september 17, 2010
DESCRIPTION
Volume 68, Issue 1TRANSCRIPT
CARLETTEStheTHE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF WEST LAFAYETTE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
SEPTEMBER 17, 2010VOLUME 68, ISSUE 1
NEWS 1
OPINIONS 3
FEATURES 5
A&E 9
SPORTS 10
STUDENT LIFE 12
Check Out What’s Inside:
Homecoming Festivities Dazzle All BY JACQUELINE [email protected]
Homecoming this year was themed “decades.” Tuesday being 50’s day, 60’s and 70’s on Wednesday, 80’s on Thursday, and of course school spirit day on Friday. Students showed homecoming spirit by dressing up for each decade. “I dress up because it’s fun! I like not wearing my ‘normal clothes’ to school sometimes.” Explained junior Jessica Everett when asked why she dressed up for the decade days. Homecoming court included freshmen Meredith Marley and Mark Fisher, sophomores Sang-A Yuna and Jack Erdman, juniors Cassie Anderson and Andrew Cartright, seniors Jake Shinn, Katie Krause, Alisha Zoltowski, Sarah Lim, Ashley Harding, Blake Johnson, Zach Tudor, and Josh White. Marlene Lorenz and Jack Renner were crowned
homecoming queen and king. When asked how it was to be on court, senior Jake Shinn replied “It was alright.” Pep Rally took place the last twenty minutes of 8th hour. “You could feel the enthusiasm walking into the gym, with the band playing as loud as possible and the dance team and cheerleaders doing their thing!” described Melissa Freiser, junior dance team captain. The dance team performed an intense routine to “If I Had You” by Adam Lambert. Junior Rett Berry commented on Robin Zhang’s solo performance with the dance team “It was an amazing display of acrobatics.” The cheerleaders led old favorite cheers and some new ones to get the crowd going plus a spectacular array of stunts, tricks, and a special performance by senior Caitlin Sotelo. “The cheerleaders are looking great this year, they really put on a good
show” remarked junior Jake Weiss. “My favorite part about Homecoming was Jake Weiss as the MC,” commented Jake Weiss nonchalantly. “His performance was quite spectacular.” Jake and his two “BC Buds,” Zack Tudor and Blake Johnson got the West Side crowd riled up for the game at pep rally. For the parade, language clubs, REACH, SheDevils, cheerleaders, marching band, Best Buddies, Robotics, and other clubs marched, followed by the homecomingrepresentatives in convertibles. The parade went through University Farms and ended at the sports complex. As for the actual game, the Devilsfaced Benton Central for a 61 to 6 win. When asked how it was to crush BC, senior Brian Stull replied “It was a lot of fun and it was great to have so many different players play in the game.” This leaves our football team with a record of 4 and 0, still undefeated since 2007 in the regular season!DON’T MESS WITH ME: Zach Tudor and Blake Johnson look tough in thier BC costumes.
Photo by Shriya Manian
TRUE ROYALTY: Jack Renner and Marlene Lorenz hap-
pily pose aft er being named Fall Homecoming King and
Queen Photo by Shriya Manian
Crafty fellow Sam Dickson gets a close-
up on page 12.
Freshmen take over the school, page 2.
Dive into the fads of the past century,
pages 6-7.
NEWS SEPTEMBER 17TH, 2010PAGE 2West Side Explodes with Incoming Freshman Class
Since the school year began its very obvious, just going through the hallway, that compared to last year the number of students has increased. Evy Johnson, junior, remarked “the staircase by the library is always so crowded.” Many people, including Evy, attributes this to the new freshman class. The freshman class con-sists of 213 students compared to the approximate average of 165 students in a grade. The sophomore class is second with 194 students, senior class with 170 students, and the junior class with 170 students. The number of students, including the middle school, come to a total of 1077 students.
Mrs. Wesley, from the high school offi ce, believes that the enrollment of students in the school is the highest it has ever been in her 25 years working at west side. According to Mr. Shriner, the principal of West Lafayette Jr/Sr High School, reasons for the unusually large freshman class include new students moving in before their 9th grade year, which is apparently very common, the great repu-tation of the West Lafayette School Corporation, and a kindergarten law that was passed the year the freshman were enrolled in kindergarten which enabled parents a 15 month leeway, instead of the normal 12, before the enrollment date the child had to be a specifi c age. Mr. Shriner also believes that “the increase in students won’t become a trend, but it all depends on the number of stu-dents enrolled in kindergarten.” Unlike many students, Mrs. Smyser, biology teacher at West Lafayette High School, has no complaints about the large freshman class because “it allows for more biology classes with fewer students.”
