8 - Merrillville Community School

MERRILLVILLE HIGH SCHOOL
irror
Vol.30, Issue 8 Merrillville, Indiana May 1, 2012
Twin alumni become state troopers
By Sam Gubitz
Editor-in-Chief
Two MHS alumni recently became Indiana
State Troopers and spoke with current MHS
students about a career in the Indiana State
Police. Ronneal and Roosevelt Williams are
the first identical twins to join the ISP.
Graduates of the Class of 2008, Ronneal
and Roosevelt participated in track and
football during their time at MHS. The twins
recalled their high school memories fondly
and even admitted to tricking teachers by
switching places with one another.
Both are currently enrolled in Indiana
University, although a college degree is not
required to be a state trooper.
“A college degree really helps you move
up in the ranks of the ISP,” Ronneal said.
Ronneal majors in criminal justice and
Roosevelt majors in business management.
Both still need to finish their degrees because
they had to take a break in order to take
part in the state police academy, a six-month
program.
Both brothers agreed that while the
program is long and sometimes tiring, the end
result is worth it.
“It’s not easy by any means but anyone can
do it with enough determination,” Roosevelt
said.
“When I put on this uniform for the first
time, it was the happiest moment in my life.
There is a lot of work that went into this
uniform,” Ronneal said.
During their presentation at MHS, the
twins spoke of the importance of high school.
Ronneal advised students to “take advantage
of the time you have here,” and Roosevelt
told students to “respect the teachers. They’ll
be the ones writing letters of recommendation
for you.”
The twins are currently stationed in
Marion County together but neither trooper
is worried about being separated from one
another.
“Even during our freshman year in college,
when we went to different schools, we spoke
to one another everyday and were always in
communication with each other,” Ronneal
said. “If we were assigned to different locations
I know we’d stay in touch.”
Roosevelt and Ronneal (left) Williams joined the Indiana State Police and are the first
indentical twins to join the ISP. During their presentation to MHS students about
careers in the ISP, Roosevelt and Ronneal advised students to take advantage of every
opportunity at MHS and to “respect the teachers.”
The brothers agreed that their upbringing
influenced them to go to the academy and
become state troopers. “Growing up, living
around my dad and his friends was really
inspiring as a child and really pushed me to be
a trooper,” Ronneal said.
Freshman-Sophomore Dance moved to May
with Inclusion Dance
By Allisa Bryant
Staff Reporter
FCCLA is having the annual Inclusion
Dance May 11 and Freshman-Sophomore
Dance on 12. Both dances start at 5 and end
at 7 p.m. in the main cafeteria. The theme for
this years dance is “Love is in the Air.”
Tickets to the dance are $15 each. This
price includes the picture package done by
Giola’s.
The
tragedy
of Trayvon
Martin
Page 4
Each year at the dance, the students vote
for a freshman and a sophomore queen. Each
girl who buys a ticket is placed on the ballot
for the title. FCCLA wants everyone to come
out and have a good time.
“FCCLA wants everyone to come out and
have fun. This dance is not to make a profit.
We just want to break even with everyone
enjoying themselves,” FCCLA Sponsor Ms.
Carol VonBehren said.
Students
and
their jobs
Pages 6-7
Does “The
Hunger Games”
live up to
the hype?
Page 12
Index
Freshman
and
sophomores
enjoy the
music
and their
time at the
Freshman-
Sophomore
Winter
Formal in
2010. This
year’s dance
is May 12,
a day after
the annual
Inclusion
Dance.
News 1,2,3
Opinion 4,5
Features 6,7
A&E 8,9
Sports 10,11
Back Page 12

2
Save
the date
z Senior meeting every Monday in
AB102S
z Prom May 4
z Teacher Appreciation Week
May 6
z AP Testing May 7-9, 15-16
z Choir Spring Showcase May 10
z Early Dismissal @ 1:48 p.m. May
10
z Inclusion Dance May 11
z Freshman/Sophomore Dance May
12
z Awards Night May 16
z Jostens Cap & Gown pick-up
May 16 & 17
z Choir/ Orchestra Symphony May
17
z Drama Banquet May 19
z Baccalaureatte May 20
z Band Spring Concert May 22
z Chess State Competition March
24
z Senior Breakfast/ Senior Drive
Around May 25
z Memorial Day May 25
z Final Exams May 29 & 30
z Graduation and Last Day of
School May 30
z SAT June 2
z ACT June 9
z First Day of 2012-2013 School
Year August 22
Must see upcoming
plays from theatre
production
By Alexandra Woodberry
Staff Reporter
On May 16 and 17, the theatre production
class will be putting on two plays called
“Rachael Cory” and “Mizzy’s Dramatic Lead.”
“Rachael Cory” is about a beautiful, smart,
loving and responsible girl. She looks back on
her high school years, which seem miserable.
As she looks back on those years, she quickly
falls into madness.
The play is directed by Katlyn Ison and
Simone Barron. The actors include Jasmine
McGee playing Rachael, David Rodriguez
playing Avery, Jonna Griggs playing Lilly, and
JROTC competes, adopts
highway, busts dams, finds
time to host military ball
By Conrad Czosnyka
Staff Reporter
It has been a busy couple of weeks for
JROTC students.
In March, JROTC cadets competed
alongside other regional drill teams at Bowling
Brook, Illinois to showcase their developing
skills at Drill and Color Guard.
They achieved second and third place
wins of seven total schools. Major Guy
Ramey congratulates his students labeling the
operation a success.
“It went very well,” he said. Another
important event was the annual JROTC
Military Ball. Upwards of 200 regional cadets
gathered to celebrate and socialize in a formal
setting.
“The ball was an overall success. Many
By Allisa Bryant
Staff Reporter
Student Government is having their
annual Go Green Day on May 11 as a way to
inform elementary students of the many ways
to become resourceful in today’s world.
To determine the students that will be
allowed to participate in this trip, Student
Ashley Armstrong playing Meghan.
“The play is going wonderful,” Ison said.
“Everybody knows their lines and it’s running
smoothly.”
“Mizzy’s Dramatic Lead” is about a director
who wants to put on a thoughtful play about
justice in the universe. All the high school
actors just mess around while the teacher is
trying to direct. The take on it is supposed to
be painful and funny while appealing to high
school students.
This play is directed by Joshua DeLeon and
Kyle Washington. Mizzy is played by Ashley
Nowak. Ben is played by Christopher McCoy.
Mrs. Hawthorne is played by April Bailey.
people had fun and it really opened up the
eyes of younger people to a formal event,”
remarked Senior Gregory Brousseau.
Next in the group’s agenda are extensive
community service projects such as the
“Adopt a Highway” program, which will
be run in conjunction with the Indiana
Department of Transportation. The goal is
too remove the trash that litters Broadway, an
Indiana state road.
JROTC is also planning a “dam busting”
operation. This operation is critical to the
local area’s ecosystem.
“Beginning in fall, beavers build dams that
block water drainage in the regions rivers.
Once spring comes around and the water
thaws, the blocked water could potentially
result in flooding in the region,” Brousseau
said.
Government had Iddings Elementary, Salk
Elementary, and Miller Elementary compete
to see which teachers out of the three schools
could recycle the most cans.
The five teachers that recycled the most
are Ms. Michelle Hornyak, Ms. Hara Halkias,
Ms. Marleen Gikas, Ms. Lisa Robbins and Ms.
Sara Reese.
These teachers and their students have
By Nadia Duke
Staff Reporter
News
Freshman
cafeteria
cater
to students’
basketball
talents with
pop-a-shot
During the two weeks before spring
break, the freshman guidance center gave
students eating lunch in the freshman wing an
opportunity to showcase their skills with the
pop-a-shot in honor of College Go Week.
The cost for the game was $.50, but if
the person participating was a freshman and
answered a question correctly about college,
scholarships or careers they get their money
reimbursed.
Students enjoyed showing fellow classmates
their shot skills.
“Pop-a-shot in the cafeteria makes lunch
fun,” said Junior Gabrielle Williford, one of
the few students that made at least 50 shots.
“It gave us a chance to show off our free
throw skills,” she said.
With the amount of enthusiasm showed
by MHS students, the freshman guidance
team definitely counts this College Go Week
endeavor as a success.
“This is our third year doing pop-a-shot,
and we had a pretty good turnout; typically
we only have it open to freshman, but it was
such a huge hit we opened it up to everyone,”
freshman guidance counselor Mrs. Lora
Sterley said.
