january 25, 2012
DESCRIPTION
Volume 69, Issue 5TRANSCRIPT
Blood drive saves lives
Did you know...?
- Last year, high school students pro-
vided about 16% of the blood donated
to the Indiana Blood Center.
- Only 5% of eligible doners across the
nation donate blood.
- Approximately 25% or more of us
will require blood at least once in our
lifetime.
- Every year, nearly 5 million people in
the U.S. receive life-saving blood trans-
fusions.
Statistics from the Indiana Blood Center and Mayo Clinic
READY TO GIVE: Ms. Smyser is one among many who prepared to donate on January 11th.
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PEOPLE,
PAGE 8
Tumbling to the top
All-State concert
is a success for
music students
If you asked any
friend, teammate, or
coach about gymnast
Whitney Tudor they
would have nothing
but good things to
say. “She is an amaz-
ing teammate and awe-
some friend!” says fel-
low teammate Elisa
Royer. “She is really car-
ing and would do anything
for anyone,” agrees Coach
Meghann Raub.
Whitney has been do-
ing gymnastics for 13 years
and making great strides
ever since starting at the
age of four. She is now a
level 10 gymnast, which is
the highest level possible.
Gymnastics is a huge
commitment: practicing
18.5 hours a week, Whit-
ney doesn’t have much
time for other activities.
“At the time, it was really
hard quitting other sports
with the pressure of my
friends and me wanting to
Gymnast Whitney Tudor is serious about her sport.
BY ARTHI PURI
BY ROSEANNE PAGE
BY GRACE PALMIERI
be with them, but it’s defi -
nitely worth it because I
need to be completely fo-
cused to reach my goal of
college gymnastics,” she
says.
The work Whitney puts
into the sport shows in her
constant improvement.
continued on page 3
FEATURES,
PAGE 5
Skating through
the winter blues
SPORTS, PAGE 3
Lunch indecision? Check out
our fl owchart!FEATURES, PAGE 4
On January 21st, West Lafayette High School was
well represented in the All-State Orchestra performance
in Fort Wayne. The school is very proud to have nine
talented students perform in a concert containing the
state’s fi nest musicians.
At the performance all the songs were played beauti-
fully, and members of the audience were in awe. Ac-
cording to Melinda Crane, “The performance went
really smoothly and overall I think we sounded pretty
awesome!”
Auditions for the All-State Orchestra are very com-
petitive and “to be recognized in the orchestra was very
rewarding,” said Crane, a sophomore violinist. “The
music is really challenging, and I’m thankful for the op-
portunity to improve.”
The orchestra went through three intense rehears-
als in preparation for the concert. The fi rst rehearsal is
called a sectional, where students divide up according to
instrument and each section has a director. Their fi rst
practice consisted of four long hours of playing music
with only a ten minute break.
The Friday prior to the performance, students missed
school to practice all day with the entire orchestra. They
spent the night, rehearsed on Saturday morning, and
then performed at two o’clock.
“We are expected to do a tremendous amount of
practicing on our own,” explained Ellie Brower, a junior
violinist. “The music is very challenging and the parts
“Every time I come back
from All-State it makes me
think ‘I really want to be a
musician!’”
- Ellie Brower
PHOTO BY HARINI SURESH
On Wednesday, January 11, 2012, personnel
from the Indiana Blood Center arrived at West
Lafayette High School to conduct the school’s bi-
annual blood drive. Students, teachers, and par-
ents alike banded together to donate blood. West
Side’s blood drive was organized and run by Ms.
Huckstep, who puts together the drive every year
in memory of her daughter Caroline, who died on
April 17, 2008. The West Side drive is called Blood
Drive 352 in reference to the 352 blood transfu-
sions received by Caroline in 505 days.
“Caroline was diagnosed with Juvenile Myelo-
monocytic Leukemia in 2006, at the age of 4,”
Ms. Huckstep recalled. “She had 3 bone marrow
WOW! Whitney does a
double stag handstand on
the beam during practice.
continued on page 2
continued on page 2
PHOTO BY ABBY BIEN
PAGE 2NewsWest Side
JANUARY 25, 2012
BY GUEST WRITER SAMEER MISHRA
All-State is a Success
Blood Drive Saves Lives
continued from page 1
Republican race down to four
The beginning of the new year brings with it a
refl ection on the previous. We make resolutions to try
and fi x the bad things and continue the good that carried
over from the preceding year. 2011 was an eventful
year, with an unequal proportion of good things in
comparison with the bad. The world experienced
events ranging from the loss of a beloved television
boss, to the death of a renowned innovator, to a series
of disasters that devastated a country. Together, these
are just a few of the events that defi ned the world in
2011.
Disaster in Japan
On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 8.9 earthquake
shook the northeast coast of Japan. The strongest
earthquake in the country’s history triggered a
devastating tsunami, sparking the largest nuclear
disaster since Chernobyl. The Japanese National Police
Agency declared nearly 16,000 dead, 6,000 injured
and 3,500 missing. Well over 125,000 buildings were
destroyed after the catastrophes, and 160,000 are still
left displaced. The chain reaction of tragic events
continues to affect hundreds of thousands in Japan
and will likely take decades to recuperate from.
Michael Scott leaves The Offi ce
Michael Scott’s last day as regional manager of
Dunder Miffl in, as well as Steve Carells last performance
as the self-proclaimed world’s best boss aired on April
28. The episode is entitled “Goodbye, Michael” and
ends with him boarding a plane to Colorado to move
in with his fi ancée, Holly Flax, so that he can help her
take care of her aging parents. Carell was replaced by
comedian James Spader, who, in the show, quickly and
bizarrely climbed the ladder to CEO.
Death of Osama Bin Laden
Nearly a decade after 9-11, Osama Bin Laden, the
architect of the terrorist attacks, was killed by elite
American military forces on May 1st. The terrorist was
buried at sea by American soldiers. President Obama,
making the dramatic announcement to a crowd in
Manhattan, declared, “Justice has been done.” Thus,
2011 marked the last year of America’s ten-year game
of cat-and-mouse with the former al Qaeda leader.