Welcome to West Side, New TeachersBY COURTNEY [email protected]
Ms. HeiserMs. Heiser has fi lled Mr. Junco’s spot, teaching English Lit A&B and American Literature Honors. She is already familiar with the area because she is a Purdue graduate. Outside of her professional life she enjoys cooking, playing with her dog (German Shepherd mix), and traveling to Chicago to see her family. She is also engaged to be married next year. Toothbrush color: Purple
Mr. MilesMr. Miles is a brand new teacher who teaches Spanish I in the room next to Herr Studt. Al-though he is a part time teacher here, he also works at Wabash College in the mornings before coming to West Side. He lives in Crawfordsville with his wife who also teaches Spanish at North Montgomery. He enjoys hunting and fi shingToothbrush color: Red & Blue
BY SHRAVANI [email protected]
“[The increase] al-lows for more bi-ology classes with fewer students.”
Mr. BlessingMr. Blessing has come to West Side after the retirement of Mrs. Roadruck. The last two years he taught at McCutch-eon, and says he is enjoying teaching at West Side. He attended Anderson University, Ball State University, and Wabash College. He lives in Crawfordsville with his wife, who is also an English teacher at Anderson, and his fi ve year old son AJ. He teaches American Literature and Advance Comp. Toothbrush color: Purple
Ms. SchroederDown in the Senior locker bay working along side Mrs. Johnson is Ms. Schroeder. She has fi lled the position that was last held by Coach Dondlinger. Before West Side she was in Chicago and worked as a student teacher, parapro-fessional, and also did her teaching recertifi cation. She attended Lewis Cass, and her family lives in the area. She is familiar with the West Lafayette area because she graduat-ed from Purdue. Outside of school she enjoys spending time with her four year old son Braden whom she taught how to ride his bike over the summer. Toothbrush color: Pink
SMILE SMILE SMILE!: The four new teachers of West Side show off their teeth. Photos by Courtney Baxter
LUNCHTIME: The new freshman class enjoys lunch in the locker bay. Photo by Connie Yang
OPINIONSSEPTEMBER 17TH, 2010 PAGE 3Purdue and Online Courses Should Be A Last Option
When they become juniors and seniors, many students decide to take classes outside of West Lafayette High School. This semester, 18 students are taking Purdue classes, 22 are taking online classes, and 2 are taking classes at Ivy Tech. These students generally take classes outside of school because they have run out of math, foreign language, or science classes at our school, because they want to get a required class out of the way to take something else, or because they want to replace a grade from a previous class. Although these classes can have some advantages, there are many problems that must be considered before a student signs up for a
class outside of the high school. First, there is the problem of cost. “A Purdue class costs about $1000 a semester, and an online class costs between $200 and $250 a semester,” says Mr. Thomas, one of our high school guidance counselors. This is because high school students do not get discounts on Purdue classes even if parents work for Purdue, and they have no chance to get scholarships of any kind. Also, West Lafayette does not have a discount on Purdue classes like other high schools in the area do. The cost must be considered before deciding to take a class outside of school. Another issue is one of time. Purdue classes take two periods out of a person’s schedule because
of travel time. The class must be worked around the student’s already existing schedule at the high school. Mr. Thomas explained that the Purdue class comes second, meaning that if a student has a required class offered only in the few periods that he or she wants to take a Purdue class, then the required class will be considered fi rst. For those who take classes after school or online classes at home, a class cuts about two more hours out of their after-school schedules, reducing time for homework, sports, and extracurricular activities, in addition to adding more of a workload to the students. It is important to note as well that high school students are on campus during Purdue classes.
This means that they are not able to be supervised by the school. According to Mr. Thomas, a serious accident could change the school’s policy of allowing Purdue classes during school hours. The high school must rely on the high school students themselves to make smart decisions. There are other alternatives to taking these classes. AP classes are advanced level classes that can count as college credit. Summer school is available in some subjects. It is also possible for people who want a better grade in a class to retake that same class at school. These options are cheaper and a more effi cient use of time. As Mr. Thomas so wisely put it, “Our motto is: If you can take the class here, you should do it here.”
BY MALENA DE LA [email protected]
Purdue and Online Courses are Great Opportunities
Over 40 students at West Side take Purdue or online classes. One student, David Afolabi, summarizes the major reason why many students take these classes, “I ran out of Spanish classes, what else am I supposed to do?” Where our West Side class offerings end, Purdue picks up essentially. These classes serve other purposes to students as well such as allowing them retake classes or freeing up space in their schedule. While West Side offers many courses in every subject, Purdue has a vast selection of courses. Many students turn to Purdue when they used to take advanced classes that aren’t available here. Mrs. Gates often encourages students to take Calculus III because, “it is important to have a continuous math education.”
