Each issue we ask ! ve people what’s on their bucket list.

“ Have a meal where I eat my weight in desserts.” Allie Prein, 11

“I want to start a charity to help families during the holiday season.” Makayla Futhch, 9

“ I would like to go helo-skiing.” Adrian Helmling-Cornell, 12

“I want to build a human sized Snowman.” -Nicole Yacoub, 10

“I want to get better grades.” -Cheyenne Moore, 9

BUCKETLISTBUCKETLIST

Most people don’t know that...My favorite sport is archery.

If I could go anywhere in the world I’d go... To Spain.

My favorite holiday is... Christmas.

I am unique because...I am Wiccan.

My goal in life is... To be happy and be happy with the decisions I make.

It annoys me when... Peopleput their gum underneath the desk.

My plans for winter break include...Hanging out with family and friends, and receiving a lot of presents.

My most memorable Halloween was... When I was seven and I dressed up as the “itsy bitsy spider” and my brother tried to scare me and teased me… It was awful.

Fill in the Blanks with...

Sophie Pierce, 11

The NORTHERN LIGHTS

October 2013 Issue 2 Volume 58 North Central High School www.nchslive.com @nchslivePage 14

Fantasy Football

Sophomore stand-out follows in family’s footsteps.

page 12

The Northern LightsOctober 20132 l TNL INSIDER

FROM THE EDITOR TNL TAKES ISSUE

FAST TALK

Correct drop-o! procedures need to be taken

Best Buddies president discusses club STAY IN TOUCHThe Northern LightsNorth Central High School1801 East 86th StreetIndianapolis, IN 46240

phone (317) 259-5301fax (317) 259-5369

web www.nchslive.comtwitter @nchslivetout @nchslivepinterest @nchslive

Signed letters to the editor may be delivered to K634. Emailed letters will require signature veri! cation.

On the cover... Eron Gordon continues a family basketball tradition. Danny Kleschick photo

SINCE LAST ISSUE...

Last issue we took a look at the ramps on the east and west sides of the building. They are still in need of major repair. Unlike most paved ramps that nicely ! ow to the sidewalk or street, these ramps are about an inch higher than the street and at their tops where they level o" they are crumbling and uneven. Major repairs are still needed.

Dear Readers,During the recent National Honor

Society induction ceremony, I was asked to read a scripted speech, written for me, to the parents and inductees in attendance. The speech spoke of the importance of character and service in order to be an honorable member of the society. Speci! cally, a line from the speech struck me hard: “Character is achieved, not received.”

Character is what separates each individual from the masses. In a high school as large as North Central, it is sometimes easy to lose your character within the sea of conformity that is high school. However, I urge you to seek what makes you an individual, and pursue this with determination and perseverance. After all, character is not simply given to you. It must be earned, through daily striving to be a better version of yourself.

A perfect character is a person who acts at all times the way that they want to be perceived by the world. Now of course, this is not possible, as we are all human and experience human failures and tribulations. However, if you truly want to be viewed by the world in a certain light, do something to make that happen. If you want to be respected, show respect to others, and show them that you have the courage to stand for what you believe in. If you want to be well liked, be kind to your peers, and give each and every person you interact with your full attention.

Our actions de! ne our character. If you wish to be viewed in a certain way, then take action with an urgency that will allow you to accomplish your goals. If you do this, I have no doubt that you will be able to achieve even your highest hopes. Its all up to you, the individual. What can you do to make yourself stand out from the crowd?

As an increasing amount of parents drop their kids o" in the student parking lot, tra# c starts to heighten. The line to enter the south entrance of North Central’s campus in the morning is considerably longer, and begins to a" ect students getting to class on time. Some students have a problem with it.

“Parents need to drop their kids o" in the proper place. It’s annoying to those trying to get to the parking lot and get into school on time,” senior Stephanie Scalf said.

Scalf is referring to the designated spot in front of Door 1 and 2, where parents are supposed to drop their kids o" . She provides a valid point that illuminates an important issue.

With administrators encouraging all students to get into school at the correct time, the added tra# c provides yet another obstacle to do just that. Many students are held up in their attempts to ! nd a parking spot in the morning.

Other students have taken a more sympathetic view to parent’s plight, and have no problem with parents dropping their kids o" as long as safety measures are taken.

“I wouldn’t mind it as much if the proper safety precautions are taken to protect the kids,” Conor Miner said.

While it’s understandable to want to save time, dropping o" students in the improper place creates a hazard to both student’s safety and attendance. Greater restrictions need to be made to ensure that parents will follow the correct procedure for drop o" .

Have an issue you want TNL to tackle? Let us know using #tnltakesissue.

TNL: What is Best Buddies?MR: Best Buddies is a club where a group of people are dedicated to a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

TNL: What are the main goals of the club?MR: Inclusion. We want everyone to feel like a part of the club and that we’ll always stand by each other.

TNL: As president, what are you looking forward to most this year?MR: I’m looking forward to making a global movement with people that truly care about others, best buddies is a club for everyone to feel included.

TNL: What’s your favorite part of the club?MR: I love that everyone is always together, having fun, and that no one is ever left out.

Many parents of students who cannot drive have begun dropping them o" in the student parking lot. This causes congestion for those who do drive, and can create problems for students getting to class on time.—Nolan Schloneger photo

Best Buddies is a club that helps brings together developmentally-di" erent students.

Editor-in-chiefDaniel Kleschick

NCHSLive! EditorMaxwell Freeman

Managing EditorCarter Herman

Copy EditorsKeaton LentsAdam Friedman

TNL Special EditorsJerome BinghamBrandi MetzgerMichael Mitchell

Sta! MembersRoman BaisaNate BercovitzConnor BrightTommy CagnassolaIndia DavisErin DossChris FrenchJacob Hansen

Olivia HawesMarina HigueraSam JohnsonMadelaine LeistikowElizabeth MannheimerRebecca OwensAlexandra PattersonNolan SchlonegerMichael Schmahl

Brett SchneiderDominique TurnerTaylor Schimp

AdviserTom Gayda, MJE

The NORTHERN LIGHTS

The 2013-2014 editorial policy for The Northern Lights can be found at www.nchslive.com.

TNL reporter Erin Doss caught up with Malinda Resendez, Best Buddies president.

Breaking news can be found daily at:

www.nchslive.comand our active

Facebook page!

Program addresses teen cardiac arrest

Novel, !lm feature Washington Township

On Tuesday, October 15 from 5 to 8 p.m., North Central’s Athletic Department hosted the Echoes for Athletes Program, to prevent sudden cardiac arrests, by getting athletes tested for cardiovascular diseases.

Student athletes participated in this event to be screened to detect structural abnormalities like Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy, Aortic Stenosis, Marfan’s Syndrome and Mitral Valve Prolapse. Although rare, these issues are potentially fatal.

A heart attack stems from a circulation, or “plumbing,” problem of the heart, according to the Sudden Cardiac Arrest Association. It happens when a sudden blockage in a coronary artery severely reduces or cuts o! blood "ow to the heart, damaging heart muscle.

In contrast, a sudden cardiac arrest is due to an “electrical” problem in the heart. It happens when electrical signals that control the heart’s pumping ability essentially short-circuit.

Suddenly, the heart may beat dangerously fast, causing the heart’s ventricles to quiver or "utter instead of pumping blood in a coordinated fashion. This rhythm disturbance, called ventricular #brillation, occurs in response to an underlying heart condition that may or may not have been detected.

The American Heart Association says sudden cardiac arrest in high school athletes ranges from 0.28 to 1 death per 100,000 annually. It’s a problem that is rare but it is still happening. The issue is completely avoidable.

The entire screening took less than 20 minutes and is a non-invasive procedure. It is a procedure that any doctor can perform and is worth taking if you are a student athlete that exercises the heart muscle. This procedure keeps athletes playing and aware that though their heart is in the game having awareness of their health is a “win win” situation. —Alex Patterson

John Green’s best-seller, “The Fault in Our Stars,” a love story of two teenagers battling cancer, has become quite popular across the country. There will be a release of the movie version of the novel in 2014.

Although youth and adults all seem to be fawning over the story, it may prove most relatable to NC students themselves. Green resides in Washington Township, and wrote his story about the surrounding area. In the story, main characters Hazel Grace Lancaster and Augustus Waters live in Indianapolis.

Augustus is depicyed as a student of North Central High School and a member of the school’s basketball team.

The movie version will also be set in the area. Unfortunately, the #lm is not being shot in Indianapolis, the hometown of Green because of better “tax incentives” o!ered in Pittsburgh.

Prior to shooting, Green posted on his Tumblr page that he and fellow producers have “looked through pictures of both states and [they] can say that yes, they look quite the same so making Pittsburgh look like Indy might not be too hard.” While the change in location is disappointing, the area will still be a main focus in the #lm.