“With the money we earned, we were able
to buy prizes like iTunes gift cards and candy.
I would absolutely do this again,” she said.
Student Gov. stimulates children’s environmental
awareness with Go Green Day activities
earned a day at Pruzin Park in Merrillville
where they will learn the importance of
recycling, help plant a tree, and participate in
a series of recycling games.
“Our goals are to educate the students
about how important it is to recycle and
to reward them for all of their hard work,”
Student Government Sponsor Mr. Michael
Knocke said.

3 News
Merrillville family makes the best out of house fire
By Josh Davis
Staff Reporter
House fires are never a funny or
entertaining topic, but for the Davis family it
has been a scary, yet fun ride.
“We have been living the life the past two
weeks,” Mrs. Precius Davis said.
With the family home destroyed by fire
April 14, the family has been living in The
Residence Inn off of US 30.
Before the fire, the family lived on 61st
Avenue for six years. Four of the five Davis
children attend Merrillville schools. Louis
Craig, the fifth son, graduated from MHS in
2010.
“We don’t have to pay for living there or
breakfast,” Mrs. Davis said. For a family who
has suffered a tragedy, the Davis family is
living a “suite” life.
MHS Choir joins
NWI Symphony
By Cassie Govert
Staff Reporter
The Choralteens will join three other
high schools performing with the Northwest
Indiana Symphony in a “Glee Concert” May
17.
“It is nice for them to get a chance to
perform with the symphony,” choir director
Mrs. Melinda Reinhart said.
The high school choirs will sing two songs
with the orchestra accompianment. The
Choralteens will sing alongside the symphony
choir, Lake Central, Hobart and Emerson.
“I am stressed about the event since it is
a week after our Spring Showcase,” said Mrs.
Reinhart.
“It is a great honor to perform on the
Star’s stage where people like Bill Cosby and
Jerry Seinfeld have given performances,”
Sophomore Will Akins said. Many of the
students have already performed on the Star’s
stage when the cast of the summer musical,
“Les Miserables,” was invited to do a musical
showcase.
“Even though I have performed at the
Star before, it’s still a great honor,” Akins
commented.
By Sam Gubitz
Editor-in-Chief
With the Class of 2012 quickly
approaching graduation, they hope to close
the year out with a figurative bang.
The remaining senior events include
the Baccalaureate, Senior Breakfast and
graduation.
The much-hyped senior/faculty basketball
game was won by the faculty for the sixth year
“It’s fun to live in a hotel,” Fourth grader
Elijah Davis said.
At first the family was living with Mr.
Choa Davis’s mother for a few days.
“I love my mom but my family is big and
we need plenty space,” Mr. Davis said. His
mom’s house was already a full house with
three kids living in it and the Davis family just
added four more.
“Nanny’s house was packed and in
the hotel we at least have our own bed,”
Freshman Anthony Davis said.
The family has been provided all their
needs by the insurance company, State Farm.
“They have been amazing. They have
helped and supported us through the entire
process,” Mrs. Davis said.
This isn’t the first time the family has
experienced a fire that took their house.
Seventeen years ago Mr. Davis’s family was
STAND donates money,
support to ‘adopted’ child
By Jalisa Mosley
News Editor
After the heartbreaking video campaign
of the ill-minded wrongdoings of Joseph Kony
surfaced, the Socially Together and Naturally
Diverse (STAND) club decided to stand
up and contribute by adopting a child from
Uganda.
“Seven kids from Uganda have been
pulled from Children of the Nation, which is
an organization supporting poverty stricken
By Ana Adame
Staff Reporter
The Merrillville Band participated in the
ISSMA competition April 20 and 21.
The advanced band group received two
gold ratings, one in the regular competition
and another in sight reading.
children in Africa” said club Sponsor Mr.
Danny Lackey.
“We are going to choose one of those
seven who we feel needs our help the most
and we are going to support him financially
until that child reaches age 18,” he added.
STAND is promising to donate $32 per
month to the child that they choose. They
want to encourage other clubs to join in and
adopt their own child.
“The money we make from selling the
Kony 2012 t-shirts will go to the cause,” Mr.
Lackey said.
MHS Band goes to ISSMA,
earns gold and silver ratings
in a row. Class sponsor Mr. Alan Mizmakoski
said that the game “went great” and that the
class “raised a lot of money [$1700] for the
class gift.” Mr. Mizmo also noted that “the
‘Decade of Dominance’ is still intact.”
The Sam Troutman Game Night was April
26. “Game Night had more time and energy
than any other senior event that took place
this year,” Mr. Mizmo said. The Troutman
family also attended and donated some of
their own money towards the scholarship
forced to move away because of a fire that
had reportedly started as a break in as well.
“I don’t know if it is bad luck or if
someone is out to get us, but we will continue
to be a strong family and make it with each
other,” Mrs. Davis said.
The Davis family is currently searching for
a temporary house to stay in while their house
is being re-built.
“We love the hotel and living free but we
are a pretty big family and we need a house,”
Mrs. Davis said.
When Mr. and Mrs. Davis learned of
the fire, “My heart sort of dropped to my
stomach and I wanted to cry,” Mrs. Davis
said. Mr. Davis also had a feeling of shock
and heartache.
“It was probably one of the worst phone
calls you can ever receive,” he said.
Sight reading is playing a piece that the
group has never played or seen before.
The intermediate and freshman band
groups received a silver rating in their regular
competition.
The intermediate bands, however, did
not have a sight reading component in their
competition.
fund. There will be one, $1000 scholarship
available to seniors looking to go into a
science related field in college.
Baccalaureate, a nondenominational
religious service held for graduating seniors
and their families, will be held May 20.
Senior Breakfast, an annual breakfast held
by the school to celebrate the graduating class,
is May 25. This year, the senior breakfast has
a Hollywood theme.
“We are hoping to bring the lights, glam
Many people from the community offered
money orders and clothes to help support the
family.
“You never really know how nice and
kind-hearted your neighbors are until you go
through a tragedy,” Mr. Davis said.
The difficulty of losing a house can be
astronomical, but to the members of the Davis
family, it was the little things that hurt the
most.
“The fact that our neighbors probably
won’t be our neighbors anymore is tragic,”
Mrs. Davis said.
It is the most difficult part for Mrs. Davis.
“We have been blessed with many things
and sometimes we get too materialistic,” Mr.
Davis said. “Not to wish this upon anyone,
but this is just what people need sometimes to
realize what is truly important in life.”
Bowl for Kids
raises
over $2000
for scholarships
By Jake Larson
Back Page Editor
Future Educators of America held their
annual Bowl For Kids event in March.
The fundraiser raised over $2000 and the
team that made the most money was Fieler
Foxes.
The money that is raised goes towards the
scholarships that students want to go into the
teaching field. The scholarships are worth
over $500 each.
Although the fundraiser went as planned,
there are still things that it can improve on.
“We could’ve promoted more, and offer
incentives towards the winner,” FEA sponsor
Ms. Christina Mueller said. Also there weren’t
as many people in attendance as hoped.
“We wished more people had come, as
there were only eight teams, and one student
team,”Ms. Mueller said.
Senior class prepares for early Hollywood ending
and fame of Hollywood to MHS,” Mr.
Mizmakoski said. “[Senior Breakfast] is [the
seniors’] day and time to shine,” he added.
This year, graduation is earlier than years
in recent memory, May 30.
“I’m also excited for the students to
graduate. The students I worked with
and talked with this year were great,” Mr.
Mizmakoski said. “I am excited for them to
move on to better things in their lives,” he
said.

4 Opinion
The tragedy of Trayvon
Learn the lesson of independent thinking
By Joseph Patton
Staff Reporter
It’s hard to tread far in media without
seeing the name “Trayvon Martin.” The fallen
17-year-old’s name has held a lot of headlines
since his infamous death in late February.
George Zimmerman, a 28-year-old Hispanic
male in charge of the Neighborhood Watch
in the community where Martin’s father lives,
has received just as much publicity. Their
names have been on everyone’s tongues for
weeks now, and the overwhelming verdict is
cold, deliberate murder. The nation at large
has demanded the arrest and arraignment of
Zimmerman for what some say is a vicious
slaying of an innocent youth, an outcry which
has as of late been responded to with the
charge of second-degree murder being brought
against him. But, in light of the recent
charges, it’s hard to feel as though the ordeal
was handled the right way. Yes, Martin is dead
and his blood seems to be on Zimmerman’s
hands. But, is Zimmerman completely guilty
of what he has been accused of, and does he
deserve the reproach of a nation?
