Vol 97: Number 2 - Arsenal Technical High School - Indianapolis ...

INSIDEMore fightsMore studentslead to moretrouble oncampus, deans sayPg. 2HalloweenLearn theorigins of thescariest day ofthe yearPg. 5Classic timeTitans joinIndy’s CircleCity Classicgame, eventsPgs. 11, 12THE CANNONVolume 97, No. 2 October 14, 2009Arsenal Technical High SchoolCOMING UPWednesday Oct. 14 -PSAT testing on campusFriday Oct. 16 - End ofnine week grading periodMonday Oct. 19 - Fallplay rehearsal throughNov. 5.Monday Oct. 19-Wednesday Oct. 21- Benchmark TestingThursday Oct. 22 andFriday Oct. 23 - FallBreak NO SCHOOLSaturday Oct. 24- ACT testing dateWednesday Oct.28 - PIT (Parents InTouch) Day no schoolfor studentsWednesday Nov. 11-Veterans Day Parade,DowntownThis is theTIMEMaster Pinspires atsurpriseassemblyBy KENISHA BACONStaff WriterWhen more than 300juniors and seniorswere called to theauditorium Oct. 2,they soon found out that it was nota normal assembly. Students beganto shout and scream when theywere told Master P and Romeowere at Tech. Master P, Romeo andRomeo’s new group, College Boys,were in Indy for the Circle CityClassic.See Master P Page 5Photo by BrandonYoung

2THE CANNON - NEWS Oct. 14, 2009Deans say drama off campusleads to more fights at TechBy KIARA GILBERTStaff Writer“Teachers, we are on lockdown.When the tardy bell rings, five minutesafter that bell, students may notbe allowed to enter any classroomunless they have a pass. Thank you.”This announcement was made overthe intercom Sept. 29. Recent fightshave prompted a lockdown andenhanced security measures on campus.Discipline Dean Fredrick Kellysaid in his 41 years, this has beenthe worst year for violence since theearly ‘70s.Suspensions have also increasedsince last year around this time.Dean Quintella Wright agreed withKelly. She said that not only are theremore fights but the intensity hasworsened from just fighting to fightingwith the use of weapons.Dean Kelly said he recently confiscatedsingle edge razors and even abox cutter from young women.“The biggest problem is the blackfemales,” he said. “They bring upold things and get things started withparents and the community. Theythen will bring it back onto campus.Those things are meaningless.”One incident he cited was a femalewho wanted to fight another youngfemale all because she looked at heror “ mean mugged” her. Kelly saidthat some of the problems are comingfrom some students who havetransferred from Broad Ripple.His resolution to the currentproblem is sending the studentsto alternative schools, which areseparate facilities for students whohave been expelled from their school.Alternative schools are stricter andhave less freedom than their normalschool. One alternative school iscalled Horizon.Discipline deans are not the onlyones who have noticed the changes.“I haven’t noticed that many morefights but some seem to be more seriousto me,” International AcademyDean Sandy Fields said.One solution Dean Wright mentionedis that a student governmentcouncil should be started to have studentstalk things out with one anotherbefore resulting to fighting.“We should not give students numerousopportunities to correct negativeschool behavior,” Wright said.Dean Kelly said he expects thesituation to settle down. “Once weget down to it, we are going to beOK. We’re going to be alright.”IPS police officers respond to a report of a recent fight on campus.What the students have to say. . .“Yes, I’ve seen more fighting this school year, than the year before. During acertain time there were fights every day after school or during school. But yes, Ithink there has been more fighting this year than last.”“Yes, I have seen more fights this year that last year. It seems to make lots ofpeople feel uneasy and not want to come to school. That leads to attendanceproblems. I think they should start controlling the fights and stopping themmore quickly.”(Students quoted asked to remain anonymous.)EarlyCollegewalkslikeEgyptiansBy AUBREY HARVEYStaff WriterArsenal Tech students do not have to travelaround the world to see Egypt. They justhave to go to the second floor of TreadwellHall.The Freshman Honors English Class forEarly College recently created an exhibitcovering the different gods of Egypt.Students learned how to research and citesources.“All summer long, the Children’s Museumhas been claiming that if you wantto see Egypt, then turn on to Illinois at34th Street. For students at Arsenal TechHigh School, there is a closer walk and itis at the second floor of Treadwell Hall,”said Jon Burroughs, teacher of the EarlyCollege Freshman Honors English Class.Brandi York’s project in the exhibitis on the mythology of Osiris. Osiris’brother killed him by chopping him intopieces and spreading his body parts in theNile. Osiris’ widowed wife then found all ofhis body and somehow put him back together.It took York about three days to researchinformation for this project.Linda Ferries, of the Children’s Museum cuts the ribbonlast week to open the Early College Freshman Honorsexhibit on Egyptian Gods in Treadwell Hall.“I enjoyed doing the research in the librarybecause it helped out with the project and thecomputers were very useful,” York said.The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the exhibitwas held at 8 a.m. Oct. 5. About 30 people,attended, including Laura Ferries, who is incharge of the King Tut exhibit at the Children’sMuseum.The exhibit features poster boards stretchedas far back as the hallways would let them,filled with information and a “life-like”mummy at the entrance of the exhibit. Burroughsand the students said a lot of workand research went into putting the exhibit together.Students worked in a limited amountof time to reach the deadline of completionfor their project.Nearly all the class participated in theexhibit. Teachers, staff and students fromother classes all seemed to be impressedwith what they have seen during theirtime in the exhibit. Ferries said she wasthoroughly impressed with the students’hard work and dedication toward the exhibitand several of the students said theywere happy about the finished product.Many of the students who participatedin the exhibit found it to be fun and saidthey learned a lot from the research andexperience.“It was fun to learn about the each others’projects and how all of the differentgods in Egypt are related in some way,”said Ciara Spivey, who participated inthe project. “Mr. Burroughs helped out a lotwith information and helped us put the actualfinished project together so that it makesmore sense to us.”