Starring actors like Shailene Woodley and Ansel Elgort, the movie will bring to life a book that speci#cally mentions Holiday Park as well as the Speedway gas station on 86th Street.

The movie is currently scheduled to open on June 6, 2014. —Elizabeth Manheimer

The Northern LightsOctober 2013 AROUND NC l 3

Selling food in school brings cash; risks

While underclassmen took the PLAN/PSAT tests, seniors were given the option to spend their morning doing community service or visiting colleges. Although classes did not technically start until 10:59 a.m., seniors were expected to show up earlier to attend a meeting especially for their class.

The senior meeting began at 9:30 a.m., and was somewhat bene#cial to the few who attended. Senior bon#re, apparel and the way seniors should act were all touched on during the meeting. Seniors were also handed a “Senioritis” to keep them informed of future important dates. After the class picture was taken, administration began scrambling to keep the students engaged because of the delay of the PLAN/PSAT testing. A technology problem delayed the testing, and therefore many seniors were forced to wait in the gym for an hour-and-a-half.

The meeting was moved to the main gym from the auditorium because of a di!erent technological problem.

Many students who ignored the start time of 9:30 a.m. #led in late throughout the meeting.

This was the #rst time a senior class photo was taken in several years. —Nolan Schloneger

COMMUNITYSUPPORTPrincipal Evans Branigan III and Athletic Director Chuck Jones accept a check from Haylee Teeple from the Financial Center Federal Credit Union. The check, for more than $3,000, was presented during half-time of the homecoming football game against Carmel. Danny Kleschick photo

Seniors meet during testing

High school students seem to #nd any possible way to make some extra spending money, despite the possibility of repercussions. Among these trending routes to cash is a somewhat overlooked, yet booming, business—the sale of snack food during school.

The seemingly harmless enterprise is surprisingly pro#table; however, the high reward comes with high risk.

Many North Central students have experienced midday hunger. This epidemic takes its toll on both academics and mood. Student vendors present an easy, cheap #x.

Dean of students Marla Palacios had no problem justifying the consequences of selling products during school. In the state of Indiana, it is required to have a vending license to sell any product within a public school, such as North Central. Selling food at school could be come a large problem for the seller.

Aside from the illegality of selling products in school, the administration at North Central is concerned about kids walking through school carrying substantial amounts of cash.

Furthermore, if the student population is aware of this “business”, the seller becomes a target for assault/robbery. On top of the possibility of danger, the school rule pertaining to

food and drinks in the hallway applies to “black market” food as well. Therefore, the consequences of selling snacks in school are justi#ed.

There are plenty of reasons why administration has cracked down on the selling of food within school.

However, some students wonder if the enterprise is truly a danger or nuisance.

One student vendor, wishing to remain anonymous, disagrees with the rigid rules against vending, but is well aware of them.

“It is unusual not to bring home at least $20 pro#t per day,” the student said. “You just have to be careful who you’re selling to. No snitches. I try to limit my customers to friends only. After every sale, I tell the customer to hide the trash, because foreign trash could attract attention from the administration.”

The cautious vendors last, and the careless ones get caught. “I feel like I have established a monopoly on my product

because I’m careful,” the student said.Some may question if this business is truly a danger,

however, the the legalities of selling food at school are certain. —Nate Bercovitz

On Friday, October 4, Latin teacher Steve Perkins began class normally, but it certainly didn’t end that way.

Within the !rst !ve minutes of !rst period, his door burst open to reveal reporters, TV cameras and State Superintendent of Education Glenda Ritz presenting him the Indiana Teacher of the Year award. Joined by his family, Perkins was taken aback by the surprise.

“It was so crazy,” Kate Ghesquiere, a junior who’s !rst period is with Perkins, said. “He wasn’t expecting it at all.

Ghesquiere was impressed by the grace with which Perkins received the award.

“He was so humble about it, too. He was really happy and so

excited, and the way his face lit up made him look like a kid on Christmas morning, but he was really modest and humble. It was totally how I would’ve thought he would react, but it was awesome seeing him that happy.”

Perkins will !nish the 2013-2014 school year at NC and spend the following year touring the state with Ritz and other education o"cials. He will be voicing opinions on how to make schools and education better, and will also meet with other award-winning teachers around the country.

“I love all of my teachers,” Ghesquiere said, “but Mr. Perkins doesn’t just teach the subject. He immerses you in everything about it. He deserves the award 100 percent.”—Marina Higuera

Homecoming dance a success

Excitement swirled throughout the North Central student body on the night of Saturday, September 28 as students packed into the CEC for the annual Homecoming Dance. This year’s theme for the dance was black and white.

The attendees danced their way through the night, and the Homecoming king and queen were named at the end of the night to close the event.

Senior Michael Schmahl was named Homecoming king and senior Kelsey Stolz was crowned Homecoming queen. The rest of the court, made up of seniors, included Michael Loggan, Lasawni Reynolds, Perry Poindexter, James Mitchell, Katherine Keesling, Chelsea Conard, Sterling Andler and Grace Taylor.

For the second year in a row, the dance was held at the CEC. In past years, the dance has been held at places such as the student center at North Central.

After the announcement of king and queen, the night continued with lots of music, dancing and fun. There was even a room full of board games for those that weren’t dancing.

Many students attend the dance in groups of friends. Unlike prom, few people come with dates. It is a mostly informal night of friends and fun. Sophomore Matthew Anderson attended the dance with a group of friends, and had the time of his life.

“I really liked the girls, the pictures and the attention,” Anderson, a self-proclaimed attention hog, said.

Student Council worked diligently to set up, put on and clean up the annual event. Anderson did have one complaint about the dance, though.

“It was super hot in there,” Anderson said, “[To make it better] next year they should cool it o# with fans.”

Although Anderson and other students struggled with the heat throughout the night, the dance was an overall success.

The black and white ball was the end to a week full of pep and spirit at North Central. —Sam Johnson

4 l AROUND NC

Perkins named Indiana teacher of the year

Senior Kelsey Stolz was named homecoming queen at the homecoming dance on September 28. Senior Michael Schmahl was named homecoming king.—Ryann Arguello photo

Clockwise from top: Latin teacher Steve Perkins reacts to being named Indiana Teacher of the Year; Perkins poses with his family and State Superintendent Glenda Ritz; and also with Principal Evans Branigan III. Perkins was honored at the district’s teacher of the year in May prior to moving on to the state competition. He is the !rst NC teacher to receive this honor and the third in the district. —Celia Budwig photos

The Northern LightsAugust 2013

New to NC, junior Connor Douglass created a website that would help him meet classmates and help other stu-dents connect with other kids in their classes.—Connor Bright photo

Principal Evans Branigan III will be honored in Boston next month as the Journalism Education As-sociation’s Administrator of the Year. File photo.

Student creates school-speci!c siteJunior Connor Douglass has created a website

that could be bene!cial to North Central High School. Using the domain name “nchsconnect.com,” Douglass has created a website that helps students see who could be in their classes and help them stay connected with friends. Users can also keep up to date with extracurricular activities and clubs.

Douglass recently transferred from Carmel bringing him to a school where he didn’t know many people. He was inspired to create an easy way through the Internet to connect and see who was in his classes. Douglass has a hobby of creating websites for people to use and make things easier.

The creation of “NCHS Connect” had taken him about one month, with strong dedication throughout the process.

“I worked many hours a day on this website, just so I could meet new people,” Douglass said. “Transferring from high school to high school can be hard and I thought this would be an easy way to !nd out who was in your classes.”

“NCHS Connect” now contains roughly 100 members, and these members get to experience ways to interact and even have the ability to create groups an add friends.

Douglass continued to say, “I actually tried to model it o" of Facebook. I took the cool features that Facebook has, and created similar ones and others as well. When you see something as

popular as Facebook, it attracts users. I didn’t want it to be just ‘another’ Facebook. I wanted it to be di"erent, and I did that by adding unique tweaks to my website.”

Douglass created the website roughly three months ago.

To !nd out who users have classes with, they need to create an account with a username and password. Next, it will ask them to enter their classes in chronological order with the teachers last name.

Once they are done creating their schedule and signing up, they are able to see who they share classes with.

Another feature of “NCHS Connect” is the ability to add friends.

“Some cool features include the program running down your entire schedule, it shows you how many people you have in each class for any year or semester that you type in and it lets you easily !nd group members and information for all teachers,” Douglass said.

Douglass has other websites including his own personal website, which is “Connerdouglass.com.” Douglass also makes websites for other groups like bands and clubs.

This website is strictly for North Central students only. Users can subscribe to a certain group, or make a group if there is not already one created. - Connor Bright

Seniors have issues with Common AppThe Common Application, the main form many seniors complete

for college acceptance, is accepted by more than 500 colleges and universities across the globe. This year, with a change in the system, problems have occurred with the website. Because of frequent malfunctions, many schools have had to extend their applications’ deadlines.