Apple Innovator Steve Jobs succumbs to Cancer
Steve Jobs, co-founder, chairman, and chief executive
offi cer of Apple Inc. died of pancreatic cancer on
October 5th. Jobs was known for his charismatic
personality, and in his lifetime he became the pioneer
of the personal computer revolution when his
company created the Macintosh. Jobs also contributed
to the development of your beloved iPods, iPads, and
iPhones. What the world lost with Jobs’s death is best
explained in a statement made by his own corporation,
Apple: “Steve’s brilliance, passion and energy were
the source of countless innovations that enrich and
improve all of our lives. The world is immeasurably
better because of Steve.”
West Side Continues to Succeed
This past year was a big one for West Side students.
2007 graduate Mohit Agarwal received the prestigious
Rhodes Scholarship, senior Anirudh Prabhu came
a step closer to solving an age-old math problem,
junior Bobbie Burgess climbed the ranks becoming
the 20th fastest runner in the nation, and countless
other students accomplished many more substantial
feats. The capacity for success that West Side students
possess is limitless, and there is no doubt that more
extraordinary feats will be achieved this coming year.
2011 is a year to remember
continued from page 1
BY ELENA SPARGER
had 3 bone marrow trans-
plants and 352 blood trans-
fusions before she died.”
Ms. Huckstep pointed
out that had Caroline not
received the blood, she
would not have lived an
extra year and a half.
January 2012’s blood
drive totaled to an amount
of 29 units of blood. “It’s
a very rewarding experi-
ence,” said senior Jacque-
line Bales, who donates
blood often. “I’m a uni-
versal donor, so I feel like
I should.”
Blood drives have taken
place at West Side since
2006, and used to take
place during school hours.
However, after the faculty
voiced complaints about
the students missing in-
structional time, the drive
was moved after school
hours. This year, as an in-
centive to get the students
to stay after school, Papa
John’s and Jimmy John’s
both offered free food
to those who donated. In
addition, a prize of head-
phones were given out to
participants. During the
blood drive this coming
Spring, an IPad 2 will be
won by one lucky donor.
New this year is a $400
scholarship given to se-
niors who participate in at
least 2 blood drives a year.
There are some require-
ments to be able to donate
blood. Donors must be at
least 16 years of age, and
if under 17, may only do-
nate whole blood and must
have parental consent. Do-
nors must bring with them
a form of photo identifi -
cation and must weight at
least 110 pounds. Certain
health conditions may also
prevent someone from do-
nating.
Candidate Mitt Romney Newt Gingrich Rick Santorum Ron Paul
Qualifications
Former Governor of
Massachusetts and former
CEO of Bain Capital.
Former Speaker of the
House.
Former US Senator from
Pennsylvania and former US
Representative from
Philadelphia.
US Representative from Texas
for more than 30 years.
Abortion
Abortion is wrong except in
cases of incest, rape, and to
save the life of the mother.
Abortion should not be
allowed at all.
Abortion should not be
allowed at all.
Pro-life but believes that it
should be decided at the local
level.
HealthcareRepeal Obamacare and
institute market-based reforms.
Repeal Obamacare and
defund Parent Parenthood.
Repeal Obamacare and
reduce costs through
competition.
Repeal Obamacare and
implement market-based
reforms.
Same-sex
Marriage
Marriage is only between a man
and a woman.
Marriage is only between a
man and a woman. No civil
unions.
Reinstate “Don’t ask, don’t
tell” policy in the military. No
civil unions. Marriage is only
between a man and a woman.
Federal government should
not get involved. However, he
personally believes that
marriage is between a man and
a woman.
Afghanistan /
War on Terror
Withdraw from Afghanistan
within two years.
US defeat in Afghanistan
cannot be allowed.
Time limits are
counterproductive; US needs
to ensure that the job is
completed.
Leave the region ASAP. Stop
bombing Pakistan and Yemen.
Repeal the Patriot Act.
Energy Policy
Increase domestic energy
production through coal,
natural gas, and oil.
Pursue off-shore drilling and
natural gas production.
Decrease regulation.
Pursue off-shore drilling and
natural gas production.
Decrease regulation.
Remove restrictions on coal,
nuclear power, and drilling.
Repeal the federal tax on
gasoline.
Education
States should have more
control on education, but he
still supports the Department
of Education and school
vouchers.
Dramatically shrink the
Department of Education
and institute a Pell grant-type
system for K-12 education.
Abolish the Department of
Education. Education should
be parent-centered, not
government-centered.
Abolish the Department of
Education. Education should
be parent-centered, not
government-centered.
Taxes
No increases in taxes; Pursue
flat taxes and reduce corporate
tax rate to 25%.
Create an optional flat tax of
15%; reduce corporate tax
rate to 12.5%.
Two tax rates: 10% and 28%;
cut corporate tax rate to
17.5%.
Ultimately reduce tax rate to
0% by reducing spending.
Abolish the IRS.
are very ambitious but
exciting. It’s so invigorat-
ing to be with a group of
musicians who love mu-
sic as much as I do,”she
said.
The audience is com-
prised of music teachers,
parents, and the IMEA
(Indiana Musical Educa-
tional Association) con-
vention. Each year, the
orchestra plays three or
four pieces. This year,
they are playing pieces
by composers Brahms
and Tchaikovsky.
A music teacher’s role
in the association is im-
portant as they inform
the students about the
program and encourage
them to audition. They
distribute the audition
music to those who are
interested and provide
support by attending
the performance. West
Side orchestra teacher
Mrs. Brooks said, “It is
a very prestigious group
and we are really proud
that our school has had
many students accepted.
