les Misérables”
Cast List posted
Jean ValJean – Blake Zolfo
Javert – Matt Smith
Marius – Todd Aulwurm
Cosette – Sarah Ballas
Eponine – Anna Bucci
Fantine – Cori Novelli
Thenardier – Lucas Groff
Madame Thenardier – Cally Kline
Enjolras – Steven Polacek
Bishop of Digne – Patrick Kvachkoff
the know
1.30
December 18, 2009
Science teacher Kelly Loving
“It is bad enough to have one
child with CF, but to find that
you had another child who was
previously undiagnosed, that
makes it much worse.”
All proceeds are intended to
go towards a CF charity.
“I haven’t decided on a certain
charity to donate to yet, but my
wife is doing some research on
them,” Loving said.
When he does find that lucky
charity, they will have plenty of
reason to be grateful. Within the
first three days alone, Loving
raised $80. His goal is to raise a
couple hundred but he won’t be
fundraising forever. As of press
time, he had earned $225.
“I’m only doing it until
Christmas
Break,
but
I’m
considering starting up again for
St. Baldrick’s at the New Year
when we come back,” Loving
said.
One of the best parts of
Loving’s fundraising is that his
charitable act is all unknown to
his nephew’s family.
“My sister and her family live
in Evansville, so I actually don’t
see them that often,” Loving said.
But lack of contact with them is not
the only reason Loving doesn’t tell
his sister about the money being
raised. “(The money) is going
to be a Christmas present to my
sister’s family,” Loving said.
Loving feels that
the
fundraising efforts are going well
so far.
“I think it is going well. The
students seem to enjoy feeding
their faces and I like baking. I
would certainly do it again”
Loving is currently selling
mostly
cupcakeschocolate,
strawberry swirl, Nuclear Death
Rainbow, Boston cream pie, and
banana. Also among the assorted
goods that Loving is selling are
raspberry marshmallows. These
unique treats come in a bag of four
for a dollar and they’ve earned
student approval.
So far student response has
been positive.
“My favorite are the berry
marshmallows and they’re for
such a good cause,” senior Ariceli
Ruiz said.
Thenardier’s Gang:
Babet – Zack McGann
Brujon – Derek Hutchison
Claquesous – Joe Favia
Montparnasse – Mike Boyd
Others:
Convict #1, Sailor #2 – Mike Boyd
Convict #2, Bamatbois – Derek
Hutchison
Convict #3 – Paul Kendall
Convict #4 – Casey Kitchen
Convict #5, Pimp – Zack McGann
Farmer, Fauchelevant – Ethan
DeLaughter
Labourer – Keith Birmingham
Constable #1 – Ethan Gresham
Constable #2 – Sean Lowe
Foreman – Justin Budde
Worker #1, Whore #1, Woman #1
– Emma Baker
Worker #2, Whore #3, Woman #3
– Amanda Reid
Worker #3, Whore #2, Woman #2
– Brenna Wermers
Street Urchin – Alex Folmar
Factory Girl 1, Woman #5
– Jen Zarate
Factory Girl 2, Woman #4
– Kristin Overbey
Factory Girl 3, Woman #8
– Tara Durant
Factory Girl 4, Woman #6
– Kelly Rostin
Factory Girl 5, Woman #7
– Cassie Marshall
Female & Male Ensemble:
Lexi Diamond, Brittany Curtis, Madi Carpenter, Rebecca
Johnson, Sarah Maddack, Leah
Markowitz, Corinne Kocher, Amy
Adams, Rachel Fronek, Alina
Cappadora, Emily Papamihalakis, Elizabeth Szafarczyk, Ashley
Kutemeier, Brittany Hecht, Paige
Fitzsimmons, Jamie Cook, Paul
Kendall, Tom Roseberry, Neil
Hamilton, Andrew Cook
Jacob Barber
Angel Tree Project helps children in need
Angel Tree
Project
By Michele Bates
associate editor
• Project
began by
MacArthur
principal
Maryann
Buchko
• 63
angels
adopted by
CPHS
• Angels
ranged
from infant
to 16 years
• Some
items on a
child’s list
included
toys and
books
photo by D. CASILLAS
Sophomore Cassandra Anderson wraps gifts
for the Angel Tree Project.
To help children in need during the holiday season, National
Honors Society hosted its annual
Angel Tree Project. Sixty three
children from MacArthur Elementary School were adopted by
a school club, sports team, faculty
member, or first hour class. According to MacArthur Elementary School principal Maryann Buchko, planning for the angel tree
project is a year long event.
“During [school] registration,
parents are given forms to fill out
and return by October. The angels are placed on the tree around
Nov. 1,” Buchko said.
Buchko said the Angel Tree
project began about 13-14 years
ago when she became principal.
To help out with the project, Buchko approached MacArthur staff
member Teresa Hasty in 2002.
The following year, Hasty formed
a committee that included her coworkers Tina Kim and Christina
Anderson. Hasty worked with
English teacher and National
Honors Society sponsor Ashley
Monroe to help coordinate the
Angel Tree Project.
“It is a blessing for our school
to be able to have [Monroe] and
the students working on this project,” Hasty said.
The angels ranged from infants to 16 year olds. According
to Monroe, teenage children were
related to a sibling that currently
attends MacArthur Elementary
School. The children’s parents
filled out lists detailing what their
child wanted for Christmas. Some
lists included toys, books, coats,
shoes, and clothes. A Bible was
also donated by Bethel Church to
give to all of the families.
Hasty said that she is appreciative for all of the things Monroe have done for the project.
“This just shows how our
wonderful Crown Point Schools
are part of a big family, helping
each other to better our community,” Hasty said.
December 18, 2009
News
Talent show brings out the best
Participants set to perform in the January program
List of
Participants
Senior Alex Horst showcases her karate skills as she breaks boards with a kick. Horst is one
of the participants in the upcoming Jan. 21, 2010 talent show.
By Kelly Rostin
opinion editor
Often times, a school is filled with
talent that many students and faculty don’t
even know exists.
In order to display the hidden talent in
Crown Point High School, student council
has decided to display the talents that our
students posess, and to host a talent show
for the second year in a row on Jan. 21,
2010.
“The talent show is a huge project for
student council. Our goal is to make the
school more fun and student oriented,”
senior and student council vice president
Corinne Kocher said.
The talent show showcases students
with unique talents such as singing,
stand-up comedy, and dancing. In order
to audition for the show, a student was
required to submit a video of his or her
talent to be viewed by student council
advisor and English teacher Rachele
Raloff, student council president Jenny
Jacques, and theatre department chair
Kit Degenhart. They then decided which
students would make the show.
Sophomore Todd Aulwurm decided
to sing a duet with his friend sophomore
Melanie Zdanowicz for the talent show.
They will be performing “Lucky” by Jason
Mraz and Colbie Caillat.
“I attended the show last year. It was
a really great atmosphere and it was very
exciting to see all of the talented students
that go to school here,” Aulwurm said.
Aulwurm auditioned for the show
because he thought it would be a great
opportunity to perform.
“I thought it would be fun to get the
chance to perform along with other talented
students at the school,” Aulwurm said.
Another student to audition and
participate in the show is sophomore
Patrick Jansen. Jansen is performing with
the Coffeehouse Trio,
accompanying
Aulwurm and Zdanowicz , and singing his
own solo song. Jansen is happy to be a part
of the show.
“Our Coffeehouse Trio has been
planning this performance for six months,”
Jansen said.
“I’m really excited to
perform.”
According to Raloff, the show had a
respectable turnout last year.
•Alex Horst
-Karate
•Coffeehouse Trio
-Vocals & Acoustic
•CosmoNot
-Band
•Dan Maginot
-Piano
•Holden
-Band
•Israel and Capone
-Dance
•Lady Steppaz
-Step Group
•Melanie and Todd
-Vocal Duet
•Patrick Jansen
-Soloist
•Reece Merrit
-Comedy
•The Sunshine Killaz
-Band
“Last year about 600 people attended
the show, and we came close to selling out.
It was a nice surprise for student council,”
Raloff said. “The audience showed their
clear support of the various acts.”
Among the students who attended last
year was senior student council member
Needa Malik.
“It was amazing to see all of the talent,
and fun to see people that I knew on stage,”
Malik said. “I’m excited to attend again
this year.”
“There’s a lot of planning that goes into
the show, but it’s worth it in the end because
it’s such an entertaining event to put on,”
Kocher said. “It’s good for students and
faculty to realize that our school is filled
with talented kids.”
Raloff feels that the talent show is a
worthwhile event to attend.
“Many students perform in the show
who do not typically get recognition for
their talents. It’s a great opportunity to
watch and applaud the hidden talents of
peers,” Raloff said.
Student council will be selling tickets
for the show in advance this year. Tickets
will cost $5.
3
budget cuts, continued from pg. 1
educate yourself, and find ways to make
it happen,” Wolski said.
Senior Lindzy Volk said she started
applying for scholarships and grants
months ago. However, Volk is concerned
how the budget cuts will affect her.
“Affording college is something that
I’m really concerned about. I want to be
able to get a good education, but I don’t
want to be in major amounts of debt after
I graduate. Hopefully, I will get enough
scholarships to help me out,” Khan said.
The
Indiana
Commission
of
Higher Education is currently working
with colleges and universities on how
the university spending will be cut.
According to a press release, Higher
Education commissioner Teresa Lubbers
is telling universities and colleges to
come up with ways to save money rather
than increase tuition.
The state of California recently
underwent a state school budget cut
as well. University of California and
California State University faced a 20
percent budget cut according to the
Indiana Daily Student.
Due to these budget cuts, California
University is planning on cutting their
enrollment by 40,000 students in the
next two years. California University’s
employees also agreed to seek
unemployment two days a week.
History teacher Paula Barancyk has
been teaching Human Geography in the
Geoscience Deparment at IU Northwest,
and said that she does have some
concerns on how Indiana’s budget cuts
will affect not only the class sizes, but her
job as well.
“My concern is that there could
be a possible reduction of classes, due
to this cut of funding, and for people
like me and other adjunct faculty, this
could result in a reduction of teaching
positions,” Barancyk said.
Theobald said that despite these
economic times,
President Michael
McRobbie has made it very clear that
compromising the quality of an IU
education is not an option.
“Even in these very difficult
economic times, IU is committed to
recruiting and retaining outstanding
teachers and researchers who will ensure
that IU remains fully capable of meeting
the needs of our students and our state,”
Theobald said.
”I hope the loss in funding can be
managed without cuts to programs and
staff,” sophomore Shawn DeBoth said.
Foreign languages expand to elementary level
By Cori Novelli
co-editor-in-chief
The cultural aspect of our school has
expanded its borders by now reaching students in nearby elementary schools. Having started late October and running until
April 27, five foreign language teachers
accompanied by several students are visiting Lake Street and MacArthur to teach
students the basics of CPHS’s foreign languages.
Foreign language teachers Noriko Wachowski, Ryan Collier, Sabrina Shah, David
Rosenbaum, and Linda Atwood are each
teaching a 4-week unit in their language,
visiting the schools once a week. During
the 5th graders’ “enrichment class,” students are learning the fundamentals of either Japanese, Latin, Spanish, German or
French.
While teachers plan the individual lessons and curriculum, high school students
are able to assist in teaching. Junior Bekkah
Maddack is one of several students who
help Collier teach Latin at Lake Street Elementary.