Oct. 14, 2009 THE CANNON - NEWS3Board bans ‘sexting’IPS policy sets consequencesfor students, informs parentsBy LIZ PINEDOStaff WriterAfter a high-profile incident lastyear at John Marshall CommunitySchool involving the distributionof a video of a young girl who wassecretly taped with a cell phone havingsex, the IPS School Board passeda new policy banning “sexting” onSept. 22.“Sexting” is defined as the sendingof sexually explicit messages andphotos electronically, primarilythrough the use of cell phones. Thecurrent policy banning sexting readsas this:“Sexting” PolicyA student may not possess, view,send, or share pictures or text havingsexual content while the student ison school grounds, at school-sponsoredevents or on school busesand other vehicles provided by IPS.This policy strictly prohibits sexualmaterial in electronic or any otherform and includes but is not limitedto sexual material contained in acellular telephone, camera phone,or personal digital assistant andsexual material transmitted by textmessage, e-mail, or any electroniccommunication device. A studentwho violates this policy is subject tosuspension or expulsion.Students should be aware that thereare serious consequencesif caughtsexting.“The boardhopes this policywill help studentsunderstand thevery seriousconsequencesof sexting. It isa violation ofIndiana criminalstatutes to possess,create, photograph,exhibit,or disseminatecertain categories of material of asexual nature that meet the definitionsof child exploitation or childpornography. A person who isconvicted of child exploitation oradjudicated a juvenile delinquent forviolating the child exploitation statuteis required to register with the Stateof Indiana as a sex offender,” saidMary Bewley, IPS director of schooland community relations.Bewley said that after three incidentsof sexting in IPS and widespreadnational attentionon this issue, IPS hasbeen forced to act. TheIPS School Board haspassed this policy in aneffort to warn parentsof the serious nature ofsexting, something thata few years ago wasnever heard of. It wantsparents to be involved inhelping prevent studentsfrom sexting.“IPS recommendsparents be aware of whotheir children are communicatingwith on their cell phonesby checking their child’s phone periodically.Parents should share withchildren the repercussions of beingcharged with a felony for participatingin sexting,” Bewley said.Around CampusACE welcomes new staffBy ANTYANA CORDERGraphics EditorThe Academy of Creative Expressionor better known as ACE isknown for its creative outlook onlearning. ACE’s academic dean isWilliam Jensen, who makes sure theacademy is doing what is expectedand more. Over the past year therehas been more new students choosingACE as their small school.“ACE tries to serve the arts-drivenstudent. Students really like to havemore arts and music electives. Wehave the freedom to have more artand creativity,” Jensen said.ACE has come up with an ideato mentor freshman since the Techcampus makes for a big adjustmentfrom middle school with the largesthigh school campus. Kick Off Mentoringis a chance for freshman totalk and interact with upperclassmenwho have been through the wholeexperience and who can add a littleinsight. The program offers tutoringto any freshman that needs it. Allthey would have to do is stay afterwith a listed teacher on the day thatis available. If students haven’t seenthe list, they can go to Rm. 363 onthe third floor of Stuart Hall.This year brought a lot of newstudents to ACE and a few newteachers. Michael Bryson is the newteacher’s assistant who replacedKimi Henderson.“Mr. Bryson is doing a very goodjob,” Jensen said.Other new staff is Sarah Belcherthe science teacher, Lacey Banuelosthe art teacher, Ms. Gallmeyer themath teacher, and Donna Griffin thenew English/journalism teacher.“We are very happy to have thenew teachers,” Jensen said.Besides the Kick Off Mentoringprogram there is another newprogram only offered in ACE. It’sthe new Advertising Magnet. Fornow there is only one class availablefor first period with teacher KristiSebastian which includes only 30students.“It is a very small class right nowbut we’re hoping to expand in thefollowing years,” Jensen said.There is also a new class calledACE showcase taught by CynthiaHartshorn and Beth Meyer in MoonHall. This class offers a chanceto learn dancing, acting, singingand movement. Expansion of theAdvertising Magnet is planned witha freshman class to be offered nextyear.ROTCtakes onchallengefor DakarstudentsBy ALEX GEARStaff WriterNow Tech students have a chance tohelp Dakar’s young people to accessthe education they desire. About 180Tech students in ROTC are volunteeringto collect books through Oct. 21,for boys and girls in Dakar, Senegal,West Africa. Sgt. Charlie Smith hasa goal to accumulate at least 10,000books.ROTC members have alreadyobtained over 1,500 books for thedrive. How do these books get sent toAfrica? A national organization, thataids foreign countries, will help sendthe books to Senegal after Tech deliversthe books to them. This drive willmake education a possibility again forthose who were deprived of it.“To motivate young people to bebetter citizens” is the JROTC motto.1st Sgt. Jerry W. Ridenour said thatthe whole reason JROTC is doing thebook drive is to appreciate the challengethat Senegal’s drive offered.Ever since the civil war thatdestroyed the books and the schools,the children of Senegal have beeneducationally deprived. Families havebecome poor and the community hasturned into a wasteland of forgottenmemories of what used to be a thrivingcity.Due to the lack of knowledge aboutSenegal’s challenges, this drive is provingto be difficult. The books will helpthose in need of English skills.“It is a challenge to improve the Englisheducation in Senegal and we tookon that challenge,” Ridenour said.DP starts year with first graduateBy SHAWNNA HENDRICKSStaff WriterDP, also known as Diploma Plus,started the year with the first graduate,Ashley Ervin Sept.9.Diploma Plus provides a newpath to success for young peoplewho have not reached their potentialin high school. The program allowsstudents to graduate on time and catchup on credits by taking 21 credits inone year. DP is now taking applicationsfor next semester.Students are already starting to applyfor colleges. DP is expecting 20-30kids to graduate this year.In other news, Michael Hendricks isthe only Diploma Plus student on thefootball team.DP students are to be in school from9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., unless they havean ID that says they leave at 2:30.“I only have two classes every dayso the time really doesn’t matter tome,” Samantha Faulkner said.Previously, DP students couldleave Wednesdays at 2:30, but thathas changed.“I have a job and I can’t work ifI am in school late and don’t getout until 4:30. On WednesdaysI am supposed to be at work by4:15, and that causes me to have toleave school early. Wednesdays issupposed to be field trip days andwe haven’t been on one yet, sothere is no point in us staying thatlate,” Nyesha Jordan said.