It is a big honor for us
that Christopher Park
has been the concert
master for two years
in a row.” The concert
master of an orchestra
has the responsibility of
making sure all sections
of the orchestra stay to-
gether. “I like perform-
ing as part of a group,
especially in such a great
theater, the Embassy in
Fort Wayne,” said Park,
“I also like that we get to
play the original pieces
and not the abridged
versions.”
Participating in All-
State inspires our stu-
dents to achieve their
goals. Ellie Brower says,
“Every time I come back
from all-state it makes
me think ‘I really want
to be a musician!’”
THRILL OF TRILLS: Violinist Ellie Brower plays in the 1st
Violin section of the 2012 Indiana All-State Orchestra.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY GAURI SHASTRI
Mitt Romney and…? The search for what ana-
lysts dub the “conservative alternative” continues as the
Republican fi eld continues to narrow. Romney, a moder-
ate, has been the frontrunner from the very beginning of
the race. However, many of the more conservative vot-
ers—specifi cally the Tea Party movement—have looked
for a candidate that more strongly represents their views.
So far Republican contenders have faced three con-
tests—in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.
At fi rst, Romney was declared the winner of the Iowa
by 8 votes. However, recent developments show that
the Santorum actually won with 34 more votes. With
Romney and Santorum in a virtual tie in Iowa, Ron Paul
placed 3rd with 21% of the vote while New Gingrich
placed 4th with 13% of the vote. In New Hampshire,
Romney won a more resounding victory with 39.4%
while second place Ron Paul only received 22.8%.
Newt Gingrich came in 4th with 9.4% and Rick San-
torum came 5th with 9.3%. Every single candidate
that has won the South Carolina primary since 1980
has gone on to win the party nomination. That bodes
well for the South Carolina winner Newt Gingrich,
who emerged last Saturday with 40.4% of the votes.
Romney was 2nd with 27.8%, and Santorum and Paul
trailed behind with 17% and 13%, respectively. Check
out what differentiates the candidates here:
PAGE 3SportsWest Side
JANUARY 25, 2012
Although there is a
wrestling team, the sport
is really a one-on-one
competition. “Once you
step on the mat, no one
else can help you,” says
sophomore Jade Doty, one
of the star wrestlers on
this year’s team.
Because teammates and
coaches can not help out
much during the meets,
practice is the time where
they work together and
bond. To get ready for
meets, the team works up
a sweat by doing sprints,
lifting weights, and working
on their technique. “The
practices have become
more intense and shorter
because we’re nearing the
end of the season,” says
head coach Rick Roseman.
At the competitions, Doty
says he’ll usually “jump
Wrestlers take it to the mat
BY ABBY BIEN
The wrestling team stays focused during their season.
PHOTO BY ABBY BIEN
HEAD LOCK: Sophomores Jade Doty (left) and Jason Van Meter (right) practice their techniques on each other during a
wrestling practice.
Ice-skaters glide
through winterBY NEHA RAMANI
The snow and ice on
the ground mean the end
of most outdoor sports.
For some West Side
students, however, the
cold weather means they
can start participating in
their favorite activity of
the year: ice skating.
One of these ice skating
enthusiasts is junior Svea
Nelson, who has ice-
skated competitevely for
several years both on a
team and individually.
“For me,” said Nelson,
“it is less about winning,
and more about the thrill
of skating.”
Other students
enjoy skating purely as
a recreational activity.
Denton started skating
about fi ve years ago
“because it was fun,
and I enjoy hanging out
with people.” His skills
improved over the years,
and he was approached
by the manager at the
Riverside Ice Skating
Rink who asked him to
be a rink guard. Now,
Denton works at the rink
twice a week.
Denton says his job
consists of “looking out
for people and making
sure they are safe.” His
favorite annual event is
the Riverside rink’s “Dare
to Bear,” which occurs
every February. “You skate
around in bathing suits,”
he says of the event.
Other Riverside regulars
include seniors, David
Rokhinson and Thomas
K. Fisher, who also work
at the rink. Rokhinson
says that some weeks he
works up to eight hours a
day, but he loves it. “Being
paid to skate is very nice,”
he says. “I enjoy skating so
I try to get as many hours
as possible.”
Fisher started skating
around the time he learned
to walk. “I grew up in up-
state New York, and that’s
all there is to do there,”
he said. Fisher played
hockey before moving
to West Lafayette, and
can still perform some
hockey tricks on the ice.
His favorite part about ice
skating is the speed. “It’s
twice as fast as anyone can
run,” he said.
In addition to rink
guarding, Rokhinson and
Fisher also teach private
lessons. “I was teaching a
three-year-old girl once,”
said Rokhinson. “ At the
start of the lesson, she
couldn’t even stand and
walk, but by the end she
was gliding forward.”
Rokhinson feels that
his love for ice skating
and other winter sports
such as skiing stems from
his Russian roots, adding
that “most everyone in the
Russian community skates
very well.”
Freshman and fellow
Russian Lev Zemlyanov
agrees. He says, “The
Russian winters are really
cold, and winter sports are
really popular.”
Zemlyanov learned how
to skate from his dad when
he was about fi ve years
old. “You get to go fast
and scare people and do
cool tricks and stuff,” he
described. Zemlyanov
aspires to work at the
ice skating rink one day.
“There’s good and bad
things,” he says about
winter, “ but ice skating
is defi nitely one of the
good ones.
Tumbling to the topcontinued from page 1
FIGURE EIGHT: Lev Zemlyanov skates at Riverside rink.
PHOTO BY NEHA RAMANI
As Raub says, “She is a hard worker and never gives
up. She has a passion for the sport and has a ton of tal-
ent and potential.”
Although Whitney practices all year round, her com-
petition season is from November to April, and she has
hopes of reaching Nationals in the late spring. Last year,
Whitney fi nished 10th overall in Regionals (competitors
from Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Ohio and Kentucky),
barely falling short of qualifying for Nationals. She
competes in other meets each weekend in various states,
the biggest one being in Florida.
