Building football tradition - Merrillville Community School
Transcription
Building football tradition - Merrillville Community School
Merrillville High School Merrillville, Indiana THE February 25, 2010 Vol. 28, Issue 8 A&E MIRROR MIRROR RACIAL VIOLENCE: Hate crimes still haunting A LASTING LEGACY: Living up to the great precedent set by past leaders PINNING STATE: Pirate wrestlers take 2nd, 5th and 7th place page 2 page 3 page 7 Fans cheer on the girls’ basketball team at the Valparaiso Regional as the team leads Merrillville to the first regional title in the school’s history. The Pirates beat Munster 68-60 in the morning game and defeated Elkhart Memorial 55-54 at night. Photo by Giolas. Always a good time for orange FEATURES Expert advice on careers SPORTS Building football tradition LAYING THE WAY FOR PRIDE, BRICK BY BRICK tBY JULIA DICKEN Girls advance to final four in state Quoted “willRacism always be around. In a perfect world, it would not exist. ” U.S. history teacher Mr. Dan Schoon said, on parents passing down racism to their children. Commemorating the school’s football tradition, the Wall of Pride will extend over the front entryway of Demaree Stadium. The wall will be approximately 8 feet in height and composed of engraved 8-by-8 inch bricks and engraved 12-by-12 inch and 16-by-16 inch black granite. “I think it will improve the look of the stadium while recognizing past Pirates,” Principal Mike Krutz said, who will be purchasing a brick. Bricks will contain a logo, name and class as well as two lines of the buyer’s choice, limited to 16 characters each. Logos available on the order form include a Pirate head, football, megaphone and musical notes while businesses purchasing a brick may send their logo via e-mail. The brick is available in red and ivory. The idea for the wall was pitched by a salesman, and Athletic Director Janice Qualizza thought it was a great one. “With all the success we’ve had with the football program, I felt that it was an opportunity to let people show their pride,” Ms. Qualizza said. Mr. Krutz said that some alumni have already made commitments to purchase a brick when Ms. Qualizza informed them of the new fundraiser at a recent sporting event. Ms. Qualizza, heading support for the wall, is also purchasing a brick. The fundraiser is unlike any conducted by the Athletic Department in the past. “In this day and age, you have to come up with different fundraisers, and this is something that is definitely going to benefit a lot of people,” Mr. Krutz said. Current and former football players, coaches, cheerleaders and members of the band, as well as those involved in the football program, are welcome to purchase a brick. “We want to see how this goes first. If other sports teams are interested, we will consider putting up walls near their fields,” Ms. Qualizza said. The wall is expected to be completed sometime in June or July for the next football season. The sooner a large quantity of bricks are sold, the sooner construction can begin. “We aren’t going to put up the wall with ten bricks. We will wait until we have a couple hundred,” Ms. Qualizza said. Ms. Qualizza said that the most difficult part of the fundraiser is spreading the word. “I’m really excited. I hope word gets out and we sell enough to put it all up at once,” Ms. Qualizza said. Order forms and brochures are available in the athletic office and on the Athletic Department’s website. News 2 Dodging balls and playing games to raise money tBY PATTI ZIMMERMAN Just by collecting change for several weeks through Penny Wars, Dodge Ball teams raised $1510.59 for the Sam Troutman Scholarship and yearbook memorial page for Troutman. The yearbook pages cost $600, while the rest goes to the scholarship fund. “I’m really proud of that we only needed $600, so I’m really happy,” Senior Carlos Ortega said. The senior class and sponsors have set a goal to have two scholarships this year and would like to have enough money raised for at least one or two next year. Fifteen teams made the final cuts February 11 for the tournament, but all the teams that were cut had one more chance to raise money February 16. The Mean Machines raised the most money, $143.51. The winning team, Black Irish Coffee, raised $83.98, and will be playing at the Dodge Ball tournament March 12. The team that raised the most money through the Penny Wars was the Mean Machine, bringing in $143.51. Only seniors are allowed to attend, and there will not be an extra charge at the tournament. The senior class is also sponsoring a Game Night March 4 in the freshman cafeteria. Game night is open to everyone, including the public. There will be a $5 donation at the door that includes all of the games. Donations collected will go toward the Sam Troutman Scholarship fund. Call of Duty, Modern Warfare 2 and beanbag toss