feb. 25, 2010 • vol. 55 • issue 7

carmel high school • 520 e. main st., carmel, in 46032

for the latest news, scores, video, polls and multimedia contentCheck us out online @ www.hilite.org

Birth order affects individual characteristics and family dynamics,

Page 16

15 Minutes of FameJunior Adithya

Bhattachar is a competitive table tennis player

Page 32

Acumen takes a look back at the decade See insert

Hilites of the decade

Assembling the Pieces

Feb. 25, 2010 • Vol. 55 • Issue 7

Carmel High School • 520 E. Main St., Carmel, IN 46032

Contact informationMailing Address: 520 E. Main St., Carmel, IN 46032

Phone: (317) 846-7721, Ext. 7143

Web site: www.hilite.org

E-mail: Staff members of the HiLite may be contacted by using their first initial and their last name appending @hilite.org. For example, Michelle Hu will receive mail sent to mhu@hilite.org.

Responding to the HiLiteLetters to the editor will be accepted for the March 25 issue no later than March 16. Letters may be submitted in Room C147, placed in the mailbox of Jim Streisel, e-mailed to letters@hilite.org or mailed to school. All letters must be signed. Names will be published. (Letters sent via e-mail will be taken to a student’s SRT for him to sign.) Letters must not contain personal attacks against an individual and may be edited.

PurposeThe HiLite is a student publication distributed to students, faculty and staff of Carmel High School, with a press run of 4,500. Copies are distributed to every school in the Carmel Clay district as well as the Chamber of Commerce, city hall and the Carmel Clay Public Library. The paper serves as a public forum and two-way communication for both the school and the community. Opinions expressed in the newspaper are not necessarily those of CHS nor the Carmel Clay system faculty, staff or administration.

AdvertisingBusinesses may advertise in the HiLite if their ads adhere to guidelines. The advertising policy is available in Room C147 or at www.hilite.org.

CredentialsThe HiLite belongs to the Indiana High School Press Association, Quill & Scroll and the National Scholastic Press Association.

Editor in Chief Michelle HuManaging Editors Rosemary Boeglin Sarah SheaferAccountant Andrew BurkeAcumen Arjuna Capulong Jinny Zhang15 Minutes of Fame Afra Hussain Artist Daniel Li Rebecca XuBeats/Calendar Emma Neukam Amanda Nguyen Laura Peng Nina UndermanCover Story Sara RogersEntertainment Maddi Bourgerie Ellie SetaFeature Hera Ashraf Rebecca XuFront Page Tim Chai Steven Chen Graphics Daniel LiNews Susie Chen Beverly JenkinsPerspectives Julie Kippenbrock Jade SchwartingPhotography Nick Johnson Kaitlyn LampeSpecial Projects Kelsey Binion Amanda Nguyen Min Qiao Tracy SunSports Mackenzie Madison David ZhengStudent Section Lauren BurdickWeb Mike Jiang Nishanth Samala

Staff

Sally BaeAudrey BaileyMeredith Boyd Hope BoyerMaggie BrandenburgAndrew BrowningPatrick BryantMonica ChengRyan DuffyCassie DuganYameen HameedGrayson HarbourKendall HarshbergerBen LuAlex Mackall

Faraz Majid Katie Norman Priya PatelDarlene PhamThalib RaziMitch RingenbergErum RizviKatie WalstromReuben WarshawskyJackson WhitekerCelina WuMichelle YunSarah YunCaroline Zhang

Reporters

Advisers Jim Streisel Jincy GibsonPrincipal John WilliamsSuperintendent Jeff Swensson

Photographers Gabrielle Bowers Arjuna Capulong Shirley Chen Stephanie Coleman Shokhi Goel Lizzy Grubbs Kate Grumme Stuart Jackson Emily Puterbaugh Daniel Smith Jinny Zhang

Web team Steven “Miin” Chen Michael Luo Pedram Navid Matt Pickard Michael Price Yusheng Zhu

Video Marianna Cooper Parker Myers

table of contents

news

feature

student section

Personality QuizBirth order plays powerful part in

determining personalities

entertainment

sports

perspectives

15 minutes of fame

Students utilize technology to aid fundraising efforts04

06

Teens’ views of pregnancy affected by peers, media and rise in teen pregnancy rates

Sophomore Anhelica “Angel” Ramirez experienced alternative school14

12

HiLite s ta f f rev iews the best hamburgers around

2022

Clutch shooting will be pivotal to basketball team’s success

2426

StAff PeRSPeCtive: Haiti relief efforts must be sustainable in long-term

Emma Neukam, Sarah Sheafer and Marianna Cooper share their commentary about everyday life30

28

cover story

32

11

Junior Adithya Bhattachar shows talent in competitive table tennis

Students question intrinsic usefulness of drug surveys

Students may choose to celebrate birthdays with family

HiLite takes readers through the evolution of movies

16

Students par t ic ipate in non-school sports due to tough varsity competition among school teams

Want More?Go to www.hilite.org

for stories, videos, slideshows and more

COvER>> steven Chen And tim ChAi / grAphiC

The Next Leap?The release of the iPad last month marks a new era of

communications, opening up a pathway to a faster, convenient means of receiving the evolving forms of media. Here are some major

pioneers competing for consumers

Lenovo IdeaPad U11Lightweight and portable, this tablet can pop out or be used as an 11.6 inch Windows 7 laptop. More than just another iPad, the IdeaPad has the full capabilities of a laptop with none of the disadvantages of the iPad.

Apple iPad2Although all the hype about its release overstated its qualities, the iPad has not yet had the chance to live up to its full potential. Some disadvantages include no camera, no flash and no multitasking. It has the possibility to transform the media industry by providing an output for all forms of information, ranging from print to Web. Publications like the New York Times and Sports Illustrated have already developed demo readers for the iPad. With the struggling print business on a downward hill, this new device could save the whole industry.

Microsoft Courier3Its details just leaked, the Courier seems to aim toward the creative professions. More information to come later in the year

Past RevolutionaRies

IBM 5150 PC 19814

PalmPilot 19965

Apple iPod 20016

gIzmodo.com, Ibm.com aNd Palm.com, / Source

Set the industry standard for personal computing.

Defied conventional wisdom and set off the race to perfect mobile computing.

Replaced obsolete music players and revolutionized the music industry

04 news >> HiLite • February 25, 2010

Technology changes face of relief effortsby hope boyer and priya paTel

hboyer@hilite.org, ppatel@hilite.org

It was after she saw the wreckage in Haiti on TV that Kathleen Hayes, creator of the Project Haiti Club and junior, said she wanted to help make a difference. “Right

after that, we talked to (English teacher Jerry) Brickley about having him sponsor a club that would help us raise money for the people in Haiti. Seeing all of the news coverage really inspired us to step up,” she said.

The Jan. 12 earthquake in Port Au Prince, Haiti, was devastating for the Haitians. The extent of this natural disaster was widely broadcast by cable networks, resulting in a pervasive outpouring of relief. But what’s unique is, as students like Hayes feel the need to aid victims of the earthquake, they find the Web and other forms of technology can help them with fundraising efforts within their clubs.

One of those clubs is Project Haiti, which is scheduled to host fundraisers today at Maggie Moo’s and Cool River Pizza in Carmel.

Hayes said she is trying to get as many students involved in the club as possible to make the largest possible effect and said using different modes of communication have been extremely beneficial.

“We started a Facebook club so that kids at Carmel can see what’s really going on in Haiti,” she said. “It ’s

Avoiding online scAmsDO NOT...

respond to unsolicited (spam) incoming e-mails, and be especially wary of links contained within those messages, such as links which claim

to have disaster photos.

believe everyone who claims to be a surviving victim or official asking for donations, especially if it is requested

via e-mail or social network sites.

give personal or financial information to anyone who is soliciting this

information, as it makes you more vulnerable to identity theft.

DO...

make contributions directly to known organizations instead of

relying on a third party to do it for you. This ensures your money serves

its intended purpose.

be cautious of e-mail attachments from someone you do not personally

know, as these files could contain computer viruses.

verify the legitimacy and existence of nonprofit organizations before

donating your money.

fbi.gov / source

fundraising for haiti: UNICEF members sell baked goods to raise money for Haiti. Different clubs are finding ways to help aid the people of Haiti.

gAbrieLLe boWers / PHoTos

gAbrieLLe boWers / PHoTo

Project Haiti just one group here to use new communication methods to make a difference

sending aid: Isabelle Dakkins, French Club member and senior, helps prepare that the French Club sold to raise money for Haitian relief efforts.

useful that we can get the info out there technologically. Even just doing the TV announcements during SRT helps a lot. The news on the TV really affected us when we saw the damage. After just seeing a small bit of what the Haitians were being put through inspired me to help.”

Brickley said, “(The club members) are making good use of the technology available to them. It’s the reality of today. If you don’t use the technology, then you won’t be able to get the message out. It is there to stay connected, get organized, get more information, and most importantly, get the message out.”

The evolution of donations through text messages and other phone services has also created a drastic change in how awareness and relief funds can be raised. According to the Red Cross Web site, the latest innovation is free applications created for iPhone and Blackberry users which allow them to access real-time news feeds from the Red Cross about what is happening in Haiti.

But potentially The Red Cross’s most widely recognized initiative is the “text for relief” program created shortly after the earthquake. According to its Web site, the Red Cross teamed up with Mobile Accord and the mGive Foundation to allow customers of participating wireless carriers to

text message “Haiti” to 90999 to make a donation of $10 that would be taken from the customer’s next phone bill.

Junior Taylor Imus is one of many students here who have donated us ing th is ser v ice. She sa id she donated $20 through the Red Cross texting program.

“I love the idea of donating through texts. I’ve donated to a few other charities, and it’s harder because you have to wait for them to send you the envelope and then mail it back. This was easy—one simple transaction,” Imus said. “I also think it encouraged people to donate because it was so easy.”

With the efforts of students and citizens around the world such as Hayes and

Imus the Red Cross was able to raise $7 million through text messages alone within two days of the earthquake, according to CNNMoney.com.

Hayes said, “I think it’s a great way to reach out to a wide range of people. Texting is so convenient and with one click you’re already helping.”

HiLite • February 25, 2010 << news 05

Carmel Green Initiative students work to make city eco-friendly

Freshman Lauren Gibson is saving the world, quite literally. Gibson is the founder of local environmental awareness group, Carmel Area Roots and Shoots (CAR&S).

Roots and Shoots is a global organization originally founded by Dr. Jane Goodall in 1991. Since then, the organization has fostered the creation of local groups in countries all over the world. According to the Roots and Shoots Web site, www.rootsandshoots.org, their mission is “to inspire each individual to take action to make the world a better place for people, animals and the environment.”

Naturally, hearing of such an opportunity, Gibson decided to create the Carmel Area Roots and Shoots organization and submitted a grant proposal to the Green Works Green Heroes Grant Program, which is run by the eco-friendly cleaner company Green Works. This program offers teenagers around the country the opportunity to win up to $10,000 if they could come up with the most unique ideas to help their communities become more environmentally friendly.

Last year, CAR&S was awarded one of the $10,000 grants

by the Green Works Green Heroes grant program. CAR&S submitted the idea of giving their money to 22 youth-driven, action-based environmental projects, according to Gibson.

“(To qualify for the money), we ask the groups to fill out an application that includes their plan of action, and then us four girls and a supervising group of adults will look over and decide on which idea would serve our purpose best,” Gibson said.

Groups that win the money from CAR&S will receive anywhere from $250 to $1000. In November of last year, at the Fall Grant Award Ceremony, the members of CAR&S awarded $2,950 of their $10,000 to five local youth groups that submitted local, eco-friendly volunteer projects; one of these groups was one of the Cub Scouts troops.

“What makes the program so unique and unusual, is that they worked really hard to win, but they are giving away the money to help other youth build initiatives to help the environment,” Gibson’s mother

Local environmental awareness club awarded $10,000 grant, uses money to finance green projectsby priya patel

ppatel@hilite.orgMargot Gibson said.

Though the group is entirely youth-formulated and driven, Gibson does receive some guidance from her mother and three other adults on the committee.

“Lauren and the other girls realized that being teenagers responsible for giving away $10,000 was a big initiative and so they came to me as one of their adult supervisors. The other women are able to use their expertise in certain

areas to help advise the girls on things they are trying to accomplish. It is a really nice balance of adults and teens that care about the environment,” Mrs. Gibson said.

Though this is only the beginning, Gibson said she intends to continue making Carmel more eco-friendly throughout high school.

Gibson said, “I would love to continue with the Carmel Green Teen program,

but we only have $10,000. However, I will continue doing my best to help encourage other teens to make the community a greener place throughout high school and possibly my career.”

grants go green: (Left) Freshman Lauren Gibson and her mother, Margot Gibson, speak with Mayor Jim Brainard during the Fall Awards Grant Ceremony. (Right) Freshman Emily Roberts speaks on behalf of Carmel Green Initiative at the ceremony. LAUREN GIBSON / SUBMITTED PHOTOS

“They are giving away the money to

help other youth build initiatives to help the environ-

ment.”margot gibson

HiLite • February 25, 201006 news >>

In the middle of filling out the annual drug survey sponsored by the Indiana Prevention Resource Center (IPRC) as a freshman last year, sophomore Raven Peterson said she had a thought cross her mind; the drug survey

was exceedingly long and repetitive, with its seemingly endless list of multiple-choice questions asking her whether she had ever used drugs or smoked a cigarette.

As a healthy 15-year-old with no inclination to try drugs of any sort in the near future, Peterson said she felt that the drug surveys were getting nowhere by continuing to ask variants of what seemed to be the same or very similar questions.

But that, according to CHS social worker Jane Wildman, who helps administer the surveys, is somewhat by design. Although some have questioned the legitimacy of drug surveys due to the possibility that not all students may answer the questions truthfully, Wildman said she is confident that the surveys are accurate.

