INKLI NGSVolume 75 Issue 6 • Crown Point High School • 1500 S. Main Street Crown Point, IN 46307 • inklings@cps.k12.in.usFeb. 28, 2011 •

EgyptA struggle over leadership in Egypt has left CPHS students feeling worried for their families in Egypt. pg. 2

VegetarianismSome students give up steak dinners for salad entrees when they choose to be a vegetarian. pg. 6

What’s weighing down your backpack?Carrying around backpacks stuffed to the brim can leave students com-plaining about back pain. We break down what is in these backpacks and how much each item weighs, leading to these adverse effects on students’

backs. pg. 9

know

The Crown Point Community Foundation’s blood drive and volunteer fair will take place on March 5 at the CPHS Cafeteria from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Students can get one hour of community service, as well as a free pair of pants.

The number one state ranked Bulldog wrestling team had two individual state champions, junior Jason Tsirtsis and senior Eric Roach. Three other wrestlers placed at the IHSAA state finals.

Senior Tyler Croell won the sectional in diving. Twelve other swimmers qualified for the IHSAA state meet. Sophomore Johnny Lynk, junior Michael Kukurugya, and seniors Marcus Trybula and Blake Yeager won the sectional in the 400 Free Relay, and also set a new pool and school record. Swim coach Doug Norris was voted the Sectional Coach of the Year for 2011.

Senior Michael Albrecht became a 1,000 career point scorer for the Bulldogs varsity basketball team in a victory over Lowell.

The dance team placed fourth in pom and ninth in kick at nationals.

Donate blood for community service

Athletes earn individual, team accolades

Free prom dresses given out on March 5

theIN

Students who are not able to buy a prom dress can get one for free on March 5 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 3120 115th St. in Highland. Students must bring their school I.D.

Reforms on the table

Education reforms

Teachers and parents gathered at the Capital building in Indianapolis on Feb. 8 to rally against the charter school reform. The House voted in favor of charter school expansion in a 59-39 vote. Other reforms include having teachers’ salaries be based off of merit pay.

Photos Provided

Merit Pay

Superintendent licensesLimited collective bargaining

Union representatives may only negotiate • wages salary and wage related fringe ben-efits and prohibits certain subjects from being bargained collectively.

Repeals provisions concerning minimum • salary and salary increments for teachers.

Experience may count for only 33 • percent of pay

Teacher evaluations will be tied to stu-• dent test scores and performance.

No automatic pay for master degrees• Teachers may evaluate other teachers•

If a teacher is rated as “Needs Improve-• ment” or “Ineffective,” they cannot receive a pay increase for the next year.

A superintendent of schools is not required • to hold a teacher’s or superintendent’s license

Repeals a requirement that a county su-• perintendent of schools must have five years of successful teaching experience and hold a superintendent’s license.

Charter schoolsAllows charter schools to purchase or lease •

an under-utilized building owned by school corporations for $1.

Allows up to 50 percent of the teachers in a • charter school to be unlicensed.

Requires uniform and consistent transfer of • credits for students who transfer from a char-ter school to a public school.

Proposed education changes lead teachers, parents to rally

Senior Marcus Trybula celebrates his swimming win.

Indiana public schools have seen change, and experienced scare, with the budget cuts that plagued corporations throughout the state. But different financing isn’t the only change that schools are now facing. Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels and the General Assembly have made several proposals with a call to action on educational reform.

“New things are being proposed everyday,” math teacher Michael David said. “Some may not even be in writing yet.”

The reform agenda has spurred controversy. House Democrats left the state to prevent voting on bills they say will have a negative impact on workers and public education in the state.

“We (as teachers) are not sure there’s a clear picture of what these changes will accomplish and make better for students,” David said. “We’re not opposed to change, but we like to talk

about the change so we can buy into it and understand it and its benefits.”

One of the first changes that created waves was the House’s 59-39 vote in favor of charter school expansion on Feb. 8. Charter schools are public schools that are free of certain state requirements and, often times, are free of union contracts. Not all teachers in these schools must be certified or have any background in education, and the funding for these schools comes from the surrounding public community schools’ funds and taxpayer money.

“The premise of charter schools is to provide an opportunity for failing students to go somewhere else to be educated within their own community,” David said.

The funding for these schools is being questioned at a time where public schools are already dealing with low funds and a budget crisis.

“Charter schools would take from the pot of money we use for public schools and thin it out,” David said.

Social Studies teacher Paula Barancyk echoes David’s statement.

“Charter schools would use public funds (tax payer money) to fund them. Our schools have already seen big cuts in funding ($300 million worth), so we would see even further cuts to our funds,” Barancyk said. “Public teachers believe in public education.”

Out of the 25 lowest performing schools in Indiana, 21 of those were charter schools according to a recent listing of test performance.

“Unfortunately right now in the state, charter schools are in the lowest performing schools,” David said. “It’s still a fairly new concept.”

“(Charter schools) are not a proven solution to the problem of improving education],” Barancyk said.

The charter school bill still needs to go to the Senate before approval. During the duration of that time before it gets there, there’s a chance that changes could be made to it.

“Not everything is a done deal, and not all proposals may go through,” David said.

By Kelly Rostinmanaging editor

continued on pg. 2

It was hard to turn the television on and not see the news saying something new about the Egyptian protests during the end of January and early February. The protests continued to rise in the city of Cairo for seven days, until the former dictator, Hosni Mubarak, resigned from office on Feb. 11.

“I was really worried about my family in Egypt, especially when the internet cut out because we had no way of knowing what was going on with them,” junior Haajar Shaaban said.

By Feb. 2, all communications to Egypt were cut off including Facebook, Twitter, and even cell phone services. In addition, Mubarak had set a curfew on protesters from 6:00 pm to 7:00 am, where Egyptian citizens were banned from the streets. In the midst of all the protests, rules were barely followed. Mubarak even announced during his term that his son, Gamal Mubarak, would be the one to next “take the throne,” practically establishing a monarchy in Egypt. The Egyptians were, to say the least, not happy about these restrictions.

The hostility towards Mubarak intensified in 2005 when a presidential election was held to switch him out of office with Ayman Nour. However, right after Nour won the elections, Mubarak conveniently called a state of panic and jailed Nour. Even

though Egypt is over 7000 miles away, the protests still impacted many people in the U.S. and even students here at CPHS.

“Being so far away from my family (in Egypt) proved to be most difficult during the protests because I knew at any given moment something could have happened to them in all the chaos,” junior Mona Nour said. “At the same time, I was jealous because they had the opportunity to witness the revolution in person.”

Because of the internet blackout it was hard to get immediate feedback on what exactly was happening in Egypt.

“I was constantly checking my cell phone during school just waiting for the screen to light up for a new text message from my older sister, who was constantly watching television for updates on what was happening,” Nour said.

During school, Nour received sparse texts from her sister that said such things as, “The police have joined the protesters,” and “The army has been called now so it’s about to get real.”

When Mubarak finally resigned, much celebration was in order. Protesters celebrated in Tahrir Square for days.

However, plans had to be made immediately on what was to happen for the new government in Egypt, and are still in progress.

The current government of Egypt is a republic under the rule

of the military with legislative powers being held within the People’s Assembly.

“I hope that the Egyptians will

be able to work together peacefully to create a more democratic and successful government,” Shaaban said.

Other reforms deal with changes to teacher salaries. These include merit pay, which is teacher pay based on student performance, and capping teacher salaries.

“Right now, teacher salaries are based on their level of education and experience. Capping teacher salaries means that only 33 percent of teacher salary would be based on that, and the rest on student performance,” Barancyk said.

Capping salaries is not to be confused with the separate merit pay proposal, meaning that teacher salaries are based on student performance. Different teachers would be paid varying salaries depending on their students’ statistical performances. Part of the proposal includes a statement that non-educational people could be responsible for teacher evaluations that can impact a teacher’s salary.

“Merit pay takes away the open environment for individuals to share ideas, practices, and approaches that would benefit students,” David said. “Teachers may resort to practices that would not necessarily benefit students like ‘teaching to the test’ because that is what their salaries are based off of.”

Merit pay would more or less, lead teachers to compete for the best student results, which both David and Barancyk agree creates more problems than it will solve by negatively

affecting students in the long run. “Beginning teachers depend on

collaboration to learn what works,” Barancyk said. “It just seems like an unwelcoming environment.”

Students like senior Sean Crary, who is looking to become a teacher one day, are directly affected by the changes.

“The new changes make me never want to teach in Indiana,” Crary said. “It seems that the teachers are unappreciated. It’s unfair because, to me, teaching is the most honorable profession.”

Crary does not see merit pay as a positive change.

“I disagree with merit pay in general. It would force teachers to just teach to a test. That takes away from the whole point of teaching,” Crary said.

“There’s no data to prove that (merit pay) is beneficial. There needs to be concrete evidence that proves the case,” Barancyk said.

These are only the beginning of the proposed changes. Senate Bill 575, which passed the first House as of press time, limits collective bargaining for teachers. Under this bill, teachers would only be allowed to negotiate wages salary and wage related fringe benefits. It prohibits certain subjects from being bargained collectively and removes items from the list of discussion subjects between a school employer and representative..

Like Crary, senior Lexi Diamond plans to become a teacher one day.

“Teaching should not be taken lightly. The basis of everything in your life is what you learn in school,” Diamond said. “My concern going into teaching now is making enough to support my family. Teaching is rewarding no matter what, but it’s nice to have security.”

It’s not just students who feel strongly about the reform. Teachers opposed to numerous educational reforms on the politcal agenda attended a teacher rally at the Capital building in Indianapolis held on Feb. 8., while the House was debating the issue of charter schools.

“The rally was wonderful. It was uplifting to see a lot of other people there who have the same concerns as you do. We’re not alone,” David said.

Barancyk enjoyed the rally as well.“For veteran teachers, this is our career.

We’ve dedicated our life to this, and we work very hard at our jobs,” Barancyk said. “I just don’t see these changes as being beneficial to education in the state.”

While proposals are in the works, changes can still be made during the legislative process. New proposals will also continue to make their appearance as time goes on.

“Change is most efficient when people can truly buy into it. Most of us don’t like change, but we’ll accommodate it if we see what the change will accomplish,” David said. “We (as teachers) are just not sure there’s a clear picture of what all this change will accomplish and make better for the students.”

New Facul-

News February 28, 20112Egyptian political battle hits home

By Alexa Grady staff reporter

Roosevelt students do exchange with StuCo

St. Baldrick’s and Locks of Love will • take place on March 24 during the school day in the main gym.

March 3-5Six Weeks Assessments

Student/Teacher Olympics is on March • 24.

miscellaneous

the loopIN

Protesters gathered outside of the Egyptian embassy in Chicago on Jan. 29 to protest against former Egyptian president Hosny Mubarak’s regime.

Photo by Mona nour

The senior graduation assembly will • be on March 23 from 8 to 8:40 a.m. in the auditorium.

Education reformscontinued from pg. 1

March 11Spring Musical begins

CPHS @ 7 p.m. Repeat performances are:

March 12 @ 7 p.m.March 13 @ 2:30 p.m.

March 18 @ 7 p.m.March 19 @ 7 p.m.