4THE CANNON - NEWS Oct. 14, 2009THENEXTSTEPSeniors prepare ‘AVID-ly’ for collegeBy BECCA HOODEditor-in-ChiefCollege Preparation is no easy task, but AVID strives tolighten the burden and set students up for success.AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination)is a college prep class marking a milestone in its fourthyear at Tech. The class of 2010 will be the first seniors tograduate with four years of the AVID program under theirbelts.AVID helps prepare students for AP and honors classesand pushes students to a higher level. It also preparesstudents through vocabulary enhancement, study groupsand preparing for class through peer support and studenttutorials.“Tutorials is a questioning way of teaching you how toarrive at an answer,” said International Academy AVIDteacher Jennifer McNally.The AVID classes run the student-generated tutorialsevery Tuesday and Thursday. An AVID tutorial is not atypical tutoring session. Student tutors lead their peersthrough the process of finding an answer by askingquestions. This way students do not need to know all theins and outs of a subject.Binders are a key part of AVID, by keeping studentsorganized. AVID students are required to keep allclasswork, papers and tests in one place so everything isspotless and nothing is lost.Cornell Notes are also a big part of AVID andorganization.They are a “text-messaging way of taking notes,”McNally said.If Cornell notes are done correctly, students can quizthemselves and even make questions to help teachers insetting up tests.Currently AVID seniors are setting up their college essaysand resumes. They are also applying for scholarships andusing their study and peer time together. Avid teachers saidseniors need to maintain their GPAs and begin to searchand apply for colleges. Seniors also should be studying forthe SAT and PSAT.“Never give up, take advantage of all situations,” saidACE AVID teacher Marla Short. “You’re a family -support each other.”SENIORS are you ready?ACT/SAT TEST INFORMATIONRegistration packets and fee waivers forthe ACT and SAT can be found in theGuidance Office, Rm. G.SCHOLARSHIPSAVAILABLE NOWAll scholarship applications may beobtained from the Guidance office,Rm. G in the Arsenal. Come for informationand applications during yourlunch or after school.USA Funds Access to EducationScholarshipsThis scholarship opportunity isavailable to high school seniors.Apply online at www.usafunds.org/scholarship between Dec. 15 andFeb. 15. It is specifically for studentswhose household annual incomeis $35,000 or less. Priority will begiven to students who are membersof an ethnic-minority groupor have a documented physicaldisability.Deadline: Feb. 15, 2010All online applications must besubmitted by 11:59 p.m. EST. Jan. 11.21st Century Scholars ProgramATHS Coordinator: Dr. Robinson,Rm. G, ArsenalStudents, must have signed up for thisprogram in middle school. Eligible seniorsmust maintain a 2.0 GPA in orderto obtain the 21st Century Scholarship.THE 21ST CENTURY SCHOLARSENIOR EXIT MEETING ISOCT. 21. YOU MUST ATTENDTO SIGN YOUR AFFIRMATIONFORM. If you transferred to Techfrom another IPS school or non-IPSschool, you MUST update your status.See Ms. Childers or Dr. Robinson, ifyou have questions about your status.NEW - Rev. Dr. Martin LutherKing, Jr. Essay ContestThe contest is open to all high schoolstudents in Indiana. The application isavailable in Rm. G.Deadline: Jan. 2, 2010Frank O’Bannon GrantThis opportunity is for seniors planningto attend an Indiana school. Moreinformation can be found at www.state.in.us/ssaci.HELPFUL WEBSITESNelnet – Scholarship and FinancialAid Resourcehttp://www.nelnet.comFree Application for Federal StudentAid (FAFSA) – Register onlinefor your PIN numbers (students andparents) today.Web applications are available Jan.1 in local public libraries. You areSTRONGLY ENCOURAGED tocomplete application online from Jan.1 to Feb. 28 at http://www.fafsa.ed.govScholarship resource:http://www.weeklyscholarshipalert.org/Virtual College Tours, College Planning,Scholarship Search:http://www.ecampustours.com/Scholarship and Grant Information:www.BlackStudents.comInformation on scholarship forstudents of Hispanic originhttp://www.hsf.netScholarship and Financial AidResourcewww.fastweb.com/high schoolEmployment Search Enginehttp://www.snagajob.com/Banking Information for students:www.usbank.com/studentbankingStudent Financial Aid informationwww.studentaid.ed.gov/completefafsaInformation compiled from Titans TreasuresScholarship Bulletin, First EditionFor more information, see Dr. Robinsonin Rm. G in the Arsenal.ACT DATESTest Date Reg. Deadline Late DeadlineDec. 8 Nov. 2 Nov. 15Feb. 9 Jan. 8 Jan. 18Apr. 12 Mar. 7 Mar. 21June 14 May 9 May 23SAT DATESTest Date Reg. Deadline Late DeadlineDec. 1 Oct. 30 Nov. 8Jan. 26 Dec. 26 Jan. 4Mar. 1 Jan. 29 Feb. 7May 3 Apr. 1 Apr. 10June 7 May 6 May 15Test Preparation• ACT, Inc (www.act.org/news/student/index.html) – ACT preparation and general collegeand financial aid information• Collegeboard.com (www.collegeboard.com)– SAT preparation and general college andfinancial aid information• Kaplan (www.kaplan.com) – SAT and ACTtest preparation and registration• Peterson’s (www.petersons.com) – SAT andACT online preparation, college search, andfinancial aid informationTHE BOTTOM LINE. . . COLLEGE GOAL WEEK through Friday. . .SENIORS: Applythis week to college - all application fees are waived to state colleges and universities. . .Juniors: Registerfor etranscript. . .SOPHOMORES: Take PSAT today. . .FRESHMEN: Take the college/career survey