“We help by telling Greek myths or
drawing pictures on the board. We were
even going to sing a song from [the Disney
movie] Hercules,” she said.
Senior Ani Chan has also helped by
teaching Japenese under the instruction of
Wachowski.
“We taught them Japanese numbers,
colors, body parts, greetings and simple
kanji. We also played games and did oragami,” she said.
For Chan, the student helpers teach alternate lessons as they walk around assisting with any kids who have questions.
The program was initiated when Deb
Ciochina, former AP English teacher and
current principal at Lake Street, contacted
Rosenbaum about implementing such a
program. According to Rosenbaum, for the
5th grade students to be involved, they had
to enroll with the principals at their prospective schools.
Fortunately, the program has been
deemed a success.
“It was a blast to help out. The kids
were really enthusiastic to learn something
new and stayed well behaved. It’s really rewarding to see them using something you
have taught, “ Chan said.
Maddack agreed.
“It was a lot of fun. I loved working
with the kids and seeing how much they
knew about Latin, and then teaching them
knew things,” she said.
For senior Adam Tinsley, teaching
Japenese has been more than just a community servie opportunity.
“If you’re planning to become a teacher, it’s a great way to help decide if it is really what you want to do,” he said.
photo by D. CASILLAS
Sophomore Annie Zappia assists a student with a foreign language activity.
Five foreign language teachers and their students have been visiting elementary achools to teach a four week foreign language.
The foreign language department
hopes to expand the program to other elementary schools next year. If students are
interested in participating by helping teach
a language, they can contact their foreign
language teacher to learn more.
“I would definitely encourage students
to join. You earn community service hours
while introducing new cultures and languages to other kids,” Chan said.
Opinion
4
December 18 , 2009
Information
overload takes
importance away
from messages
Inklings
Inklings is a student
publication distributed to
students, faculty, and staff of
Crown Point High School. It
is published monthly by the
newspaper and advanced
journalism students. Opinions expressed in Inklings do
not reflect those of the CPHS
faculty, staff, or the administration.
Inklings welcomes and
encourages signed lettersto-the-editor. Letters may be
edited for space or clarity.
Letters must be signed and
turned in to room E107
one week prior to publications and must not contain
personal attacks. Letters may
also be sent via e-mail at [email protected]. Not all
letters may be printed. Such
decisions are the sole discretion of the Inklings editors
and staff.
Advertising is subject to
the applicable rate, copies
of which are available from
Inklings advertising department or by contacting 6634885 ext. 11349.
Inklings is a member
of the Indiana High School
Press Association, the
Columbia Scholastic Press
Association, National Scholastic Press Association and
Quill and Scroll.
Inklings may be contacted at 1500 S. Main, Crown
Point, IN, 46307; 219-6634885 ext. 11349; fax 219-6625663; or [email protected].
in.us.
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
Jermey Rex
Vinnie Needham
Mary-Katherine Lemon
Donnella Casillas
photographers
Staff
Ammy Easto
Arley Gomez
Garret Hogan
Lauren McCarroll
Danielle McCuan
Marwa Nour
Haajar Shaaban
Adviser
Julie Elston
By Lauren Cain
co-copy editor
V
cartoon by
Anna Ortiz
Littering and vandalizing school uncivilized
iew:
Our school
is a building
that students
should take
pride in.
Taking care
of our school
and not
destroying
it should be
common
courtesy for
students.
editorial
From the cafeteria and auditorium to the bathrooms and
hallways, candy wrappers litter the floor, pre-chewed gum
covers the undersides of tables, and ink spells out vulgar words
on every wall. Although humankind progresses in science,
learns about how the world works, and makes innovative
breakthroughs in nearly every area, it seems that we have
forgotten one of the most basic skills—cleaning up after
ourselves. We live in an age which is the pinnacle of human
understanding, but we cannot throw away an empty bottle of
soda.
Trash cans are found at every corner and in every
classroom, yet no one seems to be capable of using them.
This not only demonstrates an immense amount of laziness,
but a complete lack of respect for the school and the people
who work to maintain it. The purpose of custodians is not to
clean up the garbage left behind by uncaring students, but to
maintain the school. By refusing to take responsibility for our
own messes, we send a message to everyone around that we
hold no regard for the people who work hard to keep the school
looking presentable.
By littering the school, students not only inconvenience
the custodians, but other students as well. By keeping a desk,
bathroom, or lunch table clean, we leave the space usable for
the next person. If a space is dirty, the person who needs to use
it becomes annoyed that it was left that way. It forces them to
either clean up a mess that isn’t theirs or to search for another
area. Nobody enjoys a dirty bathroom or a food-covered table
when they need it.
Aside from the issue of respect, there is something to
be said about hygiene and general cleanliness. Any sort of
mess—a half-eaten apple, a carelessly tossed tissue—is, quite
simply, disgusting. It creates an unpleasant and sometimes
unsanitary environment for everyone, while a clean school will
improve the days of students, teachers, administration, and
custodians alike—not to mention the visitors to our school who
may be turned away by its disgusting state.
Taking care of our surroundings will show respect for the
workers of the school, respect for our fellow students, and a
characteristic of general hygiene. Lack of cleanliness brings
society down to the level of barbarians. So next time you peel a
banana, unwrap a candy bar, or finish the last drop of a carton
of milk, try not to revert back to the Dark Ages. Be civilized.
Throw it away.
When we were
younger, we were told
bedtime stories with
underlying morals to
teach us life lessons
we would need later
on. One of these tales
was “The Boy Who Cried Wolf.” This tale
showed us all that you shouldn’t beckon
for attention too often or else no one will
believe you when you actually need it.
The recent information influx at school
has come to resemble this story, with
announcements and information coming
at us so often that it becomes a cry for
wolf and students not knowing when to
decide what is serious and what is not.
As teenagers, we’re kind of particular
towards using what is known as “selective
listening.” We absorb what we see as
important, and ignore the rest. Between
morning announcements, Wednesday
announcements, Showtime on Fridays,
end of the day announcements, Monday
night phone calls, and the school website,
the question is posed: Is there such thing
as too much?
The answer to that question is
a firm yes, with the entirety of these
announcements as proof. If all of the
announcements were condensed into
one program, with only important ones
making the cut, the significance of the
information in the program would be
implied and students would know to
listen to receive what they need. That
way, when there are late-breaking
announcements students will naturally
realize the importance of it.
At some point, a line has to be drawn
to determine when we are receiving
too much information. Once this line is
crossed, the information goes from being
pivotal to redundant, and students may
not take it as seriously. Information we
absorb daily should not solely be a cry for
wolf; it should actually be important.
heard in the
halls
Winter Break
“I’m excited for Winter Break. I can’t wait
for the snow.”
Junior Scott Hannon
Decorations
“I love all the lights during this time of year
because they are really pretty.”
Freshman Taylor Cassady
Turnabout Dance
“I’ve heard people talking about going to
Turnabout and what they are going to do
after the dance.
Junior Chris Leone
Opinion
December 18, 2009
Consider most
selfless act:
becoming an
organ donor
5
By Cori Novelli
co-editor-in-chief
Saving a
life—for many,
this is an act
of heroism.
For all, saving
a life can be
achieved
as easily as
agreeing to be
an organ or
Cartoon by Dani McCuan
Street lights kept on or shut off?
Conserving lights saves
cash, overall a smart choice
By Haajar Shaaban
staff reporter
On most main roads, there are plenty of street
lights, parking lot lights, and headlights to light the
way on a dark night, so why not turn a few of them
off?
On Nov. 4, Merrillville turned off every other
street light on their main roads to decrease their
NIPSCO bill. This decision was predicted to save
$5,000 a month on the 300 streetlights that were
shut down.
This was a good choice made by the Merrillville
council. For one, it not only saves thousands of
dollars in electric bills, but also conserves a lot of
energy. In an era where everyone is trying to be
more ecologically friendly, saving energy without
significant consequence is always welcome.
One might argue that safety is more important
than saving money. This is true; however in this
case safety is not being jeopardized.
The lights were only turned off on main roads.
Residential streets, curves, and major intersections
were not affected by the change.
Additionally, main roads typically contain
numerous businesses and parking lots that control
their own lights. So these bright lights very well
illuminate nearby roads and sidewalks. Lights are
also turned back on in the case of cloudiness or a
storm.
The rule has always been “turn off lights that
are not being used.” This concept is incorporated in
hundreds of families’ everyday lives. So if half the
lights can do the job, then why waste money and
energy using them all?
If the city is looking to save money, they will
find a means to do it. It is better for them to make
cuts on a few street lights than on something much
more important such as education or jobs.
I
ssue:
Cities are
turning off
street lights
for money
conservation,
but is a town
blackout a
good, safe
idea, or should
cities keep
their lights
on for the
safety of the
community?
Turning off street lights
poses threat to safety
By Marwa Nour
staff reporter
Coming home from a long day at work feeling
cold and tired, one doesn’t really notice little differences in their surroundings. Though it is dark
outside already the neighborhood is noticeably
darker. The street lamp next to an unlit roadblockwas off, so the sign may not have been noticed
before an accident occured. That situation might
not apply in all instances but it proves a point.
Turning off the lights in neighborhoods raises
safety issues concerning the young, disabled and
the elderly. If the justification of turning the lights
off is saving energy and money then when is peoples’ safety taken into consideration. Scientist John
Bullough states that lighting does reduce traffic accidents, especially at intersections. Valparaiso and
Merrillville are the first cities in Northwest Indiana
to turn their lights off. That might not pose an immediate problem for us in Crown Point, but think
about when you go shopping or traveling and you
come home later, the lights on the most of the main
road lamps in Merrillville are rigged to turn off at
midnight. This could be a serious issue considering we travel to Merrillville for much of our shopping, especially during the holiday season,
Also because of so many turned off lights,
some neighborhoods aren’t as lit up and are harder
to drive through. Sure, headlights offer light for
cars but they only illuminate so far in front of you.
With winter already here it gets darker faster so
even if kids wanted to walk home from a friend’s
house after four the issue of safety is brought up
again. No parents want their kids walking alone
down a dark street. Saving energy is a major issue, but we can save it through some other source.
Turning the lights off present many risks that can
be avoided by a simple switch of a street lamp.
tissue donor.
With no real work, pain
or even thought involved, one
can choose to become a hero—a
hero to those 105,000 or more
patients on waiting lists in need
of compatible donations.
According to the United
Network for Organ Sharing
website, of the many thousands
of men, women, and children
in need, only 19,114 transplants
were administered between
January and August of 2009.
If thousands die a year
waiting on the organ list, the
choice is simple; organ donation
is crucial.
Body parts are of no use to a
person after death; instead, they
can be used to save lives as a
charitable act of neighborly love
of generosity. If it’s this easy to
alleviate suffering and save lives,
simply by agreeing to donate,
then everyone desperately needs
to. Wasting such vital organs
is foolish when these precious
parts are so essential to others’
survival.
While the concept of religion
can play a part in deciding
whether donation is an option,
many religions are surprisingly
open to the practice.
According to OrganDonor.
gov, Baptist, Catholicism, Greek
Orthodox, Hinduism, Islam,
Jehovah’s Witnesses, Judaism,
and Lutheran religions are all
examples of religions that accept
the idea. The decision to donate
is either highly encouraged or left
to the individual to decide.
Becoming a donor is easy.