“The IPRC knows how to put together a survey that asks a question in a certain way or in a different way twice,” Wildman said, “so they can see if there’s a consistency in the results. The computer will kick out the extremes when they feel that someone is lying.”

According to Wildman, these anonymous, multiple-choice surveys are offered to selected schools around the state every year to determine whether students have been involved with

by monica chengmcheng@hilite.org drugs. This year, the surveys will be handed out to students to

take on Feb. 25 during the first session of SRT.

“In our district, (drug surveys) are used to help write grants for funding, which goes to any sort of prevention of at-risk behaviors, mainly drugs and alcohol,” Wildman said.

Although it may be easy to put off drug surveys as something rather insignificant, Peterson said she realizes the importance of drug surveys and also believes honesty is an important factor to any effective survey.

Austin Rader, LifeLines president and senior, has similar views as Peterson and said drug surveys play an important role in the school and community in helping them become aware of the choices their students are making.

“Drug surveys help the school and community realize what kind of priorities they need to be making in their programs,” Rader said. “They also give students a chance to realize and to see all that they’ve done. Sometimes, (students) may not realize the choices that they’re making until they see it on paper.”

Still, according to Rader, despite of the good intentions and anonymous aspect of the drug survey, however, some students may still feel the need to lie, perhaps to protect their identity from the school or police.

“The computer will kick out the extremes when

they feel that someone is lying.”

Jane Wildman

Peterson said, “I know a lot of people who lie (on the drug survey) and say they do drugs so they can skew the results and make the school look bad. Basically, they’re just trying to be funny, but there’s really nothing all that funny about lying.”

However, large-scale misrepresentation may backfire on students. For example, if the drug surveys were to show an overwhelming number of drug participants, Wildman said, health classes may be instructed to focus more on alcohol and other abusive substances.

“In the past, for example, juniors have had a speaker come in to talk about alcohol and drunk driving as well as their effects,” Wildman said.

The speaker this year purposely wore shorts and a tank top so the students could see that one of her arms were amputated and the rest of her body was covered in scars from the car accident.

“Obviously, there’s going to be a margin of error (on the drug surveys) but for the most part, you can still use them to have an accurate look at the school,” Peterson said.

Wildman said, “They’ve gotten it down to a fine science, though, so it doesn’t really make a difference if people lie or not. But we want the truth because it’s very important for us to know what’s going on (around the school).”

Despite perceptions of fake responses, drug surveys prove to be insightful

susie chen / graphic

HiLite • February 25, 2010 << news 07

posters for Uganda: Invisible Children members create a poster for the benefit concert the club is hosting on March 19. All proceeds from this event, which will feature local bands from the school, will go toward building a school in Uganda.

priya patel / photo

Invisible Children to host benefit concert March 19

by sarah yunsyun@hilite.org

Invisible Children plans to host a benefit concert on March 19 in the Freshman Cafeteria. The free concert will start around 6 p.m. and end around 10 p.m.

According to Juliana Hughey, Invisible Children member and sophomore, Invisible Children members will sell baked goods and T-shirts during the concert. They will also carry around buckets for donations; all proceeds will benefit building a school in Uganda.

“I think that the concert will be a great way to help spread the awareness that children in Uganda need help,” Hughey said.

According to InvisibleChildren.com, the Ugandan Civil War is the longest

running confl ict on the Afr ican continent, and some soldiers are children abducted from their homes and forced to fight. Invisible Children is a worldwide movement seeking to end the conflict and bring the children back home. The organization also raises money to rebuild schools, educate future leaders and provide jobs in Northern Uganda.

The local chapter of Invisible Children was started at CHS three years ago. “I decided to be the sponsor for the club because I thought it was a good cause and I had respect for the kids who wanted to create this club,” sponsor Alicia Noneman said.

Member and senior Cassandra “Cassie” Wild said, “I traveled to Uganda the summer before my freshman year and I was able to see for myself the suffering of the children in Uganda.

What I experienced there really came close to my heart and I really care about this cause.”

Wild said she joined Invisible Children because she understood that the children in Uganda were desperately in need of help.

According to Hughey, local bands at this school that would like to perform during the concert should contact one of the Invisible Children members at one of the club meetings. Invisible Children will have an audition to choose five or six bands.

Wild said, “All the money raised from the benefit concert will help give kids our age a chance to have a good future and an education that they haven’t been able to have before. The children there are definitely a lot less fortunate than we are.”

High school to use nine-week grading system next year by kendall harshbergerkharshberger@hilite.org

CHS currently uses a six-week grading period system, but this will change next year, when the implementation of a nine-week grading period will start.

Superintendent Jeff Swensson originally considered this switch, and according to English teacher Dale Yessak, who serves on the committee of administrators and teachers investigating the strengths and weaknesses of a nine-week grading period, a recommendation in favor of the nine-week system was sent to Swensson for his consideration during the week of

Feb. 8 after teachers took a survey.

“Input was sought from random CHS students as well, though no formal survey was conducted with the student body,” Yessak said via e-mail. Yessak said parent input originally motivated the decision to have a committee investigate the situation. There is no current plan to collect parent input at this time.

Williams said one advantage to the nine-week system is that it gives more time for teachers to get grades and information in.

“Teachers have a difficult time coming up with all of the grades at the end of our six-week grading period, especially in the classes that are more project based,” he said. “The nine-week grading period could help with that.”

Math teacher Kathie Freed said she likes the idea of a nine-week system.

“I think it’s an awesome thing for high school students. In my way of thinking, as a parent and as a teacher, a nine-week grading period gives a student longer to recover,” Freed said, adding that the nine-week system would also put more emphasis on semester exams.

Freshman Lillian Goodman said she also thinks a nine-week grading period will be a good change. As an incoming freshman, she said she had to adapt to the current grading system.

“It wasn’t really that hard to adjust,” she said. “It may have been a little weird at first because of those extra three weeks being

taken away.”

However, Wi l l iams said there are also disadvantages, like longer wait for report cards and, essentially, fewer progress reports for students.

“Now that we have myCCS I hope this wouldn’t be too much of a problem. Our teachers are generally pretty good about updating it. If a student gets their report card and just then finds out that something went wrong in a particular class, there was something wrong

with the communication between teacher, student and parent,” he said.

Overall, Goodman said the program is a good one. She said, “As long as we kept the Blue and Gold days here, we would have a lot more time to do our homework. If something happens to slip, like you do badly on a test, you have more time to get your grade back on track.”

lillian goodman

wantmoRe?

To see more about school changes, visit

hilite.org to read Grayson Harbour’s story on the budget

referendum.

08 feature >> HiLite • February 25, 2010

Junior Mark Huber texts continuously throughout the day: during meals, between class periods and after school. With an unlimited number of text messages on his phone plan, Huber said he sends and receives

a total of around 9,000 to 12,000 messages each month.

“Texting lets you talk to multiple people at the same time,” Huber said. “In our society today, people want to be in constant communication with everyone.”

Huber’s idea may not be far off. According to the Wireless Association, a nonprofit organization that specializes in research

related to wireless communication, Americans sent just under 50 billion text messages each month in 2007. In 2008, however, the number more than doubled and reached 110 billion.

The Pew Research Center, a nonprofit research organization, released a study in December 2009 suggesting that teens prefer more rapid means of communication and drive the increase in text messaging statistics.

According to Brian Hayes, a journalism instructor at Ball State University, effective communication is not limited to face-to-face conversations.

“It depends on what you are trying to communicate and who

you are trying to communicate with,” Hayes said via e-mail. “If you are looking for quick interpersonal communication, I think texting is best. It is easy and sort of impersonal. You know you will not get stuck in a 10-minute conversation with someone on the phone when you can just text short responses back and forth. Plus, it allows you to multitask fairly easily.”

Huber said the freedom to multitask while text messaging is one of its most convenient aspects. However, he said it can become a distraction both in class and at home.

“Especially when I’m in the middle of a conversation with someone, I check it as often as possible because I feel bad if I don’t respond right away,” Huber said, “but it does take a lot longer to finish my homework.”

Hayes said, “Texting can become a distraction depending on the situation. I know some parents who have ‘no texting zones’ in their homes, like at the dinner table.”

Nevertheless, Huber said he plans to continue his current habits, especially because text messaging allows him to keep in touch with friends without having to turn off the television or put down a textbook.

However, Huber said a few of his friends consider text messages impersonal and prefer he calls.

“I don’t think the conversations I have with my friends over

text are more impersonal than in person,” he said. “Most of the time we talk about normal topics, but it can get deep. It depends on who you’re talking to and what the situation is.”

Junior Jeremy Weprich, who said he averages 5,000 text messages each month, said, “While I am a culprit of heavy

texting habits, I still prefer phone conversations and face-to-face communication.”

While many students including Huber consider text messaging an effective means of communication in almost all situations, Weprich represents those who consider it inappropriate for serious conversations.

Weprich said, “When serious topics come up in a text, I often wonder why my friend chose not to tell me face-to-face. Texting something of heavy subject matter is easier than speaking it in person or over the phone because so much

emotion and reaction is hidden. Sometimes, I’ll let them take the easy way out and I will continue the text conversation, but other times I call them in reply.”

Huber said he expects to decrease the number of text messages he uses in college, but for now, he plans to continue his current text messaging habits.

“With all of the free time college students get between classes, I’ll probably spend more time hanging out with my friends than texting them,” he said. “But for the rest of high school, the numbers will probably stay the same.”

2 imp3rsnl 4 u?by laura peng

lpeng@hilite.org

mark huber

While some students consider texting effective, others find it distracting and detached

did u kno?Over 4.1 billion texts are sent

every day

CTIA.ORG / sOuRCe

There are 276 million wireless users in the

United States

A TEXT AWAY: Junior Mark Huber (left) and his friend junior Scott Stewart (right) text each other before school. Huber said texting can sometimes be a distraction.

shOkhI GOel / phOTO IllusTRATIOn

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<< feature 11HiLite • February 25, 2010

Partyless Birthday

She doesn’t send out embossed invitations or rent a party venue. Instead, junior Emily Bonham goes against what many perceive to be the normal idea of having large, planned birthday parties.

Along with other students, Emily said she decides against big get-together’s and

party planning in order to spend time with her family while also saving money.

“I think money is probably an issue for most teens because they have to find a way to pay for food and entertainment. Their parents may be opposed to all this spending. Also, the birthday

becomes less of a time to celebrate and more focused on all the stress of planning and

paying for a party,” Emily said.

Although for her part Emily personally decides to spend her birthdays with

relatives, other students simply cannot afford the expense of extravagant birthday parties. The

hit MTV show, “My Super Sweet Sixteen,” portrays the “normal” birthday experience for a teen costing up to $200,000.

This show may represent the extreme, but there are other options for students who wish to throw an enjoyable birthday party. According to Pat Hecox, manager of Party Tree in Carmel, he and his employees see several parents and students come in to plan parties.

“We do a lot of bir thday parties for high school students,” Hecox said.

Party Tree is a balloon and party store that sells supplies for special occasions and also helps with the planning. Party Tree has been in Carmel since 1990 and opened its second location in Fishers in 2005. The store has now become the largest retail party supply store in Indiana with over 18,000 square feet of products. For students who wish to throw a birthday party without spending the amount of money a teenager does on “My Super Sweet Sixteen,” Party Tree, according to Hecox, may be an option.

Along with the issues of money and family time, the age issue also comes to mind. According to Hecox, most Party Tree costumers are young moms and families. Even though high school students plan their sweet 16 with the store, most of the business comes from the younger age groups. Hecox said he still believes, however, that most high school students choose to have a party of some sort, even though they do not formally plan them.

Emily said her main reason for celebrating with her family is due to the stress and time it takes to plan a party.

“I have had birthday parties with only family for all my life. I guess my parents would let me have a few friends over, but I don’t really want to have to deal with all the planning. I think it is easier and better to just invite family,” she said.

Emily’s mother, Carlene Bonham, said it has also been a personal decision regarding birthday parties. Since Emily’s grandparents and relatives live in different parts of Indiana, Mrs. Bonham said her birthday is an opportunity to get everyone together and have a good time.

“I thought Emily’s birthday would be a good way to get both sides of the family together and also celebrate Emily,” Mrs. Bonham said.

Although this is the case for her and her family, Emily said she agrees that the decision involving party or no party is determined by money. She said parents might be opposed to the spending involved with food, entertainment and other expenses.

According to Emily, having a birthday party with friends would be allowed; it is just the fact that she has become used to her birthday being a time to see relatives that would otherwise become distant. The fact that Emily’s birthday celebrations are tradition is not the only reason she said she chooses not to throw a large friend-oriented party, though expense and time also play a part.

“I think it is a big hassle to put together a major birthday party, especially if you do it every year. Instead, my birthday is an opportunity for my extended family to visit. That makes it more special and less stressful,” Emily said.

By audrey Baileyabailey@hilite.org

Instead of having birthday parties with friends, some students choose to avoid the hassle of money and planning by celebrating with family

FAMILY FESTIVITIES Junior Emily Bonham (far right) is pictured celebrating her 16th birthday with her family last March. Instead of having a large birthday party like many other teens do, Bonham chose to spend the day with her relatives.

Emily bonham / submittEd photos

SWEET SIXTEEN: Junior Emily Bonham sits before her birthday cake. She turned 16 on March 14 last year, but celebrated with her family.

HiLite • February 25, 201012 feature >>

Like most teenagers, junior Anna Redmond had been free-spirited with no one to look after but herself. On September 14, 2008, however, the day after her sophomore Homecoming, Redmond received a

phone call that would change the course of her life.

“(The father) called me and was like, ‘I think you’re pregnant’, and I was, like, ‘I don’t know about that,’ “she said. “(The pregnancy test) was positive, but it took a while to really understand it.”

Anna’s situation is far from unusual. According to a January report from the Guttmacher Institute, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research group in New York, the pregnancy rate among teenage girls has jumped for the first time after more than a decade of decline. The numbers have started to increase more than 3 percent in the mid-2000s after a period of decrease since the 1990s.