Oct. 14, 2009 THE CANNON - NEWS5Halloween derives fromdiverse cultures, practicesBy BECCA HOODEditor-in-ChiefHalloween has not alwaysbeen the same holiday that you,your parents, or your grandparentscelebrated. It actually datesback 2,000 years ago, pickingup different traditions frommany different cultures growinginto the Halloween we knowtoday.The Celtic culture was the firstto celebrate Halloween, calledSamhian and celebrated on Oct.31.They would gather at theedges of their villages and laydown treats and other offeringsto detour spirits and ensurenext year’s plentiful harvest.Many cultures believed the veilbetween the world of the livingand of the dead was unusuallythin on this night. Pagans wouldbuild bonfires and have a ritualof inviting spirits to come andbe among them, thus leading tothe bats we see on Halloweenmerchandise. Christians begantrying to convert pagans bymaking their own holiday calledAll Saints Day which was celebratedon Nov. 1. Samhain wasthen transferred into All HallowsEve, making the holiday areligion mix of Christianity andpaganism.Pagan woman were demonizedby Christians, this leading tothe witches we see on decorationstoday. When America wascolonized by Britain the Puritanpilgrims did not celebrate Halloweenbecause they saw it asDevil’s Day. Although Americabroke away from Britain, Halloweenwas still sparsely recognizedas a holiday.It wasn’t until the industrialrevolution brought flocks of immigrantsthat Halloween startedbecoming an American tradition.Halloween today is the secondmost celebrated holiday inAmerica. Today Halloweenis widely known as a child’sholiday. Children will dressup in many different types ofcostumes and prowl the streetsin search of candy and other funtreats. As time goes on Halloweenhas become more adult-orientedwith parties and many gettogethers.Go bump in the night. . .Hannah MansionHaunted HouseHistoric Hannah House- 3801 Madison Ave.Fridays and Saturdays: 7 p.m. - 12 a.m. (endsOct. 31)Expanded hauntedhouse with free ghosttour featuring actualstories of paranormalexperiences in thehome.Screamers HauntedHousePost Road Rec Center- 4700 N. Post Rd.Daily 7 p.m. - 12 a.m.(Oct. 30 through Oct.31)Necropolis 2009Dark Armies - 2525 N.Shadeland Ave.Oct. 14 : 7 p.m. - 10p.m.Haunted attractions areNecropolis: City of PerpetualDarkness (morethan 30,000-squarefoothaunted house),Dark Terrors (hauntedfactory) and ZombieInn (zombie-inhabitedhouse).MASTER PContinued from page 1Romeo and The College Boysperformed later that night atthe Convention Center downtown.They also were havingauditions for a chance to be inRomeo’s music video. Juniorsand seniorsthoughtthat itwas veryexciting tolisten toMaster P,someonethat hasbeen inthe samesituationsas students at Tech. Master P’swords seemed to have a lot ofmeaning to the students.Master P said that his senioryear in high school, he lovedto play basketball but he alsowanted to be like his cousinwho was a hustler.One day he and his cousinwere standing on the porchof a apartment and three guysfrom school told Master P andhis cousin to give them everythingthey had. P and his cousinthought they were cool untilthe guyspulledout agun. P’scousinhadabout$2,000on him.P beganto runup to thetop of the apartment building.His cousin got shot eight timesand died.After his cousin’s death,Master P realized he had tomake a decision. He had to decideif he was going to do theright thing or the wrong thing.He decided not to choose thepath that his cousin took. Sothen he made the decision togo to college.“Education is what changedmy life,” Master P said.After he was done with hislife-changing story, studentsall over the assembly beganto cheer. A lot of students raisedtheir hands to make the rightdecision to stay in school.“You have to be responsible foryour own life. This is the time;it’s time to take things seriously,”Master P said at the end ofthe assembly.After the assembly backstage,Romeo, a student at USC, saidthat he came to Tech to show theimportance of education.“Sometimes when people getrich and famous they tend toforget about going back and talkingto people about how importanteducation is,” Romeo said.“Education is what got me whereI am now.”Romeo hypes a music video he and Master P shot Downtown during CircleCity Classic weekend. Inset photo at left: Romeo, Master P and his daughterand the College Boys also spoke at the assembly Oct. 2.