tournaments will be available. Traditional board games like checkers and Pictionary will also be available. “Anyone that is interested in the Call of Duty or Modern Warfare 2 tournaments should come to Game Night as soon as it starts to sign up, ” Senior sponsor Mrs. Rae Lopez stated. Every winner will receive a prize that was donated by local businesses. Game Night will be held from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. “Sam would like it. At least I would and I know him,” Ortega said. Ending racial violence tBY MEREDITH DOBES On the evening of October 26, 1934, Claude Neal was castrated, cut and stabbed with knives and sticks in the torso, robbed of his fingers and toes, burned with hot irons, shot 18 times and dragged to a farm “where women and children participated in the final acts of mutilation,” according to pbs. org. This man was automatically assumed to be guilty of murdering Lola Cannidy, a young white woman, because of his race and status in American society. He was not given a fair trial or a proper burial. Neal’s body was hung from a tree. Pictures of the lynching were sold, along with Neal’s fingers and toes. “Racism exists due to smallminded people. People are easily swayed to believe things that aren’t true. It’s easy for people to find a scapegoat,” U.S. history teacher Mr. Dan Schoon said. Racism in the South was more prominent because the South was less industrialized than the North before the Civil War and more farm-oriented. Southerners wanted African Americans to work for free and did not think of them as human beings. Public lynching occurred often because it was socially acceptable. Many years after the Neal lynching, in 1991, Rodney King was beaten and tased by multiple Los Angeles police officers because he was thought to have been resisting arrest after being caught speeding. Unlike the instance of racial violence with Neal, King’s victimization “sent shockwaves around the world and enraged the already frustrated Los Angeles African-American community, which felt that racial profiling and abuse by the police had gone long unchecked,” according to time.com. Two of the four officers accused with King’s beating were convicted and sentenced to 30 months in prison. The other two officers were acquitted. “The South thought that our constitution wasn’t for everyone. The US has opened its eyes to see that what happened in the South was wrong,” Mr. Schoon said. On Google’s News search, typing in the words “racial violence” results in multiple recent articles, some from hours ago. “Parents are teaching their children the same things. Racism will always be around,” Mr. Schoon said. “In a perfect world, it would not exist.” Cookin’ for cash tKAITLYN CYGAN March 6, Key Club members will host the annual Chili Cookoff. The cook-off begins at 3 p.m. in the freshman cafeteria. “There are three different categories you could win. Mr. Nick Petralia won first place in Judges’ Choice last year,” Mrs. Carrie Bedwell said. The Chili Cook-off benefits the Lupus Foundation. “I was happy, excited and truly caught off guard. I did not expect to win. I have the recipe for sale if anyone is interested. Asking price is $10. Room 9G202. I will not be entering this year,” Mr. Petralia said. Last year 20 people signed up. So far there are only 10 people signed up, but Key Club members are confident they will have 20 by the time the competition date arrives. The cost is $5 to sample all of the contestant’s chili. There will be a concession stand serving hot dogs, chips, pop and water. “I received $100 for winning and immediately gave it back to the Lupus Foundation,” Mr. Petralia said “This is our fifth year being involved. The Lupus Foundation held the event three additional years in Portage before the MHS Key Club became involved. The most raised at the event was $800. Last year’s event raised $4,600 for the Lupus Senior Matt McLindon’s outfit draws attention to his Hawaiian chili last year, which included pineapple in the ingredients. Foundation,” Mrs. Bedwell said. Mr. Phil Potempa from The Times is the head judge. He usually chooses two others with a background in food to assist him. This year, Merrillville FACS teacher Mrs. Maggie Stallings, will be on the panel. Reading it up during Black History Month tRACHEL WALTON During the month of February, the Media Center will be celebrating Black History Month. Students can read any books from these six black authors: Maya Angelou, Angela Johnson, Walter Dean Myers, Toni Morrison, Sharon Draper, or Ernest J Gaines, and pass the Reading Counts test. After passing the test, students will receive a piece of candy. They are also entered into a drawing for a bigger prize. Each Media Center will give away a free book to the winners. Next month the Media Center will sponsor be a similar contest for Women’s History