Seniors at North Central have been experiencing these delays !rsthand.

“My letters of recommendation from my teachers won’t upload so I’m just waiting for it to work. I might have to mail them to my colleges. They prefer it online, but it works,” senior Olivia Power said.

Senior Neely Turner has been dealing with similar issues. “The website wouldn’t submit my application for a day, and it made

it really frustrating,” Turner said. After getting advice from guidance counselors, senior Joshua Webb

seems to have found a solution.

“I was having trouble paying for my application and my counselor said to use a di"erent browser, so I opened it up on ‘Chrome’ and it worked,” Webb said.

The key for all seems to be to !nish applications before the deadlines, as one never knows what they will be dealing with when they log on to submit their application for the early action deadline, November 1.

“I got my application in early anyway, so the delay didn’t matter,” Turner said.

While Turner may be relaxed about the situation, many seniors have been greatly inconvenienced by the website’s failures. With many students already !nding college applications tedious and stressful, the technical problems the Common Application is experiencing has become an added pressure to many seniors anxiously trying to !nd out where they will be attending college next year. -Elizabeth Mannheimer

The Northern LightsOctober 2013 NC IN REVIEW l 5

Principal receives journalism award

NEWSBRIEFS

Principal Evans Branigan III, was recently named the Journalism Education Association Administrator of the Year Award, an honor he will receive next month in Boston. The honor is awarded annually to an administrator who has shown support of scholastic journalism at their school. Branigan is the second NC principal to earn this honor.

JEA is the national organization of journalism teachers. Branigan has been familiar with the group for several years, as they sponsor the conventions student journalists attend twice a year. Branigan has chaperoned several of these trips.

Several people had to write letters to nominate Branigan for this award.

“It really means a lot. I read through some of the re#ections written about our program and the work that we’re doing here, and it’s truly humbling to see that kind of stu" through other people’s point of view,” Branigan said, “I feel like sometimes we take our situation here at North Central for granted and an award as big as this one just puts it all in retrospect for all of us here and really let’s us appreciate our own work.”

Director of student publications Tom Gayda wrote one of the nomination letters.

“This is a great honor for Mr. Branigan, the school and our journalism program,” Gayda said, “support of scholastic journalism is the best way to teach students real-life skills.”

Branigan will be receiving the award at the JEA Journalism Convention in Boston on November 17. -Keaton Lents

Band gets college gigThe marching band had the unique

opportunity to perform at halftime of a Butler University football game on October 19.

“It will be very exciting, we are getting the opportunity to play at a college football game as a high school marching band,,” marching band member Kai Sandstrom said before the

performance. The band performed at their second

collegiate football game of the season. They had already performed at Purdue University -Tommy Cagnassola

Quick notesIB MYP representatives will visit North

Central in November to evaluate the school as NC continues through the MYP authorization process. The visitors will visit some classrooms.... Open House is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 3. The event allows for potential students to come tour the school and talk to teachers and administrators.

6 l NCHSLIVE! PERSONALITIES The Northern LightsOctober 2013

CARLSON’S CRAFTS with Sarah Carlson

STROLLIN’ NOLAN withNolanSchloneger

Halloween treats o!er festive fun

Graduate returns, Indy soccer coming soonI caught up with former North Central and current Indiana University football star Darius Latham at homecoming. Our conversation ranged from how the current IU football season is going to the prospect of him playing basketball at Indiana.

Nolan Schloneger: How is your team doing this year, as well as you personally?Darius Latham: We’ve been doing pretty good as a team, were 2-2 right now, so that’s an even record. I’ve been doing pretty good coming in as a true freshman.

NS: What’s the hardest o!ensive line you’ve faced so far this year?DL: Probably Missouri I guess. They were kind of soft but they were smart.

NS: Are you looking to play basketball at IU after the football season is over?DL: Ya its de"nitely a possibility.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with Indy Eleven, they are Indianapolis’ "rst professional soccer team. They will participate in the North American Soccer League, which is a league below Major League Soccer.

Indy Eleven’s inaugural season has been subject of much anticipation and excitement. They have already sold 6,000 season tickets and have 21,000 Facebook ‘likes.’ The team announced their "rst player signing as they prepare for their season in about six months. They brought in goalkeeper Kristian Nicht, who will become the team’s backbone. As Nicht arrived, cheers welcomed him along with the shutter of cameras.

They also announced their jersey design as well as their shirt sponsor. Their shirt sponsor is Diadora and Honda. The checkered pattern pays tribute to the Indianapolis Speedway and everything it embodies. Many people waited outside the beer garden at the Rathskeller downtown to support the team as they take their "rst steps to becoming professionals.

Indy Eleven will bring a new kind of excitement to Indianapolis. The popularity of soccer has grown throughout the U.S. and we are experiencing that change through Indy Eleven. Nolan Schloneger speaks with Darius Latham at the homecoming football

game. Latham is now on the football team at IU. Danny Kleschick photo.

Each issue our website personalities bring TNL read-ers exclusive content.

WHAT YOU NEED: Oreo’s, candy corn, Whoppers, small Reeeses, orange, white or yellow icing, and red icing

STEP ONE: Attach the two Oreo’s perpendicu-larly, add frosting to secure the two together.

STEP TWO: Stick the candy corn betwen the two

cookies of the vertical Oreo, add frosting to help secure the candy if needed. Be careful not to break the Oreo apart.

STEP THREE: Place the Reeses against the verti-cal Oreo and use frosting to hold the chocolate and cookie together.

STEP FOUR: Using the frosting to hold it to-gether, put the Whopper on top of the Reeses.

STEP FIVE: Add decoration! Cut a piece of candy corn in half and attach it to the Whooper as a beak. Using the red or orange icing add legs and a watlle under it’s beak. Using either the orange, yellow, or white icing add eyes above the beak.

CAUTION! Making this eatable work of art isn’t as easy as it seems. If the "rst doesn’t work out, make adjustments to your technique and try again.

The ingredients needed to make these treats include Oreos, frosting, Reeses, candy corn and Whoppers.

My !rst attempt at these treats didn’t turn out as well as my second try.

These treats end up being as tasty as they are attractive. Check out our NCHS Live! Pinterest for more ideas.

CAUTION!!!

The Northern LightsOctober 2013 NCHSLIVE! PERSONALITIES l 7

Two slices of bread make it a sandwich. Three slices of bread make it a legend.

I am of course referring to the Triple Decker Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich (TDPBJ) . A staple entree in the lunch line, this intense take on an American classic ! nds its way onto student’s trays every day.

The history of the TDPBJ goes back 20 years ago, and, like many great stories, it begins in Washington, D.C.

In 1995, the USDA introduced a new program that would reimburse schools for implementing basic nutritional standards within their cafeterias. This was aimed at providing the youth of America with better, more nutritional meals. One of these standards is to provide a su" cient amount of protein within a school meal.

“We have to put four ounces of peanut butter on [a sandwich] to meet the protein requirements,” cafeteria manager Vera Kirch said.

Four ounces of peanut butter is roughly the size of a clenched ! st. Imagine trying to put a ! st full of peanut butter between two measly slices of bread.

“It just will not make a good sandwich,” Kirch said. Determined to incorporate the required amount of

protein in their sandwiches, the cafeteria sta# decided to make a bold and unprecedented move: Three slices of bread. Two separate layers of peanut butter. One USDA approved sandwich. Thus, an NC icon was born. Over the years, the TDPBJ has become a lunchroom standard for many students.

“Between the pizza and the [yogurt station], I always get a Triple Decker PB&J. [It] gives me the energy I need throughout my day,” senior Sarah Pan! l said.

“I’ve always been a big fan of [NC’s] peanut butter sandwich. They just do it so well here,” sophomore Henry McCabe said.

Tradition obviously plays a role in the popularity of the TDPBJ. Peanut butter and jellies have been packed into lunch boxes for decades and are much loved by American youth. Old habits die hard, therefore it is reasonable that students would be drawn to such a nostalgic meal option.

Yet, it might be that the most appealing aspect of the TDPBJ is also its most unique. The sheer size of the sandwich is enough to draw the attention of the hungry masses.

Teenagers like to eat large quantities of food, especially those high in carbs, fats and butter-like substances. The size of the sandwich also may be in$ uenced by the “Super Size It” mindset of American food culture. Many Americans are attracted to the idea of receiving more than what they consider to be the norm, such as an extra layer of peanut butter, jelly, and bread.

The TDPBJ has e# ectively sandwiched itself in the history of North Central. Approved by U.S. government regulations, student appetites, and American culture, it is safe to say that this monolith of a meal will be found in in the school lunch line for many more years.

SCHMAHL TALK with Michael Schmahl

Want more from Sarah, Nolan, Michael and others? Visit nchslive.com for more from our web personalities.