6THE CANNON - HOMECOMING Oct. 14, 2009Oct. 14, 2009 THE CANNON - HOMECOMING 7Rain and a disappointingloss did not dampenenthusiasm and Titanspirit during HomecomingSept. 25. Doors weredecorated, the bandplayed on, students andathletes showed theirpride during Spirit Week’sactivities.King Arthur Wright andQueen Elizabeth Pinedoreigned as Homecomingroyalty.Photos by LashunMitchell and Brandon YoungHome SpiritFaculty pulls upset in blubberballBy LIZ PINEDO Copy EditorAfter years of losing, the Tech faculty somehow managedto crush the students (to the surprise of everyone) 15-1 at thisyear’s blubberball game, hosted Sept. 23 by the girls soccerteam.Ten or so faculty and about two dozen students showed up atthe baseball field eager to play and overpower the opposition.Blubberball, for those who don’t know, has been a traditionalhomecoming activity for some years now. It is a mix of dodgeball and softball; players must hit a dodge ball with a baseballbat and run the bases to make a point.“I thought the game was unfair because we had a lot of nerdson our team and they are not usually athletically inclined. Atfirst I thought we were going to win, but as I saw the gameprogress I saw that a loss was inevitable. I thought Hammon,who was running the game was running the game was changingthe rules in his own favor,” girls soccer team player, JenayaHooks said.Cristine Gutierrez, a junior in the Magnet Academy said inexperiencewas a factor.“The students had never played blubberball while the teachershave.”Regardless of the loss, many of the students seemed to enjoythe game.“It was fun to joke around with the teachers and tease themabout being old,” said Sarah Keevil, a senior in the MagnetAcademy.The bonfire scheduled for Sept. 24 was canceled due to rain.Spirits soared during Homecoming weekend when the Tech Titans wentout to show their stuff during the Homecoming game (right) and dance(above).Carnival gets fans hyped for gameBy EMILY GREEN Staff WriterAlmost 50 people showed up to the Homecoming CarnivalSep. 25. There were games with prizes and many stands sellingfood and drinks. Rachel Wright, a member of the sophomoreclass, said of the carnival, “It’s exciting. It’s getting peoplemore pepped for the game than they have been.”The soccer team put on a game called “beat the goalie.” Allyou had to do was buy 1-3 chances, get the soccer ball passedthe goalie, and you won the soccer ball. They also sold cakes,brownies and cookies baked by the team members.Coach Troy Hammon and some of the soccer girls also hosteda Model United Nations stand that was selling wristbands,shirts and baked goods.Early College Student Incentives hosted a balloon pop andface painting. They also sold chips, candy, and drinks. Theycame out with $200 raised for their academy.Tech alumni were a big part of the carnival. The class of 1990was there tailgating to celebrate its 20th anniversary. There wasalso a group of alumni giving food and drinks to anyone whocame by their tent. Everyone who ate from their tent had to signa sheet that the alumni turned in to get grants for the food.Neal Gore represented the Big Brothers and Sisters organization.He was there to recruit anyone over 18 but especially “bigbrothers,” Gore said, “There are over 400 kids that we havesigned up waiting for older siblings, we just need the volunteers.”

8COUNTDOWN TO CENTENNIALBy CAMERON RUSSELLAssistant EditorAndré D. Carson wasborn Oct. 16, 1974.He currently is theUnited States Representativefor Indiana’s 7th CongressionalDistrict. He is the grandsonof long-term representativeJulia Carson and his electionto Congress was immediatelyfollowing her death in 2008. Heis an African American and describeshimself as “an orthodox,universal, secular Muslim.” Heis the second Muslim to serve inthe U.S. Congress and is the firstMuslim elected to federal officefrom Indiana. He is currently theyoungest Democratic memberof Congress. Carson is anIndianapolis native and attendedIndianapolis Public Schools,graduating in 1992 from ArsenalALUMNISPOTLIGHTAndreCarsonTechnicalHighSchool. AftergraduationCarson went on to graduatewith a bachelor’s degree incriminal justice managementfrom Concordia University,Wisconsin. He was a local boardofficer and investigator for theIndiana State Excise Police fornine years. He also served in theIndiana Department of HomelandSecurity at the IntelligenceFusion Center, supervising ananti-terrorism unit. He is alsoa Democratic Party committeepersonin Center Township ofMarion County, Indiana. He haslived his life as an outstandingAmerican and patriot and he hasearned this Centennial Spotlight.THE CANNON - OPINION Oct. 14, 2009PROPS and PROBSAVGA is all about fun and gamesBy CAMERON RUSSELLAssistant EditorThis is my props to AVGA(Animation Video Game Association)it is an organizationin which a group of kidsgo to appreciate the arts ofanimation and gaming. It isheaded by Kristi Sebastian andincludes 25-50 students.Sebastian said the club fitsher interests as well as thestudents.“A group of students cameto me for sponsorship becauseIf you have any otherquestions comments orconcerns, feel free tocontact me or any memberof the journalism staff.I’m not hard to miss,I’m abnormally tall withdreadlocks.I have more expertise in thearea than any other teacherhere.” The association is fouryears old and is still goingstrong.One of the group’s oldestmembers, senior Menard Murrayjoined the group to meetfellow gamers.“I was recommended to theclub by my friend Keri andquickly discovered it was agreat place to meet people ofsimilar interests and have afun time as well.” I myselfwent to visit theassociation andfound it to bequite enjoyable.There was lifeand energy andYu-Gi-Oh galoreand the atmospherewas warmand welcoming.I highly suggest if you haveany interest in anime or videogames or anything of the sortthat you drop by and check itout every Thursday in the thirdfloor of Stuart Hall in Ms. Sebastian’sroom. This organitionhas received a tip of my hat.So I give it the world’s highesthonor THE CAMERON RUS-SELL SEAL OF APPROVAL(Pause for effect)…Stay classy, Tech Titans.YOUR VIEWSDo you believe that campus security is slowing the progession of fights at Tech?“No, they will still fight.The students just don’tcare.”“No, people still get awaywith having a fight.”“No, because there are alot of fights. Also they letrandom people walk up oncampus.”“No because people do notcare anymore and they needmore officers.”“No, I do not think theyare doing a good job.”Mekel Carter, 9Deelontee Huntchins, 10Shalonda Evers, 10Monique Ray, 10Tyla Richardson, 10