Winter Sports Awards Program @ 6:30 p.m.

Having a student that is from a different country sitting next to you in a class can be interesting as well as, educational. Germany, Spain, China, and many other countries often send students to the U.S. to gain a new level of education. Likewise, Crown Point’s Student Council has been working on a local exchange that will offer students at another high school an experience at Crown Point.

“We will be having the exchange with Roosevelt High School,” said Student Council sponsor Rachele Raloff.

Roosevelt High School is located in Gary and has a Student Council seeking to learn more. The visiting students will be here from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Feb. 25.

The students that will be attending CPHS from Roosevelt will go to normal classes, have a Student Council idea share meeting, participate in ice breakers and go to lunch with students. Having the student exchange will help both schools with their student council status. Crown Point student council members will not be attending Rooselvelt though, yet they will still be in Honor Council as long as Roosevelt students visits.

“As an Honor Council, we need to adopt a non-Honor Council and guide them with Student Council activities in order to remain an Honor Council,” said Raloff.

This student exchange is mandatory in the state of Indiana if they want to remain an Honor Council. It also helps Roosevelt.

“Having the school exchange allows Roosevelt to also be an Honor Council also,” said sophomore student body president Alexis Hesser.

Whether students travel across continents or just across the county, Crown Point welcomes all types of students.

“It’s a unique opportunity for students of different backgrounds to broaden both of their horizons,” said student council co-sponser Vince Bauters.

Country’s struggle with overthrowing a leader leaves lasting mark

March 16

By Garret Hogancopy editor

News 3February 28, 2011

Decathlon and BPA head to state

By Arley Gomeznews editor

After several weeks of practicing rhythms, intonation, dynamics, and all other aspects of music, many Crown Point students have qualified for the ISSMA state competition, and 32 students plan to attend.

Students involved in band, choir, and/or orchestra have the opportunity to participate in a regional solo and ensemble competition known as ISSMA, or Indiana State School Music Association. Many students did, and some have even qualified for state. In fact, 21 students from orchestra, eight students from band, and three students from choir are planning to attend. In addition to this, Chamber Orchestra and four out of five band ensembles qualified. Chamber even received a perfect score of nine.

“We’ve had a very good year at ISSMA. We received 42 gold medals and 12 silver,” said orchestra director James Deal.

Performers are scored in nine categories. Similar to golf, performers want to receive low scores. A one in each category would add up to a total of nine - a perfect.

“We’re very proud of our perfect score. Getting a perfect is very rare. They played Vivaldi,” said Deal. Vivaldi is a composer who wrote music during the Baroque period.

One student who became strikingly close to a nine was sophomore Rayne Kim, who is the concertmaster of the Symphony Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra.

“I got a 10.5--1.5 away from a perfect,” Kim said.

Kim has gone to state twice already. This will be her third year.

Senior French horn player Andy VandenBerg had to be ready to improvise.

“I was planning on doing two (performances), my solo and a horn quartet. But in a group from Gary, one of their people didn’t show up, and I had to sight read their music,” VandenBerg said. Sight reading is referred to as the first time one plays a song.

This year, regional ISSMA for band and orchestra was held at CPHS and yielded many “home advantages.”

“I felt less nervous and knew where everything was. It was convenient; it was close to my house,” said Kim.

Band director Johann Sletto and Deal agree. Sletto cites the “educational value” as one of the benefits.

“Our students are able to see everyone else perform, and there’s great educational value in that. They could talk to judges. There is a sort of ‘home court advantage.’ They knew where rooms were, and it was close to home, so they didn’t have to drive far,” Sletto said.

“We didn’t have to haul equipment and roam around hallways that we weren’t familiar with. The instruments are all here,” said Deal.

Choir does things a little differently. Their solo contest was also held this February in Munster, but their ensemble contest is in April.

“Most students received gold,” said current choir director Josh Stierley, who is a long-term substitute for Joanne Borodine. “We’re excited about taking choirs in

April.” Before students qualified for state, they had to perform

well at the regional ISSMA. Participants have worked hard to prepare themselves for the competition.

“I practiced playing in front of some people and practiced playing with the metronome. I listened to the recording of my song,” Kim said. (For those that are not educated in music, a metronome is a device that sets the beat out loud so it is easier to adhere to the tempo.)

“I take voice lessons once or twice a week. We sometimes skipped choir to practice our songs,” said senior choir student Alex Follmar.

With regards to state ISSMA, some pressure to do well exists.

“I got a silver last year, and I was really upset. Since this is my last time, I want to go out on a good note,” said VandenBerg. “My lesson teacher is strict and puts a lot of pressure on me.”

Though some students, like VandenBerg, are feeling the pressure, others are looking forward to state.

“I’m really excited. I’ve never been there, so I don’t know what to expect,” said Follmar. “I just want to go because it’s my senior year and it will be the last time I’ll ever do it.”

Because of the impressive performances and student participation, the directors are very proud.

“(ISSMA) improves the quality of orchestra by giving students a tangible goal to work for. I’m extremely proud of their successes,” Deal said.

Students show off musical talents at annual competition

By Katrina Zdanowiczstaff reporter

Although they live in a tiny corner of Northwest Indiana, Crown Point students are proving themselves capable of greatness. Recently, Academic Decathlon gave an impressive show of wits and knowledge, helping to boost Crown Point’s ever-inflating good name.

The team went down to the Purdue Lafayette campus on February 11. The team dominated at the area competition, which sent them packing their bags for state in Lafayette. While hard mental labor was in front of them, students saw state as an opportunity to have fun as well.

“You get to meet lots of new people. We don’t only study but we get to explore the campus and relax the first night we’re there,” said senior Amelia Claus.

Overall, Crown Point’s Academic Decathlon took third in the state in the large school division and will represent Indiana at online nationals in the spring.

With Decathlon’s success story as motivation, BPA has dreams and goals of its own. The Crown Point chapter of Business Professionals of America recently attended their regional competition, earning high ranks and honors. An upstanding group of 11 students qualified to go down to the state competition, held in Indianapolis. This competition will be taking place from February 27 to March 1.

Mrs. Mary Bachnak, the head of BPA, is confident that her students will shine throughout these events.

“BPA is filled with talented people, and I have high hopes for them. They will be competing with the best of the best,” said Bachnak.

In Indy, Crown Point students will have the opportunity to gain scholarships, as well as earn a place at the national competition to be held in Washington, D.C. this year.

By Abby Elstonstaff reporter

In Crown Point, the blizzard had just as many effects as the rest of the region, from the school system to travel and businesses.

Senior Taylor Gandy was snowed in after the snowstorm.

“I couldn’t get out of my driveway, there was so much snow. Even with the four-wheel drive on, I couldn’t get out,” Gandy said.

Though, the time that she was trapped within the confines of her home by snow was not wasted.

“I used the time I was stuck inside to work on my English essay,” Gandy said.

“The snow was falling so fast it was impossible to keep up with it. Five minutes after I shoveled, there was twice as much there as there was before I shoveled,” junior Kaity Molden said.

Skeptics of the snowstorm were proved wrong when the third largest snowstorm on record came.

“A lot of people made plans to hang out if we really had snow days. Even though we got them, it was almost impossible to get together. I don’t think most of us thought that we would get as much as we did,” Molden said.

Before the blizzard hit, people rushed to the stores to stock up on supplies ranging from snow shovels to food.

“I work at Jewel and there were so many people coming in to the store for so many different things; not just food but other things too, like cards, flashlights and batteries in case they got snowed in,” said senior Marisa Rutherford.

Now that the blizzard is over and the evidence has melted away, school is back in session, carrying on where the snow interrupted it. But, the blizzard has yet to have its full effect on our school.

“Due to the four snow days we have had this school year, we have added four makeup days to the end of the year to compensate for the days lost because of weather circumstances,” Dean of Students Russ Marcinek said.

Since three snow days were given on the days following the blizzard as well as another snow day on Dec. 13, the last day of school will now be June 7. Also, this six weeks grading period will now end on March 4 to make up for the lost time from the snow days.

With the last day of school now coinciding with graduation, this means a few things for seniors.

“Since the last day of school is the same day as the seniors’ graduation, seniors will have a modified finals schedule, and will spend Tuesday (June 7) practicing and rehearsing the graduation,” Marcinek said.

The senior brunch will still occur the day of graduation at 8 a.m. and rehearsal will follow, at the Radisson Star Plaza at 10 a..m. Graduation will be at 7 p.m.

Although the snow days were relaxing for many students, some seniors are not thrilled about graduation and the last school day being the same day.

“I enjoyed having the snow days off, but it is a little upsetting that the last day of school is on graduation day,” said senior Eric Mirabella.

Finals will be on the last three days of school for all underclassmen. The schedule will be similar to the final schedule for the first semester.

“The snow days were fun, and I’m not a senior, so I am not too upset that the days got bumped to the end,” Molden said.

Snowpocalypse leaves its markThird largest snowstorm pushes back last day of school, six weeks tests

The blizzard of February 2011 had a broad effect on the citizens of the Midwest. Despite only lasting two days, hundreds of flights were cancelled and delayed, drivers were stranded, thousands lost power and multiple counties in multiple states declared a state of emergency.

New dates to remember:

Fourth Six Weeks Assessments•March 3-5

Finals week•

June 5-7Last day of school for underclassmen•Senior brunch at 8 a.m.•Graduation rehearsal at 10 a.m.•Graduation ceremony at 7 p.m.•

June 7

February 28, 2011OpiniOn4Being patriotic means respecting anthem, pledge

View:

editorial

heard in the halls

Inklings

Inklings is a student publication distributed to students, faculty, and staff of Crown Point High School. It is published monthly by the newspaper and advanced journalism students. Opinions ex-pressed in Inklings do not reflect those of the CPHS faculty, staff, or the admin-istration.

Inklings welcomes and encourages signed letters-to-the-editor. Letters may be edited for space or clar-ity. Letters must be signed and turned in to room E107 one week prior to publica-tion and must not contain personal attacks. Letters may also be sent via e-mail.Not all letters may be printed. Such decisions are the sole discretion of the Inklings editors and staff.

Advertising is subject to the applicable rate, cop-ies of which are available from Inklings advertising department or by contact-ing 663-4885 ext. 11349.

Inklings has been rec-ognized as an Indiana High School Press Association Hoosier Star, Columbia Scholastic Press Associa-tion Silver Crown, National Scholastic Press Association Pacemaker and Quill and Scroll George H. Gallup publication.

Inklings may be contacted at 1500 S. Main, Crown Point, IN, 46307; 219-663-4885 ext. 11349; fax 219-662-5663; or inklings@cps.k12.in.us.

EditorsLauren Cain

editor-in-chiefHaajar Shaaban

executive editorKelly Rostin

managing editorGarret Hogan

copy editorArley Gomez

news editorAbby Elston

feature editorKelsey Lennon

entertainment editorKayla Martisek

opinion editorMilan Savich

sports editorFrank StrinoSamuel BeishuizenAlex McLean

sports assistantsDani McCuan

graphics editorAlyssa Blahunka

advertising editorSam Wright

advertising assistantJoe NejmanDonnella CasillasMary-Katherine Lemon

chief photographersAshley Downing

photographer

StaffLacey ValoisKatrina ZdanowiczMelanie ZdanowiczAlexa GradyRaeAnna MorganMegan WalkerJordan IronsMona Nour

AdviserJulie Elston

By Lauren Caineditor-in-chief

The new educational reform has no concern for students’ learning and causes the educational world to worry for their future.