David, who is currently taking Spanish at Purdue says, “Once you stop speaking it, you lose it.” Taking these advanced courses to create continuity serves a dual purpose. Purdue classes are a key way for a student to show colleges that they are ready to handle diffi cult courses and that they are particularly interested in a subject. Many students also take courses online to both retake a class and hence improve their GPA or to free space in their schedule. Rett Berry, a junior, took Health online instead of at West Side and he says, “I took Health online because it was a great way to free
up my schedule. This allowed me to take another class I actually wanted to take.” Taking an online
class allows the student to do course work at their own leisure instead of at a strict scheduled space regulated by the school. Therefore, taking online classes is a great way for students to get a feel of college, where things are less structured. Senior McKailey
Carson says she took Algebra II because, “I didn’t really get Algebra II the way it was taught here so I retook it online.” Taking courses online, as in McKailey’s case, helpsa student keep their high school schedule on track. For example if a student wanted to redo a class to get a better grade, they couldtake it online during the summer instead having to retake it duringthe next school year. Purdue and online classes are an advantage to all students who take them. Taking a Purdue class just may be the deciding factor for many colleges when they examine a student’s transcripts. On the other hand, a struggling student is able to realign their math education bytaking a class online or at Purdue. In conclusion, all students should try to take a Purdue or online classduring high school because of the wealth of benefi ts it provides.
BY SAMEER [email protected]
Drawing by Drew Kempin
OPINIONS PAGE 4
Every teenager looks forward to the day they no longer have to be shuttled around by a parent, beg rides of an annoyed friend, or dodge traffi c on a bike. One can imagine the massive disappoint-ment across Indiana, then, on July 1st, when a new driving law ex-tending the minimum driving age was passed. The law pushes the age to obtain a license with Driv-er’s Education to 16 and a half, a stretch from the previous 16 and one month. The minimum age to attend a Driver’s Education class was also extended to 15 and a half. In addition, the law prolongs the minimum age to obtain a license without Driver’s Education for-ward three months, now making it 16 and nine months. The simple reason for this change is teenage driving accidents. Ac-cording to the Department of Motor Vehicles, there were 162
fatalities in crashes caused by teen drivers in 2008. Studies suggest teens underestimate the hazards of certain situations and are more likely to take risks. It is not un-likely, however, that the underly-ing motive of this law is to eventu-ally increase the minimum driving age to 18 like the majority of other nations. At this point it should be con-sidered - does raising the mini-mum driving age actually have an impact on teenage car accidents? Several students replied nega-tively - “Of course not,” said Nati Carignano, a sophomore, “Noth-ing changes in six months.” In many ways, this is true. The stud-ies show that it is inexperience, not the difference between a 16-year-old driver and a 17-year-old one, that causes accidents. Fol-lowing this logic, raising the driv-ing age would only lead to slightly older and equally accident-prone teenagers. Does it make sense to
only allow a teenager a driving li-cense when he is approaching 17 or 18, inches away from being le-gally free from parental oversight? Why not allow teenagers to drive at 15 or 16, gradually easing them into full privileges, while allowing them to gain experience and skills along the way? What this law boils down to is unnecessary inconvenience. Stu-dents who missed the July 1st cut-off are placed in an awkward po-sition where many of their friends can drive. “I feel bad because I’m always bummin’ rides,” says Nati. The negative effect on students is very apparent. Sophomore Lucy Platt explained her disappoint-ment when she found out about the law: “I could have had my per-mit already. It’s annoying when you can’t go somewhere just be-cause you can’t drive.”
SEPTEMBER 17th, 2010
Indiana Says Teen Drivers are Hazardous BY HARINI [email protected]
Staff of The Scarlette
News EditorShravani Merugureddy
Opinions EditorMalena de la Fuente
Features EditorWanyoung Kim
Student Life EditorJoon Jang
Sports EditorMarley Still
ReportersDan OpreaJacqueline BalesMorgan McLuckeyBrian AndersonCourtney BaxterSandra NdichuLexi KingDrew KempinShravani MerugureddyMalena de la FuenteWanyoung KimShriya ManianMarley StillJoon JangAnjona GhoshSameer MishraAndrew KaufmanHarini Suresh
Artists / PhotographersAndrew KaufmanAnna ChenJacqueline BalesXiaoqin ZhuDan OpreaLexi KingCourtney BaxterShriya ManianDrew Kempin
Page DesignersAnna ChenDrew KempinXiaoqin ZhuAnjona GhoshMalena de la FuenteShriya ManianJoon JangWanyoung KimConnie YangJacqueline BalesMaggie JenksAndrew KaufmanShravani MerugureddyMarley Still
Mission: The Scarlette strives to create a publication that is informative, entertaining, accurate, and professional. The mission of the Scarlette is to accurately, truthfully, and professionally report on events and issues that are of inter-est to the student body, entertain readers, and serve as a valuable archive of the happenings of the school.
The Scarlette Editorial Policy: Scarlette provides a limited forum for readerexpression. Letters to the editor must be re-ceived seven days prior to publication date in the box provided in the offi ce. Letters should be 250 words or less. Longer submissions may be considered as a guest column. All are subject to editing for content and length. Per-sonal attacks and unfair attacks on businesses or unsigned letters will not be published. The editorial represents the views of major-ity of the staff. Views printed do not necessar-ily refl ect the opinions of the faculty, staff, oradministration of the WLCSC.
