The Old Post SentinelIssue 14 Volume 93 Vincennes Lincoln High School’s student newspaper...since 1924 February 6, 2016

Scholastic Art winners announced It’s time to

register to

vote

This year’s Scholastic Art and Writing award winners have been announced. The following Lincoln students have

been recognized. From left, Ashley Kincaid, honorable mention in drawing/illustration; Chasity Trueblood, silver

key in printmaking; Paris Fithian, honorable mention in mixed media and in drawing/illustration; Amanda Siddall,

honorable mention in drawing/illustration; Ava Kotter, silver key in textiles and silver key in drawing/illustration;

Sophia Lane, honorable mention in drawing/illustration and for portfolio. OPS staff photo by Daniel Black.

By SCHAE JONES

OPS news editor

Democracy is founded on a

basis that everyone has a

voice. One way Americans

can use their voice and be in-

volved in their government is

to vote. This year’s election is

quickly approaching and

many students still in high

school are eligible to vote.

The presidential campaign

season is in full swing and pri-

mary season has officially

started. In order to be eligible

to vote you must be at least 18

by the next general or munic-

ipal election. If you are eligi-

ble to vote an important date

to remember is the voter reg-

istration deadline of April 4.

If you meet the require-

ments and are registered to

vote by Apr. 4, the Indiana

primary date is May 3. To

vote in the primaries, a voter’s

closest polling place can be

discovered online through

www.indianavoters.com.

Through this website, voters

can also complete their voter

registration and find more in-

formation about absentee vot-

ing.

If you do not wish to regis-

ter online, voter registration

can be completed in person at

the voter registration or

county clerk’s office, any Bu-

reau of Motor Vehicles li-

cense branch or public

assistance office.

Lincoln students leave their markBY KAITLYN

LUNSFORD

OPS staff writer

During the month of Janu-

ary the Lincoln Random

Acts of Kindness Club of-

fered a colorful fundraiser

that allowed students to per-

manently leave their mark

on LHS.

Students were able to buy

a spot on the second floor

walls to leave their hand-

print, signature, and year of

graduation.

With each handprint cost-

ing five dollars, the “Leave

Your Mark” fundraiser

reigned in a total of $535.

All proceeds from the proj-

ect will go towards needed

supplies for the animal shel-

ter.

RAK supervisor, Tanya

Stoll, hopes to bring back

the fundraiser next school

year.

“We wanted to start in De-

cember, but got busy with

several other projects and

didn't want to distract stu-

dents during finals, so we

decided to wait until this se-

mester. Then with the delays

and snow cancellations, we

were moved back again. We

hope everyone got the

chance to participate, but if

not, we will try and accom-

modate them,” said Stoll.

According to Stoll, senior

Shelby Adams lead the

fundraiser, but the rest of the

community service class had

a significant role in helping

students leave their mark.

“We'd like to thank every-

one who took part in the

project and brightened up

the hallway and helped us

raise money for the animal

shelter at the same time,”

added Stoll.

Throughout the school

year RAK produces several

projects and fundraisers for

students to partake in. How-

ever, the “Leave Your Mark”

fundraiser allowed students

to support the animal shelter,

while coloring the school

hallway with their hand-

prints.

“I hope all of our projects

and fundraisers are focused

on serving others, but this

one holds a life lesson for

those who took part in the

activity.

“No matter where you go

and what you do, you will

‘leave a mark’ with your ac-

tions and attitudes, or lack

thereof. Just like the hand-

print that was left on the

wall, we should all focus on

leaving the best ‘Mark’ pos-

sible,” elaborated Stoll.

Sophomore students take time during enrichment to leave their handprint on the sec-

ond floor walls. The Random Acts of Kindness club ran the “Leave Your Mark”

fundraiser to raise money for the local animal shelter. OPS staff photo.

Franklin places

in contestBy MACEY TIGHE

OPS staff writer

On Feb. 2, Schae Jones,

Karlye Vonderwell, and Madi-

son Franklin all competed in

the Rotary Speech contest.

All speeches had to include

themes on leadership, service,

and the Four Way Test. The

Four Way Test is a series of

questions: Is it the truth? Is it

fair to all concerned? Will it

build goodwill and better

friendships? Will it be benefi-

cial?

Both Vonderwell and Jones

were disqualified for going

over the four to six minute

time limit. Franklin received

first place.