Aside from being such a talented gymnast, Royer
comments that Whitney is, “an amazing friend, fun to
hang out with, and really funny!” She also adds, “I look
up to Whitney so much as a person and as a gymnast,
and I know the other girls do too.” Her leadership and
work ethic make Whitney a great gymnast as well as a
person everyone can learn from.
As for the future, Whitney hopes to continue do-
ing gymnastics in college. She says, “I’m applying for
Division 1 colleges to hopefully be able to compete for
them.” She has made a website of videos of her to
attract college recruiters and has sent it to the top 50
gymnastics schools.
“She is a leader and
takes advantage of
every turn she gets.”
-Elisa Royer
Fast Facts: Best Event: Floor
Favorite Event: Beam
Favorite Gymnast: Jordyn Wieber,
professional gymnast and hopeful
Olympian
When she’s not at the gym: Sleeping
and hanging out with friends
rope and watch the team”
before it’s his turn to
wrestle.
Roseman hopes all
of this preparation will
get them at least three to
four individual wrestlers
to regionals and hopefully
state. “Because we have
no seniors, one junior, and
a lot of sophomores, this
team is going to look the
same for at least the next
two years. If they all stick
it out, we’ll be a very good
team within the years to
come.”
When asked about their
favorite part of wrestling,
team leader Doty replied
by saying he likes “winning
and seeing the rest of
my teammates improve.”
His coach, Roseman
agreed that he likes seeing
improvement and “working
with the guys.”
PAGE 4 Features JAnuAry 25, 2012
When I say “karaoke” you probably picture off-key, aspiring singers, in their mid-twenties that take heart in embarrassing themselves regularly for a crowd of the same demographic in a run-down club full of health code violations on “Open Mic Night.” Echo Karaoke squashes that image the minute someone walks through their doors. The lobby is spacious and stream-line-- and there is not a karaoke machine in sight. Instead, a member of the staff takes you to a private room equipped with not one but two TVs (one for selecting your songs and the other one to project the lyrics), microphones, and a re-ally comfy couch. The Rooms vary in size and can hold as many as twenty people or as few as three. The room I was in was made for three and even though it was a large space there was a large coffee table that made making dramatic gestures hard in the limited space. If it is your first time a member of the staff will sit down with you and walk you through the karaoke program, which is really useful since the remote control is in Chinese. But do not fear, a handy diagram of the remote’s various functions is on every table. There were songs I’ve never heard of from people I didn’t know existed in languages I did not understand- everyone from Elton John to Toby Keith to Bruno Mars was represented. Not all of the artists’ songs were available but their most popular and well-known songs were- usually accompanied by their music video. They also update their selection frequently to keep up with the ever-changing music industry. Echo also provides bubble tea and other refresh-ments as well as snacks for any guest that is feeling a bit peckish. If there’s a problem a technical problem or you’re simply hungry, calling your server is made easy with a call button attached to the wall next to the door. (No more flagging down a server with frantic arm ges-tures!) In Echo people do not need to be embarrassed by their singing voice, or their friend’s singing voice because no one can see you. And though they can probably hear you in the next room you can always wait until they leave to make your exit.
West Side
Prices: $4 per person/hour on a week day (Sun- day, Tuesday-Thursday) $6 per person/ hour on weekends (Friday-Sat- urday) *First time visitors get the first 30 minutes freeHours: Tues-Wed: 5pm-2am Thurs-Fri: 5pm- 4am Sat-Sun: 1pm-4am
Tumblr is a blogger’s bliss.
When Pinterest.com started to become popu-lar, some people were confused at the concept. Is it just a website full of pictures? What do you do on there, just stare at pictures all day? Well, the
Echo Karaoke’s customers sing in styleby Kathrine Schulze
It’s difficult to explain what Reddit is in just a few hundred words. It’s a huge community of
To avid Tumblr us-ers, the site is more than a social networking site or a blog. For many it’s like a diary and a place to say what you can’t say
Rediscover the InternetScarlette staffers’ picks for best not-so-well-known websites
Pinning is the new procrastination.by abby bien
The front page of the internet.
answer is yes and yes. Although it may sound like a simple and unorigi-nal idea, Pinterest is slowly taking over the internet. Essentially here is how the website works: you have to be invited to cre-
by cryStal wang
on a website like Facebook where your mom, your crush, or your best friend can all view it. Some blogs are personal blogs with private rants and pictures.
people who often have deep intellectual political and scientific discussions; but most of the time they
ate your own “board,” so go find a friend and have them send you an invita-tion. Once that’s done, you will have a profile where you can “pin” pictures that you like from one persons board onto yours. You’re probably con-fused with all this Pinterest lingo. Boards are different pages that you can use to organize your pictures into categories--for example, some people title their separate boards “People I Love” or “This Makes Me
Laugh.” To find pictures to put on your boards, you can search thou-sands of pictures on the website, click “Pin,” and then it will magically ap-pear on your board after you see the word “Re-pinned!” pop up on your screen. So go online and get ready to waste hours looking at puppies and wedding dresses. Happy Pinning!
just post funny pictures of cats, which we’re all okay with. There are almost 68,000 “subreddits”, which are separate communities that are dedicated to certain subjects, such as a subred-dit specifically for posting funny or cool videos, or asking questions to strang-ers on the internet. “IAmA” is a popular subreddit where people with quirky or intriguing
life stories come to an-swer any questions the community asks them, garnering the attention of celebrities such as Bear Grylls and Zach Braff. Some of my per-sonal favorite subreddits are r/f7u12, where peo-ple post original comics about funny or unfortu-nate happenings in daily life, and r/cats, which is self-explanatory.
by emily macK
Just as many blogs have themes that the user posts about--for example certain fandoms like Harry Potter, Disney or Paramore. There are fashion blogs music blogs with news, pictures, and gifs of a fa-vorite band and sports blogs where users watch and react to events involv-ing a favorite sport, team or player. Some blogs are interactive in that they al-low followers to submit
meme’s, or participate in role plays. There is also an unique Tumblr feature called an “ask box.” where us-ers can ask anonymous questions or advice of other bloggers. In general Tumblr is part social networking, part fan board, part diary and with the variety and openness available there really is something for everyone.