Editor-in-ChiefAnjona Ghosh
A&E EditorShriya Manian
Staff Editorial
With the beginning of a brand new year, we, the Scarlette, wel-come a fresh start. Last year, we bid adieu to a great crop of tal-ented seniors, but we equally ac-quired many new members with innovative ideas and lots of en-ergy. We hope to bring you the most informative and entertaining con-tent. Also, we hope for more stu-dent input, so please feel free to contact us. Feel like trying your hand at journalism? We welcome guest reporters from all classes. Have an opinion on a topic? Our staff is reachable through e-mail, listed under the reporter’s name. We want to hear from you! In short, we look forward to a great and productive school year, full of wonderful graphics, eye catching page designs and in-formative articles from cover-to cover.
Photo EditorConnie Yang
We Are the Scarlette
FEATURESSEPTEMBER 17, 2010 PAGE 5
You’ve probably heard an an-nouncement calling out to the she-devils to pick up their treat bags in the high school offi ce or to meet for practice after school on Wednesday, and for the most part you may have shrugged and asked assumed it. For all those who have no idea who or what the she-devils are they are the West Lafayette High School’s dance team. I got a chance to talk to a few of them and got to know more about their group and what they do. It’s common knowledge that to succeed at something you always have to love it, like the Blackberry advertisement slogan goes ‘do what you love, love what you do’, and this is evident in the passion that drives the she-devils to be the wonderful, talented troop of dancers. When asked what was
the best thing about being on the dance team was , Sophomore Haley Arndt responded “ It’s a fun experience and the best part is competing at state and getting placed in the top two teams!” Most people ask ‘what so had about being on a dance team’ Unless you are in one yourself you may assume that all you have to do is meet once in a while and practice the dance routines, but there is more to what you see as a fi nished product as the she-devils entertain an eager crowd during a pep rally or game. Conditioning every two weeks, learning and practicing new dance routines, and tons of stretching make this group the wonderful winners they are.With the amount of time the team spends together friend-ships are made, as it is human nature, and sophomore Becca Rye comments that “You make
friends with people you’d never expect and become really close.” This is important because it allows the team to work more smoothly with each other. The team’s success is also credited to their dedicated coach Joy McE-wen. The team hails her as a very professional and organized leader who keeps them focused.I had a great time talking to the
few members and I have defi -nitely changed my stereotypical mindset that dancing is not a big deal because to the ladies in the She-devils, dance is not just a hobby it is a passion something that they love to do. So the next time you see a grand performance by the She-Devils give them a round of applause as they dance their way to the top.
She-Devils: Dancing To The Top SANDRA [email protected]
Ever since Apple released the iPhone in 2007, numerous companies have been trying to dethrone the “King of Smart-phones”. In 2009, Motorola released the Droid, which some people have consid-ered to be Apple’s fi rst real threat. Currently, the latest models from each company are the iPhone 4 ($299 for the 32gb model, $199 for the 16gb and runs on AT&T) and Droid X ($199 running on Verizon). The Droid X
has a 8gb built in memory, replac-ing the 256mb built in memory of the original Droid, plus the Droid supports MicroSD cards up to
32gb, which means the Droid X can
have up to 40gb of
memory. The iPhone 4
has a built in memory (32gb
and 16gb). The Droid X also has
a bigger screen and an 8 mega-
pixel camera and the Iphone 4 has a 5 megapixel, but
both devices are strictly touchscreens (i.e. no slide out keyboards like the original Droid). Both support Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth, though one interest-ing feature is that the Droid X can act as a mobile hot-spot, meaning that you can connect any other Wi-Fi device to it and use Verizon’s network (this feature costs $20/month). The Droid X also has the ability to be connected to a T.V. via HDMI. However, when the two devices were put
Iphone vs DroidDAN [email protected]
to the test, iPhone 4 came out on top. Ac-cording to PCWorld.com, the site that compared the de-vices, the IPhone 4 has more apps,
downloaded faster, had better voice quality, took
better quality videos and pictures, and had a better, brighter look-ing screen. However, in the end, it simply comes down to network. So if you have AT&T or Verizon, then go out and buy one of these phones! However, if you have Sprint or T-mobile, well then you’re just out of luck.
CAN YOU DO THE CAN CAN: The victorious SheDevils pose for the camera. Photo by Jacquelin Bales
FEATURES SEPTEMBER 17, 2010PAGE 6 FEATURESSEPTEMBER 17, 2010 PAGE 7
A Trendy Hundred Years: The Scarlette Takes a Look at the Fads of This Century
Fad, defi ned by Merriam-Webster as “a practice or interest followed for a time with exaggerated zeal,” is a term rife with implications of social infl uence. Stand alone with bare, unbraceleted forearms. Are you shunned by everyone around you wearing SillyBandz? Follow the crowd; are you conforming for the sake of conforming or because you, individually, see worth and value in the fad’s product?