Franklin’s speech was about

relating social media to the

Rotary’s Four Way Test. She

got inspiration for her speech

through her own feed on so-

cial media.

“The hardest part was find-

ing the right words to get

across my message,” said

Franklin.

Franklin will go to to com-

pete in the Rotary Speech dis-

trict-level competition in the

spring.

By AUTUMN RHODES

OPS staff writer

Vincennes Lincoln High

School band students have

been getting ready for in-

strumental solo and ensem-

ble contest taking place

today at Evansville North

High School. This is a com-

petition that shows the stu-

dent’s individual talent

alone, not just the talent they

have when playing with the

whole band.

Kyle Beaman, a sopho-

more, is playing the trumpet.

He will be playing the song

“Suite” by Henri Tomas. He

is also in a trio with Seth

Arnold and Dalton Might

playing the song “Jupiter

Polka.”

Students prepare a piece

for competition and then

perform in front of a judge

or judges who then critique

their playing. They are

given a score that translates

into a particular rating, with

gold being the highest.

Most importantly, they get

specific feedback from

judges on what they did well

or may need to work on.

Arnold enjoys doing the

solo and ensemble.

“It’s one of the best expe-

riences for an instrumentalist

to play and be judged alone

for how good you are,” he

said.

Beaman sees great benefit

in doing this competition.

“It helps with nerves and

getting better at playing in

front of people. It also chal-

lenges you into playing

harder music and making

you better all around.’’

He hopes to place high

among the other competi-

tors.

“I’ve been working hard

on my solo and trio for

months. Now it’s time to

show it off!” he said.

Sophomore Brett Bauer

will be playing the alto saxo-

phone version of “Air for

Alto”

By doing this, he plans on

becoming a better player and

to become more comfortable

playing by himself. He

hopes to achieve a gold rat-

ing.

In all, 25 Lincoln students

will compete today.

Adviser Haley S. Lan-

caster contributed to this

story.

Instrumental competition today in Evansville

OPS NEWS New 2-6-16:OPS Sports Template 2/4/16 3:30 PM Page 1

OpinionsOPS 2

Question of the Week: What is the worst excuse you’ve heard for not doing homework?

“One day, a student

came into class and told

me ‘My hamster ate my

homework.’”

Chaz Hendrix

science teacher

“Sorry, I fell asleep.”

Alexx Blair

junior

“I just didn’t feel like

doing it.”

Tristan Lett

senior

“My dog ate it.”

Robin Abel

freshman

Old Post Sentinel

STAFF

NeWS eDITOR:SCHAE JONES

OPINIONS eDITOR:DAVID WINBURNSPORTS eDITOR:

HANNAH WILLIAMSFeATUReS eDITOR:

JULIA ZHUCOPY eDITORS:

ANASTASIA KELLER &RACHELLE WILLIAMS

STAFF WRITeRS:GABE QUINTANILLA,

BETHANy EVANS, AUTUMNRHODES, STACy VIERRA, ANDRES AyALA, DANIELBLACK, JASLEEN KAUR,MACEy TIGHE, HAyDEN

BROWN, DAMON CLOUSE,LAUREN MCCRARy, ZACK

MCGAVIC. MACKENZIE ORR,& LUKE BLACKBURN

ADVISeR:MRS. HALEy S. LANCASTER

WeBSITe:WWW.VCSC.K12.IN.US/

LINCOLN/OLDPOSTSENTINEL.ASPx

OuR pOliCy:

Persons wishing to commenton the news or opinions re-ported in the Old post Sentinel

are encouraged to write lettersto the editor. Letters should bebrief (250 words maximum)and must be signed by the au-thor. Letters will be edited forspace, grammar, and libelousmaterial. Persons or businessesinterested in advertising in theOld post Sentinel are encour-aged to contact the editor aswell. Letters and advertising in-quiries may be mailed to Old

post Sentinel, c/o Lincoln HighSchool, 1545 S. Hart St. Rd.,Vincennes, IN 47591. Emailmay be sent to:lancasterh@vcsc.k12.in.us

linCOln HigH SCHOOl

MiSSiOn StateMent & pOliCy:

Vincennes Lincoln HighSchool is committed to educat-ing all students for success in adynamic society. Students en-rolled, or intending to enroll, atLincoln High School are notdenied enrollment in any classbecause of sex, race, color, re-ligion, national origin, or dis-ability.