History of the triple decker PB&J revealed

This November, check out our all new publication. It’s all Q&As!

COMING SOON!

The Northern LightsOctober 20138 l FANTASY FOOTBALL

404

03

030

20 2

0

Uncovering the myths of Fantasy Football

The popularity of fantasy football in America has increased greatly the last several years, and today it seems as if many males of all ages play in a league.

It is hard to pinpoint exactly what lures people into the popular game year in and year out. In fantasy football, each league member drafts random players from various teams in the NFL,

along with at least one team’s defense and secondary. These are the players that the team owners then depend on throughout the year in order to lead their team to victory.

In a fantasy football league, there are generally eight to12 league members. Each player gets a random schedule for the season and plays each of the other players at least once. The person whose players score the most points for them by the time the ! nal game on Monday night ends gains a victory on the week. Although highly unlikely, a tie is also possible in fantasy football. Some of the highest fantasy performers in the past years have included Peyton Manning, Adrian Peterson and Tom Brady.

It is players like this that fantasy players are constantly trying to obtain in order to win their coveted league title.What draws many people into playing fantasy football is the idea of playing against their closest friends, and

gaining bragging rights on the way. “When you play against people you know each week, it increases the level of competitiveness in the given

league,” fantasy football fan Matthew Anderson said.With all the seriousness and trash-talk that surrounds fantasy football, many play simply for enjoyment or to help

get into the season more.The catch with fantasy football is that very little of the player’s teams’ outcome can be controlled by the player.

Once a player sets the team for the week, its all up to the performance of the various NFL players to decide the results. However, this is also a big factor that helps to create the excitement and sometimes even obsession that surrounds fantasy football.

Despite the popularity of the idea, there are still many people that could not care less about fantasy football. Many people just don’t see the point of the game and don’t want to deal with another thing to have to keep track of.

“I don’t really understand the idea of fantasy football and the overall craze about it,” sophomore Alissa Ostendorf said.

This idea that the game is pointless or time-wasting has created a negative connotation within some people that contrasts with the overall popularity of it.

Perhaps the most prominent factor that brings many people to play fantasy football is the money. Many leagues charge entry fees ranging from $5 up to $20. This money is then split between the top three contenders at the end of the year, providing an extra incentive to do well in the given league.

The introduction of a monetary prize for winning has called players who may not be interested in the sport, but are looking for an economic gain.

Perhaps the idea that drives most people away is the the potential need to cheer for their fantasy team rather than their favorite team or player. Many fans want to simply cheer on their local team rather than root for a random collection of players assembled to create their team.

With all of the di" erent positive and negative aspects that spark interest in fantasy football, the main question still needs to be answered. Is it worth all the hype?

By Tommy Cagnassola

The Northern LightsOctober 2013 NC IN THE NEWS l 9

by Adam Friedman

The Riben Collective is new video production company based out of Indiana University. The founders and leaders of the company are two graduates: Ben Tamir Rothenberg and Marshall Robbins.

Riben Collective is directly associated with another company founded by Tamir Rothenberg called Ben Tamir Studios. Ben Tamir Studios is a small photo production company that creates all kinds of video and photo montages.

Tamir Rothenberg used to do videos for North Central clubs. He did videos promoting senior bon! re and The One Act plays. All the videos can be found on YouTube under Tamir Rothenberg’s personal YouTube channel DarkTamir.

Ben also participated in shows like NC Idol. NC Idol is a talent show run by the North Central Habitat for Humanity club for their yearly fundraiser.

The Riben Collective is already known on college campuses across the country for their video “SheetWow.” “SheetWow” is a comedic video about a reusable toilet paper.

“SheetWow” won best comedy at the Campus MovieFest. Contestants from colleges all across America submit videos that are viewed by a panel of judges.

“The video is one of our best productions but it took a lot of hard-work and planning” Robbins said. The video can be found on the Campus Movies Festival website campusmoviefest.com. The Riben Collective also created a YouTube video called “The End of ‘Breaking Bad’ as we know it.”

The video amassed more than 100,000 views after the series ! nale of “Breaking Bad” in mid-September. The video was made by Robbins and Tamir Rothenberg with the help Tim Carlson, Taylor Crousore,

Nat Zegree, Nick Stevens and Matt Dillman. The video can be found on Riben Collective website ribencollective.com and their YouTube channel ribencollective.

Riben Collective does not plan to bask in the glory of their ! rst video for long, claiming that this is

only the start of the Riben Collective videos.“We plan to post videos weekly, these videos will probably be things like covers for bands, parodies

of songs, and other comical videos” Rothenberg and Robbins said.Riben Collective has posted a couple of videos on their website and their youtube page. The videos

inclide “The End of ‘Breaking Bad’ as we know it” and a piano rendition of the song “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons.

The pair spoke of their appreciation of the strong education they recieved from North Central. They attributed some of their success to their teachers and advisers in high school. They claim that the knowledge, experience, and connections they gained as high schoolers has helped thier transition into professional work.

Robbins, whose main contribution to the videos are sound and music, participated in numerous North Central performing arts. Robbins claimed that the performance arts department helped develop many of the skills that he uses in making videos.

“I think that all my years of being in performing art classes like band with Mr. England and Granlund, orchestra with Mr. Ghormley, and choir with Ms. Wiehe have helped allow my musical talents " ourish and grow into what they are today,” Robbins said.

Rothenberg also claimed that North Central has aided his pathway to success online. Rothenberg cited the many connections made during his time at North Central is an example of how the school has helped him.

Tamir Rothenberg also said, “Without North Central we would have never been able to create the contacts we have today, as well as Marshall [Robbins] and I probably would of never been able to meet each other and realize our common interest in video production.”

Robbins and Tamir Rothenberg currently attend Indiana University. They also live together and both will graduate in class of 2014.

THE RIBEN COLLECTIVETHE RIBEN COLLECTIVETHE RIBEN COLLECTIVETHE RIBEN COLLECTIVETHE RIBEN COLLECTIVEThe Riben Collective is a new video production company based out of Indiana

University. This production company is associated with Ben Tamir Studios, a company started by graduate Ben Tamir. The Riben Collective recently posted a video on YouTube

titled “The end of breaking bad as wek know it.” The video had more than 100,000 views by mid-September. Photo taken, with permission, from the group’s website.

10 l FEATURE The Northern LightsOctober 2013

Some thought there should be a theme for the entire school. Others contended that the theme for each game should be segregated by class. Still others contended each theme should only be

for upperclassmen. We got spirit, yes we do. We got spirit, how ‘bout you?

by Carter HermanSPIRIT WARS

The Northern LightsOctober 2013 FEATURE l 11

School spirit often surrounds sports teams, however this spirit has also given rise to confusion throughout the student body and created a controversial debate surrounding the right way for students to dress up for games. In the past, similar to many other schools, the theme for home sporting events has included all students, no matter their grade level. This year however, there seems to be constant debate about the theme being worn to each game. Students often disagree with themes proposed over social media, and decide to create their own theme, thus fueling the ! re for the debate over what the theme should be. Through social networking sites, the rumors of di" erent themes for games are spread rapidly, often leading to confusion within the student body.

Recently, the tradition has emerged that only juniors and seniors are allowed to dress up for sporting events, giving rise to two di" erent viewpoints. On one side of the argument there are people who back the idea of only the juniors and seniors being allowed to dress up (usually upperclassmen).

Jared Hallal, who won spirit king this year for his senior class, supports a mix of an all school theme and class speci! c themes.

“It depends on the game. Some games we will have a whole school theme like a white-out or black-out, but usually it’s just the juniors and seniors. If the sophomores and freshman want to have a theme then they should go amongst themselves to ! gure that out, but it’s kind of an upperclassman privilege to dress up in a crazy theme for the games,” Hallal said.

Many upperclassmen argue that they had to wait three to four years for the right to dress up for the game, therefore they earned the right to decide the theme and keep it exclusive to themselves. These juniors and seniors think the underclassmen should wait their turn to be able to participate in the themes.

This trend does not show any signs of changing. As the underclassmen grow older and become juniors and seniors, they think they need to apply the same oppression to the current underclassmen as they had to endure.

In opposition to the current tradition is the point argued by most underclassmen. Many underclassmen argue that limiting the theme of sporting events to just upperclassmen separates the school. They contend that this divide actually hurts school spirit, and takes away the unity typically found at high school sporting events. The argument made that uniting as a school at sporting events would entail all students in attendance to cheer on their favorite sports team.

When asked about the separation of classes, freshman Erin DeVoe said, “I just think it’s kind of unfair because we are part of the school too and we just want to show our school spirit.”

The tradition currently in place—which appears to be somewhat recent—does exclude a large part of the student body from showing school spirit. It is often disputed whether or not the tradition is fair to students that want to show pride in their school, but are considered too young.

“As freshmen it is our ! rst year for football games and we want to be there and have fun with everybody else,” freshman Lucy Wehlage said.