Arguably, the essence of any fad is a combination of charm, utility, and the momentum of popularity gained by social infl uence. Each fad is a quickly dying ember in the blaze of history. Media, fashion, dance, food, toys, catchphrases, or social gestures: someone, somewhere, sometime, participated in it while non-participants stood, stared, and possibly scoffed. Wearing, watching, eating, saying, doing whatever the fad was, some people took pride in belonging to the crowd around them that did so likewise.
BY WANYOUNG [email protected]
We took a look at some of the fads of this past century, compiling an epically original timeline that may awe you with some of the unlikely trends that elicited cult-like, mass participation in America. The timeline covers each decade from 1900 on, but covers in most detail the last fi ve.
Some of the century’s fads, like the Rubik’s cube or Frisbee, ring a bell and still could, conceivably, be considered “in.” Others like Hannah Montana might elicit a few groans. And
some, like tupperware parties from the 80’s, may be too bizarrely obscure to bring back any signifi cant memories unless you are old enough to have lived through it.
As the saying goes, one lives and dies by the sword; the fad lives and dies by popularity. The same crowd that follows a fad eventually deserts it for something newer, better, and more trendy—which never stays the same thing for too long.
1. Telephone booth cramming2. Justin Bieber3. Go-go boots4. Reality TV5. Purses for men6. Tupperware parties7. “That’s hot”8. Crocs9. Glass Eating10. Frilly shirts
Top Ten Most Unlikely Fads
FEATURES SEPTEMBER 17TH, 2010PAGE 8
Dear Prudence...Got an Issue?
Noodles And Company Provides Convenient, Tasty Food for the Health Concious
Noodles opened up last year and has quickly become one of the most popular lunch spots for West Siders. The huge selec-tion and a novel menu are the fi rst things that some one who has never gone to Noodles notices when they step in. The multitude of smells assaults your nose, and you begin to salivate inexplicably. At this point, that guy with the oddly high voice, that is for some reason always working there, asks, “What you would like to have today?” This quickly snaps you out of what I have coined “the noodle trance” (Not to be confused with “the Noodles dance” from PB & J Otters), and with a chuckle you continue on to reward your stom-ach for a hard morning‘s intense schooling. This is a very typical Noodles
BY: BRIAN ANDERSON [email protected]
Got relationship, friendship, or life troubles? Do you feel like you can’t let anyone know? Do you feel like you can’t ask any-one for advice? Well, I am all ears. Send me an anonymous email explaining your situation and I will give you the support and advice you need. Prudence is here for YOU.
Reach me at: [email protected]
experience. For most people, the favorite menu items are the Marinara or the gourmet Mac and cheese. As a frequent Noodles Participant, I have tried both and
recommend them highly. I tend to stay away from the spicier en-trées, but they, too, are extremely delicious according to the many opinions I have heard around the school. That every item on the menu involves noodles does not subtract anything from the diver-sity of the selection. When I fi rst
heard of a restaurant that only served noodles I thought it had to be some sort of weird gimmick, but contrary to that belief it’s a great idea. Not only is Noodles a great place
to fi nd a fi lling lunch, it’s also a great date spot for a baller on a budget. Its classy décor, healthy food, and general atmosphere make it a great place to bring a date. This brings me to my largest problem with Noodles. Although a great place for an oc-casional gathering, the prices of the meals are a
deterrent to frequent visits. To get a full sized entre with a meat add-ed can run up a ten dollar bill with relative ease. Compared to nor-mal fast food establishments this is extremely pricy. The average student cannot spend ten bucks on lunch very often, which limits
the number of times the Noodles experience can be enjoyed. The relative convenience of Noodles location and its superb food make it a commonly attended restaurant in spite of this large issue. In this regard I agree with the general trend that Noodles is more than worth the price for a special lunch treat. In this review-er’s opinion, Noodles receives a healthy four out of fi ve stars. I invite students who have yet to try this dinning establishment to place it on the top of their lists for lunch options in the future.
A&ESEPTEMBER 17, 2010 PAGE 9 The fi rst thing that came to my mind was…well, honestly, nothing came to mind. My mind was blank. What had just happened? But as I contin-ued my “walk of shame” and I saw all of the de-pressed faces nearly soaked with tears, it hit me. This wasn’t my year. This wasn’t my big break. My dream wasn’t coming true I was not going to be on American Idol. I held in the tears—I didn’t want people to know how much it meant to me, how much the words “You’re, unfortunately, not what we are looking for this season,” changed my life. After my alarm clock in the Milwaukee, Wis-consin Hilton Hotel sounded at 2:30 AM, I nearly fl ew out of bed. Even though I had only fallen asleep three and a half hours earlier, I was burst-ing with energy and I had no clue where I was coming from. Within 30 to 40 minutes I was ready to begin my journey to the Bradley Stadium where the auditions were being held. We walked passed the fi rst line of people, which consisted of those who had been lying there with their sleep-ing bags from the previous day.