“We’re not sure if this is an increase or just a blip. The numbers have increased by 3 percent, and the fact that it has increased, though, is significant,” Margaret Lawrence Banning, vice president of Public Policy and Education for Planned Parenthood of Indiana, said.

According to school psychologist Jane Wildman there are about five cases here that she knows about. She said that she has seen an increase of teen pregnancy cases here that she knows about. “I’m more aware of it now. Sometimes people don’t tell us,” she said.

For Anna, whose son, Carter, was born in June 2009, discovering she was pregnant was just the beginning. “I was really scared about everything, like what I was going to do and everything,” she said. “I was definitely shocked, but it didn’t really hit me for a while.”

According to Banning, the first step for any pregnant teenage girl should be to talk to her parents and her partner.

Anna said she waited until she was four months pregnant to tell her parents. “I work out in my basement and stuff. At first, when I started showing, my mom would come down and I’d be like I just ate a lot or something, so she wouldn’t know,” Anna said.

It wasn’t until Anna talked to a friend’s mother that she decided to tell her parents. “My dad came to pick me up and they weren’t mad at all,” she said. “I think they were still in shock, but they were extremely supportive. I went to the doctor’s the next day and everything was great and really healthy.”

Anna’s mother, Jackie Redmond, said that while she was

Raising Responsibility With increasing teen pregnancy rates and media portrayal, pregnant teens face skewed perceptions

By Darlene Pham

Story continued on next page >>

<< feature 13HiLite • February 25, 2010

<< Story continued from previous page

shocked, the next step was to make sure both Anna and the baby were okay. For Mrs. Redmond, it was just as hard to share the news.

“I was just a little stressed about telling family, even though I knew they would be supportive,” she said. “I told my parents, Anna’s grandparents, and they were amazingly comforting, supporting and accepting.”

While her family was understanding, Anna said the situation was different at school.. She said there were many rumors going around. “A lot of (people) just didn’t know what to think and a lot of them wouldn’t talk to me for a while because they thought I was making it up or whatever,” Anna said. “So, I just let it go, I didn’t care.”

Wildman said that this is not an unusual reaction for students. “I think we tend to judge people too quickly,” she said. “Until you can walk in someone else’s shoes, you should not judge them, and since you can never walk in their shoes, who are you to judge?”

To help these girls, Wildman said that the school tries to encourage (the girls) in believing in themselves and not let other people’s opinions control them on how they feel and act.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, nearly 10 percent of all births are to teenage girls. About half (46 percent) of all teens ranging from the ages 15 to 19 have had sex at least once. These

by the numbers

Each year, almost 750,000 women aged 15 through 19 become pregnant

Teen pregnancy rates rose 3% in 2006, the first increase since the 1990s

Teens account for 10% of all U.S. births

guttmacher institute / source

PLAY DATE: Junior Anna Redmond kisses her son, Carter (left) and reads him a book (above). Redmond said she doesn’t approve of how the media portrays pregnant teens because it depicts the situation as glamorous.

Lizzy grubbs / photos

teen pregnancy outcomes

Miscarriage

Birth

Abortion

14%

59%

27%

guttmacher institute / source

significant numbers are not just evident on paper, however. The media, especially, has included more fare featuring the issue of teen pregnancy with movies, like “Juno”, and shows, such as “The Secret Life of an American Teenager” and “Teen Mom”.

While Banning said that it was too early to tell if the teen pregnancy rates were actually increasing or not, she said that the media could have an influence. Banning said, “The media affects how young people look at themselves, how they see

each other, how they relate to each other. You see stars now wearing more provocative clothing and acting more and more in a provocative manner. Younger and younger children then look to them as role models.”

Mrs. Redmond said she agrees that the media heavily influences the teen pregnancy rates. “It’s not glamorous and the media tends to glamorize it,” she said.

Anna said that she hates shows like “The Secret Life of an American Teenager”

because they do not portray what being a mother is really like. “I just think (that show) is so dumb. Not only because the acting is so bad, but because of how (the main character) acts like it’s no big deal, like it’s all fun and it will be taken care of and all these people will want to marry you and be your baby’s daddy and help raise him. No boy would choose to be a father at this age, if they had a choice. It’s definitely different,” she said.

In Anna’s situation, Carter’s father is no longer part of the picture.

According to Anna, he moved away and has never seen Carter.

Even with the media’s glamorization and influence on the view of teen pregnancy, for Anna, hers was a different story.

“I bought a ring from Claire’s and put it on my ring finger to make it look like I was married and I was older,” she said. “I was so self-conscious about walking around anywhere, like the mall. I hated going to the mall because everyone would stare and it was awkward.”

Mrs. Redmond said that, for her, the biggest fear was how Anna’s life would change. “Anna had to give up a lot of activities. Obviously, school is most important and Anna is doing a good job. She really cares for Carter,” she said.

Anna said that having Carter changed her life in a way she couldn’t imagine. “No matter what, I have to put (Carter) first. There’s nothing I do without thinking, like, how this will affect Carter. If I’m out having fun, there’s that half of me wishing I were home because I miss Carter already. I have no more free-spirit, like do whatever,” she said. “Since I’ve had him, I’m actually happier. I feel complete because I have Carter and I’m crazy in love with him.”

While she can no longer live the carefree life of a normal teenager, Anna said having a baby is not the end for her. Mrs. Redmond said she agrees with her daughter.

“It’s not the end of your life,” Mrs. Redmond said. “With any decision, there are its difficulties, but also the blessings.”

“There’s nothing I

do without thinking, like, how this will affect Carter.”

anna redmond

about the hoosier youth challenge academy

Established in 1993 by the National Guard

Available for students between ages 16 to 19

17 1/2-month program with two quasi-military phases

Helps students on the path to their G.E.D.s

The federally-funded program is free to Indiana residents

Established to help curb the staggering number of 33 million high school dropouts and at-risk students

The SAT and ACT can be provided to interested students at a cost

NGYCP.ORG / SOURCE

HiLite • February 25, 201014 student section >>Number 3,180 of 4,464...

Takes the Alternate ApproachSophomore Anhelica “Angel” Ramirez spent her freshman year

in an alternative schooling program

Waking up at 5 every morning in order to participate in hours of grueling, military-style physical training before hours of difficult classes in the afternoon and going to bed at 8

every night is not something every teenager can imagine themselves doing. However, for sophomore Anhelica “Angel” Ramirez, this was the basic pattern of her life from last January to June. Rather than spend her freshman year at a public or private school, Ramirez took part in a five-month long Hoosier Youth Challenge Academy (HYCA) program in Edinburgh where she devoted more time to doing push-ups than cracking open books.

“We would wake up at 5 and spend the better part of the morning doing obstacle courses and exercises before lunch,” Ramirez said. “Since it was sponsored by the National Guard, it was basically living the life of a soldier.”

Ramirez is one of a small but significant and growing number of students who, while still planning to go to college, have looked into programs other than this school’s standard curriculum. Other alternative options include the J. Everett

Light Career Center and the Carmel Learning Center, both of which are half-day programs where the students spend half the day here and the other half at the center.

“J. Everett Light is for students who are interested in a career that is not part of the school’s curriculum,” David Mikesell, J. Everett Light coordinator and counselor, said. “The classes there range from dental assisting to fire fighting to law enforcement. Many of the classes can also be taken for dual

credit at nearby colleges, including Ivy Tech and Purdue.”

Aside from J. Everett Light, the Carmel Learning Center is another option for students interested in alternatives to the normal schedule. The center focuses on students who may

be struggling with their required academic classes and is designed to serve their needs.

“It’s more technology-based and the classes are smaller, so students are more likely to get the help they need,” Mikesell said.

The six-month program that Ramirez attended, while mostly focusing on physical training and community service, also

included a variety of academic classes.

“We would take classes for three or four hours after lunch.” Ramirez said. “The main focus of the program was more to help us figure out what to do with our lives.”

J. Everett Light, through its many classes, also helps students decide if they would want to pursue their interests further into college or as a career.

“Both J. Everett Light and the Carmel Learning Center are options to students who seek an alternative to the standard program,” Mikesell said. “The number of students attending J. Everett Light has been increasing over the last several years and there are more students in the program than ever before this year.”

Though she was one of the few to complete the National Guard program (only 10 of the original 22 girls graduated), Ramirez said she has no plans to join the army in the near future. Instead, she plans to go to a four-year college.

“(The challenge) really helped me develop a routine and organize my life. It also helped me at a time when I wasn’t really sure where my life was going,” Ramirez said. “I thought it was a great experience.”

by henry zhuhzhu@hilite.org

“It was basically living the life of a

soldier.”SOPhOmORE ANhEliCA “ANGEl” RAmiREz

StUARt jACkSON / PhOtO

OTHER OPTIONS: Counselor David Mikesell works in his office. According to Mikesell, other schooling was a good choice for Ramirez and may be for other students with different goals.

HiLite • February 25, 2010 << student section 15

Senior Victor Obasaju gives a new take on Black History MonthGuest Column: A New Perspective

victor obasajuOnce again, another February has fallen upon us meaning that this is the time that has been designated for us to look at and celebrate Black History Month. Typically, like an old TV rerun, the media regurgitates the same stories, landmarks and events which have been instrumental to giving blacks the opportunities that had been deprived from us in the past. No one will doubt, and I will be the first to defend that the sacrifices and contributions that blacks, usually highlighted during Black History Month, helped to pave the way for the betterment of this country.

The stories of Dr. King, Rosa Parks, Jackie Robinson and other black figures are great reminders of not only what our country could have been if they had not done what they did, but also a great reminder of how far our country has come in terms of race relations. Unlike what the media

wants to portray, like it or not, black history as we know it does not end there.

If one just looked at the surface of a typical black history month one would believe that black history has just consisted of slavery and the civil rights movement. If one literally searches history under African-American on Wikipedia, one can find it separated by Slavery, Jim Crow laws and the civil rights, then suddenly jumping to Barack Obama’s election.

What hasn’t gotten its share due of exposure in the media though are the achievements that blacks have accomplished as a result of the struggles and pains of those in the past. While one can easily turn on their TV and hear about slavery, civil rights, and/or “typical” black celebrities, such as athletes and rappers, one does not get the opportunity to hear about the accomplishments that black Americans have achieved from civil rights till now, that have not only bettered the black community, but the whole country.

You would have to search far and wide to find the media

talk about people like Dr. Ben Carson, who two years ago won the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his work in neurosurgery and separating conjoined twins, or Mark Dean, a computer scientist and inventor who was instrumental in IBM’s development of the processor chip which helped lead the way to the fast and small computers of today.

This is what makes now such an exciting and great time for us as Americans to look at the way that we view Black History Month again. We have recently gone through one year of Barack Obama’s term as President. Here we have a man that not only serves as a great role model and figure for black Americans, but also is someone who is a representative of all American citizens.

This is certainly a testament to the fact that the history of black America has

been changing and will continue to change for the better. Hopefully we will reach the point where “Black History” will just be part of a larger “American History.”

Want to write a guest column for the HiLite? Contact Lauren Burdick at lburdick@hilite.org for more information.

“What hasn’t gotten its share due of exposure in the

media though are the achievements that blacks have accomplished.”

Black history milestones

history.com / source

1619

A Dutch ship transported 20 slaves to the

Jamestown colony to inexpensively replace indentured servants.

1793

Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, which led to a rapid increase

in demand for slave labor in the South as the area moved

from growing tobacco to cotton. The Fugitive Slave Law was also

passed.

1831

On Aug. 21, Nat Turner led the only successful

slave revolt on American soil.

1830s

In this decade, the Underground Railroad gained its fame, with

40,000 to 100,000 eventually reaching freedom this way.

1857

The controversial Dred Scott v. Sanford decision ruled that slaves were not citizens but

property and therefore could not sue for their freedom.

1861

The Civil War exploded over the precarious issue

of slavery, eventually giving slaves their

freedom.

1909

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peoples was established to

protest lynching and promote civil rights.

On May 17 the Brown v. Board of Education case ruled that racial segregation in public

schools violated the 14th Amendment.

1954 1968

Martin Luther King, Jr., Nobel Peace Prize winner, was shot and killed on the balcony

of a Memphis hotel on April 4.

Barack Obama became the 44th president the first African American

president of the United States.

2009

16 cover story >> HiLite • February 25, 2010

mark Lynch Lori Lynch

keLsey Lynch kirby Lynch meLanie Lynch

sara rogers / graphic

“The Leader” “The Peacemaker” “The Baby”Natural leader, reliable, conscientious,

perfectionist, compliant, ambitiousIndependent, inventive, secretive, mediator,

competitive, laid-back, flexibleSocial, outgoing, attention-seeking, charming, risk-taking, affectionate

MomDad Tracing Their Traits

<< cover story 17HiLite • February 25, 2010

“Melanie is the most attention-seeking person in the family,” Kelsey said. “She always overreacts, just to get the attention.”

For her part though, Melanie has a different point of view. “I like being the youngest in my family, but all my sisters pick on me,” she said.

Kelsey, Kirby and Melanie, whose older sister Natalie Lynch was a senior at this school last year and is currently a college freshman, are not alone. Recent research has shown that, in every family, each sibling has distinct personality characteristics that were determined simply by the order in which he was born.

There are many aspects of life that can be controlled, but the order in which we popped out of the womb is not

one of them. As Lila Torp, Human Development and Family Wellness teacher, put it, “To think that you could

grow up with siblings and they would not affect your development makes no sense. They’re going to have some impact on your life, not as much as a parent,

but certainly more than the neighbors would have.”

Though every family is different, trends have consistently shown certain stereotypes in each birth order.

For example, a 2007 study of 250,000 people by Norwegian epidemiologists showed a negative correlation between IQ and birth order: the more older siblings one has, the lower one’s IQ. Additionally, a survey of 9,236 British mothers

Whether you are the oldest, youngest or in between, birth order plays a powerful role in determining your personality

By Nina Underman

Story continued on next page >>

published in 2009 for the NetMums Web site found that 77 percent believe birth order has an effect on their children. The survey found the majority of parents feel they identify most with their oldest child and believe their youngest will be happiest in life.