By Crystal wang
PAGE 5 Features JAnuAry 25, 2011
West Side
Perhaps you’ve seen him tinkering with a problematic computer during a class. You might have glanced at him setting up the television sets in the commons area or explaining a new piece of technology to a teacher. Maybe you’ve even spent a passing moment wondering whether his beard possesses any magical qualities. Even if you haven’t seen him around, you can witness his workings almost everyday--most of West Side’s technology functions smoothly thanks to System Administrator and tech superstar Zach Baiel. “From a young age, my interest in computers and technology stemmed from a genuine curiosity for information,” Baiel explained. “Supposedly, in kindergarten I would barter for other people’s computer time.” Over time, his interests have broadened to encompass many facets of technology, including audio, video, and many other different types of media. “This computer--I just see as a massive tool to do amazing things with information,” he mused. “It’s really limitless.” After growing up in south Indiana, Baiel took a slightly unconventional path to his current job at West Side. “With regard to formal education, I’m perhaps not the best role model,” he admitted. Baiel spent a year at Purdue studying computer science before deciding it wasn’t the best fit. “I had a typical existential crisis,”
he reflected. “What am I doing, is this what I want to do?” Though he ended his time at Purdue without completing college, Baiel’s passion for computers stayed strong. “I knew if I could land a computer job, I could find myself,” he explained. After working a few odd office jobs, Baiel applied for the position of technology secretary at West Side and began working in October of 2003. To many, his behind-the-scenes workings remain mysterious. “It changes from day to day,” explained Baiel. “Basically, my responsibility is to maintain, push forward, and keep all technology running at a somewhat good pace.” This description is actually as broad as it sounds. At
by Harini SureSH
Bearded Baiel Breaks Barriers
“Computer knowledge--it’s like cooking, it’s the most documented thing in the world. If you really want to learn it, you can.”
-Zach Baiel
SUCCESS STORY: Mohit with his twin sister namita at his photo By harini SureSh
book - “Safire’s Political Dictionary”Movie - “In my childhood, Ghostbusters. Now, Michael Leigh movies.”Gadget - an Olympus DM 520 voice recorder
article of Clothing - Pocket Protectorartist - Cecil Taylor (Jazz musician)radio Station - WFMU (independent station in New Jersey)Website - www.wikipedia.org
ZaCH’S FavoriteS
You may have the common misconcep-tion that the girlfriend is always the possessive one in a relationship. Womankind has gained the reputation of being very clingy, which I’m not going to refute be-cause it’s true in many a situation. But before you start pointing your finger in a relationship, please reflect on your own actions. It is a scientific fact that men are naturally more protective than women. It all goes back to the hunter-gatherer instinct of stating your claim on your property, meat from a hunt, loot from a raid, and your woman (AKA: your girlfriend). While girls love when you protect them from attackers and sweep them off of their feet and all of that stuff; but the problems arise when protective becomes possessive. You probably want to say, “Briagha, I am not possessive; I’m su-per chill.” Maybe you are, but I’m guessing you have been clingy or possessive or overpro-tective at least once in a relationship. This could mean anything from getting mad when she makes plans to hang out with her friends instead of you to spending passing periods making out in the locker bay. (And don’t blame the
When protective becomes possessiveby briaGHa mctaviSH
making out part on her, buddy, because last time I checked, it takes two people to suck face.) As a boyfriend, you need to realize that your girlfriend isn’t your property, or your dog, or anything that you can order around. It might surprise you, but you are equals in the relationship. You both should be able to have time with your friends. I always hear guys complaining that their girlfriends won’t give them any breath-ing room. Maybe you’re enabling her by getting angry when she wants to spend time with her friends. Like I’ve said many times before: commu-nication is key in a re-lationship. If you think your girlfriend is blow-ing you off, talk to her about it. Maybe she is, but if she’s not, she’ll probably give you a real-ity check. And I advise you to take her thoughts into account and think to yourself, “Am I being ultra-protective? Have we been hanging out for the past 500 days? What would Briagha say?” And please, don’t pull the “if you love me you’d...” It’s a sure way to get dumped, or just ruin your relationship. Anyway, just remem-ber to look at things from her point of view, and you will both be happy.
A Chinese proverb says that all creations are reborn on New Year’s Day. This year, many will be reigning in the new year on January 23, 2012--the date of the Chinese New Year and the 4710th year, according to the Chinese calendar. This most important Chinese holiday isn’t just celebrated within Asia, but around the world, including here at West Side. The new year of the Spring Festival is determined based on the lunar calendar. Celebration
red Devils ring in year of dragonof the new year begins during the darkest time of the month, culminating in New Year’s Eve, when the moon is brightest. There are many important traditions associated with this holiday that must be completed before the eve of the new year. Junior Alyssa Cheng cleans her house in accordance with the New Year custom of clearing out all the things of the past year. On New Year’s day, many young girls perform traditional dances to commemorate the new
year. “There are different styles [of dance] because of the different cultures in China,” says sophomore Robin Zhang. The dances are performed in traditional Chinese clothing with long dramatic sleeves of intense colors. “It adds a dramatic element to the dance,” says Robin. Another New Year’s custom is the giving out of red envelopes. The red symbolizes good luck and is said to ward off evil spirits. Inside the envelopes is money and sometimes candy. The
amount of money varies, but is traditionally an even number. Four is not supposed to appear in the number, nor is money allowed to be given in fours. In Chinese, the pronunciation of the word “four” sounds like “death,” and many think it represents bad luck. Whether celebrated on January 1st or 23rd, the New Year is a way to reflect on the past year and march towards the next one with a new set of goals and a lighter heart. “Xin Nian Kuai!” Happy New Year!