Luckily, we beat the rush by about 20 minutes and made it close to the front of the second line. As I saw everyone passing by me, searching for the end of the line, the butterfl ies took fl ight in my stomach. The “one in a million” chance fi nally spoke out to me. While waiting for my chance to audition, I stum-bled upon a “Singing in the Shower” open Mic.—complete with shower curtain and showerhead. This is where the most memorable moment of this entire experience happened. After a fellow Idol hopeful (who, I pray, made it through) began to sing the song “I Believe I Can Fly” with the voice of an angel, the crowd couldn’t help but chime in with melody and harmony—making it the most magical moment of my life. This may sound crazy, but even though I knew almost no one around me, I felt as though I was part of a huge family. By the time my section of seats in the stadium was called, my butterfl ies had been long gone. I was ready, I was pumped, and I was going to attack this audition. As I stood on the glossy wooden court and looked up at all of the seats fi lled with waiting people, I couldn’t believe I was fi nally here. I danced down to booth number two with my three fellow hopefuls. I was bursting
with confi dence and excitement. One of the two producers greeted us all with a “Hello.” I replied with a “Hi,” and a huge smile that I am positive took up all of my face. I was third to sing, and I performed an older song, “Route 66.” My heart nearly skipped a beat when I saw one of the pro-ducers smile, lean towards the other and whisper in her ear. I got to fi nish singing the entire section I had prepared. When the last girl had fi nished singing we stood still impatiently, waiting for what the producers had to say. They whispered to each other one last time before motioning us toward our potential destinies. I knew this was my time, I knew they liked me, I knew it! They whispered! They whispered during my singing! I thought, along with a hundred other things. But then the dreadful words “You’re, unfortunately, not what we’re looking for this season,” escaped into the air and nearly choked me. Maybe it’s because I didn’t choose the right song, or didn’t dress fancy enough, or didn’t smile big enough that I wasn’t chosen. Or maybe it was because I wasn’t dressed as a clown or a dancing, shining toothbrush. Well, whatever the reason, this wasn’t my year. But I know someday I’ll be that one in a million.
Best and Worst Books-Turned-Movies
One In a Million
Many of the best and worst movies started out as bound, hardback books. Some authors have been lucky, landing movie deals for their entire series, where others have had their novels just collecting dust on bookshelves. Some movies have stayed true to the story, and it’s been nice to see the scenes portrayed on the big screen. But other books-turned-movies have gone astray from original storyline, and we’ve wanted to leave the theater halfway through the fi lm, disappointed. Here are, in my opinion, the top three best and worst books-turned-movies.
Twilight (2008) Based on the novel by Stephanie Meyer. I’m sorry, but I just can’t take a vampire seriously if he sparkles. I guess the Twilight series gets its own category, for both the book and the movie are pretty lame. Feel free to dis-agree, but I’m defi -nitely Team Cedric.
The Harry Potter series thus far (2001-2009) Based on the novels by J.K. Rowl-ing. I’m one of the biggest HP fans on theplanet, but the movies very nearly butch-
er the books. I never miss the movies when they’re on tele-vision, but there are alwaysscenes that disappoint me.For example, was it nec-essary to burn down theBurrow in the 6th movie? And in the 5th, whateverhappened to that long talkbetween Dumbledore and Harry? J.K. dedicated awhole chapter to it. The directors need to get it together.
Everything is Illumi-nated (2005) Based on the novel by Jonathan Safran Foer. This book is written in such a way a movie could never be. Not only does the movie lose all of the charm the book has, but it’s also changed the plot in so many ways, it’s essentially a completely different story.
Alice in Wonderland (1951) Based on novel by Lewis Carroll. I’ve never been big on animated fi lms, but this musical adaptation is actually enthralling no matter
what age. It’s dream-like quality is what makes it a classic.
Stand By Me (1986) Based on the novella by Stephen King. The movie’s plot varies from that of the book in a few scenes, but overall the movie is an accurate representation of the book. It properly cap-tures the relationship between the four boys, which is the most important aspect of the book.
Matilda (1996) Based on novel by Roald Dahl. Matilda perfectly embodies what it is like to be an intelligent child, trapped and surrounded by idiots. Danny DeVito did a fantastic job directing this movie as he did acting in it.