You can register with Indiana’s
donor registry when you obtain
or renew your license, or you can
register online at OrganDoner.
gov.
Live donations can be
laborious, but after death, instead
of keeping the organs that will
be of no use to you, cherish your
ability to save a life. There is
no pain or work involved, just
the knowledge that you will be
saving lives even after yours has
passed. Be a donor; it truly is the
most selfless act.
Angela Julian
“I would like to go
to Florida to see my
cousin.”
Christina Dwyre
“I am usually with
my family.”
Senior
Junior
Freshman
What’s one place
you want to visit
(or usually go
to) over Winter
Break?
Sophomore
speak up
Laciee Pierce
“My family and
I usually go to
Chicago to go shopping.”
Andrew Facemyer
“I would want to
go to Michigan to
ski.”
I
Seniors Kyle Leubke and Eric Steinle
present the history
of St. Nikolaus Day
during German
classes by dressing
up as St. Nikolaus
and Krampus, his
assistant.
on
life
Ask
Laugh
Explore
Wonder
Inspire
December 18, 2009
Testing
Celebrating
6
Live
Sophomore Alexis Joseph gets her hearing tested during her English class. All sophomore English classes
were required to get tested.
Operation Beautiful
Website encourages good self-esteem for teenage girls
by the
numbers
42
percent
of girls in
first through third
grades want to be
thinner
2½
number of
years the average woman spends of
her life washing, styling,
cutting, coloring, crimping, and straightening
her hair at home and in
the salon.
11.7
million
number of plastic
surgery procedures
performed in 2008.
Photo by Georgia Otte
Post-it notes with phrases that inspire a healthy body image for girls have started to appear in the girls’ bathroom as of late
that are the result of an anonymous do-gooder.
In 1970, a scientist for 3M named Spencer Silver invented what is now known as
the world’s first Post-it note. And while
Silver must have known that he was onto
something, it is doubtful that he knew that
his invention would eventually help young
girls and women around the world develop
higher self-esteem.
Sick of hearing and watching women
unnecessarily criticize themselves whilst
looking into the bathroom mirror, Caitlin
Johnson wrote “You are beautiful” on one of
Silver’s great inventions and adhered it to a
bathroom mirror in her office building.
That June, she posted a picture of it on
her blog; little did she know that her random
act of kindness would then spur a worldwide trend. Suddenly, these little notes were
popping up on mirrors everywhere: from
New York, to Germany, to Iraq, and even to
Japan. People started taking pictures of the
notes and posting them to Johnson’s website:
OperationBeautiful.com. To date, more than
300 pictures have been submitted to the website.
Although the encouraging Post-it notes
originated in the bathroom, they are posted
in other places as well: notes have been seen
on scales in gym locker rooms and on the
mirrors of changing rooms in stores.
Lately though, this phenomenon has
reached Crown Point, with Post-it notes appearing by an anonymous do-gooder in the
girls’ bathroom.
“
I know that (the
post-it note)
was just a little
gesture, but it
really did make
my day.
-senior Katie Klein
“
By Brittany Curtis
managing editor
“I was walking into the bathroom when
something in the mirror caught my eye; there
was a Post-it note that said ‘Don’t worry,
you’re beautiful.’ I know that (the post-it
note) was just a little gesture, but seeing it on
the mirror really did make my day,” senior
Katie Klein said.
On her website, Johnson speaks about
“fat talk,” one of the reasons that caused her
to put up the post-it note in the bathroom.
“Fat talk,” i.e. when girls degrade their ap-
pearance by saying they “feel fat” has been
an ever-growing trend in the past few years.
“I think that it’s a little weird when I hear
girls say ‘I feel fat.’ Since when is ‘fat’ a feeling? I think that nowadays the term ‘fat’ has
almost become synonymous with ‘insecure.’
I see girls every day in the bathroom picking
apart their own appearance, thinking that
others see them in a certain way. In reality,
they are their harshest judges,” junior Catherine Meyers said.
This harsh judgement may stem from a
common disease called Body Dysmorphic
Disorder (BDD), which is a type of chronic
mental illness in which one cannot stop
thinking about a flaw with one’s appearance — a flaw either that is minor or that one
imagines.
According to a survey done by The Medical Journal of Psychiatry, roughly one third of
high school girls think that they are overweight when in actuality they are not.
Whatever the reason, the Post-it notes
in the bathroom are an amazing way to help
girls who may be suffering from BDD see
themselves in a more clear light. The notes,
while they may be a little gesture, are extremely effective.
Although it may not have been his intent,
Silver impacted not only the way we write
down phone messages, but the way girls see
their bodies as well.
81
percent of tenyear-olds are
afraid of becoming
fat.
roughly
⅓
of high school girls
think that they are
overweight when
they are not.
35
percent of
occasional dieters progress
into pathological
dieting.
Facts from the American Society of Plastic
Surgeons, The University of Colorado, and The
Medical Journal of Psychiatry
Feature
December 18, 2009
Lit up houses spread holiday cheer
7
Reporter explains lights
that blink to radio music
Bring sunglasses and a radio and prepare yourself for the ultimate Christmas light show. With over 18,000 lights, over a
mile in extension cords, and about 125 hours spent trying to perfect the show itself, the light display on East Greenwood
Ave. dances through the tunes to nine different songs.
By Ammy Easto
staff reporter
Driving your car down the streets of
town, a brightly illuminated house comes
into sight. Coming closer, the glowing hues
of colored lights quickly reminds you of
a fire. Reaching for your cell phone in a
panic, you get a face to face view, noticing
that is was not a fire at all; those are simply
Christmas lights.
Since post-Thanksgiving Day, strands
of colorful lights have found their way
across gutters, wreaths have been placed
on doors, and reindeer have found a new
home in the front yard. These homes are
something most people expect to see. But
rarely do you come face to face with the
extraordinary; the homes that blind neighbors but mesmerize eyes of all ages.
Starting your decoration hunting road
trip on the square, you will witness the
heart and soul of Crown Point. Wreaths
hung on lamp posts with strings of red and
green will catch you at first glance. Then
looking to the courthouse steps divert your
eyes to the two large evergreens that were
lit at a holiday tree lighting ceremony on
Nov. 20th. A nativity scene is also placed on
the northeast side of the square to remind
city-goers the true meaning of the holiday
season. The shops and stores across town
have also been getting into the spirit of
Christmas, decorating windows with lights
and trees of their own. The only thing missing is an old time toy shop with trains chugging across the tracks, dolls rocking in their
chairs, and Red Rider BB Guns displayed
for the children to see.
Heading north on Main Street and
turning left you will eventually run into
the famous little place known as Candy
Cane Lane. For years, since the time when
our grandparents were young, Candy Cane
Lane has been one of the most festive places
in town. Back in the day, every house was
genuinely required to place candy cane
décor in their yards while a nativity scene
was located in the back of the cul-de-sac.
Displays are still set out today for the town
to see but in a more laid back manner. From
grandparents to new generations, this little
place will always be a childhood favorite.
Turning around and driving south
down Court Street you will quickly come
to realize just why you were driving this
direction. But a fair warning to everyone:
you may be blinded, please take caution.
With icicles dangling from the gutters and
reindeer dispersed throughout the snow
covered ground, the glow of light display
is anything but subtle. There are also evergreen trees of all sizes and colors which
depict a winter forest in the front yard of
this home. In past years, neon blue lights
placed on the ground portrayed an ice skating rink while cut outs of children skating
held the front lawn spot. The three wise
men with camels were placed in the back
while Santa Claus held the top of the roof
position. City-goers, still today, often stop
their cars to get a better view or perhaps to
let the child inside them out. With a guaranteed increase of the electric bill, this family of Crown Point has never been a disappointment in any way. Children and adults
for years to come will still find themselves
slowing down to stop and stare at this outrageous yet mesmerizing house.
Last but certainly not least, the Gard
home, located on East Street, has always
LISA GRADY
219-308-6237
[email protected]
Each Keller Williams Realty Office is Independently Owned and Operated
“ALWAYS WEAR A SMILE-IT IS YOUR
BEST FASHION ACCESSORY.”
What happens when you take a
laptop, three days of untangling endless strands of Christmas lights, and
over 96 extension cords? Well, you
get my house also known as the crazy
flashing residence on East Greenwood
Ave.
With a home-run radio station
and a computer program, these lights
do everything but stand still. From
nine different tunes and an arrangement of the holiday classic “Twas the
Night Before Christmas”, this forty
minute show has something for everyone. And be sure to stay tuned in
next year, for the show and expands
each year.
Though strands get tangled and
bulbs burn out, the time spent on this
Christmas display is always rewarding at the end of the night. Season
spirit comes in all forms, even lights.
been a tradition in this city. Like Candy
Cane Lane, this home has been decorating for years, and even after the passing
of the main display, the children quickly
took over the tradition and legacy. The entire house tells the story of Christmas from
the three wise men coming on camels, to
a choir of children singing a hymn, to an
angel brightly lighting up the sky. A white
pine tree with angels circling is placed in
the front room window and is always the
focal point in the display. Adults have been
passing down the legacy themselves by
bringing their children to stop and see the
landmark and vocal point of the city. This
heartfelt story will always be a legacy in the
town of Crown Point.
Before you hang your stockings with
care and before the images of sugar plums
dance through your head, take time this
holiday season to see the old and new
holiday traditions of Crown Point. These
homes display holiday cheer with every
frustrating strand of lights they untangled.
Come together and remember that a simple
colored bulb can hold a spark that could
light the entire spirit of Crown Point.
8
A Decade in Review
2002-2003
2000-2001
September 11th causes sweep of patriotism
An obvious American landmark in history, September 11 will always be associated with
our first year into the 21st century. Along with the TV screen images of the broken buildings, many can also still remember the American flags popping up anywhere from neighborhood porches to corporate buildings.
Sleeker cell phones
The new millennium brought
the transition from the two- ton
bulky cell phones of the nineties to a phone of the future:
pocket sized with a more sleek
design. Another welcome
innovation of technology was
the DVD. Sony, Philipps, and
Panasonic, the demigods
of the home entertainment
system, replaced the old “movie
tapes” with a convienent compact disk.
First iPod comes out
As the music sharing industry boomed and
recording studios coined the phrase, illegal
copyright infringement, Apple begins the
new era for audiophiles with the iPod.
Popular game consoles
Microsoft’s Xbox and Sony’s Play Station 2
went head to head for the cash and adoration of video game enthusiasts everywhere.
The Game Boy Advance bounced in the
middle with its compact design and portability.
Top
5
Songs
Some of the most memorable moments of the last ten years
The first season started on June 2002 and has since been one of
the most popular shows on television. We were all first introduced to the laid-back Randy, the sappy Paula, and the infamous
Simon Cowell.
The most costly Atlantic hurricane in history hit New Orleans, Louisiana in August. Eventually 80 percent of the city became flooded costing $105 billion in repairs, not to mention
taking seven-hundred lives.
In the summer of 2000, the one thing that
was circled in every kid’s wish catalogue
was the new Razor scooter. It had a futuristic chrome design, however, they could be
quite dangerous. Anyone could tell you going over the smallest sidewalk crack could
mean total disaster for those miniscule,
rubber wheels.
Break out the space skates because scientists discovered water on mars in ice form. In February
of 2002, the Mars Odyssey spacecraft found ice deposits and brought them back to NASA base,
raising questions about possible Martian life.