When there is a murder anywhere (and
it happens quite often), two things are duly
noted: the age and race of both the victim
and the slayer. It is no surprise that upon
finding out that Martin was black and that
his killer is not, the obvious choice of motive
was racism. The thought held by many is that
Zimmerman profiled Martin and viewed him
as a threat to the safety of the community,
so he hunted him down and killed him. It
is an understandable concern. I am a black
youth myself. I have experienced the stigma
of profiling and stereotypes; racism is real and
is in some ways still a problem in this country.
The situation as a whole admittedly looks
bad. But, rather than sift through the mire
of details, the average person defaults to the
racism ploy without any prior knowledge of
Zimmerman’s motives.
Contrary to what might be expected,
Zimmerman was intent upon becoming
a police officer. He had even been the
voice that snagged a few arrests for his
community prior to the incident. It’s clear
that Zimmerman had a passion for something,
as evidenced by the numerous times he had
called the police to his neighborhood in recent
years and his opting to watch the streets
in the first place. The gated collection of
homes, known as the Retreat at Twin Lakes,
isn’t perfect by any means. There have been
a number of petty crimes there in the past
year, and Zimmerman’s appointment on the
behalf of his neighbors clearly shows that he
possessed some merit. The killer’s family also
asserts his support of racial activism in the
past (on the behalf of black people), a fact
that seems to bear no weight in light of his
recent actions. However, one can’t help but
think that maybe he isn’t the brutal killer that
he’s been portrayed as.
Stating those published facts is in no way
an effort to defend Zimmerman. He is still
accused of killing another human being, a
young man with a lot of life ahead of him.
Would a rational person think before killing
someone else, especially someone so young? I’d
like to think so. But, therein lays the problem.
I am not George Zimmerman, nor is anyone
else. No one knows precisely what happened
there but the accused and the deceased, and
rather than attempting to figure out precisely
what happened, the general populace turned
to arms. With zero hesitation, everyone picked
up their rifles and set their crosshairs directly
on Zimmerman. The images of Martin as a
child were all too compelling, and it’s very
easy to turn to uproar when life is taken. But,
does the voice of the people resound out of
a sincere concern for injustice or a visceral
desire to watch someone else burn?
It would seem as though people have just
been dying to have something to devote their
energy to, and this incident gave them the
incentive they needed to get loud. When
things go wrong, everyone wants to pitch in;
that’s just how things work. When a nation
is in crisis or a natural disaster happens, we
all get involved on a personal level. We like
it when others see that we’re doing our part
and it makes us feel warm inside when we
imagine that our bit plays a part in the bigger
picture. On a more base level, human beings
tend to be animalistic, and here we see two
distinct attributes of animals: aggression and
the ability to be controlled. Upon hearing
that a kid had been killed, most people simply
stopped there, grabbed their pitchforks and
lit torches. But why Trayvon Martin? Why
George Zimmerman? Murder isn’t a new
thing, and far more gruesome murders than
this occur all the time, many of them close to
us in location.
The fact that many decided to drive
this one home is in large part bandwagon
behavior. If someone else is talking about it,
you should be too, right? That isn’t to say
that there aren’t those of us who are active
and conscious all the time, but there are
many people who aren’t nearly as concerned
about social issues. Suddenly, though, we’re
all activists and we think that we’re shouting
at our television screens for the right reasons
because the nice, powdered people on CNN
told us so. If this case has proven anything, it’s
that we as a whole lack the ability to discern
for ourselves what exactly is going on in
the world and that we’re content with being
told when to be angry. It’s easy to turn to
violence. It’s easy to turn to revenge. If George
Zimmerman did kill Martin, perhaps it was
this innate human impetuousness that lead
him to do it. After all, if he could stop crime
from happening again, why not step up and
play his part?
Again, this is just hypothetical. It’s an
analysis, taking information from different
sources, weeding through what’s worth
listening to and what’s false and coming to
conclusions for oneself. That’s what should
have been done here. Whether or not the case
should have been blown to such a proportion
is subject to debate, but perhaps Zimmerman
shouldn’t quite be the villain that he is.
Would the case have even been brought to
national attention were Trayvon of a different
race? Would it be worse or less severe if
Zimmerman had been white or black? Maybe.
But that’s the point. There are so many
variables in the situation that plainly stating
that Zimmerman is a bloodthirsty criminal is
too black-and-white to be a sound judgment.
Between the slew of surfacing photographs
and facts, it’s hard to say who is wrong here, if
“wrong” is even an applicable term.
Yes, Zimmerman could have been more
careful, and maybe he was profiling Martin.
Maybe he wasn’t. The death is no less tragic
based upon Zimmerman’s motives, but the
truth of what happened and the character
of those involved is known only to those
involved and their families. With so many
assertions and pieces of evidence being thrown
in from so many angles, there may never be
a definitive answer to the question of what
truly happened to Trayvon Martin. What’s
important to remember here is that when
news arises, using a filter is key to keeping a
clear head. Instead of going along with what is
told to you, maybe deciding for yourself what
happened is better than calling for blood with
the rest of the nation. Perhaps then, we could
avoid making murderers and martyrs of people
who were simply in the wrong place at the
wrong time.
The shooting of Trayvon Martin (left) by George Zimmerman (middle) took place February 26, 2012, in Sanford, Florida. While on an errand Zimmerman saw Martin walking inside
the gated community where he was visiting. Zimmerman called the Sanford Police Department and described Martin as suspicious. Shortly afterwards there was an altercation
which ended with Zimmerman fatally shooting Martin once in the chest at close range. Police said that they had not found evidence to contradict his assertion of self-defense.
The circumstances of Martin’s death and the delay in charging Zimmerman have received national and international attention. Allegations of racist motivation for the shooting
contributed to public demands for Zimmerman’s arrest (as pictured during the “Million Hoodie March,” seen right). Zimmerman was later charged of second degree murder.
Martin and Million Hoodie March photos courtesy of Wikipedia, Zimmerman photo courtesy of MCT Campus.

5 Opinion
Decision 2012... or not?
Voting is for the mature,
not high school students
The treasures of being an adult are granted
to each US citizen once they reach their 18th
birthday.
The admittance to purchase tobacco, to
enter the military, and to vote, are all perks
to reaching the ripe age of
18, the latter being perhaps
the most influential.
One might wonder
though, if it is too early
to be granted with such a
daunting task: choosing
politicians to represent the
very rights they cherish for
x amount of years.
Although turning
18 is technically the
beginning of adulthood, is
that technicality correct?
Especially when considering the task of
voting. More often than not, a brand new 18
year old is still a high schooler, still living with
his/her parents and not yet independent, so is
it right to put the future in the hands of one
that hasn’t yet lived in the real world?
High school isn’t the real world. We are
babysat five times throughout the day for 70
The importance and responsibility of voting
It’s a simple fact to state that our age
group has the lowest voter turnout of any in
the nation.
That fact is backed up by numerous
statistics gathered over the last few years. The
18-20 age group had a voter turn out of 16
percent during the 2010 midterm election
and it becomes increasingly obvious that our
age group truly has the worst voter turnout.
Historically this has always been true; our best
turn out was during the 2008 presidential
election in which 41 percent of all registered
18-20 year old voters went out to the polls.
Even that record setting turnout is terrible
when compared to the group with the best
turnout, senior citizens age 65 and older.
minutes, have lunched served to us (no matter
the quality) for a measly two dollars, and get
suspended for getting into a fight.
In the real world, there’s no babysitters
and living on your own isn’t free. In the real
world, unless you call a
McDouble and a large sweet
tea satisfying day in and day
out, then two dollars might
not cut it for you. And in
the real world, if you get
into a fight, you’ll more
than likely face jail time,
and perhaps a lawsuit.
So how is it that 18 year
olds are granted with the
responsibilities suited for
one in the real world?
The right to vote is a
privilege that should be honored by those
wise enough to make such a decision. Those
who have experienced the things that voting
affects are the ones fit to vote.
Michael Dicken
Their turnout is consistently above the 60
percent mark and has been for the past decade
and a half.