With much of the school divided by class lines and arguing over the theme of the homecoming game against Carmel, the decision of theme was settled by senior football captain Michael Loggan. There were some who suggested students wear all white, some that proposed a neon theme and still others that argued school colors as the theme.

In the end, Loggan announced at the pep rally that the theme for all students would be school colors, thus uniting the entire school in the game against our bitter rival.

Likely, the debate will continue as the basketball season approaches.

PAST THEMESEvery game is di! erent, but here are some past themes students have used at home football games:

“As freshmen it is our ! rst year for football games and we want to be there and have fun with everybody else.” —Freshman Lucy Wehlage

The Northern LightsOctober 201312 l FEATURE

TINKER TOUR USATINKER TOUR USATINKER TOUR USAAlmost 50 years ago, Mary Beth Tinker wore a black arm band to

her middle school to protest the Vietnam war. Her actions, and the consequences that followed, have shaped the way the country had thought about free speach and expression for students. As part of her nation-wide tour, Tinker, along with First Amendment lawyer

Mike Hiestand, stopped by North Central to share her story.by Danny Kleschick

Last Wednesday, Mary Beth Tinker visited North Central as part of her “Tinker Tour USA.”

Tinker has traveled across the nation speaking to youth about the importance of First Amendment rights and the freedom of speech.

She spoke to several classes on Wednesday, stressing the importance of students speaking their minds and sharing their ideas with the public.

Tinker experienced the power of protest and free speech !rst-hand as a young child in junior high school.

While attending Warren Harding Junior High School in Iowa, Tinker, along with a few other students (including her brother John), wore black armbands in protest of the Vietnam war.

The administration had been noti!ed of the protest before, and had made it against school rules to wear armbands. They threatened to suspend any student who wore the armbands in protest.

Despite this threat, Tinker thought it was her constitutional right to protest a war she believed was unnecessary. Therefore, on December 16, 1965, Tinker and her fellow protesters wore the black armbands to school.

However, once administration were aware of Tinker’s armband, they immediately had her remove it and sent her on her way.

“I gave them my band and I thought that was the end of it,” Tinker said.Little did Tinker know, her actions would inspire an entire wave of advocating

for children’s free speech. She was suspended for her actions. Upon hearing of her suspension, Iowa’s American Civil Liberties Union !led

a complaint to the local district court on the behalf of Tinker and her fellow protesters.

However, the district court ruled in favor of the school, saying that it was within their rights to suspend Tinker and her friends.

The ACLU and Tinker then appealed to the U.S. Circuit Court of appeals for the 8th Circuit, but their ruling was the same as the District Court.

On November 12, 1968, the case reached the United States Supreme Court. The Supreme Court ruled that Tinker and her fellow protesters’ First Amendment right were violated when they were suspended, thus handing Tinker the victory.

Tinker’s case set a legal precedent that has since been used in judging where the line should be drawn in student’s freedom of speech.

Tinker was not always the most outspoken student. “I thought ‘I don’t do those things. I study and get good grades. I like going

skating on the weekends,’” she said.However, Tinker says that she gained her inspiration to speak up from the

many civil rights protests of the 1960s. She explained that seeing the violence and atrocities that many African-Americans had to endure in order to !ght for their basic human rights inspired her to speak her mind.

Traveling with Tinker is First Amendment lawyer Mike Hiestand, who also speaks about the importance of the freedom of speech, especially with students. Hiestand has dedicated his career to protecting the rights given to each citizen by the First

Amendment. Both Tinker and Hiestand were incredibly impressed by the freedom of

expression granted to students at North Central. Tinker pointed out numerous articles of clothing students in the audience were

wearing as clothes that would not be allowed in many other high schools.

Hiestand complimented principal Evans Branigan III for the freedom he grants to students, and even went as far as to call North Central “First Amendment heaven.”

North Central follows the precedent set in the Tinker case, meaning that students are given the right to express themselves as long as their expression does not substantially disrupt the function of the school.

Therefore, publications are not reviewed by an administrator before they go to print. The power rests in the students own decisions.

Tinker discussed other schools she had visited that did not follow the precedent set by her case.

She discussed how in many schools across the country, school-sponsored publications are not allowed to discuss anything related to religion, sex, drugs or anything negative about administration.

Tinker discussed some modern day examples of freedom of expression and speech that are currently up for debate.

Two speci!c examples brought up were clothing that supported legalization of marijuana, and clothing that supported breast cancer awareness, but through the use of the slogan “I (heart) boobies.”

Tinker discussed the arguments for both sides, and explained that often, freedom of speech depends on how you word your ideas.

She referenced two cases as examples of correct language often determining the line between whether protests are disruptive or not.

The !rst case she discussed was “Bethel School District v. Fraser,” in which a student made a speech !lled with sexual innuendos and was suspended. The second was “Morse vs. Frederick,” where a student held sign reading “Bong hits 4 Jesus,” and was also suspended for his actions.

Hiestand also reinforced the fact that language plays a large rule in determining whether or not the student has expressed themselves in an appropriate way. He claimed that the language used in the speech in “Bethel School District vs. Fraser” was “hardly profane.”

However, the student was still given a suspension; a suspension that held up in the Supreme Court.

Both Tinker and Hiestand explained how it saddened them to see so many students whose speech and ideas were suppressed by censorship. However, they remained impressed by the ideas, and the freedom of expression displayed by the students they met at North Central.

Tinker and Hiestand stop after leaving NC was Franklin College, before heading to New Orleans. North Central was the only Indiana high school to be a stop for the tour.

The Northern LightsOctober 2013 FEATURE l 13

Mary Beth Tinker talks with Principal Evans Branigan III about the importance of free speech among students. Tinker spoke to three classes last Wednesday.—Sta! photo.

The Northern LightsOctober 201314 l FEATURE G

ORD

ON

Last year, Eron Gordon led the basketball team in scoring as a freshman. He terrorized defenses with his athletic ability and competitive spirit. This year, with the losses of key seniors from last year, Gordon is set to take on even more responsibility and leadership. He is ready to accept and conquer every challenge in his way.

by Michael Mitchell TIME

The Northern LightsOctober 2013 FEATURE l 15

With fall sports at North Central beginning to wrap up, winter sports are about to start practices and begin to prepare to make a run to win a state title in their respected sports. With the beginning of the season closing in, sophomore Eron Gordon is ready for the upcoming basketball season. There will be many changes to the team this year with the departure of many seniors, including four-year starter Darius Latham.

“I feel like we’re gonna be pretty good. We have a lot of pretty good young talent and we’re just going to get better every year as we go on,” Gordon said.

Latham was named to the Indianapolis Star All-Star super team last year and was recruited and committed to play football at Indiana University with a possibility of continuing his basketball career with the Hoosiers. Latham’s departure was a large loss for the Panthers who will all have to work together and look for another lead this season. Gordon believes he can make honest contributions to his team.

“I can contribute a lot probably like last year basically the scheme of scoring and hitting a lot of threes passing it around,” Gordon said.

Gordon is on the class of 2016 watch list, a 4-star recruit ranked no. 1 in the state at his position and #34 in the country according to rivals.com. He was named to the 2012-2013 MaxPreps Boys Basketball Freshman All-American First Team.

With many people watching Gordon, looking to award him multiple awards and expecting large success and growth, it could be a lot of pressure for the young sophomore. However, Gordon does not seem to be very concerned with attention.

“I’m not really that concerned with accolades this year. I just try and help and make my team win and eventually our whole team will get an amount of the glory,” Gordon said.

The glory Gordon speaks of is the state title the team hopes to capture in March at Banker’s Life Fieldhouse. Although this may be the goal of every team in the state of Indiana, Gordon and his Panthers have been working on one thing this o!-season to get ahead of the competition.

“Defense, defense, defense because that is possibly the key for us to be the best team in the state because we probably have the best athletes,” Gordon said.

Along with defense, Coach Doug Mitchell has been preaching on conditioning. Every player must be able to run. In most athletic sports, that can be the one key to set one apart from the rest of the pack. Gordon and his team have been have been working out twice a week with open gyms which are open to all North Central students but are special to returning players.

Open gyms are their "rst opportunity of the year to get together and play as a unit before the beginning of the season. The team can be found playing pickup games and running at open gym

because, they believe, conditioning is the key.“We have to make sure everybody and our players are in good condition so we can run and that is

the big di!erence we have over every other team in the MIC,” Gordon said.Most players do not generally have an o!-season as they participate in AAU basketball during the

summer. This is an opportunity for athletes to better themselves and hone their skills. Playing AAU is a lot di!erent than playing with a high school team as one gets to work with a whole new group of teammates.

“It’s a lot di!erent obviously but its good we can work on our game and work on things that we’re not super great at. So we can become a lot better more well-rounded players,” Gordon said.