Top 3 WorstTop 3 Best
BY LEXI [email protected]
BY SHRIYA [email protected]
SPORTS SEPTEMBER 17TH, 2010PAGE 10
After a stunning 15-0 state championship season last year the West Side Football team has set a pretty high goal. This year they have lost star quarterback Daniel Wodicka and several others however they have trained hard and are ready to prove that even without Wodicka they are still a state championship team. The Devils have set out to be not just as good, but better than last year’s team. Showing that they don’t need to rely on only one person but use the whole team. Only two weeks after school let out the football team was back at school training hard to get bigger and stronger. In mid-June the football team headed over to Illinois State University to attend a football camp headed by Brock Spack. Then only one week prior to the start of school the team went to their team camp at the Indiana Dunes.
Constantly pushing themselves, proving they are better, faster, and stronger. However in the midst of all this training they still have some fun with scrimmages.
After all their hard work and effort the team came out to prove themselves against Crawfordsville. After 2 minutes and 10 seconds the Red Devils took possession from the Athenians and then the Red Devils gave the ball to Richard Trimble who didn’t disappoint with a ridiculous 52-yard touchdown. West Side trounced Crawfordsville 42-2. The West Lafayette Football team was back at Lucas Oil Stadium for The 2010 Horseshoe Classic. They were pitted against Lewis Cass. West Lafayette nearly escaped defeat last year from Lewis Cass. The game didn’t start off to well as the Devils trailed 14-0. However the Devils proved that hard work really does pay off. They decided they were not going to lose. They came back and scored 28 straight points. This
come from behind victory showed the team that we can do this. It seems as if all there work is starting to pay off.
West Lafayette Football record is 19-0. The Red Devils have proved they can come back and fl at out destroy opposing teams. As junior Richard Trimble puts it “Still the best.” The reason the football team is the best is that the seniors are stepping up their game and
This school year, two new coaches have joined the ranks of our girls’ soccer and volleyball programs: Aaron Blessing, the head coach of the girls’ soccer team and new addition to the school’s English department, and Chad Marshall, head coach of the volleyball team.
Truly a lover of the beautiful game, Blessing has played at all levels since age eight, from rec to club, high school at Lawrence North, and later college at Anderson University. He fi rst began coaching his freshman year of college, after an injury rendered him unable to play for the season. His affi nity for coaching led him to train teams at places such as Carmel, Bishop-
Chatard, Wabash College, and the Olympic Development Program. When asked what he loved about coaching, Blessing replied that he enjoys knowing players outside the classroom, helping them become
successful, and the competitive challenge of preparing. He added that, “I just love the game itself,” and that another aspect he appreciated is that for international students especially, “Soccer is like a common language”. Goals he listed for the season include creating and program players want to be a part of, being competitive in every game played, and getting to know the players and school, as well as advancing in the post-season.
Chad Marshall began his career in volleyball after joining the fi rst-ever boys’ team at Jeff his senior year. Previously, Marshall had also played football, club soccer, and track. He continued into college as setter for the Purdue men’s team and has served as the varsity assistant coach for the girls’ team at
West Side Says Hello To New Fall Sport Coaches
ANDREW [email protected]
the offensive and defensive line are really showing what they’re made of. The West Lafayette football team has been training long and hard and is ready to show it. Cass Coach gave us a good pep talk and after that we were ready to go.
Jeff. Marshall cited former coaches as his inspiration because they had a passion for the sport and were such good role models. His favorite aspects of coaching are “the energy the kids bring” and “the dynamic of competition.” Marshall included winning conference in his seasonal goals.
MORGAN [email protected]
West Lafayette Football Gets Great Start To Season
Pictures by Dan Oprea
GET THAT BALL: The Red Devils batt le hard against the Lewis Cass Kings. Photo provided by Andrew Waters
SPORTSSeptember 17th , 2010 PAGE 11
game of golf she replied, “It’s based mainly on your mental attitude and it’s a good brain exercise because you really have to think aboutevery shot.” She also mentioned the golf carts because everyone loves to drive them.
Haley has won three awards for golf (that she can remember), Most Valuable Player, mental attitude award and her most recent third place winning in the Rensselaer invite. She doesn’t expect to play or win any awards from college, but she said she wants to play recreationally during her college years.
Her fellow golf players think highly of her. When asked to describe Haley in one word Lexi King replied, “Awesome!”; a statement which many can agree with.
Haley Sands is a Chip above the Competition
BY MARLEY [email protected]
If you ever wanted to learn how to play golf this year, you would most likely want to get tips from number one girl’s golf player, Haley Sands. She’s been playing since 5th grade and played for West Side since 7th. Her older sister is to thank for her starting the game. Her most successful event in golf this year was at the Rensselaer invite where she shot a 79 on an 18-hole course and placed 3rd out of 70 people. Not bad for 18-holes, and she was only 7 over par. The best score she ever got was at the Curtis Creek Country (CCC) course and she shot a 39 on the front 9 holes and a 40 on the back 9.