Open your heart and your home to a petBy HANNAH WILLIAMS

OPS sports editor

In the United States alone,

approximately 8 million cats

and dogs are taken into shel-

ters each year. Of those 8

million, 3 million are eutha-

nized, or put down. Over

half of the animals eutha-

nized each year are treatable,

healthy animals, but there is

simply no room in the shel-

ters across the nation. These

statistics prove just how im-

portant adopting animals re-

ally is.

Adopting animals from

shelters or taking them in off

the streets is a wonderful

thing many families should

consider. These adopted pets

would become beloved, irre-

placeable members of their

families.

Rescuing a shelter animal

is an extremely fulfilling

deed. Coming home to a

happy, healthy, and grateful

animal is a fantastic reward

after adoption.

There are plenty more rea-

sons to adopt animals.

Adopting animals gives

everyone the chance to save

a life. Saving an animal

from an overpopulated shel-

ter results in a loving, life-

long friend and helps local

shelters. Shelters with too

many animals require more

food, veterinary help, and

volunteers.

The act of adopting an ani-

mal prevents cruel puppy

mills from receiving bene-

fits, helps regulate the num-

ber of homeless animals on

the streets, and gives a de-

serving animal a loving

home.

Puppy mills across the na-

tion are large-scale commer-

cial dog breeding

establishments where profit

is a priority over the well-

being of the dogs. These es-

tablishments are inhumane

and cruel. Adopting animals

from shelters allows these

businesses to fail.

Adopting any animal is a

life changing event. Adop-

tion not only changes your

life, but the animal’s as well.

Preparation before adopt-

ing an animal is the number

one priority. Animals need

suitable living space, the

correct food, and a loving

family. With all of this, there

is no doubt that an adopted

animal would become the

perfect addition to any fam-

ily.

Many different kinds of

animals are taken into shel-

ters. The amount of animals

available makes it that much

easier to find an animal you

connect with.

Often times people choose

against adoption because

they want a specific breed of

animal or a specific age.

Purebred young animals are

not the only animals that

will make good pets.

It has been proven that

having a pet makes you hap-

pier and healthier. Those

who cannot adopt but want

to, can still help out with

sheltered animals. There is

always a need for volunteers

at local shelters and humane

societies.

Theater can open your mind Review: ‘Creed’By ZAK MCGAVIC

OPS staff writer

I recently watched the

movie “Creed” and I really

enjoyed this film. This film

was an inspiring sequel to all

of the Rocky movies.

The film is inspired by the

death of Apollo Creed, for-

merly played by Carl Weath-

ers, the friend and opponent

of Sylvester Stalone’s Rocky.

Michael B. Jordan plays

Adonis Creed, the long lost

son of Apollo. Adonis was a

troubled youngster who

started out in a group home

and then was moved to a de-

tention hall after getting into

some trouble.

As Adonis grows older and

stronger, he moves in with

Apollo’s wife and he is

spoiled and treated like roy-

alty. He started fighting from

a young age and learned to

live on the streets as well as at

home with Mrs. Creed.

He goes on a wild adven-

ture to find himself as a

fighter after quitting his day

job.

He goes to Philadelphia to

find long time friend and

enemy of his father, Rocky

Balboa. Rocky was a boxing

champion for years and met

Apollo twice in the ring and

was also trained by Apollo.

Adonis works as hard as he

can to be trained by rocky

after being turned down sev-

eral times by Balboa.

Adonis is successful in his

fighting career. This movie

shows you that no matter how

rough you started out you can

still finish on top.

“Creed” was released in

November and is rated PG-

13.

By ANASTASIA KELLER

OPS copy editor

Trying arts in your high

school career is an amazing

activity to be involved in.

The arts allow you to be cre-

ative and learn more about

yourself. Being involved in

the arts such as marching

band, choir, the musicals, the

plays, art, photography,

stage crew, and technical

theatre while extremely fun

also looks great on college

applications.

I've been involved in choir

for four years and the spring

musicals at Lincoln High

School for three years. In

that time I have learned

amazing stage presence and

I've felt more confident in

myself. I think the arts are

definitely something every-

one should try.

You don't have to be able

to sing, dance, or draw to be

involved in the arts. You can

help make the magic happen

behind the scenes at your

school plays and musicals.

Studies by the University

of Sydney's Faculty of Edu-

cation and Social Work and

the Australian Council for

the Arts have shown that stu-

dents who participate in the

arts have higher self-esteem,

drive, motivation, life satis-

faction, and are involved in

class more.