As the season begins, the team is already looking forward to who their toughest opponents. The team on every player’s mind is Carmel. Last season the Panthers bowed out of sectionals by losing to the Greyhounds in a regulation thriller. The team also lost to Carmel in the regular season by a last second buzzer-beater in the fourth quarter.

Facing Carmel this year will represent a challenge to Gordon and his teammates who perceive them to as their largest threat this year. Both North Central and Carmel have lost a large amount of senior leadership, which will make this year’s series a battle of young talent. Both teams will have lofty ambitions and will have the ultimate goal of landing themselves in the state title game.

“Carmel is the biggest challenge. They beat us last year in sectionals but I feel like we have a good shot on beating them this year,” Gordon said. “They lost a lot of senior leadership but we lost a lot of seniors, too.”

Although this is just the start of Gordon’s sophomore season, college is already a big interest for the young athlete. Gordon has colleges from across the country expressing interest in him. These schools range from bigger to smaller schools. Gordon hopes to land a scholarship with a large division one university. Gordon also wishes to one day follow in the footsteps of his brother, Eric, and play in the NBA.

“I’m considering every college that has interest in me. Some of the biggest schools looking at me are UCLA, Indiana, Kansas, Purdue and Auburn,” Gordon said.

Gordon and the Panthers are anxiously awaiting the start of the season. The Panthers will open up the season on November 21 at Noblesville with a scrimmage and begin regular season play at home on November 27 against rival Pike. Gordon scored 31 points against the Red Devils last season in his varsity debut. The team will be looking to avenge a loss in last year’s season opener at the same venue.

With high expectations since the start of his high school career, Gordon is ready to continue to meet expectations.

Eron Gordon dribbles the ball down the court at a game last year. He believes the team can !nd success this year, but the loss of Darius Latham (right) means they team will have to look elsewhere for an inside scoring threat and rebounding.—File photo

The Northern LightsOctober 201316 l OPINION

STAFF EDITORIAL

BRETT SCHNEIDER

PANTHER RANTS & RAVESAnthem always deserves respect

Sadly, bullying will never be stopped

High school sporting events are fantastic ways for students to interact outside of school, all while showing their support for whatever team is competing. Students !le into the stadium, dressed in school colors or whatever theme was decided excitedly chattering amongst their friends. However, at each of these events, there is a time for the socializing to be put on hold, if only for a short time. We are talking about the national anthem, played before every athletic event.

Despite this long tradition of honoring our nation, we at The Northern Lights have noticed a recent lack of respect from students at recent sporting events. Many students refuse to remove hats, continue talking or make a mockery of the national anthem. It saddens us to see this lack of reverence towards a nation that provides its youth with so much.The anthem is a symbol of the struggle that so many have endured to make the United States what it is today. We cannot fathom how someone could simply ignore all the hardships that so many great Americans before us have endured by refusing to honor our national anthem.

Not only does this disrespect happen at sporting events, but also on a daily basis in the classroom. The Pledge of Allegiance is a short and simple way of claiming your devotion to the American democracy. All that is required to show your allegience is a short pause in our daily lives as students to show gratitude to our country. However, on a daily basis, students do not stand, or participate in reciting the pledge. Is standing up and reciting 31 words honoring our nation really too much of an e"ort?

We realize there are some who do not recite the pledge or rise for the national anthem for religious reasons, which is understandable. However, if this is not the case, what is stopping you from showing respect to a country that has provided us with so many opportunities? Are our lives truly that important that we cannot take 30 seconds out of our lives to honor our nation? Or are we as a generation too narcissistic and unappreciative to not realize what the national anthem and Pledge of Allegiance stand for? If either of these is true, it is embarrassing that we cannot honor the generations of hard working Americans who have come before us.

No one is claiming that the United States is a perfect union, no country is. However, it does provide a lot for its citizens, and remaining silent and respectful for the national anthem, or standing for the Pledge of Allegiance seems a small and necessary task to give our thanks and respect back to our nation.

From biblical times to this very day there have been bullies. Likewise, from biblical times to this very day there have been people trying to stop bullies. There will always be good people and there will always be bad people. Bullies will always be bullies, and good honest people will always try to prevent it.

Bullying is terrible and has the capacity to devastate students lives. Unfortunately there is no way to forever end bullying. The idea of eliminating bullying from schools is simply just too unrealistic. Bullying a"ects almost everybody. According to bullyingstatistics.org, about one out of every four students is bullied on a regular basis. Bullying is like a disease, evolving over time as society changes. The most recent evolution of bullying has been to the Internet, with social media now so popular among teens.

I have a younger brother who gets bullied quite often due to his speech impediment. It deeply upsets me to see my brother getting made fun of simply for the way he talks, but there is little anyone can do to stop it. The only thing he can do is tell his teacher. In the past it was acceptable to just !ght the bully o", but times have changed and you just can’t hit a bully and tell him to buzz o". Today the acceptable thing is to go to administration or teachers and hope that something gets resolved relatively quickly.

Senior Kameron Johnson agrees bullying cannot be stopped, “No, bullying will never be stopped. It just happens and thats what makes it hard to control,” Johnson said.

North Central administration shows several anti-bullying videos throughout the year, and always urges students not to bully. Johnson believes the administration spends too much of its time trying to prevent bullying, although he does think that bullying is wrong and hurtful.

Junior Connor Smith believes that the administration is doing all they can to stop bullying.

“I feel like the school is doing the best they can,” Smith said, “They publicly announce bullying should be ended but it’s hard for them to actually narrow down and stop the bullies.”

Smith believes the administration is not wasting its time because they are getting word out against bullying.

E"orts toward ending bullying should be shifted toward a more reasonable prevention and awareness and its e"ects. Most of the time the videos are just saying what bullying is, even though most—if not all—NC students know what it looks like. Perhaps the videos shown should put an emphasis on the physical and mental e"ects. A visual look at what bullying does to students might help the cause.

As much as we want to end bullying and move toward an utopian society where everyone is treated equally, we will never stop bullies and we will never live in a perfect world. The only thing we can do is change our approach toward bullying and show the e"ects instead of just repeating what cyber bullying is. We will never stop bullies, but we can make it more known the e"ects they have.

“I think it would take a lot of hard work, but I think that it can be done. It will take a lot of hard work on the part of the students and the sta!, but I do think that it could be done.” —Paul Loggan, assis-tant athletic director

“I believe that we will never be able to have a bully-free school because there is always going to be someone who does not like someone else.” —Palmer Purcell, junior

“I think that having a bully free school is possible because anything is possible, and if we all strive to be nicer people then we could have a bully free school.” -—Emmeline Ensign, junior

AT ISSUE>>>>>>We asked two students and an administrator for their opinion on columnist Brett Schneider’s argument that bullying will never be stopped. Here are their responses:

The Northern LightsOctober 2013 OPINION l 17

SAM JOHNSON

CART

OO

N

Doing our best not without regular challengesFact: high school brings out the best and worst in us. For those

who are constantly striving for something more out of high school, college applications, grades and standardized tests are always on the mind. But, competition within a single class, and being in the top 25, is also intense.

Many students who want to get into premier colleges try for either the NC Honors or the International Baccalaureate diplomas. These diplomas require a certain amount of honors and AP/IB courses. They also require students to attain high grades in these courses. With this high level of achievment naturally comes lots of late nights, studying and completing assignments. However, if you can complete the requirements for these diplomas, it will go a long way in ensuring your entrance into the college of your choice.

Colleges tend to accept students that graduate with IB diplomas before Honors diplomas, but admission depends on the school and the courses taken, so an IB diploma isn’t a guaranteed acceptance into schools.

Motivation is a key aspect to many students’ success in school. This motivation could be anything from a drive to get into college, to personal goals, to parents’ expectations.

Sophomore Ash Mahenthiran !nds motivation from, “knowing how much doing the most now will help later to secure a job I actually want.”

Mahenthiran, who is number one in the class of 2016, will be an IB student next year. Although he may be ahead in his class as of now, there is still lots of competition among other students in his grade. Everyone wants the coveted valedictorian title, which would help out so much with getting into a great college without paying a fortune. Mahenthiran undestands that their are 800-900 other students he is competing with for the top spot in his respective class.

Mahenthiran believes the competition brings about students’ own drive to do well in school. “Those that actually care about school want to improve their class rank. It serves as motivation.”

Although those that are at the top of their class are in

competition, students outside of the top 25 also rely on competition to push themselves to do better in school. Sophomore Wes Boland, a non-IB student, still thinks competition is important to improving yourself in the classroom.

“Everybody has a competitive nature, and it is especially shown through academics,” Boland said.

No matter the rank, students that want to make something out of their lives and those who realize that doing well in high school sets a precedent for the rest of their professional careers realize that school is important. And the way that they get better academically is through healthy competition.