Month. Opinion 3 Life is one big check list A lasting legacy Wake up from a dream. Check. Get dressed. Check. Eat pancakes with syrup. Check. Walk out the door. Check. Forget ID. Check. Go back into the house. Check. No, life doesn’t have to be this list worthy, but it doesn’t kill a person live with some sort of organization. When we were young, there were no worries and all we cared about was who was on whose team for a game of Red Rover at recess. As we grew a little older, our responsibilities got heavier and our frame of thinking shifted to homework, chores and our extracurricular activities after school. Once we came to high school, there was no more time to mess around. It was crunch time. Well, for most people. For those selected individuals that still only worry about recess or play time, wake up and smell the reality; put forth some effort. Work for what you want because the rest of us seem to understand the concept. Acknowledge that things might blow up in flames, but remember there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. The young adults that are fully aware of the twists and turns in life understand that the best way to live a comfortable life is to have organization: a life list. Living itself is one big check list. Yet, this isn’t an actual list. It’s a check list in your brain. In “The Game of Life” there is a major ‘check list’ factor in the rules to the game. You start off going to college, get a job, get married, buy a house, have kids (maybe twins), send them to college, become a grandparent and, finally, retire. In the board game, there are also those unexpected events like floods and getting fired from a job. Even though life isn’t a board game and you don’t get what you want by a simple roll of a dice, of Merrillville High School, 276 E. 68th The Mirror Pl., Merrillville, IN 46410. Opinion Jill Larson Features Caitlyn Hill The Mirror is the student newspaper Publications at MHS are members of the Indiana High School Press Arts & Entertainment Association, National Scholastic Press Association and Quill and Scroll. Sports Michael Dicken, Jim Wright Photo Raevyn Harper Letters to the editor are welcome. Meredith Dobes Students may drop off their letters in Reporters Morgan Lamb, Kaitlyn Cygan Room M108. Stehpanie Ferrell, Julia Dicken, Editor Julia Dicken Michael Dicken, Meredith Dobes News Patti Zimmerman Nicole Blas, Raevyn Harper real life can be somewhat like this game. Life is unexpected always and being ready for it can only benefit yourself. Having a list of things that you want to accomplish can help you work harder for those certain things. Most seniors at MHS just checked or are checking off the dreaded term paper on their own check lists. As we have learned, there is good that comes with every bad, and now seniors can look forward to the next few items on the list: winning scholarship money, going to prom, graduating and summer of 2010. In between those items on the list, there may be spots that may seem hard to get through. At that time, keep looking at your personal check list for support. It will help you get through the rough patches in life. That list, full of goals, will keep you going and working hard to reach every milestone check point. tBY JILL LARSON Reporters Baker Kepchar, Caitlyn Hill Allison Kish, Jill Larson Korey Loudermilk, Brandon Neal Chaloni Walker, Rachel Walton Jim Wright, Patti Zimmerman Adviser Mrs. Teresa Procter Letters to the editor must be 200 words, signed by the student and delievered to room M108. Changes that extraordinary Black Americans forced still have impact today Imagine. What if the America we live in today had never changed? No Martin Luther King Jr. delievering an “I Have a Dream Speech” on the steps of Lincoln Memorial or Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat. What if none of the people who fought for African American rights ever existed? How would life be like in America and even at a school that’s as diverse as Merrillville? Ask yourselves these questions and cherish the rights that now exist. Malcolm X, Dr. King, Fredrick Douglas, Dred Scott, Harriet Tubman and Rosa Parks are just few of the people who fought for change in this world, and the rights available today are abused. Before the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s, many African Americans weren’t even able to get an education or able to read. It’s a shame that now that the opportunity is available, people aren’t reaching for it. Every day in this school, more students are either sagging their pants, getting a detention for arguing or calling their friends the ‘N’ word five times in a sentence. It’s understandable if words like that are being said when friends are just around, but when it’s being yelled across a room filled with people who judge blacks already, that’s just giving