Oct. 14, 2009 THE CANNON - OPINION9HEAR ME OUTLack of Self Respect Contributes to Teenage PregnanciesBy JASMYN POWELLEditor-in-ChiefSeeing a pregnant teen is as commonas seeing birds in the sky ora car driving down the street. Sodoes that mean teenage pregnanciesare OK?As the numbers grow, it seemsto me that society is becomingmore and more tolerant of 16 and17-year-old girls with 8-monthpregnant bellies. In my opinion,the “trend” going around is causedby a lack of self respect andindividualism. Ignorance is also akey part to the drastic increase ofteenage parents.If females would respectthemselves more, they would notexpose themselves to risks suchas a pregnancy or a STD. Let mefurther explain my statement, If afemale had a great amount of selfrespect, she would not have sexwithout a condom because shewould not want to put herself atrisk of a sexually transmitted diseaseor an unplanned pregnancy. Ayoung lady who respected herselfwould get tested and have herpartner tested as well, before theybecome sexually active.Abstinence, in my opiniondepicts the ultimate self respect.A young lady willing to wait willbe better off than the girl whobecomes sexually active at anearly age.I strongly believe that this generationhas a shortage of leadersand too many followers. Teenagerssee each other having kids, sothey want kids. That’s ridiculousto me, but it’s true nonetheless. Ifthere were more teenagers whoare not afraid to be the odd balland display their individuality, theteenage birth rate would not be sohigh.What a lot of people fail tounderstand is that the majority ofteenage pregnancies are mistakes.Such mistakes are caused by alack of knowledge, or ignorance.Sexually active teenagers neglectto use condoms, they are then atrisk of getting pregnant or catchinga disease.Understand this, a condom doesnot protect you from catching adisease 100 percent nor does itpromise to protect you from beingimpregnated. It simply lowers thechances. I strongly suggest thatyou be tested frequently if you aresexually active. However, beingtested is not always 100 percentTech Teen Clinic ServicesScreenings:STD ScreeningHIV counseling and testingVision and Hearing screeningWomen’s Health concernsincluding:Pregnancy testingWell women’s examsImmunizations:Hepatitis BTetanus (Tdap)HPV (Gardasil)Meningitis (Menactra)Rm. 130, Treadwell HallCare for acute illness and injury:Anemia, strep throat, ear infections,sinusitis, abdominal pain, strains,sprains, and other injuriesPhysical Exams:Sports, Employment, and CollegePhysicalsServices NOT provided by theTech ClinicBirth controlParental CareTreatment of complex medical ormental health problemsX-raysaccurate neither. For a male, theSTD scan does not detect certaininfections. In other words in somecases, a male can have an STD,after sleeping with one female, getchecked and his test would comeback negative. He then sleeps withanother female then passes thedisease to her.Here’s my point, ladies, take careof yourselves, respect yourself andmost of all your body. Develop asense of individuality and furthermore,stop letting ignorance blindyou. Know your body.Tech has an advantage over theother IPS schools. Tech has itsown teen clinic on the first floorof Treadwell, Rm. 130. The TechTeen Clinic offers many servicesfrom sports physicals to morepersonal needs such as STD scansand pregnancy tests.My goals are not to only pointout the things that I personallyfind to be disturbing, but to alsopropose a solution to the problem.I firmly believe abstinence isthe best way to be. After abstinence,I strongly suggest that ifyou are sexually active that youalways wear a condom, get testedfrequently and stick with onepartner..THE CANNONArsenal Technical High School, 1500 E. Michigan St., Indianapolis, IN 46201Editor-in-Chief Jasmyn PowellEditor-in-Chief Becca HoodAssistant Editor Cameron RussellCopy Editor Liz PinedoSports Editor Brandon YoungPhotography Editor Lashun MitchellGraphics Editor Antyana CorderStaff Writers Emily Green, Kenisha Bacon, Alisha Elliot, JocelynHarris, Kiara Gilbert, Shawnna Hendricks,, Alex GearDrawing by Antonio AbernathyThe Cannon is a public forum of speechthat is produced by the students of ArsenalTechnical High School once a month. Bylinecolumns represent the writer’s opinionwhile editorial are designed to persuade,warn, criticize, inform or inspure. Letters tothe editor must be signed and may be edited.The editorial board reserves the right to refuseany letter or advertisement that is not inthe best interests of the school. All editorialsare solely the opinion of the editorial boardunless otherwise stated. Views expressed arenot necessarily those of the administration,newspaper staff or journalism adviser.Further information may be obtained by contacting the Publications Department at693-5300, ext. 6351 or emailing adviser Donna Griffin at griffind@ips.k12.in.us.