Our age group represents nearly 19 percent
of the nearly 230 million registered voters in
the country; we could easily swing an election
in any direction we please. With that type of
pull we should easily be able to attract political
candidates to our interests but that’s not the
case because of our terrible voter turnout.
These facts should force everyone in our
age group to ask themselves, “What is wrong
with us?”
Perhaps it’s just that some people feel that
their vote doesn’t matter because their needs
aren’t met anyways.
To vote or not to vote:
what’s the difference?
This upcoming November, it will be time
to vote for either Republican, Mitt Romney,
or Democrat, and current president, Barack
Obama.
Most of the senior class will have the
opportunity to vote on either candidate;
however, is there really a point? The only
incentive that most 18 year-olds will want to
vote is because they simply can and also so
that they can say they did.
Recent presidential candidates all say the
same things and have the same ideas/goals
for the country, and make little difference for
the United States of America. The presidents
for over the last decade have barely helped
out the country, and have not only made
the economy horrible, but also require us to
get a second job just to pay for gas. As each
day goes by, hundreds of people are getting
fired from their jobs and forced to wait for
the word that they have a new job, as their
families suffer financially.
Past presidential candidates have talked
about how they are trying to make the
Perhaps some believe that we are not ready
to take the reins of responsibility that comes
with influencing a country.
Perhaps the problem is those people who
believe that politics doesn’t matter and doesn’t
affect them in any way.
How long have we, as a generation, gone
on believing that someday, somehow, the
country will get better, with or without us?
How long have we swallowed this sickly
sweet poison of indifference?
How long will we leave all the
responsibility on the shoulders of the senior
citizens of the nation?
The time for action is now, not tomorrow
when we feel like we’re responsible enough.
country a better place for us citizens, when
in actuality they just say political garbage in
order to get our votes.
Once they get our votes they can do
whatever they want and don’t have to live
up to their promises that they made to us.
The last president, in my opinion, to make
a big difference was John F. Kennedy as he
helped fight for civil rights and believed that
everybody should be treated equal.
Since then, all of the presidents have been
busts and haven’t lived up to the expectations
that they brought upon themselves through
bogus speeches and promises that appear
to be kept. Now, don’t let an opinion story
on voting prevent you from voicing your
opinions.
But if and when you’re in the booth
deciding on who to vote on, remember that
the votes just go to a couple of guys who
won’t do anything to change the country for
the better.
Jake Larson
Our age group must vote in every election,
whether it is the senior choice awards or the
presidential election. We must shape the
country into what we want it to be, what it
needs to be.
Our tomorrow is not that of the senior
citizens’, it is a tomorrow that is uniquely
our own. We must claim ownership now, lest
we lose out on our own future. This is our
country and whatever happens to it should be
our responsibility, not our grandparents.
“Our tomorrow is not that of the senior citizens’, it is a tomorrow that is uniquely our own.”
“The right to vote is a privilege that should be honored by those wise enough to make such a decision.”
Sam Gubitz
“Remember that the votes just go to a couple of guys who won’t do anything to change the country for the better.”

A
Features
Nakel McClinton
orts Editor
Where do you work? “Chick-fil-A”
How many hours a week do you work?
sually between 17 and 20 hours a week”
How long have you been working there? “I’ve
n working there ever since its opening in
tober.”
What do you enjoy about your job? “Everyone
riendly. There are no conflicts and it is a
ndly and positive environment.”
What do you not like about your job? “I hate
en they make me work early hours because it
ns at 6 a.m. so I have to be there really early.”
Does your job conflict with school life, like
des? “Not really. I try to balance my time
, and the managers are very lenient and
derstanding with my schedule as well.”
What responsibilities does your job entail? “I
e to be on time and in uniform. I am usually
ook, but on Tuesdays I dress up as the cow for
ily night.”
Do you enjoy the work environment? “Yes,
y much. It’s like we’re trained before we
n start working to be a positive influence on
ryone we come in contact with.”
How has your job affected your social life?
y social life has decreased tremendously. I do
have one anymore; it is nonexistent.”
Are there any perks that come with working
Chick-fil-A? “They offer scholarships to their
duating employees. All I have to do is talk
my bosses and fill out paper work; it is pretty
ch guaranteed.” How long have you been working Long hours cramp
ifferent points of view on workplace
Sam Gubitz
itor-in-Chief
with Caleb Pirtle,
Chick-fil-A’s cow
Just as all people are unique, so are their
eriences at the same job. Senior Cameron
ndy and Junior Brooke Wilson worked
ether at one point in time at Outback
akhouse. Both had completely different
eriences while working there and ultimately,
ndy had to quit.
Wilson’s responsibilities as a hostess include
ning doors, seating tables and rolling
erware for customers. During Grundy’s seven
The Chick-fil-A cow visited with guests
during the Key Club annual Chili-Cook Off.
months as a busboy, his responsibilities included
clearing tables and rolling silverware.
Both Wilson and Grundy enjoyed the
atmosphere of their work environment in
addition to their coworkers and both agreed that
the worst part of their job is the “rude customers”
that sometimes frequent the restaurant.
Although Wilson still works at Outback,
Grundy chose to quit due to his lowering grades.
“I couldn’t let my grades suffer for my job so I
quit. I miss the money but my education is more
important,” Grundy said.
Students
Carniello has lovehate
relationship
with her customers
By Ana Adame
Staff Reporter
How many hours do you work?
“About ten hours a week, only on weekends.”
there?
“About a year and a half.”
What do you enjoy about your job?
“I like the people I work with and being able
to talk when it’s slow. I also like the shakes and
free drinks.”
What do you dislike about your job?
“The customers. Sometimes when they are
rude. And smelling like grease hours after getting
off.”
Does it conflict with your school life/
grades?
“It used to so I only work weekends now so it
wouldn’t.”
What responsibilities does your job
entail?
“I take orders, call out numbers and hand out
food. Also stand there and look pretty.” (smiles.)
Do you enjoy the work environment?
“I enjoy the people I work with and the
owners because they’re really flexible with
schedules. I don’t enjoy the mall though because
most of the people complain and are not nice.”
How has it affected your social life?
“When I close I usually don’t have time to do
anything afterwards.”
their jo
Lamb’s social life
By Conrad Czosnyka
Staff Reporter
How long have you been working?
“I have been working there for two years.”
How many hours do you work a week
“I work about 20 to 25 hours a week.”
What do you like about your job?
“I enjoy the flexible hours.”
What do you not like about your job?
“I hate the smell of fried food.”
Is your job a nice compliment to your
school life?
“Yes, my manager understands I am a studen
and schools is important.”
What do your responsibilities entail?
“Cash register, taking orders, and I sometime
open on Sundays.”
Do you enjoy your work environment?
“Yes, I love who I work with.”
How has your job affected your social
life?
“I work long hours in the weekend, so puttin
time into my social life gets difficult at times, bu
I still see my friends every so often.”

t
s
g
t
and
bs
Von Buelow enjoys
friendly co-workers
By Jake Larson
Back Page Editor
How many hours a week do you work?
“26 hours.”
How long have you worked there?
“Six months.”
What do you enjoy about your job?
“The fresh air, and standing around talking
to myself.”
What do you not like about your job?
“The work.”
Does your job conflict with your school?
“No I try and separate my school and work.”
What responsibilities does your job
entail?
“Making hamburgers, sweeping, and washing
dishes.”
Do you enjoy the work environment?
“It is a fun job, my coworkers are very
friendly.”
How has your job affected your social
life?
“It has taken some of my free time to hangout
with friends.”
Mercado never bored
By Nadia Duke
Staff Reporter
How often you do you work?
“I work 20 hours a week, including weekdays
and weekends.”
How long have you been there?
“I’ve been working there since September of
2010.”
What are your responsibilities on the
job?
“I work at the cash register sometimes, I greet
people, hand them their food and I clean a lot.”
What is the best and worst part of
having a job?
“The best part is that you learn responsibility
– plus, you’re never bored! The worst is definitely
having no time to hang out with friends.”
Does your job interfere with your
school responsibilities?
“Sometimes; when I had dance I could only
work on the weekend, which was supposed to be
my free time. Now with dance season over I can
work more. Also, the day homework is due is
when I usually do the work!”
How about your social life?
“I have less time for friends now. I end up
always having to cancel plans. My friends are
cool. They are very supportive!”
What do you enjoy most about where
you work?
“I love my co-workers. We goof around a lot
and they just make me happy. We’re like a big
family!”