Cartoon by Mona nour

“I like ‘Firework.’ It’s one of my favor-ites. It sends a positive message.”

freshman Abbey Bieker

Positive Playlist

“I think it’s about time they did some-thing about those problems.”

senior Julio Coria

Turmoil in Egypt

“I think the movie shows that J. Biebs has a lot of heart and tenacity.”

sophomore Austin Cundiff

Bieber Fever

“I sat in my house and stared out my window and just watched it snow.”

junior Cassandra Andrews

Snowpocalypse

The recent educational reform has the potential to turn the world of education upside down at a time when school corporations are struggling with budget cuts and other issues. The reform seems way too focused on schooling as a business, rather than focusing on what is actually best for the students. The biggest problem is that it fails to respect those who have dedicated their life to the profession of teaching and molding young minds.

For example, the merit pay proposal makes little to no sense in the consideration of student success. Instead of collaborating together to share successful techniques, teachers would be thrown into competition with each other in order to yield the best test scores, and, consequently, the highest salaries. Students cannot possibly succeed in such a harsh environment, where teachers will be more concerned with their own salary than the task at hand, which is to simply teach. On top of that, there will be more instances of “teaching to the test,” which is completely unproductive because students learn absolutely nothing by being spoon fed information. This is all in the name of throwing out test scores that have the slight possibility of looking good to the public. The test success, however, has no real substance behind it if students can’t apply their knowledge in real life. Anyone can memorize information for a test, but that has no reflection on true knowledge. Nor does it truly measure the effectiveness of a single teacher, considering different students have different success rates depending on their abilities.

The charter school situation is a whole separate problem in itself. Charter schools pull their funds from the public schools, meaning that taxpayer dollars will be going toward these charter schools. The reasoning for the expansion of these schools is unclear considering their unproven results. That’s not to say there’s no positive aspects to them. But without further explanation, what it is we do know is that these schools are exempt from the regulations of public schools, a large percentage of their teachers can be unlicensed, and their performance is often lower than in the public schools.

Obviously the reform entails way more changes than just expanded charter schools and alternative teacher pay. The never-ending proposals and changes continue to stress out students and fill us with worry, and leave educators feeling belittled. The bottom line is that, unless one knows what it is like to be in a modern classroom setting every single day, they should not act as though they know exactly what’s best for change.

Christina Aguilera has received an abundance of flack for her small mishap in singing the National Anthem at the Superbowl.

However, while she slightly stumbled over the lyrics of this iconic song, students at Crown Point High School don’t even have the respect to stop in the hallway during the playing of the National Anthem or during the Pledge of Allegiance. If anyone is going to criticize Christina, maybe they should first evaluate how patriotic they really are.

The role of patriotism has obviously become extremely structured into the normal day of school. Besides reciting the pledge at the beginning of the school day, students must take a U.S. History course as well as U.S. Government. While all these things combined can indeed produce an educated citizen, do they really produce an educated, patriotic citizen? Even though students are provided this education of America, sometimes this education seems to fail. How many Americans could really pass the test that immigrants are required to take in order to become a citizen? Instead of teaching students how to pass an AP U.S. History test, students should be taught the true meaning of being an American.

While it is necessary to have an understanding of the history of America in order to truly appreciate it, there is more to it than that. Students need to learn the role that they individually play in the country, as well as the role that our country plays in the world. America is known for being a provider to those in need: not only to their citizens, but to outside countries as well. Students should also make sure not to underestimate the beauty in being able to have a say; America’s democratic government provides that for us. Are these not things to be proud of?

Christina’s mistake in the National Anthem should be the catalyst to rethink what it means to be patriotic. Next time the National Anthem plays or the Pledge of Allegiance is recited, students need to respectfully participate and take pride in the country that they live in.

IWith the first day of school in August comes the beginning of a countdown until school lets out again. Students mark the last day of school in their agenda books in permanent marker, so sure that this is the day they will be given freedom from the confines of school. However, with each snow day, students must cross out their previous markings and continue to push the last day of school back farther and farther.

It’s a written rule that students must attend school for 180 days, no holds barred. What is also written is that CPHS must make up snow days at the end of the year. After the five make-up days that are built into the end of the year are used up, the school may resort to taking away trivial breaks such as President’s Day and Easter Monday. However, CP should take away those days from the get-go, instead of taking away days from our beloved summer break.

Another key point is that AP tests occur in May, before summer break. When days are lost during the year due to inclement weather, AP teachers lose important class time and have to rush through lessons in order to fit them all in prior to the test.

While some may say that students need three day weekends every now and then throughout the school year, I believe students need their full, uninterrupted summer break even more. Those three months of school-free festivities are looked forward to for a reason: students need the time to relax and de-stress after a hectic year of learning and testing.

I am completely in compliance with going to school for the whole 180 days. My argument is simply that our snow days should be made up at a more opportune time than summer break, when students should be relaxing in the sun, not studying textbooks.

Opinion 5February 28, 2010

Enjoy end of year sans negativity

By Jordan Ironsstaff reporter

Making up days earlier helps test scores, student focus

Waiting until summer grants needed breaks to students

“The superintendent could be anyone off of the street (without a license); it’s ridiculous.”

Karissa MillsMarissa Kozlowski

Fres

hman

“A group of students that don’t try could easily bring down a teacher’s pay if they score low or even fail.”

Ryan Edwards

Juni

or

“Merit pay would motivate teachers to teach better and they’re going to have their students do better as well.”

Evan Wilson

Seni

or

“Charter schools are not a good idea; it would then be quantity over quality.”

ssue:

What do you think about the education reforms?

When should students make up snow days?

By Kelly Rostinmanaging editor

The temperature is at a frosty five below and the school bus is late. Students huddle together on the sidewalk waiting to be relieved of the frigid cold. Upperclassmen students’ hands grip their car’s steering wheels as they slowly slide their way to school on the slippery roads.

This scenario would have played out four times extra this school year if the administration decided to make up snow days on our already planned holidays. Instead of waiting outside for the bus in the warm sun, students would be forced to suffer through the brutal cold of Indiana’s winters, waiting for their bus to make up those days.

Not only would taking these breaks away cause extra frost-bitten toes, it would hurt students’ concentration as well. These holiday breaks provide a relaxing break from the constant routine of the school week. These three day weekends allow students to give themselves an extra boost for the next weeks of school until they are given another break. Students forced into non-stop, 5-day weeks until the end of the year would lose focus and begin slacking.

On top of students’ grades falling, taking away those three day holiday breaks would result in decreasing student happiness as well. If Crown Point schools were in session but all the other schools in the area were not, students with friends in other schools would have to suffer through school days that could have otherwise been spent with those friends. This also means that our school would get out before the other area schools and students would again be in this same predicament.

Making up snow days during the schools’ planned holidays and depriving students of necessary break and fun time would end badly for the school in the end. Students need breaks intermittently in order to focus and succeed.

Cartoon by Dani MCCuan

By Lauren Caineditor-in-chief

speak up

The horrid weather Crown Point encountered

this winter left students with more than one snow day. The law requires students to be in school

180 days, but there is debate over when these days should be served.

Recently I was reading a poem by Bonnie Mohr entitled, “Living Life,” which sums up

little ways to live one’s life by. The closing line reads “Live for today, enjoy the moment.”

This line really hit me given the time of the school year that we are in. High school is made up of memories that all revolve around “enjoying the moment”, and as a second semester senior, where there seems to be a rush to graduate, life revolves around college talk, the everyday complaints about “senioritis”, and the always famous line, “I can’t wait to get out of here.”

But Crown Point didn’t do anything bad to anyone. And if some still feel the need to think that way, it’s not the town that’s holding any of us back from our future goals and dreams.

I’ll admit that I’m guilty of having my days of being ready to move on with my education. But it’s ourselves that are in charge of our own future and happiness. People need to make the best of their own situations, and if they are truly unhappy here they should probably look at their own lifestyles before blaming the place that we call home.

These last few months spent with our friends and family need to be cherished rather than rushed and wished away, because the memories created now will carry over to post high school lives. I know that there are days where moving on seems like the best option out there, but the constant pessimism and attacks on our hometown are simply annoying and just plain rude. The “grass is greener on the other side” attitude is not really applicable to many situations. Once students are out in the real world, they learn that, no matter where one goes, people are still just plain people, regardless of where the location may be. Experiences are however we personally make them out to be.

Students who are in a life rush just need to step back and realize the good things that are surrounding them. We might as well be optimistic while waiting for the graduation date because constant pessimism is just a waste of time and a miserable way to live life.

Soph

omor

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February 28, 20116

by the numbers

Facts compiled by Inklings staff

AskLaugh

ExploreWonderInspireLiveIonlife

Vegetarianism has long fit into the stereotype of the yoga-loving, long-haired hippie lifestyle. However, it’s become obvious that this misconception needs to be readjusted due to vegetarianism’s growing popularity among teenagers.

In fact, 1 in 200 children and teens in the United States practice this way of life.

“People have trouble understanding why I became a vegetarian. I learned that Americans are incredibly overweight, and I don’t believe it’s right to eat animals,” said freshman Abby Eineman.

This echoes a 2008 study taken by Vegetarian Times, which stated that 53 percent of American vegetarians have chosen this lifestyle because they are concerned about their overall health, and 25 percent said they were in it for the weight loss aspect.

There are multiple variations of vegetarianism. Vegans exclude all meats and animal products from their diets, lacto-vegetarians exclude eggs, and ovo-lacto v e g e t a r i a n s exclude

dairy and egg products. These exclusive ways of eating may be friendlier towards animals, but they leave many gaps in a person’s protein and nutrient needs. However, many vegetarians have found ways to fill in the gaps.

“I take iron supplements, eat eggs and beans for protein, and drink milk and dairy products for calcium,” said Eineman.

Vegetarianism certainly has the potential to be a healthy and satisfying lifestyle, but it has to be taken seriously. If students are not responsible, vegetarianism can result in negative outcomes. According to a study done by the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, adolescent vegetarians are more likely than other children their age to develop eating disorders. 27 percent of former vegetarians display forms of eating disorders, including restriction, binging, and purging. The study indicates that vegetarianism can be used as a cover for an eating disorder because it is easy to explain to one’s peers why certain foods are not being eaten.

“Vegetarians have to make sure they get enough of important vitamins and minerals, especially protein. But although meat eaters intake a great amount of protein, they sometimes miss out on the benefits of plant

nutrients. Whichever lifestyle you choose, balance is key,” said school nurse Carrie Ready.

The benefits of vegetarianism, such as reduced risk of cancer and heart disease, can only be experienced when one is not participating in these destructive behaviors.

To insure responsible vegetarianism, our school has implemented a vegetarian

line to offer healthy meat-free options. “Vegetarians may come in the morning,

tell us their lunch hour, and we’ll prepare a special vegetarian choice for them,” said Diane Bushman, the cafeteria co-manager.