by katHrine SCHuLZe
SO SAVVY: Zach Baiel frequents the library to help out.photo By harini SureSh
any given point, Baiel said he could be found doing anything from changing toner to planning projects coming up in the year to replacing a mouse that died. “This morning I met with Dr. Killion,” he said. “They’re moving to paperless meetings for the administration and board, so I worked out some plans for that.” When he’s not preventing
an apocalyptic shutdown of West Side’s computer network, Baiel’s love of all things technological shines through in his creativity. “I play around with a lot
of electronic synthesizers and samplers,” he said, excitedly describing a sampling drum sequencer he recently acquired. The music he creates is largely derived from minimalistic samples. “I was playing around with it earlier--I got my doors creaking, walked up the stairs, knocked a desk,” he described. “Sometimes I record my friends and I talking, a
family toast during the holidays, or bootlegs, if I go to a show.” When sampled and put together, the repeated beat has an electronic feel. “I draw a little bit, I read a lot,” he went on, citing himself as a frequent library-goer. “I like journalism and I write a bit, mainly theatre stuff.” Baiel said he doesn’t watch TV, except for C-SPAN. “I’d call it a hobby of mine,” he smiled. “C-SPAN...it’s a great way to start the day.” I think I can speak for everyone in saying that West Side seriously appreciates Zach Baiel’s technological prowess. And if by any chance you’re still wondering: “is his beard actually magical?” I have to say that personally, I think the answer is destined to remain a mystery.
FAMILY ACT: A younger Alyssa Cheng and her mother perform to celebrate the Chinese new year.
photo proViDeD By aLySSa ChenG
Arts and Entertainment January 25, 2012Page 6West Side
Catwalk to Class
Hungry’s: Purdue West’s hidden gem satisfies with a bizarre, but savory mix of Greek and American-style foods.by elena Sparger
A restaurant called “Hungry’s” seemed like the perfect place to go when I was just that: hungry. I probably never would have noticed the greasy spoon had I not been made aware of it. Its inconspicuous lo-cation squished between two stores in Purdue West makes it easy to overlook. Hungry’s advertises its food as Chicago-style; its menu boasts an unusual mix of American and
Greek foods. An array of unique meals are offered, including cheeseburgers, gyros, hot dogs, vegetarian items, and some signature sandwiches including Ital-ian cheesy beef and Pizza Puff. I went during our school lunch break with three other people, and we all ordered different meals. I got the cheeseburger meal (which included a side and a drink), another ordered the gyro meal, another the chicken pita meal, and the
“Big heels = big heart.” These words of wisdom are found on Yasmeen Hafeez’s Facebook page, and epitomize her phi-losophy on life. “I’ve liked dressing up since I was a little girl, and over time it has just developed,” she says. Yasmeen describes her style as being either “re-ally edgy or really girly”, depending on her mood. “My favorite thing to wear is dresses,” she says. A typical outfit for her consists of a dress paired with tights, an essential in Yasmeen’s wardrobe. Leg wear is the reason she says fall and winter are her favorite seasons for dressing. She likes to ac-cessorize with bracelets and colorful headbands. Yasmeen shops in a variety of stores, but cites H&M as her favor-ite. “That’s like my obses-sion,” she says. She also enjoys frequenting vin-tage stores to find unique apparel at great price points. She believes that
Trendsetter Yasmeen Hafeez believes in overdressing.
Musical artist Michael Abu-Omar makes waves
by emily mack
Favorite Instrument: tie between guitar and vocals Favorite Original Song: “Gwenevere,” written for the girl-friend of one of his bandmates Favorite School Subject: Science
Photo courtesy of Michael abu-oMar
Lost in the music: Michael abu-Omar strums his guitar in a recording studio in California. His band, Seventh Day Breakdown recorded their first album last year.
For most musicians, being able to perform on-stage, making a CD, or re-cording in a professional studio is only a dream. For junior Michael Abu-Omar and his band Seventh Day Breakdown, those dreams have already become real-ity. Michael spent second se-mester of last year in Cali-fornia, where he met two other sophomores who shared his passion for mu-sic. They decided to form a band, but needed a bass player. They got in touch with another boy and Mi-chael says, “He ended up being the best addition to the group. He just man-aged everything for us re-ally well.” Michael was the lead guitarist and back-up vocalist. Once the four had a name and a group, they be-gan writing songs. Michael says songwriting is fun and describes the process as like building from the bot-tom up. Everyone’s con-tributions made songwrit-ing a group effort. “You always have a list of ideas in your head,” Michael ex-plained, “so even if some-thing doesn’t work for one song, you still have it in mind for another.” The group began play-ing gigs both for school events and outside of school. Michael describes performing on stage as “a rush. It’s always a lot of fun...performances were kind of tense and heated, but then you start getting into it and you realize mu-sic is something you can
just have fun with.” As the school year drew to a close and Michael knew he would be moving back, the band decided to do something to remem-ber him and the experience of being a band. Since they were located near San Francisco, they managed to make some arrangements to record at a professional studio, which has also re-corded artists like Death Cab for Cutie and All Time Low. “We spent three days in the studio and we worked twelve hours a day to produce four songs. At the end we got an edited, mastered CD.” Even though the band is no longer able to perform together, Michael’s passion for music still runs strong. This summer, he partici-pated in Purdue’s two-week workshop to build his own guitar. He said the quality turned out really well, and it was really cool to see the finished product at the end of two weeks. In addition to guitar, Michael also is involved in music within the school. He has played viola in the orchestra since fourth grade, is in chorale, and re-cently has began learning to play the piano. Looking towards the fu-ture, Michael says he can’t see majoring in music, but definitely wants to keep it in his life. As far as col-lege, Michael is looking to-wards a music minor with a major in either biology or pre-med. “I hope that I can always stay involved in music and keep writing, doing shows and being on stage.”
by neha ramani
Photo by Neha raMaNi
cLassy meets edgy:yasmeen blends classy and edgy with a floral pattern paired with black tights and boots.