According to Torp, “First-borns tend to be more expected to achieve. Parents are new to parenting and don’t want to mess up. Rules are stricter for the first-born, but everything from their first step to their first spelling test is a cause for celebration. Younger siblings may feel left out.”

Torp said middle children have to do the most adapting because they have played the roles of both the younger and older sibling.

“(Middle children) start out as the baby of the family, and when a younger sibling is born, they have to adjust to no longer being the youngest,” she said. “They have to learn to compromise with both of those people so they learn more flexibility than the other birth orders.”

Last-born children, according to Torp, are often considered the babies of the family and usually live up to this role. At times, it is difficult for the last-born child to find his place in the family because the first and middle children have already left huge footprints in which to follow. Because of this, most last-borns will seek attention any way they can,

T here are many issues twins and juniors Kelsey and Kirby Lynch don’t agree on. However, when it comes to their little sister, freshman Melanie Lynch, they are both on the same page.

melanie lynch“The Baby”

Social, outgoing, attention-seeking, charming, risk-taking, affectionate

Tracing Their Traits

18 cover story >> HiLite • February 25, 2010

“To think that you could

grow up with siblings and they would

not affect your development

makes no sense.”

lila torp

how birth order affects your futureA recent survey by Career Builder partnered with birthorderandpersonality.com looks at the effects of birth order on a person’s career choice. Based on characteristic strengths and weaknesses of each

personality, the survey determines the best job path for each

FIRST BORN CHILDREN

Strengths: First born children often choose a career path that requires higher education and advanced skills such as: law, medicine, computer programming and architecture. Additionally, they tend to be in control and are often CEOs or owners of companies.

Weaknesses: First born children do not like taking orders, doing creative projects or performing duties

with a lack of direction. They typically avoid jobs that lack stability and structure.

Famous firstborns:Hillary Rodham Clinton, George

W. Bush, Oprah Winfrey, Rush Limbaugh and Winston Churchill

MIDDLE CHILDREN

Strengths: Middle children tend to gravitate toward careers that allow creativity and negotiation such as sales, art and advertising. They are also a good fit for management positions because of their ability to remain unbiased and level-headed.

Weaknesses: Middle children do not like strict rules, rigid timetables, minute details or formulaic professions. They do perform well in occupations with a set hierarchy of individuals.

Famous middle children:Donald Trump, Julia Roberts, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Madonna and Britney Spears

LAST BORN CHILDREN

Strengths: Last-borns tend to pursue careers in sales because of their ability to sell products as well as themselves. Last-borns work well alone, but also like to be the center of attention. They are successful in jobs pertaining to art, design, sales and journalism.

Weaknesses: In terms of careers, youngest children tend to be the most unhappy with their professions. Last-borns do not like commitments and can sometimes be perceived as “cut throat.” They often seek attention and ways to stand out.

Famous last-borns:Jude Law, Cameron Diaz, Howard Stern, Gandhi and Bill Gates

careerbuilder.com / source

usually through humor. Torp, who is the second of two children, said part of the reason she is a teacher is because she likes the attention.

“I get up in front of the class and everyone looks at me all day,” Torp said. “Not knowingly, my birth order influenced my career choice.”

In the Lynch family’s case, these birth order roles seem consistent with the girls’ personalities.

“Natalie was the first one (in the family) to turn 16,” Kirby said. “It was a big deal. She searched for her dream car and she found this one in Ohio, so she begged our parents to buy it. They agreed, even though it was over the budget they gave her and they had to drive to Ohio just to get her dream car.”

“When our 16th birthday came and it was time for us to get a car, our parents said, ‘We learned from our mistake and you’re not getting the car you want and you’ll get whatever we give you,’” Kelsey said. “I mean, I understand where they’re coming from, but it still seemed unfair.”

In addition to being the middle children in their family, Kelsey and Kirby are also fraternal twins. According to Torp, each set of twins has a “leader” and a “follower.” The leader twin usually resembles the first-born in being opinionated and loud, while the follower is more quiet.

“Kelsey is usually louder than me, but I get pretty competitive,” Kirby, the younger twin, said. “I’m not competitive about everything but in certain things

like sports, I definitely am.”

Melanie, the youngest Lynch child, said she doesn’t look for attention but likes it. “I wouldn’t want to be the oldest or in the middle,” she said. “Being the youngest is fun.” However, Kelsey and Kirby said they think Melanie can sometimes be manipulative, a characteristic of the last-born.

“She always thinks she’s sick,” Kirby said. “When one of us is actually sick, she’ll say she is too, just to get the attention.”

“Melanie always takes my clothes,” Kelsey said. “She steals my clothes, and then, when I ask her if she took them, she tells me that she doesn’t have them.”

In the classroom, Torp said that, after she gets to know her students, she is close in guessing their birth order. “I can tell because the babies tend to like attention,” Torp said. “The first-borns tend to be more responsible and get their assignments in on time and if they don’t, they feel guilty about it and they talk to me about it. They are perhaps more mature in the way they ask questions. The middle children seem to be able to get along with a lot of different people. They seem to be more adaptable.”

Whether you are the oldest, youngest, or in between, there’s no denying that your birth order affects who you are. “Everyone has been cast in a birth order role since day one,” Torp said. “Our personalities reflect this, whether we realize it or not, because that’s the role we’ve grown up with and are most comfortable in.”

<< Story continued from previous page

<< cover story 19HiLite • February 25, 2010

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL DOUG BIRDOrder: Oldest of three

MAUREEN BORTO: ENGLISHOrder: Youngest of two

the perfect fitOldest? Youngest? In between? See where CHS teachers and administrators fall in birth order

PRINCIPAL JOHN WILLIAMSOrder: Fourth of five

CAREN RICKETT: LATINOrder: Oldest of two

FRAN RUSHING: SCIENCEOrder: Oldest of nine

NURSE CAROL GELATTOrder: Oldest of three

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL JOHN NEWTONOrder: Youngest of two

sara rogers / graphic

20 entertainment HiLite • February 25, 2010>>

mymoviebanners.com / photos

Digital Killed the

TITLE RELEASE DATE TOTAL GROSS 1. Avatar 2009 $2,215,470,3492. Titanic 1997 $1,835,300,0003. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King 2003 $1,129,219,2524. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest 2006 $1,060,332,6285. The Dark Knight 2008 $1,001,921,8256. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone 2001 $968,657,8917. Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End 2007 $958,404,1528. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix 2007 $937,000,8669. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince 2009 $933,956,98010. Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace 1999 $922,379,000

Prior to the 21st century, movie stars such as Julia Roberts, Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks dominated the film industry. But then in 1997, a phenomenon known as “Titanic” came crashing into the movie

business, single-handedly revolutionizing the way future movies would be created. This new emphasis on special

effects created a tremendous buzz and resulted in almost $1.8 billion in gross sales in the worldwide box office. In the last decade, digital spectacles have become a much larger draw than any of the famous actors and actresses who previously ruled the box office.

In recent weeks, James Cameron’s second digital masterpiece, “Avatar” did the unthinkable as it shattered previous box office record “Titanic,” raking in $2,215,470,349

and counting. This movie, like “Titanic” relies heavily on the impressive animation of the “Avatar” world. Where a majority of a film’s budget and focus used to be awarded to the stars, now the modern day movie star is beginning to fall to the wayside. The top 10 highest grossing movies of all time, in fact, include movies that are focused around elaborate digital imagery and effects. While some of these movies do include well-known movie stars including Johnny Depp in “Pirates of the Caribbean” and Heath Ledger in “The Dark Knight,” the sheer spectacle of these movies proves to be the source of its success.

This obvious trend of digital spectacle, which has become the biggest draw for movie-goers, is something quite unique to this decade. During the golden age of the film industry, between the years of

1929 and 1949, the stars of the silver screen served as muses for directors and writers. Just featuring their names on the marquees would cause millions of Americans to flock to the movies, regardless of what the actual movie was about. In fact, according to the book American Cinema Culture, an unbelievable 83 million Americans went to the movies each week, proving that the movie stars themselves do have the capability to draw large crowds to the theaters.

While most of the highest grossing movies include some form of computer graphics and effects it is not always necessary for success. Some of the most successful movies of 2010 including, “Up in the Air, “ “The Blind Side” and the indie hit “(500) Days of Summer,” all relied heavily on the content of the screenplay and the development of its characters.

Spearheading this movement of animated feature has been without a doubt the Pixar production company who was behind such instant animated classics as “Finding Nemo,” “Ratatouille” and “Up.” The Pixar animation studios, which began in 1995 with “Toy Story,” has grossed over $5 billion in combined box office sales in the past 15 years. Most recently their animated children’s movie “Up” has been nominated for Academy Awards in both the Best Picture and Best Animated Feature category.

While the technological efforts of producers and special effects designers have resulted in some incredible movies over the past decade, it is somewhat sad to see some of the greatest actors of our time being replaced with animated fish and aliens.

By ellie setaeseta@hilite.org

Top 10 HigHesT grossing Movies of all TiMe

imdb.com / source

entertainment 21HiLite • February 25, 2010

>>

The evoluTion of The Movie STar

Special effects prove to be a greater money-maker than even the most popular movie stars

Audrey Hepburn has been called one of the most successful actresses in the world and is ranked as the third greatest actresses by the American Film Institute. She was the epitome of class and style, serving as not only a fashion icon but also a muse for several of the most memorable movies of all time including “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and “Roman Holiday.” At her peak during the 1950s and 1960s she received numerous awards including both an Oscar and a Tony award.

1961

The Godfather has become one of the most influential (and quoted) movies of all time. This trilogy has received numerous awards including three Academy Awards and five Golden Globes. These iconic characters have influenced numerous plot developments and tackled the previously untouched topic of the mafia.

1972

1985

“The Breakfast Club” included some of the best young actors of the 1980s known as the ‘Brat Pack.’ This group of actors dominated most of the major movies of the 1980s and grew to become one of the biggest draws for moviegoers, especially teenagers. Their movies focused mainly on the trials and tribulations young adults face, which made these movies very appealing for many young adults.

Long before he jumped on Oprah’s couch, Tom Cruise was one of the most successful actors of the 1980s and 1990s. He starred in not only the “Mission Impossible” block-buster trilogy, but also “Risky Business,” “Jerry Maguire” and “Top Gun.” At his peak in the 1990s, Cruise became not only one of the highest paid actors but also one of the most recognized. Cruise to this day has continued his career and even has experimented with production.

1996

2000 2009 movieposters.com / photos

Sandra Bullock is perhaps one of the most versatile actresses of our time. She first appeared as a comedic actress in 2000 in “Miss Congeniality” and then gaining even more credibility as a dramatic actress by her performance in the Oscar-winning movie “Crash” in 2004. Her success has increased even more in the last year by starring in the successful comedy “The Proposal,” and not to mention her Oscar-nominated performance in “The Blind Side.”

In the last 15 years Pixar animation studios has created some of the most memorable animated characters, most recently in the Oscar-nominated movie “Up.” The characters in Pixar movies always seem to have a loveable quality which is delicately expressed through both comedy and heart-warming stories. Their stories are always told from a unique perspective, whether it be from the point of view of a robot or rat who just so happens to be a professional chef. These characters are quickly taking over the film industry.

Movie Star

22 entertainment Stacked Pickle is the newest burger joint in town.

But how does it compare to local competitors?

Burgers and wings have always been popular and traditional American fare for hungry customers. However, it is difficult to find a genuinely good burger as most are indistinguishable from one

restaurant to the next. Stacked Pickle, however, offers a small, but impressive selection of burgers and wings which are definitely worth the wait.

Stacked Pickle is a cozy dine-in restaurant with classic American fare. The atmosphere was inviting and rustic, although dimly lit. It did seem to cater to an older audience with the bar being a main feature of the restaurant. There were several plasma screen televisions, all tuned to ESPN, and a pool table, giving off a casual, meeting spot feeling. One rather interesting bit was the “over-21 only” game room in the corner of the restaurant.

Service was decent, not exceptional but friendly and prompt. I visited the restaurant around 5:30 p.m., but surprisingly, did not see much of a dinner crowd. I am assuming, however, that the majority of its older customers drop by at later hours for a drink. Seating was immediate and it only took about 10 minutes to get my order.

The restaurant featured their burgers, wings and beer as the favorites on their menu. The rest of the menu is a very typical mixture of pizza, tacos, and other standard fare. (Although I did see a rather strange appetizer, fried pickles, which I was not brave enough to order.) I had one of the favorite burgers, the Mob-Ster, topped with mushrooms, onions and bacon. All the burgers come with a side of fries with a price tag of about $7. The prices for these burgers are on the high side, but I felt that it was a decent price in comparison to similar restaurants. The burger itself was delicious, if not a bit large. The meat was cooked just right (medium-well for me) with plenty of toppings, served on soft warm bread.

Aside from the burger, the item that most caught my attention was the side of chicken wings. They come with celery and ranch or bleu cheese sauce and can be ordered in a variety of styles for $7 as well. I ordered the medium wings, which were juicy and flavorful with just enough heat, definitely a must-have. The other side item, however, was not quite as spectacular. There was a large serving of fries that came with the burger, but I felt they were flaky and mushy.

Overall, Stacked Pickle was a satisfactory, if not a bit pricey burger joint. Granted, I was not the typical customer,

but en joyed my exper ience nevertheless.

In comparison to other burger joints, Stacked Pickle was good but did not excel in one particular category. The burgers, themselves, are capable of competing with other restaurants but were not exceptional. In terms of pricing, Stacked Pickle cost is average restaurant for their burgers. The extra items on the menu, appetizers and sides, were pricey in comparison.

It was, however, definitely not a family restaurant, which other burger restaurants cater to. Overall, the food is worth a visit, but there are other options that might better fit the average high school student.