Do you like your job?
“Yeah I like it most of the time, except when
the customers are rude!”
Dicken twins at Dairy Queen
make sweet friends at work
By Alexandra Woodberry
Staff Reporter
Seniors Michael Dicken and Megan Dicken
both work at Dairy Queen in Crown Point.
Michael has been working for a year with 12 to
16 hours a week. Megan has been working for
two years with at least 20 hours a week. She also
worked at Abercrombie last winter along with
this job.
What Megan likes about working at Dairy
Queen is “getting a 50 percent off at break.”
“Everybody there is easy going. It’s not too
stressful,” Michael said.
Unfortunately, many jobs have a downside.
“I don’t like dealing with new people,” Megan
said.
“Sometimes people are too easygoing that
they don’t get the work needed to be done,”
Michael said.
Q &A
By Nadia Duke
Staff Reporter
with Anthony Duke:
A dad stationed
overseas
What do you do?
“I am an airplane mechanic.”
What’s the name of the company?
“I work at Al Raha Group Technical
Services.”
How long have you been working with
said company?
“Three years.”
How does it feel to be far away from
your family?
“It is hard to be away from family, I truly
anticipate my vacation time to go home.”
Do you do anything that makes you
feel at home?
“I use the social networks which puts me
right into my family room via video call, this
technology relieves a lot of the pain of being
away from loved ones on the other side of our
planet.”
Since you are Muslim, did you find it
easier to adapt to the culture?
“Yes, it does help to adapt, due to the fact I
understand the historical and present spiritual
significance the area has.”
What do you enjoy most about your
job/location?
“I mostly enjoy the central locale of this
area, in every direction I am just a short plane
ride from some of the world’s most exciting
attractions like Mecca, pyramids in Egypt, Dubai,
safari of Kenya, and a car ride across the bridge
into the Kingdom of Bahrain!”
Employees start at a minimum wage
but merit rises are awarded to them. Bot
jobs include being friendly and showing
time. The work environment is also nice
“Everybody gets along well. The peop
it fun to work there,” Michael said.
“For the most part I really like my ma
I’ve been working there a longtime so we
a friendship,” Megan said.
Jobs often take tim
from homework,
social life
Allisa Bryant
Staff Reporter
Many students have decided to get j
to help pay for some of their senior expe
but what they may not have thought ab
how time consuming and stressful a job
Having a job during your senior year can
your focus away from your school work.
“Sometimes when I have to work, I d
my homework because I don’t have time
when I get home from school and I’m to
do it when I get home from work,” senio
Jackson said.
While at work, the job itself can be s
There are many things to take into cons
A job has so many rules, regulations and
follow that many customers don’t care a
“Customers are very hard to satisfy. M
parents allow their children to ruin the s
and the adult shoppers shop as if they w
children they let run around,” Jackson s
Having a job your senior year can als
your personal and social time away. You
it very hard to have a moment to yourse
you’re giving your time to a customer fo
hours at a time.
“I find it hard to hang with my frien
because I usually work on the weekends
consumes my time,” said Jackson.
Although there are some cons to hav
job, the good can sometimes outweigh t
You are being paid for your time and so
it can help improve you in some way.
“By having a job, I have become mor
because I am forced to talk to strangers
so now I can talk a little more to the peo
my class,” Jackson said.

8 Arts and Entertainment
Teens miss
the ‘TRL’
rountine
Every weekday, kids would come home
from school, turn the television to MTV and
watch as hosts like Carson Daly and Vanessa
Minnillo counted down the most requested
videos. “Total Request Live,” most known
as “TRL,” will go down in pop culture as a
show that launched many celebrities’ careers.
It highlighted everything from the boy bands
and pop princess era in the late ‘90s to the up
and coming rappers and singers that are out
today.
*NSYNC’s classic “Tearin’
Up My Heart” was the first
video to premiere on “TRL”
back in November 1998, while
Katy Perry’s scandalous “I
Kissed A Girl” was the last in
July 2008.
Not only did “TRL” count
down the videos, but they also
had celebrity guests on; and
it was not always musicians,
they also had actors and
actresses feature as well. The “Live” in “TRL”
sometimes proved to the show’s benefit and
unpredictability. There was no script and the
live TV made for the best, as anything could
happen. It’s a show that many kids our age
grew up with, and it was just a part of our
daily routine.
“The ‘TRL’ Decade” premiered on VH1,
highlighting the best moments that the show
had over its 10-year run. It did not seem like
the show was on for ten years, but it suddenly
called it quits in 2008. This show was before
all of the social networks teenagers are fond of
now, and it was our primary source of news.
We couldn’t check trending topics on Twitter
to see what everyone was talking about or
check the newsfeed on Facebook to see what
was going on; none of these networks existed.
“TRL” was a trendy show that ended
before its time, but if they decide to bring it
back, will it be as good? Who knows, no one
ever thought “Punk’d” would return, but five
years after Ashton Kutcher left, the prankster
show is back.
“TRL” was the show of MTV for ten
years, highlighting all of the celebrities and
notable music videos that teenagers grew up
with. No one can forget Britney Spears’ music
videos or watching as girls would swoon over
*NSYNC and the backstreet boys. We even
watched the love story of Beyonce and Jay-Z
blossom, and we all said “Yeah!” with Lil’ Jon.
There is no other show as versatile and
entertaining like “TRL” that is around
anymore. Now everyone is left to rely on
the outdated countdown of VH1 with its
monotonic host to see the latest music videos.
-Nakel McClinton
‘Fresh Prince’ still a favorite ‘Gossip Girl’
In the 1990’s one of TV’s greatest
collaborations was born. Based around a
seventeen year old from Philadelphia, who
moves in with his wealthy and sometimes
“snotty” family, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-
Air” was one of the top-rated sit-coms in the
1990’s, lasting only six seasons.
With a strict judge for an uncle, and an
Ivy League bound cousin, the characters
of the show aren’t exactly cut out for each
other’s appeal.
Giving Will Smith his first spotlight in the
acting world, Hollywood took notice of his
sense of humor, charm and charisma.
Fans of the comedy sit-com loved the
fact that the show shared insight on drugs,
Photo of Carson Daly courtesy of www.tv.com
Timeless or
All generations love classic cartoons
Growing up, we’ve all had that show that
we just couldn’t wait to finish our homework
to watch.
There are shows that we think about
that bring us back to the good times of no
responsibility, no stress and no “acting like an
adult.”
When you were finished on the
playground, your first thought was “I have to
watch my show.” Many of these shows allow
us to relive our childhood and travel back
down memory lane.
“‘Rugrats’ was definitely my all time
favorite cartoon. Who doesn’t want to see a
baby take adventures?” senior Aurielle Carson
said.
“The best cartoon was definitely The Wild
Thornberrys. They were so natural and real,”
senior Ebony Jackson said.
A few other cartoons that allow the
seniors to reminisce are “Cow and Chicken”,
“Johnny Bravo”, “Roco’s Modern Life”,
“Rocket Power”, “Dexter’s Laboratory”, “Cat
Dog”, “Hey Arnold” and so many more.
Some cartoons that bring teachers back to
their younger days are as follows: “Tom and
Jerry”, “Popeye the Sailor Man”, “The Jetson”,
“The Flinstones”, “The Smurfs”, “Jana of the
poverty and everyday issues that any family
can relate to. Senior Channon Thomas shared
his thoughts on the TV series and what he
thought was the best element of the show.
“I used to watch it all the time. The best
thing about the show was the comedy. Will
was always doing something crazy,” Thomas
said.
Unlike characters in shows like “Phineas
and Ferb” all the characters of the “Fresh
Prince” progressed as adults and moved on
with their lives. As in the season finale Will
moved out of the mansion into his own place.
The question in mind: why did the show
end so early? While some viewers felt like the
finale was rushed, others felt it ended on a
good note.
“I don’t think it should have a comeback,
because some shows are best untouched,”
Thomas said.
Junior Adonis Smith felt the same way. “I
think it was good in the 1990’s, but it’s too
late for a comeback.”
Whether a comeback is out of the
question or not, it is safe to say “Fresh Prince
of Bel-Air” is and will always be a great sitcom.
-Brandon A. Neal
Jungle”, “Inch High Private Eye”, “Felix the
Cat” and others.
“I liked the Flinstones because there
was just something about Fred that was so
endearing. He was goofy, but easily lovable,”
Mrs. Teresa Procter said.