It comes down to this: students of today care about their futures. We want something out of this life, and we realize we have to go through school to get it, albeit how much we dread it almost everyday. We try in the classroom because we understand the incentives doing well holds in the quickly approaching future. That’s why we try. Why do you?

By N

atha

n Be

rcov

itz

The Northern LightsOctober 201318 l AD

Parent Signature_________________________________________

Are you ready for the best week of your life?

Summer 2014-150 of your friends can’t be wrong!

tba

Location: Castaway YL Camp Name____________________________Current Grade_______________

Parents’ Email___________________________________________

Address___________________________________________________________

Young Life Staff: James Tutson

319-471-2379 ortutson.james@gmail.com

It’s never too late to sign up! Bring this registration form

and your $100 dollar deposit to Club or

Campaigners.

Cost: Participate in fundraisers to help offset costs!

The Northern LightsOctober 2013 FALL SPORTS REVIEW l 19

by Sam Johnson

After two years of ! nishing as runner up to Carmel, the boys tennis team came away with a state championship on Saturday, Oct. 19. The Panthers defeated the Greyhounds in the semi! nal round of the eight team state tournament, with a 3-2 victory. The three points were earned by Ari Gerstein at one singles, Alex Bertolini and Cole Fair! eld at two doubles, and Patrick McAuley and Will Reifeis, who remained undefeated on the season at one doubles.

Championship Saturday was plagued by a few factors, though. The match against Carmel was slated to begin at 10 am, but was delayed by rain. After the rain stopped and the courts were dried, the match began at 2 pm.

In the other semi! nal match, the Panthers of Park Tudor defeated the previously unbeaten Evansville Memorial Tigers with a score of 4-1. The state ! nals matchup was set: Park Tudor and North Central, Panthers v. Panthers.

Because of the cold and wet weather earlier, the championship match starting time was also pushed back. The teams played indoors, to avoid the darkness, at the Indianapolis Racquet Club East at 7 p.m.

Both teams came out ! ring on all cylinders, with ! ve competitive matches. The NC two doubles team ! nished ! rst, giving the North Central Panthers the ! rst point. One doubles followed shortly after, and NC quickly went up 2-0. But Park Tudor wasn’t quite ready to give up. One singles player Danny Rayl (Park Tudor) beat Ari Gerstein, giving PT a point.

With the score at 2-1 and NC needing one more match to win the title, three singles player JT Wynne and two singles player JJ Kroot entered into the ! nal games of their second sets. Kroot lost his set, forcing a third set. When Kroot was on break between his sets, Wynne played a tight set with Park Tudor’s Ben Klapper.

As Kroot began his third set, Wynne and Klapper rallied the ball back and forth, a possible match point for JT. When Klappers lob sailed long, Wynne dropped to his knees, knowing that he had just clinched a state title for his

Panthers.Although Kroot went on to lose his match against Park Tudor’s Scott

Thygesen, NC had won their 18th state championship, and ! rst since 2007. Although he’s come very close, this victory marked the ! rst state championship for coach Dan Brunette.

Tennis takes state

The no. 1 doubles team of Patrick Mcauley and Will Reifeis await a serve in the state semi! nals against Carmel. The Panthes went on to win state.—Danny Kleschick photo

The girls soccer team season came

to an end on October 12 in the second round of sectionals. After a stellar season which included winning the Marion County Championship, and defeating Lawrence Central in the ! rst round of sectionals, they were defeated by Cathedral High School, in Penalty Kicks, 3-1. Senior Katherine Keesling was the only North Central player to make her PK.

According to maxpreps.com, the team was ranked 12th in the state of Indiana, and 70th in the nation. Coach Habib Diatta’s second season was a success however, despite the sectional loss.

The boys soccer season came to a disappointing end after a sectional loss 1-0 to Cathedral. The team ! nished the season with 9-8-1. They went 4-3 in the MIC.

Although the team had ups and downs throughout the season, they did achieve some big wins against top ranked teams. The team defeated its bitter rival Carmel High School.

Many members of the team were unhappy that the season ended so early into the playo" s.

Junior attacker Johann Bittner said, “Obviously it was disappointing coming home with anything less than a state championship, but I was proud of each and every player because they matured technically and tactically as players.”

Junior sweeper Scott Bye also said, “I have never been with a group of guys that have grown so much in a short time. Having 15 seniors on the team only leads to high expectations but we didn’t let them in# uence how we played as a team.”

Despite the premature end to the season, the team never developed this season and is looking forward to next season.

Bittner said, “Next year will be tough with the loss of over 25 players but I have con! dence in the incoming varsity players.”

Girls Soccer

Boys Soccer

Football regular season ends with 2-7 record by Jerome Bingham Here’s a week-by-week review of how the football team fared during the regular season:Game 1: North Central at PikeThe Panthers started their season with a loss against the rival Red Devils. The teams traded scores until halftime. In the third and fourth quarters the Red Devils used their speed to break away and take control of the game. The Panthers lost a tough battle 22-41.Game 2: North Central at Lawrence CentralThe Lawrence Central Bears took a 4 point lead after the ! rst quarter. In the second the score stayed relatively close. By the start of the fourth quarter the Bears took a large lead. The Panthers came storming back in the fourth quarter, taking a lead with one minute and six left in the game. Unfortunately, the Bears scored a touch down with 30 seconds left in the game to force a heartbreaking loss on the Panthers 31-34. Game 3: North Central vs. Ben DavisFor most of the ! rst two quarters neither team could score. The Ben Davis Giants scored 14 points to end the ! rst half. After halftime the momentum continued in the Giants favor. The Panthers scored 14 points in the second half but lost the game 28-14.Game 4: North Central vs. Lawrence NorthIn their second home game the Panthers scored on the ! rst drive of the game. After the ! rst quarter the Panthers had scored 15 points. The Panthers kept the LN Wildcats scoreless and won 29-0. Game 5: North Central at Warren CentralThe game started the same way as the Ben Davis game. Neither team scored

until the Warren Central Warriors scored 14 points in the last few minutes of the ! rst half. Momentum was still in the Warriors favor as they took 28 to 7 lead at the end of the third. The Panthers took advantage of poor play by Warren Central in the fourth quarter and scored 19 unanswered points. The Warriors blocked an extra kick and the Panthers missed a two point conversion to come up short, losing 26-28.Game 6: North Central vs. CarmelThe Panthers took an early lead scoring on the second drive of the game. The Greyhounds answered back tying the score at 7 early in the ! rst quarter. The early touchdown were the only points the Panthers scored in the game. The Greyhounds went on to win the game by a score of 42-7.Game 7: North Central vs. Chatard(at Lawrence North)Chatard scored quickly taking an early 7 to 0 lead. The Panthers answered back but missed the extra kick. The Trojans scored on their next drive to lead 14 to 6 at the end of the ! rst quarter. At halftime Chatard lead the Panthers 21 to 7. The Panthers gained momentum scoring a touchdown to end the third quarter. The Panthers scored with four minutes left in the game, but came up short , with Chatard hanging on to win 21 to 18.Game 8: North Central at Center GroveCenter Grove scored in the ! rst drive of the game and didn’t let up. At halftime the trojans led 35 to 0. The panthers scored o" of two runs in the second half but was handed its seventh loss of the season. The ! nal score had Center Grove winning 41-14.Game 9: North Central vs. Dearborn (Mich.)The Panthers started strong scoring seven points in the ! rst quarter. They took a 28 -3 lead into halftime. The Panthers won 41-3, claiming their second win of the season.

Follow our sports coverage daily on Twitter.@nchslivesports

20 l HOMECOMING REVIEW The Northern LightsOctober 201320 l HOMECOMING

A REVIEW OFHOMECOMING

TAKE A LOOK BACK AT THE WEEK OF HOMECOMING, INCLUDING SPIRIT WEEK, THE PEP RALLY AND THE GAME!

Coach Matt Comer talks to players during the football game. Though the Panthers scored !rst, Carmel was able to come out with the win.—Dan-ny Kleschick photo.

ENL teacher Janet Eichenberger par-ticipated in Spirit Week by dressing up each day. On Wednesday, to complete her look, she dyed her hair pink.—Ry-ann Arguello photo.

A game o"cial and ball boy Will Loggan stand at the sidelines during the football game. The Panthers scored the !rst touchdown of the game.—Danny Kleschick photo.

The Northern LightsOctober 2013 HOMECOMING l 21

National Honor Society members sold spirit sticks during the game to help promote school spirit.—Danny Kleschick photo.

Carmel players prepare to score against the Pan-thers during homecom-ing. Carmel bested the Panthers, 42-7. Danny Kleschick photo.

The tailgate party fea-tured food, face-painting and alumni reunions.—Taylot Null photo.

Social studies teacher Lou Silverman dressed for Tuesday’s senior citizen day. Silverman was honored as the most spirited teacher that week.—Taylor Null photo.