By sally Baesbae@hilite.org

MADDI BOURGERIE / phOtO

HiLite • February 25 , 2010

The sTacked pickle’s sTaTs

MADDI BOURGERIE / phOtO IllUstRAtIOn

>>

stacking Up totheRest

LUNCH BREAK: During the weekday lunch hour, the Stacked Pickle’s main clientele includes business people. The hamburger was popular for a midday meal.

RatingsAtmosphere: B+

Price: A ($7 to $15)Service: B

Quality of food: B+

location12545 Old Meridian St.

Suite 150Carmel, IN 46032

HoursSunday to Thursday: 11 a.m. to midnight

Friday and Saturday: 11 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Featured menu items Fried Pickles

Burgers and wings

<< entertainment 23HiLite • February 25 , 2010

Bar Louie has by far the best burger deal in Carmel. Every Tuesday night they has the “Dollar Burger Special” where for $1 a diner can order a plain burger with lettuce. While the total bill is not $1 it is still a great deal.

Compared to its normal burger price of $10, this price can really not be beat. Additional toppings can then be purchased upon request ranging from 50 cents to $1. The toppings menu offers a wide variety of toppings including bacon, sautéed mushrooms and their homemade chipotle mayo.

All together the average diner’s bill is usually around $6 including a drink, which is a bill more common at a fast

food restaurant. However, despite the low cost, Bar Louie definitely does not sacrifice cost for taste. For high school students on a budget, Bar Louie remains one of the best deals in town.

Entertainment reporter Min Qiao reviews and categorizes some of the area’s best burger joints

As one of the more expensive burger places around, Red Robin offers great quality in all aspects of dining except for food. The family-friendly atmosphere provides the perfect environment for younger kids and their parents to enjoy a casual, laid-back meal. Fully equipped with a bar and classic retro décor of a diner, the restaurant seems like the perfect burger joint—until the food is served. Its lackluster burgers are priced around $8 to $10 and, although Red Robin advertises their burgers as gourmet, there was nothing “gourmet” about the Bleu Cheese Ribbon Burger I had.

Even though I am fan of bleu cheese and have always enjoyed a good chipotle taste, I really can’t say much about this burger. Its famous stacked onion rings definitely looked much better than

they actually tasted. Overall, Red Robin just does not seem to be worth the buck. Even the great atmosphere and service cannot make up for the terrible quality of its food. In fact, it seems that Red Robin invests much more on the expensive décor and presentation than its “gourmet” burgers.

Despite all the other burger joints that have opened up around here, Bub’s still remains the number one diner for my burgers. This classic local restaurant has flourished into a widely popular burger joint for everyone. On any given night, this restaurant is always packed with locals eager to get another bite of its famous Ugly Burgers. Even though I have yet to gulp down one of its famous Big Ugly’s, I have had and enjoyed the quarter pound version of it.

To me, a burger consists of two main elements—the meat and the bun. Bub’s has got both of these elements perfected to the tee. I’ve eaten at Bub’s countless times and each burger I’ve had there has come with a big, juicy beef patty and perfectly toasted buns. Its burgers are always perfectly seasoned and full of flavor. On top of it all, this place has the best waffle fries I have ever had. Beyond the food, Bub’s offers pretty decent service. On a busy day, the orders might

take a bit longer and the place might be a bit louder, but these factors does not deter from the quality of their food. Usually, though, the food arrives within 10-15 minutes and crowded-ness is only a tribute to the popularity of place. For a reasonable price, one can enjoy a great dining experience at Bub’s.

Fast and simple Five Guys Burgers and FriesUpon walk ing into Five Guys, I immediately felt like I was back at our main cafeteria. Adorned with sterile white walls, the place felt stripped of any personality.

Whi le we wai ted for our order numbers to be called out, we were offered complimentar y peanuts l o c a t e d i n c a r d b o a r d b o x e s throughout the restaurant. For a fast food restaurant, their burgers were much better than I expected. The portion sizes were huge and a regular sized burger came with two hefty patties.

The burger itself tasted fine. The meat patties were fairly good and it was clear that their ingredients were

fresh and never frozen. Despite the lackluster presentation of the food and the mediocre service, Five Guys is still a perfect place to grab a quick bite. I would not go there looking for a great dining experience, but the actual quality of its burgers makes it a worthy place to find a great meal.

Ratings Atmosphere: A

Pricing: CService: A-

Quality of Food: B-

Location14599 Clay Terrace

Blvd. or 9965 N. Michigan

Road

HoursSunday to Thursday:11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday to Saturday:11 a.m. to 11p.m.

Best AtmosphereProvides a fun and

upbeat atmosphere that is inviting

and family friendly.

RatingsAtmosphere: B

Pricing: A-Service: C

Quality of Food: B+

Location2902 W. 86th St., Indianapolis, IN

Hours Daily:

11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Fast and Simple Five Guys put fast food on another level, allowing quality to meet

speedy.

RatingsAtmosphere: B+

Pricing: AService: A-

Quality of Food: A+

Location210 W. Main St.

Carmel, IN 46032

HoursSunday to Thursday:

11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday to Saturday:11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Best Overall Bub’s Burgers seems

to please overall. With the line out the door in the summer months it

continues to please new and returning customers.

least expensiveBar Louie

Best overallBub’s Burgers and Ice Cream

Best atmosphere Red Robin

‘Ketchup’ with local favorites

RatingsAtmosphere: B

Pricing: A-Service: C

Quality of Food: B+

Location14299 Clay

Terrace Blvd.

Hours Daily: 11 a.m. to

10 p.m.

Fast and Simple Having a

delicious burger, fries and a drink

for around $6 makes Bar Louie

the best meal deal in town.

HiLite • February 25, 201024 sports >>

Students opt to pursue alternative athletic options as competition in school-sponsored sports grows

The Varsity Decision

When freshman Jenna Turner started her first year of high school, she decided to take the path less traveled by her older brother and sister throughout their high school careers. She

decided to play lacrosse after running varsity track in middle school. Unlike her siblings, who had both competed in varsity sports, Turner instead turned to a club sport not sponsored by the school. By doing this, she joined a seemingly growing number of athletes choosing to forgo traditional school sports in favor of club sports.

“I don’t know how I found out about lacrosse. It might have because my cousin played it, but I realized I wanted to try it, because I like to try new sports and I really liked it,” Turner said.

While still somewhat unknown amongst the local sports community, lacrosse is able to offer its players many opportunities that might not be available to them on a traditional varsity sports, according to Kristin Rogers, President of the Board for Carmel Women’s Lacrosse. This is not surprising due to the natural competitiveness that comes along with the large numbers at this school.

“There’s a lot of opportunity to make an impact and it’s exciting to play a sport that you haven’t played your whole life that most people don’t even know anything about,” Rogers said.

Due to its status as a non-school sport, the lacrosse program and its athletes face extra challenges when it comes to running their season. Lacrosse players face several issues each season ranging from finding fields to practice at to the actual costs of playing for the team. These extra challenges are unique for club sports from which lacrosse, even though it is a larger club sport with programs beginning as young as third grade, is not immune.

“Only recently have we been allowed to play on Carmel High School fields and since we haven’t been able to (use the school fields) lately, it’s just kind of become a huge hassle and it really kind of makes you wonder if it’s worth it,” Erin Twiehaus, a senior who has played lacrosse for six years, including all four years of high school, said.

Women’s lacrosse in Indiana has a governing body, the Indiana High School Women’s Lacrosse Association (IHSWLA) much like the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) however, the competition teams in the IHSWLA face is rather different than that of the IHSAA in terms of how

many teams they have to play during the season. According to Rogers, Indiana has about 20 women’s lacrosse teams. And while that number is much smaller than the teams included in the IHSAA, much like with school sports, many teams are forming rivalries.

“Recently (the IHSWLA) have done kind of like a redistricting, so that when we go to play for Sectionals, State and that kind of thing, we’re going to play different teams. So this year, our toughest competitor is Noblesville instead of Zionsville like it always has been,” Twiehaus said.

While the competition for lacrosse players in Indiana may be limited with teams sometimes playing each other twice during the same season, college lacrosse is more widespread and well known, as the sport is much more popular in other parts of the country. And with their players beginning to get recruited more and more, the Carmel lacrosse players will soon find out just how much their sport can offer them.

For Twiehaus, the recruiting process is starting to affect her firsthand with letters coming in from small, private schools around the nation. Because this is just her first season in high school, Turner, for the time being, is not really interested in the college aspect of the sport just yet.

“I’m not really looking for scholarships when I play sports,” Turner said. “I’m looking to have fun and enjoy myself and (I) want to work hard at a sport that I actually like.”

By maggie BranDenBurgmbrandenburg@hilite.org

Nick JohNsoN / Photo

FIRED UP: Freshman lacrosse player Jenna Turner heads down the field, attempting to catch a pass from a teammate. The women’s lacrosse team practices at the Off the Wall sports facility after school.

pros and cons

Students participating on non-school-sponsored teams explain the pros and cons of their sports

Hockey

“(Some advantages to hockey) are that we still compete in State, and kids from other schools can play on Carmel’s team so you get to know a lot of people. A big disadvantage is hockey is really expensive because we don’t get any funding, and we have to buy a lot of gear.”

- Scott Reed, hockey player and sophomore

Compiled by Mackenzie Madison

rugby

“Some advantages are that you get to travel more frequently than a school sport and coaches tend to be more relaxed. Also, if you didn’t play football, rugby is one of your only real choices if you want a contact sport. A disadvantage is that we don’t get to use school trainers, which is different in a sport like

rugby because injuries happen.”

- Dominic Deganutti, rugby player and junior

HiLite • February 25, 2010 << sports 25

Senior Nathan Mueting hasn’t played a round of golf in an uncomfortably long time. Last year at the State meet he shot the second lowest score on the team, 79, but the Hounds still failed to make the cut by six strokes. The team could have a legitimate chance as a title contender this season as it returns all five State participants from last year, but the harsh Indiana winter this year has prevented them from actually hitting the course. Yet Mueting and many of his teammates said they have found ways to work around the unforgiving climate and continue to improve their game.

“I just hit balls at Prairie View Golf Academy three times a week,” Mueting said. “It’s indoor stalls that are heated and you’re inside but you’re hitting out of big garage doors. It’s cool, and it’s an advantage for living in cold weather and still being able to hit outside.”

A common adage among high school sports coaches is, “Champions are made in the off-season.” But can that really be the case when all a player has to work with to improve his game is a heated garage? Head Coach Chad Carr said he still believes the winter is a valuable training period for his players.

“Players who take the game seriously know golf is a year-round sport. Players will work on their game in the winter, as this is a critical time to make improvements and focus on their swing,” Carr said via e-mail. “Some players will see a swing coach throughout the winter, hit balls out of heated stalls at the driving range, as well as work on their short game. The bottom line is they are doing something to keep

By andrew Browningabrowning@hilite.org

Inclement weather makes golfers’ preparation difficult

SHOKHI GOEL / PHOtO

ON PAR WITH PRACTICE: Senior Nathan Mueting works on his golf stroke at indoor turf at Prarie View Golf Academy to keep up his game during the winter months. Mueting works on his strokes by striking the ball out into the field that the indoor heated stalls open up to.

Two dozen TriumphsWomen’s swim team keeps alive nation’s longest win streak

KatI fELLEr / PHOtOS

their game in tune or working on ways to improve it.”

Although players have the option of working on their short game on indoor greens, Mueting said that is an aspect of the game that is tough to recreate indoors.

“Prairie View has an indoor green and you can putt on it but it’s not the greatest,” he said. “That’s one big disadvantage, but everybody’s going through it so when it comes to tryouts it’s a level playing field.”

Tryouts for the team begin March 15, the first day official practice is allowed. Senior Grant Meade said he expects the first few days to be a bit of a challenge since none of the players will have many rounds under their belt yet.

“It’s tough. That’s where, I guess for the first couple weeks talent kind of wins out, and everything relies on fundamentals,” Meade said. “You don’t really gain your feel until April.”

With the team’s first match of the year on March 30, a mere two weeks after tryouts, there could be some concern as to whether or not the players will be ready. Carr said it takes

every golfer a different amount of time to shake off the rust, but those who have spent time working on their game over the winter, like Mueting and Meade, are typically quickest to find their stride.

“It depends on how much effort they have put in over the winter. Those who have prepared usually get back into the flow of things in a few weeks,” Carr said. “I have a team of dedicated players who are looking forward to our first match.”

Although they may not have very much time to prepare for their first match, the Hounds’ varsity golfers will still bring plenty of experience to the table. All five of last year’s State participants return this season as seniors, and Mueting said he hopes that leadership can help establish a winning work ethic.

“Obviously we are hoping to give it a run at State, and hopefully the people who need to step up can step up and everybody’s working hard,” Mueting said. “If everybody’s doing what they need to be doing things will turn out well.”

“The fact that I have five State participants returning is a wonderful thing,” Carr said. “But we can’t rely on what we did in the past. We can only focus on what we have to do in the future.”

SOAKED CELEBRATION: (Above) The women’s swim team celebrates in the pool after winning State.TAKE A DIVE: (Right) Senior Trish Regan, who was part of two relay winning teams, dives into the pool.

More photos online

To see a slideshow of pictures

from the State Championship meet,

go to WWW.HILITE.ORg

26 sports >> HiLite • February 25, 2010

By Parker myerspmyers@hilite.org

Junior Baldridge steps up, leads team into tournament with ability to perform down the stretch

Clutch shooting key in sectional play

TO THE HOOP: (Right) Junior Joshua Baldridge drives in for a layup against Center Grove. Baldridge has proven to be a clutch shooter throughout the season, as he has shot the highest free throw percentage on the team.

emily puterbaugh / photoS

TIMEOUT TALK: (Above) Head Coach Mark Galloway gives the bench a pep talk during the Center Grove game as the rest of the team is on the court. The Hounds begin Sectional play March 2 at 7:30 p.m. in the Eric Clark Activity Center.