Not only do the arts im-

prove your learning ability

and wellbeing, they are

where you meet diverse peo-

ple. You are surrounded by

people who share a common

passion but at the same time

are entirely different from

you. Everyone involved in

the arts have their own

uniqueness and talents that

they bring together and cre-

ate something special.

Being involved in the arts

is also a great stress reliever.

For the last four years I've

been involved in the arts

anytime I needed a break

from homework and daily

stress I've looked to the arts

to feel better. The arts are all

about bringing joy to the in-

tended audience and the peo-

ple around you. It's a perfect

escape from daily struggles

and stressful times.

Many people think that the

arts are only for a certain

group of people but that's far

from true. Anyone can be in-

volved and bring their own

individuality into art. That's

what makes the arts impor-

tant and worth trying.

KNOX COUNTY

COMMUNITY FOUNDA-

TION SCHOLARSHIPS

All scholarships are avail-

able at https://www.commu-

nityfoundationalliance.org/kn

ox/scholarships/ and due by

Feb. 15.

Heather Bird Memorial

Scholarship ($1000)

Scholarship for dependents

of active members of the Vin-

cennes Township Fire De-

partment with at least one

year of service.

Jay Lampton Memorial

Scholarship (TBD)

Applicants must plan to

pursue a degree in auto me-

chanics.

McKinley Avenue Presby-

terian Church Student Schol-

arship ($650)

Persis McClure Hurst Me-

morial Scholarship ($1200)

Graduating seniors with an

interest in English or history

or plan to pursue a major in

English or history.

Robert W. Nordhorn Me-

morial Scholarship ($400)

This is for seniors who are

enrolled in Technical Theatre,

Band, or Choir or who have

participated in theatre or mu-

sical productions.

Schott North America

Scholarship ($1000)

Dependents of employees

for Schott North America or

Gemtron Corporation facili-

ties may apply for this schol-

arship.

Velma and Herbert Pep-

meier Scholarship (two

$4000 awards)

This is for graduating high

school seniors who are affili-

ated with St. Johns United

Church of Christ in Vin-

cennes or Bethel Church in

Freelandville.

Zack Arnold Memorial

Scholarship ($1500)

Seniors who have been a

member of the high school

golf team for at least two

years may apply.

Issue 14:OPS Sports Template 2/4/16 3:36 PM Page 1

Sports OPS 3

Lincoln ScoreboardBOYS BASKETBALL

vs. Evansville Harrison Jan. 29

Junior Varsity 56-44 Won

Varsity 55-48 Lost

at South Knox Jan. 27

Freshman 35-32 Lost

GIRLS BASKETBALL

at Pike Central Feb. 2

Varsity 61-26 Won

vs. Mount Carmel Jan. 28

Junior Varsity 48-40 Won

Varsity 40-22 Won

SWIMMING

Boys

vs. Gibson Southern Jan. 28

Varsity Won 92-84

Girls

vs. Gibson Southern Jan. 28

Varsity 162-59 Won

WRESTLING

at Castle IHSAA Sectional Jan. 30

Placed 9th

ScheduleBASKETBALL

Feb. 6 vs. Pike Central

Feb. 12 vs. Boonville

Feb. 13 vs. Heritage Hills

BOYS SWIMMING

Feb. 8 at F J Reitz High School--Lloyd Pool

GIRLS SWIMMING

Feb. 6 at Jasper--Sectional

BOYS WRESTLING

Feb. 6 at Castle--Regional

Feb. 13 at Evansville Central--Semi State

Students partake in YMCA ballBy LUKE BLACKBURN

OPS staff writer

Here in Indiana, we play

basketball. Whether it be

with a school, local organi-

zation, or just out in the

driveway, there’s always a

game to be found. For

some, the NBA pipedream

carries out all the way

through high school. For

others, it dies young. But

for three groups of Lincoln

students, there is still a game

to be found outside the walls

of Alice Arena.

YMCA high school

league, formally known as

church league, kicked off its

season on Monday. The sea-

son will be four weeks long

with each team playing two

games a week. The league

has a very low number this

year with only four teams.

However, three of those

teams are from Lincoln.

One Lincoln student, Jere-

miah Brooks, is a huge fan

of playing in the YMCA

league.

“I just love playing with

the squad,” he said after the

game on Monday. “But I re-

ally want to beat the South

Knox team.”