another reason for them to think black people are stupid. Why must black people live up to the ignorant stereotype when they are better than that. It’s sad to think about how Dr. King sacrificed his life trying to make better lives for his people and they act the way they do. If he were alive today, he would be so disappointed. Don’t let all that happened in the past go to waste. This is the truth, and some may get offended, but it needs to be said. It’s easy to be ignorant and not try, but it’s hard to succeed. Success does not come easy. You have to work at it and strive every possible distance. Don’t be another black person who is put in the “ignorant” category. The steps to change might be hard, but it’s never too late to change your life around. It took many tries and even death for famous black Americans, but the change happened. tBY RAEVYN HARPER 4 Choosing Go for what interests you Fifty community leaders came to the freshmen center last month to talk about their jobs. Career Day was organized by Counselors Ms. Lori Magnuson and Ms. Kerry Wiersbe and Small Learning Community Grant Director Mrs. Lorri Covaciu. Partnering with MHS to present the Career Day were local businesses. Chipotle provided lunch for the presenters and Strack and Van Til in Merrillville provided water and pop. “We wanted to introduce students to careers they might not know exist and learn more about those they do,” Mrs. Covaciu said. “We want to provide role models for freshmen in the professional realm.” Part of the mission of the Small Learning Communities project is to provide opportunities for career exploration and to interact with the community. The Merrillville Community School Corporation, Tri Creek schools and the School City of Hammond are sharing a threeyear $2.7 million grant from the federal government. “We continue to focus on graduation and beyond,” Mrs. Covaciu said. “The more you learn, the more you earn.” “And I would have all the lettuce if it gets approved,” Dr. Brian Coleman said about finishing up and patenting the ankle-joint replacement he and a few other colleagues are working on. As the first African American to do a toe and ankle replacement in the world, and the only foot and ankle specialist in this half of Indiana, Dr. Coleman has known discipline since elementary school. “I was throwing snowballs and broke a window at the school, while my dad was the sixth grade teacher and he whooped me in front of his whole class.” What pushed Dr. Coleman to be a doctor was his interest in math and science, and growing up with little money. “What you like, what you’re comfortable in” is what he says is the key to happiness when choosing your career. “When a person looks at your Class of Career Choices life, and looks at your résumé on paper, they can tell your life. If there are holes and gaps, you need to be able to explain it. Employers look for dedicated and reliable workers,” Dr. Coleman said. Also a member of “100 Black Men of America,” Dr. Coleman visits and mentors students and adults, not just AfricanAmericans, in hopes to help find solutions to life problems for these kids and adults. As an orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Coleman deals with the musculoskeletal system. He is also an ankle and foot specialist. It took Dr. Coleman, with no breaks, 14 years to finish college. That included four years of college, four years of medical school, five years of residency and one year of fellowship for his foot and ankle specialist title. He advises students to “maximize your potential in the subjects you like and are good at.” Which is exactly what he did. Presenter eduation and Storie Kaitlyn Cy Raevyn H Allison and Be ready to work t WGN’s Morning Show producer picks the best stories to deliver to the public Ms. Kathryn Janicek loves her job because she is the first to hear potential news and pick the best to deliver to the public. She also meets celebrities and important politicians. Although the job seems fun and interesting, it takes a long time for one to reach her status. “I have been working in the media for 14 years, traveling all over the country to get where I am.” Ms. Janicek said. To get the most updated news, she works all night, from midnight to 11 a.m., to prepare the news for the daily morning update. Melissa Kwiatkoski When thoughts of a career in film come to minds, chances are that people are also thinking of Hollywood and people who earn millions a year. Yet behind every Steven Spielberg and top director lies a lesser known face who is happily working towards their dream. Like Senior Melissa Kwiatkowski who dreams of producing her own feature film someday. “Since Freshman year of Pnn it’s been my dream to direct,” Kwiatkowski said. “Before I joined I didn’t know what I wanted to do,” she added. She s hours a and sett importan “I love