Oct. 14, 2009 THE CANNON - OPINION9HEAR ME OUTLack of Self Respect Contributes to Teenage PregnanciesBy JASMYN POWELLEditor-in-ChiefSeeing a pregnant teen is as commonas seeing birds in the sky ora car driving down the street. Sodoes that mean teenage pregnanciesare OK?As the numbers grow, it seemsto me that society is becomingmore and more tolerant of 16 and17-year-old girls with 8-monthpregnant bellies. In my opinion,the “trend” going around is causedby a lack of self respect andindividualism. Ignorance is also akey part to the drastic increase ofteenage parents.If females would respectthemselves more, they would notexpose themselves to risks suchas a pregnancy or a STD. Let mefurther explain my statement, If afemale had a great amount of selfrespect, she would not have sexwithout a condom because shewould not want to put herself atrisk of a sexually transmitted diseaseor an unplanned pregnancy. Ayoung lady who respected herselfwould get tested and have herpartner tested as well, before theybecome sexually active.Abstinence, in my opiniondepicts the ultimate self respect.A young lady willing to wait willbe better off than the girl whobecomes sexually active at anearly age.I strongly believe that this generationhas a shortage of leadersand too many followers. Teenagerssee each other having kids, sothey want kids. That’s ridiculousto me, but it’s true nonetheless. Ifthere were more teenagers whoare not afraid to be the odd balland display their individuality, theteenage birth rate would not be sohigh.What a lot of people fail tounderstand is that the majority ofteenage pregnancies are mistakes.Such mistakes are caused by alack of knowledge, or ignorance.Sexually active teenagers neglectto use condoms, they are then atrisk of getting pregnant or catchinga disease.Understand this, a condom doesnot protect you from catching adisease 100 percent nor does itpromise to protect you from beingimpregnated. It simply lowers thechances. I strongly suggest thatyou be tested frequently if you aresexually active. However, beingtested is not always 100 percentTech Teen Clinic ServicesScreenings:STD ScreeningHIV counseling and testingVision and Hearing screeningWomen’s Health concernsincluding:Pregnancy testingWell women’s examsImmunizations:Hepatitis BTetanus (Tdap)HPV (Gardasil)Meningitis (Menactra)Rm. 130, Treadwell HallCare for acute illness and injury:Anemia, strep throat, ear infections,sinusitis, abdominal pain, strains,sprains, and other injuriesPhysical Exams:Sports, Employment, and CollegePhysicalsServices NOT provided by theTech ClinicBirth controlParental CareTreatment of complex medical ormental health problemsX-raysaccurate neither. For a male, theSTD scan does not detect certaininfections. In other words in somecases, a male can have an STD,after sleeping with one female, getchecked and his test would comeback negative. He then sleeps withanother female then passes thedisease to her.Here’s my point, ladies, take careof yourselves, respect yourself andmost of all your body. Develop asense of individuality and furthermore,stop letting ignorance blindyou. Know your body.Tech has an advantage over theother IPS schools. Tech has itsown teen clinic on the first floorof Treadwell, Rm. 130. The TechTeen Clinic offers many servicesfrom sports physicals to morepersonal needs such as STD scansand pregnancy tests.My goals are not to only pointout the things that I personallyfind to be disturbing, but to alsopropose a solution to the problem.I firmly believe abstinence is thebest way to be.After abstinence, I strongly suggestthat if you are sexually activethat you always wear a condom,get tested frequently and stickwith one partner.THE CANNONArsenal Technical High School, 1500 E. Michigan St., Indianapolis, IN 46201Editor-in-Chief Jasmyn PowellEditor-in-Chief Becca HoodAssistant Editor Cameron RussellCopy Editor Liz PinedoSports Editor Brandon YoungPhotography Editor Lashun MitchellGraphics Editor Antyana CorderStaff Writers Emily Green, Kenisha Bacon, Alisha Elliot,Jocelyn Harris, Kiara Gilbert, Shawnna Hendricks, Alex GearDrawing by Antonio AbernathyThe Cannon is a public forum of speechthat is produced by the students of ArsenalTechnical High School once a month. Bylinecolumns represent the writer’s opinionwhile editorial are designed to persuade,warn, criticize, inform or inspire. Letters tothe editor must be signed and may be edited.The editorial board reserves the right to refuseany letter or advertisement that is not inthe best interests of the school. All editorialsare solely the opinion of the editorial boardunless otherwise stated. Views expressed arenot necessarily those of the administration,newspaper staff or journalism adviser.Further information may be obtained by contacting the Publications Department at693-5300, ext. 6351 or emailing adviser Donna Griffin at griffind@ips.k12.in.us.

10THE CANNON - SPORTS Oct. 14, 2009Titan Sports wrap-upFOOTBALLThe Titan varsity footballteam has experienced manyups and downs this year,but still keeps pressing on. Losingthree of the biggest games of the yearcan be hard for a football team, butwith an attitude like no other, Tech’spersistence and teamwork maytake the Titans through the IPSACTournament. With a 4-4 record, theTitans head to Broad Ripple Fridayto end the regular season. Sectionalsbegin Oct. 23. Players recognizedon senior night Oct. 2 include:Robert Richards, Chad Pruett,Larry Lynch, J. Luke Papenmeir,Jaron Dozier, Dante Lee,Robert Dycus, ChristopherHope, Zachary Ward, Josh Cotner,Thomas Rivers, MichaelHendricks, Timothy Irwin,Sam Tate, Dale Harper, HenryGarcia and William Jelks.VOLLEYBALLWith two more matches to go,today at Manual and Saturdayat Howe, the girls volleyballteam hopes to improve their 3-7record. Sectionals begin Oct.20.As the leaders of the team, thefour seniors’ main focus is tobecome better all around. “Mymain goal is to be a beast onand off the court,” said middlehitter Rhonda Simmons.Senior Tracy Guerrero, athird year volleyball athlete, plansto attend Purdue University as anaerospace engineering major.Senior CassandraThe Tech AthleticDepartment celebratedSenior Night Oct. 2.McDowell, whohas been playingfor five years, plansto join the militaryand/or attend IndianaUniversity.Angelica Henry,has been playing fora year. Henry plansto attend CoastalCommerce Universityto major insomething involvingthe medical field.Melanie Moore has been playingfor two years. Moore plans to goto college and major in entrepreneurshipin order to start her ownbusiness.BOYS AND GIRLS SOCCEROn Oct. 1, the boys and girls soccerteams defeated Broad Ripple ina double-header match, making thisyear’s soccer senior night one to remember.The Lady Titans managed to defeatthe Rockets 4-1, in the first match.ACE senior, Phoebe Jensen, led theteam to a victory, scoring three goals.