Brooks and the rest of his

team come to play for a

number of reasons. Most

players come out to play the

legendary Indiana past time.

However, Lincoln senior

Blake Barmes has a different

reasons.

“I play to impress girls

with my sick moves,” said

Barmes.

With such little numbers

this year, the tournament

championship should feel

very much in the grasp of all

four teams. Barmes is very

confident in his team in the

tournament.

“We have a 25 percent

chance of winning, so I like

our odds,” he mentioned.

Through the past few years

in YMCA league, a team’s

choice of coach has been a

big deal. This year Brooks’

team, known as the Scrubs,

chose girls’ tennis coach

David Bruner to lead the

way. With a 1-0 record, it is

proving to be the correct

choice.

“I think he deserves coach

of the year,” Brooks said.

“There is no one better.”

Games are on Mondays

and Thursdays at 7 and 8

p.m. There is no charge for

admission. However, there

is a never-ending flow of en-

tertainment from players and

coaches alike.

Athlete of the Week: Jalen CardinalBy GABRIEL QUINTANILLA

OPS staff writer

This week's athlete of the

week is freshman Jalen Car-

dinal. He is the son of Greg

and Shawn Cardinal. He also

has a sister, Alexa Cardinal.

Cardinal has been playing

basketball for eight years.

He also is involved in base-

ball and football. He is also

a member of the Interact

Club.

Cardinal’s most memo-

rable sports moments are

playing with his teammate

Anthony Smith.

Seattle Seahawks quarter-

back Russell Wilson is Car-

dinal’s most admired athlete.

“I admire his work

ethic on and off the

field. He also displays

good character and

sportsmanship.”

Cardinal’s post-high

school plans are to

play baseball for Indi-

ana University. His

off-season activities

are attending camps

and practicing for the

sport in season.

What Cardinal has

learned for sports is,

“The value of team-

work and to be ac-

countable.”

His advice to

younger athletes is,

“Always give it your all andalways listen and respect

your coaches.”

Contributed photo.

Superbowl odds: It’s the Panthers’ yearBy LUKE BLACKBURN

OPS staff writer

The sports question of the

past two weeks is obvious.

Who will win the Super

Bowl?

Can Peyton Manning com-

pletely put a cherry on top of

his legendary career with a

possibly final Super Bowl

ring? Or can MVP-hopeful

Cam Newton dab one final

time on his already incredible

season? Unfortunately,

Hoosiers may come out dis-

appointed when time runs out

on tomorrow night.

While Manning’s career has

been incredible, this year was

by far his worst. He threw

just nine touchdowns, with 17

interceptions and a passer rat-

ing of just 67.9. To put that in

perspective, Cam Newton’s

passer rating was a 99.4 at the

end of regular season. Man-

ning will go up against a Car-

olina defense that is hands

down the best this year. Line-

backer Luke Kuechly was

listed as the best player in the

entire Super Bowl by

ESPN.com.

Beyond the stats, the Pan-

thers are just clicking on all

cylinders. They have one reg-

ular season loss with a sched-

ule that is easily one of the

toughest. They had some se-

rious doubters throughout the

season.

Admittedly, I was one of

them.

But if anything was to en-

sure their legitimacy it would

be their win against Arizona.

Arizona actually led the

power rankings coming into

the playoffs and they were

undoubtedly a powerhouse.

After a 49-15 routing of that

powerhouse, the Panthers

proved they are not to be

beaten. They are also favored

by Vegas betters.

The 50th anniversary Super

Bowl champion will be the

Carolina Panthers. Their

swagger and winning attitude

makes them a public enemy.

It just so happens that those

traits also put them that ahead

of the Broncos.

Admittedly, I would love to

see Manning’s career end

with a win. If anyone de-

serves it, it’s him. But some-

times teams are just too

talented and building momen-

tum. That team is the Car-

olina Panthers.

Girls basketball sectional

wraps up tonightBY LAUREN McCRARY

OPS staff writer

On Feb. 2, the girls basketball team crushed the Pike Cen-

tral Chargers in Round 1 of sectionals. They are very happy

about their draw, with Princeton on the other side of the

bracket.

“I felt like we were straight ballin’ last night!” said sopho-

more Lindsey Sparks on Wednesday. “The bus ride to and

from the game was fun and exciting!”