said. “I tell the p know.” The r kind of same. A college a college n the key One m gramma Anot a job is e experien Amber Medwetz “I want to see kids succeed and reach their full potential,” Senior Amber Medwetz said. Medwetz hopes to attend Ball State University and major in Elementar Medwetz was inspired to teach by he teacher Mrs. Parker. “Her passion to succeed inspired me” Medwetz said. also chosen as the Lily Scholarship Merrillville. “I was ecstatic when I fo the Lily, it would take off the finan will be a great honor,” Medwetz said 5 A Career rs emphasize d passion for job es and captions by ygan, Stephanie Ferrell, Harper, Baker Kepchar, Kish, Morgan Lamb d Chaloni Walker to climb corporate ladder said she also works 60 week, collecting stories ting them up in order of nce. e my job,” Ms. Janicek get the opportunity to people what they should requirements for any media are relatively the Attending a four year and working for the newspaper or TV media are requirements needed. must know writing, ar and new technology. ther skill for landing experience. To gain the nce, one must go through ry Education. er eighth grade o see kids . Medwetz was nominee from ound out. If I get ncial burden and d. many internships, and most of the time, these jobs do not pay. Competition always plays an important issue in this field of work. “We try hard to have more viewers than FOX, NBC, ABC, and other companies,” Ms. Janicek said. The news always has to be up-to-date and accurate. No one wants to hear the news from two days ago, she said. To get in the field of media is very time consuming, but very rewarding. “Media is everything,” she said. “You have to work your butt off, but in the end, it is worth it.” Blair McDaniel Having high hopes of being a neurosurgeon, Senior Blair McDaniel plans to attend Purdue University in West Lafayette. McDaniel hopes to earn a minor in International Business and complete Pre-Med at Purdue University. After finishing Pre-Med, McDaniel hopes to attend medical school at either Johns Hopkins or Loyola. “I want to help people who are less fortunate and can not afford medical procedures,” McDaniel said. School first — then choose a specialty They prosecute, they defend, they help and sometimes they hurt. They are lawyers. But in all these things, their job is to make sure they do their part in making these just and fair. Mrs. Trista Hudson, a lawyer for Porter County, prosecutes people who neglect, abuse or harm their children in any form. “It’s our job, as lawyers, to help society with what we do,” she said. She explained the different levels of conviction and how much time convicts serve. For example, there are no degrees of murder in the State of Indiana. When a felon commits murder, he or she automatically has the sentence of 20 to 65 years in prison. And while other states make a big deal of tickets, Indiana’s tickets are the lowest form of misdemeanors. It’s when citizens don’t pay the ticket and not cooperate with the system that gets them in trouble. Those actions lead to felonies, which can mean to two to eight years in jail. “The biggest part of our job is to be fair,” Mrs. Hudson said. Becoming a lawyer takes seven years. After four years as an undergraduate, would-be lawyers have to go to a certified law school for three years. Once law school is completed, they take the bar exam — a test that goes over everything that they Sean Schafer While taking graphic design his whole high school career, Senior Sean Schafer has grew a strong passion for it. “Ever since I took the class, I liked it a lot,” Schafer said. Schafer wants to attend Purdue Calumet and major in graphic design. “I took the class because I heard you get to make shirts and I wanted to try it,” Schafer said. Schafer would like to continue in graphic design and would suggest to anyone to take the class. “It’s a fun class, and you get to make your own shirts,” Schafer said. learned, all things law — in the state where they desire to be licensed. Lawyers can establish their own law firms, join another law firm or work for the government or business. The salary of a lawyer varies, depending on where the lawyer is employed and how long he has worked as an attorney. On average, a lawyer working for the state can expect to make at least $40,000 a year. Mix this in with some experience and maybe even establishing a law firm, and then a lawyer can probably expect to make between $80,000 and $100,000 a year. Being a prosecuting attorney isn’t always easy. There are times when they don’t win a case and those have their own regrets. “The times my job is the hardest is when I have to explain why a case worked out the way it did to a victim who isn’t happy,” Mrs. Hudson said. “Sometimes, it’s just simply because the law doesn’t allow me to do what they would like to see happen.” Cha’yra