With summer gone and fall sports coming to an end, the winter sports season starting to take shape. The wrestling team’s !rst practice will be November 4. The team does not make cuts, but has varsity, junior varsity and freshman teams.

The teams are decided through wrestle-o"s, which are where Coach Lou Silverman picks two wrestlers, of similar talent and weight, to wrestle each other. The winners are moved up and the losers are moved down a wrestling ladder. Although there are separate JV and freshman teams, the wrestlers aren’t permanently on one. Some of the matches are just for ninth graders but some of the freshman are moved up for the JV matches. By the start of the regular season, Silverman expects there to be somewhere between 40-50 people on all three teams.

“Some people come to the !rst few practices and decide that it might be too much work or take up too much time and aren’t willing to make the commitment to being on the team,” Silverman said.

With the team’s number one wrestler, Seth Isaacs, returning for his second season as the top wrestler, the team has high expectations for the season and would love to bring home a state title for the Panthers.

by Maddie Leistikow

As fall comes to a close, many winter sports are now being ushered in. One sport that is over-looked is the swimming and diving team. Although these athletes occasionally #y under the radar, they still possess a great deal of talent and promise. And with the multi-million dollar renovation that occurred in 2009, these teams have the necessary facilities to compete at the top level.

With excitement for the upcoming season building, team captain Rachel Hayden spoke on the team spirit and comradery.

“The girls on the team are pretty much my second family so I’m excited to make more memories with them before I leave,” Hayden, a senior, said.

“Due to the fact that I’m a senior this year, I’m mainly excited about hanging out with the team this year. We’re gonna have a great season and do great things.”

The other side of the aquatics teams, the diving team, is equally as excited to prove themselves this season.

“We have a stacked team this year,” diving coach David McKown said. “I have a feeling that this year we’re gonna do big things. North Central diving has so much potential and I think we’re !nally make it to state this year.”

With spirit and anticipation growing for the upcoming swimming and diving season growing, the boys and girls teams will be looking to make a splash in their !rst meet.

Swimming and diving begins season

Wrestling starts training for seasonby Keaton Lents

The swimming and divng team has started practice in preperation for the upcoming season, however many of the swimmers train year round to ensure they are in the best possible shape once the season does start.—Maddie Leistikow photo

The Northern LightsOctober 201322 l WINTER SPORTS PREVIEW

by Marina Higuera

Girls basketball has won the state title for the 4A division three times in the past 10 years. With past success looming over the team, this season will have high expectations for a talented group.

“I’m always excited for basketball,” sophomoore Steven Auster said, “because we have a solid chance at winning it all. The girls are really talented.”

TThe team hopes to translate their hard work during the o"-season to a successful and prosperous regular and post season. Their season opens with a home game against Mooresville at 7:30 p.m. on November 15.

Girls basketball ready to compete

Follow the action of all the winter sports on Twitter:

@nchslivesports

The Northern LightsOctober 2013 AD l 23

by Keaton Lents

Starting this fall, two exciting activities for teen girls will be o!ered: YoungLives on Wednesday evenings at Church at the Crossing and Young Life Girls Club Tuesday after school at North Central High School.YoungLives: Weds. 6:00p.m.-8:00p.m. at Church at the Crossing, 9111 Haverstick RoadYoung Life Girls Club starts Tuesday, September 17, at 2:45 at North Central High, room H193

North Central’s mascot has recently come under !re for being incredibly o"ensive and discriminative. Here we see the provocative Panther mascot attempting to excite the crowd at the recent homecoming football game. —Kelsey Schenck photo

NTNL EXCLUSIVE / OPINION

Mascot name o!ensive, changes neededby Cats McGee

I’ve always been quite o!ended by our school’s nickname.

Talk about discrimination!When it comes to schools and

nicknames the line between o!ensive and acceptable is often blurred.

Not only is it a problem that fans dress up like their given mascots, but sometimes schools use derogatory terms in their names.

Just look at the facts (WARNING VERY OFFENSIVE):

nickname “Panthers”

is the “Police Dogs” (They’ve domesticated them in the title.)

acceptable with so many other animal nicknames. I mean come on why don’t

“Glorious Genocide?”)Some schools know what they’re

doing however, just look at Brebuef

Jesuit. Brebuef’s nickname is the Braves. What a strong and totally indiscriminative mascot.

Brebuef’s nickname doesn’t target a single group of people by any means. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Check out some other awesome school names:

extraordinarily complimentary nickname “Redskins”

(Illinois) mascot is the “Midgets”

nickname is the “Cottonpickers”Some schools really intrigue me

however, they found really "attering and creative ways to use a play on word in their school’s title. These are my personal favorites:

(The Butte Pirates) -Arkansas School for the Deaf (Little Rock, Arkansas)(The Leopards...Deaf Leopards)

The only reason I bring up my concern now (as the mascot has been the “Panther” for 57 or so years) is that discriminatory nicknames have

become a real concern in the United States lately.

I #gure if some Native Americans can overreact about the Washington Redskins’ mascot, I have more than enough right to get mad at the school district for our mascot.

Did you know that a group of students tried to name the student section “The Jungle” this Summer? More than a hundred students agreed. A simple search on Wikipedia would tell you that almost all panthers (as we appear to be depicted) are kept in zoos so we might as well rename the student section the “Peanut Gallery.”

I tried to contact the organization PETA, but they don’t seem to be taking me very seriously.

“PETA appreciates your concerns, however we have other obligations to take care of at the time,” one PETA spokesperson said. “If you can, continue to spread animal rights awareness and keep #ghting...go herbivores!”

One day we’ll have a decent mascot, until then I’ll remain appalled.

24 l SATIRE NOT The Northern LightsOctober 2013

Like government, school shutdown impendingby Dax Kleschman

It seems life at North Central could be drastically changed in the coming days, with the debate over full nurse coverage now threatening the running of the school. Teachers and administrators cannot seem to come to an agreement on whether or not the already established school rule that everyone receives full bene#ts from the school nurse should truly be followed.

Those advocating for full coverage to every student stand by the current school rule that was put in place last year, stating that every student should receive equal treatment and attention from the school nurse.

“Last year, we put the school rule to a vote, and through the democratic process that we have in place, the rule was passed and approved by a majority in all three departments: Administrators, teachers and sta!,” one administrator said. “I don’t understand what is left to debate. The rule was enacted.”

this statement, claiming that those who supported the current rule “hate freedom and America.” Those against the rule claim that coverage by the school nurse should be based on either the number of hours their parents volunteer at the school, or the amount of money they donate as a family each year to the township.

“The current health care system in place is socialism… or communism… or something un-American,” one opposer claimed. “We who are #ghting it, are simply trying to protect the children from this evil lurking in the shadows.”

It is easy to see where the opposers are coming from, with many parents concerned for their own children’s safety.

“I don’t want my son to have to get less attention from the nurse because someone who gives less money than me,” one mother said out of the window of her Cadillac Escalade. “My children are special. They deserve to be treated like such.”

Those who are #ghting the rule are now willing to go as far as force a school wide shutdown. This would mean the lack of funding the many programs within the school. Those who believe the rule should remain do not see the need for such a drastic matter.

“I don’t think this issue should be taken as far as to cause a school wide

shutdown,” a supporter of the rule said.

nursing rule believe that a school shutdown would not necessarily be an awful thing. In fact, many are claiming that this shutdown would not be an awful thing.

“The school has become far too involved in its student’s lives,” a teacher in opposition to full nurse care said. “We cannot simply just stand by and let teachers, administrators and now even the school nurse make a di!erence in children’s lives. A ‘slim-down’ of school involvement will be a good way to halt this tyranny.”

A school wide shutdown would mean the ceasing of township funding to certain programs, including air conditioning and heating, after school tutoring and the entire social studies department. Not to worry, however, as those who oppose universal nurse care have devised a number of solutions to these problems. Free sweaters will be given out to those students able to make a $50 or more donation to the school district, students needing tutoring will be referred to private tutors who charge for their services, and instead of history teachers, students would be taught by a series of “Schoolhouse Rock” videos.

With these proposed solutions to the obvious overreach of school involvement in the nursing department, it is hard to see the upside of keeping the current rule. These solutions prove that the school really can function without the funding of these programs that may initially be seen as essential The justi#cation for shutting down the school is strong, and it seems that the path to a shutdown is now the road North Central is on. Despite this deadline looming, opposers of the rule seem unwilling to compromise.

“We are willing to do whatever it takes to stop this absolutely delusional piece of legislature by the principal” an opposer said. “It is my #rm belief that at the end of the shutdown, if it comes, we will emerge victorious. I am fully ready to devote my work to protecting the children from equality.”

With this honorable goal in mind, it seems those opposed to universal nurse care are unwilling to budge on the issue. With a school wide shutdown looming, there does not seem to be a solution on the horizon.