More onlineEditors’ note: The incident

reported in the news starting on Feb. 18 involving the men’s

basketball team occurred too close to the HiLite print

deadline. Instead, readers can find up-to-date coverage online

at www.hilite.org

defend. This team is capable of playing great defense,” Galloway said. “The championship teams we’ve had here have really been able to defend well, execute a game plan defensively and take things away from the other team.”

Baldridge listed the same characteristics of a Sectional Championship team. “We play well as a team. There’s not a

lot of selfishness,” Baldridge said. “A team that plays good defense, good effort, is unselfish and plays well together.”

Galloway said his goal for defense has been to hold opposing teams to 55 points a game. So far, the Hounds are allowing an average of 54.1 points a game. But it may take more than strong defense to win a Sectional Championship.

Baldridge’s ability to shoot may be the key to success. In last December’s game

against North Central, he hit a three-pointer with just over 40 seconds left to ice the game for the Hounds.

“He’s got a lot of confidence,” Galloway said. “If it’s a tight ballgame, we’ve got to have him on the floor.”

Walk into men’s basketball Head Coach Mark Galloway ’s office and you’ll f ind a room dominated by Carmel basketball. One of the most apparent objects in the room is a large

board that personifies Galloway’s heavy emphasis on free throw shooting. “We do a free throw ladder, and ( junior Joshua) Baldridge is our number-one guy right now,” Galloway said. “He makes free throws; there’s no denying he can make 25 in a row.”

As the Hounds advance into Sectional play next Tuesday against Fishers at 7:30 p.m. , there’s no doubt that Baldridge’s ability to shoot free throws will come in good use. Many of Carmel’s games this season have come down to the wire, and the teams that win Sectional games tend to be teams that can hit free throws down the stretch.

Baldridge is averaging 6.8 points per game off the bench, along with 1.7 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 0.9 steals per game. He has also made 21 out of 22 free throw attempts, good for 95.5 percent, leading the Hounds in free throw percentage. Becoming the best free throw shooter on Carmel’s team didn’t come easily, however.

Baldridge said, “I used to shoot 100 free throws everyday.”

The hard work has paid off, and Galloway said he has certainly noticed. “Josh has played great. He’s given us exactly what we need off the bench,” Galloway said. “He is a tough kid; he exemplifies toughness and aggressiveness. He’s an exceptional shooter.”

Carmel takes a 13-6 record into tomorrow’s game against Brebeuf Jesuit despite owning the state’s toughest schedule according to the Sagarin Ratings. According to The Indianapolis

Star, the Greyhounds have played six of the top 13 teams in the state, and their last seven opponents combine for a 71-24 record.

However, Sectional play has always come tough for the Hounds. The team has brought home a Sectional Championship only twice in the past 17 years and only one Regional Championship in the same span of time.

Nonetheless, Galloway said he believes this team has the makings of a strong contender. “You have to be able to

<< sports 27HiLite • February 25, 2010

Peyton’s potential ‘peyday’ with new contract

alex mackallThe question “Who dat?” is not asked when talking about Indianapolis Colts’ quarterback Peyton Manning.

Right before the devastating loss to the New Orleans Saints in Super Bowl XLIV, Manning received some not so devastating news about his future contract renewal. The Colt’s owner, Jim Irsay, announced he plans to keep Manning until he retires and is willing to pay a good amount of money to do so. Irsay said he plans to make Manning the highest-paid player in National Football League (NFL) history.

Being drafted in 1998 to the Colts, Manning signed a $48 million contract. He first renewed his contract in 2004, when he signed a $99.2 million contract and also received a $34.5 million signing bonus. According to ESPN.com, when his contract runs out in 2010, Manning is projected to be offered $20 million per year along with a signing bonus in the realm of $50 million.

As of 2009, Julius Peppers of the Carolina Panthers was the highest-paid NFL player, with an annual salary of $16.683 million. Carson Palmer and Manning’s younger brother, Eli, were not far behind Peppers. According to Irsay, the only person with comparable talent to Manning, is New England Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady who is also looking to renew his contract during the off-season. However Irsay said he is keeping an eye on Brady’s contract so that Manning’s offer will be the highest.

The top NFL salary has dramatically increased over time and many well-known players have gotten the honor. In fact, Manning’s father, Archie Manning, who coincidentally was the quarterback of the New Orleans Saints for most of his career, was declared the top-paid player in 1981. However, Archie’s salary was a bit smaller than the number his middle son is looking to see in the near future. Archie made $600,000 in that season, with Chicago Bears running back Walter Payton coming in a close second.

So, is Manning deserving of this big reward? In my opinion, this is not a hard question at all. It is a definite yes.

Manning primarily deserves the honor because of his contributions to the Colts and Indianapolis on the playing field. Manning is the first NFL player ever, to be named most valuable player (MVP) four times. He was also named the MVP of Super Bowl XLI in 2007. Manning is one of only four quarterbacks to throw for more than 50,000 yards. He is currently third all-time in career touchdown passes and he has played in the Pro Bowl nine times. Not to mention his two appearances in the Super Bowl within the last five years.

Although he has some of the best statistics of any quarterback in football history, he is not only deserving of the money because of his athletic talent, but also because of his generosity.

According to looktothestars.org, a Web site that tracks celebrity charity news, events, foundations and causes,

Manning has continuously supported various causes such as AIDS research, disaster relief and human rights. He has previously donated to the Red Cross, and is now a member of the Red Cross Celebrity Cabinet.

However, his two most prominent charities are the Saint Vincent Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis and the Peyback Foundation. The children’s hospital was named for Manning on Sept. 6, 2007, because of his tremendous donations to the organization. The Peyback Foundation was founded by Manning himself to care for the disadvantaged children of Louisiana, where Manning grew up; Tennessee, where he went to

college and Indiana, where he is currently living. Through the Peyback Foundation, Manning donated $10,000 to the East Tenth United Methodist Children and Youth Center. The center he funded was built to care for and educate the underprivileged children of downtown Indianapolis.

In fact, in 2007 alone, Manning donated $500,000 to 70 different youth-related agencies in Indiana, Tennessee and Louisiana. Manning was even awarded with the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award in 2005, which is awarded to a NFL player for both his involvement in community service activities and his excellence on the field.

My opinion of the quarterback was further validated through a personal experience this past December. A family friend,

“Although he has some of the best statistics of any quarterback in

history, he is not just deserving of the

money because of his athletic talent, but

also because of his generosity. ”

Parker Bandy, was sent to the Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital to receive surgery. After Bandy’s grandfather contacted the Colts saying what a huge fan Bandy was, Manning himself showed up in his hospital room to visit Bandy, take pictures and to offer him front row tickets to the Tennessee Titans game.

Peyton Manning has become a huge phenomenon and a key part of the Indianapolis Colts because of his talents and his character. According to a Harris poll survey taken in 2009, Manning is the seventh most popular American male sports star and the favorite American football player. Despite coming short of winning another Lombardi Trophy, Peyton is obviously an inspiration to people all over the country and is at the top of my list of athletes deserving this kind of reward.

Alex Mackall is a reporter for the HiLite. Contact her at amackall@hilite.org.

BANDY FAMILY / suBMItteD Photo

‘PEY-ING’ BACK Peyton Manning takes time out of his professional schedule to visit Parker Bandy, a patient at the Peyton Manning’s Children Hospital. Bandy is a big fan of Manning, who offered him front row Colts tickets.

28 perspectives >> HiLite • February 25, 2010

easily will go on for months, or even years. Americans are

too quick to put tragedy behind us. For example, it seems

today, the only time that Hurricane Katrina is mentioned,

the story involves the New Orleans Saints, not the help

that is still desperately needed. In that area of our own

country, people are still living with family and friends,

some thousands of miles from New Orleans.

These people still need help,

and it seems time and lack

o f m e d i a a t te n t i o n c o s t s

them that help. Americans

cannot let this happen in

Haiti. Another example, the

tsunami in Indonesia, now

years later, is rarely mentioned

on the anniversary of when it

happened, if mentioned at all.

Although it might seem like

enough help has been sent, now

is the time to continue to help

and rebuild the infrastructure

and ensure that families can

“restart” their lives in Haiti. Without help, the Haitians,

unable to rebuild their economy, will sit in poverty for

decades to come.

Now about a month and a half after the initial catastrophe,

Americans need to remember that their “friends” in Haiti

still need help and will continue to need help until their

nation is rebuilt.

Therefore, Americans should make a personal goal to

set aside a small amount each month to give to the

relief fund in Haiti, remembering that until the job is

done, we cannot give up. Although in a very different

context, Americans should use the late-Sen. Edward “Ted”

Kennedy’s famous words as a message to all Haitians. “For

all those, whose cares have been our concern, the work

goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives, and the

dream shall never die.”

It’s ironic that tragedy always seems to bring people closer

together. This remains true in the wake of the devastating

earthquake in Haiti. A country which already sat in the

ravage of poverty now sits in rubble and hopelessness.

The response that has come from not only the

United States but countries around the world has

been unbelievable. These countries rightfully deserve

c o m m e n d a t i o n f o r t h e i r

contributions, but they must

remember that recovery will take

years; everyone, CHS students

included, should do his or her

part to continue to help even

though the earthquake itself

has started to fade from our

immediate memories.

The attention that has come to

this tiny, impoverished nation

is exponential compared to the

“cold shoulder” the world had

turned on it before the tragedy.

The initial financial support for Haiti is of a magnitude

even stronger than the earthquake itself. According to

a CBS News story, “Haiti Recovery Effort by the Numbers,”

the U.N. Emergency appeal has sent $550 million - and

the U.S. government, $100 million - to Haiti.

Though the outreach is great, the immediate needs that

remain are still greater. For instance, the need of drinking

water in Haiti is equivalent to the water needed to fill 18

Olympic-sized swimming pools daily. The cooperation

between different organizations and countries is

admirable and should be used as an example in dealing

with future catastrophes, but the needs still continue.

Americans have come to a time, here in the land of

opportunity, where it seems they can stop their work

and celebrate what’s already been done, but they must

remember that the work goes on. The recovery effort

staff perspective

Despite all donations, Haiti still needs our help

speak up!Compiled by NiNa uNdermaN

How has your view of Haiti changed since the earthquake?

“it hasn’t really changed. i’ve always known they’ve

needed help. Now the need is just greater than

what it was.”

Freshman Mary Cowen

“it didn’t really raise awareness as much as it

scared my family because my mom has gone on

mission trips to Haiti and she knows a lot of people

who live there.”

Sophomore Nicholas Anderson

Junior Audrey Wright

“i never really thought about Haiti before the earthquake. Now i feel

bad for the people who are there and want to do things

to help them, like join project Haiti.”

Our stand In the past month, there has been a

overwhelming response to help Haiti. Even with

all the help, recovery in Haiti will take years and it is important to

remember that Haiti will continue to need aid.

<< perspectives 29HiLite • February 25, 2010

All joking aside, legalizing marijuana is a valid economic argument

Though it’s been an issue for longer, I first heard the idea of marijuana becoming legal during the 2008 election. Back then, there were more serious issues to care about – issues that are still on the forefront of American social policy today; issues such as the economy and international relations.

But perhaps it was the way society treated the idea of legalizing marijuana as a laughing matter—something, in other words, only Libertarian Ron Paul and potheads advocated. I wish someone, anyone, had treated the topic seriously, because the idea deserved, and still deserves, more attention and respect than it received.

Not only is legalizing medical marijuana a legitimate belief, but so is advocating the legalization of all marijuana. Back in the 1960s, most people who smoked it did so recreationally, just

michelle hu

graphic perspective

as one-third of Americans do today.

From a completely rational point of view, legalization means taking away a highly popular product from the black market and allowing the government to benefit from sales.

And this, if represented in numerical form, is something with which many economists agree. In 2005, a group of over 500 economists signed a document headed by Jeffrey Miron, economics professor at Harvard, and included Nobel Prize-winner Milton Friedman.

The bulk of unnecessary expenses, as outlined in that report, came from the fees of detaining and prosecuting offenders who possessed marijuana or used it. In all, a year of fighting marijuana use cost $7.7 billion, and if pot were taxed like a consumer good, it could bring in several million dollars. If pot were taxed like alcohol or cigarettes, that number rises to $6.2 billion.

And we still haven’t considered the effects of legalization on foreign relations. Ever since average people in both the United States and Central and South America realized how profitable

growing narcotics became, entering the black market seemed obvious. According to PBS’ “Frontline,” most of the pot in plastic baggies came from Mexico, but marijuana is able to grow well and abundantly (as it did in the 1600s) in Virginia and the South. Legalization means farmers would have another crop to rotate on farms and another profitable market to enter.

For many who have adverse side effects to prescription pain killers, doctors prescribe medical marijuana in states where it is legal as a natural alternative. According to the Washington Post, it allows AIDS patients to sleep and gives them back an appetite.

And guess what? In California, which approved medical marijuana over a decade ago, a majority of citizens hope to legalize all marijuana in a referendum this year because they’ve realized that

taxing it could bring in over $1 billion annually.

It’s about time most Americans treat the illegal drug trade as a serious issue, both economically and socially. Legalizing marijuana hasn’t been very high (no pun intended) on the radar for political leaders since the 1970s, with Jimmy Carter, but it’s about time we stopped joking around.

Alex MAckAll / Art

“Not only is legalizing medical marijuana a legitimate belief, but so is advocating the legalization of ALL

marijuana.”

30 perspectives >> HiLite • February 25, 2010

Older sibling’s funny slip-ups lend to valuable life lessons

As I started my junior year in high school, my older brother Nick started college. Nick is my only sibling and in his absence, I’ve experienced what life as an only child might be like. There have definitely been some perks; I get the car all to myself, no one ever kicks me off of the computer and I leave for school at a time convenient for me. But I miss having someone else around to roll their eyes when my parents are being crazy, to sit around and watch TV with and to walk the trail with every morning.