“I like Johnny Bravo because he is the
man,” senior Conrad Czosnyka said.
“I used to love Hey Arnold because he had
a football head,” senior Trent Turner said.
Although the ‘90s generation debates that
it had the better cartoons growing up, many
teachers feel that ‘90s cartoons are no match
for their generations.
Many teachers feel that later cartoons just
don’t have the same power as those of their
generation.
“The only good cartoon this generation
had is Recess. My favorite cartoon is Tom
and Jerry because it was funny,” Mr. Michael
Hoffman said.
“I liked Looney Toons because it was
funny. They were jokes that adults didn’t
understand, but the kids got easily,” Mr. Joe
Atria said.
When asked who had the best cartoons,
each generation expressed knowledge of the
younger or older generation’s cartoons, but
When it comes to drama and over the
top, cheesy endings, “Gossip Girl” takes the
prize home. “Gossip Girl” aired on the CW in
September 2007. After five long years, you’d
think that the show would have ended or at
least been canceled.
However, the lavish lifestyle of high-end
New York teenagers and their treacheries is
what keeps this show afloat. Not the most
popular among parents, “Gossip Girl” prides
itself in having an excessive amount of drama,
drugs, and sex that overshadows the entire
actual plot.
The story revolves around six major
characters, all of which attend a prestigious
prep school located on the Upper East Side of
New York. The first season revolves around
their junior year and all the challenges that
come with the survival of high school and the
ghosts of the past. The six main characters are
all somehow connected, having either dated
before or they are currently dating each other.
The show might keep the viewer’s
attention for at least the first season as the
characters grow up and mature into their later
Continued on page 9
fought for their own generation’s.
“I liked Peppy Le Pew because he spoke
French and I liked to hear people speak
French,” Mrs. Rose said.
“Dexter’s Laboratory sparked my
imagination and allowed me to be inventive,
so I’m going to be an entrepreneur because of
Dexter,” Senior Abraham Garcia said.
People often can’t pinpoint the reason
a cartoon became a favorite. Many people
responded with “I don’t know”, or “because it
was funny”. There was no actual reason why
these cartoons were so enjoyable.
“I liked Speed Racers because I was a boy
and boys like fast cars,” principle Mr. Michael
Krutz said.
“I liked Care Bears because they were
cute and brought happiness and joy,” student
teacher Miranda Barber said.
“I liked Mighty Mouse because it was
cute,” Mrs. Nancy Draper said.
With all the cartoons in history and those
to come, no one really knows which were the
best cartoons. Every generation holds a sort
of sentimental idea that takes one back and
allows one to be a child and remember the
“good ol’ days”.
-Allisa Bryant

Arts and Entertainment
Teen story
running flat
Continued from page 8
personas, but after the second season the show
should have been cancelled.
After graduating high school, the
show goes on following the lives of the six
characters but there is no major plot anymore.
After this the show solely relies on drug and
sex scenes to keep most of its teenage viewers.
The show might have been interesting at
one point but after a while every show should
be cancelled since the story runs flat. It seems
that Gossip Girl has reached this point.
- Ana Adame
“The lavish lifestyle of high-end
New York teenagers and their
treacheries is what keeps this
show afloat.”
‘Wives’ overstay their welcome
Nothing is more obnoxious than the
fake drama of today’s reality shows, especially
the enormous influx of shows about celebrity
wives. It doesn’t matter what time of the
day it is, on VH1 you can find any variation
of these shows. “Mob Wives,” “Basketball
Wives,” “Baseball Wives,” “Football Wives,”
and “Love and Hip Hop” are just a few of
these ridiculous TV
programs. VH1 used
to be full of shows
that were actually
entertaining and
slightly informative
such as their “I
Love the ‘80s” or
“The OCD Project.”
However, VH1 isn’t
the only television
station responsible
for broadcasting
these horrid shows.
Lifetime also has their
own “Army Wives”
on its sixth season, and Bravo has a multitude
of “The Real Housewives.”
Time to Go?
Old shows better than new BET offerings
I’m sure I am not the only one who
is completely annoyed with BET (Black
Entertainment Television) these days. The
cable station constantly plays out movies
that were once our favorites, right? “Love
& Basketball”, “Baby Boy”,” Nora’s Hair
Salon” (which was never anyone’s favorite,
it’s just being worn out too), and now they are
working on ruining a classic, “Poetic Justice.”
Seriously, if I see another movie by Tyler Perry
on BET, whether he’s playing himself or his
character, Madea, I am going to scream.
Does ‘Citaaa! Cita big baby! ‘Cause I’m a
strong black woman! It’s Cita’s World y’all.’
ring a bell? Remember that annoying TV
character that was so loud and obnoxious
that you couldn’t help but laugh at? The
show was called “Cita’s World”, a music
video countdown in which a female animated
character, named Cita, was the host. The
show aired from 1999-2002, which some of
you may vaguely remember.
What about coming home from school,
grabbing a snack, and ignoring your
homework from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. for
“Rap City: The Basement” when Big Tig
(Big Tigger) was the host? The most popular
Renee Graziano of ‘Mob WIves’.
Image courtesy of thebplot.com
rappers would be guests on the show and
sometimes, release their latest video or
promote the release of an album. At the
end of the show, the rapper would go into
the ‘booth’ and freestyle which I’m sure was
everyone’s favorite part. And then there
was watching the rappers sign their names
on the wall in the booth as a way of leaving
their mark. Under Big Tig’s rein, the show
lasted from 1999 to 2005, being replaced by
“The Deal”, which was hosted by Diamond
Kutz and Memphitz. Who are those people?
Exactly. The show barely lasted two years,
from 2008-2010 due to low ratings.
There was also “Access Granted” that
gave viewers behind the scenes footage to
the making of a music artist’s music video
from the clothes and make-up, to the
choreography, and to what weird things they
did in their free time on set. For some reason,
everybody loved getting the inside scoop on
the video that would be released a week or
two later on “106 & Park.” At the end of the
show, the final production of the video was
aired as a ‘world premiere.’
And what about that show our parents
didn’t let us watch? You know the one we
There should be no question as to
why these shows should be cancelled. All
of the “drama” is fake and posed, all of the
women are full of plastic and botox, and
the shows are just downright pointless. Do
we all not have enough drama in our own
lives that we have to go and watch a bunch
of grown women argue and throw drinks
at each other? The
average American
child watches 1500
hours of TV a year,
therefore they are
bound to pick up on
some of the behaviors
of these women, and
that certainly does
not give hope for the
following generations.
These shows should
be cancelled for their
stupidity and the
effects they could
have on younger kids.
In turn, they should be replaced with shows
that were cancelled to make room for these
trashy, plastic wives.
- Cassie Govert
would stay up late to sneak and watch?
“Comic View” was a stand-up comedy
show that showcased upcoming comedy
acts, usually with jokes that were way over
are heads at the time. Although, there was
“Coming to the Stage”, where 13-year-old Lil’
JJ told appropriate jokes and defeated adult
competitors. Yeah, he’s 21 years old now.
Our absolute favorite was “106 & Park.”
Not anymore of course, with the extreme
corniness of Terrence J and the annoying,
whiney voice of Rocsi, the show has become
a joke. The first substitute hosts for the show,
Julissa and Big Tig tried to uphold the show
but they didn’t measure up to the original
hosts, Free and AJ. Didn’t it seem as though
Free and AJ coexisted together in the most
hilarious way? A celebrity that no one cares
about could be a guest on the show and you
could guarantee that Free and AJ would still
provide entertainment.
Now, BET just plays re-runs from early the
early 2000s that weren’t even originated on
the station. I mean, hearing ‘Heyyy Professor
Oglevee!’ used to be entertaining — five to
ten years ago.
-Jalisa Mosley
‘Dance
Moms’ fail
to stay
on pointe
9
There are some pretty bad shows on TV,
but “Dance Moms” is one of the worst.
The show is mostly about a dance teacher
named Abby Lee Miller and the dancers’
moms. The girls aren’t actually an important
part of the show.
Everyone just watches to see Abby and the
moms scream at each other. Even the girls
look at the adults like they’re immature.
Some of the costumes they wear are too
inappropriate for TV. On one episode, the
girls were supposed to be dressed like Las
Vegas showgirls. The backs of their bras were
flesh-colored to give the appearance that they
were naked.