Among the vegetarian choices for students

a r e v e g g i e burgers, fish sandwiches , grilled veggie sandwich, veggie ranch pizza, and teriyaki wraps. These choices are offered every day, so vegetarians can rest assured there will always be a wholesome meal for them.

Though some students feel that the vegetarian lifestyle is right for them, there are plenty of carnivores out there who heartily believe in the classic Hormel slogan: Go Meat!

“I like the taste of meat. Since I go through rigorous workouts each day, I need lots of protein to rebuild my muscles,” said senior Julio Coria.

Meat has become a dominant meal option for people because of its convenience. Vegetarianism definitely requires more attention and planning, but important nutrients like protein are still attainable. Teenagers have to be aware of their food intake. Eating a variety of fruits and vegetables will give students all of the nourishment they need.

As Nurse Ready said, “Choosing a vegetarian lifestyle depends on the responsibility of the individual, and the reason for which they are doing it.”

Trading meatBy K. Zdanowicz /M. Zdanowiczstaff reporters

million7.3Americans are vegetarians

42of vegetarians are 18 to 34 years old

percent

percent3.4of Americans are vegetarian

animals are killed for meat per hour in the US

660,000

over

halfof vegetarians eat a vegetarian diet to improve their overall health

of vegetarians are female

59

41percent

percentare male.

To raise money for Marine Biology Club, members sold strips of tape for one dollar to tape strength coach Mark Garret to the wall during lunch hours on Feb. 11. Members were raising money for a trip to Florida to go scuba diving.

Fundraising

Easy, fast, and healthy vegetarian recipesCalifornia Grilled Veggie Sandwich

1/4 cup mayonnaise3 cloves garlic, minced1 tbsp. lemon juice1/8 cup olive oil1 cup sliced red bell peppers

1 small zucchini, sliced1 red onion, sliced1 small yellow squash, sliced2 (4-x6-inch) focaccia bread pieces, split horizontally1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

1. Mix mayonnaise, minced garlic, and lemon juice in bowl and set aside in refrigerator.2. Preheat grill for high heat.3. Brush vegetables with olive oil and place on grill. Cook for three minutes on each side. Remove from grill and set aside4. Spread mayonnaise mixture on the cut sides of the bread and sprinkle each one with feta cheese. Place on grill, cheese side up, and cover with lid for two to three minutes. Remove from grill and layer with the vegeta-bles.

Twice Baked Potatoes4 large baking potatoes1/4 cup milksalt to taste

1/2 tbsp. butter1 1/4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 2.Clean and scrub baking potatoes. Pierce skin with a fork once or twice. Bake at 350 degrees F for approxi-mately 1 hour or until the potatoes are soft and firm. 3.Let potatoes cool slightly. Cut baked potatoes in half and scoop out pulp within 1/4 inch of the shell edge. Mash the pulp with milk, salt and butter to taste. Stuff shells with mashed pulp mixture and sprinkle tops with grated ched-dar cheese. Place potatoes on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F or 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

f r veggies*Journalism students Rachael Bakota and Rachel Reitan contributed to this story

Recipes from allrecipes.com

Cheering

Crown Point High School students cheer on the varsity boys basketball team at the game against Valparaiso on Jan. 28. The Bulldogs won 66-56.

February 28, 2011 7Feature

Shockingly unhealthy foodFast food favorites are less than ideal for consumers By RaeAnna Morganstaff reporter

Burger KingTriple Whopper sandwich

Amount per servingCalories 1140

% Daily ValueTotal Fat 75 g 115%

Saturated Fat 27 g 135% Cholesterol 205 mg 68% Ingredients: Three flame-broiled beef patties with two slices of American cheese, crisp lettuce, creamy mayo, red ripe tomatoes, pickles and onions–all on a toasted sesame seed bun.

The whopper is Burger King’s signature sandwich. That’s mainly what they’re known for, but that doesn’t always mean they’re the best for the body. The triple

whopper has 1250 calo-ries, 84 grams of fat, and 1600 milligrams of sodium. If Burger King’s whoppers are the favorite, then try not to

make it a triple, and get a double instead.

Dairy QueenLarge Chocolate Chip Cookie

Dough BlizzardAmount per servingCalories 1320 Calories from fat 470

% Daily ValueTotal Fat 52 g 80%

Saturated Fat 31 g 155% Total Carbohydrate 190 g 63% Ingredients: Chocolate chip cookie dough, Dairy Queen Vanilla soft serve, fudge.

Whenever that urge to have a sweet treat comes over your stomach, make sure the large chocolate chip cookie dough blizzard from Dairy Queen isn’t your first choice. Of all the blizzards offered at Dairy Queen, this is by far the worst one for you. It has 1320 calories, 52 grams of fat, and 620 milli-grams of sodium. Your body will thank you later when you choose not to get this.

Wendy’sBaconator Triple

Amount per servingCalories 1290

% Daily ValueTotal Fat 85 g 130%

Saturated Fat 37 g 185% Sodium 2130 mg 88% Ingredients: Two 1/4 lb. patties topped with juicy Applewood smoked bacon in between a premium fresh bun. Topped off with mayo, ketchup, and American cheese.

Domino’sChicken Carbonara Breadbowl Pasta

Amount per servingCalories 1480

% Daily ValueTotal Fat 56 g 86%

Saturated Fat 24 g 120% Sodium 2020 mg 84% Ingredients: Grilled 100% all white meat chicken, bacon, onions, and mushrooms mixed with penne pasta and baked to perfection with creamy alfredo sauce.

For American fast food, Wendy’s has leaned toward the healthier end of the spectrum. But among all the healthy items the restaurant has to offer there is one that doesn’t quite fit. The Bacon-ator Triple is loaded with bad things for your body. Of the many choices offered at Wendy’s, this is by far the worst. It has almost 1.5 times the recommended allowance of fat calories.

If plans to have Domi-no’s on a Saturday come up, stick to ordering what they do best: pizza. The Car-bonara Breadbowl Pasta is loaded with carbohydrates, making for a fattening meal. The breadbowl has a total of 1480 calories, compared to one slice of pizza which has 272 calories. The pizza is almost five times better for you based on the amount of calories.

“Nutritional” foods deceive eatersBy Haajar Shaabanexecutive manager

Often times, one will grab a bagel or muffin in a rush in the morning as

a quick, “healthy” breakfast, but many bagels and muffins contain a lot of sugar.

Even whole wheat bagels can contain 5-10 grams of sugar per piece. Muffins also usually contain tons of additives. They tend to have many trans fats and calories. The traditional muffin is not whole wheat, but made from refined white flour.

“Refined white flour has less nutritional value than whole grain or wheat,” nurse Carrie Ready said.

Muffins made with whole grain flour contain approximately two times as much protein and three times as much fiber than muffins made with refined white flour.

For an alternative, make homemade muffins from scratch with natural ingredients or have 1 serving of whole-grain toast.

Bagels/Muffins

Although Vitamin Water seems like the healthier choice when compared to soda, it is full of sugar and doesn’t even have that many vitamins. One bottle of Vitamin Water contains 32.5 grams of sugar—that’s 8 teaspoons. Also, despite its name, Vitamin Water contains few vitamins. A cup of orange juice contains more vitamins than a 20 oz. bottle of the drink. Fresh fruit juice is the way to go.

“I’d feel more comfortable with 100% juice; I’d feel like I’m getting more nutrients,” Ready said.

Vitamin Water

Diet. Sugar free. Reduced fat. These colorful labels on packages of different foods make us think they’re healthier than their alternatives. However there are still

many other factors that need to be looked at when determining how healthy a food is. Many of these so called “healthy” alternatives aren’t really as healthy as they may seem, leaving confusion on what’s really the healthiest option.

Few will claim that regular sodas are healthy, but many consider diet sodas a much healthier choice. Firstly, one mustn’t forget about all the other additives that make sodas unhealthy.

“(Diet sodas) have no nutritional value. Chemicals, which still aren’t good for you, take the place of the sugar,” Ready said.

Although the lack of sugar could rid the drink of its calories, what’s replacing the sugar might actually make it unhealthier. Aspartame is the artificial sweetener usually used in diet sodas that has been controversial since its approval by the Food and Drug Administration in 1974. It has been thought to cause numerous health risks, including increasing risk of cancer and migraine.

A healthier alternative would again be fresh fruit juice or of course, water.

Diet Soda

“I don’t think (pretzels) are healthy because they have a lot of salt and are high in carbohydrates,” Sanders said.

It’s true that most pretzels are fat free, but pretzels are filled with empty calories and many contain a lot of sugar. Pretzels also contain high amounts of sodium. Just one oz. of pretzels contains 100 calories and 50 mg of sodium. The empty calories will often leave one hungry after eating them.

Healthier munchies include nuts and berries. These are more filling and provide the body with necessary nutrients.

Pretzels

Sometimes one will eat an energy bar for breakfast. Others will eat one before a workout. Whatever the reason, protein and energy bars are not a very healthy choice for energy boosts.

“The labels (of energy bars) make us think we will stay awake and do more, but they can actually do the opposite and won’t

work with the body, which

Protein/Energy Bars

needs sleep and nutrients,” Ready said.

Although protein bars boast high vitamin content, they are still candy bars. They contain the same amounts of sugar, calories, and fats.

A healthier snack would be whole grain breakfast bar or fruit and nut bar. Also, fresh fruits and vegetables are a good alternative.

“(As a snack) I usually eat celery, carrot sticks, or whole wheat crackers,” junior Sophy Sanders said.

February 28, 2011Feature8

By Lacey Valoisstaff reporter

Differences between males and females examinedBattle of the sexes

Let’s face it- we’re all different. Some can be even more different than others, but no matter what, we all have different DNA. We may all be human, but we all have different traits that can be attributed to our very different genetic make up. While both genders have brains, each has different ways to process thoughts, emo-tions, and even physical activi-ties.

One issue

that teenagers often are forced to deal with is the changes in their body, so as their bodies and minds continue to grow, so can the confusion and often frustration against

the opposite sex. A majority of the reason why male and female brains are so different is because of the size of each section of the brain. It is said by some psychologists that evolution throughout the years has been the cause for the differences between the two because of the roles each gender plays in its sur-rounding society.

For example, men have a more mechanical and technical way of approaching situations because of their years of being depended on for the support of the family by working. Women, on the other hand, tend to approach situations with a slightly more emotional and careful thought process, generally looking out for the feelings of all parties involved within the situation because of their job as both housewife and care-taker of the family throughout humanity, according to scientists.

Men may have a tendency to have larger brains (with an aver-

age of 10 percent larger than females), but females tend to have more volume in each portion of their brain which allows more infor-mation to be stored and quickly transferred. For example, female’s brains

allow them to understand and comprehend emotions

from those around them and are able to appropriately react to them.

Scientific explanations like these make it easier for some to un-derstand why one sex feels

about the other.

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TRUE OR FALSE1. Males continue to dominate college population with higher numbers of stu-dents than females.

2. Women have begun to make more money than men in recent times be-cause of more opportunities that have arisen.

3. The majority of elders alive are fe-males, rather than males.

4. Men are more aggressive drivers than women.

Women, recently, have taken over 66% of the college admission, acceptance, and attendance than men according to a poll taken in recent years. Statistics show that better grades and higher determination within the female population have helped this statistic rise over the years.