The card trading
madness began
as the Pokemon
card game, based
off of the beloved
Japanese cartoon,
was released
to the US and
the UK. Based
on the different characters’
powers, children
and some adults,
feverously traded
and collected in order to “battle” each other
across the table.
Spiderman
French fries or freedom fries?
In our rage against the French after they
criticized the U.S. involvement in Iraq, we
directed our anger at food, replacing the term
French fries with “Freedom” fries. Other victims included Freedom toast, Freedom wine,
and even Freedom kissing…
War on terrorism continues
Under the bush Administration America took
part of the invasion of Iraq from March 1 to
May 20 with three other participating countries. It was the most widely and intensely
covered war in American history.
Elizabeth Smart kidnapped
Spiderman was
released in May,
starring Tobey
Maguire as
Peter Parker and
Spiderman, and
Kirsten Dunst
as Mary Jane,
his love interest.
Spiderman proves
to be no longer
just for comic
book enthusiasts
as the movie
gains popularity.
Spiderman 2 was later released in 2004, and
Spiderman 3 came out in 2007.
1. Hey Ya! - OutKast
2. Hot In Here - Nelly
3. Complicated - Avril Lavigne
4. Crazy In Love - Beyonce Featuring Jay-Z
5. Get Low - Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz4
2008
Presidential campaign between McCain and Obama heats up
Tina Fey impersonates Palin
Our economy took an official downward turn in ’08 as December rolled around. The housing
market was the first to take the fall. Some blame it on rising oil prices, the war in Iraq, or mass
credit, but all in all the public paid and the word, “recession” was first uttered.
Top
10
Songs
1. So What - Pink
2. Just Dance - Lady Gaga
3. Leavin’ - Jesse McCartney
4. I’m Yours - Jason Mraz
White sox win World Series
The White Sox claimed the World Series in
2005, trumping the Houston Astros with a
7-5 victory.
“I can see Russia from my house!” This memorable quote is from one of Tina Fey’s many
skits impersonating the vice presidential hopeful Sarah Palin. Fey became even more
famous due to her similiar looks and dead-on impression of Palin.
5. Gives You Hell - All-American Rejects
6. Damaged - Danity Kane
7. Shake It - Metro Station
8. Love Story - Taylor Swift
9. When I Grow Up - Pussycat Dolls
10. I Kissed A Girl - Katy Perry
Wii game console arrvies
Nintendo’s days of pixilated Mario are over. The interactive Wii video game console debuted in living
rooms everywhere.
Colts vs Bears Superbowl
Photo by MK Lemon
Myspace popular
This universal network became popularized
as a major form of communication, mainly
among teens. Thus began the mass blogging
and never-ending status updates.
The Passion of the Christ
Co-written and co-produced by Mel Gibson,
this movie was a cultural
turn-over in which it
mirrors the Gospels of
the New Testament. It
was the highest grossing
non-English language
film ever.
Northwest Hoosiers found themselves at war as the Bears went against the Colts
for the championship. The Colts won, twenty-nine to seventeen.
Taylor Swift vs Kanye West
The EMA’s got interesting as Swift won
the award for best music video. However
music artist Kanye West showed he humbly
disagreed by snatching the award from the
18-year-old country singer in the beginning
of her acceptance speech, proclaiming that
Beyonce deserved the award.
Oprah ending show
Oprah decided to end her talk show in 2011
after it’s successful run after 25 years. She
plans to focus her time on starting her own
cable network.
Borat
iPhone debut
The infamous Sacha Baron Cohen stars in
Borat, a mockumentary that had audiences
either laughing or astounded everywhere.
The film was quite controversial because of
certain scenes, but overall it grossed a large
248 million dollars.
The original Apple smart
phone was named “Invention of the Year” by Time
magazine when it came out
in 2007 because of it’s sleek
design and touch-screen
capabilities.
Dick Cheney’s accident
Spears shaved head
With two children, an impending divorce,
and a drug habit, Brittney Spears cracked and
shaved her head as a last resort.
1. Yeah! - Usher Featuring Lil Jon & Ludacris
2. My Humps - The Black Eyed Peas
3. Hollaback Girl - Gwen Stefani
4. Holiday - Green Day
5. Pon De Replay - Rihanna
Whether it was
because of the
impressive action scenes or
because Megan
Fox starred in it,
Transformers 2
was a hit in the
boxoffice this
summer. Shia
Labeouf stars as
Sam Witwicky
along with Megan Fox as his girlfriend Mikaela Banes. Sam
starts college, but the Decepticons make this
more difficult than the usual freshman year.
Optimus Prime and Bumblebee try to protect
Sam, his parents, and Mikaela, but Sam has to
stand up on his own as well.
Democratic Illinois senator, Barack Obama, with running mate senator Joe Biden
and Republican Arizona senator John McCain with possible V.P. Governor of
Alaska go head to head for the next presidency.
Economy takes a downward turn
Rubber yellow bands
popped up on many
a wrist as the Livestrong bands became
an odd but charitable
fashion fad.
Depp comes to Crown Point to film Public Enemies, a film featuring John Dillinger, a local criminal and Robin Hood figure of the
1920’s. In March 2008 he used the old county jail facility to film
Dillinger’s short escapade in county jail. The filming went on
for three days.
PHOTO USED WITH PERMISSION: OBAMA PHOTO COURTESY OF IHSPA, BY CLARK HADLEY
Al Gore’s documentary about global warming hit
theatres and attracted a lot of attention, even winning an Academy Award.
Livestrong bands
Sequel to Transformers
The sequel to the Batman Begins comes into
theaters July 2008
and grossed $1 billion
world wide. Heath
Ledger made his famous
debut as the Joker, coining the question, “Why
so serious?” After filming
the movie, the 28-yearold actor was found
deceased on Jan 22 in his
Manhattan apartment, the
cause of death being prescription drug misuse. He
later won Best Supporting
Photo by J.Rex
Actor in both the Academy
Awards and Golden Globe Awards
after his death.
An Inconvenient Truth
As far as nudity goes, the one place you don’t
want to be exposed is at the Super Bowl. Janet
Jackson made that terrible mistake in front of
millions of viewers in the 2004 Super Bowl.
Johnny Depp films on the square
The Dark Knight and Heath Ledger
On April 16, the Virginia Polytech Institute faced a school
shooting, leaving 32 students and faculty members dead.
Superbowl half-time incident
Elizabeth Smart, a 14-year-old girl living in Salt Lake City, Utah, was abducted from her bedroom. Since she was taken from the safety of her own home, many citizens wondered about
their own children’s safety. She was found alive nine months later. The story of her survival
was widely publicized and even made in to a television movie and book.
1. Who Let The Dogs Out - Baha Men
2. All The Small Things - Blink 182
3. Get The Party Started - Pink
4. Oops! I Did It Again - Britney Spears
5. I’m A Believer - Smash Mouth
Virginia Tech shooting leaves 32 dead
Hurrican Katrina hits New Orleans, takes 700 lives
Ice found on Mars raised questions about possible life
December 18, 2009
2006-2007
American Idol kicks off
Scooters
Pokémon
2004-2005
9
In February, while hunting for quail with a
Texan attorney, the vice-president had an
incident which resulted in the other man
having a lead bullet lodged near his heart. No
quails were harmed.
1.Sexyback - Justin Timberlake
2. Rehab - Amy Winehouse
3. Before He Cheats - Carrie Underwood
4. Everytime We Touch - Cascada
5. Temperature - Sean Paul
2009
Presidential Inaugeration
Washington D.C. proudly stood watch as Barack Obama was inaugurated into the White
House as the first African American president on Jan 20, by tradition. The forty-fourth
president’s theme for the event was “A New
Birth of Freedom,” a phrase coined from the
Gettysburg Address.
Nation officially in recession
Photo by J.Rex
Wrestling team wins state title, three place first individually
On February 28, the wrestling team went to the state competition in Indianapolis. Three wrestlers placed first in the competition and the team won the state title. Senior Anthony Hawkins
kept his undefeated record throughout the state tournament to claim Crown Point’s first
state championship since 1975.The next state champion was sophomore Jason Tsirtsis who
defeated an undefeated wrestler in his route to the state title.The final Bulldog state title
came from then-senior Marcus Shrewsbury.
Celebrity deaths dominate the headlines for weeks
Michael Jackson, the famed 50-year-old King of Pop passed away on June 25. It was later
reported that 31.1 million Americans watched his memorial services. 70’s icon Farrah Fawcett
also passed away that same day. Later on, Patrick Swayze, the 1980’s heartthrob actor, died of
pancreatic cancer on September 14 after being diagnosed a year prior. He starred in popular
eighties films such as Dirty Dancing in 1987. And everyone remembers Billy Mays, the infomercial all-star who passed away from heart disease on June 28 at age fifty.
1. Love Game- Lady Gaga
2. You Belong With Me- Taylor Swift
3. My Life Would Suck Without You-Kelly Clarkson
4. Boom Boom Pow- Black Eyed Peas
5. Down – Jay Sean
6. The Climb- Miley Cyrus
7. Use Somebody- Kings of Leon
8. Right Round- Flo Rida
The “Great Recession” brushed passed us
between ’07 and ’09, creating economic
turmoil among businesses big and small.
Unemployment was on a desperate incline,
and banks, companies, car dealerships and
the housing market suffered the backlash.
However in 2009 the Recession was declared
to be receding away and American wallets
began refilling.
XC girls sixth in state
On October 31, the girls’
cross-country team won
sixth place in the state
competition in Terre
Haute, Indiana. Girls
ranked individually as
well. Junior Laicee Pierce
won third place in the
individual competitionwhile sophomore Lauren
McCarroll came in as one
of the top forty runners in
the state.
9. If You Seek Amy- Britney Spears
10. Halo- Beyonce
All other photos by Inklings photographers
Songs from popculturemadness.com
10
Feature
December 18, 2009
Winter offers variety of things to do
When the weather changes, students improvise ways to entertain themselves with new activities
Top Picks
of places to go during the
winter season:
Navy Pier
PHOTOS BY G. OTTE
Albanese Candy Factory in Hobart
offers free factory tours.
Baking cookies is an easy, fun way to
keep busy during the cold weather.
Deep River Water Park has ice skating until late February.
By H. Shaaban and M. Nour
staff reporters
an ice skating plaza open until February
28. They will be open every day on winter
break from noon to 9 p.m. They will also be
offering ice-skating lessons to all ages this
year starting Dec. 17.
If ice skating doesn’t sound like
something that you can survive through,
try something on the safer side.
Perfect for any season is the ever
popular Albanese Candy Factory. Though
it isn’t “Willy Wonka” material, it’s the
closest we can get here. The candy factory
is located in Merrillville. You can schedule
a tour of the factory, or go just to splurge
on candy.
“I love all the of the candy there. Plus
their gummy bears are the best,” Gulvas
said.
Soggy socks and runny noses
unfortunately don’t appeal to everyone. So
if you would rather not play in the snow,
then make this a time to catch up on your
indoor activities. There are also a lot of
options there.
Inman’s Recreation Center in Valparaiso
is filled with fun indoor activities.
“Inman’s is so much fun. I love going
there with my friends and family even
though I usually can’t bowl above a 65.
Their pizza’s really good too,” sophomore
Melanie Zdanowicz said.
Inman’s offers numerous things to do
including bowling, glow bowling, billiards,
laser tag, and karaoke. They also have the
largest arcade in northwest Indiana.