The large, pink feathered fans were also
used to create this illusion. The rest of the
outfit was also super tiny. People were so
upset about their costumes that Lifetime only
showed the episode once and then took it off
the air.
Abby is also a terrible person. She has a
system of ranking the girls. She puts their
pictures on a mirror, in pyramid formation
with the best dancer on top and the worst
dancers on the bottom.
The pictures change every week according
to their behavior and how well they perform.
This could damage their self-esteem.
“Dance Moms” has been harshly criticized,
yet people still watch it. This show is not really
entertaining. People screaming at each other
isn’t pleasing to watch. Neither is little girls
dancing in costumes more suited for older
girls.
Once “Dance Moms” is cancelled, TV will
be a better place.
-Alexandra Woodberry
Abby Lee Miller and her dance students.
Image courtesy of rumorfix.com
“Everyone just watches to see Abby
and the moms scream at each other.”

10 Sports
Thompson’s absence
motivates girls’ track team
By Nakel McClinton
Sports Editor
After winning their second consecutive
indoor Duneland Athletic Conference title,
the girls’ track team had high expectations.
With unexpected injuries and a car accident
no one could have seen coming, however, the
team has not performed up to their level of
capability.
Senior Brianna Thompson, who won
the 400 meter dash at indoor DAC, was in
a season-ending car accident that ended in
broken bones and a stay in the hospital.
“We were all worried about her health,
like would she be okay, would she live or
be disabled. At first we didn’t know much,”
Junior Airrica Harper said. “I felt like we lost a
part of our team and I felt bad for her because
it was her senior year.”
With the top 400 meter sprinter out,
Freshmen Jaz Talley and Malika Sweeney,
as well as Sophomore Shequida Dillard have
stepped in.
“They have surprised us and stepped up in
a big way,” Coach Jeff Fairbairn said. “We’re
still trying to find more people to fill in and
pick up her points though.”
The accident motivated the team to do
better for Thompson. At every meet, each
team member wears a purple ribbon in their
hair in her honor.
“After we found out, it pushed us to
perform better for the fact that she would
want us to,” Senior Alexandra Domoras said.
“We’re coping with it well,” Harper said.
“We’re a strong team and we’re going to get
through it.”
Despite the accident and injuries, the team
is off to a 3-2 conference record. They also
placed second out of 14 teams at the West
Lafayette Relays, only losing to number one
state-ranked Lawrence Central.
“We need to focus on continuing to get
better instead of being content with how fast
Last year in a dual meet against Portage
and Chesterton, Senior Brianna Thompson
paces herself to the finish line as she runs
the 400 meter dash. Thompson was in a
car accident in April and suffered broken
ribs and a fractured back. Photo by Giolas.
we run, how high we jump or how far we
throw,” Coach Fairbairn said.
Both Harper and Domoras, as well as
Seniors Nakel McClinton and Jaleesa Holmes,
have the best performances in the region in
their perspective events.
Harper, a sprinter who transferred from
Highland this year, is undefeated in the 200
meter dash. She accredits this to the training
and lifting during practice.
“There are always people to push you and
you can not slack off,” Harper said about
comparing Merrillville to Highland’s track
team. By the end of the season, she wants to
decrease her time and make it to state in the
200 meter dash, was well as the 4x100 meter
relay.
Domoras cleared 12 feet in pole vault last
week to give her the edge for the best jump in
the area. Her previous best was 11’7”, a mark
that won her an individual DAC title.
“I’m very proud of myself,” she said. “To
finally get to that point and it feels like it
took so long, it’s such a relief.” Domoras said
she is excited for her potential, and wants to
clear 13 feet by the end of the year, as well as
win state.
Another big challenge for the team will
be to compete with an all new sectional
including Griffith, Calumet and Lake
Central, who has won a state-record 20
straight sectionals.
“I expect us to be right in the mix to win
it,” Coach Fairbairn said. “It will be tough to
knock off Lake Central though and Crown
Point will give us a run, but we hope to
advance as many as possible to the next round
as well.”
Softball continues to face adversity throughout season
By Cassie Govert
Staff Reporter
The softball team is working towards
improvement with a 0-15 record so far this
season. Although the record seems formidable,
the team still has hope for their last few
games.
The team’s upperclassmen have been
working hard to bring up the team morale and
gain improvement.
“Jessica Vasquez has done very well
pitching for us and Mercedes McClendon is
doing extremely well with batting,” Coach
Amy Govert said.
However, the team has also suffered
a couple of injuries that have taken out
important players. Although these injuries
are not season-ending, they still prevent vital
players from helping the team.
During a game last year against Kouts,
Junior Jessica Vasquez winds up a pitch to
deliver to the batter. The Pirates lost the
game 6-5. Photo by Giolas.
“Selena Diaz will still be out for a few
more weeks with a twisted ankle and Chloe
Nelson has also been out with a head injury,”
Coach Govert said.
Even with these minor setbacks, the team
is still showing great improvement.
“We have the same goals, we just need
a complete game,” Coach Govert said. Lake
Central and Crown Point have been the
team’s toughest competitors, with Lake
Central being ranked in the top three in
the state. “We were actually neck in neck
with Crown Point, but we just fell apart a
few innings into the game,” Coach Govert
commented.
Even with an unrewarding season so far,
the team is still positive.“We just hope to keep
improving,” Coach Govert said.
Boys’ track
hopes to be
ready by
sectionals
By Jake Larson
Back Page Editor
The boys’ track team has a record of 0-5
in the Duneland Athletic Conference, but
finished second place out of seven at the
Elkhart Memorial Relays.
“This season has been a little disjointed,”
Coach Brian Past said.
Injuries have contributed to the season
being disjointed as Senior William Isabel
pulled his hamstring and Junior Dylon Collins
was victimized in a car accident. Making
the best of the situation is that the younger
runners have been gaining experience. Such
performers that have gotten experience are
Juniors Marcellus Joiner, Nathan Bride, and
Austin Jamerson.
“Austin Jamerson is like our triple threat,”
Coach Past said.
Jamerson earned the nickname by not
only being the top high jumper, high hurdler
and long jumper on the team, but also in
the area. The way the track team conditions
themselves is that they peak towards the time
of sectionals.
“We want to do better at the end of season
meet and make sure athletes are peaking at
sectionals in order to reach our goal,” Coach
Past said.
Soaring over the bar, Junior Ausitn
Jamerson competes in the high jump last
year during a conference dual meet. He
placed third in the event at last years’
state finals. Photo by Giolas.

11 Sports
Girls’ tennis
switches
line-up for
improvement
By Ana Adame
Staff Reporter
With an improved record from last year
of 3-6, the tennis team is working hard to
secure more wins. The girls are still working
at finding the perfect line-up to guarantee the
three points needed to win.
“We’re expecting the girls to play hard in
whichever spot we put them to try and find a
strong line-up,” Coach James Simon said.
Along with varsity, the junior varsity team
is also working hard to prepare for the future
of the team. They are also 3-6 in their record
and gained a third place out of six teams in
the Plymouth tournament.
With three weeks worth of games left, the
girls are working hard to get more wins under
their belt.
“Our goals are still the same. We want to
keep improving our record and strive to win
sectionals,” Coach Kyle Prow said.
Baseball starting to improve despite ‘rocky
start’; earns big win over Chesterton
By Brandon Neal
Staff Reporter
The boys’ baseball team has started out
their season with a “rocky start”. With
losses to Hobart, Boone Grove, Washington
Township and Munster, the team remains
positive about the remainder of the season.
Coach Joe O’Connell shared his thoughts
on the season opener and how the team will
adjust to the early losses.
“We didn’t start off our season as good
as we would’ve liked. We’ve had some key
injuries, but at this point, everybody is healthy
or getting healthy,” Coach Joe O’Connell said.
Junior Jon Feliciano has yet to play a game
because of a foot surgery that was authorized
in the winter.
“I think the entire team is anxious for the
return of Jon Feliciano, and we have good
chemistry,” Coach O’Connell said.
However a few players have a different
perspective. Junior Varsity player David Hertl
felt that they could play better.
“I think when it comes time to play, we
have to get better at playing with each other.
We have good individual players, but we have
to improve the overall chemistry.”
Still, players and coaches remain optimistic.
“There’s always a chance to turn the
season around,” Hertl said.
“When we have everyone healthy again we
can start piecing together the second half of
the season, to get the confidence to head into
sectionals,” Coach O’Connell said.