“Be original. Just stand out. That’s what catches people’s attention.”
- Yasmeen Hafeez
last the Italian cheesy beef sandwich. My meal cost about six dollars, which I thought was a little pricey for just a cheeseburger, a drink and fries. However, they were very quick to fin-ish our orders, and when I received mine I saw that the cheeseburger was huge. Although the food was very greasy, it was equally tasty. Most notably, the fries were very popular with my group. The meat was also very good, which is a big thing for me--it’s the rea-son why I thought Fuzzy’s Tacos was so gross. The only downfall of Hungry’s that I could find was its setting, which seemed a little dirty. Hun-gry’s is one of those places you know has to be break-ing some health codes--lucky for them, the fast-
food restaurant makes up for its grimy setting in all other aspects. They also have great lunch deals which change every day. So if you’re looking for a quick, relatively cheap place with a large and var-ied menu, I would definite-ly recommend Hungry’s to satisfy your taste buds.
Location: Hungry’s Chicago Style, 1400 W. State St.Distance From School: 1.9 mi.Price/Person: $6+Genre: American and Greek foods
“it doesn’t really matter what the brand is, as long as it’s cool.” Yasmeen gets style in-spiration from Vogue, Elle, and Nylon magazines. She loves the ad spreads in Vogue, appreciates Elle’s articles that show high-end pieces side-by-side with similar pieces at lower price-points, and enjoys the originality of Nylon. Yasmeen advises that others “don’t follow trends, but follow what you like. Even if it is a trend, make sure it fits your body type.” She highlights the fact
says. “I don’t really wear shorts.” This has helped her build-up a very classy wardrobe. Very plugged in the the fashion world, Yasmeen hopes to one day attend Fashion’s Night Out, an evening of shopping and celebration hosted by Vogue magazine in NYC. “My aunt lives there and she sent me a shirt from this year.” Although Yasmeen is undecided about her future plans, she is sure that she wants to do “something that allows me to buy a ton of fabu-lous clothes.”
that it’s not necessary to spend a lot of money. Another style influence for Yasmeen is popular TV show “Gossip Girl.” “When watching ‘Gossip Girl,’ I’m always inspired,” she says, “Blair is really conservative, but she still dresses well.” A unique thing about Yasmeen is her conser-vative approach to style. “I’ve been raised to dress appropriately,” she
by alySe allred
West Side’s very own rock star accomplishes dreams during his semester in California.
2. Hangover II The Hangover
and The Hangover
II are like that one
awkward friend who
is only funny some
of the time. He tells
one really good joke
and laughs are had
andit’s a jolly good
time. But then, that
friend goes and
tells the exact same
joke, expecting peo-
ple to laugh. They
laughed the fi rst time, didn’t they? Why go and try to
be funny by making up a new joke when the old one
was so funny? Hangover II was pretty much identical to
the fi rst movie, so if you want to save money, but still
want to watch Hangover II, just watch the fi rst movie
but imagine Zach Galifi anakis with no hair.
If you were planning to enroll in Student
Publications, you were probably disappointed to
see that it does not count as an English credit
class. You see, in Indiana, the class only counts towards your graduation credit, which is great--unless your schedule is completely full and you have to take just one more English class. We believe, however, that Student Publications, but specifi cally Newspaper, should be able to fi ll up that last space in your schedule. There are many reasons why we believe “The Scarlette” should be considered an English credit course. Working on “The Scarlette” teaches us a lot about responsibility. Since we release papers every three weeks, we’re on a tight time schedule, especially because we have a small staff. For each release, each staff member writes two articles in a week; and we all chip in on the editing process. Each of us get experience using Adobe InDesign, the software that we use to design the pages, and Adobe PhotoShop, the software we use to edit pictures and make graphics. Using these programs give us a lot of experience with technology also. Missing a deadline can affect the whole paper because if articles aren’t written, they won’t be submitted to the “Journal and Courier” to be printed. This makes the class the most like a real job out of all of the classes offered at West Side. We also get to be very creative. Everyone on the staff becomes experienced at a plethora of writing styles after covering all types of articles, from news to features to opinions. For each issue, we are all assigned to write ten story ideas; and we all critique and work together to decide what we’ll actually put in the issue so that it will be the best for you, the reader. Publications also helps with communication. Many of the stories featured in “The Scarlette” involve interviewing multiple persons. All of us learn to ask questions and interview people in a polite and effective manner, and in some situations we are interviewing people we don’t know. We do understand the state’s reasoning for not accepting Student Publications as an English credit. It would be impossible to outline a curriculum for the class. Every school has a different sized staff, so some schools put out issues at different intervals, have multiple staffs, or have specialized staff members for each area of expertise. We realize that it’s not always easy to fi t in an extra class; but “The Scarlette” is truly a worthwhile class that teaches many skills that are useful for students in the future. We would love to have you on our staff!
The Staff of
The ScarletteEditor-in-ChiefHarini [email protected]
News EditorNeha [email protected]
A&E EditorElena [email protected]
Opinions EditorGrace [email protected]
Graphics EditorCrystal [email protected]
Sports EditorKathrine [email protected]
Features EditorsBriagha [email protected]
Wonho [email protected]
People EditorEmily [email protected]
Photo EditorAbby [email protected]
ReporterArthi [email protected]
Roseanne [email protected]
Mission: The Scarlette strives to create a publication that is informative, entertaining, accurate, and professional. Our mission is to serve as a valuable archive of the happenings of the school .