Luckily we are located next to the third
largest city in the U.S., Chicago, which
opens up a whole other list of places to
see.
Every year the time rolls around when
it’s too cold to go swimming, kick around
a soccer ball, or just lay out in the sun.
“Light jacket” season is over and ice lattes
are replaced with hot chocolate, flip flops
are replaced by boots. Winter has arrived.
At first you might resent it, but you’ll find
there are plenty of ways to take advantage
of the wintertime.
Christmas lights go up, fire places
are lit, and the neighborhood begins to
look like a winter wonderland. Of course
dedicated neighbors put up snazzy lights,
but if you’re looking for an “out of this
world” winter wonderland, Navy Pier is
the place to go.
“I like all the pretty lights. It made
me so excited for Christmas to come,”
sophomore Meghan Gulvas said.
Every winter, Navy Pier puts out a
Winter Wonderfest with decorated trees
reaching up to 50 feet high and gingerbread
houses the size of a tree house. Navy Pier’s
winter wonderland is a warm alternative
to experiencing winter outside.
The
Wonderfest includes an ice skating rink, an
indoor sledding hill, and a bounce house.
With freezing weather comes frozen
water. What good is a frozen lake or body
of water if no one is going to skate on it? Ice
skating is definitely a must.
“It’s fun to do with friends and it’s
funny to watch other people fall,” senior
Tina Sotelo said.
Deep River Water Park in Hobart has
One of those many places to see would
be Millennium Park. The winter plays a key
role at Millennium Park when it comes to
general enjoyment. Taking a walk around
Millennium Park lets you experience the
snow, while still enjoying all of the lights
that take over the city. Millennium Park, in
addition to having great sights, has a great
ice skating rink.
“I have so much fun ice skating at
Millennium; including the numerous times
that I fall,” Gulvas said.
Winter sports have begun, so taking
a visit to the United Center, home of the
Chicago Blackhawks and Bulls, to watch a
hockey or basketball game is a great idea.
Another Chicago hot spot is the long
established, Shedd Aquarium. After a chilly
walk around Millennium Park or a few
rounds on the ice skating rink, warming up
and relaxing with the sea creatures can add
a fun twist to a cold winter.
“I really like fish and once wanted to
become a marine biologist, so I really find
the Shedd Aquarium a fascinating place to
go,” sophomore Tony Salazar said.
If you’re snowed in, baking cookies for
the holidays can be a fun way to bond with
friends and family. Cuddle up with a cook
book and pick out an appealing recipe.
Baking is also a great way to warm the
house up.
Whether you’re playing in the snow or
cuddling up in front of a fireplace, winter
can be just as enjoyable as any other season.
The key is knowing where and how to
make it that way.
Bank of America’s Winter
Wonderfest at Navy Pier
offers lights, games, rides,
and music.
Deep River Water
Park
Deep River offers ice
skating at the “Ice Plaza.”
Skate rentals are also
provided.
Albanese Candy
Factory
Try candy samples or
take a tour of the factory
for free.
Inman’s Recreation
Center
Go bowling, play billiards
or laser tag, sing karaoke,
and enjoy the largest
arcade in Northwest
Indiana
Millennium Park
in Chicago
Take a walk through the
park or enjoy the ice
skating rink.
Shedd Aquarium
After purchasing a
$24.95 pass, view the
aquatic wonders offered
at the aquarium.
Employers check social networking sites
Colleges, high schools and employers
are logging on Facebook and MySpace, but
they aren’t looking for friends. They are
now using the social networking sites to
research the students and employees that
may become part of their alumni or staff.
Schools are using Facebook to take a
look at potential students that have applied
to the school. Schools are selective about
who they select to admit into their schools
due to the bad economy. With cuts in budgets
all over the country, including scholarship
funds it is necessary to acknowledge
that there are more competitors and less
money.
“There are colleges and employers
that are checking Twitter, MySpace and
Facebook, so be careful about what is
posted because colleges and employers
are looking at them nowadays,” guidance
paraprofessional Michelle Morris said.
Employers are trying to be more
selective and choose the best employees
with a good work ethic. Job applications are
competitive with so many job cuts within
the past few years. What the colleges and
employers are looking for exactly varies.
They are obviously checking to make sure
the people they choose to take on board are
the most responsible.
“I don’t think that I have anything to
worry about because my friends and I don’t
post anything that is bad,” senior Danny
Misch said.
Students across the country are
feeling the backlash of Facebook drama.
In Minnesota, 13 students were faced
with discipline when school officials were
presented with photos that showed them
with alleged alcoholic beverages. In Fort
Wayne, Indiana, two sophomores were
banned from extracurricular activities
for posting sexually suggestive pictures
of themselves on MySpace over summer
vacation. Churubusco High School made
the decision based on the school’s athletic
code.
While you can make your profile
private, that doesn’t completely eliminate
the problem. A profile that is set to
private still shows the profile picture and
screen name, which are then the only
representation to the colleges and anyone
who types your name into the search bar.
Photos of a scantily clad person, whether it
is you or not, may not send a positive view.
The pictures don’t necessarily have to be
professional portraits, but anyone taking
part in “not so casual Friday” could snap a
few photos and post them.
The photos on the entire profile should
not be offensive towards anyone. If there
are tagged photos that are offensive they
should be untagged from the profile even
if they are not of you.
“My professors often warned me
about being careful about what I posted on
MySpace, Facebook, Twitter etc., especially
towards the time necessary to look for a
job,” Morris said.
Use profiles to your advantage. Talk
about positive things going on in your life.
Colleges will be impressed by a student
who is in the school play or is competing in
the academic decathlon.
Of course there are the “don’ts” for the
“
There are colleges
and employers
that are checking
Twitter, MySpace and
Facebook, so be careful
about what is posted
because colleges and
employers are looking
at them nowadays.
“
By Arley Gomez
staff reporter
Guidance paraprofessional
Michelle Morris
profile too. Don’t talk about or post pictures
with illegal or offensive behavior.
Employers aren’t looking to take on
workers that think they have too much
to handle as it is. Watch the language;
excessive bad language looks childish and
doesn’t show off the SAT words that are in
the vocab books that English classes offer
every year.
Even if someone already has job, they
should still be wary of what exactly is
posted on profiles or blogs. If you have a
job and add a boss or coworkers, they can
see everything that is written on the profile,
even if it is set to private. Complaining
about work hours, boss, or coworkers or
other work related topics could backfire.
“I have added some people from work.
I don’t talk about them on Facebook. I have
seen others from work cause problems that
stem from Facebook trouble. I don’t think
it’s a good idea to add coworkers if there is
going to be gossip,” junior Hannah Crider
said.
Profiles are made so any friends who
want to can contribute to the profile.
Friends can comment on your profile, so
monitor what they add or say on your
profile or wall too.
Facebook has a lot of applications that
can be added but be careful about what
apps are added to your profile because
not all of them are apps that would be
appropriate for a school or employer. The
group or app might be hilarious to a group
of friends, however, a college might not get
the joke or may find it crude.
Facebook and MySpace are for friends
to stay connected all over the world. But
that profile is open to the public, including
potential colleges and any employer.
Virtual lives can be fun and great, but there
is a negative side to it as well. Facebook
is open to the public, so be careful what
gets posted. Don’t let your virtual life cause
turmoil in your real one. The work it takes
to keep a high GPA and good worth ethic
is worth more than being able to post your
friends’ inside jokes.
December 18, 2009
myview
Bachelor winner
does not lead to
perfect marriage
By Alyssa Blahunka
asst. ads editor
“Will you accept this
rose?” The question every
contestant wants to hear at
the final rose ceremony on either The Bachelor or The Bachelorette.
The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, a competitive dating
reality show, that will return
Jan. 4, has had moments that
make audiences cry, angry or
upset, or even jump for joy,
but is it all worth it? After all,
not many have lasted past the
first few months.
The way people appear
on TV isn’t usually the way
they act in reality. That is the
most common excuse for the
quick break ups of the couples, that appear on the show,
other than that the chemistry
just wasn’t there, after the
camera stopped rolling.
Two of the former bachelors have gotten married
since their appearance on The
Bachelor, however not to the
women that they had chose
on the show.
Jason Mesnick, perhaps
the most talked about and
recent bachelor, has gotten
down on one knee four times.
Three of the proposals have
been televised. He has been
married, rejected, “called it
quits,” but has found happiness in Molly Melaney, for
now.
On the first season of The
Bachelorette, Trista Rehn was
chosen after being rejected by
Alex Michel. She was rewarded the man of her dreams and
the father of her two children,
Ryan Sutter. They have been
the only couple to stay together since the show.
Jillian Harris is now engaged to Ed Swiderski after
being a contestant on The
Bachelorette. However, even
their journey has hit its rough
patches, Swiderski left the
show half way through the
season only to come back
just a few weeks later. But,
after the show ended, rumors
spread that Swiderski was
having an affair when Harris
was still living in Canada.
Don’t let these few examples fool you. They may be on
the better side of it; after all
can you really find true love
on television? Well, that is
what keeps us watching, for
the possibility of love.
Arts & Entertainment
11
“Precious” evokes emotions
By Becca Iddings
advertising editor
Prior to walking into the theatre to view Precious, I stopped at
the concession counter to stuff my
purse with napkins, assured they
would be of use for the amount of
sobbing I was ready to go through.
Since I was a follower of this
movie weeks before it came out,
I was prepared
Review for how moving
and
emotional
this film was said to be. Little did
I know that it would strip me of
all emotion and force me to watch
in what felt like an out of body experience.
This heart-wrenching story,
based on the book Push by Sapphire, follows the life of Claireece
Jones, who is known by her middle name, Precious. The name
seems to be somewhat of a foil of
how her life truly plays out. The
film takes place in Harlem during
1987, with the first scene showing Precious sitting in her math
class with students of a younger
age, where we learn she is illiterate and has been held back in
school multiple times. Despite her
crippling circumstances, Precious
still possesses dreams of a life
fulfilled. The film often portrays
these internal hopes with quick
flash scenes of her either modeling or spending time with her
“light-skinned boyfriend.”
But being 16 and still in
middle school was the least of
her concerns; viewers learn from
a meeting between Precious and
her principal that Precious is
pregnant—for the second time.
Both children come from the same
father: her own.
Later, the audience gets a taste
of the movie’s extreme graphic
nature when they watch the conceiving of these children. Revealing no other scenes of Precious’s
father in the film except for the
abusive, sexual scenes, the viewer
cannot help but hate the hideous
monster that Precious has for a
parent.
Mo’Nique Imes-Jackson plays
the atrocious Mary, Precious’s
mother, who the viewer cannot
help but cringe over every time
she enters the screen. Found often
lounging in her sofa chair in a unitard, physically and emotionally
abusing her daughter day in and
day out, Mary proves to the viewers how heartless of a woman she
is. She is constantly toying with
the welfare system to aid to her
benefit and pressuring Precious to
drop out of school to receive welfare as well. The viewer doesn’t
learn the disturbing reason for the
years of hatred Mary has towards
her daughter until the final moments of the film.
Luckily, Precious takes it
upon herself to join an accelerated
school where she goes to class
with a smaller group of teens her
age, taught by her uplifting teacher Ms. Blu Rain (Paula Patton). Ms.