The girls got the victory over Pike Central with a score of

61-26. Every player who came off the bench scored, with

junior Allison Hein and sophomore Abi Haynes each pulling

10 points.

Usually a top scorer, Jenee Goodwin had to sit this round

out due to injury.

Sophomore Chasity Trueblood brought in 7 points, as did

fellow sophomore Sparks.

“We played a great game, got the dub and Round 1 is fin-

ished. We still climbing!” said Haynes.

“We have to cheer each other on and push each other to get

better” says senior Shelby Boger. “We have to play our best

and fight for that sectional win.”

In the semi-finals last night the Lady Alices faced rival

Jasper Wildcats to advance to the championship. Due to OPS

publishing deadlines, we are unable to report the outcome of

that game.

“It’s sectional week, so we are already pumped up to play

but we have to keep encouraging everyone and keep our

spirits high,” senior Lauren Frederick said. “Our goal is to

win sectionals and even beyond.”

The Lady Alices have not taken a sectional title since

2009.

The championship game is tonight at 6:30 at Princeton.

OPS adviser Haley S. Lancaster contributed to this story.

Read the OPS online and in coloreach week at

http://www.vcsc.k12.in.us/lincoln/OldPostSentinel.aspx

We’re also on Twitter! @LincolnOPS

OPS Sports 2-6-16:OPS Sports Template 2/4/16 3:41 PM Page 1

FeaturesOPS 4

Senior Spotlight: Trent McCrary

By JULIA ZHU

OPS features editor

This week’s senior spot-

light belongs to Trent Mc-

Crary. Trent is the son of

Troy and Chris McCrary and

the brother to Corbin and

Lauren. He has a dog named

Casper and a cat named Jas-

min.

His hobbies include hang-

ing out with his friends,

playing ping pong and bas-

ketball, and hanging out

with his girlfriend, South

Knox senior Macy

Flaningam.

McCrary is a member of

the Kiwanis Key Club, Teen

Court, National Honor Soci-

ety, and Varsity Men. He is

also a varsity member of

both the baseball and tennis

teams.

McCrary’s post high

school plans are to either at-

tend Purdue or attend Vin-

cennes University and then

later transfer to Purdue. He

plans on studying pharmacy

and currently has an intern-

ship at Walgreen’s phar-

macy.

His favorite teachers are

Steve Toy, Kreg Battles,

and Kevin Myers.

“You’re never a loser

until you quit trying,” by

Mike Ditka is his favorite

quote.

McCrary’s most memo-

rable moment is going to

the semi-state basketball

game in 2015, and his most

embarrassing moment was

attending the wrong class

for half a period his fresh-

man year.

His favorite books are the

Harry Potter books and his

favorite television show is

“The 100.”

McCrary’s favorite part of

attending Lincoln are the

“great teachers” and sporting

events.

His advice to underclass-

men is to take part of the in-

ternship program their senior

year.

“You will love it!” he ex-

claimed.

Contributed photo

Artist of the Week:

Alycia Bickel

By MACKENZIE ORR

OPS staff writer

This week’s artist of the

week is Alycia Bickel.

Bickel is a member of the

Vincennes Lincoln Accents

Choir.

She is the daughter of

Jason and Stacee Bickel. She

is older than her five broth-

ers, Jeremiah, Lucas, Jonah,

Elijah, and Jude.

Bickel became a part of

chorus in the seventh grade.

She had heard about it from

a friend and quickly became

involved.

She likes what choir offers

her that other extracurricu-

lars don’t.

“I do not have many tal-

ents nor am I athletic, so it

helps to build confidence,”

she stated.

Bickel has been involved

with the Lincoln High

School choir for three years

and has participated in Old

Town Players productions

for two years.

She participates in stage

crew for the middle and

high school musical produc-

tions, helping to build sets

and working behind the

scenes.

Her vocal mentors are in-

structor Mark Snyder and

students Sara Hillyard and

Annie Keller.

Her favorite singers are

Brandon Urie, Patrick

Stump, and Tyler Josph.

“They put so much emo-

tion into their singing,” said

Bickel.

Bickel plans to continue

her vocal music after high

school. She wants to attend

Vincennes University for

two years then further her

studies at the University of

Southern Indiana to become

a counselor.

Her advice to young artists

is, “ Don’t let other people

or groups shake your confi-

dence, Keep your head

high.”