FALSE

Despite the higher rates of females attending college in recent years, men have always, and continue to make, more than women no matter what race they may be. This is according to statistics.

FALSE

Most elderly people (60+) are females. Many reasons for the cause of this are be-cause females tend to develop diseases later than men. For example, while males may experience cardiovascular diseases in their 50’s or 60’s, females tend to experi-ence similar diseases in their 70’s and 80’s. The reason for this is because women are more iron-dependant than men, which keeps their immune systems stronger for longer. Women also have two X chromosomes, while men only have one. If the cells on the X chromosome become weakened, women have a back-up in order to give a boost, while men don’t.

TRUE

Because of the male’s main gender hormone, testosterone, aggression can easily arise, causing problems such as road rage and dangerous driving habits.

TRUE

Males vs. Females at CPHS

AP Biology72 Females to 32 Males

Child Development74 Females to

7 Males

Males vs. Females at CPHS

Auto-Mechanics3 Females to 41 Males

AP Literature75 Females to

45 Males

February 28, 2011 Feature 9

By Jordan Ironsstaff reporter

Toxic friendships detrimental to teensUsers and abusers can take their toll on friendships if not recognized

“WARNING: Do not drink! Hazardous to your health! May cause feelings of unhappiness! Side effects include empty wallets and hurt feelings!”

You may be the victim of a toxic friendship if you feel drained or upset after spending time with the friend, dread seeing the friend again, are afraid of how they’ll judge you or what they’ll say about you, are uncomfortable talking about the friendship with them, question the actions they take or feel that the way they act is wrong, don’t trust them, have different morals or can’t see the friendship lasting.

Toxic friends are hard to handle. A bond may have been formed between the victim and the toxic friend and it is hard to sever that tie.

“I think there’s a point when you realize the two of you should agree to disagree,” says Guidance Counselor Peg Shaffer. It is important for a person to recognize when a friendship is harming their overall well-being, and it needs to be taken care of if it is. If a person is questioning the friendship, get an outsider’s look at your relationship with this toxic friend and their opinion of that friend. Try talking it out with the toxic friend because that person may not understand that the things they are doing are hurting you. Be straight-forward and blunt with the person and state why you feel the friendship is failing.

Senior Jordan Haralovich said “I would isolate myself from those individuals.” If all else fails, this may be the approach to take. It is up to you to decide whether this person is worth the effort and stress it takes to fix the friendship.

School supplies weighing down students’backpacks Breaking down heavy weight impacting students’ physical healthBy Kayla Martisek/Lauren Cainopinion editor and editor-in-chief

Notebooks

With seven classes in a day, the amount of notebooks in a student’s backpack begin to add up. On top of that, students tend to kill two birds with one stone by using it as a folder, stuffing papers inside the covers.

1.2 pounds

2 Textbooks

A common trait of freshmen is the fear of being late to class, result-ing in an extraordinary amount of books being shoved into their backpack instead of going to their locker. However, the weight of each textbook (especially the infamously large English books) begins to add up.

13 pounds

Folders

It is not rare to hear a teacher tell their students to save all of their work-sheets and other materials until the end of the year to use for studying. However, all of these materials end up shoved into students’ folders to add up to a near five pounds.

4.5 pounds

Other items:pencil case... 1.5 pounds•wallet... 1 pound•water bottle... 1.5 pound•

Total: 22.7 pounds

Straps should be wide and •padded so they fit more comfortably and don’t cut off blood circulation.The actual back of a •backpack should be padded, preventing the hard books from hitting students’ backs.Only wearing one strap •of a backpack causes the weight to be shifted to one side. After a long period of time, the body’s center of balance can be off.A low, heavy backpack can •cause a student to lean back which causes a shift in the body’s center of gravity.The area inside the •backpack should be spacious in order to evenly distribute the weightToo much weight can cause •a student to lean forward to support it, which leads to a curved spine.

Tips for a healthy backpack Backpacks are notoriously overutilized for their convenience when it comes to transport-ing a student’s materials from room to room. It is easy to want to use the backpack for all that it’s worth by shoving everything in sight into it. However, all of these school supplies begin to add up and can take a toll on students’ backs. By taking the average student’s backpack and weighing the materials inside, it is evident that students underestimate how much they’re carry-ing around day after day.

“The Bully”This type of friendship deserves a biohazard sticker. These people will tear down

their friends until their self esteem crumbles. They always one-up their friend’s stories and put them down at every opportunity. When they push their criticism too far and noticeably hurt their friends, bullies will say they were “just kidding around.” These friends try to get their victims to give into peer pressure and to sink down to their low level. They may appear to be jealous of the people they are around and are in constant competition with their peers. A bully embarrasses the people around them at every chance they get in order to lift up their own self esteem.

“I’ve seen name calling”, says sophomore Ben DeGoy. This “joking” among friends often times goes too far if the friend is a bully. These people are positive energy suckers, and will leave their friends feeling drained and upset. No one wants to spend time around a bully, but lots of people get trapped in the bully situation all the time. It is sometimes hard to identify whether or not a friend is a bully because playful banter between friends is normal. A person needs to understand the difference between truly “just kidding around” or using that as an excuse, or they could find themselves in a toxic friendship.

“The Drama Queen”Everyone knows that in high school, there is a lot of drama. While it is sometimes

unavoidable, there are people who seek out the problems drama cause. These are the drama queens. These toxic friends cannot resist the urge to get involved in everyone else’s business. Drama queens act like the world revolves around whatever is going on in their life, and the world needs to know that they are suffering. They post their personal problems on Facebook and seek out as many issues as they can. Drama queens will never be happy; they strive on the pity of others.

“The only reason drama queens act like that is because they need the attention,” junior Jacqueline Basaldua said. Drama queens drain their friends of positive energy by needing constant care and concentration on only them. Their continuous bad attitudes leave their friends drained and unhappy.

“The Moocher”“Hey, do you want to go to the movies tonight?” “Sure! What time?”“7. Oh and can you drive? And can we pick up my boyfriend too?”This conversation is a good sign that a friend is a moocher. Moochers will suck a

person’s bank account dry. They are the friend that only wants to have a conversation when it benefits them somehow, such as the conversation about going to the movies. They will always ask their friends to drive but offer no payment or gas money. They “forget” their wallets at home and will change plans at the last second to go do something with someone else. Moochers will not only empty their friends’ bank accounts, but also take all they can out of their friends emotionally, with no return of affection or trust. They are professional promise breakers and let their friends down every time. Mooching friends expect a lot out of their peers but give nothing in return. They act as if the promises they break weren’t “big deals,” but still look to their friends to keep their promises. If a person thinks a friend is showing signs of being a moocher, it is time to end the relationship before everyone’s wallets are empty.

“The Blabber Mouth”Blabber mouths are drama queens’ close cousins. While a drama queen seeks

out the attention of the issues created in high school life, blabber mouths create it. These toxic friends spread rumors carelessly, openly trash talk others, and push their opinions on anyone around them. These friends freely blurt out others’ personal information to the world. There is no trusting a blabber mouth; they have two faces, one for their friends and one for the people they bad mouth. There is no way for the people involved with blabber mouths to distinguish which face they truly get to see. These toxic people are very self centered and don’t care about the consequences of rumor spreading. Blabber mouths expose their friends’ secrets to whoever wants to hear and burden their friends with the secrets of others. People who are friends with blabber mouths should get out of the friendship fast before the world knows their private information.

No one would drink out of a bottle with such a serious warning label on it, yet everyday people take in the harmful effects of toxic friendships. Toxic friends are people that exhaust their peers and leave them feeling upset or unhappy. Victims may not even be aware that they are a part of a toxic friendship. People suffering in toxic friendships need to be able to address the fact that they are allowing these friends to take advantage of them or they will continue to suffer.

Feature10 February 28, 2011

By Megan Walkerstaff reporter

Driving habits at CPHS cause distraction, danger behind the wheel

So many horns, it’s impossible to find their sources, people dodging through traffic to get to their cars or be picked up, long lines that seem to never end and never move. Chicago traffic? No, Crown Point High School’s parking lot every afternoon.

Packed with inexperienced drivers, rushing to not be late or being distracted by cell phones, the school parking lot seems like nothing other than a highway to the danger zone. Students share their interesting experiences in the parking lot, ranging from crashes to confronta-tions.

Senior Caitlin Harrison, then a junior and beginner driver, pulled into a parking spot last year, bumping the car in front of her with her station wagon.

“I jumped out of my car and ran to his window. He nonchalantly closed his vitamin water, rolled down the window, and said only two words: ‘I’m fine,’” said Harrison.

Harrison does think there are ways little accidents like these could be avoided.

“Although there was no damage, I was embarrassed, and it would

be easier if there were angle-park-

ing, bigger parking spaces, or more room in between the rows,” said Harrison.

Another awkward moment played out for junior John Stern.

“People enjoy composing music with their car horns in the parking lot. As I was trying to pull out of the parking lot one day, an officer drove his car up and blocked the way. He made me roll down my window, and he told me to lay off the horn because he was tired of it. Who nominated me to be representative of this orchestra?” said Stern.

Avoiding all this embarrassment and chaos is a student’s easiest option. Senior Carrie Lindgren shares her strategy.

“I chill out for at least 10-15 minutes after school, waiting for the daily park-ing lot pandemonium to disperse. It saves me from risk of being run over, and I won’t get in a bad mood, sitting in the never-ending lines to get out,” Lindgren said.

There are some other easy ways to stay out of trouble in the school parking lot. Officer Noonan shares some of his parking lot pet peeves.

“The biggest problem is kids not paying attention to my directions when I’m out directing traffic,” Noonan said. “That is a ticketable offense.”

Noonan told about some other ticketable offenses.

“There should be no cell phone us-age, and if they are under 18, I can ticket them,” Noonan said.

Noonan also explained that when a driver does not yield to the right

of way and blocks traffic, he or she can be ticketed.

Speeding is also a problem, and Noonan explained that the permit that every driving student has signed says the campus speed limit is five miles per hour.

With rising gas prices, not many students want the burden of getting and paying a ticket.

Remembering to avoid these bad habits in the parking lot will help students to stay safe and get through traffic faster.

“ It would be easier if there were angle-parking, bigger parking spaces, or more room

in between the rows. ”Caitlin Harrisonsenior

“”

People enjoy composing music with their car horns in the

parking lot after school.John Stern

junior

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Parking lot chaos, troubles

The Buckle store, located in our very own Westfield shopping center, has become the hotspot for those in search of the perfect pair of jeans. Guys and girls alike are able to find a complimentary pair with the help of the attentive Buckle employees. Car-rying many brands, like Rock Revival, Guess and BKE in an immense range of sizes, buyers are likely to leave satisfied. Jeans are available in both short and tall lengths, much to the delight of Crown Point’s petite and lanky students. Buckle jeans, though not cheap, are surpris-ingly comfy. Plus, they will last forever, and fit like a glove.