Rain and Precious’s social worker
(Mariah Carey), together give a
brighter insight to the life of Precious, helping her realize she is
a better person than her mother
forces her to believe she is.
The emotional roller coaster
that resembles the life of Precious
Jones sets the viewers on a ride of
horror, amazement, and inspiration. The unsettling scenes were
shoved onto the viewers one after another, causing little time for
reaction and reflection. Multiple
times throughout seeing this film I
forgot I was sitting in a room with
200 other people because I was so
enthralled by the heartrending
life of this homely teenager.
Although I could not mentally take in all of the events so
quickly, I realized my body did
when I would often discover
goose bumps across my skin. The
lack of reflection time probably
explains why I did not shed a
tear during Precious, causing the
mound of napkins in my purse to
television shows it hosts. They
can be instantly streamed to your
computer. With all of these easy
options, shows aren’t just for the
television anymore. Anywhere
with a computer and internet access can become a personal movie
theater. Hulu is especially known
for good streaming quality and
very limited commercial interruptions.
“I like it because it is free and
all of the videos have very good
picture quality. It looks just like
it does on the television,” senior
Shannon O’Brien said.
However, the fact that the site
is free of charge accounts for a lot
of it’s appeal to teenagers. Previously, Hulu had relied on the
payment from advertisers who
put their ads on the site or in the
videos as short commercials. Unfortunately, one of Hulu’s owners has recently announced that
it will start charging fees at some
point. The company has not yet
decided what kind of subscription fees they will charge, but the
changes could take place as early
as 2010. This decision may affect
their viewership significantly.
“I will not watch shows on
Hulu if they (the site) start to
charge fee,” senior Sam Sanders
said.
Videos found on Hulu can
often be found free of charge elsewhere. Major network stations
usually have the most recent episodes of their hit shows available
on their web sites.
go to waste.
While I didn’t find myself crying at all throughout the movie,
the silent ride home I spent with
my just as awestruck boyfriend
must have allowed me to soak
in all of the moving events I just
watch unfold on the silver screen.
Let’s just say once all of the emotion hit me, that mound of napkins finally came in handy.
Video-viewing site to start charging fees
By Deanna Sheafer
co-editor-in-chief
It used to be, not too long ago,
that if a good television show was
on, one had to either rearrange
plans and watch it, or record it
on a VCR. However, times have
changed. Nowadays, if you miss
your favorite show, it’s easily
found online.
Countless web sites have
popped up recently hosting television shows and movies of all
sorts. Whether the show was on
last night or five years ago, web
sites like sidereel.com and hulu.
com can find what you’re looking
for in a matter of seconds.
Hulu has gained popularity due to all of the movies and
Kindle 2
Since the popularity of the Kindle, it is
sensible that Amazon would work to
make an even better updated version.
Their goal was reached; with a sleeker
look and a more organized keyboard,
Kindle 2 users will find it hard to believe that the awkward-looking predecessor was ever accepted. A new feature
is called the text-to-speech mode, which
consists of a computerized voice
reading aloud all the text that the user
desires. Another welcomed update was the in-line
dictionary, where the user can use the cursor select
any word and bring up its definition at the bottom
of the page. The combination of the more convenient
features and design make the Kindle 2 a must-have.
a few of our
favorite
things
Cocomotion
The perfect remedy to the cold
winter season comes in the form
of a perfectly-made hot chocolate
drink from Mr. Coffee Cocomotion
Automatic Hot Chocolate Maker.
Able to make four delectable mugs of
cocoa at a time, the Cocomotion should
be used at every holiday party.
Alternative sites
to watch
HIT
SHOWS
Fox.com
BravoTV.com
CWTV.com
USAnetwork.com
Syfy.com
Harry Potter and
the Half Blood
Prince DVD
As one of the fastest selling DVDs of
2009, the Harry Potter and the Half
Blood Prince DVD is the perfect
gift this holiday season. Multiple
features, some of which are interactive, make the purchase worthwhile.
Commentaries from the cast and director enliven the movie experience
with behind-the-scene stories and
humorous comments, and a teaser
trailer for the upcoming Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will
entice any fan to buy the DVD.
Information compiled by Inklings Editors
Arts & Entertainment
12
Avatar excites audiences
Sci-fi adventure combines multiple elements to create experience
By Joe Nejman
photographer
After the release of Titanic, the self proclaimed king of the world James Cameron
announced his new project—Avatar.
Avatar, like some Cameron films such as
The Terminator and Aliens, features the idea
of a future military force engaging in futuristic warfare. The film was originally set to
be released in 1999 but was scrapped due to
the lack of funds and insufficient computer
technology. Ten years later, in an age where
3D movies are becoming more prominent
and computer generated characters look
more realistic than ever, James Cameron
almost had enough pieces to complete his
decade-old vision, and the few pieces that
he was missing, he made himself.
Avatar’s story is about a future Earth
struggling with an energy crisis and a
newly discovered mineral from a far away
planet, called Pandora, that can solve it.
The only thing stopping the human race
from mining the mineral from Pandora is
a toxic atmosphere and a warrior tribe of
indigenous aliens called Na’vi. Because
Pandora’s atmosphere is so deadly to humans, genetic hybrids between humans
and Na’vis, called avatars, are created.
An avatar is remotely controlled by its
corresponding host’s conscience. Jake Sully,
a disabled former Marine, is recruited to replace his deceased brother as an avatar host
because of their similar DNA. Once Jake
becomes his avatar form, he is assigned to
infiltrate the Na’vi society, act as a spy, and
learn their weakness. After spending some
time with the Na’vi, learning their relatively peaceful culture, and realizing that the
humans forced war on them, Jake is faced
with the decision of who he really should
fight for.
The funding for Avatar finally came
into reach after Cameron was introduced
to the technological advances used to create the characters of King Kong from King
Kong and Davy Jones from Pirates of the Caribbean. Even with all of today’s advances,
Cameron had to use a self-made Reality
Camera System, made up of two high-definition cameras inside of one big camera,
to film in 3D. Avatar draws in most usual
science fiction characteristics such as space
Enrapturing fans with tunes such as
“Hello Seattle,” “The Saltwater Room,” and
“Vanilla Twilight,” Owl City has sold out
many concerts after the single “Fireflies”
hit radios around the country.
Owl City is kicking off for their tour in
2010, and one of their destinations is a place
that isn’t far from Crown Point. The concert
is on Feb. 11, 2010 in the Harre Union Ball-
What’s on
your iPod?
“The Lovely
Bones” rattles
readers
By Becca Duggan
entertainment editor
travel, alien encounters, and various technological advances. Avatar also shares characteristics with war and fantasy. Avatar can
be loosely compared to Cameron’s previous
movie Aliens and Mel Gibson’s Apocolypto,
as well as a touch of The Lord of the Rings.
Avatar appears to touch on some important
and relevant topics such as war, death, and
the depletion of natural resources.
Avatar stars Sam Worthington of Terminator Salvation as Jake Sully and Zoe
Saldana of Star Trek as Neytiri. Avatar also
stars Michelle Rodriguez as Trudy Chacon,
Giovanni Ribisi as Parker Selfridge, Joel
Moore as Norm Spellman, and Sigourney
Weaver as Grace.
Owl City flies into local city for concert
By Donnella Casillas
staff reporter
December 18, 2009
room at Valparaiso University, with tickets
selling at only $10 for general admission.
Tickets for the show in Valparaiso are now
on sale online on the Valparaiso University
web site, or you can e-mail Kaleb Jensen at
[email protected] for any questions.
Doors open at 7 p.m.
Owl City was started by Adam Young in
2007 in his parents’ basement, and the music was a product of his insomnia. Young
soon added a backing band that performs
with him when on tour. Two albums were
Steffany Cadieux
freshman
I Will Not Bow
Breaking Benjamin
Tonight
FM Static
You Found Me
The Fray
released while Young was still unsigned.
The third album “Ocean Eyes” came out
after Owl City had signed with Universal
Republic in 2009.
Now, Owl City has turned into a musical
phenomenon, with “Fireflies” topping both
the United States’ and Canadian charts,
and also becoming the most downloaded
song on iTunes in the US, and “Ocean
Eyes” reached one the top ten albums in
US charts. Recently, in December 2009, the
same single was certified Gold in the US.
Amanda Kekelik
junior
Rob McNamara
junior
“My name was Salmon, like the
fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen
when I was murdered on December 6th,
1973.”
So begins the touching tale of The
Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, wherein
lies merciless honesty, realistic depictions of a mourning family, and a chilling portrayal of a rapist and murderer.
The unrelenting bluntness of the
narrator, Susie Salmon, hits the reader
from the first sentence and continues
throughout the novel. She explains,
without leaving much detail out, how
she took a shortcut home and was
stopped by neighbor George Harvey,
who shows Susie an underground room
he built. Susie trusts him, which ends
up leading to her downfall; Harvey
is secretly a serial killer who ends up
raping and killing Susie. The scene is
particularly heart-wrenching when
Susie can hear her mother calling her in
the distance.
While Harvey deals with his own
actions, the story follows Susie’s family and friends as they deal with the
loss. Her family’s reaction is painfully
(yet masterfully) realistic as the reader
watches her father attempting futilely to
cope with Susie’s death and her mother
becoming an immature, irresponsible
version of herself. Susie’s siblings also
cope in their own ways; Lindsey keeps
Susie in her memories but doesn’t let
the murder define her while her brother
Buckley, only four when Susie was
killed, claims to “see” Susie’s ghost.
Truly, the aspects to enjoy in the
book are Susie’s refreshingly honest attitude and touching vigil she keeps over
her family, the unique and religionneutral take on the afterlife, and the
brutally realistic look into a mourning community. Susie has the perfect
perspective in the story; she is able to
reliably tell the individual stories and
feelings with an innocent view. This
book, even though it is written by a
rape victim, is for anyone who has lost a
loved one or can understand such a lifealtering tragedy. Additionally, Susie’s
existence in the afterlife is portrayed in
a clear way that does not favor any one
religious depiction.
While many readers will find
themselves emotionally overcome with
the harsh realities of Susie’s death’s
aftermath portrayed in this book, the
poignant journey is definitely worthwhile. The future movie, to be released
on Jan. 15, 2010, is bringing the bestseller back into the spotlight, where
it deserves to be for its affecting and
masterful storytelling.
Cally Kline
senior
Love Story
Forever the Sickest Kids
Sky’s the Limit
Lil Wayne
Evacuate the Dancefloor
Cascada
Photo Finish
3OH!3
Get It In
Omarion
Tik Tok
Ke$ha
Love Drunk
Boys Like Girls
Transform Ya
Chris Brown
Party in the U.S.A.
Miley Cyrus
Sports
December 18, 2009
Wrestling starts title-defense season strong
Team is undefeated against DAC foes, suffers only loss thus far to Mishawaka
S
13
scoreboard
Boys Basketball
Hanover Central-39
CP-41 (Nov. 28)
CP-43
LaPorte-65 (Dec. 4)
CP-70
Morton-51 (Dec. 8)
Lake Central-51
CP-47 (OT) (Dec. 11)
Valparaiso-65
CP-51 (Dec. 15)
Girls Basketball
PHOTO BY JOE NEJMAN
Sophomore Nate Lee practices takedowns with a fellow teammate. Lee and the ‘Dogs have gotten off to a good start this season,
winning all of their conference games thus far. Their only loss so far was to the top ranked team in the state, Mishawaka.