The season is already starting to turn
around for the team. They beat conference
rivals LaPorte and Chesterton, which was
one of the biggest upsets in the region so far.
Chesterton had just beat Lake Central, who
was the number one team in the state. Now
the Pirates have a new confidence with this
win.
“It was a huge win,” Junior Joseph
Cowser said. “Beating the team that beat the
number one team in the state was a huge
accomplishment.”
The team is hoping to carry this
momentum into the post-season.
“We started off kind of slow but we’re
finding our stride and hopefully we can pick it
up towards the the end,” Cowser said.
Earn college credit at Purdue
University Calumet Summer 2012
Classes begin June 11 and meet Monday, Tuesday,
Thursday from 10 a.m. to 12:20 p.m.
ENGL 10600
First-Year Composition
(4 credits)
For West Lafayette students only.
Extensive practice in writing clear and
effective prose. Instruction in organization,
audeince, style, and researched based writing.
English 10600 is the standard 4-credit
hour course required of all students entering
Purdue University, West Lafayette. Credit for
English 106 also transfers to a number of other
Indiana colleges and universities as well as many
schools across the nation to satisfy the college
composition requirement.
ENGL 10400 EnglishComposition I (3 credits)
Emphasis on the organization of the
expository theme. Directed writings of
themes based on personal experience, on the
relationship between experience and language,
and on the relationship between experience
and language, and on the relationship between
experience and ideas.
English 10400 is typically the first semester
composition course.
In a baseball game last year, Junior Jon
Feliciano delivers a pitch to the batter
from the mound. Feliciano has been out
with a foot injury this season. Photo by
Giolas.
ENGL 10500
EnglishComposition II
(3 credits)
This course will continue the first
semester’s emphasis on the writing process
and rhetorical analysis while introducing
students students to systematic research and
writing from sources other than personal
experience. In English 10500 students learn
to manage the research process in the context
of assaignments that focus on the kinds of
writing they will encounter in college, the
workplace, and the community and use APA
and MLA documentation styles.
English 10500 is usually taken during the
second semester of the freshamn year. This
course offering is perfect for students who have
already satisfied the requirement for English
10400 through AP or dual credit.

12 The Back Page
The ‘Hunger Games’ succeeds in filling
the void left by ‘Harry Potter’ and ‘Twilight’
By Sam Gubitz
Editor-in-Chief
Movies based on extremely popular
books have a history of success in the movie
industry; big names like “Harry Potter” and
“Twilight” dominate the box offices.
However, with “Harry Potter” over and
with “Twilight” on its way out the door, a
new hit series needs to fill the void. “Hunger
Games” succeeds in this endeavor, although it
does stumble along the way.
For those who don’t know “The Hunger
Games” takes place in a post-apocalyptic world
in the country of Panem where the countries
of North America once existed. Sixteen-yearold
Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence),
who lives in one of the 12 “districts”, is sent
to the Capitol, a highly advanced metropolis
that holds absolute power over the rest of
the nation, in order to participate in the
“Hunger Games”.” The “Hunger Games” are
an annual event in which one boy and one girl
aged 12 to 18 from each of the 12 districts
surrounding the Capitol are selected by lottery
to compete in a televised battle in which only
By Nadia Duke
Staff Reporter
There aren’t many female protagonists
on prime time television, so it would be
logical for the few shows with leading ladies
(especially in the genre of comedy) to be
something of substance
and quality. This logic
was thrown out the
window when it came
to the NBC comedy
“Whitney”. “Whitney”
follows unfunny comedian
Whitney Cummings
portraying her fictionalized
self. Whitney Cummings
irks me because 70 percent
of her stand-up comedy
seemed to have one theme: women and men
are different because women are weird and
crazy! This may come off a bit strong, but
I see Whitney’s comedy as the example of
feminism being set back another 20 years.
When I first heard about the show I
thought giving it a fair chance would open
my eyes to the hidden genius that is Whitney,
one person can survive.
This 142 minute long film has some
serious pacing issues. The first third of the
book is condensed into about 25 minutes of
actual film time. This condensing makes the
film seem like it is going by extremely quick.
This effect ends abruptly as soon as the actual
“games” start. This part is the largest majority
of the movie and is very well done, hitting the
major points of the book.
However, the film misses most of the
minor details prevalent in the novel. This is
mostly due to the fact that the film cannot
portray the first person narrative that the
book uses. While that fact is a weakness at
some points in the film, the new third person
narrative is a boon for the film, giving unique
insight into ideas and events not present in
the book.
This new insight allows minor characters
like game master Seneca Crane (Wes Bentley)
to be propelled to new heights. In fact, the
scenes of conversation between Crane and
Panem’s eloquent, yet malevolent, President
Snow (Donald Sutherland) are some of the
best in the film.
but seeing how “2 Broke Girls”, a CBS comedy
co-created by Cummings, employed rape jokes
(which everyone should know should not be
considered as joke material, ever) every other
episode, I wasn’t expecting anything good.
Believe it or not, “2 Broke Girls’” comedy is
actually better than the comedy style that
“Whitney” has. I will admit that “Whitney”
has amusing plots, but the writing is so
stale that it makes the storyline seem more
ridiculous than it actually is. The characters
try to come off as raunchy and wittily crafted,
but they’re basically one-dimensional. This
show isn’t a detrimental slight of society, but
NBC can do much better, and the best the
Lawrence’s performance was spot on for
the most part. She portrayed the strong, yet
always vulnerable, Katniss, extremely well.
The only hiccups in her performance were
during the movie’s first 20 minutes. Some of
the lines during this part just seem unnatural
and unlikely to be said by any real human.
In addition, every major performance was
very well done, creating near perfect avatars
for much loved characters from the book,
although some minor characters’ roles were
reduced or completely removed.
This movie may fill a special niche in the
film industry but through its production, the
film has evolved into something much more.
The book and movie work hand-in-hand
together to create a much more fulfilling
experience than either portrayal can do on
its own. The book gives unique details to the
reader that the movie goer will miss out on
due to the limitations of the medium while
the movie portrays events that are not present
in the book due to limitation of that medium.
The story that is crafted between these two
mediums is much more than merely the sum
of its parts; it is a piece of art.
Buffy should replace Whitney
company can do is taking Whitney off my
screen, forever.
On the flip side, as far as quality female
protagonists go, “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”
will certainly fill the void if brought back.
“Buffy” and “Whitney” are not comparable
in the genre sense: Buffy is an action-drama
and Whitney is a sitcom.
Comparing how Buffy
and Whitney behave
in general would be
futile as Whitney does
not live her life killing
vampires; however,
Buffy as a lead female
character does better than
Whitney by miles. Buffy
was before movies and
shows like “Twilight”
and “Vampire Diaries” and was the perfect
of example of vampire shows done right.
“Buffy” was an exciting show mostly because
its episodes weren’t rooted in romantic plots,
just unadulterated butt kicking. Buffy kept
audiences on the edge of their seats, and
writer/creator Joss Whedon opened up the
gateway to multi-faceted female characters,
Jennifer Lawrence portrays Hunger Games
protagonist Katniss Everdeen with great
accuracy. (Photo courtesy of Wikipedia)
‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’s’ unadulterated butt kicking should remove ‘Whitney’s’ crude, unfunny humor
something that audiences had not seen before
in such a major way. TV should treat itself
and bring back the beloved vampire hunter.
Why not? They are quite content with putting
rubbish like “Whitney” on the air.
The Mirror
The Mirror is the student newspaper of Merrillville
High School, 276 E. 68th Pl., Merrillville, IN 46410. The
web edition is located at mhsmirror.com.
Publications at MHS are members of the Indiana
High School Press Association, National Scholastic Press
Association and Quill and Scroll.
Editor Sam Gubitz
Opinion Ana Adame, Brandon Neal
Features Alexandra Woodberry
Sports Nakel McClinton
Arts and Entertainment Cassie Govert, Nadia Duke
Reporters Ana Adame, Allisa Bryant,
Conrad Czosnyka, Josh Davis,
Michael Dicken, Nadia Duke, Sam Gubitz,
Jake Larson, Nakel McClinton,
Brandon Neal, Jalisa Mosley,
Joseph Patton, Alexandra Woodberry
Adviser Teresa Procter
We encourage students to write
letters to the editor. Letters must be at
least 200 words, signed by the student,
and delivered to room M108.