Arts & EntErtAinmEnt 11February 28, 2011

favorite things

a few of our

Controversy over “Skins” is unwarrantedBy Kelsey Lennonentertainment editor

myview

The new MTV show “Skins” has sparked controversy since its premiere on Jan 1. The show is a remake of a British television show by the same name. “Skins” is a fictional show that follows a group of teenagers in high school as they manage life with the adage of drugs, family issues, sex, and becoming an adult in today’s society. Groups such as the

Parents Television

Council have brought attention to the show by claiming it is inappropriate for television and even claiming child pornography.

After watching the premiere and every episode since, I can blatantly see that the talk and drama around this show is completely ridiculous, especially child pornography claims. “Skins” does not expose any part of a body that one wouldn’t see in a PG rated movie. There is also a restraint on language. Interested, I visited YouTube to view the original British “Skins” and learned the American version is much tamer and exposes less in general. American “Skins” is in total compliance with standard television guidelines, and if it wasn’t, the show would have obviously been pulled from the air immediately. Granted, there are a few scenes that teenagers might blush at if viewing with their parents, but there is nothing unfamiliar.

That is the second problem with these accusations. “Skins” does not present any topic that an average American teenager has not seen or heard of in real life. Personalities and situations are exaggerated for entertainment purposes, but teenagers can easily connect with this show. By being able to think, “I’ve had that similar issue” or “I know someone like that” teens will finally feel like adults understand what they deal with everyday at school, between friends, and anytime else.

“Skins” is a fictional show but it deals with real life issues. It is also entertaining, which is exactly what television should be.

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Fahrenheit 212 offers hotter than hot tastes

At 211 degrees, water is hot. At 212 degrees, water starts to boil. Anywhere past that point and one can get into some seriously steamy temperatures. So it’s safe to say that it is pretty hard to get any hotter than 212 degrees, right? That’s where the restaurant Fahrenheit 212 wants to prove you wrong.

Located off Broadway by Strack and VanTil, the restaurant says that they create

new flavor experiences by pushing past the typical ho-hum flavors one finds at other

restaurants to make a truly memorable food experience for each guest. In other words, they work to make the hot hotter, a claim that I had to test true for myself. I grabbed my sister and cousin and we headed to Fahrenheit 212.

The atmosphere was warm and sophisticated but still managed to cater to all ages and families. We were finally led to our table and were lucky to have a waiter who was attentive yet not hovering. While sipping on our homemade lemonades, we listened as he rang off that night’s specials. His highest recommendation: the stuffed chicken breast.

Though it may sound like an ordinary dish, he promised he would not steer us wrong. I found myself appreciating his honesty as the steaming dish was placed in front of me. Though I wanted to gobble the whole thing up, I forced myself to eat slowly as to enjoy the cheesy, creamy chicken deliciousness. A refreshing and light tomato and cucumber salad was served on the side.

Sad that my meal was over but looking forward to dessert, we read through the dessert menu and easily made the decision to order the Rich Drunk: a warm, gooey brownie filled with pecans and topped with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and fresh strawberries. Other options included a raspberry topped cheesecake or crème brûlée, but we always go for the chocolate option. Needless to say the dessert was phenomenal and the last bite was heavily fought over.

Those looking for an indulgence can look towards the entrees, which are around $17. If one is looking for something not as pricey and around $8, the sandwiches provide all the satisfaction of an entrée without the high price. Overall, Fahrenheit 212 provides an incredibly enjoyable dining experience that is, yes, quite hot.

By Melanie Zdanowiczstaff reporter

With so many advances in technology, cell phones and iPods usually take the place of traditional wristwatches. Recently, though, a new twist on a classic look has put watches back on the It-List. Colorful, bold watches have been seen on students all around Crown Point, both guys and girls sharing in the trend. Adidas is our favorite brand, selling colorful and functional watches to suit your every need. They can be used for working out, dressing up, and, of course, day-to-day use. Not only do they match your style but they always insure you’ll know the time.

Review

statement Watches

When time is left over in class and teachers allow electronics, many students are whipping out their iPod touches filled with fun games and apps. “Angry Birds” has become a crowd-pleaser, with its goofy story line and many levels. It’s a free download, and it was named the top app of 2010. The games are set up for hours of entertainment, perfect for long bus rides or waiting in long lines.

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iPhone makes its long-awaited arrival to Verizon users

New CP restaurant has warm aesthetic, tasty food to please customers

By Kelsey Lennonentertainment editor

Apple product fanatics who unfortunately had Verizon Wireless as a cellular phone carrier no long have to envy AT&T costumers.

Since 2007, AT&T has had exclusive rights the iPhone, but after years of anticipation, Verizon released the iPhone 4 on their 3G network to their 90 million subscribers. Pre-orders for the iPhone were available for Verizon customers on Feb. 3. The iPhone was then released to the public Feb. 10 and retails for $200 for the 16GB and $300 for the 32GB.

Sophomore Andie Miller has had Verizon since she first received a cell phone in 7th grade and is excited for the opportunity to own an iPhone, especially since her phone recently broke.

“I’ve had Verizon forever and was jealous when other people got iPhones because Verizon didn’t offer them but now I’m definitely trying to convince my parents to let me buy one,” she said.

Verizon has two networks, the older CDMA network and the new LTE 4G network which is considerably faster. According to Fox News, analysts predicted the iPhone would be released on the LTE network to support the phone’s apps, data, and boost speed, but instead Verizon put the iPhone on CDMA. This

decision was made because if they chose to release the phone on the LTE, Apple would have to make

changes to the design of the iPhone. Verizon and Apple chose, based on consumers wanting the

iPhone immediately, to release it now, than waiting to make any changes. Fox News says this may slow the speed of the phone a bit, but the coverage will still be the best on Verizon, a quality that attracts many consumers.

An application performance firm called, “Compuware Gomez”, sent reports that so far, 700,000 iPhone users are using Verizon and this has not affected the overall performance of the network in terms of browsing or page loading times. There were concerns that with many data-hungry iPhones being used at once, the network would significantly slow down or have malfunctions, but there have been no issues.

Sophomore Kenzie Grey bought the iPhone the day it was released on Verizon and said she has no problems with the phone and it works very well.

“I got the iPhone right away. It’s the best phone I’ve had and was definitely worth the wait,” she said.

So far, Apple has no other plans to move the iPhone to other networks. Junior Greg Maddle had T-Mobile and hopes the network will carry it soon.

“I like T-Mobile because I get good signal and the iPhone has cool apps so I want both other than going to another company,” he said.

Verizon had 94.1 million •users in the U.S. and is the second biggest cell phone carrier behind AT&T.

70,000 - 100,000 users •switched from AT&T to Veri-zon for the iPhone.

14.24 million iPhones have •been sold in the US.

700,000 new iPhone users •are now using the Verizon network.

Photo By ashley doWning

Photo By mary-katherine lemon

“Inception” is a science fiction movie, directed by Christopher Nolan, who also directed “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight.” Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), is the main man behind a strange criminal espionage. He and his partner, Arthur (Jospeph Gordon-Levitt), enter into their victim’s (Ellen Page) dreams to obtain information that they placed in the dreams by

careful manipulation. Cobb then is presented with a different concept, instead

of extracting information, take an idea into the dream and place it to influence the person in real life. The deeper into dreams they get, the more of Cobb’s disturbing history is revealed until he finds himself lost in a dream. Any person who enjoys mind-twisters, a deep plot and suspense will be a fan of this film. By Alex McLean/ asst. sports editor

Justin Bieber fans all over the country had the joy of watching their favorite music idol on the screens of theatres nationwide. “Never Say Never” documents Bieber’s rise to fame, his life before becoming the teen heart-throb and pop singer that he is today, as well as footage from his concert in Madison Square Garden.

At a young age, Bieber showed impressive musical skills, with drumming becoming an enormous part of his life and a

growing love for playing guitar. His talents also added up with his singing abilities, and, with

that, he became a person whose passion was centered around music.

This documentary tells the viewer how Bieber was discovered through YouTube by current manager Scooter Braun, then by Usher.

Bieber also traveled to radio stations to make himself heard, especially in the United States. Using Twitter, he began to post which

radio stations he would be performing at, gaining fans through his Tweets and visits to different stations in the nation. With this newfound popularity, Bieber’s legacy began.

As a music fanatic and DJ, I listen to all kinds of music just as others do. When Bieber became the biggest music artist in America, controversy over his singing and true talents have been presented. There are some that are die-hard fans, and others that couldn’t care less that Bieber exists.

Yet, one’s opinion of the pop singer should not be biased when watching “Never Say Never.” Truthfully, I wasn’t fond of Bieber when he was becoming popular. When entering the theater to watch a documentary that was wholly built upon him, I wasn’t the most excited person there, but seeing how he had grown into fame from such a normal life completely stunned me.

His story truly leaves an inspirational feeling with its viewers, whether you have “Bieber Fever” or not. Its positive message shows that any person can pursue their dreams, no matter who or what is trying to hold them back from reaching that goal.

Arts & EntErtAinmEnt12 February 28, 2011

By Garret Hogancopy editor

Self-esteem songs improve listeners’ lives

All The Pretty Girls Fun

Get the Funk Out Extreme

Gladiator Set Sail

Derek Hutchinsonsenior

When I’m With You Best Coast

King of the Beach Wavves

Home Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Isaac Dutton junior

Kathryn Szymanskisophomore

Cudi Zone Kid Cudi

American Girl Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Surrender Cheap Trick

Abby Shanahanfreshman

Take My Hand Simple Plan

Angel in the Night Basshunter

Dark Blue Jack’s Mannequin

Review

“Never Say Never” gains millions on new releaseBy Donnella Casillasstaff reporter

What’s on your iPod?

“ Just ignite the light and let it shine. If you ever feel like you’re nothing just remember you’re freaking perfect. When you smile the whole world stops and stares for a while because baby you are a firework, and we are who we are.”

These words are lyrics from different sections of the most self helping songs on the radio. Songs such as “Firework” by Katy Perry, “We R Who We R” by Ke$ha, “Freaking Perfect” by P!nk, “Just the Way You Are” by Bruno Mars, and Lady Gaga’s newest single “Born This Way” are just a few that express an extreme view on how to be positive about one’s self image. The songs teach everyone that being who you were born as is the best person that one can be, and that when one tries to be somebody else they are not going to become as popular as they had wished.

Having a positive self-image is one of the freedoms that people are given at birth, so why not take full advantage of it? By being someone else, you are wasting your life, and stealing someone else’s.

If deeply thought about, this makes sense because if we lived in a world in which everyone tried to be someone they are not, nobody would be anybody, because no one would know who to be.

Self-esteem songs do much more than posters found in an everyday classroom. They are much more relatable to an average teen, and often times you can see yourself dancing to them. You do not see yourself having a picture of a poster stuck in your head; however, you do find yourself having lyrics from Lady Gaga’s latest song stuck in your head, playing on repeat.

If one were to go through life without having a positive esteem, then who knows what they would amount to. By not having good self esteem they would not think they are eligible of getting a decent job or having any sort of relationship. Therefore, by listening to songs that boost your self-esteem, one is, theoretically, saving their life.

Best Oscar nominees go head-to-headBlack Swan

Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) is a ballerina with aching feet and an increas-ingly crowded head, who desperately wants to break out of the dance corps. Port-man’s riveting performance in “Black Swan” was a breathtaking experience for any kind of viewer.