As the youngest child, I have been able to learn from Nick’s experiences and mistakes, rather than have to make them on my own.

While I learned quite a bit about driving in driver’s ed, it was

marianna cooper

Speaker teaches quality lesson: don’t take time for granted

Another convocation. Another speaker with a heartwarming message. That’s all I thought Sarah Panzau, a guest speaker who travels the country recounting the tragic drunk-driving accident that changed her life, would be. Honestly, I was a little doubtful that she could get through to my classmates and me. I mean, how many AIDS/drugs/alcohol/drunk driving convocations have been presented in high school alone? I was sure that this would be yet another presentation I could sleep through.

I was dead wrong (no pun intended).

For those who weren’t able to attend the presentation, here’s a brief synopsis. Panzau, a high school varsity volleyball player who seemed to have her life together, decided to drive home one night after some heavy drinking with friends. When she left the bar on the morning of Aug. 23, 2003, her blood alcohol

content (BAC) was .308 (almost four times the legal limit) and inevitably, she crashed. Panzau suffered innumerable physical consequences for driving drunk that morning, the most noticeable being the loss of most of her left arm.

It’s frightening to hear that one poor decision can leave scars that never fade and a once “perfect” life can shatter into a million pieces. It’s terrifying to hear that the people who you think will never leave your side might be the first to run away when tragedy strikes.

That’s what happened to Panzau, and since her accident, only one of her so called “friends” has visited her. The rest have disappeared from her life altogether. Still, what scared me the most about Panzau’s presentation was that her life was completely devastated in a fleeting instant, a millisecond, a turn of the head or a blink of the eye.

Who knows if the world will end tomorrow or the day after? Someone’s world does end, every day. And tomorrow that person could be me or someone close to me. Too often, I let trivial matters come between me and others I

emma neukam

love, blowing silly things way out of proportion. What if one of these petty arguments was the last conversation I had with my family or a friend? Even though I can’t honestly say I haven’t let an inconsequential argument get out of hand since Panzau’s speech at the school, I can say that I have paid more attention to the decisions I make every day and the way I treat others. I never want to put myself in a dangerous situation that will leave

me to suffer such horrific consequences as Panzau did on Aug. 23, 2003.

Still, I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, and people can turn their lives around. Panzau is living proof that life doesn’t end when disaster hits. She has bounced back from the lowest point in her life and said she feels more successful than she’s ever felt before, telling teens in schools across the country to hold their loved ones close and to think before they act. Four years later, after undergoing over 40 surgeries, there she was last month in the school’s auditorium, a living, breathing

miracle. But aren’t we all?

Emma Neukam is beats editor for the HiLite. Contact her at eneukam@hilite.org.

Nick who showed me what not to do as a driver. During the week of Homecoming my freshman year, Nick was once again running late. To get us both to school on time, he was speeding 72 miles per hour down Meridian Street, which has a speed limit of 55 miles per hour. Of course, we were pulled over. I sat, dressed as a pirate for a spirit day and watched Nick shake as he rolled down the window for a Carmel police officer. As the officer wrote him a ticket, I learned not to speed.

A few weeks into Nick’s senior year, and my sophomore year, Nick won a parking pass for the entire school year in a fundraising raffle. Two weeks later, I happened to be home from school sick. As Nick was turning left out of our neighborhood on his way to school, he turned in front of an oncoming vehicle and totaled his car. Thankfully, he was okay. But when my parents read the police report and found out Nick had been rushing out of our neighborhood at 7:20 a.m., they were not pleased. The rest of the school year, I watched the parking pass sit on his desk while my brother, a senior, rode the bus. That was when I learned the importance of leaving early.

My brother taught me about more than just driving safely. After watching my parents ground him for missing curfew, I have never had the desire to do the same. Nick was the first

one to start high school and look at colleges, making my parents more relaxed when my turn came around for these experiences. When I have teachers that Nick once had, I always know what to expect.

All in all, Nick is crazy. He’s always running late, leaving the bathroom a mess and waking me up in the morning. When I tell older students

that Nick is my brother, I sometimes hear the sarcastic response, “You’re Nick Cooper’s sister? I’m sorry.” While Nick can be difficult sometimes, I am most definitely not sorry. Nick has always been a great older brother. My whole family, Nick included, is supportive of all the activities and plans I have. And what I have realized most while Nick has been in college is that I am grateful I am not an only child.

Marianna Cooper is a reporter for the HiLite. Contact her at mcooper@hilite.org.

It’s frightening to hear that one

poor decision can leave scars that

never fade and a once “perfect” life can shatter into a

million pieces.

What I have realized most while Nick has

been in college is that I am grateful I am not an

only child.

<< perspectives 31HiLite • February 25, 2010

graphic perspective

Meredith Boyd / Art

Recent U.S. court cases prove justice is not always just

Guilty or innocent? This appears to be a straightforward question, but in fact, it is the exact opposite. As I grow older and I continue to learn more about the judicial system, I am struck by the growing areas of gray that lie between the ideas of guilt and innocence. Nothing ever seems to be black and white within the system.

sarah sheafer

When I was in AP Government last semester, I read a book titled

Guilty: The Collapse of Criminal Justice by Harold J. Rothwax,

former New York state Supreme Court judge. In the book,

Rothwax explains that criminals and their defense attorneys

use complex and often confusing laws to escape conviction.

Although I agree with the concept “innocent until proven

guilty,” I can’t help but feel frustrated with the current system.

If the Fourth and Fifth Amendments were intended to protect

the innocent, then why are criminals roaming free? Instead of

protecting the innocent, these rights are harming them.

For example, the Miranda rights are intended to protect a

criminal suspect’s Fifth Amendment right to avoid coercive

self-incrimination. If that case was intended to prevent

innocent people from being forced to plead guilty, then why

should this pose a problem? Before Miranda came to the Supreme Court, police stations frequently used interrogation as a method of finding the truth. That has all changed. Police officers now find it more difficult to convict criminals. In some cases, criminals willingly admit they are guilty before a police officer even speaks to them, but because they were not told of their Miranda rights prior, their confessions get disregarded.

Sarah Sheafer is a managing editor for the HiLite. Contact her at ssheafer@hilite.org.

Letter to the editorI c o u l d n o t a g r e e more with the Staff Perspective from the 1/29 issue (“Senate should consider alternate char i t ies fo r Dance Marathon proceeds”). My older kids participated in CDM, and one was on the planning committee last year, so it was an occasional topic of conversation at our house, especially last year.

I maintain that Riley, while an important hospital, has charitable groups all over the state, from school groups to women’s clubs to community programs, that all donate to it.

In our community most sick kids under 18 would likely end up in Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital, a hospital that gets very little charitable recognition, but which should be on the top of the list for fundraising in our area. It is a phenomenal hospital with a very progressive pediatric intensive care unit, and a world-class oncology department, not to mention a top-rated emergency room.

Any Carmel child who would need to go there would receive the best care possible....and yet it rates low on our collective list of places to support. While this is certainly not the only place that deserves a look for CDM funds, it really ought to be considered for attention from the CDM, a group that can and should start a whole new precedent for fundraising and giving.

Mimi Brookie, CHS Parent

To read The resT of sarah’s column, go online To

www.hiliTe.org

wait…there’s More.

32 15 minutes of fame >> HiLite • February 25, 2010

To submit nominations for 15 Minutes of Fame,

e-mail Afra Hussainat ahussain@hilite.org

Ping Pong Pro

By ReuBen WaRshaWskyrwarshawsky@hilite.org

How did you get started?I first became interested in playing table tennis in fourth grade when I saw my relatives playing for fun. I convinced my dad to buy a table for our house, and we played together a lot. Also, I saw table tennis on the Olympics and aspired to

be somewhat like those players.

wHy do you play?I really enjoy the fast-paced play of table tennis. Also, I enjoy the game because it is cerebral; I have to think every point and use my brain a lot to analyze what the opponent’s next

shot will be.

describe your plans for tHe future.I do not play table tennis in order to receive a scholarship to play in college. As far as plans go, I just want to keep getting better.

How do you train?I practice regularly at the Table Tennis Club of Indianapolis. My coach instructs me on my strokes, footwork, and mobility.

describe tHe atmospHere of a typical table tennis matcH.Most of the matches I play are part of a larger tournament. Approximately 15 tables are set up, which does not allow much room for fans to watch. Despite that, matches involve intense concentration and focus.

wHat table tennis opportunities does cHs offer?Right now, there are no table tennis opportunities. Intramural was dropped because of a lack of interest. Then, a club was started, but it also failed because of a lack of interest.

wHere do you rank among table tennis players?At the club that I practice at, I am between mid-level to just above mid-level.

wHat is your most memorable experience?My most memorable experience was when I played in a tournament held at Navy Pier. It was a minor Junior Events U.S. Open tournament. I enjoyed it because I was able to see world-class Chinese and Korean teams who were also attending the tournament.

wHat is a Hard matcH in your opinion ? I have played many tough opponents, but my hardest match would be when my opponent beat me the first two games pretty soundly. Then, I had to come back and win the remaining three. I won the tie-breaker by a score of 17-15.

Junior Adithya Bhattachar plays competitive table tennis

Jinny Zhang / photo illustration

1 other table tennis player at Carmel (freshman Ken Li)

2 point margin needed to win by in a tie-breaker

5 out of five games to win

11 points needed to win

table tennisby the numbers

adithya Bhattachar / source

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2 acumen >> HiLite • February 25, 2010

In light of the destruction caused by the earthquake in Haiti, senior Hayden Urbanus and his band, The Gnashers, decided they wanted to do something to help, so they created a Facebook group promising to donate one penny to Haiti relief efforts for every person who joined. They also used the group to promote a Haiti relief concert. Soon the group accumulated over 25,500 members, and the number continues to grow.

“We thought it would be a good way to help and do what we like to do,” Urbanus said. The Gnashers’ use of Facebook to promote its band and raise money for a cause is just one example of how social networking sites, an idea that has only been around for a little more than 10 years, have become so prevalent in society today.

Social networking not only offers ways for people to keep in touch but also allows for fans to follow celebrities, clubs to organize events, people to play games and charities to promote their causes. According to Debra Lesjak, Facebook user and business teacher, even many businesses utilize these sites to reach and attract new customers.

“Social networking sites allow businesses to tailor advertising to the customer in quick messages,” she said via e-mail.

According to the Journal of Computer Mediated

Dear readers,

On New Years Eve of 1999, I was seven years old and in the second grade. I didn’t understand the significance of entering a new millennium. I didn’t know that the United States would enter a war in less than two years, the deadliest school shooting would occur in Virginia Tech or that the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami would kill over 200,000 people.

Time magazine called this decade the “Decade from Hell,” but I believe that the positives outweigh the negatives. I stay optimistic about the future, and I feel that the next decade, launched by 2010, my graduating class, will be just as powerful.

In this issue of the Acumen, the first one published in 2010, we look at the trends over the years, some of the most significant events of the decade and a few of the most critically acclaimed and successful musicians and movies.

Acumen EditorJinny Zhang

Contact informationMailing Address: 520 E. Main St., Carmel, IN 46032Phone: (317) 846-7721, Ext. 7143Web site: www.hilite.org/acumenE-mail: Staff members of the HiLite may be contacted by using their first initial and their last name appending @hilite.org. For example, Michelle Hu will receive mail sent to mhu@hilite.org.

PurposeAcumen is an occasional publication serving to supple-ment the HiLite. Acumen is distributed to the students, faculty and staff of Carmel High School. Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily representative of those held by CHS, the Carmel Clay system faculty, staff or administration.

Staff

In This Issue

Cover >> arjuna capulong / photo IllustratIon

EditorAssociate EditorReporters / Photographers

HiLite Editor in ChiefHiLite Managing Editors

Advisers

PrincipalSuperintendent

Jinny ZhangArjuna Capulong

Audrey BaileyMeredith Boyd

Gabrielle BowersMonica Cheng

Yameen HameedMichelle Hu

Kaitlyn LampeDaniel Li

Laura PengThalib razi

Mitch ringenbergKatie Walstrom

Michelle Hurosemary Boeglin

Sarah SheaferJim Streisel

Jincy GibsonJohn WilliamsJeff Swensson

By Audrey BAIley And MeredITh Boyd

abailey@hilite.org, mboyd@hilite.org

Michael DID YOU KNOW? 61 percent of kids ages 12 to 17 said they use social networks; 42 percent of them daily. pew Internet research / source

Haiti aid: Band members from The Gnashers and seniors Hayden Urbanus, Erik Van Scoik, Will Sharaya and Harrison Straton perform at a concert to raise money for Haiti disaster victims. They used Facebook to promote their fundraiser and band.

arjuna capulong / photos

Emergence of social networking sites prompts local band to raise funds for Haiti

Facebook Group: The Gnashers utilize Facebook due to the increasing popularity of social networking sites. The band created a Facebook group titled, “For every person that joins, The Gnashers will donate a penny to Haiti.”

Communication, a Web site that publishes scholarly articles about technology-based communication, the idea of a social networking site began with a Web site called SixDegree.com in 1997. The site quickly fizzled out in 2000, but similar Web sites appeared and the idea soon became mainstream. Now, according to Pew Research Center, 55 percent of teens who use the Internet use social networking sites and 4 percent say they check these sites daily or more.

Lesjak said she believes “social networking definitely has arrived,” but also said teens need to be careful of what they post on these sites remembering that it is all public information.

Acumen 3HiLite • February 25, 2010

>>

For every decade, we have some defining words. According to inthe90s.com, some slang words of the nineties are “boo ya,” “whatever” and “duh.” According to slang-user and sophomore Kern Vohra, slang of the previous decade includes

not only words such as “tight,” “legit” and “beast,” but also some words derived from the Internet and texting, such as “pwn” and “OMG.” However, technology as a whole has had a larger impact on language than simply a few words.