The Scarlette Editorial Policy: The Scarlette provides a limited forum for reader ex-pression. Letters to the editor must be received seven days prior to publication date in the box provided in the offi ce. All are subject to editing for content and length. Personal attacks and unfair attacks on business-es or unsigned letters will not be published. The edito-rial represents the views of the majority of the staff. Views printed do not necessarily refl ect the opinions of the faculty, staff, or administration of the WLCSC.A full version of our editorial policy can be found at www. scarletteonline.com Special thanks to the Journal and Courier for sponsor-ing the Scarlette.
OpinionsWest Side
PAGE 7DECEMBER 14, 2011
Every single year, Hollywood decides to release one
hot mess movie that everyone talks about and makes
fun of. It’s usually all fun and games until there’s an EN-
TIRE YEAR of these kinds of movies. That was basi-
cally what 2011 was in terms of movies. Whatever theo-
5. Glee: The 3-D Concert MovieIt’s a movie.
Oh, Ok. A movie. Nothing special.
About Glee.
Wow, really? That’s kind of lame, but I guess I’ll just
not see it.
The Concert.
Glee the concert? A movie about a concert about a
show? Seriously?
In 3-D.
WHY WOULD YOU MAKE THIS MOVIE???
WHY?
4. Jack and Jill The most upsetting thing about this movie is that it’s
only number four on the bottom ten movies of 2011. In
case you’ve never heard of Jack and Jill, it’s a “comedy”
movie starring Adam Sandler as both his own character
and his character’s twin sister. The explanation of the
movie itself is the funniest joke, until you realize that
this is a real movie. A real, 2-hour long movie. With real
actors. And real Adam Sandler. You can’t help but feel
bad for Adam Sandler, especially when you realize that
this guy used to actually be able to make people laugh.
3. Abduction Somewhat be-
cause it’s a boringly
predictable action
movie with minimal
character develop-
ment and mediocre
plot.
Mostly because
Taylor Lautner looks
way too much like a
llama for me to take
him seriously in an
action movie.
1. Twilight Breaking Dawn: Part 1 For the most part,Twilight is about a girl who is super
sad because she has two hot guys who really like her. In
this movie, she fi nally picks the pale one and they get
hitched and have a weird demon baby named Renesmee.
Renesmee. RENESMEE. What kind of name is that?
Thanks, Twilight, now there’s gonna be a bunch of Twi-
moms naming there kids Renesmee. And when “Renes-
mee” goes to kindergarten, the kids are supposed to call
her “Nessie”? No. They’re going to call her “loser” be-
cause her name is RENESMEE.
The main reason for being on the very bottom, however,
is that this movie blatantly tries to trick us into thinking
that the Twilight movies are fi nally over. There are four
books, and this is the fourth movie to be released. But
no. JUST KIDDING. We’re splitting it into two parts!
Twice the fun misery!
The worst movies of 2011BY CRYSTAL WANG
retical movies you could think of in your brain that you
would never want to be produced, ever, were produced
this year. A few movies, however stood out as hump-
back whales of terrible in an ocean of bad: The Bottom
5 movies of 2011.
STAFF EDITORIAL
Should Student Publications
be an English credit?
PAGE 8FeaturesFEbruAry 14, 2012
West Side
Valentine’s Day woes
by briagha mctavish
Here it is, Valentine’s Day, the so-called big time of your blossoming rela-tionship. But before you start freaking out about buying the perfect flowers and superfluously expen-sive jewelry for your sweet-heart, let’s take some time to fully understand this an-cient holiday. Valentine’s Day has become one of America’s most celebrated holidays, but why? Girls have this idealized view of having a day in which they have your full attention and get free stuff. Here’s some advice for this tricky situation. If your girlfriend says, “We don’t have to do any-thing for Valentines Day...” DO NOT listen to her. As Admiral Ackbar of the rebel alliance says, it’s a trap. She expects you to prepare something to do, and she’ll probably be an-noyed and slightly upset if you don’t do something. Many guys wonder to what lengths their Valen-tine activities should go. It pretty much depends on how long you’ve been in the relationship. If you’ve been dating for a long time, I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess that you can figure out for yourself what to do. If you can’t, firstly that’s pretty pathetic, and second, just think of what you know she’ll like. And if you don’t know what she likes, you should take some time to contemplate this thing you call a relationship. If your relationship is still in the baby phase, here are some tips. Don’t go all out with all the flow-ers and cards and love poems and all that other stuff that Hallmark has made you believe is con-ventional. Frankly, if you do these things, she’s sure to be creeped out and feel super uncomfortable. In this stage, keeping it cool is the best option. Take her out to one of those sappy chick flicks that you hate, or take her to a nice din-ner. Just no declarations of your undying love for her... You’ll embarrass yourself.
1. First Day of My Life bright EyesThis song is great. It’s low-key feel and meandering melody are perfect for just hanging out. The lyr-ics also aren’t cliche, which makes it mean so much more. Plus, check out the music video, it’s adorable.
Valentine’s Day issue
2. The bird and the Worm Owl CityThere may be a stigma out there about Owl City sucking, but this song certainly has a lack of suck. This song is probably the cutest thing I have ever listened to. The witty lyrics make it even more enjoy-able.
3. Crash the Party Ok GoOftentimes people only listen to sappy love songs on V-Day, but this song breaks from the homogenous mixture of sap. This song is basically about throwing usual dating customs and stereotypes out the door and just having fun with your significant other.
4. Home Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic ZeroesThis song’s Johnny Cash throwback vibe is only part of what makes it so great. The lyrics are so amazingly sincere and heartwarming I can’t help but feel my eyes get moist each time I listen to it. The bridge sec-tion is also very funny, so make sure to give it a listen.
5. How in the World Family Force FiveThis song probably falls into the more cliche part of this list, but give it a chance. The melody is strong and will definitely make you think of your significant other. Also, the song has a different feel because of its techno aspects.
6. Losing Streak The EelsDon’t let the title fool you--this is, in fact, a very happy song. All in all, this is a feel good song with an admirably quirky feel. Enjoy!
Perfect songs for a perfect nightby briagha mctavish