The eerie and dark tone the movie gives makes the movie its own genre of creepy, it is definitely not like

any other movie. Though the movie may be one to see twice to fully understand, it is definitely worth it. Ballet isn’t what seems to be in this soon to be classic thriller. By Garret Hogan/ copy editor

Inception

Toy Story 3

The Social Network

Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Mr. Potato Head, Jesse and all of the

rest of the Toy Story gang are back in this hilarious, but

cute, trilogy.In this film, the Toy

Story gang must figure out something to do be-cause Andy, their “kid,” is finally going off to col-

lege. They suddenyl find themselves being thrusted into a day care wher they think they will have the time of their lives, and be played with all day, little do they know the children are a bit more hyper than they appear. Fans of any previous Toy Story film, or other pixar animations will rave over this family fun film. By Garret Hogan/ copy editor

Facebook is a site that everyone has become very accustomed to; what wasn’t as well known, however, was the backstory behind the creation of the now famous site.

The actors of “The Social Network” played their

roles perfectly in the context of the situations that arised in the creation of Facebook, including lawsuits, friendships end-ing, and fights to no end. Jesse Eisenberg played

a flawless Mark Zuckerberg, conveying his seem-ing apathy and sarcasm to a tee. Another standout actor was Andrew Garfield in the supporting role of Eduardo Saverin, whose emotions were tangible in the movie, a rarity in modern day film. All in all, the movie deserves to win the Oscar for the same reason it was nominated: it is perfection. By Lauren Cain/ editor-in-chief

Staff Pick : Inception

There’s an old saying that goes ‘all good things must come to an end’, and for the Lady Bulldogs, in particularly the seniors, that time have finally come.

“For us seniors, this season was really special because we have all been playing together for so long,” senior Lisa Kurth said.

After starting the year off on an undefeated streak, a mid-season stretch put the Lady Bulldogs behind in the Duneland Athletic Conference

standings for the first time this season.

“We started off our season undefeated, so we had built up a lot of confidence,” Kurth said. “It was tough later in the season when we started to hit a few bumps in the road.”

Before entering into the sectional tournament coach Mike Cronkhite and his team prepared new strategies for the team in attempt to fool conference rivals which the Lady ‘Dogs had already faced during the regular season on more than one occasion.

“One of the main things

we worked on in practice was keeping our opponents guessing by mixing up our strategy,” coach Mike Cronkhite said. “It’s really tough to beat an opponent more than one time when you face them multiple times during the season.”

During sectionals, the Crown Point Lady Bulldogs blew past teams in the early rounds and made it to the semi-finals.

In what would be their final game of the regular season, the Lady ‘Dogs took on the Portage Indians, who they defeated twice during the regular season,

putting up 70 or more points and winning by double digits in each meeting.

“We had been working hard to get to sectionals all season,” senior Kelly Gross said. “We had come up with some big wins but we didn’t want to get over-confident.”

Although Portage was defeated by the Lady Bulldogs twice prior to this meeting and started off their season 1-10, Portage would ultimately defeat the Crown Point by a final score of 55-49, knocking the girls out of the sectional tournament and ending their regular season.

During the course of an average school day students of all sorts can be spotted

getting involved in many different school related functions and activites that take place before, during and after school. The special needs students are included in this, and have been actively taking part in athletics, either playing, cheering on the team or singing the national anthem.

The School has been preparing for March, which is special needs awarness month, by making t-shirts and advertising the athletic events in support of all the students.

Teachers Branden and Annie Lorek have helped start and run special needs athletics by coaching basketball and cheerleading respectively.

“Mr. Lorek convinced me that (coaching) would be a good opportunity,” Lorek said. “We try to get as many fans out to the games as possible and we have gotten some pretty good turn outs. It’s not just the parents but the peer toutors and other students as well.”

The cheerleading team is a new addition this year. The squad dresses up for school on game days to support the team and cheers at all the home games.

The cheerleading team has just been added to the program this year, the basketball team has been ongoing for the past three years.

“This will be my fourth season playing basketball,” student Chenoa Partin said. “I love playing basketball and I have been doing it for so

long so I did not want to give it up, but I want to try cheerleading this year too.”

Unlike most students, Partin chose to participate in both cheerleading and basketball. She cheers at all of the home games and plays at the away games.

“I’m really glad I tried cheerleading this year,” Partin said. “It’s really fun and I like it a lot.”

Since many of the basketball team’s players are new to the sport, veterans like Partin encourage the other players and help them learn along the course of the season.

“I like helping out all the new players,” Partin said. “It’s a lot of fun teaching them and seeing everyone get better. To get better as a team we really needed to make more baskets and score more points. That is what we’ve been working on most at practice. We got a lot better at it and we are able to win because of it.”

“(Special needs athletics) gives the students something to look forward to,” Lorek said. “It also gives the students a lot of confidence and it brings together students from two different classes.”

Partin encourages other students at CPHS to get involved with extra-curricular activities like athletics. Partin believes they can broaden friendships, create positive personalities and take students’ minds off of a heavy work load the course of a school week can bring.

“I really look forward to having games,” Partin said. “It makes school days more exciting when I know we have a game coming up.”

Though Partin has been playing basketball much longer than she has been cheering, she does not favor one sport over the other.

“I like (basketball and cheerleading) the same. They’re both so much fun and I love doing them both so I can’t say that I like one of them more than the other,” Partin said.

The special needs students are not only getting involved on the court but also in the stands as well as other ways around the school.

“I really like cheering at the home games,” Partin said. “It makes me really happy to see the crowd get excited and cheer along with us.”

The school as well as many members of the community come out to support all of the students who are involved.

“(The students) have a big impact on the people of the community so they always draw a wide variety of people to the games,” Lorek said. “The games are so much fun and the students love them. The feeling the students get is like they’re playing in the Super Bowl; If the team wins a game, the students and everyone who comes out to watch are just so excited. If we lose a game, they’re a little down but they still loved getting to play.”

Although the school is done selling the special needs awareness t-shirts there are still many ways to get involved such as coming out to games, peer tutoring and getting involved during school. For more information contact Mr. or Mrs. Lorek.

Students get involved in special needs athletics

13February 28, 2011

Sscoreboard

In Feb. of 1987, Crown Point wres-tling sent Evan Rees (105), Jarrett Bothwell (112), Steve Smith (119), and Troy Hepp (145) all down to Indianapolis to compete against the best wrestlers in the state. Rees and Bothwell were both upset in the competition early on, but Smith and Hepp placed fifth and sixth place overall, respectively.

INthe game

Freshman Evan Markowitz traveled to Houston, Texas on Feb.. 18 to compete in the Na-tional Junior Weight lifting Championships.

Markowitz converted on two of three snatch-es peaking at 59 kilos and was perfect in his clean

and jerk surpassing his previous personal record with a lift of 77 kilos. Markowitz will be traveling to the National Weight lifting Championship later this year. Crown Point dance also went to National competition and placed fourth overall in the nation.

A date in ‘Dogs historyBulldogs compete in national competitions

For the kids, by the kids

SportS

CP-54Merrillville-58

CP-65LaPorte-56

CP-77Portage-52

Lowell-48CP-76

CP-74Merrillville-81

Valparaiso-54CP-58

CP-49Portage-55

CP-6Kankakee-0

CP-6Portage-2

CP-4Munster-3

Lake Central-1CP-0

Merrillville-103.4CP- 104.1

CP-102.95Lowell-92.1

Eric Roach (145)- 1st overall

Jason Tsirtsis (140)- 1st overall

Josh Fuqua (103)- 2nd overall

Josh Flamme (152)- 6th overall

Tyler Kral (215)- 3rd overall

Boys Basketball

Hockey

Girls Basketball

Gymnastics

By Milan Savichsports editor

Wrestling State Results

Lady ‘Dogs end season after sectional run

By Milan Savichsports editor

Cvetanco Krstevski (left) holds the ball at the top of the key and looks to drive to the hoop during a special needs basketball home game. Natalie Lesko (upper right) cheers for the Bulldogs and encourages the fans to support the team during a special needs basketball home game.

Senior Lisa Kurth

SportS14 February 28, 2011

Wrestling team heads back to state

By Alex McLeanasst. sports editor

Alexander Graham Bell once said, “Before anything else, preparation is the key to success.”

The wrestling team recently proved that true this past weekend down at Conseco Fieldhouse, snatching a total of five medals, including two first place finishes by junior Jason Tsirtsis (42-0) and senior Eric Roach (42-0).

Before the ‘Dogs made the trip to state, they had to get through semi state at Merrillville. Freshman Josh Fuqua joined Roach and Tsirtsis at the top of their weight class.

“I wasn’t surprised by their success. I’ve seen these guys develop as tremendous athletes. They earned it,” said head coach Scott Vlink. “I’m confident they’ll carry this success over to team state.”

Tsirtsis continued his dominance, with his narrowest victory being 15-5 in both the first round and championship match. With this year’s state victory, Tsirtsis has become

Crown Point’s first three time champion. “I trained hard all season for this,” said

Tsirtsis. “I had the right mind set during and going into the tournament. It was my goal to win state going into this season, and it feels great to get it done.”

Roach had a little rougher road to the title. After winning a decisive 14-2 first round match, he won the remainder of his matches by a combined six points. Roach turned the final match around when he broke a 1-1 tie early in the third round on his way to defending his crown.

Freshman Josh Fuqua (41-2) endured close match-ups and a 7-4 overtime victory in the semi finals, only to fall in the state championship match, 5-3.

The ‘Dogs sent a total of eight athletes to wrestle and came home with five medals. In the 215 pound weight class junior Tyler Kral (41-2) grabbed a third place finish, and senior Josh Flamme (36-3) finished in sixth place in the 152 pound weight class.

With the impressive outing at individual state behind them, the team

moved on to team state. The results were not available at the time of press, but Vlink thinks the recent success at individual state could provide either a boost to the athletes, or it may prove to be hurtful.

“It could go one of two ways. We hope it’s positive and the guys keep the momentum they got at individual state to keep going into team state. We’re trying to keep them hungry for more,” Vlink said, “But guys could get content with their success already and be done. I don’t think that will happen.”

The team opens up the first round against Evansville Mater Dei, a team with twelve state championships in its history.

“(Evansville Mater Dei) could give us trouble. They have always been a solid team, and have established a respectable tradition and history,” said Vlink. “Unfortunately for them, tradition and history don’t wrestle. I am confident that we can go in there and get past them. Once that happens, we need to turn our attention on Perry Meridian. It’s not going to be easy, but we can win.”

Senior Kyle Shrewsburry controls his opponent in the 171 pound weight class during a home meet against Chesterton. Shrewsburry won the match 4-2, adding on to a successful victory for the ‘Dogs, shutting out the Trojans 71-0. This was the only meeting between the two teams.

Photo by Joe NeJmaN

Hockey successful in post season competition

Losing in a state championship game is always disappointing, but the Crown Point hockey team is looking for a chance for redemption this year.

The 23-8-2 Bulldogs wrapped up the regular season and competed in the Roper Cup Finals, the equivalent of a sectional championship game, this past Saturday, results were not available at press time.

“We’ve gained a lot of confidence because of the Roper Cup,” senior Andy Welk said. “Our only loss was by one point, and we feel like we’d beat (Lake Central) if we had a rematch.”