“It ’s very important that language continues to change over time to reflect the change in the culture of the people

How language

changed in the 2000s

smh.com / sourceDID YOU KNOW? In 2008, “Meh,” a word expressing indifference or boredom, was added to the 30th edition of the Collins English Dictionary.

Daniel li / graphic

Hipster – Probably tattooed, artsy, definitely cooler than you.Facebook Official – A relationship that is official because it is posted on Facebook.Beast – A person who is very good at something.Legit - Authentic, real.

DEFINITIONS OF COMMON SLANG TERMS

urbanDictionary.com / source

using it,” Vohra said. “For example, abbreviations have become more prevalent due to new technology.” Vohra also says the Internet can make new terms spread faster.

English teacher Rebecca Malenkos, however, said she does not share Vohra’s positive views on slang. “It is the nuances in language that enable us to verbalize the range of human emotions and feelings,” she said. “It is they that let us discuss what makes us human.”

Malenkos said she believes that technology is slowly compromising language.

“Socially, (technology brings) little change because we still sit down and talk to each other, but we are losing our vocabulary because of a fast-paced technological world and we no longer recognize our language as much more than a tool to get us through the day,” Malenkos said.

Sophomore Gabrielle “Brii” Robbins does not use slang and said she agrees with Malenkos. “I normally talk as if I really have a brain instead of getting things out as quickly as I can,” she said. However, Robbins believes this change is inevitable and is not particularly significant in this decade. “I feel like this destruction of language has always been there, but now it’s getting worse with the Internet and everything,” Robbins said.

Similarly, Malenkos feels it has been a gradual change over the past 30 years. “But the technology of the last decade has exacerbated the issue,” she said.

Vohra said, “While many stiff and formal people dislike how the Internet is impacting language, I think that our generation is warming up to it.” He said he feels the Internet is not necessarily to blame for problems with language. “I’m sure that the generation above the (current adults) didn’t like their slang either, they just weren’t able to find a suitable scapegoat for it,” he said.

Robbins said, “There’s not much to encourage people to speak well.” Malenkos shares this view and said that classical books are replaced in schools by more modern ones due to the fact that they are easier to read. “Unlike in 1984, we don’t have a set system to help us eliminate language,” she said. “But it is still happening.”

kern vohra

By yameen Hameedyhameed@hilite.org

4 acumen >> HiLite • February 25, 2010

“I was in fourth grade, and my art teacher started talking about terrorists and the World Trade Center, and I had no idea what she was talking about because I didn’t even know what a terrorist was, or where the World

Trade Center was even located. So I went about my day, and everyone was gloomy, but I didn’t know why until I came home and turned on the television and saw all the smoke. Now I realize how that moment has impacted us all throughout our lives.”

-Senior Jason Wing

“At the time, it was very controversial, but people were interested, especially because

President Bush was working on it with Senator Kennedy, a very liberal Democrat, and people saw that as an indication of a bipartisan period under Bush.

Obviously, it wasn’t.

But for us (teachers), our first impression was one of apprehension, because if a school doesn’t meet the standards of No Child Left

Behind, for whatever reason, we as teachers could be

among those penalized. I think that now, after 8 years,

it’s evident that (the No Child Left Behind Act) has its flaws,

but I don’t think any of us want to go back to how it was

before then.”

-English teacher Tony Willis

A new millennium begins. Businesses successfully avoid the effects of Y2K.

On September 11th, American Airlines Flight 11 departs from Boston and crashes into the north tower of the World Trade Center at 8:45 a.m. Three additional attacks take place within the next two hours, killing a total of 2,976 individuals.

President George W. Bush signs the No Child Left Behind Act into law.

Massachusetts becomes the sixth jurisdiction in the world and the first state in the United States to legalize same-sex marriage.

2000

Jan 12002

20012003 2004

Sept 11Jan 8 Feb 1 May 17

Cnn.Com / sourCe

ed.gov / sourCe

NASA’s space shuttle Columbia disintegrates over Texas during reentry into Earth’s atmosphere, resulting in the death of all seven passengers.

nasa.gov / sourCe nytimes.Com / sourCe

“I used to live in Baton Rouge,

which is pretty inland compared to New Orleans,

so we didn’t have to leave

(because of the hurricane), but

we got sandbags and put them in front of the door

and other places the water could get through, and closed shut the windows, anything to keep the

place from flooding. My neighbors actually had their garage door

blown out, because in Louisiana, the garage doors aren’t really connected to another wall of

the house, it’s just got this open end, and so the wind came in

The Defining Moments of the Decade

Jason Wing

kaitlyn lampe / photo

ENgLiSh tEAChEr toNy WiLLiS

from behind and blew it out. Thankfully, we didn’t get any water inside the house. The worst thing was that we lost power for about two weeks.

It gets old after a few days, no hot water, no lights. That was actually our first experience of a hurricane, because we

moved to Louisiana that year from Georgia, and so it was a shock, especially

with (Hurricane) Rita, which came around like two weeks

later. After the roads were reopened and things were

getting better, we took a trip down to New Orleans to see the damage, and it was just

devastating.”

- Junior Sterling Wilson

sterling Wilson

Where were you during....

fema.gov / sourCe

acumen 5HiLite • February 25, 2010

>>

“When he first got elected, I was really happy, and a lot of people think it’s just because I’m black, but the main thing was his policies. I

really liked the ideas he advocated during the campaign, and he gave a lot of hope to a lot of people with them. But over the years, my opinion of him has changed a lot, because

the actions of the Obama administration don’t really reflect his words during the campaign,

at his inauguration, or even at the State of the Union Address.”

-Junior Aaron Singer

“I was watching it at home with my family. I

was a little nervous

when the game

started, but then,

like, by the second half I was pretty

confident we were going to win. I was really excited

because it was the first time we ever won a Super Bowl.”

-Junior Claire Kittaka

Hurricane Katrina reaches the southern coast of the United States at over 175 mph and takes the lives of over 1,836 individuals.

The Indianapolis Colts defeat the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI 29-17.

The International Astronomical Union (IAU) revokes Pluto’s planet status and declares it a dwarf planet.

The United States earns the highest number of medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, with a total of 110.

The inauguration of Barack Obama as the first African American President of the United States takes place in Washington D.C.

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Aug 28 Aug 24

Katrina.com / source

iau.org / source

Feb 4

espn.go.com / source

Aug 8

nytimes.com / source

JAn 20

cnn.com / source

THe 6TH Degree: Junior Aaron Singer discusses politics during his weekly radio show. The program, titled “The 6th Degree,” airs every Thursday from 3:30 to 5 p.m.

Kaitlyn lampe / photo

The Defining Moments of the Decade Compiled by Laura Peng and Thalib Razi

from behind and blew it out. Thankfully, we didn’t get any water inside the house. The worst thing was that we lost power for about two weeks.

It gets old after a few days, no hot water, no lights. That was actually our first experience of a hurricane, because we

moved to Louisiana that year from Georgia, and so it was a shock, especially

with (Hurricane) Rita, which came around like two weeks

later. After the roads were reopened and things were

getting better, we took a trip down to New Orleans to see the damage, and it was just

devastating.”

- Junior Sterling Wilson

Claire kittaka

HurrIcane afTermaTH: During a visit to New Orleans, junior Sterling Wilson photographs the destruction of a house, a road and a music venue. Hurricane Katrina left at least $125 billion in damages.

sterling wilson / submitted photos

6 acumen >> HiLite • February 25, 2010

Eminem isn’t only a rapper; he is also an actor and record producer who owns his own record label, Shady Records. Eminem, born as Marshall Mathers and also known as Slim Shady, is the first artist to win Best Rap Album for three consecutive albums. Those albums were The Slim Shady LP,

The Marshall Mathers LP and The Eminem Show.

In 2002, Eminem starred in the movie “8 Mile,” which was based on events in his life. The song “Lose Yourself” from the movie’s soundtrack won the Academy Award for Best Original Song and went on to become the longest-running hip-hop single. His next two albums were Encore in 2004 and Relapse in 2009. Eminem has been ranked as one of the 100 Greatest Artists by Rolling Stone magazine, Best Rapper Ever by Vibe magazine and was named Artist of the Decade

b y B i l l b o a r d Magazine. He has a l s o a c h i e v e d eight number-one a l b u m s o n t h e Billboard Top 200, 12 number- one singles worldwide and has sold over 80 million albums worldwide.

Coldplay formed in London during 1998 with a unique, alternative rock sound. The group has been compared to other well-known artists in this decade, such as U2 and Radiohead. Its debut album, Parachutes, was released in 2000 and was nominated for the Mercury Prize. The most popular song on that album is “Yellow.”

A Rush of Blood to the Head, released in 2002, was the album that put Coldplay into the mainstream. The album had numerous hits, such as “Clocks,” “Politik” and “The Scientist” and won multiple awards, including Album of the Year by New Musical Express. Coldplay’s album, X&Y, was released in 2005 and the band continued their success with “Fix You,” “Talk,” “Speed of Sound” and “Low.” The band’s newest a l b u m , V i v a L a

Vida , released in 2008, seems to be its most popular a l b u m ye t . Th i s album has received several Grammy nominations and w i n s . C o l d p l a y also has sold over 50 million records worldwide.

Linkin Park originated in California with a rap and rock sound. The group’s 2000 debut album Hybrid Theory, gave the band instant mainstream success. Linkin Park’s second album, Meteora, arrived in 2003, and that same year, MTV2 named Linkin Park the sixth greatest band of the music video era and the third best artist of the new millennium.

While those two albums gave Linkin Park a claim to the title of most influential, its third album, Minutes to Midnight,

solidified that title. Released in 2007, Minutes to Midnight has the hit songs “Leave Out All the Rest,” “Bleed It Out” and “What I’ve Done.” The album had the most successful debut week of any album that year. Linkin Park has sold over 50 million albums worldwide and has also won two Grammy Awards.

Coldplay linkin park EminEm

DID YOU KNOW? Coldplay, Eminem and Linkin Park were nominated for Grammys in 2010, with Eminem winning Best Rap Album and Best Rap Performance by a Duo / Group. grammy.com / source

The Decade’s Breakout Musicians

Th e t h r e e most hard-w o r k i n g , prominent

and popular artists who defined the style of the 2000s may be Coldplay, L i n k i n Pa r k a n d Eminem

Compiled by Katie Walstromzimbio.com / photo

billboard.com/ photos

acumen 7HiLite • February 25, 2010

>>celebritywonder.com / photo

Compiled by Mitch Ringenberg

DID YOU KNOW? “Memento” only took director Christopher Nolan 25 days to shoot. Nolan also directed “Batman Begins,” “The Prestige” and “The Dark Knight.” imdb.com / source

Gabrielle bowers and michelle hu / Graphic

1) MeMento (2000) 3) RequieM foR a DReaM (2000)“Memento” is a mystery film unlike any other. Its tone is a

throwback to the crime noir films of the ‘40s, but contains a highly unusual twist. “Hitchcockian,” although a clichéd adjective used ad nauseam, is a perfectly apt and worthy descriptor for once.

“Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” is the kind of movie that only comes around once every ten years or so. Not often does anyone create a film of almost complete originality. Despite being seven years old, “Eternal Sunshine” still feels fresh and new today. Writer Charlie Kaufman (“Being John Malkovich”) created a film unlike any other. With ground-breaking cinematography and an incredible storyline, “Eternal Sunshine” stays with you.

“Requiem for a Dream” is unrelentingly disturbing, but an unbelievably talented director like Darren Aronofsky managed to create a beautifully crafted film out of a miserable subject. Detailing the lives of four people dealing with various forms of addiction, Aronofsky uses amazing camera work and editing to let the audience experience the film’s bleak events through the characters’ warped mind set.

2) City of GoD (2002)

5) the DepaRteD (2006)“The Departed” contains what is most likely the best cast ensemble in any of Martin Scorsese’s films. Jack Nicholson gave his best performance in years playing a brutal, foul-mouthed, murdering crime boss with absolutely no moral compass. Not since “Goodfellas” has a mob thriller of this magnitude been crafted so well.

Easily one of the best foreign films I’ve ever seen, “City of God” is also one of the best crime films ever made. Taking place in a small, ghetto city outside of Rio de Janeiro, the movie tells the intersecting stories (a la “Pulp Fiction” or “Crash”) of its various inhabitants. The film’s fast-paced tone and excellent cinematography has actually had a large influence on cinema since its release.

4) eteRnal SunShine of the SpotleSS MinD (2004)

ReaD the ReSt of MitCh’S ReviewS at hilite.oRG

movies.yahoo.com / photo

imdb.com / photo

imdb.com / photo

imdb.com / photo

6) Mulholland Drive (2001)7) There Will Be Blood (2007)8) Lost In Translation (2003)9) The Dark Knight (2008)10) Knocked Up (2007)

08 acumen >> HiLite • February 25, 2010

“I hope to see the United States greatly reduce its dependence on foreign oil and utilize more environmentally sustainable forms of energy.”

By junior Meredith Boyd, reporter

“I hope Walt Disney Pictures releases more hand-drawn movies. Computer-generated images are progressive and revolutionary, but nothing can replace traditional Disney songs and animations.”

By sophomore Laura Peng, reporter

“I want to see printers that actually work, maps where Greenland is the right size and a font where ‘c l’ doesn’t look so much like ‘d.’”

By sophomore Yameen Hameed, reporter

“Well, I would like to see all of our troops out of the Middle East and focus more on what’s going on in our own country.”

By senior Mitch Ringenberg, reporter

“I hope to see the drinking age lowered to 18, reducing the abuse of alcohol by teenagers and removing the idea of rebellion. If one is old enough to fight and die for this country, he or she should be old enough to have a beer.”

By junior Audrey Bailey, reporter

“I want a car that flies. I want to see men on Mars. I want to see the Xbox 3000, which comes with a monkey that plays multiplayer games with me. I want to see the iHome, which is an actual home.”

By junior Daniel Li, artist

Ask the ContributorsAcumen reporters and artist of this issue share what

they hope to see in the next decade

Michelle hu / photos