The wrestling team has found
the easiest way to defend its number two ranking in the state : win,
win, and win some more.
The Bulldogs are off to a hot
start this season. They opened up
the year with two DAC wins as
well as an invitational championship.
The boys started off the campaign on December 2 against the
LaPorte Slicers. They took down
the conference foe by a score of
56-9.
Senior John Hannon was selected by the coaching staff as the
“Wrestler of the Meet” against
LaPorte. He won his first varsity
match, and first match after a two
year layoff, by a 7-2 score. Hannon wrestles in the 215 pound
weight class.
The ‘Dogs then traveled to
Illinois for the Stagg Invitational.
The boys had a strong showing,
taking first place as a team. It was
the team’s fourth consecutive victory at the invite.
The team boasted five individual champions at the contest
as well. The champs were: senior
“
We have to brush
up on the little
things and remember to stay mentally
tough. We need to
keep working on
our technique and
wrestle smart, hard
matches.
“
By Colin Likas
asst. sports editor
Coach Scott Vlink
Anthony Hawkins (119 lbs), juniors Eric Roach (145 lbs.) and
Josh Flamme (140 lbs.), and sophomores Jason Tsirtsis (130 lbs.)
and Tyler Kral (189 lbs.).
Head coach Scott Vlink
praised the team’s performance,
but at the same time was “down
to earth” about the win.
“I wouldn’t say I was impressed,” Vlink said. “I was
pleased, though, and we were
satisfied.”
Roach’s win came over the
number one wrestler in all of Il-
linois in the 145 pound weight
class. He had two takedowns and
an escape to seal the deal.
“It was a good win,” Roach
said. “It certainly builds up my
confidence.”
The ‘Dogs returned home on
December 9 to face another DAC
opponent, Chesterton. They were
able to handle the Trojans rather
easily, defeating them 56-6.
The toughest competition of
the year thus far for the boys was
at the Chris Traicoff Memorial
Invitational on December 12. The
meet was held in Illinois against
some of the top wrestlers in both
Illinois and Indiana.
The team held their own
against many of the competitors,
but they weren’t able to overcome
the Mishawaka Cavemen, falling
to them by a 42-17 margin.
Hawkins, Tsirtsis, Roach,
and Flamme all finished 5-0 on
the day. Hawkins ended his day
with an 8-3 decision in the final
match. Tsirtsis ended up with a
3-1 win in his final match, while
Roach defeated his final opponent 21-5, and Flamme pulled out
a 4-3 victory.
“It’s a good tournament,”
Hawkins said. “I went undefeat-
ed all four years that I was there,
and I really enjoyed it.”
The most recent contest for
the boys was against Lake Central. The results were not available for presstime.
The only meet for the team
during winter break will be the
Carnahan Invitational, which is
held at Crown Point.
Some of the other teams
participating will be Lake Station, Hanover Central, Knox, and
South Bend Washington, among
others.
The ‘Dogs were able to win
the invite last season, and they
look to be in good position to repeat this year.
“We need to take it one
match at a time,” Roach said,
“Then we will see what happens
from there.”
The outlook is good, to say
the least, for the boys. The team
is full of relatively young wrestlers, but they’re always looking
to improve.
“We have to brush up on the
little things and remember to stay
mentally tough,” Vlink said.
“We need to keep working
on our technique and wrestle
smart, hard matches.”
Girls swimming looks to continue winning streak
By Hunter McKee
sports editor
Seven meets into the season
the girls’ swim team has swam
consistently well. The Lady Bulldogs started off their regular season with a record of 1-2, however,
the team has won three straight
to make their record 4-2.
“Up to this point the big
reason for the two losses was
depth,”assistant head coach
Bryan Trippeer said. “For those
meets our girls swam good times,
however, we just did not have
enough good times.”
In the Lady ‘Dogs most recent meet as of press time the
Lady ‘Dogs had an easy meet
against Merrilliville winning 11076. Sophomore Hannah Raspopovich placed first in the 100 yard
butterfly with a time of 1:07.36.
In a meet against Highland,
the Lady ‘Dogs had little contest
as the girls placed first in every
event.
The 200 free relay, consist-
ing of sophomore Hayley Balko,
junior Rachel Dykstra, senior
Kasayla Salazar, and Raspopovich, finished with a time of
1:50.92.
On December 8, the Lady
Dog won a contest against the
Valparaiso Vikings 101-85. Senior
Ashley Gose won the 200 yard
freestyle in a time of 2:16.81.
The Lady Bulldogs are looking forward to their meet against
Lake Central, a team the girls
have been highly competitive
with in recent years.
“The toughest meet will be
against Lake Central,” Raspopovich said. “They are a strong
team and should be a good match
for us.”
To prepare against Lake
Central the girls will continue
to work efficiently during their
practices.
“We will have to continue to
work hard during practice and
over Christmas break,” Roberts
said. “And continue racing well
at meets prior to Lake Central.”
CP-43
Chesterton-51 (Nov. 27)
Hanover Central-65
CP-74 (Nov. 28)
CP-68
Lowell-45 (Dec. 1)
LaPorte-34
CP-44 (Dec. 4)
CP-41
Lake Central-44 (Dec. 11)
Boone Grove-59
CP-60 (Dec. 12)
CP-51
Valparaiso-65 (Dec. 15)
Boys Swimming
Loss vs. Chesterton (Dec. 1)
2nd in Red Division @ Munster
Relays (Dec. 5)
Win @ Valparaiso (Dec. 8)
Win @ Highland (Dec. 14)
Win vs. Merrillville(Dec. 15)
Girls Swimming
Loss vs. Chesterton(Dec. 1)
1st @ LaPorte Invitational (Dec. 5)
Win @ Valparaiso (Dec. 8)
Win @ Highland (Dec. 14)
Win vs. Merrillville(Dec. 15)
Wrestling
LaPorte-9
CP-56 (Dec. 2)
1st @ Stagg Invitational (Dec. 5)
Chesterton-6
CP-56 (Dec. 9)
2nd @ Chris Traicoff Memorial Invitational (Dec. 12)
schedule
Boys Basketball
@ Michigan City (Dec. 18)
vs. Griffith (Dec. 22)
@ Merrillville (Dec. 29)
Wrestling
PHOTO BY JOE NEJMAN
Sophomore Hannah Raspopovich swims the breastroke during
a practice. The girls swim team, as of press time, are 4-2 on
the regular season.
Carnahan Invitational @ CP (Dec.
19)
Girls Basketball
vs. Michigan City (Dec. 18)
ES
45
14
Sports
Boys basketball off to up and down start
December 18, 2009
Team picks up two non-conference wins, struggles in DAC action
PHOTO SUBMITTED BY LISA BOWDISH
Juniors Allison Bowdish and Katelyn
Frank, sophomores Celina Fraire and
Jessica Lilovich, and senior Beth Komasinski at the Macy’s Day Parade.
Dancers take act
to New York for
Macy’s Parade
Photo
by joe nejman
PHOTO BY D. CASILLAS
Junior Sean Crary drives against an opponent during a game against Valparaiso. The boys lost by a score of 6551. The loss ran their record within the DAC to 0-3.
By Milan Savich
asst. sports editor
The term the “young and the restless”
seems to be fitting for head coach Clint
Swan’s 2009-10 varsity basketball squad.
After graduating seven seniors from
last season, the Bulldogs’ only seniors are
guards Scooter Jacobus and Tony Patrick.
“Having only two seniors, it can be difficult to play against experienced teams,”
Swan said. “We have to practice everyday
to improve so we can play our best basketball by the end of the season.”
Seniors aside, the Bulldogs are also returning juniors Michael Albrecht and Jared
Smoot who both saw ample varsity time
last year. The team currently has six juniors
who will all be returning next season.
“We lost a lot of size and talent from
last year, but I think we’re going to have a
real strong season with an opportunity to
surprise some people,” junior Billy Brown
said. “We have a lot of guys with experience returning next year.”
In addition to these returning members, junior Sean Crary, who has recently
transfered from Andrean, has been added
to the mix. As a starter, Crary has been averaging points in the double-digits as well
as contributing on the boards.
“Sean’s a great player. He’s a big help
offensively and on defense. I think we can
be pretty good next year since we have have
six seniors coming back,” Albrecht said.
The Bulldogs opened their season with
a 41-39 victory over Hanover Central. Albrecht lead the team in scoring with 18
points. Crary scored six points and also
dished out three assists while junior Evan
Langbehn scored six points and pulled
down eight rebounds.
The Bulldogs opened the conference
portion of their season on Dec. 4 when they
traveled to LaPorte. They lost by a score
of 65-43. Albrecht scored a game high 17
points while managing five assists and six
rebounds. Crary added 12 points and junior
Jordan Jurasevich grabbed four rebounds.
The Bulldogs defeated Hammond
Morton 70-51 a few days later. Albrecht
had a season high 31 points in the win.
The Bulldogs then stepped back into
DAC play taking on Lake Central where
they lost in overtime 51-47. Albrecht scored
a game high 19 points and also maneged
three assists. Crary added 15 points while
Jurasevich grabbed six rebounds.
On Tuesday, Dec. 15 the Bulldogs
hosted an undefeated Valparaiso team. The
Bulldogs came out with a 14-5 fourth quarter lead, however, Valparaiso out-scored
the Bulldogs 37-21 in the second half giving
Valpo a 65-51 victory.
Tonight the Bulldogs will travel to
Michigan city for what will be their fourth
DAC matchup of the season. A win would
be their first within the conference.
Lake
Driving
School
It’s a Strack & Van Til Thing.
Crown Point
For the first time in Crown Point
High School history, members of the
dance team performed in the annual
Thanksgiving Macy’s Day Parade.
Senior Beth Komasinski, juniors
Allie Bowdish and Katelyn Frank, and
sophomores Celina Fraire and Jessica
Lilovich, by invitation from the Universal Dance Association, flew to New York
City for the once in a lifetime dancing
opportunity. They performed with the
Varsity Spirit Group.
“It was so awesome realizing how
many people actually are there for the
parade,” Bowdish said. “Of course,
being on national television was great
too.”
The group started their performance
during the opening of the parade, which
was hosted by Matt Lauer and Meredith
Vieira of the Today Show. The finished
the parade procession by escorting
Santa to Macy’s.
Komasinski enjoyed not only
performing in the parade, but also the
experience of visiting NYC.
“New York City was a wonderful
opportunity,” Komasinski said. “There
were so many things to do and see, it
showed some other opprotunities for
dance.”
Lilovich agreed with Komasinski’s
assessment of the city.
“Seeing New York City was a once
in a lifetime opportunity that I will
never forget,” she said.
The Crown Point varsity dance
squad has been a national finalist in
Universal Dance Association’s competition for the past six years, taking second
in pom routine in 2008 and 2009. Their
routine has been featured on ESPN.
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Sports
December 18, 2009
Badger’s Boast
Top 10 of
decade in
sports
By Hunter McKee
sports editor
During the last month
of the decade, lets take the
time to reflect on what memories these past ten years
have brought to myself and
sports’ history.
2009) Chicago Blackhawks vs. the Detroit Red
Wings in the “Winter Classic” at Wrigley field. The
Red Wings were victorious
6-4.
2008) In 2008, there was
nothing more exciting than
being able to witness swimmer Michael Phelps win
eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics.
2007) Super Bowl XLI.