Eddie “I have always found myself debating and arguing to try and prove my point,” Senior Cha’yra Eddie said. Eddie hopes to attend Harvard University and major in Law. After graduating, she would like to pursue a higher degree and someday either own her own practice, become a judge, or teach a law course. Eddie also said that Advanced Placement Government added to her reasons why she wanted to study law. “Mr. Stamper’s passion and zeal really inspired me,” Eddie said. 6 Arts & Entertainment Mix tapes land deals ‘A Clockwork Orange’ is a juicy read for new rappers tBY BRANDON NEAL [email protected] In mid-2006, a new trend developed in underground rap. Industry veteran Lil’ Wayne publicly reinvented his career by releasing mix tapes featuring his rapping over beats from recent hits. 2006 and 2007 were the years Lil’ Wayne blew up in the music industry, not because of the records he was selling, but the mix tapes he was releasing. In that time period, Wayne released “Dedication 2,” “Da Drought 3” and “Da Drought is Over,” all of which were mix tapes. “When rappers are releasing mix tapes, that’s when they are at their best because they are not holding back on what they say. The songs on the radio are nice, but the songs on mix tapes are even better,” Freshman Andre Walker said. Shortly after he was releasing those mix tapes, Wayne started to appear on numerous songs, like “Gimme That” by Chris Brown, “Make it Rain” by Fat Joe, “I Want You” by Lloyd, “We Taking Over” by DJ Khaled and “Duffle Bag Boy” by Playaz Circle. After all these songs were released between 2006 and 2007, in June 2008, Lil’ Wayne decided to release another album, “The Carter 3.” It was a huge success, selling more than 1 million copies in the first week. Sophomore Demontae Pate responded to the trend. “It is a smart idea to get yourself noticed using mix tapes,” Pate said. Then again, in mid-2009, underground rap saw a new artist by the name of Drake. Drake followed Wayne’s trend of releasing mix tapes and being featured on a lot of songs on the radio. Drake released his mix tape, “So Far Gone,” and he was known for his song, “Best I Ever Had.” “So Far Gone” was so good that he eventually released it into stores and was signed to Wayne’s “Young Money” group. Around the same time, while Wayne was still looking to improve his group, he introduced Nicki Minaj. Minaj is known for her unique lyrical skills, like in Young Money’s “Roger That” and “Still I Rise.” Since then, Drake and Minaj have worked with various artists. Then, Rashad Davis, also known as Gucci Mane, followed the same trend with mix tapes. Gucci Mane received fame in 2005 with the release of his CD, “The Trap House.” Then, in 2009 alone, he had 17 guest appearances on songs. In 2009, he also released his sophomore album “The State vs. Radric Davis” that featured songs like “Wasted,” “Spotlight,” “Lemonade” and “Sex in Crazy Places.” The So Icey artist development sector is now seeing a new, promising rap star rise to fame, Waka Flocka Flame. Just like the other rappers, Waka started from producing mix tapes and getting glory. His experimental song “O Lets Do It” blew huge for him in the past few months. One coincidence that can be seen is that all of the rappers mentioned started off using mix tapes to get themselves noticed. Artists are now using mix tapes as if they’re basketball players sending game tapes to try to get recruited from a scouting agency. No longer will rookie rappers have to give veteran rappers a “demo” tape. New coming rappers can just release a mix tape, not only for record label producers, but for fans as well. They’ve become promotional tools for artists and record labels trying to build a buzz. tBY NICOLE BLAS Crime and prison may not sound like very pleasant topics, but that’s fine because “A Clockwork Orange” by Anthony Burgess is anything but pleasant. Just because it’s not cheerful does not mean it’s not a great novel. In fact, it is such a phenomenal book that it is considered a classic. The story takes place in the somewhat near future where violent teenagers run the city after nightfall. Alex DeLarge is the leader of his vicious gang and the star of the novel. DeLarge gets sent to prison after one horribly violent night. While in prison, he hears about a new treatment for inmates that will decrease jail time drastically because it “effectively” changes the way criminals act. DeLarge finds out that this new treatment may not be the solution to the crowded jails and high crime rates that the government thought it was. What makes “A Clockwork Orange” such a literary marvel is that Burgess created his own slang for the book called “Nadsat.” The new words keep the futuristic setting from becoming dated. In the following example, DeLarge is justifying why he hit a man: “‘You understand about that tolchock on