The ‘Dogs have built up momentum leading up to the post season, winning three of the four games in the Roper Cup playoffs by a combined total of 11 points. The team’s one loss came in a 1-0 shutout at the hands of rival Lake Central. They faced whichever team won between the Indians and Munster.

A late season 7-1-2 streak helped the team secure a number four seed in division three state playoffs. Munster is a number one seed in the same bracket.

The team credits much of their success to sophomore goalie, Rob Mazzaro, who leads the state in number of shutouts on the year.

“Rob is a boss,” said senior Andy Briggs. “He’s improved so much over the year. It’s easy to go out and win games when you’ve got a brick wall in front of your net.”

Senior Curtis Artuso thinks the senior class has the motivation to lead the team deep into the playoffs,

“Each game I go out there and realize my career as a high school athlete is almost over,” said Artuso. “It’s not a good feeling, but it makes me want to go out and play harder each game. The team leaves it on the ice every game. I know we have it in us. I want to win. We all want to win.”

By Alex McLeanasst. sports editor

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SportS 15February 28, 2011

Spring training underway

It is not uncommon to hear a fan spit out the phrase ‘this is our year’ prior to the start of the sea-son. However, for Chicago baseball fans, this phrase seems to serve purpose as a fan-made team slogan, more than anything else.

With spring training underway, both the Cubs and the Sox have already begun making improve-ments and adjustments to each of their ball clubs. The question at hand is: are they the right improve-ments, and will either team be able to find success after the treacherous 162-game schedule in which they are preparing for?

Taking a look at the Cubs, or as they have be-come known, the ‘lovable losers’, the odds of ending a 103-year World Series drought is not likely. As a Cubs fan myself, I am will-ing to admit that most fans buy into the pre-season hype way too much and I try my best to keep myself away from all the hype, knowing that my season will end in disappoint-ment.

In order for the Cubs to be successful or even to finish .500 at best they need to quit signing ‘jersey sellers’ and get at the guys who may not be household names but can get the job done.

As for the Sox, things may look to be on the bright side this year, but it is all a matter of consis-tency.

After acquiring slug-ger Adam Dunn and the speedy Lastings Milledge , the White Sox are stepping into the AL Central divi-sion with an upper hand.

Like previously stated, consistency is a key factor and if the Sox start off strong just as they did in 2010 they will have a shot at the playoffs.

2011 could be an inter-esting, or even ‘the’ year for Chicago fans.

By Milan Savich sports editor

‘Dogs begin sectional competitionBasketball starts post-season, takes on Hobart in first round

A Minute With

M i l Indiana has caught the fever. No, not the Justin ‘Bieber fever’ or the common spring fever. Indiana high school hoops fever.

With the end of the regular season approaching, the varsity boys basketball team has turned their attention towards sectional play.

“I am very excited for the post season,” senior Sean Crary said. “We have been playing our best basketball over the past four games and we have had a real chemistry with one another. (That chemistry) is going to help us compete with the best teams around.”

The month started with the ‘Dogs traveling to play area-best Merrillville riding a season best seven game winning streak. The boys jumped to a two point lead at the half, but could not hold on in a 54-58 loss. The players are not discouraged by the outcome.

“The loss keeps us hungry for a win against them and it motivates us to give them a loss the next time we play them,” senior Spike Albrecht said.

Albrecht and Crary combined for 37 points in a win against LaPorte. The ‘Dogs erased a six point deficit at half to win 65-56.

“Getting that win gave our guys confidence,” head coach Clint Swan said. “We know that if we want to beat them next time we need to play with full intensity for all four quarters.”

After starting the game on a 26-4 run, the ‘Dogs coasted to a 77-52 win against Portage. The Indians could not stop Crary, who

scored a career high 23 points off of 7-13 shooting. Crary has been on a tear this month, averaging over 20 points per game. He credits pregame work with assistant coach Brian Elston to his success.

“I told (Elston) I wanted to make an impact at the end of the season. Since then, I have had the utmost confidence in my game.”

Albrecht etched his own name into the ‘Dogs history books in a 76-48 win over Lowell by scoring his 1000 career point.

“(Scoring my 1000 point) was a pretty neat accomplishment, but it is not that big of a deal. I am not going let it get to my head, but it was certainly a big honor for me,” Albrecht said.

High school teams all around the state received word of their post season competition for the state tournament after the sectional draw. The ‘Dogs drew two win Hobart in the opening round of play. Swan was pleased with the draw.

“The draw came out as fair as it could have gotten,” Swan said. “It is almost like (the draw) was seeded.”

It will be the first time the ‘Dogs have played the Brickies this year. They are taking advantage of all the resources they can get hold of to be ready.

“(In preparation for the game) we are trying to take full advantage of all the film we have,” Swan said.

If the Bulldogs beat the Hobart Brickies Wednesday night, they will advance in sectional competition to face the winner of the Valparaiso and Chesterton game.

By Sam Beishuizenasst. sports editor

Swim team heads to state meetBy Milan Savichsports editor

In any sport, no matter what level or who the participants are, leadership is a key aspect to formulate a winning squad, and in preparation of the state meet, coach Doug Norris believes ‘L. B. E.’, or leading by example is just what it will take to bring home state gold.

“We have been getting ready for state all year long,” Norris said. “I’ve been telling our team to lead by example in order to get everyone to the level we need to be at. ‘L. B. E.’ has been our slogan all year long.”

The team set an example of giving a solid winning effort in sectionals where the team placed second and also broke a Crown Point pool and sectional record. The team of seniors Blake Yeager and Marcus Trybula, junior Mike Kukurugya, and sophomore Johnny Lynk took first place in the 400 free relay setting a record time of 3:10.06.

“Breaking the (400 free relay) record was a great confidence booster before heading down to state,” Yeager said. “Our goal all season was to send as many guys down to state as we could and compete to the best of our abilities.”

The team did just as they hoped. The Bulldogs have qualified swimmers for nine out of twelve events at state, which is a Crown Point

swim team record. “From the beginning of the season our team has had a theory that

we wanted build a house in a sense. We needed to lay the foundation by getting the basics down, put in the walls and windows by perfecting our technique, add the roof by mentally preparing, and now we need to go down to state and light a fire in the fire place.”

Along with all of the swimming events, diver Tyler Croell will also be going down to state after he won sectionals and advanced passed regionals. The boys are currently seated fourth at state.

“We are physically ready (for state),” Norris said. “At this point, it is all about mental preparation. I’m very proud of everyone this year. They have all handled their situations and difficulties without a flinch. This season has just been one big step forward for Crown Point swimming.”

The state competition took place this past weekend but results were not available at the time of press. However, the team did not only take swimmers and divers down to state but swim team manager senior Jen Zarate also joined the team to sing the national anthem prior to the competitions start.

The girls swim team had already finished their season. The team finished 13th at state and junior Hannah Raspopovich placed fifth in the 500 freestyle.

Photo by Mary-Katherine LeMon

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Educated Advice ColumnistPost-Tribune

Senior Spike Albrecht drives to the hoop in a game against Valparaiso. The Bulldogs went on to win the game in the DAC remtach. The Boys were handed one of only three losses this season from Valparaiso earlier this season, with their other two coming from top-ranked Merrillville. The ‘Dogs begun sectional competition last week but the results were not available at the time of press. The Bulldogs have a chance to see Valparaiso a third time this year if they both advance to the second round of the sectional tournament.

Fans cheered and whistled for their favorite players at a varsity basketball game on Jan. 28. Standing ovations were had and tears were shed. However, these cheers and tears were not just for the varsity players, but for the special needs basketball and cheerleading teams as well as the mascot being recognized.

After announcing the names of all the players on the special needs basketball team prior to the start of the game, student Michael Gregoline took the floor to sing the National Anthem.

“Since as long as I could remember, Michael was always singing the National Anthem on the bus on our field trips and I knew I had to get Michael to sing that,” special needs teacher Liz Hanlon said.

Gregoline sang the Anthem with senior peer tutor Nick Edwards. According to Edwards, they practiced every day for a month leading up to the basketball game.

“It was fun to sing the National Anthem at the game,” Gregoline said. “I practiced a lot with Nick.”

Gregoline currently goes to music therapy, where he learns how to play the piano. His mom plays a significant role in his musical ability.

“I play (piano) for my mom out of my music book. My mom helped me to sing,” Gregoline said.

Directly following Gregoline’s performance, the crowd was on their feet for a standing ovation and tears could be seen in the eyes of fans.

“It was invigorating, and more than we imagined it to be,” Hanlon said. “The response was

overwhelming. It brought us together as a community. I never imagined it was going to be that way.”

Special needs recognition night was first discussed at a basketball mom’s meeting. After they approved of the idea, Hanlon had to go through Athletic director Bill Dorulla. Hanlon said the administration was very open to the idea.

“They trust us and say yes to everything we ask about our kids,” Hanlon said.

Hanlon said that the supportive administration was instrumental in allowing Gregoline to sing at the game as well as allowing student Katie Chimitris to dress up as the school mascot. Hanlon said that at a basketball meeting, the time was right.

“They said that they needed a mascot and Dr. Ban and I looked at each other and said ‘Katie!’” Hanlon said.

Chimitris had previously dressed up as George the Bulldog at football games, but she is now the official mascot for the basketball team.

“I get to go out there and wave and jump around and give high-fives and do a lot of clapping,” Chimitris said.

Chimitris looks forward to her future as the mascot because of the things that she gets to do as George. At a home basketball game, she was given the opportunity to sign autographs after the game. She also enjoys the physical aspects of the job.

“I’m getting to be real active now,” she said. “Before, I wasn’t jumping around and all that stuff, but I’m very active now.”

When she’s not dressed up as George, Chimitris can be seen managing the special needs basketball

team as well as dancing at the game.Hanlon believes the activities of the special

needs recognition night exemplify the pride Crown Point has in the special needs students.

“Our mission statement says that our promise is to help students achieve beyond their potential,” Hanlon said. “They believe that about our kids too.”

Personalities February 28, 201116

Photos by Mary-Katherine LeMon and donneLLa CasiLLas

You know it’s a snow day when...Senior

Sophomore

Jordan McRae

AllieKontor

“I have a four hour swim practice.”

JuniorJordan Oresko

Freshman Montana Haywood “My mom doesn’t

wake me up.”

Take

FIVE

Justin Charles Senior

Make the gradeI wish I could have straight A’s and get into a great college.

Do Work

I’m really good at working on computers and their networks.

Homework annoys me because it takes up valuable time.

Family TiesI can’t wait for my mom to move here from Germany.

OverseasI’m from Germany. I lived there for twelve years.

Tech Savvy

Top: student Michael Gregoline waves after per-forming the national anthem at a home basketball game on Jan. 28. Left: student Katie Chimitris sits in the George the bulldog costume. Chimitris is now the official mascot for the basketball team.

“My mom screams at me,

“it’s a snow day!’”

“Everyone’s Facebook status says

‘snow day.’”

Photos by Mary-Katherine LeMon

Two students showcase their talents

By Lauren Caineditor-in-chief

Students Michael Gregoline and Katie Chimitris show off their skills to basketball fans, earn special recognition