The
Indianapolis
Colts
faced off against the Chicago Bears. Northwest Indiana
had a difficult decision to
make: Do you root for your
homestate team? Or the city
closest to you? Nonetheless,
it was a victory for the Colts
29-17.
Barry Bonds surpassed
Hank Aaron on the all-time
home run list with 756. But
he might have cheated.
2006) The Los Angeles
Laker’s Kobe Bryant scored
81 points against the Toronto Raptors. Bryant’s point
total was the second highest individual point total in
NBA history.
2005)
The
Chicago
White Sox win their first
World Series in 88 years by
sweeping the Houston Astrosin in four games.
2004) In the ALCS, the
Boston Red Sox beat the
nearly impossible odds by
overcoming a 0-3 deficit to
the New York Yankees and
advancing to the World Series. The Red Sox were able
to sweep the St. Lous Cardinals in the World Series and
the “curse of the Bambino”
was bye-bye.
2003) For my personal
favorite, the Bartman incident. The Chicago Cubs
were five outs away from
advancing to the World Series; however, just as tradition goes they choke with
the help of a fan.
2002) The dawn of a new
dynasty emerged in 2002.
The New England Patriots
won Super Bowl XXXVI.
2001) Another one of
Vince McMahon’s ridiculous
concotions: the XFL. Some
notable players include Rod
Smart, also known as “he
hate me” who played in Superbowl XXXVIII, and Tommy Maddox who is the only
player to win a championship in both the XFL (LA
Xtreme) and the NFL (Pittsburgh Steelers). The league
provided plenty of laughs,
but unfortunately failed to
gain fan support and closed
after a year.
2000) Super Bowl XXXIV. The first Super Bowl I
witnessed as a child. The famous stretch by Titans wide
receiver Kevin Dyson made
Super Bowl XXXIV one of
the best and memorable.
15
Boys swimming starts season strong
By Hunter McKee
sports editor
The boys’ swim team is coming off of two consecutive wins to
bring their record to 3-1. The team
has found great success in their
distance swimming.
On Dec.8, the Bulldogs traveled to Valparaiso for what would
be a highly competetive match.
The Bulldogs were able to
sneak by the Vikings 98.5-87.5.
After trailing in the first half of the
meet, the Bulldogs rallied off four
straight first place finishes.
Freshman Joel Gintzler started off the comeback in the 100
meter butterfly finishing with a
time of 1:03.17. Then junior Marcus Trybula came through in the
100 meter freestyle with a time of
56.04. In the 400 meter freestyle
junior Blake Yeager swam a 4:29.
93. And in the 200 meter relay,
freshman Johnny Lynk, Gintzler,
Yeager, and Trybula finished in
1:43.66.
In the team’s second win of
the season, the Bulldogs had little
competition as they cruised to a
119-64 win over Highland.
Senior captain Josh Glass
placed first in the 200 and 500
freestyle. As for diving, junior
Tyler Croell won with a score of
251.5.
“What has helped the distance swimmers is our training
PHOTO BY J. NEJMAN
Junior Blake Yeager swims freestyle at a practice earlier this month. Yeager is part of
the distance group which has placed second only once this season. The Bulldogs, as of
press time, hold a record of 3-1, though the results of Thursday’s meet were unavailable.
habits,” Glass said.
“Our four most dedicated
swimmers are swimming in the
distance lane during practice. We
are putting in the work and we are
getting the payout for the practices, with our times at the meets.”
In the last meet, as of press
time, the Bulldogs again were able
to find another easy win against
the Merrillville Pirates by a score
of 115-71.
Junior Blake Yeager swam
a season best 4:50.65 in the 500
freestyle which placed first in the
event.
This season the distance
swimming for the Bulldogs has
been huge. The ‘Dogs have placed
first in the distance events at all
dual meets except Chesterton.
“Norris’ hard practices have
helped me in my distance swimming” Yeager said.
With four dual meets left in
the regular season, the Bulldogs
are looking most towards Lake
Central.
“Lake Central is going to be
tough in all of our events. Their
good swimmers match up with
our good swimmers,” Yeager
said. “It is going to come down to
whose number twos and number
threes swim better.”
The boys swam against the
Rennselaer Bombers yesterday.
The results of the meet were unavailable at press time.
Girls basketball rolls to 7-4 record at halfway point of season
By Sam Beishuizen and
Alex McLean
guest writers
PHOTO BY C. FLESZEWSKI
Freshman
Hayley
Bordui
passes the ball during a game
against Boone Groove. The
Lady ‘Dogs won 60-59.
The Lady Bulldogs basketball
team continued to perform well
on the court over the past weeks.
After their 3-1 start, the girls went
on to play Chesterton.
At Chesterton, the girls fought
fiercely, but suffered a tough loss
in a 51-43 game. Chesterton handed the Lady Bulldogs their second
conference loss of the season in
the process.
The girls bounced back to
defeat Hanover Central in a high
scoring game by a 74-65 margin.
Junior guard Kelly Gross led
the team in scoring with 18 points
while freshman guard Hayley
Bordui had 16 points of her own.
Junior guard Alle Geisen added
five assists.
After beating Hanover Central, the Lady Bulldogs traveled
to Lowell, where they won by 23
points. The final score was 68-45.
Then the Lady Bulldogs re-
QuickHits
Achievements
• Senior wrestler Anthony Hawkins has
confirmed that he will be attending Calumet
College next year and he will be wrestling for
the Crimson Wave under coach Leroy Vega.
Hawkins is the first Indiana state champion
ever to wrestle for the Crimson Wave.
• Wrestling USA Magazine ranked Hawkin
fourth in the nation in the 112 pound weight
class.
• Junior Eric Roach earned himself the
“Athlete of the week” award for wrestling.
Roach deafeted the number one ranked
wrestler in Illinois at the Stagg Invitational.
Roach is 4-0 on the season.
• Also sophomore Grace Jimenez was
named “Athlete of the week” for swimming.
Jimenez swam a personal best in the breastroke and butterfly at the LaPorte Relays on
Dec. 5.
turned home to win 44-34 against
LaPorte. That gave the girls their
much needed first conference win
of the young season.
The Lady Bulldogs’ win
streak was snapped in a 44-41
loss against conference rival Lake
Central.
The girls outplayed Lake
Central in the first half, but lost
their nine point lead in the second
half of the game. Gross and fellow
junior guard Lisa Kurth led the
team with ten points a piece.
The girls played their best
game of the year on December 11
against Boone Grove at home. After facing a thirteen point deficit,
the girls were able to keep their
composure and bounce back to
win a 60-59 nail-biter.
The Lady Bulldogs were
led by junior forward Madeline
Moore with her 13 key points off
of the bench.
With that win, Crown Point
handed Boone Grove its first loss
of the year. Coach Cronkhite credited the win to second half adjust-
ments.
The girls then traveled to play
Valparaiso on Tuesday. They battled back from a 12 point deficit at
the half to be within four points,
but were held off by a surging
Valparaiso squad. The final score
of the game was 65-51.
The Lady Bulldogs (8-7), (14) look to regain momentum as
they continue to face difficult opponents in the upcoming games,
including a conference match up
against the Michigan City Wolves
on Friday, December 15.
Head coach Mike Cronkhite
has a fairly simple explanation for
the team’s early season conference
struggles.
“The conference is very
tough,” Cronkhite said. “Everybody tries to beef up their schedules.”
The girls will be either 7-5 or
8-4 overall before they get a two
week break for the holidays. The
break will be followed by another
conference game against Merrillville on the road.
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Educated Advice Columnist
Post-Tribune
Personalities
Getting to know...
December 18, 2009
16
Five student dancers participate in Nutcracker
freshman Samantha Lopéz
(From left to right) Sophomores Katrina Zdanowicz and Briley Masolak, freshman Sarah Holland, sophomore
Taylor Passine and freshman Danielle Espinoza all danced in the Indiana Ballet Theater’s recent production
of The Nutcracker. Holland danced the lead role of Clara.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY BRILEY MASOLAK
By Lauren McCarroll
staff reporter
photo by A. Parrish
If you could travel anywhere in the world,
where would you go and why?
I would go to Paris because it looks fun
and it was always my dream to go there.
Who are three people you would love to spend
a day with and why?
Kathryn Szymanski, she is my best friend
and is amazing. Garret Hogan because he is a
cool and fun friend, and Brenna Res because
we have so much fun together and have been
friends ever since third grade.
If you could change one thing in the world
what would it be?
I would change our soldiers being at war so people
wouldn’t have to fight for our freedom, because it
should be free already.
Name a major issue you believe teens deal
with everyday.
Committing suicide and drugs because people
belittle themselves and don’t know how important
they really are.
Pointe shoes tied tight? Check.
Tutu in place? Check. Stage makeup
applied? Check. It’s go time. Indiana
Ballet Theater dancers recently
performed one of its biggest
productions, The Nutcracker, at
Merrillville’s Star Plaza Theatre, and
five students were part of the cast.
Freshman Sarah Holland danced
the lead role of Clara and was
accompanied on stage by sophomores
Briley Masolak, Taylor Passine,
Katrina Zdanowicz, and freshman
Danielle Espinoza.
“It was a lot of hard work but it
was well worth it because I love being
onstage, hearing the applause, and
knowing I made somebody smile,”
Holland said. “Since Clara is such
a big acting role, my performance
quality has increased as well as my
confidence.”
Most of the Nutcracker is danced
in pointe, which is a style of dance
where the dancers use ballet shoes
with stuffed toes. This enables the
ballerinas to dance completely on the
tips of their toes.
“After a while our toes get really
sore and our nails even fall off. It also
takes a lot of endurance, and you have
to make sure that you make it look
completely effortless,“ Passine said.
“You have to be in the moment and in
touch with the music.”
The Nutcracker Ballet is based
on the story “The Nutcracker and
the King of Mice” and tells the story
of a girl who dreams of a Nutcracker
Prince and battles against a Mouse
King. Other characters include rats,
flowers, snowflakes, dolls, the Sugar
Plum Fairy, The Snowflake Queen and
the Nutcracker himself.
“The hardest thing about
(performing the role of) the dolls is
staying so stiff, and doll-like, but it’s
really cool because it is completely
contrasting to the style of Nutcracker,”
Passine said.
On average, the girls spend three
to four months and up to six hours
a day trying to get the production
presentable.
“It is a lot of work but in the end
it is always worthwhile,” Zdanowicz
said.
They are highly trained in many
styles such as contemporary, jazz,
ballet, hip hop, tap, and more.
Some have been dancing before
they were even in pre-school
“I’ve been dancing since I was
four,” Passine said.
Espinoza has also been dancing
from a young age, starting when she
was five. Espinoza, who played the
parts of a snowflake, an Arabian slave,
and a pink flower this year, says she
plans on doing it next year as well.
“I loved doing the Nutcracker.
It’s fun to be with friends during
Christmastime,”
Espinoza
said.
“Everyone has fun on stage and
dances really well together.”
Masolak played the parts of a
harlequin doll, snowflake, Russian
trepak, and waltz flower.
“The best part of the whole
experience was definitely being on
stage. It was really gratifying seeing
all of our hard work pay off,” Masolak
said.
Despite all the hard work, the
dancers find the good aspects.
“The best part of Nutcracker is
being onstage, even if you had hard
rehearsals or a bad day, nothing can
beat the feeling of joy you get on
stage,” Masolak said.
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