the rot, Dim. It was the music, see. I get all bezoomny when any veck interferes with a ptitsa singing, as it might be.’” As you can see, the slovos are a bit hard to pony. Whoops! I meant to say: as you can see, the words are a bit hard to understand, but they get easier to follow after only a few chapters. I nearly became “fluent” in the language after reading for just an hour or two. This book is for mature audiences and preferably for readers who are not faint of heart. coverbrowser.com There is violence and crime on almost every page. There are a few very sensitive scenes where DeLarge has his way with women. Although I found myself disgusted at some parts, I reminded myself that I have seen much worse in movies or on television shows. These scenes have a point, however; they are put into the novel to show DeLarge’s transformation from evil criminal to moral decisionmaker. I urge you to give “A Clockwork Orange” a try. The “Nadsat” language might seem intimidating, but you should not let that stop you from reading it. If you are not a fan of violence, then you might want to read something else. However, if you are just looking for a fantastic book to nourish your mind, then this is the perfect candidate. It’s about time our generation moved away from vampires and werewolves and onto oranges. During the seventh annual Freshman-Sophomore Winter Formal, Sophomore April Bailey and Freshman Edith Amitoelau were crowned queens. The dance was sponsored by Family, Career and Community Leaders of America. About 160 freshmen and sophomores attended the dance. Sports Three senior wrestlers place in top ten at state tBY MICHAEL DICKEN Out of the three wrestlers that advanced to the state tournament last year that returned this year, the same three have once again advanced to state. Seniors Zac Stevens (103 lbs), Anthony Napules (125 lbs) and James Travis (heavyweight) all qualified for the state finals at the Conseco Fieldhouse in the state capital February 19 and 20. Stevens is set to wrestle West Noble High School Sophomore William Nelson in the opening round. Napules will wrestle Mt. Vernon (Posey) High School Sophomore Jonathon Hoehn in the opening round. Travis will wrestle Milan High School Ben Jackson. All three advanced through the opening round on Friday. After winning in the opening round, Stevens was defeated by Southwestern Junior Luke Schroeder. Then, in the wrestle backs, he lost to Warsaw Sophomore Jarred Brooks. To take seventh, Stevens defeated Prairie Heights Junior Danny Hamm 7-3. Napules won in the opening round, and then lost to Roncalli Senior Zac Stevens throws a crossface to his opponent during a seasonal meet against Valparaiso. Stevens advanced past the first round of state but lost the next day of the competition, giving him 7th in state. Photo by Giolas. Junior Justin Kieffer. To get to a higher ranking, Napules then won two straight to earn fifth. Travis, after winning in the opening round, got two straight pins in the semi and quarter finals. Travis faced Yorktown Senior Ross Janey, who was also undefeated heading into the match. At the end of the match, only one would remain undefeated, and Janey took first place. Travis lost the match 3-2, and nearly scored a takedown, which would’ve won it for him. Travis earned second, and along with his classmates Stevens and Napules will join a storied history of Merrillville wrestling. Bradshaw College Consulting • College Admissions Consulting • PSAT / SAT / ACT Tutoring www.BradshawCollegeConsulting.com [email protected] 219-663-3041 Located in Crown Point, Indiana Educated Advice Columnist in the Post-Tribune 7 Coach Staford has high expectations for his first season tBY MICHAEL DICKEN Last season, the Pirates softball team finished with a record of 3-24, while finishing 1-13 in the Duneland Athletic Conference. With new Head Coach Jake Stafford, the Pirates have been working hard in order to have a better season. “It feels great to be the head coach. It’s exciting, and it’s a lot of hard work, planning, but I’ve enjoyed it so far,” Coach Stafford said. The softball players have been working hard and practicing since after Thanksgiving. “Everyone is dedicated. My expectations for the up coming season are to be competitive in every game,” Coach Stafford said. Coach Stafford also expects the team to finish with a .500 winning percentage in the DAC. Luckily enough, the Pirates only lost one key player to graduation, and are returning eight starters. “We got Seniors Kaitlynn Sterkowitz (catcher), who was last year’s Most Valuable Player, Lindsay Mitchell (pitcher), Chelsea Oyervides (2nd baseman) and Natalie Riechers (1st baseman), who was last year’s Leadership award winner, all returning, along with other key players,” Coach Stafford said. Coach Stafford is also excited about some new players looking