“It felt great because I hadn’t playedThe volleyball team is getting ready for post-seasonaction.Photo by Darnell PhotographySENIOR NIGHTSeniors from all fall sports,cheerleaders and the marchingband were recognized.The ceremony took place beforethe varsity football gameagainst Heritage Christian.soccer in a really long time and I wasjust getting back in the groove. Scoringthree goals made me feel like Iwas a soccer star again,”Jensen said.Sarah Keevil, Tish Migliaccio,Ashley Huizer,Jenaya Hooks, StephanieMcCoy, EsmeraldaSánchez, Maria Alatorre,Lauren Allen, Liz Pinedo,and Anna Lucas areamong the other seniorson the team.The boys team alsodefeated Broad Ripple,with a score of 2-0. Scoringboth goals was Abraham Gomez,a senior in the Magnet Academy.Other seniors on the boys team includeJesus Bello, Colin O’Banyel,Wellington Ginah, Barnard Mondel,Mamadou Dem and Isaac Garcia.BOYS CROSS COUNTRYWhile suffering three very traumaticinjuries this season, the Titanboys’ cross country team still held ittogether to be able to win IPSAC thisseason. One of the top runners, KrisWilliams experienced a foot injury.The cross country team recognized10 seniors at the Senior Nightceremony: Kris Williams, McKenzieSpotts, Luke Peeler, Asa Floyd, MatthewStraine, Nathan Bogan,Wellington Ginah, PatrickCialdella, Robert Wells andLamar Calbert.BOYS TENNISThe boys tennis team finishedout the season strong by winningIPSAC this year.“We swept IPSAC at all positions,”Assistant Coach AndrewRingham said. The teamhad many long-awaited wins atthe tournament.“My most memorable momentof the season was whenI beat my arch rival fromManuel at IPSAC finals,” saidnumber one singles playerJake Friedly.Joel Reyes (number onedoubles with Angel Avina)and Jake Friedly captainedthe team as a sophomore andjunior, respectively.“We have a full squad of 14 but noseniors. I was impressed by how thejuniors stepped up to take the leadershiprole and lead the underclassmen,”Coach Kathy Kinghorn said.Team member Joel Reyes said theteam has shown steady improvement.“All of our freshmen can now hit aball and individually, I got better atserving,” Reyes said.The team had a 5-10 record thisyear.Information compiled byBrandon Young, JasmynPowell, Jazmine Johnson, LizPinedo and Emily Green.Seniors pose for thecamera before the Homecominggame againstLutheran. The Titangirls soccer team makesa pyramid with seniorplayers. A Titan boystennis player smashes thereturn over the net.The boys soccer teamreceives plaques at thesenior night ceremonyOct. 2.Photos courtesy CoachVictor Bush, Coach TroyHammon and DarnellPhotography.

Oct. 14, 2009 THE CANNON - CIRCLE CITY CLASSIC 11GAME ONBy BRANDON YOUNGSports EditorCircle City Classic is one of thebiggest events around Indianapolis,besides the IndianaBlack Expo - a time when youget together with the fellas and the girls toconquer the city. What most fail to realizeis there are many different aspects associatedwith Classic, such as college fairs,a parade and college parties. But Techfound a way to show up and show out atthe many events Classic had to offer.Both the ROTC ColorGuard and ArmedExhibition Team, atotal of 50 students,marched in the paradeOct. 3 in DowntownIndianapolis along withthe Tech MarchingBand.The Armed Exhibition team is S/SFC Sisk, S/SMG Garcia, C/SFCSt. John, C/CSM Garcia, C/PFCPernell, C/SFC Garcia, C/PFCAlexander, C/PFC Patterson,C/SFC Martinez, C/SFC Shelton,C/SFC Heitzman, C/SFCCarmer, C/SFC Capps, C/PFCCurry, MSG Smith.Colorguard (from left) C/SSG Lowe, C/LTCLowe, S/SFC Manning, C/MSG Williams,MSG Smith (instructor); back row: C/MSGHickenbottom, C/PFC Wilcox, C/SSG Stewart,C/PFC Fields, C/PFC Russell, C/SFCMorris, C/SSG Cooley, S/SMJ Hill-Brown,S/SFC Williams, C/PFC Duckworth, C/MSGPierson, MSG Smith, C/MAJ McDowell.This is the 13th yearthe JROTC programhas been a part of theCircle City Parade.Many Tech studentsalso attended the 30thAnnual HBCU CollegeFair, where both highschool students and college undergraduateswere given the opportunity to comeand receive information about historicallyblack colleges and universities, as wellas scholarship information from differentorganizations. Some Tech studentswere offered full-ride scholarships fromthe various HBCUs that were represented,including Florida A&M University,Alabama A&M University, Fisk University,South Carolina State University, andmany others. Moving on to the big day.Downtown was jam-packed with differentactivities to do from the moment youwoke up Saturday morning to the followingday.Saturday morning, downtown was filledwith eager spectators, waiting to take partin the American FamilyInsurance Classic Parade,where the crowdraved as Jerry Rice,Kelly Rowland, Babyface,Boris Kodjoe andWendy Williams roadpast in all their glory.The game was just asexciting as all the otherevents, starting off thefirst half with Tuskegee’sGolden Tigers13 to Alabama A&M’sBulldogs’ 0. The halftimeshow was off thecharts as both squadsgave homage to the late, great MichaelJackson.But at the end of the day, Tuskegee leftfor home as the Circle City Classic CollegeFootball Champions, 34-24.The Titan football team attended the Circle City Classic football gameon Oct. 3.The Circle City Classic had over 3,500 people attend the footballgame between Alabama A&M and Tuskeegee University.

12THE CANNON - CIRCLE CITY CLASSIC Oct. 14, 2009Showing up,showing outat ClassicTech’s marching band and ROTC drill teams lent their musical and militarytalents by participating in the Circle City Classic parade Oct. 3, takingtheir place among many other college bands and dance teams.Photos by Lashun Mitchell and Brandon Young