When asked why she enjoys the overall
Golf Not Only About Mental Attitude, But Also Golf Carts
The Trouble With Trimble
His mom was so proud! She put the ar-ticle telling of her son’s Army Iron Man Award (along with copies to distribute) on the break-fast table the morning it appeared in the Jour-nal and Courier. And well she should have been proud, for Richard Trimble had won the prestigious award after rushing for 131 yards and three touchdowns, recording two tackles for loss and returning a fumble 54 yards for a score in West Lafayette’s 42-2 victory over Crawfordsville. He was a good part of reason West Lafayette scored its 16th (now 18th) consecutive win and 19th (now 21st) straight in the regular season. The Red Devils have not lost a game since 2008. For his part, Trimble was particularly happy to receive the Iron Man because of his great re-spect for people in the military. One of his he-roes, a grandfatherly mentor to Trimble, was a former Army veteran and Air Force Colonel who recently passed away.
The abilities of the 5-foot-9, 170-pound junior were on display in his work as running back, though he also plays defensive back. He was quoted in the J & C article as saying, “I was just pumped for the game. I’ve been ready since we won that state championship last year to get out here and do it again, get the season start-ed.” Friend Quinton Lewis praised Trimble for the way he stepped up to the unexpected op-portunity to start that game. Trimble explains that he was just glad that they were able to pick up the game after having lost so many se-niors last year. He credits Brody Forbes and Brian Bangs for their great performances, too. Trimble was looking forward to a return trip to Lucas Oil Stadium to play in the 2010 Horse-shoe Classic on August 28th. Unfortunately, an ankle injury sustained just before the game prevented Trimble from playing. While he was able to play in the Friday, Sept. 4th game against Delphi, he was not up to strength. He hopes to be back to 100% this week. Trimble is a bright, hard working, friendly
BY ANDREW [email protected]
Rushing 131 Yards and 3 Touchdowns Wins Trimble Army Iron Man Award
WALKING THE COURSE: Haley Sands traverses the greens. Photo
By Anna Chen
CAN YOU HANDLE THIS IRON MAN?: Richard Trimble suits up in his football gear. Photo By Xiaoqin Zhu
and unassuming guy. So, what is the “trouble with Trimble”? Nothing, unless you are on the opposing team and you get in his way on the football fi eld.
STUDENT LIFE SEPTEMBER 17TH, 2010PAGE 12
Meet Sam Dickson, Vice-President of the Amateur Radio Club. If you see a lean, raven-haired senior of good height, that’s him. He was inspired enough about radio technology to create The Amateur Radio Club with his friend, Yasha Ogg. Though there were setbacks during his fi rst year of the club, Sam’s dedication to it has helped his brainchild return to the school stage once again. The Amateur Radio Club has expanded to
Sam Dickson: Being a Clever Fox Since 1994try many different projects, one of them being a “virtual tour” of WLHS, much like “street view” on Google Earth. The large amount of energy used to build a website and a thing like this was plainly evident in just the fi rst meeting of the year. Sam stated in the meeting that he planned on being “more focused and productive this year than last year.” This year’s call-out showed that Sam’s confi dent manner and charisma continues to be a huge factor in the leadership of the club. Sam’s passion isn’t limited just to radio; his “claim to fame” also lies within his ostentatious set of homework for Mr. Ambrose’s U.S. History class. Spending long fabulous afternoons doing homework doesn’t appeal to anybody in particular, and it wasn’t any different for Sam. The more so because it’s a U.S. History class. “I wanted to drive [Mr. Ambrose] crazy,” he admits with a smile. He printed his homework on T-shirts, soup cans, and even videotaped his homework. Surely enough to make any teacher crazy. “I just graded it like any other homework […] he just put it there like any other homework,” Mr. Ambrose responds when asked about the incidents. He tried to hand back the homework like other homework assignments. Mr. Ambrose took Sam’s quirks in stride, but for this year, he hands out “fi ll-in worksheets” for all his Econ classes. When asked about what he would do if it happened again, Mr. Ambrose replied, “Since they’re fi ll-in worksheets, he’ll get a zero if he does. But
will he do it? I don’t think so.” Still, Sam won’t be daunted by his challenges though, whether it be through his charisma, or something else, he always seems to have the fortitude to tackle his new challenges. When I asked Yasha Ogg about things that would describe Sam, the response was “self-conscious and demanding.” If those admirable qualities led to his funky creation for Mr. Ambrose, there will be a great dynamic lying in the future for Sam.
BY JOON [email protected]
A TECHNICAL GENIUS: Sam Dickson poses during the ARC call-out.Photo by Anna Chen
NICE SHIRT: Having worn an Apple shirt the previous day, Sam now wears a Microsoft polo. Photo by Anna Chen
Seriously Speaking: Where in the world is Eric Junco?
“Never heard of him.”
- Alicia Raftery, Sophomore
“In a better place!”
- Daniel Rollock, Freshman
“He’s jammin’ with Tupac.”
- Nick Larew, Junior
“In my heart.”
- Clare Drummond, Senior
“I think he’s with CarmenSandiego. They eloped.”
- John Levy