OPS photpo by Mackenzie Orr

Senior Spotlight:

Mark AbendrothBy DANIEL

BLACK

OPS staff

writer

This week's

senior spot-

light is Mark

Abendroth. He

was born in

Terre Haute,

Indiana to his

parents, Kirk

and Leah

Abendroth.

Abendroth has an older sister

Valerie, a dog named Footy,

and a cat named Sofie.

Abendroth spends his time

hanging out with friends,

playing video games, partici-

pating in drumline, lifting,

and working at JCPenneys.

Abendroth is involved in

Tri-M Society, Batteries Not

Included improv group,

marching band, and the win-

ter drumline.

After high school, Aben-

droth plans to attend Indiana

University to major in game

design with a concentration

in production so he can

achieve his career goal as a

successful game developer.

Abendroth’s favorite

teachers are Steve Toy, Seth

Skelton, Kreg Battles, Amy

Shoemaker and Carly Tibbs.

Abendroth’s favorite thing

about Lincoln is the sense of

school spirit and pride,

which is also why one of his

favorite moments at Lincoln

was being at the regional

basketball game last year

cheering on his team.

His advice to underclass-

men is to “Make friends with

your teachers and do your

homework as soon as possi-

ble!”

OPS photo by Julia Zhu

Around the VCSC:

Schools take a positive approachBY STACY VIERRA

OPS staff writer

Positive Behavior Inter-

vention Support is a program

invented to help students

everywhere promote good

behavior and reward them

when they are caught being

good. This is a worldwide

program, and our four ele-

mentary schools have a

PBIS program. They’ve

been in place since 2008.

While the program is essen-

tially the same, each school

handles it differently.

“[Principal Kelly] Mc-

Carty brought the idea to my

attention-she had been read-

ing up on approaches to deal

with behavior, and liked

what she saw,” said Valerie

Kelly, teacher at Francis

Vigo Elementary and PBIS

coach. “This is the first re-

ward program that is this in-

tensive. As the coach I had

14 days of training the first

year, followed by 12 days

the second. It's a well

thought out program and the

Universal Team of teachers

were included on 6-8 train-

ing days that second year so

it was done in a very thor-

ough manner.”

Ever since then, Vigo has

trained faculty in how to im-

plement the program with

their students with slogan

the Bulldog Be’s : Be Re-

spectful, Be Responsible, Be

Prepared, and Be Your Best.

“Students are given Lucky

Bulldogs for Positive behav-

ior seen throughout the day.

On Thursdays, one lucky

name is drawn from each

room. Those students get to

eat at the Lucky Bulldog

table in the cafeteria.

[Christy] Jarvis, our social

worker, has fun activities for

them. Then, one of those stu-

dents is chosen as the overall

weekly winner. His or her

name appears on the sign

outside the building, and

later he or she will eat pizza

with the principal. When our

doghouse is full of Lucky

Bulldog certificates, we have

an all-school celebration. It

can be anywhere from a

dance party outside, to in-

door Bingo, or a snack of

Hugs (drinks) and Kisses

(Hershey’s)” said Kelly.

There are great benefits to

the program.

“Although there are times

when we have to remind and

reteach, it's wonderful seeing

them beam because they

know their behavior is good.

It makes it easy for the

teachers because we use the

same language and system

through the school so we can

be helpful with all students,

not just our own,” Kelly ex-

plained. “Our parents are al-

ways very supportive of

anything that helps our stu-

dents be their best.”

Tecumseh-Harrison Ele-

mentary has been using the

program for four years and

believes that it's important to

build positive relationship

with kids. They also use the

“Be’s” as their slogan every

morning. When following

the expectations of the build-

ing students receive what

they call Eagle Feathers as

rewards and when the

Eagle’s nest is full they have

PBIS celebrations.

At Benjamin Franklin Ele-

mentary School, students are

rewarded with Benjamins--a

reward ticket--for going

above and beyond, having

good behavior, kindness, ac-

ademic achievement and

also student of the week.

“Students are excited to

earn Benjamins and to at-

tend the reward activities,”

said Beth Lindsey, social

worker for Franklin. “We

have parents that help with

our events as they arrive.”

James Whitcomb Riley El-

ementary Students have

PAW powers that they can

earn for their behavior, and

they can be turned in for in-

dividual rewards and then

classroom and school wide

rewards take place as well

for following expectations.

“...it's wonder-

ful seeing them

beam because

they know their

behavior is

good.”

--Valerie Kelly

teacher

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