to contribute to the team. “I’m really excited about Sophomore Inesha Smith, who’s going to be playing outfield for us, and also Sophomore Megan Dicken, who will be our backup catcher,” Coach Stafford said. Boys swim their way to sectional finals tBY JIM WRIGHT [email protected] In the first round of sectionals February 18 in LaPorte, Merrillville’s boys swimming team did well and several individuals and relays advanced. Individually, Junior Jacob Caddick, Senior Colin Burke, Junior Autry Phillips and Junior Robert Dominick-Warren advanced in their events. Many relay teams advanced, including the medley relay, taking fifth place (DominickWarren, Caddick, Burke and Phillips); and the 400 relay, taking fifth place (Burke, Harmon, Philips and Caddick). The 200 free (Junior Kyle Schroeder, Dominick-Warren, Darren Blaylock and Phillips) advanced, but would not swim in the championsuip heat at the sectional championship. “We swam our best and that’s what enabled us to advance so many people,” Caddick said. These sectional championship qualifiers went back to LaPorte February 20, hoping to advance to regionals. “We did our best and everyone swam as hard as they could, but unfortunately nobody made it out,” Caddick said. Underclassmen say they will look forward to next year and continue to swim by their motto. “Get speed. Keep speed.” Caddick said. Sports 8 Lady Pirates first regional champs in school history tBY JIM WRIGHT [email protected] 84-64 64-42 60-55 55-54 The Merrillville girls basketball team has done something it hasn’t in 21 years and that is winning the sectional title. The Pirates started off their sectional run February 12 against the Michigan City Wolves. The Pirates won that game 84-64 with their leading scorer Senior Bryonna Davis. Davis set a new school record scoring 37 points in that game. Senior forward Lydia Hawkins drives between three Valparaiso defenders during the Valparaiso Sectional championship game February 15. Hawkins finished with 8 points in the game as the Merrillville Pirates went on to defeat the Vikings 60-55 to earn their first sectional title in 21 years. Last weekend, the Pirates captured the first girls’ basketball regional title in the school’s history, advancing to the final four. Photo by Giolas “I’m proud of myself,” Davis said. Following the win over Michigan City, the Pirates played the Hobart Brickies February 15. They handled the Brickies with ease as they went on to win 6442. The highest scoring Pirates in that game were Sophomore Raveen Murray and Davis. Murray scored 16 and Davis scored 12, putting her over the 1000 point mark in her career. That is the second time that has ever happened on the girls’ basketball team. The only other girl to reach that high of a mark was Marshay Jolly in the 20032004 season. February 15 the Pirates had to beat the Valparaiso Vikings at their home court in order to claim their first sectional title in 21 years. The Pirates didn’t pull away with another double-digit victory. In fact they were down most of the game, partially due to the poor free throw shooting, shooting 22-33 in the game, but they did get the win. Murray led the team with a career high 32 points as the Pirates won 60-55. “When we were down I made sure I stayed focused. I was sick throughout the game against the Vikings so I was dizzy and nauseated. I didn’t even realize how well I really played until following day,” Murray said. Helping Murray come back from their deficit was the rest of the Pirates. “We came back by playing good defense, making key steals, hitting our free throws and we never gave up,” Davis said. The game against Munster to advance to the regional championship was close throughout. “We already played them and won. We can beat them,” Davis Head Coach Amy Govert cuts off the net from the basket in the Valparaiso gym after defeating the Vikings 60-55. Last year, the Pirates finished the year 1011. This year Coach Govert is leading her girls to an overall record of 24-1 heading into the semi-state game at Elkhart Memorial. The Lady Pirates have won the DAC, their first sectional title in 21 years, and the first regional title in school history. had said before the game. Although the Pirates had already beaten the Mustangs, some things need to be worked on in order to make sure it happened again. “We need to keep the offense on and have no slack on defense. All we need to think about is communication and rebounding the whole time,” Murray said. The Pirates did just what they hoped to against Munster, pulling away with a 68-60 victory. Later that night, the Pirates played Elkhart Memorial for the regional championship. The Pirates won a nail-biter, 55-54. Tracee Mitchell hit two clutch free throws to put the Pirates ahead with five seconds left in the game.
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